Analysis of Scene 2 of Blue Remembered Hills Essay

In scene 2, the audience can see a slight change of pace. This is shown through the lack of physical violence in this scene in comparison to the previous scene 1. The pace starts off as fidgety as the two seven year old boys-Peter and Willie- can barely keep still but the pace hardly reaches any faster than this through the rest of the scene. The point in which they are both laughing and giggling uncontrollably is the only real point where the pace picks up a bit. This is when the boys are both laughing about Wallace peeing on a gorse bush due to the fact that he thought it â€Å"was on fire†. The subject of Wallace visibly fastens the pace, as is evidence in many other scenes. I think the slow pace of this scene shows the actual weakness of these two boys as their dilemmas and problems at their age are partially revealed through their banter and conversation. The seemingly raw subject of Donald and the beatings he receives at home seem to strike a misunderstood chord with the two boys but they shrug off the confusion and potential sadness and envelope themselves into another situation. This awkwardness is shown in the stage directions alone as â€Å"they fall silent† and the â€Å"tension that they do not understand† is quickly broken by more childishness, and they quickly run themselves into another less sensitive subject. The moments where there is quite a fast pace in this scene is only created by the characters purposely after they are bored and have nothing else to do or interesting to say. The subject of Donald is quickly followed by a purpose running about and â€Å"swooping† around by the two boys to bring up the energy levels. The back and forth conversation about the Dandy and Beano gets quite tedious for Peter and he quickly is distracted by something else more active and exciting. The characters in this scene are still both Willie and Peter and the relationship between the boys familiarly stays the same. In the previous scene, the audience saw that Peter was dominant in the relationship and frequently craved control of it and of Willie, often with physical violence but in this scene, he no longer results to this and uses his words more to cajole Willie into telling him where the jam jars are. Willie also still seems to have the upper hand in the argument though as he knows all the information Peter wants to get. Because of this, Peter has to still be moderately controlled in how he acts towards Willie to get the location of the jam jars out of him. This unexpected control Willie has is evident as when Peter once again threatens Willie with physical violence-his fist- he sees that this may completely blow his chance of getting any information so he rethinks and offers him his Dandy. Willie is now in control as he shows to Peter that he doesn’t care and that he could buy his own comic. This under-valued control that Willie has is still present in scene 2 and similarly continues on in the play. Concluding, there is small change of pace and characters in Scene 2 but not on a large scale. The pace is slowed down visibly from Scene 1 as there is not as much playing about and fighting between the two characters. Apart from the stage directions in Scene 1 where it clearly stated if they were moving and what actions they were doing if they were talking, this was no stated in Scene 2, therefore, I have no choice but to assume most if their conversation was given mostly in stationary mode. There was no real change in characters in Scene 2 other than the fact that In scene 1, Peter was triumphant in his method of physical beating to get Willie to give him the apple and in scene 2, Willie was triumphant in his knowledge of information to keep a secret the information about the jam jars but that was only really successful because of the distraction of the squirrel.

Meaning of Life and Success Essay

The United States has no more important foreign relation ship than that of which it enjoys with Mexico, and vice versa. These two countries share interwoven societies and economies. Although there have been disagreements and turbulence between the two countries, which partnership is without these? The Strength of each country’s democracy is fundamental to the other’s. This relationship that the two countries share directly affects that lives of millions of Mexican and United States citizens everyday. Recently these two countries have become even more unified than ever before. Tackling issues such as Border Control, Countering Narcotics, Dealing with multiple Law enforcement agencies, Human Rights laws, trade and development, etc. There are many issues that they are mutually interested in and must deal with. Yet, there are some vast differences in which these two countries are run. There are also many similarities, which we must take into account. Both Democratic Governments have similar structures, containing a legislative, judicial, and executive branch. Yet, these structures are very different internally, containing specific duties that the other country’s branch may not have. The Executive Branch refers to the Presidential seat in both governments. The Presidency is a paramount institution, not only of the Mexican Government but of the US Government as well. The Countries entire political system is positioned around the presidency. In the United States the President also serves as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. The President appoints the cabinet and oversees the various agencies and departments of the Federal Government. The Executive Branch is checked by Congress which would be the Legislative Branch. In order for someone to become President, he or she must be a natural -born citizen of the United States. He or she must be at least 35 years of age and must have resided in the US for at least fourteen years. Once elected, the President must serve a term of four years, and may be re-elected only once. Now, the Executive Branch of the Mexican government is very similar to that of its neighbors, but there are some pivotal differences in the institution. Presidents are elected by a majority of registered voters in the thirty-one states and the Federal District. The President holds the formal titles of chief of state, head of government, and commander in chief of armed forces. The candidates must also be at least thirty-five years of age by election day. And they must not only be Mexican citizens by birth but must also be the offspring of Mexican Citizens by birth. Unlike the US, the candidate cannot have held cabinet post or a governorship, nor have been on active military duty during the six months prior to the election. Critics have labeled the presidency the â€Å"six year monarchy† due to the length of the term being six years, and because of the seemingly unchecked power that has resided in the office. Much of the presidential power is derived from the presidents direct and unchallenged control over both the state and the ruling party, the PRI. One of the Unique features of the Mexican Presidency that has caused a great uproar since the 1930’s is the process of presidential succession. Mexicos PRI presidents have enjoyed the right to personally name their successor. This privilege is known as the dedazo, which means the Tap. Also, one huge difference in the executive branch between the two governments is the issue of Vice Presidency. Mexico simply has no Vice President. Further reinforcing the presidents unchallenged power. Meanwhile the United States does have a Vice Presidential position . A position that is voted on in the same campaign as the President. They are looked at as more of a team, a two for the price of one deal. Legislative powers consist of the congress, which is divided into two chambers, the senate and the House of Representatives. Each member of the congress is elected by the people of his or her state. The Senate holds 100 seats, two seats per state. The House of Representatives seats are based on the poplation of each state, holding about 435 seats. The difference between these two is that a representatives term is for two years, while senators are elected for six year terms. In Mexico the legislative branch of government consists of a bicameral congress, El Congreso de la Union. This congress, like the US’s, is divided into an upper chamber, the senate, and a lower chamber, chamber of deputies. Just like the US, both chambers are responsible for the discussion and approval of legislation and the ratification of high-level presidential appointments. The senate consisted of sixty-four members, two members for each state and two representing the Federal District elected by a direct vote from the population for a six year term. In later years, as part of electoral reforms the size of the senate doubled in size and now holds 128 members. Since 1986 the house of deputies consisted of 500 seats. 200 of these seats are elected by a proportional representation from among large districts. Members of the Chamber of Deputies serve three year terms, All members are not allowed to run for re-election, but they may serve non-consecutive terms.

Bacchae by Euripides

The first lines of the selected passage translates as that of a chorus, meaning that the passage is intended for a more elegant effect as that of a regular speech delivery. The language of the line is highly descriptive, as it connotes elegance and respect: â€Å"Fair-maidened River Dirke, queen of waters, daughter of Achelous, you who bathed the infant child of god- when Zeus the father pulled him, from undying fire, into his thigh, did you not hear the cry of Zeus? † (Woodruff, 520).The metaphorical and personification use of language is exemplified in the association of the River Dirke personified as a female figure that possess an ability to turn mortals into Gods. Greek mythology naturally perpetuates an understanding of the different relationships between the Gods and man. The next lines reveal a commanding tone toward the subject, as it directs the character Dithryrambus: â€Å"Go, twice-born Dithyrambus, into my male womb. I now reveal you, with your Bacchic name, to Thebes† (Woodruff, 520).The description of the character is twice-born in the context of the story where the God Dionysus is born from the relationship between Zeus the thunder-god and Semele. Zeus, being an all-powerful God, cannot take any mortal form and thus appeared as a lightning bolt which killed Semele but Zeus managed to rescue his unborn son by stitching the baby into his thigh. The next line continues: â€Å"But now, blessed Dirke, you cast me out when I bring wreaths and feasting to your shore. Why do you reject me? Why do you run from me?A time will come-I swear by all the joy that you may squeeze from Dionysus grapes-a time when you will pay attention to the Thunderer (Woodruff, 535). The speaker addresses the river Dirke, as that of a personified woman with tones of confusion and spite, mixed with anger. The speaker is inquiring to the nature of his rejection even though his place is highly regarded in the context of his father. The next passage further utilize s a highly-descriptive tone not only to present a sense of imagery but also to imply to the reader the emotive impact of the characters: â€Å"Do you see this, son of Zeus, Dionysus?Those who speak for you are bound by force. Come down from Olympus waving your gold faced wand and put down the insults of this deadly man. † (Woodruff, 564). The character implies a urging tone toward the God, to punish those who refuse to honor his name. The last lines imply a tone of praise and revernce, as the descriptive mood from the prior passages is further repeated. Also the continuity of the use of metaphorical words is prevalent in the passage as it attempts to describe Dionysius characteristic in all of its majesty. â€Å"You are the blessed place, Pieria.You are honored by the god of joyful cries. He comes to set you dancing in his worship. He will cross swift flowing rivers with his Maenads whirling in their dance-the River Axion and Lydias, father of waters, who gives happiness and wealth to men from the most beautiful flow of water† (Woodruff, 575). This line provides an introductory theme toward the succession of the plot, which Dionysius attempts to regain his name. The passage implies an indirect build-up of tension for the remainder of the story that acts as a leeway in building up revenge.Dionysius, filled with anger and spite toward the people who had refused to honor him, prepares himself for revenge. The passage presents a reaffirmation toward the preceding actions and the identification of the glorious stature of Dionysius as a son of Zeus. Arising from prior events wherein the God did not achieve much reverence, the passages now imply his all-encompassing glory, both his good-natured side (provision of happiness and ecstacsy) and his negative characteristics (Bacchic frenzy). Work Cited Euripedes. The Bacchae. (trans. ) Paul Woodruff. Indianapolis, Ind. Hackett Pub. Co. 1998

