Inside Job Movie Review Essay

â€Å"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed,† said Mahatma Gandhi and this is somewhat the crux of this movie. Inside Job is directed by Charles Ferguson, and it highlights the reasons and the consequences of the global financial crisis of 2008. This movie is basically related to recession that was caused by the inefficiency of the industry and the unfavourable banking practices. The director has conducted several interviews and has exposed some hidden realities. The movie clearly shows that this crisis was not accidental, and that there were many people, including regulators, politicians, businessmen, who were actively involved in this destruction. These people and large financial institutions knew what they were doing was not right, but everyone’s focus was on self-interests as, at the end of the day, it’s all about making money. This documentary is divided into five parts. These include how we got here, the bubble, the crisis, accountability, and where we are now. Being a student, I would focus on the first three parts in my review. According to this movie, a few financial institutions have a direct link with the crisis. These include investment banks, insurance companies, rating agencies, etc. Main investment banks were Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and Bear Stearns. The important insurance companies included AIG, MBIA, and AMBAC. Moody’s, Standards & Poor’s, and Fitch were the rating agencies. Other financial institutions that played an important role were Citigroup, and JP Morgan. The main problem started when the deregulation period began which lead to saving & loan crisis, ultimately resulting in a few ‘big firms’ who all together disturbed the whole financial system. The housing industry was at its peak when this all started. The standard of living, environment, the overall economy and everything else in well-established and developed countries was running smooth but this financial crisis destabilized even these nations. Deregulation began and many banks were privatized and given freehand, which affected the economy. As a result, in countries like Iceland, small banks operating locally borrowed excessive amounts of money, that were even more than Iceland’s entire economy. First deregulation was related to savings & loans, allowing risky investments that ultimately failed and cost people their savings. This deregulation continued with changing administrations and the large firms kept on growing. A few mergers took place that promoted the concept of investing consumers’ savings in risky investments. Next, there was a massive increase in internet stocks creating a huge bubble. Along with this, corruption in Wall Street was increasing and money laundering was becoming common. Money laundering is basically hiding the illegal means of earning money. With new technology and hi-tech businesses, use of derivatives was increasing which made markets unstable. These were traded in unregulated markets that are in OTC (Over the Counter) markets. The regulators and other concerned parties did not take the threats of these financial innovations seriously. A new concept of Securitization Food Chain had emerged which linked loans and investors all over the world. The old phenomenon only involved mortgages between the home buyers and the lenders. But in new system lenders further sell the mortgages to investment banks. These banks combine different mortgages to create derivatives and then these derivatives are converted into Collateralized Debt Obligations and sold to investors. These CDOs are bought as they have high interest rates and they are just a piece of paper. So if the home buyer defaults, the bank that currently holds CDO will face a loss. Another problem was Sub-prime mortgages. Everyone was given a loan without considering its repayment that whether the person is capable of repaying or not. The focus was on commission and profits. The more CDOs they sell the more profit or bonus they receive. As there was no regulatory intermediary so no one cared that this practice was wrong and can be dangerous. Every person asking for loan was treated equally and was given the loan. So basically these were the riskiest loans and investments made. Along with this the rating agencies were paid heavy amounts by investment banks in order to get the CDOs highly rated and this was the main problem actually. Everyone was satisfied that it is highly rated so it is safe. Other banks kept on purchasing these CDOs due to this reason. All this lead to huge mortgages all around and therefore housing prices increased dramatically creating a bubble. According to experts this was not real money it was just being created by the system. Leverage ratios were increasing. It is the ratio of bank’s borrowed money and its own money. As borrowings were far more than their own money that is why leverage ratios were high and asset base was decreasing dramatically. AIG, an insurance company was selling huge amounts of derivatives for CDO owners. It was an insurance policy that if CDO goes wrong AIG will pay the loss to the investors. AIG did this because it was so sure that nothing can go wrong as almost all CDOs are rated AAA and along with this it will get premium from the investors. But AIG’s anticipation was wrong, when all CDOs went bad it faced losses. AIG also involved speculators which resulted in even large losses. People were unable to pay back their loans and therefore the whole system collapsed and so did AIG. Many banks went bankrupted and the entire financial system failed. The main reason was that more and more profits were being earned, at first, with very less risk. All this could never have happened if the rating agencies were honest and transparent. Several warnings were given but no actions were taken. Securitization food chain had imploded and lenders could no longer sell their loans to investment banks. Markets for CDOs collapsed leaving banks with huge loans. Banks and many other large firms were facing bankruptcy and investment industry was sinking fast. Some banks were acquired by other large and stable banks. As there was a financial crisis so taxes were increased. On the other hand, unemployment increased dramatically as recession accelerated globally. Chinese manufacturers saw huge decrease in sales and over ten million people lose their jobs in China. The poorer had to pay the most. Companies went for downsizing, standards of living decreased and poverty increased. This is how the problems arose and lead to a global financial crisis of 2000s. A group of companies that should have been working in peoples’ interest filled their own pockets instead and consequently lead the world to disasters.

