Poverty in America Essay Example for Free

Poverty in America Essay Poverty is a disturbing but significant global concern. Just as it is for millions of other people all over the globe, poverty is occurring in America. Over the past decades, income disparity is ascending, in addition to the number of communities that failed to keep up with the national economic standard. Although poverty is present everywhere, it is more serious in developing countries, wherein one in every five person lives on not more than $1 for each day, which is the threshold being applied by the World Bank to classify poverty. The unrelenting problem of poverty is a multifaceted one that embraces individuals and communities who, without their fault, find themselves powerless to manage in this information-intensive and constantly developing world. For the majority Americans, poverty implies destitution, or the lack of ability to provide the family with reasonable shelter, clothing, and nutritious food. Despite the fact that material destitution does exist in America, it is relatively confined in severity and scope. To be aware of poverty in America, it is necessary to observe several statistics, as well as to observe the actual living conditions of the persons that are considered poor by the government. Overview of Poverty in America A large numbers of the country’s population live at or below the threshold of poverty, which means payment of bills every month and financing for the essentials, consisting of shelter, clothing, and food, not counting access to health care and a number of simple comforts is a constant struggle. According to estimates in 2003, roughly 25 percent of counties in the United States had low rates of workforce participation, soaring rates of unemployment, high reliance on government transfer expenditures, and incomes that is lower than one-half of the national average or less for each person. The Census Bureau classifies poverty as a family of three earning not more than $14,680, and not more than $9,393 for a worker without any dependent (Blanco, 2004). According to the 2003 statistics of the Census Bureau, almost 36 million Americans lived in poverty, which is 1.3 million more in 2002. Since 2000, the country has experienced an increase of 4.4 million people who lives in poverty (Blanco, 2004). According to a survey, the present American families are experiencing worse living conditions than they have in the previous years, as 10 percent of all families or approximately 7.6 million families in 2003 lived in poverty, which is an enormous ascend from the previous years (Blanco, 2004). In 2005, the registration of the United States Census Bureau of poor individuals in the country totaled to approximately 37 million poor Americans (Rector Johnson, 2004). Therefore, there is one in every eight Americans that is struggling with inconceivable poverty. These millions of Americans are asserted to be deficient of the necessary clothing, shelter, and enough money for the food, as well as being forced to live in unpleasant conditions (Rector Johnson, 2004). Common Factors of Poverty In the concluding half of the 20th century, the three factors that are generally offered to explain movements of poverty in the United States are changes in family structure, economic inequality, and income growth. If the average per-capita incomes are increased, such as increasing wages and employment, then it is expected that poverty will generally decline. Nevertheless, economic inequality can take the edge off the overall constructive impact of income growth if lower-income workforce and unemployed citizens do not benefit from the fruits of such development. On the other hand, changes in the family structure, primarily the ever-increasing number of families headed by female may be linked with higher rates of poverty for the reason that such families are more expected to be poor and are more economically vulnerable. I. Economic Equality Certainly, the country has made several enhancements over the intervening decades in terms of the overall minimum living standard as measured through material conditions. Yet the living conditions of the poor individuals are severely different from that of families and individuals who take advantage of various degree of economic security as measured through income levels that provide unstressed and comfortable situations. The escalation in the number of poor individuals and families in the country ought to provide the government various apprehension, but even more upsetting is the increasing difference between the underprivileged and wealthy in America. In the previous decades, compensation for more affluent Americans has considerably ascended, stimulated by increase in stock options, bonuses, salaries and other rewards. However, the compensation provided for millions of lower-wage workforces dropped off; and in fact, a number of them have even lost their jobs (Blanco, 2004). Therefore, this factor has prevented the advantages of economic growth from being equally drawn out. Moreover, in 2005, non-Hispanic white men, not less than 25 years of age, holding only high-school qualification have $35,679 median income; whereas women within the same age group, need a degree in college in order to obtain a comparable median income (Spriggs, 2007). The outcome is that the households headed by female are harmed by the major earnings gap, which has a poverty rate of 31.1 percent in contrast to their male-headed household counterparts, which only had a 13.4 percent poverty rate (Spriggs, 2007). In 2005, poverty for women is excessively elevated than men, which is14.1 percent in contrast to 11.1 (Spriggs, 2007). The disparity reflects unrelenting gaps in earnings between male and female workers. At the same time, since 1959 the median income of white males with a family of five has been higher than the poverty line, but for women with a family of three, it was only in 1990 that their median income broke beyond the poverty line (Spriggs, 2007). Further, notwithstanding the progressive structure of benefit procedure in Social Security benefits, the constant gap is best reflected in disparities in poverty among the elderly, where the lifetime earnings of women suggest they have lower assets than men. II. Family Structure Higher rates of poverty among women have generally been contributed to the changes in family structure. The percentage of families headed by single female with children rapidly rose over the previous decades of the 20th century, which reached 26.5 percent in 1995 from only 11.5 percent of all families with children in 1970; with higher rates for Hispanics and blacks. At the start of year 2003, roughly 26.1 percent of the entire families with children in the country were headed by single woman. A number of such families do not obtain any or adequate child support from the absent fathers of the children. It is suggested in one study that if fathers married the destitute mothers of their children, approximately three-quarters of the single-parents would instantly be elevated outside poverty status (Rector Johnson, 2004). Obviously, two parents in a household generally earn more than single-parent. The burden of receiving enough income to raise dependent children outside poverty additionally confronts women who are the single head of the family, as well as getting and paying for child care concurrently with their work and management of the household without help. Since this hazard confronted by women of serving non-working dependents as well as their efforts in looking after their elderly parents is not distributed by