Great Gatsby Corruption

Possibly one of F. Scott Fitzgerald's most astonishing work, The Great Gatsby is not just a magnificent story, but an insightful lesson of society's flaws during the 1920's. Fitzgerald's novel creates an atmosphere of superficiality, dissatisfaction and dishonesty by the depictive illustration of each character's defect. With economical growth, the immoral society of the twenties ultimately brought corruption to the American Dream of achieving prosperity. At the end of the first chapter, the green light at the end of Daisy's dock is introduced, the symbol for hope and a promising future for the Great Gatsby. In the second chapter however, the reader is presented with the, â€Å"†¦ valley of ashes†¦ where ashes take the form of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally†¦ of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air† . The valley of ashes can be interpreted as the superficial and dirt-filled materialistic world that the characters live in. The author's great use of imagery helps accentuate the setting and the crumbling foundation of society. In Fitzgerald's novel, Gatsby is labeled as â€Å"new money†. Having come from no wealthy background, and building his fortunes early in life, Gatsby nearly fulfills all the aspects of the American Dream with hard work, courage and determination but comes short by not achieving satisfaction from prosperity. Money was the critical reagent to Gatsby's corruption that unfolds when he describes Daisy. â€Å"Her voice is full of money† . Often identified as a symbol of wealth, Daisy was Gatsby's main goal. Gatsby had an enormous need to impress Daisy with his riches; his tainted mind could only offer what he had acquired all these years, money.

Lady Macbeth Character analysis Essay

Lady Macbeth Essay â€Å"A dynamic character is an individual that undergoes a drastic character change or revelation.†[1] Lady Macbeth is an ideal example of this kind of character. At the beginning of the play Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth can be perceived as a manipulative and deeply ambitious person, which implies an overall sinister-like quality. However, as the play progresses, Lady Macbeth’s character changes to one that seems deeply regretful for her actions. Through Lady Macbeth’s interactions and statements the reader views her transformation from a sinister being into a remorseful soul. In the opening of the play, Lady Macbeth is an extremely manipulative individual that essentially has the power to control her husband’s actions. This is evident through the plot and ultimately the death of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth insulted her husbands manhood stating: â€Å"What beast was’t then that made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (I, VII, 52-64). This statement reinforces her manipulative manner, which provides crucial and important information about Lady Macbeth’s character. In essence, this attack towards Macbeth introduces a pivotal theme of the play: the relationship between gender and violence. Lady Macbeth links masculinity to violence and thereby she has to resort to influential measures in order to achieve her goals. She claims that he is not manly enough because he is hesitant of performing the violent deed of murdering the King. Her mockery of her husband serves a dual purpose of developing her as well as Macbeth’s character. The sarcastic tone reveals the dominating personality of Lady Macbeth, which is significant in influencing Macbeth during later part of the play to succumb to darkness of treachery and bloodshed. Which also intensifies her fiendish attributes. Lady Macbeth has the ability to override all her husband’s hesitation and manipulate him into undertaking these murderous acts. Thro ugh persuasion and criticism she was able to manipulate her husband thereby suggesting elements of evil and sinister-like qualities in Lady Macbeth. There is a defined relationship between manipulation and ambition in this play. That is, Lady Macbeth’s ambition drives her to persuade her husband into the murdering of innocent people. The first example of her determination is apparent in her  soliloquy, which is started off with a tone of certainty and conviction. â€Å"Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promised.† (I, V, 14-29) Ironically, this tone does not alleviate the strength of her character but instead makes the reader wary of her. This draws the reader’s interest and creates a feeling of the oncoming evil that seems inevitable. Hence, the reader can indicate the instrumental role that Lady Macbeth is going to play in the build up of darkness later on. But the primary example of her ambitious behaviour is evident in the plot for her husband to become king. As claimed by the witches, Macbeth would be king, however the means of how this would become was never discussed until Lady M acbeth is introduced. When the reader is first introduced to her, she is asking for spirits to â€Å"unsex me†(I, V, 44). â€Å"The language suggests that her womanhood, represented by breasts and milk, which are usually symbols of a nurturer, prevents her from performing acts of violence and cruelty, which she associates with manliness.†[2] This also reinforces the link between gender and violence. This statement displays the immense ambition she has to become queen, demonstrating she will go to any lengths in order to accomplish her goal. The devised plan by Lady Macbeth further shows her great ambition to become Queen of Scotland. Lady Macbeth states to Macbeth: â€Å"O, never shall sun that morrow see!† (I, V, 67-68) referring to the murdering of King Duncan providing evidence of her great ambition. Lady Macbeth is so blinded by her ambitions that she neglects to ponder the potential consequences her actions may have on her and Macbeth himself. This intense and unwavering ambition of what might be to come forces her to place whatever values, morals and good judgment on hold, however it is also her blind ambition that leads to her fast approaching downfall. Aside from Lady Macbeth’s sinister tendencies, there is proof that suggests that there is a compassionate and guilty feeling individual buried inside. The first piece of evidence, which suggests of a remorsef ul Lady Macbeth, is apparent through her statement: â€Å"where out desire is got without content.†(III, II, 7). This passage refers to the lack of fulfillment the role of queen posses, and hints that all her actions were meaningless thereby implying remorseful feelings. Another crucial indication of her guilt is visible in Act Five, Scene 1 when Lady Macbeth is wondering around in a trance state appearing to be sleep walking. It is at this point in time where we indisputably learn of her deepest  regrets and guilt. This is evident when she is heard saying: â€Å"Out, damned spot† (V, I, 32) suggesting that she is unable to wash the blood off her hands. These actions play a central role in the reinforcement of another theme: appearance versus reality (Lady Macbeth appears to be wide-awake, however, she is in a state of near unconsciousness revealing the reality of her thoughts). These regretful feelings inherently lead to her downfall through her suicide. By dying by her own hand she is paying the greatest cost for the consequences of her actions. Here underlies the truth to her character, she inherits a change of heart resulting in indisputable evidence that Lady Macbeth is a dynamic character. In conclusion, through Lady Macbeth’s interactions and statements the reader gains tremendous insight into her true character. As the play progresses and character revelation occurs, we see her change from an individual that is deeply ambitious and persuasive to a regretful and remorseful s oul. This thereby provides as adequate proof that Lady Macbeth is a dynamic character. This change creates a sense of sympathy in the eyes of the reader; and consequently it is her actions that cause her own ultimate death. Sources: http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/ladymacbeth.html http://www.shmoop.com/macbeth/lady-macbeth.html [2] http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/canalysis.html [1] Dynamic character defined by (www.dictionary.com)

Cell-based Therapy For Myocardial Regeneration

Cell-based Therapy For Myocardial Regeneration ABSTRACT Myocardial infarction is one of the main cause of mortality in many countries. Therefore, an effective therapy for myocardial infarction is required. Reperfusion and other conventional therapy have been the mainstay therapy for myocardial infarction. However, many patients remain refractory to this therapy. Cell-based therapy is considered a novel therapy, in which stem cells are used for cardiac repair. Stem cells are potential therapeutic and promising option that could be the alternative solution for salvaging damaged cardiomyocyte. Based on current studies, stem cells are a promising therapeutic approach for myocardial infarction. However, some challenges need to be answered by future studies before this novel therapy can be widely applied. This essay provides an overview of the progress in stem cell therapy for myocardial infarction. INTRODUCTION The robust potential of stem cells were still a mystery, but today, we are constantly getting new information on this parti cular topic. One of the prospects of stem cell therapy is to treat damaged cardiomyocyte (Fischer, et.al, 2009; Beltrami, 2003).Acute myocardial infarction is one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity in many countries. Not only this disease causes a massive socio-economic burden, but also reduces the quality of live for patients who survive the attack (Hamm, 2016). Currently, one of the mainstay therapy for myocardial infarction is rapid revascularization to limit ischaemic damage. Reperfusion and other conventional therapy have undoubtedly saved so many lives, yet there are patients remained refractory to this therapy and left with no other treatment options. In addition to that, many patients who have underwent reperfusion strategy and survived, often left with significant impairment of left ventricular systolic function. One big question remain unanswered. Is there any other treatment option for these patients? Medical therapeutic approach to reduce damaged cardiomyocyte and generate new functioning muscle is the current unmeet need. Stem cells emerge as the novel procedure to restore damaged cardiomyocytes, and this procedure is popularly known as cellular cardiomyoplasty (Pendyala, et.al, 2008; Reinlib, 2000). Many preclinical and clinical trials have documented the potential use of stem cells to generate viable cardiomyocyte and improve cardiac function (Bergmann, et.al, 2009). To date, there are many different types of adult stem cells and progenitor cells used for this procedure, some of which are bone marrow derived stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells and so on. Since the advance of stem cells technology is faster than ever before, this essay aimed to give an evidence based update on stem cells use for myocardial infarction, what we have achieved so far, and what does the future hold for this breakthrough. CELL-BASED THERAPY FOR MYOCARDIAL REGENERATION After an ischaemic attack due to occluded coronary vessels, heart muscle usually left damaged and nonfunctioning. However, recent evidence suggested that the cardiac muscle could actually undergo a limited amount of renewal. A prospect of inducing muscle cell to undergo division for cardiomyocyte replacement, or generating new muscle by stem cells are certainly intriguing (Roell, et.al, 2002; Santoso, et.al, 2011). Stem cells are capable to proliferate in the same state (self-renewal) and differentiate into multiple cell lineages. On the other hand, progenitor cells are more specific and have limited differentiation potential. Mechanism on how stem cells work are as follows: firstly, these stem cells need to be extracted from the source (eg. bone marrow), after that these stem cells need to be delivered to the injured area. These cells are implanted in the myocardium, and due to the nature of these cells, they would grow and differentiate/transdifferentiate into cardiomyocyte. To achieve the goal of cardiac repair, these cells should also have the ability to fuse with the surrounding tissues that their harmonious contraction increases the heart contraction. Furthermore, these newly-formed cardiomyocyte should also express the appropriate electromechanical properties required for contraction to yield a synchronous contraction (Templin, et.al, 2011; Makino, et.al, 1999).