Philosophy paper - 1000 words - Mind, Meaning and Metaphysics - Essay

Philosophy paper - 1000 words - Mind, Meaning and Metaphysics - Material Provided - Essay Example onia, was the hotbed of great thinkers, known as pre-Socratic natural philosophers, who became trailblazers of modern philosophy and science (McClellan & Dorn 2006). Ionia was the collective term for a group of Greek cities along the coast of Asia Minor and nearby islands located in the northwestern part of Greece. Philosophers like Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, and Empodecles of Acragas, collectively known as the Milesians, the Pythagoreans led by Pythagora, the Philosophers of Change which included Heraclitus and Parmenides, and the Atomists headed by Leucippus and Democritus, all hailed from the region of Ionia. This is because in the seventh century when these philosophers lived, Ionia was the center of Greek civilization considering that it had more rainfall and therefore was more fertile than the Greek mainland (McClellan & Dorn 2006). The first of these philosophers was Thales who had earned the reputation of being the first scientist and a wise man for his use of observation of natural phenomena to predict future events. He also used his knowledge of nature to help an Ionian king ward off the enemy by planning and executing the fording of a river. Thales claims about nature however were made on the authority of his person and largely unsupported by tested demonstrations. These claims, however primitive, were, nevertheless, significant because Thales did not invoke the usual gods or supernatural entities which before him were made the explanations of all phenomena. In addition, the claims were made generally applicable and not confined to a single event. Thus, the explanation for a Nile flood is likewise made the explanation for all Nile floods. Instead of relying on superstitious beliefs for their explanation, Thales and his contemporaries explained events as a result of the natural course of events. The Nile fl ooding was therefore explained by Thales as a result of naturally occurring strong winds. Thus, the investigation of nature was the emphasis of

Poetry and New Criticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poetry and New Criticism - Essay Example Poetry and New Criticism For instance, ligh-T, s-KY, be-HIND, and Mount-AIN denote that the first syllable is unstressed while the second syllable is stressed in the words of the poem. The poem is also a tetrameter because the iambic rhythm repeats itself four times in each line of the poem. The poem is both narrative and descriptive. This is because it tells a story and, at the same time, explains the world that surrounded the subjects of the poem. The speaker in this poem explains the situation surrounding the subjects, just the way s/he perceived it. Threshing is rich of assonance. For instance, the - i - sound is repeated in the first stanza three times, that is, l-i-ght, beh-i-nd the mounta-i-n. The sound is also repeated in most of the lines of this poem. Alteration is also evident in the poem Threshing. For example, is like the sun’s shadow, the bread, if there’s bread, the leaves darken a little. To emphasize and stress on an issue or point, the poet has used consonance. For example, in the line, they lie in the shade, waiting, resting; the poet has repeated the consonant sound, -ng to emphasize on the activity that the subjects of the poem were engaged in. also, in the line, beyond the fields, the river’s soundless, motionless, the –ss consonant sound has been repeated to explain the status of environment surrounding the subjects of the poem. ... Also, the explanation of the river’s soundless, motionless scum mottling the surface, symbolizes the oppression. The poem is rich of imagery in that there are similes, metaphors and symbols have been used in the poem. For instance, the light behind the mountain has been liked to the sun’s shadow passing over the earth. Also, the cool environment under the trees has been liked to the flask of water that gets passed around. In the poem, the sun has been personified. In the line, the sun’s moving again, taking the men along, the sun has been given human attributes. For instance it said that the sun moves, and at the same time, it takes men along. This personification stresses emphasizes on the effect that the hot sun has on the subjects of the poem in terms of doing their work, and how it determines their fate because it marks movement in time. There is irony in the poem too. Men are sad to enjoy the hours when the sun is hot and their women are far way, but the wor k has not been done. It is therefore, ironical to enjoy a tie of the day when a lot of work still awaits to be done. Also, the poems states that the flask is put away, the bread, if there is bread, in one of its lines. It is ironical for people to lack bread, yet the main activity revolving in the poem is threshing of wheat. It is expected that with the activity of harvesting wheat, bread is supposed to be available in plenty. Nature has been used by the speaker of the poem to explain the surrounding the subjects of the poem. For instance, the hot weather characterized with the scorching sun emphasizes on the type of environment that the subjects of the poem dwell in, in that point of time. Nature also explains the oppression that the subjects of the poem face. The explanation

Public health and the law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public health and the law - Assignment Example The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act is a constitutional law that permits the federal government to create and supervise new safety standards for vehicles and road traffic safety (RRBC, 2008). The statute was meant to respond to the escalating number of cars and the resultant demises and injuries from accidents. The Highway Safety Act is a constitutional law that was passed to permit the federal government to set standards for motor vehicles and highways. This policy would reduce highway accidents and the associated fatalities significantly. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a legislative law that was created under the Highway Safety Act. The act outlined various approaches of preventing fatalities related to the operation of motor vehicles (RRBC, 2008). The act designed a campaign to prevent injuries inflicted on the public members by motor vehicles. The administrative law demands that all commercial drivers must possess a CDL. It considers serious commercial vehicle violations like exceeding speed limits and the main vehicle violations such as driving under the influence of alcohol (WTAO, 2009). These laws ratified by the legislature necessitate the covers on motor vehicle against accidents and the relevant liabilities connected to the incidence of the insured peril. This ensures prompt treatment of passengers, pedestrians and rehabilitation of the vehicle. These laws, the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, the Highway Safety Act, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration enabled several changes in the planning of motor vehicles and the highways (WTAO, 2009). The laws defined the relationship between the human, the motor vehicle and the highway to reduce the possibilities of crashing. The new safety features were included in vehicles such as rests, energy-absorbing steering wheels, shatter-resistant windshields and safety belts (WTAO, 2009). The situations of the roads were upgraded by

Chose an interesting topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chose an interesting topic - Essay Example This leads Alice to be even more frustrated than she was in earlier chapters. While on the surface the way of life in Wonderland seems strange to Alice, this is perhaps because she is not really at home. Not being from Wonderland means that she cannot really understand the mindset of the critters that reside in the area. In this way, she grows increasingly mad at the actions that are taking place around her, when she should be soaking up what is being said and trying to understand what is really happening. Take the fact, for example, that every question Alice asks in chapters six and seven is met with a nonsensical answer. This is completely alien to Alice’s way of life. She was raised, the reader is lead to believe, in a world that has purpose and direction. In her mind, Wonderland lacks both. Her questions, while logical in her former world, are actually illogical to the animals in Wonderland. In this way, the animals and Alice continue to go back and forth, until Alice is on the verge of giving up. It is quite interesting to watch this ‘battle of the minds’ and consider how it will play out through the remainder of the

Nonprofit Sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nonprofit Sector - Essay Example Secondly, comments have been directed toward nonprofit organizations in regards to their lack of market discipline as a predominant cause of their limited self-sustainability. Other factors involve rising service and administration costs, and the increased competition for limited donations amongst nonprofit organisations. By becoming a commercial enterprise nonprofits are able to leverage former sources of funding. Nonprofits are seeking additional revenue such as setting up peripheral commercial businesses as a way to add to their fee paying programs that do not generate profits. In many cases this is a strategy in which they can raise community awareness of their cause and simultaneously make money. Some nonprofits have sought to commercialize their key programs, relying less on donations and moving to fee payments by beneficiaries, or creating contracts with government organisations or corporations. Alternatively, nonprofits may charge a corporation, which in turn charges its beneficiaries for a once free service.

A Secure Internet Banking Information System in Distributed and Research Paper

A Secure Internet Banking Information System in Distributed and Heterogeneous Computing Environment - Research Paper Example It will provide information regarding the investigation approach, method of data collection and analytical approach to be used in the study. In today's volatile environment banking and financial institutions are implementing information systems in order to achieve growth and increased market share. The implementation of Information Technology provides the benefits of increased reliability and accuracy by reducing the chances of failures in the business system. The interdependencies in the business can be managed better through the implementation of an information system. With the provision of economies of scale, implementation of Information Systems in a banking organization also leads to several other problems, which should be addressed for the maximization of benefits attached. It is important to develop a deeper understanding of the importance of security issues related to the implementation of secure online banking information system in a distributed and heterogeneous computing environment. Previous research in the field provides a recognized conceptualization regarding the information system as an important source of competitive advantage for service organizations. The organizations should take necessary steps in order to save the technology from being copied by other organizations (Barney, 1991). The open nature of information technology and the ability of competitors to gain access to the same technology do not allow the hard aspect of e-commerce to become a source of competitive advantage. The implementation of an information system in a bank leads to customer benefit by reducing the transaction costs and providing the customers with increased bargaining power. With the increasing awareness in the industry players regarding the information technology, it has become inevitable for the firms to find a competitive advantage in the soft aspect of information management (Brynjolfsson & Hitt, 2000). Even if hard elements are easily accessible, two possible sources of comp etitive advantage remain effective utilization of these hard technologies within the wider organization of the firm, and unique combinations of the soft organizational and hard systemic aspects of the e-commerce revolution. Organizations need to change to make optimal use of new technologies (Penrose, 1959).  Ã‚  