society, women who head such families are expected to obtain lower levels of education, therefore, resulting to their lower earnings. Aside from the fact that women are more expected to earn significantly less than men with similar qualifications, mothers have a tendency to accumulate less experience than other workers. III. Income Growth Poverty is associated with the lack of sufficient income, so the core problem therefore is the compensation for the workers. Among the poor, only 11.4 percent or 2.9 million jobs around the clock is available for the whole year (Spriggs, 2007). This sector of the population is further directly impaired by minimum-wage laws that have hindered costs of living. This setback is particularly severe for poverty stricken American-Hispanics and American-Asians, where 18 percent of them worked year-round for full time (Spriggs, 2007). There are several reasons why numerous people lack the income to overcome poverty. For instance, people do not work or if they work, they do not earn sufficient amount of money. Whether in good or bad economic times, the ordinary poor family with children exerts only 800 hours of work throughout a year or 16 hours of work for each week (Rector Johnson, 2004). Evidently, almost 75 percent of poor children would be lifted outside certified poverty status if work is provided in every family, that would increase the work hours to 2,000 for every year or comparable to 40 hours for each week all through the year (Rector Johnson, 2004). In 2005, approximately 61 percent underprivileged families have no less than one worker; and of twice-poor families, 71 percent have no less than one worker. In view of the 1990s record job creation, the number of poor but working people declined to 8.5 million in 2000 from 10.1 million in 1993. In short, America is capable of dealing with poverty. But there have been vast stubborn concerns that have lodged the face of poverty. Mounting disparity in the labor market has increased the share of the working age poor citizens, and the unsympathetic federal minimum-wage laws that have amplified the numbers of poor people working year-round for full-time. In a country with a per capita Gross Domestic Product is exceeding the poverty line for a family of four, it is atrocious that there are still more than 12 million poverty stricken American children, and nearly 3 million people work around the clock, for one whole year who are still finding it hard to make ends meet. Facts Concerning the American Poor Sector Based on the American’s accepted definition of poverty, only a small number of the 37 million individuals fit the poor description, contrary to what the Census Bureau classified. Despite the fact that real material destitution undoubtedly does take place, it is limited in severity and scope. A number of America’s underprivileged lives in material conditions that would be considered as well-off or comfortable some generations ago. The following are information obtained from different government reports regarding people classified as poor by the Census Bureau: 1. Roughly 46 percent of the entire poor households actually own their individual houses (Rector Johnson, 2004). The typical house owned by persons identified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with a garage, one-and-a-half baths, with at least a patio or porch. 2. About 76 percent of underprivileged families have air conditioning in their houses (Rector Johnson, 2004). By comparison, merely 36 percent of the entire population of the United States benefited from air conditioning 3 decades ago. 3. Only 6 percent of the underprivileged families are considered overcrowded, and not less than two-thirds of them have extra two rooms for every person (Rector Johnson, 2004). 4. The typical poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Athens, Vienna, London, Paris, and other cities all over Europe (Rector Johnson, 2004). 5. Practically three-quarters of poor families own an automobile, while 30 percent own at least two automobiles (Rector Johnson, 2004). 6. Approximately 97 percent of poor households own at least one colored television, while half of the said percentage has at least two colored televisions (Rector Johnson, 2004). 7. Roughly 78 percent own DVD or VCR players, while 62 percent have satellite or cable television reception (Rector Johnson, 2004). 8. Around 73 percent of the poor households have microwave ovens, one-third owns an automatic dishwasher, and over half own a stereo system (Rector Johnson, 2004). Further, as a group, America’s poor are far from being constantly malnourished. In fact poor children have usual protein intakes of 100 percent beyond the medically suggested levels and consume more meat than children of higher-income do (Rector Johnson, 2004). Nevertheless, despite the fact that in general the poor are well-nourished, there are still several poor families who experience short-term distress due to food deficiencies. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, although most of the time the hunger is temporary, still 2.6 percent of poor children and 13 percent of poor families experience food shortage sometime during the year (Rector Johnson, 2004). Approximately 89 percent of the poor account sufficient food to eat to their families, at the same time only 2 percent says they often do not have adequate food to eat (Rector Johnson, 2004). Conclusion / Recommendations Following the United States government classification of poverty, the typical poor American people have a living standard far superior as compared to what the public envisions. Nevertheless, the typical poor person’s living conditions should not be taken to suggest that every poor American lives devoid of hardship. Millions of Americans are still continually struggling to hang on, making tough choices between housing, hunger and health care for their families. Economic inequality, income growth, and changes in family structure without doubt affected poverty trends over the latter half of the 20th century. Poverty in America can be readily reduced, if parents are provided with sufficient hours of work and if fathers are at all times present with their families. Although marriage and work are unyielding ladders away from poverty, the country’s welfare system uncooperatively continues to be unsympathetic to both. Foremost programs such as Medicaid, public housing, and food stamps keep on reprimanding marriage and rewarding idleness. Therefore, if welfare could be turned around to uphold marriage and work, the remaining number of poor family would quickly decrease. Further, as a matter of course, the United States has employed over the years job creation and economic growth to trim down poverty, but at present situation the courses are consequential only to the extent that inequality on wages is reduced. Poor people are generally not victims of themselves, but of appalling economic policies along with obstructions to opportunity. Since work generates income, it is important therefore that the government must provide a great increase in available working hours in different labor sectors for the poor. Along with the work opportunities, it is also important to eliminate economic inequalities based on gender, age, economic status, and many others in order to provide higher wages and higher incomes to the underprivileged sectors of the country. America is a nation with one of the most productive and strongest economies in the world. As such, the country must exert a continuing effort to fully utilize the abundance and therefore eliminate the country ’s alarming poverty rate.

