Farther and son Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Farther and son - Essay Example His choice of theme was brave simply because in the decade of the 50's homosexuality was still an issue not spoken of or discussed openly. America was waking up to the call of the civil rights movement and it would still take her people a few more years to accept issues of such controversy. The caging effect that conventions can have on a person is also highlighted effectively by Baldwin as he depicts David's struggle with the decision of marrying Hella, simply because it was expected of him. Baldwin, however, was not intimidated by the frowns of disapproval directed his way and with great determination highlighted the plight of those forced to live in the closet simply because they are terrified of breaking conventions and not being able to measure up to the definition of "respectable" formulated by those around them. In today's world, however, when gay literature is quite common and the issue of coming out of the closet is not as burning as it was half a century ago, the greatest appeal of the novel lies in the manner in which Baldwin has sheathed his central character under layers and layers of a complex psychology. Baldwin has portrayed David not simply as a two-dimensional gay character but has breathed a life into him by depicting in great detail the inner struggles and dilemmas that he faces and how his personality is shaped and molded by his childhood experiences and the constraints that he feels because of the social conventions. At this point it cannot be denied that the most important force in David's life as a child had undoubtedly been that of his father. Even after David has grown up, one could feel the palpable presence of his father looming somewhere in the background. It is, without a doubt, the forceful personality of his father that indirectly affected David's vital decisions an d choices. The importance of David's father in David's life can be linked directly to Baldwin's relationship with his own preacher father (Allen, p.29). Baldwin believed that the influence a father exercised over his children could not be denied - his own abusive father leaving imprints of his personality permanently on young Baldwin. It is this same influence that Baldwin desired to create by depicting David's relation with his father. His main aim was to show how vital the support of a family is for a homosexual and how much influence our near and dear ones exert when it comes to the decision a homosexual makes about his lifestyle choices. David's father, although in no way bearing any resemblance to the insane, ranting and abusive father of Baldwin, was a handsome man who had a particular and active fondness for women and alcohol. Baldwin depicted him in such a way that he naturally stood out, not only as attractive but someone who possessed a great deal of easy charm, with his ruddy face, sandy hair and his readiness to laugh. Baldwin has taken care not to introduce him as a clean-cut, out-of-the-factory villain of the story. This would have robbed the novel of its unique complexity and while giving the novel an easy to understand plot, would have deprived it of psychologically complex characters. His sister, Ellen, who believed him to be negatively influencing his son, always met his promiscuousness with disapproval. Once, as David recounts, a fierce argument took place between Aunt Ellen and his father, when he returned one night drunk, as was his custom. Upon being

First Generation Ethnic Minority Students with Multiple Higher Research Paper

First Generation Ethnic Minority Students with Multiple Higher Education Degrees - Research Paper Example The study also identified that having a familial support network, pride in becoming a sort of educational role model for others, the desire to gain a better household income through degree attainment, and substantially positive psychological coping and attitude contributed to constructive navigation of the education process. Through in-depth discussion with a first generation ethnic minority student, a variety of theoretical opportunities for family members of this group and institutional leaders to better engage and support first generation ethnic minority students was determined. Understanding the challenges and opportunities for first generation students has been a subject of interest to many researchers historically. The terminology of â€Å"first generation† is referring to any student that actively pursues a college/university education as the first individual within a family dynamic whose parents have not graduated from colleges or university institutions. As of 2012, approximately half of Alaska Natives, American Indians, African Americans, Hispanics and Latino doctorate holders belonged within family units where neither parent had been awarded a college degree (NSF, 2012). However, it is common that First Generation Ethnic Minority Students lack the knowledge that is required to make wise choices while completing their Masters and PhD Programs, which can pose serious consequences on their academic achievements. Ethnic minorities obtaining graduate degrees has been inadequately covered in research, and their challenges have lacked the necessary attention that is crucial in ensuring that they make wise choices during their academic profession. Research has pointed out that First Generation Ethnic Minority Students are inclined to face more challenges unless there is an intervention to streamline their decision making process. As the population of First Generation Ethnic Minority Students continues to increase, it is

