Introduction Hacienda Luisita

Introduction Hacienda Luisita was once part of the holdings of Compania General de Tabacos de Filipinas, Sociedad Anonima, better known as Tabacalera, which was founded on November 26, 1881 by a Spaniard from Santander, Cantabria and Santiago de Cuba, Don Antonio Lopez y Lopez. He was the first Marques de Comillas and was famous for being an associate of the first Spanish Prime Minister with foreign blood, the Spanish-Filipino mestizo Don Marcelo Azcarraga y Palmero. His relative on his Spanish side, Ricardo Padilla, married Gloria Zobel y Montojo (younger half sister of Mercedes Zobel de Ayala de McMicking, largest Zobel owner in the Ayala group of companies) and was an aide-de-camp of Juan de Borbon, Count of Barcelona, father of the current King of Spain, His Majesty DonJuan Carlos de todos los Santos de Borbon y Borbon-Dos Sicilias. The estate was named after Antonio's wife, Luisa Bru y Lassus. Their son, Claudio Lopez, the second to hold the title , donated some of the profits to the Jesuits to create the Pontifical University of Comillas, a university outside Madrid. Lopez acquired the estate in 1882, a year before his death. Lopez was a financial genius who parlayed his work adventures in Cuba and Latin America into a steamship, companies and trading businesses. He was the most influential Spanish businessman of his generation and counted the Prime Minister and the King of Spain as his personal friends. Tabacalera was a private enterprise he founded with the sole intention of taking over the Philippine Tobacco Monopoly from the Spanish colonial government. This included the Hacienda Antonio (named after his eldest son), Hacienda San Fernando and Hacienda Isabel (named after his eldest daughter) in Cagayan and Isabela provinces where the legendary La Flor de Isabela cigar was cultivated. Tabacalera’s incorporators were the Sociedad General de Credito Inmobiliario Espanol, Banque de Paris which is now Paribas and Bank of the Netherlands which is now ABN-AMRO. The sugar and tobacco in the Philippines were the reason why the Lopez de Comillas family were able to donate such a huge pontifical university to the Jesuits on top of lavishing on their home, the Palacio de Sobrellano in Comillas and the Guell park (designed by Gaudi) in Barcelona. Don Alfonso Guell y Martos born in 1958, the fourth Marquis of Comillas, currently holds the title. He is also the Count of San Pedro de Ruisenada, the third to hold that title. Both are grandee status in Spain and as such can address the King as â€Å"mi primo† or â€Å"my cousin. Contrary to what was expected, Spanish-owned Hacienda Luisita did not languish when the Americans took full control of the Philippine government. In fact, Tabacalera as a whole experienced prosperous times because of the legendary sweet tooth of the Americans. With Cuban sugar not enough for their domestic market, the Americans tapped the Philippines for its sugarcane requirements. At one point during pre-war Manila times, Hacienda Luisita supplied almost 20% of all sugar in the United States. Luisita sugar became popular among Filipino (specifically Ilocano) expatriates in America just as much as Victorias sugar was popular among Manila’s elite circles back home. The Americans also brought the centrifugal-based machinery which doubled the production of the estate and therefore did not require the cane to be loaded by truck to Laguna to be squeezed in the haciendas there, including those of the Roxas y Zobel families. As this new technology swept in Luzon and the sugar mills consolidated, many wealthy families fell into foreclosure or combined their resources. Some of the brave few like Honorio Ventura (who paid for Diosdado Macapagal’s schooling), the De Leons, Urquicos, Lazatins and the Gonzalezes did just that— which is how PASUDECO came into being. Structurally, there was little change in the hacienda; Tabacalera y Compania positionedSpanish-Filipino and American-Filipino encargados and administradores to manage the vast estate. Like all haciendas and tabacaleras in the Philippines, the Hacienda Luisita continued to operate during the Japanese occupation. The Japanese were bent on ensuring that commodities such as sugar and rice be made available to the majority of the Filipinos, therefore avoiding any tempers of additional insurgencies and guerilla movements. The Spanish-Filipino administrators simply placed their subordinates, Japanese journeymen (who, like many impoverished Chinese immigrants from Fujian fled south to the Philippines for a better life) and Korean stevedores working as machinists in the centrifugal system, to the helm. This kept both the Japanese and the Spanish in good terms as both their interests were protected. As a matter of fact, even before World War II, the Tabacalera had in their payroll a good number of Japanese migrant workers doing odd jobs around Hacienda Luisita. (Before 1942, the Philippines was a first class colony in Asia while Hong Kong and Singapore were poor cities; Tokyo and Japan as a whole was relatively closed from the outside world then). When the Japanese Imperial Army marched into the country, these lowly migrant workers became valuable translators and managers. In conjunction with re-taking the Philippines from the Japanese, on January 25, 1945 General Douglas MacArthur moved his advanced headquarters forward to Hacienda Luisita. In the 1950s, the onset of the Hukbalahap rebellion led the Spanish owners of Tabacalera to sell Hacienda Luisita and the sugar mill Central Azucarera de Tarlac. Ramon Magsaysay, then president of the Philippines, blocked the sale of the plantation to the eager and wealthy Lopezes of Iloilo. During those times the brothers Fernando Lopez and Eugenio Lopez as well as their cousins were one of the wealthiest in all of the Visayas Islands, save for a few Chinese Filipino families in Cebu and Leyte, as well as the Familias Aliadas de Villegas, Teves, Lopez, y Rodriguez (a family with origins from Santander, Galicia, & Asturias; as well as China – Teves). Fearing the Lopezes might become too powerful after already owning Meralco, Negros Navigation, Manila Chronicle, ABS-CBN, various haciendas in Western Visayas and then the nearby PASUMIL consortium in del Carmen, Pampanga that they purchased from the Americans, the President offered the property to Jose Cojuangco, nicknamed â€Å"Pepe† through Magsaysay protege and Cojuangco's son-in-law, Benigno Aquino. Magsaysay also knew the Cojuangcos through his wife, Luz, of the prosperous Banzons, an old Chinese Filipino family. Unfortunately, President Ramon Magsaysay died in Mount Manunggal, Cebu in 1957. The sale was consummated in President Carlos P. Garcia’s term, a close ally of then Senator Ferdinand Marcos and five years from the day President Magsaysay offered the land. The Jose Cojuangcos were wealthy in land and bank holdings and in Philippine pesos. They were not wealthy in United States dollars which was closely regulated then by the Philippine Central Bank. In fact, Pepe and his wife Metring were not able to send Pepe’s younger brother Eduardo Sr. (Danding Cojuangco’s father) to the United States for treatment for the mere fact that they could not exchange their pesos to dollars. Eduardo Sr or Endeng Lalake later died of kidney failure. The Jose Cojuangcos acquired the property in 1958 through a loan from the Government Service Insurance System and a dollar loan from the Manufacturers Trust Company of New York, which was guaranteed by the Central Bank of the Philippines, with consent from Miguel Cuaderno, its governor. Pepe also reduced his stake in the Paniqui Sugar Mills, though he and his cousins still managed it on behalf of his aunt, Ysidra Cojuangco, the matriarch. Hacienda Luisita was the largest investment he ever made. With the ink barely dry, he appointed not his eldest son Pedro but his son-in-law Benigno Aquino Jr as administrator. Pepe and Ninoy introduced an almost social welfare state: free medicines and check up, scholarships to colleges, free education, free food and equitable shares to the harvest, free child care and nutrition, free burials, a village with housing earmarked for the farmers, even free gasoline to the tractoras. Like the Paniqui Sugar Mills, not a single workers’ strike was instigated during their administration. Pepe barely made any money from the Hacienda Luisita. Understanding that the value of the Luisita is in the farmers who till it, he chose to rehabilitate the Filipinos who before were almost slaves under the Tabacalera. He was able to sustain these losses due in part of his other more money making investments in the Bank of Commerce and First Manila Management which owned the Pantranco buses and the Mantrade group. As Ferdinand Marcos was elected for a second term in 1969, the reverse happened to Pepe. At Bank of Commerce, where he and his brother Juan â€Å"Itoy† Cojuangco and nephews Ramon Cojuangco(later of PLDT; son of relative Antonio Cojuangco Sr) and Danding Cojuangco (eldest son of deceased brother Eduardo Cojuangco Sr) each owned equitable stakes, the last three factions planned a coup d’ etat by toppling him from the presidency of the said bank. The three did not want Pedro (Pepe’s first born) to be bank president which was against the aging Pepe’s wishes. To avoid a scandal, Pepe Cojuangco sold his remaining shares in Bank of Commerce, almost equal to 28%, to his relatives. Thus Pepe lost his one of eventually three lifelines in nurturing the Hacienda Luisita. As the 1970s crept in and immediately after Benigno Aquino Jr imprisonment on false charges, Pepe’s business empire began to wane. He was unable to purchase new machines and new technology for the aging sugar mill that stands in the middle of the estate because of the government’s refusal to Pantranco’s appeals for higher charges as compared to its competitors who have since been permitted so. Business critics believed it was Marcos’s way of pressuring Pepe to influence his son-in-law from attacking him and his wife, First Lady Imelda Marcos(who recently built the Cultural Center of the Philippines and whom Ninoy labeled as the new Evita Peron). His close business associate in First Manila Management of the Pantranco / Nissan Philippines / Mantrade fame, Manuel Lopa, died in 1974. With his death, the FMMC-Mantrade companies lost their immunity from the Marcoses (Manuel was a close personal friend of Speaker Daniel Romualdez, Imelda's uncle). Ambassador Benjamin Romualdez, brother of Imelda, then coerced Pepe and his son-in-law, Ricardo â€Å"Baby† Lopa (Manuel’s son) into selling the collection of 38 companies under First Manila Management to him. Baby and his wife Teresita Cojuangco, together with Pepe and the rest of the Lopa heirs, had no choice but to sell. The second lifeline disappeared with this extortion. In 1976, First United Bank, the banking concern Pepe built on his own after his ouster from the family owned Bank of Commerce which he saved from bankruptcy decades ago, was sold for an amicable amount to his nephew, Danding Cojuangco, who was then close to President Marcos, with both mothers being Ilocanas notwithstanding. The poorest branch of the Cojuangcos, the Eduardo branch, has become the richest through the sheer genius of Danding. Though this third lifeline disappeared in good terms, the Jose Cojuangcos were left with nothing but a half-rehabilitated and barely earningwhite elephant of a hacienda. Practically all of his farm workers mourned his death. Many flooded his funeral Mass to see him off. Pepe Cojuangco died on August 21, 1976, five years from the day of the Plaza Miranda bombing. His wife, Demetria Sumulong-Cojuangco, died due to colon cancer (the same disease that killed daughter Cory Aquino). Both died disappointed and broken-hearted. Their children and grandchildren zealously took key positions in the holding company to save the hacienda from the creditors, all of whom wanted to slice Luisita away save for Chinabank of Binondo, who defied the anger of President and Mrs. Marcos by continuing to help them. Chinabank was partly owned by the Dee, Sycip and Lim families. With Ninoy and his wife Cory Aquino in exile in Boston, the remaining children took drastic steps in ensuring that the hacienda continued to exist and operate. To maximize the productivity of sugar and therefore profitability, a certain level of economy must be reached. Thus the Jose Cojuangcos tried their best to keep the Luisita in one piece. They refurbished and re-used old 1950s era farm machines and tools, doubled capacity production maintained low expenses. There were a lot of reasons why Luisita remained in Cojuangco hands. One, it helped that Danding Cojuangco was the de facto kingpin of Tarlac and his kind mother Josephine Murphy Cojuangco was still cordial to them. For Marcos to touch Hacienda Luisita he also would have to force Agrarian Reform into the Ysidra Cojuangco haciendas which were under the supervision of Danding Cojuangco. Thus, many haciendas around Luisita were hacked to smaller pieces such as those of the De Leons[disambiguation needed ],Escalers, Urquicos, Arrastrias, Quiasons and Gonzalezes[disambiguation needed ] but not those of the Cojuangco. Two, it helped that the price of sugar spiraled so high because of President Marcos and Roberto Benedicto manipulating the sugar prices primarily in Negros Occidental. Third, Ninoy Aquino was not in the Philippines lambasting President Marcos in the underground movements. For as long as the Marcoses heard less of Pepe’s son-in-law, the less government pressure there was on the Jose Cojuangcos. Most importantly, it helped that most of the farm workers who remember Pepe understood the frugality measures his children had to implement. On Pepe’s death anniversary and that of the bombing of Plaza Miranda, Ninoy Aquino was gunned down in broad daylight, August 21, 1983. Upon the installation of his wife, Cory, Pepe’s daughter, the property was folded into the Hacienda Luisita Incorporated established on August 23, 1988. [1] In compliance with the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program which at this time around did not exempt anyone whether or not they were close to President Marcos before, nearly 5,000 hectares of Hacienda Luisita were placed under astock distribution agreement between the landowners and farm workers. President Aquino wanted to make sure that all farmers’ rights are recognized. If the farmers agreed for a stock distribution agreement then the plantations would also remain intact. Many haciendas, including those assembled by Ysidra Cojuangco a century before, did not qualify or the farm hands there refused the offer. Thus, the majority of all Cojuangco lands disappeared while a Cojuangco was President of the Philippines. This caused a silent rift within the Cojuangco clan. All the lands where sugarcane and molasses were derived to feed the Paniqui Sugar Mills were hocked to appease the government program and those of the angry farm workers. Hacienda Luisita was saved by the perseverance of Cory’s siblings and the fact that most of the farm workers signed the agreement, counting that one day the life in Hacienda Luisita would be just as good as the time when Pepe and Ninoy used to managed it. However, development and new technology did not arrive in Cory Aquino’s term. She barred any relative from starting any new businesses. Furthermore, she forbade many among her siblings and cousins from retaking the family businesses lost in the 1970s unless it was sold back to them (as with the case between Romualdez selling back First Manila Management to the Lopa clan) or was awarded to them by the PCGG or Presidential Commission on Good Government. The old sugar mill in the middle of Luisita remained rickety and with holes in its roofs. After 1992, Cory Aquino stepped down from the Philippine presidency. That was also the time that elder brother Pedro â€Å"Pete† and sons Melecio â€Å"Mel† and Fernando â€Å"Nando† entered the hacienda hoping to make it profitable. Mindful of the farm workers, they instituted very slowly the fiscal reforms to achieve this goal. This partly explains why every year from 1988 until 2008 the Hacienda Luisita and itsCentral Azucarera de Tarlac posted hundreds of millions of losses. Only in 2009, buoyed by the huge demand for sugar and the unpredicted fluctuating prices of Brazilian sugar, did the family corporation post a profit. The various siblings stopped contributing money from their own non-hacienda corporations for the benefit of Pepe’s hacienda, which was a huge sigh of relief for them. On the other hand, the management style of the Pedro Cojuangcos lacked the charisma of the deceased Ninoy. His United States educated children, Mel and Nando, continue to strive to placate the needs of the farmers while balancing the budget. Sadly, when profit arrived so did the workers’ strikes. The unrest was blamed on the allies of current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who were shocked to see Cory Aquino joining anti-Arroyo rallies. Some blamed Danding Cojuangco since owning the hacienda would complement San Miguel and Ginebra’s ethyl, molasses and sugar needs. This was refuted by Danding himself and his cousins believe in him. In 2005, the Department of Agrarian Reform canceled the stock distribution agreement, citing that it had failed to improve the lives of more than 5 000 farmer beneficiaries. Hacienda Luisita Incorporated appealed this decision, but in May 2006, the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council rejected with finality the motion of Hacienda Luisita Incorporated to reconsider the revocation of the stock distribution agreement. However, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order, stopping the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council from parceling out the land to the workers.