Citizenship education Essay

The purpose of citizenship education is to contribute to the health of our democracy1 and to empower students â€Å"to translate their beliefs into actions and their ideas into policies.† The primary goal of the Delaware Civics Standards is student understanding of the purpose and means of authority2 and freedom3 and the relationship between them. Civics directly addresses citizenship education within the context of political systems. Students study the assumptions upon which governments are founded, and the organizations and strategies governments employ to achieve their goals. With specific respect to the United States, students learn the underlying principles of representative democracy, the constitutional separation of powers, and the rule of law. They need to comprehend that an essential premise of representative democracy is the willingness of citizens to place a high premium on their own personal responsibility for participation in social decision-making. see more:understand the context of supporting skills for everyday life Students develop the skills which citizens must possess in order to discharge those responsibilities while protecting their rights and the rights of others. The study of civics prepares students to translate their beliefs into actions and their ideas into policies. Governments exist and are instituted for specific purposes and employ a variety of organizational structures to pursue their objectives. Constitutional democracy attempts to balance individual freedom with the needs of the society as a whole. American citizens need a basic understanding of the structure of different forms of government and a detailed knowledge of a constitutional democracy. Students will learn the underlying principles of representative democracy,4 the constitutional separation of powers,5 and the rule of law,6 with specific respect to the United States. The American political system was intentionally created to rest on a foundation of individual liberty, freedom of religion, representative democracy, equal opportunity, and equal protection under the law. These principles and ideals are codified in the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other significant documents. Understanding, achieving, and upholding these principles and ideals represent a major challenge to each succeeding generation of American  citizens. Students will develop the skills which citizens must possess in order to accept their responsibilities while protecting their rights and the rights of others. The political, religious, and economic freedoms provided to American citizens are accompanied by the responsibility of active civic participation at the individual, community, state, and national levels. Effective citizens need to understand the dedication and commitment necessary to safeguard those rights for themselves and future generations as well as the potential consequences of inaction. They should also be able to distinguish between rights and privileges. Students will learn to translate their beliefs into actions and their ideas into policies. The intent to participate in the American political system must be matched with the specific skills necessary to be effective. Such skills include, but are not limited to, registering to vote, interacting successfully with government agencies, organizing and working in civic groups, researching and advocating a position, or serving in an office of public trust. The Delaware Civics Standards call for understanding the purposes,7 principles,8 and generalizations9 that infuse the concepts in the standards with their contextual meaning. CIVICS STANDARD ONE: Students will examine the structure and purposes of governments with specific empha sis on constitutional democracy [Government]. Enduring Understandings Students will understand that: Constitutional democracy10 as a structure of government developed from the tension between the need for authority and the need to constrain authority. Governments are structured to address the basic needs of the people in a society. The key to understanding the purposes, principles, and generalizations called for in the standards is to begin with the question â€Å"Why?† For example, Standard One says, â€Å"Students will examine the structure and purposes of governments with specific emphasis on constitutional democracy.† The purposes of governments, of course, are the â€Å"why† of governments. Beginning with the question, â€Å"Why do we have government?† yields the question, â€Å"What needs does government address?† The answer to this question is the foundational understanding for the benchmarks of the standard. The structure of governments is determined in part by history and custom, but mostly they grow from what reason and experience have ta ught  societies about the organizational requirements for achieving the purposes of government. 11 You can derive the basic purposes of government by imagining a community and questioning what needs of a community might require authority to address. In fact, most famous political philosophers (Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, for example) have used the device of the imaginary community to explain their version of the purposes of the state in terms so simple that even grade school students can easily understand them. All governments invariably address basically the same needs: security, order, and the welfare of the commonwealth. They all make, enforce, and adjudicate law to meet the need for order, organize the common defense, and provide services to promote the welfare of the citizens. The structures of governments reflect the ways governments are organized to perform these functions. The basic purposes and principles of government—including the responsibilities of citizenship12 in a general sense—can be illuminated with the experiences of the students. Families meet needs of security, order, and welfare with the principle of authority, as do schools and communities. The themes of authority, obedience, responsibility—and the very important constraints on authority for the protection and freedom of the ruled—are found in the social context of every student. If students can learn how to see the purposes, principles, and generalizations suggested by the standard in their own experiences, they become easier to understand and retain and more relevant. The emphasis on constitutional democracy called for in the standard reflects the enduring human struggle to find a way to protect ourselves from our protectors. The tension between the need for authority and the need to constrain authority is a prominent theme of history and is an inherent condition of life. The historically remarkable rise and spread of constitutional democracy evolved from both the abuse of authority13 and a rekindled belief in the desirability of individual freedom14. The embedded concepts of a higher law15 that constrains the makers and enforcers of law (constitutions), accountability of rulers (democratic processes), and civil rights16 arose from an abundantly justified distrust of power and a growing consensus that one of the purposes of the state is the protection and promotion of the freedom of its citizens. New structures of government were devised to better fulfill and secure this new purpose of government. The need for  authority and the need to constrain it is the foundational understanding called for by Civics Standard One. The structures of modern governments developed from the experiences of people trying to meet these twin needs. Civics Standard One 6-8a: Students will understand that governments have the power to make and enforce laws and regulations, levy taxes, conduct foreign policy, and make war. Essential Question Why does a government have certain powers? The focus here is on understanding the need for these powers (the why?) and having a general knowledge of what these specific powers entail. The need for order and security within is addressed through the power to make and enforce laws and regulations. The need to promote national interests abroad, especially security and economic interests, is addressed by the power to conduct foreign policy. The power to make war arises primarily from the need for security. The power to levy taxes arises from the need to pay for it all. Open-ended questions that teachers might ask in a classroom include: 1. Why does the government enforce their laws with police rather than allow people to be free? 2. Why does the government take taxes out of our paychecks? 3. Why does the government participate in wars? 4. Who gave the U.S. government the power to enforce laws? Why? 5. What does it mean that governments have powers? Civics Standard One 6-8b: Students will analyze the different functions of federal, state, and local governments in the United States and examine the reasons for the different organizational structures each level of government employs. Essential Question: What different needs should be addressed by the different levels of government? The student should understand the general concept of federalism17: a territorial division of power based on the overall sovereignty of the national government with constitutionally guaranteed powers for state governments within the boundaries of their respective states. In theory, this division of power is clearly delineated and distinguishable. In reality, however, the flow of power has shifted over  time between the federal and state governments and has resulted in alternating periods of cooperation, conflict, and controversy throughout the course of American history. More than 200 years after the signing of the Constitution, Americans continue to disagree about the proper role for these levels of government. Then the student should understand the United States has adopted a federal system for a variety of reasons including our negative experiences with unitary18 (as British colonies) and confederal19 systems (under the Articles of Confederation), the distrust of centralized power, the relative sensitivity of state or local governments to the particular needs and views of their citizens, and the relative efficiency of state or local governments in responding to these needs and views. Advantages to federalism include allowing a variety of â€Å"local† governments to deal with local problems while allowing local voters to hold local officials accountable, permitting more points of access and greater opportunities for political participation, better protections for individual rights, and fewer constraints on innovation. The benchmark also explicitly calls for knowledge of the reasons for the different structures of government at each level, which essentially arise from the differences in needs addressed. Generally stated, the functions of the national government include national defense, monetary policy, and foreign representation. Infrastructure, protection from crime, welfare, education, and other practical needs are more clearly the responsibility of state governments. Sewage, garbage, culture, urban development, and traffic control are usually the tasks of local government. Open-ended questions that teachers might ask in a classroom include: 1. What functions does the federal government have that state governments do not have? Why is there a difference? 2. Why might the different functions of federal, state, and local governments require them to have different organizational structures? 3. Why do states usually leave garbage collection and parking laws up to towns and cities in the state? 4. Why do most cities in America have their own police force? CIVICS STANDARD TWO: Students will understand the principles and ideals underlying the American political system [Politics]. Enduring Understanding Students will understand that: The principles and ideals underlying American democracy are designed to  promote the freedom of the American people. Fundamental ideals are enumerated in the introduction to this standard—individual liberty, freedom of religion, representative democracy, equal opportunity, and equal protection under the law. This is not a complete list of the main ideals of American democracy, but they are umbrella concepts. For example, the principles of limited government and civil rights are means to achieve individual liberty. As with the previous standard, understanding requires answers to the question, â€Å"Why?† Yet the standard calls for a more developed understanding of the meaning and issues involved with liberty and equality. An essential question for this standard as a whole might be, â€Å"Why should people be free?† Fundamental assumptions about the value and competence of human beings and the importance of freedom to human purpose underlie these ideals. These ideals also have a dark side and involve serious tradeoffs and costs. This deeper understanding of American ideals belongs to the free minds of a free people and is required by Civics Standard Two. Civics Standard Two 6-8a: Students will understand that the concept of majority rule does not mean that the rights of minorities may be disregarded and will examine and apply the protections accorded those minorities in the American political system. Essential Questions How might the majority threaten individual and minority rights? Why are citizens protected by the Constitution? Should individual rights be limited? Students should understand that democracy means rule by the people, and that majority votes are just an arbitrary indicator of what the people want. Although that principle is central to the American political system, it is not absolute. People, including large numbers of them (i.e., majorities), sometimes act out of anger, prejudice, or ignorance and are not always well informed. By limiting the principle of majority rule, Americans have attempted to balance the interests of individuals with the common good20. Majority rule places a very important constraint on governmental authority, but it is completely insufficient to protect individual liberty. Every student destined to become an American citizen should understand that the majority can be as much of a tyrant as any dictator. They should understand that the addition of the Bill of Rights21 to the U.S. Constitution was  motivated by the recognition that citizens need protection from abuse of governmental authority, even when the government is theoretically obedient to the will of the majority of the citizens. There are many instances in American history where minority groups once did not receive the same protections as the majority. The benchmark is somewhat misleading in speaking of the â€Å"rights of minorities,† because minorities are not now accorded any more or less rights than members of a majority. What we now call the rights of minorities is founded on individual rights. The Constitution does not specify group rights. So understanding this benchmark really comes down to understanding the meaning and purpose of the Bill of Rights with the expectation that students should also appreciate how these rights protect minorities from discrimination. There are many examples of how minorities were served by political documents and rulings that protected individuals from discrimination. Open-ended questions that teachers might ask in a classroom include: 1. If most people follow one religion, why shouldn’t the government pass a law that restricts the rights of people with other religious beliefs? 2. If most Americans are offended by people who protest a war, why not allow the government to declare protestors â€Å"unpatriotic† and put them all in jail? 3. Why might Americans be unable to prevent newspapers or websites from printing letters that insult other people? 4. What is meant by â€Å"the tyranny of the majority† and why should we fear it? 5. How are minorities protected by individual rights? Civics Standard Two 6-8b: Students will understand the principles and content of major American state papers such as the Declaration of Independence; United States Constitution (including the Bill of Rights); and the Federalist Papers. Essential Questions How are the principles of major American state papers guaranteeing liberty to contemporary Americans? It would be a bit much to insist on an understanding of the whole content of these papers, especially the Federalist Papers22, but students can well achieve an understanding of the main principles reflected in these documents. The overriding principle is individual liberty; most of the other principles concern the means to achieve liberty. The principles of the major state papers are the principles and ideals of  American democracy. The introduction to Civics Standards Two draws specific attention to the fact that â€Å"†¦[t]he American political system was intentionally created to rest on a foundation of individual liberty, freedom of religion, representative democracy, equal opportunity, and equal protection under the law.† Political equality, rights, limited government23, checks and balances, and other principles of American government are pronounced, asserted, and discussed in the state papers. The understanding of the principles called for by this benchmark is the understanding reflected in these papers, which requires some perspective on the times in which they were written. An analysis of what the authors really meant in their assertion of a principle and why they asserted them could help students achieve this benchmark. For example, what did â€Å"all men are created equal† mean at the time of the Declaration of Independence? To truly understand a principle, one must be able to identify its practical applications. Such understanding is addressed more directly in Standard Three, but the focus there is on the Bill of Rights. Students should be able to identify the practical applications of the principles not included in the Bill of Rights. While these principles are sometimes in conflict and while disparities have always existed between the realities of daily life and the ideals of American democracy, the preservation and improvement of American constitutional democracy depends largely on the efforts of each succeeding generation to live up to these principles and narrow the disparities. Open-ended questions that teachers might ask in a classroom include: 1. What is the meaning of â€Å"We the People†? 2. Why is the claim that â€Å"all men are created equal† important to American democracy? How has the meaning of the phrase changed over time? 3. Why was there a debate about whether we should have a strong federal government or not? Should the debate continue? 4. What was the purpose of amending the constitution with the first ten amendments called the Bill of Rights? 5. What was the purpose of the Federalist Papers? 6. Why did the signers of the Declaration of Independence think they had the right to declare independence from Great Britain? Here is a released item from the Social Studies DSTP that illustrates the assessment of this  benchmark. This test item focuses on the inalienable rights stated in the Declaration of Independence and how the Constitution of the United States ensured those rights. The student should provide evidence to support the answer. The item is open ended, which means that there is more than one way to answer this question correctly. The following is an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence: That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it †¦ How did the writers of the U.S. Constitution ensure that the government would not damage the rights stated in the Declaration of Independence? Support your answer with evidence. A student should provide an answer that gives a valid explanation of how the writers of the U.S. Constitution ensured that the government would not damage the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A student should also include evidence to support the explanation. See the DSTP webpage for more items and sample, annotated student responses. http://www.doe.k12.de.us/aab/social_studies/Social_Studies_item_samplers.shtml CIVICS STANDARD THREE: Students will understand the responsibilities, rights, and privileges of United States citizens [Cit izenship]. Enduring Understandings Students will understand that: Effective citizens are committed to protecting rights for themselves, other citizens, and future generations, by upholding their civic responsibilities and are aware of the potential consequences of inaction. Distinctions between a citizen’s rights, responsibilities, and privileges help to define the requirements and limits of personal freedom. Once again, the why of responsibilities and rights, and the distinction between rights and privileges is central to understanding the standard. American citizens have the right to certain individual freedoms and liberties found in the U.S. Constitution. But, individual freedoms and liberties have limits imposed by the fact that others also have the same freedoms and liberties. Respect for the rights of others, for example, limits some individual actions. Suppose two neighbors are in dispute over a tree growing on one’s lawn that extends shade over the other’s lawn. The man who does not want the shade cannot cut  down his neighbor’s tree, only that part of the tree that hangs over his property. His property rights end at the boundary of his property, and the boundary between the two neighbors extends to other rights as well. American democracy imposes a cost on its citizens. For government to be effective, it must have an effective citizenry that understands what is required to maintain individual freedoms and liberties. Citizens have responsibilities that, if met, ensure the health of American democracy. Citizens should hold governmental officials accountable by: Voting and keeping informed; Contributing to the common defense through military service if necessary; Checking the judicial powers of government and safeguarding the rights of the accused by serving on juries; Contributing to public safety and order by obeying the law and reporting violations of the law; and Performing public service when the need arises. Privileges may be defined by what they are not—they are not rights, and thus a citizen has to earn a privilege. For example, it is not a birthright to drive a car. Driving well benefits society and the driver, continues the privilege, and costs the driver and thus all other drivers less in insurance. Driving poorly or dangerously costs more insurance and may even cause loss of a driver’s license. A classroom discussion with students could elicit other examples. Civics Standard Three 6-8a: Students will understand that civil rights secure political freedom while property rights secure economic freedom and that both are essential protections for United States citizens. Essential Questions In what ways are citizens protected from the government? From each other? How might shared rights lead to conflict between citizens or citizens and the government? To what extent do property rights24 define an individual’s freedom? This benchmark calls for a further elaboration of the ideal of freedom by making a distinction between political and economic freedoms25. At this stage, a student should understand the connection between civil rights and the requirements of democracy, which is the means by which political freedom is secured. Freedom of expression, the right to vote, the right to due process, etc., are clearly necessary to democracy, and thus to  the securing of freedom. Yet the lack of property rights would make even these rights precarious, blurring the distinction between political and economic rights in practice. Some basic property rights can be considered essential protections for political as well as economic freedom. The enormous powers and resources that governments possess pose considerable threats to a relatively defenseless individual. Civil and property rights impose reasonable limits on those who hold power and create the conditions in which fundamental individual liberties might be protected and enjoyed. The center of gravity in this benchmark is the understanding of the connection between property rights and freedom in general. Citizens, by applying civil rights, can acquire property or make economic decisions freely. The student will have to understand the concept of â€Å"economic† freedom to see how property rights relate to the subset of human activities we label economic. In essence, economic freedom is the right to own, use, and dispose of property, but it also involves the right to sell one’s labor. A well-developed understanding would include the realization that property rights can also conflict with freedom, and that they are subject to the same conflicts and tradeoffs as other rights or values and may actually curtail or even deny other people’s liberties (e.g., claiming slaves as property or attempting to keep minorities out of neighborhoods). Open-ended questions that teachers might ask in a classroom include: 1. Why is private ownership of businesses and homes seen as important to freedom? 2. How might the property rights of a business owner threaten the freedom of others? 3. Which is more important: making sure everyone has a job or allowing everyone to choose their job? Why? 4. How do political rights secure political freedom? 5. When might someone’s property rights conflict with the freedom of others? Civics Standard Three 6-8b: Students will understand that American citizenship includes responsibilities such as voting, jury duty, obeying the law, service in the armed forces when required, and public service. Essential Question Why should American citizens perform certain civic duties? â€Å"Responsibilities† is the word that dominates this benchmark. The benchmark lists examples of what citizenship in a democracy requires, and  understanding why each is necessary elaborates the understanding of the general purpose of citizenship responsibilities. The general purpose, of course, is to meet the requirements of freedom. Demands for freedom create the potential for great disorder unless citizens of a free society act responsibly. Open-ended questions that teachers might ask in a classroom include: 1. How can people be free if they have responsibilities like jury duty and possibly military service? 2. Why are people responsible for obeying the law even if they don’t agree with it? 3. Why should we be concerned if many citizens do not vote in most elections? 4. If voting is a responsibility of citizenship, why are citizens not required by law to vote? 5. Do citizens have responsibilities mainly for the good of the government or for the good of their fell ow citizens? CIVICS STANDARD FOUR: Students will develop and employ the civic skills necessary for effective, participatory citizenship [Participation]. Enduring Understandings Students will understand that: Effective citizens can research issues, form reasoned opinions, support their positions, and engage in the political process. Effective governance requires responsible participation from diverse individuals who translate beliefs and ideas into lawful action and policy. There is a change in focus from understanding to skills with the fourth standard, but understanding is necessary to show evidence of such skills on the test. Why is still important, but how and what have equal billing on this standard. Why does a citizen participate? How does a citizen participate in democracy? What does a citizen do? Civics Standard Four requires students to demonstrate and use effectively the skills of a citizen. Such skills include, but are not limited to: Registering to vote; Interacting successfully with government agencies; Organizing and working in civic groups; Researching and advocating a position; or Serving in an office of public trust. Teachers should use activities in the classroom which simulate or model the skills. Civics Standard Four 6-8a: Students will follow the actions of elected officials, and understand and employ the mechanisms for  communicating with them while in office. Essential Questions: Which means for communicating with office holders is usually more effective and why? Why is it important to know about the person and circumstances when communicating with an officeholder? This benchmark moves from becoming informed about candidates to staying informed about elected officials. Student understanding of participation is expected to spiral at the grade 6–8 level so that students acquire the skills and understandings needed to monitor the actions of, and communicate effectively with, officials after they have been elected to office. Understanding the mechanisms for communicating with office holders involves why citizens should communicate and awareness of the available means to communicate and their relative effectiveness. What is an effective method of communication depends on the person in office and circumstances. For example, a citizen just cannot walk to the front door of the White House and ask to see the President (at least not anymore). But a citizen could (and often will) call a school board member or other local official at home to discuss issues of importance. A representative democracy is supposed to function at its best when informed citizens communicate a range of ideas, opinions, desires, and concerns to their representatives so that they might enact prudent public policies and serve in ways that honor and promote the common good. Open-ended questions that a teacher might ask in a classroom include: 1. How does a citizen communicate with a member of Congress? 2. How does a citizen find out what an elected official has done since they were elected?

