Charles Dickens & Oliver Twist Essay

Oliver is mistreated by the Sowerberrys and after having a fight with Noah Claypole he runs away to the dangerous place London, no place for young orphans like Oliver. It was a dangerous place because young orphans had no chance of surviving in the large city. A lot of intoxicated men and drug addicts were out in the open lose to do as they pleased, Oliver could have also got molested. On one of Jack Dawkins travels also known as the Artful Doger an employee of Fagin he caught his eye on Oliver. He takes Oliver to meet one of the worst characters Fagin. Fagin takes in children who are homeless and trains them to pick pocket for him in his den which has other young children living there including the Artful Doger. The Dodgers description is that â€Å"he had about him all the airs and manners of a man† this suggests that he was not allowed to be a child. He has had to grow up fast, because of what has happened to him in his life. He has been on the streets and had to learn how to survive, which has led to him becoming one of Fagin’s boys and making money from other peoples possessions. Fagin is a: criminal and corrupter of young children he teaches them to pick pock for him. The two main corrupt characters in the novel â€Å"Oliver Twist† are Fagin and Bill Sykes. Fagin’s Den isn’t a very clean place and with the area his den is based in, has a lot of thieves and prostitutes roaming around in. This is not a place for young boys it has sick, twisted minded people like Fagin who is a prime example. He corrupts young children and shows them that stealing possessions from others isn’t a crime. Fagin shows Oliver some tricks he uses to make money. Jack and another of Fagin’s boys demonstrates to Oliver how the job is done, they pretend to steal a handkerchief and spectacle case from Fagin’s pocket without him noticing. Fagin tells Oliver to, ‘Make ’em your models. ‘ Fagin wants Oliver to be just like the other boys he asks Oliver â€Å"You’d like to be able to make pocket-handkerchiefs as easy as Charley Bates, wouldn’t you, my dear? Not knowing the true meaning of what has been showed to him Oliver replies â€Å"very much indeed, if you’ll teach me sir† Dickens shows us the readers how innocent Oliver was and how corrupt he was too. Fagin tells Oliver his boys must be Oliver’s role models. Bill Sikes is introduced to Oliver and Oliver is sent to do a job with him. Oliver gets caught when trying to break in the house his then shoot and Bill leaves Oliver alone to defend for himself. This is not fair Oliver shouldn’t be treated like this for other peoples needs his treated like a slave. Bill Sikes is corrupt because he takes children to do his jobs for him; he uses and abuses them just like Nancy the prostitute. This is unfair because Oliver is being pushed about and should be treated with respect. Bill isn’t a committed person towards the boys, his selfish, and inconsiderate he was only out for himself. Bill is a violent man and a murderer he has no feelings for anyone. Oliver doesn’t become corrupted because he realizes what Fagin is doing is wrong and causes people to suffer have unbearable feelings. Corruption can happen to anyone especially if you’re young and naive. We learn in this book how unfair and corrupt the society was through Oliver because a young boy was submitted to torture and pain. Corruption is an evil and devious thing that causes abhorrence and misery. England showed this by vital laws being brought in the society, to make people aware of what they were doing was it right or wrong. People were treated as prisoners and they were prohibited to have healthy food and have a spectacular life. If they were filled with self-esteem they would want to carry on, be determined in life and enjoy it; in today’s society they would be very appreciative.

