Middle School vs. High School Essay

Waking up on the morning of the first day of high school felt like butterflies took over my stomach. I had to put together an impressing outfit, fix my hair, and put on appealing makeup. Knowing that in about an hour I would be entering a totally different school environment than what I’m used to frightened me. Within every period of the school day, the butterflies started to flutter out of my stomach and into my new learning atmosphere. Although students tend to fear high school and think it is a nightmare to transition from middle school to the next level, attending high school is not much of a dramatic change. Before beginning high school, you are required to pick levels that you feel comfortable with that correspond with the school-picked courses. You also have to choose three elective classes. Any of these classes could include Art, Chorus, Intro to Family and Consumer Science, Accounting, Graphic Presentations, and many more. All of your chosen classes receive a letter grade, just like middle school, but the required classes are picked according to your academic capability. For example, if you are the type of student that does not do well scholarly, you would choose a level three class. This option is a great way to do better in school. Also in high school, there are more extracurricular options. High school offers a numerous amount of clubs and sports. From soccer and swimming to ping pong club and French club. If any of the extracurricular activities don’t interest you, you even have the opportunity to create your own club with the help of a teacher. In middle school, your classes are already selected and you cannot change them. These classes are mandatory, just like high school, but everyone learns at the same level. This can be a disadvantage for students who take longer to process than others. Also, in middle school, you cannot create your own clubs. The sports and clubs the school provides are your only selections. Transitioning to high school is a big eye opener especially because of the people. Guys have facial hair and girls are more matured. High school goes hand in hand with many different kinds of people and different types of cliques as well. Some examples are jocks, nerds, populars, druggies, and gays. In middle school, there were less people making everyone familiar with each other. Some being naive and inexperienced, they are not used to seeing different types of people. Overall, high school is a lot bigger. Not only is there a downstairs, but an upstairs as well and there are many more hallways. Even though classes are farther apart, there is more time in between classes. In fact, three minutes more than middle school. This allows time to go to your locker before a class and you can even stop to talk in the hallways. Since middle school allowed only two minutes in between classes, you had to be quick with exchanging books. In high school, you can take your time and arrive to class on time. The transition to high school is a big step in education, but it does not have to be a feared one. A new environment brings with it new challenges and worries, however, after awhile you will realize it wasn’t much of a striking change as you thought.

Low Interest Rate Long Term Effect

Low Interest Rates Long Term Effect â€Å"The prolonged low-interest rate environment is transforming the banking industry from savings and loans to service and loans,† said Dan Geller, executive vice president of research firm Market Rates Insight in San Anselmo, Calif. (Fitzpatrick) Consumers may think that the continued low interest rates are a profound thing, but banks on the other hand think much differently. Consumers are refinancing their houses at rates as low as 2. 875%, while big banks like Hudson City Bancorp Inc. , a mortgage lender, are being forced to sell themselves to M&T Bank Corp.These super low interest rates are complicating the industry’s journey to a recovery from the financial crisis. In the article† Low Rates Pummel Banks†, from the Wall Street Journal, Dan Fitzpatrick further explains the negative effect of long term low interest rates. Fitzpatrick describes it as â€Å"Borrowers Benefit, but Industry Lending Profits Hit Lowest Leve l in Three Years†. (Fitzpatrick) Usually, we would believe it to be true that lower interest rates are a good thing, because they make it cheaper to borrow. Like so, there are those in support of the lower rates for example, the Fed and the consumers.For the past four years, since the 2008 financial crisis, the Federal Reserve Board had been trying to bounce back the US economy. The short term interest rates are extremely low and by purchasing more bonds they are reducing long-term rates. In all this has lowered the Ten-year U. S Treasury yields to 1. 43%, the lowest since World War II. (Fitzpatrick) The Feds see this as a positive because they believe the low rates increase the economic growth along with employment. They support their belief by stating that the low rates make it easier and cheaper for companies and individuals to borrow money.These low rates developed, in part due to the Fed, have sprung a rush in the mortgage refinancing industry. The growth in mortgage refi nancing has assisted fee revenue at two major companies, J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. , which control nearly half of the mortgage market. Wells Fargo decided to keep nearly $10 billion of residential mortgages, which they would normally sell to investors just in search of more yield. Fitzpatrick speaks of a woman in N. Y. , Katherine Karl, which was able to refinance her house at 2. 875%, who expresses that her desire to refinance was because of the istoric low of interest rates. Many others like Karl have also taken opportunities to refinance their homes. Although those companies have survived, and Karl lowered her rate by 2. 5 percentage points, not all are seeing such positive effects. In an article by Robin Sidel of the Wall Street Journal, â€Å"Regional Bank Lands Big-City Deal†, we can see the downside of these low interest rates. (Sidel) Hudson City, a mortgage lender based in Parmus, N. J. , has 135 branches, and has assets of $43. 6 billion, decide d to sell itself to M&T Bank Corp. , which is a regional bank.Hudson City’s loan portfolio was largely focused in mortgages, due to the drop in interest rates and the refinancing, the value of the portfolio dropped along with the interest rates. Once Hudson City had started to see a devalue of their portfolio, they had considered transforming themselves into a commercial lender. However, after much thought the Chief Executive Ronald Hermance decided this would take too long and increase their staff tremendously. (Sidel)This then led to the selling of Hudson City to M&T Bank Corp. If interest rates continue to remain low we can expect to see more mergers and smaller banks selling out.In Chapter 5 of the book, there is an application called â€Å"Explaining Low Japanese Interest Rates†, which can help better understand the negative effect of low interest rates. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Japanese interest rates became the lowest in the world, in November of 1998, the interest rate on Japanese six-month Treasury bills actually turned negative. In correlation with the extremely low interest rates was a prolonged recession, which was followed with deflation. As we learned in the book, the negative inflation causes an increase in the demand for bonds, because of the decrease in expected return on real assets.This in turn caused the demand curve to shift to the right. The negative inflation also raised the real interest rate, thereby causing the supply of bonds to adjust, moving the supply curve to the left. In the end this led to an increase in the bond price and a decrease of interest rates. In the book it explains to us that the interest rate is negatively related to the bond price. In other words, when the equilibrium bond price rises, the equilibrium interest rate falls and vise-versa. There are other factors which led to the down fall of interest rates in the Japanese market.For example, the lack of profitable investments opportunities in Japan , and the business cycle contraction and the decrease of wealth during the business cycle contractions. These all would lead to the increase in bond price and the decrease of interest rates. This application shows us that low interest rates are not a good thing. In Japan’s case, the low and negative interest rates were a sign that their economy was in trouble with falling prices and a contracting economy. The interest will only rise back to normal levels when their economy returns back to a better economy.Fitzpatrick goes on to explain that because of the low interest rates banks will have to consider new ways to make money like Hudson City considered, by offering other services. However, higher cost of those banking services could lead to losing customers in the financial world which would then in return have a negative effect. He predicts that â€Å"Over time, subdues bank profits are likely to accelerate a shakeout that has halved the number of insured institutions over t he past two decades†. (Fitzpatrick) He states this will happen by the pressure for smaller banks to take advantage of new technologies.The banks are suffering from the low interest rates in more ways than one. The low interest rates affect the bank’s benefit of holding depositors’ cash at the low rates. The problem with this is that many banks are stuck with a large increase in money to invest during which returns on securities are decreased. These deposit rates are at their lowest since the 50’s. (Fitzpatrick) Another way banks are suffering is due to the fact that they bet on higher-yielding mortgage bonds before rates fall. To counteract their losses banks are increasing loan prices.They are doing this in hopes of regaining their losses from the low interest rates, or refinancing of mortgages. In conclusion, although the low interest rates show a profit for some, the long term effect of low interest rates is bad for us. The low interest rates are a sign that are economy is in trouble, opposite of what the Fed is trying, just as in Japan. For our economy to return to a healthy economy, the interest rates will need to return to a normal level. Many banks will be forced to merger or sell out. Other banks will be forced to create new services. There will be an increased cost in the banking system, by increasing loan prices.The financial crisis and the Fed attempt to strengthen the economy have proven to be the derivative of the low interest rates which is driving the banking system, and mortgage lenders into chaos. Fitzpatrick describes it perfectly by quoting Mr. Lied saying Many smaller banks will â€Å"throw in the towel† and sell, as Hudson City did, if low rates persist, Mr. Lied said. â€Å"There are no magic bullets and there is no easy answer. † Works Cited Fitzpatrick, Dan. â€Å"Low Rates Pummel Banks. † Wall Street Journal 23 October 2012: A1. Sidel, Robin. â€Å"Regional Bank Lands Big-City Deal. â₠¬  Wall Street Journal 28 August 2012: C1.

