Education Regulation Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Education Regulation Law - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that not attending school leads to poor academic performance and lack of educational success, both contributing factors when discussing juvenile delinquency, an issue that is becoming more and more prevalent as time goes on. Many factors exist as to why a juvenile will not or does not attend school. Perhaps a juvenile has failed to bond at school, has no friends or reliable relationships among his or her peers (Flores, 2003). A juvenile that does not have any friendships among their peers, or feels isolated and alone, will often choose not to go to school, and thus jeopardize their chances of educational success. In young children aged eight to eleven, poor academic performance has been related to serious later delinquency (Flores, 2003). Another contributing factor to failed bonding is the fact that not attending school leads to poor socialization, and thus the feeling of isolation deepens even more. Students who are chronic underachievers t end to be the most at-risk group for juvenile delinquency (Seigel & Welsh, 2010). In all of these situations, a juvenile will most likely choose not to attend school, instead of finding something else to do with their time. The actions that they choose could well lead them down the path of juvenile delinquency. Education has been widely promoted by all sources surrounding juveniles, from family to the media to the schools themselves (Seigel & Welsh, 2010). Most juveniles have been trained to accept the fact that education itself holds the keys to success, whether that success is measured in a better job, more money, or a better way of life (Seigel & Welsh, 2010). However, many juveniles may feel that they do not meet the acceptable standards for educational success, whether that success is measured in test scores, promotions, rewards, or other measures (Seigel & Welsh, 2010). In measuring themselves, often juveniles are their own worst critics, feeling that they will never be good a t anything; therefore school and education are a waste of time. They feel that this time could be better spent learning â€Å"life skills†, skills that all too often lead to a life of juvenile delinquency. No matter what the forces are behind a juvenile feeling as though education will not be of any use to them at all, it is clear that early intervention is necessary to determine who and where the most at-risk youth are. Oddly enough, the first intervention taking place in school may already be too late for some juveniles. It has been shown that parents have a vital role in the success of their offspring, and positive relationships between family members only serve to heighten the chances of educational success (Adedokun & Balschweid, 2008). If an early intervention takes place and identifies possible situations that may not be of benefit to a juvenile, measures can be taken such as family counseling and other assistance that may promote and save the educational career of a j uvenile and prevent them from starting any form of juvenile delinquency. Another important factor of note is the juvenile themselves. All juveniles do not learn the same way; just as adults do not all enjoy the same hobby or pastime. To expect every juvenile to learn the same way, by sitting in a classroom and listening to a lecture, may be expecting too much.  

