The Committee System in Congress - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 554 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/09/25 Category Business Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? The modern committee structure stems from the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, the first and most ambitious restructuring of the standing committee system since the committee system was first developed. A congressional committee is a legislative sub-organization in the United States Congress that handles a specific duty. Congress divides its legislative, oversight, and internal administrative tasks among approximately 200 committees and subcommittees. Specifically, there are 20 committees, 68 subcommittees, and 4 joint committees. Although the Senate committee system is similar to that of the House of Representatives, it has its own guidelines, within which each committee adopts its own rules. This creates considerable variation among the panels. This report provides a brief overview of the organization and operations of House and Senate committees. Although Congress has used committees since its first meetings in 1789, the 1946 legislative Reorganization Act set th e foundation of today’s committee system. The house and Senate each have their own committees and related rules of procedure, which are similar but not identical. Within the guidelines of chamber rules, each committee adopts its own rules addressing, organizational, structural, and procedural issues; thus, even within a chamber, there is considerable variation among panels. Within their respective areas of responsibility, committee generally operate rather independently of each other ad of their parent chambers. The difficult task of aggregating committees’ activities, and of integrating policy in areas where jurisdiction is shared, falls largely to the chamber’s party leadership. Congress has three types of committee; select, standing, and joint committee. A select committee is established because the existing standing committee system does not address and issue comprehensively, or because a particular even sparks interest in an investigation. A select co mmittee is maybe permanent or temporary. Special committees tend to be similar in constitution and function and that distinction from select committees is generally thought to be only semantic. Standing committees are permanent panels identified in chamber rules. The rules also list the jurisdiction of each committee. Because they have legislative jurisdiction, standing committees consider bills and issues and recommend measures for consideration by the respective chambers. They also have oversight responsibility to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions, and in some cases in areas that cut across committee jurisdictions. Most standing committees recommend authorized levels of funds for government operations and for new and existing programs within their jurisdiction. Standing committees also have jurisdiction over appropriations (in the case of the Appropriations committees), taxation (in the case of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance C ommittees), Carious other revenues such as user fees, and direct spending such as Social security, veterans’ pensions, and some farm support programs Select committees usually are establish by a consider measures. Joint committees are made up of Members of both chambers. Today, they usually are permanent panels that conduct studies or perform housekeeping tasks rather that consider measures. A conference committee is a temporary joint committee formed to resolve differences in senate and House passed versions of a particular measure. The roster of each committee is officially approved by a full vote of its house. However those decisions (including who will serve as chair of each committee) are actually made by the party leadership. Considerations in making the assignments include each members areas of expertise, the interests of their constituents, and seniority. Political favors also often come into play in committee assignments. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Committee System in Congress" essay for you Create order

Police Corruption Time to Get Rid of Crooked Cops Essay

â€Å"Police throughout the United States have been caught fabricating, planting, and manipulating evidence to obtain convictions where cases would otherwise be very weak. Some authorities regard police perjury as so rampant that it can be considered a subcultural norm rather than an individual aberration of police officers. Large-scale investigations of police units in almost every major American city have documented massive evidence of tampering, abuse of the arresting power, and discriminatory enforcement of laws. There also appears to be widespread police perjury in the preparation of reports because police know these reports will be used in plea bargaining. Officers often justify false and embellished reports on the grounds that it metes†¦show more content†¦Protection of illegal activity is when a drug dealer or someone running a brothel house will pay the officer off so they can keep there illegal business running and to protect them from other law enforcement. Oppor tunistic theft is yet another typical crooked act many police officers execute everyday. This is when police officers steal from arrestees, victims of crimes, or dead bodies. Furthermore, it is very rare to hear about police corruption. This is because most police departments want to keep known police corruption in-house since these acts are displaying a disservice to the community they are suppose to serve and protect. Additionally, the main aspect of police corruption that makes it difficult to solve and stop is the Blue Code of Silence. The code is an unwritten law or rule that pronounces if a police officer witnesses a fellow police officer preforming a corrupt act he will not report him and keep his mouth shut. Most police departments have an us-against the world mentality, which means if a officer reports another officer he is going against the whole departments. Whistleblowing or reporting misconduct is looked down upon and often times these police officers get suspended and mistreated from their colleagues. The forms of police corruption, relevance, and the Blue Code of Silence are major features that make police corruption into what it is today. A simple solution has been supported andShow MoreRelatedReligious Communities and The Consumption of Alcohol1338 Words   |  6 Pagesthe law and began to brew their own alcoholic beverages at home. This led to homemade alcohol becoming common even though highly illegal. However; small time homemade distilleries were not threatened by the cops as they were by the new form of authority. Organized crime industries began to control entire cities. They ran everything from the cops to the citizens. They monopolized the illegal substance market and flourished when it became illegal and when they were the only source of alcohol. TheseRead MoreEssay on Fall of Asclepius95354 Words   |  382 PagesFall of Asclepius By Harm 1 and Icrick Prologue Where should I begin? The apocalypse happened so fast. In less than a month, monsters infested every part of this world. People panicked, people died. They clawed at each other just to get out of all the infested areas around the world. There was problem about fleeing from infested areas. Everywhere was infested. There was no where anyone could go without encountering the walking plague. You know that phrase War is Hell? Well... its dead

