Similarities Between Jainism And Buddhism - 927 Words

Jainism and Buddhism share some common ground and similarities in their beliefs and practices, and they also have features that make them unique and distinctively different from the other. Some of the central similarities of Jainism and Buddhism can be found in when and where their traditions originated, resemblances in their primary teachers, their religious goals, nonbelief in a creator, and their values of nonattachment and nonviolence. Some differences between Jainism and Buddhism are found in their karmic principles and the conception of the soul. There seems to be more parallels shared between Jainism and Buddhism than discrepancies. Jainism’s and Buddhism’s main teachers of the practices also share some similarities. Although the Jain teachings did not originate with him, Mahavira, known as The Great Hero, was the major teacher of the Jain path. Around the same time in the 5th century BCE, Siddhartha Gautama was teaching another path which would come to be known as Buddhism. These two teachers were each a prince of a Kshatriya clan and both renounced his position of wealth at around the same age: Mahavira was 30, and Siddhartha Gautama was 29. (Fisher, 2013, pp. 121, 137, 138) Both Jainism and Buddhism originated in India. Yet, unlike Hinduism, neither is based on the Vedas, and both were alternatives to the ritual-oriented Brahmanism of India. The extreme antiquity of Jainism is well documented from ancient Hindu and Buddhist scriptures, but the teachingsShow MoreRelatedSimilarities Between Jainism And Buddhism1848 Words   |  8 Pagesempires expand and create a strong empire. 5. Jainism and Buddhism both did not recognize social hierarches of caste and jati. They both used their values to help one another. Although, Jainism was founded by Vardhamana Mahavira in the 5th century B.C.E. while Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Guatama in the 3rd century B.C.E.. Also Jainism believed in the teachings of Mahavira while Buddhism believed in the teachings of Buddha. But both Jainism and Buddhism are polytheistic religions or the beliefRead MoreThe Similarities and Differences between Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism1194 Words   |  5 Pagesteachings: Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. These three sects in religious thinking have many similarities as all recognize the life-cycle and the need of liberation, they worship one central deity that used to be a human who gained enlightenment and they all recognize the existence of the eternal soul and after-death re-incarnation. However, they also share a lot of differences that mark the underlying principles of practicin g them. I will identify the scope of differences and similarities in these ancientRead MoreDifferences and Similarities of Ancient Religions of India1042 Words   |  5 PagesHinduism, Buddhism and Jainism gained importance and popularity during a time of great religious exploration. While these religions have some similarities, they also have some distinct differences. The key to all three of these is enlightment. Let’s look at some other similarities between them. Buddhism and Jainism, originated and developed individually in the same geographical area of India with neither believing in the existence of God, but they do recognize a higher human form. All threeRead MoreThe Origins Of The Harappan Civilization1060 Words   |  5 Pagescities had reemerged in India. In fact, it was a time of intellectual growth for the entire region of Eurasia. In India, it led to the founding of religions that rejected aspects of the existing Brahmanic teachings. Namely, these religions were Jainism and Buddhism. In response to the opposing religions, Brahmanism evolved to please the people of India. The new form of Brahmanism was called Hinduism, and it kept the caste system. Although Hinduism did not ignore the caste system, all three religions collectivelyRead MoreThe Clash of Secular Thought and Religion1647 Words   |  7 Pagesclash between secular thought and religion since its formation of societies in the classical age. Both have made an equal effec t on the culture of each empire by influencing people to change their belief on the world. Major religions have made interactions, which affected some of their ideas for what they have become now. The major religions during the classical age are Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Daoism, and Zoroastrianism. These religions also have similarities andRead MoreJainism And Buddhism : Concepts Of Karma, Samsara, And One Of Liberation1196 Words   |  5 PagesJainism and Buddhism acknowledge extremely similar aspects in their respective religions. They both have a grounded belief of karma, samsara, and one of liberation. Although these basic principle are the same, they have differences within them. In this essay, it will discuss the similarities and differences between the basic beliefs and traditions regarding karma, samsara, recognition of the self, and final liberation in regards to Jain and Buddhist religions. Buddhism and Jainism both believe inRead MoreHinduism Jainism and Buddhism3092 Words   |  13 PagesHINDUISM Hinduism is the oldest and most complex of all religious systems. The origins of Hinduism can be traced to the Indus Valley civilization sometime between 4000 and 2500 BCE. Though believed by many to be a polytheistic religion, the basis of Hinduism is the belief in the unity of everything. This totality is called Brahman. The purpose of life is to realize that we are part of God and by doing so we can leave this plane of existence and rejoin with God. This enlightenment can only be achievedRead MoreJain Philosophy- Jainism1312 Words   |  5 PagesJainism is not the biggest of the Indian religions, but it is significant in todays world. Jain philosophy embodies the ideas that all beings have a soul, multiple aspects and non-attachment. Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism have significant differences in their belief of the universe in regrades to karma. Understanding these differences in these religions concerning karma allows one to distinguish the individuality of Jainism from other I ndian religions prominent today. As well as knowing the contrastsRead MoreHinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism1904 Words   |  8 Pages Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism Simon Osorio Stanbridge College HUM 1020 (ITT/ITS) Daniel Else March 25, 2013 Assignment #1 Hinduism, Buddhism Jainism, and Sikhism are all Eastern religions with similar philosophical beliefs. In Hinduism you embrace a great diversity of different beliefs, a fact that can be easy confusing to western religions which are accustomed to creeds, confessions, and carefully-worded beliefs of statements. In Hinduism you can believe a wide variety of thingsRead MorePhilosophies of China and India Essay858 Words   |  4 PagesChina and India have many philosophical schools of thought. There are multiple similarities as well as a plethora of differences. While China has a wide range of thoughts concerning eternal salvation and everyday rule, India is more narrow-minded in their approach. The differences are astounding and the similarities are few and far between. Each nation has a distinctly different school of thought, which ultimately led to the establishment of their current day societies. China has many different

Mass Production Of Unhealthy And Non Nutritional Foods

Speeches, articles, newscasts, billboards, and t.v. shows all tell us to Feed our growing population! Which, this statement is very true, there are starving people all over America, and the rest of the world, butch at we put in our bodies is what matters most. When there is a greater demand on food, there is mass production of unhealthy and non nutritional foods, made with added chemicals, sugars, artificial flavors, and fructose. We live in a day where flavored food rules over nourishing foods. In our country, we have been faced with growing health issues and problems. Some of the problems that we have been facing include: high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and obesity. A big question that most people have is â€Å"Where do these health issues come from?† Its simple, have you ever heard the saying, â€Å"You are what you eat?† Well basically that is true. Most food industries had decided to cut out fat in foods so that it wouldn’t be â€Å"fattening.† Well, when you take out the fat in foods, it doesn’t taste very good. So in order to keep the sweet flavor in foods, other harmful chemicals and artificial flavoring and sweeteners have been added to foods so that people will continue to buy their products. The food industry in the U.S. in 2014 is worth approximately $5.27 trillion dollars and is on the rise towards $6 trillion dollars. According to the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, the a verage expenditure for a low-cost meal plan for aShow MoreRelatedObesity And Healthcare Economics : A Growing Problem Within The United States1661 Words   |  7 Pagesthe United States (US), as well as internationally, is the increasing epidemic of obesity. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recognizes a body mass index (BMI), measured in units of kg/m2, 25.0-29.9 as overweight, 30+ as obese, and 40+ as extreme obesity (CDC, 2015). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number one cause of death is non-communicable diseases (2015), which include diabetes, heart disease, hyperlipidemia, cerebral vascular accidents, cancer, and hypertension. ExcessRead MoreMcdonald s Brand Image And Marketing Tactics967 Words   |  4 Pagesworld’s most recognized and profitable food chain over the past 75 years. Their continued success over this time span and ability to stay at the top shows that people are, well, really loving it. However, recent research shows that ove r the past year the population is not loving it quite as much. In fact, for the first time in it’s history, McDonald’s has posted a decrease in sales for twelve months in a row. With social movements towards healthy and fresh food trends, McDonald’s has been pinned asRead MoreGenetically Modified Organisms And Foods1445 Words   |  6 PagesGenetically Modified foods have been around for many years and have been in the products we consume daily. By being able to alter their genes into making them grow in a certain way like faster, tastier, and reproduce faster, these modifications allow for the plants and crops to have new varieties of plants and crops that will be formed gradually. These modifications allow the plants to be more resistant to viruses, pesticides, and insects that can ruin the lifespan of the plants and crops and harmRead MoreOrganic Food And Its Effects On The Environment1411 Words   |  6 Pages Organic Food â€Å"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art† (Francois De La Rochefoucauld). For the past few years organic food has become very popular among today s society. The topic has been spread across headlines of magazines for example, mens and womans health magazine. Organic food has made for very intriguing and diverse conversions on documentaries, talk shows, and health seminars. Organic food is plain and simple it is the process in which theRead MoreOrganic Food : An Art1512 Words   |  7 PagesOrganic Food â€Å"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art† (Francois De La Rochefoucauld). For the past few years’ organic food has become very popular among today’s society. The topic has been spread across headlines of magazines for example, men’s and women’s health magazine. Organic food has made for some very intriguing and diverse conversions on documentaries, talk shows, and health seminars. Organic food is plain and simple it is the process inRead MoreBenefits Of Soft Drink Soft Drinks Essay1097 Words   |  5 Pageswith stomach distress or burping to help with bloating after performing over a long period of time. However, soft drinks can also be very unhealthy. One 12oz. can of coke can carry â€Å"143 calories per serving† (â€Å"Sodas, Soft Drinks: Classic Coca-Cola†). Cola contains Phosphoric Acid, sugar, artificial coloring, artificial sweetener, and caffeine, these unhealthy ingredients can eat tooth enamel cause d iabetes, cancer, and miscarriages.† Recent headlines have raised concerns that diet sodas boost strokeRead MoreWhat Impact Does The Media Have On Females? Todays Society?2102 Words   |  9 PagesWhat impact does the media have on females in todays society? Dissertation – Chapter 1 Mass media shapes the world and the ‘perfect’ female is depicted through magazines, TV, music, internet, billboards, toys, movies, commercials etc. on a daily basis, impacting women and girls on how to perceive their own bodies, how to look and how to behave. The ‘perfect’ image is of an unrealistic appearance – a slender figure, tall, a large bust, caucasian and light coloured hair. Advertisement and marketingRead MoreGenetically Modified Organisms And Human Health3263 Words   |  14 PagesGMOs and Human Health INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether or not genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are unhealthy to humans, using the most reliable current evidence available to explore both sides of the topic. This paper will discuss the history of GMOs, their various applications, and discuss the major points concerning the impact of GMOs on human health. DEFINING GMO To properly discuss the effects of GMO, it is firstly important to define what does and doesRead MoreSocial And Ecological Model Of Public Health1480 Words   |  6 Pagesproducts such as electronic cigarettes, hookahs, cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, snus, pipes, bidis, and dissolvable tobacco (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). Tobacco use at a young age has been associated with an unhealthy behavior that could lead to long-term health consequences in the future, such as decrease in lung function and reduce lung growth, heart disease, and stroke (World Health Organization). Not only smoking can cause long-term health consequences butRead MoreA Healthy Diet Plan Should Be A Permanent Solution Essay1995 Words   |  8 Pageseggs while some others do not. There are even certain people who do not drink milk as they consider it to be a non-vegetarian food. When it comes to eating meat or not eating it, people tend to have strong feelings whether people sh ould eat animals. Some things to take into consideration include health, animal welfare, religion, environment, taste, and quality of meat from mass-production and slaughterhouse worker safety. A person’s choice of diet reflects cultural / religious identity. It has been

