Influences of the Afghani Culture Essay

Imagine living in a country which is completely different from Canada. The lifestyle of this country will be very different from what you are accustomed to. And the culture will be more different. There are many cultures around the world. Each culture has different beliefs and expectations. The lifestyles of people in these cultures are all influenced by the culture. Based on the novel, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, the Afghani culture imposes restrictions on the characters in the novel, consequently resulting in a negative impact on their lives. The Afghani culture inflicts restrictions on relationships, career choices, and household activities. Relationships are an aspect of the characters lives which is restricted by the Afghani Culture. In the Afghani culture, people believe that people should only marry within their own status: â€Å"People scoffed that [he] would never marry well- after all, he was not of royal blood† (Hosseini 16). Thus, due to the cultural influence, marriages between others of a different status are often forbidden. Royalty only weds royalty, poor only weds poor, and people in merchant families only wed people in other merchant families. Henceforth, a negative impact is imposed upon the characters, Baba and Rahim Khan, as they are not allowed to marry whoever they want. Even if marriage with a person of lower status occurred, the spouse â€Å"‘would have suffered, [the] family would have never accepted them an equal. You don’t order someone to polish your shoes one day, then call them ‘sister’ [or ‘brother’] the next’† (Hosseini 105). Furthermore, the relationship between the two castes, the Hazaras and the Pashtuns, are influenced by the Afghani culture, as the Hazaras are considered a lower caste by the Pashtuns: â€Å"[T]he reason Pashtuns had oppresse[d] the Hazaras, was that Pashtuns were Sunni Muslims, while Hazaras were Shi’a† (Hosseini 9). The cultural belief of the Hazaras being an unworthy caste results in restrictions of relationships between the Hazaras and the Pashtuns. Many Hazaras are almost never able to have a positive relationship with Pashtuns, instead they â€Å"have often been persecuted for their distinctive ethnicity and religious beliefs† (â€Å"Hazara†). Therefore, negative consequences are imposed on the Hazaras as they are often faced with a high level of hatred and a low level of respect. In the novel, Ali and Hassan, father and son who are Hazaras, are frequently bullied and teased by many of the Pashtuns in the community. The career choices of the characters in the novel are limited due to the Afghani culture. In the Afghani culture, people believe that people will be more successful in the same career path as their family: â€Å"People were always doubting him. They told Baba that running a business wasn’t in his blood and [that] he should study law like his father† (Hosseini 16). Thus due to the cultural belief of following your family’s career path, people in this culture are often restricted from choosing a career of which they truly desire. If someone was to follow a specific career path which matched their interests but was completely different from the careers of their family, they will be often pressured into not following their dreams. Hence, a negative impact is imposed on people in these situations as they are not able to follow their dreams and do what they wish to do. Similarly, in the novel, Baba’s wishes to become a business man were discouraged and pinned down by his loved ones as it was not a similar career to rest of his family’s. Furthermore, due to the strong discrimination of Hazaras in the Afghani culture, Hazaras will always be servants and cooks: â€Å"What does he know, that illiterate Hazara? He’ll never be anything but a cook† (Hosseini 37). The discrimination in the Afghani culture restricts Hazaras from getting a job other than as a servant or a cook. They will be born into servant families and grow up to be servants and that is how it will always be. Following their dream career paths is restricted by the Afghani culture as they do not have a choice of what career they want. The negative impact, as a result of this cultural restriction, is that Hazaras are never going receive the opportunity of having a career other than a servant or cook. They are always going to be burdened with the fact that they are going to be servants and cooks and nothing else. In the novel, even though Hassan, who is a Hazara, had dreams of having a successful career, he has â€Å"accepted the fact that he’d grow old in that mud shack in the yard as a servant, the way his father had† (Hosseini 62), due to the cultural restrictions in the Afghani culture. Household activities are limited and very specific due to the Afghani culture. There are specific activities which are believed to be sins in the Afghani culture such as drinking because â€Å"Islam consider[s it] to be a terrible sin; those who dr[i]nk would answer for their sin on the day of Qiyamat; judgement day† (Hosseini, 17). The cultural belief of specific activities being sins restricts people from performing these activities. These activities do not only include drinking but other activities as well and therefore many activities are restricted. Therefore, a negative impact is imposed on the people of this culture as they are not able to do some activities, even though might want to. Even if someone was to go against the culture, they would have to do the activity in secrecy or face negative attitudes from everyone else. Additionally in the novel, Baba drank even though it was considered a cultural sin and he received many negative comments from the people surrounding him. Moreover, in the Afghani culture, there are specific guidelines on what food can be eaten and how it should be prepared; â€Å"Baba had hand-picked the sheep again this year†¦ The mullah recites the prayer†¦ The custom is to divide the meat in thirds†¦ The custom in to not let the sheep see the knife. Ali feeds the animal a cube of sugar – another custom to make death sweeter†¦ The mullah grabs it under its jaws and places the blade on its neck†¦ before he slices the throat in one expert motion† (Hosseini, 81). These guidelines restrict the people of this culture of eating specific food. All of their food must be a specific food prepared a specific way because â€Å"the common Islamic food prohibitions are respected in Afghanistan. For example meat is only eaten from animals that are slaughtered according to the Islamic law† (â€Å"Culture of Afghanistan†). Therefore they cannot eat all foods. They are negatively influenced by this cultural belief as they are not allowed to eat whatever they want. They must always make sure they are following the specific food prohibitions and therefore they are not able to try different foods. The Afghani culture imposes restrictions on relationships, career choices and household activities. Overall, many negative impacts of the characters in the novel, The Kite Runner, have occurred as a result of the restrictions placed upon them by the Afghani culture. Although the restrictive attributes of the Afghani culture has a negative impact on the people, it is those same attributes which make it unique from other cultures.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

The Massachusetts Bay Colony government was able to be, at least partially, simultaneously theocratic, democratic, oligarchic, and authoritarian. It was able to be partly theocratic because of the doctrine of the covenant, which stated that the whole purpose of government was to enforce God’s laws. God’s laws applied to everyone, even nonbelievers. Everyone also had to pay taxes for the government-supported church. This meant that religious leaders held enormous power in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They were able to effectively control who was admitted to the church by conducting public interrogations of people who claimed to have experienced conversion. The last reason it was partially theocratic was one of the main governors, John Winthrop, believed he had a â€Å"calling† from God to lead the Massachusetts colony. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was partially democratic for a couple of reasons. First, the freemen elected the governor and his associates each year. The freemen also voted for a representative assembly called the General Court. The Colony was also partly an oligarchy. It was an oligarchy because only Puritans could be freemen and were eligible to vote. Puritans were even more limited because religious leaders could control who was admitted into the church. Finally, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was partially authoritarian. This was partially because many of the residents were Puritans. Puritans shared in the â€Å"Protestant Ethic†, which involved serious commitment to work and to engagement in worldly pursuits. Everyone was held to these standards because of this. Everyone was expected to do this, even if they weren’t Puritan.

Musical Theaters Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Musical Theaters - Assignment Example The first factor that made musical theater leap from â€Å"Oklahoma† to â€Å"Rent† is attributed to the uniqueness of the performances in theaters. (Everett & Laired, 2009). Theaters became revolutionized in that performances included singing, acting and dancing. The actions of; singing, acting and dancing instilled new life in the theaters, and eradicated the old fashion theaters, which only involved acting. In essence, the musical, â€Å"Oh what a beautiful morning† portrayed both aspects of signing and acting. The theme of the musical contained lyrics, which inspired a great number of people, and this made the musical very appealing (Everett & Laired, 2009). The second factor that made musical theaters leap from â€Å"Oklahoma† to â€Å"Rent† is related to the society. The musical â€Å"I will† by Jonathan Larson is performed by individuals from impoverished societies faced with negative issues such as poverty and AIDS. Through this, the theater became appealing since many individuals found relevance while in the theaters. Individuals in American societies and around the world, mostly the youths, found themselves on the negative side. Musicals such as â€Å"Oh what a beautiful morning† flourished as it touched a great number of individuals. The inspiring nature of the two musicals â€Å"Oh what a beautiful morning† and â€Å"I will† added with the drama and music definitely appeals (Everett & Laired, 2009).

