Hamlet, The Metamorphosis, and Frankenstein Essay

Familial relations are often strained in the world of literature, especially between fathers and sons. However, these strains grow when traditional notions of fatherhood are altered or circumvented; so Hamlet has a difficult time dealing with an uncle-turn-father, and Gregor Samsa’s father is unable to truly be a parent to a gigantic cockroach. Even Victor Frankenstein is unsure how to treat his creation—as a son to care for and provide for, or as an out of control science experiment gone awry. Each of these texts shows traditional notions of father and son relationships breaking under the strain of unconventional fatherhood. Hamlet, perhaps, provides the most telling example of these strains of convention—Hamlet’s primary difficulty is his inability to be a good son to both of his fathers. To be a good son to King Hamlet means avenging his alleged murder by murdering Claudius; to be a good son to Claudius means ignoring the pleadings of his ghostly father. Prince Hamlet sees his role as son to Claudius as essentially void, due to the marriage of Claudius and Gertude being (at best) â€Å"damned incest† and, at worst, a politically-contrived accessory to the murder of the king. This is what fuels Hamlet’s odd confrontation with Gertrude—he sees his plan to murder Claudius as a way of returning the family to the way it was. Of course, Hamlet fails to freshen up what is â€Å"rotten in the state of Denmark†Ã¢â‚¬â€he merely added to the decay via the pile of bodies at the end of the play. Of these three tales, it is a morbid irony that the father/son relationship between a man and a giant cockroach of a son may, in fact, be the most conventional one. This relationship is highlighted by a kind of brutal utility—Gregor is useful to his father for as long as he is able to provide for his father. In this sense, the most profound change in the story in the eyes of the eldest Samsa is not his son into an insect, but his son changing from a provider to one who needs to be provided for. This sparks anger, outrage, and ultimately, abandonment. This brutal utility is highlighted by the end of the story, in which the family hopes to find a young man for Greta, essentially scheming to replace one provider with another. Gregor, in turn, feels his death is the best thing for the family: while dying, â€Å"he remembered his family with deep feelings of love. † Victor Frankenstein’s relationship with his creation is a mockery of traditional father/son relationships, just as Frankenstein’s actions are a mockery of God’s abilities. Victor wants his â€Å"son† to be a walking, talking example of his own genius. However, this focus on his own achievements means that he is unable to provide for his son—as he says, his focus is on â€Å"treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation. † His son, unable to experience the love of a woman or a father, is left to feel like he is â€Å"miserable and the abandoned† and â€Å"an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on. † The phrasing is very apt: the monster feels like he is merely the discarded and abandoned tissue that his â€Å"father† never wished to claim as a son. Three disparate tales—Hamlet, The Metamorphosis, and Frankenstein—prevent father and son relationship that are outside the bounds of normality. In this sense, the tales are normative, as they illustrate what a normal father/son relationship is by clearly exhibiting what one is not. Audiences are left to ponder whether they will treat family members differently when their family changes; whether shifting relationships means they, themselves, must change; and whether children from alternative circumstances are somehow worth any less of a parent’s love.

Corporate social responsibility Essay

In the second module, Organizational culture was discussed. It is said that culture is corporate personality. Culture includes the underlying values, beliefs and norms which govern the behavior of people as members of an organization. I have learned that it so important in an organization for it influences success of people in organizations and it is also considered as one of the six key strategic building blocks of successful organizations. There are five key aspects of culture and these include customer-client orientation, employee orientation, performance standards, openness to change and company norms. Culture is the social glue that helps hold an organization together by providing appropriate standards for what employees should say or do. In this module, Values were also discussed. The values of an organization express what it stands for and guide everyone’s behavior when dealing with everything from product development, to each other, to customers and suppliers. Values are ideas that guide or qualify your personal conduct, interaction with others, and involvement in your career. I learned that Values should be considered as part of the decision making and the product / service design and customer care process when developing new products / services. They assist in the development of the organization’s mission statement, vision statement and value statement. Values can support the core competencies of the organization, can serve as the starting ground for all marketing and advertising strategies and messages. Values required to perform work (customer service for example), can be looked for within the values of the people you consider hiring. I have also learned about value system which is a coherent set of values adopted and evolved by a person, organization, or society as a standard to guide its behavior in preferences in all situations. Another is Personal Values which are principles that define you as an individual and also cultural values which includes a person’s faith and customs that sustain connections with your cultural roots. Corporate value system guide an organization’s internal conduct as well as its relationship with its customers and partners. Philosophy of management was also discussed and this a body of related knowledge that supplies a logic for effective thinking in seeking solutions to certain kinds of business problems. These problems can be economic, social or political. The conditions in these problems are rapidly changing and thus a manager’s thinking must be based on fundamentals that do not change. There  are different types of philosophy. These are Organizationa;, ,otivational, crisis and Customer philosophy. In Motivational Philosophy, I have learned different methods of Motivation. How to accept personal responsibility and development of the work environment. On the otherahnd, identifying potential dangers, planning and responding for those dangers are the coverage in Crisis philosophy. Last is the customer philosophy which includes transactional, relationship and mixed-marketing.

Mental Illness Paper

Mental Illness Paper Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is real illness that can be treated with medicine and therapy. When have OCD, you have recurring, upsetting thoughts (called obsessions). You repeat doing the same thing, over and over again (called compulsions) to make the thoughts go away. And, you feel like you cannot control or stop these thoughts or actions. The obsessions, or upsetting thoughts, can include things like a fear of germs, a fear of begin hurt, a fear of hurting others, and disturbing religious or sexual thoughts. The compulsions, or actions you repeat to make the thoughts go away, can be things like counting, cleanings hand washing, and checking on things. While these actions provide only short-lived relief, not doing them only increases anxiety. Many people who have OCD know that their actions often do not make sense. They may try to hide their problem from family and friends, and may have trouble keeping a job because of their actions. Without treatment, obsessions and the need to perform rituals can take over a person’s life. OCD is an anxiety disorder that can be life-long. A person with OCD can also recover and then get the illness again, or relapse. This illness affects women and men in equal numbers. Most often, OCD begins during the teenage years or early childhood, although it can start in an adult. For many years, mental health professionals thought of OCD as a rare disease because only a small minority of their patients had the condition. The disorder often went unrecognized because many of those afflicted with OCD, in efforts to keep their repetitive thoughts and behaviors secret, failed to seek treatment. This led to underestimates of the number of people with the illness. Time changes all concepts. â€Å"OCD† is no exception. In the seventeenth century, obsessions and compulsions were often described as symptoms of religious melancholy. The Oxford Don, Robert Burton, reported a case in his compendium, the Anatomy of Melancholy(1621: â€Å"If he be in a silent auditory, as at a sermon, he is afraid he shall speak aloud and unaware, something indecent, unfit to be said†. In 1660, Jeremy Taylor, bishop of Down and Connor, Ireland, was referring to obsessional doubting when he wrote of â€Å"scruples†. A scruple is trouble where the trouble is over a doubt when doubts are resolved. OCD is recognized as the fourth most common mental disorder following, in order of occurrence, substance abuse, phobias, and major depression (Spengler, Jacobi, 1998). Perhaps part of the reason for the â€Å"confusion† is that several disorders manifest ideational processes that ar e much like the obsessional thinking in OCD. People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also have cognitive processes that are intrusive, repetitive, and exaggerated. The difference lies in how clients view their obsessions. OCD that comes and goes some children will have one obsession or compulsion for a few months and then it will disappear. There may be no obsessions or compulsions for years, and then they might return for no apparent reason. OCD that comes, but never exactly leaves a common pattern is for a person to have a number of obsessions and compulsions which are quite severe, but which then lessen, at least for awhile. Example of OCD that comes and goes: Jody was 6; she had a little â€Å"habit†. Before she picked up anything in her hand, she would very lightly touch it once with her index finger. When her parents asked her why, Jody just said that she liked to. There were no other obsessions or compulsions. Although no one mentioned it outside of the family, Jody’s mother and father became worried when Jody’s little sister, age 3 started imitating this habit. There were about to see their family doctor about this when it started to go away and never really came back. Two years later, after no signs of OCD, Jody started counting. She thought her mother, who had a routine hysterectomy, would die if she made a mistake. She was counting and checking her counting for errors each day. Only when they were in the pediatric psychiatrist’s office did they remember the â€Å"habit† she had at age 6. For a long time OCD was thought to be an infrequent disorder. In other words, it was believed to be rare among â€Å"general population†. Now, it is estimated that over the course of a lifetime approximately 2. 5 percent of individuals will develop this disorder. For children and adolescents, it is estimated that approximately the same percentage suffers from this disorder. In fact, this figure appears to be consistent with regard to American populations and worldwide populations, as well as male and female occurrences. Clinical and animal research sponsored by NIMH (National Institute of Mental Disorders) and other scientific organizations has provided information leading to both pharmacologic and behavioral treatments that can benefit the person with OCD. One patient may benefit significantly from behavior therapy, while another will benefit from pharmacotherapy. Some others may use both medication and behavior therapy. Others may begin with medication to gain control over their symptoms and then continue with behavior therapy. Which therapy to use should be decided by the individual patient in consultation with his/her therapist? Treatment with psychotherapy includes cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavioral therapy. In CBT, the goal is to change how a person thinks about, and then reacts to, a situation that makes them anxious or fearful. In behavioral therapy, the focus is on changing how a person reacts to a situation. BCT or behavioral therapy most often lasts for 12 weeks. It can be group or individual therapy. A special type of behavior therapy, call exposure and response prevention, is often used with OCD. With this approach, a person is exposed to whatever triggers the obsessive thoughts. Then the person is taught ways to avoid doing the compulsive rituals, and how to deal with the anxiety. Some studies have shown that the benefits of CBT or behavioral therapy las longer than do those of medications for people with OCD. Clinical trials in recent years have shown that drugs that affect the neurotransmitter serotonin can significantly decrease the symptoms of OCD. The first of these serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) specifically approved for the use in the treatment of OCD was tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine (Anafranil). It was followed by other SRIs that are called â€Å"selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors† (SSRIs). Those that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of OCD are fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), and paroxetine (Paxil). Large studies have shown that more than three-quarters of patients are helped by these medications at least a little. Another neurotransmitter is also believed to result in mental illness when it is not working properly, this neurotransmitter called nor epinephrine. Studies have revealed that individuals with OCD have an insufficient level or serotonin, one of the brain’s neurotransmitters. Other studies also reveal that some individuals with OCD have abnormalities in dopaminergic transmission. Commonly, OCD is first diagnosed when parents recognize that their young child or teenager seems preoccupied with ritualistic behaviors associated with excessive cleanliness or unusually meticulous organization, and they seek help from a mental health professional. Adults on the other hand, may seek professional help when they realize that it is becoming difficult for them to do their job or school work because they are spending too much time with their obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors. Therapists make the diagnosis of OCD by taking a careful personal history from the patient/client and any available family members, such as in the case of a young child. Although most people improve with adequate treatment, the condition can continue for many years. Primary care physician should be familiar with the various ways obsessive-compulsive disorder can present and should be able to recognize clues to the presence of obsessions or compulsions. Proper diagnosis and education about the nature of the disorder are important first steps in recovery. Treatment is rarely curative, but patients can have significant improvement in symptoms. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is chronic condition with a high rate of relapse. Discontinuation of treatment should be undertaken with caution. Patients should be closely monitored for comorbid depression and suicidal ideation. People with OCD sometimes also abuse alcohol and drugs and can have other illnesses, such as depression, eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or other anxiety disorders. When a person also has other illnesses, OCD is often harder to diagnose and treat. Symptoms of OCD include; having upsetting thoughts or images enter your mind again and again, washing your hands, cleaning, re-arranging objects, doing things until it feels â€Å"right,† or collecting useless objects, worrying a lot about terrible things that could happen if you are not careful. If you think you may have symptoms of OCD, visit your doctor is the best place to start. Keep in mind that it can be a challenge to find the right treatment for an anxiety disorder. But, if one treatment does not work, the odds are good that another one will. New treatments are being developed through ongoing research. If a person has recovered from an anxiety disorder and it comes back at a later date, the person can be treated again the skills you learned dealing with the disorder the first time can help you in coping with it again. As the twenty-first century begins, advances in pharmacology, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and learning theory have allowed us to reach a more therapeutically useful conceptualization of OCD. Although the causes of the disorder still elude us, the recent identification of children with OCD caused by an autoimmune response to group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection promises to bring increased understanding of the disorder’s pathogenesis. References (n. d). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Washington, District of Columbia, US: US Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health; the National Women's Health Information Center. Retrieved from PsycEXTRA http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=pxh&AN=303972004-001&site=ehost-livedatabase. Depression & Anxiety (1091-4269); 2008, Vol. 25 Issue 9, p761-767, 7p, 3 Charts, 2 http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=34281062&site=ehost-live Abel, J. (1994, March). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Interdisciplinary Treatment May Be Best. Clinician's Research Digest, p. . Retrieved from PsycEXTRA database. Stanford Medicine  » School of Medicine  » Departments  » Psychiatry  » OCD Research »Treatment http://ocd. stanford. edu/treatment/history. html Symptoms of OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)http://counsellingresource. com/distress/anxiety-disorders/obsessive-compulsive. html The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is part of the National Institutes of H ealth (NIH), a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www. nimh. nih. gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index. shtml

