All Quiet on the Western Front Essay

In the novel ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ by Erich Maria Remarque, the main character Paul Bà ¤umer’s development shows the horrors of the First World War and the effect it had on the young men who fought in it. Paul Bà ¤umer is the main character whom is nineteen years old, Bà ¤umer volunteered for the army along side four of his classmates. Some parts in the novel is written in past tense when Paul Bà ¤umer is collecting his thoughts. Most of the novel is written in Present tense. During the novel we see Paul Bà ¤umer changing as a person, he has just left school and is a young boy with no experiences. By the end of this novel end even half way through he had become a well experienced man. Paul Bà ¤umer is the main character and also the narrator. At just nineteen years of age, Bà ¤umer volunteers for the German Army. Before war is a young creative and passionate person who had lots of love for his family. As the war went on Bà ¤umer changed as a person. Bà ¤umer and four of his classmates joined because they felt it was their patriotic duty. After a while of being in the trenches Bà ¤umer starts to get visions of being in Kantoreks class as he gave his great ‘iron youth speech.’ He soon realises Kantorich persuaded the class to join. â€Å"During the drill time Kantorek gave us long lectures until the whole of our class went under his shepherding to the District Commandant and volunteered.† Bà ¤umer felt he was doing right by his country but he soon feels he can’t tell anyone about his experience in the army and where his families are concerned he feels like an outsider. People like Kantorek are hypocrites, urging young pupils to join up whilst not volunteering himself. Kemmerich dies. This is the first death we experience as readers in the novel which is very upsetting. â€Å"I became faint, all at once I can not do anymore†¦ He is dead. The face is still wet from the tears. The eyes are half open and yellow like old horn buttons.† Bà ¤umer feels upset and dark inside, he has just lost his best friend, and they grew up together, school buddies. He is almost like a brother to Bà ¤umer. I feel sorry for Bà ¤umer at this point in the novel because I would hate to lose any of my friends or classmates if I was in the army because I think you would need a lot of friends and good people around to keep your spirits high. This is one of Bà ¤umers most important memories because they got revenge on Himmelstoss. Himmelstoss was a postman before he enlisted in the war. He is a corporal who trains the recruits. Himmelstoss likes punishing the young recruits and is very harsh and strict. â€Å"Tjaden wets his bed†¦ Himmelstoss maintained that it was sheer laziness and invented a method worthy of himself for curing Tjaden†¦ with mattress of wire netting.† The young men ended up unwell or with the cold because of this they ended up sleeping on the floor. Bà ¤umer and his friends got revenge by getting him from behind with a big white bed sheet and they covered his mouth with a pillow so he could not scream. Tjaden pulled down Himmelstoss’ trousers with a whip in his mouth. The training camp is harsh and full of sadness, I would not like to be there. Baume describes the front line as a mysterious whirlpool. â€Å"I am in still water far away from its center. I feel the whirl of the vortex sucking e slowly, irresistibly, inescapably into itself. The front line is a line along which apposing armies face each other and is horrific because you are face to face and it is very hard to stay alive. Bà ¤umer feels different from everyone else in his hometown because he feels he is different, they are different. He has been away for so long he does not feel at home anymore. He’s not just a boy anymore, he’s now a man. I feel so much respect for Bà ¤umer by this stage because he has done so well and all army men deserve respect. When Bà ¤umer returns home from leave he feels obliged to volunteer for a dangerous night patrol. Whilst in ‘No-Man’s Land’ Bà ¤umer gets lost. Paul hides in a shell – hole but a bomb goes off behind him when he is alone. â€Å"This is the first time I have killed with my hands†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bà ¤umer feels so guilty for killing the French man. He starts to think about the French mans life and his family. â€Å"If only he had run two yards further to the left, he might now be sitting in the trench over there and writing a letter to his wife.† This changes Bà ¤umers character for the better because he now realises how precious life is. Bà ¤umer feels hatred against the war and realises it’s a bad thing. I personally think war should be illegal because what is the point in killing human beings for victory. I don’t think that’s a victory, it’s a crime to kill. If we are not at war you would be sent to prison and just because its war that makes it ok? The situation has got a lot worse for the German Army by this late stage in the Novel. In this part Bà ¤umer and Katazinsky are the last two soldiers alive from all the characters whom were introduced at the beginning of the Novel. Kat gets hit by a shrapnel at this point leaving him with a smashed shin. Bà ¤umer carried him back to camp on his back, only to discover on their arrival that a splinter had hit Kat on the back of the head and killed him on the way. Kats death makes Bà ¤umer careless to weather he dies in war or not and also he can now face the rest of his life without any fear. I feel sorry for Bà ¤umer at this point because he must feel so alone. Bà ¤umer is now alone without a friend in the trenches because the war has taken all of them away and now Bà ¤umer is all alone. â€Å"Let the months and years come, they can take nothing from me, they can take nothing more. I am so alone, and so without hope that I can confront them without fear.† At the end of the novel Bà ¤umer is careless of his life. He has changed dramatically since the beginning. At the beginning Paul was a young boy with lots of dreams, now he is a man who is careless. I feel very lucky that none of my family died during the war and it’s a very emotional thing to go into. This book is important and should be read by future generations to show how life was and that they should realise how life was and that they should notice how lucky they are. This book makes you have so much for our soldiers.