Change management: the implications of self-interest on organizational change

Introduction Organizations in the modern business environment face rapid change driven by globalization and continuous technological innovation. To adapt to this rapid change and to be successful in enhancing organizational performance in this environment, an effective approach is required to facilitate the transitioning of individuals, teams and organizations to a desired future state. A structured approach enabling organizational change would ensure smooth change and successful implementation in the pursuit of lasting benefits (Bennis, 2000). Despite this need, efforts towards organizational change often run into some form of human resistance due primarily to the diverse ways in which individuals and groups act in response to change. However rational or positive, change often causes some form of emotional turmoil and involves perceptions of loss and uncertainty (Beitler, 2005). Kotter and Schlesinger (1979; 451) identify four common reasons people resist change including: †¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"a desire not to lose something of value (parochial self-interest), a misunderstanding of the change and its implications, a belief that the change does not make sense for the organization, and a low tolerance for change.† Self-interest is a major reason for resistance within organizations with people focusing on their own best interest and not those of the entire organization. This paper explores the effect of self-interest in change management evaluating the view that this factor necessitates the adoption of pluralism in organizations with regard to management styles and approaches, organizational design, culture, and decision-making. Also evaluated is the view that although self-interest undermines the concept of â€Å"shared organizational vision,† it is essential to the comprehension of the nature of resistance to change and how that resistance might be managed. This is achieved through an in-depth analysis evaluating organizational context, culture as well as employee beha viour and attitudes which are linked to potential resistance. It contributes to the understanding and application of change management processes and how transformational change can be sustained towards enhanced organizational performance. Parochial self-interest Despite potential positive outcomes, it is nearly always the case that change is resisted. A degree of resistance is normal and acceptable given that change and its attendant process is often disruptive and stressful (Lawson and Price, 2003). A degree of scepticism can also be healthy especially when there are actual or perceived weaknesses in the change proposed, which need to be addressed for the change to have desired positive outcomes (Frese and Fay, 2001). However, resistance in any form and from whatever cause impedes the achievement of business objectives which form the essence of the pursuit and effective management of organizational change (Bennis, 2000). It is a widely held opinion that humans are born with self-interest as an innate tendency and their primary motive, which underlies their outwardly evident behaviour, is to safeguard and to improve these interests (Miller, 1999). This tendency is often automatic, habitual and is in most cases exercised without conscious tho ught (Mansbridge, 1990; Miller, 1999). Self-interest is, therefore, part of normal human nature inherent in our being with every individual having the propensity to narrowly focus on their own best interest and self-preservation before that of others including the organization. Self-interest concerns individual regard for the implications of change for themselves linked to a desire not to lose something of value. In the context of organizational change, this concern and regard for self often causes individuals to resist changes or alterations, particularly if there are suspicions or negative perceptions regarding the changes or circumstances (van Dam et al, 2008). Strong resistance to change is however often rooted in feelings that are historically reinforced and deeply conditioned, established ways, procedures, or methods which could be subject to disruption through the change (Battilana and Casciaro, 2013). Resistance could also result from the individual’s perception of a particular situation, as well as their levels of tolerance for change which could be linked to other causes of resistance such as inadequate information and/or understanding of the necessity and implications of the change; adequate skills development and training; trust and a sense of security; and overall employee relations in organization settings (Zander, 1950; Beitler, 2005). However, in some cases, self-interest has negative connotations of greed and selfishness in the context in which such self-concern goes against the interests of others or widely accepted moral values (Miller, 1999; Rocha and Ghoshal, 2006). In this case, an individual acts to safeguard individual benefits and/or to enhance gain without regard to the impact and effect of their decisions and actions on others including the interests and objectives of the organization. In the exploration of the nature of self-interest and its implications in the context of organizational change, this paper reviews two theoreti cal viewpoints applicable to this focus. These include the rational-economic view which is discussed alongside complementary theories, such as the bureaucratic-hierarchy organizational theory and the neo-institutional economic theory; and the humanistic view, in which the communitarian and collaboration theories are addressed. These orientations reflect a shift in regard for human nature and behaviour from the traditional narrow definition of the rational, egocentric individual to a greater recognition of capacity for other-orientation and willingness of individuals for collaborative action. Theoretical context In neoclassical economics under the capitalist system, the business environment is portrayed in a mechanistic nature with businesses portrayed as ‘machines’ serving primarily for profit maximization subject to iron laws of competition (Mahoney, 2005). This linguistic scheme tends to ignore reality and focuses strictly on mathematical grammar which ideally, albeit not factually, replaces human judgment with algorithms (Rubinstein, 2006). It does not anticipate challenges regarding the human component of organizations, assuming it to be among essential factors of production. However, the human component in business is significant and cannot be ignored or eliminated in the conduct of economic activities; being an essential space through which individual participants exercise responsibility (Sen, 2002; Harder et al, 2004). Businesses in the modern world have to grapple with the human resource component, given the rapidly changing nature of business and greater flexibility an d freedoms of employees participating in production. A central concern in the study of organizational behaviour is how to get employees to contribute high levels of effort and performance to their organization’s collective interests (Mahoney and McGahan. 2007). It entails the pursuit of mechanisms through which to achieve greater alignment between the self and the collective interest (Lawson and Price, 2003; van Dam et al, 2008) essential for the achievement of enhanced organizational performance and crucial in the modern dynamic business environment particularly in moments of change. On one hand, in the context of neoclassical economics, the practice and study of organizations has been based on the foremost assumption of individuals and organizations as rational actors pursuing their self-interests in an inherently competitive space in which several parties involved strive for scarce resources (Diefenbach, 2007). This is the basis for the rational-economic view which assumes that self and collective interests are essentially in conflict (Zander, 1950). In contrast, the humanistic point of view holds that both interests are not independent of each other, embracing the view that they are compatible (Dierksmeier, 2009). These viewpoints are explored in greater detail. Rational-economic view This view essentially assumes that individuals are independent agents rationally pursuing actions that seek to maximize their own self-interests as a primary motivation for their engagement in economic considerations (Mahoney and McGahan. 2007). This has its basis in descriptions in a set of Theory X assumptions regarding human nature described by McGregor (1960) which are premised on the view that employees are naturally lazy and harbour a dislike for work. Individuals are thus reluctant to contribute to the objectives of the organizations, pursuing only money and security. The objective of organizations, then, is to control individual behaviour through rational and efficient organizational structures and processes which ensure consistency with organizational goals and objectives such as stability, efficiency and productivity (Sen, 2002; Dierksmeier, 2009). In this view, organizational design, administrative structure and management approaches adhere to bureaucratic-hierarchical for m. The design of tasks follows principles of division of labour and efficiency maximization pegged on classical economics (Diefenbach, 2007). Control is achieved through systems of authority in the structure, written rules and regulations, punishment and coercion for deviants, as well as incentives such as career advancement and compensation for compliance (Mahoney, 2005). Recent emergence of neo-institutional or organizational economics applying rational-economic assumptions to the analysis of organizations has gained in popularity. This approach relaxes the narrow assumptions of rational economics and departs from the simplistic and negative view of the nature of humans (Sen, 2002; Mahoney and McGahan, 2007). The underlying assumption that humans are rational in intent, self-interest and readily opportunistic is retained though emphasis is made on the assumption of bounded rationality (Rubinstein, 2006; Thomas and Hardy 2011). Neo-institutional approaches, in their various constit uent theories, are premised on the perspective of ready belief that individuals are likely to seek avoidance, to withhold effort, or to act deviousness in pursuit of their own interests (Diefenbach, 2007; Folger and Salvador, 2008). Hence, self-interest is seen to be in conflict with collective interests with the former taking precedence in determining individual decisions and actions. With a basis on these assumptions, agency theorists who argue for control of agents (i.e. employees) by the principal (i.e. manager) affirm the need to adopt mechanisms for incentive, monitoring and control to align the conflicting interests and to prevent agents from pursuing their individual self-interest without regard to organizational goals (Kotter and Schlesinger, 1979). Proponents attempting to solve problems associated with collective action advocate the use of mechanisms to distinguish individual contribution (or lack thereof) which enable incentive or sanction mechanisms (Diefenbach, 2007). This perspective does not consider collective action and collaborative effort in the organizational context as feasible instead promoting greater control and authoritative hierarchical approaches. In its core assumptions, humans are regarded as rational and readily opportunistic making the joint pursuit of a shared organizational vision in organizational settings untenable. In disregard of collective (or organizational) interest, individuals are likely to shirk, withhold effort, and act in devious ways with their self-interest taking precedence and determining their decisions and actions. In this case, pluralism, which entails a bargaining process among diverse and sometimes competing interests in the attempt to maximize the goals of all involved cannot be realized. It is ineffective in organizational settings involving diverse and varied individual interests at play. Despite its significant influence, this perspective has been subject of various criticisms. Its control mechanisms a re deemed to hinder flexibility and responsiveness reducing employee morale, creativity and satisfaction (Frese and Fay 2001; Folger and Salvador, 2008). Its primary emphasis on external control mechanisms and monetary incentives is seen to reinforce and foster negative egocentric behaviour locking out collaborative behaviour essential for the advancement of the organization’s interests (Sen, 2002; Folger and Salvador, 2008; Frese and Fay 2001). The humanistic view This view challenges the core premises of the rational-economic perspective regarding human nature focusing on motivations that underlie human behaviour in a broader orientation (Nguyen, 2000; Lawson and Price, 2003). It is premised on a contrasting set of Theory Y assumptions also described by McGregor (1960) contrasting those of Theory X. These capture the essence of the humanistic perspective including the notion that individuals will to be self-directed, to work hard, and to assume responsibility (Nguyen, 2000; Dierksmeier, 2009). Unlike the earlier approach focused on lower order survival and security needs, such assumptions serve to create more humanistic organizations which endeavour to provide employees with greater opportunity to pursue their higher order needs for self-esteem and self-actualization (Rocha and Ghoshal, 2006; Harder et al, 2004). This view is compatible with the communitarian view which sees humans as multifarious and consequently cannot be limited to concept s such as egocentric, rational and pursuing only their self-interests, not even when regarding their economic transactions (Frese and Fay 2001). Communitarians posit instead that individuals are at the same time rational and social agents, pursuing both concerns of self and moral values of community. In their view, people want and endeavour to be part of and to identify with something larger than themselves, a group or community, and to contribute to some collective good. An ability of human beings to have and to express sympathy for others and to demonstrate commitment to other-oriented values and principles is consistent with this perspective (Nguyen, 2000). Incidentally, in instances when self-interests are in conflict with moral values and commitments in a social setting, the latter in communitarian theory, often supersedes the former as the basis for individual decision making (Mansbridge, 1990; Folger and Salvador, 2008). The communitarian perspective generally advocates for i nvolvement and participation, as well as engagement in civic, collective, and social processes and activities to encourage social and moral behaviour among individuals (Lively, 1978; Battilana and Casciaro, 2013). This backs up the premise that the use of economic incentives and factors that are intrinsically motivational can foster greater alignment between self- and collective interests resulting in an internalized moral commitment to collective good rather than one which is induced or incentivized (Lawson and Price, 2003). This perspective can also be subsumed under the collaboration theory which is of the general belief that individuals have social-moral potential for the pursuit of collective interests and thus are collaborative in nature (Harder et al, 2004; Rubinstein, 2006). Proponents of this perspective have suggested that organization based on the rational-economic perspective is insufficient and incapacitated in the modern dynamic, information-based society linked in net worked systems (Mahoney and McGahan. 2007). Others also posit that there are a number of positive benefits that could accrue from organizational structures, management approaches and incentive mechanisms consistent with collaborative assumptions. These include: increasing positive behaviour due to organizational citizenship and belonging (Battilana and Casciaro, 2013); enhancing willingness and motivation to perform; facilitating high levels of morale and creativity (Frese and Fay 2001); improving the quality of team-based action and work; support of win-win approaches to resolution of problems; besides enabling greater systemic coordination (van Dam et al, 2008).Communitarianism and the collaboration theory support and front the humanistic idea that there can be significant benefits for organizations from design features and management practices oriented towards shared power with employees through increased opportunities for co-leadership, autonomy, empowerment, self-management and participation. Collaboration theory is also premised on the view that due to the interdependence of an organization’s constituent parts, there is no inherent conflict between individual self-interest and the organization’s collective interest (Lively, 1978). Research on organizational culture, for instance, has shown that organizational effectiveness can be enhanced when employees are bound together by shared values, beliefs and practices, in their natural inclination to protect and advance collective interest (Lively, 1978; Battilana and Casciaro, 2013). The collaboration-oriented approach advocates for the replacement of traditional principal-agent relations and hierarchical authority serving to control and to direct employees by a pluralist stewardship approach to management. This aims to meet the needs of various stakeholders while serving the interests of the entire organization (Lively, 1978). This view and orientation favours pluralism given that individuals in the organizational context, with diverse and sometimes competing interests, are considered to have the capacity to co-exist and to achieve democratic equilibrium essential for the obtaining of a win-win compromise. This compromise and cooperation is essential for the change process and the attainment of enhanced performance. Accordingly, self-interest is not a hindrance in the pursuit of a share organizational vision given the potential for individuals to have shared values, beliefs, and practices, and a natural inclination to protect and to advance collective interest. Such a shared vision can be attained through the pursuit of a stewardship approach to management. These recommendations are however criticized for their optimism with regard to moral values, trust and willingness to contribute and to collaborate. This optimism is deemed by sceptics as underestimating the potential pervasiveness of self-interest, the strengths of existing power relations, and the risks of democracy i n the establishment of business relations; factors which necessitate the pursuit of greater managerial/principal control and direction (Folger and Salvador, 2008). The need for greater focus on self-interest In organizational settings, various individuals and different personalities are engaged and interact each with their own priorities and motivations. Behind the various economic facts pursued by organization in their operations are free human beings (McGregor, 1960). Unlike unalterable laws of nature, structures of economic behaviour are influenced by notions and ideals of these interacting individuals that are engaged in it (Frese and Fay 2001). Time and again throughout history, it has been shown that economic behaviour changes with alterations in human attitudes eroding various economic laws (McGregor, 1960; Harder et al, 2004). The individual freedom and ideas about its responsible use plays an eminent role in the economy and if directed and employed appropriately can have significant impact in furtherance of shared organizational vision and objectives. These freedoms and ideas and their individual application in various contexts cannot be conceptualized by abstract methods, predi cted or computed (Nguyen, 2000). Unlike physical systems, human beings form theories about their contexts and act, not simply driven by material causes as often assumed by economic theory, but upon their personal interpretations of the world (Lively, 1978; Dierksmeier, 2009). In the context of organizations and in everyday life, resistance is not a single set of behaviours employees exhibit in situations such as when change is instituted. It comprises various reactions, sometimes unconscious, to forces acting on individuals or groups in a particular environment and context (Thomas and Hardy 2011). Reality in business in the organizational context therefore requires â€Å"messy† procedures and qualitative assessments which result from unpredictable democratic as opposed to technocratic decision-making procedures (van Dam et al, 2008; Thompson and Martin, 2010). There can therefore hardly be a singular effective method or approach to the management of resistance as it requires that all the diverse concerns and needs be addressed. It is also noteworthy that the common reason leading to resistance such as the desire not to lose something of value, a misunderstanding of the change and its implications, and low tolerance for the change can in some way be tied up to self-interest (Harder et al, 2004). It is therefore imperative to focus on the particular self-interest of the various individuals so as to predict potential causes of the resistance, to create an understanding on the nature of their individual and particular resistance to change, to predict their individual responses to it, and to seek appropriate response to mitigate the concerns or to tackle upcoming issues. The various reactions to the change help to elucidate the effect and actual or potential impact of the change, which might not be evident in a closed hierarchical and controlled command system. Such an approach enables the realization of greater success in the change process as it enables jo int diagnosis of problems, fostering of consensus, development of a shared vision, enhancement of cohesion and revitalization in the path to the new vision, as well as the development of all-inclusive formal policies and enhanced monitoring and adjustment. It thus is not a coercive and an impelled process but one that is inclusive and shared. The more people’s needs are better understood, the better the management of the change process and the better the involvement and participation of affected individuals in the process. It is only through such wide engagement and consensus that any transformational change desired can be effected and sustained. Conclusion Regardless of the many types of change, a critical aspect is an organization’s ability to buy-in its employees to the change. This is the predominant reason why evaluation of the implication of self-interest, particularly the unbridled parochial self-concern, is essential to change management enabling the understanding of the nature of resistance to change and therefore how such resistance might be managed. Such a capability can facilitate the sustenance of transformational change, which enables enhanced organizational performance and consequently, success in the challenging modern business environment. The modern environment, given its attendant dynamism, networked systems and information-based societies, presents a challenge to traditional hierarchical and control approaches to management. This makes pluralist and democratic methods essential for the conduct of business in present day organizations. References Battilana, J., and T., Casciaro, 2013. Overcoming resistance to organizational change: strong ties and affective co-optation (Report). Management Science, (4), 819. Bennis, W., 2000. Managing the dream: Reflections on leadership and change. Cambridge, MA: Perseus. Beitler, M., 2005. Overcoming Resistance to Change. Viewed from: www.strategicorganizationalchange.com Dierksmeier, C., 2009. â€Å"A Requisite Journey: From Business Ethics to Economic Philosophy.† In: The Humanistic Management Network (ed.), Humanism in Business, 68–83. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Folger, R. and R. Salvador, 2008. Is management theory too self-fishJournal of Management, 1127-1151. Frese, M., and D., Fay, 2001. Personal initiative: An active performance concept for work in the 21st century. In: B. M. Staw and R. I. Sutton (Eds.), Research in organizational behaviour (Vol. 23, pp. 133–187). Amsterdam: Elsevier. Harder, J., P., Robertson, and H., Woodward, 2004. The spirit of the new workplace: Breathing life into organizations. Organizational Development Journal, 22(2), 79–103. Kotter, J., and L., Schlesinger, 1979. Choosing strategies for change. Harvard Business Review. March-April, 1979 Kotter, J., 1995. Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail. Harvard Business Review, 73(2), 59-67. Lawson, E., & Price, C., 2003. The psychology of change management. McKinsey Quarterly, (4), 30-41 Lively, C. 1978. Pluralism and consensus. In: P. Birnbaum, G. Parry, J. Lively, (eds.), Democracy, Consensus and Social Contract. London: Sage Publications, 188–202 Mahoney, J., 2005. Economic Foundations of Strategy. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage, Mahoney, J., and A., McGahan. 2007. The field of strategic management within the evolving science of strategic organization. Strategic Organ. 5(1) 79–99. Mansbridge, J., 1990. Beyond self-interest. Chicago: University of Chicago Press McGregor, D., 1960. The human side of enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill. Miller, D., 1999. The norm of self-interest. American Psychologist, 54, 1053–1060 Nguyen, H., 2000. Do humanistic values matterAcademy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, ODC: A1-A6. Rocha, H., and S., Ghoshal, 2006. Beyond self-interest revisited. Journal of Management Studies, 43: 585–619. Rubinstein, A., 2006. A sceptic’s comment on the study of economics. The Economic Journal, March: C1–C9. Sen, A., 2002. Rationality and Freedom. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Thompson, J., and Martin, F., 2010. Strategic Management: Awareness and Change. Cengage Learning EMEA. Diefenbach, T., 2007. The managerialistic ideology of organisational change management. Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 20 Issue: 1, pp.126 – 144 Thomas R., and C., Hardy, 2011. Reframing resistance to organizational change. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 27(3), 322-331. van Dam, K., Oreg, and B., Schyns, 2008. Daily Work Contexts and Resistance to Organisational Change: The Role of Leader–Member Exchange, Development Climate, and Change Process Characteristics. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 57(2), 313-334. Zander, A., 1950. Resistance to change: Its analysis and prevention. Advanced Management, 4(5), 9-11.

