The website have the right to choose the topic Essay

The website have the right to choose the topic - Essay Example Hence, being a multi-cultural country, it is difficult to pinpoint one dominant group (majority) in the US which has an advantage or edge over minority groups. However, it must be noted, that while the Native Americans were the very first people populating the USA, the very first settlers who brought â€Å"civilization† to the US were the Europeans who travelled with Christopher Columbus. Hence, they are termed as â€Å"Americans† and are also referred to as â€Å"the white race†. These settlers can be termed as the dominant group prevalent in the US as they were the supposed founders of the empty land back in Christopher Columbus’s time (Pasell, 1995). While the USA has opportunities for all ethnicities, religions, and cultures and laws prohibit discrimination upon the basis of race, gender, disability, and other factors, some people are still discriminated against or were discriminated against when they first immigrated to the US as part of a minority group. Minority groups are subject to unequal treatment by dominant groups and may be the victims of racism. They are in a minority in the suggested area and do not have as much power as the dominant groups may have. It takes ample time for them to be recognized, given equal opportunities, and lead a better and free life in the said place. Dominant groups or majority groups, on the other hand, and have power and authority in their area and may have racist feelings against other minority group settlers. Moreover, they have the most opportunities and the easiest access to their place of settling (Winnant, 1994). As mentioned before, while the percentage of majority and minority residents in the US is rapidly changing, the analysis of this paper will be based upon two groups: the Europeans (white) as the dominant group and the immigration of Chinese settlers into the US as the non-dominant group (Calavita, 1994). Immigration policies differed in various time

Robert McNamara Essay Example for Free

Robert McNamara Essay As Defense Secretary of two administrations, the Johnson and Kennedy administrations, respectively, Robert McNamara played a great role in shaping US policies that led to the decision to intervene in the Vietnam War. Prior to his role in the Vietnam War, he was already involved in various roles in some of the most major decisions concerning nuclear weapons and delivery system. Such experience would have been useful for him to determine that going to war in Vietnam was a huge mistake and would end up catastrophically for the Americans. However, he certainly mistook Ho Chi Minh’s nationalist drive to unite Vietnam as the challenge of a monolithic Communist work and this proved to be fatal not only to the United States but to Vietnam as well as both camps suffered heavy losses not only in terms of lives but in terms of financial sources as well. But to his credit, he was the only with that kind of status who accepted responsibility for the Vietnam debacle which cost the United States thousands of military servicemen and millions of Vietnamese lives. Despite his belief that the war should have been ended even in the middle of it, McNamara remained â€Å"loyal† to the President. Hence, even if his views were altogether different from the other key players in the Vietnam war, he did not act responsibly toward the American people as he instead kept his silence rather than challenging Johnson and his cabinet and quitting mid-war. His excessive faith in high-tech weapons and later expectations that massive bombing and frontal battles could wear down the Vietnamese enemy certainly added to his accountability. Moreover, even with the increasing withdrawal of support and criticism of the Vietnam War, McNamara fastidiously held on to his silence and this might have resulted in creating the tone of ideological bitterness that now pervades U. S. politics, Bill Schneider, a contributing editor to Opinion, CNN, Los Angeles Times (p. 134). This can be seen by the evident gap or estrangement between the governing class and the people which is symbolized by the draft issue employed by the military. The number of Americans who believe the Vietnam War was a mistake has steadily risen in the years since. Its in the range of 80% now, said John Mueller of the University of Rochester in New York, an expert on public opinion on foreign policy and war. [Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times opinion (p. 118). ] McNamara should not have kept his silence. As Vann puts it, â€Å"he saw much that was wrong about the war in Vietnam, but he could never bring himself to conclude that the war itself was wrong and unwinnable (p. 8). In fairness to McNamara however, he strongly opposed further bombing of North Vietnam and major deployment of a major ABM system which upset the military chiefs at that time. However, his resignation came in too late, when Johnson was already gunning for a re-election. He could have voiced out his objection when the odds are still with him and as Frank Rich succinctly puts it, â€Å"the real wisdom he might finally have attained a recognition that he was wrong not to announce his mid-war about-face and quit the Johnson Cabinet when lives might still have been saved eludes him†. Frank Rich, New York Times opinion (p. 126).

Animal Testing Essay -- Animal Testing

Animal Testing As history shows man has endured and overcome many diseases and illnesses. These diseases killed many people and caused many to suffer. Most of these diseases have been cured do to mans medical research. Medical research has improved people’s lives along with increased life expectancy greatly. These medical breakthroughs have helped mankind in many ways, but in order to achieve these advances in medicine many animals suffered through testing. These test done to animals have improved the lives of many humans who would have suffered themselves. The testing of laboratory animals is an acceptable form of medical research. Today laboratory animal testing has come a long way and no longer are animals treated cruelly in testing, the welfare of the animals is a major concern. There are many concerns for animals’ safety in laboratory testing. The Research Defense Society says that the welfare of animals used in medical research is a major priority of the scientists, vets, and other professionals who perform these tests. This is for the good of the animals and not to mistreat them but also for accurate test results. â€Å"If an animal is suffering stress or pain it could affect the results of the research† (Animal Welfare) Animals are housed in the best possibly conditions in order to get reliable results from testing. The zoo community has demonstrated the feasibility and the benefits of maintaining animals in natural habitats. (Bayne) Along with healthy environments the animals used for testing are tested under the three R’s. The three R’s stand for Refinement, Reduction, and Replacement. These three principles are used to regulate the testing of laboratory animals by reducing the number of animals used, refine the ... ...erous advances in medicine and the many lives animal testing has saved proves that laboratory animal testing is a sound form of medical research. Through animal testing and research, human beings are expected to live longer, healthier, and stronger lives. Works Cited â€Å"Animal Testing.† U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-205.html. 10/1/2001 â€Å"Animal Research Facts.† http://www.fbresearch.org/micef.html. 10/10/2001 Bayne, Kathryn, and Roy Henrickson. Naturalistic Environment In captivity For Animal Behavior. Albany, New York. State University of New York Press, 1994 â€Å"The Three R’s of animal Testing Alternatives.† http://www.med.virginia.edu/hs-lirary/newsletter/1995/april/threer.html. 10/10/2001 â€Å"Animal Welfare and Regulation.† Research Defense Society. http://www.rds-online.org.uk/aboutrds/index.html. 9/25/2001

King George Vi: the Real Kings Speech

Kimberly Wooten Professor Kathy Kile Speech 1010 November 6, 2012 The Real King’s Speech One man in history who gave a speech when the public’s faith was at an all-time low was King George VI. He had to step up and take the spot as king when it was not what he originally thought would happen. He suffered through hardship and troubles through his rein which some affected the way he was able to talk to his people. The speech he gave was not just given to a small audience but to his entire country. King George VI’s life was very interesting life which gave him the opportunity to give a very famous speech that affected the entire world.King George was born on December 14, 1895 in Norfolk, England. His full name is Albert Frederick Arthur Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. King George VI was often called Bertie or Albert by his family. He was the second son of King George V and the Duchess of York, Victoria May. King George VI did not have an easy childhood because of his mother†™s lack of affection and his father’s criticism. He developed a stammer at age 8 and also had to wear leg braces because of his knocked knees when he was young. He was a very shy and easily frighten child which also affected the rest of his life.He graduated from the Royal Naval Academy and went on to be a midshipman in the Royal Navy. After fighting in WWI he joined the Royal air force and became a pilot. He then went on to Trinity College but only stayed for one year because he then needed to fulfill his duties as the Duke of York. In 1923 he went on to marry Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, which had been a family friend since they were young. They had two children, Elizabeth, the oldest, and Margaret, the youngest. They were a close and happy family. His wife saw that he needed help with his stammer and found a great Australian therapist for him to see, Lionel Logue.After being with him and doing his exercises the king began to speak without a stammer. He was not supposed to be the one taking the throne after his father passed away, but it was supposed to be his brother. His brother wanted to marry his mistress and could not marry her if he took the throne so Albert took the throne. This was not the plan he wanted but he was crowned the king of the United Kingdoms and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth in 1937. King George VI was a supporter of the British Prime Minister who signed an agreement with Hitler, which was hoped to make sure there was no war with the Nazi Germany.Hitler then ignored the agreement and took aggressive action that made King George travel and make friends with the President at the time which was Franklin D. Roosevelt. On September 1939 Germany violated the agreement that was made with the Prime Minister and a war was declared. King George made a successful speech that declared the war in 1939. He announced the role that Britain would play in the act of war. After the war started, he and his wife stayed in London at the Buc kingham Palace even though the Germans were bombing (George). The government tried to relocate them to Canada.Queen Elizabeth had stated â€Å"I’m glad we’ve been bombed, now we can look the East End in the face. † (Farndale). King George and Queen Elizabeth went around to the cities that were bombed, visiting the troops and the survivors of the bombs. After the victory of the war the stress caught up with him and he had an arterial blockage which made Princess Elizabeth take on her royal duties. He was then diagnosed with lung cancer and had his left lung removed then he found out he also had arteriosclerosis. King George VI died on February 6, 1952 when he was 56 years old. His daughter then became Queen Elizabeth II.King George VI faced many problems in his life and one that made a very large impact on people was the speech he had to make declaring was with Germany (George). The King had to give a devastating speech on September 3, 1939. Hitler had gone again st an agreement that was made and Germany invaded Poland. After this, it was time to declare war. He had a hard time with his stammer throughout his life so his therapist helped him with it so he could complete this speech. His therapist was the only one in the room with the King while he gave his speech that was broadcasted live on the radio.The picture that shows him sitting at a desk giving the speech was actually staged and he really gave his speech in an anteroom standing (Farndale). His speech sounded great although there are many pauses he had to take to prevent him from stammering. Other than the pauses, he completed a great speech and spoke clear and with confidence. He was delivering a devastating speech and the devastation is able to be heard in his voice. While there is much devastation, he still helps give hope as he is giving his speech. The speech’s effect much more than just his country, it also affected the entire world(Crrisstobal).The speech had affected al l of Great Britain and it also affected the rest of the world. He was declaring war, which meant that his allies had to be with him in this time of devastation. The king told his people to embrace for hard times to come, for his country was at war. The speech gave his people a reason to come together and unite in this time of war. It also inspired them because it showed that they now have a leader they can look upon. The speech had a great effect on the rest of the world as well. As they went into war, the allies of Britain also had to help.As he completed this speech it showed he was a great leader to look upon but it also gave much terror to many people as he said they were going into war. All in all, King George VI went through hard times all his life. From when he was a young stammering boy with an unloving family, to a king leading his people through WWII. Although he gave many speeches being a king, the speech that had the most effect was the one he gave declaring war. He had no stammer and went through it great and ended strong. King George VI was a wonderful leader and did a great job delivering the real king’s speech.Works Cited Crrisstobal. â€Å"The Real King's Speech – King George VI – September 3, 1939. †Ã‚  YouTube. YouTube, 05 Feb. 2011. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. â€Å"Enchanted Serenity of Period Films: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth – a Peek into the past. †Ã‚  Enchanted Serenity of Period Films: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth – a Peek into the past. N. p. , 16 Jan. 2010. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. Farndale, Nigel. â€Å"The King's Speech: The Real Story. †Ã‚  Telegraph. co. uk. N. p. , 5 Jan. 2011. Web. â€Å"George VI Biography. †Ã‚  Bio. com. A&E Networks Television, 20`1. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. .

