Squandermania Mentality: the Root Cause of Social Evil

SQUANDERMANIA MENTALITY: THE ROOT CAUSE OF SOCIAL EVIL UDEKE CHARLES NDUBUISI POPE JOHNPAUL 11 MAJOR SEMINARY, AWKA [email  protected] com PREAMBLE Nigeria as a nation is ravaged by many internal problems. It is no longer news even to the blind that things are not the way they should be in our society. Nigeria problem is hydra-headed. Many scholars have viewed it from the different perspective as corruption, problem of leadership, indiscipline, greediness, consumerism, et cetera. Squander mania mentality is not out of the list. The rate at which people spread dollars at occasions is quite embarrassing.The history of Nigerians is that of a people in search of naira and the ostentatious show of wealth. Some people construe squandeermaniarism as a means of ascertaining themselves in the society. So, the more ostentatious you are, the more you are socially recognized and canonized. The root cause of social evil in our society is nothing but consumer consciousness. In bid to have more i n order to spend extravagantly people often indulge in all kinds of ills like: kidnapping, bribery, drug addict, money laundry, stealing, armed robbery, gangsterism, corruption and embezzlement.Squandermania consciousness has turned some of our leaders into caterpillars’ of common wealth. In fact the evil malice in us has been exalted to the point of genius in some of us. Moreover, in January 1987, the Anambra State government under the governorship of Captain Emeka Omeruah organized a crusade against squandermania. They so accurately deciphered the basis of indiscipline and underdevelopment in our nation as squandermania mentality. In this work we shall be looking at squandermania mentality as the root cause of our social evil and the possible remedy.In order to better appreciate this topic, let us explicate the basic concept. CONCEPTUALIZATION OF TERMS. Squandermania mentality literally means conscious wasteful or useless spending on daily basis. According to Okolo (1994:9) it is that disposition in a people by which they conceive and judge things by their consumable value. On the whole the society becomes one dominated largely by acquisitive rather than productive instincts. ’ Thus, for him it is materialistic consumable outlook on things. Then, Prof. P.N. Ejiofor (1986:3) viewed the term conspicuous consumption as ‘living above one’s resources and for the overall standard of living of the society for one’s inordinate self aggrandizement. ’ For him, it is spending unnecessarily. Here, squandermania mentality may be used interchangeably with consumer consciousness or conspicuous consumption. Based on this based backdrop, let us know to what extent squandermania mentality is the root cause of our social evil. SQUANDERMANIA MENTALITY IN NIGERIA: THE STORY SO FAR.Today, in our towns and villages, people both rich and poor, indulge in consumer consciousness such as charging astronomically high bride prices, engaging in co stly wedding ceremonies, pompous burial ceremonies, expensive chieftaincy title-taking, excessive feasting, excessive eating and drinking, and useless spending in luxurious cars and colossal village mansions. Prof. Ejiofor (1984:90) attempted to paint a picture of an aspect of conspicuous consumption as it pertains to our burial ceremonies. â€Å"First the corpse may be embalmed, and left in the mortuary for a period ranging from three days to two or three months.During this time, a new building is set up, if the dead did not build one in his life time, but if he did, the house and the walls are renovated. † In the same vein, pomp and pageantry go with weddings, birthday celebrations, title taking, chieftaincy installations, graduations, ordinations, and house warming ceremonies, etc. In fact, Nigerians are drunk with life of ostentation. We place undue emphasis in material social values as a way of life of a people. Thus material success and possession are highly valued in t he social and cultural lives of our people.Peace Pilgrim (1981:12) articulates it in the following terms, â€Å"in this materialistic age we have such a false criterion by which to measure success. We measure it in terms of material things. But happiness and inner peace do not lie in that direction. † Nigeria is the paradigm example of classical consumer society. Okolo(1994:10) viewed squandermania as the foundation of all our problems. â€Å"It is the problem behind our problems. To ignore it in our attack of societal ills would be to pursue a phantom, attacking the disease with a proper diagnosis of its cause. † We can talk of Nigeria problem without mentioning squandermania mentality.That Nigeria is a consumer society is never an exaggeration, for it is manifested in all their activities. Our society is characterized by unproductive spending, wealth exhibitionism and social importance. Hence, prestige and power are mainly construed in terms of material wealth and po ssessions. As a consumer nation, it exhibit one sided apprehension of labour. That is in terms of immediate gain, instant wealth and material success. Sweat, hard work and personal sacrifice have been sacrificed at the altar of laziness, cheap labour, instant gain and consumerism.Okolo(1994:11) posited that â€Å"people of consumer society generally manifest low enthusiasm or appreciation for high values such as patriotism, love of truth, honesty†¦ To labour or sacrifice for these spiritual goods or think of them important is hardly worthwhile for them. † In the educational sector, a lot of people read in order to obtain mere certificate, what is referred to as ‘certificate education. ’ They construe education in terms of its material relevance. Knowledge in the strict sense, for broadening ones horizon, understanding and conquering ones environment is not for them.They seek for certificate education in order to gain affluence and wealth through influence an d high positions in the society. They struggle in order to manifest supremacy in wealth and what it can buy. Success and social progress are defined by them in terms of material prosperity and acquisition. Russell (1975:38) in his own part described the situation thus, â€Å"but what typical modern man desires to get with it is more money, with a view to ostentation, splendour and the outshining of those who have hitherto been his equals. It is clear that the quest for instant wealth and material acquisition is the root cause of the societal ills. All that matters for Nigerian is naira accumulation, the means not withstanding. Consequently, it is no longer news that there is so much robbery, kidnapping, prostitution, human trafficking, embezzlement and all sorts of fraudulent practices in the nation. The hardship in the country notwithstanding, the syndrome for quick money and over night success is a pointer to squandermania mentality. The search for immediate wealth makes the Nige rian to hold tenaciously to power and authority.Conspicuous consumption will lead us to nothing but a consumer nation. Whereby, we spend more than we produce, consequently leading to many inefficiency or disequilibrium in the economy. CONS OF CONSUMER CONSCIOUSNESS The cumulative effect of it will lead to enlargement of his tastes, a change in his life style, in his social values and outlook in life. The person will define his social importance in terms of wealth acquisition and display, then, the type of home he lives in, property acquired and social entertainment held.So, the attitude of wasteful or unproductive spending and wealth exhibitionism will be high in the individual. Conspicuous consumption is one of the root causes of bribery and corruption, armed robbery, prostitution, smuggling, and drug trafficking. Faced by the huge financial demands which they can not meet by honest living, they land themselves in the aforementioned ills. Consumer consciousness channels all our res ources from working to leisure and from investment to unnecessary consumption. Many a time offices and markets are closed to give the dead a so-called befitting burial.The time we spent in long wake keeping ceremonies, marriage ceremonies, housing warning ceremonies, etc, is spent by the Whiteman in his library or laboratory researching on how to develop the machinery he will export later. The money we spend on those occasions is spent by him in taking a balanced diet and investing in meaningful businesses. It has destroyed the value system of our society. The people’s outlook on things is mainly from viewpoint of the consumable value and the material worth. In the developed countries, the most noble and masters are the researchers, the inventors, the statesmen, great philanthropists.In our society the statusquo are mostly the number of cars, the type buildings, the rowdiness of parties, etc. It is not surprise today that many young people indulge in different foul game in or der to make money quick. Squandermania mentality makes us to be more dependent on the industrialized nations. It discourages patronage of our native goods. It is not shocking that most of the drugs, food stuffs, scientific equipments and all sorts of manufactured and consumer good are not produced locally. This has stultifying effects on the creative and imaginative powers of the individual. By being dependent on other nations we enslave ourselves.It makes Nigerian to be imitators instead of competitors with other nations. Since we end up in imitating and reproducing, we lack originality, self transcendence, creativity and self reliance. More so, it vitiates the development of education, science and technology. Today, young people construe education in terms of material gain. Whereby, they end up in ‘certificate education. ’ People are not concerned with the qualitative functional education, which will help them conquer and transform their environment. Instead are inter ested in certificate education which guarantees them position of influence in the society.In fact, conspicuous consumption has adverse effect on moral, economic, developmental and political facets of the society. It reinforces wrong values, leads to exportation of wealth, encourages social vices, hampers productivity, and slows down the rate of economic development. We devote too much time in consuming than in producing. Since we have seen that the gestalt of our problem is squandermania in outlook, then, what shall we do! PANACEA What Nigerian need is a new awareness of self, a novel sense of dignity and altogether new life and value system. This new ideology should make value to be more qualitatively rather than to have more.That is to live more qualitative life instead of quantitative life. Education is vital instrument through which these values can be inculcated. Nigeria needs to imbibe the value of self-discipline. He must be ready to restrain his ungodly desires, goals and am bitious which he generally views in materialist terms. In quest to have more, display more, enjoy more, the Nigerian has lost sense of self discipline in quest for naira and what it can purchase. Thus, it through self discipline, the nation can manage her resources judiciously. Our society should cultivate the spirit of working for the universal good.For no society of human beings is possible without what binds them together, what they strive after together. Thus, common good is the good of the members of the society. If, we think of those things which make up the society as a whole, squandermanianism will be a forgotten issue. Management of our resources, time and talents well is a necessary condition. Foolish people waste their money, whilst wise people invest their money and are called investors. In order to shun squandermania mentality the Nigerian must cultivate pragmatic spirit. This imbues him with the mind to discover or invent and to be creative.This is attitude of sacrific e, self-dedication and labour. For consumer mentality radically weakens the will and people to put pleasure before business, sweet before sweat. More so, let us spend less time and money in celebrations, so as to have more money for the investment and time for working. It is by patronizing our locally made goods, can we encourage our local industries. CONCLUSION It is high time we admit that there is more to life than money, therefore, should focus not just on money wasting, but on general well-being.Studies have shown that those who are high in materialistic orientations are lower in levels of life satisfaction. Squandermania is a public enemy that should be stamped out of our society. It fails to satisfy men whose nature clamours for higher, more lasting values. We should aim at minimizing the traditional pursuit of wealth, conspicuous consumption and the acquisition of possessions and the attainment of status. Let us aspire to be more rather than to possess more. May all hands be on deck in order to bring to an end the inflicted wound of wasteful living.