Psychology †Experiment on Stress Free Essays

Introduction In this experiment we are going to describe stress and prove how can a prolonged exposition to it have a negative impact on memory. The definition of stress used in this experiment is: difficulty one suffers that causes worry, emotional tension or loss of concentration. The reason why this topic has been chosen is because stress is a part of nowadays, hectic society and it has a very noticeable effect on people’s performance, in either work or daily life. We will write a custom essay sample on Psychology – Experiment on Stress or any similar topic only for you Order Now The outcome of this experiment could be used in several fields, such as education; to help reduce the amount of stress students deal with, so their grades could be improved. The results could also be used to enhance and boost employer’s efficiency, in the workplace field. The hypothesis is to test how short-term stressful situations can lead to memory dysfunction. The null hypothesis, on the other hand, is that stress has no impact on memory whatsoever. The aim of this experiment is to prove how stress produces memory issues. II. Design The most efficient and easiest way to carry out this experiment would be using repeated measures, using the same sample of participants in both sets of conditions, deceiving participants to avoid any internal validity issue. Allowing a long time gap between conditions or changing the mentioned conditions would avoid participants from finding out the aim of the experiment, or biasing it. Single blind is the best method that can be used in this experiment, opposed to double-blind, which would be meaningless, because if participants are told the aim they might do better than they would do in a normal life situation, and the study would lose it’s reliability. Since it’s a short-term based experiment and the same sample of participants is used for both conditions, the experimental group would perform a series of memory-challenging activities, and later on, the control group would perform the same tasks but under the influence of some source of stress, in this case, loud music. There are no ethical concerns involved because no participant would leave with any kind of stress or anger, and they wouldn’t be exposed to loud music for a long time. They would also be debriefed at the end of the study. The Independent Variable (IV) is the amount of stress received by any mean, and the Dependent Variable (DV) is memory performance. Other variables that shall be identified, since they are thought to have an impact on the results are the following: previous level of stress of participants, temperature of the room where the experiment is being held, room’ walls color, participant’s previous fatigue or mood, amongst others, which could be easily avoided by performing yoga classes and controlling the room were the experiment is being carried out. III. Participants Since the target population is people living in Spain from the age of 16 to people aged 66, both male and female, it includes a very large number of people in which the outcomes of this study are going to be focused on, and therefore, a huge target population to choose from in order to get participants for the study. Therefore, the best sampling technique that could be used would be quota sampling, as it allows the researcher to split the target population up into various sub-groups, which in this case would solely be age and gender, because no other variables can affect/bias the outcomes of this experiment. Then, from this preset sub-groups, the researcher would deliberately pick out how many people is needed and what characteristics this people must have. There would be 5 sub-groups based on age and gender (each group ranging 10 years), each group adding up the total number of 25 people (5 per group ). Participants would be asked for consent after using them as the sample. IV. Materials Materials needed for this experiment are basically those involving any lab-related experiment. The primary materials would be a laboratory room or a classroom, equipped with tables, desks and chairs, as well as a board. Another room would be needed in order to perform the relax therapy sessions that would be useful for the experiment, so all types of equipment related to yoga is needed, such as mats, light weights, etc. The other type of material that is used is questionnaires on stress participants may have before performing any activity, a list of words for participants to memorize, and a set of speakers, which will be the actual source of stress. V. Procedures * Gather participants in a room and have them do a stress questionnaire to see what is their current level of stress. * With the results of such questionnaires split participants up into two groups, one including the more stressed people, and the other group the remaining people, participants should remain deceived until the end of the experiment. * Have participants from both groups take yoga classes (or any similar activity with the same purpose) so their level of stress is reduced and partially equal to one another. These sessions should not last for longer than 30 minutes. * This being done, have a brief group interview with them to see whether the relaxing activity was helpful and useful, if so, carry on to next step; if not, record the participants name in order to use this variables as a benefit when evaluating the results. * Make participants memorize a list of 10 words without any external stimuli such as noise or visual distraction, being given no longer than 10 minutes. Evaluate the capacity of the participants to memorize such words by giving them a test where they have to write down the maximum number of words they can remember. * Afterwards, make participants wait for 15 minutes in a room with a source of stress, in this case, noise coming from speakers, similar to the one produced by whistles. Then, give each participant the second condition, another list of 10 words with similar spelling and same grammar category, but still applying the source of stress. However, participants are not going to be told that researchers are empowering this source of stress. They are given 10 minutes. * Have them write out a ‘quiz’ testing them on how many words they were able to memorize in this environment. * If any participant was showing any symptom of being stressed or not feeling good, make the participant take some yoga classes so they leave the experiment without any stress; debrief participants so that the experiment meets all ethical requirements. VI. Analysis The obtained data is quantitative because it is taken from the memory tests performed throughout the experiment, and a good way in which it could be presented visually and effectively would be by using bar graphs, such as the following, filled in with the recorded data. This graph lets us see the relationship between participants in both conditions, and easily compare performances. If participants were interviewed after performing the tests, we would also have qualitative data that would make our results more reliable. An area that could be researched on after performing this experiment could be how a prolonged exposition to stress could affect memory, as a way of looking into possible starters of psychological illnesses such as Alzheimer, etc. The outcomes of this experiment could be applied in a variety of real life situations because stress is at an increasing rate in our modern societies, and studying how it might affect people’s life is necessary. With such results, we could discuss how stress may slowly be deteriorating an individual’s cognitive capacities, such as memory, or completely disprove our initial hypothesis. The experiment was carried out with the most possible accuracy and passivity from the researcher in order to avoid any form of researcher bias. Participants were not told the aim of the study or the hypothesis; they were deceived to exclude participant’s bias, such as demand characteristics or the ‘screw-you effect’. However, a potential problem that could suppose using the same sample of participants for both conditions is that the aim of the experiment could be found out and therefore, participants could somehow bias the study. Even though researchers tried to take all possible variables into account to reduce the possible effects on the results, some couldn’t be controlled, like the mood of participants or their previous exposition to stress throughout their lives, an important factor that can bias the study. On top of that, there’s a lack of ecological validity because the study was performed in a lab and not in the participant’s natural environment where they are used to, so they might not act normally in a lab environment. How to cite Psychology – Experiment on Stress, Papers

Video Games Why The Gender Bias Essay Example For Students

Video Games: Why The Gender Bias? Essay This Christmas, like millions of other parents, I bought my two children, a boy and a girl,a popular home video game system. I thought they could share it and when asked if this was OKwith them, they replied, Sure mom, that would be great. So, we planned on installing the littlegoody onto the TV in the family room, so that both kids would have an equal chance to play. So,What then? you may be asking is the problem. The problem arose when we went to shop forgames for the system. They werent hard to find. They were in all the local toy stores andWalmart and Kmart too! But, there werent any for girls! I looked high and low and came upempty handed. Why was this happening? Surely, girls must want to play video games as much as boysdo! Why then, arent game manufacturers producing any video games that feature girls as themain character? On a recent trip to our local Walmart store, I found over two hundred videogame titles, yes I counted, for our game system, but of these only two had female maincharacters. One of them was, you guessed it, Barbie! The other one was a female warriordressed in a scantily clad leather outfit. Im pretty sure the latter was designed for young men,and not for young girls. Surely, a big retailer, like Toys-R-Us would have more of a selection. So, off I went onmy merry way only to be once again disappointed. Toys-R-Us had over 300 titles in stock forour game system and only the same two titles I found at Walmart were available there with onenew addition, which was the Spice Girls CD. Its price had been reduced, so I guessed it was leftover from last year when the Spice Girls used to be popular. I ended up purchasing 4 games for my kids to play. I found a few with cartoon charactersas lead characters, that I felt would be appropriate for kids. I bought Rugrats, Loony Tunes,Grand Turismo (race cars), and Tetras (puzzle). All, except the puzzle game, had malecharacters in the lead, but at least these were rated as non-violent. After some careful research, I found that video games are a 7 billion dollar a yearindustry that out surpasses even the movie industry by 2 billion dollars each year ( 2 ). Mostly,these games are being sold to boys and young men. Girls currently represent only about 20percent of the market, having been pretty much written off by important manufacturers like,Hasbro, Sony, and Sega ( 3 ). Girls have extensive buying power though, nearly 84 billion dollars annually, and over 6million of them live in households with gaming systems ( 3 ). From ages, 6 to 10, girls playvideo games as much and as often as boys in that same age bracket, and one survey reports thatif there were more games out there that they enjoyed, 85 percent of girls surveyed would usetheir gaming systems more ( 1 ). Girls dont seem to like the same kinds of games boys do. Instead of the violent, time-limited games boys go for, the girls like games that offer strongnarratives, interaction, and creativity. Its not enough to simply convert or replace existingsoftware for girls; the basic structure should be changed. A 1995 survey in Childrens SoftwareReview found only 28 of the 344 games with female characters in leading roles ( 3 ), proof thatfew producers have created games exclusively for girls. I believe this is largely so, due to the male dominance in the whole computer andtechnological industry. Males are turning out a product for other males. Then why arent womenout there designing a product girls will enjoy? Some are trying, but I have found it a catch-22situation. Men are leading the technology industry because they are the ones inviting othermales to join their ranks by making only games geared towards boys and young men. Girls areless likely to deem this area as fun and inviting and thus, turn their attention to other areas ofstudy once college bound. .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d , .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d .postImageUrl , .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d , .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d:hover , .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d:visited , .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d:active { border:0!important; } .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d:active , .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2c33aa3a72e523302ed7246987496b6d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Atomic Bomb EssaySome companies are beginning to look for ways to encourage girls to get more involvedin information technology. Girl Tech is one such group, in hopes of reaching 3.4 million GirlScouts, they are sponsoring a technology merit-badge program (3 ). Efforts like this mustcontinue, though more immediate measures need to be taken in order for girls to becometechnologically proficient. If for no other reason than for an increase in earning potential, girlsmust learn to use and keep up with the technology around them. Not developing video games for girls, seems to be a classic example of symbolicannihilation ( 4 ). That is, the media has traditionally ignored women. In this case, even thoughgirls have money to spend, their needs still arent being met. With the amount of time childrenspend playing video games each week, one study says as much as 4 hours by boys and at least 2hours by girls, what kind of message are we giving our kids ( 2 )? I know it cant be positive. I really hadnt realized the bias towards girls in the toy department. This has reallyopened my eyes as a consumer! I am interested on my next trip to the toy store , to find out ifother areas of the store are as biased as the video game department. Its already evident thatthere is a division of boy isles and girl isles. My children have pointed this out many of timewith cries of, I want to go to the girl isle! from my daughter and the opposite from my son. What is important here is that, I am at least aware of the problem now. I wonder how manyother mothers with daughters are aware of what is available to their daughters as consumers. Itreally is disturbing when you think about it.