Manage Operational Plan Essay

1. The Types of Matters in a Human Resource Plan Human resources is directly related to the performance of the organisation identifying and planning for training can be linked to many corporate processes performance as the underlying basis of many organisational and human resources programs. 1.1 Some matters of the human resource and their solutions 1.1.1 Human resource issues in counsel and the possible solution Counselling is definitely one service that can help to manage themselves manager should be trained in same basic counselling skills a counsellor can in sever age core capacities of employees. It can help employees increase their self-awareness regarding their thinking patterns and behavioural tendencies. 1.1.2 Human resource issues in employment management and the possible solution The sources of training need provide a diversity and complexity of training requirements to be at practice level you should be managing coordinating the training necessary to satisfy all the needs all the personnel in training should be skilled. 1.1.3 Human resource issues in Administration and the possible solution Recruitment is another traditional area high quality candidate’s should be attracted to the positions the person and position requirements should clearly established. A variety of selection methods appropriate to the situat ion should be used like entrance tests an interview. 1.1.4 Human resource issues in training and the possible solution Administration is function of human resource management is to be provide the employees with the capability to manage healthcare, record,  keeping, promotion, benefits etc. the function in terms of employes benefit is to create management system to achieve long term goals plans it requires the exercise of analytic ability and application of substantial knowledge of principals. 2. Job Description of Human Resource Plan Duties and Responsibilities; * Recruiting and staffing logistics * Performance management and improvement tracking system * Record keeping * Assisting with employees relationship * Employee safety and so many- prepare sales action plans and schedules assist, develop and maintain sales and promotional materials make sales calls to new and existing clients assist, develop and make presentations of company products and services to current and potential clients negotiate with clients maintain sales activity records and reports ensure customer service satisfaction and good client relationships follow up on sales activity assist, conduct market research and surveys Skills and Abilities; Excellent computer skills including word and excel Effective oral and written communications skills knowledge of employment laws good interpersonal skills skills in database management Be ready and able to work within a team. Have a polite, helpful manner Education bachelor degree Experience 1 or 2 years of general business 3. Preparing a Job Advertisement A job advertisement should be contained various information these can include; Job title Wage Working area, place Working hours Skills, knowledge and attitude we needed Qualifications and experience we needed Contact name and number of someone who is from our Human Resource Department. 3.1 Job Advertisement for tycoon Company Tycoon Trading Company Sales Department; Salary: $ 55.000 annual Working hours: 9:00 am-5:00 pm (Monday to Friday) Our company is located in western suburb close to city and all public transport. As a small business company we are looking for an intellectual, a creative, qualified and at least two years sales experienced person who must use all office programs professionally especially MS Excel, provide good communication with customers and also must assist to someone else about one of our new product in our company. A person who can enjoy challenges and working towards targets has ability to exceed customers expectation Contact no. 02345678(aren) 4. Detail the Cost of Hiring an Employee Cost of detail of our office person contains; Employee background screening Advertising Relocation pay Time for interviewing Travel expenses Training costs Taxation and wages Human resources paperwork about employee Survey and monitoring processes’ cost for employee Job offer calls by phone or job offer letter by mail Employee back ground investigation and make phone calls to its former company 5. Selection Criteria and interview Questions 5.1 Selection criteria from the sales position Understanding of the role Qualities and Quantities research skills Communication and negotiation skills Organisation and Planning Confidence and presentation skills Decision making 5.2 Interview Questions 1. Tell me who are the main stakeholders in our business and describe the task of job that you understand? 2. How can use the qualities and quantities research skills in this position? Can you give me an example about these skills which you have used before in former job? 3. How will you build good relationships with your team members? 4. How will you satisfy dissatisfied customers? 5. Tell me what is your daily schedule position in job? 6. Now I want you to try to sell me something. Try to convince me to buy this coffee to drink. 7. Which advertising methods do you use to present a new product to create an attract attention for our customers. 8. Can you give me a specific example of an occasion when you took on extra responsibility or showed initiative in improving an aspect of work? 9. Describe the most challenging problem that you have had to solve, and what you took into account. 6. Reference Checking It is a process of authenticating the information supplied to potential employer by a job applicant in his resume, application and interviews it ensure the employer that the candidate has background and experience as he claims it includes and takes usually 20 or 30 minutes to complete. It is a control process provides past information of employee and asks questions two or three people who directly managed the candidate about employees’ skill and knowledge for requested position, relationship with other team members it includes verification of academic credentials ,verification of prior employment, testing to confirm skill, criminal background check To make a reference checking about regarding person will be good in term of employer. For this reason the human resource department of tycoon International Trading Company prepares some questions to make a reference checking on former jobs and positions of regarding person on the its ex-companies. Our reference checking questions are generally consisting of; When did related person work for your company? Could you confirm starting and ending employment dates? When did s/he leave the company? Why did related person leave the company? What was her/his starting and ending salary? What was her/his position? Can you describe the job responsibilities? Did person supervise other employees? How effectively? If I spoke to those employees, how do you think they would describe person’s management style? How did person handle conflict? How about pressure? Stress ? Did you evaluate person’s performance? Can you speak to his/her strong and weak points? What was person’s biggest accomplishment while working for your company? If I describe the position we are hiring for what, could you describe how good a fit you think person would be for the position? Can you describe this person’s experience working as a member of a team? Is there anything I haven’t asked that you would like to share with me? 7. Preparing a Job Offer Date 03/08/2011 Tina Odett and 1/48 Ambrie Crt.Noble Park 3174 Melbourne/Australia Dear Mrs raj It is my pleasure to extend the following offer of employment to you on behalf of tycoon trading company the offer is contingent upon your passing of requirements. The position we are offering is that of Sales Assistant at a salary of $55,000 per year This position reports to Mrs Lela who is a supervisor. Your working hours will be from 08:30 am to 05:30 pm on normal workdays. This is a permanent position. Benefits Information if relevant to the position: Working hours 9:00 to 5:00pm Position – permanent Salary- paid fortnight Bonus- on satisfaction completion of first 90 days of employment Vacation – _2_ weeks per annum Probation Period – from 15/08/2011 to 15/11/2011 Employee Benefits Include: – Group Insurance – Short/Long Term Disability – Dental Care – Health care Your employment with tycoon trading company is at will and either party can terminate the relationship at any time with or without cause and notice if you are in agreement with the above outline please sign. We are confident you will be able to make a significant contribution to the success of our Sales Department and look forward to working with you. Signature †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Date†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. For company manager name†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Date†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Human resources†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Date†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. I accept the offer as outlined above this 8 day of August,2011. Tina Odett 8. Mentoring and Coaching Program for the New Staff Member A mentor helps employee’s development and also provides some advices on  career path. On the other hand a coach observes employee’s work and actions, and provides related teaching skills. A coach can come from same division in a work place for example from company’s personnel or manager. As a manager, I can also be a coach for my new and current employees. And as a coach, I can give my time and attention to my employees and I can help them master their work and grow their own knowledge and skills. Also, I can ensure them extend their learning capabilities and improve their self-development. On the other hand, for the role of the mentor I can provide my new employees to reach their highest potential in the business. I can arrange for them individual or organizational group mentoring programs. 9. Three months’ probation review It is a 3 month period from the date of commencement of employment whether the employer assesses suitability of employee for the role and employee has an opportunity to determine if the role meets their needs. Probation period has been formed as 3 months in our Human Resources Plan to provide a review and recording about newly hired personnel. Review will be made to the Human Resources Department end of the each month during the three months. First two months will contain initial reviews, and last month will be taken final reviews for employees. Employee assessment Company name Employee name Identification Date/period Position 9.1 Records of Review Importing point in a review report is that it gives healthy and true decisions about newly chosen personnel and provides much strangest workforce for the organisation in the future. Following things should be recorded Attendance Punctuality Appearance dress code Attitude-positive, cooperative Work quality Workplace-care of company equipment Team work skills 10. Monitoring and Review of a Human Resource Plan Human resources plan provide a framework for a company for that as a Human resource manager of the related company I can follow company’s missions and daily operations by regarding plan and also I can understand what priorities I need to know as I guide the employees to help the company succeed as well I can be sure whether all staffing needs are met or not. According to the topic, firstly I have to thing about new product in the organization and sales staff that has also employed newly. For example as a human resource manager I arranged a staff training program for related person and also I chose another person who will be responsible for monitoring system. By this responsible person I will follow all performance and capabilities of new staff and also I will be reported about the all situations among the training such as staff training has been completed by a certain date or not. After this training process I can manage a survey which indicates the results of customer satisfa ction and therefore I can make a review about my resources plan which has achieved to present new product by my new training staff or not. PART B According to case study, Sports Gear that is a medium size company will need to increase its production for the Australian Team in the World Cup within 6 weeks which needs to be more than the current level in order to meet the expected demand. 1. Expenses for the new operational plan To increase productivity we need following things, More stafff for night shift More machinery. Time schedule should be extended to 24hrs and 5 days a week for next 6 weeks. Organize extra arrangements for catering and refreshments for the working staff. 2 extra supervisors for night shifts. Ordering extra raw material. Extra room for storage and vehicles for distribution. All of the above will lead to increase the company’s current expenses. For that Sports Gear need to extend their company’s budget. For example, company need to provide more wages for more staff and extra supervisors, more usage for more electrical expenses, more budget for extra order for raw material, more requirement of fuel oil for distribution during the 6 weeks, etc. 2. Monitor performance of the staff to increase productivity Garry can monitor his staff performance by:- Establishing cctv cameras and recording and viewing all the staff members while working. Setting daily targets for each supervisor and each staff. Staff attendance records. Amount of waste production for each staff which shows they are doing their responsibility in right way or not. 3. Budget of the company and its use Budget is a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A reasonable budget allow you to do what you want it helps to be business in right direction The company uses the budget because it provides:- Planning, Set expectations, Consideration, and Guidance Control finances Help to achieve target Helps to prevent loss. 4. Documentation used for developing a business budget Budgeting is the basis for developing supportable financial plans. The documents developed by the company as a result of these instructions are a normal part of the annual budget effort. provide a consistent basis for business planning and budget reviews, facilitate any necessary budget adjustments, provide transparency and a clear audit trail, support rate case filings, assist external reporting with their communication to the investment community, and Keeping the record of budget and getting it checked by the senior personnel.

How are gender relationships depicted in Chaucers “Wife of Bath”?

