A Passage to India by Forster Essay Example for Free

A Passage to India by Forster Essay By close analysis of the structure and language of chapter one discuss how Forster expresses his overall concerns within the novel as a whole via this initial description of the Indian landscape. Through chapter one of A Passage to India Forster does far more than introduce the small town of Chandrapore. In this initial section of the novel the construction of the text reflects the tiered Indian society that becomes the basis for Forsters deeper exploration of mankind and human behaviour. In addition, the ominous significance of the Marabar Caves within the novel is prefigured via the mysterious imagery used to describe them. This is contrasted by the more optimistic language which is used to describe the overarching sky that unifies all men and points towards a hope for the future of peaceful co-existence. At the beginning of the chapter the reader is first introduced to the Muslim aspect of Chandrapore, the lowest tier of the Indian society but perhaps the most resilient. Here what Adela will later refer to as the Real India is depicted. Through vivid imagery the area appears akin to a wasteland devoid of any significance. Even the holy river Ganges is described as Trailing for a couple of milesscarcely distinguishable from the rubbish it deposits so freely. It is negative language such as this that creates a compounding sense of desolation about the Real India. This of course is entirely necessary in order for Forster to create and convey the contrast between the Indian and English cultures which he believes to be incompatible in this context. Graphic and harsh language permeates the whole of this first section of the chapter creating a highly effective image of the squalor in which the Mohammedan Indians are condemned to live by their English rulers. The streets are Mean the Temples ineffective and the Filth of alleyways deters all but the invited guest. By describing their quarter in such a way Forster makes the Muslim Indian seem almost sub-human to his readers, this of course, is how they are viewed by the English. They are remarked upon as Low but also as Indestructible. Despite their apparent lack of sophistication, the way in which, The general outline of the town persists comes to reflect the similar way in which the Muslim culture, although suppressed by the English, is based upon strong foundations of religious devotion and an inextinguishable spirit. Forster describes them as Swelling hereshrinking there and by doing so creates a very evocative image which captures perfectly the way in which the Indian race move en-mass and in harmony, united in their angst to recapture their homeland. As Forster remarks, Inland the prospect alters and the Eurasian, Anglo-India described in the second section of the passage could not present a more stark contrast to that of Islamic Chandrapore. Here the houses belonging to the Eurasians Stand on high ground an important symbol which reflects the way in which the English believe themselves to be above the Indian race both morally and intellectually. It is this attitude of ignorance and racial superiority which will be developed and scathingly criticised by Forster as the novel progresses. Indeed it could be argued that humanitys unwillingness to understand one another is the underlying theme behind the whole text and that in reality Adela and Mrs. Moores passage to India is in fact a deeper analogy for a more complex passage of mankind towards understanding itself. On a second rise of land lies the Little civil station. As the focal point for Eurasian society it is remarked that, From hereChandrapore appears to be a totally different place. This observation encapsulates the way in which the station and its social club both seem to be isolated from the rest of India. Immersed in a fantasy world of British high society the station itself is described as, Provoking no emotion and Sensibly planned. This epitomises the logical mindset of the English, which deeply contrasts that of the spiritual Indian and highlights how even at a simple level of human understanding harmony is not possible between the two cultures creating the Muddle which is colonial India. Britains attitude of imposing herself upon other nations, typical of this time period before partition, is something heavily attacked by Forster. Throughout the text he is seen to criticise England replicated in India because to him this is unnatural and false. During the entirety of this second section of the passage Forster adopts a tone of negativity towards the English. Their section of Chandrapore is described as, Sharing nothing with the rest of the city except the overarching sky conveying the way in which they consciously isolate themselves from the Indians. In the overall context of the novel this image becomes very important. As gradually relations between the two races come to deteriorate the sky comes to be the only unifying element between Indian and Englishman. Further more, the way in which the image is echoed throughout the text seems to suggest the existence of a more powerful presence beyond man both physically and in terms of significance within the universe. It is Forsters belief that ultimately the petty quarrels of man are meaningless in such a vast entity. The final section of the chapter is used by Forster to expand on the concept of the overarching sky. It is described as having a Persistent blue core the stars Hanging like lamps from the immense vault which is the sky and it is elevated imagery such as this which comes to symbolise a hope for the future of mankind. In contrast to the muddle and misunderstanding which covers India and the rest of the earth, the sky instead represents an element which unifies all men. Its persistence represents a hope that one day all the problems of man explored within the novel will pale into insignificance. It could be argued the description of the sky evokes an atmosphere akin to that of the Hindu religion. Forster remarks, The sky settles everything and indeed to Godbole and his fellow Hindus this is to a certain degree true. The unanswerable