Conceptualization of Contextual Factors For Business Management Contex

Question: Discuss about theConceptualization of Contextual Factors For Business Management Context. Answer: Introduction Over the years, business management process has emerged a major challenge for many organizations thriving in the current continuously changing environmental. As a consequence, much research has been done in this area and with regard to the majority of the researchers; businesses ought to be context-aware for them to fully comprehend the direction of the company in terms of performance. Due to the ever-changing business settings various factors, internal and external, domestic and international affect their performance since they directly influence the management process in the entire organization. A good example of such a company is Hewlett-Packard (HP), one of the leading informational technology multinational companies in the United States headquartered in Palo Alto, California. This corporation specializes mainly in the production of computers, printers, digital cameras, calculators, among other wide variety of hardware as well as software components. Organizational Structure of Hewlett-Packard The organizational structure of Hewlett-Packard is quite diverse and complex owing to its wide customer base and products dealt in. By activity, the organizational structure of Hewlett-Packard composes of various groups headed by exceptionally qualified personnel who control various operations taking place in different administration levels. These functional sets include the imaging and printing group, HP financial services scheme, enterprise and personal systems. These sub-organizations are chaired by executives ranked in a strategic manner to aid in executing chain of command where a manager at a lower level reports to another immediate administrator just above his or her rank in the management structure. Impact of Internal Environmental Forces on Hewlett-Packard Incorporation Just like any other organization operating in the contemporary business world encountering several environmental forces, Hewlett-Packard Company over the years has been impelled to analyze such influencers to ensure splendid management practices guaranteeing the corporation success in all aspects. There exist various significant issues that affect the decision-making processes in this international corporation. Such contextual aspects include past administrative experiences, cognitive partialities, and individual differences such as age and socioeconomic prominence. These factors although within the control of the company affect the decision-making process as well as the decisions made by the responsible personnel in Hewlett-Packard. Donelan, Walker and Salek (2015) in their work argue that previous experiences affect how people make future decisions. For instance, when the previous resolutions yield positive results managers in Hewlett-Packard may tend to decide in a similar manner, provided an identical situation. Besides, various cognitive partialities impact decision-making procedures. These types of preferences include hindsight prejudice, omission predisposition, and belief bias. In the process of decision making, cognitive partialities often influence managers by impelling them to over depend on previous knowledge while at the same time ignoring critical information or trends deemed uncertain. Moreover, various individual differences may impact on the decision-making procedure. Such dissimilarities may include socioeconomic positions, age, and intellectual aptitudes. For example, an old person chairing various departments in Hewlett-Packard may seem overconfident while formulating policies thus inhibiting their capability to employ relevant strategies. (Nooraie, 2008). Domestic and International Contextual Issues and their Effect on Hewlett-Packard Structure and Strategy Performance and strategies pursued by Hewlett-Packard change depending on the contextual factors when launching its products either locally or internationally. In this regard, it is, therefore, imperative for this organization to identify various domestic and international influencers which can contribute to its success or failure. Some of the national and global contextual issues which have the potential of impacting on Hewlett-Packard structure and strategy include competition, social-cultural differences, and political-legal factors among others like technological differences, and adverse economic fluctuations (Shah, 2012). Competition Currently, Hewlett-Packard has been subjected to various levels of competition originating from other businesses providing a similar or a close substitute of the products dealt in. This organization strives to acquire a substantial market share, splendid customer base, and the most outstanding corporate image. However, Hewlett-Packard cannot achieve such missions with ease due to the existence of stiff competitions which compel it to employ different competitive strategies to attain its set goals and objectives. Increased competition forces this company to aim at augmenting its responsiveness to competitive threats and in the process transform its organizational structures. An example of such a phenomenon took place when it reformed its organizational structure to attract and maintain an exceptionally qualified pool of employees who would have otherwise been absorbed by other firms in the informational technology industry (Fox, Trebilcock, 2013). Social-Cultural Differences Besides, social-cultural differences are well known for their impact on the Hewlett-Packard structure and strategies .Every nation in the world has its distinct cultural practices and understandings. Such diverse cultural dissimilarities often pose various risks to this multinational forcing it to take on strategies to manage them. In some circumstances, this corporation in an attempt to maintain its competitive advantage is obliged to alter its organizational structures to accommodate hazards resulting from sociocultural differences in a foreign country (Snir, 2014). Closely related to the major issue of cultural divergences is the challenge of the language barrier. This problem is often encountered by Hewlett-Packard during its dealings with foreigners who may have a deprived literacy skills and as such poor English speakers. Sales people, agencies among other company representatives may therefore face inconveniences communicating with such targeted customers. In such a case then t he firm is always be obliged to execute various strategies meant primarily to meet the needs of those people deemed to be only well conversant with their local language. Political and Legal Requirements Apart from competition and sociocultural factors Hewlett-Packard is also influenced by political and legal requirements. All companies functioning nationally are expected to conform to certain rules and regulations as set by the local central government. Examples of common governmental laws include taxation rates, operation hours among other internal federal expectations (Chang, 2015). Hewlett-Packard is henceforth required to implement various strategies to ensure conformity and act within the rule of the law. As such it may be compelled to modify its business configurations to ascertain conventionality and avoid excommunication by the countrys federal government. Different countries and regions usually have dissimilar political and legal practices critical for the feasibility of the organization. For instance, a governmental body may initiate rules and regulations to control the operations of a particular sector requiring the businesses in that industry to employ some strategies to make sure that they conform to the requirements (DE MEZA, 2009). Contemporary Issues Influencing Hewlett-Packard Organizations flourishing in the current multi-faceted environment are influenced by various factors which when not well controlled can hinder their success significantly. The commonest among those issues include risks, innovations, e-commerce, and knowledge management. Risk Management The engine driving any business like Hewlett-Packard to seek market success is risk taking. Perils are, however, seen only as threats, despite the fact that they can provide valuable opportunities and potentials for organizational feasibility as well as significant competitive advantage resulting in increased profitability both in the short term and in the long run (McLeay Riccaboni, 2001). In other words, perils and opportunities complement each other-they are like the two sides of a coin. However, risks in a firm if not well mitigated can result in losses. In order to manage several risks surrounding the operations in Hewlett-Packard, the responsible personnel have put in place stringent measures to abate their impact and severity. Technologically advanced tools of risks mitigation are employed in this multinational thus reducing their impact and severity the business is exposed to. Innovations Technological innovations in the contemporary business world have emerged as other trends influencing the performance of Hewlett-Packard. Over the years, advancement in technology has turned the world into a village like setting changing how this organization communicate internally and externally with its interested publics. Hewlett-Packard presently is shifting from the application of archaic and outdated methods of production to the use of current scientific approaches. Top and middle executives in this company are consistently making use of the new technology products and devices in their decision-making processes. Knowledge Management and E-commerce Moreover, Hewlett-Packard has had an obligation to handle confidential information and resources belonging to the company with efficiency (Rao, Krishna, 2003). Though not a new requirement, this company has had the responsibility to ensure that information and data deemed critical for the success of the company is keenly handled to curb it from falling into the wrong hands. In conjunction with the above factors is the introduction of electronic commerce. This refers to a broad range of business activities carried out online, and the parties involved transact electronically rather physical interactions. In this new and revolutionary business world where technology has become prevalent, Hewlett-Packard can formulate and implement decisions such as sales or marketing strategies without any physical contact with their customers (Vilcox, Mohan, 2007). The Impact of Regionalization and Globalization on Hewlett-Packard Contexts Regionalization and Globalization are two primary features developing in the contemporary world of operations. Nevertheless, the two phenomena are not completely new since their influence and intensity have in place since time immemorial though in different phases (In Capello, In Dentinho, 2012). The effects of these two features can be witnessed in the economic, sociocultural, and political compasses. Globalization, for instance, has played a critical role in the inter-national system by enabling Hewlett-Packard to transact with ease, propose and implement key business resolutions. Regionalization, on the other hand, has enhanced economic collaboration within regions as well promoting regional integration among the member states thus aiding substantially in the success of Hewlett-Packard Incorporation (Schelhase, 2008). Conclusion Summarily, it is significant for any organization whether national or a multinational to be context-aware and keep abreast with time to fully comprehend major trends in the environment which have prospective of affecting their performances. Companies thriving in the contemporary multi-faceted globalized world are faced with various internal and external forces which might substantially impact on the management as well as organizational structure if not well scrutinized. As depicted in this paper, despite the market position of such corporations like Hewlett-Packard, it is imperative for the managers to collaborate with other stakeholders to maintain and if possible improve on their current status quo, advance in productivity, widen their customer base, broaden their market coverage and develop in several other aspects. References Nooraie, M. (2008). Decision magnitude of impact and strategic decision?making process output. Management Decision, 46(4), pp.640-655. Donelan, R., Walker, S. and Salek, S. (2015). Factors influencing quality decision-making: regulatory and pharmaceutical industry perspectives. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 24(3), pp.319-328. Shah, F. (2012). A Critical Review of Multinational Companies, Their Structures and Strategies and Their Link with International Human Resource Management. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 3(5), pp.28-37. Snir, G. (2014). International business negotiations: do cultural differences matter? The case of India and Israel: research report. International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, 8(3), p.361. De Meza, D. (2009). Multinational Corporations In Ldcs: A Comment. Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 39(3), pp.237-241. Chang, C. (2015) Who are the winners and losers if GST is increased? Retrieved Decemeber 16, 2016, from https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/who-are-the-winners-and-losers-if-gst-is-increased/news-story/051f1f26fc4dad0a7a5b5c241a79f7c4 Vilcox, M. W., Mohan, T. O. (2007). Contemporary issues in business ethics. New York: Nova Science Publishers.Top of Form McLeay, S., Riccaboni, A. (2001).Contemporary Issues in Accounting Regulation. Boston, MA: Springer US. In Capello, R., In Dentinho, T. P. (2012).Globalization Trends and Regional Development: Dynamics of FDI and Human Capital Flows. Schelhase, M. (2008). Globalization, regionalization and business: Conflict, convergence and influence. Basingstoke [England: Palgrave Macmillan. Fox, E. M., Trebilcock, M. J. (2013). The design of competition law institutions: Global norms, local choices. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Rao, V. S. P., Krishna, V. H. (2003). Strategic management: Text and cases. New Delhi, India: Excel Books.

Nestle a Brief History of the Marketing Strategies of the First Multinational Company in the Ottoman Empire free essay sample

Nestle: A Brief History of the Marketing Strategies of the First Multinational Company in the Ottoman Empire Abstract It can be argued that private companies accelerated the integration of the late Ottoman Empire with the capitalist world economy. Western companies shaped not only the Ottoman economy but also its social and cultural environments. Modern marketing was one of the most important instruments in this process. This article investigates—via a brief historical survey of the marketing activities of Nestle in the Ottoman Empire between the years 1870 and 1921—the interaction between Western firms and consumers. The article explores how Nestle gained access to the urban Ottoman market and the methods it used for attracting the Ottoman consumer. Nestle’s sales efforts show that it had to adjust its strategies to local realities through a process of learning, adapting, and using the specific characteristics of its host society to be successful. Strategy Nestle describes itself as a food, nutrition, health, and wellness company. We will write a custom essay sample on Nestle: a Brief History of the Marketing Strategies of the First Multinational Company in the Ottoman Empire or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Recently they created Nestle Nutrition, a global business organization designed to strengthen the focus on their core nutrition business. They believe strengthening their leadership in this market is the key element of their corporate strategy. This market is characterized as one in which the consumer’s primary motivation for a purchase is the claims made by the product based on nutritional content. In order to reinforce their competitive advantage in this area, Nestle created Nestle Nutrition as an autonomous global business unit within the organization, and charged it with the operational and profit and loss responsibility for the claim-based business of Infant Nutrition, HealthCare Nutrition, and Performance Nutrition. This unit aims to deliver superior business performance by offering consumers trusted, science based nutrition products and services. The Corporate Wellness Unit was designed to integrate nutritional value-added in their food and beverage businesses. This unit will drive the nutrition, health and wellness organization across all their food and beverage businesses. It encompasses a major communication effort, both internally and externally, and strives to closely align Nestle’s scientific and RD expertise with consumer benefits. This unit is responsible for coordinating horizontal, cross-business projects that address current customer concerns as well as anticipating future consumer trends. International Strategy Nestle is a global organization. Knowing this, it is not surprising that international strategy is at the heart of their competitive focus. Nestle’s competitive strategies are associated mainly with foreign direct investment in dairy and other food businesses. Nestle aims to balance sales between low risk but low growth countries of the developed world and high risk and potentially high growth markets of Africa and Latin America. Nestle recognizes the profitability possibilities in these high-risk countries, but pledges not to take unnecessary risks for the sake of growth. This process of hedging keeps growth steady and shareholders happy. When operating in a developed market, Nestle strives to grow and gain economies of scale through foreign direct investment in big companies. Recently, Nestle licensed the LC1 brand to Muller (a large German dairy producer) in Germany and Austria. In the developing markets, Nestle grows by manipulating ingredients or processing technology for local conditions, and employ the appropriate brand. For example, in many European countries most chilled dairy products contain sometimes two to three times the fat content of American Nestle products and are released under the Sveltesse brand name. Another strategy that has been successful for Nestle involves striking strategic partnerships with other large companies. In the early 1990s, Nestle entered into an alliance with Coca Cola in ready-to-drink teas and coffees in order to benefit from Coca Cola’s worldwide bottling system and expertise in prepared beverages. European and American food markets are seen by Nestle to be flat and fiercely competitive. Therefore, Nestle is setting is sights on new markets and new business for growth. In Asia, Nestle’s strategy has been to acquire local companies in order to form a group of autonomous regional managers who know more about the culture of the local markets than Americans or Europeans. Nestle’s strong cash flow and comfortable debt-equity ratio leave it with ample muscle for takeovers. Recently, Nestle acquired Indofood, Indonesia’s largest noodle producer. Their focus will be primarily on expanding sales in the Indonesian market, and in time will look to export Indonesian food products to other countries. Nestle has employed a wide-area strategy for Asia that involves producing different products in each country to supply the region with a given product from one country. For example, Nestle produces soy milk in Indonesia, coffee creamers in Thailand, soybean flour in Singapore, candy in Malaysia, and cereal in the Philippines, all for regional distribution. Submitted by:- Aniket Saraswat 500009199 BBA oilgas V Sem

