Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin

Introduction The reading of James Baldwin’s short story Sonny’s Blues leaves few doubts as to the fact that one of story’s foremost motifs is light vs. darkness. In its turn, this can be explained by the particulars of author’s biography as someone who was brought up in the religious family, sublimated in Baldwin’s strive to provide a symbolical meaning to story’s semantic content.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Apparently, the references to darkness in Sonny’s Blues are meant to symbolize the essence of Sonny’s drug addiction; whereas, the references to light are meant to prompt readers to think of Sonny’s story of reconciliation with his brother in terms of Christian ‘redemption’. Nevertheless, there is also another aspect to Baldwin’s utilization of earlier mentioned motif – author’s realization of the sheer unnaturalness of African-Americans’ low social status through fifties and sixties. By making continuous references to this particular motif, author wanted to expose the actual reason why these people often end up being underachievers. In my paper, I will aim to explore the soundness of this thesis at length. Analytical part Baldwin’s utilization of light vs. darkness motif starts at the very beginning of the story: â€Å"I stared†¦ in the swinging lights of the subway car†¦ and in my own face, trapped in the darkness which roared outside† (1). By saying that, narrator reflects upon his own deep-seated anxieties of someone who was born and raised in the ‘ghetto’. Apparently, even though he was able to gain social prominence as a teacher, narrator never forgot its own humble origins. This is exactly the reason why, while watching Harlem’s Black boys in the midst of soci alizing with each other, narrator never ceases being aware of the nature of intellectual oppression, they have to deal with on daily basis: â€Å"These boys, now, were living as we’d been living then†¦ All they really knew were two darknesses, the darkness of their lives†¦ and the darkness of the movies, which had blinded them to that other darkness† (Baldwin 1). The context of this particular referral to darkness, on the part of narrator, reveals the nature of African-Americans’ oppression as such that is not only being concerned with these people suffering from poverty but also from the fact that American mainstream Medias of the time used to portray such state of affairs as perfectly natural. Hence, the symbolic sounding of narrator’s following remark, in regards to Sonny friend’s physical appearance: â€Å"The bright sun deadened his damp dark brown skin and it made his eyes look yellow and showed up the dirt in his kinked hair† (Baldwin 2) – apparently, narrator wanted to emphasize once again that, while being exposed to the ‘light’ of America’s racialist mass-culture, African-Americans simply could not avoid being degraded.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nevertheless, given Baldwin’s strong sense of religiosity, it does not come as a particular surprise that the majority of narrator’s referrals to light connote positiveness, as these referrals symbolize the process of African-Americans gaining self-confidence. For example, while elaborating on how he felt when struggling with his drug-addiction, Sonny states: â€Å"I feel like a man who’s been trying to climb up out of some deep, real deep and funky hole and just saw the sun up there, outside† (Baldwin 5). Yet, being rather a good psychologist, Baldwin was fully aware of the fact that the p rocess of socially and racially underprivileged ghetto-residents striving to make the best out of their lives could never be too easy, as the very essence of racially secluded living in the ghetto predisposes people to succumb to depression: â€Å"Cab moved uptown through streets which seemed, with a rush, to darken with dark people† (Baldwin 7). According to narrator, this is exactly the reason why it often proves impossible for ghetto-residents to attain social prominence through education – while trying to affiliate themselves with light, even the brightest kids from the ‘hood’ have no choice but to continue to exist in darkness, in allegorical sense of this word. In its turn, this causes them to experience a certain cognitive dissonance – the harder they try to make the best of their lives; the more acute appear their inferiority-related anxieties: â€Å"When light fills the room, the child is filled with darkness. He knows that every time this happens he’s moved just a little closer to that darkness outside† (Baldwin 9). Thus, there are clearly defined humanist undertones to Sonny’s Blues, as the story that provides readers with the insight on why, despite having a potential to become society’s outstanding members, many African-Americans nevertheless end up descending to society’s ‘rock bottom’. Conclusion As it was implied in the Introduction, in order for the readers to be able to fully understand Baldwin story’s message, they need to be aware of the significance of light vs. darkness motif, deployed throughout story’s entirety. The reason for this simple – the understanding of this motif’s implications, on the part of readers, is being quite indispensible within the context of them gaining an insight onto the very root of African-Americans’ clearly unprivileged social status. I believe that this conclusion is being fully consistent with paper’s initial thesis.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Bibliography Baldwin, James. Sonny’s Blues. PDFCAST.Org. 1957. Web. This essay on Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin was written and submitted by user Lilah English to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Precocious Pearl Essays - English-language Films, The Scarlet Letter

