The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus Why That’s Absurd! Essay Example

The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! Paper The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! Before the mid-twentieth century, â€Å"tragedy† was a special word reserved, as Aristotle wrote, only for those in power. Modernist literature (spearheaded by Arthur Miller’s Tragedy and the Common Man), however, muddied the waters — depicting many different types of people as tragic heroes. Among the first of these so-called commoner tragic heroes was Albert Camus’ Meursault. Like the classically tragic Sisyphus in ancient Greek mythology, Meursault goes through a crisis, is punished in an absurd manner (he is sentenced to death not for killing a man, but for being insufficiently gloomy after his mother’s death) and yet eventually accepts his fate. The Myth of Sisyphus, a philosophical essay written in 1942 by Albert Camus describes the absurd and existentialist elements of the classic Greek legend. In the myth, Sisyphus is punished by the Gods; he is condemned to roll a rock up a hill (until the weight overwhelms him and the rock rolls back down the hill) for all of eternity. We will write a custom essay sample on The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Within his 120-page essay, Camus compares Sisyphus’ amaranthine task to the jobs many modern men and women have in factories and offices. â€Å"The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd,† Camus writes. â€Å"But it is tragic only at the rare moments when it becomes conscious† (Camus 77). This interesting view of Camus has been duplicated time and again by other writers, and with good reason. He accurately pinpoints the absurdity of the repetitive modern life and elaborates further on the concept of absurdity in existentialism (in the quoted essay as well as numerous other works). Indeed, Camus believes Sisyphus is absurd (and tragic) because of his apparent indifference — his acknowledgement of the futility of his task and the acceptance of his fate. Camus ponders over what Sisyphus must be thinking on his way down the hill (for the billionth or so time), and concludes that his absurd resignation has rendered him content. â€Å"Happiness and absurd are two sons of the same earth,† Camus writes. â€Å"They are inseparable† (77). â€Å"One must imagine Sisyphus happy,† Camus later elaborates (78). Similarly, Camus depicts Meursault as reasonably happy after he receives his sentence. Indeed, Meursault is at ease sitting in his jail cell. As he mentally prepares himself for execution, Meursault thinks, â€Å"As if that blind rage had washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself—so like a brother, really—I felt happy and that I was happy again† (Camus 122/123). He not only accepts his fate, but greets it as a brother — sickly; or rather, absurdly. Throughout the whole book, in fact, Meursault seems frighteningly indifferent. Even after his girlfriend Marie proposes to him, Meursault appears detached and apathetic. These facets of The Stranger (which befuddle many readers) certainly contribute to the tragedy of the story. In accordance with the rules of tragedy in existentialism, both Sisyphus and Meursault encounter absurd crises. Consequently, both receive horrific punishments — punishments that would cause the average person significant stress. Even with their crises and punishment, however, both Sisyphus and Meursault accept the low-number and off-suit cards they were dealt, perhaps even taking them willingly. Both of their stories are, accordingly, tragedies (in the modern sense if not as defined by Aristotle). The Cabot Literary Glossary defines a tragic hero as â€Å"a character who experiences an inner struggle because of a character flaw; that struggle ends in the defeat of the hero† (â€Å"Cabot Literary Glossary†). Sisyphus and Meursault both have very obvious flaws — Sisyphus disrespects the Gods and Meursault kills the Arab — and both become conscious of their punishments. They are surely tragic heroes as defined both by Camus and existentialism in general. Existentialism in general is a principle based on the fact that people have free will and are ultimately responsible for their own choices. Existentialism also examines emotions and one’s essence versus one’s existence. It is further evident that tragedy not only fits into but is an integral part of existentialism. Tragedy deals entirely with the flaws one possesses and the choices one makes with regard to the flaws. Both Meursault and Sisyphus are brought down by their flaws, and both make the very apparent (and perhaps unusual) choice to disregard the obvious feelings of despair and, as they say, put on a happy face. This is central to both their essence and their existence. Even today, some seventy or so years after its completion, Camus is widely considered to be one of the leading existential writers with regard to absurdity. This branch of existential writing holds, basically, that anything can happen to anyone; in essence, bad things can befall good people. Rather, the absurd world in which we live can plummet anyone into tragedy. Camus’ signature character, Meursault is one of the all-time greatest examples of an absurd and tragic hero for his indifference and personality in general. Sisyphus too experienced a catastrophe and suffered a similarly absurd fate. Most significant of all, both react in a similar manner: with contentment. Works Cited â€Å"Cabot Literary Glossary. † cpsia. k12. ar. us. Web. Accessed 21 Dec. 2010. cpscia. k12. ar. us/Curriculum/Parent%20Guides/Hyperlinked%20%20Cabot%20Parent% 20Guides/Glossary. doc. Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus, and Other Essays. New York: Vintage, 1955. Online, PDF. Camus, Albert. The Stranger. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1988. Print.

Land Degradation essays

Land Degradation essays Land degradation is a decline in the quality of land. There are several major types of land degradation in Australia. Some of which are listed below: Soil erosion occurs when large numbers of trees are removed from a small area. Normally, soil is held together by tree roots. However, when these trees are removed, there is nothing to hold the soil together, so when the wind blows the rich, fertile topsoil is easily blown away. Once this has occurred, crops planted on this land are of lesser quality and quantity, as there are less nutrients present in the soil. Sometimes this problem is so severe that crops can not be planted at all. This is a big problem to farmers, as their profits are greatly reduced. The only solution is to plant trees with strong roots in an effort to hold the soil together, to prevent further damage, and, years later, to try to replant crops. The only way that we can resolve soil erosion is by leaving trees in a small area as is, and cutting down trees in big areas where trees arent really needed. If we can do this, Soil erosion will hopefully be kept to a minimum and farmers would be able to make more profit and provide us with food. Soil salinity is another problem related to the removal of trees. Underneath the soil is a layer of water called the water table. Normally, the level of this stays constant, as any rain is absorbed by the trees. However, when these trees are removed, rainfall causes the water table to rise, bringing with it dissolved salts from rocks deep under the earth. The water then becomes salty. As salty water cannot be absorbed by plants, the plant runs out of water, so its leaves fall off. Without these leaves, photosynthesis can not occur, so the plants die. This is called dieback. This can only be helped by planting one of a very few salt-tolerant trees, which help by: 1. Absorbing rainfall, preventing the water table from rising further. 2. Removing salt from the water, thi...