Mosaics and Islam Culture

The Mosaics' Importance to the Islam People Islamic mosaics have had, and still have a great part in Islamic culture. Traditional mosaics had many uses in the Islamic World. They were very detailed in their patterns and designs, and had great religious meaning to the Muslim people. Mosaics had different uses in the Islamic World, as they do still in modern life. Normally, mosaics were used for decoration of mosques. They were sometimes used also for pottery. The great Mosque of Damascus has amazing mosaics decorating it and adding even more splendor and beauty to its design.The patterns and designs on mosaics are important and of great significance. The designs often had floral images and were very geometrical. Grids were put down on hard backings to make sure of exact measurements. Beads and tiles were used; calligraphy was often seen as well on mosaics. Mosaics can have great meaning to Muslims. The Great Mosque of Damascus has a mosaic on its walls that shows a paradise. Nature an d scenery is often displayed on mosaics; these scenes show meaningful places. Humans and animals were banned from being displayed on mosaics and abstract colors were shown often.Sayings, meaningful words, and verses from the Qu’ran, the sacred book of the Muslims, were often seen. Mosaics are a great part of Islamic culture because of its many uses, detailed designs and its great meaning to the Muslim people. My mosaic fits into and connects to Islamic art and culture because it is detailed, has meaningful words and is very geometrical. Beads were used to create my mosaic. The beads are in precise locations and the Arabic words are exact. The colors correspond with Islamic art as well.The Arabic words on either side of my template mean â€Å"Arabic Language† and are completely legible. These words represent the importance of Muslims learning Arabic. My mosaic is in the shape of an octagon, and is symmetrical, as are most Islamic mosaics. A large grid was put down on a hard foam core backing to help make the shapes more accurate. My mosaic connects to Islamic culture and traditional mosaics because of the detailed design fitting in with Islamic designs. It has words that mean something to Muslim people, and is exact and geometrical.