A State Tax on Plastic Shopping Bags Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A State Tax on Plastic Shopping Bags - Case Study Example These may take much longer than expected to decompose, approximately a thousand years since they are non-biodegradable materials. They also release harmful elements when burned. The waste then spreads to the major water sources posing serious danger to the marine life. What questions did you have while working on this case? When working on this case I had the following questions as a guideline. 1. How is the reception by the families and residents on the introduction of the 5 cents tax? 2. Will the 5 cents tax result to any difference in the polythene bags usage? 3. How will the revenue accrued from the new tax be used? 4. What are the opinions of the environmentalists on the issue of the use of plastic bags in California State? 5. What are the available plastic wastes management options that can be employed? What do you consider the most useful information provided with the case? Among the useful information provided in the case include the information that if the tax imposed is ver y little there will be no effect on the consumer behavior. The grocery checkouts also prefer plastic bags as compared to other bags. This is because they are cheaper and cost between $0.005 U.S. cents and $0.01 U.S. cents as compared with paper bags which cost between $0.05 and $0.15 U.S. cents. It is also documented that the number of plastic bags used in California stands at 500 billion. Environmental advocates also support that reusable bags should be used in place of plastic bags. What assumptions did you have while working on this case? I assumed that the state shall have a properly established channel for the tax collection. It will also handle the issue of litter pollution. I also assumed that once the tax is introduced, all the consumers will reduce the amounts of plastic polythene bags and instead opt for the reusable bags or paper bags. The groceries will also start charging for the packaging. Through these considerations I assumed that consumers will develop a habit of se eking an alternative method in carrying their shopping and reduce plastic bag usage. In the same manner, the disposal crisis that has been a major concern shall also be addressed. What tool(s) did you used in analyzing the information? I did a total analysis of the figures and data of the actual effects of the introduction of the five cent tax for every polythene bag usage on the producers. In addition to this, I compared the effect of this tax introduction with other mechanisms that can be employed in controlling polythene bag waste management in California State. I also analyzed the fiscal amount of revenue that may be accrued from the imposition of the tax. What are your findings? The introduction of the tax will greatly contribute to sanity in the marine environment which accounts for forty three billion dollars in proceeds and over four hundred thousand employment opportunities yearly. Though there was a mixed reaction from the introduction of the 5 cents tax, the general publi c really does support it. They cite that there will be a relief of about two million dollars on the locals from paying garbage collection fee yearly. The plastic manufacturers will however oppose it. They cite potential loss of income and fines in failure to comply with the tax policy. The findings indicate that the poor are concerned that from the imposed taxes will result into a higher cost for the polythene bags. This will have a greater impact on the low-income

Ethical, Legal, or Sociocultural Issues Assignment

Ethical, Legal, or Sociocultural Issues - Assignment Example In the context of counseling, ethics is referred to as the philosophical discipline concerned with the standards that govern conduct perceived to be acceptable by a culture or society. Ethical considerations for carrying out testing and measurement, in any psychological context, from a participant perspective should include informed consent obtained from all the participants, voluntary participation and adhering to confidentiality of participant information like identity. Legally, all psychometric tests and measurements have to be performed by competent test users according to the regulation. According to the International Test Commission (ITC), â€Å"A competent test user will use tests appropriately, professionally, and in an ethical manner, paying due regard to the needs and rights of those involved in the testing process, the reasons for testing, and the broader context in which the testing takes place† (Dobbie & Fitzgerald, 2003). Abiding by the ethics codes such as confidentiality, right to informed consent, and voluntary participation are also covered under legal boundaries. From a sociocultural perspective, biasness in testing and measurement is the most common possibility. The psychologists involved in testing should have sensitivity, knowledge, and skills to work with individuals and groups with a diverse range of strengths and needs from a variety of racial, cultural, ethnic, experiential, and linguistic backgrounds. With this expertise, the psychologists will be able to reduce and/or eliminate possible biasness caused by these sociocultural norms, thereby helping participants of all backgrounds feel welcomed and appreciated in the group (NASP, 2000). The AMCD multicultural counseling competencies (Toporek et al, 1996) also advocates the counselor to educate their clients on the intention of psychological interventions such as goals, expectations, legal rights and the counselor’s

Labor Turnover in HK's Hospitality Industry Essay

Labor Turnover in HK's Hospitality Industry - Essay Example There is no denying that each manager in the hospitality industry wants to control the rate of employee turnover in order to ensure the stability of their organization. Managers have also found that hiring and training new employees cost more than retaining and promoting current employees. Employee turnover can cause bad effects, not only the cost of training and be hiring but in other areas as well. The hidden costs to the company are even greater due to bad customer service, poor brand projection, lower morale in the organization, loss of experience and lack of building a corporate legacy (Branham, 2000: 93). The hospitality industry depends on the relationship between customers and employees, because the employee is on the front line serving the customer directly. One expert points out: ‘the hospitality industry is one in which there is a high need to ensure customer loyalty as when a customer experiences good quality service, he tends to visit the same hotel again. However, if the employee turn over is fast, there is difficulty in building the customer loyalty as well as the quality of service.’ (Marder, 2006) Sometimes even some loyal customers can be swayed to switch to a competitor’s business because a senior employee quit. In fact, this is especially true for the banquet and event services. Another problem is when senior employees, like managers or supervisors, jump to other organizations they might be disclosing some confidential information to their competitors. These techniques can range from training to recipes. The conclusion about the control the rate of employee turnover is very important due to the high rate of employee turnover impacting the delivery of efficient services in hotels and restaurants. The trend of employee turnover should be investigated to enlighten managers about the value of retaining employees.  

'Compare and contrast the intended and emergent approach to strategic Essay

'Compare and contrast the intended and emergent approach to strategic management' and compare this to Dixons - Essay Example Mintzberg has lectured for several years on management and has authored several books on strategic management. The article is useful in researching Dixon’s strategy formulation process. Mintzberg article is geared at highlighting how the management can implement strategies that ensure organisational competitive edge. Pretorius and Maritz (2011) agree with Mintzberg that strategies should be based on the business environment. However, Ansoff (1991) disagrees with Mintzberg by critiquing the sample used in design school theory and asserting that strategies should not focus on the entire organization. Mintzberg conquers with Mintzberg and Waters (1985), that some strategies are emergent while other are deliberate. Concludes by asserting that strategy formulation should be controlled and executives must have the responsibility in the formulation. The article is useful in understanding modern strategy formulation in organisations since it focuses on the factors that should be consi dered in strategy formulation and responsibility of executives. I my view, the article offer a constructive approach to strategy formulation. 2. Ansoff, H., (1991). Critique of Henry Mintzberg's 'The design school: reconsidering the basic premises of strategic management,' Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 12, PP 449-461. ... Ansoff explains how managers can manage changes in the environment through incremental strategies. Ansoff disagrees with Mintzberg and Waters (1985) and Pretorius and Maritz (2011), by concluding that it is impractical to formulate a strategy in an uncertain business environment. Ansoff provides an essential background for reviewing the history of strategy formulation in organisation. Kipping and Cailluet (2010) Aluminum industry case study confirms his views since managers have only implemented incremental strategies. Ansoff provides valuable criticism of design school since according to him it failed both prescriptive and descriptive observations. Ansoff suggests that managers should rely on trial and error and gradual strategies in low turbulent environment. I disagree with Ansoff since he did not offer any suggestions on strategy formulation in rapidly changing environments. 3. Mintzberg, H., and Waters, J. A., (1985) Of Strategies Deliberate and Emergent, Strategic Management Jo urnal, Vol. 6, PP 257-272. Mintzberg and Waters (1985) provide the framework of different strategic choices in the organisation. The article is aimed at highlighting different strategic formulation approaches. Some critical aspects of strategy formulation outlined by Mintzberg and Waters include types of strategies. Both Mintzberg and Waters are both reputable business authors. The article is useful in researching Dixon’s strategy formulation process. The paper offers both intended and emergent strategies like entrepreneurial strategy, ideological strategy, Consensus strategy, and Imposed strategy that are helpful in studying strategy formulation

Cultural Influences on Communication in Groups Assignment

Cultural Influences on Communication in Groups - Assignment Example In order to carry out our survey, the first task was to build a comprehensive questionnaire after identifying certain measurable constructs from our literature review. The first conflict arose while deciding upon the statements that we should be including in the questionnaire in order to measure â€Å"conformity.† I had suggested that we include â€Å"I get influenced by the opinions of my friends while shopping.† This was opposed by Mike and Janie but in two opposite ways. Mike felt that nobody would agree to this statement since hardly anyone would compromise while making a purchase for oneself whereas Janie felt that it was a leading question and â€Å"obviously† everyone will answer with a yes in order to appear modest and considerate. This debate automatically vouched for the inclusion of the question, however what was evident from the argument was that Janie and Mike belonged to two opposite value systems. Janie had a more collectivist approach whereas Mike was more of an individualist, who could not see beyond himself and his responses while making the questionnaire. Mike was the group leader and was very domineering throughout the project, he spoke more and listened less.