International Business today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

International Business today - Essay Example Employers and even senior management staff have lost their jobs. There is less credit available in the market today and many businesses are suffering. The world is experiencing a serious economic recession (Petrov, 2008). The origin of the crisis is complex. Several forces have interacted and resulted in this situation. While the exact causes of the economic crisis may be debatable, most economic experts such as Jeffrey Stoffer are of the opinion that the most significant cause is the collapse of housing bubble in the United States. What happened is that the prices of the houses were far above the expected returns on the houses at the time of purchase .The problem has spread from the United States of America to the rest of the world. This is an opinion that has come to be accepted by most players in the world economy (Pinyo, 2008). In the United States, there was high investment in real estate. Many individuals in the United States bought homes. Banks encouraged individuals to buy homes. Some of these people could not afford homes so mortgages were offered even to those who were likely to default from payment. Those who already owned homes saw the value of their homes rise and rise. They tapped into the equity and purchased many consumer goods. Mortgage system was uprooted from commercial banks and transplanted into investment houses. Shares of the investment banks sold to investor in the stock market. Investors, both domestic and international, made money off the interest paid by the original borrowers. Banks encouraged more and more people to buy homes and credit credentials were not properly scrutinized. Some banks even gave out loans to those who could not afford to acquire these assets. The individuals who bought homes used them as collateral to acquire further credit. Since the houses were overpriced, stock prices became higher and higher. This increase in prices led to further investment as investor confidence grew. Financial models projected stability in the future and the real estate business was booming. This however was not to last very long. The interest rates charged on the mortgages increased. As the interested rates mortgages shifted upwards, most of the mortgagees could not afford to pay, they therefore defaulted. This was to mark the beginning of the serious problems to come. Banks were not able to foresee what was to come and did not change. Even though many individuals defaulted from payment, many banks continued to bundle mortgages which were eventually sold to investors. The banks simply took back the homes and put them in the market to be resold to other individuals. Financial statements from banks indicated that they were doing well and stocks continued to sore. Housing prices jumped and increased rapidly and steadily. With time some borrowers lost their jobs and an increasing number defaulted from payment. As a consequence housing prices went down and many the bank loans became bad. The banks therefore sought to get rid of the loans by dumping them on the market. Fortunately or unfortunately the stockholders found out about the bad loans

Night to his Day The social construction of gender Essay

Night to his Day The social construction of gender - Essay Example Hence, in comparison, the Western societies seem to be comparatively rigid in the sense that they have only two genders that are ‘man’ and ‘woman’ (Lorber 3). What is also interesting is that some American Indians have a third gender that is ‘female men’ and the individuals who are affiliated to this gender are not required to imitate the ways of men in the matters of dress or in other obvious ways to acquire the social status of a man (Lorber 3). Rather it is often their economic potential and abilities that lead to them being ascribed the status of a man. In contrast, in Western societies, there also exist transsexuals and transvestites. However, there is no provision for the ascription of a third gender to them. Rather such individuals are required to imitate the persona of the gender to which they aspire for, either through surgery or in superficial aspects like dress up, way of talking, makeup, etc. So the Western societies are in a way, mo re rigid than the already discussed African or American Indians societies. Works Cited Lorber, Judith. â€Å"†Night to his Day†: The Social Construction of Gender†. Paradoxes of Gender.

Argument essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Argument - Essay Example In rural school districts, however, 20 percent of students were considered obese. More alarmingly, researchers found that during the years of the survey, between 1999 and 2001, the number of obese students in rural school districts rose about 5 percent, more than twice the rate of their urban counterparts.† The research handled within this quote has been explained later within this paper. (Paxson, Christina) This paper thus helps to provide an insight into the rapidly growing rate of obesity that children suffer in schools and helps to provide solutions regarding how to counter this alarming issue. Most children all around the world spend their maximum time in school and therefore it is pertinent for the schools administration and authorities to understand the problem of obesity and address the issues as fast as possible in order to risk the complexity which comes along with obesity in old age. Around 9 million school children in the age group of above six years to fifteen years have been distinguished to be obese in USA as given in many statistical reports. Obesity among school children may be attributed to poor quality of life in school, as the children do not give enough attention to a healthy life. So what is causing such alarming rate of obesity among school students in USA? More and more children are now prone to obesity and the problem never ceases to go down with time, with parents getting tensed and worried for their children and looking for solution which could cater to the problem in the most effective and efficient manner. To highlight the solution to the problem, one of the main acts which needs to be initiated by schools is to foster an exercise module which shall incorporate physical fitness among the students of the school inside the school premises at regular intervals and throughout the week so that the students do not fall prone to ill health during their academic calendar. One of the

