Presidential and Parliamentary Systems of Government Essay

Introduction and Main Distinguishing Features of Both Systems: A presidential system of government is one in which there is a head of government, i.e. the executive branch, who is separate from the legislature and is not accountable to it. Generally, the legislature does not hold power to dismiss the executive. This system can be traced back to the monarchal system in the medieval ages which countries such as France, England and Scotland followed where the Crown held all executive powers and not the parliament. When the office of the President of the United States was created, this system of separate powers of the executive and legislature was replicated in the U.S. Constitution. In contrast, a parliamentary system is different from the above because its executive branch of government needs the direct or indirect backing of the parliament to stay in power, which is generally expressed through a vote of confidence. However, the mechanism of checks and balances is different from one found in a presidential republic because there is no distinct separation of powers between the legislature and the executive. In parliamentary systems, the head of government and the head of state are distinct entities, where the former is the prime minister and the latter is an elected president or a hereditary monarch. The U.K. follows a parliamentary form of government, where the prime minister and the cabinet govern using their executive power on a daily basis, but actual authority is held with the head of state.[1] In distinguishing between presidential and parliamentary systems, three points must be considered. First, in a presidential system the head of government (the president) is elected for a fixed term and will serve this unless there is the ‘unusual and exceptional process of impeachment’, whereas in a parliamentary system the head of government (prime minister or equivalent) is dependent on the confidence of the legislature and thus can be removed (along with the whole government) by a motion of no-confidence. Second, in a presidential system the head of government (the president) is popularly elected, if not literally directly by the voters then by an electoral college popularly elected expressly for this purpose, whereas in a parliamentary system the head of government (prime minister or equivalent) is ‘selected’ by the legislature. Third, in a presidential system there is effectively a â€Å"one-person† non-collegial executive, whereas in a parliamentary system the executive (i.e., the cabinet) is collective or collegial.[2] For his part, Sartori like Lijphart, makes three basic points in that ‘a political system is presidential if, and only if, the head of state (president) i) results from popular election, ii) during his or her pre-established tenure cannot be discharged by a parliamentary vote, and iii) heads or otherwise directs the governments that he or she appoints’. There are two distinctions between Lijphart and Sartori worth noting here. First of all, Lijphart refers to the president as the head of government whereas Sartori refers to him or her as the head of state. Second and related, Sartori conceives of the government as being broader than the individual president. As such, Sartori rejects as too narrow the notion ‘that the head of state must also be the head of government’ in favor of a looser notion that authority flows from the president down – perhaps via a separate head of government.[3] Mainwaring attributes two distinguishing features to a presidential democracy. First, the head of government is elected independently of the legislature in the sense that legislative elections and post-election negotiations do not determine executive power. In countries where the chief executive is selected by the legislature, not as a second alternative when the popular vote does not produce a clear winner but as the fundamental process, the system is either parliamentary (the vast majority of cases) or a hybrid (as in Switzerland). Post-election negotiations that determine which parties will govern and which will head the government are crucial in many parliamentary regimes, but they are not part of the selection process of chief executives in presidential systems. The chief executive in a presidential democracy is usually elected by popular vote, although some countries, notably the United States, have an electoral college rather than direct popular elections. Even so, in the United States, the popular vote has a virtually binding effect on Electoral College votes. In other presidential systems, including those in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile (before 1973), the congress votes for a president if there is no absolute majority in the popular vote. Yet the popular vote is the first criterion, and in Argentina and Chile, tradition has dictated that congress will select the candidate with the most popular votes. Note that it must be the head of government-not simply the president-who is elected by popular vote or an electoral college. In Austria, Iceland, and Ireland, the president is elected by direct popular vote but has only minor powers and is therefore not the head of government.[4] The second distinguishing feature of presidential democracies is that the president is elected for a fixed period of time. Most presidential democracies allow for impeachment, but this practice is rare and does not substantially affect the definition because of its extraordinary character. The president cannot be forced to resign because of a no-confidence vote by the legislature, and consequently, the president is not formally accountable to congress. In a parliamentary system, in contrast, the head of government is elected by the legislature and subsequently depends on the ongoing confidence of the legislature to remain in office; thus the time period is not fixed.[5] Implications for Policy Making and Democracy: Whether a regime is parliamentary or presidential has a major impact on significant aspects of political life: how executive power is formed, relationships between the legislative and the executive branches, relationships between the executive and the political parties, the nature of the political parties, what happens when the executive loses support, and arguably even prospects for stable democracy and patterns of domination. The proponents of presidential claim that presidential systems claim that such systems ensure that the president’s power is a legitimate one because the president if, in most cases, elected directly by the people. The United States follows a different system in which the president is elected by an electoral college but is still considered to be popularly elected. Parliamentary executives can not claim to be elected via a direct vote of the people. Separation of powers is another benefit which the presidential system provides because it established the executive branch and the legislative as two distinct structures which allows each body to supervise and oversee the other and prevents abuse of the system. In a parliamentary system, the executive is not separate from the legislature, reducing the chances of criticism or scrutiny, unless a formal condemnation in the form of a vote of no confidence takes place. Hence, in a parliamentary system, a prime minister’s unethical deeds or instances of misconduct might never be discovered as Woodrow Wyatt (former British Member of Parliament) said while writing about the famous Watergate scandals during the presidency of Richard Nixon, â€Å"don’t think a Watergate couldn’t happen here, you just wouldn’t hear about it.†[6] In a parliamentary system, even though the option of a vote of no confidence is available, it is an option resorted to only in extreme cases. It is considered extremely difficult to influence or stop a prime minister or cabinet who has already decided to pass legislation or implement measures. Voting against important legislation is tantamount to a vote of no confidence, as a consequence of which the government is changed after holding of elections. This is a very tedious process because of which it is a rare occurrence in some parliamentary countries. Britain for example has only rarely undergone such a situation. Therefore, it is often believed that in a parliamentary system, because of the lack of separation of powers, the Parliament can not actually exercise any real control over the executive. However, there can be a downside to separation of powers. Presidential systems can lead to a situations where the President and Congress both evade blame by passing it to the other. In the words of former Treasury Secretary C. Douglas Dillon as he described the United States, â€Å"The president blames Congress, the Congress blames the president, and the public remains confused and disgusted with government in Washington.†[7] Woodrow Wilson agreed in his thesis, Congressional Government in the United States, as he said, â€Å"†¦how is the schoolmaster, the nation, to know which boy needs the whipping? . . . Power and strict accountability for its use are the essential constituents of good government. . . . It is, therefore, manifestly a radical defect in our federal system that it parcels out power and confuses responsibility as it does. The main purpose of the Convention of 1787 seems to have been to accomplish this grievous mistake. The `literary theory’ of checks and balances is simply a consistent account of what our constitution makers tried to do; and those checks and balances have proved mischievous just to the extent which they have succeeded in establishing themselves . . . [the Framers] would be the first to admit that the only fruit of dividing power had been to make it irresponsible.†[8] Separation of Powers has mixed implications. It can lead to gridlock, i.e. when it becomes next to impossible to pass items on the party’s agenda because the legislature is almost equally divided, usually an occurrence in the U.S. when the Senate and House of Representatives are dominated by opposing parties. However, the upside to gridlock is that it often prevents radical policy changes. Another problem with the presidential system is that while it is inherently stable because the president is elected for a fixed term, this also compounds the issue of the presidency being a zero-sum game, where winner takes all. As Linz (1990, 56) states, â€Å"The danger that zero-sum presidential elections pose is compounded by the rigidity of the president’s fixed term in office. Winners and losers are sharply defined for the entire period of the presidential mandate†¦losers must wait four or five years without any access to executive power and patronage. The zero-sum game in presidential regimes raises the stakes of presidential elections and inevitably exacerbates their attendant tension and polarization.† Parliamentary elections can also lead to one party winning an absolute majority, in most scenarios a number of parties gain representation through these elections. Power is often shared and coalitions are formed, as a consequence of which the position holders give due weight to the needs and interests of smaller parties. In turn, these parties expect a certain share in power and as is obvious, are stakeholders in the overall system, instead of non-entities. Now if, as is the case in presidential systems, one sole person believes that he has independent authority and a popular mandate, he might start to develop a tendency towards authoritarianism. When he develops such notions about his standing and role, he will not react appropriately to the inevitable opposition to his policies, finding it annoying and unsettling, as would a prime minister who considers himself a mere representative of a temporary governing coalition and not the sole voice of the nation. Hence the examples of Venezuela and Colombia, where when democracy was reestablished in times of great political instability, and when the written constitutions warranted a presidential government, the leaders of chief political parties opted for consociational agreements whereby the rigid, winner-take-all consequences of presidential elections were â€Å"softened†.[9] While stability is often touted as one of the prime advantages of the presidential system, it is simply another word for rigidity. On the other hand, parliamentarism lends a certain element of flexibility to the political process. Advocates of presidentialism might reply that this rigidity is actually a plus because it prevents the uncertainty and instability so definitive of parliamentary politics. Under parliamentary government, after all, a number of entities, even rank-and-file legislators, can choose to adopt basic changes, cause realignments and shifts, and, most importantly, make or break prime ministers. But it must be remembered that while the need for authority and predictability might serve as justifications for presidentialism, there can be a myriad of unexpected developments- anything from the death of the incumbent to serious errors in judgment committed under the pressure of adverse political circumstances – that often lead to the presidential rule being less predictable and often weaker than that of a prime minister. The latter can always make efforts to bolster up his legitimacy and authority, be it through a vote of confidence or the dissolution of parliament and the consequential new elections. Also, a prime minister can be changed without it necessarily leading to a major regime crisis.[10] Conclusion: The above analysis has largely favored a parliamentary system over a presidential one. However, one must remember that success regimes, regardless of the amount of thought and care gone into their design, are determined by the extent of support they manage to arrest from society at large, its major forces, groups and institution. Public consensus therefore is a basic need, which confers legitimacy to the authority of the regime, and this is achieved only by the power which is attained lawfully and in a democratic fashion. Regimes also depend to a large extent on the ability and aptitude of their leaders to govern, to arouse trust and to respect the boundaries of the power they hold. Every country has unique aspects that one must take into account-traditions of federalism, ethnic or cultural heterogeneity, and so on. Both systems have their pros and cons, even parliamentary systems can suffer grave crises. Hence, countries must consider their own individual past, present and future, in order to determine which system has the greater probability of success. References Hardin, Charles. 1989. A Challenge to Political Science. PS: Political Science and Politics 22(3): 595-600. Lijphart, Arend, ed. 1992. Introduction in A. Lijphart (ed.), Parliamentary versus presidential government. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Linz, Juan. 1990. The Perils of Presidentialism. Journal of Democracy (Winter): 51-69. Mainwaring, Scott and Shugart, Matthew. 1997. Juan Linz, Presidentialism, and Democracy: A Critical Appraisal. Comparative Politics 29(4): 449-471. Mainwaring, Scott. 1990. Presidentialism in Latin America. Latin American Research Review 25(1):157-179. Sartori, Giovanni. 1994. Neither presidentialism nor parliamentarism, in J.J. Linz & A. Valenzuela (eds.), The failure of presidential democracy, vol. 1: Comparative perspectives. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. Thomas, Jo. Oct. 9 1988. The fate of two nations. The New York Times. Wilson, Woodrow. 1886. Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics. The New Englander 45(192). [1] Mainwaring, Scott and Shugart, Matthew. 1997. Juan Linz, Presidentialism, and Democracy: A Critical Appraisal. Comparative Politics 29(4): 449-471. [2] Lijphart, Arend, ed. 1992. Introduction in A. Lijphart (ed.), Parliamentary versus presidential government. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [3] Sartori, Giovanni. 1994. Neither presidentialism nor parliamentarism, in J.J. Linz & A. Valenzuela (eds.), The failure of presidential democracy, vol. 1: Comparative perspectives. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. [4] Mainwaring, Scott. 1990. Presidentialism in Latin America. Latin American Research Review 25(1):157-179. [5] Linz, Juan. 1990. The Perils of Presidentialism. Journal of Democracy (Winter): 51-69 [6] Thomas, Jo. Oct. 9 1988. The fate of two nations. The New York Times. [7] Hardin, Charles. 1989. A Challenge to Political Science. PS: Political Science and Politics 22(3): 595-600. [8] Wilson, Woodrow. 1886. Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics. The New Englander 45(192). [9] Linz, Juan. 1990. [10]   Linz, Juan. 1990.

