Knowledge & Understanding questions Essay

1.1 Describe a range of causes of dementia syndrome ANSWER Neurodegenerative diseases is a common cause of dementia which mean that the brain cells known at the neurons either are degenerating therefore the neuron die off quicker which will lead to a more decline in the person mental health such as memory, language and sometimes their physical abilities all depending on which area of the brain is infected. Dementia affects the brain and the loss of function of the brain in such a way that the things we normally take for granted, for example our ability to remember things (time, date, events, to use language all of these things begin to disappear. Also there are more causes of dementia caused by depression, brain tumours, thyroid hormone, and head injuries. Some of these causes of dementia can also be dementia –like conditions which may be treatable or non-progressive. These neurodegenerative diseases are known to us as Alzheimer’s fronto temporal dementia, and Lewy bodies are where over time a build up of abnormal protein deposits in the brain cause the gradual change and damage to the neurons which will cause the shrinkage of the brain. 1.2 Describe the types of memory impairment commonly experienced by individuals with dementia ANSWER Dementia is a collection of symptoms including memory loss, personality change, and impaired intellectual functions resulting from disease or trauma to the brain. These changes are not part of normal ageing and are severe enough to impact daily living skills, independence, and relationships, while Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, there are also many other forms, including vascular and mixed dementia. Common signs and symptoms of dementia may include: Memory loss Impaired judgement Difficulties with abstract thinking Faulty reasoning Inappropriate behaviour Loss or communication skills Disorientation to time and place Gait, motor and balance problems Neglect of personal care and safety Hallucinations, paranoia, agitation. The most common forms of mental decline associated with ageing are: Slower thinking and problem solving Decreased attention and concentration Slower recall As the dementia progresses the individual ability to look after themselves from day to day may also become affected. 1.3 Explain the way that individuals process information with reference to the abilities and limitations of individuals with dementia ANSWER The working of the brain are very complex, the human brain is made up of around 100 billion cells, main these cells are called neurons. If the neurons is switched off is resting when it is switched on it fires electrical impulses along its body known as the axon. Some people with dementia often confuse things, this may be very distressing for their family or carers, but can be called as a natural aspect of their memory loss. An individual with dementia may be trying to interpret a world that no longer makes sense to them that because them brain is processing the information incorrectly. An individual with dementia may receive care from a provider who does not maintain a good standard of continuity with their staff, for a person with dementia it is very important as they must become familiar with  the people who care for them to gain trust and familiarity with their daily routine. Communication could not be structured correctly for the person who causes confusion and lack of understanding as they are unable to comprehend what is expected of them. Infections, change of medication, change of environment, pain and stress, social skills, understanding and interaction levels may decrease or fluctuate. However an individual process the information in different ways therefore depending on their abilities will depend on their limitations as suffering with Dementia. 1.4 Explain how other factors can cause changes in an individual’s condition that may not be attributable to dementia ANSWER Change of diet, environment, and medication can cause changes in an individual condition; in spite of the fact experiencing a loss of reduction in memory does not mean always indicate a form of dementia. There are many other conditions which could affect an individual health which can be a difference between dementia, depression and confusional state. Sensory changes due to age related degeneration example macular degeneration and cataracts affecting vision, loss of hearing and increase of tinnitus affecting balance, reduced metabolism causing poor appetite. The part of the brain which was affected will determine how the person will be affected. Some condition that may affect the memory are listed below: Brain injury- which can be caused by an external trauma such as a blow to the head or internal factors such as a result of a stroke or aneurism. Brain tumour – a tumour of the brain can be benign (slow growing, non cancerous) or malignant Medication – some prescription medication can have side effects which can affect somebody’s memory. Diet – some foods can have an effect on a person’s memory. Stress –is the emotional and physical strain caused by individual’s response to pressure from the outside world. Stress can affect an individual’s health in many ways, including memory difficulties. 1.5 Explain why the abilities and needs of an individual with dementia may fluctuate ANSWER Each individual may experience dementia in different ways. There is no definitive direction or path that the condition will follow and there are no exact timescales in which the condition may progress. Somebody with dementia can have â€Å"good days† and â€Å"bad days†. Believed all depends on how we are feeling, how much sleep we have had, and what activity we are doing and how much we want to do that activity. On the other hand changes that may occur in their day to day life, changes of people (changes of carers on a regular basis), therefore not being consistent in a routine programme. 2.1 Describe the impact of early diagnosis and follow up to diagnosis ANSWER Generally speaking for most people receiving the diagnosis of dementia is very distressing, also can be very upsetting for their loves one. Many people in nowadays still, think of dementia as being a condition which causes people to go â€Å"crazy†. When supporting somebody who is exhibiting any signs or symptoms of forgetfulness, confusion or the inability to find the right words when communicating, it is important that they see their GP. In the early stages diagnosis can be difficult to make as the symptoms of dementia can develop slowly, also the symptoms can be similar to symptoms of other health condition. The early diagnosis of dementia is essential in order to: Rule out other conditions that may be treatable Access advice, information and support Allow the person with dementia and their family to plan and make arrangements for the future. Although there is not cure at the present, there are various medications available which can help improve symptoms and possibly to slow down the progression of disease. Following diagnosis, an individual may want to live as independently as they can. In order to aid a person to self look after themselves, the individual could place a list of important telephone numbers by their phone, labels also could be placed on cupboards doors to  remind them of the contents. However the quality of life, fear, feeling lack of control, loss of dignity, loss of identity, invasion of privacy, fear or losing own home, inability to communicate needs and preferences, loss of friends , increased risk of falls, nutrition, personal hygiene all of these factors are playing a huge impact in an individual life diagnosed with dementia. 2.2 Explain the importance of recording possible signs or symptoms of dementia in an individual in line with agreed ways of working ANSWER The recording signs or symptoms of dementia in an individual day by day life can be made, depends of the policies and procedures of the company such as verbal, written, electronic, accurate, timely, and confidential reporting. When monitoring somebody’s condition, it is important to record any findings in line with the organisation’s policies and procedures. The following areas area those which it is very important to monitor and record in the person, as these will show what changes have occurred and over what period: Memory Behaviour Personality Ability to cope with daily living skills Care- giving strategies Activities that person enjoys Any medication that they have taken that day Below are shown some key points in importance of recording: To obtain specific facts about health, personal matters To measure accurately the individual needs To ensure health and safety of all involved To accurately record the action agreed To ensure nutrition needs are accurately met To make sure hygiene needs are met Follow the Smart model( specific, measurable, realistic and time based) to be  sure the individuals family and carers have their needs met. 2.3 Explain the process of reporting possible signs of dementia within agreed ways of working ANSWER The diagnosis of dementia does not always occur from the first visit to GP. Generally there is a process in which the person goes through in order to receive a definitive diagnosis. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has advised guidelines in supporting people with dementia, where the early diagnosis of dementia it is included. The person history A cognitive and mental state examination A physical examination A review of all medication including over the counter remedies To report a concern, the organisation’s guidelines and procedures have to be followed, usually most reports are given to a designated member of staff, this may be line manager, supervisor or manager, always try to avoid by giving the personal opinion. Also agreed ways of working may be: Medical diagnosis Referral pathway Diagnosis tests Profiling Observation Care planning Review Follow up Continuation of care 2.4 Describe the possible impact of receiving a diagnosis of dementia on: A) The individual B) Their family and friends ANSWER The impact on the person and their family receiving a diagnosis of dementia can vary, some may see it as a relief that the cause if their difficulties has been diagnosed while others may be in disbelief, preferring not to acknowledge what they have been told. Impact on the individual: Confusion Shock Frightened Denial of failings Disorientation Trying to construct sense of meaning into the situation Destruction of hope Loss of future goals May have to retire early Financial implications May need to stop driving Loss of socialisation Whatever feeling the diagnosis creates in the person, you should encourage and support them to talk about their feelings. Impact on family and friends: Loss of socialisation Increased stress levels Feeling of guilt Need to balance commitments Anger Loss of financial support/ increased financial needs Fear Feeling embarrassed The individual’s family and friends should respect the wishes of their loved one. 3.1 Compare a person-centred and a non-person-centred approach to dementia care ANSWER When an individual been diagnosed with dementia it is important to bear in mind that people with dementia are individuals first, with their condition of dementia coming second. They may also be mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons or daughters. Person-centred care is a way of providing care with the person at the centre of everything you do, or another way of describing it is individualised care- care that is given to the person according their needs, wishes, beliefs and preferences. Studies have shown that a person-centred approach can help reduce agitation in the person with dementia where the agitation is often causes by the person’s frustration in not being able to express themselves . Recognising individuality Enabling choices Enabling social relationships Valuing the individual Providing the opportunity for stimulation Inclusion Looking at the person a s unified whole Once a person needs have been identified, plans should be made to draw up a support plan which will describe how those needs will be met. Nothing should be planned for the individuals for them without them. A non person-centred approach can be identify such as: Dictating form of care to be used Not recognising the individual’s uniqueness and needs Exclusion Lack of choice Not allowing participation in decision making Not allowing the individual to exercise their rights Responding to behaviour rather than looking at the unified whole Not empowering the individual 3.2 Describe a range of different techniques that can be used to meet the fluctuating abilities and needs of the individual with dementia ANSWER Many people with dementia are able to live in their own homes for most their lives with care being given to them by their families. As a carer or support for those suffering with dementia, must focus on the skills and abilities that the person has, rather those that they have lost. Ensure that they are fully aware of and respect the person’s background, their history, likes and dislikes. Be prepared for changes and adapt flexible approach. Not every day may be the same in supporting people with dementia. By learning about each individual ‘history and background, can be designed the care and the type of support provided around their specific needs. Ensure that individual’s support plan is kept as up to date as possible and shows alternative methods to use for various fluctuations in their support needs, share the information with the rest of the carers., provide a stable environment and suitable surroundings as one of the main triggers resulting in somebody with dementia becoming agitated and confused is a change in their routine. To ensure stability it is important to : Have consistent, regular staff, unfamiliar faces can cause the person great upset Maintain a familiar environment, if there some new decorations needs to be undertaken try to make the new decor similar if not the same as it was previously. Ensure that the individual is in a non stressful, constant and familiar environment Establish a regular routine regular physical activity and adequate exposure to light and improve any sleep disturbances.