Assignment 7 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

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Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Buddhism - Essay Example Buddhism Introduction Buddhism is a common religion practiced throughout the world and is considered to be the fourth-largest religion, following Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Through extensive research via libraries and temples of worship and a personal interview with a practitioner of Buddhism, I will set out to discover more about Buddhism, as well as the similarities and differences that exist between Buddhism and Hinduism. After the needed information has been compiled, my intent is to allow the reader to understand the beliefs and practices of a Buddhist and to inform them of the differences between Buddhism and Hinduism in regard to beliefs, practices, days of observation and important figures in the religion, in addition to other important facts that make the religions what they are. Buddhism: An overview Buddhism, though recognized as a religion, is often considered to be more of a way of life and a philosophy rather than a religious path. The purpose of Buddhism is to f ind enlightenment and to discover a cure for human suffering. Many religions focus on seeking enlightenment through an outside force, deity or figure of worship, though Buddhism â€Å"held that our salvation from suffering lies only in our own efforts. The Buddha taught that in our understanding how we create suffering for ourselves we can become free (Fisher, 2005).† Buddha believed that since humans caused suffering they could also be the ones to find healing for themselves. The path to enlightenment was to be found within each individual and Buddha was the one to help lead people through their personal journeys. The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, is the founder and lead figure in Buddhism. Very little is known about Siddhartha, especially in regard to his birth due to historical fact being entangled with legend. It was predicted that Siddhartha would become a Buddha, a person who has supreme knowledge, and from a young age Siddhartha displayed his pot ential to this prophecy. The majority of Siddhartha’s childhood is spent learning meditation, warrior skills, archery and spiritual disciplines. As a prince, Siddhartha was sheltered from the harshness of life and never went without the physical luxuries of life. However, he was never â€Å"satisfied with the mere enjoyment of fleeting pleasures due to his inquiring and contemplative nature (Knierim, 2009).† One night, Siddhartha leaves his palace and wanders around, coming upon people that are suffering from old age and disease and succumbing to death. This was his first experience with reality and he became determined to do something about it, bringing about an extraordinary change to his life. Siddhartha gave up his life as a prince and left behind his palace and everything physical that he once held dear to him. He became like one of the men that he had seen the night he left the palace; he became without. Siddhartha spends most of his newfound free time mediating and searching for truth. During one particular meditation experience, he finds awareness of the Great Enlightenment, â€Å"which revealed to him the way of salvation from suffering (Knierim)†. It is then that he becomes a fully realized Buddha, prompting him to drop the name that he was given at the time of his birth. After

Character Comparison Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Character Comparison - Term Paper Example George Gibbs is the son of the Gibb couple whose father is a doctor and who has one sister, Rebecca. He excels in the field of sports specifically basketball and he dreams of studying at the State Agricultural School. His plan changes when he started a relationship with Emily Webb and married her. Emily Webb is George’s neighbor and later his wife. She is good in school and also a good daughter and sister of Wally. After marrying George, she dies of child birth. The lives that Emily and George lived exemplify normal lives devoid of too much excitement or important events, although in this case this is the perfect manner that the writer can point out the importance of appreciating everyday life. In relation to the main focus of the play, the stage manager is the bearer of the important quotations in the play which connects the audience to the author. Wilder uses methods within the play that can be considered unique but due to the fact that not many author uses the discussion of the play as part of the play itself as what the stage manager and the actors acting as part of the audience are doing, the people who are watching the play are clearly guided toward the main point of the whole plot. Without the said technique, the audience can miss the point of the play. Another method Wilder used is symbols. Throughout the play there are different symbols that can be found. The time capsule represents the importance of history and the past to humanity. Another is the symbolism of monotonous activities in the town through the activities of the milkman and the newspaper boy. Another focus of the play is the journey of George and Emily. Through the course of the plot they develop and grow. There are important quotations presented in the play that described the growth of the two characters and the different personalities in the plot. The first quote expressed â€Å"So†¦This is the way we were: in our growing up and

FISH TRANSPORT DESIGN Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

FISH TRANSPORT DESIGN - Assignment Example This investigation is aimed at delineating criteria to transport fish followed by three concept level models. These models will be evaluated against the delineated criteria and the most suitable model will be chosen to transport fish over long distances. The business viability of the chosen model will be evaluated in terms of investment and operational costs to help fish owners and transporters decide if they wish to install such a system. NUMBERS OF FISH AND TIME FOR TRANSPORT The current problem clearly states that fish will have to be transported in numbers between 5 and 200 and that the fish can stay on the road for up to 2 days. The most expensive fish in the lot is the Koi Carp. The Koi Carp is potentially a very sensitive fish and needs to be cared for excessively. For the purpose of this investigation, the baseline of water quality will be taken as that for the Koi Carp. If the water quality for the Koi Carp falls below certain constrained levels, then a major loss or failure will be assumed. Constraint 1 maximum transportation time will be 2 days (48 hours) As mentioned before, the baseline will be taken for Koi Carp. Thus aeration constraints will be developed along the lines for the Koi Carp. The density of Koi Carps should be kept at 80 cm length of fish for every 1 m3 volume. (Koi Carps, 2009) The average size of the Koi Carp is between 24 and 36 inches. If these values are averaged, the size of an average Koi Carp comes out to be 30 inches (76.2 cm). (Davis, 2011) Constraint 2 ? fish density based on average size 76.2 cm Water Quality The largest problem in maintaining healthy fish is the dissolved oxygen level. Any variations in the oxygen level can spell disaster for fish especially if the oxygen levels are not replenished after half an hour to acceptable levels. (FAO, 2011) Any and all factors that affect dissolved oxygen levels in water must be considered and dealt with accordingly. Generally the aeration system is constrained by: efficiency of the aeration system; transport duration; temperature of water; fish size; fish speci es. It is essential that the water used to house fish is kept clear. Any turbidity should be avoided and filters should be installed in the system to remove any particulate matter. Constraint 3 ? turbidity clarity Moreover, the pH level must be checked regularly to ensure that it keeps around 7. The acceptable pH levels for housing fish are 6 to 8.5. Constraint 4 ? pH level average at 7 Water temperature has a direct bearing on the amount of oxygen dissolved in water. Oxygen solubility in water decreases exponentially as the temperature of water increases. Therefore, if the water temperature rises significantly as the fish are being transported, the oxygen levels in water will suffer significantly. (Engineering Toolbox, 2011a) The variations of oxygen levels with water temperature are graphed in Appendix A. Constraint 5 ? water temperature should not vary significantly Moreover, the oxygen content of the water needs to be checked regularly to ensure that it does not fall below the d esignated threshold of 5 mg / litre. The variation in oxygen levels is between 8 and 9 mg / litre. Constraint 6 ? oxygen levels in water averaged at 5 mg / litre Moreover, the water quality should be maintained within the constraints listed above and no value should be allowed

