Chaucer s Canterbury Tales And The Wife Of Bath s Tale

Didactic literature is a work of writing that has been around for many centuries. It can come in all types of forms- novels, plays, poems, etc. The main similarity that all didactic literature have in common is their message. They all aim to impact their audience with a message or moral that usually involves religion, philosophy, history, or even politics. In a way, didactic literature always tries to improve a part of society in a moral basis. The reason it targets a part of society is because didactic literature has an audience of origin that the moral applies to. For example, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales: â€Å"The Wife of Bath s Prologue† and â€Å"The Wife of Bath s Tale† , which is written by Geoffrey Chaucer, takes place during the late†¦show more content†¦Within these three relationships, the power in the relationship was given to the woman. However, the 5th husband that she married differed from the first three. He wanted to have the power in the relationship and this resulted in a clash. Ultimately, the husband yelled at her, beat her, and left her deaf on one ear. This shows that if both the woman and man want control in the relationship, there will always be a problem. These marriages teach the reader that a marriage needs to have both powers in balance and cooperate together in order to succeed. Moving on to Chaucer’s second tale, there are many lessons to be taught about chivalry. This tale tells the story of a narcissistic knight that rapes a young woman alongside a river. Once King Arthur finds about this sin he demands the knights head. Fortunately, the knight is spared by the woman but in a redeemable manner. The knight is set out on a year long mission in order to answer one question- â€Å"what do women want the most?†. After the year long mission the knight returns and answers the question successfully. This answer the knight gives is what coincides with the prologue’s last lesson. â€Å"Wo men want the same self-sovereignty over her husband, as over her lover, and master him, he must not be above her†(Chaucer, 214-218). This saying, again, is addressing the balance in power within a relationship. There is no doubt that Chaucer believes a successful marriage needs a balanceShow MoreRelatedMoral In The Canterbury Tales1221 Words   |  5 PagesThe Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales have an ultimate lesson at the end, just as every other literary work does. In some of them, he simply states what it is, or some may have to be inferred. During the time, many social and historical events were taking place, and in some instances, Chaucer chose to base the moral around it. While reading The Canterbury Tales, the audience gets entertainment and a basic knowledge of what life what like through the lessons he presents. All of the tales moralsRead MoreChaucers The Canterbury Tales1381 Words   |  6 PagesThe Canterbury Tales serves as a moral manual in the Middle Ages. In the tales, Geoffrey Chaucer portrays the problems of the society. For instance, Chaucer uses the monk and the friar in comparison to the parson to show what the ecclesiastical class are doing versus what they are supposed to be doing. In other words, it is to make people be aware of these problems. It can be inferred that the author’s main goal is for this literary work to serve as a message to the people along with changing theRead MoreInsight Into Human Behavior And The Canterbury Tales1560 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer is known for being one of the greatest English poets of his time (Malvern). During Chaucer’s life, he went through many hardships. Some of the hardship Chaucer endured was being kidnapped by French enemies, dealing with the death of his wife, and surviving the Black Death (â€Å"Chaucer†). Chaucer hardship helped him become the author that he was (Malvern). â€Å"The Canterbury Tales is a group of legends narrated by fictional pilgrims on a pilgrimage† (â€Å"Chaucer†). Chaucer’sRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucer View and Change on Judgement968 Words   |  4 Pagesorganization. Geoffrey Chaucer is one of these people, but he actually did something about it. He had problems with some social aspects during the 1300s which included the church, gender differences, and hypocrisy. He wrote about these problems in a set of tales widely known as The Canterbury Tales. The first is The General Prologue which describes a pilgrimage to Canterbury tha t many people endure, but on this specific journey, twenty-nine different people travel together to Canterbury. He uses two typesRead MoreAuthority And The Canterbury Tales1825 Words   |  8 PagesAuthority and The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer, widely known for his influence in medieval literature, expresses a fourteenth century literacy concept of authority and gentility in The Canterbury Tales. There are two forms of authority and gentility that will be covered in this discussion: authority and gentility in Chaucer’s personal life and the one in his two tales, â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale†, and â€Å"The Clerk’s Tale†. Chaucer himself loses a sense of authority over his writing after his deathRead MoreWomen During The Medieval Times1932 Words   |  8 PagesWomen in Canterbury Tales During the Medieval time period that Canterbury Tales was written in, there was a general depiction of women that they weren’t even looked at as humans, but looked at as objects. Women were thought of as weak, untrustworthy, and even less intelligent beings than men. Chaucer did not necessarily agree with the general consensus of women during the time period. Now there are tales that go along with the general impression of women, but there are also signs that Chaucer lookedRead MoreAnalysis Of Geoffrey Chaucer s The Wife Of Bath 1371 Words   |  6 PagesFebruary 2015 Pilgrim Evaluation Geoffrey Chaucer, the Father of English Literature, was the first to write in English for folks to read. One of his best known works of art would be The Canterbury Tales, which was written between 1380 and 1400 in England, but was never completed due to his death. It was composed in Middle English and portrays a great example of frame narrative. The Canterbury Tales begins with a group of pilgrims traveling from England to Canterbury. While they are navigating, they gatherRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucer s Impact On Literature1231 Words   |  5 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer’s Impact on Literature: English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is acclaimed to be one of the best and most influential poets in history. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote several famous literary works in what is called middle English. Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1340 in London, England. Over the course of Chaucer’s life, he entered and exited several different social classes. He began to write his most known pieces when he became a public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster in 1357. He diedRead MoreWho Was Geoffrey Chaucer?888 Words   |  4 PagesWho was Geoffrey Chaucer? One of the most unique poets of during the Middle Ages was Geoffrey Chaucer. He was born in London sometime between 1340 and 1344. His parents were John Chaucer and Agnes Copton. John Chaucer was an affluent wine merchant and deputy to the king’s butler. Geoffrey held several opportunities early in his life serving as a noblewoman’s page, a courtier, a diplomat, a civil servant, and a collector of scrap metal. He was given theses oppurtunities because of who his father wasRead MoreThe Worldview Of Society In Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales793 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Time and tide wait for no man† (Chaucer). Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400) was a man of creativity, a mind for artful thinking, and a soul full of poetic writing. Chaucer attended St. Paul’s Cathedral School where poets such as Virgil and Ovid strongly influenced Chaucers’ writings (Britannica). Chaucer in his book The Canterbury Tales depicts society as being corrupted and morall y declined. Chaucers life of events such as his time as a prisoner of war (Biography.com) had impacted his outlook on the

The Influence Of Sarcopenia On Body Mass - 1357 Words

Introduction Sarcopenia can be defined as the age-related loss of muscle mass, strength and function (Waters, Baumgartner Garry 2000; Vandervoort Symons 2001). Although there is no specific level of lean body mass or muscle mass at which one can say sarcopenia is present (Roubenoff 2001), any loss of muscle mass is of importance because there is a strong relationship between muscle mass and strength (Roth, Ferrell Hurley 2000). Sarcopenia appears to begin in the fourth decade of life and accelerates after the age of approximately 75 years (Waters, Baumgartner Garry 2000). With aging and inactivity, the most atrophy is seen in the fast twitch (FT) fibers which are recruited during high-intensity, anaerobic movements. Although sarcopenia is mostly seen in physically inactive individuals, it is also evident in individuals who remain physically active throughout their lives. This finding suggests that physical inactivity is not the only contributing factor to sarcopenia. Current research is findi ng that the development of sarcopenia is a multifactorial process. Many factors, including physical inactivity, motor-unit remodeling, decreased hormone levels, and decreased protein synthesis, may all contribute to sarcopenia. Fortunately, sarcopenia is partly reversible with appropriate exercise interventions. This article will focus on the current perspectives of sarcopenia and conclude with the importance of resistance training in preventing it. Motor Unit Remodeling AgeShow MoreRelatedHistory Of Sarcopenia ( Sarx ) Was First Used For Muscle And Penia For Loss1031 Words   |  5 PagesSarcopenia (sarx for muscle and penia for loss) (Cruz-Jentof et al.) Was first used By Rosenberg in 1989. It can be defined as progressive loss muscle mass and Decreased function with or without decrease in body weight linked to aging with An adverse outcomes such as disability and poor quality of life (Palmio et al. Delmonico) This complex process is caused by a combination of both Physiological and pathological mechanism which lead to degradation of skeletal Muscle as patients becomeRead MoreNotes On Muscles Growth And Loss Essay1424 Words   |  6 PagesSian Robinson, Cyrus Cooper, and Avan Aihie Sayer (2012)Nutrition and Sarcopenia: A Review of the Evidence and Implications for Preventive Strategies. 2. Charge, S. B. P., and Rudnicki, M.A. (2004). Cellular and molecular regulation of muscle regeneration. Physiological Reviews, Volume 84, 209-238. 1. Introductions†¨ Muscle tissues are one of the essential materials in human body, it plays a great role of human body, supporting not only external movement but also internal function, providingRead MoreIn Living Organisms, There Is A Common Process That Occurs,1748 Words   |  7 Pagesorganisms, there is a common process that occurs, that is known as aging. Aging is process that begins the day that we are born and only ends on the day that die (Woodrow, 2002). It involves gradual physical and psychological changes to the human body and mind, in addition to societal changes. Throughout one’s lifespan, adaptation plays a pivotal role in aging, as many are challenged with limitations throughout. In society today, it is common to hear people say that they want to age successfullyRead MoreNutrition : An Important Aspect For The Health Of Elderly Essay1774 Words   |  8 Pagesprotein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients causes an adverse effect on the fo rm of the body, its function and the clinical outcomes. Malnutrition Consequences: Malnutrition consequences are severe and it can majorly affect the well-being of a person. Elderly who are at risk of malnutrition are exposed to many physiological changes. Malnutrition is commonly associated with: Decreased bone mass, impaired muscle function, changes in hormonal level, poor wound healing, anemia, delayed recoveryRead MoreA Report On The Phosphocreatine System2649 Words   |  11 Pages The phosphocreatine system is fueled by a molecule called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which is broken down by the body. When broken down, ATP releases energy and a by product adenosine diphosphate, or ADP. Unfortunately, the body only has a limited amount of ATP and has to be replenished in order for it to properly function. The energy system that will be discussed in this paper is the phosphocreatine system, which is used in high power, short duration activities. In the phosphocreatine systemRead MoreThe Effects Of Inactivity On World s Major Non Communicable Diseases Of Coronary Heart Disease1771 Words   |  8 Pagesinactivity was associated with all cause of mortality, cancer, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, immune deficiencies, neurological disorders, osteoporosis, stress, overweight, obesity, oxidative stress and sarcopenia. The review suggested that PI has significant influence on various diseases and disorders in all age groups, however among the older PI causes chronic illness which can otherwise be altered by lifestyle changes. Author concluded that there is a linear relationship betweenRead MoreAnalyzing Theories Of Adult Development1965 Words   |  8 Pages while there is difference from sixteen to twenty one years old of age (Erikson, 1980). The socio-cultural concepts of being an adult is based on what the culture normatively sights as being the required standards for the adulthood which often influence the definitions of the adulthood of people within that certain culture (Erikson, 1980). This may or may not correspond with a legal definition. The views on adult development in the late concentrate on the idea of effective aging, and is describedRead MoreNutritional Aspects Of Diabetes Mellitus2330 Words   |  10 Pages13 times that of people younger than 45 years of age (1.6%). According to Gambert and Pinkstaff, with advanced age insulin sensitivity in muscle and adipose tissue decline and this can result in hyperinsulimia (2006). Progressive beta cell loss, influence of free fatty acids, and inflammatory adipocytokines result in glucose intolerance and eventually the development of diabetes mellitus type 2. Usually by the time an individual is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus, 80% of beta cell functionRead MoreEffects of Vigorous and Moderate Exercise on Health-Related Outcomes10786 Words   |  43 Pagestoday such as televisions, computers and video games, encourage people to live sedentary lives(Kuh and Ben-Shlomo, 2004). This prevents people from exercising their bodies regularly. Regular exercise strengthens the bones and muscles and improves circulation of blood inside the body (Makinen et al., 2009). Being active also causes the body to burn more calories allowing a person to maintain a healthy weight. 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The bet Free Essays