Delhi Gang Rape Essay

On 16 December 2012 a female physiotherapy intern[2] was beaten and gang raped in Delhi. She died from her injuries thirteen days later while undergoing emergency treatment in Singapore for brain and gastrointestinal damage. After watching a film in South Delhi in the early evening, she and a male companion had boarded a bus, which was being driven as an unauthorized â€Å"joyride†, thinking it was a public bus.[3] The only other passengers on the bus were five men who were friends of the driver.[3] All six, including the driver, were charged in connection with the assaults and have been arrested. After the attack, she was taken to Safdarjang Hospital, received multiple surgeries, and was placed on mechanical ventilation. On 26 December, she was moved to Singapore for further treatment, where she died on 29 December. The incident has generated international coverage and was condemned by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, who called on the Government of India and the Government of Delhi â€Å"to do everything in their power to take up radical reforms, ensure justice and reach out with robust public services to make women’s lives more safe and secure†.[4] Public protests took place in Delhi, where thousands of protesters clashed with security forces. Similar protests took place in major cities throughout the country. Incident The victims, a 23-year old woman and her male friend, were on their way home after watching the film Life of Pi in Saket in South Delhi.[5][6] They boarded a chartered bus at Munirka for Dwarka that was being driven by joyriders at about 9:30 pm. The minor among the accused had called for passengers telling them that it was going towards their destination.[3][7] The woman’s friend became suspicious when the bus deviated from its normal route and its doors were shut. When he objected, the group of six men already on board taunted the couple, asking what they were doing alone at such a late hour.[8] When the male victim tried to intervene, he was beaten, gagged and knocked unconscious with an iron rod. The men dragged the woman to the rear of the bus, beating her with the rod and raping her while the bus driver continued to drive. Medical reports later suggested that the woman suffered serious injuries to her abdomen, intestines and genitals due to the assault, and doctors say that the damage indicates that a blunt object (suspected to be the iron rod) may have been used for penetration.[6] That rod was later described by police as being a rusted, L-shaped implement of the type used as a wheel jack handle.[9] According to the International Business Times, a police spokesman said that the youngest attacker â€Å"sexually abused his victim twice and ripped out her intestines with his bare hands.†[10] According to police reports the woman attempted to fight off her assailants, biting three of the attackers and leaving bite marks on the accused men.[11] After the beatings and rape ended, the attackers threw both the victims from the moving bus. Then the accused allegedly tried to drive the bus over the woman but she was pulled aside by her male friend. One of the perpetrators later cleaned the vehicle. Police impounded it the next day.[11][12] The victims were found by a passerby on the road, partially clothed and unconscious, around 11 pm. The passerby phoned the Delhi Police, who took the couple to a hospital, where the female victim was given emergency treatment and placed on mechanical ventilation.[13] She was found with only 5% of her intestines left inside of her. A doctor at the hospital later said that the â€Å"rod was inserted into her and it was pulled out with so much force that the act brought out her intestines also. That is probably the only thing that explains such severe damage to her intestines.† Victims The female victim was born and raised in Delhi while her parents were from a small village in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh. Her father, who sold his agricultural land to educate her, works for a private company as a loader in Delhi.[15] Complying with Indian law, the real name of the victim was initially not released to the media, so pseudonyms were used for her by various media houses instead, including Jagruti(â€Å"awareness†), Amanat (â€Å"treasure†), Nirbhaya (â€Å"fearless one†), and Damini (â€Å"lightning†, after the 1993 Hindi film Damini),[16][17][18] although some media commentators have questioned the judgement of using pseudonyms for her.[17][19] The male victim is 28 years old, from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, and lives in Ber Sarai, New Delhi.[20] Delhi police registered a criminal case against the editor of a Delhi based tabloid for disclosing the female victim’s identity, as such disclosure is an offence under section 228(A) of Indian Penal Code.[21] Shashi Tharoor, union minister, suggested that if the parents had no objection, her identity could be made public, with a view to showing respect for her courageous response by naming future laws after her, but Tharoor’s remark created controversy.[22] Later, her father and brother said that â€Å"if her name is made public for this purpose, they have no objection to it† as well as â€Å"if the government names the revised anti-rape law after her, they have no objection and it would be an honor to her†. Treatment and death On 19 December 2012, the woman’s damaged intestines were resected due to risk of gangrene, and she received intravenous nutrition and medication.[24] On 21 December 2012, the government appointed a committee of physicians to ensure she received the best medical care.[25] By 25 December 2012, she remained intubated, on life support and in critical condition. Doctors stated that the internal bleeding had been controlled to an extent, but her increased bilirubin level (suggesting hepatic dysfunction or hemolysis) was a â€Å"serious cause of concern†.[26] At a cabinet meeting chaired by Manmohan Singh on 26 December, the decision was made to fly her to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore for further care. Mount Elizabeth is a multi-organ transplant speciality hospital.[27][28] The decision to move the patient while she was still in critical condition has been criticised for being purely political. Doctors have questioned the need to transfer an ICU patient for organ transplants that were not scheduled for weeks or even months later.[29][30] Government sources indicate that the Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, was personally behind the decision.[31] Hours earlier, Union Minister P. Chidambaram had stated that the woman was not in a condition to move.[32] Some reports suggest that the decision to shift was taken when it was already clear that she would not survive the next 48 hours.[33] During the six-hour flight by air-ambulance to Singapore, at 30,000 feet (9,100 m), the woman suddenly went into a near collapse. Her blood pressure dipped alarmingly, and doctors on the flight had to create an arterial line to stabilize her. That the doctors were able to perform this procedure in-flight was considered a medical feat.[34] However, the victim never regained consciousness in Singapore.[35] On 28 December 2012, at 11 am (IST), her condition was â€Å"extremely critical† and the Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Elizabeth Hospital said that the woman suffered brain damage, pneumonia, abdominal infection, and that she was â€Å"fighting for her life.†[36] Her condition continued to deteriorate, and she died of a cerebral edema at 4:45 am on 29 December, Singapore Standard Time (2:15 am, 29 December, IST; 8:45 pm, 28 December, UTC).[37] Her body was cremated on 30 December 2012 at Delhi under high police security. The government denied access to the media and the public. The â€Å"fortification† of Delhi was criticised by many, including the main opposition party of India. Alleged perpetrators Police found and arrested some of the suspects within 24 hours.[39] From highway CCTV recordings, a description of the bus, a white privately operated charter bus with a name written on it, and details of the windows, blinds, and seats could be seen. Going to the bus stand where the victims boarded it, other operators identified it as being contracted by a south Delhi private school. They then traced it and found its driver, Ram Singh. Police obtained sketches of the assailants with the help of the male victim, and used a cell phone stolen from the pair to find one of them.[39] Six men have been arrested in connection with the incident: Ram Singh, the bus driver, and his brother, Mukesh Singh, were both arrested in Rajasthan; Vinay Sharma, an assistant gym instructor, was arrested in Delhi,[40] as was Pawan Gupta, a fruit seller; Mohammad Afroz (aka Raju),[41] a 17 years and 8 month old minor[42] and native of Uttar Pradesh was arrested by the police at Anand Vihar terminal in Delhi; Akshay Thakur, a man who had gone from Bihar to Delhi seeking work, was arrested in Aurangabad in Bihar.[40][43] The group had been eating and drinking together and â€Å"having a party† earlier that day.[3] Mohammad Afroz (aka Raju) had only met the others that day.[42] Although the charter bus which Ram Singh drove on weekdays was not permitted to pick up public passengers[12] or even to operate in Delhi because of its tinted windows,[44] they decided to take it out â€Å"to have some fun†.[3] With Mukesh Singh driving, they first picked up a carpenter who was charged Rs. 10 for a ticket and then robbed of Rs. 8,000 and ejected in South Delhi.[44] They then turned back and a half hour later, picked up the couple who were charged Rs. 10 each. Ram Singh was presented before the Metropolitan Magistrate on 18 December 2012.[45] Mukesh Singh, who was placed in Tihar Jail after his arrest, was assaulted by other inmates and was kept in solitary confinement for his own protection.[46] Ram and Mukesh Singh are from Ravidas camp, a slum in South Delhi.[47] Ram Singh suffers from a substantial disability in his right arm, sustained after a bus accident for which he had sought compensation.[48] He refused to participate in an identification process.[44] Shortly after the attacks, Gupta said he accepted his guilt and should be hanged.[49][50]