The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale is one of the twenty-four stories which make up The Canterbury Tales written by Geoffrey Chaucer towards the end of the 14th century. The premise for The Tales is that of a group of pilgrims each telling stories in order to win the prize of a free meal, the primary narrator is a naà ¯ve pilgrim who is not described. The Canterbury Tales is written in Middle English, which bears a close visual resemblance to the English written and spoken today. The Tales were unfinished as Chaucer died before their completion and the order of the stories has been disputed due to the fragmented nature of his work. This essay will be looking at gender relationships in The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale and in medieval Literature as a whole. Chaucer’s Wife of Bath is a middle-aged woman from the west country, who strides into The Canterbury Tales on a large horse with her spurs jangling and riding in the fashion of a man rather than the side saddle that was typical of women, ready to assert herself in the company of pilgrims made almost entirely of men. Rich and elaborate in design, the Wife’s clothes reek of extravagance, her stockings â€Å"weren of fyn scarlet reede† and â€Å"on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe† show how wealthy she has become from her conquests of men. In the General Prologue where each of the characters is described in terms of their profession she is clearly a ‘professional wife’ who has travelled more than almost all of the other pilgrims making her a bold, adventurous and sociable character. Men were the ones who travelled to distant lands in search of adventure, this challenges the accepted ideas about gender of the time. This portrait of a woman is very peculiar for a piece of medieval literature, men tend to have the starring role and women are usually featured as beautiful ladies in distress or as villainous old hags. The Wife of Bath is neither a helpless damsel in distress nor a typical old crone. She is the first of her kind in English literature. The Wife of Bath’s Prologue is the life story of Alison who has married five times, this in itself is unusual for a woman in medieval literature as it is usually the rogue male who has multiple lovers. Chaucer certainly informs us of Alison’s backstory to a higher degree than he does the other pilgrims. There are many pieces of literature which condemn women, from the highest class to the lowest, Chaucer does not ignore this with his characterisation of the Wife but rather embraces it to make her who she is. The Wife is noisy and bossy, she torments her husbands and has a large enough sexual appetite to compete with the most sexual of men. But Chaucer has also made her capable of love, vulnerable, optimistic and argumentative against medieval anti-woman ideas. It is not clear whether Chaucer wants us to sympathise with the Wife and see her as the first feminist and defender of women’s rights or if we are to view her as an elaborate joke of what would happen if a women were to ever have as much freedom as a man. The Wife of Bath’s Prologue is different from any literature which had been encountered, as is her Tale. The male lead is not a typical heroic knight but a rapist, the main female role is an ugly old woman and the force of good in the story is a court full of powerful women. All the standard ideas of gender relationships are both turned on their heads and brought into sharp focus. The Wife conforms to a number of anti-female stereotypes of the medieval period, stereotypes which were created by men for the purpose of a patriarchal society. She claims that she has a great sexual appetite whilst also boasting that she uses sex to gain wealth. The Wife also tells of how she controls her husbands through the use of her body, a fear which is common of villainous females in medieval literature and which males dread. The Wife points out that there are many husbands and wives in the Bible. Some of the greatest men in the Old Testament were not only married but had multiple wives. â€Å"Lo, heere the wise kyng, daun Salomon; I trowe he hadde wyves mo than oon. As wolde God it leveful were unto me To be refresshed half so ofte as he!† (35-38) This is a double standard in that these men have multiple lovers but that women apparently can’t. By calling King Solomon â€Å"wise† she is conveying that wise men have multiple marriages. The Wife successfully gives examples from the Bible of people whose marriages were blessed by God despite the polygamous nature of these marriages. The Pardoner who is shocked by the Wife’s revelations so far interrupts her story, he says that he was about to marry but is now not so sure that it is a good idea. â€Å"Now, dame,† quod he, â€Å"by God and by Seint John!†¦ I was aboute to wedde a wyf; allas!†¦ What sholde I bye it on my flessh so deere? Yet hadde I levere wedde no wyf to-yeere!† (164-168) The Wife then tells a short story about a medieval pardoner who worked for the Church collecting donations from those sorry for their sins and anxious to find forgiveness. His manhood is called into question throughout the canterbury tales and his talk of taking a wife is probably an empty boast. This is a continuation of Wife of Bath’s theme of male impotence, she regularly taunts her celibate male adversaries in this way throughout the prologue. It was unheard of for a woman to speak this way about such matters, even a man would think before directly insulting men of the Church. The first three husbands the Wife had were rich old men who were financially secure. The Wife treated each of these husbands badly and in a very dominating way. By being argumentative and eager to start trouble she ensured that they would be careful to please her. â€Å"What sholde I taken keep hem for to plese, But it were for my profit and myn ese?† (213-14) Here the Wife of Bath uses a rhetorical question, it is clear from the tone that she doesn’t think she needs to care about her husbands. The misogynists classed all women together as bad and all wives as nothing but trouble. Chaucer both confirms this stereotype here with the way the Wife treated her first three husbands but also turns it around so that the woman is in control for once and the men are indistinguishable without even a single name between them. Chaucer makes us pity the husbands but it also shows us how unfairly women are usually treated. Chaucer outlines the Wife’s general techniques on how she handles Marital trouble which are lying, cheating and accusing the opposite gender before they accuse you. Lying and cheating were the things that medieval literature always accused the villainous women in a story of doing. The Wife is therefore acting in a very stereotypically manipulative way, and comes very close to becoming the old villainous hag which was a staple of medieval literature. Chaucer makes it clear that the Wife is a complex character and that our response to her as readers should be one of uncertainty. He makes sure we see the good aswell as the bad. The Wife of Bath goes on to describe the lies she would use to keep her first three husbands in line. She’d accuse them of lecherous behaviour and of chasing after the neighbours or servants and then unfairly accusing her about her relationship with her ‘friend’. She uses powerful but offensive imagery towards woman in order to get her point across. â€Å"For as a spanyel she wol on hym lepe,†¦ But folk of wyves maken noon assay, Til they be wedded — olde dotard shrewe! And thanne, seistow, we wol oure vices shewe.† (267-292) The Wife of Bath uses simile’s to compare women first of all to animals, which should be tried by men before they are bought. They are then reduced even further being compared to ordinary objects such as basins, washbowls, spoons and stools. The men did not say these things and this paints the Wife of Bath in a very negative light for her deceit but at the same time other men during her period are guilty of thinking such things. The Wife boasts about how she lied to her husbands about what they said whilst drunk in order to make them feel guilty. This extract is some of the Wife’s most blatant deceit and if all women were to be like this in medieval times it would be surprising if men and women ever managed to live together at all. â€Å"Thou liknest eek wommenes love to helle, To bareyne lond, ther water may nat dwelle. Thou liknest it also to wilde fyr;† (371-372) The Wife doesn’t see the wickedness of her ways as is obvious when she states â€Å"Yet tikled I his herte, for that he Wende that I hadde of hym so greet chiertee!† The choice of verb is an interesting one because it is much lighter than the passage as a whole. The Wife claims that either her or her husband must give in if they are to live in peace, and she says â€Å"And sith a man is moore resonable† he should be the one to give in more easily. She then slyly puts in a comment about how she is his alone, implying that this could easily change at any moment. She is exploiting male and female stereotypes here, using a man’s image of themselves as reasonable and superior against them. She is manipulating by saying that if women are so stupid and emotional, clever men should just let them have their way in order for there to be peace. The Wife of Bath’s youth may have now passed her by but she has no regrets. Her fourth husband however was not a very happy memory for her. She even goes on to tell us about his unfaithfulness â€Å"This is to seyn, he hadde a paramour†. Her dominance and power over her first three husbands now gives way to the more melancholy story of her next husband. Old women in medieval literature quite often show bitterness and loathing when they remember their youth but the Wife has no regrets. Her optimism and her grace in the way that she accepts the passing of her youth shows a softer and more vulnerable side to this manipulative and domineering woman. With the death of her fourth husband The Wife then falls in love with a man named Jankyn who was half her age. Within a month she had married him and as an act of love she signed over all her property to him. However, Jankyn was typical of a medieval gender role. He was a dominant man who won’t be told what to do by a woman. He demands her to stop going on pilgrimages, stop gossiping and to generally stop all the mischievous behaviour from her past. He beats her for tearing pages out of a book and tells her of husbands who left their wives because the wives would not do as they were told. â€Å"And me of olde Romayn geestes teche; How he Symplicius Gallus lefte his wyf, And hire forsook for terme of al his lyf† (642-644) The Wife now has to be on the receiving end of the abuse that she has up until then caused, she is the one being dominated and controlled. She has previously been at a distance from the anti-women literature of the period, even used it to her advantage against her past husbands. Now she must endure the stereotypically male dominated household she has avoided for so long. The reason the Wife of Bath is deaf is because she was struck by Jankyn for tearing out a few pages from his favourite book. It consisted of stories by the best known authors of the middle ages which condemned women. â€Å"For trusteth wel, it is an impossible That any clerk wol speke good of wyves,† (688-689) She hated this book as Jankyn used it to cause her a great deal of grief, she stated that these men don’t understand women yet they are the ones writing these stories. What’s quite interesting is that all the literature she used to control her past husbands was now coming at her in a very real sense. The Wife of Bath asks the question â€Å"Who peyntede the leon, tel me who?† which points out that medieval women existed in a world where everything including art, religion, work, family life and literature was controlled by men. Chaucer pointing this out is well ahead of his time in terms of social gender commentary. The Wife’s ripping of the book could be seen as a symbolic gesture. The Wife used this literature against her past husbands, she had it used against her by her fifth husband. The tearing of the book is symbolic of the Wife moving away from medieval stereotypes. After finally finishing the prologue to her story the Wife of Bath moves onto her Tale. The story opens with the rape of a young maiden, the rape is described very casually as though it is somehow entirely natural that a woman is violently attacked this way. â€Å"He saugh a mayde walkynge hym biforn, Of which mayde anon, maugree hir heed, By verray force, he rafte hire maydenhed;† (886-888) The word ‘raft’ means he took her ‘maydenhead’ which is not a very violent verb but it still has powerful imagery because of how casual a word it is. This can be seen as an extreme example of the way in which women are regarded as mere property. The knight’s offence was against a woman so it is therefore ironic that women should step in to save his life. They don’t do this out of compassion or mercy though, he is to be placed in a powerless position in which the fate of his body is in the hands of another, similar to when a woman is raped. After a year of searching for the answer to the question of what women want the knight rides back to the court in despair, this is when he encounters an extremely ugly old woman who agrees to give him the answer to his question if he agrees to do something for her. After answering with â€Å"†Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee† the old hag asks the knight to marry her. Because our knight did not know what the condition would be he is placed in a far more vulnerable position. He is completely under the old woman’s dominance, a reversal of the normal male female relationship. The â€Å"lusty bacheler† from the start of the story now â€Å"hidde hym as an owle†, no longer dominant and in control or a stereotype of medieval man. The old woman then gives the knight an ultimatum, she can either be beautiful and unfaithful or faithful and ugly. The knight considers for a moment but decides in the end to let her make the decision which results in her being both beautiful and faithful. With the mastery handed over to the old lady, there is a switching of gender roles with the knight also getting what he wants. The knight is no longer the misogynist monster he was at the start of The Wife of Bath’s Tale. It could be argued that the Wife of Bath is giving a voice to the excluded women of medieval society. Through her voice we hear and see all the devaluation and oppression which is always silent in medieval literature due to the authors being almost entirely male. The Wife could also be interpreted as a representation of stereotypical medieval fear by men about women as cruel, emotional and sexually deviant. It is not clear in what way Chaucer meant for her to be conveyed, it is clear however that he wanted her to become a complicated character with many different layers whose gender was a driving force for the story.

History J3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History J3 - Essay Example uiano gives a vivid description of the Middle Passage which demonstrates the terror of the prisoners, the abject conditions on board and the attitude of the slavers to their cargo. The captured African slaves are absolutely terrified on their passage. The main reason for this fear is the ignorance of the Africans, as this is their first encounter with Europeans. Equiano’s horror is â€Å"heightened by my ignorance of what I was to undergo† (Equiano, 1789).The fair complexion, long hair and alien language of the white men makes Equiano believe that they are â€Å"bad spirits, and that they were going to kill me† (Equiano, 1789). The large copper furnace and the dejected, fettered prisoners reinforce his fear of being sacrificed. Another factor which contributes to Equiano’s fear is the water: â€Å"not being used to the water, I naturally feared that element the first time I saw it† (Equiano, 1789). Most of the captured slaves are from interior Africa and have never seen the sea. The ship and its navigation seem magical to the Africans. The conditions on board the slave ship are extremely miserable. The slaves are confined to the unventilated hold, where they are chained and packed tightly together. The initial cargo of slaves is supplemented by the additional slaves taken on at sea. This makes the hold â€Å"so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself† (Equiano, 1789). Equiano paints â€Å"a scene of horror almost inconceivable†: the heat, the toxic miasma of perspiration, the suffocating atmosphere, the increasing irritation of the chains, the groans of the dying, the shrieks of the women, the stench of humanity and the tubs of human excreta â€Å"into which the children often fell, and were almost suffocated†   (Equiano, 1789). The stink of the holds is beyond tolerance.The pestilential air makes the slaves ill and even causes fatalities. The rations are insufficient to satisfy the slaves’ appetite. It is a mark of the slavers’ spite that they

Exploring the influence of Corporate Social Responsibility on customer Research Proposal

Exploring the influence of Corporate Social Responsibility on customer buying behavior - Research Proposal Example According to Zhang (2012:34), studies sponsored by the US Department of Commerce in 2012 showed that there is a positive correlation between an excellent understanding of consumer needs and good financial performance in American corporations. However, studies also show that there is a need go deeper by examining the specific factors that allow businesses to predict or even manipulate customer behavior (Rosengren, 2013:47). One such factor is CSR, and it has become a core aspect in the observation of consumer behavior. The academic context of this topic revolves around previous research and the need to expand the breadth and scope of previous and current research (Mermod and Idowu, 2013:36). There is still a vacuum in the study of the relationship between CSR and customer buying behavior. This paper aims to fill that vacuum. The novelty of this proposal lies in describing an ignored or unexplored body of scientific material on the relationship between CSR and customer buying behavior. There is a large body of empirical material that pertains to the topic but is yet to be brought to the fore (Mermod and Idowu, 2013:16). This paper will examine that material and also provide possible new perspectives on the subject. The research will employ a descriptive research design because it is the most suitable for examining relationships between phenomena. Descriptive research methods such as observation, case study and surveys will be used to collect data, and then the relevant analysis tools – SPSS – and other statistical methods will be used to analyze the collected data. Findings will be presented using common methods like charts (pie charts), tables and graphs. The research will consider common research issues like bias, confidentiality and ethics. Bias will be avoided by using open-ended questions in the surveys to eliminate the possibility of appearing partial. Participants will not only be assured of the confidentiality of the information of their