Precocious Pearl Essays - English-language Films, The Scarlet Letter Precocious Pearl Children are, by nature, incredibly sensitive creatures. They can sense almost any emotion an adult might feel just by observing a particular persons body language and facial expressions. Such is the case with the youthful Pearl from the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. As the daughter of the adulteress Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, the townspeople view Pearl as a demon in an angels clothing; as an imp who not only knows exactly what the letter A signifies on the breast of her mother, but as the demon who placed it there as well. Nay, Mother, I have told all I know, said Pearl more seriously than she was wont to speak But in good earnest now, Mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean? -and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom? -and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart? She took her mothers hand in both her own, and gazed into her eyes with an earnestness that was seldom seen in her wild and capricious character This dialogue does not seem to be the words of a demon, but a child who is utterly curious about what the letter on her mothers bosom means. One must not underestimate Pearls intelligence though. In fact, Pearl is not the demon many consider her to be; instead she is intelligent and sensitive towards her surroundings and can thus understand much about the scarlet letter her mother wears. The neighboring townspeoplehad given out that poor little Pearl was a demon offspring; such as, ever since old Catholic times, had occasionally been seen on earth, through the agency of their of their mothers sin, and to promote some foul and wicked purpose. From this statement and many others similar to it throughout the novel, many readers are given the impression that Pearl is a possessed child. Before any type of statement can be made on Pearls intelligence or sensitivity, it is imperative for one to understand these references are an attempt on Hawthornes part to display to the reader a fragment of Puritanical Society. By no means is Pearl an imp. She is a curious child and, until one separates Hawthornes fictitious references towards Pearls demonic soul and Pearls true intelligent nature, a character analysis of Pearls identity cannot be created. Pearl is a living Scarlet A to Hester, as well as the reader, acting as a constant reminder of Hesters sin They also believe Pearl uses this information against Hester by constantly mentioning the letter in order to make Hester extremely uncomfortable. Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic individual, as well as an extremely important symbol - one who is constantly changing. Pearl is involved in a complex history, and as a result is viewed as different and is shunned because of her mothers sin. Pearl is a living Scarlet A to Hester, as well as the reader, acting as a constant reminder of Hesters sin. Pearl is the living embodiment of the scarlet letter because she forces Hester and Dimmesdale to accept their sins. The Puritan society looks at Pearl as a child of the devil, and a black hearted girl because she is the result of sin. Hester and Dimmesdale are both in the same situation in Pearls eyes. Pearl wants Hester to realize that she is not the worst person in the world before she removes the scarlet letter. Pearl wants Dimmesdale to accept his sin, and be part of their life publicly. With the rumor of Pearls impish nature dispelled, one can now study her inquisitive and sensitive nature. When Hester Prynne refuses to reveal to Pearl the identity of the young childs father, Pearls burning curiosity quickly ignites and forces her to scream out the following demand. Tell me! Tell me!It is thou that must tell me!This is not the only time Pearls curiosity sparked throughout the novel. In fact, there are many times where Pearl becomes inquisitive over one mystery or another; this next example is one of them. Why, what is this, Mother?Wherefore have all the people left their work today? Is it a playday for the whole world? In this situation, Pearl is overwhelmed by curiosity, as

Development of Higher Education in UAE Research Paper

Development of Higher Education in UAE - Research Paper Example The thesis statement is expected to play a significant role in explaining the rationale behind the increasing focus of the government on the development of higher education. The thesis statement gained importance in the view that the economy of UAE has attained rapid growth in the last forty years due to the growth of its primary sector which is the oil and gas reserves. The recent trends have shown that UAE has started to shift towards the mode of knowledge based economy due to the economic fluctuation affecting the oil and gas sector and the emergence of tourism and knowledge based businesses as partial substitutes (Fox, 2007). There are various experts who have identified the growth of higher education in the economy of UAE and the have carried out thesis work on this topic to explore in detail the issues involved in the development of higher education in the region and the ways in which these issues have been resolved. Body   The development of higher education in UAE has been studied by analyzing the issues involved in this field. The examination of the past and present scenario in the education sector of UAE helped in detailed analysis and comparison of the present developments with the past. The researches carried out by several experts on the growth of higher education in UAE provide a comprehensive idea of the factors responsible for the development of higher education in this country. Evaluation of the issues involved in the problem The study on the development of higher education in the United Arab Emirates involves several issues associated to the economic structure of the country. The economy of UAE has experienced rapid... This paper approves that the lack of adequate financial investments in the education sector has been a major drawback for the region. The low enrolment of the students in higher education and drop out of male students in higher education as compared to female students has been prevalent. The lack of quality of teachers and restrictions to freedom of the students in the higher educational process has been addressed by these experts. This paper makes a conclusion that the research on the development of higher education in UAE suggests policy initiatives that could help to address the issues prevailing in the higher education system of UAE. Although the enrolment and attainment rates in higher education of UAE have increased significantly as compared to the past, the quality of higher education in UAE needs to further improve. This could be done by focusing on the establishment of quality educational infrastructure at the secondary level. The improvement in the quality of teaching in schools would generate interest among the students on various subjects like engineering, medicine, science, etc. Thus the enrolment of students in higher educational courses is likely to improve. The drop outs are likely to reduce as the students would realize the benefits of long term engagement through attaining higher education. The education for the male students should be made mandatory. The quality of teachers needs to be improv ed by setting more strict standards for recruitment of teachers. The admission requirements are also required to be set at higher levels in order to maintain the high quality of education standards.

Designing Learning and Development Activities Essay

Designing Learning and Development Activities - Essay Example The essay "Designing Learning and Development Activities" analyzes the required factors to make a successful learning session. The paper also overviews the methods available to assess learning and performance. There are numerous methods available to assess learning and performance although the most vital factor in selecting the assessment tool should base on the type of audience, experience, education, venue and subject matter. In adult learning theories and Andragogical learning phenomena, the most effective way of adult learning is self-directed and experiential learning, where a participant can experience the problem first hand and propose a solution for it. Such activities are more effective in groups since brainstorming can provide alternatives. The culture and environment of the organization can impact the training, if an organization has a culture that is redundant to change with no regards to self-improvement or learning activities; learning activities would not be fruitful and participants would yawn in even the most appropriate training session with a lot of exciting and job relevant activities. Learning methods range from one-sided lecture-like training to facilitator based learning sessions. Both methodologies have their pros and cons although both are still used widely in organizations depending on the type of training and intended audience. A one-sided training is suitable for learning sessions that are general in nature, for example, code of conduct or explaining a policy to the employees.

