Great Depression & Wall Street Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Great Depression & Wall Street Crisis - Essay Example Prior to October 1929, market investment was highly expedient. From 1923, American economy experienced bullish trend in the Wall Street. Lending by banks and brokers was higher than the general face value of the stocks being purchased. Household investors and novice sponsors further aggravated the progress in stock market. Increasing development and prices of iron and steel industry further amplified prices due to speculation. Further introduction of installment in the banking system allowed many families to own what they could not afford otherwise (Suddath, n.p). At this scenario, the demand and supply forces came into play. Due to higher demand and excess of borrowed money, general rate of trade was at its highest. Presence of many small banks despite having no ability to lend without having substantial savings to back up these loans, further strengthen speedy stock exchange. This trend of trading was further increased by the presence of marginal buyers. Marginal buyers only paid 1 0-20 percent of the actual value of shares whereas the remaining amount was credited by brokers or banks. Due to little requirement of investment capital, number of novice investors who were susceptible to negative speculation, increased. On October 29, 1929, best known as Black Tuesday, the stock market crashed completely.However, with increase in the stock prices and overall economic development, small traders and famers extended their production scale which lead to excessive supply of wheat and other eatables.

Turkey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Turkey - Essay Example For other groups within the EU, letting Turkey become a member would greatly affect the cultural status of Europe. Because Turkey seems to be much more Asian in terms of the traditions and religion, these groups hold that Turkey would be having a hard time fitting itself in the European way of thinking (Laà §iner 17). However, from a personal standpoint, while Turkey has considerably achieved great leaps in improving its economy, if the country strongly chooses to join, the leaders must be able to immediately bring forth the changes in some of the internal and external policies up to the standards set up by the EU, otherwise the leaders are just stalling and are simply reluctant to become part of the EU. One of the strongest factors that prevented Turkey from being assimilated early was the incompatibility of its economic structure with that of the EU (Arikan 64). Due to the political and not of the economic interests of its leaders, instead of creating more liberal economic policies as well as unable to comply with the reciprocal obligations of the EU, Turkey was unable to close its status as a candidate for early accession. The instability within the Mediterranean regions also affected the status of the country (Arikan 65). Had Turkey chose to create steps in changing trade and economic policies according to EU standards, the development of the country would have been easier, as well as the accession into the EU. Despite Turkey being unable to let a reciprocal relationship with EU take place, the country was eligible to become an associate country, with the hopes of immediately starting the transition process (Arikan 65). Mutual obligations between the EU and Turkey were created, such as quantitative restrictions for Turkish exports to the EU, and the EU granting financial aids to Turkey that would mitigate workers

Impairment is a physical fact, but disability is a social construction

Impairment is a physical fact, but disability is a social construction Intro This essay will discuss disability as a socially constructed concept, as viewed from a historical viewpoint the first as a physical fact and the second as socially constructed condition. The manner by which this will done is to investigate disability from an historical viewpoint and the socially constructed viewpoint, this will concluded in an evaluation. Oliver (1996) defines impairment as lacking part of or all of a limb, or having a defective limb, organ or mechanism of the body. And disability as the disadvantage of activity (Oliver 1996:22). Barnes (1991) suggests that disability is a recently modern term used to describe a system in which society discriminates by enforcing social restrictions on people with impairments. It would be almost impossible to go back in time and identify when exactly society began to discriminate against people with impairments. Although it has been suggested that societys view of impairment and disability came about as a result of peoples psychological fear of the unknown. As the perception of what is normal is transmitted by accepted values and beliefs through learning and culture from other people in society. (Douglas, 1966) Historians have found evidence from ancient times that suggests different societies generated their own ideological thoughts through out history, about people who suffered impairment. In Israel a 46,000 year old skeleton of a man was found, which showed he was born with an impairment that would have required the support from his society through out his life. This individual had severe impairment and yet his survival was the result of respect from his society (Rudgley, 2000) however not all societies had the same ideological responses to impairment. An excavated burial site (c.100, 000BC) in Turkey demonstrated how an individual with a hunched back was dumped on a rubbish tip, instead of being buried the traditional way as society viewed him as an outcast. (Rudgley, 2000) giving an early example of someone with a physical impairment being isolated from society. It was during the industrialization of 19th century that an extreme policy of exclusion was envisioned by segregating people with impairments from society by placing them in institutions. The term institution is used to describe a number of social organisations that range from hospitals, asylums, workhouses and prisons that use organized long term provision in a residential setting with the emphasis being on care treatment or custody (Jones and Fowles, 1984) Institutions were first established to deal with the problem of mental defectives these were people with learning disabilities and mental illness. As previously Individuals who had severe impairments were taken into small medieval hospitals where the sick or bedridden were kept. The philosophy of these hospitals was religious based, seeking to care than to cure. (Skull, 1984) However this philosophy changed as the institutions were built with the belief that people with learning disabilities could be educated and trained and then let back in to society once rehabilitated. (Race,1995) As prior to industrialisation people with learning disabilities had managed to cope in society by doing simple manual work, as literacy and numeracy were only prerequisites of the higher classes. Until industrialization brought a faster work pace and created a new bourgeoisie based on a persons position in society and their individual attributes, (Hobsbawm 1962) resulting in the social exclusion of people with learning disabilities. (Skull 1979) Therefore capitalism was a way of controlling and giving discipline to individuals who could not obey the rules of new working practices. Therefore to enforce greater control there was a increase in institutions and asylums (Skull, 1979) there was an increasing fear that people with learning disabilities were contributing to the degeneration of society, therefore the regimes within the institutions were in place to contain people than reform them. The reason for people with learning disabilities being segregated from people in society was through the negative image given by labelling that resulted in stigmatisation. As in the first half of the century people classed as learning disabled were labelled idiot (very severe) imbecile (severe) feebleminded (less severe) other derogatory labels used were moron and moral defective. Even at the present time people with learning disabilities are still being stigmatised through labelling, that resulted from the past. As the term mental handicap to classify people with learning disabilities gives the illusion of mental illness, and the term handicap gives an image of a person with a cap in their hand begging and depending on the charity of others. The terms idiot and imbecile are labels still used to describe people in language used today. Indeed it was not the view that people with learning disabilities were a financial burden to society that was seen as a threat, but the way that they b red and spread the ills of society that caused concern for people. As it was believed that people who referred to as feebleminded were the cause of many problems in society such as prostitution, alcoholism and crime. It was this negative image of labelling learning disabilities that would lead the way for the science of eugenics. (Borsay, 2005) It is Francis Galton (1883) who is recognized as being the founding father of eugenics, which was defined as a science of improving inborn human qualities through selective breeding. (Galton, 1883) this meant only the most desirable people in society were allowed to procreate. This idea was to prove popular with social thinkers and politicians of the time and attracted approval from many people in society. Policies were made as a result and one such policy was that sterilizing or segregating people with learning difficulties was much lower than, the higher cost that society would accrue in supporting generations of defectives in the future. (Larson,1995) showing how easy it was for social policy makers to be persuaded into making policies based on welfare costs with little regard on how it would effect people with learning disabilities . (Porter 2000) Even the nazi doctors under Hitlers command committed genocide by measuring disabled peoples lives in term of economic importance. (Burleigh 1994) Medical professionals took part in the operation of the Nazi eugenic programmes (Lifton, 1986) that lead to people with impairments being sterilized against their wishes and resulted in the death of 2000,000 to 275,000 the majority of which had learning disabilities. (burleig 1994) Pfeifler (2000) argues that even at present, the classifications of the medical model in disability still occupy the eugenic agenda (Priestly) As ground breaking advances in science and medicine gave medical professions the power to dictate in the lives of people with impairments. With Genetic screening being seen as favorable in choice and cost effective, as the cost of genetic screening and abortion is cheaper to perform than the long term cost of supporting people with defective impairments. (Vintzileos et al, 1998) The medical model has been highly influential on setting the parameters for how people with impairments were treated by society. As Chernovsky (1997) states that research carried out into intelligence was one way in which psychologists helped maintain the status quo in society, by creating social inequality. This can be seen in the intelligence tests that were used to decide whether an individual was incapable of living in society. These tests made little attempt at assessing an individuals capabilities, by getting the individual to distinguish the difference between a fly and butterfly or how many feathers were on a chicken or how many miles it was to America (National Council for Civil Liberties, 1951; Potts and Fido, 1991) this test made sure that the doctor could certify the individual as being incapable and institutionalise them for not being able to answer. In the second half of the century a transformation came about that changed how society viewed a person with learning disabilities. During the 1950s the effects of war and polio epidemics highlighted the inequalities faced by people with disabilities, this led to the development and campaigning of human and rights movements as well as policies to combat these inequalities, including the European Convention of Human Rights 1950. Sociological studies were carried out and gave evidence to show that people with learning disabilities who had been lock away in institutions away from society, did have intellectual and social capabilities necessary to live in the community and that institution life was blocking this ability. (Race,1995) Tizard and OConnor (1952) discovered from their research that people with learning disabilities living in institutions who had been previously labelled as being unemployable did have the essential skills required to complete a job in a work environment. Clarke and Clarke (1959) found evidence that the environment had an effect on a persons performance, and the poor conditions inside institutions had a bad effect on the people living within them. Goffman coined the term total institutions to describe where people are cut off from the offside world and from family and friends. Procedures involve calling people inmates and humiliating them by removing their personal identity and by using a system of punishments and rewards. As well showing that people behave in accordance to label assigned to them, if people are labelled deviant, they will become deviant, and this in turn reinforces the beliefs up held by society about people with learning disabilities. The studies showed the damaging effects that institutions had on the development of the individual and in the 1960s a number of academic reports were published that detailed findings of research carried out into the conditions of institutions. The most renowned of these was the Report of the Committee of Enquiry into Ely Hospital (Howe Report, 1969). The report described the impoverished and neglected living conditions, as well as lack of privacy that people with learning disabilities suffered from under the custodial regime carried out by staff. Due to public opinion the above reports resulted in a change in the law, the new Mental Health Act (1959) changed the certified term mental deficiency to mental subnormality this meant that most people with learning disabilities who were not being detained for a legitimate reason were free to leave and could return to the community. (Clarke 1983) The introduction of White Paper Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped in 1971 led to a 50% reduction in hospital places by 1991 and led to the provision of local authority-based residential and day care. It also called for an end to custodial methods of care in hospitals and recommended the re-training of hospital staff. In 1979, The Jay Report re-emphasised the need for local authority-led care and, importantly, a service philosophy based on the principles of normalisation. In the 1980s, this was redefined as social role valorisation to include reference to strategies used in the creation, support and defence of valued social roles for people at risk of devaluation (Wolfensberger, 1998). In the UK, the principles of normalisation adopted were those interpreted by OBrien and Tyne (1981) as the five service accomplishments. These have become the developmental goals which organisations then and now strive towards A new philosophy was constructed that emphasised care in the community this change resulted in the closure of all the old asylums. Community care was designed to bring about positive changes, these were governmental values aimed at allowing people with learning disabilities to live on their own, in their neighbourhood with services to support them. The government hoped to develop community based services made up of day centres, supported accommodation, support workers, training and employment, these services were to help people with learning disabilities be included into society. The development of care in the community was result of reforms introduced by the Conservative government

