Discuss How the Concepts of ‘Race’ and ‘Ethnicity’ Essay

Australia is known for its multicultural society, but race and ethnicity are a huge factor of persistent racism and inequality in this country. The driving force behind this is the strong belief that some of the population still hold against people who appear different to themselves. To gain a clear understanding of this sensitive topic one must look at the origins, forms and effects of racism. This essay will look at how the concepts of ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’ perpetuate inequality in our society, a brief history of Australia in relation to racism and how people experience these inequalities today in a society that we call multicultural. Modern Australia was established as a ‘region of recent settlement’ in 1788 which was a small part of a larger process of European colonisation (Bessant & Watts, 2002, p. 219). They had a set of ideas, values and beliefs and assumed that aborigines had no system of land ownership, agriculture, animal husbandry. Indigenous people have been in Australia for more than 100,000 years (Bessant & Watts, 2002, p. 222). The White Australia Policy in the 20th century encouraged immigration only from Britain, but didn’t allow ‘Asians’ and ‘Non-whites (Economou N, 1998, p.363). By 1950’s people from all countries were allowed to migrate into Australia to help post war reconstruction. The colonial immigration saw a mass migration of European people mostly from Britain to Australia. It is said that between 1788 and 1852 approximately 170,000 people moved to Australia, and the gold rush era after 1851 made it a highly desirable country for migrating (Bessant & Watts, 2002, p. 231). By end of World War two, as war forced Australia to get closer to other countries, which resulted in the first significant weakening of the policy in 1951. Later in the 1950s and 1960s other parts of the White Australia Policy were gradually dismantled. By the 1970s the federal government had removed all racial restrictions from its immigration law (Bessant & Watts, 2002). Various writers have contradictory approaches and ways of looking at racism, making it a complex topic. It takes many different forms, ranging from physical violence to derogatory language. A person or group’s belief that their race is superior or inferior, or their moral and social traits are predetermined, based on biological differences can be termed ’racism’. A group of people sharing the same skin colour, same values, coming from the similar backgrounds may constitute as ’race’. One of the most common forms of racism found today is Institutional Racism, which stems from established corporations, and other powerful forces in society, thus making it hard to question and faces less public condemnation. Examples include housing, employment, businesses, education, religion and media (Healey, 2002). Typically, the basis of this type of discrimination is from irrational fear of people at the receiving end who belong to a different culture or ‘race’. Although, there have been ongoing debates about racism all around us for centuries, it is an assault on human rights as it methodically refuses people of different caste, colour, race, sex or their country of origin basic values underlined by Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which states that human rights are everyone’s birthright and apply to all without difference (Healey, 2002). Common perception of shared origins, culture, lifestyle and traditions amongst a group of people or society is the universal definition of ethnicity (Bessant & Watts, 2002). People can share the same nationality but have different ethnicities. A few writers have put forward fascinating explanations of ethnicity. Edward Shils in his ‘primordial approach’ argues that he believes everyone has a primordial attachment to their motherland, people and religion which brings out strong emotional ties by socialising, which further gives rise to the need to have a separate identity and belonging. Then the ‘Mobilisationist Approach’ suggests that nothing is predictable or normal about ethnicity. Rather, ethnic identities come into sight and are toughened in political contexts where groups struggle to get access to inadequate and valued resources (Van Krieken et al, 2000, p. 519). The basis of ethnocentrism is a conscious or unconscious belief that one’s ethnic group, culture, religion, custom or behaviour is superior to another ethnic group. Politicians boast that Australia is a multicultural, open and classless society. Despite the well known image of Australia’s everyone have â€Å"a fair go†, the country is still full of both institutional and popular racism. Education has always been very important when it comes to moving up in class and has been very liberating in Australian society. However, indigenous and ethnic groups have been somewhat disadvantaged in opportunities to acquire education. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics only five Indigenous Australians per 1,000 obtain tertiary qualification, compared to 70-80 per 1,000 for Anglo Australians. In the 1990s welfare, health care and education support for Aborigines accounted only to 2% of total budget outlay (ABS 2000:21). In order to receive an education a person requires an income, but to get an income one needs a job, and a job is challenging to find without an appropriate level of education. Therefore an individual’s chance of education is influenced by the socio-economic status of one’s parents which is a cyclic social inequality hard to break. Migrants and their children often find it challenging to adjust to the Australian school system as they often come from countries that have a poor education system, and even if they have tertiary qualifications they mostly are not recognised, resulting in them taking lower paid and lower status jobs. Working class children often attend schools in working class suburbs where pupils are directed into working-class jobs. A high number of students leave school early and the expectation that they will attend university is low. In comparison, upper-class children attend private schools, and the expectation that they will attend university is high. Migrants and ethnic groups are often at a lower end of the socioeconomic scale (Aspin, 1996, p. 87) Migrants arrive with little money and few skills. Already at a disadvantage with language barriers, migrants and ethnic groups are also faced with racism and discrimination in their search for employment. In 1996, One Nation political party leader Pauline Hanson made a speech that claimed that Australia was being overwhelmed by ‘Asians’ and feared that Asians were taking over jobs. The fact is that Asians at the time only accounted for 5% of total population and ‘there is little evidence to support the claim that high rates of immigration ‘cause’ unemployment or ‘cause’ Australians to lose their jobs’ (Bessant, 2002, p. 219). Indigenous people had a 24. 3% unemployment rate according to 1996 census (ABS 2000:23). Indigenous people are usually poorer than most non-indigenous Australians and receive a lower income on average than the total population. The household income for Aborigines in 1994 was $158 compared to $310 for white Australians (ABS 2000C:23) This also reflects the fact the there is a higher reliance by the Aboriginal population on social security payments (ABS 1996b: 122-4) Socioeconomic status is a major determinant of inequality as it influences access an individual has to the economic resources of a society. L. J. Aspin (1996) explains that white Australian-born males have a better chance of obtaining access to the resources of society. Inequality is also reflected in the differential access to housing and health services. For people who are paying rent and on a low income, it is almost impossible to save for a deposit on a house at the same time. Aborigines and migrants suffer discrimination in rental accommodation, where landlords preferring a two-parent, white, Anglo-Saxon families. Only 10% of Aborigines own housing compared to 70% of white Australia population (Aspin, 1996, p. 87). Most Aborigines live in rural and provincial Australia (Bessant, 2002, p. 226) far from big cities where there are more jobs, higher paid jobs, better education, better housing, good water and sanitation services, hospital medical services and other community amenities. Some ethnic backgrounds are still not accepted in our society and are treated differently and unequally. We see and hear about them on a day to day basis. In recent months the Indian community in Australia, especially students have become a vulnerable target for attacks, whether racist or not. On 31 May 2009 in Melbourne, about 5000 students marched through the streets of Melbourne protesting against these attacks on Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi students. 25-year-old Sravan Kumar Theerthala was in a serious condition in intensive care after being stabbed in the head with a screwdriver one week earlier (Bolton & Peterson, 2009). In an article in The Age newspaper on February 19 Victorian police claimed that these attacks are not racially motivated, but opportunistic where Indian students are â€Å"over representing themselves as victims† and can be looked upon as soft targets. The police also advised them â€Å"not to speak in their native language loudly† or display signs of wealth. Attacks on Indians aren’t the only allegation Australia has faced over the years. It seems that anyone in power, including police, politicians or the media has had the tendency to somehow flare these attacks. In the Herald Sun on 11 June 2009, 3AW’s Neil Mitchell said: â€Å"Australians are also bashed and die in India, which does not provoke parades of chanting ocker backpackers in the streets of Mumbai†. In 2007, the then immigration minister Kevin Andrews referred to the Sudanese community when he said â€Å"Some groups don’t seem to be settling and adjusting into the Australian way of life as quickly as we would hope. † A spate of violent attacks were then unleashed against Sudanese migrants, and one was bashed to death by a group of white men (Bolton & Peterson, 2009). As Australia continues to argue that it is a just, tolerant, open and classless society, there is still evidence of race and inequality among us and affecting the many lives of migrants and Indigenous people. It is interesting to note that the very determinants of class – power, money, education, family background, occupation, health and general way of life are also the same factors where others experience inequalities. Race and ethnicity perpetuate inequality, and in any country including Australia, one would find that there are always some people with very strong values of racism, and media outlets which help in manipulating the views of general public. There still needs to be a massive drive by communities and governments on racism and inequality and it will be long before we will be a â€Å"happy multicultural Australia†. Bibliography Aspin, L J 1996, ‘Social stratification and inequality’, Focus on Australian society, 2nd edn, Longman, Melbourne. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009, Australian Bureau of Statistics, viewed 28 November 2009, < http://www. abs. gov. au/ >. Bessant, J & Watts, R 2002, ‘Neighbours and nations: ethnic identity and multiculturalism’, Sociology Australia, 2nd edn, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, NSW. Bolton, S & Peterson, C 2009, Indian students speak: Stop the racist attacks! , viewed 28 November 2009, < http://www.greenleft. org. au/2009/798/41083>. Economou, N 1998, ‘The Politics of Citizenship: identity, ethnicity and race’, in Alan Fenna, Introduction to Australian Public Policy, Vol 1, Addison Wesley Longman, Melbourne. Healey, J 2002, ‘Racism: Beyond Tolerance, A Fair Go’, Racism in Australia, Vol 180, The Spinney Press, Rozelle, NSW. Van Krieken, R, Smith, P, Hobbis, D & McDonald, K 2000, ‘Migration, ethnicity and Australian Aboriginality’, Sociology: themes and perspectives, 2nd edn, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest, NSW.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 21. First Hunt

