Isolation in the Painted Door by Ross Sinclair Essay

The feelings of isolation and alienation can be frustrating, dangerous and eventually they can even drive a person mad. People have always dealt with such issues differently. Some managed to abandon those feelings and continued with their lives while others succumbed to them as they were unable to overcome and/or control them. Those souls who â€Å"surrendered† often faced destruction or even death as they were unable to cope with changes and the pressures of living a life below their expectations with no one to trust and confide, not even their beloved ones. When people are alone and isolated for a certain amount of time there is a chance that they forget about real life and even become â€Å"bushed†. This is one of the many problems of vast countries such as Canada especially its dry prairies and northern arctic regions can change people. In this essay, I will try to analyze and investigate different circumstances that can lead to emotional states, some of which are prominent themes in Canadian fiction – isolation, alienation, loneliness, loss of identity and madness. Isolation and alienation can occur out of many reasons. It is not only an isolated landscape that may trigger feelings of loneliness, fear or helplessness, but also isolation and alienation from society or even people closest to you. Other definitions may also include spiritual and emotional isolation. In Sinclair Ross’ The Painted Door the protagonist Ann fells alone and isolated for many reasons. Ann is not pleased with her life. She and her husband John live in the middle of nowhere, far away from company and populated settlements. The remote surrounding in which they live creates a feeling of extreme isolation, especially after previously living in a city. After being exposed to this geographical isolation for some time, Ann’s feelings of loneliness eventually intensify to the point where she even feels alienated from her own husband. But at that point she does not realize that her yearning for a better and different life will consequently change her life for worse and will make her feel guilty and miserable for the rest of her life. After having an affair with Steven she realizes that this is not what she really wanted and she also realizes that she has made a big mistake sleeping with him, while her husband was away. Therefore, we cannot consider Steven as the fulfillment of her desires for a better life, but rather as a temporary means to â€Å"cure† her from her isolation and loneliness. As John unexpectedly returns home during a storm, he witnesses the betrayal and leaves Ann never to return again. †¦ the explicit theme is centered on adultery. However, there are other, more subtle, motifs in the story that play a very significant role in its success. The themes essential in making the protagonist’s adultery understandable are the landscape, her isolation, and the feelings of betrayal and guilt that she experiences following the central act of the story. (The Painted Door) Ultimately, Ann’s needs to feel loved and acknowledged, as well as her actions out of desperation and loneliness, lead her to the destruction of her life and, consequently, the life or her husband. The blizzard, which can be seen as a metaphor for passion, as well as the physical and emotional separation from her husband engage her to do things she probably, under â€Å"normal† circumstances, would not consider doing. Therefore, it is in those extreme conditions where we have to search for the driving force behind Ann’s adultery. The answers that would â€Å"justify† her actions and would, as well, give us an insight into her inner loneliness and isolation are all hidden in this seemingly unreal wasteland. In this story we can find: †¦thematic elements considered the bedrock of Canadian writing: a landscape so bleak in winter that it seemed a region alien to life, but a house standing nonetheless standing against that wilderness, a refugee of feeble walls wherein persisted the elements of human meaning and survival. †¦ A woman who wants fine things and a social life, but a slow, taciturn, country-bound husband who only aspires to paying of the mortgage. (Stouck 2005, 93) The Painted Door is not Ross’ only short story dealing with issues such as isolation, alienation and madness. The other prominent example of him using such themes and motifs is The Lamp at Noon where Ross, by establishing a gloomy and intense atmosphere, creates a feeling of uneasiness and fear of the isolated and even manic environment which inevitably affects the story’s protagonists. It â€Å"illustrates how close to madness a person’s dreams of a better life may be juxtaposing the delusions harboured by a husband and a wife about their failing homestead.