It was another lonely night for Mrs Maloney as she sat in her armchair in the middle of her living room with a cup of tea. Her husband had been out all day again in the bookmaker’s; it was if he lived there. Eventually he came home and Mrs Maloney had prepared them both dinner, but his had gone cold because she had already eaten hers earlier hoping he would have been there so they could enjoy it together. We will write a custom essay sample on The bet or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Hello dear I made you some dinner in the kitchen, you’ll have to heat it up because its gone a bit cold now† she told him nervously. He replied negatively â€Å"Alright woman let me breath I’ve only just got in the door!† She could tell he had been in the pub as well the way he staggered in the door. Mrs Maloney quietly started watching television again when she heard Mr Maloney groaning from the kitchen. Then she walked in to see what was wrong, it was just him complaining again. She let him carry on eating it but sat down at the table with him. She asked, â€Å"So how was your day dear?† But he replied, â€Å"Let me finish my dinner first† So she did. â€Å"My day was crap, I didn’t win anything† Mr Maloney told her. â€Å"My day wasn’t brilliant either, but I found something out† She informed, â€Å"What’s that then?† Mr Maloney asked, â€Å"You know Jim from the butchers.† She replied â€Å"Yes† he said curiously † Well his wife is expecting a baby. Isn’t it great news† she replied. Mr Maloney responded with no interest † yeah great news.† â€Å"I wish we could have had a baby.† She said. â€Å"Well it’s too late your fifty six now and I can’t be asked.† He exclaimed, but some of it was the beer talking. She felt really depressed now like someone had just died. It was getting late so Mrs Maloney decided to go to bed; on the way up the stairs she asked, † Are you coming up dear?† He groaned â€Å"in a minute† Later when she was tucked up in bed she heard Mr Maloney switch the lights off and slowly creep up the stairs. As he entered Mrs Maloney pretended t be asleep so he wouldn’t say anything. He climbed into the bed and gradually dozed off. The next morning she woke up and gave a big stretch only to find that Mr Maloney had gone. Mrs Maloney didn’t make a big deal out of it and carried on as if it were a normal day, which in fact it was. After she had eaten and got changed she watched the television to check out today’s news. It announced that the Grand National was running today, â€Å"that’s why he’s shot off then.† She told herself. She grabbed her coat and dashed to the town centre where the bookmaker’s is. When she arrived it was rammed with people all doing their shopping there was hardly room to breathe, but she started searching for the bookmakers to find Mr Maloney. Mrs Maloney eventually found it but she just stood there outside thinking of what would happen if she went in. She picked up her courage and opened the door and everyone inside stared at her, she felt intimidated. She scanned around looking for her husband only to find he wasn’t there. Meanwhile Mr Maloney was in his favourite bookmakers, which was in a nearby village about fifteen minutes away from his house. He had bet half his savings on this race because he had a feeling he was going to win. The race was about to start and Mr Maloney had been waiting around an hour for this. He was with his friend Robert who always went with him to bookmakers; they were like a partnership because they were never alone in the place. He told Robert â€Å"I know I’m going to win this time, I just know it.† But Robert replied â€Å"yeah same old story every time† then the race was off and the horses roared out of the starting blocks. Mr Maloney was shouting at the television â€Å"come on red lightning!† he watched with his glued to the screen but the horse was failing him as usual. The race was coming to an end and red lightning was not winning but Mr Maloney didn’t care about that anymore, he was more worried about the fact that he’d lost half his savings. He then threw his ticket into bin and shot out the door aggressively to go home. When he arrived home he went into the house. He asked † Mary we’re you?† but there was no reply. He then went into the kitchen she wasn’t there either. Then he went upstairs to the bedroom and seen a note on the bed. He took it downstairs because he needed his glasses. He read it and it said † I cant live with you anymore because you are driving me crazy. I did a bet on the horses and won so I have enough money to start a new life, sorry but its for the best, yours Mary.† He was angry and swung his arm across the mantelpiece knocking of all the crystal. Then he picked up a bottle and poured a glass of whisky, after he drank it he threw the glass up the wall and it shattered all over the floor. Then he fell to his knees and cried out â€Å"how could you do this to me!† and he fell into over and cried. How to cite The bet, Papers

