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Risk Factors For Gestational Diabetes Mellitus - 1765 Words

While a universal screening strategy is the best strategy to assure that all women with GDM are diagnosed and treated, the cost of such a strategy may prove to be prohibitive for some populations. Known risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus include a family history of diabetes, race (Asian, African-American, Hispanic and Native American women have a higher incidence of GDM than non-Hispanic Caucasian women [Ferrara, 2007; Slocum and Burke Sosa, 2002]), obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≠¥25 kg/m2), high pre-pregnancy fasting blood glucose levels, increased maternal age, parity, polycystic ovarian syndrome, sociodemographic and behavioral attributes, previous adverse pregnancy outcomes, and previous GDM (Gunderson, et al., 2007;†¦show more content†¦The risk factors selected for this study were a family history of diabetes, a personal history of GDM, maternal age of 35 or older, a BMI ≠¥25 kg/m2, and a history of macrosomia in a previous pregnancy. It should be noted that two of these criteria (previous GDM and previous macrosomic infant) cannot be applied to nulliparous women. In this study, investigators found that the number of risk factors identified was directly proportional to the prevalence of GDM and the incidence of adverse events related to GDM, including preeclampsia, macrosomia, LGA infants, and shoulder dystocia. Interestingly, 35% of the women on the study that did not have any of the risk factors identified were subsequently diagnosed with gestational diabetes. These women also experienced more GDM-related events, despite being treated, than women without GDM. This high percentage is likely reflective of the low number of risk factors used in the study (only three risk factors for nulliparous women), combined with the fact that patients may be mistaken regarding family medical history. The patients in this study were predominantly of low socioeconomic status, which is considered by many experts to be a risk factor f or GDM (Gunderson, et al., 2007). If socioeconomic status had been used as one of the risk factors evaluated, it is likely that far fewer than 35% of patients without risk factors would have

The Crucible Comparison Free Essays

Katelyn Mittler 10/4/12 4th hour Hegemony through Terror Lost, terrified, and not in control of their own thoughts, Mary Warren and Shawn Hornbeck strive for the life they once lived. In 1692, The Crucible character, Mary Warren comes under the control of foil character, Abigail Williams. In a similar, more recent story, Shawn Hornbeck’s normal life of video games, hanging out with friends, and dirt biking, is ripped away from him with Michael Devlin forcefully kidnaps him with the intent of murder. We will write a custom essay sample on The Crucible Comparison or any similar topic only for you Order Now Everyday coerced by their fear, constantly reminded death reigns imminent. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, character Mary Warren, threatened by Abigail Williams not to release they are pretending, lives a lie; just as missing child, Shawn Hornbeck, manipulated by Michael Devlin, cannot release his true identity. Falling into great peer pressure while facing threats from Abigail, Mary makes the courageous decision to tell the truth, but Abigail strengthens her grip and the truth crumbles. Mary knows the girls are lying but struggles with the imminent threats from Abby in her rebuke to Proctor, â€Å"She’ll kill me for sayin’ that! (Miller 80). Mary gets this idea from the death threat imposed on her by Abby â€Å"and mark this. Let either of you breathe a word or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you† (20). Abigail scares not just Mary, but all the girls with threats. After trying to tell the truth, Mary suc cumbs to the torment of Abby. â€Å"Abby, Abby, I’ll never hurt you more† (119). The â€Å"pointy reckoning† that Abigail threatens Mary with does its justice and Mary morphs back into a powerless silenced girl. Similarly, from Shawn’s abduction on October 6th 2002 to his discovery on January 12th 2007, Devlin forces Shawn into living a lie. Shawn spares himself from the wrath of Devlin as he remains powerless in a glass case of emotions. â€Å"From day one he had the gun, he had the power. I was powerless and there was nothing I could physically do† (Kidnapped: Shawn Hornbeck). Devlin holds all of the power, leaving Shawn unable to even think clearly. According to Shawn’s stepdad, Craig Akers, â€Å"Devlin’s control over Shawn was complete and total† (Kidnapped: Craig Akers). Through Devlin’s â€Å"complete and total control,† Shawn makes what his parents call â€Å"A deal with the devil† to save his own life. â€Å"Shawn told the defendant that he would do whatever he wanted him to if he didn’t kill him† (Kidnapped: Akers). â€Å"Devlin agreed not to kill Shawn as long as he made what we called ‘a deal with the devil’. He could never contact anyone, never try to run. And if he did he would be killed† (Kidnapped: Akers). This â€Å"deal with the devil† results in Shawn living a lie. â€Å"Shawn became Shawn Devlin and for the next four and a half years the deal he made that day left him tied to his tormentor†(Kidnapped: Sheriff Gary Toelke). The haunting agreements made that day leaves Shawn trapped in a world of terror only known by few. Mary Warren and Shawn Hornbeck are under what psychologists call â€Å"control by terror†. Living a lie, both are coerced into deciding between saving themselves by staying in this lie or to reveal the truth and face the forever imminent death threats. Mary and Shawn fear if they release the truth, they will be killed. Through this fear, Shawn and Mary start to believe their fake stories. Mary believes the girls are doing God’s work, and Shawn starts accepting the harsh reality of being Shawn Devlin. Mary and Shawn predicaments are not predestined; they are, as Devlin says when he first grabs Shawn, â€Å"you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time†. Mary’s â€Å"wrong place† starts with her dancing in the woods. Shawn’s begins with taking the shortcut road to a friend’s house. Eventually, Mary gives up and gives in. she succumbs to Abby, becoming the person she never intended. On a brighter note, even though he accepts Shawn Devlin as his new identity, Shawn never gives up hope. Shawn knows his family is still seeking his safe return and makes some efforts to discreetly contact them. On the day the police find Shawn, a huge weight liftes off his shoulders. He says, â€Å"It was a new feeling to say who I really was. † Shawn starts slowly back into his old set of norms. Mary and Shawn lose their personal identities to save themselves, each take a different route in trying to rediscover them. Through further investigation, it is evident that Mary Warren and Shawn Hornbeck encounter the same feelings of terror but are also uniquely different from each other. They fear for their lives as they struggle internally with revealing the truth or living with the guilt and constant terror behind the lies. Shawn and Mary both encounter numerous times when opportunities to tell the truth stands right in front of them; however, struck by fear they remain silent. Though Mary’s story does not result in a sugar-coated ending, Shawn’s story of torment and terror leads to triumph and a truly heart-warming story. Shawn teaches everyone to never give up hope and that you will always find your way back home, Mary’s story teaches a valuable life lesson to stand up for what you believe in, even if you are standing alone. Though Shawn and Mary encountered horrific events, they are truly two people (fictional or not) who show evident and inspirational life lessons. How to cite The Crucible Comparison, Essay examples