Compare and contrast between the philosophical thoughts of Booker T Essay - 2

Compare and contrast between the philosophical thoughts of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Dubois - Essay Example An educator, Washington believed that blacks should stabilize their future by becoming indispensable members in the society. The only way to become indispensable in the society is by providing a necessity to the society through education. Washington’s early childhood was in slavery forcing him to seek industrial education at Hampton. Washington was a strong supporter on industrial education. Most of Washington’s philosophies were familiar with the southern blacks because he came from the south. Washington believes that the black community should not agitate for voting and civil rights not only for economic gains and security, but they should also fight for anti-black violence (Karenga 154). Washington’s popularity also increased among the northern whites and later, among the southern whites who perceived the philosophies as complete surrender and self-uplift. Most of Washington’s philosophies were based on prior experience with slavery On the contrary, W.E. DuBois grew up in a slavery-free society in the north. DuBois did not experience the harsh realities of slavery or prejudice present in the south. DuBois grew in a predominantly white environment. Unlike Washington, DuBois felt that the equality between the white community and the African Americans was the most important thing. More politically militant than Washington, DuBois aired his political view through political movements, associations, and political magazines. DuBois felt believed that black people should get the same liberal education the white community gets. As such DuBois ideas regarding education were crucial in shaping education among African American people (Rabaka 735). The biggest philosophical disagreement between the two leaders regarded black suffrage. Regarding voting, DuBois supported the agitation for the ballot and opposed voting among uneducated black people. According to DuBois, economic gains were not important without

PAR (Participatory Action Research) and immigration Essay

PAR (Participatory Action Research) and immigration - Essay Example There are powerful people in every society and this knowledge seeks to unveil the extent to which these people are represented and their positions reinforced. There are different sides to participatory action research. One side shows that experience is a good teacher. Some of the issues encountered in public health and other areas might be the first but the lessons they produce can be used in future judgments. From the two sides, people who teach adults in countries with low income got ideas and went ahead to come up with a unique form of research now known as PAR 1 . This form of research enables researchers to work with people in communities and empower them in making significant changes to their health. This is different compared to most research methods where the community is only used in data collection and the final decisions made by a committee or a group of professionals. With the above information, PAR may be simply defined as a research method whose aim is to understand and make improvements to the world by making a change in it. The communities in subject are highly involved in making these changes. Immigration happens every day in different countries around the world for various reasons. It is a major topic especially in public policy matters in developed countries like the UK. In this report, the PAR approach will be used in finding out what the public perceives of immigrants in the UK, brain drain and the exploitation of immigrant workers. The people’s movement in and out of a country is due to various reasons such as economic and political. People from different countries tend to move to the UK in search of better opportunities. The population in the UK has increased over the years mainly due to an increase in resident immigrants. Perceptions are brought about by the knowledge available to people. One public perception of immigrants in the UK is that they have largely

Unit 1 Discussion Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Unit 1 Discussion Board - Essay Example igh the strengths and weaknesses of the basic forms and choose the one -- or the combination -- that is most congruent with the strategy (Daniels, 2004). As the twenty-first century rapidly approaches, numerous questions are being raised in an attempt to guide health care policy toward greater social harmony, to alleviate social dilemmas created by competing sets of values, and to confront the realities of current health care economics. Instability, volatility, and incredible change are forcing a reexamination of societal values along with changing consumer expectations of health care (Kozier 2004). I agree with the statement that management is both science and art because it demands creative application of traditional theories and concepts. In healthcare, those values of individualism, competition, cost containment, efficiency, and technology that are currently driving health care policy and health care systems are also influencing nursings ability to provide quality care. A look to the past demonstrates the evolution of the changing scene in nursing practice. As health care increasingly runs along business lines, competition occurs through mergers, acquisitions, and the expansion into new markets (Mckenna, 1997). What becomes clear is that quality of care is not the major focus of the competitiveness. Reduced revenues have even led to a reduction in the registered nurse workforce as unlicensed assistive personnel are hired to reduce labor costs and act as nurse extenders. It is clear that new and creative approaches to health care and nursing care are needed (Daniels, 2004). Regulations in healthcare demand flexibility and creativity, new vision of old theories and practices. On the other hand, they stipulate strict limits and rules important for healthcare professionals. Now is a time of transition for health care institutions and health care in general (Kozier 2004). The issue of allocation of scarce health-related resources has become almost paramount,

Beckett’s Main Themes Essay Example for Free

Beckett’s Main Themes Essay Samuel Beckett explores the purposelessness of life, lack of meaning and memory in Waiting for Godot. Aspects such as repetition, change, recognition, blind faith, silences and pauses illustrated the forgetfulness and purposelessness of the lives of Vladimir and Estragon. ‘Waiting’ is doing both something and nothing simultaneously; Vladimir and Estragon recognize this which is why they are in search for something to ‘do’. VLADIMIR: We are happy. ESTRAGON: We are happy. (Silence.) What do we do now, now that we are happy? VLADIMIR: Wait for Godot. (Estragon groans. Silence.) Things have changed here since yesterday. ESTRAGON: And if he doesnt come? VLADIMIR: (after a moment of bewilderment). Well see when the time comes. (Pause.) Their words are as empty and futile as their actions. There is a silence after they say that they’re â€Å"happy† which makes it apparent that they are just forcing the emotion on to themselves. The silence allows the audience to inquire if they really are happy and if their happiness is of value. Being happy doesn’t provide a function in life; Estragon wants to ‘do’ something now that they were supposedly happy. To ‘do’ something constructive is important to pass the time; the closest they can get to a functional action is to talk to each other. Having a purpose in life is probable to come with the emotion of happiness, since Estragon and Vladimir have convinced themselves to believe they encompass a purpose in life, they require the emotion of happiness to validate it. Rather than just telling Vladimir to ‘do’ something as they were â€Å"happy†, he asks him which is a technique to create conversation. The characters have blind faith in Godot, they don’t know what would happen if he didn’t come. Vladimir is bewildered when he comes to the moment of reality of contemplating that this being true would make their wait purposeless. He doesn’t want to admit that if Godot didn’t come then their long wait would have been for nothing, instead he says â€Å"We’ll see when the time comes†. This is a meaningless statement because if Godot never does come then the time will never come. However, Vladimir shows indication of acknowledging this when he starts talking about ‘change’ which is not only changing the subject but also implying that change in something proves that time is passing and that time will soon come. Moreover, towards the end of the extract when Estragon asks â€Å"What do we do now?† and Vladimir replies â€Å"Wait for Godot†. He ends the sentence there because he doesn’t know what would happen after h e did come and where their lives would lead. They show no reason to wait for Godot which highlights again the purposelessness of their lives. As Vladimir and Estragon are waiting, it is vital for time to pass and the thing to establish this is for things to change. VLADIMIR:†¦I was saying that things have changed here since yesterday. ESTRAGON; Everything oozes. VLADIMIR: Look at the tree ESTRAGON: it’s never the same pus from one second to the next VLADIMIR: The tree, look at the tree. The characters do not really have a conversation which follows in a logical pattern; they often misinterpret each other. Although the two pass their time, they pass it in ‘useless banter’ which is meaningless and gives their life no purpose. Estragon occasionally drifts off with his own thoughts but Vladimir brings him back to his. They both have their own ideas on change, Vladimir refers to the tree to prove that things have â€Å"changed† while Estragon notices ‘pus’ changing, even though they’re in their own individual worlds they both perceive a significance in ‘change’. Change is essential to them because they want assurance they have passed the time, and the only way to do so is to see change in their surroundings; change would also initiate some form of purpose. However, their dialogue in general dwells on their past and present which suggests that they are trapped in their current situation. The tree in the landscape helps illustrate a purpose because it is changing, it has to be changing for a purpose; Vladimir sees it as a sign of hope. There is only one tree rather than lots, this makes the landscape seem dull and gives a boring imagery. It is a symbol of life and contrasts with the bleak lifeless environment it’s in. Recognition comes conjointly with memory which Estragon doesn’t have. Estragon doesn’t find that there is any point in recognizing things. He says â€Å"what is there to recognize?†. Estragon lacks memory which is why he gets frustrated. He distinguishes physical things which he receives like Lucky kicking him and Pozzo giving him a bone. These things make a difference to Estragon which is why he remembers it. He realizes that he had just â€Å"crawled about in the mud† all his life which entails that he only recognizes the purposelessness of his life and the meaning it lacks. It is a commonly established idea that one’s experiences define a person. Vladimir says â€Å"He’s forgotten everything!† with regards to Estragon. Memory is important to them because what they went through yesterday was an accomplishment for them, if they can’t remember it then it is worthless. If Estragon can’t remember then Vladimir has no one to reminisce their achievement with, however reminding Estragon and describing it to him gives them something to talk about and passes the time. Since they both lack memory of most of their experiences, their individuality is unclear. Vladimir tries to compare the difference of their current landscape to the â€Å"Macon country† but Estragon fails to remember it, and derides at the word and states that he spent all his life in their current location, the â€Å"Cackon country†. The sound of the word is harsh and he says it as if it is meaningless to him even though that is where he is ‘Wa iting for Godot’, the place where they are establishing their decided purpose of life. Silences and pauses are uses to transport the meaning to the audience or reader; during the short intervals they realize the meaningless conversation Vladimir and Estragon indulge in. The two begin describing â€Å"All the dead voices† which â€Å"murmur†, â€Å"rustle†, â€Å"whisper† and â€Å"make a noise like feathers†. The silences are disseminated and their dialogues after each of the silences are repetitive which is parallel to their nearly reiterated everyday routine and dialogues. The silent and empty stage is filled with the sound of the ‘dead voices’; viewers are made to imagine the voices as Vladimir and Estragon describe them using similes. The dead voices contribute to the tedious mood of their lives; they argue over trivial things which is parallel to their depressed condition because they are too weak to make it better. The voices reflect the situation of the two characters, they murmur, rustle, whisper in their actions while they wait for Godot. Repetition of the dialogues conveys the forgetfulness of Vladimir and Estragon and their pointless lives. The extract begins with the characters speaking in ‘useless banter’ but as it nears towards the end of the extract, Vladimir and Estragon’s speech lessens and becomes quieter as they run out of things to say. This illustrates their life cycle, the beginning is a bustle of activity as they were younger and searching for a purpose and meaning for life, they did things like â€Å"pick grapes for a man† and go to â€Å"the Macon country†; but as they grow older, energy and enthusiasm decreases as they discover no purpose. Vladimir panics after the â€Å"Long silence†, because he doesn’t want to think of the reality of their situation; talking and actions distract their attention from reflection. Vladimir tells Estragon to â€Å"Say anything at all!† in â€Å"anguish†, he suffers a mental despair or distress if nothing is said or done because then he will apprehend the reality of their meaningless wait. It is as if their terrible actuality is in his subconscious mind which he keeps on pushing away. Estragon further confirms that the reason for their ‘useless banter’ is so they won’t â€Å"think†; language is utilized to neglect silence. To further emphasise their reiterated life, when they run out of things to say, they remind themselves of their purpose of their existence and the reason behind their endless wait which is to â€Å"Wait for Godot†.

