In what ways are Gatsby and George Wilson similar or dissimilar, to whom is Nick more sympathetic towards? Essay

In what ways are Gatsby and George Wilson similar or dissimilar, to whom is Nick more sympathetic towards? Fitzgerald purposefully contrasts his characters throughout the novel, in order to compare contrasting worlds that were present in American society. Although there are some clear differences between Gatsby and George, there are also superficial similarities between them that each man has to experience and put up with. Drawing upon the more apparent differences between these two characters, it is evident that they have differing wealth. Gatsby is depicted as being rich through the means of the ‘Hotel de Ville’ or ‘mansion'(11) that he owns, and also by the way he holds lavish parties where ‘champagne was served in glasses bigger than finger-bowls'(48). Considering that Gatsby lives in West Egg not only reveals the true extent of his wealth, but additionally it shows that he is ‘noveau riche’ rather than ‘old’ rich like those who inhabit East Egg. Gatsby has only recently acquired his wealth after migrating from the Midwest whilst following the ‘New’ American Dream. The original dream consisted of any American citizen having the right to pursue their goals and dreams through hard work and free choice. It was the opportunity to make individual choices without the underlying restrictions of class, caste, religion, race, or ethnic group, that once overshadowed people. Often, people followed the common saying, ‘Go West young man!’ where the land was uninhabited and extremely fertile. In the case of the ‘New’ dream, it was simply how the dream had become interpreted by the 1920s. It was a distortion from the original dream to the idea of ‘Get rich quick’. Being of ‘New’ wealth, Gatsby tries to flaunt his wealth about. When Nick asks Gatsby whether he is going to go home that night following the vehicular manslaughter of Myrtle by Daisy, Nick describes Gatsby in chapter eight, as wearing a ‘pink rag of a suit'(147).This description suggests how Gatsby wears these expensive, gaudy and colourful items of clothing in order to display his wealth ostentatiously. The idea behind this pretentious displayal of the opulence that he has acquired, may be a method used by Gatsby in order to stand out from the crowd and to break away from periphery and into East Egg high society. This is a means to an end that he requires so that he can get even closer to retrieving Daisy and thus accomplishing his distorted version of the American Dream. In comparison, George lives in the rubbish tip that is the ‘Valley of the Ashes’. All that ‘grows’ on it is dead and the words ‘Ash’ and ‘grey’ that Fitzgerald uses to describe it with in chapter two, not only emphasise the literally dull and unfulfilling nature of the landscape here, but also the dull and unfulfilling lives of those like George Wilson who inhabit this valley. In chapter two it becomes apparent how little respect George’s wife has for her husband, when she says ‘He burrowed somebody’s best suit to get married in.’ This shows how poor he is because he cannot even afford a wedding suit of his own to get married in. In comparison to Gatsby, he has little material wealth. Gatsby appears to have originated from a poor background in the West which is similar to George’s background. However, the effects of this poor background influence both men differently. Originating in the West, rural North Dakota, he followed the ‘New’ American Dream in order to ‘Get rich quick’ and this pushed him towards organized crime, such as bootlegging. During the 1920s, there was a prohibition which imposed the law that alcohol was to be banned. Gangsters like Gatsby, were able to make a fortune out of this time through the illegal distribution of alcohol and trading in stolen securities. This was all a means though of achieving his distorted version of the American Dream, which was to retrieve Daisy. Importantly, he does not abide by the ‘protestant work ethic’ which states that a man should work hard and earn a comfortable living by which he and his family can live a peaceful, enjoyable life off. He also participated in a bit of bond fraud on the side as Fitzgerald notifies the reader in chapter nine (158). A strange caller says to Nick (thinking him Gatsby), ‘Young Parke’s in trouble. They picked him up when he handed the bonds over the counter.’ The way he commits himself to such illegalities is irresponsible on his behalf and it reveals how the American Dream has become revolved around money. Human greediness to obtain money, have corrupted the dream that once was so much more innocent. Comparatively, George does not involve himself in such a tainted world and instead follows a morally acceptable path in life by owning a legal garage. To some extent though, Fitzgerald uses this character to emphasise how such a traditional stance like the one George takes up (where one follows the ‘Protestant work ethic’), is unable to survive in such a morally decayed world that was the Jazz Age. Fitzgerald describes him in chapter two, as ‘mingling immediately with the cement colour of the walls’ of his garage. In some way it shows how the years he has been following this legitimate path, have caused him to effectively fade away into the dull environment that he inhabits. Kathleen Parkinson described Gatsby as ‘a mysterious and ambivalent figure’. This is a true interpretation of Gatsby in the sense that, unlike George, there is a build up prior to his introduction into the novel. At Gatsby’s first party in chapter three, various rumours of Gatsby’s past circulate the party. One guest exclaims that Gatsby is a ‘nephew of Kaiser Wilhelm’ and others go on to say how they heard that he had ‘killed a man’ or ‘been a German spy’ or ‘been in the American army.’ All this mystery serves to stimulate Nick’s curiosity, which possibly leads to his more lenient and sympathetic stance when it comes to Gatsby. It also creates a sense of suspense in the reader that heightened Gatsby’s entrance into the novel. Rumour plays an integral role in the novel as Fitzgerald uses it to provide the reader with the option of deciding whether or not they believe it and this technique evo kes more interest in certain characters like Gatsby. Evidently, Gatsby embodies the idea of the American Dream as is suggested in chapter three where Nick reports on how Gatsby would look across the golf at ‘that green light’ every night. This ‘green light’ would have symbolised various things for Gatsby. It would have been a symbol of generally the American Dream, but also more specifically for Gatsby, the prospect of the ‘green’ colour of money and achieving Daisy. Gatsby appears to have achieved the American Dream to some extent as he has risen from an impoverished child to a young man with great material wealth. He is the main dreamer in the novel; however, it appears that he is following two dreams. His initial dream becomes apparent in chapter nine where Gatsby’s father talks of Gatsby’s ‘SCHEDULE’ that he wrote when he was seventeen. In the ‘GENERAL RESOLVES’ (164) Gatsby wrote ‘Read one improving book or magazine per week’ which reveals straightaway how his dream of becoming rich and fitting into the world of high society, originates from when he was a teenager. Additionally, it uncovers the immaturity of Gatsby and his dream, as he has never allowed his dream to develop and grow up like he has. His other dream was a distorted version of the American dream, (which in some way used the wealth he had gained from achieving the American Dream), which was to retrieve his childhood love – Daisy. This dream was established in the past, and therefore fixates on the past. Gatsby’s naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve personality and his ruthlessness to achieve this dream ignore what Daisy has become and he appears to pursue the ‘old’ Daisy which remains vividly in his dreams. The way in which Gatsby was driven by his undying love for a woman is a reflection of Fitzgerald’s own life and dreams too. He too joined the army (1917) and eventually fell in love with a seventeen year old girl called ‘Zelda Sayre’. Zelda finally agreed to marry him, but her overpowering desire for wealth, fun, and leisure led her to delay their wedding until he could prove a success. Their relationship appears to be like Gatsby and Daisy’s. The following quote reveals the point in the novel at which all of Daisy’s charm and beauty is stripped away, leaving nothing but money to be admired underneath: ‘That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of money- that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it.’ (Chapter seven) Gatsby realizes late into the novel, how his dream has been ripped apart into dollar bills as he discovers that for years he has been in pursuit of not love, but cold, harsh money which is hidden behind the disguise of a human face. Following the death of Gatsby and the suicide of George, it becomes apparent that Fitzgerald is using the deaths of a rich man and a poor man who both set out to achieve their unattainable goals, to symbolise the death of the original dream on which America was founded. With consideration given to George, he too shares the American Dream with Gatsby; however he seems to be pursuing the ‘old’ American Dream and not the ‘New’ one like Gatsby. George reveals his dream in chapter seven, where he says: I’ve been here too long. I want to get away. My wife and I want to go West. She’s been talking about it for ten years.’ Clearly his dream is the opposite of Gatsby’s. He wants to migrate West like the original settlers and wants to follow the idea to ‘Go West young man!’ This idea was commonly followed by many families who would migrate out to the West and set up a basis to gather wealth. This is the case for the characters, Tom and Daisy, whose families formed their wealth out in the West through hard labour, so that their children could have better lives than they did. Undoubtedly, George wants his share of this; however, the way in which he says that his wife has ‘been talking about it for ten years’ is possibly a suggestion that it is more her dream than his and that he has been bullied into dreaming of it by her domineering nature. Whatever the case, he almost definitely dreams of a more comfortable life than what he already suffers. Gatsby and George are similar in the ways they both resort to deception in order to attain their originally unattainable dreams. They both resort to this in their relationships. Gatsby is found to do this in chapters four and five. When Nick is informed of the history between Gatsby and Daisy, by Jordan, it appears that she believed him to have wealthy roots when he did not. In chapter five he tells Daisy how ‘it only took him three years to earn the money that bought’ his mansion. He initially created the false perception of himself that fooled Daisy into false hope. Daisy probably saw in Gatsby a future of material possessions and comfort, which she adored. But he did not have this and when he comes round to having this in the latter, he lies about how he came to earn the money. He shields her from his true identity as a criminal, so that once again he can relight the false perception she had of him. George follows suit and lies to Myrtle early on in their relationship. When Myrtle reveals her hatred towards her husband in chapter two, she says ‘I married him because I thought he was a gentleman. I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe.’ As it appears through the use of the word ‘gentleman’, Myrtle wanted to marry someone of higher social status and of wealth, and George apparently gave her the false hope of this. He creates a false persona that fools her into thinking that her dream is coming true. In some way, the relationship between George and his wife is possibly what may have occurred in the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy, if they had run away together in their youth. There is a mirror image or reflection between Gatsby’s relationship and George’s, and Fitzgerald parallels the consequences of both. Comparing both men, they both seem to be solitary figures who are overly involved in their work. For instance, when looking at Gatsby he is clearly a type of ‘loner’ and this may be down to the fact that he is too set upon retrieving Daisy to have anytime for others. The only circumstance that he has friends is when they are a means to an end with Gatsby, as he only manipulates them to get something out of them. For instance, he befriends Jordan and Nick especially as means of getting closer to Daisy. In chapter four, it is clear that Gatsby has manipulated Jordan into sorting out a meeting between him and Daisy, when she says to Nick: ‘You’re supposed to invite her to tea’ (78). The inclusion of the word ‘supposed’, suggests how Gatsby plans what he wants to get out of people. At Gatsby’s first party ‘the girls swoon back into the men’s encircling arms, but no one swooned backward on Gatsby.’ This example shows how Gatsby never socialised with people unless he required something from them, and as Nick shows in chapter three where he says that he ‘hasn’t even seen the host’ (49), hardly anyone really knows who Gatsby is. Also, he constantly thinks of his work. Even at his parties, he rudely has to excuse himself to take calls from places like ‘Philadelphia’ and ‘Chicago’ which are renowned cities for their corrupt environments where gangsters based themselves. This work is funding his dream in a way, as if he had not been gathering money like this, then he would still be poor and he would not have had the money to buy such been close to Daisy. George similarly is a man of solitude due to his wife and work; he is portrayed as having no real friends. He is a sick failure who is reduced to the status of a ‘ghost’. This ‘ghost-like’ appearance or presence is highlighted in chapter two when Tom and Nick visit George at the garage and his wife Myrtle is said to have ‘smiled slowly and, walking through her husband as if he were a ghost.’ This emphasises the lack of presence and authority he has, as his wife walks through him not noticing or caring that he is standing there. She is far more interested in Tom to care about where her husband is. The way he is referred to as a ‘ghost’ – the disembodied spirit or soul of a deceased person – is a link to not only death but more specifically, the death of the land he lives in. Fitzgerald is therefore linking George to the failure of the ‘Valley of ashes’ and it is noticeable that he never does this sort of thing with Gatsby. Gatsby is never linked to the riches of the land of the Eggs, which in a way shows how he does not fit in with the high society of the Eggs and this crucially establishes his isolation within such an environment. George is similar to Gatsby also, in the sense that he always thinks about his work too. This becomes clear in chapter two where he pesters Tom with the question: ‘When are you going to sell me that car?’ This highlights his desperation to make a sale and also suggests that he feels he has to jump on every customer who enters his garage, due to the lack of business he receives. Further, it shows his solitude as he scarcely has any customers and thus does not have any interactions with other people. Nick as narrator, appears to be far more lenient towards Gatsby. Following the deaths of both men, Nick only makes it his duty to sort out Gatsby’s funeral and does not think of George’s. In addition, when Tom wants Nick to meet his mistress in chapter two, Nick says how he had ‘no desire to meet her.’ This statement suggests how Nick feels he is being disloyal to Daisy. He does not think to consider how George would feel knowing about the affair his wife is having with one of his own acquaintances (Tom). Additionally, Nick seems to overlook Gatsby’s criminal behaviours even though he has been given enough evidence to suggest that Gatsby is a gangster. Fitzgerald’s portrayal of both men differs greatly, so much so that they appear to be direct opposites of one another. Gatsby is rich and has a more fulfilling life than George, who suffers the dullness of living in a dump (Valley of Ashes) and the lack of respect from his wife. The relationship between George and his wife is peculiar and goes against the historical view of a married couple. In the Victorian era, women would have had to stay at home in order to attend to maternal duties, whilst the husband would have had to provide the income. Usually the man had the authority over the woman, and in the case of the Wilson’s, there has been a role reversal. However, these two men are linked superficially by their failure to achieve their unattainable dreams which they had been pursuing throughout life. Considering that Gatsby was originally a working class poor man in previous years, and that he and George both die in honour of their failed dreams, suggests that when a poor man tries to enter into a higher social status like Gatsby, their efforts are rendered useless. Not only does this circumstance reveal the divide in society but additionally it emphasises the moral decay of American society amidst the superficial impressiveness of upper-class profligacy.

