Modernization and Indigenous Cultures Essay

Introduction Modernization is the process of moving from farming and agricultural society to an industrial society and it mainly deals with societies after the Industrial Revolution of the mid-18th century. Some key features of modernization would be large, formal organizations and division of labor based on specialization of skills and abilities. There is more control over environmental resources such as oil, water, land, and animals. There is also a distinct improvement in the quality of life during this time. Because of a higher per capita income individuals are able to buy more goods and services, have more recreational time, and have better housing and health care. Modernization can have both positive and negative effects on society and can often bring about controversy. In this paper I will look at examples of how modernization has affected cultures and traditions around the world. Theories Before we look at the effects of modernization on different cultures we will look at a few specific theories concerning how modernization affects society and community. The German sociologist Ferdinand Tà ¶nnies (1855-1937) formed two theories concerning modernization which he called _Gemeinschaft_ and _Gesellschaft_. Ferdinand Tà ¶nnies viewed modernization as the progressive loss of human community – _Gemeinschaft_. He also believed the Industrial Revolution weakened the social bond of families and communities by emphasizing the impersonal business attributes like money, efficiency, and self-interest – _Gesellschaft_. Tà ¶nnies belief was that modernization turns societies inside out so that individuals are essentially separated in spite of uniting factors (Macionis, 2006, page 457). Peter Berger, whose work was greatly influenced by Ferdinand Tà ¶nnies, identified four major characteristics of modernization: the decline of small, traditional communities, the expansion of personal choice, increased social diversity, future oriented and higher focus on time. As we look at societies and cultures around the world we will see how these four characteristics play a large part in explaining the effects of modernization on each. There are other aspects of modernization that are not quite as appropriate for explaining the affects on indigenous cultures but should still be discussed. Other theorists such as Emile Durkeim, whose view of modernity differed from Tà ¶nnies’s in a more optimistic manner. He viewed modernization as a change from community based bonds to a community based on economic priorities – division of labor. There was Max Weber, who thought that modern societies valued efficiency over tradition; therefore, modern people will adjust to anything that will allow them to attain their objective. Weber felt that for modern people, truth is the result of rational calculation. Then we have Karl Marx, who analyzed modernization as the ascendancy of industrial capitalism. He anticipated a socialist revolution that would lead to an egalitarian society. The problem with Marx’s theories is that he had an idealistic view of how the world would work, and underestimated the dominance of bureaucracy in shaping modern societies (Macionis, 2006). Cultures and traditions Traditional culture, in a broad sense, is human activity such as religion, philosophy, moral standards, laws, society, history, and art that have been learned and passed on in a community or group over a long period of time. Whether a society can survive modernization without losing its identity is the question that is debated by many people. In Asian countries such as Japan, Modernization has often been confused with Westernization. This is partly due to the fact that the concept originated during the Industrial Revolution in England. It is also due to the fact that accepting modernization often meant accepting a Western culture and its resulting way of life. Many feel that Japan is a great example of how a thoroughly modern way of life can exist in a non-western society. Others argue that Japan has become distinctly more western as a result of its modernization. The main thing to understand about Japan is that it has always been on the periphery of culturally developed countries such as China, and has become accustomed to accepting foreign developed cultures. The fact is that Japanese people have always had a great interest and curiosity in imported things, including religion and science. This is why Japan never felt a strong resistance against the introduction of Western culture. Effects on Family There was a United Nations study conducted in the mid-80’s that examined the effects of modernization, urbanization, and industrialization on the family structure. Part of the findings were focused on developing countries where wide-spread poverty was forcing families to migrate to areas where work could be found; mainly large cities. Technology and development have both positive and negative effects on family. It is true that there is usually an improvement in living conditions; especially in the area of health care, income, living conditions, and education. On the other hand it can lead families into an impoverished life, loss of social identity and traditions, and an effort to ever improved innovation with no regard for the effects on family life. Most would agree that the positive or negative effects of modernization on the family are not intentional, but a product of growing  population and ever-advancing technology. It can be said that few activities resulting from modernization have been geared explicitly towards families; whether to reduce the negative effects or improving their well-being. There have been many changes in family structure due to modernization. Along with the change in roles and responsibilities within the family are changes in values. This includes a greater pressure to adopt the values, culture, or viewpoints of the dominant group. â€Å"The emphasis on individualism is probably pre-eminent among the values of developed societies†. (Development and the family, 1985) There is a very large pressure on families and small communities to integrate into the dominant culture. Although there has been a long-term shift away from the extended family towards the nuclear family, the extended family is still regarded in some instances (among rural-urban migrants, for one) as a way to continue social and cultural traditions while adapting to new circumstances and behaviors (Development and the family, 1985). It is inevitable that there will be clashes between the dominant culture and that of family values. Industrialization and Urbanization There are two key aspects of modernization in which we need to explore; Industrialization and Urbanization. Both can be looked at as a byproduct of modernization and have related affects on a society’s culture and traditions. The effects of industrialization on a family, as with modernization, is influenced by the distance they must travel to acclimate themselves to the new way of life. Some of the pressures that a traditional family structure might face include; work schedules that reduce the time a family spends together, less family production as a unit, and a diminished societal network due to migratory labor. In the U.N study mentioned above, urbanization is listed as the third major aspect of development impacting on family functioning, particularly the rapid growth of rural-to-urban migration (Development and the family, 1985). Some of the negative aspects of urbanization on family life would include  decreased communication between family members, separation of family members and lack of communal support for urban migrants, more single-parent households and postponement of child-bearing. All of these factors affect how communities and families develop, and how their culture and traditional values are passed on. There are also areas like Sao Paulo in South America where modernization has caused substantial population growth over the last 100 years. In the case of Sao Paulo, widespread coffee cultivation created sudden prosperity to a region that was fairly isolated. Then there was another population surge as manufacturing was established in the area. By the middle of the 20th century Sao Paulo became the chief manufacturing center of Brazil. The problem with that much growth in a generally poor country is the mass influx of people. With over-crowded cities come crime, air and noise pollution, traffic congestions, and most importantly a labor force that seriously outnumbers the available jobs (Cohen, 2004). Many individuals from outlying areas will continue to travel to this city in hopes of a better life, and most will end in continued poverty. It’s possible that many will end up in areas like Prestes Maia. The largest squat in Latin America, some 258 families, nearly 2,000 people, have crammed into this disused textile factory. Its 20 story’s provide shelter for some of the poorest people in arguably the most unequal place on earth (Study in contrast, 2007). There is no longer a sense of community in large cities like this. How can there be a local support network when each individual is busy looking after themselves. Conclusion Most people would probably say that globalization and modernization rarely cares for societies and culture, but that statement is not completely accurate. Cultures do not always have to modify themselves and adapt to the global changes that are being imposed upon them. There have been cases, like the Kayapo in Brazil, where natives used modern technology to help fight the intrusion of developers. In the case of the Kayapo people, they used video  cameras to film treaty negotiations and then used them against the government when they tried to go back on their word. This seems to be the exception rather then the rule. In most cases though, the reality is that dominant cultures do overwhelm smaller indigenous cultures. Small communities and societies are often torn apart by the pull of large urban areas. Because of modernization there has been an increase in personal choice. With industrialization come more opportunities for an individual to choose there future. People no longer had to stay on the farm to ensure that the family would produce enough to survive. This also led to the decline of small traditional communities. Individuals and families would travel to where the opportunities were. The problem is that those that are left behind feel abandoned by those who migrate to the cities. This fact alone creates a cultural division between indigenous peoples. Central and South America are a classic example of how a dominant culture can completely decimate that of the indigenous people. The Portuguese and Spanish left a lasting impression on the indigenous way of life. That influence reached new heights during the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th century. Not only were the Europeans extracting recourses from the area, they were also introducing new ways of thinking, new technologies, and a new type of economy. It would be almost impossible for a lesser developed people to compete against the dominant culture of a technologically advanced society. References Cohen, B. (2004). Urban Growth in Developing Countries: A Review. _World_ _Development_, _32_, Retrieved March 06, 2008, from http://www7.nationalacademies.org/dbasse/Cities_Transformed_World_Develop ment_Article.pdf Development and the family. (May 1985). _UN Chronicle_, 22, p.xix(2). Retrieved March 17, 2008, from General OneFile via Gale:http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS Macionis, J. J. (2006). Society: The basics (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson PrenticeHall. Study in contrast. (2007, March 14). The Statesman,1. Retrieved March 6, 2008, from ProQuest Newsstand database. (Document ID: 1232854241).