Case of Fred Smitch and His Family Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Case of Fred Smitch and His Family - Assignment Example There is a clear evidentiary path between your father’s diagnosis, the effects of his medicine and your own claim that he was not in his sound mind at the time of the signing (World Trade Organization 1996, 1811). Let me outline the reasons that lead me to believe that your claim is unlikely to see a positive verdict. The first test that must be passed for this to be considered a contract is whether or not it is legally enforceable. There must be an offer and an acceptance. The offer must be something that is communicated by one party to another in relationship to what is intended or promised by the contract (Bhana, Bonthuys and Nortje 2009, 31). In this document, your father promises to provide money under specific conditions and this is the offer that he makes. In this document both you and your father make specific offers and both of you signed in agreement. By signing the document, James, you accepted the offer that was being made by your father as well as undertook to fac ilitate those terms that your father laid out for you in fulfilling this agreement. The agreement that Fred Smith wrote with his family and friends can be viewed as a ‘comfort letter’. ... Under the terms of the legality of the ‘comfort letter’, your father would be obligated to fulfill those promises. Also, it appears he fulfilled that promise in 2010 and through that action it might appear that you have a good claim, however, there are other circumstances that would influence the court’s view. The context of the pre-negotiations to this agreement, however, makes enforcing it problematic. The will of your father can easily be proven to have been subverted by a number of factors. One of those factors is the state of his health. His attorney could cite CVA v Amadio in which it was made clear that taking advantage of someone whose will is weaker negates the agreement that was made. The unconscionable act is defined as one where â€Å"the will of the innocent party, even if independent and voluntary, is the result of the disadvantageous position in which he is placed and of the other party unconscientiously taking advantage of that position† (Go ldring 1998, 34). You have told me that your father had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and was taking medication that made him more emotional than usual, correct? This would likely be interpreted as making him weaker than those around him, with you and your family being accused of taking advantage of his condition in pressing him on those statements towards making written promises. It is likely that just as in Blomley v Ryan, the pressure of the occasion and the weaker will of your father will render a verdict that sets aside the contractual nature of the paper that you had your father write and sign (Chen-Wishart 2007, 374). The strongest evidence that this will be a problem is that you yourself made the claim to Matt that

Faisal - Operational and process management Essay

Faisal - Operational and process management - Essay Example The paper also described views on how this company can better their stand in the crowded footwear industry and end up being a stronger competitor to its key challenges in its business environment. The paper presented a number of models and theories for both the analysis of the prevalent systems at Crocs, and offered insights on how they can integrate into success and create a more stable company. The paper also portrayed different perspectives by providing postulations against vertical integration as strategy to gain competitive advantage. 1.0 Introduction Crocs, Inc. was initiated in the year 2002 in Colorado and is arguably one of today’s fastest growing brands and organisations at the world level. The company initially produced footwear for all age categories under the same brand and is now sold well in over 100 countries. The brand features a special kind of plastic that is softened by body heat of the individual wearing the shoe, resulting in high degree of comfort. Sales for the company jumped 256% in 2006 (Thompson, 2006). There has been much discussion about Crocs’ success and besides the popularity of its shoes, the major reasons for the enormous growth of the company has been its efficient chain supply management. Crocs, Inc. has shown that being flexible and being focused on digressing from the conventional norms of the industry, they could achieve more success and profits than their peers (Ashkanasy and Wilderom). This efficiency was the result of their Chief Executive Officer’s vision of satisfying customers by developing an ultra efficient process of production that would facilitate the company to make and supply at short notice, hence creating a competitive advantage in the industry. The Crocs supply chain has been revolutionary in footwear production but there is need to evolve in line with changes in the global industry environment. In the long run, a conventionally thinking organisation has no future. Alteration in technol ogy, delivery procedures, customer demands, and legislative policies demand that a company focuses on its core competencies rather than venturing into all possible diversification schemes. 2.0 Industry analysis By the use of the Product Life Cycle (PLC) concept (Waters and Water, 1999), it is quite visible that the footwear industry as a whole is near saturation and this is likely to run for a long time. It is least likely that the demand for footwear will fall significantly but there are possibilities that with the development of cheaper and more durable products, the industry’s profitability will decline after some time. Using the following Five Forces Model analysis of the global footwear market, the following observations can be made. 2.1 Entry Barriers Entry barriers are engineered to elbow out potential starters from entering a market. These barriers seek to serve the monopoly powers of the incumbent organisations in that industry, thereby maintaining monopoly margins. Some known barriers include limit pricing, patents, cost advantages as well as marketing and advertising among others. This industry appears to offer relatively easy entry for new participants. The advantages of cost are fairly low with quite a large number of players locally and globally. However, it is worth noting that the manufacturers have significantly easy access to factors of production, particularly raw

Agree with or disagree with Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Agree with or disagree with - Article Example In fact, the World War forced thousands of American men to cross the Atlantic Ocean and take part in the overseas operations in Europe as the USA joined their allies and entered the World War II. The shortage of male workforce became a problem within the framework of the industry that produced military supplies. Thus, a growing number of women began to get employed for jobs that used to be done by men before. As a matter of fact, around nineteen million of women took over jobs that were done by men before the war burst out. Rosie the Riveter became a generalized character and a common name that embodied all the women who helped doing the jobs that women had not done before the war. One could see the image of this imaginary woman, which became the symbol of feminism in 1940s, on every second placard, poster and pinup encouraging women to get employed for mans jobs. It was a powerful marketing idea that helped to boost the economy during the war and ruined a great number of stereotypes concerning the ability of women to do mans job. Indeed, a new generation of both men and women was shaped during the WWII and Rosie the Riveter became the icon of America during the WWII. These two facts cannot be denied. As a matter of fact, the World War contributed greatly to the strengthening of the political influence of the United States within the context of the global political processes as the USA took over the leadership of a free democratic world after the war was over. There is no doubt that despite all the damage that the war inflicted on the American society, the consequences of the war implied the acquiring of a new geopolitical role of the USA in the world that ended the era of political isolation of America from Europe, which may be treated as a positive effect of the war. All in all, the price that the American society paid for the victory in the war was enormous but the economic growth of the United States during the war was the fact that cannot be denied.

HR Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HR Management - Essay Example It is also responsible for the devising of strategy and its apposite implementation on the staff members, conducting training sessions for them and arranging seminars, meetings and discussions for the boosting up of their morale. In addition, forecasting, planning, allocation of resources and keeping the work environment healthy, steady and peaceful are also included in the responsibilities of human resource department. Human resource department also maintains equilibrium within the organisation and condemns any type of discriminatory behaviour on the basis of caste, class, community, ethnicity, race, religion, age-group, sexual orientation and gender, where no biasness or prejudice could be inflicted upon the employees on the basis of above-described characteristics. â€Å"HR Managers are usually the ultimate sources of expert advice and guidance on harassment and discrimination in their centres. They need to be knowledgeable of centre’s policy but also have an understanding of harassment and discrimination beyond the policies themselves.† (Retrieved from genderdiversity.cgiar.org) Consequently, sexual discrimination is strictly prohibited in workplace, and the persons guilty of such acts are liable to be tried at the court of law. The government has strictly condemned gender discrimination in work places at both governmental and private sectors. It has issued decrees and passed anti-discriminatory laws including Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Equal Pay Act, so that the female employees could also obtain same status equal to men at organisations and work places. Hence, the above-described provisions of Sex Discrimination Act 1975 manifestly view discrimination between men and women on the basis of their gender as the discriminatory one. Though, the act has been in vogue for the last three and half decades, yet it is mere theoretical in nature; as in

The Reasons Why the US Congress Should Not Authorize an Attack on Syri Essay

The Reasons Why the US Congress Should Not Authorize an Attack on Syria - Essay Example As a part of this struggle, long established governments in Egypt, Yemen and Libya were overthrown with the help of public support and protest. The case of Libya and Syria however, is relatively different because both Libya as well as Syria witnessed a feared armed conflict between the government forces and the rebels. The Libyan government of Gadhafi was overthrown with the help from the strikes of UK under the umbrella of Nato wherein other European countries such as France also contributed to the strikes. The case of Syria however, is relatively different as, despite the fearsome battles between the government forces and the rebels, Bashar Al-Asad’s government is still intact and was largely successful in withstanding the challenge of the rebellion. The human rights violation, however, warrants the question of whether the US should invade Syria or not topple the government of Asad. This paper will argue that the US should not invade Syria. The issue of Syria is not as simple as it may seem as it involves many other international stakeholders with direct interests in Syria. Syria is home to Hezbollah, the militant group with an extremist ideology against Israel and US. Hezb has publically declared Israel as its enemy and even went on to win a limited war against Israel. (Curry) An invasion of Syria may result in a chain reaction of events in which global players may be involved and a new war may erupt between the superpowers of the world. With Israel living in the proximity of Syria, it may be extremely dangerous for the US to actually invade Syria. Besides, Syria has made some bold claims of invading the US or its allies and interests and the possible retaliation by Syria with the help of its allies may have been relatively costlier for the US in the long run. Over the period of time, US Government was unable to maintain a single stance on the issue of Syria and invading it. US President, as well as the Secretary of State, have changed their statements regarding the overall plan of US to topple Asad’s government.  

