Joseph Conrad Essays - Joseph Conrad, Congo Free State,

Joseph Conrad In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, there is a great interpretation of the feelings of the characters and uncertainties of the Congo. Although Africa, nor the Congo are ever really referred to, the Thames river is mentioned as support. This intricate story reveals much symbolism due to Conrad's theme based on the lies and good and evil, which interact together in every man. Today, of course, the situation has changed. Most literate people know that by probing into the heart of the jungle Conrad was trying to convey an impression about the heart of man, and his tale is universally read as one of the first symbolic masterpieces of English prose (Graver,28). In any event, this story recognizes primarily on Marlow, its narrator, not about Kurtz or the brutality of Belgian officials. Conrad wrote a brief statement of how he felt the reader should interpret this work: "My task which I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel-it is above all, to make you see.(Conrad 1897) Knowing that Conrad was a novelist who lived in his work, writing about the experiences were as if he were writing about himself. "Every novel contains an element of autobiography-and this can hardly be denied, since the creator can only explain himself in his creations."(Kimbrough,158) The story is written as seen through Marlow's eyes. Marlow is a follower of the sea. His voyage up the Congo is his first experience in freshwater navigation. He is used as a tool, so to speak, in order for Conrad to enter the story and tell it out of his own philosophical mind. He longs to see Kurtz, in the hope's of appreciating all that Kurtz finds endearing in the African jungle. Marlow does not get the opportunity to see Kurtz until he is so disease-stricken he looks more like death than a person. There are no good looks or health. In the story Marlow remarks that Kurtz resembles "an animated image of death carved out of old ivory." Like Marlow, Kurtz is seen as an honorable man to many admirers; but he is also a thief, murderer, raider, persecutor, and above all he allows himself to be worshipped as a god. Both men had good intentions to seek, yet Kurtz seemed a "universally genius" lacking basic integrity or a sense of responsibility (Roberts,43). In the end they form one symbolic unity. Marlow and Kurtz are the light and dark selves of a single person. Meaning each one is what the other might have been. Every person Marlow meets on his venture contributes something to the plot as well as the overall symbolism of the story. Kurtz is the violent devil Marlow describes at the story's beginning. It was his ability to control men through fear and adoration that led Marlow to signify this. Throughout the story Conrad builds an unhealthy darkness that never allows the reader to forget the focus of the story. At every turn he sees evil lurking within the land. Every image reflects a dreary, blank one. The deadly Congo snakes to link itself with the sea and all other rivers of darkness and light, with the tributaries and source of man's being on earth (Dean,189). The setting of these adventurous and moral quests is the great jungle, in which most of the story takes place. As a symbol the forest encloses all, and in the heart of the African journey Marlow enters the dark cavern of his won heart. It even becomes an image of a vast catacomb of evil, in which Kurtz dies, but from which Marlow emerges spiritually reborn. The manager, in charge of three stations in the jungle, feels Kurtz poses a threat to his own position. Marlow sees how the manager is deliberately trying to delay any help or supplies to Kurtz. He hopes he will die of neglect. This is where the inciting moment of the story lies. Should the company in Belgium find out the truth a bout Kurtz's success in an ivory procurer, they would undoubtedly elevate him to the position of manager. The manager's insidious and pretending nature opposes all truth (Roberts,42). This story

Wharton School Application

Wharton School Application center where I will do my best to provide a great involvement and get a lot of new experience. I am very hard working student who never gives up in any situation. I am ready to meet tight deadlines and always do my work with the special attention. These features of character always help me to be responsible in studying. As far as I am an international student, I will reflect a different culture in the school by making different meetings and parties. Alumnus of Wharton school are very valued among employers of world famous companies as this school represented itself as a top ranked educational institution. Getting education in this school will give me the opportunity to become a professional in my field of science. Those are the reasons why I would appreciate to become a student of the Wharton school.

Dimming the sun is not alarmist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dimming the sun is not alarmist - Essay Example The decline in the solar energy produces catastrophic affects like decrease in the evaporation that affect the formation of clouds and effecting the rain cycles of a region. However, in this research, I will discuss although the affects of the phenomenon named as the â€Å"global dimming† are catastrophic but the phenomenon is helping in maintaining the global temperatures of the world. Like the increase in the global warming verses increases in the global dimming. Scientific Data and Reasons The documentary regarding the global dimming seems to be not such that alarming as the effects of the global dimming are not as disastrous as other phenomenon like the global warming. The cause that made the issue of global dimming is the diffusion of the carbon, sulphur and nitrogenous particles to the region of lower concentration that is environment from the region of higher concentration, like the chemical and other factories, vehicles, and power generation systems. The aerosol partic les are much lighter in weight and remain suspended in the air. These aerosol particles block the solar radiation by acting as mirrors, reflecting the solar radiation back to the outer space. ... The particles in combination with the water particles act as a mirrors, reflecting the solar radiations back to the space (Ackerman et al., 1993). Before the discovery of the global dimming phenomenon, global warming was the major issue that impacted the average temperature of the world. An increase of about 0.6 to 0.8 degrees on the Celsius scale was recorded during the past decade. However, global dimming attracted many scientists all over the world. If the actions are taken to minimize the global dimming, then the amount of solar radiation received by the sun increases and thus the green house effect increases due to the increase in the atmospheric carbon-dioxide. That consequently increases the temperature of the world to a remarkable level. Scientific Data Collection and Reduction in Solar radiations Global Energy Balance Archive (GEBA) is the most reliable sources, which is maintained by the World Radiation Data Center (Gilgen et al., 1998) that can be utilized to observe the r adiation level all over the world. According to the observations by the GEBA, the regions with more industrial zones and more number of vehicles and with excessive population are the major contributors in increasing the global dimming as well as global warming as compared to the low populated countries. According to the observations, an average decline of about 4% in the solar radiations is noted in the past three decades to 1990s all around the world. However, after 1990s a major reduction in the solar radiations is noted industrial revolution, increase in the need for power and increase in the number of vehicles all around the world (Liepert 2002). There is more reduction in the solar