When will child labor cease to exist? Essay -- Essays Papers

When will child labor cease to exist? Child labor is and has always been a difficult problem to address. In the global market system which exists today, the problem has become that much more difficult. Now more than ever before, markets are interdependent, and the regulation and governance of them is a convoluted process to say the least. The regulatory structure is not intact; no one knows who will regulate such issues, internationally and locally, governmentally, and in the private sector. Also, current economic practice makes it difficult to in one broad stroke ban the practice of child labor, for fear of eliminating the nation’s area of comparative advantage, cheap labor. Not only is the problem of child labor one of economics, but it is also one that raises very difficult ethical questions. This paper will attempt to weigh the economic factors both locally and internationally, against common ethical principles which are certainly to be raised when one discusses child labor. Based upon the situation some specific sectors where the practice of child labor is taking place. Depending upon the economic conditions of a country, and other external factors, some families could be faced with the prospect of starvation if their child is not earning some income to ensure the survival of the family. One question that is raised early in the analysis of child labor is, is child labor categorically wrong? The practice of child labor was a long standing institution in many western European countries, and had a general glint of acceptance. It was only in the nineteenth century that we find the rise of the contemporary ideal of childhood emerge, and the wave of anti child labor sentiment reach a stage where it faded away ... ... practice of harmful child labor obsolete. The institution of education is the most important aspect to building economies to a point where they may rise out of the child labor trap. Education must be gradually intra nationally and internationally be subsidized, while simultaneously providing some form of economic aid or reform to these countries that make it possible for the families in these poor countries in Asia and Africa to keep their child out of dangerous labor, and in school. What is in essence proposed, is a gradual effort of the international community. Bibliography http://econ.cudenver.edu/beckman/econ4410/basu.pdf http://www.unicef.org/protection/index_childlabour.html http://www.nclnet.org/clc.htm http://www.hrw.org/children/labor.htm http://www.hrw.org/wr2k2/children.html#Child%20Labor http://www.empereur.com/DOC/Child_Labor.html

Gustav Vassa the Book

Gustav Vassa Plot Summary Gustavus Vassas was born Olaudah Equiano in the African province called Essaka in 1745. He was the youngest son of seven surviving children and was very close to his mother. He describes a happy childhood during which he learned – as all his people did – to work hard. He is kidnapped and taken as a slave while still very young and soon finds that he has a talent for the sea and for trading. By being very frugal, he is able to save enough to buy his freedom after only a few years, though his master initially refuses to honor their agreement for the sale.He does gain his freedom and soon returns to the sea, seeing there a greater opportunity for financial gain than any other he can find. He spends his time also in pursuit of an acceptable religious affiliation and eventually finds himself ready to become a missionary. Gustavus Vassa Summary and Analysis Gustavus Vassas was born Olaudah Equiano in the African province called Essaka in 1745. He was the youngest son of seven surviving children and was very close to his mother. He describes a happy childhood during which he learned – as all his people did – to work hard.He recalls little of any true religion though he describes briefly some ceremonies in which dancing and feasting were important. He write that his people were circumcised, one of many similarities to the Jewish religion. Chapter three begins when, at age eleven, Gustavus and his sister are alone at their house while the adults worked at their agricultural pursuits. While alone, they are kidnapped by slavers. They are soon separated and Gustavus is sold to several masters for various reasons over the next six or seven months. He encounters his sister briefly during that time but notes that she was soon taken away and he never saw her again.At the end of those months, Gustavus was taken to the coast where he is put aboard a slave ship. He promptly faints. When he wakes, he asks if the strange looking people aboard are going to eat him and is reassured that he won't be eaten. He remains on that ship for several days until a new ship arrives. He says that the whites aboard were happy to see the other ship and those who, like Gustavus, had never seen a ship in motion under the power of sails were convinced it was magic. In chapter three, Gustavus is first taken to Barbados where he is among the few who aren't sold.He is then sold to a plantation owner in Virginia but stays only a short period of time before being bought by a man named Michael Henry Pascal who intends him as a gift. At that time, Gustavus is called Jacob but Pascal refuses to call him such and renames him Gustavus. On the voyage to England aboard Pascal's trading ship, Gustavus meets a young educated white boy named Richard Baker who sees past the slavery issue and becomes friends with Gustavus – a situation that lasts until Richard's death. Gustavus spends about two years in England, mostly traveling by shi p with his master.He talks of the kindness of the people – especially two women named Guerin – who care for him at various times while his master is away. In chapter four, Gustavus talks about his emerging self-confidence and his waning fears. In 1759, Gustavus has learned about Heaven and requests baptism. In February, he is baptized at St. Margaret's Church in Westminster. Over the coming months, Gustavus is involved in many battles as the French and English clash. Eventually, Gustavus's master is released from his service and plans to return to private business. Gustavus has now met a man named Daniel Queen who has taught Gustavus many things.Gustavus regards him as a father figure and often spends his meager earnings on sugar or tobacco for Daniel. Gustavus plans to go into business with Daniel as soon as he is released from his military service but his master refuses to release Gustavus and instead sells him to another ship's captain, James Doran. Several of Gusta vus's former shipmates vow to redeem him as soon as they are paid but he is, in the meantime, at Doran's mercy. As chapter five begins, Gustavus writes that his current situation is a punishment for having said he planned to spend an entire day in London on â€Å"rambling and sport. He is initially forlorn but comes to believe that God gives suffering of this kind for a reason. In the West Indies, Gustavus learns that Doran has sold him to a Quaker named Robert King who says Gustavus will learn to be a clerk. Gustavus learns to handle almost all aspects of his master's businesses which include shipping. King is kind and Gustavus knows that several other plantation owners make offers for Gustavus. When King turns them down, Gustavus always works harder and thanks God for putting him in this place.Gustavus describes the cruel treatment of most slaves and says that he was once threatened by a man who says he will shoot Gustavus and then pay for him. Gustavus offers up the typical argu ments in favor of slavery saying that men who say they believe these arguments are fooling themselves. He also points out that those with kind masters and plenty of food work harder and live longer than those who are mistreated, and that those with cruelty as a daily part of life are more likely to simply give up and kill themselves. Gustavus points out that the slave trade is a study in avarice, and that slavers lie and cheat the slaves.He says that if slaves were treated â€Å"as men† they would be â€Å"faithful, honest, intelligent and vigorous. † As chapter six begins, Gustavus says that he could list many more instances of cruelty, but that to list them all would be â€Å"tedious and disgusting. † He is soon given the opportunity to become a sailor on one of his master's vessels and chooses to do so, trading a little to make some profit for himself. He notes that he is anxious to earn money and that escape and freedom is, of course, the ultimate goal thoug h he wants it to be by honest means.Gustavus prepares to go to Philadelphia with the captain. Gustavus's master hears a rumor that he is going to try to run away once they reach American but Gustavus points out that he's had opportunities and hasn't done so. His master sees the wisdom of the words, provides Gustavus credit for some goods to sell on his own in an effort to earn money and promises that he can buy his freedom if he earns forty pounds sterling money. He goes on the voyage to America though he is ill treated by the whites who would buy his items for sale.In Savannah, Georgia, he is beaten by a white overseer and left for dead but the captain finds him and with the help of a capable doctor, Gustavus recovers. In chapter seven, Gustavus earns enough money to buy his freedom. His master is initially upset, saying that he hasn't expected Gustavus to earn the money so quickly; but the captain intercedes and Gustavus is freed in return for forty pounds. Gustavus agrees to anot her voyage as a freed man for a wage and wants to buy bullocks to take back with him for sale but the captain refuses and insists that Gustavus buy turkeys instead.He does so against his wishes and the bullocks all die on the crossing though his turkeys survive. The captain takes ill on the voyage and also dies and Gustavus safely takes the ship to port. He's offered the captain's position but refuses though he agrees to yet another voyage under the new captain, William Phillips, who runs the ship aground. They are stranded on an island for days and then find themselves at the mercy of a crew who picks them up. Phillips sells some of the slaves that had been cargo on the ship and buys passage to Georgia with plans to sell the rest, parting here from Gustavus.It's in Georgia that Gustavus reluctantly agrees to perform a burial ceremony for a child and he notes that it's the first time he serves as parson. In chapter nine, Gustavus begins working his way toward his goal of reaching Lo ndon. There, he encounters the Guerins and Pascal and notes that Pascal seems indifferent of the way he treated Gustavus even after being confronted about it. Gustavus begins learning hairdressing as a means of supporting himself and begins studying the French horn and arithmetic.He soon learns that he can earn very little money in this way and decides to go to sea again, this time with a desire to see Turkey. He hires on as a hairdresser with John Jolly on a ship called the Delaware. He remains with that ship and captain until 1771, seeing and being enchanted with Turkey but declining the offer there of two wives and eventually parting ways to join Captain William Robertson on the ship Grenada Planter and then on the Jamaica under Captain David Watt. He later ends up on the North Pole, trapped for a period of time by ice.As chapter ten begins, Gustavus continues his travels, going to Turkey for awhile, then London again and then to Spain. In chapter eleven, he is appalled by the bu ll baiting and eventually returns to Plymouth. In chapter twelve, Gustavus spends more time with the Quakers and is impressed by their actions and their church activities. He wants to become a missionary and says that the rest of his life is to be spent with an eye toward assisting â€Å"the cause of my much injured countrymen. † —- Gustavus's story begins with descriptions of his own people.He notes that they possess slaves that are usually captured in battle or are people among his own tribe who broke specific laws. However, he writes that those slaves are not treated badly. They are required to work, but their masters work just as hard. The slaves are typically given their own house to live in and the only difference appears to be that those people are not free to leave. He doesn't go into this discussion to any great depth. Though Gustavus couldn't have known the horrors that awaited him aboard the slave ship, he notes that he is immediately afraid.He mentions a fe ar that he'll be eaten, but doesn't explain. It seems likely that his people were among those who commonly told their children that kidnappers were frequently cannibals. In any case, Gustavus writes that, had he had entire worlds of his own at that moment, he would have traded them all for the chance to swap places with the lowest slave in his country. Gustavus talks at length about the fact that his people believed in cleanliness and that they were circumcised, and that many of the rituals seem to indicate that the Jewish and the African tribes of that region were related.He quotes a writer who believes that to be true and says the writer indicates that climate is the reason for the dark-skinned appearance of the Africans compared to the traditional light-skinned appearance of the Jews. Gustavus also points out that men with higher degrees of education have discussed the matter and that he isn't the person to answer the question definitively. As Gustavus writes about his early trav els, he seems to flit from one incident to another. He relates the story of a man who got something in his eye and then lost the eye. He talks of being hospitalized for chilblains and small pox.He also mentions a man who saved him from being flogged for fighting with a â€Å"gentleman,† but does not go into any additional details. Gustavus seems to expect that his master is going to simply release him once the military stint is over and goes so far as to make plans for his future. He admits to being heartbroken upon the completion of his sale to a new master. It's interesting that Gustavus, having encountered so many kind and generous people at this point, has ceased to believe himself a slave. He points out that he's served his master well for many years and has earned nothing for it, and seems to expect that to be sufficient.He has become somewhat educated and expects a slave owner to have a moral responsibility to allow him to leave when he wants. At one point, Gustavus is enamored with a tribe of the Mosquito Coast. He talks at length about their customs, including that they love the color red and that they enjoy their ceremonies. Gustavus seems to enjoy the actions of the people. He also talks of the fact that they seem similar to his own family of his childhood. Important People Gustavus Vassa Born Olaudah Equiano and sometimes called â€Å"The African,† he was born in the African province of Essaka is 1745.Gustavus says that he'd been given another name in the early days of his slavery and had initially refused to answer to the name â€Å"Gustavus,† but eventually gave in. He is an intelligent man and adept at trading. His services are coveted because he is so capable and hardworking. When he's purchased by a master who has land and shipping ventures, Gustavus wants desperately to go to sea. He's learned much about shipping and knows that he has the potential to make enough money there to buy his freedom. He accomplishes saving that money in a matter of only a few years, though there are some pitfalls along the way.When he then asks his owner to release him, the owner initially refuses but is convinced by an employee – a ship's captain – who has taken a liking to Gustavus and prevails on the man's sense of fair play. Gustavus loves to learn and devotes as much of his time as possible to learning a variety of things ranging from the Bible to the French horn. He says that he hates to be idle and will take on some new endeavor rather than spend evenings with nothing to occupy his hands and mind. He comes to love London and Turkey as his two favorite destinations among all those he visits.Gustavus finds an array of friends during his travels and learns from many of them. He seems often overly trusting and occasionally finds himself in trouble when he trusts someone to make good on a promise, especially with regard to money. He says that there are those who defend slavery and that they are delusional in their arguments. Gustavus eventually applies to become a missionary. Themes The Desire for Freedom The desire for freedom is an overriding theme and the slaves who wrote these stories are each determined to find freedom, regardless of the cost.This can be seen clearly in the fact that slaves are brutally beaten if caught in a runaway attempt, yet many continue to take the chance. One of the best examples of this desire for freedom is seen in Harriet Jacobs' brother, William. William has been purchased by Harriett's lover and the father of her children, Mr. Sands. Mr. Sands is subsequently elected to Congress and takes William along with him. William has the opportunity to travel through many states and to see many things, and it's noted that Mr. Sands is not a cruel master.Despite the fact that William is treated well with enough to eat and has the promise of eventual freedom, he seizes an opportunity to run away. In his case, there's little cause for worry about reprisal because Mr. Sands isn't cruel and isn't likely to track him down. By contrast, Harriett's Uncle Benjamin runs away, is captured and brought back where he is treated severely, and still runs away again. In the case of Gustavus, he had a master who was willing to allow him time at sea where he was able to make money on his own, but spent a great deal of money to buy his freedom.This willingness to work for many years at jobs in addition to their regular tasks is another common theme in the quest for freedom and those who achieve that freedom are often then working to â€Å"buy† their family. Style Perspective Each of the stories is written in first person from the perspective of the author. It should be noted that three of these have two different names. For example, Gustavus Vassa was named Obaudah Equiano at birth and was later named Gustavus Vassa by a master. Because Gustavus used that name more frequently than the name given to him by his parents, he is referred to as Gustavus th roughout the story.Fredrick Douglass is a well-known name, though he was born Fredrick Augustus Washington Bailey. He took the name Douglass upon his arrival in the free states of the north, though he insisted on retaining his first name as some link to his true identity. For the sake of familiarity, he is referred to throughout this text as Fredrick Douglass. The same is true in the case of Harriett Jacobs who is writing as Linda Benton, and this author is referred to as Harriett Jacobs throughout the text. It should be noted that Jacobs admits at the beginning of the story to having changed the names of some of the people in her book.In fact, research shows that she changed many of the names and it therefore seems appropriate that she would have changed her own name for the purposes of the story. Writing in first person seems the only possible option available to each of these authors because the stories are presented as factual events in the lives of each. Tone The story is writt en in a straight-forward manner but it should be noted that there are some graphic scenes that may be offensive to some readers. They are, however, a part of the history of these people and it seems appropriate that they should be presented.For example, Gustavus Vassa describes the cruelties visited on the slaves of the Jamaican Islands. Those people were routinely beaten but the tortures often took the form of tying them in impossible positions where they were at the mercy of elements and creatures. In the case of each, the stories of separations of family members are a common theme and will likely touch the reader. It's interesting to note that all three of these use words that may not commonly be associated with people of little formal education.In most parts, the meanings of words are easily discerned but it should not be assumed that the level of writing is that of an uneducated person. Of the four stories, the messages of all are aptly conveyed but it seems that Harriett Jacob s' story has a more personal slant, possibly because her story is of a more personal nature and involves her family and friends on a deeper level whereas the others, especially Gustavus Vassa, tells more of his travels and how other people treated him. The tone is often hopeless and a sensitive reader may find himself feeling pity for those involved.

