Leningrad Cemetery, Winter of 1941 Analysis

Matt Cingari E 110 February 11, 2010 Sharon Olds’ â€Å"Leningrad Cemetery, Winter of 1941† is a very sad and dreary poem. This is because Olds writes about the Battle of Leningrad, a 900-day siege of Leningrad during World War II, and the lifelessness that is going on afterwards. Olds’ word choice throughout the poem is very important to the meaning of this poem. The way that she writes about this battle paints a very clear picture in my mind of what she is describing. Many times thorough the poem, Olds compares life and death many times with different comparisons.Olds starts off the poem by saying: â€Å"That winter, the dead could not be buried. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢(1) This creates a sad tone for when the rest of the poem. She then talks about the atmosphere of the aftermath of the battle with words that help you create a very vivid picture in your head of what she is talking about. She says things like â€Å"the ground was frozen†(2), â€Å"sub-zero airâ € (5), â€Å"dark cloth† (6), and â€Å"their pale, gauze, tapered shapes†(9). To me, these descriptive words help me create a visual of what is written down because these words are sad and dark descriptive words.Olds also says: â€Å"So they were covered with something/ and taken on a child’s sled to the cemetery/ in the sub-zero air. †(3-5) When Olds says this it makes me think whether she put the word â€Å"child’s† in the poem on purpose. I think she put this in because a child’s sled is used in the winter to have fun; however, Olds says that they are using it as a way to transfer dead bodies to the cemetery. This is because she is comparing life and death by using a sled, which is supposed to be used for fun in the winter, as a transportation device of corpses.When Olds says â€Å"stiff as cocoons that will be split down the center/ when the new life inside is prepared;†(10-11) Again, Olds is comparing life and death by comparing the stiff corpses to cocoons. The ambiguity in this comparison is that the poem says that the cocoon will split down the center bringing new life when it is ready. I think she says this because when she says that when the cocoon splits to start a new life, it could mean that their new life is not here on earth, but in heaven.Though, the cocoon comparison could also mean that the battle was a turning point in the war. This is because Russia gained momentum against Germany with that victory, which did start a â€Å"new life† in the war. â€Å"A hand reaching out/ with no sign of peace, wanting to come back† (15-16) is another comparison of life to death. Olds is saying that the lifeless corpse is still making a gesture saying that the dead would return if they could at any price.She says that those people who died in the battle, the corpses, would do anything â€Å"even to the bread make of glue and sawdust, / even to the icy winter, and the siege. † (1 8-19) I think that the moral of this poem is that life is precious, and that life should never be taken for granted. I think this is because the whole poem is comparisons between life and death, and because she says that the people who have passed away would do anything possible to come back to life, even under the worst conditions, to be loved, to love, and to be with the people they love.

Econometrics Project

Personal Consumption Expenditures, Personal Income, and CPI 1980 – 2011 April 24, 2010 Abstract The goal of this paper is to estimate the relationship between personal consumption and personal income among all Americans over the past 30 years. The data includes annual records for the four variables between the years 1980 and 2011. I have analyzed this data using the Ordinary Least Squares Method and ran a regression analysis in order to observe the relationship between my variables.In my model, I have used Real Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) as my independent variable, while the dependent variable is Real Disposable Personal Income Per-Capita. As well, I included two explanatory variables in my model which are the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and a Coincident Index. The model finds a positive relationship between personal consumption expenditures and personal income. It also shows that inflation is positively related to the independent variable of personal consumption.H owever the model demonstrates that there is an insignificant relationship between personal consumption and the Coincident Index. We can conclude that personal income has an effect on personal consumption and that there is a positive correlation between these two variables. Therefore, in general, we can assume according to this model that as personal income increases, personal consumption also increases. 1. Introduction Our economy is an ever-changing system that is affected by an infinite number of factors. Some of these factors include personal consumption, personal income, and inflation.I have chosen to look at how these factors may influence one another within the American economy. More specifically, I have chosen to research the influence of income, inflation, and the Coincidence Index on Americans’ consumption expenditures. I believe that individuals’ consumption expenditures may vary based on two main factors: A change in these individuals’ income and a ch ange in inflation. Many believe that as income increases, people will have more and will therefore spend more money and consume more.Some research suggests that larger household wealth is associated with higher personal consumption (Slacalek, 2009). In terms of inflation, some theories suggest that as prices rise and rates of inflation create uncertainty for the future, people will lower their consumption expenditures (Springer, 1977). However, since prices are higher, the total Personal Consumption Expenditures may still increase along with inflation. 2. Theory and Hypothesis In March, 2011, personal income increased by 0. 5 percent, while personal consumption expenditures for Americans increased by 0. 6 percent (Cohen, 2011).Based on this information, it can be concluded that the percentage increases for these variables increased nearly proportionately. I believe that this is not just a coincidence and that these variables actually share a relationship. Although this data is only for one month of one year, I hypothesize that this relationship would stay true if these statistics were to be taken over a period of several years. I believe that as Real Disposable Personal Income Per-Capita increases and individuals make more money, that people will spend more and consume more, meaning that PCE would increase.Since people would be making more money I expect that since they are more capable of spending money that they will indeed spend and consume more. I also theorize that CPI will have an effect on personal consumption. CPI, which is an indication of inflation, is an increase in prices in an economy relative to the money available in that economy. Since inflation means that you must pay more for the same goods, I hypothesize that as inflation increases, and prices rise, people will spend less, and therefore PCE will decrease. I also theorized that as the Coincident Index increases, PCE would also increase.This is because I believe that if the Coincident Index, w hich describes current economic conditions, goes up, then people will consume more while economic conditions are better. 3. Empirical Model and Data Using a multiple regression model, I estimated the relationship among my time-series data in order to learn more about my hypotheses. C = ? 0 + ? 1 *RDPI + ? 2*CPI + ? 3*CI C = -3. 540 + 3. 339(RDPI) +6. 888(CPI) +2. 315(CI) + ei Where: C= Personal Consumption Expenditures RDPI= Real Disposable Income: Per-Capita CPI= Consumer Price Index (Inflation) CI= Coincident IndexUsing Tinn-R, I came up with the following results. The Coefficients for this model are as follows: Estimate Std. Error t value Pr(>|t|) (Intercept) -3. 540e+03 3. 383e+02 -10. 466 3. 49e-11 *** RDPI 3. 339e-01 3. 903e-02 8. 555 2. 68e-09 *** CPI 6. 888e+00 3. 061e+00 2. 250 0. 0325 * CI 2. 315e+00 4. 713e+00 0. 491 0. 6271 As can be observed through these results, the t-values for both RDPI and CPI are greater than |1. 96|. Therefore, both of these variables are statist ically significant and consequently have an effect on Personal Consumption Expenditures.However, the t-value for the coincident index is not statistically significant, which means that we cannot conclude that it affects consumption. It can be assumed through this regression model that as personal income increases by 1 unit, consumption increases by 3. 339 units. As well, as PCE increases by one unit it can be assumed that PCE will increase by 6. 888 units. Therefore, I can conclude that my hypotheses regarding the relationship between consumption and income and consumption and inflation are accurate according to me regression model. However, these results may vary if other factors were to be considered in my model.As well, the results may be slightly off due to including the insignificant factor, the coincidence index. 4. Conclusion In conclusion, I have found the majority of my hypotheses to be true. I have found that both Personal Income and Inflation have an effect on Personal Co nsumption Expenditures and that both income and inflation have a positive relationship with consumption. However, based on my model, the Coincident Index does not share a relationship with PCE. I believe that this hypothesis of mine may be incorrect because the economic conditions of an conomy may not play a significant enough role on individuals’ consumption expenditures in order for this model to show that a relationship exists. Further research would need to be conducted in order for me to examine this relationship more closely. For example, other factors such as personal saving may influence personal consumption as well. In order to gather more clear and accurate results in the future, I would conduct more models, using more economic variables related to consumption in order to see what other potential factors may influence Personal Consumption Expenditures.References * Amadeo, Kimberly. â€Å"How Inflation Affects Your Life – The Impact of Inflation on Prices and Treasury Bonds. † US Economy and Business – US Economic Indicators – US Economic News. N. p. , n. d. Web. 24 Apr. 2012.