Major Characteristics Of Qualitative Research Education Essay

Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction In this chapter, research worker will explicate in item on how the research will be conducted. This includes the research design chosen by the research worker, the research processs, sample choice, methods of garnering informations, and methods of informations analysis used. In explicating the methods and processs employed, the research worker besides explains the principle for taking the peculiar methods and processs conducted in this research. 3.1 Research Design Patton ( 1990 ) in Fraenkel and Wallen ( 2006 ) described one of the major features of qualitative research is design flexibleness where they suggested that a qualitative research should avoid from stick on a stiff designs or state of affairs so that the state of affairs can be understood in-depth. They besides recommended a qualitative research should prosecute new waies of find that suits with the research worker involvement. From his ain reading and sentiment, the research worker would wish to specify qualitative research as a type of scientific research. It is because ; by and large scientific research consists of a proper probe that seeks for replies to a inquiry consistently by uses a predefined set of processs. In order to reply the inquiries, research worker collects grounds and produces findings that were non determined in progress and that are applicable beyond the immediate boundaries of the survey. Therefore to transport out his research qualitatively, the research worker would wish to utilize instance survey as the method for the research worker to carry on this research. Case survey is one of methods to carry on qualitative research where Robert Stake ( 1997 ) defines a instance as a delimited system as it tells a narrative about a delimited system. A system refers to a set of interconnected elements that are wholesome while bounded outlines the boundary of the system ( Holmes et al, 2008 ) . However the research worker himself need to find the instance foremost and subsequently the research worker will uses assorted informations aggregation techniques such as interviews, observation through literature, and relevant documental analysis to transport out a holistic survey of the entity. By utilizing instance survey, the research worker will really try to look into the constituents or parts that make up the system to see how they operate. By refer to this research ; the research worker will look into the scientific discipline course of study of Steiner Waldorf instruction as he will compare the course of study with Malayan scientific discipline course of study. At one manus, the research worker will look at the of import constituents of course of study of both Malaysian and Steiner Waldorf instruction. On the other manus the research worker will compare both course of studies in order to look at the strength and the failings in Malayan scientific discipline course of study as compared to Steiner Waldorf ‘s. Hence, the research worker believes that the research worker will see the personal contact and penetration every bit good as holistic positions on both course of studies by utilizing instance survey and comparative analysis. 3.2 Research Methods Harmonizing to Fraenkel and Wallen ( 2006 ) qualitative research employed three chief techniques to roll up and analyse informations which are detecting people and schoolroom, questioning the topic every bit good as analysing paperss or other signifiers of communicating. Therefore for the informations aggregation the research worker employed the three different methods viz. observations, interviews, and papers analyses. By using more than one methods, the research worker believe it will assist to triangulate the informations, to supply multiple beginnings of grounds every bit good as to increase the cogency and dependability of the findings of this research. Below here are the accounts on each method: 3.2.1 Observations Observation fundamentally conducted in order to look into something that the research worker unfamiliar with. Because of that, certain sorts of research inquiries can best be answered by observation ( Fraenkel & A ; Wallen, 2006 ) . Harmonizing to Holmes et Al ( 2008 ) observation can be classified harmonizing to the function that the research worker plays. Fraenkel and Wallen ( 2006 ) suggested the same and as follow ; Participant Observation, the research workers really take part in the state of affairs or puting they are detecting and when the research worker takes on the function of a complete participant his individuality is non known to the other members of the group or another function that could be play by the research worker is every bit participant as perceiver. This is where the research worker participates wholly in the activities of the group being studied and on the same clip stating the group clearly that he is making research. Non-participant Observation, â€Å" sit on the out of boundss † where the research worker does non take part in the activity being observed or really he is indirectly involved with the state of affairs being observed. There two functions that the research worker could play. First every bit observer as participant where the research worker instantly identifies himself as research worker and do non hold to feign as a member of the peculiar group being studied. Second one ; the research worker could be complete perceiver which is wholly contradicted with complete participant. The presence of the research worker may or may non, recognize by the group because the research worker is really observes the activities without any purpose to take part. For this research, the observations carried out by the research worker were really used both types of observation. In one state of affairs the research worker plays his function every bit ‘participant as perceiver ‘ and in yet, another state of affairs, the function changed to observer as participant. The research worker adapted with the alteration of state of affairs where it involved clip and intent of the observation. For illustration when the research worker participated in the plans organized by the Steiner Waldorf section in Plymouth the research worker besides transporting out his observation and informed the member of the group that he was carried out observation for his research. However during his visit to the Steiner school in Plymouth, he was no longer participant as observer ; alternatively, he was observer as participant where he observed the instruction and acquisition procedure, status and environment of the school every bit good as the activities that the school had along that twenty-four hours. It was same with the observation carried out by the research worker in Malaysia. The research worker plays his function wholly every bit ‘observer as participant ‘ with the groups of pupils and instructors involved in this research. However when it involved with his personal experience as in-service instructor, he was really a complete participant, where he observed the phenomenon occurred in the group that he studied without stating them the existent state of affairs. But it was a really minor portion from the observations that the research worker carried out. 3.2.2 Interview Interview is a common tool normally used in qualitative research. It is used by research worker to cognize and understand people ‘s experiences and their interior perceptual experiences, attitudes, and feelings of world ( Zhang.Y, 2006 ) . By mentioning to its construction, interview can be divided into three classs: structured interview, semi-structured interview, and unstructured interview ( Fontana & A ; Frey, 2005 ) and as in Frankael and Wallen ( 2006 ) the unstructured interview term is used as informal interview. Structured interview is the interview that has a set of predefined inquiries and the inquiries asked to the respondent in the same mode. Structured interview is similar to study and questionnaire except that it is conducted verbally instead than in authorship. Semi-structured interview can outdo be described in footings of the flexibleness in the interview procedure. Just like structured interview, this type of interview consists of a series of inquiries which designed to arouse specific reply from respondent. However it normally more open-ended than inquiries in a structured interview but in the class of interview, interviewers has a flexibleness to set the sequence of the inquiries to be asked and add inquiries based on the context of the conversations. Informal interview as the term implies shows that the interview conducted is less formal as compared to structured or semi structured interview. It is besides similar to a insouciant conversation and fundamentally carried out to prosecute the involvements of both the research worker and the respondent in bend. This type of method is normally used in qualitative research. For this research, the research worker carried out the three types of interview. Informal interviews were used by the research worker at the initial portion of this research. The interviews were conducted on few instructors, talks and pupils in the efforts to happen out the job of Malayan scientific discipline course of study. During his visit to Plymouth, the method changed to semi structured interview as the research worker hoped to garner every bit much information as possible to derive some penetration about the Steiner instruction. The inquiries designed fundamentally to assist the research worker to acquire the intended reply from the respondents. Time is ever being the restriction of any research. Therefore when the research worker traveled back to Malaysia, the research worker still hopes that he could acquire more information about scientific discipline course of study from the Steiner instruction. Therefore he conducted email interview with few Steiner instructors, lectors and its ex-students. In the electronic mail the research worker explained briefly about research that he carry oning every bit good as direction how the respondent should reply the inquiries. The research worker classified the electronic mail interview method as structured interview in the sense that inquiries asked were fixed ( in term of figure ) and no farther probing were carried out. Email interviews conducted by the research worker as portion of ‘member cheque ‘ which is a term of method that usage in qualitative resear ch to verify what the research worker had understood based on the old interviews, observations and papers that he analyzed or as mean of formalizing via triangulation. 3.2.3 Document/Content Analysis It is a technique that allow the research worker to analyze human behaviour in an indirect manner such as through an analysis of human communicating, written content of communicating, text edition, essays, newspaper, diaries, magazines, articles and others ( Frankael & A ; Wallen, 2006 ) . Contented analysis besides has been defined as a research method for the subjective reading of the content of text informations through the systematic categorization procedure ( Hsieh & A ; Shannon, 2005 ) and besides as an attack of empirical, methodological controlled analysis of texts within their context of communicating ( Mayring, 2000 ) . Therefore in this research â€Å" papers † refers to written beginnings that the research worker have obtained from the online beginnings ( articles, studies and diaries ) and other written beginnings such as books that explain about Steiner and Malaysian scientific discipline course of study. The paperss gathered include official publications which discuss the purposes and aims of scientific discipline instruction and other facets of course of study such as execution, appraisal and the public presentation. These different paperss were analyzed and discussed in relation to the findings gathered through observations and interviews carried out by the research worker antecedently. 3.3 Research Procedures Since this is a comparative survey between 2 different course of studies, there are processs that need to be carried out by the research worker in two different states which is Malaysia and Britain. Therefore, the research worker will explicate the processs in figure of different phases as elaborate below ; Phase 1 To place the job about the Malayan scientific discipline course of study, the research worker had informal interviews with few senior instructors and talks with scientific discipline instruction background. Besides that the research worker besides conducted few informal interviews with pupils in mainstream scientific discipline category. The thought to compare the Malayan and Steiner scientific discipline course of study really came from co-workers who had general thought about the Steiner Waldorf instruction. Phase 2 ( Initial Study ) The research worker gathered information about Steiner instruction including the history, attacks and its course of study every bit good as read about the research conducted on Steiner instruction. At the same clip, the research worker besides contacted the Head of the Steiner Waldorf instruction in University of Plymouth and liaises with the Senior Tutor of the Industrial linkages of that university via electronic mail to set up resonance before the visit to Britain. Meantime, the Head of the Steiner Waldorf section helped the research worker to form Steiner and scientific discipline related plans for the research worker to go to during the visit and one of which is a visit to a Steiner school in Plymouth. Phase 3 Prior to carry oning this research in the UK, the research worker needed to obtain permissions from the undermentioned parties: The Dean of Faculty of Education of University Teknologi Mara ( UiTM ) to obtain permission to subject the proposal to the UiTM International Linkages Centre ( UiLC ) ; The Head of UiLC for the blessing of the fund needed by the research worker to carry on this survey in Britain ; The Vice Chancellor of UiTM to obtain the blessing for the research worker to carry on this survey in Britain ; and The Head of Steiner Waldorf Department in University of Plymouth for permission and to be involved in this research. Phase 4 When in the UK, information was gathered or obtained through changing beginnings and methods as highlighted aid earlier, viz. subsequent Joined a hebdomad plan organized by Steiner Waldorf Department in University of Plymouth. The plan besides involved a category of first twelvemonth pupils who making their Bachelor in Steiner Education ; Group interview with the few talks and pupils from the Steiner Waldorf Department ; Interview with the Head of Steiner Waldorf Department in University of Plymouth ; Educational visit to one Steiner school in Plymouth where interviews were carried out with a few instructors from different backgrounds ; Observation of one scientific discipline lesson ; and one practical or experiment session ; and Exchange of electronic mails with the few scientific discipline instructors, lectors and pupils who graduated from Steiner schools. Phase 5 Once the intended informations were obtained from the UK, this phase will more concentrating on informations analysis and to happen more grounds to farther support the earlier findings. Conducted email interview with few Steiner scientific discipline instructors, talks and ex-students. Making analysis on paperss about Steiner course of study specifically on scientific discipline. Conducted a group interview with pupils from 2 different schools in Petaling territory. Analyzed information gathered. 3.4 Sampling Scheme A sample in a research survey is the single or group on which information is obtained ( Fraenkel & A ; Wallen, 2006 ) . Another sentiment, a sample consists of a group of persons drawn from the population where the sample is really a fraction from the whole population ( Holmes et al, 2008 ) . A group of sample can be really little or possibly rather big depending on the figure of population as the sample drawn is really supposed to stand for the full population. There are two major types of trying which is chance trying and non-probability sampling. For this research, the research worker chose purposive sampling and convenience sampling when behavior this research. A convenience sample is group of persons who ( handily ) are available for survey while purposive sample is chose based on the research worker judgement where the sample is believed could give utile information for the research ( Fraenkel & A ; Wallen, 2006 ) . On the other positions, Holmes et Al ( 2008 ) in his book stated that purposive sampling is a manner where the research worker, in taking sample, considers the topics that belong to a specific group. Basically this method is appropriate for a subject that has non been studied much before while convenience sampling is a means perusal of whomever or whatever is available. In effort to analyze on Malayan and Steiner Waldorf ‘s scientific discipline course of study, the research worker was really blended the method in trying. Even though the sample might affect personal networking of the research worker, there were few facets that the research worker gave due consideration and judgement. That is why the research worker chose to utilize purposive and convenience sampling. In order to understand a phenomenon from position of participants, the research worker chose sample who gave more utile information. In add-on, the research worker besides look at the engagement, willingness and cooperation of the sample to involves with the research so that it will do much easier for the research worker. 3.5 Sample 3.5.1 Sample for Malayan Science Curriculum The samples that the research worker chose to garner utile information sing Malayan scientific discipline course of study can be divided into three classs, viz. as ; expert ( lector with scientific discipline instruction background ) , practician ( instructor ) and pupils. 3.5.2 Sample for Steiner Waldorf scientific discipline course of study The samples that the research worker chose to understand about Steiner Waldorf instruction and its scientific discipline course of study besides can be divided into three classs, viz. as ; expert ( lectors with Steiner instruction background and Steiner scientific discipline instruction background ) , practician ( instructor ) and pupils. 3.6 Data Analysis Data analysis is one of the of import parts in any research. It requires systematic processs to pull off the information gathered and the ability to analysis the informations critically and exhaustively. However, to transport out the analysis, research worker will utilize the research inquiries and research aims that constructed earlier as the usher. He believes that, it will assist the research worker to demo the right way of the geographic expedition of the informations. As the research worker employed observations, interviews and papers analysis as the methods to garner the informations, each method will undergo different degrees of analysis at one point and subsequently will be combined as a rich information that will be able to reply the research inquiries. Any notes that made by the research worker during his observations, informal interviews, transcript of email interviews, pictures recorded, diaries, and any publications related were organized consequently into its ain class. Next, the informations were analyzed in order for the research worker to look at any bing forms or subjects and assist the research worker to place basic characteristics of the information. This will assist the research worker to develop and document a database construction and on the same clip to depict about the informations extensively by utilizing qualitative package. The package will let the research worker to code, recover and analyse informations which could do the rich information become more organized and utile. 3.7 Drumhead The model of this research took topographic point within qualitative processs since the purpose of this research is compare the Malayan and Steiner Waldorf scientific discipline course of study. Interviews conducted with the instructors, talks and pupils from both systems every bit good as the observation that the research worker carried out in Malaysia and Britain were the chief research tools. The information gathered was supported by the analysis of paperss such as diaries, articles, official publications and several ministry paperss related to science instruction. The informations transcribed with the assistance of qualitative informations analysis package helped the research worker to come out with the findings of the research.