What Are The Concepts Of Sustainability Environmental Sciences Essay

Sustainability as a construct has no universally acceptable definition or a clearly defined planetary modus operandi to measure and mensurate its intergenerational additions. Despite going a really popular term in modern-day society, the construct is mostly context and perspective dependant ; as it can be taken to intend different things to different people, at different minutes in clip ( Kruyt et al. , 2009 ) . â€Å" Before now, many people were non cognizant of what sustainability is, and its deductions to human being. Even as its consciousness is increasing, the built-in ambiguity of the topic remains an issue of planetary argument † ( Mbasuen, 2009 ) . In malice of this equivocal nature, our bounds to technological and economic growings, due to human development as predicted in past scholarship underpin the focal issue on sustainability today ( Malthus, 1798 ) , ( Hotelling, 1931 ) and ( Meadows et al. , 1972 ) . â€Å" In a command, to unknot the mystery of this term, several definitions and visualising images of sustainability have evolved † ( Mbasuen, 2009 ) . However, the most popular of these definitions remains the UN definition in Brundtland Report ( Our Common Future, 1987 ) ; which conceptually explores sustainability in three dimensions to underpin economic, environmental and societal sustainability ; ( Triple Bottom Line ) attack ( Elkington, 2004 ) . However, mainstream sustainability minds â€Å" believe that the definition is obscure and did non underpin any particulars within the myriad of issues concerned with ‘Our Common Future ‘ which we are taking at † ( Mbasuen, 2009 ) . As a effect, many people view the construct to include other dimensions such institutional and even political sustainability, while others such as ( Dietz and Neumayer, 2007 ; Neumayer, 2010 ) pitch their collapsible shelters with opposing positions of weak versus strong sustainability. Despite the elusive nature of this construct, Sustainability Assessment ( SA ) on the other manus is less equivocal, and can be defined as a formal procedure of identifying, foretelling and measuring the possible impacts of an enterprise ( such as a statute law, ordinance, policy program programme and undertaking ) and its options on the sustainable development of society. ( Govender et al. , 2006 ) . It is a new and germinating construct in environmental appraisal, germinating from plants carried out by environmental impact appraisal ( EIA ) and strategic environmental appraisal ( SEA ) practicians ( Sheate et al. , 2003 ; Pope et al. , 2004 ) . It is progressively being seen as a tool in the ‘family ‘ of impact appraisal processes ( Hacking and Guthrie, 2008 ) that is used to develop new techniques and attacks to impact appraisal that are designed to direct planning and decision-making towards sustainable development ( SD ) ( Pope et al. , 2004 ) . It involves the integrating of the biophysical environmental, societal and economic pillars of sustainability into determination devising in a manner that acknowledges their inter-relatedness. ( Govender et al. , 2006 ) . The increasing degree of political committedness to the rule of Sustainable Development has made SA a common determination doing tool ( Bond and Morrison-Saunders 2011 ; Govender et al. , 2006 ; Pope et al. , 2004 ) . The majority of research on SA has originated in Canada, Europe and the UK, however, there are still really few illustrations of effectual SA procedures implemented in the universe ( Gibson, 2006 ; Pope et al. , 2004 ) . Some illustrations can been seen in Western Australia ( Pope and Grace 2006 ) and South Africa of which many are really illustrations of ‘integrated appraisal ‘ , derived from environmental impact appraisal ( EIA ) and strategic environmental appraisal ( SEA ) ( Govender et al. , 2006 ; Pope et al. , 2004 ) . The term ‘Sustainability Appraisal ‘ is used in the UK to separate conventional SEA with a biophysical focal point from a signifier of strategic appraisal that besides covers societal and economic impacts ( Dalal-Clayton and Sadler, 2005 ) . Govender et al. , ( 2006 ) argue that what is called Sustainability Assessment/Appraisal in some states is fundamentally the same as SEA in South Africa. This whole construct of sustainability or sustainable development was foremost described by the Brundtland Commission in 1987: as † †¦ development that meets the demands of the present without compromising the ability of future coevalss to run into their ain demands † ( World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p.9 ) . The Rio Earth Summit which took topographic point in 1992 farther set out a series of action points for accomplishing Sustainable development ( SD ) and besides advocates the usage of impact appraisal tools to turn to SD ( Bond and Morrison-Saunders 2011 ) . However, as noted earlier at that place seems to be no consensus in the significance of SD as there are several conflicting readings. This was indicated by O'Riordan ( 2000, p.30 ) â€Å" there is no clear understanding as to what sustainable development is, every tract begins and ends at different pointsaˆÂ ¦ † and harmonizing to Williams and Millington ( 2004 ) , this is because the inquiry of how to conjoin demands and resources can be answered in a figure of different ways. For illustration what is sustainable and unsustainable, over what clip span is sustainability achieved and how are natural bounds defined and assessed? ( Barrett and Grizzle 1999 ; Lawrence, 1997 ) . Therefore, for SA pattern to accomplish sustainable results, it needs to acknowledge that different stakeholders have different framings of what SA outcomes should be ( Bond and Morrison-Saunders 2011 ) .Understanding SustainabilityThe being of multiple definitions of sustainable development already po ses a job for sustainability appraisal ( Bond and Morrison-Saunders 2011 ) . Common to all definitions are two cardinal rule ; intragenerational and intergenerational equity and two cardinal constructs ; demands and bounds ( Carter, 2001 ) . How these facets are interpreted has been the issue of argument seen in most literature. One peculiar issue is the different signifiers of sustainability ; weak and strong ( George, 1999 ) . Williams and Millington ( 2004 ) referred to ‘weak sustainability ‘ or ‘shallow environmentalism ‘ as a state of affairs in which one needs to spread out the stock of resources by developing renewable resources, making replacements for non-renewable resources, doing more effectual usage of bing resources, and/or by seeking for technological solutions to jobs such as resource depletion and pollution. Whereas ‘strong sustainability ‘ or ‘deep ecology ‘ is a state of affairs in which the demands that we make on the Earth need to be revised so that we consume less ( that is ; instead than accommodate the Earth to accommodate ourselves, we adapt ourselves to run into the finiteness of nature ) . This statement is further extended to environmental appraisal ( EA ) and many advocators of EA view the integrating of societal and economic issues in SA as a possible mechanism for legalizing the trading off environmental concerns for socio-econmoic additions ( Sheate et al. , 2003 ; Morrison-Saunders and Fischer, 2006 ; Pope and Grace 2006 ) . These differing positions of both strong and weak sustainability can been seen in current patterns. For illustration in Western Australia, SA builds upon a strong civilization of undertaking environmental impact appraisal, enabled by the Environmental Protection Act 1986, to include societal and economic considerations every bit good as environmental issues, thereby maximises ‘win-win-wins ‘ and minimises tradeoffs ( Pope et al. , 2005 ) . Although this tends to back up strong sustainability, pattern nevertheless shows what different as seen in the Gorgon gas development on Barrow Island ( Class A Nature Reserve ) . The Western Australian Government approved the development when environmental impacts were clearly negative ; that is set abouting environmental tradeoffs in favour economic and societal benefits ( Pope et al. , 2004 ; Pope et al. , 2005 ) . This is similar to the ‘weak ‘ construct of sustainability. Besides in the UK, SA in geared towards programs and programmes. Therivel et al. , ( 2009 ) analyzed 45 Sustainability Appraisals conducted in England based on their nucleus schemes ( societal, economic or environmental classs ) . They concluded that the programs will hold good societal and economic effects, but negative environmental effects. They besides pointed out that SA does non place environmental sustainable developments, or the acceptable tradeoff between environmental costs and social/economic benefits. Thereby connoting that SAs are most likely non using sustainability rules, since they are neither placing what ‘living within environmental bounds ‘ are nor proving nucleus schemes against them. The argument about sustainability is fundamentally in three classs ; protecting the natural environment, progressing economic public assistance, and supplying basic human demands. For some people human overuse of the natural environment finally threatens human endurance while others will reason that some depletion of natural resources is inevitable, for economic growing. ( Barrett and Grizzle 1999 ) . This would inevitable impact how results of SA are been seen as been sustainable or unsustainable. Besides existent pattern is different from Governments initial scheme as seen in the Western Australian instance ( Bond and Morrison-Saunders 2011 ) .Time ScalesAnother of import facet in the definition of sustainable development is equity among current and future coevalss. Harmonizing to George ( 1999 ) the duplicate pillars of sustainable development are intergenerational equity ( a necessary status for sustainability ) and intragenerational equity ( a necessary status for development ) . The care of both intragenerational and intergenerational equity ; means that present development must take into history current demands of people present and besides demands of future coevals ( Barrett and Grizzle 1999 ) . This construct was clearly stated in the Brundtland Report ( World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987 ) . Merely as there are different readings of the significance of sustainability, besides there are different positions on how equity should be maintained across coevalss. For Pearce and Warford ( 1993 ) , intergenerational equity, means that development should procure additions in the public assistance of the current coevals provided that public assistance in the hereafter does non diminish, while for Howarth, ( 2007 p.6 ) , who proposed the ‘fair sharing rule ‘ ; â€Å" each member of present and future society is entitled to portion reasonably in the benefits derived from environmental resources. Specific stocks of environmental resources should non be depleted without rendering merely compensation to members of future coevalss † , believes that future coevalss hold a presumptive right to inherit peculiar environmental resources in an unrelieved province. Besides both positions can be said to back up the constructs of weak and strong sustainability. Hence, as noted by Barrett and Grizzle ( 1999 ) , doing environmentally sustainable policy therefore requires the rapprochement of different communities ‘ divergent involvements in ecosystem care and intragenerational and intergenerational distribution. Another job for SA noted by Bond and Morrison-Saunders ( 2011 ) is the uncertainness and vagueness of the boundaries for intragenerational and intergenerational equity. They farther explained that clip continuance of a coevals would change depending on the part were one lives. This can be clearly seen in the different life anticipation values for different states. For illustration, the estimated value for the UK is 80 old ages while that of Nigeria is 47 old ages in 2011 ( Central Intelligence Agency, 2009 ) . A authoritative illustration is the CoRWM radioactive waste study. The study indicated that around 300,000 old ages would hold to go through until radioactive decay would be sufficient for the activity of the fuel to return to that of the natural U ore from which it was originally produced ( CoRWM, 2006 ) . Despite the fact that the general position among the commission is that the present coevals should take the load imposed by its actions from the hereafter, the hard faced is the fact that institutional control, the clip period over which a Government is expected to be in being with cognition and resources to manage any originating issues, was assumed to be a period of around 300 old ages ( Bond and Morrison-Saunders 2011 ; CoRWM, 2006 ) . Another illustration is the Western Australian Government Gorgon gas development on Barrow Island. Bond and Morrison-Saunders ( 2011 ) indicated that the gas processing installations designed for an operational lifetime of 30 old ages, is at odds with the sustainability standards which promises ‘long-term ‘ economic growing for the Pilbara part and Western Australia in general. This ill-defined significance of footings ( for illustration, â€Å" short, average and long-run † and ‘forever ‘ ) has resulted in how SA is seen to accomplish sustainable results.Reductionism versus holistic theorySustainability appraisal procedure can be carried out by using different attacks and tools runing from indexs to a system-based attack with greater stakeholder engagement. ( Gasparatos et al. , 2009 ) . Amongst academicians/practitioners, there is a current argument on which appraisal procedure ( reductionism or holistic theory ) is best for measuring SA advancement towards sustainability. Reductionism defined by Bond and Morrison-Saunders ( 2011, p.2 ) is â€Å" the interrupting down complex procedures to simple footings or constituent parts † †¦ and â€Å" in the context of SA, this can be illustrated by the attack taken of utilizing a few selected sustainability indexs to stand for the sustainability of a whole system † . Besides Bond and Morrison Saunders ( 2009 ) noted that the cardinal constituent of any SA is holding a suited sustainability index, which are associated with set sustainability aims and marks, to guarantee that undertaking, program or programmes achieve sustainable results. George, ( 1999 ) besides argued that appraisal done aggregately ( holistic theory ) , tends to hide any signifier of possible trade-offs between single facets or constituents. For illustration, impairment in quality of life for some societal groups may non go evident, and potentially unsustainable environmental effects may travel undetected. He suggested that this defect can be reduced if the appraisal is done in item, through single indexs for each of the relevant constituents. Costanza ( 2000 ) and Bond and Morrison-Saunders ( 2009 ) , noted that the flexibleness or â€Å" user friendliness † of reductionism is one of its chief advantages, given its ability to cut down the surfeit of the environmental impacts to a limited set of Numberss in order to incorporate societal, economic and environmental consideration into determination devising. On the other manus, there is besides an statement that environmental systems need to be considered as wholes instead than interrupt down units ( Holism ) . This is because the environment and human societies are complex systems which are dynamic and non-linear in nature, and are besides involved in complex interactions. Hence, understanding this complex system, requires a holistic attack, to to the full measure the cumulative consequence of all impacts moving together to hold unacceptable environmental effects. ( Bond and Morrison-Saunders 2011 ; Cashmore, 2004 ; Gasparatos et al. , 2009, 2008 ; Morrison-Saunders and Bailey 2000 ) . Steinemann, ( 2000 ) , besides suggested that â€Å" traveling off from analyses of stray hazards and toward a broader apprehension of environment will necessitate a more holistic, incorporate position of impact appraisal † . Reductionism harmonizing to Gasparatos et al. , 2009 ) is presently still the dominant paradigm for sustainability appraisals. There are different grades of reductionism where complex systems are reduced to smaller figure steps or the utmost being a individual value ( Bond and Morrison-Saunders 2011 ) . Examples of reductionist attack can been seen in the UK SAs undertaken for nucleus schemes of 38 local governments in England, where the greatest figure of indexs used was 151 and the lowest 24 ( Bond and Morrison-Saunders 2011 ) .Discussion and DecisionThe success of Sustainability Assessment is dependent on a figure of different readings. The first measure is to admit this different reading, acknowledge that these reading influences what different stakeholders view SA in accomplishing sustainable results. Ideally, SA integrates societal, environmental and economic considerations at every phase in decision-making, but how this integrating should be carried out, without sing one facet more than the other has been a beginning of environmental contention. Some advocators of environmental appraisal suggested that environmental appraisal could lend to sustainability by widening its range to include societal and economic considerations along with environmental 1s ( Pope et al. , 2004 ) , while on the other manus many advocators of environmental assessment position sustainability appraisal with some intuition, seeing it as a possible mechanism for legalizing the trading off environmental concerns for socio-economic addition ( Pope and Grace 2006 ) . Evidences from SA patterns in several states ( for illustration, Western Australian Government Gorgon gas development ) have shown that the weak sustainability or anthropocentricity presently prevails in the universe today. Another facet considered in this paper is the job of intergenerational and intergenerational equity. What approaches would be best to turn to battalion of environmental, societal and economic issues, together with intergenerational and intergenerational equity concerns? A â€Å" pluralistic stewardship † that is, incorporating nucleus elements of anthropocentricity, biocentrism, and ecocentrism, has been suggested by Barrett and Grizzle ( 1999 ) , to be the best attack for SA to accomplish sustainable results. Gasparatos et al. , ( 2009 ) besides suggested that â€Å" methodological pluralism coupled with stakeholder engagement seems a safer way to step † . Hence, one can reason that no 1 valid procedure or point of view can supply an ample and appropriate solution to this issue ( SA accomplishing sustainable results ) . Besides any sustainability construct /related models or procedure must be adapted to suite regional and local conditions ( for illustration the different life anticipation in different states ) ( Lawrence, 1997 ) . In decision, it is apparent that Weak Sustainability with Reductionism remains the prevailing sustainability attacks in current sustainability docket, with strong focal point on short term sustainability additions instead than hunger for intergenerational equity. These different readings of sustainability, ( embracing timescale, reductionist and holistic ) is liken to the statement â€Å" beauty is in the eyes of the perceiver † . In other words, to the EIA practitioner/stakeholder/individual, their significance and reading of the term sustainability would find if SA has achieved sustainable result.