Maggie and Dee & sisters Essay Example for Free

Maggie and Dee sisters Essay Everyday Use is about these two colliding characters: Maggie and Dee are sisters. In the story, Maggie seems to be the powerless and passive character. She had scars from being burnt and this experience brought her to directed inward. She valued the things that are less superficial and more meaningful. She has stayed with her mother and there she learned making quilts. Dee is more the outgoing type. She cares a lot about her style. She’s into physical appearance and boys are one of her interest. Thesis Statement: The central conflict this part of the story is the triumph over legacy – who will be recognized as the successor? This very powerful story revolves around the quilt. As Dee tries to win the quilt, she also seeks her long-lost heritage after a long time of absence. (Walker 278). (66) â€Å"’Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts! † She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Dee always tries to prove herself in the way of her power to persuade and aggression (Walker 278): (68) â€Å"But they’re priceless,† she was saying now furiously for she had a temper. Maggie would put them on the bed and in five years they’d be in rags. Less than that! †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ But Maggie is a strong person with inner strength and she knows that the legacy has been passed on to her (Walker 279). (74) ‘â€Å"She can have them Mama, â€Å"she said like somebody used to never winning anything reserved for her. â€Å"I can ‘member Grandma Dee without the quilts. † Maggie said. ’† The mother knew that her daughter Maggie has been the one who deserves the heritage. Although Maggie seems weak and she will talk in peace (Walker 279). (75) ‘â€Å"She stood there with her scared hands hidden in the folds of her skirt. She looked at her sister with something like fear. But she wasn’t mad at her. This was Maggie’s portion. This was the way she knew God to work. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Towards the end of the story, Dee knows that her mother fought for Maggie and has won the battle. She denies herself from humility that she lost (Walker 279). (81) ‘â€Å"You ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie. It’s really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live, you’ll never know it. † Dee will always hide the loss. She will not be someone who will stand up for defeat and that is in a way being a coward (Walker 279). (82)â€Å"She put on her glasses and hid everything above the tip of her nose and her chin. † Conclusion: Everyday Use explores the long years a mother’s will to raise her children, see them grow and realize their identity. Maggie spent her every day with her mother and her mother experienced her presence for the longest years. Meanwhile Dee has spent her life away from her family. The one who has learned the craft of quilting which signifies her unconditional love for her family is Maggie and finally her mother realizes that and in all sense she deserves that honor of their heritage. Citation: Walker, Alice. â€Å"Everyday Use. † In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women. Harvest Books (1974): 272-279.

Spanish Language Varieties in Spain and in Mexico

Spanish Language Varieties in Spain and in Mexico Spanish language varieties in Spain and in Mexico. George Bernard Shaw regarded Great Britain and America as ‘two countries divided by a common language’. This viewpoint can be also applied to Spain and Mexico, the Spanish-speaking countries with different language varieties and dialects that have been formed under the influence of specific historical, cultural, political and social events. Despite the fact that Spanish is spoken in many countries, the major varieties of Spanish can be observed in Latin America and Spain, where the language, according to Clare Mar-Molinero (2000), â€Å"is buoyant and secure† (p.18). Spanish belongs to the Indo-European language family and comes from Vulgar Latin language, although Spanish vocabulary consists of Italian, French and Arabic words. Spanish language in Latin America has five major varieties: the Caribbean, the South American Pacific, the Argentinian-Uruguyan-Paraguayan, the Central American, and the Highland (or Standard) Latin American. However, this classification is too generalised, as it is based only on the differences in pronunciation. Due to â€Å"the immensity of the territory where Latin American Spanish is spoken† (Lipski, 1994 p.3), linguists analyse language varieties â€Å"along geographical, political, ethnic, musicological and social lines† (Lipski, 1994 p.3). The residents of Mexico mainly use the Caribbean and Highland Latin American dialects that emerged after the formation of Peruvian Spanish. Nahuatl dialect that belongs to the Uto-Aztecan language group (Andrews, 1975) and has â€Å"the greatest influence in centra l Mexico† (Lipski, 1994 p.6) is an ancient Spanish dialect. About one million Mexican people speak Nahuatl dialect nowadays. In Spain there are also two principal language varieties – the Castilian and the Andalusian dialects that were formed in the middle ages, although some regions of Northern and Southern Spain create other specific dialects. As Spanish language descends from Castile, the Spanish region that became a centre of political significance since the thirteenth century, the Castilian dialect is one of the most widespread varieties and is accepted as a national criterion in Spain. Mar-Molinero (2000) considers that the phenomenon of ‘Castilianisation’ was initiated by the Visigoths; however, it was only in the eighteenth century when the Castilian dialect displaced other language varieties as a result of Charles’ III 1768 declaration, demonstrating a profound impact of political prevalence on linguistic prevalence. Mar-Molinero (2000) also states that the Andalusian dialect considerably influenced the formation of the Standard Latin American (pp.36-37), although this viewpoint is strongly opposed by sociolinguists. Other crucial language varieties in Spain are Euskara, Galician and Catalan; these dialects have some parallels with Portuguese and French languages, although they do not belong to