Taxonomy of Leadership Theories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Taxonomy of Leadership Theories - Assignment Example The leader should step in clarifying ambiguous tasks, giving employees some control and instilling cohesion and comradeship to a non-supportive team. Leaders choose an appropriate behavior or style. The alternatives of leader behaviors include directive, supportive, participative and achievement-based. They also motivate employees in order to enhance their success (Ross, 2010). Leader member exchange (LMX) theory explains that leaders consider their employees independently and not as a group. The quality of a leader’s relationship with different employees varies. This explains why a leader can relate well with some employees and poorly with others. The theory claims that leaders have in-group and out-group relationship with their employees. Employees included in a leader’s in-group are involved in decision-making and have more responsibilities and benefits (Quinn, 2008). In return, these employees invest more time, effort, and commitment. On the other hand, the formal limits of the employment contract govern the relationship between the leader and members of the out-group. The leader extends support and help to these members but only to the mandate of their duty. In return, members of out-groups carry out their duties but only to the required level. Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership theory explains that the details of specific tasks and the level of maturity of their employees is what should guide a leader’s style of leadership. Leaders’ level of emphasis on either task or relationship with employees varies with the goal they seek to achieve. The theory asserts that leaders use a telling style when instructing employees on what to and the way to do it (Shivers, 2000). Leaders sell their ideas to employees who have a lot of information on a topic of interest. Leaders adopt participatory leadership when they give more emphasis to relationship than to direction. Some instances call for leaders

Group Communications Essay Example for Free

Group Communications Essay Three videos of different group and team interaction will be reviewed for this paper. After they have been viewed they will be discussed on matters of the relationship between group members, member diversity and communication style. The first case study to be reviewed is: Helping Annie. In this video a school nurse has called a meeting with a psychiatrist and a social worker to discuss the case of a High school student, Annie, who possibly suffers from depression and an eating disorder. Right off the bat the school nurse is interrupted by the psychiatrist before she can finish giving the background information on Annie. He wants facts immediately not impressions. He makes a quick decision as to her problem and her treatment within minutes of their meeting and seems to believe that they are done, no more needs to be said. The Social worker does not agree with his decision and offers a counter solution but is again interrupted by the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist wants to use medication and the Social workers wants to first talk to Annie and see if they can understand what the teenager is going through. The psychiatrist sees this as a total waste of time. There does not seem to be any real facilitator of these meeting, and no one points out the psychiatrists constant interruptions of the social worker but the social worker herself. The school nurse is totally intimidated into silence by both of their behaviors. The psychologist seems to have the communication traits of what the test calls thinkers, and the Social worker has the traits of a feeler. According to the text, Thinks are task-oriented. They take pride in their ability to think objectively and logically, regardless of if those thoughts are correct. (Reeve, 2007, Ch. 3, pg.69, para.2) Feelers are people-oriented. The psychologist is very direct and analytical. He seems to want to remove any feelings or humanity from Annies case while the social worker is taking a more subjective, humane approach to Annies problems and is obviously more concerned with the girls well-being than a quick fix. The diversity that exists in this group is both gender and class. The group consist of two women and one older man, the older man, the psychiatrist,  seems to believe that the social worker and school nurse are not in the same class as he, his age, experience and profession making him superior to them on all levels, therefore, their opinions are not worth considering. This diversity is a hindrance in their communication because the psychologist is not listening to the two women and continues to interrupt them because he doesnt have much time here. If using a high context perspective the viewer could draw the conclusion that the psychologist does not agree with the social worker by watching his nonverbal behavior such as his gestures and facial expressions. In a high-context culture little meaning is expressed through words. Meaning can be conveyed through status such as age, gender, education or title. (Reeve, 2007) One method that could have been used to improve communications would have been to have a facilitator present to ensure that each party had the same amount of time to express his or her opinions. Another improvement would have been a change of setting from the informal setting to a more professional seating arrangement that may have helped foster communication between all parties present, such as a round table or face to face seating. The second video reviewed is: Planning the Playground. The group consists of three males and two females; three Caucasians and two minorities. The video case opens with two new members, one a younger male, Ray and one older woman, Betty, meeting the team for the first time. There seems to be two slightly awkward moments when Ray first only offers to shake the hands of the men at the table and when he has trouble pronouncing the name of the minority female Iesha. The moment was defused quickly when Iesha decided to make a small joke about her name to ease the tension and held out her own hand in greeting. Betty seemed uncertain about speaking and said she only joined the team to make friends. Communications between the team started out stiff and slow but by using team talk, (the nature of the language that group members use as they work together. Not only does team talk enable group members to share information and express opinions, but analysis of team talk also reveals where the team is coming from and where the team is headed.) (Reeve, 2007, Ch. 5 pg. 124, Para. 2), team leader David kept the discussion flowing and moved it to the reason they were there. The role the diversity of the group played in their communication was the different  experiences each had to bring to the discussion. Iesha obviously liked research and set numbers and offered not only a sound dollar amount to strive for but reasoning behind it. Ray countered that he thinks the amount should be higher but offered no real reason as did Phil who wanted the amount lower. After deciding to compromise they moved to fundraising. The immediate response to Bettys suggestion of having a Bake sale was obvious. They did not take her input seriously at all but again the team leader chimed in before their dismissive attitude could be considered rude and insulting. Di versity was also not a strong hindrance to the group even though the potential was there. Conflict management techniques were used by the group by expressing interest in solving the problem and keeping their tone and language non-threatening, using phrases like well, yes but lets look at it from a different angle or thats a good idea but may not be exactly what we need now.The use of team speak was a very effective communication tool that kept the team focused and on track. Another important tool that was used was nonverbal. The seating arrangement at the table permitted members to have their personal space but still be able to have direct eye contact. According to Reeve, each persons choice of seating position in groups has a direct effect on interaction and influence. A number of studies have demonstrated that group members prefercorner-to-corner or side-by-side seating for cooperative activities. Such an arrangement allows them to be close enough to share materials. (Reeve, 2007, CH. 5 pg. 138, Para 1) The team in this case study did show good communication skills on t he whole but the one improvement would have been to ensure that before the meeting took place, that each member understood what the reason for the meeting was. The last video reviewed is Virtual Communication. This video is a presentation of three people meeting as a team via conference call. The third unseen member is not listening to what is being said by the manager or his coworker. This is obvious because when they ask him a question he pauses or stutters, then repeats something that neither of the other participants actually said. Listening is important in any group so that you can be sure to get all the available information as well as know exactly what is  expected of you. This is even more so in the virtual business work when team members are not actually sitting face to face. Charlie is neither listening to what is being said or to the messages that were contained in Ellens email or voice mails to him. According to the text, Effective listening in virtual groups requires adapting to a different medium of expression Your only adaptation is making sure that your microphone is on or off at appropriate times. In an email discussion, however, you can neither see nor hear participants, but you still must listen to their messages. (Reeve, 2007, Ch.6, Pg,.168)The disadvantage of group meetings using a virtual medium is that you can fake listening by answering I agree or a non-committal sound. You can also pretend you didnt hear something that you dont want to address as Ellen does in this video when Charlie tries to place the blame on her. Charlie did not effectively use any of his listening skills while on this call. It was apparent by his distracted non-answers that he was not listening. The entire fault is not necessarily Charlies; it is not known if he ever fully understood what was expected of him from the first meeting. If he had at any time used one listening skill such as paraphrasing he might have had enough clarification to get his assignment done in time. Paraphrasing is a form of feedback that one lets the speaker know you are listening and gives them the opportunity to clarify their statement. Paraphrasing can be used for multiple purposes such as: To ensure comprehension before evaluation; to reassure others that you want to understand them; to clear up confusion and ask for clarification; and to help others reach their own conclusions. (Reeve, 2007) References Engleberg, I. Wynn,D. 2007. Working in Groups: Communication Principles and Strategies (4th ed.) Allyn Bacon Publishers. The Collaboration Tool Box. 2002-2003. MIT. Online resource. Retreived online January 12, 2009 from http://web.mit.e