Rapid Sequence Induction and Intubation. Incidence Reflection Essay

Rapid Sequence Induction and Intubation. Incidence Reflection - Essay Example In this reflection I have ensured that I maintain confidentiality in line with the Health Professional Council code of Conduct that demands the observance of the same, under code number two that states â€Å"You must respect the confidentiality of service users.† It informs me that I must treat information about service users as confidential and that I must not release any personal or confidential information to anyone not entitled to it (HPC, 2008, pp. 8-9). Therefore all names of the people involved in the process are treated as anonymous and I will different letters to refer to each one of them. I decided to choose this area for my reflection basing on a few reasons. First is that as a student ODP doing my clinical placement, it was my first time to come across such a major incident and therefore it made me curious. Secondly is that, I realized that this procedure is applied to all EG operations, making it commonly used. As a student on placement I realize the need to familiarize myself with the incident and procedures of operation as it is a common phenomenon in our daily lives. The last point is that, I engaged myself in massive research on this topic thereby developing skills and knowledge in this particular area. Rapid Sequence Induction Intubation (RSII) Rapid Sequence Induction and Intubation (RSII) is a medical procedure involving the fast induction of general anaesthesia and following intubation of the trachea. It is generally used in an emergency (EG) situation or for patients who have an increased risk of aspirating gastric contents into lungs (EL-Orbany & Connolly, 2010). The main objective of this technique is to minimise the interval time between loss of protective airway reflexes and tracheal intubation with a cuffed endotracheal tube (ETT). If the intubation is not attained within a maximum 2 minutes, the patient could suffer extreme morbidity or even death from hypoxia (lack of oxygen in body tissue). Therefore airway management is the most important skill for an emergency practitioner. Failure to secure an adequate airway can cause disability (EL-Orbany & Connolly, 2010). The decision to intubate the patient is sometimes very difficult to reach. The difficulty emanates because t he situation requires high clinical experience so as to recognise the signs of an imminent respiratory failure. The concept of RSI was gradually evolved after introduction of Suxamethonium chloride/succinylcholine (paralytic drug) in 1951, and the description of cricoid pressure (CP) in 1961 (EL-Orbany & Connolly, 2010). The procedure include; oxygen administration, rapid injection of a predetermined dose of thiopental/barbiturate (group of drugs), immediately followed by succinylcholine, application of CP and tracheal intubation. It seemed from these components that the term; RSI which is used in both anaesthesia literature and emergency medicine are both inadequate. Because, the technique includes both anaesthesia induction and tracheal intubation, therefore the term RSII is more accurate and descriptive of the technique (EL-Orbany & Connolly, 2010, pp. 18-25) Reflective models My essay will employ the Rolfe et al. (2001) model of reflection to reflect on what I learnt and the exp eriences I went through. Reflective practice is an approach to learning and practice development that is patient centred and which acknowledges the untidiness and confusion of the practice environment

Film and American Culture Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film and American Culture Studies - Essay Example The way a certain movie influences a certain culture it is not same way it affects another culture. Certain cultures may think that action movies may instill violence to their child. Some parents argue that children will want to practice and experience what they watch in movies. A program such as wrestling is said to nurture and build a violent person (Funk, et al, 23–39). This will not be the case to other cultures because they might find it to be educative. The Chinese and Japanese like practicing soldierly arts; hence, they will find action movies to be educative because they can learn some skills from these movies. Other cultures find action movies to be entertaining. This is because in their everyday life, they encounter many risks, for example, the Maasai culture occupation is practiced around the forest as they graze their animals. They may find these movies to be entertaining as they experience a lot of violence with the wild animals. Some parents argue that action mov ies will instill braveness in children, especially cultures that undergo painful initiation. Some cultures recommend the circumcision of their men without being sedated to show braveness in a man. The other category of movies that have both positive effects on culture is the soap operas. These movies have different sagas, typically focusing on love. Parents feel that these movies will poison their children relationship issues at an early age. They feel that their children will start engaging in sexual action at an early age. Indian culture believes that people should not engage in sex until they are married. These movies will affect their culture negatively as young people will get involved passionately. It is also Indian customary for marriages and spouses to be arranged by parents, but after young people watch these soap operas, they feel they have a right to decide on their marriage life thus violating their culture. Other cultures find these soap operas to be informative and edu cative. For instance, these cultures feel that they educate people on how solve shaky relationship because they are true reflective of what happens in real life. These movies are educative in that they answer many questions to children. Parents are sometimes shy to converse matters pertaining to love and sex. They are unable to answer questions in this area hence these movies answer children questions. The other categories of movies that have both positive and negative impacts are the drama movies. These movies show how people use their wits and knowledge to solve certain issue. For example, a movie like Prison Break show how convicts gang up and use their wits to escape from prison. Children may try to put these in practice, hence skiving and absconding classes. These influence cultures in a negative manner. Some drama movies tackle the concern of bullying. For example, a movie like American Girl Stands Strong shows how some characters bully others in the school. Children may pract ice this and use it to bull other children. This may in turn result in forming an oppressive culture where some people are made to feel oppressive. Other drama movies address relationship issue. A movie like Desperate Housewives has shown a lot of unfaithful relationship. These may result in the buildup of cultures with infidelities; hence, separations and divorce will be the order of the day. They may also influence the

Media Advertising Criticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Media Advertising Criticism - Essay Example The major role of advertising is to increase sale of products and services, in addition to creating and maintaining the brand identity and image. It also entails communicating the change that exists in the product line and introducing a new product or service (Bartels 46). It is also viewed as a favorable representation of products to make customers, consumers and the public aware of the existent products. In other words, it lets potential users, buyers, and the public as a whole become familiar with the various brands of products, goods and services found in the market. Advertising has faced various criticisms regarding the content, ethics, privacy and the cost of the adverts. In this essay, we are going to discuss the reasons why advertising is essential irrespective of the criticisms that have been lodged against it (Beckman 70). Additionally, we shall examine in details some of the issues that bring about the criticisms of advertising. For instance, that it does not protect other people’s privacy and that it lays emphasis on inaccurate or inappropriate content. Beckman brings out the fact that media organizations at times misinterpret and withhold relevant facts because they are subverted by the advertiser’s demands. ... They believe that tobacco adverts may convince the younger generation that smoking is cool, yet is not. In some countries such as Canada, Europe, South Africa and New Zealand, the advertising structure operates in a system of self-regulation where advertisers, media and advertising agencies agree on the code of advertising standards that all stakeholders try to uphold. This aims at ensuring that the advertising is decent, legal, truthful and honest (Beckman 89). Thousands of policy researchers, opinion makers and politicians often wish to transmit information to the larger public. In order to do that successfully, they need a medium of communication. Therefore, media organizations always serve as the intermediaries of conveying such messages. Transmission of information and news to the public is extremely expensive, and this has prompted media organizations to significantly depend on advertising in order to cover some of their costs. There are few organizations and corporations that spend heavily on adverts, and this has compelled media agencies to accept advert orders from them irrespective of whether they violate the media ethics or not (Bartels 100). Advertising in its essential nature boldly appeals to the self-interest of customers for the patent and selfish gain of the capitalists. Therefore, criticizing advertising is to criticize capitalism and ethical egoism (Albion 48). Anderson makes us understand that, in the psychological point of view, people are in control of their mind; thus, they cannot be manipulated unless they allow it. There are three facts that uphold this statement. First, reason is volitional, a fact that negates determinism; thus, removes the support for the view that advertising possesses

Economics of Leisure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Economics of Leisure - Essay Example Leisure is defined as time spent when one is not working. This means that time that is compensating for work. Other authors simply define leisure as the opportunity to express one's creativity and master new things so that they feel satisfied and a degree of self-accomplishment. Leisure activities can include resting at home, sleeping, watching movies, engaging in sport activities among others. These activities are essential in an individual’s life because they give satisfaction, pleasure, and enjoyment. They also enhance an individual’s self-esteem as well as promote the general quality of life. Kenneth Roberts argues that the role of leisure is to instill certain values such as teamwork, leadership, and fair play. He also holds that leisure consolidates the social system and compensates people for the unsatisfying and unrewarding aspects of life. For him, all individuals are free to choose the leisure activities they wish. Taking part in leisure activities may be bene ficial or otherwise depending on the activities concerned. Some art, sport and recreation activities have beneficial impacts both socially, economically and heath wise. Allocation of time It is impossible to look at the determinants of leisure without reviewing the allocation of time for work. From time immemorial, the amount of time spent at work has never equaled the amount of time spent away from work. Most people spend almost all their time in the office or at work in general (Kate & Rickards, 2002). The craze and passion with which economic development is pursued in the world today does not allow for involvement in secular activities as much. This means that the allocation of non-working time and its efficiency are important for the economic welfare of a country. In 1965, almost everyone had similar amounts of spare time notwithstanding their socioeconomic status. However, this has changed with time given that leisure time just like income has increased across the board (Aguiar and Hurst, 2006: 19). Secondly, it is now apparent that the biggest winners in the allocation of leisure time are at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. This is to mean that today the poor seem to have more leisure time than the rich do. This goes a long way to prove that leisure activities are not immune to economic life. A substantial increase in the quantity of leisure time in the United States between the years 1965 to 2003 according to research has been experienced. Research has it that, the number of hours away from work has increased by six to eight hours for men. That of women has increased by four to eight hours. The less educated individuals experienced the largest increase. The researches have also exposed the emerging inequality in leisure with regard to the growing inequality in income and expenditure. There were adjustments that necessitated the increase in leisure time. For men, it was due to the allocation of less time to the market sector while for women it was due to the decline for time allotted for home production (dcms, 2010). There was also change in leisure time according to the educational qualification of individuals in society. It emerged that while there was uniform increase across the educational status, the less educated had more leisure time as compared to their educated counterparts. The fact that the least

