Love Canal Essay Example

Love Canal Essay Example Love Canal Essay Love Canal Essay The case of Love Canal is one of the most tragic and well-known instances of environmental injustice in the history of the United States. Historically, blame has been placed upon the company that has since been held legally responsible for the wastes present in the area. Once one dives deeper into the issue, however, it can be seen that there are various deceptions that lie underneath what the media has reported regarding the disaster. In addition to discovering where true liability for the disaster lays, this can lead to developing strategies within the country to guarantee that this type of disaster does not happen again. Ironically enough, this disaster began with a dream for a better future. In the late 1800’s, William T. Love, a wealthy businessman at the time, had a dream to build a model industrial city in his hometown of Niagara Falls. He wanted to provide the city with a source of cheap power, so he decided that he would dig a canal to connect the upper and lower banks of the Niagara River, to provide space for a hydroelectric power plant. Unfortunately, an economic downturn caused abandonment of the project, and only about one mile of the canal was ever dug. From 1920 to 1943, the city of Niagara Falls used the small amount of canal as a municipal waste dumpsite. In 1943, Hooker Chemical and Plastics Company bought the canal, and began dumping toxic waste chemicals into the water in big chemical drum containers. They continued to pollute there until 1953, when they filled the canal with earth and sold it to the city of Niagara Falls for just one dollar. The city built one hundred new residential homes and a public school there. When residents began occupying the houses, they were oblivious to the toxic chemicals that were buried underneath the ground right in their backyards and directly underneath the school that their children attended. Eventually, the chemicals rotted entirely through the drum containers, and began leaching into backyards, basements, and even the school’s lower floor. Then the inexplicable increase in illnesses began. By the 1970’s, there was a massive rate of birth defects (5 of the 24 children born had defects), miscarriages (50%), and congenital defects being found in the residents of the town and their children (Regenstein). Children who attended the public school were becoming very ill with symptoms stemming from neurological problems, some of which the doctors even had a hard time diagnosing. One housewife of the town, Lois Gibbs, began noticing that her 7-year-old son was coming home from school sick more than ever before, and discovered that he had developed symptoms while at school. She began doing research on the area, and discovered the Love Canal’s past. She pleaded for the city to evacuate residents. Although ignored by officials, she drew up quite a large base of supporters, many people also noticing that their children had become ill since they began attending the school. Eventually, after many cases of illnesses and much public opposition, the city began evacuating young children first, and then families who lived in the residential houses. The media found Lois Gibb’s story very appealing. They followed her journey from starting as a housewife in a small town in New York State to becoming an outspoken leader for a movement to hold the Hooker Chemical Company responsible for what had happened there two decades before. She felt that the Hooker Chemical Company should be liable for cleaning up the site and reimbursing families who had been affected by the pollution. Although Lois Gibbs shared an opinion with many people, there was just not enough concrete evidence to convict the company of being responsible. One person that found Gibb’s story worthy of public attention was Michael Brown, who wrote a book called Laying Waste: The Poisoning of America by Toxic Chemicals, in which he laid all blame directly on the Hooker Chemical Company for the disaster. This book was adopted as the true story by most media outlets, so naturally the public was convinced that the company was to blame and no one else. As public knowledge increased due to Lois Gibb’s efforts, remediation became much more important. On August 7th, 1978, President Jimmy Carter approved emergency government aid for the area, which was the first time government funds were used for a disaster that was not considered to be â€Å"natural. † This funding became the Environmental Protection Agency’s Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, also known as the â€Å"Superfund† program. Over one hundred million dollars was used to clean up the canal. Efforts finally concluded in 2004, when the land was considered safe to once again live on. Residents have begun to fill the newly-renovated residential homes in the town that they have now officially renamed the Black Creek Village. With the case of Love Canal comes controversy over who is fully to blame for the issues at hand. Historically, the blame has been placed on the Hooker Chemical and Plastics Company because they were the company that was actively dumping toxic chemicals in the abandoned canal. Also, many people such as Lois Gibbs and her supporters) believe that the company sold the land for such a cheap price because they knew that there would be detrimental effects on the environment and human health due to the wastes. The government took this position on the matter as well. The U. S. Department of Justice, who acted for the Environmental Protection Agency, sued the company by filing four suits against it and its parent corporation, the Occidental Petroleum Corporation. The four suits requested that the company have to clean up the four sites in Niagara Falls that posed a danger to residents of the region. After the case went to trial, it became clear that even the Judicial System agreed that Hooker Chemical Company was responsible for the damages that resulted from the dumping. The New York Times published an article on February 24, 1988 that was considered a great victory for those who viewed the situation as the Hooker Company’s fault. The article described the rulings of the federal trial against the Occidental Petroleum Corporation. John T. Curtin, the active judge on the case, ruled that the company was liable for the damages under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980. The judge also states that in addition to being responsible for the production and dumping of the wastes, they also stored the wastes in dangerous ways that would eventually lead to leaching straight through the storage drums. With this ruling, however, one has to ask why the U. S. Regulatory System would approve the company’s disposal techniques. It is also important to ask whether or not the chemicals would have actually leached if they were not disturbed by the construction vehicles that most likely punctured the drum containers. The issue of repayment was not settled in the trial, although the government was asking for $117,580,000 to replace the money that they had spent. This problem was not settled until June 1989. On the morning of June 1, 1989, Thomas C. Jorling, Commissioner at the time of the New York State Department of Conservation, issued a public news release to announce that the Occidental Petroleum Corporation had signed a consent order for the storage and destruction of the wastes from the Love Canal cleanup. This was the company’s first acknowledgement and acceptance of responsibility for the cleanup efforts. This was also a landmark agreement because the cleanup had previously been performed