Final exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Final exam - Essay Example lution in any way and it would be very wise for any person to accept reality as a stepping stone in trying to solve different kinds of problems that we encounter every day in our lives. Basically, real life is concerned with solving problems hence it would be sheer waste of time to be found crying when confronted with a difficult situation because life itself is an experience where we encounter new things on a daily basis. There was a time when I was so devastated after loosing my most prized possession, a state of the art laptop to thieves. I even contemplated committing suicide but little did I know then that greater things were lying ahead. From this traumatic experience, I learned that it is a noble gesture to accept reality. I reassured myself that, if in the first place I managed to buy this machine with a purpose in life, there was nothing whatsoever that would stop me from replacing it. Whilst recounting the loss, this unfortunate incident rekindled the sense of self determin ation in my life and within a couple of weeks, I had acquired an even more advanced machine. I also learned that it was always very wise to take precautionary measures of also storing my data on an external hard drive such that I would not loose my valuable information in the event of a similar incident mentioned above. From this experience, I realized that the tendency of submitting yourself to fate does not solve anything in real life. By virtue of accepting reality, one stands better chances of solving problems than someone who believes in crying. Over and above, it can be noted that sometimes really bad things may happen to our lives but that would not in actual fact spell the end of the world. Accepting reality is a virtue and there is no use of behaving like a cry baby in the case of misfortunes as this would not reverse the actual situation on the ground. In fact, we gain more experience from such kind of bad

Film Project Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Film Project - Movie Review Example Reputation, on the part of the media, the corporation or the personal, has been at stake; problematic and crucial. Cases have been filed. Conflicts escalated together with securing one’s beloved. Wigand, who has been fired, reluctantly hesitates to expose yet managed to submit to the call of a journalist who has valued integrity, objectivity and professionalism to deliver high calibre news for the public to know and scrutinize. Publicity in exchange of privacy becomes intriguing and trivialized. Lies and truth interacts. Defamation and scrutiny has been rampant. The conflict unfolds as the story proceeds; integrating the reality and fantasy. Based on a life story, the discourse of politics becomes crucial as ideology complicates the complex scenario. Biased or Unbiased? Just or Unjust? Critical engagement becomes a crucial matter when public is at stake. Right are violated and uphold but does it really matter? Corporate interest has a political inclination that cannot be disregarded. In the film, it can be seen that in certain cases and scenarios like showing the clip of the CEO of denying the truth about the purpose of nicotine. 1 This already implicates the condition that the corporations have been after their personal interest as an institution without any regard to the effects expatriated towards the public. Manipulation happens in this case since the corporation tries its best to intervene with the decision of Dr. Wigand; especially about not exposing the complexities and technicalities that surround the operations of the company. 2 On a more personal level, there is already an intense conflict between which decision must be taken into account: Dr. Wigand has the option to say or not to say the secrets about the company as it might become a breach of contract with the corporation or a possible neglect of duty of ensuring the

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 12

Ethics - Essay Example This is because the topic is a sensitive on among certain communities present in the campus the paper is situated. Advertisements are hypothetically expected to have a positive impact on the audience. They are also expected to be sensitive to the issues affecting the community (Sheehan 178). Therefore, it is wrong for the university to run the advertisement on holocaust. The holocaust was an infamous historical period, which affected the Jewish community in Europe adversely. Therefore, the event is bound to raise strong emotions predominantly from the Jewish community in the campus. Since the period had grave consequences for the community, there should be sensitivity when approaching the issue (Shimp 319). This is because, as a journalist, it is imperative to consider the impact of the communication on the community. Therefore, it is morally incorrect to run this advertisement judging from the reaction that may be experienced from the community. Not running the advertisement will avert eliciting negative reactions from the community (Tyagi and Kumar 328). Advertisements are powerful tools for persuading the public to adopt certain mindsets. Therefore, it is imperative that journalists appreciate the significance of these communications among the community. If this is the case, moral considerations should be key in advertisements to avoid eliciting negative reactions from the