Vaughan’s subtleties in limning God in his poems of the divine

Henry Vauhgan was one of the more important poetic icons of the 17th century. Born in 1622 in Breconshire, Wales, he eventually became a bright student of Oxford University (Bateson 346). After a few years, he pursued Law for beginning his poetic enterprise. As a poet, one of his greatest contributions was his anthology of poems which leaned on occult and spiritual themes –Silex Scintillians or the Fiery Flint (Vaughan 12). His works evidently have a religious tone, very distant from his initial inclination as a writer. Vaughan also became identified with a group of writers called the metaphysical poets.These poets of the 17th century mostly wrote lyric poems about abstract things – things that cannot be seen or touched, or simply do not have a concrete form (Harvey 255). Things or concepts like death, the human spirit and God were some of their more prominent choices of focus. Aside from that, the metaphysical poets are also much more distinguished for their incorporat ion of a metaphysical conceit in their work s (Craig 133). A metaphysical conceit is an elaborate comparison that makes use of two seemingly farfetched objects in establishing connections or similarities.The usage of unusual pair of images heightens the effect of the comparison and gives more emphasis to the point of comparison. In Henry Vaughan’s â€Å"Cock-crowing† and â€Å"They are all going into the world of light,† the employment of a metaphysical conceit can be spotted under a close scrutiny. However, this was not the only literary device which Vaughan used to make his two works par excellence. He also utilized different kinds of figures of speech to cloak his expression with a beautiful subtlety. In â€Å"Cock-crowing,† he used the image of the sun to allude to, if not overtly represent God.He characterized God through the sun and through allusion to the sun’s attributes. In that sense, the character of God was carefully assimilated in the poem through the characteristics of the sun where it was compared. Through this juxtaposition, the image of the sun and the hard emphasis put on it was used to foreground the image of God. The poem begins with the exclamatory call to the Father of lights, most probably referring to the sun. The first paragraph, in fact, is an apostrophe to the sun. The persona in the poem looks up to the sun with its might and greatness.It understands the sun as having control over the living things: â€Å"What glance of day hast thou confin’d into this bird, (Vaughan 109)† as it radiates with its domineering light upon them. While the sun was the central image in the openings stanza, it was merely being used as a symbol for God. Like the sun, God is also almighty and great, as He is the provenance of all living things and has control over all of them. In the second stanza, we will see how the people depend on and long for the might of the sun and the light it emanates. We also see the introduction of the element of night, an opposition of the element of light.The pronoun â€Å"their† refers to the people as they â€Å"watch for the morning hue,† and â€Å"expel night. (Vaughan 109)† It was made clear that the people favor the light over the night, sun over the absence of sun. If we follow the previous idea that the sun alludes to God, then we will also be led to the idea that the people also favors God over another element –perhaps the absence of a God, or the non-recognition of the presence of a God. In the third stanza, the element of light which is linked to the image if the sun was further highlighted. It was implied that the sun was the source of light which the people favors.By doing that implication, the image of the sun was also rendered desirable. The fourth stanza continues the glorification of the image of the sun. The sun’s star can be a source of power and strength: â€Å"So firm and longing can empower. † T he sun does not only pervade and do so for the sake of pervading. It also disperses an aura of power, or vigor. This vigor can be drunk upon by the people and give theme energy as well. Towards the end of this stanza, the character of God was already openly included but still maintaining the image of the sun.At this point, the operations of driving home the point have become dual: one operates under the pretext of the image of the sun and the other by reference to the newly–introduced character of God. The line â€Å"O thou, immortal light and heat (Vaughan 109) â€Å"which comes right after the introduction of the character of God only hammers out the comparison of the two and the central message that is being forwarded using the comparison. The sun was said to have immortal light and heat – perhaps the same way that God has immortal providence and guidance to all of us.As we can see, the juxtaposition has become more obvious as we get nearer to the end of the poem. This may be intentionally done to elucidate the message of the poem. In the second to the lasts stanza, we continue understanding the pervasiveness of the sun’s reach: â€Å"†¦shines through all this frame. (Vaughan 109)† Then, we were led to the idea of our interdependence with the sun and its light. The sun resides in us as it empowers and inspires us while we reside in it too as we imbibe its power and radiance. In the last stanza, the final exaltation of the sun was made.The persona in the poem enounces that without the sun, they would arrive at death, or a total absence of light, which is a daunting scenario. Without the light, the people will reach a state of disorder. By implying that, the poem also instill to us that without God, our lives will be dark and perilous, as the absence of His guidance is a very crucial thing. Like the absence of light, perhaps even more than that, we will be forsaken in the dark and eventually, through death. In this first poe m, we can see how Henry Vaughan used certain literary devices to render his message.He put the character of God to the background and relied instead on the characterization of the sun which he used to allude to God. The image of the sun was the one used to develop the message of the poem – the omnipotence of God and the infinite scope He owns in governing mankind and their world. In that sense, the sun has become a symbol for God – it was used to imbibe the traits of God and make it manifest in the poem. Meanwhile, in â€Å"They are all gone into the world of light,† we will first notice the presence of a fixed rhyme and meter.The rhyme scheme was abab cdcd efef ghgh and so on and so forth. The first and third lines and the second and fourth lines of each stanzas rhyme. The meter was ten syllables for the first and third lines, eight syllables for the second line and six syllables for the last line. The effect of these fixed patterns in rhyming and metering is t hat they call on the repetitiveness of the poem. The repetitive character of the poem makes it easier for the readers to recall the poem, read it easier and comprehend its message more easily.After reading, they can also more easily remember the poem and the message it spoke to them. This technique is more apt if the poem lingers in one central thought which it emphasizes and conveys in various ways. In this poem, the theme was the lure of the light –clarity and meaning – and how one feels deprived of it only to know its germination. The poem begins with three stanzas of juxtaposing the contrasting elements of light and dark. In the first stanza, the persona seems to bemoan how the people went to the place of light while he was left in the dark.While the others are being â€Å"fair and bright, (Vaughan 134)† he was filled with sad thoughts. In the second stanza, while others have glowing and glittering things all around them, the persona was left with a gloomy g rove. The persona was left with faint beams, as the sun is removed. In the third stanza, the persona keeps on vocally expressing his envy towards the other people who were already feasting on the light and its â€Å"air of glory† while his days are â€Å"dull and hoary, mere glimmering decays. (Vaughan 134)†The first three stanzas were primarily used to underline the two contrasting situations in the poem: one is the situation of the others (note the â€Å"they† pronoun in the title) and the situation of the persona. They were celebrating the presence of the light while he was groping in the dark, and envying those who feast on the light. The persona was aware of the difference and he knows that he deserves pity for being in that situation. In the fourth stanza, he began imprecating on an unseen being. He was calling for hope, calling on the heavens above.In the fifth stanza, the concept of death was introduced and the mystery that comes along with it. In the si xths stanza, the bird’s nest symbolizes a piece of clarity. At this point, we can see that the poem has built a situation that will await its own resolution. We saw the persona seemingly moping for being put on a despicable situation. The potential for death – with all of its uncertainties and threats – arrived out of nowhere, serving as another challenge for the man to overcome. Then, in the thick of all the ruckus and risk, he found the bird’s nest –a consolation, a piece of clarity.After that, we were brought to the resolving sequences. Using metaphysical conceit, the poem made us see how the man can get into the place of light as well. The character of angels was used and they served as divine representatives. They were introduced to bring the possibility of having brighter dreams. The angles which are the representative of the divine, poke the persona’s unconsciousness, ultimately leading the him from darkness to light. Here, the divine introduces us new things, it makes our â€Å"thoughts transcend wonted consciousness,† make us break free from the customs where we have familiarized ourselves into.As we get out of the confines of our previous customs, we got a piece of glory as well – the light we have been pining for so long. In the penultimate stanza, God was openly implored to, explicating the light that can be achieved through the Divine – through the presence and ministrations of God. It is through His help that the persona can plunge into â€Å"true liberty. (Vaughan 134)† Ultimately, in the last stanza, he recognizes that God can take away the haze and bring him into the light of things.What we seen in this second poem is a more complex metaphysical conceit that unravels itself more complicatedly and hence, more beautifully. The angel gives brighter dreams which go the same as God giving the key that unlocks the passage from darkness to light. The persona, upon the revelation of that elaborate metaphor, got to leave his current state of abandonment in the dark and relish the presence of light. The angel was a symbol for God, giving clues before its foreclosure. The theme of both poems centers on God and spirituality. God and His Divinity raise the spirits and give us a higher state of spirituality.This is faithful to where Vaughan has been known for – the cultivation of our spiritualities by accepting the bestowals of a higher being. WORKS CITED Bateson, Frederick Wilse. A guide to English literature. Garden City: Anchor Books, 1965. Print. Craig, Hardin. A history of English literature. New York: Collier Books, 1962. Print. Emmet, Dorothy Mary. The nature of metaphysical thinking. London: Macmillan, 1961. Harvey, Paul ed. The Oxford companion to English literature, 3rd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. Print. Vaughan, Henry. Poetry and selected prose. London: Oxford University Press, 1963. Print.