History 111

History 111- Causes Of The Civil War Essay Causes of the Civil WarAlthough some historians feel that the Civil War was a result of political blunders and that the issue of slavery did not cause the conflict, they ignore the two main causes. The expansion of slavery, and its entrance into the political scene. The North didnt care about slavery as long as it stayed in the South. South Carolina seceded, because Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, was voted into office. The Republican party threatened the Souths expansion and so Southerners felt that they had no other choice. The United States was divided into three groups by the time the Civil War began: those who believed in the complete abolition of slavery, those who were against the expansionof slavery, and those who were pro slavery. The Republican party was formed in opposition to southern expansion. Their views were Free Soil, Free Men and Free Labor. The Republicans were anti-South but they were in not abolitionists. They believed that slavery was a flawed system that made th e south ineffective and because the Norths free labor system was superior it must be guardedfrom southerners. When the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860, the South felt threatened, and because expansion was vital to the survival of slavery they also felt their way of life was being threatened. Because slavery was such an important part of Southern society, the Southfelt that they could not survive without it. Thats why they were not willing to compromise with the north. To own slaves was a sign of wealth and social prestige and poor farmers who could not afford slaves had a goal to work for. In the election of 1860 you can see that Lincoln only secured 4% ofthe popular vote in the South, only winning in the upper 5 states, where in the north he received 54% of the popular vote. This shoes how united the South was in their dislike for Lincoln. If the South had been more divided they might have been more willing to compromise. The central cause of conflict between North and South was slavery, but it was only in its expansion that it became a reason for war. The entrance of slavery into politics made it into a public issue, and once the issue became public the conflict had to be solved. From the first years in American history, we have drank. Records of the first Europeans on America’s mainland tell about the colonists’ great thirste after their original supplies of European-made alcohol ran out. The settlers made their own wine. Eve Alcohol was imported from all over the world. Innovative colonists made alcohol from almost anything. One song from the 1700’s went like this:If barley be wanting to make into malt,We must be content and think it no fault,For we can make liquor to sweeten our lipsOf pumpkins, and parsnips, and walnut-tree chips. Not everyone approved of drinking. Many Protestant groups, including the Methodists and Lutherans had strong antidrink traditions based upon religious teachings. Prohibition was first tried in America to protect colonial settlers from the attacks of I The earliest reformers called for moderation, not total abstinence, but as their movement gained strength it demanded a complete prohibition of all beer, wine, and liquor. The first temperance legislation was passed in Massachusetts in 1838. Called the Many people in this era were beginning to be categorized as either drys or wets. Drys were against alcohol and wets were for it. Even with the increasing number of Drys in office, the liquor trade was one of the nation’s biggest industries in the lat Saloons were called the Devil’s Headquarters on earth by some. Supporting the Dry cause were such enigmatic speakers such as Billy Sunday who said:The saloon is the sum of all villainies. It is worse than war, worse than pestilence, worse than famine. It is the crime of crimes. It is the mother of sins. It is the appalling source of miseries, pauperism and crime. With all of this prohibition propaganda, the Wets were having a hard time maintaining the upper hand. Large gifts of cash came for the Dry cause from rich industrialists such as Henry Ford. The Drys saw the prize and sought it with a new fervor. Within one year and eight days of being proposed, 36 states were backing the Eighteenth Amendment. Prohibition went into effect at midnight on Saturday, January 17, 1920. This new legislation out Under the Volstead Act, 1,500 poorly trained people were assigned to enforce Prohibition. They were very ineffective. One way to get alcohol was to make it yourself. Many people hid stills wherever they could. Most people enjoyed the danger of the aut As an inadvertent result of the Prohibition Amendment was a loss of jobs. Some saloon owners closed down and opened speakeasies. Speakeasies were illegal nightclubs which sold liquor. Some beer producers continued to produce beer. They accomplished t Most of the illegal liquor came from other countries. Canada imported huge amounts of liquor which was then smuggled into the United States. Many smugglers acquired alcohol overseas, and then brought it back to the United States. They’d wait until nigh The illegal liquor trade was very appealing to the gangsters of the time. At first, the gangsters were welcomed because they brought alcohol. Soon, however, the public learned better. In Detroit, school children weren’t allowed outside at recess becaus Americans were intrigued by this. Many Americans were captivated by what was happening to America and reflected their feeling is the arts. Underworld, by Ben Hecht, was one of the first popular gangster movies. The American public loved these action-pa Americans grew anxious and more adventuresome. They dared to bend the rules more and more. With speakeasies, the harder to was to gain access too, the more people wanted to get in. These speakeasies changed the nation. Here, people could drink and be On top for the rampant disregard for the law by civilians, many of the law enforcers were corrupt. Many crime lords had the public officials on their payroll. Occasionally, as in the case of Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma in 1927, the officials actually Then there were the good guys, those Federal agents who upheld the Prohibition laws to the fullest. Two of them were Izzy Einstein and Moe Smith, the self proclaimed masters of a thousand disguises. They would put on disguises and go into speakeasies President Hoover took administering the Volstead Act very seriously. Total enforcement, however, never came about. The problem was in the federal government. It placed all enforcement responsibilities on the city and state government. The enforcement as long as it wasn’t sold in saloons or taverns. No compromise could be reached. Many Drys hoped that the passing of the 19th amendment allowing women to vote could prevent the repeal of the 18th Amendment. However, many women’s groups such as the WCTU g The presidential elections of 1932 played a big part in the repeal. Hoover, being blamed for the Depression, lost to Roosevelt. Many Wet candidate won office that year as well. After being admitted to the House and Senate, the 21st Amendment was quickl One of Prohibitio n’s lasting legacies was organized crime. The vast amount of funds that the gangsters now had allowed them to gain control of prostitution, gambling, drug dealing, as well as other illegal activities. Prohibition has become a modern con BibliographyCoffey, Thomas M. The Long Thirst. New York: WW Norton and Co., 1975Dumenil, Lynn. Modern Temper. New York: Hill and Wang, 1995Hintz, Martin. Farewell, John Barleycorn. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1996Karl, Barry D., The Uneasy State. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1983. Kerr, K. Austin, Organized For Prohibition. London: Yale University Press, 1985Lee, Henry, How Dry We Were: Prohibition Revisited. New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, 1963Organized Crime . Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia 1996 SoftKey International Inc. and its licensors. Parrish, Michael E., Anxious Decades. New York: WW Norton and Co., 1992. Prohibition. Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia 1996 SoftKey International Inc. and its licensors. Severn, Bill. The End of the Roaring Twenties: Prohibition and Repeal. New York: Julian Messner, 1969The Nineteenth Amendment On August 18, 1920 neither the United States nor any State could deny any U.S. citizen the right to vote on account of sex. (Constitution, 1987). Although the quest for equality was hard-fought, many of the women who worked for the vote were surprised they achieved it. (Ryan, 1983). The vote meant more to women than merely controlling money and jobs and equalitythe vote meant political power. Like all political changes affecting the United States, the vote was preceded by political discussion, and there were many brilliant women who spoke eloquently for womens rights. For suffragists, the issue started with manufacturing. It moved white women out of the household into a world where they could earn more than $16-22 a month. (Ryan, 1983). Unfortunately, the consequence of moving out of domestic employment left these low paying jobs to black women, which was not the intent of the movement. However, for purposes of achieving the vote, this consequence was ignored for the time being. In fact, reports Ryan, the politicos of the womens suffrage movement at the turn of the century, for political reasons, occasionally donned the ugly garb of racism and xenophobia, claiming themselves superior to blacks and immigrants. These slogans were part of an arsenal of expedient devices suffragists used to achieve their goal. (Ryan, 1983). One of the main leaders of the movement was Elizabeth Cady Stanton who wrote The Solitude of Self in 1892. (Stanton, 1892). She was one of the biggest proponents of self-sovereignty for women because she believed that ultimately all people came into the world alone and left the world aloneand for this reason they had to be self-reliant. Yet, under current conditions, women were denied self-reliancy, so Stantons main goal was to free up all institutions, particularly education for women. At the time, the only training wome n received was an elementary education, unless privileged, or training for factory jobs. This, said Stanton, did not provide women with the opportunity or training to use all her faculties for her own safety and happiness. (Stanton, 1892). Personal happiness, according to Stanton, not only related to the Declaration of Independence, but also to the enjoyment of self-sufficiency. When a women could develop her mind, she would have the resources thus provided under all circumstances to mitigate the solitude that at times must come to everyone. (Stanton, 1892). Stanton was not interested in convincing men they should sympathize with womans plight, she said that what was important was fitting every human soul for independent action. (Stanton, 1892). What she asked for was also constitutionalthe complete development of every individual for first, his own benefit, and secondly for the general good. (Stanton, 1892). She said that women are already the equals of men in the whole realm of th ought, in art, science, literature and government . . ., and their contributions had made them valuable to America. She said, Such is the type of womanhood that an enlightened public sentiment welcomes today, and such the triumph of the facts of life over the false theories of the past. (Stanton, 1892). One of the most important iterations of the plight of women came from Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Gilmans purpose was the opposite of Stantons. She wanted to show womens struggle. She wanted to point out not only what she had experienced after leaving her husband, but also that her choices outside of that relationship were extremely limited. She stated that wealth, power, social distinction, fame, even home and happiness, reputation, ease, pleasure, her bread and butter,all must come to her through a small gold ring. (Gilman, 1898). Having to depend on men, Gilman said, put every woman in the position of being re-humanized over and over again in households owned by father, husband, bro therall of which resulted in restriction, repression, denial, and the smothering no which crushed down all her h discover, to learn, to express, to advance. (Gilman, 1898). Using an argument familiar in the 1970s, Gilman expressed how this must seem to the future of young women, who knew they could break out of this mold without suffering economically. Gilman wrote that this environment in which young woman grew was equivalent to slavery. Not only was every young girl meticulously trained for a domestic position through her early years, but she was expected to instruct her daughters to accept oppression. Gilman further stated that any woman who did not have a man to back her and wanted economic freedom was destined to become a whore and make her money in private and alone, in the first-hand industries of savage times. (Gilman, 1898). Because of this, the repression of women was, therefore, a reflection on society itself. However, Gilman said, despite all of these realities known to young girls, despite the fact that women were repressed, a few women had broken out of that mold. These few had proven that women, who hold the same ideals men hold for themselves, could and had risen above their domestic status and had become important to the economy of America. Thomas wrote that this made women invincible, and used this as a means to empower the women who heard her. Men were intimidated by writings like Gilmans, so even as men and women discussed the possibility of equality for women, they also discussed ways in which women should be repressed. The most common of these discussions evolved around the amount of education women needed, considering their domestic lifestyles. As the discussion heated up, in 1901, Charles W. Eliot, the president of Harvard, was one of the first to express the idea that the education men received was of no service in womens education. (Ravitch, 1991). Eliot believed that a womans education should include those things that served to furth er their domestic functions, and that separate educational models and schools should designed for them. (Ravitch, 1991). Martha Carey Thomas believed that there was no such thing as womens work, and that true equality was based on the ability of women to transcend those roles and join men as equals in all industries. Drawing upon her own education at Cornell and Johns Hopkins, which transcended the domestic, she wrote Once granted that women are to compete with men for self-support as physicians or lawyerswhat is the best attainable training for the physician or the lawyer, man or woman? There is no reason that typhoid or scarlet fever or phthisis can be successfully treated by a woman physician in one way and by a man physician in another way. There is indeed every reason to believe that unless treated in the best way the patient may die. (Thomas, 1901). She argued for the same intellectual training and the same scholarly and moral ideals. (Thomas, 1901). Thomas was the first to re ach beyond equality and discuss discrimination. She wrote: . . . over one-third of all graduate students in the United States are women. In the lower grades of teaching men have almost ceased to compete with women, in the higher grade, that is, in college teaching, women are just beginning to compete with men. There are in the Untied States only eleven independent colleges for women. (Thomas, 1901). She said statistically No one could seriously maintain that, handicapped as women now are by prejudice in the highest branches of a profession peculiarly their own, they should be further handicapped by the professional training different from mens. (Thomas, 1901). The importance of Thomass argument is that she backed it with statistics, proving why women should be educated the same as men, and that anything else was not tenable. She left the burden of proof on anyone who believed schools should be segregated. (Thomas, 1901). All of these arguments were made articulately by women who wer e politically able to show their male counterparts that they were educated. Not only were they educated in politics and business, but many had educated themselves beyond grade school to become competitive. Finally, by 1920, their arguments were rewarded. After more than eighty years of struggle, American women convinced the majority of American men to open up their ranks to a once totally disenfranchised and politically invisible population. (Ryan, 1983). Works Cited Gilman, C.P. (1898). Women and economics. The American Reader. Ravitch, D. gen. ed. (1991). New York: HarperCollins. pp. 204-206. Stanton, E.C. (1892). The solitude of self. The American Reader. Ravitch, D. gen. ed. (1991). New York: HarperCollins. pp. 201-204. Ravitch, D., ed. (1991). The American Reader. New York: HarperCollins. pp. 208. Ryan, M. (1983). Womanhood in America, From Colonial Times to the Present, Third Ediction. New York: Franklin Watts. pp. 170, 213-215. Thomas, M.C. (1901). Should higher education for women differ? The American Reader. Ravitch, D. gen. ed. (1991). New York: HarperCollins. pp. 208-211. MANIFEST DESTINY and THE DEMOCRATIC PARTYThe Democratic party headed by President James K. Polk is manipulating the populous of theUnited States. President Polk, like his Democratic predecessor, is claiming to be adefender of all common men. However, this is only his public front. He is actuallycontrolling the system to ascertain personal wealth and political power. He then warrantshis actions by preaching John L. Sullivans concept of Manifest Destiny. It has been knownsince the beginning of the 1840s that the United States is prepared to begin expanding intoTexas and further westward. The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 has kept these Ripe Fruitswaiting for the United States to harvest. President Polks Mexico policy is abusive againstMexicans, Native Americans, and is irrational considering Mexicos feeble position. Hispersonal political agenda is not in cadence with the fundamental princi ples that the UnitedStates is based on. Let it not be forgotten that expansion of this great Union isimperative to its survival. Homelessness EssayBIBLIOGRAPHYBauer, K. Jack The Mexican War, 1846-1848. University of Nebraska Press. Lincoln: 1974 *Benton, Thomas Hart. A Thirty Years View. Graebner, Norman A. Foundation of American Foreign Policy: A Realist Appraisal from Franklin to McKinley. Scholarly Resources Inc. Wilmington: 1985 LaFeber, Walter. The American Age. Second Edition. WW Norton and Company. New York: 1994 Lander, Ernest McPherson. Reluctant Imperialists: Calhoun, The South Carolinians and the Mexican War. Louisiana State University Press. Baton Rouge: 1980 Polk, James K. Polk: The Diary of a President 1845-1849. First Edition. Longmans, Green and Co. New York: 1929 Price, Glenn W. Origins of the War With Mexico. University of Texas Press. Austin: 1967History Essays

Poems of Ogden Nash free essay sample

Examines social human insights in three works on sleep by American humorist Ogden Nash. The purpose of this research is to examine selected poems from three collections by Ogden Nash. The plan of the research will be to set forth the context in which each poetry collection emerged, and then to discuss, by means of comparison and contrast, how the poems reflect both Nashs humor and his strategy of social commentary. In three collections of poetry, Im a Stranger Here Myself, Versus, and You Cant Get There From Here, Nash uses light verse to accomplish the work of insight into certain realities of contemporary human experience. Although Nashs reputation is as an indefatigable American rhymester (Atwood 81), it would be misleading to confine his range of concern to diverting humor. For as a matter of fact, the evidence of the poems is that they are meant to oblige the reader to focus on realities that are not always. We will write a custom essay sample on Poems of Ogden Nash or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page .