Riordan New System Proposal Essay Example for Free

Riordan New System Proposal Essay Executive Summary Riordan Publishing started as a small publishing company made up of two brothers, George and Edward Riordan. They wanted to provide a way for creative minds to be heard. Their objective was and will always be to help writers reach their full potential. Riordan eventually expanded to four locations around the globe to assist authors of all varieties achieve their dreams. Riordan works with editors, artists, and authors; which is why they understand the importance of unifying and synchronizing all of their locations. Improvements in the system were needed in order to effectively accomplish this objective. Riordan’s issues involved: 1. Communication problems 2. Data sharing concerns 3. Collaborating in real time 4. Project management Riordan researched several options for improving their system, and decided to convert to Cloud Computing. The benefits for Cloud Computing outweighed the risks involved; influencing Riordan to choose Egnyte Cloud Computing as its Cloud service provider. The benefits of Cloud computing are vast and can enable Riordan to reduce spending on in house technology infrastructure, streamline processes for employees worldwide all while increasing flexibility of the cloud and scaling it to the needs of Riordan. After researching the many different cloud computing sources, Riordan chose Egnyte as the perfect fit for the company. Egnyte won Best Data Center Storage Solution award in Europe. Egnyte was also awarded â€Å"Most promising startup cloud provider† at the Up 2011 Cloud Computing Conference. They  offer features that will help integrate Riordan’s Publishing like: 1. Supports a variety of systems 2. Security and Privacy 3. Synchronization 4. Premium support 5. Storage 6. Audit reports Riordan feels confident that Egnyte will innovate the way they perform in every aspect of the business, creating a more unified work environment for employees anywhere they are. Egnyte allows Riordan to gain access to technologies (infrastructure, platforms, and software) that they might otherwise need sophisticated IT support to obtain and setup. For example, few small businesses have the knowledge and expertise to perform the installation and planning of an IT system or even perform the ongoing maintenance required to have it run optimally. Egnyte offers solutions, by simply contracting with the Cloud provider Riordan will have the ability to immediately use these services and offerings. Egnyte enhances Riordan by improving many of its core business practices: 1. Communications a. Employees to employees b. Office to office c. Employees to editors, artists, and authors 2. Collaborations a. Employees to employees b. Office to office c. Employees to editors, artists, and authors 3. Innovative ways to enlist new writers 4. Ability to share data with fewer risks for: a. Plagiarism b. Intellectual theft c. Creative theft Riordan only has one main concern with converting to Egnyte’s Cloud Computing service and that is the security of the Cloud platform. They realize that there is a small percentage for security risks given that there is a lack of  control of security operations from Riordan, internally. Riordan wanted to ensure there were ways to reduce this risk before committing to Egnyte’s services. Riordan decided to implement a third party key management system. This system will give Riordan the peace of mind knowing that data that the company has of authors, editors, artists, and employees has a little more protection via secure encryption; making it less likely for theft or tampering. Riordan has chosen Vermetric Data Security as their extra line of defense. Vermetric Data Security ensures there is a consistent and repeatable method for encrypting Riordan’s data, enforcing access policies and gaining real time security information on its systems. Cloud Computing is going to give Riordan the competitive edge they need to continue to makes dreams come true as George Riordan stated, â€Å"We will open the eyes of the world, one book at a time.† The key to the Riordan’s success is to stay up-to-date with training for employees, making sure the business plan is in constant alignment with the IT system, and analyzing for future issues that may arise. By using the Cloud technology Riordan not only ensures that it’s company data is secure and accessible worldwide, it is also flexible enough to provide future upgrades and expansion and forever scale with the companies needs and desires. Riordan Publishing- EGNYTE A New Enterprise System Proposal History of Riordan Publishing Brothers Edward and George Riordan were both struggling authors in 19th century New York City. Reputable publishing companies were few are far between. The Riordan brothers were in need of a local publishing company that was interested in investing and supporting struggling authors seeking to achieve their dreams; by having their work materialize in print. Finding a publishing company that suited these needs was harder than they anticipated. The Riordan Brothers did the next best thing they could. Riordan Publishing started with humble beginning in New York City in 1814. Edward and George Riordan were the only employees for the first three months, but that quickly changed. From the beginning their company mission statement, a quote often said by George Riordan â€Å"We will open the eyes of the world, one book at a time† drew the attention of other likeminded  authors. Within 5 years of being in business Riordan Publishing had expanded from one office in New York City. George moved to London; opened an office, and the company grew from two employees to over 100 employees and over 400 authors. Today Riordan Publishing employs over 4,000 people worldwide with offices in New York, London, Seattle, Rome, and has over 15,000 authors and artist. Each location within Riordan Publishing has created individual processes for author/editor collaboration. Riordan Publishing has been searching for an Enterprise solution to unify their international locations and Authors that are spread around the globe. Sharing data between author/office and office/office has been a redundant and convoluted process. Riordan Publishing is now exploring their options for unifying and synchronizing all their offices. This transition will introduce global employees to a singular fast secure and modern platform. The new enterprise system that Riordan decided to implement is cloud computing. Cloud Computing Egnyte is Riordan Publishing’s answer for a cloud computing solution. Egnyte is proven cloud storage platform. Egnyte just won Europe’s Best Data Center Storage Solution award at The Seventh Annual Cloud World forum in London. Egnyte offers enterprise solutions; which includes a scalable, â€Å"file sharing infrastructure with a complete centralized administration, auditing, and storage integrations for use of unlimited employees. Egnyte provides its’ users with a variety of computing services that include low cost storage space, content access, mobile access, and a top notch support, supports a variety of operating systems.† (Egnyte, 2014) Included in the price for the Enterprise Package you get: unlimited storage, 10GB man per file size, Enterprise-class security, Desktop Sync, FTP Integration, Premium support, Outlook Integration, Custom Branding, Role-based Administration, Storage Sync, Audit Reports, Salesforce.Com Integration, and AD and LDAP Support, and most importantly enterprise file sync and share (EFSS). These features are what persuaded Riordan to select Egnyte as their cloud computing source. Business Requirements Riordan Publishing’s business requirements are simple: global access, reliability, speed, minimizes unneeded costs by combining its software and  hardware infrastructure, security, an ease of collaboration solution, and affordability. Having servers in four different countries has been costly to monitor and maintain. By virtualizing the servers on the Cloud platform, it eliminates the need for four different server locations, the electric bill and internet bills associated with running them and also the IT staff that maintains them. The shift from the four servers into the Cloud can save Riordan an immense amount of capital and enable funds to be used in other ways such as corporate expansion. Riordan’s IT team has been growing nearly as fast as their list of new writers trying to keep up with the demands of supporting its legacy software and dated servers. Riordan needs a solution that will upgrade its ancient system along with cutting its cost in its infrastructure management, and a way to unite all their servers into one centralized setting that everyone can easily access, the solution being the â€Å"Cloud†. The Cloud computing solution will provide a reliable, fast, and an effective method for Riordan’s editors, writers, marketing, financial teams to collaborate; enabling them to upload, access projects from the office, or the comfort of a writer’s home. Riordan is in need of a system that helps with editorial workflow, a way to unite their writers with their editors, and management for a collective collaboration resolution so goals and deadlines are easily met. There is also a need for an ease of access download for outside vendors such as a printing house or e-book company like Amazon Kindle. Information Riordan Publishing handles various amounts of information daily. Due to the nature of Riordan’s work as a publisher, it is very important that information is protected. The type of information on the cloud would consist of original literature, photos, research, and products scheduled to be released. Security is of an utmost importance because of the inherent threat of plagiarism, intellectual, and creative theft. Since the company has 4,000 employees and over 15,000 contracted authors and artist, the cloud would have to be very powerful to meet the demands of the employees. The employees of Riordan use the Office Suite, Microsoft Outlook, and a plethora of other productive software applications. Each international office and individual  author and artist can use a different type of mobile devise including, Blackberry, iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone. The new system would have to take all the employees’ needs, and incorporate that into the custom create cloud operating system. The cloud would eventually have all employees’ emails, conversations, files, pictures, and documents. The information most definitely would be safeguarded from vulnerabilities, threats, and risks from cyber-crimes. Security and Ethical Concerns One of the main concerns a company has is the security; which can involve ethical issues. Riordan Publishing had a couple concerns regarding the safe keeping of their data in the cloud. Some of the concerns were: If employees are allowed to use cellular phones for business use, then how will the company know when employees are abusing company time for personal use? What happens if data is hacked, and client information is stolen and sold? Is the company held accountable when laws are broken by employees? Riordan Publishing Company decided to take steps that would educate all employees of the laws, and the consequences of breaking them. The company will be implementing mandatory meetings to keep employees informed of cyber-crimes, rules of the use of business smart phones, appropriate use of persona time at work, and ways to improve employees’ work habits. Riordan’s main focus is data security: which needs to meet industry standards that consist of keeping the system up to date and monitored. Once implemented, Riordan will benefit from the cloud system enabling employees to connect to the corporate network over VPN for a seamless experience anywhere. The contributions to the company are vast, but the main appeal is that employees can access a network that is custom tailored to them from any online connection. Riordan also would not have to pay for hefty data center bills, expensive servers, a tech team to maintain equipment, and power bills. Conversion Process Riordan Publishing Company decided that the best course of action regarding issues with their previous system was to convert to Cloud Computing. In order for Riordan Publishing to combine their international offices and  individual contracted authors into one centralized data system, a Cloud Storage and Management System will be implemented. Egnyte will standardize procedures for sharing, collaboration, storing, and accessing a centralized network. This will make it possible for Riordan’s entire pool of employees to follow the same processes, continue procedures of working with authors to publish new books, and produce publications in a more streamline timeline. Cloud computing allows Riordan Publishing to achieve one of their goals of going green. Riordan employees, contracted authors, and artists also do not have to worry about the costs, hassles of mailing manuscripts, or shuffling through emails to find work they are using for collaboration with one another. Egnyte’s easily accessed cloud storage allows all users to organize, view, and update data simultaneously. Proposed Process Changes New and existing contracted authors and artists will be given access to Riordan’s Egnyte account. They will upload copies of their work throughout the entire writing process. Egnyte’s editors and publishers will be able to access their work, and collaborate effectively on each project. Each user will be able to access Egnyte from their home computer or mobile device to give status updates, check emails, and upload documents for easy collaboration. Once the editor and author have finished their project they will send the project to Riordan’s Senior Editors for approval; who will then notify the Distribution and Marketing Team that the project is ready for printing. The Distribution and Marketing Team will then notify Bickford Printing and Amazon’s Kindle team to log on to Riordan’s Egnyte account, this is where they can access the publications that are ready for printing and distribution to E-books. The diagram below shows how simple, and streamline the new process will be. Diagram 1.1 All of Riordan’s International offices, contracted Authors, and Artists can now access the same centralized data network to create, collaborate, and distribute new books using Egnyte’s cloud storage. (Egnyte.com, 2014) Cloud Technology Cloud technology uses a method called, â€Å"offloading†. Cloud technology manages the majority of programs processing. This means that most processing can be done on the cloud; as opposed to the actual mobile devices, increasing overall efficiency. Being able to access the cloud from a laptop or smartphone provides great flexibility. Employees are to travel while working, or work from a remote location. The mobility also has negative implications mainly being security and privacy. Users depend on the IT management for security and privacy settings because the data is stored and managed on the cloud. A bug or security loophole exploited may result in a breach of privacy. There is truly no way to know how a cloud vendor safeguards data. Potential vulnerabilities could, for instance, grant a group access to passwords, or other private information used in Riordan’s Publishing Company. Cloud computing also brings up the question of reliability. Riordan has to understand that from a technical standpoint it would not be possible to provide users with the cloud in a place with no internet connectivity such as a park, a basement, a tunnel, and a subway. Even with the limitations the cloud can be quite useful and powerful; if employees are properly trained to adhere to strict computer and network policies that discourage them from leaving their devices unmonitored. The benefits of cloud computing far outweigh the negative aspects like giving a company the ability to start up a network with low overhead costs, and little setup time. The maintenance aspect of owning your own servers, and having to up keep up and administer them is also new the third party cloud company’s responsibility. This would give Riordan’s employees more time to work on their tasks at hand rather than fiddle with a network. The mobile platform has many obstacles to overcome, but once a user does acquire a reliable internet connection the user will see the benefits of not having to be restricted to their office. Together the cloud and mobile devices will provide flexibility and mobility that will push Riordan into a productive and successful future. The diagram below represents how Riordan Publishing’s information will process through the cloud. Diagram Riordan’s information system flowing through the cloud. Business Requirements Riordan has had problems in the past with authors and editors not making deadlines because of the way they shared information in the past. Mailing hard copies of manuscripts, getting lost in the mail, misplaced, or shipped to the wrong Riordan office. Those manuscripts that were sent in digitally were not being saved to a network drive where others could access them. Instead, they were stored locally to specific machines where they could be lost due to computer failure, someone leaving the company, or someone due to calling in sick. This meant no one else could access the information; which meant deadlines were not met. Riordan was losing money hand over fist because they were doing extra unnecessary double work. Authors, artists, and editors could not collaborate in a timely manner because of the slow sharing process. This is what initiated the conversion. Riordan’s ultimate demand for cloud technology comes from needing a Global unified network experience for all persons associated with Riordan regardless of their physical locations in the world. Cloud Computing enables Riordan to globalize the workforce at a lower cost. This allows the user access to the cloud as long as they have an internet connection. The reduction in spending on technology infrastructure makes for minimal up front spending, and the cloud can be scaled to pay as you go; while services can be implemented based on Riordan’s demands. The overall savings Riordan will have over a course of several years can be used to fund new operations, expand the organization, hire new employees, give bonuses, and upgrade personal desktop computers and laptops. The impact will be more purchasing power and more capital. The cloud computing infrastructure gives more freedom to Riordan. This allows them to work without diving into heavy software, licensing fees, or spending big money on hardware. Additionally, the direction no matter if it is the OS, email client, or software can all be customized. It would not be a problem for the organization to just suddenly change their mind about their cloud. What Riordan really gets out of this business venture is the two most valuable things in the business world; time and money. The cloud makes the acquisition of these two valuable elements to be made fairly quickly. Riordan will profit from Cloud Computing because they are willing to take the necessary steps to evolve with the chances of technology. Egnyte is going to integrate all the aspects of Riordan Publishing Company into one location; making it easy for all employees, authors, editors, and artists to collaborate with one another in a single place; the cloud. Acquiring and Maintaining Egnyte Riordan determined changes were needed to improve performance, communication, and time management throughout all locations of the company. This was decided after making a business process management plan. Riordan researched the benefits and risks of converting to cloud computing. After determining cloud computing would enable the company to improve communication, data storage, and enhanced project management; Riordan needed to decide on the best way to convert to the new system. Riordan chose to use the direct cutover conversion process. Riordan established a project management strategy that helped the company better understand their budgets, time constraints, tools, skills, and techniques; this gave the company insight on how to improve these areas with Egnyte’s Cloud Computing application. Next, Riordan began training employees on this new system; showing the employees the different enhancements that Egnyte offered, and ways to deal with issues that may arise from the conversion. Riordan also designed an IT strategy to ensure that all areas of the company understood the company’s end goal. The one risk in cloud computing that Riordan needed to address was securing their data. They adapted a Third Party Key Management System to deliver an added step in securing their data. The key management system that Riordan decided to choose was Vormetric Data Security. Riordan believes that when all areas of the company work closely with the IT division, then the company will run efficiently. This will allow employees to focus on other areas in the company that require employees’ attention. Strategic Role Cloud Computing will innovate and produce business growth for Riordan Publishing Company. This will be a hybrid cloud that contains software-as-a-service allowing Riordan to efficiently communicate, share  data, and reduce costs. Once the system is in place, the employees are trained, and all departments are fine tuned to the needed adjustments regarding the cloud; allowing the company to focus on the accelerating projects, collaborating with colleagues, strengthening relationships with distributors, and most importantly discovering new talent. One area that is overlooked because of time restrictions is unknown writers that submit unrequested manuscripts that are placed in a pile called â€Å"slush† pile. The benefits of Engyte’s Cloud service include: â€Å"the ability to access new technology, faster application development, available expertise in special skills, faster responses to business demands, and flexibility in IT peaks and valleys.† Employees, authors, aspiring writers, editors, and artists can easily communicate with video conferences; while viewing information about an active project no matter the office location. (Andriole, S.J., 2012) This conversion will essentially allow for cost reduction that could be used to scout for new clients; which opens up more doors of opportunities with the cloud through chat groups and communities, implement new design tools, improve promoting tactics, update to the newest material for the production of the books, and implementing the policy of bringing your own device to work. This policy is possible because employees and all other persons involved in the company can connect through devices such as smart phones, laptops, thin clients, and tablets. This can reduce the cost of purchasing devices for the company, and allows the company the ability to give incentives for participation. References Andriole, S. (2012). Seven Indisputable Technology Trends that will define 2015. In Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Vol.30, pp. P 61-72). Laudon, Kenneth. C., Laudon, Jane. P. (2013). Essentials of Management Information Systems (10th ED.). : Prentice Hall. http://www.egnyte.com/corp/plan_pricing.html http://www.pwc.com