Paths of Glory an Example by

Paths of Glory The irony behind Lt. Rogets choosing of Cpl. Paris to be charged with cowardice in the face of the enemy, is that based on the conflict between these two characters, it would show that Lt. Roget is the one who had always displayed cowardice in dangerous times. In the scene where their group infiltrated enemy lines, Lt. Roget, in his seeming panic, had hurled the grenade virtually at an empty target, resulting in the death of their comrade. Need essay sample on "Paths of Glory" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed It was ironic for General Broulard to seek punishment for General Mireau for ordering his men to fire at his own troops because he himself, in a figurative way, has been practicing the same principles. The only difference is that Gen. Broulard does this in a manipulative manner to further enhance his Military career, as was evidenced in the scene where he had offered Gen. Mireaus position to Colonel Dax. Private Arnauds death was especially ironic because, as he had stated while in a conversation in the barracks, Im not afraid of dying tomorrow, only of getting killed (Kubrick, S.). It was also ironic to note that at the time of this statement, he had no inkling that it was to be the very army that he had served who would eventually kill him. Other ironies employed by the director include the serving of a sumptuous last meal to the would-be executed. It was ironic that the food was from Gen. Mireau himself, who had masterminded the mock trial. Another is the attempt to bring Pvt. Arnaud to full health due to his fractured skull, only to be executed by firing squad in the next morning. Yet another enjoyable irony in the film is when Colonel Dax forced the coward Lt. Roget in heading the execution of Cpl. Paris, whom he had despised even before the war, and whom he is obviously petrified with. Perhaps Director Kubrick had employed ironies on a war movie to lessen the impact of brutality, and add humor to the film-an unusual yet effective and clever way of presenting a war movie. This deliberate attempt was also emphasized by not showing the enemy forces in the entire of the film, and the appearance of the only Germana nervous lady singer. Reference Harris, J. (Producer), & Kubrick, S. (Director). (1957). Paths of Glory. [Motion Picture]. United States: MGM.

Little Red Riding transl. span essays

Little Red Riding transl. span essays A little girl lived with her mother in a small house near a great forest. The girl had neither father nor grandparents. She had a grandmother who was a widow also. Her grandmother lived in a small house on the other side of the forest. As the girl had the custom to use a red pointed hood, everybody called Little Red Riding Hood. - Daughter, your grandmother is ill. You want to take a candy basket to her? - Yes, of course, Mommy- responded Little Red Riding Hood, like she was a very amiable and likeable girl. - Good, here is the basket full of candy said the mother.- As you know, in order to arrive at the house of your grandma, you must cross the forest. In the forest there are wolves. Do not delay, and if a wolf approaches you, call to one of the numerous woodcutters who work in the forest. - I will travel with care, Mommy. I will arrive safely at grandmas house responded Little Red Riding Hood. Then the girl put the candy basket in an arm and soon she had entered the forest. Neglecting the wise advice of her mother of not delaying in the forest, Little Riding Hood was taking flowers and putting them in the basket. Suddenly a great wolf appeared, ferocious, and hungry. The favorite food of this wolf was the meat of little girls, but as it was scared of the woodcutters who worked near there, it resolved to obtain its favorite food with ma - Good morning, Little Riding Hood. Where are you going with that basket full of candies and flowers? Although the girl, since we have seen, was amiable and likeable, she had the great defect of being something disobedient and stupid. She had already disobeyed her mother when delaying in the forest to take flowers. And now she demonstrated her stupidity in answering the wolf instead of calling to the woodcutters. She said: ...

Financial Markets and Institutions, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial Markets and Institutions, - Essay Example The impact of the United States to the world economy is connected to the activities happening in the NYSE (Harrison, 2011). Leading US companies have already participated in buying and selling of the shares of stocks in the NYSE. Since NYSE has been successful in trading these financial assets, its operations have expanded that now involve successful foreign companies (Kim, 2004, p. 61). The success of NYSE is crucial to the US economy because the companies listed in this financial market contribute to the nation’s economic growth. The NYSE serves as a mirror of America’s economic stability that if impeded will also have an impact to the global economy. The US economy has an effect on the global economy because the country has been active in having trade ties with other nations. If the US economy will stumble, then it can also be felt in other nations where foreign companies listed in the NYSE are headquartered. When a borrower obtains a loan from a lender, interests are added to the original amount borrowed. Interest rates have to be paid to compensate the lender, since they have given the borrower the opportunity to get the money without having to wait for a couple of days, months, or years of saving it (Heakal, 2009). There are factors that affect the determination of interest rates, and these include inflation, government, and supply and demand. When speaking of supply and demand, this would imply that if the demand for credit rises, interest rates will also increase, but if it decreases, interest rates will decrease, as well. Supply and demand have influenced interest rates in today’s economic climate. Because most people nowadays are into banking transactions, (e.g. when they open accounts in banks), money is being lent to those banks that in turn will be used by the bank for business or as an investment. Hence, the money deposited to the bank by the customer becomes the source of

Introduction; Vision, Mission, and Stakeholders Case Study

Introduction; Vision, Mission, and Stakeholders - Case Study Example A few years later Shultz bought the founders out and in 1992, Starbucks had grown to 150 stores across the Northwest and Midwest. Shultz took the company public raising over 25 million dollars. Starbucks' success was built on two things - the store experience (Starbucks' image) and the quality f its product. It really is a better cup f coffee the first one is so sacred that on Starbucks employees initiative the chain even prohibited smoking in its stores in Vienna, where cigarettes and coffee are inseparable, because Starbucks doesn't want anything to interfere with the seductive scent f fresh-brewed espresso. That's why top-management f Starbucks deeply believed that employees make the store that they work in. A Starbucks employee needed to be very knowledgeable, communicative, and helpful to the customers. Customers need to know the difference in the new roasted coffee Starbucks will offer. Well-educated employees will surely handle this requirement. Starbucks need to use powerful cultural motivations to drive the identification f opportunities. (Rae 2006) In Starbucks all employees are called "partners," signaling a level f responsibility maintained by few companies with sales in the billions f dollars. Anyone who has an idea uses a one-page form to pass it to the senior executive team--and gets a response. When the company pursues an idea, its author, regardless f tenure or title, is typically invited to join the launch team as a full-time member. New-style marketing organizations, by contrast, hire marketers not for jobs but for two broad kinds f roles: those f integrators and specialists. If communications are to be used effectively then there is a need to communicate aspects f the direction in which the organization intends moving and how it intends to achieve this. In other words, the business philosophy and its aims and objectives, often expressed formally through mission and vision statements, need to be communicated to particular audiences in a way that is synchronized and co-ordinated with the organization's other communication activities. In case f Starbucks mission sounds like this: "Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor f the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles as we grow". The development f the mission statement was the start f the company's marketing management initiative. Starbucks overall objective in the eye's f the leaders was defined. This mission does not want to jeopardize the quality, ambiance, or service due to expansion into a global marketplace. Besides writing a mission, Starbucks has outlined their guiding principles, which they follow in their business: 1. Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity; 2. Embrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business; 3. Apply the highest standards f excellence to the purchasing, roasting, and fresh delivery f our coffee; 4. Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all f the time; 5. Contribute positively to our communities and our environment; 6. Recognize that profitability is essential to our future success. Starbucks chose the second one (Product Concept) and their success over the past 25 years has a lot to do with the quality f the product, which has attracted a loyal and growing following among consumers.

Supernaturalist View Found in Civilizations Essay

Supernaturalist View Found in Civilizations - Essay Example Believers of supernaturalism argue that any event that goes beyond scientific understanding does actually exist just as the same way as natural occurrences do. This view can be supported by the fact that natural phenomena such as rainbows, lightning and floods were interpreted in ancient times as having some kind of unearthly causes behind them. Another school of thought believes that each so-called supernatural phenomenon is explicable through the knowledge of science. Now the root of controversy surrounding these two conflicting beliefs lies in the fact that there is no universally accepted definition of 'natural'. We may say that any event that takes place in accordance with natural and scientific laws is natural. In other words, any natural event can be seen or perceived, and can be affirmed by a set of proved principles. Having said that, we cannot really set a parameter by which we can verify, for instance, the existence of God. Hence, the controversy remains when it comes to d raw a borderline between the supernatural and the natural. The Code of Hamurabi, laid down in the eighteenth century B. C., is a source of much historical as well as divine interpretation especially the way it is addressed to the Babylonian Gods. Elements of supernaturalism can also be traced in the Judeo-Christian tradition where the Ten Commandments enlist moral and religious duties to be followed to show obedience to the Almighty. This revered set of imperatives has been in use in many civilizations including the Roman and in the Middle-East. Egypt, the country of myths and mysteries, has innumerable supernatural elements to be explored. The Pyramid of Khufu, also known as the Great Pyramid, is a source of wonder for historians, scientists and archeologists alike. Many folklores and legends are associated with this gigantic and awe-inspiring construction. The preternaturalism is vividly depicted in the treatise of Herodotus: "[he] brought the country into all sorts of misery. He closed all the temple, then, not content with excluding his subjects from the practice of their religion, compelled them without exception to labor as slaves for his own advantage". (Tour Egypt, 1996) Evidences of supernaturalism are widespread in prehistoric cave paintings that have been found in many parts of Europe. Based on the timeline, these paintings are classified to three main epochs - Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Mesolithic. The literary significance of such art forms is of immense worth, considering how they have been preserving the essence of proto-European culture. The marvels of prehistoric sculpture are to be explored in the North European megaliths. Carved with symbolisms that substantiate physical and ideological beliefs surrounding the areas dwelt by the first Northern farmers, researches on the construction of megaliths have thrown light on the contemporary cultural and ritualistic landscape of the northern parts of Europe. The 'Emergence Myth' and the 'Creation Myth' carried by the Anasazi Symbolism are two of the most prominent religious structures from the New Mexico region. The 'Emergence Myth' tells about the sacred Spirits or the Kachinas, whereas the 'Creation Myth' is about the origin of the earth. (Granite School District Teacher Quality Center, 2004) The power of magic, divination and demonology was literally

