Nutrition and Healthy Food for Children Essay

The essential foods that the body needs are foods rich in starch and fibre (carbohydrates) which are pasta, rice, oats, couscous and many more. Carbohydrates give us energy, calcium, fibre and B vitamins which help to keep the digestive system healthy. Recommended amount is 3 to 5 servings per day. Protein groups contain nuts, beans, peas, lentils, quorn and Soya for vegetarians. Meat, fish and eggs also hold protein. They provide us with iron, minerals and vitamins to help the body repair and grow. We should be eating 2 – 3 servings a day. Dairy is another food group which includes, milk, yoghurt and cheese. These contain protein, calcium and vitamins. Dairy keep are bones and teeth healthy. We should try to eat 3 servings a day. Plenty of different fruits and vegetables whether they are fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced. These give us antioxidants and chemicals which can prevent illness; they keep the digestive system healthy and are high in fibre. And the recommended amount it 5 portions per day. Lastly it is important that you include fats and sugars in your diet but too many fizzy drinks or high fat content foods can have a negative effect. You need to make sure that you vary different food and only eat the amount to maintain a healthy weight. There are a number of government initiatives to encourage healthy eating such as ‘five a day’ and ‘CHANGE 4LIFE’ which encourage adults and child to make sure they eat 5 portions of fruit of vegetables per day. Now these initiatives have been brought in companies have started labelling which of their products contain ‘1 of your 5 a day’ REFERENCE: http://www.nvqccld.com/2010/11/09/k3h295-the-government%E2%80%99s-guidelines-on-healthy-eating-and-nutrition-for-children-and-why-it-is-important-that-these-are-followed-by-childcare-practitioners/ http://www.gosh.nhs.uk/children/general-health-advice/eat-smart/food-science/ (food group fun) E2 Weather the child is under eating or over eating there are many effect on the health and well being of the child. A child may be getting bullied or teased for the way they look, or may feel under pressure from society to look a certain way. This can affect confidence and self-esteem. The child will become self conscious as they may not be able to find clothes to fit them and feel comfortable in, dressing like their favourite pop star may become increasingly difficult due to weight. Confidence may also be affected in normal day to day activities, things such as getting picked for sports teams, difficulty climbing trees, running around the playground or the steps onto a bus may become increasingly difficult through lack of energy. Behaviour has also been linked to lack of nutrients and associated with ADHD and various other needs such as a delay in intellect development. Children can lack in the ability to concentrate if they do not have the correct nutrients. The child’s dental health could also be at risk due to the amount of sugary foods and drinks they consume, it causes the teeth to grow weak. Lack of nutrients can also diminish growth, weaken bones, and contribute to poor concentration and motor skills. REFERENCE: http://www.gosh.nhs.uk/children/general-health-advice/eat-smart/obesity-lowdown/the-downsides/ http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_4798324_effects-poor-diet-children.html http://www.livestrong.com/article/465374-how-poor-nutrition-affects-child-deve lopment/ E3 Government guidelines include the 5 a day initiative which promotes the benefits of eating 5 a day, raise awareness of health benefits that eating 5 a day has and also improving access to fruit and vegetables. Children ages between 4 and 6 years old are entitled to one piece of free fruit per day, and all settings in their daily menu must provide at least 5 fruit and/or vegetables. Healthy start helps families on low income in England, Scotland N.Ireland and Wales by providing them with vouchers for milk, fruit and vegetables for young children and pregnant women. Each voucher is  £3.10 and it encourages earlier and closer contact with health professionals for advice. The Food Standards Agency was set up by an Act of Parliament in 200 and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is a group of independent expert who advise government agencies/departments on nutritional needs. There are some general tips on diet on the eat well website: base meals on starchy foods, eat lots of fruit and vegetables, eat more fish, cut down on saturated fats/sugars, try eat less salt, get active, drink lots of water, don’t skip breakfast. REFERENCE: www.eatwell.gov.uk Penny Tassoni et al – CACHE Level 3 Childcare and Education 4th edition http://www.5-a-day.tv/ http://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/ http://www.sacn.gov.uk/ E4 Molescroft Primary School promote their healthy eating via their policies by having a 14 choice, self service salad bar which is available every day, this means that they have free choice for their lunch. Aswell as salad there is also a self service vegetable bar everyday which has a range of 4 vegetables that the children can choose from, and it is stated very clearly that mixed vegetable will not be provided. There is also no limit on the amount of salad or vegetables the child have, they can return for seconds and mix and match what is on their plate. With every dessert offered at lunch time there is always yoghurt and fruit salad available. Milk is provided for sale every lunch time for the children to buy if they want too. Also during morning break due to the time in the year and seasonal fruit there is always either fruit kebabs or a soup available for the children to buy if they are hungry. The school also provide fresh fruit for all year group’s daily meaning that each child can have a piece of fruit provided each day. The children will also have the opportunity to learn about the growing of fruit and vegetables, sustainable agriculture and there is a fair trade stall which sell fair trade orange juice. Through the curriculum of science and PSHCE the children will be taught the effects of a healthy/unhealthy diet. Every child has access to free flow water all day and can have water bottles in the classroom with either water or sugar-free juice supplied by parents. It is also stated in the food policy that chips are a rare occasion and any other fried food will not be offered, which is showing children they can enjoy their food without the means of fried foods. It is also encouraged for parents, carers and relative to pre-book a school lunch which they can enjoy with their child so the child can be at ease while they eat their lunch. Children are not allowed to bring in sweets or sugar drinks into school for break or snack with the exception of special occasions. But it still stands that the contents of a lunch box is private unless it is breaking the health and safety rules, an example of this is a parent providing their child with  a hard boiled sweet which is a choking hazard. REFERENCE: http://www.molescroftprimary.net/Policies/FOOD%20POLICY.pdf E5 24 HOUR MENU FOR A CHILD AGED 9 MONTHS Through the night Formula or breast milk DIETARY REQUIREMENTS Breakfast approx 7 am Formula or breast milk 1 – 2 table spoons of infant cereal 5 raspberries Lactose intolerant children, will be provided with an alternative like soy milk on prescription by the doctors. Vegetarians commonly Rastafarians, would have supplements like tofu or quorn in their meals instead of chicken or beef. Judaism may not eat meat and milk together, so to cook the rice in milk and chicken together may not be eaten. Vegan’s will not eat any animal product. Through the day the baby will be getting more then their 5 a day which provides more then enough nutrients for the child, they will be getting their carbohydrates from the cereal, porridge and baby rice. Dairy from the milk and yoghurts. Coeliac means that people have intolerance to wheat, so there would be a substitute for bread, or any wheat products. Snack Approx 10am 4 Blue berries with baby porridge in a baby bowl Lunch approx 12:30pm Formula or breast milk Baby rice (2 table spoons) with fresh vegetables and chopped up chicken Small baby yoghurt or small piece of cheese Half a banana softened. Snack approx 3pm Formula or breast milk followed by peeled and chopped grapes Tea approx 5pm Shepard’s pie with no added salt gravy, with very finely chopped vegetables. Breast or formula milk Ice cream for pudding Before bed snack 7pm Formula or breast milk 24 HOUR MENU FOR A CHILD AGES 7 YEARS Breakfast Porridge made with milk with jam on top Drink of milk or water Handful of raspberries DIETARY REQUIREMENTS Lactose intolerant children, will be provided with an alternative like soy milk on prescription by the doctors. Vegetarians commonly Rastafarians, would have supplements like tofu or quorn in their meals instead of chicken or beef. Judaism may not eat meat and milk together, so to cook the rice in milk and chicken together may not be eaten. Vegan’s will not eat any animal product. Coeliac means that people have intolerance to wheat, so there would be a substitute for bread, or any wheat products. The child will receive their 5 a day from the raspberries, blueberries, broccoli, tomato, onion, spinach, cauliflower, etc. this provides nutrients. The children will receive calcium from dairy products such as milk or cheese, so people with intolerance can have a substitute. Snack Blueberry and banana milkshake, which contains milk, blueberries and banana. Lunch Chicken pasta with a cream sauce with broccoli, tomato, onion and spinach mixed in with the chicken and pasta Drink of water or milk Snack Plain yoghurt and drink of water Tea Shepard’s pie with broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. No added salt gravy Drink of water and ice cream for pudding. Snack Slice of toast with butter on Drink of warm milk REFERENCE: Penny Tassoni et al CACHE Level 3 Childcare and Education E6 Coeliac is a condition that prevents the consumer from eating wheat, this means that they can have diarrhoea which can cause the child embarrassment  for if they accidentally consume wheat then it can cause your body to cause unpleasant smelling excrements and the passing of wind this could potentially cause a child to be teased at school. The child could have abdominal pains which may cause them to miss out on activities, there may be a school trip but the child may not feel well so this is disadvantaging the child if their condition is not handled properly. The child will need a specific diet to make sure that they receive all the nutrition they need. There is no cure for wheat intolerance, but there are ways on controlling it. It is important that your diet is gluten free, healthy and balanced. Gluten can be found in pasta, cakes, cereal, bread, certain sauces, ready meals. Being diagnosed with celiac disease can also provoke feelings of isolation. Eating at school can seem quite a challenge if you have only just been diagnosed because of the fear that it only takes a small amount to upset your body. It can make a child sad that they can no longer eat a certain food that they really enjoy. It may cause a child to become a worrier, because they always fear that they could consume some gluten no matter how careful you are. They can also loose weight which especially in boys can cause a great upset, or they will not grow properly and become very tried which can have a great impact on their education. REFERENCE: http://www.coeliac.org.uk/ http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Coeliac-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx http://voices.yahoo.com/the-emotional-impact-celiac-disease-81010.html?cat=5 E7 Young children love to help so it’s a great age to promote safe preparation of food, they are mastering the control of their fingers so focusing the child on a hand on activity such as shelling a boiled egg or cutting soft foods into chunks are great way to benefit the child. You need to model the  best practice when it comes to hygiene and safety of the child. Uses of heat, sharp objects are involved in the making of many things including the making of an egg mayonnaise sandwich. You should never dismiss a child’s help because there may be a danger but alter the way you wish to proceed in a safer manner. Making sure everything you need is within reach showing the child good organisation skills, make sure that hand washing is carried out at every opportunity which will encourage the children to do so too; so for example when making a sandwich we was out hands before we start handling food and after the preparation, in