Hard Treatment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hard Treatment - Assignment Example The eighteenth century corporal punishment was done through the offender’s body. In the nineteenth century, the imprisonment move was merged with other penalties that prompted the decrease of the human rights. This was a response to the wrongdoers. In that case, Kleinig views imprisonment as a form of reforming ones villainous character or immoral habit. Below are the some of positive and negative constraints according to the kleinig’s point of view of the prisoners subjected to punishments. Kleinig has found that cruelty inflicts physical pain on the prisoners. This has been extremely exaggerated to the general suffering of these people. He argues that such actions which come in with cruelty are imposed to these people to cause aguish and fear in them for the respect of the department stuff. Some of these cruel activities done to the prisoners may end up to injuries either mentally or physically. Kleinig believe that both individuals and institutions are cruel to the p risoners. According to the research, many deaths that are reported from the prisons are caused by the prisoners themselves. In that case, he has notified that though punishments are given to rectify and rehabilitate the wrongdoers, being cruelty would be excessive punishment which would not be helpful but only destroying. This would also limit the people to achieving the goals that are accepted in the social life. According to Kleinig, both cruelties to sentient and rational sentient is an act of dehumanizing. On the other hand, the cruelty suffering undergone by the prisoners tends to undermine their human distinctiveness which acts as their capacity for appraisal. On the other hand, many individuals and institutions tent to give unusual punishments such as boiling them in oil, quartering or drawing them or burning them on their stakes. In such case, kleinig has found such act to be unusual and cruel hence dehumanizing. According to Klenig, though the prisoners should adhere to the punishments given to them, they should be permitted to have the human dignity. Even though are not given the time to exercise their human rights, human dignity is fundamental to all human beings. In that chase, he argues that the prison institutions should express the non humiliation which is so common among the prison institutions, in order to avoid prisoners’ rejection from the human common wealth. Kleinig also tackles chaining of the prisoners. He says that this is humiliating them and expresses in humane. On the other hand, Kleinig, touches the sentencing of a prisoner. He says that giving a long sentence to the prisoners is contrary with the myth of correcting and rehabilitating the prisoners. Instead, they lose their human dignity and have less time to enjoy their lives. In that case, they face various challenges such as being chained from the wrist to the ankle, perform hard and tiresome labor, being under life surveillance and be denied to receive any assistance from the outside. Kleinig says that when one is forced in to such life style, various opportunities are disqualified. Firstly, they do not perform their parental responsibility. This is because; the long term imprisonment punishment does not allow one to interact with his or her family. Secondly, a man would not be able to enjoy his marital authority. In continuation, Kleinig, gives in humanness as another constraint that leads to hard treatment. In that case, according to him, inhumane is the act of disregarding the human sensibility as human beings.

The Effect of Selective Loggin on Bird Population Essay

The Effect of Selective Loggin on Bird Population - Essay Example Robinson and Robinson examined the effect of selective logging within a southern Illinois forest in the United States. In their study, the authors compared the abundance of birds within uncut areas of the forest compared to areas where cutting had occurred recently (1 to 5 years before the experiment) or historically (10 to 15 years prior). The prevalence of birds was determined using a count system, where researchers spent six minutes at each post and recorded the number of birds that were observed or heard. Observation points were allocated along a transect line at 150 metre intervals. The authors determined that for most species, there was no significant difference of bird abundance between cut and non-cut areas. Only two species were significantly less common in cut areas than in non-cut areas. These were the Red-eyed Vireo and the Ovenbird. However, the nest predator, the Blue Jay, had a significantly higher prevalence in cut areas than in non-cut areas. The study was well desig ned, and the authors took into account a number of potentially confounding effects, such as observer bias and overlapping observations between the different posts. The authors also examined the power of their statistical tests, and were able to test whether there were significant differences between a large number of different bird species. One limitation of this study was that both control and experiment aspects of the study occurred within the same forest, with the authors using unlogged parts of the forest as the control. This makes it difficult to determine whether the trends that were observed are specific to the forest studied, or they occur widely. A study also published in 1999 also examined how selective logging affected the bird community. This study took place in a Brazilian Atlantic forest. The author chose two nearby sites, one had experienced selective logging and the other had not. The areas were tested for a number of factors including vegetation structure and measur es of the diversity and richness of the bird species that were present, as well as the composition of species. The author determined that diversity and richness of the bird species did not vary between sites, however, which species were present and which were absent, differed considerably. Like the first study, the author made use of spot-counts to determine the abundance of bird species. This study was not powerful, as only two areas of forest were examined, one control (no logging) and one experimental (selective logging). Consequently, there was no replication, and it is difficult to extrapolate from the results of this study to general conclusions. Additionally, the lack of replication made it difficult to test whether the observed results differed significantly between the two areas. Thus, although the study shows that selective logging is having a negative effect on some species, there is not enough information to determine whether this is because of selective logging, or beca use of the particular sites chosen for the study. A final study on selective logging examined this in an Indonesian forest. Observations were taken from a number of stations, each of which was classified as having been logged in the previous six years, or as not having been logged. There was a significantly higher number of birds at the non-logged site than at the logged site, suggesting that logging decreased the abundance of species .

The Primary Care Clinic Essay Example for Free

The Primary Care Clinic Essay A small primary care clinic has 69 employees, representing 9 different clinical professions and 12 other skills. It operates two (2) sites, one (1) of which is bigger and has the departments for medical specialists, diagnostic labs, and patient services. The clinic also contracts for a variety of services, such as repair and maintenance, referral specialists, and advanced diagnostic services. You are the manager. You report to the owners who are four (4) of the family practitioners and their wives. Two of the wives still work at the clinic as registered nurses. Write a five to seven (5-7) page paper in which you: 1.Discuss the key political, economic, and social forces that may have influenced the development of the clinic. 2.Create a comprehensive mission statement and explain what makes it a comprehensive mission statement. 3.Identify three (3) performance measures you would use to measure the clinic’s effectiveness and provide the rationale for each performance measure. 4.Describe how you would approach decisions regarding clinic expansion and annual plan approval. 5.Describe the role of the clinic as a component of the healthcare delivery system in your community. 6.Examine how public healthcare policy has influenced the formation of outpatient clinics in the healthcare system. 7.Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: †¢Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. †¢Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: †¢Examine the political, economic, and social forces that have influenced the organizational foundations of the United States healthcare system †¢Explain how public policy has shaped the development of the U.S. healthcare system. †¢Analyze the critical management issues, purpose, functions, and performance measures of different departments within healthcare organizations. †¢Use technology and information resources to research issues in health services organization management. †¢Write clearly and concisely about health services organization management using proper writing mechanics. Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Expatriate Management in MNCs as Knowledge Management

