Amys bread case study Essay

1. Who are the main players (name and position)? The main Player in this is Amy Scherber and she is the manager and owner. Another main character is Toy Kim Dupree and he is Amy’s assistant manager. 2. In what business or businesses and industry or industries is the company operating? Amy’s bread is in the business of selling bread products both wholesale and retail. They sell primarily to high quality restaurants, hotels and food shops. 3. What are the issues and problems facing the company? (Sort them by importance and urgency.) It is hard to make a large profit because Amy pays her employees a higher amount then the other business in her field. She also has to employee about four times as many employees to complete the same job due to the intensiveness provided on each batch of bread. The company is also struggling with the idea of wither to expand or stand pat with their business. 4. What is the primary problem for the company/organization in this case? The primary problem in this case is the idea of expansion. The problem is that they do not know if they should expand or stand pat. If they do expand how are they going to centralize their business. Are they going to do strictly wholesale or wholesale and retail. 5. Why have the problem (s) you cite emerged? Identify the causal chain (the events or circumstances that caused the problem-Some will be Internal Weaknesses, others EXTERNAL Threats). This main problem has occurred because they are currently located in a storefront that is not adequate to provide the needs of all their potential customers. The main weakness here is that they are in a bad location for advancement. In their current location they are completing all of the orders that they possibly can. 6. What are the characteristics of the industry that the company is in and how is the industry changing over time? When Amy’s Bread first open bread baking was a growth industry. The U. S Department of Commerce reported there was a 12 percent increase in the consumption of specialty breads per capita. This industry is also very tough to get into there are a great deal of company’s that already have been working with restaurants for a long time. The other problem with the industry is that because it was a growth period many new bakers were trying to enter it and earn a name for them. So the computation for customers is high in the industry and only growing more competitive. 7. What is the firm’s strategy for differentiation, enabling them to compete within the context of their industry? Amy had a clear goal she wanted to be famous for making a great product and for creating a good place to work. Amy’s product itself was different because she set the highest standards on her quality. They also do not use any machines in the shaping of their bread. Every load of bread was hand crafted and shaped which was why her payroll was so high but it set her breads apart from the average shop. 8. What are possible solutions to the problems you have identified? Possible solutions to her crisis on where to go or wither to move at all are one she could not move and be satisfied where she is. The second option is she could move to a building that she would be able to produce large amounts of wholesale goods at and not concentrate on retail goods. The third option is she could move to an even bigger place where she could sell retail product and still meet her needs for wholesale. 9. What are the advantages and possible disadvantages of your solution(s)? If she stays pat then she will be able to turn a marginal profit and meet the needs of her current customers. The disadvantages would be that she would then miss out on opportunity to sell to all the customers that she has on her waiting list and her retail business would not be any bigger. In second option they would be able to meet all her wholesale needs. The disadvantages would be that she could not sell retail customers any more and she would be paying more for the property. In the third option she would be able to sell both retail and wholesale. She would be in a newly developing retail market with access to foot traffic. She would also be able to meet all her whole sale needs. To top it off she would be able to design the layout of the building to fit her exact needs. The disadvantages of this are that it is very expensive. She would get everything that she is looking for but at a substantially higher price then the other two options. 10. Are there any possible problems with your suggested recommendations? What contingencies need to be accommodated? My recommendation would be to choose the third option. It is the most expensive but Amy has already demonstrated that she has a sharp business minded and is able to build business and promote it. The retail space will help spread the word of how good her bread actually is and word of mouth is the best advertisement they could have. The biggest problem that they could have is if they start to loose customers. A second problem would be if the market begins to shift away from the cravings of bread. Or another problem could be that they simply do not add enough customers to be able to afford the new space. Case Study Analysis Narrative Format Case title: Amy’s Bread Student: Nicholas Mustico Date: 3-18-2013 Course: Management Principles Firm Overview and Introduction to the Case (Use this and all headings in your narrative) In this first section of the narrative, you will provide a brief description of the case subject firm and circumstances for your reader. YOU are the expert. Your analysis is reliant on the fact that you’ve read the case at least three In the case study of Amy’s bread you get a complete overview of the company. It discusses where they started how they started and the experience that the owner Amy Scherber has. Amy Scherber is the centerpiece of the company she is the founder, owner, manager, and lead baker/chef for Amy’s bread. Amy is also the main person in charge of the company’s finances and business discussions. Amy is now facing the problem of wither or not she is going to expand her company. She has been able to entrench her business in the tough industry of baking breads. This is a business that is very completive and hard to establish yourself in. Now that she has become establish she has to decide wither she would like to expand to meet consumer’s demands or stay where she is and be happy with what she has accomplished. Internal perspectives (Use this and all headings in your narrative) This section of your narrative is used to explain to your reader the internal, factual information about the case subject organization and the problems you’ve identified. Additionally, in this section you need to describe the causal chain. How did the problem arise? What caused it? The problem in this case would not be a problem if the company had not become as successful as it has. If the company had not become so popular then the small storefront that she had originally solicited would never have become a problem. They did become popular though and now they have to adjust to what they would like to become. No one knows if she had selected a larger site if she would have ever been able to get herself going but if she had then this problem may never have occurred. Her company now is at a point where they cannot satisfy one additional customer due to space constrictions. Amy’s problem is a hard one to decide on but for a company it is a good spot to be in if you have too much potential business. It is always better to have too much opportunity then too little. * External perspectives (Use this and all headings in your narrative) In this section you will describe the characteristics of the industry in which the subject organization operates. Identify any changes over time, which you believe contribute to the problems you’ve identified. Has the Firm’s Strategy for differentiation within their industry caused, Added to or exacerbated the problems you’ve identified? Amy’s bread is in a very complex and difficult industry to work in. She is in a field that has been â€Å"well farmed. † What I mean by that is that there have already been people there doing what she is trying to do. The business she is trying to sell to unless they are newer then her have all already put someone in place to fulfill their need. She then would have to show these businesses that she is that much better then her computation that they have already employed. Amy’s strategy for differentiation is basically being better then the computation. She is striving to have the highest quality, freshest, and most innovative bread selection. She had made it a point that she will not sacrifice quality for anything else including profit. Amy was lucky, or smart enough to enter the backing industry when it was on the rise. Consumption of grains had just begun to rise when Amy entered the industry. The U. S Department of Commerce reported there was a 12 percent increase in the consumption of specialty breads per capita. This industry is also very tough to get into there are a great deal of company’s that already have been working with restaurants for a long time. The other problem with the industry is that because it was a growth period many new bakers were trying to enter it and earn a name for them. So the computation for customers is high in the industry and only growing more competitive. This main problem has occurred because they are currently located in a storefront that is not adequate to provide the needs of all their potential customers. The main weakness here is that they are in a bad location for advancement. In their current location they are completing all of the orders that they possibly can. Then again this is not a problem that most business would not want. Solutions (Use this and all headings in your narrative) In this section you will provide a proposed solution to the primary problem/ secondary problems you’ve identified. Possible solutions to her crisis on where to go or wither to move at all are one she could not move and be satisfied where she is. The second option is she could move to a building that she would be able to produce large amounts of wholesale goods at and not concentrate on retail goods. The third option is she could move to an even bigger place where she could sell retail product and still meet her needs for wholesale. If she stays pat then she will be able to turn a marginal profit and meet the needs of her current customers. The disadvantages would be that she would then miss out on opportunity to sell to all the customers that she has on her waiting list and her retail business would not be any bigger. In second option they would be able to meet all her wholesale needs. The disadvantages would be that she could not sell retail customers any more and she would be paying more for the property. In the third option she would be able to sell both retail and wholesale. She would be in a newly developing retail market with access to foot traffic. She would also be able to meet all her whole sale needs. To top it off she would be able to design the layout of the building to fit her exact needs. The disadvantages of this are that it is very expensive. She would get everything that she is looking for but at a substantially higher price then the other two options. My recommendation would be to choose the third option. It is the most expensive but Amy has already demonstrated that she has a sharp business minded and is able to build business and promote it. The retail space will help spread the word of how good her bread actually is and word of mouth is the best advertisement they could have. The biggest problem that they could have is if they start to loose customers. A second problem would be if the market begins to shift away from the cravings of bread. Or another problem could be that they simply do not add enough customers to be able to afford the new space. Case Model Insert a copy of your case model at the end of your narrative. Model the problem and solution by drawing a diagram. Identify the problem, what is causing it, what is making the problem worse (or potentially hiding the problem), and what can be done to mitigate or eliminate it. Use the strategy models to help you think through the steps that must be taken to intervene and solve this problem.