Graded Unit Planning Process free essay sample

Graded Unit Planning process Im currently studying HEN Care Administrative Practice (Clinical Route) which involves doing placement hours at a local hospital and complete a Graded Unit which consists of three stages: planning, development and evaluation. In the planning process I must complete and develop a plan to show that I can help a patient I have chosen with a nursing activity. After having a meeting with my mentor to discuss which patient we felt would be a suitable candidate for me to complete this task with, gained consent from him.I also gained consent from the patient after explaining what and why I was doing the activity, and all information about her would be kept confidential. For this matter I will refer to the patient as Mrs. B which keeps her identity anonymous. (Data Protection Act, 1 998) Mrs. B is 76 years old and has been a widow for 8 years, she has four children and 5 grandchildren who visit her most days, she also has a small dog. We will write a custom essay sample on Graded Unit Planning Process or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mrs. B told me she was a waitress and continued to work up until she took retirement.Before being admitted into hospital she was very much an independent, active lady, she ekes going for walks with her dog three times daily, and also likes to going shopping. Mrs. B was putting rubbish into her outside bin but lost her footing, tripped and fell, this caused her to have severe pain and her neighbor called for an ambulance. She was admitted into accident and emergency at hospital where they done grays of her head and body and found out that she had broken her hip, she underwent a hip replacement operation.Mrs. B was admitted to the orthopedic ward and is now embroiling with a simmer frame ND assistance of one nurse on the recommendation from the physiotherapists, it is important that all members of the multi-disciplinary team work together in harmony to promote a better quality of life for the patient. Activities of Daily Living and Physiological needs On assessing Mrs. Bis needs I decided that the Roper Logan Tierney nursing model which entails twelve activities of daily living would be the best way to assist her. These activities help a nurse to make a holistic person centered assessment on the individual patients needs.When used correctly a nursing model should lead to continuity and consistency of the nursing care received by patients (Unresisting. Net 2002). As Mrs. B is in pain from her hip will be empathetic towards her and do this activity with as little movement as possible. Mrs. B needs assistance with embroiling so I have chosen to assist her with the activity of washing and dressing and plan to do this on 20/03/2015. Mrs. B is in a six bedded room on a hospital ward so I will ensure the curtains around her bed are closed and this will give her the privacy, aspect and dignity that the NC codes of conduct state (NC 2015).Mrs. B likes to choose her own clothing and I will oversee this to make sure its suitable. Before we Start the activity will have all necessary equipment in place. While Mrs. B is washing herself will assist her by ensuring her simmer frame is at hand so she can stand and support herself, I will offer to wash the areas she cannot reach and I will assist Mrs. B by following the correct moving and handling techniques (Manual Handling Act 1992). Abiding by this act will maintain the safety for Mrs. B and myself.At all times doing this activity I will ensure that I obey the infection control policies that are in place in the hospital by wearing the correct personal protective equipment (PEP) which will protect both Mrs. B and myself from any cross contamination, by doing this I am abiding the legislation in place and when carrying out the activity will be aware of any risks hazards i. E. Infection control, moving handling, proper disposal of equipment/linen used (Health and Safety at Work Act 1974).Eve been able to assess Mrs. Bis needs by spending time with her for a ewe weeks and by using SPECS have built a therapeutic relationship with her and in turn Mrs. B trusts me which makes the activity a more relaxed environment for her, by spending time with Mrs. B I recognize what person centered care is more suitable for her holistic needs and can then deliver that care to her. As Mrs. B has diminished mobility we have to make sure she gets enough exercise and movement so she doesnt get stiff, so its important that she goes for small assisted walks in the ward.Mrs. B has a healthy appetite and likes to choose her own meals. Sociological and Psychological needs Mrs. B is an independent woman thats always looked after herself and her family but now shes the one receiving care and this can be related to the functionalism theory of sociology, which focuses on the Norms, Roles and Values, stability and continuity interdependence and integration and dysfunctional. She feels as the head of her family she should be the one giving the care, but the role has been taken away from her so she has become deviant. She feels that she has been labeled that she can no longer look after herself and this can be related to the symbolic interactions theory f sociology. She fears that her family will put her into a care home but she is adamant to go back to her own home, this behavior can be understood using the humanistic theory in psychology which is focused on free will and personal choice. Mrs. B has low self-esteem since the accident, she feels she has no personal worth and her friends and family would resent her if she accepts any help from them and because of this she wont reach self- actualization.In relation to Masons theory in psychology, and understanding the hierarchy of needs method, where a persons lower needs must be met before they can progress onto the higher one and eventually reach self- actualization, was able to understand her behavior. Carl Rogers believed that if a care worker displayed congruence by being genuine, open and sincere with their patient and by showing empathy towar ds them, it would help them to better understand why their patient was displaying the behavior they are having and that they can demonstrate a helping, positive, healing relationship.Socio-Economical Factors Mrs. B will need to have homemaker set in place before she leaves the hospital UT because the Scottish government are aiming to keep people in their own homes to live independently (Caroline 2014) theres a backlog of patients in the area she lives so this means that she cannot leave the hospital, because of this Mrs. B is losing faith in the healthcare system and may hesitate to seek help from the INS in future. Contingency Plan If Mrs. B refuses to have the activity done to her due to illness/tiredness then I will attempt to do the activity at a later time that suits her.

buy custom Structural Reform of Social Security essay

buy custom Structural Reform of Social Security essay This is a summary of the Structural Reform of Social Security by Martin Feldstein. The article explains how the mixed system of social security pension -which involves both pay-as-you-go benefits and personal investment-based retirement accounts- has more economic gains than the pay-as-you-go system that is purely tax-financed. Some of the countries using the system are Chile, China, Sweden and Britain. Social security program is a program in which current benefits are paid using the current tax revenue. The revenue eceived from this program goes to Social security trust fund, while the government lents all the receipts that remain after paying the current benefits to finance its other activities. If a mixed system was fully employed, each employee would participate in pay-as-you-go system and contribute to investment-based retirement account separately. However, differences in the plans design affects the costs and benefits distribution across different generations.The assets and personal retirement of an individual who dies before hitting the retirement age would be handed down to his heirs. Those who reach the retirement age may allowed to annul the accumulated fund or take out some or all cash The prevailing value cost incurred for the maintenance of the presently projected retirement benefits can be reduced by adding the investmment-based component to the Social Security. Many policy analysts and economists recognize the long-run benefits associated with a shift from pure pa-as-you-go to a mixed system; but they believe the transition requires unacceptable costs. This is, however, not the case; it is more manageable than they suggest. The article concludes that the shift from pay-as-you-go to a mixed system is likely to reduce the labor markets distortions and increase present value of future consumption. It recommends that the transition should be done gradually such that it will not require a tax increase, a decrease in predictable retirement incomes or large deficits. The mixed system will provide greater benefits to the retiree groups; which, are poor under the current Social Security rules. Buy custom Structural Reform of Social Security essay

My single father Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My single father - Essay Example When I was nineteen, I came across one such situation. I always had strained relations with my father. We never got along very well. I felt that my father despised me. Anything and everything that I did was an insult and problem to him. He never wanted to listen to me or look at me. We never had a normal relationship that a child has with his father. 26th November 2010, my grandfather passed away. It was a dull, gloomy and a lonely day for me. I was inside my hostel when my younger brother called me and informed me that our grandfather had passed away. I had to leave for my father’s house so I drove hurriedly. I came along with a bouquet in my hand. It was the first time in my whole life when I saw tears in my father’s eyes – he was just like a helpless person. Never had I seen my father so stressed, depressed, and aggressed. I went into the room where my grandfather slept still and silent and beside his corpse was my father sitting stunned. I entered in and plac ed the flowers near my grandfather’s corpse upon which my father looked towards me. I could see helplessness in his eyes. My dad held me by the arms and pulled me towards himself and hugged me tightly as if he did not want to leave me ever again. The day passed and my grandfather was finally buried in the graveyard. My father forced me to stay the night at his house. Later that night I was unable to sleep so I came out of my room and went outside. I sat on a bench. Approximately 5 minutes might have passed and my father came out and joined me. He had two mugs of hot chocolate in his hands. He came and sat beside me. He handed me a mug and said that he still remembers that I loved hot chocolate. He kept one of his hands on my shoulder and it felt like he was not my father but a very dear friend of mine. He told me that he was sorry for happened in my childhood. He gave me a very valuable lesson that I can never forget. That night it seemed like my father had changed his stance from a father to a friend. He told me that there were thousands of things that he wanted to tell my grandfather but could not share with his father. He told me that when he saw his dead father he wanted to complain his heart out to him but he could not as it was useless and pointless. He told me that his father always treated him the way he treated me. He did not intend to do so but his experiences as a child made him a heartless man. But today he had realized that it was useless because of the damage it had caused to a father-son relationship: It was completely futile. He realized that his young days were over but ruining my days will do no advantage to him. He told me stay as I had not seen him since a long time. He assured me that we will live like a happy family. After all, I was one of the few close people alive; my mother and grandparents had already passed away. I could see that my father had realized what had been done wrong. It was time for me to understand and make things better between us. This day has been a memorable one, not because I had lost my grad father but because I had revived one of the most valued accords – one’s relationship with his father. I realized that my father loved me and he had brought me up very well despite his hard