Nationalism Essay -- Patriotism Pride Essays

Nationalism I'm sure everyone remembers the Gulf War a few years ago. This war lasted for several months and drew everyone to the television and to newspapers to find out what was happening now to all the Americans over seas. Many people found their loved ones leaving. They were in the military and were called to defend their country. This is a sign of nationalism in itself, however, something that was closer to home for me was a tiny yellow ribbon. These yellow ribbons were seen everywhere. They were placed on tree trunks, on peoples front doors, pinned on to peoples clothing, and displayed on peoples cars. These yellow ribbons were a sign to let those people in the Gulf know they were loved and missed and that we were praying for their safe return. This is nationalism. We had all those people over in the Gulf in our thoughts even those we did not know. Nationalism or patriotism can be defined as a sense of belonging or a sense of pride to one's nation among a group of people. Nationalism includes feeling of loyalty to their nation, pride and a desire for independence. Nationalism can be experienced under a state which is a political unit that has essential elements such as people, land, government or independence or among a nation which is people sharing a common identity such as the Palestinians and the old Soviet Union. Nationalism has many different aspects to it, common bonds, and different symbols to represent it. Nationalism has not always existed. Years ago loyalty was to a tribe or ruler. Since then, the idea of loyalty has switched and the focus is now on a broader picture. There are four common bonds to nationalism. The first common bond is common territory. You tend to feel a close bond with people fr... ...and Ghana. The British went into India, the gem of Asia, and dominated their markets. The British took from the Indians and sold their goods for more money. The last consequence of nationalism are Wars of National Liberation. These wars have gone on for many years, and have caused many people to loose their lives for their country. The bonds of nationalism may, in fact, "bond" us together as a nation. The symbols of nationalism may allow us to occasionally think of nationalism. We may be able to think of the consequences, but we may not feel that these consequences are very important or ever occur. The fact is that all of these consequences, symbols, and bonds, reflect who we are as people. People die to defend other people of their nation. They fight to keep us safe and united. We need to keep things such as yellow ribbons and think about what we are all about.

La Belle Dame sans Merci By John Keats Essay

â€Å"La Belle Dame sans Merci† is a poem written by John Keats who was a romantic poet. The first three stanzas of this poem are spoken by the narrator who is talking to the poet, asking him why he’s wondering by himself and looks so sad. He addresses the poet as â€Å"wretched Wight† roaming outside, all alone. The narrator who’s out in the countryside talks about the night and the surroundings what it’s like presently. There are no sedges or birds in the trees. Everything seems to be complete as the harvests are done which marks the end of the year and the fact that there are no leaves tells us it is autumn too which is a time of the year when it seems as though all forms of life have come to an end. Out of curiosity he asks the poet what is wrong with him. The rest of the poem is the poet’s reply. The poet tells us that he saw an extremely beautiful lady somewhere as in the line â€Å"I met a lady in the meads, full beautiful, a fairy’s child†. The poet further describes the lady. He says that she was so beautiful and graceful that she couldn’t have been a human. With such long hair and the grace as she had, she had to be a fairy’s child though her eyes seemed to be wild† or â€Å"disturbed†. The poet makes her sit on his horse and in her presence, sees nothing else as in the line â€Å"I set her on my pacing steed and nothing else saw all day long†. She sings a song of such music and melody that’s it’s definitely not human. A place where there seemed to be no sound of birds is now enchanted by music. The music is not ordinary music or song but that of a fairies and the immortal as in the line â€Å"for sideways would she lean and sing a fairy’s song†. The fairy in this poem represents the poetic inspiration which inspires poets and artists to write and compose. Without this they feel that they are good as dead. The poetic inspiration casts poets into a delightful mood out of which they are able to compose their poetry. It changes a poet’s life when it enters it by brightening it up and leaves it in a nasty way. Just the way poetic inspiration can change the life of a poet when it enters the previous picture of dull and lifelessness also brightens up when the lady is mentioned. In the third to fifth stanza the poet describes the experience in the presence of the lady and the poetic inspiration which are alike. The poet under the â€Å"spell† composes poetry with â€Å"words† as though decorating the fairy that seems to enjoy him poetry [decoration] very much and urges him to continue. He seems to be enjoying all the sensual pleasures which are of taste, sight, music, fragrance and touch. In the lines â€Å"she found me roots of relish sweet and honey wild and manna dew†, the words â€Å"relish sweet†, â€Å"honey wild†, and â€Å"manna dew†, symbolize or express rather, the pleasures experienced by the poet while writing poetry. In the next stanza we find key words which tell us something about the lady. In the lines â€Å"and there she gazed and sighed deep and there I shut her wild sad eyes so kissed to sleep†, the words â€Å"sighed deep† and â€Å"wild sad eyes† tell us that the lady is not happy about something and that she too is troubled over something. The lady who happens to be a fairy, one that belongs to the world of the immortal cannot stay with a person for long. This is because she is from a different world and so after a period of time she must desert the person no matter what and this is what has caused her grief. Even the best of men this world can offer, kings and warriors are no math and she must leave them all. In the same way, the poetic inspiration cannot stay with one person for a long time. It must move on and go to other people and inspire them to compose as well. In the next stanza we see how the poet tries to enjoy his few moments of ecstasy at the most and dream even if it’s on the cold hill side. The poet knows that he too, like those before him will be deserted. In the next stanza he describes his dream, or rather nightmare in which he sees the people who have already been deserted by the lady and become severely ill their life to them was as good as death. Without the fairy that they loved, they had nothing to live for. In the same sense the poetic inspiration allows poets to do what they love to do i.e. write poetry but once that is taken away, so is their ability of composing and they loose interest in life. The men are left with starved lips and pale faces with nothing worth living for. And when the poet wakes up, he find himself in the same situation and all alone on the cold hill side. And so the poet tells the narrator that he had been deserted by the one he loved most and it didn’t really matter what time of the year it was because his life was as good as death.