Elements of Fiction Essay

â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† is about the story of a strange spinster, her father and her lover. Years before her death, the spinster was seen to have bought arsenic, which many believed she would use to commit suicide. The incident gave rise to gossip in town. However, she didn’t die and no one knew then to what use the arsenic was for. Also at that time, her lover was not seen or heard of in town. Many presumed that he has left and went north. After her death, it was discovered that the spinster had kept her lover’s corpse in her bedroom and slept with it all those times. â€Å"Soldier’s Home,† is the story of a Word War I veteran who has been mentally scarred by his tour of duty. The soldier discovered upon his return that he can not reintegrate in a society that he has lost connection with. The main character felt bad for the town’s avoidance to know the horrors of war. He responded by being unenthusiastic about town life and being part of it. In the two stories, the plots are similar in the sense that they deal about personal struggles in dealing with the demands of society. The plots also revolve around life in towns and how everyone is more or less aware of everybody else’s business and society tends to dictate its members. Setting The settings of the two stories are the places and their corresponding social environments. The settings take on different functions in these two stories by becoming the major antagonists to the characters. Both characters rejected their community’s ways and values. 2 â€Å"A Rose for Emily† is set in Jefferson, a place known to be part of the â€Å"old south. † Emily embodies the ideal southern belle and the changes in her life are things she can’t cope with. â€Å"Soldier’s Home† is set in a small Oklahoma town whose interests on the war veteran have become a burden, which the soldier ultimately rejected. Character Emily Grierson and Harold Krebs, the lead characters in the two stories, are similar in being resistant to society’s demands on them. Both suffered mental scarring caused by different events. As a result of those traumatic events, Emily and Krebs have become abnormal psychologically and turned into dysfunctional individuals. Emily lived with a corpse, while Krebs lied his way in town and fabricated stories that would satisfy the town’s romantic notion of war. Both were misunderstood and kept captured by their pasts. Theme The central idea in the two stories is about the characters’ responses to the dictates of society. Emily suffered financially and mentally when his father died and left her penniless. Yet, society still looked on her as a highborn woman and expected her to choose her lover accordingly. Krebs, on the other hand, returned home a war hero. As such, the community wanted to hear glamorous details about war and turned deaf when they started to be told about the atrocities of fighting. Emily and Krebs escaped by hiding inside themselves, the end result of which are the gruesome truth about Emily and the lies fabricated by Krebs. Works Cited Faulkner, William. A Rose for Emily. 29 April 2008 http://www. ariyam. com/docs/lit/wf_rose. html Hemingway, Ernest. Soldier’s Home. 29 April 2008 http://www. cis. vt. edu/modernworld/d/hemingway. html#3

Poems-in the Shadow of Signal Hill Essay

In the Shadow of Signal Hill Signal Hill is a strikingly shaped hill or small peak overlooking the harbour of Cape Town. It has been used as a lookout post since the early days of the Cape colony. From it, the viewer can see Robben Island, the bare scar where the suburb of District Si stood before its occupants were evicted and its buildings demolished and Langa, a black township on the outskirts of suburban Cape Town. The overall significance of the title of the poem is that â€Å"Signal Hill† represents the higher, white authority or white government of the Apartheid era. The fact that it is a hill implies how the white government saw themselves as the superior party, the party that was raised above the nation they control. The part â€Å"in the shadow† of Signal Hill represents the black people who suffered under the Apartheid regime. They were the people who had to live in the shadows of the white government. The government overshadowed their whole lives and basically made their choices for them. The word â€Å"shadow† also bears a connotation of fear in general. When one looks at children’s books, one will notice that the antagonist in the stories would be a â€Å"shadowy figure†. Therefore the â€Å"Shadow of Signal Hill† suggests the white government is the antagonist in terms of them being wrong in what they are doing – which is initiating Apartheid in South Africa. 1. in the howling wind 2. by the murky waters 3. of the sea a cold, unpleasant atmosphere is created. Metaphor: howling wind might refer to the cries of the black people, their pleads for freedom and equality. 4. children of colour – refers to coloureds, Asians, black people and all others who suffered under the Apartheid regime. 5. gather shells 6. and hold them to their ears 7. and listen to the lamentations of slaves – cries/ weeping of the slaves. â€Å"lamentations† connects with â€Å"howling wind† which emphasises the suffering of the black and coloured people. 8. in the dungeon of death  since the children listen to the cries of the slaves in the dungeon of death while holding shells to their ears, it is possible that the shells can be a metaphor for the dungeon of death, which, in turn, is a metaphor for the situation the slaves or coloured and black people are in. This symbolises the helplessness of black people. 9. in the howling wind 10. by the murky waters 11. of the sea repetition of the first three lines adds emphasis to them. 12. sons of langa – Langa was a black township on the outskirts of suburban Cape Town. Langa not only represents the houses of the township, it also refers to the people who lived in Langa, therefore Langa is a community. â€Å"sons of langa† – the generation of the townships. This implies that the future generations will also be affected by Apartheid, whether it has ended or not. 13. gather at the ruins of district six 14. and sharpen the spears of the night 15. and the heroes from the island urge This possibly represents someone like Nelson Mandela, the infamous freedom-fighter. 16. go towards the fiery dawn . . . fiery: to be angry: the speaker suggests that the coloured or black people are angry, as it is expected since they have been treated like slaves by the white government for most of their lives. †fiery dawn† also suggest that an â€Å"angry break of day†, meaning that the coloured people wake up angry in the mornings. They are angry and frustrated with their circumstances. dawn: -the beginning of a phenomenon or period of time. -the break of day. Here it is suggested that the â€Å"fiery dawn† is indeed a new period of time which will commence. (The time of post-Apartheid.) The coloured people are angry and will take this anger and fight for their freedom. . . .: the ellipse is used effectively instead of a full stop. A full stop would end the poem. But the ellipse signals that the poem is not finished yet. It also resembles time passing. This symbolises that slavery will never come to an end, and no matter how much time passes, Apartheid will always be in the minds of the future generations. But they will keep on fighting for freedom in the future until the government treats everyone equally. About the poet: Patel is a committed political poet and worked on various poems regarding the aspect of politics. About the poem: â€Å"In the Shadow of Signal Hill† is an example of a protest poem. The poem has no punctuation marks or capital letters. This adds to the protest of the speaker. By ignoring common English grammar rules he strengthens the idea of protesting. The layout of the poem represents the waves of the ocean and the ebb and flow. The different lengths in sentences mimic the sea crashing onto the shore (represented by the longer sentences) and the retreating of the sea (represented by the short sentences. No punctuation marks means no stopping or pausing when one reads the poem. This also represents the image of the sea; the sea never stops moving, its waves will continuously crash on the shore, move back and repeat the process. Therefore by removing punctuation the poet effectively creates movement in the poem. Another reason for the lack of punctuation is to stress that there is no stopping slavery and discrimination. It is a never ending problem which will always continue to show its head somewhere else in the world. At comment 12, the highlighted words: Are they wrong/misinterpreted? I don’t know if your comment is a good or bad one. Futhermore, I think the tone is a sad, depressed tone when I read words like â€Å"murky† â€Å"shadow† â€Å"howling wind† â€Å"dungeon of death† â€Å"lamentation†. When I read the poem, I almost feel sorry for the slaves and children. Maybe this is also what the poet wants – to create an emotional atmosphere so the reader can empathise with the black people. I read the other students’ analyses and I agree that the word â€Å"children† is used to suggest innocence, and this stands in contrast with the rest of the tone of the poem. My thoughts are that the images of â€Å"murky waters† and â€Å"howling wind† also contrasts against â€Å"children†, because children are the symbol of happiness, laughter and care free circumstances. This, however is not the case with Langa. therefore the word â€Å"children† is used effectively to create contrast. I read the other students said that the spears of the night is a metaphor for the black people fighting back. â€Å"night† and â€Å"spears† usually have negative,  dark connotations, but in this instance it is the opposite: the black people represent freedom and light because they want to fight for what is fair and right. Then I also thought that, although one reads it as â€Å"night†, it can represent the homophone â€Å"knight†. this will make absolute sense in the context of the poem and the explanation just given. (it is like â€Å"Bustle in the House† where â€Å"morning† can be heard as â€Å"mourning†.) â€Å"Knight† also has a positive connotation. In medieval times the knight represented the good. A princess was saved by a knight in shining armour. Therefore the sentence â€Å"sharpen the spears of the night† can be reread as â€Å"sharpen the spears of the knight†, meaning that the people will fight for justice and that which is right?

Cost, Profit and Cost Function Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cost, Profit and Cost Function - Essay Example did not have adequate information regarding cost, profit and the various nuances of cost of the company, the profit and also cost functions. So in order to give them a complete understanding of the various methods of determining the cost function, relationship between cost and profit have been discusses, the basic concepts of cost function has been explained and then the methods for determining cost function has been evaluated. Cost, Profit and Cost Function There are many factors that are included in profit planning, such as cost, profitability and volume. Here the focus would be only on cost and profit. Cost is inversely proportional to profit, that means lower the cost, higher the profit (Jayapandian 2008, 393). The revenue curve is controlled by the customers, while the organization can only control the cost curve. The fluctuations in the variable cost changes the slope of the cost curve, but the increase of fixed cost may totally wipe out the profits of the company. Variable cos t has high frequency of fluctuation than fixed costs. When the cost of the company equals its generated income, then it is termed as breakeven point. The margin above this point is the profit of the company (Kolitz, Quinn, and McAllister 2009, 301-303). Cost functions are nothing but economic formula that replicates the functions of the output and input prices. In a layman’s language we can say that it simply involves finding the cost of materials for production of a particular quantity of goods. Cost function is actually a mathematical explanation which estimates the changes in cost with the levels of change related to such cost. For example: actives involved in preparing the operating machines and production runs. Cost function can be explained through graphical representation in which measurement of activity levels, such as machine hours required or the total amount of goods produced in the given time can be assessed (Horngren 1967, 308). There are various methods of calcu lating cost function, such as engineering, visual fit, regression, and account analysis. The engineering analysis is past experienced based review of cost in a systematic manner. Visual fit as the name suggest is a representation of data in a scatter diagram. Regression analysis includes mathematical formula to ascertain the cost equation that fits the data best. High low method utilizes linear algebra for the determination of fixed and variable costs, but the results are not reliable. Lastly, account analysis deals with analyzing the accounting records and determining the behavioral patterns (Whittington and Delaney 2007, 398-399). Conclusion Cost and profit go hand in hand. Cost of the company needs to be reduced to increase profit. Cost functions include functions like planning and controlling the various activities of the organization and accurately estimates the projected fixed and variable cost. There are various methods that are utilized to estimate the cost function such as regression method, engineering method, account method, visual fit method, high-low method, etc. The usage of each of these methods depends on the data available and the type of analysis required by the manager. Presentation 6 Introduction In this presentation the relationship between volume, costs and price would be explained so as to show the effect of changes in each element on the other. Bond & ltd. wanted to project the changes in profit figures due to fluctuations in volume and cost. So in this presentation an explanation of all these terms would be sated for the management to understand the concepts carefully. Cost, profit and volume can be represented graphically and also in the form of equation. Graphical representation is easier for managers to understand, as they can easily