Being Safe Online

Computer Ethics Reflection Many people may think going online is safe, but it can be very hazardous at times. You need to know how to protect yourself online, and avoid cyber bullying. While you are writing a paper for school, you need to know what academic honesty is. Cyber bulling is the use of the internet and/or related technology to hurt other people, in a recurring, and aggressive method. Cyber bulling is very common these days. People do it to get a little laugh, but never think twice about what emotional impact it can have on the other person.Many people say, â€Å"Stick and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. †, and it may seem like good advice but it isn’t. When people cyber bully someone, they think it is funny, and since words are just words nobody will get hurt, but they are very wrong. Cyber bulling is not harmless. People have committed suicide over it. Some people who cyber bully think that it is impossible to take it too far, becaus e they are just messing around.But the truth is cyber bullies take it to far when just the thought of cyber bulling runs through their heads. If you get cyber bullied, the first thing you should do is ignore it; maybe they are having a bad day. If it still continues you need to block them, for all you know they will not stop. The next step, if it still carries on, is to tell an adult. There might be times when you think you parents don’t know anything, but they are her to protect you. If you do not want to tell your parents, tell a teacher or you guidance counselor.Any adult can help you. Sometimes, it may still go on. In this case, you need to save it and print it up so you have proof. If you participate in cyber bullying, there will be consequences. Sometimes the person who you cyber bullied might commit suicide. If you get caught, you will be in massive trouble with the police. Keeping yourself safe online is very vital. Just by giving someone your first name, that person can track you down. Going online itself can always be dangerous.Do not give out your personal information. Personal information consists of your name, phone number, e-mail address, your parents name, your home address, and et cetera. When someone sends you a request, and you have never met them face to face, DO NOT accept them. This does not mean that you go and meet them somewhere! Always be respectful, and use appropriate language. Do not swear or call people out of their names. Passwords are also something you should not share with ANYONE besides your parents.

Career paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Career paper - Essay Example ic installations, preparing the software and testing it for the processing of documents, distribution of software, planning and scheduling of the project milestones for timely delivery of the project, software troubleshooting, determination of the time for management escalation, being up-to-date on the latest enhancements made to the software. The Systems Consultant may be required to provide support on call in the off hours. They also carry out on-site field testing as well as analysis of results at the facilities of the client. Growth opportunities for an individual with a degree in Information Systems are plentiful in the present age. From the year 2010 to the year 2020, the projected growth in employment by 18 per cent is faster than average whereas the average salary of an Information Systems Technologist ranges up to $52,000 that is also above average (Diploma Guide, 2013). Skills required of a Systems Consultant include experience with integrated 3rd party applications, hardware, and operating systems. Experience in providing technical implementations may also be very useful for the entry-level

Synthesis paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Synthesis paper - Essay Example Thus, it is offering adequate training to the managers on how to motivate employees, that forms the core of establishing a culture of employee motivation (Musselwhite, 2011). This article simply focuses on the role of managers as the ultimate siource of employee motivation within a firm. Similarly, A Dose of Positive Reinforcement Can Go a Long Way by Nelson; is another article that focus on the fundamentals of employee motivation, but from a different approach of applying praise and recognition as the main tools for realizing employee motivation. However, while praise and recognition are powerful tools used for employee motivation, the essential elements that must be applied to reinforce these tools include sincerity, specification and personalization of praise, so that the tools become fully effective in inspiring the employees (Nelson, 2013). Nevertheless, the effective tools of employee motivation cannot deliver any results, whenever the management team does not have sufficient s kills to motivate the employees. Therefore, the management should always operate on the basis of the principle that; â€Å"you get what you reward† (Nelson, 2013) p41. ... The application of this rule entails complementing the employees for all the good things that they have done for several times, before suggesting some improvement or even offering positive criticism, and most fundamentally, ensuring that both praise and criticism are not done in a single session. However, the most important thing is to realize that giving praise should be done as soon as the achievement has been made, or immediately â€Å"the desired behavior is displayed† (Nelson, 2013) p42. The application of positive reinforcement should always be treated as a matter of urgency, even necessitating the interruption of a meeting to give a complement where it is due, while reserving the discussion in great length, of the positive behavior or the achievement made, for a later date (Nelson, 2013). Another fundamental aspect of motivating employees through giving praise, is ensuring that the manager talks in specifics and addresses the accomplished employee directly, instead of a pplying generalities, while also drawing references on how the accomplishment or the positive behavior can help others (Musselwhite, 2011). Specifics give credibility to the praise given by the manager, while also going to great lengths to state, â€Å"exactly what was good about an employee’s behavior or achievement† (Nelson, 2013) p42. Humanizing and personalizing the complement is an essential step towards ensuring that the praise and recognition is received positively, while ensuring that it works towards boosting the morale of the employee involved. Considering that different employees respond differently to complements and praise, it is essential for the manager to take time to analyze the