Authentically Human Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Authentically Human - Essay Example He suffers from a looped life in which he repeats incomplete actions anxiously. DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) surgery improves a patients brain and helps their lives. After a patient is diagnosed with OCD, doctors can request a DBS surgery. However, after surgery, patients minds are under the control of doctors. In effect, patients do not have the ability to control their feelings and behaviors. However, patients can be able to control themselves and behaviors, as a basic human being. In the essay "Alone Together" by Sherry Turkle, she explores how robots could engage in intimate relationships with persons, as well as become a better life. People consider the ethical aspects of technological controls. Technology controls people’s feelings and constructs the virtual world, which damages social lives that separate the people from the reality. In essence, overreliance on the technologies cannot do anything on its own. Technologies become intimating with the virtual world rather than an authentic world, which is they drift people away from the real life through controlling their feelings. One of the problems associated with the use of DBS is that people change their emotions very rapidly and unreasonably. Slater expresses that along with the development of medical technology, the use of advanced medical technology brings improvement in the fight against diseases such as OCD. This technique was established on DBS treatment, which can lock off a part of humans feelings in order to treat OCD. Mario, who becomes one of the first American psychiatric patients, explains his experiences. He feels that the diagnosis and treatment process that he received from Dr. Greenberg and Rasmussen benefited him a great deal and saved his life. She says, "When Mario talks about that time now, tears come to his eyes. â€Å"It was like a miracle, I still have some OCD symptoms but way, way less. Dr. Greenberg and Rasm ussen saved my life† (241). However, DBS works to bring

CHICANO 310 - Summary In Your Own Words Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

CHICANO 310 - Summary In Your Own Words - Essay Example At some points, one may be singing in a lower voice that uses chest breathing and one of the other performers is singing using falsetto. It is somewhat difficult to determine the breathing pattern since there is a trio performing the song. However, they breathe together in between the bridges. They annunciate the vowels very distinguishably at the end of each phrase. The tone was very upbeat and seemed happy. Though the tempo sounded happy, the falsetto in their voices almost resonated a sadness. The lyrics are very sad and painful as if the performer is leaving his love partner. There is imagery used in the lyricism such as â€Å"Now I feel in my soul to tell you my love dies as a cinder and little by little you run out of light.† This is a use of word play to express how his love for his partner is fading. The singer apologizes to keep his loved one suffering and desperately loving and wishes that the lover will not cry and

Background and issue of Kenya Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Background and issue of Kenya - Assignment Example Background and issue of Kenya These terror attacks include the Mpeketoni and Lamu attacks in the coastal regions, the Westgate Mall attacks in the capital city of Kenya-Nairobi and other attacks in Mandera, and Wajir in northeastern Kenya. All these coupled with the negative and exaggerated media reports on the security situation in the country has led to the decline in the number of tourists in the country (Ellis and Bank, 2007, p. 300). However, the government has intervened to ensure that the issue of security is resolved once and for all. This report will include a statement of issues facing tourism sector in the country, portrayal of the country and the tourism sites together with the tourism ITS perspectives. There are various issues facing tourism industry in Kenya. One of them is the issue of insecurity especially through various terror attacks. Recently, the terror groups have embarked on posing a security threat to the country thus reducing the number of tourists in the country. One of the massive terror attacks occurred in the Westgate mall in September 2013 (Obadiah, Nicholas and Josephine, 2012, p. 23). This terror attacks claimed many lives in the country and it resulted into tourism fearing for their security thus failing to tour the country as they did before. The second issue facing the tourism sector in the country is due to poor infrastructure. Most of the tourist destinations have inaccessible roads since they are located in remote areas making them almost inaccessible to the tourists.

Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Review - Essay Example According to the Basel system, IB’s profited from the low capital weight conferred to them. This acted as a reflection of relation safety therefore making it economical for banks to offer credit as counterparties to IB’s. The role of regulatory oversight for investment banks aided maintain the cost of capital low while at the same time allowing more control. Forth coming strategies need to guarantee that equity and credit principles are not mixed up , and that the capital rules that apply to these risky businesses are targeted efficiently to them and the cost of leverage is sufficiently high to ensure their size and risk taking activities are appropriately contained (Blundell-Wignall, Atkinson & Lee 2008, p 5-6). At the conference, some maintained that this arrangement might still not evade main systemic hitches in the future. This was because banks in the monitoring boundary would continue enjoying counter party relations with IB’s and other high-risk firms outs ide the fence thus dragging them back to where they were before. The considerable risk opportunities that should be taken are not particular and so is the independence of the cost of capital. If banks are to enter into counter party relationship with the high risk firms it should be done with very clear guidelines in some cases up to full cover in order to protect the banks’ creditworthiness. ... As a result, fewer transactions would be up to the internal rate of return requirements, and control and general risk will be proportionately smaller and so would the size and way of the monetary sector on the economy. However, it was observed that now it is too late to turn the hand of time and as such, the existing strategy in the crisis necessarily should pool the weaker and stronger institutions (Blundell-Wignall, Atkinson & Lee 2008, p 10-11). Another tactic is to work with non- operating holding company structures (NOHC’s). It will split a financial company into its integral parts in which there exists distinct panels and stout firewalls among the subordinate parts. Capital laws can be designed to the riskiness of the actions of the companies, and in an occurrence of a crisis, any subsidiary making losses can easily be handled by administrators while not jeopardizing the whole corporation. To liquidate or sell a challenging IB securities trader can be done with much more ease. For instance, the IB can be a subordinate of the non-operating holding company structure (NOHC) other than an entity at the top most of the structure. In addition, the NOHC configuration is also much more transparent and in its case, it is less taxing to reduce intra-group contacts. It also offers clear and adaptable arrangement for scarcely defined, deposit-taking banking that is superior to having the bank at the top of the group or having the bank as the group itself as in the case of the universal banking in Europe. In other words, NOHC’s would be much more stress-free to regulate. The key general point to note is that high-risk financial undertakings need to pay the accurate market charges of capital without biases caused by the rule and bank structure interface. For example,

Will single issue movement for soil conservation and clean water Essay

Will single issue movement for soil conservation and clean water inevitably fail - Essay Example Over exploitation has led to climate change and global warming. Human activities, such as urbanization and industrialization have resulted in pollution of water and air that causes global warming due to acidic rainfall. Global warming has been a menacing problem to the world over the years. Many countries have formed commissions to try and come up with measures that will control these changes. Soil pollution is a result of over-cultivation of the land and use of harsh fertilizers. Failure to plant cover crops leads to erosion of the top soil that is fertile and good for crop production. Industrialization has led to water pollution. Agents of water pollution are; sewage water that is channeled into the rivers, industrial waste, and oil spillage into water bodies. It is important to keep the water bodies clean because the water is said to be life. Contaminated water leads to various diseases that affect both human beings and plants. Nature can be unforgiving if not cared for .The Nobel Prize winner Wangari Mathai said if we do not take care of the nature, nature will destroy us. Single issue movement of soil conservation and clean water will inevitably fail. This is because, single issue movement deals with one policy; the solution may not be in a position to solve the problem because it is one sided. This paper is going to analyze how single issue movement of soil conservation and clean water will fail. A lingering concern is that the quality of soil is destroyed by over exploitation by human beings and use of harsh fertilizers. Thus, single issue movement concentrates on how to control use of harsh fertilizers and forgets to address over-exploitation which makes it to fail. Soil conservation refers to strategies put forth to control soil being eroded or being altered by land use. Exploitation of the soil is as a result of the rapid

Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Communication - Essay Example Verbal communication is an ability that everyone should develop to improve their interactions with others and to help them build relationships. In nursing, it is imperative to have excellent communication skills in order to have an enormous understanding about the feelings and sufferings of the patients. The profession desires good command over the words, using appropriate word not only enhances communication and understanding with the patient but also clarifies the precise meaning of the words. According to Beyea (2004) â€Å"verbal communication is a primary way in which vital information about a patients status and care is transmitted†. The Department of Health has also stressed the importance of verbal communication in their Essence of Care benchmarks. They stated that communication should be adapted to meet the needs of people, carers and groups. This was further supported by Terrado et al (2001). Terrado’s team firmly believes that nurses are required to have an e ffectual communication skills because of they are in the first position to contact with the patient and represent the healthcare team for patient’s appraisal. It is therefore it is essential that they have appropriate communication skills to be beneficial and supportive to the patients especially to those who need intense care like dysphagia and stroke patients and those who are paralysed and need thorough care for their recovery. I agree with these findings because as a student, I believe that learning better communication skills are the most imperative errand to my career. It is an indispensable part of my role and duty while in placement at University and later when I am serving the human beings. It is essential to for me to understand the cultural differences which are very sensitive issue that result in some kind of misinterpretation of my words or other’s words. Misconception could be devastating as can be understood with the help of Appendix 3. The prime responsibility of the

American Single Parent Households Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

American Single Parent Households - Essay Example ey gradually proceed towards becoming adults, the psychological and economic stresses that a child has to endure as a result of being forced to come to terms with a household which lacks a parent and which may have strangers as family members often hinders a child’s normal development and growth. Children living in single parent households often present a lack of academic achievement and a tendency for delinquency as a result of deficiency in parental care. The dynamics of a family or a household can be considered in terms of the conflict within a household or an individual’s assessment of reality, which generally have a broad impact on households and the lives of their members. This brief essay attempts to present an examination of the American single parent household from the conflict and symbolic theory perspectives and then presents a comparison of American single parent households with those in the United Kingdom. I hereby certify that, except where cited in the text, this work is the result of the research carried out by the author of this study. The main content of the study which has been presented contains work that has not previously been reported anywhere. From a public policy perspective, out - of - wedlock births and fatherless families are often the issues of greatest concern to policymakers, but it has to be appreciated that fatherless families are created by death, divorce, separation or imprisonment and motherless families may also be created as a result of similar circumstances (Ellwood 1 - 10). Changes in societal values and life styles have meant that a significant number of out – of – wedlock births are likely to be cohabiting with fathers and mothers who may be living together without officially having married, or they may have separated prior to marriage. Despite the individualism of the American psyche, it is still possible that children who are living with a single parent, especially those who are living with their mothers, may

Madrigal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Madrigal - Essay Example It was a through-composed setting of a short poem. It also recalls a strophic song with a ritornello (refrain)- the trecento madrigal. Madrigals of the early 16th-century had no refrains or any other features of the old formes fixes, having sequential repetitions of musical and textual phrases. The original music is suited to the rhythm and sense of the words accompanied each line of poetry. Four-voice settings of the madrigals were a trend approximately during 1520 to 1550 but eventually a five-vocal sets became a rule after the middle of the century and settings for six or more parts were not unusual. The word "voices" is to be taken literally: the madrigal was a piece of vocal chamber music intended performance with one singer to a part. As a style of the 16th century, however, instruments often took their part or simply doubled the voices. In the early madrigal period the major, Italian composers who were active in Florence were the Franco-Fleming Philippe Verdelot and the Italians Bernardo Pisano and Francesco de Layolle and Verdelot, Pisano and Constanzo Festa, active in Rome. Adrian Willaert and Jacquez Arcadelt also became popular in Venice which is another early center. Frottola-like textures of the earliest madrigals were embodied in the works of Pisano and Festa and the four-voice pieces by Verdelot.