Source Analysis Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Source Analysis Assignment - Essay Example The inconsistency may be due to differing style and theological conception as highlighted in Genesis 1 and 2 resulting to a different order of creation. In the first account, man and woman were created after the birds and animals and formed the climax of the creation while in the second creation account man was created before the animals and birds while the creation of the woman followed their creation (Gen 2: 19-22). The two accounts show some disagreement as the sequence of creation of events is an indication that two authors were involved. Looking at the style and form of writing in chapter one, it is very clear that chapter 1 is very precise, measured, and stereotyped while chapter shows diversity as there are no recurrence of formulae such as to create. Chapter 1 is more systematic while chapter 2 is spontaneous such as in the case of the earth which is first dry (GEN 2:5). In the first account, the earth emerges from the waters and the order of filling it is very different with that of the chapter 2. There is a great discrepancy between the two creations of man stories in chapters 1 and 2. The differences may also be due to mechanical errors of the editors during compilation disturbing the order of creation. The second account seems to be more dramatic with an imagination that captures the heart with more influence on the feelings of the reader and less on the intellect part of the reader. There are other major differences between the two creation accounts. One of them is the conception of God in which the first one sees God as majestic and dignified. The second views God as somebody with humanistic traits such as speaking, walking, and behaving like an earthy man. Other differences such as the case in which he creates man and woman at the same time in chapter one (Gen 1: 27), while in chapter 2, man was created first and women was created later

Post-War Development of the German Economy Research Paper

Post-War Development of the German Economy - Research Paper Example There was a little hope of a revival because a considerably large percentage of the German population of working age was dead at the end of the war and at that time Germany was looking at the outside world for all kinds of aids for the restoration of its economy. There is no doubt about the fact that German economy was badly hit by the war, but the years of preparation also contributed to the devastated condition of the economy. Adolf Hitler imposed price controls on German population in 1936 in order to start his preparations for the war and acquire commodities and war materials for the army at the cheapest prices; 3 years later, rationings were also imposed on the German population. Conscription was also imposed on the German population in order to gather up a large military which drastically affected the labor sector and the non-military industries could not find labor to keep their plants running. After Nazis defeat and Hitler’s death, the Allied Control Authority which wa s formed by the succeeding allied forces under the governments of the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union, to run the affairs of government in Germany. The Allied Control Authority retained some of the policies of the Nazi Germany for the restoration of the economy; these policies included rationing, price controls and conscription of all types of resources for ensuring rapid economic recovery (Bidwell). An astonishing fact was the low rise in the cost-of-living index, which was only 31 percent high as compared to the values in 1938. The reason behind this was the fact that price controls had been imposed in Germany for the last 12 years by then. Another important observation in this regard was the fact that the amount of wealth in the German economy was also five to six times higher than the amount in the years before the war. So the main concern about the economy was production levels which had fallen to drastically low values. A wealthy economy in terms of money, price controls intact and low production levels; all these factors pointed towards one major problem _ shortages (Smith). During the war and post war years the Germans were only producing weapons, equipments and materials required for the war; the industrial and agricultural production was very low. During the war years, the main source of food for the Germans was the supplies seized from the occupied countries. Moreover the foreigners were also brought to German lands for farming purposes. This ‘system’ of food production served the German population and the military well during the war years but as soon as the war ended the German rationing system was left with very low supplies of food; incredibly insufficient to fulfill the needs of the German population. The United States Army contributed by dispatching large shipments of food to feed the prisoners of war and the German population, however this was not enough and more aid in terms of food was required for meeting t he food demands but the international community was not willing to provide aid to Germany at the time when there were more deserving and innocent people in the world who were also affected drastically by the war. The other factors which contributed were the dissolving of the German Red Cross, whereas the International Red Cross and other international aid agencies were not allowed to work independently

The Impact of Global Warming on Agriculture in USA Research Paper

The Impact of Global Warming on Agriculture in USA - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that many aquatic species therefore migrate to colder waters or move northwards along the coast or in the ocean. Apart from reducing the annual catch, this migration that is facilitated by global warming also sees the migrating fish moving into competition for food and other resources on the new areas which have already been inhabited. Moreover, in warm waters, diseases of aquatic species such as fish become more prevalent. In Southern New England, for example, lobster catches have dramatically declined as a result of temperature sensitive bacterial shell disease. These changes in the temperature also impact the timing of reproduction and fish migrations. In the Northwest, warmer temperatures have affected the lifecycle of salmon and also increased the likelihood of aquatic diseases. These effects are further forecasted to cause untold declines in salmon populations. This paper makes a conclusion that global warming is additionally responsible for the increased incidences of sea level rises that have been so widespread along the coasts of the United States especially in the last two decades. These increased sea levels have been a doing of the melting of the glaciers and increased precipitation rates all around America as a result of global warming. Increase in sea levels as a result of global warming has resulted in the consumption of land previously allocated to agricultural work.

Educational Research. Correlational Research From Other Types Of Assignment

Educational Research. Correlational Research From Other Types Of Research - Assignment Example Klimstra et al. also sought to clarify several inconsistencies that had been found by other studies before, but not researched (Klimstra et al. 150). This study sought to examine the manner in which formation of identity in adolescents can be described best using self-report surveys. The study by Klimstra et al. follows almost the exact organization as that in the survey research from the text. First, the study has a purpose statement discussed above, it also has a problem statement, which is whether the formation of identity in adolescents is best characterized by stability or change; as well it has an abstract in the beginning. The collection of data in the two studies was similar in that the participants were asked to fill out questionnaires that would be analyzed later. In addition, the analysis of data involved the use of scales, although the scales were different in both studies. While the sample study in the text used the Likert Scale, the Identity Formation in Adolescence: Ch ange or Stability research study used the Utrecht-Management of Identity Commitments Scale. 2. What differentiates correlational research from other types of research? A common thing among all the correlational research studies is the fact that they are involved in the exploration of relationships between different variables. This differs from the descriptive research, since the descriptive research only describes what happens or what is going on. ... rrelational research also differs from the causal-comparative research, as the correlational researcher is attempting to measure the nature of variable relationships, rather than a cause and effect relationship (Mertler & Charles 256). For instance, a correlational research study could conclude that there was a correlation between violence among family members and ice-skating. While this may seem strange, it is true that there is a correlation, rather than a relation. As more individuals are involved in ice-skating in the United States, there is more violence among family members. The question, however, that this research poses is whether these findings are indicative of the fact that ice-skating causes violence among family members, for instance, whether people who have some bad time on the ice rink take it out on family members. In addition, could it be that violence with a family member caused one to feel the need to go out and skate the whole day? The truth is that none of these variables leads to the other; they are simply correlated. Every time that people go out to skate, there is an increase in violence among family members. On the other hand, it is also possible to predict that every time violence among family members goes down, it will lead that there will be fewer people at the local ice skating rink. What exists is a hidden link that binds these two variables together; which itself is a third variable, which, in this case, is winter. As people spend more time at home in winter, violence among family members goes up while more people also tend to go ice-skating in winter. 3. What are the principal data sources in experimental and quasi-experimental research? Quasi-experimental and experimental research designs are used for systematic observation of the

How to accomplish affordability and ethics for a clothing manufacturer Essay

How to accomplish affordability and ethics for a clothing manufacturer - Essay Example The paper tells that the apparel industry is characterized by fast fashion, increasing competition and constant change in style. Cost, quality, and timing are three critical elements in product offerings. The demand for low-cost products coupled with the labor-intensive nature of apparel products effectively requires companies such as Starburst to outsource manufacturing to overseas suppliers. There is direct evidence on the importance of strategic sourcing in sustaining affordability as well as the positive impact it has on firm’s performance due to the cost and timing benefits. However, offshore manufacturing is becoming a major cause of social and economic issues in the vendor countries. The credibility and culpability of the apparel industry are under scrutiny due to the frequency and magnitude of the human tragedies associated with overseas garment production. With this awareness, retailers and customers are rightfully seeking evidence of practices and industry efforts to better the working conditions, pay and safety in offshore factories. Ethical sourcing is becoming an essential business practice. There is a clear recognition of the fact that effective overseas sourcing plays the pivotal role in a company’s success; however, it has recently been at a high social cost. Given the 2012 fire incidences at the Tarzeen Fashions factory and the textile factory in Pakistan all overshadowed by the 1,127 deaths in the April 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse, the reality is extremely hazardous and poor working conditions persist. Factories put production schedules before safety or workers’ rights. Beyond the basic safety issues, labor practices such as low pay and overtime without pay have been observed in many of the vendor countries. In some cases, human rights violations and sexual abuse are occurring.