A Critical Analysis of the Arthurian Tale Sir Gawain and The Green Knight in the context of Literary Theory

This story is in the tradition of Arthurian stories about the Legendary King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. This is a alliterative poem belonging to the romantic genre of Arthurian legends.The author is anonymous and is simply referred to as the Gawain poet or the Pearl poet and is dated Ca. 1340-1400 from West Midlands in England, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight tells a tale of how Sir Gawain, a member of the esteemed Knights of the Round Table in King Arthur’s court at Camelot, accepted a challenge from a mysterious stranger, referred to as the Green Knight, who suddenly barges in on a merry feast in King Arthur’s Court.The story contains points, both in a Feminist and in a Marxist reading, that exhibit both positive and negative symbolisms, thus, inevitably furthering the contention that this is also very Deconstructivist; which is another literary theory and reading of the story. Certain symbolisms, themes and tones in the story show this is so, by being capable of having both pro and anti- Feminist and Marxist elements, which would be discussed in a more detailed manner in the following pages.FEMINISIT READINGâ€Å"Women are systematically degraded by receiving the trivial attentions which men think it manly to pay to the sex, when, in fact, men are insultingly supporting their own superiority.† (Wollstonecraft, 1759)Much can be gleaned when giving this piece a feminist reading. To start with, this belonging to the classic Medieval Age Romance and it being one of the Arthurian Legend makes it a very easy target for being tagged as anti Feminist.The very concept of the Medieval Age, and the mere mention of Arthurian Legends is in itself enough subject of anti Feminist repartee’s. The very fact alone that this era is characterized by patriarchal dominance and machismo is a strong enough qualification to label this outright as an anti Feminist story, without even going to the analysis of the story. The most obvious of a ll is the general tone and obvious patriarchal system of the story.There is a King who is high and mighty, and he rules over his subjects. The most loyal, admired and feared heroes are the Knights of the Round Table, whom, are all men. The Queen Guinevere is described as if she was a wall flower in all these brave bold display of masculine superiority, and is even deemed to be quiet, and not to say anything. In some translations of the story she is even said to sit beside Gawain, and not beside his supposed husband.The mention in the text that she presides over the festivities is merely titular, if at all, a token too trifle. With such a patriarchal system, it follows that the story also shows phallocentrism. If Camelot, the supposed Utopia is all patriarchal, what more could be expected of in the ‘real’ world?When Sir Gawain left on his quest to fulfill his vow to the Green Knight, he came upon a castle, where the lord of the castle, Bertilak of Hautdesert told him to give to him whatever he gets in exchange for the game he hunted. While the lord is away, the lady of the castle is left idling away on the castle, and falls to seducing the visitor. This brings to mind another archetypal typecasting or stereotyping of women; the Sinner/Saint stereotypes.In this story, Guinevere is the pure maiden; the saintly woman of virtue, while the Lady Bertilak is typecast as the sinner/slut/whore impure woman. There is an imposition of impossible virtues to the women as patently due to a macho image and in contrast to how a man should be chivalrous and upright.The seduction of the Lady Bertilak as opposed to the chastity of Queen Guinevere is clearly a male imposed virtue and rule of morals to how women should act. They should silently preside over ceremonies, as Guinevere does, or should patiently wait for his husband to come home, as the Lady Bertilak should have done.   