Betrayal in the City Essay

Betray in the city novel over view FRANCIS IMBUGA was born 1947 in Wenyange village in western Kenya. He is a renowned Kenyan playwright, actor and producer. Betrayal in the City is a political play. The writer examines the problems of independence and freedom in post-colonial states in Africa. The play talks about military regimes that were common on the African continent after independence. Many of such regimes were later overthrown by coup de tats. Francis Imbuga’s major concern is betrayal at two levels, both at a personal and government level. Betrayal in the City shows a decay in morals, greed for power, material possessiveness and selfishness. Doga and Nina lament as they mourn their dead son, Adika. The old couple wishes to perform a ritual for their dead son. This effort is hampered by express directions from the government brought by Mulili and Jere claiming that ritual should not go on in the interest of peace; but Doga and Nina are adamant. Their only remaining son, Jusper, is imprisoned. This shows us what is happening in Kafira – the corruption, injustice and oppression of the people. Critics of the government are not tolerated. Jere and Mosese are henceforth put into prison over false charges. They both suffer the pain of the government’s betrayal. Jere painfully says: â€Å"When the madness of an entire nation disturbs a solitary mind, it is not enough to say the man is mad.† Government officials make use of any opportunity to make money through unfair means. Tumbo for instance declares Jusper the winner of the play writing competition and awards him the winner’s prize money. One third of the six hundred pounds to finance the play writing competition is given to Jusper and his girl friend, Regina; and the remaining two thirds to put records straight emphasizing that everything is being done in strict confidence. Despite all this Jusper vows to revenge someday even if it means going it  alone since he knows that a University student is not a very welcome person in Kafira and is looked at as a nuisance to society and a pest. Government officials first think of what they are going to benefit before deliberating on matters of state. What first preoccupies their mind is how much are they going to gain and that the size of the potato each is going to get should be directly proportional to what their chairman will get. Being a relative Boss gives Mulili a chance to despise his colleagues in service. Mulili falsely accuses Kabito knowing that Boss will believe what he says since he has been made to be his eyes and ears. He is also favoured by Boss in many ways. The semi-illiterate Mulili sometimes completely misunderstands what is said to him and yet threatens to act basing on the strength of that misunderstanding. Boss’ trust of those who advise him especially Mulili make him give unbearable directives to silence those presumably against his government including the simple old couple who were innocent. Boss also tries to take advantage of Regina forcefully. Such scandals speak unfavourably of the Head of State. Nicodemo and Tumbo discuss the state of affairs and how people are being killed: â€Å"we have no choice. Like caged animals, we move, but only inside the cage. It has become infectious-the desire to eliminate others†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This implies that there are serious consequences of criticizing the government’s plans. The play within the play, Betrayal in the City, brings about the desired change that everybody has been waiting for. The rehearsal for the play intended to entertain the visiting Head of state becomes a real confrontation arrived at effortlessly by Jusper, Mosese, and Jere; taking everyone by surprise.

Executive report (Management of Information System) Assignment

Executive report (Management of Information System) - Assignment Example The report focuses on the facts that have been taken into account by Global Bike Inc in their expansion to the overseas. This will be helpful in their expansion to the developing and the developed countries of Asia. The Management Information Systems have been worked out excellently by Global Bike Inc and the operations that are conducted are satisfactory in other countries. This marks the fact that it will have no problem in its expansion to the Asian countries taking into account the network infrastructure that will be developed by the necessary investments that might be needed in different countries. The Strategic Information System Planning will ensure that the system is not only comprehensive but also much formalized to the extent that is needed. The customer relationship will be maintained in the same standard way as it is in other countries in which Global Bike Inc is operating. ... Introduction Global Bike Inc is a world class bicycle company that serves both the professional and the ‘prosumer’ in not only the off road racing but also in touring. The company’s primary focus is on the quality, the toughness and the performance that it promises to deliver. In all its time in history to date, Global Bike Inc has been able to deliver innovative high performance bicycles continuously to the most demanding riders in the world. (Magal, 2011). Strengths Awareness of the brand name amongst the customers. Known for high-performance. The operations of Global Bike Inc are global. Excellent relationship with the suppliers of the company. Research and Development facilities. Company focuses on innovation in its products. A larger product line with the company offering different products in order to make the customers feel more comfortable when riding their bicycles. Maintaining a complete and updated information system helps the company to promptly act on any change in the environment. Maintaining IT Systems gives the company an edge over the competitors that it may have in the market. Weaknesses The company is not able to measure the future analysis with great accuracy. Lack of the established manufacturing capabilities in the Asian market. The company relies a lot on the existing suppliers for its production. Increased number of competitors in the Asian markets. Lower establishment of IT in rural areas. The billing plans are usually complex. The external threats to the Information Technology due to the threats of hacking, viruses and malfunctions. (Garcia, 2002) IT Infrastructure The infrastructure that is designed for IT consists of the physical hardware that is used to connect the computers with the customers.

Congressional District Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Congressional District - Assignment Example According to Congressman Jose Serrano, the people in Bronx have been hit hard by the recession and are going hungry. According to Congressman Serrano, who represents the 16th Congressional district of New York â€Å"This is a crisis that I intend to confront head on. We cannot accept food insecurity in the wealthiest city in the wealthiest nation in the world.†. Bronx is a popular but often misunderstood neighborhood in New York. The difference between the haves and the have-nots is the most stark in these sort of neighborhoods. In the year 2000, this district was the poorest congressional district in the 435 districts in the U. S. A. It has a rich historical heritage. It is here that Edgar Allen Poe spent more than four years and a cottage named after him is a popular tourist destination. Bronx Zoo, The Bronx County Historical Society, Bronx Museum of Arts and the Yankee Stadium are the other places to visit. The demographics of 16th congressional district in New York The dat a gathered from 2010 census regarding state of New York is not available. It will be made available prior to April 1, 2011. The figures in this paper relate to data gathered earlier. According to the 2000 census, the total population of the district was 654360 of which there were 304,203 male. The Median Age in years was 27.5 and the highest percent (65.5%) of population was between the ages of 18 and 65 years, totaling 428,285. The total number of Black or African American people was 235,419 to that of White being 133,649. American Indian and Alaska Natives were 7,664 whereas the smallest number in the population data is the population of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander at 810. The number of people of two or more races was 42,883. The number of males above the age of 15 and married was 75,560 and that of the females was 74,601, not counting the persons who were separated from their spouses. The household population was 637, 081 and the number of group quarters population was 17, 279. According to the 2010 Census, of the total population of 350,876 of persons above the age of 25 years, 50.5 per cent were High school graduates or higher and 7.8 per cent had bachelor’s degree or higher education. The median household income in 2009 inflation adjusted dollars was $23,073 as compared to that of the U. S. A. being $ 51,425. The ratio of per capita income at $ 12,029 to $ 27,041 of the U. S. A. was better progression as the figures in 1999 were $9803 and $21,587 respectively. The data collected by the American Community Survey also shows that 36.8 per cent of the families in this area live below poverty level as compared to that of the U. S. A. being 9.9 per cent. Individuals below poverty line make up 39.2 per cent as compared to 13.5 per cent of the U. S. A. The number of householders living alone is 62,123 where the average family size is 3.64. A total of 14,198 persons live in their unmarried partners house. There were 119,835 males ovewr 15 ye ars of age who had never married, and the females were 130,830. The figures for school enrollment shows that 219,432 persons above the age of 3 years have enrolled in school of which 53,511 were studying High school and 41,268 were studying college or graduate school. Of the population of persons 25 years and over, 27,915 had bachelor’s degree, while 11,185 had graduate or professional degree college rates, household data (i.e. head of

Landuse analysis of Famagusta Walled City Essay

Landuse analysis of Famagusta Walled City - Essay Example If this trend continues unabated the city will be hollowed out both physically and socially; what is known as the doughnut syndrome. Moreover land is a finite resource and for an island like Cyprus which is an aggregarian island and much of its income depends on what it is able to grow, because this encroachment upon its green field not only eats up arable land but also destroys its biota. Even though several researches have been conducted on this specific area but they have offered palliatives rather than concrete or practical tools for implementation. This paper aims to highlight sustainable ways in which the city should be allowed to expand and develop and to bracket ways in which the theories advanced can be implemented in the city. Implementing this theory would mean redesign and development of the unused spaces according to smart growth theories and principles that oppose everything negative growth stands for. This constitutes tools for compact urban development which include the development of Brownfield sites, infill and mixed use of development and transit oriented

Finance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Finance Management - Essay Example A rising profitability is a good business feature whereas a falling profitability is a bad one. The net profit margin shows the profit that a business is able to generate after meeting the various expenses and costs (Gitman, 2007, p.32). For the four divisions of Jools Furniture Industries Ltd this margin reflects mixed signals. In the case of Quality products division the net profit margin has improved over the last three years. In 2007 the profit margin of this division was -9.90%. In the next year the management of the division was able to cut down on the unnecessary expenditures pushing the profit margin in the positive territory. This further improved to 3.36% in 2009. For the Kitchen and Office division the net profit margin reveals a declining trend. ... The ROI generated by all the divisions has been more than 10% for the last two years. Quality products division reported the highest ROI for the year 2009 at 18.99%. The division reported a negative ROI of 14.9% in 2007. Kitchen division reported a ROI of 12.75% in 2009. This figure was higher in 2007 at 17.97% and it dropped to 12.87% in the following year which is a fall of nearly 5%. Despite an increase in the turnover of the division the divisional management failed to sustain the profitability margin of the previous year. Bedroom division generated the second highest ROI for 2009 at 14.63%. The return generated by this division was even better in the previous years at 16.62% and 18.18% for 2007 and 2008 respectively. Office division reported the third highest ROI of the company at 13.48%. Even for this division the return generated has dropped as compared to the last few years. Efficiency- The asset turnover ratio is an important indicator of management efficiency. A high ratio implies that the company management has been able to utilise the asset base efficiently i.e. it has been able to generate more sales (Nelson, 2008, p.370). For Kitchen division this ratio has remained over two for the last three years. In 2007 this ratio was 2.14 and it increased to 2.19 in 2009. This shows that the management of this division has used the available asset base judiciously and efficiently. With the rise in the asset base in 2008 the management reported a higher turnover i.e. the division made optimal utilisation of the available resources. In the case of Office division this ratio has improved steadily over the last three years. It increased from 1.68 in 2007 to 2.10 in 2009 which is quite impressive. This suggests that the divisional managers are continually

ResumeCV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ResumeCV - Essay Example and ongoing monitoring to ensure compliance with the Bureau of Licensing, NJ State Department of Health and Human Services, the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) and other relevant regulatory entities. Development and delivery of services to children, youth and families across an array of human service and education domains that have expanded incrementally to include infant and toddler care, preschool Abbott District Services, transitional housing for women referred by the Mercer County Board of Social Services and independent living and transitional housing for male youth between the ages of 14 - 18 years of age. Design and implementation of state approved curriculums for TEDCO childcare facilities and the development and facilitation of certification programming to license agency staff to meet state requirements. Responsible for family and individual assessments, case planning, court reporting and advocacy, on going case management, provision of service referrals, ensuring of linkages and fostering retention outcomes.