Parable of the soils Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Parable of the soils - Research Paper Example The apostles questioned Jesus why He talks in parables, upon which, Jesus explained that there is deeper meaning in parables, and that it is the apostles’ duty to look for its meaning and understand. Jesus gave them the privilege to understand what he says while the people gathered around him do not. At this point, it would seem Jesus put a line between his apostles and unbelievers because it is not yet their time to know the mystery of God. The parables add up to the knowledge of believers but will not do any good to those who do not believe in God. The unbelievers although they see and hear still do not appreciate and do not accept Jesus so they do not receive any blessing from God. In the parable, Jesus explained to his disciples that the seeds are the Words of God. The seeds that fell on the streets are the Words of God sown on the hearts of people who quickly forgot about them when they were tempted by the devil, and thereupon cannot be saved. The other seeds are sown to the hearts of people who gladly received the words of God, but it stayed on their hearts only for a short time. Soon enough, the seedlings withered and died when they faced trials in life and eventually lost their faith in God. The other seeds that fell on the grass are the people who listened to the Words of God, but later on forgot about it because they fell on the traps of riches and pleasures of life and because of these they forgot their covenant with God. Taken in the context today, the four soils mentioned in the parable refer to the kind of soil of our heart. The first soil is the wayside heart hardened by meaningless day to day problems that even the Word of God cannot penetrate. In this scenario, we see hatred, war, drugs, recklessness and social problems that have no time for religion. The second soil is those hearts deadened by perverse and indifferent attitude. Third, we have a soil that has been hardened by constant

Psychology of Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Psychology of Gender - Essay Example From perspective of male students, the presence of females in their surroundings will make them more cautious about their attitude, body language, and performance at school. Coeducation creates sense of competition, but this sense of competition is not just limited to the boundaries of academics, the influence is to the extent of extra circular activities; therefore at coeducational units the focus on extra circular activities is severe than single-sex schools. Research results have verified that single-sex education has academic and social advantages; it gives ample opportunity to the students to focus more upon the academic challenges. The academic struggle invested by the students in single-sex education is more extreme compared against coeducation institutes where element of extra circular activities prevails. As per research, no negative effects on the performance of female students have been observed while studying in single-sex schools.

Stock Essay Example for Free

Stock Essay A stock sells for $10 per share. You purchase 100 shares for $10 a share (i.e., for $1000), and after a year the price rises to $17.50. What will be the percentage return on your investment if you bought the stock on margin and the margin requirement was (a) 25 percent, (b) 50 percent, and (c) 75 percent? (Ignore commissions, dividends, and interest expense.) Initial Stock price per share$10 # of Shares Purchased 100 New Stock price per share $17.50 Gain= New Price Initial Price $750.00 = ($17.50 x 100) ($10 x 100) Purchase Price =Initial Stock price per share x # of Shares Purchased $1,000 FORMULA: Percentage Return =Gain (Margin Requirement x Purchase Price) SOLUTION to (a): 300%$750.00 $250.00 SOLUTION to (b): 150%$750.00 $500.00 SOLUTION to (c): 100%$750.00 $750.00

Impact of Smoking on Child Health

Impact of Smoking on Child Health Environment and Hazard -5 The Home Environment plays an important role in many issues affecting child health across the globe. Children in general may be vulnerable and become exposed to various other household hazards such as exposures to known harmful building materials, chemicals, radon, drinking water and well-water and nitrogen dioxide. Poor housing conditions and poor ventilation together with household air pollution may also increase the risks of child hood diseases. Indoor exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) may also be hazardous and contribute to health consequences like asthma in those children that are affected. Full exposure Pathway Exposures to tobacco smoking may occur at any level along the entire stages of human development and these may include preconception (maternal and paternal smoking), pregnancy (maternal smoking and passive smoking), infancy (passive smoking), childhood (passive and active smoking) and young and adulthood (active and passive smoking). 1 The key internal exposure pathways and their possible routes for exposure to tobacco smoking that may lead to asthma include; In utero exposure 2 mainly concerns the maternal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke(ETS) associated with pregnancy via active or passive smoking. Route: Trans placental Mothers who are pregnant and are either active smokers or passive smokers run a risk of their developing foetus being exposed to the chemical toxicants of tobacco smoke transmitted via the placenta.2 The tobacco smoke constituents are initially inhaled through the respiratory airways to the smaller airways in the lungs (bronchioles) and then absorbed through the tiny gas-exchanging airway sacs (alveoli) and into the maternal blood circulation. Indoor air exposure particularly second hand smoke, where the children at household level are frequently getting exposed if their family members are smokers. Studies have showed that children are (the two reasons highlighted). 3 Route: Inhalation Active smoking refers to the active smokers who inhale the undiluted smoke directly into their lungs from the end of cigarette which is called mainstream smoke (MS). 4 Theconstituents ofmainstream smoke are believed to contain higher in doses of tobacco chemicals compared to passive smoking. Second Hand Smoking or Passive smoking- refers to the non-active smokers who mostly inhale what is called second-hand smoke (SHS) which is a mixture of side-stream smoke(SS) comprised of both the smoke from the glowing cigarette and the exhaled air (mainstream smoke).4 Thus, the side-stream smoke is diluted because it contains both the exhaled mainstream smoke and air and may be less in concentration of the tobacco chemical constituents.4 Third-hand smoke refers to the surface-deposited tobacco smoke chemical components which may be left in indoor environments for periods that allow change to their compositions and render them harmful to humans especially infants and toddlers who commonly practice hand-mouth on contaminated surfaces.5 Asthma Asthma can be defined as an inflammatory airway disease involving inflammation and impairment of airway due to a complex interaction of immune cells and nonimmune environmental factors that trigger asthma such as tobacco smoking and second hand smoke. 6 Scope and nature of problem Asthma is a very common chronic disease affecting children and is believed to affect almost 300 million people world-wide.7Evidence has shown that the prevalence of asthma has been on the rise in the last 50 years (Ref) with increasing trends noted in the industrialised and developed regions. The increase in the global burden of asthma disease ensures that important environmental factors that contribute to asthma are clearly identified for improved intervention and prevention strategies. Risk factors The risk factors for asthma that are commonly known include allergies, positive family history of asthma, cock-roach allergen, environmental tobacco smoke exposure(ETS), and prenatal smoking. 8 The diagram shown below in figure 1 summarises the early life risk factors for persistent asthma 9. It shows the different pathways in which environmental exposures and genetic predispositions lead to asthma. As illustrated, environmental exposures to tobacco smoke may affect a foetus in prenatal and later postnatal through impairment and inflammation of the lung resulting in asthma. Figure 1 Showing how environmental exposures and genetic predispositions may contribute to asthma in different pathways in early life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prenatal exposures  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Postnatal exposures Viral URTI  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   spread  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Severe LRTI Repeated episodes Primary atopic  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Allergen  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Persistent Sensitization  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   exposure  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   inflammation↓ Genetic Predispositions  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Genetic Predispositions Disease association and hazard Studies in the past and recent have looked at the causal relationship between ETS or second hand smoke and asthma disease and have identified that ETS has been a significant indoor air hazard with the potential to causing serious health consequences such as asthma. Goodwin According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey carried out by World Health Organization in 2007 (WHO), about 44% of all the children living in the world were exposed to environmental Tobacco smoke at household level. 10 An updated meta-analysis study from Surgeon Generals Report (SGR) of the United States (DHHS 2006), a causal relationship between SHS and childhood induction of asthma could not be drawn to conclusion due to insufficient evidence from smaller number of studies. 11 However, a similar systematic review and meta-analysis study that examined prenatal and passive smoke exposure and asthma incidence at the UK Centre for Tobacco Control studies at University of Nottingham (2011) found that the incidence of wheeze and asthma in children and young people increased by 20% when exposed to passive smoking.12 Long term implications The health implications of tobacco smoking are well recognized across the globe. The exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) happens across the entire life span of an individual and therefore long term implications are inevitable. Persistent asthma can be a long-term implication which adds to the global burden of asthma disease. Identifying the risk factors and aiming for primary prevention through life style changes such as avoiding maternal smoking during pregnancy could help prevent asthma. Environmental modifications and lifestyle changes may help reduce risks for asthma. The use of international health guidelines such as the WHO Convention Framework for Tobacco Control (FCTC) 13 may provide benchmarks for health professionals and policy makers to implement strategies and interventions. Reference Breton CV, Byun HM, Wenton M, Pan F, Yang A, Gilliland FD. Prenatal tobacco smoke exposure affects global and gene-specific DNA methylaton. Am J Respir Crit care Med 2009; 180:462-7 Sly P, Flack F. Susceptibility of children to environmental pollutants. Ann NY Acad Sci 2008; 1140:163-83 Tung KY, Wu KY, Tsai CH, Su MW, Chen CH, Lin MH, et al. Association of time-location patterns with urinary cotinine among asthmatic children under household environmental tobacco smoke exposure. Environmental research. 2013; 124:7-12 US Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Smoking. A Report of the Surgeon General. Washington DC: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office on Smoking and Health;1986. DHHS Publication No, (CDC) 87-8398 Matt GE,Quintana PJ,Destaillats H, et al.Thirdhand tobacco smoke:emerging evidence and arguments for a multidisciplinary research agenda. Environ Health Perspect 2011; 119:1218-26 Stapleton M, Howard-Thompson A, George C, Hoover RM, Self TH. Smoking and asthma. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine: JABFM. 2011;24(3):313-22. The Global Asthma Report 2011.Paris, France.The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.;2011. Goodwin RD, Cowles RA. Household smoking and childhood asthma in the United States: a state-level analysis. The Journal of asthma: official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma. 2008;45(7):607-10. Guilbert TW, Singh AM,Danov Z, et al. Decreased lung function after preschool wheezing rhinovirus illnesses in children at risk to develop asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011; 128:532-8. e10. WHO, 2007. Only 100% smoke-free environments adequately protect from dangers of second-hand smoke. New WHO policy recommendations point to extensive evidence. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. U.S. DHHS. 2006. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Ofà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ce on Smoking and Health. Burke H, Leonardi-Bee J, Hashim A, Pine-Abata H, Chen Y, Cook DG, et al. Prenatal and passive smoke exposure and incidence of asthma and wheeze: systematic review and meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2012;129(4):735-44 Shibuya,K., et al., 2003.Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: development of an evidence based global public health treaty. BMJ 327,154-157

