Monday, September 30, 2019

Personal Response

Both of these videos were enjoyable to watch, I thought it was great to hear others love stories from their point of view. One of the first similarities between them was of course, they're both love stories. During both of them it is described of how much they love each other, and it truly shows through their emotion and compassion. In both their love is Just a quick shot of faith in that they will be together for the rest of their lives. The first one of the younger couple, she comes from another country and after eight short days together, he then realizes that he can't let her go home toBangkok and that they must get married. In the second one, the man sits down with her on a date and straight up tells her that he can't lose her and that they need to be married. All of these things that happen in these stories happen very quickly, in both it is as if they Just absolutely know for certain this Is their one true love and they very quickly decide to get married. Although these storie s are very similar In some aspects, they still have their differences. The story of the younger couple they come from opposite sides of the world, the man Is from Waco, Texas and the female Is from Bangkok, China.How they become acquainted Is from their names, somehow these two different people have the same exact name, and her work email ended up In his inbox one day by mistake therefore leading to their start In conversation. While In the second film they are from the same place, and they most definitely do not have the same name as In the first video. Finally, there Is a tragic flaw; In the second film the older gentleman ends up receiving terrible news of having terminal cancer so the woman ends up losing the true love of her life. Fortunately this did not happen to the younger couple that was In the first video. Personal Response By Dalton-SnowMIFF com I it is as if they Just absolutely know for certain this is their one true love and they very quickly decide to get married. Al though these stories are very similar in some from opposite sides of the world, the man is from Waco, Texas and the female is from Bangkok, China. How they become acquainted is from their names, somehow these two different people have the same exact name, and her work email ended up in his inbox one day by mistake therefore leading to their start in conversation. While in the same name as in the first video. Finally, there is a tragic flaw; in the second film younger couple that was in the first video.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Social Studies Sba on Alcohol Abuse

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The successful completion of this study is as a result of the helping hands of numerous individuals. I thank the people of Community X for their massive cooperation in answering the questionnaires given. Also , to my friends, who helped with the distribution of the questionnaires and my family for the giving me the hope and strength to persevere. Lastly, much gratitude is extended to my teacher for guiding me in every step of the way throughout my investigations.Social studies SCHOOL BASED ASSESSEMENT (S. B. A. ) [pic] Statement of the Problem What are the causes, effects and solutions of the usage of alcohol amongst individuals of Community X? Method of Investigation I have chosen the questionnaire as a means of collecting data to carry out the survey.The questionnaire has numerous advantages which include the following: †¢ It is done at the convenience of the person completing it. †¢ Requires very little time to be completed. †¢ Guarantees confiden tiality , since no names are required. Instrument used to collect Data Copy Of Questionnaire Survey of alcohol usage among individuals in Community X. Dear Villager,This is a survey being carried out in Community X to determine the level of alcohol usage among individuals in the community. This study I am currently pursuing, is conducted as an assignment for a Social Studies course. I advise you to answer the questions given, truthfully and honestly since you are not required to write names.There are no wrong or right answers as this is not a test. Most answers require a tick in the small boxes provided ; read the questions carefully. Villager’s Questionnaire 1. Sex Male Female 2. What is your occupation? ____________ 3. To what Ethnic group do you belong?African Descent Chinese Descent Indian Descent Mixed Descent 4. How long have you been a member of Community X? __________________ 5. To what age group do you belong? Under 12 12-14 15-16 17-19 6.As a youth, which of the following influences you to consume alcohol? Peer pressure For the fun of it Out of curiosity Depression 7. When do you often consume alcohol? Special Occasions Partying To gain popularity I do not drink alcohol . Do problems in the home contribute to students drinking alcohol? Yes No 9. What normally happens when you consume alcoholic beverages? I feel tipsy I feel normal I have headaches I do not drink alcohol 10. How do you think the students of Community X get alcoholic beverages?It is made available at community shops An older sibling/friend is asked to purchase it for them They steal it away They are given the consent 11. What is the most common effect caused by drinking? STD’s Being an alcoholic Having Heart disease Death 2. What effect does known cases of alcohol drinking in Community X, have on the rest of its population? _________________________________________________ . 13. How does alcohol consumption affect a student’s academic performance? T hey work less Nothing is done They work harder They give up on school 14. Do students who drink alcohol show signs of aggressive behaviour? Yes No 15.What do you suggest to your fellow community members who have already started to drink? Tone down their intake Drink responsibly Stop drinking Seek professional help 16. Should the age of consent for drinking be increased? Yes No 17. Do you think Rehabilitation Centers should be considered for alcoholics?Yes, but it will not be fully effective No, It will not help Let them suffer the consequences Have counsel sessions instead Presentation and Interpretation of Data [pic]Fig 1. The causes of alcohol consumption is simply represented in Fig 1; this figure briefly explains that 45% of the people in Community X consume alcoholic beverages for minor influences as the simple fun and njoyment that comes with the pleasures of drinking. One the other hand, 20% indicate that the partake of the activity as a result of Peer Pressure where individu als, mostly teenagers, drink because they either think it is â€Å"cool† or o prove a point. However, 30% population specified that they â€Å"drink† for the little curiosity of finding out what other individuals get, feel or benefit from it, this being. Mainly just experimenting the activity. A smaller 5% say they drink alcohol because of Depression because alcohol is known to somewhat relieve the stress that causes Depression. pic]Fig2 Whereby the effects of consuming Alcohol are concerned, almost half of the population indicate that no harm is done, as 55% of them feel normal after their intake of the substance. And so, this could be one of the reasons, the level of consumption in the community should be monitored. 5 % of them say they feel tipsy, an eerie felling, that may cause them to intake alcohol regularly. However, a few of them seem to be affected as 10% of the population state that they have headaches which may discourage them to do so. Another 10% indicate that they simply do not drink alcohol, mainly because of religion and other personal reasons. pic]Fig3 In order to manage the level of alcohol usage in Community X. Fig 3 shows that 70% of Its members indicate that the individuals who already drinking, should drink responsibly Suggesting that they should look at the consequences of whether it be becoming an alcoholic or getting drunk. Another 15% say they these individuals should simply tone down their intake of by drinking less of the substance.On the other hand, the remainder of the population , 15%, indicated more drastic measures to the solution. Fig 3 shows that 10% of them say people should just stop drinking while the other 5% believe they should seek professional help. These responses therefore can be interpreted as the respondents knowing someone who drink too much.Procedures Used to Collect Data Community X has an estimated number of 130 individuals; due to calculations, it was discovered that 15% of the population was needed in order to gather possible causes, effects, and solutions to the level of alcohol usage in the community. That is, ( 15% of 130 =20 ) Therefore, a total of 35 questionnaires were distributed with the expectation that at least 20 would be returned. Later, it was decided that the questionnaires be given to random personnel.This resulted in the recording of information on each individual on small pieces of paper, placed in a box, shaken and a total of 35 slips were selected. Therefore, 35 individuals received a copy of the questionnaire, were successfully completed and left in my mailbox 4 Hart Rd. Cheleston Gardens. Findings The survey carried out resulted in numerous interesting discoveries due to the level of alcohol usage in Community X. These state: Alcohol is consumed mainly through social activities where 70% of the individuals indicate that they partake of alcoholic beverages when â€Å"partying†. †¢ The most common effect known caused by drinking is neutral between 1. Becoming an alcoholic 2. Being sexually active at an early age. Which was I therefore observed that the questionnaires have revealed a 50-50% ratio. †¢ The individuals of Community X believe that in order for the level of alcohol be decreased, Rehabilitation Centers should be established.However, all 100% of the people who agree, stated that it will not be fully effective for the common reason that the alcoholics will not endure the necessary procedures that will be required. Recommendations The level of alcohol usage should not be taken lightly, as many young people in Community X are partaking of the activity when are far too young to be drinking.That said, I would recommend to this community that the decreasing level of alcohol us be accomplished through two simple objectives. These objectives include: ? Allowing adults of the community to take on leadership qualities whereby they look out for children who they see with alcoholic beverages and hinder them from c onsuming it. More specifically to shopkeepers, since in recent survey it is proven that most individuals especially children receive alcohol by the availability of such beverages in the community shops. Talk to individuals about drinking as little talks can do great things. There are people who are willing to listen. Parents will see to it that their children go to these sessions and ensure that they understand the dangers of drinking. ———————– Pie Chart Showing Causes Of Alcohol Consumption 20% 30% 5% 45% Peer Pressure Out of Curiosity Depression For the fun of it Chart Showing Effects of Alcohol Consumption In Community X. I feel tipsy 25% I have headaches 10% I feel normal 55% I do not drink alcohol 10% I feel tipsy I have headaches I feel normal I do not drink alcohol

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Fayols Concept Management Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Fayols Concept Management Essay Henri Fayol is widely acknowledged as the earliest pioneer and advocate of the task of management Parker and Ritson, 2005 His management theories were first proposed in the early 1900s. Despite many criticisms, Fayol’s theories still form the basis of management practices and teachings in the 21st century. Taking some articles for reference, this essay will mainly analyse the advantages and disadvantages of Fayol’s concept of five functions of management in modern enterprises by some examples. There are about three main parts in this essay beginning with the introduction. And in the main body of this article, based on some academic researches, there are about seven parts discussing the advantages and disadvantages of Fayol’s concept of five functions of management. A conclusion will be made at last. There is no doubt that Fayol is best known for a three-fold contribution to management theory. Among his contributions, the concept of five functions of management i s worth discussing all the time. Fayol identified five key functions of management and these functions of managerial activity are: forecasting and planning, organizing, coordination, command and control. According to Fayol, forecasting involves analyzing the future and drawing a plan of action (Pugh ad Hichson, 2007). And as for organizing, Fayol believed that an organization’s structure was important, as it can facilitate the optimum conduct of its business activities (Pugh and Hichson, 2007). According to Pugh and Hichson (2007), in his original writing, Fayol used the term â€Å"command† to illustrate a manager’s responsibility to lead and direct employees towards the achievement of organizational goals and strategies. About the function of coordination, Fayol made a suggestion that managers should bind together, unify and harmonize all the organization’s activities and efforts. In contemporary management practice, this can be explained into that the m anagers should be responsible for making sure that all the organizational business activities are coordinated to make the employees can unify together within one department or among different departments. The last not the least function of management is control. Fayol recognized the importance of control within an organization and support that it ensures â€Å"everything occurs in conformity with established rules and expressed command†. In the article of â€Å"Fayol-standing the test of time†, McLean (2011) firstly introduced the contents of the five functions of management and stated that in contemporary society, there are some advantages of these functions to development of the enterprises. First, McLean (2011) stated that with the development of globalized knowledge economy, the abilities of forecasting and planning can gain success in the competition. Second, organizing can ask the managers to carry out an appropriate infrastructure, which will optimize the organi zation’s system, resources, procedures, processes and services and enable knowledge to be disseminated to those who need it, when they need it. Third, McLean (2011) also stated that control is one of the most important responsibilities of a manager and under the control of the managers. Under control of the managers, the policies and strategies can be implemented according to plan and within budget, set timescales and allocated resources. Fourth, under the function of command, the managers can develop a thorough knowledge of their employees, which can generate a positive psychological contract that engages employees with their jobs and the organization. What’s more, Fayol’s managerial functions are frequently cited as the inspiration for the contemporary practice of dividing managerial activity (and management textbooks) into the functions of planning, leading, organizing and controlling (Davidson and Griffin, 2000; Lewis, Goodmand and Fandt ,1995).