Positive psychology Essay

As a child we are told the future is our oasis But is this really the truth when we look at the basics? When I was young and asked what I wanted to be I of course replied â€Å"just like daddy† Now I wasn’t referring to his business success I was only concerned about the love he expressed So when we are told that the future couldn’t be brighter Why do people only think about becoming an astronaut or fire fighter? What is often forgotten is the truth of the matter There is much more to life, this is just a part of the batter Making the cake is a process that is extensive. What we need to remember is that it doesn’t need to be expensive Why does one’s life have to be determined by their occupation? It has become a norm in society, almost a fixation In order to be happy one has to have a high paying job and big house Luxuries extend as a far as a Maserati or a cottage with a boathouse With this in mind, young students face great pressure and tension School has become an entity beyond comprehension It was in my understanding that we come here to learn But when I look around all I see is heads turned. Heads turned from the reality of the true meaning of life Kids only concerned with grades as if they are being forced with a knife This figurative dagger comes in the hands of universities What happened to opening the door for a girl or showing a little common courtesy? People approach university with a new hopeful attitude We can now receive self fulfillment and gratitude The reality of the situation is long, grueling hours spent with your head buried in a book No one reflects on themselves or even lifts their head to take a look. Many pass these four years with not an aspiration in mind Not even looking ahead, continuing to remain blind Then university is over, time for life to begin With endless possibility, one cannot help but grin Then it hits you, like a strike across the face Money is happiness therefore you join the rat race What is interesting about this race is that there is no winner The winner is still a rat; the only objective is to provide a better dinner What has been lost in the mix is the wisdom and prudence Any successful man would point out that our actions are rather foolish And by successful I am not referring to economic victory I am referring to the people who have shaped our history Not the Donald Trumps, Mark Zuckerberg’s or Warren Buffets These are simply the people enslaved as economic puppets I am referring to the Gandhi’s, Malcolm X’s and Martin Luther King’s The people who created change, the liberation they were able to bring I believe that with great people comes great change. This change is not as simple as a stock trade, it is long range Not only is it eternally priceless but it has a rippling effect One great person affects all around them, sometimes unknowingly or indirect When I think of inspiration I think of the president of Uruguay The poorest president in the world challenged what society sees as the way Donating 90% of his salary leaving just $1250 dollars per year to his name It makes one question why we only seek to make large sums of money or achieve great fame Don’t mistake my message for an attempt to say that we are all greedy I simply want you to be aware that life isn’t all that easy Money can solve your surface problems but this solution is temporary. Reflect on your goals and ambitions before you end up in a cemetery I feel that change is possible regardless of your situation It does not depend on your gender, race, religion or sexual orientation Change isn’t easy but we are all more than capable When life pushes you to the curb, you are hurt but unbreakable In a world that seams hopeless it is important to remember life goes on Make sure to look up, stay positive and never get withdrawn. We are all brothers and sisters part of something that is greater Be fearless and hopeful and live up to your nature We are often referred to as the careless generation who lack a work ethic But I would argue that statement is unjustified and rather pathetic We have the means to create change and it is already happening People like the Keilburger’s come across as rather baffling But when looked at in perspective they are simply two people with a dream A dream that arises a common theme. This theme is that we must love and be aware We must create a life for all that is just and fair In saying all this I am not trying to discourage I hope all your child hood dreams come to the surface There’s a world full of hope, possibility and prosperity And my wish to all is a fulfilling life of mental clarity Ultimately what it comes down to is the way we are taught as youth There is nothing more powerful then the honest truth When asked what we would like to be in our future Happiness should come to mind, the only acceptable answer.

Tituba, black witch of salem essays

Tituba, black witch of salem essays There are things I found common and different since I came form Nigeria to United States. These things have taught me how to plan and how to set up goals in life. Choosing something, achieving them, as well as impacting others life had made me strong and independent. These things are education and Culture. Education is very important in Nigeria and in United States, it is obligated that parents should send their children to school to learn how to read and write. As a result, their children would become habituated, adjusted, and work well with the society. Also, in both countries educational levels are set up in same sort like Elementary, Primary, Secondary, and University. Moreover maturity and awareness determines the educational level of a child. On the other hand, both countries tend to have different method of helping parents and children attend school. For instance, paying school fees, in Nigeria families are not offer free schooling, parents do not have an option to borrow loan from any institutions, parents have more responsibilities; they are responsible for paying school fees, providing school supplies, and caring for the school organization. But in United States free schooling is provided for families, parents however have the options to borrow money from any instituti ons, parents have less responsibility; they send their kids to school while, government provides money, school supplies, and takes care of the school system. Another example are students, in Nigeria more students take their school work very seriously, they stress more to get good grades in school, they work hard to learn, and they dedicate themselves more in a lot of activities. They also value education because traditionally they exemplify as role model for their family and their country. Because of this reason many students in Nigeria are brought up with good behavior and being intelligent. But in United States few students hardly take ...

