Pay and Reward Compensation Management Research Paper

Pay and Reward Compensation Management - Research Paper Example The internal market influence pay setting based on the local labor markets and the internal wage structures of the firm as well as internal equity. I learnt the importance of international comparison. This was a rather difficult concept to understand at first because I thought the payment determinants were exclusive to each country. While, unique, they are influenced by common trends these include decentralization of collective bargaining that are profoundly influenced by the world economy. From this, I learnt that the global economy has more impacts on the local economics than I had previously imagined. I discovered that the world was moving away from payment based on seniority and time spent working. Starting the UK and branching out worldwide, the last 3 decades payment has been based more on performance and Varied according to output. I thought that was a particularly astute means of determining payment since it has a fairer way of compensating workers based on their hard work. I t confirmed my understanding that compensation to be a way for the employer to give feedback to their staff (NNazir, n.d). This system is gaining favor with employers since it will be based on performance of an employee not merely his/her seniority, the profitability and performance of the company. Therefore, companies will not be disadvantaged incase of non-performing employees and this system will serve to motivate the employees perform, which will serve to reduce the burden on the HR department of companies. I had thought the concept was American but discovered it was originated from the UK. Moreover, I learnt how trade unions together with employers association determine the type of payment. Some unions have opposed this system while most employer association and government have encouraged profit sharing schemes between companies and employees. It was disappointing to learn there are not any definitive figure on this available as it makes it hard to authenticate the conclusion. However, by the figures presented, I learnt that incentive systems have been there since 1998 and 58% of work places had some sort of incentive system. By 2004, 9% had merit based pay and the most recent figure showed that a non-union workplace is more likely to use incentive pay (Kersley et al. 2006). In addition, from the lecture, I learnt the many different forms of payment methods. However, there is still no conclusive evidence of improvements, and  all schemes have different goals. This is because despite the current adoption of performance based payment systems by many companies it has its own challenges, as it calls for close monitoring of quality and training for customer service and quality of employees. Moreover, companies must have in place good operating procedures, should be ready to handle and manage lax and non-performing employees and in order to motivate employees to perform the pay package must be appealing. In addition, it is also taxing during the changeover pr ocess and again this changeover is associated with employees’ turnover. This system often fails since most employees tend to abuse it by aiming to earn much at the expense of offering quality customer service leading to loss of clientele. Variable pay is a rather confusing and the pay systems are dependent on a wide range of factors. In my opinion, the lecture was highly enlightening came out with a lot of knowledge about the various payment compensation systems. Lecture 7 –

Elizabeth Gaskell Essay Example for Free

Elizabeth Gaskell Essay After Helen died things didnt get much better. The farm workers started to look down upon him and hardy waited till my fathers back was turned rated the stepson, even his own brother looks down upon him unintentionally I sometimes repeated the disparaging words I heard Without fully understanding their meaning. This makes us feel a lot of sympathy towards Gregory and we feel sorry for him. There seems to be a close link between Gregory life and his Mother life. No matter what happens, they try to make the best of things and get on with it. Preston maintains and feeds his hatred of Gregory instead of repressing it; he cherished his feeling of alienation he had from Gregory. He lived the save type of life as her, one of suffering and one full of sorrow, death seems like a better place for him he is along side the one and only person who loved him. Preston holds a grudge on Gregory right from the very start. But we must admire Gregory for not begrudging him or any other person who treats him badly even if they have just been nasty to him, he would do a kind turn for anyone, even if they had been scolding him. He is parallel to his mother. This helps us to warm to him as a character. Gregory is stoical and endures things with uncomplaining patience whichs helps us to admire him. Gaskell creates a character that speaks highly of Gregory. Nearly every one of the farm workers has a bad thing to say about him apart from old Adam. Gregory is sent out onto the hills as a Shepard with along with Adam who trains him. Adam is the only person apart from Gregorys mother who has not got a bad word to say about him, but indeed praises him. This is likely to the fact that Adam was almost the first person who had a good opinion of Gregory and even told this to his boss, Preston. Later in the story when the narrator goes missing, Gregory goes out in the thick snow to look for his half brother risking in his own life and not even thinking about it. This also seems parallel to Helen who had done similar for Gregory by putting Gregory first and looking out for him without even thinking about it. When Gregory manages to find the narrator, Gaskell makes us feel even more admiration for him. In the freezing snow, he gives his brother the Maud (woollen shawl) that he is wearing so that the narrator can stay just a little bit warmer. This makes us warm to Gregory, because of the fact he is suffering for the sake of his brother. Gaskell evokes admiration from the readers, Gregory died for his brother, and someone he barely knew and did not even complain about it. Gaskell creates a character that many of the readers may take a disliking to and manages to get ambivalent responses from the readers. Preston is described as being an old bachelor long past forty and one of the wealthiest farmers thereabouts. Helen agrees to marry him solely on that the fact that he promised to take good charge of her boy, and let him want for nothing, neither in way of keep nor in education. This almost seems a purely business agreement. He uses Gregory as an excuse in order to marry Helen. Gaskell makes our response to Preston more complex than any other of the characters; she manages to get a complicated reaction to Preston through a short story. With the other main characters, it is obvious how Gaskell is trying to portray them but it is not obvious in Prestons case. We are suspicious of him at the start. At the start of The Half Brothers Preston is made out to be a horrible man, but by the end of the story our feelings have softened against him. He is very impatient, he does not wait for Helen to love him Perhaps love would have come in time. Preston begrudges Gregory as child for the attention he receives from Helen. He is jealous of him, and cannot stand Helen loving Gregory more than him. Preston is dehumanised. He does not love Gregory at all, but hates him. But later on we see that Preston is humanised, glad and proud his son was born. He becomes sorry for his poor wifes state, but still blames it on Gregory and holds him responsible for Helens death even though it is his own fault for arguing with her. After Helens death Preston honours the agreement for which they were married under, to look after Gregory. But he makes no attempt to love him, only to give him material things that money can buy, nothing emotional. Even Preston is hurting Gregorys dog, just because it belongs to Gregory, he has a real dislike to anything that Gregory owns or anything to do with. Even Prestons own son thinks he is to hard on Gregory I believe that my father cherished his feeling of alienation to my brother as a duty, than strove to repress it But towards the end of The Half brothers Gaskell makes us feel differently towards him. There is a sense of deep regret from Preston on his deathbed about the way that he treated Gregory throughout his life God forgive me my hardness of heart towards the fatherless child! After his death he knows that Helen loved Gregory more and so as a sign of repentance had desired that he might lie at the foot of the grave, in which, by his desire, poor Gregory had been laid with our mother. Preston is very grateful and thankful to Gregory for saving his sons life I would have given him half my land I would have blessed him as my son. He even tries to be kind to the dog, but it wont let him near it. Gaskell is very good at creating and holding suspense for long periods of time through the story. At the start of the story, just after Helens husband dies suspense starts to build up as we become worried about Helens future and continues to hold the suspense until she marries Preston. When the narrators gets lost, the fact that night came on quicker makes us feel unnerved that night is overtaking him and that he may get stuck there all night. An eerie atmosphere is created which intensifies the suspense even further some wild boggy moor Tautology is used to emphasis how dark it and adds to the suspense noiseless expansion of black darkness. Gaskells use of language also helps to create suspense. Suddenly the air was filled , suddenly is placed at the beginning of the sentence to show how quickly and unexpectedly the snow fell. We start to become worried for the narrator and the suspense is built up even further by the emotional language used I shouted terrible, wild shouts for bare life and choked with tears desolate, helpless death I was to die shows how extreme the situation is, how isolated and lonely the narrator must have felt. The narrator starts to give up hope and we start to feel very sorry for him and then just as all hope is gone, lassie comes to his rescue, we now see that he saved and is going to get home safely as he has been found. Just as soon as we feel relief that he has been found, there poses as even bigger problem, instead of one person being lost, there are two the suspense is deepened even further than before. As the two try to find their way home, it is apparent that they are not going to get home and could die out there. All of this creates suspense and makes the reader want to read on to see if the pair gets home all right. The suspense reaches it climax near the end of the story. When the narrator determined to sleep and doesnt care if he dies. When the pair realise that they can go no further, they stop as a last resort they know that they are going to die and sent lassie back to get help. The suspense is mounted to see whether or not lassie can get back to the ranch before the pair die of the cold. Then the narrator fell asleep. We think is the end, he has fallen asleep he will die. But then a sense of relief comes over us when we find that the narrator has been found just time and survives, but Gregory is not so lucky. Through out the story The Half Brothers Gaskell evokes and manipulates many of our feelings. But some readers, including myself find that some of the story mawkish and trying to push at our emotional buttons in an unsophisticated way. Gaskell style of writing helps to manipulate our feelings. The way she portrays Helens and Gregorys lives makes us feel a lot of sympathy towards them but we admire the way they put up with everything without complaining. She creates a character, which seems to be the bad guy of the story and evokes complex feelings for him from us. Some readers including myself may find that Preston is an horrid man and continue to think the same even when Gaskell tries to soften his image by saying that he has become humanised, but others may feel that he is a good man at heart and this is portrayed at the end of the story when he is deeply regretful. Gaskell is very good at creating suspense and makes us worried about the characters and makes us want to read on. So overall Gaskell is very good at manipulating our feelings.