Forum Discussion - Coca-cola Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Forum Discussion - Coca-cola Company - Essay Example riations.  So, before releasing any campaign in  the local  market, the national office of the company studies the future impact in country and modifies it per local culture before the release.   The company ensures that their marketing strategy includes local, national and regional traditions as well as customs. In Tunisia, the company sponsors the national football team, and engages the most popular singers to spread its message. As part of the CSR policy, the company sponsors students from this country for studying at Kelly School of Business at Indiana State University on  a regular  basis (Wagner).   Thanks for your response. As you know,  Coca-Cola is  a global corporation with appropriate company structure.   An essential part of company’s global business strategy, the sponsorship decisions are taken by integrated marketing department, located in headquarters of  Coca-Cola Company.   This department of the company is responsible for sponsorship, licensing and global media marketing strategies (Coca Cola). Since 1928, the company is sponsoring the Olympics, a global event handled solely by an integrated marketing department. Although, the company has been split in two parts -- Coco Cola Americas and Coca Cola International, the event will be promoted by both Coca Cola companies in their respective areas. Although  Coca-Cola is  a global company and uses  the global  approach for marketing its products,  the company policy regarding any ad campaign is to recognize the cultural and local variations and modify the campaign

The Roaring Twenties and the Prohibition

The Roaring Twenties and the Prohibition Roaring 20s Essay The 1920s were a time of tremendous change in America. It was a period of time called The Roaring Twenties, where America becomes urban and commercial and gets to know the speed, spending, mobility, entertainment and fearlessness. Separating the two wars( World War I and World War II), the 1920s followed significant events such as the sinking of the Titanic (1912), the invention of the stainless steel (1913) and the completion of the Panama Canal(1914), the first transatlantic flight (1927-Charles Lindbergh). Unfortunately, this period could not last forever; the 1930s soon led to the beginning of the World War II, a conflict that cost 6, 700, 000 civilian deaths in the Soviet Union alone. During the Twenties, new aspects of culture were established, the economy was prosperous, there was a widespread social reform, and people found a better way to enjoy their lives and improve their lifestyle. Most of the population preferred to move in urban areas rather than living at rural farms, the main reason being an agricultural depression (U.S lost agricultural markets in postwar Europe). Americans were making and spending more money. As well as having more money, Americans also had more free time because the labor movement reduced to only eight hours in a typical work-day. Furthermore, there were introduced more and more applications suited to the personal lives of individuals and available to a mass market (vacuum-cleaners, fridges, radios). Business taxes were low (presidents Harding, Coolidge and Hoover did not interfere in business) and import taxes were high (tariffs), protecting American industry. Also, advertising industry started to flourish and change: for example before, the producer announced the existence of a product in a dull, dry fashion, but in the 1920s, the producer persuades the public. During those years, people bought different appliances and cars, which gave them more free time and made their lives easier (Henry Ford uses TV newsreels to advertise the new model T). The number of cars increased quickly; in Chicago, in 1915, there was one automobile for 61 persons and in 1930, one for 8 persons. Ford offered big wages (5$/day), as he correctly assumed that mass production economy would eventually fail, unless workers were paid enough to buy the products they made. The main convenience of a private care in the 1920s was great mobility, followed by traveling for fun (rural people were now likely to spend the time in town and were less isolated), better employment possibilities, not only in the car industry, but also other industries such as rubber, steel, oil, glass. Education also increased, and by the 1920s many states passed laws requiring children to attend school, helping force children out of workplaces. Throughout the 1920s, people were more and more interested in music, the period was also called The Jazz Age. The core of jazz music was in Harlem; a musical form belonging to the South and played mostly by black people. From the most known jazz musicians we remember Louis Daniel Armstrong (1901-1971) from New Orleans, Louisiana. During the decade, a new woman was about to be created. Women smoked and danced and wore make-up. They were called flappers- because of their giddy attitude and their outer clothing(looking like a boy). Flappers mostly lived in cities, though, rural people read about them in magazines. In much of the U.S, women only read about flappers in magazines but many disapproved of flappers or would not dare to be so reckless. The 1920s were a prosperous time, but not for everyone. It was also a period of intolerance and isolationism. There were imposed new restrictions on immigration, minority groups were still being discriminated and the Ku Klux Klan was powerful in the South. In addition to this, because of having too much free time and influences of a new lifestyle, urbanization and modernization, the alcohol consumption became excessively. At first, the focus was the moderation of the consumption, but then turned to be a complete prohibition of alcohol. The Prohibition Prohibition (the noble experiment) had quite an effect on American life in the 1920s. People hoped that a result of the Prohibition would be the reducing of crimes and corruption, solving social problems, improving health and hygiene in America, creating a moral society; but it had the opposite effect. Drinking, transporting, making and selling alcohol became illegal and many found it to be exciting and glamorous so, illegal clubs sprang up where people could go socialize and drink. Over the years, a number of states passed anti-alcohol laws, and World War I helped the cause when grain and grapes (which most alcohol is made of) was needed to feed the troops. The fight against alcohol was also used against immigrants, portraying them as groups of alcoholics. Fundamentalists and protestant religious groups favored the liquor ban because it was considered that alcohol contributed to societys sins and evils, especially in cities. America stood at a crossroads between tradition and innovation. What was going to ban the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcohol was the Eighteenth Amendment of Constitution. The 18th Amendment was originally announced in Congress on June, 1917. It was sent to the Senate and in the same year, was passed to the House of Representatives. Moreover, in order to enforce the 18th amendment, it was created the Volstead Act, in 1919. Federal Prohibition Agents (they were about 3,000 agents) was to investigate who were about to sell and transport illegally alcohol; if they were found guilty, they were arrested. The same thing was in the case of owning any item designed to manufacture alcohol, to the guilty ones were applied specific fines and jail sentence(Making own beer will be difficult under new regime!). However, even if there were numerous reports of liquor clearing, the authorities missed confiscating several cases in May, 1926. Another one hundred twenty-five cases made it past the enforcement agencies in September, 1926 and one hundred twenty cases disappeared from a Canadian warehouse due for American shores in October, 1926. Speakeasies started to be popular and increased their number during the decade. They represented illegal bars selling alcohol. There was estimated over 100,000 speakeasies in New York City in the 1920s and it was the most popular way to obtain alcohol. Other ways of obtaining alcohol during the Prohibition: if was prescribed by a doctor, or secretly smuggling from other countries, such as Canada. Initially, many Americans supported the idea of Prohibition. It was thought that Prohibition will reduce the number of divorces, deaths, accidents and poverty. Supporters believed that drinking liquor was immoral. Nevertheless, there were a lot of different opinions about whether it was successful or not. Drinking was part of everyday life and people enjoyed being able to have alcohol when they wanted and they did not want the right to be taken away from them. Two of the most important supporters of Prohibition were Womens Christian Temperance Union and Anti-Saloon League. In Womens Christian Temperance Union, women were one of the main groups fighting for prohibition. Their efforts made prohibition attractive to many reformers and these women changed the opinions of many people. Reformers were also attracted to prohibition because they were able to take out many urban political bosses at the same time (since many bosses operated out of these saloons). The Anti-Saloon League was another prohibition powerhouse. The members from the league tried to get support from churches, law makers, business men and political figure heads in order to get the law passed. Prohibition and Gangsters (organized crime in the 1920s) Bootlegging became one of the most profitable business of those times. Illegal Saloons could be found all over larger cities and almost every city. The owners of these saloons produced their own homemade alcohol but also many imported it. Prohibition gave rise to huge smuggling operations, as alcohol slipped into the country through states like Michigan or on the Canadian border. One of the inherent dangers involved in the business of smuggling liquor was the possibility of a hijacking. Gangs fought for control over the speakeasies which created a lot of violence within the city. Mobsters and gangsters started to take an initiative in the demand for alcohol and saw a chance to make a huge profit. Even if gangsterism was dangerous, this was the easiest way of making money. Criminals got richer and gained more and more power; once they were armed with their guns, no one dared to stop them. If they were caught by police, they often bribed or killed the police. Also, they started bribing public officials; many lawmakers, judges and Prohibition Bureau members were all involved in various crime organizations. Not only the number of crimes increased, but crime was going to be organized. The business was profitable for everyone involved. They defended their high profits by murdering hundreds of their competitors and infiltrating legitimate businesses, labor unions, and government. Most of Mafia or gangs members were young immigrants. Criminals like Al Capone, John Dillinger, Jack Legs Diamond, Bugsy Siegel and Vito Genovese were headliners of the era. To summarize, I would say that the Prohibition was thought to be more moral but it did not realized its main goals. The ones who beneficiated were gangsters and other forces of government. Americans enjoyed drinking alcohol and they even broke the law to do so; as a result, the number of prisoners was larger. A consequence was the lack of respect for the law(was seen as something which was not important) and also lack of respect for religion, because preachers thought that alcohol is the main reason for societys sufferings. People also suffered, because making illegal alcohol was not so healthy; some of them were poisoned, went blind or even died.