An Example of a Narrative Essay Example

An Example of a Narrative Essay Example An Example of a Narrative Essay An Example of a Narrative Essay D. Dozier Narrative Essay November 13, 2007 Word count: 809 My Little Blessings Children have a tendency to bring out the very best in people. I can say I have been fortunate to have four little blessings of my own. I consider each of them as a blessing and each day I am reminded of how much they mean to me. My children have brought out the best in meparts that I never knew existed. As children grow, so do parents. I have evolved into a better person with the courage to overcome all obstacles because of the love that I have for my children. At the age of twenty, my life was full of constant turmoil and instability. I had a plan, and children were not a part of it. I never imagined that I would ever have children. Motherhood was not for me and, if you had known me, you would have agreed. When I got pregnant for the first time, I was in complete denial. I ignored the fact that I was pregnant because I was unable to accept reality. Reality did not set in until I gave birth to my daughter. On December 17, 2000, something more than giving birth changed my perception of life. My life completely changed that day and not because I had a baby. My transformation was more spiritually focused. As my daughter, Israel grew so did I, internally. Because of the love of my little girl, I became a more centered individual. Once I had found my center, I thought that I was on track. However, I was reminded of my past when I gave birth to my son Isaiah. My son was born with a disease known as atopic dermatitis. I was very familiar with this disease because I suffered with it for many years. I was hurt when I discovered that he would have to go through what I did. I blamed myself for what was happening to him. I beat myself up for a while, until my son helped me to realize a very important fact. The nervousness, allergies and irritated skin are all things that I had went through. He made me realize that instead of feeling sorry for myself, I should be glad that I could help him. I understood his pain and could relate to the severity of the situation. Due to past obstacles, I was able to make a potentially bad situation better. Through the love for my son, I developed the ability to remain positive even during the most difficult times in life. Although I gained the knowledge to be a more stable and positive individual, something was still missing in my life. The missing piece soon fell into place upon the birth of my twin boys, Irijah and Isaac. A multiple birth was a miracle within itself. It seemed unreal because no one in my family was ever blessed with two babies. Although it took a lot of adjustment, we made it through the baby period. The hard part did not come until they became toddlers. (During this time), I noticed complications (in the development) (of the twins). I soon learned that although they were perfect on the outside my boys were suffering with autism. Irijah is severely autistic while Isaac’s is mild. I knew that in order to conquer this obstacle, changes would have to be made. In the beginning I was unaware of what needed to be done, but I never gave up. I continue to fight for my boys and struggle to keep my sanity. This has been the toughest fight of my life because it involves a series of changes. These changes dealt with acceptance, transition, and adaptation. These were necessary steps because it gives the boys a chance to lead a somewhat normal life. Through the love of my sons, I have learned to adapt to change and have gained strength and perseverance that is necessary in life. In life you must choose a path. I used to believe that setting goals and making decisions would lead me to the right chosen path. However, because of my children, I learned that I was not choosing. I was just dreaming. My dreams were nothing more than a thought because I did not have proper structure. My children are not aware of how much of an impact they have been in my life. When I look back on my life, I have no regrets because my life could have taken a path a lot less fulfilling. For the first time in my life, I am complete and that feeling could have only come from them. I am truly blessed to have my children in my life. The unconditional love that I share with my children has undoubtedly transformed me into a more focused, confident, and stronger woman.

International business MOVIE REVIEW Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International business - Movie Review Example The American population has a record of making quite a huge size of garbage every year that amounts to about 250 million tonnes. The garbage is made up of fruit peels, bald tires, soda cans, frozen food container, etc. The size of the garbage produced is quite big and shocking. Whatever happens with the garbage produce is a subject that ‘Trash Inc: the secret Life of Garbage’ mainly undertakes. This documentary runs for one hour and is aired by CNBC on Wednesday. Carl Quintanilla is the documentary’s host and also known to be an Emmy award winning reporter. A big part of Quintanilla summer is seen through the documentary to be spent wading through garbage from Nevada, Pennsylvania to New York. Quintanilla also visits Beijing and Hawaii in the search of knowledge on garbage handling. Quintanilla tries to find out who handles garbage and what environmentally and economically is at stake. From the documentary, Quintanilla report indicates that garbage is both an oppo rtunity and an epidemic. The garbage industry is estimated to worth $52 billion in a yearly basis. This industry is also considered not be a one-size fit all. Most of America’s garbage is picked and transported to 2300 landfill within America. These landfills at the end make some huge profits towards their operators as some also capitalize on the landfill by piping out trash gas. The trash gas is mainly used within factories in the generation of electricity. Apex within Las Vegas is considered to be the largest landfill within the United States, and ‘Trash Inc.’ makes a visit there to know the operations of landfills. From Apex, the next trip is to Beijing which gives an opposite side of the story. Within Beijing, there are hundreds of dumps which are all illegal cropping up on the outskirts of the city. This dump sites are used to handle the high number of garbage that is produced by the

Age-related changes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Age-related changes - Essay Example p53: may induce apoptosis by the induction of oxidative stress caused by an inappropriate up regulation of Mn superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase; may play a role in apoptosis mediated muscle wasting; and, is increased in quail muscles after 7 or 14 days of unloading. p53 has been reported to be unaltered during atrophy induced by nerve injury as an example. Immobilisation at shortened length induces atrophy, while in a lengthened position it produces hypertrophy attributable to addition of sarcomeres in the longitudinal direction. In the shortened position it induces fast isoforms. These differences may be due to the elevated expression of Insulin-like Growth Factor-| (check symbol) | in stretched muscle which are not altered in shortened length. Atrophy and loss of strength are not prevented by regular unloaded contractions due to electrical stimulation but are attenuated or followed by hypertrophy by the application of intermittent weight bearing or strength training in human and animal studies. Neurotrophic factors are important determinants of the skeletal muscle contractile properties. During chronic electrical stimulation via the nerve the effect of the neurotrophic factors cannot be totally excluded. The disuse and denervation may not have the same effect on skeletal muscle. During CORP and C (cutoff in the document), muscle wasting is a serious complication and it contributes to exercise intolerance and reduced survivability in many cases. Atrophy is not always evident. The lower muscles seem to lose more strength than the upper muscles. This may be due to muscle disuse. Inactivity is not necessary the main account for the skeletal muscle alteration during CORP and CHF. It may be due to hypoxaemia. There is a strong predictor that the systematic inflammation is the primary cause of muscle wasting. This may be seen by elevated plasma levels of TNFa. It has been reported TNFa to reduce titanic force in single muscle fibres within an hour

Math vs English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Math vs English - Essay Example This essay discusses that Math is a field of science that deals with counting, numbering, and different sorts of calculations. Math is applied in almost each and every deal in the everyday life. The knowledge of Math, at least basic, is necessary in order to be able to buy or sell things independently. The knowledge of Math helps an individual estimate the profit or loss made in a deal. Math is one of the oldest fields of science. Math is applied in a variety of other fields of science that include but are not limited to Physics and Chemistry. Math is one of the most fundamental and essential subjects taught in the coursework of Engineering. To facilitate the calculations, various tools have been introduced in the market including calculators and computers. Sometimes, Math is also used as a language e.g. binary language used in computers. Math is a very interesting subject taught in schools. English is a language. The importance of English can be estimated from the fact that it is an international language. In the present age of globalization, the importance of developing competence in English cannot be overemphasized. One needs at least basic knowledge of English language in order to be able to use a computer. English is a very easy and interesting language. While the basic format of the language is the same, English is spoken in a variety of accents in different parts of the world. There is a British accent, an American accent, and an Indian accent of English among others. The English language has modified over the passage of time in grammar, words, and dialect. Most international courses are delivered in the English language to enable a wider population of students to participate in them.