MKT 501 MoD 2 Case Assign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MKT 501 MoD 2 Case Assign - Essay Example Apple pursues a branding strategy, which mainly focuses on emotions of people. It reflects the lifestyle, liberty, imagination, passion, innovation, dreams, hopes and aspiration (Anonymous, n.d.). Furthermore, personality of the Apple brand, also, reflects simplicity as well as elimination of intricacies from lives of human beings. The company positions itself as a humanistic company, which believes in people-driven product design and maintains a cordial connection with customers. Hence, from an overall viewpoint, the branding and position strategy of Apple reflects a strong importance that the company gives to the needs and aspirations of customers. The web-based solution that manages workflow, acts as a communication tool as well as monitors real time performance from Microsoft is known as Multi Application Tracker System, or commonly known as MatsSoft (Anonymous, 2012). The product is principally aimed at speeding up daily operations of the health care, financial service and public sector. Since the last few years, the company has depended heavily on the referrals. However, the company has recently changed its branding and positioning strategy, where the firm seeks to increase overall sales by targeting new customers through channel partners as well as direct marketing efforts (Kulkarni, 2013). Nonetheless, due to adaptability to a large number of business activities, the company attempted to rebrand it in order to create a single brand identity for itself. As a result of that, the company launched a campaign and â€Å"strong blue-and-orange brand identity† was at the core of this campaign. The company positioned itsel f as a firm, which seeks others’ happiness by reducing complexities of business process. The tagline of the brand, â€Å"‘Happiness made easy’, is also consistent along with intentions of the firm. Hence, from the analysis, it is evident

EDU 636 Team project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EDU 636 Team project - Research Paper Example If this kind of learning environment is achieved, the adult learners would be surely in their optimal state to learn (Materna, 2007). The facilitator could then expect an interactive population of learners. In light of the aforementioned facts, for the adult learners who are the subject of the study, they will be subjected to an e-learning environment. This type of learning environment will primarily utilize computers and the internet. It is to be expected that each of the learners will have both of them at home or anywhere. The adult learners will have to log on to a designated website to be formally recognized by the facilitator. The website wherein the discussion will transpire will have to be user-friendly and complete with the needed accessories such as the discussion board. Unlike in a typical classroom discussion, wherein the teacher and the students will have a face to face interaction, in an e-learning environment, the participants will experience the so called virtual commu nication. What connects the teacher to the adult learners is the internet. All the educational materials will be available on the website wherein the adult learners could easily access and download. Explanation of whether the learning environment is primarily synchronous, asynchronous, or a blend.

Entrepreneurship and venture creation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Entrepreneurship and venture creation - Essay Example In the current scenario, concept of entrepreneurship has expanded, in terms of including social and political activity. Entrepreneurs are often regarded as leaders who are even denoted as risk takers. These leaders undertake risks so as to accomplish set goals and explore market opportunities. Entrepreneurs are even inclined towards planning, employing and organizing resources. There are two forms of entrepreneurial skills – to improve upon existing product line or design a completely new product. Changing mind set is also observed within entrepreneurs and this leads to formation of social entrepreneur, knowledge entrepreneur, political entrepreneur, etc. Successful entrepreneurs basically possess two important attributes such as team building skills and management skills (Audretsch and Lehman, 2005). A new business idea is also generated by Marvin Hill as per the case study. Marvin Hill in present scenario is a multi-millionaire. He has been able to deliver creative ideas and develop solutions for market based problems. Marvin Hill had worked for Ford Motor Company since six years and then he decided to shift towards building his new business. He was determined to design computer aided software for providing assistance to engineering projects. This CAD software was a relief for many large scale organizations that undertake engineering projects. MarvCAD Inc., had been able to acquire desirable profit margins within few years of its incorporation. The company was more inclined towards addressing critical issues related to engineering products. Software quality designed by Marvin Hill was much higher and it was user friendly. Users could easily work with CAD in terms of facilitating search capabilities, visual, proprietary and website content, audio, etc. The different pieces of this software were highly customized and modularized. It enabled users to attach add-ins as and when required.

Short listening and assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Short listening and - Assignment Example The riff style is that which has been rehearsed and memorized by the musicians, and hence, called head riff. The role of piano is to provide the chords and tone with rhythmic strides. This introduces the music for the entire performance to the audience. It comps occasionally but the solo pieces on the piano are light and give the music the swinging quality. The role of the double bass is to keep time using slapping technique and provide comp for soloists in the ensemble. The drums provide the beat for the audience and members of the orchestra. The bass and drums follow the 12 bar blues (Rickert) rhythm in this performance. The specific solo I found especially fascinating was the trombone playing between the baritone and tenor saxophone soloists although all the performances were breathtaking. What I found in that little piece on the trombone is that it gave a brief break from the saxophone melodies and let the drums provide fillers. It reinforced the tone and rhythm of the song. The pace changes after this when the trumpeter introduces a slightly faster pace piece. The overall performance was great with a fun, light melody and the swing type rhythm giving it an overall energetic and bouncy feel. The music was very pleasant and specifically the arrangement of the sections was done beautifully and complimented each instrument very well. The video was most important, although, when this music was created in 1937, radio used to be the common means of transmission, even then the video helps even a novice to jazz understand the arrangements and riffing techniques employed by big bands. The head movement of the trumpet players along with the music near the ending sequence was very impressive. The One O’clock Jump very rightly deserves its place among one of the songs of the

Individual write up of Quails Gate Winery Experience Essay

Individual write up of Quails Gate Winery Experience - Essay Example From the vine restaurant the exotic view of hills, lakes and plain fields are available, which sets a delightful atmosphere for visitors (Figure 1). Moreover, the traditional style of the restaurant attracts customers because of the classic difference of the beauty of this restaurant compared to other restaurants in the region. Apart from the sight of the restaurant there is another feature, which attracts visitors towards it. The food is an important component in every restaurant but when it comes to the Quails Gate, the availability of fresh vegetables and cereals make the food healthy and tasty. The smell and taste of food available in the restaurant is fabulous. Most people believe that the combination of high quality wine and fresh food has been the main reason for tourist attraction towards the winery. Another reason for tourist attraction towards Quails Gate is the peaceful location of the winery. The restaurant and winery is located far from city and away from busy roads. Visitors can enjoy the peaceful environment for some time and relax. The place has natural beauty within itself because it is located in the middle of an agricultural land (Figure 2). The most interesting point is that children can have fun in places like Quails Gate because there is almost no risk of accidents. Parents can allow their children to play while they enjoy the delightful food and rich quality wine. Quails Gate is mainly famous for its winery because it is one of the oldest and recognized wineries in the world. Wines are exported to many places including United States from Quails Gate. Visitors say that â€Å"it is always awesome to come to a place that is located in the middle of no-where.† Truly the restaurant and the winery of Quails Gate are incredible because it has the potential to prov ide people the amount of peace and relaxation required for them.