Leadership and Human Behavior Essay Example for Free

Leadership and Human Behavior Essay As a leader, you need to interact with your followers, peers, seniors, and others; whose support you need in order to accomplish your goals. To gain their support, you must be able to understand and motivate them. To understand and motivate people, you must know human nature. Human nature is the common qualities of all human beings. People behave according to certain principles of human nature. Human needs are an important part of human nature. Values, beliefs, and customs differ from country to country and even within group to group, but in general, all people have a few basic needs. As a leader you must understand these needs because they can be powerful motivators. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Unlike others researchers in the earlier days of psychology, Abraham Maslows based his theory of human needs on creative people who used all their talents, potential, and capabilities (Bootzin, Loftus, Zajonc, Hall, 1983). His methodology differed from most other psychological researchers at the time in that these researchers mainly observed mentally unhealthy people. Maslow (1970) felt that human needs were arranged in a hierarchical order that could be divided into two major groups: basic needs and metaneeds (higher order needs): * Basic Needs are physiological, such as food, water, and sleep; and psychological, such as affection, security, and self-esteem. These basic needs are also called â€Å"deficiency needs† because if they are not met by an individual, then that person will strive to make up the deficiency. * Metaneeds or being needs (growth needs). These include justice, goodness, beauty, order, unity, etc. Basic needs normally take priority over these meta needs.

Wedding Speech - Best Woman or Maid of Honor :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Wedding Speech – Best Woman or Maid of Honor Good Evening! For those of you who don’t know me, I am Sarah, Frankie’s slightly older sister. I want to start by congratulating Frankie and Erik, and thanking all of you for coming here today. I of course have known Frankie, a very, very long time. Frankie and I have always been pretty much inseparable as long as I can remember and we have always managed to keep each other laughing. I vividly remember Frankie and I staying up until well past our bedtime, throwing stuffed animals at each other, talking about boys and laughing so hard at everything and anything. To this day Frankie is the only person I know that can make me laugh so hard it hurts. Now, I of course have lots and lots of fun embarrassing stories about her†¦but because it is her special day, I will leave her alone. But there is always Erik†¦Erik, Erik, Erik. The big bonus of Frankie and Erik dating as long as they have is that we have all gotten to know Erik really well, really, really well†¦he has become the big brother I never had†¦ or wanted. But honestly he has really become a part of our family. He hunts, drinks beer, and wears flannel so it wasn’t too much of a stretch. Now, I have been trying for weeks to come up with a single embarrassing story, something about meeting Erik for the first time, or the first time he met our family, and frankly I came up with nothing. Erik has always been polite, kind, and funny to everyone†¦EVERYONE†¦frankly man it’s a little spooky.

Education important for girl Essay

Education of a child starts from the family and mother is the first teacher. But, the irony in India is that although the deity of education is a female i.e. Goddess Saraswati according to the Hinduism, innumerable number of women are illiterate. They are not remaining uneducated by their own wish but they are being forbidden from receiving education because of the patriarchal families in our society. Right from the early Vedic period people have been celebrating the birth of a son, but in those days daughters born into a family were not neglected and educated properly. However the scene was changed during the later Vedic Age and the daughters were considered as a social burden. Only the girls belonging to upper class families enjoyed the right of education and got proper nourishment. In medieval period the conditions deteriorated for the females and even in royal families, girls could not get the same status as the boys. In Muslim households they were taught at their homes while Hindu girls enjoyed the privilege of getting primary education along with the boys in schools. The prevalence of child marriage were excessively practiced. However, in the nineteenth century many social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Annie Besant, M.G. Ranade, Jyotibe Phule, Swami Dayanand Saraswati etc. came forward for the emancipation of women in India. Especially Raja Ram Mohan Roy advocated for female education. Since then there has been tremendous progress in every field but unfortunately still the girls are neglected. In most of the families the birth of a girl child is not desired and if accepted they are thought inferior to boys and their education is not considered important because it seems a wastage of money to most of the parents. they think it unreasonable because afterwards they have been compelled to bear a heavy amount towards their dowry. So the female literacy is rate is unsatisfactory and it has a direct impact upon the overall development of a nation and its population growth. If India wants to be one of the developed nations it must concentrate on female education because if we educate a man we educate an individual but if we educate a women we educate an entire family. Again the root cause of all problems facing the women is related to education. if all women are educate, then all problems like female infanticide, dowry, female suicides, domestic battering, malnutrition of women, child marriage and other related atrocities would get vanished from India. Education provides an essential  qualification to fulfill certain economic, political and cultural functions and improves women ‘s socioeconomic status. At very age and level education enhances the intellectual, social and emotional development of women and enables them to meet their basic needs to daily life. It brings reduction in inequalities in the society. Only educated women can understand the needs of the family. They will never send their children to work in any shop or factory, rather they will arrange for their education in good schools. They will take proper care of the health and diet of their children. A mother knows what is good for her kids and how they should be brought up. Thus, educated mothers would promote education for all their children without discrimination. But if a mother (girl) is not educated and gets children then she would do anything without reasoning and harm herself and her children. As she is not educated, she would tend to think that education is only for the mail and not for the female and thus, she would ingrain in her daughters the idea that they are inferior to their brothers. As girls are not educated they remain dependent on their family before marriage, on their husband after marriage and on their children after the death of their spouse. This is the main reason for the unpleasant condition of women. So if girls will be educated, they will no longer be dependent on any one and they can do a lot for their uplift. Most of the problems of society can be eradicated by educating the girl child. marriage at a very young age leads the women to conceive repeatedly, which affect their health badly. Most of the uneducated women do not know about the various contraceptive measures. Even if some know they feel hesitant in using them. It results in more growth of population and worse condition of women. Thus, the state in which female literacy rate is more like Kerala, population growth is less. The menace of child labor also has significantly been out of practice because the women became aware of their rights and privileges. Women are exploited in every sector, especially if they are uneducated, because they cannot demand their rights. Most of the women lack unity and work in unorganized sector. If they were educated they would have been knowing the rules and regulations and working in an organized sector getting the benefits of public schemes. If women are educated enough they can get training for setting of small scale industries, they can know the procedure of getting loan, get the knowledge of market availability of raw material and labor,  new policies of the government, procedure to register new product and knowledge about import and export goods. If their standard of living will be improved. it will indirectly uplift the level of society. If they can be financially strong they will take proper care of their children and provide them good education. According to Mahatma Gandhi, â€Å"Due to her nature women possesses the best ability to teach the child†. Chhatrapati Shivaji and Maharana Pratap are the best example of this saying. Thus, let us start educating the female children to change the face of society.

