Political socialization and how women define politics and power Essay

There are various types of political socialization, and these have various effects on political participation. The traditional sex role socialization involves the integration of traditional roles performed by men and women into the political scene. This form of socialization has the effect of exclusion of women in political participation and dominance of politics by men. This effect has been in existence for a long time; like for instance, until 1975, exclusion of women from jury duty could be granted on ground of interference with domestic chores. According to Lawless and Fox (8-11), another type of political socialization involves the masculinized ethos, and this is the type of political socialization which relies on political institutions during campaigns. Since most of the institutions are dominated by men, then an ethos of masculinity is developed. This form of socialization is reinforced by the lack of legislature which advocates for inclusion of female participation in policy agendas. This form of socialization also serves to alienate women from positions of power and political participation. The gendered psyche is a form of socialization which ensures male domination of the political activities through infusing a culture which relegates women to the periphery in political participation. Women are made to feel valued, protected and secure, which makes it be viewed as normal for men to engage in politics but not reasonable for women to engage in it. This is a situation which is seen in the corporate scene. A large number of women normally downplay achievements in business, which makes them qualify for much lower salaries compared to men with similar or even lesser achievements. This form of socialization encourages political participation by men and discourages political participation by women. However, despite all these challenges, some women such as Latina women still manage to play very important roles in politics (Cohen & Jones 224-230). Part B How women define politics. Latina women in Boston Massachusetts play important roles in the political scene. They are involved in protest marches, community events, voter registration, election campaigns, workshops, community forums and social and political change. They play very crucial roles in the development of society and most of the women who were surveyed wanted to get involved in politics (Cohen & Jones 223-231). These women experience certain stages of development which encourage them to join politics. These stages involve the questioning of conditions where they live and searching for solutions from other people and themselves. However, some women recognize the need for change and grab the opportunity to do what they believe in. Socialism, independence and statehood are the main motivators in joining politics for some women. Other women are motivated by problems which they experienced such as poor housing, school dropout and AIDS in the community. There are also other women who believe that socialization in the family is a major determinant of joining politics. There are different perspectives of politics according to the Latina women, with some viewing it as involving giving support, and helping others in fulfilling their obligation. This is an aspect of politics which is derived from the family social setting. It can be traced to the fact that most Latinas from political supportive families, view sharing as the goal of working with other people. The Latina family traditions advocate for helping, giving or sharing and forms the basis of political activities. Women who are socialized according to this perspective aim at empowering the people in the community and sharing the resources which are available. Another perspective of politics according to the Latina women is escape from oppression. Since many Latina women have faced oppression at one point in their lives, either from the system, their husbands or fathers, they identify with this cause and believe that politics is a solution from oppression. These above perspectives capture how most Latina women define politics. Part C How women define power. According to Lawless and Fox (1-5), most women do not have the confidence to seek positions of power despite having excellent credentials and qualifications. A survey was performed and targeted four qualified career people who had high credentials, in a bid to find out their chances for running for a position of power. These people were Cheryl, Tricia, Randall and Kevin. Cheryl is an accomplished lawyer with excellent credentials while Tricia is a professor in Sociology in a large University. Randall is also a college professor while Kevin is a partner in a law firm. The survey revealed that unlike men who are ready to grab the positions of power, women did not even consider running for the same positions. Cheryl and Tricia would not consider running for a position of power, while Randall and Kevin said they would grab the opportunity immediately. This is a situation which is replicated in the political scene. Women are not ready to run for public office irrespective of the fact that they are highly qualified. Since there are no obvious obstacles in campaigning for office for the female gender, it is clear that the lack of interest in running for power plays a major role in the dominance of political scene by men. However, there are people who are of the opinion that when men run for office, the vacant seats which emerge are occupied by women, and this ensures that they still have power. This may be true, but the fact is that women are not interested in running for political and power positions. According to (Cruz 424), if women do not adopt a strategy of helping one another, they will not succeed in politics. Further research should be carried out on the topic to unmask the reasons behind this lack of interest. Works Cited. Cohen Cathy & Jones Kathy. (1997). Women transforming politics: An alternative reader. New York: New York University Press, p220-240. Cruz, Takash P. 1993. Breaking Barriers to Representation: Chicana/Latina Elected Officials in California. Journal of Urban Anthropology, p 420-430. Lawless, J. L. & Fox, R. L. (2005). It takes a candidate: Why women don’t run for office. New York: Cambridge Press, p1-13.

Reaction paper on “The little prince” Essay

I. Brief Summary of the Book The story begins when the narrator look back his childhood life. He drew a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. He showed it to the adults he failed to get hearten with their comments. He felt bad with the grown-ups because they told him to stop his drawing career, instead became a pilot, as they believe that it is the sensible thing to do. So he decided to became a pilot and live his life alone. One day, his plane crashed in the middle of the Sahara desert, a thousand miles from any human habitation. At his first night, he went to sleep, he was awakened by the odd voice came from the little boy who asked him to draw a sheep. He was surprised of what he saw. He drew the sheep that the boy wanted, but again he failed by his drawing until he came up with a box and threw out an explanation to it. That is how he made his acquaintance to the little prince. He took him a long time to know where he came from, but little by little he learned that the prince came from asteroid B-612. Everything there is small. Through their conversation, everything was revealed to him. The little prince took much care of his planet. He doesn’t want anything destroyed his home. One day, a rose appeared on his planet. For him, it is the most beautiful creature ever. He fell in love with it but he caught the rose lied to him. So he decided to leave her and not to trust the rose anymore. To cure his loneliness, he went to the other planets to explore. He found himself in the near planet where he met the king who’s clad in royal purple and ermine, which was at the same time both simple and majestic seated upon the throne. For him, all men are just a subject. The king believed that he can rule over everything even the moon, the stars and the sun. Then the little prince asked him to order the sun to set. But the king can’t do that just right away. So the little prince decided to leave even though the king offered him to be a minister in his planet. He thought to himself that the grown-ups are very strange. In the second planet, he met the conceited man who believed that he is the most handsome, best dressed, and richest and the most intelligent man in that planet. He thought that the  little prince is just an admirer. But the little prince him remind him that he is the only man in that planet. Then he leaved the conceited man with his thought that grown-ups are very odd. In the third planet, he met the tippler who lived alone with his collection of empty bottles and full bottles. He spent his time in drinking just to forget the ashamed of drinking. Little prince puzzled and thought that grown-ups are very, very odd as he continued his journey. In the fourth planet, he met the businessman who was very busy that don’t even notice his arrival. The businessman count the stars and write the numbers on a paper then put it on his bank for so many years because he claimed that he own the stars. But little prince explained to him that he just wasting his time in a matter of consequences just what he did in his flower. Then he continued his journey. In the fifth planet, he met the lamplighter. It was the smallest of all but it was strange. The lamplighter was forever putting out his lamp and lightning it again. He said that he just followed the orders. The little prince thought that the lamplighter was so faithful to his orders. In the sixth planet, he met the geographer. His planet was the most magnificent but he has no way of knowing if there are mountains, rivers, or seas in planet because it is not important for him to waste his time to explore. He can’t leave his desk. He just wrote on his thick book the informati on that the explorer gave to him. He advised the little prince to visit the earth because it has a good reputation. The seventh planet he went is the earth. He lands in the middle of the desert and can’t find any humans. Instead, he met a snake who was pleased to stay in the little prince company because he is innocent and honest in all matters and its poison can send back the little prince to its own home. But little prince ignored the offers and continued to explore. He then found a three-petal flower, climb the highest mountain where he found the echo that makes him confused. He also found a rose garden, which surprises and depresses him because his rose had told him that she was the only one of her kind. He met a fox whom he look after and attempts to tame. He also met some humans, who seemed strange to him. A railway switchman who is unsatisfied, and knows people are unsatisfied, except for children who are the only ones that know what they are looking for. And a merchant, who sells pills that, will quench thirst and save valuable time. The story of the little prince was ended in the desert where he was with the narrator  pilot. They finally find a well to satisfied their thirst and they both agree in knowing that people didn’t see the truly importance of life but just lead mechanical or an empty lives. However, the little prince missed his planet so much that he looked for the snake again to bite him and send him back to his planet. But before he leaved, he gave laughing stars to the narrator pilot. And the plane was able to fix then. He is confident that the little prince has returned to his asteroid. The narrator looked at the lovely and sad landscape of the desert and to the star of his new friend that brightly shining in the sky. II. Analysis of the book’s content The moral is the importance of looking, listening and understanding, exploring and experiencing to find the real and true meaning of a thing. At the beginning of the story, the narrator point out that the grown-ups doesn’t see the real meaning of his drawings, instead, they just look at the surface without even understanding and knowing its deeper meaning. Grown-ups forgot how to appreciate little thing, how to understand life better, how to learn from own mistakes and how to live simply, and how to value true friendship. This story reminds us not to be like the grown-ups who don’t care anyone, just himself. Not to be like the rose who is liar, obsessed and very demanding. Not to be like king who rules the things that shouldn’t be ruled. Not to be a conceited man who is self-centered. Not to be a tippler who is nothing to do but to drink liquor forever just to remove his ashamed of drinking. Not to be a businessman who is claimed the things that don’t belong to him just to be rich. And not to be a geographer who doesn’t have time to look around sees what his real world is. Instead, it tells us to be like the lamplighter who is faithful in the orders and very dedicated to do his task. To be like the pilot who admits his mistakes just because of a matter of consequences. To be like the little prince who lives simply, knows how to value friendship and appreciate little things. That’s what the story wants us to learn. It’s better for us to look closely, listen well and understand deeply, explore somewhere and experience everything first for us know how to value life and appreciate everything without hurting and destroying someone and for us not to end for such a fool. III. Relate the moral of the story to any philosophical concept I relate the moral of the story to St. Augustine on the Moral Evil and Moral Obligation. Moral Evil – man’s abuse or misuse of his freedom; Evil is the very negation and privation of being and cannot be the object of God’s positive act of creation. The grown-ups, the king, the conceited man, the tippler, the businessman and the geographer was abused their freedom because of their wrong doings in themselves and in other creatures of God. The grown-ups don’t appreciate little things and their rude comments that hurt the feelings of other people; the king was greedy in power for him to rule the things that should be ruled only by God; the conceited man was selfish and forgot to value people around him; the businessman was not contented of what he had, he wanted to own the other creatures of God; the tippler was abused his health every time he drinks liquor for his only purpose of removing his shame; and the geographer that the only thing he knows is to write the information that the explorer given to him without providing a little time to look at the creations of God. These people are selfish because they just think about for their own happiness. Moral Obligation – humanity must do good and avoid evil; all human are responsible to their neighbors as they are to their own actions. The lamplighter, the narrator pilot and the little prince are the humans that do good and avoid evil. The lamplighter is very responsible in doing his task and faithful even though there are no other people in his asteroid except him; the narrator pilot who knows how to treat a stranger and value a friendship even if he will not see little prince anymore; and the little prince knows how to appreciate little things, how to love all the creations of God and just like the narrator pilot, he knows also how to value a friendship.