Essays --

Sierra Battaglia Ms.Green English 1 February 13,2014 Down Syndrome It is believed that people with Down Syndrome has been around for a while. In 1959 Professor JÃ ©rome Lejeune proved that Down's syndrome is a chromosomal irregularity.Parents in that time were ashamed of their children with disabilities.In 1944 kids with disabilities did not have the right to have an education. Not until 1971 it was recognized that it should be legal for people with learning disabilities to get an education.Life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has heightened dramatically in modern decades from 25 in 1983 to 60 today. People with down syndrome have an increased risk for certain medical conditions such as heart disease,brain atrophy and learning disorders.(downs-syndrome association) Down's syndrome is not a disease and therefore people with Down syndrome do not suffer nor are they victims of their condition.Down Syndrome is a natural disorder coming from a chromosome defect. It is a genetic condition in which a person has 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46. Which causes mental impairment and physical deformity.For example short stature , broad facial profile and weak muscle tone.It occurs in approximately one in every 800 live births.It is the most frequently occurring chromosomal disorder. Down syndrome is not related to race, nationality, religion or socioeconomic status.(medline plus) Children with Down syndrome are normally smaller, and their physical and mental improvements are slower compared to children who are unaffected.Some of the physical features in children have flattening of the back of the head, slanting of the eyelids, small skin folds at the inner corner of the eyes, depressed nasal bridge, slightly smaller ears, smal... ... in positive ways, particularly during adolescence. Treatments might include going to a behavioral specialist and taking medications.(Eunice kennedy shriver national institute of child health and human development) There is no specific treatment for down syndrome. A child born with a gastrointestinal blockage may need major surgery immediately after birth. Or a Certain heart defect may require surgery depending on how serious it is. Obesity can be a problem in older kids or adults so they need to keep active but before they do so they have to get their hips and neck examined. Behavioral discipline can help people with Down syndrome and their families deal with the frustration, anger, and compulsive behavior that will occur. Parents should learn to help a person with Down syndrome deal with frustration and anger. Although, it is important to encourage independence.