Literature on Capitalist Society

Literature on Capitalist Society Wake me when its quitting time (introduction in progress) Bureau of Labor Statistics reports on use of time on an average weekday in 2015, shows that Americans age 15 and over slept about 8.8 hours, spent 5.2 hours doing leisure and sports activities, worked for 3.5 hours, and spent 1.8 hours doing household activities. The remaining 4.7 hours were spent in a variety of other activities, including eating and drinking, attending school, and shopping (xxx). While every job includes some tasks that are not part of the job description, theres a discrepancy between position and what workers actually spend their time doing. A 2014 survey conducted by market research firm Harris Interactive, found that U.S. employees at large-sized companies (1000 employees or more) only spend 45 percent of their time on primary job duties (XXX). The other fifty five percent of the time? Email, meetings, administrative tasks, and interruptions. Among their chief complains, meetings that could be email and the most frustrating workdays are when all of the above pre vent a worker from doing their job. Distractions arent limited to being work related either. With virtually every workplace being connected to the internet or every worker having a smartphone in their pocket, miniature escapes from work are only a click away. Employers arent turning a blind eye to this A third of employers said that even if performance isnt affected, they care if employees spend time on non-work related emails and websites (http://www.careerbuilder.com/advice/cyber-monday-shopping-at-work). This obviously sets the employee and employer in an adversarial relationship. A sort of cat and mouse game where management is trying to squeeze every possible ounce of productivity out of their employees, who very often have little invested in the company besides time, given little motivation to do more than what is asked of them, if that. This adversarial view is a byproduct of what F. A. Hayek would describe as classical liberalism. In his book The Constitution of Liberty, Hayek lays out his defense of free market capitalism. Whoever desires the regular income for which he sells his labor must devote his working hours to the immediate tasks which are determined for him by others. (186). This sets up the two major classes, the employee and the independent, similar to the proletariat versus the bourgeoisie in Marxist philosophy. The employed, as Hayek sees them, are beholden to the Independents. They arent exploited in strict Marxist sense, but have made the voluntary choice to eschew greater responsibility for the security of a more-or-less guaranteed paycheck. For the independent, it is a question of shaping and reshaping a plan of life, of finding solutions for ever new problems. (188) The independents are the risk takers, the innovators, and the ones engaged with the world as a whole. What does this mean for the employed? When they made the choice for sell their time for money, did this also rob them of their engagement with their workplace or world? A quick web search results in thousands of hits regarding employee engagement. To management, it is the emotional commitment an employee shows for the organization and its goals (Kruse 2012). An engaged employee is one who cares and is passionate about his job and company goals. This employee exists outside of Hayeks labels, not just to working to get their paycheck rather their goals and the companies goals are aligned. Yet, a 2015 survey of employee conducted by Gallup Daily found that the employee engagement is stagnant. Gallup categorizes workers as engaged based on their ratings of chosen metrics, such as having an opportunity to do what they do best each day, having someone at work who encourages their development and believing their opinions count at work that predict important organizational performance outcomes. The majority (50.8%) of employees were not engaged, while another 17.2% were actively disengaged. Actively disengaged is the best possible description of the Dante Hicks and Randal Graves, the protagonists from the 1994 slacker-genera hit Clerks. The opening sequence is relatable to anybody whos ever called themselves employed. A faceless, nameless boss calls Dante to get him to open his convince store on his off day. However, he isnt directly told to, however the boss employs a management technique of asking him. Dante offers little resistance; his greatest concern is playing in a hockey game that afternoon. Of course, the boss promises him that he will only have to work until noon, a promise on which he later reneges and to which Dante has no recourse. This familiar scenario directly puts the employed at odds with the employer, whos intrusion into the work-life balance is disrupted. This balance between life and work, according to Hayek, is primarily a concern of the Independent class, For the independent there can be no sharp distinction between his private and his business life, as there is for the employed, who has sold part of his time for a fixed income (188). This distinction can be considered a separation between work and personal life, however the lines between the two have gradually become blurred, attributable to the technology advancements which allow people to be constantly connected and businesses to be active and accessible at all times without boundaries (https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/273280). This separation of work and life is complicated when we start to identify who we are by who we work for. In the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Prof. Daan Van Knippenberg wrote that When working in an organization, employees identify, to some extent, with the organization, as part of a collective group. (571). The ever minimizing of the life work balance increases how much the employee identifies themselves with what they do. Dante and Randal are represented as mostly intelligent, self-aware individuals struggling to find their identity in the employed class. The movie takes place over the course of one day, detailing with some exaggerated but clearly repeatable service industry woes. Long periods of boredom broken up by demanding and odd customers. Dante struggles to grin and bear it, going through the motions of a script. Throughout his day, hes forced to interact with all sorts of demeaning or aggressive customers, but because of his position, he capitulates, unable to confront them due to his position. This service role is known as emotional labor, which is defined as the management of feeling to create a publicly observable facial and bodily display; emotional labor is sold for a wage and therefore has exchange value (Hochschild, 1983). Where Dante is freely selling his emotional labor, Randall takes the alternate route. Randal vocally and sometimes violently reacts to the service work setting. Hes a working-class hero, acting out what many in the service industry can only fantasize about, his only active engagement in the workplace telling customer exactly what he thinks, and calling out Dantes passiveness. Hayek sees their status as a voluntary one, their minimal responsibilities are exactly what theyre looking for. Dantes active disengagement is a product of what Marx described as alienation. His mundane existence doesnt just lack genuine interaction, its in direct conflict with his role in customer service. Marx predicted This alienation in modern industrial production under capitalist conditions workers will inevitably lose control of their lives by losing control over their work. Workers thus cease to be autonomous beings in any significant sense. (https://faculty.frostburg.edu/phil/forum/Marx.htm), Employees, regardless of their position in life, are human, have lost control of their ability to express their humanity in their work. This loss of control, which Hayek argues is voluntary if not gladly given up, is a driving factor behind the lack of engagement at work. Marx saw this as Men no longer enjoyed the right to dispose of what they produced how they chose: they became separated from the product of their labour. Dante is miserable because he never sees the result of his labor, hes walk ed on daily, by company and customer alike, and is denied any recompense because of how utterly replaceable he is. At the end, Dante laments for change Im stuck in this pit, earning less than slave wages, working on my day off, dealing with every backward fuck on the planetà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I cant make changes like that in my life. If I could, I would-but I dont have the ability to risk comfortable situations on the big money and the fabulous prizes. (XXX) He sees his status as part of the Employed class as being inescapable. Randal essentially (and likely unknowingly) replies with Hayeks views Youre comfortable. This is a life of convenience for you, and any attempt to change it would shatter the pathetic microcosm youve fashioned for yourself. (XXX). Dantes situation is no better off than where he started, only realization that he is firmly entrenched in the world of the Employed, envying the independents. Point is-Im not the kind of person that disrupts things in order to shit comf ortably. He desperately wants change, but doesnt know how to change. The want/need for change is the drive behind Fight Club, a 1996 novel by Chuck Palahniuk. Palahniuk describes the real-life events that inspired the book in an interview with The Guardian (after getting into a fight) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I went back to work just so bashed, and horrible looking. People didnt ask me what had happened. I think they were afraid of the answer. I realized that if you looked bad enough, people would not want to know what you did in your spare time. This, along with other stories about the service industry told to him by friends inspired the creation of his main character(s) in Fight Club. They, specifically the narrator and Tyler Durden, became agents of change in their boring and tedious world. From the beginning of both the book and movie, the themes of repetition, alienation, tediousness, and inauthenticity are key. The narrator, a middle aged white male who in all interactions never gives his actual name, describes his occupation as a recall specialist for a major automobile company. He works a nine to five white collar desk job, where each move he makes is dictated by a boss. He then goes home to an apartment filled with junk he doesnt need where he continues to want more. His days are repetitive to the point where he can tell what day it is based off the color of his bosss tie. He feels detached from the world, his flat affect is exacerbated by insomnia and isolation. His entire world is set up in what he describes as single serving Everywhere I travel tiny life. Single-serving sugar, single-serving cream, single pat of butter (Palahniuk, 28) to a fellow passenger on an airplane that his job is apply a formula, one that that determines if the price of a recall is more than the cost to fix the defective parts and lawsuit settlements. He is essentially employed to apply his companys bottom line against the potential cost of human lives. The job is undoubtedly depressing and morally questionable. The loss of human life, a simple mathematical equation, the nature of the job practically calls for detachment. The narrator finds authenticity was in support groups for the sick and dying, as recommended to him by a doctor who he was seeing to treat his insomnia. Here, the narrator meets Bob, a former bodybuilder now testicular cancer survivor. Bobs openness and authenticity allow the narrator to compare true suffering to his own. He finds the only place where people are present, where they really listen to him, is in a place where they think he is just as sick as they are. Instead of appreciating the analogy and realizing that he is still healthy enough to change his life, to take a risk and find new employment, maybe even go out on his own, he instead becomes addicted to the meetings, finding ways to attend one a week. Nevertheless, he makes no meaningful changes in his life and despite searching for human contact, he is also exploiting or manipulating the members of these groups to gain the acceptance he cannot find elsewhere. The narrator, tired of his job vacations to a nude beach. After sleeping, he wakes up to see Tyler Durdan, pulling driftwood out of the ocean and forming a structure. He constructs a sculpture out of them that casts a shadow in the shape of a human hand. For one minute, one perfect minute, Tyler had sat in the palm of a perfection hed created himself The display of enjoying the work you created, even if it lasts for one minute, sets the stage for Tyler. He, like Randal Graves, is a walking fantasy for the everyday working man. He belongs to both the independent and employed classes, and moves seamlessly between the two. At nights, Tyler is a part time movie projectionist. Through the narrators description, we learn of the miserable conditions of working in older theaters that use multiple reel projectors that require changing during the film. The projectionist booth is soundproof because inside the booth is the racket of sprockets snapping film past the lens at six feet a second, ten frames a foot, sixty frames a second snapping through, clattering Gatling-gun fire (Palahniuk, 27). The projectionists shining moment comes through when they perform the changing of reels mid-film. The dark is hot from the bulbs inside the projectors, and the alarm is ringing. Stand there between the two projectors with a lever in each hand, and watch the corner of the screen. The second dot flashes. Count to five. Switch one shutter closed. At the same time, open the other shutter. Changeover. The movie goes on. Nobody in the audience has any idea. The alarm is on the feed reel so the movie projectionist can nap. A movie projectionist does a lot hes not supposed to. Not every projector has the alarm. At home, youll sometimes wake up in your dark bed with the terror youve fallen asleep in the booth and missed a changeover. The audience will be cursing you. The audience, their movie dream is ruined, and the manager will be calling the union. The implication is a well-done job is one that is completely unnoticed, the only time the movie watchers even consider the projectionist is if they make a mistake. This lack of appreciation in the work place severely impacts a workers engagement The single highest driver of engagement, according to a worldwide study conducted by Towers Watson, is whether or not workers feel their managers are genuinely interested in their wellbeing. Less than 40 percent of workers felt so engaged. (https://hbr.org/2012/01/why-appreciation-matters-so-mu). The idea that Tyler is waking up in the middle of the night, afraid that hes missed his cue to change reels when not even at work is also a sign of the ever-increasing intrusion of work on the life-work balance, despite not being the owner of the company. As member of the Independent, Tyler owns his own soap company. In describing the process of making soap, he details the history, likening the discovery and creation of soap to sacrifice. Tyler steals fat at first from the love interest in the book, Marla Singer, and later from liposuction clinics, processes it, and uses it to create his soap, which he then sells back to those who can afford it. Capitalism embodied. After an unfortunate incident leaving the Narrator homeless, he meets Tyler in a bar. Its here that Fight Club is born. They both admit to never having been in a fist fight, and at Tylers suggestion, has the narrator hit him as hard as he can. Others at the bar take notice, and the club is created. This community they create, like the support group the Narrator attended before, are a place to find acceptance. (marx alienation, club as employment?) With fight club in his life, the emptiness now seems to be filled. In fact, fight club has become the most important thing in his life. After some time, the damage to the Narrators appearance accumulates, cuts become scars, bruises are slow to disappear or are replaced by new ones. This is highlighted when his boss decides to deliver the presentation personally instead of the Narrator. During the meeting, he locks eyes with the Microsoft rep, Walter. Walter is described as having soft, clear skin and perfect teeth. Hes essentially a representation of what the Narrator was, or at least wanted to be: complete. This transformation and comparison to Walter denotes the transformation that the Narrator is taking part in. Hes discovering that his identity and value exists separate of his occupation. He sees his corporal and spiritual self-destruction as ways of discovering who we are, and what we are really capable of. Tyler explains this in a monolog Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men whove ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collarsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Were the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great Wars a spiritual war our Great Depression is our lives. Weve all been raised on television to believe that one day wed all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we wont. And were slowly learning that fact. And were very, very pissed off (Palahniuk 75). This is where Hayek and Tyler both agree, there is something seriously lacking in a society in which all the intellectual, moral, and artistic leaders belong to the employed class (193). Tyler wants the men to feel like they are appreciated as both employed members of society and as individuals themselves. Though it only exists for a few hours a week, Fight Club is a total embodiment of a classless society because their possessions and social status do not matter for that one perfect moment. The members once had dreams and goals, however most eventually settle into Hayeks employed class because of the fear of failure, debt, or simply the lack of opportunity. This is exemplified by the sacrifice of Raymond Hassels life. Raymond is ambushed by the Narrator at a bus stop, after a late-night shift at a convenience store. Hayek surmised that its in societies best interests for the employed to change their station in life, even if they wanted to do so. It may indeed prove to be the most difficult task of all to persuade the employed masses that in the general interest of their society, and therefore in their own long- term interest, they should preserve such conditions as to enable a few to reach positions which to them appear unattainable or not worth the effort and risk (186). Tyler and the Narrator reject the notion that maintaining the status quo is best. Through fear of being murdered by the narrator, Raymond is forced at gunpoint to realize the value of his own life, and is encouraged to return to school and pursue his dream of becoming a veterinarian. This idea, that fear must be used to truly grant the masses their freedom, has sinister implications. While Raymond may now try to better his life, but is only motivated by corrosion. The conversation that takes place is similar to what happened between Dante and Randal in Clerks, only slightly more aggressive, and at gun point. Ironically, in the alternate ending of Clerks, Dante is killed after closing the store by a man after the small amount of money in the register. The narrators insurance job, the threat against Raymonds life, the human sacrifice origins of soap; death and work are a constant theme through the book. This brings us back to Bob, the narrators first friend in the support groups. In the Hayek sense of the word, Bob was an independent who took his chance and failed. Bob was a bodybuilder who at his peak, marketed a chest workout program sold on late night TV. His career path destroyed his body with anabolic steroids. After multiple divorces, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Then he went bankrupt. Hayek sees Bobs failure as the cost of freedom, When men are allowed to act as they see fit, they must also be held responsible for the results of their efforts (139). Bobs choices, much like the narrators, Dantes and Randals, are afforded to them because they live in a free society. This freedom to fail, is exactly what is stolen from Raymond in the narrators efforts to save him from his fear of failure. The consequences of this theft mark a turning point in the book, the fight club itself takes a darker turn, as does Tylers philosophy. Realizing the dependence on the employed, Tyler sets in motion a proletarian revolt. The people youre trying to step on, were everyone you depend on. Were the people who do your laundry and cook your food and serve your dinner. We make your bed. We guard you while youre asleep. We drive the ambulances. We direct your call. We are cooks and taxi drivers and we know everything about you. We process your insurance claims and credit card charges. We control every part of your life (Palahniuk p. 166). Their clubs purpose has change, their perfect moment has passed. Equality and appreciation were once their goals, now Tylers vision has become the independent focus of the organization. This is a vision of a new world that returns to a pre-agrarian way of life as his prescription for saving the planet. Project Mayhem is born out of what fight club was, now mo re of a cult where, with time and effort, members can graduate to the higher echelons of understanding. Fight club allowed the men to independently search for their identity separate from their station. This move from freedom to fascism, though fantastical, is warned against by Hayek, Freedom is thus seriously threatened today by the tendency of the employed majority to impose upon the rest their standards and views of life (186). Failure, fear, and complacency are dangerous, sometimes even fatal, but they are necessary prices to pay for a free system. Works Cited http://scholarship.sha.cornell.edu/chrpubs/155/ http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/doc/875560685.html?FMT=AI Palahniuk, Chuck. Fight Club. New York: Henry Holt Co., 1996. Uhls. Jim. Memorable Quotes from Fight Club. International Movie Database. 1999. Singer, Peter. Marx: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, USA, 2001. Segal, Jerome. Agency and Alienation: A Theory of Human Presence. Rowan Littlefield, 1991 Marx, Karl and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. Ed. Samuel H. Beer. Wheeling: Harlan Davidson, 1955. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240076 https://www.bls.gov/tus/charts/ https://faculty.frostburg.edu/phil/forum/Marx.htm Palahniuk, Chuck. Fight Club: A Novel (p. 27). W. W. Norton Company. Kindle Edition.