Blueprint and Refined Thesis Template

Blueprint and Refined Thesis Template Time can change everything, it may even flip your world upside down in seconds.. If one makes a single wrong move, everybody tends to judge them. This can be clearly seen in Little Deaths by Emma Flint through the theme of the book. Moreover, by using makeup as a mask to hide feelings, and judging someone due to their appearance. This book portrays hardships of a single, driven mother living in a judgemental society. Body The theme of the book clearly showed how one wrong move can change one’s life completely. Helping one find the angel or devil inside them. Moreover, POINT: This quote help show the true side of Ruth, how she cared about her kids. This quote helps ignore other people’s judgemental opinions. â€Å"She stretched out a hand but Devlin was suddenly there, pulling her back. Forbidding her to touch. She opened her mouth, but the flies and the heat and the smell and the sudden awareness that this was the hair she had shampooed and combed and braided for four years made everything go dark for a moment.† COMMENT: This is a clear example that shows how kids require time and attention of parents to survive, otherwise they disappear. This quote helps understand the theme of the book. Ruth is not just a woman that cares about her looks, lovers, and drinks. She has a very soft side for her kids. POINT: This passage expresses the type of mindset Ruth had. She wasn’t very aware of where her kids were. She was also comfortable with the idea of strangers bringing her kids back home after they escape. This suggests that if anything ever went wrong with her kids, she wont know. Unless someone informs her. PROOF: Ruth knew she should be proud of these kids. She should be proud of herself, bringing them up practically alone. They had toys and books, their clothes were neat and clean, they ate vegetables for dinner every night. They were safe here. It was a friendly neighbourhood: when they climbed out of their window back in the spring, an old lady brought them home before Ruth even knew they were gone. COMMENT: Through this passage, Ruths adoration for her children is evidently portrayed. How she provided them with everything they needed and wanted. However, it also show how careless Ruth truly was, as mentioned: when they climbed out of their window back in the spring, an old lady brought them home before Ruth even knew they were gone. Shows how careless she truly was. Unfortunately, even after providing her kids with everything, she failed to take care of them. She was a mother who guaranteed to be dedicated to her youngsters, yet she worked long shifts in a shabby bar as opposed to remaining home to deal with them, and she locked them in their room for quite a long time while she dozed late. Concluding Statement (try and link points made in paragraph back to thesis) Providing kids with what they need or want isn’t enough, one must spend time with their kids. As opposed to leave them alone at house. It’s not wrong to say that Ruth’s worst move was to abandon her kids for long hours. Believing that they lived in a â€Å"friendly neighborhood† and nothing could go wrong. Which eventually led people into judging her after her kids death, and believing that she was the murderer. Topic sentence: Ruths veil of cosmetics, her eagerness on looking right, fills in as a screen on to which social dreams are anticipated. POINT: This passage portrays Ruth’s obsession with looking perfect. Doesn’t matter how critical a situation might be . Also proving that she, once again, cares more about how she looks than her dead children. Moreover, she also tends to use makeup to hide her true feeling that can evidently be felt in this passage. PROOF: ‘She knew that there would be men, strangers, looking at her, asking questions. Their eyes all over her like hands. She had to be ready for them. She had to look right.’ COMMENT: As soon as ruth realizes that cops are on their way to investigate her young childrens murder case. She doesnt hesitate even a bit to fix herself. Ruths fragile cover of cosmetics and pride that also portrays her sadness, and misfortune with an extreme delicacy that is both correct and awful. She was grieving, yet she kept on dressing provocatively and to apply her substantial cover of make-up in the days following the revelation of her kids bodies. POINT: Even during grieving for her children’s death, she couldn’t ignore the thoughts of how she expects herself to look. Again, showing her interests and first priorities. Priorities that depict the importance of her makeup mask she wears, rather than her kids. PROOF: She wiped at it savagely and thought how she must look: smudged and blotched and swollen. Drooling. And for a while she did not care. COMMENT: even during crying for her dead kids, she still hesitated to let out her feelings. Ruth always wanted to present herself elegantly in front of everyone. She cared way too much about her looks and reputation. To the point where her looks were always a bigger concern than anything else. This also hints how Ruth always kept her feelings to herself. As proven by the text: Finally she could weep. Even now she remembers the sweet relief of being able to let go in front of a woman who had seen the worst of her all her life. It was hard for her to express her feelings. Concluding Statement:It was hard for her to express her feelings without being concerned about the way she looks. These insecurities and obsession with looking good destroyed Ruth completely. As people around her judged her, she kept possessing herself over make up. Topic sentence: Society judged Ruth according to her appearance. The fact that she had lovers and drinked a lot, made her an indecent women in the eyes of her community and the police. POINT: Since everyone around Ruth blamed her for her children’s death. Ruth also started believing that it was her fault. Showing how devastated and pitiful she had become. PROOF: her leaking wet body that had betrayed her. It was her fault that someone had taken the children, her fault that Frankie was missing, that Cindy was . . . gone. COMMENT: Women in the modern world are still judged and misunderstood based on their appearance and sexuality more than anything else. People blamed Ruth for her kids death. Which lead her into believing that it was her fault only. POINT: This helps clarify the thoughts of people around Ruth. From police officer to neighbors, they all lead to the same conclusion, that Ruth was the killer. All judged by her appearance and without any evidence. PROOF: Seen through the eyes of the cops, the empty bourbon bottles and provocative clothing which litter her apartment, the piles of letters from countless men and Ruth’s little black book of phone numbers, make her a drunk, a loose woman–and therefore a bad mother. The lead detective, a strict Catholic who believes women belong in the home, leaps to the obvious conclusion: facing divorce and a custody battle, Malone took her children’s lives. (from article) COMMENT: The police just jumped to conclusions without proper investigation. Ruth was also involved with a lot of men, they also couldve been culprit. However, because of Ruths appearance, her drinking and other inappropriate habits. Sbe was automatically considered the murderer. Concluding Statement (try and link points made in paragraph back to thesis) Ruth suffered to prove herself guilty. As she feared of not looking perfect, people around her solved this puzzle, blaming Ruth for her children’s death. Without any evidence, and purely based on Ruths outer appearance. Ruth’s wrong move here was that she still cared more about her looks at such a critical time. Which lead into the whole world pointing fingers at her. CONCLUSION Children require time and consideration of guardians to survive, or else they vanish. If one makes a solitary wrong move, everyone tends to judge them. This can be unmistakably found in Little Deaths by Emma Flint through the epic theme of the book. Also by using cosmetics as a cover to shroud feelings, and passing judgment on somebody because of their appearance. People should start considering the fact that you cant judge a person through their appearance. We might not know what someone else is going through. Either way, no one should have the right to blame someone for such a tragic crime.

OPRATION Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

OPRATION - Assignment Example Various reviews of related literature have revealed challenges in performance measurement for knowledge workers due to the interplay of the following factors, to wit: intangible performance drivers, the dynamic and intensive interaction between the worker/s and clients, intangible and complex services, as well as service impacts and customer value (Jaaskelainen & Laihonen, 2013). As such, the aim of the study was noted specifically as focusing on the measurement of two performance drivers: â€Å"the performance and well-being of individual knowledge workers and the ability to provide value for the customer† (Jaaskelainen & Laihonen, 2013, p. 351). The findings revealed that the traditional approaches used for measuring performance were apparently similarly utilized in knowledge intensive organizations. Likewise, in service oriented organizations, customer satisfaction surveys were deemed predominantly used as measurement tools. In addition, contingency based performance measurement approaches were also deemed applicable in service organizations and knowledge intensive enterprises. Overall, future studies using more in-depth and focused approaches were considered essential in validating conclusiveness of the findings. A company that uses project management in its delivery of goods and services is AMEC. According to its official website, the organization is â€Å"a focused supplier of consultancy, engineering and project management services to its customers in the world’s oil and gas, mining, clean energy, environment and infrastructure markets† (AMEC, 2014, p. 1). As such, its project management and execution process in major projects were noted to include the following phases: â€Å"all aspects of engineering, procurement and construction contracting†¦ tak(ing) control of project definition, estimating and planning, and project controls†¦focus(ing) on the deliverables at every stage of the project lifecycle, including supply

History of elizabeth Arden (Make-Up company) Research Paper

History of elizabeth Arden (Make-Up company) - Research Paper Example The Spa was opened on Fifth Avenue, and it has formed the basis of the existing world cosmetics giant, which has been involved in acquiring many other brands and products from various producers, to boost its line of products. The proprietor of the company was a women’s advocate who was very active in advocating for the rights of women, through searching for all ways to empower women, at an age when the rights of women was a disturbing subject that many avoided to confront with. As a way of empowering and showing the solidarity of women, she advocated for beauty and fragrance of women through the use of make-ups, which then gave her the motivation to establish the make-up salon, the Red Door salon, which she could use for advocacy campaign, where alongside other 15,000 women who were suffragettes, she matched past her salon wearing red lipstick, as a show for women’s solidarity2. Initially started as the Red Door salon, the company obtained its present name from the coin age of a name from a previous partnership that Florence Graham had with Elizabeth Hubbard, which dissolved in 1909, and then added the name Arden from her favorite poem, Enoch Arden, to come up with the current name of the company3. She embarked on a journey of growing the business, both as a motivation for other women to get into independent productive ventures, and also to prove to those who were opposed to giving women their rights. Florence Nightingale Graham increased her business management skills through travelling to France in 1912 to learn the techniques of running a beauty salon, while also learning the kind of products that were used in such salons. There, she learnt the beauty and face massage skills, as well as learning how to prepare various powders for use in the massage process. When she returned back home later in that year, she had all the requisite skills of diversifying her business from just offering beauty services and products, to the inclusion of massage serv ices. By 1914, the expansion strategy for the business was well shaped, with the business starting to formulate, manufacture and sell its own beauty and cosmetics products. Thus, the Red Door salon grew and expanded immensely, and by 1915, she embarked on making her business international, through opening other salons in different parts of the world, where the first the Elizabeth Arden salon was opened in France in 19224. By 1930, the Red Door salons had been established in the major fashion capitals of the world, and thus the company, as a brand, had become as popular as the Coca-Cola Company. Until her death in 1962, Elizabeth Arden, Inc. had been recognized the world over as a giant in the cosmetics industry, and she had won several honors for her contribution to the 21st century entrepreneurship. However, the company was highly affected by the great depression occurring in the period 1938, although the brands of the company were still popular, thus it continued to make reasonabl e sales that enabled it to survive the economic crisis, while earning low profits. The Elizabeth Arden, Inc. during the World War II Elizabeth Arden, Inc. was especially active during the World War II period, with a special focus on facilitating women who were joining the fighting forces. This way, the Elizabeth Arden, Inc. engaged in the production of various brands meant for the women soldiers, which included lipsticks that were required to match the uniform of

