College Experience Essay

Growing up college was never an alternative for me; I finished high school and moved from Cuba to the United States. English was a language that seemed impossible for me and in my perspective; I thought I could get by with owning a business and living off of that. When tax season arrived like every year I had my accountant do them for me, nonetheless, I reviewed my business taxes and figured out that there were inaccuracies. I decided to ask the manager of H&R Block near my business to overlook my taxes for me and while I explained the inconsistencies discovered, she suggested that I should become an accountant. That’s when my college experience began, where I hoped to acquire knowledge in accounting, learn towards other subjects, and acquire traits that have been difficult for me to attain. Speech was one of the first classes I took and noticing the struggle I was having with the language, I began to feel overstressed and felt the need to quit. The professor of the class overheard me stating to my classmate that I didn’t think I can handle the class, she interfered in the conversation and began encouraging me to take it and alleged to not lose hope and continue fighting for my dreams. Giving me motivation and inspiration, I decided to stay in college because of the professor. I continued my courses and began to learn step by step procedures on accounting and the right ways to do so. My knowledge began to increase and my interest in the accounting field began to grow. Being in college has given me the ability to learn not only accounting but other subjects such as Literature, English, Ethics, and other related subjects that provided me with the motivation I needed to proceed in my education; in a blink of an eye I was receiving my associate’s degree of science in accounting â€Å"Magna Cum Laude†. This gave me the inspiration to move forward with my career and obtain my bachelor’s degree in accoun ting. Learning about other subjects helped me in improving my comprehension and helped me become more wise in not only academics but in life as well. My college experience was not something easy to deal with, it was emotionally stressing. Life’s pressure of maintaining a house, working and taking care of my children was a difficult thing to do while attending college. One of the most challenging obstacles in college are the assignments, quizzes, and preparing for big tests. Not procrastinating is one of the things helped me deal with my stress. As soon as an assignment was given I would start on it right away to have more time afterwards to review and edit my work. Encouragement and motivation gave me the strength to continue when I thought I was never going to attain the ability to graduate from college. Knowledge was not the only thing I obtained from college. I learned to believe in myself, be more ambitious, and follow my dreams which were traits I thought I could never accomplish. I learned towards other subjects that made me an improved individual overall. I believe these are the key aspects to get through college successfully and wisely. These aspects helped me take the right steps into the future of my career and my life. Two classes away from graduating I hope that I will not only become a responsible, perseverant, and confident professional in my work field but as an individual as well.

Who is the real Alcibiades?

According to Gribble (1999) Alcibiades is one of the most famous political people from Greece in the ancient history who came from a one of the powerful families in the ancient Greek.He is said to have been a very courageous man, ambitious but yet with bad morals Apart from being an active person in the political issues he was also talented in giving good speeches an art that he was taught by one of his great teachers who at that time was the Socrates.His life in politicsAlcibiades started his career in politics during the time of a war called the Peloponnesian war that involved the people of Sparta and Greece. In this war Alcibiades with his ambitions wanted to lead the army to continue fighting so that Greek would win over the Spartans because there were signs that the war was ending.Nicias who was representing and commanding the army in Greek had entered into peace deals with the people of Sparta. So one day some people from Sparta were sent to Athens the city of Greece to deliver a message of peace to the people of Greece going specifically through Nicias Gribble (1999).As discussed in Gribble (1999) while they were there Alcibiades through his sweet talk managed to convince them to oppose the idea of having peace between the two regions as it would only benefit Nicias. By doing all this he undermined the efforts of Athens and Sparta of wanting to make peace with the Spartans by giving false information to the people who had been sent from Sparta to negotiate with Nicias.Following the information that Sparta the war resumed with the people of Athens blaming Nicias who latter on lost political trust among the people of Athens and in effort to ensure that they maintained their powerful status that Greek was holding in the society they appointed Alcibiades to be the commander of their army starting a political career that led him to problems until his death at a war while he was still a commander.The other wars that he in participated in include the war agains t the Abydos, Chalydon and other wars that were outside the city of Athens in which his strategies were said to have succeeded in setting the enemies against the Athenians.Roles he playedAs summarized in   Gribble (1999) at the time he was the commander Alcibiades made so many enemies because of this habit of changing political stands and taking actions that cost the lives of people and some of his actions were considered not to be moral in the society.This was seen when at the start of his political life he led campaigns that were portraying Athenians as people who were so aggressive in using their power during the Peloponnesian war. He had used the Sparta people to achieve his own intentions in that manner made friends with them since they thought of him as being their true friend.In addition to that Gribble (1999) at the time Athens went to war with Sicily he was accused of disobeying the rules that had been set by the army and disobeying the other rulers which made the enemies in Athens wanting to kill him.He then ran to Sparta and from there he again incited the Spartan against the Athenians in the war that came afterwards. As an adviser to the Spartans he made them to withdraw the support that they were giving in aid for war that had just ended in Athens getting their support.Gribble (1999) he then went back to Athens by promising the people of Athens that he would facilitate a process that would ensure they get a new constitution. He also promised to take riches to them from Sparta and with all the sincerity they accepted him back. After he was taken back the military gave him a big position where he planned to undermine the commander by spreading information that the Athens military had persuaded him to return so as to bring change when he failed to fulfill his promises.How he looked as a traitorThrough all the actions that he led Alcibiades was always seen inciting many people who were against Athens. He used to draw the attention of those people by luring them through talks, using money, false promises among other favors.This made Greece to face a tough time in dealing with its enemies as given that there was someone like Alcibiades who had most of the information about Greece many of their war secrets were give out making them to be more cautious on the strategies that they were using. By doing all this evil deeds at the last minute he was disowned by the people when the war ended and he was left to the enemies who killed him Gribble (1999).

Elizabeth and Akbar: the Religion of the Ruler

Kenneth Wolfe: â€Å"Elizabeth and Akbar: The Religion of the Ruler† Kenneth Wolfe states that in 1530, the people of the country would follow their rulers religion in order to bring peace. This brought conflict among the country dividing it into states. How important was following your rulers religion? Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) and Emperor Abu-ul-Fath Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar of Muhgal India (1534-1606) answer that question. Elizabeth and Akbar, once in power, were determined to bring peace among their country by being the foundation of their country. They used their militaries to take control. Elizabeth was born Protestant and had several struggles throughout her lifetime; her being a â€Å"bastard† and the deatyhs of her loved ones. Elizabeth invented a â€Å"Religious Settlement† that made England a Protestant country. Elizabeth tried to make a church that was both a doctrine and had appearance of the religions. Queen Elizabeth was able to resist a religious civil war unlike many other countries, and her sister. Elizabeth became fondly remembered through her religious settlements and skills creating loyalty towards her and is remembered by all England’s generations. The Mughal Emperor Akbar also experienced a troubled youth. His tutor taught him â€Å"universal peace† which is what he followed when he came into power. Akbar was a brutal warrior, but also known to be very spiritual. He was known to be â€Å"powerful, magnetic, and inspiring†. After Akbar inherited the Mughal Empire it expanded from all of north and central India which consisted of Muslim and Hindu people. Akbar needed a large army to contain his empire. He was known to be a skilled military leader and married Hindu princesses. He began to end taxing, and enslaving Hindu’s as they made their pilgrimage to the many shrines of India. And in 1564 he stopped taxing all Islamic countries. Akbar’s religion began to change as he began to make pilgrimages to his shrine every year and even built a new capital, Fatephur-Sikri. Akbar ended up having 3 sons, predicted by Shakih Salim and named to first after him. Akbar was deeply religious by nature and experienced a â€Å"ecstasy† during a royal hunt. In 1582 Akbar invented the â€Å"Divine Faith† which made the people dedicate their life and honor to Akbar. Akbar’s leading civil and military appointees are known as mansabdars. They were loyal to the ruler and were assigned revenue. Akbar later divided his empire into 12 large provinces which were lead by a governor. This helped keep order among the Mughal Empire. Akbar’s religious changes and mahzar caused a revolt which he was able to control. He respected the non-Muslims by â€Å"universal peace†. The Mughal Empire lasted long due to the fact that Muslims do not rule over Hindu’s and vice-versa (universal peace). Elizabeth and Akbar were able to retain power by respecting all their countries religions and by bring peace. I would have to agree with Kenneth Wolfe at the fact that Elizabeth and Akbar both retained power by using peace. Although, I believe Elizabeth had contained her country better then Akbar because she did not favor any religion even though she was Protestant. Akbar, although he was Muslim, favored the Hindus. Queen Elizabeth did a better job by containing religious civil wars unlike Akbar who had a revolt. I believe over all that both Elizabeth and Akbar did a great job ruling and bringing religious peace among their country.