The Awakening :: essays research papers fc

The Process of Edna Pontellier's Awakening The society of Grand Isle places many expectations on its women to belong to men and be subordinate to their children. Edna Pontellier's society, therefore, abounds with "mother-women," who "idolized their children, worshipped their husbands, and esteemed it to a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals" (689). The characters of Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz represent what society views as the suitable and unsuitable women figures. Mademoiselle Ratignolle is the ideal Grand Isle woman, a home-loving mother and a good wife. Mademoiselle Reisz is the old, unmarried, childless, musician who devoted her life to music instead of a man. Edna switches between the two identities until she awakens to the fact that she needs to be an individual, but encounters resistance from society. This begins the process of her awakening. Chopin carefully establishes that Edna does not neglect her children, but only her mother-woman image. Chopin illustrates the idea by telling the reader, "...Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman" (689). Edna tries to explain to Adele how she feels about her children and how she feels about herself, which greatly differs from the mother-woman image. She says, "I would give up the unessential; I would give my money; I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn't give myself. I can't make it more clear; it's only something I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me" (720). Similarly to Edna's relationship with her children is that with her husband, Leonce. The Grand Isle society defines the role of wife as full devotion and self-sacrifice for your husband. Edna never adhered to societies definitions. For example, the other ladies at Grand Isle "all declared that Mr.'Pontellier was the best husband in the world" (689). And "Mrs. Pontellier was forced to admit she knew of none better"(689). By using words like "forced" and "admit", Edna has to acknowledge her true feelings towards Leonce. Edna's leaving Leonce's mansion is another important detail when considering the process of her awakening. By moving to her own residence, Edna takes a big step towards her independence. Throughout The Awakening, Edna increasingly distances herself from the image of the mother-woman, until her suicide, which serves as the total opposite of the mother-woman image. Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz, the two important female supporting characters, provide the two different identities Edna associates with. Adele serves as the perfect mother-women in The Awakening, being both married and pregnant, but Edna does not follow Adele's footsteps.