questions, the answers to which are sought by both Muslim and Christian are left to be pondered by Godbole. He seeks to answer questions about his own spiritual existence and the natural world around him. As a result his passage within the novel becomes one of progression as opposed one to of retreat as is experienced by Aziz and Fielding. The Chapter ends with a final short image of the mysterious Marabar caves. All around League after league the earth lies flat, yet in the south, A group of fists and fingers are thrust up through the soil. These fingers are the Marabar hills and seem to point mysteriously towards the heavens above. The way in which they seem to separate themselves from their earthly surroundings suggests an equally unearthly presence about them. This of course will be proved true by the supernatural and inexplicable violation which Adela experiences within their walls. Dark and devoid of humanity they represent an aspect of India that the logical English will never be able to conquer. Therefore it is possible to conclude that the first Chapter of A Passage to India can be regarded as a template for the novel as a whole. Almost all of Forsters overall concerns are indicated by its content and it is clear that the varied description of the Indian landscape comes to symbolise differences between those who inhabit the land. This disjointed construction of society will only increase as the novel progresses ultimately leading to the personal retreat of the novels two main characters, Aziz and Fielding whom are unable to stand out as individuals and trapped within the confines of their own cultures. It will be only the deeply spiritual Godbole who is shown to have made any real progress via his own Passage to India and of course Mrs. Moore, who despite her death becomes a symbol for hope by the way in which she is revered as a Hindu Goddess. Bibliography A Passage to India E.M. Forster Classic notes www.classicnotes.com

David Foster Wallace Essay Example for Free

David Foster Wallace Essay In this essay I am going to do my best to give the reader the most informative explanation (within my constraints) of one of the most brilliant authors of the age, David Foster Wallace. He was the author of many great and insightful (at times, dark) works. Some of the more popular/well-known pieces being _The Broom of the System, Girl with Curious Hair, Infinite Jest, A Supposedly Fun Thing Ill Never Do Again, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, Oblivion_, and finally his incomplete novel, _The Pale King_. In all honesty, to even scratch the surface of an individual with this amount of depth would require a work similar in size and time to his tree-killer of a novel, _Infinite Jest_. That being said, I hold the belief that every free-thinking individual should at least know-this mans name in hopes that it may show them the way to his works on what it means to be a fucking human being. Read more: Good people summary essay David Foster Wallace was born on 21 February 1962 and finally met his end 12 September 2008 at the age of 46. Wallace was born in Ithaca, New York, to his parents, James Wallace and Sally Foster. His father, a previous graduate student in philosophy at Cornell, was from a family of professionals. His mother, on the other hand, was an English major at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, with a more rural background with family residing in Maine and New Brunswick. She was also the first in her family to acquire a Bachelors Degree. At the age of 4, David moved with his family to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois for a better job opportunity. His home life was very structured (dinner at 5:45 p.m. and lights out at precisely 8:30 p.m.) and was very conducive for intellectual growth. It was a happy home. As he gets older, Wallace starts to realize many things. First, he had a love for tennis. With his logical and calculating mind, he could easily see the geometrical angles the ball could make as it bounced off the racket, leading him to become one of the top players in his region at that time. Other things start to surface as well; sadly, these were not among some of the happier things. He started to analyze his physical and mental self, picking at each and every flaw (compared it to sort of counting sheep), which did nothing to alleviate his problem at being socially awkward. He eventually  found his first love, Susan Perkins, who, at the time, already had a boyfriend. Its also important to note that this was the point when Wallace discovered the joys of smoking pot. After high school, Wallace planned to attend Amherst. He chose Amherst mostly because it meant he wouldnt have to go to another interview. His father was an alumni, so he was pretty much a shoo-in. By his sophomore year, he was developing a reputation for his intelligence. He was earning straight As and was actually opening up and making friends, until he returned from Christmas break at home. He was an entirely different person when the depression took him, as his college roommates described. After a few weeks of trying to tough it out, Wallace realized he was going to have to withdraw and go home. Something was clearly wrong. He returned in Fall 1984 for his senior year. Eventually, Wallace graduated and was awarded double summas for his two honors theses. _The Broom of the System_ would eventually be published and become his first serious fiction novel. This was the point when Wallace discovered his love of writing fiction. As an immature adult in an adult world, Wallace made the decision to start teaching to supplement his writing career and gain health insurance for his special needs. His first teaching job was at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. He hated teaching. For him, he was just wasting time with kids who didnt even want to do their homework; when he could be spending valuable time on his career as a fiction author. Up to this point, Wallace has steadily been falling deeper and deeper in to his addictions. He had been smoking pot, cigarettes, and drinking almost every night as a way to cope with the depression that