Reading Response to Poem To Waken an Old Lady by William Carlos Williams

Reading Response to Poem To Waken an Old Lady by William Carlos Williams Reading Response to Poem To Waken an Old Lady by William Carlos Williams To Waken an Old Lady is a poem that was authored by William Carlos Williams. The poem essentially focuses on the aspect of old age. Therefore, the writer utilizes numerous bookish tools so as to construct the poem. In my experience of reading the poem I got attracted to the manner in which the author presented the poem the use of literary devices actually affected my experience. The use aspects of content, language and form were of greatest significance in the entire poem. Other literary devices have also been used in the construction of the poem. The elements used greatly affected my response to the poem, in its entirety. The literary devices employed by the author of the poem actually affected my response to the poem. Furthermore, they made me to focus more on one aspect of the poem than the others. I was significantly drawn to the aspect of old age and its prevalent connotations. This is due to the manner in which the author applied the literary elements all through. I cannot deny the great relevance of the above elements on my experience. William Carlos Williams makes great use of several elements in the presentation of the poem. Some of these elements are language, form and content. First of all I was greatly attracted to the aspect of content. The author chose to narrow down to old age as the essential content of the poem. Actually it activated me as I read through the poem. I just appreciate their use through out the reading. The language used by the author was both poetic and simple. This served two purposes at the same time. First was the fact that the poetic language made it possible for the poem to be appealing first as a text and second as a medium of communication. Subsequently, the language was simple enough to be comprehended by the reader. The use of literacy elements by William Carlos Williams in the construction of the poem, To Waken an Old Lady is inherently commendable. The form of the poem was great and played a great role in making my response to the poem. I tended to focus on the nature of the form employed by the author on the presentation of old age through symbolism. This constituted a key cause that manipulated my reading experience as well as my response. It actually changed my perception of the poem. Generally, the application of the several elements in the poem was of great magnitude not merely in the expansion of the poem, but towards the reading experience and response. William Carlos Williams, To Waken an Old Lady is a poem that focuses on the aspect of old age. Having read through the poem, my reading, and response experience was inherently influenced by the numerous literary devices and elements used by the author. As a result, the use of language, form and content were of great significance to the presentation of the entire poem. Actually it made me to focus primary on the prevalence of old age. This was due to the fact that old age was symbolized in several elements that the author employed in the construction of the poem.

Creating a Splash Screen in Delphi Applications

Creating a Splash Screen in Delphi Applications The most basic splash screen is just an image, or more precisely, a form with an image, that appears in the center of the screen when the application is loading. Splash screens are hidden when the application is ready to be used. Below is more information on the different types of splash screens you may see, and why theyre useful, as well as steps for creating your own Delphi splash screen for your application. What Are Splash Screens Used For? There are several types of splash screens. The most common are start-up splash screens - the ones you see when an application is loading. These usually display the applications name, author, version, copyright, ​an image, or some type of icon, that uniquely identifies it. If you are a shareware developer, you could use splash screens to remind users to register the program. These may pop up when the program first launches, to tell the user that they can register if they want special features or to get email updates for new releases. Some applications use splash screens to notify the user of the progress of a time-consuming process. If you look carefully, some really large programs use this type of splash screen when the program is loading background processes and dependencies.  The last thing you want is for your users  to think that your program is dead  if some database task is performing.   Creating a Splash Screen Lets see how to create a simple start-up splash screen in a few steps: Add a new form to your project.Select New Form from the File menu in the Delphi IDE.Change the Name Property of the Form to something like SplashScreen.Change these Properties: BorderStyle to bsNone, Position to poScreenCenter.Customize your splash screen by adding components like  labels, images, panels, etc.You could first add one TPanel component (Align: alClient)  and play around with BevelInner, BevelOuter, BevelWidth, BorderStyle, and BorderWidth properties to produce some eye-candy effects.Select Project from the Options menu and move the Form from the Auto-create listbox to Available Forms.Well create a form on the fly and then display it before the application is actually opened.Select Project Source from the View menu.You can also do this through  Project View Source.Add the following code after the begin statement of the Project Source code (the .DPR file): Application.Initialize; //this line exists! SplashScreen : TSplashScreen.Create(nil) ; SplashScreen.Show; SplashScreen.Update; After the final Application.Create() and before the  Application.Run statement, add: SplashScreen.Hide; SplashScreen.Free; Thats it!  Now you can run the application. In this example, depending on the speed of your computer, you will barely see your new splash screen, but if you have more than one form in your project, the splash screen will certainly show up.For more information on making the splash screen stay a bit longer, read through the code in this Stack Overflow thread. Tip:  You can also make custom shaped Delphi forms.

Security, Privacy and Ethical Issues in Information Systems Essay

Security, Privacy and Ethical Issues in Information Systems - Essay Example Whenever a user travels the cyberspace, (s)he leaves his/her identity at almost every step of the way (Privacy Rights Clearing House, 2006). Whether one is signing up for internet service with Internet Service Provider (ISP), sending emails, browsing internet sites, or using a search engine to locate required information, the identity of the machine is being shared, and it can be misused by someone masquerading as someone else (Webliminal.com, 2007). There is a growing concern about the security of personal and private information over the internet and web-based applications; spy-ware, viruses, worms, trojans and information leakage through social engineering are all evils generated one way or the other by the internet. In addition, many businesses gather and store personal information of the potentially new and existing customers in their systems which give rise to privacy and information security issues. When anyone attempts to make a payment online using credit cards and other ins truments, the security and confidentiality of the transaction is perhaps, the biggest concern. As a result, the consumers' trust in the web-based applications has declined. ... Several techniques have been developed to ensure the security of private information over the internet and to mitigate the risk of personal information misuse. A formal security policy governs the management's ideology, direction and operating procedures towards ensuring security and privacy of information. Many organizations now employ encryption mechanism like Secure Socket Layer (SSL) for transmission security and Digital Certificates to ensure non-repudiation and third-party assurance in the form of digital certificate (Newmann, 2003). Several privacy laws and regulations have been developed to regain customers' trust in e-commerce systems and online information sharing. The most accepted standard for ensuring information security and privacy is the British Standard Institute (BSI) guidelines called ISO27001 Information Security Management Systems. This standard deals with the applying adequate controls to ensure confidentiality, availability, and integrity of information; and pr otection of legal, privacy and security rights of the customers. Other regulations include copyright infringement laws and related policies that address the issues of information theft. 1.4 Computer Ethics In addition to security and privacy laws and regulations, companies also adopt information ethical standards to strengthen their systems of internal controls. An ethical problem can be defined as the argument with regard to one's values, in selecting one of the two paths based on the pressure and demands of a situation (Charlesworth Sewry, 2002, p.163).  

Going to Extremes Case Application Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Going to Extremes Application - Case Study Example He illustrates the core values that define the culture of the employees in an organization. In Zappos, the organizational culture tends to be more than the written values. This is evident in the complex web of human interactions created by the company. The company employs the use of a social web, to link the employees with one another and to enhance the interaction of employees with the customers. The company also evaluates its health, by questioning the employees as to whether the company has a higher purpose than the profits. The employees are also questioned if their role has meaning to the company, and if they enjoy working in that environment. The company believes that, with the right culture and the right values, a company is likely to obtain the best performance from the employees. The corporate values possessed by this organization include; commitment to excellence, commitment to innovation, promoting the organization’s culture, proper training of the employees, increased profits, enhanced human interactions, defining the purpose of the company other than the profits, enhanced cooperation among the workers, increased efficiency and quality. Commitment to excellence as a corporate value ensures the employees understand their role in the organization to enhance the success of the organization. This ensures the employees are not only trained on technical skills, but also other skills necessary for a company to succeed in business. Commitment to innovation ensures the employees always know what is required of them in terms of any new technology that is to be employed in the organization. The organizational culture in Zappos is more than the written values. The culture tends to be extremely high through the complex web of human interactions created by the company. The use of a social web, to link the employees with one another and to enhance the interaction of employees with customers is also a culture that

We Were Soldiers Once and Young Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

We Were Soldiers Once and Young - Essay Example The following observation by the author indicates how the soldiers, many of them young and a few war veterans, stood by the â€Å"7 Army Values of "Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage" Moore argues in the prologue, â€Å"We were the children of the 1950s and we went where we were sent because we loved out country.†(xviii) This sums up all the qualities that are expected of an American soldier. The story of the book from Chapter I, â€Å"Heat of the Battle’ to Chapter 26, â€Å"Reflections and Perceptions,† provides the vivid accounts of what must have transpired at the battle front and in the minds of those who died and the mute witness were their mutilated bodies. Those who survived provided the vital information about the historic days of war. November 14, 1965 was the fateful day. Four hundred and fifty men of Harold Moore’s battalion engaged the Vietnamese regulars in a helicopter assault on a landing Zone in the Ia Drang Valley of South Vietnam’s Central Highlands. America was trying out new tactics and weapons since World War II. The troops were far outnumbered, with more than two thousand enemy soldiers who challenged men under Moore’s command. Brutal firefights followed until November 16 and the enemy was repulsed. Counter attack by the North Vietnamese was fast. Next day another American battalion was attacked, taking the American army by surprise. They held the battlefield, but suffered heavy casualties. Casualties on either side were heavy. Two hundred and thirty-four Americans were killed in the battle of Ia Drang. Each death was an extraordinary example of heroism and describing one such martyrdom of a soldier Moore writes, â€Å" We discovered in that depressing, hellish place, where death was our constant companion, that we loved each other, we killed for each other, we died for each other.†(6) Narrating one specific incident he sums up, â€Å"Just

Security issues pertaining the Immigration from North Africa to EU Research Paper