† (Estehammer 1992) The newlyweds Ellen and Paul moved from the city to a desert landscape during the time of the Great Depression to live as farmers in the Canadian prairie. Unfortunately, dust storms, as well as the soil’s dryness and lack of rain made their existence as happy and successful farmers almost impossible. Nevertheless, Ellen, who came from a rich family, tried to be a model wife by taking care of the household and their baby, but the fact that they were living on an infertile and isolated farm made things worse day by day and contributed to the couple’s constant quarreling. The lack of joy, food and tolerance caused both emotional and physical suffering for Ellen and Paul. It seems as if the shift from city- to rural life hit Ellen particularly hard as she seems to be very frustrated about her present situation and even afraid of what the future might hold for them. She feels as if she was living in a cage or a prison, and deep inside she knew that there is no way out of it. It is obvious that the setting is essential in causing havoc in Ellen’s and Paul’s lives. Therefore, to answer the question of where these feelings of isolation, loneliness and, in the end, even madness originate, we must consider the extreme unfriendly and even claustrophobic environment as a major factor. Other likely reasons would have to be Paul’s stubbornness and his foolish manly pride that made him ignore his wife’s request to change matters by setting up new priorities. For many years she has tried to persuade him to leave the farm but she has failed every time due to his reassuring comments about a better life. Because Paul is unable, or maybe even unwilling, to change, he eventually destroys his marriage and family by further contributing to his wife’s state of depression and, ultimately, insanity. It is only after Ellen’s desperate run into the sandstorm, in which she sees freedom, and their baby’s death when Paul realizes his mistakes but it is already too late. Their child is dead and his wife has lost her mind. Consequently it can be seen that both of Ross’ analyzed stories are, in fact, examples of how not to deal with isolation. By creating and describing both stories’ setting so vividly, Ross succeeds in reinforcing our own understanding of isolation, by taking us in the midst of this unfriendly and devastating environment. He makes us almost feel Ellen’s geographical and emotional isolation which eventually drive her into a state of madness. The Lamp at Noon is â€Å"especially powerful because it resonates with the unique historical conditions of the 1930s, when dust storms scourged the West, hard working farm families lost their land, and some people went mad† (Stouck 2005, 91). The lamp in The Lamp at Noon itself is a symbol of hope but when it dies out in the end all hope seems lost. It can be argued that Ross â€Å"does not simply present the landscape and weather as a cause for psychological disintegration but also deploys it as a metaphor to develop the inner landscape of his characters, the landscape thus serving as the objective correlative of the feelings and the states of m ind of his protagonists† (Pauly 1999, 70). The Old Woman by Joyce Marshall is another prominent example of how isolation can lead into madness. Molly and Todd got married in Molly’s homeland England. Soon afterwards Todd traveled to Canada leaving his Molly behind. She joins him after 3 years because she had to take care of her ill mother. When she arrives in Northern Quebec she realized that Todd has changed since their last meeting. Molly starts her life in the new environment like many women before her, by taking care of the household. Her husband was preoccupied with his job to notice that Molly felt unpleasant in the new environment. Instead of helping her to adapt to the new life, he becomes more and more distant, less talkative and absorbed by the machines in â€Å"his† powerhouse. After a while, Molly finds her calling as a local birth helper but, to her disappointment, her husband is disapproving towards her newly found occupation. He wants her to stay at home all day and to be like the other obedient wives without ever second questioning him in spite of his negligence towards her. In order to cope with her isolation she nevertheless decides that she must occupy herself in some way. She finally feels needed, something Todd does not understand nor desire. In the end it does not matter how Molly feels anyway because her husband has lost his mind after 3 years of living and breathing with the machines at the power house – he has â€Å"fallen in love† with them. In this story the gender roles and immigrant stereotypes have been turned upside-down. Not in the sense of male or female roles and duties but the fact that a local man, instead of a female immigrant, goes mad in the end distinguishes this story from others. There is a sharp delineation between the two possible approaches to the foreign territory. Since the machines have always been between Todd and the land, he has been unable to relate adequately to others. In his limited and confined existence he has, in the end, even gone insane. At the same time his wife discovers a personally satisfying role as a midwife in a French-Canadian community. Her productive approach thus carries her across apparent linguistic and cultural boundaries and across her isolation. (Pauly 1999, 64) In contrast to The Painted Door and The Lamp at Noon, where the female protagonists were the ones whose lives were destroyed by their actions out of isolation, loneliness and their dependency on their husbands, Molly, despite her inconvenient situation, lack of attention from her husband and her fear of loneliness, seemingly succeeds in overcoming the obstacles that were put in her way. By not taking the repressions of her husband any longer and deciding to pursue her own interests, Molly stands as a representative of a new feminist ideology which, however, can’t be compared with today’s notion of feminism as it had to undergo decades of changes and development to improve the roles and lives of women to the stage as we know them today. Unfortunately, women’s roles still differ very much. They strongly depend on the location, culture and religion the women live in. Classic gender roles were also turned upside-down in Isabella Valancy Crawford’s story