Mcdonald’s: Serving Fast Food Essay

Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald’s restaurant in 1955. He offered a limited menu of high quality, moderately priced food served fast in spotless surroundings. McDonald’s QSC&V (Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Value) was a hit. The chain expanded into every state in nation. By 1983, it had over 6000 restaurants in United States. In 1967, McDonald’s opened its first restaurant outside the United States, in Canada. By 1985 international sales represented about one-fifth of McDonald’s total revenue. Yet fast food had barely touched many cultures. While 90% of Japanese in Tokyo had never eaten McDonald’s Hamburger, in Europe, McDonald’s maintained a very small percentage of restaurant sales but command a large share of fast food market. It took the company 14 years of planning before it opened a restaurant in Moscow. But the planning paid off. People stand in line up to 2 hours for a Hamburger. After waiting for such a long time they had to pay $14. 40 (at the official rate) for a Big Mac and French Fries. Despite the high prices, McDonald’s restaurant in Moscow attracts more visitors on the average 27,000 daily the Lenin mausoleum (about 9000 people), which used to visit the place. The taste of American Fast Food is growing more rapidly in countries abroad than at home. McDonald’s international sales have been increasing by a large percentage every year. Every day more than 18 million people in over 40 countries eat at McDonald’s. Its traditional menu has been surprisingly successful. People with diverse dining habits have adopted burgers and fries wholeheartedly. Before McDonald’s introduced the Japanese to French Fries, potatoes were used in Japan only to make starch. The Germans thought Hamburgers were people from the city of Hamburg. Now, McDonald’s also serves chicken, sausages, and salads and sandwiches. The fast, family oriented service, the cleanliness and the value accounted for much of McDonald’s success. McDonald’s was one of the first restaurants in Europe to welcome families with children. Not only are children welcomed, but in many restaurants they are also entertained with crayons and papers, a play land or may be even Ronald McDonald’s who can speak twenty languages. McDonald’s golden arches promise the same basic menu and QSC&V in every restaurant. Its products, handling and cooking procedures, and kitchen layout are standardized and strictly controlled. McDonald’s revoked the first French franchise because the franchisee failed to meet its standards for fast service and cleanliness, even though their restaurants were highly profitable. This may have delayed its expansion in France. The restaurant is run by the local manager and crews. Owners and managers must attend the Hamburger University near Chicago to learn how to operate a McDonald’s restaurant and maintain QSC&V. The main campus library and modern electronic class room (which include simultaneous translation system) are the envy of many universities. When McDonalds’s opened in Moscow, a one page advertisement resulted in 30,000 inquiries about the job; 4000 people were invited, and some 300 were hired. The pay is about 50 % higher than the average soviet salary. McDonald’s ensures consistent products by controlling every stage of distribution. Regional distribution centers purchase products and distribute them to individual restaurants. The centers will buy from local suppliers if the suppliers meet the detailed specifications. McDonald’s has had to make some concessions to available products. For example, it is difficult to introduce the Idaho potato in Europe. McDonald’s uses essentially the same competitive strategy in every country: Be first in the market, and establish your brand as rapidly as possible by advertising very heavily. New restaurants are opened with a bang. So many people attended the opening of the Tokyo restaurant that the police closed the street vehicles. The strategy has helped McDonald’s develop a strong share in the fast food market, even though its US competitors and new local competitors likely enter the market. The advertising campaigns are based on local themes and reflect the different environments. In Japan, where burgers are snacks, McDonald’s competes against confectionaries and new â€Å"fast sushi† restaurants. Many of the charitable causes McDonald’s supports abroad have been recommended by the local restaurants. McDonald’s have been willing to relinquish the most control to its Far Eastern operations, where many restaurants are joint ventures with local entrepreneurs, owning 50% or more of the restaurant. European and South American restaurants are generally company-operated or franchised (although there are many facilities- joint venture-in France). Like the U. S. Franchises, restaurants abroad are allowed to experiment with their menus. In Japan, Hamburgers are smaller because they are considered a snack. The Quarter Pounder did not make much sense to people on a metric system, so it is called a Double Burger. Some of the German restaurants serve beer; some French restaurants serve wine. Some of the eastern restaurants offer oriental noodles. But these new items must not disrupt existing operations. Despite success, McDonald’s faces tough competitors such as Burger King, Wendy’s, and Kentucky Fried Chicken, and now also Pizza Hut. Fast food in reheat able containers is now also sold in super markets, delicatessens and convenience stores, and even gas stations. McDonald’s has done very well, with a great percentage of profits coming now from international operations. Aiming to be the world’s best quick service restaurant, McDonald’s opened first store in Pakistan in September 1998. Since then they have opened seventeen new stores throughout Pakistan. Today millions of Pakistanis place their trust in McDonald’s everyday to provide them with food of a very high standard as well as good service. In the past five years, the response to McDonalds coming to Pakistan has been overwhelming. Today Lakson Group of Companies has taken over McDonalds Corporation, USA and a local partner making it a 100% owned and operated Pakistani company. McDonalds located in Pakistan are currently employing about 1,000 Pakistanis and each store is managed by Pakistani managers. They have also contributed in other ways than food service. McDonalds has investment of over Rs. 300crore in the country and payment of taxes and duties amounting to more than Rs. 100crore. McDonald’s is operating, presently in 6 cities of Pakistan Karachi, Hyderabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, in future, very soon planning to expand in many cities in Pakistan. Instructions †¢ Read the case carefully (you may not understand it first time so read again and again) †¢ It’s better to take out prints and highlight the important information †¢ Read and understand the question carefully. †¢ After understanding question, read the case again and find the important information which is relevant †¢ Your answer should not exceed 300 words †¢ To count your words select the paragraph, then in tools menu select word count †¢ Irrelevant, extra material and long answers (more than 300 words) will be awarded zero †¢ Copied material from any source will be graded zero Question What opportunities and threats did McDonald’s face? How did it handle them?

Anne Bradstreets `Before the Birth of One of Her Children` is written to her husband. What does the poem suggest about their relationship?

The woman speaking in the poem understands that the danger of giving birth could lead to death and â€Å"with death's parting blow†¦The sentence past is most irrevocable. † With the uncertainty of what the ordeal would bring her, she writes her final words through the poem. It is clear that the woman in the poem has a very good relationship with her husband. She says that the reason why she makes the poem is because she loves him too much: â€Å"love bids me/These farewell lines to recommend to thee.† In her love for him, she is even willing to give up some of the years God allots for her life to his husband when she says, â€Å"And if I see not half my days that's due,/What nature would, God grant to yours and you† Finally, the fact that the coming birth is not the first time for the couple suggests that they enjoy the experience of sharing life with their kids. She wants him to take care of them if ever she dies as much as he took care of her when she was alive: â€Å"Look to my little babes, my dear remains./And if thou love thyself, or loved'st me,/These O protect from step-dame's injury†. We do not hear the husband in the poem but we get the idea that he loves her, too, when she bids him to â€Å"kiss this paper for thy dear love's sake,/Who with salt tears this last farewell did take. † She knows he would take her passing very badly. Question 2: Describe and explain Mrs. Gearsons reaction to her sons death in William Dean Howells story `Editha. ` When Editha meets Mrs.Gearsons for the first time, the mother’s tone was reproachful of the young girl: â€Å"he told me he had asked you to come if he got killed. You didn't expect that, I suppose, when you sent him. † She knew why her son went to war in spite her bringing him up to think that â€Å"was (is) a fool thing as well as a bad thing. † Editha has influenced his son so greatly for him to do something that was against the values he grew up wit h. Mrs. Gearsons has read the letter Editha gave George before he left where she told him that she would only marry a man who â€Å"must love his country, first of all†.In mocking, she told Editha: â€Å"I suppose you would have been glad to die, such a brave person as you! † Mrs. Gearson looked at war as being not about soldiers fighting for the honor of their country, but of people killing each other and mothers and wives losing sons and husbands. Editha would neither understand her blame in George’s death nor the pain that Mrs. Gearson was feeling. She simply dismissed Mrs. Gearson’s outbursts as the consequence of ill health. In the end, she would continue â€Å"to live again in the ideal. †

Beggars should be abolished Essay

‘Beggars should be abolished: for it is annoying to give to them and it is annoying not to give to them.’ Said Friedrich Nietzsche. In simple terms beggary is a state of extreme poverty but now a days it has become a profession for most of the people. Those 15 seconds, when you’re anxiously waiting for the red signal that is just about to turn green- a small child comes up to your car sticking his face in the window as hard as he can to make himself seen, or holding consumer goods, like tissue packets, biscuits, combs etc. asks you to buy something from him. Sometimes, they run to your front windscreen and start wiping the windscreen with water looking so dirty as if it was an algae habitat. Or sometimes, they just come to you selling their prayers for minimal change. And the ordinary man, thinking that he can do a good deed for the day takes out a shiny 5 rupee coin or a ten rupee note, and hands it over to that child. Of course not all beggars can be professiona l therefore there are some valid causes that cause such issue to be raised in our society. The causes can be classified as economical, social, religious or other. Economically talking about beggary people have no sufficient means to support themselves and their families or rather they are unemployed or under employed. Socially, the breakups and disorganization of families who are surrounded with poverty leads to increase in beggary. Many of the beggars migrate to different countries because of what they see in their elders and therefore they even follow this as a profession. Many of the beggars are physically disabled or mentally disabled and due to this they have to move towards this way of living. Among other reasons may be mentioned those who are forced to beg. There are persons upon whom beggary is enforced. There are orphans that are sometimes deliberately maimed in order that their guardians or some other persons may earn their living. Many normal parents also trade on their children’s illness using these as sources of supplementary income.. Whether walking down the busy streets of Zam Zama Karachi, or the congested lanes of Sadar Lahore, there is a common feature that highlights the weakness of the atmosphere- beggary. There is no surprise in seeing a man of nearly sixty with a crooked back pointing out like a lever, which sets on the art of begging on one side and hardship on the other. Beggary is one of the most crucial problems that overspread the streets of Pakistan. Appalling statistics show that amongst the 180 million  citizens of Pakistan, 25 million are professional beggars, meaning that beggary is the main source of income for these individuals. Not only our country but in Japan and India even the walls are lined with the sleeping homeless, snoring through their beards on a bed of cardboard. According to a survey Beggar Children earn 200 or 250 rupees per day and handover entire money to the Mafia (Which works for this profession) and that Mafia keep a big chunk of earning and leave minimum amount with to these children to take home. This Mafia is taking more benefits of the Street Begging. The Mafia also makes sure that the beggar children are addicted to street-life. Slightly older children are given drugs and intoxicants, permitted to enter places where drugs are sold, incited to beg or borrow and exposed to sedatives. Many rescued beggar children narrate horrific stories about forcible chopping off of limbs. According to certain special investigations by the media, in countries like India, many well qualified doctors are also shamelessly involved in this business and aid the Beggar Mafia. Some other unfortunate young children are â€Å"bought† by the Beggar Mafia from relatives or custodians who cannot afford to keep them or simply do not want them. These chil dren are first brutally beaten, burnt and starved for days in order to make them look miserable and then sent to the streets to beg because â€Å"A hungry stomach has no faith.† In any phenomenon there are effects , the effects of street begging that visitors will take fallacy about the country and they will never come again , also this phenomenon assimilates negative prescription and shadow about the country another effect brining rank and file alien to the country because the beggars didn’t have any parchment or witness from schools and they refuge to begs so that effect on national development , In addition the crimes will increase and the stealing will increase also these are some of the consequences or effects . There are plenty of ways of ensuring that your money is spent on finding real solutions to homelessness and drug and alcohol addiction. Support local homelessness charities that are working with people in need. You can make a donation or offer up your time as a volunteer. Finally, we are not asking you to just ‘walk on by’. By all means engage street homeless people in conversation, even buy them a cup of tea or food. But ple ase don’t give them money. Your kindness could kill. But people like you and I who are fooled by their emotional blackmailing tactics. We want to help and make a difference  in their lives, but we are discouraged by their dishonesty and it is hard to gauge who is sincere and who isn’t. I have come to understand that ‘professional’ beggars are not needy, they are greedy! Ask any one of them to work instead of begging, and you’re met with deadly stares and rude remarks that shake the ground you’re standing on. Request them to leave you, and the knocking on your car’s window gets vengeful and even more persistent. Some even fire choice cuss words at you, while warning you that they will pray for you and your family’s demise. Well, begging cannot be removed overnight. It requires time, patience and wise leadership. All the governments of respective countries have to take note of all these things and then formulate a plan to eradicate beggars instead of compensating them with money. It is always better to show them how to earn money by working instead of feeding them free and social awareness about this subject has to be created or else this problem will only grow.