New Urban Infrastructure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

New Urban Infrastructure - Essay Example It was industry which caused massive migrations into inner city centers (urbanization), secondary to developing industries and the wealth of new jobs they created. These busy urban centers, prolific in mass production, became economic hubs through which business dealings with other business centers, such as those located abroad, would occur. This phenomenon engenders globalization, not only of material capital, but of human capital as well. The benefits of the industrial age are ubiquitous. The plethora of available consumer goods, efficiencies in transportation, and advances in all types of communication, give evidence to the dynamic impacts that industrialization has had throughout the world. Improvements in production leading to an increase in the availability of jobs provides elevations in per capita income, this in turn elevates the overall standards of living and quality of life for certain individuals. A side effect was urbanization. The positive effects of the situation, can and have, started to take a turn for the worse for some people, not in a pandemic fashion, but in a sporadic way throughout many large cities. The degrees of severity may be more endemic to certain areas, or affect certain peoples based on the demographics, as it pertains to geography. The downsides to urbanizations sequela include overcrowding, environmental degradation, and crime. Economic disruption, unemployment, and homelessness are played out on the streets of every urban center throughout the globe. Adaptations to the many problems provided by industrialization, urbanization, and globalization, occur via social ecology. Social, economic, and moral inequities do not balance themselves, such as molecules across a semi-permeable membrane. What it boils down to, at times, is survival of the fittest. Not of the genetically fit, but of the financially fit. These precepts are based on the "Chicago" school of thought. Unlike the, usual, distribution of resources, as seen in nature, social ecology molds the social environment via unnatural social forces. These unseen forces shape-shift the way social milieus are geographically formed and situated. An example, as pointed out in the text, is that of the formation of ghettos. Formation of ghettos does not happen by a conscious social choice, of the inhabitants therein, but by external social forces dictated by the majority social-rule of a given urban industrial area. Globalization seems to be the social forces of industrialization and urbanization on a larger scale, throughout the globe, if you will. Increasing social interactivity between and global cities and people's, spawn new social worlds within the context of the industrial/ urban/global environment. This helps to create social constructs secondary to the blending of cultural ideologies and behaviors. People are able to adopt new philosophies about life and its social interactions, as opposed to being pigeonholed into a particular moral and social philosophy. The terms and conditions of industrialization, urbanization, and globalization may be dictated by the world's leaders, but the subtle social dynamics that occur within the context of this social paradigm will be dictated by the interactions of men and women across to all geographical, tangible and intangible, borders. Urban Policy looks at ways of regenerating

(Marketing Report)write a marketing report in the role of the Essay

(Marketing Report)write a marketing report in the role of the consultant to the Board of The Birmingham Library - Essay Example It is a 360 degree approach in marketing which enables the marketer raise brand awareness and subsequently brand experience though various touch points. However, electronic marketing can only be successful if it is accompanies with strategies influencing the customer perception from different touch points also, such as print media, advertising, television, outdoor media, etc. In the present report, a situational analysis has been done. E- Marketing has been taken as a strategy for branding and promotions of the newly established library in Birmingham. The target customers fall in the age group of 18-25 years. Since this generation is mostly customer savvy and addicted to internet and other social media activities, using electronic marketing to target these customers will be of sustainable advantage. SOSTAC format have been applied for the development of situation, objectives and strategies. From the specified strategies, tactics, applications and action plans have been recommended. A proper control analysis has been done to identify the future issues and recommended future strategies to control them. Introduction The Library of Birmingham is the new library that has recently completed its construction. Upon completion, this will replace the Birmingham Central Library, based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The Library of Birmingham is the new extension of the Central Library having modern technology and state of art infrastructure. The new library is a 188 million pounds project. The central library was completed in the year 1983 and was opened for public in the year 1984. Central library is considered as one of the most popular and visited libraries of the country. With the opening of the new library, many new services will be launched. Since it is completely new establishment, most of the products and features of the library will be ungraded and advanced. E-Marketing A description of electronic marketing will be use for digital technologies and electronic devic es in order to sell and promote products and services. According to authors like Xing et al (2004) and McQuitty and Peterrson (2000), the percentage of people accessing the internet and involving in online data gathering about products and services has grown over the years. Business has grown all over the world with the advent of electronic marketing (Joines, Scherer and Scheufele, 2003) and it will create huge marketing opportunity for the organisations (Pollack, 1999; Hoffman, 2000). Electronic marketing can also be defined as an online channel through with customers and marketers enter into a transaction phase for sale and purchase, which benefits both parties. According to Meuter et al, (2000) internet marketing can be explained as a virtual platform where services and products existing as digital information can be exchanged with the help of channels which are informative. In this type of media, people and groups create, share and exchange ideas and information through online c ommunities and networks (Mangold and Faulds, 2009). Electronic media is different from traditional media in many ways such as reach, quality, frequency,