Health Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Health Information Systems - Essay Example Moreover, implementation of Cisco devices would add more reliability to the existing system and help the professionals to obtain the best results. The medical center is facing several problems, which are giving rise to numerous other critical issues in regards of patient care and medication. In such a state of affair, the board of directors needs to sort out the core problems and make arrangements for the medical center to function properly. The standard of patient care needs to be improved and a feasible technological solution is to be implemented. It is the very duty of the advisory committee to examine the possible options that can aid in the better functioning of the hospital and help the hospital staff in building a standard work culture. There are errors in patient medication, maintenance of lab records and patient charts, prompt communication, etc. Doctors are not getting sufficient, authentic, and timely information of their patients, and nurses are receiving incorrect or incomplete orders from the physicians. There are problems in the radiology department and pathology labs. A combined effect of these problems is culminating at occasional critical incidences and loss of hospital reputation. The idea of the CTO is very much in compliance with the hospital’s genuine requirements. If the medical professionals are enabled to access and exploit the hospital information system anywhere and anytime, several vital issues can be really solved. The following recommendations are intended to create a proper roadmap in this concern: 1. Implementation of IEEE 802.11g: The IEEE 802.11g networks use a 25 MHz channel and a spatial stream with the aid of a single antenna, providing only a single transmit/receive path between all the wireless access points and devices. It can obtain a speed up to 54 Mbps. 2. Implementation of IEEE 802.11n: Using the Multiple Input

Cultural enrichment Essay Example for Free

Cultural enrichment Essay Last February 17, 2009, I went to the ISU Juried Student Exhibition which was located in the Center for Performing and Arts Gallery building. The juror of the exhibition was Mr. Ronald Leax, Halsey C. an Ives Professor of Art in Washington; University, St. Louis, MO. Most of the paintings that were being exhibited illustrate beauty and nature. I’ve noticed that most of the people that were there during the time of my visit appear uninterested with the art that was surrounding them. They barely noticed and appreciated art in its raw form because most were just busy eating and chatting. They practically didn’t understand why their teacher sent them to the gallery; I believe they just went there for the sake of the class credits that they are going to get. But they were also a few who knew what art and beauty was, they showed their appreciation by praising and scrutinizing the works in the gallery. Other people were also busy having their pictures taken beside the beautiful paintings. As for myself, I was really intrigued by the works and the masters behind those paintings. How I wished I could come up with such art pieces that to me seemed like it was done during the middle ages. It was also entertaining to watch how some paintings depicted things about religion and politics it shows that people are really concerned with the current events happening and are even able to express it through art. It was also fascinating to watch the paintings that were cross-over from realism to non-objectivism. Those kinds of paintings are the ones that entertain the naked eye without much thought provocation. Those paintings are the ones that caught my eye because it is relaxing and entertaining to look at them. At the end of the day, I just hope that more would learn to appreciate the beauty of art rather than be overly absorbed from school or from work. They should see that art is relaxing to the soul and to the mind so people who are stressed out could go to art exhibits to unwind and to refresh their souls.

Crystalline Concrete for Sub Structure Waterproofing

Crystalline Concrete for Sub Structure Waterproofing Crystalline Concrete for Sub Structure Waterproofing: A Literature Review Abstract In recent years, numerous urban areas have suffered flooding. The flood in urban area comes with even more disastrous effects such as health catastrophise in addition to damage to the properties and financial loss. The urban flood leaves behind the flooded basement of houses and other public infrastructures which needs professional attention to solve the problem. Number of techniques are available in the market for the post construction water proofing solutions. However, this review article is focused on current method of integral concrete water proofing method using crystalline waterproofing materials and preventing the sub structure flooding. This article reviews various causes of basement flooding and gives an overview of proprietary characteristics of crystalline materials such as doping quantity, influence on concrete and mortar compressive strength, degree of water tightness/impermeability, reformation of inner structural matrix etc. The benefits of using crystalline materials are illustrated followed by a case study. This literature review article revealed more favourable features of crystalline waterproofing which cannot be ignored. Crystalline waterproofing was came out as the most cost efficient and easy to operate with solution. It does not impart any significant change on the structural properties of the concrete and can be used with varied types of concrete and mortar at different locations. The crystalline concrete is meant to be the future of water proof construction industry and is currently used at many large-scale construction hydro projects to the multi-level basements of high rise structures. Introduction Various metropolitans and small urban areas across the world has suffered from flooding in recent years due to global warming effect. Cities across Canada are no exceptions from such disasters. Metros such as Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary are the victims of severe urban flood disasters. Floods causes millions of dollars damage to the country and leaves financial and health catastrophes behind. In recent years, Canada has suffered most expensive floods in the history in the City of Calgary in Alberta and Greater Toronto Area in Southern Ontario. Flood in the city of Calgary costed almost 5-Billion-dollar loss to the government with 1.7-billion-dollar loss of insured properties [1]. Numerous homes were flooded in Greater Toronto Area in July 2013 and damaged properties worth 940$ million. In 2012, Insurance bureau of Canada revealed very astonishing fact that, almost 51% claims paid to the property owners due to flooded houses were related to the basement flooding. In addition t o financial catastrophes, Severity of flooded basements to the human health cannot be ignored. Damp walls and floors pooled with sewer waters are the best breeding places for various pathogens and hazardous bacteria which can lend damage to respiratory and immunity system. There are several reasons for flooding of basements such as ground water ingress due to water table rise, infiltration of water during heavy rains, sewer back up, drainage failure, etc. which leads to deterioration of basement structure. Soil aggression due to presence of chemicals are added source of active degradation of concrete constituents [2] [3].ÂÂ   Such added risk of structural degradation of basement structure should be overcome by implying various changes into construction methods and post construction rehabilitation measures. By maintaining the sound structural condition of basement walls and ceiling/floor slabs, risk of basement flooding due to ground water ingress (Pluvial flooding) can be minimized. Chew and De Silva [2] carried out 61 face to face interviews and survey of 987 cases with basement flooding sue to water seepage. The severity of the problem was categorized on Likert scale on 1 to 5 scale where 1 represented very mild, 3 moderate and 5 very severe con dition. Poor joint detailing, cracks and porosity was identified as the main cause of water seepage during construction and after construction stage. I. H. Wong [3] studied the wetness of basement walls due to water seepage in various building of Singapore. it was found that in case of multi-level basement, the bottom most basement was significantly affected by moisture penetration. Numerous techniques have been developed through years for waterproofing of sub surface walls. During construction stage, Chemicals are sprayed on structural components for damp proofing and various membrane sheets are applied on the surface post construction. All of these methods requires extensive supervision, expertise and care during the installation and there are extensive chances of system failure during the installation and due to higher hydrostatic pressure. Post construction waterproofing techniques are more complex as they are employed on late detection and hence requires excavation, temporary retention or even possibly underpinning of adjacent structures and thus such measures cannot be employed while flowing waters [4]. Most dwelling are constructed with sub surface drainages directed towards sum pits where pumps are installed to draw out percolated water to exterior sewer or storm water channels. In case of failure of pump or overflow of exterior system, drainages help wa ter to seep through the walls. Mechanics of Moisture Migration Same as in the case of concrete slab, water/moisture penetrates through the walls due to hydrostatic pressure or capillary action [5]. Hydrostatic water pressure is build up due to presence of high ground water table on the backfill side of the wall. Capillary pores are developed in the soil or the wall itself. Capillary pores help water to elevate from lower to higher heights which is known as the capillary action. Concrete and especially mortar is more vulnerable to capillary action due to presence of already available micro cracks. Third but an uncommon way of the moisture migration is due to water vapour. Water in depth of soil or concrete turns into vapour due to subsequent change in the temperature. This helps vapour to travel through the sub structure walls once enough difference in the vapour pressure is established on both sides. For the prevention of moisture migration, integral crystalline waterproofing can be used with the use of chemical in the concrete mix. Crystalline Concrete Many researchers are working for the complete solution for a water proof concrete which can be applied during the construction process such as an additive mixture in concrete batching plant or can be used as a surface treatment method like a membrane but easy to install. However, the quest of finding an all in one solution is partially over with the development of crystalline concrete which is an integral concrete waterproofing method. The crystalline concrete waterproofing was developed in early 40s and was designed for repairing of concrete. However, the extensive research and product development has made integral crystalline waterproofing as the future of waterproof construction industry. This tested technology of crystalline admixture contains organic and cementitious compounds which gets activated when comes in contact with the water and reacts with unhydrated cement [4]. This reaction develops a needle like structures (As shown in Figure 1) filling the concrete pores or voids otherwise may have acted as capillary pores for the water ingress. In case if the concrete goes further cracking or crack