Economy and Globalization in Zambia free essay sample

Examining the economic situation and Zambia’s place in the global economy will help these questions to be understood. Lusaka, Zambia Zambia is a land-locked country located in central Africa. About the size of Texas, it is home to 11 million people. The population is made up of a variety of ethnic groups, most of whom speak Bantu. Zambia is currently one of the poorest countries in Africa, and is identified by the United Nations Development Program as a HIPC – Highly Indebted Poor Country. Lusaka is the product of a country battling to find its way in a new world, caught between colonial beginnings, years of socialist independence and now democracy. † -Zambian National Tourist Board Lusaka became the capital of Zambia in 1930 but growth really took place in the 1960’s. The Lusaka City Council describes the city as a metropolis home to 2. 5 million people. Lusaka is constantly changing. New shops are being built, and a multi-million dollar shopping mall is b eing constructed. However, the Zambian National Tourist Board warns that many travelers may not see any reason to stay and that over 60% of the population of Lusaka is unemployed. Of those that do have work, much of it is in farming, textiles and manufacturing. Economic History Before it was colonized, Zambia was inhabited by a large number of different tribes, organized into chieftaincies and monarchies. There was an active trading network in copper, ivory, rhino horn and slaves. However, when colonization of Africa began, Zambia was taken over by the British government, which was particularly interested in the copper located in the northern part of the country. Because this occurred during the industrial revolution, copper was in high demand and made up 90% of Zambia’s exports. Mining was run primarily by the British South African Mining Company, with indigenous people as forced laborers. Zambia itself did not benefit from the significant amount of money coming in from the sale of copper, as this was realized large labor groups organized encouraging nationalist movements. In 1964, Zambia won independence from Britain, and Kenneth Kaunda became the first leader of the country. He organized Zambia on a socialist economic model. The copper mines were owned by the state. In the first ten years following independence, the level of real GDP grew at 2. 3% a year. Copper prices were increasing and it seemed that Zambia would be a very prosperous nation. However, by the mid-1970’s that dream began to fade. Copper prices fell in the world market. The price of oil and energy fueled global inflation and increased the price of imports. Zambia’s reliance on the copper trade was evident, and it was forced to begin borrowing heavily from international institutions. It seems that Zambia, the World Bank, and the IMF all agreed that copper prices would increase again, jump-starting Zambia’s economy. However, as time went on, this did not prove true. Further, neighboring countries fighting for independence were supported by Zambia, and trade routes were disrupted. From 1975-1990 the GDP per capital fell by almost 30%. When it became clear that the Zambian economy was not going to just pull out of the situation, global donors were no longer happy to continue the way things were going. They insisted on economic reforms within the country. These included cut backs in government spending, trade liberalization, and privatization of industry. Kuanda, still in power at the time, did attempt to make changes. However, these were met with internal opposition that caused the program to be abandoned. In 1991, Frederick Chiluba was elected to power. His party was able to push through the same type of economic reform that had been unpopular with the previous regime. In 1991 these changes were implemented. The idea was to privatize the economy and reduce the role of government in price setting and other issues. The economy became more outwardly oriented and a market based system was adopted. Three main goals were adopted by the government and agreed upon by the World Bank and IMF. The government was to restore macroeconomic stability, facilitate the private sector growth, and privatize and deregulate agriculture and industrial output. However, these changes have yet to make a significant impact in Zambia’s economic state, and it seems that they have a long way yet to go. (www. ized. ac. uk) Economy Zambia has a dual sector economy based on traditional subsistence farming, predominantly in the rural areas, and a market-oriented sector in urban areas, responsible for tax revenues and foreign exchange. In recent years, the government has made the move towards a more privatized, openmarket economy. A heavy dependence on copper (90% of exports from Independence until 1990 according to NBER, 2005) proved to be detrimental to Zambia’s economy in the past, and now there is a strong trend towards non-traditional exports. These include items like primary products, agro-processing and textiles. By 1999, only 61% of exports were from metal products, while 39% were non-traditional exports. Zambia has a number of resources at hand, and has a number of sectors where growth is possible. Agriculture Currently, agriculture makes up approximately 15% of GDP, but is still a relatively small portion of exports. Of the non-traditional exports, however, agriculture is expected to grow very quickly. Cotton, tobacco, meat, and a number of other products can be sold to the Southern Africa Development Community. Developed in 1980, this group includes nine countries in the southern Africa and makes up a significant trading area. Coffee, paprika, sugar, cotton, and other products are likely to encourage export growth to developed country markets. (NBER, 2005) Right now food crops make up 6. 3% of total income from agriculture, while cash crops are only 2. 5%. The profitability of agriculture could almost certainly be increased in a number of ways. In the agricultural sector, only 16% of potential arable land is currently being used. (www. fao. org) This land could be used for production of coffee, tobacco or other goods that can be exported. It could also be used to grow food that would otherwise be imported. Not all Zambian farmers have access to more land at no cost, but a number of them do. Other factors may be a lack of labor supply or access to seeds. (NBER, 2005, p13) A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that if Zambian farmers were to switch one hectare of crops to cotton, they could gain an average of almost 20% of the average expenditure of a representative poor farmer. If a farmer had access to more land at no cost, and simply planted an additional hectare of cotton, gains are above 50% of the average expenditure of poor households in rural areas. If we look at tobacco rather than cotton, the gain from switching one hectare from subsistence agriculture to tobacco would be roughly 88% of average total household expenditure. If tobacco were planted without having to sacrifice of a hectare of another crop, gains to the farmer would be about 130% of total expenditure of an average poor household. A third possibility is the growth of hybrid maize, which is of export quality. This would be more than a 55% gain for the farmer switching one hectare from subsistence, and if an additional hectare can be planted, gains of 100% can be secured. Maize is particularly important, because maize is already widely grown, and can be produced efficiently. One difficulty, however, may be in securing hybrid seeds, which must be purchased in advance. Agriculture seems like a very clear area where growth is possible. So why haven’t these changes been made already? There are many underlying difficulties preventing change in this area. Some challenges specific to agriculture are access to markets, food security and tradition in subsistence agriculture. In Zambia, a history of subsistence agriculture, particularly in rural areas may lead to risk aversion. Especially because cash crops require high quality seeds, which are expensive and difficult to acquire. For example, farmers in the rural village of Mwape were willing to farm cotton if an outside buyer provided seeds and guaranteed that he would purchase the cotton. Though the profits for the farmers were smaller, the security of this deal made it much more desirable than purchasing seeds on their own and hoping for a market. Farmers are unlikely to switch to cash crops if they are not certain of their own food security. In many cases, farmers have access to land, but do not have sufficient transportation or manpower to farm on it. They also may not have transportation to a local market, particularly for cash crops. It seems that the reason many theoretical growth schemes in the agricultural sector fail because of problems that occur at the ground level of production. Though Africa is recognized as home to primarily agricultural based societies, there remain many serious challenges to efficient agricultural production throughout the continent. Though agriculture is an important ector in many African nations, issues such as poor irrigation and lack of reliability have kept African countries from being significant exporters of agricultural goods in the global economy. Agricultural production in Africa is still unable to meet the demand of the region for food, as many Africans remain malnourished. Over the past decades agricultural imports have grown faster than agricultural exports. Organizations such as the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program by the FAO seek to help organize African agriculture and help increase efficiency. Mining Mining is currently the main export of Zambia, even though it isn’t nearly as lucrative as it once was. It would be beneficial for Zambia to find a way to make mining more costeffective. Currently, the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development with the help of the European Commission, is attempting to show the benefits of mining in Zambia. They cite the ample reserves and importance of Zambia in the world copper and cobalt production. The government has privatized the mining sector and has provided tax breaks and incentives to mining companies operating in the country. Together with a stabilization of the macro economy, this is hoped to bring more business into the primary export industry in the country. (www. zambiamining. co. zm) Currently, however, mining in Zambia is still seen as a risk because of poor infrastructure. A lack of reliable transportation and electricity have been a couple of the reasons companies remain unwilling to invest. Manufacturing The manufacturing sector in Zambia made up 25% of real GDP in 2004. A wide range of activities including vehicle assembly, petroleum refining, production of chemical fertilizers, textile mills and more took place. This sector is also operating below capacity because of the difficulty of importing necessary parts. (www. fao. org) The manufacturing sector was also hard hit by the liberalization of trade. The lowering of tariffs on textile products and removal of tariffs on used clothes let to large increases in imports of second-hand clothing from industrialized countries. The Zambian textile industry has almost completely shut down. In 1991, Zambia had more than 140 textile manufacturing firms, but by 2002, this number had fallen to just eight. (www. africanfocus. org, 2004). There are also issues with very cheap goods crossing the boarder from Zimbabwe, which due to economic instability and extremely high inflation is able to create goods for a cost much lower than neighboring Zambia. Zambia is seen as a high risk investment due to high costs in electricity, fuel and telecommunication. The high interest rates on borrowing and unstable macro economy also deter investors. (Times of Zambia) Manufacturing is often seen as a sector in which developing nations can thrive since wages and production costs are lower. However, without appropriate infrastructure and stability, this is not the case. The manufacturing situation has lead many in Zambia to question the structural adjustment policies suggested by the World Bank and IMF. Even if trade liberalization is shown to help GDP growth overall, those in the manufacturing sector may see only the losses. This may be one example of the ways in which broad policies may not be applicable in every location, depending on existing industry and regional situation. Energy One source of income for Zambia comes from its hydroelectric resources. Though it does not currently provide power to everyone within Zambia, it does export 40% of the electricity produced to the neighboring countries. This seems to be due to the fact that rural villages are often isolated and widely dispersed throughout the country. An appropriate electric grid or infrastructure does not exist to connect these areas to a central energy resource. The high cost of installing this infrastructure may mean that rural villages will need to use locally available resources to create power in their area. Tourism Though estimated to be only about four percent of Zambia’s economy, tourism is one of Zambia’s top three growth sectors. Zambia is home to Victoria Falls, and a number of national parks. In 2001 alone, tourism grew by 24. %, and has quadrupled in the last four years. This may be due, in part, to the crisis occurring in Zimbabwe, and tourists showing preference for the safer, more stable Zambia. (www. msnbc. msn. com) Zambia, Africa It is clear a number of factors brought Zambia to where it is today, but Is Zambia alone in this predicament? How does it compare to the rest of Africa? Is it possible that African countries have just been the economic â€Å"losers† in a globalization movement that was supposed to be good for all? According to the World Bank, â€Å"Over the last three decades, Africa has been marginalized from global trade. Africas share of world exports has dropped by nearly 60 percent. † So it is clear that Zambia representative of a broader issue. The World Bank blames the failures on a long list of improvements that need to be made, including further liberalization of trade, such as reducing tariffs on agricultural products and eliminating agricultural subsidies. However, others argue that the World Bank is pushing in the wrong direction. They suggest that because a large number of African countries are joining the global market before they are economically or socially stable, they are unable to diversify exports. They are encouraged to focus on similar cash crops and this results in price wars between African nations, driving revenues down for everyone. Without the ability to diversify their markets, industries deemed financially unsustainable are forced to go out of business. The workers displaced from these industries do not have other options readily available to them and the result is merely high unemployment. In countries with low mobility and an underdeveloped economy, openings are very limited. The question, then, is what is the prescription for sustainable development in Africa? Some suggest that each country must find their own path, or that institutions need to be developed before growth can occur. The World Bank maintains that earlier recommendations were correct and only need to be continued and carried out appropriately. As can be seen, there are many factors that can be pointed to as being less than optimal for promoting growth. Though many theories exist about what needs to be done, there is no consensus or empirical evidence of a successful model for African growth in general. Challenges Education About half the population of Zambia is under 18 years old. One tenth of the population is orphaned children. This makes providing education a very difficult task. The government has committed to achieving the millennium development goals of universal primary education and equal education opportunity for girls. However, it seems unlikely that these goals will be met by 2015. Education funding is 24% of the government’s discretionary budget. However, 36% of the education budget is dependent on overseas development assistance. The majority of funding is required for teachers’ salaries. (Global Campaign of Education – www. vso. ork. uk) In 2002, the Zambian government introduced free basic education to help make public education accessible to all. This led to an enrollment rate of over 93% in basic schools. However, high enrollment rates are putting high pressure on existing materials. The pupil teacher ratios are high and rising. Urban schools are short on space and rural schools often require lengthy travel for young children. In rural areas less than 66% of girls complete 7th grade and under 79% of boys. school up to grade 9. Only 38. 5% of children completed Zambia also has a number of higher education opportunities, with the University of Zambia in Lusaka as the primary location. This university has an enrollment of about 5,000 students. Cultivating an educated population is essential to creating social change and stimulating economic growth. With education, more of the population will be more aware of the workings of the global economy and the issues within Zambia. Educated Zambians can begin to tackle the many problems facing the country and help lead the way to economic achievement. Rural/Urban Divide When examining the future possibilities for the economy of Zambia, it must be recognized that issues facing the population are not ubiquitous, and policies put into place will not affect everyone equally. In particular, rural areas tend to have very different situations than urban areas. In rural areas, 42. 5% of total income comes from own-production, where as in urban areas this only makes up 3%. Non-farm income in rural areas is just above 16%, while urban areas are at about 32%. Wages make up about 7% of rural income and over 45% of urban household income. It seems fair to conclude that rural areas get most of their income from subsistence agriculture, and non tradable services. There are much less cash crops and agricultural wages. NBER, 2005, p8) If rural farmers are able to get access to markets, they stand to benefit highly from the production of higher-return cash crops. Rural areas tend to be much less wealthy than urban areas, though urban areas do have their share of unemployment. Five percent of Zambia’s population takes half of the countries income. Rural subsistence farmers have less ability to affect political decisions and policies tend to benefit the urban rat her than rural population (UNDP, Rural-Urban Divide) The rural/urban divide is recognized as a problem throughout Sub-Saharan Africa as well as in a number of other developing countries. The Department for International Development discusses the importance of understanding the rural-urban divide when applying development theories. Though the difference in economic activity and development in these areas is acknowledged, however, they also stress the fact that they are linked in many ways and should in no way be pit against each other. They note that thinking of rural and urban areas as completely unrelated, as is traditional in development programs, can be harmful. What seems to be needed in the rural/urban divide issue is a clear understanding of what difference exist and where these areas are linked to adequately promote growth in all areas. Debt According to the CIA World Factbook, Zambia’s external debt was estimated at 127. 5% of GDP in 2004. In 2004, it used 7. 35% of its GDP to repay debt. This is twice as much as it spends on education. (Make Poverty History) In 1996, Zambia was identified by the international as a highly indebted poor country (HIPC), which made them part of an initiative to ensure that no poor country faced a burden that it could not manage. However, this requires the completion of a number of controversial conditions, such as macroeconomic stability and economic re-structuring according to the recommendations of the IMF and World Bank. According to a Times of Zambia article published on September 28, 2005, Zambia has now met the HIPC requirements, and expects half of its external debt to be knocked down over by the end of this year. HIV/AIDS Zambia is in the midst of an HIV/AIDS epidemic that has had devastating effects on all aspects of life. It is estimated that 16. 5% of adults are affected by HIV/AIDS. The life expectancy in Zambia has fallen to 37 years. The affect is disproportionately affecting women, who are often expected to be submissive, and who are six times more likely to be infected between the ages of 15-25. It is estimated that half of the children under 15 years old (nearly a quarter of the population today) will die from AIDS. Though the government has been engaged in an antiretroviral treatment program and an awareness program, HIV is still at a very high level. AIDS often develops in people in their most productive years, meaning families are deprived of their highest economic earners. Crops are not gathered and sold, wages are not earned, and children are often kept home from school to take over. Often these children become orphans. â€Å"In the days before the full impact of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, street children were a very rare sight in Zambian cities and towns. Now they are everywhere†¦ sleeping under bridges, behind walls, and in shop corridors. † –Dr. Mannasseh Phiri The educational system has had significant set-backs due to the AIDS epidemic. Twelve percent of Zambian families reported that a child in their family did not attend school ecause a parent or guardian was suffering from AIDS or had died from AIDS. Teachers have also been greatly affected and are now much more difficult to find. In 2002, about 2000 teachers died, while only 1000 graduated from teaching colleges. Finding teachers for rural areas is especially difficult, because when teachers become ill they tend to move to urban areas to be nearer to clinics. Zambia’ s healthcare system is under great strain due to the high number of AIDS related illnesses. In some hospitals, more than 50% of beds are occupied by these patients. In addition to an increased need for manpower and space, this has also greatly increased the costs of healthcare. Every sector of the economy is affected by the epidemic. Employers must deal with absenteeism, medical care, funerals and high turnover. According to the Zambia Business Coalition, 82% of known cases of employee deaths are HIV-related and 17% of staff are recruited to replace people who have died or left because of HIV-related infections. Because these people are in their most productive years, the workforce is constantly losing valuable experience and knowledge. The AIDS epidemic is affecting every aspect of Zambian life, and without addressing this situation, it is unlikely that significant progress can be made in other sectors. The Future Zambia is a nation that is facing a number of challenges, all of which must be addressed to make significant progress. However, the nation seems to have a number of options available for future growth. A decline in the reliance on copper as well as an increasing focus on non-traditional exports such as agricultural goods have the potential to provide economic development.