Extradited. In it we find a â€Å"striking portrait of a petulant and narcissistic woman and her devastating examination of jealousy† (Stephenson and Byron 1993, 12). The protagonists of the story are Samuel â€Å"Sam† O’Dwyer, his wife Bessie, their baby and a man named Joe who was helping them on their farm. Sam and Joe quickly became very good and close friends. While reading the story one could even think that Sam, although twice of Joe’s age, might even hold deeper feelings for him (homoeroticism?). After a while, Bessie is annoyed by Sam’s admiration for Joe and as soon as she finds out that Joe is wanted by the police for a legal offence against his former employer and that there is a 1000$ reward for the one who catches him or turns him in, she immediately grabs the chance she considers to be the one that will ensure them a better life. However, after Joe’s heroically rescue of Sam’s and Bessie’s baby, and him drowning after saving it, Bessie, although informing the police of Joe’s whereabouts, stays without the reward but has inevitably to deal and live with her husband’s scorn as she has to bear the blame for a good man’s death. Bessie probably thought that she was doing the right thing. We would normally expect a man to act rational and women emotional at that time and place. However, in Sam’s and Bessie’s case it is the other way around. It is Sam who acts emotional, by wanting to protect Joe, and Bessie who acts rational, by wanting the reward in order to buy a new farm and within to pave the way for a better life for herself and her family. Therefore, it is the woman, not the man, who is a representative of realism, whereas the man can be seen as a romanticist. This example makes it clear that women were also aspiring beyond the domestic sphere and not on ly victims of their husbands’ arbitrariness. This stands in opposition to the naturalistic ideas of earlier eras where women had to stoically accept their traditional roles, i.e. teacher, maid, housewife, devoted mother, and had to sacrifice their own happiness for their children’s and/or husband’s sake. Women should repress their previous experiences and knowledge after getting married and were mostly appreciated as long as they kept their physical charms. In Canadian short fiction immigration is the process which, in many cases, causes isolation and alienation. It is a long and complex process as starting a life in a new country can be very difficult. The issues of immigration seem to have affected women particularly hard. In order to keep themselves sane and deal with the harsh realities that the early pioneers had to face, women, who mostly spent their time at home, wrote diaries. Susanna Moodie, who was one the most famous chroniclers of the early Canadian immigrant experience, was describing the negative aspects of environmental and social isolation among early immigrants in Roughing it in the Bush. Moodie’s sister Catharine Parr Traill even advised men to consult with their wives before emigrating to Canada as most immigrants were completely unprepared to live in such an unfriendly and unfamiliar environment. Brian, the protagonist of Moodie’s short story Brian the Still Hunter, is also, like Ellen from The Lamp at Noon and Ann from The Painted Door, a victim of isolation. However, the first and foremost reason for Brian’s isolation is alcoholism. As a result his extensive drinking has isolated him from society and even his own family. Alcohol has transformed him into an unpredictable character. This is why society treated him as an outsider. When Brian was drunk, he was not able to speak normally to anyone, not even his wife. Their relationship was put to the test due to ever-changing periods of guilt, shame and anger. He felt emotionally isolated, worthless, and he even attempted to commit suicide. He fails in this intention and matters get even worse for him. Afterwards he quits drinking and chooses physical isolation for himself instead. He is slowly falling into a state of insanity as he loiters about the land with only his dog by his side to keep him company. Many immigrants could not deal with the formidable reality which the Canadian landscape prepared for them and fell into a state of madness. Madness most commonly might have appeared due to some of the following reasons. It either developed as a consequence out of the confrontation between the ideas and lifestyles of the Old and the New World, or out of geographical and environmental differences (dangerous wilderness, plain and/or artic landscape). This new environment was not only dangerous to one’s physical but also psychical health. It was hard not to lose your identity while facing the limits of your capabilities and still keeping your sense of inner (subjective) and outer (objective) reality balanced. †¦while the plains sometimes provoked the outbreaks of insanities, the primary cause is often to be found elsewhere. These causes range from economic frustration, isolation from the people, frustration growing out of an inability to adapt, personal displacement and loss of identity, to guilt and isolation. All these are parts not only of a physical environment but of a mental landscape. Women’s nerves overstretched and they usually became depressed and silent whereas men more often turned to violence in order to act out their rage and frustration. In some cases these states were permanent, in others they were temporary and subsided after a finite period of time. (Pauly 1999, 53) Stories like The Lamp at Noon and The Old Woman can be best described as examples of â€Å"Pioneer Realism† and/or â€Å"Prairie Realism†. Besides Sinclair Ross, other prominent â€Å"Canadian† authors who dealt with the prairie experiences were Martha Ostenso, Laura Salverson and Frederic Philip Grove. In their works, these authors start their stories with a naà ¯ve or, we might even say, romanticized, view of the immigrants’ arrival to Canada. Later on, all become disillusioned by the setting and gradually alienated from their new home. These stories â€Å"generally include a ‘prairie patriarch’. [†¦] he is usually presented as a land-hungry, work-intoxicated tyrant. The farm women are subjugated, culturally and emotionally starved, and filled with a smouldering rebellion. All in all a fertile ground for conflict and all kinds of mental instabilities.