Different causes for leg pain in children

There are many different causes and diagnoses for leg pain in children.   Developmental stage or age groups   many of these causes.   Some, however, can occur at any age.4The numerous causes of leg pain in children include Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, sports injuries, toddler’s fractures, Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis(here forward referred to in the medical jargon of SCFE), and leg length differences. 4 Related article: Identify Circumstances When Children and Young People Might Require Urgent Medical AttentionLegg-Calve-Perthes is also referred to as Legg-Perthes, here forward to be referred to as LCP.   LCP is rare, and in the United States only occurs at the ratio of 1:1200 children under the age of 15.  Ã‚   The developmental stage when LCP becomes clinically evident is between the ages of 3-12 years of age, with 7 yrs being the median age.1   However, other sources site the specified age range as between 4-8 years, which actually is a representation of the median 7 years stated earlier. 3LCP is characterized not just by developmental age, but by sex, familial, and racial factors as well.   Most LCP patients are Caucasian; in addition, most have a parent or close relative who suffered from the disease as well.1   Males are affected 4-5 times more frequently than females, but this is not a sex-linked trait.   A genetic factor is implied, but with no identifiable gene as of yet.1LCP is defined â€Å"as the idiopathic avascular osteonecrosis of the capital femoral epiphysis of the femoral head.† 1What happens in the case of LCP is this:   due to unknown etiology, the head of the femur, which contains the epiphysis and epiphysial plate, becomes necrotic.   Necrosis, meaning dead or dying tissue, in this case means that no further bone growth can occur, owing to the fact that blood supply has been cut off. 3,4Since new bone cells are produced primarily at the epiphysial plate, no bone growth in the affected leg means that, until treated, it will become shorter than the unaffected leg.  Ã‚   Soon afterward, a noticeable limp occurs due to pain and compensation for the self same pain.   Children suffering from LCP may also have pain in the groin, knee, and thigh as well. 1,2,4Necrosis in the femoral head leads to inflammation, thus being the initial cause of pain.   Activity, especially excessive hip-leg activity such as running or ju mping, will irritate the femoral head and increase the pain level.   The pain can be relieved or lessened by rest. 4X-ray films arrive at definitive diagnosis, but doctors suspecting the problem will look for clinical signs that LCP is present.   These clinical signs include difficulty rotating the knee.   If LCP has existed for some time and gone undiagnosed, other clinical signs will be indicative of its presence, such as atrophy of the buttocks, calf, or thigh muscle.1, 2Those afflicted with LCP receive a myriad of treatments. The treatment plan is most likely individualized for each child depending on the severity of pain, atrophy, and gait difficulties.The treatments used most commonly are â€Å"leg exercises, crutches, casts, bracing, and occasionally traction and surgery.   With proper treatment, the bone will grow back and the child will be able to walk normally without pain.† 4Toddler’s fractures can occur quite easily with a simple fall.   Signs to look for are irritability of the child, persistent complaints of pain, and refusal to walk. These should be relied on heavily as a parent’s diagnosis of a problem, for inflammation and redness are minor at the site above the break. 4The bone fractured in these cases is typically the tibia.   The above-mentioned symptoms warrant immediate medical attention and typically reflect that a fracture has occurred if the child is between 2-4 years old. 4Sports injuries can occur at any age of the active child.   When a sports injury has occurred, pain and limping may result due to , i.e., ankle and knee sprains, or muscle strains.   However, if limping persists after a few days of rest, or if the child refuses to bear weight on the leg,   immediate medical attention is warranted. 4Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis, with the medical acronym of SCFE, â€Å"is a common hip disorder in overweight adolescents†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚   4  The symptoms resulting from the slipped epiphysis are severe pain occurring in the hip and knee.   This, in turn, results in limited movment of the affected hip, and limping.   Diagnosis is by x-ray. 4Treatments would include pain relief as prescribed by the doctor; a usual program of alternating Tylenol and Ibuprophen might be prescribed.   Included in the treatment plan would be immediate counseling of the family and adolescent on proper diet, and allowable exercise considering the ailment.Sickle Cell Disease(SCD) is the severest form of the sickling syndromes; this is because it is homozygous recessive.   In other words, the child carries both recessive alleles on the chromosome.   In all sickling syndromes, the problem results from the genetic error of the red blood cell design.   In the United States, it is estimated that 1:12 Blacks   are carriers of the sickle cell trait, and 1:65 develop sickle cell anemia.   Though predominantly affecting Blacks in the U.S., other   races are susceptible as well:   peo ple from the Mediterranean, India, Asia-Minor, and the Caribbean.Rather than the normal shape of RBC’s, the genetic disorder causes sickle-shaped cells that do not allow oxygen to attach to the protein heme in an effective manner.   This reduces oxygen available in the blood.5The prognosis for children with SCD is poor, in that death occurs during the middle-aged years.   â€Å"Anemia usually is severe, chronic and hemolytic.† 5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both acute and chronic exacerbations will occur, the frequency of which is most likely tied to emotional and environmental factors.   These environmental factors include emotional upset, situations that lead to dehydration, change of oxygen tension in the body(by infection, which is common, i.e.,), and weather changes – in particular cold.   Environmental factors that can be eliminated altogether to help reduce the recurrence or severity of attacks are alcohol and tobacco. 5The worst-case scenario, which does occur wi th these patients, is vaso-occlusive episodes. In these episodes, circulation is greatly hampered, resulting in pain concentrated in areas of localized necrotizing bone marrow, i.e., the sternum, ribs, long-bones, spine and pelvis.   The occlusion is from clumped, sickle cells that cannot flow out of the area. 5No specific therapy exists for SCD.   However, depending on the type of crisis, be it the need to lower Hb S during an infarction, too little oxygen and RBC’s, severe dehydration, etc., transfusion is a frequent treatment – usually packed red blood cells are the blood component used. 5â€Å"Transial Synovitis of the hip is a cause of hip pain in children.† 7   Ã‚  The adjective ‘transial’ is used because the condition does not last long – approximately a week.   Symptoms of pain occur in one hip, but pain may also be felt in the medial aspect of the knee and thigh.   The pain occurs in the tissue surrounding the hip, not in t he bones themselves.   7The pain increases with different rates in children; some are in the doctor’s office within 1-3 days of onset, some a few days later as the pain peaks.   The child may have a limp, or have trouble standing and walking by the time he’s seen.   Once again, boys are affected more than girls.   The age range affected is from 3-10 years of age. 7Treatment is bed rest for 3-4 days and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories for pain relief, reduction of inflammation and swelling.   The child returns to normal after this time period.   If a temperature is present, the doctor may order x-rays and blood tests to rule out other hip conditions.7Leg Length Differences.   The name is self-explanatory.   â€Å"Some children are either born with or develop a difference in the length of the bones in their legs.† 4     Ã‚  No etiology is given for either scenario, and both situations receive the same set of treatment choices.   Diff erences in leg length between 0-2cm require no treatment most of the time, but shoe lifts may be used.   If the length difference is between 5-15cm, surgery to lengthen one leg or to shorten the other is necessary, unless a prosthesis is chosen for the shorter limb. 4In summary, there are many conditions and diseases that add to the suffering and cause of leg pain in children.   The hip disorders and diseases discussed that are accompanied by knee and/or thigh pain, can be misdiagnosed as injuries originating in the knee, other than compensational pain as the symptoms really are.   Though many affect children at different stages of life and bear different severity of diagnosis and prognosis, all are significant.BIBLIOGRAPHYwww.mrsci.com/Orthopedics/Perthes_disease.php, 10/26-27/06www.hopkinsmedicine.org/orthopedicsurgery/perthes.html, 10/26-27/06Hall & Brody:   Therapeutic Exercise:   Moving Toward Function, 2nd Editionc 2005, Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins.www.keepkids healthy.com/symptoms/legpainlimping.html, 10/26-27/06Phipps, Cassmeyer, Sands, Lehman, Medical-Surgical Nursing,Concepts and Clinical Practice, c 2005, Mosby.Shiel, Jr., William C., MD,www.medicinenet.com/ankylosing_spondylitis/article.html, 10/26-27/06www.familydoctor.org/181.xml, 10/26/06DIFFERENT CAUSES FOR LEG PAIN  IN CHILDREN2006