Material Life of the Chinese

Introduction Literal works often reflect various perspective of a society. A person can get an insight into a society by reading such literal pieces. Nonetheless, to understand a certain perspective of a society from literature requires a critical mind to piece together small hints to build a complete component of the society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Material Life of the Chinese specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper evaluates the material life of Chinese from novels and stories written during the Qing, Ming, and Yuan era. Celebrations Birthday Chinese people celebrate important occasions in life of their cherished ones with niceties that comprise of fruits, sweetmeats, wine, noodles and silk clothing. It appears that Chinese people used best foods to express their appreciation of their significant others. Food for the Chinese people plays a very significant role of expressing good will. Tea particul arly is a symbol of hospitality as it is a drink that Chinese offer to their visitors in accompaniment of some delicacies (Trans, Chapter 15 298). In addition to use of food as a gesture of goodwill, silver and silk hold a significant position with regard to expression of courtesy for an act of appreciation of ones life. In respond to the birthday presents from Hsi-men Ch’ing, Li P’ing-erh sends â€Å"two maces of silver and a handkerchief of shot silk †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Trans, Chapter 15 299). Wedding Chinese people marked the celebration of important events in a life of a persons or people by feast. During Ning’s wedding to Little Beauty, a feast was held to celebrate the occasion, where his relations were invited to celebrate. The occasion highlighted the significance Chinese people attached to beauty. The attendants of the wedding expressed attraction to the beauty of Little Beauty. Her splendor won the hearts of Ning’s relatives.Advertising Lookin g for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, this scenario reveals the habits of Chinese to use presents to cultivate friendship and trustworthiness through presents (Songling 178). Wine Wine in Chinese civilization denotes a sense of positive relationship between friends, as a friendly aura was often epitomized by wining and dining. The friend of Mr. Lu from a certain village on learning that he was taking a leave to go home invited him for a feast at his home as a gesture of friendship that exists between them. Although Mr. Lu declined the offer, the villager send the feast to him, which he later had with the Lau brothers he met on his course to his home village. Architecture The size and the compartments of a house portrayed the degree of affluence of a person. Li P’ing-erh’s house had a frontage that had a breath of 24 foot and three courtyards in the inside that receded along a vertical axis . The houses of rich Chinese had compartments. Li P’ing-erh’s house comprised of a two-story with windows on the top floor facing the street. A sequence of three rooms situated on either side of a second courtyard that led to a reception hall (Trans and Tod, Chapter 15 299). A passageway was a prominent feature in the homes of affluent Chinese. A third courtyard often contained a kitchen and bedrooms. An open space was included in the architecture of affluent Chinese. Gold and Precious Items Chinese used gold to win favors from strangers. In the story of Ning, after the Little beauty attempts to coax Ning to have sex her fails, she offered him a lump of gold hoping that he will agree to her pleas, which he did not (Songling 170).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Material Life of the Chinese specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Leather bag had great significance for Chinese. It was used to keep important possessions. In his encounter with Yan at the temple, Ning learns that Yan kept a magic sword in a leather bag. The sword had very great significance to Yan, which was to fight evil spirits and prevent them from harming him. Later, Yan offers Ning an old leather bag in recognition for the friendship they developed during their short stay in the temple (Songling 174). Giving a person an item that one treasures, such as a leather bag, signified great friendship between two people in the context of peasant Chinese. Paintings are one of the major Chinese articles during these eras. The popular portrays of orchids and plum-blossom. Little Beauty, later, became a skilled painter of the mentioned portrays. These portrays were used as items for presents to give to significant others. Poor Chinese treasured presents in form of beautiful portray. Transportation In Chinese civilization, a popular means of transportation was by boat, horse and sedan chairs. Sedan Chairs Sedan chairs were very useful effects of affluent Chinese. These were chairs with wheels that could be dragged by servants to allow their masters to move from one place to another without dirtying their feet and to escape the rays of the sun. Sedan chairs were pooled by servants while their owners sat in them (Trans, Chapter 14 288). Sedan chair s symbolized prestige and affluence. When rich people interacted between each other, they tend to present themselves in a way to reflect their material possession. Boats Some Chinese owned boats for ferrying people from a town or village upstream to another downstream or vice versa. Such an asset was owned by people who held a high position in the society, such as people who run a business of instructing people on karate or judo.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ning after exhuming the remains of the Little Beauty, he hires a boat to take him with the remains to his home. He pays for the transport with money. Members of families who owned boats often could go on excursion in rivers (Ching-Tzu 112). In addition, people who owned boats employed servants to attend to them on junks when journeying from one town or village to another (Ching-Tzu 111). Some of these boats were used for private purpose while some owners used them for commercial purposes to transport passengers from one village to another. Horse The Chinese domesticated horses for use to send servants on errands, and as means of transporting people from one place to another. Servants employed in affluent homes often used horses to carry out their errands and drive their masters wherever they wish to go. Garden A garden was also an important asset of Chinese. His-men Ch’ing had a big family comprised of five wives, had a garden in his resident (Trans and Tod Chapter 12 224). T he purpose of a garden in Chinese people was for recreation purpose as it gave an aesthetic touch to the setting of homes. A person will retreat to a garden to get solace from the daily worries of the world and pass time. Clothing Chinese were also in the habit of giving clothing to their close friends and relatives. His-men Ch’ing asked Tai-an, upon arrival at the Liu’s apartment, of the outfit they had prepared for Aunt Kuei-chieh (Trans and Tod 226). Flowers and classical clothing had an important implication in the setting. These items signified prestige in the society. Blossoms and brocade in Chinese send out a message of people enjoying life. Often, it characterizes an environment in which people are feasting, and having great time wining and dining. Money Chinese men with plenty of money used to obtain anything they wanted. They used it to have as many concubines as they please. Money gave them power in the society. An affluent individual with plenty of money wa s able to pay other people to work for him. His-men Ch’ing has a personal accountant, who is answerable to him regarding all the bills he and the people he hosts incurs, and those that accrues from his expenditure on regular feasting that His-men Ch’ing funds. People of class in China used money to bail out friends and relatives, who were arrested under the laws of the country. Li P’ing-erh asked His-men Ch’ing to help her use his influence to establish the amount of money she could pay as bribe for the release of her husband, Hua Tzu-hua (Trans and Tod, Chapter 14 277). Treasures The Chinese people also kept precious items in their homes. These items could be used when their money depleted, as a result of mindless spending on pleasures. A man, who had made enough fortune during his life, could pass down this precious to someone he trust among his relations. A woman, such as Li P’ing-erh, could feel insecure to keep four chests of precious items wi th her against her husband’s relations, who had issues with him (Trans and Tod, Chapter 14 †¦ 278). Chinese people kept treasures in lacquer chests which are often decorated in gold tracery. The items that were regarded to be of very high value include python robes, bracelets, pendants, precious jewels, and chatelaines. A person in possession of these items could sell them and obtain money for upkeep or pleasure, when there liquid cash finishes. Conclusion The material life of Chinese is varied as depicted by many items and habits they portray. Essentially, the material life of a Chinese revolved around other people and mainly depended on his or her socioeconomic position. Thus, the material life of a Chinese is a reflection of his background. Rich folks had a complex material life while poor folks had a meager material life. Works Cited Ching-Tzu, Wu. The Scholars. Foreign Language Press Peking , 1973. Print. Songling, Pu. The Magic Sword and the Magic Bag. Cambridge [e ng.] : Proquest LLC, 2011. Trans. Roy, David Tod. â€Å"Chapter 12 Pan Chin-Lien Suffers Ignominy for Adultery with A Servant; Stargazers Liu Purveys Black Magic in Pursuit of Gain†. In The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P’ing Mei. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1993. 225-52. Print. Trans, Roy, David Tod. â€Å"Chapter 14 Hua Tzu-Hsu Succumbs To Chagrin and Loses His Life Li Ping-Erh Invites Seduction and Attends A Party.† In The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P’ing Mei. Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, 1993. 274-297. Print. Trans, Roy, David Tod. â€Å"Chapter 15 Beauties Enjoy The Sights in the Lantern-Viewing Belvedere Hangers-on Abet Debauchery in the Verdant Spring Bordello.† In The Plum in the Golden Vase, or Chin P’ing Mei. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1993. 298-315. Print. This essay on Material Life of the Chinese was written and submitted by user Jazmin Lott to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on The Relevance Of Sustainability Within The Context Of Tourism Management And Development