How Media Actually Affects the Culture of the Human Society Today Essay

Introduction The contemporary problem of a society which has a democratic and liberal political setting alongside a free market economic system or any society which gears towards such characterizations remains to be one that involves what contemporary political thinkers and scholars refer to as the notion of the plurality of values. Isaiah Berlin, for instance, considers what he called values pluralism as an inevitable consequence of the processes of democratization and liberalization. For the sake of clarity, it is but proper to lay down at the onset, what the task of this paper is. This paper’s task remains two-fold; first it seeks to explicate Thomas Frank’s views in his essay entitled, Why Johnny Can’t Dissent from the book, Commodify Your Dissent, and second, it aims to give substantive criticisms to Frank’s views and comment on how media and advertising have caused business culture and counterculture to become, essentially, one and the same; primarily answering the question â€Å"in what sense may they be considered as one and the same?† Relating the Thoughts of Frank with the Theories of Selznick Understanding the business industries today, it should occur to everyone that the said field of concern actually notes the impact of business upon the culture of the society today. Good manners involve showing consideration for the feelings of others, according them respect, treating them as we would like for them to treat us. Many have noted, however, that manners themselves have undergone a breakdown. Indeed, courtesy becomes one of the most wanted character among people which proves that the society lacks so much manners an is still lacking some as the years pass by. Certainly the idea of being polite have been used by many personalities in the human community today to conceal the real score behind politics and its connection with selfishness, hence making the society more prone to demands of fine manner which even people in authority fail to show. Children as young as five years of age are increasingly belligerent, disrespectful of other children’s property, lacking in respect for adults, and using obscene language. Most teachers surveyed feel that parents are spoiling their children and that this is the root cause of the increase in unsocial behavior. At one point, it could be said that the issue of display of fine manners starts decaying within the four walls of the homes where individual characters are developed within a person. Many factors concerning a child’s development have been causing social chaos as the children of certain generation grow to take over the society. As result the characters once set in a child to be right and acceptable causes problems to the society as they grow older. True, in many cases, the homes which are supposed to be the modeling clay of a person’s being becomes highly incapable of doing its part in making a better society for the future. Instead, divorces and other family failures present in the society today drives the very idea of the mistaken identity of the ‘wrong’ to become accepted in the human community.   The used to be ‘fine atmosphere’ of parks and playgrounds is now replaced with the view of groups of children ages nine to thirteen gathered in gangs and not by playmates. Even the children’s views of ‘fun’ have now changed to violence and authority. Certainly, world reports are mostly making much clear points on showing that the world’s moral belief and application is already falling off from the supposed needed application for the social development and peace to be highly implemented. Regarding these issues of moral-lack, Philip Selznick has produced a written repot on the needs of having moral standards back in the human society today. In the paragraphs to follow, the beliefs of the said author regarding the said issue shall be tackled and discussed for closer evaluation. Sociology and the Perfect Society   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The present human condition is dealing with so much problems and issues involving human morality. The values of moral, which are obviously lacking on the present human society is quite an obvious dilemma in the present system of things in the human community. Hence, it is necessary for the present human generation to recognize the need of bringing back morals in the society to be able to save the present generation from perishing in a moral basis. According to Selznick, â€Å"Morality is made for humans and not humans for morality† (Selznick, 12), this means that morality is a provision for the human generation and not a responsibility. In this regard, it is important for all humans that everyone recognizes the value of morals at all times. However, this truth has never been totally effective with the human generations that passed the world history. In many points of history, the human civilization has posted so much violence and disrespect for life. This is the exact opposite of what is morally accepted in the society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this manner, it is indeed a factor of consideration that morals are also affected buy the different organizations that humans form in the society. Indeed, it is true, that by the existence of an influential environment, morals get so twisted and are thus mixed up with immoral beliefs. As Selznick says: â€Å"when it comes to bureaucracies, whatever their dysfunctions, hold open the possibility of overcoming local obligations in favor of more universalistic claims† (Selznick, 14). In this regard, it could be noticed that Selznick strongly points out that as an individual develops, the society goes with the development as well. However, since the individual population of today’s society seems to develop to a more negatively enhanced improvement, the society too becomes more negatively rooted as the years tend to pass. The Elements of a Perfect Community   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Selznick, the real definition behind a society that is perfectly designed for living is based upon morals. He adds in his written work that â€Å"definitions in social theory should be weak, inclusive and relatively uncontroversial†, in this way, morals are preserved and the established by humans themselves do not intercept in the implication of what is morally accepted in the human community.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He also adds that to be able to attain a perfectly created society, there are seven essential elements that should be considered. The seven elements are as follows: Historicity This defines the strong foundation of any community based upon the past of a certain group of society. The foundation of morals, which are already accepted in the said society, would be the basis of what is morally right. However, since time changes, morals too either develop or in some ways decrease in its strength through the test of time. Identity A society is indeed known through its identity of moral difference against other social groups. The way they are accepting morals usually differs from how others tend to accept morality as a part of their daily living. In this regard, the different societies are considered different form each one because of their own carried identity. Mutuality It is very important that everyone accept the moral standards set up for their own community. This way the social standards of morality could be considered highly practical and effective for everyone. This means that everybody within a society has mutual understanding and acceptance of what is considered righteous. Plurality The majority that accepts the moral values that are standardized for social reference is very important. The more there are who accepts the values to be morally righteous, the more effective the said principles are for everyone. Autonomy Everybody is bound to do what is right; they are bound to do what is accordingly acceptable with the set principles of morals within the society they are living in. However, it should still be recognized that every person has their own will, their own capability of deciding. This means that to be able to do what is right, a person must also consult his own thoughts and beliefs regarding what should be considered moral, basing from their own individual foundation of knowing what is right and wrong. Participation As earlier said, participation of the majority with regards to the acceptance of moral principles in the entire population of the society is an important factor of making or creating a perfect society. Integration Being able to integrate with the acceptable moral principles of the society is indeed an important part of making a completely peacefully interconnected society. Certainly, this means that being socially integrated within the community through moral principles is a basis of a perfect community. (Source: Selznick, Philip. (1994). The Moral Commonwealth: Social Theory and the Promise of Community (Centennial Books). University of California Press; Reprint edition.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These factors of a community makes it possible for the entire population to realize their worth in the society. Being able to fully grasp the importance of being a part of the developments in a community indeed makes a person’s view of life and worth of living a more improved factor of his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is evident that Selznick wants to point out the importance of one’s satisfaction with his life and his worth to the society. This moves an individual to fully grasp the importance of his presence and the worth of his life to others, thus making a positive move to be able to do so, helps that person to become more righteous and positively inclined when it comes to the display of his manners.    As an overall view, Selznick’s theory with regards to a perfect society is indeed an epitome of social utopia derived from individual developments. The fact that as the basic sector of the community, the individual’s growth determines the society’s growth as well, Selznick points out that to have a perfect community, a person must not only realize his worth as an individual but as a part of a big society which needs his presence to grow in becoming more developed and socially mannered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Being a member of a community leaves a person certain responsibilities of being a continuous contributor towards the good of every one involved within the society as well. Constant observance of the moral values in the society is an important factor of creating a perfect kind of community, which makes it more livable for most of the population in the society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For these moments, it is important to reconsider morals to bring back the peaceful situations of a utopian model of a society. Although the world today has a hard time implementing the social principles of what is morally acceptable, the theories and elements of a perfect community as mentioned by Selznick is still indeed an effective way of implementing peace in a certain society; and thus if implemented, a society borne to peace and security is not far from being developed. However hard to apply the changes may be, it could still be expected that with ample effort, the aims of a perfect community could be achieved. These views of the said theorist has been further enhanced and introduced for social understanding. Likely, the understanding of such balance that makes a clear connection between media and popular culture is the main feature of Thomas Frank’s views.   Primarily, the focus of the discussion shall be centered upon the understanding of media and its implications with the social culture that is obviously one of the essential factors of a utopian society. Understanding Thomas Frank’s Views In this regard, with the aim of pursuing the understanding upon the views of Thomas Frank, the discussion in this paper shall then be stressed on the direct effects of the assumptions of the said expert with regards media and human culture. Adorno and Horkheimer, for instance, view commercialism, the weapon of capitalism in and through which it is possible to transform a society into a mediocre herd which prefers popular culture’s logic of style and false notions of values such as â€Å"individuality† over more pure expressions of truth, as the culprit for the erosion not only of societal values but also of culture. As they see it, commercialism made possible the existence of the â€Å"deceived masses† (133). The deception of the masses is a phenomenon that is worth the time to evaluate. How is this phenomenon possible? It is at this point that media and advertising steps into the scene. In Legal Philosophy, fundamental rights are those rights that are inalienable to human persons. An example of this kind of right is the right of free speech. The state’s recognition that free speech is a fundamental right that ought to be granted to individuals or citizens of a free democracy has crucial implications on the current problems of any state claiming to be â€Å"democratic†. For one, free speech, by virtue of being a fundamental right, paves the way for differing ideas, worldviews and values. In a liberal and democratic political setting, this is actually healthy. Ideally, it ensures that decisions are arrived at through proper deliberation. By proper deliberation, we refer to different ideas being examined critically through rational discourse. However, there had been considerably significant drawbacks to the recognition of free speech as a fundamental right and these drawbacks involve among many other things the core notions of social obligation and social responsibility that the press or the media ought to be mindful of in terms of proliferating false notions and values through the mechanism of advertising. Naturally, societies which adhere to the tenets of liberalism and democracy will be flooded by too many ideas, worldviews and values. This is an accurate characterization of current liberal and democratic societies. Capitalism, in itself, has a commercial mechanism which Barthes calls â€Å"censorship by repletion† (185). Commercialism thus, produces confusion and perhaps, intellectual anarchy, by flooding too many false notions as exemplified in the slogans that capitalists use to market their products. In a certain sense, the rise of commercialism endangers the very fabric of society; society’s cultural, historical and intellectual heritage. Eventually, marketing and advertising were able to replace political discourse. People, oftentimes readily accept the truthfulness of advertisements. They rarely take the time to think for themselves the truthfulness of slogans and advertisements on the television and the Internet. Such a setting of course, poses serious threats not only on the individual but more importantly, to the whole of society. We seem to forget that we have an important epistemic obligation, that is, not to accept the truth of a belief or a statement unless we have sufficient evidence for it. Undeniably, popular culture affects how the current generation thinks and reasons. To a certain extent, popular culture predisposes and moulds our children to behave and more importantly, to think in such and such ways. Culture, being a way of life, is a social phenomenon; it is the society which creates culture. It is the society which creates certain patterns of living, as argued by some social theorists. The idea is that it is ultimately, the people who draft their culture and their history. This idea is however, threatened by commercialism and capitalism. Vein Lasn adds up to this idea: â€Å"Culture isn’t created from the bottom up by the people anymore – it’s fed to us top-down by corporations† (189). What Van Lasn is pointing out is the fact that the market is too powerful a force that dictates culture. In Frank’s view, the corporate world feeds on the masses’ desire to individuality. The capitalists exploit this desire to be different, to be unique, or to stand out by linking the notion of individuality with a certain product that they sell on the market. The commercial mechanism of capitalism is, as stated earlier in the discussion, is the media through advertising. Businesses make extensive use of media and advertising to get the attention of the consumers. Capitalism, through media and advertising commodifies values such as individuality. By linking the false notion of individuality to a certain commodity, consumers think that they are unique, that they are different. A deeper analysis however reveals that the aforementioned claim to individuality is nothing but an illusion; a figment of the mind manufactured and institutionalized by capitalists. It is not only the case that it is manufactured and institutionalized; it is also sold to the consumers. Frank offers a metaphor: â€Å"The race track, the plane on which all individuals race for stardom, is run by those who create and instill conformity. The harder one tries to rebel, the deeper they play into the new consumer hip world, thus defeating their original goal entirely†. At this point, it would be discussed how media and advertising marketed the idea of rebellion and how the subversive youth counterculture became, in itself, an affirmation not of individuality but of conformity. The quoted statement above from the last paragraph of Frank’s essay raises considerably significant issues that need to be dealt with accordingly. As Frank sees it, the race for individuality is a race that can never be won. The problem, as he sees it, is the fact that the â€Å"race track† or the playing field is in itself, owned by those who create and instill conformity – the capitalists. In addition to this, the aforementioned race cannot be won simply because it is the capitalist who dictates the rules. As a matter of fact, they do so because they are the ones who create the rules. So, following Frank’s reasoning in his metaphor, it is indeed the case that no matter how one tries to rebel, one inevitably gets caught up, entangled with the webs of commercialism and capitalism. The goal to be non-conformists is in vain. Why is this so? As Frank sees it, the current youth counterculture and its attempt to rebel involves a contradiction at its very core. Frank argues that â€Å"consumerism is no longer about conforming but about difference† (113). How did this happen? In the preceding discussions, consumerism is associated with conformity but why is it that Frank now claims that it is about difference? For him, the answer is simple. The youth counterculture rebels through material means like fashion and clothing or cars. The idea of individuality, the idea of being unique or different is limited to the shallow definition that the youth appropriates for itself. Consumerism is no longer about conforming but about difference, as Frank claims, since individuals are desperately trying not to conform but by trying not to conform, they end up conforming. Indeed, conforming and not-conforming becomes one and the same since they all play by the rules of the game; and the rules of the game as stated earlier, are created and thereby, controlled by the capitalists. Frank also makes mention of how the television makes significant contributions to the deception of the masses. It makes them believe that they are in control of themselves and their lives. On a superficial level, one may think that one is free in choosing the kind of television shows that he or she may choose according to the dictates of his or her will. The problem is however, much more complex and to think in the way described above is an oversimplification of the problem. It simply misses the point, so to speak. For even the shows on the television are dictated by the â€Å"fad†, by what is considered hip during a particular point in time. As Frank states: â€Å"hip is their official ideology† (121). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Certainly, manners have already become a lesser element that is concentrated upon by the society today. Likely, the aim of being industrially known throughout the world has made the present society lesser concerned about morals, for as long as they are able to persuade the society to take consideration in giving attention to their product offerings no matter what it takes. Confidently, many people are able to live their lives even though they are considering less focus upon the morals that they are implying upon in the growth of the entire society. In this manner, they are then having a hard time relating the present situation of the society with the idealism of a modern social utopia as per suggested by Selznick. Obviously, Thomas Frank actually explains that this particular factor in the society has already been lost by the human generation as they began embracing the trends of industrialization thus jumping into the band wagon of popular culture and modern commercialism along the way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Obviously,   as the years has passed the human generations that are existing at present, the idealism of a modern social utopia has been lost to the aims of gaining much profit for a more economically progressive society. Understandably, the measure of the possibility of making a more socially moral community of humans in the world today becomes more and more involved with the influential factors that hold the key towards the believed progression that has been longed for by the human society. Through the use of media and advertising, the morals of the humanity actually begins to fade as it embraces the effects of globalization that also consequently subject major moral rules to jeopardy for the sake of continuing the advancements of the society that is highly wanted by the entire human generation today. References: Adorno and Horkheimer. The Dialectic of the Enlightenment. Herder and Herder, c. 1972. Barthes, R. Image, Music, Text. Hill, c. 1977. Frank, Thomas. â€Å"Why Johnny Can’t Dissent.† Commodify Your Dissent: Salvos from The Baffler. W. W. Norton & Company; 1st ed., c. 1997. The Conquest of Cool: Business Culture, Counterculture, and the Rise of Hip   Ã‚  Consumerism. University of Chicago Press, c. 1997. Lasn, K. Culture Jam: The Uncooling of America. Eagle Brook, c. 1999. Levinson, Sanford. Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong And   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How We the People Can Correct It. Oxford University Press, c. 2006. Sunstein, Cass. Why Societies Need Dissent. Harvard University Press, c. 2003. Selznick, Philip. (1994). The Moral Commonwealth: Social Theory and the Promise of Community (Centennial Books). University of California Press; Reprint edition.