By Reference to three poems in the ‘Tracks’ anthology Essay

In the poems ‘Not My Best Side’, ‘Reports’, and ‘You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly’, U.A Fanthorpe explores the theme of authority through the often satirical analysis of her observations and experiences within society. Fanthorpe uses her poetry as a way of expressing her feelings and opinions, and we can learn a great deal about her attitudes towards authority by reading and analysing the three poems chosen. Each poem shows a different aspect of the way authority affects people, and it becomes clear when reading the poems Fanthorpe’s belief in the ability of power and authority to corrupt people who possess it, and suppress people under it. In the first poem, â€Å"Not My Best Side’, Fanthorpe uses parody to look at the way people are stereotyped by authority according to their gender or status, and challenges their conventional representation within society. She succeeds in doing so by taking three separate characters (each represented by a different stanza), and giving them very different personalities and characteristics to what typical society would expect, and, indeed, what authority has forced upon them. Fanthorpe used Uccello’s painting of St George and the Dragon as a source of inspiration: â€Å"I thought it might be interesting to find voices for characters conventionally seen as good, bad or helpless.† Fanthorpe chose this painting because it portrays mythological characterisations very clearly, and Fanthorpe wished to challenge these typical ‘fairytale’ stereotypes. Fanthorpe has attempted to emphasise a point that authority does not allow enough individuality and simply expects people to conform to pre-conceived opinions of how someone should behave, based on their gender or the position society has placed them in. The poem begins with the conventionally ‘bad’ character, the Dragon, speaking. In this part of the poem Fanthorpe attempts to show the dragon as an articulate and understanding character, as opposed to the fierce and evil character that he is traditionally expected to be. The dragon appears to be upset about the way he is shown in Uccello’s painting, as he believes that he has been portrayed in such a way as to make him seem weak and easily conquered. â€Å"Why, I said to myself, should my conqueror Be so ostentatiously beardless?† The dragon feels that he has been made to look inferior to the very young-looking St George by Uccello, in order for the painting to portray the traditional idea that ‘good’ (St George) always triumphs over ‘evil’ (the dragon). However, in this poem, the dragon appears to be a considerate, caring character, and in no way ‘evil’. He seems to have accepted the fact that he has (unfairly) been stereotyped as ‘bad’, but is upset that in addition to being shown by Uccello as evil, he has also been shown to be defenceless. â€Å"I don’t mind dying Ritually, since I always rise again, But I would have liked a little more blood, To show they were taking me seriously.† The dragon is of the opinion that he has been unfairly represented in this painting, as his character has been stifled in all aspects of his character. He wasn’t even shown to have a dramatic death, and there was little to blood to signify the defeat of such a (supposedly) malicious character. Although upset, the dragon realises that he has no opinion in the way he is portrayed in the painting, or in fact the whole of society, and therefore concedes to the pressure that has been placed on him to be the conventionally bad character. â€Å"Poor chap, he has this obsession with Triangles, so he left off two of my Feet. I didn’t comment at the time, (What, after all, are two feet to a Monster?)† Despite the fact that Uccello left off two of his feet was because the art at the time of the painting was experimenting with drawing in 3D, and the dragon’s feet were left off by accident, Fanthorpe cleverly uses the mistake to make a very valid point that however the character (the dragon in this case) is in actuality, the characterisations that are placed on them by authority are still always prioritised when people are judging the person, causing their individuality to be lost. The next character Fanthorpe chooses to explore is that of the stereotypically ‘helpless’ character, the maiden. In Uccello’s painting, she is depicted as a pale-faced, frail, ‘damsel in distress’. However, in Fanthorpe’s poem, these perceptions are totally contradicted. The maiden appears to be a very independent, pro-active, calculating individual. The maiden begins her monologue by stating that she does not actually want to be rescued, breaking the stereotype immediately. At the time that Uccello painted this image, women were highly pressured within society to marry the person they were made to marry. However, in this poem, the maiden seems to prefer the dragon to St George. â€Å"It’s hard for a girl to be sure if She wants to be rescued. I mean I quite Took to the dragon.† The fact that the maiden would have the audacity to make a statement like this would be shocking, as women in medieval society were expected to conform to the instructions they were given. Fanthorpe also uses sexual innuendo as a way of showing that the maiden is not as innocent as she appears. â€Å"He made me feel he was all ready to Eat me. And any girl enjoys that.† By using this, Fanthorpe makes a statement that the apparently virgin maiden is not actually as innocent as Uccello makes her appear to be, and that women have as much right to sexual freedom and free thought as men do, and are not as naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve or helpless as authority would like to make them. The final part that Fanthorpe chooses to make in this stanza is that the maiden is very independent and focused on her future. Although the thought of being rescued by the young St George is not a desirable one, she still agrees to him rescuing her, as she knows that the long term prospects of going with St George outweighed the ones of staying with the dragon. â€Å"The dragon got himself beaten by the boy, And a girl’s got to think of her future.† By showing the pro-active attitude of the maiden, Fanthorpe accentuates the fact that women can be as manipulative and as independent as men, and that they are not simply ‘trophies’ for men, but intelligent, business minded people. Although she prefers the dragon, she concedes to being rescued by St George, not because she want to be with him, but because she feels it would enable her to achieve this she could not with the dragon. Despite conventionally bein portrayed as a brilliant individual, and the patron saint of England, in the final stanza of this poem, St George appears far from a saintly figure. Fanthorpe has chosen to make St George arrogant and inconsiderate. In doing this, Fanthorpe reveals her own critical voice, and emerges as a highly feminist character. St George appears, from the start of his monologue, as very puerile and boastful. â€Å"My horse is the latest model with Automatic transmission and built in Obsolescence.† St George makes a big deal of showing off his state of the art gadgets, showing how important he is. I feel Fanthorpe has included this because she wanted to emphasise the fact that men often adopt an egotistical attitude over women, and flaunt their superiority by the amount of materialistic possessions they have. As we continue to read the stanza, St George’s attitude changes from that of exhibition to one of arrogance and selfishness. He believes that his ‘inferiors’ should conform to the roles that they have been given to them in society. â€Å"Don’t you want to be killed and/or rescued In the most contempory way? Don’t You want to carry out the roles That sociology and myth have designed for you?† By including this, Fanthorpe has succeeded in proclaiming the fact that men are seen as the absolute authority when it comes to judging how a person should act or behave within society, and men have gradually inherited the attitude of superiority over women, which will take a long time to rectify. The poem ends with an emphatic statement of Fanthorpe’s perception of male attitudes towards women. St George’s real, self-centered personality is revealed when he ends his monologue with these words. â€Å"What, in any case, does it matter what You want? You’re in my way.† Fanthorpe’s opinion of men in societal authority is truly revealed in these final lines. St George is only interested in his image, and he gives no consideration for the other characters in the poem (the maiden and the dragon), and he simply wants to increase his reputation. This point can be related to wider society, where men will not listen to the opinions of women, and do not consider their ideas, as they are not seen as worthy of a voice. Quintessentially, ‘Not My Best Side’ is a poem that has been written in order to make the point that societal authority’s expectations do not allow individuality, as people are placed under so much pressure to comply to the particular parameters forced upon them, involuntarily, by factors out of anyone’s control, such as gender. Similarly to ‘Not My Best Side’, the poem ‘You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly’ explores the theme of authority. However, in this instance, U.A Fanthorpe chooses to ridicule the process of attending a job interview. She uses this setting to challenge the authority of the interview panel to make judgements about people’s lives based on prejudices or pre-conceived ideas. The title of the poem, ‘You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly’ immediately indicates that the applicant failed to get the job because the phrase is clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d as a polite let down at the end of an interview. In my opinion, this phrase may also have been placed as the title of the poem because Fanthorpe is attempting to show the reader that the candidate was not going to be successful in getting the job, no matter how successful the interview went. The poem is an ongoing monologue, with new stanzas beginning after the response of the applicant. From the beginning of the poem, it become clear that the interview panel possess a range of prejudices towards the candidate. These appear to have already influenced the panel enough for them to decide that the applicant is not suitable for the job, and it seems as though the interview is being carried out simply as a formality, which must be endured by the applicant. It is evident that the candidate’s answers are seen as insignificant by the interviewing panel from the very beginning, as their response to the panel’s questions are not included. I believe Fanthorpe has done this to show that the candidate is voiceless when in an interview, and to display the pointlessness of interviews, when the outcome has been decided before the interview even takes place. The only way we have of knowing the answer to the interviewer’s questions are by making an educated guess from the response of the panel, which, in most cases, is a single, unenthusiastic phrase such as â€Å"Ah† or â€Å"indeed† It is clear that the interviewers have no interest in the person’s justifications for why they are suitable for the job; they simply make impertinent comments on the information displayed on their application form. â€Å"Let us consider your application form† This quote from the poem shows the disinterest in the actual person, and more interest on their class, gender, and other factors displayed on their application form. The panel spend little time discussing the candidate’s â€Å"impressive† qualifications, and almost immediately moves on to focus on the negative aspect of them, and their possible use within the job for which the applicant is applying. The candidate is asked to justify the use of their qualifications very early in the interview. â€Å"Would you care to defend their [the applicant’s qualifications] relevance?