The Biography of L.L. Thurstone Essay Example for Free

The Biography of L.L. Thurstone Essay Throughout Thurstone’s childhood he and his family suffered through the difficulty of having their name mispronounced and misspelled and thus the ThunstrO? m family changed their family name to Thurstone. Thurstone’s educational career began in grade school in Berwyn Illinois, and it was at the age of eight that the Thurstone family migrated to Stockholm, Sweden where L. L. studied the swedish language in order to assimilate into this new environment presented to him. After many years in their native country, the Thurstone family decided to move back to the U. S. A, specifically Jamestown, New York in 1901. Moving from Stockholm, Sweden back to the U. S proved to be an issue, and Thurstone had to relearn the english language by having tutoring sessions with a school principal. As a young child he earned his first award as a geometry contest winner. He won thirty dollars, and used that to buy objects that pertained to his hobbies. As a sophomore in high school he would then come to publish an article in the scientific journal the Scientific American on the ?issue of water consumption and the energy being used by the power companies and tourists in the Niagara Falls area. Continuing his educational career, after graduating high school Thurstone went on to pursue a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering at Cornell, but then later changed his major to electrical engineering. While pursuing his degree, Thurstone developed the motion picture camera and the projector, which unlike the older projectors, moved at a continuos and uniform manner. After developing and patenting these projects he went to Thomas Edison in his New Jersey lab to show what he had accomplished. Edison took Thurstone’s machines and reviewed them. While Edison reviewed Thurstone’s work, Thurstone revisited his interest in the psychology behind what is machine design. Thurstone wanted to research how it was that the operator learned the visual-motor coordination necessary to use a particular machine, which in later years became known as human engineering. Thurstone wanted to understand learning as a function. In order to understand learning as a function Thurstone visited and partook in lectures by professor Madison Bentley and E. B. Tichnener. One of the professors that most inspired Thurstone was engineering professor Dexter Kimball. Kimball taught the idea of the psychological history of machines which greatly interested Thurstone It was later in his life when Thurstone would recollect on the teaching manner of Kimball and later use the same teaching techniques himself. After a long examination of the machines Thurstone had presented to Edison, Thurstone finally heard back from Edison; it was 1912 when Edison was offering him an assistantship at his New Jersey laboratory. It wasn’t until after Thurstone received his Masters in Engineering that he ?would come to accept this position. Edison was another person that influenced Thurstone, in the same way that Edison would experiment and review his projects a thousand or more times, as would Thurstone, which proved to be helpful later in his career. Following his assistantship with Edison, Thurstone became an instructor at the engineering college of the University of Minnesota, and his courses included geometry and drafting. While an instructor at the University of Minnesota, Thurstone enrolled in a graduate program course that focused on experimental psychology. This course was taught by Herbert Woodrow and J. B. Miner and interested Thurstone, because of his interest in learning as a function. He first approached this course through the educational lens, but than saw it best to see it through the psychological perspective, which interested him the most. After finding this new passion for psychology he then became the assistant in the new Division of Applied Psychology at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, where he was an assistant for two years. After completing his assistantship, Thurstone received his PhD. in psychology in 1917. To receive his PhD. e wrote his dissertation on the learning curve, one of his favorite topics. Three years after receiving his PhD. Thurstone started the journey of Thurstone’s leadership role in the psychology departments throughout his professional career. In 1920 he served as a chairman in the psychology department at Carnegie Institute of Technology. After serving as the chairman, a government supported institute for research contacted him to make manuals and other materials to stimulate the improvement of civil service examination, which began his journey in the world of human examination. After being granted support from the government he was granted access to the American Council on Education (ACE) who asked him to make an examination of their own. This examination was to guide college admission ?decisions. While constructing his exams he asked his college sweetheart, Thelma Gwinn to work alongside him. Like Thurstone, Thelma wished to pursue a PhD. in Psychology and thus they both moved to the University of Chicago around 1924, the same time Gwinn and Thurstone married. While Thurstone was associate professor of psychology, Gwinn birthed three sons and pursued her PhD in psychology. As associate professor Thurstone taught courses on statistics and mental test theory, his specialized subject. This mental test theory class consisted of the assumption of normality within age groups and estimated the mean and variance at each age, causing the mental test theory. While associate professor at University of Chicago, Thurstone published many articles in the Psychological Review and American Psychological Association (APA) from 1926 to 1928. While contributing articles to the many journals in the psychology community Thurstone also contributed by creating a basis of psychological measurement that was in contrast to Fechner, Muller, and Titchener. His measurement accommodates to to the intelligence, ability or achievements and attitudes or opinion; a psychology construct that lacks any direct physical correlation with what the other psychologist thought of. The method he used was the use of judges and a scale. After working at the University of Chicago for many years Thurstone was finally granted an office space in the building of social sciences which he converted into his psychometrics laboratory. After building this lab he started writing a series of psychometric lab reports, which consisted of precisely 81. While working at the University of Chicago at his psychometrics lab during WWI he authored vocational tests for classifying military personnel and from 1919 through 1923 he authored tests of intelligence, clergical skills, engineering aptitude and ingenuity. After Thurstone authored his examinations, he and Gwinn joined together and authored annual editions of ACE examinations for high school seniors and college freshmen and the success of his examinations came from his training in engineering which made him take into consideration the different variables never considered before. It was in this time that the Work Progress Administration contacted him and asked for an exam on their b ehalf, after having done many examination it came to the conclusion that Thurstone had authored 57 or so examinations. In result he constructed the Primary Mental Abilities (PMA) and around this time he gained access to the Chicago public when Gwinn became a psychology instructor at Chicago Teachers College in 1938, which provided access to a broader range in ages for his mental test examinations. This access brought about the beginning to many opportunities for Thurstone such as co-founding the Science Research Associates and agreeing to be chief examiner at the University of Chicago for a course that gave credit to students vi examination. In the passing years he became president of the Midwestern Psychological Association, President of the APA, President of the Psychometrics society, gained membership to the National Academy of Science along with 17 other psychologist, was a Fellow of American Academy of Arts and Sciences, President of APA’s Division on Evaluation and Measurement and Honorary Fellow of the British Psychological Society. During WWII Thurstone continued his work as an examiner and served as a member of the committee on classification on military personnel of the U. S. Adjutant General’s Office and authored psychological tests for the selection of military and classification of the soldiers. After working for the military for quite some time Thurstone received grants for research which led to employment tests, hedonic scales, and create and experimentally evaluate objective tests for a measurement of human temperament. From the years of 1948 to 1949 he became a visiting psychology professor at the University of Frankfort and around this time he built a seminar room in home and had visiting professors and speakers from inside and outside of the U. S. A couple years after establishing his seminar room the Thurstone-Gwinn family moved to North Carolina due to the fact that Thurstone had reached 65 and had to retire from the University of Chicago. At his home in North Carolina e still had seminars and re-established his psychometrics in the Nash Hall and continued his lab reports. It wasn’t until September 19th of 1955 when Thurstone Died. It surprised many since Thurstone had scheduled to be a visiting professor at the University of Stockholm a year before and had scheduled many seminars in between. To continue his great mental test examinations, Thelma Gwinn succeeded him as the director of the Psychometrics Lab. Thurstone had contributed many ideas and authored many examinations which still r emain prevalent to this day.