James Joyces Araby - Loss of Innocence in Araby Essays -- Joyce Dubli

Loss of Innocence in Araby In her story, "Araby," James Joyce concentrates on character rather than on plot to reveal the ironies inherent in self-deception. On one level "Araby" is a story of initiation, of a boy’s quest for the ideal. The quest ends in failure but results in an inner awareness and a first step into manhood. On another level the story consists of a grown man's remembered experience, for the story is told in retrospect by a man who looks back to a particular moment of intense meaning and insight. As such, the boy's experience is not restricted to youth's encounter with first love. Rather, it is a portrayal of a continuing problem all through life: the incompatibility of the ideal, of the dream as one wishes it to be, with the bleakness of reality. This double focus-the boy who first experiences, and the man who has not forgotten-provides for the dramatic rendering of a story of first love told by a narrator who, with his wider, adult vision, can employ the sophisticated use of irony and symbolic imagery necessary to reveal the story's meaning. The boy's character is indirectly suggested in the opening scenes of the story. He has grown up in the backwash of a dying city. Symbolic images show him to be an individu... ...ossibility. That sense of loss is intensified, for its dimension grows as we realize that the desire to, live the dream will continue through adulthood. At no other point in the story is characterization as brilliant as at the end. Joyce draws his protagonist with strokes designed to let us recognize in "the creature driven and derided by vanity" both a boy who is initiated into knowledge through a loss of innocence and a man who fully realizes the incompatibility between the beautiful and innocent world of the imagination and the very real world of fact. In "Araby," Joyce uses character to embody the theme of his story.

Lord of the Flies: Symbolism Analysis Essay -- power, piggy, jack, ral

Characters are used in literature as symbols to represent mankind's different â€Å"faces†. Everyone in both fictional and real societies have civil orderly sides, as well as an instinctual hunger for power. Both of these traits together make us human, but imbalance of these traits in some people can alter our being. These traits are necessary for our survival, but too much can create toxic environments. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses symbols to tell the reader more about human traits and provides a platform that shows the interactions between people with different balances of traits; Golding then shows the possible outcome of the conflict these traits create. Three main characters that stand out and represent the civility and hunger for power of humans are Piggy, Jack, and Ralph. Each can be seen as a symbol for different behaviors and traits that humans show, as well as the different mixes of civil and instinctual. The characters symbolize the different traits, instinctual power and calming civil nature, and how the different balances can affect a persons actions, behaviors, and interactions with others. The first main character and by far the boldest is Jack. He represents mankind's imbalance with instinctual nature. Jack comes into the story as the leader of a group of choir boys. Golding uses Jack to show man’s constant battle to be the best and control all of the power. When all the boys meet up with Ralph and Piggy, the first thing the boys do is have a vote for a leader. After the vote is tallied and Ralph is declared the leader, â€Å"The circle of boys broke into applause. Even the choir applauded; and the freckles on Jack’s face disappeared under a blush of mortification.†(23 Golding). Jack shows jealousy a... ...n then Ralph seems to change after that as to try and make up for a lapse in his judgement. William Golding uses symbols as a way to tell his readers about human nature through their interactions, conversations, and actions. Each character was set up to show a different side of mankinds faces. Each imbalance of human nature can be toxic but it is up to the individual to decide for change or against it. Although this is just a story, it outlines a lot of what is in society today. Leaders are corrupt or too distanced to know what our lives are like to lead properly. A leader who is in the same situation as Ralph has great potential in becoming a great leader. From age to age, symbols in literary work tell us more about who we are, and answer some of the what if’s in life. Works Cited Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York; Penguin Group,2006. Print.

Abortions Pros and Cons Essay -- Abortion Reasearch Papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nowadays, in this world, there are a lot of problems that can make tremendous conflicts for human beings. They are very complicated and bring a lot of argument and nobody knows what the exact answer is. They also have pros and cons. One of the most complex problems is abortion. This is due to moral and ethical values which we all have. The majority of us are Christians or are brought up in that kind of ambiance which means that as small children we were taught values that are based on the bible such as that famous phrase â€Å"Thou shall not kill†. This phrase relates to this topic because an abortion is the murder of a human being.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A 52% of women getting abortions performed on them are younger than 25 years old and 19% are teenagers. The abortion rate is highest for those women aged 18 to 19 (56 per 1,000 in 1992 pregnancy centers.org).the reasons for this alarming rate are various and vary from person to person. But the most common decision to have an abortion is to postpone childbearing. This decision is mostly picked by the older group of women in this statistic. Another alarming fact is that a percentage of women are been pressured into abortion. Either by peers or by them realizing that they could no longer do the things they did before they became pregnant and that is when they encounter a struggle with their values. Since there is also a considerate percentage of teenage girls having abortions they are at high risk for developing serious emotional and psychological problems following abortion. Such as the impact abortion can have on a minor's emotional health, physical health, fertili ty, and future pregnancies. All these factors can play an important role in the future of that teenager. All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the Roe v. Wade case which in 1973, the Supreme Court decided the case of Roe v. Wade, and made abortion legal for the first time in the United States. This decision allowed women the choice to decide if they are going to terminate a pregnancy, and it allowed women the right to get a safe and legal abortion. From 1880 to 1973 abortions were illegal, and many women were having illegal and very unsafe abortions-often causing permanent damage to their reproductive organs or sometimes even death from i bleeding or infections. Since the decision was handed down by the Supreme Court, women's access to abortion ha... ...); forbidding of abortions for certain reasons(law.com/abortion laws)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abortion is a significant issue in our life because it might happen to anybody, even to our relatives . We see in just one problem, abortion, there are a lot of pros and cons. There is still no conclusion because both sides of the argument be can be seen from many points of view. If you are one who supports Pro-life or Pro-choice group, you cannot judge if the other group has a different way of thinking although we still have a tendency to do this . People cannot judge Pro-life people as a people who have no respect for human feeling because they would not allow a woman who had been raped to have an abortion. On the other hand people cannot say that Pro-choice is a better group because they are more aware of human needs. People will never know the feelings of women who have had an abortion unless they are the ones that are facing the abortion decision. To face this problem, people need to spend their time on the main points of each group to think and to weigh both sides to make the best decision and fro there go with what best suits your style of thinking or values after all the choice is yours.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abortions Pros and Cons Essay -- Abortion Reasearch Papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nowadays, in this world, there are a lot of problems that can make tremendous conflicts for human beings. They are very complicated and bring a lot of argument and nobody knows what the exact answer is. They also have pros and cons. One of the most complex problems is abortion. This is due to moral and ethical values which we all have. The majority of us are Christians or are brought up in that kind of ambiance which means that as small children we were taught values that are based on the bible such as that famous phrase â€Å"Thou shall not kill†. This phrase relates to this topic because an abortion is the murder of a human being.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A 52% of women getting abortions performed on them are younger than 25 years old and 19% are teenagers. The abortion rate is highest for those women aged 18 to 19 (56 per 1,000 in 1992 pregnancy centers.org).the reasons for this alarming rate are various and vary from person to person. But the most common decision to have an abortion is to postpone childbearing. This decision is mostly picked by the older group of women in this statistic. Another alarming fact is that a percentage of women are been pressured into abortion. Either by peers or by them realizing that they could no longer do the things they did before they became pregnant and that is when they encounter a struggle with their values. Since there is also a considerate percentage of teenage girls having abortions they are at high risk for developing serious emotional and psychological problems following abortion. Such as the impact abortion can have on a minor's emotional health, physical health, fertili ty, and future pregnancies. All these factors can play an important role in the future of that teenager. All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the Roe v. Wade case which in 1973, the Supreme Court decided the case of Roe v. Wade, and made abortion legal for the first time in the United States. This decision allowed women the choice to decide if they are going to terminate a pregnancy, and it allowed women the right to get a safe and legal abortion. From 1880 to 1973 abortions were illegal, and many women were having illegal and very unsafe abortions-often causing permanent damage to their reproductive organs or sometimes even death from i bleeding or infections. Since the decision was handed down by the Supreme Court, women's access to abortion ha... ...); forbidding of abortions for certain reasons(law.com/abortion laws)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abortion is a significant issue in our life because it might happen to anybody, even to our relatives . We see in just one problem, abortion, there are a lot of pros and cons. There is still no conclusion because both sides of the argument be can be seen from many points of view. If you are one who supports Pro-life or Pro-choice group, you cannot judge if the other group has a different way of thinking although we still have a tendency to do this . People cannot judge Pro-life people as a people who have no respect for human feeling because they would not allow a woman who had been raped to have an abortion. On the other hand people cannot say that Pro-choice is a better group because they are more aware of human needs. People will never know the feelings of women who have had an abortion unless they are the ones that are facing the abortion decision. To face this problem, people need to spend their time on the main points of each group to think and to weigh both sides to make the best decision and fro there go with what best suits your style of thinking or values after all the choice is yours.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Snow White: Told by Christopher Boone

