Essay on Margaret Atwood’s Rape Fantasies

Damarcus Fitzhugh Lenore Harris ENG 001B 11/18/2012 In most short stories of the past there have always been Heroes and Villains; good vs. evil. Whether it’s the innocent Hansel and Gretel vs. the evil cannibalistic witch; authors tended to paint the line separating the two through their uses of certain writing tools. The point Atwood attempts to drive into the reader is women’s naivety and overall downplay of rape. Margaret Atwood, author of Rape Fantasies, relies heavily on Irony and Characterization to get her point across. In the story Estelle, the narrator and main character, shares her rape fantasies along .In all of them she is a victim, later in the story, we find out that the reason she has these thoughts about being raped is so that if she ever is in a situation like one where she might get raped, she wants to be prepared to avoid it and protect herself. This shows an unrealistic and naive view on what rape really is. She imagines the rapist to be the victim i nstead of her. As mentioned in the text, all the rapists she fantasizes about are victims of some sort of mental or physical trait considered undesirable Atwood uses characterization, specifically in Estelle, with whom she characterizes as condescending, sarcastic and negative at times.She is a young office worker who notes how popular the subject â€Å"Rape† has become in women's magazines. Estelle is playing a game with her co-workers over their lunch hour, when Chrissy, a woman from Estelle's office, brings up the topic of rape fantasies. Estelle would rather just continue playing, but instead, the small group of ladies decides to go around the table sharing their own rape fantasies. (1) Darlene, the oldest, and the only divorced women of the group finds these fantasies revolting and ends up turning her back on the other ladies. later she returns, unable to resist the interesting taboo) (1) Chrissy and Sondra are very eager to share their â€Å"rape fantasies† but a fter they do Estelle informs them that they were not legitimate rape fantasies but merely romantic fantasies; she then describes a story of a man jumping her in a dark alley, or sneaking into her house when she is sick in bed. In all of Estelle's stories the men are pathetic, lonely individuals who have something â€Å"wrong† with them either mentally or physically.Here we see Estelle victimize the rapist in order to protect herself. She believes she can talk herself out of being raped. After sharing all the rape fantasies the story goes into a deeper monologue and a new light is shed on why Estelle's fantasies (1) all end the way they do. It is because she feels that after getting to know someone and getting a glimpse of what they think and how they feel there is no way a person would be able to rape the other; this theory contradicts almost every book that says women are usually raped by someone they know.Irony is introduced within the conversations the women have. Moving f rom woman to woman, Darlene calling the entire thing â€Å"disgusting,† Greta describing a Tarzan-like situation, Chrissy describing hers in a bath, when Estelle, ever the voice of reason, informs them that what they are describing are sexual fantasies: â€Å"Listen . . . those aren’t rape fantasies. I mean, you aren’t getting raped, it’s just some guy you haven’t met formally who happens to be more attractive than Derek Cummins . . and you have a good time, rape is when they’ve got a knife or something and you don’t want to†. (1) Angered, the other women insist that she tell them hers. Content, Estelle then describes her rape fantasy where she deflects her rapist by squirting lemon juice from a plastic bottle in his eyes (â€Å"You should hear the one about the Easy Off Cleaner†), and the one where â€Å"this short, ugly fellow comes up and grabs my arm . . .I say, â€Å"Oh for Christ sake,’ and he starts to cr y,† which prompts a wave of sympathy in Estelle. And there’re more, all with Estelle stopping her attacker through talking to him (â€Å"I’ve just found out I have leukemia†), or talking him out of it. (1) As the story continues, we become aware that Estelle is talking to someone in addition to the reader–â€Å"I hope you don’t mind me holding my nose like this . . . † and that person is probably a man (two times Estelle says, â€Å"But I guess it’s different for a guy†).As the story ends, we realize that Estelle has been in a bar, talking to a man she had just met, she worries about possibly being raped by him. â€Å"Like, how could a fellow do that to a person he’s just had a long conversation with, once you let them know you’re human, you have a life too, I don’t see how they could go ahead with it, right? † (Last Paragraph) We are left wondering whether this entire story is Estelle’s deliberate inventions, her attempt to control a dangerous interaction. Citation Atwood, Margaret. Rape Fantasies. S. l. : S. n. , .. ]. Print.

Assignment of Organisation

Explore organisational structure and culture LO2 (3. 2): Examine different approaches to management and leadership and theories of organisation LO3 (3. 3): Examine the relationship between motivational theories LO4 (3. 4): Demonstrate an understanding of working with others, teamwork, groups and group dynamics. P1: (3. 1. 01): Compare and contrast different organisational structures and culture P2: (3. 1. 02): Analyse the relationship between an organisation’s structure and culture and the effects on business performance P3 (3. 1. 03): Analyse the factors which influence individual behaviour at work P4: (3. 2. 1)Analyse how organisational theory underpins principles and practices of organising and of management P5: (3. 2. 02): Compare the different approaches to management and theories of organisation used by two organisations P6: (3. 3. 01): Discuss different leadership styles and the effectiveness of these leadership approaches P7: (3. 3. 02): Explain the different motivatio nal theories and their application within the workplace P8: (3. 3. 03): Assess the relationship between motivation theory and the practice of management P9: (3. 4. 01): describe the nature of groups and group behaviour within organisations P10: (3. 4. 2): Investigate the factors that lead to effective teamwork and the influences that threaten success P11 (3. 4. 03): Evaluate the impact of technology on team functioning within a given organisation

MGMT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MGMT - Assignment Example For example, managers are only recently beginning to be coached in order to relay responsibilities and duties to team leads under them. This has led to a somewhat distant employee/manager relationship with improvement based solely on written and verbal warnings. Secondly, there is a certain lack of communication between employee and management which is seen from the fact that to date none of the employee suggestions and opinions on policies or projects have been applied or even considered. Managers have only begun to be trained to communicate with their leads and hear their ideas. Even though employee performance management is effectively measured with monthly and annual reviews, three still isn’t a standard system in place for recording and evaluating employee complaints. Thus far, they are only able to put forth their concerns via email, which lacks anonymity, further discouraging many who would like to remain anonymous Thirdly, ERC also needs to develop a regular approach t o rewarding and appreciating its employees. It does intermittently hand out bonuses and rewards but on the whole needs a lot of improvement in reinforcing its employee’s hard work, motivation and dedication. For example, there still aren’t any programs rewarding employees of the month or handing out performance appraisals.

Cultural Event Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Cultural Event Report - Essay Example t shows (as any Museum should) it was also plainly obvious that it was also the mission of the Air and Space Museum to impress you with the resources of the American government, and the American people and what they have done for air and space travel generally. Many of the exhibits were historical in nature, such as Amelia Ehardht’s plane, or rockets used to get people into space, or return vehicles from the mission to the moon. While I attended, however, there was an exhibit going on Entitled â€Å"NASA ART: 50 Years of Exploration,† which detailed art that had been made as a result of NASA’s effort. Two of these pieces struck me especially, â€Å"Fluid Dynamics† by Tina York and â€Å"Remembering Columbia† by Chakaia Booker. They are basically at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of what they do artistically, but both are incredibly interesting, and show the immense influence science has on our culture. â€Å"Fluid Dynamics† was a very interesting piece: the artist spent several years working with NASA scientists research fluid dynamics before making it, and was trying to represent the motion that is inherent in his field of study through a still medium (Smithsonian 2011a). It really showed the huge impact that science has on art: we understand natural beauty, but science can help simulate it better, and can create a huge influence on the mind of the artist. â€Å"Remembering Columbia† was, as mentioned previously, on the opposite end of the spectrum. It consisted of strips of rubber worked together to almost look like a bow (as in on a present, not the weapon), or a knot – or possibly an atom. This piece has physicality to it, and was created to remember those who lost their lives on the Columbia disaster in 2003 (Smithsonian 2011b). The pieces of rubber included those collected from the tire of the space shuttle itself, which were donated for the cause. This shows how deeply space exploration has entrenched in our culture: astronaut are

How the dindustry of great London impact on the environment of UK, Dissertation

How the dindustry of great London impact on the environment of UK, especially the southern England - Dissertation Example The paper tells that the rapid growth of industry during 19th century Great Britain drew increasing attention to the fragile link between environmental health risks and industrialisation. During 19th century Great Britain however, environmental safety was tied to public health rather than environmental safety and policies therefore focused on reducing pollutants that posed a risk to public safety. By the 20th century the shift toward emphasizing environmental values became more pronounced and was manifested by policies and practices aimed at managing industrial pollution. The focus on environmental values has culminated in a global society conscious of the need for sustainable development in industries with a view to reaping economic benefits today, but preserving the environment for future generations. The risk of environmental damages emanating from industrial accidents has also given way to policies relative to emergency response and clean-up practices and policies. London, like t he remainder of the UK is subject to a command and control regime promoted by the European Community (EC) Council Directive 2008 for Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC). Research findings indicate that despite the adoption of the command and control policies implicit in Council Directive 2008, the UK continues to suffer from a fragmented and inflexibly applied. However, there has been a growing awareness that some degree of self-regulation is necessary. (West, 2010). It will therefore be argued that officials and firm managers are well aware of the impact of industry on the environment, but are continuing to explore more efficient methods for minimizing the potential for and actual environmental damages. This research study demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of the current command and control policies and practices relative to the impact of Great London industry on the UK’s environment by exploring three areas of the literature. The first area sets out t he historical background and nature of environmental policies and practices in the UK. The second part analyses the current state of the law, policies of environmental protection as it relates to UK industries. The third area of analysis is the actual impact of Great London industry on the UK’s environment and how practices and policies are informed by history and contemporary environmental laws, practices and policies. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 Chapter One 4 Introduction 4 Aims and Objectives 6 Research Questions 7 Research Methodology 8 Organization of the Study 8 Chapter Two 10 A Review of the Literature 10 Introduction 10 Industrialization and Environmental Risks 10 Conclusion 17 Chapter Three 18 Industrialization and Pollution in London 18 The Industrial Revolution and London’s Environment 18 Contemporary London’s Industry and the Environment 25 Conclusion 31 Chapter Four 33 The Impact of Industrial Activity in Greater London on the E nvironment in the UK and Especially South East England 33 Conclusion 37 Bibliography 38 Chapter One Introduction Law and policy makers at the international and national levels are continuously seeking ways to reconcile two conflicting objectives: economic growth and development and protection against environmental damages (Cameron & Abouchar, 1991). Despite efforts aimed at protecting the environment and at the same time, encouraging economic growth and development, concerns persists over the efficacy of balancing these two

The MSc Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The MSc Education - Essay Example This course is therefore ideal for providing me with an excellent academic background necessary for facilitating my career path. The opportunity to explore the changing education systems and developments within the context of globalization, as well as the prospect of reshaping conceptual and methodological frameworks that run parallel to economic, social and educational policy changes, excites me. I would, therefore, like to further investigate the comparative education field and the interplay between the global and local spheres. My undergraduate degree together with the experiences teaching young learners English as a foreign language as a part-time voluntary appointment at university and Multicultural English summer schools; as full-time employment during the summer breaks (2004-2009), significanlty contributed to my resolve with respect to Education related goals. From my own observations during the process of language teaching, I was able to understand the impact of socio-cultural and socio-economic forces on learning and receptivity. I was able to discern that various factors such as age, influence, personal motivations, and the overall learning environment, including social and intercultural settings, contributed the classroom dynamics. I found a new appreciation for the essential role of a teacher in facilitating the development of linguistic skills and effective communication within ethnically and culturally diverse contexts. In coming to this realization, I altered my approach to teaching during the course of my English Language teaching in summer school programmes to accommodate diversity. My educational and hands-on experience is a manifestation of that fact that the internationalization of curriculum content forms my core interests within international education disciplines.  