Bead Bar Systems Development Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bead Bar Systems Development Project - Essay Example Order tracking, fulfillment, inventory and supply dynamics can be managed optimally. The proposed information system would departmentalize the operations of the various departments and make the organisation accessible to its stakeholders in a pre-approved and designed manner. Not everyone would be allowed to access all kinds of information and all activities can be tracked so as to ascertain the state of the organisation at every point of time. We desire to create a company website which can be accessed through the internet so that all the franchisee locations are able to access it and perform the business functions of recording and updating the system for all the business changes. All the franchisee locations are connected with the help of public data carriers so that it is able to access the company website to perform their functions. Each such franchisee would have their access privileges to enter the transaction section and operate their business process. The president and the owner, vice president’s of all the departments would have an Executive Information System (EIS) Management Information System (MIS) to manage their operations. The accounts department may use Transaction Processing System (TPS) and the ground level workers can use Knowledge Work System to measure worker output, productivity and others. Prior to outlining the input and output information, the system development life cycle must be in place so that the analysis is done accordingly. The correct nature of the inputs and the outputs would make the system design vary accordingly as it requires to capture the information and put it into a frame to interpret in a decisive manner to take further decisions. The new proposed system and the present working system are analyzed so that the ROI (Return On Investment) is obtained. The proposed system is further analyzed for economical, technical,

Public Policy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Public Policy - Coursework Example Dialectic relationship is defined as the interactive relationship between two entities in which one affects the other in a continuing iterative process. This process influences the strategic knowledge of both actors as well as the structured context, which in turn shapes the agent's future action. The implications are that policy network analysis may not be the foolproof method of policy analysis that it is made out to be. Nonetheless, it is attracting considerable interest in the policy-making arena because it expands the concerns of policy research previously confined to options directly or indirectly related to an issue. Analysis of policy with the use of the policy network concept involves theoretical approaches in a wide range of disciplines that includes political science, sociology, anthropology, international relations and management (Sutton, 1999). By putting political science theories at work, the process looks at policy networks as epistemic communities that can help develop an understanding of the role of various interest groups in the undertaking. The concept of an epistemic community is important, especially in knowledge-based theories, because it can influence four stages of the policy process - policy innovation, diffusion, selection and persistence (Hasenclever, et al., 1997). These epistemic communities are likely to take a strong stand on the policy decisions, and once politicians agree with this position, the latter are expected to invite experts into the circle of power, thus giving such communities an opportunity to have a substantial influence on the policy process (Ibid). From t he sociological viewpoint, policy networks are classified as either corporatist, state-directed, collaborative or pluralist, which essentially differ in their degree of integration. The networks with the greatest level of integration are the so-called "Iron Triangle" coalitions in the US, which are state-directed communities composed of congressional subcommittees, interest groups and government bureaus pursuing a mutually supportive relationship (Dowding, 1995). The level of integration of the other communities depends on the policy area. If the policy area concerns energy issues, the network assumes a corporatist character because it is made up of business groups, while it becomes collaborative if the issues relate to public health because the network will be composed of professional organizations. The network is pluralist in character if the policy under study involves national issues with social, political and economic ramifications. There are two different approaches to policy network analysis developed in UK, one by Rhodes (1997) and the other by Wilk & Wrights (in Dowding, 1995). The Rhodes approach specifically addresses the relations between the central British state and governance in the periphery (Dowding, 1995), thus it looks at the policy network as a cluster or complex of organizations connected to each other by resource dependencies and distinguished from other clusters or complexes by breaks in the structure of these resource dependencies. As for the Wilk & Wrights model, it seeks to explain the complex nature of policy-making in