the Indo-European language family. The emergence of these three Spanish varieties is closely connected with the spread of nationalism. The Levantine varieties also constitute an important group of dialects utilised in such Spanish regions as Alicante, Valencia and Castellà ³n. People in these areas currently use Catalan/Valencian, Murcian, Andalusian, Aragon, and La Manche/Castile dialects. The differences in all these Spanish language varieties attribute to pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar (Penny, 2000). In particular, pronunciation of the Standard Latin American differs from the Castilian, similar to the dissimilarities between British English and American English. In the Castilian dialect the sounds ‘ce’ or ‘ci’ are changed into ‘th’: ‘gracias’ (thanks) appears as ‘gratheas’; however, in the Standard Latin American the word ‘gracias’ is pronounced as ‘gras-see-as†. Such separate pronunciation of the word ‘grasseeas’ is a characteristic feature of the Standard Latin American dialect. In the Castilian dialect some words are ended in a vocable vowel, losing their last consonants, while two Mexican dialects are characterised by the pronunciation of final consonants. Overall, the speech in Mexico is slow in comparison with the speech in the majority of Spanish regio ns (Hill Hill, 1986); however, the Caribbean, or Lowland dialect is defined as a rather prompt and informal variety of Spanish language. In addition to the differences in pronunciation, there are some differences in grammar. In Mexican Spanish ‘ustedes’ (you) is utilised both for formal and informal address, while in Castilian Spanish there are two words for formal and informal address – ‘ustedes’ and ‘vosotros’, respectively. Some verbs in the Caribbean and Highland Latin American dialects have changed their initial forms, acquiring certain Anglicisms and Americanisms. In particular, Mexican residents say, â€Å"Apliquà © a la Universidad† (I applied to the university), while Spanish people utilise a more precise form – ‘Postulà © a la universidad’. Similarly, Spaniards in Spain prefer to utilise pasado perfecto (the compound tense that is similar to English Present Perfect tense): ‘Yo he viajado a los Estados Unidos’ (I have travelled to the USA). Mexican people use a more simplified tense – pretà ©rito indefinido (Englis h Past Indefinite), for example, â€Å"Viajà © a Estados Unidos† (I travelled to the USA). According to Julia Kristeva (1989), â€Å"Language is so intimately linked to man and society that they are inseparable† (p.3); thus, the utilisation of Anglicisms and Americanisms in Mexican Spanish reflects historical and social differences between Spain and Mexico. Duncan Green (1997) points at the impact of the United States on language and identity of Mexican population; in particular, the author states that â€Å"The mass media has become a battleground in the struggle to define Latin American’s identity† (pp.98-99). The simplification of Spanish language in Mexico reveals that various social changes modify language, and language shapes the identity of Mexican people. As Mar-Molinero (2000) states, â€Å"Not only does language have an instrumental role as a means of communication, it also has an extremely important symbolic role as marker of identity† (p.3). Due to the fact that social identities of Mexican and Spanish people differ, Spanish language of Mexico and Spain is characterised by a rather diverse vocabulary. For instance, the word ‘Okay’ is translated as ‘Sale’ in Mexico, and as ‘Chungo’ – in Madrid; similarly, the word ‘work’ is rendered as ‘chambear’ in Mexico and as ‘currar’ – in Spain. Another difference that distinguishes Mexican Spanish from Spanish in Spain is the preservation of archaisms in the Caribbean and Highland Latin American dialects. Such words and expressions as ‘Órale’ (All right), ‘Ya mero’ (almost) or ‘Quà © pedo?† (What is going on?) are normal for Mexican Spanish, but they are not utilised in Spain. John Lipski (1994) considers that these language varieties emerged as a result of cultural and social interactions of Spain and Mexico with other countries. The Standard Latin American dialect was considerably influenced by Italian and African immigrants who arrived in Latin America at the end of the nineteenth – the beginning of the twentieth centuries (Lipski, 1994 pp.11-12). Skidmore and Smith (2000) reveal the similar viewpoint, claiming that in Latin America â€Å"languages, food, sports, and music all show profound and continuing African influence† (p.356). Simultaneously, the Standard Lat in American and the Caribbean dialects reflect native roots, especially Indian roots that are rather distinct in Mexican Spanish. For instance, the language of the Mayans serves as the basis for more than thirty dialects in Mexico, let alone the language of the Aztecs. In particular, many modern Mexican dialects preserve initial and final sounds tl- in certain words, like ‘Nahuatl’, ‘Quetzalcoatl’, the god of Aztecs, or ‘Tlaxcala’, Mexican state. As Skidmore and Smith (2000) point out, â€Å"Aside from the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas, there were many other Indian cultures. In the area of modern-day Mexico alone there were over 200 different linguistic groups† (p.14). However, the impact of the Castilian language on the formation of Mexican Spanish is the greatest, as the Castilian was the only language taught in Mexican schools with the arrival of Spanish settlers. Thus, three major aspects aggravated the differences between Spanish spoken in Spain and Spanish spoken in Mexico: Spanish settlements in Mexico, immigration of English, Italian and African people, and finally, linguistic drift. Analysing Spanish language varieties in Mexico and Spain, the essay demonstrates that the differences mainly exist in spoken language, influencing such linguistic aspects as vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar. The Caribbean and Highland Latin American dialects in Mexico and the Castilian and the Andalusian dialects in Spain are characterised by diverse accent, idioms and unique words, but these variants are integral parts of Spanish language. As a result of various social and political changes, modern Mexican Spanish has been exposed to the process of Americanisation, which considerably simplifies vocabulary and grammar of Spanish dialects in Mexico and intensifies the differences between Mexican Spanish and Spanish spoken in Spain. The spread of travels and mass media changes Spanish language in both Mexico and various areas of Spain, revealing unique cultural identities of different Spanish-speaking groups.