† This would succeed in belittling the applicant, particularly when the interviewer’s response to their well though out answer is a sceptical â€Å"indeed† After the polite, (if inhospitable) beginning to the job interview, the meeting soon descends into a personal battering of the applicant’s self esteem by the authoritative figure of the interviewer. The first matter the interviewing panel broaches is the age of the applicant. â€Å"Perhaps you feel able to make a comment about that, Too? We are conscious ourselves Of the need for a candidate with precisely The right degree of immaturity† These comments, although ‘sugar-coated’ by the authoritative figure, succeed in alienating the candidate, and forcing them into assent. We can tell that the interviewee has been pressured into agreeing with the panel from the interviewer’s response after the applicant’s unheard comments. â€Å"So glad we agree† This indicates that the interviewing panel has repressed the candidate so much that they have simply begun to agree with the rhetoric statements made by the interviewer. Fanthorpe has included this to show that in wider society, authority influences people to conform to its rules and ideas, and does not allow free though or speech. Also, Fanthorpe has arisen the point that authoritative figures abuse the power they have been given, and this leads to corrupting the individual in possession of the power. In the next stanza, the interviewer reveals another prejudice; that of the looks of the applicant. The panel is very rude during this stanza: â€Å"You do appreciate this work involves Contact with the actual public? Might they, Perhaps, find your appearance Disturbing?† This reveals the blunt, inconsiderate nature of the interviewing panel, and, in Fanthorpe’s opinion, the whole of society. The interviewing panel has succeeded in making the candidate feel small, simply because of the way they are, and I believe that Fanthorpe is trying to illustrate a point that sexism, racism, ageism and other prejudices succeed constantly in repressing often valuable members of society into conforming to authority’s ideals. In the next stanza, the interview panel seem to fire a barrage of questions at he applicant about their background, particularly their accent. Fanthorpe uses the clever technique of making one of the interviewers ‘accidentally’ use the wrong phrase, to deliver a highly offensive insult. â€Å"Were you educated? We mean, of course, Where were you educated?† This is a comical way of accentuating the prejudice the interview shows when choosing a suitable candidate to take the job. The accent an applicant has obviously influences the choice a lot, although in actuality, the accent of a person has no effect on their intelligence. The panel were evidently considering the reactions of people using their company, who may think that they employ people of a lower intellect, which would make the company look sub-standard. This shows the way that people within society automatically judge others on the way they speak, as the panel simply assumed the candidate had little education because of their accent. In the final stanza, the interview descends yet further into a sequence of offensive statements. The rhetoric questions have ceased, and the true nature of an interview, in Fanthorpe’s eyes, is revealed; a pointless meeting aimed purely at belittling the applicant, and enforcing authority’s stance on society. In this stanza, it becomes implicit that the candidate is female, as the interview panel focus strongly upon family background. â€Å"Married, children, We see. The usual dubious Desire to perpetuate what had better Not have happened at all.† The fact that the candidate was asked about her family would tend to indicate that the applicant is female, as the panel would then begin to worry about the children, and whether they would need looking after. This may be a problem for the company. The panel are also rude to the applicant in this part of the poem, as they insinuate that they cannot understand why the applicant would even consider having children, when, in fact, it would be better for the world if the candidate had never been born. The poem ends emphatically, with the satirical statement â€Å"And you were born-? Yes. Pity.† This is a witty use of word play by Fanthorpe. The interviewer is actually asking when the applicant was born, but in the absence of any dialogue, it seems as though the interviewer is saying that it is a pity that the candidate was born. With this final stanza, particularly the final line, I feel Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that authoritative figures are of the opinion that anybody who does not fall within their ideals should not even exist. In conclusion, the poem ‘You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly’ is a poem aimed at bringing into relief the discrimination that has been ingrained into society. Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that certain people, particularly women, are considered as useless, and are seen as undeserving of a voice within society by authoritative figures. She successfully proves that people of authority exploit the power they have over the masses, by belittling them, and repressing them to such an extent that they are forced to conform. Authority makes judgement on people not by the way they are individually, but base their judgements on factors that are not, in actual fact, of any relevance. In the poem ‘Reports’, Fanthorpe offers yet another aspect to the role of authority and the way authoritative figures exploit people within society. In this instance, the poem is a simulated conversation between an older, more experienced teacher, and a newer teacher, focusing on the ‘correct’ way to write a school report. Fanthorpe has deliberately written the report very cynically, in an attempt to portray authoritative figures as cold and impersonal. In the final stanza, the poem adopts a tone of irony, when Fanthorpe compares the reports we receive at school to the way we live our lives. Being a former teacher herself, Fanthorpe would have known the perils of report writing, and likewise would have known the attitudes that some teachers take towards who they see as their inferiors, the pupils. Fanthorpe’s reason for leaving the teaching profession was that â€Å"I saw that the power was having a negative effect on me.† This shows Fanthorpe’s negative opinions on the authority that teachers have, and the way some of them abuse it. The poem contains several short stanzas, using short, snappy phrases, which all make a separate point. In the first of these, there is a fundamental warning to teachers about the language they should use. The teacher writing the report is advised to use dull phrases so that the report does not generate any unwanted interest or complications from parents. â€Å"Don’t give them anything To take hold of. Even Pronouns are dangerous.† The teacher is being warned not to use pronouns because the teacher may mistake the gender of the pupil, therefore exposing the teacher’s lack of knowledge of individual pupils; essentially, the report could be given to any student. The next stanza focuses on the impersonal nature of the reports once again, when Fanthorpe implies that the good pupils are not necessarily known from the bad. â€Å"The good have no history†¦ Satisfactory should satisfy them.† This stanza is included, I feel, to illustrate the fact that the good students are often ignored while the teacher is attempting to control the more disobedient pupils. This would mean that the teacher would have very little knowledge of the pupil, and therefore would not know, in actual fact, whether the pupil was good or not. The teacher is advised, instead of using ‘good’, to use a more universal phrase; ‘satisfactory’. By using ‘safe’ phrases such as this, teachers guard themselves from provoking high expectations from parents and higher authorities. Stanza 3 makes another point about the way reports are depersonalised by the teachers. The teacher writing the report is advised to use terms that can relate to any pupil: â€Å"Fair and quite good, Multi-purpose terms, By meaning nothing, Apply to all.† This shows the way teachers make reports appear personal, but are actually simply using universal terms that could relate to a range of students. The reason the teacher has chosen to do this is to prevent any unwanted backlash from parents. In the first three stanzas, I feel that Fanthorpe is proclaiming that the authoritative figure does not see the people placed under their authority as individuals, but as a large group. This emphasises the fact that authority causes the identity and individuality of a person to be lost. The teachers in this poem are also aware of the need to make themselves look as though they are not to blame for the pupil’s problems at school. â€Å"Unmanageable oaf cuts both ways. Finds the subject difficult, Acquitting you, Converts oaf into idiot, usher to master.† Such phrases as ‘Unmanageable oaf’ reflect badly on the teacher, and suggests that the teacher may not be able to cope. To avoid this, the teachers use clever euphemisms to make it seem as though it is the pupil failing, and not the teacher. This illustrates the exploitation of the teacher’s authority over their pupils. The next stanza warns that people will try to read into the reports, so they must remain as simple as possible, to avoid any complications. â€Å"Set them no riddles, just Echo the common-room clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½: Must make more effort.† The teachers are acutely aware of the need to keep the reports similar, as this will avoid confusion. Using common phrases such as ‘Must make more effort’ means that the parent, head and child accept the report, and they will not feel compelled to question the report further. Although the poem is based around teacher’s relationships with pupils, in the final stanza, Fanthorpe uses school as a metaphor for life. â€Å"Remember your high calling: School is the world.† Fanthorpe uses irony to indicate that the way we live our lives is similar to our school reports. â€Å"Born at Sound beginning We move from satisfactory To fair, then Find The subject difficult, Learning at last we Could have done better.† In this final part of the stanza, I feel that Fanthorpe is attempting to make a statement that during life, you endeavour to be the best you can be, but ultimately realise that the decisions you have made may not have been the right ones. Moreover, she may be trying to make the point that one is pushed into inconspicuousness by authority, which causes one to feel disappointed, and insignificant. In the poem, we have no way of knowing whether Fanthorpe is referring to herself, or people in general, but the slightly bitter tone in the final three lines, and, indeed, the final stanza, is evident. â€Å"Stone only, final instructor, Modulates from the indicative With rest in peace.† By this, Fanthorpe means that the only time that we avoid the ‘report’ system of life is when we die, and our epitaph is inscribed onto our grave. To conclude, the poem ‘Reports’ is illustrating the way that teachers depersonalise pupils, in order to prevent problems for them. The pupils are seen as one whole state, and the fact that the education system does not allow individuality leads to a sense of disappointment later on in life. This shows that individuals are repressed by society, and do not feel able to follow their own paths, as they are constantly being grouped with others. Quintessentially, the poems ‘Not My Best Side’, ‘You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly’, and ‘Reports’ all emphasise that UA Fanthorpe believes that power corrupts, and that people of authority usually use it to their advantage, to belittle others or to make them feel sub-standard. It is also clear that Fanthorpe believes that authority within society leads to depersonalisation of a character, and the stifling of individuals into conformity.