Security issues pertaining the Immigration from North Africa to EU countries - Research Paper Example Indeed, Ayuman Zohry asserts that, â€Å"the Mediterranean Sea marks one of the sharpest demographic and economic divides currently to be found on the world map† (Zohry p.3). The observation of the author is that, to the north, occupied by European nations, lies countries who characteristically have low demographic growth and levels or standards of living are actually high (Zohry p.3). Ironically, just down the south which now is heavily occupied by Maghreb nations, things are totally different; demographic growth is one of the highest in the world, their economies small and inefficient as compared to that of north, and life expectancy as compared to the north is low (Zohry p.3). Immigration to Europe by Maghrebians is contributed both by push and pull factors. For example, Europe is experiencing low presence of productive age bracket, as more citizens get old. As a result, most of the countries have reformed their immigration policies to attract immigrants to fill up job positions (Zohry p.4). On the other hand, rising levels of unemployment and poverty among the Maghreb countries is forcing the citizens to take all risks in order to escape to Europe where the prospects of having better lives are high (Zohry p.4). As immigration to the north remain purely an economic understanding, numerous evidences now point out that the presence of Maghreb citizens in Europe can no longer be solely attached to economic needs, but rather, they are becoming a source of increasing insecurity issues in the region. What needs to be remembered is that Maghrebians originating from a dominantly Arabic region where Islam religion and culture dominates that their integration into European world with purely different social and cultural orientation is not always easy. Moreover, economic hopes prior to immigration may not materialize, while survival opportunities may be harsh as a result of the new environment, thus the only option to survive may be to enter

Different ways of looking at health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Different ways of looking at health - Essay Example â€Å"Health promoters need to be clear that what they do involves certain values and principles about what is ‘good health’ and health promotion† (Naidoo and Wills, 2000, p.130). Advances are likely to come from laboratory science that will not only assist the medical science professionals develop better drugs but also they will help them get deeper knowledge regarding working of the human body. The medical model of health emphasizes on diagnosing the diseases present in the human body and providing effective treatment to the person in order to eradicate the identified diseases. Medical model is mainly concerned with the effective treatment of diseases through medical science. Medical model promotes use of surgeries and drugs for the treatment of diseases. However, use of drugs by a medical professional is not considered good. â€Å"Multiple physical health, emotional, and interpersonal problems are associated with illicit drug use† (Leonard, 2009, p.2). Authority is the core element of the medical model. Doctors should not negatively use this element for providing instant treatment to the patients. Drug use should never be recommended as a permanent treatment for anyone. â€Å"A drug may be legal or illegal, harmful or helpful, such as those substances used in medical therapy† (Isralowitz, 2004, p.2). There exist some other drugs such as Amphetamines, Cocaine, and Marijuana, which are strictly prohibited in most of the countries including USA. Governments should put a ban on such pharmacists who hand over the drugs to the patients without receiving a prescription or a drug order from a licensed doctor. â€Å"A drug order is a medication order written to a pharmacist by a legal prescriber† (Durgin and Hanan, 2005, p.112). The medical professionals should never recommend such drugs to the patients that can adversely affect their health after providing them little benefits. Advancements in the field of medicine should

Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Politics - Essay Example In the article by Nicholas Kristof (2010) â€Å"Poverty and the Pill† it is shown that African women do not even think that they are able not to get pregnant all the time. Those desperate women looking on us from the website scare off American or European women, which can make their own choice whether to give birth to their children or not. There is an option of financing of this continent and make childbirth control possible there, but this decision in Africa depends not only on a woman, but also on her husband, which does not want to prevent his children from coming into this world. An incredible rate of poverty makes these women suffer from a constant process of child producing. Therefore, it is possible to stop poverty in Africa and there is no need to make it grow even more intensely in case of a constant process of childbirth giving by the African women. Video lecture Therefore, in order to deal with poverty there is a need to make numerous attempts globally and find rea l heroes, which are able to deal with poverty. Jacqueline Novogratz is one of those strong-willed persons, enabled to deal with poverty, to open their hearts and to help weaker people to live a normal life. It is worth remembering that poverty is involuntarily living under conditions, when there is a lack of resources, which are necessary for our daily lives, such as food, shelter and clothes. Jacqueline Novogratz tells her story about a different capitalism and she lived in Africa in order to see what poverty is from within. She learned very important lessons from staying with people from Africa. Firstly, it is worth remembering that â€Å"Dignity is more important for the human spirit than wealth†. She builds up her policy of charity on very important principles, such as tolerance, patience and understanding. Every human being wants to be heard by another human being. Mutual understanding and listening depends on a special attention to every human being on the Earth. Novogr atz is not framed by social status of Africans, she is beyond this context and she underlines that relations among humans should be based on humane attitudes among different members of the global society. This is a powerful woman, who realizes the necessity of providing people not with charity, but with a real support, to create a team spirit among them and to enable them to become successful businesswomen. Therefore, Novogratz implements a practical approach to solving the problems of poverty. The second lesson, she claims, is that â€Å"Traditional charity and aid alone will not solve the problems of poverty† and the third lesson outlines that â€Å"The markets alone will not solve the problem of poverty†. Novogratz makes an emphasis on the personal contact with poor people, on readiness to listen to the needs of those people and be able to treat them patiently and with a great tolerance. Donation and philanthropy should be united at the micro level. Moreover, she ma naged to develop Acumen fund, investing in profit and non-profit organizations. South Asian and East Africa gains many benefits from having an opportunity to build their own businesses and have an ability to become independent individuals. Management and strategic support from Acumen fund is available for poor people from Africa and Asia. It is really hard to find those entrepreneurs, which are open to commitment to a personal success and their services. There is a need for a strong belief

Different ways of looking at health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Different ways of looking at health - Essay Example â€Å"Health promoters need to be clear that what they do involves certain values and principles about what is ‘good health’ and health promotion† (Naidoo and Wills, 2000, p.130). Advances are likely to come from laboratory science that will not only assist the medical science professionals develop better drugs but also they will help them get deeper knowledge regarding working of the human body. The medical model of health emphasizes on diagnosing the diseases present in the human body and providing effective treatment to the person in order to eradicate the identified diseases. Medical model is mainly concerned with the effective treatment of diseases through medical science. Medical model promotes use of surgeries and drugs for the treatment of diseases. However, use of drugs by a medical professional is not considered good. â€Å"Multiple physical health, emotional, and interpersonal problems are associated with illicit drug use† (Leonard, 2009, p.2). Authority is the core element of the medical model. Doctors should not negatively use this element for providing instant treatment to the patients. Drug use should never be recommended as a permanent treatment for anyone. â€Å"A drug may be legal or illegal, harmful or helpful, such as those substances used in medical therapy† (Isralowitz, 2004, p.2). There exist some other drugs such as Amphetamines, Cocaine, and Marijuana, which are strictly prohibited in most of the countries including USA. Governments should put a ban on such pharmacists who hand over the drugs to the patients without receiving a prescription or a drug order from a licensed doctor. â€Å"A drug order is a medication order written to a pharmacist by a legal prescriber† (Durgin and Hanan, 2005, p.112). The medical professionals should never recommend such drugs to the patients that can adversely affect their health after providing them little benefits. Advancements in the field of medicine should

Workplace Bullying Essay Example for Free

Workplace Bullying Essay Bullying is a worldwide epidemic that has plagued our society system for decades. We often hear that most of bully cases take place in schools but the gospel truth is bully also happens in the workplace. The workplace that should be a safe environment that allows employees to be productive has been disrupted by bully as he creates a hostile work environment for all employees and drives everyone up the wall. In fact bullying in the workplace is one of the most significant challenge face by companies nowadays. Workplace bullying may refer to the tendency of individuals or groups to use persistent aggressive behaviour against co-workers. Workplace bullying comes in a wide variety of different forms such as physical force, verbal, sexual, mental or emotional depending on circumstance. The bullys behaviour also impose a big threat on the companys productivity. Bullying at workplace occurs because of the negative traits of the bully and the solution to overcome it are the person who is being bullied should stand for himself and the actions taken by the top management in order to solve bully. Firstly, bullying at workplace occurs because of the negative traits possess by the bully. This is because the bully perpetrator is jealous of his victim’s performance at the workplace, so he takes out his frustration and jealousy on his victim. One of the reasons is because he does not want his victim to surpass his performance as he perceives this as a threat that will put his position at stake. Instead of working in a healthy competition, the bully makes his victim feels inferior by saying inappropriate words to the victim which will lead the victim to have low self-esteem. According to King (n. d.), jealous of the victim’s achievement at work is the reason of why bullies pick their victim. Kane (n. d.), also supported this in her article by saying that employees who perform well and are loved by the employers are often being targeted by the bullies. This is simply because the bully does not wants his victim to get all the highlights and attention. Besides that, the bully bullies because he wants to hide his inadequacy in doing his work. He fears that if other workers figure out about his incompetency, they will look down on him. In order to cover his blemish, he does not own up to his mistakes and blame others or making other workers flaws look terrible just because he does not want to ruin his credibility, he overloads his victim with the works that he is incapable of doing and get the credit for it.  According to Oliver (2013), being called in front of the public to own up to their behaviour is the bully’s biggest fear as hiding inadequacy is the intention of bullying. Therefore, the factors that lead to bully are mainly because the bully is jealous and want s to hide his inadequacy in doing his work. Hence, the step that can be taken in order to overcome workplace bullying is the victim should stand up for himself. A victim of bully should have enough courage to go and confront the bully. Confronting the bully may seem like the hardest thing to do but everyone is aware that a bully is only brave when he knows that nobody will rise against him. A victim should not be a pushover and let the bully feels like he is in a comfort zone. In fact, the victim should let the bully knows what he has been keeping inside his heart by telling the bully how the bully’s behaviour impacted his work and he wants the bully to stop. According to McCoy (n. d.), the bully should be confronted, being explained the effects of his bullying has on the victim and being ask to stop. Through confrontation, it remarks the strong characteristics and firm decisions of the victim. So, the bully will know that he can no longer underestimate his victim. The next logical step that can be taken by the victim is by bringing this case to the top management. If confrontation does not seem to solve the problem, then it is time to get help from the top management to deal with the bully. The victim can start by documenting things like dates, time, and details of the incident and take note if another employee witnessed the incident before lodging a report to HR department because eye witnessed will make the evidence stronger. According to Rush (n. d.), incidents that make the victim feels agitate should be documented by creating a log of incidents that included day and time, nature of incidents and any person involved and any witnessed to what has occurred. The victim of bully should not just keep quiet and hopes for the bully perpetrator to stop because he will not stop. Not until a proper action is taken on him. â€Å"The victim of bully should voice out and get evidence to show that he or she is being bullied. Bullying issue should be reported to the company’s human resources management to be solved† (Halim, 2013 as cited in Tan, 2013). Thus, the victim should be brave to confront the bully and bring this case to the top management in order to avoid  himself from being bullied. Another solution to the problem is the actions taken by the top management. It has become the employers responsibility to ensure the safety of the workers at the workplace. Employer should monitor things that occur around the workplace especially regarding or the employees’ behaviour. By doing so, employer will be able to identify which of the employees that always cause problems at the workplace. If the rumours of bully start to circulate the workplace, employer should already starts an investigation to find the causes and the culprit. Employer must react quickly to resolve this bully issue if it is proven to be true. A competent employer does not just wait for the complaints files to arrive at his desk because he acknowledges that this bully thing can adversely affect the company’s name and it is not good for business. â€Å"Bullying in the workplace† (n. d.) states that safety of both mentally and physically of the workers must be ensured by the employer and employer must react sensibly in relation to such matter. Apart from that, the top management should make sure all the employees follow the rules of the workplace. Rules are created to be obeyed and without rules, people are nothing but savages. Hence, to make everyone at the workplace abide to the rules, it is important to strengthen the law of the workplace. In order to strengthen the law, the top management can conduct a meeting with all the employees and emphasize on the rules and regulations of the workplace. So, the employees will be clearer on the do’s and don’ts at the workplace. It is also important to let the employees know their rights especially for the bully victim. So, the employees will know how they are protected at work and where to get help when problems arise. Halim (2013, as cited in Tan, 2013) states that induction programme should be conducted to introduce the company’s rules and regulations, working culture, benefits and right for the workers. Besides that, the top management should also have a record on the disciplines performance of each of the employees and any employees performance who is not up to par will be having a disciplinary action taken on them. According to Heatherfield (n. d.), to protect the company’s and employees’ interest, written disciplinary action must be taken after counselling and coaching from manager give no improvement in returns. This is simply to bring awareness to the employee about the mistake he has  committed so that he will not repeat the same mistake again. Therefore, the employer need to take care of the safety of the employees and ensuring them to follow the rules to resolve bullies. In conclusion, negative traits of the bully himself and hiding incompetency in doing work are the two main reasons of why bullying occurs at workplace. Besides that, confronting the bully and bringing the bully case to the top management are the steps that can be taken by the person who is being bullied while top management should guarantee the safety of their employees at the workplace as well as ensuring all the employees to follow the rules of the workplace. Bully is not something that can be left without any proper action being taken to prevent it because it does not only create discomfort and embarrassment but it can also harm the health of the victim. Hence, for the convenience of the employees and employer, workplace bullying must be curbed before it becomes worse and affects the development of the organization. The basic essence of working is tolerance as well as understanding among the colleagues and the employer. If both parties cooperates, then this bully issue will defini tely be resolved. REFERENCES Bullying in the workplace. (n. d.). Retrieved July 19, 2014, from http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Workplace_Health/Bullying_at ­_Work/ Kane, S. (n. d.). Who is workplace bullys target. Retrieved July 20, 2014, from http://legalcareers.about.com./od/careertrends/a/Who-Is-A-Workplace-Bullys- Target.htm King, M. (n. d.). Why do people bully me in the workplace?. Retrieved July 20, 2014, from http://woman.thenest.com/people-bully-workplace-9097.html McCoy, W. (n. d.). Termination for bullying in the workplace. Retrieved July 21, 2014, from http://woman.thenest.com/termination-bullying-workplace-12070.html Olivier, S. (2013). Bullying in the workplace. Retrieved July 21, 2014, from http://www.communicate.co.za/_blog/communicate_blog/post/bullying-in-the-workplace/ Rush, M. (n. d.). How to protect yourself from a workplace bully. Retrieved July 21, 2014, from http://woman.thenest.com/protect-yourself-workplace-bully-8056.html Tan, K. (2013, October 22). Bullying in the workplace. The Star Online. Retrieved July 2, 2014, from www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Features/2013/10/22/Bullying-in-the-workplace/