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 20

Dante was waiting for me when I got home. I normally liked having the company, but after being with Seth, Dante's presence now made me feel uncomfortable and confused. He didn't seem to notice right away, though, and instead was immediately caught up by Maddie's condo packet. â€Å"What's this?† he asked, leafing through some pages. â€Å"Maddie's been playing real estate agent for me.† â€Å"Wow. I didn't think you were serious about that.† I leaned back on the couch, weary from dancing, sex, and the emotional miasma I seemed to be swimming through lately. Bringing up Maddie didn't make me feel so great. â€Å"I didn't think I was either. I mentioned it offhand, and she kind of went crazy.† â€Å"Alki Beach, huh? Some of these are pretty nice.† He held up one print-out. â€Å"Brand-new condo, still being built. You can weigh in on the colors and trim.† I shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. I don't have time to go shopping right now.† â€Å"One of the power spots on your list is near Alki. You could swing by.† I gave him a puzzled look. â€Å"Since when are you interested in me moving?† He sat down opposite me, still looking through the listings. â€Å"Well, if you buy locally, I can rest easy that you're sticking around. Besides, get a bigger place, and we could try some cohabitation.† That caught me off-guard. â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"You gave me a key. I might as well live here anyway.† â€Å"You're going to freeload off me for some more space, huh?† I teased. He sighed, looking pained. â€Å"Man, you really do think the worst. I'd pay you rent.† â€Å"With what?† I asked incredulously. â€Å"Business has been good. I think things are on the upswing.† â€Å"No offense, baby, but your business doesn't seem like the type that can maintain that kind of momentum. I think this has been a fluke.† I spoke too soon and felt bad when I realized I'd hurt him. â€Å"But we can play it by ear if you want to move in. Maybe your reputation's spreading, and business will keep booming.† He seemed a little mollified after that, yet as I spoke the words, I found I wasn't overly thrilled at the prospect of us living together. I still had Seth on the brain. Obsessing on him was foolish, I knew. This fling of ours could only last a few more days at most. I shouldn't be mooning over him when I'd just be going back to Dante anyway. Dante wanted to know how my beach investigation had gone, and I welcomed the change in subject. I gave him a brief rundown of my non-progress. â€Å"You want me to look with you?† he asked. â€Å"I've finally got some time tomorrow.† I hesitated. The truth was, just before we'd parted, Seth had said he'd look with me and that he'd bring Kayla. The afterglow could be very persuasive. Still, I'd had to do a lot of convincing that she'd be safe, and honestly, I hoped I was right. â€Å"I roped some other people into it,† I said. â€Å"We should be fine.† I feared he'd question me further, particularly about whether I had a psychic to go with me or not. Mercifully, he let it go. I honestly didn't think he wanted to wander beaches and was grateful for the reprieve. When we went to bed later, there was no way I could put his arduous advances off any longer, not without raising suspicion. I'd made a good recovery and no longer had my back excuse. Yet†¦something was nagging at me. Dante himself had been the one to first joke about whether I could get pregnant in my pseudo-human state. I still didn't know if that was possible, and even if it was, would it matter if I returned to my immortal state in a few days? I had no clue how any of this would work, but Seth and I hadn't used protection. And suddenly, I realized that if there were any chance in the world that I could get pregnant-if Nyx's vision might really come true-I didn't want to chance a paternity dispute. So, I turned on the charm for Dante and went down on him again, something he didn't really seem to mind. He tried to get me off in return, but it was to no avail. After being with Seth, I had zero desire of my own and found I couldn't come. And so, for the first time with Dante, I faked it. I was a pretty good faker. He never suspected. He slept late the next morning, so I slipped out early without waking him. Seth and I were meeting over at a restaurant in Bellevue, hopefully far enough away from anyone we knew to see us. While walking to my car, I felt someone fall into step beside me. â€Å"So, I hear you're spreading stories about me,† Cedric said amiably. Startled, I glanced over at him, unease spreading through me. Cedric was my suspect du jour, and I'd already seen one demon's reaction to my theories. Of course, he didn't look particularly destructive at the moment, and there was also the fact that I had yet to tell anyone my latest theories about him implicating Nanette. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"Kristin said you said that I told Nanette how you thought she might have summoned Jerome.† He paused as though trying to make sense of that. â€Å"For the record, I didn't.† I nearly stopped walking. â€Å"Then who did?† â€Å"Hell if I know. Just figured you should know I wasn't responsible for what happened to you.† He offered no more, no condolences or queries to my health. I honestly couldn't expect that from a demon. The fact that he'd bothered to come talk to me was a rarity enough-and naturally, he could be lying. â€Å"Well, I don't know who else could have told her, then. Or why. I only told a handful of people.† The more I thought about it, the more I realized he had to be lying. I'd only told my friends. He maintained his perfectly bland face. â€Å"Like I said, I don't know.† We reached my car, and I paused, leaning against it. â€Å"You came all the way here to tell me this?† Not that it would have been an arduous journey for him. â€Å"Don't flatter yourself,† he said with a smile. â€Å"I'm here to chat with your demonesses. Hell's pretty much ruled out Jerome coming back. There'll be someone official here in days to settle the matter.† I tried to ignore the chill that sent down my spine and parse the rest of his words. Cedric was cozying up to Grace and Mei. Not a surprise. Whoever came here to assign a new archdemon would question those two the most. â€Å"Well, thank you,† I said. I didn't really know what else to say in that matter, so I switched to something else that had been on my mind. â€Å"Hey, I haven't heard much about your cult lately.† â€Å"Yeah, they've been pretty quiet. Maybe you helped after all.† â€Å"Well, I don't think I did much.† I was also starting to suspect the cult had nothing left to do. Now that their â€Å"Angel† had used them as an effective distraction during Jerome's summoning, they were no longer needed. I clicked my door open, and another curious thought struck me. â€Å"How's it going with Tawny?† Cedric grimaced. â€Å"Well†¦we went out a couple of times.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"My private life is no concern of yours.† â€Å"Fair enough.† I started to get in. â€Å"But if you must know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I paused and arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Her conversation is†¦lacking a little,† he admitted. I couldn't help it. I laughed. â€Å"Are you seriously surprised by that?† â€Å"Beauty's skin deep, I know†¦I guess I'd just hoped for a little more depth.† I chose not to comment on what he considered beautiful. â€Å"Don't take this the wrong way, but I figured you wouldn't really want more than cheap sex.† He cut me a look. â€Å"Because I'm a demon?† â€Å"Don't look at me like that. Being romantic isn't really in your job description.† â€Å"True, true. But at the very least, I'd like to have a little understanding with my cheap sex. Someone who had some vague inkling of what I endure on a daily basis.† He was still being gruff and demonlike, but there was a faint whisper of something surprisingly human under there. I started to tell him that I didn't think that was very likely. Then, I thought of Kristin, Kristin who watched him with doe eyes and fretted over his well-being. â€Å"Someone who sort of gets your job and has an appreciation for its absurdity? Someone who's interested in helping you when you're stressed, in connecting with you and understanding things to an extent where you don't even have to say them anymore? Is that what you're looking for?† He snorted. â€Å"Yeah, like that'll happen.† â€Å"I don't know. Maybe there's someone out there like that.† â€Å"You may not have been human for a long time, but you still cling to their delusions. That's fairy-tale stuff. You can't have that. I can't have that. See you later.† He vanished, uncaring of any mortals who might see him. I stared vacantly at where he'd been, wondering if what he said was true. Was he missing a good match right in front of him? Or was Kristin deluding herself with her crush on him? And was I deluding myself with my feelings for Seth? Was I really feeling connected to him or was it all just lust? There was no use fretting about any of it now. Cedric didn't seem to want to kill me at the moment, so that was the best I could get. I drove over to Bellevue, just in time for the morning commute out of the city to be winding down. Bellevue was a suburb, a city in its own right, and the restaurant we'd chosen was in Bellevue's old downtown, one that had eventually been supplanted when a mall rearranged the city's trendy areas. The place was a quiet little bistro, tucked between a jewelry store and a bakery. Seth and Kayla were already there. She sat in a booster seat beside him, examining a stuffed unicorn while he leafed through a menu. Seeing both of them sent ripples of warmth and happiness through me. â€Å"Hey guys,† I said, sliding in across from them. Kayla gave me a shy smile, and Seth positively lit up. His hair was as messy as usual, and his T-shirt today advertised Trix, a cereal I'd forgotten even existed. â€Å"Thanks for doing this,† I said. â€Å"I really appreciate it.† Seth's smile grew, though I saw the tiniest bit of apprehension in his eyes. â€Å"Just so long as you're sure it's†¦you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He glanced over at Kayla, who was groping for her glass. Seth hastily intervened to help her before she could knock it over. â€Å"It'll be easy,† I said. â€Å"Maybe even boring. We'll just walk around and look for something resembling white stone or rock.† â€Å"And Kayla can help?† I turned toward the little girl. She glanced between both of us, her blue eyes wide and eerily knowing. â€Å"I think so. Again, at this point, she just senses stuff without really understanding why. If we get anywhere near Jerome, I think she'll show some sort of reaction, even if she doesn't know what it is.† At least I hoped so. After that, we didn't mention our mission for the rest of the meal. We made small talk instead and fawned over Kayla, but it was almost something we did on autopilot, something we weren't even paying attention to. Really, Seth and I were consumed by each other. It was more than just lust too, though I certainly hoped he'd noticed my low-cut top today. I found myself just aglow from his presence. I loved being close to him, feeling the joy that spread within me. It was like falling in love again. It was that connection and understanding that Cedric had said was a fairy tale. And even when we finished up and went and scoped out our first beach, that electricity and warmth continued flowing between us. Kayla walked between us for a while, with each of us holding one of her hands. She struggled a little with the sand but seemed infinitely fascinated by the sights around her: the waves, the seagulls, other children. The rain had faded away today, and we had sunshine taunting us with the hope that spring had truly arrived. We found no white rocks, however, and Kayla had no out-of-the-ordinary reactions like she'd had with me in the past, or even with Dante. When we got to our second beach, she began slowing down, and I realized this wasn't going to be the aggressive day of hunting I'd hoped for. After a while, Seth picked her up and carried her. She managed to stay awake until we finished our search but promptly fell asleep in the car. I knew we'd have to call it a day, but we stopped off at a little caf? ¦ on the way home that served great desserts. We settled into a corner booth, Seth and me sitting side by side while I held Kayla on my lap. We decided to simply split a piece of cheesecake, and naturally, I required coffee. Kayla still leaned drowsily against me, but she'd valiantly woken up as though sensing the approach of sugar. I brushed her hair back from her face. â€Å"Hey,† I said gently. â€Å"Did you see anything magic today?† That was how she'd referred to me in the past. She shook her head and reached up to touch my cheek in a mirror of my own gesture. â€Å"When will you be magic again?† she asked. â€Å"I don't know,† I told her. â€Å"Soon.† Seth's leg against mine was starting to stir up some illicit feelings, something I felt a little ashamed of with Kayla there. I was further startled when I glanced up at him and saw not lust in his eyes, but rather, something soft and tender. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Why are you looking at me like that?† â€Å"Because of you,† he said. â€Å"Just the way you interact with her†¦it's remarkable.† â€Å"Because I can get her to talk?† He shook his head. â€Å"Nah. More than that. I've seen it with the other girls. You have a knack with kids. You'd make a great mother.† Maddie had made the same offhand comment. I don't think Seth had ever really and truly grasped how much I'd pined for children. His words filled me with both elation and sorrow. For an instant, I considered telling him about Nyx's dream and the bizarre pregnancy theory. Those things were too fragile and too precious to me, however, and the cheesecake's serendipitous arrival saved me from further deliberation. The cheesecake was lemon raspberry, a bit adventurous for Kayla, perhaps, but she ate it without hesitation. Seth gave up on his share before us, and she and I finished it down to the last bite. â€Å"Perfect,† he mused. â€Å"I'll return her to Terry and Andrea, just in time for her the sugar rush to kick in. They'll never let her go out again.† He frowned. â€Å"Will you need her again? I think she has some kind of play-date thing tomorrow.† I sighed, and reality dimmed my golden moment. â€Å"I don't know. I'm running out of close places. I'll have to head up north next, up around Edmonds, though Dante pointed out that Jerome could be farther out-out on the Olympic Peninsula or something. The summoners would want to keep him close, but ‘close' could mean ten miles or a hundred.† â€Å"You're not going to be able to go out to the coast in an easy day trip,† observed Seth. Under the table, his hand rested on mine out of sympathy. â€Å"I'm sorry.† I squeezed his hand in return. â€Å"It'll be as it'll be, I guess.† â€Å"I still want to help if I can.† I offered him a rueful smile. â€Å"You want to help me get back to being a succubus?† His return smile was equally bittersweet. â€Å"There's no way any of this can end well, Georgina. Sometimes†¦sometimes we have to choose the lesser of evils and simply enjoy our sweet moments while we can.† Like this one. And through some shared instinct, we both fell silent, savoring this brief interlude, this dream we'd gotten ourselves ensnared in. For now, it was enough to just sit together like this. His hand moved idly on my leg, offering comfort and love†¦at least for a little while. Before long, the sweet affection turned into something with a bit more desire. I met his eyes, and while it wasn't the same animal intensity that had thrown me against the wall last night, there was still a longing in his eyes that told me how much he wanted me, to be closer to me. My body responded to it, and then we both glanced over at Kayla, who had fallen asleep again. We laughed, realizing the absurdity of our current situation. â€Å"I should get her back,† said Seth. â€Å"Yeah,† I said, sad at the thought of parting but certainly not aroused enough to make out while his niece was around. He drove me back to my car in Bellevue. Our parting kiss was gentle and light, almost hesitant. It seemed typical of this entire affair, like it was hardly real and would blow away at any moment. â€Å"Anything you need, Thetis,† he breathed into my ear. â€Å"Anything you need, I'll do it. You know I will.† A flower of agony and euphoria burst open in my chest. He hadn't called me Thetis, his old pet name for me, since the day we broke up. â€Å"I know,† I murmured into his shirt. â€Å"I know.† I returned to Queen Anne not long after that, getting a nice spot right in front of my building. My head was swimming with Seth and Kayla and Jerome and a hundred other things. I was so distracted that when I stepped into my apartment, I nearly walked right past Grace sitting on my couch. Of course, considering she was the first demon all week who hadn't attacked me the instant I cleared the door, my reaction to her subtlety was understandable. â€Å"Grace?† I asked curiously, as though maybe it wasn't her. She was leafing through a copy of Seattle Metropolitan magazine, their issue on Seattle's best brunches. When she glanced up at me, there was a tiredness in her eyes that even demonic perfection couldn't hide. Seeing her alone was almost as strange as her being here at all. I'd grown so used to her and Mei being a unit that their forced separation lately seemed almost as tragic as Jerome's summoning. â€Å"There you are,† she said. â€Å"I almost left.† â€Å"Sorry,† I said. I meant it. I seemed to be on her and Mei's good side lately and wanted to keep it that way. Demons didn't like waiting, and without that innate connection of an archdemon, she couldn't instantly find me across time and space. Grace gave a half-hearted shrug. â€Å"I don't mind. It's rather pleasant having a few moments' respite from all the politics and bickering.† â€Å"I can imagine.† I frowned. â€Å"No, wait. I don't think I can.† I swear, I thought for a second she might laugh, but she kept that same stone face she excelled at. â€Å"It'll all be over soon, which is why I came to see you. Mei and I have been talking to all of the other lesser immortals today. The day after tomorrow, a corporate demon named Ephraim will be making his final decision on who will replace Jerome.† A cold lump settled into my stomach. â€Å"So soon?† â€Å"Hell doesn't like to waste time and resources.† â€Å"I guess not.† â€Å"Ephraim's already in the area and may come speak to you as he attempts to assess the situation. He'll want to know about your job, how things ran under Jerome, etc.† With each word, my spirits sank further and further. My window to find Jerome was shriveling up. We were going to get a new archdemon anytime now. â€Å"Don't be afraid to speak the truth,† she advised. â€Å"I know that's often a concern among lesser immortals, for fear of causing offense.† â€Å"Something like that,† I muttered, thinking of Nanette. â€Å"Clearly, you don't want to actively anger Ephraim, but he has no affiliations with anyone currently involved in the dispute here. He won't punish you for stating your opinion.† â€Å"I'm guessing he might not listen to it either.† There it was. A tiny quirky of her lips, gone so quickly that I wasn't even sure I saw it. She rose from the sofa and absentmindedly tugged on her blazer. It was deep, deep red, paired with sleek black trousers and patent leather heels. Underneath the collar of her coat, I caught a glimpse of that same chunky necklace she'd worn at the meeting. I recalled Mei's sleeker one and couldn't resist my next words. â€Å"This may sound weird†¦but I can't help but notice you and Mei are dressing differently lately.† As soon as I said that, I hoped she wouldn't get mad at me essentially calling her and Mei copycats. Fortunately, she remained as blas? ¦ as usual. â€Å"In these times, it's wise to distinguish yourself. None of our jobs are secure right now.† I did a double-take. In all of this madness, it had never occurred to me that Grace and Mei might have something to fear. But of course they did. When Hell did re-orgs, they tended to tweak the larger structure. They could very well decide to transfer Grace and Mei and institute a whole new set of demonic leaders here. I didn't like that idea any better than losing Jerome. I wanted things to stay the same. And studying that fatigue I'd seen on Grace's face, I realized I wasn't the only one with a lot to worry about. â€Å"Well†¦for what it's worth, I think you're doing a great job. You've had to do so much clean-up and damage control, and then with all these demons†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook my head. â€Å"I don't know. They'd be stupid not to recognize that.† The strangest look came over Grace's face. I would have almost called it surprise, but her careful, icy composure made it hard to say for sure. â€Å"Thank you, Georgina.† Her voice was stiff, like dealing with compliments made her uncomfortable. â€Å"I hope you'll share your feelings with Ephraim, should he speak with you.† â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"No problem.† After a quick glance at my kitchen clock, she turned back to me and gave a smart nod. â€Å"I have to meet with the others. I'll speak with you again soon.† She vanished, but I could offer no farewell in return. I had just seen something. Something that changed everything. I stood frozen. This whole time, for the last week, something had been percolating in my head. I'd noted Grace and Mei's dedication to their job, how they were always there to help when chaos broke out. I'd noted also how they'd been forced to split up a lot lately with the new workload, and as Grace had said, they would now probably be scrutinized individually. And why wouldn't they be? If someone was going to scout for a new demon to run Seattle, why not look at the ones who were already running it? â€Å"Oh my God,† I breathed. But there was more to it than that. It wasn't just that Grace or Mei had the perfect motive to get Jerome summoned. I had more than motive before me. I had proof. Sprinting to my bedroom, I searched frantically for the photo of Mary's medallion, certain it would be gone. Nope. It was still there, knocked off my nightstand to the floor. I picked it up. â€Å"Oh my God .† There it was. When Grace had turned her head, I'd caught a fuller glimpse of the chunky necklace and its network of brown and black stones. The answer had been right in front of me. At the Cellar meeting, I'd noticed a piece of the necklace's stonework shaped like a crescent moon. I hadn't recognized it as anything more than ornamentation, but now, comparing the photo to what I'd just seen on Grace, the truth was obvious. Grace had part of the seal. It was the left side of the medallion, separated in an irregular way to give it that fanciful crescent shape. But I'd seen the fine etchings of the symbols when she tilted her head. They were the same. It was the seal. The picture fell from my hands, and I ran back to the living room, grappling for my cell phone. My hands shook, and I could barely dial. Of course, for a second, I wasn't sure who I was dialing. Hugh, I decided. I had to tell him and the rest of my friends that- â€Å"Drop it.† A strong hand covered my mouth and jerked me backward. My back hit somebody, a tall man with a rock-solid chest. His other hand reached out and wrapped around my wrist, making the links of my watch dig in painfully. â€Å"Drop it,† he said. â€Å"I know what you saw. I saw it too. But you can't tell anyone. Not yet.† I could barely hear through the pounding of my heart in my ears, but it didn't matter. I knew this voice, knew it intimately. It had haunted my dreams-or rather, my nightmares-for the last six months. It was a sign of how truly out of it I'd been after Nanette attacked me that I hadn't recognized his voice that day. I dropped the phone. He released his grip on my wrist, and a moment later, the hand on my mouth moved away as well. Miraculously, I didn't start screaming. Slowly, slowly, I turned around, knowing exactly what I'd find. Blue-green eyes, just like the sea I'd grown up around. â€Å"Roman.†