Friday, September 27, 2019

Middle school and their teachers views of mental health Essay

Middle school and their teachers views of mental health - Essay Example This paper presents a critique of the perceptions, views, perspectives, understanding and attitudes of middle school pupils and teachers on mental health. It highlights what they think or how they perceive mental health concept, positive mental health, negative mental health, psychological needs, and mental health problems in the adolescence years, the risk and resilience factors as well as the causes of mental health. The paper also presents a review of literature in regard to the teachers’ role in promoting students’ mental health, the risk and resilience factors and students mental health problems in secondary school as well as identifying these problems early. It also reviews studies about mental health education curriculum and programs designed and applied in school in order to promote students’ mental health especially fro middles schools in Australia, UK, Canada, Finland and the US, such as SEAL, LEAs and PATH among others. The pupils’ attitudes and perceptions of mental health are influenced by the beliefs of the public and the communities from which they come from regarding mental health. Children acquire the wrong information regarding the unworthy nature of people with mental health problems. Generally, members of the public and parents tend to isolate their children from people with undesirable symptoms of mental health thereby instilling a negative attitude in their children. It is therefore common for adolescents to come to school with pre-determined judgment regarding mental health. Dalton et al. (2007) argue that the negative attitudes instilled in the adolescents may become more intense as they grow to adulthood if measures are not taken to change their beliefs. These perceptions lead to low self-esteem and feelings of rejection. The adolescents usually view mental health problems as a disadvantage that hinders the affected peers from accomplishing the tasks that are assumed to be

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Alternative Ways to Present Data Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alternative Ways to Present Data - Research Paper Example The latest visualizing health policy info-graphics is a flowchart exemplifying the mechanisms through which people will access healthcare services beginning in 2014. The visualizing health policy of this month provides a step-wise guide through the requirements and options for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act beginning in 2014. This will include other factors such as coverage through an employer, coverage through Medicaid, and coverage through a health insurance exchange (Teitelbaum & Wilensky, 2013). The data is represented in a chart flow as shown below. (http://www.kff.org/healthreform/jama_infographic_1212.cfm) Data presentation is a critical section of reports, research, proposals and other important demonstrations during the course of daily meeting and vital essential presentations. In most cases, the presentations are either visual in nature or depend on a good visual elements for precision and information delivery. With the emergence of technology, the visual tra nsfer of data is accomplished through computer projectors and program like Microsoft PowerPoint. This has made transfer of data easier than ever, and at the same time making it easier to produce a tangible form of the data faithful to the presentation with the printed slide. There are several methods that can be used in data presentation. They include; graphical, tabular, textual, data flow diagram symbols, pie charts, scatter plots and much more methods of data presentation. However, it is worth noting that the method used to present a particular data depends on whether the data is qualitative or quantitative. In the above report- Visualizing Health Polic

Mahayana Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mahayana Buddhism - Essay Example As the discussion stresses  the popularity that the religion has gained is because of the teachings of the religion that consider human being as an important part. The Bodhisattvas keep compassion and mercy for the people without any self-interest. The Bodhisattva is on the highest level when the mind is in great compassion and emptiness is there. â€Å"Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have postponed their own nirvana and chosen to take rebirth in order to serve humanity.†Ã‚  From this paper it is clear that Mahayana is famous because it considers all the human beings equal and is more concerned to universality. Through compassion, it is meant that Bodhisattvas after gaining enlightenment work to transfer this enlightenment to other beings. They regard personal suffering as negligible and give more consideration to universal salvation of all human beings. Because the religion keeps into consideration all the human beings of the earth and is concerned about spiritualit y, compassion and love, therefore, it is popular on a worldwide basis.  Dalai Lama suffered many hardships in his life such as he was forced into exile because of Chinese invasion in Tibet. He is famous in the US because of his recognition as â€Å"a man of peace†.  He has travelled to many parts of the world and spread the message of peace, non-violence and unaggressive behavior due to which, he has also received many awards in the lieu of his preaching of peace and non-violence.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Disparities between races in the legal system Term Paper

Disparities between races in the legal system - Term Paper Example Targeting populations has gone so far as to include pregnant women who are drug addicted, effectively giving them no other recourse than to abort their children rather than risk jail time as services and efforts made post conception are not always considered when incarceration is considered by the legal system. The primary problem with this concept is that it appears to attack African American women over any other race, thus suggesting that the legal system is trying to encourage African American women to abort their children, rather than carrying them to term. The way in which the justice system has developed has encouraged and promoted a continuation of social problems rather than providing relief for those issues through racial profiling that diminishes the credibility of the system.Traffic Stops  Racial profiling is defined by Glover (2009) as â€Å"the use of racial and/or ethnic status as the determinant factor in decisions to stop motorists either in the absence of indicati ons of criminality or in determining who to enforce law against† (p. 11). There is a pervasive habit among law enforcement to stop drivers who appear to fall within the social groups of African American or of Hispanic descent for traffic violations, real or exaggerated, in order to investigate the nature of their business within a specified geographic location. A study done under the supervision of Dr. John Lamberth through Temple University in 1994 showed that the New Jersey police provided for an unfair.... that it appears to attack African American women over any other race, thus suggesting that the legal system is trying to encourage African American women to abort their children, rather than carrying them to term. The way in which the justice system has developed has encouraged and promoted a continuation of social problems rather than providing relief for those issues through racial profiling that diminishes the credibility of the system. Traffic Stops Racial profiling is defined by Glover (2009) as â€Å"the use of racial and/or ethnic status as the determinant factor in decisions to stop motorists either in the absence of indications of criminality or in determining who to enforce law against† (p. 11). There is a pervasive habit among law enforcement to stop drivers who appear to fall within the social groups of African American or of Hispanic descent for traffic violations, real or exaggerated, in order to investigate the nature of their business within a specified geograp hic location. A study done under the supervision of Dr. John Lamberth through Temple University in 1994 showed that the New Jersey police provided for an unfair percentage of traffic stops for people of non-Caucasian groupings. The study showed that â€Å"while African American drivers and Caucasian drivers committed roughly the same percentage of traffic violations, a startling statistic of 73.23% of the drivers stopped were African American drivers, while only 13.5% were of a different race† (Harris, 1999, 265) A Maryland lawsuit involved a defendant by the name of Robert Wilkins, a Harvard Law student, against the police department because he felt that when he was stopped by the police he and his family were unfairly processed and made to wait while drug sniffing drugs were brought to the scene

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Horrors of being Deaf in Prison Research Paper

The Horrors of being Deaf in Prison - Research Paper Example Contrary to the misconception back in 1960s, it is wrong to believe that deaf individuals to have more capability of committing violent crimes and sexual deviances simply because several studies revealed that not all deaf individuals will aggressively respond to social isolation or minimal communication to other people (Young, Monteiro, & Ridgeway, 2000; Vernon & Greenberg, 1999). Likewise, Miller, Vernon, & Capella (2005) noted that there were several authors who over-represented the number of inmates with hearing loss that were held prisoners in country jails or the state prison cells (Zingeser, 1999; Jensema, 1990). The authors also considered the significance of the research topic. Upon investigating the previous research studies that were conducted by other researchers concerning the deaf offenders (Miller & Vernon, 2002; Young, Monteiro, & Ridgeway, 2000; Vernon & Greenberg, 1999), the authors strongly suggested the need to compare and contrast the degree and types of violent o ffenses that were made by the deaf and hearing prison population because of the high incidence of psychiatric misdiagnoses due to lack of familiarity with deafness. According to Miller, Vernon, & Capella (2005), there were quite a lot of previously available research studies that carefully examines the different patterns behind the offending behaviors made by deaf individuals and those without hearing problems. However, most of these studies were conducted using limited sample sizes which could somehow distort the actual research findings and analysis. As part of increasing the accuracy of the research study findings and analysis, the authors examined 99 deaf inmates with severe-to-profound hearing loss among the total of 133,680 inmates throughout the state of Texas back in 2001 (Miller, Vernon, & Capella, 2005). Review of Literature In any types of research study, the authors should provide a clear literature review that clearly identify and compare the different types of criminal and non-criminal offenses made by prisoners with and without hearing problems, discuss how the variables and key terms are clearly defined, and examine the research strategies that

Monday, September 23, 2019

Weekly response paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Weekly response paper - Assignment Example Reflecting on both John May articles Sensing: Preliminary Notes on the Emergence of Statistical-Mechanical Geographic Vision and logic of managerial surface, it is clear that the significance of technology cannot be underestimated. Both in their military application, scientific emergence, and modern managerial posture has played a significant role. In Mays logic of managerial surface helps to think about how technology has played an important role in making us realize the sudden need for successful management (May, "Logic" 6). It also helps in decision about conceptual change, particularly in environmental management distancing ourselves from previous practices that failed to foresee consequences of design. Likewise, Sensing: Preliminary Notes on the Emergence of Statistical-Mechanical Geographic vision gives important insight on how we see things. The article also discusses statistical probability and how its relationship with logic of reduction and abstraction and their roles in ge ological science such as thermal imaging and mapping to what we see (May, "Preliminary" 43). Looking back at our earlier readings, on how technology has helped in the advancement of weapons and infrastructures, and others. Technology is largely responsible for the sense of stability of life in the world. Technology confers with the ability to increase a reflexive character of modernity and constitute a fundamental feature of the managerial surface. The environment produced by the technology is more aware catastrophic tendencies since they are prescribed to compensate for failures. Technology can regulate temperatures, light, water, and so on. However, the duration of contentions rests on geographical concepts that are rooted in modern technologies and analytical and inferential approaches in the geography practice. Using a technical framework, it is clear that the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Psychology Essay Example for Free

Psychology Essay This required Portfolio assignment will provide you with the opportunity to practice and hone your research skills. It has been designed to help you think scientifically about real world problems and issues and to apply your knowledge of the research process to various topics in Psychology. This assignment accomplishes that goal by challenging you to: †¢ Differentiate between the common use of the word research and the use of the word research in the social and behavioral sciences †¢ Identify the major steps in the research process using a classic study in Psychology as an example. Part I: Defining Research The word research is used in many different ways. Consider the following examples: †¢ Your friend tells you that he intends to research different hair products before deciding on one to buy. †¢ A real estate agent advises you to research home values in your neighborhood before putting your house on the market. †¢ A police officer reports that she is doing ‘some research’ on possible motives for a crime that was committed. †¢ A writer states that he does ‘extensive research’ before beginning his fictional works. Answer the questions below: 1. How is research defined in the social and behavioral sciences? 2. What makes scientific research different from the examples provided above? In your response, be sure to address the characteristics of ‘good’ psychological research. Part II: Understanding the research process Researchers in Psychology follow a systematic process of investigation. Carefully read Chapter 2 of your textbook, paying special attention to the section on Experimental Research. Then go to Chapter 7 in your textbook and read the following section: Research In-Depth: Counterfactuals and â€Å"If Only†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thinking. Answer the questions below, using Medvec colleagues’ first study as an example: 1. What hypothesis did Medvec colleagues set out to test in their first study of the ‘near miss’ phenomenon? Describe the theory associated with this hypothesis. 2. Identify the variables in the study and describe how they were measured. How did the researchers operationalize (test or measure) affective response upon winning a bronze or silver medal? 3. Who were the participants in the study and what did they do? 4. Describe the data that were collected and analyzed. 5. Describe the results of the study. What did the researchers conclude? 6. If you were to design a follow-up experiment on this subject, what might it be?