Last Sacrifice Chapter Thirteen

â€Å"IT'S NOT FUNNY!' â€Å"Youre right,' agreed Sydney. â€Å"It's not funny. It's hilarious.' We were back at Raymond's house, in the privacy of our room. It had taken forever for us to get away from the fireside festivities, particularly after learning a terrible fact about a Keeper custom. Well, I thought it was terrible, at least. It turned out that if someone wanted to marry someone else around here, the prospective bride and groom each had to battle it out with the other's nearest relative of the same sex. Angeline had spotted Joshua's interest from the moment I'd arrived, and when she'd seen the bracelet, she'd assumed some sort of arrangement had been made. It therefore fell on her, as his sister, to make sure I was worthy. She still didn't like or entirely trust me, but proving myself a capable fighter had shot me up in her esteem, allowing her to consent to our â€Å"engagement.' It had then taken a lot of fast-talking to convince everyone– including Joshua–that there was no engagement. Had there been, I'd learned, Dimitri would have had to stand in as my â€Å"relative' and fight Joshua. â€Å"Stop that,' I chastised. Dimitri leaned against one of the room's walls, arms crossed, watching as I rubbed where Angeline had hit my cheekbone. It was hardly the worst injury I'd ever had, but I'd definitely have a bruise tomorrow. There was a small smile on his face. â€Å"I told you not to encourage him,' came Dimitri's calm response. â€Å"Whatever. You didn't see this coming. You just didn't want me to–‘ I bit off my words. I wouldn't say what was on my mind: that Dimitri was jealous. Or possessive. Or whatever. I just knew he'd been irritated to see me friendly with Joshua †¦ and very amused at my outrage over Angeline's attack. I abruptly turned to Sydney, who was just as entertained as Dimitri. In fact, I was pretty sure I'd never seen her smile so much. â€Å"Did you know about this custom?' â€Å"No,' she admitted, â€Å"but I'm not surprised. I told you they're savage. A lot of ordinary problems are settled by fights like that.' â€Å"It's stupid,' I said, not caring that I was whining. I touched the top of my head, wishing I had a mirror to see if Angeline had taken a noticeable chunk of hair. â€Å"Although †¦ she wasn't bad. Unpolished, but not bad. Are they all that tough? The humans and Moroi too?' â€Å"That's my understanding.' I pondered that. I was annoyed and embarrassed by what had happened, but I had to admit the Keepers were suddenly way more interesting. How ironic that such a backward group had the insight to teach everyone to fight, no matter their race. Meanwhile, my own â€Å"enlightened' culture still refused to teach defense. â€Å"And that's why Strigoi don't bother them,' I murmured, recalling breakfast. I didn't even realize what I'd said until Dimitri's smile dropped. He glanced toward the window, face grim. â€Å"I should check in with Boris again and see what he's found.' He turned back toward Sydney. â€Å"It won't take long. We don't all need to go. Should I just take your car since I only have to go a little ways?' She shrugged and reached for her keys. We'd learned earlier that Sydney's phone could pick up a signal about ten minutes from the village. He was right. There really was no reason for us all to go for a quick phone call. After my fight, Sydney and I were reasonably safe. No one would mess with me now. Still †¦ I didn't like the thought of Dimitri reliving his Strigoi days alone. â€Å"You should still go,' I told her, thinking fast. â€Å"I need to check in on Lissa.' Not entirely a lie. What my friends had heard from Joe was still weighing on me. â€Å"I can usually still keep track of what's going on around me at the same time, but it might be better if you're away–especially in case Alchemists do show up.' My logic was faulty, though her colleagues were still a concern. â€Å"I doubt they'd come while it's dark,' she said, â€Å"but I don't really want to hang out if you're just going to stare into space.' She didn't admit it, and I didn't need to say anything, but I suspected she didn't want someone else driving her car anyway. Dimitri thought her coming was unnecessary and said as much, but apparently, he didn't feel like he could boss her around as much as me. So, they both set out, leaving me alone in the room. I watched them wistfully. Despite how annoying his earlier mockery had been, I was worried about him. I'd seen the effect of the last call and wished I could be there now to comfort him. I had a feeling he wouldn't have allowed that, so I accepted Sydney's accompaniment as a small victory. With them gone, I decided I really would check in with Lissa. I'd said it more as an excuse, but truthfully, it beat the alternative–going back out and socializing. I didn't want any more people congratulating me, and apparently, Joshua had read my â€Å"maybe' and acceptance of the bracelet as a real commitment. I still thought he was devastatingly cute but couldn't handle seeing his adoration. Sitting cross-legged on Angeline's bed, I opened myself to the bond and what Lissa was experiencing. She was walking through the halls of a building I didn't recognize at first. A moment later, I got my bearings. It was a building at Court that housed a large spa and salon–as well as the hideout of Rhonda the gypsy. It seemed weird that Lissa would be going to get her fortune told, but once I got a glimpse of her companions, I knew she was up to something else. The usual suspects were with her: Adrian and Christian. My heart leapt at seeing Adrian again–especially after the Joshua Incident. My last spirit dream had been too brief. Christian was holding Lissa's hand as they walked, his grip warm and reassuring. He looked confident and determined–though with that typically snarky half-smile of his. Lissa was the one who felt nervous and was clearly bracing herself for something. I could feel her dreading her next task, even though she believed it was necessary. â€Å"Is this it?' she asked, coming to a halt in front of a door. â€Å"I think so,' said Christian. â€Å"That receptionist said it was the red one.' Lissa hesitated only a moment and then knocked. Nothing. Either the room was empty or she was being ignored. She held up her hand again, and the door opened. Ambrose stood there, stunning as always, even in jeans and a casual blue T-shirt. The clothing hugged his body in a way that showed off every muscle. He could have walked straight off the cover of GQ. â€Å"Hey,' he said, clearly surprised. â€Å"Hey,' said Lissa back. â€Å"We were wondering if we could talk to you?' Ambrose ever so slightly inclined his head toward the room. â€Å"I'm kind of busy right now.' Beyond him, Lissa could see a massage table with a Moroi woman lying face down. The lower half of her body had a towel over it, but her back was bare, shining in the dim lighting with oil. Scented candles burned in the room, and a calming kind of New Age music played softly. â€Å"Wow,' said Adrian. â€Å"You don't waste any time, do you? She's only been in her grave a few hours, and you've already got someone new.' Tatiana had finally been laid to rest earlier in the day, just before sunset. The burial had had much less fanfare than the original attempt. Ambrose gave Adrian a sharp look. â€Å"She's my client. It's my job. You forget that some of us have to work for a living.' â€Å"Please?' asked Lissa, hastily stepping in front of Adrian. â€Å"It won't take long.' Ambrose looked my friends over a moment and then sighed. He glanced behind him. â€Å"Lorraine? I have to step outside. I'll be right back, okay?' â€Å"Okay,' called the woman. She shifted, facing him. She was older than I'd expected, mid-forties or so. I guess if you were paying for a massage, there was no reason not to have a masseuse half your age. â€Å"Hurry back.' He gave her a dazzling smile as he shut the door, a smile that dropped once he was alone with my friends. â€Å"Okay, what's going on? I don't like the looks on your faces.' Ambrose might have radically deviated from a dhampir man's normal life, but he'd had the same training as any guardian. He was observant. He was always on the lookout for potential threats. â€Å"We, uh, wanted to talk to you about †¦' Lissa hesitated. Talking about investigations and interrogations was one thing. Carrying them out was another. â€Å"About Tatiana's murder.' Ambrose's eyebrows rose. â€Å"Ah. I see. Not sure what there is to say, except that I don't think Rose did it. I don't think you believe that either, despite what's going around. Everyone's talking about how shocked and upset you are. You're getting a lot of sympathy over having been tricked by such a dangerous and sinister â€Å"friend.† Lissa felt her cheeks flush. By publicly condemning me and renouncing our friendship, Lissa was keeping herself out of trouble. It had been Abe and Tasha's advice, and Lissa knew it was sound. Yet, even though it was an act, she still felt guilty. Christian stepped to her defense. â€Å"Back off. That's not what this is about.' â€Å"What is it about then?' asked Ambrose. Lissa jumped in, worried Christian and Adrian might upset Ambrose and make it difficult to get answers. â€Å"Abe Mazur told us that in the courtroom, you said or, uh, did something to Rose.' Ambrose looked shocked, and I had to give him points for being convincing. â€Å"Did something? What does that mean? Does Mazur think I, like, hit on her in front of all those people?' â€Å"I don't know,' admitted Lissa. â€Å"He just saw something, that's all.' â€Å"I wished her good luck,' said Ambrose, still looking offended. â€Å"Is that okay?' â€Å"Yeah, yeah.' Lissa had made a point to talk to Ambrose before Abe could, fearing Abe's methods would involve threats and a lot of physical force. Now, she was wondering if she was doing so great a job. â€Å"Look, we're just trying to find out who really killed the queen. You were close to her. If there's anything–anything–at all you've got that can help us, we'd appreciate it. We need it.' Ambrose glanced curiously between them. Then, he suddenly understood. â€Å"You think I did it! That's what this is about.' None of them said anything. â€Å"I can't believe this! I already got this from the guardians †¦ but from you? I thought you knew me better.' â€Å"We don't know you at all,' said Adrian flatly. â€Å"All we know is you had lots of access to my aunt.' He pointed at the door. â€Å"And obviously, it didn't take you long to move on.' â€Å"Did you miss the part where I said that's my job? I'm giving her a massage, that's it. Not everything is sordid and dirty.' Ambrose shook his head in frustration and ran a hand through his brown hair. â€Å"My relationship with Tatiana wasn't dirty either. I cared about her. I would never do anything to hurt her.' â€Å"Don't statistics say most murders happen between close people?' asked Christian. Lissa glared at him and Adrian. â€Å"Stop it. Both of you.' She looked back at Ambrose. â€Å"No one's accusing you of anything. But you were around her a lot. And Rose told me you were upset about the age law.' â€Å"When I first heard about it, yeah,' Ambrose said. â€Å"And even then, I told Rose there was some mistake–that there must be something we didn't know. Tatiana would have never put those dhampirs in danger without a good reason.' â€Å"Like making herself look good in front of all those terrified royals?' asked Christian. â€Å"Watch it,' warned Adrian. Lissa couldn't decide which was more annoying: her two guys teaming up to spar against Ambrose or them throwing barbs at each other. â€Å"No!' Ambrose's voice rang throughout the narrow hall. â€Å"She didn't want to do that. But if she didn't, worse things were going to happen. There are people who wanted–still want–to round up all the dhampirs who don't fight and force them into it. Tatiana passed the age law as a way to stall that.' Silence fell. I'd already learned this from Tatiana's note, but it was shocking news to my friends. Ambrose kept going, seeing he was gaining ground. â€Å"She was actually open to lots of other options. She wanted to explore spirit. She approved of Moroi learning to fight.' That got a reaction from Adrian. He still wore that sardonic expression, but I could also see faint lines of pain and sorrow on his face. The burial earlier must have been hard on him, and hearing others reveal information you hadn't known about a loved one had to hurt. â€Å"Well, I obviously wasn't sleeping with her like you were,' said Adrian, â€Å"but I knew her pretty well, too. She never said a word about anything like that.' â€Å"Not publicly,' agreed Ambrose. â€Å"Not even privately. Only a few people knew. She was having a small group of Moroi trained in secret–men and women, different ages. She wanted to see how well Moroi could learn. If it was possible for them to defend themselves. But she knew people'd be upset about it, so she made the group and their trainer keep quiet.' Adrian gave no response to this, and I could see his thoughts had turned inward. Ambrose's revelation wasn't bad news, exactly, but Adrian was still hurt at the thought that his aunt had kept so much from him. Lissa, meanwhile, was eating the news up, seizing and analyzing every piece of info. â€Å"Who were they? The Moroi being trained?' â€Å"I don't know,' said Ambrose. â€Å"Tatiana was quiet about it. I never found out their names, just their instructor.' â€Å"Who was †¦ ?' prompted Christian. â€Å"Grant.' Christian and Lissa exchanged startled looks. â€Å"My Grant?' she asked. â€Å"The one Tatiana assigned to me?' Ambrose nodded. â€Å"That's why she gave him to you. She trusted him.' Lissa said nothing, but I heard her thoughts loud and clear. She'd been pleased and surprised when Grant and Serena–the guardians who had replaced Dimitri and me– had offered to teach Lissa and Christian basic defense moves. Lissa had thought she'd simply stumbled onto a progressive-thinking guardian, not realizing she had one of the pioneers in teaching combat to Moroi. Some piece of this was important, she and I were both certain, though neither of us could make the connection. Lissa puzzled it over, not protesting when Adrian and Christian threw in some questions of their own. Ambrose was still clearly offended by the inquisition, but he answered everything with forced patience. He had alibis, and his affection and regard for Tatiana never wavered. Lissa believed him, though Christian and Adrian still seemed skeptical. â€Å"Everyone's been all over me about her death,' said Ambrose, â€Å"but nobody questioned Blake very long.' â€Å"Blake?' asked Lissa. â€Å"Blake Lazar. Someone else she was †¦' â€Å"Involved with?' suggested Christian, rolling his eyes. â€Å"Him?' exclaimed Adrian in disgust. â€Å"No way. She wouldn't stoop that low.' Lissa racked her brain through the Lazar family but couldn't peg the name. There were just too many of them. â€Å"Who is he?' â€Å"An idiot,' said Adrian. â€Å"Makes me look like an upstanding member of society.' That actually brought a smile to Ambrose's face. â€Å"I agree. But he's a pretty idiot, and Tatiana liked that.' I heard affection in his voice as he spoke her name. â€Å"She was sleeping with him too?' Lissa asked. Adrian winced at the mention of his great-aunt's sex life, but a whole new world of possibilities had opened up. More lovers meant more suspects. â€Å"How did you feel about that?' Ambrose's amusement faded. He gave her a sharp look. â€Å"Not jealous enough to kill her, if that's what you're getting at. We had an understanding. She and I were close– yes, â€Å"involved'–but we both saw other people too.' â€Å"Wait,' said Christian. I had the feeling he was really enjoying this now. Tatiana's murder was no joke, but a soap opera was definitely unfolding before them. â€Å"You were sleeping with other people too? This is getting hard to follow.' Not for Lissa. In fact, it was becoming clearer and clearer that Tatiana's murder could have been a crime of passion, rather than anything political. Like Abe had said, someone with access to her bedroom was a likely suspect. And some woman jealous over sharing a lover with Tatiana? That was perhaps the most convincing motive thus far–if only we knew the women. â€Å"Who?' Lissa asked. â€Å"Who else were you seeing?' â€Å"No one who'd kill her,' said Ambrose sternly. â€Å"I'm not giving you names. I'm entitled to some privacy–so are they.' â€Å"Not if one of them was jealous and killed my aunt,' growled Adrian. Joshua had looked down on Adrian for not â€Å"protecting' me, but in that moment, defending his aunt's honor, he looked as fierce as any guardian or Keeper warrior. It was kind of sexy. â€Å"None of them killed her, I'm certain,' said Ambrose. â€Å"And as much as I despise him, I don't think Blake did either. He's not smart enough to pull it off and frame Rose.' Ambrose gestured to the door. His teeth were clenched, and lines of frustration marred his handsome face. â€Å"Look, I don't know what else I can say to convince you. I need to get back in there. I'm sorry if I seem difficult, but this has been kind of hard on me, okay? Believe me, I'd love it if you could find out who did that to her.' Pain flashed through his eyes. He swallowed and looked down for a moment, as though he didn't want them to know just how much he'd cared about Tatiana. When he looked up again, his expression was fierce and determined again. â€Å"I want you to and will help if I can. But I'm telling you, look for someone with political motives. Not romantic ones.' Lissa still had a million more questions. Ambrose might be convinced the murder was free of jealousy and sex, but she wasn't. She would have really liked the names of his other women but didn't want to push too hard. For a moment, she considered compelling him as she had Joe. But no. She wouldn't cross that line again, especially with someone she considered a friend. At least not yet. â€Å"Okay,' she said reluctantly. â€Å"Thank you. Thank you for helping us.' Ambrose seemed surprised at her politeness, and his face softened. â€Å"I'll see if I can dig up anything to help you. They're keeping her rooms and possessions locked down, but I might still be able to get in there. I'll let you know.' Lissa smiled, genuinely grateful. â€Å"Thank you. That'd be great.' A touch on my arm brought me back to the drab little room in West Virginia. Sydney and Dimitri were looking down at me. â€Å"Rose?' asked Dimitri. I had a feeling this wasn't the first time he'd tried to get my attention. â€Å"Hey,' I said. I blinked a couple of times, settling myself back into this reality. â€Å"You're back. You called the Strigoi?' He didn't visibly react to the word, but I knew he hated hearing it. â€Å"Yes. I got a hold of Boris's contact.' Sydney wrapped her arms around herself. â€Å"Crazy conversation. Some of it was in English. It was even scarier than before.' I shivered involuntarily, glad that I'd missed it. â€Å"But did you find out anything?' â€Å"Boris gave me the name of a Strigoi who knows Sonya and probably knows where she is,' Dimitri said. â€Å"It's actually someone I've met. But phone calls only go so far with Strigoi. There's no way to contact him–except to go in person. Boris only had his address.' â€Å"Where is it?' I asked. â€Å"Lexington, Kentucky.' â€Å"Oh for God's sake,' I moaned. â€Å"Why not the Bahamas? Or the Corn Palace?' Dimitri tried to hide a smile. It might have been at my expense, but if I'd lightened his mood, I was grateful. â€Å"If we leave right now, we can reach him before morning.' I glanced around. â€Å"Tough choice. Leave all this for electricity and plumbing?' Now Sydney grinned. â€Å"And no more marriage proposals.' â€Å"And we'll probably have to fight Strigoi,' added Dimitri. I jumped to my feet. â€Å"How soon can we go?'