Retail management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Retail management - Essay Example By entering into joint-venture agreement with other large-scale grocery retailers around the world, Tesco Plc managed to establish 12 international businesses in Central Europe, Czech Republic, Hungary, Japan, Malaysia, Poland, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States among others (Leahy, 2007, pp. 42 – 43; Couch, 2006; Wilson, 2005). One of the secret behind the business success of Tesco is its ability to determine and deliver what its valued customer wants. In line with this, establishing an effective supply chain management is necessary not only within the operational level but also within the strategic level. Through the use of effective supply chain management system, the use of efficient logistic infrastructure enables the company to easily meet its target consumers’ expectations at a relatively cheaper service costs. In relation to the importance of establishing an effective supply chain management, this report will provide a strategic analysis with regards to the key supply chain issue that Tesco Plc would face over the next five years. As part of going through the main discussion, a brief historical outline with regards to the features of Tesco’s existing supply chain and special offers will be briefly tackled to give the readers with a clear overview concerning the research topic. Based on the historical developments in Tesco’s supply chain management system that took place between 1970s up to the present time, strategic recommendations on how Tesco Plc could further improve its supply chain management system will be highlighted in details. Brief Historical Outline with Regards to the Features of Tesco’s Existing Supply Chain and Special Offers Among the major suppliers of Tesco includes not only the local farmers but also other food and non-food manufacturers (Tesco PLC Corporate Responsibility Review 2007, 2007, p. 12). To achieve and maintain a smooth flow of product supplies coming str aight from Tesco’s accredited suppliers, the retail company maintains not only a good working relationship with its employees who are directly responsible in managing the schedule of delivery of its needed food and non-food supplies but also its valued consumers and a total of 1,500 accredited suppliers (Tesco PLC Corporate Responsibility Review 2007, 2007, p. 14). Mid-1970s – Direct to Store Delivery (DSD) Process During Mid-1970s, Tesco’s supply chain management system was highly dependent over the use of direct to store delivery (DSD) (Gustafsson, 2006, p. 45; Fernie & Sparks, 2004, p. 103). In line with the implementation of DSD process, Tesco was dependent over its regional distribution centres (RDCs) each time there was a need to transport ordered goods coming from its accredited suppliers straight to its retail store outlet (Gustafsson, 2006, p. 45). Although the use of this particular supply chain strategy enabled the company to deliver the ordered produ cts directly to each of Tesco’s store outlets, the retail company encountered customer complaints due to the inconsistency in the quality and market prices of food and non-food products