by government agencies, funded by taxpayers’ money. This was the first case that bound a company to pay for clean-up funds, rather than making taxpayers cover the costs. The agreement saved taxpayers more than $20 million that would have been used for construction, operating, and engineering costs. The company agreed to transport the chemicals that were brought up from the ground to their plant in Niagara Falls, store them in a newly renovated and safe storage building, and burn them in an incinerator that was set to be built at the plant. Although in signing this consent order the company assumed responsibility, they still fought to ensure that they were not legally liable for the damages and public health effects of the wastes present in the canal. At this point, many people were pleased with the fact that the Hooker company was being held responsible for what they had done. A various perspective on the issue, however, can be seen in an article titled â€Å"Love Canal: The Truth Seeps Out,† written by a long-time contributor of Reason magazine, Eric Zuesse, that was published in the February 1981 issue of the magazine. In the article, Zuesse states that the Niagara Falls Board of Education is the party that should be taken to court by the Justice Department. He believes that â€Å"hardly ever has there been a more blatant example of Big Brother successfully hiding the skeletons in his closet or of a gullible investigative reporter and compliant media going along with the cover-up so that a bunch of bureaucrats can pass the buck to some bewildered private interest. He suggests that the case of Love Canal is an example of government keeping secrets from public knowledge so as to keep the real persons responsible safe and punish and destroy private interest corporations who are easily blamed for the problem. A â€Å"gullible investigative reporter† is Zuesse’s referral to Brown and his book that was adopted by the media. Zuesse states that his first indication that the true story was not being told was that there was little mention of the fact that the Board of Education had owned the l and for 25 years prior to all of the uncovering of the land’s past usages. He began doing research, and found the deed that was used in the transfer of property. There is a clause at the end of the deed that contains this statement: †¦ The grantee herein has been advised by the grantor that the premises above described has been filled †¦ with waste products resulting from the manufacturing of chemicals by the grantor †¦ and the grantee assumes all risk and liability incident to the use thereof †¦ As a part of the consideration for this conveyance and as a condition thereof, no claim, suit, or action or demand f any nature whatsoever shall be made by the grantee †¦ against the grantor, for injury to a person or persons, including death resulting there from, or loss of or damage to property caused by †¦ said industrial wastes. (1) In this excerpt from the deed, it is shown that the Hooker Company had warned the Board of Education of the risks associated with development and use of the land that was being sold to them. Also, they transferred all legal liability to the Board of Education for any property loss, injuries, or deaths resulting from the use of the land. The fact that the Board of Education still agreed to buy this land, and then additionally decided to build a public school on it, cannot be overlooked in the issue of who is to blame for the destruction at Love Canal. Zuesse also believes that although at first it seems that the Hooker Company was anxious to rid themselves of the land, it can be interpreted that they were giving a clear warning to not only the Board of Education but to all future owners of the land that it is a dangerous place to develop on. Zuesse states that it is tough to attribute this fact to the â€Å"reckless and negligent attitude† that the media was characterizing the company as having, which could be why it was overlooked by the general public. Zuesse also tried to contact various former members of the Board of Education that were involved in the purchase of the land, and not one of them would comment on the matter. They either hung up on him or ignored the situation completely. One member just said that â€Å"it’s better to let sleeping dogs lie,† and commented that the Board had no legal liability. This is obviously false when you take a look at the deed itself. The Hooker Company did not want any of this to happen. They wanted the land to be left alone, or sold to someone who would take care of the problem. Zuesse has some concrete evidence to support the claim that although the Hooker Chemical Company may have been responsible for the chemicals, the Board of Education can be seen as the real perpetrator for building on land that they knew was not suitable for a residential area, and especially not for a school which young children attended. The Board put their residents in danger by ignoring the various warnings they were provided with. With all of this information, the question must be asked as to whether the Justice Department was right in bringing a lawsuit against the company. Obviously, the company was easiest to blame for the disaster. Also, families who were affected by Love Canal were so distraught that they couldn’t fully comprehend the fact that there may have been other factors that contributed. In New York State, it is illegal to transfer legal liability for land between parties, so technically it was acceptable for the Justice Department to bring the Hooker Company to court. However, it should be stated that in addition to punishing the company, they should also bring the Board to court and try them for negligence. This case is especially relevant still today because since the U. S. Regulatory System knew this practice was going on and still approved it, there could be many other sites in the same situation as Love Canal just waiting to be uncovered. Because of this, new policies need to be enacted. First of all, there needs to be new standards of what constitutes a safe way of disposing of these harsh chemicals. Of course, this dumping began in the 1950’s, and since then we have adopted stricter rules on the matter, but companies continue to work around them, still dumping chemicals in waterways to this day. Also, there needs to be a citizen right to know policy enacted, in which citizens have the right to knowledge regarding all pollutants and chemicals that they come into contact with throughout their daily lives. Perhaps if the Love Canal residents had known exactly what chemicals were present there, they would have demanded better standards for the land that they lived on and they would have demanded that the remediation be performed sooner, before they all came down with strange symptoms. Sometimes in our society, horrible circumstances have to take place in order to improve our standards of living. Sadly, the Love Canal tragedy occurred because basic human rights were overlooked in order to make a prosperous city. However, we can extract lessons from this to guarantee that it does not happen again. â€Å"A Judge Orders Company to Pay Love Canal Cost. † (Metropolitan Desk). New York Times. 24 Feb 1988. New York State Newspapers. Web. 13 Nov 2009. Jorling, Thomas. â€Å"Occidental Chemical Signs Consent Order for Storage and Destruction of Love Canal Wastes. † EPA Press Release (1989). Web. 11 Nov 2009. Regenstein, Lewis. America the Poisoned. Illustrated ed. Washington, D. C. : Acropolis Books Ltd. , 1982. Print. Zuesse, Eric. â€Å"Love Canal: The Truth Seeps Out. † Reason Magazine Feb 1981: 16-33. Web. 11 Nov 2009.