Steps used in quantitative research and steps used in qualitative Essay

Steps used in quantitative research and steps used in qualitative research - Essay Example This is then followed up by the articulation of research questions or hypothesis. These are usually the guiding pillars on what is to be achieved by the study. Designing the research study is the next important step and it usually guides the other research steps which include sample selection, data collection, analysis and interpretation. The interpretation step seeks to determine whether the study answers the research questions or whether it conforms to the stated hypothesis. This is followed by the drawing up of conclusions and the writing up of the final research report. Qualitative research can be conducted in 10 steps. The first and second steps involve the choosing of a subject or the area of study, as well as choosing the approach to be used. Choosing the approach is also referred to as designing the study, and this step encompasses a number of steps that include the review of literature, the formulation of research questions, statement of the purpose of the research, and sampling (Chenail, 2011). During sampling, aspects such as the target population, the appropriate sample, sample selection methods are addressed since they directly impact on the data collection and analysis methods to be used. The next step involves the addressing of the ethical concerns associated with the study. Other steps include data collection, analysis, interpretation, presentation of the findings, and the writing of the final

Self-reflection on Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self-reflection on Communication - Essay Example Although interactions with diverse groups of people through communication have widened my knowledge in socialization diversity, it forms one of my situations in which I am least comfortable while talking. The multicultural individuals are mostly my classmates from all various cultures of the world. The fact that we are of different cultures implies that our communication patterns differ a great deal. Additionally, communicating with strangers is another experience that I am least comfortable with because the is no relationship whatsoever between the intended correspondent and me. Personally, I find it adorable and more comfortable in situations where I am interacting with my friends because there is the aspect of sharing of common behaviors and issues. Moreover, interacting with members of the family guarantee the freedom of expression, and this characterizes an interpersonal communication that makes it interesting. Friends are at liberty with each other and even if one were to be criticized for mentioning anything irrelevant; it would not be in a manner that may lower his/her self-esteem. I possess a number of strengths and weakness when it comes to social interaction. Remarkably, my major strength is the ability to listen for long enough and participate effectively when required. I actively participate thus encouraging longer hours of any constructive chat. Secondly, I tend to keep a keener eye on aspects such as facial expression, the tonal variation of the speaker and use of gestures. The ability to focus on details regarding the subject of communication helps me avoid mistakes resulting from the inability to listen well. A third forte is that am able to adopt the use of gestures and tonal variations to place emphasis on issues that I deem more important than others have.  Ã‚  

Women would succeed in combat if given the chance Essay

Women would succeed in combat if given the chance - Essay Example pression of poor women, heterosexist bureaucracy, environmental ruin, and militarization all raise weighty issues for feminist movements today.1 Although feminist movements all over the world have been diversely triumphant, we become heir to several issues women of the earlier periods confronted. However, there are new issues as well as we try to understand a world permanently blemished by the unsuccessful attempt of communist and postcolonial capitalist societies to meet the economic, social, religious, and psychological demands of most of the world’s people. Globalization has increasingly become representative of the motives and goals of the free market and companies rather than autonomy and liberty from economic, cultural, and political subjugation for all the inhabitants of the world.2 There are several of the issues tackled in ‘women and war’. It adopts as its basic arguments the importance of the involvement of feminist movements in both local and global political, economic, and cultural mechanisms, and the importance of a global discourse in creating an ethical tradition able to endure and revolutionize the oppressive and commodified processes of the global economy and community.3 The discussion raises the value of feminist research and analysis and aims to build connections between mobilizing, deliberation, and analysis. The discussion of ‘women and war’ offer methodical and workable interventions into the Western-dominated discipline, while at the same time emphasizing the effort that can and has to be carried out to visualize and promote cross-cultural feminist unity. The topic ‘women and war’ is a key representation of the ties between mobilizing, deliberation, and analysis and the actualization of feminist unity promoted by such topic. Drawing on diverse readings and documents, the discussion has introduced a general, compelling, critical analysis of global gendered militarism, emphasizing women’s opposition to it. Furthermore, this

American Literature Essay Example for Free

American Literature Essay ?American literature is any written work of art that is created in the United States. American literature is like all literature, it has literary experiences and contextual history of America. It depicts how America has changed is still changing today. American literature has changed over time just like most canons of literary works. The uniqueness of American literature is that America from its beginning had a special philosophy of life and freedom. The special philosophy of life and freedom that made American literature so unique was reflected in its writings. Americans believed and had faith that God was and is the given of all our rights and freedom. We as Americans had faith in ourselves that we could succeed in anything that we try doing. The literature that we Americans wrote made life worth living because it was displayed for the world to read and understand that life was what we made it. Also by Americans having the ability to spring back from diversity made life worth living and George Washington was a perfect example of this. Literary canon is basically a suggested list of readings that belongs to a country or a certain period in time. Literary canon contains literary works that is mainly by authors who are accepted as an authority in their field and their writings constituting a serious body of literature in any given language. The works that are collected that is included in a literary canon is approved largely by cultural and academic institutions and is observed as literature of that language. Literary work’s popularity is not based only on the quality, but on the relevance of what matters to the context historically, socially, and artistically. Literary canon relate very well to what is going on in society because of what is most important at that time work is being written. The context of the society, whether it is historical, social, or artistic, that is basically the topic. Ethnic writers express the special challenges of realism, naturalism, and regionalism within the American literary experiences. Realism labels a movement in English, European, and American literature that gathered force from the 1930s to the end of the century. Realism attempted to record life as it was lived rather than life as it ought to be lived or had been lived in times past. William Dean Howells stated that realism â€Å"is nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material. † Present-day literary theorists are probably more aware of what may be called â€Å"the crisis of representation†-the difference between representation and the thing represented-than were these realists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Naturalism is understood by some as an extension or intensification of realism. It introduces characters from the fringes and depths of society whose fates are determined by degenerate heredity, a sordid environment, and/or a good deal of bad luck. Regionalism writing, another expression of the realist impulse, resulted from the desire both to preserve a record of distinctive ways of life before industrialization dispersed or homogenized them and to come to terms with the harsh realities that seemed to be replacing these early and allegedly happier times. By the end of the twentieth century, every region of the country had a â€Å"local colorist† to immortalize its natural, social, and linguistic features. Ethnic writers define literature as literature that is written by people of a different culture, language, religion, or race. It differs from the canon of traditional American literature because literary canon is a list of work from American instead of from a different race or religion. The historical, socio-political, and cultural topics that might be covered by ethnic writers would be slavery and how the slaves were treated during that time. Slavery is a topic that can be covered under all three. Government issues are a topic that could be covered under socio-political. The debate against government issues such as health care and taxes could be something that ethnic writers could write about. It does not differ from the canon of traditional American literature because the writings have to be by authors who are accepted as an authority in their field and their writings of literature in any given language.

The Future of Virtual Reality

The Future of Virtual Reality Virtual became one of the most trending words during the last decade. Today we have virtual studios, offices, exhibitions and universities all because of virtual reality. In 1950s, a Single user Console- Sensorama, which was built by Morton Heilig which improved the usage of three Dimensional Television. And with more Developments and Techniques in Virtual reality over the year, finally there released first commercial entertaining Virtual Reality System Virtuality. Considering Virtual Reality an Upcoming Trend and Technology becoming more advanced making virtual world a reality. The effect of Virtual World on the reality has been a Current matter of Discussion, which made me influenced to investigate it more. Virtual Reality is Living and feeling an Imaginary world instead of a real world. The Imaginary world is generated through Computer Graphics. The sense information is bolstered by some framework to our mind. A medium composed of interactions giving users the feeling of being present in the computer stimulated world. Virtual reality will be coordinated into day by day life and action, and will be utilized as a part of various human ways. Another such hypothesis has been composed up on the most proficient method to respond extreme joy through virtual reality. Technologies will be created to influence human behaviour, relational correspondence, and comprehension. Virtual reality is shown with a VR headset. VR headsets are head-mounted goggles with a screen before the eyes. Projects may incorporate sound and sounds through speakers or earphones. As we invest increasingly energy in virtual space, there will be a continuous relocation to virtual space, bringing about vital changes in finan cial aspects, perspective, and culture. VR could be progressive in various fields, particularly inside Architecture, Art, Entertainment, Medicine, Journalism, Scientific Research and Sports. This is on the grounds that VR can make a profound significant affair for the users. Wherever it is excessively unsafe, costly or unfeasible, making it impossible to accomplish something as a general rule, virtual reality is the appropriate response. From military pilots trainee to medical applications specialists, virtual reality permits us to go out on a limb keeping in mind the end goal to increase more involvement. As the cost of virtual reality goes down and it ends up being more standard you can expect more certifiable uses, for instance, instruction or effectiveness applications, to go to the fore. To enter in a VE, a client wears exceptional gloves, headphones, and goggles, all of which send their yield to the PC frameworks. The virtual situations are expected to supplant this present reality condition with the computerized one and the human faculties are submerged in the VE. A Virtual Environment can be made on various degrees relying upon the PC based stage running from a PDA screen to a desktop screen or a completely Immersive Virtual Environment (IVE). All present day VR showcases depend on innovation produced for cell phones including: gyroscopes and motion sensors for following head, hand, and body positions; little HD screens for stereoscopic presentations; and little, lightweight and quick processors. These segments prompted relative reasonableness for autonomous VR designers, and prompt the 2012 Oculus Rift kick starter offering the primary freely created VR headset. Autonomous creation of VR pictures and video has expanded by the improvement of omnidirectional camera s, otherwise called 360-degree cameras or VR cameras, that can record every which way, despite the fact that at low-resolutions or in profoundly compacted designs for web based gushing. Conversely, photogrammetry is progressively used to join a few high-determination photos for the making of detailed 3D articles and conditions in VR applications. The following and rendering turns the entire procedure more immersive and intelligent than the customary media like TVs and computer games. The client activities result in quick and detectable effect on the substance of virtual condition. Taking after are the fundamental parts of a virtual domain: The visual showcases that drench the client in the virtual world and shut out conflicting tactile impressions from this present reality. The representation rendering framework that creates the always showing signs of change pictures at 20 to 30 outlines for every second. A following framework that persistently illuminates the position and introduc tion of the clients developments. The database development and support framework to assemble and maintain a realistic model of the virtual world. A sound framework that can create amazing directional sounds and recreated sound fields. Gadgets like followed gloves with pushbuttons to empower clients to indicate their collaborations with the virtual items. Exploratory and planning data recognition has benefitted for a significant long time from Virtual Reality, yet late progression in introduction advancement has made energy for everything from sub-nuclear portrayal to designing to atmosphere models. The virtual surroundings are relied upon to supplant this present reality condition with the electronic one and the human faculties are submerged in the VR. Submersion is an undertaking of losing oneself in the VR and finishing off all signs from the physical world. Todays VR applications give positional sound, telling customers where a sound begins from inside an area. Nevertheless, solid in this present reality reflects more than just range of the sound source sound is a part of the physical condition. Using OptiX bar taking after engine, VR Works Audio can take after the method for sound in a circumstance dynamically, passing on physical sound that totally reflects the size, shape, and material properties of the virtual world. Virtual Reality will be a Growing Industry in Future. The Computer Graphics and Specialised hardware may get advanced, faster and reasonable due to the developments. May be the Windows will be replaced by the 3D user Interface. It will be in great demand in near future. But it also has to face some challenges of Technical matters and movement sickness due to VR. It causes Imbalance, Disorientation, computer latency might affect the user, the convoluted way of head-mounted shows and information frameworks, for example, specific gloves and boots may require particular preparing to work, and exploring the genuine condition may demonstrate unsafe without outer tangible data. But we can expect to see numerous more creative uses for the innovation later on and maybe a major route in which we convey and work because of the conceivable outcomes of virtual reality.