Effect of Microcredit on Household Consumption

Effect of Microcredit on Household Consumption 1. Introduction Despite the multitude of studies on microfinance, there still exits surprisingly little hard data on the effects of microcredit. This analysis focuses on the effect of microcredit specifically on household consumption, and reviews relevant literature which addresses the relation between household consumption and availability of microcredit. Traditionally Microcredit has been studied as a tool of poverty reduction through increase of consumption. A relatively recent shift in thinking has been to consider microcredit as a means to facilitate consumption smoothing and build assets to protect against risks ahead of time and cope with shocks, leading to widespread poverty alleviation but not widespread poverty reduction. The review is divided into three sections based on the approach used to study the effect of microcredit. The first section examines the works of Pitt Khandeker and Morduch which use non-experimental methods to make claims of causal identification. This is followed by a look at random evaluation studies performed and discusses their conclusions. The final section introduces â€Å"Portfolios of the Poor† by Daryl Collins et al (2009), a descriptive study of the financial activities of the poor. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Non-Randomised Approach The studies by Pitt Khandeker and Morduch are all based on the 1991-92 cross-sectional survey of nearly 1800 households in Bangladesh served by microfinance programs of the Grameen Bank, the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), and the Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB). The sample also includes a control group of households in areas not served by any microfinance programs. Pitt and Khandeker (1998 A) apply a quasi-experimental design to this data and use a regression-discontinuity design to estimate the marginal impacts of microcredit while distinguishing borrowing by gender. The study obtains the result that â€Å"annual household consumption expenditure increases 18 taka for every 100 additional taka borrowed by women as compared with 11 taka for men† and hence concludes that microcredit increases household consumption. A key to the identification strategy used in this study is the fact that the factors driving credit choice be exogenous. One of these factors is the eligibility of households for credit (eligible if they own less than 0.5 acre). However this factor as noted by Morduch (1998) suffers from considerable mistargeting: overall 20-30% of borrowers own more than the mandated threshold and are actually ineligible. Consequently a criticism of this paper would be that the lax implementation of program rules undermines the application of the regression-discontinuity design. Morduch (1998) uses simpler estimators as compared to Pitt and Khandeker (1998 A). The study regresses directly on the primary instruments for credit, dummies for credit choice. Morduch measures the average impact of microcredit by first performing simple difference-in-difference estimates and then adding controls. Contrary to Pitt and Khandeker (1998 A), Morduch (1998) finds no significant effect of microcredit on the level of consumption. He however finds evidence that microcredit causes a decrease in the volatility of consumption (coefficient significant at 95% confidence) and also results in a smoothing of household labour supply (coefficient significant at 90% confidence). He asserts that consumption smoothing by households is driven by income smoothing but does not substantiate this with direct evidence. The possibility of seasonal consumption smoothing by landless households (primarily engaged in agriculture) through credit is explored by another study by Pitt and Khandeker (1998 B) and is based on data from the same survey as the two papers discussed above. The premise for this investigation is that, microcredit can help smooth seasonal consumption for credit constrained households by financing a new productive activity whose income flows that do not highly covary seasonally with income from agricultural pursuits. The econometric results generated are consistent with Morduch’s assertion of consumption smoothing through income smoothing. The results strongly suggest that an important motivation for credit program participation is the need to smooth the seasonal pattern of consumption and male labour supply. For male labour supply, as with household consumption, it seems that these group-based credit programs i) have a pattern of seasonal effects that act to smooth flows over the seasons, and ii) have a pattern of self-selection in which those households with the experiencing great than average seasonal variation in flows are most likely to join the programs and borrow. A paper by Morduch and Roodman (2009) revisits the studies by Morduch (1998) and Pitt Khandekar (1998 B). A replication exercise followed by Two-Stage Least-Squares (2SLS) regression is performed for the two, the result of which casts doubt on the positive results of both. In case of the Pitt and Kandeker finding, the replication generates results with opposite sign. However rather than microcredit being harmful, specification test suggests that the instrumentation strategy fails and that omitted variable causation is driving the result. As for Morduch rebuilding the data set revealed errors regarding the labour supply variables of the original set. The changes weaken the result on consumption volatility causing the statistic to no longer be significant. The non-experimental studies discussed above face challenges in establishing causality. A chief problem is that since microfinance clients are self-selected, they are not comparable to non-clients. Also MFIs purposefully choose some villages (non- random program placement) and participants (client selection) and not others. While Difference in Difference estimates can control for fixed differences between clients and non-clients, it is likely that participants in MFIs are on different trajectories even in the absence of Microcredit, invalidating comparisons between clients and non-clients. 2.2 Randomised Evaluation Given the complexity of the identification problem, randomised evaluations are a viable approach to study the effects of microcredit since it ensures that the difference between residents in the control areas vis-a-vis the treatment areas is the greater ease of access to microcredit. Banerjee (2010) conducts randomized evaluation of the impact of introducing microcredit in a new market. Half of 104 slums in Hyderabad, India were randomly selected for opening of an MFI branch while the remainder were not. The outcomes in both sets of areas were compared using intent to treat (ITT) estimates; that is, simple comparisons of averages in treatment and comparison areas, averaged over borrowers and non-borrowers. The results show no impact on average consumption, however the effects observed are heterogeneous and vary between households. Households who have a pre-existing business used microcredit to expand their existing ventures and show a significant increase in durable expenditure in treatment vs control areas. Households without a business but with a high propensity to start a business displayed a significant positive treatment effect on durable spending along with a decrease in non-durable spending. This reduction in nondurables spending could possibly be to facilitate a larger investment than received credit. Finally, household which didn’t have a business and are less likely to start a business showed a significantly large increase in nondurable expenses. These results are echoed in a study by Crepon et al (2011) who conducted a similar evaluation at the extensive margin to check if the effects of the programs but changed the context to a rural setting in Morocco where both credit and business opportunities are thinner in order to check if the effects of the programs would be different. As a possible explanation to no evidence of a positive impact of microcredit on consumption being found, the two studies suggest that, the households which increased durable spending may benefit from increased income and hence increased consumption in the future. In other words, the evaluation period may have been too short to capture the gains from investing in enterprise. Furthermore it would also be pertinent to observe whether households which increase non-durable spending and hence consumption continue to do so, given continued access to credit. 2.3 Financial diaries While looking at the relationship between Microcredit and consumption, a longitudinal survey on how poor households manage money and use financial services would be insightful. The book â€Å"Portfolios of the Poor† by Daryl Collins et al (2009) does this by constructing financial diaries for over 250 households, in Bangladesh, India and South Africa. To create a financial diary, a researcher visits a poor household repeatedly, say, every fortnight for a year, and gathers detailed information on transactions conducted by its members since the last visit. Through the data collection and the associated conversations the researcher has with the household, an intimate portrait of the households financial life is compiled. The book emphasises and shows evidence for the assertion that poor households faced with low and variable income look at all financial services to turn small, frequent pay-ins into occasional, large pay-outs and to smooth the mismatch between fluctuating income and steady outflows. Towards this end, MFIs by providing a reliable source of credit is of great help to the poor. However the canonical form of microcredit bears the disadvantage of being too rigid so as to address all credit needs of the poor (expenditure shocks like unexpected health expenses) and hence the household portfolios feature a diverse range of credit sources both formal and informal. Since they present an intricate picture of the transactions undertaken by the household, financial diaries, and for the purpose of this review the Grameen II financial diaries present a great opportunity to study how microcredit is actually used by the poor. The rest of this section presents a short review presented in the book, in order to give a flavour of the type of inferences which can be drawn from these types of studies. In the following table, 237 loans made by 43 households who were a part of the Grameen II financial diaries are classified into 6 main uses . Taking the first two categories to be productive use of loan, it is observed that roughly half the loans made fell into this category (48% of all loans and 53% of the loan value). This however does not mean that half of the client’s use the credit provided for productive expenses. Of the 43 households in the sample, just 6 were responsible for three quarters of the loan value in the biggest category business and also were recipients of two thirds of the loans issued in this category. These 6 households all have established businesses and borrow to buy stock as often as they are permitted. From this brief and simple look at the financial diaries we observe that, there is a great diversity to the activities the poor use microfinance for, also there is concentration of some uses among distinct types of users. Further, while investment uses account for more than half the value of loans disbursed, it is concentrated among the relatively well placed borrowers. Finally, the claim can presumably be made that the unproductive uses of loans made by the households are being used for consumption smoothing. Conclusion Based on the literature discussed by this review, while the shift to randomised evaluations from non-randomised studies in studying the effect of microcredit is good (considering the relative advantages provided by the former). The effect of microcredit on the consumption levels of households continues to remain ambiguous based on the present academic literature available. Whereas in the case of microcredit inducing consumption smoothing, there simply has not been enough study done exploring this perspective. In order to measure both the effect on both consumption level and consumption smoothing information on money management by poor households is required for many months if not years. The needed time series data can be obtained using the time intensive financial diaries method. Moreover an optimal research portfolio should probably blend the randomised approach with the financial diaries approach. Word Count 1990 References Banerjee, A., E. Duflo, R. Glennerster and C. Kinnan (2010), â€Å"The miracle of microfinance? Evidence from a randomized evaluation.†. MIT working paper. Collins, D., J, Morduch, S. Rutherford and O Ruthven, â€Å"Portfolios of the Poor†, Book Crepon, B., F, Devoto, E Duflo, W Pariente (2011), â€Å"Impact of microcredit in rural areas of Morocco Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation†, MIT Working paper Morduch, J. (1998). .Does Microfinance Really Help the Poor? Evidence from Flagship Pro- grams in Bangladesh, Hoover Institution, Stanford U. working paper. Morduch, J. and Roodman, D. (2009),† The Impact of microcredit on the poor in Bangladesh: Revisiting the evidence, Centre for Global Development Working Paper No. 174. Pitt, Mark and Shahidur Kandker (1998 A), â€Å"The Impact of Group-Based Credit Programs on Poor Households in Bangladesh: Does the Gender of Participants Matter?† Journal of Political Economy, October. Pitt, Mark and Shahidur Kandker (1998b), â€Å"Credit Programs for the Poor and Seasonality in Rural Bangladesh,† Brown University and World Bank, draft, January 9.