Criteria for Heroes Essay

For individuals to be seen as heroes in ancient world they had to meet specific criteria. Above all, a man needed to be a skilled warrior, who had to respect authority, both governmental and religious. Heroes were given no room for pride, they were to be modest, not only giving credit to their culture and the gods for any great deeds they had done, but also accepting everything that happened as fate, not scenarios they had created for themselves. In other words, they did not make themselves who they are, rather they had been predestined to become it. The final requirement of being a hero was composure. Heroes were not permitted to be blinded by rage or have mood swings. Perhaps the greatest example of Achilles fighting skill is when he fights with and kills Hector, the greatest of the Trojan warriors. However, this fight may have never happened if Athena had not disguised herself as one of Hectors brothers and convinced him to fight. Achilles fails miserably at respecting anyone in authority, whether governmental or religious. He not only disrespects King Agamemnons authority, but also the goddess Athena herself. This lack of respect begins when Achilles calls an assembly of the Greeks, something only Agamemnon was able to do. He then proceeds to insult the king, telling him he is greedy, shameless, a cheater, and a drunk. To top it off, Achilles contemplates drawing his sword to strike down Agamemnon, and is only stopped by Athena grabbing his hair. Needless to say, killing the leader of your nation would be the ultimate act of disrespect to the government. Although he does so badly with respect for government authority, Achilles has no problem respecting human religious authority, only because he has no encounters with priests, prophets, and etceteras. However, he does show some disrespect to Athena for stopping his murder of King Agamemnon. Instead of following the goddess orders whole-heartedly, he does it quite reluctantly and talks back in the process. Humility is another requirement Achilles fails to meet. His excessive pride is seen throughout The Iliad. When he tells Agamemnon that he is withdrawing himself and all his forces from the Trojan War, Achilles makes it sound as if he has done greater things than anyone, putting himself on a pedestal. Never does Achilles credit anyone or anything for his success, including the  gods. It is always he himself who has done something. Although Achilles is so prideful about his deeds, he is able to accept Fate. As he reprimands his horses as if it were their fault Patroclos was killed, one of them tells Achilles his death is near. Achilles tells the horse he knows this, indicating he accepts it. Hector does not credit himself for his accomplishments. He usually gets around glorifying himself by thanking the gods. Achilles pride contributes to his downfall, and it also shows Hector to have far less hubris than his opponent. Composure may be the requirement Achilles is furthest from meeting. Almost every time his name is mentioned, he is in some fit of rage. His very first tantrum is when he about kills Agamemnon, only being stopped by Athena. His next episode of anger comes after the death of Patroclos, but it is actually helpful to the Greeks. Achilles charges over the battlefield, destroying all Trojan warriors he crossed paths with. The final act of Achilles great anger is after he kills Hector. Achilles is still deeply hurt by the death of his friend Patroclos, so he drags Hectors body behind his chariot, mutilating it. The Epic of Gilgamesh embodies the national ideals of the Sumerians who believed that coming of age of a young man especially one who would become king, required a ritual experience. That aided the young man to face his monsters, nature, gods, and the reflection of Gilgamesh found in his mirror image Enkidu. The Sumerians understood the need for such a quest of self because there is a person that resides in all of us, both benefactor and destroyer that must be identified and controlled before we can accept our adult responsibilities. This is why the story incorporates emotions, but they are also unrealistic. Gilgamesh must face his anger and learn to replace it with a sense of community that is much closer to love, not hate. His ego must also be trained to respond appropriately to both winning and losing because this is what life is for each of us. The ancient Greeks had strict criteria for individuals to follow if they were to be seen as heroes. Those requirements were skill in battle, respect for authority, humility, and coolness under fire. Not many men met all requirements, including Achilles and Gilgamesh, but they were still viewed  as heroes. When the emotions are brought under control, when each person is successful at slaying their â€Å"dragons,† then they can move into an adult position that requires control over all the dualities of love and hate, power and weakness, anger and joy, selfishness and community. Between Achilles and Hector, Hector was the better choice for the title of hero, he was respectful of authority, humble about his success, and was very levelheaded. Achilles had great fighting skill as well. However, he had trouble respecting authority and keeping his cool, both results of his excessive pride. If Achilles had not been so prideful, he could have been a much greater warrior and hero, perhaps achieving status equal to the gods. He simply had too much pride. As desired, Gilgamesh learns to do good deeds, and this is truly all that society asks of anyone.