Enta

Are entrepreneurs born or created? New Zealand needs more successful entrepreneurs and much thought has been given to how that may be encouraged. C an we create entrepreneurs? Is the ability to see a business opportunity and take the risks necessary to exploit it endowed by nature or is it a result of nurture? I had always thought it was nurture. But recently I learnt more about my own family history and it made me question whether genetics has a bigger influence than I thought.My Hillock ancestors can be traced back eight generations to Edward Hillock who was born in 1687 and lived in the small Essex village of Shades. He was a carpenter and commercial property owner (leasing out the land and building occupied by one of the village's many public houses). That combination of being self-employed and owning property has since been shared by eight generations of Hillock men spread over more than 300 years. During that time there have been carpenters, farmers, millers, a brewer (Hillocks Karol Ale was popular in the sass) ND a pioneer developer of New Zealand farmland.Perhaps something in our shared genes encouraged this strong legacy of enterprise? To find out more I read Danish writer Lone Franks 2012 book My Beautiful Genome. She summarizes the 52 NOVEMBER 2013 latest research on how our genes influence our health and behavior. Among many issues, she discusses the L variant of the MAO gene, which has been linked with aggression. This variant is known as the â€Å"warrior gene† and is carried by an unusually high proportion of male prison inmates. Most men who carry the warrior gene are not, however, involved in crime.It seems to influence different people in different ways. Carriers of the MAO-L gene appear more willing to take risks in general while also being better at assessing their chance of success in high-pressure situations. That's useful in battle but the gene also seems to influence characteristics that favor entrepreneurship. A California Insti tute of Technology study in 2010 tested this possibility in a financial simulation. The 83 men tested had to choose between a safe option and various other options which offered higher risks along with a range of identically higher returns. .. It seems more likely that a shared family culture and perhaps resources handed down from one generation to the next is what sustains these family traditions of business success The men carrying the MAO-L gene were much more likely to take financial risks but only where the odds were in their favor – they were good at assessing risk while also being prepared to take on the risk to generate the return. Those men who did not carry the MAO-L gene typically chose the lower risk and lower return option and were tryingly averse to any potential downside.This research shows there could be a genetic influence on entrepreneurship – at least in Menlo . The warrior gene (perhaps in time it will also be called the â€Å"entrepreneur geneâ₠¬ ) cannot, however, explain multiple generations of fathers and sons starting and running businesses. That's because the MAO gene is linked to the X-chromosome. Men inherit their single copy of the gene from their mother, not their father. Around one-third of all men of European descent carry the MAO-L variant so there is still a good chance that several f my male ancestors carried it, or that I carry it today.With the rapid advances being made in genetic research it is possible that some other gene will be linked with entrepreneurship and help explain why some families (including the Hillocks) have such strong records of entrepreneurship. But unless that occurs it seems more likely that a shared family culture and perhaps resources handed down from one generation to the next is what sustains these family traditions of business success. Lone Frank explains that the expression of many genes is influenced by such environmental factors.It appears that aggressive outcomes for those ca rrying the MAO-L gene are triggered by conditions such as mothers who smoke or drink during pregnancy or childhood trauma. In a different and more positive environment the gene variant could influence business success. Such an environment would of course also encourage success in those without the MAO-L gene. While there is evidence that some people have greater natural affinity for entrepreneurship it is likely that it is the environment in which people live or work that has the greatest influence.For now we can't alter our genes but we can create the environment in which more people are encouraged to set up new businesses and be more likely to succeed. . I am not aware of any similar research done on women who carry the MAO-L variant John Hillock is Director at Absolute Certainty Ltd. He can be contacted at [email  protected] Com Plan your success in the CA Program with our comprehensive PREP Workshops and Exam Coaching dad Leaders in accounting education Pass your exams and bec ome a chartered accountant in 2014! See preparers. Co. NZ Daniel hunt

Perception and attitudes towards bidilectal speakers Research Proposal

Perception and attitudes towards bidilectal speakers - Research Proposal Example The quote above suggests that the RP speakers are the better of the two in conveying information, and that they are even regarded and rated higher in the society that the regional speakers. However, it also suggests that the RP speakers are harsher in communication, and in nature when compared to the regional speakers, who although are poor communicators, are privileged with kindheartedness and sincerity. The reason why this point is interesting is that its implications are confusing. For instance, would we not expect the most privileged communicator in the society to be the one who was kind and sincere than the communicator who the society regards so poorly? The roles and natures of these two speakers seem interchanged, and this is what makes this point interesting, and worth looking into. To explore this issue closely, one could formulate a study that could provide more answers to the questions this point pose. An example of a research question that would shed more light on the issue would be what attributes and characteristics make Received Pronunciation speakers better than the regional speakers? To answer this question, one might need to formulate a study that would require the collection and analysis of data to come up with a comprehensive conclusion. In such a study, I would use random sampling to appoint participants. I would do this sampling on different individuals in the society of all ages, sex, race, education levels, class, and profession. I would ensure that I have a large number of participants in my study to minimize bias as much as possible. In addition to this, I would also use a number of research methodologies such as interviews and questionnaires to come up with both quantitative and qualitative data. I can obtain qualitative data by asking such q uestions like, who is your preferred communicator, RP or regional speakers. I can obtain quantitative data by asking questions such as how many RP speakers do you know, and

Motivational Problem 3 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Motivational Problem 3 - Term Paper Example As a result productivity level has decreased significantly so much that upper management has noticed Johns inefficiency as a team leader. The above situation can be best understood by John S. Adams equity of motivation (Adams, 1965). Equity theory holds that "motivation is a function of fairness in social exchanges," (Kinicki and Kreitner 2009, p.174). The theory explains that people are made up of their beliefs and behaviors. Any perceived inconsistency in social interchange at the workplace affects their attitudes and perception towards the organization. This in turn affects their motivation level; they will be less productive and display less corporate citizenship behaviors (Kinicki and Kreitner, 2009). Johns group has developed a pervasive Asian culture of work without John being aware of it. With Jennys domineering personality, members have started to lean towards her for guidance because they consider John as an outsider of this group due to the differences in beliefs, attitudes and culture. They can relate to Jennys perception of unfairness because they belong to similar cultural backgrounds (Asians). Thus, they only engage in work when they know she is in-charge, which undermines Johns leadership within his own group. Adams explains that individual-organization exchange relationship is the key to exchange component in organizational productivity. Through inputs like skills, creativity, training, education, and experience, employees expect exchange outputs like bonuses, pay, and fringe benefits from the organization. Other outputs may not be tangible such as status symbols, recognition, and participation in decision making, job security, and job challenge. These are equally important (Kinicki and Kreitner, 2009; Adams, 1965). This explains Jennys behaviors. John and the managements insensitivity to her inputs have made her resent her superiors and in turn her relationship with the

Coding Using NVivo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Coding Using NVivo - Assignment Example It was a whole new experience switching from the manual use of data analysis to digitized data analysis. Indeed for the fact that qualitative research makes use of non-numerical and unstructured data (Merriam, 2009), it was highly impossible to think of single software that could analyze data from as wide range of topical areas as possible. Using the NVivo was also another way of developing my personal skills as far as information and communication technology is concerned. Even more, my analytical skills were deepened because the software opens the researcher up to the critical analysis of as many sources of data that relate to the researcher’s topic as possible (Patton, 2002). Switching from the hand coding technique, which is more of a manual system of data analysis to the use of the more digitized NVivo certainly comes with a number of challenges. In the first place, the processes that the researcher has to go through to achieve reliable analysis of data is quite cumbersome as compared to the hand coding method, which is more straight forward and up to the point (Maxwell, 2005). For example the researcher is obliged to go through processes such as the application of fine tools, description of detailed analysis before the use of qualitative modeling (School of Human & Health Sciences, 2009). What is more, the user ought to have an understanding of the many different features of the software and this was not easy to achieve. Even though the tools help in guaranteeing reliability and validity, it could also serve as means of undermining the same if the researcher is not very familiar with the tools.For most researchers, the reason why they avoid the use of qualitative research method is the difficulty associated with achieving reliability and validity when this method this used (Miles and Huberman, 1994). This is because for most available research designs from which the researcher may select from, the use of randomized sampling of respondents is minimized. Meanwhile, much of the attainment of validity and reliability rests with random sampling. To this end, the introduction of the NVivo to guarantee validity and reliability is a major advantage and brings so much ease to researchers. Even more, there becomes an empirical status attached to the analysis that is undertaken (Gibson and Brown, 2009). Indeed apart from the use of such digitized software, researchers would have a field day on the use of subjective analysis to undertake data analysis that could hardly be questioned for opinions expressed.