All Summer in a Day Reaction Margot Essay

All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury depicts an innocent girl who is tormented by her society for not being the same. I like this story immensely, not only for its engaging plot but how it directly correlates with society today. It also shows how people are pure pressured into being someone they aren’t. The first reason I liked this story is because of its futuristic setting. The story is set in Venus in a jungle where all it does is rain. Once every seven years there is two hours of sun. The concept of having only two hours of rain every seven years is fascinating. It is fascinating because we take the sun for granted, and the people of Venus cherish it and yearn for the sun to come out. The sun to them is something unknown, something to look forward to, for people on Earth it is just light. Another interesting thing about the setting is that it only rains. Where Margot lives there is only rain, but it is not a light drizzle it is a downpour every day and every night. The rain is a symbol for despair. The rain is what keeps all of the kids’ spirits so low. If there were sun everyday on Venus, every kid would be living a happy jubilant life. The second reason I loved this short story is because of the life lesson it taught me. While reading this short story I was memorized how a little girl could be locked up in a closet just for being different. Margot was just an innocent little girl who remembered her life on Earth. She also remembers the sun and since she did, the rest of the kids in her class took advantage of her. They locked her in a closet just before the sun came out. This is not only taking the one thing she loved from her but destroying her dreams. All Margot wanted to see was the sun, she wanted to feel its heat, look at its beauty, but her classmates had a different plan. They wanted to make her feel sorry; she was tormented for being different than them. Another reason they did this was because they were jealous of her. They were jealous she could have had a future on Earth, where the sun comes out everyday. The kids knew she had a chance to go back, and out of jealousy they locked her in a closet. From this I learn that jealousy can take over someone’s his or her common sense and do something so repulsive and mean. What this story teaches me about normal life is that I can never get caught up what is going on around me. I cannot focus on what is going on around me I have to focus on how I am affecting other people. This also teaches me that what other people think can never distract me. Another major reason I liked this book is because as I read this over for the second time, I started thinking about myself. I thought about it anybody had ever influenced me to do something that was not, â€Å"me. † I also thought about if I had ever seen anybody do something blatantly wrong to someone else. I then thought should I have just stood there as a bystander and watched this kid get tormented. I stopped reading and decided that I also learned that I need to stand up for what I believe in, and in this case one of her class mates should have stopped this from happening before it happened. The last thing I liked about this short story is how each character was uniquely different than the last. For example, the first character we directly meet is Margot. Immediately Bradbury states, â€Å"Margot stood apart from them, from these children who could never remember a time when there wasn’t rain and rain and rain. † From this we learn that Margot doesn’t relate with the rest of the kids because she has something the rests of the kids don’t, she has a memory of the sun. This is very interesting because the rest of the kids are jealous of her, and this is one of the many distinctions we have of Margot. Another thing we learn about Margot is she used to live on Earth. When she was five she moved to Venus, but she strictly remembers what the sun looks like. She is just an innocent girl who had a distinction that set her apart from the rest of the group. The kids on the other hand can be distinguished as one character. These kids symbolize society today; everyone has to be the same. Since Margot stood out from the rest of them, the kids punished her. The children also get distracted from what they have done so they can go play in the sun, what they don’t realize is they are hurting others peoples feelings by being oblivious to the world. This made me think about times I had ever been so oblivious to someone else’s feelings just so I could do something of interest. In conclusion, All Summer in A Day is a phenomenal short story with many interesting characters and fun plot changes. Also this short story made me think about daily life and how I always need to stay focused my opinions, not what other people thing. Also I need to care for other peoples feelings and not only my own.

Portfolio of documents and exercises 04101 Essay

Portfolio of documents and exercises 04101 - Essay Example Include organising, leading or group activities. Those requiring initiative, creativity or giving intellectual development are also of interest. The following questions are designed to encourage you to provide specific abilities. Your examples can be taken from your education, work experience, placements or spare-time or other voluntary activities but do not write solely about course-work. Describe a challenging project, activity or event which you have planned and taken through to a conclusion. Include your objective, what you did, any changes you made to your plan and state how you measured your success. ï‚ · To analyze the extent of change in customer satisfaction due to either a change in customer expectations over Mobile Number Portability services before and after availing it or a change in the services provided by the mobile network operators to its customers which further lead them to avail MNP. ï‚ · Thus to suggest strategic and tactical actions for slowing down the rate of customer loss, increase customer satisfaction and attracting customers who are unhappy with their existing service contributor. Describe how you achieved a goal through influencing the actions or opinions of others (perhaps in a team context). What were the circumstances? What did you do to make a difference? How do you know the result was satisfactory? During the second year of my studies, I had a group assignment which required all the group members to prepare a presentation on one of our course modules. I myself chose to lead the team precisely because I could understand that other individuals in the team were reluctant to lead the way. The first major circumstance that came in front of me was that my team was formed of people belonging from different culture. This was mainly due to the fact that the five individuals within the group came from different countries. Therefore, it was important for me to understand the acceptance, tolerance and

"Al Futtaim Group" current industry situation Essay

"Al Futtaim Group" current industry situation - Essay Example It grew by ten percent to reach three billion and six hundred billion. Majid Al Futtaim issued its first ten year fifty million dollar bond in May 2014. This extended the life average life of the portfolio of the company. The bond was the first issuance since 2010 and also the longest tenure achieved in Dubai by a corporate issuer. The company optimized its debt portfolio since it had strong liquidity and a solid financial performance in the banking market. They also received the most innovative treasury award from Global Capital (Browne, 1999. Pp52). In January 2015, Majid Al Futtaim which is the leading shopping mall, retail and leisure pioneer across North Africa and the Middle East reported a steady growth as it prepared for a further regional expansion. The company continues to develop a strong balance sheet with assets valued at more than forty five billion AED and net debt of around eight billion AED. The standard and poor’s and Fitch Rating reaffirms the company’s investment-grade ratings of BBB which is a stable outlook during the year. The company has a vision of future expansion across North Africa and the Middle East and to bring innovative new experiences to new populations strongly focusing on Egypt and Saudi Arabia (Shaw-Smith, 2015.

How would you describe the protagonist of The Snows of Kilimanjaro Essay

How would you describe the protagonist of The Snows of Kilimanjaro Name three of his most important characteristics and supp - Essay Example While Henry waits for the approach of the inevitable hour, the plot of the story moves ahead through the recollection of his thoughts of spectacular experience of the poor and â€Å"interesting lot†. The story is also captivated with the remorse and repentance of Henry during his final hours as he estimates the time he has wasted in his decadent life instead of writing down his wonderful experiences. A thorough understanding and deep delineation of the story would launch the readers into three most pertinent characteristics of Henry’s personality. The first obvious trait in his personality is his impatient nature. Henry is seen to be impatient and pessimist throughout the story. He is in a continuous quest and his thought process is also observed moving faster. He is hopeless and he is sure that no aid can be given to him except a peaceful death which according to him he is denied at the camp as well, â€Å"Don't be silly. I'm dying now. Ask those bastards. He looked o ver to where the huge, filthy birds sat, their naked heads sunk in the hunched feathers. A fourth planed down to run quick-legged and then waddle slowly toward the others†. (Hemingway, 1998). Henry is seen blaming others for his failure which is an indication of a very nagging behaviour.