The UK Construction Industry: Impact of the Recession

The UK Construction Industry: Impact of the Recession INTRODUCTION Chapter 1: Background Information According to the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), the UK construction industry has 250,000 firms employing 2.1 million people, and contributes 8.2 percent of the nations Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Construction companies provide employment for every skill level from labourers to architects as well as the opportunity to work for every size of firm from family run businesses, to major contractors. Its efficient operation and competitiveness is also essential to the fulfilment of the Governments commitment to improve public services and infrastructure. The delivery of new schools, hospitals, affordable housing, eco homes, all depend on the success of the construction sector to deliver. Key issues the construction industry is facing in 2009 With cut-backs, uncertainty and more red tape it looks as if 2009 will be a challenge. To say the year has been one of turmoil and change is an understatement. The reeling financial markets and the swelling sense of gloom overshadowing the general economic outlook have, naturally, a corollary in the construction industry always a lag barometer for the economic climate. And the uncertainty is far from over. If some experts are correct, we may be witnessing just the initial battering of the storm. Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, has admitted it is likely that the country is heading for a â€Å"prolonged and painful recession†. In the last twelve months, the national and global situation has worsened. So in this light, below are the authors predictions for the biggest issues that UK construction will face. Skills The recession is forcing employers to look at restructuring and, ultimately, redundancies. For an industry that has enjoyed a boom for years, this is going to be a massive change of mindset employers need to be very careful they manage any redundancies properly or we will see an increase in litigation in this area. However, and perhaps perversely, the industry will continue to suffer major skills shortages, particularly in the South-east, where 2012 is a tremendous opportunity, but one which casts a skills shadow. This time, project management skills will be in short supply, due to lack of training facilities or lack of investment in education sponsoring from construction companies, rather than labour, where the situation regarding migrant workers who may be returning to their native countries will continue to remain unclear into 2009. Sectors like caring, which still needs a lot of people will attract all the labour force. Temporary workers Agency workers are soon to be given similar rights to permanent staff. It is proposed that the law will change in 2010. The new law will mean that after 12 weeks on assignment, an agency worker will be entitled to ‘equal treatment meaning the same basic working and employment conditions as a comparable permanent employee, including equal pay, notice and holiday entitlement. For an industry that employs a large volume of temporary workers, this is going to be an administrative and financial challenge that will really make itself felt in 2009. Health and safety The recent downward trend in construction-related injuries may well be over, and 2009 could see a significant increase since contractors will be looking to cut down costs on training and overlooking basic safety measures. There are suggestions that considerably different levels of adherence to health and safety rules are due to the rapid influx of migrant workers. Different people behave and act in different ways although all working for UK construction companies. There are some people who are very meticulous about their work and adhere to each and every smallest safety precautions while there are others who can consider petty measures as time wasting. If evidence of this emerges in 2009, we could expect the industry to experience a crackdown from the HSE. We expect to see increasing postponement of Local Authority maintenance work, which will hit small contractors and subcontractors the hardest. The Government is talking about major investment in new schemes. The consequence is that, even allowing for more lending, spend will have to be clawed back from somewhere. It seems inevitable that this will be from maintenance. This will be counter-productive, as maintenance work which puts money into the pockets of smaller contractors, quickly is usually the fastest way to stimulate the economy. House building For what seems like forever, the Government has been hugely vocal about its target for three million new homes by 2020 and 10 ecotowns by 2020. As Construction News reported, housing minister Margaret Beckett is already re-articulating these as â€Å"ambitions† and â€Å"hopes†, rather than firm commitments. (from www.cnplus.co.uk/story.aspx) It would seem inevitable that â€Å"ambitions† might be downplayed further and become â€Å"future aspirations† before long. This will provide more worry for subcontractors who rely on the house-building sector for some of their work. The fact that the UK is still suffering a major shortage of housing particularly affordable housing, regardless of falling house prices does mean, however, that this semantic juggling will only be a 2009 phenomenon. Top 20 Construction Companies Q2 2009 The Top 20 construction companies league table, by construction news, ranks the UKs 20 biggest construction companies by turnover and profit, as follows. The table is updated quarterly, and was last updated inJune 2009. New Infrastructure New infrastructure output in the 12 months to the first quarter of 2009 was 7 per cent higher compared with the previous 12 months and the first quarter of 2009 was 2 per cent higher compared with the previous quarter. The outlook is becoming increasingly gloomy as the worsening economy hits the capital. London escaped the worst of the construction slowdown for much of 2008. Indeed, the value of underlying work starting on site fell by just 3 per cent in 2008. But construction starts in London fell sharply in the fourth quarter of 2008 as the worsening economic conditions took hold. The value of underlying construction starts has continued to slide during the opening months of 2009, with starts during the three months to February 35 per cent down on a year earlier. With financial and property related firms reducing their workforces, many developers have put planned construction projects on hold. The value of underlying office starts, which accounted for about a quarter of the value of underlying construction starts during 2007, fell 21 per cent last year. That said, some developers are still pressing forward with major office projects. Tighter mortgage conditions and sustained pessimism in the residential housing market are now severely impacting private housing construction in London. Having held up well during the first half of 2008, sector starts in the capital are now following a similar trend to the rest of the country. The value of underlying construction starts was  £150 million in the fourth quarter 2008, down 73 per cent on a year earlier. Construction prospects in London are becoming increasingly gloomy. The value of projects in the pre-construction pipeline has fallen away sharply, with underlying planning approvals falling by 36 per cent in value during the fourth quarter of 2008. Large projects are a significant feature of construction activity in London. At first glance the preconstruction pipeline for large projects looks promising. However, given the current economic climate, there is likely to be a higher than normal proportion of planned large projects to be either delayed or abandoned. This is due to the fact that the government is planning to spread its restricted allowable budget across several other vital sectors such as education and health. Nonetheless we should breathe a sign of relief when looking at big projects such Cross rail where preliminary works have begun this year and construction starting in 2010. We should also be looking at temporary relief projects such as the Olympics which need to be completed by mid 2012. These important projects are acting like a lifeline for major construction companies, while waiting for the bad economic climate to change a bit. Overall, construction starts has significantly deteriorated in 2009, which has affe cted small contractors a lot but there is still a glimmer of hope for major firms with very few massive projects. Chapter 2: History of recession The word recession has several meanings. The simplest one could be, a recession happens when our neighbour losses his or her job, and it is a depression when we are made redundant. Economic textbooks tell that a recession is what happens when the economy shrinks for six months on the trot. GDP is used to measure the size of the economy, and when the figures go negative for two successive three months periods (or quarters) the technical definition is met (from http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article5753844.ece). When recessions are prolonged past several months, they become depressions. Unlike recession there is no widely accepted textbook definition of a depression, although some say it comes when GDP shrinks by a total of 10 per cent. It will feel distinctly like a depression if a recession goes on for more than a year. After two years, talk of recessions is sure to be replaced by ultra-glum references to depression. Credit crunch timetable Year 2007 In February HSBC gives an early sign of the crisis to come when it warns of higher than expected mortgage defaults in its US business. In August BNP Paribas suspends three funds exposed to sub-prime mortgages. European Central Bank pumps â‚ ¬95 billion into the markets. In September Northern Rock seeks emergency funding. First run on a UK bank for more than 140 years. In October UBS, of Switzerland, is the worlds first major bank to announce losses from sub-prime-related investments, totalling $3.4 billion. Year 2008 In February Northern Rock is nationalised. In March Bear Stearns, the US investment bank, seeks emergency funding and is sold to JP Morgan in a cut-price deal, sparking week of turmoil in stock markets. In April Nationwide records first annual house price fall for 12 years. In September Lehman Brothers, the US investment bank, goes bust. Bradford Bingley is nationalised. In October The Icelandic banking system collapses. Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB and HBOS are partly nationalised. Year 2009 In January UK officially enters recession. In March Base rate cut to 0.5 per cent. The credit crunch refers to a sudden shortage of funds for lending, leading to a resulting decline in loans available. A Credit Crunch can occur for various reasons: Sudden increase in interest rates (e.g. in 1992, UK government increased rates to 15%) Direct money controls by the government (rarely used by Western Governments these days) A lack of liquidity in the capital markets The recent credit crunch was driven by a sharp rise in defaults on subprime mortgages. These mortgages were mainly in America but the resulting shortage of funds spread throughout the rest of the world. Steps to 2007 / 08 Credit Crunch US mortgage lenders sell many inappropriate mortgages to customers with low income and poor credit. It is hoped with a booming housing market, the mortgages will remain affordable. Often there was lack of controls in the sale of mortgage products. Mortgage brokers got paid for selling a mortgage, so there was an incentive to sell mortgages even if they were too expensive and high chance of default. To sell more profitable subprime mortgages, mortgage companies bundled the debt into consolidation packages and sold the debt on to other finance companies. In other words, mortgage companies borrowed to be able to lend mortgages. The lending was not financed out of saving accounts, for example. These mortgage debts were bought by financial intermediaries. The idea was to spread the risk, but, actually it just spread the problem. Usually subprime mortgages would have a high risk assessment rating. But, when the mortgage bundles got passed onto other lenders, rating agencies gave these risky subprime mortgages a low risk rating. Therefore, the financial system denied the extent of risk in their balance sheets. Many of these mortgages had an introductory period of 1-2 years of very low interest rates. At the end of this period, interest rates increased. In 2007, the US had to increase interest rates because of inflation. This made mortgage payments more expensive. Furthermore, many homeowners who had taken out mortgages 2 years earlier now faced ballooning mortgage payments as their introductory period ended. Homeowners also faced lower disposable income because of rising health care costs, rising petrol prices and rising food prices. This caused a rise in mortgage defaults, as many new homeowners could not afford mortgage payments. These defaults also signalled the end of the US housing boom. US house prices started to fall and this caused more mortgage problems. For example, people with 100% mortgages now faced negative equity. It also meant that the loans were no longer secured. If people did default, the bank couldnt guarantee to recoup the initial loan. The number of defaults caused many medium sized US mortgage companies to go bankrupt. However, the losses werent confined to mortgage lenders, many banks also lost billions of pounds in the bad mortgage debt they had bought off US mortgage companies. Banks had to write off large losses and this made them reluctant to make any further lending, especially in the now dangerous subprime sector. The result was that all around the world, it became very difficult to raise funds and borrow money. The cost of interbank lending has increased significantly. Often it was very difficult to borrow any money at all. The markets dried up. This affected many firms who had been exposed to the subprime lending. It also affected a wide variety of firms who now have difficulty borrowing money. For example, biotech companies rely on ‘high risk investment and are now struggling to get enough funds. The slow down in borrowing has contributed to a slowing economy with the possibility of recession in the US a real problem. Credit Crunch in the UK UK mortgage lenders did not lend so many bad mortgages. Although mortgage lending became more relaxed in the past few years, it still had more controls in place than the US. However, it caused very serious problems for Northern Rock. Northern rock had a high percentage of risky loans, but, also had the highest percentage of loans financed through reselling in the capital markets. When the subprime crisis hit, Northern Rock could no longer raise enough funds in the usual capital market. It was left with a shortfall and eventually had to make the humiliating step to asking the Bank of England for emergency funds. Because the Bank asked for emergency funds, this caused its customers to worry and start to withdraw savings (even though savings werent directly affected) As a result of the credit crunch, the UK has seen a change in the mortgage market. Mortgages have become more expensive. Risky mortgage products- like 125% mortgages have been removed from the market. UK Banks continue to face problems. HBOS (Owner of Halifax) struggled to finance its balance sheet. Like Northern Rock, it financed an expansion of lending by borrowing. Now money markets have frozen up, they couldnt raise enough money to maintain liquidity. Falling House prices. Now that mortgages are difficult to get, demand for houses has slumped. Therefore, house prices have fallen. Lower house prices mean many face negative equity. Therefore, mortgage defaults now cost banks even more (because they cant get back the initial loan. Bradford Bingley was nationalised because it couldnt raise enough finance. The BB had specialised in buy to let loans, which are particularly susceptible to falling house prices. How long will the Credit Crunch Last? The credit crunch could last a long time. This is because: House prices are still falling in the US, reducing the value of mortgage loans Many homeowners still face rising interest rates, when their introductory periods come to an end It can be difficult to regain confidence in the financial markets A recession in the US and global downturn could cause a further rise in bad loans The cheerfully named Profile of Depression shows the fall in UK economic growth, as measured by GDP, following some ofthe key slumps of the past century. It compares these to todays crisis. It illustrates the level of fear among experts about the financial hurricane that has disabled Britain -the ‘Noughties bust had, until very recently, actually been worse than the Great Depression of the 1930s (although it was less ‘Great in Britain than it was in the US, where GDP shrank by more than 25%). LITERATURE REVIEW Chapter 3: Effects of recession on UK construction Industry First of all, some uncomfortable facts and figures: 4,500,000 people on council house waiting lists 300,000 construction jobs in danger across the sector 90,000 predicted job losses for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) builders 71 percent fall in workload for the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) private house builders 61 percent FMB companies expecting lower workloads in 2009 quarter one 60 percent FMB companies reporting fall in workloads for fourth consecutive quarter 52 percent FMB builders warning they will be making staff cuts over the coming months 16 percent house price fall to date 8 construction companies going into insolvency every day 7.5 percent fall in building prices in the last quarter of 2008. The construction industry has been particularly badly hit as a result of the credit crunch and the down turn in the housing market. The industry is facing its biggest challenge for many years. The indicators are that many will struggle to survive in the current market, with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) predicting the loss of over 300,000 jobs within the industry and with 52 percent of FMB members warning that they will be making staff redundant over the coming months. There is currently a crisis in the housing market with many first time buyers unable to get a mortgage let alone afford a first home. Alongside this there are more than 90,000 families living in temporary accommodation and 1.6 million families on council house waiting lists; the case for building new homes is therefore very clear. However, news from the National House Building Council shows new home starts being at their lowest level since 1924. The authors feel that current proposals to deal with this desperate situation dont go far enough in tackling the real problems affecting the UK construction industry and the wider housing sector. If the UK construction industry is to have any realistic chance of surviving this recession, these 10 key issues need to be addressed to kick start the building industry. The effects of the recession are affecting all aspects of the UK national economy. In December 2008, the construction sector shrank at its fastest pace since records began. The most considerable decline was registered in house building, while the civil engineering and commercial sub-sectors also fell at record rates during that month. As well as the decline in the housing construction sector, the housing market has also slumped. According to the Halifax, house prices fell 16.2% in 2008, the biggest annual decline since it began keeping records in 1983. This has made buying a home more affordable when set against earnings than at any time since April 2003. However, getting a mortgage is difficult for many. Data from the Bank of England showed the number of mortgage approvals fell to 27,000 in November 2008, representing at least a nine-year low (from BBC News, 2 January 2009, www.news.bbc.co.uk). Roy Ayliffe, Director of Professional Practice at the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, said: Once again, the housing sector bore the brunt of the crisis as purchasing managers reported significant reductions in new business. Amidst a climate of doom and gloom, firms were forced to axe more jobs in preparation for what is set to be another year of trouble and turmoil. (from Times Online, 5 January 2009, www.timesonline.co.uk) The UK government has plans for public spending and it is hoped that these will include major construction projects, such as roads, schools and other public buildings. This would help the construction industry and