Airplane accident Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Airplane accident - Research Paper Example So far, NTSB has established that aviation can profit from more training of pilots and the re-evaluation of the existing safety procedures in cases of engine malfunctions. Thesis: Despite pilot errors being the primary  cause of the airplane accidents, there are other issues such as mechanical dysfunction, poor weather, and landing accidents that can result in aviation accidents. Literature Review Statistics show that the number of airplane accidents experienced in developed nations has dropped since 2010 even though aircraft accidents in developing nations have increased. According to Learmount, in 2010 in the United States alone there were 26 fatal airplane accidents, compared with 28 accidents in 2009 (Learmount). According to Flightglobal, which researches aircraft malfunctions and evaluates them for the benefit of aviation and aerospace experts in the air transport industry, the number of commercial aircraft accidents from 2010 to 2011 rose to 32 from 28 (Rapoport 46). Airline safety professionals have attributed this fact to the emergence of in-flight malfunctions when the planes encounter severe weather or when birds interfere with the engines while the planes are in flight. According to NTSB statistics, between 2004 and 2008, there were approximately 245 commercial aviation accidents that occurred as a result of different reasons such as adverse weather or fuel exhaustion (2010 NTSB aviation statistics released). The numbers of plane crashes would increase over the years at a steady rate so that in 2010, general aviation aircraft, which include commercial aircraft, had 267 aircraft accidents (2010 NTSB aviation statistics released). Even though adverse weather is a common cause of plane crashes, many pilots still choose to navigate through it rather than delay flights. This may in part be due to the pressure of maintaining the passengers’ preferred schedules. According to Jarboe, there were 111 weather-related commercial aircraft crashes in Pue rto Rico and the United States in 2004 alone. Between 2010 and 2011, 15% of all aviation accidents were the result of the malfunctioning of in-flight systems due to adverse weather (Jarboe 2). Harsh weather systems are also thought to have caused the malfunctioning of in-flight systems in the ill-fated Air France’s flight AF447. Air crash investigators who examined the different parts of the ill-fated flight AF447 also confirmed that the malfunctioning of the pitot tube may have pushed the pilots to erroneous decisions. All avionics mechanical systems are dependent on pitot tubes.   This device is responsible for measuring the impact of oncoming air. However, the simple design of pitot tubes makes them susceptible to blockages which can be caused by mud wasp nests, dead insects, and ice. According to Jackson, the failure of the pitot system is viewed as being the worst possible malfunction that can occur when a plane is in flight (Jackson). Numerous airplane accidents that took place in the past can be have been traced to the existence of a faulty pitot tube. According to Jackson, in 1995, an X-31A research aircraft crashed in California after its pitot tube was covered by ice (Jackson). Another plane, the Austral Lineas Aereas Flight 2553, similarly crashed, causing the deaths of its 74 passengers, when its pitot tube was completely frozen. Its pilots had actually presumed that the plane was stalling- which is something that is

Strategy for Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Strategy for Sustainability - Essay Example Identified Area for Improvement 14 5. Conclusion 16 6. References 17 1. Overview of the Paper and Briefing of the Selected Company The research paper is concerned with the presentation of materialistic evaluation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) of such a company that produces the particular report on the web. The objectives of the research paper will be fulfilled with reference to FirstGroup Plc. FirstGroup Plc is one of the top global operators of the transport services earning revenue of more than 6 billion pounds. The company began its operations in the north eastern part of Scotland twenty years ago. Along the UK and North America, FirstGroup is concerned with providing transport services to around 2.5 billion passengers per year. In these region, the total number of employees of the company stands at 125,000. FirstGroup operates with a collection of around 8,000 buses travelling in above 40 main cities and towns in the UK and North America. In Greyhound UK, the company also operates through the provision of regular services along London, Southampton and Portsmouth. FirstGroup proclaims itself to be the most popular transport service provider operating with complete safety, reliability, innovation and sustainable services. The company also presumes to be providing service with the mode of local approach but its presence can be experienced within the global environment (FirstGroup Plc, 2011). 2. Critical Evaluation of the Content of FirstGroup Plc CSR Report 2011 The contents that are included within the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report of a company are, to a considerable extent, dependent upon the size of the company and also upon the particular sector in which the company operates. These are also dependent upon the legal position of the particular company along with the market position held (Hurst, 2004). Notably, these facts can also be considered as obstacles to the CSR reporting activities executed by organizations (O’Rourke, 2004). It is for this reason that the larger companies operating with at least 250 workers are more likely to be conversant with the concept of CSR than the middle companies with not more than 250 workers (European Working Conditions Observatory, 2009). However, considering several aspects of each and every company, it can be inferred that importantly, the most essential environmental and social issues are definitely required to be included in the CSR reports of the companies (Corporatewatch, 2006). Comparing the completeness of the CSR report of FirstGroup of the year 2011, it is noteworthy to mention that the report is consisted of adequate social and environmental issues. In this section of the research paper, the issues will be critically evaluated in order to measure the effectiveness of the company’s report. The report has been started with the message from the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tim O’Toole. This is a justifiable beginning because the trustworthy mess age from the most important stakeholder of the company generate creates belief among the other stakeholders. However, messages from other important stakeholders could have also been added for enhancing the value of the Chief Executive’s proclamation. In the following section of the report, a brief introduction to the company has been provided briefing certain fundamental facts like that of revenue, number of employees, company’s spending on goods and services, transporting figures and costs of the employees. It is credible that the company has chosen to highlight these good facts that have strong implication towards

Change in Bankng Sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Change in Bankng Sector - Essay Example However, this certainly does not mean that CEOs' salary is almost immune to the ensuing circumstances (Frederick, 2000). The fast unravelling omens are indicative of the fact that such salary appreciations may not continue in 2009. Many banks and financial institutions are resorting to freezes on executive remuneration and the concerned experts are already professing a highly constrained rise of a mere 2 to 3 percent in the current year (New Zealand Management, 2009). In the given context, the executive pay has become a crucial issue in the sense that despite the rising unemployment rates and the ongoing credit crunch, it has become imperative for the banks and financial institutions to hold on to the key executive talent (New Zealand Management, 2009). A possible analysis of the level and structure of bank CEO pays needs to be conducted in the light of the emerging trends and challenges (Crawford et al., 1995). Just a year ago, it was not possible to divine the scale of crises that has engulfed the banking sector in the US and Europe. The emerging trends marked by a heightened state intervention, with governments becoming crucial stakeholders in the reputed banks like the Royal Bank of Scotland and the destined to merge Lloyds TSB and HBOS, the year 2009 no doubt will unleash never before vistas for the bank CEOs (Investors Chronicle, 2009). Such sector specific developments are projected to be further aggravated by the accompanying macroeconomic trends like a predictable, above average shrinking of the major economies like the US and the UK. While the natural reaction of the banks is to opt for restrained lending policies, the governments are pressing them hard to extend loans to individuals and small businesses (Monday Business Briefing, 2009). Further, the bad debts and balance sheets are making the markets much competitive. Despite the central banks throughout the world trying hard to enhance liquidity, the interbank loans continue to be dearer. Under such tough circumstances, only the best will survive. This bleak scenario marked by a cutthroat competition is bound to have an impact on the salaries of all the employees in general and the bank CEOs in particular (African Business, 2009). Competition and Bank CEO Compensation Consequently, the situation becomes quiet understandable, considering the existing circumstances. In an environment replete with fast shifting degrees of competition and abundant regulations, the banks are more then under strain to realign the remuneration of CEOs and top executives with the organizational objectives and sustainability (Bebchuk & Fried, 2003). Scenarios defined by elevated competition make it imperative for the banks to tag the salaries of their CEOs with overall performance. The rational that under normal circumstances, the CEO's salary constitutes just a tiny proportion of the total value of a bank should not confuse one (Kay &