Challenges For British Trade Unions Commerce Essay

Challenges For British Trade Unions Commerce Essay What will be the key challenges for British Trade unions in the next decade? Using materials from across the course identify these challenges and make your predictions about the size, nature and influence of unions throughout the forthcoming decade. INTRODUCTION Industrial Relations in Britain have been at the centre of attention and analysis for many years. There has been a concern on its substance and its future. Its development is associated with the rise and growth of trade unionism. Since the 18th century, it has been a system that relies on voluntary arrangements for negotiation and consultations. Today, industrial relations in the UK has suffered harsh strains and pressure. This is largely attributed to factors such as the change in employment pattern, the growth in scale of industrial organisations amongst others. Also, stories of strikes, wage demands and industrial disturbance constantly hit the news. However, Industrial relations today is very much different from what it used to be. So many things are happening; from the recent recession, to the decline of union membership and the economic changes taking place. Hence, for the purpose of this essay, I shall be examining the trade unions and the possible future challenges they might encounter. Furthermore, it is important to note that one cannot look into the future of trade unions without going on a journey to the history of how they emerged, the present state of these trade unions and then predict what their future might turn out to be. History of British Trade unions The Early years up to 1979 British Trade unions had their origin in the mediaeval craft society which was established to control access to crafts, ensure that craftsmen were not engulfed by numbers and also monitor the degree of price control. In a nut shell, they controlled the market. The society set down rates and gave its members benefits particularly in cases of sickness, accidents and retirements. By the 18th century, when the markets began to expand, there was the need for more people to be employed. This brought about the emergence of craftsman organisation whose aim was to provide joint aid, support and assist a number of people that were facing difficult times. During this period, a number of strikes took place in localities with regards to increase in pay and reductions in working hours and this put so much pressure on employers to ban what was referred to as combinations. Pieces of legislations aimed at banning combinations within 1720 and 1799 led to the emergence of two important combination acts in 1799 and 1990 that prohibited combinations and strikes in Britain. However just before the end of the 18th century, the craftsman societies had developed into trade unions. This period observed growth in the factory system, speedy social change and social disorder. The combination act still didnt do much and was revoked in 1824. By 1825, a new measure emerged which confined combination only to specific actions over hours and wages and new offences were introduced such as molestation and intimidation of workers. Furthermore, an attempt to set up a Grand National Consolidated Trades union in 1834 to bring all union together was never supported. Prior to 1850, unions were just local events (except miners), but by the middle of the century, a number of union mergers began to spring forth and this was as a result of the growth of railway which ensured easy communication. The first was the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) established in 1850. It was a friendly society that catered for unemployment, sickness, etc. Then, there was the emergence of the Trade union act in 1871 directed towards protecting the union funds. Other mergers following the footstep of ASE included wood work and tailoring. It is essential to note that jobs in this period were restricted to men even though women had begun to gain entrance into the labour market. With the development of national unions came trade councils from 1858 in main cities and towns. The first meeting of what was to be called a trade union was organised in Manchester in 1868 and thereafter in Birmingham in 1869. By 1870, TUC had a general secretary and in 1895, the representation at TUC was restricted only to unions thereby excluding trade councils to avoid dual representation. This period also characterized endless industrial disputes which were due to the change in work practice and the technologies. In addition, the strikes during this period were concerns relating to how work should be done and the kind of people employed to do particular tasks. The Late 1880s saw the emergence of what was called a new unionism. This was the beginning of large scale organisation of unskilled workers, all fighting for better wages through hard fought strikes at the national level. An example was the popular London dock strikes in1889 and the seamens strike also in the same year. The period between 1896 to1914 witnessed very high costs of living and falling wages and as a result led to strengthening of the newly emerged labour party which allowed for more people to join the trade union. The First World War during this period had tremendous effects on industrial relations. By 1919, unions became militant and required long term benefits in negotiation almost immediately after the war when labour was scarce. There were several amalgamations of unions like the Transport and General workers union and the union for Building and Trade workers. Subsequently, small local unions that could not compete soon faded out. By the end of the 1920s, there was a rise in unemployment and trade unions decided to protect jobs rather than increase wages (Tyson, 2006). There was also the emergence of the triple alliance between the transport workers, railway workers and miners which was to reinforce mutual support in times of difficulty and confrontation. The Second World War brought about co-operation between unions and government. Between 1939 and 1951 there was shift in growth of manual labour workers. Also during the wars (first and second world wars), institutions of negotiation were established to prevent strikes, although a number of strikes still occurred. Trade union membership grew mostly in the white collar jobs in the late 1950s and 1960s. However their density did not increase until the 1970s. The change in occupational structures brought about more white collar jobs and allowed more women to join unions. Trade unions from 1979-2000 During this period, there was a dramatic decline in trade union membership in the UK. Four notable features were responsible for this decline which the British trade union had little control of. They were the changes in employment, the growth of individualism, managements human resource strategies and a very hostile government (Stirling, 2005). The changes in employment led to closures of factories and a huge number of redundancies in manufacturing sector, expansion of private sectors and growth of part time jobs. Also in many cases, the HR strategies were often devised to circumvent union organisation. Furthermore, the hostile government inherent in both employment legislation and the process of privatisation was also responsible for the decline. Lastly, individualism was inherent in workplace, where rewards and benefits were tied to individual appraisal and performance related pay rather than on collective agreements. It is worthy to note that trade unions were able to respond to these changes in various ways. The first was their move towards organisational restructuring by adopting new systems of internal management (Brewster Allen, 1998). They also adopted the new realism which was effectively a give in to employers strategies. They countered derecognition by focusing on single union agreements and high profile no strike agreements (Bassett, 1986). In addition, trade unions were committed to recruiting new members as they also wanted to be more organisational friendly, include part-time workers, women and those from minority ethnic groups. Lastly there was the development of a consumer trade unionism where members were seen as consumers and offered individual services