those companies that supply the construction industry to ensure continued employment for many. Businesses in the construction industry therefore need to ensure they remain competitive during this difficult economic climate. At the same time, they need to prepare the business to be able to take advantage of any future upturn in the market. Everyone knows the downturn has hit the industry badly. But research commissioned by The Construction News from Emap Glenigan shows the true extent of the contraction, how it breaks down by sector and region, and what the likely outcome for the rest of the year will be. Parts of the industry private housing, offices and industrial are badly affected by the deteriorating economic conditions and the credit crunch. The situation is brighter for those with jobs in infrastructure and the Olympics, although neither of these will be enough to sustain overall industry activity. Historically, economic growth below two per cent has been associated with falls in construction output. Last month, GDP growth for the second quarter was revised down to zero. Consensus forecasts suggest prospects for growth will slow even further in 2009. The gloomy economic conditions have led to a sharp fall in the flow of new projects in the pre-construction pipeline. Glenigan expects construction starts in the UK will fall by five per cent in value during 2009. Private housing has been most affected by the credit crunch. The reappraisal of risk by the banking sector has arguably led to more appropriate criteria for accessing credit. However, as a result the asset price bubble in the housing market has burst. This is causing a long-term contraction in demand since prospective buyers can no longer borrow as much to finance house purchases. Inevitably, those in private housing construction will have to find a way to either cut per unit costs or, more likely, adjust to a new, much lower, level of housing demand. The impact of the credit crunch on other private sector parts of construction industrial, offices, retail and hotels is different. These sectors have not suffered from the asset price bubble evident in private housing. However, investment in each of these sectors is affected by the prevailing economic conditions. As such, the immediate outlook is bleak but, with the Olympics on the horizon, construction prospects for the sector should start to improve in the latter half of 2009, when all major works will need to be started in order to be ready for 2012. The Government has had an ambitious construction-related spending programme across a number of sectors. Education and health in particular will benefit from an increase in the value of construction projects this year. But the Government is not immune to the economic slowdown. The absorption of Northern Rock has already put the Governments finances under pressure. Falling retail sales, rising unemployment and a decline in the profitability of UK firms will reduce tax receipts and add to its difficulties. Looking forward, the poor state of Government finances may jeopardise some of its proposed construction schemes. Major infrastructure projects will continue to help buoy the UK construction industry. Projects such as the widening of the M25 motorway and Crossrail are set to provide a boost to the sector. Ongoing projects such as Thameslink and the Edinburgh tram line will continue to contribute to the sectors workload for some time yet. Outside transport, the sector should also benefit from increased capital expenditure by water and electricity utilities. At present, the macroeconomic and sector-specific conditions are having a much bigger impact on the UK construction outlook than regional factors. Regional variations Differences in the composition of construction sectors within each region explain much of the variation in the regions respective prospects. For instance, regions where industrial construction is relatively significant, such as the West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside, will see the value of construction starts contract this year. The North-east, which has relatively less exposure to private housing than other regions, is faring better. Construction orders down 9% as property market slumps New orders in the British construction industry have continued to plunge as building firms are battered by the credit crunch. The Office for National Statistics said that orders fell by 9% in the three months to November, compared with the previous three months. They were 27% down on a year-on-year basis. The figures showed that new construction orders were particularly weak in November itself, diving 38.6% year-on-year. The private housing sector was a major casualty, with new orders down by 55% compared with a year ago. All the UK house builders have dramatically reined in their activity and cut jobs as the housing market has slumped. Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, said the data showed that the construction sectors recession deepened markedly in the fourth quarter of 2008. He sees little prospect of conditions improving soon. â€Å"With housing market activity and prices likely to remain depressed for some considerable time to come and the commercial property sector in dire straits, the construction sector looks set for extended weakness, despite some support from the government bringing forward some public construction activity and infrastructure spending as part of its fiscal stimulus package,† Archer said. Accountants Grant Thornton said that the construction and property sector was set to be the worst casualty of the economic downturn in 2009, plummeting by 75% in profitability and 71% in turnover from the same period last year. Clare Hartnell, head of property and construction at Grant Thornton, said: â€Å"Profitability and turnover within the construction and property sector are significantly driven by sales and market value; 2008 was a turbulent year as credit dried up and confidence plummeted, causing house prices and the number of properties sold to fall sharply. The decline in the residential market consequently has had a knock-on-effect on the construction sector, where problems have been exacerbated by huge debts as many proposed developments have been put on hold.† http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tnuPqsRPvjute_-qBacPptQoid=4output=image The year 2009 is set to be a trying year to say the least. Part of the reason for this is the current state of the economy. Lack of available credit will have an adverse effect on the ailing construction and property sector. http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tnuPqsRPvjute_-qBacPptQoid=6output=image The June Glenigan Index reveals that promised government funding has finally begun to filtering through to project starts. In particular a rise in educational, health and social housing projects starting on site have helped steady the Index, cutting the year-on-year decline to 20%. Workload trends: Infrastructure Infrastructure saw the value of underlying planning approvals (covering schemes under  £100M) fall sharply last year. Whilst the fall appears to have dampened the flow of project starts, with the value of underlying project starts during the first five months of 2009, 13% down on a year earlier, the overall prospects for the sector are bright. With the help of the new infrastructure planning commission, it is hoped that new planning consents for key projects can be accelerated. Impact of the recession on supply chain The construction industry has got the largest supply chain, compared with other industries. It ranges from mere nails to large modular constructions. It has been a major contributor since the dawn of this industry and has risen in vigour and strength over the years. Its integration with our industry has created a revolution that triggered the rise of new technologies powered by their contribution. This general introduction, gives us a fair knowledge of the value of supply chain to the construction industry. When this unexpected recession struck the markets with tremendous force, the construction industry felt the tremor, and its repercussions were felt throughout its branches. As the properties and developments went down, demand dropped, which in-turn left the developers with no option but to suspend majority of their works. The great â€Å"feeders† supply chain took its toll. Demand for their products vanished. Then the only rule of law that applies is â€Å"Survival of the fittest†, i.e. the one who could bring best deals could survive (both in price and Quality) and others would go bust. By and large the prices soured. Illustration with an example would clearly explain what the authors are trying to convey. Major components of our industry are cement, ready-mix, rebar and structural steel. Their price variation could indicate the trail recession took. http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tnuPqsRPvjute_-qBacPptQoid=2output=image All major supply resources have dropped in price dramatically one or the other time, to merely survive this recession rather than making profit. One of the major suppliers, now are for the ODA. Even they are experiencing the crunch. All the pre-allocated works, which assured definite return, are re-examined to align with the new prices. This has created friction, and even few of them moved on for adjudication. ODA has awarded contracts to around 1036 suppliers, most of which are small to medium sized businesses. This is a government initiative to prop up the middle class players, and there-by securing best deal contracts. Similar public investments could be seen in the health and education sectors, which form large part of the construction order-book and keep the pressure off. The main issue here is the growing trend of irresponsible pricing to win the scarce bids. That is, pricing below the cost. Many experts have warned of the return of industrial dispute culture of the 1980. This could ruin the objective. Recessionary impact was clearly felt when private investments dried up and forced the government twice to dip into the contingency budget. Due to this ill demand, there has been deterioration in construction product manufacturing. All heavy side manufacturers and 91% of light side manufacturers reported that sales had fallen; unprecedented results have been collected, research shows