There are a few definitions of sustainability within the context of tourism. One definition is tourism â€Å"development which involves the use of renewable natural resources in a way which does not degrade them† France (1997, P10). For instance a travel organisation may use a great deal of paper to advertise their company, if they considered the above definition, perhaps they could try to use recycled paper in the future in order to not degrade a renewable natural resource. Another definition of sustainability that is relevant to tourism is that â€Å"while tourism can build understanding, tourism managed poorly can ruin a place. Yet if handled well, tourism provides an incentive to preserve the best things a destination has to offer: wildlife habitats, historic districts, great scenery, even a style of music or a unique local cuisine† National Geographic Online, (2003). For instance if a businessman decided that a fragile environment with magnificent scenery would make an excellent destination area for tourists, then instead of managing it mass tourism style he should try and adopt a more sustainable approach, in order to try and reach the goals outlined in the above definition There are obviously positive and negative affects of tourism operations and activities on a destination area. An obvious positive example would be ecotourism in a destination area. If mass tourism with little regard to the environment occurred, wildlife could be greatly affected. In Australia there is a government program called Land for Wildlife that â€Å"aims to encourage private landowners to provide habitat for wildlife, while continuing to use the land for primary production† Buckley (2003, P98). This program would provide benefits for landowners who followed such a scheme. It would also be very relevant for someone who managed a tourism facility sustainably. Frasers Selection is a tourism destination area in Australia which is located in a rural area... Free Essays on The Relevance Of Sustainability Within The Context Of Tourism Management And Development Free Essays on The Relevance Of Sustainability Within The Context Of Tourism Management And Development There are a few definitions of sustainability within the context of tourism. One definition is tourism â€Å"development which involves the use of renewable natural resources in a way which does not degrade them† France (1997, P10). For instance a travel organisation may use a great deal of paper to advertise their company, if they considered the above definition, perhaps they could try to use recycled paper in the future in order to not degrade a renewable natural resource. Another definition of sustainability that is relevant to tourism is that â€Å"while tourism can build understanding, tourism managed poorly can ruin a place. Yet if handled well, tourism provides an incentive to preserve the best things a destination has to offer: wildlife habitats, historic districts, great scenery, even a style of music or a unique local cuisine† National Geographic Online, (2003). For instance if a businessman decided that a fragile environment with magnificent scenery would make an excellent destination area for tourists, then instead of managing it mass tourism style he should try and adopt a more sustainable approach, in order to try and reach the goals outlined in the above definition There are obviously positive and negative affects of tourism operations and activities on a destination area. An obvious positive example would be ecotourism in a destination area. If mass tourism with little regard to the environment occurred, wildlife could be greatly affected. In Australia there is a government program called Land for Wildlife that â€Å"aims to encourage private landowners to provide habitat for wildlife, while continuing to use the land for primary production† Buckley (2003, P98). This program would provide benefits for landowners who followed such a scheme. It would also be very relevant for someone who managed a tourism facility sustainably. Frasers Selection is a tourism destination area in Australia which is located in a rural area...

Immigration in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Immigration in America - Essay Example 1). Modern America is judged by its immigrant past, present, and future. Americans need to comprehend the issue of immigration with clarity of mind to shift to a system wherein economic stakes and cherished ideals both are taken well care of (Griswold 4). Need of the hour is to initiate immigration reforms for creating more job opportunities. Job market is getting compressed due to directionless policies of the Obama government. Only pro-economy immigration reform can help in creating jobs. As per the CATO Institute, wider immigration reforms would increase the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by .84 percent each following year with the passing of the reform bill. Immigration reform would also result in an increase in the net personal income by $30 to $36 billion in the initial three years, an outcome of earned legalization from higher earning capacity of newly-legalized jobbers. It would help in reducing the federal deficit by a cumulative amount of $2.7 trillion across the initial 10 years of the immigration reform (Ortiz â€Å"Immigration Reform,† par. 2-3). It is a wrong general perception that unregistered immigrants have negatively impacted the U.S. ... rants contribute in the economic growth by paying taxes in between $20,000 to $80,000 more than they enjoy through public benefits (Ortiz â€Å"Immigration Reform,† par. 4). An open economic policy towards immigration can help the economy better through increased production, made possible through labor, human capital, and the hard-working nature of immigrants. Immigrant labor do not compete with American labor, rather they add-on to native workers by filling niches areas of the job market (Griswold 1). A new impartial report from with Congress has revealed that immigration is good for America. It has confirmed that excessive cost predictions of an overhaul are not true. Charting a road to citizenship for millions of illegal unskilled, skilled, and farm workers is going to benefit the whole of America economically. If the new law over immigration comes into force, it would increase direct federal spending by $262 billion from 2014 to 2023, including the Medical expenses randoml y claimed to be costs by anti-immigration politicians; these are the costs but taxpayer-funded. It would add revenue of $459 billion over the same time to the Treasury, because of the additional income generated by immigrants and payroll taxes forked over by the same immigrants. After deducting the expenses from the income generated, it is expected to garner revenue of $197 billion. Future forecast is also positive during 2024 and 2033, with a deficit cut of $700 billion. Further analysis by CBO of adding 10.4 million permanent citizens to the American population by 2023, which includes 1.6 million temporary workers along with their families, would strengthen the U.S. labor force by another 6 million. It is going to increase gross domestic product by 3.3% in 2023 and 5.4% in 2033 (New York Daily

Communicative Technology - Short Messaging Service (SMS) Essay

Communicative Technology - Short Messaging Service (SMS) - Essay Example The user should have activated the service of sending text messages, this activation involves paying a cost to some mobile network whereas on most mobile phone networks the activation is free. However, each text message costs some amount per text message, though nowadays mobile service networks offer packages that allow you to send a limited number of text messages for a cost in bulk. Lastly, the user who wants to send an SMS should know how to read and type a text message on the mobile phone and the model they have and should have a recipient to whom they want to send their texts to and they are good to go. (Illinois State University 2014). In 1984, a man named ‘Friedhelm Hillebrand’ was experimenting with casual sentences and questions on his typewriter at his house in Germany. Whenever he wrote a question or a sentence he made a count of the alphabets, number and the spaces in between them. This led to an odd discovery, which further on became the idea behind the length of an SMS. He noticed that every time he counted, the total quantity of characters was less than one sixty characters. (Gayomali, C. 2012). It is said that the first ever text message sent in the world was: ‘Merry Christmas’. It was sent by a man named Papworth. He was a computer designer at ‘Sema Group Telecoms’. Since the mobile phones at that time did not have the ability to type as there were no keyboards he used his computer to send the greeting to his buddy ‘Richard Jarvis’ who was employed at ‘Vodafone’. (Erikson, C. 2012). In 1993 ‘Nokia’ became the pioneer to launch the first ever mobile phone set which allowed the users to send text messages. However, there were limitations to the SMS service, firstly, it could only be typed through a numerical keypad by the multi-tap system and most importantly the SMS service was only limited to one network.  Ã‚  

Entrepreneurship in developing countries. A case stady of Equatorial Essay

Entrepreneurship in developing countries. A case stady of Equatorial Guinea. Can entrepreneurship provide the economic diversification needed to survive outside the oil industry - Essay Example This study seeks to explore the reasons why there is a dearth of entrepreneurs in Equatorial Guinea and the difficulties encountered by those already established in the country. The study examines the difficulty in registering firms, intricacy of obtaining credit and lack of government incentives. Similarly, the study examines the role of entrepreneurial education and women involvement in self-employment. The research is based in the various urban provincial centres in Equatorial Guinea utilising a primary research strategy was employed a thematic qualitative method to answer the research questions. Additionally, a secondary research was conducted centred on available relevant literature. The study revealed that there many difficult obstacles and hindrances to entrepreneurs in the country ranging from a dearth of qualified personnel, low work ethic, poor government policies and corruption. Nonetheless, the study has indicated a positive correlation between enhanced training and entrepreneurship with those empowered by business skills willing to embark on self-employment. This study will build upon existing research on the economic impact of developing an entrepreneurial culture and spirit in developing countries but will particularly focus upon the need for diversification among the resource rich nations who nevertheless still suffer from the Dutch Disease and the Resource Curse syndromes. The study is based in Equatorial Guinea, a central African country that has all the above ingredients despite being endowed with enviable natural resources including ample hydrocarbon deposits but still ranks as one of the poorest countries. The study aims at determining whether diversification from overreliance on a single natural resource predominantly through embarking on self-employment is feasible within Equatorial Guinea and