Critically evaluate positivism's contribution to our understanding of Essay

Critically evaluate positivism's contribution to our understanding of the causes of criminal behaviour - Essay Example Positivists use scientific techniques to explain about events and behaviours of people (Scott, 2008). The theory was critical in explaining human behaviour, particularly criminal tendencies. Comte focused on criminal behaviour rather than the legal system; he was interested in ways of preventing criminal behaviour. Positivism in criminology was associated with positivist’s, such as Cesare Lombrosso, recognized as â€Å"the father of modern criminology†. He used physiognomy theories, and was influenced by Charles Darwin (Tibbetts, 2012). Positivism was one of the many schools of thoughts that arose in the 18th century in order to explain about criminology. The other schools are the classical and the Chicago school. These different principles of thoughts were based on different paradigms. Unlike the positivism, classical theory believed that people had the free will to choose whatever they wanted to do. There are various assumptions made in the positivism theory. John Mill in the naturalism theory said that social sciences should have the same structure as natural sciences. Natural sciences such as chemistry and physics cannot be compared with social sciences such as sociology and psychology. However, Mill insisted that all are sciences, and to obtain objectivity in the social sciences they should use the same structure as that of the sciences. Another principle of positivism is the unity of science. It said that all theories should be summarized into one theory. Another principle by Carl Hempel and Mill is about explanations, regularities and law. It said that the law should use scientific explanations in their work. Causation is a part of the positivistic theory. It was developed by Hume; however, it has been criticized for putting a lot of attention on the causation regularities than the real causation mechanisms themselves. The causation principle tries to show the relationship between

How E-Commerce Has Changed the Way to Do Business Research Paper

How E-Commerce Has Changed the Way to Do Business - Research Paper Example This essay will also give a brief history concerning E-Commerce and also state the advantages and disadvantages of E-Commerce to customers/ businesses. Earlier on, E-Commerce was branded as the facilitation of marketable business electronically by means of technologies like Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). These technologies were introduced early in the 1970s. Technological advancement led to introduction of other systems like automated teller machines (ATM), telephone banking, airline reservation system and credit cards which are also forms of E-Commerce (Reynolds, 2009). In the early 90s, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web which profoundly altered a scholarly telecommunication system to a global communication system named www or the internet (Plant, 2012). In time, many European and American business firms offered their services through the Worldwide Web. Since then, people are much conversant to E-Commerce with the ability to purchase various goods through the internet using electronic payment services and secure protocols. As defined earlier, E-Commerce is the process of buying and selling products and services from the internet, especially the World Wide Web. When retail selling is used, then the term e-tailing can be used. E-Commerce is divided into several categories. They include E-tailing, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), business-to-business transactions, gathering and use of demographic data through Web contacts, E-Mail and fax and the security of business transactions (Plant, 2012). E-Commerce has a number of benefits to customers and other businesses. They include efficient buying and selling procedures as well as an easy way of finding products. Buying and selling of products is not limited. The customers are able to purchase products and get services 24 hours daily. E-Commerce also allows customers to select products from various providers without the need of moving physically from one point to ano ther. This process, therefore, cuts down the rate associated with processing, inventory management, marketing, customer care and information storage (Reynolds, 2009). This in turn, reduces the burden influenced by infrastructure to conduct businesses. This form of business is easier to start and run. Moreover, this invention allows more customers to find products and services without hypothetical geographic boundaries. Lastly, there is no need for physical company setups since the business is run on a network. Since the early 1990s, the internet has tremendously grown as a technologically enthusiastic tool to many corporations. Improvement in technology and other forms of E-Commerce also came in play. There are four principal categories of E-Commerce business models. They are business to consumer (B2C), business to business (B2B), consumer to business (C2B) and consumer to consumer (C2C) (Plant, 2012). In E-Commerce, there are eight unique features that enable this web shopping proc ess run successfully. They are global reach, ubiquity, richness, universal standards, interactivity, personalization and customization and information density (Plant, 2012). Ubiquity is the leading factor in the success of any E-Commerce business. Online stores never close and they are available every time and anytime. Global reach is also essential in ensuring a successful E-Commerce busines