Professional Development Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Professional Development Analysis - Assignment Example Above all you have to keep in mind the time and effort that you can put in to achieve professional development goals. The complexity of striking a balance in all these variables characteristics is not a simple task and a mere miscalculation can drive you into the chasm of wilderness and despair beside wastage of time and hard earned resources. Often in life, we face crossroads and have to make decision on a diversion to adopt or abandon one of the two favorites and only a correct decision can make things happen for us, the same goes with our professional development. A well thought-out plan can make thing easier and can help you choose the correct option. Specially, in a fast pace professional environment today, decision making has become an art of making right choices at right time. It is important to understand professional development in its correct perspective. Professional development is a long term plan but it yields results only on putting restless daily efforts. Professional development is a light house in your journey towards professional excellence. It is not a destination but defines a path towards the ultimate destination. Like any other long term plan professional development requires careful planning and consideration as Zepeda has pointed out in his book, â€Å"Professional development cannot be left to chance. Professional development must be planned purposefully and deliberately as part of the workday. Professional development is never the end but rather the beginning of the journey toward learning.† (Zepeda, 2008, p.61). This research is aimed at investigations into the available career paths in the field of mechanical engineering and provides a strategic approach towards achieving goals hence set for professional development. The analysis covers next five years action plan headed towards the completion of final year studies followed by master and PhD to finally achieve a career in

Mel Gibson's Apocalypto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mel Gibson's Apocalypto - Essay Example However, the film by Gibson does not indicate any critical relevance to the current world as the film deals too much with violence and blood, forgetting to pay attention to other details among the Maya people, which shaped their current cultural and social dynamics, though violence is part of today’s social setting. Ardren (2006) explains that though the Maya practiced violence and brutality against their fellow community, and practiced child sacrifices in this classical period, the Maya people are also well known for achievements that range from arts, sciences deeply tooted spirituality that had connection with agricultural cycles, and the profound engineering design of the Mayan cities. However the Apocalypto shuns these achievements aside and concentrates on portraying the Maya people as grossly brutal people, with savage nature to one another until the Europeans arrived in their territory, supposedly to rescue them from these barbaric rituals and violence. The arrival of t he missionaries particularly towards the end of the film and the calm experienced in Maya directly suggests the Mayan people indeed needed rescue by the Europeans from their savage nature, towards a more enlightened community. Ardren argues that the same idea was used to subjugate the Mayan people for more than 500 years, but it has received vehement opposition from the Mayan community and intellectuals today. There is proof that such ideas of portraying the Mayan pole as Savage and brutal, and in need of salvation from their own self was used in justifying the civil war between the 1970s and 1990s, through manipulation from the Guatemalan army (Ardren, 2006). Therefore, the film is grossly one sided, and presents an offensive biased perception of the Mayan people. The rituals suggested in the film have no relevance to the society today. In the film, the priests placed their victims on pyramid tops, stretch them over a stone alter, strike on the chest with an obsidian knife, and tor e the still beating heart, lifting it up to the sun (Sweedler, 2007). Though there are evidence of past human rituals among the ancient Mayan communities, Gibson in the film is keen to approach the sacrificial practices of the pre-Columbia Mexico to their own interests, than offering a concise historical account of the past rituals in the Mayan community (Sweedler, 2007). The understanding of sacrifice in the Mayan community is far removed from the rituals portrayed in Apocalypto where the captives are treated like cattle being led to a slaughter than captor’s flesh and blood. The disregard portrayed against the captives in Apocalypto is characteristic of Goibson’s films, where he portrays both cruelty and brutality. This is portrayed through the portrayal of mean looking hunters that suggest pure evil. However, to a lesser extent Gibson’s film has some cultural and social relevance despite the gross violence that runs through the film. The long chase of Jaguar towards the end comes to terminates when he is suddenly saved by the arrival of Christopher Columbus and his fellow explorers, whose presence significantly affect the bewildered Holcane worriers (Sweedler, 2007). The Arrival of Columbus at the shores of Yucatan in 1502, in the year of his fourth expedition marked a direct contact between the indigenous people in American, the

Should the EU be involved in a battle against the piracy problem in Essay

Should the EU be involved in a battle against the piracy problem in Somalia - Essay Example Even though only a political settlement in Somalia can bring a long-term resolution to this issue, the measures taken by the international community can significantly improve the situation (Middleton 10). The European Union Naval Force Somalia-Operation ATALANTA, launched by the European Council on the 8 of December 2008, aims to deter, prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast, and is a part of the global action conducted by the EU to deal with the Somali crisis (â€Å"Mission† 1). This operation has several benefits both for Somalia and for international entities affected by the issue of piracy. To start with, operation ATALANTA helps to protect vessels of the World Food Programme (WFP), which deliver food aid to displaced people in Somalia. Since the EU naval escorts for WFP ships began in November 2007, not a single pirate attack on a ship carrying WFP food has been reported. Under the operation ATALANTA, WFP has managed to deliver over 267. 000 metric tons of food to ports in Somalia. Given the increasing need for humanitarian assistance in Somalia, the EU operation contributes significantly to support for numerous victims of the Somali crisis (â€Å"Mission† 3). Moreover, operation ATALANTA protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali cost. All shipping companies and operators that transit in this region have to register in advance of the website of the Maritime Security Center-Horn of Africa (MSC-HOA). This website facilitates the coordination of maritime traffic as it enables all vessels that observe EU NAVFOR recommendations to be aware of the arrangements taken. MSC-HOA also identifies particularly vulnerable vessels and provides them with close military protection, either from EU NAVOR, or other forces in the region (â€Å"Mschoa† 1). These arrangements significantly reduce the risks of pirate attacks or

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner - Essay Example "When one lives his/her life in the public eye it is often difficult to live up to everyone's expectations. These repressions often lead these people to use radical methods to fulfill their own needs." (Critical Essay). Thus, the short story by Faulkner portrays the idea that society's view on a 'celebrity' cannot only be powerful but also destructive and urges the readers not to depend too much on the public perspectives on personal lives as well as not to live according to the expectations of others. In the short story "A Rose for Emily", Miss Emily Grierson is presented as the socialite of her town and she naturally has an important social status or reputation she has to withhold. One of the main themes of the story is the effect of society on one's personal life and the story of Emily Grierson illustrates how people are made to use radical methods to fulfill their own needs in a society which expects its members to live according to a particular way. Emily in the story represents her family name as well as the people of her town and she was greatly a dominant figure in the society. ... uty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town, dating from that day in 1894 when Colonel Sartoris, the mayor--he who fathered the edict that no Negro woman should appear on the streets without an apron--remitted her taxes, the dispensation dating from the death of her father on into perpetuity." (Faulkner, 2003, p. 392). Therefore, the society expects the main character to live according to a particular way which has been set by the tradition and the main reason for her mental torment has been her adjustment to the norms of social life. It is most fundamental, in a close reading of "A Rose for Emily", to realize that Faulkner describes a mental illness in the protagonist, i.e. necrophilia, which may be comprehended as an abnormal and excessive love for a dead human body. Psychologists explain that it is caused by a cumulative lack of love from one's family or community. "One of Faulkner's greatest stories, "A Rose for Emily" is a brilliantly wrought, emotionally charged, haunting portrait of the Southern psyche - a psyche tormented by conflicting feelings, impulses, and needs. It is the first story to deal with the village of Jefferson and its community." (Volpe, 2004, p. 98). In the story, Emily, the main character, murders Humor, the only man whom she had ever loved. In fact, the story deals mainly with the psyche of the main character who is conflicted by conflicting feelings, impulses, and needs, and the author is concerned with the relationship between individuals and community. ""A Rose for Emily" has two majo r characters: Emily Grierson and the community. They are complementary rather than antagonistic characters; Emily's personal history mirrors the community's collective history Faulkner portrays Emily with sufficient psychological realism to

EMAAR PJSC Financial Company Analysis Term Paper

EMAAR PJSC Financial Company Analysis - Term Paper Example The present study would focus on the Emaar Properties PJSC that was incorporated in Dubai in 1997. The company is involved in property investment and development. It also transits property management services, along with engagement in investment in providers of financial service. The company is also engaged in development and sale of condominiums, commercially viable assets such as leasing and management of land, malls, villas and hotels. It was ranked 462nd in the 11th Financial Times Global 500 and was assigned A- and A3 ratings by Standard & Poor and Moody’s Investor services. The company scale of operations is spread internationally in 17 countries namely Syria, Jordan, India, Pakistan, China, US, Canada, UK. The company currently has a market capitalization of AED 15.3 B with 6.1 B shares outstanding. The group is basically divided into three business segments, namely, real estate (develop and sells condominiums, villas, commercial units and plots of land), leasing and re lated activities (develop, lease and manage malls, retail, commercial and residential space) and hospitality (develop, own and/or manage hotels, service apartments and leisure activities). The group has been witnessing a decline in their key performance indicators in the past five years but FY 2010 turned out to be prosperous as the profitability has grown to a respectable state as compared to the last two years. They are ranked just above average in the industry but the future prospects look bright as UAE has started to recover from the massacre of recession. The construction business will see a boom in the near future and company’s market position will glue back to the one in the year 2007.The company has achieved the recent rise in profitability by improving efficiency and squeezing their expense block. Trend Analysis Trend analysis show positive signs for Emaar Properties. The revenue account has seen a U-curve as it fell from AED 10,717,000 in 2008 to 8413,000 in 2009 bu t it increased by 13.37% in 2010 in comparison to the base year. The y-o-y growth would look more attractive in this case. The company increased its investment in hospitality services which led to the rise in revenues this year. (Khan & Jain, 2007) Gross Profit margin has seen a decline in the last two years. The margin dropped by 21.6% from 2008 in 2009 but increase marginally in 2010. The overall gross profit declined by 13.05% in 2010 as compared to the base year. The cost of revenue has been surging which led to the detrimental decrease. The net income has been the highlight of Emaar Properties’ financial statements. The net income has jumped by a staggering 97.64 in 2009 and jumped by more than a multiple of ten in 2010 as compared to the base year. This rise is primarily attributed to the squeezing selling, administrative and general expenses as compared to the sales (Emaar, 2010). The expenses have risen by a minute proportion as compared to the handsome jump in the sa les. Total assets have shown a marginal fall of 3.8% and 6.26% in 2009 and 2010 respectively. This fall is attributed to the reduction in investments, receivables and intangible assets. Total Liabilities have seen a fall as well. It dropped by 7.39% and 18% in 2009 and 2010 as compared to the base year. Although, the group took up various debt financing facilities but, it was mainly due to restructuring of their previous debt. The market price has surged in the past two years by 70.8% and 57% in 2009 and 2010. The fundamentals in 2007 were better and AED 2.27 justified the price at that time. The market has developed since then but due to weak profitability in the last two years, the price has not jumped to a level which is satisfactory for the group. The price as of