Effects of E-Business on Management in the Global Markets Essay

Effects of E-Business on Management in the Global Markets - Essay Example It uses tools that include online banking solutions, supply chain management software, electronic mail, websites, and web-based customer relationship management. In addition to the outlined e-business foundation, this paper will give a spectrum of the potential performance of electronic business, rang of applications of e-business, as well as innovations and implementations. Evolution of E-business on Management Evolution of globalization and competition brought about new opportunities coupled with challenges. Firms strived to discover valuable and effectual models and applications of electronic business to contribute to their growth, sustainability, innovation, and implementation. Agreeably, this is an imperative moment for successful inclusion of electronic business into global management society. The explosive growth of internet and its functions has led to creation of a network that connects people and businesses globally. It is not possible to ignore the growing importance of el ectronic business in this light of the prevailing dynamism of technological surroundings. Introduction of electronic commerce revolutionized markets as people can purchase goods and services online (Shaw, 2003). Corporate companies that engage in millions of transactions per annum can now interchange data. Today, electronic business has expanded to include other processes of business transactions that require electronic enhancements. Introduction of these entire internet related activities are posing serious challenges on global management. However, before looking at the opportunities electronic business poses on management globally, it is worth putting down its relevance into writing. Managers categorize electronic business as a major trend in stipulations of investment and awareness. Generally, this does not stand for a mega trend or gig trend. Overly, evaluation of relevance of electronic business depends on indicators like performance potential. In this phase, the relevance of e -business determines the benefits of its efficiency whereby this involves shifting from the existing business or traditional channels to internet. The success of electronic business initiative of a company relies heavily on the readiness of suppliers and buyers to engage in electronic interactions. This means that, every component of electronic business must align with enabling technology and strategic initiatives. Importance of E-business in the Global Markets and Its Effects on Management The key managerial system of a business trading globally is participation. Nowadays being an industry manager means being the determinant of tomorrow’s success. Therefore, in order to keep a competitive advantage and achieve the determined industrial success, managers of established companies must take on the challenges that come along with applications of electronic business. Electronic business acts as a leveraging importance of using information technology to its limits and changes the employees and administration’s way of thinking and working to a completely different level. Electronic business tools influence the initiatives taken by managers on a global scenario. Certainly, e-business application tools like intranet, internet, and extranet affect each initiative in the global market (Shaw, 2003). Management integrates these application tools into their overall global initiative to achieve rapid technological strategies that

Explain how culture and identity connect to or influence writing Essay

Explain how culture and identity connect to or influence writing - Essay Example By people having a unified way of writing which follows the same rules, people will not only be able to communicate much more effectively but they will be able to understand each other’s culture and identity and respect it rather than utilizing it only for problem solving and decision making. I am not a born English-speaker and English was my third language. In my initial years in school, we were taught in our native languages and even read from books written in the native language. We then relocated to the US and I had a hard time reading and writing in English as I had to be taught the language will all its rules which are instilled by the Anglo-American society who are the English speakers. I spent majority of my childhood years trying to learn and perfect the writing skills which was way harder than spoken English. The differences with the local students born in the US was quite obvious when it came to writing and I realized that without proper mastery of the language, I could not communicate properly and get people to understand the points I was getting across. One of my English tutors one day told me to just write what was in my mind without caring about the grammatical errors I would make. I made the composition I wrote which was about my favorite cultural cuisine personal and an individual task without any pressure to perform. It is during the marking that the tutor started pointing out my weaknesses in the language based on the influence of my culture but which in turn made it easy to correct. I understood that my culture had different way of relaying thoughts and ideas. The fact that we were a collectivist culture made me write everything in a plural kind of way instead of singular and hence I could not make the essay as personal as possible. I had not realized this mistake and this is what had made is so hard to communicate as it always seemed that I was going about it the

Legal Status of Marihuana in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Legal Status of Marihuana in the USA - Essay Example Several decades of prohibition of marijuana proves that its illegal status does not work, so the state should legalize drugs and instead teach people to use them responsibly and properly. Â  Legal status of marihuana will benefit the society and the state as it will solve the problem of criminal responsibility and black market operations. Medical marijuana is a point to consider. Some states have legalized medical use of marijuana and do not penalize patients who have a doctor's recommendation. These states are.Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, California, Hawaii, Maine, Washington, Nevada, Oregon, and Maryland. In the case of marijuana, especially of smoked marijuana, the scientific difficulties are compounded by the fact that the substance has a recognizable psychoactive effect (Belio 2007). A herbal mixture similar in taste and aroma to marijuana might not produce the psychoactive effect and make many of those who are test subjects reasonably sure they are not receiving actual marijuana, which could skew perceptions and the results of any test. On the other hand, the main problem is that politicians and moralists speak about two opposite issues: medical use of marijuana and its legal status. ... Â  Marijuana smoke does contain many of the same harmful substances as tobacco smoke does, including known carcinogens, and there a laboratory and cellular research indicating that marijuana can cause cellular damage and disorders (Nadelmann, 2004. Medical Marijuana 2007). Â  Legal status of medical marijuana will benefit the government and allows to collect taxes, control black market, and illegal operations. Crop production uncertainties are just one perturbing factor in gauging the number of illegal drugs being produced. Medical marijuana will create the certain problem for society and the state. The main problem is that marijuana policy does not only affect marijuana users, but also the rest of society. Criminalizing marijuana use, on the one hand, can lead to higher costs of law enforcement and a black market while decriminalizing could lead to public disturbance caused by unwanted marijuana use in public. Similar to alcohol and other illicit drugs, prohibition does not work and does young from its usage (Nadelmann, 2004). It is possible to oppose these arguments stating that legal status of marijuana will worsen the problem of drug addiction and give free access to the wide target audience to marijuana. Fines, cautions, probation, exemption from punishment and counseling are favored by most justice systems. It is important to keep in mind that cannabis policies at all levels of government could affect the prevalence of cannabis use and the related social consequences. While this is the case for the cocaine and heroin market, the cannabis market is not associated with violence (Belio 2007). Â  

Closely watched Buffet recalculating his bets Essay

Closely watched Buffet recalculating his bets - Essay Example Even financial wizards like Mr. Buffet took a beating, amounting to around $25 billion in personal losses. However proving that he was made of sterner stuff, he took the initial beating and then decided to turn round this very crippling period of economic recession to his own advantage. Here he treaded paths where very few would have ventured and he dared to turn tides in his own favor. It was Mr. Buffet who advised the American government to bail out the plummeting financial market. It was again him who at the very middle of this turmoil advised all Americans to buy as many stocks as possible. And true to his given advice he led the way. Against all common sense and amidst general misgivings he decided to invest $5 billion in Goldman Sachs in September 2008. This was perhaps the boldest step ever taken by him in his entire career as a financial investor. After about eight days he declared that he was going to invest another $3billion in General Electrics which was at that time on ra ther shaky grounds. Mr. Buffet has labeled such companies as â€Å"sleeping beauties† as their stock market values are far lower than their actual book values. He believes in taking over such companies that are in turmoil and may look for takeovers or getting grounded. He invests in them by buying large amounts of stocks in the company and gets financial help in the form of concessions, in exchange. If we take a closer look at his modus operandi we will see a very sharp mind and a logical pattern of thinking behind these seemingly very absurd moves. As the Government sets off to bail out these companies to stabilize the failing economy we find that Mr. Buffet does not get any direct personal help. However, his stocks get the benefit of being bailed out by using the general taxpayers’ money. He invested in Goldman Sachs and General Electrics which all received financial bail outs from the government. So

North Movie Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

North Movie Review - Essay Example The researcher of this essay states that this movie is an ideal example of the failure of a marketing plan. The movie is â€Å"North†. Released in 1994, â€Å"North† is a movie based on a novel by Alan Zweibel. Though it was directed by famous Rob Reiner, who directed movies like â€Å"When Harry Met Sally†, â€Å"The Princess bride† and â€Å"the Sure thing†, that were well-known and greatly accepted by the critics, still the movie lacks a strong plot. The story revolves around a kid named North, is panic stricken about his parent’s arguments and wants to divorce them. The researcher also states that actors in the movie did well. However, some portion of the movie was just superfluous and can be trimmed. The audience feedbacks and the critic’s reviews disclose an important characteristic, â€Å"Audience too has brains and they are not fools.† Technology, special effects, lots of money, good actors etc. all will go in vain if th e storyline is not appealing. The researcher then concluds that not only a movie was badly written and had meaningless characters in it, such as a cowboy, a beach bum and the Easter bunny, but also the movie has a negative impact on the kids of the society because all the kids got influenced by the movie and kept on threatening to leave their parents like North did in the film. One more thing can be concluded from the review is that a plan should be tested on the maker himself before he decides to launch it in the market. Similarly the director would have analyzed the taste of his audience before making â€Å"North†.