Deviance Behavior and the Possible Causes Essay

Some may say its biological or psychological and even sociological reasons. There have been many studies to try and determine why people have deviant behavior and what happens to individuals when norms are broken. Not all behaviors are judged the same by all groups. For example, some may question if there are conditions under which suicide is an acceptable behavior. Lets same one person commits suicide in the face of a terminal illness but another person is a despondent person who jumps from a window, the second person may be judged differently. The first person’s suicide may be looked at with pity which the second person would be looked at in a shameful way. Another behavior that would highly be considered deviant would be committing a crime. For example, juvenile gangs provide an environment where young people learn to become criminals. Gang members glorify violence and retaliation as means to achieve social status. Whether it is an act of a crime or gang violence, criminals learn to be deviant as they embrace and conform to their street or gang’s norms. Americans consider such activities as alcoholism, excessive gambling, being nude in public, starting fires, stealing, lying, prostitution, and being gay to name only a few as being deviant. Therefore people who engage in deviant behavior are referred to as deviants. References Richard T. Schaefer. (2012). Sociology – A Brief Introduction (Tenth Edition). McGraw-Hill Companies Inc, New York. Sociology of Deviance and Crime. (2013) By Ashley Crossman.

Parkinson's disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Parkinson's disease - Essay Example to treat Parkinson’s Disease associated symptoms, but has also proven to be an inappropriate treatment choice in patients with a history of psychosis or seizures. Amantadine may also be used to treat outbreaks of influenza A in humans. The problems experienced with the use of Amantadine is that its side effects are almost as bothersome or adverse as the symptoms that it is meant to treat. It is also lethal if taken by patients with renal conditions or with renal failure. Amantadine essentially is flushed out of the body via urine. In cases of renal failure however, a patient’s body may not effectively excrete the amount of Amantidine expected to be expelled by the body per normal dosage. When researching this particular medication, it is quite difficult to ascertain all of the facts surrounding its potency and effectiveness. Medline Plus provides only an approximation of what a dosage might be in patients prescribed this medication, as well as a few possible side effects that may be experienced. Another site known as mental health.com, describes in more detail, the pharmacology of Amantadine which is also known as Symmetrel. This source explains that Amantadine works by allowing the brain to release dopamine from nerve endings. This allows for available dopamine excretion which then activates dopaminergic receptors. (Long M.D., 1995). Among the few sources discussed thus far, the depth to which the antiparkinson’s drug known as Amantadine was examined was somewhat vague and lacking in detail or argument as to why this drug supersedes the potency or effectiveness of other antiparkinson’s medications. A more thorough source which detailed a double blind study by Thomas et al effectively described the specifics of Amantadine’s use in patients with Parkinson’s Disease as well as how those patients benefit from this particular drug which possesses a still unknown mechanism of effectiveness (Thomas et al, 2004). The drug known as Levodopa is

Utilitarianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Utilitarianism - Essay Example The paper will also give some examples to illustrate the situation. As mentioned above, maximum happiness and minimum suffering are the two central concepts of the Utilitarian approach. In other words, the Utilitarian view supports any course of action that would maximize the over wellbeing of the society, or the greatest number of people. According this philosophical theory, happiness of people has to be sacrificed only if such an act would bring greater happiness to more number of people. Stuart Mill, one of the major contributors to the theory of Utilitarianism, gives a clear-cut definition of Utilitarianism. According to him, â€Å"actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness† (as cited in Bykvist, 2010, p.21). As per the Utilitarian view, an action that would give happiness to greatest number of people is supportable even if it may physically or mentally harm some other people but fewer in numbers. One of the major criticisms against the Utilitarianism is that t his philosophical theory fails to define what will maximize happiness. Opponents claim that the notion of happiness may vary from person to person in accordance with their moral beliefs. In the words of Taranovsky (2003), another central concept of this moral theory is that one person’s happiness should never be more important than that of others and there is no good reason to follow a rule of conduct which is detrimental to the happiness of the majority of people. Under this concept, many fundamental laws of conduct and practices of justice are not supportable as they are not likely to make greatest number of people happy. Often, the most criticized aspect of Utilitarianism is that this ethical philosophy supports homicide under certain circumstances. According to Utilitarian approach, even homicide is justifiable if it contributes to the happiness

Business research project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Business research project - Essay Example Such a job is complicated poses several challenges for the employee when dealing with the difference in the countries like cultural differences, language, legal, political and economic scenarios that he needs to be accustomed to. MNCs of all sizes today counter the issues of facilitating the right type of training to their employees, selection of the employees for expatriate jobs and ensuring that these managers are integrated well in the new environment. Hill (2007) adds that even with such problems entailing such managers, businesses today are still venturing in international field experiences because such business setups across the global enables the firms to grow multi-dimensionally and form an important resource for the firm. Profits boom and the firm is not dependent on one market only. Especially in the case of economic downturns in the west, industries are now seeking businesses in China and India, which they are doing so by incorporating international field experiences for the employees in these markets. These employees give the firms valuable insight into the new markets and help the businesses decide whether they are prospective markets for future investments or not. Even though there may be demand for the product the firms may decide not to enter the market due to cultural barriers, legal issues and political scenarios, which may only be known, when employees are sent on international projects to test out the market prospects. International field experience is not a novel concept. It is when an employee of a firm is sent to work in another country to the firm’s subsidiary. Rowold (2007, 21-36) adds that these employees are expected to control and administer the business simultaneously syncing its operation with the centre of operations, which may be in his hometown. Such learning offers rare developmental chances for the individual by giving him more flexibility both at personal and

Stress reduction technique that worked for me (prayer) Essay

Stress reduction technique that worked for me (prayer) - Essay Example Firstly, I have seen serious fights between my parents since my childhood. I have grown up in a very dysfunctional family. There is not much bonding amongst the family members or with my relatives. One of the major reasons for my parent’s fights is their frustration regarding the financial condition. My dad has been working really hard but due to some reason or the other he suffers a loss. Secondly, my sister got married 2 years back and when she was 6 months pregnant, she returned to our home and then we got to know that there has been serious issues going on between them and she wanted to be separated from her husband that is she wanted a divorce which upset me a lot. Lastly, exams at this stage also cause stress because in such a situation, it is very difficult to stay home and study or to concentrate in the books. It was Tuesday night 12 am when suddenly my sister came to my place. She was crying like anything and when she told my mother the whole story, I burst into tears. I didn’t know what to do and what to say at that time. My tears were due to the accumulation of all the tensions and stresses I had. That was the time when I decided to pray to God and ask for His help. Before I started to pray, I was mentally very disturbed. I could not think of any positive thing around me and was lost in some other world. Then I started to pray. Prayer as a stress reduction technique follows a four step procedure. Firstly there is supplication in which I asked for guidance in my own words along with the set prayer which said â€Å"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have Mercy on me† and â€Å"Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on my soul†. In this we ask for certain events to turn out the way we want to. Then there is meditation in which being still in body, which is contributing to the settling of the turbulent waters of issues in the mind; confusion falling away so that the voice of conscience can be heard. In this, our mind relaxes and becomes more

Self reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Self reflection paper - Essay Example Similar to this is the devil effect, whereby a person evaluates another as low on many traits because of a belief that the individual is low on one trait which is assumed to be critical. This paper will give a self reflection of my life as a home nurse well as how my life has been changed as a result of different view of ethics. One of the major experiences to an understanding of my life in the nursing profession is the impact of nature and nurture in our future judgment and interpretation of issues. Having worked for some time as a nurse, I have also freely interacted with old people, children and the sick. In this way, I have come to admire how the living condition during the early years of a child can determine his or her social life. For example, a child who is born in a loving, caring and protective family will always be respectful to others, hardworking and above all co-exist well with the environment. Whereas a child who is born in a violent family will become intolerative and harsh to divergent views, he or she will always want his word to be taken serious thus becoming a demigod (Fagothey, 2000). These children will never respect other people’s opinion thus they believe that violence is the solution. In my own personal life I have learnt that I have a good listening ability. This is attribut ed to the fact that I provide an ample opportunity to my patients so that they can inform me regarding their physical and mental situation. In this way, I have general information that I need to undertake my duties. One of the major ways that my experience will affect my work in the helping profession is that I will have the ability to intermingle with various people regardless of their cultural or economic background. Additionally, I will have ability to freely intermingle with other people thus by working as a team work I will be able to acquire skills possessed by other members of the team. One of the major aspects I learnt from my own life

Planning and Resourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Planning and Resourcing - Essay Example as de Trujillo, the Villas de Trujillo senior staff representative, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the community of Villas de Trujillo community leaders, the major employees from the Department of Health and representative of residents of Villas de Trujillo . All other organizations and departments were equally represented by experts in the respective fields. This includes the specialist in Dengue Fever and education, the generalist physicians, experts in health care research services, statistics and epidemiology and health plan administrator. In ensuring that the Dengue Action Plan improvement project is successfully implemented, it is upon each stake holder to play his or her part according to the requirements of the project. It is, therefore, of importance to clearly outline the duties and roles of each member. The Dengue community Action Program is funded by the US Agency International Development (USAID) who is the key project facilitators. I will be Project Manager who would manage the Project Team in ensuring they comply with the project objectives. I will help develop Project Plan with the project team while managing performance of the team. I will work to secure acceptance and approval some deliverables from the Project Sponsor or the Stakeholders. I will play a major role in communication. This includes reporting status, risk management, issue escalation and, in generally making sure the project meets the delivered in the budget, on the given schedule, and within a set scope. Other functions of the project manager are listed below. As the managing director of Villas de Trujillo hospital, I am mandated to oversee overall project coordination. On the overall the following additional roles are central to my work as a project manager. Developing and delivering the strategic plans of the project in the most effective yet efficient manner. As a managing director, I am accountable for the project overall performance, as well as day-to-day