Roosevelt vs. Wilson Essay Example for Free

Roosevelt vs. Wilson Essay The United States government has gone through many changes throughout the years since the first president. The presidential election of 1912 made a significant effect on how our country is ran in this day and age. Though they were bitter rivals from different parties, they infused the presidency with new powers and changed the nation in ways few other presidents have, before or since (Bowles, 2011). Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson debated a political state of affairs that still effects government and industry in our nation today. The issue at hand was trusts. On one hand, Theodore Roosevelt thought that trusts are inevitable. As he said in his 1910 New Nationalism speech, There can be no effective control of corporation while their political activity remains. To put an end it will be neither a short nor an easy task, but it can be done(Roosevelt, 1910). Woodrow Wilson had a fairly diverse view on how trusts react in our society. He believes that trusts are natural but not inevitable. On the other hand, Wilson states, in the eighth chapter of his book, New Freedom,† Big business is no doubt to a large extent necessary and natural. The development of business upon a great scale, upon a great scale of co-operation, is inevitable, and, let me add, is probably desirable. But that is a very different matter from the development of trusts, because the trusts have not grown. They have been artificially created; they have been put together, not by natural processes, but by the will, the deliberate planning will, of men who were more powerful than their neighbors in the business world, and who wished to make their power secure against competition†(Wilson, 1913). As you can see, these two men had very dissimilar views on the issue of trusts. Furthermore, New Freedom and New Nationalism can be compared because they share similar qualities. However, they can be contrasted because their ideas about how to run the country are diverse. Both state that putting personal needs above the need of the nation is immoral. Another parallel point New Nationalism and New Freedom share is that both candidates show common conclusion that without large corporations, there would be a smaller break between the rich and the poor. Also, without this differentiation between the rich and poor, our nation would be enhanced as a whole. New Nationalism recognized that monopolies and trusts are tolerable as long as they are being of service to the people. New Freedom said that the nation  should release all monopolies so that there would be less need for government interference. Wilson endorsed this because he believes that monopolies are shown to be protected by government and can fundamentally direct the administration because of all the money they bestow. In addition, in New Nationalism, a deliberation on the responsibility of government in Big Business is that there should be more power. Roosevelt explained that with more legislative control, there could still be trusts but they would be strictly monitored. New Freedom had a conflicting view on the subject. Wilson leaned more on if the nation eliminated its trusts there wouldn’t be a need for more governmental pressure on big businesses because there would be no big corporations. Moreover, the ideas Roosevelt and Wilson discussed are still significant in todays society. Although our nation has no real monopolies, some large companies seem to take over their industry in some way. An example would be McDonalds. McDonalds is one of the largest fast food chains in the nation. There is not a single person that has never eaten something from McDonalds. Another example is Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is the largest supercenter in the shopping chain. Just as it is with McDonalds, undoubtedly everyone has been to Wal-Mart at some point in their life. Finally, one of Teddy Roosevelt’s major accomplishments while in office is the Pure Food and Drug Act. This was an act for preventing the manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated or misbranded or poisonous or deleterious foods, drugs, medicines, and liquors, and for regulating traffic therein, and for other purposes (PFDA, 1906). One of Wilson’s greatest accomplishments was the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. This act created twelve â€Å"bankers banks†. These banks would hold the responsibility for making the interest and currency rates for the nation (Bowles, 2011). Wilson aspired to influence the ideas and intentions not only of Americans, but of the whole world. I have a passion for interpreting great thoughts to the world, he wrote to his wife in 1916. I should be complete if I could inspire a great movement of opinion . . . and so communicate the thought to the minds of the great mass of the people as to impel them to great political achievement (Chin, 2011). In conclusion, Roosevelt and Wilson were both very important parts of making our nation what it is today. They used  three main ways to shape our society. These are as follows; (1) public dramatizations and taking advantage of the power of the media through the reach and influence of journalists; (2) the education of the public, which was something that Wilson, as a former professor, believed was the critical factor in a successful political leader; and (3) the commitment to party leadership (Bowles, 2011). References Bowles, M. (2011). American history 1865–present: End of isolation. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Chin, C. C.(2011). The Visible Hand of Woodrow Wilson. Reviews in American History 39(1), 149-155. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved September 3, 2013, from Project MUSE database. Roosevelt, T. R. (1910, Aug. 31). The new nationalism. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/tr-nationalism/ United States. Pure Food and Drug Act (1906). United States Statutes at Large (59th Cong., Sess. I, Chp. 3915, p. 768-772; cited as 34 U.S. Stats. 768) In: History of Medicine Division. Medicine in the Americas: Historical Works [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); 2004-. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22116/ Wilson, W. (1913). What is progress?. In The new freedom: A call for the emancipation of the generous energies of a people (Chapter II). New York: Doubleday, Page Company. R etrieved from http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14811/14811-h/14811-h.htm#II

My sociological imagination

My sociological imagination Before going through this weeks reading and into todays lecture, I hadnt yet come across the concept of the sociological imagination. Although the concept is seemingly new to me, it is likely that I have been using my sociological imagination for several years now especially whilst studying Society and Culture for my Higher School Certificate in years 11 and 12 at high school. In the subject, I can recall doing numerous case studies such as looking at the red light district in Calcutta, India as well as research assignments on topics like the stolen generation and my major work, the personal interest project on the stems of homophobic attitudes. To complete this work to the best of my potential, I was definitely thinking with my sociological imagination. I would define the sociological imagination as the art of objectifying a situation so that you are able form a view that captures it as a whole. It is thus a holistic way of thinking and ability of incorporating all elements as well as backgrounds and contexts into what you may be researching. The sociological imagination is an important frame of mind for a sociologist or anthropologist to be able to effectively assess a situation. C.W. Mills expresses this holistic idea of shaping the complete picture throughout this weeks reading, The Promise. While the text was written in 1959, his views and ideas of sociological imaginative practice are still very much relevant in 21st Century context of analysing social and cultural situations. The social sciences now commonly use this idea to explore such issues as social structures (e.g. Indias social class system), welfare problems (e.g. domestic violence) or health concerns (e.g. drug and alcohol addiction and abuse). An interesting statement Mills makes about the sociological imagination featured on page 15 is The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. Here he is stating that we are not able to understand or formulate solutions for the biography of certain situations without take into consideration history, be that of a place, a person, a theory or even anything you wish to analyse. We must look at what has been in order to comprehend what is. Take for example a 45 year old female suffering from heart disease, it seems their life is quite active and their diet is balanced but why are they in need of a bypass operation to clear a blockage in an artery? Well one of the first question doctors would ask is if there is a history of heart disease in the family. Doctors here use their sociological imagination to understand the patients condition and it seems genetics and the historical background of her family is what is contr ibuting to her life now. Also on page 15 of The Promise, Mills puts forward a further thought about the sociological imagination: For that imagination is the capacity to shift from one perspective to another from political to the psychological. Mills here is examining framing perspectives and the sociological imagination giving you the ability of seeing things from differing perspectives. Putting yourself in another persons frame of mind or in their circumstances makes a situation much easier to comprehend. We can see something from a feminist perspective, a Marxist perspective, a scientific perspective, a postmodernist perspective or even seeing things from a childs perspective, the list is endless. A jury takes a number of people from many different social, cultural and historical backgrounds in order for them to find a defendant guilty or not guilty. The idea is that all of these perspectives collaborate to form the correct verdict to determine the fate of a defendant. Mills consolidates why we must make use of our sociological imagination on page 17 by stating Accordingly, to understand the changes of many personal milieux we are required to look beyond them. He raises the idea here that you must look beyond ones milieux, environment and surroundings to be able to comprehend and analyse their identity thoroughly. In the Up Series video excerpt shown in todays lecture consolidated that Mills theory about looking past a persons environment is extremely valid. Based in Britain during the 1960s we saw fourteen children from varied socioeconomic backgrounds come together to determine whether or their social class will play a role in preordaining their future. It became particularly clear of their economic circumstances when the children were asked what theyd like to be when they grow up. One boy from an upper class background replies with I want to go to Oxford University whilst a boy from the lower class asks what is a university? Looking beyond these childrens backgrounds and paths that may or may not be planned by the childrens parents, it became clear that these children do hold many of the same characteristics regardless of social status. For instance, they all were able to successfully interact at a party together as well as being capable of playing with each other at an adventure playground. Children were essentially being children. By thinking with the sociological imagination I am able to discover the full scope of a situation and formulate a thorough holistic opinion. As I am studying a Bachelor of Social Work at UNSW, it will be important if not fundamental technique for me to make use of whilst completing my degree looking at case studies, writing assignments as well as when on work placement and most importantly in my future career as a social worker.

Hamlet The Central Dilemma :: essays research papers

HAMLET ESSAY â€Å"The central dilemma in Hamlet is the character and life’s journey of a man whose mind is in paralysis. To what extent is this an adequate summary of Hamlet?'; Hamlet certainly is a play with complex themes and issues. As we read through the rich script we uncover many dilemmas and issues that have great bearing on the direction of the play, and the consequences of the character’s actions. One such character is, of course, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. It is around this man that the play revolves, and his thoughts and actions are closely followed and developed as the play progresses. It has been said that the central dilemma of the play is that Hamlet’s mind is in paralysis, meaning simply that he is incapable of action, his mind incapable of derivative thought. While this is extremely important for the play, the reason that this occurs can clearly be seen as a more important part of the play. All the other themes contribute to the task of making Hamlet appear paralysed in thought and action. He is not however a man without motive for his apparent indecision, and eventual action. However what does appear to be the central theme in Hamlet is the revenge tragedy dilemma. This central issue is the seed that has spawned the generation of the other themes of the play. Hamlet’s father has been murdered in cold blood by the scheming and adulterous Claudius by pouring poison into King Hamlet’s ear while he slept, in order to succeed him to the throne. A ghost in the form of Hamlet’s father appears to Hamlet, revealing to him that the King of Denmark is corrupt and a murderer, and that he must revenge his death. However the ghost was very specific in saying that he must revenge his death without implicating his mother, or corrupting himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -Act I Scene 5. The circumstances surrounding the death of his father, and his discovery of the fact through meeting with the ghost, are the reasons for his apparent paralysis of the mind. Hamlet has many issues to face here, the first being the question of ethics – revenge and honour versus moral purity. In his soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 2, he questions himself, and asks himself why he fails to act, and asks how a player can fight with such conviction a cause that is not his own, when he, with a cause so worthy of action, does nothing.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy :: BSE Prion Mad Cow Disease