Becoming a Schoolteacher Essay examples -- Teaching Education Reflecti

My Views and Goals on Education I have to agree with Socrates when he says that children are born naturally good and society makes them bad. I believe that God gives everyone the same opportunities in life. What you do with the abilities he gives you is your decision. Becoming a schoolteacher to me is the best thing a person can do in life. You have the opportunity to individually help a child broaden their learning skills and help give them a chance at a better life. Discipline is something I feel a teacher should have in the classroom. If there is no control then there is no learning. From the very first day, the teacher should let the students no that she is in charge. Although I don’t feel that you should humiliate a child in front of others, but you should be firm and consistent. I agree with Skinner where he says that reinforcement and punishment are needed in the classroom. He says to reinforce behavior good or bad right after it occurs because the child will forget about it if you try to do it later. If the child was brought up the right way, then they will respect the teacher enough to listen to what they say. As long as the student is respecting you as a teacher, then I feel you should respect them as a student. All children are not the same and should not be treated the same. Some are fast learners and some are not. When you see a child falling behind you should take the time to help. A lot of time gifted students are looked over. Mainly because they may not have the proper testing material in schools. A gifted student may not always be the student who gets an A on ever test. It may be the young child failing every test because the mater... ...n out there who cares for them and cares about what they do. I think by encouraging and praising a child you can get them to accomplish a lot of things. I also think a child should be taught the difference between right and wrong. They don’t know on their own and will never learn if they are not taught. By punishing them or by not letting them participate with the others you can show them when they are doing something they are not a loud to do. The way I look at education is this: life is hard enough with an education. So why try to go through life without one. As a teacher I want to give children an opportunity for an education so they can make something out of themselves. Every little bit helps and puts you one step closer to your goals in life. Everyone has a purpose in life and I feel that my purpose is to be a teacher.

Related Literature of Peer Pressure Essay

In the book â€Å"All American Girl† by Meg Cabot, Samantha Madison, a sophomore artist-to-be, is an outcast in John Adams Preparatory School and has only one friend, Catherine, who unlike Sam, craves to be part of the ‘in-crowd’ or the popular in the school. Many other teens today also crave to be part of the popular crew in their school and they would do almost anything for it. In another book entitled â€Å"Queen Bees and Wannabes† by Rosalind Wiseman, it talks about a girl who just transferred to a new school in America and how she finds a way to fit in with the so called ‘Queen bees’ of the school and how it eventually leads to cat fights, lies, gossips and fake apologies. Typical girls today always want to be the popular girl that everyone stares at when they walk in the hallway. They would change anything and everything about them just to fit in. Even change their hair, clothes and attitude. â€Å"Thirteen† a 2003 drama film, a thirteen-year-old girl that was a victim of peer pressure turned to drugs, alcohol and self-mutilation for help. She cares less about her studies and continuously becomes more impulsive. She becomes a criminal and a drug addict. This is rampant in the world today for both boys and girls. They think that it is â€Å"cool† to do drugs and have sex and steal to fit in and be popular. These are the main problems in teens today and it’s mostly caused by peer pressure. In a Pizar animated film entitled â€Å"Nemo† the young fish was kidnapped because of peer pressure. He tries to impress his friends and things got worse as he was placed in an aquarium. Now his dad, is practically afraid of the ocean, goes to a cross-ocean adventure battling many trials with his mentally disabled friends.

Microsoft Corporation Marketing Strategy

Microsoft Corporation Marketing Strategy Marketing is an integral part in an organization; when devising the marketing strategy to adopt marketing managers need to understand the target market of their commodities. Different products are likely to have a number of customers in different parts of the world; marketers need to segment the market and decide the specific area, age-gap, economic status, and the social well being of the market to focus on.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Microsoft Corporation Marketing Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Market segmentation is a marketing approach where managers establish their market segments or focus market: focus market is a homogenous subset of the main market, which share similar characteristics that make then demand/require similar goods. Whether in the service or good industry, companies need to have effective marketing policies; Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational headquartered in Redm ond, Washington. To sells its products; which are services, the company has enacted effective marketing policy (Anctil, 2008). This paper discusses the marketing approach as adopted by Microsoft. Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Corporation is an international developer, manufacture, supporter, seller, and licenser of a wide range of products and service for the computing industry. Although the company is located in the United States, it fetches its market from different parts of the globe; with the wide market the company has an aggressive marketing team. The company was initially incorporated to sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800 on 04th 1975 however with innovationa dn invention, the company advanced its services to market MSDOS in the mod 1980’s. some of the competitors that the company has to contend with include IBM and Apple Inc. Describe the main line of business of the company Microsoft Corporation manufactures and sells operating systems for information comm unication gadgets like computers and laptops; currently the company has five main products divisions as Microsoft Business Division, Windows Windows Live Division, Online Services Division, Server and Tools, and Entertainment and Devices Division. Names four of the countries in which the company operates Microsoft operates in the following nations: United States, United Kingdom, China, and South Africa.