Social Care in the UK Essay -- Government Politics Welfare

This essay attempts to; discuss the dominant social policy perspectives that have influenced social policy making in the United Kingdom since 1945. To explain how differing perspectives have responded to healthcare as a social problem. To describe two key policies that have been instigated since the start of New Labour in 1997, and to examine a contemporary social policy relating to health. In 1941 Sir William Beveridge was commissioned by the then Conservative prime minister, Winston Churchill to conduct a study of the welfare system of the time. The Beveridge report paved the way for the welfare state as we know it and was important in shaping the social democratic ideology that remained prevalent until the mid 1970’s. The key principals behind most social democratic ideology are that of equality and collectivism. In practice, the state manages the economy using Keynesian economic principals, manages the provision of welfare through the welfare state and takes a regulatory roll in peoples lives. This protects citizens from the extremes of poverty and prevents major economic inequality. The New Right ideology came to the fore in the mid 1970’s as a result of a major recession and the reality of an economic crisis. The 1979 general election was won by the Conservative party led by Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher was prime minister until 1990 in a period of politics that came to be known as Thatcherism. Two key thinkers of the time were Milton Friedman and Friedrich von Hayek who saw ‘the free market’ as central to the success of Thatcherism and believed that government should concentrate on economic issues, thus allowing ‘market forces’ to shape society. From the early 1990’s a new, politically cen... ...el medical treatment, help and advice via centres that are easy to access. The NHS annual review 2009-2010 found that NHS direct recommended to 49% of callers to go to less urgent/lower cost points of care, saved 2.4 million GP appointments and 1.2 million ambulance journeys (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk 2010). Disadvantages of these direct services are that they are extremely expensive and only offer a reactive form of health care, while not providing enough health education. Works Cited Pilkington A & Yeo A Sociology in focus Haddington, Scotprint. 2004. Pugh P & Garratt C, Keynes a graphic guide London, Icon books. 2009. Walsh M, Stephens P & Moore S Social policy and welfare, Stanley Thornes Ltd. 2000 www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk.

Communist Controversy over Film Salt of the Earth Essay -- Politics Mc

Communist Controversy over Film Salt of the Earth Salt of the Earth was released in 1954, during the anticommunist McCarthy era by a collection of blacklisted individuals, including screenwriter Michael Wilson, producer Paul Jarrico, and Hollywood 10 director Herbert J. Biberman. Salt is based on the Empire Zinc strike of Local 890 in Bayard County, New Mexico that took place from 1950-1952. In many ways, Salt of the Earth resembles the archetypal American dream by presenting the triumph of ordinary, working class Americans over the forces of discrimination, inequality, and injustice. Salt enjoyed widespread acclaim in Europe, and won prestigious awards in Czechoslovakia and France. Yet in the United States, its production encountered violent opposition from agencies such as the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Labor and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. What particular element of Salt made it seem so threatening and subversive? According to film critic Pauline Kael Salt was nothing more than "shrewd propaganda for the urgent business of the USSR." (Kael, 331-332) She unhesitatingly asserts that Salt is "as clear a piece of communist propaganda as we have had in many years" (Kael 331-332). In short, Kael argues that Salt is fundamentally subversive, threatening and un-American. Yet what does it mean to be subversive in the context of the McCarthy era? The Oxford English Dictionary defines the noun subversive as wishing to "overthrow a regime" (OED). Kael’s argument seems to be congruous to this definition. Does Salt of the Earth intend to overthrow the existing political order and replace it with a communist form of government? Several scholars have responded to Kael’s communist reading of Salt. Lorence... ...d English Dictionary. Accessed 2. June.2003 9. Rosseau, Jean-Jacques. The Social Contract. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution. Hunt, Lynn & Censer, Jack. University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press (2001) 10. Rosenfelt, Deborah S. Salt of the Earth: commentary by Deborah Silverton Rosenfelt and Screenplay by Michael Wilson New York: The Feminist Press, (1978) 11. Salt of the Earth. Dir. Herbert J. Bibberman. Produced by Paul Jarrico. Screenplay by Michael Wilson. Video recording. Independent Productions Corporation and the International Union of Mine. (1954) 12. Wilson, Michael. Salt of the Earth: commentary by Deborah Silverton Rosenfelt and Screenplay by Michael Wilson. (The Screenplay) New York: The Feminist Press, (1978)

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 :: essays research papers

Have you ever thought about what life would be like if Hitler had won WWII? Just think about not being able to choose the job of your choice or not being able to express your feelings about the government. Those are just two of the many freedoms that would have been lost if the U.S. would have lost the war. The book 1984 gives a view of what life would be like if we lived under a totalitarianism government. The story 1984 is about Winston Smith an average person who lives on airstrip one in Oceania, which used to be London, England. The ruling government of Oceania is IN SOC, which is a totalitarianism government. The author George Orwell wrote this book to warn people about the negative effects of a totalitarianism government. In the first section of the book, it tells about Winston's job changing the past and present news for the government. Winston belongs to the outer-party and is suppose to love Big Brother who is the ruler of Oceania. The official language developed by the government, which is spoke in Oceania is Newspeak. Oceania is constantly at war with the brotherhood, which allows Big Brother to stay in power. Winston's rebellion against Big Brother starts in section one with him writing in a diary, which is not allowed in Oceania. Later in section one he has sex with Julia who is also an outer-party member and having sex is also illegal in Oceania. In the second section of the book Winston has a love affair with Julia. The two of them continue to break the laws of Big Brother and the thought police, which is the police core of Oceania, begin to catch on to Winston and Julia. Winston also meets O'Brien who works for Big Brother and is spying on Winston and Julia. In the third section of the book is when the climax of the book takes place. Winston and Julia were caught by the Thought Police because of their acts against Big Brother. O'Brien then takes Winston to room 101, which contains in it a person's worst fears. For Winston his worse fear is rats because when he was a kid he saw his mom lying dead in a field with rats all over her. In room 101 is where the climax of the book takes place when Winston yells out, "do it to Julia.

Changes and Continuities of Islam Essay

The period from 600 C.E to 1450 is often referred to as the Post Classical period. There were many developments and reforms that occurred during this period however one of the most important events that happened was the establishment and the spread of Islam. Islam is a very prominent religion in the world for its profound values and principles. During the Post Classical Era, Islam from the Middle East was considered a persistent religion but it also went through many altercations as the society changed over time. The first major change is that Islam was born and developed over time. Before 600 C.E, Middle East was not such an organized society because its people worshipped several thousand gods as idols and used them for corrupted purposes. However, this man called Mohammad sought to change the society, considering it being so fraudulent. He soon then developed the religion of Islam, missioned by the angel from God, and the first pilgrimage to Kaaba occurred in 632 C.E. From there the religion of Islam grew popular and spread to many different regions of the world such as North Africa to Spain. By that, it can be known that many people began to worship the religion. The second change is that as different people start to adopt the religion, powers changed. Even from when Mohammad died, people even split for whom they wanted to give the power to. There were various conflicts in choosing the power. The third major change was in the gender relationships. Even though the Islamic society was highly patriarchal, women enjoyed a more active and stronger voice in society and were allowed to take highly valued roles in government, business, and education as the time passed. The continuities of Islam in the Middle East were in the aspects of trade, gender relationship, education and tradition. Muslim merchants, pilgrims, and missionaries continued to trade over the Silk Road even though time passed. Trade improved agricultural productions, which eventually resulted in the development of commercial centers. Maritime trade in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean also continued but the  number of trades increased gradually. Even though the above paragraph illustrate how the women were able to gradually gain power the dominant power of males continued. Though the Quran recognized women as honorable and equal to men, the practice of veiling women created a symbol of male authority in the Islamic community. Education was always one of the most essential aspects of the Muslim society. Missionaries, mosques, and Islamic educational institutions were established throughout the dar al-Islam. Baghdad continued to flourish as a center of learning and culture. Also, Arabic remained as the language of religion, theology, philosophy and law, while the Persian language dominated literature, poetry, history and political reflection. Talking about language, most of the rituals and tradition carried on. As Muslims made the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) constantly, mosques and inns were continuously established. Over the centuries these pilgrims helped to spread Islamic beliefs and values. The global aspect of Islam is emphasized since Islam is one of the cultures that spread very widely throughout the world and became one of the most prominent religions in the world. It influenced the cultures of the countries of North Africa such as the famous Mali and Spain. Mali ruler Mansa Musa observed Islamic tradition by making his pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) in 1324-1325. He gave out gold all along his journey. Upon his return to Mali, he built mosques, particularly in the trading cities frequented by Muslim merchants. He also sent students to study with distinguished Islamic scholars in North Africa. He had 500 slaves on his trip to Mecca. Like this, Islam basically supplemented traditional religions of Africa and other regions of the world that got affected by the religion. Therefore, the Islam from the Middle East in the Post Classical Era made effort to be a persistent religion but never was afraid of altercations to become a better religion for the people to worship.