A Writer’s Worst Writing Experience

When a sales man cannot sell anything, when a basketball player cannot shoot hoops or when a painter cannot paint, the worst experience that any professional can have in the performance of his or her work is the inability to execute the same, which practically defeats the very essence of the profession. In the same token, a writer’s worst experience is the incapacity to write when the writer has nothing to write about. This occurs basically for two reasons: First is when the topic to be written about has no resource and second, when the writer especially creative writers, has no source of inspiration or objective to write about. Writers conduct extensive research for the papers that they prepare. Whether a review of related literature or previous studies conducted on the topic of interest or an interpretation of an empirical observation or a summary of qualitative interview or statistical data, written documents must always have a basis whether from authoritative references or simple scientific observation. This is especially important for written documents that proposes an idea or urges its audience into action such as all forms of academic papers, advertisements or propaganda. In our modern world, the primary approach used in generating ideas is the scientific method of observable investigation and experimentation in generating conclusions. (Payne, G. and Payne, J. , 2004). In philosophy however, two major schools of thought basically delineate Epistemology or the study of human knowledge. Aside from the empirical approach that posits that perception is the prime source of knowledge on which is based the scientific approach, there is rationalism. Rationalism is principally founded on the Platonic philosophy that adhered that the mind or soul is ultimately the human faculty that interacts with the real world of abstract concepts from which is derived tangible particulars i. e. the factual world via the deductive process. (Engel, S. , 2001). This intangible reality is beyond our perception and can be attained through contemplation and reason. Following this idea, writers can also write original topics or ideas by reflection. Whilst in a derogatory sense, writers can actually generate ideas by philosophizing in a vacuum. Pragmatists however added that such philosophical writing must have practical purpose. Descartes’ Skeptical approach used doubting as the process of inquiry that allows a person to obtain relative certainty. The process of contemplation and reflection brings us to the next chief reason for having nothing to write about which is the lack of inspiration. Contemplation and reflection is difficult if not impossible if writers lack inspiration or objective. In the case of Descartes, his objective to prove the logical intuition of one’s existence and certification of one’s consciousness through self experience served as his inspiration. It is not a simple rational inquiry but is focused on discovery of the foundation of knowledge. For creative writers, the source of inspiration can be about anything i. e. a person, object, experience or a simple thought. This results to written forms of art such as poetry, stories or other written expressions of emotions and thoughts. However unlike other forms of art like painting or sculpture, writing as an art must always be geared to communicate ideas/ notions and express emotions. Hardly are there written forms of art that is for pure aesthetics or is created for its own sake. This is because writing is the textual representation of communication in which ideas are at its core. Without idea or message, there is no communication. In writing, this idea is tantamount to the topic. Without the topic, there is no writing. Thus, having no reference, source of such topic or the lack of inspiration to source that topic is the worst experience that a writer can ever have.

The eNotes Blog The Giver Trailer is Here and It Looks AwesomelyCreepy

The Giver Trailer is Here and It Looks AwesomelyCreepy Lois Lowrys Newbery Award-winning novel The Giver is coming to the big screen, and the first official trailer is out. Take a peek! The film will star big names Jeff Bridges (as the Giver), Meryl Streep, and Katie Holmes. Newcomer Brenton Thwaites will play the lead role of Jonas, the new Receiver of Memory for his community. For those unfamiliar with it,  The Giver is a dystopian novel set in a community that has isolated itself from the world and instituted a mandate of sameness. In this society, people do not feel emotions, see color, or think for themselves. They adhere to strict rules to preserve order and their seemingly perfect world. Only one in the community is chosen to carry the burden of mankinds memories, and as he grows old, a new Receiver of Memories is selected- young Jonas. Though his task is to relive the suffering of humankind and remind his community that the sacrifices they have made are just ones, over time Jonas cant help but wonder whether a world without joy, love, color, even pain, is one worth living in. For the full summary, plus analysis of themes and characters, visit the guide to  The Giver here. Theres still lots of time to get caught up on our Giver chapter summaries, Homework Help, and quizzes before the movie hits theaters on August 15th! Will  The Giver be this years  Hunger Games? Let us know what you think in a comment!

Writing a Critical Essay

Writing a Critical Essay Writing a Critical Essay While writing a critical essay, your purpose is to convey in your own words the sense of what the text is saying. Explain how the text creates its meaning. Open your critical literary essay with a thesis statement which demonstrates your point of view. The body of your critical essay is a presentation or defense of your interpretation. While writing critical essay, you should present your understanding of the text. In the conclusion of the critical essay, you sum up your findings, restate your thesis statement and arguments briefly. If you wish, you may extend the significance of the reading - comment on cultural or moral or technical significances of the topic and techniques of the text. You may also start writing critical essay in other way. For example, note what the main difficulties are to an interpretation of the novel. It is important to give the reader a sense of how you are proceeding in the critical essay and why: Critical Essay Help While writing a critical essay outline, you should describe the message that author wanted to bring, the significance of the book. Describe what the book is about, enumerate the major parts of the book in their order and relation, and define the problem that the author is trying to solve. Try to find the most important sentences in the book and use them to support your argumentation. Determine the author' solutions of the problem. Writing a critical essay means that you begin to argue with the author and express your point of view. Choose a specific topic that you want to explore further in your critical essay. The goal of the critical essay writing is to persuade the reader to accept your point of view. Include a thesis statement describing the subject you have chosen and why it interests you. You must have a clearly defined argumentative thesis. Write the thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph, preferable it should be the last sentence.Read the books that you feel will be relevant to your chosen topic. Write your ideas as a summary form to create the basis of critical essay writing. Along with this summary, make an outline for you critical essay. Each idea should be started with new paragraph; each paragraph should have its topic sentence. The reader should see the development of your analysis by looking at the beginning of each paragraph. At the end, when you think critical essay is ready, proofread and correct all mistakes. Custom Critical Essay Writing Service If critical essay writing is a challenging assignment for you, do not panic! We are available at any time of day and night to help you with any step of critical essay writing. is experienced in custom writing and we know how great critical essay should be written! Popular posts: Research Paper Conclusion Persuasive Research Paper Paper Research Help Writing a Research Paper Free Research Paper

General Rules About Abbreviations

General Rules About Abbreviations General Rules About Abbreviations General Rules About Abbreviations By Mark Nichol This post outlines basic rules about abbreviations. There is a bewildering variety of standards, which will be explained in more detail in subsequent posts about specific categories of abbreviation, but the following guidelines cover an array of general types. Use of abbreviation varies widely depending on the formality of writing employed for a given publication or a piece of content. Generally, the more formal the content, the less likely it is that abbreviation will be used, except in multiple references to terms commonly abbreviated or in tabular matter and other graphic elements. In formal writing, journalistic contexts, and some informal content as well, terms are spelled out on first reference, followed by abbreviation in parentheses, as in â€Å"The Global Positioning System (GPS) uses satellite signals to fix the location of a radio receiver on or above the earth’s surface.† Thereafter, the abbreviation is used exclusively. However, this tradition applies to single pieces of content, so that- unless, for example, an entire publication is devoted to articles about GPS technology- two articles in a publication that mention it will independently introduce the full spelled-out version of an abbreviation on first reference. Note, too, that specialized publications will likely abbreviate all references to widely used terms in that specialty. Abbreviations consisting entirely of uppercase letters (including NY, US, FBI, and NASA) or that end with an uppercase letter (as in PhD) are not followed by a period; some publications retain periods in these types of abbreviations (at least two-letter ones), but that style is in decline. Abbreviations that end with a lowercase letter (a.m., Dr., i.e., etc.) are generally followed by a period. Acronyms (abbreviations of phrases using initial letters of each word to form new word, such as AIDS) are almost invariably styled in all capital letters, though some, such as laser and scuba, have lost their uppercase form, and Nasdaq is treated as a proper noun. Initialisms (abbreviations of phrases using initial letters of each word, each of which is pronounced, such as FBI) are also generally capitalized. When using an article before an abbreviation, choose a or an depending on the first sound, not the first letter, of the abbreviation: â€Å"an NBA [en-bee-ay] team† but â€Å"a NASA [nasa] program.† Avoid ampersands except in proper names (â€Å"Johnson Johnson†) and in widely known abbreviations (â€Å"RD,† for â€Å"research and development†). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Passed vs Past40 Synonyms for â€Å"Lie†50 Tips on How to Write Good

Baby Boomer's Clinic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Baby Boomer's Clinic - Research Paper Example Women with maternity HMO coverage include the wellness visit of the baby’s first year. Weakness: - Patients without any HMO coverage will most likely default on their payment. Most employers do not carry maternity and extended coverage for family members. The number of potential patients with HMO coverage may not reach critical mass. Parents may not be receptive to the idea of having their infants undergo dieting and exercising at a very early age. Developing a wellness program for every infant may require expensive diagnostic evaluation to ensure that it will not be adverse to the infant’s medical condition. Opportunities: - Providing OB-GYN services can create a natural market for the Wellness baby services. Being a Vaccination Center for the State or Federal Government can create awareness for the clinic’s wellness program. A generic wellness program that will work across a wider infant population without the need for expensive diagnostic testing will be a valuable asset that can be sold to the public. Strategy to address weakness: - During the patient pre-screening, HMO coverage detail will be obtained and verified. If there is no coverage, payment can be demanded outright before the patient is seen by the doctor. Sign-up to be an HMO accredited clinic to ensure steady and guaranteed revenue from covered patients. The HMO itself will do the marketing for the clinic amongst each member. Parents should be informed of the benefits of a wellness program its effect on the financial health of the family. The medical benefits of the wellness program to the infant itself should be highlighted. A generic wellness program can be formulated and continuously improved so that it will be applicable to a wider cross section of the infant population. Continuous testing of infants that are admitted to the wellness program should be noted. The data will be added to the

School Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

School Environment - Essay Example In addition, student characteristics and class room factors may also have an impact on learning and teaching. It is essential for instructors to take note of both the community needs and environmental/contextual factors in addressing the needs of the school. Moreover, the uneven number of learners from underprivileged family backgrounds who precipitately terminate their education in high school has turned into a significant matter in recent times. In spite the growth of education over the last twenty years, likelihood of accomplishment, level of taking part, and representation all remain substantial among young learners from well off regions and minimal among young learners from underprivileged areas. Therefore, it is the duty of all education stakeholders to consider probable or all environmental/contextual factors and community needs that may have an impact on a school (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009). By being aware of and comprehending the environmental/contextual factors and communit y needs, stakeholders, for example, instructors may adequately organize their class room instruction so that all students learn properly. This paper will look at environmental/contextual factors and community needs of a high school and for each of the identified needs describe some possible solutions that could be used to deal with the needs of the high school. The environmental/contextual factors and community needs of a high school include socioeconomics and the population of a community. The socio-economic status of a high school may be made up of low, middle, and high class populations. Nevertheless, socio-economic factors and needs have an impact on a high school and instruction when a low achievement is realized due to a low socio-economic level. In a high school, learners who come from households that are underprivileged have a greater chance of experiencing difficulties at school than learners who come from households that are placed in the middle or upper ranks of the socia l strata. In addition, learners from low social status households are more probable to lessen their level of participation in high school, either by foregoing the chance to continue with learning in high school or by dropping out of school. These learners are also likely to pursue complex paths in high school, such as restarting or repeating their courses due to non-learning issues, or deferring their enrollment in school. In addition, learners from underprivileged backgrounds suffer from poor nutrition. Consequently, poor nutrition can have a negative impact on their memory and attention during instruction thus leading to a decreased intelligence quotient score than learners from high socio-economic positions. Studies indicate that learners who come from low socio-economic status backgrounds have slower and lower academic attainment in comparison to students from high socio-economic positions (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009). Also, when instructors make decisions about learners on the b asis of their socio-economic position and class, they are taking the foremost step in stopping learners from gaining an equal chance for academic success. There are a number of possible solutions that could be used to deal with this need in a high school. Instructors need to play a part in dealing with the stigma of poverty. Instructors can accomplish this by not reinforcing a learner coming from a low socio-economic status or having depleted self-esteem. Learners also need to look at the learners as human beings and not as people occupying specified socio-economic positions. Looking at learners in this way will assist tutors not to be biased towards learners of particular socio-economic classes. In addition, enhancing the degree of instruction

Relationship Between Entrepreneurship and Innovation Essay

Relationship Between Entrepreneurship and Innovation - Essay Example The present research has identified that entrepreneurship is the act of taking a risk to offer at a fee for a product or a service to the market in order to make an income. The process of entrepreneurship involves identification of a problem and formulation of a workable solution to counter the problem. Innovation is the means by which something is conducted in a unique manner or differently. The two concepts are much related to entrepreneurs rely on innovation as a tool to help him provide a product or a service in the market. Innovation might employ the use of technology that entrepreneurs exploit to offer what they have to sell to the community. In the process of conducting a business as an entrepreneur challenges arise in each step of the way. Innovation helps entrepreneurs solve such challenges in a clever way that helps them stay afloat. Entrepreneurs calculate a risk and minimize it using innovations. The tool is applied in adapting to new market trends where the most innovati ve entrepreneur always remains relevant in the business even after the introduction of new products into the market. There is a more direct relationship between innovation and the performance of an individual or an organization considering them in an entrepreneurial context. The quality of service delivery and products are directly linked to the two subjects under discussion. When there is innovation, the individual or organization experiences a competitive advantage over his peers in the industry. It is easier for an organization to take informed steps and well-calculated risks with the application of innovation as a tool in delivering a product or a service. When the two relationships are good on an organizational or individual basis there are increased benefits from an increased market share, ROI (return on investment), new products, fast-mover advantage on products and the overall firm success.

Metropolitan Police in Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Metropolitan Police in Security - Essay Example The Metropolitan police service has several identities linked to their current jobs. The identities include the amount of confidential data used, bunches, the emails and other police based identities. Therefore there is need to embrace modern technologies which will see them satisfy their requirements (CONANT & MOLZ, 2002). The requirement includes proper authorization of documents and information and adequate authentication of all information used in daily activities. Fuel-based authentication of the document will ensure that all information within the websites or Occurrence Book can be accessed countrywide from a single source. This means that different authorities can rely on single source security center for information. Currently, the modern technologies, which can be relied on, include. RSA based authentication Management system where authentication based software is used by the police unit to manage all security-based tokens, users, applications and multiple resources. The sys tem has instrumentally helped in managing authentically based policies for the whole police unit. The system can also help the Metropolitan Police Service unit to meet flexibility, scalability and high level of efficiency. In most companies and especially the security-based organization such as G4S, the system has been found to be highly secure in protecting encryption of the information collected about cases and criminals. In addition to that, it has been argued that it is highly effective given that it applies the Novell based electronic directory. Moreover, it has been recently improved to have the Oracle directory services.

Menken's Dead Gods Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Menken's Dead Gods - Term Paper Example Take for instance, Huitzilopochtli, who was the national god of the Aztec of Tenochtitlan and the most celebrated and feared of all the gods of the ancient Aztec. The Aztec built a great temple on the Pyramid in Tenochtitlan in his honor. At its completion ceremonies, it is reported that more than 20,000 human sacrifices were offered in a four day celebration (Andrews 224). This attests to position Huitzilopochtli occupied among the ancient Aztec. However, apart from a few savage in the Mexican forest, Huitzilopochtli is as dead as dead great men like General Coxey Richmond P. Hobson because he lives only in history. No one worship or pay reverence to him in any form. He is a forgotten character even among the present day Aztec. Huitzilopochtli is not the only god that is a victim of death. Indeed, the numerous Roman gods and goddesses such as Jupiter and Venus, the Egyptian gods and goddesses such as Isis and Osiris (British Broadcasting Corporation), have undergone similar fate. Ju piter is no longer worshiped by present day Romans nor is Osiris of any relevance to the 21st century Egyptian. The same applies to all the gods mentioned by Mencken. These gods live only in history like great man like Abraham Lincoln. Their temples and place of worship are historical monuments just like the home of Abraham Lincoln is a history monument. Thus I absolutely concur with Menken that these are now dead gods.... In fact, the ability to procreate and response to external influences are the determining characteristics of the living. Indeed, the gods mentioned by Mencken exhibits these traits. Huitzilopochtli, for instance, cannot response if he is insulted or when his temple is abused. He cannot influence events happening around him. A dead god has no influence on present day events. He has lost its place. Like the dead man, he lives only in the mind of his lovers and in history. He does not create anything neither does he initiate ideas. Nobody attributes great inventions and ideas to the gods mentioned by Mencken, at least in our time. A living god is a source of inspiration to its followers. A dead god provides no inspiration. As a result of all the lacks of the dead god as mentioned above, he has no worshippers or followers. Indeed, the trademark of a dead god is his lack of followers and worshipper (Mencken 1). This follows from the dead god inability to influence events and to response t o external events. Why are other gods still alive? To be alive means to respond to changes in the environment, to influences events, to initiate ideas, and to procreate. These are characteristics of the living. Gods are acclaimed to be alive if they are held responsible for events happening in the society. As a result, they attract followers, who flock to their temples to worship. Indeed, other gods are alive because they are still considered to be accountable for events happening in the society. At least their followers held them accountable! This attracts thousands, if not millions, of followers to their place of worship. Take for instance Jesus Christ, who the Christian believed to be God. To the Christians, he

Metropolitan Police in Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Metropolitan Police in Security - Essay Example The Metropolitan police service has several identities linked to their current jobs. The identities include the amount of confidential data used, bunches, the emails and other police based identities. Therefore there is need to embrace modern technologies which will see them satisfy their requirements (CONANT & MOLZ, 2002). The requirement includes proper authorization of documents and information and adequate authentication of all information used in daily activities. Fuel-based authentication of the document will ensure that all information within the websites or Occurrence Book can be accessed countrywide from a single source. This means that different authorities can rely on single source security center for information. Currently, the modern technologies, which can be relied on, include. RSA based authentication Management system where authentication based software is used by the police unit to manage all security-based tokens, users, applications and multiple resources. The sys tem has instrumentally helped in managing authentically based policies for the whole police unit. The system can also help the Metropolitan Police Service unit to meet flexibility, scalability and high level of efficiency. In most companies and especially the security-based organization such as G4S, the system has been found to be highly secure in protecting encryption of the information collected about cases and criminals. In addition to that, it has been argued that it is highly effective given that it applies the Novell based electronic directory. Moreover, it has been recently improved to have the Oracle directory services.

UK education investment is going to be cut while the tuition fees will Dissertation

UK education investment is going to be cut while the tuition fees will be triple , discuss the impacts on domestic students - Dissertation Example Using a questionnaire, the present study assessed how the cutting down of the investment in the educational sector by the UK government has tripled the tuition fee and influenced domestic students in the UK. The results suggested that there will be neither a positive influence nor a negative influence on the student participation rate in the higher education, while there will be a significant impact on the overall academic performance due to term time employment and pressures of the debt and enrollment decisions of students to pursue higher education. The results further indicated that there was a positive relationship between higher levels of education and annual wages and the fact that students acquiring higher education tend to find employment far more easily as compared to those without higher education. The findings also suggested that higher education offered better opportunities for promotion and superior living standards in the future. In conclusion, the research offered an i nsight into the policies and programmes that could be initiated by policy makers and higher education institute to accommodate the students and provide them with the best possible education. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 8 1.1 Outline 8 1.2 Context 10 1.3 Research Aims 12 1.4 Research Questions 13 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 14 2.1 Tuition Fee and Student Participation Rate 14 2.2 Tuition Fee and Students’ Enrollment Decision 15 2.3 Tuition Fess and Persistence of Degree 17 2.4 Tuition Fee and Academic Performance 18 2.5 Higher Education and Future Benefits 22 CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 25 3.1 Sample 25 3.2 Sampling Strategy 25 3.3 Data Collection Methods 26 3.3.1Triangulation 26 3.3.2 Quantitative Research 26 3.3.2.1 Questionnaire 27 3.3.3 Qualitative Research 28 3.3.3.1 Qualitative Interview 28 3.3.4 Secondary Data 29 3.4 Data Analysis 29 3.4.1 Percentages 30 3.5 Methodological Limitations 30 3.6 Ethics 31 CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND FINDINGS 32 DISCUSSION 35 CHPATER 5 RECO MMENDATIONS AND CONLUSION 40 5.1 Recommendations 40 5.2 Conclusion 41 CHAPTER 6 RETROSPECTIVE 42 6.1 What went well? 42 6.2 Limitations 42 REFERENCES 44 APPENDIX 52 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Sample of Students 59 Table 2 Age Group (in years) 60 Table 3 Household Income 61 Table 4 Level of Programme 62 Table 5 Host Univeristy 63 Table 6 Tuition Fee 64 Table 7 How are you funding your studies? 65 Table 8: Do you think the investment cutting will have an influence on the particpation rate (number of partcipants) of domestic students in educational programs. There will be a descrease in the participation rate (number of particpants) of domestic students in educational programs? 66 Table 9 Do you think high tuition fees will lead to students load increase significantly? 67 Table 10 Do you think the high tuition fee will have an impact on the number of hours students work per week? 68 Table 11 Do you think student performance in their respective educational programs will be influenced signif icantly by cut in investment? 69 Table 12 Do you think the number of current students will drop off after the tuition fees rise? 70 Table 13