Past Paper

NSS MATHEMATICS IN ACTION HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION MOCK PAPER MATHEMATICS Compulsory Part Paper 2 Time allowed: 1 hour 15 minutes 1. Read carefully the instructions on the Answer Sheet and insert the information required in the spaces provided. 2. There are 45 questions in this book. All questions carry equal marks. 3. Answer ALL Questions. You are advised to use an HB pencil to mark all the answers on the Answer Sheet. Wrong marks must be completely erased with a clean rubber. 4. You should mark only ONE answer for each question. If you mark more than one answer, you will receive NO MARKS for that question. . No marks will be deducted for wrong answers.  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 There are 30 questions in Section A and 15 questions in Section B. The diagrams in this paper are not necessarily drawn to scale. Choose the best answer for each question. Section A 1. If n is an integer, then 33 n = 9 n ? 1 6. Which of the following statements about the equation 3( x ? 2) 2 ? 6 x ? 2 is true? A. It has distinct, rational real roots. B. It has distinct, irrational real roots. C. It has equal real roots. D. It has no real roots. 7. It is known that a polynomial g(x) is ivisible by 2x + 3. Which of the following must be a factor of g(4x – 3)? 2 n ? 1 A. B. C. D. 2. x 2 ? y 2 ? 2 xy ? 4 ? A. B. C. D. 3. A. B. C. D. 8. 1. 5. 8049. 8053. a = 3, b = ? 2 . a = 3, b = ? 3 . a = ? 2, b = ? 2 . a = ? 2, b = ? 3 . B. C. D. 9. Let p be a constant. Solve the equation ( x ? p )( x ? p ? 1) ? x ? p . A. B. C. D.  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 –2– 1. 1 . 6 –1. –2. ? Peter sold a vase to Mary at a profit of 15 %. Later, Mary sold the vase to David for $ 6400 and gained $ 420. What was the cost price of the vase for Peter? A. B. C. D. x ? ?p x ? p ? 1 ? ? p or x ? p ? 1 x ? ? p or x ? p 2x ? 3 4x ? 3 8x ? 3 8x ? 9 If x is an integer satisfying 4x ? 1 , then the 2(1 ? x) ? 6 x and x ? ?2 greatest value of x is A. If 5a ? 2b ? a ? 4b ? 11 , then A. B. C. D. 5. ( x ? y ? 2)( x ? y ? 2) ( x ? y ? 2)( x ? y ? 2) ( x ? y ? 2)( x ? y ? 2) ( x ? y ? 2)( x ? y ? 2) If f ( x) ? x 2012 ? 2012 x ? 2012 , then 2 f (? 1) ? 3 = A. B. C. D. 4. ?1? . ?3? 3n ? 1 . 3n ? 2 . 35 n ? 2 . $ 5200 $ 5970 $ 6877 $ 7780 10. The scale of a map is 1: 250. If the area of a playground on the map is 20 cm2, what is the actual area of the playground? A. B. C. D. 11. 5000 cm2 125 m2 625 m2 5000 m2 A.B. C. D. Let an be the nth term of a sequence. If a1 ? ?2 , a2 ? 1 and a n ? 2 ? 4a n ? 1 ? a n for any positive integer n, then a5 = A. B. C. D. 14. The circumference of a circle is measured to be 10 cm, correct to the nearest 0. 5 cm. Which of the following is a possible area of the circle? 15. 86. 66. 46. 26. In the figure, CDE and BDF are straight lines. If DF = DE and AB // CE, find ?ABD. 12. It is given that s varies jointly as t2 and u. If t is increased by 15% and u is decreased by 20%, then s A. B. C. D. is decreased by 8 %. is decreased by 5. 8 %. is increased by 5. 8 %. is increased by 8 %. 13. If z ? y and y 2 ? 4. 2 cm2 8. 55 cm2 8. 14 cm2 7. 11 cm2 A. B. C. D. 76? 104? 116? 128? 16. In the figure, a = 1 , which of the x following is true? III. z2 ? y2 1 x? y 2 3xz is a non-zero constant. A. B. C. D. I and II only I and III only II and III only I, II and III I. II.  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 A. B. C. D. –3– 40?. 45?. 50?. 55?. 17. In the figure, ABCD is a rhombus and FBC is a triangle. If FA = 2 cm and BC = 3 cm, find ED. 19. In the figure, a circular cone is cut into two parts A and B by a plane parallel to the base. 4 that of the 9 original cone, find the ratio of the olumes of A and B. If the base area of A is A. B. C. D. A. B. C. D. 1 cm 1. 2 cm 1. 5 cm 1. 8 cm 18. The figure shows a right pyramid with a square base and a slant edge of length 17 cm. If the total length of the edges of the pyramid is 132 cm, find the total surface area of the pyramid. 2:3 8 : 19 8 : 27 19 : 27 20. Through which of the following transformations, would figure A be transformed to figure B? I. Translation II. Rotation III. Reflection A. B. C. D. A. B. C. D. 544 cm2 608 cm2 736 cm2 800 cm2 II III I and III only II and III only 21. If the point P(7, –1) is rotated clockwise about the origin through 90? o Q, what is the distance between P and Q? A. B. C. D.  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 –4– 5 units 72 units 10 units 128 units 22. If a > 0, b > 0 and c < 0, which of the following may represent the graph of the straight line ax ? by ? c ? 0 ? 23. In the figure, 2BC = 5AC. Find sin ? . A. 2 29 A. B. C. B. D. 24. 29 2 cos(180? ? ? ) 1 ? ? sin(180? ? ? ) tan(90? ? ? ) A. B. C. D. C. 2 5 5 2 tan 2 ? tan ? 1 †“1 25. In the figure, O is the centre of the circle ABCD. Find x. D. A. B. C. D. 36? 40? 42? 45? 26. What is the area of the circle x2 + y2 + 12x ? y + 9 = 0? A. B. C. D.  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 –5– 9? 43? 52? 61? 27. Two fair dice are thrown once. What is the probability of getting a sum of 4 or 6? A. B. C. D. 1 6 2 9 5 9 5 36 30. The pie chart below shows the distribution of the nationalities of 60 students randomly selected from an international school. It is given that 9 of them are American. 28. The box-and-whisker diagram below shows the distribution of the heights (in cm) of 40 students in a class. Find the number of students whose heights are between 145 cm and 150 cm. A. B. C. D. 5 10 20 30If there are 840 students in the international school, estimate the number of Australian students in the school. A. 196 B. 208 C. 216 D. 224 Section B 31. 29. {a , a, a + d, a + 3d and a + 6d} is a grou p of numbers. Which of the following must be true? A. B. I. The mean of the group of numbers is a + 2d. II. The median of the group of numbers is a + d. III. The mode of the group of numbers is 2. A. B. C. D. C. D. I and II only I and III only II and III only I, II and III  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 1? –6– ab b ? ? 2 a ? b b? a 2 1 a2 a2 ? b2 b2 a2 ? b2 a 2 ? 2ab ? b 2 a2 ? b2 32. Which of the following best represent the graph of y ? 2 log 3 x ? x 2 x ? 1 34. Solve 16 ? 2 ? A. A. B. C. D. B. 15 ? 0. 2 5 2 5 or –3 2 5 log 8 log 5 ? log 2 log 4 35. If a and k are real numbers and a ? 11i ? (2 ? 3i )(3 ? ki) , then A. B. C. D. C. D. NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 ? ? 1 . ? 1. ? ? 1 . ? 1. 36. Find the maximum value of P = 1 – x – 4y subject to the following constraints. 1 ? x ? 3 2 ? y ? 4 ? ? ?2 y ? x ? 2 ? x ? 2 ? ?2 y ? 33. If ? and ? are the roots of the quadratic equation 4 x 2 ? 5 x ? 3 ? 0 , find the value 1 1 + . of 2? 2? 3 A. ? 5 2 B. ? 5 5 C. 8 5D. 6  © Pearson Education Asia Limited a ? 3, k a ? 3, k a ? 9, k a ? 9, k A. B. C. D. –7– 3 4 6 7 37. It is given that three positive numbers x, y and z are in geometric sequence. Which of the following must be true? I. x3, y3, z3 are in geometric sequence. II. 3x, 3y, 3z are in geometric sequence. III. log x2, log y2, log z2 are in arithmetic sequence. A. B. C. D. 40. The figure shows a circle with centre O. BC and BA are the tangents to the circle at C and D respectively. If ? BAC = 42? , find ? BOC. I and II only I and III only II and III only I, II and III 38. Find x in the figure, correct to the nearest integer. A. B.C. D. 66? 72? 84? 90? 41. The figure shows a triangular prism ABCDEF, where both ? ABF and ?DCE are right-angled isosceles A. B. C. D. 12 13 14 15 triangles. If AB = 10 and BC = 5, find the angle between the line AE and the plane ABCD, correct to the nearest degree. 39. Solve 1 + sin? cos ? = 3sin2? for 0? ? ? ? 360?. A. B. C. D. ? = 45? or 225? ? = 135? , 207? or 225? ? = 45? , 153? , 225? or 333? ? = 135? , 153? , 315? or 333?  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 A. B. C. D. –8– 14? 17? 22? 45? 42. The figure shows a circle which is symmetrical about the y-axis. A(4, –1) nd B are two end points of a diameter of the circle. If the equation of the tangent to the circle at B is 4 x ? 3 y ? 31 ? 0 , find the coordinates of the centre of the circle. A. B. C. D. 3 (0, ) 2 (0, 2) 5 (0, ) 2 1 ( ? , 2) 2 44. A box contains 50 bulbs and 8 of them are defective. Two bulbs are drawn at random from the box without replacement. Given that at least one bulb drawn is defective, find the probability that exactly one bulb drawn is defective. 4 A. 13 3 B. 5 4 C. 5 12 D. 13 45. In a Chinese test, the standard scores of the marks obtained by John and Mary are †“1. 05 and 0. 8 respectively. Which of the following are true? I.II. III. 43. There are 2 different English books and 4 different Chinese books on a table. If all the books are put onto a shelf and the two books at the two ends must be of different languages, in how many ways can the books be arranged? A. B. C. D. A. B. C. D. 32 40 192 384  © Pearson Education Asia Limited NSS MIA 2012 Mock Paper (Compulsory Part) – Paper 2 Mary performs better than John in the test. Compared with John, the mark obtained by Mary is closer to the mean mark of the test. The mark obtained by John is below the 16th percentile of the marks in the test. I and II only I and III only II and III only I, II and III End of test –9–

Free Essays on Salems Lot

Salem’s Lot is the story of a man who returns to his home town to face the fears of his childhood, only to find a entire new set of fears awaiting him. Ben’s hometown now has a new occupant, Barlow, an evil as old as time. As one by one the inhabits of Salem’s Lot disappear only to turn up later in the night, as something worse than dead. Ben Mears is a successful novelist who returns to Jerusalem’s Lot his hometown. As a child Ben had gone through a terrifying experience in the local â€Å"haunted house†. He believed that by renting the old Marsten house he could face his fears, and be able to write away old ghosts. The first person he meets when he returns is Susan Norton, a fan of his writing, with whom he is immediately attracted to. He tells her about his childhood experience; how on a dare from a group of friends he was supposed to go into the Marsten house and bring something out. But all that the nine-year-old had seen was the hanging body of the former owner Hubie Marsten, and how the dead body had opened its eyes. And though now he knows that he really didn’t see the body, he feels that the Marsten house is a ‘storage place’ for the evil things that had happened there. Susan tells Ben that the house, unoccupied for many years has already been rented to a newcomer in town, a Mr. Barlow, a man that no one has ever seen, but intends to open an antique store in town. His partner, Mr. Straker, has made all the arrangements. The book then describes how the inhabitants of Salem’s Lot discover what Mr. Barlow truly is. Young children disappear, and adults as well as c hildren begin to suf! fer from a mysterious illness, extreme sensitive to the sun, anemia, and eventually death. But as twelve year old Mark Petrie, a supernatural lover, discovers when one of his recently deceased young friends scratch outside his second story bedroom window begging to be let in, that there is no mysterious illness but they are the un... Free Essays on Salems Lot Free Essays on Salems Lot Salem’s Lot is the story of a man who returns to his home town to face the fears of his childhood, only to find a entire new set of fears awaiting him. Ben’s hometown now has a new occupant, Barlow, an evil as old as time. As one by one the inhabits of Salem’s Lot disappear only to turn up later in the night, as something worse than dead. Ben Mears is a successful novelist who returns to Jerusalem’s Lot his hometown. As a child Ben had gone through a terrifying experience in the local â€Å"haunted house†. He believed that by renting the old Marsten house he could face his fears, and be able to write away old ghosts. The first person he meets when he returns is Susan Norton, a fan of his writing, with whom he is immediately attracted to. He tells her about his childhood experience; how on a dare from a group of friends he was supposed to go into the Marsten house and bring something out. But all that the nine-year-old had seen was the hanging body of the former owner Hubie Marsten, and how the dead body had opened its eyes. And though now he knows that he really didn’t see the body, he feels that the Marsten house is a ‘storage place’ for the evil things that had happened there. Susan tells Ben that the house, unoccupied for many years has already been rented to a newcomer in town, a Mr. Barlow, a man that no one has ever seen, but intends to open an antique store in town. His partner, Mr. Straker, has made all the arrangements. The book then describes how the inhabitants of Salem’s Lot discover what Mr. Barlow truly is. Young children disappear, and adults as well as c hildren begin to suf! fer from a mysterious illness, extreme sensitive to the sun, anemia, and eventually death. But as twelve year old Mark Petrie, a supernatural lover, discovers when one of his recently deceased young friends scratch outside his second story bedroom window begging to be let in, that there is no mysterious illness but they are the un...