Socialization of Generation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Socialization of Generation - Essay Example The Gen Xers, on the other hand, were probably attached that label in deference to the dictionary definition of x as an unknown and incomprehensible factor after older people became confused by ideas and attitudes different from theirs. Of course, the Millennials were named as such because they were born at the approach or turn of the new millennium, while the Net generation was so labeled in reference to the advent of the Internet during its time. This paper attempts a critical analysis of why the set of values and norms that one particular generation subscribes to is different from that of the other generation, based on an examination of my own socialization activities as a Gen Xer and those of earlier generations. The year of my birth was 1971, which makes me one of the Gen Xers, who were categorized as those born between 1965 and 1976. My generation came immediately after the Baby Boomers, who were born between 1946 and 1964, and just before the Millennials, who were born in 1977-1998. In my formative years, the major international events that left an indelible impression may be categorized according to their political, social, economic and scientific import. In the political sense, I remember the withdrawal of the US forces from Vietnam in 1972 after a 10-year war of attrition that scandalized much of the world; the Watergate scandal that broke in 1973 and led to Nixon's resignation a year later; the 1972 Black September attack at the Munich Olympics that killed 11 Israeli athletes, which was regarded as the first incident of international terrorism; and the bloody riots triggered by the killing of students by National Guards at Kent State. On the social scene, I recall the hot pants and mi cro-minis for girls, shoulder-length hair and non-traditional clothing for men, streaking nude in public places, the rage for station wagons and RVs (recreational vehicles), and the disco dance craze stoked by the film Saturday Night Live. As for events with economic significance, the first fuel crisis in 1973 stood out, which happened after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) refused to ship oil products to nations that supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War between Syria and Egypt. The single most important science-related breakthrough in my youth was the introduction of home computers through Apple II, Atari and other video games. The influence exerted by these events in the socialization practice of Gen Xers like me may have reflected in the traits commonly associated with our generation, which are independence, resilience and adaptability (Thielfodt & Scheef, 2004). We witnessed officials like Nixon betrayed public trust, peace officers like the National Guards gunned down helpless students, Arab terrorists killed innocent athletes, and organizations like OPEC withheld vital oil supply from the world for selfish political reasons. These were unprecedented and outrageous spectacles at the time that could have bred cynicism in us and taught us to distrust humanity. As a result, people in my generation learned to challenge conventions and to look out for our own selves. The fads

Developing a Joint Globally Accepted Conceptual Framework Essay - 1

Developing a Joint Globally Accepted Conceptual Framework - Essay Example This essay stresses that the advantage with IASB conceptual framework is that of having a wider and broader purpose as opposed to the FASB framework. IASB places more emphasis on other purposes which include use of statements of finance and helping auditors while FASB theoretical framework seeks to place very little emphasis on these other purposes. This puts IASB framework in a much higher level in the GAAP order than the FASB framework’s GAAP hierarchy of the United States, also the status framework will reflect the difference in purpose. IASB framework is highly considered by those units that prepare statements of finance under IFRS where a specific standard is not applicable. This paper makes a conclusion that the FASB Statements of Concepts are ranked below articles, textbooks on accounting and handbooks under the United States GAAP. The FASB Concepts Statements are ranked no higher than accounting textbooks, handbooks, and articles, and below widely recognized and prevalent general or industry practices. Recent changes in U.S. law and regulation have removed responsibility for establishing the U.S. GAAP. FASB structure includes gains, losses, expenses, revenue and comprehensive income as the elements relating to financial performance while IASB has expenses ad income as its only elements. IASB defines an asset as a resource for drawing future economic benefits while FASB framework terms assets themselves as the economic benefits of the future a thing that puts IASB ahead of FASB.

Lahore Pakistans Shahi Mohalla prostitution district Research Proposal

Lahore Pakistans Shahi Mohalla prostitution district - Research Proposal Example This dance was very exotic and colorful and was used to entertain the Muslim nobility of South Asia. In her book titled ‘Taboo’ The Hidden Culture of a Red Light Area’, eminent writer and human rights activist, Fouzia Saeed gives us the bigger picture of this famous red light district of Lahore’s famous Shahi Mohalla in Pakistan with all its prostitutes, pimps, customers, managers, musicians and all the others. The ancient traditions of great dances by courtesans used for entertaining the royalty, is still continued even today, while these people try to eke out a living. According to the writer Khushwant Singh, during the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Hira Mandi was named after the minister who was in charge of that district called Hira Singh. Previously, it was called as Shahi Mohalla, which meant ‘Royal Neighborhood, because it was very near to the royal dwellings of the Mughals. This age old tradition of prostitution of South Asia is always very closely linked to great performances of both music and dance. This book also highlights the fact that these dancers and musicians have laid an indelible imprint in the world of performing arts by its contribution. According to Fouzia, ‘Pakistani society has created and reinforced many myths to explain why prostitution has nothing to do with ‘nice people’. These myths put all the blame on ‘immoral’ woman who are responsible for tricking ‘honest’ men into sinful acts.’ (Fouzia, 2001) However, our society not only discourages, but also prevents people from questioning these myths. The writer also states that, ‘By exposing our myths about prostitution, the book helps eradicate a blind spot in our understanding of power relations experienced by all women throughout our society.’ (Fouzia, 2001) Prostitutes do not earn huge sums of money and hence their children face very appalling conditions in the red light area. The Society for

State about your story Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

State about your story - Assignment Example Unlike many other subjects, mathematics is among the subjects that find application in almost all areas of life. As a student interested in a career involving mathematics, I find it necessary to pursue mathematics major in country where mathematics is a flourishing field of research. The skills and knowledge one acquires by studying mathematics apply to all aspects of life, and are not just limited to the career chosen. I believe that by studying mathematics, I have the chance to grow into a competent individual who can contribute positively to the society. In addition, studying in the United States gives me an opportunity to interact with students from different backgrounds. This is important for my development not only as a mathematician but also as a social being. Given that I have an ambition to work in the insurance field, I believe that taking mathematics major will prepare me adequately to work in this sector. One of the skills acquired through the study of mathematics is data acquisition and analysis. This is an example of the skills that can be applied in the field of insurance and finance. By solving mathematics problems, I will develop analytical skills that help grow my mind and thinking processes. Mathematics will enhance my ability to pay attention to detail, and this will be important for my future career in the insurance field. As an analyst, the knowledge acquired through the study of mathematics will be critical. Analysts are required to analyze large volumes of data, and make conclusions and decisions based on this data. By studying mathematics, I will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to become an analyst in future. Mathematics is a subject that mainly involves numbers and figures, and understanding how they are applied. For example, as an analyst, I need skills such as linear regression in order to effectively analyze financial data. Mathematics major provides the necessary foundation for acquiring such skills and also

Multilingualism or English Only Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Multilingualism or English Only - Essay Example Multilingualism  is defined as the description of the possibilities of one person to function in different linguistic environments. However, the term â€Å"multilingualism† is widely applied to describe the relations between the communities in the limits of separate states or regions as well as on the level of international relations. In the given case this term is used to describe the ethnically and culturally heterogenous societies, which include different languages as well as traditions of tolerance and acceptance of other cultures and peoples. Here we meet the term â€Å"language diversity† that is defined as â€Å"‘range of variations exhibited by human languages† (Gorter et al 3). In the United States we can see many languages, which have different degree of spread and different status. The population of the USA now amounts to 300 thousand people not including the great number of illegal immigrants. America remains the most attractive country to mov e to for many immigrants, and the government of the United States can’t struggle with it. However, the great number of immigrants represents a threat for culture and language. The English language is still dominating as brought by colonizers centuries ago. In 2000 it was native for 82% of population. However, the situation is changing every day as the country does not have an official language. The majority of states recognized English as official, but some preferred Hawaiian, Spanish and French. The significant number of immigrants preserves their native languages and tries to spread them as much as it is possible. Despite of the strong support of the English language by the government, the number of those, who consider English to be their native language, decreases. The number of people, who speak other languages (Chinese, Russian, Spanish), increases accordingly. 3-4% of population does not know

Female Inmates (Corrections) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Female Inmates (Corrections) - Research Paper Example This statistics are an increase of 10 to 64 female inmates per 100,000 female residents from 1977 to 2004. Even though the female arrest rate in US is less than that of male arrests rate, the growth rate of the female prisoners in US far exceeds that of the male inmates. Since 1985, United States of America has witnessed an average growth of 11.1 %, and this is relatively above the 7.6 % rise in the male inmates’ population. Currently, there are over 200,000 female inmates in the United States; this is a growth of over 800% over the three decades. The male population grew by 416% over the same period of time (CHRLR 14-18). Type of Women in Prison As noted above, the fastest growing segment of the United States prison population comprises of the women. The women held up in the prisons are due to variety of reasons. The offences committed by the females are diverse but a close examination of the women indicate that there are demographic and experiences common among the female offenders. Most of the women inmates are drug addicts who were involved in the drug addiction in order to escape from the life hardships and trauma faced by these women in their past life. The majority of these female inmates were arrested while acting as mules in the drug trade. Half of women in the national and state correction centres attest to have committed the crime they are incarcerated for under the influence of drugs or alcohol. From 1999 to 2008, the arrests of women due to cases rated to drug violation accounted for 19 % increase compared to a mere10 % increase for men. Many women in prison happen to have been involved in domestic violence in th eir lives and a common characteristic is that most of the female inmates are from poor backgrounds. It is worthy to note that nearly half of all women in prison are serving sentences for non violent offence and had been jailed in the past for a non violent offence. Two thirds of the female inmates had two or fewer convictions prior to the one they are serving. This indicates high rates of recidivism among the female inmates. According to Koon (5), the following experiences are common among the female inmates: Most of the female inmates are likely to have had a high school education. It’s also critical to understand that most of the female inmates are single; they have never been married or had a divorce. Most of the female prison inmates were arrested and convicted when they were unemployed. Physical abuse is also a common feature of the women in prisons; the inmates are likely to have experienced domestic violence or sexual abuse in their lives. The trauma could then have le d them to drug and alcohol, which then later led to their offences. As of 2004, the percentage of women in jail due to physical related consequences was 73% compared to 53% of men who had the history of sexual or physical abuse. Historical Treatment of Female Inmates Even though the rate of increase of the female inmates has remained to be higher than that of men, majority of inmates are male. This has led to prison programs being tailored to address the issues related or faced by the male prisoners and tends to overlook those faced by the female inmates. This is despite of various researches that show that female inmates face more stress and hardships in prisons unlike the male counterparts. Emotional stress due to family breakdown from their children often affects female inmates much more compared to the male inmates. The female prisoners have been discriminated and