Research Paper on Poor Organizational Communication

Research Paper on Poor Organizational Communication Example Research Paper on Poor Organizational Communication: Executive Summary Broadways Production Limited has failed over the five-years of its operations to compete with similar companies in the market. In the endeavor to identify the root of the problem, I conducted a study that narrowed down to the problem of communication between and amongst the company’s departments. Lack of a department of communication in the company has facilitated to poor and very little communication between and amongst departments, thus triggering division among the staff and consequent demoralization as well as poor production and distribution. Establishment of an effective structure of communication should play a very significant role in enhancing the company’s productivity as well as improved distribution, thus enabling the company to have an equal platform in competing with its competitors. With establishment of a department of communication with the necessary human and material resources, the company is able to enhance the day-to-day activities, thus creating a prosperous future for the company. Definition of the Problem Among the most central aspects of any organization is communication. Baker has observed that traditionally, managers spent majority of their time within organizations dealing with one aspect of communication or another. The success of any organization has much to do with the effective of its communication. However, in the contemporary society, the service workers of many organizations have exceeded production workers, thus communication has become more central to them than among the managers. The production process cannot be successful without effective collaboration between and amongst the various departments of an organization. Team work is central between and amongst diversified functional levels, and it can only be enhanced if an organization has an effective system of communication (Baker, 2002, p. 1). Moreover, the world is experiencing numerous changes in communication technologies, thus triggering a dire need for all organizations to update their system to enable them stand-o ut in the competitive global market. The greatest problem in Broadways Production Limited is poor communication in terms of quantity and quality of communication. As observed earlier on, communication is very central for the success of any organization, thus lack of it or having too minimal communication between departments Means that some departs are acting without sufficient information. Broadways is a bread manufacturing company, with about seven hundred employees, and based in Macau City in China. The company supplies bread to regions such as Hong Kong, Jinan, Jiulong, Lanzhou, Macau, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shenyang, and Shanghai among other cities and towns. The company has a number of departments, including management, transportation, distribution, human resource, storage and warehouse, and intellectual technology. Thus, the company lacks one of the most central departments of an organization, the communication department, which facilitated to very poor inter-departmental communication. Broadways Production Limited has three major problems, which have hindered the success of the company: Poor production, poor distribution and demoralized employees. These problems have their roots in the poor communication between and amongst the various departments of the organization. Lack of a communication department in the company has facilitated to inadequate communication, consequently poor production, poor distribution and demoralization of the organization’s staff. In any organization, there is a need of the right hand to be aware of what the left hand is doing. Often, the management of the organization makes decisions regarding the employees, without bothering to seek their opinions on the subject matter and only communicates through memos on notice boards or during the monthly briefings of the new rules and regulations. Moreover, a department can implement a policy and without making the necessary consultation with the other departmental head proceed to implementati on, thus triggering pronounced challenges for those departments. Lack of teamwork between departments has facilitated to company incurrence of numerous losses, and it seems the management has been doing very little to establish a cohesive communication system. Sometimes, departmental heads discusses issues with some other departments’ members without much involvement of the leaders of those departments, and proceeding to implementation without seeking the position of those heads; often, the leaders are just reported to of decisions already made with little or no provision of alterations. For example, the transportation department might require a driver to go for wheat in a certain region while the management might require the same driver to transport one of the managers into a certain meeting, thus triggering departmental conflicts, because the manager’s decision overrides the departmental decision. Personnel Interview To evaluate the intensity of communication problem in the organization, the researcher interviewed six employees from each of the company’s department and observed that indeed, the inter-departmental communication problem is more pronounced than it seems to appear on the surface. 1. From the communication department, their greatest challenge was plans which are made by the company’s management and for them they are just required to implement those plans. Such makes the department management very tricky because they are never sure when the management will override the plan and impose theirs. 2. Human resource department observed that sometimes a department can decide to fire an employee without submission of a clear report on what anomalies led to such a decision. 3. There is no very clear structure on how the company finances should be released: Sometimes, the CEO might decide to ask for certain amount of money for activities not related to the company, with minimal accounting for the money and without following the established protocols. 4. Not once has the storage and warehouse department received goods from production department without enough notice to prepare for space, thus causing mayhem when such deliveries are done. All the organization interviewees observed that the organization needs to establish a communication department and a clear structure on how to communicate with other departments, because the contemporary system has terribly failed the company. Proposed Solutions and Recommendations Chen (2008) has observed that â€Å"Excellent internal/employee communication is essential in any organization if it is to survive and thrive. As a management tool, it helps identify, establish, and maintain relationships between an organization’s management and its employees† (p. 167). The existing research has posted that having an effective employee communication facilitates to the building of satisfactory employee-organization relationship, consequently increasing public relations and communication functions values to the organization in question. Diversified studies have also identified a correlation between the employees’ rating of the communication of their managers and profitability of business unit (Grunig, et al., 2002; Gray, 2005, p. 15). Thus, the performance of any organization is associated with the effectiveness of the organization’s communication system. To facilitate effective inter-departmental communication, Broadways needs to start with the most basic aspect: Establish a department of communication. A department of communication in organization facilitates the entire company’s communication activities (Chen, 2008, p. 1-2). The department of communication should operate an established protocol on what needs first priority in when it comes to implementation of diversified activities from various departments. For example, if the drafters of the structure are to rule that the decision of the CEO needs a confirmation from the board members prior to implementation, then it should be clearly communicated to the departments and the channel to be followed in communicating any message. For example, before a departmental head decides to fire an employee, the issue should be communicated to the human resource department through the communication department to facilitate appropriate procedure of dealing with the employees. Equally important is to establish a system of giving feedbacks to all communication. For example, the transportation department should not just be required by the marketing department to transport goods, without involving the communication department. The department should be central to all the activities of the companies, thus day-to-day activities of the organization should be facilitated by this very significant department. The department shall seek clarity from departmental heads on any vague information that reaches the communication department prior to the implementation. Together with the communication department and the structure establishment, there is a need to provide effective training of the staff, departmental heads and the staff in communication department on how to have an effective communication within and without the organization. The company should also establish a top-down and a bottom-up structure of communication, thus ensuring effective sharing of information a nd ensuring enhanced productivity. Finally, the company should outline the contact points for diversified issues as advised by Rogier (2010, p. 1). Implementation of the Solution Preparing a communication system structure and a communication department are quite demanding tasks. With the current status of the company, there is a need to start from the scratch, overriding the prevalent system and laying down a totally new and more effective structure. The most significant resources that are required for this noble duty are human resources. The people who should be entrusted with preparation of a communication structure should be in possession of enough experience on the necessary components of an effective communication structure. Among the major aspects that they should consider include the sources of information, the channels to be used, the stages the information should go through, the transmitter of the message, the signals usable and the feedback channel. Equally important in preparation of communication channel is the approach to be used in noise management. Shannon’s communication process model could be of great assistance in implementation of th is communication improvement system. The figure 1 below gives a more vivid explanation of this. Source: Foulger (2004). Models of the Communication Process. Link: http://davis.foulger.info/research/unifiedModelOfCommunication.htm Establishment of department of communication is a relatively expensive endeavor, especially if an organization needs a very effective communication of linking with both the internal and external world. Beside the need of competent human resource, there are some tools that the company has to purchase such as telephones connected with various sectors of the organization with provisions of loud speakers, especially because of emergencies, strategically placed boards for placing of memos, internet-connected computer systems to facilitate communication through emails and a website for both internal and more of external communication. The company is able to communicate with the external world using the website, thus enhancing marketing strategies. Outsourcing might be important to have external agencies establish a more solid communication department and structure. Emergency alarms should also be established to warm the staff during possible emergences. The communication department of an o rganization should be hidden or far placed for security reasons: If an enemy was to attack, he should start with the communication department to hold captive of the entire company, thus it should be highly protected. Solution’s Implementation Benefits Hinds and Keisler (1995) have observed that sharing of information across boundaries enhances collaboration and consequently production of the company. When employees share information on what they are doing or what they are thinking to day, the other employees as well as the management tend to also release the information, which sometimes acts as a great resource to the departments in question. This implies that all the people are able to work as a team, which enhances productivity of a company by significant degree. Having a modern form of technology will not only facilitate to improvement of the quality of communication but also the effectiveness of communication process will be enhanced. This implies that various department shall be able to work as one unit and consequently lead to enhanced productivity. Teamwork, which is facilitated by enhanced communication, shall propel the company to a position of better performance, thus becoming more productive. Among the most important aspects of communication is enhancing interpersonal relations (Bartoo Sias, 2004). With an effective structure and system of communication, the employees and the leaders shall be able to interact at a more personal level and more extensively leading to unity and consequent team works, which are very significant in enhancing a conducive workplace environment. As observed earlier, Broadways employees are relatively demoralized because of the company’s failure to communicate and encourage them often.