A Favorite Pet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Favorite Pet - Essay Example I hastily made my way through the dark to get to the light switch. OUCH. I bumped into the hardwood couch. Swearing, I got up and stepped on something unusually soft. I bent to pick up what I thought was a cushion. I felt its feathery softness and then, as if someone on the other end was pulling the cushion, it slithered from my hands. Now terrified, I reached for the light switch. In the pitch black of the room, shiny, wide yellow eyes with extremely dilated pupils stared at me. Horrified as I already was, I screamed. Somebody turned on the lights and I saw, sitting right in front of me, a feathery fur ball; a fusion of grey and white fur with long whiskers and a small adorable face set on which were huge, hypnotizing yellow eyes and an adorable pink nose. The creature stared at me, amazed, and I could only return the amazement. That was my first encounter with our new pet, Dimka. I have had a lot of pets throughout my life. From a chick, when we used to live on a farm, to a horse w ho I wanted for a horse race, my experience with pets has not been quite worth remembering. I never developed the bond that people talk about with any of my pets. The reason, probably being that none of them stayed with me for long or maybe that, they all faced a traumatic fate. Seeing Dimka that night, did not ignite that spark of excitement into me. However, there was something unsettling about her presence which I could not figure out. As I came to know later, that was the beginning of the bond that Dimka and I would soon come to form. Dimka was a cat of the Persian breed which is considered the elite class in the kingdom of cats. She had been born to a lovely cat couple in my Uncle Igor's house. They named her after the exquisite blend of grey and white that her body was. Seeing her now, I knew why they had named her that. Her fur reminded me of the haze that overrides the blue of a sky before a heavy downpour. Uncle Igor was leaving the country for a few months and he could not think of leaving Dimka, only a year old, alone. That is how we got Dimka. I have never been fond of cats. All those horror movies that associate cats with evil magic and witch transformations worked to create a bad image in my mind. The first few days, I did not even look at her. She would patrol the hallways and I would always change my path whenever I caught sight of her. At nights, I would refrain from getting my midnight snack just because I was afraid she might turn into witch. Looking back at those times, I can't help laughing because Dimka turned out to be the total opposite of the cliched bad image. It all happened on one fateful night. I was up till late studying for my high school final which I had the next morning. I decided to take a break. So I plugged in my headphones, closed my eyes and leaned back on my chair. After a few minutes I felt something soft brush past my leg. I opened my eyes to see Dimka sitting beside my chair brushing her fur against me. I freaked out and shifted unsteadily in my chair, unplugging my headphones. And that was when I heard her soft murmur, almost like a whisper. She looked at me with those huge eyes of hers; wide open and her face reminded me of a small, lovely infant trying to get his message across through facial gestures. I could not help patting her and at my touch she playfully brushed herself beneath my hand. She 'meowed' again and I knew what I had to do. I made my way downstairs to the kitchen, Dimka trudging along. I gave her some cat food to eat and watched as she devoured the whole bowl. That night, for the first time had I not only

The Childhood Phase of a Person Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Childhood Phase of a Person - Essay Example The childhood phase of a person is developed through his activities in a school. The major part of the childhood of a person is spent in the schools. The preliminary and secondary schools are the basic foundations on which the overall values, goals, and personality of a person are developed. However, special care must be taken by the schools as organizations to foster the well-being and safety of the children attending their schools. The transition from one school to another may be a new experience for the children which involves stress and requires adjustment on the part of the children1. A transition phase encompasses the loss of old friendships formed in the schools and finding their place in a new environment. These may add to the worry of the children when joining a new school. The adjustment of the children in the new environments should also be supported by the schools so that the children can deal with the stress and imbalances associated with the transition process. The spor ts activities and social activities in secondary schools can support the children to become adjusted and involved in the new environment easily. Also, the people at home may also be helpful in guiding and supporting the children in adapting to the transition process more easily. Managing the emotional and physical health of children is necessary to ensure that they do not succumb to the stress caused by the transition phase. Schools not only play an influential role in the learning and development of children but they are equally important in developing hygienic concerns and healthy outlooks from the early years of the children. The schools play important roles in shaping up the good habits of the children with respect to hygiene, health, and safety.  

Conversations with History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Conversations with History - Essay Example In large part Scheuer identifies these elements as a sort of religious awakening that occurred in Suni Islam after the Afghanistan war with Russia in the late 1970s. In believing that America was Bin Laden’s creator, Scheuer argues that the United States is doing itself a disservice, as Bin Laden transcends such easy categorization and has taken on a sort of mythic Robin Hood like status within the Arab world. Scheueur’s comments are interesting, but one wonders a number of questions related to them. For instance, what is the reason behind Bin Laden vengeance against the West? In some regards, one wonders if Scheuer is merely giving the listener the company line and shifting blame for Bin Laden’s creation to obscure political and Middle Eastern elements. 2. Remark Critique One remark Michel Scheuer makes concerns the nature of intelligence information. Scheuer had worked for the Central Intelligence Agency and because of his affiliation with this organization has a unique insight into a number of policy and information elements related to their operations. The remarks Scheueur made concerns the nature of gathering intelligence.

Case of Mohamad vs Rajoub Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case of Mohamad vs Rajoub - Essay Example It is evident from the study that the case of Mohamad vs Rajoub was filed by the widow and children of Azzam Rahim , who was tortured brutally and murdered inside the custody of a Palestinian jail by the officials However the court dismissed the case filed by the accused family on the grounds that that the Torture victim protection act applies only to the natural persons which was later supported by the Supreme of the United States. Though the respondents in the case which included the three officers accepted their guilt but the court provided the decision on their favor considering the fact that Azzam Rahim was not a natural person. The case of Mohammad vs Rajoub was filed in the court with a purpose to investigate the fact that whether Torture victim Protection Act 1991was also applicable only to the natural persons or not. The case was under the jurisdiction of the district court of Colombia though it was later handled by the US Supreme Court. In the case the source of the crimina l was law comprised of the families of the victim and the three officials of the custody. Accomplice liability in legal term refers to the fact that an individual is held guilty for the commitment of the crime by other if the person intentionally is involved in the crime by his solicitation, or advice to commit the crime with the help of the physical conduct or his psychological influence. In the case referred the victim who was in custody was brutally beaten by the officials who caused him death. The three officers who were held as guilty were charged with the Accomplice liability considering the fact that all three were involved in the killing and must have provoked each other in beating the victim in custody which caused him death. It also conferred on the fact that the accomplice had the stake in the act of the principal. As in the case it was difficult to point out the principle accused as all three were equally responsible, so the accused were held guilty under the charge of a ccomplice liability (Rogers, n.d, p.1351). Criminal liability refers to the liability of the accused which arises on the event of breaking the law or committing a crime. In the case mentioned the respondents were held guilty and charged with criminal liability on the grounds that they violated the law and killed the convict in the prison. As a result of the offence they committed, they were sentenced to jail for 1-7 years, but they were not imposed with any other liability considering the fact that the victim was not a natural person. During the petition in the court the officials also accepted their act of violating the law of killing a person in jail. Difference between various elements of crime and the application in the case: The elements of crime which are considered in the paper are Actus Reus, Actus Menus and concurrence. In legal terms the, Actus Reus refers to the conduct of the accused and in order to declare the accused as criminal it is necessary to investigate the reaso n behind the act which causes the harm to the victim and the act must be a voluntary in nature . In the case of Mohammad vs Rajoub, it was found out that the officials in the custody had

Should disabled veterans get preferential treatment over better Assignment

Should disabled veterans get preferential treatment over better qualified candidates who are not disabled veterans - Assignment Example According to the utilitarian consideration of employment and discrimination, every individual should be given equivalent chances at employment; therefore, discrimination in the hiring process should be discouraged. With the prevalence of discrimination against the minorities in the society, affirmative action is seen as the redeeming factor, with the introduction of the Disabled Veterans Affirmative Action Program (DVAAP) to serve the rights of disabled people (FHWA, 2004). Affirmative action in this case refers to the series that seek to redress the injustices faced by minorities in society, and can involve laws or social programs that promote the justice of minorities (ACLU, 2011). Other affirmative action programs are those that involve women or minorities in the society, and in comparison with the DVAAP, these action programs can be concluded to be just as effective. Affirmative action programs consider all the rights of minorities in the society, and the main consideration is given to the disabled, women, and minorities in the society. The Utilitarian View of an affirmative action program is that all people in the society are entitled to equal rights, despite their disabilities or qualifications. According to the view, affirmative action programs guarantee that all individuals in the society are given the chance to progress and give the chance to all members of the society to progress equally. This is done by considering that the community functions as a whole, therefore, the parts of the community that pull back the development process should be helped. From the definition of the utilitarian affirmative process, it can be concluded that the DVAAP is a program that should be kept up in the society. Conversely, the deontological considerations of affirmative action programs dictate that the most qualified person for the job should be hired, regardless of their disabilities or minority effect. This means that the discrimination