Immigration of Women

Immigration of Women Generations after generations, the world has been witnessing migration of people in various regions for different of reasons. Migration can either be voluntary or involuntary depending on the prevailing circumstances. Voluntary migration is caused by numerous reasons, although, the search for economic empowerment is often cited as the major reason.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Immigration of Women specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is believed that women, just like men, migrate because of economic reasons; however, there are other reasons that push women into leaving their motherlands. Women whose husbands have migrated to foreign countries or are citizens of other countries often migrate to those countries to join their husbands for family reunification through a process known as chain migration. Women living in communities that are characterized by abusive patriarchal family setups are most likely to migrate to regions that have more socioeconomic opportunities and gender empowerment programs. The increased demand for unskilled labor such as, household workers, caregivers or nurses, sex workers, and brides or wives in developed countries is the driving factor that is responsible for encouraging women to move to these countries. When women from developing countries migrate to developed countries and take up jobs as household workers, women in the host countries are relieved from their household duties and they find time to concentrate on developing their careers and enhance their social lives. Therefore, women migration becomes beneficial to the women who are citizens of the host countries. It should also be noted that survival is the major reason that forces women immigrants into unskilled labor and not the desire to seek gender equity or subdue male dominance. The challenges and disadvantages of migration by women outweigh the benefits associated with this exercise. Many governments arou nd the world have immigration policies that are very unfriendly to women. For instance, it is extremely difficult to acquire a visa or a work permit unless the would-be immigrant is targeting a male-dominated occupation.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These types of policies deny a lot of women immigration opportunities to many countries around the world. Furthermore, immigration policies for several governments do not support chain migration or family reunification immigration. And since it is women who normally benefit from family reunification immigration, their chances of migrating into these countries are limited. Most Asian countries have migration policies that are selective on the basis of gender, therefore, emigration of women in these countries follow a restrictive regime. Despite these barriers, women still manage to enter these countries through illegal mi gration practices, such as, human trafficking or smuggling. This trend is alarming and more women than men are resorting to illegal migration, in order to beat the anti-women immigration policies by some governments. One of the major challenges that face women who migrate to other countries and leave behind their husbands and children is the emotional anguish associated with transnational motherhood. Since they are forced to care for their children across national borders, these women are constantly guilty of abandoning their families. The situation is made worse by societal expectations; the role of a married woman in many traditional communities is that of a housewife who is expected to sit at home and look after the family. On the other hand, most of the jobs that are done by women immigrants are mostly exploitative and abusive. Furthermore, the fact that some women dependent on illegal tactics to sneak into host countries shows that immigration is not favorably to women.

70 Dialogue Writing Prompts

70 Dialogue Writing Prompts 70 Dialogue Writing Prompts 70 Dialogue Writing Prompts By Ali Hale For some writers, dialogue comes naturally. They find it easy to â€Å"hear† their character’s voices and they have the knack of crafting dialogue that sounds natural without trying to replicate all the â€Å"ums† and â€Å"ers† of actual speech. For many writers, though, dialogue can be a struggle. Maybe they don’t know how to get started, or they find themselves writing long conversations that don’t have much point. Dialogue writing prompts can be a great way of kicking off your dialogue – but they can also be helpful if you’re stuck for an idea or looking for an opening to a scene or a short story. Here are a bunch of different ones to try, all of which could suit lots of different scenarios – and which could be spoken in different ways. Thirty Potential Dialogue Starting Prompts If you’re struggling to get started on a scene, or on a conversation, pick one of these starting lines as a prompt: #1: â€Å"That was my favourite cup.† #2: â€Å"Is there a problem here, gentlemen?† #3: â€Å"What on earth happened in here?† #4: â€Å"You’ve caught me at a really bad time.† #5: â€Å"Hang on. Where’s the baby?† #6: â€Å"What have you done now?† #7: â€Å"You’ll never guess what Sarah told me last night.† #8: â€Å"Ma’am, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news. Please, sit down.† #9: â€Å"How – how did you find me?† #10: â€Å"Excuse me. Excuse me! Yes, you. You’re sitting in my seat.† #11: â€Å"I don’t think it can be repaired.† #12: â€Å"Ouch, that must’ve hurt.† #13: â€Å"Quick! It’s going to explode!† #14: â€Å"Well, this is new.† #15:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Let’s hear your side of the story.† #16: â€Å"I don’t know what happened, officer.† #17: â€Å"There’s blood everywhere.† #18: â€Å"Right, who’s drawn the short straw this time?† #19: â€Å"I don’t even hate you. That would imply I cared.† #20: â€Å"There’s no point running.† #21: â€Å"How are you feeling today? A little better, hmm?† #22: â€Å"This is going to be way harder than we thought.† #23: â€Å"Was that a scream?† #24: â€Å"Do you ever hear noises in the night? Like scratching in the walls?† #25: â€Å"Don’t move.† #26: â€Å"I’m your biggest fan!† #27: â€Å"I love you! No time to explain – gotta go.† #28: â€Å"When did you last see him? Think! This is important!† #29: â€Å"Oh man, I’ve had the worst day ever.† #30: â€Å"This isn’t what it looks like, I swear! Okay it’s kind of what it looks like, but just give me a chance to explain.† 30 Potential Dialogue Response Prompts If you find it tricky to imagine a scenario from a starting prompt, try picking one of these prompts that might come slightly further along in a conversation. #1: â€Å"I’ll take that as a compliment.† #2: â€Å"That’s the first time I’ve heard anyone call it that.† #3: â€Å"Woah, back up. You’re losing me.† #4: â€Å"Stop yelling!† #5: â€Å"Well, that’s not a very nice way of putting it. But yes, I suppose you’re right.† #6: â€Å"Okay, I think we do need to call an ambulance.† #7: â€Å"Oh my gosh, are you sure? Like, sure sure?† #8: â€Å"You must have misheard me.† #9: â€Å"Actually, I think this is the wrong way† #10: â€Å"It’s taken me fifty years to get here. I’m sure as hell not giving up now!† #11: â€Å"Believe me, my dear, no-one regrets this more than I do.† #12: â€Å"Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers?† #13: â€Å"Don’t worry. I hated that wallpaper, anyway.† #14: â€Å"No. Hell, no. Absolutely not.† #15: â€Å"If you could just set it down – very slowly – and then back away.† #16: â€Å"I’ve never actually liked chocolate.† #17: â€Å"I find it very hard to believe that, I’m afraid.† #18: â€Å"That’s a very bold thing to say.† #19: â€Å"And you can’t think of any other reason?† #20: â€Å"Shut up.† #21: â€Å"I’m going to give you five seconds to take that back.† #22: â€Å"You’re wrong. That’s not what happened at all.† #23: â€Å"Hey. Look at me.† #24: â€Å"Apologise. Right now.† #25: â€Å"I’m sorry. That sounds awful.† #26: â€Å"Do you maybe think, in retrospect, that this was a terrible idea?† #27: â€Å"Good. I meant it to hurt.† #28: â€Å"That’s not very nice.† #29: â€Å"So hang on, let me get this straight.† #30: â€Å"Actually, I think you’d find that most people have a pretty massive problem with that.† Ten Other Dialogue Prompts to Try in Your Writing If the above prompts aren’t enough for you, there are loads of other prompts out there. Here are some of my favourites from around the web: #1: â€Å"Just sit around and cry, then. I don’t have that luxury.† (from 100 Writing Prompts Based on Dialogue, for Fiction, Screenplays, and More, Bryn Donovan) #2: â€Å"You have to tell her. It wouldn’t be right not to.† (from Dialogue Exercises: 40 Writing Prompts To Get You Going, Marylee MacDonald) #3: â€Å"I need nothing but my mad skills, rugged good looks, and maybe half a million dollars.† (from   Rooftop Writing Prompt #42, Gabrielle R. Pollack) #4: â€Å"I told you never to go in there, boy!† / â€Å"But I heard screaming!† / â€Å"That’s none of your concern.† (from Writing Prompts 51-60 (Dialogue Prompts), Amina Cavallo) #5: â€Å"That’s it! I’m killing them all.† / â€Å"Wait, but what about the plan?† / â€Å"Forget the plan! These idiots keep getting on my nerves. They have no one to blame but themselves.† (from Dialogue Prompts Writing things, theunamazingauthor) #6: â€Å"I made breakfast, but I didn’t know what you liked so I made enough to probably feed a small tribe.† (from #100 Dialogue Prompts to Make a Reader Swoon (Okay maybe not all of them), Yasmine) #7: â€Å"Hey! Yeah it’s me†¦.guess what†¦I’m coming home.† (from Dialogue Prompts, Tumblr) #8: Sweetheart, what did you bury in the garden? (from Random First Line of Dialogue, Writing Exercises) #9: â€Å"How much of that did you hear?† (from 50 Dialogue Prompts, Chrmdpoet) #10: â€Å"For what it’s worth, I don’t know much about you either.† (from Dialogue with Emotional Connotations: Part Deux, Your Local Writer) Let us know which prompt(s) you’ll be trying out (feel free to combine a few!) or share your own dialogue prompts with us in the comments. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:16 Substitutes for â€Å"Because† or â€Å"Because Of†3 Cases of Complicated HyphenationDrama vs. Melodrama

Learning contract 489 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Learning contract 489 - Assignment Example 41). When a student engages in the contracting process, where he/she will participate in making decisions concerning their education will increase their internal motivation. Learning contract will enable the student to accomplish other goals apart from working for marks. The student will be satisfied after meeting other goals. Many students respond positively to this technique of learning as they appreciate the efforts applied by the teacher in recognizing and accommodating their individual needs. As the student is from working at an appropriate level, the teacher is satisfied from seeing make efforts and grow. The teacher is also happy that the classroom time is not disturbed by regular distractions. Learning contract teaches the student some life skills like learning the importance of setting goals and struggling to achieve them. Learning contract is important as it guides the learner and the teacher on the procedure of handling various topics or units one after the other (Gomez 2011, p. 73). Learning contracts should be designed in a way that it will benefit the parties of the contract especially the learner. The contract should contain all the contents including the objectives, duties of the parties, time to be accomplished, and the

Project Specification and Design Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Project Specification and Design Report - Essay Example For example, the risk affiliated with definite types of instrumentation making it non- workable to have the instrumentation established in an administrative center. this is the method that is used to decrease the entire quantity of corporal break, damage or hammering that consequences in an accidental failure. They may be in the appearance of supervising and direct procedures or more dependable operational processes, or merely by budding and carrying out plans to manage commotion usage.( Robert C. et al 2003 pg. 289) A risk dominance procedure that regards the contract variable of a wholesome risk from one festivity to another. For example, the buy of an indemnity plans, by which a precise risk of thrashing is approved from the customer to the insurance company. Other examples are cleaving to nontoxic articles in many declarations, legal agreement demands to offer assurance reporting for another party's assistance, and insurance. How to alleviate the threat: undertaking the lowest fee, display revisit on asset (ROI), put in cost with additional services, be paid for a headship position in your business, and recommend installment defrayals. How to alleviate the threat: present a test time to experiment the manufactured goods or service; illustrate even or close in a race or competition or comparison; come along with standard dealer lists; associate with existing dealer or generate premeditated alignments; and suggest level reduction in price. Professional risk. How will this conclusion have an effect on specialized position in the eyes of others, and how might vocation and individual improvement be exaggerated How to alleviate the threat: suggest customer recommendations and acknowledgments, propose an elevated level of data for decision-making, tutor aspects on how to advertise the clarification to higher administration, and meet up with all fundamental persons and decision-makers. Security plan to guarantee exchange of information: Concentrate on consequences, not chronologies. Even though it's frequently intelligent to extend to five year plan for

What evidence is there of application of the materiality concept in Research Paper

What evidence is there of application of the materiality concept in the report - Research Paper Example The most conspicuous evidence of the materiality principle in the preparation of JB Hi Fi’s financial report is minimal disclosure overload. According to the International Accounting Standards (IAS), most of the listed companies are expected to follow the structure as presented in paragraph 114 of IAS 1. However, JB Hi Fi is a conglomerate and deals with large volumes of financial information. Therefore, the company deals with complex financial information that requires sophisticated and alternative structures of presenting financial information. The company’s structure is different from the one proposed by international accounting standards, and better communicates the links between different pieces of information. Consequently, the company has enhanced its reflection of the financial position as well as the risks associated with the operation of the business. IAS proposes that listed companies should list intangible assets followed by trade and other receivables and finally trade and other payables when preparing the balance sheet. However, JB Hi Fi has a different order of items when preparing its balance sheet. The company lists trade and other receivables, intangible assets and trade and other receivables in an ascending order. JB Hi Fi bases its list of the balance sheet items on the importance of information presented in the financial report. Furthermore, the company cautions users of financial information not to read the financial statements in isolation. Rather, the company suggests that users of financial information should analyze financial statements in additional to reading notes to financial statements. The company’s statement of financial position has the three standard categories including assets, liabilities and equity. Each of these categories contains information about items related to each other for the sake of

Inspired a shared vision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Inspired a shared vision - Essay Example I also had to have adequate facts to deliver the vision that included research details and real-life examples. These facts are the ones that led to the embracing of the vision with almost all the members present expressing interest in the vision and verbalizing their support. Previously, the outgoing leader of the organization inspired me to a shared vision. The vision to engage in the current tendering processes of the organization was developed by this leader who approached me and enlightened me on the importance of engaging in business opportunities with the group’s savings. It is from this experience that I witnessed the importance of using facts and examples to influence a shared vision. Having the vision that is in line with the general organizational goal of taking advantage of the business opportunities. Inspiring a shared vision is not easy. Leaders have a responsibility to lead the organization and its members to greater heights following their objectives. This forward movement calls for visionary leadership that entails having a vision and sharing it with the others. It is only when it is shared that the vision becomes a

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

Memorandum - Essay Example ... Many of these kinds of procedures can be done in ambulatory facilities entirely separate from the surgical department†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp. 160). Many of the procedures that are done with the help of the adjoining outpatient procedures facility are minor procedures—and surgeries can range anywhere from patients having pacemaker batteries replaced to removal of skin cancers and other minor surgeries. Usually, the outpatient procedures facility is much like an office, where family members can wait while their loved one is getting a medical procedure performed. The policy change itself would involve updating the computer systems in our particular hospital so that patient records are no longer kept on an MS-DOS system. DOS is a computer operating system that is very outdated, and the hospital would like to incorporate a Windows operating system into the current manner of functioning with regard to how it is going to continue on in the future. Because the outpatient procedures fac ility is so overwhelmed with work on a daily basis—and since computers are used daily—it is hoped that the switchover to the new computer system could be done sometime overnight when there are no patients scheduled to come in.