Economic Rehabilitation and Modernisation in China

Economic Rehabilitation and Modernisation in China ECONOMIC REHABILITATION AND MODERNISATION PROGRAMME 1.  Post Mao Interlude (a) Fall of the Gang of Four, leadership under Deng Xiaoping restated the modernization program. (b) They also set new policies for accomplishing the Four Modernizations which was to turn the nation into a relatively advanced industrialized nation by the year 2000. The modernizations was to be in the field of industry, agriculture, science and technology, and national defence. (c) The new policies reinforced the authority of economic decision makers and managers at the expense of party officials, and called for expansion of the research and education systems . (d) Foreign trade was intended to be increased, and exchanges of foreign experts and students with developed countries was encouraged. It called for high rates of growth in both agriculture and industry. (e) The economy was reformed to a market oriented economy. 2.  Reforms in Agriculture Sector. (a) Maos policy of self-reliance was relaxed, and his motto grow grain everywhere was abandoned. (b) Communities were restructured into the responsible system wherein farmers no longer devoted maximum of their efforts in collective production but farmers were allowed to decide for themselves how and what to produce. (c) The constraints on the movements of rural populations was relaxed. Towns, villages, and groups of families referred to as rural economic unions established factories, processing units, construction teams, catering services, and other nonagricultural concerns. (d) A system of specialized households’ was made wherein free farmers markets in the urban areas and in the countryside were established. (e) Rural cadres implemented an entirely new system to motivate farmers, called ‘Baogan’ system. (f) The rural banking system (Agricultural Bank and Rural Credit Cooperatives) was restored and extended[1]. (g) However, the major change was after 1978 farm families were permitted to invest funds, and their investments in small tractors, rural industries, and housing were substantial. (h) Rural marketing system improved significantly in the post Mao period. The policy of selling the farm to local state came to an end. People had several options of selling the surpluses to local market or to state or consumed on the farm. Rural markets which were disbanded during the Cultural Revolution were reopened. 3.  Reforms in Industrial Sector. (a) The impetus to reforms were based on the framework of ‘Four Modernizations and industrial policies outlined by Deng Xiaoping. These included strengthening management and managerial rules, restoring the status of engineers and technicians, providing clear directives for realizing the eight planning targets ( output volume , product type, quality , consumption of materials and fuel, labor productivity, costs, profits and use of liquid capital) , greater regional coordination, firmer central planning and tighter control of investment policy and increased import of foreign technology[2]. (b) Emphasis on rapid industrial development was given and a group of 120 key large scale projects was central to the plan which aimed at lifting the rate of growth to the value of industrial output to 10 percent a  year and at large increases in the areas of power, fuels, raw materials and transport and communications including doubling the output of steel[3]. (c) In 1978 policy of ‘Thirty points’ was envisaged which included rules for enterprise management and post responsibility , state plans was to be fulfilled based on ‘five sixes’ ( fixed nature and scale of production, fixed personnel and organization ,fixed consumption and supply quotas, fixed capital allocation and relation of cooperation with other enterprises)[4]. (d) In 80’s the growth of mixed economy with complementarity’s between the plan and market competition was promoted[5]. (e) Mandatory planning covered sixty products such as coal, crude oil, nonferrous metals, timber, cement, basic industrial chemicals, chemical fertilizers, machines and electrical equipment, fibers, newsprint, cigarettes, and defense products. (f) Under the reforms of Guidance planning, enterprises try to meet the states planned goals but also make their own arrangements for production and sales based on the orientation of the states plan, the availability of raw and unfinished materials and energy supplies, and the demands on the market. (g) Urban, collectively owned enterprises (owned by the workers) for the most part were small units equipped with relatively little machinery. Many of these units were engaged in handicraft production or other labor-intensive activities, such as manufacturing furniture or assembling simple electrical items. (h) Rural, collectively owned industrial enterprises commonly referred to as township enterprises were the most rapidly growing portion of the industrial sector in the mid-1980s. The government regarded them as a means of expanding industrialization[6]. 4.  Development of Infrastructure. (a) China had inadequate transportation systems which hindered the movement of coal from mine to user, the transportation of agricultural and light industrial products from rural to urban areas, and the delivery of imports and exports. As a result, the underdeveloped transportation  system constrained the pace of economic development throughout the country. From 1980s onwards the updating of transportation systems was given priority[7]. (b)  Development of Railroads. (i) Priority was given to link all provinces of the country, by railroads. Many double-track lines, electrified lines, special lines, and bridges were added to the system. (ii) National highways linked provincial-level capitals with Beijing and major ports. (iii) Roads were built between large, medium, and small towns as well as between towns and railroad connections. (iv) Contract system for the management of railroad lines was introduced in China. (c)  Development of Waterways. (i) The maritime fleet made hundreds of port calls in virtually all parts of the world, but the inadequate port and harbor facilities at home still caused major problems. (ii) Port construction also was listed as a priority project in the plan. The combined accommodation capacity of ports was to be increased by 200 million tons. (d)  Development of Airways. (i) Civil aviation underwent tremendous development during the 1980s. Domestic and international air service was greatly increased. (ii) The plan also called for updating passenger and freight transportation and improving railroad, waterways, and air transportation. To achieve these goals, the government planned to increase state and local investment as well as to use private funds. 5.  Reforms in Trade Policies, Foreign Trade and Emerging New Market. (a) Abandonment of policy of ‘ Self Reliance’. Between 1975-80 China got into new trade activities, seeking to import technology, borrow money, request aid and adopt fresh methods of earning foreign exchange. (b) Policies were framed to bring in foreign technology and capital with minimum expenditure[8]. (c) To earn more foreign currency and to conserve foreign exchange reserves, foreign capital was also used to expand production of export commodities, such as textiles, and of import substitutes, such as consumer goods. (d) China has adopted a variety of measures to promote its foreign economic relations, maximizing the role of imports, exports, and foreign capital in economic development. Foreign trade organizations were reorganized, and control of imports and exports was relaxed or strengthened depending on the balance of trade and the level of foreign exchange reserves. (e) China joined a number of economic organizations, becoming a member of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, the Asian Development Bank, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). (f) Most loans went into infrastructure projects, such as energy and transportation, and funded raw materials imports. (g) Legal and institutional frameworks to facilitate foreign investment and trade also were created. Laws on taxation, joint ventures, foreign investments, and related areas were promulgated to encourage foreign investment. (h) Special economic zones were created .The special economic zones essentially were export-processing zones designed to attract foreign investment, expand exports, and import technology and expertise. (j) China took steps to decentralize its foreign trading system and integrate itself into the world trading system. In November 1991, China joined the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group, which promotes free trade and cooperation in the economic, trade, investment, and technology spheres. (k) China formally joined the WTO in December 2001.On joining China agreed to lower tariffs and abolish market impediments after it joins the WTO. (l) Chinas global trade totaled 1384 billion dollars in 2005; the trade surplus stood at 60 billion dollars. Chinas primary trading partners include Japan, the EU, the United States, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. According to U.S. statistics, China had a trade surplus with the U.S. of 150 billion dollars in 2005. 6.  Foreign Investment (a) Foreign investment was stalled in 1989 in the aftermath of Tiananmen. In response, the government introduced legislation and regulations designed to encourage foreigners to invest in high-priority sectors and regions. (b) In 1990, the government eliminated time restrictions on the establishment of joint ventures and allowed foreign partners to become chairman of joint venture boards. (c) In 1991, China granted more preferential tax treatment for wholly foreign-owned businesses and contractual ventures and for foreign companies which invest in selected economic zones or in projects encouraged by the state, such as energy, communications, and transportation. (d) China revised significantly its laws on Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprises and China Foreign Equity Joint Ventures in 2000 and 2001, easing export performance and domestic content requirements. In 2005, China received nearly 53 billion dollars in foreign direct investment, making it the number one recipient of FDI in the world. 7. Energy and Mineral Resources. New energy policy was formalized which included development of indigenous oil and gas reserves, development of domestic oil and gas markets, diversification of energy sources, diversification of imported energy suppliers, encouragement of energy conservation and efficient energy use. (b) Reforms carried out to improve energy efficiency and promote the use of clean coal technology. Only one-fifth of the new coal power plant capacity installed from 1995 to 2000 included desulphurization equipment. (c) It has opened oil and gas industry. The offshore petroleum industry has also been developed with foreign investment. (d) Refining capacity is also being increased. Storage and pipeline facilities are being increased and new ones are being added. (e) China has developed a sound energy policy by diversifying its energy linkages and relationship through investment attraction , incentives for technology and dialogue with energy resource economy. 8.  Development of Science and Technology. (a) The Cultural Revolution had removed an entire generation from access to university and professional training, creating a gap in the age distribution of the scientific work force. (b) However since 1978 China encouraged experimentation in its science and technology system as a means of arriving at reforms. (c) In restructuring the science and technology system emphasis was placed on encouraging partnership between research, educational and designing institution on one hand and production units on the other and on strengthening the enterprises capability for technology absorption and  development .More power for decision making was granted to research institutes. (d) The long term policy of China’s science and technology development was to open to outside world and establish contact with other countries. [1] Agriculturereforms www.country-data.com [2] Jack gray and Gordon White op.cit p.91 [3] Jack gray and Gordon White op.cit p.92 [4] Jack gray and Gordon White op.cit p.95 [5] Jack gray and Gordon White op.cit p.98 [6]China’s economy www.country-data.com 1987 [7] ibid [8] Jack gray and Gordon White op.cit p.149

Relationship of Washington Square to Henry Jamess Other Novels :: Washington Square Henry James

Relationship of Washington Square to Henry James's Other Novels According to Bette Howland in "Washington Square, the Family Plot," the idea that Henry James should leave Washington Square out of his New York Edition, is "a fitting irony" in that "like Dr. Sloper in the novel, James disinherited his heroine; [and] cut her out of his will" (1). Although James might have wished us to treat Washington Square as an orphan, an outcast, a black sheep as compared with its "better" relatives, Howland's essay quite clearly establishes a familial link between this and James's other, more famous works. As Howland says, "Not only is Washington Square, though disowned, a member of the family--it is the original, the mother lode" (1). Howland begins her analysis by looking at how James took an anecdote given to him one night at a dinner party and made the "tale purely American." To Howland, the very location of Washington Square stands for James' perception of "the stifling provincial life of America" in that it is "the object of Morris' aspirations; the prison of Catherine's confinement; the seat of the Doctor's power (sic)" (16). By confining the characters to the small world of Washington Square, says Howland, James created a "closed system" in which he could work his irony most effectively (5). She also notes how James changed the simple anecdote into an ironic contest of wills. He made the father the "heavy" rather than the fortune-hunter, and he made the father a scientist, a "scholarly doctor" so that he fit in with the American values of earning an income (or seeming to), and appreciating science (Howland 3). Howland also does an apt comparison of Washington Square in relationship to James's other novels by pointing out how he frequently talked about love in terms of the financial. As Howland says, "[With James], there's never enough [love] to go around; one person's gain is always another's loss" (7), and money is quite commonly involved in the equation. In addition, James has another system of economy that is always at work in his novels. As Howland says, "at the beginning, the good heroines are all in the dark," but "by the end, they are the only ones who see" (15).