Reform of Human Resource Department in Ontario Public Services Essay

Reform of Human Resource Department in Ontario Public Services - Essay Example The report provides us with an insight that the human resource management can help in shaping the behavior of employee that is consistent with the organization’s reason for existence; purpose, mission and vision. The focus of this research was to shift from traditional HR to strategic HR. This shift from traditional to strategic human resource was to ensure the flexibility and innovation based on technology. Another focus of OPS was to focus on outsourcing that was to be limited only for those departments of the organization where the department needs motivated employees. Other departments in which the organization excels would be handled by the OPS. In this research paper the importance of human resource will be judged by conducting relevant analysis based on Ontario public services. The analysis is based on up-to-date data and models that would help to conclude regarding the progress of human resource management in Ontario public services. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW For an organiz ation to be successful and to respond to the challenges, the organization must bear high recruitment cost. This recruitment would help to accomplish the vision and mission and pursue the organizational excellence (Armstrong, 2009). For such purpose the OPS has developed a plan to focus on outsourcing which would help the OPS to reduce its recruitment cost and provide the organization with the best human resource available. This reduction in cost could be an opportunity for the OSP to use the capital in investing in other programs where the probability of return is greater than the others. According to the Equity theory, employees look for a balance between their input (hard work, loyalty, commitment, determination,... This essay provides relevant analysis of human resource management in Ontario public services and outlines the importance of human resource department in the OPS. The analysis is based on up-to-date data and models. The report provides us with an insight that the human resource management can help in shaping the behavior of employee that is consistent with the organization’s reason for existence; purpose, mission and vision. The shift from traditional to strategic human resource was made to ensure the flexibility and innovation based on technology. Another focus of OPS was to focus on outsourcing that was to be limited only for those departments of the organization where the department needs motivated employees. Other departments in which the organization excels would be handled by the OPS. In this essay the importance of human resource is judged by conducting relevant analysis based on Ontario public services. It could be concluded that OPS was successful in the implementation and change of HRM from traditional to strategic human resource. The shift from traditional to strategic HR is deemed successful by introducing the technology which reduced the efforts and time consumption in the organizations. OPS emphasized on the quality of human resource rather than the quantity of employees. Employees being the greatest resource of OPS, it had been given a special place in the public services. The employees are trained and developed to create competencies that would be helpful for the organizations in the future.

How to Develop Growth Strategies for Businesses Case Study

How to Develop Growth Strategies for Businesses - Case Study Example After having full knowledge about all these we have to develop strategies about taking advantage of existing customers. For this Kelly should not leave her established business and attract existing and loyal customers to her new restaurant by giving them some sort of incentives in terms of discounts and one dish offered. Better promotion policies should be used for the attraction of new customers. More focus should be on the quality of food items that the restaurant will offer. Talented and efficient employees are the asset of any organization but organizations also have the responsibility to develop the best working environment to take full advantage from these employees. The use of new technology is also required for the best quality and efficiency. 2. Business Form Kelly should start her new business as a limited liability company (LLC). Most of the costs for Sole proprietorship and sole LLC are the same but one fee is required (Anaejionu, 2012). When filing a certificate of formation for an LLC which is done through the secretary of state and its fee is not more than 300 dollars. There are many reasons to advice Kelly to run her restaurant as sole LLC. First of all, LLC provides limited liability if there are losses in business then creditors are limited to the assets of the business and they can not claim against personal assets of the owner. Through sole LLC Kelly will be able to issue new shares of stock to new owners in order to raise funds to grow business. But in the sole proprietorship, she is limited to take loans only from banks.

African Americans since 1865 Essay Example for Free

African Americans since 1865 Essay It happens to be common knowledge that throughout history African Americans have been oppressed, segregated, and disregarded as civil human beings. In the dawn of history Africans were regarded as animals and as such they would do the job of animals, however this paper will look at their sacrifices and fights to be treated as equals. The abolishment of slavery brought on a war, not between two countries but a war that divided a country, one that is still spoken of today. The southern or â€Å"rebel† states rose against the President of the United States in retaliation of his and many others view that no man woman or child should be a slave. All people were created equal. Africans in politics Although four million African American slaves were now free they had codes placed against them, the Black Codes restricted the lives and movement of these people. In order to override the codes the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments were drafted and passed. Not only was slavery abolished but all slaves were now citizens and in such race could no longer be used to prevent the vote of a person. Africans now had a voice on who was elected and soon they had African Americans running for government offices. Corbould, C. (2009) Becoming African Americans: Black Public Life in Harlem, 1919-1939 Harvard University Press. Cambridge, MA, USA Harlem Renaissance African Americans soon were cast aside again, during the age of imperialism and leading into World War One Africans were struggling to make a life. Some fought in another war, this time not for their freedom but for the freedom from communism alongside their white counterparts. After the war ended blacks started to come together, the Harlem Renaissance was born. King, M. L. Jr. (2010) Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story. Beacon Press. Boston, MA, USA Black power movement 1954 to 1963 America saw a strong struggle for the advancement of civil rights, equality and desegregation. From every day citizens expressing their belief in being equal to their white counterparts to lawyers fighting for the equality all had deserved. These times were pivitol in an unstable America. Not only were there these movements of civil equality and black power but also a war in a far land that many Americans were against at the time. Inventions and impact From writers, inventors and powerful leaders throughout black history there are some that are household names and some that may be forgotten. I plan on taking a look back on those who through oppression continued to strive for better for themselves and for all. African Americans today Not long ago segregation was prominent, civil rights were abused, racism and hate were common. Today we have CEO’s, congressmen and senators, military leaders and the President of the United States who are all African Americans. No longer considered a minority in many’s eyes, African Americans have literally built themselves from slaves to leaders and teachers.

Vouchers and School Choice - Opportunity for Success :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

School Choice: Opportunity for Success For some parents, education is highly valued and they can afford high tuition, so they send their children to the private school. Other parents spend more money to move into a community where has good schools. We can call the situations stated above "school choice". However, what we talk here is not the "school choice"; there is another kind of school choice, which all parents can make and do not need to spend more money to move into another community. Generally speaking, children from the high SES family have better opportunities to get appropriate education and succeed in the society. On the other hand, children from the low SES family often face many difficulties in the educational process because of the financial problem and might get less support from their families. Therefore, in my opinion, this is the group that the government need to take care of. We need to provide children from the low SES family with opportunities as much as possible to help them succeed in the school and the society. One of the opportunities we can provide for those children is school choice. Some people argue that they pay high tax to provide quality education for their children, and others do not have the right to share with it. If we follow the system thinking, this belief is a fallacy because we can not separate one from others in a system. In the long run, school choice can create success for children from the low SES family. In other words, if we can help those children succeed in the school and society, they will produce less problems to the society, and we can build up a better environment for everyone. Furthermore, though people pay high tax, they still share the limited resources of the society and the country; they do not pay all what they should pay. There are the rich and poor in the society, and it somehow creates positive and negative cycles. That is, the rich can get better education and have good opportunities to succeed in the society. Vouchers and School Choice - Opportunity for Success :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics School Choice: Opportunity for Success For some parents, education is highly valued and they can afford high tuition, so they send their children to the private school. Other parents spend more money to move into a community where has good schools. We can call the situations stated above "school choice". However, what we talk here is not the "school choice"; there is another kind of school choice, which all parents can make and do not need to spend more money to move into another community. Generally speaking, children from the high SES family have better opportunities to get appropriate education and succeed in the society. On the other hand, children from the low SES family often face many difficulties in the educational process because of the financial problem and might get less support from their families. Therefore, in my opinion, this is the group that the government need to take care of. We need to provide children from the low SES family with opportunities as much as possible to help them succeed in the school and the society. One of the opportunities we can provide for those children is school choice. Some people argue that they pay high tax to provide quality education for their children, and others do not have the right to share with it. If we follow the system thinking, this belief is a fallacy because we can not separate one from others in a system. In the long run, school choice can create success for children from the low SES family. In other words, if we can help those children succeed in the school and society, they will produce less problems to the society, and we can build up a better environment for everyone. Furthermore, though people pay high tax, they still share the limited resources of the society and the country; they do not pay all what they should pay. There are the rich and poor in the society, and it somehow creates positive and negative cycles. That is, the rich can get better education and have good opportunities to succeed in the society.