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Case Study Example She has no time to socialize and communicate inspite of having an assistant. She was not very accessible and the communication took time because of her delayed response to e-mails or messages and handover with the assistant. Studying the organizational behavior of Julie, it can be observed that she seems to have a good relationship with everyone in the university. She received good appraisals from her manager Pat Griffiths. She also received positive reviews from other faculty members. However, the surrounding environment has played a role in these relationships. Julie had several opportunities to interact with her colleagues and faculty members in informal gatherings which she did not do with Susan. Hence, there was a friendly emotional climate between Julie and other faculty members which was absent in case of Susan. This may have led to cognitive dissonance changing her attitude towards Susan. All full time faculty members Julie works with, apart from Susan, are men. Therefore, there is a high probability of gender dynamics creeping in. Also, her manager is a man. Men could have a favorable gender bias while evaluating or appraising women. Susan is a woman and is bound to have a different kind of relationship with Julie. Mental ability could also have an impact on the conflict between Julie and Susan. As confessed by Julie herself, she has been doing a lot of easy and normal work while the work given by Susan needed greater effort. Julie may not have the ability to handle such work due to her education or experience in the past which impacts her productivity. Studying the organizational behaviour of Susan, she seems to be highly occupied with work. Her work habits seem to be a result of her neurotic personality. Susan’s personality traits are that of an introvert which are quite opposite to that of Julie. In addition, Susan’s communication through Internet or messages has been ineffective. While Julie’s inability may be

Reflective Practitioner Assessment Research Proposal

Reflective Practitioner Assessment - Research Proposal Example Even though endorsements have taken on a quasi-industry stature, there is hardly any hugely successful collaboration as those of Nike" Background: Over the past fifty years, the association of brands with celebrities has been used as a widely accepted and popular means of branding any product. Irrespective of the industry diversity celebrity endorsement is being used to appeal customers in the pharmaceutical, watches & accessories, personal use items, cosmetics, cola drinks and virtually everything. This method of branding has not lost its popularity over the years and the potential in this sector is enough to have sustained the emergence of brand consultancy firms specialized in providing celebrity matching and celebrity endorsement services. Considering the above, the purpose of this research is whether celebrity branding is actually beneficial for the product or are their some hidden, spillover negative effects Is celebrity-branding effective in generating sales by influencing the decision making process Is celebrity endorsement as successful a tool in all the industries or whether its impact differs form industry to industry Is the celebrity appeal the same across different geographical regions and cultures And the focal question is celebrity endorsement really necessary for all products or is it a marketing myth phrased as " Is Celebrity Endorsement beneficial for the product or is it a li... Celebrity Endorsement is a part of the branding strategy. Considering this the 22 immutable laws relate to this specifically the 18th Law the law of borders which states that a brand should not have any borders and should be global and la 13 which states that the brand name should take precedence over the name of the company to avoid confusion. Considering this, the question that arises is that since singularity is important to leave an impact on the mind of the customers, is it really prudent to have a celebrity endorsement, which might confuse the customer by removing the singularity or overshadowing the brand in itself The general background to branding and advantages and disadvantages of labeling, branding and other functional aspects are well explained by Kotler in the Book Marketing Management. Literature Review: To conduct this elementary level research, academic journals, articles available on the internet and case studies pertaining to well-known brands have been reviewed and they provide useful insight onto the different circumstances that the brands face, the way they adapt, how celebrity branding has helped them boost their sales or bring it to low levels. A study conducted at University of Columbia by Christina Schlecht "Celebrities impact on Branding" provides good reading material for this subject. For an insight into the current topics, the articles available at www.about.com were very insightful especially "Celebrity Endorsement Deals Gone Astray" by Apryl Duncan. For the case study analysis, www.fultable.com and www.celebrityendorsements.co.uk are particularly useful. From the above it can be seen that a lot has been written on this subject. However, as observed by on

Methods of Instructions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Methods of Instructions - Research Paper Example Methods of Instructions However, the methods of instruction include lecture, demonstration, case study, discussion groups and practical exercise. Lecture Lecture is the method of instruction where the instructor has the power to present facts orally to the respondents. This method is widely used in most institutions all over the world. Lecture can either be formal or informal. Formal lecture is normally applied where information is to be delivered to a very large. This makes the information to be delivered to in one way communication i.e. from the instructor to the students. This affects the students from participating since the group is extremely large and the instructor cannot give any student a chance to participate. On the other hand, formal lecture give the students full participation because the group is small making the instructor reach most of the students. This makes learning effective because students participate actively in a free environment. This makes the communication a two way process since the students respond to the question asked by the instructor. This makes the informal lecture more effective than the formal lecture. Instructor must always be well prepared before lecture. A lesson plan should be used as guidance during the presentation to avoid going out of the topic of study. It is good to choose the right environment for teaching where the students seat comfortably and have no external distractions. Instructor must be well conversant with the communication skills. Voice must be audible enough to avoid a situation where some students cannot get the instructor clearly. The instructor must maintain eye contact with the students to show confidence in what is being presented. Teaching can be made effective by using some of the visual aids during the presentation. Some things might be difficult to explain using words only. This forces the instructor to use some visual aids like graphs, pictures, slides and charts to reinforce the presentation. Questions are asked to p romote thinking in students. This helps the lecturer in knowing if the students understood what was taught. All the questions must be answered correctly. Lecture should end in time. The advantage of lecture is that it can be used in other methods of instruction. But lecture limits student’s participation (Jumpeter 2009). Demonstration In this method of instruction, the students observe the operation or the technique. This method shows how something is done or how a particular objects operates. Students see for themselves what is happening and they can even participate in the action. They learn by doing demonstrations themselves. For example, they learn to drive a car by driving, to swim by swimming, and to model by modeling. This method is practical, therefore, it is effective. Students are taught how something is done and they later do it by themselves. This method of instruction has advantages. It permits reinforcement because the knowledge gained in class can be made meani ngful by demonstrating it making it well understood. Demonstration appeals to both sights of sight and hearing. Students see what is being demonstrated and at the same time hear the explanation. Disadvantage of this method of instruction is that it is restricted to small groups. The groups should be small so that all students see what is happening. Each one should view without any obstruction from the others. This method is

Family Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Family Sociology - Essay Example According to the NSCFC (2010), the family system in UK has undergone many solid changes during the past fifty years. According to their statistics, fifty years ago only 25 percent of people above thirty were single, however this percentage has reached to 55% in 2007. The discipline of Sociology views the family as being the basic unit of society (Bernardes, 1997). The idea of nuclear family is quite powerful; it includes the correctness of gender specific roles and also the responsibility of parents regarding the well being and upbringing of children (Muncie, 1995; cited in Bernardes, 1997). Immigration, technological development, economic pressure, homosexuality and increased broken and displaced families have created great diversity among the UK family system (Diversity in families and households, 2010). Ethnic families are more extended as compared to British families that are more nuclear. Separated and reconstituted families are also common in which children from different parents have to live with their step siblings. In secularized countries, the family is more cohabitation based than legal marriage based and homosexual co habituation is also common (Cheal, 2002). According to Bernardes (1997), it is a common perception among people that a family consists of a heterogeneous couple, with a small number of healthy kids, where the women have the primary task of care taking and may be occasional supportive income source and the men have the real bread winning task. Women having young children are usually financially dependent on men and are not a part of the paid work world at all (Allan, 1999). As soon as a baby is born, the women are forced to stay at home and care for the young one, while men are expected to earn enough to provide for the family. This snatches the privilege of being paid for work from the women despite the fact that they work at home as much as men do

On-Boarding Invervention in Bank of America Case Study

On-Boarding Invervention in Bank of America - Case Study Example Its 2008 Merrill Lynch acquisition made it the largest corporation in wealth management in addition to making it a crucial player in investment banking. As of 2009, it held at least 12.2% of all US bank deposits. Its main competitors are wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, and Citigroup. As well as operating in all 50 states, it its retail banking footprint covers at least 80% of the United State’s population and serves up to 57 million consumers. The premise of this paper is to study the Bank of America’s talent management program that has a vital part to play in the bank’s phenomenal success, identify its strengths, how it can be improved, and finally to suggest other effective approaches to meet future challenges. In today’s corporate market, the bank of America probably has the best approach to on-boarding, its main form of executive talent management (Goldsmith& Carter, 2009). This has led to a 12% turnover in hiring of executives, having fired 24 out of 19 6. Some higher corporations have a 405-turnover rate for hiring. The program is designed to aid just hired executives in learning facility, build, and leverage relationship networks for company initiative implementation and career success. On taking the job, the executive, is faced with three dilemmas: mastering a demanding ad complex role, high expectations, and a high derailment probability. On-boarding interventions are underpinned by fundamental assumptions (Goldsmith& Carter, 2009). The baseline assumption contends that it occurs over time that is, specifically in the executive’s initial 12-18 months. Interventions occur at given intervals in the 12-18 month period, not the first couple of months on the job. The on-boarding also should be supported via multiple resources, that is, stakeholder resources. Finally, these interventions are dependent on the stakeholder- executive interaction. On-boarding consists of four major phases. The first is the selection phase, which c onsists of the selection process. At the Bank of America, cultural fit and leadership ability are added dimensions to the usual criterion of experience and expertise. The HR function thus gives added attention to its executive search firm’s partnerships to avoid derailment of executives lacking cultural sensitivity, interpersonal skills, and leadership ability. The bank’s leadership development partner assesses the candidate’s leadership approach, team value, and cultural fit. The LD partner then formulates questions for the interviewers that provide insight into the misfit or fit potential of the candidate into the bank’s culture, and their leadership credibility. On hiring, the candidate is given the interview questions and answers, though the feedback source is kept anonymous. The LD partner acquires a calibrated and clear job specification supported and spelled out by the stakeholders about what is required for the job (Goldsmith& Carter, 2009). The n ext phase is the entry phase. The first few weeks are critical for the new executive. He or she must complete four outcomes: develop specific business acumen for the role, learn the culture of the organization, master leadership demands of the role, and build relationships critical to the organization. In order for these demands to be met, three intervention categories are utilized. These are support and coaching, operational forums, and processes and tools. There are three primary givers of support and coaching; the LD collaborate, HR generalist, and hiring executive.