Inspired a shared vision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Inspired a shared vision - Essay Example I also had to have adequate facts to deliver the vision that included research details and real-life examples. These facts are the ones that led to the embracing of the vision with almost all the members present expressing interest in the vision and verbalizing their support. Previously, the outgoing leader of the organization inspired me to a shared vision. The vision to engage in the current tendering processes of the organization was developed by this leader who approached me and enlightened me on the importance of engaging in business opportunities with the group’s savings. It is from this experience that I witnessed the importance of using facts and examples to influence a shared vision. Having the vision that is in line with the general organizational goal of taking advantage of the business opportunities. Inspiring a shared vision is not easy. Leaders have a responsibility to lead the organization and its members to greater heights following their objectives. This forward movement calls for visionary leadership that entails having a vision and sharing it with the others. It is only when it is shared that the vision becomes a

PMP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PMP - Essay Example In this marketing plan, I have reflected on my qualifications in the hospitality industry that would advance the industry. I have also discussed my major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats relating to this field. I have mentioned all the relevant skills and knowledge that I have acquired to ensure optimal success in the industry. If well read, it is work worthy to be acknowledged and appreciated as it clearly reflects all my skills, qualifications and knowledge relevant in the financial sector. I believe that with my expertise and experience, I can be an asset to the tourism industry. Introduction This marketing plan shows all my skills and qualifications relevant in the tourism industry. Tourism is an extremely crucial area in today’s world because of the increasing demand in the industry with many people trading world wide. As a matter of fact, the sector of the tourism in the world is one of most diversified, and this is evidenced by high level of advancement in the various sectors such as hotel, game parks and game reserves, museums, historical sites and archives among others. With this kind of developing world, it then means that people should be always fore sighted, and every time, be innovative so as to come up with more advanced tourist industries. I chose this sector because I have the knowledge and expertise with regard to it and fully familiar with it (Pink 18). In addition, I am passionate and have a lot of interest in the hospitality industry. By having hospitality knowledge, I can work anywhere in the world and advance the industry with my skills and talent. Also the hospitality industry offers flexible working hours and a good pay while still having fun. Business is a major concern today due to the increased trading activities all over the world. Such activities have led to the development of the hospitality which is universal making the largest job provider in the world. In the developed countries like U.S.A, it has created a large number of jobs compared to the developing countries. The quality of living has improved because of the hospitality industry. Also people have started recognizing the essence of the hospitality industry unlike in previous years. Creativity and innovation have really transformed the industry. Also, strong marketing campaigns such as promotions, advertising and public relations have led to the advancement of the hospitality industry. There is the issue of work permit that one should have in order to be legible to work in the tourism industry. Such legibility is an investment and requires capital. Therefore, failure to have it may disqualify you to work in the industry. This is the best chance, for me to venture in tourism filed because I made an application for donation by an international NGO and it promised to fund me after I take my proposal. I can then not pretend and waste this opportunity. I also want to venture now because I had been given out a proposal plan concerning the tourism industry in many processing companies when I orally informed them about my plan. Other companies have also requested me to propose the techniques applied in acquiring the tourism industry and this means a good cash and good experience, as well. Personal mission statement My core values are Integrity, Honesty, Dedication, creativity and Innovation, Efficiency and Effectiveness. My vision is to get the best from the

Electric Scooter Market in China- Market Competition & Opportunities Essay Example for Free

Electric Scooter Market in China- Market Competition Opportunities Essay Research and Forecast of China Electric Scooter Industry, 2014-2018 mainly conducts in-depth market research on Electric Scooter market in the following aspects: market scale, supply and demand, market competition and business performance of major enterprises, meanwhile it makes a prediction about electric scooter industry and provides decision-making references for investors. In 2013, the demand volume of electric scooters in China reached 1. 05 million units, an increase of 31. 25% year-on-year. In current electric scooter market, the products mainly serve for the elderly, the disabled and home women; with the deepened population aging degree and the increased consumption level, the demand for electric scooter is also growing increasingly. Complete Report @ http://www. marketreportschina. com/research-and-forecast-of-china-electric-scooter-industry-2014-2018 . Inquire Before Buying @ http://www. marketreportschina. com/contacts/inquire-before-buy? rname=4357 . Table Of Contents 1. Overview of Chinas Electric Scooter Products 1. 1 Product Brief Introduction 1. 1. 1 Brief Introduction 1. 1. 2 Composition 1. 1. 3 Advantages 1. 2 Classification 2. Electric Scooter Situation in Foreign Countries and Taiwan 2. 1 Foreign Countries 2. 2 Taiwan 3. Environment of Chinas Electric Scooter Industry 3. 1 Economic Environment 3. 2 Industry Relevant Policies, Standards, Laws and Regulations 4. Characteristics of Electric Scooter Industry 4. 1 Concentration Ratio 4. 2 SWOT 4. 3 Industry Chain 4. 4 Competitive Landscape 5. Supply and Demand in Chinas Electric Scooter Market 5. 1 Supply Situation 5. 1. 1 Supply Situation 5. 1. 2 Main Brands 5. 2 Demand Situation 5. 3 Demand Factors 5. 4 Price Situation 5. 4. 1 Price 5. 4. 2 Factors Affecting the Price 5. 4. 3 Price Trend 6. Overview of Chinas Low Speed Electric Vehicle 6. 1 Brief Introduction 6. 1. 1 Product Introduction 6. 1. 2 Main Products and the Introduction 6. 2 Development Situation in China 6. 3 Overview of Chinas Main Manufacturers 6. 4 Market Situation of Four-wheel Low Speed Electric Vehicle Market and the Forecast 6. 4. 1 Current Application Situation. 6. 4. 2 Domestic Market 6. 4. 3 International Market 7. Import and Export of Chinas Electric Scooters 7. 1 Import and Export 7. 2 Sources of Import and Destinations of Export 8. Technological Development of Electric Scooter Products 8. 1 Technological Development Situation 8. 1. 1 Relevant Domestic Patents 8. 1. 2 Research Situation 8. 2 Technological Development Direction 8. 2. 1 Technological Maturity in China and Technological Difference between China and Foreign Countries 8. 2. 2 Technological Development Direction 9. Main Enterprises and Competitive Landscape in Chinas Electric Scooter Industry 9. 1 Feishen Group Co. , Ltd. 9. 1. 1 Company Profile 9. 1. 2 Company Strength 9. 1. 3 Independent RD Situation 9. 1. 4 Business Performance 9. 2 Jinhua ACEME Electric Co. , Ltd. 9. 2. 1 Company Profile 9. 2. 2 Company Strength 9. 2. 3 Development Trend 9. 2. 4 Business Performance 9. 3 Zhejiang Ripu Electronic Science and Technology Co. , Ltd. 9. 3. 1 Company Profile 9. 3. 2 Company Strength 9. 3. 3 Business Performance 9. 4 Wisking Electromechanical Product Co. , Ltd. 9. 4. 1 Company Profile 9. 4. 2 Company Strength 9. 4. 3 Business Performance 9. 5 Xuzhou Maston Mobility Co. , Ltd. 9. 5. 1 Company Profile 9. 5. 2 Company Strength 9. 5. 3 Business Performance 9. 5. 4 Development Strategy 10. Development Forecast and Investment Prospect of Chinas Electric Scooter Industry 10. 1 Forecast of Supply, 2014-2018 10. 2 Forecast of Demand, 2014-2018 10. 3 Main Development Direction 11. Investment Suggestions and Opinions from the Experts 11. 1 Investment Opportunity 11. 1. 1 Market Space 11. 1. 2 Industry Development Trend. 11. 2 Investment Risk 11. 2. 1 Horizontal Competition Risk 11. 2. 2 Market Trade Risk 11. 2. 3 Influence of Industry Policy Changes 11. 3 Risk Precautionary Measure and Industry Coping Strategy 11. 3. 1 Precautionary Measure for Horizontal Competition Risk 11. 3. 2 Actively Develop Upstream Sellers and Downstream Consumers to Reduce Market Risk 11. 3. 3 Coping Strategy of Enterprises Request Discount @ http://www. marketreportschina. com/contacts/discount? rname=4357 . Buy Report @ http://www. marketreportschina. com/contacts/purchase? rname=4357.

Style And Symbols In Ann Beatties Snow English Literature Essay

Style And Symbols In Ann Beatties Snow English Literature Essay What do relationships, storytelling, and memories have in common? Beattie explores this question in her short story, Snow. The story takes place in the country during winter and describes a past relationship between two lovers. Beattie makes use of a brief, jumpy writing style and several symbols in the story for a threefold purpose. In Snow, Beattie uses style and symbolism not only to give insight into a past relationship, but to examine the art of storytelling and the elements of human memory. Beatties writing style gives insight into a past relationship between two lovers. A large paragraph is used to describe the womans memory. It is jumpy, but many details are given. She remembers that in the kitchen, a pattern of white-gold trellises supported purple grapes as big and round as Ping-Pong balls (114). She also remembers the stories that her visitors told, such as a boy and the ice cream truck and man finding a diamond ring on the beach (114). This shows how much she considered this a special relationship and wanted to hold on to the relationship by capturing very minute details and stories with amazing and happy endings. On the other hand, the mans memory is described briefly without much detail. His memory makes no mention of the wallpaper and he remembers that their visitors told the same stories people always tell. This contrast shows that the man didnt see their relationship as anything special, it was just another story the same as anyone elses. The brevity of the s tory, less than two pages long, also reflects the fleeting nature of the couples relationship. Likewise, Beatties style examines the art of storytelling. The man states that, Any life will seem dramatic if you omit mention of the most of it (115). This indicates that stories should be short, containing moments and should not be full of every mundane detail of everyday life. The narrator also states that this is a story, told the way you say stories should be told: Somebody grew up, fell in love, and spent a winter with her lover in the country. This, of course, is the barest outline (115). This conveys the idea that in general, most stories contain certain basic elements, such as a conflict, and follow a basic outline. For example romantic comedies follow a basic outline: The boy wants the girl, the boy has to overcome obstacles, and the boy gets the girl in the end, or vice versa. Beatties style also examines the nature of memory. The story jumps from descriptions of the couple in winter (114-115) to the death of a friend in a future spring (115). This random pattern is reflective of how memories work. One memory can trigger another seemingly unrelated memory. The narrator also states, People forget years and remember moments (115). This idea is reflected in the narrative style. The womans memory puts emphasis on certain details and moments, the chipmunk, wallpaper, snow, etc. (114), rather than on what happened that entire month or year. Also, the discrepancies between the memories of the lovers (114-115) emphasize the fact that people can have different memories of the same event. Just as Beattie uses style to give insight into a past relationship, storytelling, and memory, she uses symbolism for the same purpose. According to the woman, the chipmunk ran through the living room. It went through the library and stopped at the front door as though it knew the house well (114). In contrast, the man sees that the chipmunk ran to hide in the dark, not simply to a door that led to its escape (115). This contrast gives insight into the lovers different views on the relationship. The chipmunk represents the woman, who sees herself leaving her lover as an escape after he states What do you think youre doing in here (114)? i.e., what are you doing in this relationship? On the contrary, the man sees her as hiding or cowering. The contrasting views about the chipmunk are also indicative of the lovers differing views in other areas of life and the fact that they do not belong together. Another symbol in Snow is the wallpaper. The narrator states that she thought of the bits of grape that remained underneath and imagined the vine popping through, the way some plants can tenaciously push through anything (114). The wallpaper works as a symbol in several ways. It symbolizes the covering up of issues in the couples relationship, which eventually come to the surface. This also symbolizes the dramatic moments that must manifest in storytelling, and finally it symbolizes the fact that repressed memories may eventually come to the surface. The pool is another symbol that has multiple purposes. The pool is covered with black plastic that had been stretched across it for winterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the cover collected more and more water until it finally spilled onto the concrete (115). Like the wallpaper, the covered pool is symbolic of the covering up of issues in the relationship, as well as repressed memories. Also, water is generally used as a symbol of life. The fact that the water pushes breaks through the lifeless plastic is indicative of the importance of stories to contain a driving force or energy, rather than to be stagnant. The snow is the most dynamic symbol in the story. The narrator states, Remember the night, out on the lawn, knee-deep in snow, chins pointed to the sky as the wind whirled down all that whiteness (115)? White is often symbolic of innocence. The whiteness of the snow indicates that the relationship between the lovers is young and naive. The lovers are knee-deep in this young and naÃÆ' ¯ve love. Furthermore, the man is described as the king of snow (114), and he remember(s) that the cold settled in stages (115). This conveys the idea that his love towards her grows cold, just as the snow is cold. Just as the snow covers the ground (114), the couple masks their issues. The snow also works as a symbol for storytelling. The narrator states, Love, in its shortest form, becomes a word. What I remember most about all that time is one winter. The snow. Even now, saying snow, my lips move so that they kiss the air (115). Just as snow becomes a word that that captures the love that the woman once had, stories are told with words and symbols that capture important ideas. The fact that snow becomes a word also indicates the fact that memories are triggered by words and symbols. For example, a piece of clothing may bring up a certain memory in someone. The clothing is symbolic in that it represents something more than what it really is. Beatties use of style and symbolism reveal several aspects of a couples past relationship, while commenting upon the art of storytelling, and examining the nature of memory. Her unique narrative style and use of symbolism work on multiple levels to tie in these main ideas. Just as the lovers relationship is summed up in seconds and symbols (115), so are stories and memories.