Friday, September 20, 2019

Narcissism and Social Isolation

Narcissism and Social Isolation Thesis Statement: narcissism can lead to social isolation because of inability to appreciate anything around them aside from themselves. Introduction Narcissism is a personality disorder wherein the individual feels an extremely elevated sense of self-worth compared to normal. A Narcissist thinks that he is like no one else, special and unique in every single way manageable and therefore believes that he is superior to all. A narcissist seem like the perfect kind of company in the short run but in the long run unfolds, so do their true colors begin to show. Body Narcissism is a psychological disorder that is gradually developed overtime by the involvement of biological and environmental factors. According to research, Narcissism has something to do with genetics. Narcissism can be triggered as early as the preschool years and may develop over the passage of time. Media has a big impact in transmitting narcissism to vast populations. Narcissists have such an elevated sense of self worth that they value themselves as inherently as others. Narcissists believe they are special and unique. Most narcissistic individuals require excessive admiration. Narcissists are incapable of completely empathizing. The narcissist recognizes himself as human and others as 3-dimensional cartoons in the background. The narcissist over values people, uses them and then devalues them. Narcissists are one track minded theyre not interested in other people. A narcissist is a human roller coaster fun for a limited time, nauseating in the long run. Non-narcissistic individuals get easily attracted to narcissists and their charms at first glance and want to be part of their circle. In the long run however, others will realize that narcissists only care about themselves and are incapable of genuinely caring for other people and eventually want out of their suffocating circles and shadows. Conclusion Narcissism can lead to social isolation because of inability to appreciate anything around them aside from themselves I. Introduction Mirror, mirror on the wall, whos the fairest of them all? asks the queen from snow whites fairytale and always the magic mirror would reply, You are, you are the fairest in the land. This cycle went on and on and pleased the queen. One day someone became fairer than her. It displeased her in many ways and disturbed her self- esteem so much that she would do anything to regain that title. More than anything, she wanted to be admired. A mythological Greek youth named Narcissus came across a lake and saw his reflection in the water. As he stared at his image, he slowly felt a great deal of admiration for himself. He began to fall in love with his reflection and found that he could not dare to look away from such beauty. No longer grasping the world around him while neglecting his physical needs, he died there still admiring himself. What happened to the queen, to Narcissus and to many more who get unconsciously attached to their own images is what people, today, call Narcissism. Have you ever been described as a vain individual? Have you ever tried describing someone as egocentric? Do you even know what those two words mean? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, vain refers to having or showing undue or excessive pride in ones appearance or achievements while egocentric is defined as limited outlook or concern to ones activities or needs. Too much of either or too much of both becomes a disturbing characteristic for any individual in general. These two characteristics are also words suitable for describing a narcissistic individual. Narcissism is a personality disorder wherein the individual feels an extremely elevated sense of self worth. He may also insist on being first in line to grab opportunities to gain more fame and admiration. A narcissistic individual thinks that he is like no one else, special and unique in every single way imaginable and therefore believes that he is superior to all. This mindset lets the narcissist feel like no one can shine center stage as much as he does. Since he assumes and is convinced that he is unique, he feels that everyone is bound to give parts of their attention to him from time to time. He also believes that he was born to be treated in an extra special manner. Since these individuals seemingly shine in the spotlight and stand out in a crowd, people would get attracted to them. People would want to shine with them and share the same circle with the beautiful and the famous. Unfortunately, narcissists would seem like the perfect kind of company in the short run but as the long run unfolds; so do their true colors and inner divas begin to show. Narcissists cant empathize or love and therefore have no friends (Rachel, 2009). Narcissism can lead to social isolation because of inability to appreciate anything around them aside from themselves. Social isolation potentially leads to depression, placing narcissists at high risk for developing suicidal ideations on the longer run. III. BODY Narcissism is a psychological disorder that is gradually developed over time by the involvement of biological and environmental factors. According to research, Narcissism has something to do with genetics. It is said that children who have Narcissistic parents are most likely to develop Narcissism hence making it a natural and heritable character trait. Geneticists have also started to relate the existence of particular differences in genes with personality disorders. According to a study featured in the 2007 issue of the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, a particular gene referred to as tryptophan hydroxylase-2 may be associated in developing certain personality disorders, including narcissistic personality disorder. Tryptophan hydroxylase-2 aids in regulating the production of serotonin, an important brain chemical involved in mood regulation. Narcissism can be triggered as early as preschool years and may develop over the passage of time. Parent-child relationships including the different styles of parenting are the center of the development of Narcissism. It is believed that narcissism would likely develop as a result of parental rejection. A study from Kohut (1971) attributed narcissism to the inconsistency and lack of empathy of parents to their child. With this, the child seeks attention from others because it presumably is lacking from his parents. The child may behave to the extent of promoting himself through his self-perceived talent (Kernberg, 1975) to gain positive comments from others which he cant receive from his parents. Empty Praises causes the child to feel entitled while lacking the true confidence necessary to feel good about them. The child may then believe he can trust nobody but himself. In contrary to that, narcissism may also develop as a result of parental indulgence. A child may develop an inappro priate high self-appraisal if his parents give him inappropriate positive remarks. He or she may view himself as a person with grandeur and power. We are now living in an increasingly narcissistic society. Media has a big impact in transmitting narcissism to vast populations.ÂÂ  According toÂÂ  Laura Buffadi, online social networking sites like Facebook are common avenues for narcissists since they believe that others are interested in what theyre doing and would want to inform the public of what they are doing. It appears that it might also be possible that this has more to do with the social networks we have at home rather than with those online. Studies have shown that children are left feeling emptier and more prone to insecurities when they are praised for skills or talents that they havent mastered. Meanwhile, praising children for real accomplishments help build up a real self-esteem. Narcissists have such an elevated sense of self-worth that they value themselves as inherently as others. In narcissists, theres a grandiose sense of self-importance. Narcissists like to stare at the mirror and admire their physique. They assume that everyone else is interested to listen to their stories. They think as if they have the natural talent in influencing people. He needs constant attention. Thus he shows a sense of entitlement of deserving others adulation (McAdams, 2006). They tend to use singular pronouns when talking like I, me, my, in a spontaneous speech. Most narcissists require excessive admiration. They may feel as if everyone and everything exists to serve them. They never get satisfied until they get what they think they deserve. They love to take credit of successes and are responsive to opportunities of self enhancement (Wallace Baumeister, 2002). The narcissist recognizes himself as human and others as 3-dimensional cartoons in the background. Narcissists care more about themselves than others. They tend to be in a circle of friends where they first overvalue them then use them and eventually devalue them. Intimacy and transparency are important parts of true friendship, in which narcissists are incapable of. They are one track minded. If threatened by being told that someone else has outperformed them, theyre more likely to put the other person down (Morf Rhodewalt, 1993). They use their so-called friends as instruments to bring them a sense of entitlement or elevate their status. They sufficiently withdraw themselves from others. They love themselves too much that they lack empathy. They express envy when someone gains recognition because they think it should have been rightfully theirs (Videbeck, 2011). Narcissists expect special treatment from others and often result to anger if not given what they want. To a narcissist, nothing is ever good enough and its always the fault of others. Since narcissists have a high self-esteem and are charismatic, non narcissistic individuals get easily attracted to them at first glance and want to be part of their circle. A narcissist may have a lot of friends at first but eventually they would grow tired of his countless me, myself, and I conversations. They soon realize that narcissists only care about themselves and are incapable of genuinely caring for other people and eventually want to walk out from their suffocating shadows. According to Kluger (2011), youre bound to fall in love with narcissists at hello but when you get to know them better, you slowly realize that theyre actually quite unbearable. Their confidence becomes arrogance; charms turn to senselessness; smarts turn to conceitedness. They will talk endlessly about themselves, and never mind you. They have trouble working with others since they cant easily accept criticisms and negative feedbacks. III. Conclusion Narcissists tend to have fewer friends in the long run because narcissism makes individuals feel superior, making it hard to treat others fairly. A narcissist believes that he is the only one and that he is special and unique, and no one is more superior to him. He feels an extremely elevated sense of self worth. He is grandiose, vain, and egocentric all at the same time. With these traits, narcissists are not capable of empathizing. A narcissist is not interested in other people; all he wants is their attention. He only thinks of what is most beneficial for him, not minding the people surrounding him. Since a narcissist cant appreciate the things surrounding him, he will find himself in many similar situations in the future. A few episodes of peer rejection such as these can possibly lead to social isolation then to depression and might even be a reason for the development of suicidal ideation.

The History Of White-tailed Deer In Kentucky :: essays research papers

The History of White-Tailed Deer in Kentucky   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When our ancestors first reached Kentucky they found a great abundance of game, including deer. Early settlers utilized deer for food and clothing. Due to all the killing of the white-tail deer, around 1925 they were virtually eliminated in Kentucky. A few survived in areas such as, between the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers in western Kentucky, and a few survived in eastern Kentucky. In most places, though deer simply no longer occurred.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the deer was on the verge of extension in Kentucky, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources stepped in. They tried to save the deer in Kentucky and they succeeded. They regulated the hunting seasons and the amount of game allowed to kill. Today we have an abundance of deer in Kentucky, we have about 450,000 deer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The white-tailed deer breeding season in Kentucky runs from October through mid January, reaching its peak in November. Most fawns are born in June, following a seven month gestation period. Newborn fawns will weigh about four pounds at birth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Deer offspring are cared for and may remain with the mother until the next spring. Fawns retain their spots until mid September and nurse until mid October. About 40 percent of female fawns breed during their first autumn, but usually bear only one fawn. Does breeding at age 1 1/2 or older generally have twins, and sometimes triplets. By November, Kentucky's deer population typical increases slightly more than one fawn per doe. Although many more fawns are born than one per doe, some will die before the hunting season arrives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A deer's home range averages about 500 acres. In mountains, the home range may exceed 1,000 acres. Even though this size area can support about 40 deer, these animals will not always stay just within their home range. Many will travel on and off that amount of land different times of the year looking for the best food and cover available.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One important key in improving deer numbers is helping provide ample amounts of the right foods. Healthier deer produce more offspring. White-tails eat a variety of vegetation, depending on what is available during different seasons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In late winter, deer live mainly on woody twig ends and buds called browse. They will also eat acorns, corn and winter wheat if available. Spring foods include tender grasses, clovers and leaves of woody plants such as ragweed, native and cultivated grasses and clovers. During the fall, deer will use fruits and nuts such as acorns, persimmons, dogwood berries, corn and browse for a food supply.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Protection from severe weather, predators and illegal hunting is