can so cripple who he is as a person. As his frustration with his inability to write worsens, so does his addiction. With his frustration and addiction worsening, Wallace again breaks down and must be hospitalized. The medical professionals said he must find a different path, or he would be dead by thirty. Wallace begins rehab, and for months, will live in nothing but rehabi litation centers and halfway homes. As part of these programs, he must attend 12-step AA meetings for recovery. These really hit home for Wallace; they work for him in ways he would never have thought possible. The meetings he would attend ended up becoming major plot  points in the greatest novel he ever wrote. Shortly after getting out of rehab, Wallace started working on his novel again, this time with renewed vigor. In a letter to his editor, he said he was going to finish it or die. Upon finishing the monster novel and the following editing, summarizing, and shortening pains, the greatest achievement in his literary career thus far was finished; 1079 pages, water-tight and ready for publishing. What followed were multiple interviews and readings, which Wallace had been signed up for in order to gain publicity and sell more books. All of which, Wallace summed up as whorish. He wasnt even sure most of the people coming had even read his book. With fame comes pleasure†¦ of a sort. The more famous he became, the more women seemed to flock to him. Considering how badly his relationships had been going, one night stands were just what he thought he needed. To put it another way, he wa s really bad about taking the 13th step (getting involved with a fellow recovery partner). These relationships would start out normal, maybe a little obsessive, but as time went on they would turn into violent and controlling relationships. Many of them ended terribly, which turned out to one good thing. He had found new companions. Dogs. He adopted a lab and called him Jeeves, and later adopted a stray whom he would later name The Drone. Once his fame started to settle, he no longer had book tours or things of that nature anymore. Now magazines and newspapers were going after him with nonfictions they wanted him to review, and he ended up making short stories out of them. For the most part though, these were just distractions from his real objective, The long thing. While he continued his progress on this novel, he was switching jobs and found a new and seemingly real relationship with a lovely woman named Karen. They would grow close over time, completing one another until they were finally married on 27 December 2004. Wallace would continue his work on the long thing un til the day he died, never really bringing it to the point where he was satisfied with it. David Foster Wallaces major works include _The Broom of the System, Girl with Curious Hair, Infinite Jest, A Supposedly Fun Thing Ill Never Do Again, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, Oblivion_, and finally his incomplete novel, _The Pale King_. During these later years of his life, he was a writing professor at the Pomona College in Claremont, California. The  publications he worked on in his spare time numbered all of one. The long thing (The Pale King) had been his project for many years, and he could not see how to turn the idea of boredom in the story in to something intriguing. David Foster Wallace died 12 September 2008 in Claremont, California. His wife arrived home at 9:30pm, after a stint at her art show, to find that her husband had hanged himself with a garden hose on the patio. After a 20 year battle with severe depression, Wallace could no longer endure. To him, the unbearable and unending pain of his depression could only be cured by deaths sweet release. Upon announcement of this tragedy, various colleges held gatherings in remembrance of one of the most influential figures in literary history, giving the friends and family who attended, a chance to grieve and say goodbye. Karen keeps his ashes in a foil-wrapped box next to a picture of both of their mothers. _Infinite Jest_ was published 1 February 1996 by Little, Brown. It was well-received with minimal, negative reviews. It depicts our culture in the truest sense, and the fact that, beyond all the noise and false happiness, something real exists. Even though this book was released more than a decade ago, the steady continuing sales is a tribute to its realism and mesmerizing intrigue. When most of his major works were published, they werent really understood, and, to some degree, they still arent. Most of the understanding of his works was left to people of a similar caliber, and everyone else left by the wayside. I believe the works of David Foster Wallace should be standard for college education. As far as high school, to really grasp the man and his work, a student must delve into the realities of his life that, at times, can be surreal, even inappropriately grotesque. Hence, I believe his work is better suited for a mature audience. In conclusion, David Foster Wallaces Infinite Jest is one of the most profound books in recent history, one that every man and woman should read in their lifetime. (should probably read it twice) David Foster Wallace, was a broken, yet brilliant man who left this life with profound hope in his  works that we could learn to be human beings, with actual feelings and actual thoughts beyond the abyss that is our oppressive culture. Works Cited Brief Interview with a Five Draft Man. _Amherst Magazine_. Amherst College, 1999. Web. 13 April 2014. Max, D.T.. _Every Love Story is a Ghost Story_. New York. Penguin Group, 2012. Print. Max, D.T.. The Unfinished. _The New Yorker_. Conde Nast, 9 March 2009. Web.14 April 2014. McInerney, Jay. Infinite Jest._The New York Times_. The New York Times Company,3 March 1996.Wen.13 April 2014. Silverman, Jacob. The artful mediation of Karen Green, David Foster Wallaces widow. _Los Angeles Times_. Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2013. Web. 14 April 2014. Weber, Bruce. David Foster Wallace, Influential Writer Dies 46. _The New York Times_. The New York Times Company, 14 September 2008. Web. 13 April 2014.