the event of baking buns or something where we could get our hands messy you must wash your hands during preparation too. You also need to show the child how we clean down any surfaces that either us or the food may come into contact with while preparing our food, and after we have made our sandwich we need to encourage the child in the washing up of utensils. REFERENCE: http://www.healthychild.net/NutritionAction.php?article_id=373 D1 Children need the right amount nutrients from foods, you need to make sure you have carbohydrates; this is a food group which is the starchy food such as pasta, rice, pasta, noodles, sweet potato, couscous etc. Carbohydrates give us energy and calcium and wholegrain carbohydrates give us fibre which makes our digestive system healthy. A healthy daily diet should include around 3 -5 servings per day, one portion is a slice of bread or 30g of cereal/porridge, six tablespoons of past or rice or 2 small new potatoes. Proteins are another food group which provide us with iron, minerals and vitamins, this will help the body to grow and repair itself. This group contains meat, fish, eggs and vegetable proteins such as nuts, beans, peas, lentils and quorn. We should be eating 2 -3 servings of this each day, one portion is equivalent to two slices of ham or turkey, two sausages, 1 beef-burger or a small can of tuna, salmon, sardines or mackerel, 100g portion of quorn/tofu. Milk and dairy prod ucts should be eaten at 3 servings  per day. Dairy provides us with protein, calcium and some vitamins like B12, A and D, these will keep our bones and teeth healthy. One portion of dairy is one medium glass of milk, one pot of yoghurt or matchbox size of cheese. Fruit and vegetables should be eaten at least 5 portions per day, this includes frozen, tinned, dried, and the juices. Fruits and vegetables give you lots of vitamins and chemicals called antioxidants and fibres to keep your body healthy. Fruit and vegetables are very low in calories which keep us full because we can eat more, controlling your weight is made easier when you eat lots of vegetables and will provide a whole range of important nutrients. One portion is one apple, orange or similar sized fruit, two smaller fruits such as plum, a handful of grapes, raspberries ect. The group we need least of is fats and sugars, this is things like butter, cooking oils, cream, dressings, chocolate, sugary drinks etc. These foods give us lots of energy but not many nutrients, they are often high in fat, sugar and salt and it is important not to have too much from this food group. Children need to makes sure that they are drink enough to help the brain, digestive system and body work properly, the amount of water needed varies on the age of the child, the weight and how much physical exercise you do so its important to always have a drink to hand. What to drink is also important, sugary drinks can cause you to gain weight, so best drinks are water or milk (pref semi-skimmed) that’s because they do not contain sugar and milk provides vitamins, minerals and calcium. The recommended fluid id 6 to 8 glasses per day, drinking the right amount means that you wee should be a light yellow. The amount of salt added to food is very high in processed foods, we need to be careful as salt raises your blood pressure and risks heart disease and strokes which can happen later on in life. If you are aged 7 to 10 years you need less than 5g salt a day (2g sodium) If you are 11 and over you need less than 6g salt a day (2.4g sodium. A healthy diet for children is essential for a child’s growth/development, on average a child should grow 2 and  ½ inches per year, growing bones and muscles require the correct nutrition. Brain development and learning is also very important, some foods like fresh fruit can boost brain functions and we also need water intake. An unbalanced diet can lead to future health problems, heart disease, asthma, sleep apnea, diabetes and social discrimination. To help  children life a healthy lifestyle provide them with a variety of nutritious foods at meal times, and limit the amount of treats available, and set example by eating healthy yourself. REFERENCE: http://www.nvqccld.com/2010/11/09/k3h295-the-government%E2%80%99s-guidelines-on-healthy-eating-and-nutrition-for-children-and-why-it-is-important-that-these-are-followed-by-childcare-practitioners/ http://www.gosh.nhs.uk/children/general-health-advice/eat-smart/food-science/ (food group fun) http://www.ehow.com/facts_5507471_importance-balanced-diet-children.html https://www.pre-school.org.uk/parents/support-advice/408/healthy-eating-for-young-children# C1 Parents are thought of as the main influence on a child’s eating behaviours; however I think there are many factors that influence a child’s diet. Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, MS, lead author of the study and an associate professor with the Bloomberg School’s Department of International Health said â€Å"Young people’s eating patterns are influenced by many complex factors, and the family environment plays only a partial role. More attention should be given to the influence of the other players on children’s eating patterns such as that of schools, the local food environment and peer influence, government guidelines and policies that regulate school meals, and the broader food environment that is influenced by food production, distribution and advertising.† He added, â€Å"Parents need to be better empowered to be good role models and help their children eat a healthy diet.† Life style also affects diet as some parents have very busy work lives so they do not have time to spend cooking tea or providing lunch boxes for the children, this can mean a pizza shoved in the oven and a bag of chips to follow. The same with  religion some religions do not believe in eating certain meats so this could mean that the child misses out while they are at school. At a young age friends can affect a child’s diet, when children eat together they take notice of what their friends are eating, a study published in journal â€Å"Health Education Research† in 2000 noted that â€Å"students reported peer influence as a reason for not eating both fruit, juice and vegetables and low-fat foods.† That means that a child will make their body suffer because of peer pressure even though it may not be intended. Parents or carers provide the food for the household so they have a massive influence on what the child’s diet consists off and when it is they eat. So if you mother stocks the cupboards up with crisps and sugary sweets then the child will begin to crave them and because they are high and fast energy food it means they will crave them more often then if the kitchen was stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables, the child will become used to these even if they have been used to sugary foods and the fresh food will fill the ch ildren for longer. This will only work if the parent/carer is also eating the fresh food, because the child will after so long want to also eat the same food as the parents. Foods availability is another factor, it can depend on the geographical location and the income of the family as a higher income family will have more opportunity to buy healthier foods as opposed to the lower income families. High calories/fat foods are cheaper for a family to buy,  £1 for a microwave burger and  £1 for a bag of oven chips is cheaper then buying broccoli, cauliflower and carrots for a full meal. It is the same as a family who lives in the country will have more access to fresh vegetables then a family that live in a built up area. A study published on the Focus on the Family website reported that â€Å"television strongly influences what children under 12 years eat.† The site adds that â€Å"kids who watch more than three hours of TV per day are 50 percent more likely to be obese than kids who watch fewer than two hours.† It is not just television that is to blame, the magazines that children read, the radio they listen too and the food packaging i n displays also has a great influence on what children pick. REFERENCE: http://www.livestrong.com/article/245172-influencing-factors-in-childrens-diets/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20807465 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101208142257.htm http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/172877/ http://www.nhs.uk/news/2011/02February/Pages/poor-diet-young-children-IQ-effect.aspx B1 Eat better, start better is a programme designed to guide settings in the early years on â€Å"helping young children to eat well. We do this by working with families and everyone involved in early years health and education†. It supports the adults and encourages the children to make their own healthy choice on food and drink. All settings must follow the EYFS requirements but as extra support settings can use the Eat Better Start Better. The EYFS states that fresh drinking water must be available and accessible at all times† this means that it is a requirement that practitioners make sure that the children have access to clean drinking water throughout their time at the setting, this can range from setting though, some children will bring their own bottles/beaker so this can be refilled at the setting, other settings provide water fountains for the children to drink from. This relates to Eat Better, Start Better because they advise the practitioner to encourage children to help themselves to water. In the EYFS there are no guidelines to how much water a child should be having per day, whereas in the EBST there is a recommendations on what to avoid and how much to drink. Children having the choice of what they drink means they are more likely to do it again, providing access to fresh water rather then juice means that from been young  children understand health. During my nursery placement the children brought in their own bottles, some parents provided the children with juice which was okay but the children would complain once the juice had gone because the nursery did not provide juice so the refill was only water. Inclusion is very important when wanting children to make healthy choices, offering 1 fruit for snack which not all the children like is not good practice; I believe that 2 fruits should be offered at snack times so the children get freedom of choice. It is also important to include the children in the preparation of snack, I went on a school trip with year 5 to another school to compare school life and improve. During the 10 mins before break 5 year 6 children were chosen each day to make up fruit kebabs for the children and staff to consume, I believe this to be fantastic practice; this gives every child an equal opportunity to help. It is also important to make sure that no-one has allergies; this could mean that some kebabs should be made without banana for example as the child should not be disadvantaged. The Eat Better Start Better programme states that â€Å"children’s individual dietary requirements must be respected and protected† this means that if the practitioners are careful everyone can be included. Settings should have a food policy which states their aim as a setting to encourage the choice of healthy eating/drinking. This is meals, snack and drinks all included, my settings food policy states that the school will only provide a healthy menu daily which includes a 14 choice self service salad bar, and a range of 4 self service vegetables and there is no limit on how many times the children return to the salad or vegetable bar and at break time free fruit is available for infants everyday and for all the school depending on time of year and seasonal produce the school offer fruit kebabs, soup and milk for sale. Even for dessert there is always a fresh fruit salad offered at lunch. Each child should have a school water bottle they take home every night, they are allowed to bring in sugar-free juice but the school will only offer water as re-fill with the free access to water all day. Parents are encouraged to joing the children for lunch and can book a school dinner. The children have to take part in the Eco school agenda which means they will learn about the growing of fruit and vegetables, fair trade and sustainable foods, and foods from different  cultures/countries will be introduced during themed weeks. REFERENCE: http://www.molescroftprimary.net/Policies/FOOD%20POLICY.pdf http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/e/eyfs%20statutory%20framework%20march%202012.pdf http://ilearn.bishopburton.ac.uk/file.php/447/Eat_Better_Start_Better.pdf http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/advice/eat-better-start-better