Effectiveness and Impact of Virtual Teams Essay Example for Free

Effectiveness and Impact of Virtual Teams Essay Technology is consistently evolving and impacting many organizations worldwide. It has changed many aspects in the workplace, including work styles, communication, and teamwork. Communication has been transformed into the ways of the virtual world, directly affecting group dynamics. Organizations often form teams of employees to serve a variety of purposes and reach goals in a more effective manner than independent work. Teams used to work strictly through face-to-face interactions, but with growing technology, virtual teams have been created and are used fairly often. â€Å"A virtual team is any team whose member interactions are mediated by time, distance, and technology. The core feature is not the technology, but that the team works together on a task while physically separated. Group members can communicate through e-mail, voice mail, video conferencing, electronic bulletin boards, and intranets.† (Levi, 2007, p. 258) Many research studies have been done to assess the effectiveness of virtual teams, examining the positive and negative aspects. This literature review is aimed to analyze several articles where researchers have explored many components of virtual teams and their impact. Vroman and Kovacich (2002) wrote an article that analyzed â€Å"the interactions of a virtual interdisciplinary team.† They explain computer-mediated communication (CMC) to be the basis of virtual teams, which they then compare to face-to-face teams. They examined the Interdisciplinary Training for Health Care for Rural Areas (ITHCRA) project, which is a team comprised of many different types of health professionals (e.g. clinical psychologist, nurse practitioner, nutritionist, etc.) The team’s ultimate goal was to develop an interdisciplinary health care curriculum, solely using CMC. ITHCRA functioned the same as any other team working together would, and faced the same challenges and developmental processes (forming, storming, norming, performing, and transforming). They additionally had to learn the ways of the new communication technology, which was an obstacle for many of the group members. The developmental process of the virtual team was similar to that of a face-to-face team, however, a number of differences were found. The forming phase was very  typical for team development. Team building and norm development took precedent of the project tasks initially. They had met face-to-face once, and after looking at their communication after this occurred, it was obvious they had formed social relationships and were more committed. This raised the question: what would have happened if the face-to-face meeting did not take place? It may have been more effective to have two groups in this study so comparisons could be made (e.g. one group solely virtual, the other group allowed 1-3 face-to-face meetings). It is hard to determine whether certain aspects of team development would have taken place without the opportunity to see their team members in a more personal way. Storming took place as well, which is when teams face certain conflicts. There were no apparent differences for this development in the virtual team. Norming, performing, and transforming phases of development all contributed to the team’s success and helped them complete their tasks and reach their goals. Vroman and Kovacich (2002) provided a good analysis of ITHCRA and the ways in which it was successful and where the members were challenged. They portrayed virtual teams as being more convenient, effective, and less time consuming when completing tasks. However, it allows for less personal contact and can be more difficult for some to communicate and fulfill the expectations of the group project. It may have been more effective to have ITHCRA communicate solely through CMC and compare them to a team with the same tasks and goals, but who communicated through a combination of CMC and face-to-face meetings. More valid results would be accessible to draw more accurate conclusions. It was interesting to use a interdisciplinary team, however, it may have acted as another variable besides CMC, which would then alter the results. Kirkman, Rosen, Tesluk, and Gibson (2004) conducted a research study on the impact of team empowerment on virtual team performance. â€Å"Team empowerment is defined as increased task motivation that is due to team members’ collective, positive assessments of their organizational tasks (Kirkman Rosen, 2002). They examined team empowerment through the teams potency, meaningfulness, autonomy, and impact to determine its’ impact on process improvement and customer satisfaction. Kirkman et al. (2004) studied a service organization that utilized high technology and frequently formed virtual teams to complete the company’s tasks and goals. Each team member had different roles within the organization and was separated from each  other geographically. The researchers moderated the effects of face-to-face meetings to examine the relationship between team empowerment and both process improvement and customer satisaction. Kirkman et al. (2004) used surveys, observation, a team empowerment measure they had created, and customer satisfaction and process improvement scorecards to test their hypotheses, which were that 1. Team empowerment will have a positive relation to virtual team process improvement, 2. Team empowerment will have a positive relation to virtual team customer satisfaction, and 3. The number of team’s face-to-face meetings will alter the relationship between team empowerment and process improvement (the fewer face-to-face meetings the stronger the relationship), and 4. The number of team’s face-to-face meetings will alter the relationship between team empowerment and customer satisfaction (the fewer face-to-face meetings the stronger the relationship). Their results indicated support for hypotheses one, two, and three, but did not support the fourth hypothesis. The researchers produced a well-designed study with significant, meaningful results that help contribute to the understanding of virtual teams. They operationally defined all of the terms and measures to provide an equal understanding for everyone. It seems that virtual teams have many positive characteristics that are more effective compared to the common face-to-face teams. With the rising technology, virtual teams may become the norm as researchers continue to understand their components and wire them for optimal success. Montoya-Weiss, Massey, and Song (2001) wrote an article on the findings of their research study. They â€Å"examined the effects of temporal coordination on virtual teams supported by an asynchronous communication technology.† They measured the mechanism â€Å"process structure† to determine the relationship between conflict management behavior and virtual team performance. They measured conflict management individually for each team member through a questionnaire they created. They defined their dependent variable, virtual team performance, as â€Å"the quality of the team rationale used to support the team decision.† They examined the range, depth, and organization for each team decision. Lastly, they observed and analyzed all communication among the virtual team. Montoya-Weiss et al. (2001) had five hypotheses total, which were tested through statistical analysis. They predicted that for all conflict management behaviors, a positive interaction would result.