Small Business Development Reflective Report

Small Business Development Reflective Report Kids Club Day Care Centre is a partnership venture consisting of four partners who are also responsible in the running of the centre. Alongside the partners; the outlet managers, matron, chefs and child care specialists help in the centres day to day operations. The centres main objective is to cater to the need for professional child care facility among the upper middle and upper class income earners. Since families in this particular income bracket depend on two incomes, that is, both parents working, child care is a major concern among them. The venture also targets housewives who although do not work, still want to send their children to such a center for their childs betterment. The centre rose due to the partners passion alongside each partners qualifications and expertise. The aim was to target a niche market with a high potential for growth and profits together with a high return on investment. By targeting the niche, we limited the number of children we could accommodate at the centre thus delivering quality service to each and every child present at the centre. Looking at the market trend in this particular industry, we established problems facing both working parents and non-working parents and hence, filled the gap in the marketplace. TEAMWORK The partners carry vast experience and expertise in their respected fields of nursing, accountancy, social welfare and administration. Other staffs at the centre include, outlet managers who manage the day to day running of the centre. Child care specialists take care of the childrens needs at the centre. The chef will be in charge of the food cooked at the centre for the children. Our main objective is to capture the needs of such parents who are worried about their children while they are at work and also those who opt for a brighter foundation for their children before they start going to schools. All the members at the centre play different roles in the running of the centre. Each and every staff has different knowledge and skills hence, delivering specialized services. As a qualified nurse, the role I play in the organization is taking precautions for the safety and health of the children who come to the centre and to make sure that the centres environment is safe for children especially those who have allergies. The major part I played in the business plan was the critical analysis of the industry and competitors together with a simple yet resourceful marketing plan. I also contributed to the financials. Ivana Mboya brings with her a vast experience in the field of administration and therefore she is responsible with the administrative operations in the business. The part played by her in the making of the business plan was the management team and the description of the business as a whole and also contributed in the financials. Bariki Joseph, who is an accountant by profession, brings with him a vast experience in the related field and he dealt mainly with the financial plan and the operations plan. Lutengamaso Ngaponda, a social welfare officer by profession, he contributed to the financial analysis as well. The four partners together identified the critical risk factors facing kids club day care centre. Although each one of us dealt mainly with a particular part, at the end we all worked together in all the aspects of the business plan. The Advisory board consists of ; the Head of Legal Services at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, an external Auditor and the Chief Pediatrician from the Muhimbili National Hospital. The board utilizes the services of Ringo Co. Associates for all its legal consultations. The advisory board assists the board of directors in crucial decision making and contributes to the goodwill of the business by the means of signaling, that is, their presence in the centres advisory board helps to build confidence and a sense of loyalty towards the centre amongst the people and society. The centre has outsourced its cleaning services to professional cleaners. Since cleanliness is a major concern, leaving it on the professionals to do what they are best in, helps to get a desired result. The partnership was formed as a result of similar interests and expertise possessed by each and every partner in various fields. The team work has gained goodwill for the centre in the market as a result of efficient services offered. Our team is well qualified and knowledgeable on various issues therefore, contributing to the growth of the centre. Working together in a team has taught us how important communication is and that multicultural teams prove to be more beneficial since the ideas aired come from a diversified cultural background of each and every member of the team. PROCESS OF IDEA INITIATION The ideas were proposed by the partners followed by a session of brainstorming the pros and cons of each. Moreover a thorough feasibility analysis for the proposed ideas was conducted which identified the target market, capital investment and rate of return, growth potential and competition, thus the best viable idea was selected. The ideas proposed were that of a waste recycling company, laundry service for University students living in hostels and a day care centre. After the feasibility analysis, the idea of opening a day care centre proved to be the most viable. Together with that, the partners had the passion to work on such a project because of its newness in the market. There existed a gap in the marketplace where such a centre could prosper. The opportunity existed for a full fledged day care centre which would not be anything like the pre-schools. Competition was spotted to be low, because there did not exist any direct competitors; however, there is a high risk that in the near future the indirect competitors can turn to become direct competition to the centre. If such circumstance arises, there would be stiff competition. Although, I believe a competition should exist in order to motivate the organization to work even harder towards its growth. According to my view, the rate of return would be high because of the existence of such a novel centre in the market. Kids club had the first mover advantage, hence creating customer loyalty and brand recognition. After having identified the most viable idea out of the ideas proposed, the resources needed to open a day care centre were recognized and this made us comprehend that each one of us had the expertise to open such a centre. INDUSTRY AND COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS Firstly, by studying the market while we were looking for ideas, it came to our knowledge that there are a number of working mothers who unwillingly leave their kids with maids and relatives so that they could earn money and support the family, that is because families are becoming more dependant on two incomes. This was our best idea, since together with gaining financial rewards; we also wanted to open such a business that would have a realistic market and opportunity. Hence, the day care centre was the opportunity that we had to embark upon so as to fill the market gap. Thus, the solution to this opportunity recognition was to provide a service that is most wanted in the market to serve the society. Hence, it was the right time to realistically enter the market because the window of opportunity was open. I believe we have identified the right industry to be in. We tried to fill the gap after noticing that the demand of working mothers who are the important niche within our target market of upper middle and upper class income earners, were not being fully satisfied. This together with being the first mover created a competitive advantage for us and proved to give greater rewards. Although the magnitude of our centre is small, it has a vast growth potential. The services that we provide are of much importance to our customers, as it is directly connected to the future and safety of their young children. The identification of the industry was correct because it is not overcrowded with competition, has greater financial rewards and a high growth rate. The gaps identified in the marketing plan may be because of lack of vigorous marketing analysis. We might have failed to reach to our target market, who works far from the industrial and central business district. Currently, we dont face any direct competition, although, there exists a powerful competition from indirect competitors who are the existing pre-schools in town. This could be very risky because it would be convenient for parents to send their toddlers to the same pre-schools their slightly older kids go to. Competitive intelligence which was collected in an ethical way was of great help to the establishment of our centre. This was done by surveying, asking employees of pre-schools and friends whose children attend the pre-schools. We may have overlooked the possibility of individuals giving out day care facilities from their homes at a very small scale. They can be direct competitors to our centre and failing to identify them might have an adverse effect on our financial projections. PRESENTATION EXPERIENCE The importance of presenting the business plan rather than just submitting paper documents is that it encourages the potential investor to invest in the project. It is more appealing to the investor when the entrepreneur presents the plan rather than the investor just reading the documents. This is because, the investor can ask questions and get answers right away. Also, by presenting the business plan, the entrepreneur can show his/her passion and abilities together with the knowledge he/she has and thus gaining a sense of trust from the potential investor. This is because when then business plan is presented to potential investors, suppliers and business partners; they get a good picture of how the plan will be realistic, and how it will grow and achieve its objectives. Also, it shows how passionate one is about his/her project. By presenting the business plan to the panel, I have learnt how to make a presentation which is informative yet short, that will attract the potential investors to invest in the project. Presenting the plan has given me a deeper insight about the plan and improved my communication skills. It has given me a valuable experience and enhanced my public speaking skills especially while answering questions that were asked by the panel, which in future could be asked by potential investors. ALTERNATIVE SCENARIO We have projected the growth of the business plan with the availability of knowledge, skills and experience that the partners possess and the attractiveness of the industry we are intending to enter. Talking about the present scenario, the projections are quite optimistic and this could be a risk to the plan since the optimistic projections show only the high pace of growth of the business and its high return on investment. This is because we have neglected the future market conditions and future and present direct competitors. We havent considered alternative growth trajectories in our plan because we believe to continue growing in this very pace in order to accomplish our goals. This is mainly possible because of the first mover advantage that we acquired. USEFULNESS OF THE BUSINESS PLAN The environment and the industry trends together with the market conditions tend to change because of a number of reasons. Therefore, the original plan would be used as a reference showing what the initial business proposal was, and to provide guidance to the business towards its growth as it will ascertain both the internal and external business environment. Internally, the plan will help to identify approaches that should be taken into consideration in order to implement the firms strategies for future growth prospects and externally it will help to attract both, potential investors to invest in our business and suppliers who are willing to work with us. Furthermore, the original plan will help us to determine how future competition should be faced using the resources available and the services offered. The plan will also be used to ensure that the objectives outlined initially are still being trailed. Also, the plan will help the business to grow in terms of size and quality by offering more services and improving the quality of services offered. The part of reality that has out-grown the plan is the incoming of new government rules and regulations such as policy change and format of running the centre will result in higher cost of operating the firm. The centre will face other problems like increased insurance to ensure the safety of the children. The bombarded recession in our day to day lives can also stray the parents from sending their children to day care centers while they could do it themselves. The change in the time value of money and spending power can be one of the important realities that has out-grown the plan because, if the prices of basic commodities increase, parents who have more than one child between our target age, will be discouraged to send their children to the centre since a large