â€Å"The window?† I asked, staring two stories down. I'd never really been afraid of heights per se, but being able to see all the details with such clarity made the prospect less appealing. The angles of the rocks below were sharper than I would have imagined them. Edward smiled. â€Å"It's the most convenient exit. If you're frightened, I can carry you.† â€Å"We have all eternity, and you're worried about the time it would take to walk to the back door?† He frowned slightly. â€Å"Renesmee and Jacob are downstairs___† â€Å"Oh.† Right. I was the monster now. I had to keep away from scents that might trigger my wild side. From the people that I loved in particular. Even the ones I didn't really know yet. â€Å"Is Renesmee†¦ okay†¦ with Jacob there?† I whispered. I realized belatedly that it must havebeen Jacob's heart I'd heard below. I listened hard again, but I could only hear the one steady pulse. â€Å"He doesn't like her much.† Edward's lips tightened in an odd way. â€Å"Trust me, she is perfectly safe. I know exactly what Jacob is thinking.† â€Å"Of course,† I murmured, and looked at the ground again. â€Å"Stalling?† he challenged. â€Å"A little. I don't know how†¦.† And I was very conscious of my family behind me, watching silently. Mostly silently. Emmett had already chuckled under his breath once. One mistake, and he'd be rolling on the floor. Then the jokes about the world's only clumsy vampire would start†¦. Also, this dress – that Alice must have put me in sometime when I was too lost in the burning to notice – was not what I would have picked out for either jumping or hunting. Tightly fitted ice-blue silk? What did she think I would need it for? Was there a cocktail party later? â€Å"Watch me,† Edward said. And then, very casually, he stepped out of the tall, open window and fell. I watched carefully, analyzing the angle at which he bent his knees to absorb the impact. The sound of his landing was very low – a muted thud that could have been a door softly closed, or a book gently laid on a table. It didn't look hard. Clenching my teeth as I concentrated, I tried to copy his casual step into empty air. Ha! The ground seemed to move toward me so slowly that it was nothing at all to place my feet – what shoes had Alice put me in? Stilettos? She'd lost her mind – to place mysilly shoes exactly right so that landing was no different than stepping one foot forward on a flat surface. I absorbed the impact in the balls of my feet, not wanting to snap off the thin heels. My landing seemed just as quiet as his. I grinned at him. â€Å"Right. Easy.† He smiled back. â€Å"Bella?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"That was quite graceful – even for a vampire.† I considered that for a moment, and then I beamed. If he'd just been saying that, then Emmett would have laughed. No one found his remark humorous, so it must have been true. It was the first time anyone had ever applied the word graceful ‘to me in my entire life†¦ or, well, existence anyway. â€Å"T/?an/cyou,†i told him. And then I hooked the silver satin shoes off my feet one by one and lobbed them together back through the open window. A little too hard, maybe, but I heard someone catch them before they could damage the paneling. Alice grumbled, â€Å"Her fashion sense hasn't improved as much as her balance.† Edward took my hand – I couldn't stop marveling at the smoothness, the comfortable temperature of his skin – and darted through the backyard to the edge of the river. I went along with him effortlessly. Everything physical seemed very simple. â€Å"Are we swimming?† I asked him when we stopped beside the water. â€Å"And ruin your pretty dress? No. We're jumping.† I pursed my lips, considering. The river was about fifty yards wide here. â€Å"You first,† I said. He touched my cheek, took two quick backward strides, and then ran back those two steps, launching himself from a flat stone firmly embedded in the riverbank. I studied the flash of movement as he arced over the water, finally turning a somersault just before he disappeared into the thick trees on the other side of the river. â€Å"Show-off,† I muttered, and heard his invisible laugh. I backed up five paces, just in case, and took a deep breath. Suddenly, I was anxious again. Not about falling or getting hurt – I was more worried about the forest getting hurt. It had come on slowly, but I could feel it now – the raw, massive strength thrilling in my limbs. I was suddenly sure that if I wanted to tunnel under the river, to claw or beat my way straight through the bedrock, it wouldn't take me very long. The objects around me – the trees, the shrubs, the rocks†¦ the house – had all begun to look very fragile. Hoping very much that Esme was not particularly fond of any specific trees across the river, I began my first stride. And then stopped when the tight satin split six inches up my thigh. Alice! Well, Alice always seemed to treat clothes as if they were disposable and meant for one-time usage, so she shouldn't mind this. I bent to carefully grasp the hem at the undamaged right seam between my fingers and, exerting the tiniest amount of pressure possible, I ripped the dress open to the top of my thigh. Then I fixed the other side to match. Much better. I could hear the muffled laughter in the house, and even the sound of someone gritting her teeth. The laughter came from upstairs and down, and I very easily recognized the much different, rough, throaty chuckle from the firstfloor. So Jacob was watching, too? I couldn't imagine what he was thinking now, or what he was still doing here. I'd envisioned our reunion – if he could ever forgive me – taking place far in the future, when I was more stable, and time had healed the wounds I'd inflicted in his heart. I didn't turn to look at him now, wary of my mood swings. It wouldn't be good to let any emotion take too strong a hold on my frame of mind. Jasper's fears had me on edge, too. I had to hunt before I dealt with anything else. I tried to forget everything else so I could concentrate. â€Å"Bella?† Edward called from the woods, his voice moving closer. â€Å"Do you want to watch again?† But I remembered everything perfectly, of course, and I didn't want to give Emmett a reason to find more humor in my education. This was physical – it should be instinctive. So I took a deep breath and ran for the river. Unhindered by my skirt, it took only one long bound to reach the water's edge. Just an eighty-fourth of a second, and yet it was plenty of time – my eyes and my mind moved so quickly that one step was enough. It was simple to position my right foot just so against the flat stone and exert the adequate pressure to send my body wheeling up into the air. I was paying more attention to aim than force, and I erred on the amount of power necessary – but at least I didn't err on the side that would have gotten me wet. The fifty yard width was slightly too easy a distance___ It was a strange, giddy, electrifying thing, but a short thing. An entire second had yet to pass, and I was across. I was expecting the close-packed trees to be a problem, but they were surprisingly helpful. It was a simple matter to reach out with one sure hand as I fell back toward the earth again deep inside the forest and catch myself on a convenient branch; I swung lightly from the limb and landed on my toes, still fifteen feet from the ground on the wide bough of a Sitka spruce. It was fabulous. Over the sound of my peals of delighted laughter, I could hear Edward racing to find me. My jump had been twice as long as his. When he reached my tree, his eyes were wide. I leaped nimbly from the branch to his side, soundlessly landing again on the balls of my feet. â€Å"Was that good?† I wondered, my breathing accelerated with excitement. â€Å"Very good.† He smiled approvingly, but his casual tone didn't match the surprised expression in his eyes. â€Å"Can we do it again?† â€Å"Focus, Bella – we're on a hunting trip.† â€Å"Oh, right.† I nodded. â€Å"Hunting.† â€Å"Follow me†¦ if you can.† He grinned, his expression suddenly taunting, and broke into a run. He was faster than me. I couldn't imagine how he moved his legs with such blinding speed, but it was beyond me. However, I was stronger, and every stride of mine matched the length of three of his. And so I flew with him through the living green web, by his side, not following at all. As I ran, I couldn't help laughing quietly at the thrill of it; the laughter neither slowed me nor upset my focus. I could finally understand why Edward never hit the trees when he ran – a question that had always been a mystery to me. It was a peculiar sensation, the balance between the speed and the clarity. For, while I rocketed over, under, and through the thick jade maze at a rate that should have reduced everything around me to a streaky green blur, I could plainly see each tiny leaf on all the small branches of every insignificant shrub that I passed. The wind of my speed blew my hair and my torn dress out behind me, and, though I knew it shouldn't, it felt warm against my skin. Just as the rough forest floor shouldn't feel like velvet beneath my bare soles, and the limbs that whipped against my skin shouldn't feel like caressing feathers. The forest was much more alive than I'd ever known – small creatures whose existence I'd never guessed at teemed in the leaves around me. They all grew silent after we passed, their breath quickening in fear. The animals had a much wiser reaction to our scent than humans seemed to. Certainly, it'd had the opposite effect on me. I kept waiting to feel winded, but my breath came effortlessly. I waited for the burn to begin in my muscles, but my strength only seemed to increase as I grew accustomed to my stride. My leaping bounds stretched longer, and soon he was trying to keep up with me. I laughed again, exultant, when I heard him falling behind. My naked feet touched the ground so infrequently now it felt more like flying than running. â€Å"Belial he called dryly, his voice even, lazy. I could hear nothing else; he had stopped. I briefly considered mutiny. But, with a sigh, I whirled and skipped lightly to his side, some hundred yards back. I looked at him expectantly. He was smiling, with one eyebrow raised. He was so beautiful that I could only stare. â€Å"Did you want to stay in the country?† he asked, amused. â€Å"Or were you planning to continue on to Canada this afternoon?† â€Å"This is fine,† I agreed, concentrating less on what he was saying and more on the mesmerizing way his lips moved when he spoke. It was hard not to become sidetracked with everything fresh in my strong new eyes. â€Å"What are we hunting?† â€Å"Elk. I thought something easy for your first time †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off when my eyes narrowed at the word easy. But I wasn't going to argue; I was too thirsty. As soon as I'd started to think about the dry burn in my throat, it was all I could think about. Definitely getting worse. My mouth felt like four o'clock on a June afternoon in Death Valley. â€Å"Where?† I asked, scanning the trees impatiently. Now that I had given the thirst my attention, it seemed to taint every other thought in my head, leaking into the more pleasant thoughts of running and Edward's lips and kissing and†¦ scorching thirst. I couldn't get away from it. â€Å"Hold still for a minute,† he said, putting his hands lightly on my shoulders. The urgency of my thirst receded momentarily at his touch. â€Å"Now close your eyes,† he murmured. When I obeyed, he raised his hands to my face, stroking my cheekbones. I felt my breathing speed and waited briefly again for the blush that wouldn't come. â€Å"Listen,† Edward instructed. â€Å"What do you hear?† Everything,I could have said; his perfect voice, his breath, his lips brushing together as he spoke, the whisper of birds preening their feathers in the treetops, their fluttering heartbeats, the maple leaves scraping together, the faint clicking of ants following each other in a long line up the bark of the nearest tree. But I knew he meant something specific, so I let my ears range outward, seeking something different than the small hum of life that surrounded me. There was an open space near us – the wind had a different sound across the exposed grass – and a small creek, with a rocky bed. And there, near the noise of the water, was the splash of lapping tongues, the loud thudding of heavy hearts, pumping thick streams of blood___ It felt like the sides of my throat had sucked closed. â€Å"By the creek, to the northeast?† I asked, my eyes still shut. â€Å"Yes.† His tone was approving. â€Å"Now†¦ wait for the breeze again and†¦ what do you smell?† Mostly him – his strange honey-lilac-and-sun perfume. But also the rich, earthy smell of rot and moss, the resin in the evergreens, the warm, almost nutty aroma of the small rodents cowering beneath the tree roots. And then, reaching out again, the clean smell of the water, which was surprisingly unappealing despite my thirst. I focused toward the water and found the scent that must have gone with the lapping noise and the pounding heart. Another warm smell, rich and tangy, stronger than the others. And yet nearly as unappealing as the brook. I wrinkled my nose. He chuckled. â€Å"I know – it takes some getting used to.† â€Å"Three?† I guessed. â€Å"Five. There are two more in the trees behind them.† â€Å"What do I do now?† His voice sounded like he was smiling. â€Å"What do you feel like doing?† I thought about that, my eyes still shut as I listened and breathed in the scent. Another bout of baking thirst intruded on my awareness, and suddenly the warm, tangy odor wasn't quite so objectionable. At least it would be something hot and wet in my desiccated mouth. My eyes snapped open. â€Å"Don't think about it,† he suggested as he lifted his hands off my face and took a step back. â€Å"Just follow your instincts.† I let myself drift with the scent, barely aware of my movement as I ghosted down the incline to the narrow meadow where the stream flowed. My body shifted forward automatically into a low crouch as I hesitated at the fern-fringed edge of the trees. I could see a big buck, two dozen antler points crowning his head, at the stream's edge, and the shadow-spotted shapes of the four others heading eastward into forest at a leisurely pace. I centered myself around the scent of the male, the hot spot in his shaggy neck where the warmth pulsed strongest. Only thirty yards – two or three bounds – between us. i tensed myself for the first leap. But as my muscles bunched in preparation, the wind shifted, blowing stronger now, and from the south. I didn't stop to think, hurtling out of the trees in a path perpendicular to my original plan, scaring the elk into the forest, racing after a new fragrance so attractive that there wasn't a choice. It was compulsory. The scent ruled completely. I was single-minded as I traced it, aware only of the thirst and the smell that promised to quench it. The thirst got worse, so painful now that it confused all my other thoughts and began to remind me of the burn of venom in my veins. There was only one thing that had any chance of penetrating my focus now, an instinct more powerful, more basic than the need to quench the fire – it was the instinct to protect myself from danger. Self-preservation. I was suddenly alert to the fact that I was being followed. The pull of the irresistible scent warred with the impulse to turn and defend my hunt. A bubble of sound built in my chest, my lips pulled back of their own accord to expose my teeth in warning. My feet slowed, the need to protect my back struggling against the desire to quench my thirst. And then I could hear my pursuer gaining, and defense won. As I spun, the rising sound ripped its way up my throat and out. The feral snarl, coming from my own mouth, was so unexpected that it brought me up short. It unsettled me, and it cleared my head for a second – the thirst-driven haze receded, though the thirst burned on. The wind shifted, blowing the smell of wet earth and coming rain across my face, further freeing me from the other scent's fiery grip – a scent so delicious it could only be human. Edward hesitated a few feet away, his arms raised as if to embrace me – or restrain me. His face was intent and cautious as I froze, horrified. I realized that I had been about to attack him. With a hard jerk, I straightened out of my defensive crouch. I held my breath as I refocused, fearing the power of the fragrance swirling up from the south. He could see reason return to my face, and he took a step toward me, lowering his arms. â€Å"I have to get away from here,† I spit through my teeth, using the breath I had. Shock crossed his face. â€Å"Can you leave?