Regulations Impacting Human Recourses Management Assignment

Regulations Impacting Human Recourses Management - Assignment Example The human resource in health care organization is required to outline the qualifications and performance prospects for all its employees. They are also expected to provide encouragement to employees to engage in self-development and pursue further education. (Joint Commission Resources, Inc, 2003).Score HR requirements in healthcare, as defined by JCAHOScoring is based on standards and certain requirements pertinent to the quality and safety of healthcare provided to patients. JCAHO ensures that standard compliance scoring is reflective of the health care organization’s performance with regard to JCAHO’s set standards and elements of performance and transparency. The process should be understood by everyone involved and is based on the principle that certain standards are vital or at times have a direct impact on patients (Staff, JCAHO and Joint Commission Resources, 2004).According to JCAHJO, standards are scored taking into consideration the compliance score of every element of performance (Staff, Jcaho and Joint commission resources (2004). It is a requirement that before the HR department can determine its compliance with the standards, it must score its compliance with the elements of performance first. Scoring is categorized into A, B, and C. In each category, the organization must ensure that its element of performance meets its performance expectations. The elements of performance are usually scored on three scales; 0, signifies insufficient compliance; 1 signifies partial compliance; and 2 is set for satisfactory compliance. Organizations rating with regard to the requirements Our hospital currently has a rating of ‘1’ since it has only partially complied with the requirements of JCAHO. This is due to the fact that the hospital’s human resource department is still in the process of trying to define the qualification and performance of its employees. Our human resource department has also not completed the process of employing the required number of staff with requisite qualifications. Affirmative action in healthcare In every organization, equal employment opportunities should be presented to everyone without discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, class, religion, color, sexual orientation, disability or national origin in so far as they meet the required standards. With affirmative action, however, the underrepresented group(s) is given due consideration with a view of countering the effects of historical

Nespresso Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nespresso - Research Paper Example In accordance with Davids (2009) one of the most important advantages of Nespresso compared to other similar products is the high range of the blends available; moreover, it seems that each of these blends is different (Davids 2009); from this point of view, Nespresso offers to the consumers the ability to choose among the blends available, a chance which is not given to other products, such as the Metodo iperEspresso (Illy) which has only three blends (Davids 2009). Apart from the above characteristic, Nespresso is distinguished from other products of this type in terms of quality. Each of the Nespresso blends has been produced using roasted coffee from different areas of the planet; in accordance with Davids (2009) the blends of Nespresso are produced using coffee elements from Africa, Brazil and Colombia (Davids 2009). In this way, a unique combination – in terms of the aroma and flavor of coffee – is achieved. ... uite a long; the firm’s name has been particularly related to food for infants; the impression that all the firm’s products are of high quality can be easily developed – an assumption that, actually, it would be valid. The differentiation of Nespresso from the other – similar – products in the market is also highlighted in the article of Sharp (2007), published in the Independent. In accordance with Sharp (2007) Nespresso could be characterized as one of the most profitable products of the specific category bringing to its initiators a profit of approximately ?500 annually. The reasons for the success of Nespresso are analyzed by Sharp (2007) as follows: At a first level, it is noted that the firm that produced Nespresso, the Nestle, has been well known for the quality of its products. This fact has significantly helped the particular product to be welcomed by consumers internationally. However, in practice, it has been proved that Nespresso has a s eries of additional advantages, such as: its name: the name given to the product defines precisely its characteristics; there is no threat of misunderstanding in regard to the type and the general characteristics of the product; furthermore, its name is memorable, being distinguished from other similar products, the names of which are difficult to be remembered (Sharp 2007). The involvement of Nespresso in daily meals – as promoted by the firm’s marketing team – is also characterized as another significant advantage of Nespresso compared to the similar products of rivals. More specifically, Nespresso is offered, as an after-dinner option, to well – known (but not expensive) restaurants, such as Sketch and The Fat Duck (Sharp 2007); in this way, the product is made known to the public as an after-meal

Group Leadership and Reflection Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Group Leadership and Reflection - Assignment Example On the other hand, Goldman Sachs represents the Bad and Ugly side of Capitalism. Through the discussion questions, it is established that a socially responsible corporate culture is manageable and profitable. Discussion Questions 1. 2. 2.1. What is the role of corporate culture in promoting social responsibility? 2.2. What are the challenges a company can face when they try to integrate CSR policies in their corporate culture? 2.3. Do you think this article is another attempt at bad publicity of the corporate culture of a successful company such as Goldman? 2.4. The article suggested that â€Å"Goldman’s attitude has been: This, too, shall pass.† But will it? Can they continue believe this without changing their corporate culture and making it more socially responsible? 2.5. What practices of leadership and corporate culture distinguish Starbucks from Goldman Sachs? Overview of Group Discussion 1. 2. 2.1. Corporate Social Responsibility presents itself as a strategic op portunity and obligations, thus it is very important for organizations to evaluate CSR with the same business acumen and skills as they would any market strategy (Husted & Alen, 839). The enterprise is considered as a cornerstone for implementing all cultural projects (Storey, 2007, p.190). Thus a corporate culture of socially responsible business practices would have a company-wide impact. The employees mirror the corporate culture of an organization to all stakeholders. The stakeholders of the company communicate within the corporate culture and jointly they contribute towards sustainability in an organization (Arnorld, 2010). 2.2. The very dynamic nature of CSR and the fact that the CSR values and implementations vary from culture to culture create problems for the organizations. The 1789 Law of Alien Tort Claim Act, forces US firms to be accountable for their actions in international operations (Werther & Chandler, 2010). Thus MNEs are confronted with the mammoth task of integra ting a corporate culture that meets global expectations. MNEs can tackle this problem by treating CSR policies in a similar manner as they would any marketing or organizational policy—compliant with the cultural expectations of the host country (Husted & Allen, 2006). 2.3. This article refers to an article by Greg Smith, a former Goldman Sachs employee who quit his job because of the low-moral corporate culture that had become prevalent at Goldman (Smith, 2012). Goldman has the culture of treating clients as â€Å"pigeons† that need to be hunted down rather than the â€Å"valued customer†. Usually such an article would have low credibility. But looking at the questionable business ethic practices prevalent in the corporate culture of Goldman Sachs that encouraged the company to push risky loans onto their clients which led to the financial crises, such accusations hit close to home (Norcera 2012). 2.4. The culture of corporate social responsibility is constantly evolving and business practices that were acceptable once may fall short of CSR standards prevalent in the societal and legal environment (Werther and Chandler, p.11). So Goldman Sachs need to get over their dinosaur-approach of believing that their corporate culture and business practices are above ethics and policies. Werther and Chandler evaluate the impact of the such unethical policies in the corporate culture and identify significant litigation costs and public relation fiascos. The recent

Technical Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Technical Writing - Essay Example A fire lane is where you should not park. This definition is very poor and inadequate in educating people about safety and driving rules. This is because it can make the intended audience to define all places or spaces where parking is not allowed as a fire lane. This is wrong considering the fact that there are many other places in which parking is not allowed yet they do not qualify to be called fire lane for example pedestrian paths. The definition should indicate where fire lanes are located and their functions. A fire lane refers to a marked lane in a parking space or parking lot that is closer to a structure or building whose function is to allow access of safety equipment to the structure/building or escape route in case of emergency. A crime is a violation of the law. The degree of accuracy of this definition is low and insufficient in explaining what a crime is. This is because not all violations of the law can be regarded as crimes. An example is a breach of contract. This applies to individuals involved and it only qualifies to be called an offence or a wrong. An act can only qualify to be called a crime if it is a wrong against the public. This means it has to be within the parameters of the natural laws of the land. A crime can therefore be defined as a breach of laws or rules for which some authority can prescribe a conviction. Sterilization is the process of sterilizing. This definition is such a poor one and it is very inefficient in explaining what sterilizing means. It is just like saying, â€Å"John is John†, â€Å"a car is a car† instead of explaining who John is, or what a car is. Therefore, the second part of the definition should explain what sterilization actually entails. In this case, it is more scholarly to say that sterilization refers to the removal or killing of all disease-causing organisms from a surface. Activity 11.3 The intended audiences for the explanation of the term consumer are students who are undertaking b usiness studies and the purpose of the definition is to help them understand the position of a consumer in a chain of production and their role in an economy. The term consumer refers to any household or individual that utilizes the goods and/or services produced within an economy. The audience for which the definition of the term depreciation is intended for are senior high school students undertaking business studies and the definition will help them to understand why some assets that have been used are normally sold at a price lower than its initial buying price. By definition, depreciation refers to the decline in the fair value of an asset. The explanation of the term management is intended for students undertaking studies on business administration and this definition will enable them visualize their roles and functions as future managers of various organizations. According to Gomez-Mejia (2008), management refers to the organization and coordination of people and activities o f an organization in accordance to certain policies in order to achieve the organization’s desired goals and objectives. The explanation of the term software is intended for is high school students who are undertaking computer studies and the definition will enable them to understand what enables a computer to perform its various functions and applications. By definition, software refers to a group of computer programs (sequence of instructions) and

Abstract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 26

Abstract - Essay Example In this study the researcher wanted to identify which markets have a higher predictability of the time series. The researcher even wanted to identify the relationship between the returns of Indian stock market and the R/S ratio. To conduct the study the author obtained the closing stock rates if different indices that were being trades on India’s stock exchange and this data comprises of data obtained from year 2000 to 2010. The researcher identified that all the stock indices that were employed in the study were close to 0.5 Hurst exponents who shows that the returns from the stock exchange are completely random and the market is quite efficient. The researcher even identified that when the values of R/S ratio were elevated, the returns were even increased and when the R/S ratio was low, the returns were even low. The researcher concludes that the R/S ratio can be used making trading decisions and while analyzing a particular trend in the stock

Pricing Objectives and Strategies of Pixar Animated Studios Essay

Pricing Objectives and Strategies of Pixar Animated Studios - Essay Example One of the most important considerations while setting the price objectives is the fact that how much prices setting objectives corresponds to the overall strategy of the firm. Further to this, the pricing objectives are selected with business and financial goals in the mind. Error: Reference source not found. The possible pricing objectives to be set can be: Considering Pixar in mind, since in entertainment industry prices vary according to the film theaters, therefore, there is a very little bargaining power left to the producers to bargain. A closer look at the situation would suggest that the pricing within the entertainment industry largely depends upon the quality of the content. If films are being liked by the audience than any pricing objective can be set to achieve. It can be either to maximize sales volume, profits or to keep the status quo. If the content is not liked by the audience than any pricing objective and subsequent pricing strategies may not work for the Pixar. As discussed above that the pricing strategy within the entertainment industry does not have preferential rights to set the prices and they are largely being standardized within the industry, therefore, any pricing flexibility may not be working directly for the Pixar. However, within Channel distribution, the negotiable pricing may seem to the right idea for Pixar to work. Since pricing, flexibility within channel distribution will provide them a necessary room to gain more room on the theater for prolonging and a special screening of the films at special prices for the different classes of the customers. Since Pixar is the producer of animated films which are supposed to be more popular with children, therefore, a targeted pricing flexibility against specially arranged screenings may allow it to generate more audience hence more revenue.