portion of their income would be spent in purchasing the essential commodities. Currency fluctuations can hinder growth, since our target market of upper middle class and upper class income earners, mostly get paid in foreign currency and if there is a fluctuation in the price of the currency it will directly affect the buying power, if the exchange rate is high than more money will be exchanged and less will be accrued in return. Our business plan limits the growth of the business in the following facets: There is a high threat that the existing pre-schools introduce the same day care services. Rise in the price of childrens milk and utilities. Governments may introduce regulations for day care centres in the future in terms of childrens health and safety and the environment as a whole. The optimistic projections of the sales show the good financial position, a slight change in the market condition in terms of price and demand will have a greater effect in the financial position of the business, this is a situation that is very crucial and plays an important role in limiting the business growth. The following are the facets in which the business plan contributes towards the growth of the business: We are catering for the demand that is being faced by most of the families. Hence, rapid growth of the business. The experience and expertise that the management teams possesses and the goodwill created by the advisory board. To sum it up, the management team together with the advisory board creates goodwill for the business thus, attracting more customers and creating brand recognition. OTHER AREAS Elements of the plan can be improved in order to get a more realistic picture of the business. Objectives and goals should be emphasized for a rapid growth of the business in the future against its competitors. Since the plan only identifies the risk faced by the business, it should also include ways in which risks will be assessed and relevant measures taken to eliminate them. Risks which will be encountered by the centre are the financial risks, operational risks, management risks and also marketing risks. Hence the plan itself should include barriers that would prevent the risks from encumbering the growth of the business, regardless of the competition that would become more intense with time and the inadequacy of cash flows to meet financial debts. The exit strategy should be clearly mentioned in the plan, because it is very crucial to outline the strategy that would be taken in case the business fails or the partners are unable to run it. CONCLUSION The competence of the team work was commendable, each one of us put in an effort towards writing the plan. This created goodwill for the business in the market. The expertise that each of the partners have, plays an important role in delivering the services in a healthy and safety environment together with running the organization ethically without committing any fraud. We have identified the right gap in the marketplace and taken the opportunity and turned it into a realistic business, this was mostly possible because the window of opportunity for such a centre was open. The industry that we have indentified is attractive with a strong demand and low supply, showing high growth prospects despite of the existing and future potential competitors. Lastly, our business plan will be updated on regular basis for it to be up to date according to the changing time and market. Financial projections will be made in order to keep the staffs and management team motivated to work even harder to achieve the objectives set.

anthropology Essay -- essays research papers

Anthropology proves to be satisfying and intellectually fulfilling to many in the field. However, there are also many challenges and bumps in the road along the way. Napolean A. Chagnon and Claire Sterk faced many of these challenges themselves. During his fieldwork with the Yanomamo, Chagnon faced many challenges interacting with the natives. Chagnon could not practically communicate with the people until about six months after he arrived. He notes ? the hardest thing to live with was the incessant, passioned, and often aggressive demands they would make.? An example of this is the natives threatening with a shout such as; ?If you don?t take me with you on your next boat trip to Widokalyateri, I?ll chop a hole in your canoe!? While trying to collect genealogies, Chagnon found it very frustrating and commented ? I could not have deliberately picked a more difficult people to work with in this regard.? This was because he first tried to use the names they called each other, not knowing that the names they called each other were completely ambiguous and didn?t mean anything. He then later found out , after collecting all the genealogical information, that only the living members were accurate and the deceased listed were mostly fake. He had to start all over. ( Chagnon 5) Sterk did a different type of study on prostitution and how it went on during a time when AIDS was a major problem. This type of fieldwork is ethnographic fieldwork. Sterk had to get established in rough neig...

The Universal Living Wage Essay -- Essays Papers

The Universal Living Wage In 1906 Father John Ryan, a renowned social and economic intellectual within the Catholic Church, published a book titled A Living Wage: Its Ethical and Economic Aspects. The book introduced to America workers the idea of a guaranteed minimum pay determined by the basic costs of living and set the stage for later minimum wage legislation during the 1930’s. Over the last decade, the idea of a living wage has resurfaced as workers have become more outspoken about the inadequacies of the federal and state minimum wage levels. Living wage legislation for government workers has taken effect in major U.S. cities such as Baltimore, Los Angeles, San Jose, Detroit, Boston, and many more. This paper will discuss the moral, social, and economic implications of instituting these laws as well as labor conditions around the world and the need for guaranteed living wages in countries such as India and Mexico. First of all, a clear definition of the living wage should be established. The Universal Living Wage Campaign Organization says that if a person works forty hours a week, a living wage should provide the worker and his/her dependents with proper nutrition, health care, housing, clothing, and transportation. Some debate has arisen around this definition though for a few reasons. First of all, the number of dependents the wage-earner must support has a huge impact on the calculation of the living wage. A wage-earner who only has to support himself can survive with a much lower wage than a wage-earner who must support a family of five for example, so how should legislation take this into account? If the idea of the living wage is to pay workers based on need, a law that provides a wage capable of supp... ...