and benefits (Bassett Cave, 1993). By the mid 1990s, the TUC and unions decided to change their approach when they realised that relying on political change, waiting for economic improvement , spending so much on consumer service and the struggle for members were results that didnt work. The year 1997 saw several changes with labour returning to government. This brought about the employment relation Act of 1999 which helped unions claim recognition. Also in recent years there have been several changes such as National Minimum Wage, rights to maternity leave and rights of part time workers. KEY FACTS TO NOTE In 2007, TUC had 66 allied unions compared to 109 in 1979 There was a decline of TUC membership at around six and a half million since the mid-nineties. Emphasis on Trade union has changed. There has been rapid growth of legal advice and representation of members at tribunals The importance of training has also been emphasised with government funding a scheme where workplace learning representatives have been developed. Lastly over the years, unions have come to embrace the agenda on equality and diversity. Having looked at the history of the British trade union, lets take a look at where they are presently. Present State of British Trade Unions There are quite a number of trade unions in Britain today. These unions look after the welfare of their members. They also help their members deal with issues of pay, job cuts and pensions in the workplace. Thus, they represent their members in pay negotiations, grievance procedures and also protect their members against clients and the state (Bryson, 2007). Little wonder when employees are asked the question as to why they join unions, they give answers like they join unions for protection, political belief, solidarity, traditions, pay conditions and so on. Recently there has been quite a number of strikes in Britain, all centred on pay cuts, work-life balance, redundancies amongst others. For example, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) in 2009 engaged in a bitter dispute with the Royal mail over pay, job losses and modernisation which led to a series of nationwide postal strike. Also bus drivers and bin men decided to stage 24 hours walkout in some parts of the country in 2009. In addition, unions intended to ballot staff at British Airways and Network Rail. However by January 2010, Unite and British Airways embarked on fresh talks. Furthermore, workers at the Fijitsu electronic company started their first of six nationwide strikes on dispute over pay, pension and jobs in December. Trade unions today are in crisis. They do not only face internal difficulties but also have to cope with external, economic and political change. One central problem they might face is that they may be too weak to make a difference. But with the current recession and globalisation, we just cannot tell what they can do. However, a surprising reality is that the rate of union membership (union density) of employees is swiftly declining. In 1979, 13.3million people were members of trade unions and the proportion of employees who were union members stood at 55%. By 2003, union membership as estimated by the labour survey had dropped to 7.42million with the proportion of members at 29.1% and in 2005 to 29%. By the end of 2006, the rate of union membership fell to 28.4%. This subsequently declined to 28% in 2007. As at 2008, the union membership cut down by 27.4%. Furthermore, the density in private sector fell by 0.6% to 15.5% while public sector fell 1.9% to 57.1%, both in 2008. (SOURCE: Labour Force survey, Office for national statistics, department of employment (1892-1974); certification office (1974-2006). Against this background, it is imperative to understand the reason for the decline in union membership and the challenges unions encounter. Current Challenges for British Trade Unions British trade unions have gotten to a point where they need to sit and rethink their strategies. These unions are faced with various challenges ranging from political, economic, to financial that if not resolved soon might pose a major challenge for them in the future. A lot of scholars have tried to identify the challenges that British trade unions face. According to Mcllroy (2008), British trade unions today are faced with challenging conditions such as globalisation, neo-liberal politics, recession and a host of other issues. To Frege Kelly (2003), trade unions are facing challenging conditions in representing their members, they face crisis of membership density, the wearing out of structures of interest representation and declining mobilisation capacity. They stated that a reason for the decline in density has been as a result of the changing structure of employment, the decline of employment in traditional manufacturing industries and the increased employment in service industries They identify several factors that have and would continue to pose a challenge to unions. I find these factors really interesting and they include: Economic and social change (the trends in labour market) The Institutional environment (for example the structure of collective bargaining, legal and arbitration procedures and political system) the state and the employers strategies The structure of the union itself such as union leadership, relationships, networks and organisation of movements. As it has been noted already, Britain currently faces economic crisis which is attributed to the recent recession. In these difficult economic times, when there is a high level of unemployment and drastic cuts in wages and benefits, unions would find it almost impossible to please their members. Borrowing the words of Koelble, (1988) it is worthy to note that the more brutal these economic crisis are the more problems union leaders have to face. Today, unions also face the risk of extinction if they do not progress. A major challenge unions have is in their structure and policies. They need to balance relationship between their members and the employers by showing that they can get through to workers without sidelining employers and deliver to employers while also looking out for the interest of their workers. In some of the articles I read, research carried out shows that so many workers are of the belief that unions need to work more with employers so as to increase productivity which is as important as any action taken on pay, impartiality and fairness. Also, unions like every other voluntary organisation have to provide incentives whether positive or negative so as to attract prospective members. Having attracted membership, they are then faced with the problem of maintaining these members so as to ensure the union survival. Significantly, economic growth has been seen as a requirement for the provision of positive incentives by unions; therefore, in periods of economic growth, it is easy for trade unions to squeeze out some compromise from employers and the state. On the other hand, when there is a decline or stagnation in economic growth, it reduces the ability of unions to provide more benefits (Koelbe, 1988). It might be wrong for me to say that unions are not recognised in some organisations. However, according to Guest who was cited in Storey (2007), he stated that traditional unions may only be tolerated in some business not because they are special but because they have always been in existence and also because they do not incur any unwarranted cost. Some organisations today have the tendency of abandoning collective bargaining without formally derecognising the unions. The presence of HRM in workplaces has further reduced the roles of trade unions and if some organisations could do without them, they would not hesitate. The result of all these is that unions have some members that are not covered by collective bargaining and thus face the difficult duty of convincing such members to remain in the union. They also have to convince employers that they can be trusted. What about the financial crisis these unions face and might continue to face if they lose more members? Unions are facing some financial crisis. This is not surprising though as they rely heavily on membership subscriptions as the primary source of income. Consequently, if membership density continues