A literature review on the various roles of the HR manager Essay

A literature review on the various roles of the HR manager - Essay Example The practices of Human Resource Management have been integrated so that such an organisational culture could be designed in which the workers could identify their own success (Smith, 2006). The role of HR managers is becoming significant in organisations because ‘sophistication of human resource management practices can enhance the operational inefficiencies (Ijose, n.d.) and to remain operationally efficient having strong management team, designing the work according to successful strategy execution, retaining skilled people, designing the culture that may implement strategy critical activities and creating good policies and procedures that may support strategy execution are required (Higgins, 2005 cited in Ijose n.d.). A lot of research work has been done on the changing and various roles of HR managers in the organisations. In the new service paradigm, the HR managers are in the position to measure the pulse of organisation therefore; they have to be very responsive (Ulrich, Losey & Lake, 1997). The changes in the roles of human resources in organisations have significant implications not only for businesses but also for the HR functions and HR professionals (Bundy, 1997). The role of Human Resource managers is not limited to typical HR functions. Only determining the competencies cannot bring competitive advantage to the organisations unless the knowledge is integrated into the entire HR system therefore, HR managers should think systematically and strategically instead of thinking functionally and tactically about their area (Becker & Huselid, 1999). In a research on the impact of rapid change in Europe on HR managers by European Association for Personnel Management, it was found that nowadays, managers in Europe are required to give attention to traditional HR problems of line managers and they are also supposed to be specialised by line managers in various other functions so that they may get a broader business

Analyse the scenario given and produce a report detailing your Essay

Analyse the scenario given and produce a report detailing your response to the below changes in business environment - Essay Example Keeping all these facts in mind the business environment on a macro level looks prosperous for the young entrepreneurs. The location of the business is at Seaford road which is a populous suburb of east Sussex with a population of over 23000 people and is home to educational institutions. Hence the key USP aligns with the local community aswell. Condition of The Business: The current cash flows of the StudentPizza Ltd are lower than what was estimated initially. The business has yet to return a turnover which was expected even after 5 months. Although the key point which they had identified while opening the business was quite valid and relevant that Students love pizza and keeping this in mind opening a restaurant with the target market as students was quite relevant. Working on their USP by attracting students and making it exclusive for students they have been able to retain students as their loyalist but have only managed to attract few customers from the locality. Also they are running out of investment and capital to run the business as the business has not returned profits as expected for 5 months. SWOT ANALYSIS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND STRATEGIES A detailed analysis of the business and its environment, strategies pertaining to them along with recommendations for executing these strategies is mentioned in detail in this section. Strategy Assessment: In order to asses, whether a particular organizational strategy is suitable for an organization it is important to conduct a SWOT analysis. The SWOT analysis points out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the organization in question. To assess how effective an organizational strategy would be, it is very important to conduct a SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis is an overall strategic planning methodology. It is used to assess a strategy from the point of view of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It involves the business environment and the business objective of a particular pro ject and how internal and external factors will help achieve those objectives. The technique was developed by Albert Humphrey. He led a convention during his stay at Stanford University in the 1960s and the 1970s. He incorporated data from some Fortune500 companies. A SWOT analysis usually begins with clearly defined state and objectives. Strengths: In strengths it is checked which attributes of the company will help in achieving the desired objectives. The strengths of the company are many. It targets the student population for junk food and they tend to be the most willing consumers for the same. The initial investment in the idea isn’t much. The timings of the outlet are very lucrative and so is the location of the chain a very ideal one. Weaknesses: In weaknesses it is checked which attributes of the company will be harmful in achieving the objectives. The outlet faces stiff competition from other more established outlets. The sales continue to suffer and the promotional strategy is weak at best. Opportunities: What opportunities will work in favor of the desired objectives? There are various opportunities that can capitalized on by the firm. Firstly, it needs to come up with a more aggressive promotional strategy and reach out to all students. Capitalize on social media, come up with flyers, posters, ad games and various other ways to promote and attract customers. Secondly, negotiation with the suppliers to bring

Machiavellis Premise Essay Example for Free

Machiavellis Premise Essay 1. Do you agree with Machiavellis premise that if given the choice between the two, the prince is better served by being feared than loved? How does Machiavelli make the case for his position (details, modes)? Are his arguments convincing? If you took the self-analysis on high-Mach or low-Mach, what were the results, and were you surprised by your score? 2. What is the thesis of Neil Postmans forward? Do you agree or disagree with his point of view? Provide support for your position. 1- The prince is better feared than loved, although striking a balance between the two would be best. As Machiavelli stated that the prince should do his utmost to escape hatred and too much fear would create hatred. The prince should try to balance love and fear based on his people and the situation at hand. 2- Both authors have different point of views; Orwell’s view is that we will be deprived of things by externally imposed oppression and by inflicting pain while Huxley’s view is that we will be distracted from our real goals with lust and pleasure. I agree to some extent on both points of views, except for the part that states that what we hate will ruin us. If you hate something that is bad then I don’t see anything wrong with it; I don’t think it can ruin us in any way. On the other hand I agree that lust and desire only lead to greed and other sins which corrupt us. Would time traveling be cool? Time travelling would not be cool. In fact many scientists have done a lot of research on black holes and time warps. Einstein did work on it as well as Stephen Sawking to no avail. Actually Stephen changed his theory on the black holes losing and retaining information twice. If time traveling was possible we would be open to endless opportunities and nothing would be a challenge. Life would be stale without surprises, discoveries and evolution.

The Controversies in Juvenile Justice Essay Example for Free

The Controversies in Juvenile Justice Essay Each year, thousands of adolescents in the United States have been tried and sentenced to life in prison without parole, a punishment that has many of its own controversies. Debates are held on whether or not these kids should be tried and sentenced in the same way that adults are tried and sentenced. Many justices say that since children are emotionally, physically and mentally different than adults, they should never be tried in the same way that adults are. Other justices argue that if these children are capable of committing murder, they are also capable of undergoing the same punishment that an adult would undergo. However, the Supreme Court has ruled that sentencing juveniles to life in prison without parole is unconstitutional because it violates the ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Adolescents deserve to be tried differently simply because of the fact that they are not adults, and the legal system shouldn’t treat them as such. Furthermore, juveniles should not be sentenced to life in prison without parole because they have not yet reached their full maturity, they are capable of rehabilitation, and if they were sentenced as adults, they should be given the same privileges as adults in the first place. Adolescence is defined as a transitional period in human development and maturity. This is a time where teenagers are rapidly undergoing change, specifically in the brain. Paul Thompson, a writer for The Sacramento Bee, includes in one of his articles that there is a â€Å"massive loss of brain tissue that occurs in the teenage years.† This explains why teenagers often act with impulsive and erratic behavior. This brain tissue is gray matter, which aids in regulating self-control and impulses, and it is being purged at fast rates. Thompson goes on to say, â€Å"These Nailling 2  frontal lobes, which inhibit our violent passions, rash actions, and regulate our emotions, are vastly immature throughout the teenage years.† There are obviously huge differences in the maturity levels of an adolescent and an  adult; therefore it is unfair to sentence an immature adolescent to life in prison without parole because he or she will never be able to reach that maturity level that adults are already at. Regardless of this type of tissue loss and brain developm ent in general, teens should still be held accountable for the crimes they commit, just not to the same extent or in the same way that adults are. Rehabilitation is perhaps the most hopeful form of change that a juvenile could be granted. Because of the fact that they are so young, it is fair to say that all adolescents have the capacity of changing their bad habits and their lifestyles. Gail Garinger, a juvenile court judge and the state of Massachusetts’ child advocate, writes in the New York Times that children are â€Å"promising candidates for rehabilitation.† As a child, to be sentenced to life in prison without parole is equivalent to taking away any form of hope for them to change, which most of them are capable of if they could all just be given a chance. Garinger also states that adolescents’ â€Å"characters are still in formation.† She means that because of this formation that is taking place in the teenage years, this is the best time for them to be offered a chance to rehabilitate themselves before it is too late and they are locked up in prison for their entire life. It is one thing to sentence an adult to life without parole, but to give that same verdict to a child is simply unjust. Many juveniles across the country are unfairly being tried as adults. These kids, who clearly have not yet reached adulthood, have not experienced any type of freedom that grown-ups have, are being condemned and sentenced to a life in prison without parole. Marjie Lundstrom, a columnist for The Sacramento Bee, covers the controversial topic of juveniles who are convicted as adults in their court cases. She implies that it is unfair for a child to be tried as Nailling 3  an adult and to be held by the same standards as an adult would be in court. In one of her articles, she points out how kids â€Å"can’t smoke, or drink, or go to R movies†¦can’t vote, have curfews†¦Ã¢â‚¬  yet, many of these kids, who all have these restrictions, are being treated like they are adults who have none of these restrictions. What’s the point of having a juvenile system in the first place if kids are going to be punished the same exact way as adults are? Lundstrom says, â€Å"Kids are different. Their reasoning is not  fully developed. They are not adults.† It cannot be made any clearer than that, the fact that they are only kids, and they have the right to be treated differently than adults. There is a huge gap between the age of seventeen and eighteen. Between a child and an adult. Between immaturity and maturity. This gap is a disparity that the juvenile system is entitled to recognize. It is crucial to understand that juveniles should not be tried as adults and sentenced to life in prison without parole because these adolescents haven’t yet reached their full maturity, because they are capable of rehabilitation, and because it is unjust to be tried as an adult but not be allowed the same legal privileges that all adults have. Works Cited Thompson, Paul. Startling Finds on Teenage Brains. The Sacramento Bee 25 May 2001: n. pag. Print. Garinger, Gail. Juveniles Dont Deserve Life Sentences. The New York Times 14 Mar. 2012: n. pag. Print. Lundstrom, Marjie. Kids Are Kids Until They Commit Crimes. The Sacramento Bee 1 Mar. 2001: n. pag. Print.