Power of Nuclear Energy Essay -- Nuclear Reactor Breeders

Abstract The use of nuclear energy is a big topic for debate. Many countries have fully embraced it while others, such as the U. S., haven’t. Nuclear energy is feared for its danger and scorned because of its wastes. On the other hand, nuclear energy does have some pros like cheaper cost of energy and environmentally safe. Reactor breeders show great promise in nuclear waste, but are it enough to convince the nation? Introduction Nuclear knowledge has existed for a long time. Nuclear Engineering U.S. Department of Energy relates, ―By 1900, the physicists knew the atom contains large quantities of energyâ€â€" (par 11). Many others formed good theories, such as Ernest Rutherford and Einstein’s contribution with his equation E=mc^2. In 1934 a physicist known as Enrico Fermi conducted an experiment that resulted in the splitting of atoms. In 1938 two scientists, Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman, conducted an experiment that was the beginning of a new realization in the nuclear world. Nuclear Engineering U.S. Department of Energy describes, ―Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman fired neutrons from a source containing the elements radium and beryllium into uranium (atomic number 92)â€â€" (par 15). The experiment resulted in a new and unexpected out come. The elements that were naturally produced during such experiments weighed only a little less than uranium; whereas, this time the elements were ar ound half as light. They shared their information with Lise Meitner who studied the out come with Neils Bohr and her nephew Otto R. Frisch. The three of them concluded that the light weighted elements were the results of The Power of Nuclear Energy 3 the uranium splitting also known as fission. Lise Meitner proved this theory using Einstein’s theory. Bo... ...ear energy has many faults, but along with it nuclear energy has many advantages. People need to put aside the fears of nuclear plant that have grown out of tragedies and scares such as Three Miles Island and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explosion. The Chernobyl has been the only plant that has caused destruction out of over six decades of nuclear power. The nuclear waste can be reused to form more energy using breeder reactors solving most of the waste problem. The costs of nuclear energy are lower than the costs for most other forms of energy. Nuclear energy is constant and not seasonal like solar or wind energy. It is environmentally safe for animals and people living near by. Nuclear energy does not contribute to nuclear energy like coal produced energy. It would be a smart move for our country to move in the direction towards a more nuclear powered nation.

Homelessness in Public Schools Essay -- Education

In the United States nationwide public schools are faced with dilemmas. The choices schools make has to be effective, serve the students, and have the best outcome. Well known problems such as bullying, special educational needs, budget cuts, new standards, and job cuts. Some of the problems are well known to the public while other problems are left in the background. According to the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) reported that the U.S. Department of Education collected data stating â€Å"during the 2008-2009 school year that 954,914 homeless children and youth were enrolled in public schools.† This problem affects the child socially, mentally, and most importantly academically. The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) defines Homelessness â€Å"is a lack of permanent housing resulting from extreme poverty and/or unsafe or unstable living environments† (NAEHCY, 2011, p. 2). In the year 2004, it was required that all states were to report to CSPR (Consolidated State Performance Report) of data collected of children and youth enrolled in any educational services (Bowman, Dukes, Moore, 2012, p. 6). The table presented below shows reports the school years of 2004-2010. Number of Homeless Students Reported by States in the CSPR 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 655,591 906,680* 679,724 794,617 956,914 939,903 The National Center on Family Homelessness (NCFH) conducted research and collected data and found during a three year research of CSPR reports. (Bowman. ET al.’s, 2012). In the school years 2006-2009 â€Å"41% increase in the number of homeless student enrolled in schools across the nation† (Bowman... ...2). Summary of the state of research: On the relationship between homelessness and academic achievement among school-aged children and youth (ED-04-CO-0056/0002). Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education website: http://www.serve.org/nche Carter. Samuel, C. (2000). No excuses; lessons from 21 high performing high poverty schools. Washington, DC: The Heritage Foundation. Murphy.Joseph, F. & Tobin.Kerri, J. (2011, November). Homelessness comes to school. How homeless children and youths can succeed, 93(3), 32-37. Retrieved from http://kappanmagazine.org National Assocation for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. (2011). Facts about homeless education. Retrieved from http;//naehcy.org/facts.html W&B School of Education. (2012). History of the mckinney act. Retrieved from http://education.wm.edu/centers/hope/resources/mckinneyact/index.php

Bioterrorism and Plague Essay -- Biological Terrorism Terrorist Homela

Bioterrorism and Plague Plague, also known as Yesirnia pestis, has wreaked havoc since the first documented outbreak in the 6th century, along with changing the course of history. Although bubonic plague is the most common form of plague, pneumonic plague is the more fatal form of the bacteria. It is the only form that has been successfully aerosolized by man and has the potential of taking down a mass of people in days. If used as a bioweapon, it would cause major damage. This paper is designed to inform you of the history, the facts, and the precautions needed to prevent a bioterrorist attack. In 1970, The World Health Organization estimated that 50 kg, or 110 lb, of Y. pestis sprayed over a city would infect 150,000 individuals and kill about 40,000 (Grey, p.218). Throughout history, there have been plague epidemics that have killed thousands of people. From the Athenian plague starting in 430 B.C. to the famous Black Death in 1346, people from all over the world have been caught in chaos with insufficient treatments and no reliable way of preventing this horrible disease from spreading. Today, vast medical advancements have yielded successful treatments for the plague, but people are still highly susceptible to widespread disaster if a bioterrorist attack does manage to occur. In 430-26 B.C. during the Peloponnesian War, which was fought between Sparta and Athens, overcrowded conditions in the cities allowed plague to spread quickly. It claimed tens of thousands of victims including Pericles, the former leader of Athens. We know of this outbreak because of the last remaining source: Thucydides in his History of the Peloponnesian War (Smith, p. 1). Having been through the plague himself, Thucydides described the symptoms w... ...5. Arizona Dept. of Health Services. 8 July 2005 â€Å"FAQ About Plague.† 2005 CDC. 5 April 2005. www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/plague/faq.asp Med TV. â€Å"Bubonic Plague Symptoms.† 2006. MED TV. 11 Oct. 2006. www.plague.emedtv.com/bubonic-plague-symptoms.html Henderson, Donald; Inglesby, Thomas and O’Toole, Tara. Bioterrorism. Chicago: American Medical Association, 2002. Inglesby, Thomas and Dennis, Davis. â€Å"Plague as a Biological Weapon.† Medical and Public Health Management. 2000. JAMA. 3 May 2000. http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/283/17/228/ â€Å"Natural History.† Plague. 2005. CDC. 30 March 2005. http://cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/plague/history.htm#100 Mayoclinic. â€Å"Plague.† Health Library. 1998-2008. Mayo Clinic. 1 Sept. 2006. www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/OQ493.html Grey, Michael and Spaeth, Kenneth. â€Å"Plague.† The Bioterrorism Sourcebook. The McGraw-Hill Companies: US. 2006.

Flannery o conners writings

Writings For readers why are not familiar with Flannels O' Connors writings, they tend give the reader emotional devastation because If all the gothic elements such as the violence and the messed up religious elements. The short stories that she creates give off an uncongenial feeling and possesses the readers feelings towards the stories. Many of these stones have both violence and religious aspects to them.Fate plays a big role In the stories climaxes. Either the mall character or the antagonists encounter what seems to be fate and start off violent but end up as If they saw the errors of their ways or felt as of a higher power has accepted them. In the end of AGAINST the characters encounter the misogynist right after they crash. They meet him by fate. Fate is not always a good thing. Later on the violence in the story happens when the whole family is murdered by them.The antagonist in this story understands that what he did is not right and he can act as a Christ figure because h e brought the thoughts of people out of them as if they were confessing something to him. In The Circle in the Fire the antagonists violently burn down everything around the barn, and then danced around it as if they felt like they needed to do and if a higher power has accepted them. The impact her endings give off are disastrous and thought provoking leaving the reader in awe.