An Ecological Viewpoint On Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay

An Ecological Viewpoint On Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay Pollution is the effect of undesirable changes in our surroundings that have harmful effects on plants, animals and human beings. This occurs when only short term ecological gains are made at the cost of long term ecological benefits for humanity. During the last few decades we have polluted our air, water and land on which life itself depends with a variety of waste products. From an ecological point of view, pollutants can be classified as degradable or non-persistent pollutants which can be rapidly broken down by natural process.eg: domestic sewage, discarded vegetables etc., Slowly-degradable or persistent pollutants are pollutants that remain in the environment for many years in an unchanged condition and take decades or longer to degrade.eg:DDT(pesticides) and most plastics. Non-degradable pollutants cannot be degraded by natural processes. Once they are released into the environment they are difficult to eradicate and continue to accumulate.eg: toxic elements like lead or mercury and nuclear wastes. Pollution is a very wide topic. This thesis focuses on two major pollutions- air and water, and explains in detail the causes, effects and control measures. Air pollution occurs due to the presence of undesirable solid or gaseous particles in the air in quantities that are harmful to human health and the environment. The air may become polluted by natural causes such as volcanoes, which release ash, dust, sulphur and other gases, or by forest fires that are occasionally caused by lightening. However, unlike pollutants from human activity, naturally-occuring pollutants tend to remain in the atmosphere for a short time and do not lead to permanent atmospheric change. Air pollution began to increase in the beginning of the twentieth century with the development of transportation systems and large-scale use of petrol and diesel. These severe air quality problems due to the formation of petrochemical smog from the combustion residues of diesel and petrol engines were felt for the first time in Los Angeles. Pollution due to auto- exhaust remains a serious environmental issue in many developed and developing countries, including, India. The air pollution control act in India was passed in 1981 and the motor vehicle act for controlling air pollution was passed very recently. These laws are intended to prevent the air from becoming over polluted. The greatest industrial disaster leading to serious air pollution took place in Bhopal, where the extremely poisonous methyl isocyanides gas was accidently released from the Union Carbides pesticide manufacturing plant, on the night of December 2, 1984. The effects of this disaster on human health and the soil are felt even today. Lead is a major air pollutant that remains largely unmonitored and is emitted by vehicles. High lead levels have been reported in the ambient air in metropolitan cities. Leaded petrol is the primary source of air-borne lead emissions in Indian cities. The use of unleaded petrol is one way of reducing this pollutant. Pollutants are also found indoors from the infiltration of polluted outside air and from various chemicals used or produced inside buildings. The effects of air pollution on living organisms are adverse. Cigarette smoking is responsible for the greatest exposure to carbon monoxide. Exposure to air containing even 0.001% of carbon monoxide for several hours can cause coma and even death. Sulphur dioxide irritates the respiratory tissues; chronic exposure to it causes a condition similar to bronchitis. The acids can become attached to particles which, when inhaled, are very corrosive to the lungs. The widely talked changes in the ozone layer have serious implications for mankind. The effects on human health due to increased UV radiation are sunburn, cataract, aging of the skin and skin cancer. It weakens the immune system by suppressing the bodys resistance to certain infections like measles, chickenpox and other viral diseases that elicit rash and parasitic diseases like malaria introduced through the skin. UV rays also affect the ability of plants to capture light energy during the process of photosynthesis. This reduces the nutrient content and the growth of plants. This is seen especially in the case of legumes and cabbage. Air pollution can be controlled by two fundamental approaches: preventive techniques and effluent control. One of the effective means of controlling air pollution is to have proper equipment in place. This includes devices for removal of pollutants from the flue gases through scrubbers, closed-collection recovery systems, and the use of dry and wet collectors, filters, electrostatic precipitators and so on. Building higher smoke-stacks facilitates the discharge of pollutants as far away from the ground as possible. Industries should be carefully located so as to minimize the effects of pollution after considering the topography and the wind directions. The substitution of raw materials that cause more pollution with those that cause less pollution will also help. Water pollution is when the quality or composition of water changes directly or indirectly as a result of mans activities such that it becomes unfit for any purpose it is said to be polluted. Point sources of pollution are when a source of pollution can be readily identified because it has a definite source and place where it enters the water it is said to come from a point source. E.g.: municipal and industrial discharge pipes. Non-point sources of pollution are when a source of pollution cannot be readily identified, such as agricultural runoff, acid rain etc., There are several classes of common water pollutants. These are disease causing agents which include bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasitic worms that enter water from domestic sewage and untreated human and animal wastes. Large amounts of human waste in water increases the number of these bacteria, which cause gastrointestinal diseases. Other potentially harmful bacteria from human wastes may also be present in smaller numbers. Thus, the greater the amount of wastes in the water, the greater is the chance of contracting diseases. The third class of pollutants is inorganic plant nutrients. These are water -soluble nitrates and phosphates that cause the excessive growth of algae and other aquatic plants. The quantity of fertilizers applied in a field is often many times more than actually required by plants. The chemicals in fertilizers and pesticides pollute both soil and water. A fourth class of water pollutants is water- soluble inorganic chemicals, which are acids, salts and compounds of toxic metals such as mercury and lead. High levels of these chemicals can make the water unfit to drink, harm fish and other aquatic life, reduce crop yields and accelerate the corrosion of equipment that is in contact with this water. Another cause of water pollution is a variety of organic chemicals, which includes oil, gasoline, plastics, pesticides, cleaning solvents, detergents and many other chemicals. These are harmful to aquatic and human health. They enter the water directly from industrial activity, either from improper handling of chemicals in industries and usually from the improper and illegal disposal of chemical wastes. The foremost necessity of controlling water pollution is prevention. On the other hand, setting up effluent treatment plants to treat wastes can reduce the pollution load in the recipient water. The treated effluent can be reused for either gardening or cooling purposes, wherever possible. A few years ago a new technology, called the Root Zone Process has been developed by Thermax. This system involves running contaminated water through root zones of specially-designed reed beds. To conclude, the responsibility to prevent pollution lies in the hands of every individual. Some concepts that help individuals contribute towards a better quality of our environment and human life are: Try to plant trees wherever you can and more importantly take care of them. They reduce air pollution. From the mail you receive reuse as many envelopes as you can. Use pesticides in your home only when absolutely necessary and use them in small amounts. Some insect species help to keep a check on the populations of pest species. Reduce the use of fossil fuels by either walking short distances or using a car pool, sharing a bike or using public transport. This reduces air pollution. Shut off the lights and fans when not needed. Do not use aerosol spray products and commercial air-fresheners. They damage the ozone layer. Do not pour pesticides, paints, solvents, oil or other products containing harmful chemicals down the drain or onto the ground. Buy consumer goods in refillable glass containers instead of cans or throwaway bottles. Try to avoid asking for plastic carry bags when you buy groceries or vegetables or any other items. Use your own cloth bag instead. Set up a compost bit in your garden to produce manure and reduce use of fertilizers.