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay on Social Position Reflected in Roxana and Emma :: Roxana and Emma Essays

Social Position Reflected in Roxana and Emma   Ã‚   There were severe conflicts between the City party and the Country party in 18th century Britain. The Country party, mainly composed of gentry, was based on landed interest and the City party made money through trade and was based on moneyed interest. The Country party passed the Landed Property Qualification Act to maintain their power. However, this act merely encouraged more men of wealth to buy country estate, in many cases displacing old landed families who truly represented the  ¡Ã‚ °landed interest. ¡Ã‚ ±[1][1] We can see this changing of power through these two works, Roxana and Emma. Daniel Defoe was born in London, so he naturally engaged in City party. Roxana ¡Ã‚ ¯s background is mainly city while that of Emma is the little country society called Highbury. As we can see the difference of the background of two works, we can also find some different attitude toward City and Country in these two works. I will write about these differences in point of the conception of g entleman, rank and different attitude to City lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Defoe indicates that younger sons who have careers in law and trade are the backbone of the English Nation. The uneducated eldest son is an insult to the word gentleman: he is a man of no use to himself or to others.[2][2] He thinks that trade is more important than land. We can find this attitude in Roxana. Roxana says,  ¡Ã‚ °a true bred Merchant is the best Gentleman in the Nation; that in Knowledge, in Manners, in Judgement of things, the Merchant out-did many of the Nobility ¡Ã‚ ± (Roxana 170, The page numbers of further references from Roxana will be put in parentheses in the text).   She also says  ¡Ã‚ °That an Estate is a Pond; but that a Trade was a Spring ¡Ã‚ ±(170). The Dutch merchant also says that  ¡Ã‚ °the Tradesmen in London, speaking of the better sort of Trades, cou ¡Ã‚ ¯d spend more Money in their Families, and yet give better Fortunes to their Children, than, generally speaking, the Gentry of England from a 1000 l ¡Ã‚ ±(170). We can know that Roxana has a very positive view to a merchant from this. She thinks that a merchant is better than gentry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, it is viewed differently, as shown in Emma. When Emma talks about the father of Mrs. Elton, she says like this :  ¡Ã‚ ° a Bristol ? merchant, of course, he must be called; but, as the whole of the profits of his mercantile life appeared so very moderate, it was not unfair to guess the dignity of his live of trade had been very moderate also ¡Ã‚ ±(Emma, 164).

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Bump in the Breast Essays -- Personal Narrative Cancer Health Medicine

Bump in the Breast I don’t want to die, I thought to myself. I didn’t do anything to deserve this. I’m a good person, but so was my mother and she had it too. Did she give it to me? Will I still be a woman if I only have one breast? Maybe death would be better than being half a woman. I can’t take this, where is the damn doctor? â€Å"Lynn, you’ll be fine. It’s just a tiny lump.† Randy said, trying to comfort me. â€Å"Yeah, well that tiny lump could kill me like it did my mother.† I paused and looked ruefully at my husband. â€Å"Sorry, I’m just nervous.† â€Å"I understand, but your mother didn’t have the technology we have today. Doctor Brood will be back soon with the results of your mammogram, I’ll go get you some water.† With that, Randy left the somewhat decrepit examination room. Randy was right, but I couldn’t help worrying. I can’t imagine going through this without him. We got married ten years ago and our ceremony was dedicated to my mother, Diane, who died of breast cancer when I was twelve. Now here I sit, waiting to see if I will face the same fate. â€Å"Here you go.† Randy said as he handed me a small Dixie cup filled with cold water. Just as Randy sat down, the door flew open and Doctor Brood entered the room. My palms were sweating, my heart was pounding and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to take whatever the doctor was about to say. Doctor Brood took a deep breath and began to speak, â€Å"We caught the lump in your left breast early enough to treat it. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. â€Å"There’s another tumor in your right breast that has reached a dangerous stage, but we can take care of it. I’m going to give you some literature to read and some forms to sign. I don’t want you to worry – we do these procedures all the time and th... ...o my eyes. â€Å"Show your little girl what an amazing woman her mother is, show others there is always hope, and prove to the world ‘What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger’. I love you Lynn and will always be watching over you.† With that, she began to ascend the staircase with the other angles and fade into the night sky. â€Å"I love you too! Mom, wait†¦ wait!† She was gone, but not really. A smile crept into my lips. â€Å"Sweetie, are you alright? Who were you talking to?† Randy asked as he came outside. â€Å"My guardian angel, I’m fine†¦ everything will be fine.† I said as I threw my arms around him. â€Å"Well, whatever happened, I’m glad it did. It’s good to see you smile† he murmured, looking a little perplexed but pleased. I looked at brightest star in the sky, then back at Randy and said, â€Å"I needed a little help to realize this was just another bump in the breast.†