How Convincing Is Porter's Model of National Competitive Advantage in Essay

How Convincing Is Porter's Model of National Competitive Advantage in Explaining the Workings and Achievements of Major Nation - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that international competitiveness of different countries is a great concern on governments and organizations. Countries do their best in order to ensure that they remain competitive in the international market. The interest on the competitiveness of countries has led to debates on the understanding and the true meaning of the international competitiveness of different countries. The purpose for the debates is due to the assumptions that underlie the theories of management that the competitiveness of firms may be transferred to countries. This was popularized by porter according to his diamond framework. Corporate strategies should be looked at from a global context. In spite of any given organization not having any plans of exporting or importing any goods directly. The management team of the organization is supposed to consider the international environments. This is because the action that the different organizations make on such issues as the competitors, sellers, buyers, substitute providers and the persons joining the market usually have a great influence on the domestic market. Michael Porter came up with a model that may be used to analyze the reasons as to why some nations may be more competitive compared to others and some given industries may be more competitive within a nation compared to others. This model may be used as a factor of determining national advantage and it is mostly referred to as the Porter’s diamond. The model suggests that an organizations national home base plays a great role in defining the extent that the organization is likely to be successful in the global scale as well as having a competitive advantage. The home base is able to provide some basic factors that may act as support for success and may at time hinder some organizations in building advantage grounds in a global competition. This model distinguishes four different determinants. The first determinant is the factor co ndition. This is the situation in a given country based on the factors of production such as infrastructure and skilled labor which may be relevant to make the country competitive in some industries. These factors may be placed in groups that include human resources, material resources, knowledge resource, infrastructure and capital resources. These factors also include research quality done by universities, liquidity of the national stock market or deregulation of the labor market. These factors may provide some advantage in the market and may act as a competitive advantage. The second condition is the home demand conditions. This condition describes the amount of home demand that the services and products produced in a given country are demanded within the country. The demand at home may influence the factor conditions. It helps shape the direction that the product development and innovation take. This model states that the demand within a country may shape the competitiveness of the country in the global market. The third condition is the supporting and related industry. When a country has one industry that is successful, it may reinforce internationalization and innovation in the industry at a later stage on the value system. Both the supplying industries and the related industries play a great role in a country’s competitiveness. These industries may coordinate some given activities together in the market, especially those that are related, which will in turn offer competitive advantages. The last condition is the structure, strategy and rivalry of the firm. In different nations, some factors such as management structures, interaction between companies and working morale may be shaped differently. This may provide some disadvantages and advantages for particular industries.

Routing Protocols Of Cisco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Routing Protocols Of Cisco - Essay Example 2.2 Static RoutingMeehan says that static routing is the manual addition of routers into the routing board. As such, there is no communication among routers in static routing. As a result, the system administrator enters the fixed or static paths manually into the router without the routers sharing knowledge on the network topology.2.3 Dynamic routing Dynamic routing, which is also called adaptive routing, describes a computer network in which routers are able to alter their route or path depending on the changes in the conditions of communication circuits. For instance, a router is able to adjust to failing lines or overloads in traffic.Static routing is not a form of routing protocol because it is a manual procedure. On the other hand, dynamic routing uses protocols, which are usually supported by various software applications. Through the protocols, which define the path of routers, dynamic routers provide knowledge on various destinations. In static routing, the paths to be follo wed by routers are hard-coded on network devices as demonstrated by Meehan. This means that the direction of traffic is fixed. In dynamic routing, routing protocols are used in the determination of the most appropriate path to send traffic. If a specific path is not preferred, a different route is used in sending data packets. OSPF and EIGRP are examples of protocols used in dynamic routing.Static routing is applicable in computer networks when the number of devices to be configured is very few.

Resume Application Letter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Resume Application Letter - Assignment Example I possess good communication skills, necessary for financial reporting and making book keeping entries. I fully understand all the concepts involved in reconciling the general ledger accounts. I am also well versed in preparing and reconciling bank statements as well as filing and processing tax returns. I have proved my capability and efficiency in this area through acting as the assistant staff accountant during my internship, where I prepared all the necessary financial statements for the organization and filed all the returns. In reference to my resume, I am well equipped with strong computer skills, which are required in financial statements analysis. I have learnt the value of excellent customer service skills during my training and internship, which I will import to your organization. After reading the core values of your organization, I am pleased to understand that you value team work, which is the basic professional value that I

The Essentiality of Open-Minded Discourse by Christine Smith Essay

The Essentiality of Open-Minded Discourse by Christine Smith - Essay Example I would first raise this issue in the class discussing the form of the letter's arguments and, next, with the letter's author, my friend. I would then reflect on whether I indeed practice the principles of tolerance that I preach to others. My initial response to the letter in question and the particular discussion in my class characterizing the letter as an example of bad argumentation would be to acknowledge that, yes, the letter presents immature and imprudent arguments against homosexuality. To do otherwise would ignore the obvious. I would then attempt to prevent the class from estimating the quality of my friend from the quality of his arguments, as a good person can have misguided opinions and make flawed arguments. And, equally abhorrent to arguments based on biases and prejudices is passing judgment on a person before taking the time to understand his or her many facets. Indeed, it is precisely this sentiment that I would then carry to my friend, the author of the letter. Since he is my friend, and has been for quite some time, I naturally care about him, his feelings, his perception of the world, and other's perceptions of him. I would advise him that, regardless of his personal opinion of homosexuality, his method of presenting his views was harsh and injudicious, passing rash judgment on homosexuals and on those readers who do not agree with his perspective. I would endeavor to be understanding and patient with my friend, attempting to convey to him the benefit of healthy discourse rather than mere blind contentions about controversial issues. Finally, after having discussed with my classmates and with my friend the advantages of healthy argument and open-mindedness, I would spend some time quietly and sincerely reflecting on whether I practice those qualities myself. I would like to think that I am tolerant and nonjudgmental, and that I was indeed in a moral position to discuss the value of forbearance and open discourse. To be sure, I would re-read my friend's letter, evaluate my initial reaction to it, ponder on whether and how I would write it differently if I felt the need to express my opinion on the subject of homosexuality, and consider whether the entire incident had changed my feelings for my friend or for my classmates. It is through this type of self-reflective process that I can be satisfied that my response to my friend's letter was honest. In sum, one cannot minimize the importance of open dialogue to flesh out the many perspectives our society maintains. Some arguments are better presented than others and, by definition, no one's opinion, though perhaps misguided, can be wrong. Indeed, critical to wise discourse is the ability to express one's opinions and listen to those of others openly and without bias. With hope, then, maybe one person who would otherwise belligerently convey preconceived, negative and baseless opinions will reflect and, instead, embrace a wise and healthy method of expression. Topic Outline I. Introduction A. Acceptance and tolerance lead to healthier expression and debate B. First, discuss the form of the letter's arguments with classmates C. Second, discuss the form of the letter's arguments with friend D. Third, reflect on whether I am tolerant and

The Diminishing Roles for Women in American films Essay

The Diminishing Roles for Women in American films - Essay Example The issue of gender inequality is seen in the minimal number of women behind the scenes, that is directors and writers. The fact that men compose the biggest percentage of writers and directors greatly impacts on what is shown. Men will therefore have a chance to influence how women are portrayed and the role they wish them to play. This is why most women are given minimal roles such as secretaries and homemakers. According to the same study published in the Los Angeles times, women characters are more likely than men to wear sexy clothes, expose their skin and to be referred to as being attractive. What this means is that Hollywood is a follower and not a leader in the feminist movement and the realization of gender equality, in the film industry. It is like the film industry in the United States is in a world of its own, in comparison with the other industries .In the same breath women are allocated supporting roles, while men are given the main roles. This under representation cou ld falsely make one to believe that men are more than women. The diminishing role of women is seen in the many stereotypes geared towards women, which are prejudice. This trend was started in the nineteen fifties and continues to grow. Actors such as Audrey Hepburn were mainly given sexual and seductive roles. Beauty standards of women in the film industry are predetermined by the industry which favors white females who have a slender frame, characteristics which are hard to achieve by many females, especially other races. This is why the number of actresses from ethnic groups such as those from the black community is minimal. According to Martha Plimpton, an actress, it is harder for a regular looking woman to get a job, than it is for an â€Å"ugly’’ man. Essentially this means that it is much harder for women to get into acting because success for them in the industry is based on looks. Stereotyping in role allocation is impacting negatively on women in the film in dustry in Hollywood. Women are usually depicted as victims and men as the victors. A good example is the war movies and documentaries in which men are given the main roles. This is despite the fact that women are usually the ones who bear the biggest brunt of war and, and determine the directions that most wars take. Films always portray women as the victims of men to be raped or abused. This makes them seem weaker compared to men. People are exposed to such perceptions from an early age, which influences perceptions of boys towards girls from childhood to maturity. Girls and women are portrayed differently in movie roles from when they are teenagers to maturity. Teenage girls are cast as being of strong characters and adult women as being weaker and highly sexualized. Actresses are given scenes that show that women are hostile to each other, and their friendships as being backstabbing in nature, while male friendships are strong and supportive. Female roles in movies are usually to stand with by their husbands and children, and do household duties. Actors roles are usually strong, aggressive and competent, on the other hand women’s roles are usually weak, vulnerable, so that they need protection (O ‘Connor, 1998). Leadership positions are usually left to male actors who also act as the main breadwinners to their families