Leadership Effectiveness And Personal Managerial Qualities

Leadership Effectiveness And Personal Managerial Qualities Leadership is about knowing the pros and cons of change, and comprehending the interplay of oneself and others. Leadership is the perception of ones connectedness both personal and business wise, thus leadership is about being self aware and choice-decision making. Thus, it is a process where a person influences a team to accomplish there objectives, and direct those objectives to be more coherent for the organisation, this is viewed by (Northouse, 2007). Hence, a leader is one who has a clear vision, communicate passionately, and direct their actions and those of the team toward the goal, by driving to completion. 1.1 Background Who is the author? The author born October 1978 belongs to a Christian home; newly married and is at the early stage of parenthood with bringing up a young family, has earned an Upper Second Class Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Anglia Ruskin University who is currently pursuing Masters in Business Administration with emphasis in Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The author holds the position of an Office Manager who performs a wide array of diverse duties, thus, working alongside the president to meet the companys staffing and organisational needs. Furthermore, the author is responsible for designing and implementing various policies, supervisory responsibilities, recruiting and training, which facilitate efficient and smooth functioning, with focus on supervising works of administrative staff. After eleven year service in the marine industry as Office Manager at Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, the author now partly owned and is a Director of a Sign Company. In addition, the author also landed a new job as Office Manager at another marine company, which operates tugs and water tankers. However, the author currently has no outside activities due to studies, a new family, working part time with spouse business, plus having a full time job. Therefore, the author has a tight schedule, with a vision to complete studies and become successful in being a confident leader and expressing creativity to find unique solutions for the family business with a joyous presence, continued dedication and people skills. The author strongly expressed values that everyone deserves to be fairly treated and education is the key to success. These few leadership traits, qualities and skills of the author are known to be soft skills that will assist the authors ability to resolve conflicts and build consensus, to motivate and inspire employees. Thus, office is like family, they get cranky and having a positive and genuine attitude will assist tremendously. 2.0 Reflection on Leadership Effectiveness Effective Leadership begins with the fundamental ability to believe in oneself, which incorporates maturity, conviction and expertise that translate into a purpose and direction, thus, having a dream and vision that will better the company or society. Effective leadership is composed of a number of different competencies, thus effectiveness of leader is limited, where leaders are person who know how to inspire and relate to subordinates. This all depends on how appropriate the leadership style is to the situation in that it is operated, which comes from matching style and follower task relevant maturity, or task readiness. Based on the Myers Briggs test, the author type indicator reflected ENTJ (Extroversion, Intuition, Thinking, and Judging). ENTJ are generally gets straight forward, decisive, and leadership natural, they also see illogical very quickly and notes inefficient procedures, also generally develops and implement comprehensive systems in solving any company or business problems. Along those same lines, enjoys setting future planning and being goal oriented, usually well up to date, well read, enjoys on expanding knowledge as required and passing it to others by giving forceful present ideas. Thus, true effective leaders possess specific leadership qualities, skills and styles beyond industry knowledge and technical skills. 2.1 Qualities of Leadership Leadership behaviour reflects the traits and personal characteristics that will facilitate success in leadership role. ENTJs are imaginative, conceptual learners who learn best in a challenging and interactive environment. The combination of intuition and logic leads them to enjoy dealing with concepts and strategic thinking, and excellent language skills. These qualities of the author are drawn from work and personal life balances that are reflected as follows:- Strengths of Personal and Work Life Communication and Relationship The author an ENTJ is an enthusiastic communicator who loves to interact with tremendous amount of self-confidence, has excellent verbal communication skills and value honesty. The author has always been the centre of attention that is being an extravert with intellectual freedom to think and speak, who has a disposition of always being frank and getting straight to the point with strong regards for positive structure that is able to synthesize and adapt to new ideas. Even though the author had been tested to be extraverted, the author has Introverted Intuitive functions which complement Extraverted Thinking, such as, being talented in creating great benefits through the ability to recognise the expected potential of others, and showing others the way to get past difficulties within the given situation. Career and Work In the position of an Office Manager ENTJ shows exactly that the author is assertive, loyal, and knowledgeable and manages people, along with marshalling resources. The author is career-focused in long-term perspective with visualisation of both businesses with high performance and standards. The author is generally an energetic people person who likes to be in charge and make things happen, along with others participating, especially in team projects rather than work alone. The author tends to move up the ladder very quickly when joining any company or generally in life. With this current company the author has been there for two months and a major travelling abroad is ahead. On entering the organisation, the author has been leapfrogging people who have been there longer, thus, the cumulative experiences have prepared the author for it. The author has always been level headed, shows improvement and value the position given. Throughout the authors career, as most ENJT can identify, vision is priority and risk does not scare the author. The payoff has been consistent on an executive level, and once going towards the goal, the author makes sure it is attainable, and believing all production must be done to the best with logic and rationale. 2.1.2 Weaknesses of Personal and Work Life Some major flaws of the author:- Gets frustrated by lack of closure of people not meeting deadlines, thus, bearing in mind the given work produced should also show professionalism, which is one of the main priorities in and ENTJ. The manner in which conversation is carried out, such as, being harsh and blunt in criticism when errors occur. Tends not to listen to other peoples sentences or have them finish their sentences, especially if what was said do not make sense to them, thus, not giving the chance for the person to justify their point. Limited patience with a temper over relatively small matters that escalates into bigger things with inefficiency and can be very judgmental and argumentative. Low regard for people who are intimidated by them that is intensified by arrogance, thus, making hasty decisions, without understanding the issues and possible solutions to the problems. Therefore, the author must enforce balance due to the qualities possess above, in order to accomplish whatever goals are set. Below, speaks on the leadership skills which need improving by the author. 2.2 Leadership Skills Leadership skills are based on leadership behaviour, thus, skills alone do not make a leader style and behaviour do. Leadership is interesting because it is about talent and the natural ability that is mostly about oneself and maintaining that personal authenticity, by being true; not just slavishly following others ideas. Good leaders always rely on their ability to read situations and improve tasks, and acknowledge their shortcomings, which may work for them. However, a good leader would want to improve their skills of communication, decision-making and problem solving and not shy away from new opportunities to lead. The author skills are most effective when matching styles to the needs of the people that are trying to influence. Thus, the challenge is that leading people is the opposite of trying to control them. It is not just what happens when you are there; it is what happens when you are not there. The author believes that leadership is not something you do to people; it is something you do with them. Listed below are two simple ways suggested for the author to improve leadership skills for future growth? The author must prioritise time for proper organising and planning, thus, by consulting with experts for feedback Political skills can be developed by the author in order to reduce the gossip and rumours, that is, look for further critical information that others cannot get Thus the continued characteristics of developing good leadership skills for the author will take time, as if perfecting an idea for a project, because without investment of time, the author will not be able to become the great leader envisioned, thus these few skills that contribute to the authors behaviour will be able to accurately and successfully adapt to changing environment with limited challenges. Below speaks on the style of leadership the author is engaged in. 2.3 Leadership Styles Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans and motivating people. Effective leadership style takes time and energy but provides benefits, which helps to enhance team spirit and effectiveness among members that identifies preferred management styles. The style describes the personal way of leading; it becomes effective when matched with the skill sets and motivation of the follower. However, there is no right style of leadership, because it varies with the personality and situational needs. Thus, the author likes a mixture of working with others and working alone, in the form of management and leadership positions which can energise others to carry out the vision via the objectives and tries to motivate the team to work towards those goals. Leaders within the organisation have been found to account for some of the organisation overall performance, thus, the authors style has been identified as an important area of interest. Additionally, the author likes teamwork and interactions that convince and influence enthusiasm with an invaluable source of vitality and drive according to the style needs of Participative or Democratic Leadership. 2.3.1 Participative or Democratic Leadership Participative leadership or democratic style encourages employees to be part of the decision making, which takes everyone words as a considerable opinion before carrying out the final decision. This style of leader is coach, the one who has the final say, but still gathers information from staff members before making such decision. Ultimately, the author works in an environment that is still very autocratic, but given the changes that the organisation has hired the author for, participative leadership is what they are looking at. However, the author is not equipped to all situations that arise, thus, team handling is an assets and the author must use the required skills of facilitating discussion and ideas that is generated by the group. Furthermore, the author likes being in charge and to know what is going one at all times, thus, enjoys marshalling facts and planning future directions. Additionally, if the author foresees the project cannot be handled, someone will be brought in to carry out the project, and this person must have clear understanding towards the goal, because the author demands high quality and standards. The author a natural leader encourages team members to participate through listening and communicating, however, the leader maintains the final decision making. The style of leadership reflects the following characteristics of the author:- Organise staff to complete tasks in the most effective way, by delegating those tasks and overseeing the completion of the project to achieve results Motivates staff to meet the goals and objectives, given the overall picture, and vision to follow with new ideas, evaluation of possibilities and rational decisions Create positive work environment, and seek the interest of each employee with fairness given the responsibilities, which allows them the to challenge themselves Allowing subordinates to feel free in thinking creatively for problem-solving, thus, reducing office politics, so the use of ideas will importantly gain credit and reduce the tension generated amount staff Thus, the business cannot afford to make mistakes, using this type of leadership is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength where the author gains respect from the employees. Also, the author do not have all the information required to achieve the goal that is why knowledgeable staff is hired to allow better decision via teamwork, so that, effective and accurate decisions are made. 3.0 Theoretical Concepts ORegan and Ghobadian (2004) define performance measurements as consisting of quantitative indicators used by management to judge how well the organisation is doing. Leadership depends on whether emphasis is on behaviour or the result of that behaviour according to (Jex, 2002) thus leaders also make attributions about their followers behaviour. Similarly, Kelley (1967) describes leader attribution as a way leader interprets follower behaviours and attributes cause to that behaviour, where leaders can assess follower behaviour by specific task or across tasks and whether it is unique to an individual. Leaders intention is to diagnose problem performance, to understand the reasons for success, or anticipate the consequences as stated by (Mitchell et al. 1981). However, there is a distinction between leadership and management, where a manager carries out administrative duties and exerts control subordinates behaviour, thus obtain reluctant compliance. In contrast, a leader carries out administrative functions along with inspiring and motivating members to strive for excellence, by obtaining commitment, reviewed by (Jex, 2002). So, effective leadership demonstrates by influencing and guiding the activities of a team toward achieving its goals, defined by (Judge et at., 2004). In addition, according to Jex (2002), goals direct attention, focus efforts and