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography Andrews, J. R. (1975) Introduction to Classical Nahuatl. Austin, University of Texas. Green, D. (1997) Faces of Latin America. Nottingham, Russell Press, Latin American Bureau. Hill, J. H. and Hill, K.C. (1986) Speaking Mexicano. Tucson, University of Arizona Press.   Kristeva, J. (1989) Language: The Unknown An Initiation Into Linguistics. London, Harvest Wheatsheaf. Lipski, J.M. (1994) Latin American Spanish. London, New York, Longman. Mar-Molinero, C. (2000) The Politics of Language in the Spanish-Speaking World from Colonization to Globalization. London, New York, Routledge. Penny, R. (2000) Variation and Change in Spanish. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Skidmore, T. E. and Smith, P.H. (2000) Modern Latin America. 5th edition. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Effects of 19th Century Society’s View of Women on the Narrator of “The

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a literary exaggeration of Gilman’s personal battle with depression that exploits not only the flaws in the perception of depression in the late 1800s but the flaws in that society’s views on women as well. Set up in a diary format, the entry document a three month stay at a secluded mansion where the narrator’s physician husband John, who has told friends and relatives that there is â€Å"really nothing the matter with [his wife],† has brought her in on the sabbatical, of sorts, in hopes of treating her â€Å"nervous depression† (394, par.10). The diary format comes from the fact that the narrator is not openly allowed to write or â€Å"work† as part of her treatment. The ledger becomes her secret confidante and as well as a map of how her depression becomes a full blown psychosis. Having been instructed by her husband not to focus on her illness she sets he r sights on the yellow â€Å"flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin† on the wallpaper of the converted attic/nursery that John has commandeered as their bedroom for the summer (395, par. 34). As the narrator forces herself into submission in the presents of her husband and his sister Jennie, her depression seem so transform into a state of paranoid hallucinations fueled by her obsession with the yellow wallpaper. Finally the inward turmoil manifest it’s self in a very outward way and erupts into full on madness with the narrator believing she is the woman that she has seen in the wallpaper trying to escape. Having noted the slow decline of the narrator from imaginative and independent to submissive and secretive strikes a personal cord with me, as I to have suffered with depression in my personal life. I plan to identify... ...ge/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=SUIC&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CCX3470800268&userGroupName=lftla_pultch&jsid=ba2a9816fea4773bf2d1b3da34a59a1b> Treichler, Paula A. â€Å"Escaping the Sentence: Diagnosis and Discourse in "The Yellow Wallpaper".† Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature, Vol. 3, No. 1/2, Feminist Issues in Literary Scholarship (Spring - Autumn, 1984), pp. 61-77. JSTOR. Pulaski Technical College Library, AR. 22 Nov. 2011. Wiedemann, Barbara. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† Short Fiction: A Critical Companion. 1997. Literary Reference Center. EBSCOhost. Pulaski Technical College Library, AR. 22 Nov. 2011.

gatwomen gatmyrtle Great Gatsby Essays: Similarities of Gatsby and Myrtle :: Great Gatsby Essays

Same Goal, Different Route in The Great Gatsby A more thorough investigation of The Great Gatsby is necessary to uncover a well-disguised theme by Fitzgerald in this work. Upon a simple read through one would probably not notice the great similarities of Jay Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson, but the two characters seemed to have the same agenda for their lives. While Gatsby took the route of acquiring money at all costs to join the upper class of society and to be acceptable in the eyes of a woman, Myrtle chose to make her way up in society at the cost of her marriage by attaching herself to money. The underlying question is who had the most success. As a young man, Jay Gatsby was poor with nothing but his love for Daisy. He had attempted to woe her, but a stronger attraction to money led her to marry another man. This did not stop Gatsby’s goal of winning this woman for himself though, and he decided to improve his life anyway he could until he could measure up to Daisy’s standards. He eventually gained connections in what would seem to be the wrong places, but these gave him the opportunity he needed to "get rich quick." Gatsby’s enormous desire for Daisy controlled his life to the point that he did not even question the immorality of the dealings that he involved himself in to acquire wealth. Eventually though, he was able to afford a "castle" in a location where he could pursue Daisy effectively. His life ambition had successfully moved him to the top of the "new money" class of society, but he lacked the education of how to promote his wealth properly. Despite the way that Gatsby flaunted his money, he did catch Daisy’s attention. A chaotic affair followed for a while until Daisy was overcome by pressures from Gatsby to leave her husband and by the realization that she belonged to "old money" and a more proper society. Myrtle eventually had similar goals as Gatsby, but her life did not begin the same way. She was of the lower class of society and married a simple man. The two pursued a poor life, but Myrtle’s husband George was a decent man. Nevertheless, Myrtle became unsatisfied, and when the opportunity arose to better the quality of her life, she took it. Daisy’s husband Tom, an unfaithful, rough man not very committed to his marriage, began an affair with Myrtle.