Internal vs External Change Leaders Essay

Introduction Organisation development(OD) is a planned process of change in an organisation’s culture through the utilization of behavioral science technology, research and theory (Warner Burke, 1982). It also refers to a long range effort to improve an organisation’s problem solving capabilities and its ability to cope with changes in its external environment with the help of external or internal behavioral-scientist consultant or change agents (Wandell French, 1969). Organisation transformation(OT) is a term referring collectively to such activities as re-engineering, redesigning and redefining business systems. It is often used when there is existing issue faced by the organisation. Organisation development is the preferred choice that an organisation wants to be in and continually improve their products and service in an incremental manner. In order to achieve OD, organisation need internal or external change agents to aid them. However, after assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the change agents (Appendix 1 & 2), Internal change agent will be better for organisation to achieve OD as compared to external change agent. Internal and External Change Leadership External change agents are consultants who are temporary employed in the organization to remain engaged only for the duration of the change process. An internal change agent is a staff person who has expertise in the behavioural sciences to help in the OD. Various reviewers of change management argue that OD applied by managers, rather than OD professionals has grown rapidly. It has been suggested that the faster pace of change affection organisation today is highlighting the centrality of the manager in the managing change. Therefore, OD must become a general management skill. Many managerial staffs in an organisation are equipped with this relevant skill. Internal Change Leadership in the Action Research Model The Action Research model focuses on planned change as a cyclical process in which initially research about the organisation provides information to guide subsequent action. The model emphasises on data gathering and diagnosis pior to action planning and implementation. The result will be carefully evaluated after action has been taken. Data gathering and preliminary diagnosis: Although Internal change agents are often limited by perceptions and position in the organization, but they have the value of in-depth knowledge of the business, the organisation and the management. This in-depth knowledge makes them particularly valuable on sensitive implementation of strategic change projects or culture transformation initiatives, managing processes or projects, and integrating or leveraging initiatives across the organisation. It can also help to reduce the time spent on data gathering as internal change agents will have intimate knowledge of the organisation and its dynamics, culture and informal practices. Being part of the organisation, internal change agents are able to interact more freely with the fellow employees. This enable the internal change agents to gather a more reliable information as compared to external change agents. Feedback to client: In this step, clients are given the information gathered by the change agent to help them determining the strengths and weakness of the organisation. Internal change agents are employees and they have a better understanding to the organisational structure. Thus, after gathering the relevant information, it will be easier for them to feedback to the client as the client need not afraid that information on the organisation’s weakness will be exposed. Internal change agents have the knowledge of the politics in the organisation, this will enable to effectively establish rapport and trust better than external change agent. Organisation may be also wary of the external change agents as the organisation may fear that confidential information will be exposed. Joint diagnosis of problem: At this point, fellow employees discuss the feedback and diagnosis with the internal change agents whether they want to work on the identified issues. Strong inter-relationship between internal change agents, the fellow employees and clients can help in the understanding of the result gathered in the earlier steps. This is important as the failure to establish a common frame of reference in this relationship will lead to faulty diagnosis or to a communication gap whereby client become unwillingly to believe the diagnosis. By using internal change agents, organisations are more likely to have the trust in the diagnosis as compare to external change agen ts because internal change agents have the more sense of ownership to the OD as compare to external change agents. Joint action planning: At this stage, further action for the OD had been decided. Internal change agents will have the advantage of getting hold of the first hand information. Any immediate follow up action can be access and rectify Action: This stage involves the actual change from one organisation state to another. It may include installing new methods and procedures, reorganising structures and work designs, and reinforcing new behaviour. This stage may also take a long period to reach the ideal outcome. Although external change agents are often viewed as professional and has more credibility, internal change agents have the advantage of the sense of ownership to the change. Internal change agents are viewed as part of the organisation and fellow employee will trust them and will result in a smoother transition period. Data gathering after action: This research action model is a cyclical process. Therefore, internal change agents can more effectively gather the output of the change result and feedback to the client. The result obtained will also most likely be more accurate and timely. This will enhance the effectiveness of the process of rectification and also to stop OD if the result obtained is deem as a failure. This will help the organisation to cut cost if the change is a failure. Circumstances whereby Internal change leadership were preferred Planned change can be contrasted across situations on 2 key dimensions, namely the magnitude of organisational change and the degree to which client system is organised. One of the planned change is magnitude of organisational change. Planned change can be either incremental or quantum. Under incremental change, OD practitioners help to solve specific problems in particulars organisational systems. Example of such problem are poor communication between inter-departments, low productivity and continuous improvement as a quality management process etc. These issues are mostly solved by internal change agents because of the nature of the problems. Most of these issues are smaller problems faced by the organisation. By hiring external change agent for these problems are too expensive and time consuming. Under the quantum change, OD practitioners help to create a vision of a desired future and energise movements in that direction. Examples of quantum change are changing an organization’s structure and culture from the traditional top-down, hierarchical structure to a large amount of self-directing teams. Another example might be Business Process Re-engineering, which tries to take apart the major parts and processes of the organization and then put them back together in a more optimal fashion. These changes are more complex. Therefore, more people are involved in the change. The advantage of using internal change agents in this scenario will be the fact internal change agents have more in-depth knowledge of the structure of the organisation. By hiring external change agent, employee may have ‘fear’ to the outcome of the change. This can affect the morale of the organisation and data obtained from employees of the organisation may be untrue. Although quantum is a complex change, a more professional change agent is needed and more professional change agents should be involved in the process. However, by having different internal change agents from department of the organisation to work together can also have the same result of hiring the external change agents as mentioned earlier that more employees are equipped with the knowledge of OD. By having internal change agents, not only they have the ownership of the change and also it is cheap for the organisation. This could be useful for some smaller organisation. The 2nd dimension of planned change is the degree of organisation of the company. The system of a company can vary between overorganised situations to under-organised manner. In an overorganised system, the structure and leadership style of the company is usually bureaucratic and rigid. Most organisation that are in such organised manner usually have conducted OD before. Thus, having internal change agents should be sufficient for the organisation. Conclusion Internal change agent are preferred to External change agent for various reasons as mentioned as above. Internal change agents are closer to the organisation and have the ownership to the change and organisation. They are most likely to understand what is require and have a clearer picture of the change. However, if the change is drastic, organisations should consider hire a small group of external change agent as consultant for the internal change agent as external change agents are more experienced in OD. Organisations should not depend only on external change agent for OD because it may expose the weakness of the organisation and endanger the competitive edge of the organisation.

Free Essays on High Tech Forensics

High- Tech Forensics High-Tech Forensics is a really big issue of today’s society. Looking to solve crimes, or at least find information using high-tech forensic work has bloomed over a vast period of time. Nearly every litigation matter now requires attorneys to conduct electronic discovery. This gives clients a unique advantage inside and outside the courtroom. Being that high-tech forensics is a combination of both forensic science and computer science, the forensic examiner is in many cases very important. The potential growth for computer forensics work has inspired many people and is very essential for businesses. Big corporations and law enforcement agencies such as FBI and big city police departments have computer forensics experts on staff. Along with the advantages of high-tech forensics comes it disadvantages. The introduction of the computer in 1981 and the resulting popularity came with a mixed blessing. Society in general benefited but at the same time so did criminals who used pers onal computers to commit crimes. Today personal computers are used in every face of society as in to send and receive messages, compute financial results, transfer funds, purchase stocks, make airline reservations, access bank accounts, and to lookup any source of worldwide information on essentially any topic, which as time has pasted have resulted in fraud and identity theft.... Free Essays on High Tech Forensics Free Essays on High Tech Forensics High- Tech Forensics High-Tech Forensics is a really big issue of today’s society. Looking to solve crimes, or at least find information using high-tech forensic work has bloomed over a vast period of time. Nearly every litigation matter now requires attorneys to conduct electronic discovery. This gives clients a unique advantage inside and outside the courtroom. Being that high-tech forensics is a combination of both forensic science and computer science, the forensic examiner is in many cases very important. The potential growth for computer forensics work has inspired many people and is very essential for businesses. Big corporations and law enforcement agencies such as FBI and big city police departments have computer forensics experts on staff. Along with the advantages of high-tech forensics comes it disadvantages. The introduction of the computer in 1981 and the resulting popularity came with a mixed blessing. Society in general benefited but at the same time so did criminals who used pers onal computers to commit crimes. Today personal computers are used in every face of society as in to send and receive messages, compute financial results, transfer funds, purchase stocks, make airline reservations, access bank accounts, and to lookup any source of worldwide information on essentially any topic, which as time has pasted have resulted in fraud and identity theft....

Free Essays on Miseducation Of The Negro

â€Å"The Mis-Education of the Negro† In the book â€Å"The Mis-Education of The Negro†, Carter G. Woodson discussed the only way he feels socialization can be promoted in today’s society. Woodson discusses how we were taught as African Americans to think of ourselves. We were taught to think of ourselves as people without any background, no culture or foundation so we feel we have no type of self worth. He talks of about race superiority. Leading back to the days of slavery, the white race was privileged over the African American race. African Americans can never be reprimanded for the days of slavery no matter how much it is tried to. It is not to say the white race did not have its trials and tribulations but what happened years ago still affects us today. It is said the African American race is misunderstood and the misunderstanding lead to various stereotypes aimed against black people by whites. I feel Woodson is implying that we as African American need to be taught our history, foundation and culture not only once a year (Black History Month) but everyday. Most importantly don’t teach it only to Black people but to everybody so that they to can see African American as who we really are Beautiful people who do have some type of self worth and history. I believe what Woodson is trying to say is in order to promote socialization among all races there must be equality. No one race must have superiority over any other race. Up until this day African Americans are discriminated against when looking for jobs, shopping, looking to buy homes, and when driving down the street. When people is consistently taught or treated a certain way they may then see it as right Being mistreated because of race isn’t right . Giving superiority to any one race is wrong whether it is African Americans or White Americans.... Free Essays on Miseducation Of The Negro Free Essays on Miseducation Of The Negro â€Å"The Mis-Education of the Negro† In the book â€Å"The Mis-Education of The Negro†, Carter G. Woodson discussed the only way he feels socialization can be promoted in today’s society. Woodson discusses how we were taught as African Americans to think of ourselves. We were taught to think of ourselves as people without any background, no culture or foundation so we feel we have no type of self worth. He talks of about race superiority. Leading back to the days of slavery, the white race was privileged over the African American race. African Americans can never be reprimanded for the days of slavery no matter how much it is tried to. It is not to say the white race did not have its trials and tribulations but what happened years ago still affects us today. It is said the African American race is misunderstood and the misunderstanding lead to various stereotypes aimed against black people by whites. I feel Woodson is implying that we as African American need to be taught our history, foundation and culture not only once a year (Black History Month) but everyday. Most importantly don’t teach it only to Black people but to everybody so that they to can see African American as who we really are Beautiful people who do have some type of self worth and history. I believe what Woodson is trying to say is in order to promote socialization among all races there must be equality. No one race must have superiority over any other race. Up until this day African Americans are discriminated against when looking for jobs, shopping, looking to buy homes, and when driving down the street. When people is consistently taught or treated a certain way they may then see it as right Being mistreated because of race isn’t right . Giving superiority to any one race is wrong whether it is African Americans or White Americans....