Ethical Implications of Cloning and Stem Cell Research Essay Example for Free

Ethical Implications of Cloning and Stem Cell Research Essay Bio-medical breakthroughs in the fields of genetic and tissue engineering hold great promise. However, as modern medicine advances, it often poses major ethical issues on which people are seriously divided. The argument in favor of proceeding with research at unrestrained pace is mainly advocated by scientists and medical experts who would like to see some fantastic therapeutic benefits that science promises in the form of stem cell technologies. Scientists are absolutely thrilled by the possibilities looming on the horizon (Thompson, Harrub 2001c). On the other side of the debate are people, sometimes led by religious groups, who are concerned we may going too far too fast, using unacceptable means and in unknown directions. Stem cell research has the greatest potential for saving lives, but is controversial for its research based on embryos and fetuses (Rickard 2002). Stem cells are immature and unspecialized cells that that possess both the capacity to renew themselves indefinitely as well as the capability to differentiate themselves into specialized and mature cells. Mature cells, such as the heart’s myocytes or the liver’s hepatocytes, stop dividing after several dozen divisions, while stem cells can keep on dividing indefinitely, either renewing themselves or bringing out specialized cells. There are four types of stem cells in the human body 1) adult stem cells, 2) fetal stem cells 3) embryonic stem cells, and 4) nuclear transplant stem cells. For the first three months of pregnancy, a fertilized cell, or zygote, divides and grows in the mothers womb and is referred to as an embryo. The embryo’s stem cells are the precursors of the development of a complete human baby. They produce all of the bodys various 100 trillion cells. It should become possible to use embryonic stem cells to regenerate any type of cell that the body needs. When the embryo assumes an apparent human body form, it becomes a fetus. Because the fetus is growing rapidly, all tissues and organs, including the brain, contain stem cells. It is for this reason that stem cell researchers are interested in studying fetal tissues. Studies suggest that human embryonic stem cells have immense potential in terms of developing into multiple tissue types and long-term self-renewal. Therefore, stem cell research entails the intentional creation of human embryos in the highly artificial context of an IVF clinic, using cloning techniques, and discarding them after their use for research is exhausted (Thompson, Harrub 2001a). The question to be resolved is whether research on embryonic stem cells constitutes a violation of fundamental human rights, in particular the principle of respect for human dignity and the right of life. However, many believe that conception/fertilization is not a moment but a process, and the early development does not indicate true individuality in any sense of the word, and therefore there is violation of human rights. The promise of embryo research, liberal-minded people tend to think, is too real to ignore any longer by sticking to conservative attitudes that stand in the face of pragmatism. And yet, even they would flinch at the possibilities of reproductive cloning. The difference between therapeutic cloning using embryonic stem cells (stem cell research) and reproductive cloning is the distinction between creating cloned body tissue or organs for therapeutic purposes and creating cloned human beings. Reproductive cloning is generally viewed as morally abhorrent because it is seen as unnatural and a commodification of human life, and it captures public fears about the power of science to pursue a eugenic agenda. When governmental organizations of today debate ban on human cloning, the main issue in such debates would be whether to ban outright all forms of embryo cloning, which a number of countries seem to support, or to permit the cloning of embryos for research purposes (therapeutic cloning/ stem cell research) while outlawing human reproductive cloning. Besides reproductive cloning, there is another untoward ramification to therapeutic cloning, which is cloning for enhancement. The issue of using advances in stem cell research for the purposes of enhancement, as against solely therapeutic purposes, opens up a Pandora’s box of all kinds of complications, ethical, social, psychological, philosophical and practical. For instance, stem cell approaches might help to cure Parkinsons patients, but, in the not too distant future, they could also be used to improve brain functions. Rich people would be able to afford this therapy and poor people would not. This could create a most undesirable stratification of the society. But where does therapeutic cloning end, and enhancement cloning begin — even if cloning was advanced for purely therapeutic purposes, it would soon spread into the domain of enhancement. This is the argument of â€Å"slippery slope† commonly advanced against all biomedical research involving genetic and cellular manipulation. Last but not least, thanks to the promise that genetic engineering and human cloning research hold, the prospects of achieving capabilities for indefinite life extension even within the next twenty to thirty years are very high (Thompson, Harrub 2001b). The consequences of physical immortality for whole populations are simply inconceivable. But today, the possibility of human race becoming permanently deathless looms uncomfortably close to us. Therefore it becomes imperative that something be done to stem the advances of genetic and cloning research before the situation goes out of hand. A number of states have already enacted specific cloning-ban legislation, either banning the cloning of humans or imposing a moratorium on cloning within the state. Other states have taken action at least to consider formally similar legislation. At federal level, the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003, which bans the process of human cloning for any purpose and the importation of any product derived from an embryo created via cloning, was passed by the U. S. House of Representatives on 27 February 2003. It was not ratified by the senate though. The Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2005 bans only reproductive cloning while allowing therapeutic cloning. To date, federal regulations only prohibit federal funding for research into human cloning (Cash 2005). Though the science of bio-medical engineering is making rapid strides, and offers the promise of unveiling radical new therapies, simply the fact that a technology exists does not imply that anyone who can pay for it can be automatically allowed to use it. This is because the emerging genetic and cellular techniques and technologies raise all kinds of issues, ethical, philosophical, social, psychological and so on. They carry with them implications very difficult even to comprehend.