Issues faced in BHP billiton and infosys

Issues faced in BHP billiton and infosys BHP Billiton and Infosys, though both successful in their own right, have emerged from different industrial sectors, and hugely contrasting geopolitical environments. BHP Billiton is the worlds largest mining organisation, and was formed in 2001 by the merging of the Australian Broken Hill Proprietary Company, and Billiton of the UK. The companys primary interests are in Iron ore, Manganese, Petroleum, Aluminium, Base Metals, Metallurgical Coal, Thermal Coal, Stainless Steel resources, and Diamonds/Speciality materials. BHP Billitons scale and diversity appear to have cushioned it from the worst ravages of the contemporary economic downturn, although, as will be discussed, this has not necessarily helped all of its employees and stakeholders. Unconcerned by such vagaries, Chief Executive Officer Marius Kloppers has recently judged that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Commercial market mechanism will ensure that developing nations raw material demand is met, that suppliers obtain sufficient investment to meet demand and that new deposits of raw materials are discovered. (Smith BHP chief 2009) However, as other reports concede, BHP expects the majority of this demand to come from developed, rather than developing economies. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Despite the low metals inventories in developed economies, there is little evidence yet of sustainable demand for metals emerging post the northern [hemisphere] summer. (MacNamara 2009) 2009 has seen mining profits depressed by the fall in commodities prices: however, BHP has confoun ded this trend by paying a final dividend which matched its interim payment, i.e. 41 cents. As MacNamara points out, BHP has been à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦one of the more successful players in the sector, bigger and better able to handle difficult market conditions than rivals such as Anglo American and Xstrata, which have suspended their dividends until further notice. (2009) Uniquely amongst British mining concerns, BHP has the advantage of a petroleum division, which is now its third most profitable business. (MacNamara glass 2009) During 2009, BHP also abandoned plans to create a joint marketing company with Rio Tinto, which was to sell up to 15 per cent of Western Australian iron ore production. (Smith BHP Rio 2009) Infosys is another company which has made comparatively good progress during the economic downturn, and claims to have emerged from it already. Infosys is Indias second largest software services exporter, reporting a 17 per cent rise in first-quarter profits during 2009. Its UK clients include the UKs Waitrose supermarket chain and many leading international banks. Its business has now developed to the point where it is a viable competitor to long established IT providers, such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Accenture (Fontonella-Khan 2009). Along with other Indian-based outsourcers, such as Wipro, Genpact, and Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys has a macro-economic significance far beyond its own industrial sector, having helped power the Indian economy to 9 per cent growth prior to the 2008-9 financial crisis. (Lamont 2009) London School of Economics analysts attribute this partly to the status of English as an official language in India, making the industrys services highly scaleabl e in western markets, and constituting a competitive advantage over new entrants such as China. As Ilan Oshri of the LSE Outsourcing Unit observes, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦India is not a powerhouse because it is cheap but because it is smart. Thats not the same with Chinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦We dont see Chinese vendors emerging to be powerhousesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦China is much cheaper than India. But the game is not about cost, its about accessing talentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.(Lamont 2009). Section 1: Similarities and Differences. Mitchell et al. identify three possible themes within stakeholder saliency: power, legitimacy, and urgency. (1997: p.853) Both of the companies in question have extended stakeholder chains, but they are rather different in character. It is this contrast which has determined the behaviour of each: altered in one case, unaltered in the other. Of the two, the company which has moved most swiftly to change and signal that change is Infosys, a series of events which may be interpreted according Mitchell et al.s saliency model. Infosys power is intrinsically linked to its legitimacy, and this in turn rests squarely on its relationship with important stakeholders. In the first instance, the companys fortunes are interdependent with the Indian government in its role as an economic facilitator and arbiter of structured growth: significant investor cooperation is contingent upon this relationship. If the emerging Indian economy wavers, the latter will worry about the skills base, infrastruct ure, and political stability which is necessary to grow Infosys shareholder value. Moreover, in a globalised economy, influence of investors upon customer attitudes cannot be underestimated. Infosys is an exemplar business to business operator, so its corporate responsibility profile impacts directly on that of its corporate customers. For example, Waitrose of the UK, which markets itself as a profit-sharing, employee friendly, ethical retailer, could not maintain its own CSR status whilst in cooperation with a pariah multinational. Infosys, therefore, must avoid such status at all costs. Things are different for BHP Billiton, whose corporate responsibility effort, as will be discussed, rests on engagement rather than action. The most striking recent fact pertaining to BHP Billitons social responsibility profile is its dismissal of six thousand employees and contractors in 2009 alone. (Smith axe 2009). However, for complex reasons, its stakeholder profile can accommodate such crises relatively comfortably. Section 2: Responsible business approach, has it increased/decreased, and why? As it is the worlds principal extractive company, it is not surprising that the areas of contention surrounding BHP Billitons operations span the environment, ecosystem, climate change, human resources, community disruption, land rights, political lobbying, and financial malpractice, to name but a few. It is far beyond the scope of this discussion to engage meaningfully with the empirical circumstances of all of these issues and concerns. It may be argued however, that its strategy is one of maximum engagement, and minimum change, a dynamic whose provenance lays in the nature of its stakeholder networks. The important point here is that BHP Billitons is not a unique position. As Brewster reports, an ever higher proportion of blue-chip organisations are joining the ranks of those who publish regular CSR reports. (2007). However, the only thing which this signals in absolute positivist terms is the willingness to open a dialogue