† (Pauly 1999, 54) As an immigrant, your well-being will largely depend on your ability to adapt and deal with the given circumstances. Though those two stories are set in different locations, the first in a prairie and the latter in the Canadian North, both still are fictional stories dealing with the issues pioneers experienced when they first arrived and became aware of how dangerous it really was to be out of tune with the land. While some succumbed to the unknown and fled, lost their minds or even died, others luckily found other forms of distraction from the isolation which surrounded them, making their existence bearable. In continuation, other forms of dealing with the harsh realities of everyday life will be analyzed. These are the stories of escapement from the â€Å"sane† into a subjective â€Å"insane† world in order to survive. The protagonists of these stories are all isolated and alienated from other people, not necessarily because of an isolated landscape, but rather because of their dissimilarities. â€Å"[A]lineation is withdrawal from something – becoming strange and foreign to it, being put out or taking One’s self out and thereby becoming a stranger – separated. Since humans feel vulnerable when they are strangers, the emotional essence of alienation is fear and hostility† (Henry 1971, 105). The â€Å"sane† world can therefore be even seen as life-threatening to the â€Å"stranger† because all it wants to achieve is to isolate him even further and to destroy his reality. Ultimately, there are three choices a â€Å"stranger† can make. He can either let the â€Å"sane† world take over and destroy his very essence, he can protect himself by playing along, pretending to be someone else by acting out roles, or he can escape into his own reality where he alone decides what is right and wrong, what the truth is and what only illusion. Louise and Morrison, the protagonists of Margaret Atwood’s short story Polarities, are working colleagues in an unnamed dull city in the northwest. They came to this city because they could not find any other job elsewhere. Morrison finds this dullness rather irritating and the northern city a hard place to live in. Louise however claims that you just have to have â€Å"inner resources† to turn to when matters get tough. After some time, Louise started acting and talking strange. She would find meaning in things other people would not, as Morrison states: â€Å"she’s taken as real what the rest of us pretend is only metaphorical† (Atwood 1993, 69). Morrison more and more started to believe that there is something seriously wrong with Louise, as her strange behavior is not to be ascribed to fatigue or the abuse of substances, a fact another colleague also acknowledges. Morrison and Paul, the other co-worked, eventually agree that it would be best for Louise to be institutionalized. Nevertheless, Louise almost convinces the doctors that she is perfectly fine but she eventually makes a mistake and they decide to keep her hospitalized. After spending some time in the hospital, Louise’s intelligence begins to deteriorate due to the extensive amount of drugs she was forced to take. She almost stopped talking to anyone and it was obvious that she suffered tremendously, especially on the inside. It seems that before she had been taken to the mental hospital she was a little strange but nevertheless managed to get along in everyday life. All that remained now of Louise was an empty shell as she became only a shadow of her former self. Margaret Gibson was another author who wrote about oversensitive people unable to live in a â€Å"normal† society. Due to her mental state, she was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, she could relate to and identify with her writing as few authors before her. Nevertheless, she claimed that her works are not autobiographical. In her collection of short stories entitled The Butterfly Ward, she tried to explore the boundaries of sanity and insanity. Her own experiences as an outsider gave her the opportunity and ability to present a â€Å"stranger’s world† in a unique and exciting way. It is important to recognize at the outset that Gibson’s primary concern in relation to the theme of madness is with the responses to mental illness, rather than with its causes or manifestations. While she clearly does not neglect the latter issues, her writing often focuses upon the ways in which those categorized as mentally ill and those assigning the label respond to the condition. (Pauly 1999, 106) Her short stories The Butterfly Ward, Making it, Ada and Considering Her Condition are great examples of her writing creativity.   