Real Estate Management Tech Project.(Information Systems) Essay

Real Estate Management Tech Project.(Information Systems) - Essay Example Fred Jonathon received his PhD degree in management from the Harvard University. He was the co-founder of the Institute for infrastructure and property development along with Mr. Smithson. Together, they launched the Smithson and Jonathan group in the year 1980. The Smithson and Jonathan group has been the undisputed leader around the globe in supplying fermenter vessels for the bio processing industry. They entered the instrumentation market in the year 1990. Today, their business empire has expanded enormously in terms of size, the brands, and financial strength. The decision to enter in to the real estate segment by the group is backed by the rich experience of both the founders of the company. The real estate management company will act as a single interface for property buying and selling and to provide services for builders, property buyers, and property sellers. According to a recent real estate market analysis report (Thrid quarter 2007 quarterly, n.d.), there is a surge in the demand for office properties and industrial properties in the Unites States. The demand for housing property is also on the rise. The report (Thrid quarter 2007 quarterly, n.d.) provides analysis graphs on the market trends for office property returns, industrial property returns, and apartment property returns for the period 1994 to 2007. The analysis graphs are given below: The analysis graphs indicate the total returns for the period 1994 to 2007. From the graphs, it can be inferred that the total returns on the office properties attained a 22.8 % return, the industrial properties attained a 16.6 % return, and the apartment properties attained a13.3 % return by the year 2007 as indicated by the Figures 1,2, and 3 respectively. The statistics indicate the potential market for real estate. The foray of the Smithson and Jonathan group into the real estate sector, is based on the above market survey. OPERATIONAL PLAN The real estate management company promoted by the Smithson and Jonathon group is unique and will provide a single interface for property buyers and sellers to buy and sell their properties. Further, property buyers and sellers can trade within the company. This involves over the counter trading between the buyers and sellers. Trading of properties may also take place using the web portal of the company. The

Personal Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal Knowledge - Essay Example This then directs me to the investigation of epistemology itself, how do people react and pay attention to music, how do listeners perceive sound out of it It seems that, they need to cling to certain metaphors, to 'mentality'; they will feel stuck if they can't perceive a green garden, and a blued-sky or something relevant to that. Using implicit consideration that a year ago I attended an opera which featured a well known singer, say understanding how to play music persuasively so far not being proficient to amply illustrate my 'knowledge' of it, I came to react like 'our musical bands are poor and irrational'. They played music over their pa systems whose frequencies are mostly consistent with their power fields, and are in fact upsetting for persons that are not accustomed to it. Various frequencies create various emotions. I know sometimes music genres - rock and pop - in fact make me ill if I am rendering to them for considerable period of time. I had left that opera. It so gives me the impression that something is off-center with this particular situation - either widely heard music is beyond phase with, or completely hearing-impaired to, listener's anticipation or the listeners had plunged into a sort of easy listening habit. Exemptions allowable on both of these choices, I think 'clued-up music' is in general easy-to-get-to the population, given this public is equipped maintaining an ultimate preliminary shock, since there certainly exists an interval between the overall styles, methods and artistic grounds of the melody we are caused to experience in our routine life and those of this era's. Music skills can only be unintelligibly known, that is to say, they can come what may understood perfectly and even if our faith may comprehend the relation of their elements we have convolution in telling these relations through our aptitude to communicate, i.e. 'clear-cut language' (Michael Polanyi 1998). It is irrefutable that these day's erudite music isn't that much easy to discern and comprehend, comprising the extensive demands for music, not to point out that of the more genres, and the relatively scanty interest of the music listeners. Moreover, it is usually worded as excessively difficult and tightly-packed without rationalisation. Is this a symptom of our times Without a doubt, our times are those of a 'speedy being', spilling over with every day concerns, that does not nurse anything that adds more trouble to its maze-like pace. According to Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001), "music is not simply a language. Every piece is resembling a hard rock, with myriad ruts and sliced with depictions on the surface and underneath, which people make sense of and understand in a thousand diverse ways, none of them being the most excellent nor the truest". And, he continued, "The actual disaster will be if, as new composers rummage around for diverse and probably more 'classical' forms of look and production, the confused voices of an previous originality are covered up" (Arnold Whittall). This made me absolutely lay down my arms on that widely-established idea that music is a worldwide language, understood at once and perceivable by every person. Furthermore, I'd say that it is incorrect to consider that music is for all and sundry or, in other words, that a 'music composition' is always made up with consensus in mentality, every person gathering a similar accepting from hearing it. I take from this that the 'positive reception' of a

Australian Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Australian Health Care - Essay Example All other duties such as cooking and housekeeping must be assigned to close relatives such as grandmothers or aunts or even paid help (The New Mother - Taking Care of Yourself after Birth). In such circumstances, home visits of an enrolled nurse assume importance for not only providing medical care but also to assist in maintaining hygienic environment so that the mother recovers health that she enjoyed in pre-pregnancy period. The purpose of home visits on ladies who preferred to leave hospitals early after delivery was to ensure these ladies continued to receive medical and hygienic care required by the human body after birth. The concept is not as easy as it appears. There are quite a bit of things to get accustomed to for an enrolled nurse. The child bearing women have their own families and peculiarities and the enrolled nurse must get accustomed to the needs of the woman as well as others in the family. The nurse may attend to the needs of the woman alone. However, she must have communications adjustments with others in the family. The most important decision for the mother is the baby. The emotional and physical well being of the mother is directly related to the good health of the newly born baby. This period involves many changes and learning. It involves both parents and the adjustments they go through to make the baby feel welcome. First of all, the family must be aware of the visits. ... This period involves many changes and learning. It involves both parents and the adjustments they go through to make the baby feel welcome. First of all, the family must be aware of the visits. They must be told of the time when they could expect the visit, and how many people would be making the visit. In case there is someone accompanying the nurse, the family must be informed. The visits are professional and concern the health of the mother and the baby. Thus, the nurse and her companion, if any, will naturally be treated with respect. On her part, the nurse must make sure that she visits the family at the appointed time. Any delay must be informed on phone. Not all child bearing women are healthy. There may be cases where women have chronic ailments. There may be women with diabetes, blood pressure complications, viral fevers, and other health issues. The chances of diabetic pregnant women getting abortion increase with the degree of risk. This is because the healing process for infection and other wounds is much slower than that of a normal person (Hanif, Sadia). Then there may be women with normal health but there are relatives in the house who have their own peculiar nature that may not correspond with the disposition of the nurse. Yet, in spite of these drawbacks, the enrolled nurse must perform the visits and attend the medical needs of the women. Postnatal, the medical care of the women who have delivered remains similar to patients who continue in the hospital. Most probably, budget constraints make the women decide to return home earlier. The enrolled nurse will also check on any material in the house that may pose a threat to the mother or baby, such as sharp

The Changes in the Way the Company Produces and Market Products and ho Case Study - 101

The Changes in the Way the Company Produces and Market Products and how they Address Customer Issues - Case Study Example The new approach proposed by the company will improve its competitive advantage over the Chinese rival firms due to the LWT’s proximity to the U.S. market. LWT is close to its consumers hence they will enjoy low transport cost than its competitors (Case study, N.d). The operation cost will decrease when they start dealing with customers directly instead of selling their products through decorating centers. The cost of holding inventory will also reduce and since they will use the internet and catalog to reach the customers that will result in the reduction of marketing expenses (McCormick &  Duff,  2011). Furthermore, the company will obtain a quick response from the clients and be able to offer a quick solution and increase customer satisfaction than its rivals in China (Case study, N.d). The effects of the proposed decision will result to the reduced price of products due to a reduction in inventory and marketing expenditure hence increased customer satisfaction.

Women's role in the African American Church Research Paper

Women's role in the African American Church - Research Paper Example However the Africans continued expressing their own religions and their own gods until slave and plantation life began to shut them off from their African origins. One can imagine there were religious gatherings of Africans at this time. There is evidence that when slaves were given Sundays off in New Orleans they would go to a place called Congo Square and with drums and dance, continue the religious celebrations they had in Africa. Black women held a status that was at the bottom of the wheel throughout American history. They were never given official recognition by the Church as preachers. Their lives were brutal were they continuously fell victim to rape and sexual exploitation from white males. Yet the early history of the African American church demonstrates how some black women received the ‘call’ to preach and how they showed an inner strength that persevered and accounted for the survival of many women and children. There were always free African Americans. Some of them had bought their freedom. These slaves learned to read and write. The free slaves were surrounded by different expressions of the white American culture. The whites were primarily Christians and they practiced their Christianity through various religions such as the Puritans, the Quakers, the Methodist, the Catholics, Episcopalians, and the Mennonites, among others. All these religions were based on one source, the bible. Slaves and free blacks begin to realize that by reading and learning the Bible, they could become Christians too and participate as Christians in the American economy. This is what some of them did. Some of the slaves read the Bible and argued that they had become converted to Christianity by getting baptized. White leaders begin to realize that if black people read the Bible, they would probably question white people's conduct of slavery on moral grounds and begin to threaten the entire institution of slavery. The white people soon past laws that not only disallowed black slaves to become Christian converts, but to make sure that black people could not escape their status as slaves. But white slaveowners also used the Bible to preach to slaves that it was right that they show obedience to their masters. During the 1770s, the Great Awakening occurred among white Christians. This was an evangelist movement where the white preachers, some of them like George Whitefield becoming famous, preached to large groups of people, exciting them with flashy oratory and songs and moving great numbers of people to convert and become Christians. Among those black people who could read, they interpreted several important themes from the Bible. Freedom became a real concept to them and these blacks began comparing themselves to the Israelites whose God eventually led them from Egyptian captivity. The Bible also served as a reading instrument for some of the slaves who were determined to learn to read. African Americans were well aware of Christianity as a religion and as slaves many of them begin to fuse some of their own religious symbols in Christianity. Blacks begin to have their own spiritual meetings in secret on the plantations and these were actually seedlings of the first black churches. Christian religion allowed them to see contradictions between the way they were treated and the way Christians professed to be. Early Churches A few plantation owners built churches for the slaves and had white preachers preach to them about obeying and being meek before the master. Masters who trusted their slaves allowed them to read and study the bible. Georgle Liele's master allowed him to be baptized