Core Elements of Islamic Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Core Elements of Islamic Finance - Essay Example This aims to ensure that the target and purpose of the Islamic finance industry benefit the society by balancing spiritual needs with material pursuits, as well as social and individual needs. This paper will discuss ways in which Islamic finance can be seen as an innovative way that could substantively redefine finance and also why it is substantively different from conventional finance. Core Elements of Islamic Finance Islamic finance is different from conventional banking and the core notion behind it is that God (Allah) owns all the wealth in the world, over which man is only a trustee. Humans, therefore, have an obligation to manage the wealth in accordance with the commands of Allah that prohibit activities which do not promote justice (Rammal & Zurbruegg 69). One major reason for imposing Islamic ethics and law on finance is to promote and uphold social justice, since Islam is deemed to be inseparable from social justice. Islamic finance is based on the core perspective that p rohibits the practice of usury, which means lending money to earn interest, also known as riba. Sharia law defines it as an excess compensation that has no due consideration. Effectively, this underlying factor redefines finance from the Islam point of view. However, it does not expressly preclude an agreed-upon return on investment by the transacting parties, where any reference to interest only sets standards for the return on investment for transparency purposes. The implication is that interest is not used in the transaction, although capital is not just provided to investors without a return. This concept stems from the fact that Sharia law does not recognize money as having intrinsic value, but rather, only as a measure of value whose use should not be paid for. This makes Islamic finance an asset based industry, in contrast to the currency based conventional finance system, and investments are structured on the ownership or exchange of assets, with money only acting as a paym ent medium to effect transactions (Rammal & Zurbruegg 73). Innovations of Islamic Finance Islamic financial institutions have taken advantage of some of the misgivings of conventional finance and launched innovative initiatives that have supported their steady progress. Deficiencies have led people to seek alternatives and move away from the conventional system. The strong ethical orientation, on which Islamic finance is based, as well as the connection of the movement of Islamic finance with the modern resurgence of Islamic civilization, is appealing even to non-Muslims. Islamic finance has the potential to establish a closer link between financial and real segments of the economy. Innovative products like Musharakha and Mudaraba, which mean equity participation and partnership financing respectively, ensure profit sharing that is based upon partnership principles (Timur 791). Another Islamic view of finance is that it emphasizes on risk and profit sharing, rather than the notion o f risk transfer as seen in conventional finance and banking. For example, the Murabaha product (which refers to a cost-plus sale) and other trade-based finance modes undertake trade with a mark-up and facilitate financing on short-term basis in a similar fashion to purchase finance in conventional finance. However, the difference is that a bank may buy an asset from a seller and agree on the

Mount Diablo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mount Diablo - Essay Example My family and I might as well have been a part of the tribe known to be the earliest inhabitants of Mount Diablo - the Miwok ("The Miwok"), which means people. We may have belonged to one of the tribelets that lived in villages in close proximity to the creeks, streams and caves of Mount Diablo. With this, we could have called ourselves Volvon, the great Miwok tribe. ("Bay Miwok of Contra Costa County") As part of this remarkable tribe, comprised of about a hundred natives or more, we built houses made from indigenous materials such as tules and willow branches. Our houses were domed-shape with the walls formed by vines and twigs which were woven through willow branches and then covered with tule bundles. ("Bay Miwok of Contra Costa County") As a means of subsistence, the men of our tribe hunted down deer, elks, antelopes, rabbits, ducks, geese and rodents to provide meat for the families. In the same way as our houses were built, the men of Volvon utilized natural resources as armaments of bows, arrows, spears and nets. The strings of four-foot long bows were made from plant fibers or animal tendons. On the other hand, the arrows and spears were made from hardwood, while the nets for catching smaller animals are of grass fibers. Our village could have been situated near bodies of water surrounding Mount Diablo. As such, the men of the tribe also went fishing using spears, basket traps, snares and nets. To make the day's catch more palatable to our taste, meat was roasted over the open fire and seasoned with salt. ("Bay Miwok of Contra Costa County") With the early forms of society, the women of our tribe stayed near their homes and looked after their children. Aside from this, the women, with their children tagging along, also gathered plants for food. The tribal diet primarily constituted of acorns harvested from oak trees densely scattered in Mount Diablo. For the acorn to be cooked as mush or baked into bread, the women of the Volvon tribe painstakingly processed their bountiful harvest. ("Bay Miwok of Contra Costa County") I stood watching as the women went about this tedious task. To start off, acorn shells were cracked open in order to get the kernel. This would be repeatedly done until enough kernels have been gathered ("Bay Miwok of Contra Costa County"). These kernels were placed on grinding holes seen as indentions in the rocky outcrops. The holes found on large rocks near caves and water sources, which can still be found in Mount Diablo until now, might have served this purpose (Elliot). After this, the kernels were pounded using a pestle or stone hammer until they turned to powder or what is called the "acorn flour." To wash away the bitter taste of the acorn, the "acorn flour" was placed into shallow baskets and thoroughly rinsed. ("Bay Miwok of Contra Costa County") Once the rinsing is done, the "acorn flour" was mixed with water in a tightly woven basket. Subsequently, the small stones, which were gathered by the village children, were heated in a fire until they become scalding. The red-hot stones would then be dropped into the basket containing the mixture of "acorn flour" and water. The mixture was continuously stirred to a creamy

Contemporary Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Contemporary Ethics - Essay Example Internet and cell phone communications have been cited as tools for Cyber bullying. According to Hopline, what appalls even more is that Cyber bullying occurs during kids’ class time. Hopline cites that cyber bullying has far reaching implications on kids, so that the victims (kids) of cyber bullying only feel safe when in their bedrooms. According to Hopline, it does not under all circumstances hold that cyber bullying causes physical harm. However, cyber bullying is mostly associated with causation of harmful emotional fallout which may cumulate to other gar reaching consequences. Hopeline cites an example of Megan Meier; the girl aged 13 who committed suicide after belittlement by a hacker (her mother’s friend) that posed on MySpace as a boy aged 16 years. Hopline acknowledges that peer to peer cyber bullying is the most rampant, but its implications are not so severe. Effective curbing of cyber bullying would entail instilling of ethical morals among the youth, whic h will help them suit to information technologies. Hopline argues that there can be no an over-reactive approach as parents barring their kids from accessing technology in attempt to curb cyber bullying. Hopline suggests that an appropriate ramification procedure would entail the parents convening to open meetings, where then the parents can share and appropriately advice their kids on cyber bullying. Parents should be tactical so to dispel rebellion from their kids. Parents should not ignore the fact that all have under high risks of cyber bullying; terms such as ‘some kids are immune’ should not exist since all are sensitive to belittlement. Other intervention techniques should encompass teaching the kids on the importance of respect. In the case where kids are cyber-bullied, appropriate intervention procedures should be followed before the situation gets out of hand. It is factual that

Team Reflection Essay Example for Free

Team Reflection Essay Novelty products for retail sale Capital expenditure purchases of large equipment that are used for the business. Kitchen Equipment (Grill, Refrigeration, Dishwasher) Air Conditioning Unit Copy or Fax Machines Computers Weekly Topics Related to the Common Contracts This week we reviewed how the statute of frauds apply to common law Contracts that involve the sale of an interest of land Contracts that cannot be performed in under one year. Contracts to pay the debt of another (such as a loan surety) Contracts made in consideration of marriage (such as a prenuptial) We also discussed contract performance and the obligation of the parties to perform within the requirements or agreement of a contract. The parties agree on terms and perform the contractual obligations in good faith in order to complete the contract. Topics Comfortable With How the UCC Article 2 can be applied on a contract for the sale of goods between two merchants. Understanding the different types of contracts. Identifying the appropriate source of law for each contract type. The duty to mitigate, It was surprising to learn that the law imposes an obligation to take appropriate steps in order to avoid incurring damages and losses. As long as one can avoid the damages with reasonable effort, without undue risk or expense, they may not be able to sue the other party. Topics Struggled With Anticipatory Repudiation – how is the non-breaching party entitled to a remedy The IRAC method is still a topic most of us are still struggling with.