In the beginning of The Butterfly Ward we are introduced to Kira, the story’s heroine, who is staying at a hospital and is undergoing various extremely painful and brutal tests and examinations in order to determine what is causing her mental â€Å"condition†. As the story progresses, we get a glimpse of her earlier life. Before being admitted to the hospital, she worked in a home for mentally challenged children. Unfortunately, she had a very ambitious mother who dreamt of a better life for her and her daughter in Russia. Her mother is convinced that Kira’s occupation does not suit her and that she would be better of studying at a university. Kira becomes a victim of her mother’s ambition and pressure under which she, eventually, collapses. She is still aware of her surroundings but nevertheless decides to live her life in her own fantasy world which she considers a better place than the real world where she is being locked up and heavily medicated. The protagonist of Gibson’s story Ada is a girl of the same name as the title and who is, like Kira, residing in a mental hospital. As the story unfolds, it becomes obvious that the patients of this institution are being heavily mistreated and denied any basic human rights. The only visitor Ada has is her mother. Although we might think that her mother would like to help her to get out of the hospital as soon as possible, she does not show any genuine intentions of helping or understanding her daughter in her need. After some time, Ada realized that she cannot expect any help from anyone, and denies her mother, and other family members, visits because they do not understand her. More and more she drives herself into isolation from others and even from her own feelings. Ultimately, her isolation causes her to lose touch with reality entirely –so we might think. When another â€Å"inmate† joins the group at the asylum, the patients are presented as seemingly smarter than their doctors, as they are easily able to manipulate with them as in the case of Alice. However, Ada and her best friend Jenny manage to escape their isolation but must pay a very high price for it. Jenny, who wanted to protect Ada from Alice’s abuses, stands up against Alice and within she awakens Ada from her inner retreat. By later killing Alice, Ada awakens from her mental slumber and ends her child-like existence. Nevertheless, it can be argued that Ada’s retreat in her own world was, in fact, her strategy to survive in a depressive and live-threatening environment such as the mental asylum where normality of patients (their thoughts, emotions, actions) is considered as something abnormal. For Gibson, therefore, abnormality can be seen as the only way to survive in an inhuman and egoistic world. A similar story to Ada is Making It where the protagonists Liza, a schizophrenic, and Robin, a male homosexual transvestite, try to make something of their lives. Both of them try to hide their true nature because if they would not they would be considered as outcasts in a society intolerant of â€Å"crazy† people. Although they desperately want to fight society’s categorizations and prove them wrong, they are, nevertheless, unable to do so. Liza, who becomes pregnant, sees her baby as her own way of â€Å"making it† out of her troubles. Robin, on the other hand, sees his â€Å"salvation† in becoming a famous women impersonator in California’s entertainment industry. They are convinced that motherhood for her and fame for him will make them â€Å"normal† in the eyes of society. In the end of the story the two once again decide to live together like a regular, but in their case platonic, couple. Robin even rejects the men of his dreams in order to be able to help Liza to live a â€Å"normal† life. Unfortunately, happiness stays out of reach for them as they, after Liza’s baby was born dead, once again fall into isolation and feel alienated from society. Although considered abnormal, Robin and Liza’s feelings of belonging, friendship, helpfulness and love for one another are something we would have trouble finding in the â€Å"normal† world. For Gibson, we, the â€Å"sane† readers, are the ones who make existence for people like her protagonists unbearable and force them into isolation and self-destruction. In Considering her Condition, it is a man named Steven who drives his wife Clare into suicide after she gave birth to their baby son. Steven is a very suppressive, bossy and egoistic character. Clare never even wanted children but after Steven persuaded her it becomes clear that he never thought about what is best for her but rather what is best for him. Later in the story we get to know that Steven already has a child but has no contact with her anymore. When Clare was pregnant, Steven became obsessed with the baby and did not care much about his wife anymore. He even denied Clare her right to chose abortion despite the doctor’s advice to terminate the pregnancy. Claire must suffer enormously just to fulfill his desires and wishes. Gibson gives us a picture of how married couples’ lives can be destroyed by polarities and traditional gender-roles. Steven will not let Clare have her own life and she does not have the strength to fight his demands. Her suicide is the only action she can realize out of her own will. Not even her death affects Steven as he never though of her being more than a subordinate wife and the mother of his children. Considering her Condition can be seen as Gibson’s strong critique against a society that denies women their right to choose their own way of living and thinking and breaks their spirits by taking away their desires, pride and self-esteem. The analyzed stories in The Butterfly Ward: †¦focus upon individuals