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel Essay

Recipes in Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel The kitchen has long been associated with the mandatory or compulsory servitude of women. â€Å"Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen† remains the most limiting of the stereotypically masculine preferred roles for women. Cecilia Lawless contends that culinary endeavors, like cooking and creating or following recipes â€Å"is traditionally considered a gendered discourse – the woman’s domain, hence marginalized – and therefore not a discourse of empowerment† (Lawless 262). However, women writers around the globe are finding newfound power in the domestic domain of the kitchen by creating a truly feminine discourse replete with recipes, cooking, and therapeutic female-to-female communication. Janice Jaffe claims that in particular, â€Å"a number of Hispanic American and Latina women writers seem to be reclaiming the kitchen† (Jaffe 218). Jaffe’s statement, validated by a 1984 conference dedicated to the writings of Latin American and Latina women entitled The Frying Pan by the Handle, supports the proclamation of the importance of the kitchen for all women writers. She goes on to describe the naming of The Kitchen Table Press in 1981, an U.S.-based organization for women of color. She explains that â€Å"the name was chosen ‘because the kitchen is the center of the home, the place where women in particular work and communicate with each other† (219). The commonality among the above-mentioned works of women writers around the globe is that they are â€Å"reclaiming the kitchen as a space of creative power rather than confinement† (219). The remarkable prominence of female authorship in culinary narratives can be attributed in part to the acknowledgement of a tradition: recipe fiction provides a means by which women authors can pay homage to what they have received from their foremothers. That lineage becomes especially important for today’s society that has allowed for the mass exodus of women from the kitchen. Today’s economy demands that to achieve and maintain a comfortable standard of living, women must enter the workforce, alongside their mates. This migration ultimately leaves little time for the culinary arts, as the experience of food is largely reduced to the acquiring of basic sustenance. As a result, for many people, food has lost its pleasure and intimacy, transposed as it is to fast-food restaurants and microwave miracles. Once convenience foods had become the â€Å"order of the day,† however, culinary romances could function in a contrary action as a means of preserving the Epicurean arts and affirming a matriarchal realm. For both writers and readers, then, these narratives develop a means of both remembering and honoring the lives of our foremothers as most of us hurry about from one meeting to the next, a Big Mac on a food tray, in our cars. (Lawless) In Like Water for Chocolate, Laura Esquivel begins each chapter with a list of ingredients for one particular recipe. She, however, does not index them, or any of the other recipes that she includes, and thus ensures that her book more closely resembles a true cookbook journal than do those written by culinary writers. As the kitchen has traditionally been of little concern to men, very few of them have written or participated in the creation of receipt collections and subsequently in culinary narratives. Their domain was, and largely still is, that of labour,6 though noticeable exceptions to this avoidance are the many world-class chefs who are male. Typically, throughout patriarchal history, men would go to work, while women would stay at home and prepare the food. Until recently, this pattern has been fairly constant, men have functioned outside the home, and women have tended to function inside it. It is my opinion, then, as a consequence, when men wrote, they wrote about things they knew about or desired—often as not, those things outside the kitchen. This paper discusses such an example of the kind of culinary empowerment and creative reclamation in Laura Esquivel’s magical realist novel, Like Water for Chocolate. In this text, Esquivel creates a character that has the ability to induce emotional and physical reactions with the food she prepares. By means of mystical subconscious desires and commands. Esquivel’s protagonist affects the minds, hearts and bodies of those around her, and she also elicits physical responses from her own body. Denied the possibility of emotional love and physical, sexual experiences due to family tradition, Tita struggles to repress the desires of her body and heart by means of mental fortitude. By pitting her mind against her body, Tita suffers internal chaos and turmoil, but her subconscious and her body doesn’t let her submit or surrender. Only by freeing herself from familial restrictions that forced her to negate her physicality can Tita begin to develop to a sense individual agency and self. By breaking out of her cultural confines, she creates a new site of power for herself, one that will eventually unite her body, heart and mind into one complete and whole being, exercising total control of her life, her love and her destiny. Laura Esquivel’s novel of recipes and romance, a parody of the mid-nineteenth century women’s magazines that included â€Å"recipes, home remedies, and. often, sentimental novels in monthly installments† (Ibsen 137), chronicles the birth, life and death of Josefita â€Å"Tita† de la Garza. Like Water for Chocolate begins with the story of how Tita precipitated her own birth, a strong indication of her power as an individual. Tita was so sensitive to onions, any time they were being chopped, they say she would just cry and cry; when she was still in my great-grandmother’s belly her sobs were so loud that even Nacha, the cook, who was half-deaf, could hear them easily. Once her wailing got so violent that it brought on an early labor. And before my great-grandmother could let out a word or even a whimper, Tita made her entrance into this world, prematurely, right there on the kitchen table amidst the smells of simmering noodle soup, thyme, bay leaves, and cilantro, steamed milk, garlic, and of course, onion. (Esquivel 5-6) However, shortly after her birth, the reader learns of Tita’s utter lack of power to direct her destiny. The book postulates that the reason Tita â€Å"was already crying as she emerged,† results from the fact that â€Å"maybe†¦she knew then that it would be her lot in life to be denied marriage† (6). Her mother decreed that as the youngest daughter, Tita was destined to remain unmarried and care for her mother, Mama Elena, until her death. Unfortunately for Tita this meant that she must resist her body and heart’s desire to â€Å"experience love† (12). The novel, most frequently categorized as a parody, can also be classified as both Postmodern and Post-Revolutionary. It is Postmodern in its attempt to subvert and undermine the epigraph addressed to Latina women: â€Å"To the table or to bed: You must come when you are bid† (Esquivel). Maria Elena de Valdes elaborates on the statement in this way: A verbal image emerges of the model Mexican rural middle class woman. She must be strong and far more clever than the men who supposedly protect her. She must be pious, observing all the religious requirements of a virtuous daughter, wife, and mother. She must exercise great care to keep her sentimental relations as private as possible and. most important of all, she must be in control of life in her house, which means essentially kitchen and bedroom, or food and sex. (de Valdes 86) In a similar vein. Joanne Saltz describes the historical context of the Post-Revolutionary novel by claiming that, the text is one in which the Mexican Revolution reverberates, overturning literary and social conventions of form, the position of women in society, their social conduct and the regulation of their bodies, and at the same time debunking the feminist myth of the superwoman. (Saltz 30-1) In this atmosphere of change for Latina women in Mexican history, one must align oneself with either the traditional view of women and their place in society described by de Valdes, or the more modern position toward women as depicted by Saltz. The opening pages of Like Water for Chocolate follow a Postmodern/Post-Revolutionary. Mexican literary tendency to ascribe â€Å"the fundamental aspects of the liberal hero/heroine as living a life of ‘sacrifice, abnegation (denial of one’s desires), martyrdom’ in the hope of vindication at some time in the future† (Schaefer 83). That sacrifice and abnegation will be forever present in Tita’s life is evident by Mama Elena’s decree, but Esquivel cues her reader that the character of Tita will also achieve martyrdom and vindication with her statement that. â€Å"Tita did not submit† (Esquivel 11). Her subtle hint that Tita would not quietly agree with her mother’s â€Å"family tradition† (11). promises to create underlying tension and open conflagration between the two as Tita attempts to redefine the stifling traditional roles for women which Mama Elena so closely follows. In addition to the â€Å"enforced celibate destiny† (Lawless 262) of Tita, Mama Elena dominates and dictates almost every aspect of her children’s lives, as well as the management of the ranch house.   Several examples of the matriarch’s total domination and unquestionable authority appear throughout the novel. Tita remarks that, â€Å"in the De la Garza family, one obeyed -immediately† (Esquivel 12). When met with any form of disobedience. Mama Elena is quick to â€Å"correct† the offender, who is usually Tita. When presents with a suspiciously unruly look on her daughter’s face, â€Å"Mama Elena read the look on her face and flew into a rage, giving Tita a tremendous slap that let her rolling in the dirt† (27). Instances of her physical and mental abuse consistently permeate the entire work, and the character of Mama Elena is portrayed as efficiently violent and destructive. Tita relates that, â€Å"unquestionably, when it came to dividing, dismantling, dismembering, desolating, detaching, dispossessing, destroying, or dominating. Mama Elena was a pro† (97). Tita reveals the feelings of defeat and domination she experiences at the hands of her mother in the following passage. Mama Elena was merciless, killing with a single blow. But then again not always. For Tita she had made an exception; she had been killing her a little at a time since she was a child, and she still hadn’t quite finished her off. (49) Tita despairingly attempts to please her mother to no avail â€Å"no matter how hard Tita tried she always got an infinite number of things wrong† (94). Mama Elena’s strict adherence to cultural, traditional and familial mores, like those taught to all young Mexican girls from â€Å"Carreno’s manual of etiquette† (39), serves as the primary source of Tita’s servile confinement in the ranch house. Her mother is linked with the traditional. Europeanized version of middle class women in Mexico, a model that Tita cannot follow. In Mama Elena’s defense, the reader later learns of the possible source of her tyrannical reign in the household. After her death, Tita discovers some old love letters, while going through her mother’s possessions. Apparently, the true love of Mama Elena’s life was not her husband. Mama Elena had loved a black man, but propriety forbid their relationship. Upon learning the real reason for her mother’s perpetual anger, Tita begins to understand what a wretched existence her mother led. Esquivel describes Tita’s newfound sympathy for her mother: â€Å"During the funeral Tita really wept for her mother. Not for the castrating mother who had repressed Tita her entire life, but for the person who had lived a frustrated love† (138). Enforcing her will upon her daughters is Mama Elena’s attempt to compensate for her own lack of sexual agency. When Tita learns of the source for her mother’s anger and frustration, she sympathizes with her mother’s plight. Unfortunately, this discovery comes only after Mama Elena’s death. During her lifetime, Tita’s relationship with her mother is less like mother/daughter and more like master/servant. Faced with this unsatisfactory relationship with her mother, Tita turns to the indigenous Indian cook. Nacha, as a substitute mother, a natural turn of events given that Nacha’s domain was the kitchen where Tita was born and cared for as an infant. Esquivel writes that, â€Å"thanks to her unusual birth, Tita felt a deep love for the kitchen, where she spent most of her life from the day she was born† (6). When Mama Elena’s milk dries up, it is Nacha who takes over the feeding of the baby girl who â€Å"grew vigorously and healthy on a diet of teas and thin corn gruels† (7). The narrator maintains that this â€Å"explains the sixth sense Tita developed about everything concerning food.† and that the kitchen â€Å"was Tita’s realm† (7). When she is no longer allowed to play in the kitchen with her sisters, Nacha became her only friend and playmate. Through her time in the kitchen with Nacha, Tita receives the unconditional love that should have been provided by her mother. Indeed, Tita’s fondest memories of her time spent with Nacha include such maternal activities as â€Å"the way she braided her hair and tucked Tita in at night, took care of her when she was sick, and cooked what she craved†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (168). Nacha also serves as an invaluable teacher to Tita, who benefits from her culinary expertise, prowess with herbal remedies, and inventiveness with household tips. Within the narrative of the novel â€Å"Nacha serves as the good mother substitute in contrast to the bad biological mother† (Lawless 264). This binary serves to support Kristine Ibsen’s claim that â€Å"the narration privilege: the ancient oral tradition of female knowledge bequeathed to Tita by Nacha over the artificial rules of conduct, upheld by Mama Elena and reproduced by Rosaura† (Ibsen 140). This oppositional relationship between the â€Å"female knowledge† of Nacha and Tita and â€Å"artificial rules of conduct† followed by Mama Elena and Rosaura produces numerous conflicts and volatile situations throughout the narrative, beginning with Rosaura’s wedding in February’s installment. From her magical realist birth episode in January’s installment of the novel, Tita subconscious powers increase in potency during the February chapter. In this chapter the reader first learns of Tita’s ability to influence the minds and bodies of others subconsciously through the food she prepares. Tita helps Nacha with the cooking, and obligingly assists with the preparation of the wedding feast for her older sister, Rosaura. Forbidden by Mama Elena to marry his true love (Tita), Pedro agrees to marry her older sister just to be near Tita. In despair and suffering from a broken heart, Tita weeps into the cake batter and later into the bowl of icing. Nacha tastes the icing to ensure that Tita’s salty tears have not affected the flavor. The flavor was unaffected, but surprisingly, â€Å"Nacha was overcome with an intense longing† (Esquivel 34). She went to bed crying and was unable to get out of bed the next morning. Later that day, after eating the wedding cake, everyone at the reception was â€Å"flooded with a great wave of longing† (39), then they began weeping. Inexplicably, under some sort of â€Å"strange intoxication† all of the guests began â€Å"collective vomiting† (39). Rosaura accuses Tita of ruining her wedding day by poisoning her cake, but only Tita knows that â€Å"she had added only one extra ingredient to the cake, the tears she had shed while preparing it† (41). There was no corroboration for her story because Nacha dies overnight from remembered sorrow; her heart broken years before when Mama Elena refused to allow her to marry her own true love. The emotional state of Tita, made corporeal by her tears, transferred itself through the cake and into the hearts and bodies of those who ate it. As Lawless describes it, â€Å"Tita herself has become incarnate in the food† (Lawless 265). Tita’s ability to cause emotional and sexual longing in others subversively serves as a reminder of the bodily urges and corporeality that have been denied Tita. Yet, this preliminary experience of affecting other people†s emotions and bodies through her cooking appears to go unrecognized by Tita, who continues to prepare the family’s meals. When her body is burning with unrequited love and lust for Pedro, she prepares quail in rose petal sauce using the roses that Pedro had given her as a gift. While handling the roses, Tita pricks herself on a thorn and her blood mixes with the sauce. As the family eats the dish that evening, Tita’s sister Gertrudis is sent into a state of overwhelming lust akin to spontaneous combustion. What follows equates to a psychological sexual experience between Tita and Pedro. On her the food seemed to act as an aphrodisiac: she began to feel an intense heat pulsing through her limbs. An itch in the center of her body kept her from sitting properly in her chair. She began to sweat, imagining herself on horseback with her arms clasped around one of Pancho Villa’s men. She got her handkerchief and tried to wipe these sinful thoughts from her mind as she wiped away the sweat. But it was no use, something strange had happened to her. She turned to Tita for help, but Tita wasn’t there, even though her body was sitting up quite properly in her chair; there wasn’t the slightest sign of life in her eyes. It was as if a strange alchemical process had dissolved her entire being in the rose petal sauce, in the tender flesh of the quails, in the wine, in every one of the meal’s aromas. That was the way she entered Pedro’s body, hot, voluptuous, perfumed, totally sensuous. With that meal it seemed they had discovered a new system of communication, in which Tita was the transmitter. Pedro the receiver, and poor Gertrudis the medium, the conducting body through which the singular sexual message was passed. Pedro didn’t offer any resistance. He let Tita penetrate him to the farthest corners of his being, and all the while they couldn’t take their eyes off each other. He said, â€Å"Thank you. I have never had anything so exquisite.† (Esquivel 51) In this rose petal episode, Tita’s powers to invade and affect the bodies of others bears a striking resemblance to the Catholic tradition of communion, de Valdes notes the significance of the encounter in this way: â€Å"This is clearly much more than communication through food or a mere aphrodisiac; this is a form of transubstantiation whereby the rose petal sauce and quail have been turned into the body of Tita† (de Valdes 87). When the â€Å"body of Tita† enters Pedro and Gertrudis, they are powerless to stop its effects on their own bodies. Gertrudis continues to suffer an internal burning heat, and she exudes the heavy, heady scent of roses. When she attempts to take a shower in order to quell her burning desires, she sets the shower stall on fire. By coincidence, as she runs naked from the flaming shower stall, a rebel soldier in a nearby city following an irresistible scent of roses, rides in on horseback and sweeps her away with him. Gertrudis and Juan passionately and skillfully make love on galloping horseback, enacting what Tita and Pedro could only dream of doing together. Held to strict cultural and familial standards that neither could breach, the two lovers continue to suppress their physical attraction for each other. The rose petal episode marks the escalation of Tita’s mystical subconscious ability to transfer her emotions into the food she prepares, which produces psychological and physical reactions in the bodies of the people who consume her culinary products. The episode also serves as a subversive parody of Catholic discourse, which is historically associated with the hierarchical dualism of mind and body, devaluing carnal appetites. Esquivel instead â€Å"both acknowledges the authenticity of the female sex drive in women, who according to tradition, are asexual, and highlights the social conventions that punish women for acting on that drive† (Saltz 35). In April’s installment, Tita subconsciously influences her body’s reproductive processes when she miraculously produces breast milk for Pedro and Rosaura’s baby. Tita actually birthed Roberto as â€Å"she was the only one present at the birth of her nephew† (Esquivel 71), and she instantly falls in love with the child. Esquivel writes that, â€Å"the baby’s cries filled all the empty space in Tita’s heart. She realized that she was feeling a new love: for life, for this child, for Pedro, even for the sister she had despised so long† (73). Rosaura falls very ill from the childbirth and cannot nurse Roberto. Unfortunately, the wet nurse they found for the child is killed after one month’s time. The baby desperately needs milk, and although â€Å"she knew it was completely dry† (76), Tita offers her sister’s child her supposedly empty breast. Incredibly, the child sucks happily at Tita’s milk-giving breast, despite Tita’s incapacity to understand or believe what was happening. After all, â€Å"it wasn’t possible for an unmarried woman to have milk† (76), but mysteriously, it was possible for Tita. In another subversive stab at Catholicism, Esquivel depicts the virgin Tita as the virgin mother Mary, able to produce a child and breast milk for that child without ever having â€Å"known† a man. Tita subconsciously wishes to be the child’s mother so badly that her body responds rather appropriately by magically providing her with breast milk for the baby. In the same manner in which Nacha had taken over the maternal duties of Tita, so Tita acts as a substitute mother to Rosaura’s child: â€Å"it was as if the child’s mother was Tita, not Rosaura. That’s how she felt and acted† (78). Tita cares for Roberto as if he were her own child, hers and Pedro’s. After all, without her mother’s interference, she would be the wife of Pedro and the mother of Roberto. Having Roberto in her life made her subservient confinement to her mother bearable. She thinks to herself, â€Å"What did her fate matter, when she had this child near her, this child who was as much hers and anybody’s? Really, she did a mother’s work without the official title, Pedro and Roberto were hers and that was all she needed† (79). However, due to her mother’s control, Tita fails to empower herself through her substitute motherhood. Mama Elena suspects that Pedro and Tita secretly have an indecent relationship, and she sends Pedro, Rosaura and Roberto away from the ranch. Without Tita’s breast milk, the child dies, and Tita is overcome with grief. She has nursed and mothered the child, but then she loses him completely. Interestingly, Tita equates the loss of the child with the destruction of the only place she feels an element of control – the kitchen. When she learns of Roberto’s death, she â€Å"felt the household crashing down around her head† and hears â€Å"the sound of all the dishes breaking into a thousand pieces† (99). When Mama Elena scolds Tita for having a reaction to the news and commands, â€Å"First work, then do as you please, except crying, do you hear?† (99). Tita brazenly confronts her mother for the first time in her life. Tita felt violent agitation take possession of her being: still fingering the sausage, she calmly met her mother’s gaze and then, instead of obeying her order, she started to tear apart all the sausages she could reach, screaming wildly. â€Å"Here’s what I do with your orders! I’m sick of them! I’m sick of obeying you!† (99) Suffering greatly from grief and depression and a broken nose at the angry hands of Mama Elena, Tita crawls up into the dovecote and has a breakdown. The entire June installment describes her time of healing with the help of Dr. John Brown. Tita refuses to speak for six months, and when questioned by the doctor as to why she wouldn’t speak to him, Tita uses a piece of phosphorus to write the words, â€Å"Because I don’t want to† (118). The narrator applauds Tita’s initial efforts at selfhood when she informs the reader that, â€Å"With these words Tita had taken her first step toward freedom† (118). Only by breaking the stifling rules of conduct and doing what she wants to do instead of what she should do, will Tita develop a sense of self and control over her life. John proves to be of invaluable assistance to Tita during her period of convalescence in his home. His saintly patience with her. coupled with the comforting presence of his grandmother’s ghost, a Kikipu Indian, help Tita regain a sense of stability, inner strength, and an eagerness to live outside the confines of her mother’s convent-like ranch house. â€Å"Her first step toward freedom,† away from her mother and toward selfhood, appears to be short-lived when Tita, who has recently agreed to marry John, leaves the safety and security of his home and returns to the ranch to care for her ailing mother. Mama Elena is so embittered by what she considers to be Tita’s blatant disobedience and dishonor to the family that every morsel of food prepared by Tita leaves an unbearably bitter taste in her mouth. To counteract the supposed poisoning of her food, Mama Elena drinks large quantities of ipecac syrup every day, which soon brings about her death. Knowing the misery of her mother’s life of unrequited love and unfulfilled corporeal desires. Tita â€Å"swore in front of Mama Elena’s tomb that come what may, she would never renounce love† (138).   Little did she know that Tita would soon test her own proclamation. Mama Elena’s death brings Pedro and Rosaura, who is pregnant with her second child, back to the ranch.   Tita, engaged to John, still madly loves Pedro, who confesses his love for her. Pedro rationalizes with Tita that now that Mama Elena was dead, they could have a relationship. Tita and Pedro do consummate their love, despite Pedro’s marriage to Tita’s sister and despite Tita’s engagement to John Brown. Soon after their first lovemaking encounter in the bathing room of Mama Elena, Tita begins to suspect that she is pregnant. At this point in the novel, Tita again exercises incredible subconscious influence and control over her body when she causes her body to spontaneously abort the lovechild. Corresponding to the condition of her pregnancy, the ghost of Mama Elena appears to berate Tita and her behavior. Mama Elena’s ghost curses Tita, her behavior and the unborn child she carries: â€Å"What you have done has no name! You have forgotten all morality, respect, and good behavior. You are worthless, a good-for-nothing who doesn’t respect even yourself. You have blackened the name of my entire family, from my ancestors down to this cursed baby you carry in your belly!† (173) Tita’s problems are only compounded when she tells Pedro of her pregnancy, who is thrilled to learn that he and Tita would soon have a child together. He proposes that they run away together, but Tita cannot bring herself to hurt her sister and niece by abandoning them that way. She also felt perpetual fear that â€Å"any minute some awful punishment was going to descend on her from the great beyond, courtesy of Mama Elena† (198). Indeed, the spirit of Mama Elena again descends on Tita to mock her situation and remind her of her indecency and unthinking immorality. When Tita confronts the ghost of her mother, she finally rids herself of her mother’s presence and her antiquated traditional ideals of propriety by telling the ghost that she hates her. As soon as Tita frees herself from the confining restrictions of her mother’s domination, she experiences a spontaneous and sudden miscarriage/menstruation. As the ghost faded away, a sense of relief grew inside Tita’s body. The inflammation in her belly and the pain in her breasts began to subside. The muscles at the center of her body relaxed, loosing a violent menstrual flow. The discharge, so many days late, relieved all her pains. She gave a deep peaceful sigh. She wasn’t pregnant. (200) The act empowers her in two ways. First, by eradicating the remnants of her mother’s dominion over her. Tita has simultaneously provided herself with a temporary reprieve from the impending disastrous effects that her pregnancy would have had on the rest of her family. Secondly. Tita rejects the biological maternity of Mama Elena, in essence aborting herself from her dead mother’s womb. Her psyche directed her corporeal reproductive functions by eliminating the problems associated with her pregnancy.   Without this impediment, Tita and Pedro continue their relationship, under an agreement made with her sister to keep their relationship hidden from Esperanza, the second child of Pedro and Rosaura, and the rest of the community. Their love affair lasts for many years, and culminates on the wedding day of Esperanza and Alex, the son of Dr. Brown. As usual, Tita prepares the meal for the feast, and labors terrifically to make chiles in walnut sauce. After many clandestine and secretive years, Tita and Pedro have finally fulfilled their portion of the terms of discretion now that Mama Elena and Rosaura were dead, and Esperanza would be leaving the family home. Upon her departure, Tita and Pedro would be free to love each other openly. This thought plays upon Tita’s mind as she prepares the chiles, and after eating them, the guests at the reception become incredibly amorous toward their partners. Tita and Pedro especially felt this condition. They knew that â€Å"for the first time in their lives† they could â€Å"make love freely† (242). Entering the â€Å"dark room,† which has been prepared for the lovers by the caring ghost of Nacha, the two are overcome with passion. For Tita, their lovemaking brings her to the brink of the â€Å"brilliant tunnel† that John had warned her about. During her stay with Dr. Brown. Tita learns of his grandmother’s theory concerning the â€Å"spark of life† in each of us in which she said that, each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can’t strike them all by ourselves; we need oxygen and a candle to help. In this case, the oxygen, for example, would come from the breath of the person you love: the candle could be any kind of food, music, caress, word, or sound that engenders the explosion that lights one of the matches. (115) This theory comes with a strong caution from Dr. Brown in which he warns against lighting all the matches at once because â€Å"they would produce a splendor so dazzling†¦and then a brilliant tunnel would appear before our eyes, revealing the path we forgot the moment we were born, and summoning us to regain the divine origin we had lost† (117). If an individual were to light all the matches, see the tunnel, and follow its path, the body would die. Because she wanted to â€Å"explore these emotions many more times,† Tita â€Å"checked her passion† (243). Unfortunately, the lovemaking so consumes and enthralls Pedro that he â€Å"died at the moment of ecstasy† (244). Determined not to be left alone, Tita decides to join him. She remembers the lesson taught to her by John and exercises mental control to bring about the desired physical condition – death. She eats candles and envisions the times she and Pedro spent together, â€Å"their first kiss, the first caress, the first time they made love† (245). Engaging in this suicidal mental masturbation, she reignites the flame inside of herself achieving an â€Å"amorous climax† (245), and joins Pedro who stands waiting for her in a tunnel of light. Love triumphs in death because, â€Å"Never again would they be apart† (245). Just as she induced her own birth, Tita instigates her own death, exercising total control over her body, her love and her destiny. She unites the emotional, mental and physical factors of her being in order to achieve a self-determined level of happiness in her life. The struggle for Tita’s has been arduous and exacting to the point of her death, but she acknowledges that fulfilling one’s desires was an effort worth taking. Life had taught her that it was not easy; there are few prepared to fulfill their desires whatever the cost, and the right to determine the course of one’s own life would take more effort than she had imagined. That battle she had to fight alone, and it weighed on her. (168) In this statement, Esquivel echoes the historical Post-Revolutionary realization of many Latina women writers that â€Å"social change so often requires individual sacrifice† (Schaefer xiv). The realization followed social disillusionment with â€Å"Utopian promises for ‘healing’ both physical and psychological wounds† (xiii). Through her powerful and empowered presence in the kitchen, Tita creates a lasting narrative, which becomes a sort of recipe, â€Å"a how-to book on surviving a mother’s tyranny, or finding love in the midst of familial and social struggle, or returning to the paradiscal home† (Lawless 263). Once denied the body and its pleasures, Tita ultimately owns and controls her body and its functions, refusing to quietly submit to cultural constructs and restraints. Through the use of magical realism’s blurred boundaries, Esquivel creates for Tita â€Å"a new terrain†¦not a room of one’s own, not a merely public or private self, or a domestic realm – it is a space in the imagination which allows for the inside, the outside, and the liminal elements of in between† (268-9). For Tita, it is a space that allows her to be a whole, unified, balanced woman. In this way, Tita creates a new self, one comprised of equilateral elements of mind, heart and body, which contribute to a condition of self-satisfaction as a being of both corporeal and psychological desires. However, the fact that her self-creation can only be found in death negatively impacts the suggested availability of personal freedoms for women. Is it only in death that women can be truly free of cultural and familial restrictions and demands? Some would agree, but others envision alternatives. Ibsen claims that by â€Å"proclaiming women as a source of energy in their own right, the absolute of the dominant order are undermined and an alternate order is posited† (Ibsen 143). In Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate, the dominant order of the hierarchy of mind versus body is displaced, and replaced with a balanced, fulfilled, and whole woman who refuses to submit passively to rules that don’t apply to her. By including recipes within texts such as Like Water for Chocolate, authors invite the reader to become a part of a specialized community. By sharing her secrets with the audience, the author establishes a level of communication and trust that rises above mere reader response, permitting the reader potentially to take what the author has written and prepare the very meal described in the text s/he has just read. In this recipe sharing, audience participation can move to a whole new level. If the reader were to prepare one of the prescribed dishes and to enjoy the food, one could argue that she would perhaps appreciate the book more because its sensory pleasure would then have transcended the limitations of the written text and moved onto the palate and provoked further association. Conversely, should the reader be disappointed with the meal, it is also possible that the reader’s enjoyment of the text could be significantly diminished. Thus in allowing the text to become inter-active, the author redefines the boundaries between text and reader. As the majority of culinary narratives are written by women and are by and large for women, a distinctive feminine voice emerges from these texts, allowing for the creation of a female literary vehicle. This vehicle provides a means to tell the female experience and combined with its inclusion of recipes and cooking instructions, is gradually becoming a popular and innovative new form of writing. References Esquivel, Laura. (1992). Like Water for Chocolate. A Novel in Monthly Installments, with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies. Trans. Carol Christensen and Thomas Christensen. New York: Doubleday. Ibsen, Kristine. (1995). â€Å"On Recipes, Reading, and Revolution: Postboom Parody in Como agua para chocolate.† Hispanic Review 63.2: 133-46. Jaffe, Janice. (1993). â€Å"Hispanic American Women Writer’s Novel Recipes and Laura Esquivel’s Como agua para chocolate† Women’s Studies 22.2: 217-30. Lawless, Celia. (1997). â€Å"Cooking, Community, Culture: A Reading of Como agua para chocolate† In Recipes for Reading. Community, Cookbooks, Stories, Histories, ed. Anne L. Bower. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press. Saltz, Joanne. (1995). â€Å"Laura Esquivel’s Como agua para chocolate: The Questioning of Literary and Social Limits.† Chasqui: 30-37. Schaefer, Claudia. (1992). Textured Lives: Women, Art and Representation in Modern Mexico. Tuscon and London: U ARIZ Press. Valdà ©s, Marà ­a Elena de. (1995). â€Å"Verbal and Visual representation of Women: Como agua para chocolate/Like water for Chocolate. † World Literature Today 69.1: 78-82.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Aping Western Culture Essay