Lenin had a greater impact on Russia’s economy and society than any other Ruler. How far do you agree with this view of the period from 1855 to 1964? Essay

Lenin had a greater impact on Russia’s economy and society than any other Ruler. How far do you agree with this view of the period from 1855 to 1964? Over the period from 1855 to 1964, Russia saw various reforms and policies under the Tsars and the Communist leaders that had great impacts on its economy and society both positive and negative. Lenin definitely implanted polices that changed society and the economy for example with war communism. However whether his policies had the greatest impact is debatable and in this essay I will be assessing the view whether Lenin had the greatest impact on Russia’s economy and society than any other ruler between the period from 1855-1964. The Russia economy in terms of industry fluctuated over the period from 1855-1964. It is key to note that under all the leaders, industrialisation and modernisation was always seen as an essential economic aim. Under Alexander II, with Reutern as his Minister of finance who adopted an approach t hat revolved around continued railway construction, attraction of foreign expertise and foreign investment capital. As a result modernisation and expansion occurred within the staples as well as newer industries which show the impact that alexander II made on industry. Reutern achieved a sevenfold increase in the amount of railway and the capacity of railway to carry break bulk at speed increased which gave a major boost to industrial output Russia seemed to be finally moving towards industrialisation and keeping up with the West. This approach was similar under Nicolas II who also managed to have a great impact on Russia’s industrial economy. This was through the work of Sergei Witte whom at the time of his appointment the Russian economy still resolved predominantly around agricultural production further showing that under Alexander II impacts was limited. Witte continued the idea of foreign expertise as well as taking out foreign loans, raising taxes and interest rates to boost available capital for investment in industry. Another major development was the placement of the rouble on the gold standard in 1897. The impacts of Witte’s policies were great. Coal production doubled and that of iron and steel increased sevenfold while the total amount of railway track opened rose from 29,183 km to 52,612 km in 1901. Much of this stimulated the stupendous growth in capital abroad. There was an indication that income started to even catch up with other industrialised nations seen and income  earned from industry rose from 42 million to 161 roubles by 1897. This period of industrial success has even been named the ‘Great Spurt’ and the increase in industrial production of 7.5% far exceeded Russian achievement for any comparable period before 1914 which shows that Nicholas II had the greatest impact on the industrial economy than any other Tsar. This focus on heavy industry was continued under Stalin who implanted his five year plans; industrialisation was to be stimulated through the settin g production targets. The effects were great increase in industrial output which hard to state specifically as much of the production figures were falsified. Khrushchev mostly continued Stain’s centralisation with greater diversion as he wanted to produce more consumer goods. There was however a slowdown in growth under Khrushchev but it wasn’t a huge impact and illustrates a negative impact. This however didn’t compare to negative impacts seen under Lenin. By November 1917 Lenin stated implemented War Communism by introducing state capitalism. This involved the state taking complete control over the economy until it could ‘safely’ be handed over to the proletariat. Nationalisation by itself did nothing to increase production; military needs were given priority so that resources to those industries not considered essential were denied. The situation was made more serious by the factories being deprived of manpower as a result of conscription. The problem for industry was deepened by hyperinflation. The government’s policy on continuing to print currency notes effectively destroyed the value of money and by the end of 1920 the rouble had fallen to 1 per cent of its worthin1917. Although Lenin’s NEP started to impact industry positively and indeed industrial output increased rapidly it only ever reached the level of output in 1914. Overall, the greatest positive impact on industry arguably is under Nicholas II. Industrial output over doubled under him, railway construction expanded rapidly and his policies impacted the people as well people saw living standards increase unlike under Stalin that despite growth living standards actuall y deteriorated and Russia could have seen to be on its way to true industrialisation. Whilst under Lenin it is clear that he had the greatest negative impact on the industrial economy. There was no industrial growth and Lenin only benefited through tighter control of Russia through the economy. As well as impacts on industry it is also important to consider impacts on agriculture. The issue of land ownership can be seen to  be handled differently under each leader. Alexander II, Lenin and Stalin all pursued that effectively had negative impacts on agriculture. With the emancipation of the serfs in 1861 the peasants were ‘free’ and no longer tied to the land. The impacts however were reversal. Peasants were allocated poor quality land and received less on average than they had been farming before emancipation. Furthermore peasants were forced to pay redemption dues that were higher than what they could achieve. In the end, the impacts on the peasants were they were worse off and able peasants had no incentive to produce surpluses and were reluctant to improve the land as decisions about what was to be produces and how crops were to be cultivated were decided by the village Mir, which resulted in a slight fall in grain overall. These effects however were more severe under Lenin and Stalin as they sought to increase grain production by coercion. While Lenin under War communism used grain requisitioning to forcefully collect peasant surpluses from them Stalin used collectivisation to force peasants to collaborate to produce as much food as possible. Similarly in both cases the peasants refused to conform; knowing that any surplus would be confiscated the peasant produced the barest minimum to feed themselves and their family and even less food was available for Russia. One of the greatest imp acts were the famines that occurred in 1921 under Lenin where the grain harvest produced less than half the amount gathered in 1931 and Russia had international help from countries such as the USA. However these impacts were the greatest under Stalin. The amount of bread produced fell from 250.4 (kilograms per head) in 1928 to 214.6 in 1932. The impacts of collectivisation were at its worst in 1932-32 when occurred what many people describe as a self-made national famine. Stalin’s ‘’official silence’’ of the situation meant it wasn’t addressed and thus collectivisation killed between 10-15 million peasants and failed to increase agricultural output. Though a similar devastating famine occurred under Alexander III in which he adopted the Peasant land banks to try and alleviate the impacts and encourage farming again and in fact famines occurred over Russian history its severity was the worst under Stalin. Alexander II’s attempt to pacify the peasants to increase agricultural levels was similarly adopted under Nicholas II through the reforms of Stolypin and further under Khrushchev. Stolypin’s ‘wager on the strong’ saw that in that period peasants were paying increasingly higher taxes a sign  that their new farming was producing higher profits. The provision of land backs, abolition of redemption dues and being urged to replace inefficient strip system created a wealthier group of peasants later labelled the kulaks by communist leaders signifying that Nicholas II enjoyed higher agricultural profits. The schemes for larger-scale voluntary resettlement of peasants are a continuation under Khrushchev whos e Virgin Land Campaigns encouraged the increase in the amount of land being cultivated. In 1950, 96 million acres of land were given over to the production of wheat and by 1964 this increased to 165 million acres. His policies seem to have even impacted citizens as urban dwellers started to feel that their food requirements were at last being adequately met. Thus Khrushchev can be seen to have the greatest positive impact on agriculture as the Russian people had finally felt that the food was enough for them and the amount of land and grain cultivated increased. While the greatest negative impact was prominently under Stalin, his collectivisation was met by peasant unrest and grain and livestock destruction that lead to a damning national famine. Both the Tsars and the Communist leaders had their impacts on the Russian society. Religion and the idea that the Tsar was Gods own appointed continued under all three Tsars, so there was no real impact by any on the tsars on religion as they sought to keep this religious through the aid of the Russian Orthodox Church; the Russian people truly believed that the Tsar was appointed by God and referred to him as their ‘little father’. Despite Lenin coming into power and issuing the’ decree on the separation of the church and state’ which meant that the church was no longer to have central organisation with authority over local organisations, religious teachings in schools being forbidden and the attempt to eradicate religion Peasants continued to pray and worship as their forebears had but they could no longer risk doing it so publicly. Hence showing the Tsars had a greater impact in terms of religion than the communist leaders as all their efforts to eradicate religion and enforce atheism effectively failed. Both the Tsars and the communist attempted to expand the provision of education at all levels. Alexander II is seen to make attempts that increased the number of Russians in education. In 1864 Alexander II introduced a major education reform. This had an immediate impact in the number of available school places, especially in more isolate places and raised the quality and variety of provision which  improved. Such continuation can be seen under Khrushchev who scrapped school fees and the creation of specialist academies and the spread of correspondence courses sought to increase the quality of education in Russia. Nicholas II and Stalin’s educational policies can be seen as similar in that they both impacted society similarly by raising the number of students attending school. The number of primary schools rose from 79 thousand in 1896 to 81 thousand in 1914 under Nicholas II ( work of the fourth duma) while in 1929 only 8 million pupils were attending primary school and in 1930 this rose to 18 million pupils. Furthermore under Stalin emerged the cult of personality that aimed to control all aspects of Russian life. Censorship and propaganda increased drastically under Stalin; however whether Stalin truly had an impact on the culture and the way of thinking is debatable. The applause that greeted his every appearance in public is more likely to have been a matter of prudence than o f real affection. In comparison to the leaders already mention Alexander III sought to limit university autonomy. Under him elections to the university councils were scrapped and placed by an appointment system but nevertheless universities continued to flourish. Overall although Alexander II can be seen to have stimulated educational growth participation the greatest impacts were seen under Nicholas II and Stalin which participation increased immensely. Although the Communist leaders tried to eradicate the church from society many of the Russian population remained orthodox but secretly illustrating the strong impacts the Tars had over religion. In conclusion, it can be seen that different rulers had various impacts on many parts of the economy and society. Industrially Lenin did have the greatest negative impact as the Russia didn’t see any real economic growth and saw a great famine. However under Nicholas II Russia enjoyed the great Spurt which arguably could have seen to have a greater positive impact as it even filtered to the Russian citizens that enjoyed better standards of living and many historians express that Russia was well on its way to industrialisation. Lenin again had a great negative impact on agriculture but that of Stalin was more severe and was worse on agricultural produce. Overall, though Lenin had great impacts of different aspects of life other rulers can be seen to have had a greater impact whether positive or negative and Lenin never truly managed to have a true impact on Russian society and culture though attempted.