CSR- Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

CSR- Accounting - Essay Example Numerous multidimensional and global issues are inculcated in its umbrella that has strategic implications for the business and its policy makers. It is concerned not only with what the business does with its profits but also with how it obtains them. Corporate social responsibility, in other words, addresses how the company manages its economic, social and environmental impacts along with its stakeholder’s relationships in all the key spheres of influence (SEEP, 2009). With the modern advent of the concept of corporate social responsibility, it is now expected of the businesses and the companies in general to be transparent and accountable in terms of their social performance. This idea of corporate social responsibility both reflects as well as drives the societies’ changing customs along with the social roles the businesses are expected to play (SEEP, 2009). In other words corporate social responsibility is basically about what the organizations do in order to be socially responsible. It encompasses the way the company’s managers respond to the diverse expectations that its stakeholders have from the company in terms of stakeholder management, issues management, as well as environmental scanning (Black, 2006). In view of the neo-liberal economists the concept of its contribution to the society was thought completely absurd. Despite the formation of a welfare state in the post war years, notable efforts had started initiating for engaging the businesses in society. However, increasing constraints were put on social aspirations of businesses following the expansion of corporate economy throughout 1940’s and 50’s. While, 1970 onwards the general interest of businesses towards corporate responsibility started to rise again which was finally consolidated in the 1980’s (Marinetto, 1999). Corporate social responsibility got developed due to the extension of a few contributing factors, such as the advent of the

Three- dimensional echocardiography Research Paper

Three- dimensional echocardiography - Research Paper Example   Three-dimensional echocardiography has evolved at a fast rate since it was first used about forty years ago. In its different stages of evolution, the use of three-dimensional echocardiography was at a point reduced to the research side of cardiology and not in the clinical setting. Only until very recently has 3D echocardiography been used by cardiologists, and echocardiographers in hospitals and clinics. Another interesting thing is the fact that transthoracic three-dimension ultrasound has been trumped by three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography, especially in the operating room and surgical setting.The development of three-dimensional echocardiography (3D TTE) can be traced back to almost four decades, just a short period after the arrival and development of 2D echocardiography. In the year 1974, at Stanford University, Dekker et al produced the results of their work: A System for Ultrasonically Imaging the human heart in three dimensions.2D images were retrieved ac cording to electrocardiographic and respiratory timing. This data was developed off-line by interpolation, then reconstructed into a three-dimensional image. Using the same off-line interpretation and reconstruction process as 3D TTE, three-dimensional echocardiography was introduced and was first performed in the year 1992. In Comparison to transthoracic echocardiography, the trans-esophageal perspective, as seen by cardiologists and echocardiographers, more often showed superior anatomical detail.  

The Name Of The Rose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Name Of The Rose - Essay Example The chief suspect for these deaths, William asserts, is the library assistant Berenger.   But there is more to the mystery than the series of deaths, for further probes inside the library unravel great hidden secrets that could embarrass and topple Christian authority over the masses.   The intrigue and the suspense intensify as further evidence and events unfold, leading to a gripping climax and ending.   The books in the library are the special significance to the plot and substance of the movie.   It is suggested by William early in his investigation that notes and translation to the Greek version of a book are found on the desk of Venantius.   And later during the investigations of the library, he discovers invaluable collections of ancient wisdom, including such Greek luminaries as Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, etc.   The Abbott and the institution of Church would not be pleased upon learning of this discovery, for this ancient wisdom is more sophisticated than what is found in the Holy Bible. More importantly, that such wisdom could emanate from Pagan worshippers such as the ancient Greeks would undermine the authority of Christian theologians in Medieval Europe.   Considering all these potential threats to their power and privilege, the presence of these books in the hidden library has been kept a tightly held secret.   And attempts to crack open its access points are w hat sets up the central plot of the story.   Hence, the books and the secret library containing them are central to the narrative. The message to be gathered from this story is rather discouraging.   Authority figures usually tend to act brutally and ruthlessly in suppressing dissenting voices and views.

Architecture and Environment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Architecture and Environment - Assignment Example The architects scrutinize whether the site is legible for reducing waste hence minimizing the impact on the local ecology and the environment (Brebbia, & Broadbent, 2006). It also relates to the environment because architectural designs try to achieve thermal comfort for the people who will occupy the construction. They design buildings in a way that they control the internal environment factors such as air, temperature and humidity (Kembel et.al 2012: Smith, 2011). Architecture also relates to the environment in terms of study of behavior. They study the beliefs, behavior and attitudes of people regarding the environment (Carmona, & Tiesdell, 2007). They also evaluate the effectiveness of the environment in order to ensure that the process of construction meets the specific objectives (Marquardt, Bueter, & Motzek, 2014). They take a consideration of the human environment and behavioral systems such as planning and policies aimed at controlling the environment. Architecture is also interested in the study of the interrelation between human beings and their man-made and natural environment and the relation towards the field of environmental design (Mallory-Hill, Preiser, & Watson, 2012). However, a contrast exists between the two disciplines. While architecture deals with the management of any action that relays to the design and use of space and land, the environment, by contrast, is concerned with the management of the natural and built enviro nment (Thomas, 2002: Baker, & Steemers, 2000).   Kembel, S. W., Jones, E., Kline, J., Northcutt, D., Stenson, J., Womack, A. M., & Green, J. L. (2012). Architectural design influences the diversity and structure of the built environment microbiome.  The ISME Journal,  6(8), 1469-1479. Marquardt, G., Bueter, K., & Motzek, T. (2014). Impact of the design of the built environment on people with dementia: An evidence-based

US Electoral Process Essay Example for Free

US Electoral Process Essay One may be surprised to realize that in the elections of 1876, 1888 and 2000, the candidates who won the nationwide popular vote went on to lose the United States Presidential vote. This may cause one to doubt whether the electoral process is indeed democratic. ‘Democracy’ was derived from the Greek word ‘demos’ defined basically as the government in which the supreme power is vested in the people or simply as President Abraham Lincoln defined it; the government of the people, by the people, for the people. Therefore, if popular candidates are forced by the system to be the losers, the electoral process of the United States undermines democracy. Mayors, Senators and members of the House of Representatives are voted in directly by the people; but the problem arises in the presidential elections where the people vote for the ‘elector’ who has pledged to represent a certain candidate. Each state chooses a number of representatives that are referred to as the Electoral College; the number being stated in the constitution and determined by the population of each state. A good example is California that has 55 electoral votes while Utah has only five. In many States, if one wins the popular vote, he or she is assigned all the delegates even though he has worn by only one vote. This is ridiculous! However, few states allocate delegates to presidential candidates proportional to the popular vote that they get. This means that a presidential candidate can win in many of the smaller States but get less votes than the winning candidate in the States with more delegates. Therefore, in the overall count he or she will lose. This explains why Al Gore lost to President George Walker Bush though the former had won the popular vote in the year 2000. When a Gallup poll was conducted later, 83% of those interviewed said that they never accepted Bush as the legitimate president. The other short fall with the process is that while the President and the Vice President rule for four years, Congressmen serve for two years and Senators for six. This means that much money and time is lost in the election period. The President and the Vice President, just like the other leaders should be voted in directly by the people . The candidate who gets the majority votes becomes the President with his or her running mate becoming the Vice president. The terms of service for all the political leaders should expire after the same duration. This would mean that elections are held on the same day, saving much money used for the purchase ballot materials and the hiring of election officers every time the elections are held. Time used in voting will also be saved, as people will vote for all leaders at the same time.