Snow White is a fairy tale. I do not like fairy tales because fairies do not exist. Mother used to read fairy tales to me when I was younger but not any more. I used to hate Snow White, because there is no just thing as a magic mirror and dwarves do not exist and these are all lies as they are not real. I hate lying and Mother used to say that this makes me a good person. Snow White was a princess and was a very kind person who was caring and loving to all animals. Snow White lived in a castle which is a very big house which is usually situated on a hill with very high walls. I would love to live in a castle by myself as I could be alone for a long time and pretend I was the only person in the world. But I would also hate living in a castle as it would take a long time walking from room to room, and eventually I would get confused and lost and forget where my room is. Snow White's mother died just after she was born, my mother also died but because of a heart attack and not birth. Snow White's father married another princess who became queen, and became Snow White's stepmother. My father would never marry another woman again as he will forget mother, and then forget me. Snow White's stepmother had a magic mirror which told the holder of the mirror the answer to any question. I don't like this part as magic mirrors do not exist, and there will never be one. And so one day the new queen asked the mirror, â€Å"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who in the land is fairest of all?† And the mirror said, â€Å"You my queen are the fairest of all†. But when Snow White turned seven years of age, the magic mirror said, â€Å"Queen, you are full fair, 'tis true, but Snow White is fairer than you.† And so the queen gets jealous and orders a huntsman to take Snow White into the woods to be killed. I don't like this part as it involves violence, and I don't think fairy tales should involve violence. The queen also wanted the huntsman to return with Snow White's heart as proof of her death. I think that this part of the story is silly because no one would murder someone just to be the fairest of all and if my mother tried to murder me I would hate her and try to get revenge. So the huntsman takes Snow White into the forest to be killed, but just before the huntsman was about to stab her, he finds himself unable to kill her, and tells her to flee and hide. The huntsman returns with the heart of a young boar, which is prepared and eaten by the queen. This part makes me sick as eating a heart is revolting and gross. So as Snow White was fleeing she found a small cottage where seven dwarfs were living, the dwarves let her stay if she keeps the house for them, cooks, make beds, wash, sew, knit, and keep everything clean and orderly. The dwarfs said, â€Å"If you do all these things than you can stay.† Snow White agreed and rested at the dwarfs' house for the 1st day. I don't like this part as dwarfs do not exist and I find this cruel as Snow White has to do all these choirs just to stay at the dwarfs' house. Meanwhile the queen asks her mirror once again, â€Å"Who's the fairest of them all?† And the Mirror informs the queen that Snow White is alive and living with the dwarfs, and she is still the fairest of them all. I don't like the following part because the queen disguises herself as three different people trying to sell something to Snow White which will kill her. The queen fails to kill Snow White on the first and second attempt due to the dwarfs reviving her. But on the last attempt, the queen creates a poisoned apple, and is disguised as a farmer's wife, and offers the apple to Snow White. At first Snow White is hesitant to eat it, until the queen cuts the apple in half, and eats the white side, and gives the poisoned part of the apple to Snow White. Snow White eating the apple and immediately collapses. When the dwarfs return, they cannot revive her, and place her in a glass coffin assuming she is dead. This makes me feel sad as it makes me think that Snow White is dead for sure. The story continues when a prince travelling through the land sees Snow White in her coffin. The prince is enchanted by her beauty and instantly falls in love with her. The dwarfs then give the coffin containing Snow White to the prince, and the prince's servants carry the coffin away. But whilst travelling they stumble on some bushes and the movement causes the piece of poisoned apple to be released from her throat, therefore awakening her. I don't like this part of the story as it is very unlikely that this could happen as someone who has been dead for some time can't awaken. So as soon as Snow White awakens, the prince declares love for her and a wedding is planned. Meanwhile the queen once again asks the mirror, â€Å"Who is the fairest in the land.† And the mirror replies, â€Å"You, my queen, are fair; it is true. But the young queen is a thousand times fairer than you.† The queen does not realise that this new queen is Snow White, and she arrives at the wedding, but is alarmed and startled when she realises the truth. The queen is caught and she is forced to wear a pair of heated iron shoes. She is forced to dance in them until she falls down dead. This is the end of the story, and ends happily ever after, just like all fairy tales should do.