Developing Strategic Management And Leadership Skills Commerce Essay

Developing Strategic Management And Leadership Skills Commerce Essay Strategic management can be defined as an art science of formulating, implementing and evaluating cross-functional decisions that enables an organization to reach its organizational or corporate goals effectively and efficiently. Leadership and Strategic Management have the most crucial linkages and it is important to note that strategy of an organization is developed through its leadership vision and organizational philosophy. Leadership and management are different approaches as management just follows orders while leaders inspire others to get the task done and generate orders and commands for management to follow. In this paper, Lincoln Electric has been selected for studying the important linkages between leadership and strategic management. The paper is divided in three main tasks. The first task provides (a) an explanation of the link between strategic management and leadership, (b) an analysis of the impact of management and leadership styles on strategic decisions and (c) an evaluation of how leadership styles can be adapted to different situations. The second task is to (a) review the impact that selected theories of management and leadership have on organizational strategy and (b) create a leadership strategy that supports organizational direction (with the perspective of Apple Inc.). The final task discusses how to (a) use appropriate methods to review current leadership requirements, (b) plan for the development of future situations requiring leadership, (c) plan the development of leadership skills for a specific requirement, and (d) report on the usefulness of methods used to plan t he development of leadership skills. In the end, conclusion is made to summarize the discussion and analysis. Task 1 Linkage between strategic management and leadership It is important to note that leadership plays the most dominant role in helping the organization to reach its goals and objectives. It is because leadership plays the key role in devising an effective and efficient strategy that enables an organization to reach its corporate goals and objectives. Leaders of the organization develop organizational philosophy or operating philosophy of an organization that how it operates. Organizational philosophy develops its culture and structure. It is interesting to note that the vision and mission are important for devising an effective strategy and this vision and mission of organization is highly dependent on organizations culture and structure. Thus, vision and mission (developed ultimately by leadership) gives rise to the strategy of an organization to reach its organizational goals and objectives i.e. to gain a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace relative to competition or to anticipate growth through mergers or acquisitions. Therefore, there is an important linkage between strategic management and leadership of an organization as leadership ultimately sets the strategic direction of an organization through the above process that is discussed above. The same linkage of strategic management and leadership is present i n the case of Lincoln electric and it will be discussed in task 2. Some of the important linkages between strategic management and leadership are: Leadership is concerned about the vision while strategic management is focused on implementation according to the vision identified by the leadership. The orientation of leadership is towards change management and anticipation of environmental changes. On the other hand, strategic management is oriented towards adaptation to change identified by the leadership and it does not take the initiatives of organizational and environmental change management. Leadership is concerned with the dynamics of a situation and it identifies and realizes that how to leverage its resources to respond to the dynamics of the situation. Moreover, it is concerned with harmonizing or changing the culture to meet the challenges of dynamic external environment. On the other hand, strategic management is concerned with the technique and it follows the orders of the leadership. Strategic Management function is to make all the stakeholders adaptable to cultural change which is identified by the leadership. Leadership is empowering while strategic management is being empowered. Actions of leadership require skills but the influence of actions of leadership is strongly on character of leaders. Strategic Management is all about skills and management actions are skill oriented rather than character oriented. It is interesting to note that leadership is concerned with positive possibilities while strategic management is concerned about negative consequences. The basic responsibility of leaders is to build and reshape the organization while strategic management is concerned about following leadership vision to assist in building and reshaping the organization. Leadership is all about taking risks because leaders understand their strengths and weaknesses and leaders tend to learn from their mistakes. While the strategic management is more concerned about avoiding risk and adopting risk response strategies. Leadership set goals while management focus mostly on goals set by their higher levels or leadership. Leadership take initiatives beyond its responsibility, support goals, provide direction and empower others. Strategic Management is more concerned about segmenting areas of responsibility and it follows leadership vision, organizational philosophy and organizational culture rather than taking initiatives. Impact of management and leadership style on strategic decisions Leadership styles and management plays an important role in the strategic decision of an organization. As discussed earlier, leadership inspires management to meet strategic objectives and therefore impact of leadership on strategic decisions is more dominant that management and leadership styles are crucial in taking strategic decisions for an organization. Different leadership styles are discussed below which are: Autocratic or authoritarian style In the autocratic or authoritarian style, decision making power is centralized to the leader and the leader holds the main decision making power. The most prominent example of authoritarian leaders is the dictatorship. It is important to note that Autocratic or authoritarian style do not consider or entertain the recommendation, consultation or suggestion from subordinates but rather they would like to implement their own authority on them. It is interesting to note that the Autocratic or authoritarian style leadership style is a useful motivational tool for a manager or leader as it motivates the leader or manager to perform. Also, the decision making process in Autocratic or authoritarian style is very quick and straightforward because only one person is decides for the whole group. Moreover, Autocratic or authoritarian style leaders keep the decision making power with them always and decide solely on their personal opinions unless or until they feel that they should share it with the rest of the group. Laissez-faire or free rein style In Laissez-faire or free rein style, the leader does not lead the group but rather it leaves the group entirely to itself. In simple words, the leader allows maximum freedom to its subordinates. For example, the subordinates are free to make their own policies and decision independently and freely. Participative or democratic style The participative or democratic leaders rely heavily on the consensus of the management and subordinates to take strategic decisions or to set strategic directions. They rely heavily on the consulting of the employees and management to devise strategies for reaching organizational goals. Team and Management of the corporation in this style of leadership is effective but it is a slow process. It is interesting to note that leaders in this case are selected by the consensus of subordinates or management unlike in authoritarian style of leadership. Impact of leadership style on management and strategic decisions Different leadership styles are effective and efficient based on different situations and contexts. For example, sometimes the organizations have to make immediate decisions where time is very little to converge on an agreement. In this case an Autocratic or authoritarian style is more effective because a designated authority who have more experience and expertise than the rest of the team could make and implement decision rapidly and quickly to respond to the given scenario. On the other side, in case of a highly motivated and aligned team with a homogenous level of expertise and experience, Laissez-faire or free rein style would be more effective and efficient. It depends on scenario and objectives that which leadership style should be chosen. Task 2 Review of selected theories of management and leadership impact on Lincoln Electric organizational strategy Vision, Mission and Value Statement Leadership is the most crucial reason for the success of an organization. Leadership enables the organization to gain a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. It is because leadership develops operating and organizational philosophy which shapes vision, mission, and organizational culture of the organization. Vision, Mission and organizational culture play the most crucial to devise and effective and efficient strategy to gain a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. Therefore, leadership is the most important element in making vision, mission and value statements and these statements reflects the leadership traits and personalities and their visions. The vision, mission and value statements can be implied from their official website which reflects the leadership and organizational philosophy of Lincoln Electric. Vision statement can be formulated as To be the global manufacturer and market leader of the highest quality welding, cutting and joining products. The Mission statement for Lincoln Electric can be stated as To endure passion for development and application market leadership and global manufacturer vision by providing complete solutions that make their customers more productive and successful. Finally, the value statement can be described as the customer value would be provided to customers by strengthening and maximizing the satisfaction of employees and customer value would generate shareholders value in return with the maximum employee motivation and satisfaction. (Lincoln Electric, 2010) Operating Philosophy or organizational philosophy It is interesting to note the company operating philosophy is highly characterized by the Christian ethics and it was leadership vision of James F. Lincoln which then became the organizational and operating philosophy of Lincoln Electric. The above implied vision, mission and value statements reflect the Christian ethics that are gained from the operating philosophy of Lincoln Electric. Highest quality products are provided to the customers by identifying customer needs and wants with a sense of empathy. The value is provided to customers in terms of product efficiency rather than price discounts and customer enjoys long term benefits and overall cost reduction in the form of less repairing, maintenance, replacement and upgrading. The organizational philosophy of Christian ethics had six core values which are: Respond to our customers needs and expectations with quality, integrity, and value, Recognize people as our most valuable asset, maintain and expand the Lincoln Incentive Manag ement Philosophy, practice prudent and responsible financial management, strive continually to be environmentally responsible, and support communities where we operate and industries in which we participate. The six values define thoroughly the operating philosophy of Lincoln Electric regarding customers, stockholders, unionism and employees. (Buller Schuler, 2006) The employees are working on a piece rate basis with a performance score which motivates the employees to work hard. If an employee is not performing well then it would hit the piece rate basis and the employee would miss the financial incentives. Job security is very high at Lincoln Electric as the employees are not punished but motivated in case of failures. The employees are not fired because of the Christian empathy operating philosophy but employees realize that if they would not perform well then they would miss their financial incentives which drives employees attitudes to work efficiently under high job security for gaining the maximum bonuses and incentives. (Buller Schuler, 2006) Lincoln Management Incentives and Bonus Plan The management incentives and bonus plan of Lincoln electric are very motivational and attractive. The Lincoln bonus plan is strategically aligned with the piece rate pay plan which was discussed in above. It is a fact that Lincoln electric management incentives and bonus plans are the amounts worth more than half of the employee normal pay or wage. Management incentives and bonuses are based on performance based reward/point system. The management incentive and bonus plans are considered as a financial motivator in Lincoln electric. Management incentives and bonuses are considered to be the share and recognition of employees for their contribution in the financial and competitive performance of the Lincoln Electric. Points are allotted according to the contribution of each employee or manager to the financial performance and management incentives and bonuses are rewarded according to the points scored by the employees. The management incentives and bonus plans are based on reinforce ment theory which states that behavior is a function of its consequences. (Robbins, 2005) Leadership strategy Strategic issues driving the success of Lincoln Electric A clear analysis of Lincoln Electric indicates that Lincoln Electric has no strategic issues as it is exploiting its core competencies and capabilities to gain a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. It is performing differently from rivals. According to Michael Porter (1996), Strategic Positioning and operational effectiveness are two entirely different approaches and concepts. Operational Effectiveness is necessary for a business success but not sufficient for it. An organization has to develop a strong strategic positioning to be globally competitive and to gain a sustainable competitive advantage which is not imitable by competition. Strategic Positioning is an entirely different approach and it is performing different activities from competitors or performing similar activities in different ways. On the other hand, operational effectiveness is just performing similar activities from rivals in a better but not different way. Therefore, the competitive advantage ga ined from operational effectiveness is easily imitable because the competitors may also adopt the same or better practices to come up with the same or a better advantage. But, in case of strategic positioning, competitors could not imitate because the corporation adopting strategic positioning is entirely different from rivals and a competitor has to copy the whole activity systems to imitate that competitive advantage which is almost impossible because the own strategic positioning of that particular competitor would be lost after doing this. Japanese companies were well known for best-practices and Total Quality Management. Their global competitiveness was based on operational effectiveness in the 1970s and 1980s. In the race of operational effectiveness, the Japanese companies could not develop strategic positioning and fell under the trap of competitive convergence. The focus of Japanese corporations was to imitate competitors and just to perform better. Japanese enjoyed success because the world economies were growing. But when the markets became saturated; the Japanese firms were stuck in their own traps and finally rubbed out of markets. (Porter, What is Strategy, 1996) Lincoln Electric has developed a strategic positioning rather than operational effectiveness. The most crucial reason for Lincoln Electrics survival is its strong human resource management in the most union obsessed part of US. Lincoln Electric activity systems supported each other to have a sustainable competitive edge. The focus of Lincoln Electric was to develop a strategic position while the rivals were more concerned about operational effectiveness which was necessary but not sufficient. Task 3 Current leadership requirements It is important to note that organizations devise efficient business level and corporate strategies to gain a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace relative to competition. The leadership plays the most dominant role in devising strategies for corporation to sustain a competitive advantage. Leadership develops organizational philosophy and organizational philosophy gives rise to vision and mission for the organization. The strategic objectives of an organization are set on the basis of its visions and missions. Therefore, understanding and knowledge of leadership philosophy and its implications is the most effective skill for efficient leadership. The individuals working in the Lincoln Electric must have knowledge of organizational philosophy and its culture and personal goals of individuals must be aligned with the organizational philosophy for effective leadership. Personal skills of the individuals must be compatible with the organizational philosophy to develop leadership in them. The personal skills which are required for efficient leadership are: Self awareness Proactive Ability to frame and reframe events Ability to integrate the perspectives of others Self-Motivation (Ambler, 2006) All the above personal skills of individuals must be compatible with the professional skill of understanding of organizational philosophy to reach organizational strategic goals. Development of future situation for requiring leadership As we have already discussed that every organization makes efficient business level and corporate strategies to gain a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace relative to competition. The leadership plays the most dominant role in devising strategies for corporation to sustain a competitive advantage. Leadership develops organizational philosophy and organizational philosophy gives rise to vision and mission for the organization. The strategic objectives of an organization are set on the basis of its visions and missions. Professionally, understanding of organizational philosophy, aligns the personal goals of an individual with organizational goals and the person realizes that, to be successful, he must reach organizational strategic goals for reaching his own personal goals because an incentive or compensation and motivation is added with this understanding of organizational philosophy. Therefore, motivation (career development, personal goals) and compensation (rewards, promotions) provide means for both kinds of goals or objective accomplishment. Personally, having interpersonal skills and capabilities, creates awareness among the individuals that corporate culture and philosophy is important for the success of the individuals and organization. The development of self-motivation with the above concept develops a driving force that guides the individual to meet their personal goals by moving on the way of reaching strategic goals of the organization. Leadership skills for a specific situation For example, the changing market trends motivate the Lincoln Electric to devise more environment and user friendly tools for its customers. In this case, organization must devise activity systems and strategy according to its leadership philosophy and operating philosophy because it is the core competency of the organization. It must seek ways for harmonizing personal goals of individuals with the leadership goals by compensating them effectively. Leadership must be developed by teaching individuals organizational philosophy which comes from leadership. Methodology The Lincoln Electric must design a one year management trainee program in which individuals must be trained both professional and personally for strategic goals achievement. There should be four modules. The first module must include the professional literature such as competitive strategy by Michael porter, different academic articles related to strategy and leadership, complete description of organizational and leadership philosophy to develop personal skills for strategic goals achievement. The second module must involve motivational approaches and methodology for defining ways to harmonize personal with professional goals, compensation and benefits as incentives to integrate personal goals with professional goals and an overview of organization. The third module must include rotation of individuals among the different departments and capacities and final module must require the individuals to manage some pilot projects to reach organizational strategic goals. It is important that organizational and leadership philosophy must be reinforced in each and every module by the trainers. The last two modules are designed to increase involvement of individuals at the different strategic levels. The training must conducted and supervised by the true leaders of the organization. Conclusion In this paper, important linkages between strategic management and leadership of an organization were studied and analyzed. The first introduced the links between strategic management and leadership. The second part applied management and leadership philosophies to study the Lincoln Electric which is one of the successful organizations of the world. The last part recommended some strategies to develop and boost leadership across the organization. It can be concluded that leadership plays the key role in the strategic management and success of an organization. 3225 Words