An Overview Of Life Satisfaction Literatures Social Work Essay

An Overview Of Life Satisfaction Literatures Social Work Essay This chapter begins with literatures about life satisfaction and important personal and situational predictors of life satisfaction in older persons, then in order to provide a theoretical background for this study attempt to define the most important components of structural and functional support. The next portion will focus on the ways in which significant personal and situational characteristics might affect on structural and functional components. The focus will then shift to the effect of structural and functional components specifically on life satisfaction. And finally specific theories and models that have been proposed to explain the role of structural and functional components in the life satisfaction of older adults will be addressed. Over the past few years, the worlds population has continued on its remarkable transition from a state of high birth and death rates to one characterized by low birth and death rates. At the heart of this transition has been the growth in the number and proportion of older persons. Such a rapid, large, and ubiquitous growth has never been seen in the history of civilization (Norman Henderson, 2003). when the older population will be nearly 2 billion, surpassing the population of children for the first time in human history (United Nations, 2006). For the first time in history, Asian populations and their governments are faced with increasing numbers of older adults, and this raise various social and economic issues, (Chan, 2005) specially issues concerning the life satisfaction (Wu Rudkin, 2000). 2.1 Life Satisfaction The use of different terms such as â€Å"psychological well-being†, â€Å"subjective well-being†, â€Å"life satisfaction†, â€Å"happiness† and â€Å"morale† for the same underlying construct has led to considerable confusion in the literature over exactly what is being measured, however, these concepts and their definitions are not identical, â€Å"all of them involve a psychological response by the individual to socio-environmental situation encountered in life and demonstrate no significant difference in meaning.†(Cloutterbuck, 1987). Stock, Okun, and Benin (1988) defined subjective well-being as combining concepts together; mood, happiness, life satisfaction, and morale. Factors such as morale, life satisfaction and happiness are considered to be important in determining subjective well-being in the elderly (Kim, Hisata, Kai, Lee, 2000). Subjective well-being is composed of two elements: cognitive and affective. Life satisfaction, the cognitive component of subjective well-being, refers to a global judgment of a life as a whole (Jin, 2001).Life satisfaction has also been defined in various ways, including happiness, adjustment, morale, physical health, subjective well-being, and the balance between aspirations and achievements (Nutt, 2001). Life satisfaction has been defined two major ways in the literature: first as an objective entity, usually the quantity of social interactions; and second as an internal and subjective perception, the individuals evaluation of their lives, the second approach is now more widely used (Miller, 1997). Life satisfaction is a very personal assessment, one must decide ones own life satisfaction criteria. Two individuals may share very similar lives, and one may find life satisfactory and the other may not (Quadhamer, 1999). Havighurst proposed that measuring life satisfaction as an â€Å"inner† assessment was a better measure of successful aging. Such a measure would accommodate individual differences in conceptions and values of growing older. Specifically, the individual whose personality most values an active life style could be as satisfied with his life as one who is more passive (Havighurst, 1961). Distinction between life satisfaction and quality of life is not clear and the concepts are sometimes used interchangeably (Borg, Hallberg, Blomqvist, 2006). Jeffres and Dobos (1995) proposed that quality of life consists of two distinct global concepts with underlying domains. The first concept, perceived quality of life or life satisfaction, is a consequence of satisfaction with the personal domains of life. These domains include satisfaction with family life, friends, health, partner and oneself. The second concept refers to quality of life in the broader social environment, environmental quality of life (Jeffres Dobos, 1995). Environmental quality of life domains include satisfaction with housing, schools, health services, safety and security, roads and transport (Evans, 1994) . Personal quality of life is associated with quality of life in the broader social environment (Jeffres Dobos, 1995), but the two domains are not identical (Fadda JiroÃ'‘n, 1999). For example, some i ndividuals rate their quality of life as very good whilst living under extremely difficult environmental conditions, whereas others rate their quality of life as poor even though their environmental conditions are excellent (Westaway, 2006). 2.1.1 Life Satisfaction in elderly Among elders the predictors of life satisfaction were found to be perceived   level of activity (Osberg McGinnis, 1987), age, gender (Fadda JiroÃ'‘n, 1999; Kudo, Izumo, Kodama, Watanabe, Hatakeyama, Fukuoka, Kudo, Yaegashi, Sasaki, 2007), satisfaction with family life (Medley, 1976), the availability of confidants (Strain Chappell, 1982), subjective health rating (Downe-Wamboldt Tamlyn, 1986; Gfellner, 1989; Spreitzer Snyder, 1974) ,   physical health status (Joia, Ruiz, Donalisio, 2007; Kudo et al., 2007; Bowling, 1990) , satisfaction with financial status and socio-economic status (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007; Borg et al., 2006; Spreitzer Snyder, 1974; Welsch, 2007), religious affiliation and private prayer (Korff, 2006; Markides, Levin, Ray, 1987; Sagaza, 2004), marital status, and educational level (Subasi Hayran, 2005), living environment (Subasi Hayran, 2005; Rehdanz Maddison, 2008), personal factors (Borg, FagerstrÃ'†m, Balducci, Burholt, Ferring, Weber, Wenge r, GÃ'†ran Holst, Hallberg, 2008; Sanchez, Jr., 2006) , social support (Abu Bader, Rogers, Barusch, 2003) and   sociopolitical capital (Abdallah, Thompson, Marks, 2008). Based on the International Study   in 1994 and 1999, indicates that the level of satisfaction of the elderly is generally lower in large cities, and lower for those who are in the first half of their 60s, who constitute single-person households, who are not in good health condition, who live in rented housing (Sagaza, 2004) another study showed that good health, high self-esteem, and the absence of worry were associated with life satisfaction (Borg et al., 2008). Analyses of associations with life satisfaction in the study of elderly persons in Hong Kong showed significant associations between life satisfaction and a number of variables including age, education, marital status, self-rated financial situation, religious belief, living arrangement, social support, social network, self-rated health status, functional capacity, number of chronic illnesses and activity level. Multivariate analysis confirmed that the strongest predictors of life satisfaction were self-rated financial situation, activity level and social support (Chou Chi, 1999). Borg et al., (2006) identified several factors of importance for life satisfaction among older people with reduced ability to perform daily activities: social contacts, health, activities, family, negatively losing family members (Borg et al., 2006). Recent work has identified a relationship between personality traits and life satisfaction (Thakral, 2006; Fogle, Huebner, Laughlin, 2002). Among people with reduced ADL capacity in 6 European countries, it was found that personal factors, rather than environmental factors such as social or financial resources, influence life satisfaction (Borg et al., 2008). Life satisfaction and Gender Up to age 65, women tended to report higher rates of life satisfaction than men; however, after age 65 men were more likely than women to report a high degree of life satisfaction (Spreitzer Snyder, 1974).   Significant predictors of life satisfaction were found in female respondents: age, financial strain and depression. In male respondents, the significant predictors of life satisfaction were education and financial strain (Chou Chi, 1999). Medley found standard of living to be a more important predictor of life satisfaction in women, whereas satisfaction with health was more important to men (Medley, 1976). Life satisfaction and Age As age increases there is a slow decrease in life satisfaction (Melendez, Tomas, Oliver, Navarro, 2005) Indeed, survey researchers have noted that older people show consistent increases in life satisfaction with age but a leveling off of more affective characteristics such as happiness (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007). Life satisfaction and Income Previous studies have indicated that financial strain was consistently and negatively associated with life satisfaction and financial situation was a significant predictor of satisfaction (Chou Chi, 1999; Chou Chi, 1999) and satisfaction with financial status was a stronger predictor of life satisfaction than objective financial state (Spreitzer Snyder, 1974). Life satisfaction and Educational level Education is found to have a significant effect on life satisfaction. Higher education attainment is associated with improved socioeconomic status, higher wage rates, and better health, all of which lead to better living standards (Bukenya, Gebremedin, Schaeffeaer, 2003). Life satisfaction and Ethnic Barger, Donoho, Wayment., (2009) evaluated racial/ethnic disparities in life satisfaction, and explored the relative contributions of SES, health status, and social relationships to life satisfaction among two very large, diverse probability samples of U.S. adults. That was the first major evaluation of Hispanic life satisfaction in the U.S. and is the largest U.S. population based life satisfaction study to date. They found that Blacks and Hispanics have lower life satisfaction than Whites, but controlling for SES and health status weakened these differences for Blacks and eliminated them for Hispanics. They also found a modest Hispanic benefit for being very satisfied in multivariable models. The consistently higher explained life satisfaction variance among Whites could represent substantive cultural variation in the types of support relevant to well-being judgments (Barger, Donoho, Wayment, 2009). Life satisfaction and marital status Marital status was found to be positively related to life satisfaction by some investigators (Markides et al., 1987; Strain Chappell, 1982) whereas others failed to show this relationship (Osberg McGinnis, 1987). Marital status significantly affects satisfaction, with being single having a negative effect on both health and quality of life satisfaction. Proponents of social role explanations suggest that men derive greater benefits from marriage than women do because mens roles are less stressful and more gratifying compared to women (Bukenya et al., 2003). Hansen et al., (2004) in a study with title: â€Å"Age, marital status and life satisfaction† found, having a partner (in the household) was strongly associated with higher levels of life satisfaction for both genders. The results showed no differential effect of having a partner by gender. However, for both genders, older cohorts without a partner had higher life satisfaction than their younger counterparts. No age-differential effect of having a partner was found. Interestingly, the effect of having a partner decreased with age for both genders, and significantly more so amongst women (Hansen, 2004). Life satisfaction and Employment Researchers examining employment status and life satisfaction have found a positive relation between these variables. Results of several studies have further suggested that persons 65 years of age and older who remain active in the labor force have higher levels of life satisfaction and morale than do retired persons in the same age cohort (Aquino, Russellc, Cutrona, Altimaier, 1996). Life satisfaction and Strata (rural/urban) Evans., (2005) studied differences in the social supports of rural and urban elders to determine what those differences meant in terms of three markers of successful aging: activity level, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms. Results showed that urban older adults reported more depressive symptoms as compared to rural older adults. Furthermore, subjective level of social support (perceived satisfaction with support) was positively correlated with life satisfaction and negatively correlated with depressive symptoms for both rural and urban older adults, however, there were no mediating effects of social support in the relationship between residence and levels of activity, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms (Evans, 2005). 2.2 Functional and Structural components of support In this section a broad overview of structural and functional components of support will be provide and each of these concept consider separately, because each has different properties that can potentially influence the life satisfaction. 2.2.1 Definitions: The concept of social support has been a popular subject of research since the late 1970 and publications on social support increased almost geometrically from 1976 to 1981 (Phillips, Siu, Yeh, Cheng, 2008).The concept of social support has been variously addressed in terms of social bonds, social contacts, and availability of confidants (Johnson, 1996; Seeman, Bruce, McAvay, 1996) and early research frequently unclear the distinctions between four concepts: social relations, social network, social support, and social integration (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007). social support and social support resources such as: social network, social interactions or social contacts, reported as related but distinct concepts (Seeman, Lusignolo, Albert, Berkman, 2001). Social support includes interpersonal communication and interaction, love and understanding, caring and concern, affection and companionship, financial assistance, and respect and acceptance (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007; Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Definitions of social support range from the actual supportive acts that are exchanged between individuals to a personality-like factor based in early interpersonal experiences that then influences how an individual views the likelihood that someone is supportive. The concept of social support has been investigated by researchers in anthropology, epidemiology, medicine, nursing, psychology, and sociology. Given the different backgrounds of researchers in these fields one can appreciate why reaching consensus for a definition of social support has been difficult (Rudkin, 2006). There is a lack of general consensus on how social support should be specifically defined. One useful way to conceptualize social support is that it has both structural and functional aspects, qualitative (subjective) and quantitative (objective) aspects, and social network-based and support-based aspects (Phillips et al., 2008). 