Rise and Fall of Countrywide Home Loans, the Mortgage Crisis, and the Essay - 1

Rise and Fall of Countrywide Home Loans, the Mortgage Crisis, and the Default of the American Dream - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the absence of timely solutions yielded to untold stress and even depression among the citizens who resulted in diverse coping skills depending on one’s inclination. The current crises comprise mortgage recession and unemployment crises that have continued to persist despite the current regime’s recovery efforts (Johnson, 2010). Mortgage crisis that is evident currently, emanated from the Americans' enthusiasm coupled with greedy to own houses (Johnson, 2010). Since owning a house as a property is a pride towards the attainment of the glorified â€Å"American Dream† that has made numerous people in 2007 to be victims of the mortgage crisis. The then mortgage rates and even reimbursement installments where manageable, since banks aided willing borrowers in the project via offering low rates. This was easy cash meant for borrowers, who attained it from option-ARMs to qualify for mortgages with a title or no documentati on. In America, that time almost every person qualified for a mortgage even those having poor credit terms, for instance, subprime borrowers. Unfortunately, the rates and installments meant for the borrowers underwent unpredictable alterations due to the global economic meltdown. This prompted people having their installments paying lagging behind by even three months besides other loans. In addition, the issue of foreclosure crept in due to augmented rates, where over 50% of citizens were at the verge of being homeless (Johnson, 2010). Hence, contributing mutually to physical and psychological miseries result in diverse coping behaviors. Unemployment is an economic challenge, which America currently is undergoing coupled with meager earnings from the majority of its permanent jobs. Joblessness is an aspect that is contributing immensely to the dilapidation of numerous citizens’ health, which at some occasions when it extends beyond certain limits yields to chronic maladies ( Hunter & Gillen, 2009). For instance, mental and psychological related diseases that emanate from prolonged unemployment or even financial difficulties due to unsatisfying scanty wages. Studies depict; individuals who have experienced prolonged joblessness probably over 25 weeks are more likely to suffer from mental complications than those employed, despite the salary they attain. Statistics indicate that whites have the lowest percentage of joblessness of approximately as contrasted to other races; a reason that makes the most affected people being, not the original natives (Johnson, 2010). The study also encompasses those people from the marginalized races, who form the majority and at one time in their life thought that committing suicide was a better option. Recession currently has profoundly affected numerous American aspects that entail both private and public enterprises. Its gravity is due to its nature that it affects all the citizens despite they are either high or lower earners since it entails significantly slowing the economy of the state. Hence, result in the retrenching of employees due to scanty profits. For instance, foreign firms those have invested in America, once they realize that they are not making the anticipated profits. They decide to shrink the workforce, thus leaving numerous people jobless and experiencing harsh financial difficulties, which affect them psychologically due to stress or hopelessness.

Appraisal of foreign direct investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Appraisal of foreign direct investment - Essay Example A review of capital structure of FUSE plc has also been undertaken. Foreign direct investment implies transfer of capital, managerial, and technical assets by a multinational entity from the country where it is based to the country where investment is made. FDI may involve participation by the host country in equity capital, managerial control, and operational control. FDI decisions are complex issues as FDI projects are subjected to a variety of risk factors. For the case under study the FUSE plc has set up certain criterion for taking a decision for investment in a power generating project in Pajistan. The basic rule for investment decisions is that the internal rate of return on the project should be greater than the weighted marginal cost of the investment. The rule dictates that â€Å"accept projects up to the point at which the marginal return on an investment equals its weighted cost of capital. Beyond that point, its investment return will be less than its capital cost.† (Lawrence J. Gitman, page 519)i However, the investment criterio n of FUSE Plc for investment in emerging market like Pajistan is three fold as under: As per above criterion of investment, the computations of hurdle rate become imperative. Hurdle rate is the â€Å"minimum acceptable rate of return for a proposed project to merit investment. Usually, the hurdle rate is the opportunity cost of capital or the best return the company could get by investing the capital elsewhere. To be financially justifiable, a project’s internal rate of return must exceed the hurdle rate set by the firm for such project.†(Paul M. Swamidass, page 286)ii FUSE plc has set its hurdle rate for Pajistan project at 5% above the weighted cost of average capital to the company. Accordingly computations of WACC are important to devise the required hurdle rate. It is important to note that â€Å"cost of capital is the rate of return that a firm must earn on the projects, in which it invests to maintain the

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An Occurrence at Owl Creek - Essay Example Hence, with the exemption of past time, time itself is a matter that is not real but is just perceived, with surprising and dramatic effects, to convey a conclusion. This essay will discuss the aspect of time in Ambrose Bierce’s writing, An Occurrence at Owl Creek. An Occurrence at Owl Creek refers to a short story written by Ambrose Bierce, an American author. The tale, set during the Civil war, is identified for its irregular time sequence, as well as a twisting ending (Bierce, 1948). The book is Bierce’s most anthologized writing. An Occurrence at Owl Creek, according to critics, is a richly devised explanation on the fluid of time during the civil war. The book’s structure, which shifts from the current to the past to what is portrayed to be the anticipated present, mirrors this fluidity along with the tension that which exists between competing notions of time. The second section, in the writing, interrupts what, at first, seems to be the ongoing flow of the execution happening in the present moment. Farquhar, posed on the edge of the bridge, closes his eyes as an indication of slipping into his own edition of reality (Bierce, 1948). Farquhar’s reality is one that is unburdened by numerous responsibilities to the law of time. As the minutes/ticking of Farquhar’s watch slows and more time elapses between the strokes, he moves into a timeless reality. When Farquhar pictures himself falling into the water, the author compares him to a "vast pendulum" immaterial, as well as spinning madly out of control. At this instance, Farquhar moves into a transitional space, which is neither death nor life, but a ghostly realization in a globe with its own regulations (Bierce, 1948). In the brief window of time between Farquhar’s actual death time and the officer stepping of the plank, time slows and changes in order to accommodate a comforting view of the subject’s safe return to his family. In spite of Farquhar’s m anipulation of time, he however, cannot escape realm. Whether Farquhar days are prolonged or just a few moments, death ultimately claims him (Bierce, 1948). Trying to blend time to his personal will is meaningless. One of the most remarkable elements in the book is Bierce’s sensible rendering of Farquhar’s alternating conception of time. The author’s suggestion of time is that the nature of time is, to some level, subjective (Bierce, 1948). Time, according to the author, is even more disorienting since it turns out that all of the long accounts, as well as events, which should have taken a lot of time happen within the marvel of a thought, took a short moment in time. Also, some of the themes discussed in Ambrose Bierce’s writing are as discussed earlier the fluid nature of time and the blurred line between illusion and reality. Some of the significant quotes are discussed below: 1. â€Å"As these thoughts, which have here to be set down in words, were f lashed into the doomed man’s brain rather than evolved from it the captain nodded to the sergeant. The sergeant stepped aside.† This line appears at the end of the first part of the story, right before Farquhar falls into his death and shows a significant turning point in the story (Bierce, 1948). The execution itself resumes in the third part of the story where Bierce gives details concerning Farquhar’s past. Following this flashback, in the second part, the writing comes back, not in truth, but in fantasy. 2. â€Å"

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and Brick Lane by Monica Ali Essay Example for Free