Three Races to Immigrate to the United States In Search for the Promised Land

Three Races to Immigrate to the United States In Search for the Promised Land Introduction: The Mystery of the United States It seems that the USA has become the Promised Land for the people dissatisfied with the quality of living standards in their own country; therefore, these people head to their Mecca, the country where every cloud has a silver lining. In the light of the fact that at present, a number of the USA cities are overpopulated, the issue concerning immigration remains unresolved.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Three Races to Immigrate to the United States: In Search for the Promised Land specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Unless the given issue is tackled, immigration into the USA might soon become impossible. Therefore, it is necessary to consider what races are most likely to immigrate to the USA in the nearest future, as well as which of these races have the most legitimate reasons to be accepted into the realm of the USA democracy. When the Oriental Culture Merges with the We stern One: The Chinese The first candidates to migrate to the United States, the Chinese, nevertheless, are bound to face a number of difficulties when acculturating to the American lifestyle and trying to build their own mini-society within the realm of the American culture. However, it seems that the Chinese actually integrated into the American society quite a while ago. According to the existing evidence, the concept of an American–Chinese culture emerged in the distant 1850, when the first immigration wave swept New York and other major cities (Liu). In addition, it is noteworthy that the Americans have been maintaining business relationships with the Chinese for quite long. That being said, it would be reasonable to suggest that the Chinese migrant population is bound to find a common language with the Americans at least in the business field. In Search for Better Working Options: The Mexicans There is no point in denying that the economical and financial state of Mexic o is more than deplorable. The state remains on the list of the so-called third world countries, and with the budget that the government has at the disposal, as well as the policy of the state, there seems to be no way out at present. According to the existing evidence, most of the Mexican population lives beyond the poverty threshold (Ceballos and Palloni). Therefore, it seems rather fair that the Mexican people should search for the place where their professional assets and efforts are going to be evaluated fairly and paid accordingly. However, when considering the migration of the Mexicans into the United States, one rarely takes the possible results into account. To start with, the process of acculturation is bound to take a considerable amount of time. In addition, it is highly recommended that immigrants into the United States, as well as any other state of the world, should perfect their professional skills in order to remain well paid and become successful.Advertising Looking for essay on rhetoric? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Given the enthusiasm of the Mexican immigrants, however – or, to be more exact, a complete lack of enthusiasm in acquiring new skills – the Mexican immigrants face the threat of crossing the poverty line even living in the U.S. Therefore, it is important that relatively cheap courses for perfecting professional skills should be provided to the immigrants. Pushing the Science to Its Limits: The Russians and the Brain Drain Naturally, when analyzing the reasons that make people from other countries move to the United States, people rarely consider the possible contributions of the immigrants into the American culture, science and society. When thinking of the opportunities that the so-called â€Å"brain drain† from other states to the USA offers to the latter, it is also necessary to evaluate the quality of education in the state, which the i mmigrants come from. According to the latest research, compared to the USA standards, the greatest quality of education can be observed in such countries as New Zealand and South Korea (Miller, Laugesen, Lee and Mick). In the light of the fact that over the past few years, the standards of living in the new Zealand have dropped and a number of people have been considering the option of moving to the United States, it will be reasonable to allow the New Zealanders become the residents of the United States of America. The given situation will be a graphic example of a reciprocal process that has to take place between the receiving country and the immigrating nation. The same can be said about the residents of South Korea; according to the existing researches, they have very high educational standards. However, when choosing between the two nations, one must mention that the South Korean living standards are much higher than the ones of New Zealand at present, which means that the New Zealanders need the USA assistance more. That being said, the immigration of the New Zealanders into the USA should be considered. Conclusion: Acculturation, Togetherness and Other Related Issues There is no doubt that the USA offers a plethora of opportunities for people to develop professionally, contributing to the state and being able to run their own business, at the same time maintaining their national and cultural identity. However, the problems of acculturation and the loss of identity are still worth bringing up. No matter how well developed the structure of a diaspora is, its members will still be isolated from their culture, which will inevitably lead to the loss of cultural roots. Therefore, immigration will always presuppose a dilemma between economical independence and national identity.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Three Races to Immigrate to the United States: In Search for the Promised Land specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ceballos, Miguel and Alberto Palloni. â€Å"Maternal and Infant Health of Mexican Immigrants in the USA: The Effects of Acculturation, Duration, and Selective Return Migration.† Ethnicity and Health 15.4 (2010): 377–396. Print. Liu, Lisong. â€Å"Return Migration and Selective Citizenship: A Study of Returning Chinese Professional Migrants from the United States.† Journal of Asian American Studies 15.1 (2012): 35–68. Print. Miller, Edward Alan, Miriam Laugesen, Shoou-Yih Daniel Lee and Stephen S. Mick. â€Å"Emigration of New Zealand and Australian Physicians to the United States and the International Flow of Medical Personnel.† Health Policy 43.3 (1998): 253–270. Print.