Why Companies Engage in Corporate Social Responsibility

Buss. Ethics Why do companies engage in corporate social responsibility? ~ Companies engage in CSR in order to maintain a business on track to do the right thing. However, there's three reasons that keeps a business engage with CSR. Pragmatic, where the term â€Å"use power or loose it† is used , this mean that if businesses are not responsible certain advantages could be taken away. Ethical reason, is when businesses have a responsability to behave ethically, this mean that executives' duty is to care about multiple stakeholders. The last reason is the strategic one, which is based identifying activities that can harm the business. . Do you believe that employees are more attracted and committed to socially responsible companies? Why or why not? Are you? Why or why not? ~Yes i truly believe so because they will be certain that the company stays on task and ethically manages situations. However, they will have in mind that they are working in an ethical environment and that th ey must work hard to keep it up that way. I know i will certainly be attracted more attracted to these companies because first of all, The social responsible environment will motivates me to do a good job. 3.A number of organizations have robust sustainability sections on their internet sites. Pick two and highlight what they are doing regarding sustainability, as well as compare and contrast. Interface Global: http://www. interfaceglobal. com/Sustainability ~ This organization has considerable resolutions on 3 key areas; They are, +reducing footprint +designing and manufacturing innovative products with less enviromental and social impacts. +creating a culture with engaged employees with a share vision of sustainable businesses. †¢ Wal-Mart: http://walmartstores. om/Sustainability/ ~ This organization is trying to make customers save money and help ensure a better world for generations to come. In order to do so they've set three aspirational sustainability goals: +To be suppl ied 100% by renewable energy+To create zero waste +To sell products that sustain people and the environment Overall, both organization have something in common, which is trying to maintain a sustainable business and a good environment. 4. Read the Merck and River Blindness case. What is River Blindness and who are the stakeholders in the Merck case. The River Blindness case is a disease that is cause by parasitic worms that live in the small black flies that breed in the rivver of the countries if middle east, Africa, and LAtin America. When a person is bitten by one of these blaack flies, the larvae of the worm can entern the person's body, reproduce and spread out causin the person itchiness and blindness. ~ The stackeholders for Merck are individual with disease, horses, Merck, and Merck scientists 5. Explain why socially responsible business is good business.Social Responsible business is good business because Being socially responsible creates goodwill and a positive image for the business. Trust and a good reputation are some of the company’s most valuable assets. In fact, without these, a business can't function. These important assets can be encourage by being socially responsible. However, it is crucial the right socially responsible program is plan for the business. When used properly, it will open up a countless of new relationships and opportunities. It will grow success and the company’s culture. It will become a culture that the company's staff and the whole community will believe in.

The edocrine system

The endocrine system The endocrine system is a collection of ductless glands which are positioned through the whole body. The endocrine glands pass their secretions of hormones directly into the blood stream so that they are always adjacent to blood vessels. Hormones are chemicals in the body produced and secreted in the body that regulate the function of a particular tissue or organ (Bing dictionary). These chemical messengers transfer information from one set of cells to another.Despite many chemicals being transmitted and circulated around the body via the bloodstream, each one only acts n the cells that are genetically programmed to receive and respond to its message. Hormone levels can be influenced by many factors including stress, infection and changes in the balance of fluids within the body. A gland is a group of cells that produce and secrete chemicals (http://kidshealth. org/parent/general/body_basics/ endocrine. html). A gland will select and eliminate waste materials fro m the blood, then process it and secrete the end product for use at another location in the body.Endocrine glands release more than 20 major hormones straight into the loodstream and from here they can be transported to the cells in other parts of the body. There are many major glands that make up the endocrine system and these include the: hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenals, pineal body and the reproductive glands (testes for males and ovaries for females). The pancreas is also involved in secreting hormones which are involved with the maintaining of blood sugar levels within the body.The pancreas is also associated with the digestive system as it produced hydrolytic enzymes which aid with digestion. Neuro- endocrine system The nervous and endocrine systems control all the biological processes within the body and they can almost control one another. The nervous system can stimulate or inhibit the release of certain hormones while the endocrine system can promot e of inhibit nerve impulses. Hypothalamus The hypothalamus is found in the lower part of the brain and is a collection of particular cells.It has key links with the nervous system and the endocrine system and has an important role in secreting hormones. The nerve cells in the hypothalamus control the pituitary gland by producing certain chemicals that can timulate or supress hormone secretions from the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is moderately small and is located at the base of the brain beneath the produced hormones that control other endocrine glands within the body. The hypothalamus can convey information sensed by the brain to the pituitary gland to make any changes that could be influenced by factors like emotions and seasonal changes.The pituitary Gland The pituitary gland is divided into 2 sections: Anterior lobe This regulates the activity of the thyroid, adrenals, and reproductive glands. It also roduces growth hormone which stimulates the growth of bone and other body tissues. It also produces prolactin which stimulates mammary gland growth and activates milk production in females. Thyrotropin is another hormone produced and this stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones. Corticotrophin is produced which causes the adrenal glands to produce certain hormones.Follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH) is also produced and affects ovaries in females and stimulates the development of oocytes. It also affects the testes of males and stimulates the production of sperm. Luteinizing hormone (LH) affects the ovaries in females and stimulates ovulation, the formation of the corpus luteum and results in secretion of oestrogen and progesterone. It affects the testes of males and stimulates the production of testosterone. The pituitary gland also secretes endorphins. These are chemicals that act on the nervous system and allow us to reduce our sensitivity to pain.It also triggers the reproductive organs to release sex hormones such as testostero ne in males, and estradiol and progesterone in females which play a part in the menstruation cycle. Posterior lobe This releases antidiuretic hormone and this encourages reabsorption of water by the kidneys. The posterior lobe also produces the hormone called oxytocin and this helps induce labour and produces milk in the mammary glands of females. Another hormone produced in the posterior lobe is Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) and this helps with the darkening of the skin. Hull. R, Anatomy & Physiology for Beauty and Complementary Therapies, the Write Idea Ltd, 2009) Thyroid The thyroid is positioned in the lower region of the neck at the front and it produces a hormone called thyroxine. This is an amino acid derivative and increases the metabolic rate and heart rate. It also promotes growth within the body. Another development also, and helps with body temperature and plays a role in metabolism. Calcitonin is another hormone formed which targets bones and lowers the level of calcium in the blood.The production and release of these thyroid hormones is controlled by Thyrotropin and this is secreted by the pituitary gland. If a person has more thyroid hormones circulating in the blood stream, the chemical reactions within the body will occur much quicker. Parathyroids There are 4 small glands that are attached to the thyroid called the parathyroids. These release a hormone called parathyroid hormone and this adjusts the level of calcium in the blood with the help of calcitonin, which is also formed in the thyroid. (http://kidshealth. rg/teen/your_body/body_basics/endocrine. html). It also decreases the level of phosphate in the blood and promotes the formation of calcitriol by the kidneys. Thymus The thymus gland plays an important role in the immune system and secretes numerous hormones. One of these is thymosin and this promotes the growth of T- Cells which are a type of white blood cell. (Hull. R, Anatomy & Physiology for Beauty and Complementary Therap ies, the Write Idea Ltd, 2009). Adrenal Glands The adrenal glands are situated above each kidney and release many hormones that are important in the body.The adrenal glands are divided into 2 sections and each one has a particular function: Adrenal cortex The adrenal cortex produces steroid hormones that are essential in the body. These hormones are grouped into mineralcorticoids, glucocorticoids and sex hormones. This produces corticosteroids that regulate water and salt balance in the body. They also play a role in the bodys response to stress and help maintain metabolism. The adrenal glands also produce mineralcorticoids (mainly aldosterone) and this acts on the kidneys.It regulates the mineral content of the blood by increasing blood levels of sodium and water, it also decreases blood levels of potassium. Sex hormones called androgens and oestrogens are also produced in the adrenal cortex and these have a small contribution to sex drive and libido. The adrenal medulla in innerva ted by neurones of the sympathetic branch of the ANS and can quickly release hormones called catecholamines. One example of this is epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and this produces many effects which are related to short-term stress response.It is also responsible for the â€Å"fght or flight† response which is triggered during times of stress. This increases blood pressure and heart rate (from own personal notes). Another hormone called norepinephrine (also known as noradrenaline) plays a role in the body's response to stress. It decreases the rate of digestion and stimulates cellular metabolism. Pineal Gland The pineal gland is located in the middle of the brain and it secretes a hormone alled melatonin and this regulates sleep patterns in the body.Reproductive glands In males the reproductive gland is the testes. It produces a hormone called testosterone which regulates the development and maintenance of secondary sex characteristics. In females the reproductive gl and is the ovaries. A hormone produces is estradiol which regulates the development and maintenance of secondary sex characteristics. Another hormone produced is progesterone and this prepares the uterus for pregnancy and is involved in the regulation of the menstrual cycle in females. PancreasThe pancreas is also involved in secreting hormones around the body and also links with the digestive system as it secretes digestive and hydrolytic enzymes. The pancreas produces 3 hormones. Insulin: this is secreted from the beta-cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas and is secreted in reply to a raised blood glucose concentration. The effect of insulin is that is lowers blood glucose concentration to normal levels. The modes of action for this are that it stimulates the absorption of glucose from the blood by the muscle fibres, liver cells and adipose cells.

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Personal Statement Example Sometimes just holding the things or bringing him something that he needs. I could not see my father taking the entire burden alone therefore; I decided to help him in my own way. This time was the most difficult time of my life as well as the turning point in my life. During that period, I realized the importance of knowledge as well as money and I came to know that knowledge is a way towards money. However, one cannot deny that at times only money can help in acquiring the knowledge and then this knowledge contributes in earning both money and respect. Moreover, I came to know one more bitter reality of the world that money makes friends and money gives you respect. Nevertheless, there also exist some angels in this world who are aware of the importance of knowledge and do not care about financial conditions of a person rather their talents. As we study in economics that investing in social sector that is education, does not give a country immediate results but a country sees its r esults after some years. Similarly, knowledge along with its alleviating power that is education can take a person to the soaring heights of success but it needs some time. There are two reasons that augment my interest in economics. Firstly, my financial conditions that have always prompted me to think about certain aspects of economics such as the reason of sudden changes in demand and supply, increase and decrease in prices of certain products and saturation of market. As in the period of financial crises, I had all the responsibilities of house such as buying of groceries and other important stuff therefore, I was always aware of the increase and decrease of prices. I did not only confine myself to knowing the prices but I also tried to know the reasons behind changes in trends. In this struggle, I always got the answers of my questions that why the prices increase and decrease. This reasoning attracted me more and became second reason of creating my interest in economics. In ec onomics, there is always a reason behind occurring of any event and I am very rational person therefore, by the time I started researching more on economics and inclined more towards economics. However, this was a very tough time of my life but without these hardships, I would never be able to discover myself and know what actually field of my interest is. I used to talk to my father about the bankruptcy and know what the economic reason behind this bankruptcy was. Did we not create enough demand for our product or did our product was very expensive that people could not afford it. Did government put some restrictions on our company or did we not have enough funds to run the company. If we did not have enough funds, then what was the reason behind this? My father and I used to have long conversations on these issues and I used to enjoy it a lot. Reasoning is something that fascinates me a lot and therefore economics is my priority. In addition, I did not remain behind in the race of extracurricular activities. In my school, I was inter club representative and represented my school in other schools. I was also the representative of Hong Kong Students. I never let my financial crisis overwhelm me rather I lived my life in a realistic and positive manner. These situations made me a very audacious person and gave me valor to speak in front of people, as I knew about the reality of this world that no one is yours until you persuade them through your acts and actions. I possess