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and Brick Lane by Monica Ali Essay Having read both Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and Brick Lane by Monica Ali, I am going to concentrate the city question on Brick Lane. Brick Lane tells the story of Nazneen, an eighteen year old moved to London from her rural upbringing in Bangladesh to Tower Hamlets, a close tight community of Bengali families living in blocks of flats struggling to make their way up in the city to earn sufficient money and a civilised upbringing for their children, yet still yearning to go back to their home land. Nazneen is married to Chanu, twenty years older than her, he is educated yet earns his money working as a taxi driver. This novel has clear descriptions of city life, the diversity of the people within and how Nazneen interprets the city from her point of view. There are many ways in which the material conditions of the city are described in this novel, the different areas of the city of London are described from the block of flats where Nazneen lives to the big office blocks in the city centre. City life in this novel begins with Nazneen describing the Tattoo lady who lives in the block of flats opposite her, from here we become familiar with the lack of space and understand the very little room they have in the urban areas of London Most of the flats that closed three sides of a square had net curtains and the life behind them was all shapes and shadows. But the tattoo lady had no curtains at all. Morning and afternoon she sat with her thighs spilling over the sides of her chair. By reading this, it is already forming an idea of the main settings of the novel which are the block of flats, very cramped and close, very little sense of privacy. We also get an idea of the type of people living around the area as well, the tattoo lady is frequently mentioned in the novel, informing us that at least two thirds of the flesh on show was covered in ink. Another material condition of the city we come across in this novel is when Nazneen actually considers visiting the tattoo lady at the flat opposite hers, however such is city life that Nazneen reconsiders this The tattoo lady might be angry at an unwanted interruption. Although this is not an actual object described in the city, from Nazneens thought we get an idea of the type of people she would come across whilst living in the city, it forms the surroundings of the narrative by mentioning Nazneens neighbours. Monica Ali also describes the smell of the surroundings where Nazneen lives The breeze on Nazneens face was thick with the smell from the overflowing communal bins. This material condition most definitely helps to form the surroundings of the novel shaping the condition of the area where Nazneen lives. Although Monica Ali has focused on forming the surroundings of the city where Nazneen lives with the smell and the neighbours, she has also formed the novel with the material conditions of inside the flat where Nazneen lives, in the novel Nazneen spends most of her time inside the flat to sit day after day inside this large box with the furniture to dust, and the muffled sound of private lives sealed away above, below and around her. By giving brief descriptions like this it shapes the scene of the narrative from the beginning of the novel, we are informed of the furniture inside the flat, Nazneen mentions that she has never seen more furniture inside one room, with all this, we are already shaping the narrative with the material conditions inside of Nazneens flat. Whilst living in the city, Nazneen mentions outdoor surroundings quite often, although she spends most of her time inside her flat or at Razias, whenever Nazneen has gone outside the boundaries of her area, we as the are given more description of the actual city conditions There were more cars than people out here; a roaring metal army tearing up the town. By describing the cars as an army tearing up the town, we can immediately shape the city life of the narrative with the pollution and the noise of the cars. We can imagine the dirt and the hustle of the city. The people who passed walked, looked ahead at nothing or looked down at the pavement to negotiate puddles, litter and excrement. This was the material conditions of the city life which helped form the narrative, which helped give the reader an idea of the city life and scenes to which we can imagine Nazneen and her husband walking across. The social life in this novel also helps to form the material conditions of city life and the novel, Nazneens social life throughout the novel consisted of Mrs Islam and Razia gossiping about fellow women, she would often visit Razia at her flat, whilst going to Razias flat we are given descriptions of the surroundings within Nazneens boundary of her estate, we are informed of the group of young Bengali men who stood in the bottom of the stairwell, combing their hair and smoking or making loud, sudden hoots this was the social life the young men had in the city, they would hang around in gangs not achieving much, Nazneen stayed within her boundaries as well, so it gives the reader an impression that social life within a city should be kept in the boundaries that you live in, like a safety barrier. We are also informed of the material conditions of the corridors and stairwells where Nazneen lives, the front doors are mentioned to be the same across the corridors peeling red paint show ing splinters of pale wood, a rectangular panel of glass with wire meshing suspended inside, gold rimmed keyholes and stern black knockers. On the wall someone had drawn a pair of buttocks in thick black pen this helps the reader to form a picture in their minds of the state of city life where Nazneen lives, The stairs gave off a tang of urine Although Nazneen is told to stay within the boundaries of the estate because if she went out people would talk and gossip about her, Nazneen did go out. This was when she got lost, and we as the readers gained more knowledge of the material conditions of city life which formed the narrative, we are told that to get to the other side of the street without being hit by a car was like walking out in the monsoon and hoping to dodge the raindrops. Immediately we can imagine the fast movement of the city, cars going past like buzzing bees, to cross the road, Nazneen waited next to a woman and stepped out with her, like a calf with its mother short descriptions like this form the material conditions of the city life in this novel so skilfully. Throughout the novel, we are not only informed of the material conditions of the city where Nazneen lives or around the area of Bethnal Green, we are also informed of the streets buildings past Brick Lane. She looked up at a building as she passed. It was constructed almost entirely of glass, with a few thin rivets of steel holding it together. The building was without end, above somewhere it crushed the clouds. The material conditions mentioned here are most entirely opposite to the towers described of Tower Hamlets. Although both scenes have very large buildings, the towers in the city centre are described as palaces, with entrances and colonnades across the front this was the diversity of the material conditions of city life which helped form the narrative, because the reader is informed that the city is not the same throughout, every area has its own distinctive features, some parts of the city are very well looked after whereas others such as where Nazneen lives are forgotten ab out. The material conditions of city life in the novel are mentioned to the reader in many ways, we are told of the people that Nazneen walks past when she goes to the city centre every back she saw, was on a private, urgent mission to execute a precise and demanding plan. They could not see her anymore than she could see God from this, we acknowledge the independency of the people in the city. Soon Nazneen realises that she does not fit in with these working people, they are dressed smart, they have coats and handbags whereas Nazneen has a cardigan and a sari, although Nazneen was dressed differently, only one woman noticed she was there and smiled at her. By giving details such as this, Monica Ali has formed and shaped the narrative according to city life, every person with its own mission. So far, throughout the novel, only roads and streets, people and buildings have been mentioned. However when Nazneen does come across some greenery, she says in this city, a bit of grass was something to be guarded, fenced about, as if there were a sprinkling of emeralds sown in among the blades. This, yet again is another material condition of city life, although it is not unpleasant like the conditions in Nazneens area, green grass has not yet been mentioned up until now, and when it has the grass is guarded with fence, so from this, we can imagine the very few places in the city to relax and enjoy the scenery. We also get the indication that in this novel, for Nazneen there is no place for her to get away from everything, the city would not pause even to shrug. Throughout the novel, the descriptions of the city and the buildings given to us by Nazneen have been described just as Nazneen saw them, however, later on in the novel, when Nazneens son becomes ill, whilst in the ambulance van, and with her fear for her son, she mentions The city shattered. Everything was in pieces. She knew it straight away, glimpsed it from the painful white insides of the ambulance. Just as Nazneens heart shattered in pieces, the city did too with her, so she is relating the material conditions of the city with her emotions and giving the reader an image of doom and gloom within the city. Although the material conditions described to us previously in the novel have been mostly doom and gloom anyway, Nazneen has only just implied the greyness and dullness of it along with her emotions. Frantic neon signs. Headlights chasing the dark. An office block, cracked with light. These shards of the broken city. Up until now the city was not mentioned as broken, it was just described as how Nazneen saw it, but now, we get the real image of the city, the material conditions which helped form the narrative The crystal towers and red bricked tombs. The bare-legged girls shivering at the bus stop. Up until now, Nazneen had simply described the different dress code of non Asian females, now that she saw they were at the bus stop bare legged in the early hours of the morning, Nazneen is ridiculed by them, she talks about them along with the broken city. She is giving the reader material conditions of the city which make it so grim. The well fed dogs and bloated pigeons. This is something Nazneen would never see in her homeland Bangladesh, dogs are of no importance and pigeons always a pest. So now, we get to witness Nazneens interpretations of the material conditions of the city life, how she feels it is all wrong compared to h er land. The cars that had screamed alongside the ambulance, urging it on, parting in waves. The cars that had previously been described as an army now screaming, this clearly shows the rage within Nazneen and the material city conditions which she so hates. Throughout the novel, London is not the only city mentioned, with Nazneens sister living in the city in Bangladesh, Dhaka, she often receives letters from Hasina talking about her home, and the surroundings Street is wide and nice. But plastic bag blowing everywhere. Walk in street for five ten minute and by finish you cover in bag on legs and arm and stomach. From this we realise, that city conditions throughout the world are the same. The little things which give the city its status, the material conditions such as bags on the floor is what makes living in a city so different to other places. A wind blew in over the courtyard and fetched up a crisp packet at her feet. Nazneen although she was in a different country to her sister, they were both in the same situation, both living in a city with material conditions such as rubbish on the pavements and non stopping people. To conclude, the material conditions of city life in Brick Lane are mentioned with such metaphors and descriptions which inform the narrative of the surroundings, the people, the scenery and the atmosphere within. The buildings described in so many ways, the smallest details found on the floors to the stairwells of the block of flats.