Womens Political Participation in Afghanistan Essay Example for Free

Womens Political Participation in Afghanistan Essay â€Å"As a global trend, rising number of women in politics will indicate that human beings are making progress towards a more humane world-not because women are necessarily more humane than men, but because any society that categorically excludes half of its members from the process by which it rules itself will be ruled in a way that is less than fully human† Kathlene Introduction The world over women are struggling to break the shackles that bind them challenging the unequal distribution of power in society. Transforming the existing in egalitarian pattern of gender relationships necessitates leadership in the state, markets and civil society- the key centers of power in the present globalizing economy. It is, therefore, imperative for women to be in the corridors of power and have the power to negotiate a better deal for themselves, if they are to influence policy decisions which have an impact upon them. Empowerment of women in all spheres, in particular the political sphere is crucial for their advancement and foundation of a gender-equal society. It is central to the achievement of the goals of equality, development and peace. Women’s political empowerment is premised on â€Å"three fundamental and non-negotiable principles: a) the equality between women and men; b) women’s rights to self representation and self determination.†(1) In empowerment, the key indeed is ‘power’; it is power to ‘access, ‘control’ and make ‘informed choices’. According to the Jakarta declaration â€Å"empowerment of women is not only an equity consideration, it was also a necessary precondition for sustainable economic and social development. Involvement of women in the political arena and in decision-making roles in an important tool for empowerment as well as monitoring standards of political performance.† (2)The application of the philosophical underpinnings of Jakarta Declaration are necessary ,because in the countries where women have gained near equal representation such as in Scandinavian countries, they have begun to alter the very nature of politics. Women are, however, virtually invisible in the political sphere. The notions of a distinct public/political sphere have been used to legitimize the exclusion of women from the public sphere. Under-representation or invisibility of women in decision-making reinforces their deprivation, leading to an unequal distribution of resources, neglect of their interests, needs, perspectives and priorities and no say in policy making. Their voices fall on deaf ears, and as Alida Brill vehemently insists, â€Å"without our own voices being heard inside the government arenas and halls of public policy and debate, we are without the right of accountability _ a basic entitlement of those who are governed â€Å".(3) To effectuate feminization of politics a critical mass of women in the decision-making bodies is yet to emerge. The substantial gains made by the women’s movement over the decades, are not adequately reflected in representation of women in positions of power. The 30 percent target of women’s representation fixed by the Economic and Social Council is not included in the International Development Targets. (4) The world average of women in legislative bodies continues to be merely 12-13 percent; only a few countries have 30 percent or more women in decision-making posts. (5) According to the United Nations Division for the advancement of women (UNDAW), Fact sheet on women in government of 1996, the percentage of women in both ministerial and sub-ministerial levels ranges from 0 percent (in about 15 countries, to 30 percent in 2 countries. 15 countries had 0 percent of women in governmental positions in 1996, out of which 8 were Arab countries. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) statistics, from 1945 to 1995, the percentage of women MPs worldwide has increases four-fold. Their latest statistics indicate that, in 2000, the world average of women in parliaments (both houses combined) is 13.8 percent. The regional variations, however, are significant. The highest percentage of women in parliaments in the Nordic countries at 38.8 percent, followed by Europe (including the Nordic countries) at 16.0 percent, Americas at 15.5 percent, Asia at 15.0, Europe OSCE member countries (excluding the Nordic countries) at 14.1 percent, Sub-Saharan Africa at 11.6 percent, Pacific at 8.3 percent and the lowest in the Arab states at 3.3 percent. (6) Among the individual countries Sweden ranks first with 44.7%percent of women in Parliament, followed by Denmark at 39.1%percent and Finland at 36.5 percent. Afghanistan ranks 37 With mere a 27.7% Percent of women in parliament. It is noteworthy that at least 9 states including Kuwait and United Arab Emirates have no women in Parliament. Given this factual background , there is a need for examining the existing power structures, the extent of women’s participation in the political process and suggest measures to increase the ‘critical mass’ or the member of women in politics, thereby paving the way for transformative politics. The issue is vast and to attempt to compress it within the confines of one paper is like putting an ocean into a jar. The present paper attempts to identify some of the key issues relating to women’s political empowerment, thereby helping to clarify and advance the debate. There are no claims here to produce an exhaustive analysis. The paper, keeping in view editorial guidelines, is structures along the following lines: * A review of international actions for women’s empowerment * A n overview of national efforts * Analyze the challenges faced by women in attaining de facto equality in Afghanistan * Identify future steps to enhance women’s political participation International Initiative for women’s empowerment The question of women’s political participation is now on the international agenda, and permeating many regional and national plans of action. Much hope has been invested in the United Nations and it has consistently been the engine for keeping the gender issues on political rights of women in 1952.Since 1975 four international conferences on women have been held under its auspices; all the conferences have emphasized women’s political empowerment as a key concern. (7) The issue of women’s political empowerment, while attracting considerable attention earlier, actually came to the forefront of the global debate for women’s rights at the time of Fourth World Conference on women held at Beijing in 1995.Henceforth, the issue continued to hold centre-stage of all discussions on gender justice and equality. Women’s equal access to, and full participation in decision- making was emphasized in the platform for action, as one of the critical areas of concer n. It unequivocally declared, â€Å"Women’s equal participation in political life plays a pivotal role in the general process of the advancement of women. women’s equal participation in decision-making is not only a demand for simple justice or democracy but can also be seen as a necessary condition for women’s interests to be taken into the account† .(8) A detailed set of recommendations were issued therein to all governmental and non-governmental communities, nationally and internationally , to enhance women’s political participation and decision-making.it recommended governmental commitment to gender balance in all spheres, reform of electoral systems, monitoring and evaluation of progress in women’s representation, revamping of party structures to remove barriers to women’s political participation, incorporation of gender issues and initiatives in the agenda of political parties, affirmative action, create or strengthen mechanisms to monitor women’s access to senior levels of decision-making among others. (9) it affirmed that women should have at least a 30 percent share of decision-making positions. However, recommendations are exactly that; they rarely, if ever, can be enforced with full authority and extent of law. Women’s political participation was equally focused upon at the Asia Pacific Regional NGO Symposium (1999) held in Thailand on the theme ‘Asia Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality Development and Peace for the Twenty-first Century† too focused on women’s political participation as one of the critical areas of concern recognized in BPFA. It noted the gains but recognized that power structures continue to be dominated by men; women’s representation continues to be low and recommended that timeframes be set and monitors to meet assigned quotas on women’s representation in politics. Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) has launched a campaign for 50-50, that is, equal representation. This brief review reveals that women’s political empowerment is at the centre-stage of all discourse on women’s issues at the international level. Corresponding to the international efforts, various initiatives have been/ are being taken for the purpose at the national level too. Women political empowerment in Afghanistan The status of women in Afghanistan has been of deep concern since they were stripped of their fundamental rights under Taliban rule. Today, The Asia Foundation works to promote opportunities for Afghan girls and women through collaboration with a broad range of local partners, including government agencies and influential non-state actors, including civil society, and tribal and religious leaders. The Foundation provides growing support for girls to access education and programs that increase women’s economic participation and access to justice. The Foundation is helping build the capacity of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to be an effective advocate for policy reform and provision of services to women. Although Afghan women still face significant challenges, there have been some notable achievements, including a national constitution that guarantees women’s equal rights, the adoption of the National Plan of Advancement of Women of Afghanistan 2008-2018, and the growth of civil society organizations working to advance women’s rights and deliver much-needed services for women. There has also been significant progress in getting girls, who were banned from attending school under the Taliban, enrolled in public schools. Today, more than two million girls attend school, representing 35 percent of the total K-12 student population, and women’s university enrollment is also increasing. Four hundred women contested the 2010 parliamentary elections and for the first time, women served as election observers in all 34 provinces in Afghanistan. According to Women’s â€Å"Empowerment† in Post Conflict Afghanistan, After decades of war, among the many challenges of post-war reconstruction in Afghanistan, is women’s â€Å"empowerment†. But what does â€Å"Empowerment† mean? â€Å"Empowerment† is a very dynamic and context dependent concept. It can be conceived on different levels and domains, as debated by different development agents and feminists (Afshar, 1998). However, in feminist discourse, â€Å"power† is de fined in a more relational form. It is not defined in isolation but in consideration of the role and relationship of women with women, men and the wider community. The emphasis is not on the â€Å"power over†, as observed by Rowland (1998), which is a more traditional interpretation of â€Å"empowerment†. Rowland reflects on different interpretations of â€Å"power†, with the most possible different connotations, which change the terms of women’s â€Å"empowerment† out of its usual interpretation of being threatening to the power of the opposite sex. Some of the other interpretations, instead of â€Å"power over†, that she uses are: â€Å"power with†; â€Å"power to†; and â€Å"power within†. The interpretations in these other cases are in a more generic form, such as, â€Å"power with† refers to the collective action of tackling a problem together, â€Å"power to† as generative or productive power, which creates new possibilities and actions. Before I go further into women’s emancipation and their participation in social and political life of the country as cit izens, it is important to look at the power structure in a traditional society. What does women’s â€Å"empowerment† mean in a country where the question of â€Å"women† has been part of clashes between the modernists and the traditionalists, throughout the history? Considering the complexity of the â€Å"power† structure within the Afghan society and womens status within the family, community / tribe and finally the state, this research highlights the fact that womens â€Å"empowerment† cannot be discussed in terms of individuality, but, according to a feminist definition â€Å"in relation to men, women† and the community, not in isolation (Rowland, 1998). Afghan women are not a homogenous class. There are a number of significant socioeconomic factors, which contribute to the diversity of womens emancipation in the Afghan society, such as, age; educational level; and, the urban-rural divide. However, in general, Afghanistan is a traditional society where the notion of power is embedded in the patriarchal nature of the culture: reinforcing male supremacy and control over women to uphold family â€Å"honor† with conformity to accepted â€Å"behavioral norms†, which limits women’s life choices (Dupree, 199 8). As in other contexts, womens empowerment in Afghanistan cannot be discussed in a void, but should develop, through an understanding of the complexity of power and control structures in different layers around women. Stumbling Blocks and stepping stones The problems facing women wishing to run for parliament have been described as the ‘four Cs’- culture, childcare, cash and confidence. (10) The unequal participation of women in power and decision-making structures as the local, national, regional and international levels reflects structural, attitudinal and cultural barriers prevailing in all societies. Stereotypical gender roles remain a major obstacle in women’s political empowerment. On the one major obstacle in women’s political empowerment. One the one hand women are considered unfit for leadership. The public-private domain theory has been used as Vicky Randall observes, â€Å"ideologically to justify women’s exclusion from public politics, while women’s actual confinement to a narrow domestic sphere has been a major brake upon effective political participation. At the same time the public-private convention has masked the crucial interdependence of these spheres. Not only have women’s private roles limited and largely defined their public contribution, but public policies have confirmed their ‘private’ obligations. The impact is that political parties are hesitant to select women candidates from â€Å"winnable† seats. Women are usually fielded from ‘losing’ constituencies where the party does not want to waste a male candidate. â€Å" Male equivalence† the assumption that women access political life with the support, backing and contacts of family, in particular, that of the husband has been a dominant explanation for how women enter political life. It is difficult for women to establish a foothold without patronage from powerful men in the party- that too through close personal relations, as wives, daughters or sisters. The criterion for selection of women in constituency , but other apolitical considerations. Very few of the women in politics have an independent base as their entry point. Most enter politics as a sister, daughter, and wife of some men, who for some reason cannot contest election. A compartmentalization of the stumbling blocks leads us to the following points: social barriers include double responsibilities of women; traditional division of labor where women’s roles are ascriptive; lack of social services and support network; illiteracy; and socialization into gendered roles. Economic barriers may categorized as changes in a global economic market; biased theories and practices of development ; and feminization of poverty. Political barriers include type of electrol system; structures and agendas of political parties; lack of sufficient training and communication skills; and access to technology. Strategies Despite all the roadblocks that are clearly evident, it is possible to imagine and revision a more inclusive political system that allows for all the citizens to be democratically present in the political processes. In view of the need to ensure accommodation of the voice, ideas and the needs of women and to rectify imbalances in political representation, participation as the pre-requisite for facilitating and nurturing leadership is essential. The government must create an enabling environment for active leadership generating participation, which would ensure that women’s voices are heard in Afghanistan. Leadership too needs to be transformational, effecting changes in institutions of governance. Special mechanism must be introduced in order to induct women at all levels of decision-making to ensure that they form a critical mass and contribute to policy planning and implementation. The need is formulate institutional mechanisms and work out concrete measures to ensure and enhance women’s involvement and representations in positions of power and decision-making. Enhancing women’s political representation also entails reviewing of the process of selection of candidates within the political parties. The Beijing +5 Outcome Document too recognized the need to â€Å"encourage the nomination of more women candidates through political parties, quotas or measurable goals, or the other appropriate means for election to parliaments and other legislative structures, to increase their share and contribution in formulation of public policy†. The political parties must honour their commitment to gender justice and equality and ensure women’s representation all all levels of party hierarchy. Women, moreover, need to be actively involved in defining the political, economic, and social agenda. 26 This necessitates enhancing the performance and political skills of those women already in decision-making positions through imparting of formal as well as formal training, which could impart the art of lobbying, raising funds, networking as well as campaigning. Some systematized politicians would benefit new entrants to the political field. Women in senior positions, those who are already at the zenith of power could act as role models and mentors for the struggling ones. A massive grassroots movement must be initiated to change the perceptions of both decision-makers and voters. In this context, there is a need to develop strong linkage with already elected nearly one million grass root women. Lastly, it is absolutely essential to have a fixed time frame for achieving gender parity in political representation, without which governments and political parties cannot be held accountable. Conclusion â€Å"It’s not about simply mainstreaming women. It’s not about women joining the polluted stream. It’s about cleaning the system, changing stagnant pools into fresh flowing waters†. 27 when the interests and voices of half of humanity are not reflected in decision-making processes, the very legitimacy of the institutions, legislative and executive becomes questionable. Women are marginalized in the political process through co-operation, repression, socialization and sabotage. Women have been unable to find or create a space for themselves in decision-making sphere. The discourse, procedures, structures and functioning of political institutions remain heavily skewed in favor of men, as evident from disproportionately small number of women in decision-making bodies. The level of political participation among women in any society acts as a reliable barometer of the health of its system; it is clear that there is a systemic disease. Afghan women’s qualitative as well as quantitative participation at all levels of governance structures is absolutely essential for their empowerment. Bringing women into power is not only a matter of equity, of correcting an adjust and unrepresentative system, but is a means of addressing wider social issues of poverty eradication, employment, health and like, in short, facilitating a just , peaceful and humane social order. It is not an end itself, but a means to effectuate a change in the system. References: 1. CAPWIP , â€Å" Issues in Women’s Political Empowerment in the Asia-Pacific Region†, Proceeding of women in Asia and the Pacific: High-Level Intergovernmental Meeting to Review Regional Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, ESCAP, Manila, October 26-29,1999,p.281. 2. Jakarta declaration For the Advancement of Women in Asia and the Pacific, Second Asian and Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women in Development, Jakarta, June 7-14, 1994. 3. Brill Alida. (ed), A Rising Public Voice : Women in Politics Worldwide, New York, N.Y.: The Feminist Press, 1995, p.1. 4. UNIFEM, Progress of the World’s Women 2000: UNIFEM Biennial Report, New York, N.Y.: UNIFEM, 2000, P.9. 5. Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Netherlands are a few examples of countries having more than thirty percent of women in decision-making posts. 6. IPU Website, http://www.ipu.org 7. In 1975, The World Plan of Action, adopted in the First World Conference held in Mexico City, put forward various suggestions, for the recruitment, nomination and promotion of women in various branches of government, public bodies, trade unions and pressure groups: In Copenhagen, in 1980, further steps were recommended to promote international cooperation and strengthen peace through women’s participation. The Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies, adopted in the Third World Conference on Women, Nairobi (1985) stresses that â€Å"Women by virtue of their gender, experience discrimination in terms of equal access to the power structure that controls society and determines development issues and peace initiatives† (Para 46) It was further pointed out that â€Å"For true equality to become a reality for women, the sharing of power on equal terms with men must be a major strategy.† ( para 51) the importance of governmental and non -governmental organizations in educating women to exercise their newly-own civil, political and social rights was emphasized. In this process of consciousness rising, efforts would have to be made to fix definite time-bound targets and even resort to be quota system. 8. Beijing Platform for Action , p 109 9. For details see Beijing Platform for Action, p 109-115. The goal of equal participation of men and women in decision-making as a crucial element to strengthen democracy was equally emphasized by commission on the Status of Women at its 41st session in 1997. The efforts for women’s political empowerment made by governments of Asia and the Pacific were also analyzed at the ESCAP High-level Intergovernmental Meeting to Review Regional Implementation of Beijing Platform for Action , October 26-29,1999, The report reveals that of the 40 countries in region, the proportion of women in the national legislatures increased in 28 countries, declined in 8 and remained the same in 4.Yet women remained in a minority in the legislatures.( Report of ESCAP High-level Intergovernmental Meeting to Review Regional Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, October 26-29, 1999 , p.86) 10. The best man for the job? The Selection of Women Parliamentary Candidates,† Finding of the Fawcett Society, February, 1997. Presented at listen to Women’s Vote. 1998, p. 19