The International Labour Organization Ilo

The International Labour Organization Ilo The International Labour Organization is a United Nations agency dealing with labour issues, particularly international labour standards and decent for all. There are 185 countries that are member states of International Labour Organization. The ILO aims to ensure that it serves the needs of working women and men by bringing together governments, employers and workers to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes. The very structure of the ILO, where workers and employers together have an equal voice with governments in its deliberations, shows social dialogue in action. It ensures that the views of the social partners are closely reflected in ILO labour standards, policies and programmes. They have concern about many issues which are happening in world. In this essay I selected child labour for further discussion. Child labour is a complex problem and numerous factors influence whether children work or not. Poverty emerges as the most compelling reason why children work. Poor households spend the bulk of their income on food and the income provided by working children is often critical to their survival. However, poverty is not the only factor in child labour and cannot justify all types of employment and servitude. Countries may be equally poor and yet have relatively high or relatively low levels of child labour. Child labour is clearly detrimental to individual children, preventing them from enjoying their childhood, hampering their development and sometimes causing lifelong physical or psychological damage; it is also detrimental to families, to communities and to society as a whole. As both a result and a cause of poverty, child labour perpetuates disadvantage and social exclusion. It undermines national development by keeping children out of school, preventing them from gaining the education and skills that would enable them as adults to contribute to economic growth and prosperity. As long as child labour continues, the ILOs goal of decent work can never be achieved. Discussion Millions of children worldwide are engaged in labour that is hindering their education, development and future livelihoods. A lot of of them are involved in the worst forms of child labour that because irreversible physical or psychological damage, or that even threaten their lives. This situation represents an intolerable violation of the rights of individual children, it perpetuates poverty and it compromises economic growth and equitable development. There are plenty of things can be happened to occur child labour. Factors include for Child labour: Barriers to education basic education is not free in all countries and is not always available for all children, especially in remote rural areas. Where schools are available, the quality of education can be poor and the content not relevant. In situations where education is not affordable or parents see no value in education, children are sent to work, rather than to school. Culture and tradition with few opportunities open to children with more education, parents are likely to share a cultural norm in which labour is seen as the most productive use of a childs time. Children are often expected to follow in their parents footsteps and are frequently summoned to help other members of the family, often at a young age. Market demand child labour is not accidental. Employers may prefer to hire children because they are cheaper than their adult counterparts, can be dispensed of easily if labour demands fluctuate and also form a docile, obedient work-force that will not seek to organize itself for protection and support. The effects of income shocks on households households that do not have the means to deal with income shocks, such as natural disasters, economic or agricultural crises Taking into consideration above factors the child labour will occur. This is a massive issue in modern world. Hence there are so many organizations and governments are consider this issue. Hence The ILO has given a priority to wipe out this issue. The International Labour Organization, from its setting up, has made child labour one of its central concerns. ILO work on child labour over the decades has mainly taken its indication from the phrase protection of children in the Preamble to its Constitution. The ILOs prime tool in pursuing the elimination of child labour has always been, and remains to this day, the labour standards that embody the concept of a minimum age to enter into employment. This approach responds to two concerns: to protect children from work that interferes with their full development and to pursue economic efficiency through well-functioning adult labour markets. Some child laborers are highly visible, such as street children working in the urban informal economy. Others, such as child domestic workers, are effectively hidden from public view and are thus particularly vulnerable, including to physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Rather than working in formal sector establishments that produce for export, the majority of child labourers in manufacturing toil in supply chains producing for the domestic market, for example, in the production of fireworks, matches or incense sticks. A reported increase in home-based production of these and other goods, in response to heightened competitive pressures, brings with it an increased potential for exploitation of child labour. Such hidden groups of children present particular challenges for research and effective action. A future without child labour traces the ILOs historical concern with the abolition of child labour. At its very first session, the International Labour Conference adopted the Minimum Age (Industry) Convention, 1919 . Over the years that followed, the concept of minimum age for entry into employment was extended to different economic sectors, culminating with the adoption of the comprehensive Minimum Age Convention, 1973. The inclusion of the effective abolition of child labour in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, adopted in 1988, highlighted the growing consensus across the world that child labour represents a serious threat to sustainable economic and social development everywhere. The unanimous adoption, the following year, of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 , and its subsequent unprecedented rate of ratification, attest to the strength of the political will among ILO member States to tackle, with employers and wor kers organizations and all partners in civil society, these most extreme forms of child labour as a matter of the greatest urgency. Convention No. 182 has served to consolidate resolve on the need for immediate action to combat the worst forms of child labour, accompanied by measures to eliminate and prevent all child labour in the longer term. Drawing on the provisions of Conventions Nos. 138 and 182, they identify three categories of child labour to be eliminated: Labour performed by a child who is under a minimum age specified in national legislation for that kind of work. Labour that jeopardizes the physical, mental or moral well-being of a child, known as hazardous work The unconditional worst forms of child labour, which are internationally defined as slavery, trafficking, debt bondage and other forms of forced labour, forced recruitment for use in armed conflict, prostitution and pornography, and illicit activities. Furthermore they have taken several objectives to eliminate this child labor issue. Key objectives in the fight against child labour the long tradition of ILO standard setting and supervision in the field of child labour, dating from the very first session of the International Labour Conference in 1919 and leading up to the adoption of the umbrella Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138); The impetus given by the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989; The experience gained by national governments working with IPEC; increased activism on child labour by employers and workers organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs); The unanimous adoption of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), and the subsequent campaign for its universal ratification and implementation; Research and action that have provided new insights into the causes, dimensions and means of reducing both poverty and child labour. According to the on top of objective the ILO have planned to eliminate child labor in every country. Although, when they erect new objectives and procedures they will have to concern countries policies. So that is a huge difficulty that they are appearance currently. Conclusion Childrens participation in the labour force at the start of the twenty-first century is continuously varied and infinitely volatile, responding to changing market and social conditions. This circumstance is matched by the flexibility of the large, unprotected, potential child labour force. Poverty and social exclusion, labour mobility, discrimination on the basis of sex and other grounds, and lack of adequate social protection and educational opportunity all come into play in influencing child labour outcomes. The ILO calls on all partners in this undertaking to redouble their efforts, to give all children, everywhere, the childhood and the future that they deserve.universal education and social protection, together with a better understanding of the needs and rights of children, can bring about a significant reduction in child labour. Recommendation Working closely with governments are the social partners employers and workers organizations who are uniquely placed to understand and to change the realities of the workplace so that child labour simply has no part to play. Partnerships operate horizontally at national level and also vertically between national, regional and international players. A worldwide movement, involving the ILOs constituents governments and employers and workers organizations and many other partners working together at international, national and local levels, has altered that irrevocably. Improve education system in every country. .

Psychological debate on free will versus determinism

Psychological debate on free will versus determinism The free will vs. determinism debate that exists within psychology has long been a philosophical doctrine that roots back to Descartes (1596-1650), and has had an enormous impact on psychology, all the major theorists ranging from William James (1890) to B.F. Skinner (1971), have concluded empirical theories to help provide validity as to whether behaviour is determined by stimuli or external/internal events; this positivistic, mechanistic view of scientific psychology according to Taylor (1963), states that everything including thought processes and behaviour, is casually determined (Gross, 2003; 2010). The common sense view that people make their own decisions is a debate upon free will, the fact that we have a mind to be able to agree and disagree, implies we have a freedom of choice in regards to behaviour (Gross, 2003). So what exactly is free will? (Figure 1.1) Through this information, a balanced view upon the free will vs. determinism debate in regards to implications that exist within the treatment of disorders will be researched and presented. In diagnosing and treating mental disorders, both psychologists and psychiatrists often have to make judgements in regards to free will and determinism, whether that be explicitly or implicitly, this is because mental disorders can often be seen as complete or partial breakdown of the persons control over their emotions, thinking and behaviour. This is evident in patients with (OCD) or obsessive compulsive disorder, in definition this can be described as being compelled against his or her will or a behaviour which cannot be controlled (Gross, 2003). Developments in neuroscience can provide relevance to the debate in regards to clinical practises which treat mental disorders, clinical psychiatrists accept the view that free will can be impaired in many patients with mental disorders whose capacity to choose may have been compromised, in such cases the individual may then be considered not accountable for their own actions or behaviour. An acknowledgment to determinism is then made, in the way that some of the behaviour of that person is accredited to the mental disorder, advances in neuroscience have increased the understanding of brain functioning and led to the possibility that abnormal behaviour will be less recognized to the patients control of choice in relation to action, and more to brain function abnormalities. Although before the developments the view was questioned through the mind-brain dualism of the reductionists in the 19th century (Scott Henderson, 2005). Libet (1985) performed a study in relating the brain and our free will to behaviour; he showed that the preliminary brain activity which occurs through free choice is actually a couple hundred milliseconds before the choice reaches the conscious awareness. Basically stating that the brain makes decisions before the individual and that free will is an illusion. Rose et al. (1984) was a socio-biologist who believed in biological determinism, which states it is our biology that is to blame for our behaviour and mental abnormalities, not the individual; this approach seems appealing in regards to treatment of disorders as it removes the guilt and responsibility involved, however the view that our lives are constrained by a genetic predisposition, fails to recognise that as human we are constantly re-creating our own material environment and that it is our biology that makes us free (Gross, 2010). According to an article in the: Clinical Neuroscience Research Journal (2004;p,113-118), Social turmoil regarding psychosurgery and deep brain stimulation (DBS) was evident throughout the 1960-1970s, DBS being an effective form of diagnosis and treatment for mental disorders, even in our modern day which can be used to treat disorders such as severe OCD and Parkinsonà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s disease, however the turmoil regarding the whole treatment was because it was seen as means of controlling or changing behaviour and effecting emotional disturbance against free will, it was also thought that the treatment was used to control social behaviour of violent urban areas in the USA, resulting in mind control and racial repression. However these arguments are now just a by-product of the dualism era, and having a deeper knowledge into neuroscience and mental disorders, has allowed further research into the social stability of DBS, resulting in less speculation on it being a co mpletely controlled deterministic approach to treatments of disorders (Fins, 2004). In regards to treatment of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, according to the; Handbook of treatment for eating disorders (1997) by David M. Garner et al. the philosophical balance is addressed in regards as to whether patients with severe eating disorders should be hospitalised, on one side of the argument patients can be free to preserve their eating disorder even if it involves suboptimal functioning, and on the other it can be argued that the disorder could be so serious that it impairs judgement and restricts the patientà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s ability to exercise free choice especially in regards to the appraisal of the medical risks, as it appears both points seem variably valid and yet no possible solution can be found to solve the present dilemma. In relation to treatment refusal and free will, patients may make poor treatment decisions because of their illness symptoms, and that they would likely make a different choice if symptom free, because of this an important legal rights concept regarding the free will of treatment refusal is based upon determination of competency (Figure 1.2), or the right to refuse treatment with consent. Competence is decision specific, so patients may be competent enough to make a treatment decision at one time and not the other, also a decision made about a precise consequence of treatment might be easy to consent too in relation to a decision made about a more complex consequence of treatment which could result in a set of different outcomes (Masten, A.S., Curtis, W.J., 2000). If an individual is overruled as being incompetent i.e. unable to appreciate and understand information given about treatment, then it is possible to force treatment upon a patient against his/her free will, however according to the self-determinism theory, forcing treatment upon patients makes them less likely to experience treatment success if externally exposed (Mary, 2008). In conclusion a balanced view upon the free wills vs. determinism debate in regards to treatments of disorders seems controversially one sided, a lot of the literature and research into the subject identify the reductionist determinism approach as acceptable in many forms of clinical psychiatry, whether this is in regards to forced treatment or altering the emotional state through deep brain stimulation. However the balance is much more positive in our modern day times then it were 60-70 years ago. This is mainly thanks to advances in neuroscience and our understanding we have gained about the brain through the mental health institutes, the ongoing debate has a number of misconceptions which require a precise understanding of the key concepts, but overall indicate that free will and determinism are both correct.