Death on Pine street Essay

In this essay I will be comparing two detective stories. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s story ‘The Speckled Band’ was written in the 1890’s and set in England. It follows Sherlock Holmes as he investigates the unusual death of a young woman. Through clever logic he manages to solve the case entirely by simply investigating the scene of the crime. ‘Death on Pine Street’ was written in the 1930’s and set in America. The detective in this is a more â€Å"street-wise† roughed up detective, investigating the murder of a woman’s husband. His sly and even dishonest methods of investigation solve the case, however there are a few complexities. Both stories are first person narratives. In ‘The Speckled Band’ Dr. Watson is the narrator but in ‘Death on Pine Street’, the Op himself tells us the story. This means that in the Holmes story the reader is kept in the dark about what is happening because we only know what Watson knows and, therefore, have to wait to the end of the story for Holmes to explain how he solved the crime to Watson. In the other story, because the Op is the narrator we know what he is thinking and what is happening to him. This different style works well, because although we know what he is thinking, we still have to wait to the end for the Op to explain how he solved the crime to the police; this way it doesn’t ruin the element of interest that keeps the reader going on. The detectives in the two stories, Sherlock Holmes and the Continental Op, have some things in common, but are also very different characters. This is due to the very different places and times in which the stories are set. Both are private detectives solving crimes for money. They are both loners with no wives, families or girlfriends. They are both quick thinking, clever and observant – they see clues and evidence that nobody else can see. They are both brave and strong, and can use weapons and know how to defend themselves. These are important factors in a good detective, which I think is why they share these traits whilst being from such different places and times. Sherlock Holmes was the first fictional detective ever, so it is probable that some of the inspiration for the Continental Op came from him. However they differ in many ways. Holmes is a more upper-class, well spoken and well-educated man. The Continental Op is more of a slang-talking, lower-class working man. He works for a company, and has to travel to meet clients. Holmes works from home; Miss Stoner comes to see him. He seems to do detective work simply for enjoyment, he tells Miss Stoner she need not pay him. Holmes seems more calm and collected, he doesn’t carry a firearm or get into fisticuffs – the Continental Op does both of these. Since Watson is narrating ‘The Speckled Band’, we get a good description of Holmes; the Continental Op does not describe himself at all – infact the only description of him is given by the Tenant, referring to him as â€Å"our little fat friend†. The Continental Op is always skulking around bad areas and apartments, Holmes usually takes a safe journey to the scene of the crime (in this case a mansion). It is the difference in location and time that plays an integral part in shaping these completely different characters that share similar and almost universal traits. ‘Death on Pine Street’ is set in America in the 1930’s; this was during the Great Depression when times were very hard on people. Unemployment was high, many people could barely afford to live and so naturally people were more highstrung or ill-tempered, and crime rose. It was this kind of tough way of life that forms the environment and the character in ‘Death on Pine Street’. ‘The Speckled Band’ is set in England, in the 1890’s, a fine period for upper-class people. Holmes would have been raised comfortably, and it would not have been a necessity for him to be â€Å"tough† like the Continental Op. He does not deal in the same way as the Continental Op; he quietly investigates a single place, and works without any interrogations or interviews. This greatly seperates the feel of the story from ‘Death on Pine Street’, as the Continental Op interracts far more, with many more characters.

Applications of Total Quality Management Essay Example for Free

Applications of Total Quality Management Essay Total Quality Management (TQM) is a philosophy of management that strives to make the best use of all available resources and opportunities through continuous improvement. TQM means achieving quality in terms of all functions of the enterprise. Many researchers attempted to analyze how IT and TQM can jointly add value to organizations and the purpose of this first post on TQM is to evaluate the practicality of TQM in an IT service. In this evaluation, a balance of the service management needs with the reality of bottom-line effectiveness is provided. The post also provides a list of critical success factors to consider in a change management initiative engaged by an IT service. The essence of quality is to do it right the first time, and to satisfy customer requirements every time by involving everyone in the organization. The works of Crosby and his colleagues on the evolution of TQM cut across all pervasive philosophies of management. TQM has been a key business improvement strategy since the 1970s, as it has been deemed essential for improving efficiency and competitiveness. TQM aims to achieve an overall effectiveness which is higher than the individual outputs from the sub-systems such as design, planning, production, distribution, customer focus strategy, quality tools and employee involvement. This philosophy of management strives to make the best use of all available resources and opportunities through continuous improvement. As a management philosophy, TQM makes use of particular set of principles, practices, and techniques to expand business and profits and provides a bypass to enhanced productivity by avoiding rework, rejects, waste, customer complaints, and high cost. This can be achieved by emphasizing the organization’s commitment from data-driven, problem-solving approaches to quality accruing. The five basic pillars of TQM are : a) top management commitment for quality enhancement, b) customer centric advancements of processes and building a long-lasting trustworthy relationship between the organization and the customer, c) relentless development by setting goals and deadlines, d) benchmarking with several specific tools and quality-adding techniques, and e) strengthening the employee base by concentrating at any stage of a process on quality, where customer satisfaction is stationed. Table 1 provides a summary of the key dimensions that constitute TQM. 1. Top management leadership : Top management commitment is one of the major determinants of successful TQM implementation. Top management has to be the first in applying and stimulating the TQM approach, and they have to accept the maximum responsibility for the product and service offering. Top management also has to provide the necessary leadership to motivate all employees. 2. Customer relationships : The needs of customers and consumers and their satisfaction should always be in the mind of all employees. It is necessary to identify these needs and their level of satisfaction. 3. Supplier relationships : Quality is a more important factor than price in selecting suppliers. Long-term relationship with suppliers has to be established and the company has to collaborate with suppliers to help improve the quality of products/services. 4. Workforce management : Workforce management has to be guided by the principles of: training, empowerment of workers and teamwork. Adequate plans of personnel recruitment and training have to be implemented and workers need the necessary skills to participate in the improvement process. 5. Product design process : All departments have to participate in the design process and work together to achieve a design that satisfies the requirements of the customer, which should be according to the technical, technological and cost constraints of the company. 6. Process flow management : Housekeeping along the lines of the 5S concept. Statistical and non-statistical improvement instruments should be applied as appropriate. Processes need to be mistake proof. Self-inspection undertaken using clear work instructions. The process has to be maintained under statistical control. 7. Quality data and reporting : Quality information has to be readily available and the information should be part of the visible management system. Records about quality indicators have to be kept, including scrap, rework, and cost of quality. TQM and Change Management Initiative for IT Performance : A business firm achieves world-class status when it has successfully developed operational capabilities through TQM to support the entire company in gaining a sustained overall performance over its competitors. Although there is insufficient statistical evidence to conclude significant simple relationships between TQM and IT services quality performance, many studies investigated the notion that TQM practices provide approaches to improve the economic position in the service sectors in general. Both IT and TQM had, and will continue to have a significant impact on most organizations. I only regret the lack of empirical research on the relationship between the two and how they both relate to business performance. Applications of Total Quality Management. (2016, Nov 15).

Assignment 2 Individual Reflection to the module of Strategic Essay

Assignment 2 Individual Reflection to the module of Strategic Management - Essay Example ective of this model is that it gives the future consultants tools set for adaptation to reforming imperatives and managing changes (Ackermann & Eden 1998). Strategic management is the process meant to draft, implement and evaluate functional decisions that enables an organisation to achieve its long term goals. Ackermann & Eden (1998) states that strategic management involves the mission, vision, objectives as well as policies designed to achieve these set objectives. This model has got various theories and model. These include; Porters five forces. These forces determine the competitive intensity and attractiveness of the market. To begin with we look at the threat of new competitors. In a market situation especially a profitable one, may result to high output that attracts investors and therefore decrease the market share. To deal with this problem, a manager needs to set up objectives and strategies that will maintain their customers. These strategies may include customer loyalty. Another force is the rivalry between existing firms. This is where firms operating on the same level compete for market share and profitability (Ackermann & Eden 1998). Managers set up strategies based on price, quality and innovation of brand names. Competition can mostly be avoided through technological progress. Bargaining power of buyers is also categorised in the porter’s five forces of strategic management. It can be defined as the ability of the buyers to make the firm run under pressure. It also involves the bargaining power of suppliers and the threats of substitutes that affect a market situation. In reference to the above models, I think the perceived strengths would be insisting on customers’ royalty. This is because the customer will always be right. If this objective is enhanced then there will be increase in market share as well as firm’s output. The weakness of practicing this model is that most firms would not afford raw materials such as capital to influence