Fundamentals of Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Fundamentals of Abortion - Essay Example 2 ) Medication abortion. 3 ) Surgical abortion. B ) Causes of automatic abortion. 1 ) Problem in the venereal system of women. 2 ) General disease in the mother. 3 ) Injury of the mother. 4 ) Severe psychological trauma. C ) There are three types of surgical abortion 1 ) Manual vacuum aspiration. 2 ) Dilation and suction curettage. 3 ) Dilation and evacuation. D ) Different names of stages of abortion between actual or possible. 1 ) Threatened abortion. 2 ) Inevitable abortion. 3 ) Complete abortion. 4 ) Incomplete abortion. 5 ) Missed abortion. E ) Woman have or not to get abortion for some reasons. 1) Proponents. 2 ) Opponents. F) What kinds of things might contribute to woman felling distress after abortion? 1 ) Emotion. What the women feel before and after abortion. 2 ) Physically. Lose the money and it is very painful for women. G ) The morally and socially are types of abortion in the life. 1) Morally. The distinction between right or wrong behavior of abortion. 2 ) Socially. T he problem of abortion from the destination in social. H ) Abortion laws began to appear a long time ago in the United Stats and Mexico. 1) Abortion history in the United States. 2) Abortion history in Mexico. I ) The United States and Mexico lose money to abortion. 1 ) Economic of abortion in the United States. ... The study also looks into why people are so willing to kill the embryo instead of allowing it to grow or turning to other available options. The conclusions that follow are reasons why women should be prevented from getting abortion. Abortion is a very important issue in many countries. People always discuss the issues of abortion. There are many people who want to allow abortion, and yet there are other people who do not want to allow abortion. Many of these people believe that abortion is morally and ethically wrong. Then, there are many people who have the belief that abortion is a short, simple, and clean procedure. However, this could not be further from the truth. People who believe that abortion is a quick and simple process need to realize that there are many health problems involved in an abortion. As such, abortions should be prevented and avoided. Abortion is murder as it involves killing another human being, no matter how old they are (Slack 8). Likewise, abortion is a cr ime. If a woman does not want the embryo, she does not need to kill the embryo; there are many people who would want the embryo and the beautiful child that it becomes. There are always other options available to a pregnant woman. Abortion does not have to always be the answer. There are many methods in which a woman can get an abortion. The first method is an automatic abortion, which takes place at the end of the pregnancy due to problems during the pregnancy. The second method is known as a medication abortion and is a safe way to end an unwanted pregnancy through the use of medication or a mixture of medications. These medications can be taken vaginally or through muscle injections. The third method of abortion is a surgical abortion, which is a process done at

Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Economics - Assignment Example (Anderson and Cavangh, 2004)Â   The unemployment rate accelerated from 9.7 percent to 9.8 per cent in September 2009. The US economy had lost 7.2m jobs since the beginning of the crisis in 2007 and about 15.1 million people were looking for jobs. The worst hit was the construction sector, which witnessed as many as 64,000 job losses. The manufacturing and the retail sectors were no exceptions where the employer cut down were 51,000 and 39,000 respectively. In this scenario of joblessness, where the growth in the unemployment rate was showing a northward trend I had to come up with a policy to address the issue on a more serious note. There is no doubt about the fact that outsourcing enhances globalization and opens trade which has been proved to be beneficial for both the parties engaged in it but at the same time it reduces the number of jobs available to the domestic workers. So a policy implication has to be made to stop outsourcing of jobs.(Anderson and cavangh , 2004) To overco me the unemployment issue in the country I have come up policies, which would stop outsourcing of work.

Intervene or not Intervene Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Intervene or not Intervene - Case Study Example Now the world leaders need to be more diplomatic and polite in dealing with other countries and leaders of the world in order to avoid any dispute. Since the September 11 attacks on the United States, most people in the world agree that the perpetrators need to be brought to justice, without killing many thousands of civilians in the process. But unfortunately, the U.S. military has always accepted massive civilian deaths as part of the cost of war. The military is now poised to kill thousands of foreign civilians, in order to prove that killing U.S. civilians is wrong. It is said in the media repeatedly that some Middle Easterners hate the U.S. only because of their "freedom" and "prosperity." Is it right? The U.S. deployed forces in the Persian Gulf after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, which turned Washington against its former Iraqi ally Saddam Hussein. U.S. supported the Kuwaiti monarchy and the Muslim fundamentalist monarchy in neighboring Saudi Arabia against the secular nationa list Iraq regime. In January 1991, the U.S. and its allies unleashed a massive bombing assault against Iraqi government and military targets, in intensity beyond the raids of World War II and Vietnam. Up to 200,000 Iraqis were killed in the war and its immediate aftermath of rebellion and disease, including many civilians who died in their villages, neighborhoods, and bomb shelters. The U.S. continued economic sanctions that denied health and energy to Iraqi civilians, who died by the hundreds of thousands, according to United Nations agencies. The U.S. also instituted "no-fly zones" and virtually continuous bombing raids, yet Saddam was politically bolstered as he was militarily weakened. Other so-called "humanitarian interventions" were centered in the Balkan region of Europe, after the 1992 breakup of the multiethnic federation of Yugoslavia. The U.S. watched for three years as Serb forces killed Muslim civilians in Bosnia, before its launched decisive bombing raids in 1995. Even then, it never intervened to stop atrocities by Croatian forces against Muslim and Serb civilians, because those forces were aided by the U.S. In 1999, the U.S. bombed Serbia to force President Slobodan Milosevic to withdraw forces from the ethnic Albanian province of Kosovo, which was torn a brutal ethnic war. The bombing intensified Serbian expulsions and killings of Albanian civilians from Kosovo, and caused the deaths of thousands of Serbian civilians, even in cities that had voted strongly against Milosevic. When a NATO occupation force enabled Albanians to move back, U.S. forces did little or nothing to prevent similar atrocities against Serb and other non-Albanian civilians. The U.S . was viewed as a biased player, even by the Serbian democratic opposition that overthrew Milosevic the following year. Even when the U.S. military had apparently defensive motives, it ended up attacking the wrong targets. After the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa, the U.S. "retaliated" not only against Osama Bin Lad en's training camps in Afghanistan, but a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan that was mistakenly said to be a chemical warfare installation. Bin Laden retaliated by attacking a U.S. Navy ship docked in Yemen in 2000. After the 2001 terror attacks on the United States, the U.S. military is poised to again bomb Afghanistan, and possibly move

Case Study Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Study Analysis - Assignment Example Rise of secondary ticket market is affecting the profitability and brand value of several leagues and sports teams. It is clear from the case study that the teams in NFL are facing several critical issues due to growth of secondary ticket industry. Issues and Problems It is true that the pricing of tickets is influencing by the organizational and economical factors along with the perceived value of the spectators. National Football League is the most popular and leading sporting event in United States. It is a seasonal event. Day-by-day, the popularity of this event is increasing significantly. Looking into these aspects, the brokers used to purchase large number of primary tickets from the ticketing management organizations of the league or several NFL teams. It is actually affecting the image of the organizations and team managements. Brokers or ticket agents generally sell these tickets to the spectators based in higher price comparing to the developed price by the organization. T he price of tickets is generally set depending on the previous year’s success, income, profit, revenue and demand of customers. This secondary ticketing process is making it difficult for the target audiences to buy the tickets at same price that is developed by the team management.

To write an executive summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

To write an executive summary - Essay Example An agile project typically uses several repetitions or deliveries of software instead of waiting up to the end of the project being undertaken in order to provide one product. Projects with heavy constraints, inexperienced and dispersed teams, huge risks, generally clear and up-front requirements, and a rigid completion date are often carried out by utilizing a predictive or traditional approach. This is attributable to the conservative and safe nature of the traditional approach. Projects with less rigid constraints, experienced and co-located teams, smaller risks, unclear requirements and more flexible scheduling would be appropriately done using agile approach. The findings also indicates that in any case, managing projects still involves actions in each of the project management processes namely initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. Scrum is the leading and main agile development methodology for completing projects with a complex and innovative scope of work In conclusion, a firm can still use the five process groups involved in project management to manage an agile project while at the same using the unique aspects of a spectrum approach. The amplified interest in agile project management technique is grounded partly on the anticipation that it will somehow make project management easier. The scrum process offers a simplified method and process of managing complex and innovative range of work. Many individuals believe that using the agile approach to managing projects is totally different from a more traditional or predictive approach. This is not true as the project management process group, which is, initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing can also be used in an agile approach but with different terms, techniques and outputs. The agile approach is often more

Hong Kong Land Holdings Limited Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hong Kong Land Holdings Limited - Case Study Example Even though HKL gave the least bid, HKL lost MPFA to Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited because the tenant had certain technological and modern standards which Landmark did not fulfill. As a result HKL lost HK$ 900,201 per month from rental income. Threat of takeovers: Competitors believed that HKL was not fully utilizing its commercial properties. Subsequently so as to unlock the shareholder value the leading tycoons of Hong Kong tried to take over HKL. HKL sold some of its valuable holdings in order to fight of the take over. Even so two competitors, Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited and Hutchison Whampoa Limited, managed to secure a 4.7% interest in HKL. Location: Of the 11 estates it owns in Hong Kong, 8 of them are located in Central District (Exhibit 3). In addition the 11 Charter Road Development property is expected to be completed in 2002 which will further increase the market dominance in Central District (Exhibit 4). It is said that Central is the 'Financial Heart' of Hong Kong. So HKL's portfolio of Commercial Assets is concentrated in a promising market. Convenience: The buildings in HKL's holdings have ease of access to every from of public transportation-the railway, airport and subway. In addition the buildings are all linked by a Central Pedestrian Bridge System which eases the movement of those who work or shop in the buildings regardless of the weather. For instance Alexandra House & Prince Buildings are linked by pedestrian walkways that run across Ice House Street. There is also a walkway that links Jardine House to Swire house and One Exchange Square (Exhibit 15) Customer Groups: HKL has managed to attract leading brand retailers. Ermenegilo, Zegna, Prada, Ralph Lauren, and Gucci are some of the international brand retailers that are entering the Hong Kong market. These companies are beginning to see Hong Kong as a good market for their files. The presence of these clients increases the marketability of its retail properties particularly in Central District. Besides the brand retailers, HKL has also managed to create a portfolio of food and beverage shops in its shopping centers. This has improved the marketability of HKL's Holdings. Brand Name: Through its promotional activities HKL has managed to redefine its role as the leading landlord. It was also successful in building up a commercial image for Central District through its partners. Its long experience in the business has enabled it to become business partners with its tenants especially in Central which it has been working since 1889 Weaknesses Age of its properties: Most of HKL's buildings are more than 20 years old (Exhibit 14). With changing modern buildings and improved technologies, most tenants are willing to pay more for new buildings. Equity Fund Raising: Although HKL is working in Hong Kong, it is not listed in the stock market of Hong Kong because of political fears. Therefore cannot fund its needs locally by issuing shares. Nature of Leases: Most of HKL's lease terms were short term. In 1999 alone, 25% of leases were due for renewal. With short renewal cycles HKL is forced to reduce its rental prices in order to retain its existing customers. Threats Economic Problems: The Asian Economic Crisis and the handling