Essay on Social Expectations in Story of an Hour and Sorrowful Woman

Social Expectations and Marriage  in The Story of an Hour and A Sorrowful Woman      Ã‚  Ã‚   Marriage does not always bring people happiness they expect.   A number of people feel trapped in their own marriages.   Mrs. Mallard in Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and the unnamed protagonist in Gail Godwin’s â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman† are among those who experience such unfortunate.   Only one hour in her marriage did Mrs. Mallard feel really happy; that was, bizarrely, when she was told about her husband’s death.   For the female protagonist in â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman,† her marriage was a torment.   All the time, she suffers from grief and sadness.   Both of the women are imprisoned in their own marriages and even more so in their own minds, which eventually lead them to death.   Successfully describing their main characters’ developments of feelings, Kate Chopin and Gail Godwin, two authors from two different time periods, undoubtedly point out that the conflict between society and individuals is the cause of the sadness and tragedy of marriage.   First of all, through the settings of their stories, both of the authors suggested that social expectations be the real causes of their protagonists’ deaths.   In â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman,† the unnamed protagonist has a desirable life.   She has a â€Å"durable, receptive, gentle† husband and a â€Å"tender golden three† son (33)[i].   â€Å"He was attuned to her; he understood such things† (33) indicates that her husband always understood her.   He is willing to sacrifice his time for her and their family.   Mrs. Mallard in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is in a similar environment.   Knowing that she has a heart trouble, â€Å"great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death† (10).   Her friends a... ...or them death is freedom.   And only through death they are able to escape from their tragedy.   The stories invoke so much thought from people.   Should a society be more generous to people?   Should a society try to understand social groups, individuals, relationships, and values?   If a society could do these, there would be less tragedy like such in Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and Godwin’s â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman.†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   WORKS CITED [i]   All of the quotations using in this paper are from:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chopin, Kate. â€Å"The Story of an Hour.† The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Mayer. 5th ed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999.   Pages: 10-12.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Godwin, Gail. â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman.† The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Mayer. 5th ed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999.   Pages: 33-37.    Essay on Social Expectations in Story of an Hour and Sorrowful Woman Social Expectations and Marriage  in The Story of an Hour and A Sorrowful Woman      Ã‚  Ã‚   Marriage does not always bring people happiness they expect.   A number of people feel trapped in their own marriages.   Mrs. Mallard in Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and the unnamed protagonist in Gail Godwin’s â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman† are among those who experience such unfortunate.   Only one hour in her marriage did Mrs. Mallard feel really happy; that was, bizarrely, when she was told about her husband’s death.   For the female protagonist in â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman,† her marriage was a torment.   All the time, she suffers from grief and sadness.   Both of the women are imprisoned in their own marriages and even more so in their own minds, which eventually lead them to death.   Successfully describing their main characters’ developments of feelings, Kate Chopin and Gail Godwin, two authors from two different time periods, undoubtedly point out that the conflict between society and individuals is the cause of the sadness and tragedy of marriage.   First of all, through the settings of their stories, both of the authors suggested that social expectations be the real causes of their protagonists’ deaths.   In â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman,† the unnamed protagonist has a desirable life.   She has a â€Å"durable, receptive, gentle† husband and a â€Å"tender golden three† son (33)[i].   â€Å"He was attuned to her; he understood such things† (33) indicates that her husband always understood her.   He is willing to sacrifice his time for her and their family.   Mrs. Mallard in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is in a similar environment.   Knowing that she has a heart trouble, â€Å"great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death† (10).   Her friends a... ...or them death is freedom.   And only through death they are able to escape from their tragedy.   The stories invoke so much thought from people.   Should a society be more generous to people?   Should a society try to understand social groups, individuals, relationships, and values?   If a society could do these, there would be less tragedy like such in Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and Godwin’s â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman.†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   WORKS CITED [i]   All of the quotations using in this paper are from:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chopin, Kate. â€Å"The Story of an Hour.† The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Mayer. 5th ed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999.   Pages: 10-12.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Godwin, Gail. â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman.† The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Mayer. 5th ed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999.   Pages: 33-37.   

Free Essays on A Dolls House: An Essay :: Dolls House essays

A Doll House A Doll House was one of Henrik Ibsen's most controversial plays. He wrote this realistic play in 1879. Ibsen's writing style of realism was clearly shown in this play. This play was controversial at the time it was written, shocking conservative readers. But, at the same time, the play served as a rallying point for supporters of a drama with different ideas. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the Art Nouveau style became an international movement. For the first time in decorative arts history there was a simultaneous movement throughout Europe and America. Art Nouveau brought the finest designers and craftsmen together in order to design buildings, furniture, wallpaper, fabrics, ceramics, metalwork and glasswork. Art Nouveau was considered more than a style, it was a philosophy. From this philosophy carefully designed articles for the home were designed intended to fit into the scheme of the whole Art Nouveau style. Line was the most important aspect of the Art Nouveau period. Art Nouveau was a rebellion against machine made articles of the 19th century that were copies of past designs. Art Nouveau was also a reaction against the old Victorian tradition. Art Nouveau designers borrowed from the past but because of the emphasis on line and adaptation of natural forms to design. Art Nouveau is easily distinguishable from any other p eriod in decorative arts. In conjunction with Art Nouveau style, the Edwardian style of costume and dress was also implemented during this time period. The Edwardian style embodied both extravagance and pageantry. A Doll House was a play written well ahead of its time. This play was written in a time when it was considered an outrage for a woman such as Nora not only to display a mind of her own, but also to leave her husband in order to obtain her freedom. This play relates to the Art Nouveau and Edwardian period because just as the furniture and clothing were considered decorative pieces, so were women. Women were expected only to tend to the husband's and children's needs. Women were not supposed to do anything without first consulting the husband and certainly never do anything without his prior knowledge and approval. Women were expected to be at home and always looking presentable for their husbands. *Please note all visual elements for this term paper can be viewed at the conclusion of this project.

“Write About the Ways Auden Tells the Story in the Poetic Piece ‘Miss Gee’”

â€Å"Write about the ways Auden tells the story in the poetic piece ‘Miss Gee’? † Through the ballad of ‘Miss Gee’ Auden tells the story of the character Miss Edith Gee this is achieved in a variety of ways. The poetic piece is a ballad intended to be read to the tune of ‘St James’ Infirmary’. Auden has created a regular pattern of quatrains as well as a regular rhythm which progresses the general flow of the poem and creates the atmosphere of a story for the reader.The initial exposition is extremely sympathetic towards Miss Gee. â€Å"Now let me tell you a little story about Miss Edith Gee† is a cruel way to open the narrative as Auden instantly belittles her character and makes her seem insignificant, whereas she is actually the main, if not only character we meet in detail. This technique is effectives the reader then feels that she is insignificant, and although it is she who lends her name to the poem, is an outcast a nd a quiet individual.She is continually referred to as small, further lowering the impressions of the character to the reader. Auden establishes the setting of the poem in the introductory stanza, as would be done in a story â€Å"She lived in Clevedon Terrace/ At Number 83†. This is an ordinary address and place for the poem to be set it, this in turn establishes the normality and average attributes of Miss Gee showing her character as one of no complexity.The further repetition of ‘Clevedon Terrace’ in the poem is a constant reminder from Auden to the reader to always bring them back to the fact that the character Miss Gee is intended to be average and ordinary just like any other individual. Miss Gee’s appearance is made apparent by Auden in the third stanza â€Å"She’d a velvet hat with trimmings,/And a dark grey serge costume;† â€Å"purple†¦ green† this description of Miss Gee’s clothing is very ironic as lots of col ours are present but on a colourless character.Auden may have intended this imagery to be seen as symbolism of Miss Gee’s persona how she tries to mask her simplicity in colours but is always unable to mask her unfeminine personality and the fact that she is insecure in her own skin. The is no connection between Auden and herself and the poem has a very impersonal tone to it Auden is very mocking of Miss Gee when describing her clothing as a â€Å"costume† which creates the impression that she almost trying to dress up as somebody else and is seen to some as somewhat of a joke. Auden uses a regular pattern of rhyme throughout the poetic piece