Trade off theory and pecking order theory

Trade off theory and pecking order theory The way we think about capital structure in the modern day is based around the Modigliani and Miller(MM) theorem. It states that a market absent of tax, bankruptcy costs and asymmetric information, and in an efficient market, a companys overall market value will not be affected depending on how it is financed. This then forms the basis of the trade off theory and the pecking order theory. As there is no perfect market conditions each aspect will have an effect based on the way the capital is structured. There are two theories behind the way the structure should be controlled, the pecking order theory, which was created by Stewart C. Myers and Nicolas Majluf in 1984[1], and the trade off theory, which was considered to be pioneered by back to Kraus and Litzenberger but many including Modilgliani himself are understood to have developed the theory. The way that a companys finances are structured is particularly important in light of the latest world recession. As seen in the Asian crisis in 1997 where all share markets became very volatile. It is not that capital structure has a large affect on a causing financial crisis, but rather that it will decide the impact on a firm during the financial crisis. This is relevant especially in the banking industry where assets are put under severe strain during a crisis [2]. I have chosen to approach the issue by setting out the basics of the theorys and their respective advantages and disadvantages, along with the premise behind why they are valid in capital structure. It will be backed by empirical evidence conducted from studies to back up my proposals. Pecking order theory suggests that companies should prioritise the way in which they raise finance. The pecking order relates to the hierarchy that the company follows, from the most appropriate to the least. The pecking order claims that the least preferred method is through equity financing. Rather to initially use internal sources and then issue debt until it is no longer suitable. The basic idea was developed around the original the Modigliani and Miller theorem. In contrast though a true market does not poses the same attributes as the MM theory. From the original paper by Myers and Majluf (1984) [4] developed a model that showed that capital structure was designed to limit the inefficiencies of caused by informational asymmetries. The informational asymmetries states that a manager will know more about the assets of a firm and their future growth prospects than the average outside investor, causing inequality in the market. From Murray Z. Frank Vidhan K. Goyal (2002) [6] I have established that though debt on the other hand is subject to minor adverse problems, equity causes a major adverse selection problem. For an outside investor, equity is construed to be riskier than debt. Equity finance premiums have the higher negative consequence on the firm, and as it is virtually impossible to finance fully from Therefore, an outside investor will demand a higher rate of return on equity than on debt. Thus leading to the pecking order of finance structure. To confirm the theory on asymmetric information, Viet Anh Dang [5] put forward that this model leads to a potential unfavourable selection problem due to the risk of the method of finance. Resulting in the fact that, investors will predict a decision not to issue securities to signal good news and vice versa. This problem leads to a pooling market equilibrium in which new shares can only be offered at a marked-down price. The empirical specification for the test takes the following form: it PO it it  Ã¢â‚¬Å¾D â‚ ¬Ã‚ ½Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ «Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  DEF â‚ ¬Ã‚ «Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã‚ Ã‚ ¥Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (III-9) where it  Ã¢â‚¬Å¾D denotes net debt issued, it DEF cash flow deficit in year t (all variables in levels) and it  Ã‚ ¥Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  the well-behaved error term. In equation (III-9), the strict version of the pecking order theory holds if  Ã‚ ¡Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ½Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  0 and â‚ ¬Ã‚ ½Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  1 PO  Ã‚ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  , i.e., when the deficit in cash flow is entirely offset by the change in debt. The financing choice should be in favour of the financing instruments that are less risk and less sensitive to mis-pricing and valuation errors. Where again we find that equity is the most prone to inaccuracy followed by debt and finally internal sources which are absent of mistakes in valuation. The earliest accredited study that found empirical evidence supporting all these theories was conducted by Baskin. J (1989)[6], this then led to further studies, though these have resulted in conflicting evidence as to the legitimacy of the theory. In the original Myers Majluf (1984)[4] study the table below lists how firms were financially structured It shows that firms had adopted the pecking order method to a degree by selecting to finance internally first followed by debt then last resort equity finance, but as this is a summary of countries each individual firm will differ. This is the exact problem with the pecking order theory, it isnt individually tailored to best suit each business. This was proved by the table below Ziad Zurigats (March 2009) study of the differing effect pecking order theory had on small and large firms. His findings showed, the estimated coefficients are lower for PDEF (0.421 and 0.592) for small and large firms respectively) than for NDEF (0.569 and 0.648), implying that small and large Jordanian firms are less sensitive in increasing debt for financing than in reducing debt for soaking up surplus. However, as cleared, small Jordanian firms are less sensitive than large ones in increasing debt to finance their positive financial deficit and retiring debt to soak up surplus. The Trade-Off Theory of Capital Structure employs to the concept that a firm is able to manipulate the levels of debt and equity finance by balancing the costs and benefits to be most advantageously structured. As mentioned in the introduction it goes back to Kraus and Litzenberger who considered a balance between the dead-weight costs of bankruptcy and the tax saving benefits of debt. To ensure that the debt is balanced the firm will consider the marginal benefits and the marginal costs, as the more debt is taken on the marginal benefit will decrease while the marginal cost will increase. When the marginal benefit is equal to the marginal and the firms value is optimised, there will be a trade off as to the point that debt becomes more detrimental than equity which will form the d/e ratio for the firm. As stated before under a perfect market condition with no tax the finance structure is irrelevant, but as tax comes into play equity is again favoured in the trade off theory, this is because interest on debt reduces the tax liability of a firm in turn increasing the profits, this is called a tax shield. The cost of financial distress should equal the tax shield at the point of equilibrium. The custom economic model used when interpreting the trade-off theory is the partial adjustment model (Jalilvand and Harris, 1984; Shyam-Sunder and Myers, 1999; Ozkan, 2001 and Fama and French, 2002), which is made up of two parts; a static part to describe how the ideal amount is determined and the dynamic partial adjustment process: Where, yt = a firms financial ratio in period t, yt-l = a firms financial ratio in period t-1, yt*= the target level of a particular ratio ÃŽÂ » = the speed of adjustment coefficient i.e. how fast the firm returns to its target debt ratio3 Empirical Evidence supporting the trade off theory Here we can see that from the research done in the paper the table is drawn from, it has been found that there are some explanatory variables which do not act as expected. Although this may be interpreted as the trade off model being inaccurate, there are still factors which do affect the businesses total debt as expected. The most important factors drawn from the table above are the business size, total debt ratio, effective tax rate and the non-debt tax shields. The reason why explanatory variables such as growth opportunities do not act as expected may be due to the differing size of businesses examined; splitting the data in to business size may be advantageous here. The benefit of the trade off theory is that it is unique to each companys situation, for example a company with safe, tangible assets that also generate high levels of income would likely seek a high debt target ratio as to fully Companies with safe, tangible assets and plenty of taxable income to shield ought to have high target ratio to fully utilise the tax shield. In the opposite direct a company that is Unprofitable with risky, intangible assets will usually rely on equity finance as it becomes the less risky option. As the uncertainty surround its income could make the tax shield non existent One key flaw that was not in the original Modigliani and Miller (1963) study is that of the effect on personal income tax. Miller (1977) took this into account in his study and proved that in fact the total tax saving at the point of equilibrium was zero when income tax increase was applied to the tax shield. The following equations shows that the tax shield can even be detrimental for example if the tax rate on stock is less than the tax rate on bonds the result will be a negative impact on profits. The author further suggests that there should be no optimal debt ratio for any individual firms. Where G ­L is the leverage gain for the shareholder Tc is the corporate tax rate Tps is the personal income tax for common stock TPB is the personal income tax for bonds BL is the market value of the levered firms debt There have been questions to the mutual exclusivity of the two theories, Carmen Cotei and Joseph Farhat (2009) studied this theory, and their conclusion was that The empirical results of the factors affecting the proportion of debt financing (reduction) and factors affecting the rate of adjustment imply that the pecking order theory and the trade-off theory are not mutually exclusive. Firms may strive for a target debt ratio range and within this range, the pecking order behavior may describe incremental decisions or, over time, firms may switch between target adjustment and pecking order behavior. Conclusion reflection on theories which is best suited? Does it differ between businesses, are they both legitimate ways of structuring capital? In reflection it is clear that both theories offer a potential theory of dealing with capital structure, but the empirical evidence seems to suggest that the trade off theory is the more well rounded option. As it holds well in the custom economic model, outperforming the pecking order model in the key areas. There has been also some convincing proof in favour of the relationships between gearing and the conventional determining factors (except profitability), as predicted by trade-off structure. Non-debt tax shields and growth opportunities have been argued to be inversely related to debt ratio, while collateral value of assets and size are found to have positive effects upon gearing. I do believe that to some degree the theories are simply a base to capital structure, and that each individual company must do its own assessment on the best way to structure capital in order to produce the best results.