Rise and Fall of Napoleon Bonaparte Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Rise and Fall of Napoleon Bonaparte - Essay Example Probably, it led to overestimation of his abilities and eventually led to his defeat. Napoleon – Early Years Napoleon Bonaparte was born in a wealthy family in Ajaccio, on the Mediterranean Island of Corsica on 15th August 1769. His father, Carol Bonaparte, was a lawyer and a political opportunist. At that time, Corsica had just been sold to France by Genoa. So, Napoleon was not of French origin. According to Marsh, there were both luck and personal factors which favored Napoleon in his rise to power (5). As his father climbed the political ladder and as his mother had connections with Corsica’s French military governor, Napoleon had the chance to enter the military academy at Brienne in the year 1779. As Landau points out, it was this entry into military that acted as the very basis of his rise to power. With extraordinary talent in areas like mathematics, the workaholic genius graduated as a second lieutenant in the artillery in the year 1785 (18). Though Napoleon was posted on the French mainland, he was able to engage actively in the Corsican politics. Though he supported Corsican rebel Pasquale Paoli in the beginning, there were differences in opinion later on, and the Bonaparte had to flee to France. The French Revolution during the latter half of the 18th century was a fertile soil for individuals with talent to come to the fore. Fremont-Barnes reflects that the people agitated throughout France in a protest against the atrocities committed by the wealthy and the church (58). Soon, King Louis was imprisoned and executed. Following this, the revolutionary government declared France a republic. However, there was total chaos as the nation was ruled by various fractions; and most notable of them was the Jacobin group led by Maximilien Robespierre. This revolutionary government in France shocked monarchies throughout Europe. Empires like Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Great Britain wanted to suppress the revolution and bring monarchy back to pow er in France. Soon, in 1972, the empires declared war on France. However, France was not fit to face them as the revolution had eliminated its military officers. Many of them had been killed and many had already fled the place. The Toulon Siege and the Path Ahead Thus, in the year 1793, Napoleon was commissioned as a captain in the artillery and was assigned to the units which were engaged in the task of eliminating British Garrison from the southern port of Toulon as it was found to be helping Royalist uprising. There, sheer luck came into play as he was made the commander of the siege on 16th September 1793. He was offered the position because the existing commander of the artillery was wounded (â€Å"Napoleon Bonaparte†). In the new position, Napoleon exhibited skill and mastery by capturing two important forts and eliminating the British fleet from the port. Though it was not a major victory, he managed to present it as a great achievement. As the entire French army was m arred by untrained people and lack of leadership, his performance, though minor, was noticed by a number of powerful men in Paris. This was followed by his ascend to the rank of Brigadier General. After this, Napoleon joined the campaign in Italy as the commandant of the artillery. However, by this time, the political atmosphere in Paris was rather bad as people were feeling highly insecure under the Directory, and, as a result, Robespierre was executed and

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

Recently History - Essay Example the southern African Americans faced a great deal of problems in the 1915-16, They were denied the right to vote, lived under severe poverty, faced crop infestation which affected them greatly as most of them were occupational farmers and most importantly they lived under heavy debt. Lack of facilitation and opportunities in the south prompted them to migrate to the north where the urban areas had flourish in the wake of the war. Since Europe was in the midst of a sever war that had haltered its economic progress, the United States became the facilitators in this case for the war torn countries. As a result not only did it strengthen economically, it also hosted a number of quality and well-paying job, a feature absent in the south (Exhibitions.nypl.org). They war had opened many avenues for them in the economic world of production and services and hence, the southern blacks moved to the north in search of greener pastures. This migration is known as the great migration in history an d played a great role in revolutionizing the black community in the United States. The female black population of the United States was positively affected as well. They contributed to the war efforts and as a result were able to get equitable jobs in the country as well. They became politically active as well and provided significant support to the black soldiers as a result. Many war service organizations specifically for women were also established like the Red Cross, Womens Auxiliary of the New York 15th National Guard etc. and thus, they were accepted as a strong opinionated part of the American population. Many instances also depict the increased employee sense that these minorities developed and retaliated against their white employees for due employee rights they were denied. Where the black Americans saw progress and growth at the war time, another minority faced dire consequences. Majority of the American population consisted of foreigners. Even though the german-americans

The Social Movement of the 21st Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Social Movement of the 21st Century - Essay Example This most diverse city have gone through in the history throughout from increasing the wave of immigration from Asia and Latin America to America’s counterculture of Beat Generation, Hippies in Haight-Ashbury, and the gay rights movement, and experienced many various progressive social activism. In 1950s, there were the civil rights movement that black people appealed to for liberation. In 60-70s, there was the woman leap that women appealed to for liberation and ecoactivity as for 80-90s. In our time, in the latter half of the twentieth century, the term "globalization was coined, and this leads us to answer the question; what would be the ideal social movement of the 21st century? Globalization encouraged the development of networks, identities and opportunities of organizations across borders. For the matter, even when social movements never place a toe in transnational waters, the fact that their societies are affected by globalization makes their domestic actions part of global civil society. Some of have begun to posit the development of a whole new spectrum of transnational social movements; others have focused on one particular movement like human rights, the environment, or the concerns of indigenous peoples; still others focus on cultural forms, deducing from the collapse of extinct meta-narratives a groping across borders towards new cultural codes and connections. To the extent that many such networks continue to appear, we can expect to see more boomerangs whizzing across transnational space. However, it is yet unclear how they relate to the existing domestic system, to international organizations, or to domestic social actors in their "target": Do they depend indirectly on the power of the domestic social networks that they come from? Do they depend on the support of international organizations? If so, how far beyond the policies of these organizations can their campaigns go? Are they

Industrial Relations in UK and Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Industrial Relations in UK and Japan - Essay Example The term 'industrial relations' came into common use in Britain and North America during the 1920s. It has been joined by personnel management and, since the 1980s, human resource management (HRM). All there denote a particular activity (the management of people) and the area of academic enquiry. It covers relationship between manger and worker in all spheres of economic activity. The focus is employment: all forms of economic activity in which an employee works under the authority of an employer and receives a wage in return for his or her labour. Industrial relations thus excludes domestic labour and also self-employed and professionals who work under own account. Most studies of industrial relations have focused on the intuitions involved with the collective bargaining, arbitration and other forms of job regulation. However, we see industrial relations as dealing with all aspects of employee relationship including human resource management. Although the study of employment relations focuses on the regulation of work, it must take into account of the wider economic and social influences on the relative power of capital and labour and the interaction of the employers, workers, their collective organizations and the state. Adam (1988) sees industrial relations as having a dual character: it is both an interdisciplinary and a separate discipline in its own right'. Adopting an internationally comparative approach to employment relations not only insight from several disciplines but also knowledge of different national context. In this paper I will try to examine the ways in which comparative analysis can contribute to an understanding of the factors that shape national patterns of employment relations and identify the main features of two different countries. Industrial relations system Perhaps the most famous conceptual framework is Dunlop's (1958) notion of an 'industrial relations system'. Dunlop argues that the industrial relations system includes three sets of 'actors' and their representative organizations (the three parties): employers, workers and the state. These parties' relations are determined by three environmental context: the technology; market forces; and the relative power and status of the parties. Employment relations UK The United Kingdom has a total population of 60 million people and a labour force participation rate of 75 percent. The UK has fewer people employed in agriculture than any other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) country. About 27 percent of its other civilian population employees work in the industry. The remaining 70 percent work in service. There has been a greater decline in its 'industry' category since 1970 than any other OECD country. In spite the relative growth of services, there was steep rise in unemployment. 12 percent in the year 1986 before subsequently falling to 7 percent in the late 1990s. British politics has been dominated by two parties since 1945. The Conservative Party's support is strongest among the business and rural communities. By contrast, the Labour Party's support is traditionally strongest in the urban working class communities, through this has broadened. A significant but reducing proportion of its fund still comes from affiliated trade unions. There are several other political parties, including Liberal Democrats and nationalist parties

The Tenure of Dianne Feinstein as Mayor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Tenure of Dianne Feinstein as Mayor - Essay Example We analyze how the people of San Francisco tried to preserve a balance among wealthier and poorer elements of the population. We also illustrate the buildings that were renovated or taken down and how Walker assesses whether the efforts were successful or not. San Francisco is a city famously recognized as a beautiful, vivacious and highly habitable. This was not the case in the 19th century because the city was excoriated to an astonishing extent, soon after the rich made it have a scene of improper management. In the present day, it would have been of less admiration if the unusual disturbance opposing to the newly construction could not have taken place. The opposition was remarkably successful, and such a situation had not yet occurred elsewhere in America and this rebellion is the one that makes the city more welcoming for the people’s habitation (Richard 200). Dianne Feinstein offered her service as the 35th mayor of San Francisco. She was the first female to ever get th e position as mayor. Her election was for two complete terms. She served as the mayor in 1978 after the death of Harvey Moscone. She was extremely judicious; she strongly supported law and measures of order. On several occasions, various feminist groups and the gay got annoyed with her. This was so because she was able to manage her attitude with open minded views about the way of life. During her time as mayor, she managed to demonstrate her skills in politics and great level of governmental ability (Mikulski and Catherine 145). In the gubernatorial race in 1990, Pete Wilson defeated Feinstein. However, she effectively managed the portion of the term of Wilsons Senate that was unexpired, in 1992. She became particularly famous in the United States because the active political practice in the state. She also participated actively in the neighboring politics and in the ruling body. Various constituencies in the society got appealed by Feinstein, by the way she followed a moderate pat h which integrated several intriguing political customs and the politics which was conservative. She had center of attention to issues of offense. She was also interested in the police staffing and the centralized expenditure for the cities. She succeeded in controlling the level of crime in the city (Roberts 253). Challenges were there too despite Diane's efforts. This has seen in the balancing of the budget which the cutbacks exacerbated in the condition and centralized spending for the cities. While in the Senate, Feinstein stood on very firm stand regarding several issues. She was remarkably honest against the verdict of President Bill Clinton to formulate Mexico a United State partner in the battle against drugs that are not legal. Later on she successfully managed the city budget, inaugurated the administration that had freedom and the workplace guiding principles. She fully supported the growth of downtown and the expansion of money matters. Through this, she was able to be a friend to downtown business interest. Feinstein always considered the security of civilians to be on the forefront. She was able to make Laguna Honda Hospital acquire grant by creating compliance of the hospital with the state and the centralized law. When Feinstein she was sixteen, her uncle took her to San Francisco Board of Supervisors (the city council) gatherings. Later on she