Interpretations of American History Essay Example for Free

Interpretations of American History Essay There has been a notable change in the American History from the last 400 years until now. At the beginning the American History the subjects that the historians interpreted were politics, diplomacy and war. The only people who could do the interpreting were only white male Americans. The contemporary American historians wrote nearly about everything that affected everybody. This times were very different from what they are now, when you read history, you are reading the historians point of view or encounter with the world. The historians were fully dedicated to this, they spend hours, days, years of their lifes to prove the reality comes away. They were characterized by nationality or their school of thought. The historians can be Jeffersonian liberal, nationalist, progressive, feminist or postmodernist; for example, Perry Miller in the twentieth century American liberalism, Kenneth Stampps was engaged with the civil rights movement, Kathryn Sklars ideas were feminist (p. 72). In those times everything was like they African American people couldnt be historians, because they only accepted white male Americans, also they were male chauvinist, women couldnt be historians and not only that, they were excluded from everything, they didnt have the right to vote, to be in the politics, work, they Jimenez 2 could not do anything. History is successful when it tells you how things where, the only thing that could take you there was the imagination, but now, with all the technology that we have, we even can make a picture or a sketch of how the things were. basing on the things that had been found also. One of the things that the historians did, they constantly criticize, correct and supplement other historian point of view, they get closer to the truth arguing with one another. Historiography reminds you that history is not a closed book, is a reminder that there is always something to argue in history, it make us think or see what was before everything, the changes that have been in the growth of America, politics changes, racial justice, sex, differences in the society, education, labor. There has been a notorious change or evolution on how America has change. There are four stages in which the writing of American history has passed: the providential, the rationalist, the nationalist and the professional. The providential history in the United States from the seventeenth and eighteenth, ministers and magistrates and wrote a made of form of providential history. The puritans who settled in the United States believed that they were chosen by god that led to the form of their history to a holy chronicle one. Puritans used this form of writing for all men anybody that believed in god. The rationalism, they were very different with the providential because they didnt believed that they were only chosen by god, they believed that opinions or actions should act on reason and knowledge not on their religious belief. They were ruled by the natural law was the idea of Newton, Locke, and the French philosophers (p. 75). The rationalist Jimenez 3 historians were the educated class in the colonies, the new story they told was of progress and reason. most of the historians of the eighteenth century were layer-politicians, planter-aristocrats, merchants or professionals. Tomas Jefferson was influenced by this movement and later on write a book named Notes on the State of Virginia in 1785. This book allow to men to discover and pursue their destiny and believed that they were free. After that, no one was free from slavery. This proves that the history during the rationalism the politicians only tells you what you want to hear, like right now it happens the same, everything was and is only about wealth, power, rights. In nationalist history changed the fact that in this stage the women contributed and argue in theirs perspectives or points of view. historians of women rewrote the story of America from the beginning to the recent past. They did not give women a place in the existing narratives, they just reconceived whole fields of history. An example of the women historians were Hanna Adams, Susanna Rowson, Elizabeth Peabody, and Emma Willard (p. 76) The professional historians started by the middles class that became educated through college or university which became commonly to only white males. History became a profession and the only way to access was to practice it and be at a advanced level in the subject. Their high opinion on distinguish scientifically and prove the truth from a romantic notion. In this time we can see through what has passed American History and learned about the different changes that our history has had, and also this has help to have America Jimenez 4 how is it now. Right now we see the thing different, for example, women can vote, women can do a lot more things that they couldnt in the past, there is no slavery, everyone is free and follow their dreams and conquer their goals and thats a big change.

Consider Thomas Hardys Essay Example for Free

Consider Thomas Hardys Essay In the dictionary the word Isolation means to be separate or a part from others. I think if someone is isolated then it would be a negative aspect because they are alone and have nothing to do with anyone else. The reason for the various isolations in the two texts differs because of the different time periods they were set in. In the two books I am comparing is the Withered Arm by Thomas Hardy and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I feel that in both texts there are a few characters with their lives or they had illegitimate children. The text Of mice and Men was written in the 1930s the time period of the depression. In the most of John Steinbecks books he describes the life of people working on the land and that his characters are all often poor. This was because he wanted to show how real the life was during that time. Within his books men and women rarely understood each other because of the lack of communication. During the time when John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men people would frown upon coloured people, the handicapped, the old and women. They also were prejudice about women. The text the Withered Arm was written in the late 19th century in England. The book is set in a place called Wessex and the expectations at the time are different compared to the ones we have in todays society. In that time social classes were expected to marry inside their class and not below that. Otherwise this would be considered a disgrace to the family of the higher class. Thomas Hardy introduces Rhode as his First character who is isolated. He establishes her isolation as her sitting on her away from the others Where a thin fading women of thirty milked somewhat apart from the rest. The word fading and somewhat apart from the rest reveals that she was separated from the rest of the milkmaids. Further on in the first chapter Hardy also establishes her loneliness by where she lives lay part from that of the others, to a lonely spot high above the water-meads this also show her isolation. The characters who are lonely are Candy, Crooks and Curleys wife in the text Of Mice and Men. They are lonely because each one of them is different from everyone else. Such as Crooks is black, Candy is disabled and Curleys wife is a women. The reason for them being lonely is because of the societys attitude, which they lived in. The two characters that are not lonely are George and Lennie. This is as they have each other for company whereas everybody does not. Lennie and George treat each other, as they were family because they have been together for a very long time. Because I got you an___ An I got you. We got each other, thats what, that gives a hot in hell about us. That quote indicates what Lennie say to George about them having each other to look after and keeping each other company. George needed Lennie because he wanted someone who would listen to him and not say anything. Lennie need Georges because he is not able to handle himself and also George promised Lennies aunt that he would look after him. Thomas Hardy describes Rhodes Brooks house as it old and worn It was built of mud walls, the surface of which had been washed by many rains left none of the original flat face visible here and there in the thatch above a rafter showed like a bone protruding through the skin. This suggests that Rhode did not a great house and that it was old just like her. The quote also indicates that the house had been through some hard times. In the text Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck writes about one female character that is known as Curleys wife. As the reader I feel sympathy for her, as she is the only woman on the ranch. She is also isolated because her husband does not like her talking to any of the other workers, and also her own husband hardly speaks to her. The author has not given her a name because during that time period women were not as important as men, furthermore she is so isolated that the author decided on not given her a name. The effect this has on the reader is that she belongs to Curley unlike her being an individual person. So therefore the reader feels a little bit of sympathy for her. Thomas Hardy writes about a little boy in his book Withered Arm who is also nameless like Curleys Wife. In the book he is referred as Rhodes son. Rhodes son is isolated because his mother had an affair with Farmer Lodge. The main reason that he is isolated is that his mother moved further away from the farm, so therefore he does not live close by to anybody. I feel that Rhodes son is a victim of the circumstances between Farmer Lodge and Rhode because he was a product of their affair, and then Rhode moved away so she could be away from society. As a result Rhodes son does not have friends. John Steinbeck writes about another isolated man named Crooks. The reason Crooks is so isolated is because during the time period everyone was prejudice against coloured people, and he was black. Another reason he is isolated as that he isolates himself to have some respect in the white world. Crooks was born with a disability, therefore he feels that he need to isolate himself further. He makes friends with Candy and Lennie as they isolated on the farm. When Crooks first meets Candy and Lennie it says he kept is his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs. This indicates that Crooks does not want anyone to be close to him. Though as the story goes on he makes friends with Candy and Lennie. I feel sorry for Crooks for being coloured and handicapped as he is very friendly person. In both the texts that I read there are two more handicapped people, named Gertrude from the Withered Arm and Candy from Of Mice and Men. Candy is isolated as he is old and has only got one arm since it was cut off when he was working on the farm. Gertrude isolated because one night Rhode cast a spell on her arm. In both texts Gertrude and Candy are alike because of their arms. They are not as isolated as Crooks or Rhode, since they only have a small isolation problem, unlike the rest. In the beginning of the text Withered Arm Farmer Lodge is presented as being bold and proud. He is proud as he has a new wife Gertrude, who is a lot younger than him and plus she is very beautiful. Gertrude starts to get a problem in one of her arms, as time passes her arm gets worse, therefore Farmer Lodge feels as she is not as pretty as before. This makes Farmer Lodge change. He also feels depressed since his son is hung and this changes him. The reason for him to isolate himself is that all these problems are occurring around him and he feels that it is his fault. So he moves away from his farm. In conclusion I consider that isolation is a negative aspect in someones life. I think that when people are isolated dreaming keeps them from getting trough. Like for instance Lennie and Georges dream to open up a farm or their own and Rhodes dream to get back with Farmer Lodge. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.