> - Clean Clothes Campaign. < http://www.cleanclothes.org/campaign/liwa99-11- 3.htm>. - â€Å"Universal Living Wage Effect on Business and Taxpayers†. http://www.nationalhomeless.org/ulwwhitepaper.html - Pritchard, Justin. â€Å"U.S. Study Concludes That 'Living Wage' Reduces Poverty†. < http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0314-03.htm >. 2002 - Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras. â€Å"New Study: Mexicans Unable to Live on Sweatshop Wages†. . 2001. - CFO â€Å"Protecting the Rights of Maquiladora Workers†. - Pritchard, Justin. â€Å"Study: Living Wage Laws Work†. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/03/14/national/main503712.shtml - http://www.epinet.org/issueguides/minwage/figure1.gif

Gender Mainstreaming in Canada Essays -- Politics, Gender Equality

Canada is a signatory to the United Nations Platform of Action which specifies the mainstreaming of gender into programs, into policy processes, and into decision making in order to achieve gender equality. Since the adoption of the Platform of Action at the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, gender mainstreaming has gained wider acceptance among governments and other stakeholders (Woodward, 2008). The aim of gender mainstreaming is to ensure that gender components are considered in all sectors that affect the society (Status of Women Canada, 2007). Purpose It has been argued that gender mainstreaming is a potent approach that can transform how public policies are made by challenging existing policy paradigms and setting new policy priorities (Woodward, 2008). However, there has been a lack of evidence to support that gender mainstreaming exist in Canada. Therefore, whether Canada’s gender equality approach is gender mainstreaming or not is open for discussion. This discussion paper examines this issue by exploring the gender equality approaches adopted by Government of Canada. The challenges of implementing gender mainstreaming are highlighted, and finally recommendations are made. Definitions The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) defines gender mainstreaming as: â€Å"a strategy for making the concerns and experiences of women as well as of men an integral part of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political economic and societal spheres, so that women and men benefit equally, and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal of mainstreaming is to achieve gender equality" (ECOSOC, 1997). The Status of Women Canada defines gender ba... ...he Government of Canada’s gender equality approach has been unable to interrogate already accepted analytical starting points (Paterson, 2010). The approach operates in a system of technology of rule, so there is no way the impact of the institutional structures can be separated from the policy outcomes. In this regard, gender equality analysis has become the government’s technology of rule (Prugl 2011). Summary and Recommendations To actualise gender mainstreaming, there is need to reposition the current gender equality approach from being a policy tool to an integrative approach that can change the institutional structures. The current gender equality approaches in Canada lack the potential of changing the current institutional practices. The current equality policy mix is a mainstreaming of gender based analysis and not gender mainstreaming (McNutt, 2010).

A League of Their Own Essay

The film begins with the commencement of the second world war and female baseball players are drafted into the All American Girls Baseball League, in the attempt to save the sport. With the induction of this league, the girls obtained the chance to show how women deserve an equal chance in sports, an opportunity to show their hard work and perseverance, and free themselves from the clutches of lower class life through success in the sport. The value of family was portrayed throughout the film and became a top priority for some of the players. In achieving a spot on a team the girls also had to conform to the rules and requirements that the owners of the league were demanding. To give this league the popularity it needed, the girls needed to work hard to be the leagues top players in every team. They all acquired the chance to go to training camps and try out for teams that would be placed into the league. The amount of work they displayed to get placed on the team showed that they wanted to earn the respect of the country and show that women could do more than just care for kids or be in charge of the kitchen. They worked extremely hard to show that women could play the sport as easily as men could. For example, this hardworking value was best portrayed by Kit, one of the individuals who played for the league. She got her sister to play because that was the only way they would take her and she did not want to stay on a farm for the rest of her life. Her persistent attitude helped her reach her goal and she became one of the top players of her time just like her sister. The family values are expressed greatly throughout the film by all the characters, but particularly by Dotti. Many of the women on the team had spouses in the army or back home. Dotti was the protagonist who was a girl with beauty and love of the sport like no other girl. What was different about her, besides being extremely skillful in the sport and never having a bad game, was that in her mind she was only playing while her husband was in the war. She loved the game, but her husband and family were always more important for her. The conflict between winning and her sister’s loyalty ended with her realizing that being friends with her sister was far more important than winning or playing in a baseball league. The women dealt with external conformity within the league because of the rules and regulations that the owners had placed on apparel and style of play. The women were required to wear a skirt outfit and makeup while they were playing. They were all forced to take etiquette classes and learn how to act like â€Å"ladies†. The women were upset with this because they had joined the league to play the sport they loved not to go out on the field and model for the fans. This movie was used to display that women were not