2.2.2Functional Component of Support More recent studies of social support conceptualize it as the functions that are provided by social relationships. Although the question of what exactly is provided by supportive individuals varies between researchers, many agree that supportive individuals provide or make available what can be termed emotional support, informational support, tangible support, and belonging support .These functional aspects of social support are often highly related to each other and not easily separated in everyday life. Emotional support, provides individuals with the belief that they are loved and cared for, emotional support involved such things   as giving advice, expressing affection, and providing morale support (Johnson, 1996). Emotional support is probably what most of us imagine when we think about a supportive individual. Emotional support is thought to be beneficial because it provides the recipient with a sense of acceptance and may strengthen ones self-esteem during life challenges (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Informational support can be a very powerful form of support to the extent that it provides useful direction. Such advice and guidance may also carry an emotional message, it is often the case that useful guidance from close friends can be seen as emotionally supportive in that the person cares enough to speak with you about important decisions (Cohen , Underwood , Gottlieb , 2000). Appraisal supportincludes feedback given to individuals to help them in self-evaluation or in apprais ing situations. The intangible forms of support; emotional, informational, and appraisal support, can be difficult to disentangle (Rudkin, 2006). Tangible support, is conceptualized as the assistance from others in one‘s daily functioning. Emotional social support contributed to positive affect, while tangible social support contributed to life satisfaction as well as reducing psychosomatic and emotional distress (Seeman et al., 2001). For older people tangible support may be as simple as providing a ride to the grocery store or mowing the lawn (Loue Sajatovic, 2008), involves being able to help with everyday jobs around the house, providing financial assistance, and helping in the process of taking care of children (Johnson, 1996). Research findings regarding instrumental support are more mixed. Receipt of higher levels of instrumental support, specifically help with various tasks, has been associated with greater declines in physical functioning. More moderate levels of instrumental support appear to promote recovery and slow decline in functioning. In many studies, however, the direction of causation has not been cle arly established (Rudkin, 2006). Belonging support is defined as the presence of others with whom to engage in social activities. An example of it would be a friend with whom to go shopping or to watch a basketball game. Belonging support may be beneficial because such positive social and leisure activities may enhance ones mood and sense of acceptance by others (Cohen   et al., 2000). Social support functions are often intertwined those who provide tangible support may also be providing reassurance and emotional support. Furthermore, different network members provide different types of support. People tend to turn to their families for instrumental support, friends for emotional support, and during times of illness, health care workers for advice and aid (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Higher levels of emotional support, both perceived and received, improve outcomes, whereas the effects of instrumental support have been questionable. Older individuals who have more interaction with others and who report more available emotional support, experience fewer and slower declines in cognitive and physical functioning (Rudkin, 2006). The effectiveness of any form of support will depend on the extent to which it meets the demands of the particular stressful event. For controllable stressful events, support such as informational or tangible is predicted to be more important. However, if the event is less controllable, then emotional or belonging support may serve to facilitate adjustment (Uchino, Cacioppo, Kiecolt-Glaser, 1996). 2.2.2.1 Functional component: perceived or received Function components of support are usually organized along two dimensions: what support is perceived to be available (available support) and what support is actually received or provided (received support) by others (Cohen, 2004; Kafetsios   Sideridis, 2006). These measures are not highly related and are often associated with different effects on well-being. What is perceived as available may or may not correspond to what is actually provided (Kahna, Hesslingb, Russellc, 2003). Studies suggest that received support is not related to the perceived availability of support in a straightforward manner, one reason is that measures of available support are related to ones cognitive representation of social support, a person might perceive a high availability of support but decide not to utilize it because of concerns about network members perception of their competence (Cohen   et al., 2000). when elderly individuals indicated that others were available to provide social support, the y were more likely to report greater use of proactive coping (Greengalss, Fliksenbaum, Eaton, 2006). However, the benefits of social support are most strongly related to the perception that support is available. In other words, the highest levels of well-being are found among people who believe that they have a high level of social support, regardless of how much support they receive or how many people they know (Karademas, 2006; Kim et al., 2000; Phillips et al., 2008).National study of economically stressed older adults shows that those who believed that no one would come to their aid in the future had the greatest number of depressive symptoms (Loue Sajatovic, 2008) and a higher level of support was reported in those who perceived the provider as supportive (Pierce et al., 1992). 2.2.2.2 Buffer against stressful life events Social support may act as a buffer against stressful life events and, thus, reduce exposure to the resultant cumulative pathological effects of stress. Alternatively, social support may be a constant, more generally available resource, across time and situations (Alan, Alison, Martha, Lawrence, Ian, 2007; Antonucci Akiyama, 2007).The two type of support are not mutually exclusive and may be viewed as complementary, there is evidence to support both types of effects. It should also be emphasized that the particular pathways or mechanisms by which social relationships affect well being likely depend upon the characteristics of the individual, his or her socioeconomic situation, the health outcome of interest, and the measure of social relationships (Rudkin, 2006). Murrell and Norris (1984) postulated that social support may not only buffer individuals from stressful life events, but may actually be important for the general maintenance of psychological well-being and life satisfaction in old age, independent of adversity or stress (Tho , 2001). Social support can act as a buffer to soften the effects of negative life occurrences, this might explain why some people maintain good health when exposed to stressful life events which would be expected to have a negative effect on health (Bowung , Farquha , Browne , 1991) and those older adults who are going through the loss of a loved one and have a strong social support system report a higher sense of life satisfaction and well-being (Gray , 2007). Coleman suggests that social relationships can act as a form of social insurance, provide communication and information networks, and create norms and sanctions that facilitate social action (Celia Lenore, 2004). 2.2.3 Structural Component of Support Support Network refers to objective characteristics of the network such as total network size (Janevic, Ajrouch, Merline, Akiyama, Antonucci, 2000; Antonucci, Lansford, Akiyama, Smith, Baltes, Takahashi, Fuhrer, Dartigues, 2002), the number of family members, age, sex, proximity, or frequency of contact with network members and living arrangements (Yoshida, Sauer, Tidwell, Skager, Sorenson, 1997). Social networks define as webs of relationships that link the individual directly and indirectly to other people. Social networks include friends and family, as well as familiarity. The size of a social network depends on the person , some people have large families and numerous friends, whereas others may have smaller families and smaller friendship networks (Phillips, 1986; Phillips et al., 2008; Quadhamer, 1999). The Properties of the person and situation significantly influence the structure of the individuals network. Since one occupies a large number of roles, such as child, spouse, and parent, it is natural that this is a time when there are numerous members of the support network, and that they differ widely in age and gender (Antonucci, Akiyama, Merline, 2001; Berke, 1991; Fiori, 2006). 2.2.3.1 Formal social support Formal social support is in many cases essential to an older adults well-being because it provides practical support that becomes increasingly dependent as a person ages. Formal support comes from those individuals and institutions one depends upon for services and assistance such as health care providers, social workers, case managers, shopkeepers, delivery persons, and others in institutional settings (Loue Sajatovic, 2008; Quadhamer, 1999). 2.2.3.2Informal social support There are several aspects of the structure of social networks that have received much attention in the literature on social relations and aging. Including family versus friend relationships, under the umbrella term of structural component is somewhat arbitrary, as this issue also touches on functional component. 2.2.3.3 Family versus Friends Informal Social Support systems are typically those supports such as family and friends and developed over a period of time through interactions with others (Nutt, 2001; Quadhamer, 1999). Informal support members are generally the primary caregivers to the older adult who needs assistance. Psychologically, social interactions with family and friends provide feedback to the individual regarding his/her social role and behavior (Rosenhand, 1999) and both of family and friends social support increase life satisfaction (Miller, 1997). The study of social relations must take into account that convoys of close friends and family members may be both pleasant and unpleasant, supportive and unsupportive (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007). Findings showed that, reliable alliance, or instrumental assistance, was more strongly related to well-being when provided by kin than by nonkin (Felton Berry, 1992). Surveys of elderly people have documented that the most frequently mentioned helpers are wives followed by daughters, particularly in the case of widowed parents (Bowung   et al., 1991). Couples who do not have children may intentionally develop strong relationships with relatives such as nephews and nieces because these relatives serve as informal support to them when children would otherwise assume support (Loue Sajatovic, 2008).   Social support, especially from children and family members, had a significant positive effect on the life satisfaction of older adults when support was provided at a low level. However, excessive support was found to diminish the sense of well-being in the elderly as well as wear away their autonomy and independence (Silverstein Bengtson, 1994). In fact, increasing contact with family members could be viewed by older adults as a sign of lost independence (Fiori, 2006). Older people who are married are much less likely to need formal supports, such as home nurse care or Meals on Wheels, than unmarried people. Family relationships, under normal circumstances, make an important contribution to well-being (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007) however, if the relationship is not supportive and positive, the opposite is true. In fact, intimate relationships that are not supportive, trusting, and loving have negative influences on the physical and mental health and overall well-being of the elderly. Additionally, the very old tend to have smaller circles of social support as many people have outlived spouses, other family members, friends, and sometimes even children (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Although it is clear that families play important roles in the lives of older adults, providing sometimes extraordinary care giving efforts and instrumental help, friends are also invaluable resources. Indeed, research initially designed to examine the impact of family members alone often finds that the friends are mentioned as a significant support source (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007).The need for friendships among the elderly is self-evident (Hanafy, 1992).When confronting loneliness or needing assistance with social issues, older adults prefer friendships to family Social Support ( specifically spouses and children). The reasons that older adults prefer friendships to family in cases of emotional support are primarily due to sense of continuity with the past that friends can provide (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Older people obtained a sense of emotional support from having intimate friendships with neighbors and friends and at least one child living close by with whom they have frequent contact (Loue Sajatovic, 2008).Friendships have significant positive effects on the mental health of the elderly (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007) and tend to be a matter of choice rather than birth. People choose friends because of shared interests and desire for contact and friendships share a form of reciprocity that may be absent in family relationships and reciprocity has a strong effect on the satisfaction level of seniors and their friendships (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). In one study of friendships among people over 60 year, 68% reported long-term friendship ties throughout their lives. There were some gender differences, with more than half the women reporting that they remained friends with a close friend from childhood or adolescence, whereas men showed high levels of continuity with close friendships developed at midlife. In one sample of people over 85 years old, it was found that more than half still had at least one close friend, and three-fourths were in weekly contact with people they considered their friends. Furthermore, almost half reported that they had made new friends after age 85, although the criteria for those friends tended to involve less expectation for intimacy or shared history than was common among younger people (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007). 2.3 Functional and Structural Support in elderly The findings from several studies suggest that the social network of elderly adultsmay differ from those of younger persons on a number of dimensions. In modem societies the networks of the aged are generally smaller than those of younger people. There is some controversy in the literature as to whether social networks of the aging decrease in size, frequency of contact with persons in the network, and degree of given and received support (Dorman, 2001). Gender It has been widely recognized that social networks among men and women differ in complex ways, particularly in relation to life stage (Antonucci et al., 2001). In terms of gender, women report providing more support, having more frequent contact with network members, being more satisfied with their friends, and having larger and more multifaceted social networks than do men (Fiori, Antonucci, Cortina, 2006). Male got more support from fa