Producing A Profile Of Small Business Business Essay

Producing A Profile Of Small Business Business Essay The Micro and small enterprises plays important role in the growth of the countrys economy hence it becomes vital to understand the concept of SME and further there is need to support and understand these businesses. Small businesses with less than 10 employees dominate numerically in UK accounted for approximately 95% of all the business in UK during 2008. Most of the people who run such small businesses are self-employed. These small businesses contribute a lot to the UK economy. At the same time it gives opportunity for people to use their local skill and utilize for growth of the business. For example a person running a restaurant or a cafà © which offers local taste. These small business enterprises are image of local culture, local population and it inherits lot information about a place. Various government regulations necessitate work and expenses that many small businesses cope with and entrepreneurs suggest that small businesses start up with benefit if they could tender fo r government contracts and support. These small businesses have high potential to improve UK economy if they are made to operate in suitable and economic environment. As per UK section 382 and 465 of Companies Act 2006 it explains a SME for the purpose of accounting requirements. As per the Act having turnover not more than 6.5 Million Pound and not more than 50 employees can be considered as Micro Small Enterprises. The purpose of this report is to design a suitable training program to serve the knowledge of how to produce small businesses. This training module will focus on small business by identifying its Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat. This training module will also provide wide scope on Micro and Macro Analysis where political, economical, social, legal and technological situation will be explained. This training module aims to provide detail knowledge on performance analysis of the SME. It will also account competitor, financial analysis. This training module is committed to provide good knowledge on every aspects of SME. This training module will also explain about importance of stakeholders, investors, financial institutions who can be of great help. Producing a profile of small business Starting a business needs a serious consideration on its aims, objectives which may be long term, short term, it can be for profit or for no profit no loss in case of NGOs. Before starting a business it is important to understand the nature of business, type of investment required, type of product to be delivered to customer, whether product has a demand or not, there is a need to understand who are our customers, we need to understand the existing competitors. It is important to understand the Micro and Macro part of the business it includes SWOT Analysis wherein Micro can be considered as strength and business of the organization while Macro are opportunities and threats. SWOT Analysis should be carefully done to ensure that business will have minimum risk once started. Understanding SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis consists of Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats. Strengths Strength means characteristics of business which provides advantage to the organization over others. It could be product portfolio, brand image, financial stability of the organization. Before starting the business one should understand the strength of its business, product or services. It is strength of the organization which is given importance in the market and should be different from others so that a business can achieve competitive advantage over others. Strength should always be considered as positive aspect of the company and should be used maximum to exploit the market and get better business. Weakness Weakness is a characteristic of business which puts the company in disadvantageous position over others. Weakness could be limitation for the organization. For example a company may have limited financial resources which might limit the company or future expansion, weak brand image in the market, poor customer service, less trained employees, complex management or some legal abiding. All these weaknesses can affect the business on large and one should try to overcome these weaknesses so that business can run smoothly. Opportunities Opportunities are possibilities or certain elements of market that could be exploited to its advantages. Advantage can be anything which could make the business more beneficial as compared to others. For example usage of high technology as compared to competitors can be taken as an opportunity to grab better business, having good product knowledge or expertise can be considered as opportunity. Less competitors in the market can be considered as opportunity, niche market for innovative product can be considered as biggest opportunity. Opportunities can be used as to get competitive advantage in the market. Threats Threats are basically troubles or fear factors which could affect or damage the business. One should work hard to minimize the effects form these threats. For example new entry by some other company in same product range can be considered as a threat, increasing competition, and substitute product. Threat should be properly assessed for trouble free business operations. Analysis of the business using comparative measures of performance Performance measurement is the vital tool in understanding the status of the business. Performance measurement can be simple comparison with competitors or company working in the same product line, internal performance measurement for example performance of staff, sales volume, production, customer service can be vital parameters of performance measurement. Finance: Finance plays crucial role in running a business or it can be considered as backbone of the business. It is finance which helps a individual to start up the business. Hence it is important to analyze financial performance parameters such as Return on Investment (ROE), Breakeven Analysis, Liquidity, Profitability, Asset Valuation, Depth Analysis, and Analysis on operating expenses. Using the above ratio analysis technique one can understand the financial health of the business and can gradually increase or decrease expenses depending upon the available funds. For every business man return on investment plays important role. Hence it should be understood that when will the business provide return on the money invested. Sales: Sales indicate the real status of business. It determines success and failure of business leading to loss or profitability. Sales can be analyzed on monthly or quarterly basis so that necessary improvements can be made to improve the sales by grabbing better marketing shares, improving customer service, changing the price, improving the quality of the product or making other necessary changes to improve the sales. Sales should always be monitored so that necessary modifications in the business plan could be made and apply management skills to improve the business. The management of the business organization should give importance to their internal customers like employees, suppliers, distributors and external consumers to improve the sales. Marketing: Marketing is important for any product to reach to the customer through proper communication. Marketing team can improve the sales; it can improve the brand awareness, product awareness in the mind of consumers. Marketing is necessary for business expansion and getting better consumer share. Its marketing department which utilizes different advertising channels to promote the products and brand. With effective marketing organization can develop good relations with its consumers, customers. Marketing and Finance both if use effectively can make the business a real success. There can be many types of marketing like online marketing, direct marketing, marketing can be with business to consumers, and it could be between business to business for the purpose of achieving business objectives. Use of technology: Technology allows a business to get competitive advantage in the market with advanced technology. Quality of products can be improved, production can be increased, and usage of good technology can lead to reduction in cost involved in manufacturing units. Hence understanding technology with existing competitors can analyze the real performance of the business. Strengthening and maintaining existing performance It is important to improve and maintain the existing performance so that existing weaknesses can be converted into strength and threats could be converted in to opportunities. It is mandatory to check the business performance regularly so that new existing opportunities can be exploited for the purpose of profitability. Keeping ongoing records: It is important to document every small business activity so that one can easily track the business activity. Performance measurement will be easy in case everything is documented. By having good data it can be audited to find deficiencies and improve on the same. These records can be used for future references and also for making necessary improvements. It is therefore mandatory to record every small transaction for successful running of the business. Monitoring regularly: It is important to regularly monitor business performance so that any deficiency could be handled well in time. Customer Service can be improved, employee training can be provided. Regular monitoring on the business gives clear idea on the status of the business. Monitoring business gives opportunities for a business man to understand the business on regular basis. Making adjustments: Business should be flexible in nature and should easily accept changes as per need of the market. For example due to advent of new technologies all the businesses are rapidly changing due to usage of new technology. Hence a business should be in position to accept changes such as new technology, training modules, new ways to run the business and other necessary changes which is necessary to survive in the business. Researching continuously: Market Research should be conducted to understand the potential requirement of the market by customers, understanding the competitors, their strategies. It is mandatory to recognize likes and dislikes of our customers, feedback of customers on our product/services or feedback of consumer on customer service provided by organization. Business Plans and Associated Action Plans: Business plans and targets remain important parts of every business. These business plans can be short or long term in nature. Management needs to develop plans to ensure the goals of the business are achieved. To increase market share: Market share can be increased by effective marketing and promotional activities. It is important to make the product reachable to the consumer by utilizing the best distribution and retail network. To grow it size and sell abroad: Increasing consumer base directly reflects the growth of organization. Organization should also expand, try new markets, it should also look for developing markets where the products or services have better scope. To survive in the market: The key tools to survive in the market include quality products/services, excellent customer services. Customer friendly employees who are highly trained and most important attractive prizes will make the business survive in the market. To improve its image: The image of the company should improve so that it could have a better consumer share. The brand image once established will give better bargaining power in the market. It will give good share of consumers and also will help for launching new products or services. To motivate its employees: Employee should be given good training. They should be properly reimbursed. They should be clearly communicated for their job responsibilities. It is important to make friendly relations between employee and management. Monetary and Non-Monetary benefits should be provided for better motivation and retention of the employees. To maximize profit: Maintaining high profit is a difficult task due to intense competition it is difficult for organization to maintain prizes on high and get better margins. In majority of market penetrating pricing strategies are used to survive in the market. Launching a new or innovative product can lead to monopoly and lead better profitability. Increasing product quality can help in improving the profit. Analyzing the impact of proposed changes on the business and the stakeholders: Changes in the management of the business will have some positive or negative impact. Initially it would be difficult for management to adapt but over a period of time things will get used too. Changes are mandatory due to changing market and economic situation hence it should be focused to make changes for right direction and benefit of the organization. Financial: Any changes in business strategy effecting financial expenses will lead to massive changes in the business. For example additional funding for the business will improve the infrastructure, it will increase the efficiency of the business, increase budget for marketing and promotional strategies will help in improving the brand awareness, increasing the consumer base, management focusing on reducing the operating expenses will lead to improved profitability. Workloads: All the above changes will lead to extra work for existing Managers, employees. For example introducing a new technology in the market will require training for the Managers. Hence it will lead to further extra responsibilities for Managers and employees to handle the new changes. Morale: Any changes in the business should not affect the moral of the existing management, staff of the business. It should be ensured that employees are well communicated on the need for changes, it impacts and affects the business. There should be good discussion with the employees and Managers so as to maintain better transparency. Physical aspects: Changes will require new infrastructure, new machines, new furnitures, new staff. Organizations have to buy new things to match with the technological aspects of the business. The production areas will be improved for better technology. Importance of Performance Measurement Performance Measurements is the vital part in the business. Performance Measurements plays important role in representing the clear picture of the business. It gives good information on assumed data and real data. It gives regular check for the business to perform and improve. The measurement should be done as mentioned below: Comparison of actual figures with proposed targets- Comparison with actual figures becomes the first step and time to time comparison gives good information on business activities and management can easily make changes to improve the performance. Comparison of present figures with the past data- The old data can be beneficial in learning new lessons and these data can be used to compare the business, performance and other crucial factors of the business. Survey of consumers, market research, feedbacks from Managers, customers, suppliers and employees- Information received from market research, Mangers, Employees, and customers will allow management to make necessary changes to improve the quality of product as per customer likes and dislikes, training of employees if required or any other strategy changes. Conduct Ratio Analysis- Ratio Analysis will give comparison of Financials. It is the best financial indicator in the business. Comparison of performances with existing competitors- Competitor Analysis gives real time check of our business activity in the market. Competitor Analysis also protects the business from possible threats.