The Society Of Jesus The Jesuits Religion Essay

The Society Of Jesus The Jesuits Religion Essay The Society of Jesus is unlike any other Catholic order in existence. From the day of its inception in the basement of a Paris church of Saint Denis till today the Jesuits have always been more progressive than the rest of the Catholic Church. The Jesuits were created by an ex-soldier and nobleman by the name Ignatius of Loyola. They went out into the world and worked hands on with the communities that they were helping. The Jesuits spread out through the world building schools, hospitals and instilled a sense of solidarity in millions over the years. At any given point in history they were considered either the most valuable order of the Catholic Church or its scourge. They pledged an oath to the Pope and yet they question many of the Catholic Doctrines. The Jesuits are a very flexible, progressive order in a theocracy known for its resistance to change and a strict set of rules. Since their beginning the Jesuits have seemed to always be involved in some controversy with the Church. St. Ignatius was born Inigo Lopez de Loyola in 1491 and was the youngest son of a Spanish nobleman in the Basque country. In 1509 he entered the military and fought for twelve years without ever being seriously injured, until the Battle of Pamploma. At the Battle of Pamploma in 1521 while defending the Spanish border from the French he was hit by a cannonball that shattered his right leg. This injury ended his prosperous military career and even though he did not yet know it, started what would become a legacy lasting half a century. After Ignatius injury he returned to his fathers castle and underwent multiple surgeries in an effort to regain the use of his leg. While recuperating he came across a book entitled De Vita Christi written by Ludolph Saxony that chronicled and commented on the life of Jesus Christ. The message Ignatius discerned from these books altered his entire way of life. He also began to see visions that he could not accurately describe except for a sense of calm and peace that accompanied them. After he had fully recovered Ignatius began a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When he returned to Spain he chose to abandon his life of privilege and live in poverty, doing works of charity, fasting and learning Latin. He began to preach the gospels to groups of men and women. Large crowds would gather entranced by his oratory. Gradually he began to attract the attention of the Spanish Inquisition and was imprisoned twice, presumably because he was seen as a possible threat to the papacy. After a period of tim e living on the streets and searching for his spirituality he had an epiphany, or a mystical experience that began his spiritual journey. This understanding led him to the University of Paris and his future. In 1534 Ignatius entered the University of Paris to continue his education. While attending the University he met six men whom all became as close as brothers. After the seven men had completed their studies they all took a vow of chastity and poverty and began working in hospitals and teaching religion. Eventually Ignatius and two friends went to Rome and placed themselves at the disposal of the Pope. In 1539 Ignatius asked his old companions from the University to meet him in Rome. They presented themselves to the Pope and petitioned to form the new order The Society of Jesus. In 1540 Pope Paul III officially gave permission to form the new order. Ignatius was then elected as the first Superior General 1541 and served until his death fifteen years later in 1556. Ignatius military past and new spirituality establishes the structure and rules of The Society of Jesus, setting them apart from the rest of the Catholic Church. Since the day Ignatius and his friends took their vows the Jesuits were already different from the other orders within the church. They took the same first three vows as all other Catholic priests; poverty, chastity and obedience. However they also took a vow of obedience to the Pope himself. A very important difference that visibly sets Jesuits apart from other priests is that they are not required to where a habit. This allows them to move more freely through foreign lands and to assimilate with the native people. Also they were not required to congregate in order to hold prayer which allows more individuality than other orders. A Jesuit can pray anywhere they wish so long as God is in their heart. These seemingly insignificant differences are what allow the Jesuits to move relatively free throughout the World. Having this un-fettered rein of what they can do and when is what permits them to tangibly help the people in their communities and missions. The Jesuits began spreading out all over the globe, wherever the Pope sent them they went, and because of the different approach the Jesuits took towards their missions they were able to succeed where others had failed. For example, China had a long history of attempted conversion by various Christian religions. Because of this, China closed its boarders to foreigners. In 1583 the Jesuit priest, Father Matteo Ricci, was able to gain a foothold in the Chinese Empire. Ricci accomplished this by adapting to Chinese customs, learning the language and dressing like a Chinese literati which was an educated native in China. Through academics Ricci was able to gain trust, respect and eventually was became a consultant to the Emperor. Ricci and the other Jesuits that came later were valued for their extensive knowledge of Western science, which at the time China was severely lacking. Relationships between the Jesuits and the Chinese were strained at times but a lot of that tension stemmed fro m the Popes rigid stance on the old Chinese customs and refusal to modify Catholic Doctrine. The Jesuits had begun to spread all over the World. In 1859 the second attempt at entering Indonesia succeeded with the work of Francis Van Lith S.J. He followed the same path that Ricci had set forth three centuries before. He adopted the culture, helped build schools, churches and medical centers. Lith was able to do this because had the foresight to reach out to the village leaders and teach them first. Once he baptized the four village leaders the rest of the villagers slowly followed, Lith also was shrewd enough to not try and destroy the customs of the converts. Not all efforts by the Jesuits succeeded however. Initially they had huge success and were able to convert three hundred thousand Japanese. However the Japanese government saw the influx of Western ideas as a threat and effectively exterminated the Jesuits efforts. On the other side of the World the Jesuits were fighting a different battle in Latin America. The Jesuits had built missions all over Latin America, which many European colonial powers felt threatened by their presence. They were not worried about the Jesuits themselves, they were worried that the indigenous people would be protected and therefore not available for slavery. Europe was correct in their fears. The Jesuits began converting the natives and building cities to keep them safe from slavery. Two of these cities are Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro which are now flourishing as major metropolitans. In todays world the Jesuits are still just as active as they were during colonialism times, their goals have shifted but they retain the Ignatian values and ideals. Currently there are nineteen thousand Jesuits worldwide making them the largest male order in the world. The Society of Jesus has become something like a bureaucracy with multiple levels of leadership, and an internal system of rules similar to our judicial system. The Society of Jesus has spread across the entire globe boasting a Jesuit presence in almost every country. There is one Superior General who is in charge of appointing a Jesuit to govern each of the 91 geographical regions which are referred to as Provinces. The Jesuit in charge of a Province is called a Father Superior. The Father Superior in turn appoints a Jesuit to preside over one of the ten assistances that each Province is split into. The current Superior General is Father Adolfo Nicolas S.J.; he was elected in 2008. Since St. Ignatius started the Jesuits one of his fundamental goals was education. The first Jesuit school was built in Italy in 1548. They have continued their mission of education and there are now three thousand seven hundred and thirty Jesuit schools. There are over four thousand Jesuits and one hundred twenty five thousand Lay persons working in an educational capacity. Not only are Jesuit institutions located all over the World but they are highly regarded as some of the best educational institutions as well. In India for example there are dozens of educational institutions and they are regarded as the best schools in the country. Japan has one of the top Jesuit Universities worldwide. These educators are helping to shape the minds of over two and a half million students. Not only do these schools teach the standard subjects, they also teach solidarity, social justice and how to be Men and women for others. Building schools and educating people is one aspect of the Jesuits goal of building solidarity and social awareness they have created a number of different organizations to combat the injustices occurring around the world. The African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN) works in AIDS ravaged areas of Africa and has been doing so since 2002. The Jesuits are helping in all kinds of facets on the ground level. They are organizing communities and creating solidarity and understanding of the epidemic and compassion for those afflicted with AIDS, helping the older child families that have lost both parents to AIDS. AJAN is working with the orphanages full of children, who have lost their families to the virus, and educating communities in the prevention of AIDs. In addition, an important part of the education process in Africa is helping to dispel the stigma attached to a person infected with HIV/AIDS. As always, the Jesuits try to keep with the traditional Ignatian ideals of respecting the culture s, customs and beliefs of the native people they are there to help. The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is another social justice organization that is working towards a world of solidarity and understanding. The mission of the JRS is to give a voice to displaced persons who have been removed from their homes. Some of the main issues they focus on are; improving the detention stations at the border, many atrocities occur in these refugee holding areas and the refugees are basically turned into prisoners. They are also a big advocate for the rights of refugee women. Many of whom are the victims of abuse and are being exploited, either in the refugee camps or by men taking advantage of a person who has just lost everything. This is a very noble part of their mission, unfortunately a necessary one. Keeping with the Jesuit mentality JRS is working to educate refugees. Not just with standard reading and writing but also how to acclimate to their new environment. The JRS has been actively involved in Haiti since 1990 and were one of the first groups to respond after the earthquake. They were instrumental in securing clean drinking water and providing temporary shelter immediately after the disaster. Typical of the Jesuits, they see that the physical needs of individuals must be helped before the religious education can begin. The Jesuit Conferences Secretariat for Social and International Ministry (JSIM) seems to be a monitoring system for the other social justice organizations under the Jesuits. Not just monitoring however because the Jesuits have always encouraged open dialogue between groups and the JSIM facilitates that. They also allow a forum for people in the community to talk about the Jesuit work that is being done in their area. JSIM works with all different types of community outreach programs that focus on solidarity for all. Some of the groups they work with include Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Ignatian Solidarity Network, the JRS and many more. They are also trying to raise the publics awareness on important social justice issues throughout the world. There are four main focal points right now. One is Africa with its AIDS pandemic and the constant state of warfare on the continent. Another is domestic poverty; they are trying to raise the minimum wage to a livable wage. Third is migration reform in which they are working very closely with the JRS. Lastly JSIM is calling for a peaceful end to the violence in Colombia and Iraq. They believe that through education and understanding that peace can be reached instead of through the use of force and violence They are also calling for an end to all forms of torture; it is cruel, inhumane and dehumanizing and has no place in modern society. JSIM is the Jesuits voice in congress. The Jesuits are a very wealthy and therefore a powerful order of the Catholic Church and because of this they can sometimes persuade the government. As they did in 1989 after the Jesuits in El Salvador were murdered. The U.S. government was trying to protect the El. Salvadorian Government, yet the Jesuits had enough political clout to force the U.S. to investigate and eventually convict some of the people responsible for the death of their Jesuit brothers. The Jesuit order has had a long history of controversy and debate with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. The leaders of the Vatican have been calling for a return to the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church. Consecration to service to Christ cannot be separated from consecration to service to the Church. Ignatius and his first companions considered it thus when they wrote the formula of your Institute in which the essence of your charisma is spelled out: To serve the Lord and his Spouse the Church under the Roman Pontiff. It is with sorrow and anxiety that I see that the sentire cum ecclesia of which your founder frequently spoke is diminishing even in some members of religious families. The Church is waiting for a light from you to restore the sensus Ecclesiae.- Cardinal Franc Rode, 35th General Congregation of the Jesuits, Jan 8, 2008 Over time the Jesuits have become increasingly progressive and liberal which is where the disagreements and controversy originate. One of the major points of contention is currently the Churchs traditional teachings about Humanae Vitae which is Latin for Of Human Life. The church prohibits the use of any device that prohibits the transfer of human life, namely any form of contraceptive. Always looking at the issues from an academic standpoint the Jesuits contend that because of the AIDS epidemic condoms should be allowed to be used, not as contraception but as a preventative medical necessity to combat HIV/AIDS. Conservative Catholics have been critical for decades about the liberal atmosphere of Jesuit educational institutions. They feel that the Jesuits have moved to far from the ideals of the Catholic Church and are teaching ideas contrary to the strict doctrine of the Church. The controversy probably stems from the progressive nature of the Jesuits and their beliefs of acceptance and open mindedness. The Jesuits have always been an adaptable order adjusting to whatever situation they are sent into, whether it is an AIDS ravaged region of Africa, poverty and earthquake decimated Haiti or the new times we are entering with sexual liberation. The Jesuits recognize that changing times necessitate changes in the strict laws of the Vatican regarding homosexuality and contraception. Once again the Jesuits take a stance on the issue that doesnt directly conflict with that of the Vatican but does call for some changes. While they agree with the Vatican that the sanctity of marriage should be pres erved, they believe that just because a person is homosexual does not make them a sinner and that they should be allowed to receive Communion. The Jesuits are known for their shrewd tactics at addressing sensitive issues in the Church but at the same time they do hold firm to their progressive beliefs. We no longer exist to pat the conservative Christian on the back.- Un-named Jesuit, Time Magazine, Mon Apr. 23, 1973 I firmly believe that the actions and philosophies of peace and solidarity as practiced by the Jesuits in the past as wells today are essential to the survival of the Catholic Church. The Jesuits are the face for the church with respect to social justice; they desire to help every type of person from the AIDS victim to the refugee. It does seem that they may be spread a little thin due to the extensive nature of their work. While their charitable activities and their schools are commendable. However, the resources of the Jesuits like other Catholic organizations may be diminishing partly due to the multitude of different projects they are participating and the increasing needs of the helpless. This lack of resources could result in a failure of the Jesuit goals allowing the very individuals that they are trying to help to slip through the cracks. I believe that focusing on select and high impact issues may be more effective than being involved in a multitude of causes. Unfortunately this problem does not have a simple solution, how would the Jesuits decide who they will help and who they wont when one of their mottos is to be men and women for others not men and women for a select few. The Jesuits could possibly be more effective by redistributing the number of Jesuits across the globe and among the selected activities they sponsor. Sixty percent of Jesuits worldwide are located in just a few regions, namely the United States, Europe and South East Asia. The focus in the United States and in Europe is the area of education. This seems to be a problem because areas that are in desperate need of assistance are Africa and Latin America. These under-served areas only receive less than eight percent of Jesuit manpower. When the Society of Jesus was founded its mission was to go out to the far reaches of the world to help people and spread the word of God. Today the majority of Jesuits are located in the select areas doing tremendous good; yet the noble goals of St. Ignatius may no longer be attainable without additional resources and vocations. While the Jesuits continue to do immense amounts of humanitarian works and fight for social change, equality and understanding they will always be hindered by the conservative Catholic Church. The Catholic Church does not change quickly, a bureaucracy never does. The Jesuits on the other hand have the ability to change with the times primarily because of the academic element they are able to look at issues with a more worldly and open minded view. While the Jesuits strive for change and progression the Vatican seems to desire stagnation in Catholic doctrine. This rigidity of the Vatican is in part what is causing the decline of the Catholic Church and the Jesuits see this. They have been calling for changes in the Vatican for years to help the dwindling number of Catholics such as; allowing priests to wed and for women to enter into some form of priesthood. The Jesuits are trying to move forward with the times and to connect with the new generation that has become increasingly jaded towards Catholicism. I believe that in order for the Jesuits to become an even more effective instrument for Social Justice it is necessary to distance themselves from Vatican Law.