maintain task persistence, helps individuals avoid getting sidetracked, thereby, guiding a leader to enhance processes and facilitates development of collective efficacy which has an influence, revealed by (Chen and Bliese, 2002). Leadership therefore, is most relevant aspects of an organisation context and is challenging by different situations, thus, emphasis of future leadership and interpersonal skills that ensure sound management practices and high leadership standards by the author are discuss as follows:- Qualities of Leadership Leadership Skills Leadership Style 3.1 Qualities of Leadership According to Roach and Behling (1984), leadership is the process of influencing an organised group toward accomplishing its goals, therefore, these influential qualities most people associate with leadership are assertiveness, loyal, risk taker, self-sufficient, ambitious, patience, trustworthy, and knowledgeable. Thus, employee trust in leaders is influenced by the level of perceived fairness reflected in the company practices of distributing rewards and benefits. Dirks and Ferrin (2002) stated that leadership has three types of justice; procedural which is an indicator of the leaders tendency to be fair when making decision about rewards; distributive is the fairness of outcomes a follower receives as a result of those procedures; and interactional involves the degree of respect with which the leader treats the follower as they carry out organisational policies and procedures. Thus, Dirks and Ferrin (2002) also, found that trust in leadership is related to attitudinal, behavioural and performance outcomes. Therefore, trust a key concept is where leaders often have the power to impact followers and their ability to achieve goals, reflects that followers will attempt to draw inferences about their leaders characteristics such as integrity, dependability, fairness and ability, because these inferences have consequences for work behaviour and attitudes, viewed by (Dirks and Ferrin, 2002). Building subordinates trust in leadership starts with the managers ability to lead and administer the department functions, stated by (Knabe, 1999), thus, mutual trust needs to be in place. According to Bass (1985), one of the most important conditions that a leader must instill in his subordinates prior to problem solving trusted by his employees is the ability to lead for effective results. So, in order words, for the business to grow qualities of a leader is not only to fulfil goals, but, basic skills in management and leadership will also have to be the foundation in developing a more advance practice, thus, problem-solving, decision-making, planning and delegating, communication and managing oneself are effective leadership skills discussed below. 3.2 Leadership Skills The characteristics of a leader come through our day to day interactions with those around us. If the author stop to think about some the leaders that have been, or even infuriated, the qualities of good leadership skills will become apparent. Leadership skills is not just about showing your superiority, according to researchers (DeHann and Havighurst 1957), it is the use of attributes such as initiative, persistence ambition and dominance to describe leadership abilities, as well as, sensitive to others needs, affectionate and agreeable, that is used to enhance the skills towards leadership and the ability to improve such tasks. Tannenbaum (1983) reported that a correlation exists between the exhibition of leadership skills and general intelligence for advance leadership skills, such as, written and verbal communication, group dynamic, problem-solving, planning and personal skills. Effectiveness of these skills must be able to perform the ability to analyse strengths and weakness, identify and provide training effectively, show success in developing and enhancing skills, and scheduling and controlling work, such as, capabilities in identifying and setting performance goals along with posing all supervisory skills necessary. Thus, real leaders, read their team, analyse the compound between their team members, the tension between the tasks and processes, and how the team builds its competencies. According to Mehra et al. (2006) organisations must seek efficient ways to enable performance, longstanding approach that is, by shaping collective norms, helping teams cope with their environment that provides valuable insights into relationship between leadership and team performance (Guzzo and Dickson, 1996). Furthermore, Herr (1998) identifies a few competencies that should be incorporated into an executive performance appraisal including; coordination, awareness, personnel management, planning, financial management, coaching skills, evaluation skills, accomplishment assessment skills, technical competence, interpersonal skills, communication skills and leadership skills, thus in providing behavioural outcome and performance, that will lead to leadership style. 3.3 Leadership Styles Today management needs to command and direct, but also identify needs, communicate, empower, inspire trust and forge a common vision for a better future, defined by (Athanasaw, 2003). In similar, leaders need to enforce recognition of employees and value human being whose ideas are seriously considered, viewed by (Athanasaw, 2003) to support leadership role. Thus, leadership is the process of influencing followers so they cooperate, such leaders are members of groups who influence the context of the organisation they lead, according to (van Knippenberg and van Knippenberg, 2005). There are many types of leadership, but because of society today, participative or democratic leadership is more recognised, thus, Hersey-Blanchard (1998) theory is based on the amount of direction and socio-emotional support a leader must provide given the situation and the level of maturity of the followers. So, the most suitable leadership style would be the development level of the subordinate actions, such as, directing, coaching, supporting and delegating. Similarly, Tannenbaum and Schmidts (1958), leadership continuum reflects that leadership behaviour varies along a continuum and that as one moves away from the autocratic extreme the amount of subordinate participation and involvement in decision taking increase. They also suggested that the kind of leadership represented by the democratic extreme of the continuum will be rarely encountered in formal organisations. The four main types of leadership are, autocratic, persuasive, consultative and democratic. In similar, participative leadership defined by Lewin (1939) and others stated that there are three types, autocratic that is very dedicative, which has led to revolution, laisse-faire which lacks enthusiasm and democratic the effective style. Furthermore, Likert (1967) theorised four styles namely, exploitive authoritative where there the leader uses fear-based to enforce conformance, benevolent authoritative is rewards use to motivate performance, consultative is the seeking of consultation and participative invites participation across all level. Thus, leadership cannot perform without leaders and followers, therefore, leadership results in followers behaviour that is purposeful and goal-directed in some sort of organised setting, although most studies reflect the nature of leadership in a workplace. So, without having a leadership style, business cannot conform to achieve its objectives and goals, thus leaders must a style is able to adapt to the laws of the company and its future expected outcome. Thus, the values and qualities of the author must be able to adapt to the global challenges in an effort to develop proper growth for the business. 4.0 Recommendations With recommendation to continued success, the author should enforce combination of leadership savvy, good judgement based on knowledge and information, and reasonable ability to steer a business in the right direction, which is considerably important. Thus, to become an excellent leader the author must use wisdom (head), feelings and emotions (heart), strength and power (hands) and good communication (tongue) to help others because without leadership within any given situation, there would be chaos and no formability as to where the organisation is headed. In addition, the author must commit in enhancing personal leadership qualities and managerial skills that is needed to initiate and sustain profitable growth for the company. Thus, strong leadership it is essential to the success of any company and therefore it is recognisable that the author should develop qualities of courageousness and patience to strive and become powerful. The author must also, choose competent subordinates, continue to demonstrate high moral standards, and exude charisma, while keeping the control of protocol and process, which will be used to enhance leadership. However, the author should never abuse power and should stay focus and stick up for one another, the author must readily adapt to leadership style to suit the situations, such as, being faced with a crisis, the author ought to take action and use imagination to solve problems and make recommendable suggestions, by simply scanning the business environment. ENTJs should be reminded that not every one is perfect and mistakes are there for everyone, so having quality patience is of foremost and respecting other peoples feelings is appreciated. Even though their personality of sentiments are not powerful, ENTJ must still be mindful the feelings and value judgement ought to sensitive to that individual, because, if submerge emotion and inappropriate problems are found serious problems can occur. Therefore, because ENJT are very informed and extremely creative, the best able to continue to keep head strong and hear others for what they need to say. Always be level-headed and growth will come its way, so that when making judgement and hurting someone, always keep focus that not everyone are leaderships, there must be people to lead, which make you a leader. Another recommendation is to prioritise your time as this will assist in planning and developing in case of an accident or incident occurs, thus, true leaders demonstrate strengths and recognise their weakness. If sound criticism is to take place, be sure that the individual has a strong back and that the criticism is approached in a professional manner and not arrogant as mentioned previously. So in all, leadership skills ought to improve, by making observation from other leaders using a variety of settings, going beyond their prior experience and adjusting or adapting to current business situation is of essences and must be able to develop continued skills. A good leader has a lifetime of study and should acquire indefinable qualities that involve developing and improving leadership skills along with enhancing the managerial skill at the business. Reference Northouse, G. 2007. Leadership Theory and Practices. 3rd Ed. London: Sage Publication,Inc. ORegan, N., and Ghobadian, A. 2004. Leadership and Strategy: Making it happen. Journal of General Management. 29 (3), pp. 76-92. Jex, S.M. 2002. Organisational Psychology: A Scientist-practitioner Approach. New York: Wiley. Kelley, H.H. 1967. Attribution Theory in Sovial Psychology. Cited in D. Levine (Ed.) Nebraska Symposium on Motivation. NE: University of Nebraska Press. Mitchell, T.T. et al., 1981. An Attributional Model of Leadership and the Poor Performing Subordinate: Deveolpment and Validation. Cited in B.M. Staw and L.L. Cummings (Eds). Research in Organisational Behaviour. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. Jex, S.M. 2002. Organisational Psychology: A Scientist-practitioner Approach. New York: Wiley. Judge, T.A., et al. 2004. Transformational and Transactional Leadership: A Meta-Analytic Test of their relative validity. Journal of Applied Psychology. 89 (5). Pp.755-765. Jex, S.M. 2002. Organisational Psychology: A Scientist-practitioner Approach. New York: Wiley. Chen, G., and Bliese, P.D. 2002. The Role of Different Levels of Leadership in Predicting Self and Collective Efficacy: Evidence for Discontinuing. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87 (3), pp. 549-556. Dirks, K.T., and Ferrin, D.L. 2002. Trust in Leadership: Meta-analytic Findings and Implications for Research and Practice. Journal of Applied Psychology. 87 (4). Pp.611-628 Dirks, K.T., and Ferrin, D.L. 2002. Trust in Leadership: Meta-analytic Findings and Implications for Research and Practice. Journal of Applied Psychology. 87 (4). Pp.611-628. Dirks, K.T., and Ferrin, D.L. 2002. Trust in Leadership: Meta-analytic Findings and Implications for Research and Practice. Journal of Applied Psychology. 87 (4). Pp.611-628 Knabe, W. 1999. Leadership Issues concerning the Los Angeles City Fire Department. [Online]. Available at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/pdf/efo30918.pdf [Accessed 25 April 2010]. Bass, B. 1985. Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations. New York: Free Press. DeHaan, R., and Havighurst, R. 1957. Educating Gifted Children. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Tannenbaum, R. And Schmidt, W. 1958. How to Choose a Leadership Pattern . Harvard Business Review. 36 (2). Pp. 95-101 Mehra, A. et al. 2006. Distributed Leadership in Terms: The Network of Leadership Perceptions and Team Performance. The Leadership Quarterly, 17 (3). Pp.232-245. Guzzo, R. A., and Dickson, M.W. 1996. Terms in Organisation: Recent Research on Performance and Effectiveness. Annual Review of Psychology, 47 (1). 307-338. Herr, J.A. 1998. Developing Leaders and Managers through the use of 360-Degree Performance Appraisals. National Fire Academy. Athanasaw, D.L. 2003. Leadership Styles as perceived by Career Senior Service Executives. International Journal of Public Administration, 26 (10-11). Pp.1207-1236. Athanasaw, D.L. 2003. Leadership Styles as perceived by Career Senior Service Executives. International Journal of Public Administration, 26 (10-11). Pp.1207-1236. Van Knippenberg, B. and van Knippenberg, D. 2005. Leader Self-sacrifice and Leadership Effectiveness: The Moderating Role of Leader Prototypically. Journal of Applied Psycology. 90 (1). Pp.25-37. Hersey, P. and K.H. Blanchard. 1977. Management of Organisational Behaviour. Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice Hall. Tannenbaum, R. And Schmidt, W. 1958. How to Choose a Leadership Pattern . Harvard Business Review. 36 (2). Pp. 95-101 Lewin, K. 1946. Action Research and Minority Problems. Journal of Social Issues, 2 pp 34-46. Likert 1967 Fieldler, 1967. A Theory of Leadership Effectiveness. New York: McGraw-Hill Handy, co. 1192. The Language of Leadership in Frontiers of Leadership (Ed. Syrett and Hogg). Oxford: Blackwell Blanchard, K., 1998. Gung Ho! New York: Morrow. http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes3.asp