to drops, their income would drop as well unless they decide to increase subscription fees of members or get their revenue from other means. The question unions should ask themselves is if they can help their existing members without relying so much on voluntary activities. Also, unions organising potential is badly damaged. Trade unions are now confronted with issues such as their inability to organise new workplaces and new workers as they used to. As a result of this a number of workers have never been a member of any trade union. In addition, some relatively new organisations hardly ever recognise unions for pay bargaining. If they cant sort this out, it is definitely going to be a big challenge they would face in the coming decade. It is also important to add that in the case of tight finance; unions might not want to gamble by spending money on organising new workplaces unless they are partially sure of success. It is imperative to state that we currently live in an era of global economic and industrial restructuring. Globalisation has prompted the urge for the development of world economy. It involves several issues like deregulation of the labour market, liberalisation and privatisation, development of communication network technology, the internalisation of financial markets amongst others (Akteruzzaman, 2006). All these issues have posed a challenge to workers and their trade union. Today, unions have a feel of globalisation as there has been a lot of job loss, decline in wages etc. Workers have become one of the many victims of globalisation. Thus globalisation is seen as a threat to trade unions. Still, there is the impact of the current recession of the labour market which has increased tremendously the unemployment rate in the last 20months. Labour market report states that the unemployment rate has risen by 1.3% to reach 7.1% since the third quarter of 2008. In a recent Cipd article (January 2010), it is postulated that unemployment would hit a high rate of 2.8 million by summer 2010 with job markets only slowly recovering in the second half of 2010. As a result of this, the redundancy level has increased. In the recession, the private sector would continue the trends of having lower levels of industrial actions as this is caused by the change in staff attitudes and the increasing need to sustain competitive advantage on the global scale. However, it has been predicted that there would be more strike actions in the public sectors (CIPD, November 2009). As a result of this, unions need to fight for their members in public sectors since strikes might be inevitable. According to Amble (2005), for unions to increase in size again, they need to drop their militant and confrontational attitude and be more dependent and co-operative. He argues that some potential members may be put off by unions style of struggle, strife and strikes which has very little appeal to employees who care more about getting on rather than getting even. Lastly, unions have a problem with their strategy. What appealed to yesterdays workers might not be attractive to todays labour force. They need to set new agendas around so many issues they currently face such as low pay, work-life balance and equality. Although the future challenges of British trade union cannot really be determined by present occurrences, one can however predict what these unions are likely to face in the future. Having looked at the current challenges British trade unions face, unions need to ask themselves some questions: do they have the ability to meet the challenge of an aspirational agenda Are their thoughts channelled to what they want to do or rather how they do it? Can unions achieve the objective of servicing, partnership and organising? How flexible would their role be in meeting the demands and need of members in the next decade? Would they be able to contain different strategies for different employment relations environment? If unions cannot provide answers to these questions, then this might be some of the future challenges they would encounter. The Future of British Trade Unions A lot has been said and predictions have been made with regards to the future of trade unions. Several scholars have come up with predictions and possible solutions to the challenges unions face currently and possibly in the future. There has been the question of what unions can do to achieve membership. According to Metcalf (2005), unions are faced with two potential ways for revival. First, it is either employment in unionized sectors of the economy grows in relations to non union employment or secondly, unions must employ more rigorous means of organising activity with the aim of enhancing their appeal to both employers and potential members. He further goes on to states that unions should invest more in organising and servicing so as to produce significant returns. Furthermore, even if unions are able to put a stop to the decline in membership, there might be a problem with achieving steady growth. Unions need to break more into the contemporary service sector economy. Although there have been a lot of jobs in the public sector, the actual employment growth might come from organisations where trade unions have not been so successful at organising. Thus trade unions might be faced with the challenge of changing themselves even further to remain relevant to certain groups. There is also the need for trade unions to develop better political relationship with the government and other parties. They must learn to abandon the pattern of making unrealistic demands and realise that not all their demands can be met since the government must also govern in the interest of the country in general. In addition, Partnership needs to be encouraged. Unions need to adopt a better process of engagement. They should learn to appeal to employers making them see that effective co-operation helps a great deal in the improvement of performance in organisations. Also, the financial state of unions could have a lasting effect. Unions need to re-evaluate and ask themselves if they can provide for their members without depending on voluntary endeavours. Many scholars are of the belief that unions will be successful only if they align themselves with the new realities of the labour market and can also plead to both the top and bottom of the economy. Unions need to broaden their horizon by aiming at new or previously neglected class of workers into membership and extend organisation and representation towards the low waged employees (Lucas, 2009; Oxenbridge, 1997; Heery, 2002). Several strategies have been identified by scholar as ways of generating renewal for trade unions such as servicing, organising and partnership approach (Heery, 2002). However, some scholars argue that all these strategies can be used together and are well matched. A very brilliant way to address the problems of trade union in Britain is giving by Frege Kelly (2003) who came up with six strategies: organising (gaining of membership) partnership (working together with employers, employees and trade unions would bring about motivated trust and benefits) organisational reforms (such as mergers and internal reorganisation) political action (Lobbying with a focus on legislation and labour market regulations policies) coalition building with other social movements Lastly, possess strong international links to exchange and share information. In my opinion if these strategies are put in place; trade unions would survive extinction and disappearance and remain relevant in the future. CONCLUSION There is so much uncertainty as to what the future of British trade unions would be. These trade unions have come a long way, through thick and thin and their ability to survive the test of time depends on the strategy they employ. One fact is clear though that although there has been a modest amount of industrial disputes in recent times, Britain is not likely to face a repeat of the wide spread strikes that was present in 1979. In conclusion therefore, unions should not be relegated to the background. Employers need to communicate with their employees, the government would need views from workplace and above all, the employees need a collective voice which makes the unions very important.