Business Environment in Fiji

Fiji craft surround is a combination of several factors that g all overn the profession and trades of this island nation. Fiji clientele purlieu is generally right(a) and promising for taking initiative of young ventures apart from almost occasional worrisome factors. Fiji is one of the most progressive island nations in the central south of Pacific Ocean. It has umpteen industries and other natural resources that help together to make a honest backing environment in this country. But Fiji faces a number of troubles in like manner in the business sector.There be some policy-making strife in the country that has originated from the clashing between the cultural communities belonging to contrasting ethnicity. Moreover, Fiji has some other problems also which be not favourable for creating a well(p) business environment in Fiji. more or less of these problems argon, natural disasters, deficiencies of sound economic plans and some others. But overall, Fiji business e nvironment is good and promising enough for further developments. business concern is affected by the external environment as it is by the competitors.It is important that firms are aware of the changes in the external environment to be successful. Understanding the influence of macroeconomic factors helps the firms to determine the current market conditions and how ripe willing they be for the success of their business. un corresponding macroeconomic factors that influence the business are Macroeconomic factor a. frugal Growth. Economic activities refer to the take of clouding and merchandising activities happening in an economy over a while period.Economic action mechanism changes could happen due to the following reasons Changes in income directs Future prospects of individuals. Future of the economy The level of economic activity in the field as a whole semipolitical activities around the world Natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, or flood etc Changes in prices of nude materials oil, metals, fuel, energy and so on Changes in world stock markets b. Inflation With the gain in Inflation there will be an addition in the level of prices of products and services over a particular period of time.As a subject the firms will have to scram higher(prenominal) costs of operations. This will be also due to the increase in establishoff of the employees. c. cheer Rates Interest judge are the charges levied by the banks for lending a loan. Increase in Interest evaluate will directly influence the business as businesses borrow money from the banks from time to time. Increase in vex group pass judgment will lead to higher interest expense Businesses will have to incur higher costs to repay the loan. Interest rate changes also affect customers who in turn will affect the business.In case of increase in interest rates the amount that individuals need to pay to borrow the money will increase thereby, reducing the learn for large products in the market. Further, if the interest rates decrease past the charges on a loan to buy larger items like cars, electrical equipments are likely to fall. As a result, a large number of people force be willing to buy much(prenominal) items. There will be a sudden increase in the demand for the products offered by such businesses.

Knowledge and Heritage Essay

Abstract Alice Walkers terrene Use and Amy false topazs A meet of Tickets investigate the relationships between starts and missys. Both writers show a struggle, by the children, to understand the true nub of hereditary pattern. separately composition has a specific type of mother-daughter relationship. set about and Daughter Conflict The Struggle to Understand inheritance in First- propagation Ameri wads A key factor in Alice Walkers Everyday Use, and Amy Tans A Pair of Tickets, is hereditary pattern. passim ii stories the expend of inheritance stool be look outn easily.Walker shows Dee misunderstands her hereditary pattern while Tan shows Jing-Mei comes to an sense. Understanding both sides of the 2 stories gives readers a chance to explore their own inheritance and reflect on how they accept their past. By contrasting the family causes in Everyday Use, Walker illustrates Dees mistake of her heritage by placing the significance of heritage whole on material objects. Walker stupefys Mama and Maggie, the young daughter, as an example that heritage in both k instantlyledge and form passing from one generation to a nonher through a learning insure connection.Dee, the older daughter, represents a misconception of heritage as a material thing. Dee portrays a rags to riches daughter who does non understand what heritage is any about. Her definition of heritage hangs on a wall to show off, non to be engaged. Dees avoidance of heritage becomes piss when she is talking to Mama about changing her name, she says, I couldnt bear it any longer universe named after the slew who oppress me (Walker 746). Dee just takes another(prenominal) name without even understanding the true signification quarter it.She tries to explain to Mama that her name promptlyadays has meaning, quality, and heritage neer realizing that the new name mean nothing. Dee fails to realize that her name goes back multiple generations. Dee inking pad around the hou se for objects she can show in her own home as examples of African-American family line art. Her argument with Mama about pickings quilts that were go along stitched as opposed to sewn by machine gives readers a chance to see Dees out explore of heritage is short lived. Dee says to Mama, simply theyre priceless. . .Maggie would cast off them on the bed and in vanadium years theyd be in rags. little than that (Walker 748). Mama will not allow her daughter to take the quilts because she has been saving them for Dees sister, Maggie, and she involves the quilts to be put into everyday use. By helping and living with Mama, Maggie uses the hand-made items in her vitality, experiences the life of her ancestors, and learns the history of both, exemplified by Maggies fellowship of the hand-made items and the people who made thema knowledge in which Dee does not possess.Dee examines to connect with her heritage by taking picture after picture of me sitting on that point in front of the house. . . She never takes a twinge without making sure the house is included (Walker 746). hence showing Dees quest for heritage is external, compliments to have these various items in order to display them in her home. She allowed Dee to run over her enough, and now she would not allow her foolish behavior to carry on, because heritage needs to be put to everyday use and not just be hung up on a wall for people to see.Dee views her heritage as an artifact which she can possess and appreciate from a distance instead of as a summons in which she is always intimately involved. She knows the items are hand-made, plainly she does not know the knowledge and history behind the items. Yet, Mama does know the knowledge and history and she in manage manner knows that Maggie does too. Ironically, Dee criticizes Mama for not understanding heritage when, in fact, Dee fails to understand heritage herself. Throughout the story, the true meaning of heritage is understood by two char acters and avoided by one character.Dee mistakenly places heritage wholly in what she owns, not what she knows. In Amy Tans A Pair of Tickets the theme of Chinese-American life, focuses mainly on mother-daughter relationships, where the mother is an immigrant from China and the daughter is thoroughly Americanized. Tan begins her story by describing a feeling that Jing-mei, the narrator, speaks of. She says, The minute our spring up leaves the Hong Kong border and enters Shenzen, China, I feel different. I can feel the skin on my forehead tingling, my daub rushing through a new course, my clappers aching with a familiar old pain.And I think, my mother was right. I am be approach path Chinese (Tan 120). Tan tells a story within itself magnanimous readers a chance to get to know the character right off the bat and also allowing an understanding of heritage to be brought out. Jing-mei has come to China to hunt her Chinese roots which her mother told her she possessed, and to meet h er two twin half-sisters whom her mother had to abandon on her attempt to flee from the Japanese. Readers can see that Jing-mei has waited her whole life to connect with her heritage when she says, .. . I saw myself transforming wish a werewolf, a mutant tag of desoxyribonucleic acid suddenly triggered, replicating into a syndrome, a cluster of telling Chinese behaviors, all those things my mother did to embarrass me. . . . But today I realize Ive never really known what it means to be Chinese. I am thirty-six years old. My mother is unfounded and I am on a train, carrying with me her dreams of access home. I am going to China (Tan 120). Although Jing-mei was not born in China like her mother, she now has a grasp on her life and on her mothers.By having the story take place on a train in China, helps the tracing of heritage become real for readers. Strong feelings of happiness and brokenheartedness are felt when Jing-mei traces her Chinese roots and becomes in touch with her he ritage and her past allowing readers to place themselves in the same situation and experience the feelings are existence portrayed by the characters. Learning about family heritage is something people do not always understand, like Jing-mei, people do not always want to believe their past and heritage.When coming to an understanding of their past, people can lay to rest their urging melodic themes and can come closer in contact with their present life. Now that Jing-mei has met her sisters, she can now make intermission in her life knowing that she has fulfilled her dreams and the dreams of her mother. Amy Tan reveals Jing-meis epiphany well by writing, I look at their faces once again and I see no trace of my mother in them. Yet they simmer down look familiar. And now I also see what part of me is Chinese. It is so obvious. It is my family. It is in our blood. After all these years, it can finally be let go (Tan 134).Jing-mei finally realizes that she is Chinese and that her m other was right. Jing-mei also says, unneurotic we look like our mother. Her same eyes, her same mouth, dissipate in surprise to see, at last, her long care for wish (Tan 134), thus adding on to her realization of her heritage and past. Jing-mei can now lay to rest the thought of her mother never seeing her twin daughters again and continue on with her existing life, but now with a different perspective, a Chinese perspective. Throughout both of the stories, heritage becomes a major factor.The characters coming to an understanding of heritage helps readers to become more mesmerized with the stories. Bringing out the points in Walkers Everyday Use and Tans A Pair of Tickets gives readers a chance to see the heritage shining through. References Tan, A. (1999) A Pair of Tickets. In E. Kennedy and D. Gioia (7th Ed. ). Literature An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. (p. 120-134) New York City, NY Longman. Walker, A. (2008). Everyday Use. In R. DiYanni (6th Ed. ). Literature Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. (p. 743-749). United States of America McGraw Hill.