Impact Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Impact Evaluation - Essay Example In social change, impact implies a long term effect on the society. Solorzano and Bank (2008, p.12), explain that the effect may be unintended, intended, negative or positive. A good impact evaluation must focus on the relevance of the intervention. To determine how relevant a program or project is, its objectives are assessed to determine if they are right or not. The SDSI strategy of Puntos de Encuentro’s main objective was to prevent more infection of HIV in Nicaragua. The intervention that the strategy employed in the case study is the use of the mass media and its communication programs to reach the community. This strategy is relevant to Puntos de Encuentro’s objective because it is through communication to the affected members of the society that that health education and general awareness to the society would be made possible. Deacon (2007) illustrates that in health programs, objectives such as the empowerment and promotion of societal rights on issues such as violence, reproduction, drug abuse and HIV are used to do an accurate impact evaluation of the effectiveness of such programs or projects. In addition, Bradshaw, Solorzano, and Bank (2006) emphasize that it is through the objectives of a project that its relevance is determined and therefore good impact evaluations must be able to assess whether a program for social change is relevant to the intended goal or not.

Humanities 17th-20th Centuries within Art, Music, Literature, and Essay

Humanities 17th-20th Centuries within Art, Music, Literature, and Philosophy - Essay Example As time progressed other philosophical views entered into society as well, some of the main ones being focused on romantic realism or otherwise "the return to nature" through Rousseau's philosophy. There were an extensive number of philosophical thoughts, and even Darwin had a profound place in them and these time periods. The varying social contracts of these periods had not only an impact on people in public but also in private as well as they were ideally relative to politics and focused in on politicians, bureaucrats, and even on private spousal relationships/family life in some ways (Ramia 2002). Furthermore, classical liberalism evolved during this period and with it; within the context of the social contract there were ideas adamantly affected such as, independent choices, and individual consents on specific societal issues. One could say that the contract brought about many individual freedoms but also led to there being a need for a larger and stronger legal body present in society in order to uphold the rights of citizens in squares and marketplaces. The cause of these changes as well as the ideal of the social contract stemmed from the rapid rising of industrialization and the various markets economies (Ramia 2002). Due to this form of individualism and freedom each individual had rights to o; and it was found that the contract freed individuals from any form of positive obligation to one another. Furthermore, it was this social contract that was used to implement distributive justice in society to ensure that law was upheld and all individuals had their rights and freedoms kept intact, which provided a form of social protection (Ramia 2002).Due to these social contracts and how they affected the general public, Locke devised a philosophical framework through his own thoughts concerning this which was titled, "Natural Law" (Grant 2000). History finds that it was Locke's theory in itself that moved those of Western thought into a new direction, as his philosophy emphasized a civic duty to obey the laws of society rather than from the body of authority alone. Locke's philosophy proposed that since the social contract developed laws that were consented to by the bodies of the people in mutual agreement, then of course they were powers that should be naturally followed, su ch as a natural duty or as he termed it, "natural law" (Grant 2000). Because Locke defined people as being reasonable then his philosophy showed that if there were indeed reasonable people in the body of the society defined by the social contract then they would accordingly devise natural laws that would become redefined into natural duties due to the binds of the social contract. In other words, Locke was proposing that the social contract was indeed a universal duty that required citizens to act a certain way among one another because it was the logical way to ensure human rights on an individual basis and of which made and kept a rational society. Again, Locke's philosophical reasoning was the key in shifting many societies'

Describe how studying macroeconomics has helped you understand an Essay

Describe how studying macroeconomics has helped you understand an issue - Essay Example Based on the fact that I am pursuing a course in economics, my dream has always been to become one of the most successful economists in the country. Being a successful economist would involve being a Chief Executive Officer of a manager in the most respected organizations in the world. These roles necessitate one to have a wide range of knowledge in macroeconomics as well as other fields associated with economics. Being a top official in a highly respected organization involves a lot of interviews in televisions and radio stations. In doing so, an individual offers insight in the happenings of his organization and hence this can be considered a form of marketing. Furthermore, one of the units learnt in macroeconomics is leadership. Therefore, learning macroeconomics have enabled be to learn and gain leadership skills and abilities. Learning macroeconomics will ensure that I familiarize myself with all aspects of preceding and current economic issues of benefit in my future role as a top executive. Successful organizations in all parts of the world are governed by distinct rules and regulations. For managers to implement plans of actions geared towards enhancing and maintain organizational structures, incorporation of skills and knowledge in macroeconomics is critical. The study of macroeconomics involves investigating behaviors of various organizations and other successful institutions (Madariaga, 2005). Therefore, learning macroeconomics presents me with knowledge on how to create and implement organizational rules and guidelines associated with macroeconomics. In general, the study of Macroeconomics is involved with investigating comportment, performance, or conduct of the economy. It would be hard for me to implement economic policies without understanding various market conditions such as fluctuating prices of commodities and services. Conditions in the economy are always changing. This can be attributed to the current advancements in technology

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Essay The relationship between Pip, Estella, and Jaggers is going through much growth throughout the story. Pips and Estellas relationship is very similar to as when Pip was just a common boy, and there is not much hope for the relationship to become real. Jaggers also has and will have much influence on the lives of Pip and Estella. The relationship between Pip and Estella is not getting much better and there is not much hope in it, the main reason being that Estella still treats Pip the same as when he was just a common boy. Estella explains that she has no heart and cannot feel emotions, which is from the quote You must know, said Estella, that I have no heart -if that has anything to do with my memory (223). Estella, because she says she has no heart, will not have any feelings for Pip even if she grows to be a gentleman. This shows how there is not much hope in their relationship, because Estella will never have love for Pip. Estella also still calls Pip boy which is shown from the quote You silly boy, said Estella quote composedly, how can you talk such nonsense (248)? Estella still calls Pip boy, as if he was just a common boy, even though he has become more a gentleman. This shows how Estellas attitude for Pip has not changed and probably will not change, which does not bring much hope to their relationship. Another example is when Estella allows Pip to kiss her, just like she did before; shown from the quote Will you never take warning? Or do you kiss my hand in the same spirit in which I once let you kiss my cheek (250)? Pip responds by kissing her, and this shows how Pip is only allowed to kiss her when she tells him he can, even though he has become a gentleman. Their relationship has not seemed to become better because of this, and almost seems as if they are puppets, only doing what Miss Havisham wants them to do. Pips and Estellas relationship overtime has not improved because of Estellas view that Pip will always just be a common boy to her, and another reason being that she says she does not have a heart. Jaggers has and will have much influence on the lives of Pip and Estella in different ways. One way he has influenced Pips life is by becoming his guardian and fulfilling many of his needs, such as in the quote Ill go round presently, and pay our friend off (228). Pip said he does not like  Orlick working at Miss Havishams, so Jaggers pays him off. This has influenced his life by allowing him to think that he could get anything he wants, now that he is wealthier and has Jaggers, who is a powerful man in society. Another way Jaggers has influenced Pip is by giving him advice on which tutor to pick, shown in the quote I dont recommend him, observe; because I never recommend anybody. The gentleman I speak of is one Mr. Matthew Pocket (130). Jaggers has influenced Pips life by suggesting a suitable tutor, who Pip becomes very good friends with. Estellas life has been influenced by Jaggers, one way being that he did something so now they feel an awkward presence towards each other. This is shown at when they are at Miss Havishams estate having dinner, where they avoid making eye contact with each other. Jaggers is a very influential man to Pip and Estella, which impacts both of them in many ways. The relationship between Pip, Estella, and Jaggers is going through great changes and growth. Pips and Estellas relationship throughout the story has mainly stayed the same, as Estella has no care for a serious relationship and treats Pip like he was still a commoner. Even though Estella discourages the relationship, Pip wants to be in one with her even more. Jaggers influence on Pip has grown as he has much influence on him by giving him advice as his guardian.