Final Paper African Americans Essay Example for Free

Final Paper African Americans Essay Through out history there has been a struggle for African Americans to be accepted in our society. An African American endures many more disadvantages than most white people. The media and other sources have made blacks to look the same and has portrayed them in a certain light that may not be fitting to all blacks. There are many misconceptions that people have of blacks. Many people and organizations have had a part in bringing equality and fighting for equal rights for black people. African Americans have been at a huge disadvantage in America from the beginning. Unlike many other minority groups in America, African Americans in many cases were brought here by force and not by there own will. (000000) The first African Americans came to America in the seventeenth century and were immediately forced to work for Whites. After much turmoil and even a civil war Blacks were finally given there freedom with the Emancipation proclamation signed and ratified in 1863. Even after the proclamation some blacks were still enslaved and freed blacks had little to no opportunity. The struggle continued into the next century as blacks finally received the right to vote with the ratification in of the 15th amendment. The 20th century contained a world filled by a segregated America between whites and blacks through jim crow laws that existed that restricted blacks from interacting with whites. With a history like that it is no wonder that African Americans still have disadvantages in our modern day. America today is known as the country of opportunity. Although there are many opportunities out there it seems that there are more opportunities for some groups more than others. Many companies and corporations still use race as a indicator for hiring employees. In one study done by the National Bureau of Economic Research, people with common black names were less likely to be called back for an interview based on there application alone then black people with common white sounding names. Job applicants with white sounding names needed to send out ten applications to get one call back while applications with common black names needed to send out about fifteen to get one reply. (Francis, www. nber. org/digest.com). The research was done withe resumes of the same qualifications. It is easy to see that Black people are constantly bombarded by inequality in the work force. If there were inequalities just based on names of applicants just imagine the inequality when employers actually see the race of the applicants. Black Americans have been stereotyped for years and continue to be today. The media is one great source of portraying African Americans in certain roles. African Americans are portrayed as criminals, drug dealers and sex offenders in many instances. Many Africans are outraged at how they are portrayed in the media. Protest groups such as the Young African Americans Against Media Stereotypes have done what they can to show there stance on stereotypical media portrayal. Majority of the time you see a young African-American male in the media he is singing, rapping, scoring a touchdown, dunking a basketball or committing a crime( http://www. yaaams. com/) Many stereotypes about black people are incredibly false. Many people still think that black people are only good at certain things like music and sports. This is a very false belief and black people have contributed heavily to all different sorts of fields. Many vital inventions that we use on an everyday bases were invented by black people. The dust mop, pencil sharpener, typewriter, and elevator were all invented by black people. (http://www. black-network. com) Our society would not be what it is if it were not for Garret Morgan, the young Black man who invented the traffic light. http://www. infoplease. com/spot/bhmcensus1. html.

South Africa Strenght and Weaknesses Notes Essay Example for Free

South Africa Strenght and Weaknesses Notes Essay As a nation, South Africa possesses economic and social strengths that can help it develop a successful IT industry within the country. However, its weakness can derail its success quite easily. Luckily, South Africa has the opportunity to reduce those weaknesses through government policy and increased financial support for IT development. However, should South Africa choose not to take advantage of that opportunity, those weaknesses have the potential of thwarting the nations attempt at competing in IT marketplace. In my analysis, I found the following to be IT strengths and weaknesses of South Africa: Strengths * Large population * High literacy rate * Current South African intellectual property laws * Increasing levels of E-Business and electronic commerce * Telecommunications infrastructure * Targeting the industry via government studies and initiatives * Increasing computing and Internet diffusion * Privatization of telecommunications industry Weaknesses * Inadequate domestic funding for projects * Reliance on foreign aid * Small number of workforce involved in ICT * Poor enforcement of intellectual property laws * High piracy rates * Lack of clear directive from government * Laws that are unresponsive to new issues in e-commerce and e-government nalysis While much of the world staggered in the wake of the global financial meltdown, South Africa has managed to stay on its feet – largely due to its prudent fiscal and monetary policies. The country is politically stable and has a well capitalised banking system, abundant natural resources, well developed regulatory systems as well as research and development capabilities, and an established manufacturing base. Ranked by the World Bank as an â€Å"upper middle-income country†, South Africa is the largest economy in Africa – and it remains rich with promise. It was admitted to the BRIC group of countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China (known as BRICS) in 2011. With a world-class and progressive legal framework, South African legislation governing commerce, labour and maritime issues is particularly strong, and laws on competition policy, copyright, patents, trademarks and disputes conform to international norms and standards. The countrys modern infrastructure supports the efficient distribution of goods throughout the southern African region. The economy has a marked duality, with a sophisticated financial and industrial economy having grown alongside an underdeveloped informal economy. It is this â€Å"second economy† which presents both potential and a developmental challenge.