† I didn't have time to ask him what he meant by that. I knew the ability to think clearly would last only as long as I could stop myself from thinking of – I burst into a run again, a flat-out sprint straight north, concentrating solely on the uncomfortable feeling of sensory deprivation that seemed to be my body's only response to the lack of air. My one goal was to run far enough away that the scent behind me would be completely lost. Impossible to find, even if I changed my mind†¦ Once again, I was aware of being followed, but I was sane this time. I fought the instinct to breathe – to use the flavors in the air to be sure it was Edward. I didn't have to fight long; though I was running faster than I ever had before, shooting like a comet through the straightest path I could find in the trees; Edward caught up with me after a short minute. A new thought occurred to me, and I stopped dead, my feet planted. I was sure it must be safe here, but I held my breath just in case. Edward blew past me, surprised by my sudden freeze. He wheeled around and was at my side in a second. He put his hands on my shoulders and stared into my eyes, shock still the dominant emotion on his face. â€Å"How did you do that?† he demanded. â€Å"You let me beat you before, didn't you?† I demanded back, ignoring his question. And I'd thought I'd been doing sowell! When I opened my mouth, I could taste the air – it was unpolluted now, with no trace of the compelling perfume to torment my thirst. I took a cautious breath. He shrugged and shook his head, refusing to be deflected. â€Å"Bella, how did you do it?† â€Å"Run away? I held my breath.† â€Å"But how did you stop hunting?† â€Å"When you came up behind me†¦ I'm so sorry about that.† â€Å"Why are you apologizing to me? I'm the one who was horribly careless. I assumed no one would be so far from the trails, but I should have checked first. Such a stupid mistake! You have nothing to apologize for.† â€Å"But I growled at you!† I was still horrified that I was physically capable of such blasphemy. â€Å"Of course you did. That's only natural. But I can't understand how you ran away.† â€Å"What else could I do?† I asked. His attitude confused me – what did he want to have happened? â€Å"It might have been someone I know!† He startled me, suddenly bursting into a spasm of loud laughter, throwing his head back and letting the sound echo off the trees. â€Å"Why are you laughing at me?† He stopped at once, and I could see he was wary again. Keep it under control,I thought to myself. I had to watch my temper. Just like I was a young werewolf rather than a vampire. â€Å"I'm not laughing at you,Bella. I'm laughing because I am in shock. And I am in shock because I am completely amazed.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"You shouldn't be able to do any of this. You shouldn't be so†¦ so rational. You shouldn't be able to stand here discussing this with me calmly and coolly. And, much more than any of that, you should not have been able to break off mid-hunt with the scent of human blood in the air. Even mature vampires have difficulty with that – we're always very careful of where we hunt so as not to put ourselves in the path of temptation. Bella, you're behaving like you're decades rather than days old.† â€Å"Oh.† But I'd known it was going to be hard. That was why I'd been so on guard. I'd been expecting it to be difficult. He put his hands on my face again, and his eyes were full of wonder. â€Å"What wouldn't I give to be able to see into your mind for just this one moment.† Such powerful emotions. I'd been prepared for the thirst part, but not this. I'd been so sure it wouldn't be the same when he touched me. Well, truthfully, it wasn't the same. It was stronger. I reached up to trace the planes of his face; my fingers lingered on his lips. â€Å"I thought I wouldn't feel this way for a long time?† My uncertainty made the words a question. â€Å"But I stillwant you.† He blinked in shock. â€Å"How can you even concentrate on that? Aren't you unbearably thirsty?† Of course I was now, now that he'd brought it up again! I tried to swallow and then sighed, closing my eyes like I had before to help me concentrate. I let my senses range out around me, tensed this time in case of another onslaught of the delicious taboo scent. Edward dropped his hands, not even breathing while I listened farther and farther out into the web of green life, sifting through the scents and sounds for something not totally repellant to my thirst. There was a hint of something different, a faint trail to the east___ My eyes flashed open, but my focus was still on sharper senses as I turned and darted silently eastward. The ground sloped steeply upward almost at once, and I ran in a hunting crouch, close to the ground, taking to the trees when that was easier. I sensed rather than heard Edward with me, flowing quietly through the woods, letting me lead. The vegetation thinned as we climbed higher; the scent of pitch and resin grew more powerful, as did the trail I followed – it was a warm scent, sharper than the smell of the elk and more appealing. A few seconds more and I could hear the muted padding of immense feet, so much subtler than the crunch of hooves. The sound was up – in the branches rather than on the ground. Automatically I darted into the boughs as well, gaining the strategic higher position, halfway up a towering silver fir. The soft thud of paws continued stealthily beneath me now; the rich scent was very close. My eyes pinpointed the movement linked with the sound, and I saw the tawny hide of the great cat slinking along the wide branch of a spruce just down and to the left of my perch. He was big – easily four times my mass. His eyes were intent on the ground beneath; the cat hunted, too. I caught the smell of something smaller, bland next to the aroma of my prey, cowering in brush below the tree. The lion's tail twitched spasmodically as he prepared to spring. With a light bound, I sailed through the air and landed on the lion's branch. He felt the shiver of the wood and whirled, shrieking surprise and defiance. He clawed the space between us, his eyes bright with fury. Half-crazed with thirst, I ignored the exposed fangs and the hooked claws and launched myself at him, knocking us both to the forest floor. It wasn't much of a fight. His raking claws could have been caressing fingers for all the impact they had on my skin. His teeth could find no purchase against my shoulder or my throat. His weight was nothing. My teeth unerringly sought his throat, and his instinctive resistance was pitifully feeble against my strength. My jaws locked easily over the precise point where the heat flow concentrated. It was effortless as biting into butter. My teeth were steel razors; they cut through the fur and fat and sinews like they weren't there. The flavor was wrong, but the blood was hot and wet and it soothed the ragged, itching thirst as I drank in an eager rush. The cat's struggles grew more and more feeble, and his screams choked off with a gurgle. The warmth of the blood radiated throughout my whole body, heating even my fingertips and toes. The lion was finished before I was. The thirst flared again when he ran dry, and I shoved his carcass off my body in disgust. How could I still be thirsty after all that? I wrenched myself erect in one quick move. Standing, I realized I was a bit of a mess. I wiped my face off on the back of my arm and tried to fix the dress. The claws that had been so ineffectual against my skin had had more success with the thin satin. â€Å"Hmm,† Edward said. I looked up to see him leaning casually against a tree trunk, watching me with a thoughtful look on his face. â€Å"I guess I could have done that better.† I was covered in dirt, my hair knotted, my dress bloodstained and hanging in tatters. Edward didn't come home from hunting trips looking like this. â€Å"You did perfectly fine,† he assured me. â€Å"It's just that†¦ it was much more difficult for me to watch than it should have been.† I raised my eyebrows, confused. â€Å"It goes against the grain,† he explained, â€Å"letting you wrestle with lions. I was having an anxiety attack the whole time.† â€Å"Silly.† â€Å"I know. Old habits die hard. I like the improvements to your dress, though.† If I could have blushed, I would have. I changed the subject. â€Å"Why am I still thirsty?† â€Å"Because you're young.† I sighed. â€Å"And I don't suppose there are any other mountain lions nearby.† â€Å"Plenty of deer, though.† I made a face. â€Å"They don't smell as good.† â€Å"Herbivores. The meat-eaters smell more like humans,† he explained. â€Å"Not that much like humans,† I disagreed, trying not to remember. â€Å"We could go back,† he said solemnly, but there was a teasing light in his eye. â€Å"Whoever it was out there, if they were men, they probably wouldn't even mind death if you were the one delivering it.† His gaze ran over my ravaged dress again. â€Å"In fact, they would think they were already dead and gone to heaven the moment they saw you.† I rolled my eyes and snorted. â€Å"Let's go hunt some stinking herbivores.† We found a large herd of mule deer as we ran back toward home. He hunted with me this time, now that I'd gotten the hang of it. I brought down a large buck, making nearly as much of a mess as I had with the lion. He'd finished with two before I was done with the first, not a hair ruffled, not a spot on his white shirt. We chased the scattered and terrified herd, but instead of feeding again, this time I watched carefully to see how he was able to hunt so neatly. All the times that I had wished that Edward would not have to leave me behind when he hunted, I had secretly been just a little relieved. Because I was sure that seeing this would be frightening. Horrifying. That seeing him hunt would finally make him look like a vampire to me. Of course, it was much different from this perspective, as a vampire myself. But I doubted that even my human eyes would have missed the beauty here. It was a surprisingly sensual experience to observe Edward hunting. His smooth spring was like the sinuous strike of a snake; his hands were so sure, so strong, so completely inescapable; his full lips were perfect as they parted gracefully over his gleaming teeth. He was glorious. I felt a sudden jolt of both pride and desire. He was mine. Nothing could ever separate him from me now. I was too strong to be torn from his side. He was very quick. He turned to me and gazed curiously at my gloating expression. â€Å"No longer thirsty?† he asked. I shrugged. â€Å"You distracted me. You're much better at it than I am.† â€Å"Centuries of practice.† He smiled. His eyes were a disconcertingly lovely shade of honey gold now. â€Å"Just one,† I corrected him. He laughed. â€Å"Are you done for today? Or did you want to continue?† â€Å"Done, I think.† I felt very full, sort of sloshy, even. I wasn't sure how much more liquid would fit into my body. But the burn in my throat was only muted. Then again, I'd known that thirst was just an inescapable part of this life. And worth it. I felt in control. Perhaps my sense of security was false, but I did feel pretty good about not killing anyone today. If I could resist totally human strangers, wouldn't I be able to handle the werewolf and a half-vampire child that I loved? â€Å"I want to see Renesmee,† I said. Now that my thirst was tamed (if nothing close to erased), my earlier worries were hard to forget. I wanted to reconcile the stranger who was my daughter with the creature I'd loved three days ago. It was so odd, so wrong not to have her inside me still. Abruptly, I felt empty and uneasy. He held out his hand to me. I took it, and his skin felt warmer than before. His cheek was faintly flushed, the shadows under his eyes all but vanished. I was unable to resist stroking his face again. And again. I sort of forgot that I was waiting for a response to my request as I stared into his shimmering gold eyes. It was almost as hard as it had been to turn away from the scent of human blood, but I somehow kept the need to be careful firmly in my head as I stretched up on my toes and wrapped my arms around him. Gently. He was not so hesitant in his movements; his arms locked around my waist and pulled me tight against his body. His lips crushed down on mine, but they felt soft. My lips no longer shaped themselves around his; they held their own. Like before, it was as if the touch of his skin, his lips, his hands, was sinking right through my smooth, hard skin and into my new bones. To the very core of my body. I hadn't imagined that I could love him more than I had. My old mind hadn't been capable of holding this much love. My old heart had not been strong enough to bear it. Maybe this was the part of me that I'd brought forward to be intensified in my new life. Like Carlisle's compassion and Esme's devotion. I would probably never be able to do anything interesting or special like Edward, Alice, and Jasper could do. Maybe I would just love Edward more than anyone in the history of the world had ever loved anyone else. I could live with that. I remembered parts of this – twisting my fingers in his hair, tracing the planes of his chest – but other parts were so new. He was new. It was an entirely different experience with Edward kissing me so fearlessly, so forcefully. I responded to his intensity, and then suddenly we were falling. â€Å"Oops,† I said, and he laughed underneath me. â€Å"I didn't mean to tackle you like that. Are you okay?† He stroked my face. â€Å"Slightly better than okay† And then a perplexed expression crossed his face. â€Å"Renesmee?† he asked uncertainly, trying to ascertain what I wanted most in this moment. A very difficult question to answer, because I wanted so many things at the same time. I could tell that he wasn't exactly averse to procrastinating our return trip, and it was hard to think about much besides his skin on mine – there really wasn't that much left of the dress. But my memory of Renesmee, before and after her birth, was becoming more and more dreamlike to me. More unlikely. All my memories of her were human memories; an aura of artificiality clung to them. Nothing seemed real that I hadn't seen with these eyes, touched with these hands. Every minute, the reality of that little stranger slipped further away. â€Å"Renesmee,† I agreed, rueful, and I whipped back up onto my feet, pulling him with me.