is opened due to movement, the activated material forms crystals to fill these voids and again seals the pores. This hydrophilic admixture also helps unhydrated cement particles to stabilize through the course of time and prevents future existence of capillary pores. Figure 1 Crystalline concrete needle like structures (Courtesy: The National Academic Press) Properties and Characteristics The crystalline admixture is composed of Portland cement, specially treated quartz and active chemicals. The composition of active chemical is kept secret by the manufacturers. However, the waterproofing effect of crystalline material is confirmed in laboratory by using various chemical mixtures. Zhang Yong et al. [6] carried out experimental study to determine the quantity of the doping chemical agent to be used in concrete for crystalline waterproofing effect. Various chemical agents such as complexing agent (denoted as B), Calcium aluminium composite salt (denoted as C), Calcium hydroxide (denoted as D) and Calcium aluminium composite salt 2 (denoted as E) were used throughout the experiment. To determine the water resistivity, two seepage tests were conducted at 14 day and 28 day of casting specimen. Specimen with doping agent denoted as D and B performed the best at 14 and 28 days respectively. These two specimens were further investigated for optimization of doping quantity. Fo llowing Figure 2 shows optimization tests results for doping agents D and B. Zhang Yong et al. [6] also carried out experiments to determine the compressive strength, breaking strength and bonding strength of coating paste and observed increase of compressive and breaking strength with increase in sand-cement ratio however bonding strength decreases with increase in sand-cement ratio (See Figure 3-5). Figure 2 Optimization test results [6] Figure 3 Compressive strength [6] Figure 4 Breaking strength [6] Figure 5 Bond strength [6] The influence of crystalline concrete admixture on the compressive strength of concrete was also studied by Pazderka[7]. The experiments were divided in to two phases, one for concrete and one for mortar. The compression resistance of concrete and mortar has been the topic of discussion since long as the elements in the substructures are designed for load bearing. The investigation of concrete compression test subjected to crystalline admixture added by 2% of cement weight showed no change in the compressive strength result of concrete cubes however, slight deceleration in the hardening process of concrete was observed. In the case of cement mortar, an increase of 25% in compressive strength was observed on 41st day of casting. Figure 6 shows the trend of growth in compressive strength of cement mortar subjected to same weight of crystalline admixture. Figure 6 Growth trend of compressive strength of cement mortar [7] The speed of waterproofing by crystalline admixture is also a subject of claims by various manufacturers as there are no credible research has been carried out to measure the waterproofing speed of crystalline admixtures. Pazderka and Hajkova [8] studied the speed of waterproofing while using the crystalline admixtures. The experiment involved carrying out water pressure tests at different time intervals during the early hydration stage of cement. Xypex Admix C-1000 NF was used as crystalline admixture as it is widely available in the market. Cube specimen casted were subjected to 0.5MPa water pressure for 72 hours and cubes were broken to determine seepage afterwards. The test result data showed that, complete water proofing is achieved on 12th day of curing and seepage boundary was measured at 15 mm from the surface. The concrete was declared ready to carry the water load. Following Figure 7 shows seepage boundaries at various day of intervals. Figure 7 Seepage shapes at various days of intervals [8] W. Keliang et al. [9] studied the impermeability of permeated crystalline concrete by performing impermeability tests. The results showed that use of permeated crystalline material decreases fine cracks in in the mortar matrix and reduces the distribution of pores with diameters larger than 200nm and reduced the distribution of smaller pores having diameter 20nm-100nm. This in turn reduces the most probable diameter of pores available in matrix without permeated crystalline material and hence improves water tightness. Following Figure 8 shows the distribution curve for pores with differential diameter subjected to different dosage of permeated crystalline material. Figure 8 distribution curve for pores with differential diameter subjected to different dosage of permeated crystalline material [9] Reiterman and Baumelt [10] investigated the long-term sorption properties of concrete with crystalline admixture. It was observed that, in the initial stage of curing (7 days), the dosage of crystalline material in concrete mix does not make any change in water tightness as it retards 50% water with 0.5% and 1.0% content of crystalline material. The research suggests matured effectivity of crystalline material on 90 days and suggests past data with more than 50% and 80% reduction in capillary water transportation with same 0.5% and 1.0% content. Crystalline mixtures can also be used as a surface treatment tool as a post construction water proofing measure. In case, the optimum thickness or depth of the crystalline cover is necessary to protect the element from further degradation. Reiterman and Pazderka [11] studied the influence of crystalline coating depth on water transport in concrete structure by electrical resistivity method, water absorption and reliability affected due to construction joints and. The researchers observed significant change in the inner formation of the concrete matrix and confirmed water tightness of the crystalline material particularly in construction joint areas. Benefits There are several benefits of using crystalline concrete waterproofing can be drawn from studying the literature. It can be used during construction and after construction measure. Crystalline material easily penetrates in to the concrete pores and becomes an inherent part of the concrete which cannot be detached like membrane sheets. Being a hydrophilic material, it gets activated when come to contact with water or moisture. Crystalline materials are readily available from different manufacturers and are easy to store and install. Crystalline materials can be applied on different types of concrete and mortars from outside or inside. Crystalline waterproofing is a cost effective long term solution for the substructure water proofing and hence being a successful and sustainable solution, it is increasingly used in large hydro projects around the world. Case study: AIG headquarters London The American International Group Inc. (AIG) is located on Fenchurch Street London. The building consists of 14 storey structure with two levels of basements. The first level was meant to host mechanical and electrical facilities and second level was supposed to be used for car parking and document storage [12]. The construction of the building was followed by a very tight time schedule and hence, the sub-contractor Duffy construction Ltd. used the integral concrete waterproofing technique and saved a moth. Pudlo concentrated integral concrete waterproofing powder was used with C40 grade of concrete, cement content of 350 Kg/m3, water/cement ratio of 0.4 and slump height was 100mm. The concrete was supplied by London Concrete. Water proofing agent with concentration of 8 Kg/m3 was used and alkali content was kept below 2.45 Kg/m3 reducing the alkali silica reaction. The modified concrete was used to construct a 1.2m thick raft for basement and located 7m below ground supported on pile foundation. High density bentonite based sealer was used in joint as an added measure for water tightness. These modifications in concrete resulted into 90% reduction in water absorption and more than 50% reduction in water penetration under pressure while improving freeze-thaw, chloride and oxygen diffusion and sulphate resistance. Mixture also developed increased compressive and flexural strength with reduced shrinkage/wetting expansion, efflorescence, leaching and carbonation rate. Conclusion Flooded basements are the most common property claims filled by home owners and costs millions of dollars loss to the insurance industry and the economy of the country. there are various types of post construction techniques are available for water proofing such as membrane sheets or chemical sprays etc. out of which crystalline concrete water proofing method of integral water proofing was observed to serve best. Crystalline materials are available in various mixtures which can be used during construction as an additive to the mortar or concrete mix and it can also be used as chemical spray for post construction water proofing. It is observed that, crystalline concrete when comes in contact with water or moisture, it gets activated and forms needle like structure inside the structural matrix. These formation fills harmful pores of diameter larger than 200nm and increases the distribution of smaller diameter pores ranging from 20nm-100nm. The influence of crystalline material on compr essive strength of concrete is almost negligible. However, Compressive strength of mortar gets increased by 25 on 41st day of casting. The structural matrix achieves full water tightness on 7th day of casting and becomes ready to bear the water load. The long-term effects of crystalline waterproofing are observed more favourable than short term effect neglecting the misconception of increased dosage requirement. [1] D. Sandlink, Urban flooding and ground-related homes in canada: An overview, in Journal of flood risk management 6th international conference on flood management, Sao Paulo Brazil, 2016. [2] M. Chew and N. De Silva, Benchmarks to minimize water leakages in basements, Structural Survey, Vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 131-145, 2003. [3] I. Wong, Experience with waterproofness of basements constructed of concrete diaphragm wall in singapore, Tunneling and underground space technology, Vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 491-495, 1998. [4] C. Deckard, Rethinking waterproofing for subsurface structures, in Fifth Forensic Engineering Congress, Washington D.C., 2009. [5] R. W. Day, Moisture penetration of concrete floor slabs, basement walls and flat slab ceilings, Practice periodical on structural design and construction, Vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 104-107, November 1996. [6] Y. Zhang, X. Du, Y. Li, F. Yang and Z. Li, Research on cementitious capillary crystalline waterproofing coating for underground concrete works, Advanced Materials Research, Vols. 450-451, pp. 286-290, 2012. [7] J. Pazderka, The crystalline admixture effect on concrete and cement mortar compressive strength, Key Engineering Materials, Vol. 722, pp. 87-91, 2017. [8] J. Pazderka and E. Hajkova, The speed of the crystalline admixtures waterproofing, Key Engineering Materials, Vol. 722, pp. 108-112, 2016. [9] K. Wang, T. Hu and S. Xu, Influence of permeated crystalline waterproof materials on impermeability of concrete, Advanced Material Research, Vols. 446-449, pp. 954-960, 2012. [10] P. Reiterman and V. Baumelt, Long-term sorption properties of mortars modified by crystallizing, Advanced Material Research, Vol. 1054, pp. 71-74, 2014. [11] P. Reiterman and J. Pazderka, Crystalline coating and its influence on the water transportat in concrete, Advances in civil engineering, Vol. 2016, pp. 1-8, 2016. [12] M. Phenna, A waterproof basement for AIG headquarters London, London: Concrete Magazine, 2004.