This topic might make most of us go back to the good old days of childhood when we used to run around and play in the hot and burning sun without the pressure of the world upon us.Now the entire world(at least the majority) is mesmerized by the non real world of computer games. Part of the reason for this shift is the lack of good grounds and the lack of togetherness that is persisting in today s world. We might play the popular football or cricket game on PC but its no where near to the joy that we get while playing outdoor football or even cricket. I can still remember the days when I used to play cricket in the burning hot sun in my village, sometimes even bare foot. Nothing can match the joy that we get when we flex some muscles while playin these outdoor games. I also remember my school days during which I used to wait for holidays so that i can play cricket, hide and seek,laggoree(A local game in which we throw the ball at stones and regroup all the stones while avoiding getting hit by the ball), lock and key,badminton and many more innovative games. Most of these games used to be played in the streets and they do not require a play ground. At least I used to play them on the streets. I used to leave my house in the morning and come back for lunch and then again go out and return home at night.Playing with many people is surely fun to the core. Just the assembly of so many people was a joy to be in. Only in villages can we get to see groups of children playing outdoor games.Its becoming more and more of a rare scene in the cities.I can see school kids already carrying the burden of t he world on their tender shoulders. There might come a time when games will be restricted to indoor games or even worse only the computer games. There s nothing wrong in playing on the computer as I myself do get hooked on to the computer games but from time to time playing outdoor games relaxes the mind and also its a very good exercise to our body.Even the PET classes in the schools are taken by other subject teachers in most of the schools.Also many of the schools do not even have a playground in their school premises. All this is sad and the future is going to be even more worse.At this point I remember the popular animated series that comes on disney channel â€Å"Recess†. Its focus is mainly on the outdoor games. There is a popular saying that â€Å"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy†, its time we changed it to something like this â€Å"All work and only playing a on computer makes Jack a dull boy†. There are still a lot more things that I could have written but it might get boring so I leave it to the people reading this blog to comment and share their experiences.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Report on Surajkund Essay