Post World War Two Immigrants :: history

Post World War Two Immigrants During World War Two Australians finally realised just how vulnerable they were to enemy attacks. The reality of this possibility hit home hard when the Japanese attacked Darwin and when Japanese midget subs penetrated Sydney harbour. We now realised that our island was not an impenetrable fortress. They government also realised that our country was dangerously under-populated. The fact was that we had too much space and only 7 million people living in it which once again made us very vulnerable to attack. The government realised something must be done. In 1947, during a historical speech made by the minister for immigration, Arthur Augustus Calwell announced that Australia was opening its doors to European immigrants, preferably British. Refugees and immigrants from all over Europe rushed to apply for visas. While many different cultures migrated to Australia the two we are going to focus on are the Italians and the British. At the conclusion of the war Italian soldiers and POW’s returned to a destroyed Italy. The only thing worse than the immense destruction was the human suffering. The displaced Italians sought refuge in communal camps while dreaming of escape to countries such as Canada, the USA and Australia. Italy had been looking for an overseas country that would accept its unemployed, homeless Italians and when Australia opened her doors to them Italy’s President encouraged his people to â€Å"learn a foreign language and emigrate†. Meanwhile the Britain was also in ruins and although they had won the war, it had come at a big loss. Luckily though for the British, Australia was very keen for British refugees to make up a large part of Australia’s refugee take-in. In Arthur Augustus Calwell’s initial speech he said, â€Å"It is my hope that for every foreign migrant there will be ten people from the United Kingdom.† So from the start it was obvious that 'White Australia' was the cornerstone of the immigration policy. Australia established schemes to attract immigrants from post war Britain and they created Australian Citizenship in 1948 so that ‘Australians’ were no longer British subjects. Meanwhile, much stronger and stricter restrictions were imposed against the Italians. They were only permitted to immigrate if they already had close family already resident in Australia. The Italians suffered because they were not a priority group. The British had been given assistance and had been allowed to bring their families with them into Australia.

Iago -Betrayal and Loyalty

The Theme of Betrayal and Loyalty Through the Eyes of Desdemona, Othello, and Iago The play The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice, written by William Shakespeare in the 1600’s, has many underlying and reoccurring themes. The major themes are betrayal and loyalty. During the entire play, every character is either betrayed or proved loyal. The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice can be seen through the characters of Iago, Othello, and Desdemona. Othello and Desdemona have both been betrayed in their attempt to be loyal to another character.Throughout the play, Iago manipulates the other characters into betraying one another so that he can get his ultimate betrayal on Othello. Shakespeare uses Iago as the main portrayer of betrayal throughout the entire play. He betrays all the other characters, but his main focus is on Othello. Despite that, he ends up betraying all the people closest to him. Iago’s betrayal starts off from the first scene page of the play right unt il the end. The audience learns Iago’s motive through his monologue: â€Å"Thus do I ever make my fool my pursel hate the moor, and it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets’ has done my office.I know not if’t be true, but I, for mere suspicion in that kind will do as if for surety. † Iago suspects that Othello has had an affair with his wife. However, Shakespeare makes Iago’s motif very unclear; therefore, it can be argued that this is Iago’s excuse and in actual fact he has no reason other than he simply hates Othello. Iago wants to destroy Othello because Othello promoted Casio as chief lieutenant instead of him, which is another reason why Iago wants to destroy him. Iago is one of Shakespeare’s most complex villains. Initially, we see Iago’s character as pure evil, yet later we see him as a completely amoral person.Iago does not push aside his conscience to commit his evil plans, he simply lacks a conscience to begin with. Through Iago, Shakespeare shows us a character that acts against his reputation and betrays all this friends and loved ones. Through some careful thought out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits him and moves him closer to his ultimate goal. He is the main driving force of the play, pushing Othello and everyone towards their tragic end. Iago is smart. He is an expert judge of people as well as their character and uses this to his advantage.Iago is also quick on his feet, making him able to improvise when something unexpected occurs. Being as smart as he is, Iago is quick to recognize the advantages of trust and uses it as a tool to forward his main purpose. Throughout the story he is commonly known as the â€Å"honest Iago†. He even says himself, â€Å" I am an honest man†. Trust is a very powerful emotion that is easily betrayed. Iago is a master of betrayal. He slowly poisons people’s thoughts, creatin g ideas in their heads without risking himself. Iago is capable of anything, not even the brave soldier Othello is safe from this villain.Othello holds Iago to be his closest friend and advisor. He believes Iago to be a person, â€Å"of exceeding honest, who knows all qualities with learned spirit of human dealings†. Yes, he does know about human dealings, but he is not the honest man he appears to be. He uses Othello’s trust in him to eventually turn Othello into a man no better than himself. Othello is introduced to us in the first scene of the play in a negative light, when Iago and Rodrigo refer to him using derogatory terms such as, â€Å"The Moor†, â€Å"the thick lips†, â€Å"an old black ram† and â€Å"a Barbary horse†.Othello may be an outcast in Venice due to the color of his skin; however, he is a highly respected soldier. He is extremely skilled in his field and a loyal man; therefore, valuable to the state. Due to this, we soon learn of Othello as the noble man he is. Othello, however, has the â€Å"tragic flaw†. It is the internal imperfection in a hero that brings him down. His downfall becomes his own doing; he is no longer the victim of fate. The prejudice of those around him destroyed him, and they believed that, â€Å"A black man is an unattractive creature, not quite human, and unworthy of love†.Thinking this made him unable to believe that Desdemona could truly love him. This is why he believes Iago so easily when he convinces him Desdemona has had an affair. Othello betrays his wife by believing Iago’s word over hers, this then leads him to his ultimate betrayal when he kills her at the end of the play. At this point he also shows his loyalty to her by killing himself, stating that he can’t live without her. The man we see at the end of the play is not the loyal man we meet in the beginning.Othello has let the â€Å"green eyes monster of jealousy† turn him from a loyal soldier to a betrayer just like Iago. Desdemona is a lady of spirit and intelligence; she is the most direct, honest and loyal character of the play. She only betrays people to those to who she is loyal. Desdemona is a lady of few words, yet she makes sure every word counts to get her point across. In Desdemona’s eyes, Othello is the hero of many exciting and dangerous adventures; he is the orphan who needs love. These are the reasons Desdemona had fallen in love with Othello, despite all the nasty remarks from fellow Venetian citizens.Her marriage has brought her position and happiness, so much that she finds it unbearable to think that her husband has turned against her. This numbness lasts until she sees that he actually intends to kill her. She then puts up a defense, insisting on her loyalty and innocence. In despair of losing his love, she still defends him from consequences of his actions, but he is past seeing the truth: that she has committed herself to his lo ve, and without it she cannot live. Othello ends up killing his wife, in spite of her loyalty toward him till the very end.By the end of the play, all characters have lost their loyalty to each other from what Iago as done to make them feel betrayed. Desdemona is left lifeless in her room, Iago kills his wife Emilia, as she reveals that Desdemona has been falsely accused of adultery, and Othello kills himself rather than living with what he has done. Iago is the only survivor by the end of the play, which further justifies his intelligence. All the characters have reached their downfall and Iago is finally pleased. He has completed the ultimate betrayal.