Moral Universalism Vs Ethnocentrism Commerce Essay

Moral Universalism Vs Ethnocentrism Commerce Essay In todays scenario the manager across the globe are quite focused and clear when its comes to moral or ethical behavior because now a days there is a tremendous pressure from people, government and other concern bodies to do business ethically. Multinationals is the one who has to decide that what kind of approach they want to follow in their business process. Business ethics are the principals which are used to do business in a proper manner. This report is a critical assessment of ethical and moral challenges face by multinational companies in their overseas business operations. Moral Universalism Vs Ethnocentrism It is very difficult to defined a similar set of rules of morality and ethics for each and every country of the world because every country, every religion, every community has their own likes and dislikes, their own set of rules, preferences, understanding etc. so its become very difficult for an organization to formed a similar set of rules which can be applied in each and every country of the world. The decision to set moral values differs from place to place in which an organization is doing business. In Moral Universalism some set of ethics is accepted globally regardless of culture, race, sex, religion, nationality. These are certain set of ethics which are globally practiced. Moral Universalism is broader approach when is come to apply ethics globally. Example: There are many examples where we see moral universalism used globally. The most common example of moral universalism is the equality in the workplace regardless of your gender. This is the most common example of moral universalism when global moral and ethics are used in every country without any hesitation. Ethnocentrism is the approach in which moral or the culture of a particular place, country or organization is judged accordingly to the standards set by a particular person, group or country. This style is very narrow in its approach and not widely accepted. Ethnocentrism mainly believed to be subtle and overt in its approach. Code of Conduct A number of organizations across the globe developed their own code of conduct when it comes to doing business overseas. Many organizations shake hands with other organizations in the world to develop a certain set of standards which can be used globally. Companies such as Avon (cosmetics), Sainsbury Plc. (a food retailer in the United Kingdom (UK)), Toys R Us (toy retailer) and Otto Versand (clothing retailer) have joined with the Council on Economic Priorities (CEP) to establish SA8000 (Social Accountability 8000, on the lines of the manufacturing quality standard ISO9000). (G.MEHALU, Kidus, 2011) Some standards which are globally accepted are as follows: Do not use child labor at work place. Dont use forced labor. Provide safe working environment. Pay at at least minimum wages to the workers. There are four major organizations which mainly decide the code of conduct for multinational across the globe: International Chamber of Commerce. Organization for Economic Cooperation development. International Labor Organization. United nation commission on transnational corporations. (G.MEHALU, Kidus, 2011) Factors affecting Moral and Ethical Behavior: Stage of moral development- There are various stages involved in the development of moral of an individual. Starting from pre conventional, then to conventional when one tries to fulfill the expectations of others, then last stage is the self chosen path. Individual characteristics- Moral and ethical behavior also differ from person to person. Its totally ones choice to decide what is right and what is wrong. Structural factors- Structure of an organization is also affecting the ethical behavior and moral values of an individual. Organizational culture- Organization working culture plays a decisive role in employees thinking. The organization laid the foundation stone in employees understanding of morality and ethical behavior. (G.MEHALU, Kidus, 2011) Case-1 NIKE Sweatshop: Nike is the world pioneer in the field of footwear and apparel manufacturing. It has the presence in over 140 countries across the globe with over 44000 workers. In the early 1990s, Nike products were being manufactured in six Indonesian factories, employing more than 25,000 workers. Four of these factories were owned by Nikes Korean suppliers. As Nikes presence in Indonesia increased, the factories supplying its products (about six million pairs of shoes per year) came under greater scrutiny. Reports by a variety of NGOs and labor activists claimed that these plants were rife with exploitation, poor working conditions, and a range of human rights and labor abuses. Many Indonesian shoe factories did not even pay the minimum daily wage (at the time, 2,100 rupiah or about US$1). They petitioned the Indonesian government for exemptions to the legal minimum wage, claiming it would cause them hardship to pay. According to official Indonesian government calculations, this minimum daily wag e only covered 70% of the basic needs of one individual let alone a family. Nikes Korean suppliers were seen as especially stingy with wages and abusive to local workers. (RICHARD M. LOCKE, Alvin J. Siteman, 2000) This case clearly shows that multinational organizations mould their rules and working style according to their preferences and according to the place where they are operating. What Nike does in Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan they cant do the same things in America or any other European countries because they have strict rules and regulation for the working environment. This a moral challenge which Nike faced during their operation in Asian countries but company decide lower their standard of operations in so called third world countries to make more profit. Nike not follow the same policy of operation which they use in America or Europe. But they decide to go another way and do which is morally and ethically wrong to make more profit margins (RICHARD M. LOCKE, Alvin J. Siteman, 2000). Case-2 Coca Cola Controversy in India Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable brands on the planet, and also one of the worlds largest corporations. The companys profits amounted to just under $15 billion in 2005, while its market value is calculated at over $100 billion. Worldwide, more than one billion cans or bottles of Cola-Cola are consumed every day or 12,500 every second. But in 2004 in Kerala, Coca-Colas plant was forced to close down after the village council refused to renew the companys license, on the grounds that it had over-used and contaminated local water resources. Four months earlier, the Kerala High Court had ruled that Coca-Colas heavy extraction from the common groundwater resource was illegal, and ordered it to seek alternative sources for its production. Local villagers, politicians, environmentalists and scientists heralded the closure of the Plachimada plant as a major victory, and are now attempting to have it made permanent. In addition to the depletion of the groundwater, analyses indicated that water extracted by Coca-Cola had been contaminated with potentially harmful foreign particles as it was drawn upwards through the various rock strata. The water subsequently became unfit for human consumption and even for irrigation purposes. (Coca Cola the alternative report, 2006) Coke follows a strict rules and regulations in the US and in other developed countries but in third world countries coke doesnt remain in its ethical and moral value which they follow in their home country. In India and in many Asian countries coke working policy is ethically and morally correct but they change their policies according to their need (Coca Cola the alternative report, 2006). Coke which is world most trusted brand is doing the things which are not ethically and morally correct. They must follow the same practices which follow in U.S in other developed countries. Case-3 Ethical issues of McDonalds in India The major issue was beef. Cow being sacred and worshipped, beef could not be served. Muslims did not eat pork. The challenge was to change the form of the worldwide popular Hamburger to make an entry into India. With 25-30% of the population being vegetarian and a large majority eating meat, an alternative to beef and pork was necessary. The population of a billion was undoubtedly a promising opportunity for an international company. McDonalds accepted the challenge and created the Aloo Tikki Burger known as McAloo TikkiTM especially for the Indian vegetarian customers. Aloo- Tikki was a potato patty with spices. It also made a chicken and fish option available for the non vegetarians. McDonalds even separated the non vegetarian cooking process and the vegetarian cooking process to convince the customers of the Shudh Shakahari Experience which means pure vegetarian experience. In addition, the crew cooking vegetarian food was asked to wear green aprons. McDonalds in India was one of its kinds as it did not offer beef at all. In order to convince and change the perception of the customers about the burgers they offered, McDonalds made attempts to clarify their stand about beef in India. So the world famous hamburger was without meat. This was indeed a classic case of product adaptation, to gain foothold in a new market. (KULKARNI, Dr. Smita, 2009) McDonalds faces a crucial ethical and moral challenge in India bur they accordingly and tries to follow the practices which are used in India instead of imposing their own preferences over the people. McDonalds handle this situation of cross culturalism and ethical values very smartly and not lend into any controversy as we already discussed above. Conclusion: In keeping with the examples discussed above, one can say that moral values and ethics are depends on organizations. Organizations have to decide their moral values and ethics and implement them accordingly. As in this case company working policy is debatable but you cant accuse them because they dont do it forcefully, and they also give back to the society.

the last of the mohicans Essay -- essays research papers

The Last Of the Mohicans The film is set in 1757, the third year of war between England and France for the possession of the continent. The center of the story is the most notorious event of the French and Indian War; the so-called 'massacre' of British troops, women and children by General Montcalm's Indian allies after the British surrender of Fort William Henry to the French on 9th August 1757. The Struggle between the French and English for control of North America became apparent in the late 1600s. The buffer between the two imperial powers was the presence of the five Nations of Iroquois who controlled almost all of what is now New York State. From West to East the tribes were the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and the Mohawk; these five were joined by the Tuscarora to form six Nations in 1711. The film correctly portrays the Iroquois as ferocious warriors who practiced torture and covered their skins with bear grease and red ochre. The gathering of Indians in the temporary military camps of 1757 leads to a misrepresentation of the daily lives of northeastern Indian tribes. The Iroquois, the Delaware, nor the Huron were nomadic hunter-warriors who only lived for battle. Iroquois tribes were fundamentally agricultural, and due to being inland people were less dependent upon British and French fur traders than were the Algonquin tribes. English settlement West and North from Albany and French from the West and South from Montreal made it hard for the Iroquois to pre...

Speeding up the close :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Speeding up the close†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article I choose to review is â€Å"Speeding up the close† by Gaye van den Hombergh and Laurie Streling from the magazine Financial Executive June 2004 issue. Companies with a 12-month accounting period otherwise known as a fiscal year are coming up with alternative ways to reduce time and speed up the process to meet the impending 60-day deadline. This article discusses fiscal year and the abilities of companies to close the books quickly to access real-time financial results, which, in turn, lead to better decision making. Companies spend or invest funds in projects that hopefully make the firm more profitable, having real-time financial results would make this more efficient. Faster closings means more time for the company to process the numbers, also a rapid close is a sign of the efficiency and success of management and the company. If management has real-time financial results it allows them to respond more efficiently to changes in the market, which, in turn, help investors make significant investment decisions. The article goes on to discuss the pressure mounting for virtual close, but how urgent is it, and is it worth the investment? A survey was conduct of financial executives in companies to see if the pressure mounting for virtual close is significant often to proceed with further action. The Johnsson Group found less than one out of five respondents reported a fully automated close, more than half said that their close process is semi-automated and requires some manual intervention, and a quarter replied that their systems need significant manual intervention. Speed up the close should not be viewed as a vital step to be taken all at once, but as an evolutionary process. The concept of virtual close shows us how far the finance organization have come in the pass couple of years in the time it takes to performing closings. Two-thirds of companies closed their books for the quarter in 4 to 7 business days, 16 percent are accomplishing their closings in 1 to 3 days, but on other hand 21 p ercent of the companies reported needing more than 7 business days for closing. Although companies have to be prepared to confront certain issues while obtaining faster closing, like less emphasis on training, leaving companies with fewer finance â€Å"historians who in fact know the rationale behind the processes and have a deeper understanding of the business†. The next paragraph in this article discusses a more strategic role for finance.

Human Resource Armor

IntroductionEdelman and Suchman points out that labor lawsuit judgment identify how a legal environment—which embodies legal, social and cultural norms—can diffuse liabilities brought upon by management instances (Biggert, 1997).   The constitution has provided several laws that state the rights of employees in any form of organization.   Private or government-owned, all companies must adhere to these laws and see to it that these rights are well exercised by any member of staff.  Ã‚   From the top executive down to the mechanical worker, every individual are entitled to these rights inasmuch as they are expected to follow the laws that comes along with their job description.   In such way, the law provides immunity both to the employer and employee in collaboration with creating a harmonious environment within the agency.Hence, apart from these laws stated in the constitution, there are also regulations crafted by the organization which is agreed upon by the bo dy as a whole and neither one shall defeat the purpose of such.   In the light, labor management suggests the importance of social justice and thereby encompasses disparity (Mezias, 2002).Interpretation of laborA legal regulation in contracts divulged to in the context of labor is a central part in any organization or firm’s policy configuration.    The scope and focal purpose of a legal regulation may or may not be detrimental to labor—either that of mass disruption approach or perspective with party control.   Such theories are analyzed in both anti-labor and pro-labor laws, thus the results came up favorable with the latter given that the policies were found inconclusive with the small sample sizes of the studies conducted.   Conceivably, the said laws are weighed and strategically investigated in consideration with several variables—economic, class, society—to come up with more feasible outputs which will later be used beneficial to the concer n of the general masses when it comes to the interpretation of labor (Biggert, 1997).Analysis on unemployment lawsAs mentioned earlier, unemployment laws hold only very few scrutiny since that there has only been a number of studies that have been conducted in aide of bringing up the best forms of ruling that will inhibit the importance of such in a state.   More specifically, the challenges that are bound in unemployment laws are rarely deliberated by administrations for the reason that most hardships in managerial activities appear during the verge of employment compared to that on pre-employment matters.Basically, the laws that appear to be most challenging are those that extend or restrict the rights of labor in and around the workplace and those regulations that abide on the level of contract involved (Mezias, 2002). Unemployment compensation is apparently the main issue in laborers that fall inside the aforementioned bracket.   In essence, it relates to wages and hours sta ndards, union rights, collective bargaining, health and safety, prevailing wages and discrimination. All these are perceivably retained to render security to these individuals and in the long run help them in building up a new foundation of their new course in life.Challenges in labor management among the unemployedOrganizational behavior emphasizes the importance of labor-ness and the principal beneficiaries of the concerned laborer.   In stereotypical analysis on unemployment laws over the past few decades, it has been sought that the so-called â€Å"basic† benefits are already considered as a part of every contract and that the other unprecedented features that other firms offer—gradually dependent to the contract—are beyond the scope of the unemployment laws which are designed by the government alone.The dilemma then flows on the application of these â€Å"extended benefits†Ã¢â‚¬â€such as the social welfare security, union passages, beneficiaries, pensions and other related pro-labor regulations provided by the management concerned.   But that does not just end there, the possibility of shifts in party or breach in contracts also come at hand.Trends that mark importance of â€Å"democracy† are also a part of this domain of â€Å"challengers,† needless to say that the result of these coalitions though union groups are still considered as polity members, however, the contract may be considered violated and therefore nullify the benefits (Mezias, 2002).Court decisions on labor-related casesLegal proceedings concerning labor lawsuit judgments are referenced in contemporary hearings.   In the case of foreign direct investments, foreign subsidiaries find face disadvantages and unparalleled liabilities among domestic firms due to information asymmetries and transaction costs.   The Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are examples of laws that build up the foundation of these rights of laborers and somehow seem to exert strong influence on employee to employer relations (Mezias, 2002).Conclusions and further remarksHuman resource practices help organizations in achieving social justice among its participating parties and build a sturdy foundation of law-abiding citizens.   It helps in eradicating the rise of ambiguous laws and hones organizations to create a normative environment that will work in a systematic order and balance the biases of humanistic egoisms.ReferencesBiggert, R. (1997). Why Labor Wins, Why Labor Loses: A Test of Two Theories. The Sociological Quarterly, 38(1).Mezias, J. M. (2002). Identifying Liabilities of Foreignness and Strategies to Minimize Their Effects: The Case of Labor Lawsuit Judgments in the United States. Strategic Management Journal, 23(3).