who have become objects of scrutiny to others. These others, †¦ , exercise a great deal of power over those who have failed to adapt to the expectations and demands of normal society. First and foremost among those strategies is simple observation. Whether an individual is labeled paranoid or simply maladjusted, the effect is similar. The individual ends up excluded from normal existence and confined within another territory. The responses of those thus observed, excluded, isolated and confined are various, but all, in some way, reveal attempts to escape this condition. (Pauly 1999, 116) Not only individuals can suffer tremendously under the influence of isolation but also whole communities. In W.D. Valgardson’s story Bloodflowers â€Å"the setting seems to imply that even today, people will tend to resort to primitive rituals when isolated and severely tried by living conditions† (Neijmann 1996, 311). It is the story of a young teacher named Danny who moves to an isolated island, called Black Island, where superstition is still widely spread among the island’s local community. Danny at first just wants to witness an ancient local fertility ritual taking place annually on the island. The ritual consists of sacrificing a man in order to conclude any misfortunes that have happened in the past year and might continue into the next one. Unfortunately for Danny, as misfortunes continue to happen, the locals consider him to be the cause of disturbance and they decide to sacrifice him in order to save themselves from further harm. It seems as if the local people are not having any trouble â€Å"justifying† the murders they have committed with superstition. In this story, where Valgardson makes extensive use of irony, we get to see the serious consequences (misunderstandings) that may occur when different or conflicting cultures cross paths. In Rudy Wiebe’s Where is the Voice Coming From?, the notions of isolation and alienation can be ascribed to the native Canadian inhabitants. The isolation of the indigenous (ethnic) voice and the question of a â€Å"Canadian identity†, by this I mean telling the other side of Canadian history (of the aboriginal inhabitants) too, are issues Wiebe tries to address. Its most prominent themes would have to be the social and cultural injustices and consequently isolation and alienation suffered by the indigenous people after the European settlers have taken over their lands. In conclusion it can be said that people were often driven mad by loneliness and isolation and some even saw death as their only means of escaping it. Others, who also lived in isolation, developed psychotic behaviors which not only made them self-destructive but also a threat to others. Taking into consideration all of the authors and their stories that deal with the themes and motifs of isolation, alienation, loneliness and madness, one cannot fail to observe that isolation has an extremely negative effect upon the development of the individual’s character in Canadian short fiction and probably also Canadian literature in general. Works Cited: Atwood, Margaret. Dancing Girls and Other Stories. New York: Bantam Books, 1993. Esterhammer, Angela. â€Å"†Can’t See Life for Illusions†: The Problematic Realism of Sinclair Ross.† In From the Heart of the Heartland, edited by John Moss, 15-24. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 1992. Gibson, Margaret. The Butterfly Ward. Ottawa: Oberon Press, 1976. Henry, Jules. Pathways to Madness. New York: Random House, 1971. Marshall, Joyce. â€Å"The Old Woman.† In The Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories in English. Margaret Atwood and Robert Weaver, eds., 92-103. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986. Moodie, Susanna. Roughing it in the Bush, Or, Life in Canada. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1998. Neijmann, Daisy L. The Icelandic Voice in Canadian Letters: The Contribution of Icelandic – Canadian Writers to Canadian Literature. Montreal: McGill – Queens Press, 1996. Pauly, Susanne. Madness in English-Canadian Fiction. Ph.D. dissertation. Trier: University of Trier, 1999. Ross, Sinclair. â€Å"The Lamp at Noon.† In The Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories in English. Margaret Atwood and Robert Weaver, eds. 72-81. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986. Ross, Sinclar. â€Å"The Painted Door.† In The Faber Book of Contemporary Canadian Short Stories, edited by Michael Ondaatje. London: Faber and Faber, 1990. Stephanson, Glennis and Glennis Byron, eds. â€Å"Introduction†. Nineteenth-Century Stories by Women: An Anthology, 9-22. Peterborough: Broadview Press, 1993. Stouck, David. As for Sinclair Ross. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2005. Valancy Crawford, Isabella. â€Å"Extradited.† In The Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories in English. Margaret Atwood and Robert Weaver, eds. 1-11. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986. Valgardson, W.D. â€Å"Bloodflowers.† The Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories in English. Margaret Atwood and Robert Weaver, eds., 316-332. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986. Wiebe, Rudy. â€Å"Where is the Voice Coming From?† The Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories in English. Margaret Atwood and Robert Weaver, eds., 270-279. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986. â€Å"The Painter Door – A Canadian Short Story.† Term papers for students. http://www.essaysample.com/essay/002994.html (accessed August 8, 2008).