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) BSE is a disease found in cows that contaminates the brain. It kills many cattle each year because there is no known cure. Humans can be infected by a disease called Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease and sheep can be infected with a disease called scrapie. There is no known treatment for any of the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy, including CJD. In order to prevent this disease, the beef is inspected before coming into the United States. Without antibodies, a microscope is the only other way to confirm the cow as being infected. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, other wise known as mad cow disease is â€Å"an infectious degenerative brain disease occurring in cattle† (www.dictionary.com). Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy is one of many Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy’s (TSE) in animals. Humans can not be infected with BSE but if they are exposed to contaminated meat, then they are at risk of being infected with Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease (CJD). CJD is very rare and as well as BSE, cannot be treated because there has been no cure found. Figure one shows the death rate of humans infected with CJD. (BSEInfo.org July 27, 2006) Figure one BSE mainly occurs in the brain but experiments have been conducted and found it to be â€Å"in the spinal cord, and in the retina of the eye. The BSE agent may also be present in the small intestine, tonsil, bone marrow, and dorsal root ganglia (lying along the vertebral column)† (US Food and Drug Association, September 24, 2004). Once the cow is infected, the brain tissue takes on a sponge-like appearance under a microscope. This is how the disease got the name Spongiform. (Mad Cow Disease, Andrew Simmons) BSE is spread throughout the brain by important proteins called prions. The prion folds itself incorrectly which leads other prions that encounter the false protein to fold as well. Spreading in the brain then occurs. Figure two shows how the brain would look when mad cow disease is present. These infected prions are extremely difficult to destroy, resulting in no possible cure. Figure Two There are several ways to tell of a cow is infected with BSE. An adult cow may take from two to eight years to first show signs of being infected but others can take a short time. The symptoms for infected cows are â€Å"anxiety, nervousness, and initial hyperactivity followed by lethargy† (Ratzan 10). Also cows experience pain in their horns, horn sockets and ears when they are infected.

The Genre of The Tempest Essay -- Papers

The Genre of The Tempest The Tempest is customarily identified as the William Shakespeare's last piece. These marginal issues aside, The Tempest is the forth, final and finest of Shakespeare's great and/or late romances. Along with Pericles, Cymbeline and The Winters Tale, The Tempest belongs t the genre of Elizabethan romance plays. It combines elements of Tragedy (Prospero's revenge/Loss of a royal son) with those of romantic comedy (the young lover Ferdinand and Miranda) and, like one of Shakespeare's problem plays, Measure for measure, it poses deeper questions that are not completely resolved at the end. The romantic gesture is distinguished by the inclusion (and synthesis) of these tragic, comic, and problematic ingredients, and further marked by a happy ending(usually concluding in a masque or dance) in which all, or most, of the characters are brought into harmony. The term romance is given to the comedies written at the end of Shakespeare's career. Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winters Tale and the Tempest. They were written between 1608 and 1612 and are different in style to his earlier comedies. Whilst love and marriage are they key themes in these plays, they focus primarily on the separations and reunions of families and culminate in homecomings, reconciliation's, rebirth and redemption. The romances are, characteristically, set in mythical worlds, and include elements from myths and fairy tales. For example: Long journey, Sea journeys, shipwrecks, storms, magic, lost or stolen children, a wicked/evil family member. The romances were heavily influenced by court masques, lavish entertainment consisting of song , dance,... ...so be seen to embody regeneration and spiritual development, for through his magic he brings about the repentance of Antonio and Alonso, and the marriage which is to achieve the regeneration. Through Prospero also, the disparate styles are united. He is the symbolic figure in which the tragic events are rooted, for he is both victim of revenge tragedy and the hero who suffered from a fatal flaw. So too is he the instigator of the play's romance. With his magic wand we find he has caused the shipwreck of the first act, which initially seemed to be rooted in realism. The mixture of styles in both plays are, then, successfully combined. They work together to produce a unified whole; separately and collectively combing to 'exert [an] energy' which enhances and balances the moral message of Shakespeare's last plays.

Behavioural Finance Essay

Hypothesis and the extent to which they can be explained by behavioural finance theories Finance that is based on rational and logical theories, such as the  capital asset pricing model  (CAPM) and the efficient market hypothesis (EMH). These theories assume that people, for the most part, behave rationally and predictably. The Efficient market hypothesis assumes that financial markets incorporate all public information and assets that share prices reflect all relevant to the firm information (Fama, 1970). Relevant information includes past information, publicly available information and private information. Efficient market is divided into three categories. Weak form efficiency is when stock prices reflect only the past information, semi-strong form is when past information and all publicly available information is reflected and strong form is when all the past, publicly available and information only available to company insiders is reflected on the stock prices. However, there are some anomalies and behaviors that couldn’t be explained by EMH. Market participants often behaved very unpredictably. However there is a new study called behavioral finance that is trying to explain all these anomalies. Behavioral finance studies the irrational behavior of the investors. Weber (1999) makes the following observation: ‘Behavioral Finance closely combines individual behavior and market phenomena and uses the knowledge taken from both the psychological field and financial theory’. Behavioral finance attempts to identify the behavioral biases commonly exhibited by investors and also provides strategies to overcome them. Some of the main problems with EMH may be cause by heuristic responses to new information, psychological anchors, overconfidence, social fads, framing and regret avoidance and herd behavior. Overconfidence: According to Nevins (2004), overconfidence suggests that investors overestimate their ability to predict market events, and because of their overconfidence they often take risks without receiving commensurate returns. Odean (1998) finds that investors tend to overestimate their ability, unrealistically optimistic about future events, too positive on self-evaluations, over-weight attention getting information that is consistent with their existing beliefs, and over-estimate the precision of their own private information. Overconfidence about private signals causes overreaction and hence phenomena like the book/market effect and long-run reversals whereas self-attribution maintains overconfidence and allows prices to continue to overreact, creating momentum. In the longer-run there is reversal as prices revert to fundamentals. Psychological Anchors, Overreaction: Good news should raise a business’ share price accordingly, and that gain in share price should not decline if no new information has been released since. Reality, however, tends to contradict this theory. Oftentimes, participants in the stock market predictably overreact to new information, creating a larger-than-appropriate effect on a security’s price. Furthermore, it also appears that this price surge is not a permanent trend – although the price change is usually sudden and sizable, the surge erodes over time. Heuristic responses to new information: Availability heuristic is used to evaluate the frequency or likelihood of an event on the basis of how quickly instances or associations come to mind. When examples or associations are easily brought to mind, this fact leads to an overestimation of the frequency or likelihood of this event. Example: People are overestimating the divorce rate if they can quickly find examples of divorced friends. People tend to be biased by information that is easier to recall. They are swayed by information that is vivid, well-publicized, or recent. People also tend to be biased by examples that they can easily retrieve. ( Tversky and Kahneman, 1974) Confirmation bias  is a cognitive bias whereby one tends to notice and look for information that confirms one’s existing beliefs, whilst ignoring anything that contradicts those beliefs. It is a type of selective thinking. The reason for overconfidence may also have to do with hindsight bias, a tendency to think that one would have known actual events were coming before they happened, had one been present then or had reason to pay attention. Hindsight bias encourages a view of the world as more predictable than it really is (Shiller, 2000). This is the characteristic of investors, when looking back, seeing events that took place in the past as having been more predictable than they seemed before they happened. Likewise, things that didn’t happen seem, with hindsight, much less likely to have happened than they did beforehand. Self-attribution bias occurs when people attribute successful outcomes to their own skill but blame unsuccessful outcomes on bad luck (Shefrin, 1999). Availability bias is the availability deviation is a general rule or a mental shortcut which lets people guess the probability of a result and to what percent it may appear in their daily life. Those who commit such a deviation consider the easily recalled events more probable than those they can hardly imagine or perceive. Availability bias declares the person’s tendency toward deciding and judging based on available and easily accessible data (Tversky and Kahneman, 1982). Herd behavior which is the tendency for individuals to mimic the actions (rational or irrational) of a larger group. Blackmore (1991) states ‘Within an hour of birth , humans engage in imitation’. There are a couple of reasons why herd behavior happens. It’s unlikely that a large group could be wrong. After all, even if you are convinced that a particular idea or course or action is irrational or incorrect, you might still follow the herd, believing they know something that you don’t. Recency bias is the tendency for people to place greater importance on more recent data or experience. This is the problem of putting too much weight on current events or data and not enough weight on past, historic trends. Many investors expect the market to continue rising in a current bull market; likewise, these same investors often expect a current bear market to get worse. Recency is shown in momentum investing when investors buy â€Å"hot† stocks simply on the basis of their recent strong performance. Kahneman and Tversky (1973) find that people usually forecast future uncertain events by focusing on recent history and pay less attention to the possibility that such short history could be generated by chance. It is believed the net effect of the gains and losses involved with each choice are combined to present an overall evaluation of whether a choice is desirable. However, research has found that we don’t actually process information in such a rational way. In 1979, Kahneman and Tversky presented an idea called  prospect theory, which contends that people value gains and losses differently, and, as such, will base decisions on perceived gains rather than perceived losses. Thus, if a person were given two equal choices, one expressed in terms of possible gains and the other in possible losses, people would choose the former – even when they achieve the same economic end result. Regret avoidance is the tendency to avoid actions that could create discomfort over prior decisions, even though those actions may be in the individual’s best interest. Researchers have argued that one of the reasons that investors are reluctant to sell losing positions is because to do so is to admit a bad decision. This reluctance can be linked to both regret avoidance and belief perseverance. To avoid the stress associated with admitting a mistake, the investor holds onto the losing position and hopes for a recovery. According to prospect theory, losses have more emotional impact than an equivalent amount of gains. Prospect theory also explains the occurrence of the disposition effect, which is the tendency for investors to hold on to losing stocks for too long and sell winning stocks too soon. The most logical course of action would be to hold on to winning stocks in order to further gains and to sell losing stocks in order to prevent escalating losses. The flip side of the coin is investors that hold on to losing stocks for too long. Investors are willing to assume a higher level of risk in order to avoid the negative utility of a prospective loss. Unfortunately, many of the losing stocks never recover, and the losses incurred continued to mount, with often disastrous results. The January-Effect is where the average monthly return for small firms is consistently higher in January than any other month of the year; in the UK this is observed in April. This contradicts with EMH, as EMH predicts that stocks should move at a random walk. January returns are greatest due to yearend tax loss selling of shares disproportionally (Branch 1977). Another anomaly of this type is the Weekend-Effect, where Fama (1980) found that returns on Mondays tend to be negative if compared to any other week day, but this has disappeared in the UK by the 1990s. Some theories that explain the effect attribute the tendency for companies to release bad news on Friday after the markets close to depressed stock prices on Monday. Others state that the  weekend effect might be linked to short selling, which would affect stocks with high short interest positions. Alternatively, the effect could simply be a result of traders’ fading optimism between Friday and Monday. Index effect is a phenomenon where the addition to, or deletion from, a stock index causes a change in the price, trading volume, volatility or operating performance of the stock concerned. A stock entering an index will automatically receive increased demand from institutional investors – principally index tracker funds and exchange trade funds (ETFs) – while a deleted stock will experience reduced demand. The fact that a stock jumps in value upon inclusion is once again clear evidence of mispricing: the price of the share changes even though its fundamental value does not. Another anomaly is P/E effect from CAPM model; portfolios with low P/E ratios outperform those with high. The low price-earnings ratio effect occurs because stocks with low price-earnings ratios are often  undervalued and their prices eventually rise because investors become pessimistic about their returns after a bad series of earning or bad news. A company with high price to earning tends to overvalued (De Bondt and Thaler, 1985). Winner-Loser anomaly De Bondt and Thaler (1985) found that shares which initially earn extreme positive return (winners) or extreme negative returns (losers) experience extended reversals in their performance over long horizons. De Bondt and Thaler (1985) suggested the overreaction hypothesis as an explanation of their result. This hypothesis claims that the market overreacts to information. That is, the market overweights the most recent information and underweights earlier information. However, this phenomenon is reversed when it is recognized that the market’s expectations were indeed an overreaction to the information released. This hypothesis also offers an explanation of the P/E effect. Fama and French (1992) showed that a powerful predictor of returns across securities is the ratio of the book value of the firm’s equity to the market value of equity. After controlling for the size and book-to-market effects, beta seemed to have no power to explain average security returns. One explanation is that investors overreact to growth aspects for growth stocks, and value stocks are therefore undervalued. According to some academics, the ratio of market value to book value itself is a risk measure, and therefore the larger returns generated by low MV/BV stocks are simply a compensation for risk. Low MV/BV stocks are often those in some financial distress. All of these anomalies may be explained by behavioral finance. Behavioural finance is the study of the influence of psychology on the behavior of financial practitioners and the subsequent effect on markets. Behavioural finance is of interest because it helps explain why and how markets might be inefficient. There are series of  behavioural biases  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ strange twists in human nature that cause us to act irrationally and against our own interests. On the other hand all of these anomalies may instead be an artifact of data mining. After all, if one reruns the computer database of past returns over and over and examines stock returns along enough dimensions, simple chance will cause some criteria to appear to predict returns. May be this is why some anomalies appear to be lost at some point of time e. g. the weekend effect during the 90s.