Expatriate Management in MNCs as Knowledge Management Expatriate Management in MNCs as a Form of Knowledge Management and its Applicability in Reduction of Soaring Turnover Rates: a Case Study Approach Abstract This dissertation in International Human Relations addresses the potential of expatriate management as a tool of knowledge management and its applicability to the reduction of turnover rates in a global economy. Companies today cannot survive and prosper without some form of globalisation. When an appropriately planned expatriate program is utilised, the flow of information supports knowledge transfer, which can enhance the entire functionality of the company. The specific vehicle for knowledge transfer will be cross-cultural training, with its generalisable lessons for the global corporations. In this research, the case study approach is utilised along with the study of archival materials. After extensive research into the United States Peace Corp and its handling of expatriates, Tyco Flow Control/KTM Company of Japan and Electrolux of Sweden, supported by an extensive review of current literature, this dissertation reaches the conclusion that the decision on whether or not to use expatriates and in what fashion they should be used must be based on a combination of the needs of the company and the companys organisational structure. Expatriation is expensive and companies should plan for success if they intend to utilise an expatriate program. However, the knowledge gained from the study of expatriate programs can be successfully utilised to mange the spread of knowledge throughout the organisation and to develop interventions, which will lower the overall rate of turnover within an organisation. Certainly, we cannot afford to ignore these lessons. Chapter One Introduction 1.1 Chapter Introduction There are a number of challenges involved in the development of multi-national corporations (MNCs) in todays era of globalisation. Increasingly the trend has been for companies to utilise expatriates on tasks that are critical to the companys operation or continued success. MNCs use expatriates for a number of reasons. In general, the perception exists that it is easier to control an employee from the home office, carefully chosen and indoctrinated in the companys culture. Thus, the concept of corporate control plays a large role in the selection and the use of expatriates, but it is certainly not the only reason. Many times, expatriates have specialties that the company believes it can export when developing the global market. In addition, expatriates who have been thoroughly trained in the companys procedures can be very valuable during the process of entering new markets and setting up the office and administrative under structure that inevitably follows such expansion. Human resources management inevitably becomes more complex in an international venue. Companies must consider not only the corporate culture and the national culture of their home country, but also the national culture of the country or countries which they are expanding into. Expansion into other nations also brings with it a myriad of laws and regulations that may well conflict with the home countrys laws or rules. The situation becomes more complex with each additional field office or subsidiary that the company acquires or develops. 1.2 Context There is a great deal of research that suggests that the way companies manage their human resources contributes to whether or not the company will succeed or fail (Tung, 1984). International human resources management can make or break a new expansion, and poor management of expatriates within established MNCs can send the company into a crisis. Companies must be able to communicate with their employees and to coordinate actions, activities, and regulatory compliance between a number of corporate and governmental entities. Failure to do so successfully can affect the bottom line of any multi-national corporation or company, and can destabilise a company that is not experienced in dealing with international human resources. Financially, there is a great deal at stake for the MNC which utilises expatriates. The obvious cost, of course, occurs if the project that the expatriate is assigned to fails. Such a significant financial blow can, as pointed out, destabilise a company. There are many other costs associated with expatriate management, however, that may not be obvious on the surface. Employees must be recruited into the programme and trained. Their families should receive training regarding the area of assignment. Moving or relocation costs are significant even if the family travels light. Many companies provide housing assistance in the country of assignment, and trips back to the home country on a scheduled basis. All of these expenses add up. One additional expense that must be considered is the replacement of the employee who enters the expatriate programme. If the employee is already a member of the organisation, his or her transfer to a foreign office will leave an internal position that must be filled. MNCs must also consider the ramifications to the company if their expatriate behaves in a fashion that the host country members consider improper. The amount of ill will that can be generated throughout the host community can be nearly incalculable. Even though it is an indirect cost, it can be as devastating as a more direct financial loss. Even in the best of cases, when the expatriation fails without loss of business and the expatriate returns quietly to the home base, the expatriate may leave the company. When this happens, the company loses a valuable employee and the investment that went along with that employees training. When the problem of failed expatriation is looked at from these perspectives, it becomes clear that the financial repercussions may be greater than they appear at first glance, but the loss of money is only a small part of the overall problem of expatriate loss. Indeed, the operation of the entire organisation can be threatened, along with the investments from the companys stakeholders and employees. This provides a great deal of impetus for investigation of the issues related to expatriate management and reduction of turnover both nationally and internationally. In the past, one might make the argument that expatriates and local employees are not in the same category. After all, expatriates face other cultures on a routine, day to day basis. As a matter of fact, they are immersed in their home culture. As Hofstede (2003) points out, every culture defines its own version of being socially correct. These constraints govern how cultures do business. It has become big business to help companies and individuals understand the different ways that host companies interpret what we may consider average, day to day gestures. The various governments recognised this concept long ago. Virtually every country provides some form of training in culture applications for ambassadors and members of the state and foreign service divisions. Nevertheless, business has been slow to adopt that concept. Even when MNCs recognise the need to provide this training, they may not fully understand the impact that the difference in culture has on the employee. The employee generally travels with family, and it is as important to acknowledge that family members and their success at adaptation have a large input into whether or not the employee adapts successfully. Thus, MNCs that fail to include all the family members in a culture immersion programme fail in their handling of expatriates. Today, all companies operate in a multi-cultural environment. Even small mom and pop operations are exposed to customers, suppliers, or regulators who are from other cultures. Nearly every country is now a cultural melting pot of residents, and those that are relatively homogenous still have influx from visitors and tourists. While it is easy to downplay the importance of a single tourist who has wandered off the beaten path, it is impossible in this day and age of modern technology to estimate the importance of that single customer. Placed in context, an unfortunate interchange with an individual who turns out to an important stakeholder in his or her professional community can be devastating. Attitudes of employees to customers or suppliers can cause supply chains to dissolve, large numbers of customers to disappear, or contracts to be cancelled. In a sense globalisation has caused a return to small town front porch mentality where everyone either knows everyone or knows his or her cousin. The Internet and global communications offers such anonymity that it is now possible for a companys largest customer to conduct a surprise visit and not be recognised. Given the right – or wrong – circumstances, the impact on business can be devastating. It is this concern, the concern for the international aspect of all business today, that ties together large MNCs and small, at-home operations and cautions us to develop a greater understanding of other cultures, whether we manage expatriates, or merely serve customers in our tiny walk-in. How a company treats its customers and stakeholders affects the survivability of the business, and retention of well-qualified and well-trained employees is part of that survivability, especially when it relates to cultural aspects of functionality. This paper, then, addresses the system of business that relates to intercultural communication and impacts management of expatriates as well as the home office. At the present time, there is a great deal of research that shows the difficulty that expatriates face on assignment and on repatriation, and there is significant research that indicates that cross-cultural training offers possibilities for helping these employees adapt. There is a gap in the research between these issues and the types of cross-cultural training that may lead to a decreased turnover rate. Additional research may be most helpful. When we review what types of cross-cultural training may be most useful, there is also indication that successful expatriates who return from assignment and remain with their companies may be able to add to the knowledge base of successful adaptation. It is this concept that successful expatriates contribute to knowledge management that I address in this research. Successful management of this knowledge may contribute not only to a lowered turnover rate among expatriates, but may offer suggestions to how business can lower the turnover rate overall. I suggest the concept that expatriate management tends to overlook one extremely important concept: that turnover EVERYWHERE is extremely high, and it will be no different in the expatriate population if we treat regular employees in the same manner that we treat expatriates, assuming the expatriate programme is successful. Thus, development of a plan to manage and retain expatriates has great generalisability for the companys population as a whole with regard to retention. This concept has been touched on in the available research but is not fully developed. A work developing this concept can truly add to the field. 1.3 Aims and Objectives The aims and objectives of the research will be to explore why some MNCs are successful at increasing retention of expatriates and what role cross-cultural training plays in that success; to explain the steps that successful MNCs take in utilising the knowledge they gain in working with expatriates as a form of knowledge management, and to describe how this information can be utilised by other companies to lower the overall general turnover rate. A number of research questions evolved that will be useful in determining why some companies are so successful with expatriates while others are not. The questions will guide the research: How do some MNCs lower the rate of turnover of expatriates? How do companies that lower the rate of turnover of expatriates utilise what they have learned as a form of knowledge management? What role does cross-cultural training play in successful retention of expatriates? What is the generalisability of the success of expatriate management in the MNC as a form of knowledge management and its application to the reduction of soaring general turnover rates? 1.4 Rationale The overall turnover rate of employees throughout the world is soaring. The problem is particularly high in America. The cost to companies of employee turnover is so high that one sometimes wonders how the companies stay afloat. At the same time, there are a number of difficulties with expatriate management. As the rate of expatriate attrition increases, so does the cost to the multi-national company in both financial terms and in terms of morale. In researching problems with international human resources management, particularly problems associated with the management of expatriates, a link between increasing rates of general expatriate turnover and generally high rates of employee turnover seemed to present. Gaps in the research indicate there must be more research into the process of repatriation and knowledge management, for this is the point at which the greatest knowledge exchange back to the company in terms of cultural knowledge should occur. Research must determine what contributes to success repatriation and why some expatriates choose to terminate contracts early. All of these areas will be investigated. The next step, then, is to investigate why some companies seem to manage expatriate programmes successfully, and why some programmes fail. By reviewing successful expatriate management, we may learn general lessons of human resources management that may well contribute to the base of knowledge for the reduction of overall turnover rates throughout the working world. 1.5 Methodology Qualitative research seeks to address the why and how of occurrences, making it ideally suited for a project of this nature. Though there are many forms of qualitative research, two forms seem particularly applicable to the nature of this investigation. A literature review will be conducted, of course, to place the state of the knowledge of expatriate management in the context of general management of human resources. An archival investigation, however, will take and utilise the literature review as a starting point. Through a thorough investigation of archival materials available, additional research information will be gleaned. The case study method will also be utilised to investigate three specific multinational companies or organisations that have had a great deal of success with the expatriates that they managed. Case study approach allows me as the researcher to concentrate on details that might otherwise be overlooked in a traditional literature review. Archival review materials will also contribute to details of the case studies. 1.6 Chapter Outline Chapter One of the dissertation consists of an introduction to the study and places the study in context, the aims and objectives, rationale, and methodology of the paper are reviewed. Chapter Two reviews literature related to the topics of international human resources, expatriate management, turnover, and knowledge management. The literature review presents various perspectives of the research topic and reveals how previous researchers have investigated the topics. The literature review is expected to reveal gaps in the research and suggests areas that this research will explore. It is guided by the aims, objectives, and research questions, but can also provide an indication for modification of those aims, objectives, and questions if changes are needed. Finally, the chapter provides a framework for the overall research. Chapter Three discusses methodology of the research and details the strategies that were undertaken during the research, including data collection methods and methods of analysis. Methodology describes methods that were utilised to conduct the research and defines the reasons they were selected. Chapter Four provides the analysis or the synthesis of the research. It ties together the research questions, the theories behind the research, and the methods of doing the research. Finally, in a good research project, the analysis will actually raise questions that will be guidelines to future research in the field. Chapter Five details the main findings of the paper, gleaned from the analysis, and describes how the results are similar to prior research, but also how they differ. The contribution of the research to the knowledge base of expatriate management and reduction of general turnover rates will be provided, and the limitations of the research will be defined. Suggestions for future research will be provided and ways to reduce limitations of future research will be discussed in the context of the experience of myself as the researcher for this project. The paper will be concluded with a bibliography of works utilised in the preparation of the paper, and if necessary, supporting materials will be provided in appendices. 1.7 Chapter Summary This chapter has set the stage for the research project and dissertation. The subject matter was introduced, and the study was placed in context of international business and human resources. The aims and objectives of the research were described and the rationale for the dissertation was produced. A summary of the methodology of the paper was provided, and a chapter outline of the work was also presented. In summary, Chapter One set the stage for the research and provided an overview of the project. Chapter Two Literature Review 2.1 Chapter Introduction Today, all companies have retention problems (Ramiall, 2004). In 2005, the United States had an overall turnover rate of employment of 23%. Companies face fierce competition in the quest to retain employees (Mitchell, Holtom, and Lee, 2001). Hay (2002) reports that in the past 10 years, employee turnover increased by 25%, making the problem of retaining employees the number one employment problem in the United States (Kaye Jordan-Evans, 2000). With a shortage of potential labour until approximately 2012, the pool of qualified and available labour is small, making the problem of retention much more intense. Clearly a need exists to lower the rate of turnover in companies. While the presented references above are in evidence of a turnover rate in American companies, the issue is global, especially in this day of large multi-national companies. The problem is, perhaps, even more pronounced with expatriates due to the large amount of money it takes each MNC to recruit, train, and support expatriates and their families. A retained expatriate can be an asset to the company; a lost expatriate represents a significant financial drain. It makes sense, then, to explore how expatriates can be retained, and to utilise the knowledge gained to lower the overall turnover rate of the company, thereby increasing retention and decreasing costs. Retention of expatriates contributes to the companys knowledge management capacities and to retention of trained employees in the MNCs, and cross-cultural training seems to offer one of the most promising avenues to encourage retention of qualified employees. The literature review served as a basis of study during the preliminary phases of the project and was supplemented a great deal in the final paper. As the research developed, it was clear that there were many avenues that needed to be explored to gain a holistic understanding of the issues relating to international human resources management and successful administration of expatriation programmes. Through the course of the initial review of the literature, a link became clear between lessons learned by companies that have successful expatriation programmes and companies that could utilise this knowledge in lowering their turnover rates. All businesses today, it is clear, have a multi-cultural aspect that must be addressed. The issue then becomes how multi-culturalism will be addressed and how knowledge gained from successful expatriation can contribute to the overall knowledge of successful MNCs (Sizoo, Plank, Iskat, and Sernie, 2005). This project will help bridge the gap between l arge MNCs with offices in other nations, and smaller companies that may benefit from their knowlege. 2.2 Importance of International Human Resources Management Tye and Chen (2005) state that capturing and maintaining a competitive advantage is not the most important issue for many organisations. At its lowest common denominator, the purpose of business is to make a profit. Friedman (1970) even argued that business has a social responsibility to make a profit for its investors. Friedman argued that business leaders needed to do whatever it takes to acquire and maintain that profit. Tye and Chen (2005) point out that there is now a general consensus that larger companies must operate successfully on a global level in order to capture and maintain the competitive advantage which leads to profit. As businesses have an increasingly international role, how to manage the people in the business on a global scale becomes a huge challenge (Lee and Liu, 2006). Businesses cannot operate without people, despite an increasing dependence upon technology. In order to retain people, there must be adequate human resources management systems. For large international companies, then, the human resources managers and their systems must aim towards acquiring and maintaining people who are competent not only in business, but in functioning in the international environment (Liu and Lee, 2006). For many years, the tendency was to believe that management was the same whether the company being managed was in the managers home country or a foreign land. This universal approach to management is considered an ethnocentric approach (Dowling and Welch, 2004), in which the values established in a corporations home country are the values that predominate through every field office. In this form of management, all of the practices of the business stem from practices and values of the home office, and all of the employees that become managers in field offices are hired and trained at the home office. While this approach offers certain advantages (for instance, the level of corporate control), it is not the most beneficial model of operation if one hopes to expand the business significantly in the targeted areas of other nations (Kuhn, 2000). Indeed, as Kuhn points out, ethnocentric organisations have essentially no advantage in local market areas. What difference is there between a human resources manager that deals with employees within the bounds of one nation, and one that deals with international situations? The basic difference is that when dealing with international human resources issues, the level of complexity between the rules, regulations, and operating mechanisms between different countries can be overwhelming, especially when more than one group of national workers is involved (Dowling and Welch, 2004). The difference may well be less pronounced in the nations of the European Union, where laws and operating regulations have been standardised to a degree, but national identities of workers complicate the issues. Indeed, even strong cultural identification roles can impact the path that international human resources managers must take. In addition, employees who will be fulfilling an expatriate role must be carefully matched to the job. In 1998, Stone suggested that the selection of expatriate employees is much more difficult than selecting personnel who will remain in the home office. This contention, however, is one of the concepts that will be investigated in the research. While Dowling and Welch argue that the selection of expatriates with personal issues such as low capacity to adapt, poor emotional stability, or bad attitude leads towards failure of the match to the expatriates job, one might argue just as easily that a bad attitude, immaturity, and refusal to adapt are indicative of poor selection of any employee, not just an employee who will be expatriated. It may seem simplistic, but a good, stable expatriate employee will make a good employee. On the other hand, a good employee will not necessarily make an adequate expatriate. It is this rule that led to my decision to explore a potential link between expatriate retention and retention of the average employee. Sizoo et al. (2005) concluded that adequate c ross-cultural training of any employee in a MNC greatly increases employee effectiveness and can lead to increased promotions and pay raises, which cut turnover rates. The argument could also be made that the same would apply in smaller companies, especially those in areas with a high cross-cultural population component. An expatriate who has negative attitude, poor emotional stability and maturity, lack of language ability, and a low level of adaptability also is a poor choice in host nations, where the chance of culture shock already exists (Dowling Welch, 2004). 2.3 Turnover Todays companies are faced with the prospect of continually replacing employees who have left the company. The cost of turnover is high both in direct turnover rates related to the physical process of hiring and firing and in the indirect rates of education, checking of the references, and so on. The costs are even higher if the member that leaves is a member of the expatriates, or if the member has recently repatriated at cost to the company. Thus the company cannot afford to keep replacing employees from a financial cost and a morale cost. Some turnover is caused by tension with management while other turnover is caused by having unclear job expectations. Increasingly in the international arena employees leave because they do not understand what they have to do to get ahead, or they feel they followed the companys directions and are still not appreciated for the service they have rendered. Peter Senge has identified three types of leaders: the peer leader, the line manager and the executive. Each one works to help build collaboration, to educate staff, and to strengthen the company culture. Teamwork and teaching should be utilised as a method of advancement (Senge 1990, 1996) and it is in this way that the expatriate can be particularly utilised. These employees can become leaders, and be promoted to management in the future. 2.4 Four Approaches to Management Orientation What exactly constitutes a multi-national company? Loosely defined, it is a corporation or large company that provides goods and/or services in more than one country. The MNC may have operations in a fair number of other countries. To be able to supply goods or services across national lines, the company must have significant resources. Thus, MNCs by their definition have access to a great deal of money or financial backing. The company is financially able to acquire the goods, services, and personnel acquired to function at a high level. To put it bluntly, companies with large budgets can purchase the best; few people would argue that a multi-national company as large, for example, as Wal-Mart, will have an operating budget larger than some small companies. Given that many companies have budgets that can buy the best, why is the expatriate failure rate so high? Black and Mendenhall (1990) pointed out that over 40% of all assigned expatriates return home early, and the expatriates that remain in the host nation, only 50% function effectively. Does the failure of the expatriate lie solely in the personality and training of the individual expatriate? Some evidence suggests that failure may be associated with the approach to management that the multi-national organisation chooses. Management approaches in multi-national companies can be polycentric, ethnocentric, geocentric, or electocentric. Each of the four models is discussed briefly below. Polycentric The polycentric approach to management utilises the belief that managers in host countries know the best way to approach work within their country and are the most familiar with effective ways to manage businesses within their country (Banai and Sama, 2000). Companies that adopt this attitude have generally concluded that all countries are different and that local subsidiaries should adopt policies and practices that are appropriate locally and are under the direct supervision of local managers from the local area (Banfield, 1998). Kuhn (2000) states that polycentric organisations offer the greatest local control to subsidiaries, which can be a tremendous advantage when the local manager is effective and savvy to local culture, customs, and business operations. Polycentric models are sometimes referred to as multilocal models, or even a multidomestic organisation. Ethnocentric As pointed out earlier, ethnocentric management embodies the concept that the home office manager knows best, regardless of the circumstances or culture of the host office. Dowling and Welch (2004) characterise this as a universal approach to management and believe that the main advantage of this form of management is the level of control it offers the MNC. Another advantage of this mode of operation, however, is that it presents the company with a more homogenous approach to business: no matter which office one is in, things are done the same way; managers are selected for the same reasons regardless of the location, and promotional paths remain the same regardless of where one transfers. Kuhn (2000) states, however, that this mode of operation is a distinct disadvantage if one a company wishes to expand operations in the host company. It offers no benefits when dealing with the local population, and may well be a disadvantage in terms of understanding local procedures and cultural impacts to business. Geocentric In the geocentric mode of operation, the company makes the decision that no one culture or organisation is better than another. Instead, the company concentrates on operating in as culture-free a manner as possible. Every effort is made to have a central control system, combined with a high level of standardisation. The organisation itself encourages all office to participate in decision-making based on a global rather than local context (Myloni, Harzing, and Mirza, 2004). Geocentric organisations offer one huge advantage: they are able to hire the best person for the job, without regard to nationality or national location. According to Kuhn (2000), the geocentric mode of organisation offers the best local advantage, along with the polycentric mode. Companies that embrace the geocentric view are sometimes referred to as borderless, or transnational. Electocentric / Regiocentric This model, also known as transregional model, is a model of globalisation that combines the geocentric model with the polycentric model. Companies that adopt this model of operation will frequently develop into a global or geocentric model of operation. In this mode, managers are hired locally and may be transferred within a general geographic region. The region tends to be fairly independent of the home company and does enjoy a certain amount of autonomy. This mode offers most of the benefits of the geocentric model. 2.5 Other Views of Management Approach Goshal and Bartlett (1998) present a different few of management approaches of multinational companies. They define the approaches as multinational, global, international, and transnational. In their definition, multinational companies decentralise and tend to regard their overseas offshoots as separate business acquisitions with their own autonomy