Huckleberry Finn Book Report :: essays research papers

THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN AUTHOR’S SKETCH Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri. When Samuel Clemens was four years old, his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, where he spent his childhood. Clemens first approach to literature was through typesetting for a newspaper in 1851. At the time Orion, his brother, was a newspaper publisher in Hannibal. From 1857 until 1861, he served as the pilot of a riverboat on the Mississippi River. He later used this experience in creating his novels. His first writings appeared in a newspaper on February 2, 1863 under the pen name “Mark Twain.'; Clemens fell in love with Olivia Langdon and married her in 1870 after a long courtship. The Clemens’ family lived in Hartford, Connecticut from 1871 until 1891, the period of his best writing. In 1872, he published his first book, Roughing It. He published The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in 1876. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, considered his masterpiece of writing, was published in 1885. He received many honors and a great deal of recognition for his writings. Clemens died of Angina on April 21, 1910. MAIN CHARACTERS Huck Finn - the central character of the novel and the son of the town drunk. Jim - Miss Watson’s runaway slave whom Huck helps to gain his freedom. Pap - Huck’s father who comes back to town when he learns about the reward. Tom Sawyer – Huck’s friend who is about his same age. ELEMENTS OF PLOT (1) Setting The setting of Huckleberry Finn was in mid Eighteenth Century America. The first few chapters were set in St. Petersburg, Missouri. The town was patterned after Hannibal, Missouri, where Clemens spent his childhood. It is located on the Mississippi River about 80 miles from St. Louis, Missouri. Most of the novel’s setting is on the Mississippi River south of St. Petersburg. (2) Beginning Situation Huck Finn, a boy of about 12 years, was the son of the town drunk. Widow Douglas adopted him so that she could civilize him and raise him to be a gentleman. Huck did not like going to school, attending church or dressing up. Tom Sawyer, Ben Rogers, and Joe Harper were his friends at the local school. Huck and Tom found a treasure hidden by bank robbers and were allowed to keep six thousand dollars each, for themselves, as a reward. Huck’s father heard about his son’s treasure and returned to St.

‘Modern democracy’ develop in America Essay

The English colonies on the eastern coast of American can be divided into three groups, the North, the Middle Colonies and the South. They all have very different attitudes but they all came here to America to escape from the oppression back in Europe and to develop a new, democratic country. To establish democracy, they all have to face the same enemy, the British. Modern democracy involves the right to vote, check and balance, and an elected representative. The main reasons for development of modern democracy in America were religion, wealth, political freedom, pragmatism and secularism. Religion and political freedom are strongly related to each other because Christianity provided an essential moral foundation for liberal democratic government. The Pilgrims who reached New England in 1620 escaped from religious persecution by the English church and government and the corruptions of Holland. Soon they decided to set up their own government base on Christian ideas, particular the idea of equality. It was one of the early steps towards modern democracy in America. The Pilgrims drew up an important agreement called the Mayflower Compact. The agreement stated that the government would make â€Å"just laws and equal† with the consent of the colonists. In practice this meant that adult male Pilgrims met from time to time to elect a governor and a small group to assist him. The Puritans also hated the hierarchy system in the English church. But comparing to the Pilgrims, the Puritans were more ambitious. They thought it was destiny and God’s will that brought them to America. Religion and the idea of â€Å"city upon the hill† caused them to form a democratic government. â€Å"City upon a hill† was proposed by John Winthrop. He meant that the new colony would be an example for the rest of the world of how God meant men and women to live. The Puritans should build their city well and it would become a model which England might follow. Wealth also hindered the movement of democracy. First of all, the colonists in the south went to American hoping to find wealth and success which they found by growing tobacco and slave trade. Once they got wealth, they wanted to protect their property and to gain further profit. The only way to do  this is to have a government system where it will concern about people’s self interest. As a result, a democratic government is developed where most issues were approved or discussed by the people before it was passed. Pragmatism means human taking practical actions to problems. America is a new, strange land to the colonists. The colonists had to be very flexible to cope with the wilderness. Secularism means the exclusion of religious and supernatural beliefs. These two ideas combined to develop another characteristic of modern democracy that is religious freedom. It was first suggested by William Penn, a Quaker. They believed all men are equal no matter what race or what religion they believed in. The Quakers thought religion does not dictate political decisions, though the moral views originating in Christianity remain. Rather then concentrating on the religious aspect, they concentrate on improving their lives in this new country. The Shakers held a similar idea with the Quakers. They believed in â€Å"Hands to work, heart to God.† This developed the idea of you can believe in any religion or none at all, with little legal or social sanction, that is the freedom of religion. The main cause of the American War of Independence is how the British treated Americans after the Seven Years War. The Seven Years War (1756-1763) had the French on one side and Prussia backed by British gold on the other. The Seven Years War was mainly the result of trading rights. The British colonials (Americans) were pinned up against the Atlantic seaboard, with only the Hudson Bay Company in the north challenging the French trading. The colonists were running out of land. British found the need to expand. But doing so, they would enter the Ohio Valley, controlled by France. In the end, France was defeated. Although Britain won the war, they found themselves in an unfavourable situation. The war was longer than the British had expected and was expensive. Even worse, the colonists were moving west. In order to maintain their new land in America British must send troops to protect it, this was another huge spending. Since Britain had defended the thirteen colonies, they thought tha t the colonists should pay for the troops by various taxes. Starting from 1763, Britain tried to apply its own policy onto the American colonists. The American colonists were unpleased because the reason why there were here in America was to escape from English rule but now the British government was making decisions, disregarding the assemblies that they established earlier. A few events highlighted the colonists’ resentments and anger toward Britain. In 1764, the Revenue Act was introduced. It stated that colonists have to pay duty for molasses which is used to make rum. It was the first time that the colonists felt the unjust of British rule. The next year, British introduced another tax through Stamp Act. This Act made colonists to buy stamps for newspaper and many other essential items. They even have to buy license for playing cards and dice. The colonists became outrageous, they believed only their assemblies can tax on them, not the London Parliament which is few thousands miles away and they had not much power in it. The anger towards British rule was intense by Britain demolishing all duties in the Townshend Act apart from tea. The colonists regarded this as a bribe to make them end the boycott with British government so that the British can tax them. As a result, a first actual rebellion was broke out and it was known as the Boston Tea Party. Few colonists disguised themselves as Indians and threw cargos of tea into the harbour. This rebellion alerted the British. The British decided to make a harsher plan towards America. The Intolerable Acts were made in 1774 to gain total control over American colonists. The British block ports and only allow American assemblies to meet once a year. This is the ultimate reason for making the American wanted to go to war with Britain. The Acts caused the colonists to stop all trade with Britain and raise their own troops. Americans felt that Britain was taking their democracy away by simply ruling them in British way. Under British rule, Americans did not have the right to vote or to elect government. They did not have religion freedom and must follow the English church. They could not have their own trade. The colonists’ feelings could be expressed through the Philosophes’ arguments. As the famous philosophe, Voltaire said, â€Å"I disagree with everything you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it!†, he believed that the Church stood in the way of truth by telling people what to believe instead of allowing them to think for themselves. The American extended this  idea even further and thought that Britain was in the way of their democracy and that the welfare of the colony and the Empire were not always synonymous. The philosophes also emphasised on human rights and this related to how the American thought when a government does not consent the governed, it sho uld be change. The colonists fled from the oppression back in Europe and wanted to start a new life. Their religion, ambition and attidtues finally led them to the road to modern democracy. But Britain disregarded their rights and democracy and this is the immediate cause of the American War of Independence.