The Epic of Gilgamesh Essay Example for Free

The Epic of Gilgamesh Essay The story of Gilgamesh was one of the world’s first literary works but most importantly the very first epic. â€Å"An epic or heroic poem is a long narrative poem, on a serious subject [that was] written in a grand or elevated style, centered on a larger-than-life hero† (Lynch). Because it was only recited orally for many centuries it was forgotten and vanished until â€Å"it was recorded at Sumer in the late third millennium B. C. E† (Fiero 19). The story of Gilgamesh is about an arrogant ruler, who changes because of an immense love and friendship with his companion Enkidu, it is a story about the wisdom he acquires with his journeys, and the inevitability of death. The story begins with the introduction of the two main characters, Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The love these friends will stumble upon for each other makes both of them change as individuals. From their initial encounter they will discard part of their own lives and give a piece of them to each other. Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk is described as two thirds god and one third human. The Gods bestowed upon him courage, strength and beauty. â€Å"In our first view of him, Gilgamesh is the epitome of a bad ruler: arrogant, oppressive and brutal† (Lawall 10). He has no consideration for the people in Uruk he forces labor upon them, kills their sons and rapes their daughters, leaving â€Å"neither the warrior’s daughter nor the wife of the noble† (Lawall 13). The people of Uruk soon get irritated with Gilgamesh’s ways and pray to the gods to make his equal so that he may see his own evil ways and ultimately change. Aruru, the goddess of creation then creates Enkidu, the second main character, as a counterpoint to Gilgamesh. Far different from Gilgamesh he still contains his strength. â€Å"His body was rough, he had long hair like a woman’s [†¦] his body was covered with matted hair [†¦] he was innocent of mankind† (Lawall 13). Gilgamesh is told of Enkidu and his immense strength and devises a plan to overpower him by seducing him with a harlot so that he may grow weak and loose the powers of the beasts. Close to the biblical story of Adam and Eve, Enkidu is stripped of his primitive self and his innocence by the harlot. Gilgamesh has accomplished to civilize Enkidu there by weakening him as an individual. â€Å"The thoughts of a man were in his heart now† (Lawall 15) and he had become aware of the ways of the world. Meanwhile through Gilgamesh’s dreams he is told that a friend whom he will love like he would a woman is going to rescue him in this time of need. Enkidu then arrives at Uruk to challenge Gilgamesh but instead become friends, marking the beginning of Gilgamesh’s complete transformation. The journey to fight Humbaba, the guardian of the forest was Gilgamesh’s next component of change. Deciding to kill the evil in the land for the sake of his people gave him some wisdom and connection to the people, something Enkidu had already begun doing. By facing Humbaba in the forest Gilgamesh makes a name for him and changes the outlook of the people in the kingdom. Although the journey was at first only beneficial for him it would later be helpful in his own journey to become a more justly and praiseworthy ruler. The death of Enkidu also significantly changes Gilgamesh. After the killing of Humbaba, Ishtar deeply wanted to marry Gilgamesh but he refused. Extremely enraged she asked her father for the Bull of Heaven to kill him, which failed. Instead Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the Bull of Heaven and feast, for now they were heroes, â€Å"endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for [their] bold exploits† (American Heritage Dictionary). She then puts a curse on Enkidu which leads him to a great sickness and finally after twelve days, to his death. Gilgamesh could not be anymore devastated about the loss. We can see his anguish when he says â€Å"the joyful people will stoop with sorrow; and when you have gone to the earth I will let my hair grow long for your sake, I will wander through the wilderness in the skin of a lion† (Lawall 30). Gilgamesh mourns Enkidu’s death by making the people weep over his death. By using garments such as he did and wandering like his old companion he is able to keep a part of Enkidu close to him and ultimately gain something from him. Following this, Gilgamesh comes to a realization that his day will soon come too â€Å"How can I rest, how can I be at peace? Despair in my heart. What my brother is now, that shall I be when I am dead. (Lawell 30). This will lead Gilgamesh to his quest for eternal life, it is in this journey where we he will find his real destiny. Gilgamesh’s quest is to find Utnapishtim who was the only mortal to receive everlasting life. In an effort to erase humankind because of an uproar, the gods sent a big flood and asked Utnapishtim to build a boat to save himself. â€Å"Tear down your house and build a boat, abandon possessions and look for life, despise worldly goods and save your soul alive† (35). Here we are able to see another biblical reference to the Old Testament. Just as Noah did when he was warned of such a disaster, so did Utnapishtim. Because they were the only mortals to survive, the gods gave him and his wife everlasting life to live at the mouths of the rivers. When Gilgamesh finally reached Utnapishtim he also gave him a chance at immortality. â€Å"As for you Gilgamesh who will assemble the gods for your sake, so that you may find that life for which you are searching? [†¦] only prevail against sleep for six days and seven nights† (38). But his attempt failed. Just as Siduri, the woman of the vine had for told Gilgamesh that heâ€Å"[would] never find that life for which [he was] looking† (Lawall 32) for. Before Gilgamesh returns to Uruk Utnapishtim tells him of a plant that will restore his youth. Despite its hard catch, he obtains it to give to the old men in his kingdom. But while bathing, a serpent snatches the plant and immediately his skin sheds to a new form. Most commonly in religious text serpents symbolize evil but here the gift of immortality is taken by the serpent because this destiny is forbidden for Gilgamesh. Although he did not achieve his most desired attribute Gilgamesh acquired many other things. From his journey of killing Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven to the death of his dearest friend Enkidu he most definitely gained more wisdom, ultimately understanding the people which in turn gained their trust and the glory. His failed attempt at his most endearing and significant journey to find immortality led Gilgamesh to find the meaningfulness of being human. Gilgamesh finally understood his true destiny. â€Å"You were given the kingship, such was your destiny, everlasting life was not your destiny†.