Before Breakfast

O’Neill, the master playwright, portrays strong, interesting characters with equally strong emotions in his plays. His play, ‘Before Breakfast’, deals with an exasperated woman confronting her husband’s joblessness and infidelity.This is a short play in the form of a monologue by the woman, Mrs. Rowland. Mrs. Rowland jabbers all through the play expressing desperation, anger, agony, and sheer disgust at her husband, Alfred’s penniless nature. Her full-throttled criticisation of Alfred’s ways leads to the denouement of the play—Alfred’s suicide. Character analysis of Mrs.Rowland The description of Mrs. Rowland’s small house in the beginning of the play portrays poverty. Mrs. Rowland wakes up tired and bitter. Her irritation is so intense that she goes to the extent of damning her apron whose strings refuse to oblige her in knotting up. In fact, the very first word that Mrs. Rowland speaks in the novel is â€Å"Damn†. It is from here that her character builds up. It was a fine day, â€Å"It is about eight-thirty in the morning of a fine, sunshiny day in the early fall,† but ironically did not seem to have any effect on Mrs. Rowland’s temper.Her demeanor is not at all pleasing, her hair is stuck up in a â€Å"drab colored mass†, her â€Å"shapeless stoutness accentuated by her formless blue dress† which is also â€Å"shabby and worn† speak volumes about her. This is hardly expected of a young woman in her early twenties. Even as her ranting of Alfred begins, we understand that she is definitely not the timid type of woman. She rebukes him in the most unrestrained manner. She had been working not just for one, but for both the people in the family. She had been contributing to the family in whatever small means she can.While he had been whiling away his time in poetry and in ‘playing the gentleman and loafing around barrooms with that good-for-nothing lot o f artists from the Square’, she had been working very hard. Even as Mrs. Rowland does regular household work like sweeping and cleaning, she doesn’t fail to rebuke him for dropping cigarette butts and ashes all over the floor. Her attitude borders on feminism advocating her opinion on the ground of equality of sexes. Why she only borders on feminism is because she does the job and doesn’t necessarily hand him over the broom to sweep the floor.This point is further accentuated when she tells him that she was making coffee for both. Yet to show her protest in some manner, she tells him that she wasn’t going to wait for him. Mrs. Rowland’s frustration towards his lackadaisical manner is so severe that she complains loudly of everything he does. Is she taking advantage of Alfred’s silence? She only seems capable of complaining, without having any effect on Alfred’s attitude or manner. Mrs. Rowland had developed a profound hatred towards h er husband. She suspects him of infidelity and hence stealthily searches his pockets for some kind of evidence.She pockets the letter from one ‘Helen’ addressed to her husband to later on pick a quarrel with him on that. She vociferously defends this act of hers by telling Alfred that she was his wife and hence had every right to read his letters. While she constantly voices her rights as an equal, the lines, â€Å"How about Helen? (She starts back from the doorway, half frightened)† show that she isn’t such a bold woman as she projects herself to be. Mrs. Rowland shows utmost contempt for her husband. She calls him a fool to have pawned the watch, calls him lazy to stay in bed all the time, and calls him incapable of getting a job for himself.She tells him that all he does is write â€Å"silly† poetries and short stories all day which â€Å"no one will buy†. She is quite proud of her capabilities when she says that, â€Å"I notice I can alw ays get a position, such as it is; and it's only that which keeps us from starving to death. † Well, well, is this what is ‘woman power’? It makes us wonder if Alfred were to respond to any of her remarks or if he were to shout back at her for being so loud, will she have continued in this manner? She would have, since she refers to the fight that they have had the previous night where Alfred made a â€Å"beast† of himself.She simply cannot forgive him for pawning things for survival. The last precious thing that they had was the watch, which too seems to have been pawned for a drink. Mrs. Rowland’s bitterness and disappointment is sometimes justified since Mr. Rowland was actually â€Å"the millionaire Rowland's only son, the Harvard graduate, the poet, the catch of the town†. Her position as his wife should actually had been an enviable one. By being an alcoholic and by possessing an unwilling attitude to work, he became a penniless wastrel. He had impregnated and married her before their child was stillborn.Added on to her feeling of betrayal is his infidelity. Mrs. Rowland is unperturbed by her husband’s stern and severe looks. She carries on and tells him that he cannot bully her with his â€Å"superior airs†. She reminds him that but for her he would be going without breakfast in the morning. She tries to win his pity when she speaks of her headache and the deplorable condition in which has to sew to earn their bread. She tries all possible means to provoke his pity and to make him seek a job. The rent for the house was due and there was nothing left for lunch.She doesn’t mince words in asking him to look out for a job: â€Å"Are you going to look for a job today or aren't you? † Despite all her bickering, when she sees blood in Mr. Rowland’s face the first time, she asks him to wipe the blood off his face and tells him to go to a barber’s shop for a shave since she found h is hands shaking heavily. This shows her concern for Alfred. She even warns him that one of these days he was going to cut himself seriously. But she is too preoccupied with her own taunts that she doesn’t catch the seriousness of the situation that ends in such a great tragedy.All through the play Alfred never makes an appearance. It is only through the eyes of Mrs. Rowland that we get to know the person. The plot, the action, the conflict all revolve around her. The plot brings out the strong conflict which Mrs. Rowland is confronted with. Though she complains a lot and beseeches Mr. Rowland to be more responsible, she takes things in her stride and carries on with her daily chores. The play strongly evokes emotions of pity and horror. All her calls of Alfred contributing to the family in some manner or the other seem to fall in deaf ears.In referring to Mr. Rowland’s affair with Helen, Mrs. Rowland threatens him telling that she would never divorce him. She gets vin dictive for all the injuries that he inflicted on her. She understands her rights as a woman very well. She knows that unless she agrees to the divorce, it can never happen. And, unless they divorce, he can never dream of marrying another woman. Conclusion Alfred is a sensitive man who commits suicide on being discovered by his wife about his extramarital affair. Comparatively Mrs. Rowland bears it all with much forbearing.Life had been much more difficult on her. She was the daughter of a mere grocer, she had become pregnant even before she could be married, despite marrying a man with some wealth to name she had to put up with poverty. In a way, it can be said that her strength of forbearance comes from her simple background. On the other hand, Mr. Rowland had been the only son of a millionaire father. Yet, when his father died, he should have been mortified to find that all that he was left with was a large amount of debt to be repaid. His faith should have been shaken with this. He had been personally proud of his position in society. As Mrs. Rowland once comments, â€Å"You were ashamed of me with your fine friends because my father's only a grocer, that's what you were. † Yet he had to marry her because of the slight he committed on her before their marriage. Mrs. Rowland never hesitates to fight for her rights. Within the portals of family life and considering her limitations, she voices her opinions and demands. This gives her the identity of a feminist. Her feminism raised its head mainly due to Mr. Rowland’s inability to provide her with the ba