Perspectives on the Book of Job Essay -- The Book of Job Essays

  Ã‚      The Book of Job is one of the three books in the Hebrew bible whose genre is described as wisdom literature.1   Certainly the Book of Job satisfies the literary conventions that qualify a biblical book for such status. 2   Yet Job may be associated with wisdom in a much more literal sense.   The Book of Job attempts to deal with a problematic question that confronts suffering humanity: why do bad things happen to good people?   The variety and vehemence of commentators' contemporary responses to this chapter of the Bible is testament to the continued relevance of the Book of Job's wisdom thousands of years after it was written.   Although the commentators examined herein arrive at differing and sometimes conflicting conclusions after reading the story of "the holy Arab"3, none are left indifferent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first commentator under consideration is Martin Buber in an excerpt from his Darko shel miqra'4.   Buber draws an apt parallel between the Book of Job and the proceedings in a court of law, casting God as judge and Job as prosecution.   In Buber's legal parallel, Job demands what in an earthly court of law would amount to due process, or a fair trial.   And yet, even as Buber confers the legitimacy of a court of law on Job's complaints, Buber suggests that Job knew his appeal was "suppressed from the start."5   Buber cites Job: "Though I am right, my mouth will condemn me!"6   By highlighting the justness of Job's claims and the non-existent chance of a divine finding in Job's favour, Buber stresses how human justice and divine justice diverge.   This difference is highlighted further by discussion of how Job is made to suffer hinnam, or gratuitously, from both God and Job's perspective.7   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rather than condem... ...sterton, G. K..   "Introduction to The Book of Job."   The Hebrew Bible In Literary Criticism.   Ed. and Comp. Alex Preminger and Edward L. Greenstein.   New York: Ungar, 1986.   449-50. Frick, Frank S..   A Journey Through The Hewbrew Scriptures.   New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1995. Hey, Tony and Patrick Walters.   Einstein's Mirror.   Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Jung, C. G..   Answer to Job. The Hebrew Bible In Literary Criticism.   Ed. and Comp. Alex Preminger and Edward L. Greenstein.   New York: Ungar, 1986.   454-5. Kroll, Paul. â€Å"The Trial of Job†. Grace Communion: International. Grace Communion International, 2013. 26 February 2015. Renà © de Chateaubriand, Franà §ois.   The Beauties of Christianity.   The Hebrew Bible In Literary Criticism.   Ed. and Comp. Alex Preminger and Edward L. Greenstein.   New York: Ungar, 1986.   445.

Jurassic Park :: Essays Papers

Jurrasic Park 2 Jurassic Park Jurassic Park takes place on an Island off the Coast of Costa Rica which is owned by a multimillionaire, John Hammond. On this island he has set up a genetical engineering facility which permits him and his scientist to create dinosaur from blood extracted from prehistoric mosquitos, that have been preserved in amber. Before he opens this living attraction to the public he needs specialist to approve the park. He brings them to the island and begins to show them what he has accomplished. While they are touring the island one of the computer programmers, Dennis Nedry, is secretly planning to steal dinosaur embryos from the park and sell them to a company that is trying to compete with Hammond. The only way Nedry can obtain these embryos is to immobilize the park by interrupting the parks normal function, so that he could sneak in and steal the embryos. This all takes place while the visitors are out in the park touring, and in the mist of a terrible storm. After Nedry has executed a virus in order to steal the embryos the storm hits, and the park power goes out. As the power goes out the visitors to the island are stuck in the middle of nowhere, with an escaped T-Rex. Everyone flees and is scattered through the park. The animals begin attacking the control building, while they are search for food. Since all the power is out there is no way to stop them, or containing them. In the hysteria a scientist , Wu, discovers that the dinosaurs have been mating, which they thought wasn't possible, because they were only cloning females, but the dinosaurs have adapted and have found a way to reproduce. They think they got the power back on so they try to put all the animals back in their holding areas. Little did they know that the whole time the park was running on auxiliary power, and once this power ran out they could not restore the main power. When all the power finally ran out the animals began attacking at full force now. Their only alternative to get the power restored is to have someone manually turn on another auxiliary power generator so they could get the main power running again. The visitors and the staff of Jurassic Park escape but with two casualties. They escape by having a helicopter pick them up.