Gender In Respond To Stress And Overcome Stress Psychology Essay

Gender In Respond To Stress And Overcome Stress Psychology Essay The process of growing, different gender does have different respond on when facing the stress and even the way of copping the stress. In this study, we were targeting with both gender by category their age, race, culture and surrounding issue that influence or change them the point of respond to stress and the way of copping the stress. There are many issue and different causes of creating stress for our daily life but it is not a way for both genders. We could have more understand type of stress is facing on the certain age and different respond both genders. In the study, we had realize that a great changing view respond to stress and overcome the stress in both gender on category age of teenager and adult. Furthermore, changing view of stress found in different culture for both gender. It is reason for when reach an adult age. Working environment has making them change. Stress In this world, our daily life is filled with stress. Stress is a common issue that has become a discussion among researchers. There are many reasons why a person gets involve in a stressful condition. Based on Laheys study, sources of stress can be categorized into five category which are life events, frustration, conflict, pressure and environmental condition (Lahey,2012). Life events is one of the major sources of stress as people need to have adjustments in their life every day, regardless of any situations or conditions (Dohrenwend,2006;Lahey,2012). Negative events such as losing a loved one or losing a home after disaster creates anxiety, depression and physical illnesses and psychological illnesses (Lahey,2012) However, even positive events can be stressful too. Getting a new car or house, graduating from college, getting married are also happy situations where people need time to adjust to their normal living pattern ( Lahey, 2012). Frustration Other source of stress comes from frustration which is the result or decision that could not able to satisfy a motive (Lahey,2012). Continuous dissatisfactory of the results gained such as individuals being subjected to racial discrimination would be able to become major source of stress.(Gallo Matthews; Lahey,2012) Conflict The third source of stress is conflict in which a state of two or more motives cannot be satisfied because they interfere with one another. (Lahey, 2012) Conflict happens when two people have different goals or different opinions in which both of them are trying to get an agreement. In this condition, two major source of stress in conflict are trying to satisfy each other with their different opinions while being aware of each other to accept their individual decision. Pressure Stress can be aroused from pressure in facing threats of negative events ( Lahey, 2012). For example, college students feel pressure due to handing in assignments before dateline and preparing for exams. A single mother will feel pressure when providing provision for her family while performing well in her job. An employee will feel pressure in pleasing the boss with excellent work while competing with other colleague. Environmental conditions The environment that we are surrounded by is also one of the factor that causes stress ( Lahey, 2012). For instance, if a person lives in a an environment filled with noise pollution, chances of an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and respiration is high and hindrance in the digestive processes is possible ( Hughes M., 2010 ) . Introduction Different Gender in Respond to Stress and How Overcome the Stress. There are many reasons that cause stress; even we are still at a young age. We believe that both genders have their own methods in responding to stress. At the same time we also believe that both genders responses to stress can be influence by other aspect. In the sports field, both genders athletes have different methods to cope with stress. Researchers found that women use the coping strategies of venting motions, positive reinterpretation, dissociation, and emotional social support more often than men did to cope with stress. ( Hammermeister Burton 2004; Mark Toto 2009). Besides that, there is another study about racial discrimination and ways on how to cope with stress among African Americans (Utsey, Ponterotto, Reynolds Cancelli, 2000). It was found that between adult men and women, women tend to seek social support more than men do (Flora Rahim, 2006). Based on the studies, we understand that both genders have different ways of coping with stress. Furthermore, genders differences have an effect in anxiety disorders that appears to begin around the age of 6 where female are higher than male with ratio is already 2:1 (Robinson, 2006; Sharon Jennifer, 2011). From the statement we understood that stress begins at the adolescence stage. In the study of Kagan and Lewis (1965), it was found that girls are more mentally developed ahead of boys. Therefore, girls have better response to stress compared to male at the adolescence stage (Walter Terry, 1974). This led us to believe that different stress occurs in adolescence stage. Nevertheless, some studies have evidences that clearly stated the differences between genders affect stress. Girls have higher level of stress than boys do during their teenage years as they are more likely to be more aggressive to have conflict with parent and teacher. (Walter Terry, 1974). Based on the MacFarlane (1970) study, during period high school period, girls slightly manifest more anxiety than boys (Walter Terry, 1974). On other hand, women may also experience more school-related anxiety than men during both stressful events (examinations) as well as the long term events (Martin, 1997). Besides schooling period, a study showed that during college period, women experience more negative images of themselves and they are more likely to manifest neurotic symptoms than male (McKee and Sherriffs,1957 as cited in Walter Terry,1974). Other researches analysis provided us some insight on the differences between male and female supporting staff. There are differences in stress outcomes experienced by male and female workers between the age of 25 to 30 year old (Dr. Zafir Fazilah). A study showed that women suffer more stress from working environment compared to men because women also experience certain unique stressors such as gender inequality as well as experiencing stressors common to both genders (Kristina Stephen, 2004). Besides that, for married couples, it is believed that neighborhood stressors will have greater impact on womens mental health rather than mens (Flora Rahim, 2006).There is a considerable amount of evidence indicating that women are more psychologically and physiologically reactive to stressors than men (Liu, Spector Lin Shi, 2008). Through this study and the statement provided, we found that women have the higher percentage to develop stress compared to men. For ways of coping stress, there is a slight difference between both genders. In a study, adult men were found to resort to alcoholic method more than women (Christopher Alvin, 2009). Based on Jessicas study, since men are taught that it is unacceptable to express their depression to others, they may seek comfort from other sources such as alcohol. Indeed, one argument supported the idea that the different rates of depression between men and women are illusionary is that alcoholism is twice as common in men as in women (Murakumi J., 2002). Discussion Conclusion. After analyzing the studies and research papers related to the topic, our group agreed that the first thesis is different gender respond to stress in different ways. It is confirmed that the thesis we had made matches the evident to support it. Besides that, we found that different response in stress starts during teenage years with female developing faster than male. On the overall view, all members of our group believed that the methods used to cope with stress are different where female are far more mature than male. Furthermore, we found that the stress level is different for both gender at young age with females getting more anxiety and more depression especially in high school period when compared to males. The reason for higher level of females depression in high school is because female starts to gets themselves non-invisible attention in school through usage of make up so that they are able to follow the trend of teenage years. It is the reason that women have high stress ou tcome than men. Hence, it led us to believe that women have the higher risk to have psychological illnesses such as insomnia and anxiety disorder. However, female are better in managing with stress based on a study by Mark and Toto (2009). Female are known to vent their emotions, positive reinterpretation, dissociation, and emotional social support more often than men do. (Mark and Toto, 2009). Yet this does not mean that males are healthier than female. Males often use negative way to cope with stress compared to females. Examples like alcohol and smoking cigarettes are common ways for males to cope with stress. This brings great impact to the body heath such as lung cancer and liver diseases. Nevertheless not all of the male are using the same negative copping stress as males also use positive ways to cope with stress. For example they do sports to cope with their stress. The current statement had reached our other thesis which is that both genders have their different ways to cop e with stress. At the end, our group came out with a thesis that both genders have their own ways to respond to stress and to cope with stress because everyone have their own personality, thinking and stress outcome.