Discuss the History of Korea and Its Impact on Korea Essay Example for Free

Discuss the History of Korea and Its Impact on Korea Essay Topic: Discuss the history of Korea and its impact on Koreas culture, politics and business. Korea is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Korean civilization is one of the oldest ancient civilizations in world history, and Korea has the oldest history in East Asia. * GoJoseon (National foundation in BC 2333) The first Korean kingdom GoJoseon was established on a flourishing bronze culture in BC 2333 by Dangun who was the legendary founder of Go]eseon and people believed he was the grandson of heaven (Edward 2005). It was centered in the basins of Liao China) and Northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Politics and economy In Korean history, GoJoseon was the first state to unify its political and religious functions within one governing system and legal system as represented by its Eight Prohibitions (Edward 2005). Society It is believed that GoJoseon had achieved the status of a kingdom with a class-based society. * Three Kingdoms penod ( BC 18 AD 676) Town-states gradually united into tribal leagues with complex political structures which eventually grew into kingdoms. Koguryo (BC 37 AD 668) Koguryo was the first to mature into a kingdom. Koguryds aggressive troops onquered neighboring tribes one after another, and in 313, they even occupied Chinas Lolang outposts (Qiancheng 2009). paekje (BC 18 AD 660) PaekJe, which grew out of a town-state located south of the Han River in the surroundings of present-day Seoul(Capital city of South Korea), was another contederate kingdom similar to Koguryo deane 2 Shilla (BC 57 AD 935) Shilla was the weakest and most underdeveloped among three kingdoms at the beginning. However, because it was geographically removed from Chinese influence, it was more open to non-Chinese practices and ideas. The society was built on an advanced Buddhist in Shilla (Edward 2005). unified Shilla (676-918) By the mid-sixth century, the Shilla kingdom had brought under its control all of surrounding town-states within the Gaya confederation. Through an alliance with China, Shilla finally unified the Korean peninsula in 668 and saw the peak of its power and prosperity in the mid-eighth century. It attempted to build an ideal Buddhist country during Unified Shilla but Buddhist social order started to deteriorate as the nobility indulged in increasing luxury (Kim 2005). Hwarang-do (Flower-knight art) in Unified Shilla It is culturally important to Korea and Taekwondo which is well known Korean martial arts in the world. It was a military academy for young, aristocratic youth in Unified Shilla. They intimated with nature and studied poetry, art, literature and song, as well as martial arts. Confucianism and Taoism also were very influential to Hwarang-do. The Hwarang-dds ethics and legends of this knighthood helped form the ethical background of taekwondo (Theodore 2005). * Koryo penod ( 918 1392) Internal dissensions and external problems of Shilla between the king and regional leaders led to the disruption of Shilla. The name Koryo derives from Koguryd and it is the root of the modern name of Korea. The Koryo period from 935 to 1392 was arked by periodic internal disharmony and external wars (mostly defensive) with China and Japan. And also Koryo was invaded by the Mongols in 1231 and Mongols nearly destroyed Koryo. However, there were also great achievements which are flowering of culture that led to great advances in art and scholarship, particularly in the ceramics industry, which developed the unique grey-green celadon stoneware for which Korea is well-known today (Thomas 2003). * Chosun Dynasty (1392 1910) In 1392, a general Yi Seong-gye founded a new dynasty Chosun. In the early Chosun period, Confucianism was highly supported as the guideline of philosophy. And then, this Confucianism transformed into Neo-confucianism incorporating Taoist and Buddhist elements with and adaptation of Confucianism. Neo-confucianism is what people know as Korean culture and tradition today (Thomas 2 From 1418 to 1450, by Chosuns fourth monarch king SeJong, Korea had an unprecedented flowering of art and culture. The greatest achievement of king SeJong was invention of the Korean alphabet Hangeul. Before he invented the Korean alphabet, Korean used Chinese character (Theodore 2005). In 1 592, Toyotomi Hideyosi, who united Japan, wanted to conquer the Korean Peninsula and use it the way for its incursion into China. However, Japan was defeated by Admiral Yi sun-sin, one of the most respected fgures in Korean history. They invaded again in 1597 but they withdrew in 1598. The new religion, Catholicism, slowly spread in Korea since 18th century by Dutch Jesuit priest. In the 19th century of Chosun, they adopted an isolationist policy by the prince Taewongun because he was afraid that Chosun would be infected by western ideas. Therefore, he tried to prevent the opening of the country to foreign trade by closing the borders (Edward 2005). * Korea under Japanese Rule (1910†1945) During Japanese occupation, the first thing they did was construction of Koreas nfrastructure especially street and railroad system to control all over Korea easily and supply food for Japanese military properly. Japanese ruled with iron hand and tried to root out all elements of Korean culture from society.