50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and Toes

50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and Toes 50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and Toes 50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and Toes By Mark Nichol Here is a list of expressions that refer to one’s legs or feet or their parts, and the meaning of each idiom. 1. One’s Achilles’ heel is one’s weakness. 2. To be bound hand and foot is to be literally or figuratively tied up. 3. To bring one to heel is to subdue someone. 4. To go somewhere by or on foot is to walk or hike there. 5. To cool one’s heels is to pause to calm down or think before doing something rash. 6. To dig in one’s heels is to be obstinate. 7. One who doesn’t have a leg to stand on is unsupported by evidence or corroboration. 8. To drag one’s feet is to delay. 9. To find one’s feet is to become accustomed or oriented. 10. To be fleet of foot is to be fast. 11. To foot the bill is to accept financial responsibility. 12. To get down on your knees means to figuratively submit or ask for forgiveness. 13.–14. To get one’s feet wet is to have a modest or mild introductory experience; to put one’s toe in the water is to do so even more hesitantly. 15.–16. To get or start off on the right foot is to make a good first impression or to act productively soon after beginning an endeavor, and to get or start off on the wrong foot is to leave a poor first impression or act counterproductively soon after beginning an endeavor. 17. To get one’s sea legs to become accustomed to the pitch and roll of a marine vessel or, by extension, to become used to a situation. 18. To have a foot in the door is to have an advantage that will enable one to obtain a desired result. 19. To have foot-in-mouth disease is to habitually make awkward or inappropriate comments. 20. To have one’s feet in both camps is to be opportunistically sympathetic to two opposing viewpoints. 21. To have feet of clay is to have a hidden flaw or weakness (an allusion to the fragility of clay). 22. To have itchy feet is to be restless. 23. To have one foot in the grave is to be in poor health or near death. 24. To have two left feet is to feel clumsy. 25. To have the world at one’s feet is to be afforded an opportunity for rewarding experiences. 26. â€Å"Head to toe† means â€Å"entirely† or â€Å"thoroughly.† 27. To keep one’s feet on the ground is to remain realistic and responsible. 28. To keep someone on one’s toes is to do or say one or more things that cause the person to remain alert or attentive. 29. â€Å"Knee-high to a grasshopper† is a colorfully exaggerated expression referring to being a small child. 30. To land on one’s feet is to recover from a setback. 31. â€Å"My foot† is an idiom for expressing skepticism. 32. One who is on his or her last legs is in a state of exhaustion or near the point of giving up. 33. To pull someone’s leg is to deceive them for humorous effect. 34. To pull the rug from under one’s feet is to be deprived of support or disoriented by a sudden action; to have the rug pulled under one’s feet is to be the victim of such an action. â€Å"Have the ground cut out from under one’s feet† has the same meaning. 35. To put one’s best foot forward is to make a good impression. 36. To put one foot in front of the other is to begin a laborious undertaking. 37. To put one’s foot in it is to do or say something that gets one into an unfortunate situation, suggestive of stepping into an unpleasant substance. 38. To put one’s foot in one’s mouth is to say something awkward or inappropriate. 39. To put one’s feet up is to relax. 40. To put one’s foot down is to be insistent. 41. To put one’s foot to the floor is to suddenly hurry or increase one’s speed. 42. To set foot somewhere is to go into that place. 43. To shoot oneself in the foot is to do or say something disadvantageous to one’s own interests. 44. To stand on one’s own two feet is to act or live independently. 45. To step, or tread, on someone’s toes is to impinge on that person’s authority or responsibility or interfere with the person’s actions. 46. â€Å"The shoe is on the other foot† means that a situation has been reversed so that one who had been responsible for another’s misfortune is now suffering the same misfortune. 47. To think on one’s feet is to solve a problem reflexively or spontaneously. 48. To toe the line is to remain within the bounds of proper behavior or conduct. 49. To wait for the other shoe to drop is to be in expectation of receiving further developments or news. 50. To wait on someone hand and foot is to serve that person continuously. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Opening Lines to Inspire the Start of Your StoryFive Spelling Rules for "Silent Final E"Charles's Pen and Jesus' Name