Psychoanalytic Case Study of Preston Essay

Preston was concerned over his aggressive behavior towards other males in and outside of the home. He had frequent altercations with his brother, both of whom lived with their parents. Preston was adopted at a very young age. This was a major cause of his recent issues. He feared that his emotions would progressively get worse, and that something detrimental would happen. In accordance with psychoanalysis, Preston was allowed to explore these issues through free association. Preston was shown that his subconscious had been concealing issues related to his early adoption. Preston was shown constructive ways to deal with these issues. Preston continues to make progress in this area, and is exhibiting less signs of his previous issues. Psychoanalytic Case Study of: Preston A Conceptualization and Treatment Plan The individual in this case study presents a multitude of symptoms that are affecting his daily life. The individual has many factors from his childhood that would contribute to these issues. This study goes to show how the subject’s childhood has a direct relationship to the issues that he is currently experiencing. The identification of these issues is necessary in order for treatment to be successfully implemented. Presenting Concerns Preston presents himself as suffering from multiple issues that affect his daily life. He claims to have issues with forming any relationships with other males. He states that he is overtly competitive when dealing with these other males. His biggest issues arise when dealing with his brother. Preston was adopted at a very young age, and has always had issues getting along with this brother. This aggression has moved from just dealing with his brother to all males in general. There have been instances where the police have been involved in altercations that Preston has had at home. He fears that this will continue until he is arrested outside of the home. Preston still lives with both of his adopted parents and his brother. Preston has stated that he is constantly vying for his parents’ attention, and his aggression increases whenever someone else is monopolizing their time. He does not feel that he will always become violent, but that his anxiety is constantly increasing in situations such as this. He is afraid that his frustration and need to outdo others will end very negatively. Case Conceptualization It appears that one of Preston’s main issues is that of Displacement. According to Murdock (2013), this occurs when a subject shows anger towards someone who is less dangerous than the real cause of an issue (p. 40). Preston shows that he has issues in dealing with the fact that he still lives at home with his parents. He verbally abuses those that he sees as â€Å"better† than him. Preston does not wish to abuse himself over this issue. So, he abuses others that he believes will accept the abuse. He seems to blame others for whatever failings he has in life. He takes his frustrations out on whoever is the most convenient to him. This involves rage towards his brother, as well as friends of his parents. The fact that Preston was adopted as such an early age raises the issue of attachment bonds as well. It appears that Preston may have become overly attached to his adopted parents. Much of this may have to do with the way that they raised him. His parents were very protective, and would cater to his every need. This seems to have created a kind of subconscious reliance on his parents, and the need for their constant approval. This leads to the constant need for their attention as well as the need to outdo peers. The aggressiveness towards peers does not seem to have started until Preston was old enough to identify that was adopted. He seemed to be displacing fear that his current parents would abandon him onto others. This is the main subconscious issue that is affecting Preston. His fear of abandonment has caused him to irrationally fear any force outside of his parental relationship, including his brother. This affects his appraisal tendency, which is the way his brain perceives threats and relates to his aggression and depression (Gilbert, 2007, p. 47). This is the disconnect that is causing most of Preston’s issues. He feels threats that just are not there. He remains living with his parents, constantly vigilant of anyone that will take them away from him, including his brother. This has manifested itself in a sort of hyper-masculinity. Preston’s ego identifies no other way to express these abandonment issues other than with aggressiveness. Also, the fact that Preston’s aggression has continued to increase could be directly correlated with his parents aging. Perhaps he fears that not only could people take his parents away, but the fear that death is closing in on them. This could also be manifesting itself in Preston’s fear and frustration. Treatment Plan Goals for Counseling The goal for psychoanalytic therapy is to get Preston in touch with his subconscious. This serves to identify the root causes of his present issues. Preston will need to identify specific defense mechanisms that he created in childhood. The material that has