The study of sociology and its applications Essay

The study of sociology and its applications - Essay Example However, in order to be successful, I know that I need to get an in-depth knowledge of how sociology is efficiently done. Thus, in recognition of the availability of various resources in the World Wide Web, this paper will include mostly articles from the internet together with books and magazines where doing sociology can be easily understood and efficiently taught. The best starting point in undertaking the research in doing sociology is Lee Harvey and Morag McDonald's Doing Sociology: A Practical Introduction which is published by Palgrave and McMillan in 1993. Though the edition is quite old, the book is still valuable in the sense that it encourages readers to learn by doing "combining sociological theory with research methods and social philosophy in an accessible way." Being focused on first-year degree students, this book is a must for starters. On the other hand, Sociology: The Core with PowerWeb written by Michael Hughes and Carolyn Kroeler provides a more recent discussion of sociological issues. After a straightforward presentation of what sociological imagination is, the book specializes in applying the functionalist, interactionist, and conflict perspective to the various sociological debates and issues. The best feature of this book is its ability to relate real world examples to the theories and concepts presented inside the classroom. Recognizing the popularity of internet in the provision of data and information used in understanding the happenings and situations of an individual nation and the world as a whole, visiting the Virtual Explorations in Sociology created by Prof. Robert E. Wood of the State University of New Jersey also proves very helpful. This virtual tour is designed to introduce students to the resources for sociology in the internet. T is broken down in areas most discussed in sociology like deviance, race and ethnicity, and the field where I am most interested at-economics. The websites presented in the tour comprises "official U.S. and U.N. sites, academic sites, advocacy sites, personal sites, and others" which are very important for data mining. The virtual tour also tests the progress of students by giving quizzes. This is a fun way of interactive learning. Focusing on the relation of business and sociology, much information can be gathered in the websites where recent business news and ideologies are presented like Times online and Financial Times. These websites contain the most recent news in the global arena and is also organized in a way that readers and users can choose the geographic region the news comes from. It should be noted though that these articles do not directly relate sociology to real world cases but stimulates the readers by making them think how sociological imagination explains the recent trends in the business arena. I find searching the archive for specific news and articles about human interaction, behavior, and global trends as an exciting way to learn and explore how sociology is imprinted on business activities. For example, I am amused at how business organizations are increasingly turning to use of social corporate responsibility in order to enhance their image and increase their bottom line. For me, this is a new trend that sociology can explain through its theory of social contract and social

Sociology and crime Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sociology and crime - Term Paper Example However at times this storyline may render itself too much in too little time for its juvenile gang members, the zeal to combat boredom lending an animalistic blood pumping through their veins, drawbacks exist in a magnetic negative, in spite of their tendency to be ambiguous. The following pages spend a precious small effort in seeking to explore the surprising while working companionably to endow readers with some kind of realistic sense of the jovial life of certain gang members. Simultaneously the pen teases the imagination by endeavoring to lead a journey through a poet’s land of the unexpected. While acknowledging the potential difficulties of crime the mastering ‘what else’ question continually reminds its readers that much is to be uncovered. The usual must support an eye that strives to have sharper than normal vision, more clearly eagle-positioned. Generalizations fraught by national statistics concerning United States criminology pale mundanely, hanging on a billboard sign in the front while the wolves ravage the land behind them. Compilation of facts and figures are incomplete as well as traditionally inconsistent. Undoubtedly methodology will not ever be able to exist solely within a subjective parameter. Hence, the premise of this essay concerns itself with an enlightening view of personal experience up to a certain point in its struggle to allow room for a widely-rounded eyeglass, favoring a collaboration of perspectives. Despite its enigmatic philosophy, a finite amount of truth reveals itself upon examination among lust and desire to make the country better. This takes the reader past the ‘what else’ creative rouser, offering a beacon of hope in a situation which seems hopeless with in sight no ending. The blackened sheep may not be doomed to some midnight ravaging, in spite of the delinquent’s life of trials and error. The country has a black face. Yet, if delinquents can find sensationalism in a life of ‘red herring,’ the country can joyfully take up the arms of responsibility. The flag is glowing. What Else? A Philosophical Examination of Juvenile Delinquency Juvenile offense is an extremely multi-varied subject. The wealth of information on the topic contains components which are themselves ten times multiplied. But, in spite of the almost confounding numerical material ravaging and devouring this handicap of teens, the relationship between such material and reality leads to one truth simple and nearly innate. As a pre-requisite to the examination of delinquency among adolescents, the study of wolf packs makes itself relevant. Female wolf-packs, more scientifically defined as groups theorize that being part of an unexpected formation proves to be at times more valuable than not. In a study done in the Hwange National Park region of Zimbabwe between the years of July 1992 up through November 1998, an interesting yet unsurprising case was documented. The chosen candid ates for the formation of the establishment was composed of an adult male protecting three yearling pups, one of which harbored an only partially-formed hind-leg. Formidably contesting this group, a unit of four healthy adult males toed the line of battle. The female members of the Canis lupus genus made a pact with the former by a mutually formed consensus among their party. The rather unlikely

Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Gender - Essay Example Three main prospects are portrayed in these two articles. The first one is that journalism is not about intellectual ability only but also about having great determination. Women who have to be journalists must be ready to persevere and show dedication in their work. They should be ready to go through thorough training and also have a deep conviction that they can do the work. As Arnold Bennett puts it, journalism ‘will surely prove both exhausting and disappointing to those whose hearts are not set fast upon it’. To those who do not have what she terms as ‘iron determination’, to go against all odds, will find a hard time being n journalism. However, for those who are determined and persevering, they will surely overcome the disappointments that come along with journalism and hence find their work interesting and fulfilling. One who aspires to be a journalist must also be a good writer and one who loves to read newspapers and periodicals in a regular basis. It involves a lot of reading and a need to know more time after time. Hence, someone who does not have a natural love for reading will have a hard time in the field of journalism. An aspiring female journalist should possess the talent of coming up with new ideas regularly and be willing and ready to share them with other people. She should be creative and know how to argue out points and facts so as to gain the confidence and acceptance of her ideas to people. A female journalist must also be ready to face the prejudices that the society has against women. Even in collection of information, men will always be biased on the type of information that they give females since they feel that the females cannot understand some issues. As much as many women can now be seen in the field of journalism, very few can be found in the most influential positions that involve decision making.

International Country study of Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Country study of Germany - Essay Example There are certain exceptions, like the specific sectors of agriculture and coal mining, which are regulated and specially subsidized. The gross domestic product of Germany (purchasing power parity) in 2008 was $2.863 trillion (CIA, World Factbook, 2009), with the official currency being the euro. In order to seriously comprehend the economic framework within which Germany functions, it is imperative to be cognizant of the basic features and structural facets of the banking and the financial system of Germany. The banking network in the country of Germany comprises of different private and public credit institutions (Banks and Banking, n.d.). Though the types of activities that are allowed to each variety of the credit institutions are not bounded, yet specific distinctions in the characteristic range of bank customers or transactions do prominently exist (Baums and Gruson, 1993, p.4). The variegated credit institutions in Germany are – (1) commercial banks that come under the private sector (private Geschaftsbanken); (2) banks that exclusively deal in savings (Sparkssen) and related credit operations with their central institutions (Landesbanken und Girozentralen); and, (3) the agricultural and the industrial credit co-operatives (Raiffeiseibanken and Volksbanken), th e regional institutions of these banks (Genossenschaftliche Zentralbanken), and their strong central institution (Deustche Genossenschaftsbank ) (Baums and Gruson, 1993, p.4). The savings banks which had previously solely focused on the amount of savings deposits and the long term loans, have diversified their activities a more prolific manner, and with their central institutions which is the regional Landesbank, are functional in spheres of lending in large scale, financing in the industrial sector, and mobilizing capital in the securities business. With a parallel context, the club of commercial banks has penetrated the field of

Self-concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self-concept - Essay Example The casual factors include culture differences, gender differences, and personality differences. This paper looks at the relationship of these factors and their influence in the identity of a person. Self-consent, a construct also referred to as self-construct self-identity or self-perspective determines how an individual person perceives of own self in reference to a number of factors. The environment in which a person lives in by itself is a major determiner of the personality of the person and how the individual perceives own self. The people around a person that forms the society and the community influences how the person conceives personality. The behaviour of a person is likely to be aligned in accordance to the person’s culture and other people’s behaviour. Personally, Culture is probably the most influential factors that determine an individual’s self-consent. Culturally, I am obliged to be self-sufficient and independent. The normative imperative of this notion is that I am required to discover myself early enough to be in a position to be express my personal attributes. The cultural setting has defined the form of interaction that I need to conform to. Memberships of various groups or clubs, relationships with other people and their needs ought to come last in preference to personal needs. The society expects me to conform to the norms of the society, and be part of it. I rarely perceive myself as a part of the society, but rather individually and more separate from the society. Whether it is a good thing or a bad thing, personally, I cannot change this belief, but have to conform to it as long as am part of the society. Gender defines who a person is in reference to sexuality. Women and men are classified by their gender. The normality of the society to determine the strength of a person through gender is very influential to that person. A man is more independent than a woman,