Companies In Controversial Industries Management Essay

Companies In Controversial Industries Management Essay Is it possible for companies in controversial industries to be socially responsible if their products are detrimental to human beings and the environment. Many claim it is impossible for them to be socially responsible because their CSR will always be an inherent contradiction since their business goal is at odds with the aims of public health policies. However as these companies already have a bad reputation, they have no need to be associated with doing good in order to boost sales. Hence when they engage in CSR, it could mean that they are genuine CSR practitioners. This paper examines CSR of firms in alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries and determines whether they can be socially responsible through their CSR implementation by using Porter and Kramers concept of shared value. However while assessing any motives companies may have to determine whether they are genuinely interested in CSR, it may be presumptuous or even unjust to these companies to assume their motives based on the consequences of their actions. Also, the approach used to determine whether the companies have been socially responsible may be too narrow. Nonetheless, companies need not have the best intentions for the society to be socially responsible. Introduction At the mention of controversial industries such as alcohol and tobacco industries, some may be quick to conclude that these industries cannot be socially responsible since they are producing goods that are detrimental to human beings and the environment. Even when firms in these industries practice Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), some may still find it difficult to start regarding them as being socially responsible. The motive behind these companies for practicing CSR is also often disputed over. As these firms already have a bad reputation, they need not be associated with doing good for consumers to demand for their products, unlike inherently good companies. When these firms practice CSR, does it then mean that they genuinely have the societys welfare at heart? Or could they be doing CSR as a way of obscuring their questionable business and gaining social acceptance? Keeping these arguments in mind, we will now look at specific firms in alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries and their CSR practices in particular to evaluate the possible incentives behind their CSR initiatives as well as to determine whether they can be socially responsible through their CSR implementation. In consideration of the controversies of CSR, in particular, the view that CSR should be conducted in such as a way that it benefits both the society and the owners of the firm, rather than only one side of the parties, we will be using Porter and Kramers concept of shared value to decide whether a company is socially responsible. This requires firms to adopt CSR practices that concurrently benefit the society and the owners of the firm, by addressing societal weaknesses or harms while improving the financial performance of the firm, to be socially responsible. Alcohol Alcohol is an important risk factor for disease. It has implications in birth defects, cases of assault and family violence, alcoholism-related abuse, traffic accidents, reduced workplace productivity and lower life expectancy (Collins Lapsley, 2008; WHO, 2011). Consumption of alcohol is estimated to cost the American society a staggering $223.5 billion/year in health care, road-related accidents, reduced workplace productivity, violence and crime in 2007 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In comparison, federal alcohol tax revenue only amounted to $9.3 billion/year in 2007 (Congressional Budget Office). Case Study Take Diageo for instance. It is the worlds largest producer of spirits and an influential producer of beer and wine. It has 59 brands including Johnnie Walker and Guinness, two of the best-known brands of alcohol, under its portfolio. It generates $25 billion in sales revenue yearly. Diageo uses public awareness campaigns as part of its CSR initiative. It creates advertisements that educate drinking responsibly, including those aimed at discouraging excessive drinking, drink driving as well as underage drinking. However, these may have been the companys subtle attempts at bypassing regulations to advertise its alcoholic beverages to consumers. In Diageos the choice is yours campaign in 2008, it has also conveyed the message that overdrinking would inevitably lead to social disapproval, such as the embarrassing consequences of being thrown out of clubs. However, the University of Bath has found that such incidents are actually perceived as fun by youths (EUCAM, 2009), putting the intended effect of the campaign into question. Furthermore, the website of the campaign highlights the logos of Diageo drinks, casting doubts on whether it may have been aimed at advertising the companys alcoholic beverages to the consumers. The company also has campaigns that are aimed at reaching out to minors in schools. By claiming that they are contributing solutions to alcohol-related problems, the company is able to reach out to a target audience that they would otherwise not be able to reach due to alcohol marketing regulations. By using CSR as marketing gimmicks to make greater profits, the company has failed to manifest itself as a genuine CSR practitioner who does not have the societys best interests at heart when carrying out CSR practices. However, Diageo is making improvements to its corporate governance and has created a multi-prong strategy to take care of the interests of all its stakeholders. This year, it has reduced 9.4% of carbon emission in spite of its increased production and has increased water efficiency by 20% in Uganda through its implementation of better water recovery systems. In addition, it has organized internal DRINKiQ workshops to educate employees on responsible drinking. It also conducts independent audits on its suppliers with issues relating to health, safety and hygiene, working hours and wages. It also provides a confidential whistleblowing service, SpeakUp, to allow anyone who has come across a breach of its Code to report it. This ensures that Diageos Code of Conduct is strictly adhered to. Looking at the various Diageos CSR initiatives and going back to Porter and Kramers concept of shared value, Diageo would be considered a socially responsible company. Through its public awareness campaigns that concurrently discourage excessive drinking and advertise its brand of alcoholic beverages, the company is able to reduce the societal harm of its products and improve the profitability of the firm at the same time, although the effectiveness and the intended effect of the campaigns may be questionable. The implementation of better water recovery systems could also help the company save cost. These show that Diageo is a socially responsible company. Tobacco The health effects of tobacco have long been known. Smoking in particular is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary heart disease, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease and cancer. Each year, 6 million deaths are caused by the inhalation of tobacco smoke. The irony becomes salient when tobacco becomes the single greatest cause of preventable death globally. With products deemed universally harmful allowed for sale, can tobacco companies be socially responsible? Case Study Altria Group Inc. is one of the largest tobacco companies in the world. It is a pioneer of the tobacco corporate responsibility movement in the late 1990s. Recently, it has come out tops in social responsibility rankings, placing 15th on CR Magazines 100 best corporate citizens list and 4th in Fortune magazine. Altria has implemented a comprehensive corporate responsibility program targeting nine specific issues: tobacco product management, marketing practices, combating illegal trade, environmental management, sustainable agriculture, supply chain responsibility, employees, investing in companies and governance and compliance. Despite the multi-faceted approach, its CSR practices have been a subject of constant criticism, with critics questioning their motivations behind the acts of responsibility. Most argument centers on tobacco product management and marketing practices. Over the years, Altria has sought to manage its tobacco product issues and marketing practices as ethically as possible. They voluntarily communicate health effects with transparency, including health warnings on all its packages and websites. They undertake research and development in developing products with lower risks and also actively partner and collaborate with governments in support of cessation. In marketing practices, they voluntarily limit their reach of marketing to unintended audiences. Based on their actions, we can see the moral duty that Altria has undertaken as a company. Critics however argue against the motivation of their CSR, likening it to the washing of blood money. Some even argue that it is used as a sword and shield against product issues (Friedman, 2009). Yet it can also be seen as an atonement of sin. The term blood money seems to convey a form of coercion or illegal means to gain, yet from how Altria practices its CSR, we can clearly see their admittance to liability, transparency and the absence of coercion. Ironically, Altria has been embarking on initiatives to discourage people from smoking, which is counterintuitive of a profit-oriented business model. This seems to highlight the effort Altria has undertaken as a moral duty to doing right what it has done wrong, clearly fulfilling Kantian and even virtue ethics, and is a display of an ethical practice of social responsibility. Critics also argue that CSR allows tobacco companies to improve their image, leveraging CSR to add value to the otherwise evil company, thereby concluding that such a motivation may be of a selfish cause. However, unlike other corporations with the freedom of liberal marketing practices, tobacco companies including Altria undergo some of the strictest regulations on advertising and marketing. In fact, the company is creating advertisements that devalue its products, essentially decreasing the companys value further. There seems to be no tangible benefit for their bottom line with the implementation of CSR; instead, a greater amount of losses are being incurred. This thus further support the ethical motivation behind their CSR practices, as not much value can be leveraged off CSR for the benefit of the companys overall bottom-line. It is evident that a tobacco companys CSR does fulfill Porter and Kramers concept of shared value for both the company and society. However, it is more of a transactional value rather than a transformational one (Palazzo Richter, 2005), after all if tobacco companies really want to change society, the greatest impact will come from its voluntary demise. Therefore, it is justified for tobacco companies to do CSR, but it will never be able to transform or make good itself. Casino Casinos, like tobacco and alcohol, have contributed to a range of social and economic harms to the society (Hancock, Schellinck Schrans, 2008), with the most apparent social impact being the increase in problem gambling. It has been estimated that 1.2% of U.S. adults are pathological gamblers and another 1.5% are problem gamblers at some point of their lives, with the likelihood doubling for people living within 50 miles of a casino (Community Research Partners, 2010). Problem gambling impacts peoples lives in many negative and consequential ways; this includes unemployment, poor physical and mental health, risked social relationships as well as increased crimes (Community Research Partners, 2010). Large sums of social costs, including those spent on bankruptcies, imprisonments and divorces; have to be spent every year as a result of these impacts. Case Study Caesars Entertainment Corporation is the largest gaming company in the world with $8.83 billion in revenue in 2011. The company has carried out CSR extensively. It launched its comprehensive sustainability program, the CodeGreen, in 2004 and has displayed a strong commitment to achieving a broad set of sustainability goals for carbon emissions reduction, energy conservation, water consumption as well as waste recycling. Harrahs Lake Tahoe Casino and Harveys Lake Tahoe Casino, two of the companys casinos, have received the prestigious Gold Certification from Travelife, a certification body that recognizes companies within the tourism industry that adopt sustainable practices. Only four U.S.-based hotels out of 400 worldwide are Gold Certified in 2013 and three of them are Caesars properties (Stevens, 2013). Besides their commitment to responsible stewardship of the environment, the company also has codes of commitment to treat all their employees with respect and to provide them with good career opportunities, to promote responsible gaming as well as to help make all their communities healthy and vibrant places to live and work. To foster responsible gaming, the company only allows adults to visit their casinos, trains their employees on how to offer help to customers who may need it and provides toll-free helpline numbers for problem gambling. They have also adopted a policy to donate part of the company profits to community and charitable causes (Caesars Entertainment). As casinos fundamentally offer products that have adverse social and economic consequences, it may be unnecessary or even irrelevant for the company to conduct CSR to appear altruistic to the public. This may therefore imply that any CSR efforts from such companies could only be genuine. However, companies nowadays are increasingly expected to embrace wider responsibilities and roles and adhere to greater ethical, legal and responsible standards. Companies that fail to do so are found to receive weakened public support and less positive views from the media (Yani-de-Soriano, Javed Yousafzai, 2012). Therefore, it remains unclear as to whether Caesars Entertainment Corporation is a genuine CSR practitioner, or that they have conducted CSR to gain social acceptance. Caesars Entertainments CodeGreen sustainability program is a great example of creating a shared value through CSR. Through committing to responsible stewardship of the environment, the company strives to conserve energy, save water and recycle waste. These are environmental-friendly practices that also bring about cost-savings for the company. While not all the companys CSR initiatives, such as those targeted at promoting responsible gaming, directly bring about economic benefits to the stockholders of the company, they can help to gain social acceptance of the public, increasing sales and thereby giving rise to indirect economic benefits. Since Caesars Entertainments CSR practices create shared value for both the society and the owners of the firm according to the Porter and Kramers model, it is a socially responsible company. Limitations In evaluating the respective companies on whether they are genuine practitioners of CSR given that there do not seem to be a need for them to appear socially responsible, we have looked at how conducting CSR could benefit them to assess the motives that they might have in executing their CSR initiatives. However, it may be presumptuous or even unjust to these companies to assume their motives based on the consequences of their actions. The companies may indeed have been genuine practitioners of CSR, even if their CSR initiatives turn out to benefit the company as well. The approach that has been used to establish whether the specific companies have been socially responsible may also have been too narrow. In applying Porter and Kramers concept of shared value, our criteria for determining whether the companies are socially responsible only lies on whether the companys CSR initiatives benefit both the stockholders and the other stakeholders of the firm; however, we did not apply the model to take into account the inherent nature of the company that their products are detrimental to the society in determining whether they are socially responsible. As a result, all the three firms examined can easily be classified as being socially responsible. On the other hand, to take into consideration the inherent nature of the company, which could only create value for the owners of the firms at best, would mean that these companies could never be socially responsible so long as they continue to operate, according to Porter and Kramers model of shared value. Conclusion Corporate social responsibility is a complex and contentious subject that many businesses have to address and commit their resources to implement. When companies whose products are detrimental to the society practice CSR, their motives are often questioned and their ability to be socially responsible may still be contested. However, as have been discussed and elaborated on above, companies do not need to have the best intentions for the society to be socially responsible. In fact, companies who are not genuine practitioners of CSR, but have both the firm and the society at heart when practicing CSR are the ones who are the most socially responsible. Finally, we conclude that companies whose products are detrimental to the society can be socially responsible companies.

Who is Most Responsible for the Deaths in William Shakespeares Romeo a

Who is Most Responsible for the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet Romantic love stories are often ended with a tragedy, because of loss of passion or a loved one. These tragedies are often the result of one person’s actions that ended someone’s life or love. In the Romeo and Juliet play written by William Shakespeare, two citizens of Verona come together and fall deeply in love. Unfortunately their love comes to an end, along with their lives, because of a misunderstanding and a persistent feud between their families. Although there are many characters in this play that have contributed to Romeo and Juliet’s death, Friar Laurence is the person most to blame. Friar Laurence’s actions throughout the play resulted in the two star crossed lovers’ death. He assisted the two when they wanted to get married, which began the disastrous events in the play. Friar Laurence says to Romeo:In one respect I’ll thy assistant be. For this alliance may so happy prove, To turn your households’ rancour to pure love. (II.iii.86-88) When he says this, he is stating he will assist Romeo by marring the two, because through the marriage their families may learn to love each other; therefore ending the fight. Friar Laurence only married the two lovers because he thought it would have a positive impact on the families’ feud. However, he should of thought about the consequences and how since the head of the families were unaware, the marriage could only have negative affects. Also, they were never m...