The Eastern Chipmunk Essay -- essays research papers

The Eastern Chipmunk The Eastern chipmunk is a small rodent of the Sciuridae family. This chipmunk is closely related to the red and grey fox, the flying squirrel, and the woodchuck. Its Taxonomic name is Tamias Striatus. The word Tamias, Means collector or keeper and Striatus refers to its bold stripes and coloring. The body of the average Eastern Chipmunk is about 8 to 10 inches long, the weigh about 2 ÂÂ ½ to 4 ounces. The ears are rounded with ears that stick straight up. It has short legs, the hind legs each have five claws, the front legs have four, and a long thumb like extension. They also have a furry flat tail. Chipmunks have short, dense body fur. It is the same color for males and females. This is a reddish-brown with black and white hairs. The cheeks and sides of the body are grayish-tan to tawny brown. Chipmunks are omnivorous. They generally eat nuts, seeds of herbaceous plants, mushrooms, berries, corn, the flesh and seeds of some fruits and garden vegetables, Birds' eggs, insects, snails, earthworms, millipedes, salamanders, small snakes, frogs and young...

Change Over Time: The years 1670-1729 Essay -- History, European Power

From 1670 to 1870, the political regimes of the Atlantic Basin underwent drastic changes that were ultimately detrimental to today’s society. The new ideas of the Enlightenment sparked cultural, political, and social revolutions all the way from the newly established colonies of the United States to the ancien regime of the country of France. But how did these governments change during this era? The answers lie in the beginning, middle, and end of the 1670s to 1870s. The years 1670-1729 mark the beginning of this era, where the start of change takes place. During this period, European powers ruled in various places, such as in the colonies of America and in Haiti. In the colonies of America, there â€Å"was no sign that North America might become a center of revolution† (Bentley, p. 784). Britain imposed their culture on the colonists. The colonists â€Å"regarded themselves as British subjects: they recognized British law, read English-language books, and often braved†¦ the North Atlantic Ocean to visit family and friends in England† (Bentley, p. 784), with trade fueling the colonies’ wealth and reliable protection from the British militia. In France, Louis XVI reigned, and things were mainly prosperous. However, Louis was an absolute monarch, and he created three estates. The first estate â€Å"consisted of about 100,000 Roman Catholic clergy† (Bentley, p. 787). The second â€Å"included some four hundred thou sand nobles† (Bentley, p. 787), and the third was the rest of the population-â€Å"about 24 million serfs, free peasants, and urban residents ranging from laborers, artisans, and shopkeepers to physicians, bankers, and attorneys† (787). Nevertheless, the French mainly prospered under Louis XVI’s reign. However, in Haiti, things were not as prosper... ... off to France, where he died of maltreatment. The generals who succeeded Toussaint â€Å"defeated the remaining troops and drove them out of the colony† (Bentley, p. 796). In 1803, they declared independence and later â€Å"proclaimed the establishment of Haiti, meaning â€Å"land of mountains†. In conclusion, the governments of the Atlantic Basin evolved significantly between the 1670s and 1870s. Governments were established that shaped the beginning of human and political rights for generations to come. Without the ideals and beliefs of the Enlightenment thinkers, the rapid transformation of the Atlantic Basin probably would have never happened and the world would have been anything but recognizable at this time. Thanks to the work of many revolutionary leaders and philosophes, the Atlantic Basin was able to become one of the most influential areas in world history to date.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall Essay

The movie â€Å"Forgetting Sarah Marshall† is a successful example of comedy. It was theoretical released on April 18, 2008. The film was brought together by a group of well acted performers and was very famous for perfectly combining the hilarious performances and the laughter together. I think that a successful comedy movie has to have these important factors. First, it needs to be performed with the perfect sounds elements such as the background music and the songs in the movie; second, the movie should be brought by some famous figures and directors, which were well-known in the comedy industry to make sure it will have a great hit this time; third, there should be a lot of stupid scenes with nonsense in the movie that will make people laugh their heads off. The movie â€Å"Forgetting Sarah Marshall† won the Golden Trailer Award for Wild Posts in the year 2008 and was nominated for 6 different awards such as the Golden Trailer Award Best Comedy, and Teen Choice Comedy Awards. The film is directed by the famous Nicholas Stoller and was written by Jason Segal. The movie was a successful hit and was well know among the teen’s group as well as the adults group. The main character of the movie; Peter, he had the most perfect life that all man wished for; which is dating the most famous and the sexiest TV star of the show Crime Scene, Scene of the Crime. But an awful break up which was brought up by now his ex-girl friend, TV star Sarah Marshall; Peter felt like he needs to get away from his life and forget everything about Sarah, so he decided to go to Hawaii for a vacation. The problem is Peter’s ex-girl friend is also on a trip to Hawaii with his new boyfriend; Snow. Peter had to learn to forget the past, stop being a baby, and finally become a man. In the movie, Peter is a sound effect editor for his ex-girlfriend’s TV show; Crime Scene, Scene of the Crime, he was suppose to do dark and ominous music for the background, after he broke up with Sarah, he was playing lively music for the show, which was a perfect part with sarcastic and dark humor in it. The movie cleverly blends together his act with his music talents. Such as the Dracula puppet song that he sang in front of a crowd of strangers that has no idea what he is doing, as soon as he is finished with the Dracula song; the awkward situation that everyone was in total silence was amusing and made the audience want to laugh without a reason. When Sarah Marshall’s new boy friend went on stage and sang her the song â€Å"Inside You†, with the ridicules body movements that he did with the song, the audiences are usually stunned at first, but as we watch it further, it definitely leads to full of laughter. A powerful comedy should be brought together by a group of well known figures in the comedy industry. â€Å"Forgetting Sarah Marshall† is a perfect example of a good comedy because it was produced by four producers, which they were all very famous for being in the comedy business for so long. The exclusive producer Richard Vane was also the producer of Last Holiday (2004), Rodney Rothman who was also the producer for Help Me Help You (2006), and Judd Apatow who was the actor in Pineapple Express (2008). Most importantly, Producer Shauna Robertson. She was the producer for many previous comedy great hits; such as the Pineapple Express (2008), Knocked Up (2007), The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) and Meet the Parents (2000). Jason Segal which was the writer of the film was also the leading actor of the movie. Actress Kristen Bell from the famous TV show Gossip Girl also took part in the movie, as well as Mila Kunis who was the sound for Meg Griffin for Family Guy and Bill Hader from Knocked up. With this impressive group of producers and performers, people will surge into the movie theater as soon as the film is released in the theaters. The most important element for a comedy is it has to have some scene that came out of nowhere and was totally stupid with nonsense. It is very important for a comedy, because people usually watch comedies when they don’t want to think about things and just want to enjoy the movie; otherwise there is no point of watching it. â€Å"Forgetting Sarah Marshall† is a perfect example because it is filled with nonsense. After breaking up with Sarah, Peter Felt like that he needs to have sex with different women just because his ex-girlfriend is having sex with another guy. After having a one night stand with a women that he barely even known, Peter cried in front of her and was acting totally out of ordinary. Also when the chief invite him to go and prepare dinner with him, they end up chasing a pig and Peter had to kill the pig with his bare hands. Scene in the movie shows much different nonsense that will usually make people laugh from their heart. The movie was loved widely all over the world, but there are still a lot of people who didn’t like the movie â€Å"Forgetting Sarah Marshall†. A lot of professionals’ movie critics didn’t like the movie because they think that the contents are â€Å"totally forgettable† or they think that â€Å"it is hard to like a character in the movie, when his own movie makes fun of himself. † I disagree with these critics, because there are many scenes in movie that people will not forget after that watched it, and a comedy are usually funny because the main characters were made fun of, either by himself or the other characters in the movie. That is what usually makes a movie a great hit of comedies. Just like what I previously mentioned, â€Å"forgetting Sarah Marshall† includes the perfect factors of sound element, was performed and brought together by a power group of people in the comedy industries, it also includes many stupid senses that people will not forget and will be talking about it among everyone who have watched the movie. This film is a great example of a comedy, and it is only for you to watch it and find out for yourself.