The Boston Photographs Essay Example for Free

The Boston Photographs Essay The Boston Photographs Stanley Foreman, a journalist for the Boston Herald American, captured three famous photographs of a fire rescue case which reminded me of my grandmothers tragedy, displayed the themes of tragedy and anger, parallels to the movie World Trade Center, and aligns with my opinion that Foreman published the photographs rightfully. Foreman snapped the camera thinking to take heroic shots of a brave fireman successfully rescuing a woman and a child. Little did he know, he would capture the collapse of final hope as a woman fell into the gateway to death. A fire immersed a Boston building in the 1930s. A fireman desperately attempted to save a woman and a child from the inferno, and almost came to success. However, the fire escape the three stood upon crumbled from the arm of the building just before the fireman could hoist them onto the ladder of the firetruck. The fireman managed to jump to safety onto the ladder as the ledge broke. Unfortunately, the woman could not cling tightly enough to the fireman, therefore, her and the child dropped stories high onto the solid ground. The woman died immediately from impact, but the child fell onto the cushion of her corpse and managed to survive. The treacherous scene showed on three photographs and became published in over four hundred newspapers across America. Understandably, this raised controversy as the public fired back with complaints of the gory pictures. Some argued that it contributed in, â€Å"Invading the privacy of death,† while others said it took responsibility in â€Å"Assigning the agony of a human being in terror of imminent death to the status of a side-show act† (Ephron, 658). Ephron states her opinion in this essay saying, â€Å"Death happens to be one of lifes main events. And it is irresponsible—and more than that, inaccurate—for newspapers to fail to show it † (Ephron, 662). This essay brought me back to my youth with replaying images of what I imagined the scene of my grandmothers death to look like. Honestly, it fell nothing short of a horror story, especially through the eyes of a muddled, vernal nine year old. I will not go in detail regarding the exact scene, for I find it inappropriately morbid, but I feel willingly to introduce a small, surfaced outline. A fire swallowed her house, eating from the core and dispersing to the edges like a rotting apple. She lay in mid afternoon nap when awakened from the smoky air, but the fire had managed to block almost every exit. She made her way to the only door not already inflamed, but it she could not get it open. The story does not end here, but this sums up all I feel the need to tell. The casket remained closed at the funeral, so I never saw her body again. She rested at age fifty-seven, too young to leave, and too beautiful to have her body disintegrated into ashes. Why did it have to happen like that? Nine years old and having to trust in God for strength proves a hard and strange thing to do, but a life lesson some never learn, and one I would need for the journey on. Ephron wrote this essay to bring forth the readers inner emotions as well as to show the emotion felt by the characters in the story. The themes of tragedy and anger serve as two of the major themes of the essay. The bravery and hope shown to us at the beginning of the story help accent these themes. The author gives us these points to push a sense of reality into the readers, and to present a real event as well as its repercussions. Bravery showed from the fireman who risked his live to save these people. Hope came from the woman and child trapped inside fighting with optimistic longing to make it through. Tragedy and devastation overcame as the story twisted from what looked a promising victory to a deadly reality. The pictures then became published and taken offensively by readers bringing on a strong feeling of anger. The subject of reality also carries through in this essay. It pictures as quite melancholy, and therefore brings its readers to awareness of a true story with thoughts and opinions of witnesses of the scene and readers of the numerous articles of the event. This event has parallels to the events of September 11, 2001, which has been demonstrated to us through the movie World Trade Center. The movie begins by showing the attacks of the buildings and the violence it brought to those inside. It focuses in on the firemen risking their lives to save the victims, however, as the second building crashes upon them, they become  victims themselves. The firemen demonstrate the similarities of bravery and hope to make it out of the fallen building alive, and the movie as a whole brings its viewers to the tragic reality, just as The Boston Photographs does. Personally, I felt moved by the twisted feelings and solid impact of the essay. It made me have to stop to process my thoughts, because I could not believe what I read. It hit me hard with horror and disbelief. I like essays like this that bring us to a since of reality, for I feel as if they are hardly told. Most stories today become glamorized by positive attributes as dark grueling details are masked away leaving us with what our minds desire to believe instead of the harsh truth. Joy and promise turn to need and tribulation instantaneously in reality, which this essay highlights. The catastrophic story of the photographs taken of the sudden death of a woman hit me hard with a flashback of my grandmothers death and also showed the predicament of the firefighters in World Trade Center, as both of these brought the themes of tragedy and anger to the story and farther pushed my opinion that the pictures became rightly publicized. The essay exhibits sensibility and brings the readers to actuality, therefore, I feel it may stand out to readers over other essays. Real stories like this have the ability to teach us something valuable and hit our life experiences bringing a strong impact of emotion to our thoughts, which is why I feel the pictures should have been publicized. Although it displayed a horrific accident, the scene rightfully deserved telling.

Over-spending and under-spending of the public sector budget

Over-spending and under-spending of the public sector budget The over-spending and under-spending of a budget is the positive or negative variance between what was actually spent and what was budgeted. Overspending Budgets overruns are the underestimation of costs and time or by the nonconformity of budget managers with the spending maximum defined in the budget, when projected. There are several explanations for overspending. Sometimes, it is simply bad forecasting on part of the budget manager. There was incomplete information or poor forecasting methods that led to an underestimation and/or unreal optimism of costs, expenses and revenues. Often there is change in scope of the project and costs associated with scope change are neither captured nor covered in the risk mitigation or contingency plan. Funds are allocated to the cost centers for spending, it is controlled. Overspent fund accumulate in arrears. Overruns could also be a result of off-budget spending which not considered part of the budget and is not included in budget totals. Off budget spending is often for political reasons. For example, after a request from President Reagan, Congress placed strategic petroleum reserve spending off-budget in 1982. Instead of using other means to control the deficit raising revenues or cutting spending placing this program off-budget gave the appearance of a smaller deficit, even though the government still needed to finance this spending. Source: Office of Management and Budget, Budget of the United States Government, Historical Tables and Mid-session Review, FY2006. Sometimes the expenditure processes are complicated and difficult. To circumvent this process exceptional procedures are development to speed to the process to release the funds. These exceptional procedures are tolerated by the treasury for politically sensitive expenditures. The procedures are frequently abused and should be discouraged. These procedures are used my officials to order supplies without making a formal request and much later the year un-forecasted invoices appear. Sometime fund are unavailable to make this invoices which leads to generation of arrears for the following year. The compounding of exceptional procedures also has long-term implications, incentivizing spending agencies to go outside the budget system to avoid control altogether. Such procedures are associated with or result in corruption. Often past experiences can lead to overspending. If a department head under spent the previous year and the budget for the following year was lost. The department is highly likely to spend the entire amount for the fear of losing funds for the next year. The way in which performance is reported can have a significant effect on the camaraderie and coordination between departments. If participation of the managers implementing the budget was absent, then managers can blame this for the file to abide by the budget. In addition impact of inflation and a sense of entitlement towards certain funds are also factors to be considered in budget planning. Overruns can be caused by such deficiencies in budget preparation. Under spending Many governments do not spend their full annual budget. The reasons for this under spending can be various and can result in many outcomes. Lack of timely spending or under spending can affect the citizens not receiving essential government services. Certain areas have more economic impacts such as jobs created through the timely initiation of new infrastructure project. Under spending can often obstruct resources from other departments/managers which/who are spending their budget more productively, preventing them to reach their complete potential of success in delivery of the intended service. Under spending in particular year frequently leads to rollovers and modifications in the subsequent years. These modifications are irregular and are cumbersome to be forecasted leaving the department ill-equipped to spend these rollovers. Factors that result in under spending include insufficiencies in budget preparation and project/program planning, unrealistic projections of revenues, poor governance and off-budget spending. Virement is another factor that fuels under spending: It is the transfer of funds from one budget head to another. To achieve efficiency or prevent the need for a supplementary estimate as an under spending from one head may be transferred to another head which has overspending. One problem with unrestricted virement is that managers would inevitably spend al their budget allocation for fear of a budget reduction in the subsequent year. Example: Within the ministry of education budgets are transferred from primary education to higher education it can result in the delay of programs starting in the K-12 grades. Example: The latest un-audited expenditure reports from the National Treasury indicate that R3.48 billion of the national government budget went unspent in 2000/01 financial year- about R1.7billion on both the recurrent and the capital side of the budget. The under spend in provincial government was far greater at R5.5 billion. The latest available data indicate that this picture has not changed significantly in 2001/02. Although the government is moving in the right direction, most initiatives to address under spending appear rather general and details have yet to emerge on how the Treasury will specifically tackle the problem. In the meantime, under-spending seems set to remain with us. Source: Government under spending remains a problem February 2002 By Marritt Claassens and Paul Whelan, Budget Information Service, Idasa, http://www.idasa.org.za/bis/ Different kinds of variances A variance is the difference between a budgeted, planned or standard amount and the actual amount. Variances can be divided according to their nature of the underlying amounts and is determined by the needs of users of the variance information. These include : Variable cost variances Direct material variance Price variance: is the difference between the standard cost and the actual cost for the actual quantity of material used or purchased. Usage Variance: is the difference between the standard quantity of materials that should have been used for the number of units actually produced, and the actual quantity of materials used, valued at the standard cost per unit of material. Direct labour variance Rate Variance is the difference between the standard cost and the actual cost paid for the actual number of hours. Efficiency variance is the difference between the standard labour hour that should have been worked for the actual number of units produced and the actual number of hours worked when the labour hours are valued at the standard rate. Overhead variances Fixed overhead variances: identifies what proportion of the total fixed overhead variance is due to actual fixed overhead being different from the budgeted fixed overhead. Variable overhead variance measures the change between actual expenditure and the allowed overhead for actual labour hours. Income variance is the difference between actual income and budget income. It is used to measure the performance of a income function, and/or analyze business results to better understand market conditions. Actual income can differ from budgeted income either due to the variance in volume sold or the variance in the price point of the budgeted price point. Best Practices The following are some key good practice for prevention and minimization of the variances: Broad goals should be established to guide government decision making. Budgeting methods are developed to achieve these goals. An appropriate budget is developed to achieve the goals and the performance criterion is determined at the beginning. Close interaction between the financial information system and the budgeting systems is essential. There should be a control on collective spending and any deficit, a overarching prioritization of strategies with regards to expenditures and better use of the budgeted resources. The approved budget should be entered into the financial information system. In addition to a full commitment system, memorandum notes should be included the system that capture records of commitment but does not amend the financial records. Timely comparative financial statements on a regular basis. These statements should include original and revised budget, capture variances and explain major variances. The audited and reliable statements are based in solid accounting standards with regular external reporting. Budget Monitoring: Monitoring and controlling consists of those processes are performed to observe that potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and corrective action can be taken, when necessary. The key benefit is that the actuals are observed and measured regularly to identify variances from the budget. During the course of the year, instance may arise where the income or expenditure is very large that may require and supplementary estimate. The better the level of control and intelligence available the earlier this situations can be detected and more swiftly and appropriate an action can be taken to minimize the variance. However if is determined there has to be a change then the financial information systems can be updated as soon as possible. If a department become aware that it will overspend at any time during the year it must notify the Treasury department immediately. It is possible that a supplement estimate is provided if deemed appropriate. Transparency is key publish the State accounting policies, establish system of internal controls, and keep doors open for public and parliamentary scrutiny. Flexible budgeting is a performance evaluation tool. It is not be prepared before the end of the fiscal period. A flexible budget adjusts the initial budget for the actual level of output. The flexible budget answers the question: If the department had known at the beginning of the period what would the output volume (units delivered or sold) would be, what the budget would have looked like? If the department actually delivered X units, then treasury should compare actual delivery costs for X units to what it should have spent to make X units, not to what the department should have spent to deliver X-1000 units or X+1000 units etc. The flexible budget provides a better opportunity for planning and controlling than does a static (initial) budget.