Free Essays on Delta Blues

Mississippi Delta Blues is a type of music that has been establish world wide. The blues were and still are a way to communicate the every day problems of common life. This is the principle reason the blues became so popular around the world, because everyone can relate to the artist and his message. Another reason the blues became so popular was because it was new and different. A majority of people were scared of how different the blues were, because of the real life situations it dealt with. The blues begin to spread across the United States like wild fire. Just as the blues were starting to gain respect in the music community a new sound was starting to take shape. This new sound was rock and roll. Once these two types of musical style started mixing this new sound had been born it was only a matter of time before artists such as Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix combined these styles. There is no single artist who pioneered this field, rather it was a wave of artists which made th is sound take shape. The blues are as ancient as the nomadic people who wandered the African continent, thousands of years before the birth of Christ. The blues were transported to North America by men and women who were sold into slavery. These slaves sang these songs as they worked the land in the southern United States. These slaves did not sing cheerful songs, but rather songs which expressed the tremendous hardships they faced during their every day life. Because these slaves could not take any of their personal possessions with them, they had to make use of what was around them. These instruments varied from hundred dollar guitars to metal spoons, to a string attached to a barn. The sound which these instruments produced was unique to them. Many historians claim the first blues song ever published was "Dallas Blues" written by Hart Wand in 1912. The blues started to gain more popularity about 1911-1914 by the black composer W.C Handy who wrote "M... Free Essays on Delta Blues Free Essays on Delta Blues Mississippi Delta Blues is a type of music that has been establish world wide. The blues were and still are a way to communicate the every day problems of common life. This is the principle reason the blues became so popular around the world, because everyone can relate to the artist and his message. Another reason the blues became so popular was because it was new and different. A majority of people were scared of how different the blues were, because of the real life situations it dealt with. The blues begin to spread across the United States like wild fire. Just as the blues were starting to gain respect in the music community a new sound was starting to take shape. This new sound was rock and roll. Once these two types of musical style started mixing this new sound had been born it was only a matter of time before artists such as Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix combined these styles. There is no single artist who pioneered this field, rather it was a wave of artists which made th is sound take shape. The blues are as ancient as the nomadic people who wandered the African continent, thousands of years before the birth of Christ. The blues were transported to North America by men and women who were sold into slavery. These slaves sang these songs as they worked the land in the southern United States. These slaves did not sing cheerful songs, but rather songs which expressed the tremendous hardships they faced during their every day life. Because these slaves could not take any of their personal possessions with them, they had to make use of what was around them. These instruments varied from hundred dollar guitars to metal spoons, to a string attached to a barn. The sound which these instruments produced was unique to them. Many historians claim the first blues song ever published was "Dallas Blues" written by Hart Wand in 1912. The blues started to gain more popularity about 1911-1914 by the black composer W.C Handy who wrote "M...

Free Essays on Jeffersonian

When it came to the federal Constitution, the Jeffersonian Republicans usually held a strict interpretation of the Constitution opposed the broad constructionism of Federalists between 1800 and 1818. The Republicans demonstrated the beliefs of their party against those of the Federalists concerning the interpretation of the federal Constitution. The Jerrfersonian Republicans wanted to provide strong state governemnts for a nation of farmers. Jefferson, in the interests of his party and the nation tried to stave off war for and against the country. Everything that Jefferson and the Jeffersonian Republican's did though, was opposed by the Federalists. Thomas Jefferson and his followers envisioned a society in stark contrast to that of the Federalists. They wanted to create a society of gentelman farmers with a small central government that held minimal control over the lives of the people and merely served to protect the individual rights of everyone under the Constitution. Jefferson stated to Presbyterian minister Samuel Miller, that the Constitution would be the only thing that the government would adhere to, and not even God could change that. (Document B) This vision did not come to pass. Jefferson was to preside over a nation that was continually growing more Federalist. Jefferson was no â€Å"War Hawk.† Jefferson did everything he could to avoid war, he went as far as toestablished the Embargo Act, possibly the most umpopular move of his political career. This forbade ships leaving American ports for any foreign destination. This act was passed in hopes to avoid confrontation with hostile vessels. As a result of the Embargo Act, there was an economic depression, particularly in the Northeast, as presented in Alexander Anderson’s political cartoon of â€Å"OGRABME, or The American Snapping-turtle.† (Document C) As a result of the embargo, a third amendment was proposed to the Hartford Convention, January 4, 1805: This pre... Free Essays on Jeffersonian Free Essays on Jeffersonian When it came to the federal Constitution, the Jeffersonian Republicans usually held a strict interpretation of the Constitution opposed the broad constructionism of Federalists between 1800 and 1818. The Republicans demonstrated the beliefs of their party against those of the Federalists concerning the interpretation of the federal Constitution. The Jerrfersonian Republicans wanted to provide strong state governemnts for a nation of farmers. Jefferson, in the interests of his party and the nation tried to stave off war for and against the country. Everything that Jefferson and the Jeffersonian Republican's did though, was opposed by the Federalists. Thomas Jefferson and his followers envisioned a society in stark contrast to that of the Federalists. They wanted to create a society of gentelman farmers with a small central government that held minimal control over the lives of the people and merely served to protect the individual rights of everyone under the Constitution. Jefferson stated to Presbyterian minister Samuel Miller, that the Constitution would be the only thing that the government would adhere to, and not even God could change that. (Document B) This vision did not come to pass. Jefferson was to preside over a nation that was continually growing more Federalist. Jefferson was no â€Å"War Hawk.† Jefferson did everything he could to avoid war, he went as far as toestablished the Embargo Act, possibly the most umpopular move of his political career. This forbade ships leaving American ports for any foreign destination. This act was passed in hopes to avoid confrontation with hostile vessels. As a result of the Embargo Act, there was an economic depression, particularly in the Northeast, as presented in Alexander Anderson’s political cartoon of â€Å"OGRABME, or The American Snapping-turtle.† (Document C) As a result of the embargo, a third amendment was proposed to the Hartford Convention, January 4, 1805: This pre...

An investigation of mediating effects on the core-self evaluation and Assignment

An investigation of mediating effects on the core-self evaluation and organizational commitment relationship - Assignment Example The decisions involving career planning needs to be done meticulously with emphasis given on individual strengths, weaknesses, skills, interest areas, motivational aspects and psychological assessment of the required job. The portfolio will deal with all the individual aspects and evaluation plans which can justify my key strengths and capabilities in finding the right job as per my professional capabilities. CV The making of Curriculum Vitae is the first step of the Personal Development Plan which highlights the key areas of interest, skills and expertise of a person. The best way of constructing a CV is to make it short, precise and emphasize on the points which matters the most to the companies like key areas of expertise, work experience in dealing with specified domains. CURRICULUM VITAE Steven Paul Birmingham, UK Cell phone: (+44) 7831310254 E-mail: spaul@yahoo.com OBJECTIVE Knowledge Acquisition and a learning drive are the motivating factors of my professional life which has helped me develop my professional goals and ambition. I am looking forward to a full time opportunity to work in a dynamic business environment. PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES Excellent interpersonal and communication skills Ardent believer in team work. Strong Management capabilities and experience to lead big teams. Project initiation and development. Self-motivated, hardworking and reliable Hunger to learn and acquire new skills, methods and procedures Computer skills: MS Office, MS Projects, Tally WORK EXPERIENCE 2007 till Date KPMG Project Leader Led a team of 10 people doing audit for client Held regular meetings with team for work assessment Gave Power Point presentations to the management for projects being carried out on a regular basis. ACHIEVMENTS/CERTIFICATES 2010 Diploma certification in Hedge Funds 2006 Certification in Science from Heritage Institute of Technology 2005 School Topper EDUCATION 2008-2010 Masters of Business and Administration from Durham University with specializa tion in Finance. 2005-2008 Bachelors in Science from University of Wales LANGUAGES Able to speak fluent English and French HOBBIES Reading; Playing sports REFERENCES: Available upon request Covering Letter To, The Human Resource Head Home Retail Group London, United Kingdom Sub: Application for the position of Financial Analyst Sir, This is to inform you that I wish to offer my candidature for the post of financial analyst. I am an MBA from Durham University with major in Finance. My key area of specialization is that of a management consultant. I have good domain knowledge of operations and logistics which I combine with my financial expertise to tell the management what would be the correct step forward. I have done years of research in Durham University which has helped my cause with enough industry experience. I would like to be given an opportunity to give a presentation to you where I can show my strengths and answer business related queries of yours. Thanking You, Yours truly , Steven Paul Job Market The world market was under recession in 2008 when the economy was in shatters with the top banking firms collapsing due to financial crisis which was more of a policy failure with huge financial credits given being unrecoverable. This had put the economy under severe recession and my firm was also retrenching candidates. From that stage the economy has recovered and so has the job market. The current job market in the accounting sector in 2012 has again seen a boost compared to the dip

Munich Oktoberfest Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Munich Oktoberfest - Case Study Example the festival allows for very little expenditure on marketing activities because everyone around the world knows that this festival takes place annually. Attractive expansion strategies like the introduction of carousels, shooting, bigger tents and music kept on strengthening the festival’s roots (Press Release, 2013). It is an opportunity of trade and business for many potential brewers and other service providers because of the high number of visits per year. Organizers grant licenses to beer tent and rides operators after stringent procedures. Thus, quality control and consistency of events have made Oktoberfest a successful event. The City of Munich definitely makes money both by direct and indirect means. Direct means of money are the profits earned by conducting the event. For example, revenue generated from rents and royalties. The city has reduced all expenditures like marketing using innovative public relations strategies. It funds a poster making competition and the winning designs are used as official advertising.  Such activities not only spread good word of mouth but also promote the event across borders attracting many tourists. Munich’s Tourism is indirectly benefited through this festival because once these tourists enter the city, they require accommodation, and they go for shopping spending approximately EUR 213 per day (Alcacer et. al, 2014). The city also enjoys high rates of employment during the festival in many departments such as health, police, airlines, hospitality, food and beverages (Behrmann & Suess, 2014). According to the case, an average server of the event is expected to earn EUR 5,400 which can go up to EUR 15, 000. Thus it is a money-making opportunity for all. The city and the local public are beneficiaries of the revenues earned by the Oktoberfest. The case states that admission to tents is free of cost- if the organizers put a nominal entry fee into every tent, the profits would inflate tremendously. Moreover, the