Remuneration of Salesman Essay Example

Remuneration of Salesman Essay Example Remuneration of Salesman Essay Remuneration of Salesman Essay Remuneration of Your Sales Force and Customer Service Team Members How do you decide what remuneration packages to adopt? How do you ensure that your remuneration packages incentivise and motivate the right people? How do you make sure that the amount of pay helps your staff with their lifestyle requirements? These questions are vital ones to anybody trying to run a sales team or customer service team, when you have a look at how you can actually reward personal effort as well as maintain service. In looking at any remuneration package, it’s worthwhile to consider a set of scales. In any job description, there is an opportunity to analyse the work required into service aspects whereby these things have to be done to maintain the client, or maintain the client relationship, such as receiving orders, implementing orders, handling queries, general items of customer service, and also perhaps even merchandising or helping with displays, as well as ensuring that stock levels are adequate, these can be called service areas or service responsibilities. On the other hand, a sales person or customer service representative could influence the value of the sale through their personal sales skills, personality, and training, to either make the sale happen, add value to the sale, or sell some specific items that are on special or on bonus, at the point of communication, either by phone, by web, or face-to-face. This particular activity is known as personal contribution. A relatively easy formula to follow is by adopting the scales of remuneration, you can then analyse the input from the people involved. If there is high service requirements and service levels in the performance of the job, and little opportunity to add personal influence, then a wages or base salary system will be the most cost efficient to make the results work. If there is a high personal input, whereby the sales person can strongly influence the amount of the sale or the profitability of the sale, then you can reward that personal effort by special commissions, share of profits, special incentives, and special rewards, for the sales as they occur after the event, and lessen the base salary or wages that need to be paid by increasing the risk factor, which of course the personal touch will overcome. Strategies with this personal input can include: Commission on sales, which will drive the sales result but can lead to aggressive discounting. Commission on the profit generated, which will lead to profitable sales above a certain target percentage and encourage the sales people to focus on the profitable lines that need to be sold, profitable added value, and focus on profit. However, this means the company need to disclose in some manner the profit margins or the profitability of certain products or services. The final personal incentive can be a mixture of reward for the team getting their budget achievement through the use of both service and personal effort, but also perhaps 50% of that reward comes from the personal effort of individual members of Article Remuneration of Your Sales Force and Customer Service Team Page 1 the team. This then leads to greater enhanced teamwork in selling the profitable products and services that the company has. If your organization is primarily service based on our scale, then wages and salary with an annual review, perhaps a team result on a quarterly basis, will provide a good remuneration program to keep those service levels being maintained and perhaps even being increased. If your organization needs to be sales driven, then you clearly have to separate the strategies that you are going to employ to either drive sales, drive profitable sales, or drive teamwork amongst the individual members of the sales team. It is worthwhile considering that A category clients could be driven on their profitable sale contribution, B category clients could be driven on the extra added value products or services that have been added to the sales mix, and C category clients could be just driven by sales revenue increases. While it is useful to report results to the sales team members on a regular basis, eg. monthly or even weekly against target, it is preferable to pay out incentives on a quarterly basis so that the sum being paid is larger and also it is seen to be a worthwhile contribution of the efforts over the quarter, which may have had a good trading month, a bad trading month, and a catchup trading month, which over the whole quarter has managed to achieve in excess of the budget performance. Traditionally, New Zealand sales representatives and customer service teams are very comfortable with a 10 to 15% at risk commission factor driven to achieve sales results. When we want to achieve profitable results, you might care to lift the percentage to 20 to 25% at risk in remuneration which is based on the profitability. Full time commission only sales remuneration programs will simply drive sales at any price, perhaps with aggressive discounting with no regard or need to have regard to the profit contribution. New Zealand sales commission representatives can sometimes find it hard to get finance for mortgages and funding because the banks are not comfortable with commission only positions. The basis of a commission only position also needs to consider that the person needs to be able to earn enough to pay their mortgage and a basic food bill out of everyday, normal activities from their commission payments, and these may have to be paid on a weekly basis. However, as their sales increase then the commission structure should be set, so that they get truly rewarded for tremendous personal effort. Untidy conditions like including holiday pay within commissions, determining people to be contractors rather than employees, are things that cloud the issue and arouse suspicion with the optimist sales person as to what the owner or manager is trying do. The key concept with wages or salary based is that employees must know a set time of the year when their remuneration will be reviewed, and generally a percentage (3-5%) is applied across the board to all individuals, which maintains their points of difference but also ensure that there is little aggrieved talk amongst staff members. Additional rewards, which can include trips away, are ideal as bonus incentives for achieving in excess of a budget. New Zealanders love overseas travel, whether it is to Waiheke Island or to Nelson or Australia or the Pacific Islands, it is certainly a reward. However, remember that quite often there is a partner involved, and the partner would need to know where they are going and whether they would like to go to this particular destination. Article Remuneration of Your Sales Force and Customer Service Team Page 2 Other incentives, like dinners, theatre nights, sports tickets, movie tickets, and entertainment functions, are all very good as they have a perceived higher value than generally their costs, and people can go and enjoy the actual activity as a reward earned for hard work. Even the humble â€Å"Daily Moro Bar† given to the customer service team for the best win of the day is a great incentive for sharing with people the fun involved enjoying some wins and successes. It is very important to communicate to your sales team the basis and process of your remuneration program in writing at the beginning of their employment, and at the beginning of the trading cycle in which you are going to be measuring people, and then there is no avenue for dispute later on. The laws relating to commission payment are no different to the laws relating to wages and salary, and there can be no retention unless it has been agreed to by the employee for sundry items of cost. Of course, at a senior management level, sales management and above, you could include the original concepts of remuneration based around the sales team achieving a budget, you can include travel, and even share options or dividend options, based on performance. However, don’t fall into the trap of the Fortune 500 CEOs and management who were allowed to falsify records to ensure quarterly or 90-day results look good as a way of continuing to achieve their bonus options. Remuneration should always be based on the concept of rewarding individuals for their individual contribution over and above what was expected. Use the scales balance to determine the responsibilities and duties of the job description before deciding on your remuneration program. Enjoy your planning! This article contributed by Richard P. Gee, marketing strategy consultant, seminar presenter and interactive author. More information about Richard can be found on www. geewiz. co. nz. Article Remuneration of Your Sales Force and Customer Service Team Page 3