Matilda :: Essays Papers

Matilda Squinting her eyes and concentrating very hard, Matilda managed to tip the glass of water over onto Miss Trunchbull, this being only the beginning of what was to happen next with her new found powers. Matilda, by Roald Dahl was creative and fun. I recommend it to anyone who is in for a little youthful adventure. It tells the story of a little girl with a horrible life. Her parents have no interest in her, and the Headmistress at her school is monstrous. Matilda deals with her problems by reading and learning mathematics. She is very bright and clever for a five year old. She soon discovers that she is able to move objects with her mind alone. Matilda’s parents are Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood. Being completely involved in the â€Å"Tele,† Mrs. Wormwood pays no attention to Matilda and what she has to say about anything. Mr. Wormwood, on the other hand, does nothing for Matilda except chastise her every move. Feeling unloved, Matilda turns to reading to keep her busy. Thinking that books are stupid, Mr. Wormwood calls her stupid and foolish for wasting her time on such things. Despite the verbal abuse from her parents, Matilda continues with her interests and does what she can to get back at her father for constantly denouncing her. For instance, she replaced his hair tonic with her mother’s hair dye, causing Mr. Wormwood’s hair to be turned a platinum blonde. On her first day of school, Matilda’s teacher Miss Honey becomes very interested in her abilities, wondering where the child picked up such an ability to solve complicated mathematical equations and read such great novels for a child her age. Miss Honey is a petite woman. She is timid towards her aunt, Miss Trunchbull, but can handle the first semester kids very well. Miss Trunchbull, a large intimidating woman, is very cold at heart. She was suspected of rubbing off Miss Honey’s father, Dr. Honey, and forged a will that gave her his house and left nothing for Miss Jennifer Honey. When Matilda was told about this, she became enthralled in helping out Miss Jennifer Honey with getting her house back. One day in class, the atrocious Miss Trunchbull was yelling at everyone because there was a newt in her water. She, of course, blamed the whole milestone on Matilda, who was innocent.