with concerned stakeholder groups. At the same time, it can usefully reassure less concerned stakeholders i.e., conventional or unethical investors that the corporate responsibility issue is being fielded in an acceptable way. This is not to say that such reports merely convey a facile dialogue of inaction: however, as will be discussed, they do define and confine responsibility within certain manageable parameters. It may be argued that Infosys has adopted the same kind of logic in its corporate social responsibility effort: its 2008-9 report states that We understand the implications our business has on the economy, environment and society. We also recognise that there is much to learn and engage with our stakeholders to improve our performance in all areas. (Infosys 2009) It goes on to remind the reader that its board members participate in advisory councils, governments and not-for profit organisations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to formulateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦policies on topics such as corporate governance, healthcare, education, climate change, and other key sustainability areas. (Infosys 2009: p.9) The over-arching message is clearly that Infosys is representing itself as a learning organisation, in the defined sense of that term. As Lane et al. point out, each organisation, whether formally constituted or otherwise possesses its own learning culture, subsumed within compatible norms and values, operatio nal priorities, or dominant logics. (2001: p.1143). Of the two organisations however, Infosys has exhibited by far the greatest degree of change in its behaviour. Along with Tata Consulting Services and Wipro, are at the centre of a controversy concerning the importing of non-EU IT workers into the UK: Infosys has itself brought in 3,030 of these employees. The transfer route is, as a consequence, being tightened by the UK Home Office, with the result that temporary workers will no longer have any rights of settlement: in addition, employees will have to have been with a company for a minimum of one year, before transferring to the UK branch (Boxell 2009). However, as both companies as the government are aware, such transfers are sometimes the only means by which specific human resources shortages may be addressed: as Phil Woolas, the immigration minister, concedes, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Intra-company transfers are an important part of making the UK an attractive place in which to do business, and therefore keep industry and the economy mov ing. (Boxell 2009). The point here is that Infosys extended stakeholder chain implies pressures which must be balanced out through this, and other, important structural issues. It cannot afford to be less competitive than its rivals in terms of corporate responsibility, or it will simply lose business. Conversely, BHP Billiton will not. Its stakeholder chain is wider, more diffuse, and far less responsibility-dependent: in short, the world knows what kind of organization it is, and it grows no poorer. Section 3: Contrasting Viewpoints. There are various theoretical frameworks which might be employed to assess the relative corporate responsibility efforts of BHP Billiton and Infosys, despite their intrinsic differences. These range from the extreme Kantian ethical position, which argues that a corporation can have no duty other than to shareholder, or the virtue or Confucian ethical position, which argues that innately good practice will eventually ensure rewards. Two modified positions which might allow a more measured assessment are Tinged Shareholder theory, as posited by Moore and others, and utilitarian ethics. As Moore has argued if tinged shareholder theory were to become a normative model , there would be a greater concentration on the ideal type virtues required of a good manager, and a good organisation. Consequently, a focus on the area of virtue ethics might prove central to the visualising of a corporate responsibility ideal (Moore 1999: p.126). Meanwhile utilitarian ethics arguably provides a useful pe rspective because of its outcome-focused, bottom-line orientated assessment of events. As Fisher and Lovell point out, utilitarianism, combined with cost-benefit analysis, tends to focus on a good rather than the general good, and is therefore very valuable to organisations who wish to manage corporate responsibility, rather than be managed by it. Infosys has indicated a heightened awareness of its stakeholder responsibilities and potential vulnerability by hastily re-constructing its corporate governance image in the aftermath of recent problems. Principal amongst these has been the financial scandal at Satyam Computer Services, its main rival in the software outsourcing sector. As the Financial Times reports, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦B. Ramalinga Raju, the former chairman of Satyam who is now in police custody, undermined confidence in the sector when he confessed to manipulating the companys accounts last week, including by inventing a cash pile worth more than $1bnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦'(Leahy reassures 13.1.2009). Acutely sensitized to the negative fall-out from this, Infosys CEO S. Gopalakrishnan has reportedly judged that the entire IT outsourcing sector needs heightened transparency, adding that he himself had been receiving increasing requests for fiduciary details from clients and investors. As he put it, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The reason we need to take some confidence measures at this point is that some queries have come in from customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ If you look at our disclosures, we have listed every single bank account and the amount of money we have in the bank so if investors are interested they can check and call the banksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (Leahy reassures 2009). The important point here is that Infosys is attempting to avoid a utilitarian, outcome-orientated model of stakeholder analysis, by adopting a position informed by virtue ethics. It has not been accused of any wrong-doing yet and is attempting to avoid that contingency by exhibiting transparently good behaviour. It has sound business reasons for doing so: as western companies reconstruct themselves following the recent economic downturn, they are downsizing by outsourcing, and Infosys is well placed to capture such business, if it is untainted by corporate responsibility problems. As Chief Executive Officer, S. Gopalakrishnan explains, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦You want to be cautious because its not completely out of the woods but we clearly see some growthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Leahy 2009) Like that of many similar Indian companies, the stability and expansion of Infosys is contingent upon the expansion of outsourcing from client companies in the developed world. Infosys itself added a further 35 companies to its client portfolio in the second quarter of 2009. These combined factors have resulted in the addition of 1,548 