Literature On Solid Waste Management

Literature On Solid Waste Management There is not much literature available on Harar Municipal Solid Waste Management sector although such studies were conducted at Addis Ababa and Jimma. Therefore, this section borrows liberally from studies conducted elsewhere. While poor management of solid waste is a general problem in Ethiopia, it is probably conspicuous in Harar city considering its historical and regional importance. It is a government organization that motivates the public towards SWM. Pubic and government are inseparable from the welfare point of view. The question is how do we get local municipality in Harar as an organ of the state government to be innovative in providing solid waste services? Despite the wide use of the term, innovation systems are yet to be clearly defined, characterized and evaluated in a systematic and quantifiable manner. With the selection of solid waste services in local municipality the following experience in Sri Lanka may of interest and guidance to us. The innovation systems theory in the 1980s in Sri Lanka invoked the notion of national innovation systems which are made up of institutions that create, store and transfer knowledge. It is now becoming increasingly clear that the creators of knowledge are not limited to those in institutions dedicated to such. Instead now it is widely accepted that knowledge is created in application as opposed to formal knowledge institutions (Gibbons et al., 1994) Moreover, emerging importance of knowledge underpins the conceptual basis for the project. A change in the nature of the knowledge landscape was predicted by Gibbons and others as early as the 1990s in what they termed as the changing modes of knowledge production. They designated knowledge produced in formal settings such as Universities and research institutes as institution influenced knowledge and knowledge gained in work places and other settings as formal practical knowledge which will gradually supersede institutional knowledge. Although the concept is widely used in the literature, empirical work supporting it is lacking. Yet, any training that Harar municipality would offer to its employees involved in SWM would make a breakthrough in SWM system. Knowledge for innovation in solid waste services will be generated from within the practitioners, with the formal knowledge community playing a supporting role. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to separate creation of knowledge from the sharing or the application. An emerging literature such as Bartone (1995) on Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) supports the newer notion of knowledge creation and application is not two separate things. Innovation in services is now understood to be an ongoing process where the producers of the service continually learn from customers, suppliers and recruits. 2.2 Social Assessment 2.2.1 Introduction to SA Moreover, as this study looked into social factors assessment, the following literature reviews were felt suitable for discussion. Although the researcher applied only some the following views for this project, the SA views for SWM gains prominence in that any participatory approach needs a strong social assessment. According to the World Bank, (2003) a social assessment refers to the analysis that a borrower undertakes during project design to assess social feasibility of a project. It also incorporates a range of instruments that can be used not only to obtain the necessary social input and identify appropriate mechanisms for community participation in the design and implementation of these systems, but also to ensure that vulnerable social groups are not excluded from the benefits of investments and system improvements. Equally important is the need to ensure that social groups and communities are not adversely affected by relevant decisions whether they relate to factors such as changes in service fees, expansion of service boundaries, and/or inclusion/exclusion of activities of the informal sector with regard to SWM. Further, World Bank (2003) is of the opinion that the ideal SA facilitates the process through which the Borrower better understands social organization and cultural systems, as well as institutional, historical, and political contexts in order to ensure the quality of investment design and success during implementation; provides means to enhance equality, strengthen social inclusion and cohesion, promote transparent governance and empower the poor and the vulnerable in project design and/or implementation. It further says that it constitutes a mechanism to identify the opportunities, constraints, impacts, and social risks associated with policy and project design; provides a framework for dialogue on development priorities among social groups, civil society, government and other stakeholders; and uses an approach to identify and mitigate the potential social risks, including adverse social impacts. According to Social Assessment for Tehran City Solid Waste Management Project (2004) Community and institutional characteristics are as important as household characteristics in determining the role of stakeholders in MSWM. Often the poorest communities, such as those that are of low caste or ethnic status, and those that are new immigrants of urban peripheries, are either excluded from MSWM services or may be adversely impacted. Dump sites may be located near the most vulnerable communities, thus subjecting them to health problems. This is quite true to Harar city. Their voices may not be strong enough within the urban political structure to affect positive changes in their environmental status. The said project of Tehran further demonstrated that a thorough assessment of socio-economic, demographic and migratory characteristics of the project population was an important analytical tool that helped formulate recommendations for the improvement of the MSWS in the city. These improvem ents were directly derived from the findings of the SA. 2.2.2 Gender Perspectives Gender and MSWM are closely related. Although this study does not delve deep into gender dimension with regard SWM of Harar city, it is true that SWM is gendered to some extent in the city. According to Scheinberg et al. (1999) many aspects of solid waste management are gendered. Looking at gender dimensions of MSWM also enables the planners to note the differences in the behavior, needs, and the roles played by other social groups. Women and men play different roles in the MSWM at all levels. At the household level, for example, they have different responsibilities. At workplaces dealing with waste sorting, collection, transportation, and planning, there are other key differences. Although the differences are largely culture specific, it is not common to see women among the high level managers of solid waste within municipal or formal private sector institutions Women may take responsibility for community cleanliness as long as the work is voluntary, but when it becomes paid and leg itimized, it frequently, if not always goes to men. In planning improvements to the MSWM system, therefore, the implications are that there is a need to preserve womens role in cleaning activities (UWEP 1999). Womens ability to contribute to environmental cleaning or even carrying their household waste to bins placed in public places may be hindered in certain cultural settings where womens presence in public is discouraged, as is documented for Yemens secondary cities (Bernstein 1998). Although it may not be fully true to Harar city, elderly and middle aged women do not get involved in these activities frequently 2.2.3 Poverty and Low Income Many studies were conducted on poverty and low income. These studies proved that they were closely related to SWM. The following are some excerpts from literature in this regard that go hand in hand with the existing social and economic condition that prevails in the study area affecting the MSWM. Among other issues that are important in analyzing social diversity, understanding poverty dimensions is critical. Urban poverty and poor environmental conditions in most parts of the world are inextricably linked. In many cities, the poor do not have access to the formal solid waste collection service, or live in unsafe, marginal, and environmentally hazardous areas such as polluted land-sites near solid waste dumps. These conditions lead to poor environmental health which aggravates poverty and leads to impacts such as loss of income due to sickness and disease, inadequate medical treatment, and increased spending on health care which depletes household savings. Lowered incomes and aggravated poverty divest the poor of their capability either to live in safer environments or to improve the environment where they live. Hence, it is essential to improve environmental conditions that surround the urban poor in order to enhance the latters capability to fight poverty (Bartone, 2000). In the context of an investment in MSWM, project planners should ensure that the poor are among the beneficiaries of service improvements. Waste pickers at dumpsites and on the streets commonly are socially marginalized. They work under conditions which are extremely hazardous to health and detrimental to family, social, and educational development and live without basic economic or social security. Often children and the elderly are involved in this type of work. Waste pickers live and work under socially precarious conditions and are subject to serious health risks. Support should aim to improve their working conditions, earnings, and access to social services. In three Turkish cities (Diyarbakir, Mardin, Urfa), large numbers of school age children walk around the city streets in small groups, sorting for a wide range of items. These are the children of families that have been displaced from their villages for security reasons. The little that they are able to earn from scavenging meets a significant percentage of the food needs of their families (Bernstein, 1999). Improving environmental conditions in cities and towns helps in reducing poverty directly as well as indirectly (Bartone, 2000). As a direct impact, improvement in solid waste conditions can lead to better health which in turn, can help to improve productivity and increased incomes. An indirect impact of improved solid waste conditions can lead to decreased health problems and hence, savings from spending on health. The savings and better living environment per se would provide the poor with resources, time, and most importantly a better quality of life to enrich their skills (and thereby increase their capabilities) to earn higher incomes, and fight poverty. Further, an increase in income would also enable the poor to pay for the basic environmental services they need. Many other aspects of MSWM are closely related to poverty. Poverty is closely associated with low level of garbage generation and waste collection as well as high levels of waste sorting, re-use, and recycling. Poverty is also associated with residential proximity to dump sites as well as exclusion from municipal services. Poverty influences pe oples perception on SWM. 2.2. 4 Garbage Pickers and Environment Many people both young and old make a living from the SW dumps in the outskirts of the city. This poses a great danger to the community in general and the collectors in particular. Aging is also emerging as a critical problem in MSWM (Bernstein, 1999). In many nations of Eastern Europe and most countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU) population aging is rising. In some cases, over a quarter of the population are older than 60 years (Kudat and Youssef 1999). Even when they generate low volume of solid waste, elderly people face special problems. For example, they often do not have easy access to a waste collection bins or have difficulties paying for the waste collection services. According to World Bank (2004) in some countries, the poorest segments of the elderly population (mainly abandoned single elderly) collect food from waste bins, thus facing serious health risks. In others situations (e.g., in Mongolia) there are many elderly individuals who collect recyclable items (cans and bottles) for cash. For many of them, collecting waste is the main source of income. The livelihoods of solid waste collectors at Harar city depend on the cash they generate through the collection. There are, however, important environmentally sound lessons that can be learnt from the poor with respect to both the reduction of waste and its re-use. In poor communities of Mardin, for example, most upper income groups do not engage in any sorting whereas all lower income residents make use of plastic materials, paper, cardboard and tin cans. Among the poor, for example, paper waste is used as a fire starter for stoves, leftover bread is given to milk sellers or to bran manufacturers and plastic bags are used for carrying food or storing bread (Bernstein, 1999). Levels of economic development and household income are important determinants of the volume and composition of wastes generated by residential and other users, as well as the willingness and ability to pay for a particular level of service. Similarly, the characteristics of other waste generators (for example, artisan shops, schools, government offices, bars) determine their ability and willingness to pay for MSWM service s. It is often assumed that the poor would both be unable and unwilling to pay for improved MSWM services. The evidence from the water and sanitation sector strongly points in the opposite direction (Cernea, and Kudat 1977). Indeed, the poor are often unable to have regular access to municipal services and, and must pay a disproportionately higher share of their income to pay for alternative service arrangements. The garbage collectors indeed face huge risk both for their own health and the health of the community they live with. The following are literature reviews in this regard. Most of the information available from these secondary sources is true to the solid waste collectors of Harar. All activities in solid waste management involve risk, either to the workers directly involved, or to the nearby residents. Risks occur at every step in the process, from the point where residents source segregate wastes into different components for collection and recycling, to the point of ultimate disposal (Cointreau 2000) Health and safety risks from waste are caused by many factors and may include the following: The nature of raw waste, its composition (that is, toxic, allergic and infectious substances), and its components (that is, gases, dusts, leachate, sharps). The nature of waste as it decomposes (that is., gases, dusts, leachate, particle sizes) and their change in ability to cause a toxic, allergic or infectious health response · The handling of waste (that is, working in traffic, shoveling, lifting, equipment vibrations, accidents) The processing of wastes (that is, odor, noise, vibration, accidents, air and water emissions, residuals, explosions, fires); The disposal of wastes (that is, odor, noise, vibration, stability of waste piles, air and water emissions, explosions, fires). It is not always possible to quantify health impacts associated with exposure to solid waste; poorly managed municipal solid waste can impose significant risks to the following groups: Refuse collection workers and waste pickers (including children) Garbage pickers who work and often live under socially precarious conditions and are subject to serious health risks, and Municipal workers also are affected by high rates of worker illness and absenteeism 2.2.5 Solid Waste Disposal The public at large is affected by poor MSWM practices that are responsible for drinking water mix-up with sewerage. Similarly, while the exposure of communities closer to the dump sites is higher, there are broader public risks associated with air pollution as well. SAs that clearly show the relationship of residential proximity to landfills and health problems have yet to be produced. Nonetheless, a study in Southeastern Turkey indicates that there may be a close relationship (Bernstein 1999), particularly for the poor. The residents say that there are a lot of diseases because they have to live close to the landfill. Our children are playing with syringes and bottles. They are dirty. Our children are sick, and there is no doctor. We dont have money. We suffer from the waste. The State must solve our problem, the residents cry. Residents of communities also add: The wind spreads plastic bags from the landfill. Our cattle are ill because they eat these plastic bags. This is very important for us because these are not only our animals but our income and our food. The SA carried out in Turkey also shows that the health impact of picking waste is often severe. Most pickers use their hands for sorting waste and are exposed to medical waste and hazardous objects. One of the children collecting waste in the landfill said I cut my hands several times. We suffer from various diseases. One of my friends and I got typhoid, and these two boys got hepatitis. Other boys cut their hands with broken glass. (Bernstein 1999). Finally, the SA undertaken in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2002) demonstrated that external factors like civil war put additional pressure on the environment and health of the local communities by contributing to the mismanagement of existing landfills and emergence of new areas for waste disposal, including those in and around abandoned home and public buildings. 2.3 Information Dissemination Dissemination of information plays a key factor in MSWM. Several literature such as Gunn, Susan E., and Zenaida Ostos (1992); Bartone, C.L, Bernstein, J.D, (1993); Olley, J and, Olbina R. (1999); Medina, Martin (2000); World Bank. 1982 recommends that taking the MSWM policies and issues to the public in the following manner plays a key role in solving several key problems in MSWM. Every good public involvement program includes a good public information campaign. In particular, the public needs to know why a solid waste facility is needed and what the consequences will be if no facility is on place. People need information about the alternatives to choose between them, and they need to know the facts about a proposed decision to decide whether they support it. Some techniques for communicating to the public are: Briefings: Briefings keep key elected officials or agencies informed of the progress with regard to MSWM. Briefings consist of a personal visit or even a phone call to inform people before an action is taken. Briefings often lead to two-way communication, because you may receive valuable information in response to your announcement. Briefing elected officials or agencies is particularly important if your actions might result in political controversy that may affect them. This was possible but not widely practiced in the study area. Feature Stories: A feature story is a full-blown news story, written by a reporter, not just an announcement based on a news release. Sending a news release to a newspaper is one way to get the media interested in your story. But often you are more likely to get someone interested if you make a personal contact with an editor or reporter who has an interest in the issue. As the study area is inhabited by basically literate people to University graduates besides some illiterate population, this could spread information on MSWM in the city. Yet, this is not practiced in the study area except for occasional publications. Mailing out Key Technical Reports or Environmental Documents: Simply making technical reports available at libraries or other public places has not proven effective for getting the level of knowledge about these documents that you need for credibility. Instead, send key documents can be mailed directly to leaders of the organized groups and interests, including business, environmental, or neighborhood associations. Although mailing documents is impractical to individuals and organizations, keeping them in public libraries could be done. However, the public libraries in the study area did not contain such documents. Paid Advertisements: Paid advertisements are one way to make an announcement or present information to the public in newspapers or on radio or television. One major consideration in paid advertising is public reaction against the spending of public funds. Occasionally, people criticize large advertisements, even if they are providing information. Paid advertisements are useful when announcing public meetings. However, this is not the case in the study area. Information on the Mass Media: This is very effective as many people could afford to own a radio and have the opportunity to watch television programs in public places and community information centers. Any program explaining the MSWM and the problems that it faces in the nation can easily be telecasted and broadcasted using experienced television and radio artists and showing live on television the sanitation degradation due to problems in MSWM. Although, the study area has a huge television screen for public at the center of the city and many people in the city own radio and have access to watch television programs, due to the absence of regular programs on SWM on mass media, information on MSWM could not reach the public at large. Willingness to Pay Another important aspect of MSWM is the WTP (Willingness To Pay) of the beneficiaries. This idea has been discussed at length in several literature related to SWM. The following points are the most important ones found in this regard. Household Income ( as discussed in Chapter One) The belief of households that it is the government and not the citizens are responsible for SWM ( this is also discussed in Chapter One) The degree of realization of the importance of proper SWM towards healthy living The Importance of PPP (Public -Private Partnership) in SWM Stringent law with regard to SWS Thus, WTP by the beneficiaries was considered for this project with regard to SWM in Harar city.