Change Management Essay

1.1 Introduction Barack Obama started his election campaign with a plan to renew America’s promise with the words â€Å"Change we can believe in†. His Presidential campaign was marked by changes. He wanted to change a nation and its way of acting. Throughout the campaign, Obama’s changes were aimed towards bringing a rapid end to the war in Iraq, decreasing energy dependence, and providing universal health care. In his victory speech Obama said â€Å"change has come to America†. Up to now, not all his plans and ideas have proven successful and only the future will reveal their full potential. The U.S. election was a change of the governmental position which was decided by the nation. In an admittedly smaller world, every person in his or her life as well as every manager of an organisation is faced with changes or the requirement to make changes every day. Let’s concentrate on the business world and have a look at what changes mean? Change is an alteration of a company’s strategy, organization or culture as a result of changes in its environment, structure, technology or people. A manager’s job would be very straightforward and simple (not to say boring) if changes were not occurring in these areas. Good managers have a competence to manage change in the company’s environment. These changes can be alterations in structure (design of jobs, span of control, authority relationships or coordinating mechanisms), in technology (equipment, work processes or work methods) as well as in people (behaviours, perceptions, expectations or attitudes). 1.2 Reasons for Change A complex structure like an organization is driven by external and internal factors in regard to the need for change. There are a number of external forces that create the explicit need for change: Market situation or market place Technology Government laws and regulations Economics The global marketplace has created a huge need for change because of internationalization and the more dynamic situation. Some of this could not have occurred without the various and dramatic changes in technology. An example of the changing marketplace is the deregulation of the telecommunications industry in the domestic market. By deregulation, the competitive pressure was put on telephone companies such as the German Telecom which has minimised monopolistic emplacement. Regarding this point, advances in technology have had a big impact on the market. Also, the affordability of equipment and software allows greater competition in the IT-sector. Government laws and regulations can have a large impact on an organization such as with deregulation. Organizations have to change because it is now prescribed. The new tobacco taxes and the legislation requiring tobacco manufacturers to disclose the harmful effects of tobacco smoking have created huge pressures on some large organizations. These organisations now have to change to ensure their economic viability. Finally, these economic ups and downs have a dramatic effect on organizations as well on domestic markets as the worldwide economic influence continues on organizations. This phenomenon could be seen during the last financial crisis. The effects were recognized in the USA first; then they hit Europe, Japan and finally the rest of the world. As a consequence, several automobile manufacturers have announced production cutbacks and reduced employment. Parallel to the external reasons there are different internal forces for change: Corporate strategy Workforce Technology and equipment Employee attitudes It is not unusual for an organization to change its strategy. It can lead e.g. to a large number of changes if the organization decides to adopt a new distribution methodology or a new logistic strategy. Also a merger will change an organisation’s way of acting. (For example, a company decides to  enter the e-commerce business). The introduction of new equipment or new technology is another internal force for change which affects an organization. The implementation of new technology needs new processes or structures. Through this, employees will have to be trained for new work processes or new jobs. The composition of an organization’s workforce never stays static because it changes in terms of gender, age or education. New employees join the organization and other people leave. With these changes, managers may need to redesign work and work groups in order to ensure the job requirements match the skills of the people. Lastly, employee attitudes such as the level of job satisfaction can lead to either negative or positive forces for change. If employees are dissatisfied, then there can be an increased level of employee absenteeism which can lead to changing practices or management of staff. 1.3 Origins of Change Management Again, a distinction between change management as a result of changing technologies and change management based on different management styles has to be made (in practice however, one factor is certainly influencing the other). Change management has his origins in the 1950’s. In those days modern forms of management were introduced (e.g. teamwork, autonomous groups) and the â€Å"war† between followers of top-down (change) approaches and bottom-up (change) approaches began. Top-down organizations are characterizes by the relatively low influence of subsystems. With the exception of the top management, employees are placed in a given process pattern. The organisation’s units are co-ordinated within a system of regulations and the organisation’s development is steered from top down. Bottom-up organizations are characterized by the relatively high influence of subsystems. The organisation’s development is carried by involved employees. A structural partial autonomy is conceded to the single subsystems. The organisation units are relatively independent in their execution of problems and could be basically capable of surviving on their own. Regulations are found primarily in the form of general behavioural instructions and the basis of â€Å"Common Senseâ€Å". The organisation’s development is therefore developing itself bottom-up. The best known concepts of  top-down management are business process re-engineering and business reengineering. The concept of business process re-engineering is aimed at changes concerning quality, service, cost and processing time. The core idea is process orientation. The concept of business process re-engineering takes into consideration strategy creation as well as process creation without describing, however, methods and instruments in detail. The documentation of the actual and the planned processes remain at a relatively coarse level and the main weight lies with few identified core processes. Business re-engineering is aimed at the radical redesign of enterprise strategies or essential enterprise processes. Its purpose is the improvement around scales in significant and measurable achievement dimensions in the areas of costs, quality, service and time. The implementation of this concept requires a â€Å"strong manager† who not only initiates the changes but also encourages the employees to make the necessary changes. Business re-engineering, therefore, is based on order and control, while the comprehensive knowledge of the organisation’s development and the participative system’s creation is maintained. The best known concepts of bottom-up management are kaizen and lean management. Kaizen (Japanese for â€Å"improvement† or â€Å"change for the better†) focuses upon continuous improvement of processes in manufacturing, engineering, development, marketing etc. (main business processes), supporting business processes and management. Kaizen as a management approach is based on the idea that no actual status (of a process or an organisation) is good enough to be kept. Kaizen refers to a continuous improvement of all functions and involves all employees from the executive board to the assembly line workers. It also applies to processes, such as purchasing and logistics and always involves the entire organization. Kaizen was first implemented in several Japanese businesses after the Second World War, influenced in part by American business and quality management teachers who visited the country. It has since spread throughout the world Lean Management explains how to link the advantages of batch-producing organizations (speed, low unit cost) with the benefits of a customer-oriented organisation (high flexibility, customizing, quality). â€Å"Lean† must be understood as â€Å"Lean Enterpriseâ€Å", an enterprise with  customer-oriented organisation which values customers, suppliers and employees. Principles of lean management are a gradual approach, group orientation, own responsibility, constant feedback in lower management levels and a long-term orientation. Other ideas of lean management are an enterprise-wide improvement of the quality, acceleration of the development, harmonious integration of the enterprise into the society as well as outsourcing and concentration on specific strengths of the organisation. The focus lies on the soft factors. Also in relation to a process-oriented thinking and strategy creation, lean management uses the Kaizen approach. Nevertheless, the concentration on a few, significant core processes is strongly stressed here. Comparing the bottom-up and top-down approaches, the advantage of a bottom-up orientation lies with the possibility of adapting the rhythm of the development and the capacity of the organisation for development. Small changes can be achieved at short notice or immediately, while lasting changes run smoothly and could guarantee a constant improvement of the problem solution capacity of the enterprise. On the other hand, permanent change processes and the constant restlessness linked with such change processes can also affect negatively the organisation, as possibly no clear direction is recognizable any longer. Few enterprises are ready for a radical change in their orientation as demanded in a top-down approach. No organisation is able to reorganize itself and the whole value-added chain ad hoc. Frequently the longevity of the soft factor â€Å"enterprise culture† is underestimated. Changes in the enterprise culture need time and, hence, are an object of evolutionary and participative approach and not a revolutionary and authoritarian process. The advantages of the top-down approach are the straight-forward attempt of comprehensive, department-covering thinking and action and the focus on the central processes. Nowadays, within modern change management approaches, top-down and bottom-up approaches are mixed. As shown in fig. 1, analysis and the strategy development is mainly done top-down whereas continuous process improvement is driven from the bottom-up. Constant dialogue between the involved parties guarantees a constant improvement and focusing on the core requirements. Figure 1: Modern Change Management – Bottom-Up meets Top-Down So change management is the: correct understanding of the organizations that want or need to be changed correct understanding of the people who are willing or forced to change the effectively realization of change understanding the dynamics of change Changes should be facilitated by the organizational structure because this enhances adaptation and flexibility. A simple organizational structure will reach a simple dynamic environment or, on the other hand, a simple dynamic environment needs a simple structure only. For a complex dynamic environment an adhocracy will be needed. Adhocracy means more democracy and less bureaucracy. One of the most important points is the people, because they form the organization. The culture of organization includes their way of working, attitudes and norms. These facts are at the core of every change and they are difficult to handle. Personal modifications regarding attitudes or skills in leadership or communication are hard to identify but ineffectiveness can be indicated by problems and conflicts in the management of human resources. 2. Concepts of Change Management A number of models are available to facilitate one’s understanding of transitioning of individuals through the phases of change management and strengthening organizational development initiatives in both government and corporate sectors. 2.1 Lewin ´s Change Theory Kurt Lewin theorized a three-stage model of change that has come to be known as the unfreezing-changerefreeze model which requires prior learning to be rejected and replaced. Edgar Schein provided further detail for a more comprehensive model of change, calling this approach â€Å"cognitive redefinition.† Lewin ´s model will be discussed later in this book in more detail.. 2.2 Chin & Benne ´s â€Å"Effecting Changes in Human System† Chin and Benne (1969) and Havelock (1971) each articulated different approaches but shared some  overlapping concepts. Some of the models had a primary focus on innovation and organization, while others focus on the individual: Empirical-rational approach The basic assumption underlying the empirical-rational model is that individuals are rational and will follow their rational self-interest. Thus, if a â€Å"good† change is suggested, people of good intention will adopt the change. This approach â€Å"posits that change is created by the dissemination of innovative techniques†. A primary strategy of this model is the dissemination of knowledge gained from research. One example of agencies and systems used for the development and diffusion of such research results are agricultural extension systems and the county agents who disseminate the results of agricultural research. In education, these activities are the domain of educational research and development centers,,regional educational laboratories, state departments of education, colleges and universities, national diffusion networks, intermediate service agencies, and staff development personnel within school districts. The rational view generally ignores the fact that school systems are already crowded with existing passive recipients, who may not have the necessary time or expertise to adopt or apply the new knowledge or program. Power-coercive approach The power-coercive approach relies on influencing individuals and systems to change through legislation and external leverage where the power of various types is the dominant factor. Power-coercive strategies emphasize political, economic, and moral sanctions, with the focus on using power of some kind to â€Å"force† individuals to adopt the change. One strategy is non-violent protest and demonstrations. A second strategy is the use of political institutions to achieve change – for example, changing educational policies through state-level legislation. Judicial decisions also impact educational policy. A third power-coercive strategy is recomposing or manipulating the power elite – electing people to public office, for instance, to support an intended change. History is replete with mandates, and other power- coercive strategies, which resulted in little change. Normative-re-educative approach In the normative-re-educative approach, the individual is seen as being actively in search of satisfying needs and interests. The individual does not passively accept what comes, but takes action to advance his/her goals. Further, changes are not just rational responses to new information but occur at the more personal level of values and habits. Additionally, the  individual is guided by social and institutional norms. The overarching principle of this model is that the individual must take part in his/her own change if it is to occur. This model includes direct intervention by change agents, who focus on the client system and who work collaboratively with the clients to identify and solve their problems. The normative-re-educative approach employs the help of change agents to assist clients in the change process by identifying needs; suggesting solutions, examining alternatives, and planning actions; transforming intention into adoption; stabilizing the change. The use of an agent to support clients and facilitate change was present in the early models. The concept of the change agent evolved further and has been reported in studies of educational and other organizational change. 2.3 Bullock and Batten’s Phases of Planned Change R.J. Bullock and D. Batten derived their ideas from project management and they recommend using exploration, planning, action, and integration for planned change. Exploration occurs when managers confirm the need for change and secure resources required to achieve it. These resources may be physical or they may be mental, such as a managers’ expertise. The next step, planning, occurs when key decisionmakers and experts create a change plan that they then review and approve. Next, action occurs with enactment of the plan. There should be opportunities for feedback during the action phase. Finally, integration begins when all actions in the change plan have taken place. Integration occurs when the changes have been aligned with the organization and there is some degree of formalization, such as through policies and procedures in the organization. Bullock and Batten analyzed over 30 models of change management and arrived at their own 4-phase model of programmed change management which can be applied to almost any circumstance. The model is useful in that it distinguishes between the ‘phases’ of change which the organization passes through as it implements change, and the ‘processes’ of change, i.e. the methods applied to get the organization to the desired state. The model progresses as follows: Exploration phase – The organization has to make decision on the need for change: Explore and decide on the need for change Identify what  changes are required Identify resources required Planning phase – Understanding the problem: Diagnosis of the problem Clarify goals and objectives Identify specific activities required to undertake change Agree changes with stakeholders Identify supports required to enable change to occur Action phase – Changes identified are agreed and implemented: Support for change is explicit Changes are monitored and evaluated Results are communicated and acted upon Adjustments and refinements are made where necessary Integration phase – Stabilising and embedding change: Changes supported and reinforced Results and outcomes from change communicated throughout the organization Continuous development of employees through training, education Ongoing monitoring and evaluation 2.4 Beckhard and Harris change formula The change formula is a mathematical representation of the change process. The basic notion is that, for change to occur, the costs of change must be outweighed by dissatisfaction with the status quo, the desirability of the proposed change, and the practicality of the change. There will be resistance to change if people are not dissatisfied with the current state of the organization, or if the changes are not seen as an improvement, if the change cannot be done in a feasible way, or the cost is far too high. This formula can also be conceptualized as (D Ãâ€" V Ãâ€" F) > R. D = Dissatisfaction V = Vision F = First Steps R = Resistance to Change The multiplicative nature of this formula indicates that if any variable is zero or near zero, resistance to change will not be overcome. In other words, the variables of D, V, and F do not compensate for one another, and when one is very low, the cost of change is likely to be too high. 2.5 7-S Model Consultants at McKinsey & Company developed the 7S model in the late 1970s to help managers address the difficulties of organizational change. The model  shows that organizational immune systems and the many interconnected variables involved make change complex, and that an effective change effort must address many of these issues simultaneously. The 7-S Model is a framework for analyzing organizations and their effectiveness. It looks at the seven key elements that make the organizations successful, or not: strategy; structure; systems; style; skills; staff; and shared values. The 7-S model is a tool for managerial analysis and action that provides a structure with which to consider a company as a whole, so that the organization’s problems may be diagnosed and a strategy may be developed and implemented. The 7-S diagram illustrates the multiplicity interconnectedness of elements that define an organization’s ability to change. This theory helped to change managers’ thinking about how companies could be improved. It says that it is not just a matter of devising a new strategy and following it through. Nor is it a matter of setting up new systems and letting them generate improvements. To be effective, your organization must have a high degree of fit or internal alignment among all the seven Ss. Each S must be consistent with and reinforce the other Ss. All Ss are interrelated, so a change in one has a ripple effect on all the others. It is impossible to make progress on one without making progress on all. Thus, to improve your organization, you have to master systems thinking and pay attention to all of the seven elements at the same time. There is no starting point or implied hierarchy – different factors may drive the business in any one organization. The 7-S Model is a valuable tool to initiate change processes and to give them direction. A helpful application is to determine the current state of each element and to compare this with the ideal state. Based on this it is possible to develop action plans to achieve the intended state. 3. The Change Process 3.1 Initiating a Top-Down Change Accelerated by global competition, the pressure to change business strategy is a worldwide phenomenon. Industrial activities are shifting from manufacturing to service, globalization of markets, political realignments, technical advances in management information systems, corporate alliances  and downsizing of organizations are changing the structures of corporations and projects. In parallel, organizations are faced with global competition. This competition is becoming more and more obvious in automobile manufacturing, consumer electronics, computers and communications and household manufacturing. Increasingly, the global heavyweight players of the world economy are large corporations involved in international or multinational projects. There is a global market and competition for most products and services. In order to effectively compete in it, organizations must use creativity and transform their cultures, structures and operations. The emergence of these global organizations c reates pressure on domestic organizations and projects to restructure and internationalize their outlook and operations. Because of these powerful forces for globalization, organizations must explore project opportunities all over the world. Technology is changing at a rate greater than at any time in history. One of the most dramatic technological changes affecting the work environment is the rapid expansion of information system technology. This technological revolution is having a profound impact on project structures, power relationships and the management of complex project interfaces. Artificial intelligence, computerintegrated manufacturing and virtual reality are creating new project opportunities in terms of their development and applications. Technology eliminates the problems of physical distance. Audio/Video conferences create the personal and direct interaction that is needed to work as a team. Engineering and manufacturing industries are assisted by robotics and computer-based design and manufacturing techniques like CAD. Fast-changing consumer preferences caused by rapid and frequent technological changes and innovations have shortened the life cycle of several goods and services. The effects of rapid product obsolescence can be dramatic for organizations which cannot adapt and quickly handle this situation. In the pharmaceutical and electronics industries, some products become obsolete in as little six months. Projects aimed at developing products and services in such industries must adapt to this rate of change in a cost-effective manner to be successful. Fig. 1 about a modern change management process showed that change management starts with a (re-)definition of the current enterprise strategy. Deciding upon the right business strategy stands therefore at the beginning of every change process.  The process of finding the right strategy is illustrated in fig. 2. Figure 2: Finding the right Strategy Countless approaches for strategy definitions are available (e.g. Porter 5-Forces-Model, 7S) and are not topic of this book. Fig. 2 only shows a general approach for the strategic approach during the change process. One step in this approach might differ from a general strategy rehearsal. During a change project, it is necessary to involve an external expert for a strategy audit! A strategy-audit is an important cornerstone for a common image about the general and strategic position of the enterprise. Beside the management or departmental management in particular, the persons who are involved in marketing and sales and therefore have a direct customer contact and should be involved at this stage. The second step in the â€Å"top-down† part has been process analysis. The process analysis reflects the modelling of the existing processes. Participative reconstruction of the processes and the visualisation of the expectations, strengths and weaknesses for the initialization of a lasting change is required. A review process (iterative vote process with the employees questioned) is mandatory. The following stage of process (re-)design cannot be separated with regard to the method and the modelling tools from the process analysis. It is only to be distinguished as an â€Å"incremental† process optimisation and a â€Å"radical† reorganisation of the enterprise processes. The target of the top-down process analysis is firstly the elimination of all non value-increasing activities and secondly the optimisation of all remaining activities. 3.2 Initiating a Bottom-Up Change Managing organizational change from the bottom-up will be more successful if some simple principles are applied. Change management entails thoughtful planning and sensitive implementation and, above all, consultation and involvement of the people affected by those changes. If change is forced, problems will arise. Change must be realistic, achievable and measurable. These aspects are especially relevant to managing personal change. Before starting organizational change, the question of strategic change has to be answered: What do we want to achieve with this change, why, and how will we  know that the change has been achieved? Who is affected by this change, and how will they react to it? How much of this change can we achieve ourselves, and what parts of the change do we need help with? These aspects relate strongly to the management of personal as well as organizational change. Change needs to be understood and managed in a way that people can cope effectively with it. Change can be unsettling, so the manager logically needs to be a settling influence. Whenever an organization imposes new things on people there will be difficulties. Participation, involvement and open, early, full communication are the important factors. Workshops are very useful processes to develop collective understanding, approaches, policies, methods, systems, ideas, etc. Staff surveys are a helpful way to repair damage and mistrust among staff – provided you allow people to complete them anonymously, and provided you publish and act on the findings. Management training, empathy and facilitative capability are priority areas – managers are crucial to the change process – they must enable and facilitate, not merely convey and implement policy from above, which does not work – Change must involve the people change must not be imposed upon the people. One has to be wary of expressions like ‘mindset change’, and ‘changing people’s mindsets’ or ‘changing attitudes’, because this language often indicates a tendency towards imposed or enforced change and it implies strongly that the organization believes that its people currently have the ‘wrong’ mindset, which is never, ever, the case. If people are not approaching their tasks or the organization effectively, then the organization has the wrong mindset, not the people. Change such as new structures, policies, targets, acquisitions, disposals, re-locations, etc., all create new systems and environments, which need to be explained to people as early as possible, so that people’s involvement in validating and refining the changes themselves can be obtained. The following change management principles should be adopted]: At all times involve and agree support from people within the system (system = environment, processes, culture, relationships, behaviours, etc., whether personal or organizational). Understand where you/the organization is at the moment. Understand where you want to be, when, why, and what the measures will be for getting there. Plan development towards No.3 above in appropriate, achievable measurable stages. Communicate, involve, enable and facilitate  involvement from people, as early, openly and as fully as is possible.