Characteristics of the Byronic Hero

The Byronic hero–so named because it evolved primarily due to Lord Byron’s writing in the nineteenth century—is, according to Peter Thorslev, one of the most prominent literary character types of the Romantic period: Romantic heroes represent an important tradition in our literature . . .. In England we have a reinterpreted Paradise Lost, a number of Gothic novels and dramas . . . the heroic romances of the younger Scott, some of the poetry of Shelley, and the works of Byron. In all of these works the Byronic Hero is the one protagonist who in stature and in temperament best represents the [heroic] tradition in England. Thorslev 189) A Byronic hero exhibits several characteristic traits, and in many ways he can be considered a rebel. The Byronic hero does not possess â€Å"heroic virtue† in the usual sense; instead, he has many dark qualities. With regard to his intellectual capacity, self-respect, and hypersensitivity, the Byronic hero is â€Å"larger than life,† and â€Å"with the loss of his titanic passions, his pride, and his certainty of self-identity, he loses also his status as [a traditional] hero† (Thorslev 187). He is usually isolated from society as a wanderer or is in exile of some kind. It does not matter whether this social separation is imposed upon him by some external force or is self-imposed. Byron's Manfred, a character who wandered desolate mountaintops, was physically isolated from society, whereas Childe Harold chose to â€Å"exile† himself and wander throughout Europe. Although Harold remained physically present in society and among people, he was not by any means â€Å"social. Often the Byronic hero is moody by nature or passionate about a particular issue. He also has emotional and intellectual capacities, which are superior to the average man. These heightened abilities force the Byronic hero to be arrogant, confident, abnormally sensitive, and extremely conscious of himself. Sometimes, this is to the point of nihilism resulting in his rebellion against life itself (Thorslev 197). In one form or another, he rejects the values and moral codes of society and because of this he is often unrepentant by society's standards. Often the Byronic hero is characterized by a guilty memory of some unnamed sexual crime. Due to these characteristics, the Byronic hero is often a figure of repulsion, as well as fascination. Harold Bloom notes that â€Å"[b]etween them, the Brontes can be said to have invented a relatively new genre, a kind of northern romance, deeply influenced both by Byron's poetry and by his myth and personality, but going back also . . . to the Gothic novel and to the Elizabethan drama† (1). When Byron died at the age of thirty-six in 1824, Bronte was but eight years old. Bronte's youthful age, however, did not preclude Byron and his works from having a profound effect on her and her writing; indeed, the â€Å"cult† of Lord Byron flourished shortly after his death â€Å"dominating [the Brontes'] girlhood and their young womanhood† (Bloom 2). Of the Bronte sisters' background, Tom Winnifrith comments that a â€Å"study of the Brontes' juvenilia provides confirmatory evidence of the sisters' preoccupation with the aristocracy, their emancipation from Victorian prudery, and the attraction of the Byronic hero, beautiful but damned† (4).