Social Service Intervention Of Family Life

Social Service Intervention Of Family Life Social services play a vital role in the prevention of cruelty to children, and their actions have been controversial in the past and will continue to be in the future. They have an immense amount of power in their hands and are able to tear apart a loving family as well as save an endangered childs life. The aim of this study is to analyse the extent to which social services should exercise their power in order to fulfill the duties they owe to society. In order to explore this subject, it will be necessary to critically analyse the pre existing legislation that has governed this area, and study how the law has evolved over the last century. It is an area of law that has and will continue to develop. There are also major problems within the social services organisation itself, such as underfunding and significant staff shortages, and it will be necessary to analyse and critique its current effectiveness through the use of a number of reports. Whilst the lack of resources is undoubtedly affecting the effectiveness of the social worker, recent reports in the media have suggested that there is a vast amount of bullying and degrading treatment within the organization itself. A case highlighted is that of Substantial changes have been necessary in the law surrounding child abuse over the past century as high profile and prolific cases of neglect have been brought to the attention of the public by use of the media. This is a necessary area of study due to the fact that cases are continuing to come to light. The recent case of Khyra Ishaq Chapter One: Background to the Children Act 1989: A common theme that seems to occur throughout history is that it takes a major event to shock the nation in order for dramatic change to occur within the law, rather than the law changing in order to prevent such occurrences in the first place. During the 1980s, professionals were becoming increasingly aware of the existence of child abuse in society as a result of cases such as those of Jasmine Beckford and Tyra Henley. Jasmine Beckford had previously been placed in the care of Brent Social Services for a period of two years prior to her death. However, she had only been seen by a social worker once during a period of ten months, and was left in the hands of her stepfather who battered and starved her, consequently resulting in her death at the age of four years old. Supervision orders for children at risk were first introduced in The Children and Young Persons Act 1932. Previously, there was precious little legislation available to protect children in need. This was a substantial addition to the law and granted protection to children who were experiencing abuse The Children and Young Persons Act 1933 was the first attempt in statute in order to curtail the effects of child abuse and make it clear the obligations and duties of a carer. Part 1 of the Act details the role of the parent that a child is deemed to be neglected in a matter likely to cause injury to his health if he has failed to provide food, clothing, medical aid or lodging for him, or if, having been unable to otherwise provide has failed to take steps to procure it to be provided under the enactments applicable in that relief. In addition to this, the statute also states that it is the responsibility of the court to ensure the welfare of an abused child by taking proper steps for removing him from undesirable surroundings, and for securing that proper provision is made for his education and training. According to Lord Diplock, under the 1933 Act, the parent must neglect the child intending, or at least foreseeing, that the probable consequence of neglect is that the child will suffer injury to his health. This statement causes confusion in cases that involve neglect, however. It is clear that the 1933 Act places great importance over how the offence was committed and whether it was wilful and deliberate. One of the failings of the act is that it gives full discretion to the courts in protecting abused children and gives them no direction whatsoever in making such a life impacting judgement. More investigation into the circumstances and needs of those at risk was needed in order to find a suitable home for such children, and the courts did not have the knowledge or abilities to re-house them. The case of Dennis ONeill highlighted the failings of the 1933 Act and brought further radical change to the law surrounding child abuse. Dennis, together with his younger brothers were taken into the care of their local authority on the grounds that they needed attention. He died after being taken into foster care and was found by a pathologist to be undernourished and physically abused. Dennis ONeill was subjected to horrific attacks at the hands of his foster parents and these attacks took place on a regular basis. This case shocked the public and political figures, who were particularly alarmed to find out that the foster father, Mr Gough, had been known to the police and had a conviction for violence. It was therefore deemed necessary for a public enquiry to be held in order to determine the exact failings made by the authorities involved, and it blamed the two local councils that dealt with the case. It was evident that the provisions of the 1933 Act were vastly inadequate in their role of protection and that major change to this area was needed. With this in mind, the Children Act 1948 established a Childrens Committee in each local authority to carry out the functions detailed in The Children and Young Persons Act 1933. A Childrens officer also had to be appointed who had relevant experience and be assisted by an adequate number of staff. In effect, this Act established social services as it divulged responsibility away from the courts and placed it with the local authority. The Childrens Committee was supposedly staffed by those who had experience with children and would be able to cater to their needs and find them new homes where they would be loved and cared for effectively. However, events over the past 40 years have shown that the there is a great level of difficulty in providing effective protection for children at risk. Following Jasmine Beckford were further shocking cases of child abuse that displayed obvious neglect by social services, and this led to a difficult period for workers in this profession, who were unsure as to which approach to take upon dealing with children at risk. A balance was clearly needed, and enough information had to be acquired quickly in order to determine whether to remove a child from their home, which could have devastating consequences upon family life if the risks of abuse were unsubstantiated. the threat of child abuse appeared to be on the increasing. The John Patten Guidelines were released in order to provide professionals with advice during a period of unrest with regards to child neglect. The Cleveland scandal of 1987 shocked the nation to the core, and led to further changes and major additions to the law in the form of the Children Act 1989. This case differed in that it was an example of the state causing the abuse to the infants rather than their parents or guardians. A total of 121 children were diagnosed as being sexually abused by Dr Marietta Higgs and her assistant Dr Geoffrey Wyatt. Together, they used a controversial and unproven test known as RAD reflex anal dilation. Children had to undergo an invading and degrading test on their buttocks, and the memories of which have scarred some for life. A girl who was taken into care after being diagnosed with RAD continued to have nightmares about her ordeal twenty years after the event, and claims that the two doctors ruined her childhood. The children diagnosed under Dr Higgs regime were removed from loving families and placed into care, whilst in some cases the parents were sent to prison. This had devastating results, and destroyed happy families. Even once the parents had been cleared by the courts of any wrong doing, many felt reluctant to show their children affection once they had been returned. The Children Act 1989 originates from two reports. In 1984, the Parliamentary Select Committee on the social services recommended that the government should enable a review of child law to take place. This led to the formation of a government committee known as the Child Care Law Review who produced a report titled Review of Child Care Law. During the same period of time, the Department for Health and Social Security carried out a review of the law relating to child care and made a number of recommendations relating to child care, foster homes and child minding. Most of these recommendations were accepted in to a government white paper regarding child care and these proposals were brought before Parliament as part of the Children Bill. Second Chapter Provisions of the Children Act 1989 and the legislation in practice The Children Act 1989 brought major change to the law regarding child abuse, and introduced a number of new principles to the legal system. Its main priority was protecting the welfare of the child, which was granted paramount importance in any dispute over care or parentage of an infant. The 1989 Act stated that it was the responsibility of the local authority to safeguard and promote the welfare of any child that was in need within the area, and must provide a range and level of services appropriate to those childrens need. Therefore, social services must be sufficiently staffed and have a reasonable amount of funding in order to fulfil its role. Whilst considering a childs welfare, their feelings and wishes must be taken into consideration together with any effect removal will have upon the family including the parents. The Act gave further guidance to local authorities once they had taken the child into care, and their duties and responsibilities in ensuring the welfare of the child is maintained. The local authority has a responsibility to house any child taken into care in a healthy environment, and ensure that the wishes of the child are taken into account when making such decisions. It was therefore not always best to remove the child from their home if suppor t could be provided in the form of monetary relief in order to sustain the childs welfare. In order to keep a child with its family, it was made clear that those in need of protection together with their families should be offered support under part three of the Children Act. Only when voluntary methods of helping are unable to protect those at risk should the powers under parts four and five be used. According to June Thoburn and Ann Lewis in Partnership with parents of children in need of protection, these powers should only be used when actual or suspected significant harm or likely significant harm is at risk. A positive element of the 1989 Act is the establishment of the Family Assistance Order, which granted support to families experiencing a difficult change such as divorce and separations in order for the child in question to remain with its family. However, this order is only to be used in exceptional circumstances and consent must be obtained from each person involved with the order. An order of this kind would provide an example of the state providing a positive intervention into family life. Unfortunately, as it can only be used in exceptional circumstances, a Family Assistance Order is granted rarely despite the benefits it could potentially afford a family in need. In addition to the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, the 1989 Act gave further definition as to what a child in need is. It states that a child should be taken into care if he is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or have the opportunity to achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision of him of services by a local authority. Furthermore, a child whose health could be impaired without the intervention of social services should be taken into care. This also extends to disabled children. If social services believe that a child is in danger of significant harm, they are entitled under a new provision of the 1989 Act to seek a child assessment order( CAO). The courts must be satisfied that the applicant has reasonable cause to suspect the child is at risk, that the assessment will be able to determine to what extent that risk applies, and that the applicant will not be able to carry out such assessment without an order being made If the risk of harm is deemed to be an immediate danger to the child, an emergency protection order (EPO) can be applied for. Unlike the CAO which is a non-urgent remedy, the EPO is an order which enables a child to be restrained in or removed to a place in order to protect their welfare. The court is only likely to make such an order if they are satisfied that there is reasonable cause to believe that the child is likely to sustain significant harm if not removed to accommodation by the local authority or does not remain in the place they are currently being accommodated in. Whereas a CAO order needs the belief of the applicant, an EPO requires the court to be satisfied that the child is in danger, and they will therefore sufficient evidence will need to be provided to convince the courts of this and that urgent action is needed. Whilst the above orders may seem to contradict the principle that a child is best cared for at home, the orders must be carried out with this element in mind. Therefore, a child should not be removed from parental care longer then is strictly necessary and can be returned home even if the EPO is still in force. As well as the above orders, the court can also make care and supervision orders in order to ensure protection of a child in need. These may only be made if the court is satisfied that the child concerned is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm and that the harm or likelihood of harm is attributable to the care given to the child, or likely to be given to him if the order were not made. However, as the courts are under a duty to promote the upbringing of a child with its family, local authorities are under duty to fully explore alternative methods before applying for an order to be made under this Act. Furthermore, the welfare checklist must also be adhered to for an order to be made. Whilst the wishes and feelings of a child may have some influence, they will not override any of the other provisions of the welfare checklist, and the courts will need to assess whether the child is of the maturity to make any judgment at all. The 1989 Act makes apparent the courts intention that a child is best cared for at home with their families. However, whether this is the most suitable option is certainly a major issue in society, and is very much dependent upon the circumstances surrounding each individual case. It is arguable that the Act should not place emphasis on this belief as professionals who follow this rule and take the childs wishes into account could come to a conclusion that is not in the best interests of the child. It places social workers in the mindset that taking a child into care is not in the best interests of the child, and this could perhaps provide an explanation as to why further horrific cases have occurred following the Cleveland scandal. Residential family centres were also created by the 1989 Act which allowed social workers to assess the relationship between the family outside of the marital home. The parents stay at the centre for a period of time with the children and are assessed by social services as to how capable they are in their role. Parents are also given the help and guidance they need in order to look after them. The Children Act 1989 acknowledges that the relationship between the local authorities is of great importance when dealing with a child in need, and they must act in partnership. The Act places a duty on the relevant children agencies to provide information and assistance to the local authorities and also places them under duty to assist with the care plan formulated in respect of children. Following the Cleveland inquiry, it was apparent that the relationship between the relevant authorities was lacking, and the 1989 Act appears to acknowledge and remedy this situation by placing them under duty to act in order to safeguard children. In order for a child to remain with their family during a difficult period, a service was established under the 1989 Act that was provided to the child in order to meet their needs in all aspects. Parents need to receive help in bringing up their children if they experience difficulties rather than taking them straight into care. This is a useful addition for professionals, as it gives them the opportunity to assess the family in a different environment and also provide help and guidance to a family in need. There are arguments to suggest that the removal of a child from their home can be mitigated by providing frequent access, and that there must be a presumption that a parent will be able to see their child unless they have acted in such a way that makes contact heavily detrimental for them. However, this could potentially cause distress and upset to a child who has experienced abuse, and may also distort their true wishes and feelings. Access was denied to the parents and carers in the Cleveland scandal. Further developments arrived in favour of keeping the child with its family from the European Courts of Human Rights and the Human Rights Act, In particular, article 8 the right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence. Article 8 offers protection for a persons family life from arbitrary interference by the state. This right was framed extremely broadly. However, this is a qualified right which means that there can be an interference with a persons family life providing it is lawful, serves a legitimate purpose, is necessary in a democratic society and is not deemed to be discriminatory. Whilst Article 8 may appear to be restrictive upon social workers, one could argue that they must be able to justify their actions before intervening in a family environment, and certain aspects of privacy must be upheld. A recent case highlighted this aspect, as social workers placed a CCTV monitoring system in the bedroom of a couple with learning difficulties in order to determine whether they were fit parents. This forced the couple to cite the Human Rights Act in order for the surveillance to be removed. Chapter Three: Failings of the Act Victoria Climbie and Baby P, The Children Act 1989 was not a cure for child abuse, and cases continued to come to light for many years after the implementation of the Act. Arguments exist to suggest that the aim of the 1989 Act for children to remain in their families is incorrect when dealing with those that are severely abused. There is much emphasis on professionals to work with the family and improve the level of care they offer in parenting. This places social workers under pressure to work therapeutic miracles with the family, and failure to do so makes their job harder to carry out. Social workers were expected to work in partnership with families who were often uncooperative and unwilling to allow them access into their family, and the law itself placed the families under no obligation to be honest and work with them. Society did not make them feel empowered to act on their powers and make calls for action. Furthermore, it was far more difficult for social workers to obtain a care order then it was prior to the 1989 Act being implemented. Social workers needed a higher level of evidence in order to satisfy a court that a care order was appropriate, and they had to return to the courts for scrutiny in order to make any decision. As a result of this, social workers were more likely to carry out a lengthy assessment of a child at risk rather than immediately remove them from their home. It took a great deal of time to carry out the necessary assessments and apply to the courts, the child at risk was often in a more abused state by the time they had reached care and this was obviously not in the childs best interests. To some extent, this goes against the welfare principles as stated in the 1989 Act, and is somewhat contradictory. There is also a great amount of expense involved when applying to the court, and as a result of this, social workers were under pressure to carry out their assess ments extensively and leaving the child in a potentially harmful environment for a longer period of time. The Children Act 1989 to some extent gave social workers an excuse when failing to act in a case of child abuse. It could be argued that this was the case with Rikki Neave, whose drug addicted mother had repeatedly called social services for help, and had even asked them to take her son away into care. She had abused her son by burning him, throwing him across the room, and had even told a social worker that she would kill her children if they were not taken from her. Social services failed to remove the child from his mothers care and he was found dead. Theoretically, social services could argue in their defense that they complied with the 1989 Act with regards to keeping the child with its family, and that they needed to compile an assessment in order to be granted a care order by the courts. In 1991, there were a total of 60,000 children in care. This figure had fallen dramatically to 40,000 by 1995. This decline in figures shows the effects that the Children Act 1989 had on the number of children in care, and could perhaps be viewed as a positive result of the Acts implementation. However, it could also be argued that the number of children being abused had not reduced so significantly, and therefore there were simply more children living at risk. The provisions of the Children Act 1989 were not enough to prevent the failure of professionals to safeguard Victoria Climbie, and this case of horrifying abuse was brought to public knowledge after her death in 2000. It is clear from this case that despite the legislation in place to deal with child abuse, it was the authorities themselves who acted negligently and failed to act on their duties as detailed in the 1989 Act. Haringey social services were made aware of Climbie after her first admittance to hospital. The doctors warned social services of her injuries as a precautionary measure, but the social workers assigned to the case failed to take adequate measures to investigate how the injuries had occurred. An inexperienced social worker had been assigned to Climbie, and despite her making two visits to the family home, she failed to realise that her carers were putting on an act and the child was in grave danger. Social services were yet again alerted to Climbie after her aunt reported her partner for sexually abusing the infant. However, she later dropped the allegations. Social workers had a meeting and decided to make further contact with the family, but failed to take the adequate steps needed in order to do so. After making three visits, a social worker reported that the family had most likely returned to France, and the case was closed on the same day that Climbie died. There were a number of organizations that were involved with Victoria Climbie prior to her death. Climbie was known to local authorities, including Haringey, Ealing, Brent and Enfield. She was also known to three housing departments and two hospitals, two Metropolitan police child protection teams and a centre run by the NSPCC. It could only be concluded that there was a complete lack of communication between the agencies, despite the Children Act 1989 placing emphasis on the importance of agencies working together and sharing information In total, social services missed twelve chances to save Victoria Climbie. The Victoria Climbie Inquiry found that there was a total absence of good professional practice. The interventions that should have occurred would not have required any exceptional skill and neither would it have placed heavy demands upon the staff involved. It is therefore evident that the failures of the services to act in this case represented serious professional misconduct. As will be detailed in chapter four, further legislation arose from the Victoria Climbie inquiry, with Lord Lamings report making a total of 108 recommendations for fundamental change to the way social care, healthcare and police child protection services are organised and managed at a national and local scale. The report led to the foundation of the Every Child Matters programme together with the Children Act 2004. Haringey council found themselves in trouble once again when the baby Peter case occurred in 2007. Baby P sustained over 50 injuries during an eight month period and had been on Haringey councils child protection register throughout this time. His family had been seen a total of 60 times by agencies including social workers from the council. Baby P was first removed from his mothers care after he was taken into hospital with severe bruising, and the paediatrician judged that the injuries were not likely to have been accidental. She wrote in his notes that he should not be allowed home, and a police protection order should be sought if necessary. He was discharged and placed informally in the care of a family friend whilst social workers and police investigated the cause of his injuries. This resulted in Baby Ps mother being arrested and the toddler was put on the child protection register. He returned back to the care of his mother a month later and she promised to cooperate with social workers and ensure she cared for her baby in order for his named to be removed from the register. However, she continued to neglect her son and her partner abused the baby. Baby P was taken into care in April 2007 but was released back to his mother once he had the all clear from the hospital. His mother continued to deceive professionals into allowing her to keep the baby and tried to conceal further injuries by smearing chocolate over his face. Senior police officials decided that Baby P should not be allowed to live with his family, and sought legal advice to see whether he could be taken into care, but staggeringly, Haringey councils lawyers decided that there was not enough evidence to meet the relevant thresholds. Here is proof that the emphasis on keeping a child with its family as established under the 1989 Act leads to difficulties in removing a severely abused child from their home when it is necessary. Chapter Four: Further legislation as a result of these cases It became evident following the case of Victoria Climbie that further radical change was needed to protect the lives of endangered children and that the Children Act 1989 was not sufficient legal governance in this area. A public inquiry was established in order to find the exact causes of Climbies death, and following this was a report headed by Lord Laming. He reported that none of the government funded agencies can emerge from this report with much credit. Lord Laming claimed that the problem with child protection did not lie with the legal framework but its implementation and that there were major discrepancies with the staff that work with children. Lord Laming made a total of 108 recommendations in his report. The most significant recommendations include the every child matters initiative. This government initiative was introduced in 2003 and its main aims are to ensure that a child has the support needed to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. It was the responsibility of the multi-agency partnerships to work together in order to meet the detailed framework surrounding each theme of the initiative. Lord Laming also reported that the failures of the police, social workers and hospital staff were partly due a lack of accountability. Lord Laming suggested that the only way to address this issue would be to create a childrens minister who would be held accountable to the cabinet. Partly in response to the Lord Laming report, Margaret Hodge was appointed as the minister for children in 2003. Her role was to oversee the policies governing children at risk as well as other significant child governance. The Every Child Matters green paper was published by the government in response to Lord Lamings inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie. This green paper recommended policy changes backed up by legislation, and the Children Act 2004 was designed to respond to the findings of the Lord Laming inquiry. The 2004 Act established a childrens commissioner. Under S2 of the Act, the childrens commissioners role includes promoting awareness of the views and interests of children in England. The Childrens commissioner has a wide role, which includes encouraging persons exercising functions or engaged in activities affecting children to take account of their views and interests; advise the secretary of state on the views and interests of children; consider or research the operation of complaints procedures so far as children are concerned; consider and research any other matter relating to the interests of a child and publish a report on any matter from the above list. The Childrens Commissioner role is to be concerned with the views and interests of children relating to a number of aspects of their well being. These include their physical and mental health and emotional well being; protection from harm or neglect; education, training and recreation; the contribution made by them in society and their social and economic well-being. They may also conduct an inquiry into an individual child if they feel it may raise issues of relevance to other children. As well as establishing the Childrens Commissioner, the 2004 Act provided a response to Lord Lamings report which heavily criticised the lack of co-operation between the services that deal with children. The Act places a duty to cooperate in order to improve the well being of a child at risk. This was designed to prevent further cases of children falling through the gaps such as Victoria Climbie, and ensure that all services such as the police, doctors and social workers are under a specific duty to communicate and work together to promote the well-being of an endangered child. A key instrument in the enforcement of cooperation between agencies was the creation of electronic records for every child in the country. This record made it easier to trace a child who had moved to a new area and was therefore transferred between local authorities. It could be argued that keeping details of children on electronic record is a breach of article 8 of the Human Rights Act, and critics have made clear their view that these files will destroy the confidentiality of medical and legal records. Doctors, teachers and the police will have to alert the system to a wide range of concerns, and two reports on a childs record could be sufficient to provoke an investigation. Whilst the electronic records system may appear to be an effective provision in order to ensure that child mistreatment is monitored, there was a great deal of confusion as to what would be deemed as a concern. Dr Eileen Monro of the London School of Economics said that if a child fails to make progress towards state targets, detailed information would be gathered and this would include judgements such as whether the parent is providing a positive role model as well as sensitive information such as their mental state. This could mean that parents are forced to bring up their child in line with what the state deems is best rather than as they themselves see fit.It c