Breaking the Cycle of Violence

â€Å"Experience in the cities shows that the cycle of violence is a self-perpetuating phenomenon, constantly generating new violence from within itself. † (Enns 2002 p. 3). When we observe our nation of children, as a whole group, we see a higher and higher incidence of violence among them, not to mention that it occurs at an earlier and earlier age. It is becoming almost commonplace to hear of pre-teens who have committed acts of violence, and we now are beginning to hear of children as young as six and seven committing violent acts.It is a fact that violence begets violence, and our children are exposed to unimaginable acts from parents and caregivers. Drugs are rampant in our nation, and poverty and domestic violence are merely a way of life for many children today. According to author Kathy Sitarski, â€Å"we all tend to take out our pain on others to one degree or another, even if only in fantasy. † (Sitarski 2004 p. 1). This phenomenon does not occur because we a re in some way inhuman, but rather because we are unable to deal with the feelings of terror and rage that come along with memories of our own pain.When we feel helpless and powerless, or when terror threatens to overtake us, acting out toward others makes us feel more in charge in some strange way. Of course there are those who consciously choose not to take their rage and pain out on another human being, and, in many cases, turn it against themselves in the form of abusive relationships or endangering their own lives. (Sitarski 2004 p. 2). Violence can isolate us as human beings because it brings shame into our lives.We are ashamed to have hurt another or we are ashamed that we have allowed ourselves to be abused; â€Å"a beating feels shameful and humiliating and the survivor often internalizes that he or she somehow deserved it. † (Sitarski 2004 p. 2). Even witnessing violence against another can cause us to feel shame as we feel powerless to stop it. Most rapists can rec all rape and physical abuse in their own histories, then they later act out the same form of violence on another. How likely is it that today’s abused, neglected and ignored children will become tomorrow’s violent offenders?According to the National Institute of Justice it is extremely likely; results of a detailed study show that childhood abuse and neglect â€Å"increase the odds of future delinquency and adult criminality overall by 29 percent. † (National 2001 p. 1). Further statistics are equally appalling: the abused or neglected child has a 59 percent increased likelihood of juvenile arrest, and 28 percent increased likelihood of adult arrest, and 30 percent increased likelihood of having committed a truly violent crime. These statistics give us an idea of what the â€Å"cycle of violence† leaves in its wake.Nationwide, the incidence of neglect is some two and a half times that of physical abuse. Neglect can also have the potential to be even more damaging to the development of a child than physical abuse. (National 2001 p. 3). When we think of abuse and neglect, we rarely think of malnutrition. Some children are literally starved of the basic nutrition and food their bodies need to grow as small children. Malnourished children will later show attention deficits, reduced social skills, and poorer emotional stability than the comparison group.Unfortunately, our system of incarceration fails miserably in the sense that the â€Å"punishment phase† of prison is meant to â€Å"blame, shame, ridicule, beat down and break the spirit of people who have broken the law. † (Sitarski 2004 p. 3). While most all of us would certainly agree that those who commit violent crimes must be incarcerated, must be kept from the population at large, we are punishing these people in the same ways that actually turned them to violence in the first place. Those long-held feelings of terror and rage, rather than being relieved in some way, only increase with every day spent in the violent atmosphere of prison.If we really believe in the rehabilitation theory of prison, a long hard look needs to be taken at our prison system, and some practices put into place to actually break this vicious cycle of violence that will continue to repeat itself until interrupted. Early intervention is the key to stopping this destructive cycle; children at risk need to be identified early and swift measures need to be taken to try and relieve some of the terror and rage felt by the abused and neglected child.When this takes place, one link in the cycle is broken, perhaps leading to another and another. Works Cited About Domestic Violence (2003). Cycle of Violence. Retrieved December 11, 2006 from: http://www. edvpor/aboutDV/cycle. htm Enns, Fernando (2001). Breaking the Cycle of Violence. From the Ecumenical Review, Volume 53, Issue 2. Retrieved December 9, 2006 from: http://www. questia. com Hopper, Jim (1997). Factors in the Cycle of Violence: Gender Rigidity and Emotional Constriction. Retrieved December 11, 2006 from: http://www.jimhopper. com/cycle National Institute of Justice (February 2001). An Update on the Cycle of Violence. Retrieved December 8, 2006 from: http://www. ncjrs. gov/pdffiles1/nij/184894. pdf Siris, Karen (2004). Interrupting the Cycle of Bullying and Victimization in the Elementary Classroom. From Phi Delta Kappan, Volume 86, Issue 4. Retrieved December 9, 200 from: http://www. questia. com Sitarski, Kathy (2004). The Wheel of Violence. From The Humanist, Volume 56, Issue 3. Retrieved December 7, 2006 from: http://www. questia. com