adopted children :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not just the kids, but the adoptive parents also ask themselves questions: doubting their acceptance. A good question that comes to mind is whether or not; they can create a bound with the child. According to an adoption Corporation called â€Å"PACT†, no, they cannot bond with the adopted child. They feel, â€Å"Bounding is a one-way process that begins in the birth mother during pregnancy and continues through the first few days of life.† (1-2) It is instinctive so the bond can never be achieved, but hope lies in â€Å"attaching†. When you create an attachment between your child and you, it allows for the child to flourish. â€Å"Attachment is a two-way reciprocal process between parents and their children. (1-2) This process of attachment says a lot to a child. It is more than a friendship bond by allowing the child to put all of its trust within you. PACT wants us to know that, â€Å"It starts with a promise, a promise from parents to c hild that says, You count, and you can always rely on me.† (1-2) From this, a baby gains reliance, familiarity and the most important goal, which is that special attachment that should not be broken. It is also like a promise, which says a lot to the child. â€Å"From this promise will come the baby’s sense that the parents matter more than anyone else, leading to the baby’s reliance on them. (1-2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fear also steps in during this attachment stage, creating an obstacle of worries hard to get over. It is not just the question of whether you can attach t the baby but will the baby attach to you? The answer PACT gives us is to rely on your commitment to attach, regardless of time. Days, weeks, months or years may pass but what matters is you endurance. â€Å"If it takes time to feel that this child is your child, build on signs of progress. If it takes time for the baby to act as if you matter more than anyone else, enjoy interacting as connections grow.† (1-1) You will know if progress is occurring due to a number of signals that the child will withdraw. Smiles and developmental milestones are a clue that you are on the right track. (1-1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once a child who you feel attached to, doesn’t make the connection, it can make you as the parent feel left out. Adopted children also feel this way due to their other half who they feel is not connected to them.

Essay --

Studies on the presence of jealousy in romantic relationships have been increasingly polarized, with some researchers viewing jealousy as a destructive force in the maintenance of relationships while others view it as a positive measure of commitment (Ammon, 2004). Connected with rejection, jealousy is defined as a combination of feelings, thoughts and actions that arise following a real or perceived threat to one’s relationship (Ammon, 2004). â€Å"Sexual† jealousy evocation stimulates angry impulses and approach behaviours that function to maintain one’s relationship by disrupting affiliations between one’s partner and a perceived or real foe (Harmin-Jones, Peterson, & Harris, 2009). Harmon-Jones et al. (2009) designed a controlled and ethically sound method to arouse jealousy in the lab and observe the pattern of neural activity that is elicited when an individual actively experiences jealousy. Participants took part in a computer-generated ball-tossing game in which individuals were required to choose a partner from an assembly of photos and following the first 2 min of the game, half of the participants were ostracized by their chosen partner (the partner failed to toss the ball to them). The study found that when participants were rejected (especially by the opposite-sex partner); jealousy (feelings of anger) was induced. Additionally, it was found that the experience of jealousy (and anger) was linked to greater activation of the left frontal lobe. This study was successful in highlighting the contextual process of jealousy evocation in budding relationships (in this case, through ostracism) and also paved the way for more complex research on the role of jea lousy in the maintenance of a variety of romantic relationships. As su... ...tners might view other, more attractive alternatives more favourably (absence of perceived superiority) which would provide them with both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to move on. Additionally, this study can also provide extension into the understanding of partner abuse, which is twice as likely in on-off relationships (Moses, 2013). When difficulties arise in on-off relationships, couples lack the behaviours and social skills to diffuse conflict which then aggregates the issue into various forms of abuse (Moses, 2013). With an understanding of the positive influences of negative relational maintenance behaviours, it would be beneficial to use the knowledge from the hypothesized results to educate couples to erase negative connotations surrounding behaviours such as jealousy and manage them in ways that would strengthen and overcome relationship struggles.

Diction and storytelling in Death by Landscape by Margaret Atwood

Rather than an exaggerated hyperbole, â€Å"scarred for life† is a very accurate description of Lois from the short story â€Å"Death by Landscape’s† state of mind. Margaret Atwood depicts a character haunted by her childhood and solidifies that past experiences do a great deal in shaping the future of children into adulthood. Through diction by an older and younger Lois: symbolism, setting and characterization are distinguished. Firstly, strong symbolism is expressed through the landscape paintings that Lois collects while at the same time she avoids the wilderness altogether. The readers are left wondering why Lois would collect these painting if she â€Å"does not find them peaceful in the least† but instead they â€Å"fill her with a world of unease† (2). It is revealed at the end of the short story that these paintings are representative of the tie Lois still has been unable to sever with her deceased best friend from childhood. A friend who in Lois’ mind completely vanished off the face of the earth; her body was never recovered. A young Lois recalled, â€Å"Lucy did not care about things she did not know, whereas Lois did†, from this it can assumed that Lois is a character of strong need for closure and she never got it. In her mind there was no way Lucy could just disappear like this, she had to be somewhere. With this mindset taken into her adulthood an older Lois had rebirthed Lucy through these landscape paintings symbolic of her death. â€Å"A dead person is a body, a dead body occupies space it exists somewhere†(9), with this mindset Lois preserved Lucy’s existence through these landscape paintings. In this case symbolism is key in understanding Lois’ fear of the wild. Secondly, setting and imagery play a key role in shaping Lois’ views of the wilderness in adulthood and childhood. As a child it’s made clear that Lois has hostility towards the camp and its atmosphere but then eventually she gets used to it. But Lois in adulthood is seen to have a traumatic fear of anything remotely to do with the wilderness. At first glance it just seems as though she just doesn’t care for gardening by her â€Å"[relief] not to have to worry about the lawn, or about the ivy pushing its muscular little suckers into the brickwork† (4). However after further insight it is seen that there is a reason behind her disdain for wildlife. The only thing signifying wildlife present in Lois’ life is the landscape paintings in which she believes Lucy resides. With these she is able to not have to let go of Lucy at the comfort of her closed-off and artificial world. The imagery of the canoe trip in Lois’ childhood is also seen to be particularly frightening and provides understanding of her complete disdain for nature. While going canoeing Lois feels the â€Å"lake go down, deeper and colder than it was a minute before† (6), this exemplifies the sheer power, terror and unpredictability that comes with the association of the wilderness. Lois’ diction in this passage also foreshadows the complete disappearance of Lucy in a matter of moments, after being swallowed up by nature. Thus, imagery and setting provide insight in Lois’ anxiety for the wilderness. Lastly, characterization is used to depict Lois’ disdain for wildlife and much is revealed about her through the narration of her private thoughts and feelings within her childhood and adulthood. Lois and Lucy grow to become best friends despite them having almost nothing in common. At the age of 13 they live completely different lives and Lois recalls even feeling a bit, jealous of Lucy’s life. The reader is left to think why Lois would have such a central sense of guilt from this childhood experience and why â€Å"she felt terrible-guilty and dismayed, as if she had done something very bad, by mistake†(8). The way that Lois went about her life following this incident was that of a convicted criminal. With the amount and remorse Lois felt, could it be possible that maybe she did subconsciously wish that something would happen to Lucy? After repeatedly having to feel inferior when listening to her stories. Lois ends up feeling so remorseful for Lucy’s death she is completely paralyzed of living her own life. When she marries and has children she finds herself unfocused in life and careless in social gatherings. Randy, her deceased husband’s face does not even resonate with her and neither do the memories of the birth and the raising of her children. . She feels drained and â€Å"as if she was living not one life but two: her own and another shadowy life that hovered†(8). The intense feelings of guilt would only resurface themselves if she were ever to return to the camp in which Lucy had her tragic fall. Therefore Atwood’s use of diction through a young and older Lois provides strong insights for her fear of the wilderness. All in all Lois’ disdain for the wild can be distinguished through: symbolism, characterization, imagery and setting by using the diction of an older and younger Lois. Her complete inability to overcome this grief and loss goes to show to that past experiences play a key role in shaping children into adulthood.