Corporate Governance Impact On Capital Investment

Corporate Governance Impact On Capital Investment Introduction Overview Through various studies over the years, different scholars and financial analysts have been able to establish a relationship of cash flow on firms investment spending. It was significantly proven by (Modigliani Miller, 1958) that a firms financial status is irrelevant for real investment decisions in a world of perfect and complete capital markets, after controlling for the cost of capital. In case of managerial discretion, based on (Jensen, 1986) free cash flow theory, firms increase investment (including projects with negative present value) based on the availability of cash flows with incentive of increasing firms value beyond level of optimal investment. Moreover, an agency costs also appreciate the borrower net worth by charging a premium on the external financing. The discussion above explains that the firms investment decisions are dependent on the availability of internal funds, as cost advantage over external fund is evident. While choosing an appropriate capital structure, there are certain trade-offs which affects the decision. These trade-offs include tax advantage through acquiring debt against the bankruptcy cost which advocates the use of equity. Keeping this in view, various different models have been supported to explain this corporate capital structure behavior. Pecking Order Theory, initially mitigated by (Donaldson, 1961) describes the financing practice as prioritizing the means of financing, which is necessary for the management to counter against asymmetric information. Either they should generate the funds internally or acquire funds externally through debt rather than equity. Implications to the pecking order theory involves the positive impact of leveraging on the market price, which means, financing through debt sends a positive signal into the market about the firms future prospects. Furthermore, intermediaries also undermine the role of management as the financial intermediaries such as investment banks function as the insider to the firm. Consequently, keeping an eye on the firms operations and influencing the firms capital financing decision. However, Pecking order theory of (Myers, 1984) argues that the firms operating in imperfect or incomplete capital markets where the cost of external capital exceeds that of internal funds, the financial structure may be appropriate to the investment decisions of companies facing uncertain prospects. Gauging the level of corporate investment in any firm is based on the corporate governance; market position of a firms asset against its book value can be termed as Tobins q ratio. Identified by (Chung Pruitt, 1994), Tobins q as proportion of firms market value to replacement cost of its assets. Tobins q can be considered an effective tool for determining financial performance as the data can be collected readily from a balance sheet. When calculating Tobins q ratio, the replacement cost can be determined approximately by the book value of firms plant and equipment. Approximate q can be replaced with the actual Tobins q to make the calculations unproblematic and data can be readily available without any discrepancies. Problem Statement To study the impact of corporate governance on the capital investment decision through cash flow and Tobins q interaction in relation with Capital Investment HypothesEs H0: Firms cash flow having a significant impact on its capital investment will be linked with high Q values. (FCF Theory) HA: Firms being liquidity constrained due to least payout will have significant investment-cash flow sensitivity, and will be linked with high Q values in the market. (PO Theory) Outline of the study The report contains the contemplation of research data that will study the phenomenon of cash flows and investment discussed earlier in this paragraph. The study categorizes firms according to characteristics (such as dividend payout, size) which will help measure the level of constraints faced by firms. The study will help readers to understand the complexities of Pecking order theory and Free Cash Flows concept with regard to asymmetric information available and corporate governance which influences decision of the firms. To measure the effect that cash flow-financed (internally sourced) capital spending and Q has on firms investment, Ordinary Least Square Regression model will be used to estimate the function. To compute the influence on the Investment, instruments used are: (1) Cash Flow, (2) Approximate q, and (3) an interaction of both variables are created. Through studying the parameter estimates of interaction variable, positive influence on investment will support the Pecking Order hypothesis and negative influence will govern the Free Cash Flow hypothesis. The equation hypothesized in the next part is linear. Definitions Pecking Order Theory: (Myers, 1984): A firm is said to follow a pecking order if it prefers internal to external financing and debt to equity if external financing is used. Free Cash Flow Theory According to (Jensen, 1986), free cash flow theory, high cash flow and low debt create agency costs associated with conflicts between manager and share holder over the payout of this free cash, which is the cash left after the firm has invested in all available positive net present value projects. Capital Structure A careful and systematic analysis of how claims against a corporations assets can or should be determined, assessed, and accounted for. (Riahi-Belkaoui, 1999) Capital Investment Decision Capital Investment decisions are those decisions that involve current outlay in return for a stream of benefit in future years. (Drury, 2006) Tobins q Tobins q is a measure of investors expectations concerning a firms future profit potential. It is defined as the ratio of the market value of a firm to the replacement cost of its assets. (Strecker, 2009) Literature Review Vogt (Vogt, 1994) explained the capital spending behavior of companies with respect to change in dividend cash paid, cash flows, sales, and market value of assets. The regression equation models the variables to proportion of fixed assets, and distributes the firms data in segments of Dividend Payout Groups and Asset Groups. Primarily, Dividend Cash has a strong negative impact on capital spending; it explains that in order to finance additional fixed investment firm needs to sock cash by reducing their dividend. Cash flow, Sales, and Q Ratio having a positive coefficient demonstrates that with an increase in future cash flows, the firm will improve its capital spending. A relationship has been developed between the firms investment decision and the firms financial status by Cleary (Cleary, 1999), financial status has been studied with respect to the liquidity constraints. The data is classified into groups through a discriminant analysis on basis of dividend payout policy. Groups taken into study have made possible to identify firms which are more financially constrained more likely to be investment-cash flow sensitive, furthermore, availability of internal sources of funds have a greater impact on firms with high credit worthiness, and vice versa. It has been proposed that the various ownership structures make managerial decision based on the interaction between investment and the firms liquidity constraints. The study conducted by Dedoussis Papadaki (Dedoussis Papadaki, 2010) mentioned that the management can be held separate from its ownership, even on basis of the nationality of the company. On the other hand, it also explained that the relative shareholding of CEO and the controlling shareholders can also be the basis of separation. The sample used in the study was separated and grouped on basis of dividend payout, asset size of the firm, age of the firm, source of control, and kind of ownership. On the given sampling criterion; greater asset size firms, older firms, lower Q (high investment opportunity), and high dividend payout firms showed higher cash flow sensitivity towards investment. Findings support that the Low Q, small, and new firms under the generalized model are facing asymmetric information problems. Indeed these firms are expected a priori to face financing problems that affect the cost of their external financing. On the other hand, low Q, old and low dividend firms are more likely to face managerial discretion problems that result to over-investment. The impact of Tobins Q is mainly used to determine the investment opportunity of the firm. In this article, marginal Tobins Q has been taken to evaluate the firms investment and Research Development expenditures. The asymmetric information (AI) hypothesis proposed that firms provided with a profitable investment-project may be not able to source it through internal cash flows and for the reason that the cost of external funds is too high due to the capital markets ignorance of the firms investment opportunities. On the other hand, agency or managerial discretion (MD) hypothesis constructs the investment-cash flow relationship on the assumption that managers are well qualified in context with proficiency they obtain from managing a huge and fast paced firm and thus exceeding the wealth shareholders beyond their expectations. (Gugler, Mueller, Yurtoglu, 2004) Taking in viewpoint the impact of capital structure on the capital investment decision, firms investment demands is the more susceptible towards cost-of-capital or tax-based capital incentive. Whereas, capital structure seems irrelevant as against internal sources of funds can be effectively substituted with sources of funds generated externally. The size of the investment project can be a deterministic factor towards it. Fazzari, Hubbard, Peterson, Blinder, Poterba (Fazzari, Hubbard, Peterson, Blinder, Poterba, 1988) explicates that cash flow/investment relationship is more sensitive when taken in reference with firms dividend behavior. Comparison based on firms having more or less liquidity constraints can be further improved when compared on a division based on the scale of the firms, i.e. young or small firms versus large ones. This way the researchers can address the problem of firms lacking the asymmetric information. Under the impression where capital investments decisions mainly pertains to the capital structure or choosing the appropriate source of investment, Schaller (Schaller, 1993) conducted three different empirical tests to determine that information asymmetries have a huge influence on the firms investment behavior. Differences among the informational base of investors and creditors was also considered a capital market imperfection. Ownership status and age of the firms has an impact on the cost of equity financing, mature firms pay comparatively less price for it than young firms. Same aspect goes for the firms with concentrated with comparison to dispersed ownership. Borrowing is considered a more rational source for investment-projects. Pledgeable assets generate greater borrowing capacity, which afterwards makes firms invest more in pledgeable assets. As suggested by Almeida Campello (Almeida Campello, 2007), such a phenomenon can be termed as a credit multiplier. In case of financially constrained firms, a multiplier relates to the sensitivity of firms investment-cash flow relationship that is reflected as the increase in the tangible assets of the firm. Therefore, it is proposed that with fewer tangible assets firms are more likely to be financially constrained. The sensitivity of investment-cash flow relationship is evidently influenced by the tangibility of a firm, as latter discussed. Managers while making capital investment decision considers externally-sourced funds costlier, therefore, overconfident managers over assessing the profitability of an investment-project invests more when having abundant internal funds to utilize. However, deciding not to source externally in case where they are short of internal funds to generate. There has been an evidence of significant relationship between the managerial discretion and investment-cash flow sensitivity. Equity concentrated firms are more likely to be influenced by overconfident managers, unless compensation tools can be used to reduce the effects of managerial overconfidence. (Malmendier Tate, 2005) Goyal Yamada (Goyal Yamada, 2004) have explained the impact of asset pricing in the stock market against investment-cash flow sensitivity. Overvalued stock prices triggers an increased in investment spending and are cut back when stock are being undervalued, consequently, inflated prices collateral assets attract higher level of external financing. Inflationary pressures primarily determined by the economic monetary policy impacts on the variation of cost on external financing, though it reflects highly on cost of external financing, marginally impacts less on the investment-cash flow sensitivity. It has been observable that less financially constrained firms have significantly higher investment-cash flow sensitivity. Characterizations of firms based on financial constraint can sometimes create confusion. Firms having unusually high cash holdings can either be characterized as unconstrained based on the opportunities it has to invest or constrained based on the assumption that it needs to have a precautionary savings to invest in future investment projects. Therefore, financial constraints cannot be used as an influential determinant for investment-cash flow sensitivity. (Kaplan Zingales, 1997) Hu Schiantrlli (Hu Schiantarelli, 1998) put into picture the effect of general economic factors and various firms characteristics on the value of the firms net worth. Mainly financial status is the most important determinant for the level of asymmetric information problem that managers face. A strong balance sheet position can reflect good sign of firms performance which enhances the market value of the firms asset to its stake holders, mainly investors and creditors. Q models assumption also assists in determining the sensitivity of the investment-cash flow relationship, where the indicators determine the investment opportunity and the sources of funds to choose from. Understanding the market influence in proxy of q can also give a clear picture to the movements in the firms investment over a period. Net worth of firms helps manager determine if the sourcing of funds externally is a viable option in contrast to the investment opportunity which underlies. (Hubbard, 1998) Research conducted on the investment-cash flow sensitivity addresses many aspects of the firms financial strength. Further study by Calomiris Hubbard (Calomiris Hubbard, 1995) shows that when firms tax taken under