How to Share Your Marketing Calendar With Read-Only Views

How to Share Your Marketing Calendar With Read-Only Views Keeping the right people in the know AND still maintain control over your marketing calendar can be a real challenge. We hear you! That is why we want to tell you all about our new Read-Only View from ! Read-Only View allow you to create custom views of your calendar and give your team or clients only the details they need. Additionally, this new feature eliminates any need to pay for additional users or worry about  accidental deletions or changes in your calendar. Watch the demo below to learn how Read-Only View works! Watch this: How To Easily Share Your Marketing Calendar With Read-Only View In this demo, learn how to: Keep higher-ups â€Å"in the know† sans static screenshots (or other weird workarounds). With Read-Only View, you can create custom views of your calendar that are interactive, update in real-time, AND give your team the details they need (nothing more, nothing less). And eliminate unwanted edits to your projects!  When you share a Read-Only View with someone outside your calendar, they can only look at your projects †¦no edits, finger flubs, accidental deletions, or moving around your carefully planned marketing campaigns allowed. Want more information? Check out our Help Doc on  Share Read-Only Views.

Role of Bank Capital Essays

Role of Bank Capital Essays Role of Bank Capital Essay Role of Bank Capital Essay Introduction The main aim of this report is to identify the key roles played by bank capital in the banking business. This report briefly outlines the main functions of bank capital and takes a brief look at the benefits of bank capital to the bank and the banking industry. It is hoped that from reading this paper a general understanding of the roles of bank capital in the banking business can be gained. Bank Capital A banks capital also known as equity is the margin by which creditors are covered if the banks assets were liquidated. A bank must hold enough capital to protect lenders and depositors from losses and also allow the bank to meet its customer requirements. Banks must maintain capital levels equal with the amount of risks assumed and hold enough to weather severe and considerably long financial storms. Roles of Bank Capital Banks are susceptible to many forms of systematic risk which at times can evolve into industrial crisis. The risks they face include credit risk, market risk, business risk and interest rate risk to name a few. And bank capital plays an essential role in the absorption of losses related to these risks. Credit Risk Credit risk is the risk that an obligator will not make future interest payments or principle repayments when due and is the main risk faced by banks, considering how large global financial markets are and the proportion of transactions that may be at risk. Credit risk tends to vary with the business cycle as initial rapid expansion results in falling spreads, and a decline in credit widening spreads with banks being hit by large loses as the spread widens. Banks are taking on more diverse forms of lending including direct finance, margin lending, over the counter derivatives transactions with the high number of potential defaults in these areas exposing them to large amounts of counterparty risk. There is also credit risk involved with futures brokerage involving intermediaries and the substantial credit risks from settling foreign exchange contracts which are often underestimated. Credit risk also may exist in credit derivatives and asset securitization transactions. To protect themselves banks need to identify the type of credit risk correctly, price it accurately and maintain adequately high amounts of capital in both good times and bad times. Market Risk Capital also protects banks against market risk. This is the risk associated with the movements and volatility in market prices which can cause large swings in bank profitability. Continuous changes in technology and market creativity are resulting in ever changing financial products and market risks making evident a relationship between markets that we had previously thought of as unrelated. These unpredictable changes require banks to maintain strong capital levels especially with the period a bank has to alter its risk profile becoming shorter due to greater competition. Business Risk Capital also provides a cushion against exposures to elements that can impact on the firms’ activities and may result in the bank losing ground relative to its competitors or failing to earn a market rate of return. Bank capital is a crucial aid in relation to operational risk which may result in loss by a bank of its critical business operations due to a disaster such as loss of a communications system which can lead to fraud or processing errors. With the continuing diversification of banking, the growing concentration of the crucial payments, the fast pace of financial innovation and settlements, the importance of operational risk is rising and bank capital becoming more crucial in this area. Liquidity Liquidity is the ability to fund increases in assets and meet obligations as they become due. Banks still play a crucial role as liquidity providers in the global economy especially during market shocks or economic turbulence. Adequate bank capital helps reduces liquidity risk, that is, the risk that many depositors will request withdrawals beyond available funds. Banks have managed the general expected liquidity demands since the beginning of the banking business with occasional mismatches exposing banks to interest rate risk, which is the risk that the bank will become unprofitable if rising interest rates force it to pay relatively more on its deposits than it eceives on its loans. Normally this risk can also be managed easily by hedging interest rate changes by the use of derivative instruments. However unanticipated system wide shocks result in a greater demand for liquidity and are far more difficult to deal with. At such times significant liquidity demands emerge from both a banks asset and the liability side. Refinancing short-term debt in the money markets is liabili ty related and off-balance-sheet exposures can unexpectedly come onto the assets side of the balance sheet. Therefore a bank must be prepared when there is a market wide scramble for liquidity and be able to manage funding challenges and unplanned asset expansions simultaneously by having sufficient bank capital. Promote economic growth A strongly capitalized banking sector also is better able to promote innovation, whether in the form of new products, new services or new distribution channels. Banks do not just hold capital to overcome distress, but also because it provides them with financial flexibility. Banks with a strong capital base can take advantage of growth opportunities. A strong banking sector made up of banks with strong capital bases, is better able to supply credit to businesses and fund investment opportunities that promise to encourage growth, create employment and contribute to a stronger economy. On the other hand a weak banking sector with banks unable to function effectively as risk intermediaries inevitably leads to inadequate credit and liquidity in financial markets and to banks that are unable to help boost the productivity of the economy. Clearly this has a grave social impact given the importance of credit and liquidity to the overall economy. Benefits of strong bank capitalization Well capitalized banks will be able to continue with there normal lending practices in the event of an economic shock and will not be forced to reduce their asset base. As well as this they are able to assist weaker banks through the provision of deposit insurance premiums. Sufficient excess capital reserves enable banks to enter into large ventures without having to raise new capital. Banks are not inclined to take on numerous high risk borrowers purely for the potential benefit of high returns as they are not desperately seeking profits to increase their capital base. Excess capital holds the benefit of avoiding high financing costs. An example would be a bank having to pay a high rate of interest on loans from other banks if the banks excess capital reserves are found to be insufficient. With fast-paced technological change predominately in the information systems area well capitalized banks are cushion from the enormous costs of, for example total system upgrades. Finally a banks reputation will suffer if the bank finds it difficult to meet the regulatory body’s capital requirements. Large banks wish to keep their good ratings and therefore have considerable high capital reserves because rating agencies make demands regarding the banks excess capital reserves as a condition for a high rating Conclusion The role of capital is to act as a buffer against future unexpected and even relatively remote losses that a bank may incur and be a source of liquidity. Because banks can both create demand deposits and provide credit they act as shock absorbers during times of turbulence providing safety to risk weary investors and liquidity to borrowers. The dramatic effects of weak banking systems can be seen in both developed and developing economies and the repercussions these have had on financial markets everywhere. Each occasion is a reminder of the need for strongly capitalized financial institutions. References Viney C 2007, McGrath’s Financial Institutions, Instruments and Markets, McGraw- Hill Mehta D, Fung H 2004, International Bank Management, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK Bacon F, Tai S, Shin, Suk H, Garg R 2004, Basics of Financial Management, Copley Publishing Company, Action, MA Berger A N, Herring R J, Szego G P 1995, The role of capital in financial institutions, Journal of Banking and Finance 19, Nos. 3-4. Diamond, Douglas W, Rajan R G 2000, A Theory of Bank Capital, The Journal of Finance, Vol. LV, no. 6

Helpling With Organization Skills in LD Students

Helpling With Organization Skills in LD Students Helping students with the organization is important. Organization skills are worthwhile life-long skills. Some people have a knack for great organization skills and some dont. Students with learning disabilities can benefit from the following strategies to help with organization. Helping the child to develop a routine will ultimately lead to organization success. The goal of the organization is to eliminate tardiness, forgetfulness, lack of preparedness and procrastination. These habits need to be eliminated and replaced with strategies to ensure the student is utilizing good organization skills. Once again, a consistent approach that is reinforced on a regular basis will be a tremendous help. A daily agenda or timetable should be with the student at all times during the school day and every effort should be in place to ensure that its used regularly.If you have extra texts, it would benefit the student to have a copy at home.Checklists to ensure that all steps or procedures are followed should be plain view.Give the student organizers - graphic organizers, checklists, subtitles, outlines etc. that assist with written work and assignments. Sample Agenda Type List PDFBreak down all items that are to be included in assignments and provide goals to be reached and ensure that checkpoints are in place.Teach the child how to highlight pertinent information and take notes that are meaningful.Communicate regularly about progress and strategies for improvement.Make sure that you have a positive home-school connection with the support needed to ensure success.Provide verbal prompts and cues to ensure the student is prepared. For example, ask the student what needs to be done on the given night. If he answers math, ask what is needed to complete the math. Help with verbal cues often which will eventually lead to the student reflecting back on whats needed. Sometimes a checklist stating what needs to be done and whats needed to do it is very helpful. At the end of each day, the child will ensure that both are complete.Some children have great organizational skills, however, many dont. Children need to be taught that everything has a place. Organization starts at home and there are many opportunities that parents can seize to help keep a child organized. Be sure that the child knows where his belongings go. Have a spot for books, toys, writing tools, collections etc. Remind the child where things go and how to create a home for belongings that dont yet have that special place.

The Human Resource Frame Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Human Resource Frame Paper - Essay Example In the case of a more complex situation such as an instructor working in multiple countries (Europe), where various laws may apply, a team may be assembled temporarily to solve the problem. This team would then disband when the issue has been resolved. Berlitz is applying the international management strategy - think globally, work locally. Interpersonal dynamics can hold numerous complexities because of the vast differences in not only personalities of the employees, but, in the case of Berlitz, in cultures. As discussed in McShane & Von Glinow (2005) if a person has worked with individuals from other countries or has been expatriated, that person knows how different the values, decision-making, behavior, and relations with one another can be. Individualism versus collectivism is mentioned in cross-cultural studies, along with power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and achievement nurturing. Berlitz shows on their Internet site, tips for each of the cultures the applicant is conside ring or new employees will be entering. This information is designed to ease the transition and ensure there is a good fit for the employee, the student, and the school when there are differences in background and/or culture. Since 2000 the company has expanded primarily through the use of the franchise concept, leaving the corporate offices to be the support arm for the core operations (Berlitz International, Inc., 2001). McShane & Von Glinow (2005) discuss the concepts of centralization versus decentralization, which have to do with company size and decision-making. Berlitz is a decentralized structure, which leads to the boss and subordinate interfaces being handled primarily at the language learning center rather than through corporate. Learning centers vary in size and staff makeup. Some centers are owner/operators while others are quite large with specialized areas found to be departmentalized such as children’s language programs, train the trainer departments, accounti ng, and sales. In the case of the language center this report is following, the boss subordinate interfaces could be intermittent, since the District Manager may handle the role for the Language Center Director. Employees may look to their peers or those employees with longer length of service for guidance on an informal basis. This is not a bad thing as long as that guidance coincides with what the District Manager and the Sales Manager may have in mind for the growth of the center. Since organizations and people need one another, the language center may have allowed informal interactions to replace formal interactions when it helps the organization and the employee (Bolman & Deal, 2008). The general philosophy for managing people is: â€Å"Berlitz is a member of the Benesse Holding Group, a leading Japanese provider of products and services for language/global leadership training, education and lifestyle. Berlitz’s management philosophy is based on five principles: Total c ustomer orientation; Open and active participation; A spirit of innovation and challenge; A superior business structure; Strategically oriented planning† (Berlitz Language, Inc., Management Team, 2011). From a Bolman & Deal (2008) human resource frame, this statement provides employees with a foundation of how management and the organization will serve them. Continuing with the employee value proposition: â€Å"

Critical Incidents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Critical Incidents - Essay Example Tutors are trained to handle the student population regardless of the high demands in the field (Tripp, 2012). Over the years, theories and case studies have been created to understand the challenges faced by tutors in the field. Some cases and incidences have been regarded as critical depending on the seriousness of the case. A critical teaching incidence is referred to incidences that significantly affect the teaching practice and influences a large population of the teaching practice (Oatey, 2002). Thesis This paper will analyze three different critical incidences. The paper will first include a case study that would explain each of the three critical incidences. The case study will include the reaction of both the tutors and the students. Additionally, the paper will analyze each case study with theories relating to the particular incidence. Critical incidence I: Trust between a teacher and a student based on student behaviour I have a student, student J, who constantly lies abou t what other children are doing. She spies on them all the time, almost most of the time I can tell she is bending the truth. I know brush of what she is saying and if other children complain about her lying, I usually just expect her to be telling a lie, I don’t usually take her word for anything without a witness. In this particular case, the tutor has a judgmental personality toward the student. In a normal scenario a tutor is not supposed to create an assumption on a student based on their past behaviour. In this case, the student has a weakness where they have to tell a lie about other students. This is a normal student weakness in an institution setting. In an argument by Gremler (2004) a student in an academic institution has at least a 5% probability of lying. This is a normal occurrence and characteristic in students that a teacher should focus on eliminating rather than creating judgment based on the behaviour. In this case, student J has a weakness of creating nega tive perceptions