The Pressure To Be Perfect Essay -- essays research papers

The Pressure to be Perfect In today's competitive society, a person strives for perfection, due to the fact that so much emphasis is placed on one's outer appearance. No matter who we are or where we live, society puts this pressure upon us. We are typically faced with this pressure by models on television and in magazines. Companies seem to have targeted women more so than men. They usually use women with good looks and nice figures to advertise and market their product. When companies use these women in advertisements, it is setting a standard that other women feel that they need to follow. What has happened to internal beauty? Society puts so much importance on external beauty that people have forgotten about an individual having beauty within. The sayings â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder† and â€Å"beauty is only skin deep† come to mind when I think about just how much emphasis is placed on outer appearance. A major factor that has increased the percentage of overweight people in society is technology. This includes items such as elevators, escalators, garage-door openers, drive-in windows, and the remote control. It use to be that you would at least burn some calories by having to get up and turn the channel on the television, but thanks to technology it is now a push of a button. Just think, things have the possibility to grow increasingly worse because of the 'information super highway'. There is no need to get out and walk the malls in search of a particular item...

John Smith and William Bradford

John Smith and William Bradford were both great early explorers. Smith and Bradford had both many similarities and differences when it came to such topics as Leadership, Interaction with Native Americans, and Success in Arrival. John Smith was an explorer from the Virginia Company. He was always known as a good leader but he had one flaw. His sarcastic attitude was always getting him in trouble. It almost got him killed when he was captured by the Powhatan tribe. The only thing that saved him from execution was Pocohontas, the chiefs daughter.Smith was scheduled to arrive in Virginia because everyone on his charter were to work there as endentured servants. But Smith never ended up landing in Virginia, his charter ended up landing in Plymouth MA. William Bradford was an Explorer aboard the Mayflower and also had a lot to do with the Mayflower compact. Thankfully, Bradford never really had any problems with the native americans. He actually made peace with a Native American by the nam e of Squanto. While aboard the Mayflower, Bradford experienced a very tough journey. The ship was over crowded, they experienced bad weather, there was much disease, and a lack of necessary supplies.Once they finally made it to America though it was well worth it. Their primary reason for leaving was to escape their tyrannical King. Now that they were in a new country they weren't forced to worship him anymore. In conclusion, Smith and Bradford had both many similarities and differences when it came to such topics as Leadership, Interaction with Native Americans, and Success in Arrival. They were some of the first to colonize what the U. S. is today and they had an incredible impact on American Literature with the documents and journals that they left behind.

East Asia Essay

China is considered one of the largest countries in term of land area. This fact causes China to be the most populated nation in the world with over 1. 29 billion of people. Chinese is know for its great civilization and in fact had led the world in the development and progress of the society and economy quite a short time. The Chinese people had also experienced afflictions and sufferings from foreign assaults and chaos within China for a century before the People’s Republic was founded. After the chaos, China had started the national reconstruction and made remarkable development in the first twenty years of economical and social reform. For decades, Chinese was dreaming of Modernization and eventually this dream will suddenly be materialized with the help of Deng Xiaoping who serve as the architect of China’s reform. A three-step strategy was established which includes the doubling of GDP of 1980, quadrupling the GDP by the end of 20th century and finally the realization of modernization for another 30 to 50 years. Since the implementation of the strategic plan, China got a rapid progress. From 1978 to 1998, the rate of economic growth of China averaged to 9. 7 %. Gradually, China has gained its power to become the next super power. In fact, during 2000, China’s GDP leveled up by 8 % which is amazingly exceeded $ 1 trillion US and became a record in the history. The first objective in the modernization plan was achieved in 1987. It was three years ahead of time. In 1995, the second objective was reached which is 5 years earlier. China really made a great leap in terms of economic status. The GDP of China in 1998 is 6. 38 times during 1980. China has continuously moving in the top. According to World Bank, China ranked 6 in with respect to economical level and the trend says that it is expected to be in the 4th place before 2006 ends. In addition to this, China’s annual steel output has increased 700 times in the period of 50 years only which places China in the top when it comes to steel production. China also leads the coal, cement, and cotton and television industry. China’s modernization and great leap have a great significance and contribution not only in China but also in the world. China’s progress is a great help in maintaining global stability. Imagine if China is poverty-stricken and disordered then it would likely to be a disaster to the world. A progressive nation just like China provides a largest market in the world. Also, Chinese people love peace and China has proven how they campaign for world peace. As a permanent member of the United Nations, China is always exhibit fairness, stands for rules and laws and strongly against aggression and dominion. If China became Super Power then it will be big help in promoting world peace and stability. China has reached this kind of development through hard works and discipline. Hopefully this must serve as a good example for other nations which are suffering from economic failure and instability. Once a poor country just like China bounces back and suddenly made it great leap in the world. It seemed that those countries in East Asia have become our leaders. Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China all belong to East Asia are very progressive countries. Just like China, they once experienced chaos but eventually recoiled from this fall and stood firmly to prove that they can rule the world. China, although experienced a defeat and failure in the past, did not stop to pursue their dream; to become economically and socially stable and progressive. With the correct attitude and perception in life, China has gradually reaching their goal. Yes, China is now on the road of becoming the Super Power and we all hope that this would bring prosperity to other nations in the world.

Nora’s Individualism

Nora's Individualism Women in the 19th century live in the shadows of men. They don't have occupations. Their gender role was to cook, clean, shop for the household, and to care for the children. They were expected to find a suitor; this man would take care of the family financially. Women were submissive to their husbands back then. They didn't stand up for their rights or voice their opinions. Women catered to their husbands. Nora is submissive to Torvalds's needs. The play is about Nora's behavior to her husband. She submits to him and is a mother to their children.She is unhappy as a caretaker. She over enthusiastic personality throughout the play seems forced. She feels she has no purpose in life, being a mother or housewife isn't fulfilling her needs. She lacks being a mother the nannies constantly look after the children. She is searching for her true self subconsciously in the beginning of the play. Due to her upbringing, Nora has been raised to live under a man, to be submis sive to them. Nora doesn't know any other way than being an oppressed woman. The way Nora grew up influences her behavior now as an adult.She grew up wealthy, her father took care of her, and then she married Helmer at any early age. Nora says to Torvald † When I lived at home with Papa, he gave me his opinion about everything, she had the same opinions and if I didn't I keep my mouth shut he wouldn't have liked it. And then I came to live in your house. I was Just passed from Papa's hands to yours. You arranged everything according to your own taste, and I choose the same tastes as you. Or else I pretended to† (Ibsen 1167). Nora was raised by her father to live under a man.She transitioned from living with her father and now to her husband, Torvald. Through this realization she isn't content with her well-being. Nora appears to be happy on the outside, she is not deep inside. Her personality is over exaggerated to all. It's apparent that it is ungenuine. She is quite gi ddy about small things, such as showing Torvald the items she bought. Nora says, â€Å"But come here and let me show you what I bought. And all so cheap! Look a new suit for Ivar, and a sword, a horse and a trumpet for Bob, and a doll and a doll's bed for Emily' (Ibsen 1122).She doesn't ave anything exciting going on in her life, she has to focus on something no matter how minute it is. The only excitement she has is hiding the secret from Torvald. Which isn't excitement at all, she fears he will find out about it. That's why Nora keeps up her charade of shopping for her children and the household. That's what she use to do before borrowing the money. This loan has given her purpose; she has to find ways to pay it back. She has done side Jobs and started being more frugal about her money she gets from her husband. Through this experience she realizes she is nhappy in her marriage.Her husband's expectations of her are too high with a lack of love and care for one another on an intim ate level. She has to live up to her husband's standards of being a trophy wife. Nora is not satisfied with knowing that Torvald Just cares about the outward appearance ot ner and the tamily, and not the love they should share with each other. Torvald wants to have the appearance to others they are well put together. He focuses on small things like Nora dancing the Tarantella. It must be perfection in his eyes, he wouldn't settle for anything less.He makes her practice it numerous times and gets quickly frustrated with her when she doesn't perform the moves correctly. He should focus on her feelings, not worrying about his wife's outward appearance. Torvalds's narcissism makes it difficult for Nora to be happy in their marriage. She likes materialistic things but cares about her marriage more. She forged her signature on a formal document for a loan to travel to Italy to save her husband's life when he was ill. She shows her love to him by getting this loan in secret and by taking c are of their children.What has Torvald done lovingly for Nora? That is the issue; he hasn't done anything loving or romantic for her. Women need their love shown by spending quality time together, not by getting money to buy gifts. Torvald see's providing for his wife as sustainable to keep their relationship going. Women like to hear that men love them and to be shown that they are loved through actions. Nora is unhappy with Torvalds's behavior. Their marriage is for show and spurious in Nora's perspective, she is unhappy. She feels there is no substance or closeness there.They don't share intimate details with one another. Torvald is always concerned about work, while Nora is looking after the children or preparing for an event they will attend in the near future. Torvald isn't aware of Nora's unhappiness in the most of the play because Nora masks her feelings. She expresses herself when she can't hold her feelings in about their lack of a marriage anymore. Nora realizes that noth ing is going to change in her life and she won't settle for less. Nora has gone on for eight years doing what Torvald expects of her. She is willing to makes a change for her happiness.Nora begins to tell Torvald that their relationship lacks a good solid foundation based on trust and concern for one another mutually. Nora says you have never understood me. IVe been treated badly, first by Papa and now by you (Ibsen 1167). She has a husband who she hardly knows and won't accept it. She no longer has the interest in being a wife or a mother. She decides to leave it all to figure herself out. Nora tells Torvald, Duties to myself. I believe that first and foremost I'm a human being, Just as you are, or at least I have to try to become one.I can't be satisfied with what most people say or with what's in books. I have to think things through for myself and come to understand them (Ibsen 1168). Nora has decided to leave her old life to discover a new one. She is willing to sacrifice her c hildren for her happiness. What is more realistic? For a woman to have children and be in an unhappy marriage or abandon her children and pursue her desires? Nora pursues herself she no longer has interest in taking care of others. Nora leaving her husband in the 1800's is unheard of. Women didn't venture from their roles as a wife and a mother.Ibsen's play got negative attention, being that his main character did the unthinkable at the end of the play; leave her family for her goals. The play leads the audience to believe she doesn't need her husband anymore. That she is strong and will discover her needs and aspirations. Nora has gone through a transformation of being an oppressed women to now caring about herself. She has had to make a drastic change to start a new Journey to meet her new goals. I'm proud of Nora for standing up for herself. She went against the grain of all women and explor ed her dreams.