investigation also reflected a significant influence on the volume of spending on investment-projects. They explored the impact of surtax margin, as a tax experiment, on the cost of internal and external funds. Surtax when levied on undistributed profits, obligate the firms to incur certain cost on the internal funds. This effects the managers decision to invest and is also reflected on the investment-cash flow sensitivity against the surtax margin. As a result to evade burden of higher cost on internal funds, firms with high surtax-margin exhibits elevated sensitivity in investment-cash flow relationship. Quan (Quan, 2002) discusses the Pecking Order theory with reference to the Modigliana-Miller proposition that works under the assumption of perfect market. Here it is stated that value of the firm is irrelevant and based on a few limitations the choice of financing can be determined via gauging the strength of the firm. These factors pertain to the imperfect market and influence the managers to make their capital investment decision. Once the assumptions are released the financing structure shows a clear picture. The association between Free Cash Flow theory and Agency theory has always been under the limelight when there is a question of retaining the undistributed profits. FCF Theory taken under consideration gives out an option to the management to hold on to excess cash sacrificing the shareholders opportunity cost. These excess funds can be generated to better internal operational efficiency or at managers discrepancy to source its investment-projects. (Wang, 2010) Research Methods The chapter explains the model used in the given research study. The study focuses on analyzing the influence of Cash Flows and Tobins q on Corporate Investment. The equation represented by a dependent variable as a ratio of capital spending to the beginning net fixed asset (I/K) predicted by independent variables: (1) ratio of cash flow to the beginning gross fixed asset (CF/K), and (2) beginning Tobins q (Q). Method of Data Collection Main source of collecting the required data is from secondary sources. It includes the Balance Sheet Analysis of Joint Stock Company listed in Karachi Stock Exchange provided by State Bank of Pakistan consisting of data of our relevant variables. The data was taken in annual terms to conduct this research. Sampling Technique The Convenience sampling or grab or opportunity sampling would be use in this research. Sample population selected because it is readily available and convenient. Sample Size The sample period taken under study covers 8-years period beginning at the start of 2000 and ending at the close of 2008. The data was taken from a sample of 70 (non-banking and non-financial) companies which are listed on Karachi Stock Exchange and included in KSE-100 index. Research Model Statistical technique Ordinary Least Square Regression technique is used to study the impact of variables included in the study. It helps studies the relationship between a dependent variable and several independent variable. It also assumes the relationship to be linear or straight line, where the values of predictors lies directly proportional to Criterion variable. SPSS Software is used to develop the regression model and evaluate the influence of predictors on dependent variable. Results Findings and interpretation of results Aggregate Sample: Table : Represents the model summary of regression estimates for the full sample of 69 firms The predictors, i.e. main effects of Cash Flow and Tobins q and an interaction variable of both combined, included in the model explains 78.5% of Investment (Table 1) shown mentioned as R Square. Least variation in Adjusted R Square suggests that the variable to observation ratio in the given model is sufficient. Casewise diagnostic was also conducted to eliminate the outliers in the data to improve the results. Table : Studies the F-statistics to test whether the model predicts the dependent variable significantly The F-statistics (Table 2) is significant and it determines the regression model with the given predictors can significantly predict the outcomes at a 0.05 significance level. Table : The parameter estimation for full sample of 69 firms with respect to dependent variable, t-statistics is used to test the null hypothesis ÃŽÂ ²1 = ÃŽÂ ²2 = ÃŽÂ ²3 = 0 The coefficient values of all predators included in the test are significant at a 0.05 significant level (Table 3), which shows that they have a strong influence on the investment of the firm. The standard coefficient shows that Cash Flows have a much greater impact on Investment than market value on the firm, which is exemplified through Tobins q. Dividend Payout groups: Table : Presents the sample statistics for 69 KSE listed (non-banking and non-financial) companies which are included in the KSE-100 index. The three rows distribute the statistics into High, Medium, and Low payout policies. Average dividend-to-income ratios of greater than 0.35, between 0.35 and 0.10, and less than 0.10 define High, Low, and Medium dividend-payout firms, respectively. While studying the dividend-payout groups (Table 4), the descriptive helps to identify characteristics to confirm whether the data being studied has the authenticity and the behavior pattern which commonly related to the groups assigned. The values of Investment, Cash Flow, and Tobins q associated with the groups are in complete correspondence with the hypothetical occurrence. Firms having a higher (lower) dividend payout have greater (lower) market value, and lower(higher) level of cash flows and investments. Table : Represents the model summary of regression estimates of 69 firms split by High, Medium, and Low dividend-payout policies. The model helps explains 81.9%, 66.7%, and 80% data in High, Medium, and Low dividend-payout firms (Table 5), shown in R Square. Least variation in Adjusted R Square suggests that the number of observations is sufficient with respect to variables in each group separately. Table : Studies the F-statistics to test the null hypothesis of ÃŽÂ ²1, H = ÃŽÂ ²1, M = ÃŽÂ ²1, L The F-statistics (Table 6) in each dividend payout group is significant and it determines that each regression model with the given predictors can significantly predict the outcomes at a 0.05 significance level. Table : Shows the parameter estimation for each payout groups with respect to dependent variable, t-statistics is used to test the null hypothesis ÃŽÂ ²1 = ÃŽÂ ²2 = ÃŽÂ ²3 = 0 The coefficient values of predators in High and Low dividend payout groups are all significant at a 0.05 significant level (Table 7), which shows that they have a strong influence on the investment of the firm. Except for Medium dividend payout group, which has insignificant coefficient values of Tobins q, showing no impact on the investment. The standard coefficient shows that Cash Flows have a much greater impact on Investment than market value on the firm, which is exemplified through Tobins q. Hypothesis Assessment Summary Hypothesis Independent Variables B t Sig. Comments Firms cash flow having a significant impact on its capital investment will be linked with high Q values. (FCF Theory) Cash Flow ÃÆ'— Q H0: ÃŽÂ ²3 ÃŽÂ ²3,H = .135 5.295 .000 Rejected ÃŽÂ ² 3,M = .072 .991 .324 ÃŽÂ ² 3,L = .140 5.482 .000 Firms being liquidity constrained due to least payout will have significant investment-cash flow sensitivity, and will be linked with high Q values in the market. (PO Theory) Cash Flow ÃÆ'— Q HA: ÃŽÂ ²3 >0 ÃŽÂ ² 3,H = .135 5.295 .000 Accepted ÃŽÂ ² 3,M = .072 .991 .324 ÃŽÂ ² 3,L = .140 5.482 .000 Dependent Variable: Investment (I/K) Table : Summarizes the results and explains that the hypothesis accepted is directly in correspondence with the aggregate hypothesis. As illustrated (Table 8) capital spending of low payout firms is positively and strongly influenced by the interaction term, consistent with the PO hypothesis, the parameter estimate for the high payout firms are also positive but marginally significant. Conclusion, Discussions, Implications And Future Research Conclusion The results illustrated above demonstrates that the positive relationship between the degree of the Investment-Cash flow relationship and Q represented latter in the aggregate data (Table 3) is concentrated in low or no dividend paying firms. This finding is in further support with the PO hypothesis. Discussions The objective was to study and test the causes of universal relationship between Cash Flow and Investment Spending. Hence, two hypotheses were included in the research to study the source of this relationship: the free cash flow hypothesis (FCF) hypothesis, which works on the assumption that managers prefer investing its free cash flow excessively into investment projects that are not profitable, and the pecking order hypothesis (PO) purports that managers are prone to investment comparatively less than the opportunity provided due asymmetric information-induced liquidity constraint. As advocated in favor of Pecking Order Theory by (Fazzari, Hubbard, Peterson, Blinder, Poterba, 1988) and many others, for groups which consists of small firms with low-dividend payout to fund capital spending, exhibits heavy reliance on cash flow and cash changes. The relationship can be more significantly studied when the impact of larger q value is associated with this group. Evaluating the impact of corporate governance on investment-cash flow relation requires a critical judgment as to how do the firms cash flow and the existing market value influence the investment decision. Financially constraint firms may have a larger impact on liquidity associated matters and managers might take discretion in choosing the right sources to tap. Agency cost may be involved in making such a decision where managers may consider paying dividend as a higher opportunity cost as it reduces the firms free cash flow to exploit new profitable investment projects. Implications and Recommendations In the current market situation where external pressures existing can also be taken into proxy. When managers making a capital investment decision they need to take in view other non-financial aspects that also influences the decisions to a certain extent. Furthermore, financial intermediaries having a certain level of involvement and sharing information sensitive to the market can also be a major factor that might be giving a varying result against Investment. Investing in profitable-investment projects can bring in greater resources to the firm in future and it entails a huge decision burden upon the shoulders of the managers. Shareholders expecting to earn a greater return through investing in them can also be undermined when manager decided to have a low payout policy. Funds generated internally is a possibility where there is a healthy cash flow, but it is also preferable if this free cash is invested into marketable security for allocating the resources into a profitable venture for a time being to make it a positive impression. Future Research In future studies there may be more aspects of cash flow-investment relationship which can be studied for assessing the degree impact it has on this relationship, i.e. sales, debt performance, capital structure, firm size, etc. The research study may also be improved if the observation of firms are increased that will in turn reflect a more clear picture about the relationship in the current scenario. References Almeida, H., Campello, M. (2007). Financial Constraints, Asset Tangibility, and Corporate Investment. The Review of Financial Studies , 20 (5), 1429-1460. Calomiris, C. W., Hubbard, R. G. (1995). Internal Finance and Investment: Evidence from the Undistributed Profits Tax of 1936-37. The Journal of Business , 68 (4), 443-482. Chung, K. H., Pruitt, S. W. (1994). A Simple Approximation of Tobins Q. Financial Management , 23 (3). Cleary, S. (1999). The Relationship between Firm Investment and Financial Status. The Journal of Finance , 54 (2), 673-692. Dedoussis, E., Papadaki, A. (2010). Investment spending and corporate governanc: Evidance from the ASE listed firms. Managerial Finance , 36 (3), 201-224. Donaldson, G. (1961). Corporate Debt Capacity: A Study of Corporate Debt Policy and the Determination of Corporate Debt Capacity. Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University . Drury, C. (2006). Cost and management accounting: an introduction (6 ed.). Cengage Learning EMEA. Fazzari, S. M., Hubbard, R. G., Peterson, B. C., Blinder, A. S., Poterba, J. M. (1988). Financing Constraints and Corporate Investment. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity , 1988 (1), 141-206. Goyal, V. K., Yamada, T. (2004). Asset Price Shocks, Financial Constraints, and Investment: Evidence from Japan. The Journal of Business , 77 (1), 175-199. Gugler, K., Mueller, D. C., Yurtoglu, B. B. (2004). Marginal q, Tobins q, Cash Flow, and Investment. Southern Economic Journal , 70 (3), 512-531. Hu, X., Schiantarelli, F. (1998). Investment and Capital Market Imperfections: A Switching Regression Approach Using U.S. Firm Panel Data. The Review of Economics and Statistics , 80 (3), 466-479. Hubbard, R. G. (1998). Capital-Market Imperfections and Investment. Journal of Economic Literature , 36 (1), 193-225. Jensen, M. C. (1986). Agency costs of free cash flow, corporate finance, and takeovers. American Economic Review , 76, 323-9. Kaplan, S. N., Zingales, L. (1997). Do Investment-Cash Flow Sensitivities Provide Useful Measures of Financing Constraints? The Quarterly Journal of Economics , 112 (1), 169-215. Malmendier, U., Tate, G. (2005). CEO Overconfidence and Corporate Investment. The Journal of Finance , 60 (6), 2661-2700. Modigliani, F., Miller, M. H. (1958). The cost of capital, corporation finance, and the theory of investment. American Economic Review , 48 (3), 261-97. Myers, S. C. (1984). The capital structure puzzle. The Journal of Finance . Quan, V. D. (2002). A rational justification of the pecking order hypothesis to the choice of sources of financing. Management Research News , 25 (12), 74-90. Riahi-Belkaoui, A. (1999). Capital structure: determination, evaluation, and accounting. Quorum. Schaller, H. (1993). Asymmetric Information, Liquidity Constraints, and Canadian Investment. The Canadian Journal of Economics , 26 (3), 552-574. Strecker, N. (2009). Innovation Strategy and Firm Performance: An Empirical Study of Publicly Listed Firms. Gabler Verlag. Vogt, S. C. (1994). The Cash Flow/Investment Relationship: Evidence from U.S. Manufacturing Firms. Financial Management , 23 (2), 3-20. Wang, G. Y. (2010). The Impacts of Free Cash Flows and Agency Costs on Firm Performance. Journal of Service Science and Management , 3 (4), 408-418.