Blood Brothers Essay Example for Free

Blood Brothers Essay My initial example is where Eddie is advising Mickey what to say when he asks Linda out. Eddie: Linda my loins are burning for you. Let me lay my weary head on your warm breast; Linda, I love you, I want you, the very centre of my being calls out for you! Eddies environment has obviously affected the way that he could just think of something to say which is very romantic. You could not imagine Mickey saying such things. Eddie is more confident and knows how to use his vocabulary well in order to get people to do things. When Mickey tries to, his outcome is abysmal. Mickey: Erm er, well the thing is the centre of my being cries out for erm, my knees, loins are (snaps) Linda for Christs sake will you go out with me? Linda agrees. Mickey cannot find the right words to say even if he is told what to say. Mickeys vocabulary is retarded because of his environment. His school is worse than Eddies so he tries to copy Eddie but still cannot do that. I put this under humour because I thought it was quite funny but it could also go under language as both of the boys language has been affected by their environment. My next example is when the policewoman asks Eddie what he is doing. Eddie replies Adolf Hitler. Then the policewoman asks him what his name is and he says that he is waiting for the 92 bus. For one moment I think Eddie wanted to be like Mickey and tried to be cheeky to the police officer but because of his family and environment he was unable to do that and it ended up the wrong way around. This example is like my original but the other way around. Now, I am going to discuss the way that Russell uses plot to stress the point that family and environment have an effect on peoples lives and opportunities. The whole of the story is based around two males who are separated at birth. One of the twins had been told that there was a twin brother and that he died at birth, the other had been told that he was an only child. Now they are isolated from each other their lives begin to change because of their background and environment. My first example is when Mickey and Linda are married and are looking for a house from the council. They had been waiting for approximately five years for a new house and still had not got one! When Linda was passing the Council Offices she stepped into the housing officers office and asked to speak to him. When he arrived Linda was surprised as the man was Eddie. She pleaded once again for a house to live in, and because of Eddies environment he said that all he needed to do was to make one phone call. Then Mickey and Linda would be at the top of the list and could have a house very soon. Because of Mickey and Lindas environment, they were forced to go to the council for a cheap or free house and considering Eddies status he could do this extremely quickly. My second example for plot is where Linda turns out just like Mrs Johnson, (Mickeys mum. ) In Educating Rita, another of Russells work, Rita was expected to have a baby as soon as they got married. This is just like Linda with Mickey. In their family and environment they are expected to have a baby young and to traditionally stay around the house. This reduces their opportunities in life as they do not work once they have had a baby. The man of the house, in their environment, is foreseen to do all of the work and bring all of the money in. This is exactly what happens in this story. Now, I have completed plot, I will go on to analyse the staging devises Willy Russell uses to show the effect that family and environment have on the two boys lives. There was a recent performance at a local theatre, which I went to see. I found that by going to see the acted story I found how even the way you dress, your family and your environment were involved in some way. My leading example through set is costume. I noticed Mickey was wearing clothes too big for him which have most likely been passed down through the family. Eddie is the complete opposite to Mickey in the way that he is wearing smart, new school clothes and looks very sharp in his uniform. Russell shows how even clothes have an effect on family and environment. At the play it showed the brothers in completely different houses. One at the rough end of the village and the other at the very high end of social environment. They live in different ways and houses because of their environment. Their family either reduces the opportunity to live in a high class house or improves the opportunity. There are certain changes in the acted story, the first being where Mickey helped his brother complete a crime which went wrong. People in Mickeys environment often resort to this as they need the money, but people in Eddies environment would never be constrained to doing this sort of thing as they always have money. When Mickey went to jail he had to be put on anti-depressants to help him cope with the stress and loneliness of prison. This was the final straw for Mickey because all of his life he had been pushed to the limit craving for food and money, lots of things also go wrong in Mickeys environment. When he finally reached confinement he felted that was enough. If Eddie had been placed in jail he would probably be able to cope as he has had less to put up with than Mickey but would most likely be bailed anyway! I conclude that every little detail which Willy Russell has put into his well crafted book, and performance, has something to do with family and environment. Because of his own experiences he was able to complete the task of writing this book and include very graphic details of how family and environment effects peoples everyday lives and opportunities.

The Institute For Pak Afghan Relations Politics Essay

The Institute For Pak Afghan Relations Politics Essay Pakistans interaction with Afghanistan has been influenced and fashioned by the historical legacy of pre-1947 Afghan-British Indian relations. This legacy laid the basis for the development of an acrimonious bilateral relationship between the two states after 1947, which was complicated by the Cold War power politics. The nineteenth century geo-strategic rivalry between the Great Britain and Tsarist Russia (the so-called Great Game) on the Afghan chessboard created an environment of mistrust and suspicion against foreign powers in the eyes of the Afghans. The relations were further aggravated by the three Anglo-Afghan wars (1838-1842; 1879-1880; 1919-1920). The unsettled borders in the northwest of British India, where the writ of the British government was not fully enforceable, gave Afghanistan an opportunity to create security problems in the days of British Raj and more so after their departure from the subcontinent. Pakistan, therefore, inherited an unfriendly neighbor on its we stern border, making it difficult to formulate a policy of having friendly ties with Afghanistan. Its security threat perception as being sandwiched between a hostile India in the east and an irredentist Afghanistan in the west compelled Pakistan to seek a friendly regime in Kabul. Afghanistans territorial claims on the Pashtu-speaking areas of Pakistan coupled with the pro-Indian posture of its ruling elites further reinforced Pakistans strategic belief that a hostile Afghanistan ill served Pakistans security needs. The logical corollary of this threat perception was that, regardless of its costs and difficulties, Pakistan had to pursue a sub-imperial engagements in Afghanistan to secure a client regime, which would not only give it a strategic depth against India but would also help stabilize its volatile western border. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan forced Pakistan to wage, with the support of western and Arab allies, a proxy war in Afghanistan and ultimately forced Soviets to withdraw from Afghanistan. Since the end of the Cold War, Pakistan continued its forward policy in Afghanistan mainly through the support of the Hizb-i-Islami of Gulbadin Hikmatyar and, later, through the Taliban. Following the events of Sep.11, 2001 the political landscape of South Asia transformed dramatically. The September 11 incident provided Pakistan with an opportunity to reconsider its Afghan policy and regain its lost status in the international community. Pakistan took a U-turn in its Afghan policy and became a front line state in the US war against terrorism and helped topple its erstwhile Taliban allies from power. Though this course of action helped Pakistan get out of regional as well as international isolation, its long involvement with the Afghan groups locked in internal struggle for power has left it with fewer friends and more enemies in Afghanistan, particularly among the literate urban middle class and non-Pashtuns. Its relations with Afghanistan continue to be bedeviled with skepticism and fear, even as both countries are cautiously revitalizing bilateral relations. Though the historical, geographical, cultural, religious, ethnic, security and economic affinities and interdependence between Pakistan and Afghanistan are bound to play their role in strengthening the relations between the two countries, there are certain stumbling blocs in Pak-Afghan relations like Pak-Afghan border issue, the Pashtunistan issue, Afghanistans skepticism on Pakistans resolve to fight war on terrorism; and Pakistans strong reservations over Indian anti-Pakistan activities from Afghanistan. For improving the relations both Pakistan and Afghanistan need to allay their mutual misperceptions and distrust. The ongoing blame game by the two countries led an Afghan expert to write, Owing to increasing Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, one cannot hope for any improvement in the security situation in the war-ravaged country. The embattled Afghan government is expected to become even more critical of Pakistan in future on account of the increase in Taliban attacks. Pakistan is likely to reply in the same currency, and there are already signs that its tone in denying accusations of support for Taliban is becoming aggressive. The fireworks will continue, and it would be futile to expect any major improvement in their uneasy political and diplomatic ties in the near future. It is in this context that we felt the need to establish a research organization that will identify examine and analyze the factors that continues to adversely affect relations between the countries that have so many overlapping layers of common history, culture, religion, geography and security. We believe that if both the countries were able to allay their mutual misperceptions, distrust, and suspicions the relations between the two are bound to improve. The relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan are symbiotic in nature. When Afghanistan pains, Pakistan bleeds and vice versa. Both are destined to sink or sail together and now time has come for them to think conjointly to find ways and means for putting an end to recurring power vacuums in this region, which frequently sucks in external state actors. About IPAR IPAR provides the analysis, training and tools that prevent and end regional conflicts, promotes stability and professionalizes the field of regional peace building. It is essential that the Pakistan Afghanistan, adopt a regional approach to find out solution to their existing problems and play an active part in preventing, managing, and resolving regional conflicts to achieve a lasting peace and stability on both sides of the Durand line. Mission Statement The Institute of Pak-Afghan Relations is an independent, nonpartisan, non-governmental, progressive think tank working for comprehensive cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which would provide a solid basis for multi-disciplinary cooperation. The IPAR emphasizes the vital importance of brotherly relations in pursuance of policies of mutual respect, non-interference and peaceful coexistence and recommends further expansion of economic, social, and cultural relations between the two countries. Its goals are to help: Prevent and resolve regional conflicts Promote post-conflict stability and development Increase conflict management capacity, tools, and intellectual capital by empowering others with knowledge, skills, and resources. Aims and Objectives Emphasizing the deep historic, religious, spiritual, cultural and commercial bonds among Afghanistan and Pakistan, IPAR focuses especially on the treatment of terrorism, extremism and militancy, bilateral cooperation in political and economic fields, and regional and international issues of common concern. The institute will work for the following objectives: Improving bilateral relation between Pakistan and Afghanistan culminating into a perennial strategic partnership carried forth to coming generations; Supporting programs that foster independent research, enabling our scholars to produce articles, reports, and books and hold roundtables that analyze Pak afghan foreign policy issues and to make concrete policy recommendations; Sponsoring Independent Task Forces to produce reports with both findings and policy prescriptions on the most important foreign policy issues; and Providing up-to-date information and analysis on Pak-Afghan relations; Programs and Activities In order to achieve the above goals, the Institute undertakes a unique combination of activities, including the following: Performing cutting edge research, to produce  publications  for practitioners, policymakers, and academia. Building mutual trust and confidence by Parliamentary exchanges complement political-level interaction and promoting people-to-people contacts including the exchange visits of journalists, poets, writers, musicians and artistes. Educating students  about conflict, organizing study tours, and increasing the peace building capabilities of future leaders. Supporting policymakers  by providing analyses, policy options, and advice, as well as by sponsoring a wide range of region-oriented working groups. Expertise The Institute draws on a variety of resources in fulfilling its mandate, including Institute staff, grantees, fellows, and a broad set of governmental and non-governmental partners: Institute Specialists: The Institute employs specialists with both geographic and subject-matter expertise. These experts are leaders in their fields. They come from the government, military, NGOs, academia, and the private sector. Partners/Grantees: The Institute works with an extensive network of partners, including non-profits, academic institutions, government agencies, international organizations, and the military. Publication IPAR approach is grounded in field of research. Our surveys and policy analyses are informed by the work of a team of researchers, reporters and political analysts located in different areas of Pak-Afghan region. Based on information and assessments from the field, the institute produces analytical reports, weekly updates and policy briefings containing practical recommendations targeted at key national and international decision-makers. We also publish survey-based reports, research journal and books, providing in-depth analysis of various issues.