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Marketing Mix for Microsoft With the similarities of a market segment, an organization is able to develop effective marketing strategy where focus shifts to devising the correct method to sell and address the needs of the target market. One common method in contemporary business environment to strategize for target market sales is the use of marketing mix (marketing mix looks into four main areas of the established market as price, p romotional, places, and product). In a nutshell, a marketing mix is meant to ensure that products are well promoted to customers, they are available when required by customers and they have a price that reflect the quality of the products/services must add value to consumers/users. Competition Although Microsoft Corporation is a leading developer, seller, and marketer of operating systems, the company has a number of competitors which include IBM, Apple, and Google, Linux Operating System, Mozilla, and Opera. To cub competition the company always improves its products with time. Target market Target market refers to the specific class of people with certain homogenous characteristics that a company focus on; After developing a marketing segment, Microsoft next step is to develop mechanisms to enable sales in the target market. Microsoft target market are manufactures and users of electronic gadgets that use their operating systems; to sell to the market, the company ensures its has an effective marketing campaign. For instance when selling to computer manufacturers, the management uses word of mouth to sell the products. The company’s effective marketing mix ensures that goods are available to the target customer, when they need them and they are affordable. Having the marketing segment in mind, then the company can know the kind of products that will be produced (Campbell, Edgarm Stonehouse, 2011). The following chart shows how a marketing strategy can be developed:Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Microsoft Corporation Marketing Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Product strategy With advancement in information technology, research and development department at Microsoft have taken the initiative of undertaking wide research and coming up with products that are more user friendly and can handle more information transmitted via computers. With the product strategy, the company e nsures that it develops high quality packages are sold to customer; the success of the company is dependent on the quality and reliability of the products; when products are of the right quality and meet the standards of the people, they are likely to be competitive amidst competitor products. When a company is developing a product, there should be the need that the product is supposed to fulfill. The company ensures that it improves one product after the other, for instance since MsDos, there have been other better versions of operation which include window XP, Window Vista, Window 2003, and Window 7. Distribution strategy To reach to the target customers, the company has devised different method to reach the target customer; depending with the products/ the services, the company sells them in disks and over the internet where someone can download and use the services. The method of distribution enables the company to reach its target customers with ease; with the option of downloa ding a software, the company has been able to sell its products in different parts of the world successively (Kotler Denize, 2008). Communication strategy Having products and services is the start point, the company has to ensure that it communicates to the target customer of the existence of the products/services. To undertake this role, Microsoft uses a mixture of approaches. Marketing communication denotes the planned activity of disseminating certain information to a target audience in order to create a favorable and receptive scenario for certain a product, service or idea.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The most basis method that Microsoft adopts is the use of word of mouth; the approach is used for corporate customers where marketers physically sell the products to the companies; with the advent of competitive corporate culture, the relevance and urgency of marketing the method is effective to sell wide range of the company’s products. According to marketing gurus a well-designed and thoroughly crafted marketing communication strategy can provide a definite competitive advantage to an organization; at Microsoft, the marketing department is given the mandate of determining the best communication strategy that the company should implement. Microsoft marketing department looks at the prevailing corporate scenario, and then c up with the best policy to sell its services (Kotabe Helsen, 2004). Pricing strategy Microsoft sets prices that are competitive in the market and offer maximum returns; it ensures that the products reflect quality it is the policy of the company that pric es set should be attractive to the customers. The cost of services can break or make a company, it is likely to make services/products competitive and convincing the customer to buy them is fast. The company sets its prices using premium pricing approach and price skimming strategy. price skimming strategy and premium pricing approach are pricing methods where a company sets products prices at relatively high prices than that offered by the competitor; the strategy is particularly effective with unique or new products in the market. Price skimming strategy is an approach used by companies with strong brand name in the approach, Microsoft is one such company thus it uses the method to reach to target customers. The company use its name to charge expensively for their goods, as people will believe that they have good services; it also a strategy to capture the high-class people in the economy that think that expensive is quality. The reason for the pricing model and skimming method is because the model rewards a new innovation in a product which conforms to the nature of Microsoft; Microsoft has a strong brand name thus it can effectively use price-skimming strategy. According to marketing theory of brand extension, price-skimming strategy can be an effective method of pricing when the company using it has a strong brand name; Apple falls in the category (Fred, 2008). Describe any differences observed in the implementation of this concept, from one country to another Although Microsoft Corporation has a centralized marketing team, the company takes into account cultural, ethnical, and social-economic differences in different countries. With the above understanding, marketing campaigns are custom-made for different countries. For instance in developing countries where access to computers is limited, the company has concentrated on disk-software sales while in developed countries the company uses downloaded software method. References Anctil, E. (2008). Marketing and Advertising the Intangible. ASHE Higher Education Report, 34(2), 31-47. Campbell, D., Edgar, D.. Stonehouse, G.(2011). Business Strategy: An Introduction. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Fred, D. (2008). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. New Jersey: Pearson Education. Kotabe, M., Helsen, K.(2004). Global Marketing Management. New York: John Wiley Sons. Kotler, P., Denize, A. (2008). Principles of Marketing. Frenchs Forest NSW: Pearson Education Australia.