Running The British Economy Essay examples -- Economics Macroeconomics

Running The British Economy Introduction ============ A study of economics in terms of whole systems especially with reference to general levels of output and income and to the interrelations among sectors of the economy is called macroeconomics. Macroeconomics is concerned with the behavior of the economy as a whole—with booms and recessions, the economy’s total output of goods and services and the growth of output, the rates of inflation and unemployment, the balance of payments, and exchange rates. Macroeconomics deals with the increase in output and employment over long period of time—that is economic growth—and with the short-run fluctuations that constitutes the business cycle. Macroeconomics focuses on the economic behavior and policies that effect consumption and investment, trade balance, the determinants of changes in wages and prices, monetary and fiscal policies, the money stock, the federal budget, interest rates, and national debt. In brief, macroeconomics deals with the major economic issues and problems of the day. In this software of running the British economy we will observe different outcomes in the British Economy by changing these four variables. They are 1. Government Expenditure 2. Tax Rate 3. Value Added Tax (VAT) 4. Monetary Cash Flow Through this assignment I have given a chance to run the British Economy for five years. In order to understand this assignment we first have to understand what these above four variables are? Explanation Government Expenditure ====================== It covers what so ever government spends in purchasing goods and services in order to perform their factions properly. This includes spending on such items such as defense e... ...es, which are 6.79. And by this all economy get a boast. People started getting better off and government got success keeping the interest of investor in economy. Balance to payment went down to 5, which is not bad. Bibliography Books 1. Diulio, Eugene A. Theory and Problems of Macroeconomic Theory. London. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 1974. 2. Fischer, Stanley. Dornubusch, Rudiger. Macroeconomics. USA. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 1990. 3. Glahe, Fred R. Macroeconomics Theory and Practice. USA. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc. 1992. Websites 1. http://star2.vub.ac.be/~dvermeir/mirrors/ingrimayne.saintjoe.edu/econ/ISLM/ISLM.html Accesses on: 15/12/2004 2. http://users.ox.ac.uk/~scro0519/macro.pdf Accessed on: 15/12/2004 3. http://www.wabash.edu/dept/economics/Faculty%20Work/ISLM.pdf Accessed on: 16/12/2004

British Airways World Cargo

British Airways World Cargo is one of the leading cargo airlines in the world, carrying freight, mail and courier traffic to 200 destinations in more than 80 countries. The BA network and freighter programme make it one of the largest single carrier networks, with a reliable schedule, same day connections between most continents and destinations, and extensive road connections. They have developed a portfolio of products that meet their customer’s needs. Their experienced operational and commercial teams worldwide take pride in delivering high levels of performance and customer care.The business is administratively divided into geographical regions based in: North America; Central and Latin America (plus Spain); Western Europe; North and Eastern Europe (plus the Eastern Mediterranean); Africa, the Gulf States and India; and Asia Pacific. Autonomous, but not independent, business units reflect functional differences such as cargo, engineering and maintenance, and the recently f ormed UK regional airline, CitiExpress. The group corporate and operating headquarters are located at Heathrow Airport in the UK. Over 61,000 staff were employed by the group worldwide in 2001/2002, 81% of them based in the UK.In 2001 and 2002 the global airline industry experienced a sharp reversal of fortunes. This was caused by the severe wo0rld economic slowdown combined with the impact of terrorist attacks in the US on 11 September 2001. These factors were compounded by the subsequent uncertain geographical; environment and the rise of serious competition from the introduction of the ‘no frills’ airlines. In response BA Background 2 was forced to review the ‘future size and shape’ of all aspects of its business. The review was expected to reduce employment by 13,000 by September 2003.Current employment after the ongoing process of rationalization across Europe and the UK is around 45,000, with operations in Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Portugal, It aly, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Greece, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Ireland. Many of the ‘station’ in Europe, however, employ small numbers of people. Some, like Finland, have fewer than 10 people. The UK employment numbers and practices therefore tend to dominate practices and culture throughout the group. In the UK, industrial relations traditions and culture are rooted in a strong trade union presence in what was once a public sector organisation.Over 70% of UK employees are trade union members and more than 95% are covered by the terms of formal collection agreements. Amicus – AEEU, Amicus – MSF, BALPA (British airline pilots association), Cabin Crew ‘89, GMB and TGWU are the recognized trades unions. National bargaining is facilitated by a number of formal structures for negotiation and consultation, ranging from local sectional ‘panels’ to the British Airways Trade Union Council, recently renamed the ‘Nati onal negotiation forum’ (NNF), where trade union officers meet the Executive management every month.A history of largely conflictual relations continues to exert an influence on attitudes and opinions, en gendering suspicions of motives and resistance to change. Management Background 3 describes its overriding approach to IR as ‘tactical’, taking a ‘partnership’ approach ‘when it works’ and a ‘management’ of the trades unions while admitting varying degrees of representatives in France and employee representatives in Germany and most other countries. In Italy the group operates stations in Rome and Milan as wholly owned units of the core airline business with about 220 employees.Until recently CISL was the only trade union representing BA staff in Italy, but recently UGL, CGIL and UIL are also represented. The wider representation of unions has led to better information although consultation remains essentially ‘after- the-fact’, with trade union represent5ation sensitive to attempts to bypass any union involvement. Managerial Aspects The group corporate and operating headquarters are located at Heathrow Airport in the UK. Over 61,000 staff were employed by the group worldwide in 2001/2002, 81% of them based in the UK.Currently employment after the ongoing process of rationalization across Europe and the UK is around 45,000, with operations in Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Greece, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Ireland. Many of the ‘station’ in Europe, however, employ small numbers of people. Managerial Aspects 4 Some, like Finland, have fewer than 10 people. The UK employment numbers and practices therefore tend to dominate practices and culture throughout the group. THE EWCBritish Airways world