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 228

Assignment Example The executive director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty David Kaczynski claimed that medicine is supposed to heal people; it is not sets as its purpose to heal them in order to kill. There appears to be a strong controversy. One point is that he conducted a crime and deserves death penalty. Another point is that he is not sane to be executed. Thus, Singleton has to bear the responsibility for own actions. The goals of court and medicine appear to be in a conflict regarding this issue. There are three main possible outcomes: he is being cured and killed; he is insane and would not be executed; he remains insane but still he is being executed – without conscious perception, just murdered like an animal. Each argument has its sense. Supporting the first variant, I cannot accept the second one. If a person conducted a crime, he has to face the consequences. If he is already a death row prisoner, no reason could be strong enough to change the decision. Another aspect is that he has to be conscious enough to realize the weight of the crime he conducted. Just eliminating him may help society, yet such extent of punishment has no conscious and moral element. There is a probable claim that medications and efforts of doctors are applied not properly. Doctors spend their time, drugs are bought and used for accomplishing a short-turn goal – to heal to execute immediately. It all may happen the same time when people are ill and suffering, they may have no money to buy medications; while the government spends money and medicine for those who will be executed shortly. It is a kind of waste of resources. If there is a person, who is dangerous and destructive, he or she has to be isolated; murder is a reason for death penalty. There are objections to such measure of punishment and debates are still held. Anyhow, doctors and medicines have to be used for healing people. Medicine values reject healing for killing. I would

Physical mental illness adolescents Essay Example for Free

Physical mental illness adolescents Essay Adolescence is a period during which many learning tasks must be accomplished. Even adolescents whose development is normal may have problems. Some adolescents, however, have major problems in achieving a satisfactory adjustment to the demands of home, school, and community. They may engage in unacceptable behavior; or their physical, social, emotional, and mental development may be slower than that of other adolescents. This research paper presents some representative illnesses of adolescence; the illnesses covered include problems of physical and mental illnesses. The physical illnesses Theoretical Framework Adolescence is unknown in many nonindustrialized countries. Instead, adulthood begins with the onset of puberty and is commonly celebrated with traditional rites of passage. With the advent of universal free education and child labor laws in Western countries, children, who otherwise would have entered the adult work world by the time they reached puberty, entered a period of life during which they developed an adult body yet maintained a childlike dependence on parents. Formal study of this transitional period between childhood and adulthood, known as adolescence, began with the work of G. Stanley Hall at the beginning of this century (Proefrock, 1999). But adolescence became a major field of study only in the past few decades. In fact, the Annual Review of Psychology did not include a review of research on adolescence until 1988- its 39th volume (Petersen, 1998). Adolescence has been celebrated in myth and fiction as a time of joy, with few pressures and demands. Is adolescence a carefree and happy stage? While many adolescent probably remember good times, they also remember times of unhappiness and stress, too. Moreover, most adolescents recall fears and doubts and periods of insecurity, along with unpleasant feelings about the kind of person they were. If so, they’re recollections are not unusual. Contrary to the romanticized version of adolescence as a carefree time, many illnesses may arise in this period. A truly carefree adolescence is rare, if not impossible. In spite of the illnesses that adolescents face, and the troubled behaviors that they may manifest, most adolescents do not become identified as â€Å"problem children. † This research paper will examine some illnesses in adolescent stage considered to be manifestations of disordered functioning. Causal factors will be presented for each illness, and treatments will also be discussed. Empirical Evidence In considering the problem of illnesses in adolescents, an important variable must be remembered: Adolescence is a very short period. Ideally, they develop from â€Å"primitive organism† to mature, stable adults. During the course of development, some behaviors may frequently be bothersome to others, or may cause psychological pain for the adolescent. Fortunately, these behaviors often disappear with time; the child â€Å"grows out† of them. Many theorists view life as a series of developmental periods through which children progress. During this progression, many tasks must be completed if the child is to become a reasonably well-functioning human being. How well each of us resolves these development tasks depends on many factors, including our genetic endowment, physical environment, and psychological support we receive from those raising us. Rather than review the development stages presented by one theorist, we will look more generally at what faces the child. Defining Illnesses Many criteria have been suggested for distinguishing whether the behavior of a child is to be considered an illness. A child’s behavior may not meet all these criteria, or even most of them, and still be of concern to a parent. For example, a teenager who is fearful about school might not be diagnosed as suffering from disorder, but the child would benefit from parental understanding and assistance in resolving this fear. The application of a formal diagnosis to many adolescent illnesses may result in negative labeling effects for many diagnosed adolescent, who are likely to carry the stigma of diagnosis throughout their school career. The more severe labels, may correctly or incorrectly influence teachers` perceptions of the asserts and deficits of adolescents. If an adolescent is expected to be a problem student because of a diagnostic label the teacher may well behave in a way that elicits problem behavior from the adolescent. The label may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Mental Illness The term mentally ill is frightening to many people. Movies, books, and magazines often depict mental illness in frightening ways. In some cases, adolescents suffering from a mental illness do act unpredictably or even dangerously. With proper diagnosis and treatment, most of the symptoms of mental illnesses can be controlled. It is tempting to distinguish healthy adolescents from adolescents with mental illness problems. However, there is often a fine line between mental health and mental illness. It is important to understand that mental illnesses vary in their severity. For example, many adolescents suffered from various levels of anxiety or depression. Others have suffered from serious mental disorders with biological origins. Education about the adolescents` mental illness is vital for those with mental health problems as well as for the adolescents` friends and family. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders. Approximately 5 million adolescents suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorders. An obsessive-compulsive disorder is an illness in which people have obsessive thoughts or perform habitual behaviors that they cannot control. People with obsessions often have recurring ideas or thoughts that they cannot control. People with compulsions feel forced to engage in a receptive behavior, almost as if the behavior controls them. Continual handwashing, counting to a certain number while using the toilet, and checking and rechecking all the light switches in the house before leaving or going to bed are examples of compulsive behaviors. Some compulsive behaviors that are more harmful include pulling out one’s hair and other forms of self-mutilation. The causes of obsessive-compulsive disorder are difficult to isolate. Some theorists believe that sufferers engage in compulsive behaviors to distract themselves from more pressing problems. Until recently, behavioral therapy, which focuses on controlling and changing behaviors, has been the common treatment for sufferers of obsessive-compulsive disorders. However, research now indicates that some of these disorders may be caused by a lack of the neurotransmitters serotonin in the limbic system. In the early 1990, a drug called clomipramine (Anafiranil) was released for prescription use. Researchers believe that chlomipramine alters the way serotonin is used in the brain. When used in conjunction with behavioral therapy, this drug has been found to be helpful in alleviating symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Conclusion/Summary explaining the connection between my subject and current ideas and applications within the field of psychology and throughout the research the references should be noted and organized, third person writing perspective and avoid biased or pejorative language. 12 font, Courier style font and double spaced. Thank you. Physical and mental Illness in Adolescents. I want the paper to have both positive and opposing veiws from authors along with a knowledgable solution or idea.