The Role of Genetic Engineering in our Society Essay -- Technology Sci

The Role of Genetic Engineering in our Society With today's technology in genetic engineering, it seems we can almost play God. Scientifically speaking, are we enabling our bodies to survive all the traumas of a hostile environment, or are we endangering future generations to a limiting gene pool? Spiritually speaking, are we improving our bodies to save more of God's people, or are we attempting to "perfect" God's creation, and damning ourselves? The technology of genetic engineering is advancing at a dizzying pace, but is the morality at which we guide our use of this technology evolving quickly enough? The potentials of modifying our genes seem irresistible. Everything from cystic fibrosis to AIDS seems to be preventable, and we could possibly design our children to be healthier in the future. But nature always finds a way to elude our defense mechanisms. As polio seemed to fade from our world, AIDS became the new terror. We are one step from protecting ourselves from this immune system destroyer, but then, who knows what nature will strike us down with next? We must also confront the question of our faith. It is easy to justify improving our genes to save the lives of fellow human beings. How can we let a person grow up knowing s/he is going to suffer from epileptic seizures when we could have prevented it at birth? Wouldn't God want us to help these people? On the other hand, would we know when to stop? It is only logical that with our ability to prevent the harmful effects of debilitating genes, we will be able to improve on already satisfactory genes. Why should one settle for an average body, when one could have a strong, toned physique? Is that what God would want? Are we prepared to say what is okay to change ... ...n, Jack Albrecht, Rebecca Lawrence, and Brian Guerra. "Hooray for Genetic Engineering." Http://www.cwrl.utexas./genetics/benefits.html. December 18, 1996. O'Brien, Stephen J., and Michael Dean. "In Search of AIDS-Resistance Genes." Scientific American. September 1997: 44-51. Pool, Robert. "Portrait of a Gene Guy." Discover. October 1997: 50-55. Varmus, Harold. "Genetics: The Ethical Problem With Knowledge." Vital Speeches of Our Time. February 5, 1996: 334-337. Wright, Richard T. Biology: Through the Eyes of Faith. San Francisco: Harper Collins Publishers, 1989. Other Helpful Sources Marshal, Elliot. "Whose Genome is it Anyway?" Science. Vol. 273. September 27, 1996: 1788, 1789. Marshal, Elliot. "The Genome Program's Conscience." Science. Vol. 274. October 4, 1996: 488, 489. Niccol, Andrew, Director/Screenplay. GATTACA. Columbia Pictures: 1997.

The Darker Side of Shakespeare

In William Shakespeare’s play, â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream†, the audience is spectator to a much darker Shakespearian comedy than many of Shakespeare’s other works. The play begins with a young woman by the name of Hermia is torn between marrying the man that her father has chosen for her or facing death for defying her father’s wishes. The audience sees dark humor through Puck’s antics in pleasing his Oberon. The two enjoy playing mean tricks on innocent characters they come across, obviously exhibiting a dark sense of humor. Shakespeare also incorporates dark magic into â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† with the fairies in the forest. Whereas fairies are typically portrayed as helpful, innocent creatures, Shakespeare’s fairies seem only to create mischief and chaos. Also portrayed in this play is the dark side of love and romance. The darkness of the play is obvious from the first page through the last page, obviously displaying Shakespeare’s darker intentions for this play. The most obvious element of â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† is the element of dark humor. Oberon’s mignon, Puck, is constantly entertaining Oberon in any way possible. In most cases, this entertainment incorporates playing tricks on unsuspecting characters. Puck and Oberon seem to have a darker sense of humor, enjoying seeing others in states of confusion or embarrassment. Early in the play, Puck talks about the pranks that he has been known to play, telling the audience that, â€Å"†¦ sometimes lurk I in a gossip’s bowl, in very likeness of a roasted crab, and when she drinks, against her lips I bob and on her withered dewlap pour the ale. The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale, sometimes for three-foot stool mistaketh me; then slip I from her bum, down topples she, and â€Å"tailor† cries, and falls into a cough† (Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 47-54). By turning himself into a crab and lurking in a bowl of ale to scare a woman, and making himself appear to be a stool so that when a woman sits on him, he can make her fall, Puck makes it obvious that he cares about nothing but entertaining himself and his king. One example of this darker humor is when Puck changes Bottom’s head into that of an ass. As if this single trick isn’t entertaining enough, Puck then casts a spell over Titania causing the fairy queen to fall in love with Bottom. When Puck tells Oberon how the trick played out, Oberon is obviously happy with the results, telling Puck that, â€Å"This falls out better than I could devise† (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 35). The relationship between Oberon and Puck is one similar to a King and Court Jester during medieval times. Puck exists only to entertain Oberon, and it is very obvious that the two have a much darker sense of humor than others. The second element of â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† that exhibits an obvious darkness is the magic and fairies within the play. Typically, fairies are thought to be good creatures who are helpful and innocent. However, the fairies that Shakespeare has envisioned are a much darker breed than what the audience would normally expect. The fairies that exist in this play are more known for creating a sense of chaos. The most prominent fairy in the play is Puck, the trickster of the forest. We see the darker side of the magic that Puck practices on several occasions throughout the play. One of the more obvious examples of Puck’s dark magic is when he decides to relinquish the Athenian youngsters of their relationship troubles. Puck uses magic to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena. This is a darker spell because it interferes with the ability of Demetrius to truly exhibit free will and love who he wants. Puck tracks down the Athenian he is to cast the spell upon in the forest, â€Å"When thou wakest, let love forbid; Sleep his seat on thy eyelid: So awake when I am gone† (Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 67-68). In the process of â€Å"helping† the young lovers with this love triangle, Puck casts the spell on the wrong Athenian man. The plan backfires, and it is Lysander who is made to woo Helena. As Puck and Oberon watch their antics unfold, Puck is obviously entertained by the confusion that he has caused. Puck tells Oberon, â€Å"Shall we their fond pageant see? Lord, what fools these mortals be!† (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 115-116). The third element of Shakespeare’s play that incorporates a darker feeling is that of love and relationships. This is most evident in the relationship that exists between Titania and Oberon. While most comedies are full of love and passion, Shakespeare places a dark emphasis on relationships in â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream†. The marriage of Titania and Oberon is thrown into chaos over a changeling that Titania has taken under her care. Because of Titania’s actions, Oberon is in a rage and essentially trying to get revenge on her. This takes on a dark element when Oberon encourages Puck to play a trick on her, resulting in Titania falling temporarily in love with Bottom. Unfortunately for the fairy queen, Bottom’s head has been transformed into that of an ass. Puck takes great delight in his bizarre love connection, however, saying, â€Å"When in that moment, so it came to pass, Titania waked and straightway loved an ass† (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 33-34). The audience sees a different kind of relationship between Titania and Oberon – one in which Oberon obviously must always be â€Å"in charge†. By not allowing Oberon to have control of the changeling, she has obviously thrown their relationship out of balance. It appears to the audience that Titania is expected to bend to Oberon’s wishes at all times. The audience is exposed to the darker side of Titania in her battle with Oberon. When the two meet by accident in the woods, Titania is furious with Oberon for interrupting the fairy dances that Titania and her fairies partake in. Titania’s darker side is uncovered in her accusations to her husband, â€Å"The ox hath therefore stretch'd his yoke in vain; The ploughman lost his sweat, and the green corn; Hath rotted ere his youth attain'd a beard; The fold stands empty in the drowned field; And crows are fatted with the murrion flock† (Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 78-82). Titania’s word choice alone has a dark connotation, and she makes it clear that the disturbance of the fairy dance will have dark consequences for others. Shakespeare’s comedy, â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† leaves the audience reeling from a sense of darkness within the play. This play is not a typical comedy in that many of the comedic elements are darker than other plays in the same genre. Shakespeare shows the audience the darker side of humor through the interactions between Oberon and his servant, Puck. The element of dark magic also makes its way into the play, through the chaotic realm of the fairies in the forest, changing the typical role of a fairy in writing. Lastly, Shakespeare makes his audience aware of the darkness that exists within the various relationships in the play. Almost all of the lovers in this play have a darker element to their relationships. Shakespeare, through diverse characters, intrigues the audience with an obvious fascination with the darker side of the most common elements of his play. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night's Dream. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1980.