Business Responses to the Global Economic Crisis

Business Responses to the Global Economic Crisis Global Economic crisis began in 2008 and has drawn a great amount of blood from the financial sector of both developed and developing economy. Under usual circumstances the fall of one will result in rise of another economy. But with GFC the mighty economies has fallen and the developing economies has reached stagnation stage in their growth. UK is one of the economies that are affected by the crisis above the moderate level but not as serious as USA. Economic recovery is taking place all around the world and UK is one among them. Beginning of British economy slowdown was marked when the Northern Rock bank was forced to apply to the Bank of England for emergency financial support on 13thSeptember 2007. The British economy went to serious slowdown in 2008 3rd quarter (Authers, 2012). The economy temporarily exited it in the 4thquarter of 2009, only to enter a double dip recession in the first quarter of 2012 (Office for National Statistics, 2012). The present statement from Bank of England regarding the robust recovery is positive news for the market. The present president of bank Mr Mark Carney has devised a good plan to bring the economy out of recession. As a result of the concentrated efforts from Bank of England the growth has shown a steady rise. The present policies taken by the policy determining panel are being analysed through the viewpoint of the banks new forward guidance† policy. This new policy has given the markets, business and individuals a control over the interest rates of coming months . The rate of interest is now kept at an all-time low in order to pump more money into the market. Another sign of recovery is the revival of housing industry, thanks to the â€Å"help to buy† policy of government. The increase found in number of mortgage approvals for house purchase is a testimony of this fact. Bank of England strongly believes that monetary stimulus is found to be considerable and the investors have started showing confidence in market and overall sentiment is confident and positive. Growth will be stable and economy will be recovering just simply with this stimulus if the economy of Britain is an isolated one. But this is not so as the economy is linked with various economies of world. The stability of trading partners is an essential prerequisite for staging a sustained growth. The imbalance between export and domestic usage of production also point towards the greater risk of a double dip as similar to one that happened in 2009-10. The present growth rate of 3% is not a high figure under normal circumstances. But considering the slow growth of allied economies tis could be viewed as a robust growth According to Mark Carney new policy unemployment reduction is target of the current policy. The interest rates will be kept low till the unemployment drops from 7.7 to 7%. The recovery of economy is greatly dependent on the financial stability of both workers and companies. HRM policies have a significant role to play in this resurrection of economy. Studies show that half of the working population are into the job not because they love doing the present job but because they do not have another job to pursue. Hence when the economy is recovering they will move out in search for better job. This leaves their primary employer stranded. Good HR Management strategy is to be kept in place to ensure that the best are retained and worst are laid off as the economy recovers. This is a critical role of HRM in recovery period of economy. The productivity of employee determines the profitability of a company. The salary paid to an employee during recession time was above the contribution made by him in monetary terms. This could hamper the growth prospects of economy because with such a structure of pay he will be spending more than what he produce giving rise to economic instability. It is the function of HRM to bring out parity between the productivity and income so that growth of economy will not be affected. Similarly another factor that determines the production level of every employee is the motivation levels. Prior to recession time companies have spent well on employee engagement programme. During the recession time they had to cut down the cost and this was an area that became scapegoat of cut down. In the recovery period it is essential to keep employees from different cultures motivated. This can provide sufficient propulsion for growth programme. HR team has to look for cost cutting but viable option like flexible working time for its employees so that operational cost can be brought down significantly. Research shows that during the recession time the stress level of employees were very high. The permanency of their job was a concern for all of them. The stress levels need to be brought down to normal level in order to get the best output from each of them. This will help a lot in improving recovery rate of economy. Another contribution needed from HR team for a recovering economy would be to manage the sudden demand from employees for salary hike. A company based out of UK will find it difficult to hike the salary of their employees in another country which is not it by recession as the parent company lies in a recession hit economy. The pay of many employees was frozen for a long period. The employees who shared the pain of recession expect that they will be rewarded for their sufferings with a serious hike. But the growth rate of 3 % is not that robust enough to facilitate a pay hike for all of them. This will result in elevated level of grievance. Negative sentiment created in the mind of work force can create reduction in productivity which ultimately affect growth rate. It is the role of IHRM team to contain the angst of these people, in UK and abroad, and make them realise the situation and bring them to the main stream of production without any angst. Skill shortage among employees is a serious area of concern in this period of economic recovery. But no significant investment is, made on training front as measure of cost cutting. The concentration on skill development needs to be improved to stage good performance in recover period. Britain’s economy as well as world economy is on a recovery mode and the new policy implemented by new president of bank of England is taking the economy in the right direction. The HRM activities have a significant role to play in improving the economic conditions. The productivity is directly related to man power and their mind set. Keeping them ready and fit for growth is the task in the hands of HRM teams all around the globe. Reduction in human capital cost without compromising on motivation level would be the target of HRM teams all around the world. Inflation and interest rates are closely related and determine the health of economy. Too high levels of both the factors portray the poor health of economy. Inflation always follows good economic growth. Theoretical speaking inflation is caused when too much money is chasing too few goods in market. The money inflow into the market takes place when the population of a country is paid well. Inflation rate will be low in an economy where employment levels are low. The new policy of bank of England to keep a control over the hike of interest rates has shown good sentiments in market. The bank is planning to keep the interest rate on borrowings fixed at all-time low of 0.5 % till the level of unemployment fall to 7%. This ensures that sufficient money is available for entrepreneurs to invest and there by generating more employment. If things goes as expected more employment will produce more salaried person and hence more spending. This will set up the ideal stage for inflation to enter the economy. Under usual circumstances the enhanced money flow into the market will create a condition where domestic production is low but expenditure is high. All this boils down to too much money chasing few goods. The vicious circle of inflation is kicked off by these events. Increased money flow in the market will force the controlling financial institution to hike interest rate. The hike in interest rate will dampen economic growth .as the above mentioned e vents unfold the economy gets crippled and falls back to period of under growth. The bank of England’s feels that the possibility of an inflation-induced, economy-crippling rise in interest rates over the next couple of years is not in line of sight. According to them there are plenty of gaps it the economy and this will prevent setting up of the vicious circle of inflation. By definition, output falls in a recession. At the same time, it is common for some people to lose their jobs or to reduce their hours of work. The path of labor productivity in a recession is determined by the relative sizes of the falls in output and total hours worked. The bank strongly believes that the productivity and efficiency of workers will improve and the extra demand for goods and services could be met by the same working population producing more in for same salary. The data of Britain’s productivity do not justify bank of England’s claim. Off late in Q2 and Q3 0f 2013 productivity failed to touch 100%. This is a point of concern. Many reasons are there for the fall in productivity. Usually under periods of recession employees are supposed to work more in fear of termination. But the companies have preferred to hold on to nonperforming employees in order to avoid rehiring and retaining them once recession ends. This is presently creating a class of lazy work force. The real wages of employees are falling and this prompts the employer to move forward with more labor intensive methods of production and hence affecting the productivity. Data from Office of National statistics reveals an alarming picture of Britain’s working population. It shows that British workers are less productive than before the recession. In 2012 the countrys output per worker was 19% below the average for the rest of the major industrialized economies, while output per hour was 16% lower. The present policy of increasing the rate of interest rate when unemployment falls under 7% needs to be scanned properly. If the percentage of unemployment is the driving force for deciding interest rates the there is a serious problem at hand. With the present system economy is relying on falling real wages rather than improved productivity. The percentage of unemployment is falling and this is not by virtue of growth of economy but due to falling real wages. The reduced cost of hiring has led the employers to hire more thereby reducing unemployment percentage. According to above discussed data the number of employed person are increasing without productivity improvement. This will result in inflation as consumption is increased due to more umber of salaried person at the same time no improvement is achieved in the productivity. The reduced level of unemployment along with inflation will prompt bank to increase interest rate. Data shows that in 2013 the indebtness of British people is 140% of their salary and the debt is not distributed evenly among working population. Any hike in interest rate will result in many of the borrowers defaulting their payments on mortgages. Finally this will result in dampening of economic growth as the hike in interest rate is based out of unrealistic assumption of reduced unemployment. The HRM has a great deal to do in order to direct the scenario to the one expected by Bank of England. The wages and productivity of working class are the contrasting factors that influence the inflation. More salary along with low productivity will result in supply demand imbalance and will trigger inflation. If the wages are at par with the productivity levels then the economy will be able to stage growth. Working class will not acknowledge the fact that economy is growing unless it reflects in their pay pack. So to create a sentiment of growth the pay package need to be improved. This improvement should be accompanied by parallel improvement in productivity standards. The HR system in any firm has to devise clear steps to facilitate tis symbiotic activities of rise in wages and improved productivity. The HRM system has a significant role to play in economic growth of Britain. The trend of hiring while the real wage falls is giving a wrong feedback to policy makers. The unemployment falls without contributing to productivity. This result in the chain reaction of increased inflation which further leads to increase in interest rate that ultimately result in weakening of economic growth. The focus of HRM should be reducing unemployment at the same time improving productivity proportionately with the increase given in wages. Economic growth could be defined as an increase in value of goods and services provided or produced by a country over a period of time. Long term expansion of productive potential of an economy results in economic growth. It is measured using GDP and per capita income. Growth of an economy will not happen in isolation. As the economy is globalized events happening in one country will have detrimental effect on growth prospects of another country. For e.g. ban on import of agricultural product into a developed country will have serious impact on economy of developing country whose main source of income would be the agricultural exports. The drivers of economic growth of any economy whether developed or developing are the same. The contribution of each driver may differ depending on the type of country at hand. The drivers could be listed as a) Growth in physical capital stock b) growth in size of labor population c) Growth in quality of human d) technological growth that improves productivity e) Institutions of state f) Demand for goods and services (both domestic and eternal trade). Growth is in brief adding more value to your activities. Off late developed countries have moved out of concept of growth and started to focus on sustainability and stability. Developing countries are still after growth as small investment in capital could produce greater returns. This is in line with the â€Å"neo classical† theory of growth. For developed countries like UK major driver of growth is growth in quality of labor population and technological growth that improves productivity. The level of capital stock of developed country is high and has reached a stagnation state. The source of improvement for these countries comes from the technology development and improved quality of labor population. Technology improvement will demand for employees with enhanced skill. The employment level in a developed country will research a saturation level and the number of opportunities could not be further improved. There is a limit to how far the employment rate can be improved in the long term in developed countries.in such economy the growth for long term is driven primarily by productivity. Further the two improved productivity the growth will be pushed by increased employee participation and engagement in the business. Employee engagement is a critical part of growth and productivity in developed economy. The employee is les s motivated by the monetary benefit and looks for motivation in the role they handle. The involvement of the employee to the job makes him to deliver more which in turn results in improved productivity. In UK Tesco has realized this and incorporated employee engagement as a part of their HRM strategy. The GDP of developed countries rose during early periods as the demand existed for consumable products. With improved productivity of these products the growth rate was high. But once the product demand reached stagnation further improvement in productivity will not add to GDP. Hence new product segments need to be identified. For UK the prospects will thus be stronger in more knowledge-intensive manufacturing and services. The UK’s relative specialization in Publishing, Finance, Business Services, Communications, and Computer and Information Services is likely to persist for some time, supported by the increasing exportability of services and increasing demand for services as global incomes continue to rise. However, these are likely to continue to become more specialized, with some lower value added activities outsourced or offshored. Hence HR should focus on improving specialized kills and Innovative mindset of their work force. In developing countries focus is more on improving the quantity of employable population. The set of skilled labor is very low and hence the primary target of HRM system was to improve the number of employable population. Many IT companies in India have hired people with basic qualification and imparted training to them in order to induct them to their work force. This improved the human resource base of the firm and helped them in executing big foreign orders. These activities eventually pumped n more of foreign currency into Indian market and hence aided ion economic growth. The opening yup of Indian economy to the world in 1992 forced many of the companies to change the way they managed their human resources. HR functionality in developing countries like China and India is still evolving. Till a few years back the HR function was just limited to administrative functionalities like recruiting and dismissal, paying taxes and benefits. Talent acquisition, training, skill improvement were new concepts. . They had to make a way around the redundant work culture that prevailed in the country. Focus had to be shifted to more productivity than more employment. Another major HR intervention required in developing economy is regarding the wage and incentive. It includes remuneration system and also the system of appraisal, promotion and career advancement. The incentive factor implemented as part of the new system motivated employee to produce more resulting in improved productivity. The implementation of incentive system on base of quantity propelled the production and hence improved the GDP of these economies. The quality was compromised in this policy and China and India succeeded in capturing the price conscious market around the world. Sustainability of this mode of growth is being questioned and the concept of quality has to be introduced to the scheme. There is a need for a paradigm shift in mind set of working population for this transition. The HRM system in these developing countries has to come forward and contribute in this front to facilitate easy transition. The growth of every economy is determined by the influence of various driving forces in the economy. Human capital is a significant part in it no matter it is a developed or developing economy. The role of HR function is to improve the quality of human capital. Method deployed for this is different in these two types of economy. In the developed economy more focus is given to enhanced kill development and employee engagement where as in developing economy the focus is on production based incentives and expanding the employable population base.