Who Were The Mesopotamians Religion Essay

Who Were The Mesopotamians Religion Essay The transition from the nomadic hunter-gatherers to the more sedentary farmers brought about some of the first serious thinkers in the world. This is how it started for the Mesopotamians, the transition from traveling around in search of food to settling down on the banks of a river. Because of their location they became the first river-valley civilization which is why Mesopotamia was so aptly named as so, it meaning the land between rivers those rivers being the Tigris and Euphrates. Their new sedentary gave them time to not only think but also to explore subjects such as mythology, religion as well as advances in technology. Because of this, these people could live in one place and build what we call a civilization. These people would multiply, build, create new beliefs, be conquered, made into slaves and eventually pass their beliefs on to others with some form of writing. This marks the beginning of history, by technical definition. The next topic I will explore upon is the religion of the Mesopotamian people. The Mesopotamian Religion, also known as Assyro-Babylonian religion  [14]  involved polytheism, which is the practice of worshipping multiple gods. These gods ranged from the all-powerful to the minor and they all represented some fact or occurrence in nature and/or life. Every city had a temple that was dedicated to a god, normally one major temple per city although multiple temples did occur in one city. These temples were called ziggurats where the followers of the god to which the temple was located would congregate and even reside. For example prostitutes would gather at the temple of Ishtar, the goddess they represent in their lifestyle choice. Prayer was also a present practice as warriors might pray to one of the many war and battle gods and goddesses for victory or at least survival. The purpose of the gods was as an attempt to explain the masses of phenomena that perplexed and dumbfounded the se people. The religion of the Mesopotamian people went through four historical periods. The oldest of these periods was from 3500 B.C.E. to the time of Hammurabi  [15]  , which is about 1700 B.C.E. The religion of this period involved the worship of deities in individual groups and as society built itself up many of these individual practices melted together to provide the dominate polytheistic method of worship. The second period ranged from between 1700-1365 B.C.E. and during this period a supreme deity surfaced  [16]  . This deities name was a fertility god, a god of thunderstorms (I find it interesting that most of the times it seems that gods of thunder and/or lightning take up the post of king of the group of gods they represent) Marduk  [17]  and by getting rid of the evil dragon goddess of chaos Tiamat  [18]  . The third period was from 1365-612 B.C.E. During this time was the Assyrian period as well as the fall of Nineveh  [19]  . There is another shift , as another group falls and assimilates into the larger group which happened a lot in the Mesopotamian area, as another deity takes place as supreme rather than Marduk. This deities name was Ashur  [20]  , a god of the sun. Ishtar remained the most important female deity throughout these three periods (which im sure has nothing to do with the fact that she was the goddess of prostitution). The fourth and final period started with the reign of Nabopolassar  [21]  (625-605 B.C.E.) and came to an end with Cyruss  [22]  conquest of Babylon in 539 B.C.E. who increased his dedicated policy of religious freedom and returned many plundered religious relics back to their rightful places  [23]  . Rituals involving religion included sacrifices and burnt offerings which could include the best of their crop, herd, as well as the enemies the people may have overcome. Rituals might have also been practices that related to the god or goddess that the respective group was worshiping . For instance, if a group worshiped Ishtar, to show their devotion they may become prostitutes and therefore practice prostitution in an attempt to glorify their chosen goddess and maybe to acquire their blessings or favor. The holidays gave people other reasons to worship the all mighty gods and goddesss of the Mesopotamian area. These holidays included important birthdays, passing of the seasons, and days of momentous occurrence such as the victorious conclusion of a long and epic battle. The final topic of my discussion is the topic based on the various technologies brought about in Mesopotamia. Since this was one of the very first civilizations to come into existence it brought about many of the tools that were essential to survival in their new sedentary lifestyle as well as building procedures. The first thing that I would like to mention is a process that is used to prevent damaging floods, a process that is still used today; the use of levees. Levees are depressions built along the bases of rivers or lakes that potentially raises the total potential volume a river or lake may retain without over flowing. Their strength depended completely on its weakest point, meaning if that particular point were to be damaged or completely destroyed then the whole structure would follow. Levees were basically piles of earth surrounding the designated area of containment, though today we use concrete and other materials to accomplish similar means. Due to these structures peopl e no longer feared the yearly floods of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to the same extent as previously and another effect of the containment was a more sable distribution of irrigation resulting in greater amounts of food. Architecture is next with the structure in discussion being the momentous ziggurats, which were temples similar to those of the pyramids in ancient Egypt. They were made with dried bricks of mud which really was a combination of limestone rock earth and water, a loose relative of concrete. Now I will discuss tools and weapons, remember though that all weapons were tools until they were used to inflict purposeful harm on another being. The tools that were brought about her basically encompass most all tools present in many farming and cultivating professions. These tools included sickles, hoes, axes, hammers and many more. The major weapons used included swords, spears, maces, bow and arrows as well as shields. Most of all of the tools were manufactured using the practice of smelting to combine tin and copper to create bronze and wooden handles on which the metal pieces were attached. Machines that appeared in this time era included the plow, wheel and axel as well as the pulley and lever. This concludes my term paper on the mythology, religion and technology present in the Mesopotamian civilization. It was the spark of civilization that we can thank for its contribution to modern day society, because it was the starting point in a new order of operations in the way the world works and would be the first building block in the expansion of a sedentary life style in opposition to the previous nomadic way of life. Gilgamesh. Welcome to MYTHHOME:Mythology Site. Web. 13 Nov. 2010. . Ninsun | Goddess A Day. Goddess A Day My Quest for the Ten Thousand Names of the Goddess. Web. 13 Nov. 2010. . Midnight, By. Lugalbanda Epic. Bible and History. Web. 13 Nov. 2010. . Ishtar. Encyclopedia Mythica: Mythology, Folklore, and Religion. Web. 13 Nov. 2010. . Mitchell, Stephen. Gilgamesh: a New English Version. New York: Free, 2004. Print. Humbaba. Picture Books by Dandi Palmer. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. . Enlil. Encyclopedia Mythica: Mythology, Folklore, and Religion. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. . Shamash (Mesopotamian God) Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. . Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven. Bible and History. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. . Anu. Encyclopedia Mythica: Mythology, Folklore, and Religion. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. . Utnapishtim. Encyclopedia Mythica: Mythology, Folklore, and Religion. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. . Mesopotamian Religion New World Encyclopedia. Info:Main Page New World Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. . Hammurabi of Babylon History for Kids! Kidipede History for Kids Homework Help for Middle School. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. . The Myth of Marduk, How Marduk Became King of All the Gods. Ancient Mesopotamia for Kids. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. . Tiamat Mesopotamian Mythology Ancinet-Mythology.com. Ancient Mythology: Greek, Norse, Egyptian and More Ancinet-Mythology.com. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. . Mesopotamia Fun Facts and Information. Fun Trivia Quizzes Worlds Largest Trivia and Quiz Site! Web. 05 Dec. 2010. . Ancient Babylonia Nabopolassar. Bible History Online Images and Resources for Biblical History. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. . Sorat, By Cyrus. Cyrus The Great. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. . Mythology | Define Mythology at Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. .

The War of the Sexes in The Taming Of The Shrew :: The Taming Of The Shrew William Shakespeare

The Taming Of The Shrew: The Battle Continues in the War of the Sexes  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        The plot of William Shakespeare’s The Taming Of The Shrew is derived from the popular 'war of the sexes' theme in which males and females are pitted against one another for dominance. Although the play has been condemned for the blatant sexist attitude it has toward women, a close examination of the play reveals that it is not a story of how men should 'put women in their place'. The play is, in fact, a comedy about an assertive woman coping with how she is expected to act in society and of how one must obey the unwritten rules of a society to be accepted by it. Although the play ends with her outwardly conforming to the norms of society, this is in action only, not in mind. Although she assumes the role of the obedient wife, inwardly she still retains her assertiveness. The play begins with an induction in which a drunkard, Christopher Sly, is fooled into believing he is a king and has a play performed for him. The play he watches is what constitutes the main body of The Taming Of The Shrew. In it, a wealthy landowner, Baptista Minola, attempts to have his two daughters married. One is very shrewish, Katherine, while the other is the beautiful and gentle Bianca. In order to ensure Katherine is married, Baptista disallows Bianca to be espoused until Katherine is wed, forcing the many suitors to Bianca to find a mate for Katherine in order for them to vie for Bianca's love. Most of the play's humor comes from the way in which characters create false realities by disguising themselves as other people, a device first introduced by having Christopher Sly believe he is someone he is not and then by having the main play performed for him. By putting The Taming Of The Shrew in a 'play within a play' structure, Shakespeare immediately lets the audience know that the play is not real thus making all events in the play false realities. Almost all characters in the play take on identities other than their own at some point of time during the play. Sly as a king, Tranio as Lucentio, Lucentio as Cambio, Hortensio as Litio and the pedant as Vicentio are all examples of this. Another example of this is Katherine as an obedient wife.