Catcher in the Rye Essay: The Judgmental Caulfield :: Catcher Rye Essays

The Judgmental Caulfield of The Catcher in the Rye The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is a classic novel about a sixteen-year-old boy, Holden Caulfield, who speaks of a puzzling time in his life. Holden has only a few days until his expulsion from Pency Prep School. He starts out as the type of person who can't stand "phony" people. He believes that his school and everyone in it is phony, so he leaves early. He then spends three aimless days in New York City. During this time, Holden finds out more about himself and how he relates to the world around him. He believes that he is the catcher in the rye: " I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in a big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around-nobody big, I mean-except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What have I to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff..." (173). He briefly enters what he believes is adulthood and becomes a "phony" himself. By the end of the story, Holden realizes he doe sn't like the type of person he has become, so he reverts into an idealist; a negative, judgmental person. Holden's idealism is first brought forth when he describes his life at Pency Prep. It is full of phonies, morons and bastards. His roommate, Stradlater, " was at least a pretty friendly guy, It was partly a phony kind of friendly..." (26) and his other roommate, Ackley is "a very nosy bastard" (33). Holden can't stand to be around either one of them for a very long time. Later, he gets into a fight with Stradlater over his date with Jane. Holden is upset because he thinks that Stradlater "gave her the time" and that he doesn't care about her; 'the reason he didn't care was because he was a goddam stupid moron. All morons hate it when you call them a moron' (44). Holden not only sees his roommates as phonies and bastards, but he also sees his headmaster at Pency Prep as a "phony slob" (3). This type of person is exactly what Holden doesn't want to be. He strives to be a mature adult; caring, compassionate, and sensitive. Even when Holden goes out or reads a story, it is just full of phoniness, ".