How Does the Nature of Children’s Friendship Change with Age

How does the nature of children's friendship change with age? Within this essay I will be looking at how children's friendships change in nature as they age. I will begin first by defining what is meant by the term friendship. I will then examine theories on stage and age development in relation to the development of friendships, exploring research which suggests that the nature of a child's friendship is based on their age.I will look at conflicting research which suggests that although stage's of friendship may be categorized, that there is conflicting research to suggest the ages at which this behaviour manifests itself may not be the same for each child. Finally I will summarize by concluding how the nature of children's friendship changes with age. The very definition of what the term friendship actually means in itself is difficult to clarify and categorize. A dictionary definition defines friendship as an attachment from mutual esteem, and a friend as someone who is loving or attached to another.As an adult it can seem easy to define who are friends are, they are like minded individuals whom we share common interests with, people we trust and socialize with. Other people within our adult life are associates, work colleagues or general acquaintances. The category of friend is reserved for those whom we have developed a bond with and in most cases an emotional attachment to. However, when we consider this in relation to the nature of children's friendship this dictionary definition and an adults view of friendship may not hold true for all children.It also over simplifies the nature and dynamics involved in friendship. Barnes (2003, pg 49) highlights this when he discusses the many experiences children have of friendship, and the emotions and experiences these friendships expose children to, for example it affords them the opportunity to share experiences, develop communication and develop a sense of closeness to another person, however in contrast to this Barnes tells us that friendships in childhood introduces children to a to conflict situations and emotions such as jealousy, anger and loneliness.Best to leave a line space between paragraphs. The significance of childhood friendships can be a difficult area to gauge. The importance of these relationships and the subsequent impact on a child is not something which can be measured with any certainty. Allison James, an anthropologist, states the difficulty of guaging impact but also acknowledges the significance of childhood relationships and the importance of these ‘friendships' in preparing children for later life and adult roles. participation in this tangled web of social relationships helps to shape identity and sense of self which is assumed as s/he moves towards adulthood to become a person in society†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. the actual process of socialisation can only ever be haltingly documented† (James, 1993 cited in Kehily and Swann, 2003. pg 51). James admission that research in this area can be difficult to record and analyse is supported by Barnes when he discusses the reminiscing of childhood by adults in later life â€Å"none of this is to deny the the value of personal reminiscence†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ut it serves as a reminder not just to accept it in an unquestioning way† ( Barnes, 2003, pg. 51) American psychologist Robert Selman supports the theory that the nature of children's friendships is influenced by their social understanding which develops as they age. Selman carried out research whereby he posed ‘dilemma's' through scenarios to children aged between three and fifteen, he then questioned the children on their solutions to these dilemma's and recorded these interviews.In doing this Selman came to the conclusion that the nature of friendship could be categorized into four distinct stages, related to four distinct ages. Barnes (2003, pg 56) outlines Selman's four stages, ‘Momentary physical playmate† this is the stage whereby children, usually around the age of three to five will categorize their friends as those who live in their locality, go to the same school and who partake in similar activities.The second stage is ‘ One-way assistance' this is the stage whereby children do things to please another, within this stage Selman acknowledges that although at this stage children may try to adapt to others the friendship is still one sided and there is little evidence of the reciprocal nature of friendship, the age at which this occurs in most children is between the age of six to eight years old. The third stage of Selmans theory is the â€Å"fairweather co-operation† stage usually evident in children aged between nine and twelve years.Within this stage children begin to see the consequence of their actions and begin to act accordingly, that is to say they appreciate that their actions and the actions of their friends are now evaluated and hence they begin to become adapt able taking into account the thoughts, needs and preferences of their ‘friends'. Within this stage Selman argues that children may encounter conflict and disagreements which in turn may cause these friendships to peter out as opposed to enduring. Selmans final stage is called â€Å"mutual concern† this is usually seen around the ages of eleven to fifteen.Within this stage Selmans research suggested that children have developed the skills required to develop stronger friendships based on a mutal understanding Within this stage friendships can survive minor conflicts, Selman acknowledges the fact that, through his research, he found the way in which children describe their friendship has now changed, he found that descriptions were not based on physical descriptions, which had been the case with younger children but were now based on psychological attributes.Selman's theories on stage development of friendships can be compared with other researchers who also concluded tha t their were specific points in a child's life whereby the nature of their friendship differed dependent on age, Barnes (2003, pg 55) comments on Bigelow and La Gaipa (1980) who also categorized the nature of friendship based on particular age/stage brackets. Bigelow and La Gaipa argued that the changing nature of friendship developed alongside children's cognitive development.That is to say as children develop their cognitive understanding and have experiences of social interaction and the nature of their friendships develop and this can be categorized in general terms into particular ages. Barnes uses Zick Rubin, an American psychologist, to illustrate this staging theory, â€Å"Rubin (1980) likens this to climbing a ladder and resting at each rung in order to consolidate the new level of interpersonal awareness that has been achieved† (Barnes,2003, cited in Kehily and Swann).This categorization of stage development is not a new concept in the 1950's and 1960's Jean Piaget a Swiss psychologist through years of research developed theories regarding child development and the stages which children will act in a certain way based on their cognitive development, however â€Å"Increasingly psychologists have adopted a ‘lifespan perspective' which recognizes that development is a process that continues from birth to death†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ he end of childhood, as well as the beginning and middle, is not fixed by chronological age' (Morrow, 2003). It is therefore important not to wholly focus on the age of a child and assume that they will fit into a pre-defined category or stage, in my opinion what Morrow highlights for us is that development isn't fixed in to particular ages and stages, it suggests to me the way in which children and adults act can be determined by other factors such as their surroundings and the experiences they have.Avoid using too many quotations in U212 essays – use them sparingly. We want to hear your answer primarily in your words. Although it can be argued that â€Å"slotting†children's friendship development solely into age brackets isn't conclusive, it is helpful in determining the changing nature of friendship. By using stage development theories such as Selman's or Piaget's theories on the cognitive development of children we can use these ‘stages' to further explore the changing nature of friendship within a wider context.In the case of Selman, research was carried out by interviewing children of varying ages and asking them to comment on scenarios, a different approach in determining the changing nature of friendship has been explored through the observation of children in the context of play and life experiences and comparing these social interactions against the stage models.By taking an ethnographic approach studying children, this involves the direct observation and analysis of their communications, sociologist William Cursaro (1985) explored the way in which children talked abo ut friendship with each other. Through his studies Cursaro identified six distinct ways in which children talked in relation to friendship these included instances whereby children talked about ‘friends' as a method to gain access to play or categorized ‘friends' as the people they were playing with.Cursaro's research was based around children aged between three and five year old and in his findings highlights that empathetic behaviour is displayed even in children at this young age, if we compare this to Selmans stages of friendship development this empathetic behaviour should be seen at around the age of eleven onwards according to his research. Barnes (2003, pg 61) uses Allison James own findings from her study of four year olds to support Cursaro's findings.James (1993) suggests â€Å"through it's discrete performance that children learn about and experience friendship, which means that social contexts in which children find themselves, not simply their age, play th e greater part in shaping children's understanding of the concept† James and Cursaro offer a contrasting view to that of Selman and Piaget in the way in which children develop their friendships. It is clear that age alone can not truly determine how a child will behave towards their ‘friends' and that considerations relating to social experiences and environmental influences have to be taken into account.Common held beliefs, discourses, can also influence the way in which children will behave and react in relation to friends and friendship, factors such as culture, gender and social status will also have a bearing on a child or adults behaviour and thus influence the way in which they behave and feel they should behave. What is clear is that research offers no definitive model on the changing nature of children's friendships it cannot be precise in relation to age when a child will move from one stage to another it merely confirms the fluid nature of friendships.Previous sentence is too long and is actually three separate sentences. However what is apparent is the importance and significance of friendships need linking words or an introduction of some sort here for this quote;gt; â€Å"friendships are among the central ingredients in children's lives from as early as age three†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. through adolescence. Friendships occupy, both in their actual conduct and in the world of thought and fantasy, a large proportion of children's waking hours. They are often the sources of children's greatest pleasures and deepest frustrations. † ( Rubin,1980, cited in Barnes, 2003, pg 52).