Approaches to Health Inequalities

Approaches to Health Inequalities HEALTH INEQUALITIES AND SOCIAL DIVISIONS Introduction Today, it seems to be an obvious truth that â€Å"social and environmental factors account for a substantial portion of health inequalities between and within countries.†[1] The ubiquitous nature of economic and social inequalities is noted by all scholars.[2] This is a truth that seems well-enough established both in the professional literature and in the consciences of the laity. The questions that occupy scholars’ time, therefore, have centrally to do with what might be done about such health inequalities and whether social divisions are more the causal origins of the inequalities or whether they are the result.[3] As the literature reflects an ongoing investigation into all the matters addressed within this paper, definitive conclusions will have to wait until more is positively settled by the broader research community. But, certainly several pertinent issues can be explored at this time and the ongoing questions raised. The Realities of Inequality, Poverty and Societal Issues As is widely acknowledged, there is a relation between relative poverty and social issues. Regarding social ways in which it is difficult for those in relative poverty to be like others around them, it is often found to be difficult for an impoverished person to â€Å"participate fully in the social life of a community or country,† which will often lead to feelings of powerlessness.[4] Such social issues lead naturally into considerations of health inequality, as those who are impoverished often experience a great lack in education and access to resources normally available to those who are not in a state of relative poverty (e.g., healthcare, clean water, good nutrition, shelter, etc.).[5] It has also been noted that these types of relative health inequalities (i.e., between social groups) may be getting worse.[6] Health Inequalities There are at least two ways in which the discussion of health inequality can be broached. First, there can be shown to exist an inequality in healthfulness between classes. That is, one social group exhibits more health than does another, whatever the causal origin of this may be. Regarding the connection between a lack of healthfulness and social division, it has been noted that â€Å"A social class gradient is most pronounced for long-standing illnesses that limit activity.†[7] That is, such illnesses occur within certain social classes. Second, it is possible to explore the relation between being socially challenged and not having access to healthcare. This latter issue may be the simplest to deal with as the reasons for it are more readily seen. If one simply does not have access to that which will provide him with health, then clearly inequity between his group and those of another will be readily apparent. What Can Be Done about Access to Health? In their editorial, Jeanette Vega and Alec Irwin explore some possible responses to such health inequalities. They note that in the past there has been enacted, what might be called a â€Å"Pro-Poor† approach. This takes into account the fact that the poor often simply do not have the means in terms of finance or education to bring it about that they have access to much in the way of health resources or medicine. So, interventionist groups are formed in order to try and ensure that they have some access to medicine and health care. These types of interventionist methods are important, write the authors. But, they are inadequate by themselves. First, they only tend to focus on providing access to one type of group, and this is merely an issue of inequity in unfairness. Second, and perhaps more importantly, they do not attempt to address many of the core reasons why such inequalities arise in the first place, which include â€Å"gender and ethnicity† among other reasons.[ 8] A more comprehensive approach is both necessary and desirable in the effort to combat health inequalities. More must be done to combat the social divisions that exist, both along monetary lines and other ethnic lines.[9] There has been some progress made in a few countries, like Sweden wherein the approach has been comprehensive and on the cooperation between government agencies on high levels. Sweden has developed a national health policy that focuses on what determines health at the â€Å"societal level.† In this model, government agencies work alongside significant social sectors (e.g., education, transportation, environmental protection) and they are all required together to work toward the improving of â€Å"population health and narrowing health equity gaps.†[10] Also, in the United Kingdom recent efforts at accomplishing these same goals have seen success in targeting, not an ethnic or social group, but an age group. That is, collaborative efforts have been engag ed which have targeted mothers of children in early education and child care and have attempted to integrate these services with those of assistance to families and that of general health.[11] More to Be Done on the Research Level In a recent article Stuart Logan asked the hypothetical question of whether research was still important to be carried out in the area of child health inequality.[12] If it is obvious to all, as he argues it is, that â€Å"the relationship between poverty and poor health has been demonstrated so often and for such a wide range of conditions,† then the question naturally arises as to why any such investigative research into the relationship between socioeconomic status and child health should be carried out. Logan believes there are two important reasons that this endeavor is crucial in the overall attempt to overcome health inequalities and social divisions. First, we must continue to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves, and children are the first that come to mind in this category. Furthermore, there is simply not a â€Å"differential in health outcomes between those who are poor and those who are wealthy.†[13] Secondly, to continue such research may shed light on the crucial area of etiology, which, in medicine, is that branch that attempts to determine the causal origins of disease. An example of this latter would be the putative relation between the age of first pregnancy and the cause of breast cancer later in life.[14] Without further research, this suggestion may remain indefinitely putative. Robert Beaglehole agrees with these reasonable suggestions by Logan. Although everyone seems to know the general truth about health inequalities and a correlation with social distinctions, â€Å"an appropriate response is hampered by our poor understanding of their underlying causes.†[15] This is a difficult reality, but it only seeks to illustrate and support the contentions made by Logan with regard to the specific case of child health inequality. Without the proper amount and type of research to be done, it seems difficult to see how this situation of inequality might be improved. Without knowing the prior causes that lead to various ill effects among some social classes, there would seem to be no good way of making forward progress in this regard. Concluding Thoughts As Beaglehole notes in his book review, health inequalities are plainly offensive. They may be most offensive to those who work in the medical profession who have the know-how and skills necessary to help any and all (if they could only access any and all), but who are frustrated by a lack of governmental efforts to improve the persistent situation involving a lack of health and access to healthcare. Some steps of various governments (notably in Europe) have been taken to improve the situation, as we have explored briefly in this essay. Yet, as the writers of the brief appearing in the World Health Organization note, more strategic planning and (more importantly) implementation on the parts of governments working alongside various other national organizations may go a long way yet toward improving the overall situation of health inequality. Without significant progress in this area, it is likely that social divisions between classes, races, and ethnic groups will persist. Bibliography Beaglehole, Robert. â€Å"The Challenge of Health Inequalities† (book review) in The Lancet, London, Feb. 18-24, 206, vol. 367, issue 9510, p. 559-60. â€Å"Poverty and Health.† In Oxford Illustrated Companion to Medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. Logan, Stuart. â€Å"Research and Equity in Child Health.† In Pediatrics. Vol. 12, no. 3, Sept. 2003. Vega, Jeanette and Alec Irwin. â€Å"Tackling Health Inequalities: New Approaches in Public Policy.† In Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO), July 2004, 82 (7). 1 Footnotes [1] Jeanette Vega and Alec Irwin, â€Å"Tackling Health Inequalities: New Approaches in Public Policy,† in Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO), July 2004, 82 (7). [2] Robert Beaglehole, â€Å"The Challenge of Health Inequalities† (book review) in The Lancet London, Feb. 18-24, 206, vol. 367, issue 9510, p. 559-60. [3] Or a third alternative is whether they could be reciprocal-mutually contributing to the origin and subsistence of each other over time. [4] â€Å"Poverty and Health,† in Oxford Illustrated Companion to Medicine, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), pp. 665-9. [5] Ibid., p. 665. [6] Robert Beaglehole, â€Å"Health Inequalities,† p. 559. [7] â€Å"Poverty and Health,† p. 665. [8] Vega and Irwin, â€Å"Tackling Health Inequalities,† p. 7. [9] Ibid. [10] Ibid. [11] Ibid. [12] Stuart Logan, â€Å"Research and Equity in Child Health,† in Pediatrics, vol. 12, no. 3, Sept. 2003, p. 759. [13] Ibid. [14] Ibid., p. 760. [15] Beaglehole, p. 559.

Character Analysis of Emily Grierson in A Rose for Emily by William Fau

Emily Grierson, referred to as Miss Emily throughout the story, is the main character of 'A Rose for Emily,' written by William Faulkner. Emily is born to a proud, aristocratic family sometime during the Civil War; Miss Emily used to live with her father and servants, in a big decorated house. The Grierson Family considers themselves superior than other people of the town. According to Miss Emily's father none of the young boys were suitable for Miss Emily. Due to this attitude of Miss Emily's father, Miss Emily was not able to develop any real relationship with anyone else, but it was like her world revolved around her father. When her father passed away, it was a devastating loss for Miss Emily. The lines from the story 'She told them her father was not dead. She did that for three days,' (Charter 171) conveys the message that she tried to hold on to him, even after his death. Even though, this was a sad moment for Emily, but she was liberated from the control of her father. Instead of going on with her life, her life halted after death of her father. Miss Emily found love in a guy named Homer Barron, who came as a contractor for paving the sidewalks in town. Miss Emily was seen in buggy on Sunday afternoons with Homer Barron. The whole town thought they would get married. One could know this by the sentences in the story ?She will marry him,? ?She will persuade him yet,? (Charter 173). On the contrary side, Homer Barron, although ironically Emily's only love was t...

Television Drama :: essays research papers

The viewer positioning in television dramas play a very important and critical part in how the drama is portrayed to the audience, and hence this gives an idea on how successful the show will be. Dawson’s Creek is a relatively new TV drama aimed at teenagers and the issues they face and have to deal with in society today. The viewer positioning, in relation to the show’s themes, construction and values will be discussed and analysed. The â€Å"Pilot† episode (first episode of Dawson’s Creek) will be referred back to in this essay, as this episode was what propelled Dawson’s Creek into becoming the most watched teen show around the world and what made the actors/ actresses into instant stars. Dawson's Creek is about one boy's coming of age journey and his lifelong friendship with a girl from a vastly different home life. The vivid and absorbing relationship between Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey (Katie Holmes) is at the core of the series. Best friends since they were small children, the two are faced with many new challenges ahead of them in their teenage years, ones that would not have arisen in their childhood days. One is sustaining their close friendship in spite of their budding romantic relationship, their emotional, physical and intellectual growth and the changing world around them. Other than Dawson and Joey, the show also revolves around two other central characters, Jen and Pacey. Jen (Michelle Williams) has mysteriously come from New York to stay with her grandparents, but she clearly has an air of mystery surrounding her as she harbours a dark secret from her past. Dawson clearly lusts for her, but when Jen unveils some of her teenage experiences to Dawson, his feelings for her clearly change. Pacey (Joshua Jackson) has been Dawson’s best friend, along with Joey, for some time. Pacey lives life fearlessly, and he is eager to discovery what life has laid out for him. His gift for sarcasm is matched only by knack for stumbling awkwardly and unprepared into adult situations. The four are engaged in an intriguing relationship, and are forced to deal with their feelings towards each other. Dawson’s Creek is about their journey through life. The show was conceived, developed and written by Kevin Williamson, who continues to serve as executive producer of the series. Dawson's Creek presents a somewhat autobiographical and almost shockingly honest portrayal of teenage characters dealing with real-life issues.