American History X Essay -- Movies Film

Throughout America’s history, there have always been issues between the white race and other races, mainly the black race. These problems in history have always and may always be questionable on whether they are right or wrong. Up until this very day, everyone seems to have their own opinion to this question; should the white race reign over America, the minorities, or should we all just live together in harmony. The truth of the matter is that not only does this affect social relationships, but also political affairs which affects where we stand now in this â€Å"United Nation†. Political campaigns get altered and misrepresented, because of this battle between races. The video that my friends and I chose to watch is titled â€Å"American History X†, which is based on the clash between the whites and blacks. Being only under ten years old, the video is a perfect example of how people, even after the Civil Rights Acts and the freeing of slaves, still think today. The video demonstrates how skinheads go up against the minorities attempting to spread the word of â€Å"white power† through riots and other violent acts. Although it may seem like this video has nothing to do with politics, it in fact ties in perfectly with it. It provides a brief explanation as in why we’ve never had a black president, and why there’s so much criticism dealing with the presidential candidate Barak Obama. Looking left to right, I see discrimination amongst us everywhere. Schools, shopping malls, and even at our jobs; it is truly unavoidable. Everyone has their own beliefs in which they are entitled to, but some people take it beyond the comfort zone. In American History X, I saw discrimination to its full potential with the brutal murder of three young black men by ... ...nd different beliefs greatly influence who we choose to stand with and who we would like to vote for. It is all a race for superiority just like the D.O.C. and the Crypts, with opinions changing from time to time. Even though there will always be a constant struggle between whites, black, Hispanics, etc, we cannot simply dislike a person and judge them by their skin color, or race. As in the movie, in politics we should all listen to what each candidate has to offer and not rule them out. It’s just like the saying that I’m sure we’ve all heard at some point in our lives â€Å"Don’t judge a book by its cover†. My friends and I completely agree with that saying and everything else in this paper. The movie was indeed graphic, but not meaningless. We recommend this movie to anyone who pursues an explanation as to why some people act the way they do and how they can be changed.

Mexico and The World Bank: Rebuilding a Country :: Essays Papers

Mexico and The World Bank: Rebuilding a Country The 1994/1995 financial crisis in Mexico affected me in a very personal way. My family is from Mexico City, and my dad owns a small private firm that specializes in manufacturing tools. After the devaluation, I not only watched my father struggle with the failing economy and lack of business growth opportunities, I also witnessed a country begin to sink deeper into poverty and despair. There are many reasons for the devaluation, but one of the main ones is probably the â€Å"poor savings rates and the low rate of investment (only saved 19 percent of GDP from 1980-1994)† (Bloomburg). Low levels of social development and high levels of poverty consistently served as a drag to economic growth and reform measures. Next fall I am going to spend a quarter in Washington D.C. completing an internship at the World Bank. I am going to work in the Latin American department, so I will have the opportunity to deal very closely with the Bank’s strategies and projects in Mexico. Therefore I have decided to research the relationship between the World Bank and Mexico. The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of development assistance. It is not really a bank, but rather a specialized agency comprised of 184 member countries. Along with several other institutions, the Bank provides low-interest loans, interest-free credit and grants to developing countries. The Bank has provided assistance to Mexico for over 5 decades, and projects loans totaling $5 billion to Mexico up to the year 2005. Mexico holds the second largest share of the Bank’s portfolio, which totals to a whopping 11.1 billion dollars (9.4 % of total portfolio). The Bank works alongside Mexican authorities and officials and both regional and municipal levels to lay out plans and devise strategies that will hopefully help to build up the Mexican economy and social welfare. The Bank currently runs 31 active projects with a net commitment of $5.4 billion. Today Mexico is defined as a middle-income country, although many of its residents continue to survive off less than 1 or 2 dollars per day. Those who live on less than $1 per day do not have access to sufficient food or clean water. Income per capita is $5070 (the highest in Latin America). Mexico and The World Bank: Rebuilding a Country :: Essays Papers Mexico and The World Bank: Rebuilding a Country The 1994/1995 financial crisis in Mexico affected me in a very personal way. My family is from Mexico City, and my dad owns a small private firm that specializes in manufacturing tools. After the devaluation, I not only watched my father struggle with the failing economy and lack of business growth opportunities, I also witnessed a country begin to sink deeper into poverty and despair. There are many reasons for the devaluation, but one of the main ones is probably the â€Å"poor savings rates and the low rate of investment (only saved 19 percent of GDP from 1980-1994)† (Bloomburg). Low levels of social development and high levels of poverty consistently served as a drag to economic growth and reform measures. Next fall I am going to spend a quarter in Washington D.C. completing an internship at the World Bank. I am going to work in the Latin American department, so I will have the opportunity to deal very closely with the Bank’s strategies and projects in Mexico. Therefore I have decided to research the relationship between the World Bank and Mexico. The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of development assistance. It is not really a bank, but rather a specialized agency comprised of 184 member countries. Along with several other institutions, the Bank provides low-interest loans, interest-free credit and grants to developing countries. The Bank has provided assistance to Mexico for over 5 decades, and projects loans totaling $5 billion to Mexico up to the year 2005. Mexico holds the second largest share of the Bank’s portfolio, which totals to a whopping 11.1 billion dollars (9.4 % of total portfolio). The Bank works alongside Mexican authorities and officials and both regional and municipal levels to lay out plans and devise strategies that will hopefully help to build up the Mexican economy and social welfare. The Bank currently runs 31 active projects with a net commitment of $5.4 billion. Today Mexico is defined as a middle-income country, although many of its residents continue to survive off less than 1 or 2 dollars per day. Those who live on less than $1 per day do not have access to sufficient food or clean water. Income per capita is $5070 (the highest in Latin America).

Labor, Socialism, and Politics to World War I Essay -- Essays Papers

Labor, Socialism, and Politics to World War I Trade Unionism In the second half of the nineteenth century trade unionism became much more recognized by governments. The government recognized that it is the right of workers to organize. This fundamental common law principle became a freedom of contract or the concept that people should be free to make bargains with each other and that the law should enforce such contracts if necessary. This became legalized in the year 1871 and by the year 1875 picketing also became legal. By the year 1884 these unions became legalized by France’s Third Republic and also in Germany in 1890. These unions became corporations able to own property and to sue and be sued. This enabled these unions to protect their funds from defaulting officials. By mid way through the century the main focus of these unions was to organize skilled workers and to improve the working conditions and the wages for the workers. However, by the end of the century unions began to focus more on work for unskilled workers. This b ecame the first time that there were more unskilled workers than skilled workers in the workplace. In the decade before World War I most of the workers were still not unionized. Democracy and Political Parties The late nineteenth century was a great time of improvement for democratic electoral systems. The British passed their second voting reform act in 1867 and then passed a third in 1884. Also in 1871 Bismarck gave universal male suffrage for the German Empire. This had an effect on many other countries as well. Switzerland followed this and adopted universal male suffrage in 1879, Spain did in 1890, Belgium in 1893, Netherlands in 1896, Norway in 1898, and finally Italy i... ... Industrial Democracy and the Origins of Modern American Relations† Labor’s Great War http://sunsite.unc.edu uncpress/books/ fall97/mccartin.html This article was not that useful to me because most of it dealt with America - Norris,Nicole â€Å"Boldy going where no British Society has gone before†¦.† The Fabian Society 1996 http://www.hput.edu/Academics/English/fabian.htm This article was very useful to me. It gave me a lot of information on Fabianism. - Partington, Geoffrey â€Å"Trade Unionism and the New Protection http://www.exhibit.com.au/~~nicholls/nicholls/nichvol16/vol16/vol166tr.htm This article gave me a lot of useful information on trade unionism - â€Å"Bolshevism vs. Reformism† Historical Perspective http://www.plp.org/pl-_magazine/pyatnits.html This article helped me better understand Bolshevism