My ambitions in life Essay

My name is Jennis Dave Mirafuentes, I am now 16 years old. Were all 5 children in my father side, why I say in my father side only? It is because my father before was having his first family but they were separated because of some instances. We have 3 girls that is daughter of my father in his first wife and we are 2 in my mother side and we are both boys. We are now living in Km. 8 Ulas, Davao City. I finnish my primary study in Talomo Central Elementary School and my secondary in Talomo National High School. My first ambition in life when I was only a child is to become an architect because I love making an illustration of an house before but it was changed when I grow up because I realize that having an architecture course is difficult. When I was in my fourth year in high school I was still thinking of what course I will take in college. And from that time I realize in myself what if I will follow the steps of my mother. I will continue her job in teaching other people because before my mother was graduated of education and she is also a board passer but when the time that she raise me and my younger brother she doesn’t have enough time in teaching so that she decide to stop teaching and focus in caring of us. That’s why I decided to become a BS-Math student, Math because it was my favorite subject. Why I should become a teacher? Maybe now I still don’t have an ability to teach wisely other people but I didn’t refuse my ambition because the reason I studied is to learn the techniques on how to become an effective teacher. Maybe now I was only holding one quality to become a teacher and that is my determination and willingness to teach.

Influences of health care delivery

Describe one factor which influences wellness attention bringing in the UK Team working It is of import to look at how team working be improved in order to continually better the criterion of attention given to the patient. Sometimes team members will work good together but sometimes tensenesss can develop between different professionals looking after a patient. There are some state of affairss where a squad attack works better than an single one ( Pickering and Thompson, 2003 ) for case where a mixture of accomplishments is required and it can besides forestall fight where the latter may be damaging to the overall service of attention. For squad work to be effectual there must be equal administration. There can be two facets of the success of squad working, foremost how good the external aim is achieved and secondly the internal mechanics of the group embracing how good the single group members work together ( Pickering and Thompson, 2003 ) . Pickering and Thomson ( 2003 ) have summarised some of the factors which help a squad to work good and besides those factors which can adversely impact its public presentation. In the former class are ;The undertaking is focussedEveryone participates in a relaxed ambianceCommunicationConsensus determinationsAppropriate feedback and ego ratingActions clearly assigned to team membersLeadershipThingss adversely impacting squad work include the followers ;Poor communicatingMembers fostering their ain terminalsLack of leadingNo apprehension of functionsThere is inherently the possibility for a grade of struggle between professionals who are at different degrees of experience within their forte. NICE overcomes, at least the theoretical constituent of, this by doing mention to â€Å"health professionals† instead than depicting them as belong to any one peculiar group. Another disadvantage of a squad construction can be people merely go oning to work as persons, nevertheless â€Å"wo rking â€Å" together † instead than working â€Å" aboard † can excite people and consequence in new ways of undertaking old problems.† ( Davies, 2000 ) . Collaboration with other squad members is most effectual when the squad members recognise each other’s differences and besides readily accept that each member’s position from their ain professional point of view, is merely every bit valid as those of the other members. The differences through can make tensenesss. When the squad is set up single members need to hold assurance in the other squad members. There does, nevertheless necessitate to be some regulations so that certain members do non over shadow the others who need still to be heard. Troubles can originate in big squads. In some multidisciplinary squads the squad members may non all be clearly demarcated. There may be considerable convergence of functions. To assist get the better of this it is of import that the overall aim is clear to all involved and that each individual is cognizant of the duties of the other members in order to avoid duplicates and skips. Team undertakings may alter and the squad needs to be antiphonal to this with an effectual agencies of accommodating its work and even altering its members. Overwhelmingly the most of import facet of squad working is communicating and this is so in all facets of squad working. Critically measure how this influences the proviso of quality wellness attention in regard of the client ‘s professional pattern Team working has an influence on the professional pattern of chiropody in a figure of ways. Podiatry services are frequently provided as portion of a multidisciplinary squad, possibly no-where is this more evident than the podiatric attention given to people with diabetes. For this ground this subject will be analysed in greater item to analyze the of import facets of squad working. At the phase of puting up or modifying a podiatric service the chiropodist is involved as portion of a squad measuring future alterations, make up one's minding on way of alteration and puting up execution. Chiropodists as a squad will hold different countries of involvement within chiropody. For case some may hold an involvement and particular accomplishment in pediatric chiropody, others in general work, others in forensic facets. The manner they work good as a squad will act upon patient result and interaction with other services e.g. the tribunals. Another of import facet of the squad attack is the pa tient being involved as a squad member, once more peculiarly of import in diabetics. Here the chiropodist has a function in patient instruction. The different types of squad working outlined above require different accomplishments of the chiropodist. For case in the multidisciplinary squad of import qualities are a regard for others ways of working and understanding, giving and having feedback. When puting up a service leading qualities, assertiveness and coaction are of import. Multidisciplinary squad Diabetess is a peculiarly of import status for the chiropodist. It has important prevalence with high hazard of terrible wellness effects. Diabetes mellitus affects 1-2 % of the population and half of all lower limb amputations are done because of diabetic complications ( Lorimer, 2002 ) . The chiropodist has an of import function in bar of complications of the diabetic pes since 15 % of diabetic people have a pes ulcer and most leg amputations are preceded by ulceration ( Lorimer, 2002 ) . Diabetess is a multisystem upset and there is hence a demand for close affair between the different squad members who may consist ;ChiropodistDiabetologistSpecialist nurseVascular and orthopedic sawbonessOphthalmologistIn add-on the patient’s attention is frequently shared with their general practician. There are interacting pathological procedures ensuing from the effects of diabetes which contribute to the pes jobs ;Vascular coronary artery disease and little vas disease cut down blood supplyReduced blood O transporting capacityReduced opposition to infection and hapless lesion healingNeurological abnormalcies impede esthesis ; pain no longer protects against hurtPoor vision impedes the diabetic person in inspecting their pess and their manual sleight for cutting their nailsNephritic damage predisposes to oedema which compounds many of the jobs already discussed.In working as a portion of the multidisciplinary squad within diabetic attention there is a really clear undertaking focal point, which is so of import for the effectual operation of a squad attack. The St Vincent’s Declaration has the clearly defined purpose â€Å"a decrease in all lower limb amputations from sphacelus by 50 % over 5 years.† The papers â€Å"Working together to pull off diabetes† is really utile from the point of position of educating other members of the squad. It reinforces the thought of consistence of advice given to patients by different members of the multidisciplinary squad peculiarly by druggists, chiropodists, oculists and tooth doctors. An extra of import characteristic is that it promotes acknowledgment of the factors that require pressing attending by a different member of the squad. To do this work efficaciously it is of import that clear referral mechanisms are in topographic point so that the patient can be easy referred straight to the appropriate member of the squad. Knowledge of the aims of other squad members enables a proactive attack to the jobs within the other subjects. The International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot describes, in its practical guidelines, five basiss of attention in the diabetic pes ;Inspecting the pes on a regular basisDesignation of the pes at hazardEducating the patient, their household and health care suppliersAppropriate footwearTreatment of non-ulcerative pathologyThe National Service Framework for Diabetes describes agreements for pes attention for diabetics with Foot Protection Programmes for those at hazard of pes complications and to boot a Multidisciplinary Foot Care Service where the squad members here have more extended accomplishment and cognition to cover with diabetics who really have developed pes jobs or who are at particularly high hazard of so making. Involving the patient in the squad Giving advice to the diabetic patient is an of import facet of attention ( NICE 2004 ) . Patients must have pes attention instruction and advice about suited footwear. It is peculiarly damaging to the pes good being of diabetics if they smoke. It is hence of import that the chiropodist stress this and help with supplying aid about smoking surcease AIDSs. This is emphasized in the Prodigy guidelines. Since diabetes is a multisystem upset smoke will be holding an inauspicious consequence on other bodily systems. It is extremely likely that the patient will be having recommendations and advice about halting smoking from many different members of the multidisciplinary squad. This presents a peculiar challenge to the chiropodist. He or she does non desire to lose out treatment of the inauspicious effects of smoking but does non desire to be seen as yet another individual pecking about the inauspicious effects. Merely showing the information in written literature may non do, it might non be read or it might merely intensify a job of information overload. Clearly this illustrates a manner that the chiropodist must work as a portion of the squad holding wi th other squad members how to near the smoke issue and who should make this and with what grade of accent. Communication is critical if this is to work satisfactorily. For case the diabetologist needs to cognize at what degree of hazard the patient’s pess are soon in. If the pes state of affairs is become critical all avenues of trying smoking surcease will necessitate to be invoked. Similarly good diabetic control ( Turner, 1998 ) and control of blood force per unit area ( UK Prospective Diabetes Study Group, 1998 ) are to the advantage of the diabetic’s pess and the chiropodist needs as consciousness of this in order to reenforce the appropriate advice. Davies C 2000 Getting wellness professionals to work together BMJ 320:1021-1022 Diabetes Care and research in Europe 1990 The Saint Vincent Declaration. Workshop study diabetic medical specialty. 7:360 Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Foot Problems for Peoples with Diabetes. Prodigy guidelines. International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot hypertext transfer protocol: //www.iwgdf.org/ accessed 20 March 2006 Lorimer D French G O’Donnell et Al 2002 Neale’s Disorders of the pes, diagnosing and direction. Churchill Livingstone, London. McInnes 2005 Where were you on World Diabetes Day? The diabetic pes 8 4 National Service Framework for Diabetes Department of Health ( 2003 ) London National Institute for Clinical Excellence ( NICE ) guideline for type 1 diabetes in grownups ( 2002 ) , ( 2004 ) Pickering S and Thompson J, 2003 Clinical administration and best value. Churchill Livingstone. London St Vincent Declaration. Department of Health/British Diabetic Association. St Vincent joint Task Force for Diabetes. British Diabetic Association, 1995. Turner, R.C. , Holman, R.R. , Cull, C.A. et Al ( 1998 ) Intensive blood-glucose control with sulphonylureas or insulin compared with conventional intervention and hazard of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes ( UKPDS 33 ) . Lancet 352 ( 9131 ) , 837-853. UK Prospective Diabetes Study Group ( 1998 ) Tight blood force per unit area control and hazard of macrovascular and microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes. British Medical Journal 317 ( 7160 ) , 703-713. Working together to pull off diabetes – a usher for druggists, chiropodists, optomotrists and dental professionals. 2004 The National Diabetes Education Program.