The AIDS inflicted citizens in Africa Essay Example for Free

The AIDS inflicted citizens in Africa Essay The dilemma regarding the AIDS inflicted citizens in Africa is a modern day paradox. On one hand, mankind can achieve huge strides in the research necessary to control the malady which has already killed so many. On the other, modern civilization risks the exploitation of fellow human beings born into a more unfortunate and primitive lifestyle deficient in modern healthcare. In general, the debate which takes precedence above all others is the question of equality in the context of morality. According to the traditional perspective of Immanuel Kant constructed in his Metaphysics of Morals, the universal presumption of moral principles is that they apply to all rational autonomous beings at all places and at all times. Thus, Kant would argue that the medical care provided to trial participants in Africa should be equivalent, or at least comparable, to the treatment offered to citizens in more advanced societies as long as it does not compromise the rational autonomy of the people involved. To approach the issue from Kants perspective, it is important to first delineate the considerations Kant would reason to be the most morally relevant when attempting to provide a conclusion. In his work, Kant clearly outlines three general principles about moral duties as well as other considerations which can are applicable to the situation. First of all, it would be essential to determine if giving inferior treatment to uneducated individuals in Africa is a choice based on a sense of duty, or if ulterior aims might exist. On first glance, this seems to lead to an initial conclusion that failing to provide volunteers with comparable treatment is an unfair and immoral choice based on monetary and political motives. However, further analysis reveals that the rational autonomy of the individuals in question must also be considered. Providing the luxurious treatments seen in more advanced countries to people in Africa may violate their rational autonomy by tempting or deceiving them into an action they would not normally undertake. Therefore, any choice made in regards to AIDS treatments must reflect a desire to do what is right while preserving and respecting the rational autonomy of the individuals. Kants second consideration would be to base the moral quality of his decision on the intentions of that choice, not the actions consequences. Thus, the issue cannot be resolved by developing a best case scenario, but must be determined by distinguishing which option is enacted with the best moral intentions. In this way, it is likely that the most morally acceptable choice would be the one which puts Africas citizens on an equal consideration with the rest of the world, and so would include providing identical treatment. Thirdly, it is important to make sure that whatever direction is taken, it is taken out of respect for the moral law and for no other reason such as need or desire. To fulfill the third principle, an action cannot violate the categorical imperative. Otherwise, the decision cannot be considered as a moral action. The moral law, as Kant explained, is a universal formula that ensures all actions are undertaken with pure motives without consideration of the consequences. When deciding whether or not to give Africans the same health benefits that AIDS phase II trial volunteers would receive in other countries, even if they are very expensive, it is important to determine whether the choice could be applied universally. In other words, Kant would compare the options faced by pharmaceutical companies by placing all of them in the categorical imperative, and observe which options are inherent contradictions. When weighing the options using the categorical imperative, the results once again suggests that providing African volunteers with equivalent treatments takes precedence over all other options. The concept of appropriate treatment, if determined only on monetary, social and political status, would seemingly contradict itself if it were considered a universal law. Kant would argue that by issuing care by status, people would be applying a different standard to their own behavior than they would want applied to themselves and everyone else. The problem with the contradiction argument, critics might argue, is that it may prove difficult if not impossible to provide supporting evidence that universalizing the maxim would result in a contradiction. Advocates would then turn to another method of formulating the categorical imperative to support their position. In the alternate interpretation, known as the second formulation, the categorical imperative serves as a requirement that we must not treat other rational beings as mere means to our own purposes. This tactic allows proponents of equal treatment to establish their position without attempting to prove any inherent contradictions. Instead, they simply have to show that by failing to meet the precedence of care in other countries, pharmaceutical companies are treating people as ends not as means. Critics may also claim that a truly moral decision would factor in the hard work of the manufacturers of the antiretroviral drugs, as well as anyone else involved in the trials. Kant would not dismiss this assertion. In Metaphysics of Morals, Kant does not attempt to claim that all actions must always be undertaken out of a sense of duty, he simply outlines the necessary components required to establish an individuals own autonomy based on reason. When considering the dilemma faced by pharmaceutical companies, the only critical consideration is whether the ultimate decision conforms to moral law. They may also argue that the drugs given to Americans and Europeans are so much more expensive to Africans that it cannot be deemed appropriate to treat African volunteers with them. To this argument, Kant would refute the idea that the term appropriate should not be applied universally. In his perspective, all humans are rational autonomous agents who deserve the same treatment. If a law or rule cannot be applied universally, a.k.a. fails the categorical imperative, then it should not be considered moral. The philosophy of the Metaphysics of Morals appears to lend itself nicely to the dilemma of conducting phase II trials in Africa by clearly addressing the major moral concerns involved while at the same time respecting the complexity of the conflict. Kant would recognize that other peoples livelihoods and incomes can be considered when deciding whether or not to provide expensive treatments in Africa, as long as the ultimate decision does not violate moral law. Pharmaceutical companies must insure that they are not manipulating or violating the rational autonomy of their possible test subjects in Africa, but may still consider other variables such as profits and benefits to society. Consequently, pharmaceutical companies appear to have a moral duty to provide adequately equal care to all phase II trial participants in Africa, providing they take steps to insure they are not violating anyones rational autonomy in the process.