West Indies :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Countless of years ago a great mountain range stretched north from what is now the topmost coast of South America, the range was in a constant state of upheaval, lashed by continuous rains, swept by storms, with fire spouting from every peak finally the mountains dropped beneath the sea, quieted most of the volcanoes. The exposed peaks were covered with verdure of fantastic beauty, and left these peaks above the sea to form the chain of West Indian islands as we know today. Although they were islands surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, and are nowhere near Asian India, they were still considered the West Indian islands. Then why the concept of West Indian, we ask? Christopher Columbus, who discovered these islands, can surely explain why he gave such a name to islands that were never Indian descent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus the West Indies were given this name through his mistaken belief that he had reached the Indies, and he himself wrote of them as Las Yndias Ocidentales, referred to as the accidental Indies. After the mistake was realized they were later called them West Indies to distinguish them from the East Indies and at the time in the sixteenth century they were known as the Little Indies, while the East Indies were called the Great Indies. The native inhabitants of the West Indies and America were called Indians as a result of the same error. To distinguish them from the inhabitants of India they were to be called Amerindians or Red Indians. The islands are divided into three major groups: the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles. The Greater Antilles consist of Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica, and all the rest, except the Bahamas, are included in the group of Lesser Antilles, and were also called the C aribee Islands.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The name West Indies is often loosely applied to the mainland territories of South and Central America (the Spanish Main) and in the past was even applied to those in North America. The name America has been used as including the West Indies. The British use of Windward Islands and Leeward Islands has brought up confusion. The Spaniards correctly called all the eastern islands of the West Indian chain the Windward Islands, Islas de Balovento, and the small islands close to the northern shores of South America the Leeward Islands, Islas de Sotavento.

Performance Measurement Essay

Nowadays, businesses operate in an uncertain environment and the managers can never know what will happen in the future (Arnold, 2005). Meanwhile, the economic crisis has turned that world upside down; it is a change for ever. The global economy was changed during the past two decades; because of globalization, the firms are not only trade or invest in the company’s domicile, but also trade or invest in other countries. Then management will face a lot of business risk in global economy. There are many different way to define risk; simply, risks are opportunities to be seized. Risk management identifies risks with new opportunities to increase the probability of positive outcomes and maximize returns. The aim of this essay is identify the global challenges and risks and analyze the techniques available to financial managers to deal with risk when trading or investing in countries outside of the company’s domicile. In the structure, firstly evaluate the current global economic situation and what is the challenge in this global economic situation. Secondly, identify the risks do companies face operation in uncertain global economy. Finally, it will consider and analyze the techniques available to financial managers to deal with risk when trading or investing in countries outside of the company’s domicile. Outline of this essay, It is no doubt that today it is a globalization, however, due to the global economic crisis in 2008, the global economy is uncertainly and unstable. According to Arnold (2005) businesses operate in an uncertain environment and the managers can never know what will happen in the future. The global economy is divided into several situations.The one is low-income countries which CNI per capita of less than $936 and these countries have such serous social, political problems and economic that they represent limited opportunities for operations and investment. The next one is lower-middle-income countries which with a CNI per capita between $938 and $3705, such as Indonesia, Thailand and China. The consumer markets countries are increasing rapidly. Then is the upper-middle-income countries which with CNI per capita between $3706 and $11455, Such as Chile, Malaysia, Venezuela. In these countries, they have strong education systems and high literacy rates, although wages are still significantly lower than in the advanced countries, it is rising rapidly. The last one is high-income countries which with CNI per capital higher or equal $11456. Such as Japan, Sweden, United States, Germany. â€Å"â€Å"(Keegan, Creen. 2011) However, the most representatives of current global economy situation are UE, USA, China

Change and the Management of Change Essay

Change Management Planning, Implementing, controlling, and reviewing the movement of an organization from its current state to a new one Causes of Change External Incremental (Evolutionary) †¢Occurs slowly over time (fuel-efficient cars) Dramatic (Revolutionary) †¢Can cause many problems especially if unexpected †¢Might lead to total rethink of operation of organization oBusiness Process Re-Engineering Business Process Re-EngineeringFundamentally rethinking and redesigning the processes of a business to achieve a dramatic improvement in performance Globalization-Increasing interdependence for countries’ economies through free trade and multinational company investment †¢New opportunities to sell products in other countries †¢Increased competition from products made more cheaply in other countries-often by multinationals †¢Use either pan-global marketing for localization strategies †¢Achieve and try to maintain a competitive advantage Technological Advances-Leading to new products and new processes †¢Products: new computer games, iPods and iPhones, hybrid-powered cars. †¢Processes: robots in production; computer assisted design (CAD) in design offices and computer systems for stock control. †¢Staff retraining †¢Purchase of new equipment †¢Additions to product portfolio-Other products may be dropped †¢Need for quicker product development which may require new organizational structures and teams Macro-Economic Change- Fiscal Policy, Interest Rates, Business Cycle†¢Changes in consumers’ disposable incomes-and demand patterns that result from this †¢Boom or recession conditions-need for extra capacity or rationalism †¢Need for flexible production systems (staff flexibility) to cope with demand changes †¢Explain need for extra capacity or need to rationalize †¢Deal with staff cutbacks in way that encourages staff who remain to accept change Legal Changes †¢Changes to what can be sold †¢Working hours and conditions †¢Staff training on company policy †¢Flexible working hours and practices Competitors’ Actions †¢New products †¢Lower prices †¢Higher promotional budgets†¢Encourage new ideas from staff †¢Increase efficiency by staff accepting need to change production methods †¢Ensure resources available to meet challenge Environmental Factors †¢Increase green consumerism †¢Increasing concern about industry’s contribution to climate change †¢Social and environmental audits supported by strategic changes (recycle packaging) Internal Organizational Changes †¢Delayering* †¢Matrix structure** replaces hierarchical º †¢Retraining of less senior staff to accept more responsibility †¢Job security †¢Retraining staff in teamwork and project management Relocation †¢Moving operations to another region/country †¢Redundancy schemes for workers who lose their jobs †¢Grants for those willing to move Cutting Costs To Improve Competitiveness †¢Capital-intensive rather that labour-intensive methods †¢Rationalisation of operations †¢Retraining staff to operate advanced tech. †¢Redundancy schemes for workers who lose their jobs †¢Flexible employment contracts and working practices *DelayeringRemoval of one or more of the levels of hierarchy from an organizational structure **Matrix StructureAn organizational structure that creates project teams that cut across traditional functional departments  ° Level of Hierarchy A stage of the organisational structure at  which the personnel on it have equal status and authority Factors Causing Resistance to Change †¢Fear of Unknown (Uncertainty) †¢Fear of Failure (Skills/Abilities beyond worker’s capabilities) †¢Losing Something of Value (Income, Status, Job Security) †¢False Beliefs (Some convince themselves current system will work to avoid risks) †¢Lack of Trust (Past experiences between workers and managers) †¢Inertia (Might have to work harder) Strategies to Reduce Impact of/Resistance to Change Change Management Force-Field AnalysisAn analytical process used to map the opposing forces within an environment (such as a business) where change is taking place 1.Outline proposal for change 2.List forces for and against change 3.Assign estimated score for each force †¢Weighs importance of forces †¢Helps identify who is most likely impacted by change †¢How to strengthen forces supporting decision and reduce forces against it †¢Can implement leadership style that reduces opposition and resistance to change Project ChampionA person assigned to support and drive a project forward. Their role is to explain the benefits of change and assist and support the team putting change into practice Project GroupsCreated by an organisation to address a problem that requires input from different specialists Promote Change 1.Establish a sense of urgency. 2.Create an effective project team to lead the change. 3.Develop a vision and a strategy for change. 4.Communicate this change vision. 5.Empower people to take action. 6.Generate short-term gains from change that benefit as many people as possible. 7.Consolidate these gains and produce even more change. 8.Build change into the culture of the organisation so that it becomes a natural process.