The Effect of Conflict Towards Performance

INTRODUCTION Businesses nowadays are operating in a turbulent environment where organisations are searching for measures that will allow them to improve their performance and competitiveness (Dodd, 2003). Conflict is generally regarded as disagreement regarding interests or ideas (Esquivel and Kleiner, 1997). In addition organisational conflict is regarded as the discord that occurs when the goals, interests or values of different individuals or groups are incompatible with those of individuals or groups block or frustrate each others in an attempt to achieve their objectives.Conflict are inevitable part of organisational life since the goals of different stakeholders such as managers and staff are often incompatible (Jones  et al. , 2000). Besides that,  Loomis and Loomis (1965)  argue that Conflict is an ever-present process in human relations. That is why various organisations have changed their approaches to enable them to manage their organisations effectively to avoid con flicts at all costs. Conflict is a fact of life in any organisations as longer as people compete for jobs, resources, power, recognition and security.In addition, dealing with conflicts is a great challenge to management (Adomi and Anie, 2005). Conflicts commonly arise when employees interact in organisations and compete for scarce resources. Employees in various organisations are organized into manageable groups in order to achieve common goal, therefore, the probability of conflicts to arise is very high. Nowadays, most serious conflicts make headlines in the newspapers, which might affect the public image of the company. Conflicts have both negative and positive outcomes to the individual employees and the organization at large.There is no one source of conflicts which occurs in organisations at all levels of management (Barker  et al. , 1987). In social life, conflicts do occur but they are managed by family members, friends and relatives. The same case applies to organisation s, when conflicts arise; it needs to be resolved by management for the sake of the organisational growth, survival and enhance performance. However, conflicts are rarely resolved easily, to a certain extend most conflicts are managed, as individuals work out differences (Barker  et al. , 1987).Conflict can occur within groups (intra-group conflict) or among groups (inter-group conflict). Therefore, the main aim of this study is to examine the effects of organizational conflicts towards organizational performance. It specifically tries to examine in detail, the causes, types, effects and recommend various strategies on how to resolve organizational conflicts to enhance organizational performance. WHAT IS ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT? ‘A condition between or among workers whose jobs are interdependent, who feel angry, who perceive the other(s) as being at fault, and who act in ways that cause a business problem. (Dana, D. 2001) Interdependency – each party needs something fr om the other and are vulnerable if they don’t get it Feeling Angry – people are emotionally upset – anger is not always visible – some people will hide their anger with a veneer of politeness – however, Dana suggests that the emotion we all know as anger is always present when there is a conflict. Blaming Each Other – each party sees the other as being at fault often moving from the immediate workplace issue into personal issues Causing a Business Problem – How is the conflict impacting on job performance? if it is not then it does not fall within the definition of workplace conflict. This definition includes emotions, thoughts and behaviors – psychologists consider these three the only dimensions of human experience. So conflict is rooted in all parts of our human experience. Factors of conflict in organization 1. Managerial Expectations – it is job of an employee to meet the expectations of his manager, but if those ex pectations is misunderstood, conflict can arise. 2. Breakdown in Communication If a department requires information from another department in order to its job, and the second department does not respond to the request this is will lead to conflict to arise. 3. Misunderstanding the information Internal conflict can sometimes arise as the result of a simple misunderstanding. One person may misunderstand information, and that can trigger a series of conflict. 4. Lack of accountability Organization conflict might arise from frustration. One source of frustration is a lack of accountability.If something has gone wrong, and no one is willing to take responsibility for the problem, this lack of accountability can start to permeate throughout the entire company until the issue is resolved. Factors of conflict in employee 1. Differing values Some employees have strong beliefs, which they are not willing to compromise. These beliefs can conflict with coworkers’, creating conflict. 2. Opposing interest When an employee decides to pursue her own career goal, without regard for the organizational goal and its well- being, it result in strife among coworkers. 3. Personality ConflictsOne employee may have a reserved a personality while another may be more outgoing and forward. Problem arises when the two do not understand or respect each others’ inner nature. 4. Personal problems If the employee has problems outside the workplace, such as marital or parental issues, she may take them to work with her. Positive And Negative Effects Of Conflict It is often assumed that all conflict is bad for the organisation, however if managed effectively, conflict can bring benefits: Potential Positive Effects * Better ideas produced * People forced to search for new approaches Long standing problems brought to the surface and resolved * Clarification of individual views * Stimulation of interest and creativity * A chance for people to test their capacities Potential Negative Effects * Some people feel defeated and demeaned * The distance between people increased * A climate of mistrust and suspicion developed * Individuals and groups concentrate on their own narrow interests * Resistance developed rather than teamwork * An increase in employee turnover Models Of Conflict Management There have been many styles of conflict management behavior that have been researched in the past century.One of the earliest,  Mary Parker Follett  (1926/1940) found that conflict was managed by individuals in three main ways: domination,  compromise, and integration. She also found other ways of handling conflict that were employed by organizations, such as  avoidance  and suppression. Early Conflict Management Models Blake and Mouton (1964) were among the first to present a conceptual scheme for classifying the modes (styles) for handling interpersonal conflicts into five types: forcing, withdrawing, smoothing, compromising, and problem solving.In the 1970â€⠄¢s and 1980’s, researchers began using the intentions of the parties involved to classify the styles of conflict management that they would include in their models. Both Thomas (1976) and Pruitt (1983) put forth a model based on the concerns of the parties involved in the conflict. The combination of the parties concern for their own interests (i. e. assertiveness) and their concern for the interests of those across the table (i. e. cooperativeness) would yield a particular conflict management style.Pruitt called these styles yielding (low assertiveness/high cooperativeness), problem solving (high assertiveness/high cooperativeness), inaction (low assertiveness/low cooperativeness), and contending (high assertiveness/low cooperativeness). Pruitt argues that problem-solving is the preferred method when seeking mutually beneficial options. Khun and Poole’s Model Khun and Poole (2000) established a similar system of group conflict management. In their system, they split Kozan’s confrontational model into two sub models: distributive and integrative. Distributive – Here conflict is approached as a distribution of a fixed amount of positive outcomes or resources, where one side will end up winning and the other losing, even if they do win some concessions. * Integrative – Groups utilizing the integrative model see conflict as a chance to integrate the needs and concerns of both groups and make the best outcome possible. This model has a heavier emphasis on compromise than the distributive model. Khun and Poole found that the integrative model resulted in consistently better task related outcomes than those using the distributive model.DeChurch and Marks’s Meta-Taxonomy Model DeChurch and Marks (2001) examined the literature available on conflict management at the time and established what they claimed was a â€Å"meta-taxonomy† that encompasses all other models. They argued that all other styles have inherent in the m into two dimensions – activeness (â€Å"the extent to which conflict behaviors make a responsive and direct rather than inert and indirect impression†) and agreeableness (â€Å"the extent to which conflict behaviors make a pleasant and relaxed rather than unpleasant and strainful impression†).High activeness is characterized by openly discussing differences of opinion while fully going after their own interest. High agreeableness is characterized by attempting to satisfy all parties involved In the study they conducted to validate this division, activeness did not have a significant effect on the effectiveness of  conflict resolution, but the  agreeableness  of the conflict management style, whatever it was, did in fact have a positive impact on how groups felt about the way the conflict was managed, regardless of the outcome. CONFLICT CONTROLSTRATEGY| POSSIBLE ACTIONS| EXAMPLES| Avoidance| Avoid situations where conflict occurs; reduce triggering events ; cooling off periods| Reduce contact between the parties; set up system for dealing with conflict subjects; adjourn meetings| Alteration| Change the form or place of the conflict| Agree not to argue in front of others, or to criticise each other without making a positive suggestion; meet before conflict situations to resolve problems| Feedback| Help parties to understand how others are affected| Other people are upset; team s losing resources or cooperation from others; loss of dignity| Help With Consequences| Provide support, more rest, more thinking time| Neutral person to listen to stressed people; time off; more social events; encourage getting away from the office at lunch time; discourage overwork| Suggestions To Overcome Conflict Management. There are many ways to overcome this problem. Here are some suggestions and tips to manage and cope with the conflict management towards organization. * Build a certain and good communication. * As we know communication is a process of i nteract between one person to another.Communication is a tool to convey a message. A good communication can avoid misunderstanding and uncertain information and can directly solve any problem wisely. All person in any organization must know how to build a good communication and know how to react with any problem to a void conflict. If there is something that they might in argue or disagree they have to sit together and come out with a best solution that everyone satisfied. * Don’t ignore conflict. * Conflict in organization can lead a positive outcomes too. Each person in any organization must take a fairly solution and never avoid and ignore the conflict.It is very essential because it can avoid the problem become twice and become bigger and bigger. Conflict might happen in any organization because each person have a different opinion, goals, value and belief. So, everyone must support and help each other to cope the conflict in order to achieve a common goal in the organiza tion. * Have an own conflict management skills. * Skills such us know how negotiate and know how to minimized anger can help and enhance the effectiveness of good working environment. This will make everyone in the organization can achieve a joyful in a workplace.The way everyone carry themselves in the work place can avoid a conflict and misunderstanding between each other. Everyone in any organization must have their own conflict management skills so that every single problem can be solve and minimized easily. Four ways towards organizational performance 1. PM focuses on results, rather than behaviors and activities A common misconception among supervisors is that behaviors and activities are the same as results. Thus, an employee may appear extremely busy, but not be contributing at all toward the goals of the organization.An example is the employee who manually reviews completion of every form and procedure, rather than supporting automation of the review. The supervisor may con clude the employee is very committed to the organization and works very hard, thus, deserving a very high performance rating. 2. Aligns organizational activities and processes to the goals of the organization PM identifies organizational goals, results needed to achieve those goals, measures of effectiveness or efficiency (outcomes) toward the goals, and means (drivers) to achieve the goals.This chain of measurements is examined to ensure alignment with overall results of the organization. 3. Cultivates a system-wide, long-term view of the organization. Richard A. Swanson, in  Performance Improvement Theory and Practice  (Advances in Developing Human Resources, 1, 1999), explains an effective performance improvement process must follow a systems-based approach while looking at outcomes and drivers. Otherwise, the effort produces a flawed picture. For example, laying off people will likely produce short-term profits.However, the organization may eventually experience reduced prod uctivity, resulting in long-term profit loss. 4. Produces meaningful measurements These measurements have a wide variety of useful applications. They are useful in benchmarking, or setting standards for comparison with best practices in other organizations. They provide consistent basis for comparison during internal change efforts. They indicate results during improvement efforts, such as employee training, management development, quality programs, etc. They help ensure equitable and fair treatment to employees based on performance.