Marriage and Power in Othello Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Oth

Marriage and Power in Othello  Ã‚   There is more to Shakespeare’s Othello than just the characters in the play. There is a message of power, and who has it, as well as the ones that want it. Two of the central characters in the play are both married. Their "love" for each other is questionable. The message that Shakespeare is sending is not really about "love", but about the power that one holds in the marriage. Two of the main characters in the play are Othello and Iago. Othello who is married to Desdemona, and Iago who is married to Emilia. Both marriages have some similarities as well as some dissimilarities. First to understand the marriages of these four complex people, it is important to find out who these people really are. From that we can understand their actions. The main character, Othello, is a very interesting character. He is bold is every wear. He is an insecure person. His only experiences are the ones that he has had on the battlefield. He is a General who is a strong willed and is demanding, in his own way. He is socially inexperienced, and you can tell by the marriage that is apparent. The way that Othello treats Desdemona. You almost feel as if he has a kind of control over her. When Othello thought and suspected that Desdemona was having an affair, he confronts her. That is then followed by her death. [scene 5 act 2]Desdemona "O banish me, my lord, but kill me not!Othello: Down, strumpet! Desdemona: Kill me tomorrow, let me live tonight. Othello: Nay if you strive- Desdemona: But half an hour! Desdemona: But while I say one prayer!- Othello then proceeds to strangle Desdemona. He was best described as " one that loved not wisely, but too well." It almost seemed as if he had so much love and trusted D... ...Iago and Emilia is as much as a mystery as are the motives of Iago. However it is evident that Emilia loves Iago and tries to make him happy as much as she possibly can. For example when she takes Desdemona’s handkerchief, in attempt to plot with Iago, against Othello. Emilia is a quiet character, however at the end she admits to what she knows, and ultimately it gets her killed. Both marriages portray the role of woman. Both Emilia and Desdemona are under the control of their husbands. They were almost forbidden to speak up. Shakespeare is trying to show that that notion of "love", is not all that it is intended to be. Up until the end of her life, Desdemona defended her husband [act 4 scene 2] "I hope my noble lord esteems me honest.""O, heaven forgive us!". It seems as in all of Shakespeare plays, love always end in a tragedy. This proves to be true in Othello. Marriage and Power in Othello Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Oth Marriage and Power in Othello  Ã‚   There is more to Shakespeare’s Othello than just the characters in the play. There is a message of power, and who has it, as well as the ones that want it. Two of the central characters in the play are both married. Their "love" for each other is questionable. The message that Shakespeare is sending is not really about "love", but about the power that one holds in the marriage. Two of the main characters in the play are Othello and Iago. Othello who is married to Desdemona, and Iago who is married to Emilia. Both marriages have some similarities as well as some dissimilarities. First to understand the marriages of these four complex people, it is important to find out who these people really are. From that we can understand their actions. The main character, Othello, is a very interesting character. He is bold is every wear. He is an insecure person. His only experiences are the ones that he has had on the battlefield. He is a General who is a strong willed and is demanding, in his own way. He is socially inexperienced, and you can tell by the marriage that is apparent. The way that Othello treats Desdemona. You almost feel as if he has a kind of control over her. When Othello thought and suspected that Desdemona was having an affair, he confronts her. That is then followed by her death. [scene 5 act 2]Desdemona "O banish me, my lord, but kill me not!Othello: Down, strumpet! Desdemona: Kill me tomorrow, let me live tonight. Othello: Nay if you strive- Desdemona: But half an hour! Desdemona: But while I say one prayer!- Othello then proceeds to strangle Desdemona. He was best described as " one that loved not wisely, but too well." It almost seemed as if he had so much love and trusted D... ...Iago and Emilia is as much as a mystery as are the motives of Iago. However it is evident that Emilia loves Iago and tries to make him happy as much as she possibly can. For example when she takes Desdemona’s handkerchief, in attempt to plot with Iago, against Othello. Emilia is a quiet character, however at the end she admits to what she knows, and ultimately it gets her killed. Both marriages portray the role of woman. Both Emilia and Desdemona are under the control of their husbands. They were almost forbidden to speak up. Shakespeare is trying to show that that notion of "love", is not all that it is intended to be. Up until the end of her life, Desdemona defended her husband [act 4 scene 2] "I hope my noble lord esteems me honest.""O, heaven forgive us!". It seems as in all of Shakespeare plays, love always end in a tragedy. This proves to be true in Othello.