Laws That Contradict

| State Laws That Contradicts Federal Laws| Which One Must We Fallow? | | | State Laws That Contradict Federal Laws Abstract: This Paper explains using proof and some facts from researched sites and articles on the internet using sites like Google as a research source. This also going to show some views that the people have on this subject. We will see information and ideas on this topic (How state Laws Contradict Federal Laws) there all going to be different opinions because we all have different views on this question (Which One Should Fallow.? . I’m here to open your mind and interest you in this subject to see what your opinion is on this. This article will explain you this. You will see 1 article on a situation of wen a state law contradicts a federal law and 2 view of what people think we should do each one of course different. This paper will answer some questions we might ask of or think of. Hope you catch some interest and hope it opens a new perspective to you and yo u get interested in this topic. State Laws That Contradict Federal LawsQuestions we might have and ask in our minds here are some than again this is on some web pages online you can think otherwise you will see examples throughout this report and see why people might say this. Every question will be answered and you will see examples What happens if a state law contradicts the US Constitution or a federal law? What  happens  when a  state  law  conflicts with a  federal  law? If a  state  law  conflicts with a  federal  law  which  law  will prevail? Which should we fallow? In case a person violets one of this laws by doing another what happens?These and more questions can be in our mind and yeah we want an answer to this so I’ll try to a answer these and more. Get ready to learn some stuff we didn’t know. State Laws That Contradict Federal Laws A very important state law that contradicts federal law is the prescribed marijuana. In some st ates they have legalized it for people that have health problems than again what's the point of having a state law that allows you to prescribe marijuana when FBl can arrest you for violating the Federal law.How can they allow it in some states when it’s supposed to be a drug and is prohibited and against all law to have it or consume it? We have seen many issues that have happened when it comes to this like people making fake prescriptions to obtain it and the sale of it. It has been something we have tried to battle against and the police and states try to end but how can they end something when is the own state that’s the approving the legalization. Many people are confused about the legality of medical access to marijuana.First text from online site (First and foremost:  Marijuana, for  any  use,  is illegal under federal law. Even if you live in a state that has enacted legislation or passed a ballot initiative that recognizes marijuana's medical utility y ou are subject to arrest by federal officials for possession or cultivation of marijuana. (Based on this we see that the text is saying that it is illegal under federal law even if u lived in a state where it is legal you would need a ballot or an ID of authorization.I think this is a good way of keeping it from going into the wrong hands but yet there are always ways people forfeit documents and make fake prescriptions to get that Id there should be more ways of verification. ) Federal Laws: The Controlled Substances Act classifies cannabis as a Schedule I drug and defines it as a drug â€Å"with no accepted medical value in treatment. † Despite its long history of use as a medication, cannabis is classified as a â€Å"new drug† and legal access is only possible through an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This helps to see the medical past of the person asking for the drug even though people use it as a pain reliever they should do this drug for people that have very severe drug issues. What do you think should they give it to any sick person or to the ones that have really severe illnesses? ) State Laws: Beginning in 1978, the states began responding to pleas from the seriously ill for legal access to marijuana for medical purposes. Thirty-four states  have enacted laws which recognize marijuana's medical value.Many of these laws authorized state research programs which would allow citizens to gain legal access to marijuana. Several states developed complicated research programs which gave their citizens limited access to legal supplies of medical marijuana. These programs were short-lived, however. Complex federal regulations and the continuous intervention of federal officials made such programs too difficult for most states to administer. This state law has many different views and sides you can take. Like you can be in favor of allowing it yet you can also be against.So here is t he question which one should we fallow? Based on the supremacy claw if the state law contradicts the federal law you have to fallow the federal law so if we fallow the federal law that means that any patient with severe illness and who passes approbation of his/her application should get the illegal drug than again only if passed investigation (IND: Investigational New Drug Application) What happens if someone violates the law? If state has there different laws and penalties and regulations that occur when violating their terms or abusing there.Reference page Question 1 Pg. 3 http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_happens_if_a_state_law_contradicts_the_US_Constitution_or_a_federal_law#ixzz26xSIZOoV Question 2 Pg. 3 http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_happens_if_a_state_law_contradicts_the_US_Constitution_or_a_federal_law#ixzz26xUDqStq Question 4 Pg. 3 http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_happens_if_a_state_law_contradicts_the_US_Constitution_or_a_federal_law#ixzz26xUDqStq First text in parenthes is http://www. marijuana-as-medicine. org/Federal%20;%20State%20Law. htm

Rebuttal on Mark Twain’s the World Is Not Civilized Essay

Mark Twain says that the human race I cruel, and uncivilized. Unlike the animals, humans have the ability to care for those who are weak, sick, and otherwise unfortunate. In the wild if an animal is sick or weak, they are abandoned by their own species and are, ultimately, a source of food for another. The wounded are killed without a hesitation. Man has compassion, not only for our species but for the others. There are many organizations that are created to help people in need. There is the Red Cross that steps in during an emergency to provide shelter, blood and food to those who need it. There are homeless shelters that take in the homeless to shelter them from the elements. There are soup-kitchens that feed the homeless. There are children’s homes that provide a safe place for orphaned or abandoned children to grow up. There is Breast Cancer Awareness, AIDS foundations, and a society to end world hunger. All of these organizations are founded to help someone or something that is in need. Twain says â€Å"I was aware that many men who have accumulated more millions of money than they can ever use have shown a rabid hunger for more, and have not scrupled to cheat the ignorant and the helpless out of their poor servings in order to partially appease that appetite†. Even though it may be true that rich men want to get richer, the wealthy people are the ones that are most charitable. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, two of the richest men in America, give millions of dollars annually to various foundations and charities that help people all over the world Man also helps the animals. There are many organizations that help animals and the planet. Some of those include PETA and Green Peace. We even try to help the earth. New inventions are being created just to help the earth. They start business just to keep specific animals from going extinct. We share and support other countries. When the hurricane in Haiti happened people helped. Resources were given because of the generosity of man. When countries are in need they are helped. When the flood came to Tennessee the people gave some time for community service. Some people that didn’t get hit by the flood could have done nothing but they decided to help others. Man created governments to stop the fighting. Laws were created in order to have a calm and safe environment. Man Negotiates to prevent wars and battles from happening. We also come up with compromise and treaties in order to get peace. For example the Treaty of Versailles was ratified after negotiating and finally coming to a compromise. We don’t just go ahead and fight who ever walk across our territories like the lions.

Britannica online Essay

This is a book proposal that has been created to ensure the children of today are still exposed to the same childhood experiences that we all had years ago. In today’s society we are much more fast paced and immediately are drawn to electronics such as computers, television, movies, ipods, etc†¦ The numbing effect of this constant barrage of information on very young children could lead to a sort of deterioration of values in a small child. Proposed title: Back to the Basics: A Collection of Nursery Rhymes for Today’s Child Introduction: Many of us picked up our own sets of values and morals from what had been passed down to us through tradition. A Nursery Rhyme is a poem or a song, traditionally taught to very young children. Nursery Rhymes in the English language are usually British in origin, dating back to as far as the 16th Century. Aside from the ones imported from England, many Nursery Rhymes also developed in North America (Encyclopedia Britannica online, 2008). These little songs and poems form a sort of symbolic â€Å"backbone† to the continuing cultural and psychological development of the American people and culture. Indeed, at its very core, a Nursery Rhyme is a sort of cultural footprint. While most oral tradition (ex: nursery rhymes) may sound more like nonsense or oversimplified, moralistic tales set to a rhythm and a tune, they carry the symbolic weight of generations past (Bettelheim, 1976). Passed on through tradition and brought alive by the imaginations of the very children who hear them and pass them on, these rhymes bear the values of the culture that created it. For example, Humpty Dumpty’s story reminds us that there are some things that, once broken, can never be mended. In another example, the Itsy Bitsy Spider speaks to us of the value of perseverance. Sometimes, a Nursery Rhyme isn’t just a moral legacy, but a historical one as well: showing us how people lived or worked during the particular time when these rhymes were created. For example, while shepherding may no longer be a common profession, especially in heavily populated urban areas, even children from the inner city are aware that it was once a way of life, thanks to Little Bo Peep and her sheep. Rationale: Nursery Rhymes have been in existence for hundreds of years, but what exactly is the importance in continuing in this tradition? Children are automatically drawn into these stories because of the rhyme, there is rhythm, and they are often about creatures in otherwise unimaginable circumstances, which leads the child’s own imagination to wander. In addition to being an effective vehicle through which a culture propagates and preserves itself, Nursery Rhymes are of particular importance in the development of a young child’s growing language and memory skills. There is a reason that today, even after growing up; we can still remember these little phrases. They have made great impact in our childhood learning schemata and we believe that if they continue to be reintroduced to the children of today, their impact would be highly beneficial. We believe that this book will be a great hit among small children and their parents, and that with the aid of colorful illustrations, this book can be very useful in promoting a child’s mental, psychological, and social development. Methodology: After much deliberation, we decided to limit our selection to the most common and well-loved Nursery Rhymes. We looked through several collections of nursery rhymes, both online and offline, and picked out the ones that occurred the most frequently. Given that we plan to make this book a children’s book, we limited our selection to only four Nursery Rhymes. We chose to do this so that the book could accommodate the illustrations that we hope will be included as visual aids for the children, without being too heavy or cumbersome for even a small child to read and carry. These Nursery Rhymes are as follows: Humpty Dumpty: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses, and all the king’s men, Couldn’t Put Humpty together again. Jack and Jill Jack and Jill went up the hill, To fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown. And Jill came tumbling after The Itsy Bitsy Spider The Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbed up the water spout. Down came the rain And washed the spider out. Out came the sun And dried up all the rain, And the itsy bitsy spider Climbed up the spout again. Little Bo Peep Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep, And can’t tell where to find them. Leave them alone, And they’ll come home, Wagging their tails behind them. Thank you very much for taking the time to read and consider this. We look forward to your timely and positive reply! References Bettelheim, Bruno (1976). Uses of Enchantment: the Importance of Fairy Tales. New York: Knopf Encyclopedia Britannica online, concise version. Nursery Rhymes. retrieved February 3 2008. from http://www. britannica. com/ebc/article-9373775