Slip or Trip Essay English

On August 13, 2013, at approximately 1:37 A. M. , Sparks police department received a call that an accidental death has occurred. Queenie Volupides, the wife of the deceased Arthur Volupides, claims that her husband slipped and fell on the stairs while he was coming down to the kitchen for another alcoholic beverage. She says that she wasn’t home when the incident occurred. She states that she was at a country club that was hosting a party and that when she arrived home (at approx 1:15 A. M. ) she found him lying on the stairs dead.However, the crime scene shows many inconsistencies within Queenie’s Story. Deputy Blank arrived on the scene at around 2:15 A. M, responding to Volupides 911 call. After viewing he crime scene, Deputy Blank noticed that in Arthur’s left hand there was an unbroken glass (presumably what he was drinking alcohol in). This raises many suspicions. If Arthur had tripped and fell down the stairs, then the glass shouldn’t be in his han d unbroken but instead somewhere in the vicinity of his body shattered.This is because, usually, when somebody is falling down the stairs they will drop whatever is in their hands to try to grab a rail or really anything to try to regain balance. Also, the glass was found in his left hand and when somebody is intoxicated, they can barley stand let alone attempt to hold a glass in their non-dominant hand. Also, Deputy Blank noticed that Queenie had been cooking something when officers arrived. While she was expecting guests, the body of Arthur was just feet away from the stove. Most people would have noticed the dead body and called the police right away.Responding officers have theorized that the pan she was cooking in is the murder weapon. Upon further inspection, Blank also realized that Arthur was still in his formal suit when he was killed. When Questioning Queenie about this she says that he was supposed to go to the party with her but before she left they had gotten into a fig ht. That explains why he had gotten into his suit but yet still doesn’t explain why he had stayed in his suit. If Arthur had been home for more than ten minutes, then he probably would have taken off at least his shoes, robe, and tie.Suspicious where near confirmed when Arthur’s autopsy came back. It did confirm that Arthur had had a high blood alcohol level. It also concluded that he had died from a wound on his head. If Arthur had really fallen down that flight of stairs then there would have been more injuries than that of the wound on this head. Maybe if he had a broken bone or was bruised then Queenie’sâ€Å" falling down the stairs† story might have been believable. Our recommendation is that Queenie Volupides is charged with Arthur Volupides Homicide.

Relative Importance of Economic, Social, Cultural and Moral Considerations

Discuss the relative importance of economic, social, cultural and moral considerations underlying Canada’s migration policy. Canada is the world’s second largest surface area, with a population of 33 million. It is a rich resource base for industry with fertile soil, plentiful power supplies, well developed modern industries and a highly urbanised population. About 70% of Canada’s workforce growth comes from immigration and currently one in five Canadian workers are foreign born.Canada’s establishment and economic growth are directly attributable to immigration, but the country has always operated a highly selective system with policies changing due to the economic, social, cultural and moral needs of the country at that time. Between 1870 and 1918 was known as the ‘Open Door’ policy. The main need at this moment in time was economic and for infrastructure development, especially a rail network. In the west of Canada the main industry was agri culture and the East was mainly manufacturing. A rail network was then essential to link the two and create an integrated economy.This stage was called Open Door because there was no restriction on numbers into the country, but there was some cultural considerations underlying this policy as well. The migrants sought were almost exclusively from the USA, UK, NW Europe to reflect Canada’s customs and ideals. Therefore, the government could control racial composition of migrants. From 1919-1929 immigration became more selective and the main focus underlying the migration policy was social. Prospective migrants had to pass a literacy test. Migrants were separated into those from ‘preferred’, such as from the U.K and were given financial assistance, and ‘non preferred’ countries. ‘Non-preferred’ countries included Russia. Immigrants from here were only admitted in times of need for the lowest-paid jobs, and there were still restrictions. Thi s shows further cultural considerations in the policy. The non-preferred list also had a ‘non-acceptable’ category which included ‘visible minorities’ (e. g Chinese, who worked for the rail companies). The Exclusion Act in 1923 prevented Chinese immigrants bringing family members with them. This is a big example of the cultural considerations being used to change the policies.Unemployment rose significantly between 1930 and 1945 (The Great Depression). All migration was suspended, except under the family reunion category. The next stage between 1946 and 1960 had the aims of increasing in-migration and both cultural and moral considerations were major parts of the policies created. The immigration Act of 1952 reflected the ethnically selective nature of the Canadian Immigration. Groups could be refused entry on grounds of nationality, citizenship, ethnic group, occupation, class, ‘peculiar’ customs etc. After many years of racist undertones in p olicies there was a turning point between 1960 and 1986.An immigration act in 1967 sought to enrich and strengthen the cultural and social fabric of Canada. Attention switched to the skills of the migrant rather than the country of origin. This showed a switch from cultural and moral considerations in the policy to social. Preferred and non-preferred countries were abandoned for a points system which was much fairer. From 1986 to 1993, economic was the main consideration underlying the economic policies. Migration was now seen as a long term demographic solution due to a changing population. In more recent years the points system has been modified with moral considerations for everyone.

Aggregate Demand and Supply Models Essay

As it stands currently the existing effect of the economic factors on aggregate demand and supply are: unemployment, consumer income, and interest rates. In this paper we identify the existing effect of the economic factors on aggregate demand and supply. The American people have little to no income when unemployed, this in turn causes a decrease in demand for the economy. This type of event causes the aggregate demand to curve to the left. One of the main reasons unemployment remains high to this day is the lack of demand. A shortfall in aggregate demand is precisely the type of issue that can be addressed by monetary policy, however, to do so we need continuous monetary stimulus to progress toward maximum employment stability. The crash of the housing market has set tremendous limitation on consumer and their spending. Sternness on behalf of the government to a certain extent has decreased aggregate demand during this recovery period. These actions have directly impacted growth. Wh at this means to us is that lower government spending and higher taxes call for disposable income for consumers, work for government contractors diminishing, and a decrease in government payroll. Another factor that has had great effect and impact are the levels of uncertainty. The events leading to this state have yet to be resolved which in turn have caused a lack of willingness and confidence within consumers. In the beginning the levels of uncertainty reflected the force of influence the recession had on us as consumers. This is something that had not been experienced in several years which made it difficult for us to handle or even find a way to get by in a more successful demeanor. After extensive research and analysis it is safe to say the supply-side considerations explain some of the rise in unemployment, which once again confirm the lack of demand as well as the fact that the economy is suffering first and foremost of a weak demand rather than a shortage of supply. References Williams, J. C. (2013, February 25). The Economy and Fed Policy: Follow the Demand. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Retrieved from http://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/publications/economic-letter/2013/february/economy-fed-policy-follow-demand/ Thoma, M. (2012, March 28). Demand, not supply, is restraining the economy. CBS News. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-57405230/demand-not-supply-is-restraining-the-economy/

Human Resource Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Human Resource - Assignment Example I do wonder how to run a multinational business. Multinational business is interesting since it enables one to influence the whole world. If I have the right skill and education, I will try software design. The career would enable me to design new software that can change the world. I love my job since it allows me to interact with many people. My job enables me to identify talents and skills in employees. If my boss allowed me, I would concentrate on mentoring young people to identify their talents and use them. It is noteworthy that most people assume their talents and skills yet they can use them to enhance their lives. If I had a free day, I would choose to spend time advising young people on how to make right career choices. Most people fail in their careers due to wrong career decisions they made as students. I wish to be remembered for influencing the lives of many people in the society. It is my dream to leave an impact in the society before I retire from my profession. Step Two The common themes in aforementioned are talent and working with students. I am interested in working with young students and transforming their lives. I also believe in incorporating talent into an individual's career. Step three Talent, mentorship, and creativity excite me about my dreams. I would identify sectors of my career relevant to my interests and incorporate them into my career. I would combine my current skills with passions by striking a balance between the two. I would also follow my passion while using my skills in my job.

Role of the vocational case manager within rehabilitation Essay

Role of the vocational case manager within rehabilitation - Essay Example This study will seek to evaluate the role of the vocational case manager in the rehabilitation process. In order to understand how this process takes places we need to first look into what is vocational case management. When a person succumbs to serious injuries or is severe illness, vocational case management services provides them with a number of benefits. These include identification of problems associated with return-to-work. An effective plan is devised by the vocational case management agency to solve the problems related to returning to work. Vocational case management enables a person to receive claims in dollars, for any reductions they face in their vocational pay and also helps them to claim medical insurance. Thus, through vocational case management, a person can get rehabilitation in their work place. (Occupational Health Solutions) What is the process of rehabilitation Rehabilitation is the process of safely returning a person affected by an injury or serious illness to work as soon as possible. The rehabilitation process may include providing an affected person with physiotherapy, chiropractic treatment, occupational therapy, psychological counseling and enrolling them into multidisciplinary programs. Rehabilitation is a process which helps the affected person by enabling them to recover from their condition and encourages them to return to work. It also includes taking steps to reduce further complications by remove disruptions in the person's social and working life and also reducing impairment from injury at the work place. (WorkCover, Queensland) Vocational case management services There are many agencies which specialize in providing vocational case management services. The reason why this has come about is that in today's technologically advanced working condition, people succumb to heavy injuries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the United States it has been found that in every year about 6,000 Americans die after succumbing to workplace injuries, and it is estimated that about 6 million people suffer non-fatal workplace injuries. (Occupational Health Solutions, LLC) Such services involve a complete evaluation of the rehabilitation potential of the client and proving them with necessary counseling to help them cope with their disability-related concerns. They provide the client with access to the labor market and in the identification of job placement opportunities. This process includes identification of problems associated with return-to-work. An effective plan is devised for their solution. Vocational case management enables a person to receive claims in dollars, for any reductions they face in their vocational pay and also helps them to claim medical insurance. Among the various vocational services provided to client by vocational case management agencies are job analysis, resume preparation, transferable skill analysis and job placement. Vocational case