Cargo EWC was established within the definitions and under the scope of Article 13 of the EC Directive of 1994 – 95 after some conflict between management and the trade unions. Management initially resisted the inclusion of the UK. Negotiations took place principally between senior representatives of the UK trade unions and senior European and HR management, with some employee representatives from the major European countries. They concluded the agreement in September 1996. Legal advice sought by the company resulted in the EWC being concluded under Belgian law.However, the BA EWC remains highly ‘UK- centric’ with the largest number of representatives, and meetings held at corporate head office at Heathrow. To maintain a European balance UK employee representatives are ineligible for the position of employee chair or spokesperson. Only the deputy position may be held by a UK representative. The agreement was initially concluded for a fixed term of two years from 18 September 1996, to become a non-fixed term agreement automatically after the initial two-year period. Either side may terminate the agreement with six months’ notice.Under the agreement, BA group: Managerial Aspects 5 †¦. recognizes the value of information and the consultation of its employees in conducting the management of the company and also recognizes the need for employees to be informed and consulted on the activities of the group. The BA EWC will deal with issues related to the structures of the British airways group as a whole, its performance and any decision influencing more than one country. In its meetings, the BA EWC will focus principally on the performance of British Airways (and in particular on relevant European Operations), e.g. relevant to trans-national employees. The agreement covers the entire employed workforce of the BA group in at least all EEA countries. A formula laid down in the agreement results in a total of 21 employee representatives, six of whom represent the UK. There are insufficient employees in any other Member state to trigger the 10% of the comm unity-scale undertaking requirement for an additional representative. Therefore the distribution of representatives remains as follows:EWC representations currently comprise 16 men and five women (none from the UK) and do not reflect the diverse racial and ethnic groups employed, particularly at Heathrow. There is, however, a representative of all functions across the airline, including pilots, cabin crew, engineering, group handling, sales and check-in personnel. Key features of the agreement are: ? It is without prejudice to the existing information and consultation structures existing at national level; ? It recognizes the need to develop dialogue and mutual understanding between management and employees on the transnational aspects of the group;? Provision for extraordinary meetings to be convened no later than 10 working days after the company announces significant transnational changes such as mergers, relocations, collective redundancies or restructuring – the spokespe rson or deputy to be informed the same day as the announcement is made; ? Representation for each establishment or group of establishments per Member State with a formula for addition al mandates according to the percentage of total employees of the group ( current ensuring a majority for the UK);? The BA EWC will be chaired by a BA representative of senior management level or above or above with European responsibilities or his or her deputy; Managerial Aspects 7 ? Central management will be represented by appropriate BA managers or their nominated deputies; ? Assistance for the employee side from two of their own experts at the preparatory meeting, the general meeting and the following meetings, and the facility to co-opt other persons as may be agreed from time to time; ? Employee representatives to serve normally for a period of three years;? Two meetings per year, normally within one month of the announcement of BA’s half-yearly and end of year results; ? The secretariat is responsible for coordinating the agenda, advising all parties, preparing and distributing the minutes; ? Employee representatives have to appoint a spokesperson ‘to be a point of reference for the chairman; ? The working language of the BA EWC in English, with facilities for translation available if necessary; ? There are arrangements for time off from normal duties for employee representatives to attend meetings, attend agreed training courses and for minimum necessary traveling time;? The BA EWC meeting will normally last three hours with facilities available for employee representatives and their experts and agreed co-optees to meet the day before the general meeting, and the afternoon after the general meeting; Managerial Aspects 8 ? Confidentially applies to information supplied as such by management, with the obligation continuing after the representatives’ terms of office and any breach considered a disciplinary offence; ? Management are entitled not to provi de information deemed confidential or prejudicial to any other party;? A joint written statement outlining the key points arising from the meeting will be circulated by the secretariat to all appropriate locations for onward briefing. Since its inception the EWC has met twice per year. If required, extraordinary meetings could be called, but only on management’s initiative in the event of level developments of the magnitude of 11 September 2001. after this event some meetings were called but these only involved members of a select committee called â€Å"the bureau†. All full general meeting is considered unwieldy and too difficult to convene at short notice.Furthermore the established information and consultation machinery would in most cases be considered most appropriate to handle corporate wide issues in extraordinary circumstances. In any cases management would be required to inform and consult via the NNF. For example during the course of this research the war wit h Iraq was taking places. The company chose to raise issues relating to the war at a meeting of the NNF, to which the employee spokesperson (or chair) was invited. The bureau is not formalized in the EWC agreement, but was established some 18 month to two years later.When it was recognized that there were some more detailed Managerial Aspects 9 discussions that needed to take place that could not be effectively handled by the larger form. It is a selected committee of management and employee representatives, normally comprising seven to nine people, including the EWC chair (a senior European manager), the employee chair (a Dane), and his deputy and a senior HR manager. A total of four employee representatives plus two experts might attend meetings. Unlike the full EWC the bureau tends to reflect a more European bias with more employee representatives and managers from Europe.The bureau has two meetings per year, in addition to the full EWC meetings, but members may communicate more frequently as required. Mission Statement To develop a portfolio of products that meet customers’ needs and delivering high levels of performance and customer care. Resources Employees Current employment after the ongoing process of rationalization across Europe and the UK is around 45,000. the UK employment numbers and practice therefore tend to dominate practices and culture throughout the group. EDI Business Resources 10 EDI Business continues to enhance the provision of customer service within the air cargo industry.British Airways World Cargo uses this technology to: 1. Receive and transmit air way bill data by EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) 2. Receive and transmit house air way bill data by EDI to customs authorities. 