Groups of Patels in Gujarat Essay

There are two main groups of Patels in Gujarat that make up the Patidar community: 1. Leva Patel/Patidar and 2. Kadva Patel/Patidar. The Kadva Patidar sub-caste is found mostly in districts of the Saurashtra region like Rajkot, Junagadh, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Mahesana. The Leva Patidar sub-caste is primarily concentrated in the Charotar Region (which are also known as Charotar Leuva Patidars), Kheda, Anand, Kanam, Baroda, Dahod, Bharuch, Panchmahal, Surat and Valsad. The Leva Patels are said to be the descendents of Lav, son of Lord Rama and the Kadva Patels who are said to be descendents of Kush. The Leva Patels and Kadva Patels are known for their entrepreneurial skills in business and agriculture having a strong hold in Gujarat and have made a name for themselves around the world. There are religious and ideological differences between various groups of Patels. They have their own social samaj (gatherings) and mandirs at various locations. The Patel community followed an age-old tradition of marrying within their ‘GOL’ or circle, but with changes in economic status, global influence, literacy and education, changes are now taking place and Patels are increasingly marrying outside the Gols. Other Gujaratis who migrated out of what is now the state of Gujarat during the British Raj to British East Africa (Kenya and Uganda) sometimes adopted the surname ‘Patel’, and this surname was then subsequently passed onto their descendants (who now mainly reside outside Kenya and Uganda). Also, during the British Raj, some ‘Patels’ who migrated to British East Africa and the Union of South Africa (South Africa) adopted different surnames, usually the name of their village, their trade or even their grandfather’s name. Subsequently, these surnames have been passed down to their descendants. The â€Å"Patel motel† phenomenon, as it is popularly known, has made a major impact on the American hospitality industry. The surname is the second most common last name in India, following Singh. â€Å"The trend started in the early 1940’s, though the real growth took place in  the 1960’s and 1970’s.†[citation needed] A sizable number of Indian immigrants to the United States came in the 1960s and 1970s, when the motel industry was booming. Many of them bought up undervalued and dilapidated properties and turned them into businesses.[9] As many as 60% of mid-sized motels and hotel properties, all over the US, are owned by the people of Indian origin. Of this nearly one-third have the surname Patel – a popular one among Indian Gujaratis(those that came from Gujarat).[10][11]) â€Å"According to the Asian American Hotel Association (A.A.H.O.A), 50 percent of hotels and motels in the United States are owned by people of Indian Origin†.[citation needed] A large immigrant population of Gujurati’s came in the 1960s and 1970s. These Patels known as the founding fathers, worked hard and saved then invested in a lot of properties. Having a steady amount income and savings, they called over their distant relatives and friends from the villages of India. Upon their arrival, they would already have financial assistance from the founding fathers and start up their own businesses. Even though Patels are evenly spread throughout the country they still have held onto their vast network, which has definitely been a key to their entrepreneurship.

Phillips Matsuhisha case analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Phillips Matsuhisha case analysis - Essay Example One of the strengths of SWOT lies in the fact that it is easier to use and provides a comprehensive analysis of the key drivers of changes that organizations must take into account to deal with the emerging changes. Further, Porter’s five forces is also one of the most effective management tools to use as it provides a very comprehensive overview of the different factors affecting the firm at the same time. What is also important to understand is the fact that Porter’s five forces provides an opportunity to analyze the factors which are unique to each industry or firm thus each firm can tailor its strategies according to relative influence of each factor its success and failure. 2. The facts provided in the case study indicate that there are various symptoms which are leading towards a common cause of the problem. What is critical to note here is the fact that both the companies made changes into its organizational structure and refocused their strategic direction due to changes taking place externally i.e. most of these changes were reactive rather than proactive therefore strategic management at both the companies was relatively weak and reactive. Thus what were corrected during all this period were the correction of symptoms and not the correction of actual root cause of the problem. 3. Ford is one of the companies which faced extreme volatile market conditions in the wake of current credit crunch and have to face the ultimate reality. Since 2006 it was not only slashing its number of employees but was closing its plants too.1 Similarly, HSBC’s US operations also suffered huge losses due to market conditions and inability of the bank to anticipate the changes taking place in the market. HSBC’s mortgage portfolio in US suffered huge losses due to too much focus on short term gains rather than focusing on delivering long term value.2 Kodak was once a

Planning and Implementing Financial Management Approaches Essay

Planning and Implementing Financial Management Approaches - Essay Example The company is a family business, and has enjoyed brisk sales for the past three years. Team: Store management. Briefly described, the team is in charge of the conduct of day-to-day operations of the store. Team members ensure the shelves are well-stocked, put out the order for deliveries when inventory runs low, adjust prices according to promotional campaigns, and attend to the general maintenance of store equipment and facilities. Type of team budgets: Monthly cash budgets One of the financial plans the team is guided by is the monthly cash budget, a short-term planning and monitoring tool which aids in the planning of cash flows, predicting short-term shortfalls, and monitoring the collection of accounts receivables. Forecasted cash shortfalls enable store management to make the decision as to whether it could draw down on its credit facility with the bank, to cover short-term cash needs when cash at hand is unable to meet the cash needed to cover the month’s obligations. Task 2: A sample of the monthly cash budget used by the store management team at Vital Essence is shown at the end of this report. The purpose of the cash budget is to guide the store manager’s decision as to enhancing store cash sales as well as credit sales, collecting accounts receivables, and disbursing cash in payment of expenses; it is the aim of management to ensure that sufficient cash is available to settle the month’s obligations, thereby avoiding penalties and surcharges associated with past-due accounts. The prompt settlement of fees is also important to maintain the company’s good credit standing among its suppliers and financiers. Achievability – The cash budget shown is considered achievable, because while shortfalls are expected at the beginning of the year, this is seen to be diminishing within the first quarter, and the store is able to attain positive cashflow in the fourth month of the year. Short-term cash inadequacy can be supplement ed by a short-term bank loan which may be resolved by the second quarter of the year. Accuracy – The cash budget plan is not entirely accurate, since it is essentially a forecast and much of the bases for arriving at the amounts are speculative. There are also events during the year which may affect the sales, cash flow, and disbursements in ways which cannot be foreseen at the time the budget was being prepared. It is reasonably accurate, however, for the purpose of observing how any variations in cash flow may affect the activities of the store, and may inform concerning contingency measures that may be taken; therefore, it is also a risk-management tool. Comprehensiveness – The cash budget is not very comprehensive, because there are items which it may have failed to take into consideration because the likelihood of their occurrence in indeterminate. What are usually included in a forward-looking budget are those which are recurrent and have occurred regularly in th e past, or at least with predictability if not regularity, so that the planner has sufficient bases upon which to value the possible cash receipt or disbursement. Task 3 Contingency plan Consequences if the situation or event occurred If only a minor deviation in the plan occurred, then there are no serious consequences foreseen, only an equally minor adjustment may be involved. However, a number of serious consequen

Marketing Mix Strategy for John Lewis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Marketing Mix Strategy for John Lewis - Essay Example   Objective for John Lewis John Lewis is based upon ownership structure and commercial success that are unique in nature and built upon partnership reputation. Thereby, the overall objectives of the organisation should focus upon partners, customers and profit. Partners should achieve personal satisfaction in being one of the members of a co-owned enterprise, employ and preserve loyal customers through their application of their continuous trust and should make adequate profit to continue commercial vitality with expectation and profit sharing among members (John Lewis, 2011). 1.1. Marketing Objectives Marketing objective will be towards the achievement of overall goals of the business. There are objectives that are related to product. John Lewis needs to launch more product lines either through their own brands or through collaboration with other brands in different parts of the world (Mesure, 2005). Production cost and other costs need to be reduced so that products are affordabl e and competitive pricing is maintained. There are certain merchandises that have gained high sales volumes. Also, many of the merchandises experienced low sales volumes. Strategy needs to be developed to manage the product lines according to own brand and other brands that are associated with high and low margin. 2.0. Environmental Analysis 2.1. Political Environment The government of the UK encourages the retailers to offer mix job opportunities from locally-based, flexible jobs to highly-skilled and higher-paid jobs. This industry is high with regards to staff turnover. However, the model of John Lewis ensures that the employees are loyal to the company. 2.2. Economic Environment Economical factors have the influential power to affect John Lewis and Waitrose in terms of price, profit and cost. Due to financial crisis, there has been increase in the level of unemployment. This tends to affect the demand for goods and services (Adair & Et. Al., 2009). The economic factors are at th e certain point of time, out of control of John Lewis and have its effect on the company’s performance and thus marketing mix can be intense. The slowdown in market will affect John Lewis in non-food category and Waitrose in food category. However, this is not under the control of the company.  

Contractor case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Contractor case study - Essay Example b. Public liability insurance details c. Details of any licensed security to be employed In reply to our correspondence with the Liquor and Gambling Commission, we were told that alcohol will not be sold or supplied to intoxicated persons or persons under the age of 18 years and we should ensure the safety and comfort of those attending the function by not permitting overcrowding in any area. We were also asked to display the limited license in a prominent position during the whole of the function. Lastly we were asked to nominated person(s) to take responsibility for the sale, consumption or supply of liquor during the function i.e. the applicant or nominated person organizing or taking control of the function, must be present at the function at all times when liquor is being sold, consumed or supplied. (Office of Liquor & Gambling Commissioner 2003, Government of South Australia) Draft of the letter sent to the Council: To Whom It May Concern ____________ (***Your Organization Name***) will be organizing an Outdoor Cinema Night at the "Mrs.Macquaries Char" of Sydney Botanic Gardens, which we hope shall be a fun-filled evening. The event will officially start at 7pm on the 14th of May 2008, first featuring the performance by the dance troop, then we shall be having a break for food and drinks the evening will end with the broadcast of "Bourne Supremacy" at "OpenAir Cinema", Mrs.Macquaries Point from 9pm to 12 pm. Yours Sincerely, ________________(***Your Organization Name****) Contractors: - We will be making use of various contractors: 1. "Be Productions": Be Productions is a Sydney based production company and national leaders in Open-Air Cinema event management. Be Productions will be undertaking for us, the complete set-up and...entertainment consent/trading hours). In reply to our correspondence with the Liquor and Gambling Commission, we were told that alcohol will not be sold or supplied to intoxicated persons or persons under the age of 18 years and we should ensure the safety and comfort of those attending the function by not permitting overcrowding in any area. We were also asked to display the limited license in a prominent position during the whole of the function. Lastly we were asked to nominated person(s) to take responsibility for the sale, consumption or supply of liquor during the function i.e. the applicant or nominated person organizing or taking control of the function, must be present at the function at all times when liquor is being sold, consumed or supplied. (Office of Liquor & Gambling Commissioner 2003, Government of South Australia) The event will officially start at 7pm on the 14th of May 2008, first featuring the performance by the dance troop, then we shall be having a break for food and drinks the evening will end with the broadcast of "Bourne Supremacy" at "OpenAir Cinema", Mrs.Macquaries Point from 9pm to 12 pm. All Time Securities success is driven through innovation and customer satisfaction.