Role of Training and Development in Employee Empowerment

Role of Training and Development in Employee Empowerment Research Objective The main objective of my dissertation is to analyse how training and empowerment assist organization in the hospitality industry in general and the Hilton Group in particular gain the much needed strategic advantage over their competitors and help them gain and sustain market share in the long run. The dissertation will also demonstrate the various actions that are may be initiated by organizations in the hospitality industry to achieve higher levels of empowerment within its workforce without compromising on its internal controls. Research Questions What is the role of training and development in employee empowerment at the Hilton Hotels? Why is empowerment necessary in the running of Hotels, with particular reference to the Hilton Hotel Chain? What strategies or policies are pursued by organizations to enable them improve the level of skills and knowledge of their employees to meet emerging challenges? The dissertation will also attempt to answer the following questions: Does active implementation of training and learning policies lead to the empowerment of employees? What is the meaning of empowerment of employees within an organizations setting? What are the likely benefits of empowered workforce to the organization? Even though a lot of research may have been done in related or similar topics, this dissertation will objectively examine the findings of other researchers on similar topics, critique their findings and arguments and build a neutral position that may stand the test of thorough independent analysis and that is in line with the current theories of HRM and management in general. The Context(s): The hospitality industry in the UK has often been faced with many challenges which on one hand, prompted employees to be more responsive to the challenges they face and on the other hand, challenged industry players to remain competitive in the wake of aggressive competition from competitors. This industry, in particular, benefits and integrates their employees and other human resources (providing the industrys services) with the structural and integral part of the organizational strategy as a strategic partner. This allows companies such as the Hilton plc. to invest in people, train them in order to prosper and survive within the competitive environment. Other challenges for this industry include the ever changing demands of consumers tastes and preferences, rising demand for extra services, thus hard to accommodate. Additionally these customers preferences has made it practically unviable to continue with the old ways of doing business as it present many obvious risks of losing clients to more dynamic competitors. Thus training and empowering employees will help reduce these risks in some way or another. The Hilton Group Plc. is made up of some 500 hotels located in some 50 countries across all regions of the world (DAnnunzio-Green, Maxwell Watson, 2004). The Hotel presently employs over 60,000 employees in its worldwide operation and has a management structure divided in to the key regions of its operations, with each region headed by a president, all answerable to the board of directors (DAnnunzio-Green, et al, 2004). The terms training, education, development and learning may appear synonymous and be used interchangeably in other applications, but from HRD point of view, they are different but also mutually inclusive (Buckley Caple, 2007). Whitener (2003) in her paper titled Impact of Human Resource Activities on Employee Trust emphasizes the role of training in providing more knowledge and skills to employees to enable them perform their respective jobs better. Thus the primary role of training according to whitener is the enhancement of skills, while it may also serve the purpose of motivating the employees if offered in recognition for exemplary performance (Whitener, 1997) The aim of the training program would be to enable the organization gain sustainable strategic advantage that would not be easily replicated among competitors (Porter, 1985 as cited in Clardy, 2008). To be earmarked for enhancement through training and development would be the skills that add value to the organization commonly referred to as core competencies (Clardy, 2008). In this dissertation I will also show how training and empowerment are related. In the Barret and OConnel article of 1999, found in the journal of The Institute of Study of Labour, the authors assert that despite the challenges so far faced, training has gained prominence in the recent past as a key tool for empowerment for improvement in productivity and operational efficiency (Barret OConnell, 1999). According to Barret OConnell, (1999), there are two forms of training; general and specific training. General training is that form of training which boost productivity in the firm where it was provided and all firms, while specific training only raises productivity in the firm where it was provided. Organizations thus would seem to favour specific training and would readily pay for it for it since it is likely to give them a competitive advantage in their business (Barret OConnell, 1999). Since the main focus of the dissertation is empowerment of employees through training and development of a learning culture, it would be important to address the theoretical background information relating to the research topic. Case in point is training and learning, which must be properly understood in order to authoritatively argue about its role in empowerment of employees. According to Buckley Caple, (2007), training refers to imparting new skills or reinforcing previously known skills and knowledge on employees for a positive change in behaviour that would change the way they work and behave. This will also be illustrated in literature review as I intend to show why Buckley thinks that training is a relevant activity that need to be pursued by all organizations in order to achieve their long term mission and objectives. Research design (including methods) or critical approach: Research Methodology: In order to achieve the main objectives of the study, it would be inevitable to collect and analyse data and other information so as to enable arriving at a conclusion. One method that would be used would involve the collection of information and data from secondary sources such as the library, internet sources, journals, newspaper articles to collect as much information as possible relevant to the research topic. This would also involve using available data from credible sources such as hotel industry regulated websites, journals and magazines or from previous peer reviewed and published works by other researchers and comparing the information there on to establish a common pattern that would guide the discussion and the conclusion of the research questions. For this particular dissertation, the bulk of the information and data will be obtained from peer reviewed and published research articles in similar research subjects. The main reasons for adopting this methodology are that it is generally simple to undertake and does not require a lot of time and resources to undertake. This is because the research does not involve field based data collection which is often more time consuming and expensive. This makes the approach ideal in situations where there is limited time and researches to undertake the research, which is indeed applicable to this dissertation. Further the data and information collected would be generally accurate since it would be based on published peer reviewed researches and other papers on the same topic which have stood the test of rigorous scrutiny by HR professionals and other management researchers over the years and found to be authentic. The books and other materials that may be used would generally also bear accurate information and would provide useful insights in to the theoretical background of the research subject. Research Strategies In order to effectively carry out the research assignment, it would be important to identify the appropriate research strategies that would be acceptable and help in answering the research questions conclusively. This dissertation would use both deductive and inductive research strategies to achieve this aim. Norman Blaikie in his book titled, Designing Social Research published in 2009 define inductive research strategies as those strategies that help in answering the what research questions and are generally explorative and descriptive in nature (Blaikie, 2009). Deductive strategies would also be used in order to address the why research questions that form part of the dissertation. Blaikie (2009) also describes deductive strategies as those research strategies that assist in answering the why questions and are most suitable for pursuing the purpose of explanations Ethical issues: There should not be any ethical issue related to my research. Special resources required: No special resources will be required for my dissertation.