Womens rights

History of women's rights See also: Legal rights of women in history and Timeline of women's rights (other than voting) China The status of women In China was low, largely due to the custom of foot binding. About 45% of Chinese women had bound feet in the 19th century. For the upper classes, it was almost 100%. In 1912, the Chinese government ordered the cessation of foot-binding. Foot-binding Involved alteration of the bone structure so that the feet were only about 4 inches long.The bound feet caused difficulty of movement, thus greatly limiting the activities of women. Due to the social custom that men and omen should not be near to one another, the women of China were reluctant to be treated by male doctors of Western Medicine. This resulted in a tremendous need for female doctors of Western Medicine in China. Thus, female medical missionary Dr. Mary H. Fulton (1854-1927)[3] was sent by the Foreign Missions Board of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to found the first medical college for women in China.Known as the Hackett Medical College for Women this College was located In Guangzhou, China, and was enabled by a large donation from Mr. Edward A. K. Hackett (1851-1916) of Indiana, USA. The College was aimed at the spreading of Christianity and modern medicine and the elevation of Chinese women's social Greece The status of women in ancient Greece varied form city state to city state. Records exist of women in ancient Delphi, Gortyn, Thessaly, Megara and Sparta owning land, the most prestigious form of private property at the tlme. [8] In ancient Athens. omen had no legal personhood and were assumed to be part of the oikos headed by the male kyrios. Until marriage, women were under the guardianship of their father or other male relative. once married the husband became a woman's kyrlos. As omen were barred from conducting legal proceedings, the kyrios would do so on their behalf. [9] Athenian women had limited right to property and therefore were not considered full citizens, as citizenship and the entitlement to civil and political rights was defined in relation to property and the means to life. 10] However, women could acquire rights over property through gifts, dowry and inheritance, though her kyrios had the right to dispose of a woman's property[11] Athenian women could enter into a contract worth less than the value of a â€Å"medimnos of barley' (a measure of grain), allowing women to engage in petty trading. 9] Slaves, like women, were not eligible for full citizenship In ancient Athens, though In rare circumstances they could become citizens if freed. The only permanent barrier to citizenship, and hence full political and civil rights, in ancient Athens was gender.No women ever acquired citizenship In ancient Athens, and therefore women were excluded In principle and practice from ancient Athenian democracy. [12] By contrast, Spartan women enjoyed a status, power, and respect that was unknown in the rest of the classical world. Although Spartan women were formally excluded from military and political life they njoyed considerable status as mothers of Spartan warriors. As men engaged in military activity, women took responsibility for running estates. Following protracted and 40% of all Spartan land and By the Hellenistic Period, some of the wealthiest Spartans were women.The unique thing about Patria Potestas was that it ad no age limits, according to Gaius a man could be consul, have a wife and children of his own and future prominence but as long as his father was alive was still under his potestas (power) and so could own nothing. Patria Potestas only ended with either the death of the father, or emancipation by him. Early in the Republic Manus Marriage ended the potestas for women, but during the middle and later Republic that form of marriage became rare, eventually disappearing completely.Marriage Under Law Rome had only two forms of marriage, and both had exactly the opposite view of legal effects. Manus Marriage was the earlier form of marriage and placed the woman under her husband's manus legally standing in the position of a daughter. Under this type of marriage women could own nothing, and had little if any legal protections. On the other hand a woman assumed the position of her husband's daughter in Manus Marriage making her agnatically instead of cognatically related to Manus, and was the opposite of Manus.Women married Sine Manu experienced no legal changes, so if her father was alive at time of marriage she continued to be his dependent and before the reign of Marcus Aurelius he could even force an end to he marriage. The lack of any legal change of status for the women meant that (provided their father had either died or emancipated them) they could own property, conduct most forms of business, and divorce her husband (without any reason needed). Legally speaking the only lack of independence a woman in Rome experienced in a marriage without Manus was from her fathe r.The only legal issue related to marriage was dowry. A dowry was not required by law, but was usually provided by a father or if a father was nonexistent it would be whatever the bride wished to come out of her own estate. It was administered by the husband, but in the vent of a divorce he was required to provide either the dowry or the equivalent of it back to his wife. In the case of adultery, husbands got to keep portions of the dowry. Politics Legally speaking women were banned from politics.As with freedmen and slaves of the Imperial Family women of the imperial family gained some benefits from the fall of the Republic, but because the nature of the Principate was to hide dictatorship such power had to be subtle and kept out of the public eye when possible. The ban on women and politics was they could not vote or run for office (sine suffragio) enlist n the army, or represent somebody else in court, women speaking their minds was not considered politics and so some women like Hortensia managed to make appearances in politics without violating the law.Inheritance Rights Everyone under the potestas of another had equal rights of inheritance under Roman Law, and wills that did otherwise ran risks of being challenged and invalidated as negligent. Stoic Influence Stoic philosophies had a strong effect on the development of law in ancient Rome. The Roman stoic thinkers Seneca and Musonius Rufus developed theories of Just elationships (not to be confused with equality in society, or even equality) arguing that nature gives men and women equal capacity for virtue and equal obligations to act virtuously (a vague concept).Therefore they argued that men and women have an equal need for philosophical education. [20] Stoic theories entered Roman law first through the Roman lawyer and senator Marcus Tullius Cicero and the influence of stoicism and philosophy increased while the status of women improved under the Empire. [21] Religious scriptures Bible See Women in the Bible â€Å"Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. (Genesis 3:20) â€Å"Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. † Oudges 4:4) God chose a woman, Deborah, to lead Israel.Qur'an The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. feminism, and Sex segregation and Islam The Qur'an, revealed to Muhammad over the course of 23 years, provide guidance to the Islamic community and modified existing customs in Arab society. From 610 and 661, known as the early reforms under Islam, the Qur'an introduced fundamental reforms to customary law and ntroduced rights for women in marriage, divorce and inheritance.By providing that the wife, not her family, would receive a dowry from the husband, which she could administer as her personal property, the Qur'an made women a legal party to the marriage contra ct. [citation needed] While in customary law inheritance was limited to male descendents, the Qur'an introduced rules on inheritance with certain fixed shares being distributed to designated heirs, first to the nearest female relatives and then the nearest male relatives. 22] According to Annemarie Schimmel â€Å"compared to he pre-lslamic position of women, Islamic legislation meant an enormous progress; the woman has the right, at least according to the letter of the law, to administer the wealth she has brought into the family or has earned by her own work. â€Å"[23] The general improvement of the status of Arab women included prohibition of female infanticide and recognizing women's full personhood. [24] Women were generally given greater rights than women in pre-lslamic Arabia[25][26] and medieval Europe. [27] Women were not accorded with such legal status in other cultures until centuries later. 28] According to Professor William Montgomery Watt, when seen in uch historical context, Muhammad â€Å"can be seen as a fgure who testified on behalf of women's rights. â€Å"[29] The Middle Ages According to English Common Law, which developed from the 12th century onward, all property which a wife held at the time of a marriage became a possession of her husband. Eventually English courts forbade a husband's transferring property without the consent of his wife, but he still retained the right to manage it and to receive the money which it produced.French married women suffered from restrictions on their legal capacity which were removed only in 1965. [30] In the 16th entury, the Reformation in Europe allowed more women to add their voices, including the English writers Jane Anger, Aemilia Lanyer, and the prophetess Anna Trapnell. English and American Quakers believed that men and women were equal. Many Quaker women were preachers. [31] Despite relatively greater freedom for Anglo-Saxon women, until the mid-19th century, writers largely assumed that a pat riarchal order was a natural order that had always existed. 32] This perception was not seriously challenged until the 18th century when Jesuit missionaries found matrilineality in native North American peoples. [33] 18th and 19th century Europe The Debutante (1807) by Henry Fuseli; The woman, victim of male social conventions, is tied to the wall, made to sew and guarded by governesses. The picture reflects Mary Wollstonecraft's views in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, published in 1792. [34] Starting in the late 18th century, and throughout the 19th century, rights, as a concept and claim, gained increasing political, social and philosophical importance in Europe.Movements emerged which demanded freedom of religion, the abolition of slavery, rights for women, rights for those who did not own property and universal to political debates in both France and Britain. At the time some of the greatest thinkers of the Enlightenment, who defended democratic principles of equality and challenged notions that a privileged few should rule over the vast majority of the population, believed that these principles should be applied only to their own gender and their own race.The philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau for example thought that it was the order of nature for woman to obey men. He wrote â€Å"Women do wrong to complain of the inequality of man-made laws† and claimed that â€Å"when she tries to usurp our rights, she is our First page of the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen In 1791 he French playwright and political activist Olympe de Gouges published the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen,[37] modelled on the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789.The Declaration is ironic in formulation and exposes the failure of the French Revolution, which had been devoted to equality. It states that: â€Å"This revolution will only take effect when all women become fully aware of their deplorable condition, and of the rights they have lost in society'. The Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen ollows the seventeen articles of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen point for point and has been described by Camille Naish as â€Å"almost a parody†¦ f the original document†. The first article of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen proclaims that â€Å"Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be based only on common utility. † The first article of Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen replied: â€Å"Woman is born free and remains equal to man in rights. Social distinctions may only be based on common utility'.De Gouges expands the sixth article of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which declared the rights of citizens to take part in the formation of law, to: Australian women's rights were lampooned in this 1887 Melbourne Punch cartoon: A hypothetical female member foists her baby's care on the House Speaker â€Å"All citizens including women are equally admissible to all public dignities, offices and employments, according to their capacity, and with no other distinction than that of their virtues and talents†. De Gouges also draws attention to the fact that under French law women were fully punishable, yet denied equal rights. 8] Mary Wollstonecraft, a British writer and philosopher, published A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792, arguing that it was the education and upbringing of women that created limited expectations. Women’s Rights Over the centuries, women have faced numerous difficulties in a male supremacist infested society who places gender as the main determining element of human capacity. Despite the rise of liberal, secularist ideologies that express support for women’s rights in the 08th and 19th centuries, the problem remains chronic as there remain social prejudices and blind convictions on the weaknesses and shortcomings of women as members of society. . During the 50s, the media projected women as undignified citizens who do not have the right to exercise free will. Maurice Isserman and Michael Kazin recall Seventeen Magazine to have advised their readers about the role of women in a relationship. That the woman’s role was to function as partners and not rivals, enemies, and playthings, and that the relationship between women and men should create a heaven, a home that should serve as a place of sanctuary and peace (Isserman & Kazin, 2000, 13). The 1960s proved, on the other hand, to be one of the biggest turning points of women’s rights in the United States and across the world. Apart from the emergence of the second wave of feminists, the Vietnam War provided opportunities for women to show their capabilities as members of the working class. The entrance of women to the realm of the paid labor force were led by women who at the time were over the 40-year old mark Despite such remarkable turn of events, women remained to be deemed as underrated second class citizens. Primarily, tradition norms hold that women should not be granted education and right to labor as their capabilities are not equal to those of their male counterparts. As a result, society failed to acknowledge the statistical proliferation of women in the labor sector because of traditional belief and practice. In doing so, society also failed to look at the fact that the entrance of women in the labor force meant that women as unrecognized members of society have finally broken the domestic ideal that women are supposed to show their supremacy as homemakers and housewives. For the African American woman however, the deprivation of rights were enveloped in the concepts of gender and ethnicity. While African-American women enjoyed the rights to having paid labor similar to those of their male counterparts, they were always compared to white women (Isserman & Kazin, 2000, 26). And considering the rampant racial discrimination during the 20th century, the comparisons between African-American women and Caucasian women implied negativity. Likewise, the right to purity for African American women was among the most alarming concerns as the accepted norm regarding women who take pleasure for sensual activities were only ascribed to African American women. Maurice Isserman and Michael Kazin (2000, 27) write that white American Writer Willie Morris was shocked by the fact that a woman of his own skin tone does actually enjoy sexual intercourse. Morris added more insult to injury as he denoted his personal thought that â€Å"only Negro women engaged in the act of love with white males just for fun (Isserman & Kazin, 2000, 27). † Women’s rights over the years have been hindered by male supremacists who only believed in the capabilities of their own ego. However, it has also been apparent that apart from gender, skin tone and other physical features are also factors that hinder women from proliferating and being part of a prejudice-free society. But putting all the obstacles that gender issues bring forth, such obstacles should not be the cause of disheartening but a beacon of hope that women would one day face a world free of blind prejudice and mindless conformity. Women’s Rights Women are increasingly under attack in Afghanistan as far as women’s rights are concerned. The Taliban overthrew the afghan government in 1996, and ruled from 1996-2001, and during that time; strict restrictions had been executed on women. Women and girls were not allowed to work or receive education. There was an exception to the rule if a woman was widowed, and had no other source of income, and then she could work. Women could not go outside, unless they were covered in a head to toe â€Å"burqua,† which is their traditional attire, and a male relative had to accompany them. The burqua only has a small mesh opening over the eyes allowing limited vision, and many of the women had been injured due to poor visibility. If a woman showed a bit of her ankle or had noisy shoes, she would be beaten. In addition, women had no voice, so they are were not allowed to speak in public. From puberty until death, women could only speak to men who were relatives. Once â€Å"The War on Terrorism† began, it gave the Afghan and Iraqi women hope to reform their nation and improve the social situation. The Taliban were chased from the country by