The Management of Global Trade Distribution Coursework

The Management of Global Trade Distribution - Coursework Example However, if a business organization is not careful, competition might lead it into bad debts. This is because a company might sell its products to new customers, who might not be able to pay for the commodities thus leading to bad debts. However, this can be avoided by doing a customer value analysis and payment history analysis, Peppers and Rodgers, (2010). Customer value analysis is comparing what a customer is willing and able to part with in monetary terms and what satisfaction the customer gets from the good or service provided. Payment history analysis is reviewing past payment details of the company in question. A payment analysis allows the company to go through a customer’s financial statements in order to determine if the customer in question will pay for the goods provided in time hence avoiding the occurrence of bad debts. For example, if a customer’s financial records indicate that they owe other suppliers money then the company should only do with that cus tomer on cash before delivery basis. If a customer’s financial statements indicate that the customer is not indebted to other suppliers and pays for goods in time then the company can supply goods to such customers on cash on delivery basis or cash after delivery. Question four When transporting goods and services various factors are considered when choosing the mode and means of transport. This in turn affects the charges incurred when transporting goods and services. According to Barnes, (2009), the type of goods being transported greatly affects the cost of transportation. For example, toxic materials require specialized containers when transporting them. Acquisition of these special containers might be expensive hence charges for transporting toxic material are high. Another factor that is considered when determining freight charges is the destination distance. Choice of mode and means of transport is also greatly affected by distance. If goods are being transported over long distances, then the cost of transportation will be high thus resulting in high freight charges.at the same time if the distance is short cheaper means of transport such as road is used hence resulting in lower freight charges. The time within which goods are to be transported also affects the cost of transportation. For example, if perishable goods such as fruits and flowers are being transported; a very fast means of transport is required. For such goods air transport is necessary which is very costly thus resulting in high freight charges. Another factor that determines the freight charges is the general nature of the goods being transported. The nature of goods determines how the goods are to be packed. For example some goods are bulky in nature hence take up a lot of space. Transportation of such goods is more expensive since the more space goods take the more they are charged. Question five Exportation of goods is not an easy task. It is a long process depending on laws pu t in place in both the country of origin and the country of destination. However, if the correct process is followed it can exportation can be simple and very effective. There are certain procedures set, to be followed when exporting anything. First of all one the exportation should prepare for the exportation of the commodity in question. One should make sure that they are conversant with the environments involved in international trade and the obstacles

Robert E. Hall and Charles I. Jones (1999), Why Do Some Countries Essay

Robert E. Hall and Charles I. Jones (1999), Why Do Some Countries Produce So Much More Output per Worker than Others,Quarterly Journal of Economics, 83-116 - Essay Example This diversion away from growth promoting investment takes the form of thievery, unprotected property rights The investigation is based around a hypothesis that these differences in investment in capital accumulation is primarily the result of differences in social infrastructure across countries. Social infrastructure, as a concept used in their research, includes a number of ideas such as institutions and government policies, all of which, they claim, contribute to creating an environment in which capital accumulation is encouraged. A social infrastructure favourable to high levels of output per worker provides an environment that supports productive activities and encourages capital accumulation, skill acquisition, invention, and technology transfer. The researchers claim that creation of this favourable social infrastructure is best done by the government because they have the authority to collect the resources needed to establish the regulations and laws that would create a framework to stop diversion. However, corrupted government, engaging in rent-seeking behaviour, contribute to the diversion of resources away from activities of capital accumulation by creating poor contracts, interfering in production activities, and impeding trade. As such, the paper does indicate that the most appropriate social infrastructure for growth would limit the role of government given government’s propensity for rent-seeking behaviour. A major issue that is developed in their research concerns the direction of causality between social infrastructure and output per worker. Hall and Jones admit that more productive workers, with higher levels of education and income levels, could influence the social infrastructure. As such, countries experiencing low growth levels are unable to provide the resources necessary to create a supportive social infrastructure that would encourage further human and physical capital accumulation, meaning that appropriate