Buying Behavior

There are many aspects of life that effect a person’s buying behavior. Buying behavior is the decision process and actions of people involved in buying and using products and services. Influences on buying behavior can be classified into three major categories: situational influences, psychological influences, and social influences. Situational influences include physical surroundings and social surroundings. Depending on who is around at a certain time may sway a person’s decision to buy something. Psychological influences include perception, motives, attitudes, personality, and lifestyles.Although these psychological influences are very much internal they still effect people’s actions on the outside. Social influences include roles, family influences, reference groups, social classes, and subcultures. Social influences are perhaps the most distinguishable influences and contribute to buying behavior in many ways. Influences on consumer buying behavior come from all aspects of life and have major impacts on the type, brands, and kinds of products people buy everyday. One of the major psychological influences on buying behavior is lifestyle.A lifestyle is an individual’s pattern of living based on his or her interests, activities, and opinions. A person’s lifestyle is based off what they need, want and do, this in turn effects their buying behavior. It influences what products people need, which brands they prefer, and how and when they shop. A lifestyle develops into a consistent pattern people follow in their lives. An example of how a certain lifestyle affects a persons buying behavior is the new shift in the United States towards a healthy and natural lifestyle.People who want to become healthier will buy healthy foods and maybe even purchase things such as new running shoes or a gym membership. A person who is not concern with following a healthy lifestyle would not have any motives to buy these things. My lifestyle defin es what I spend my money based on my hobbies, opinions, and interests. Every month I pay twenty dollars a month for a gym membership because staying in shape is something that I value. I also shop as stores such as Forever 21 and H&M because they sell trendy clothes for an affordable price.This suits my lifestyle because I like to keep up with the latest fashion without spending all of my income on clothing. I also spend a lot of money on gas for my car because I commute back and fourth to school. I decide to use my money on gas because getting an education is important to me. A major part of my lifestyle is love for animals. I have recently bought a puppy and now must buy things for him such as food, toys, and medicine. The type of lifestyle a person has, has a major impact on what types and brands of products they buy. One of the major social influences on the buying decision process are the roles a person assumes.A role is the actions and activities that a person in a particular position is thought to complete based on expectations of the individual and surrounding persons. People can assume many roles in life and must buy different kinds of product for each role. The most common example of how a persons different roles effect their buying decisions is the clothes that they wear. A person has different clothes that they wear at home, at the club, at the gym, and at work. They must adapt to the role they are assuming at a certain time and their clothing must suit each of these roles.I assume many roles in my life including daughter, student, girlfriend, friend, and worker. As a girlfriend I decide where what do on the weekends and often spend money on going out. As a daughter I buy food, toilet paper, and essential good for everyone’s use in the house. As a student I buy pens, paper, and supplies that make me successful in doing my school work. Buying behavior is very much based on specific roles in life, and because people’s roles are ever cha nging sequentially so is their buying behavior. One of the major social influences on buying behavior is family influence.Family influence is the different influences each family member assumes in the buying decision process. All family members play a role in the families decision to buy something. There are four major roles that family members can play. The gatekeeper collects and controls information about price, quality, and location. They do the research on the best product, brands, and places to shop. The influencer expresses his or her opinion and tries to influence the family’s ultimate buying decision. The decider makes the actual buying choice.They make the final decision on what product will be purchased. However, they do not necessarily make the purchase that role is assumed by the buyer. These various roles show how different family members contribute to the buying behavior of the family as a whole. In my family my brother is the gatekeeper, my mom is the decider, I am the influencer, and my dad is the buyer most of the time. We all are usually the users, which are the household members who consume or use the product. I always help my mom make the grocery list so I can tell her all of the food I want her to buy.Also I have traveled the most out of anyone in my family and often try to influence where we take our family vacations. My mom does not always take my advice but she always takes it into account when making any decisions. An example of me in the role of the influencer is last year when we were planning our family vacation I kept telling my parents how many things there were to do in Bermuda and how much fun it would be for the whole family. We ended up going to Bermuda much to my persuasion. Family influences can also pass on from generation from generation.For example when I moved into my own apartment I always bought Snuggle fabric softener because that’s what my mom always used and I always loved the way my clothes smelt gro wing up. I am now loyal to the Snuggle brand because my mom was always loyal to the brand. Family members can have many direct or indirect influences on buying behavior. Another social entity that affects buying behavior is reference groups. A reference group is a group that a person identities with so powerfully that he or she embraces the values, attitudes, and behavior of other group members.People often look to others in their reference group for â€Å"conspicuous† purchase, or purchases that will be seen by others. They seek out brand patronage, information on products, and brand comparisons from people in their reference group to help them make buying decisions. Reference groups are usually formed with people that are trusted and thus the information given can affect whether a person does or does not buy a product, buys a specific brand, or buys a certain type of product.Buying behavior can be changed to be more in line with actions of other group members once a member is swayed in a specific direction. A reference group in which I belong to is my three best girlfriends. We are always giving each other advice on the best clothes, nail polish, shampoo, and even hairdressers. We all use the same products and are always sharing positive and negative feed back on brands and services. I think that my reference groups has the most influence on my buying behavior because I have such similar wants, needs, and expectations to the other members.Social class is another social influence on buying behavior. Social class is an open group of individuals with similar social rank. In the United States it is made up of three major social classes Upper American, Middle American, and Lower American. People in similar social classes also develop many similar social patterns. They have similar values, belongings, needs, and wants. The fact that people in the same social classes are so similar, they are influenced by each other’s actions. These influences include which brands people buy, where they shop, and what kinds of products they buy.My family falls into the upper middle class. We are careful with money but still spend it on leisure and entertainment. My parents often ask neighbors for advice when buying things such as a new lawn mower, grill, or car. As a result many of the people in the neighborhood all have John Deer lawn mowers and Toyota cars. Another social influence on buying behavior is subculture. A subculture is a group of individuals whose characteristics, values, and behavioral precedents are comparable within the group and different from those in the nearby culture.Some examples of subcultures are college students, teenagers, Latin Americans, and the West Coast. Subcultures influence attitudes, lifestyles, and beliefs. This affects what people in certain subcultures like and do. For example, people from Japanese culture eat raw fish, and their children learn to like raw fish as well; however, not many children in other pl aces of the world eat sushi. A subculture that I am a part of is college students. College students usually have a small budget so we are looking for quantity over quality.We buy cheap alcohol and fast food because we can get a lot of product for less money. Another subculture that I belong to is commuters. Unlike people who live at school I must spend money on gas and leave extra time to get to class. As commuters we look for the cheapest gas stations and the shortest routes to school. Subcultures influence buying decisions because most of its counter parts have very similar motives. There are many factors that influence the buying decision process. Some of these influences are social, some are psychological, and some are situational.When marketers are trying to market their products they need to keep in mind all of these factors. These categories can help marketers discover whom advertisements should be targeted at in order to be the most successful. They also reveal the reasons p eople buy what they buy which gives marketers key information that they can use to change the marketing mix to suit the buyer’s needs and wants. The decision buying process is a complex process that is affected by many interior and exterior pressures.