The Three Gorges Dam Essay -- China Gorges Dam Essays

The Three Gorges Dam The Three Gorges Dam is an unfinished project which will be the largest dam ever constructed on the planet Earth. It is situated in China on the third largest river in the world – the Yangtze. The dam has been debated over since the 1919 and is still a hot topic of debate because of its many pros and cons. In 1994 construction began on the dam, and it is expected to be finished by the year 2009. The massive dimensions of the dam are mind boggling and its functions – if the dam actually works – are truly remarkable; however, with such a large structure also comes difficulties, sacrifices, and cynics. The goal of this essay is to lend an understanding of the dam itself, the prospective benefits of the dam, and the potential drawbacks; this will provide the reader with a solid knowledge base to ascertain whether the dam will be advantageous or detrimental to the country of China. The debates started in 1919 when a man named Sun Yatsen proposed the idea of a dam on the Yangtze for power generation.[1] Since then the debates over whether or not to build the dam have not stopped. Since the early nineties when the project was finally approved the mission has seemed to be very scandalous. â€Å"It was believed that contractors have won bids through bribery and then skimped on equipment and materials to siphon off construction costs.†[2] Because of these corrupt cost cuts the parts of the dam have been poorly built. â€Å"The Chinese media recently reported several incidents in which corruption and poor construction have led to disasters at major building sites. Notable among the reports was the collapse of a steel bridge in the city of Chongqing in January 1999 that killed 40 people.†... ...tml [13] Ibid. www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html [14] Adams, Patricia, Haggart, Kelly. Whose Behind China’s Three Gorges Dam, http://www.nextcity.com/probeinternational/ThreeGorges/who.html [15] Ibid. www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html [16] Schmidt, Jeremy. China’s coming Flood. International wildlife v26 p34-43. S/O ’96 http://O-vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.sculib.scu.edu/hww/results/results_si... [17] Ibid. www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html [18] Ibid. www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html [19] Ibid. www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html [20] Ibid www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html [21] Ibid www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html [22] Ibid www.chinaonline.com/refer/ministry_profiles/threegorgesdam.asp [23] Ibid www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html [24] Ibid www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html

Comparative Paper of Race/Ethnicity Essay

Racial background and ethnicities are represented in the short stories â€Å"Country Lovers†, â€Å"The Welcome Table†, and the poem â€Å"What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl†. All of these stories have a main character or protagonist black female. All three of these women deal with some degree of discrimination because of their color. The hardships that these women suffer during their life can be suffered by anyone but growing up in a discriminatory situation creates a more dramatic story. The main themes in â€Å"Country Lovers† are love and racial politics. Country Lovers was written during a time when Africa was suffering from racial segregation. This story has irony throughout the entire story. Thebedi and Paulus grow up together and they fall in love. They grew up in Africa during the apartheid when their country did not allow interracial relationships. Paulus Eysendyck was the son of the farm owner and Thebedi’s father worked on that farm. They both knew they could not be together publicly. During the apartheid in Africa it was illegal to have an interracial relationship. There are several dramatic effects in this story. The first is when the narrator talks about Paulus going away to school â€Å"This usefully coincides with the age of twelve or thirteen; so that by the time early adolescence is reached, the black children are making along with the bodily changes common to all, an easy transition to adult forms of address, beginning to call their old playmates missus and baasie little master† (Clungston, 2010). There’s loss of innocence and forbidden love as described here when Paulus watches Thebedi wade in the water â€Å"The schoolgirls he went swimming with at dams or pools on neighbouring farms wore bikinis but the sight of their dazzling bellies and thighs in the sunlight had never made him feel what he felt now when the girl came up the bank and sat beside him, the drops of water beading off her dark legs the only points of light in the earth–smelling deep shade† (Clungston, 2010). This love would by any other means be normal, but since it is during the apartheid it is against the law. Eventually, Thebedi becomes pregnant at eighteen with Paulus’s child. In order to protect herself Thebedi marries another man, Njabulo a laborer on the Eysendyck farm, like her father. When Paulus returns home on holiday he learns of the child, fearing that it is his, knowing the legal issues he could face, he goes to see the child. When Paulus sees the child â€Å"He struggled for a moment with a grimace of tears, anger, and self–pity. He said, â€Å"You haven’t been near the house with it? † (Clungston, 2010) Both Paulus and Thebedi know the consequences if the child is found out about. Two days later Paulus returns to Thebedi’s hut and drowns the child. The baby had been given a proper burial until â€Å"someone—one of the other labourers? their women? —had reported that the baby was almost white, that, strong and healthy, it had died suddenly after a visit by the farmer’s son†(Clungston, 2010). In the end, a trial resulted in a â€Å"not guilty† verdict because of insufficient proof. Each one of these events is dramatic. The main themes of â€Å"The Welcome Table† are impartial Christ-like love and racism. Walker’s story â€Å"The Welcome Table† never mentions a table except under the title it quotes an old spiritual. We are never given a name of the old woman in this story. This creates anonymity about the woman; this is tragic because she is unknown. Based on the description of the woman’s clothes the idea is given that â€Å"Perhaps she had known suffering â€Å"(Walker, 1973). In the story of the old black woman is described as, â€Å"the color of poor gray Georgia earth, beaten by king cotton and the extreme weather† (Walker, 1973). This old Black woman is on a mission. Even though there is no table in this story, the welcome table is a metaphor for impartial love. The old woman heads into a house of god expecting it to have impartial love. The church people discriminated against her because she is black. The good church folk are shocked. The reverend reminds her gently saying â€Å"Auntie, you know this is not your church† (Walker, 1973). The old woman thinks â€Å"as if one could choose the wrong one† (Walker, 1973). She brushes past them all and finds a seat near the back. Inside it is very cold, colder than usual. She ignores the request of an usher, referring to her as grandma, who asks her to leave. The ladies, who are celebrating the impartial love that they presumably have, finally insist and their husbands hurl her out. She is stunned, bewildered, and starts to sing a sad song. Then she notices something coming down â€Å"the long gray highway. † She grins toothlessly and giggles with joy. For it is none other than Jesus, and he is walking toward her. When he came close, he said, â€Å"Follow me† and the old woman â€Å"bounded down to his side with all the bob and speed of one so old†(Walker, 1973). The two of them walk on together. She tells him her troubles, and he listens kindly, smiling warmly. Jesus provides her with the welcome table. The people in the church never knew what happened to her. Some said they saw her jabbering to herself and walking off down the highway all alone. â€Å"They guessed maybe she had relatives across the river, some miles away, but none of them really knew. † The theme in this story is racism and hardship. Smiths poem gives the audience a view into a young girls transition from being a black girl into becoming a black woman during a time when both being a black girl and a black woman are unwelcomed. An Explication: From transition to disappointment. The poem â€Å"What it’s like to be a Black Girl (for those of you who aren’t)† by Patricia Smith, is exactly as it is described in the title. Smiths poem gives the audience an insider’s view into a young black girl’s transition into black woman-hood at a time where both being a black girl and a black woman was not as welcomed. Puberty is usually described by the biological changes a young boy or girl’s body goes through. Smith writes, â€Å"It’s being 9 years old and feeling like you’re not finished,† and â€Å"like your edges are wild, like there’s something, everything, wrong† (Smith, 1991). Though all teens have these thoughts in Smiths poem the black girl also have the added pressures of a racially unjust society. This â€Å"black girl† she refers to in her poem is feeling the awkwardness of her newly changing body and the hope of something different and maybe better to come. The poem tells the story of a young black girl exploring and experiencing what it is to become a black woman in a society that tells her to be white is better. â€Å"It’s dropping food coloring in your eyes to make them blue and suffering their burn in silence. It’s popping a bleached white mophead over the kinks of your hair and primping in front of the mirrors that deny your reflection. † (Smith, 1991) The food coloring in her eyes and the bleached hair symbolize her need to be accepted by society’s idea of proper. â€Å"It’s flame and fists and life according to Motown† (Smith, 1991). The life she knows is Motown music, racial slurs, and fighting. Between â€Å"jumping double Dutch until your legs pop† and â€Å"growing tall and wearing a lot of white† (Smith, 1991) the poem tells us how a young black girl balances her changing body, with her child-like mentality. The wearing of a lot of white is her wearing of the wedding gown often seen as a symbol of womanhood. On that day, she’s starts the next chapter in her life, as a married woman. When Smith talks about â€Å"having a man reach out for you and caving in around his fingers† (Smith, 1919) it gives the reader a better observation of the subservient mentality women dealt with during the 1960’s. Finally, this young black girl is now a woman. Throughout the poem, Smith has helped us to see the transition from a black girl to a black woman. With Smiths’ attention to detail, the reader is able to follow the girl’s changes, both biological and psychological. This poem tells the story of a young black girl’s journey and her experiences while becoming a grown black woman in an era of racial uncertainty. All three women are survivors of a life of racial unjust. These stories are common to everyday life changes and lessons. These hardships, that everyone normally sees, are much more dramatic in a society that discriminates against color. References: Clugston, R. W. , (2010). Journey into Literature. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved March 20, 2011 from https://content. ashford. edu/books/AUENG125. 10. 2/sections/h3. 2? search=Country%20Lovers Walker, A. , (1973). In Love & Trouble: Stories of Black Women. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 81-87. Smith, P. , (1991). Life According to Motown. What it’s Like to Be a Black Girl (for those of you who aren’t). Tia Chucha Press.