World Peace essays

World Peace essays World peace is a commonly debated issue among todays society. Questions that arise are: Will it ever be attained? When? Is it even possible? These questions have reached the minds of everyone, with a variety of opinions. Political status, culture, and belief all affect their beliefs. Everyone has a different thought, and no one really knows. Will there be a nuclear war, engulfing the world in a nuclear inferno? Will a second coming of Christ occur? Maybe the world will unite under one leader? The worlds future in world peace can be predicted by none, but I, as many people do, have my own theory. I believe that world peace will never be attained, that it is just an idea created by the human emotion of hope. Not that this is a bad idea; it is a great thought. However, unrealistic. I will discuss in three main points why world peace is impossible to obtain. First of all, with so many varieties of religions, they cant cooperate even in todays society. Secondly, Political beliefs on gover nment varies just as greatly. Similar to religion, politics can cause just as big of an impact on war. My last reason why world peace will never be attained, is the simple fact that no one gets along with everyone. Religion comes in many forms, and in some cases, religions are at war with each other. This does not make religion bad. Most of the world would be against that thought. Some religions just need to cooperate with each other. Sadly, in some countries, religious wars render a country war torn. While everyone should be entitled to their own beliefs, they shouldnt infringe upon anothers. Political parties are found in great varieties. Many people, like the founding fathers of the United states, had everyones best interests in mind. Most political parties also have the nations best interests in mind. Unfortunately, some nations are governed by a political faction forced upon them. This demotes ...

Principles of Financial Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Principles of Financial Management - Assignment Example Funds for business operations can be obtained from two sources, these include: internal as well as external sources. Internal sources of finance refer to funds raised from competencies and resources within the organization, for example: sale of fixed assets and money saved from the total earnings. External sources of finances refer to those sources that are located out of the business vicinity, in the environment in which the business is operating (Bendrey, 2001, p.16). For example: sale of shares to other investors, bank loans, overdraft and investments from the investment world. Several benefits are associated with both kinds of financing methods. External financing sources such as sale of shares is one of the most fastest method for raising capital and gaining huge amount of money in a very short period of time. Money raised through sale of shares does not need to be returned and no interest needs to be paid. On the other hand, funds raised through internal sources allow the organization to continue controlling the organization and is not associated with payment of interest. If loan is obtained from banks, organizations can gain access to heavy amount of funds which can be repaid over a long period of time and company does not losses its say on the operations. These sources of finance have disadvantages associated with them, in case of sale of shares, owners of the company loose control and shareholders even participate in decision making process (Cottrell, 1980, p.248). If an organization borrows loan from a bank, it has a duty to not only repay the loan amount, it even has to pay the interest levied on the loan amount which might become difficult to repay if the organization fails to generate revenue. The money raised through internal sources are quite limited are required for day to day financing purposes. If money raised through internal sources is used up, the company might suffer from

Marketing Management Principles, Practices and Religion Essay

Marketing Management Principles, Practices and Religion - Essay Example On the other end, faith, which happens to be the greatest provider of meaning in all people’s lives fails to register not even a single statement on the radar of nearly every mainline of marketing reading materials published in the past rigid couple of decades. This apparent and particular paradox is the systemic provider of the backdrop to this paper. Today, different analysts are examining the berthing idea of adjoining politics and religion into the broadened marketing camp. There are brief contemporary reviews of religious marketing, where analysts are undertaking comparison of politics and religion to assess whether these pillars can conform to a uniform framework of marketing for environments, which are non-business. Again, there is critical examination of the idea that religious economy validates marketing in faith environments. All these examinations depict a common factor whereby, they all aim at determining whether it is appropriate to apply marketing management prin ciples and practices to religion (Daft & Marci, 2010). This paper will explore significant objectives that revolve around adopting principles of marketing and methods that show the degree in which marketing management principles finds it appropriate to apply adoption of religious practices and principles.... best part of the past century is that, there has been continuous adoption of marketing principles and practices but its seeds are appearing in the modern part of early years of the twentieth century where disciplinary forms of academics are revealing modern systems of marketing in politics. Years earlier, innovators came up with mass leafleting, polling through computers, personal letters, and established relationship between marketing, and the World Wide Web where efforts to incorporate business and religion passed fruitlessly. This is because of the fact that, most of these innovations oriented business into politics as opposed to business and religion (Curry, 2009). A brief survey of religious marketing Late twentieth century witnessed accelerated adoption of methods of marketing from the mainstream of consumer marketing to initiation in different aspects of life such as religion. At the close of twentieth century, every channel presented and segmented different religious services where the public has an opportunity of choosing. Different writers started documenting the emergency of religious marketing as part of academic focus in early 1980s. Since then, publishing of religious marketing management reading materials started only to last for no more than a year (Vallabhaneni, 2008). However, as time went on, these religious reading materials took a different direction as they started appearing once more in the late 1990s. Particularly, in the US where there a number of organizations equipped with special knowledge, books, and courses were available with the view of helping churches grow and expand their congregations by applying marketing methods and practices into their marketing mainstream. The challenge of religious marketing Even though there are no conventional