Doing Business in Russia

Export and Investment Chapter 5: Trade Regulations, Customs and Standards Chapter 6: Investment Climate Chapter 7: Trade and Project Financing Chapter 8: Business Travel Chapter 9: Contacts, Market Research and Trade Events Chapter 10: Guide to Our Services 1 6/7/2013 Return to table of contents Chapter 1: Doing Business in Russia †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Market Overview Market Challenges Market Opportunities Market Entry Strategy Market Fact Sheet Link Market Overview †¢ Return to topWith a vast landmass, extensive natural resources, more than 140 million consumers, a growing middle class, and almost unlimited infrastructure needs, Russia remains one of the most promising and eexciting markets for U. S. exporters. Russia is the world’s 11th largest economy by nominal gross domestic product (GDP) and 7th largest by purchasing power parity (PPP). It has the highest per capita GDP ($13,400) of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Afric a). Russia is an upper middle income country, with a highly educated and trained workforce and sophisticated, discerning consumers.Russia’s economy is still recovering from the economic crisis that began in 2008, with GDP growth estimated at 2. 8% for 2013. In terms of trade in goods, Russia was the United States’ 27th largest export market and the 16th largest exporter to the United States in 2012. Russia was America’s 21st largest trading partner overall. U. S. exports to Russia in 2012 were $10. 7 billion, a new record and an increase of almost 30% from 2011. This is six times more than the growth rate for overall U. S. exports worldwide, which rose by 5%. Russian exports to the United States in 2012 were $29 billion, a decrease of 15% from 2011.Russia’s leading trade partners were recently Netherlands, China, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, and Turkey. U. S. accumulated investment in Russia is approximately $10 billion. According to Russian data, the United States is Russia’s 10th largest foreign investor. Russia joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in August 2012. This brought the world’s largest economy outside the WTO into the organization and bound it to a set of rules governing trade. Congress also enacted legislation to extend permanent normal trade relations to Russia in the same year.Russia’s membership in the WTO will liberalize trade with the rest of the world and create opportunities for U. S. exports and investments. For industrial and consumer goods, Russia’s average bound tariff rate declined from almost 10% to under 8%. U. S. manufacturers and exporters will have more certain and predictable access to the Russian market as a result of Russia’s commitment not to raise tariffs on any products above the negotiated rates. For American businesses, Russia’s accession to the WTO will also bring the following: 3 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ More li beral treatment for service exports and service providers.Sthronger commitments for protection and enforcement of IPR. Rules-based treatment of agricultural exports. Market access under country-specific tariff-rate quotas. Improved transparency in trade-related rule-making. More effective WTO dispute resolution mechanisms. The United States is working vigorously to expand bilateral trade and investment cooperation to benefit both Russia and the United States. In the last several years, the positive atmosphere resulting from the â€Å"reset† of bilateral relations has led to an unprecedented advance in economic cooperation between our countries.From 2009 to 2011, U. S. exports to Russia rose markedly by about 57%, and total United States-Russia trade increased by more than 80%. There is much more room for growth in this important relationship. Return to top †¢ Market Challenges †¢ †¢ †¢ Russia is the largest country in the world, spanning nine time zones an d encompassing over 17 million square miles. Seriously underdeveloped infrastructure poses logistical challenges, especially in accessing markets outside of major cities.An incomplete transition from central planning has led to an insufficiently iintegrated economy and disparities in wealth distribution, both geographically and demographically. Conducting business might be impeded by: burdensome regulatory regimes; inadequate intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and enforcement; widespread corruption and inadequate rule of law; inconsistent application of laws and regulations; lack of transparency; and the continued presence of large state-owned, or state-controlled, enterprises in strategic sectors of the economy.Investments in â€Å"strategic sectors† of the Russian economy are subject to Russian Government control. Recent reforms make it easier for companies to hire expatriate employees, but the Russian immigration and visa system requires time and patience for bu siness travelers to obtain necessary permissions to do business in Russia. English is not widely spoken although knowledge of the language is expanding especially in the major cities. Return to top †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Market Opportunities In alphabetical order: †¢ Agricultural Equipment †¢ Apparel †¢ Automotive Parts and Service Equipment/Accessories †¢ Aviation 4 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Chemicals/Plastics Construction Consumer Electronics Electric Power Generation and Transmission Equipment Energy Efficiency/Green Build Medical Equipment Refinery Equipment Safety and Security Equipment Travel and Tourism to the United States Return to top Market Entry Strategy †¢ †¢ Commit time, personnel, and capital seriously, as developing business in Russia is resource-intensive. Conduct market research, such as with the U. S. Commercial Service’s Gold Key or International Partner Search services, to identi fy opportunities and potential Russian business partners.Conduct due diligence, such as with the U. S. Commercial Service’s International Company Profile service, to ascertain the reliability of business partners. Consult with U. S. companies already in the market, as well as with the U. S. Commercial Service and business organizations such as the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia and the U. S. -Russia Business Council. Communicate regularly with Russian business partners to ensure common understanding of expectations. Frequent travel to Russia is sthrongly recommended in order to establish and maintain relationships with partners and to understand hanging market conditions. Maintain a long-term timeframe to implement plans and achieve positive results. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Return to table of contents 5 Return to table of contents Chapter 2: Political and Economic Environment For background information on the political and economic environment of the c ountry, please click on the link below to the U. S. Department of State Background Notes. http://www. state. gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/index. htm Information on Russia can be found at the following link: http://www. state. gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3183. tm Return to table of contents 6 Return to table of contents Chapter 3: Selling U. S. Products and Services †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Using an Agent or Distributor Establishing an Office Franchising Direct Marketing Joint Ventures/Licensing Selling to the Government Distribution and Sales Channels Selling Factors/Techniques Electronic Commerce Trade Promotion and Advertising Pricing Sales Service/Customer Support Protecting Your Intellectual Property Due Diligence Local Professional Services Web Resources Return to top Using an Agent or DistributorEncompassing nine time zones, Russia is the largest country in the world by landmass. Therefore, many busi nesses tend to approach the Russian market on a regional basis. Most new entrants start in Moscow and then move into the regions either through an existing distributor or by seeking new distributors in those locales. As both Moscow and St. Petersburg are major population and business centers, many Western firms have representatives there. The Northwest Federal District consists of the northern part of European Russia and includes eight federal subjects (equivalent to U.S. states), including Russia's second largest city, St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad Region are home to Russia's largest port facilities, and the area has significant natural resources, especially in forest products and oil and gas. The region's population of over 13 million provides a stable and highly educated workforce. In addition, the region shares a long border with Finland, and nearly 40% of European Union-Russia trade takes place along this border.American companies have made signif icant investments in northwest Russia: Caterpillar, Ford, GM, International Paper, Kraft Foods, Wrigley and ConocoPhillips are some of the U. S. brand names with investments there. Some companies have successfully entered the Russian market by starting distribution in other key regions first because of market features and industry sector concentrations (e. g. , woodworking in northwest Russia and energy projects in Sakhalin and western Siberia) and then expanding elsewhere. Well-organized distribution channels are established in western Russia, especially in Moscow and St.Petersburg, and continue to 7 develop rapidly in southern Russia, the Volga region, Urals, Siberia, and Russian Far East. With a high concentration of mineral resources (diamonds, gold, silver, tin, tungsten, lead and zinc), fishing, and timber resources, the Russian Far East also represents business opportunities for U. S. exporters. The Russian Government is promoting a shift in the region to deep processing of n atural resources and fostering local production of high value-added products, while preserving a reasonable focus on resource extraction.Deep processing is focused on the timber, fishing, and agricultural (meat and milk production) industries and will create a need for equipment in these areas. Local and international environmental groups are supporting this strategy, aimed at more sustainable economic development in the region. The Russian Government has mega-projects in the fuel and energy sectors, including continued development of the major Sakhalin oil and gas project at a cost of over 1. 8 trillion rubles. Chemical production facilities using natural gas will likely be built along the pipeline routes.A large-scale petro- and natural gas chemical industry is expected to develop in the Russian Far East along the main pipeline routes to include methanol, ammonia, and fertilizer products, as well as manufacturing of polymeric plastics. These new projects will require procurement o f equipment and machinery to support their production. The mining sector is also expected to be developed, including continued development of gold deposits in the Amur and Magadan regions and the Chukotka Autonomous Region.New projects in the mining sector will drive up the demand for expanded fleets of road construction machinery, and other equipment by local companies. The development of regional aviation as a mearns to connect population centers in the Russian Far East is another Government priority. A new Federal program (adopted in April 2013) plans to allocate 101 billion rubles to support regional aviation, including the upgrade of local airports’ infrastructure. This will create business opportunities for suppliers of regional aircraft and equipment, as well as for service providers specializing in airport modernization.