The Collapse of the American Dream

The Collapse of the American Dream â€Å"The American Dream has run out of gas,† said JG Ballard, a prominent English novelist. The American Dream was once a reality, a time when the citizens of America were the simple migrants who had immigrated because they sought a place where they could dictate their own fate. It was further developed in the 1770’s, and was referenced to by a great document through the words â€Å"all men are created equal† and that they are â€Å"endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights† including â€Å"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. These words are the basis of the Dream, which is now defined by Webster’s dictionary as the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American. For generations, achieving the dream was the goal of all Americans. However, this period of happiness did not last long; for times change, and the people along with them. Today, th e American dream has evolved into an unachievable illusion, caused by a capitalistic economy, human nature and the government. To start off, the American dream is unattainable because of the capitalist economy. For example, in the Grapes of Wrath, the Joads are unable to get jobs because of the income disparity in the economy. When traveling the California, a garish one-eyed man appears. He tells the Joads how the flyers that advertise job are actually fraud. To fill 800 positions they print out several thousand flyers. Employers use unemployment to their advantage and drive wages down further making it impossible for many to achieve the American Dream. The Capitalistic economy strives to maximize profits, regardless of human consequences. The Joads end up losing their so called American dream and their family endures much suffering which causes them to break apart Similarly, In the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald presents the American Dream as a corrupt shadow of what it once was. The valley of ashes, one of the settings of the novel, is a capitalist wasteland that represents the degradation of the Dream. Fitzgerald compares the valley of ashes with the Eggs, the other setting, on many occasions. All descriptions of the valley of ashes are grim. The poor live in the ashes compared to the wealthy who live in clean and extravagant communities. This shows the disparity caused by capitalism; only the rich can enjoy their lives, while the poor must work long hours of manual labor in order to survive. The dream is nonexistent to anyone who is not born with a silver spoon. The time where one could work hard and rise from rags to riches is gone. Likewise, in the recent Muppets movie, the characters are hindered on their way to the American dream by the capitalist oil baron Tex Richman. He tries to raze Muppet studios and drill for the oil beneath it. This once again shows that capitalism does not care for human rights; it’s only goal is money and power. But naturally, since the Muppets is a children’s movie, Tex becomes a better person by the end of the movie. Sadly, it is not so in reality. People are not afraid to go out and kill each other’s dreams for personal gain. Next, The American Dream is unreachable because of the government. For instance, in To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson is denied the American dream because of the biased system. Long before the trial occurs, Harper Lee makes the reader recognize how prejudiced Maycomb county is. Atticus acknowledges this fact when he tells his brother John that the jury couldn’t possibly taken Tom Robinson’s word over the Ewell’s. And later, even though Atticus points out plenty of holes and discrepancies with Mayella’s story, the jury refuses to believe the word of a black man. For Tom, the worst part of the deal is being imprisoned after the court hearing. This, Atticus says, is what led him to try to escape; â€Å"he was tired of white man’s justice. † The American Dream is nonexistent to all colored folks because they were denied their basic liberties by the system that was supposed to protect them. Likewise, in the novel Anthem the people of future world are denied their American Dream by the government. Equality, the protagonist of the novel, is a very intelligent person who desires only to be a scholar. Instead, the government delegates him the task of street-sweeping. Later, when he discovers the light, the government, instead of praising his accomplishment, shuns him and banishes him from society. Thus, his Dream to unify mankind and teach them about the wonders of the unmentionable times is killed. Lastly, The Night Thoreau spent in Jail presents Henry David Thoreau, an able man, fighting for his dream, though the government forestalls him at every turn. The Mexican war is going on in during the novel. Thoreau, the protagonist, does not believe that it is a just war and refuses to pay tax. He is so determined to prove his point, that he even goes and lives in the woods, creating a sanctuary he calls his Walden. Still, the government throws him in jail, and he continues to refuse to pay, boycotting the war. Finally, he is kicked out of jail and finds that he made no impact. The war was as Abraham Lincoln said was â€Å"of the sheerest deception,† as the people had no choice in the matter. So, Henry David’s dream was unfinished, and he died a heart-broken death at the age of 45. Finally, the American Dream is unachievable because of human greed. Although this great nation was founded on the noblest of principles, the founding fathers forgot one crucial detail; people always want more than they have. According to Daniel Gilbert, a highly esteemed professor and writer of the Futile Pursuit of Happiness, says that people have a tendency to miswant, or mistakenly believing that wanting something will bring one happiness. This leads them to think that money, is the most important thing, and soon, they stop at nothing to achieve more and more money, often throwing others under the bus. The novel, Death and the American Dream, by Daniel Cano, is about a Mexican revolutionary who wants to start over in America. He is actually an American citizen, but his only identification is his American passport. His friend, desperate for money, steals his passport and makes him look like an illegal immigrant to get a reward. It is a story of betrayal, politics and life; a shockingly real portrayal of life today. Similarly, they say that life is a race. What they don’t say is that if one falls, he is unlikely to ever get up again. In conclusion, the American Dream is now just an unattainable dream, instead of a reality because of the capitalistic economy, the government and human nature. When this nation was first created, American believed that wealth, prosperity and happiness could be created through handwork and perseverance. But now, with society on the verge of collapse, America needs to stop dreaming and wake up. Works Cited Cano, Daniel. Death and the American Dream. Tempe, Ariz: Bilingual, 2009. Print Gertner, Jon. â€Å"The Futile Pursuit of Happiness – New York Times. † The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. New York Times, Sept. -Oct. 2003. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. Fitzgerald, Francis Scott. The Great Gatsby. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin, 1986. Print. Lawrence, Jerome, and Robert Edwin Lee. The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. New York: Hill & Wang, 1970. Print. Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin, 1973. Rand, Ayn. Anthem. New York: Plume, 1999. Print. Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