Comparing Maya Angelous Graduation and Liliana Hekers The Stolen Part

Comparing Maya Angelou's Graduation and Liliana Heker's The Stolen Party    Maya Angelou's "Graduation" and Liliana Heker's "The Stolen Party" share a common theme. Each author demonstrates through young girls that life's experiences, especially as a child, teach important lessons. Although Angelou's "Graduation" and Heker's "The Stolen Party" share a distinct resemblance, they also differ. The main similarity is that Margaret from "Graduation" and Rosaura from "The Stolen Party" are both excited about a day that they consider special or important. Margaret's big day revolves around her graduation from the eighth grade at the Lafayette County Training School. Margaret and her entire family are so proud of her accomplishments and achievements. Margaret felt high aspirations for the future and high hopes of all her goals being attainable. Margaret brags: My work alone had awarded me a top place and I was going to be one of the first called in the graduating ceremonies. On the classroom blackboard, as well as on the bulletin board in the auditorium, there were blue stars and white stars and red stars. No absences, no tardiness, and my academic work was among the best of the year. I could say the preamble to the Constitution even faster than Bailey. (572)    Rosaura's big day revolves around a birthday party she was invited to by Luciana. Luciana is the daughter of Senora Ines. Senora Ines is a lady Rosaura's mother cleans for in the afternoons. Despite her mother's initial wishes, Rosaura was determined to attend Luciana's birthday party. Heker writes, "She wanted to go to that party more than anything else in the world. 'I'll die if I don't go' she [Rosaura] whispered" (614). Margaret and Ro... ...ade this little girl come to life with words. Margaret was so natural, so life-like, so truthful. Heker's "The Stolen Party" is a work of fiction and is told in third person. Although Rosaura seems realistic and believable, her character was not as fully revealed as Margaret's.    Margaret and Rosaura were both young girls living in environments where certain things or people were not accepted. Through childhood experiences both girls have learned substantial lessons about themselves and the way others view them that should remain with them the rest of their lives.    Works Cited Angelou, Maya. "Graduation." Literature for Composition. 4th Ed.   Sylvan Barnet et al. New York HarperCollins, 1996. 570-578. Hecker, Liliana. "The Stolen Party." Literature for Composition. 4th Ed. Sylvan Barnet et al. New York HarperCollins, 1996. 613-616.

Women’s Role in China Essay example -- Women Feminism Chinese Culture

Women’s Role in China "The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says: 'It's a girl.'" -Shirley Chislom- Women have had changing roles in every society for centuries. Depending on the country, some women have had a harder time achieving equality. One of these countries is China. These women have faced such obstacles as foot binding to concubines. Until the twentieth century women were not considered equals in their society. Many cruel things were done to women in ancient china that are considered unfathomable in other countries. According to Confucius women weren’t equal to men because they were unworthy or incapable of literary education. This was as much as he mentioned women because it was such a natural idea to him that there was no need to mention it, as other early Chinese writers and theorists thought. Women were only considered property and had to obey their brothers and fathers no matter what. Fathers also despised their daughters to the point where instead of being named they were considered daughter number one and daughter number two, etc. Once the woman was married instead of being property to her brother and father, she was now property to her husband and mother in law, whom also despised the girl. It was also common for a husband to have three or four wives. If a woman’s husband were to die she was unable to remarry, sometimes causing women to commit suicide due to no fo od or income. If a woman were to remarry then her skin was peeled of her bones until she died. Another cruel act that was practiced in ancient china against women was foot binding. This tradition started around 1000 when an Emperor believed his concubines small feet were beautiful. This process began when a girl was between three and eleven. â€Å"Her toes were turned under her feet and pressed against the bottom of her foot. The arches were then broken as the foot was pulled straight with the leg, a long narrow cotton bandage would then be tightly wound around the foot from the toes to the ankle to hold to toes in place† (W., Jacob 1). The bandages would then be tightened everyday. This would cause the foot to be around 3 inches long, called lily feet, and sometimes making the toes fall off for lack of blood flow to them. A girl would be considered unacceptable if her feet were ugly and would not be considered f... ...ing it â€Å"voluntarily† so that they can bring the abortion to the countryside. Due to this the ration in China is 118 males to 100 females because there are half a million female abortions a year. Since there are so few females teenage girls are sold for prostitution and $500 mail order brides since the late 1980s. This has also made the literacy rate of women fall, more than 70% of school dropouts are girls. Because of these dropouts more than 70% of China’s semiliterate or illiterate people are women. In conclusion, the role of women in china has made a drastic change from being concubines to being mayors in major cities. Equality was something that took a long time to achieve but through all the hard work they have eventually overcome many obstacles but there are still many more that they need to work on. Perhaps women will always be looked down upon because that is how it started and that is the origin of many people’s thoughts but achieving the status that they have today is a great success. Although the changes came at a later time than that of the west, equality in China took a shorter amount of time. All in all, Chinese women have had great success in their reforms.

Strategic Operation Issues

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS ISSUES ASSIGNMENT TABLE OF FIGURES ABSTRACT5 PART A6 PART B8 PART C10 PART D11 PART E13 REFERENCE LIST15 ABSTRACT Company A is a global company and within it has several different business units, Company A , is a specialised service provider for the oil, gas and petrochemical industries throughout the world, this report focuses on Company A Tower Field Service Pty Ltd, located in Australia.Operations and process management are vital functions for the effective running of successful businesses, they need to be strategically planned and designed to prevent the loss of vital information, company standards as well as continually improve practises. These processes should be well documented and understood by all employees of the company. The loss or relocation of individuals should not have significant impact on company functioning. This report shows how strategic operations functions can be used to improve processes and therefore increase business effectiveness.Key co ncepts in strategic operations issues, such as process design and analysis, total quality management and resource planning and control need to be well documented for the system to remain effective and to meet long term strategic goals. PART A Describe the organisation and the problem briefly, but well enough for the assignment examiner to understand what the organisation does and its relevance to this assignment; Company A is a global company with many business units located around the world; Company A is itself a division of Company B.Company A have extensive knowledge of all types of vessel and tower internals. Company A are a specialist service provider supporting customer’s needs for all their internal equipment installation, shutdown, maintenance or revamp requirements in the petrochemical, and oil and gas industries all over the world. It is Company A’s strategy to strengthen its ability to supply installation and maintenance services to its customers geographica lly leading to recent acquisitions, Oceania merging with APA creating APAC.This has resulted in the relocation of key personnel, within the company, to run new locations, consequentially losing experience and day to day operational knowledge. Due to an ill documented management system this knowledge and experience was not captured in processes & procedures resulting in a gap in the operations of the business. This assignment focuses on Company A Pty Ltd, Australian Operations. PART B Briefly explain the background to this issue or problem by describing how it fits into the operations of the business.Its impact on the business could be demonstrated using a chart to show the functional relationships, and/or a process flow analysis to show how the operation or process that you are studying is integrated into the organisation; Company A’s work is varied and unpredictable, resulting in fluctuations and depressions in work frequency and volume (Figure 2. 0). Speed, cost and dependa bility are the important operational factors driving Company A’s market strategy in winning contracts. Whilst each project is different the process for quoting, receiving the contract and executing the job are essentially the same (Figure 3. ) . This process was held by a small number of experienced and long standing employees, when they were reallocated to run other locations, so was the knowledge of project, quoting requirements, Company A capabilities and experience. [pic] Figure 2. 0 – Shows the variation and volume in work load throughout any given year. Reference: Reporting Figures (2009, 2010, 2011) [pic] Figure 3. 0 – Process Flow chart of Company A enquiry through to Project Completion PART C Provide brief specific details of the operational issue, problem or process that needs to be addressed.For example, this might includes: †¢ Key objectives, success factors and performance of the issue in question †¢ Opportunities or implications for chang es to the process or techniques being used now †¢ Resource implications or constraints †¢ Technologies and/or manpower issues involved in the process etc. Company A’s core business revolves around winning contracts; these contracts are based upon man-hours that is, the time it would take to complete the scope of work provided by the client. Any deviation from the budgeted man-hours results in reduced profit margins, poor on time delivery, customer dissatisfaction and loss of reputation.Therefore it is vital when quoting for a project all quality, costs, man-hours and materials are factored in. The relocation of personnel and subsequent lose of experience and personnel knowledge outlined a gap between assumed knowledge and documented procedures, as whilst the process to quote and win projects was essentially the same, it was not well documented and new employees were unable to successfully quote for a project. This not only will affect Company A’s bottom line but will result in inconsistent quotations and impact on employee job satisfaction.This has brought forward the need for a documented, maintained and reviewed Quality Management System, whereby, procedures, standard documents and templates can be used which capture all associated costs, project, client and company requirements. PART D Analyse the problem using concepts covered in the appropriate part of this subject (this should be the major part of your work and your report). In analysing the problem, you should consider: the five main objectives of operations management; changes to performance or outcomes (such as quality, productivity etc. ; potential improvements relevant theory calculations where possible; and any information about the costs involved. As speed, cost and on time delivery are the key to being awarded contracts, high importance needs to be placed on these factors and would be where strategic planning would be focused. Whilst quality and flexibility play a signific ant role in Company A’s application, quality is usually fixed by the client as they know what they want achieved, as is flexibility, what they want and when they want it is usually not negotiable, especially as they are working to deadlines for their customers.The quotes that are presented to the client not only need to meet the operations objectives of cost and speed, but also dependability that is, is what they have quoted an accurate reflection of what can be practically achieved, have they over estimated the man-hours or underestimated the man hours? This is vital to get right as an overestimation results in an increased cost, making us less competitive, and therefore losing the contract. An underestimate would result in insufficient time to complete the project and the extra cost would be worn by Company A.Not only would cost be an issue, but that would affect our reputation as a specialist provider, decrease customer satisfaction and therefore be less considered by the client when submitting a quote next time. The number and variety of different manpower needed is based on specification of output as well as aggregated capacity that is the number of man hours is then used to calculate how many men/days it would take to complete the job based on a ten hour day. The data for estimating an enquiry has been developed over time, using past experience, company expectations and feedback from the contractors required to do the work.The man-hours required to complete standardised services have been established using the top down and bottom up approach, this knowledge however has not been transcribed to a standard document, in order for consistency in quotations, this should be developed. This will increase productivity, the time taken to complete the quotes and would also facilitate improvement. The structure of Company A having high variation in the demand for services, along with the volume and variety of when and where these services are executed makes c apacity management and scheduling difficult, thus reducing capacity (Slack et al, 2010).Being a highly variable business according to Slack et al, 2010, process variability results in simultaneous waiting and resource underutilisations, Company A has managed this capacity demand in off peak times of the year with only hiring a core set of permanent employees, responsible for key operational issues, such as planning, customer liaison and information integration. When a job is awarded short term contracts are issued to trades personnel to complete the core mechanics of the project, once the project is completed the personnel are terminated, thus preventing underutilisation of resources.This however brings with it another problem that is the availability of obtaining the competent personnel for that project and also the lack of consistency with staff working for Company A . The availability of staff, location of the project and type of work, needs to be factored into the resource plann ing and quoting for the client. As stated in Slack et al, 2010, resource planning, is concerned with managing allocation of resources and activities for process efficiency and effectiveness in satisfying customer demand. The implications are seen in the three main operations objectives that is quality, speed and cost.If there is insufficient man power available to complete the work, the job will run over time, resulting in cost of poor quality, and reputation with the client. This can also affect the quality of work conducted, as personnel could be stretched, or there may be insufficient trades to complete the job to quality requirements. The variety of different staff used, results again in loss of experience and knowledge in the work that we do, being a highly specialised service, it is important to maintain highly skilled individuals.This variety could impact on the man hours budgeted as you would have to account for learning new skills, other variables such as a work ethic, avai lability of resources etc†¦ The use of detailed work instructions, inductions or retention periods could be a viable solution. PART E Provide brief recommendations for improving the process including comparisons of your recommendations against the current system, and details of changes needed to correct the problem or improve the situation. You should include a rudimentary action plan or relevant time frame for implementation of your recommendations.Bear in mind that your recommendations should be potentially cost effective i. e. you must argue the changes from the point of view of their potential to improve cost, quality, output, productivity etc. In order to overcome the operational issue of loss of resources and valuable information, a well implemented quality management system, based on ISO 9001: 2008 should be implemented, with detailed work instructions, procedures and processes. The current system as it stands is inconsistent, highly variable and not well documented.Crea ting documented processes and procedures, consistency, application and ease of use will be beneficial to new/old employees with all assumed knowledge being captured and enable with succession planning. The implementation of a quality system would be a time consuming process involving a number of resources as the time to collate, document, review and approve procedures and processes would be lengthy. The application of designated individual would cut down the time needed to complete this project.The impacts of introducing a recognised Quality Management System such as ISO9001:2008 would be far more beneficial than the initial cost/time taken to implement it. Not only would quality of projects be increased, due to standardisation of the processes, but costs would be seen in the reduction of double handling and waste. As all facets of the company would be documented the knowledge of what is presented to the client would increase and therefore cost, time to complete projects, quality of quotations and time to complete these would be reduced.The continuous review process would also enable consistent improvements and company growth. (Figure 5. 0) Having an externally certified system, which is not a prerequisite for winning contracts with clients, would see us as a better candidate against other competitors without certification and could increase our chances of winning contracts. [pic] Figure 5. 0 – Integration of Quality Management System into Business operations. Reference. Company A IMS REFERENCE LIST Slack, N. , Chambers, S. , Johnston, R. and Betts, A. , 2009, Operations andProcess Management, 2nd ed, Prentice Hall Company A (2011), http://ctnet. Company A . com/desktopdefault. aspx, International Direct Contact Resources Business Unit Power Point, , April 2011 ———————– OFFER REJECTED – LOSS OF WORK PROJECT PLANNED PROJECT EXECUTED NO QUOTATION? SIGN CONTRACT CONTRACT REVIEW GENERATE PROPOSA L REVIEW OFFER RETURN TO CLIENT WITH A SUITABLE LETTER DECLINING QUOTATION ACCEPTANCE OF OFFER (CONTRACT) ACCEPTED ISSUE TO CLIENT REGISTER ENQUIRY AND QUOTE FOR JOB RECEIVED REQUEST TO BID FOR CONTRACT FROM CLIENT