Failure of the Student Loan Market

Failure of the Student Loan Market A college degree is more than the culmination of learning processes. It is a credential that functions as a good, but in a unique way because it allows the holder to compete more powerfully in the labor market. At the same time, accessing this good requires specific financial instruments in the form of grants, financial aid, awards, federal benefits, and of course, loans. The student loan market, as this essay will show, is a market failure. The supply of college degrees is insufficient compared to the supply of loans for college and costs; there is an information asymmetry with these financial products because many seeking to buy them are not aware of the risks (e.g., the lack of consumer protection, the likelihood that they will not graduate); further, the more loans are sold, the more the value of the good people use them to get (i.e., a college or graduate degree) will decline. All of these factors point to the student loan market as a market failure. Short of dramatic remedies t hat might make education inaccessible for all but the 1%, one of the best policy-related solutions to this dismal problem might be to make holding a loan less painful for those who are trying to repay it. Why is the student loan market an issue, and why does it exist in the first place? The ways that Americans finance their postsecondary education hold insight into the answers. As college costs have risen far faster than the rate of inflation (Lieber, 2009), and as the middle class’ buying power has declined, most people have been unable to finance their educations out of their own pockets. For generations, many college students in America have taken on loans to finance college and postgraduate education due not just to the assumption that this will have a positive return on investment (ROI), but also because of the perception that student loan repayment offers a generous tax deduction. However, as college costs skyrocket (Abel & Deitz, 2014) and jobs evaporate to the point where increasing numbers of people question its value (Taylor et al., 2011), more people are asking questions about student loans and who really benefits. Muddying the water still further is the role of 26 U.S. Code  § 221, which stipulates the details that govern the student loan interest deduction, including its maximum deduction and the modest cost-of-living increase that may increase this maximum, in addition to details regarding definitions and the roles of dependents in calculating this deduction (Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, 2017). In general, an individual is eligible for this deduction if, and only if, he or she took out a qualifying educational loan, if they paid interest on the loan (as opposed to fees, principal only, or another arrangement), and if the individual’s modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is no more than $80,000 if filing as an individual or $160,000 if filing as a married couple (Aranoff, 2015; Internal Revenue Service, 2017). However, these deductions may seem overly modest, given that as of 2013, the average college graduate was leaving school with more than $35,000 of debt (Ellis, 2013). Increasing numbers of people are taking out enormous sums to finance college or graduate school, and fewer are able to pay these off in time, leading to cascading economic problems when they are unable to buy homes, when they put off having children, or in many cases, simply default on the loans. Information asymmetry is also a critical component of this market and of its failure. Especially for those who are first in their family to attend college, or who otherwise have no personal experience with higher education and its marketing techniques, the appeals of predatory for-profit schools are almost irresistible. These high-pressure schools use sales techniques to get students to agree to attend, helping them apply for loans but failing to give them adequate information about the risks involved (to say nothing of the low value of a for-profit degree). The people selling the loan products have information that the purchasers do not. In some larger theoretical or symbolic sense, the very information asymmetry is something that people want to overcome through their pursuit of a college degree. Regardless, the student loan crisis is widely considered to be more highly concentrated among those attending two-year schools. Economists have noted that there is a serious potential for an economic crisis to occur if many default on student loans, though the lack of collateralization, as was prevalent in the housing bubble, may contain the damage – but may also nonetheless cause severe declines in middle-class purchasing power (Looney & Yannelis, 2015). The authors of one study stated, â€Å"†¦it is interesting to compare the default out-comes of borrowers who took out subprime mortgages compared with those who took out student loans to attend for-profit colleges. Both types of borrowers tend to have poorer-quality credit records, and the returns to their investments were dependent on macroeconomic factors beyond their control—house prices in the case of subprime mortgages and wage growth in the case of student loans† (Looney & Yannelis, 2015, p. 81). This passage hints at the interconnected nature of mortgages and student loans, including the ways that student loan borrowers are disadvantaged by the situation and by the informational asymmetry. The repayment systems for student loans, meanwhile, also represent market failures in a strong way. A 2008 paper explored the ways in which various proposed loan forgiveness programs effectively constituted a secondary tax (Dynarski, 2008, pp. 19–20). The author concluded that even though college costs rise and student loan borrowers remain in debt for a very large amount of time, the degree itself is still worthwhile. However, â€Å"†¦ there is a mismatch in the timing of the arrival of the benefits of college and its costs, with payments due when earnings are lowest and most variable. Ironically, this mismatch is the very motivation for providing student loans in the first place† (Dynarski, 2008, p. 26). The market failure is apparent from the way that this mismatch occurs, and the ways in which information asymmetry surrounds much of the loan buying process. Dynarski also offers a discussion of the ways that the federal repayment programs such as Pay as You Earn and Income Based Repayment, as well as hypothetical programs such as Pay It Forward (state-based, income-based programs that allow low earners to pay very little while high earners pay much more) constitute taxation, which segues into the larger policy discussion: The student loan interest deduction and the ways in which it can be remedied to better address this market failure. Because of the widespread perception that student loan debt is good debt, and because of the ways that this tax code provision is built on some complex assumptions about supply and demand, it is clear that there is a market failure. The deduction assumes that the supply of college graduates will be smaller than the supply. It assumes that the cost of living will only increase modestly, and critically, it does not calculate the increases in college costs or the ways that they far outpace inflation. In other words, it assumes that the demand for college loans will outpace the supply of people taking them out and repaying, when the opposite is true. It also assumes that the economic demand for college graduates will be higher than the supply, to the point where incentivizing people to get an education is necessary to get highly skilled workers. However, the economy is no longer in need of these credentials, or perhaps college has become so watered-down that people with degrees are seldom finding the kinds of jobs they dreamed of. In any case, many people with college or even advanced degrees are not experiencing the return on investment that they had anticipated. At present, the student loan interest deduction is generally capped at $2,500 annually (Internal Revenue Service, 2017). For those who are repaying very significant loans, including for graduate school, professional school, or simply for attending high-cost, predatory schools, this deduction does not make a significant difference. More people than one may initially believe struggle with student loans of $100,000 or more (Kantrowitz, 2012), so the tiny tax deduction is often laughable. Especially because of the market failure that has itself promoted the situation, the government should intervene to increase the tax deduction. The mismatch between the good and its benefits facilitates the market failure of the student loan interest deduction (Dynarski, 2008, p. 26). Even for those who have a modest amount of student loans and for whom the interest deduction would be significant, an informational asymmetry means that many who qualify for this deduction do not even take it, since around 19% are not even aware of what deductions they might quality for (Student Loan Hero, 2016). Revising the system so that, for example, student loan interest and principal are both deductible, could reduce the failure of the market. Improving information about student loans, as well as how to take advantage of the tax deduction, could also go a long way towards reducing the information asymmetry that dominates the market. The failure of the labor market to adequately absorb college graduates, especially with wages that cause their debts to decrease over time, combined with the informational asymmetry that disadvantages some people more than others, means that there is a serious issue; one potential remedy would be to improve the student loan interest deduction. The student loan system is a market failure, and the tax deduction has also failed to live up to promises because of the temporal mismatch. It has failed to account for the realities of college costs, the realities of the labor market, and the realities of economic life for young people. The policy is a market failure and needs to be changed. Some ways to improve it could be to increase the maximum deduction, to increase the MAGI ceiling at which the deduction is phased out, or to implement widespread loan forgiveness since doing so might add more liquidity to the consumer economy, which would in turn help the economy to grow. Forcing colleges and universities to guarantee student loans could also be another solution to the problem of student debt, ensuring that widespread debt default has less of an effect on the overall economy than it did during the housing bubble.   References Abel, J. R., & Deitz, R. (2014). Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the Costs? Current Issues in Economics and Finance, 20(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/DOI: , Aranoff, A. (2015). Student Loan Interest Deduction: What You Need to Know | HuffPost. Retrieved October 17, 2017, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/aryea-aranoff/student-loan-interest-ded_b_7486888.html Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. (2017). 26 U.S. Code  § 221 Interest on education loans | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved October 16, 2017, from https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/221 Dynarski, S. M. (2008). An Economist’s Perspective on Student Loans in the United States (No. 5579). Munich. Ellis, B. (2013). Class of 2013 grads average $35,200 in loans, credit card debt. Retrieved November 1, 2017, from http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/17/pf/college/student-debt/ Internal Revenue Service. (2017). Topic No. 456 Student Loan Interest Deduction. Retrieved October 15, 2017, from https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc450/tc456 Kantrowitz, M. (2012). Who Graduates College with Six-Figure Student Loan Debt†¯? Washington. Lieber, R. (2009, September 5). Why College Costs Rise, Even in a Recession. The New York Times, p. B1. Looney, A., & Yannelis, C. (2015). A crisis in student loans?: How changes in the characteristics of borrowers and in the institutions they attended contributed to rising loan defaults. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, (Fall), 1–89. https://doi.org/10.1353/eca.2015.0003 Student Loan Hero. (2016). 19% of Americans Don’t Know What Student Loan Tax Benefits They Can Claim. Retrieved November 1, 2017, from https://studentloanhero.com/press/19-percent-americans-dont-know-student-loan-tax-benefits/ Taylor, P., Parker, K., Fry, R., Cohn, D., Wang, W., Velasco, G., & Dockterman, D. Is College Worth It†¯? (2011).

The Benefit of Low Nurse-Patient Ratios :: Nursing

For my research paper, I will be taking the position that low nurse-patient ratios (the number of patients a nurse is assigned to care for during their shift) are beneficial to patient safety and should be adopted on a larger scale. What made you interested in this topic? I am interested in this topic because when I graduated from nursing school last year, I accepted a job where I am comfortable with my workload, while many of my classmates ended up in work environments where they are responsible for taking care of as many as 9 patients at a time while working as the Charge Nurse on the unit. Several have expressed to me that they feel their patients aren't safe because of the workload they face as nurses. How is it related to your field of study, major, or to what you plan on doing after you graduate? This is directly related to my Nursing major and current practice as an RN. I have a personal interest in making sure I am practicing in a way that is safe for my patients. What exactly is the problem? The problem, as defined for my argument research paper, is that to cut costs, hospitals have been steadily increasing the number of patients nurses must care for. In many areas it's not uncommon for one nurse to have to assess, give medications to, and manage the care of as many as 12 patients. This puts tremendous strain on nurses. Many of the studies I have seen in my research indicate that a high ration of patients to nurses increases the rate of death or other poor outcomes for patients. It also leads to increased nurse burnout and higher turnover, though at this point I believe my paper will focus on patient outcomes. Who is most affected by the problem? Anyone who is a patient in a hospital is likely to be affected by these practices. What causes the problem? The problem is caused by finances. Hospitals claim they face declining reimbursements, and have chosen to cut nursing staff to lower their expenses. Has anyone tried to do anything about it? If so, why haven’t they succeeded? California has attempted to solve the problem by implementing maximum allowable legal patient ratios. In California (and Australia, where a similar set of laws has been passed), there has been success – but, obviously, this is limited to those areas and isn't widespread.