Of the Dawn of Free

Of the Dawn of Freedom Essay In â€Å"Of the Dawn of Freedom,† author W. B. Du Bois (1903) points out the historical basis for the persistence of racism as a problem. Written almost three decades after the civil war, the text is addressed to both African-American and White people who comfort themselves with the illusion that the granting of the right of suffrage to African-Americans instantly solved the problems of inequality. This is evident in how Du Bois illustrates that contrary to popular perception, the Civil War did not totally lead to the emancipation of African-Americans and that the subsequent â€Å"Negro suffrage ended a civil war by beginning a race feud† (34) wherein African-Americans became the subject of contempt of Southern White populations who fought against the abolition of slavery. Indeed, Du Bois’ observations accurately mirror the situation of African-Americans until today. Clearly, African-Americans are still subjected to deeply-held stereotypes that systematically degrade and debase them on the basis of what Du Bois calls â€Å"the color-line. (9) Despite the abolition of slavery, African-Americans continued to be socially-marginalized. Consequently, African-American’s situation as â€Å"a segregated servile caste† (37) after slavery was abolished only resulted in the formation of a double consciousness or an identity confusion owing to the lack of their clear role in society and their alienation from the dominant White culture. In effect, the abolition of slavery also uprooted both African-Americans and White Americans from the customs and clear norms that arose from centuries of slavery. Without the delineations of the slave order, African-Americans found it difficult to establish their identity especially as the White Americans did not want to accommodate the ex-slaves into the folds of society. It is therefore not surprising that African-Americans continue to be subjected to racist perceptions. As Du Bois rightly points out, the freedom of the Black Americans was immature in so far as the Whites regarded them not as their equals but looked condescendingly at the newly-freed Black people as their inferiors and â€Å"helpless wards. †(34)

Kingdom of God Essay Example for Free

Kingdom of God Essay Describing what is meant by the Kingdom of God can be very complex, because so many people has set forth to describe this phrase to the best of their own knowledge, and generally each of these descriptions differs. Personally, besides the many verses in the Bible that are relative to the subject, it is best described by Donald B. Kraybill. In Kraybill’s novel â€Å"The Upside-down Kingdom† he writes; â€Å"The Kingdom of God is a collectivity—a network of persons who have yielded their hearts and relationships to the reign of God. † â€Å"He also notes that people must enter the kingdom because it is a state of affairs rather than a state of mind (p.19).† The Kingdom then, represents God’s power of ruling, his authority, and basically his government. â€Å"His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables† (Luke 8:9, 10). Unless an individual is a born again Christian he will not understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. The Jewish sects Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots are noted as being developed during the time of the second temple through the tenth century. This is the period that it seems that the Jewish sects were most generative. The Jewish people noted only three philosophical sects which are Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes, of the three Essenes is noted as being the one with the most severe discipline. According to Josephus, [War of the Jews] 1 chapter 8.2 Pharisees, Essenes, Sadducees, Zealots were divided into three groups which were criminal, nationalist and Philosophical (religious). The Sadducees and the Pharisees really seem to be as religious as they were political. History tells us that in ancient societies political and religious laws were pretty much the same. Moreover, the Sadducees and the Pharisees did seem to have a bit more interest in that of political power than what was religiously correct. This we know was absolutely not pleasing to our God. â€Å"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever† (Hebrew 13:8). Regardless to the ways and or the thoughts of the Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes and the Zealots one thing that remains the same and will never change is the fact that our God does not change his mind or act indifferent towards his children regardless of the mishaps that we may allow ourselves to experience. â€Å"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God† (Romans 13, 1). This verse pretty much says it all when referring to the political convictions discussed by Josephus, God is in control of all situations regardless to whether it is written in the Old or New Testament. According to Josephus, the Zealots were described as political and grouped as nationalists. However, it seemed that their religious beliefs were indivisible from their political convictions. Moreover, this is not an indication that all of the sects of the second temple were more political than religious, the truth of the matter is that there was not much partition between the two. The Essenes, Sadducees and the Pharisees stand out to more people than the rest of the sects because it is said that they were supposedly better known to people than the rest of the sects, and some people seem to think that the Pharisees were forefathers of the Rabbis. The Sadducees; were differ ent in their own way, they were not the Jewish people that simply did not believe in resurrection, nor did they believe that heaven exists. Strangely, the Sadducees were of the group that only accepted the Torah, as authoritative, this strange group of individuals were known to not be very popular with the rest of the Jewish population. â€Å"For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all† (Acts 23:8). During or around the time of 2nd century B.C there existed a monastic Jewish sect that was referred to as the Essenes. They were known to reside somewhere not far from the Dead Sea. They were pretty much isolated from the entire Jewish community. Notably, the Essenes seemed to have had closer relationships towards each other than any other sects, and were said to be Jewish by birth. The Essenes neglected matrimony but choose out of other families children to be of their family and transformed them according to their personal likings, and had a huge amount of respect and obedience for their elders. If at any time they complained against their elders or authorities they would be expelled from their community, more strangely than that if an elder was even touched by a younger person they were casted as being dirty. There is an overwhelming amount of information that openly describes how the Messianic expectation of the various sects, differs from the Messianic role that Jesus presented. Examples would be as follows; The Essenes was known as a Jewish religious sect and was in fact not mentioned in the Bible, but was indeed mentioned on the Dead Sea Scrolls. This particular group adapted to their life according to the law of the Jews, and they opposed Temple priesthood. The Pharisees were different because they were more of a prominent sect of Jewish people in the time of Christ. They were in disagreement with Jesus and his teachings. â€Å"But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus† (Mathew 12:14). The Pharisees had absolutely no love for Jesus and felt that the world would be a better place without him obviously. The Sadducees were additionally, another renowned Jewish religious sect. Their beliefs differed in another way because they only accepted more hideous things like the laws and rejections of the oral traditions; which included immortality of the soul; denial of body resurrection and existence of the spirit world. In addition, they supported families of Jewish patriots of the first and second centuries B.C. whom were totally active in the liberation of Judea from the Syrian rule. Lastly, we will discuss the difference in the Zealots concerning the Messianic expectations. The Zealots will take a total twist here from the above mentioned sects. The reason being is because according to the Bible Simon was a Zealot â€Å"Matthew, Thomas, James, son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot† (Luke 6:15). The Zealots preferred armed mutiny against Rome, in doing so they thought that God would deliver Israel with the sword. Faithfully, acknowledging the Spirit of Jesus, he {Jesus} is lead into the wilderness for the sole intention of being tempted by the devil. â€Å"He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him† (Mark 1:13). This place of wilderness was not fit for human life, water was accessible but it was an unpopulated region. â€Å"When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me, for God cannot be tempted by the devil, nor does he tempt anyone† (James 1:13), but instead, Jesus is lead, into a situation by the devil that could possibly tempt him. Jesus teaches us to pray that we are not lead into temptations, but yet he is lead into temptations while on earth so this is what the devil set out to do, which was take Jesus through the test of temptations. References Kraybill, Donald B. The Upside Down Kingdom Revised Ed. Scottsdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1990. 275pg. May 20, 2006 Second Temple Sects The Complete Works Of Flavious Josephus The Pharisees and other sects edited with a preface by Jacob Neusne, Retrieved from http://Judaism.about.com/gi/dynamicof Josephus/.HTM on January 7, 2013