Dvorak :: essays research papers

Dvorak   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Antonin Dvorak was born in Nelahozeves on September 8, 1841. Dvorak was one of the greatest of the Czech composers. He grew up with an appreciation of local folk songs and demonstrated a talent for music at an early age. His first experience with music was of a violinist and violist. He got the attention of Johannes Brahms with his Moravian Duets and soon won a competition in Vienna that he would have never won if it had not been for the insistence of Brahms. Since his patriotic composition, Hymnus, was so popular in 1873, he decided to dedicate himself to composing and teaching music.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unlike most of the contemporaries, Dvorak was not a pianist/composer. His compositions for the piano are rare. His piano compositions have a quality that makes them both beautiful and powerful. Someone said that they are much like a jewel: they are revered by those who appreciate the beauty of their shape, the smoothly polished surface, and the glow that comes from within.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As his fame spread throughout Europe, it spread to the United States as well. He was invited in 1892 to the National Conservatory in New York City where he became the artistic director. At the time, he was earning a little less than $500 a month as a professor at the Prague Conservatory. When he took the job at the National Conservatory, he made a salary of $15,000 a year. He served at the Conservatory for three years and wrote some of his best-known music during his time, which includes his Symphony #9 in E minor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When in New York City at the Conservatory of Music, Dvorak taught composition three mornings a week and conducted choir and orchestra another three mornings. He encouraged his students to develop their own â€Å"American style†. He also encouraged them to develop the folk songs and â€Å"plantation music† of the South.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dvorak was nationalistic in his earlier works back home; the New World was a nationalistic composition for America. The time he spent working on the New World made him homesick for his native home; Bohemia. His personal secretary suggested the family go to the tiny Czech community in Iowa, known as Spillville. The village was located on a river and the hills and countryside reminded Dvorak of his native Bohemia. In Spillville, everyone spoke Czech and the Catholic Church had an organ that Dvorak would be able to play.

Essay --

Presentacià ³n En este Tema 2 se parte de la base de los conocimientos adquiridos en el Tema 1 (â€Å"El concepto de estrategia†), y se orienta la atencià ³n al à ¡rea de la estrategia de la empresa y la estrategia de marca. Descubriremos que la estrategia no es un elemento aislado que surge de forma espontà ¡nea, sino que es una pieza esencial de la operacià ³n de una empresa que nace de unos principios fundamentales bà ¡sicos, que se relaciona de manera interdependiente con otras facetas de la empresa y/o marca, y que es el resultado de mucho trabajo. Desarrollaremos un recorrido desde estos cimientos fundamentales de la empresa que comenzarà ¡ en su filosofà ­a, misià ³n, y visià ³n, y pasarà ¡ por los conceptos de posicionamiento (y los componentes de diferenciacià ³n, ventaja competitiva, y propuesta de valor), esencia de marca, y la idea singular. Tomaremos como referencia algunos ejemplos del mundo de la publicidad que podrà ¡n servir como ejemplos de cà ³mo se puede plasmar una estrategia de compaà ±Ãƒ ­a y/o de marca en una pieza de comunicacià ³n publicitaria. Finalmente, a lo largo del tema se detallarà ¡n algunos modelos de plantillas de posicionamiento que servirà ¡n como base para poder desarrollar la actividad colaborativa que se presentarà ¡ a finales de esta Unidad de Aprendizaje. â€Æ' Pantalla 1 (Estrategia en la empresa) Si bien la Real Academia Espaà ±ola define la palabra â€Å"estrategia† en su tercera acepcià ³n como â€Å"En un proceso regulable, conjunto de las reglas que aseguran una decisià ³n à ³ptima en cada momento†, no està ¡ de mà ¡s buscar en otras fuentes para conocer alguna definicià ³n adicional que pueda resultar à ºtil para entender su importancia en el desarrollo de las actividades empresariales. Asà ­ pues, en la versià ³n online del diccionario inglà ©s Oxford se enc... ...inal (obligatorio) La declaracià ³n de posicionamiento detalla cuà ¡l es el lugar que intentaremos ocupar en la mente de nuestro pà ºblico objetivo, por quà © nos ha de creer, y cuà ¡les son los motivos para que nos crea. â€Æ' Resumen La estrategia no es algo que surge de la nada, sino que es un elemento crucial de las empresas y sus marcas. Se tienen que establecer y conocer los fundamentos de la marca: su filosofà ­a, misià ³n, y visià ³n. Definidos estos tres elementos bà ¡sicos, y conociendo a fondo la propia compaà ±Ãƒ ­a, lo que ofrece, y todos los elementos que componen su entorno, se establece un posicionamiento para sus marcas y productos. Existen procesos pautados y modelos que nos ayudan a llevar a cabo este ejercicio de posicionamiento, que actà ºa en sintonà ­a con la esencia de marca para crear una Idea Singular de lo que representamos para nuestro consumidor objetivo. â€Æ' â€Æ'

Pros and Cons of High Fructose Corn Syrup Essay -- Artificial Sweetene

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Abstract: High-fructose corn syrup is a commonly used artificial sweetener in foods. High-fructose corn syrup is a hydrolyzed version of ordinary corn syrup, which is produced via a steeping process. It is so widely used because it is both economically favorable and it helps to preserve food for extended periods of time. However, the drawbacks of high-fructose corn syrup include issues like potential obesity, diabetes, loss of liver function, malnutrition, and cancer. The fact that the producers of high-fructose corn syrup can deceive people that HFCS is harmless makes matters worse. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an artificial sweetener commonly used in the United States. As its name implies, this sweetener is derived from agricultural corn. All high fructose corn syrups are corn syrups whose fructose content has been increased via enzymatic processes and then mixed with pure corn syrup. There are several different formulations of high-fructose corn syrup. The product sold in the United States (HFCS #2) has the following composition: moisture, 29%; dry substance, 71% D.S.; dextrose, 50% D.S.; ash, 0.03 D.S.; and nitrogen, 0.002% D.S. The amounts of dextrose, fructose, and other saccharides may vary slightly in HFCS #3, but the analysis is fairly consistent. HFCS #1 hasn’t been commercially sold specifically for consumer consumption in the U.S. for many years. Instead, it is used by food producers in their products. 2 The process by which high fructose corn syrup is made is complicated. To start, ordinary corn syrup must be obtained. Then, enzymatic processes increase its original sweetness. To produce the basic un-enhanced corn syrup, wet milling is a commonly used technique. Wet-milling includ... ...Jones. 2006. 24 July 2008. . Forristal, Linda. â€Å"The Murky World of High-Fructose Corn Syrup.† Westonaprice.org. Ed. Linda Forristal. 2003. 24 July 2008. . Inglett, George E. Symposium: Sweeteners. Westport, Connecticut: The Avi Publishing Company, Inc., 1974. HFCSFacts.com. 2008. The Corn Refiners Association. 25 July 2008. Steindom, Joel. â€Å"My Food Manifesto, Part One: The Bad News.† Steidom.com. Ed. Joel Steindom, Heather Steindom. 2007. 24 July 2008. . National Academy of Sciences (U.S.). Sweeteners: Issues and Uncertainties. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences, 1975. Lachmann, Alfred. Starches and Corn Syrups. New Jersey: Noyes Data Corporation., 1970.