The Wonders of the Invisible World Essays

The Wonders of the Invisible World Essays The Wonders of the Invisible World Essay The Wonders of the Invisible World Essay Essay Topic: Invisible Man Name: Course:Instructor:Date: The Wonders of the Invisible World Mather’s religious and academic aloofness is evident in the excerpt when he describes the first planters as holy and pure people who lived out of their own volition in a desert, rather than live in prosperity with their fellow brethren. Mather’s religiousness is revealed when he affirms that a person came back with the proof that a country existed where people did not commit any sin by swearing, people did not suffer any poverty since no beggars could be found in that land, and people did not partake alcohol. Mather affirms that the young people have strayed from the gospel ways shown to them by their guardians when they go abroad hence the happiness of that place has turned to calamity. He further declares that people owe their dues to God, who when people fall into temptation and ask for forgiveness, offers it. Mather also asserts that the occupation of God’s people in New England, which was the devil’s territory, have caused a lot of disturbance to the devil who is not happy with the occupation. He further asserts that the devil views this as the fulfillment of the promises given to Jesus that he shall posses most of the earth. He says that the devil has employed satanic devices to deal with the people who God has brought to this land. Mather writes that the devil keeps attacking them in many different ways each day and when the people triumph, they will enjoy happy days ahead. He writes on how some Christians from earlier times evidenced the murder of a malefactor accused of witchcraft, who swore that there would be an attack on the land by witchcraft to bring down the church. He states, â€Å"†¦a horrible plot against the country by witchcraf t, and a foundation of witchcraft then laid, which if it were not seasonably discovered would probably blow up and pull down all the churches in the country† (Mather 215). Mather’s academic aloofness is evident in how he describes the trials of Salem, and the evidence put forth in court by the various witnesses called upon to testify. He says that he will no longer hold back the entertainment to his readers of the trials on Salem executions. To Mather, these trials are some amusements of some sort yet it is an individuals’ life at stake. He clarifies that he holds no prejudice against these people yet he is a strong advocate of riding off the community of witchcraft. He states: â€Å"For my own part, I was not Present at any of Them; nor ever Had I any personal prejudice at the persons thus brought upon the Stage; much less at the Surviving Relations of those persons, with and for whom I would be as Hearty a mourner as any man Living in the World: The Lord Comfort them!† (Mather 214). Mather describes the detailed trial of Bridget bishop who was accused of being a witch who bewitched and tormented the people from the neighborhood. His aloofness is seen when he addresses a crowd and says that they should not be deceived by the devil, for he changes tactics and pretends to be the angel of light. As he puts it, â€Å"The Mind of God in these matters, is to be carefully look’d into, with due Circumspection, that Satan deceive us not with his Devices, who transforms himself into an Angel of Light, and may pretend Justice and yet intend Mischief† (Mather 248). This was when one of the people accused of witchcraft declares their innocence and proceeds to say the Lord’s Prayer. He justifies the executions by saying that their death has brought about relief to persons who were bewitched by the victims. He further says that witchcraft is to blame for the suicide attempts that have been occurring in the community due to the spells cast on people by the witches. As he puts it, â€Å"As I am abundantly satisfy’d, That many of the Self-Murders committed here, have been the effects of a Cruel and Bloody Witchcraft, letting fly D?mons upon the miserable Seneca’s† (Mather 249). Therefore, the executions should bring forth happiness to the community because this evil has been rid off from the community. Work Cited Mather, Cotton. The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Trials of Several Witches Lately Executed in New England. London: John Russell Smith, 1862. Print. Bookrags. From the Wonders of the Invisible World (1693) by Cotton Mather. bookrags.com, 1991. web January 26 2012.