The legal capacity

The legal capacity CAPACITY TO CONTRACT Legal capacity is defined as the power provided under law to a natural person or juridical person to enter into binding contracts, and to sue and be sued in its own name. In order to be bound by a contract, a person must have the legal ability to form a contract in the first place. This legal ability is called capacity to contract. Both parties in a contract must have the necessary mental capacity to understand what they are doing. Under common law anyone has the right to enter into a contract, except for minors, people with mental disability and also people who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. For a person to avoid a contract on the ground of their incapacity, they must also show that they lacked capacity to enter into a contract and that the other party knew or ought to have known their incapacity. A person who is unable, due to age or mental impairment, to understand what she is doing when she signs a contract may lack capacity to contract. For example, a person under legal guardianship due to a mental defect completely lacks the capacity to contract. Any contract signed by that person is void. In other situations, a person may not completely lack the capacity to contract. The contract would then be voidable at the option of the party claiming incapacity, if he or she is able to prove the incapacity. INFANCY The term infant differ from the term minor. In most cases, legal contracts are voidable if one of the contracting party is a minor. The law states that an infant is not bound by the contracts he or she enters into except for the purchase of necessaries and for useful contracts of service, that is they would have to pay for the necessary goods and services that they consume. However, it is stated in the British Columbia Infants Act (RSBC 1996 c.223) that all contracts cannot be implemented against an infant, regardless of whether it includes necessities and beneficial contracts of service. If there is a contract between an adult and an infant, adults are bound but infants can break away from the contract at their option, which means that the contract is voidable. The infants may endorse a contract once they have reached a maturity age. In the case of executed contract, the infant cannot avoid debt if they have obtained advantages under the contract, except if what they obtained has no value. Any one of the party can apply to the court upon the termination of contract. MINORS A minor generally cannot form an enforceable contract. A contract entered into by a minor may be canceled by the minor or by his or her guardian. After reaching the age of majority (18 in most states), a person still has a reasonable period of time to cancel a contract entered into as a minor. If, however, he or she does not cancel the contract within a reasonable period of time, the contract will be considered ratified, making it binding and enforceable. If you intend to enter into a contract with a person who is under the age of 18 years it is essential that you give that person the opportunity to consult with a suitable adult about their rights and responsibilities before concluding the deal. This will make it less likely for a dispute to arise about their capacity.A young person is generally bound to a contract for necessaries which includes food, medicine and clothing. Contracts for necessaries can also include contracts for education or employment. However, some other contract s will not be binding on a young person, including contracts for goods or services which are not necessaries and credit contracts. Based on the case study, John has the age capacity to enter into a contract as he is an adult. He was walking alone around SOGO Shopping Complex to do some window shopping. His age has got to be above 18 years old. This is because he is working, and this is illustrated in the sentence as I was very busy with my work, I only managed to go to the shop a week later. Case example: Nash v. Inman [1908] 2 KB 1 The defendant, a minor, purchased a number of waistcoats from the plaintiff. The issue was whether they were necessaries. The court held that the waistcoats were not necessaries as the minor had an adequate supply at the time of sale. It was held that two conditions had to be met before goods or services would be regarded as necessaries. First, the goods or services had to be suitable to the condition in life of the minor (e.g. a minor accustomed to living a life of luxury will have a different condition in life from a minor living in impoverished circumstances). Whether this was the case would depend on the type of lifestyle the minor in question was accustomed to leading. Second, the goods or services had to be suitable to the minors actual requirements at the time of supply. If the minor had an adequate supply of the relevant goods from another source, this requirement would not be satisfied. MENTAL DISABILITY In 1954 the High Court dealt with the issue of a persons soundness of mind when involved in contractual dealings. The court held that it requires, in relation to each particular matter or piece of business transacted, that each party shall have such soundness of mind as to be capable of understanding the general nature of what he is doing by his participation (Gibbons v. Wright (1954) 91 CLR 423).It follows that if a person is so drunk, mentally ill or senile that they have no idea that they are involving themselves in a contract, they will lack the necessary contractual capacity. If however, their mind is affected by their problem, but they are nevertheless aware that they are involving themselves in a contract, the capacity to contract will probably exist unless the other party deliberately takes advantage of their weakness. (This is linked to the way in which the common law and equity deal with unconscionable conduct where a person takes advantage of a person with a disability). Contracts with intellectually impaired persons is void. Similarly, contracts with involuntary mental patients is void. Some types of mental disability may be sufficient to allow a person to repudiate a contract in certain circumstances. Generally, the law is concerned with the lack of capacity arising from mental disability. For example, people who have schizophrenia may have delusions, but if they can manage their own daily and business affairs and look after their personal finances, they may have the capacity to enter into contracts. The mentally disabled persons that the law protects are those who are unable to manage their own affairs or are unable to appreciate the nature and consequences of their actions. Provincial legislation provides that a person can be declared to be unable to manage his or her affairs. If there has been such a judicial finding, contracts made after the judicial finding are void on the grounds that there is a lack of capacity to consent to the provisions of a contract. Contracts made prior to the finding may be voidable. However, if a person lacks capacity because he or she is unable to handle his or her affairs, but there has been no judicial finding, the contracts made are voidable at the option of the person who is mentally disabled. If the contracts are not repudiated, they are presumed to be enforceable. Case example: York Glass Co. Ltd v. Jubb [1925] All ER Rep 285 Jubb contracted to purchase the plaintiffs company business. On the date of contracting, he was technically insane and shortly thereafter was placed in a lunatic asylum. The receiver of his estate, who was appointed under a lunacy statute, repudiated the contract. The plaintiff company sued for damages, alleging the repudiation was wrongful. The court held that a contract entered by someone of unsound mind is valid unless the impaired person can show that the other party was aware, at the time of contracting, that the impaired person was so insane that he was incapable of understanding what he was doing. In this case, there was no evidence to show that the plaintiff company knew or suspected that Jubb had been insane at the point of contracting. The contract was valid and Jubbs estate had to pay damages for not performing the contract. UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL If a person signs a contract while drunk or under the influence of drugs, can that contract be enforced? Courts are usually not very sympathetic to people who claim they were intoxicated when they signed a contract. Generally a court will only allow the contract to be avoided if the other party to the contract knew about the intoxication and took advantage of the intoxicated person, or if the person was somehow involuntarily intoxicated (e.g. someone spiked the punch). The law will intervene in some circumstances where someone who is intoxicated enters into an agreement. Intoxication alone is not sufficient, but it can be a defence to enforcement by the sober party, and the intoxicated party may void the contract on the basis of his or her own intoxication in the following circumstances, that is firstly, the intoxicated party, because of the intoxication, did not know what he or she was doing. Secondly, the sober party was aware of the intoxicated state of the other party. Thirdly, u pon becoming sober, the intoxicated party moved promptly to repudiate the contract. The basis for this approach is not that one party is drunk but that the other party might defraud the drunkard. Thus, even where the sober party is not aware of the intoxicated state of the other party, if there is evidence of intoxication so that it may be presumed, the unfairness or one-sidedness of a contract might result in its being voided. This view moves the law toward a position that an unconscionable agreement permits the court to presume that the sober party had knowledge of the intoxication of the other party once there is evidence of intoxication. Based on the case study, when John bargained for the 6 seater dining set, he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was well aware of the bargain and he realised that he has entered into an agreement with Comfortable Furniture Sdn Bhd. Case example: Matthews v. Baxter (1873) LR 8 Exch 132 Baxter, while drunk, agreed at an auction to purchase a property. Once sobriety returned he decided that he wished to affirm the contract that had been made by him while drunk. Sometime later he had a change of mind and he sought to rescind the contract, arguing that he lacked capacity to enter the contract by reason of intoxication. The court held that because Baxter had confirmed the contract it was no longer open to him to avoid the contract on the grounds of intoxication. This was despite the fact that he had made out the necessary element of this defence. BANKRUPTCY Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay its creditors. These individuals would not be able to pay their debts and lose their status as creditworthy. Most states differ on the means whereby their outstanding liabilities can be treated as discharged and on the precise extent of the limits that are placed on their capacities during this time. However, they are returned to full capacity after discharge. In the United States, some states have spendthrift laws where an irresponsible spender is claimed to lack the capacity to enter into contracts. Based on the case study, Comfortable Furniture Sdn Bhd has the business capacity to operate its business. This is because the company is not facing bankruptcy. Therefore, the company has the capacity to enter into a contract or agreement with John. SIGNIFICANCE WHY CONTRACTING PARTIES REQUIRE LEGAL CAPACITY TO ENTER INTO LEGALLY BINDING CONTRACT Not everyone is legally entitled to enter into contracts. Some persons, by their status, are presumed not to have the ability to enter into contracts or have limited rights to contract. Prevention of fraud provides for formality requirements and the protection of persons who lack full capacity to enter into contracts. If there is no capacity, the incapacity party would become vulnerable and weak. If one party lacks the intellectual capacity to protect himself or herself, then the other party may act dishonestly during the bargaining process or takes advantage of a position of trust, or if the other party has expert knowledge of the subject matter of the contract that the weaker party cannot have and takes unfair advantage of that knowledge. Besides that, without capacity, the contract would be void. A contract is void when it involves minors. This type of contract will have no effect as it is not recognised by the court and parliament. Therefore, if there is no capacity, the contract would not be enforceable. The purpose here is to protect the weaker party from the stronger and more able party. This class of persons who lack or have limited capacity to contract include minor and persons under mental disability. The general rule is that minors may not enter into contracts. The reason for this rule is that minors are presumed to be naive, inexperienced, and easily taken advantage of. So, some protection is required to avoid them from being cheated. The law also interferes in circumstances where someone who is intoxicated enters into an agreement. The basis for this approach is not that one party is drunk but that the other party might defraud the drunkard. The contract may not be legal if there is no capacity. If there is no capacity, people with mental disability, minors, and also those who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs would be allowed to enter into contracts. The people who have mental disability and under the influence of drugs or alcohol do not have the mental capacity to enter into contracts. They are unable to think well and they are not able to make a wise decision. So, if there is no capacity, the contract will lose its validity. Case example: Mercantile Union Guarantee Corporation v Ball (1937) An infant haulage contractor who took a lorry on hire-purchase was held not liable for arrears of installments. Case example: Cowern v Nield (1912) It was held that a minor who was a hay and straw merchant was not liable to repay the price of the goods which he failed to deliver. Case example: Doyle v White City Stadium (1935) An infant boxer was held bound by a clause in his contract which provided for forfeiture of his prize money (as happened) he was disqualified. The contract as a whole was similar to apprenticeship. Case example: Valentini v Canali (1889) A minor leased a house and agreed to buy some furniture, paying part of the price. After several months the minor left, and avoided the contract as he was entitled to do. He could not recover the payments which he made for the furniture, however, because he had received some benefit from the contract. Case example: Leslie Ltd v Sheill A minor who lied about his age to obtain a loan could only be forced to return the cash he borrowed.Sheill failed to repay two cash loans he had obtained by falsely claiming to be an adult. The contract was not enforceable (not for necessaries) so the lender asked for restitution of the money on other grounds, including that Sheill had committed the tort of deceit (fraudulent misrepresentation). The English Court of the Kings Bench held that Sheill could not be sued for deceit because that would make a minor indirectly liable for an unenforceable contract. The court could only order restitution if the lender could prove Sheill still possessed the actual notes and coins he had borrowed. Case example: Roberts v Gray (1919) Roberts agreed to take Gray, a minor, on a billiard tour to instruct him in the profession of billiard player. Gray repudiated the contract. The court held that Roberts could recover damages despite the fact that the contract was executory. Case example: Scarborough v Sturzaker A bicycle was a necessary because the minor had only one and used it to travel to work. Sturzaker, a minor, cycled 19 kilometres to work each day. He traded in his old bicycle to Scarborough and made a part payment on a new one. Sturzaker repudiated the contract and refused topay the outstanding amount. The Tasmanian Court held that the bike was a necessary. Therefore, the contract was enforceable and Sturzaker had to pay the money owing. Case example: Hart v OConnor The Privy Council said in Hart v. OConnor(1985) that an insane person who appears sane can rely on the independent and separate ground of unconscionability which relieves abnormal mental weaknesses even short of incapacity. Undue influence may also apply. Case example: Peters v Fleming (1840) Held an expensive gold watch chain was a necessary for a rich young man. Point of law being that it depends on the status of the minor as to whether a luxurious item is deemed a necessary. Case example: Chaplin v Leslie Frewin (1966) Contract was made to write the autobiography of Charlie Chaplin held as binding as it allowed a minor to start to earn a living as an author.However if on the whole a contract is unreasonable, oppressive and not beneficial then it will not be binding. Case example: De Francesco v Barnum (1890) A girl of fourteen was apprenticed to D for seven years in order to learn to dance. D was not obliged to maintain her, nor did he have to pay her unless he found engagements for her. Even when engagements were found, the rate of pay was very low. She could not obtain engagements for herself, nor was she allowed to marry, during the seven years. It was held that the contract was not binding upon the girl, as it was unreasonable, oppressive and not beneficial to her. Point of law is as above. Case example: Gore v Gibson Advanced the view that a contract for necessaries supplied to a drunk could not be maintained if upon sobriety the contract was repudiated. Case example: Hawkins v Bone The action for breach of contract was brought by the vendor of land which was knocked down to the defendant at an action. The defendant purchaser pleaded in defence of his drunkenness but did not allege that the vendor or auctioneer knew of this condition. Pollock C.B., in directing the jury said the plaintiff was entitled to the verdict: unless the defendant was in the state he describes himself to have been, that is wholly incapable of any reflective or deliberate act, so that, in fact, he was utterly unconscious of the nature of the acts he did, for example, having signed the contract and paid his money. Case example: McLaughlin v Daily Telegraph Ltd Holds that a power of attorney executed by a person while insane is void even in respect of actions that take place when the grantor has recovered his sanity; the actions that take place under the guise of the power of attorney are of no effect. Likewise, it is of no consequence that third parties act on the foot of the deed. If, however, the power of attorney enables the lunatic and his dependants to benefit from obtaining a supply of necessaries, an account may be ordered in relation thereto even though the power of attorney itself is void. For the deed to be void, however, it must be shown that the signature is a mere mechanical act and the mind of the signor must not accompany the act. Case example: Cf. Imperial Loan Co. v. Stone [1892] the rule had in modern times been relaxed, and unsoundness of mind would now be a good defence to an action upon a contract, if it could be shown that the defendant was not of the capacity to contract and the plaintiff knew it. Case example: Seaver v. Phelps which was trover for a promissory note, pledged by the plaintiff while insane, to the defendant, the Court were, on behalf of the latter, requested to charge, that although the plaintiff might have been insane at the time of making the contract, yet that if the defendant were not apprised of that fact, or had no reason, from the conduct of the plaintiff or from any other source 380 was held entitled to a decree of foreclosure. It seems equally clear that he is not liable when the other to suspect it, and did not overreach or impose upon him, or practice any fraud or unfairness, the contract could not be annulled. Case example: Beals v. See. it was held that the administrator of a lunatic could not, in the absence of fraud or knowledge of his state of mind, or such conduct on the part of the lunatic from which his disease might fairly be inferred or suspected, recover back the price of merchandise sold to him, even though it was unsuited to the object for which it was purchased, and above market price.