The Surajkund Crafts Mela is organized each year by the Tourism Department in Haryana in February. This is a very colorful and exotic handicrafts and handloom fair that is planned each year to popularize the traditional handicrafts in India made by the rural folks in Surajkund. This was first organized in the year 1981 and it continues to be a major platform for Indian artisans to showcase the skills in the art work and crafts. This is a weeklong fair, which is celebrated annually. Scores of skilled artisans from all over India come here to participate and promote their crafts. Some of the work that is displayed here is age old and has been passed down since ages. Surajkund mela provides its visitors the skilful and exquisite textiles, paintings, ivory work, wood stock, terracotta, pottery, lac work, grass work and stone work. The visitors can also shop here extensively for some of the world’s treasured wares. This fair is not just limited to artworks and exhibitions but also showcases a visual delight to the visitors in the form of performances from the special Natyashala folk dances and music filled evenings at an open air theatre present in the venue. A diverse range of delicious savories, which is prepared by exponents, is also offered to the visitors. The cuisine is generally rural, which is kept so to match the theme of the festival. Each year the Surajkund crafts festival has a theme, inspired by the artworks from a particular Indian state and the entire ambience of the fair is designed accordingly. Many states showcase their finest handlooms, delicious rural cuisines and handicrafts in this fair. Some of the most deligtful crafts collections of the Mela arrive from practically all over the country. In wood and cane come inlay work, rose wood carving, sandal wood from Punjab and South India. Chiki wood craft of Kashmir and some very fine cane craft come from West Bengal and North Eastern States. Delcate sholapith and shital patti work come from Assam and West Bengal. The phulkari of Punjab, the Banjara and Banni embroidery of Gujarat and Rajasthan, the Kantha traditions from West Bengal and Tripura, lace and crochet from Goa, the Suzni of Kashmir and Mirror encasing work along with the traditional chikan work of Lucknow delight. Oxidized jewellery, sea shell decorations and agate stone work delight as also do delicate gold work and chunky silver jewellery. Toys in wood and cane, ply and mud make the young thrill with joy. Some of the fine phad paintings of Rajasthan, the kalamkari of Andhra and Karnataka, temple paintings of Orissa, madhubani of Bihar, fascinate. In the metal section tribal dhora work, classical south Indian metal work, glittering brass ware, bell metal and iron craft delight collectors. In the field of woven textiles some of the finest silk work of Orissa, Patola, Bandhini of Gujarat and Rajasthan, Ikat, Kanjeevaram, Dharmavaram and temple silks of South India vie for attention with the most simple cottons of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and tribal textiles of North East India as also do the handloom of Haryana. The Various Crafts participated in the Mela every year. Themes for the fair in some of the fairs were Madhya Pradesh in 2009, Paschim Banga in 2008, Andhra Pradesh in 2001, Maharashtra in 2006 and the state of Chattisgarh in the year 2005. Surajkund is a major place located at a distance or 8 km of South Delhi in the city of Faridabad. This place is very easily accessible by road from Delhi. The Haryana Tourist Bureau arranges special tours from 36 Janpath Road in New Delhi. The nearest airport is located in Delhi. The site where this fair is organized is at a distance of 25 km from Palam Airport. Thus, visiting this fair atleast once is highly recommended as the rich culture and true colours and creativity of our country can be observed giving one of the most beautiful experiences.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Elective Banking Management Part