Nuclear Energy is Safe and Clean Essay -- Power Plant Energy Safety

Abstract Nuclear energy is a promising source of electricity for the future. Although there are many people against it, it is only because many do not know of the progresses nuclear energy has made since it was started. Nuclear energy has become one of the cleanest sources of energy with minimum radiation. These are such small quantities that we receive only about .5 millirems of it yearly while nature sums it up to 360 millirems for the average person. Many of us shy away from nuclear energy due to fear caused by ignorance but with some patience and research one can realize the potential that nuclear power has and how it can shape a new era in the future. It is an energy source with massive amounts of energy as a byproduct of its fission and over the years we have acquired the technology not only to harness it but to make it a renewable resource as well to fast breeders. Nuclear power may seem like a heavy investment but it is a change much needed for the growing economy and dependence on el ectricity. Introduction Nuclear energy has proven itself to be a clean source of energy; yet, fear of radiation has kept its use from becoming more expansive. Nuclear energy is one of the newer types of energy sources used yet ignorance over the true dangers of nuclear energy causes the public to push away a potential energy source. Fear of radiation is illogical because everyone is exposed to background radiation every day. We receive radiation from cosmic rays, outer space, radon gas, and from naturally radioactive elements in the earth. Each year in the United States, the average dose to people from natural and man-made radiation sources is about 360 millirem.(mrem)(Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management) Millirems are units o... ...er types of breeder reactors are the LMFBR’s or the liquid metal fast breeder reactors. These reactors are either lead cooled or sodium cooled. These types of reactors place more emphasis in the fact that nuclear power has become safer and more efficient to where no matter the disadvantages the advantages greatly outnumber the costs of using nuclear energy. References Brain, Marshall. (2015) "How Nuclear Power Works" Web. 29 May 2015. http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power.htm McCarthy, J. (2013) Web. 29 May 2015. http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/nuclear-faq.html Thomas, Steve. "The Economics of Nuclear Power." (2005) Web. 29 May 2015. http://www.nirs.org/c20/atommythen_thomas.pdf Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century. (2015) Web. 29 May 2015. http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=2984

As Performance Studies Cross Arts Project :: Drama

As Performance Studies Cross Arts Project In small groups we were given a choice of stimuli such as poems, pictures and ideas. Our group chose the idea of ‘chaos and order’ as our stimulus because we thought that there would be many ideas to develop from this. We spent a lot of time discussing the idea of ‘order and chaos’ - they are opposites - there is never a situation where both occur at the same time yet you cannot have one without the other. Order is the way most people would like things to be, to keep order we use laws and rules so that everything should stay in control, without which there would be chaos. Chaos can be shown in many different ways such as riots or personal chaos e.g. a mental breakdown. There is no order in this kind of situation, if there were to be it would no longer be a riot but a march. We began by drawing out a spider diagram with the ideas we brainstormed about ‘order and chaos’. Using these ideas we decided to base our piece on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as it seem to express the idea of someone keeping order so much, to the point where their life becomes chaotic. In order for us to meet the criteria of this project we decided that we needed to research OCD so that we could base this piece on factual information. Our group gained a lot of useful information from the Internet and books. Fears, worries suspicions and beliefs come into everyday life but when these doubts start to emerge much more excessively e.g. spending hours washing clean hands or driving round and round making sure no road accidents have occurred, these worries start becoming classed as obsessive compulsive. A lot of people who have been diagnosed with this disorder can only describe it as mental hiccups, which cannot be controlled. The cause of OCD is a medical brain turmoil in which people have trouble processing certain information. It is also caused by a ‘weak’ or unstable personality. Usually people with OCD will suffer with certain obsessions as well as compulsions, but in some cases they may only suffer with one or the other. One of our group members new someone who suffered with this disorder quite badly. They had observed this person from the beginning before being diagnosed with OCD. As a group we decided that we could use this person as a basis for our piece. This meant that we had some first hand information on the disorder so we could give our piece some

A Journey Through Music Essay

One warm summer evening just over a year ago, I picked out a book from my parents’ bookshelf and flipped to a random page while attempting to pass time. The book, known as the Tao-te-ching, is a famous work by the ancient Chinese Philosopher Lao-Tzu written more than 2500 years ago. Because of its age, the book is written in old Chinese, which makes it very difficult to read. Interested just in passing a few minutes, however, I flipped through the pages at random, looking for anything to catch my attention. And suddenly, right in front of my eyes, I see a quote which sets my brain in motion: â€Å"This journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. † In general, I do not think quotes can be long enough to be meaningful. However, looking at this quote, I feel a shiver run down my spine as I realize that these words written far back in time have a true meaning to me. For in my own lifetime, one small decision that my family made influenced my whole life, and has led me to journey many miles both physically and mentally. It was when I was four years old that I took the first step in a journey which would influence my life forever. My cousin was learning to play the piano and her parents suggested that I learn to play as well. I was enthusiastic about the idea of doing something new, although at the time I had no idea of the amount of impact this one decision would have on my life. From very early in my studies, I began to develop an emotional connection to music. While I was playing the piano, it seemed as if feelings and thoughts which had been living inside of me were suddenly being released into the outside world. I was struck by the power of music; while enjoying one of Prokofiev’s War Sonatas, I was transported to the dark, dangerous place that was Russia during World War II, whereas while performing a work by Mozart, I was transported to a gamboling, carefree, and joyful world filled with youthful innocence and vigor. And music has had the power to bring me to many new physical places as well. Thanks to the piano I have traveled across Asia and Europe to play with various orchestras and to compete in numerous competitions. I have met and played for luminaries such as US secretary of state Hilary Clinton. And finally, piano brought me to America where I continued my studies at the Juilliard School. Funnily enough, my travels as a result of the piano made me realize the diversity that exists in the world; they made me realize how many different ideas and people all exist simultaneously. And this brought me a desire to learn as much as I can, to expand my intellectual and physical horizons, and to understand as much of the world as I can. This is what led me to the decision not just to attend a Music Conservatory, but to enter an Academic University and venture into new territory. And while I eagerly await this unknown path I am about to take, I am certain of one thing: without the tentative first step of beginning the Piano that I took when I was four, the eye-opening journey I have taken over the past thirteen years would never have begun. And I know for sure that the Piano will always remain a part of my life.

Educational System in Nigeria Essay

Education in Nigeria is the shared responsibility of the federal, state and local governments. The Federal Ministry of Education plays a dominant role in regulating the education sector, engaging in policy formation and ensuring quality control. However, the federal government is more directly involved with tertiary education than it is with school education, which is largely the responsibility of state (secondary) and local (primary) governments. The education sector is divided into three sub-sectors: basic (nine years), post-basic/senior secondary (three years), and tertiary (four to seven years, depending on the major or course of study). Education in Nigeria is provided by public and private institutions. According to Nigeria’s National Policy on Education (2004), basic education covers education given to children 3-15 years of age, which includes pre-primary programs (ages three to five), and nine years of formal (compulsory) schooling consisting of six years of primary and three years of junior secondary. Post-basic education includes three years of senior secondary education in either an academic or technical stream. Continuing education options are provided through vocational and technical schools. The tertiary sector consists of a university sector and a non-university sector. The latter is composed of polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education. The tertiary sector as a whole offers opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, vocational and technical education. There are currently (2011) 117 federal, state and private universities accredited in Nigeria as degree-granting institutions. Information on all accredited universities is available on the National University Commission’s website. The academic year typically runs from September to July. Most universities use a semester system of 18 – 20 weeks. Others run from January to December, divided into 3 terms of 10 -12 weeks. Annually, an average of 1.5 million students take the Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination (UTME) for entrance into Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. Universities have the capacity to absorb less than 40 percent of these test takers. The other 60 percent tend to go to their second and third choice categories of institutions—polytechnics and colleges of education. Many Nigerian students also apply to institutions abroad. In 2011, 40 percent of the students who sat for the UTME made the minimum cut-off grade of 200 (out of 400) for entry into Nigerian universities. There are currently various government reforms and initiatives aimed at improving the Nigerian educational system. These include the upgrade of some polytechnics and colleges of education to the status of degree-awarding institutions, the approval and accreditation of more private universities, and the dissemintaion of better education-related data, including the recently published Nigerian Educational Statistics (a publication assisted by USAID among others). However, with the recent announcement by Nigeria’s National Population Commission that Nigeria’s population is expected to hit 166 million by October 31, 2011 and that approximately 60 percent of this population will be between the ages of 13 and 45, the recent government initiatives fall far short of addressing the educational needs of the country. As a result, an increasing number of families and students are looking at alternative educational opportunities within the region and further abroad. Primary education (grades 1-6) is free and compulsory, and offered to children aged 6-12. The curriculum is geared toward providing permanent literacy, laying a sound basis for scientific, critical and reflective thinking, and also in equipping children with the core life skills to function effectively in society. In 2009, the gross enrollment ratio at the primary level was 89 percent (95 percent male and 84 percent female) according to UNESCO statistics. The net enrollment rate (as a percentage of children in the 6-12 age group) was a much lower 61 percent (male children 64 percent, female children 58 percent) in 2007 (UIS) suggesting that many students outside of the primary age group are attending primary school. In 2008, the primary to secondary transition rate was 44 percent, according to the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) EdData Profile. Under the new Universal Basic Education (UBE) system of 9-3-4, which replaced the former universal primary education scheme of 6-3-3-4, students attend six years of primary school and three years of junior secondary, thus nine years of compulsory and uninterrupted schooling. This is followed by three years of senior secondary schooling. Until 2006 entry to junior secondary education was based on the Common Entrance Examination, but entry is now automatic. The Junior Secondary School Certificate is awarded at the end of junior secondary school. Students who pass the Junior Secondary Certificate Examination (JSCE) at the credit level (see the grading system below) in not less than six subjects may proceed to senior secondary school (grade 10) at either the same institution, or they may transfer to another institution of their choice. Core subjects at the junior secondary level include: English, French, science, technology, Nigerian language (Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba), mathematics, and social studies. Students may also choose to study a number of elective subjects. A prevocational stream is also available to students looking to pursue technical or vocational training at the senior secondary level. A majority of senior secondary school students proceed in the academic stream from junior secondary school. However, there is also a technical stream, in addition to vocational training outside of the school system, or apprenticeship options offering a range of terminal trade and craft awards. Private organizations, community groups, religious bodies, and the federal and state governments establish and manage secondary schools in Nigeria. All private and public schools offer the same curriculum but most private schools include the Cambridge International Examination curriculum, which allows students to take the IGSCE examinations during their final year in high school. It is also important to note that some private schools offer GCE A-levels, which usually serve as a gap year after graduation for students that are interested. The common core curriculum at the senior secondary level consists of: English, one Nigerian language, mathematics, one science subject, one social science subject, and agricultural science or a vocational subject. In addition students must take three elective subjects, one of which may be dropped in the third year. Students take the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) at the end of grade 12. The Senior Secondary Certificate (SSC) is awarded to successful candidates. The certificate lists all subjects in which the student is successful. The SSCE replaced the West African GCE O and A levels in 1989, although those examinations are still available to students who wish to take them (see above). The SSC is issued by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) or the National Examination Council (NECO), depending on the examination board used. An average grade of ‘credit’ level (C6) or better is required for access to public universities; however some require higher grades for admission. The standards of the two examinations are essentially the same. Students register for a maximum of nine and a minimum of seven subjects, which must include mathematics and English. A student must get at least a C in English and four other courses relevant to his or her major in order to sit for the University Tertiary Matriculation Examination. A student applying for admission to study medicine, computer science or accounting, for example, will be required to have a minimum of a C in mathematics as well as in English whereas a student applying for a program in history will not necessarily require a C in mathematics.