Lady Macbeth Character Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Lady Macbeth: Unsexed and Uncovered   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lady Macbeth progresses throughout the play from a seemingly savage and heartless creature to a very delicate and fragile woman. In the beginning of the play, she is very ambitious and hungry for power. She pushes Macbeth to kill Duncan in order to fulfill the witches’ prophecy. In Act I, Scene 6, she asks the gods to make her emotionally strong like a man in order to help her husband go through with the murder plot. She says, â€Å"Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full Of direst cruelty!† Also, she does everything in her power to convince Macbeth that he would be wrong not to kill Duncan. In Act I, Scene 7, she tells him, â€Å"What beast was’t then That mad...

In A long way gone by Ishmael Beah

In A long way gone, by Ishmael Beah the main character ishmael struggles to good in a society that demands evil. As ishamel feels he is doing good, the lines of good and evil become extreamly blured. During Ishmael first battle, he fought angirly to avenge the dead that the R. U. F killing mercelsey as it shows in text â€Å"Every time I stopped shooting to change magazines and saw my lifeless friend, I angirly pointed my gun into the swamp and killed more people†(119). Later in the text ishmael is no longer guided by revenge nor fairness. He starts to kill without any concious what so ever, as shown when ishmael Is not protected, and is willing to protect himself by standing up for his country and fighting for rights. â€Å" Killing those they had already severly wonded†(122). In this quote it shows how ishmael is doing extra work and taking his anger out on his enemies,that where doing harsh actions to ishmaels people. As ismael becomes a full cold blooded solider he seemingly forgets the reasons he fought for the R. U. F after U. N. I.  C. E. F takes ishmael and some of his comrades, they begin to hate the thing they fought for. In the text: â€Å"They have lost every that makes them human. They dont deserve to live, that is why we must kill every single on of them†(108). To anaylze this quote, ishmael points out that the rebels dont deserve to live due to what the rebels where doing to innocent people. According to ishmael he wants to kill all of them for all of the things they where doing to his people, and show them that he has power.

Group Development Essay

The first stage is the forming stage. During this stage, things are characterized by much uncertainty. There is uncertainty as to what the purpose of the group is, what the structure of the group is, and who the leadership of the group is going to be. Members of the group will want to test the waters and try to determine how far they can go and what they can get away with during this stage of the group development process. The second stage is the storming stage. During this stage of group development, the members of the group accept the existence of the group but are against the restraints put on individual creativity. This can lead to serious problems if there is not some sort of compromise or agreement put in place on allowing individuals to be creative within the guidelines of the project. The third stage is the norming stage. During this stage, relationships among team members are becoming closer and group cohesiveness is coming together. The group identity is really becoming clear. This stage is considered complete when the structure of the group is completely solidified and the members of the group have decided on what is considered proper behavior for members of the group. In my opinion, this is one of the most critical stages in group development. The fourth stage is the performing stage. This stage of group development is really when things start to happen. Members of the team have fully accepted the structure and the team is working towards accomplishing the goals that were set forth initially. The group has gone from getting to know each other to complete understanding and working on accomplishing the  task at hand. The fifth and final stage of group development is the adjourning stage. This is only true for groups that are temporary. Permanent work groups are finished after stage four. This stage is normally when the group finalizes and wraps up the tasks that they have been asked to perform and then they go their separate ways. This stage is hopefully where the project is finalized and the group has been successful at accomplishing the goals that were initially set forth. Problem Identification There are two major problems that I see in this situation. The first problem that I see with this group is that there is going to be conflict of interests from each of the different groups. Each of the groups have different agendas as to how to fully accomplish the goals of the project. This can lead to problems or possibly a severe conflict between one or more of the groups. This differing of opinions and attitudes by the groups could also possibly lead to an overall failure to achieve any of the objectives of the group. The second major problem that I see with this project is demographic diversity. There are such wide and varied demographics in the school district that this project is going to take place. There could be conflicts that one demographic is being favored over another. There could also be problems that stem from this. If one demographic seems to think that another is being favored, then they could cause problems for the overall project and the goals of that project. Retrospective Evaluation The solution for the first problem will be the easiest of the two problems. During the formation of the development group for this project, common goals need to be decided upon by the development team. These goals need to be approved by all of the different entities that have an interest in this project succeeding. There should be one major common goal for the project and all of the groups should agree to this goal. If they cannot agree to a common goal, then there really is no need to go forward with the project. The solution for the second problem is going to be a little harder to solve. I believe that a non-interested third party group should be brought in to oversee the project. This will allow for an impartial representative to make decisions and also to ensure that no one demographic group is being favored more than another. If one groups interests are being pushed and another group see this favoritism, it could lead to problems and thus an overall failure of the project. Therefore, a third party should be placed in charge and there should be no conflicts because they should not favor any one particular group. Reflection The project is all about making things better for the kids of this school district. This could lead to better educational opportunities for all involved within the district. However, there are possible issues that need to be solved for this project to move forward and be a success. If these issues are addressed in the beginning then there should be resolutions and no problems should arise. This will allow a successful project and the enhancement of educational opportunities for the children of the school district.