new employees in the same period, bringing the total on its books to 105,500. As well as reassuring its direct stakeholders, Infosys has also proved itself attentive to the needs of the wider social and political constituency. One example of this lays in the denouement of the Tata Nano car plant dispute, in which protesters alleged that the rights of farmers had been usurped in order to facilitate the development in West Bengal. Orchestrated by Indias principal opposition party the Trinamool Congress, the movement physically besieged the Singur site, drawing down foreign media attention and threatening to dampen foreign investment. CEO S Gopalakrishnan was initially à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦impressed with the efforts of the state government in attracting such investments: however, he now concedes that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Singur has created fear in the minds of India Inc and like all other companies we are watching the developments very closely We will rethink and re-examine our proposed investment if need be.. The bottom line is that Infosys may not proceed with its own Wes t Bengal development plans if the situation is not resolved (Leahy nervous 2009). BHP Billitons needs in terms of communication and responsibility are quite different, and it has arguably opted for a utilitarian, relativist interpretation of good. This approach allows it relative freedom to pursue its vast portfolio of extractive activities in way which might be more difficult if it took a more obstructive stance. In its detailed deposition on BHP Billiton, the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility reported that it felt, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in general, with a few exceptions outlined below, the company has developed a relatively advanced set of policies, which give consideration to many of the issues that our partners have raised in the Bench Marks document. (ECCR 2004: p.7) Moreover, an important part of its dialogue with ethical regulators such as the ECCR lays not in the discussion of specific or practical acts of corporate responsibility, but the demonstration of stakeholder awareness in the abstract. As it explains, The company provides regular reports to all stakeholders that are independently verified on a plan detailing how the company and the suppliers have shared responsibility for complianceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦adopts a transparent policy and reports publicly to all stakeholders on its compliance programme, the findings, and what changes have been made at the factory level. (ECCR 2004: p.63). This is central to BHPs entire CSR strategy: monitoring bodies are left facing a multi-headed hydra of good, bad, or indifferent practice across the companys vast array of activities and geographical reach. As one area of neglect arises, another is dealt with, a process through which the dialogue of engagement and improvement is maintained. The other constant is shareholder value: as the regulators succeed in limiting less equitable practices in one area, less ethical investors may take comfort from the fact that more profitable centres elsewhere retain their potential for dividends. As Moore points out, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it is a common feature of theories of the firm that they regard the firm as a nexus of contracts. Theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦theories differ as to the extent of these relationships, with shareholder theory restricting this to legal and implied contracts, while stakeholder theory takes a broader definition to include social/moral as well as legal and implied contracts. (Moore 1999: p.122) The point here is that the utilitarian approach adopted by BHP Billiton has, for the time being, balanced these two forces. Conclusion A common theme in the fortunes of these two different companies lays in their successful emergence from a difficult economic period. BHP has recently asserted that there are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦signs of stabilization in the developed economies, with positive signs of improvement in industrial production. (MacNamara 2009) Moreover, BHP will soon be free to refresh its takeover bid for Rio Tinto, under the terms of the UK takeover code. (Smith BHP and Rio 2009) BHP also told shareholders that market conditions had improved since it held its annual meeting in London. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The velocity of the recoveryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦has indeed been surprisingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ CEO Kloppers said, whilst cautioning that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦BHP was expected to emerge from the downturn less strongly than in previous cycles. (Smith 2009). This may be interpreted as a restraining hand upon corporate responsibility: things are OK, but dont interfere. Meanwhile, Infosys has also benefited from its more public, virtu e-driven responsibility stance. Research by the London School of Economics indicates that western executives in western companies opted for outsourcing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦on quality of service more than price. It also pointed out that Egypt, Hungary and Romania were most likely to join the shared service centre sector as key players in the near future (Lamont 2009). Infosys has of course already laid the foundations for such diversification, stating that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦As we grow further, we have to make sure our workforce reflects the regions from where we derive revenue to whatever extent possibleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Leahy 2006). In conclusion, it seems reasonable to argue that corporate responsibility and stakeholder concerns are at their most harmonious -for better or worse when the hegemony of liberal economics prevails. As Collier points out, In the modern world of globalisation there are some fabulous ladders: most societies are using them. But there are also some chutesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (2007: p.5) If classical economics is afforded hegemony, then any expectation which does not implicitly recognise that snakes can swiftly become ladders -and vice versa  ­- is inherently flawed. The collection of papers on globalisation edited by Timmons Roberts and Bellone incorporates commentary by some rather older commentators, who observed that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the bourgeosie cannot exist without constantly revolutionising the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society. (Timmons Roberts and Bellone, 2007: p.27) As unfashionable as they may be, Mar x and Engels may have distilled an essential truth here, regardless of the fact that they did so through observation of an earlier period of structural economic change. The unavoidable function of companies, including Infosys and BHP Billiton, is to serve shareholder value. When they cease to do so, they will also cede their position to other who will.