inferior to men and to show how the game of baseball was used as more than publicity. The hard work and perseverance gave women in the united states a sense of hope and desire to succeed in a male dominated world. A League of Their Own Essay In A League of Their Own, a girls’ baseball league was started while the professional male baseball players, along with many other men, were across seas fighting in World War II. This movie takes place in 1943. A group of ladies left their homes to become part of the All-American Girls Baseball League to keep the baseball traditions alive. In this movie, gender roles are crossed. â€Å"After years of perpetrating the image of the docile little women who sat at home caring for her lord and master, American society suddenly found that it needed women who were competent to do hard skilled work during World War II† (Ebert). This was alarming to the nation and threatening to some. During one of the scenes, a radio announcer announces that the league was â€Å"dangerous to society.† She called it â€Å"sexual confusion.† Much of the country began to worry about what type of women the men would have to come back to. Society believes that women should be sensitive and nurturing, not competitive. At this time, women were also running the businesses and factories. Working in factories and playing competitive sports were considered to be the role of the males. Women are to be â€Å"sensitive, nurturing, and open† (Johnsen). By playing sports and working in factories, women began to take over some more masculine traits. This was threatening to the men. They saw this as loosing control. Women play many parts in men’s struggle for control. One part that women play is â€Å"to support the idea that men and women are fundamentally different because this gives men a clear and unambiguous turf – masculinity – on which to pursue control in competition with one another† (Johnsen). This threatened men’s role and their sense of control. This threatened their masculinity. Even though women were now taking over the factories and sports while the men were away, there still were many politics involved. Instead of this new baseball league being looked at as a competitive sport, it was more of a show. One of the scouts in this movie did not want to take one of the most outstanding baseball players because she wasn’t pretty. The scout finds her â€Å"too homely for the league† (Brown). Also, they were forced to wear skirt outfits to play in the dirt. When the women complained about that, the male instructor commented that they should be glad he isn’t going to make them all wear bathing suits to play in. As if the uniforms weren’t discrimination enough, each and every girl had to take classes at a charm and beauty school. Here, they taught these women how to be ladies. They critiqued them in every way. They walked around and inspected each one, ordering for haircuts, eyebrow waxings, etc. When they reached the homely Marla, they were stumped as to what to do. They didn’t see anyone being able to make a lady out of her. One instructor asked the other what she suggested. All the women could reply back was â€Å"a lot of night games.† She said this about one of the best players in the league. Also at the school, the ladies were taught how to sip â€Å"not slurp† tea, cross their legs appropriately, walk with grace, and balance a book on their head to promote a more graceful, feminine posture. As the movie continues, this so called women’s league wasn’t drawing in any profits and was threatened with closing down. This devastated the girls in the league. This league gave them something to speak of, something of their own, a sense of pride rather than just cooking and cleaning. In order to keep the league continuing, the girls had to draw attention and draw a crowd. It started to turn into a circus. The girls had to do splits to make plays more interesting, slid while the guys on the sidelines got a glimpse up their skirts, anything to make it more interesting and less threatening. At first the women were not given the respect they deserved for their hard work. Nobody believed that these housewives could play hard ball. Once the girls proved themselves, the men and the rest of society got threatened and still didn’t watch. Until the sport became a show, it wasn’t approved of. The girls had contests with the game to make it more interesting. One contest was called â€Å"Catch a foul, win a kiss.† This helps to illustrate that â€Å"women are objects to be competed for, possessed, and used† (Johnsen). Once the women began to make a show of the sport, the bleachers filled. Headlines began to read things such as â€Å"Trading oven mitts for baseball mitts!† and â€Å"Diamonds, a Women’s Best Friend.† Women didn’t receive their own league until it was the way the men wanted it. They weren’t to play competitively. It was to be more of a show. â€Å"Women have gained only what men have been willing to grant; they have taken nothing, they have only received† (Beauvoir). This is because men fear competition from women. If they are playing baseball and working in the factories, then what is the male role? â€Å"Every woman who goes into medicine or law robs them of a job† (Beauvoir). The men were threatened to what else the women would begin to do. â€Å"Hollywood threw out its romance scripts and started making movies about strong, independent females and it was discovered that women could actually excel at professional sports† (Ebert). This is a phenomenal movie that shows the power of women. It gets women out of the house and into the work force. It gets them doing just as the men. This was just the start of the women getting out of the house. Once the men came back from war, the women fought to keep their league alive. Many of the women in and outside of the league went on to be doctors and lawyers. Women were breaking out of the house whether the men were ready for it or not. The first girls in the league now have the own spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I believe that these women truly deserve this. Works Cited http://www.rottentomatoes.com.review.sn:usr/ns-home/cgi-bin/ad/adq.cgi, Joe Brown, 1992 http://wwwsuntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1992/07/764762html, Ebert, 1992 Johnson, Allan G. 1997. The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press Beauvoir, Simone de. 1953. The Second Sex. Trans. And ed. H.M. Parshley. New Yourk: Alfred A. Knopf. Friedan, Betty. 1963. The Feninine Mystique. New York: Dell. (20th ann. Ed. Published by W.W. Norton, 1983.) A League of Their Own, 1992.