Impact of New Media on Teenagers | Research

Impact of New Media on Teenagers | Research THE IMPACT OF NEW MEDIA ON TEENAGERS CONDUCT Emily Shaba The data was obtained through interviews at two high schools and through the below interview questions. Interview questions The majority of teenagers in schools access new media through their phones and laptops. The main sites that are used or the most used form of new media is Facebook and Whatsapp as well as the internet in general through Google to find out things they are curious about. Most of the youth as well admitted to having used new media frequently some even admit to being addicted to it. According to the research however new media has positively impacted teenagers in a lot of positive ways the first being it helps them with research in school work and finding out about other things that they may be curious about. Social sites help to build a closer relationship between teenagers and their friends plus relatives that may be far away. It provides quick and cheap communication as compared to phone calls and text messages or travelling to meet their friends and relatives. It also helps with making new friends for teenagers that are naturally shy and cannot or find it had to make friends or interact with others physically. They get a chance to find someone to interact with and talk to when need be. Makes them understand new technology that is coming in and how to use it effectively. They are however also some negative ways in which new media impacts teenagers firstly being that despite the ability to make new friends they are not trustworthy. This may be imposter’s people with bad manners that may end up sharing them with the teenagers or worse criminals who end up harming innocent teens or stealing from them. Most teenagers also admitted to the fact that it is too tempting, it gives them the chance to see things that may be inappropriate to them on a silver platter it is like leaving chocolate on the table for a kid and telling them not to eat when its alone with them in the room for days and nobody has the ability to know if they eat it. This also results in teens being exposed to porn and other inappropriate pictures which later trigger things like premarital sex and early pregnancies. Teens are also exposed to a western way of life and tend to think drugs and alcohols are part of life and if you do not drink go clubbing or use media then you feel left out and backwards in time. It is so addictive that teens can not focus on anything else other than it. It also gives wrong information about various things and teens get wrong advice from their new internet found friends about different things which ends up corrupting their character. Most teenagers agreed to there being a change in the way they act or view things since they started using new media. They know more things than they did in the past and they are pickier about things more especially the way they dress or act around friends. New media from an academic point of view has also impacted them positively in that it helps them with homework and research when their given something to work on at school. It also helps them to find notes, books and past papers that their school may not be able to provide which also helps with their performance in class. They also learn a lot of new things online that they may not be able to learn in school. They are able to get inspiration from other people that they are able to look up and find out about their lives online. It helps with their spellings and grammar. New media however also has academic disadvantages which according to the research included: It reduces concentration on school as the time that would be used for studying is rather used on new media or social sites. Instead of concentrating in class teens are busy on their phones using social media or thinking about what to say to who, their next Facebook or WhatsApp profile picture and status. It makes them lazy and increases chances of plagiarism as they might as well take an already written paper and just change it than spend time on writing a paper rather than on the internet. Due to the many abbreviations used on social sites the teens spellings are sometimes affected and their language too. It provides them sometimes with the wrong information on their school work too. It has also impacted the way they relate to their friends in that they have more time to chat and hence it brings them closer. However other friends that do not use new media are isolated. It reduces interaction between teens instead of them meeting up to chat or do another thing they only want to talk using social media. Most teens start to feel that their culture is left behind and start to despise it. They, as a result, they forsake culture and tradition which ends up leading them astray. This also destroys the spreading of our African culture and heritage with other as it is slowly dying. People end up following western culture and values and even dressing which may be inappropriate for the African society. Like not doing house chores or ignoring guests when they come instead of greeting them and making them feel at home. Most admit to their principles being bent to some extent to fit in which may not, however, be an appositive thing, especially If what they are fitting into is inappropriate and destructive. I was also shocked to find out that their other teens that do not use any form of new media or social site and some that only use new media for school in this day of age and time. This was due to parents denying them access to it after witnessing a reduction in their grades. Others were because of their religion not permitting them to do so or simply not wanting to do so after being affected by it negatively in some ways. They said the was an increase in their performance due to this in class as they had more time to study but however lacked some friends and often felt left out. Most teens did say they should be an age restriction on sites as to what they can and cannot view. They should be appropriate pictures on social sites. And finally, parents should mind the time that their children are given internet access. Some teens suggested being given access in the evening, weekends and on holidays. The Victorian Era: Social Classes Of England The Victorian Era: Social Classes Of England The Victorian Era social classes of England are unlike any other social system; every rule could be bent or broken (An Ancestry.com Community, par. 1). A person could be born into the lowest class, and could end up being part of the nobility by marriage (An Ancestry.com Community, par. 1). Some heiresses were married to local families (Thornber par. 10). An example of the odd rules would be how the aristocracy and gentry, in mid-nineteenth century, would become the upper class(Cody par.2). The Victorian Era is viewed as a period of great opportunity for every class.(Loftus par. 1). Each class can be divided by power, authority, wealth, working and living conditions, life-styles, education, and culture(Cody par. 2). At times, the middle class took power, not the upper class(Loftus, par. 1)The lower class was divided mainly by the wealth and working conditions of families(Channe14.com, par. 19). The main groups consist of upper class -aristocracy and gentry-, middle class, and lower cl ass. The gentry were lines of land-owning families from noble men (Thornber, pars. 2 and 4). Their system of inheriting the land from their father helped the gentry, but it eventually destructed them (Thornber par. 4). A main reason was the decline of agriculture after the Napoleonic Wars (Thornber par. 4). Some of the gentry managed to keep their estates (Thornber par. 8). Another reason for the gentrys fall was the male inheritors decline into moral sin (French and Rothery 403). The landed gentry was in control until the younger sons started to put the families financial security in danger; they were soon sent to an outside school (French and Rothery 403-405). This moral decline was soon blamed on the parents teaching of their children (French and Rothery 404). Although the kids did go to school, their circle of activity still revolved around society (French and Rothery 405). Although one might think the gentry to be powerful, the aristocrats retain the power (Channe14.com, pars.8). The sinple definition of aristocracy is rule of the best or superior (Aristocracy, par. 2). It has the least change out of all the social classes (Channe14.com, pars.8). Most people who made up the aristocracy were politicians who came from noble families (Channe14.com, pars.8). The unelected House of Lords is mainly made up of aristocrats (Channe14.com, par. 8). If you were part of the British aristocracy, by birth, you were a gentleman (The Gentleman, par.2). To be an aristocrat one had to have land (An Ancestry.com community, par. 1). Oddly enough, most aristocrats were not of the richest or most powerful families (An Ancestry.com Community, par. 3). The aristocrats were also head of the social life (Channe14.com, par.10). The great families filled the main circles, through their youth, with fashion and culture (Escott par. 2). They lived on grand country estates where they would go hunting and fishing (Channe14.com, par.10). Some aristocrats even had London estates which would opened up during certain seasons (Channe14.com, par. 10). Aristocrats eventually came to a point where they did not do anything but flaunted their wealth, and politics became a game (Escott par. 2). They realized they needed to step up their game when the middle class began to rise (Escott par. 2). The middle class consisted of businessman, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, merchants, and any other men just above the lower class (Loftus par. 2). To be part of the middle class, one had to take care of ones self, their family, and ones community (Loftus par. 4). It is safe to say that a definition of the middle class is impossible (Loftus par. 1).The dream of the businessmen in the middle class was to become part of the aristocracy (Channe14.com, par. 11). Over time, the middle class changed into a small group mainly made up of professionals, factory owners, merchants, and writers (Channe14.com, par 12). An example of one of these would be the writer, Conan Doyle (Hammer 56 65). The middle class, unlike the aristocracy, made their society on rights not by hereditary gain (Loftus par. 1). The middle class has two main sections, the upper middle class and the lower middle class (Channe14.com, pars. 13 17). The upper middle class was between professionals, and industrialists (Channe14.com, par. 14). Professionals were the doctors, lawyers, clergy, and top civil servants (Channe14.com, par. 14). The lower middle class was made up of mostly women (Channe14.com, par. 16). Many upper middle class men worked in banks or climb up the ladder to rule the empire (Channe14.com, par. 15). These men were usually the ones who used their riches to buy homes and became just as rich as the aristocracy (Loftus par. 3). The middle classs economy and financial variations were made by differences on background, politics, and religion (Loftus par. 3). They mainly came from political coherence (Loftus par. 4). Emphasized by competition, thrift, and self-reliance, the middle class began to rise into power (Loftus par. 4). All their success was due to their principles on individuality (Loftus par. 5). Every middle class person, through hard work and self- reliance, could have had economic and social success (Loftus par. 5). Many critics, like Thomas Carlyle, were fearful that the middle class individualism would be a threat to the community (Loftus par. 5). Much of the middle class success came from the political economy as well as the social economy (Loftus par. 8). They were always ready for improvement; it was key to their culture (Loftus par. 8). The middle class defined themselves by attempting to make the lower class see their potential (Loftus par. 9). The lower class was more commonly known to the Victorians as the working class (Channe14.com, par. 18). The workers of the working class can be divided into six groups: high-paid labor, regular standard earners, small regular earners, intermittent earners, casual earners, and the lowest class (Channe14.com, pars. 18 and 19). The largest group division were the regular standard earners, which had more people than the other five groups put together (Channe14.com, par. 20). The regular standard earners were men who made their wages from the Victorian economy; as it rose, so did their wages (Channe14.com, par. 20). When the economy boomed, people had less children, which meant more time for relaxing (Channe14.com, par. 20). The Victorian Era was the best time for one to spend their days in leisurely activity (Channe14.com, par. 24). As life became better for the higher working classes, who are known as deserving poor, the poor became more desperate (Channe14.com, par. 21). While the deserving poor get charity, if and when they need it, the lowest class gets nothing (Channe14.com, par. 21). This class made up about a quarter of all the outskirt areas (Channe14.com, par. 21). Some of these people may be criminals or unemployed, but each of them live in conditions beyond their control (Channe14.com, pars. 22 23). Times became so bad that one might have seen another selling dog droppings (Channe14.com, par. 22). Country poverty was even more sad (Channe14.com, par. 23). Most people survived on eight pounds a year (Channe14.com, par. 23). Some teenagers were forced to join gangs and mothers had to give their babies opium so they would not cry (Channe14.com, par. 22 23). Though, if one of these men could save enough money to start a small business, he could move up into middle class (Loftus par. 11). The Victorian era was the best time for leisurely activity (Channe14.com, par. 24). The upper class, middle class and lower class began to fade away shortly after this end of this period (French and Rothery 402-422). As stated earlier, the Victorian Era gave opportunity to most everyone (Loftus par. 1). Each class opportunity was shown through power, authority, and wealth (Cody par. 2). At the close of this era, the higher middle class sat with the upper middle class at operas in the royal box, thus showing the opportunity in the classes (Channe14.com, par. 3). Interestingly enough, there are a few noble families still left in England today (An Ancestry.com Community, par. 18). Work Cited An Ancestry.com Community. 31 March 2010. English Social Classes. 08 November 2010 . aristocracy. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2010 ed. Channe14.com. 2010 Time Travelers Guide to Victorian Britain. 2010. . Fordham.edu. 2010. Modern History Sourcebook. 2010. . French, Henry and Mark Rothery. Upon Your Entry into the World: masculine values and the threshold of adulthood among landed elites in England 1680-1800.Social History. 33 (4 Nov. 2008) : 402 422. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO Brandon Public Library. 01 November 2010. . Hammer, Joshua. Sherlock Holmes London. Smithsonian January 2010:56-65 David, Cody. The Victorian Web. 2002. The Victorian Web. 22 July 2002 Social Class. 27 October 2010 . David, Cody. The Victorian Web. 2002. The Victorian Web. 22 July 2002 The Gentlemen. 01 November 2010 . Loftus, Donna. BBC. 15 October 2010 The Rise of the Victorian Middle Class. 08 November 2010 . Thornber, Craig. Cheshire Antiquities. 2010 The East Cheshire Gentry. 08 November 2010 .