Sociology of Crime and Punishment

Sociology of Crime and Punishment Figuring out why people commit crime has always been the underlying question in criminology. Over the years, a lot of sociologists have developed theories has to why people may commit crimes. Does society have anything to do with why someone commits a crime? Does having a mental diseases has any factor as to why people commit crime? Or could it just simply be because they wanted to? All of the questions run through a sociologists mind when trying to come to one concise answer. Unfortunately, there isnt just one answer to this question, rather there are multiple factors that weigh into why someone may commit a crime. Elijah Anderson, Robert Merton and Walter Reckless, have all developed theories from their own personal research as to why people commit crime. In this paper I will talk about their theory and whether I agree or disagree with their theory. In Elijah Anderson, Code of the Street theory, code referring to a set of informal rules that influences someones public behavior, he categorizes people who live in the street and the decent families, to formulate a sense of inner-city life. The decent families are hard working, has mainstream values and instill them into their children, unlike the street families that are dysfunctional, and seems to have no interest in the childs life. Decent families, seems to be more civil, whereas the street families are angry and are aggressive with their children. These are the children that often use the term come up hard when referring to their childhood. This then leads to the point that people who grew up in a street family home are more likely to commit crimes simply because their parents were not involved in their life. They are also usually the child that hang out on the streets and stay out late. Whereas with decent families, children are taught to stay out of trouble and has a curfew. Many of the children that grew up in street families, value respect and loyalty from others within the streets, and if they were to ever be tested they will retaliate with violence. Robert Mertons strain theory, believes that society place a big part in a person becoming deviant. His theory stated that society places a big emphasis on the American Dream and that we all have to attain it. This then places pressure on an individual in society to conform. Some people choose whether to work hard to achieve those goals or become deviant in order to achieve those goals. Merton felt as though equal opportunity within society to achieve the American Dream was nonexistent, so resolve those strains, people adapt, or in other words Modes of Adaptation. According to Merton there are five modes of adaptation, conformity, innovation, ritualism, and rebellion. Lastly, Walter Recklesss theory believed that there were forces that propel people to commit deviant activities. Such forces are pushes and pulls. Pushes would be psychological or social conditions and pulls are following fellow delinquents. These would be considered two types of containment, outer and inner. Inner refers to self control, a sense of right or wrong and moral or religious beliefs. Outer refers to influential individuals, such as teachers and families as well as authorities. This then leads to the point of, the more likely someone is to conform to societys norms, the less likely they are to participate in deviant behaviors. Out of these three theories, the two main theories that were interesting were Elijah Andersons code of the street theory andÂÂ   Robert Mertons strain theory. In Andersons theory, he mentions that there are two types of families, which I agree with, but what I disagree with is that I dont believe that just because someone grew up in a street family home that they are more likely to commit crimes. For instance, I have heard of stories where the parents are well grounded and are well involved in their childs life, but yet the child becomes a criminal. Other factors such as the child wanting to fit in with a specific crowd that they may consider cool, can have an influence on whether the child develop deviant behaviors to fit in within that group. And on the other hand, I have heard stories of children that grew up into a street family home and they chose a different path in life. They were motivated by their struggling situations, to work hard and pull themselves up by their boot straps, so that they can achieve greater things and become positive forces in society. Now Mertons theory, I seem to agree with completely. Societys emphasis on the American Dream and wealth, can become very strenuous on an individual. Especially because not all individuals can obtain it. People try so hard to conform to societys norms, that they sometimes dont rationalize that their way of conforming may be right or wrong, especially for the poor. This is why many of them resort to stealing and selling drugs. As like many other research, they can sometimes be biases. For example, both Merton and Anderson only looked at children or juvenile delinquents. Like I mentioned before, children are easily persuaded, they often do things to fit in. My question now is, if they were to take all other factors that children have to go through would their theory remain the same?

An Analysis of the First Paragraph of O’Connor’s The Artificial Nigger

An Analysis of the First Paragraph of O’Connor’s The Artificial Nigger ?In â€Å"The Artificial Nigger,† Flannery O’Connor commingles characteristic Christian imagery with themes evocative of her Southern setting. In this essay, a close reading of the first paragraph of this story elucidates the subtle ways in which O’Connor sets up these basic themes of redemption and forgiveness. An additional paragraph will examine the ramifications of this reading on the intertwined racial aspects of the story, which are connected by a common theme of master/servant imagery, which is integral to the first paragraph. In this story, the key character is named Mr. Head, which immediately signals to the reader that this character is suggestive of rationality and perhaps especially pride (as in the expression â€Å"having a big head†). This is appropriate given that Mr. Head’s change throughout the story will emphatically revolve around his spiritual and Christian-oriented awareness of the plight of man and the problem of pridefulness. Mr. Head â€Å"awakens† (indeed, the whole story regards his awakening) in the night to a room â€Å"full of moonlight.† From the very beginning, elements of light and dark are vying in the story’s background, and in this case, it is a light that shines through the darkness. O’Connor, through the uses of dashes, alerts the reader to the moonlight being â€Å"the color of silver,† the first of many silver/gray references throughout the story. It is hard not to equate this references to the thirty pieces of silver that Judas received for betraying Jesus. Such a reference is consistent with the story’s themes of betrayal and forgiveness (even though Mr. Head’s denial of his grandson Nelson is perhaps more reminiscent of Pete... ...nship between blacks and whites exist without such interchangeability. Such a reading suggests that African Americans are often the vehicle through which Southerners experience powerful lessons of hatred (as in Nelson’s first experience with the black man on the train), pride (when Nelson witnesses his grandfather’s witty rejoinder to the stuffy black waiter), sexuality (Nelson’s run-in with the black temptress in the Atlanta ghetto), and even redemption (as they witness the statue in the story’s penultimate moment). No matter that Nelson has only recently learned what a â€Å"nigger† is, never mind that the statue itself is plaster and one eye is â€Å"entirely white† – the overturning of the master/servant relationship is only possible when firmly on the white side of the segregated line; this reality ensures that all the â€Å"niggers† in this story remain â€Å"artificial.†

politics today :: essays research papers

What is politics? Throughout history, people have participated in politics on many different levels. They may have participated through a direct democracy, in which they directly governed, or they may have participated through a representative democracy, in which they participated by electing representatives. As citizens’, people have participated in politics to attain the things they needed or wanted, the valued things. Participation in politics has been the way that people have a voice and change the things that directly affect their lives. Throughout the course of history, politics has been the competition of ideas; they decide who gets what, when, where and how. Politics is the means for attaining valued things. Although, valued things are different in every society, the means of securing those things has never changed. The competition for power, authority and influence will always be the backbone of politics. Applying power, authority and influence to the valued things that support the public good, will produce the quality of life a society desires. In the present day, citizens in the United States demand certain valued things such as welfare, education, safe streets and healthcare. Through politics, citizens can apply their power in many different ways to get the things they want. Power is the ability to get someone to do something they may or may not want to do. Through the use of or the application of coercion, persuasion, manipulation and negotiation, power is used to influence the system. It would seem as if valued things, such as safe streets and healthcare, would already be established in a society such as ours. Using safe streets as an example, it is hard to believe a person would not support safe streets. But the discussion about safe streets is not exactly whether we want them or not. The disagreement on this topic, and most political topics, is how much should be spent fiscally on achieving and maintaining safe streets. The question of how much money should be spent on what and where is usually decided by whomever or whatever has applied the most power, influence and authority. How active or inactive should the government be in getting valued things? Politics must be used as the means of answering this question. Politics should be used to attain the things that the society needs most and should represent all of the people equally. In America today, there is a general, underlying equality that has been offered to everyone.