3. Receive and process freight. 4. Deliver automated notification of the receipt of freight. 5. Track and trace freight from the airport of origin to the airport of destination using barcode technology. 6. Improve transparency of performance measurement to customers. Main Airports Served British Airways World cargo has an extensive global network.Major airports served within the UK include: London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester. With stations spanning six continents, there is an integrated flight and trucking capability that enables it cover 200 destinations in over 80 countries. Number and type of aircraft The British Airways World Cargo has a total of 32 Boeing 757-with a capacity of 195 passengers, a range of up to 3,429miles and two Rolls Royce engines –in its fleet. Other aircrafts include: Boeing 737,777,747-400,767,757-200F, 747-200F,747-400F, Airbus A319, Airbus A320, DC8-54F, and MD11F.Operations 11 Operations The British Airways World Cargo has a freighter programme that makes it one of the largest single carrier networks, with a reliable schedule, same day connections between most continent and destinations and extensive road connections. It is operated by the EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) which faci lities the receival and transmittal of airway bill data, house airway bill data, delivering of automated notification of receipt of freight, track and trace freight and improve transparency of performance measurement to customers.Markets served included operations in the UK and across Europe. The type of cargo are limited to freight , mail and courier traffic. At the export is weighed and security screened ( X-rayed) and a security certificate is issued. At many locations, BAWC employs a handling agents to accept goods for carriage and accepts payments on its behalf. Once freight is cleared, the customer has to go to the import office at the destination station with a photographic proof of identify (driving licence or passport, or similar according to local regulations) and details of the goods e. g a copy of the airway bill.It is unlikely that BWAC, or its agents would be able to correctly identify the goods without the number of the air way bill. Business Relationship 12 Business Relationship Cargo 2000 CARGO 2000 is an IATA special interest group of airlines and forwarders, setup in 1997, with the aim of setting new standards for the air cargo industry. This group identifies a need to make the process of moving cargo from A to B much more efficient. Research carried out by IATA in 1997 on unitized point freight showed that goods took as long to travel in 1997 as they haf done 25 years previously.The group agreed that the number of steps in the process had to be simplified and supported by accurate information exchange between airlines, forwarders and shippers. The Cargo 2000 group tackled this by creating the Master Operating Plan (MOP) which defined a streamlined door to door process with specific information checkpoints. The MOP introduced the concept of the route map- the prediction of the journey the freight is expected to take, based upon the booking parameters, which is then validated against actual operational data provided by the airlines and forwar ders.Cargo 2000 is working to a phased implementation programme: Phase 1 Airport to Airport- Shipment Planning and Tracking at Master Air waybill level Phase 2 Door to Door- Shipment Plannin g and Tracking at House Air waybill level Phase 3 Door to Door- Shipment Planning and Tracking at individual piece level- Document Tracking. Business Relationship 13 Benefit to Customers As Cargo members, British Airways World Cargo will: Ensure the Cargo 2000 processes relating to the carriage of air cargo are followed Monitor our performance against the standards set by Cargo 2000Integrate the quality standards set by Cargo 2000 with our own systems and policies Benchmark our performance results and implement procedures to continually review and improve our service standards Aim to achieve accreditation by meeting the criteria specified by cargo 2000 within each phase. British Airways World cargo has been involved with, and participated in the cargo 2000 group since its creation and fully supp orts the objectives and initiatives of the group. Comments The BAWC agenda, focuses on company results and strategy, including items such as plans for aircraft and how management perceive the future of some sectors.Concerns that the company has for south America have been raised as these will inevitably result in some cutbacks in operations in this area. Competition of the North Altantic routes, cutbacks in the USA as a result of the war, and how the company can complete for corporate business, are issues for discussion. Discussion in meetings is not and will not be con fined to BA in Europe, but will encompass the global context for operations. Changes made in the engineering services that affected people working in engineering across Europe were an example of this.The process of consultation had to respect national representative structure and procedures and therefore consultations would always take place at works councils across Europe- particularly in Germany and at the UK trade s union panels and forums, before any discussion could take place at the EWC. Future plans/developments 14 Future plans/developments Management’s aim to provide full and high –level information on transnational issues has evinced a level of empathy from the employee side of the company.While management effectively controls the EWC process there is nonetheless an evident maturation on the employee side with members attempting to make a positive and ‘professional’ input. Crossover communication channels between negotiation forums and the EWC are suggested by management and the employee side both within and outside the EWC, as desirable future developments to enable the EWC to have more relevance and to limit the current duplication of consultation activities.The employee respondents would also welcome more opportunities for employee- only meetings. It is not thought that EU enlargement will significantly affect the BAEWC other than adding to its size and bur eaucracy, possible making it more unwieldy. In consequences the smaller bureau might assume a more emphatic and vigorous role. The UK representatives will still make up the largest national group with the EWC and continue their current dominance.It is hoped that the training currently planned for employee representatives will help new members quickly assume their roles and contribute regardless of their culture. The nature of the industry ensures that English will remain the preferred language. References 1. www. eurofound. eu. int 2. Europe Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working conditions, 2005. 3. BALPA, British Airtime and Pilots Association Journal 2005. 4. EC Directive, Article 13, 1994 – 1995 5. Amicus – AEEU, Journal 2003 6. IATA Journal, 1997. International Air Transport Association