EDCS Essays

EDCS Essays EDCS Essay EDCS Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: EDCS The EDCS is a program meant to improve the economy of the city and city regions. It ensures the city’s economy is evenly spread to a level where it becomes globally competitive. It was established due to shifts in the organizational bodies of the cities since EDCS is a more unified approach. It has several advantages, which include the provision a platform for interaction of investors and business operators. This promotes development of businesses in the regions hence economic growth. It also enables investors identify areas of potential so that they can invest their resources wisely. They improve the efficiency in the economic governance by reducing the number of bodies that govern the arena. Implementation of economic strategies is their responsibility, and this propels development since laid out plans are translated into reality. This ensures a smooth transition of drafted strategies on paper into implementation to actual operations. They encourage the development of talent s from people in the society who could have exceptional skills on project management, property development and other kinds of skills that would promote economic development. This ensures that there is adequate and quality labor supply for the industries to help in improvement of the level of production. EDCS also improves the quality of investments by reinvesting them to generate more output. They make the city more capable of bidding significant projects that generate more income hence promoting economic growth of the city. They also ensure there is a blend between development delivery and the current economic reality. Their main goal is to cater for the needs of economic development in the implementation of other strategies. EDCS mainly promotes economic growth. Economic growth means expansion of industries, establishment of more businesses, greater investment opportunities and availability of funds for investments. EDCS therefore creates employment opportunities in the growing businesses and the established businesses. When businesses expand their operations, they require an increase in their workforce to realize their production increase expectations. This creates opportunities for people to apply for the jobs created and hence creating employment. It also offers more opportunities for investors hence creating gaps for the employment sector to fill. By availing funds to the population, this encourages them to create their own jobs by establishing businesses. It also employs exceptional skills in the development strategy hence providing employment for this people. Importance, adoption, reverence and belief Slowly, the line between the council and the city managers is increasingly becoming thinner. This is especially witnessed in large cities where they focus their attention on management of the large cities without losing their focus on pressing problems facing the city. There is a continued blend between political and professional leaders and they have currently been adapted in making decisions for the cities since they are both equally important. This is a blend between the city administration and politics. The political body is responsible for the governance and formulation of policies for the city, while the professional body is responsible for the provision of necessary skills for development and formulation of strategies that lead the city towards development. Data use The data in this article is used to determine whether city managers are faced with problems in handling large cities. The data is collected from 31 large cities, which include Dallas and Phoenix. These cities have enormous populations. The main aim is to check whether the city managers in these regions undergo any difficulties in their management. The data collected is then organized for interpretation to help in identifying the problems if any, identifying the causes or rather the cause of conflict and determine the solutions to the challenges. This is aimed at providing data for governance in large cities for analysis in order to improve on performance. This data is especially helpful in public administration in making policies to govern the cities. Findings In this article, it was found that the city managers are more actively involved in the operations of the city without losing focus on the concerns and urgent problems facing the city. They contribute in the formulation of policies, and they offer guidance in setting of goals. Recently, most cities, over two fifth of cities, use the city-manager mode of governance. These cities have a population of over 200,000 people. Measures to gauge whether there are shifting roles between elected officials and city managers have been established based on norms and attitudes. Elected officials are faced with the responsibility of setting goals for the town governance, approve policy decisions made and oversee accomplishment of projects and programs. They also appraise the activities carried out by the city managers to determine the level of performance and identify the areas that require improvements. However, they do not take part in the implementation process of the laid out strategies directly. They are also not involved directly in service delivery and management decisions made in the process of governance. The city managers, on the other hand, are charged with the responsibility of giving advice. They guide on the operations to be undertaken by the city in order to achieve its objectives. They propose potential projects and policies that would be beneficial for the city. They implement decisions in the management of the city. In the findings, it is evident that the line between the city manager and the council is diminishing with time and including administration and management bodies in governance. In addition, the city managers have been involved in the formulation of missions for governance. There has also been a blend in the democracy and professionalism. There is a strong possibility that the continuously changing conditions in the local government might result into pressure that might lead to change in roles of the officials in the government. It might also alter their official contributions. This has led to questioning on the viability of the city-manager government. Theme The theme in this article is nontraditional. Modern methods of research have been used to give a factual report on the research issue. The research has been conducted in various cities to determine the findings. The data has also been organized to deduce the findings, which have been accordingly interpreted. The research issue is a current issue facing the cities particularly the large cities. This issue has been characterized by loss of clear distinctions between the city-manager government and the council. This is a prevailing issue that requires to be addressed in order to ensure proper and efficient governance of the cities. A recently conducted research was conducted to deduce the management of large cities by city managers. It reveals the most recent findings in relation to the previous research carried out.

The Robinson-Patman Act and Its Applicability in the Modern Age Research Paper

The Robinson-Patman Act and Its Applicability in the Modern Age - Research Paper Example This unfair business practice created a price discrimination problem that threatened the survival of small companies or retailers (McElvain 35). Then the Robinson-Patman Act was implemented during the Great Depression when these large businesses that had emerged then were having competitive advantages over smaller retailers. There is no doubt that Robinson-Patman Act doused this economic problem by fighting against price discrimination. And the critics believe that the Act was most effective during this time period when price fixing posed a serious threat on competition and the economy. As a matter of fact, Robinson-Patman Act tended to reduce criminal business practices during the Great Depression. Therefore, four major requirements must occur for a claim to arise under the Robinson-Patman Act. There must be: 1. a sale of products that are of like â€Å"grade and quality† 2. from the same vendor to different purchasers in which there 3. is a discrimination in the prices of the products sold 4. that causes a restraint in competition. This necessitates that if a big company offers to sell a product of similar â€Å"grade and quality† at an expressly cheaper price, the small retailer affected by this action may seek legal recourse for redress and compensation. This action would discourage big businesses from using their economies of scales to have an advantage over the small businesses. Potentially, if the price of a good is reduced, a company can sell as many pieces of the product to several purchasers at a price that is far cheaper than the offering price by a smaller retailer. This discrimination in price kills competition, and it was discovered to be an inhibition to the economic growth during the Great Depression. The Court's opinion in FTC v. Morton Salt, 334 U.S. 37 (1948), illustrates how it was applied during the age of booming large businesses. Interestingly, the Supreme Court ruled that Morton Salt had acted illegally by selling its finest â€Å"Blue Label† salt to large chain-stores at a r elatively cheaper price instead of making the same product available for customers nationwide at the same price. The Federal Trade Commission made sure that the Robinson-Patman Act was enforced to discourage the criminal trade practice of selling goods at a discount price to large stores simply because they could afford to purchase large quantities of the products at a time. One of the possible effects of this practice is that small retailers would be pushed out of business as consumers could not afford to buy the same product or good that are offered at a competitive price by the 3 large stores. This instance of price discrimination was what Robinson-Patman Act fought against in the earliest time. The Congress then perceived the act of price fixing as an inhibitive and unhelpful to the American economy that had already been battered by the Great Depression. Critics have always pointed to the fact that the World World I contributed to the emergence of the Great Depression, and that the sharp practices by big retailers to cheat the smaller ones was caused by the need to earn higher profitability at the expense of other retailers (McElvain 48). Therefore, enacting the Robinson-Patman Act served as a salvaging force to discourage large businesses from making life unbearable for ordinary Americans who had already had enough hardship due to the effects of

ROOM by Emma Donoghue - socialization and affects on development Essay

ROOM by Emma Donoghue - socialization and affects on development - Essay Example Somehow, the developments witnessed by the protagonist, portrayed by Donoghue mirror the Freud’s Oedipus Complex theory, which claims to be child’s maintaining physical and sentimental attraction to the parent of his/her opposite gender. Recent studies endorse the very notion that psychodynamic and person-centered methodologies have obtained profound popularity during twentieth century onward with regards to personality development perspectives. One of the most important reasons behind applying these approaches includes the exploration of the factors playing vital role in the personality development and formation during the initial years of human life. Hence, the works created by the writers, poets, philosophers, painters and film directors etc are analyzed and investigated into by keeping in view the psychological approaches articulated by the theorists while determining the factors of cognitive and personality developmental processes. Famous early 20th century American psychologist has articulated his Hierarchy of Needs Theory, where he has discussed the nature of the basic human needs and essentiality of the fulfillment of these needs for the adequate growth of the individuals. Five motivational factors, according to Maslow, include physiological, safety, social, ego and self-actualization. Physiological needs are those, which come under the definition of basic necessities of life i.e. food, clothing, and shelter, all of which are the needs without which man is unable to survive even for long. The second motivational factor i.e. safety discusses the sense of protection man requires for his mental peace and physical well-being.