Employment Law Problem Question

Employment Law Problem Question Title: EMPLOYMENT LAW : In undertaking this essay, the writer will; identify the issues involved in Julia’s case scenario, define and explain those issues using relevant Law whilst applying them to Julia’s case. The writer will subsequently advice Julia and then conclude. The legal issues identified in Julia’s case are; contract of employments and their variation, victimisation, wage deduction, breach of contract and available remedies such as unfair dismissal, constructive dismissals and wrongful dismissal. ‘A contract of employment is an agreement entered into by an employer and an employee under which they a have certain mutual obligations. They may be oral or written and may be indefinite or for fixed terms’[1]. There’ an offer and acceptance supported by consideration. Offer usually coming from the employer and acceptance may be by conduct i.e. turning in for work[2]. It follows that Julia entered into a contract of employment on turning up to work with Silkos in March 2004. The holiday term may not have been agreed by her at this time but where there is ambiguity as to the contract, the courts look at an advertisement and letter of appointment to spell out terms of the contract or to decide terms agreed as in Deeley v British Rail Engineering ltd[3] (and Pedersen b Camden London Borough)[4]. Julia may rely on the advertisement and any willing witnesses to their agreement on the issue of holiday. Practice of the parties are relevant to the courts, In Dunlop Tyres Ltd v Blowers[5], the practise of paying treble time existing over 30 yrs were considered. The law requires that a written statement of terms be given to the employee within two months of starting work (as provided by The Contracts of Employment act 1973 and employment protection rights act 1996 (ERA)). Julia’s employer breached this rule, by being a month late to provide the statement, and only after Julia’ grievance process. The statement must contain names of employer and employee, date of commencement of employment, brief description of the work, remuneration details, holidays, sickness coverage, pension rights, notice, disciplinary process e.t.c To vary any contract there must be express or implied consent from both parties but it must be supported by consideration. Conduct may suffice from employee working under altered conditions. Flexibility clauses such as ‘the employee will perform such duties as are from time to time assigned to him by the board of directors or managing director’[6] are to legally aid employers and employees in varying terms without legal problems, without these clauses, Donaldson LJ’s remarks in Janata Bank ldt v Ahmed[7], that ‘the continuously changing contract is unknown to law’[8] Establishing variation is important and different from ending a contract, if an employer on his own enforces a variation without an employees consent, he breaks the contract of employment, and the employee is free to choose whether to accept the fundamental breach, and resign, or to carry on working and seek damages as was the case in Burdett-coutts v Hertfordshire[9]; Rigby v Ferodo ltd[10]. Julia may decide to end her employment this way as she may argue that she had not consented to the holiday term and the deduction/variation of her wages and working conditions. It was held in these cases- Jones v associated Tunnelling Co. ltd[11]; Courtaulds Northern Spinning Ltd v Sibson and TGWU[12]; Aparau v ICELAND Frozen Foods plc[13] that failing to object to disadvantageous statement of terms is not acceptance of them especially where the terms are of no immediate practical importance. It suffices that even though Julia has been silent on the issue of the four week holiday, she has not accepted the term, but her conduct may imply that she consents. for example, she has worked for two years and must have taken annual holidays, this may be viewed as consent but she could still argue that she was not able to start another grievance process because she is feels victimised having done so in the past. If terms are not agreed, the tribunal may confirm details given, amend or replace contract terms by substituted particulars as held in Mears v Safe car Security Ltd[14] and supported by the EPCA 1978, s 11, this power cannot be extended to holiday, holiday pay, sick pay, pensions or disciplinary rules where none existed by agreement between the parties because there is no requirement to include this in the contract, as held in England v British Telecommunications plc[15]. Julia is still protected by her statutory rights regarding these benefits. If a deduction of wage has been made without employee’s consent, this is regarded as a fundamental breach of contract and termination of the same as held in Hogg v Dover College[16]. Following this, the Julia may claim termination if her wage has been deducted without her consent. In Horrgan v Lewisham London Borough Council[17], Arnold J,said: ‘It is fairly difficult†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..and it is very necessary if one is to do so, to have very solid facts which demonstrate that it was necessary to give business efficacy to the contract,†¦. way of variation’[18].Silko’s may rely on this provision but will fail on the manner in which they are seeking to make the variation. In Marriot v Oxford and District Cooperative Society[19], Lord Denning MR found that ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. By insisting on new terms to which he never agreed, the employer did..†¦. terminate the old contract of employment’. ‘†¦.case law suggests that employers must make it clear that he is terminating one contract and offering another, otherwise there is a risk that the employee can claim in the courts of tribunals’ rights forgone under the old arrangement’[20]. It is arguable that by seriously changing the terms of Julia’s wages and responsibility, the employer may have brought an end to her employment. In Sheet Metal Components ltd v Plumridge[21], Sir John Donaldson said; ‘ the courts have rightly been slow to find that there has been a consensual variation where an employee has been faced with the alternative of dismissal and where the variation has been adverse to his interests’, the same is the situation in Norwest Holst Group Administration Ltd v Harrison[22].Julia may strongly rely on these provisions. In Burdett-Coutts v Hertfordshire County Council†¦ an employer may end a contract by breach when seeking to vary the terms; the courts may interprete this as dismissal. The House of Lords in Rigby v Ferodo Ltd[23]established that the employee must consent to termination, and reduction of wages is not automatic termination. Also in Miller v Hamworthy Engineering Ltd[24] . It is therefore advisable for employers to give proper notice to terminate one contract, before offering another, not doing so-as in Julia’s case- carries risk of an employee claiming for unfair dismissal. ‘It is implied into a contract of employment that an employer will provide and monitor for employees, so far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is reasonably suitable for the performance by them of their contractual duties’[25]. So in Waltons and Morse v Dorrington[26] it was held that an employer must not act in such a way as no reasonable employer would act’[27]. This case is supported by Clark v Nomura International plc[28], and Johnston v Bloomsbury Health Authority[29] and walker v Northumberland county council[30]. It appears that the employer has breached this implied contract term by ‘copying’ Julia’s grievance issue. It is also implied into a contract of employment that an employer must take any action having regard to avoid ‘either imposing workload on the employee or acquiescing in the assumption by the employee of workload that was reasonably foreseeable may cause physical or mental injury’ Marshall specialist vehicles ltd. V Osborne[31]. This is clearly breached by increasing the expectation to meet the same targets with less number of people in her team e.t.c. Express and implied terms must be capable of coexistence in the contract without conflict (Johnstone v Bloomsbury Health Authority[32], Aspen v Webs Poultry and meat group (Holdings) ltd[33].Julia’s express term of three week holiday is not in compliance with her statutory right to a four week minimum, as other implied terms can be excluded except if there is any statutory restraint, such as the rights to guarantee pay, equal pay, notice and maximum working hours. Section 27 of the ERA 1996 defines ‘wages’ as any sums payable by the employer to the worker in connection with the employment including ‘any fee, bonus, commission, holiday pay or other emolument referable to his employment, whether payable under his contract or otherwise’[34].. A deduction of wages includes a failure or refusal to pay the amount agreed to be paid in exchange for employee’s work, Delaney v Staple[35] regardless of reason McCree v Tower Hamlets London Borough Council[36]. Even though Silko’s will breach the employment contract between her and Julia’s if her wages are deducted for valid economic reason. They must seek her consent in written form to obtain deduction. In Discount Tobacco and Confectionery Ltd v Williamson[37] ,a retail case where it is permissible to reduce only a tenth of their daily wages with consent on missen items in the shop,It was held that the employers could deduct only in relation to the last event where consent was given. Potter v Hunt Contractors ltd[38] and Fairfield ltd v Skinner [39] It is illegal to contract out of this provision. The working Time regulation 1998 came into force on 1 October 1998 and was designed to achieve, ‘a better balance between work and home’, ‘greater choice over hours of work’ and ‘improvement in health’[40].Regulation 13 of provides annual leave of four weeks minimum. It allows a worker to complain if he suffers action short of dismissal for pursuing his entitlement, and unfair dismissal is also available on the same principle. Julia may pursue her holiday rights following this. According to Sex Discrimination Act 1975,s4(1)’ RRA 1976, s 2(1)’Unlawful victimisation arises where a person is treated less favourably because he; brings proceedings, gives evidence or