Amanda Cross and the Female Sleuth

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sleuth as a slang word for sleuthhound or detective who follows a trail to uncover a mystery, crime or unknown variable. In literature mystery is defined as a distinct subgenre of detective fiction in which an unknown event, often a disappearance or murder, causes the stories protagonist, or main character in the story, to solve the crime or mystery. Mysteries do not require crimes or the assistance of law enforcement as the common detective fiction or whodunit but they do depend on an unknown variable that the protagonist must determine, (NationMaster, 2003).Mystery fiction is not a new genre of story telling. Throughout time man has been interested in solving the riddles of life. So much so that there is significant evidence to indicate that civilization has enjoyed a good mystery as far back as Ancient Egypt and Greece. However, it was Edgar Allan Poe and his first published story The Murders in the Rue Morgue published in the mid-nineteenth cent ury that made mystery fiction the popular brand of novel it is today. The Murder in the Rue Morgue first appeared in Graham’s Magazine, (Mystery Network, n. d. ).After Poe there have been a number of influential mystery writers including Wilkie Collins, also known as the father of the mystery, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the Scottish author of the Sherlock Holmes series. Sherlock Holmes is not only one of the most widely known mystery series but is also considered to be the most famous literary figures in history, (Mystery Network). Holmes was first introduced to readers in The Strand Magazine when they published the story â€Å"A Study in Scarlet. † Edward Stratemeyer, the author of both the Hardy Boy’s and Nancy Drew series of juvenile mysteries, Carolyn Keene and Agatha Christie.Amanda Cross is a twentieth century mystery writer who contributed much to the genre. Her semi-feminist voice transformed the common sleuth from a run-of-mill private detective into a strong willed female literature professor. Cross, who was struggling with gender equality issues at the University of New York, was tired of the tried and true mystery novels that were being produced a-dime-a-dozen. She set out to produce mysteries are intelligent and contain a role model worthy protagonist. Cross is the pen name of Carolyn Heilbrun.Her first novel, In the Last Analysis, features Kate Fansler, the female sleuth featured in a 14 book series. Fansler is a witty and highly educated literature professor at the prestigious New York University and the majority of her adventures are set against an academic background. Fansler, as opposed to traditional detectives, solves the crime through interviews and conversations with those involved. Most of the mysteries involve the death of either a student or professor and it is up to Fansler to solve the crime. In The Last Analysis, Fansler recommends Janet Harrison see psychoanalyst Dr. Emmanuel Bauer.Bauer is a friend and former lover of Fansler’s. However, shortly after starting sessions with Bauer, Harrison is found shot to death on his couch. Fansler is on the case to prove that her friend is innocent. However, Harrison has led an elusive life in which she has very few friends or acquaintances, making it hard for Fansler to track down a possible killer. However, Fansler’s knowledge of Freudian concepts and her personal integrity helps her to catch the killer. Although Heilbrun strays from the norm her first novel is typical of an amateur-detective mystery. Fansler knows a crime has been committed.She seeks information pertinent to the case by following leads and seeking information from those involved. Fansler then comes up with a theory about what happens, which proves to be correct. Also typical is the fact that the protagonist is a strong female character. Throughout Heilbrun’s novels Fansler is portrayed as strong independent woman, much like Heilbrun. She enjoys eating and drin king and marries later in life. Fansler differs from a majority of female protagonists in mystery fictions because she solves the mystery through Freudian analysis and personal interviews.This is a mystery of the mind in which Fansler does not have physical clues that lead her to find the real killer. Other mystery writers have used female protagonists as well. Contemporary author Nevada Barr features the female protagonist Anna Pigeon, a national park ranger who leads the reader through various adventures in the backcountry solving mysterious deaths. Pigeon is similar to Fansler in the sense that they are both independent modern women. They are both professionals who solve mysteries within the backdrop of their chosen profession.Pigeon and Fansler both represent strong female characters. Yet, Pigeon represents a more traditional character in modern mystery fiction since she follows a trail of clues left behind by the murders as opposed to using literary and psychoanalytical clues t o solve the mystery. Similarly well known mystery writer Sue Grafton began her alphabetical mystery series with A is for Alibi. In her mystery fiction protagonist Kinsey Malone represents a courageous and sassy female private eye. Grafton too takes a more traditional approach by utilizing a private investigator as the main character.Others authors such as Sandra de Helen utilize logic and facts to solve mysteries as opposed to following physical clues. De Helen’s novel The Hounding features two female detectives Shirley Combs and Mrs. Mary Watson. De Helen has a series planned surrounding the two who is in some way related to Sherlock Holms and his assistant Watkins and they solve crimes similarly. These characters all follow typical mystery genre traditions. But not all mystery writers follow tradition. Sue Grafton, a well known mystery writer, started an alphabetical mystery series in which murders are solved by a female feline and a small dog.Grafton strays away far from t radition with characters but stays within the realm with the practices that her characters use to unravel the crimes. Different writers use different methods of crime solving as well as types of characters. However, there is a pattern of female mystery writers creating professional and strong female protagonists. Most of the main characters in modern mystery writers today have had to overcome obstacles in a male-dominated world. They often face gender discrimination or stereotypical peers that create obstacles that must be overcome.For example, Ellen Godfrey's protagonist Jane Tregar is tough and feisty. Tregar, a professional working in a search firm, has had to battle her way up the corporate ladder to a senior position in an executive firm. She utilizes technical know-how to uncover information and corporate savvy to survive her male peers and their scrutiny as well as solve mysteries and be successful in the male-dominated business world. Another modern author Sara Paretsky, cur rently extremely popular with mystery readers, has created the protagonist V. I. Warshawski.Warshawski broke ground as the first female in an all male dominated world of the dangerous back streets of Chicago. Warshawski proves that women can be tough and sensitive and that physical difference between men and women do not mean that women are not capable of performing well in dangerous situations. In the Last Analysis, Fansler fully understands the plight of women within the world of academia. â€Å"Kate was startled by Professor Anderson, who was an eighteenth-century man with a strong distaste for all female writers since Jane Austen (Cross, 2001, p. 3).† This is a common war in the literary department. Literature has been male dominated for a number of years. This is caused in large by the fact that women were not taught to read or write for centuries. However, as women have begun to take their seat at the head of English departments across the nation male peers may scoff. T here is a large portion of male literary enthusiast who tries to minimize the female impact on literature today. Heilbrun later retired early from her post at the University of New York to avoid dealing with this same type of professional peer.But gender discrimination and differences are not the only ones that haunt Heilbrun. Age also seems to be a factor. Heilbrun laments that her students are young and full of life and the longing for their own futures. However, as a professor years goes by and nothing changes. â€Å"Spring on an American campus, even an Urban a campus as this one, inevitably drove the faculty into a mood of lassitude, irritation and fastidiousness. Perhaps it is because we are getting old, while the students, like the Caesar’s crowds on Appian Way, are always the same age.Gazing at the students who sprawled or made love on every patch of available grass, Kate longed, as she did every spring for a statelier, less untidy era, (Cross, 2001, p. 3). † H eilbrun used Fansler to express her own apprehensions about aging as well as the endless cycle of youth that professors endure each college enrollment period. Heilbrun did not reveal her herself as the author of the Amanda Heilbrun mysteries until she was offered tenure at the University due to her fear of criticism from her peers and having her literary work interfere with her academic work.However, age criticism may have also been a concern. The idea of age is transcendent in Heilbrun’s mysteries. Fansler is already in her forties at the start of In the Last Analysis and has never been married nor does she have children. Although latter in the series she does marry she has no concerns about being a â€Å"homemaker† or playing into any other typical stereotypes of women. In fact Fansler, although discreet, has a number of lovers. The idea of the woman as a non-maternal figure breaks social traditions. But the primary social concern of In the Last Analysis surrounds pr ofessional ethics and human integrity.Throughout Heilbrun’s series there are two main characters, Fansler and her friend and future husband Reed Amhearst. Fansler is old-fashion yet she has a penchant for martinis and she comes from a background of wealthy parents to supplement her teacher’s salary. This is convenient since she does not seem to work much as she uncovers her friend’s innocence. As she tries to prove her friends innocence she solicits the help of Amhearst, an attorney, who goes out of his way to help Fansler and repay her a favor. Amhearst is portrayed as Fansler’s love interest and a protect figure.Throughout the book, In the Last Analysis, Amhearst tries to caution the headstrong Fansler who gets involved despite his warnings. Fansler even goes so far as to put her reputation and career on the line to prove that Bauer, her friend, is innocent. Her old-fashion sensibilities coupled with a reckless and courageous manner makes Fansler a grea t candidate to become an amateur sleuth and enforce the idea of human integrity. There are several other examples of human integrity in the book as characters assist Fansler in solving the case. Heilbrun’s novels have been successful overall.However, she was criticized. Especially for her first book, In the Last Analysis, in which it is obvious that Heilbrun has yet to fine tune her technique. Although professional news agencies such as The New York Times had positive reviews a number of readers felt Heilbrun tried to hard to present Fansler as smart and independent. Thus she came across as being pretentious. However, after her first novel the series gained in popularity in part due to the fact that her subsequent novels take place within the world of academia and Fansler’s character can put her intellect to better use.In conclusion, Heilbrun has made a significant contribution to the mystery fiction genre. She is the first mystery writer to create a mystery in which t he crime must be solved using conversations and analytical skills as opposed to physical clues and traditional evidence. Heilbrun also sets the stage for female authors who create strong and independent protagonists that break the mold of female stereotypes. In keeping with many other female authors Heilbrun’s female protagonists are working in a professional field despite gender inequalities.Throughout In the Last Analysis and other Heilbrun novels there are overtones of age related issues as well as gender differences within the world of academics. Both may reflect challenges that Heilbrun has faced as a Professor at the University of New York. Heilbrun utilizes a common amateur-detective mystery technique yet she strays from the norm by implementing psychoanalytical methods of solving the crime as opposed to relying entirely on physical clues.In addition to concerns about professional ethics, specifically within the medical field in which patient-client relationships come into question, there is a predominant theme of personal integrity. Integrity is often displayed throughout the novel in the form of personal favors and character’s taking risks for each other. Fansler is able to solve the crime using intelligence, Freudian analysis and a little help from her friends. Variations from the common mystery novel include the use of wit and analytical strategies to solve the case as well as the protagonist being an older woman without cause to seek out marriage or family life.Heilbrun and many of her peers have chosen to expand the image of â€Å"detective† to include smart and professional women who are employed outside of the law enforcement or private investigation fields. Although Heilbrun’s protagonist is similar to the main characters in other mysteries by her peers, Heilbrun deviates by choosing to make Fansler an example of a non-traditional woman. She is neither interested in marriage or children and has taken a number of love rs to prove her modern values despite an old-fashion background. Heilbrun paved the way for female mystery writers as well as the female protagonist.Through her popular series and the popularity of Kate Fansler a whole new genre of mystery books has evolved. These new series feature witty story lines and fast paced plots while featuring strong protagonists and often feminist views. After Heilbrun’s success there have been a number of other mystery writers following similar strategies including Nevada Barr, Rita Mae Brown and Sue Grafton. References Cross, A. (2001). In the Last Analysis. : Fawcett. Mystery Network (n. d. ). Evolution of the mystery genre. Retrieved Dec. 27, 2008, from www. mysterynet. com NationMaster (2003). : Rapid Intelligence.