Righteous Dopefiend by Philippe Bourgois and Jeffrey Schonberg Essay

Righteous Dopefiend by Philippe Bourgois and Jeffrey Schonberg - Essay Example TIn addition to being homeless, the individuals have to face the structural forces that govern their miserable lives. The book tries to give profiles of various homeless people residing on the encampment. This is crucial in understanding the reasons that lead to homelessness. In addition, there is need to learn and appreciate the problems faced by these homeless individuals. This information is crucial in formulating strategies to reach out and help these people. The gruesome dependence on drugs is highlighted in the paper. The homeless addicts are dirty and some urinate on themselves. They steal, beg and engage in prostitution in exchange for drugs. The book concentrates on approximately 10 people in the Bernal heights a popular area in San Francisco (Elsa 178). It is evident that the majority of the writing assesses the method through which the dynamics of race, gender and class affect the lives of the homeless and drug addicts. The themes that stand out in this book include race, sexuality, suffering, trauma and inequality in the society. The authors writing style includes the use of flashback in the lives of the ten individuals depicted in the book to make the book more realistic. The author writes about the love stories, family trauma and embodied suffering in most situations to highlight the plight of these individuals. The use of pictures and flash back creates an actual scenario as described. This makes an individual to understand the inequality and the facts highlighted in the book effortlessly. This powerful book makes the reader to fully integrate into the world of drug addiction, extreme poverty and homelessness in the most developed country, the United States of America (Bourgois & Schonberg 214). Photographs in this book include the scars brought about by addiction, social closeness among romantic pairs and partners who are on the run because of drugs, and the homeless people covered in the book (Angela 200). They are pictures of homeless people who reside in shacks on the encampment. These shacks are off the street and they comfortably rest on their beddings, and take drugs. The most intriguing pictures are of Tina and Carter (a homeless couple that is deeply in love). One cannot help but admire this couple. They may be poor, but they are happy as they have each other. They are oblivious of their surroundings and happily hug and show affection to each other. Through the pictures, it is evident that most of the homeless people are drug addicts. It seems that the homeless people use the drugs to counteract feelings of desperation, anxiety and fear. The commonly abused drug is heroine and intoxication of the drug elicits feelings of euphoria. The homeless on the encampment derive great solace from drug abuse. This is a true picture also in the society, and individuals should avoid drugs such as heroin and crack. The pictures were ethical since a writer has authority to utilize any style of writing which includes pictures and other literature. A writer should be able to pass the informa tion to the reader effortlessly. This style of including pictures is acceptable and ethical since it gives emphasis on the texts in the book. The pictures are not pornographic in nature neither do they discriminate both gender, and race they are appropriate and relevant to the book (Elsa 178). Substance abuse

Better speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Better speech - Essay Example Stating â€Å"an unjust law is no law at all’ (King 1), he argues that oppressed citizens have a moral obligation to break unfair laws. King believes that direct non-violent action will â€Å"dramatize the issue of non-violent action so that it can no longer be ignored† (2). The community, represented by their leaders, will thus have no option but to confront the issue through negotiation (king 2). This shows that though coming from a racial group that has been oppressed for hundreds of years; he has faith in the possibility of the white power structure to rise from â€Å"the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood†. Unlike king who portrays unshakeable faith in America’s ability to use dialogue in dealing with the unfairness brought about by segregation, Malcolm X, in â€Å"The Ballot or The Bullet†, conveys the image of a bold and outspoken man. His speech proposes a paradigm shift in the thinking of civil rights activists. He expounds the benefits of Black Nationalism to the audience and portrays â€Å"Uncle Sam† as unwilling to lift the black man from oppression. He points out â€Å"America’s conscience is bankrupt† (Malcolm 1). This statement is indicative of his disillusionment with the government. He believes that the white man’s aim is to keep him in a permanent state of subjugation. He makes it clear that if the blacks are not empowered through participation in elective democracy (the ballot); they will have no choice but to seek empowerment through violence (the bullet). He urges the audience to wake up to the fact that neither the courts nor a ny form of dialogue within America will help solve the problems of the black community. Malcolm X (1) notes, â€Å"The entire civil rights struggle needs a new interpretation†. He informs the audience that they should no longer look for