Great Gatsby Chapter 9 notes

Fitzgerald draws his novel to its conclusion. This chapter allows him to make his final comment on the corrupt and destructive side of the American Dream. On one level it could be said that Gatsby represents the success story of the American Dream – the epitome of the stereotypical ascent from ‘rags to riches'. He drives his own fortune and prosperity acquiring great wealth and material possessions; but , ultimately, his dream fails anyway. Fitzgerald makes it abundantly clear just how distorted the collective vision of society had become with regard to the accumulation of wealth and the influence of mass media – represented by the eyes of T J Eckleburg. Such materialistic goals had overtaken the more altruistic and virtuous pursuits inherent in the original interpretation of the American Dream. In this chapter the reader senses Nick's great sense of despair, disillusionment and disgust. He is appalled by the behaviour he encounters in his preparation for Gatsby's funeral: ‘I found myself on Gatsby's side and alone.' After all the parties he had thrown for a countless trail of guests who paraded through his house ‘Nobody came.' The reader has now experienced Nick's journey, his voyage – note the sea imagery to which he refers in the final lines of the novel. It is interesting to note just how much Nick has matured as a result of his experiences: ‘†¦as he lay in his house and didn't move or breathe or speak, hour upon hour, it grew upon me that I was responsible, because no one else was interested – interested, I mean, with that intense personal interest to which everyone has some vague right at the end.' So, it is Nick who shoulders the final responsibility for Gatsby. Nick begins the chapter commenting on the impact of these events – remember he is writing from a retrospective stance two years later: ‘After two years I remember the rest of that day, and that night and the next day, only as an endless drill of police and photographers and newspaper men in and out of Gatsby's front door.' These seem to be the only people interested – the media. They are not interested in the man Gatsby, but rather the fabrication of the man, the lies and the gossip which go hand in hand with his own self-constructed image. Essentially the media contributes to the corruption of the American Dream. Nick ‘wanted to get somebody for him'. He feels loyal and protective towards Gatsby and so begins an avid search to do just this. But he tells us ‘no one arrived except more police and photographers and newspaper men.' Perhaps, one need look no further than at the history of the original image fabricators, the dream creators of Hollywood to learn of the pitiful and lonely existences of their more fragile stars. Strip away the veneer of glamour and wealth and all that really prevails is the very stark and harsh Valley of Ashes. All of this reinforces Nick's loyalty: ‘I began to have a feeling of defiance, of scornful solidarity between Gatsby and me against them all.' Nick begins to catalogue the callousness of the people who cannot hide their indifference to Gatsby's death. Wolfsheim declares ‘I cannot come down now as I am tied up in some very important business and cannot get mixed up in this thing now.' A pathetic euphemism for really saying he cannot be bothered – it's not that important. Next, there is Klipspringer who claims ‘Well, I certainly try†¦' when asked to attend the funeral but may be unable to because of ‘a sort of picnic'. However, he does get to the heart of the matter, ‘What I called about was a pair of shoes I left there†¦' Nick ‘felt a certain shame for Gatsby.' Fitzgerald now chooses this moment to reveal another aspect of Gatsby's past – his estranged father: ‘He came out to see me two years ago and bought me the house I live in now.' Gatsby has been generous with his money. It is Gatsby's father who reveals the sense of purpose and indeed the dreamer in Gatsby from his diary: ‘Rise from bed 6.00 AM Dumbbell exercise and wall-scaling†¦' He even had a list of endearing ‘General Resolves' which do imbue him with an innocence and a sincerity that enhances the reader's opinion of him, sadly after his death: ‘No more smokeing or chewing Read one improving book or magazine per week Save $5.00 (crossed out) $3.00 per week Be better to parents' The misspelling of ‘smoking' is deliberate by the way. Three people attend the funeral – Mr Gatz, Nick and Owl Eyes. Owl eyes is the only party guest who shows up. He is shocked to witness the absence of so many; ‘Why, my God! They used to go there by the hundreds.' It is interesting to note, bearing in mind the references to blindness that we encounter throughout the novel, that Owl eyes removes his spectacles before declaring the reality and moral truth of Gatsby's situation: ‘The poor son- of -a-bitch.' The blindness comes from within as can be seen from most of Fitzgerald's characters. Nick comments, ‘I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all – Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life.' You will remember from ‘Death of a Salesman' that there is a similar East – West divide. Biff favours the freedom and happiness in the West whereas Willy relentlessly pursues the capitalist Eastern way of life – again exposing the corrupt nature of the American Dream. Nick has matured enough to see through the ‘racy, adventurous ffeel' of the East and its ‘enchanted metropolitan twilight' – he realises that beneath all the glamorous, glittering veneer there are ‘spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it†¦' just like the ‘fowl dust' which ‘floated in the wake of his (Gatsby's) dreams'. The East represents capitalism and consumerism and indeed corruption of American society. The West was presumably still relatively innocent rating homespun values and the happiness of the individual. Nick is able to see this – but he is the only character in the novel who does. The East has ‘a quality of distortion'. Again, Fitzgerald juxtaposes the recurring adjectives, ‘grotesque' and ‘fantastic', once more alluding to the impossible dream with reality: ‘West Egg, especially, still figures in my more fantastic dreams†¦a hundred houses, at once conventional and grotesque, crouching under a sullen, over-hanging sky and lustreless moon.' There is no romantic presentation of this location for Nick – the place is given an eerie, dismal atmosphere, where the houses are personified as shrinking away from this depressing, all-consuming locale. Notably it is here Nick talks about the anonymous woman in white whom I have pointed out before: ‘†¦four solemn men in dress suits are walking along the sidewalk with a stretcher on which lies a drunken woman in a white evening dress. Her hand, which dangles over the side, sparkles cold with jewels. Gravely the men turn in at a house – the wrong house. But no one knows the woman's name, and no one cares.' This is a very sinister dream in which Nick envisions a woman in white – this woman could represent Daisy or Jordan or even one of the female guests at Gatsby's party. It does not really matter, for Fitzgerald she represents the anonymity and lack of substance of the typical 1920s female. She is suppressed by the superiority of her male counterpart who uses her to satisfy and fulfil sexual desire. The fact that the woman is drunk and therefore lacks control reinforces the status of women is such a society which has itself lost sight and control of any kind of moral fibre. Her hand ‘sparkles cold with jewels' suggesting the empty, shallow pursuit of such material possessions. The fact that the men drop her off at the wrong house and ‘no one cares' really captures the essence of something Daisy says earlier in reference to her daughter – ‘I hope she'll be a fool – that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.' On first reading this seems like another very whimsical, even stupid and callous statement from Daisy but it is this very passage about Nick's nightmare that gives her comment weight and meaning and, perhaps, it's the most insightful thing she says in the entire novel. ‘They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made†¦' This really contains the essence of Nick's loathing of such people. This triggers the memory of something he says at the beginning of the novel when he is about to relate his story to the reader: ‘When I came back from the East last autumn I felt that I wanted to be in uniform and at a sort of moral attention for ever; I wanted no more riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart.' We remember him talking about ‘the distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged.' A society which had such a callous disregard for human life; this can be seen by their reactions to the deaths of Gatsby and Myrtle – both of which are really perpetuated by Tom and Daisy respectively. They disappear – drifting off leaving chaos behind undoubtedly to begin a life elsewhere. The drifting which permeates the novel points towards the loss of moral and spiritual stability which must come from the core of the individual. Tom and Daisy can do this because they never really become attached to anything or anyone – they are indeed ‘careless' and their wealth allows them a certain freedom, an escape from reality. Finally Nick sums up the essence of the original American Dream: ‘And as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors' eyes – a fresh, green breast of the new world. Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby's house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder.' This is a brilliant piece of description from Fitzgerald and quite poignantly encapsulates the real essence of the American Dream. Yet, it could not be sustained. The land became manipulated and exploited for human profit. But for the 17th century Dutch sailors it was, in those first moments, the ultimate land of growth, beauty and enchantment – ‘fresh, green breast of the new world'. It is clear that this is why Nick refers to Gatsby as ‘great' – †¦I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock.' This was what Nick admired – ‘his capacity for wonder' ‘He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night.' This is again referring to Gatsby's refusal to admit that his past could not be relived, or recaptured, just like his tenacious belief in the dream. The image of darkness and the attendant image of blindness is often used to foreshadow the inevitable failure of Gatsby's dream. Yet ‘Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by yea recedes before us.' The green light here symbolises the dreams and hopes of society ‘It eluded us then, but that's no matter – tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther†¦And one fine morning -‘ Nick refers here to the dreamer in all of us. He conveys the human need to dream, to be inspired, to be challenged. Yet, he knows it's important to be able to draw a line between the dream and reality – something Gatsby could never do. ‘So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.' We are all inextricably linked with our pasts – the past shapes the future. We know this obviously from history. Gatsby insisted on living in the past – his past with Daisy. Daisy could not isolate him from his past; he remained socially unworthy of her. Can any of us really escape the past. America itself struggled to shake off her more rigid European connections before the declaration of independence. Furthermore, the American Dream has become part of its past – a part of American history which no longer exists in the same way as it did then. The dream is impossible and this is what makes Gatsby's plight so tragic.