Essay Midterm Essay

1)The subfields of anthropology seem quite diverse in their specific subjects and methods. Why, then, are they all considered parts of the single discipline of anthropology? What ties them together? Anthropology is an extensive discipline. It is so broad it had to be split into four subfields; Archeology, Biological (Physical), Cultural, and Linguistic anthropology. The definition of anthropology is â€Å"the holistic, scientific study of human kind† (Park, 2014). Parks (2014) states, every anthropologist wants to know why we have a tendency as humans to behave as we do, change constantly, have different cultural behaviors and the ability to constantly evolve. Anthropology answers these questions from the different subfields. â€Å"Archaeology examines our past ways of life through the interpretation of material culture, organic remains, written records, and oral traditions, Biological Anthropology deals with the evolution of the human body, mind and behavior as inferred through study of fossils and comparisons with behavior and anatomy of other primate species, Cultural Anthropology explores the diversity of existing human ways of life, how they work, how they change, and how they interrelate in the modern world and Linguistic Anthropology examines the structure and diversity of language and related human communication systems† (Sanoma State University, 2014). Even though the subfields seem quite diverse they do have similarities that tie them together. According to the American Anthropology Association (2014), â€Å"each subfield applies theories, employs systematic research methodologies, formulates and tests hypotheses, and develops extensive sets of data.† References â€Å"Anthropology: exploring the human in all of us.† (December 12, 2012). American Anthropological Association. Retrieved from http://www.thisisanthropology.org/about-anthropology Parks, (2014) Introducing Anthropology an Integrated Approach (6th ed), McGraw Hill education Sonoma State University, (March 5, 2014). Anthropology consist of four (some would say five) subfields. Retrieved from https://www.sonoma.edu/anthropology/home/subfields.html

Narrowing the Thesis Essays

Narrowing the Thesis Essays Narrowing the Thesis Essay Narrowing the Thesis Essay Essay Topic: Thesis Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Narrowing the Thesis A thesis statement shows the position of a writer. The goal of the statement is to give a general overview of the writer’s point of persuasion. A concise thesis statement not only communicates the writer’s main point but also sparks the curiosity of the reader. This will give the reader moral to read the rest of the essay. A reader is always faced with the challenge of narrowing his thesis within the scope of his argument. The aspect of narrowing the thesis statement refers to a writer’s ability to make a claim that aptly represents the ideas expressed in the essay. A writer’s inability to narrow his thesis statement influences his ability to communicate to the reader. A writer should be able to create an argument in his claim in order to give a narrow thesis statement. My thesis statement should not be a cliche. A narrow thesis statement carries the weight of persuading the reader to a particular perspective. Cliches water down the argumentative aspect of a claim. This is because they are familiar statements that provide no new angle to the subject matter of the essay. Such a thesis statement makes no effort to complicate the subject matter. As a writer, I should be able to look at the subject matter from more than one perspective. This will require creativity and innovation. This will enable me to come up with a strong claim that is devoid of conventional wisdom. Such a thesis statement will complicate the subject matter and subsequently give it a new perspective that represents my point of argument. Narrow thesis statements should be objective. This implies that a writer should not express personal opinions. The challenge of personal opinions is that they create no basis for arguments. This is because an individual’s opinion is hard to prove. As an effective writer, I should give a factual thesis statement. This means that I should treat my opinion as a hypothesis that is yet to be tested. This will eliminate the aspect of treating my ideas as infallible facts. However, I feel that it is important to strike the balance between one’s opinions and facts. This suggests that the facts represented in the thesis statement should not be devoid of one’s personal opinion. My personal opinion will help me to present the truth in a creative manner. One’s thesis statement should not make a broad claim. A general thesis statement is one that does not make a specific claim. This statement does not show the stand of the writer. The effect of this kind of statement is the creation of ambiguity in a reader’s mind. Various measures can assist in the avoidance of such ambiguity, as a writer. I feel that the best way to avoid making a general claim is by identifying a specific claim. This involves selecting a particular issue and showing my stand on the issue. Avoidance of complexities also leads a writer to give general claims. I can avoid giving a general thesis by converting my claim to one that makes a bold stand on the subject matter. A narrow thesis statement will not only represent facts but it will show the perspective of the writer. This kind of thesis statement should show the writer’s argument. While writing a thesis statement, I should be able to make an assertion on the subject matter. The assertion should be one with the ability to raise controversies. The claim should not be a fact that many will easily agree with but it should be one that people are likely to disagree with. A writer’s essay represents his argument. This then implies that in writing my thesis statement I should be able to bring out my point of argument. The thesis statement is the vessel through which a writer gives a reflection of the rest of the essay. It is an important part of the essay as it is the point where a writer expresses his point of argument. In making an effectives expression of one’s argument, a writer can be said to have narrowed his thesis. I have learnt that it is important to represent my argument in a manner that is not only concise but also creative. This will ensure that my thesis statement deliberately controls the rest of my essay.

Read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) comment on what it tells you about Christianity.

Read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) comment on what it tells you about Christianity. Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Ch...In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus covers many topics concerning the life to lead and salvation. In Matthew 5-7, he lays out what will later become the basics of Christianity. Jesus' teachings are very metaphorical and hard to find true meaning. I may be taking some of this too literally but, I found it very hard to follow. This is supposedly Jesus talking, yet he says one thing and then totally shoots it down in the next part. For the most part, I see that it is about obeying God and living a morally good life. What this passage tells me about Christianity is that it is no more than faith. "I tell you, then, that you will be able to enter the Kingdom of heaven only if you are more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires."(Matthew 5. 20)Much of Matthew 5 seems to be about the golden rule. Jesus conveys that what you door don't do, God will or will not do to you. Jesus speaks of rewards very often and that seems to be the underlying meaning of his sermon. He repeats that if you do this or that then you will or will not be rewarded by God. Throughout the sermon, Jesus seems to focus on the rewards as opposed to the acts of goodness, and this seems to be what God doesn't want. But Jesus later speaks of doing good deeds in private so not to be doing it for the reward you get, but out of the goodness of your heart. It is beyond me how he could say that after reading up to that point.From what I have gathered in this sermon, humans are held very high. "You...

Topical summery of the movie Moolaade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Topical summery of the movie Moolaade - Essay Example Since he was an artistic filmmaker, in his film he realized that his dream of unifying Africa was essential and it was what the political leaders had still not produced (Rapfogel & Porton, 2004, pp. 201). The film focuses on the injustice of female genital circumcision (FGC). The film shows six girls that have ran away from a purification ceremony from which four seek refuge with Colle Ardo Gallo Sy because they do not want to be circumcised and Colle had not allower her daughter to be circumcised in the past. The other two of the girls have been thought to have run away to the city. This is about the modern day village of Africa where the genital mutilation of females is rather a culture and tradition that has been coming along since many years. Colle is the hope of the girls as she refused her daughter to be drawn through the painful procedure and she creates a moolaade which is a protection place. She makes the place by putting some yarn across the compound entrance where she and her husband lives; along with his other two wives. Her hostility brings out the tension which comes out episodically to maintain the social stability. Moolaade is the French name given to the study of the social relations in the African village. According to the people of the village, she has something going on in the ancient spell which is the Moolaade. No one could harm those four girls until they were under the protection of Colle, and those who tried would suffer bad things. The spell could be broken by Colle only by saying the words that are right. However, while Colle was working on these developments, the women who were responsible for the mutilations saw her as a threat. On the other hand, the film shows that the other people from the tribe are rather worried about the changes that would affect their village life. There were many anthropological insights which suggested important facts such as man’s higher authority over women, older brothers have dominance over the y ounger ones and the first wife has higher authority over the second wife etc. These traditional factors are eroding away due to the influences. The older people of the tribe are campaigning against these influences and so they take away the radios from women to stop them from accessing to modernized ideas coming from the outside world. The women are angry and one of them says â€Å"they want to lock up our minds†. The men have tried hard but it seemed that they could not completely take away the outside influences. Many modern ideas came to the village through people like traveling salesmen. The salesman brought many modern items in the village like candies, batteries, food and sneakers. The prices of these are high and he is a womanizer as considered by many. Amasatou informs him about her marriage to the heir of the tribal throne, when she goes to pick things for her mother, who is in Paris currently but is going to be back to the village. She and her grandmother carried ou t a spending spree charging the costs to the heir of the throne that she is about to wed. Sembene has been known as the father of the African cinema and this movie was directed by him at the age of 81. At this age Sembene had all the experience and power to engage in a heroic masterpiece that he produced. He had a clear storytelling style which was presented in this film as well. The character of Colle was a heroic character which sent waves to the whole community about a never seen change. She is a strong

EEOC REPORT KJ Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

EEOC REPORT KJ - Assignment Example I also learned that the employers need to evaluate all the work conditions and circumstances in order to assess and determine specific remarks or conducts that are unwelcome by different religions. The topic, religious harassment, is important for my career in that I now understand the best practices that must be employed by both employees and employers in the workplace. Through the topic, I now understand what is expected of employers and employees in protecting freedom of religion. The topic, religious harassment, is related my business courses due to the nature of the business world. The world has become a global village, and people from diversified backgrounds meet and interacts to conduct business. Therefore, it is necessary to understand religious issues, especially what constitute religious harassment in workplaces. In conclusion, I chose the topic because of its sensitive nature in the workplace and the growing diversity in business organizations. I learned what constitutes religious harassments, responsibilities of both employers and employees, and liability limits in both

Solution and Advantages Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Solution and Advantages - Research Paper Example Despite an increase in employment opportunities in the U.S, there has been misuse and oppression of the employed population. The Department of Labor should, therefore, prioritize on improving various federal labor laws that protect both the employees and employers who form the working force toward improving the U.S economy. One of these federal labor laws is the Family and Medical Leave Act that provides a major platform for supporting and recognizing the families of the employed population in America (Schwartz, 2009). Because of the need to improve the U.S economy through the efforts of the employed labor force, the Family and Medical Leave Act should be changed in order to motivate and improve the welfare of the employed population. After the World War II, the U.S has experienced a number of economic recessions. The first one was the deep recession which occurred in 1981 and the great recession in 2007. During that time it took a great deal of effort to regain the economy through creation of jobs. Before the 1990s, the labor market was recovered with a lot of pressure imposed on the labor force in fear of the economy collapsing again. There was a violation of workers’ rights who found it difficult to balance work with their families. These workers, especially women, did not have the power to fight for their rights. However, for that matter the Women’s Legal Defense Fund was established in 1984 to fight for the rights of women in the working environment. However, since, it was not supported by the U.S government it did not have great impact (Fraumeni et al, 1984). The Women’s Legal Defense Fund appealed a draft of legislation which transformed it to The Family and Medical Leave Act. The Act would be introduced in the Congress every year between 1984 and 1993, but was always blocked by well-funded opponents. Eventually, the act was passed in 1991 and 1992 by the