Districts of Dickens London Essay

Charles Dickens was born on Friday 7th February 1812 at Portsmouth. His father John Dickens continually living beyond his means and then was finally imprisoned in 1824. 12 year old Charles was removed from school and sent to work in a factory the most terrible period of his life, this child hood poverty and adversity influenced dickens later views on social reform in a country in the throes of the industrial revolution. In the Victorian age queen Victoria was on the throne and reigned over an empire, we were seen as very strong and powerful. All the British people became very arrogant and we thought we were more superior to the rest of the world. In the workhouse north of London a young woman who has arrived in an exhausted conditions gives birth to a boy, and dies. Looked after over by the ill-natured Mrs Corney. Mr bumble, transfers him aged nine to the workhouse itself and he is set to work picking oakum. When Oliver causes some trouble by asking for some more food the authorities decide to put Oliver into the trade. He becomes apprenticed to Sowerberry, an undertaker. Another apprentice Noah Claypole insults Oliver’s dead mother, Oliver attacks him and is cruelly punished by the Sowerberrys. He runs away to London, and in Barnet he meets with a boy thief, Jack Dawkins, â€Å"The Artful Dodger†, a member of a pickpocket gang run by Fagin, a Jew. Oliver is horrified to see them pick pocket of an old gentleman, Mr Brownlow, at a book stall, runs away, and is captured and taken before a magistrates but the bookstall keeper has seen the true robbers. Oliver is taken to MR Brownlow’s house in Pentonville, where the housekeeper, Mrs Bedwin, nurses him through an illness. He is treated with kindness and affection for the first time in his life and is delighted. But Fagin plots to recapture him. He engages Bill Sikes, a brutal robber, and Nancy, his mistress, also a member of the gang, to bring Oliver back. Sikes takes Oliver by night to Chertsey to carry out a robbery on the house of a Mrs Maylie. When the alarm is given Sikes takes fright and escapes, and Oliver is shot and wounded. Mrs Maylie and her adopted niece, Rose, takes him in, and he settles with them, becoming a house hold favourite. Rose gets a serious illness. Mrs Maylies son, Harry arrives on her recovery and begs her to marry him. She refuses. During his good life with the maylies, Oliver catches glimpses of MONKS a sinister man who works with Fagin to try and recapture him. Nancy tells rose about Fagin’s and Monks conspiracy. Sikes, maddened by Nancy’s supposed treachery, rushes back to his own room, awakens her from sleep and clubs her to death. A police raid in which Fagin was arrested. Sikes attempts to escape across the roofs but falls and dies. Oliver returns to Mr Brownlow. Monks, otherwise Edward Leeford, is Oliver’s half brother. The provisions of fathers will leave money to Oliver on conditions that he maintains a spotless reputations, and for this reasons Monks has tried to keep the boy in Fagin’s gang in order to discredit him. Mr Brownlow then adopts Oliver. The structure of â€Å"Oliver Twist† is full of highs and lows because of the sequence of cliffhangers. The structure of the novel makes it more intriguing when Charles Dickens wrote â€Å"Oliver Twist† They were published in instalments, the effect of this made the novel more compelling and made the reader crave for more. The instalments lead to recaps to tie in the events, and the chapter titles worked as a summary of what was going to materialize in each chapter. Dickens narrative technique is known as the third person. The third person uses a narrator who watches over events, this helps Dickens to deepen the emotions for Oliver because he can describe everything that happens to him. London was seen as the place for work, money and dreams. But there was also a considerable high amount of poverty and hardship, Oliver’s grievance began in the workhouse and later having to thieve for Fagin in return for shelter and food. Crime doesn’t pay, but crime was quite common because of the amount of adversity. Good triumphs over evil, Fagin, Bill Sikes and Monks are immoral and corrupt. Mr Brownlow Rose Maylie and Nancy were the trustworthy honest citizens. The moral of the the novel shows Fagin being tried and executed for his crimes, Bill Sikes was hunted down and he hung him self trying to escape from the law. Monks confessed to trying to discredit Oliver and has to sign over Oliver’s inheritance. This proves that crime doesn’t pay! The London setting in â€Å"Oliver Twist† has distinct wealthy and deprived areas. â€Å"Kennels over flowing,† the noise of traffic increasing as you get nearer to the heart and the roads nearly ankle deep with â€Å"filth and mire,† are just some of the problems facing the poorer, â€Å"slum† districts of Dickens’ London. London is very important in the novel because Dickens uses the every day reality he witnessed to make a social comment about the rich and the poor areas. London is also viewed as a big adventure to the young Oliver and yet in London’s criminal world, dirty deeds take place in the dark, gloomy, dismal surroundings that Dickens describes and it is here in this place of â€Å"dirty squalor† that where all the bad behaviour fits. London is the key, which changes Oliver. His dark and bleak emotions match the locations and this is because of the grim surroundings. â€Å"The cold, wet shelter less midnight streets of London† is meant to make the reader feel depressed and sorry for Oliver and show you the reality of London. As Dickens saw it. The historical and cultural text of the novel tells the reader about the â€Å"miserable reality. † Dickens knew that many of his readers had a lack of sense of humour you can tell this by the way Dickens wrote because he included scenes of reality rather than humorous clips. Original readers would of reacted strongly to the setting and some found the descriptions unpleasant and too detailed. The links between crime and poverty are that in many cases people have to steel to live. Dickens showed the injustice between the wealthy and the poor, and how the poor were badly treated and living in â€Å"slum housing† Dickens also responded to this by saying that crime really does exists such as Jack Dawkins, Fagin, and Bill Sikes should be painted in all their wretchedness, in all their deformity and in all their squalid misery of their lives, to show them as they really are, for ever skulking uneasily through the dirtiest paths of life. When Oliver was young he lived in a workhouse, it was an extremely appalling and uncompromising place. The staff that ran the institute were ruthless, threatening and harsh. They treated the inmates badly and inadequately. They worked long hours, with little poor quality food. The staffs were more often than not corrupt eating and drinking luxuriously whilst the inmates starve.