Mass Media :: Violence Technology Papers

Mass Media Part I: The Problem. In the aftermath of the Columbine school shootings, parents were eager to find someone or something to take the blame for the tragedy. We as Americans are a culture that has to be able to control the outcome of our everyday lives. When something happens that catches us off guard, we get frightened and jump to conclusions. With no closure in sight from the columbine shootings, parents across the country wanted answers. Instead of evaluating their own parenting, people began to say that video games, movie and television were the problem. The idea was that by eliminating the violence on TV and that will stop kids from being violent. The news media, fearing for its ratings took this idea and ran with it doing in depth stories and all types of special reports. The goal of this newsletter is not to place blame on anyone, but to bring to the realization that the only way to help our youth is to not blame outside factors for behavior but approach the problem directly, in the home, face to face with the child. Columbine: The tragedy On a sunny spring day in April 1999, a suburban high school in Jefferson County, Colorado, found itself under attack by two of its own. In less than fifteen minutes of the first-lunch period on that Tuesday, two student gunmen killed 13 and wounded 21 before they turned the guns on themselves in the most devastating school shooting in U.S. history. Columbine High School is one of three in the unincorporated southeast portion of Jefferson County. The county itself lies on the west side of the Denver metropolitan area and is the most populated county in the state. The large unincorporated region along the county’s southern plains and foothills has a population of nearly 100,000 residents - 1,945 of who attended Columbine High School. The two student gunmen were Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Their plans for attacking the school, recovered by investigators after the tragedy had taken place, evolved over one year’s time. In those plans, Klebold and Harris outlined a mission to kill as many students and faculty as possible. They would set off destructive bombs inside the school and then shoot any survivors trying to run out. Bombs inside their cars would explode later, killing law enforcement, fire or medical personnel responding to the scene.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 15

The doctors at the hospital said Seth's survival was a miracle. Which, of course, it was. The police officers who talked to all of us believed Seth's actions had been rash – but also admirable. Defending a fair maiden tends to elicit that reaction, and since Seth hadn't been killed, no one else viewed his gallant defense quite the same as I did. Because honestly? I thought it was stupid. I thought it was so stupid, and I was furious. Beyond furious. I'd surpassed it and moved into an uncharted area of enragement. What had he been thinking? â€Å"I wasn't thinking,† he told me in a low voice, when I questioned him in the ER. The others had stepped out for a moment, busy with other things, and it was just the two of us. Seth lay on the bed, face still pale, but otherwise alive and well. â€Å"That guy had a gun. You were in his line of fire.† I opened my mouth to argue the poor logic there, but one of the doctors stepped back inside. She needed to check Seth, and I backed out of the room before I said something I'd regret. Seth might have acted like an idiot, but he was in the hospital with a major injury. Blowing up right now probably wasn't the most appropriate course of action for the healing process. Instead, I sought out Vincent. After his interview with the police, he'd stationed himself down the hall, back against the wall and hands stuffed into his pockets. He tilted his head back, face staring miserably up at the ceiling. â€Å"Hey,† I said, careful to keep a safe space between us. He glanced down at me. â€Å"Hey. How is he?† â€Å"Fine – considering everything. The doctors are amazed the bullet ‘missed.'† Vincent turned away and gazed blankly down the hall. He stayed silent. I didn't know what to say. So†¦you're a nephilim. How's that working out? Frankly, I could guess how that was working out. Horribly. Nephilim were the offspring of angels and humans. Those angels were now demons, of course. You couldn't sleep around with hot humans and still play for heaven's team – as I'd noted with Yasmine. It was why Jerome had fallen. In what had to be the most unfair deal in the world, many nephilim had been hunted and killed by angels and demons – even their own parents. Heaven and Hell viewed nephilim as dangerous abominations. The fact that nephilim tended to have unruly natures and poor impulse control didn't really help their reputation. As a result of their persecution, nephilim usually walked the earth disguised, hiding the full brunt of their power – which rivaled their parents' – as well as the immortal signatures that could give them away. And while I felt bad for them, they nonetheless scared the hell out of me. Many of them held grudges against angels, demons, and anyone else immortal. Jerome's son Roman was like that. He had come to Seattle a few months ago and embarked on a revenge killing spree. Looking at Vincent now, I wondered if I was dealing with the same sort of thing. â€Å"Does†¦Yasmine know?† I asked after several more awkward moments. His eyes flicked back to me. â€Å"Of course.† He said it with the same matter-of-fact tone he'd used when we'd talked about their relationship. It was a tone that implied how could she not know? Like it was absurd that he would keep anything from the woman he loved. â€Å"It kills her,† he said with a sigh. â€Å"It's eating her up inside.† â€Å"Because†¦of†¦what you are†¦?† â€Å"No.† His eyes were so sad that I almost forgot he came from a race of uber-powerful psychopaths. â€Å"She doesn't care about that part. What she can't stand is that it's a secret. That she has to hide everything. You know they can't lie†¦but she's not exactly telling the truth either. It's deceitful, and she hates that. And I hate that she hates it. I've tried to end our†¦thing a couple of times, but she won't do it because†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Because she loves you,† I finished. Vincent shrugged and looked away from me again. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I told him at last. And I was. How horrible. Yasmine loving anyone was dangerous enough, but for her to love one of the most despised creatures in our world†¦well, yeah. That took it to an entirely different level. An angel should have been reporting Vincent's existence, not hiding it. Vincent turned his attention back to me. â€Å"Who will you tell? Carter? Jerome?† I stared into those dark, dark eyes, those eyes filled with so much sorrow and so much love. I stopped being afraid of him. He wasn't Roman. â€Å"No one,† I said quietly. â€Å"I'm not going to tell anyone.† He turned incredulous. â€Å"Why? You know what I am. You know you could get in trouble for hiding me. Why wouldn't you tell?† I thought about it. â€Å"Because the system is fucked up.† I went back to Seth's room after that, and when I stepped out into the hall later, Vincent was gone. He wasn't at my apartment when I returned home that night. Seth was released the following morning, and I stayed home from work with him. â€Å"I don't need to be coddled, Thetis,† he told me gently – though I could swear there was the tiniest hint of annoyance in his voice. â€Å"I'm fine. I won't break.† We were sitting in his living room, side by side on the couch. He had his laptop, and I had a novel. I folded a corner of the page I was on and shut the book. I wanted to tell Seth that he would break, that that's what it meant to be mortal. I wanted to tell him a thousand things, just like I'd wanted to in the hospital, but once more I swallowed my feelings. â€Å"You just need to take it easy,† I said. â€Å"And I want to make sure you don't do anything too crazy.† â€Å"Right. Because my usual lifestyle is so physically vigorous.† He had a point. Most of his days were spent sitting and writing. He wasn't too likely to burst another artery that way. â€Å"I just want you to be careful,† I said obstinately. â€Å"You were shot last night, remember? That's not the same as falling on the ice.† â€Å"You overreacted to that too.† â€Å"Is it so wrong to care about you?† He sighed and returned to his work. I had a feeling I wasn't the only one biting back angry words. We spent most of the day like that, talking little. Whenever he expressed any interest in something – food, drink, etc. – I was quick to jump up and get it for him. I was the perfect nurse/servant. Finally, around dinnertime, he looked like he was nearing a breaking point. â€Å"Arent your friends doing something tonight?† he asked stiffly. â€Å"Are you trying to get rid of me?† â€Å"Just asking.† â€Å"They're having a card game.† â€Å"You aren't going?† â€Å"No, I'll stay here with you.† â€Å"You should go.† â€Å"I don't want to leave you. In case you need something.† â€Å"Then take me with you.† â€Å"What?† I exclaimed. â€Å"But you need to – â€Å" † – take it easy, rest, not strain myself. I know, I know. But look, I'm kind of getting cabin fever here, and honestly, I think you'd benefit from a little distraction.† â€Å"Seth – â€Å" â€Å"Georgina,† he interrupted. â€Å"It won't be much different than this. More sitting around, except with – â€Å" â€Å"Better company?† â€Å"That's not what I mean,† he said. We went back and forth, and as we did, I wondered when we'd reached this point in our relationship. Hitherto everything had been giddy and sentimental with us. How had we crossed the line into nagging? When had we started getting on each other's nerves? In movies, life-threatening experiences are supposed to bring people together. I finally relented, and we went over to Peter and Cody's place. The gang – consisting of Hugh, Peter, Cody, and Carter tonight – was surprised to see us since Seth often avoided immortal social events. But socially inept or no, Seth liked playing cards. It was the kind of analytical activity he enjoyed, and he could often get by without talking very much. Just before the game started, Niphon showed up. He and I exchanged brief glares and then proceeded to ignore each other. Inevitably, Seth getting shot came up in conversation. â€Å"You threw yourself in front of a gun for her?† asked Peter, clearly impressed. â€Å"Well,† said Seth, a little uncomfortable at all those eyes on him. â€Å"Mostly I tried to jostle it away.† â€Å"You mean, disarm him?† â€Å"Well†¦no. More like†¦jostle. I don't really know how to ‘disarm' anyone.† â€Å"I figured maybe you took combat classes in order to write those fight scenes in your books,† explained Peter. Seth shook his head. â€Å"Never been in a fight in my life. Until last night.† â€Å"That's awesome,† said Cody. â€Å"Risking your life in the name of love.† I stared at the vampires disbelievingly while they babbled on about how amazing Seth's feat had been. They peppered him with more questions about the attack, and the anger I'd been trying to squelch since last night kept building and building. Across the table, Niphon listened with a smirk. Carter, in his usual way, concealed his feelings. I wanted to know why he wasn't out with the other angels, but the Seth thing was taking precedence over my curiosity. One thing struck me as odd. Hugh, listening quietly, seemed as angry as I did. I would have expected him to jump right in with the vampires, blithely pestering Seth for action-packed details and waxing on about how cool Seth's heroics had been. But the imp's face looked dark and stony, his eyes fixed pointedly on his cards. â€Å"The guy was probably high,† remarked Peter. â€Å"Never know what that might bring out. You jumping in like that was pretty ballsy when you think about it.† I couldn't take it anymore. â€Å"It was stupid!† I cried. Everyone's heads jerked in my direction. I ignored them, my eyes on Seth. â€Å"It was foolish and idiotic and, and – † I couldn't think of any more synonyms, so I let it go. â€Å"You shouldn't have done it. He couldn't have hurt me. He couldn't have killed me. You should have let me handle it!† I knew that Seth despised being the center of a commotion like this, but he returned my gaze with a surprisingly fierce one. â€Å"Georgina, there was a man with a gun in a dark alley. You were in front of him. Do you really think I was running through all sorts of logical scenarios at the time? ‘Oh, let's see. She's immortal, so even if she gets shot, there's nothing to worry about.'† â€Å"Yes,† I growled. â€Å"That is what you should have been thinking.† â€Å"What I was thinking was ‘The woman I love is in danger, and I would rather die myself than see anything happen to her.'† â€Å"But nothing would have happened to me!† â€Å"It's a basic human instinct to protect the ones you love. Even if they're immortal.† â€Å"That doesn't make any sense.† â€Å"That's because it's been too long since you were human,† he snapped. It was like being hit. I shot up from my chair and stalked off to the bathroom. Angry tears were welling up in my eyes, and I refused to let them show in front of my friends. Leaning my forehead against the mirror, I tried to do all the standard tricks for calming down. Deep breathing. Counting to ten. None of it worked. I didn't get it. I just didn't get it. And apparently, Seth didn't either. Why couldn't he understand? Getting shot – in my head, in my heart, whatever – would fucking hurt. The pain would be excruciating. But in a day or so, I'd recover. I'd go on. But Seth wouldn't. Why did he not see how serious this was? Death was forever. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to block out the image of Seth dead. Cold. Still. No more spark in those brown eyes. No more warm hand to hold mine. A sob built up in me, and I forced it away. After more deep breathing, I finally felt like I could return to the others. But as I stepped out of the bathroom and started to round the corner back to the kitchen, I heard more shouting. Hugh. â€Å"It was brave, okay? Noble. Gallant. Worthy of a gold star. But she's right. It was stupid. It was so fucking stupid, and you're even more fucking stupid for not realizing it.† â€Å"I get it,† said Seth. I could hear the weariness and exasperation in his voice. â€Å"I could have died. I know, okay? But I wasn't thinking about the larger workings of the universe. I was thinking about her.† â€Å"No,† said Hugh. â€Å"You weren't. I am so goddamned tired of hearing everyone talk about how hard it is to be you. They all go on and on about how amazing it is that you can handle this relationship with her. But, Christ. Really, what's hard about it? You have this beautiful, brilliant girlfriend who doesn't fucking age. She loves you. I know you can't have sex, and everyone acts like that's the end of the world, but come on. She's given you the green light to go get it somewhere else. I don't really see you suffering that much.† â€Å"What's your point?† asked Seth. â€Å"My point is that she's the one who suffers. She knows your life is a ticking time bomb. What have you got, another fifty years maybe? And that's if disease or an accident doesn't take you first. Fifty years, and you're gone. She has to live with that every day, knowing that in one breath, your life could be snuffed out like that.† I heard Hugh's fingers snap. â€Å"Not hurt. Not injured. Gone. She is going to watch you age, watch you gray and wither away, and when you do finally die, it's going to destroy her.† There was a moment's silence, then I heard Seth say uncertainly, â€Å"Fifty years isn't anything compared to the scope of her life. She'll get over me. As everyone keeps reminding me, she's immortal.† â€Å"All that means is that she has more time to mourn. If you had any fucking regard for her, you would have ended this stupid romance a long time ago. You would have never gotten involved. She was uncertain at first, but now she's in. She isn't going to give you up. You could turn into the world's biggest asshole, and she still wouldn't do it – not with all these romantic ideals she has now. She loves too easily – and gets hurt too easily.† I finally forced myself to move in the ensuing silence. Everyone looked away from me, except Niphon. He was obviously enjoying all of this. I sat back down, and the card game commenced. None of us were really into it, though. The atmosphere was stiff, the conversation forced and halting. It was the proverbial elephant in the room situation. When Peter awkwardly said he was getting tired, the rest of us practically flew out of our seats to leave. As I was putting on my coat, Carter strolled over to me. â€Å"Seth makes his own choices, as is his right,† Carter said softly. The angel was regarding me in that way that always sent chills down my spine. Someone wearing such an ugly baseball cap really shouldn't have that kind of ability. Honestly, how did his hats always get so dirty? â€Å"You can rage all you want, but in the end, mortals live their lives the way they decide to. It's not our place to interfere with that.† â€Å"Of course it is,† I said. â€Å"It's what you guys do. It's what we all do. That's the whole point of the Heaven and Hell battle – we purposely interfere with people's lives.† â€Å"Yes, but this is different.† â€Å"No, it's not.† Beyond him, I saw Niphon saying something to Seth. Great. The imp was probably trying to buy his soul. That was so not what I needed right now. I turned back to Carter. â€Å"Look, I've got to go. Say hi to the Get Along Gang when you see them.† I dragged Seth away from Niphon, and we headed home. I hadn't thought things between us could be any more uncomfortable than they had been at Peter's, but the car ride proved me wrong. Earlier, Seth and I had discussed him staying over at my place, but as I merged onto I-5, he asked, â€Å"I'd kind of like to get some more work done. Do you mind if I just go home?† The elephant had apparently joined us in the car now. I smiled tightly and kept my eyes on the road. â€Å"Sure. No problem.†