information, alleges a contravention or otherwise acts under the equal pay, sex discrimination or race relations acts or intends to do any of these things’[41]. To succeed in a claim of victimisation the applicant must show that one of the acts above done by the applicant-such as bringing an earlier complaint of discrimination- has influenced the alleged victimiser in his unfavourable treatment of the applicant as was held in Aziz v Trinity Taxis ltd[42]. In Nagarajan v London regional transport[43] , His motives are unimportant according to the House of Lords. Julia may seek redress under this provision on the basis that she was victimised because she instigated grievance proceedings in trying to assert her rights to her statement of particulars. She was made aware of her disadvantage for asserting these rights. In Lindsay v alliance and Leicester plc[44], a person had made an application for promotion and had instituted a grievance on grounds unconnected with the Race Relations Act 1976. Chief constable of west Yorkshire police v khan[45] and commissioners of Inland Revenue v Morgan[46]. According to the acas paper, ‘consultation on the draft employment equality (age) regulations 2006 (July 2005)[47], firstly an action is taken, such as a complaint or allegation and secondly the person is treated less favourable because of such an action. Julia qualifies to claim victimisation on the basis of this provision. Clearly, there have been significant breaches in Julia’s employment with Silko’s in ; her statutory rights to receive statement of particulars within two months, holiday rights, potential variation/termination of her contract with regards to reduction of team members and wages, victimisation for asserting her statutory rights e.t.c. For all these breaches Julia is entitled to redress in the civil courts or the employment tribunals, in the form of damages for unfair dismissal and or wrongful dismissal by reason of constructive dismissal, redundancy e.t.c. The Employment rights Act 1996, the Employment Act 2002 and The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 cover unfair dismissal. Basically employees can be dismissed unfairly. Qualification for this right is by a working period of a year with the employers but there are exceptions, where; dismissal is connected to trade union membership or activities (Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992) pregnancy of childbirth, maternity, adoption, paternity or parental leave, asserting a statutory right, claiming the national minimum wage and asserting rights under the working time regulations. From these provisions, it is obvious that Julia qualifies for a claim on both the basis of a year qualification and automatically unfair reasons. The act mentions fair reasons for dismissals as; capability or qualifications, conduct, redundancy, illegality or contravention of a statutory duty and some other substantial reason. There is no fair reason to dismiss Julia it appears. An employer must act fairly and reasonably in dismissing an employee or may be faced with a successful claim for unfair dismissal regardless of fair reason for dismissal. The employers have not satisfied either of these criteria in Julia’s case. A constructive dismissal occurs when an employee leaves a job but then claims that their employers left them no choice but to do so, either by their actions or by implication. It is an unfair dismissal claim but the employee must prove that their employer’s behavior caused them to end the contract. Julia has every reason to institute unfair dismissal claim by reason of constructive dismissal because of the behavior of her employers. According to the trade union and labour relations consolidations act 1992, it is automatically unfair to dismiss an employee if they ‘indicated that they supported or did not support recognition of a union (or unions)’[48], clearly Julia did not support the union and may argue- on application for unfair dismissal- that she was victimized for this reason. If an employee proves this behavior, the employer becomes guilty of wrongful dismissal and if unable to prove that the forced dismissal was fair, they become liable for unfair dismissal too. Statutes now suggest that the employee must raise a grievance at least before bringing the claim to the tribunal, which would eliminate constructive dismissal and warn the employers.[49] Wrongful dismissal claim is for a breach of contract and can be brought by any employee, and only requires one month employment. Notice is required but depends largely on how long an employee has worked. After one month it is a week’s notice, after two years, it is one week’s notice for each complete year to a maximum of twelve weeks on and after twelve years. The remedies for unfair dismissal are reinstatement, re-engagement and compensatory award. Compensatory claim has two components, the basic award which takes the age of the employee into question and has no minimum limit and the compensatory award which provides what is just and equitable as compensation, having regard to the loss suffered as a result of dismissal. It is now a maximum of 55,000 pounds, but in dismissals rendered unfair under the public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, there is no limit.[50] For wrongful dismissal, the remedy are for breach of contract and is usually the [51]wages and benefits that the employee would have earned if due notice had been given (Radford v De Froberville[52], Shove v Downs Surgical plc[53]. The writer advices that Julia may firstly use the grievance procedure agreed on her contract first, but only if she feels comfortable with so doing, if not-and from the case scenario, it seems not- she still has a strong case for unfair dismissal regardless of the fact that she is ‘uncomfortable’ using the agreed grievance procedure-the tribunal will her reasons for ‘discomfort’ favorably. The suggested grievance procedure is taken favorably into account in granting awards for damages. The writer will also advice her that compensatory award for damages in the case of an unfair dismissal claim is more generous than for wrongful dismissal and she may apply on the basis of constructive dismissal because if successful-and it appears she will-the employer will be unable to prove that the dismissal was fair, and will incur damages for unfair dismissal. Damages are then awarded. She chooses between the employment tribunal and the civil courts, but the writer suggests she pursues this through the tribunal because of its less rigid procedures and costs. She must keep all records from the time of employment till the time of making the application, she must also be aware that there are time limits for bringing the claim to the tribunal but a generous time limit is given by the civil courts. The earlier the better for her because records and evidence do change. Bibliography Books A.McColgan, Discrimination Law; text, cases and materials 2nd edition P.CHANDLER, Wauds Employment Law: The Practical Guide for Human Resource 14th edition, J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005 G.Duddington,. John, Employment law, Pearson Education, 2003 GOULD, T. (2007) Unfair dismissal: a guide to relevant case law. 25th ed. London: LexisNexis Butterworths. GUINAN, G. (2007) Do dismissals by the book. People Management. Vol 13, No 18, 6 September. p22 Journal articles Vorste, G. School staff sacked for tying up student in classroom, published 15 February 2008 14:24 Consultation on the draft, Employment Equality (Age), Regulations 2006 Internet resources Writer unknown, Previous misconduct counts in dismissal decisions, viewed on 18 February 2008 11:00 http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2008/02/18/44427/case-of-the-week-previous-misconduct-counts-in-dismissal-decisions.html Writers unknown, employment law resources for practitioners, viewed 18 February 2008 14:00,http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects Writers unknown, employment law resources for practitioners, viewed 18 February 2008 15:00http://www.hrmguide.co.uk/hrm/steele/index-2007.htm Writers unknown, employment law resources for practitioners, viewed 18 February 2008 17:00http://www.hrmguide.co.uk/hrm/steele/index-2007.htm Writers unknown, employment law resources for practitioners, viewed 18 February 2008 14:00 http://books.google.co.uk/ Writers unknown, employment law resources for practitioners, viewed 18 February 2008 14:00http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file16397.pdf [1] http://www.berr.gov.uk/employment/employment-legislation/employment-guidance/page16161.html [2] J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005,p.45 [3] 1979) IRLR 5, [4][1981] IRLR 173 [5] 920010 IRLR 629 [6] Op. cit. [7] [1981] IRLR 457 at para 50 [8] (see parry v Holst and co.ltd.(1968) 3 ITR 317, Dal v A.A. Orr [1980] IRLR 413). [9] CC[1984] IRLR 6 [10] [1987] IRLR 516 [11] [1981] IRLR 477 [12] [1988] IRLR 305 [13] [1996] IRLR 119 [14] [1982] IRLR 183 [15] [1993] IR 644 [16] [1990] ICR 39 [17] [1978] ICR 15 EAT [18] Op.cit. [19] (no.2) [1970} 1 QB 186 [20] J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005,p.46-49 [21] [1974] ICR 373 [22] [1984] IRLR 419 [23] [1987] IRLR 516 [24] [1986] ICR 846). [25] J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005,p.46-49 [26] [1997] IRLR 488 [27] J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005,p.46-49 [28] [2000] IRLR 766 [29] 1991] IRLR 188 [30] [1998] IRLR 35 [31] [2003] IRLR 672 [32] [1991] RRLR 118[1991] ICR 269 [33] p1996] IRLR 521 [34] J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005,p.80-81 [35] 199] IRLR 112, CA [36] [1992] ICR 99 [37] [1993] ICR 371 [38] [1992] ICR 337 [39] 1992] ICR 836 [40] http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=806 [41] Discrimination Law: Text, Cases and Materials By Aileen McColgan [42] 1988] ICR 534 [43] ( [1999] IRLR 572 [44]200 ICR 1234 [45] [2001] IRLR 830 [46] 2002] IRLR [47] consultation on the draft employment equality (age) regulations 2006 (July 2005) [48] http://www.berr.gov.uk/employment/employment-legislation/employment-guidance/page16161.html [49] ibid [50] J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005 page392-394 [51] Ibid. Pg page299 [52] (1977) 1 WLR 1262 [53] (1984) IRLR 17