Free Essays on Ghandi

Viglante Justice Vigilantism is viewed sign frustration with the system. This sends the messege to people that the police and courts have failed to provide security and justice. This is the reason certain people in society choose vigilantism over what is thought to be right for the people. But, these are often the same people who are in favour of democracy and try to achieve equality among all. Stopping vigilante is not easy, but i believe that films and film makers are doing little to provoke the growing popluarity by giving the idea that revenge killing is acceptable, instead of encouraging society to trust the judicial system. for Example Movies involving violent crime often position the viewer to sympathise with the victim who enacts the revenge by killing, hove the messege of it being acceptable .A Time To Kill, Sleepers and Eye For An Eye all confront the issue of revenge killing, which makes society to question the legal system and place justice solely on the individual. If we did not live in a society with other people, laws would not be needed. We would do as we want, with no respect to others. But since individuals began to live with other people laws have been the back bone of society. In Canada we have many laws effecting all aspects in life, laws in business ensure that people keep their promises and laws against criminal conduct help to protect our property and our lives. Even in a well-ordered society, people have disagreements, the law must provide a way to resolve the confrentations peacefully. Some Dictatorship governments have cruel laws, enforced by police forces free to arrest and punish people without trial. This may provide a great deal of order, but is looked upon as inhunmain form of control. The Canadian legal system respects individual rights while, at the same time, ensuring that society operates in an orderly manner. In Canada, there is the Rule of Law, which means that the law applies to ever... Free Essays on Ghandi Free Essays on Ghandi Gandhi knew the path. It was straight and narrow. Gandhi believed that from his weakness he failed a thousand times, but he would not lose faith. His soul refused to be satisfied so long as it is a helpless witness of a single wrong or a single misery (Brown 3). But it was not possible for him, a weak, frail being, to mend every wrong or to hold himself free of blame for all the wrong that he saw. The spirit in him pulled one way, the flesh in him pulled in the opposite direction. There was freedom from the action of these two forces, but that freedom was attainable only by slow and painful stages. Gandhi could not attain freedom by a mechanical refusal to act, but only by intelligent action in a detached manner (Brown 11). This struggle resolves itself into an incessant crucifixion of the flesh so that the spirit may become entirely free (Brown 15). Gandhi was a seeker of truth. He claimed to have found a way to it. He claimed to be making a ceaseless effort to find it. Gandhi admitted that he had not yet found it. To find truth completely is to realize oneself and one's destiny, that is, to become perfect. He was painfully conscious of his imperfection, which is where his strength lied, because it was a rare thing for a man to know his own limitations (Brown 34). Gandhi’s trust was solely in God. He only trusted men because he trusted God. If he had no God to rely upon, he would trust no man (Attenborough 3). Gandhi would not be a traitor to God to please the whole world. He felt that whatever striking things he had done in his life, he had not done prompted by reason but prompted by instinct and trust in God (Attenborough 20). Gandhi was a man of faith. His reliance was solely on God. Gandhi stated, â€Å"One step is enough for me. The next step He will make clear to me when the time for it comes.† (Attenbor ough 55) Gandhi felt there was an indefinable mysterious power that pervaded everything. He could feel it, though he ... Free Essays on Ghandi A number of changes in Ghandi’s personal life soon impacted his growing celebrity. The first was his achievement of Brahmacharya, or the voluntary abstention from sexual relations. This was not an uncommon Hindu practice among men in their forties and fifties, who gradually cease sexual activity once they have had enough children to satisfy the demands of custom, family and caste, but Ghandi adopted the practice between 1901 and 1906, when he was in his thirties. He seems to have regarded it as part of his quest for selflessness and restraint in all aspects of life; in his writings, he suggests that as a young man he succumbed too easily to lust, and recounts how he failed to be with his father when he died because he was making live to his wife, a lapse of duty for which he never forgave himself. Whether or not Ghandi’s decision was based on pure principle, amateur psychologists have speculated exhaustively about alternative motives. Suffice it so say that from 19 06 onward, with Kasturbai’s consent ( she was physically frail at this point, and may have welcomed his decision), Ghandi was almost entirely celibate. At the same time, Ghandi read for the first time John Ruskin’s book, Unto This Last, which maintained that the life of labor, that is of work done with the hands, rather than machines, was superior to all other ways of living. Ghandi was convinced by the argument, and he considered this new idea the final piece to his personal philosophy. He quickly applied Ruskins’s belief to his personal life, abandoning Western dress and habits, and moving his family and staff to a farm in the Transvaal that he called the Phoenix Settlement. There, he strove to live the life that Ruskin’s book urged. After some time, he even gave renounced the use of an oil powered engine and printed Indian Opinion by handwheel. From that point on, he conceived of his political work not in terms of a modernization of India, but as a... Free Essays on Ghandi Viglante Justice Vigilantism is viewed sign frustration with the system. This sends the messege to people that the police and courts have failed to provide security and justice. This is the reason certain people in society choose vigilantism over what is thought to be right for the people. But, these are often the same people who are in favour of democracy and try to achieve equality among all. Stopping vigilante is not easy, but i believe that films and film makers are doing little to provoke the growing popluarity by giving the idea that revenge killing is acceptable, instead of encouraging society to trust the judicial system. for Example Movies involving violent crime often position the viewer to sympathise with the victim who enacts the revenge by killing, hove the messege of it being acceptable .A Time To Kill, Sleepers and Eye For An Eye all confront the issue of revenge killing, which makes society to question the legal system and place justice solely on the individual. If we did not live in a society with other people, laws would not be needed. We would do as we want, with no respect to others. But since individuals began to live with other people laws have been the back bone of society. In Canada we have many laws effecting all aspects in life, laws in business ensure that people keep their promises and laws against criminal conduct help to protect our property and our lives. Even in a well-ordered society, people have disagreements, the law must provide a way to resolve the confrentations peacefully. Some Dictatorship governments have cruel laws, enforced by police forces free to arrest and punish people without trial. This may provide a great deal of order, but is looked upon as inhunmain form of control. The Canadian legal system respects individual rights while, at the same time, ensuring that society operates in an orderly manner. In Canada, there is the Rule of Law, which means that the law applies to ever... Free Essays on Ghandi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in the town of Porbander in the state of what is now Gujarat on 2 October 1869. He had his schooling in nearby Rajkot, where his father served as the adviser or prime minister to the local ruler. Though India was then under British rule, over 500 kingdoms, principalities, and states were allowed autonomy in domestic and internal affairs: these were the so-called 'native states'. Rajkot was one such state. Gandhi later recorded the early years of his life in his extraordinary autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth. His father died before Gandhi could finish his schooling, and at thirteen he was married to Kasturba [or Kasturbai], who was even younger. In 1888 Gandhi set sail for England, where he had decided to pursue a degree in law. Though his elders objected, Gandhi could not be prevented from leaving; and it is said that his mother, a devout woman, made him promise that he would keep away from wine, women, and meat during his stay abroad. Gandhi left behind his son Harilal, then a few months old. In London, Gandhi encountered theosophists, vegetarians, and others who were disenchanted not only with industrialism, but with the legacy of Enlightenment thought. They themselves represented the fringe elements of English society. Gandhi was powerfully attracted to them, as he was to the texts of the major religious traditions; and ironically it is in London that he was introduced to the Bhagavad Gita. Here, too, Gandhi showed determination and single-minded pursuit of his purpose, and accomplished his objective of finishing his degree from the Inner Temple. He was called to the bar in 1891, and even enrolled in the High Court of London; but later that year he left for India. After one year of a none too successful law practice, Gandhi decided to accept an offer from an Indian businessman in South Africa, Dada Abdulla, to join him as a legal adviser. Unbeknown to...

Women are Still Treated like a Minority in the Workplace Personal Statement

Women are Still Treated like a Minority in the Workplace - Personal Statement Example And progressively higher numbers of women are taking part-time positions which are associated with lower pay rates than men, even after other dynamics have been factored in. Women’s employment opportunities are highly concentrated in traditionally female-dominated careers which are usually the lower paid. Women continue to be under-represented in the better-paid positions within occupations. Qualified women are typically deprived of top-level employment in corporate organizations, but instead of calling it what it is, discrimination and sexism, this form of disproportionate treatment are called the ‘glass ceiling’ effect. Women certainly are expected to have to perform more work a man to maintain the same pay rate and a similar position. Despite greater than ever levels of labor market involvement, women are still not uniformly represented, particularly at senior positions within organizations. This includes those corporations that cater expressly to women consume rs. This plainly observable fact of business has been termed ‘the glass ceiling.’ The phrase refers to the â€Å"invisible, artificial barriers that prevent qualified individuals from advancing within their organization and reaching full potential† (Hewitt & Roche, 2003).

Government Website Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Government Website Evaluation - Essay Example Next, the program talks with a Diplomat in Residence to discuss student internship with the America Department of State. The audience in the US Department website is students, who visit website to find opportunities for student internship. Students are the main stakeholders of this government website while the department has its website designers who carry out programming (Webdesign n.d.). Other stakeholders of this website are internal website users, including managers, marketing professionals, customer service reps, IT, and sales people. These stakeholders create programs in the website where students can find important information and learning facilities (Webdesign n.d.). Study level, age, location, and family backgrounds are some of the characteristics, which define audience members who visit the website. This website invites users or audiences to comment on a certain issue facing students within their class environments or the community. Students can achieve this, by sharing and chatting. Therefore, the opportunity engages students to contribute their story to the public by sharing their experiences. The search feature on this website helps students look for open opportunities for an internship. The internship program caters for all students in US institutions and uses a language that students can understand and comprehend. The tone of the writing is specifically tailored for students to easily understand. The government websites exhibit several ethos that are explained in its privacy policy and terms of use. The website highly regards the confidentiality of its users as outlined in its privacy policy. Trust and breaching of contracts are additional ethos detailed on the website. The purpose of the government website is to help the student start a new career in foreign countries. The opportunities detailed on the website give students an