Sustainability In Julius Berger Nig Plc Construction Essay

Sustainability In Julius Berger Nig Plc Construction Essay Civil engineering has played a vital role in human development. It has also enhanced the quality of live of people today, through the provision of basic water supply, pollution control, transportation, industrial/commercial, urban infrastructure. Each of these engineering work has made life more comfortable, convenient, accessible, healthy and longer not only for the local population (Nigerians), but for all. The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering ( 2007a). A Nigerian civil engineering company, which was a subsidiary of Bilfinger Berger AG, called Julius Berger Nigeria Limited was incorporated in 1970. The company became listed in the Nigerian stock exchange as Julius Berger Nigeria PLc, to carry out complex and diverse engineering projects in Nigeria. One of which is the Eko bridge constructed in 1965. Others include Buildings, offices, residential facilities, functional buildings, sports/recreational facilities, construction of roads, bridges, railways, airports, dams and water supply, plants and factories. Julius- Berger( 2010). The company has modernised much of the transportation infrastructure in Nigeria since 1970 and is responsible for the design and construction of the new Nigerian capital at Abuja. ide-Jetro ( 2010). It must be emphasised that the same infrastructure developed in the country, and the economies and standard of living these enormous facilities support, is contributing to environmental degradation due to the size and scale of its effects on the environment. There are clear and unambiguous signs that show that the human population is now impacting negatively to the global environment, thus threatening our life support systems .The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (2007b). SUSTAINABILITY AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT (JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC) In defining sustainability from the perspective of Julius Berger Nigeria PLc. it is pertinent to understand that it is not as easy as the text book definition of sustainability which lays emphasis on the future. A sustainable society is defined to be aware of the needs of future generations and is farseeing enough. New Civil Engineering (2010a). However, according to them, in the real world most societies are not run that way. This is because politicians are more interested in how a project performs during their tenure in office than the whole life cycle of the project. This is the reason why projects fail to be sustainable. The only reason why a newly constructed bridge collapsed in India just before the commencement of the 2010 commonwealth games, or why the water system stopped working and needs urgent maintenance. According to New Civil Engineering (2010b) that cited a report from the American Society of Civil Engineers 2 (ASCE), twenty seven percent of six hundred thousand bridg es in the US are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. This is the case also in Nigeria. Where there are so many unsustainable projects. Nigerian cities are witnessing high rates of environmental deterioration and are rated among urban areas with the lowest livibility index in the world Adedeji and Eziyi ( 2010a).The fact is that these old systems are subjected to the end of their life time and there are some responsibilities about the maintenance of these infrastructures. New Civil Engineering (2010c). The obvious problem is that government still insists on taking the old fashioned path, of assigning absolutely unsustainable projects for the mere fact that they are less pricey options. Sustainable development should be one that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs. The Bruntland Report (WCED) (1987). This is the general definition of the concept. The harsh reality is that Nigerian cities are hug ely under developed and unsustainable. This is inspire of the fact that Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is the biggest construction company in the country. Majority of the problem can be traced to a number of factors. These include the colonial antecedent of most Nigerian cities (Ogbazi, 1992 ; Ikya, 1993) the high rate of urbanization, bad psychological orientation of urban residents on the environment as well as poor environmental management practices (Meale, 1991; Agukoronye, 2004). Sustainability is improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems IUCN; WWF and UNEP (1991). These generally accepted definitions are recognised also at Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, where management and in fact all the stakeholders are aware of the new concepts on sustainability which according to The Canadian Society for civil engineering ( 2007c)includes the newly emergent issues of climate change, peak oil, sustainable transportation, environmental restoration, ecosystem disruption, ethics and equity and infrastructural operations and maintenance, as it concerns the construction industry. However in practice, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has not done so much to implement sustainability. For sustainability to be implemented in the Nigerian built environment, there has to be four distinguished management levels of which the environmental sustainability of the built environment can be influenced. These are the environmental cooperatio n routines, environmental technology policies, environmental regulations and incentives. Bossink, (ed) (2010). Sustainability at Julius Berger should simply consider the whole life cycle assessment (LSA) of the alternatives when building a project. New Civil Engineering (2010d). In other words the company should first consider the whole life cycle of the product before construction starts. This will have the least effect on the environment and biodiversity as well as the capitals that have been eluded earlier. Practically according to New Civil Engineering (2010e), this entails a detailed study of the stages of making, using and disposing of the product before choosing on an option. The stages of the product which starts from extraction of the raw materials needed for the project to the design of the project, the formulation, specification, processing, manufacturing, assembly, construction, packaging, use, maintenance, refurbishment, reusing, recycling and finally disposal. What obtains at Julius Berger today is that after the project has been critically analysed and studied to ascertain the cost, in terms of its profitability and affordability. The company would then decide on the source of capital for the project. Then after wards the project is assigned to workers for construction. Julius Berger Nigeria Plc concept of sustainability is improving the quality of projects for future generations of Nigerians. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN NIGERIA AND THE ROLE JULIUS BERGER SHOULD PLAY IN NIGERIA (On Sustainability) The Nigerian environmental problem has been identified to have serious adverse socio economic and ecological implications .These are traceable to factors like high rate of urbanization, poor environmental management etc (Rashid, 1982; NEST, 1991; World Bank, 1992; Anih, 2004). This means that Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is faced with an enormous problem caused by a rapidly growing population. According to Adedeji and Eziyi (2010b), rural urban migration remains one of the major contributors to the ever increasing urban population growth in Nigeria. Also in Nigeria, Mba et al (eds) (2004) identified several other types of environmental problems which were classified as ecological, poaching, loss of habitat, increasing desertification and soil erosion. These were further subdivided into pollution, deforestation, global warming and slum development. The coastal regions currently experiencing widespread contamination from petroleum exploration, gas flaring and oil spillage. In this regar d, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc should realise that infrastructural development can no longer be done in a microcosm on a project level a more holistic inclusion of the complex interactions of human society and the environment upon which it depends, is needed. The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (2007d). JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC AND SUSTAINABILITY Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, should instil the concept of sustainability which is a concept that includes the triple bottom line and a life cycle assessment into the planning, design and operation of civil infrastructure, and in this way promote the development of new technologies and management practices for the use of energy, non renewable resources, and the production of waste materials The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (2007e). There are several sustainable development issues that affect Civil Engineering practices that should be understood and implemented by Julius Berger, Nigeria Plc to mitigate their ecological impact. These include climate change. The potential impact of climate change upon the built environment (civil infrastructure) changes in extreme hydrological and meteorological events, and there should be a growing effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as adaptation requirements. Already the effect of climate change can be felt in Nigeria Where environmental problems due to oil exploration has inflicted tremendous damage on the ecosystem, health and livelihood of the people of the region Adedeji and Eziyi, (2010c). According to the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (2007f) Julius Berger Nigeria Plc should adopt best practices for eco-efficiency, such as increased energy/water efficiency, the minimization of waste and resource consumption and the employment of clean technologies. Also stated by them, there should be the use of performance based standards and guidelines identifying the outcome required as opposed to a prescriptive path that must be followed to enable designers to achieve improved results. There is also depleting oil and natural gas reserves which have severe consequences (Peak oil). The society and indeed Julius Berger Nigeria Plc must meet certain societal priorities and implement policies: these include energy conservation and efficiency, developing alternative renewable sources and strategies to reduce waste. Julius Berger Nigeria Plc should also endorse Green Construction construction that achieves the beneficial objectives of engineering work with the lowest possible consumption of raw materials and energy, both during and after construction. The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (2007g). In this regard every decision taken should aim to minimise environmental burdens of climate change, resource depletion, energy depletion, the loss of biodiversity, and human health, genetically modified products and modified environmental vectors. On the issue of sustainable transportation, Julius Berger should introduce the use of pedestrian amenities, mass transit, and energy conservation in transportation systems. The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (2007h). Effort should also be made by the company to sensitise government about the need for environmental restoration. This entails reconstruction of natural features, and fish habitat in rivers and streams, the control of sediment runoff and the removal of dams and tidal barriers. There should also be cleanup and/or redevelopment of contaminated sites. According to (Adedeji and Eziyi, (2010d). A typical example of this can be seen in the issue of end of gas flaring and oil spillages in the Niger Delta region. An area of equal importance to the populace which can eventually bring to an end the restiveness of the youth especially at the Niger delta area is transparency and equity in the provision of basic human services to disadvantaged people, contributing to poverty alleviation, human health and public welfare. Julius Berger Nigeria Plc can contribute to this by implementing its corporate responsibility to communities. However, so far corporate social responsibility does not play an important role in Nigeria, and has not been the subject of a wider public discussion. Bertelsmann. (2009). Application of sustainable energy sources to develop linearly distributed social infrastructure is a key enabling factor that will stimulate grass root economic development, stem the prevailing state of crime, access sufficient quantities of clean water, maintain acceptable standards of food and goods production, sanitation and health of the citizens of Nigeria Udoma and Arciszewski (2010).Infrastructure operations and maintenance is also vital to guarantee an optimal use of the infrastructure. RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES Sustainable risks /opportunities identification: sustainable risks identified at Julius Berger Nigeria Plc include: Cost related risks: Tight project schedule, design variations, variations by the client, unsuitable construction programme planning, occurrence of dispute, price inflation of construction materials, excessive approval procedures in administrative government departments, incomplete approval and other documents, incomplete or inaccurate cost estimate and inadequate programme schedule. Time related risks: Tight project schedule, design variations, excessive approval procedures in administrative government departments, variations by the client, incomplete approval and other documents, unsuitable construction programme planning, inadequate programme scheduling, bureaucracy of government, high performance or quality expectation, variations of construction programmes Quality related risks: Tight project schedule, inadequate programme scheduling, unsuitable construction programme planning, incomplete or inaccurate cost estimate, low management competency of subcontractors, high performance or quality expectations, variations of construction programmes, unavailability of sufficient amount of skilled labour, design variations and the lack of coordination between project participants. Environment related risks: Tight project schedule, variations of construction programmes, unavailability of sufficient professionals and managers, excessive approval procedures in administrative government departments, variations by the client, inadequate or insufficient site information(soil test and survey report), low management competency of subcontractors, high performance or quality expectations, inadequate programme scheduling and serious noise pollution caused by construction Safety related risks: Tight project schedule, low management competency of subcontractors, unsuitable construction programme planning, variations of construction programmes, general safety accident occurrence ,high performance or quality expectations, design variations, lack of coordination between projects participants, excessive approval procedures in administrative government departments, unavailability of sufficient amount of skilled labour and unavailability of sufficient professionals and managers. Sustainable Risks and Opportunities , Adopted from: Zou, P. et al (2010): identifying key risks in construction projects: Life cycle and stake holder perspective. SUSTAINABILITY RISKS OF JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC The identifiable risks of Julius Berge Nigeria Plc are socioeconomic factors which include environmental protection, public safety regulations, economic instability, and exchange rate fluctuations. Other risks are organisational relationships which deal with contractual relations, attitudes of participants, and communication. There are also technological problems experienced by the company. These include design assumptions, site condition, construction procedures, and construction occupational safety. Civil Engineering Blog (2010a) Environmental Protection contributes to our companys uncertainty. This stems from the companys inability to know what will be required and the time it will take to get approval from the environmental agency of Nigeria. Requirements associated with continued re evaluation of problems and the lack of definitive criteria which are practical have also resulted in added cost. Civil Engineering Blog (2010b). According to them, economic conditions have added to the uncertainty that our company experiences. High inflation and high interest rates, the deregulation of financial institutions have created problems associated with the financing of construction. The stakeholders of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc (share holders and management) are interested in achieving some financial break through that will help lower the cost of projects and eliminate lengthy delays. The risks related to organisational relationships also affect the company. Strained relationship sometimes occurs between the various organisations involved in the design/construction process. According to Civil Engineering Blog (2010c), when problems occur discussions often centre on responsibilities rather than project needs at a time when the focus should be on solving the problem. The risks associated with technological advancement also affect Julius Berger Nigeria Plc. Some new technologies pose problems to designers and constructors. Many design assumptions which have served the professions well in the past may become obsolete in dealing in dealing with new types of facilities which may have greater complexity or scale or both. Civil Engineering Blog ( 2010d). SUSTAINABILITY OPPORTUNITIES OF JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC Sustainability opportunities of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc include the follows: Investment in human capital, investment in new technologies, corporate social responsibility and carbon footprint. AUDIT TO IDENTIFY AN ACTIVITY (CONSTRUCTION OF A STORM WATER PROJECT) THAT ADHERES PARTIALLY TO THE PRINCIPLE OF SUSTAINABILITY. In conducting the audit, the following steps were taken: Identify every activity on construction Identify the actual activities that are not sustainable Identify the number of activities that are Partially sustainable Identify the number of completely sustainable activities; check if construction was based on best practices for eco efficiency. Identify the environmental impact of activities during construction Calculate the current cost of the sustainable construction Julius Berger Nigeria Plc construction activities cannot be considered as Green Construction which was defined as construction that achieves the beneficial objectives of engineering work with the lowest possible consumption of raw materials and energy, both during and after construction. The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering ( 2007h). An audit conducted to identify whether the companys storm water project adheres only partially or completely to the principles of sustainability revealed that the companys decisions on construction work were partially aimed at minimizing environmental burdens under five global consequences: resource depletion, energy depletion, climate change, biodiversity, and human health. The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (2007i). Best practices for eco-efficiency, such as increased energy/water efficiency, the minimization of waste and resource consumption, the employment of clean technologies were not employed. The Canadian Society for Civil Engineeri ng (2007j). SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT TOOL Sustainability management tools that can be used to develop a sustainable solution to the storm water project include an EIA, ISO 14001 and GRI. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): There are two assessment processes introduced under 2006 EIA regulations. These include; Basic Assessment: This involves a simpler and faster process of which the public participation process and development of the basic assessment report take place before the submission of an application. Jones (2010). ISO 14001: The international organization for standardization 14001 was published in 1996. It is the most well known and widely used specification standard on environmental management systems. Starkey and Welford (eds) (2005). ISO 14001 are also a series of voluntary, auditable standards that are designed to provide a reasonable assurance of the accuracy of the performance claims of companies. Weybrecht (2010a). GRI: The Global Reporting Initiative (GTI) is for disclosure on economic, environmental, and social performance. This is as commonplace and comparable as financial reporting, and as important as a companys success. Weybrecht (2010b). AN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTED IN THE AUDIT Promote the wise use of non renewable resources, waste minimization and recycling in engineering activities and the development of alternatives to the use of non renewable resources; Select materials and systems with low embodied energy and easy reuse; Promote the principles of conservation and energy efficiency; Rigorously examine the basic functions and purposes behind a project to recognise options and alternatives that will increase sustainability; Identify appropriate technology for sustainable development, recognizing that may mean low-tech solutions; Choose a built form and orientation that contribute to environmental economies and future adaptability, flexibility of use and reuse; Select construction methods that minimize the effects of construction and demolition in terms of land take, waste and pollution; Aim to reduce natural, accidental and wilful hazards; Consider individual and cumulative social, economic and environmental impacts (the Triple Bottom line) including long-term and indirect impacts; and Adopt practices, policies and design goals that focus on efficiency, conservation of materials and energy, and waste minimization. Adopted from: The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (2007k). For construction activities at Julius Berger Nigeria Plc to be sustainable, the company should simply consider the whole life cycle assessment (LSA) of the alternatives when building a project. New Civil Engineering (2010f). In other words the company should first consider the whole life cycle of the project before construction starts. This will have the least effect on the environment and biodiversity. According to New Civil Engineering (2010g), this includes a detailed study of the stages of making, using and disposing of the product before choosing on an option. The stages of the project which starts from extraction of the raw materials needed for the project to the design of the project, the formulation, specification, processing, manufacturing, assembly, construction, packaging, use, maintenance, refurbishment, reusing, recycling and finally disposal. What obtains at Julius Berger is an analysis of the project to ascertain the cost, (profitability and affordability) and the best possible approach to undertake the project. However, even where every care is taken to reduce natural, accidental and wilful hazards, with emphasis on social, economic and environmental impacts, the project is undertaken using the normal unsustainable approach the company has adopted successfully over the years. CONCLUSION: It is obvious that human societies have in the past decade or so taken a path which is clearly unsustainable. In Nigeria for instance there have been a whole lot of unsustainable activities by oil exploration and producing companies. This coupled with years of unsustainable construction and urban planning, poor environmental practices by the citizens, poor regulatory practices and a lack of compliance by multinational companies, has led to environmental problems like, oil spillages, gas flaring, erosion, soil and water contamination, acid rain etc in the oil rich country. Sustainability therefore has become an inevitable way forward in the face of a looming environmental catastrophe. As the years go by, fewer resources than we are now relying on in Nigeria will have to support the nearly over 150 million Nigerians that require food, water, clothing, shelter, electricity and other modern amenities of life. A growth in the population of Nigeria will put a further strain on available resources. This is where sustainability in the built environment becomes very necessary. A construction company like Julius Berger Nigeria plc can use this opportunity and offer sustainable civil engineering solutions to the environmental problems that Nigeria faces today. The opportunities or benefit of sustainable construction will have on the society is, cleaner environment, resource efficiency, compliance and effective risk management etc.