Partnership Working Essay

Partnership work is essential when providing person centred support and it also the only way to address some of the govements most challenging long term social objectives. The national services frame work for older people 2001 (24-25) also outlines expectations around integrated working bet between health services and social care agencies working towards a single assessment process and joint commissioning. The health act reinforces the importance of joint working The white paper July 2012 also state about working together long term paths and goals for a single assessment proses all working together to ensure all needs are met and people are in control know where to go and how to access making it easier to get what you need and when preventing delays lack of support the wrong support etc. Change work in partnership and provide the services people need and want in a streamlined and readily accessible manner. When organisations work closely together it has a positive impact on peoples lives. When they develop shared protocols and co-ordinated interventions, people are able to access and use services more easily and effectively. It requires innovation and leadership and leads to reduced time, cost and duplication as well as simplified and accessible services, which improve wellbeing. Successful partnerships need will address the tensions between structures and cultures particularly in relation to national targets. They need to face the challenges associated with integrating services that are based on fundamentally different principles of governance and different types of central and local government accountability. The outcome is always to improve the quality of life and improved health and emotional wellbeing for all individuals using or needed services. At a time when the whole of the public sector must find significant savings, reports are saying: that integrated working across health and social care offers opportunities for efficiencies and improvements to services. Without it there is a risk of duplication and cost shunting where savings made by one organisation or sector create costs for others. And a lack of integrated working means that people are less likely  to receive the best care. Some of the Befits of good partnership working Being able to offer a whole informed service Being able to tap in to resource which other agency hold which leads to a better outcome for the service user Assistance and help from appropriate people single assessment approach†¦ helping the individual reduce the need to repeat their story to different professionals Clear roles and responsibilities Being able to put in place effective and safe practices around confidentiality and information sharing services user has a legal and moral right to know what information is being shared regarding them The sharing of knowledge and good work practices Services user and staff know when to access further support and how to gain that it in turn providing both with more confidence and better service provision and better outcomes for the services user Benefits for people Services designed to meet people’s needs Improved choice and control Independence and inclusion Targeted help Benefits for partnerships Sharing of knowledge and understanding Pools resources Reduced cost, time and duplication Strong local ownership Benefits for organisation Increased capacity to deliver community services Increased satisfaction with the service Improved performance assessment Improving information sharing between professionals. Improving the efficiency of the care system as a whole. Co-ordinating the provision of care. Improving the planning and commissioning of care so that health and social care services complement rather than disrupt each other. Some of the general Problems with partnership working Despite the introduction of government legislation and initiatives during this time to promote closer multi-agency partnership working there is still: A lack of information sharing across agencies and services Duplicated assessments to identify needs and subsequent provision Poorly co-ordinated integrated activities across agencies Too much ‘buck passing’ and referring on of clients between agencies A lack of continuity and inconsistent levels of service provision Unclear accountability. Despite longstanding support for joint working, it has been beset by problems across all client groups that have been found. Delayed discharges from hospital, mainly of older people. These involve cases when a patient cannot leave hospital because of the unavailability of health or social care services in the community or because of administrative issues within hospitals. NHS cuts to continuing healthcare. This has led to disputes between NHS and social care professionals and shunted costs on to councils, who often have to fund care packages for people no longer fully funded by the NHS. The break-up of community mental health teams. In some areas of England councils have withdrawn social care staff from mental health teams, run by mental health trusts, because of cost pressures or concerns over trusts’ approach to issues including adult safeguarding and the  personalisation of care. A lack of NHS engagement in child protection and a lack of co-ordination of health and social care services for children. Pooled budgets have not translated into improved outcomes. Formal partnership arrangements in some areas have been scrapped following disagreements between partners. More generally, barriers to good partnership working include: Health and social care agencies facing different government performance regimes. Health and social care agencies using different IT systems. Cuts in one budget creating demand pressures in the other. Health and social care staff being on different terms and conditions in integrated teams. Policy and legislation on joint working Some of the agency challenges Financial resources: conflicts within or between agencies, a general lack of funding, concerns about sustainability, staffing. Roles and responsibilities: understanding the roles of others, conflicts over areas of responsibility, the need to move beyond existing roles. Non-financial resources: Time, staff, Communication, Being able to talk to the right person at the right time, All parties getting the information, Build the communication link up, Getting the right people together. Professional and agency cultures: Polices and procedure, training, ways of working, finances knowledge Management: how the management work, how they train and inform the staff the working philosophy, support, structure Government plans and initiatives towards partnership working Under section 75 of the NHS Act 2006, NHS bodies and local authorities in England can pool budgets, join together their staff and management structures or delegate commissioning responsibilities to each other. The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 require primary care trusts and local authorities to produce joint strategic needs assessments of the health and well-being of  their populations. This should shape joint planning of services. The Health and Social Care Bill would establish health and well-being boards in every local authority area to co-ordinate the The 10-year plan for social services, published in 2011, also includes plans to drive integration, for instance by requiring councils and health boards to jointly commission and arrange enablement services, to support people to regain independence. Good practice in joint working The while paper No secrets Outcomes inspected by CQC†¦. etc. What is working in partnership and why is it important Partnerships are about a way of working together rather than about a way of meeting together they involve the dissolution of organisational service and sometimes geographical boundaries and are about overcoming the constraints that these can place around effective outcomes and behaviour Partnership is therefore about focusing on objectives and outcomes that require considerable mutual understanding and trust in order to achieve them, including an awareness of the way in which they can contribute to the objectives of each organisation Crucially, this is likely to mean that the activities of individual members and member organisations will be carried out in a way that contributes wider benefits and longer term gains than if they were carried out in isolation. Partnership working is perhaps best seen as a spectrum, ranging from informal networking forums, consulting and sharing an information and intelligence, through to formal strategic alliances where partners come together to achieve common goals by changing the way that they work. It is critical for partnerships to understand where they lie on this spectrum as it will shape the way the partners work together, the commitment required and the achievements expected. There can often be confusions among partners about the nature of the partnership and this can seriously undermine progress. Partnerships should focus on doing those things that only they can do by working together – and that no-one  else can do better or more efficiently on their own. They should ensure that all the required members are round the table and that they are represented at the right level, and that they have ways of drawing on a much wider range of insights, experience, perspectives and expertise. Organisations should encourage and support partnership working across all their staff. They should offer opportunities to develop partnership skills and they should recognise and reward effective partnership behaviour. Good training and information on partnership working to staff so they can ensure good partnership working that they have the knowledge to support the services users and their families to ensure on going best support and practises. The more partnership working we as an organisation can do the more effective safe and services user focused sevice we can deliver. Partnerships need to maintain a strong connection to clients in terms of: Being able to draw on the service user experience of support and the extent to which this helps them make progress in their lives Creating ways of involving service user in the design of services Capturing the difference that services user perceive in the accessibility, quality and coherence of services.