Critical Analysis of ‘Prelude’ by Katherine Mansfield Essay

Catherine Mansfield revolutionized the 20th Century English short story. In her works, she breaks away from the tradition of plots and endings. Her works are open-ended. She is the earlier writer who used the technique of stream-of-consciousness in her writings. Where, Plot is secondary to characters. Her prose gives a vivid and strong picture of ordinary lives. Her literary creations are masterpieces in the sense that they raise discomforting questions about identity, belonging and desire. She is a writer from New Zealand who retains the memories of her childhood spend in her country. ‘Prelude’ is a modern short story by New Zealander Mansfield. There are noteworthy autobiographical elements in ‘Prelude’. The theme and the characters are composed on the persons, she has known in her own life. The readers get a glimpse in to the minds of the characters. She uses extensive imagery from nature to hint at hidden layers of meaning of human life. As a literary work of art, ‘Prelude’ is a written narrative fiction, where there is a third-person narrator who is not in the story but an outsider observing from a distance. Character dominates over the plot. The story actually is a vivid picture of psychological state of mind of the characters. From the definition of narration by Ismail S Talib, we find that it is dualistic in nature. It consists of two elements: story and discourse. The story is the content and the discourse is the arrangement, emphasis or magnification of any of the elements of the content. In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘Prelude’, there is a story and the discourse is the journey from one consciousness to another. Finally emphasis is on analysing human mind. Regarding the end of narrative, in this regard, Chatman has said: ‘No end, in reality, is ever final in the way â€Å"The End† of a novel or film is’ (1978). There is another form of narrative where the end is not clear or explicit. It is ‘open end’ fiction. From the late nineteenth century onwards, this form has been extensively used by writers. According to the narrative theory, there is internal as well as external setting. External is the location where the action takes place and internal is the psychological state of the person. ‘Prelude’ deals with the psychological state of mind of Burrell family. According to this theory, there are different types of narrator. One of the types is third person-omniscient ‘who can move from place to place and backwards and forwards in time, and does not merely concentrate on the consciousness of one character’. In ‘Prelude’, it is the third person narrator who gilds from one consciousness to another in the course of the story. There is another concept in this theory; schema which ‘is a collection of the generic proper ¬ties of a meaningful category which is stored in a person’s memor ¬y for future retrieval’. In’ Prelude’, the author relies on her memories of life spend in her native country for her composition. The theory states that some characters are driving force behind some plots. Similarly, in ‘Prelude’, the plot will collapse without the characters in it. The characters bind the story together. The story is all about the expectations, inner turmoil, happiness and unhappiness of the adult characters. Modernism is a continuous project that incorporates within itself all serious change and progress. Modernism became a distinct cultural movement in the fist of twentieth century. The philosophic foundations of modernism are traced to the period between Marx Einstein. Darwin in his book â€Å"The Origin of Species† (1859) propounded the theory of evolution which is seen as an important step towards the development of modern mindset. The theory attacked the traditional beliefs regarding God. Next on the line was Freud’s theory of dreams. He considered dream as a â€Å"product of repressed desires† which created a stir in the realm of ideas. The concept of a definable unified normative self gave way to discontinuous, divided self. Self was then considered as the hidden designs of the unconscious. Psychoanalysis paved the path towards quest for self-knowledge. Short story evolved as an autonomous genre and became an important medium of expressing the petty and small truths and lies of human existence. The story developed from depicting the realism of life to more being allusive, ambivalent and self-reflexive. According to the book ‘Modernism’ by Peter Child, the meaning of the term ‘Modernism ‘is variously defined: as a genre, style, period or combination of all three. It stems from the term ‘modern’, taken from Latin word ‘modo’ which means anything ‘current’. The modernism in prose represents consciousness, perception, emotion, meaning and individuals’ relation to society in the form of internal monologue, stream-of-consciousness, irresolution and other techniques. In the phrase of Ezra Pound, ‘make it new’. By expressing the sensibilities of the time: of the city, of war, mass production and communication, New Women and aestheticism. It is expressed in compressed and complex form of literature. In literature, the focus shifts from broader moral concerns of society to deeper psychological problems of the individual, from external details of the events to their finer internal dynamics, and from a telescopic perspective of reality to a microscopic view of it. Another aspect of modern literature (form of art) as we find from the book ‘Modernism’ by Peter Child is that it is extremely compressed in the sense that it should be read with attention which is normally reserved for philosophy and poetry. Short story as a genre falls under written narrative fiction. Fictional narrative may refer to real people, actual places and events but it cannot be used as evidence of what happened in the real world. This story is a fictional narrative based on real life experience of the author. Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) is one of the few authors to attain prominence exclusively for short stories, and her works remain among the most widely read in world literature. .Her works are noted for their themes relating to women’s lives and social hierarchies as well as her sense of wit and characterizations. As a writer, she placed great emphasis to individual than to society. Her works are open-ended in the sense that it does not have a formalized ending to it. In her work ‘Prelude’, she applied the technique of ‘stream-of-consciousness’. She created her story on revealing the mental conflict of characters rather than the development of plot. The core idea raised by the story is that the narration delves in to the minds of the individuals. The tale does not have a conventional plot where the story unfolds through a sequence of events but focuses on a crisis or a mental conflict. We enter an individual consciousness to another. We get a glimpse of the mental state of the personas. In the course of the narration, very little ‘happens’ but the story gives us a vivid picture of personal crises that crucially affect each character’s internal well being while leaving the atmosphere of amiable, conventional family life intact. Kezia is a very imaginative child who find Parrot prints on the wallpaper as real parrots who ‘persisted in flying past Kezia with her lamp’. She also witnesses the killing of a chicken. Kezia’s unmarried and desperately timid Aunt Beryl is unsatisfied with her life and never shows her real self to others. Linda, Kezia’s mother pregnant with yet another child at times wishes to abandon the whole family and not even say goodbye. She visualizes her feelings for her husband in small packages, where she loves and respects her husband in one time to hate his later. His husband is a business tycoon who wants his roots in the country, which is the reason for their move from their town to their country home. He wishes for a son of his own. Modernism as Peter Child writes in his book is break away from convention. Katherine Mansfield’s brief life was also a lesson in casting off convention. Famously, Mansfield remarked ‘risk, risk everything’. She was rebellious in nature. She could not accept that all women have definite future of waiting for a husband as she wrote in one of her letter to her school friend when she was sixteen. In ‘Prelude’, Katherine explores the possibilities and discovery of the wide canvas of human life in the small domestic world of the Burrells. In the story, she questions the traditional believes of society, where a woman has the duty of getting married and bearing children for the family as Linda Murrell. Or the vacant side of a woman’s life where she stays at home and does the household chores. She has no profession of her own and no freedom of movement as in the case of the character of Aunt Beryl. Mansfield is a New Zealand writer. In her short life she has travelled to England and France but she had her roots firmly grounded in her native land. She uses her memories of childhood in her writing. He molds her characters on real people, places and even inscribes the colloquial speech of the country. ‘Prelude’ is a recount of one of the move her family made from their city home, from Tinakori Road in Wellington to Karori, five miles away to town. She reveals the insecurity and instability of her childhood connected with this repeated shift from one home to another. The portrayal of Linda Burrell is a depiction of her mother Annie Dyer, who has been described as ‘delicate and aloof’. Mrs. Linda Murrell is a character who keeps herself detached from the running of the household. It is her mother who runs the house. She has a neglecting attitude towards her daughters. She remains with her own dreams and expectations holed in her bedroom. She remains secluded from her family even when she is in midst of them: we find her on the easy chair rocking in the same room, where her husband and her sister are playing a game of crib. As she watches them, she thinks ‘how remote they look’. The character of Mr. Burrell is based on her father, Harold Beauchamp, who was a successful merchant. Mr. Murrell is a successful business man. He is a pompous man who prided himself of having a bargain regarding the new land which he now own. Rather than direct detail, her images stress on suggestion and implication. In Prelude she uses the images of plant aloe and birds to reveal the working of the mind of human beings.. The image of a rich young man under Linda’s window may imply that she wants to escape from her family and the rich household of her husband. The image of a child with bald head and bird may hint that she is overwhelmed with the burden of bearing one child after another. She likes the aloe so much because it has sharp thorns which restrict a person from coming near it. Also because it flowers every hundred years, Katherine Mansfield is the centre figure in the development of modern short story. She was born in New Zealand but spend much of her adult life in Europe. In the course of her adult life, she tried to extricate herself from the dominance of her family. She also removed herself from the expectation of society regarding women of her class. Her attitude towards life casts its shadow on her literary works. She writes without a conventional plot. Rather she concentrates on a particular point or crisis. She uses themes which are universal like isolation of man, the traditional role of men and women in society or the conflict between love and dissolution. The images in her works, elaborate farther the death of human psychology. References: Katherine Mansfield: Significance as a Writer [Internet], Katherine Mansfield Birthplace Society. Available from: < http://www. katherinemansfield. com/mansfield/signif. asp> [Accessed 31 August 2007] Akshaya Kumar. (2001) The icons of modernism with Euroamerican bias [Internet], available from: < http://www. tribuneindia. com/2001/20011216/spectrum/book1. htm> [Accessed 31 August 2007] Eric Eldred. â€Å"Prelude. † by Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) [Internet], available from: [Accessed 31 August 2007] Peter Child. Modernism [Internet], available from: [Accessed 31 August 2007] Katherine Mansfield: Short Story Moderniser [Internet], available from: [Accessed 31 August 2007] Manfred Jahn. (2005) Narratology: A Guide to the Theory of Narrative [Internet], available from: [Accessed 31 August 2007] Ismail S Talib. Narrative Theory [Internet], available from: [Accessed 31 August 2007]