U. S. military forces in 2001, and there have been some improvements in women’s rights concerning education and employment although many still suffer the hardships they did before the war. Most improvements have happened in major cites of Afghanistan such as Kabul, leaving rural areas with very much change at all. The police still enforce the wearing of the â€Å"burqua† by the women, but in Kabul, many professional women no longer wear the burqua, but many still do. According to a July 2003 Human Rights Watch report, the Southeast Afghanistan army and police practice of kidnapping, robbing and raping is so prevalent that women and girls are staying home as a means of protection. The fear of assault and political intimidation prevents the women and girls from gaining an education, employment and political influence. † (National Organization for Women, 2008) There is no abiding law and order in Afghanistan by the police o r local authorities. The NATO forces do not have enough manpower to offer protection. However, armed fathers, husbands and brothers do all they can to protect the women. Afghanistan is also known for child brides and marrying off girls as young as eleven to men in their thirties and even older. â€Å"True, women hold 27 percent of the seats in the National Assembly and one-sixth of the seats in the Upper House. But most Afghan women remain illiterate, impoverished and vulnerable to political and criminal violence. Only 15 percent of Afghan woman can read. The United Nations has described Afghan women as being â€Å"among the worst-off in the world. On average, women in Afghanistan die at least 20 years younger than women elsewhere. †(Women in Afghanistan, 2006) In Herat, which is Afghanistan’s second largest city, the government has given women and girls limited educational and employment opportunities. Women groups have been censored, and derailed from the governments’ administration. It is bad enough that the government is threatening womenâ₠¬â„¢s rights, but society has imposed other means by handing out pamphlets in communities encouraging parents not to send their daughters to school, and many of the girls schools have been firebombed and burned. Some girls have been poisoned to death for going to school. Parents that often deny education for their daughters, force their young girls into marriage. Girls are forced into marriage as young as eight years old. Other restrictions that Afghan women face as a violation of women’s rights is a ban on outside employment, strict dress code for women, very limited medical care, threats of violence if seen without a husband, father or male relative and rejection of humanitarian aid. Women are denied any share of humanitarian aid delivered to their country under the assumption that the men will take care of the women. Before the Taliban takeover in 1996, the Afghanistan women were scientist, members of parliament, cabinet members, and university professors. They led corporations, non-profit organizations and local communities. Many of these women are more than qualified to lead Afghanistan back to democracy. In November 2001, shockingly, Afghan women marched for their rights in Kabul. For the first time in more than six years, Afghan women rallied for their rights. Hillary Clinton established a campaign for women in Afghanistan and in 1999; she spoke out on their behalf about the abuse and the wearing of the burqua of the women in Afghanistan. Over the years, some schools have reopened in Afghanistan allowing boys and girls to attend. Several women have also been appointed or elected to important political roles. In the past five years, in the southern city of Kandahar at least five thousand women have graduated from special literacy courses, where they learned how to read and write and were taught skills such as dressmaking or computer knowledge. There is a woman minister of public health, a woman minister of women’s affairs and a woman heading the human rights commission. Women are also now able to travel more freely, and they have returned to work. Although progress is being made, there is still much more turmoil. â€Å"Registered cases of physical violence against women and girls in Afghanistan have increased by about 40 percent since March 2007. Some women seek escape by self-immolation, resulting in death or disfigurement. Last year, at least 30 women committed suicide in the western Farah Province alone, most of them by setting themselves on fire, according to Afghan media reports. † (Afghanistan Online, 2008) The Afghanistan government announced a plan to give nearly one third of jobs to women by 2012. I hope that this will lead to greater things, and that the women’s rights of Afghanistan will improve and that every woman will be included throughout the country, and they can move forward. Women’s Rights Womens rights History of women's rights See also: Legal rights of women in history and Timeline of women's rights (other than voting) China The status of women In China was low, largely due to the custom of foot binding. About 45% of Chinese women had bound feet in the 19th century. For the upper classes, it was almost 100%. In 1912, the Chinese government ordered the cessation of foot-binding. Foot-binding Involved alteration of the bone structure so that the feet were only about 4 inches long.The bound feet caused difficulty of movement, thus greatly limiting the activities of women. Due to the social custom that men and omen should not be near to one another, the women of China were reluctant to be treated by male doctors of Western Medicine. This resulted in a tremendous need for female doctors of Western Medicine in China. Thus, female medical missionary Dr. Mary H. Fulton (1854-1927)[3] was sent by the Foreign Missions Board of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to found the first medical college for women in China.Known as the Hackett Medical College for Women this College was located In Guangzhou, China, and was enabled by a large donation from Mr. Edward A. K. Hackett (1851-1916) of Indiana, USA. The College was aimed at the spreading of Christianity and modern medicine and the elevation of Chinese women's social Greece The status of women in ancient Greece varied form city state to city state. Records exist of women in ancient Delphi, Gortyn, Thessaly, Megara and Sparta owning land, the most prestigious form of private property at the tlme. [8] In ancient Athens. omen had no legal personhood and were assumed to be part of the oikos headed by the male kyrios. Until marriage, women were under the guardianship of their father or other male relative. once married the husband became a woman's kyrlos. As omen were barred from conducting legal proceedings, the kyrios would do so on their behalf. [9] Athenian women had limited right to property and therefore were not considered full citizens, as citizenship and the entitlement to civil and political rights was defined in relation to property and the means to life. 10] However, women could acquire rights over property through gifts, dowry and inheritance, though her kyrios had the right to dispose of a woman's property[11] Athenian women could enter into a contract worth less than the value of a â€Å"medimnos of barley' (a measure of grain), allowing women to engage in petty trading. 9] Slaves, like women, were not eligible for full citizenship In ancient Athens, though In rare circumstances they could become citizens if freed. The only permanent barrier to citizenship, and hence full political and civil rights, in ancient Athens was gender.No women ever acquired citizenship In ancient Athens, and therefore women were excluded In principle and practice from ancient Athenian democracy. [12] By contrast, Spartan women enjoyed a status, power, and respect that was unknown in the rest of the classical world. Although Spartan women were formally excluded from military and political life they njoyed considerable status as mothers of Spartan warriors. As men engaged in military activity, women took responsibility for running estates. Following protracted and 40% of all Spartan land and By the Hellenistic Period, some of the wealthiest Spartans were women.The unique thing about Patria Potestas was that it ad no age limits, according to Gaius a man could be consul, have a wife and children of his own and future prominence but as long as his father was alive was still under his potestas (power) and so could own nothing. Patria Potestas only ended with either the death of the father, or emancipation by him. Early in the Republic Manus Marriage ended the potestas for women, but during the middle and later Republic that form of marriage became rare, eventually disappearing completely.Marriage Under Law Rome had only two forms of marriage, and both had exactly the opposite view of legal effects. Manus Marriage was the earlier form of marriage and placed the woman under her husband's manus legally standing in the position of a daughter. Under this type of marriage women could own nothing, and had little if any legal protections. On the other hand a woman assumed the position of her husband's daughter in Manus Marriage making her agnatically instead of cognatically related to Manus, and was the opposite of Manus.Women married Sine Manu experienced no legal changes, so if her father was alive at time of marriage she continued to be his dependent and before the reign of Marcus Aurelius he could even force an end to he marriage. The lack of any legal change of status for the women meant that (provided their father had either died or emancipated them) they could own property, conduct most forms of business, and divorce her husband (without any reason needed). Legally speaking the only lack of independence a woman in Rome experienced in a marriage without Manus was from her fathe r.The only legal issue related to marriage was dowry. A dowry was not required by law, but was usually provided by a father or if a father was nonexistent it would be whatever the bride wished to come out of her own estate. It was administered by the husband, but in the vent of a divorce he was required to provide either the dowry or the equivalent of it back to his wife. In the case of adultery, husbands got to keep portions of the dowry. Politics Legally speaking women were banned from politics.As with freedmen and slaves of the Imperial Family women of the imperial family gained some benefits from the fall of the Republic, but because the nature of the Principate was to hide dictatorship such power had to be subtle and kept out of the public eye when possible. The ban on women and politics was they could not vote or run for office (sine suffragio) enlist n the army, or represent somebody else in court, women speaking their minds was not considered politics and so some women like Hortensia managed to make appearances in politics without violating the law.Inheritance Rights Everyone under the potestas of another had equal rights of inheritance under Roman Law, and wills that did otherwise ran risks of being challenged and invalidated as negligent. Stoic Influence Stoic philosophies had a strong effect on the development of law in ancient Rome. The Roman stoic thinkers Seneca and Musonius Rufus developed theories of Just elationships (not to be confused with equality in society, or even equality) arguing that nature gives men and women equal capacity for virtue and equal obligations to act virtuously (a vague concept).Therefore they argued that men and women have an equal need for philosophical education. [20] Stoic theories entered Roman law first through the Roman lawyer and senator Marcus Tullius Cicero and the influence of stoicism and philosophy increased while the status of women improved under the Empire. [21] Religious scriptures Bible See Women in the Bible â€Å"Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. (Genesis 3:20) â€Å"Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. † Oudges 4:4) God chose a woman, Deborah, to lead Israel.Qur'an The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. feminism, and Sex segregation and Islam The Qur'an, revealed to Muhammad over the course of 23 years, provide guidance to the Islamic community and modified existing customs in Arab society. From 610 and 661, known as the early reforms under Islam, the Qur'an introduced fundamental reforms to customary law and ntroduced rights for women in marriage, divorce and inheritance.By providing that the wife, not her family, would receive a dowry from the husband, which she could administer as her personal property, the Qur'an made women a legal party to the marriage contra ct. [citation needed] While in customary law inheritance was limited to male descendents, the Qur'an introduced rules on inheritance with certain fixed shares being distributed to designated heirs, first to the nearest female relatives and then the nearest male relatives. 22] According to Annemarie Schimmel â€Å"compared to he pre-lslamic position of women, Islamic legislation meant an enormous progress; the woman has the right, at least according to the letter of the law, to administer the wealth she has brought into the family or has earned by her own work. â€Å"[23] The general improvement of the status of Arab women included prohibition of female infanticide and recognizing women's full personhood. [24] Women were generally given greater rights than women in pre-lslamic Arabia[25][26] and medieval Europe. [27] Women were not accorded with such legal status in other cultures until centuries later. 28] According to Professor William Montgomery Watt, when seen in uch historical context, Muhammad â€Å"can be seen as a fgure who testified on behalf of women's rights. â€Å"[29] The Middle Ages According to English Common Law, which developed from the 12th century onward, all property which a wife held at the time of a marriage became a possession of her husband. Eventually English courts forbade a husband's transferring property without the consent of his wife, but he still retained the right to manage it and to receive the money which it produced.French married women suffered from restrictions on their legal capacity which were removed only in 1965. [30] In the 16th entury, the Reformation in Europe allowed more women to add their voices, including the English writers Jane Anger, Aemilia Lanyer, and the prophetess Anna Trapnell. English and American Quakers believed that men and women were equal. Many Quaker women were preachers. [31] Despite relatively greater freedom for Anglo-Saxon women, until the mid-19th century, writers largely assumed that a pat riarchal order was a natural order that had always existed. 32] This perception was not seriously challenged until the 18th century when Jesuit missionaries found matrilineality in native North American peoples. [33] 18th and 19th century Europe The Debutante (1807) by Henry Fuseli; The woman, victim of male social conventions, is tied to the wall, made to sew and guarded by governesses. The picture reflects Mary Wollstonecraft's views in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, published in 1792. [34] Starting in the late 18th century, and throughout the 19th century, rights, as a concept and claim, gained increasing political, social and philosophical importance in Europe.Movements emerged which demanded freedom of religion, the abolition of slavery, rights for women, rights for those who did not own property and universal to political debates in both France and Britain. At the time some of the greatest thinkers of the Enlightenment, who defended democratic principles of equality and challenged notions that a privileged few should rule over the vast majority of the population, believed that these principles should be applied only to their own gender and their own race.The philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau for example thought that it was the order of nature for woman to obey men. He wrote â€Å"Women do wrong to complain of the inequality of man-made laws† and claimed that â€Å"when she tries to usurp our rights, she is our First page of the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen In 1791 he French playwright and political activist Olympe de Gouges published the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen,[37] modelled on the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789.The Declaration is ironic in formulation and exposes the failure of the French Revolution, which had been devoted to equality. It states that: â€Å"This revolution will only take effect when all women become fully aware of their deplorable condition, and of the rights they have lost in society'. The Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen ollows the seventeen articles of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen point for point and has been described by Camille Naish as â€Å"almost a parody†¦ f the original document†. The first article of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen proclaims that â€Å"Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be based only on common utility. † The first article of Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen replied: â€Å"Woman is born free and remains equal to man in rights. Social distinctions may only be based on common utility'.De Gouges expands the sixth article of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which declared the rights of citizens to take part in the formation of law, to: Australian women's rights were lampooned in this 1887 Melbourne Punch cartoon: A hypothetical female member foists her baby's care on the House Speaker â€Å"All citizens including women are equally admissible to all public dignities, offices and employments, according to their capacity, and with no other distinction than that of their virtues and talents†. De Gouges also draws attention to the fact that under French law women were fully punishable, yet denied equal rights. 8] Mary Wollstonecraft, a British writer and philosopher, published A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792, arguing that it was the education and upbringing of women that created limited expectations.