Health History and Examination Essay Example for Free

Health History and Examination Essay Neurological System (headaches, head injuries, dizziness, convulsions, tremors, weakness, numbness, tingling, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, etc., medications): Patient is alert, awake and oriented. Denies headaches, head injuries, dizziness, seizures, tremors, migraine, difficulty in speech and swallowing. No history of falls. Patient does mention that he has numbness and tingling of fingers and toes occasionally. Takes Gabapentin 100mg orally three times a day. Head and Neck (pain, headaches, head/neck injury, neck pain, lumps/swelling, surgeries on head/neck, medications): Patient denies neck or head injuries, denies swelling or lumps on neck and head, Denies neck pain or headaches. Eyes (eye pain, blurred vision, history of crossed eyes, redness/swelling in eyes, watering, tearing, injury/surgery to eye, glaucoma testing, vision test, glasses or contacts, medications): Patient wears eyeglasses that are with him. Bilateral cataract surgery done in June 2013. Regular vision checks after surgery done in November 2013 and at present he is not on any medications at home. Ears (earache or other ear pain, history of ear infections, discharge from ears, history of surgery, difficulty hearing, environmental noise exposure, vertigo, medications): No complaints of ear pain, infection, surgery tinnitus due to noise, or vertigo noted. Not on any medications. Hard of hearing right ear but does not use a hearing aid. Nose, Mouth, and Throat (discharge, sores or lesions, pain, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, sore throat, allergies, surgeries, usual dental care, medications): Denies discharge from nose and throat, denies presence of sores or lesions in the mouth. Denies nose bleeds, bleeding gums, or sore  throat. No known allergies noted. Has upper and lower dentures that patient cleans with Polident tablets daily. History of Tonsillectomy at age 7. Skin, Hair and Nails (skin disease, changes in color, changes in a mole, excessive dryness or moisture, itching, bruising, rash or lesions, recent hair loss, changing nails, environmental hazards/exposures, medications): Patient’s skin color is ethnic. Has some gray hair but no alopecia. Has well groomed nails. Denies skin problems. Particular about usage of moisturizing lotions after bath. Breasts and Axilla (pain or tenderness, lumps, nipple discharge, rash, swelling, trauma or injury to b reast, mammography, breast self-exam, medications): Patient denies any problems with breasts and axilla. Does not perform self-breast examination. Peripheral Vascular and Lymphatic System (leg pain, cramps, skin changes in arms or legs, swelling in legs or ankles, swollen glands, medications): Denies leg pain, cramps or discoloration of arms and legs. Complains of occasional swelling on ankles. Takes Lasix 40 mg orally once a day. Cardiovascular System (chest pain or tightness, SOB, cough, swelling of feet or hands, family history of cardiac disease, tire easily, self-history of heart disease, medications): Denies any chest pain or tightness. Denies shortness of breath or weakness. Complains of occasional cough relieved by Robitussin DM 10ml orally every 6 hours as needed. Patient is hypertensive and had an MI in 2005 but denies any history of Congestive Heart Failure. Family history shows that his father died of heart attack at age 75. Patient had an echocardiogram and stress test done last year as outpatient and per patient results were normal. Patient is taking Aspirin 81mg orally daily, Lopressor 25mg orally daily, and Plav ix 75mg orally daily. Thorax and Lungs (cough, SOB, pain on inspiration or expiration, chest pain with breathing, history of lung disease, smoking history, living/working conditions that affect breathing, last TB skin test, flu shot, pneumococcal vaccine, chest x-ray, medications): Has occasional cough that could be due to change of climate. Denies shortness of breath or pain with breathing. Denies smoking and no history of lung disease is noted. Immunized for Influenza and Pneumonia on 10/14/2013. Patient was in ER in March for cough and fever and x-ray of the chest showed no abnormalities at that time. Musculoskeletal System (joint pain; stiffness; swelling, heat, redness in joints; limitation of movement; muscle pain or cramping; deformity of bone or joint; accidents or trauma to bones; back pain;  difficulty with activity of daily living, medications) Denies any symptoms of joint problems and does not take any medications at home. Patient is independent and requires no assistance for activities of daily living. His wife and he take walks on a daily basis for 20 minutes. Gastrointestinal System (change in appetite – increase or loss; difficulty swallowing; foods not tolerated; abdominal pain; nausea or vomiting; frequency of BM; history of GI disease, ulcers, medications) Denies any gastro-intestinal disease, ulcers, or diabetes. Consumes low sodium diet with no added salt three times a day and a bedtime snack. Includes plenty of vegetables and fruits in his diet. No swallowing problems noted. No complaints of nausea, vomiting or diarrhea noted. Patient has daily bowel movement and reports that it is brown in color. Denies use of stool softener or laxative. An Endoscopy and Colonoscopy was done in January 2014 and no abnormalities noted at that time. Genitourinary System (recent change, frequency, urgency, nocturia, dysuria, polyuria, oliguria, hesitancy or straining, urine color, narrowed stream, incontinence, history of urinary disease, pain in flank, groin, supra pubic region or low back) Denies pain or any urinary problems. Patient verbalizes increased frequency of urination due to Lasix. Patient wakes up twice at night to urinate but he is continent of bladder. Per patient no prostate problem noted. Last prostate exam was done in February 2014. Physical Examination (Comprehensive examination of each system. Record findings.) Neurological System (exam of all 12 cranial nerves, motor and sensory assessments): Patient is awake, alert, and oriented with no memory loss. Patient is calm, cooperative and pleasant. Judgment is intact. Patients speaks clearly and in full sentences. No difficulty noted while speaking. No swallowing problems noted. Patient has a steady gait with full strength. Sensations present in all extremities. Complaints of occasional numbness and tingling of fingers and toes but denies upon examination. Head and Neck (palpate the skull, inspect the neck, inspect the face, palpate the lymph nodes, palpate the trachea, palpate and auscultate the thyroid gland): Skull and neck are normal on examination. No deformities or hematoma noted. No lymph nodes identified on palpation. Adam’s apple present. Trachea is normal on palpation. Eyes (test visual acuity, visual fields, extra ocular muscle  function, inspect external eye struct ures, inspect anterior eyeball structures, inspect ocular fundus): Patient has eyeglasses with him. Patient is able to open and close his eyelids. Pupil is round and reaction to light is constriction to both eyes. Denies any blurring, watering, or tearing of the eyes. No redness or infection noted. Ears (inspect external structure, otocopic examination, inspect tympanic membrane, test hearing acuity): Hard of hearing right ear with no hearing aid. As per patient the physician had recommended hearing aid for the right ear but patient did not wish to use it. Otoscopic examination revealed normal ear canals and eardrums with minimal amount of earwax. Nose, Mouth, and Throat (Inspect and palpate the nose, palpate the sinus area, inspect the mouth, inspect the throat): Nose, mouth and throat are normal on examination. On palpation no pain noted to sinuses. The upper and lower dentures fit well on the patient and do not become loose while talking or chewing. Skin, Hair and Nails (inspect and palpate skin, temperature, moisture, lesions, inspect and palpate hair, distribution, texture, inspect and palpate nails, contour, color, teach self-examination techniques): No skin break down or rashes or lesions noted on inspection of the skin. Color is normal to ethnicity. Skin is warm, dry an d intact. Mucus membranes are pink and moist. Hair is gray and no alopecia noted. Texture of hair is soft to touch, no split ends noted. Kept short and clean. No ingrown nails or cracked nails noted. Nails are well groomed and pink in color. Patient verbalizes examining the skin and nails everyday while taking a shower. Breasts and Axilla (deferred for purpose of class assignment) Peripheral Vascular and Lymphatic System (inspect arms, symmetry, pulses; inspect legs, venous pattern, varicosities, pulses, color, swelling, lumps): Bilateral upper extremities are warm, symmetrical with bilateral radial pulses 2+. Bilateral lower extremities are warm, symmetrical without any discoloration. No varicose veins noted. Bilateral pedal pulses 2+. A trace of edema is noted on both ankles and feet. Cardiovascular System (inspect and palpate carotid arteries, jugular venous system, precordium heave or lift, apical impulse; auscultate rate and rhythm; identify S1 and S2, any extra heart sounds, murmur): Carotid arteries are normal with pulse 2+. No jugular vein distension noted. Apical pulse is 82 beats per minute, BP of 150/80 mm of Hg. Heart sounds S1 and S2 are on auscultation. No murmur or extra heart sound noted. EKG shows a  Normal Sinus Rhythm. Thorax and Lungs (inspect thoracic cage, symmetry, tactile fremitus, trachea; palpate symmetrical expansion;, percussion of anterior, lateral and posterior, abnormal breathing sounds): Thoracic cage is normal and symmetrical. No abnormality noted on palpation and percussion. Breath sounds are clear and equal on auscultation in all lung fields. Respirations are even, regular and unlabored. Patient has occasional nonproductive cough relieved by cough medicine. Respiratory rate is 18/minute and Oxygen saturation is 99% on room air. Musculoskeletal System (inspect cervical spine for size, contour, swelling, mass, deformity, pain, range of motion; inspect shoulders for size, color, contour, swelling, mass, deformity, pain, range of motion; inspect elbows for size, color, contour, swelling, mass, deformity, pain, range of motion; inspect wrist and hands for size, color, contour, swelling, mass, deformity, pain, range of motion; inspect hips for size, color, contour, swelling, mass, deformi ty, pain, range of motion; inspect knees for size, color, contour, swelling, mass, deformity, pain, range of motion; inspect ankles and feet for size, color, contour, swelling, mass, deformity, pain and range of motion): Cervical spines are normal in size, no pain or deformities noted with full range of motion. Bilateral shoulders are equal in size, no swelling or mass noted. No pain noted on movement of shoulders. Bilateral elbows, wrists and hands are equal in size, with full range of motion and equal in strength. No deformities noted on inspection. Bilateral hips are equal in strength, no swelling or mass noted. No evidence of redness or injury noted. Sacrum is intact. Bilateral lower extremities with full range of motion and equal strength noted. No swelling or deformity noted. Bilateral ankles and feet noted with trace of edema. Gastrointestinal System (contour of abdomen, general symmetry, skin color and condition, pulsation and movement, umbilicus, hair distribution; auscultate bowel sound;, percuss all four quadrants; percuss border of liver; light palpation in all four quadrants– muscle wall, tenderness, enlarged organs, masses, rebound tenderness, CVA tenderness): Abdomen is flat and non-distended. Bowels sounds present in all four quadrants. Abdomen soft and non-tender on palpation. Percussion revealed tympany in all four quadrants. Umbilicus is midline and inverted. Surface of abdomen smooth and even, with homogenous color. No lesions or surgical scars noted. Genitourinary System (deferred for purpose of this  class) FHP Assessment Cognitive-Perceptual Pattern: Patient is alert and oriented, no memory loss. Well educated, and has the ability to read, write and understand information. Patient uses eyeglasses for reading and is hard of hearing right ear. Nutritional-Metabolic Pattern: Patient eats a low sodium diet with no added salt three times a day with a bedtime snack. Home cooked food with vegetables and fruits included in the diet are his preferences. The patient or his wife prepares the food. The patient and his wife do the food shopping. Sexuality-Reproductive Pattern: The patient has three children and 5 grandchildren. He is not interested in sexual activities but loves to spend time with his wife. Pattern of Elimination Patient is continent of bladder and bowel. Urinary frequency is increased due to effect of medication (Lasix). Pattern of Activity and Exercise: Patient is independent in activities of daily living. He is not involved in vigorous exercise but walks daily for 20 minutes along with his wife. Pattern of Sleep and Rest: Patient usually sleeps for 6-7 hours at night with an afternoon nap for 30 minutes. Patient wakes up twice at night to urinate but goes right back to sleep with no difficulty. Patient denies use of sleeping pills. Pattern of Self-Perception and Self-Concept: Patient is well dressed and has self-respect and respects others too. He leads a disciplined life with the ability to take care of himself and his wife. He is friendly with his neighbors and is an active participant in church activities Summarize Your Findings (Use format that provides logical progression of assessment.) Situation (reason for seeking care, patient statements): Name: Lawrence Kelly Age/Sex: 72 years/Male Presenting complaints: Increased swelling of ankles and feet, numbness and tingling of fingers and toes, and occasional cough. Background (health and family history, recent observations): History of present complaints: Patient complains of swelling of feet and ankles for 2 weeks with numbness and tingling of fingers and toes. Occasional cough for last one week. Past medical History: Hypertension, MI, Hard of hearing (Right Ear). Medication history: Lasix 40mg orally daily Aspirin 81mg orally daily Plavix 75mg orally daily Lopressor 25mg orally daily Gabapentin 100mg orally three times a day Assessment (assessment of health state or problems, nursing diagnosis): Mr. Lawrence Kelly 72 year old male presented with complaints of swelling of feet and ankles with numbness and tingling of fingers and toes for the past 2 weeks. Occasional cough for the past one week. He is alert, awake and oriented with steady gait. Hard of hearing in the right ear. His vital signs are BP150/80 mm of Hg, Pulse 82, RR 18/minute, and Temp of 98.4. No chest tightness or pain verbalized. Breath sounds are clear and equal in all lung fields. Abdomen soft, non-tender and non-distended. Bowels sounds present in all four quadrants. No difficulty in urination verbalized and color of urine is amber. Trace edema noted on feet and ankles. Pedal pulses is 2+. Nursing Diagnosis: Fluid Volume Excess manifested by edema of feet and ankles. Recommendation (diagnostic evaluation, follow-up care, patient education teaching including health promotion education): Blood tests should be done including Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, Vitamin B12 Level, and BNP. X-ray Chest is recommended to find out if patient has CHF Echocardiogram could be repeated as it was done more than 6 months ago Teach the patient to monitor BP, Pulse, Intake and Output, and Daily Weights. Advise the patient to elevate the lower extremities on pillows to reduce  dependent edema Encourage the patient to read food labels on the sodium content Avoid fried foods, canned and frozen foods (Nanda Nursing Interventions, 2012) Provide information about community services such as Heart Center at Barnabas Health, Phone No. 1-888-724-7123 (Barnabas Health, 2013). References: Barnabas Health. (2013). Barnabas Health Heart Centers. Retrieved from http://www.barnabashealth.org/services/cardiac/index.htmlLifestyle and home remedies. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-failure/DS00061/DSECTION=lifestyle-and-home-remediesNanda Nursing Interventions. (2012). Nursing Interventions for Fluid Volume Excess. Retrieved from http://nanda-nursinginterventions.blogspot.com/2012/04/nursing-interventions-for-fluid-volume.html