A Fine Balance: Characters

4 Characters Dina, Ishvar, Om, Maneck. Ishvar is Oms nephew. Dina is widowed. Maneck college student. Dina Shroff, who was elevated by her strict brother aft(prenominal) her yield died she meets Rustom Dalal. The couple fall in love and marry, but on their terzetto wedding anniversary Rustom is killed in a bicycle accident, leaving Dina alone. Rustoms auntie teaches Dina to sew her eyesight begins to fail, so she is compel to find a nonher way to guard money Her friend Zenobia introduces her to Mrs Gupta, who offers her some accommodate piece work She hires Ishvar Darji and his nephew Omprakash, originally from a small village, to do the work.Ishvars father wanted a better lifespan for his sons and so displace them to a neighbouring township to learn to be customises They became the apprentices of Muslim tailor Ashraf Ishvar was seventeen, racial hatred of Muslims reached boiling organise and any foots or shops belonging to Muslims were burnt- turn up to the ground Ishv ar and his brother Narayan saved Ashrafs shop by claiming it belonged to them, leaving Ashraf forever and a day in their debt. Narayan returned to the village and set up a successful tailor avocation for lower caste people He married and had a son.His business was very(prenominal) successful and it gave him enough money to form a proper house exclusively was going well until Narayan discovered that the elections were being fixed by Thakur Dharamsi, a tidy land proprietor Narayan con front maned Thakur, who had him tortured non satisfied with just killing Narayan, Thakur unconquerable to punish his whole family. Narayans wife, daughters and p arnts were tie up and burnt alive in their home. Omprakesh and Ishvar were the only ones to escape they continued working in their tailor shop, but were labored out of business when a off-the-peg clothing shop opened in the town.Maneck. He grew up in a mountain village, where his father was the proud owner of the local village store and journeyman of a popular drink, Kohlah Cola Maneck was sent to college and became good friends with the student pre boldnessnt, Avinash Avinash led an grow against the conditions and became involved in politics When the touch was decl ard, Avinash had to go into hiding, leaving Maneck alone His get under ones skin whence arranged for him to move in with Dina Dalal The four be quite knowing for almost a year, but then the Emergency starts to impact their lives.The tailors shack is demolished in a government beautification program, forcing them to live on the streets aft(prenominal) two months they bribe their way out and persuade Dina to let them move in with her. Ishvar decides it is time for Om to find a wife, so they return to Ashrafs town There they puff into Thakur, who recognises the pair Ashraf is beaten to death and Ishvar and Om are given compulsory vasectomies Thakur visits them as they are recovering from the operation and arranges on a medical pretext to have Oms testicles removed.Ishvars legs become infected and have to be amputated. Maneck finishes his college course and returns home His fathers business is failing due to rubbishy imports of commercial soda, and Maneck decides to leave, taking a caper in the Middle East. Dina finds herself all alone. A Beggarmaster who had been protecting her from her landlords bailiffs is murdered, leaving her vulnerable she reluctantly returns to live with her brother. Eight years later, Maneck returns home for his fathers funeral.Maneck reads some honest-to-goodness newspapers and discovers that Avinash was found dead by the side of a railway track and Avinashs three teenage sisters hanged themselves because their parents could not devote their wedding dowries. Maneck decides to visit Dina She explains that Ishvar lost his legs and that the tailors are now beggars Maneck leaves Dinas house, pretending not to recognize the tailors in the street, and heads for the railway set where he steps in f ront of a train.