The Relationship Of Text And Music During The Period From The Early Middle Ages Essay Example for Free

The Relationship Of Text And Music During The Period From The Early Middle Ages Essay In the middle ages, the music was both sacred and secular. Its relationship to text can be inferred from the overwhelming evidence of the manuscripts. Right from the middle ages, music never failed to echo the meaning of text. The composers of the middle ages were more likely to see the relation between text and music as one of abstract architecture, grammatical and syntactic structure,and perhaps even of acoustical properties rather than directly one of meaning. The relationship between text and music was not one of measuring, then there was no reason for one kind of music to be appropriate for one kind of text. Since the words and the music were not related in any semantic or emotional way, a monophonic dance-song, a polyphonic spring-song based on it, a song of praise or a lament song may be indistinguishable in musical style. Renaissance describes the development of civilization that marked the transition from mediaval to modern times. The Renaissance composers used their music to communicate with their audiences. there was a set of shared aural expectations between composers and listeners that governed the relationship between text and music. there was a close relationship between music and poetry and music was capable enough to stir the listeners emotions. Inspired by the classical world, Renaissance composers fit words and music together in an increasingly dramatic fashion which is very much evident in the manuscripts of the Renaissance period. In the Baroque era, music was considered to be a divine art. This idea implied that music was not considered on its merits alone, but a path to divinity. music was understood as a general principle of divine creations. Thus music of the Baroque era related to text as an image, an imitation or an anticipation of the heavenly life or the abode of The Omnipresent. At the end of the Baroque era the relationship of the text and music was as meaningful as the relationship of God with mankind.

La liberté de lhomme :: essays research papers

Comme nous l'avons vu en classe, la science et la foi sont divisà ©s profondà ©ment dans notre socià ©tà ©. Les scientifiques rejettent, de faà §on assez gà ©nà ©rale tout ce dont touche à   la foi. De leur part, les religieux s'en prennent aux scientifiques pour leurs tentatives de tout expliquer de manià ¨re rationnelle et scientifique. Dans cet article, Pierre Karli essaie de mettre au point les diffà ©rences fondamentales dans le dà ©bat entre la science et la foi, tout en essayant de rapprocher les deux. Il traà ®te d'abord de la science et de la foi de faà §on catà ©gorique, oà ¹ il indique ce dont nous apporte chacun ainsi que les "collusions" dont il voit entre la foi et le pouvoir politique et entre la science et le pouvoir politique. Il saute ensuite vers une discussion de l'à ªtre humain et la question de l'"instinct d'agression" pour finalement tomber sur une discussion du dà ©bat autour de la libertà © de l'homme. Les diffà ©rences entre la science et la foi ont à ©tà © dà ©battues pendant longtemps. Les scientifiques rejettent toute notion d'un Dieu crà ©ateur, puisqu'ils sont incapables de prouver de faà §on concrà ¨te son existence. Les religieux critiquent les scientifiques de toujours rationaliser et d'essayer de tout mesurer. Par exemple, comment peut-on mesurer l'amour? Les scientifiques peuvent-ils tout de mà ªme nier l'existence de cette force, cette à ©motion? De la part des religieux et croyants, le cas est de mà ªme pour Dieu. Karli dit qu'on ne peut pas comparer ces deux aspects par contre, puisqu'ils ne sont pas semblables. Le problà ¨me se retrouve que les religieux se servent d'une approche religieuse pour examiner la science. De l'inverse pour les scientifiques à   l'à ©gard de la religion. Mais ces deux champs ne peuvent pas à ªtre examinà ©s de la mà ªme manià ¨re. C'est ici que provient les affrontements entre les deux. La science se sert de raison pour pouvoir dà ©crire, mesurer et dà ©montrer. Les scientifiques essaient de tout mesurer, dà ©crire et dà ©montrer, mais arrivent à   un mur lorsqu'ils regardent des aspects mystiques ou religieux. La science, elle, nous permet une meilleure connaissance du monde et de notre relation avec celle-ci. De son cà ´tà ©, la foi est "l'adà ©sion à   une và ©rità © rà ©và ©là ©e, donnà ©e entià ¨re dà ¨s le dà ©part, et qui rà ©pond à   un besoin de transcendence, d'absolu." (Karli, p. 138) Elle nous dit ce qu'on doit faire dans la vie pour doter celle-ci d'un sens, d'une raison d'à ªtre. Mais pour Karli, ces deux ne sont pas mutuellement exclusifs comme nous le ferait croire les participants des deux champs. Karli, comme d'autres thà ©ologiens et religieux(Teilhard de Chardin, l'abbà © Laflamme1 entre autres) essaie de reconcilier la science et la religion. La libertà © de l'homme :: essays research papers Comme nous l'avons vu en classe, la science et la foi sont divisà ©s profondà ©ment dans notre socià ©tà ©. Les scientifiques rejettent, de faà §on assez gà ©nà ©rale tout ce dont touche à   la foi. De leur part, les religieux s'en prennent aux scientifiques pour leurs tentatives de tout expliquer de manià ¨re rationnelle et scientifique. Dans cet article, Pierre Karli essaie de mettre au point les diffà ©rences fondamentales dans le dà ©bat entre la science et la foi, tout en essayant de rapprocher les deux. Il traà ®te d'abord de la science et de la foi de faà §on catà ©gorique, oà ¹ il indique ce dont nous apporte chacun ainsi que les "collusions" dont il voit entre la foi et le pouvoir politique et entre la science et le pouvoir politique. Il saute ensuite vers une discussion de l'à ªtre humain et la question de l'"instinct d'agression" pour finalement tomber sur une discussion du dà ©bat autour de la libertà © de l'homme. Les diffà ©rences entre la science et la foi ont à ©tà © dà ©battues pendant longtemps. Les scientifiques rejettent toute notion d'un Dieu crà ©ateur, puisqu'ils sont incapables de prouver de faà §on concrà ¨te son existence. Les religieux critiquent les scientifiques de toujours rationaliser et d'essayer de tout mesurer. Par exemple, comment peut-on mesurer l'amour? Les scientifiques peuvent-ils tout de mà ªme nier l'existence de cette force, cette à ©motion? De la part des religieux et croyants, le cas est de mà ªme pour Dieu. Karli dit qu'on ne peut pas comparer ces deux aspects par contre, puisqu'ils ne sont pas semblables. Le problà ¨me se retrouve que les religieux se servent d'une approche religieuse pour examiner la science. De l'inverse pour les scientifiques à   l'à ©gard de la religion. Mais ces deux champs ne peuvent pas à ªtre examinà ©s de la mà ªme manià ¨re. C'est ici que provient les affrontements entre les deux. La science se sert de raison pour pouvoir dà ©crire, mesurer et dà ©montrer. Les scientifiques essaient de tout mesurer, dà ©crire et dà ©montrer, mais arrivent à   un mur lorsqu'ils regardent des aspects mystiques ou religieux. La science, elle, nous permet une meilleure connaissance du monde et de notre relation avec celle-ci. De son cà ´tà ©, la foi est "l'adà ©sion à   une và ©rità © rà ©và ©là ©e, donnà ©e entià ¨re dà ¨s le dà ©part, et qui rà ©pond à   un besoin de transcendence, d'absolu." (Karli, p. 138) Elle nous dit ce qu'on doit faire dans la vie pour doter celle-ci d'un sens, d'une raison d'à ªtre. Mais pour Karli, ces deux ne sont pas mutuellement exclusifs comme nous le ferait croire les participants des deux champs. Karli, comme d'autres thà ©ologiens et religieux(Teilhard de Chardin, l'abbà © Laflamme1 entre autres) essaie de reconcilier la science et la religion.

Discuss the significance of the chapter titles of the novel in regard to theme in Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club

In Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club, as in most other existing novels, the titles of each chapter holds a distinct significance in regard to the content of that chapter. It could be argued that Amy Tan selects the words for her titles carefully in order to attain the highest level of analogical, and metaphoric purpose from them. An analysis of each of the chapter titles in regard to the main ideas and messages Amy Tan is putting across highlights the purpose of each of them, and displays the metaphoric and analogical concepts that each hold. The title of the first chapter is a repetition of the title of the book. Amy Tan probably does this deliberately so as to focus the reader. The title itself, The Joy Luck Club, directly refers to the name of a club formed by all the four mothers in the book. At this club, all the mothers who are the co-main characters in the book are members. Around the Mah Jong table, the four women gossip and gamble. This is the most likely cause of the name, The Joy Luck Club, in the way that it was fun and enjoyable talking and telling tales, but one also needed luck in order to win the games of Mah Jong. The Joy Luck Club is founded by the women immigrants, so as to keep a part of Chinese tradition alive in the new world they were in. This is backed up partially by the quote in the book, â€Å"My mother started the San Francisco version of the Joy Luck Club in 1949† (6). The chapter is mainly focusing on the human needs to be surrounded with feelings of familiarity; the reason the club wa s founded in America. Scar is the title of the second chapter. As a representation of the sequences in the chapter, the title gives us a good basis as of what to expect in the chapter. For example, a scar is the result from someone receiving a deep wound. This is the case as the plot in this part of the book is about a little girl who gets burnt, has a mother who left her, and whom she eventually sees again. The title also holds an analogy. That is the analogy of the emotional healing process. Amy Tan uses this analogy in describing the pain inflicted upon the girl, by the mother, in relation to the pain inflicted on the girl by the hot soup. This analogical and metaphoric purpose Amy Tan intends with this can be directly drawn from the chapter itself In two years time, my scar became pale and shiny and I had no memory of my mother. That is the way the way it is with a wound. The wound begins to close in on itself, to protect what is hurting so much. And once it is closed, you no longer see what is underneath, what started the pain(40) This seems to be the way, in the human emotional and physical healing process, it takes time. Amy Tan uses the title, The Red Candle for her third chapter. In the plot of this part, a daughter of one family is being married to a man from another family. In the festivities, it is Chinese tradition to light a candle that has two ends. This represents the longevity of the marriage, and the commitment of the two involved. As the main plot in the chapter is the marriage the title reflects the content, and so is another good selection by Amy Tan. In regard to the theme of this chapter, the red candle, is representing the strength of the marriage, stated in the book, â€Å"That red candle was supposed to seal me to my husband and his family, no excuses afterward†(55). If the candle goes out the marriage is not strong, where as if it doesn't the marriage can never be broken, â€Å"‘This candle burned continuously at both ends without going out. This marriage can never be broken'†(54). As the burning candle represents the impermanence of a marriage, as there is no way a candle, in the situation as the one in the book, could burn to the end without going out, the girl who actually blows it out, along with the wind, and the servant who leaves the candle unattended all represent the intangible forces a marriage encounters. In all, the red candle has a very metaphoric purpose in this chapter, as a title, and theme. The Moon Lady is the title of the next chapter. The title comes directly from the name given to a particular demigod in the Chinese tradition. As the plot of this area focuses mainly on the Moon festival, celebrating the Moon Lady, and the little girls wish to the Moon Lady, it would appear that Amy Tan has chosen an appropriate title for this part. The main idea the author is trying to put across here is the reliance and desire for hope that human society has. Therefore beliefs that support the idea of hope, even in an irrational form, such as the idea of a moon lady, are popular. The idea of this is backed up in the book, â€Å"It is my earliest recollection: telling he moon lady my secret wish.†(65). The Moon Lady is symbolic of hope. In the next chapter, the title is relatively straight forward in its relation to the Content. The Rules of the Game, is referring to the rules of chess, the game that the young child is playing. This chapter is also showing the learning that is coherent in life, that the girl is experiencing. So this chapter title was selected for that purpose, showing the rules the girl is learning. The author uses the word rules, as a metaphor for life's experiences, and how to deal with them. In human society, there are many different situations which require a certain way to act, that is not written, or spoken, but expected, and needed in order to survive. In Chinese society however, there are many ways to approach situations that are spoken about. These are the rules. The game is a metaphor for life. So Amy Tan uses the title in a very blatant and a very subtle metaphoric way. In chapter six, the title The voice from the wall is given. In the physical sense, the voice from the wall is the voices of the mother and child fighting next door, to the girl in the story. In a metaphoric sense, the title is given as to represent a different side of thought. For instance, in the story, the girl misinterprets what she is hearing from next door as murder rather than just a fight occurring between a mother and child, â€Å"She didn't seem like a girl who had been killed a hundred times. I saw no traces of blood-stained clothes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (115). This title is hinting at the human side of us that limits our way of looking at things. It is suggesting that at times we perceive one thing when really it is another, grabbing the wrong end of the proverbial stick. The voice in the title is the other view of the situation, and the wall can be seen as the situation. Amy Tan here again uses her title to perform a discreet metaphoric purpose. The chapter title, Half and Half arises from the daughters realization of how fate is formed. She sees fate as being the result of two things, expectation and inattention, â€Å"And I think now that fate is shaped half by expectation, half by inattention†(140). This title is used to reflect the troubled marriage of the daughter in this story, and the loss of a little boy. The author is focusing on the area of human behavior that leads to events caused by our unlimited expectations and ignorance leading to inattention. The title has no sense of physically describing anything in the story, as in previous chapter titles. The next chapter is a story of a child, whose mother forces her to learn the piano, in the hope of her becoming a prodigy. This chapter is entitled Two Kinds. As a title it holds little significance physically until the end where the daughter finds two halves to a piece of music she once played, â€Å"And after I played them both a few times, I realized they were two halves of the same song†(155). In relation to theme, the title holds a strong relation to the main points of emotional duality that the author is touching on. The main idea, being, the two sides of a mind that see things from different perspectives. There is the side that always an endless capacity to desire, and the side that makes us grateful for what we already had. This is summed up in the book, â€Å"†Pleading Child† was shorter but slower; â€Å"Perfectly contented† was longer but faster†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ(155). This supports the idea of the daughter of the seeing the two sides of her life as a child, the way she saw it then, ‘Pleading Child', being pushed around and wanting more than she had, and the way she sees it now, ‘Perfectly Content', she realizes she had a good mother and a good life. The ninth chapter in The Joy Luck Club, is called Rice Husband. The title comes from a story the daughter was told by her mother. This was about the grains of rice she left in her bowl becoming the number of pockmarks on her future husbands face. The title relates to the main plot, as the story is set when the daughter has now married her husband, and is having her mother to stay with her for a while. The title has little other significance, other than the quality of the daughter husband reflecting the times she left rice in her bowl. The husband is not very nice, â€Å"I'm sitting on the sofa, seething, and I don't know why. It's not that Harold has done anything wrong. Harold is just Harold†(178). If a husband can annoy you with out even doing anything he must really not be a good husband. The pock marks in the fable meaning the impurities of your husband, of which the daughter's obviously has many. As with the last chapter the title Four Directions holds very little significance in an analogical or metaphoric sense. There seems to be no underlying or hidden reason for Amy Tan using the title, other than it is the name of the restaurant that the mother and daughter go to. Four Directions is the name of the place, â€Å"I said as we waited for the lunch bill at Four Directions†(184). The next chapter called Without Wood, is given to describe a characteristic, or lack of that the daughter has. The title has no physical relation to any of the events in the story here, but has the purpose of describing the type of person the women is. In the Chinese tradition, people contain certain elements, such as metal, water, fire and wood, to name just a few. Each of these holds a certain key to some ones character, and each need to be balanced with on another. In the story, the woman has a very indecisive side, and relies on others to make important decisions in her life, this is supported in the book, â€Å"I sat there quietly, trying to listen to my heart, to make the right decision. But then I realized I didn't know what the choices where†(213). This, in Chinese tradition is due to the fact that she has not got enough wood in her. This is the reason Amy Tan has used the title she has, taking something from her culture and introducing it to the reader. This is at fir st difficult to see but after recalling earlier parts of the book the title makes sense. In regard to theme, the title again is just pointing out what the author is trying to convey, and that is the varying characteristics that separate us as human beings in to individuals. The Best Quality, the name of the twelfth part of the book, is given for to reasons. As a title it touches the theme in a sense that mothers always want the best for their offspring, which is no different to the mother in this story. The best quality meaning the best quality of life that a mother can give her children. The title is also given in relation to the events held in the story. In the plot the mother is holding a diner where crab will be served and whilst picking the crabs, she picks one which is missing a leg, which is served at dinner. At the diner, the mother and daughter are last to pick, so the daughter goes to pick the crab with the missing leg, but her mother insists she takes the good one, â€Å"I thought I was doing the right thing, taking the crab with the missing leg. But my mother cried, â€Å"No! No! Big one, you eat it. I cannot finish†Ã¢â‚¬ (227). Hence, the mother always wants the best for her child. The next title named Magpies, has very little relation to the theme in this area of the book. It rather holds as a direct reference to a story within the story. A story of birds mocking peasants, who revolted and killed the birds, is told, The birds became more exhausted, unable to land, unable to eat. And this continued for many hours, for many days, until all those birds-hundreds, thousands, and then millions!-fluttered to the ground, dead and still, until not one bird remained in the sky(273) So again in this chapter the title holds no significance in regard to the theme in this story. Waiting Between the Trees, the title given to the fourteenth part, is significant in terms of the theme here. This part of the book is describing a mother's actions in her life, and using the analogy of a tiger to make us further understand the authors main points. In this chapter Amy Tan is commenting again on the duality of the human mind. She is saying that there is a part of humans that makes itself visible and conspicuous in its actions and another part that is more hidden and subtle in its actions. This is explained in the tiger analogy the author uses. Then she told me why a tiger is gold and black. It has two ways. The gold side leaps with its fierce heart. The black side stands still with cunning, hiding its gold between trees, seeing and not being seen, waiting patiently for things to comes(282) This is another example of Amy Tan's creativeness in her titles, subtle but very meaningful. The next chapter entitled, Double face. This is in reference to the part of this story where the mother and daughter are comparing their faces and seeing how much they look like each other. Double faced means a person who has two ways of acting, which are done in different situations. This is the main them in this part. Amy Tan, again, is commenting on the twin sidedness of human behavior. How we are nice to some one to them, and nasty to them when they are not around. This is explained in the book, â€Å"It means we're looking one way, while following another. We're for one side and also the other. We mean what we say, but our intentions are different†(304). This is a trait of humanity, and a necessary one in some circumstances. So in regard to the theme, the title holds significance in the way that it is using a term that describes a characteristic of human conduct. The last chapter title, as with many in the second half of the book has little significance to the theme of the story. The name A Pair of Tickets, is really just a physical explanation of what to expect I the story, in which a daughter and her father fly to China from America. Two tickets, two people, and a logical choice for representation of the plot in the story, however not for any thematic reasons. This is also a good selection of title by Amy Tan, as it rounds the book off, as the first chapter is about the woman getting tickets to meet her family, the last is about her using the tickets. Overall, Amy Tan has used a wide variety of chapter headings, ranging from ones with deep analogical, metaphoric, and thematic meanings, others with simple physical pointers to events in the story. The selection and timing of the headings also leads to provoking a strong thought process of the reader as to the author's intentions with the names of her chapters. Amy Tan has written a clever, thought inciting book, which although at times is exceedingly boring, is still none the less an intelligently written piece of literature.