Ethnographic Research Paper: Latino-American Immigration Experience Essay

The immigration experience as a Latino-American is as diverse as the manifold cultures that the pan-ethnic identity, Latino, aims to subsume. With regards to the immigration experience, Zavella (1991) lays an emphasis on the notion of social location. The difference among Latinos in American society is embedded in their â€Å"social location within the social structure†, in which identity, or one’s sense of self, is emergent from the intersected social spaces formed by class, race/ethnicity, gender, and culture. In order to gain a sufficient understanding of the identity of the Latino-American immigrant, it is necessary to consider the subjective conditions under which individual experiences have shaped behaviors and attitudes. Through examining social location, this essay aims to reveal the significance that an individual immigration experience has had in shaping a sense of self in relation to American culture. In this essay, I discuss his immigration process in light of themes such as Latino identity, assimilation, legal status, immigrant social network in reception context, and family obligations to demonstrate how Mr.  Raya’s personal experiences have constructed his identity as a proud American. In particular, I will consider how these themes contribute to his relation to the Latino community, how an active effort to learn English and familiarize with legal boundaries constituted a sense of belonging, perspective roles in U. S. society, and the influence of family values on his behavior. Latino Identity Suarez-Orozco, Marcelo and Paez (2002) explain how the Spanish language acts as the unifying agent across Latinos in American society. The Latino population is made up of those whom originate, or are descendants from, a vast array of Latin-American countries that ranges from Mexico, reaches oversea to the Caribbean Islands, and down through Central to South America. The cultural difference among immigrants and the way in which American society receives them contributes to their social location and differs greatly between individuals of the Latino community. The ethnic category of Latino is one in which the United States has adopted in an attempt to racially define a particular sect of society. The Latino identity has been crafted by the U. S. overnment and gains its meaning solely in relation to the experience in U. S. society. Although Latinos are often misrepresented by their pan-ethnic title, â€Å"the Spanish language generates a powerful gravitational field bringing them together. † The assimilation experience as a Latino immigrant may be divided largely by structural forces associated with cultural origins, however, the Latino identity stands united under the Spanish language. Originally from South America, Mr. Raya is a proud Peruvian who associates himself with others from Latin American backgrounds due to their common cultural use of the Spanish language. Mr. Raya elucidates, â€Å"I want to begin by clarifying what the term Latinos means. So Spanish comes from Latin†¦so our roots are from Latin. That’s why our language is latino. The language. Not our race. Because I’m from South America, Rigo for instance is from Mexico, but if you see us together then you can call us Latinos. Because it is the general idea. † (p. 1, l. 1-4). Mr. Raya clearly states that his connection to other Latinos, such as his co-worker Rigo, is solely due to their use of the Latin-base language, Spanish. Similar to the experience expressed in the literature, Mr. Raya’s identity as a Latino is only in relation to his association with other Latinos living in America. Assimilation Chavez (2008) demonstrates how the assimilation process of Latinos migrating to the U. S. has been compromised and restricted due to the â€Å"Latino Threat Narrative†. He argues that the popularly held idea that the Latino presence in the U. S. challenges American ideals and society on the whole accounts for the stunted rates of assimilation among Latinos in America. Latinos are viewed as a threat because of a perceived â€Å"refusal† to assimilate into the larger society due to the desire to preserve their own culture. One way in which Latino immigrants are considered as resistant to American society is by their use of the Spanish language rather than what is preferred by the U. S. majority, English (Cornelius, 2002). American disapproval of Latino immigration has been expressed through the implementation of immigration laws, followed with a negative representation of Latino immigration in the mass media. America’s defensive attitude toward Latinos have stigmatized them with being â€Å"illegal†, which in turn, alienates Latino immigrants due to racialization effects from unwelcoming attitudes held by the larger society Gomez, 2007; Martinez, 1998). When first moving to America, Mr. Raya hardly knew a word in English. His initial struggle to incorporate into the U. S. social order was on account his lack knowledge of the English language. His capacity for effective communication was bound to the confines of the Spanish language. He shares his experience, â€Å"I felt alone. I couldn’t, well I say: Good Morning, How are you; that was it you know. Even if somebody talked to me you know I was like a clam you know. I couldn’t, I didn’t, I didn’t want it, those things you know†(p. 1, l. 3-25). Mr. Raya’s experience stresses the separation from the American community felt by the Latino immigrants described in the Chavez study. He explains how a deficit of the English language contributed to a feeling of loneliness. In contrast to the literature however, rather than pushing him farther away from his assimilation goal, Mr. Raya became attracted to learning English. He explains, â€Å"So that’s why I went to school. I started studying English, and then I felt, I got Americanized immediately. † (p. 1, l. 29-30). Discontent with his isolated state, Mr.  Raya recognized the importance of speaking English. He credits learning English for his ability to assimilate and how it lead to a gained sense of belonging as an American. Legal Status Abrego (2011) calls attention to the role that an immigrants’ legal consciousness plays in the incorporation process. Research suggests that adult immigrants with an undocumented legal status often live in a constant state of fear due to threat of deportation. The internalization of the â€Å"illegal† stigma criminalizes undocumented immigrants and legitimizes the exploitation of migrant workers (Menjivar and Abrego, 2012). Their submissive attitude and passive lifestyle under oppression is reinforced through the U. S. structure and ultimately prevents their achievement of assimilation. On the other hand, those considered as being â€Å"with the law†, that is, those with a strong legal consciousness, â€Å"are aware of their rights and are likely to make claims for redress or inclusion†. Immigrants aware of their legal rights under American legislation are shown to have more successful rates of incorporation. Mr. Raya’s experience with applying for U. S. itizenship portrays him as having a strong legal consciousness. Although he is not an American citizen on paper, his awareness of his contractual agreement made with the United States government provides him with the information to back up his confidence that secures his sense of belonging. Mr. Raya recalls his experience, â€Å" When I went to apply, when I went to apply here, they told me, ‘you just sign a paper, saying tha t you’re going back there. ’ After 2 to 3 years, I had to go back there. But my social security, I have a driver’s license; I’m legal here. But if I go out, I can’t come back in 10 years. That’s one of the reasons why I never went out, I never went back there, back to Peru. † (p. 3, l. 1-5 ). In line with the argument provided by Abrego (2011), Mr. Raya’s legal consciousness of what he can or cannot do under administrative decree, constitutes his sense of belongingness in American society. Mr. Raya further explains, â€Å"I really feel like America is my country. I miss Peru of course, but I’m okay. I’m just like an American right now. So I play the rules and everything† (p. 2, 1. 16-18). He asserts his entitled right to live in America, and affirms his entitlement through proper forms of identification. Because he is aware of his legal standing, he cautions himself of the repercussive consequences of leaving the country. He makes conscious decisions based of the knowledge that if he were to return to Peru, he would not be permitted back into the U. S. immediately. Knowing what is and isn’t available to him under the U. S. legal system has given Mr. Raya his confidence due to the autonomy and control he has over his fate. Social Networks  Menjivar (2000) argues against the â€Å"overly romanticized notions of immigrant unity† that surround the image of Latino immigrant social networks. Research examining Salvadorian immigrant social networks provides evidence that refutes the stereotypical assumption that latino family members already living in the U. S. to offer unconditional financial, emotional and material support for their migrating relatives. The presence of existing social networks with individuals living in the U. S. serves for an incentive and resource aid for migration. However, the way in which social ties receive friends and family upon transition is affected by context. In American society, perceptions held among immigration social networks have shown to reflect U. S. structural features such as the labor market rather than the cultural norms of the social culture of national origin. In many cases, social ties were shown to weaken because of a low capacity for reciprocity. The inability to reciprocate aid from reception was especially evident when the participants in exchange had very limited access to resources. Social class insertion, brought by immigrants and potential opportunities, demonstrated a significant relation to an immigrant’s access to resources and ability to assist those within social networks. Male immigrants tended to have stronger and larger social networks than females and the wisdom of immigrants from older generations offered more successful information that had been acquired with age. The immigrant social network experience of Mr. Raya was shaped by social class insertion and reflects of the social context under which he was received. Now 63, Mr.  Raya migrated at the mature age of 31 with a clear objective in mind: to make money. Mr. Raya stresses the economic aspect and demand for labor market participation in American society, â€Å"everyone wants to come over here, because the general idea is like, you come here, and the dollars are on the street, they’re in the tree; you know, its easier to make dollars. Its not easy the way the way we work here†(p. 1, 1. 14-16). Mr. Raya’s perception of America prior to immigration embodies the same spirit of the American Ideal and depicts the notion of social mobility as being tangible by means of hard work. When first migrating to the United States, Mr. Raya was welcome by a friend who had agreed to help him get settled, however was expected to work and provide for himself. Mr. Raya explains, â€Å"when we come over here we become Americans in an economic way. † He further explains, â€Å" Let’s say you want to bring your sister or your brother; you bring them over, and as an American, okay, you help them for 2, 3 months, you tell’em you gotta pay rent, you gotta pay your food. But up there no. You can stay at your parents house forever† (p. 2, l. 28-30). In line with the literature, Mr.  Raya highlights the shift of expectations for social networks as one makes the transition from Latin-American to American context. Mr. Raya’s experience has shaped his perception of the way in which friends and relatives looking to migrate should be received into American society. Family Obligation Abrego (2009) examines the ways in which migrant parents’ gender affects the transnational families’ economic welfare. The term transnational is used to describe families where â€Å"members of the nuclear unit (mother, father, and children) live in two different countries†. Common among migrant parents of transitional families was their practice of sending of remittances. Abrego argues that families with transitional mothers are more likely to experience economic prosperity compared to transitional father-away, families in which families with transitional fathers often received limited or no remittances. Gendered parental obligations imply that men prioritize themselves or new relationships establish in the United States over their family back home, while attributing a strong regard for family values with mothers of transitional families. Mr. Raya’s adolescent years spent in Peru were marked by extreme poverty and its unfortunate contingencies. Poverty-stricken conditions foreshadowed a life in Peru that was static and void of hope. In an attempt to invert his impoverished fate for his family, Mr. Raya’s decision to leave Peru was persuaded by the economic opportunities that America had to offer. Although his family was out of sight, they were never out of mind when it came to his financial gain while living in America. In contrast with the literature illustrating the male, father figure as being self -interested and self- serving, Mr. Raya expresses his obligation to support his family. I was planning to go to college but I couldn’t because I had to send money to my kids, and my kids were in Peru† (p. 2, 1. 3-4). Unlike the experiences described by Abrego, Mr. Raya holds a high regard for family values that transcends material goods, â€Å"we were poor. We didn’t have a car, we didn’t have a house, But the main thing for me is that we had a family†¦ that was the basic; loving your family first†(p. , l. 7-11). Family values defined his goal to provide financial support for his entire family was his main incentive for immigration. Mr. Raya describes his objective, â€Å" That was my main goal: help my people. Send money to them; to my kids, to my parents. And that, that part made me feel good. Even though I mean my kids they were not with me but, they, my kids they had a good education† (p. 2, 1. 10-13 ). Although the separation from his children is hard for him, knowing that they receive a good education assures Mr.  Raya that he has served his duty to his family. Conclusion In the final analysis, Mr. Raya’s immigration experience demonstrates how the positions he occupies within the U. S. social structure has influenced his ultimate sense of an American identity. His personal experience in America as a Latino immigrant reveals his particular social location in which his Latino-identity, motivation for migrations, desire to assimilate, legal consciousness and expectations for reception all contributed significantly to his behavior and perceptions. When examining his experience in light of research, Mr. Raya’s successful incorporation mirrors many theories held regarding Latino assimilation into American society. Mr. Raya recognizes that his Latino profile is one in which language is indicative of his relation to the Latino-American population, and that learning English is imperative to his assimilation process. An active engagement with the U. S. egal system while determining his migrant status has allowed for a positive assertion of legality and provides Mr. Raya with a confident sense of belonging. Moreover, the key feature of Mr. Raya’ experience is his strong will to assimilate. Dissimilar with conclusions of related research, obligation to fulfill his role as a father and support his family was the driving motive behind his successful incorporation. On the whole, his social location has shaped his attitudes and opinions toward Latino-immigration in general. He stresses the importance one’s capacity for adjustment to the American structural context in order to achieve assimilation, and therefore reach economic, social and political success. Through an analysis of the Latino-American experience of David Raya, this essay demonstrates the significant impact social location has had on the formation of Mr. Raya’s American identity as a Latino immigrant.