Critical Thinking on Controversial Topic Research Paper

Critical Thinking on Controversial Topic - Research Paper Example 16). The situations given above show that communication is not easy. It can be found anywhere especially leaders deal with such situations that will test their experience and temperament in solving the issue. Clear communication is the key through discipline and proper advancing of agendas, promoting learning and strengthening relationships (Jarkins, 1999, p. 73). In real world situation, conflict is approached head on to solve it. If the conflict is not solved, it may just prolong the agony and the problem would still be there. Some people may give certain advice on how to make difficult conversations easier. Ten ways can be done: opening the lines of communication, acknowledging the other person’s willingness to talk, setting a time limit, paraphrasing each other’s comments, working out a compromise, making a list of questions to be answered, accepting being wrong, respecting expert opinion, understanding the emotional factors, and reviewing the things learned (Goldsm ith, 2011). The paper will not go into the details of the ten ways in dealing with difficult conversations but will focus on critical thinking skills on controversial topics. Critical thinking helps people to become wise even though they may not be practicing philosophers. What matters most is the concept of giving up two senses: â€Å"sense of obviousness and sense of absurdity,† (Sen, 2010, p. 1). Critical thinking contributes to intelligence analysis and a formal meaning may develop the ground towards the understanding of its importance according to the definition of Richard Paul and Lina Elder: that mode of thinking – about any subject, content, or problem -- in which the [solitary] thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them (Moore, 2007, p. 8). The definition clearly shows what critical thinking is. Basically it is a way or process of thinking about certain matter wherein the person or thinker does his best effort to improve his ability in learning and understanding the reason. In simpler words, each person gives meaning to a certain thing through mental maps or representation of the reality. Such an activity aides the person in proceeding to â€Å"revising, expanding, improving [†¦] mental map† and the understanding of the reality. In critical thinking, memory plays a key role (Leicester, 2010, p. 2). Since critical thinking is already defined, the next term is controversial topics. Controversial topics are issues that people have very strong yet various feelings and opinions and are subject to heated debates. Various opinions may come from social, political or religious beliefs. Controversial topics make people either positive or negative depending upon the created strong arguments for and against the subjects. Controversial topics are used in research assignments especially on reviews and looking at the pro s and cons (Questia, n.d.). in other words, controversial are things that have more than two ways of viewing the right answer while topics which are usually controversial are issues that cause heated debate due to more than one â€Å"correct† answer (Versfeld, 2005, p. 7). In Harvard Law School being the center for training the would-be law professionals, difficult conversations happen and are allowed. In the past, the school management of

Variation of Capitalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Variation of Capitalism - Essay Example This essay declares  with the globalization of management structures and the integration of global economic systems, all the economic systems in the world are supposed to follow a standardized structure, but in actuality that is not the case. There are several variations in the economic structures in the world, as well as in the practices of capitalism.According to the paper findings  the effort of converging to a single and effective type of market economy, from the late 19th century has been diminished by the substantial variations among the dominant firms, practices of employment, supplier-customer relationships. As the global economy continues to become more integrated, the societies having different institutional arrangements will eventually continue to develop and create a variation in the economic systems.  The variations are on the grounds of economic and social capabilities in particular sectors and industries. As a result, a country becomes specialized in one sector b ut lacks in the other. The UK economy in the late 20th century was strong in financial services and architecture; on the other hand, they were weaker in construction and assembly line manufacturing.  The institutional subsidiary systems which govern the capital and labour market shape the capitalist models, and when they act in a calibrated manner they reinforce all the sub systems.  The comparative advantage system creates specific ways to adjust any incoming changes.

Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Behavior - Essay Example When discovered, cheating does not only impact the student’s reputation but also his relationship with others. As a form of deception, cheating is used to protect one’s own happiness or merits. It is an actually a selfish act, as it only protects only the personal happiness or contentment of the individual. A student cheats on his homework so he will not get a failing grade. He may be doing it to prevent his parents from being unhappy with him, or he is protecting his name or his benefits. Same as lying, cheating protects something that makes him feel happy or comfortable. But the same with lying, it jeopardizes one’s morality and confidence. It sacrifices confidence as it shows that the person is not confident that he will be able to answer questions on his own. It shows that the person is not able to accept his limitations, and is taking the easy way out in learning and improving himself. Cheating is a shortcut to showing that one knows something factual. It is not from his own understanding. And this indicates lack of self-confidence and lack of perseverance to really understand and learn what he needs to understand and learn. Cheating affects not only the person cheating but also other people around him. Because he is covering up for his lack of knowledge, pretending that he knows something he doesn’t, other people may believe him for his pretentions. And when he slips and the truth is revealed, that he does not really know what he is talking about, people tend to veer away from him. Deceptions are very damaging when discovered. It creates a gap between people. Remember the classic childhood story of The Boy who Cried Wolf? In the end, when one’s deceptions are discovered, it marks his persona and people tend to doubt his words. When it is the truth that they are speaking, they might find that people don’t listen to them anymore. One of the most common undesirable behaviors is lying. There are different forms of lyi ng. People lie because of different reasons. Some forms of lying are cheating, bending the truth, fabricating stories or information and denying what is real or the truth. Anything that is fabricated or deceiving, in the form of oral and written communication, is lying. Everyone has an episode of lying. One of the most common forms of lying is cheating. This is very common with students. Cheating is not just about copying other’s answers during exams or for homeworks, whether intentional or unintentional. It also involves plagiarism, passing another’s work as his own and inventing or fabricating stories that are claimed to be factual. It can also involve stealing answer keys and even revealing answer keys by posting them through the internet or passing it off to friends. When it’s intentional, cheating involves not only the cheater but also the person who allows the cheater to copy his work. This shows that cheating may involve more than one person. Even if the person knows that cheating is bad and that he, himself, is not cheating, in a way he becomes part of the cheating process since he allowed the cheater to cheat using his answers. This shows how cheating affects relationships and the reputation of the cheater and person being used to cheat. The same with lying, one of the common reasons for cheating is to protect something that the cheater is benefiting from. Examples of these are maintaining high grades, getting additional credits, being known as the top in the class and getting attention from the teacher and parents because of the high grades. Another reason might be pressure from peers, wherein the cheater is part of a group who cheats. Jumping in the bandwagon is also another

Influence of Drilling Fluid on oil Recovery in Homogenous Reservoirs Essay

Influence of Drilling Fluid on oil Recovery in Homogenous Reservoirs - Essay Example Needless to say, as significant as 70 percent produce of mines in the world, produce water contaminated by metals, which come from acid mines drainage and process streams (Srivastava & Majunder, 2008). The waste water, such as that containing metal and sulphate contaminates, are accompanied by far reaching environmental consequences. Moreover, the costs associated with managing these consequences are significant. This paper gives an overview of water contamination in the mining industries, followed by an exploration of the common methods under development and operation. Considering that current water treatment techniques have varied limitations, this paper proposes a way forward for mining industries to avoid water contamination. There are various elements within the earth crust, which include hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, sodium, magnesium, phosphorous, sulphur, chlorine, potassium and calcium. These constitute 99 percent of the earth living matter. On the other hand, there are fourteen essential elements. These include boron, fluorine, silicon, manganese, iron, cobalt, and copper, among others. Metals such as Mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, copper manganese and zinc are not essential, and their interaction with the aquatic environment is hazardous. On the other hand, heavy metals are a class of metallic elements that contain relatively high densities whose low concentrations are highly toxic. The atomic metals have atomic weight that range from 63.5 to 2006. Heavy metals can are additionally classified as toxic metals, precious metals and radio-nuclide. Radionuclides include uranium and thorium. Precious metals include silver and gold, among others (Srivastava & Majunder, 2008). Acid solutions resu lt from the interaction of the ground or of surface water with the acidic materials, such as pyrites that are found in rocks at the mines, piles of earthen refuse and auger holes. The iron sulphide mineral pyrites are usually found near subsurface coal seams, together with compounds containing aluminium and manganese, among other metals. In the presence of oxygen, rainwater or ground waters contact sulphur to form sulphuric acid. Acid concentration in the acid mine drainage can reach as significant levels such as ten thousand times the neutral water. Evidently, this presents a powerful leaching agent with the potential of dissolving significant amounts of metal substances, as well as additional leaching substances that are common at most mine sites. Rock layers and earth above the coalmines contain traces of metals such as iron, aluminium and manganese, but can also contain other heavy metals such as lead and cadmium (Han & Chan, 2006). These metals dissolve in the acid mine drainag e and are washed into water sources through run off. Eventually, such metal concentrations harm aquatic organisms such as fish. For instance, dissolved iron precipitates can kill aquatic organisms that serve as food for fishes. Iron precipitate can result in fish gill clogging. Additionally, iron precipitation in the drainage channels alter aquatic food chains; thereby adversely affecting fish populations. Treatment of waste water The concern for environmental scientists has been to establish possible ways of regulating hazardous metal concentrations and mitigate associated environmental concerns. Methods in the treatment of the acid mine drainage can be broadly categorized into two; active treatment and passive treatment methods. Active techniques entail mechanical addition of the alkaline solutions with the aim of raising PH concentrations besides precipitating metals. Passive treatment