Toxic hazards and Risk Asbestos Consumers Essay

Toxic hazards and Risk Asbestos Consumers - Essay Example (Pass, 2008)The paper shall look at the hazardous levels of this substance and how dangerous it is to the public. The reason why this chemical threat was chosen was that there are certain health related complications that can arise out of exposure to this substance. There are series of governmental and non governmental bodies that have addressed the issue of asbestos as a chemical threat today. For instance taking the example of EPA; the latter body has formed smaller groups to tackle the asbestos challenge and some of them include the Office of Air and Radiation Planning Standards. This Office is in charge of ensuring that air quality within the US is in order. This implies that the latter body is also in charge of the all the asbestos standards allowable in the atmosphere. Additionally, the Office of Prevention of Pesticides and Toxic substances is also accredited with the standards for training professionals exclusively in the field of asbestos. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration group is largely responsible for ensuring that workers are protected against asbestos use and that overall safety plans in various companies comply with regulations. Additionally, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry is largely responsible for ensuring that the public is informed about the risk of exposure to this product. It is also in charge of the health care concerns that can arise as result of exposure to asbestos. Consequently, as it can be seen from the latter agencies, the issue of asbestos as a hazard is a cause for concern given the fact that most of these agencies have been given task of dealing with it. (OSHA, 2008) Section 2 It should be noted that exposure to this chemical threat can present very severe consequences in terms of one's health. It may include any of the following categories of health threats; Mesothelioma Lung cancer Asbestosis Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that attacks the lining of sensitive organs in the body such as the heart, lungs, chest, abdomen etc. This form of cancer is particularly difficult to detect because most of its symptoms usually show up years after exposure. Lung cancer is also another health related concern and is one of the leading causes of death with regard to asbestos. This form of health complication usually attacks those people who work in asbestos rich areas such as mines, mills, constrictions etc. However, even the general public may be affected by it when air quality standards fall below par. When one suffers from lung cancer, they usually begin coughing, feeling chest pains, experiencing anemia and shortness of breath. (Pass, 2008) The other notorious health complication associated with exposure to asbestos is asbestosis. This is a disease of the lungs that is categorized as a long term one. Most of the people who suffer from this disease are those ones who inhale asbestos fiber. What happen is that the fibers lodge passages in the lungs and prevent the lung from fully performing its functions. When one is suffering from asbestosis, then they are likely to depict crackling sounds from the lungs, shortness of breath and inhalation problems, this form of attack is particularly detrimental owing to the fact that there are currently no know cures for the disease. In fact, the disease can lead to a very slow but painful death. All in all, when people are highly exposed

Systems Thinking and Constraint Management Part II Assignment

Systems Thinking and Constraint Management Part II - Assignment Example Until now, the difference I find between your organization and mine in the way they approach systems thinking has to do with the emphasis your organization but on people in making the system work, while we focus on the system in making the people work. Example of the system is the performance model used in my organization. Shireman, W. K. (1999). Business strategies for sustainable profits: Systems thinking in practice. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Syst. Res., 16(5), 453–462. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. Very readily, what I have learnt from your posting is that organizational growth is a continuous process, which requires that companies will constantly keep up with their efforts towards growth (Jacob, Bergland & Cox, 2010). This comes from the number of efforts I identify your company as putting in place to make systems solution work. To add to your thoughts however, I am of the opinion that it is time your organization focused on the organizational culture as a resource in itself and trying to make this work for the organization. This can be done by creating an organizational principle where each person is expected to function according to the business culture that prevails in the organization. Because the business culture is often set with the goals of the organization in mind, each person would then become a contributor towards constraint management because they will be acting not for themselves but for the larger organization (Shireman, 1999). already, I see a similarity betwee n your organization and mine in the way you emphasize on systems instead of people. It is for this reason that I believe this approach can work best for you. Shireman, W. K. (1999). Business strategies for sustainable profits: Systems thinking in practice. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Syst. Res., 16(5), 453–462. Retrieved from the Walden Library

The Roles of Computer Science Corporation in Homeland Security Assignment

The Roles of Computer Science Corporation in Homeland Security - Assignment Example In response to the letter, you wrote in regard to the private sector roles in Homeland security. I vindicate the following issues in reference to the above stated Company. Computer Science Corporation is a private firm that provides information technology (IT) services as well as professional services. Its headquarters are located in Virginia. The role of the Corporation to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has solely been on the provision of information regarding threats to cyber infrastructure. The advancement of the likely threats as well as the trends of emerging cyber threats to the country have in many occasions been availed by the company with the sole purpose of combating these threats. In addition, the corporation is also in partnership with other companies in various ISACs where they share information acquired through various sources. However, the company has faced numerous challenges. The quality of information received has been one of the major blows. Besides that, there have been legal constraints that have hampered sharing information since in case the information shared is flawed the corporation is likely to be used. In addition, the shareholders are skeptical in investing in incentives infrastructure that is not geared towards profit making. The DHS in collaborative effort should help in protecting companies in legal constraints that are related to situations where information availed is realized to be a flawed content. This will motivate various private entities in availing information without hesitation.

Software Architectures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Software Architectures - Essay Example Logic tier is associated with the manipulation of the data in use by the application. It is commonly referred to as the implementation of "business logic", the "brains" of the application. Presentation tier is associated with the displaying of the manipulated data on the screen. (Scott Rosenthal, 2007) In the beginning, all three functional tiers were located at the central server, the Mainframe. Users could access this centralized computer by the means of dumb terminals. Applications in which the three tiers are located at the user's local system are known as Desktop applications. The commonly used Microsoft Office application is an example of desktop application. The 1980s saw the advent of the popular two-tier, client-server architecture. In this arrangement the application running in the client machine interacts with the server, most commonly, a database management system. The client contains the presentation logic and the business rules. Thus making changes to the business rules caused changing and redistributing the application. This gave rise to the implementation of the three-tier architecture which visualized the separation of the presentation logic and the business rules. (Scott Rosenthal, 2007) Adopting of any particular architecture for a software application is based on what that a... It depends on the number of users trying accessing the application. Two-tire client-server architectures work fine if the number of users is expected to be low, less than 100 and when non-real-time information processing is required. Today, however, the increasing complexity of client/server applications, the sophistication of technologies available and access to the internet all contribute to the high performance demand of the application. The trend today, therefore, is evidently towards more complex three-tier architectures. Examples Today, the IS (information systems) organizations prefer to buy certain applications such as those for accounting and human resources instead of developing them themselves. The vendors of packaged enterprise software, such as SAP, Oracle etc. that make these applications have implemented them on three-tier client/server architectures because to them the sophistication of available technologies required a three-tier architecture to provide adequate performance. (Gill, 1998) The advent of internet giving rise to millions of users requesting for information processing and companies adding back-end databases have given rise to the adoption of three-tier architecture or conversion from two-tier to three-tier architecture in application development in order to provide the increased scalability needed. Today, over the internet, real-time information processing is required everywhere. Be it sending/receiving important e-mails for business purposes, playing online games with people in different parts of the world or even browsing for information for school assignments. This demand for real-time information processing has obligated the web application developers to

The Roles of Computer Science Corporation in Homeland Security Assignment

The Roles of Computer Science Corporation in Homeland Security - Assignment Example In response to the letter, you wrote in regard to the private sector roles in Homeland security. I vindicate the following issues in reference to the above stated Company. Computer Science Corporation is a private firm that provides information technology (IT) services as well as professional services. Its headquarters are located in Virginia. The role of the Corporation to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has solely been on the provision of information regarding threats to cyber infrastructure. The advancement of the likely threats as well as the trends of emerging cyber threats to the country have in many occasions been availed by the company with the sole purpose of combating these threats. In addition, the corporation is also in partnership with other companies in various ISACs where they share information acquired through various sources. However, the company has faced numerous challenges. The quality of information received has been one of the major blows. Besides that, there have been legal constraints that have hampered sharing information since in case the information shared is flawed the corporation is likely to be used. In addition, the shareholders are skeptical in investing in incentives infrastructure that is not geared towards profit making. The DHS in collaborative effort should help in protecting companies in legal constraints that are related to situations where information availed is realized to be a flawed content. This will motivate various private entities in availing information without hesitation.

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Economic - Essay Example In the next segment of the paper, the cause and benefits of Trans Pacific Partnership related to international trade agreements that has become the headline of The New York Times will also be examined. As per the reports of The Washington Post, the gasoline tax has been static at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993, as no Federal government has taken initiatives to increase the tax rate in last 20 years. However, as the oil price dropped by 40% in June 2014, many states considered reviewing the rate of the long-static federal gasoline tax. However, such increment in gasoline tax rate involves certain pros and cons as well as economic consequences (Ferguson 153). As per the newspaper report, the most important benefit that the US economy will experience from increasing gasoline tax can be attributed as the potential environmental benefits which may arise from decline in use of crude oil and gasoline. The rationale is based on the connotation that, in case of a higher tax on gasoline and its sub products, the citizen would opt for alternatives such as public transportation instead of personal car that will definitely bring social benefits in real sense. Moreover, as the total revenue obtained from gasoline tax is utilized in the Federal Highway Trust Fund, the Congress is planning to contribute the additional money accumulated from the incremented tax rate for the purpose of reducing budget deficit. The US government is also of the opinion that as increment in the US gasoline tax will encourage the citizen for using alternative sources of energy; such initiative will reduce dependence of US government on the largest foreign suppliers of crude oil, OPEC which in turn will bring higher stability in the entire American economy. According to the notion of Ex President, Mr. George W. Bush, high level of dependency in turn jeopardizes the economic growth to a