The Smbolisms of the Name, Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire :: Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire

In the first few scenes of "A Streetcar Named Desire", Tennessee Williams shows us a complex woman, named Blanche Dubois. This paper will explore the symbolisms of her name. The name Blanche is French and means white or fair. Her last name DuBois is of French origin as well and translates as â€Å"made of wood†. The name suggests that Blanche is a very innocent and pure person. When she appears in scene one, â€Å"she is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and earrings of pearl, white gloves and a hat†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Sc.1 p. 2073). White is also the color of light and represents perfection and virginity but throughout the play it becomes obvious that Blanche cannot call any of the traits of her name her own. She is a seductive and promiscuous woman. Only the illusory image, which she tries to create for herself, suggests these traits, but her true nature is not like that at all. She constantly tries to hide her embarrassing past from her new acquaintances, because she fears that they might not accept her anymore. In order to maintain her apparent social status among her new neighbors and friends, she builds an intertwined net of lies, which creates a false image of her. She believes in this imaginary world, and as soon as there is the slightest sign of destruction, she seems to be lost, and her nervous condition worsens. Therefore all she cares about is to keep that image alive. Her first name is therefore quite ironic since it means the exact opposite of Blanche’s true nature and character. Her last name, however, stands in contrast to her first name. Made of wood suggests something solid and hard, which is the exact opposite of her fragile nature and nervous condition. Wood can also be associated with forest or jungle, and regarding her past, the connection becomes clear. Blanche indulges in a rather excessive lifestyle. She has sex with random strangers and is known throughout her hometown of Laurel for that. Her former life is more like a jungle or a forest, because it is hard to see through all this and detect the real Blanche. As in a jungle, Blanche cannot find a way out of this on her own. The term jungle appears in the play as well. In scene ten, when Stanley is about to rape Blanche, â€Å"the inhuman jungle voices rise up† (Sc.10 p. 2130). The jungle can be associated with wildness, brutality and inhuman behavior. As mentioned about, wood represents something hard, or hard working. The Du in front of that however, suggests something

Alcohol, Drinking, and Alcoholism - Confessions of a Teen Alcoholic :: Personal Narrative Essays

Confessions of a Teen Alcoholic The beginning, was innocent in appearance - merely a bottle of my father's beer, in order to calm myself before the big exam. My first drink, an experiment recommended by a friend in the senior class, was meant only as a last resort - I needed to pass this test, you realize. Ah, but how that amber liquid metamorphosed to pure silk in my mouth, sloshing down my throat at first, quickly changing to a tender caress. The first sip, followed by a second, and a third, and so on in rapid sequence. I proceded to another bottle, just as possessed of tranquility as the first. When my temples throbbed with the excruciating intensity of a thousand bass drums the subsequent morning, the lucidity gained from the previous night's feast with Bacchus had somehow slipped from my grasp. I failed the exam, so piercing was my headache. Upon arriving home, I made my way directly to the liquor cabinet, in the hopes of discovering a tangible comfort to assuage the misery brought on by my scholarly defeat. A mostly filled bottle of bourbon sat in the foremost corner of the cabinet. I swallowed it all down that afternoon, and was left with an empty decanter - which I stowed away in the cellar, lest my parents know of this newfound pastime – and a somewhat intriguing sense of inebriation. Days, weeks, months passed, and I found myself indulging in alcohol much more often, for a myriad of reasons. One day, I had a terrible quarrel with my girlfriend - a bit of Jack Daniels put that unpleasant situation out of my mind. Once, I had a rough time with my coach at soccer practice. Not a problem, simply gulp down a few glasses of mother's Bordeaux. The more time I spent with my dear friend John Barleycorn, the more difficult it was to be away from him. The cravings grew to the point where I needed a drink to get myself awake in the morning, while another was necessary to last through my afternoon classes. Alcohol was the focus of any social activity, it was my entire life, and yet I would not admit it. I hid my addiction every moment of every day, storing empty cans and bottles in the attic when there was not a single inconspicuous space left in the basement. Alcohol, Drinking, and Alcoholism - Confessions of a Teen Alcoholic :: Personal Narrative Essays Confessions of a Teen Alcoholic The beginning, was innocent in appearance - merely a bottle of my father's beer, in order to calm myself before the big exam. My first drink, an experiment recommended by a friend in the senior class, was meant only as a last resort - I needed to pass this test, you realize. Ah, but how that amber liquid metamorphosed to pure silk in my mouth, sloshing down my throat at first, quickly changing to a tender caress. The first sip, followed by a second, and a third, and so on in rapid sequence. I proceded to another bottle, just as possessed of tranquility as the first. When my temples throbbed with the excruciating intensity of a thousand bass drums the subsequent morning, the lucidity gained from the previous night's feast with Bacchus had somehow slipped from my grasp. I failed the exam, so piercing was my headache. Upon arriving home, I made my way directly to the liquor cabinet, in the hopes of discovering a tangible comfort to assuage the misery brought on by my scholarly defeat. A mostly filled bottle of bourbon sat in the foremost corner of the cabinet. I swallowed it all down that afternoon, and was left with an empty decanter - which I stowed away in the cellar, lest my parents know of this newfound pastime – and a somewhat intriguing sense of inebriation. Days, weeks, months passed, and I found myself indulging in alcohol much more often, for a myriad of reasons. One day, I had a terrible quarrel with my girlfriend - a bit of Jack Daniels put that unpleasant situation out of my mind. Once, I had a rough time with my coach at soccer practice. Not a problem, simply gulp down a few glasses of mother's Bordeaux. The more time I spent with my dear friend John Barleycorn, the more difficult it was to be away from him. The cravings grew to the point where I needed a drink to get myself awake in the morning, while another was necessary to last through my afternoon classes. Alcohol was the focus of any social activity, it was my entire life, and yet I would not admit it. I hid my addiction every moment of every day, storing empty cans and bottles in the attic when there was not a single inconspicuous space left in the basement.