Film Adaptation Les Miserables by Victor Hugo Essay

Non-Consequentialist theories of morality are best expressed by the character Inspector Javert. His actions are lead by the theory that it is better to lead a life where rules are followed. It is your duty to obey the laws and it is your duty to always act in this manner. Consequences are not to be considered when judging a persons actions (Thiroux, Krasemann, 2012, p. 46). Inspector Javert’s position in society supports his actions. This man must follow the laws set by his government, and lead his community by example. His duty was to carry out the law which are examples of rule absolutes which offer no room for exceptions (Thiroux, Krasemann, 2012, p. 87). The Inspector becomes obsessed with the capture of Jean ValJean, a criminal who must be caught and brought to justice. The film begins with the story of a man, Jean ValJean, who is first introduced to the viewer in a prison setting, where later you find out he was imprisoned for theft. After serving nine-teen years of punishment in prison for his crime he is then rewarded release on parole. Following his release he encounters another situation where he acts in contrast to those beliefs of a rule utilitarian like Javert. These contrasting characters are examples within their guiding principles. Non-Consequentialist Theories are based on the idea that consequences are not and in fact should not be a factor in determining whether the act is moral or immoral (Thiroux, Krasemann, 2012, p. 46). Where as consequentialism is based or concerned with consequences. Jean ValJean’s guiding principles are more of an act utilitarian who believes that everyone should perform that act which will bring out the greatest good over bad for everyone affected by the act (Thiroux, Krasemann, 2012, p. 37). Utilitarianism is a form of Consequentialism. Javert is a rule utilitarian where his ideas are that everyone should always follow the rule or rules that will bring greater good. T hese ideas are contrasting because it is unsure what actions would bring greater good with or without making exceptions to the rules at hand. Javert being an official of the law encourages the importance of law within the film to avoid loosing control within his community. On one hand ValJean broke the law only to avoid the death of starvation. These situations are the basis of the conflicting approaches to morality by each main character in the film. ValJean encounters the Character of Bishop Myriel who offers him a job and teats him kindly despite his criminal background. The Bishop is a positive influence on ValJean. While working for the Bishop, he makes a promise to become a better man and redeem himself only after being caught once again for stealing silverware from the bishop. The Bishop lies to officers only to save ValJean from returning to prison. With the silver that was stolen and now a gift was he only able to accomplish his promise for a better life. ValJeans commitment led him to later became the owner of a factory and the Mayor of his city. There we are first introduced to the character of Fantine. We discover that she has a child, Cossette, who is in care with another family The Thenardiers. Fantine works hard to provide for Cossette at the factory where she is later fired from, which led to her desperate need to make money. Desperate times cause for desperate measures., like Fantine prostituting to as a mean to make money. Fantine’s unlawful actions lead her to encounter the Inspector Javert. Here is where the feuding theories of morality between Javert and ValJean are once brought to question once again. Should Fantines actions be justified by the idea that prostitution is wrong and unlawful, or is it okay because she must provide for Cossette and her needs? In the end the Mayors position allows Fantine to avoid prison time thus bringing about greatness for her family. His utilitarian approach to the situation causes more conflict with the Inspector who believes she should be inprisoned for breaking the law. More evidence with the personal moral theories conflicting are evident when Jean ValJean promises Fantine that he will take care of her daughter Cossette. He first must escape from Mr. Jovert who is now aware that he is a convict. Javert expressed the idea that a law breaker cannot reform therefore ValJean should not be Mayor. Javert commented on his parents also being criminals when he was a child. Once exposed ValJean escapes once again with Cossette to Paris, where they live in a convent. He feels it is his duty to carry out his promise of a better life. Reparation (prima facie) is a duty mentioned when looking at non-consequential theories (Thiroux, Krasemann, 2012, p. 54). Cossette and ValJean are able to achieve a fulfilled life with security in the city of Paris while at the convent. Cossette ultimately asks to not become a nun and persuades ValJean to live outside the convent. Willing to please Cossette, ValJean agrees to the move. Cossette attracts an admirer while exploring her new surroundings in the character Marius. Marius is a young revolutionary who asks to â€Å"Restore the Republic†. He becomes obsessed and determined to interact with Cossette, very much like he is committed to his revolution. Inspector Javert also resides in Paris where he is the newest Deputy as the reward from exposing the truth about Jean ValJean. The â€Å"cat and mouse game† between Jean ValJean and the Inspector Javert is continued in Paris when he is informed with information about the revolutionists new love interested Cossette. Marius was followed by one of ValJeans informant following the revolutionists. Javert is once again on the hot pursuit to bring ValJean to an end. He is determined to bring justice because it is the right thing for him to do. ValJean unaware of Cossettes relationship with her young suitor opens an opportunity for the Inspector to get close and finally cease the former convict. ValJean now a â€Å"reformed man† refuses to give up without a fight. In the attempt to flee once again ValJean is encountered with the dilemma of Marius and Cossette’s relationship. Her relationship is troubled by the increasing resistance from the revolutionists against the Parisian army. With the city barricaded ValJean must return Marius safely to Cossette. In pursuit for Marius the army injures Cossette’s love and now ValJean must flee the chaos of the city with the injured Marius. Not before once again encountering the persistant Javert. This is a turn of events that gives ValJean to turn on his predator and kill him. This doesn’t happen because ValJean is said to have been merciful towards the Inspector. In the end of this tale the Inspector is surprised by the mercy ValJean showed towards him. The Inspector allowed the convict to aid the Marius to some medical attention and return to his capturer. ValJean also agreed to be turned into the Parisian officials after saving Marius. With Marius alive he would no longer have to worry about his Cossettte. Therefore fulfilling his commitment to Fantine. Upon returning Mr. Javert expressed how his gu iding principles to perform his duty the right way brought him confusion when ValJean showed him mercy in the situation of life and death. Death was the only solution the Inspector had in store to this for this ending. Everything ValJean did was justified when the Inspector decided to kill himself. The Inspector never breaking the law himself saw that there were flaws to his guiding principles and could not live with himself no more. Unwilling to face the consequences he saw fit to end his life thus granting ValJean his freedom. He felt his obsession for the capture of the ValJean would see no end and haunt him forever. At this point he acknowledges the fact that ValJean is a reformed man and not an â€Å"animal† thought to have been created while in the prison system. Before ValJean was a â€Å"difficult problem† to the Inspector himself and he needed bring justice to those acts of the former Mayor. Everyday we are faced with the same if not different situations where we are asked to do the â€Å"right thing†. This is very difficult even to those who appeal to be morally or ethically correct. Rules can be to general and only act as a guide to do the greatest of good while avoiding consequences. It is also difficult in the sense that there acts or rules offer no exceptions. The story of Les Miserables proves otherwise. ValJean overcame many difficulties and while his actions may have been unlawful they did affect those around him positively. His actions in the end brought him security and loving relationship with his â€Å"daughter†, Cossette, all while ultimately keeping his promis to the Bishop Myriel and the late Fantine. His actions throughout the film prove that he is indeed a good man despite his criminal background. ValJean accomplishes reformation which seemed impossible to the characteristics of the Inspector. Ciminals should be brought to jusitice, laws are meant to be followed, under no circumstances can the law be flawed, and no exceptions are to be made. These guiding principles for the Inspector shaped his actions throughout this story. ValJeans actions show that his is a honest, caring, and loving man who is rewarded with freedom. He no longer has the fear of being caught by the Inspector and also rewarded with love from his â€Å"daughter†, Cossette. In the film ValJean states that â€Å"Love is the only future God gives us†. The guiding theories to ones ethical and moral dilemmas can be conflicting with those of others. Here we have actions based on the idea of realizing the consequences for your actions first or not thinking about any consequences and acting on what you feel to be right. Rules should always be followed with no exceptions. The belief that one should not be judged or defined by any action in particularly. Rules are important to a society bringing awareness to consequences by ones actions. It is important to not give up on ourselves because we are all capable of reformation if we want it.

Sheena Pugh’s ‘The craft I left in was called Esau’ Poetry Analysis

We have been studying 3 of Sheena Pugh's poems which all relate to earth and mankind . In poem one titled ‘the craft I left in was called Esau' , it shows the weary travellers that had to leave earth for one reason or another in a timid and nervous mood , simply searching for a new place to live. The poem makes the reader feel tense almost waiting for something to happen. The fact they had to leave portrays a sense of imminent danger , the fact they scratched the word Esau on the door makes it seem like it was done in haste as if to say they could have been wiped out at any moment. The name Esau on the door relates to the bible story when Esau sells his heritage to his brother Jacob for a bowl of pottage which is to say that we've abused the earth. The second poem we read was called ‘Do you think we'll ever get to see earth sir? ‘ and it shows our characters taking trips to see earth like sightseers . Our teacher Christie stating the ideas concepts pointlessness as there is hardly anything to see. The third poem was called ‘Geography 1' and is about an island called Surtsey which was actually a volcano. This means that in the order of poems it shows the ‘end of the earth' , ‘returning to earth' , and ‘a new bit of earth'. In poem 1 the craft is called Esau because it insinuates that mankind threw away it's inheritance. They say in the text the name Esau was scratched on the door which portrays a sense of immediate danger or emergency which forced them to leave. ‘Incongruous' is used in the text and means something does not fit the pattern and so while the travellers are ‘joking nervously' it doesn't feel quite right somehow. We know the travellers are on their first journey of this kind because they were joking nervously as if they were just trying to ignore the fact they were travelling into the unknown. I don't think they are coming back because the reason they are nervous is that they know that if everything goes wrong then they don't have a safe-house to return to. The poet uses the word ‘still' twice in succession to emphasise it (the stillness) , a new ocean portrays a new task or challenge waiting to be mapped out. They say â€Å"it seemed natural to look for a horizon† because the word ‘natural' because it suggests that they're going purely on instinct while if it were normal then it would be a tried and tested method of tracking position. The ‘charted coastlines' mentioned in the poem suggest an unstarted map , a blindly followed path in search for a new home. â€Å"Our late guesthouse† suggests it's not the last part of the story , it isn't the end as if there's more to come or they are part of a much deeper plot. This poem has no poem but has simple language however the reader is compelled to continue reading just in case they miss something important that's about to happen. The second poem we have studied that is written by Sheena Pugh is called ‘Do you think we'll ever get to see earth sir? ‘. It is about a cynical earth survivor getting quite emotive about the concept of savouring lost memories or in this case , earth. The poem is written as a brief lecture to a student , which almost instructs the student about what to do if he sees even the smallest image of the past. The writer makes us think about the future by making us think about how we will be remembered by our descendants. While reading you can't help but think about what fate could lead to the evacuation of earth , the thing that hangs in my mind is the concept of a nuclear war , the reason this ties in with the poem is that we hear the teacher say â€Å"they're still toxic† †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ nuclear war could potentially do this. This poem has a person telling it with a very sharp , sarcastic tone in their voice , this gives the impression that this person just wants the chance to forget. This poem makes me feel insecure because the best thing about earth is the sense of security you get when say†¦ at home in your room because in a way nothing can touch you there. The other thing about this poem is that it has no verses as if all the points that are made are inter-twined and need not be separated. The word ‘look' is used very often as if to say be a part of it not just stare and gaze upon it. She says things like â€Å"see it with your skin† etc which I think means that you should see it with all your senses and not just sight. If I had to pick one , my favourite word would be ‘damascening' because it sounds like a very rigorous describing word. The third poem we have studied is called ‘Geography 1' and the person in the poem is describing the birth of a new part of earth , the island of Surtsey. Surtsey was a small island that was formed by a volcanic eruption , Surtsey was said to be important because it was like seeing the earth being born again. I think Surtsey was used as a lesson to the pupils because it shows a fresh start which can lead on to better times. Throughout the poem I believe Sheena is trying to say that novelties do eventually turn old and unimportant. The mood of this poem is of a non-caring , ignorant – to – the past mood for example when he says â€Å"fancy that , but I hadn't time to look properly†. Throughout the poem Pugh makes us feel gripped and embraced until the ironic ending. The language does encourage this mood with powerful describing phrases ie â€Å"flood of colours†. I think this poem is written in verses to separate the different points the poet is trying to convey , for example in the 4th paragraph they show the novelty of Surtsey by saying â€Å"Surtsey was important† but the 5th paragraph contradicts this by saying that it was forgotten, â€Å"even the birds nested in a few years†. Christie is supposed to be teaching a Geography lesson in the poem. I quite like the phrase â€Å"with angry energy , it wanted to shout† because while reading it you do get a rush of energy. I do not like the phrase â€Å"Surtsey was important because it was like seeing the earth being born again† because I feel this point is obvious and has already been made. I do like the poem however because it has powerful phrases and has a point (volcanic eruption), which can be easily pictured because unlike the other two poems it is a concept that man can currently experience. I definitely prefer this poem as it has good describing phrases and high octane adjectives. The first poem made me feel quite tense because you had to imagine being on a ship seeing your life fade into the distance , poem two made me feel quite cynical as the fact it's a personal poem makes it easier to fal into the very plot of the character Christie and so you do see the point he is making. The third poem ‘Geography 1'gave you a feeling of having too much energy followed by too little because it's a transition from â€Å"that flood of colours† to â€Å"just an offshore island†. I did prefer the third poem because as I said before it has a conceivable concept. These three poems do show ‘the end of earth', ‘returning to earth', ‘and a new bit of earth', this shows devolution but in a way evolution because a new bit of earth implies a new, fresh start.