Arbitration Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Arbitration Law - Essay Example With the rapid strides made by the world financial and business communities, it has become imperative for businesses to have a proven method of resolving business disputes promptly, expeditiously and constructively. When businesses grow and expand it is natural that disputes will arise. In wake of this, parties often favor a private and informal settlement of disputes, in a businesslike fashion that enable them to further their business interests without strangling their business relationship. It is for such occasions that arbitration is designed—for prompt, pragmatic and efficient resolution of disputes. Arbitration is essentially a process of dispute resolution inspired by ones free will where a neutral third party renders a final and binding decision after the concerned sides have presented their views. This method is particularly useful in international business transactions where parties are often unfamiliar with foreign legal systems. The parties may reside in a number o f different geographic locations, each subject to quite different laws and legal systems. Matters get much more complicated if their transactions involve activities in other jurisdictions, where they otherwise have no presence or familiarity. With stark deviations from a judicial procedure, arbitration is conducted outside the court system by disinterested arbitrators selected by the concerned parties based on the criteria that best suit the nature of the contract.

We are Americans Undocumented Students Pursuing the American Dream Annotated Bibliography

We are Americans Undocumented Students Pursuing the American Dream - Annotated Bibliography Example As the â€Å"old man† illustrated within the story disputes the changes that have taken place, the reality of the fact is that a greater level of social cohesion is represented within the town he lives; even if he might feel uncomfortable with this. Census data indicated that the vast majority of North American population could trace their own heritage, or that of their parents, to a foreign country. This helps to illustrate the strong immigrant backgrounds that are represented within North America; up until the current time. However, the piece also goes into a great deal of discussion referencing the way in which former immigrants came to view â€Å"newer† immigrants as something â€Å"separate† and alien. This behavior has had negative ramifications with respect to the degree and extent to which otherwise similar individuals have been able to coalesce into a diverse or homogenous society. Yet, the authors point to the fact that the same underlying motivation ha s encouraged virtually all of these immigrants to come to North America; the promise of economic freedom and the ability to start their lives afresh. With this underlying concept standing at the core of similarity between these otherwise diverse peoples, the authors effectively underscore the similarity of self-interest serves as the main similarity that is otherwise exhibited.

Managing time and stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing time and stress - Essay Example Furthermore, the report will give a 12-month implementation plan of good management. Management is an application of coordination in an organization to accomplish its mission and visions. This is necessary because the firm can attain maximum profits with minimum resources. Time management is utilizing the least time possible to achieve maximum production. Stress management is the act of a person controlling his stress level by participating in stress removal activities, like counseling. An effective management is the most important thing in the organization; it helps in time and stress management. The firm will achieve high results while the business will grow to great heights. There are many trends in management. These trends are the reasons for competitive markets in the world today. Managers put these trends into consideration and apply them in the environment of their business. Not all managers can cope with these trends because it requires efficiency. It needs management, which has a vision in its undertakings and is ready to face any risk ahead. This paper is going to highlight the current trends in management. Various characteristics define good management. This is the base for effective management. An efficient manager provides the firms visions (Birkinshaw, 2013). An employee may provide a proposal that could lead to success, and it needs the hands of the manager to implement the idea. A good manager with vision will outline the importance of the idea and guide his firm on what to do. An effective management brings clarity in the organization. They are the ones to lead by example. When a task is hard to be completed, the management has to bring in experts to help sort out the problem. Believing is important for management to be effective. They should believe in the trends that affect management and apply them in their institutions. This gives confidence to other employees, and they will work

A conversation between Obama and Gandhi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A conversation between Obama and Gandhi - Essay Example The country’s military was also involved in various conflicts around the world that had been running for years with no definite end in sight. We had the Iraqi war as well as the war in Afghanistan which were by no means conventional confrontations. The war had taken a religious and ideological war that was claiming hundreds of lives on both sides due to the senseless violence that was prevailing and fueled by insurgents mainly the Taliban and Al-Qaida that were thriving due to the lawlessness and chaos that was evident. I had to find a solution that could effectively end the violence and stop any further loss of innocent lives. We have had the Palestinian issue that has been dragging on for decades due to varying view points between the Israelis and the PLO of Palestine. The violence experienced there is heart wrenching and no clear solution in sight. The various factions in Palestine and Israel are both sticking to their hard line stances on the negotiating table creating an unnecessary stalemate. The Palestinians do not recognize the state of Israel as well as Israel does not recognize their neighbor’s right to have an independent state. In short they both would be much happier if the other party is blasted to smithereens. Israel being our close ally, we have to solve the issue with their interests at the heart of our Middle East policy which makes us to appear partial on the negotiating table which only reduces the chances of achieving peace in the Middle East. I am facing another situation with the Islamic State of Iran. They are fast tracking their development of nuclear weapons .Several other countries in the globe possess such weapons namely Russia, China, France and the U.K. This is by no means a comprehensive list but this will do. What makes Iran’s nuclear project a worry to me as the president of the U.S is the fact that they have the agenda of wiping our close

The dumbest generation by Mark Bauerlein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The dumbest generation by Mark Bauerlein - Essay Example Throughout his book, Bauerlein concentrates on how the digital era has displaced the common and normal human life, impacting young Americans. The author compares his time period to the current generation (under thirty years of age) in terms of education and their mode of communication. After discovering the many transformations that have taken place, the author refutes technological advancements claiming that they have done more harm than good to the young generation. In chapter one, knowledge deficits, the author embarks on statistical data generated from surveys to explain how the youth are performing poorly in all aspects of life. After comparing the 2005 and 1995 test scores, the author claims that the American youth performed poorly in 2005 because of their over reliance on information technology instead of concentrating on books (Bauerlein 10). The author, however, does not recognize the role of parents, teachers and the community in education because they too contribute to aca demic performance. He does not appreciate the fact that young people are getting more information from the internet as opposed to what teachers and books can offer. In chapter two, the new bibliophobes, Bauerlein disagrees with idea of the youth retrieving information from the internet instead of reading books. He believes that it only books, which have relevant and reliable information for the young people. He considers their over reliance on media gadgets as waste of time. This is not true because the internet helps young people to learn more.

Biomechanics - Body Movements Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biomechanics - Body Movements - Assignment Example The two muscles are antagonistic to each other. The biceps brings about flexion while the triceps is responsible for extension of the upper arm. The upper end of the biceps has its origin from the scapula and its lower end is inserted on the radius bone lying on the medial aspect of the forearm. The muscle is located in the front portion of the forearm. Contraction of biceps brachii in response to nervous stimulation causes flexion i.e. the forearm is raised in an upward movement. The muscle is therefore categorized as a flexor muscle. In response to the flexion, i.e. when the biceps contracts, the antagonistic triceps muscle relaxes simultaneously. The triceps is located in the posterior portion of the upper arm with its origin from the scapula as well as the humerus bones. The point of insertion of triceps is at the olecranon process of the ulna, the long bone in the forearm located on the lateral side. Contraction of the triceps straightens or extends the arm and this is the reaso n for its classification as an extensor muscle. The movement follows the pattern of a lever of the third order, wherein the load is located at the hand, and the fulcrum at the elbow (Peterson & Bronzino, 2008). 2) In no more than 250 words describe the function of the skeleton and its importance in movement. The human skeleton is an integrated framework of 206 bones which supports the soft tissue and protects the vital organs (McKinley & O’Loughlin, 2008). The skeletal system has been classified as the axial skeleton, comprising of the bones lying along the central axis of the body, which includes the skull, the vertebral column and the rib cage; and the appendicular skeleton, comprising the bones of the arms and legs, as well as the pelvic and the pectoral girdles (McKinley & O’Loughlin, 2008). The appendicular skeleton is more pertinent as far as the body movements are concerned although the axial skeleton is by no means non-contributory, as it provides the central a xis or the pivot around which the body movements occur. The mandible is the mobile portion in the skull and the vertebrae too glide to a certain extent to impart flexibility to the vertebral column. The appendicular skeleton however shows a great degree of motility and is responsible for locomotion. The upper and the lower limbs emanate from the pectoral and the pelvic girdle respectively while the ribs form a bony cage to protect the vital organs. The skeleton provides the hard, bony framework for the origin as well as insertion of the skeletal muscles, the contraction and relaxation of which is actually responsible for locomotion. The skeletal muscles are highly specialized and often occur in pairs to produce movement antagonistic to each other. The movement of the joints can vary from simple gliding, rotation, adduction, abduction, flexion and extension. The muscles are firmly attached to the bones through specialized structures called ligaments and tendons and movements occur in the form of levers of the 1st, 2nd and the 3rd order. 3) In no more than 250 words describe and provide examples of each synovial joint. Synovial joints are freely mobile articulations in which the participating bones are separated by a space called joint cavity (McKinley & O’Loughlin, 2008). These joints are freely mobile and are functionally classified as diarthrosis. There are four synovial joints in the human skeleton viz. the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint; the temporomandibular joint; the elbow, and the knee joint (McKinley & O’