The Business Environment of Amazon

The Business Environment of Amazon The business environment consists of the factors that affect the operations of a business. These factors are identified through the environmental analysis, which is conducted either in the form of the SWOT or the PEST (EL) analyses (Powell, 863). Resources and capabilities are used by the business to gain the competitive advantage.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Business Environment of Amazon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These are the inputs available to a business that makes it operate successfully, and these may either be tangible or intangible (Warf and Stutz 113). The coordination of resources is the key to the success of a business. On the other hand, capabilities refer to the capacity of a business to either coordinate or deploy the resources within an organization, and are developed progressively. In the case study, Amazon, the leading online retailer, and supercenter, can outdo the competition b y the adoption of new IT procedures to enter into the bookselling industry. This acts as turnaround in the aforementioned sector. One of the key environmental factors for Amazon is the competition within the industry due to the emergence of many publishers, and also due to the existence of other bookselling stores such as B M stores and Barnes and Noble. Owing to the first mover advantage and development of new IT marketing policies, such as the use of the internet for selling books, Amazon had a large clientele base and it was difficult for its competitors to attract customers the way it did (Hill and Jones 272). Another key factor is the customers (consumers). The company’s mission emphasizes on the goal of Amazon to be the most custom-centered company in the globe. After the enrollment or signing up to its website, it was difficult to get the customer sign into other firms’ websites due to the loyalty attached to the Amazon products (Hill and Jones 272).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finally, the industry itself was another key factor. After taking the first mover advantage, Amazon turned around the bookselling industry by offering fresh competition to bookselling giants such as the Borders (Hill and Jones 272). Amazon possesses key internal resources and capabilities. To begin with, the incorporation of a first mover advantage through the use of patented customer-oriented software would be of a great value to Amazon. Moreover, adopting exceptional IT policies would help in reducing the competition. Furthermore, shifting focus to the web-based approach of buying and selling books online would enhance its performance. As it is an online-based company, that offers its customers immediate and instant access to its books in print form, it helps to boost its sales. Finally, embracing the formation of strategic alliances wi th the largest book publishers would ensure that Amazon’s customers get products without any delays in the distribution. The key strategic choices undertaken by Amazon are outlined above, including formation mergers with the well-established firms in the IT industry. This has helped it to increase the profit margin significantly. Amazon has also acquired other websites such as ‘Exchange.com,’ ‘Jungle.com, and ‘Planetall.com’ as a way of developing new and superior website techniques in order to enhance efficiency and retain the clientele base. Amazon launched the digital bookstores, video and music, and also the Amazon’s ‘Kindle Reader’ in order to give its customers varied options. Finally, Amazon’s movement into the ‘cloud’ computing and leveraging of its key competencies helped it to realize the value of its assets, vital for global expansion the drawbacks notwithstanding.Advertising We will wr ite a custom case study sample on The Business Environment of Amazon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The successful implementation of Amazon’s roadmaps enabled it gain the advantage over its competitors. Consequently, it realized record profits in the year 2011. Hill, Charles, and Jones Gareth. Strategic Management, An integrated approach (10th edition). New York: St. Martins, 2014. Print. Powell, Thomas. Competitive advantage: logical and philosophical considerations. Strategic Management Journal 22.6 (2001): 863-865. Web. Warf, Frederick, and Stutz Barney. â€Å"The World Economy: Resources, Location, Trade and Development.† Online Journal on Economic 16.1 (2007): 110-113. Web.