Belonging Essay Example for Free

Belonging Essay Belonging is about how one views their self and how one interacts with those around them. It colours who and what we are and how we fit into the world around us. People seek belonging for identity, relationships, acceptance, and understanding. Steven Herrick’s free-verse novel, ‘The Simple Gift’, effectively explores the notions of belonging through the protagonist’s journey. In a similar way, David Michod’s film ‘Animal Kingdom’ and Tim Winton’s short story ‘Neighbours’ both present protagonists that go through long journeys to find belonging through developing meaningful relationships and discoveringa sense of place. Steven Herrick’s free-verse novel ‘The Simple Gift’ clearly portrays that alienation and a lack of connection with people will lead to a lack of belonging. Immediately Herrick introduces the readers to Billy, a sixteen-year-old runaway who is alienated and isolated. Herrick implicitly displays that Billy’s father has abused him, which is the cause of his alienation. This is evident as Billy recounts how his father â€Å"gave me one hard backhander across the face, so hard I fell down†¦. And slammed the door on my sporting childhood. This metaphor allows readers to understand that his father’s abuse led to Billy’s disconnection to from normal childhood experiences, thereby not allowing him to ‘fit in’ and belong to society. Billy’s isolation from the community is reinforced as he leaves the neighbourhood throwing â€Å"one rock on the roof of each deadbeat no-hoper shithole lonely downtrodden house in Longlands Road, Nowheresville. † Colloquial adjectives and expletives make evident Billy’s feelings of disconnection and resentment towards his hometown, suitably named â€Å"Nowheresville† by Billy. It is from this place that Billy seeks escape, and so chapter one ends as he begins his journey towards belonging â€Å"on a speedboat out of town†¦ heading to the Waggawang Coalfields. † Herrick portrays that Finding a sense of place and meaningful relationships leads to belonging with Billy’s arrival in Bendarat where he is metaphorically and literally entering a new life. Although at first Billy is anxious, upon entering the town, he feels it brings a sense of hope for his future as he â€Å"walks slowly into Bendarat†¦with the sun finally lifting. Through this use of weather motifs and personification of the sun lifting the fog, hope and positivity are unveiled for Billy after a life of negativity and uncertainty. He finds â€Å"Bendarat is the perfect town† and he makes â€Å"carriage 1864 home. † Billy begins his movement as he finds a physical sense of place. While the town of Bendarat Billy begins to move towards belonging through meaningful relationships, when he meets Caitlin; a representative from the ‘other’ society from which Billy and Old Bill are hiding. Ironically, Caitlin has everything she wants, but is still discontent. She represents her family’s wealth, acknowledging that her â€Å"Dad is too rich for his own good. † Caitlin and Billy develop an immediate bond, as they are able to talk and listen to each other without judgment or prejudice. As they meet, the narrative perspectives begins to overlap, and the reader gains insight into Caitlin through her strong voice, suggested through the use of personal pronouns â€Å" I felt good†¦ I kept mopping. As their relationship develops, Billy finds meaning and purpose for his life as seen through this extended metaphor that Billy’s life has become â€Å"a circuit of plans with Caitlin at the centre, and me a badly-dressed satellite spinning crazily in her orbit. † With Caitlin in his life, Billy is centered and feels connectedness: she is someone to whom he can belong. Similarly, Billy begins to find belonging through a relationship with Old Bill; a h omeless alcoholic with a sad past. Through the use of superlative in Billy’s description of Old Bill as the â€Å"saddest man in the world† the reader understands that Billy and Old Bill have the chance to change each other’s lives through meaningful relationships. Old Bill is the catalyst for Billy’s movement towards belonging, just as Billy is able to help Old Bill re-entre society. Billy’s journey from alienation to belonging is completed as he enters with Caitlin into his new â€Å"home†, the tangible address that Old Bill offers them for their â€Å"simple gift†. The key to his home that Old Bill offers Billy is the most significant gift in the novel. This key is a motif symbolizing Caitlin and Billy’s joining together and entering a new life â€Å"I insert the key†¦ and push the door†. They enter this new life together. Ironically, Old Bill finally belongs again through moving away and experiencing freedom. For Billy and Caitlin, the ultimate connectedness comes through love making. The reader understands the significance of this moment through Billy’s use of a simile; â€Å"it was like falling headlong into clear waters of the Bendarat River’†. Billy finds a place to call home, a place to which he can belong, in Bendarat, where he forms his own family and in turn gives simple gifts to and helps other find their own sense of belonging. Like ‘The Simple Gift’, David Michod’s film ‘Animal Kingdom’ effectively explores the concept of belonging through its protagonist Joshua ‘J’ Cody, a teenage boy thrown into a world of crime after his mother dies of a heroin overdose. Similar to Billy, J is alienated due to family circumstances. It is J’s first person narrative voice over that draws us into the world of the Cody family. He speaks to us: â€Å"After my mum died this was just the world I was thrown into. † This way of having him speak to the audience, allows us to be a part of his search for belonging throughout the film. Michod also utilizes the animal motif throughout the entire film. It is established in the opening credits through the artwork that is shown through extreme close ups. The Cody family is a den of lions and J walks in as a cub â€Å"The weak survive when they are protected by the strong†. From the beginning of the film there are a number of times this motif recurs, but perhaps the most significant moment is the conversation where Detective Leckie tells J all about the bush and the creatures in it and says â€Å"you’ve gotta work out where you fit†. J’s journey throughout the film is a search for belonging within this ‘animal kingdom’. Although J needs to choose where he belongs, we see he does not really have a choice due to the Cody family constantly dragging him into their problems. Viewers clearly observe this when J is having dinner away from the Cody family and at his girlfriend Nicky’s house. The diagetic sound of the family having dinner fades out and the eerie and ominous music comes in, suggesting something negative and frightening. The camera shows a close up J’s face as he views the news on the television, emphasizing J’s fear of his family. J’s eyes are now glued to the television and the medium shot of him having dinner loses focus forcing the viewer to watch the television just like J. Camera shots are used in many other significant parts of the movie to display J’s slow journey to belonging. Long and medium shots often used to show Smurf kissing her sons, significant because the final shot of the film is a long shot of J holding Smurf in a position of authority over her because he has killed Pope. This symbolizes him becoming one of them and perhaps even suggests that within the animal kingdom he has taken his position as leader like Craig encouraged him to be at the start. J has finally found belonging with the Cody family as leader of the animal kingdom. Similar to the previous two texts, Winton’s short story ‘Neighbours’ begins with a young couple that is in a state of alienation â€Å"like sojourners in a foreign land†. Like ‘the Simple Gift’, the lack of understanding prevents meaningful relationships and therefore leads to alienation. ‘Neighbours’ opens with the young couple having just arrived in their new suburb. Winton chooses to tell the story in third person, creating a distanced and simplistic quality throughout. Leaving all characters nameless only to be referred to by generalized titles such as â€Å"the Macedonians†, â€Å"the Polish widower† and â€Å"the young couple† enhances the texts impersonal nature. This opens the story up so that anyone can see themselves in each of the roles allowing them to connect with the characters and storyline in a unique and powerful way resulting in Winton being able to effectively portray his message of belonging. Another element to the piece is ‘The 20th Century Novel’ a project ‘the man’ is working on for what could be a university extra honors degree, that soon becomes a reoccurring motif. The novel is a symbolic tool used to represent the abstract world of intellectuals; however its presentation becomes a contrast with the real world that the couple discovers within this suburb. As the story progresses Winton uses the seasons as the structure of the story and the young couple’s journey to belong. In Autumn the young couple plant vegetables to live on, by beginning this common activity to their neighbours the Macedonians feel comfortable enough to begin to bond and also offer the young couple help and give them a gift of garlic cloves. Like ‘The Simple Gift’, through small gifts and acts of kindness come understanding, building of relationships and belonging. This significant event marks the beginning of the couple’s path to belonging â€Å"the neighbours come to the fence and offer advice about spacing, hilling, mulching†. As winter began the young couple smile in return to their neighbours and receive a visit from their parents who they were once like. The juxtaposition of the parents and their children show how much the young couple have changed and begun to belong â€Å"They felt superior and proud when their parents came to visit. Their parents are in complete shock of the neighbours behaviour as they do not understand the beauty behind their lifestyle, this juxtaposes the young couples behaviour as they have accepted their neighbours behaviour and have begun to understand their lifestyle and see the beauty and freedom of it. The final significant experience for the couple is the unexpected pregnancy of the woman, followed by her natural home birth. Throughout the pregnancy the couple are constantly approached by well- wishers in the neighbourhood, presenting the ommunities acceptance of them despite any differences and joining them in the celebration of this impending birth. During the home birth of their child the couple unexpectedly experience both interest and support from their new neighbours, displaying their final connection as a community. The birth process is rich with descriptive language, highlighting not only the beauty and power of this moment but the final step in claiming their place in this community with this new life. Each of the moments experienced above are all highly natural, reflective of the traditional European culture they are now living amongst, forever making ‘The 20th century novel’ more redundant as the story progresses. The man is developing his understanding of the 20th century world however the one he really needed to understand to find his sense of belonging was the one surrounding him, â€Å"The twentieth century novel had not prepared him for this. † People seek belonging for identity, relationships, acceptance, and understanding. Steven Herrick’s free-verse novel, ‘The Simple Gift’, effectively explores these notions of belonging. Through Billy’s character, the reader sees that belonging comes when there is acceptance and understanding, especially through meaningful relationships and human connectedness. In a similar way, David Michod’s film ‘Animal Kingdom’ and Tim Winton’s short story ‘Neighbours’ both present protagonists that go through long journeys to find meaningful relationships and a sense of place to discover their own sense of belonging.