Organisational Flexibility | Literature Review

Organisational Flexibility | Literature Review This chapter reviews the literature on organisational flexibility, the different types that exists, and the different forms commonly seen in different organisations. The different forms of flexibility are discussed in section 2.2.3 using the classification provided by Looise et al (1998) Major studies reviewed, particularly the work of Atkinson (1984) focused on the fact that there are 2 main groups of workers within a firm: the core group and the peripheral group. The theory of the flexible firm made by Atkinson is at the centre of this literature review. It is discussed in section 2.2.4 followed by some empirical evidence of the use of flexibility in section 2.3 Theory An overview of the different types and known forms of flexibility used in organisations is discussed in this section. After that, an illustration of Atkinson model of the flexible firm is also provided in section 2.2.4 Definition of flexibility As defined by Looise et al, 1998 and Blyton and Morris, 1989, flexibility is the ability to adjust under fluctuating and uncertain circumstances. The concept of the flexible firm itself was originated by Atkinson in 1984 where he argues that there is a growing trend for firms to seek various forms of structural and operational flexibility. Searches he made at that time demonstrate that flexible working can provide an elastic and less rigid approach within most functions in an organization, through the use of strategies such as flexitime working, flexible labour rotations, multi-tasking, production flexibility and delivery flexibility. Flexibility strategies can also improve a companys competitive position on the basis that the meaning of flexibility is the ability to respond to changing market circumstances effectively. Types of flexibility According to Atkinson (1984), there are three main types of flexibility areas and they are as follows: Functional Numerical Financial Functional flexibility It is the ability of managers to extend the range of tasks a worker can perform. With functional flexibility, employees are said to be multi-tasking or multi-skilled. They are able to perform different tasks and functions within the same company as required by the management. It requires a well trained workforce with in-depth knowledge of the different areas of the company, its processes, and its prevailing culture. This practice is said to benefit both the employees in terms of job enhancement and the organization which avails a multi-skilled workforce at its disposition and ready to face rapid changes. An example in the hotel sector, a receptionist can check in/out guests in the morning and also cleans guests rooms as a chambermaid after the morning rush. This demonstrates the extent to which companies are given greater flexibility to act quickly and smoothly as a means of reacting to the problem of staff shortage. According to Atkinson (1985), functional flexibility may imply the same labour force changing its activities within the organization in both short term and medium term. Numerical flexibility Numerical flexibility can be defined as the ability of organizations to increase or decrease employment quickly in line with fluctuations in business demand, and to improve competitiveness of firms through adopting this flexible policy (Atkinson1984; Looise et al 1998; Ruiz-Mercarder et al 2001). With numerical flexibility, companies can easily increase or decrease its total number of workers in the short term to accurately achieve an exact coincidence between the needed workforce and that effectively employed. It is normally achieved through the use of different types of contracts and variations in the distribution of working time. When organizations use numerical flexibility policies, they tend to predict the requirements for human resources and then adjust their human resource supply accordingly. For this type of policy to be more effective and in order to achieve greater success in balancing demand and supply, organizations must imperatively have the ability to use employment and deployment. For example, in most hotels nowadays, the accounting and finance department tries to predict the number of tourist arrivals during different periods by using budgeting systems and then pass it on to the Human Resources department which decides whether there is a need to employ more workers on contract in order to meet the budgeted demand. Financial flexibility It is defined as the policy of adjusting employment costs in line with the demand for labour in the organization, and reflecting the supply of labour in the external labour market. It is therefore obvious that financial flexibility and numerical flexibility are closely associated which implies that certain forms of numerical flexibility inevitably lead to greater financial flexibility for the employer. More specifically, in terms of setting wage levels, financial flexibility means moving from uniform and standardized pay structures towards individualized pay systems. Financial flexibility usually involves a sort of performance based element of pay or simply based on merits. Sources of labour Between these three broad types of flexibility, that is functional, numerical and financial, Looise et al (1998) further classify flexibility strategies into a two-by-two matrix based on two considerations, the source of the staff (that is the acquisition of man power internally and externally) and the involvement of different skills (that is the requirement for staff to have one specific skill only or be able to work more than two positions). This two-by-two matrix is illustrated below. Table I Labour flexibility matrix Internal External Overtime Agency staff Quantitative Variable working time Short-term contracts Part-Time Flexible contracts Shift working Exchange of labour Labour pool Qualitative Job Rotation Detachment Multi-tasking Consultancy Multi-functioning Source: Looise et al (1998) Internal quantitative source of labour: Internal quantitative source of labour implies numerical flexibility. It represents the different ways a company can obtain a numerical increase in its labour force by looking within the organisation itself. (a) Overtime From Table I overtime is said to be an internal quantitative source of staff. Overtime is the term used to describe work undertaken on top of an employees normal contracted hours. Employees are normally paid at an enhanced rate for their overtime (usually one and a half time the normal hourly rate or even double time). Overtime is usually done voluntarily by employees as it is seen as a means of supplementing their basic wage. However, in some circumstances, it is compulsory. For many workers, particularly in white collar jobs and especially amongst professionals and managerial grades, there is no additional overtime payment, even working after normal contracted working hours. (b) Variable working time It refers to a situation where the employee is free to choose his or her working time. Usually, employers accept to make workers choose between variable working time as long as they attain a certain quota in their work as targeted by the management. (c) Part-time It denotes jobs where the number of hours is less than the standard working week. However, there is a problem when talking about part-time jobs. There is no general agreement on what constitutes a standard working week, although there are sometimes industry or establishment norms. It implies that the term part-time can be used to denote someone working a three hour week as well as someone working thirty hours a week. (d) Shift working Shift working is another internal source of quantifying labour. It allows establishments to work continuously by deploying a large workforce across three segments in the working day: early shift, late shift and night shift. In many instances, employees will rotate across these shifts from week to week. Internal qualitative source of labour Internal qualitative source of labour is more likely to be linked with functional flexibility. It encloses the different ways a firm can get working within the company itself to do different tasks. (a) Job Rotation Job rotation means that employees within a particular work area have the ability to perform a variety of tasks and will move from one to another at various times within the working day or the working week. This means that employees have to be fully flexible and able to perform different tasks when necessary during the working day. (b) Multi-tasking and multi-functioning Multi-tasking or multi-functioning implies that a worker can do other jobs apart from those assigned to him. For example, in the hotel sector, a person can work as barman and prepare cocktails and also work as cook in the kitchen. External quantitative source of labour External quantitative source of labour refers to the different ways a firm can become numerically flexible and get an increase in labour force by looking for workers outside the firm. (a) Agency staff Staffing agencies co-ordinate and engage with corporations, organizations and other clients, size up their  human  resources  needs and match their staff needs according to specific requirement. This implies that agency staffs are those persons who are registered to a staffing agency which in turn try to place them in certain specific jobs according to their qualifications. For example, if a hotel is looking for a cook with 2 years experience, it may contact the staffing agency which will look in its data base system for a cook with the experience necessary. (b) Short-term contracts Short-term contract jobs are jobs that have a definite end date. The length of the contract is specified in the contract itself. Short-term or contract jobs could last for one month, three months or even twelve months, depending on the nature of the job. Some people choose short-term jobs because they dont want to feel like they will be stuck in the same job for a long time. (c) Flexible contracts Flexible contract is another quantitative source of labour. It implies employing persons through agency staffs, employing freelance workers or casual workers or even outsourcing the work to specific agencies in the particular field of work required. An example in the hotel sector, instead of employing someone permanently to do gardening or cleaning, there is a gardening agency that provides workers for a certain time period. These workers would be paid directly by the hotel itself but will leave when the job is over. (d) Exchange of labour Exchange of labour is a system where an organization does not need to any recruitment and selection to obtain the necessary labour. Instead it looks within other companies most of the time within the same group of companies and take the best candidate according to requirements. In the hotel sector for example, lets say La Pirogue Hotel need a chef cook. Instead of recruiting one, the hotel will try to find one within the other hotels in the group, i.e. the Sun Resorts Ltd. (e) Labour pool Labour pool refers to a source of trained people from which labour can be hired. It is another external quantitative source of labour where companies can find trained people required for a particular job. The University Of Mauritius is a labour pool. When, for example, a finance company needs ten persons to work in a particular department, they may come to the University of Mauritius and choose the ten best finance students that fits their requirements. External qualitative source of labour It implies functional flexibility but the source of labour this time is outside the firm. (a) Detachment Professional detachment is about doing a task when you dont like it very professionally.  If a person is affected by the way the customers talk and that affects the way he or she is doing the job, then the latter are not professional in his work.  Professionalism is manifested when someone carry out the job when he does not like it at all.   Professional detachment paves the way for achieving excellence and avoiding a lot of unnecessary headaches that one will get from personal involvement. (b) Consultancy Consultancy is an arrangement where a specialist firm sells its services to other firms. For example, KPMG offer advice about matters like taxation or investment or management to other firms. Consultancy is therefore an external qualitative source of labour as the consulting firm will send workers to the other company and provide advice which may benefit the company in terms of better quality work. John Atkinson model of the flexible firm In the 1980s, debates around flexibility were focused on the model of the flexible firm proposed by Atkinson (1985). The most distinctive feature of Atkinsons model was the suggestion that firms started dividing their workforce into CORE and PERIPHERY workers. The model is illustrated in the figure below. Figure 1: The flexible firm Source: Atkinson (1985) The core group According to Atkinson, the most important part for a flexible firm is its core group. Core workers are full time, i.e. permanent employees who benefit of job security and high earnings. In return, they perform different tasks and work as flexible workers across different traditional skills boundaries. They are functionally flexible. The firm invests in these workers in terms of training and they develop new skills which make it possible for them to perform different tasks. Typical members of the core group include managerial and professional staffs and multi-skilled workers. The first peripheral group Outside the core group there is a great variety of peripheral workers. However, the first peripheral group is composed of full-time workers. As compared to the core group, these workers enjoy less job security and inferior career prospects. They are hired to do specific jobs usually of semi-skilled nature. Because workers within the first peripheral group are easily recruited and easily fired, firms can vary their number according to different levels of activity and hence become numerically flexible. In the hotel sector, a typical example could be a waiter or waitress. When there is too much work, more waiters are recruited and when the load of work goes down, again some are fired. The second peripheral group The second peripheral group is made of part-timers, people on job share, and a variety of temporary workers such as workers from agency staffs, people on short term contracts and also those on government schemes. These workers perform the same type of jobs as the first peripheral group and also give the firm numerical flexibility depending on fluctuating activities and hence allow to cope with uncertain growth. The only difference between these two groups is that the second peripheral group is made of part time workers whereas in the first peripheral group, workers are on a full time basis. Outside the firm (Self-employment/ sub-contracting/ increased outsourcing/ agency temporaries) There is a variety of external workers outside the firm who perform either routine tasks such as cleaning and security or very specialized ones. For example many firms employ external workers to do cleaning jobs or ensure the security. There are also sub contracts, agency staffs and home-workers. Home workers may be those working in areas of computing or networking and who can work also through long distances. With these external workers, firms are able to cope with predictable changes in their activities and therefore become financially flexible rather than numerically flexible as they enable the firm to limit financial commitment. Empirical evidence In this section, different studies pertaining to flexibility are illustrated. Some figures are provided to demonstrate the use of different forms of flexibility in organisations. The evidence for flexibility When Atkinson make the study, be based his model on evidence from case studies and surveys including the NEDC (1985) survey of 72 firms in the food and drink, engineering, retail and financial services industries. The NEDC, National Education Data Center, is a U.S agency responsible for providing policy-relevant analysis and reports derived from education data and indicators. It was created in the 1980s by combining offices from several federal agencies. The surveys and case studies identified widespread increases in numerical flexibility in the early 1980s. Surveys also included the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service survey the ACAS (1988). The latter demonstrated that there was also a slight increase in different forms of numerical flexibility. For example, it argues that sub-contracting was the most common and has increased in the manufacturing sector, in larger organisations and in parts of the public sector, such as health and civil service whereas job sharing was on an increasing trend in sectors such as banking where there are problems of balancing staffing and workload. Studies made also provide the evidence that the number of flexible employees increased. They were divided into two particular groups: part-time employees and self employed. In 1981 there were over 4 million people working part-time and in 1993, the number of part-time workers has nearly reached 6 million. The studies demonstrate that the increase in part-time workers occurred at the expense of full-time workers. In 1993 when the number of part-timers increased by 227,820 to a total of 5,998,112, full-time jobs declined by 275,464 to a total of 14,889,977. Over the period 1981-1993, the number of part-timers rose by 1.25 million while full-time jobs declined by 0.5 million. The proportion self employed in the U.K workforce also increased substantially throughout the 1980s at a faster rate than the increase in part-time employees. In the 1990s there were nearly 3.4 million self-employed, approximately 1/8 of the total workforce. Hunter and MacInnes (1991) study Hunter and MacInnes made a study in 1991 on a survey carried out by the Employers Labour Usage Strategies (ELUS). The results progressively focused on workplaces having the most marked tendency to employ peripheral workers. ELUS visited 877 workplaces which made use of peripheral workers of various kinds. Hunter and MacInnes then took a sub-sample of 39 of these establishments. They identified three groups of workers: First there was a set of skilled professionals and technical occupations comprising large numbers of freelance, agency staffs and self-employed workers. Second there was a group of manual and non manual workers who were seen by their employers as having a low level skill or as easily transferable. Not much learning and training were required to do their jobs. Some were on a temporary or a part-time basis Finally, there was a smaller group between the two others which covered both skilled and unskilled jobs that were dependent in some way on limited contracts. The conclusion made by Hunter and MacInnes was that employees have started extending their use of non-standard contracts and this demonstrate the progression of different forms of flexibility in organisations. Conclusion Researches on flexible work are relatively well established and at least since the work of Atkinson (1984) there has been much attention to the concept of flexibility in organisations. Flexibility is seen as a means to improve a firms competitiveness by lowering labour costs. The 2 most important types of flexibility that will be considered within the rest of the project are numerical flexibility and functional flexibility. These two concepts are very important as numerical flexibility tries to make the firm able to cope with increases in work by changing the amount of labour quickly in response to changes in the market and on the other side, functional flexibility make it possible for employees to carry on different tasks and hence reducing company labour costs. Evidences in Europe proved that many companies are more flexible since the 1990s and are actually looking for more and more better ways to be flexible and efficient both in terms of costs and productivity.