Explain the factors the branch manager has to take into account at the time of preparation of the budget. 4. Write an essay on Globalization in the Banking Industry. 5. Examine the economic functions of banks. 6. Explain Fractional-reserve banking. 25 x 4=100 marks Answers 2. Explain performance budgeting exercise as a tool for deposit manipulation. Performance budgeting can be defined as budgeting for the performance of an individual or an organization.In the context of an organization what is required is to set some broad objectives for the organization at the top management level and motivate the employees in such a manner that they also feel like setting some individual goals, which are nevertheless complementary to the goals for the organization. Performance budgeting exercise is elucidated in the below steps: 1. Defining the Commanding Area: The concept of command areas is a highly dynamic one, having relevance only to a particular budget year.This means that the command areas of branch need not be the same for all years on the other hand, it should be changed as and when the branch has tapped the full potential of the area. Again there is another wrong concept about the command areas that it should be geographically contiguous areas around the branch. Actually the command areas of a branch should be the possible main areas, which the ranch can effectively serve during the particular years, as felt by the branch manager and the staff.Thus branch can have as its command area, a whole village, as war, as street of a town, a big building housing several offices, etc. Of course this does not mean business from other areas is not welcome but only that our main thrust will in this area. 2. Environmental Scanning and Market Segmentation: Environmental scanning really means scanning the branch environment, both inside and outside. Often we tend to ignore the internal factors as we understand it today, this involves identification of the market and its attention, the evaluation and selection of this market after it is segmented.But let us try to look at it from a different angel. A. The Internal Factors: There are three important factors to be considered under this head they are: Employees of the branch – human resources Non human resource – infrastructure Top management – the controlling offices It is a fact the branch management can realize its goals only through the active co-operation of the staff working in the branch and the administrative offices. There a fair knowledge of the nature of staffs their aspirations and robbers will help branch manager to take them along with his as team to achieve the goals.Naturally, he should interact with them as frequently as possible. The manager should also try to create good rapport with higher authorities. For this is should properly communicate with them regarding this action plan and feed them with sufficient data at the appropriate time. He must work in close liaison with t hem so that he can strengthen his hand and try to avoid origination conflicts and help himself to take quick and sound decisions consistent with the policies of the bank. Then comes the assessment of the infrastructural facilities available in the branch.The goals set for the branch should be possible to be achieved with the available infrastructure thus we can very well see that non achievement of budgetary goals cannot be ascribes to staff shortage, if the spirit of the performance budget is properly understood. B. The External Factors: Four important factors under this head National plan objectives and government policies Aspirations and expectations in the command area Customer satisfaction Handling competition from rivals The national plan objectives are normally given in the policy guidelines book published by the central office, planning department.These should be through at length. The prime function of bank is to accept deposits from those with surplus money and lend it to those who need it for productive investment. This necessitates the identification of pockets of potential deposit on the one hand and identification of person who need advance for productive purposes, on the other. Collection of these data is very important and it has to be done methodically. These data can be used to: 1. Segment the market according to various parameters. 2. Prepare bankable schemes for various segments and .It is better that these data are collected and kept updated frequently. Regarding customer satisfaction, we have to ensure that the primary motto in formulating any scheme is the satisfaction of the customer. We have to worry about the competition from other financial institution and fellow bankers. For this we have to know the terms, nature and cost of services rendered by our competition and also their marketing strategies. Apart from all these, the branch manager should try to: Develop personal inclination to take safe risks.Create a climate of confidence an d trust within the branch Establish personal rapport with the higher authorities and Take quick an sound decisions 3. Studying the past trend in business growth: A study of the past trend in the business growth of the branch helps the manger to take as stock of the inherent strength and weakness of the branch, the staff members and its location, etc. This must be done to mark the budget realistic. There is no point in setting a budget, which IS very ambitious for a branch with limited resources. . Preparation of Tentative Budget: After doing all the above exercise, the branch manager should attempt to rooter the incremental growth in business for the next year. It is at this stage that he should seek the reviews of all his staff members in agreement and frank atmosphere. Preferably a meeting of all the staff members should be called in which he can present all the details. It should then be left to the group to decide how much should be the incremental growth in business for their b ranch.In such a meeting, the leadership qualities of the manger should be made use of, so as to elicit the view of each and every staff member. Apart from this the manager should patiently listen to the view so everybody. It all the certain views and suggestions are not acceptable to the group, the members should be convinced of the reason why they are not acceptable. Once sufficient deliberations have been gone through in the meeting a consensus decision in regard to the incremental growth in the business in each sector like deposits, advances, profit etc. Ill be taken. There is important advantage in formulating the budget in this way. Because the goals have been set jointly, every member for the staff will be totally committed to the goals and will be striving hard to achieve them. As a result, he budge of the branch will not be treated as the branch managers budget but will recognized as a branch budget. 5. Participating in the Budget Meeting of the Region: The branch manager pr esent this draft budget to eh regional manager in the budget meeting convened by the latter for the entire region.In this meeting, the regional manager present the macro level scenario of the region and invites suggestion and views of the individual branch manages regarding their contribution to the achievement of the incremental business growth for the regions for the next year. The draft budgets brought by the individual branch angers are the discussed and the total business for the entire regions is arrived at. The figures furnished by the individual branches are not simply accepted by the regional manager. The branch managers will have to us passionate their projected business figures to the satisfaction of the regional manager. . The Final Budget Meeting at the Branch: After the regional manager has finalize the regional budgets in the above meeting, the branch manager has to convene another staff meeting in his own branch to inform the staff member s about the details of the f inal budget room the draft budget, the branch manager should explain the position to all the staff members to their satisfaction. In this way all the staff members are very well aware of the task. In this meeting some notion plans can also be chalked out. 7.Review Meeting at Branch Level and Regional Level: Once the budget year starts, the real action begins. Success of any planned project depends on large extent on the periodic review of the progress made. The entire yearly budget can be divided into quarterly or half yearly budgets. In the review meetings half of the regional level, the performance of each ranch will be reviewed visit–visit the targets; For making the regional review meetings more meaningful, it is advisable to attempt such review meetings at the individual branches by conducting staff meetings.This should be preferably done before the regional review meetings so that the branch manager is ready with all the necessary details when comes for the regional mee ting specifically in regard to the reasons for variances, if any from the budgetary goals. 3. Explain the factors the branch manager has to take into account at the time of preparation of the budget. At the time of preparation of the budge, the branch manager has to take into account the following four factors: 1.Bank's corporate goals 2. Rib's ground rules 3. Government of Indian's Directives 4. Expectations of the people in the command area 1. Bank's corporate goals The corporate goal of the bank, as decided by the top management, forms the basis of the performance budget. As such it is necessary that these are clearly spelt out and advised to the branches well in time. In some banks these are given in the booklet, â€Å"Policy Guidelines†, brought Out by the central office every year.This provides the branches the broad guidelines, covering the economic scenario for the country and the bank's expectations of the incremental growth in the business during the coming year. 2. Rib's Ground Rules There are certain ground rules prescribed by the RIB, which should govern all the activities of the bank. They are summarized below: a. No bank shall pay interest on current account. B. No bank shall pay countervailing interest on any current accounts maintained with it by its borrowers. C.No bank shall discriminate in the matter of rate of interest paid on deposits, between one deposit and another, accepted on the same date and the same maturity, whether such deposits are accepted at the same office or at the different offices of the bank. D. No bank shall pay brokerage on deposits in any form to any individual, firm, company, association, institution or any other person, except I) Commission paid to agents, employed to collect door to door deposits under special schemes ii) Inexpensive gifts costing not more than the amount prescribed by the RIB in this regard from time to time. Ii) Incentive granted to staff members as approved by RIB from time to time. E. No bank shall violate the other instructions issued by RIB from time to time, on payment of interest and related aspects in accepting of deposits and granting advances. 3. Government of India Directives The government of India issues directives from time to time to banks in the matter Of providing credit to the priority sector and other specified groups, and implementation for various poverty alleviation programs.These are kept in mind at the time of drawing the credit plan for the ensuring year. 4. Expectation of People of the Command Area Over all above all these, the branch manager at the time of drawing up the actual budget has to take into account the expectation of the people inhabiting the command area in regard to their credit needs and also other types of services, especially now that we are going to adopt the set-vice areas approach in all our activities.Answer: Fractional-reserve banking is the practice whereby a bank holds reserves (to satisfy demands for withdrawals) that are less than the amount of its customers' deposits. Reserves are held at the bank as currency, or as deposits in the bank's accounts at the central bank. Because bank deposits are usually considered money in their own right, fractional-reserve banking permits the none supply to grow beyond the amount of the underlying reserves of base money originally created by the central bank Fractional-reserve banking is the current form of banking practiced in most countries worldwide.Fractional reserve banking has been said to violate Islamic principles of ownership. Working of Fractional Reserve Banking In most legal systems, a bank deposit is not a bailsmen. In other words, the funds deposited are no longer the property of the customer. The funds become the property of the bank, and the customer in turn receives an asset called a deposit account (a checking or savings account). That deposit account is a liability on the balance sheet of the bank.Each bank is legally authorized to issue cred it up to a specified multiple of its reserves, so reserves available to satisfy payment of deposit liabilities are less than the total amount which the bank is obligated to pay in satisfaction of demand deposits. Fractional-reserve banking ordinarily functions smoothly. Relatively few depositors demand payment at any given time, and banks maintain a buffer of reserves to cover depositors' cash withdrawals and other demands for funds.However, during a bank run or a generalized financial crisis, demands or withdrawal can exceed the bank's funding buffer, and the bank will be forced to raise additional reserves to avoid defaulting on its obligations. A bank can raise funds from additional borrowings (e. G. , by borrowing in the interbrain lending market or from the central bank), by selling assets, or by calling in short-term loans. If creditors are afraid that the bank is running out of reserves or is insolvent, they have an incentive to redeem their deposits as soon as possible befor e other depositors access the remaining reserves.Thus the fear of a bank run can actually precipitate the crisis. Many of the practices of contemporary bank regulation and central banking, including centralized clearing of payments, central bank lending to member banks, regulatory auditing, and government-administered deposit insurance, are designed to prevent the occurrence of such bank runs. Economic Function of Fractional Reserve Banking: Fractional-reserve banking allows banks to create credit in the form of bank deposits, which represent immediate liquidity to depositors.The banks also provide longer-term loans to borrowers, and act as financial intermediaries for those funds. Less liquid forms of deposit (such as time deposits) or riskier lasses of financial assets (such as equities or long-term bonds) may lock up a depositor's wealth for a period of time, making it unavailable for use on demand. This â€Å"borrowing short, lending long,† or maturity transformation func tion of fractional-reserve banking is a role that many economists consider to be an important function of the banking system.Additionally, according to macroeconomic theory, a well-regulated fractional-reserve bank System also benefits the economy by providing regulators with powerful tools for influencing the money supply and interest rates. Many economists believe hat these should be adjusted by the government to promote macroeconomic stability. The process of fractional-reserve banking expands the money supply of the economy but also increases the risk that a bank cannot meet its depositor withdrawals. Modern central banking allows banks to practice fractional-reserve banking with inter-bank business transactions with a reduced risk of bankruptcy.Money Creation Process There are two types of money in a fractional-reserve banking system operating with a central bank: Central Bank Money: money created or adopted by the central bank regardless Of its form -? precious metals, moodily certificates, banknotes, coins, electronic money loaned to banks, or anything else the central bank chooses as its form of money Commercial Bank Money: demand deposits in the banking system; sometimes referred to as â€Å"checkbook money† When a deposit of central bank money is made at a bank, the central bank money is removed from circulation and added to the commercial banks' reserves (it is no longer counted as part of MI money supply). Simultaneously, an equal amount of new commercial bank money is created in the form of bank deposits. When a loan is made by the commercial ann. (which keeps only a fraction of the central bank money as reserves), using the central bank money from the commercial bank's reserves, the ml money supply expands by the size of the loan. This process is called â€Å"deposit multiplication†.Regulatory Requirements: Government controls and bank regulations related to fractional-reserve banking have generally been used to impose restrictive r equirements on note issue and deposit taking on the one hand, and to provide relief from bankruptcy and creditor claims, and/or protect creditors with government funds, when banks defaulted on the other hand. Such measures have included for examples such as: Minimum required reserve ratios (Errs) Minimum capital ratios Government bond deposit requirements for note issue 100% Marginal Reserve requirements for note issue and Sanction on bank defaults and protection from creditors for many months or even years The Banking Sector has for centuries now formed one of the pillars of economic prosperity. Indeed history provides us with some starting information regarding how banks provided finance for imperialist ventures in newly acquired colonies.Over time banks have formed an important part in providing an avenue for both savings and investments. Land, Labor, capital and entrepreneurs are the basic economic resources available to business. However, to make the use of these resources, a b usiness requires finance to purchase of the land, hire labor, pay for capital goods and pay for individuals with specialized skills. Detail role of functions of banks in economic development is given below: Trade Development The banks provide capital, technical assistance and other facilities to businessmen according to their need, which leads to development in trade. Agriculture Development Banks finance the most important sector Of the developing economics I. Agriculture, short, medium and long-term loans are provided for the purchase of seeds and fertilizer, installation of tube wells, construction of warehouses, purchase of tractor and thresher etc. Industrial Development The countries, which concentrated on industrial sector made rapid economic development. South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Indonesia have recently developed their industrial sector with the help of banks. Capital Formation Banks help in increasing the rate of capital formation in a country. Capital fo rmation means increase in number of production units, technology, plant ND machinery. They finance the projects responsible for increasing the rate of capital formation. Development of Foreign Trade Banks help the traders of two different countries to undertake business.Letter Of credit is issued by the importer's bank to the exporters to ensure the payment. The banks also arrange foreign exchange. Transfer of Money Banks provide the facility of transferring funds from one place to another which leads to the growth of trade. More Production A good banking system ensures more production in all sectors of the economy. It increases the prod auction capabilities of the economy by threatening capital structure and division of labor Development of Transport The banks financed the transport sector. It has reduced unemployment on one hand and increased the transport facility on the other hand. Remote areas are linked to main markets through developed transport system.Safe Custody The busine ss concerns and individuals can make themselves tension free by depositing their surplus money in banks. The banks also provide them the facility of lockers to keep their precious articles and necessary documents safe. Increase in Saving Banks persuade the people to save more. Different saving schemes with attractive interest rates are introduced for this purpose. Number of bank branches is opened in urban and rural areas. Construction of Houses Banks provide credit facilities to their customers for the purchase or construction of houses. Assistance to Government By providing funds to government for development programs, the banks share the government for economic stability.