Definition of Expatriate Failure

Definition of Expatriate Failure Understanding what expatriate failure is and minimising the risk of it occurring is important to multinational companies.  Ã‚  Discuss. Introduction Staffing in Multinational Company (MNC) is a challenging but crucial and strategic issue to international human resource management (IHRM) (Graigner Nankervis, 2001). According to Edstron and Galbraith (1977), MNCs may decide to use international staffing for three major reasons. First, the lack of suitable and qualified resources in the host country national (HNCs); second, a mean for management development and third, a way to establish control and coordination among the subsidiaries. A fourth reason, increasing knowledge transfer among the subsidiaries, was added later (Bonache et al. 2001 and Hocking et al. 2004). There are four major categories or practices for MNCs staffing: ethnocentric, polycentric, geocentric and regioncentric (Perlmutter, 1969 and Heenan Perlmutter, 1979 as cited in Dowling et al., 2008, p.80). In general, a multinational company can select several different approaches to international staffing. It may recruit from the local country (HCN), or from the pare nt country (PCN) or from a foreign subsidiary (TCN) (Dowling et al 2008, p.80). The IHRM literature has an extensive amount of research that has studied the field of international staffing and expatriates, their effectiveness (Dowling Wetch 2004 as cited in Nanda Kumar 2012, p.58), associated costs (Dowling et, al. 2008, p.81) and return on investment, compensations, performance, expatriates adaptation in the local countries, challenges and issues and failure. Effectiveness of expatriate assignments International assignments are very costly as they are estimated at millions of dollars annually (Collings, Scullion, Dowling 2009). Consequently, the effectiveness, utility and viability of expatriates assignments and international staffing have been questioned (Dowling et, al. 2008). Collings and his colleagues (2007) have addressed this issue by identifying five aspects: supply side issues, demand side issues, expatriate performance and expatriate failure, performance evaluation, cost and career dynamics. Recently, Return on Investments (ROIs) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"both individual and corporate, instead of costs, have been used to evaluate their effectiveness (McNulty Tharenou 2005; McNulty, De Cieri Hutchings 2013). Expatriate Failure Definition In its simplest term, expatriate failure could be defined as premature return. However, Harzing (1995, p.2) argues that this definition might be very inadequate way to measure expatriate failure, as the ones who stay but failed to achieve expected performances are more damaging to the organisation. According to Lee (2007), it should also include the expatriates that failed to adapt, to learn new things or to meet expected performance standards. Bruning and McCaughey (2005) argue that it amounts to an expatriates premature return from the international assignment or under-performance whilst conducting the assignment. Harzing and Christensen (2004, p.7) defines expatriate failure as the inability of [an] expatriate to perform according to the expectations of the organisation. This definition include both under-performance during the international assignment including premature return and the inappropriate repatriation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"permanent departure or dysfunction after return (i bid, p.7). As the objective is to successfully complete the international assignment, a broad definition of expatriate failure should be considered. Failure Rates In the recent years, many studies have reported high rates of expatriate failures. For example, around 10 to 20% of the US expatriates returned prematurely while 33% of the ones who stayed had poor performance standards (Black and Gregersen 1997). A survey of global trends in international assignments, by GMAC Global Relocation Services, National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) and SHRM Global Forum (GMAC, NFTC SHRM) in 2004 shows that 7% of expatriates prematurely returned. However, as the cost of expatriates is relatively high (PriceWaterhouseCoopers 2006, as cited in Dowling et al 2008, p.81, others), a key issue in international staffing literature is expatriate failure and its cost. However, Harzing (1995, p.2), in The persistent myth of high expatriate failure rates argues that there is almost no empirical foundation for the existence of high failure rates when measured as premature reentry. Reasons for Expatriate Failure Many researches have addressed the issues of expatriate failure and attempted to identify identified the reasons that cause it. Some of these reasons are: the lack of cross-cultural adjustment by expatriates, their spouse or family and some dissatisfaction with the international assignments leading to poor performance. Around 10 to 20% of the US expatriates returned prematurely due to these reasons, while 33% of the ones who stayed had poor performance (Black and Gregersen 1997). Other reasons are due to poor selection, increased responsibilities and stresses and adjustment within the social context. Cross-Cultural adjustment When expatriates start international assignments in the host country, they and their families have to adjust to a new culture. They normally experience what is called a culture shock cycle as visualised in Figure 1 (Adler 2008). At the beginning, expatriates are very positive and excited about their assignments aboard, and about discovering new culture. But, after a period of few months, they enter the next phase until they reach the lowest point in the curve, known as culture shock. However, as the expatriates start to adapt to the new culture and feel more settled, the curve will go up again. Difficulties with Cross-Cultural adjustments are some of the major reasons for premature return of expatriates or their families (Black and Gregersen 1997). A recent study (Abdul Malek Budhwar 2013) found a positive direct influence of the expatriates cultural intelligence with their work interaction and adjustments. Emotional intelligence was found by Gabel, Dolan Cerdin (2005) as having a significant correlation with specific performance and can be used predictor of cultural adjustment for success in international assignment. Figure 1. Culture shock cycle Poor Expatriate Selection Improper selection of the expatriates is another reason for expatriate failure. Despite their importance, technical and managerial skills are not for the only skills required for effective international staffing. More attention must be paid to interpersonal skills that help in cross-cultural adjustment (Lee 2007). Another important factor that should be taken into consideration is the employees motivation and feelings towards the assignment. With high motivation, they will consider the assignment aboard as an opportunity rather than a restraint in their career development (ibid). It is also important to consider the attitude of the spouse and children as well as their willingness towards moving and living aboard. For example, spouse resistance and family adjustment were among the highest critical challenges for expatriates (GMAC, NFTC SHRM 2004). Also, 47% of assignment refusals were due to family concerns (GMAC, NFTC SHRM 2004). Increased Responsibilities and Stresses Moving to another country and leaving family, parents, friends and comfortable environments behind causes stress. The amount of stress will increase with the cross-cultural adjustment as the expatriates would face ambiguous situations at work and outside work. Additionally, the new assignment may require higher level of commitment and responsibility leading to more stress. Balancing between work responsibilities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"locally and with headquarters à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" on the one and family expectations on the other hand will increase pressure and stress (Brown 2008). Adjustment within the social context In order to achieve the expected performance and cope with the increasing stress, expatriates must adapt to the new working and living conditions. Studies have found that social contexts, such as positive social contact with local nationals and social networks, have positive influence on the expatriates adjustments, stress-coping, problem-focused and emotion-focused coping (McGinley 2008; Osman-Gani Rockstuhl, 2008). Costs of Failure Costs occur in any international assignment particularly when an expatriate prematurely returns home or fails to perform as expected. There are two types of costs, direct and indirect costs. Direct costs comprise the expatriates salary, cost of training especially during the pre-departure preparation, travel and relocation expenses. This cost could be between US$250,000 and US$1,250,000 (Briscoe 1995; Black Gregersen 1999; Abbottet al. 2006; all cited in Cole 2011, p.1505). However, indirect costs could be loss of customers and markets, damaging customer relationships, difficulties with host countrys government and authorities and the cost of replacement (Forster 2000; Cole, 2011). Avoiding or Minimising Expatriate Failure Managing the international resources is a major challenge, but it is an important factor in the success or failure of the MNC. Many factors can contribute to the failure of MNCs, including expatriate failures due to premature return or poor repatriation. MNCs must control and mitigate any kind of failure and crisis including expatriate crises. In order to avoid expatriate failure or minimise its risk, proper and suitable international human resource management policies and procedures should be in place. With such policies and procedures, IHRM can effectively and efficiently manage the international human resources. First, they can efficiently plan for the selection of expatriates; second, pre-departure can be better prepared; third, continuous communication with the expatriates while they are in their international assignment can be maintained, leading to better planning for their return to their home country with a proper position and job assignment; and fourth, repatriation can be effectively planed and implemented. Expatriate Selection In addition to technical and managerial skills, interpersonal skills that could assist in the cultural adjustment are very essential to the success of the expatriates in their international assignments (Clarke and Hammer (1995). A study by Tung (1987) across 80 US MNCs had identified four general categories which may contribute to expatriate success. These categories are (1) technical competence, (2) personality traits or relational abilities, (3) environmental variables, and (4) family situations. Later, by examining 15 organisations, Ronen (1989) as cited in Chew (2004) developed a model, for an effective selection, that consists of five categories: (1) job factors, (2) relational dimensions, (3) motivational state, (4) family situation, and (5) language skills. The job factors consist of technical skills as identified by Tung, familiarity with the operations of both headquarter and host country, managerial skills and administrative competence. The relational dimensions include tolerance for ambiguity, behavioural flexibility, non- judgementalism, cultural empathy and low ethnocentrism and interpersonal skills. Motivational state comprises belief in the mission, congruence with career path, interest in overseas experience, interest in specific host country culture and willingness to acquire new patterns of behaviour and attitudes. In family situation, willingness of a spouse to live abroad, adaptive and supportive spouse and stable marriages should be considered. Finally, host country language and non-verbal communication are very essential. Pre-departure preparation Once the expatriate has been selected, pre-departure preparation should take place. This preparation should prepare the expatriate for the assignment abroad and ensure her/his success in the international assignment (Mendenhall et al. 1987). Some of the activities that should be considered during this phase are career counseling, cross-cultural adjustment and languages. Career counselling for both the expatriate and accompanied spouse is very essential to the success of the expatriate in the international assignment (ref). Preparing the expatriate and his family for cross-cultural adjustment is very crucial especially if the expatriate is not familiar with the culture customs and work ethics in the host country (Weech 2001). In addition to cross-cultural training, language training, and some short academic programs in the host country could be very beneficial (Okpara Kabongo, 2011). A study by Shen and Lang (2009) examined the impacts of cross-cultural training (CCT) on expatriate performance in Australian MNEs, concluded that short-term assignments had a stronger impact on expatriates in term of cross-cultural adjustment. According to the survey of GMAC, NFTC SHRM, 2004, most companies (60%) provide formal cross-cultural training before assignments began with 73% of expatriates indicating that these trainings had great value. Keeping good communications with home company Continuous and good communications between the home company in general and HR personnel in particular from one side and the expatriates from the other side are very healthy and productive. Through these communications, the expatriates are kept aware about what going on in their home organisations, their performances, strategic decisions, re-organisations and potential opportunities when they return home. They also facilitate and make the readjustment and post-employment easier and smother. The Return of Expatriates One of the reasons for international assignment is to gain international and cross-cultural experience and knowledge; therefore it is very important for the MNCs to retain the employee after the international assignment has been completed. One of the major risks, associated with high costs, is the difficulty to maintain the expatriates upon their returns to the home country (Downes Thomas 1999). Considering these difficulties, expatriates need assistance to settle back in their home country. As part of the overall IHRM policies and procedures, repatriation programs must have been developed to tackle two major issues (1) career planning and (2) reverse culture shock (Hammer, Hart Rogan 1998). The GMAC, NFTC SHRM 2004 survey confirmed that 8% of the expatriates have left the company during the assignment while 13% within one year of returning and additional 10% within 2 years. Repatriation Agreement and Career Planning Another important factor to retain the expatriates after their return is to have a repatriation planning, preferably before the international assignment began (Latta 1999). Such planning should include a repatriation agreement that includes provision of a specified period of the assignment and a return incentive with an assurance of an acceptable job. For example, the GMAC, NFTC SHRM survey indicated that 86% held repatriation/re-entry discussion with 44% of had these discussions before departure and 23% under 6 months before return. However, only 24% had guarantees of employment at home country, 11% had guarantees for employment at another location and 68% had no guarantees for post-employment. Job guarantee, with comparable position or a promotion, is very crucial for the repatriation program to be successful. Reverse Culture shock Assisting the employee and his family to re-adjust into their home country and culture is very important. They make the employees fell that the company had taken care of them and acted to their best interests. Definitely, this will enforce the employee commitments and loyalty to the home company and helps maintaining these experienced resources and their international knowledge within the organisation. Alternative Assignments As MNCs are more and more faced with pressures to reduce costs and shortage and resistance of employees to move abroad for long-term assignments, Collings (2007) and his colleagues argue that international assignments are unsustainable. For them, MNCs might need to consider alternative and standard forms of international assignment. Some of these alternatives could be short-term assignments, commuter assignments, international business travel and virtual assignments. It is also essential that IHRM incorporate these emerging alternatives assignments into their policies and procedures. Conclusion Expatriate failure, either premature return, performing below expectation or inability to retain the expatriate after repatriation, is very common whining MNCs and it could be very costly. There are many reasons for expatriate failure. Cross-cultural adjustments for the expatriates, their spouse of their children are one of the most reasons for premature return. Additionally, poor expatriate selection that only considers technical and managerial skills with interpersonal skills is another reason. Added to them is stress caused by increased responsibility and balancing between work and family (Shih, Chiang and Hsu, 2010). Inability to maintain the experienced employees after repatriation is another risk. Improper repatriation program that take in consideration career planning and job guarantee after coming back home and reverse culture shock that help the expatriates and their families to readjust in their home country are ones of the major reasons. Expatriate failure can be avoided or minimised by (1) proper expatriate selection taking in consideration the interpersonal skills of the expatriates, the motivation of the candidates and the willingness of their spouses and families to live in the host country; (2) pre-preparation departure through careers counselling and cultural adjustments and language training for the employees and their families and (3) maintaining good and continuous communications with the employees while there are aboard and (4) having, as an integral part of IHRM processes and procedures, an repatriation program that take care of the employees and their families when they return home. Finally, the key challenge on avoiding or minimising expatriate failures is to have adequate and proper IHRM policies and procedures that ensure proper support for international assignment as well as repatriation.