Mapping the Human Genome Vision :: Essays Papers

Mapping the Human Genome Vision- In the past, the discovery of human disease genes has historically been an arduous undertaking. Extensive and exhaustive studies of genetic inheritance and pedigrees in generations of families led to the discovery of the color blindness gene on the Y chromosome in the early 1990's. As more biological tools became available, the pace of gene discovery increased. However, much of the biological laboratory practices were still rooted in intensively manual procedures. With the introduction of computing power in the mid-1980's, disproportionate amount of resources were being applied to hundreds of individual gene discovery efforts, such as Huntington's Disease and muscular dystrophy. It was with this realization that a large-scale effort at mapping the human genome was undertaken and in 1990, the Human Genome Project was deemed possible and launched officially by the National Institute of Health (Pollack 1,2). Presently, computers are being used to hold the vast databases of all the sequencing information for every gene of the human DNA strand. If computers were not available, the paper needed to contain all this information would stack higher than the Washington Monument, over 555 feet high. And this would only be for the data, not the analysis of that data. Imagine the nightmare of trying to find the correct gene pair, there are over 3.2 billion of them, in all that paper. But providing a database for the sequencing information of the human genome is only one way in which computers are helping in the mapping of the human genome. They also provide the computational power needed to speed the calculations for each gene as well as producing maps and the such for genetic information on each chromosome (Smith 14). In fact, Compaq Computer Corporation built specific technology enabling completion of the Human Genome. In the future, computing power will become greater and greater allowing for faster calculations and analysis of sequencing data. Also, there will be new robotics, micro-fabrication technologies and laboratory information management systems that will have to be applied to the challenges of the Human Genome Project (Bishop, 137). Furthermore, cutting edge researchers believe the really important discoveries won't come from looking at linear strands of genes but from examining the interaction between dozens of genes at once. Scientists could in theory use "biochips," arrays of hundreds of bits of your DNA placed in a silicon wafer, to examine how how a drug would interact with your particular biochemistry (Moore, 56).

Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale :: Margaret Atwood The Handmaids Tale

I Tell, Therefore I Am In Margaret Atwood’s, The Handmaid’s Tale, women are subjected to unthinkable oppression. Practically every aspect of their life is controlled, and they are taught to believe that their only purpose is to bear children for their commander. These â€Å"handmaids† are not allowed to read, write or speak freely. Any type of expression would be dangerous to the order of the Gilead’s strict society. They are conditioned to believe that they are safer in this new society. Women are supposedly no longer exploited or disrespected (pornography, rape, etc.) as they once were. Romantic relationships are strongly prohibited because involving emotion would defeat the handmaid’s sole purpose of reproducing. Of course not all women who were taken into Gilead believed right what was happening to their way of life. Through the process of storytelling, remembering, and rebellion, Offred and other handmaids cease to completely submit to Gilead’s repressive cult ure. â€Å"We learned to whisper almost without sound. In the semidarkness we would stretch out our arms, when the Aunts weren’t looking, and touch each other’s hands across space. We learned to lip-read, our heads flat on the beds, turned sideways, watching each other’s mouths.† (Atwood, p4) The handmaids whisper to each other to exchange information. They engage in this conversation to keep alive the nature of relationships between people. It is very lonely for these women, for they cannot say what is on their mind, they are only allowed pre-approved phrases from Gilead’s authorities Without this contact it would be impossible for the women to reminisce and be comforted. Another way of keeping the past real to Offred is to remember old stories from before the revolution. She spends a lot of her time thinking about her husband Luke and how the city used to look before, â€Å"Lilies used to be a movie theater here, before. Students went there a lot; eve ry spring they had a Humphrey Bogart festival with Lauren Bacall or Katherine Hepburn, women on their own, making up their own minds† (Atwood, 25). These small rebellions that Offred and other handmaids participate in are very significant. The simple fact that they choose to engage in these insurgences shows that they still cling on to their more just and free past. They still have a notion of truth and are keeping it alive. Having these passions and feelings causes the structure of Gilead to truly not work, and will probably (The Handmaid’s Tale was left open ended) lead to its demise.

Terrorism - A Peaceful Jihad is an Oxymoron :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Terrorism - A Peaceful Jihad is an Oxymoron In June of 2002, when asked to give a graduation speech at Harvard, Zayed Yasin, a Muslim, wrote a speech in which he explained his definition of a Jihad. In accordance with the subject matter, Yasin titled his speech â€Å"My American Jihad.† When Harvard requested him to change the title, he complied. This action, though, stirred up many who believed Yasin had a right to use his original title. From the stance John Milton takes in his essay, Aeropagitica, one can clearly see that he would argue against Harvard’s decision to censor the title of Yasin’s speech. Milton, however, overzealously defends free speech and fails to recognize that the authorities must withhold some things from people under their governing authority. Though Yasin appears to attempt to portray a different aspect of the word â€Å"Jihad† in his speech than that aspect that has dominated America over the past year, he fails to recognize its more common meaning. Rather, he excuses the common meaning as having been â€Å"corrupted and misinterpreted.† In his speech, Yasin explains that to him, Jihad â€Å"is the determination to do right, to do justice even against your own interests. It is an individual struggle for personal moral behavior.† Yasin continues to explain his definition of Jihad and gives more details about it. According to author Abdullah Al Araby, although Yasin correctly describes Jihad as a personal, inner struggle, Jihad also means, â€Å"fighting in the name of Allah.† Al Araby explains, â€Å"In this sense Jihad is the struggle for the cause of spreading Islam, using all means available to Muslims, including force. This kind of Jihad is often referred to as ‘Holy War’.â₠¬  As a result of the recent September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, people refer to this definition when discussing the term Jihad. Contrary to popular belief, Islam does not teach peace to the extent most Americans think it does. The Qu’ran, the holy book of Islam, commands, "Fight (kill) them (non-Muslims), and Allah will punish (torment) them by your hands, cover them with shame" (Surah 9:14). Numerous similar commands exist in the Qu’ran (Al Araby). Not only does Yasin present a misleading and deceptive argument by explaining merely half of the meaning of the term Jihad, but he also, by using the term in conjunction with the adjective â€Å"American,† implies that Americans participate in Jihad.