Bar and Bat Mitzvahs

Rites of passage are a common element of various populations. These rites indicate a change in the lives of those involved. This change usually includes more responsibilities of one kind or another and the rite takes the participant into that next phase of life. One such rite for those of the Jewish faith is the passage into adulthood in a religious, and to an extent, a social sense. The b’nai mitzvah, bar mitzvah for boys and bat mitzvah for girls, are the ceremonies established for this purpose.The ceremony takes place when a boy turns thirteen, or a girl twelve or thirteen, and afterwards, the child is then considered an adult within the religion, expected to take on the responsibilities thereof so that they may help to teach others the ways of the Jewish faith. These responsibilities include praying, observance of the Sabbath, fasting when it is required, and other such things.While such things were considered mainly the responsibilities of those who were becoming adult ma les, it has evolved over the centuries to include females to one extent or the other as well, although Orthodox churches still tend to exclude women from performing many of the tasks that have traditionally been the roles of the male. The word â€Å"mitzvah† is defined as a commandment, while â€Å"bar† and â€Å"bat,† respectively, mean son and daughter.These terms indicate that those going through the ritual are now at a point where they can fulfill the commandments, becoming responsible members of the faith and be welcomed into the adult population. From that point on, the child is considered an adult â€Å"for purposes of participating in synagogue ritual† (Fox and Zimbler 18-19). According to Cohen and Weinrott, â€Å"The goal of the bar and bat mitzvah is to enter the larger community, while at the same time recognizing one’s own unique individual spiritual and social circumstances† (5). Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 2 of 9The first indica tion of the practice of the bar mitzvah seems to be in the Talmud several centuries ago during the Second Temple, when it is recorded that the sages would â€Å"bless a child who had reached the age of thirteen and who had fasted on Yom Kippur† (Lewit and Epstein 5). At that time there was no ceremony involved, only the declaring of the boy as bar mitzvah on his thirteenth birthday. He was considered an adult then, expected to follow the laws and take responsibility for himself instead of being considered the responsibility of his father.It was in the thirteenth or fourteenth century that this transition became formalized in such a way that resembles the ritual practiced today. The ceremony then led into a meal to celebrate the boy’s transition, and by 1595, this feast became â€Å"so sumptuous that a communal tax was placed on the celebration to stop such excesses† (Cohen and Weinrott 11). The bat mitzvah was not such an illustrious occasion as early as the bar mitzvah. The Talmud records that, around the second or third century, girls came of age at twelve to fulfill the commandments.Women were not obligated like men to engage in most religious exercises, their responsibilities instead revolving around home and family. While this age was considered important, it was not until the seventeenth century that it was considered important to celebrate the occasion. France and Italy celebrated with a ceremony in the middle of the nineteenth century at the latest, but it was not until 1922 that girls were accorded the same ceremony as boys with their bat mitzvah, when Mordecai Kaplan of the Society for the Advancement of Judaism, who founded Reconstructive Judaism, held the ceremony for his daughter.In some congregations, a girl becomes bat mitzvah at twelve, while in others the ceremony is performed at thirteen, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 3 of 9 like it is for boys. Different congregations of Judaism treat the coming of age of boys and girls in d ifferent ways. While some give equal credence to the two genders during this time in belief that both should be on equal footing, there are others who believe that the religious obligations of boys and girls are different and therefore they should follow different rules.This leads to even more differences in the observance of this special time for girls than it does before, as some congregations have the identical ceremony for both genders while others give the girls less religious responsibility during the occasion. It is not that they consider the duties of a female to be less important, only separate and distinct from those expected from males. The celebration of these ceremonies took on different aspects in different countries starting late in the Middle Ages.The differences included such things as on which days the ceremony took place and how much of the service was conducted by the boy himself. The Marranos in Spain and Portugal were forced to practice their religion in secret , and the day of the bat mitzvah was when a boy was introduced to the religion. This secrecy helped to preserve the religion for more than 300 years in those countries. The traditional day for the bar or bat mitzvah to take place is on Saturday, which is known as Shabbat, or Sabbath.Bat mitzvahs are often held on Fridays, different congregations either giving the choice as to whether to hold it on Shabbat or requiring that it be done on Friday night. It is also possible for either ceremony to be held on Mondays or Thursdays, which were days in the days of the Temple when the Torah was read. Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 4 of 9 While some may choose to enhance the event by combining it to some extent with existing Jewish holidays, there are certain days which are usually avoided.The traditions of these holidays can help to make the day even more special and memorable. However, there are certain days that involve the remembrance of tragic times for the Jewish people, and these days, such as Yom Ha-Shoah, when the lives of those lost in the Holocaust are remembered, are considered inappropriate for the occasion due to the solemnity and focus on those who have been lost. Many children who are approaching their time of bar or bat mitzvah take part in a course of study to help prepare them for the occasion.Children are often taught in groups, and during this time they learn the blessings which are said at the ceremony as well as the basic skills that are needed for the synagogue, which include â€Å"the use of the tallit, tefillin; the blowing of a shofar; how to lift and dress the Torah, and other Jewish practices† (Lewit and Epstein 35). In addition to this training of the children in groups comes more individualized training with the cantor. Each child will usually spend four to six months training in this way.Other tutors may be utilized as well, giving the children a well-rounded and intensive study of what is to come and what is expected of them. Study aids such as the Tikkun are also helpful for this purpose. The Tikkun is a book that is used to help practice reading the Torah, giving help not only with pronunciation, but also with melody, which is a large part of the ceremonies in many congregations. The duties of the bar or bat mitzvah vary from congregation to congregation. At the simplest, it is simply the responsibility of the newly proclaimed adult to recite a blessing at the Torah.This is the most sacred of books in the Jewish faith, and is Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 5 of 9 handwritten on a scroll made of parchment. It is considered an honor to recite a blessing at the Torah, and is the most important part of the bar or bat mitzvah. Depending upon the congregation, he or she will read part or all of the passage, and then the Torah is taken around the synagogue before being returned to its place in the ark which is either at the front or the center of every synagogue.Another common duty of the bar or bat mitzvah is to read the H aftarah, which is a reading from the Prophets. It, as the Torah, has its own melodies that are usually followed and which take much practice to get right. In some Reform congregations it and the Torah are merely recited. Some congregations can require even more responsibility from the bar or bat mitzvah. He or she can be expected not just to recite the entire Torah portion of the service, but also to lead some of the service or to take over with certain prayers.A speech can also be required, and the father usually recites a blessing as well, officially relinquishing responsibility for the child who has now become an adult. Some congregations also require the child to spend time writing what is known as a dvar Torah for the ceremony. This is a commentary on a portion or portions of the Torah that the child is expected to study and interpret in his or her own way. He or she usually relates it somehow to his or her life and the significance of the Jewish faith to the individual writing it. The length of the document does not matter so long as it expresses something meaningful.In addition to the duties expected from the bar or bat mitzvah, others can play a significant role in the ceremony. The number of these can vary in different congregations, but it is considered an honor to the participants who perform those duties. Those who Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 6 of 9 take part in this are usually close to the child, and it is a duty that those asked to participate take very seriously. However, Orthodox churches tend to disallow the participation of women in most, if not all, of these. The most important role for one of these honorees is that of the aliyah.This is when one is allowed to go to the pulpit and both before and after one section is read from the Torah, to recite a blessing. The number of people who can be an aliyah can be as high as eight, with the last one being that of the child, who is to the final blessing, which is known as the Maftir. This demonstrate s the first real responsibility that a child is accorded in the congregation to illustrate his or her adult status. Other honors can include family members who are allowed to read a section of the Torah as well as tasks that can be taken on in some cases by younger children.There are also tasks that can be taken on by those who are not allowed to participate in the Torah service. They can help to hand things out, serve as ushers, or even decorate the synagogue for the ceremony and bake refreshments. There is also a tradition for many of those in the congregation to throw nuts and candies at the newly proclaimed adult after the ceremony, and passing out such things is a job often taken on by younger family members. After the service, many Jewish families throw a celebration.This has been a big change from earlier days, when there was no pomp but simply a declaration of the child becoming an adult. But these celebrations have become an important part of some congregations, particularl y those of American Jews. Many more traditional Jews frown upon the seeming need of many families to try and outdo each other in the extravagance of this celebration. Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 7 of 9 One of the traditions that is often followed at Jewish celebrations, including the b’nai mitzvah, is called the Kiddush.This is a prayer over wine that is defined as sanctification. Red wine is the most commonly used for this purpose and it is decided by the family who will chant the Kiddush. This can be one or more people, depending on their preference. The only one who is required to drink from the goblet of wine is the chanter of the blessing, but some prefer to pass it around so that all may have a taste, or with larger groups, cups may be provided for all. Another blessing that is given is the Motzi, which is the blessing over bread.Bread is a very important part of the Jewish meal, and a braided bread known as challah is used for such a purpose as important ceremonies. They are symbolic, and â€Å"represent not just the staff of life, but unity and peace as well† (Cohen and Weinrott 151). The bread is blessed after the wine, giving thanks for the feast that is to be shared. During the Kiddush, the challah is covered with a cloth, some traditions stating that this is to protect the bread from being embarrassed because the wine is blessed first.After the blessing of the bread, there is no need for blessings to be said over any of the following courses. It is usually tradition for a grandparent, or eldest member of the family, to say the blessing over the bread as well as cut it after the blessing. It may then be sliced and then passed around to all present, although some prefer to tear the bread with hands instead of cutting it with a knife. It is then usually salted before being eaten, and then the rest of the meal follows. A more recent tradition among the American Jews is that of the candle lighting ceremony.Thirteen or fourteen people are com monly chosen to light candles that are often placed on a cake, and sometimes make a blessing over the candles for the child. A Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 8 of 9 cake is not always used, however, with some people preferring a candelabra or other setting. When the candles are lit is also optional, some preferring it before the meal while others wait until after. Music is often used to announce the tradition, and special words are often said by those lighting them and occasionally by the child as well.During the celebration is also a time when many choose to make toasts to the child and his or her future and to wish that child well. The parents might choose to give speeches, and usually anyone is invited to say something if they wish, although brevity is often appreciated. The ceremony of Havdalah, which means separation, is often incorporated into Saturday night celebrations, and regarding bar and bat mitzvahs, â€Å"it is a special reminder of the bittersweet separation of youth and adulthood† (Cohen and Weinrott 159).After the celebratory meal, it is a tradition to say the Birkat Ha-Mazon, which means â€Å"grace after the meal. † Four prayers make this up, and then there are also psalms and blessing said as well. There are many choices as to who can lead this service, from the rabbi to the bar or bat mitzvah. However, there are also those who prefer less formal graces, and they might even include a poem or other prayers. The conclusion of this grace is a prayer for peace. Music has always been a large part of the Jewish culture; therefore it is often included as an important part of the celebration.The offerings of this can range anywhere from the simple to the more elaborate, depending upon the tastes of those involved. It is preferable to involve the guests with this, and that can be done in a variety of ways, from singing to dancing, which usually includes the hora. Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 9 of 9 The hora is a traditional dance used during J ewish celebrations. It was developed early in the twentieth century in Israel, and is a group dance, where the dancers are linked to each other in a circle, arms linked and hands on the shoulders of those next to them.This represents the closeness of the community and the equality of value of all of the people involved†¦ After the hora often comes the chair dance, in which the child sits in a chair and then that chair is lifted above their shoulders by those present. They are then danced that way, and often parents and other family members are allowed to share in the feelings of exultation by having their own turn in the chair. This dance emphasizes not only the individual who is put in the spotlight, but the community around that person who supports the chair and the individual during that time.The sense of community is very important to those of the Jewish faith, and this dance is a demonstration of this. Ceremony is a very crucial part of Judaism. This can be seen in many of their holidays and ceremonies, and the importance of the b’nai mitzvah can be considered to be the fact that it is this that pulls yet another into the community of Jewish adults. The new adult is allowed then to participate in ways that only adults can, and this strengthens the religion as a whole, passing the traditions and beliefs on to another generation so that it may again be passed on to that person’s children.Perhaps the fact that the Jewish people have been through much pain and difficulty throughout their history has helped to make these ceremonies even more important than they once were, transitioning them from a simple announcement of adulthood and breaking off of responsibility by the father to the elaborate celebrations that many have today. Bibliography Cohen, Jayne and Lori Weinrott. 2004. The Ultimate Bar/Bat Mitzvah Celebration Book. New York: Clarkson Potter/Publishers. Fox, Karen L. and Phylliz Zimbler Miller.1992. Seasons for Celebratoin: A Contem porary Guide to the Joys, Practices, and Traditions of the Jewish Holidays. New York: The Putnam Publishing Group. Himelstein, Dr. Shmuel. 1990. The Jewish Prayer: Questions and Answers on Jewish Faith and Cuture. New York: Facts on File, Inc. Lewit, Jane and Ellen Epstein. 1996. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah Planbook. Lanham, MD: Scarborough House. Oppenheimer, Mark. 2005. Thirteen and a Day: The Bar and Bat Mitzvah Across America. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.