Pennsylvania Adoption Law

Adoption has been prevalent since time immemorial. In fact, history tells that the practice of adoption dates back as far as the 18th century BC. This was practiced by the ancient civilizations such Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, and Babylonians. It is even referred to in the Bible and other religious texts (Meiser, 1997).Adoption is the process whereby a child is removed from his/her biological parents and placed with non-biological parent(s). This establishes a parent and child relationship, in contemplation of law, between persons not so related by nature (Adoption, 1994). Thus, adoption creates a legal parent-child relationship between individuals without the benefit of biological relation.Reasons for the Emergence of the adoption In the early decades of the twentieth century, adoption was rather unusual. In fact, adoption was not recognized by the common law, and exists later in the United States solely by virtue of the special statutes. Thus, adoption was not a common way to form a family.Due to humanitarianism, upward mobility, and infertility, however, adoption started to be institutionalized. These factors mirrored reality especially in 1920s and 1930s, when inquiries made by adults about children unattached to their families greatly increased in the United States.Through adoption, children are transferred from adults who do not want or is not capable of becoming parents to adults who want the offspring and is capable of giving love, time, and an acceptable standard of living. Hence, adoption is considered as a salvation to married couples deprived of bearing their own children because of infertility since this process allow them to form families of their own.Likewise, adoption allowed illegitimate children to be protected from social stigma as they are legitimized once adopted by their adopting parents. Thus, adoption gives a fresh start to everyone involved—the mother can erase her past by placing her baby for adoption, the child can join a normal family rather than being raised by a single parent, and the adoptive parents can experience the joy of having a child (Martin, 2006).Adoption Phenomenon: Some statistics In 1950s and 1960s, as measured both by number and by the enthusiastic support of a broad white middle class, adoption flourished. Ten years thereafter, or in the 1960s and 1970s, adoption brought a remarkable transformation to society as adoption posted a record high of almost ninety thousand adoptions made by non-relatives.In recent years, however, this number increased by almost forty (40) percent as survey reveals that Americans annually adopt approximately one hundred twenty-five thousand (125,000) children, strangers and relatives alike (Adoption statistics, 2006).This has affected 2.4% of the United States population or about five (5) million Americans (id). The Census also reveals that among those children adopted, sixty-four (64) percent are whites, sixteen (16) percent are African American seven (7) perce nt are Asians (2000).In Pennsylvania alone, 4,047 children were served by the Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange (PAE) (PAE 2004). Forty-eight (48) percent of these children are African Americans, thirty six (36) percent are Caucasians and five (5) are Hispanics (id).Despite this wide acceptance of adoption in the American society or the inhabitants of Pennsylvania for that matter, a number of children are still â€Å"waiting† to be adopted. For instance, in Pennsylvania, out of the twenty two thousand six hundred ninety (22,690) children who were placed in foster care, twenty two (22) percent are still â€Å"waiting† to be adopted (Adoption institute, 1999).Considering this unprecedented increase in adoptions in the country, the United States senate is pushing for a bigger funding for the child support enforcement and family support programs to be paid to various states. Thus from a mere $2,121,643, 000 appropriated in 2006, the proposed budget for the administration of c hildren and families is increased to $2,759,997,000 for this incoming year of 2007 (US Department f Health and Services, 2006). This is equal to a $7,300,00 increase of funding.Adoption Laws in the United StatesBefore the first adoption statutes went into effect in 1850’s, children were removed from his/her biological parents and were transferred to non-biological parent(s) without the legal recognition of the adoption. As this informal type of adoption increased the State legislature devised a way to formalize the adoption process.Thus, in May 24, 1851 the first adoption statute in the United States went into effect – the Massachusetts Adoption of Children Act. Pursuant to the Massachusetts statute, adoption was required to be judicially approved, likewise the consent of the child’s parent or guardian were needed to be secured, and also a finding that the prospective adoptive family was of with sufficient ability to raise the child.History of Pennsylvania Adopt ion LawFollowing the example of Massachusetts, the Pennsylvania enacted its own adoption statutes – the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. In earlier times, Pennsylvania provided that adoption could be decreed by the common pleas of courts of the countries.An amendment to this adoption legislation was thereafter made in 1872 wherein the process of adoption referred to as the â€Å"common law form of adopting a child be deed† was legalized. Under this system, it is possible that an adoption refused by the judge will be consummated by a deed. (Deardorff, 1925).The State legislatures saw the defect in this kind of Pennsylvania system. For under this system, no social investigation of the child and his natural family or of the adopting family was provided. Further, a judge can consummate an adoption without seeing any of the parties and worse, even without sufficient information other than that contained in the petition for adoption.With this kind of system, cases of perj ury as to the identity of the natural parents of a child and as to whether or not these natural parents are still alive were exposed.Due to the globalization of the adoption, legislatures have made vigorous reforms as regards adoption statutes. In 1917, for instance, Minnesota passed the first State law that required children and adults to be investigated and adoption records to be shielded from public view (Adoption history in brief, 2006).Decades later, more than twenty states had translated similar standards into law. By mid-century, policies of minimum standard such as certification of child-placers, investigation of the child and adult parties to adoption, and supervision of new families after placement and before finalization were incorporated in the revision of adoption statutes in all the states in the country.The policies of confidentiality and sealed records were likewise instituted by most states. Confidentially of records, however, at this time meant that the records of information are off limits to the inquisitive members of the public but kept it available to the children and adults directly involved in adoption, who were called the â€Å"parties in interest.†Similarly, in 1925, under the Pennsylvania adoption law, the adoption was accessible to anyone curious enough to search it out. Other court records were sealed only at the discretion of a judge, in which case they could then be inspected by court order. In 1947 however, Pennsylvania followed suit in sealing its records.Although the records were sealed, adoptees who would reach the age of twenty-one (21) could still obtain their original birth certificates from the Office of Vital Statistics. Then in 1953, court records including the adoption decree were sealed to all, with the exception of being able to be opened upon showing of an undefined â€Å"good cause.†(Holub, 2006) In 1984, after a six (6) year push by state Rep. Stephen Friend, R-Delaware Country â€Å"to close the lo ophole†, as it was termed, the state legislature passed a bill denominated as Act 185 finally closing the records of adoption. Act 185 amended Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes and provides that all adoption records, and other papers shall be withheld from inspection except upon a court order.The Pennsylvania adoption law, thus prohibits adoptees from obtaining their original birth certificates or any other document that would identify birth parents. That includes baptism certificates and adoption records. After the grace period in February 1985, adoption records were finally closed.This law was pushed by Rep. Stephen Friend since he claimed that young, unmarried pregnant women would choose to have abortions rather than relinquish their children to adoption if it were possible for their adult children to discover their identity. He also asserted that the state should â€Å"keep its promise† of â€Å"privacy† to birthparents. (id)Cynthia Bertrand Holub, a member of the Pennsylvania Advisory Committee to the Joint State Government Commission on Adoption Law, says the desire to â€Å"preserve the middle-classness of these women, so they could relinquish their [illegitimate] child and go home as if nothing had happened,† was one of several forces that led states to seal adoptees' birth records (2006).Thus, confidentiality now means that when courts issue adoption decrees, they shall produce new birth certificates, thus, listing adopters’ names in the new birth certificate, and sealing away the originals, which contained the names of birth parents, or at least birth mothers.Criticisms of the Pennsylvania Adoption Law.  The Pennsylvania Adoption law was criticized mainly with respect to the sealing of the adoption records. Critiques refutes Rep. Stephen Friend’s claim that â€Å"unmarried pregnant women would choose to have abortions rather than relinquish their children to adoption if it were possible for their adult children to discover their identity.†They assert that Pennsylvania’s abortion rate should have declined and the adoption rate should have risen accordingly. Between 1985 and 1990, however, the abortion rate in Pennsylvania is inconsequential, and Pennsylvania still has one of the lowest adoption rates in the country.They further assert that neither was there ever a single suit by a birthparent for invasion of privacy. Other critique says that the confidentiality made it possible for some of these parents to avoid telling their children that they were adopted at all.As far as a number of birthparents are concerned, they believe that they still have the right to copies of everything relating to the loss of their babies. Dorner, in her book Adoption Search citing the Catholic manual states that â€Å"[b]irth parents also seek information about their children and their adoptive families through the years. Being able to obtain file informat ion pertaining to the time of the pregnancy, is reality basing and healing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Buterbaugh, 2001).On the other hand, supporters of the Pennsylvania Adoption Law, such as the relatives of many unmarried birth mothers also favored the confidentiality measure. After the World War II, when more out-of-wedlock births occurred in middle-class families, mortified parents contends that their daughters should have a second chance to lead normal, married lives. ConclusionAdoption statutes by different states primarily emerged as an answer to the growing unrecorded adoptions in the country. More so, these enactments are hoped to protect the interests of the parties involved — i.e. adopting parents, biological parents and the child himself.Adoption statutes, however, are of varying degrees in terms of privacy across states. Recently, Pennsylvania adopted a very strict standard on privacy matters.This means that nobody can actually view the original birth certificate of the adop ted child as a new one was created. This new law, however, sowed criticism from different sectors as they believed that biological parents still have the right to information as to what has become of their child.Also, they argued that the child, himself, is entitled to information as to whether he is indeed of the same flesh and blood as that of his known parents. They also sans the statute for allowing adopting parents to forever conceal the truth regarding the child’s birth.