Bullying Essay

Bullying Frightened, Weak, Sad, Unwanted. You end up not wanting to go anywhere, because you are afraid of getting picked on. You get so fed up with everything, you start harming yourself. You begin cutting yourself or even worse? You end up killing yourself. Hi today, I’m going to talk to you about bullying and what the down sizes of bullying is. Some might wonder, who are the bully’s and why do people bully others. So as you read this essay, think about those questions. And ask yourself. If you’ve ever been bullied or have you been the bully.How did you feel? Did you feel powerless and think that it wasn’t fare that this was happening to you. Or that you didn’t have anyone to talk to. Well you do and no one should be making you feel like this. Bulling has to stop, it shouldn’t be going to the extent that people feel like they’re nothing and end up committing suicide. Having said that, this essay will show you the different types of b ullying, the consequences of bullying and how to stop bullying. Many people think that bullying is just kicking and punching a person.Those people are right, what they don’t know is that there are other forms of bullying. To be exact there are six different types of bullying; physical bullying, cyber bullying, verbal bullying, indirect bullying, intimidation, and social alienation. The form of bullying that occurs more is cyber bullying. In Canada, 42% of kids have been bullied while online. One in four has had it happen more than once. 35% of kids have been threatened online. Nearly one in five have had it happen more than once. 1% of kids have received mean or threatening e-mails or other messages. 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than four out of ten say it has happened more than once. 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online. Both boys and girls can be bullies. Bo ys tend to bully physically, while girls generally use more indirect approaches, such as gossiping about classmates or isolating them by excluding them from activities or groups.Boys are usually bullied by other boys, whereas girls are bullied by both girls and boys. Some of the consequences of being bullied are self-harm, depression, low self-esteem, loneliness and etc†¦ Most people cannot deal with the pressure of being bullied. So they decide to commit suicide, for example â€Å"Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, hung himself Monday, April 9, 2009 after enduring bullying at school, including daily taunts of being gay. His suicide was at least the fourth suicide of a middle-school aged child linked to bullying in the year of 2009†.Bullying is never acceptable. It should be considered just â€Å"part of growing up† Research and experience consistently shows involved, their families and peers, and the community around them. I’ve witnessed someone self-harming thems elves do to being bullied, it looked like they hit rock bottom and all the person could say is that â€Å"there is no point in living now, no one likes me life is not a thing I enjoy†. I felt like that wasn’t fair to them and that no one should have to go through what they did. But they overcome that and were feeling better.They started hanging out with really friends that cared about them and just ignored what others thought about them because they don’t have to please other, just themselves. How to stop bulling? Whether or not you have been bullied, there are things you can do to stop bullying. The first thing you should do is to tell a teacher or other trusted adult at your school if bullying happens to you or someone at your school. But bullying doesn’t always happen at school, it can happen after school or even at home.So in that situation, tell an adult that will do something about it or even a police officer. This may seem like tattling, but itâ₠¬â„¢s not. The victim of a bully is someone you can protect. By telling someone at school about bullying, you are protecting the victim the same as if you stood up to a bully yourself. After telling an adult, you should go to a councillor to talk about your problem. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to the councillor. Try talking to a friend or someone you trust, that will listen to you and try to help you. It isn’t good to keep everything to yourself.You have to get everything out that isn’t healthy for you. Or else it will haunt you and make you feel alone. So in my opinion just talk about your problem even if it’s with your cat or dog (which ever). However being a witness of bullying can be just as bad as being the bullying. As long as you witness bullying and don’t try to stop it. That means, that you’re encouraging the bully because he/she is getting the attention they want. So remember that for the next time you witness someone bei ng bullying and don’t do anything to stop it. Who are bullies?Bullies are very often people who have been bullied or abused themselves. Sometimes they are experiencing life situations they cannot cope with, that leave them feeling helpless and out of control. They may have poor social skills, do not fit in, and cannot meet the expectations of their family, school, or bosses. They bully to, be successful, to control someone else, or to get some relief from their own feelings of powerlessness. Bullies bully because they might be picked on by someone else so they pick on you, so that they think that they are strong.They might not have any friends. They may not know how to feel happy, or something is going on with their family, that is bothering them so they decide to take out their frustration on other people. I hope you take this essay and absorb everything I’ve said. And remember one person might not be able to put a stop to bullying. But we as a group can sure try. If it doesn’t work, then we can try harder. And never give up. Resources: http://www. dosomething. org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying http://www. glsen. org/walker. html Bullying Essay Bullying Frightened, Weak, Sad, Unwanted. You end up not wanting to go anywhere, because you are afraid of getting picked on. You get so fed up with everything, you start harming yourself. You begin cutting yourself or even worse? You end up killing yourself. Hi today, I’m going to talk to you about bullying and what the down sizes of bullying is. Some might wonder, who are the bully’s and why do people bully others. So as you read this essay, think about those questions. And ask yourself. If you’ve ever been bullied or have you been the bully.How did you feel? Did you feel powerless and think that it wasn’t fare that this was happening to you. Or that you didn’t have anyone to talk to. Well you do and no one should be making you feel like this. Bulling has to stop, it shouldn’t be going to the extent that people feel like they’re nothing and end up committing suicide. Having said that, this essay will show you the different types of b ullying, the consequences of bullying and how to stop bullying. Many people think that bullying is just kicking and punching a person.Those people are right, what they don’t know is that there are other forms of bullying. To be exact there are six different types of bullying; physical bullying, cyber bullying, verbal bullying, indirect bullying, intimidation, and social alienation. The form of bullying that occurs more is cyber bullying. In Canada, 42% of kids have been bullied while online. One in four has had it happen more than once. 35% of kids have been threatened online. Nearly one in five have had it happen more than once. 1% of kids have received mean or threatening e-mails or other messages. 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than four out of ten say it has happened more than once. 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online. Both boys and girls can be bullies. Bo ys tend to bully physically, while girls generally use more indirect approaches, such as gossiping about classmates or isolating them by excluding them from activities or groups.Boys are usually bullied by other boys, whereas girls are bullied by both girls and boys. Some of the consequences of being bullied are self-harm, depression, low self-esteem, loneliness and etc†¦ Most people cannot deal with the pressure of being bullied. So they decide to commit suicide, for example â€Å"Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, hung himself Monday, April 9, 2009 after enduring bullying at school, including daily taunts of being gay. His suicide was at least the fourth suicide of a middle-school aged child linked to bullying in the year of 2009†.Bullying is never acceptable. It should be considered just â€Å"part of growing up† Research and experience consistently shows involved, their families and peers, and the community around them. I’ve witnessed someone self-harming thems elves do to being bullied, it looked like they hit rock bottom and all the person could say is that â€Å"there is no point in living now, no one likes me life is not a thing I enjoy†. I felt like that wasn’t fair to them and that no one should have to go through what they did. But they overcome that and were feeling better.They started hanging out with really friends that cared about them and just ignored what others thought about them because they don’t have to please other, just themselves. How to stop bulling? Whether or not you have been bullied, there are things you can do to stop bullying. The first thing you should do is to tell a teacher or other trusted adult at your school if bullying happens to you or someone at your school. But bullying doesn’t always happen at school, it can happen after school or even at home.So in that situation, tell an adult that will do something about it or even a police officer. This may seem like tattling, but itâ₠¬â„¢s not. The victim of a bully is someone you can protect. By telling someone at school about bullying, you are protecting the victim the same as if you stood up to a bully yourself. After telling an adult, you should go to a councillor to talk about your problem. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to the councillor. Try talking to a friend or someone you trust, that will listen to you and try to help you. It isn’t good to keep everything to yourself.You have to get everything out that isn’t healthy for you. Or else it will haunt you and make you feel alone. So in my opinion just talk about your problem even if it’s with your cat or dog (which ever). However being a witness of bullying can be just as bad as being the bullying. As long as you witness bullying and don’t try to stop it. That means, that you’re encouraging the bully because he/she is getting the attention they want. So remember that for the next time you witness someone bei ng bullying and don’t do anything to stop it. Who are bullies?Bullies are very often people who have been bullied or abused themselves. Sometimes they are experiencing life situations they cannot cope with, that leave them feeling helpless and out of control. They may have poor social skills, do not fit in, and cannot meet the expectations of their family, school, or bosses. They bully to, be successful, to control someone else, or to get some relief from their own feelings of powerlessness. Bullies bully because they might be picked on by someone else so they pick on you, so that they think that they are strong.They might not have any friends. They may not know how to feel happy, or something is going on with their family, that is bothering them so they decide to take out their frustration on other people. I hope you take this essay and absorb everything I’ve said. And remember one person might not be able to put a stop to bullying. But we as a group can sure try. If it doesn’t work, then we can try harder. And never give up. Resources: http://www. dosomething. org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying http://www. glsen. org/walker. html

My Favourite Book Essay

Recently I`ve read a very interesting book that impressed me greatly. It was the novel by Vera Kryzhanovskaya â€Å"Hellish charms†. Russian writer and spiritualist Vera Kryzhanovskaya was the first woman writer of science fiction in the world, and the first professional science fiction writer in Russia. She was born June 2, 1857 .Her Father was from an old noble family of the Tambov Province. In the 1880s and 90s she lived in Western Europe. Since childhood Kryzhanovskaya was interested in ancient history and the occult, she even performed as a medium at sessions. Kryzhanovskaya`s Husband was a well known spiritualist S.V. Semenov. Following the spiritualists` tradition, Kryzhanovskaya stated that her novels had been dictated by the spirit of English poet John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester , who believed that a soul stayed on earth even after death . She wrote in French and then her works were translated into Russian. The main theme of her novels is the struggle of the divine and satanic forces, the dependence of man`s hidden forces and the forces of universe, the secrets of the primordial matter †¦ Reincarnation`s consciousness` and soul`s secrets , the writer has already disclosed in the historical novels (â€Å"The Queen Hatasu†, for example). â€Å"Hellish charms† is one of the novels, where the ritual of bewitching is described. The headline reveals the main theme and idea of the novel. The story is about a girl who wanted to marry the man with good fortune and because of it she had to resort to black magic.It`s about love, sins and mistakes, about forgiveness. The book electrifies the reader, mystical experiences and psychology do not give an opportunity to relax. The moral of the story is represented very clearly: you can not  build your happiness on the misfortune of others, regardless of other people’s desires. Each undertaken sin may be the first step on way to hell, and not everybody can turn away from that road. The book is written in a very simple way, the sentences are mostly short, without large clauses and nominative constructions. The author worries about every character and describes all their sufferings and other feelings very brightly. The main characters are: Kira Nagorskaya, a pretty blond girl of twenty with a good figure , large dark eyes with long thick eyelashes and wonderful complexion; Alexey Basargin – a wealthy young man, who took a fancy to Kira especially her coquetry and beauty. He became a frequent guest in Kira`s place. Kira considered him to be a wonderful match. Maleynen – an old witch, who helped Kira to bewitch Alexey and made him to fall in love with her. She was a skinny tall woman with deep hollow eyes that strangely sparkled. Marquise Kervadek – Alexey`s best friend, a tall, slender young man with black curly hair and pointed beard. He is a very passionate character and didn`t hide his admiration from Kira. Shepsu – an unusual character, Circassian, who lived alone in a mountain hut. The only man, who was able to save Kira from her curse. The story took place in Russia in the 18th century. A young woman Kira Nagorskaya who got used to luxury, after running through her father`s fortune, decided to marry someone didn`t matter young or old , beautiful or ugly, tall or short, someone who was able to give her a social status and wealth. But one day in a house of one of her old friends she got acquainted with Alexey Basargin a young man ,who has already worked in Ministry. She liked him and even thought not to cheat on him, at least for a while, when they would marry. Alexey became a frequent guest in Kira`s place and she was ready to celebrate the victory but suddenly he disappeared. There were rumors that he was going to marry another girl, Kira felt miserable and angry. She couldn`t believe it. Than she got to know about an old woman, a witch called Maleynen, and decided to ask her for help. But this decision  took an unexpected turn for her. Basargin made her a proposal and she married him. In the course of time she began to feel disgust and irritation to him. She also fell in love with Alexey`s best friend Marquise Kervadek but tried to hidÃ'Æ' her feelings. She knew that if she would like to divorce with Basargin, the charms would make him kill her. She couldn`t fight against her feelings and went to Maleynen again to ruin the first spell. But it has worked strangely and Alexey perished and his spirit began to pursue Kira. Kervadek and Kira try to find the solution, Marquise takes Kira away to Germany, Italy, France but the ghost chases them. At least they find the man called Shepsu, the only one who can save her. He was a young Circassian, who lived alone in a mountain hut in the Caucasus. Having held all the rituals Shepsu was able to conquer the evil spirit of Basargin. At last the curse was ruined. In conclusion, I personally would like to advise this novel and not just this one but the others too. In my opinion it was one of the best books I`ve ever read, it`s plot has swallowed me completely. Most of all I liked it`s moral : Love can neither be bought nor sold.