Graduation Speech Essay

â€Å"The heights by great man reach and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept were toiling upwards through the night. †Ã‚  (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  ) Members of the school board, principal and staff, distinguished guests in the audience and on the platform, parents, guardians, graduate, good afternoon. Our guest speaker for this afternoon is Mrs. Merlette Barrett-Fender. She was born in the parish of St. James. There, she attended the Salt Spring All Age School- later the Mt. Alvernia High School then went on to further her education at Shortwood Teachers’ College. She has worked at the Jamaica Telephone Company as an international operator. She later acquired a Bachelor’s Degree in Middle Grades Administration offered by Western Carolina University, at the Montego Bay site. Her zeal for leadership led her to access the Master of Science in Educational Leadership just two years later with the Jamaican Programme of Central Connecticut State University. She has worked at the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary levels of the education system, having the experience as class teacher, subject teacher of English Language and Literature at Cornwall College and as Principal. She presently holds the position of Academic Vice-Principal of Knox Community College. Mrs. Barrett-Fender posses a great love for her country and as a result has made the decision to remain in Jamaica. She takes great pleasure in working amongst Jamaica’s poorest, to help train and educate them and being the voice for some who are voiceless. As a member of the Upper St. James Consultative Committee, she conducts motivational talks to students and teachers. She is the lay preacher of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. She is dedicated to spreading the work of God for the upliftment of people. She possesses a vibrant personality, loves the outdoors, loves good company and enjoys helping others. Mrs. Barrett-Fender believes in having a sound character thus her everyday life is grounded in integrity. Her community involvement includes being a member of the Friends of the Hospital, the founder of Salt Spring All Age Past Students’ Association, past president and fund raising committee member, speaking at graduation exercises, Patron of the Knox Early Childhood Institute, motivational speaker, mentor and counselor. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls; please put your hands together as I introduce to some and present to the others Mrs. Barrett-Fender.

Organic Food Essay

Once found entirely in health food stores, native food is now a fifty-fifty feature at most supermarkets. And thats created a bit of a quandary in the produce aisle. On ace hand, you imbibe a courtlyly bounteous apple. On the other, you have one thats perfect. twain apples atomic number 18 firm, shiny and red. Both provide vitamins and fiber, and both ar freehanded of fat, sodium and cholesterol. Which should you choose? The account book essential refers to the way farmers grow and process pastoral products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and kernel. constituent(a) farming practices are designed to advertise soil and water conservation and squeeze pollution. Farmers who grow innate produce and meat dont use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or go along livestock disease. For example, rather than using chemical substance weedkillers, constitutive(a) farmers may conduct to a greater extent sophisticated crop rotations and spread mulch or manure to keep weeds at bay. The U. S. Department of Agriculture ( factory farm) has open an organic certification program that requires totally organic foods to meet strict political relation standards.These standards regulate how such foods are grown, handled and graceful. any product labeled as organic must be husbandry apprised. alone producers who sell less than $5,000 a twelvemonth in organic foods are release from this certification however, theyre still demand to follow the USDAs standards for organic foods. If a food bears a USDA Organic label, it means its produced and neat according to the USDA standards. The seal is voluntary, however many organic producers use it. Products certified 95 percentage or more than organic display this USDA seal.Products that are completely organic such as fruits, vegetables, eggs or other single- divisor foods are labeled 100 percent organic and advise carry the USDA seal. Foods that have more than one ingredient, such as breakfast cereal, dismiss use the USDA organic seal plus the next wording, depending on the number of organic ingredients. Products that conceal at least 70 percent organic ingredients may say make with organic ingredients on the label, only may non use the seal.Foods containing less than 70 percent organic ingredients cant use the seal or the word organic on their product labels. They can include the organic items in their ingredient list, however. Natural and organic are not interchangeable stipulations. You may see intrinsic and other terms such as all natural, free-range or hormone-free on food labels. These descriptions must be truthful, but dont confuse them with the term organic. Only foods that are grown and processed according to USDA organic standards can be labeled organic.

Thin Film Solar Cell

Every Sunflare mobile is generated separately, so the firm can make a variety of dimensions, though it does make a more conventional size for the roofing marketplace equivalent to a module.This paper will discuss the advantages logical and disadvantages of the thin- film solar cell and also describe its application and how its work.Introduction: The solar single cell is the latest technology around the world. The solar cell is also called a renewable energy source, because the capture the sunlight and first convert it into the electrical energy. There are different types of solar cells, but the most important one is a thin- film solar cell.Clearly, the late little cell in a calculator isnt big and bulky.Solar cells are made out of semiconducting material, usually silicon. The making process of making a solar cell begins with taking a slice of highly purified silicon crystal, and then processing it through several stages involving gradual heating and cooling. Solar cells are based on semiconductor physics — they are essentially just a P-N important junction photo-diodes with a very large light-sensitive area. Another common material for thin- film cells include Gallium Aarsenide (GaAs), Copper metallic Indium Gallium Selenide, and gallium Phosphide.

They are the most essential quality of a panel.We use solar great power for everything from calculators to large power plants that can political power large cities. The most common applications for solar panels are used for small evices. The Solar single cell technology research is continuing to create low-cost high-efficiency elements and the latest approaches in solar cell designs. Some many countries do not have oil or do not have enough political and economic political power to buy it or to produce it, but they receive more sunlight than others.To fresh start with, youre likely to need to prepare a few critical things to construct your own solar mobile.4%.The german Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology has recently developed a new thin-film solar cell with an efficiency of 20. 4%. Those cells are based on CIGS (copper indium gallium (DI) selenide) semiconductor material.

Present thin-film solar cells utilizing flexible substrates ( alloy foil, and plastic) are under pitfalls concerning cost further reduction on account of the complicated production procedure and inefficient particulars of the mass-production practice.There are four different types of thin-film solar cell. 1. Amorphous silicon (a-Si) 2. metallic Cadmium telluride (CdTe) 3.It is truly.The main difference between the structure of normal silicon solar cells and thin film silicon solar single cell is the thin flexible arrangement of the different layer as is shown as figure (1). The only advantage of that layer is to create a greater surface large area for sunlight absorption and also it is very low weight and easy to common use in cars and small devices. Figure (1) We use calculator everyday in our log normal daily routine.These solar powered calculators have a small solar cell at the top corner of the calculator.

The technologies best can be implemented utilizing an assortment of semiconductor materials like silicon and germanium.Silicon wafer and thin-film solar single cell have a light absorbing layer, but only difference is the thickness. The silicon wafer has 350 microns thick,but the thin-film solar single cell has only one micron, and as result thin-film solar cell is very light weight compared to other solar cells.Thin-film solar red cells are made of several layers. Those all layer helps to absorb light.Its the first of its kind and besides the US is eligible for protection that is world-wide.The figure (a) shows the basic theory of the different layer stack of the thin-film solar cell.Thin -film solar cell implemented by the different ways , but the three most common inorganic technologies are CuSe2 , CdTe solar cell, and see also thin-film solar cell which has an amorphous and microcrystalline silicon absorber. There are three major different types of thin-film solar cell. 1.

Each of the thin-film technologies also give the prospect of ubiquity.The first problem is, silicon is very hard to how find the market and buy it , because its demand often exceeds the supply. The second thing is, this new type of solar cell has very low efficiency. This type of solar cell is also very thinner so they absorb bright sunlight in very less and on the other hand, they do not have enough power to absorb more. Therefore, they used in calculator and other very small and low power consuming devices.Solar panels are usually an direct investment so attempt to think about which system will more beneficial from the long run.More flexible and very easy to handle it.4. Less thinner than crystalline solar cell. It can be as thin .

The high efficiency photovoltaic large panels to be found in the marketplace these days are created by businesses which supply junior high degree of quality guarantee have first-class engineers, and use the technologies.Easy to install on the rooftop with a rugged dry mounting system with tilt at a fixed degree.6. Thin film solar cells have better performance in the hot weather. See table (1) below.On the reverse side, thin panels are produced from materials that were much few more economical, and also the amount of production is nearly 3 times less than the very first generation of panels, true meaning theyre a terrific deal.Table (2) Condition| Crystalline Efficiency Drop| Light San Francisco fog| 8%-15%| Heavy San Francisco fog| 15%-20%| Cloudy & raining| 20% – 50%| Heavy cloudy & raining| 50% – 90%| 2. They have complex structure. 3. Different version requires its own unique installation skills.