Literacy in Pakistan

â€Å"Are those equal, those who know and those who don’t know. † 1. INTRODUCTION: It is now a universally recognized fact that mass education is a pre-requisite for the development and prosperity of a country. The main priority of the developing countries, in recent years has been to foster the development and renewal of primary education and to eliminate illiteracy. Pakistan, unfortunately, like the other under developed countries, has made little progress in this aspect.Since independence, she continues to remain in the group of countries with the lowest literacy rate. Half of the world’s illiterate and 22 percent of the world’s population live in South Asia. Pakistan does not fare well on account of literacy within the region. Sri Lanka and Maldives have almost attained full literacy. The adult literacy rate for India is 61 as compared to 53 percent in Pakistan. India, according to a recent study done by the World Bank, has attained 100 percent Gross E nrollment ratio (GER) and 90 percent Net Enrollment Ratio (NER) at the primary level. 2.MEANING OF ILLITERACY: For an Adult, illiteracy means primitive manual labour in agriculture and industry, uncertain employment opportunities and low wages, life-long miserable living conditions, and humiliating dependence on the literates of the community for the day-to-day civic and business interactions and deprivation in all walks of life. For adults illiteracy also means exclusion from most of economic, social and cultural activities. For the Out-of-school Children, illiteracy means forced labour, vagrancy, sickness and slavery. For Women, literacy is a survival kit and symbol of status.It means emancipation, participation in the decision making of the family and equality. 3. IMPORTANCE OF LITERACY: Illiteracy is a small pane in a large window, opening into the world of knowledge based on reading and writing as one of the earliest cultural activities of mankind. Mankind’s civilization , and its accumulation, sharing and transmission of knowledge over the centuries has been made possible by written and readable words. Every Muslim knows that the first command revealed by Allah to the Holy Prophet of Islam Muhammad (PBUH) was ‘READ’.Literacy, over the centuries, has become the lever of human progress and the leveler of social and economic conditions. It is a basic human need, and human right to knowledge. Illiteracy is brake on human development, and maps of illiteracy – poverty, underdevelopment, social discrimination and disease are always co-incident. It is a challenge to human dignity and imposes a second-class status on a person in all societies. Life without literacy is life without hope, security and freedom. 4. CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING THE LITERACY STATUS:The literacy status of a country is determined by the following parameters: I. The existing level of literacy. II. The rate on increment of new literates. III. The volume of the educati on system’s output. IV. The demographic factors engage structure, mortality and birth rate. V. The last but not the least is the percentage of budget engaged for the education. 5. RAISING THE LITERACY RATE: Countries have succeeded in raising their literacy rates by taking the following steps: I. Universalization of primary education. II. Providing non-formal primary education facilities for out of school youth and dropouts.III. Launching countrywide programmes for adults backed by political leadership. IV. Broad involvement of various social groups, institutions, public and voluntary organizations etc. 6. ILLITERACY SCENARIO IN PAKISTAN: The picture of illiteracy in Pakistan is grim. Although successive governments have announced various programmes to promote literacy, especially among women, but they have been unable to translate their words into actions because of various political, social and cultural obstacles. Access to basic education is the right of every individual.E ducation is the most important instrument in enhancing human capabilities, and in achieving the desired objectives of economic development. Education enables individuals to make informed choices, broaden their horizons and opportunities and to have a voice in public decision-making. It is one of the most important factors that act as a counterweight to social and economic mobility imposed by cultural and historical biases. Education is a vehicle of nation building through which a nation’s shared interpretation of history and cultural values are reproduced across generations.At the country level, education means strong economic growth due to productive and skilled labor force. At the individual level, education is strongly correlated to higher returns in earning and a more informed and aware existence. The emerging global scenario offers immense opportunities and challenges, and only those nations can benefit from it, which have acquired the required knowledge base and skills. There are 163,000 primary schools in Pakistan, of which merely 40,000 cater to girls. According to UNICEF, 17. 6 per cent of Pakistani children are working and supporting their families. 7.CAUSES OF ILLITERACY IN PAKISTAN: 1) Half-hearted planning and management of literacy and continuing education. 2) Limited budget. 3) Lack of reliable statistics and research researchers. 4) Weak community participation. 5) Lack of multimedia material. 6) Lack of special skilled textbook writers. 7) Poor follow up of programmes. 8) In-service teachers do not take such work seriously. 9) Dependence on foreign aid. 10) Dropout rate is high. 11) Over-crowded classrooms. 12) Panacea of private sector. 13) Outdated curriculum. 14) Problems of higher education; brain drain etc. 15) Corruption. 16) Rote learning. 7) Unfair examinations. 18) Lack of adequate facilities such as clean water, electricity etc. in the rural schools. 8. EFFECTS OF ILLITERACY: 1) Over-population. 2) Low-GDP and per capita incom e. 3) Increase unskilled labour. 4) Infant mortality and maternal mortality. 5) Political instability. 6) Poor use of natural resources. 7) Heavy international debts. 8) Child labour. 9) Poor international image. 10) Low per acre agriculture yield. 11) Halting industrial growth and less trade activities. 9. PRESENT GOVERNMENT POLICY: According to World Bank Report, Pakistan’s spending on public sector education is only 2. per cent of the GDP and this is much lower than the south Asian average of 3. 6 per cent and the low-income countries’ average of 3. 4 per cent I. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Pakistan has committed to all the International declaration to extend the agenda of providing the basic right of education to all of its citizens. Pakistan is among the signatories of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as the Dakar World Education Forum 2000. The Government of Pakistan has taken several policy and program initiatives to achieve these internation al goals since then.The National Plan of Action for Education for all was initiated in response to the commitment made at Dakar for World Summit. The Education Reform Action Plan (ESR), which is built upon the National Education Policy 1998-2010, is a long-term plan, with three yearly action plans. The ESR addresses the development of the overall education sector through investment in rehabilitation of schools, improving the curriculum and assessment reform system, an adult literacy campaign, mainstreaming the Madressahs, a pilot school nutrition program and technical stream in secondary schools.The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) views education as a strong policy instrument in bringing poverty down. Three main goals that are the underlying objectives of all of these programs and initiatives include universal access to primary education by increasing the net enrollment and higher rate of survival of children till grade 5, increase in the adult literacy rate and to attain ge nder equality at all levels. Currently, adult literacy rate is 53 percent; net enrollment at the primary level is 52 per cent, retention rate for 2004- 05 is noted as 61 per cent and significant gender gaps at all levels especially in the rural areas ersist. Public spending on education as a percentage of GDP is 2. 1 per cent and has approximately increased by less than one percentage point since 2000-01. II. Education Institutions and Enrollment Attainment of Universal Primary Education (UPE) has become a compelling national priority. This is a challenge that has been accepted at the highest level in the federal and provincial governments. UPE is anticipated to increase in access to education by 4%, reduction in gender disparity by 10% and enhancing primary completion rate by 5% per annum.In the past year, 2187 new primary schools were established, 1221 in the public sector and 881 in the private sector. This increase has occurred in both rural and urban areas. Statistical annexure table 9. 1 and 9. 2, show the number of the girls in the primary and middle school in year 2004-05. The expansion in the number of institutions is inconsistent with the need to provide easy access to the half the country’s school going population. The public sector was able to establish only 999 new primary schools for girls in 2004-05.The responsibility of expanding the primary and middle schools for girls has been devolved to District Governments under the devolution plan. III. Primary education Two main indicators that show the changes in the primary schooling are Gross Enrollment Rate (GER) and Net Enrolment rate (NER). The last four years have witnessed 14 percentage points increase in the gross primary enrollment which is more then 3 percentage point per annum increase on average. This increase from 72 percent in 2001-02 to 86 percent in 2004-05 is a result of targeted and resilient polices of the government.Adoption of free provision of universal basic education polic es in the provinces (except Balochistan) is gradually delivering the promised increase in the enrolment rate. In the urban areas, the GER is impressive in all provinces, ranging from 84 percent in Balochistan to 108 percent in Punjab. In the rural areas, Punjab has made a marked progress, particularly in female GER, which increased from 61 percent in 2001-02 to 82 percent in 2004-05. The Gender gap has also seen an improvement at the primary level in Punjab and has been modest in Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan. IV. Gender gapGender disparity in literacy and enrollment is one of the key concerns of the Government. Pakistan’s overall record in promoting and delivering gender equality has been weak. There are, however, areas in which significant progress has been made and indicators point to a steady though slow improvement in the ratio of girls to boys at all levels of education, the ratio of literate females to males, share of women in urban employment (as proxy indicator for sha re of women in wage employment in non-agricultural sector) has improved marginally and improvement in participation of women in national decision making process.Statistics show that gender disparity has been declining since 1998-99, however the recent decline is only marginal from 26 percent in 2001-02 to 25 percent in 2004-05. Reducing gender gap in education at all level will ensure equality of opportunity and economic participation for females. Gender disparity in literacy is lower in urban areas where it is 16 percent, as compared to 29 percent in rural areas in 2004-05. In fact there has been no progress in reducing the gender gap either between the urban and rural areas or between genders in both areas. V. Public Private PartnershipThe Community Support Rural Schools Program (CSRSP) is NEF’s largest program and it encourages pilot innovations to promote education in rural areas. Notable among them are Child Friendly School Program and Education for Working Children. Cur rently, 260 schools are running under CSRSP with an enrollment of 23300 students and another 350 schools are established in 2005 supported by NORAD. Moreover, teacher training has been a significant component of CSRSP, with the goal to enable in-service community teachers to re-learn modern pedagogical principles and techniques to manage today’s classrooms. VI.Higher Education Commission Pakistan is ranked amongst the lowest in the world in higher education enrollment rates at 2. 9 percent. Other Asian developing countries, such as India and Korea, stand at 10 percent and 68 percent respectively. According to a report of the steering committee for higher education in 2001, only 2. 6 percent of the students between the ages 17-23 enrolled in universities, which have increased to 2. 9 in 2005. The target is to double enrollment in the next five years by increasing the capacity of the existing higher education institutions and also establishing new ones.The quality of education provided is not up to the mark, which can be gauged from the fact that not a single Pakistani university is ranked among the top 500 universities of the world. VII. Financing of Education in the public sector Public expenditure on education as a percentage to GDP is lowest in Pakistan as compared to other countries of the South Asian region. Pakistan spends 2. 1 percent of it’s GDP on education as compared to India which spends 4. 1 percent, Bangladesh 2. 4 percent and Nepal spends 3. 4 percent. VIII. National Education Assessment SystemNational Education Assessment System (NEAS) is a World Bank funded project with a total cost of Rs. 319. 364 million including foreign exchange component with World Bank share of Rs. 273. 110 million. The government of Pakistan is committed to improve the quality of education at all levels. The NEAS is one of the key programs of the Ministry meant to improve the quality of education at elementary level, with the objective to measure learning a chievements of grade 4 and 5 students, to develop capacity in educational assessment related activities, to institutionalization of sustainable monitoring system and information dissemination.IX. Curriculum Development The curriculum development is an on going process to respond to global challenges and emerging trends. This process has been initiated in collaboration with the federal units and provincial and regional governments (AJ&K, FATA). The present government realizing the importance of vibrant and dynamic curriculum has decided to review /revise curriculum of class 1 to 8. The committee has initiated consultative meetings to develop a curriculum reflecting the latest trends in individual subjects as well as equipping the education of the country with the requirement of today and tomorrow. 0. SUGGESTIONS: 1) A uniform education policy. 2) Ability and merit must be declared as corner stones of our national life. 3) Adequate educational facilities. 4) Removal of fake schools; 2 3000 present in whole country. 5) Fair examination system. 6) Updated curriculum. 7) High standard of academic research. 8) Removal of corruption. 9) Training of teachers. 10) Removal of rote learning. â€Å"Education makes people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave. † CURRENT EDUCATION SYSTEM The struggle to raise a nation’s living standards is fought first and foremost in the classrooms. † 1. INTRODUCTION: Birds and animals require teaching or training to lead a successful bird or animal life. They know how to make a home or shelter for themselves and how to keep themselves alive instinctively. The instinct of self-preservation is implanted by nature. They are given certain faculties, which develop, to their maximum level with their physical growth without much conscious efforts on their part or on the part of their parents. Not so with man.His intellectual growth depends on many outside factors and cannot attain matu rity without long and deliberate efforts on his part and on the part of his well-wishers. A forest can grow itself but a garden cannot. A flower is pretty by itself but a diamond requires a lot of cutting and polishing before it will sparkle and scintillate into thousand colours. Man is like a rough diamond and requires filling and polishing before all his faculties can function fully. Inevitably, in fact, education enables one to lead a better life physically, mentally and spiritually.Education helps iron out one’s emotions, prejudices, and idiosyncrasies to rationalize things rather objectively. This enables an individual to visualize his position in a society he lives and the world society as a whole. The process of education can be regarded as a function of five M’s namely Man, Money, method, Management and Machinery. That is the short human expression of the major variables that figure in the educational process, though social milieu, reflecting attitude of societ y towards education. 2. GLOBAL EDUCATION SCENARIO: Access to basic education is the right of every individual.Education is the most important instrument in enhancing human capabilities, and in achieving the desired objectives of economic development. Education enables individuals to make informed choices, broaden their horizons and opportunities and to have a voice in public decision-making. It is one of the most important factors that act as a counterweight to social and economic mobility imposed by cultural and historical biases. Education is a vehicle of nation building through which a nation’s shared interpretation of history and cultural values are reproduced across generations.At the country level, education means strong economic growth due to productive and skilled labor force. At the individual level, education is strongly correlated to higher returns in earning and a more informed and aware existence. The emerging global scenario offers immense opportunities and chal lenges, and only those nations can benefit from it, which have acquired the required knowledge base and skills. 3. EDUCATION SCENARIO IN SOUTH ASIA: Half of the world’s illiterate and 22 percent of the world’s population live in South Asia.Pakistan does not fare well on account of literacy within the region. Sri Lanka and Maldives have almost attained full literacy. The adult literacy rate for India is 61 as compared to 53 percent in Pakistan. India, according to a recent study done by the World Bank, has attained 100 percent Gross Enrollment ratio (GER) and 90 percent Net Enrollment Ratio (NER) at the primary level. 4. LITERACY SCENARIO IN PAKISTAN: (From page 25) 5. CAUSES OF ILLITERACY IN PAKISTAN: (From page 25) 6. EFFECTS OF ILLITERACY: (From page 25) 7. PRESENT GOVERNMENT POLICY: From page 25, 26, 27) 8. NEW SCHEME OF STUDIES: †¢ The federal education ministry on Thursday notified a new scheme of studies for classes I to XII, extending the number of annual a cademic days from 170 to 210 and making Islamiyat compulsory from class III-instead of class IV from next year. †¢ Non-Muslim students have been given the option to study ethics in place of Islamiyat. †¢ Computer education has been made compulsory from class VI. Physical training, arts and crafts, library sessions and after-school team sports have also been made compulsory. The number of academic days in a year has been increased from 170 to 210. †¢ The new scheme will be effective from 2007. †¢ Science and maths would be taught in English by 2011, it was notified. †¢ All middle schools will get computer labs within three years. Standard exams will be conducted at the end of class VIII to grant scholarships to students at the provincial and district levels. †¢ Under the new scheme, students of classes I and II will be taught Urdu, English, mathematics and general knowledge, which will include short stories from Islamic history, science and social studie s. The provinces have the discretion to use their regional languages as medium of instruction and no student will be retained in classes I and II. †¢ From class VI onwards, science, geography, history and computer education will be taught in addition to other compulsory subjects. Maths, science and computer education will be taught in English, whereas, for geography and history the medium of instruction can be Urdu or English up to 2011. †¢ For classes IX and X in humanities group, Pakistan studies and three out of 22 elective subjects will be taught in addition to Urdu, English, maths and Islamiyat.An advanced Islamic study has been introduced as an elective subject. †¢ In the science group, physics, chemistry, biology and maths will be taught in English, whereas Islamiyat and Pakistan studies will be taught in Urdu. †¢ At the higher secondary school level, there will be five academic groups — science group-I (pre-medical), science group-II (pre-engineeri ng or computer science), humanities, commerce, medical technology and home economics. †¢ In the pre-engineering group, maths, physics, chemistry or computer science will be taught in addition to the compulsory subjects of Islamiyat, Urdu and English. In the humanities group, three out of 24 elective subjects, including advanced level Pakistan studies and Islamic studies etc, will be offered in addition to the compulsory subjects. †¢ In the commerce group, business maths and statistics, principles of accounting, computer skills or banking, principles of economics and commercial geography will be taught in addition the three compulsory subjects. †¢ In the medical technology group, labs, images, operation theatre, ophthalmology, physiotherapy and dental hygiene technologies will be taught in addition to the compulsory subjects. In the home economics group, food and house management, food and nutrition, home farming, clothing, child development, group behaviour, childcare and nursing will be taught in addition the compulsory subjects. 9. SUGGESTIONS: 1) A uniform education policy. 2) Ability and merit must be declared as corner stones of our national life. 3) Adequate educational facilities. 4) Removal of fake schools; 23000 present in whole country. 5) Fair examination system. 6) Updated curriculum. 7) High standard of academic research. 8) Removal of corruption. 9) Training of teachers. 10) Removal of rote learning.