Edward Said Essay

Edwars Said was born a Palestinian Arab in Jerusalem in 1935, and was American through his father, Wadie Saà ¯d, who was a U.S. Citizen. Wadie Saà ¯d, his father moved to Cairo, before the birth of his son . He spent much of his childhood travelling back and forth from Cairo to Jerusalem, visiting relatives. Saà ¯d said that in his childhood he lived â€Å"between worlds† — like Cairo (Egypt) and in Jerusalem (Palestine). Here are some of his words from this period of life: â€Å"I was an uncomfortably anomalous student all through my early years: a Palestinian going to school in Egypt, with an English first name, an American passport, and no certain identity at all. To make matters worse, Arabic, my native language, and English, my school language, were inextricably mixed: I have never known which was my first language, and have felt fully at home in neither, although I dream in both. Every time I speak an English sentence, I find myself echoing it in Arabic, and vice versa† In 1951, Saà ¯d was expelled from Victoria College for being a troublemaker, and was sent from Egypt to the United States, where he had a miserable year of feeling out of place; yet he excelled academically, achieving the rank of either first or second in a class of one hundred sixty students. He matured into an intellectual young man, fluent in the English, French, and Arabic languages. (he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University (1957), then a Master of Arts degree (1960) and a Doctoral Degree in English Literature (1964) from Harvard University.) Reflections on Exile and Other Essays brings together forty-six essays. The title essay, originally published in 1984 deals with Said’s own condition of exile, and with the implications of exile for those who experience it. While Said sees separation from a homeland as a difficult fate, he believes that the state of detachment gives exiles a unique vision. Being in exile means feeling in estrangement and even if there are romantic and happy episodes in an exile’s life, these are no more than efforts meant to overcome the crippling sorrow of being in pain. Said come to nationalism and its essential association with exile. Nationalism is belonging to a place, people and certain heritage. Nationalism fends off exile and fights to prevent its ravages. The interplay between them is like servant and master, opposites informing and constituting each other. All nationalism in their early stages develop from a condition of estrangement. In time, successful nationalism consign (ad) truth exclusively to themselves and relegate (elÃ… ±ldà ¶z) all outsiders. While nationalism is about groups, exile is solitude experienced outside the group: the deprivations felt at not being with others in the communal habitation. Exiles are cut off from their roots, their land, their past. Exiles don’t have armies or states, therefore they always feel the urge to create one. Exile is a jealous state. You don’t want to share what you have archieved, you have passionate hostility to outsiders, even to those who, in fact, are in the same position as you. Although it is true that anyone prevented from returning home is an exile, some distinctions can be made between exiles, refugees, expatriates and emigres. Exile originated in the age-old practice of banishment. Once banished, the exile lives a miserable life with the stigma of being an outsider. Refugees, on the other hand, are a creation of the 20th century state. The word â€Å"refugee† has become a political one, suggesting innocent and bewildered people requiring urgent international assistance. Expatriates voluntarily live in an alien country, usually for personal or social reasons. They may share in the solitude and estrangement of exile, but they do not suffer under its rigid proscription. Emigres enjoy an ambiguous status. Technically, emigre is anyone who emigrates to a new country. Much of the exile’s life is taken up with compensating for disorienting loss by creating a new world to rule. It is not surprising that so many exiles seem to be novelists, chess players, political activists, and intellectuals. Each of these occupations requires a minimal investment in objects and places a great premium on mobility and skill. The exile’s new world is unnatural and resembles fiction. George Lukacs, in Theory of the Novel, says that novel is a literary form created out of the unreality of ambition and fantasy, it is the form of â€Å"transcendental homelessness†. No matter how well they feel, exiles are always eccentric who feel their difference as a kind of orphanhood. The exile jealously insists on his or her right to refuse to belong. Wilfulness, exaggeration and overstatement are the characteristics styles of being an exile. You compel the world to accept your vision which you make more unacceptable because you are, in fact, unwilling to have it accepted. Artists in exile are decidedly unpleasant and their stubbornness insinuates itself into even their exalted works. Dante’s vision in The Divine Commedy is tremendously powerful in its universality and detail, but even the beatific peace archieved in the Paradiso bears traces of vindictiveness.(bosszuallas) James Joyce chose to be in exile to give force to his artistic vocation. He picked up a quarrel with Ireland and kept it alive so as to sustain the strict opposition to what was familiar. The exile knows that in a secular and contingent world, homes are always provisional (à ¡tmeneti). Borders and barriers, which enclose us within the safety of familiar territory, can also become prisons and are often defended beyond reason and necessity. Exiles cross borders, break barriers of thought and experience. According to Hugo of St. Victor, a 12th century-monk,a strong and perfect man archieves independence and detachment by working through attachments, not by rejecting them. Speaking of the pleasures of exile, there are some positive things to be said too. Seeing â€Å"the entire world as a foreign land† makes possible originality of vision. Most people are aware of one culture, one setting, one home, exiles are aware of at least 2. Both environments are vivid, actual and occuring together contrapuntally. There is a unique pleasure in this sort of apprehension, especially if the exile diminish judgement and elevate appreciative sympathy. Edward Saà ¯d was an advocate for the political and human rights of the Palestinian people. As a public intellectual, he discussed contemporary politics, music, culture, and literature, in lectures, newspaper and magazine articles, and books. Drawing from his family experiences, as Palestinian Christians in the Middle East, at the time of the establishment of Israel (1948), Saà ¯d argued for the establishment of a Palestinian state, for equal political and human rights for the Palestinians in Israel. His decade-long membership in the Palestinian National Council, and his pro–Palestinian political activism, made him a controversial public intellectual. He was intellectually active until the last months of his life, and died of leukemia in 2003.

Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years

In thirteenth century, the word Hindustan, used by Mining-I Syria, meant the areas of Punjab, Harlan and lands between the Gang and Yamaha. In modern times, the same word denotes the modern nation-state of India in its entirety. CLC The context changed from geographical and cultural to political. D In modern context, foreigner means a person who is not Indian. During the medieval period, a foreigner was any stranger who appeared in a village or city. It referred to a person who was not a part of that society or culture.CLC Historians and their sources Different types of sources are used by historians to learn about the past, depending on the period being studied and the nature of the investigation. CLC The major sources of historical information are coins, architecture, inscriptions and textual records. C] The period from 700 AD to 1 750 AD saw an increase in the number of textual records. The reason was easy availability of paper and its low cost. It enabled people to write holy tex ts, chronicles, letters and teachings of saints, petitions, judicial records, and registers of accounts and taxes.These slowly replaced the older sources of information. L Wealthy people, rulers, monasteries and temples collected manuscripts which were placed in libraries and archives. 0 Manuscripts still had to be copied manually. Variations in handwritten copies of the same manuscript developed due to lack of adequate technologies like printing. This made it difficult for historians to interpret textual records. CLC Social and political groups The scale, variety of events and developments that occurred over the period from 700 AD and 1 750 AD is enormous, making it challenging for the historians.L] New technologies in irrigation, agriculture, crafts and warfare were ushered n the subcontinent during this period. New crops like potato and tea, which later became very important, were also introduced with the arrival of new people. As such, it was a period of economic, political, soc ial and cultural changes. C] Traveling for trade and exploration also increased during this period. C] Ragouts, a group of warriors who claimed Ashtray status, gained in importance during this period. The Martha, Sikhs, Jets, Moms and Ashtrays also became important. Clearing of forests in order to expand agriculture, forced many forest Weller to migrate or become peasants. C] Societies became complex and acquired hierarchies. Peasants were required to pay taxes and offer goods and services to local lords. C] Economic and social differences, based upon amount of land, cattle and craftsmanship, emerged amongst peasants. CLC Sub-castes or stats became the primary factor of social differentiation. They had their own rules and regulations, enforced by a sati penchant or an assembly of elders.Ranks varied according to power, influence and resources controlled by the members of the caste. C] Region and empire C] Various dynasties gained ascendancy over different regions, leading to the ris e of kingdoms and empires. CLC The notable dynasties of the period were the Scholars, Challis, Thoughts and Mussels. The Mussels were the most successful in building a vast empire. After their decline in the eighteenth century, regional states re-emerged, but McHugh influence on administration, governance, and economy was still visible.CLC The creation of large empires, encompassing various regions, led to a fusion of traits. At the same time, each region was successful in preserving its individual culture. C] Religions C] Religion was the main force behind social and economic organization of local communities. Religious beliefs were shaped by social conditions. Important changes occurred in Hinduism during this period. They included the worship of new deities, royal patronage of temples and growing importance of Brahmas, the priests, as dominant groups in the society. C Knowledge of Sanskrit texts earned the Brahmas a lot of respect in society.C] The idea of backbit – of a l oving, personal deity that devotees could reach without the support of priests or rituals, evolved during this time. D The teachings Of Islam were also introduced through migrants and merchants. They were widely interpreted by their followers, leading to the emergence of various sects and schools of law. C] Time and historical periods L] In the context of history, time reflects changes in ideas, beliefs and socioeconomic conditions of people. For making historical assessments convenient, time is divided into periods on the basis of similarities in characteristics of events or phenomena.British historians divided Indian's history into three periods: â€Å"Hindu†, Muslim† and â€Å"British†, giving precedence to the religion of rulers rather than changes in the economy, society and culture. Modern historians focus on economic and social factors, dividing history into ancient, medieval and modern periods. CLC The medieval period of Indian history saw the rise of reg ional states, formation of peasant societies and the influence of Hinduism and Islam. O The arrival of European trading companies, who were attracted by the economic prosperity of the region, was amongst the most important events of this period.