A Gathering Of Old Men

Ernest J. Gaines' novel, â€Å"A Gathering of Old Men† employs experimental narrative techniques in order to probe themes of racism and classicism, as well as to examine the nature of storytelling in humanity's past and also for humanity's future.By employing no less than fifteen separate narrators   in this novel, Gaines is able to penetrate deeply into the subjective experiences of a a number of men — together whom comprise a social microcosm of African American history and experience.Through the diverse range of voices at his disposal, Gaines probes a wide range of grievances and also exaltations among his characters and demonstrates the strength of communal unity. The diverse range of narrators used in the novel expresses the novel's theme of strength-through-diversity adn unity-through-intimacy.A careful reading of the novel reveals the deep motivations of its characters, each of which reveals the novel's theme of redemption and social renewal. Because of the â⠂¬Å"tribal† nature of the diversity of narrators, the reader is able to feel as though they are a direct participant in the action, as though reading the novel is an initiation rite of sorts.The novel's central intrigue: the murder of   Beau Baton, also forwards the initiation or ritualistic them: the novel is meant to show the growth (or initiation) not only of chronologically grown men into — long delayed – manhood, but to redefine standards of black masculinity altogether for the characters in the novel itself and also for the novel's readers.In the novel, the fifteen separate narrators are drawn out of their ordinary lives and into a civic, almost mythic role. Gaines signals that the unfolding of events is meant to have this mythic, ritualistic overtone when the old men gathering proclaim that things seem new again, that they feel good about what they are doing.Wallace sees the water of the river â€Å"as if it were still a mystery,† while   Mat ad mits that he is happy that they   â€Å"and all the rest are doing something different, for the first time† ( Gathering, 40).There is also the symbolic/ritualistic firing of guns, urged by Clatoo who tells the men â€Å"Let them down there hear you† ( Gathering, 48) and contrasted with the brutality of combined experience among the novel's protagonists, this symbolic gunfire demonstrates controlled violence and anger: emotions turned to ritualistic healing.There can be no doubt that these feelings of race-based anger contributed to the murder. When asked, Uncle Billy admits that he killed Beau out of a longing for revenge:What they did my boy†¦. The way they beat him. They beat him till they beat him   crazy and we had to send him to Jackson (the state mental facility). He don't even know me and his mama no more. We take him candy, we take him cake, he eat it like a hog eating corn†¦.The ritual-based and initiation based theme of the novel is meant to tra nsform the violence of the murder into a healing process,where each of the novel's narrators â€Å"confesses† their anger and need for revenge and then each learns something through the experience of participating after-the-fact in a murder that only a single man committed.Later, for example, Gable reveals his son is killed for the false accusation for rape on a   white woman and Coot talks about his war experiences.The man who could break horses, Yank, relishes his role without at first realizing it makes him subservient to whites. But there is also a shadow of environmental awareness tied to the ritual murder: that the renewal of black masculinity is directly tied to the renewal of nature.Johnny Paul explains the murder on behalf of the flowers: â€Å"That's why I kilt him, that's why†¦.To protect them little flowers. But they ain't here no more. And how come?† (Gathering, 92).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gaines' intention is to tie subjective individual renewal with the renewal of both community and environment and he portrays the murder an consequent ruse in symbolically charged terms.Killing Beau might revive the river: â€Å"That river†¦. Where the people went all these years. Where they fished, where they washed they clothes, where they was baptized. St. Charles River. Done gived us food, done cleaned us clothes, done cleaned us soul. St. Charles River — no more, though. No more.They took it. † (Gathering, 107). Because the novel relies on complex themes, it is dangerous to assume that racial issues are any more dominant than issues of community preservation and environmental preservation.The key theme in the novel, as m,mentioned, is the reviving of masculinity: the renewal of masculine energy which is seen to extend beyond race and into the elements of the earth and nature themselves.Mathu's discovery of his community is the most starkly profoundly as portrayed in â€Å"A Gathering of Old Men.† When he says â₠¬Å"I been changed†¦.I been changed. Not by that white man's God. I don't believe in that white man's God. I been changed by y'all.Rooster, Clabber, Dirty Red, Coot — you changed this hardhearted old man.† (Gathering, 182 ); he as admitting that even his previous contempt and mistrust of white people has been challenged by his new-found notions of community.While it is relatively easy to spot the racial themes of â€Å"A Gathering of Old Men† the communal themes and the themes of renewal through nature may be a bit more difficult for the casual reader to understand.When the various themes of the novel are begun to be regarded as a whole, the picture which emerges is not a picture of â€Å"black† anger of African American bitterness or even of racism or classicism, but issues of humanism.The reclaiming of masculinity by the men in the novel can be regarded, symbolically, as the renewal of any person or any group which seeks to finally reaffirm its power after a period, perhaps even a protracted period, of suppression and duress.Rather than portray this accumulated anger and resentment as exploding in, say, a violent — if even localized — revolution, Gaines views the kind of fusion of bitterness, anger, and resentment, to a call to awareness of and an identification and re-claiming of communal ties and environmental awareness.Taken this way, the subjective stories presented by the various narrators of â€Å"A Gathering of Old Men† can be seen to transform into universal voices of awareness, and cathartic change.This transformation is heralded by community and the liberation of private anger and private experience as culturally accepted, in fat culturally imperative information.The novel's experimental narrative techniques weld the ancient oral tradition of tribal cultures with the scathingly sharp awareness of modern political and psychological realities.