Promotion: Performance vs Seniority Essay

According to the latest statistics published in the New York Times a 70 percent of the American workers think that promotions have to be based on performance rather than promotions by seniority. The first thing that needs to be said is that it is a personal decision. In my opinion, promotions have to be based on performance, because workers have good incentives, the best employees deserve the better positions quickly and the enterprises can have good employees. My first argument suggests that modern enterprise needs to produce more goods without spend money and time. The enterprises have to hire the best employees who need good incentives to work in them. The promotions by good performance rather than by seniority are very interesting for a young professional, because if he works well, he can get a better position in the company. For example, some companies have programs to hire young talent professionals. Second to take into account is that if the better employees had the opportunity to sit in a high position in the company early, they would have a better performance rather than another senior employee. To illustrate this point one need only refer to the several polls that some economics’ magazines have taken in successful companies and these polls show there are more young and capable workers than ever in the past, because there are a program of promotions by performance. Third, equally relevant to the issue are the companies with promotions base on good work have a better laborer climate. Enterprises give good incentives to hire capable workers and they give their better work. They can be happy in the company. Thus, I prefer to promotions have to be based in a good performance rather than promotions by seniority, in the due to the fact, worker have a good incentives, the best employees deserve the better positions quickly and the enterprises can have good employees.

History of Accounting Essay

The name that looms largest in early accounting history is Luca Pacioli, who in 1494 first described the system of double-entry bookkeeping used by Venetian merchants in his Summa de Arithmetica, Geometria, Proportioni et Proportionalita. Of course, businesses and governments had been recording business information long before the Venetians. But it was Pacioli who was the first to describe the system of debits and credits in journals and ledgers that is still the basis of today’s accounting systems. The industrial revolution spurred the need for more advanced cost accounting systems, and the development of corporations created much larger classes of external capital providers – shareownersand bondholders – who were not part of the firm’s management but had a vital interest in its results. The rising public status of accountants helped to transform accounting into a profession, first in the United Kingdom and then in the United States. In 1887, thirty-one accountants joined together to create the American Association of Public Accountants. The first standardized test for accountants was given a decade later, and the first CPAs were licensed in 1896. The Great Depression led to the creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 1934. Henceforth all publicly-traded companies had to file periodic reports with the Commission to be certified by members of the accounting profession. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and its predecessors had responsibility for setting accounting standards until 1973, when the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) was established. The industry thrived in the late 20th century, as the large accounting firms expanded their services beyond the traditionalauditing function to many forms of consulting. The Enron scandals in 2001, however, had broad repercussions for the accounting industry. One of the top firms, Arthur Andersen, went out of business and, under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, accountants faced tougher restrictions on their consulting engagements. One of the paradoxes of the profession, however, is that accounting scandals generate more work for accountants, and demand for their services continued to boom throughout the early part of the 21st century.

Happiness and the Good Life Essay

What is the relation between living a good life and being happy? To many, the good life is a financially prosperous life, and happiness lies in the possession of wealth. Worldly success is what counts, and anyone who is not ‘successful’ in the usual sense is counted a ‘failure.’ Others strive for a life based on honor and public recognition. A good life is made up of hobnobbing with the right people in the right settings, and happiness is a matter of gaining respect. Along with these, there are lives that show by their living a desire for glory or power that inspires great efforts. Others, who are not drawn to wealth, power or glory because of the difficulties involved in attaining them, may choose the pursuit of pleasure. A good and happy life is one in which pleasures outweigh the pains overall. Many questions have been asked about the good life and happiness. People constantly answer those questions with their lives, and we see many different ideas of the good life and happiness playing out in the strivings of human beings to live well and be happy. The ancient Greeks wished their friends to ‘do well’ and ‘fare well’ in this life. These two, they thought, held the keys to human felicity. Doing well concerns ourselves, our own actions and feelings. We have some control over these aspects of our lives. So when we wish someone to ‘do well’ in life, we express the hope that the person will be moral and fair in his or her dealings with others. Beyond securing basic physical survival, someone who does well in life can sleep with a clear conscience, whether blessed with material success or not. From many a philosophical point of view, the good life has an intrinsically moral core that involves compassion for the suffering of others and acting justly in the world. ‘Faring well’ concerns events and occurrences over which we do not have so much control. â€Å"Faring well† means succeeding in life, coming into a prosperous condition, with all the benefits that come with money and social acceptance. Someone who is faring well in life has had a bit of good luck. It is possible to do everything right in order to succeed, but still fail to do so. For example, you can study hard for your degree, get your professional qualifications, work diligently, become competent, but still not succeed. The cards may not fall your way. As Sartre says, â€Å"You are free to try, but not to succeed.† This seems right to me, and so I will come down with Aristotle against Plato on this point, that doing well is not all that is involved in attaining happiness in life. Plato’s Socrates famously says that the good person cannot be harmed, that virtue is knowledge, and that happiness consists entirely of doing well and being just. Aristotle argues that a degree of luck plays into our happiness. He insists that most of our happiness is in our own hands, but that it can be affected by outside circumstances. So while being happy is mostly a matter of ‘doing well’ (and ‘thinking well’), great misfortunes can damage our happiness. It may be that such a person, by ‘doing well,’ will attain a degree of dignity in suffering, but he will not be happy; or, as Aristotle has it, ‘blessed.’ In light of this result, I hazard an intuitive philosophical account of the relation between the good life and happiness. Living a good life is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for happiness. In other words, it is possible to live a good life without being happy, but not happy without living a good life. This a ‘philosophical’ account of the relation because many philosophers have a particular idea of happiness and the good life that is not shared by everyone, with their emphasis on clarity of thought and sound reasoning. In addition, though philosophers recommend the philosophical life as both the happiest and the best, they are not in a position to legislate for everyone what happiness must be. Nevertheless, the traditional philosophical view is not without support. All we have to do is look at the results of many lives that strive for wealth, power, fame, glory or pleasure. So many disasters befall those who pursue a good life with no moral core, or reflective turn of mind, that it makes some sense, as philosophers argue, to pursue the wisdom to recognize the good life, and, within that life, such happiness human beings can attain.