My Paper on Interprenual School of Thought Essay Example for Free

My Paper on Interprenual School of Thought Essay Entrepreneurship is a concept which is defined in many ways. The word entrepreneur means a person who undertakes from the French term called eneteprendre. In terms of business, the term entrepreneur means starting a business. An entrepreneur is a person who manages, organizes, and takes over all the enterprise or business risks. Other definitions include a person who has high ambition and aptitude to initiate change is known as an entrepreneur. The entrepreneurial school of thought is based on vision: a mental representation of strategy created or at least expressed in the head of the leader as perspective, specifically a sense of long term direction of organizations future and a sound vision and visionary CEO can help organization in turbulent times or in very difficult years for the organization also it have shortfalls that hanging on the health and whim of single person, the death or health problem of that person result in crisis of organization. nd one of present day successful entrepreneur and its strategic moves in the direction of the school of thought is discussed. Historical background of the school Throughout the theoretical history of entrepreneurship, scholars from multiple disciplines in the social sciences have grappled with a diverse set of interpretations and definitions to conceptualize this abstract idea. Over time, some writers have identified entrepreneurship with the function of uncertainty-bearing, others with the coordination of productive resources, others with the introduction of innovation, and still others with the provision of capital (Hoselitz, 1952). Even though certain themes continually resurface throughout the history of entrepreneurship theory, presently there is no single definition of entrepreneurship that is accepted by all economists or that is applicable in every economy. Although there is only limited consensus about the defining characteristics of entrepreneurship, the concept is almost as old as the formal discipline of economics itself. The term entrepreneur was first introduced by the early 18th century French economist Richard Cantillon. In his writings, he formally defines the entrepreneur as the agent who buys means of production at certain prices in order to combine them into a new product (Schumpeter, 1951). Shortly thereafter, the French economist J. B. Say added to Cantillons definition by including the idea that entrepreneurs had to be leaders. Say claims that an entrepreneur is one who brings other people together in order to build a single productive organism (Schumpeter, 1951). Over the next century, British economists such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and John Stuart Mill briefly touched on the concept of entrepreneurship, though they referred to it under the broad English term of business management. Whereas the writings of Smith and Ricardo suggest that they likely undervalued the importance of entrepreneurship, Mill goes out of his way to stress the significance of entrepreneurship for economic growth. In his writings, Mill claims that entrepreneurship requires no ordinary skill, and he laments the fact that there is no good English equivalent word to encompass the specific meaning of the French term entrepreneur (Schumpeter, 1951). The necessity of entrepreneurship for production was first formally recognized by Alfred Marshall in 1890. In his famous treatise Principles of Economics, Marshall asserts that there are four factors of production: land, labor, capital, and organization. Organization is the coordinating factor, which brings the other factors together, and Marshall believed that entrepreneurship is the driving element behind organization. By creatively organizing, entrepreneurs create new commodities or improve the plan of producing an old commodity (Marshall, 1994). In order to do this, Marshall believed that entrepreneurs must have a thorough understanding about their industries, and they must be natural leaders. Additionally, Marshalls entrepreneurs must have the ability to foresee changes in supply and demand and be willing to act on such risky forecasts in the absence of complete information (Marshall, 1994). Like Mill, Marshall suggests that the skills associated with entrepreneurship are rare and limited in supply. He claims that the abilities of the entrepreneur are so great and so numerous that very few people can exhibit them all in a very high degree (1994). Marshall, however, implies that people can be taught to acquire the abilities that are necessary to be an entrepreneur. Unfortunately, the opportunities for entrepreneurs are often limited by the economic environment which surrounds them. Additionally, although entrepreneurs share some common abilities, all entrepreneurs are different, and their successes depend on the economic situations in which they attempt their endeavors (Marshall, 1994). Since the time of Marshall, the concept of entrepreneurship has continued to undergo theoretical evolution. For example, whereas Marshall believed entrepreneurship was simply the driving force behind organization, many economists today, but certainly not all, believe that entrepreneurship is by itself the fourth factor of production that coordinates the other three (Arnold, 1996). Unfortunately, although many economists agree that entrepreneurship is necessary for economic growth, they continue to debate over the actual role that entrepreneurs play in generating economic growth. One school of thought on entrepreneurship suggests that the role of the entrepreneur is that of a risk-bearer in the face of uncertainty and imperfect information. Knight claims that an entrepreneur will be willing to bear the risk of a new venture if he believes that there is a significant chance for profit (Swoboda, 1983). Although many current theories on entrepreneurship agree that there is an inherent component of risk, the risk-bearer theory alone cannot explain why some individuals become entrepreneurs while others do not. For example, following from Knight, Mises claims any person who bears the risk of losses or any type of uncertainty could be called an entrepreneur under this narrow-definition of the entrepreneur as the risk-bearer (Swoboda, 1983). Thus, in order to build a development model of entrepreneurship it is necessary to look at some of the other characteristics that help explain why some people are entrepreneurs; risk may be a factor, but it is not the only one. Another modern school of thought claims that the role of the entrepreneur is that of an innovator; however, the definition of innovation is still widely debatable. Kirzner suggests that the process of innovation is actually that of spontaneous undeliberate learning (Kirzner, 1985, 10). Thus, the necessary characteristic of the entrepreneur is alertness, and no intrinsic skills-other than that of recognizing opportunities-are necessary. Other economists in the innovation school side more with Mill and Marshall than with Kirzner; they claim that entrepreneurs have special skills that enable them to participate in the process of innovation. Along this line, Leibenstein claims that the dominant, necessary characteristic of entrepreneurs is that they are gap-fillers: they have the ability to perceive where the market fails and to develop new goods or processes that the market demands but which are not currently being supplied. Thus, Leibenstein posits that entrepreneurs have the special ability to connect different markets and make up for market failures and deficiencies. Additionally, drawing from the early theories of Say and Cantillon, Leibenstein suggests that entrepreneurs have the ability to combine various inputs into new innovations in order to satisfy unfulfilled market demand (Leibenstein, 1995). Although many economists accept the idea that entrepreneurs are innovators, it can be difficult to apply this theory of entrepreneurship to less developed countries (LDCs). Often in LDCs, entrepreneurs are not truly innovators in the traditional sense of the word. For example, entrepreneurs in LDCs rarely produce brand new products; rather, they imitate the products and production processes that have been invented elsewhere in the world (typically in developed countries). This process, which occurs in developed countries as well, is called creative imitation (Drucker, 1985) The term appears initially paradoxical; however, it is quite descriptive of the process of innovation that actually occurs in LDCs. Creative imitation takes place when the imitators better understand how an innovation can be applied, used, or sold in their particular market niche (namely their own countries) than do the people who actually created or discovered the original innovation. Thus, the innovation process in LDCs is often that of imitating and adapting, instead of the traditional notion of new product or process discovery and development. As the above discussion demonstrates, throughout the evolution of entrepreneurship theory, different scholars have posited different characteristics that they believe are common among most entrepreneurs. By combining the above disparate theories, a generalized set of entrepreneurship qualities can be developed. In general, entrepreneurs are risk-bearers, coordinators and organizers, gap-fillers, leaders, and innovators or creative imitators. Although this list of characteristics is by no means fully comprehensive, it can help explain why some people become entrepreneurs while others do not. Thus, by encouraging these qualities and abilities, governments can theoretically alter their countrys supply of domestic entrepreneurship. (David Burnett, thechnoprenurial. com September 2000) Main content of the school The most central concept of this school is vision: a mental representation of strategy created or at least expressed in the head of the leader as perspective, specifically a sense of long term direction of organizations future. That vision serves as both an inspiration and a sense of what needs to be done a guiding idea, if you like. True to its label, vision often tends to be a kind of image more than a fully articulated plan (in words and numbers). That leaves it flexible, so that the leader can adapt it to his or her intuition and experiences. The strategic vision is malleable this suggests that entrepreneurial strategy is both deliberate and emergent: deliberate in its broad lines and sense of direction, emergent in its details so that these can be adapted en route. The school of thought focuses on creating new ideas at the right time to suit the market niche. This leads to the success of the entrepreneurial activity. The tendency of the strategy to take the form of niche allows it to protect market position from the forces of outright competition (Blue ocean strategy). Market awareness and creativity are the most essential aspects according to this school of thought. In strategy making it’s dominated by active search of new opportunities in dramatic leaps forward in the face of uncertainty and growth is the the dominant goal of the organization. The process of strategy formation is semiconscious at best, rooted in the experience and intuition of the leader, whether he or she actually conceives the strategy or adopts it from others and then internalizes it in his or her own behavior the power is centralized in the hands of Chief executives. Contribution discussion A sound vision and visionary CEO can help organization to sail cohesively through muddy waters especially in early or very difficult years for the organization. Deliberate in broad line but flexible and emergent in the details. The malleable and emergent nature of vision and cognition of a manager can enable to explore the opportunities that exist focusing on the actions that lead to creation of value in the present day shifting landscape of business environment. Limitation discussion It presents strategy formation as all wrapped up in the behavior of single individual. It didn’t say about the process. Cruising in predefined image or vision can blind someone for potential unexpected danger or developments. Vague vision; strategies are designed manly based on the leaders intuition. How and when to find the right charismatic visionary leader with the qualities is hard and could be subjective. It requires full knowledge of all the processes and operation. It’s risky that hanging on the health and whim of single person, the escape or death of that person result in crisis of organization. Back ground of Liu Yongxing (East Hope Group) After resigned their jobs and sold their bicycles and watches to raise money, Chairman Chen Yuxin and his three brothers Liu Yongyan, Liu Yongxing, and Liu Yonghao returned to their hometown county of Xinjin in Sichuan province end of 1982. With the initial ? 1000 raised collectively, they established their own business, the Yuxin Fine Breed Farm, to raise quails and chickens. The company had great profit and had established their strong footing in the industry of breading farm. They also have helped to transform the county of Xinjin to the largest quail farm in the world In 1987, Liu Yongxing and his brother Chen Yuxin developed new high-end pig feeds in order to compete with then dominating foreign high-end big feeds products and at the same time with substantial cost advantages. The Liu brothers therefore soon expanded their company into the animal feeds industry and had achieved their second biggest milestone in the making of the company history. By 1995, the Hope Group had won awards of No. 1 of China 100 Feeds Companies and No. of China 500 Private Enterprises. The Hope Group had grown so rapidly that the four brothers decided to split it into four entities: Continental Hope, East Hope, West Hope, and New Hope led respectively by Liu Yongyan, Liu Yongxing, Chen Yuxin, and Liu Yonghao. After separating with other brothers he established the head quarter of east hope group in Chengdu High -Tech Development zone which was moved to shanghai Pudong in April 1999. The east hope group still focuses on feed production, mainly on expanding to the upstream and the downstream along the feed industry chain. Apart from the two feed companies in Vietnam the East hope Group led by him had 68 subsidiary companies in 16 province, cities and autonomous region in china whose main business area was feed production, together with some other related industries such as flour, food, bio engineering , fertilizer ,electrolytic aluminum and investment. During the 20 year development in feed and investment areas, the group had been made rolling development by relying on its own capital its investors include Mingsheng bank , Guang Ming diary industry, Sino Korea BBQ Western Fast food, Beijing Nanshan skiing field ,etc. n order to build world competitive industry chain incorporating aluminum and electricity the group had been engaging in series of projects: electrolytic aluminum plant with the annual yield of 160,000 tons and a power generator set with an annual yield of 310,000 kilowatts in Liaocheng; two phases of construction of 500,000-ton electrolytic aluminum plant and auxiliary generator set and bio-engineering project in Baotou of Inner Mongolia; alumina project in sanmenxia , Henan province. East Hope Group had over 70 subsidiary companies across 16 Provinces, Cities and autonomous regions in China with a total asset of Billions of yuan, and nearly 10,000 employees. The board chairman Liu yongxing had thus won a Variety of Social Honors. The honorsare ? In 2001, Liu Yongxing and his brothers were rated as the top of China’s Most Successful Businessmen byâ€Å"Forbes†, awell-known U. S. financial magazine. ? In 2002, Liu Yongxing was rated as one of â€Å"2001CCTV Top 10 China’s Economic Leaders† and â€Å"Sohu 2001 Top10 Financial Leaders† ? And after that strategically the brothers owned Entereprnual Company diversified in to four different entities. Mr. Liu Yongxing as East hope group keep on focusing the feeding industry and and strategically by rolling development by relying on its own capital it included other companies to build world competitive industry incorporating aluminum and electricity and bio engineering projects and in present day one of Chinas largest privately held industrial materials manufacturers. The company is investing more than $1 billion in an aluminum and power complex and also putting money into commercial real estate in Sichuans capital, Chengdu. Starting with 250 ? on proportion and Sound Vision, Excellence and Charisma Today with 5. 8 Billon $ Mr. Liu Yongxing is 5th and173rd richest person in china and world respectively. throughout his progress he is avisionary person creating new ideas at the right time to suit the market with the pusue of growth semiconsciously that enabled him to be one of influential and great Business manager in the World.