Transformational Leadership Addendum Assignment

Transformational Leadership Addendum - Assignment Example democratic leadership as a fully participatory form of leadership and a free reign as a situation where the subjects dictate what has to be done, and the leadership has no direction in this framework. The same study describes transformational leadership as the most recent form of leadership. The core characteristic of this style of leadership is to inspire the team to produce revolutionary results (Edward and jean 2013). In this form of leadership, the leader identifies a need for change in an organization and creates a pathway towards attaining this change. In addition, the leader taps into the emotional aspect of the team to inspire them to achieve this change (Marshall & Marshall 2011). In Ciulla (2004), the idea of a transformational leader has been improved further by distinguishing this type of leadership from selfish and manipulative styles of leadership. In this study, the type of leadership is described as that which is driven by ideologies, is charismatic and confident. Regardless of the leadership style taken by the leader, a good leadership style is characterized by greater inspiration to the team hence greater achievement of the goals and objectives (Babatunde 2013). The individual, therefore, has to try to adopt a framework that best suits the intention of the person in achieving the goals. It should be noted that each person’s adoption of these frameworks will produce varied results depending on the effectiveness of the adoption. In this paper, I provide my personal leadership style and advance the discussion on the influence of an individual personal leadership plan on the communication within and without a team. At a personal level, one has to develop a strategy to deal with the leadership hurdles that one comes across in a team. To communicate this strategy effectively depends on the type of leadership that an individual adopts in dealing with the members of the team. For instance in an autocratic type of leadership, the decision and

The Colosseum and Architectural Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Colosseum and Architectural Theories - Essay Example This depicts architecture as a field that uses only forces such as harmony of design and engineering to encompass various features that drive people and regions. Ironically, architecture has been a field where fine art and engineering come together only to find nuances where it may function as a political and socio economic barometer. (Hale, 2000; P 5) The structure being studied in this paper- the Colosseum- is an epitome of aesthetics in architecture and the use of fine art in context of functional engineering to bring about maximum satisfaction for the creator and maximum interaction from the people visiting such a structure. To begin with, it is imperative to define the exact nature and importance of these strategies in context of the Colosseum. Interpretive strategies spring from that aspect of a field's study which seeks to define the same in context of an individual's life and link the same with various factors at a regional, international and global level. (Norberg - Schulz, 1996; P 414 - 428) The role of an interpretive strategy in the case of Colosseum is to bring out a variety of features in the structural implications of the building. These features have been further discussed below. This structure basically upholds the values of the Roman Empire. One of the major features of an interpretive strategy lies in its ability to transform a space and transport an individual to a place beyond the structure where the building and the individual in question are in perfect tandem as far as everyday activities and a sense of drama in this everyday life is concerned. This has been termed as Hermeneutics. (Hale, 2000; P 213 - 233) On a more technical grid, the term hermeneutics adheres to the play of a person's sense of aesthetics when regarding the Colosseum. The finer point shows that the hermeneutic tradition helps create a platform where a person may experience the museum as an extension of his or her daily living. This is an important point made by the term 'modern aesthetics', which cater to more than a marriage of fine art and engineering for positive structural implications in the structure as anamphitheatre. (Hale, 2000; P 213 - 233) While on hermeneutics, it is important to realize another feature of the use of interpretive strategies in the Colosseum. Hermeneutics caters for the act of drawing out a person who is regarding a structure. This is brought about by a careful play of fine art as well as political and ideological view within the structure. In the case of the Colosseum, this has been achieved through the use of language in terms of mere fine art to put forth a point in favour of the semiotic implications of the structure's design as conceived in the mind of the person regarding it. (Hale, 2000; P 203 - 211) In case of the Colosseum, this has also created a space within which the language is based on the architectural features. This again points to the intermingling of the technical and the artistic - i.e., fine art and engineering - within the context of a region's political and economic frame of mind. This language then helps reduce barriers and deconstruct a

Unit 5 DB - Regression Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 5 DB - Regression Analysis - Essay Example Linear regression is the type of regression which identifies the relationship of two significant variables (dependent and independent) (Seber & Lee, 2012). For example the analyst would try to relate the haziness of aircraft’s glass (dependent variable) with ice deposits (independent variable). Linear regression signifies the direct relationship between two such variables (Weisberg, 2005). The following equation represents the regression equation, where Y is the dependent variable which is dependent on X independent variables, a is the intercept while b denotes slope of the line X (Hoffmann, 2005). In the section of criminal justice, the analysts often use multiple analytical tools to make better judgments and decisions on the field. Regression is one tool which criminologists often apply to identify relationships between two adjacent variables like crime conviction or criminal’s behaviors. Analysts use regression coefficients to identify which strategy is more effective than the other on crime control section. According to one report of Federal government, a number of researchers came out from University of Nebraska in the year 1990, who utilized regression analysis tool to assess the influence of investment on crime rates. The analysis identified the relationship between two variables by identification of correlations and linear equation, which are fundamentally deterministic by linear regression analysis tool. This came out to be a sufficient tool of correlation analysis which later on got applied in the criminal justice section. Still today several criminologists us e linear regression model to identify the relationship of two significant variables (Weisburd & Britt, 2007, p.

The Origin of Childhood †National Geographic Magazine Essay Example for Free

The Origin of Childhood – National Geographic Magazine Essay The article talks about the discovery of the remains of a hominin child 3.3 million year back by an Ethiopian scientist Zeresenay Alemseged. The differentiating factor of this find is the fact that the child’s bones were intact and the find itself is like digging gold in the world of archeology. The find is able to give us an in-depth knowledge about the body structure and capabilities of the hominins, it also tells us how the babies were changing from chimps to what we are now. It also draws comparisons to Lucy, the fossil of a mother 3.2 million years old which was found in the 1970’s. with the finding of the child, the family of Australopithecus afarensis is now complete and scientists are able to make conclusions about how they lived, what they could and what they could not do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on the shape of its shoulders scientists can say that this child could climb tress, also the shape and size of its knee cap suggests that this child could walk on 2 legs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article also talks about how Zeresenay is one of the few Ethiopian scientists involved in this field although this part of the world has been a treasure cove for finding many remains of animals and different species of mammals. Most of the expeditions in this part of the world had mainly been foreign before Zeresenay took the lead in 1999. the article talks about their struggle as there were a couple of findings of mammals in that area but no hominins and Zeresenay’s belief that they will be able to find hominins in that part of the world. Finally in 2000, it all came true when Zeresenay’s team found the remains of a child. However, to the contrast of making a skeleton out of hundreds of small pieces of bones their challenge was quite the opposite. The remains were found in a ball of sandstone and thus Zeresenay had to cut through it with a dentist’s drill to ensure that no part of the child’s’ body was damaged and they could recover everything there was in that ball of sandstone. The result of 5 years of that effort is a treasure that he says comes only once in a lifetime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The startling features being a full set of both the milk teeth and unerupted adult teeth; also a bone in the throat that is considered to be the main crucial part of human speech. Other findings include a curled finger which tells us their resemblance with chimpanzees and her ribs that tell us the size of the child.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It talks about how the knee caps of the child were the size of the pea that tells us that this ‘man’ could walk on 2 legs. What is also worth noting is that the brain of this child was very small at 330cc compared to a 5 year old human child whose brain is over a 1000cc. this tells us that the growth of the brain was slow and there is resemblance with chimpanzees there. It talks about the feet of the child that were not like a chimpanzee but rather like us humans. This meant that the child could not hang on to its mother and had to b carried by the mother, this left the mother helpless and dependant for food and other things on her mate. The scientists say this should have been the time when the bonds became stronger and that is why humans are monogamous as compared to other apes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article ends by telling us that this specie did not eat meat and a million years late when man started eating meat, which is when the brain size started getting larger as 40% of our food goes into sustaining our brain. For specie that is mainly dependent on vegetables and leaves, this would have been very difficult. The article ends by saying that as the brains of the humans keep growing bigger and bigger we will have more ‘intellectual power’ to find our roots. Why I chose this article   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I am quizzical about how human life started and how and why we changed from being Chimps to being who we are today and what lies beyond our planet and if there is life on other planets. I chose this particular article because it tries to tell us or rather the whole article is about that part in time where we were still dependent on our parents but starting to live longer than other ‘close’ members of our specie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The human child is very weak, it can’t talk, it can’t walk, it can’t express itself in any other way apart from crying and making face expressions. Basically, it is helpless. It someone does not take care of the child, the child cannot survive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This article tells us about the life of a 3 year old girl who lived 3.3 Million year ago. However, the special thing about this girl is the fact that she is in one of those defining moments of time where we as specie started to separate from chimpanzees and started having the physical capabilities to live as human beings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another motivation to choose this article was the way they talk about the little child. It is almost magical and makes me felt hat I have been transported into a world where I can actually visualize this child and see how we humans came about to be who we are today. The way the author talks about the scientist who discovered and painstakingly got the bones from the sandstone vs. how he talks about the parts of the honninin baby body parts brings a sense of life to that child. The biological aspect is obviously enchanting but I will talk about that in the next section.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The articles use of graphics is phenomenal in showing how the child looked and what were the limitations of his body compared to ours, it also clearly mentions the developments of this child compared to that of his and our ancestors. An important part is the development of the brain and the hands as discusses in the earlier section. Overall, the reason to choose this article is the impact that it has had on me about human evolution. My opinion of the article and how it relates to Biology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As I just mentioned, this article has left a beautiful impression on me about the evolution of human beings and has in a way made me fall in love with the 3 year old child from our history. I feel the article is very well written because it brings along a vivid image about the life of the child in that era and the use of imagery is phenomenal in showing us how the child looks and how it has changed to how we look now. There is also a sketch of the mother in that era holding her child and it shows how the child in that era was beginning to be dependent on his or her mother for care protection and other needs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The relation to biology comes from the fact that it talks about the development of the body and how it had changed from that of a chimpanzee and starting to look like ours. For example, the fingers of the child were curved and that is more like a chimpanzee however the feet of the child did not have long fingers which meant that unlike children of chimpanzees this child could not cling on to this mothers’ body as there was no grasp. It also talks about the set of milk teeth and adult teeth and their placement in the jaw or rather the jaw line, this tells us about what the child could and what it could although the food habits are not specifically mentioned in the article. The article also gives a glimpse about how the hominins lived and survived.