Created for Perfection but Destined to Fail

Having a dying child changes a family’s life. A mother will do anything she possibly can to aid this child. Likewise, the rest of the family will have to commit in order for their sibling’s well being. During and after a situation like this, life for the family will not be the same. In the movie, My Sister’s Keeper, directed by Nick Cassavetes, a happily married couple with two children live their life normally and joyfully until the day they learn that their two year old daughter, Kate, had leukemia and would not live past the age of five.In the movie Sofia Vassilieva plays the role of Kate, the dying girl, whose illness would not let her live past the five. Neither Kate’s parents or brother were a match with her and thus could not donate anything to aid her with her terminating disease. The parents decided to produce a one hundred percent in vitro child so he/she could give Kate what she needed: bone marrow, blood donations, and stem cells. Cameron Diaz, Sara Fitzgerald, the mother, together with Jason Patric, Brian Fitzgerald, the husband, agreed to have a baby â€Å"made in a dish to be spare parts for Kate.†(Breslin)And as soon as their baby was born, they would summit her into numerous surgeries so she could donate what ever Kate needed to live. To me this was a great attention grabber for the movie because it gave the plot originality. The in vitro child, Abigail Breslin, Anna Fitzgerald, was twelve and she introduced the movie speaking of how she was only made to aid her dying sister. She was the â€Å"perfect in vitro child who would be Kate’s genetic savior. †(Breslin) Ever since she was a newborn she was summited to numerous operations because of the different needs Kate had.Now that she is twelve, Anna files a lawsuit against her parents wanting to be medically emancipated, to have the rights to her own body. She claims she wants to live her life as a regular twelve year old girl without having restri ctions in her daily activities. Later in the movie however, the audience comes to find that Kate had actually pleaded Anna into filing the lawsuit. Kate does this because she had no desire of living anymore, she wants the suffering to end, and the fighting in her family to end.Kate wanted Anna to be free from the surgeries, she wanted to be at peace and she wanted to free her family from further suffering. Cassavetes directed and created an excellent â€Å"tear breaking† movie yet he failed to properly construct and revise Sara Fitzgerald’s role. Sara was portrayed as a loving mother, but to a point, her character was a selfish. Her main concern since the movie began was her daughter Kate’s well being and was â€Å"not going to let her die. † (Diaz) Sara became a mother primarily interested in making Kate live and thereby forgot her role as a mother not only to Kate but to Anna and her oldest son Jesse.Sara had the entire family dedicated to watching over Kate and her needs. This made Jesse feel ignored and would constantly flee home and Anna grew feeling unloved. When Sara received the papers of the lawsuit, she became infuriated and slapped Anna across the face. This action of hitting her child demonstrated how Sara simply disregards Anna’s opinion because listening to Anna’s desires meant letting Kate die and she was not going to allow that. Sara would rather have Anna feeling miserable with her life than to watch Kate die.She  gave up her entire life to watch over Kate’s health and she was not going to let anyone or anything ruin her twelve year battle. On the other hand, Brian’s role in the movie served mainly to defend his children. Although he struggled the same battle of keeping Kate alive with Sara, his character understood and stood beside what his children needed. He let Sara take over for twelve years but when the lawsuit came he understood Anna’s point and stood beside her. Personall y I loved when he took Kate to the beach because she wanted to see it before dying.He took her even if it meant having an argument with his wife which could lead to getting a divorce. Brian wanted to make sure that his daughter had what she wanted in her last few moments of life. Looking at Roger Ebert’s professional movie criticism and review of the movie My Sister’s Keeper, he stated that the movie is â€Å"an immediate audience-grabber. † He says that the movie is good because of the plot itself. A girl who is twelve was made so she could be spare parts for her dying sister.However, he does mention that the movie is subject to different interpretations to the viewers because some may agree on the lawsuit Anna placed on her parents and others may disagree. The audience’s opinion is controversial depending on their standing point. If a person favors life then he or she would disagree with Anna’s point because if she medically emancipates and decid es not to continue to donate to her sister, Kate would die. Others who favor choice, agree with the lawsuit because Anna has a life of her own and she must pursue and live it.Ebert feels Anna is right to have gone to the lawyer, Alec Baldwin, who proves 90% accuracy on his trials because she is being independent and an achiever of what she believes is correct. He also feels that Anna has been through enough ever since she was born. She has donated her sister blood, bone marrow, and stem cells and has had to undergo several surgeries and stays at the hospital because of these operations. Ebert discusses the issue that Anna should not give away her kidney to her sister because this would limit her physical activities.She will not be able to enjoy her childhood, her teenage years and many other activities she should be experiencing as a teen and even as she grows older. Ebert also discusses how Taylor, Kate’s dying boyfriend, gives My Sister’s Keeper its best element beca use he makes the movie â€Å"tender, tactful and very touching. †(Ebert) His opinion about the appearance of this boy in the movie was to distract the audience from the entire discussion and constant fighting of the Fitzgerald family over the lawsuit. Taylor allows the audience to see that Kate in spite of her terminating disease was able to live a life like any other teenager.With this romance, Cassavetes diverted the movie aside from the tragic family disputes and turned it into a romantic love story between Kate and Taylor, and what they got to live for a while. This romance gave the movie more realism, Ebert stated. Regarding Diaz’s role as the mother, Ebert believed that her character demonstrated her fierceness in wanting to solve and win a case in her private life. Since she was a successful lawyer and won most of her cases while in practice, she now sees Kate’s disease as a case she must win as well.Since Sara won cases most of the time, she now feels sh e must fight to keep Kate alive. This is her most intense case and she has won it for twelve years by having kept Kate alive past her expected death at five. Ebert agrees with the role of Sara Fitzgerald. Both my opinion and Ebert’s agree on many factors of the movie My Sister’s Keeper yet we disagree on one point. We both think that it was a great movie with an excellent plot and attention hook. The idea of having parents â€Å"make and create† a perfect match for their dying daughter was definitely a grabber.We believe that Anna has suffered her entire life and she now has the right to live her own life and enjoy being a kid. We feel she should not be worried of limiting her activities for the sake of helping her dying sister. For these reasons Ebert and I agree on the fact that Anna has the right to her â€Å"medical emancipation†, so she could have the right to her own body. Ebert and I also concord when we say that Anna’s family is near perfec t and that the only disfunction in it is Kate’s disease. The disease was not only killing her, but it was killing her family as well.â€Å"Beneath the exterior there were cracks and resentments† (Patric) that threatened the well being of the Fitzgerald family. The constant fighting between Brian and Sara, Jesse feeling ignored, and most importantly Anna having gone to a lawyer and having sued her parents portrays the family disfunction. The fact the Sara disregarded everyone’s opinion and did what she thought was correct without anyone else’s opinion, led the family to slowly break. We think that Brian’s role as the father, served mainly as a mediator.He was in the middle of every battle at home and he was constantly overruled by his wife. He had no voice in the movie until the end when he confronted Sara and took Kate to the beach with or without Sara’s approval. All through the movie Brian was more of a secondary character yet he proved hi mself after the scene of the beach. Brian defended what he thought was correct and stood by Anna’s side when she filed the lawsuit, he understood her point and could not believe he had let his daughter suffer so much for the past twelve years.Overall Ebert and I believe he had a fairly good role but his character stood out towards the end of the movie. In the role of Sara, Ebert and I disagree as to what we think Cassavetes wanted her to represent. To me Sara’s role and character in the movie, made her be disliked by the audience. She was set as a person who did not care about her husband, as a person who did not notice her son, and in a way she despised Anna for wanting to have the right to her body and stop being Kate’s savior. I felt she was a selfish mother who only cared about Kate’s life and no one else’s.Ebert believed that Diaz’s role was her merely wanting to save her daughter Kate at all possible cost. He felt Sara viewed this batt le as another win in her life, but this win was not in her professional life but in her private one. He thinks that this was a good touch in the movie to have portrayed the mother so involved and dedicated into saving her daughter’s life because it gave the movie a sense of reality and portraying how women would actually act in this situation. The movie My Sister’s Keeper, reflects the life of a model family and how a death sentence slowly split the family members apart.Roger Ebert in his critique for this movie highlighted major aspects which I myself thought of when watching the movie. The idea of having an in vitro child be subject to various operations to aid her dying sister, made the movie so intriguing and different from many others. The plot of this movie was unexpected and completely unpredictable. Overall the movie was great because it excelled in every aspect and most certainly because it was emotionally appealing to its viewers. I give the movie My Sisterâ €™s Keeper directed by Nick Cassavetes, thumbs up.