My Ántonia, Individualism Essay Example for Free

My à ntonia, Individualism Essay (Individualism: Its Influence over Lena, Jim and à ntonia During Their Childhood, Adolescence and Adulthood) â€Å"The longest journey is the journey inwards. Of him who has chosen his destiny, Who has started upon his quest for the source of his being† Dag Hammarskjold.1 This individualist journey, Hammarskjold refers to, consists of two very important elements which contribute to individualism: (1) having the awareness of personal accountability before the Lord and Savior and (2) having a self-sufficient nature as a fountainhead of a person’s individuality which was required to settle the American frontier. These key ingredients mixed with an untamed land tempered the settlers into what we know them today as Americans which may be observed within Willa Cather’s My Antonia as the reader follows the lives of three key characters: Lena, Jimmy, and Antonia. Cather herself searched for her own individualism which she juxtaposed in this 1918 literary work with the character Jimmy. Both he and the author of the story were born in Virginia and at an early age were sent to Nebraska to join their grandparents. And much like the author, he had the pleasure of growing up with a variety of immigrants and stories. Such narratives inspired the author throughout her writing career. My Antonia follows the endeavors of the female protagonist, Antonia, and her foil, Lena, as they struggle in a new country, language, and culture seeking happiness and fulfillment in their lives which Cather so often observed in her childhood immigrant neighbors. Likewise, the reader learns about Jimmy with his own personal struggles as he strives for autonomy in a rugged territory with strict moral codes. Willa Cather’s My à ntonia addresses the notion of individualism which is best seen through direct and indirect characterization of three dynamic characters: Lena, Jimmy, and à ntonia by means of analyzing three stages of life: childhood, youth, and adulthood. A remarkable example of individualistic growth is depicted in Lena Lingard who lived in the countryside with her newly transplanted Norwegian family outside Black Hawk, Nebraska. The reader first encounters Lena through direct characterization as she is described as being â€Å"bareheaded and barefooted, scantily dressed in tattered clothing† (106)2 when she was just a child looking after her family’s herd. In the first part of the book she is introduced as a wild, poorly dressed working girl in charge of farm tasks much like other foreign girls: â€Å"Lena lived in the Norwegian settlement west of Squaw Creek, and she used to herd her fathers cattle in the open country between his place and the Shimerdas† (106). Further along in the novel, there is a clear change in this character’s life. She grows-up and changes her worn out rags for dressmaker quality clothing with hat and gloves as she begins a new phase in her life as a dressmaker’s apprentice in the town of Black Hawk: â€Å"’So you have come to town,’ said Mrs. Harling, her eyes still fixed on Lena.  ´Where are you working?’  ´For Mrs. Thomas, the dressmaker. She is going to teach me to sew. She says I have quite a knack’† (104). As a young adult, Lena strikes-out on her own to the city of Lincoln in a supreme final exhibition of the independence she has forged for herself throughout her life through hard work and determination. â€Å"‘I live in Lincoln now, too, Jim. Im in business for myself. I have a dressmaking shop in the Raleigh Block, out on O Street. Ive made a real good start’ (170-171). The path Lena has walked since her childhood, through her adolescence, and then adulthood has illustrated a noticeable achievement in becoming a self-sufficient young woman who quested for her destiny in an untamed land far from her native home. Lena’s personal accountability should also be explored, being one of the key elements of individualism, as she never turned her back on her family but always sent them money from her sewing work: â€Å"’After I learn to do sewing, I can make money and help . . . [my mother]’† (104). These individualistic elements were key in developing her character as she was noted in taking care of herself as well as her parents and siblings which was required of those immigrants who founded America and became a new breed of people known as Americans. Individualism was also reached by two other primary characters within this classic American literature novel: Jimmy and Antonia. Jim Burden, the narrator of the story and also one of the major characters of Willa Cather ´s My Antonia, is as well and important example of how a human being can evolve trough his life to find completeness and self-sufficiency. At the beginning of the book, Jim had just suffered the loss of his parents; and sent to his grandparents. While he was in the train on his way to Nebraska he was in deep grieve and uncertain about his future. â€Å" ´ I dont think I was homesick. If we never arrived anywhere, it did not matter. Between that earth and that sky I felt erased, blotted out. I did not say my prayers that night: here, I felt, what would be would be ´Ã¢â‚¬ . Nevertheless, that sad passage in his life did not let Jim down. In the same train that he was travelling there was a Bohemian family. One of the members of that family was à ntonia Shimerda, who would become his best friend in the near future. When Jim had enough age to start studying at School, coincidentally his grandparents also had to move to Black Hawk due to Mrs. Burden health situation. There he met new friends, worked hard on his studies, and also had fun. Despite being sad and scared in the past, Jim managed to overcome these difficulties and successfully improve at school. So much so, that soon he would move to Lincoln to start his college career. There he met Gaston Cleric who joined him in his new adventure, and helped Jim to get over some obstacles that he had to face while living in Lincoln. â€Å"At the university I had the good fortune to come immediately under the influence of a brilliant and inspiring young scholar. Gaston Cleric had arrived in Lincoln only a few weeks earlier than I . . .† (165). Cleric also convinced him to move to Boston to finish his career, where Jim would finally reach his goal of becoming a professional. â€Å"Two years after I left Lincoln I completed my academic course at Harvard. Before I entered the Law School I went home for the summer vacation.† (191) Just after getting his college degree, Jim travelled back to Black Hawk where he would find everything different, his friends either dead or gone, the kids were not the same, and even the town itself was all changed. He left Black Hawk being an adolescent with dreams and now he had returned as a professional. He felt he was complete, despite of the fact that he still had very present that sorrowful night in which he was moving from Virginia to Nebraska. â€Å" ´I had only to close my eyes to hear the rumbling of the wagons in the dark, and to be again overcome by that obliterating strangeness. The feelings of that night were so near that I could reach out and touch them with my hand. I had the sense of coming home to myself, and of having found out what a little circle mans experience is ´. (238)† By the time he came back to Black Hawk he knew that he had seized the opportunities he had and felt that his life had been worthy living. While back in town, he went to visit his beloved friend à ntonia, which also was happy. The happenings in Antonia’s life, and how she evolved from being a little girl in a foreign country to the women she became will be thoroughly developed next. à ntonia Shimerda is the main character that we find in Willa Cather’s My à ntonia. As well as Lena and Jim she is characterized during different stages of her life (childhood, adolescence and adulthood). One example of this characterization is portrayed in how à ntonia was developing her new language (English) and how it was influenced by the different periods of time she went through, as well as the places she moved to. At the beginning of the story we find à ntonia and her family moving from Bohemia to the prairie of Nebraska. In the prairie and as a child she met Lena Lingard and Jim Burden who would become one of the most important persons in her life. Jim was going to be the one in charge of teaching English to à ntonia who did not speak much English before the arrival to the prairie; â€Å" ´Ãƒ ntonia had opinions about everything, and she was soon able to make them known. Almost every day she came running across the prairie to have her reading lesson with me. Mrs. Shimerda grumbled, but realized it was important that one member of the family should learn English’† (24). It is evident that Mrs. Shimerda did not like the idea of à ntonia learning English. But, she understood it was important for à ntonia to learn the language in order to adapt herself and to find herself in her new country and home, also this would help à ntonia to take care of her family as she felt it as an obligation. As à ntonia was evolving her English was growing with her and with this some traits of her personality too. As explained before in the paper, Jim had to move to Black Hawk due to study reasons, but it was not going to be a long time before à ntonia also moved to Black Hawk, but with different intentions from one’s of Jim. à ntonia moved to Black Hawk to get a job, here she runs into Jim and Lena again. Now in her adolescence Jim says that à ntonia has very good English, â€Å"Tony learned English so quickly that by the time school began she could speak as well as any of us† (107). This shows that à ntonia kept practicing English to improve herself, as she felt that was one way to become better to help her family, and now in Black Hawk and with her job it was evident how the improvement in her English helped her. However, à ntonia would began to attend to dances with her friend Lena and this would carry a lot of problems with it for her, including losing her job because she did not want to quit attending to dances as requested by her bosses. The story carried on and further ahead in the story, when Jim comes back from Lincoln and the time he spent at Harvard to finish his studies, he finds a happily married grown-up à ntonia with children. à ntonia had married a bohemian guy called Anton and now she has a family, and she is very happy with them. While Jim is talking with à ntonia, he notices that her English has become bad as it used to be when she was a child and she was learning it. à ntonia tells him that now she has many troubles with English because at home they speak almost only in Bohemian,  ´I cant think of what I want to say, youve got me so stirred up. And then, Ive forgot my English so. I dont often talk it any more. I tell the children I used to speak real well. She said they always spoke Bohemian at home. The little ones could not speak English at all—didnt learn it until they went to school† (224). Now in her adulthood à ntonia was really worried and a good mother as well as a good wife who take care of her family. Here is where the change that à ntonia suffered from childhood to adolescence to adulthood is characterized, how she passed from a little girl to a loving mother. Throughout this essay three fundamental characters that we find in the novel My à ntonia by the author Willa Cather have been characterized, these characters are: Lena Lingard, Jim Burden and à ntonia Shimerda. The characterization of these characters has been done under the perception of individualism that is represented with each one of them. This perception of individualism of the characters has been shown based on the pursuit for autonomy that each character went through. At the same time three different moments in characters lives were chosen to describe them; the childhood, adolescence and adulthood. These moments in characters lives were chosen because they are prior important stages in a person’s life. So, it was important to illustrate how the notion of individualism of each character could be characterized in these stages, taking into account crucial aspects that the characters faced in the search for themselves. Examples of these important aspects faced by the characters are a new country, language and culture in the case of Lena and à ntonia. Another example is the personal struggles of Jim as he attempts for autonomy in a rugged territory with strict moral codes.