shifted from the subconscious to the conscious will need to be readily identified (Murdock, 2013, p. 37). Once these mechanisms and thoughts are out in the open, it will be easier to discuss them and change present behavior. Interventions The fundamental intervention to employ with Preston will be â€Å"free association†. According to Murdock (2013), free association encourages the client to reveal whatever he is thinking even if it seems irrelevant or offensive (p. 49). This will be particularly helpful for Preston, and can reveal what his thought process is when he has these aggressive bouts. It seems that Preston has not been totally honest with himself. Free association can help him to bring out deep-rooted ideas for analysis and discussion. This intervention can provide logic and reason to the seemingly illogical thoughts he is experiencing. Establishing the Relationship I realized that Preston had issues in dealing with other males. I asked him if he would feel more comfortable dealing with a female counselor. He indicated that he did not react the same way to me as with other males. He stated that he realized that my sole purpose was to help him with his issues, and this made him not feel anxious or aggressive. I relayed that I was glad this was the case, but that I needed to be immediately notified if these sentiments changed. Whenever I felt that Preston was actually getting anxious or aggressive, I made him aware. I explained to him that he was projecting these feelings onto me, and that it was harmful to the counselor/client relationship. He quickly calmed down, and apologized. He seemed to genuinely understand my concern for his well-being. Analysis of Transference The occasions that Preston did display anxiousness/aggressiveness, he did seem to understand that he was doing so after it was brought to his attention. He realized that I was not causing his issues, and I attempted to apply this to his other personal relationships. We would analyze why he was feeling this way, and how it related to his childhood and parents. He came to the conclusion that if he did not get these feelings under control in session, then he was never going to get them under control outside of it. Insight Preston came to realize that he had subconscious issues regarding his adoption as a child. He understood that he was so shocked by learning he was adopted that he was afraid it was going to happen again. He learned that he was very afraid of losing his parents. He acknowledged that his aggressive outbursts were not about the people he was dealing with, but about his fear that his parents would somehow like them better and abandon him. Preston identified that this is not considered normal behavior for someone his age. He picked up various calming techniques, and needed to constantly remind himself that the issue was him, not others. I was able to assist Preston in identifying the root causes of different scenarios and emotions that he discussed. His visible anxiety and aggression seemed to be kept to a minimum. With his understanding of why he was experiencing these emotions, Preston seemed to be doing better in his daily life. He reports being able to hold a discussion with other males without feeling the need to be dominant. He has also taken steps in explaining his fears and issues with his parents. Conclusions The next main milestone for Preston will be to find a home of his own. This will take time and adjustment, but will be a great leap forward. Also, he is noticing some of the same issues he is dealing with in his brother. Hopefully, Preston can persuade his brother to seek the same sort of help that he has received. This will have to be gradual so as to not induce any sort of separation anxiety. However, if Preston continues with treatment and making positive choices, then he will be continuing on the path to recovery.

Vinland Saga’s

VINLAND SAGAS: THE QUEST TO NORTH AMERICA BY: KAMALJOT BRAR 5206404 HISTORY 1F90 PREPARED FOR: AARON RODENBURG 3, THURSDAY, 1000-1100 DUE: OCTOBER 11th 2012, SUBMIT: OCTOBER 11th 2012 A saga is described to be a short story with historical significance that summarizes in detail events that took place during a certain period of time. In terms of Ancient Scandinavia and the Viking Age, sagas are stories of voyages of Vikings that include subjects like migration, battles, and family and inter-societal interactions.These sagas were written by unknown authors well after the actual events occurred. The Vinland Sagas translated by Keneva Kunz and edited by Gisli Sigurdsson includes two accounts of the Norse voyage to North America; The Saga of the Greenlanders and Eirik the Red’s Saga. Both sagas help to describe the journey to discover North America. However, each tell the prose in a different perspective. The differences between the two sagas include the initial accidental discover y of lands west of Greenland, the discovery of Keel Point, and the voyage by Thorvald.On the other hand there were also similar aspects of the sagas that include the way the western lands were discovered and named, the story behind Leif and the shipwrecked crew, and the length of the voyages. While both sagas are detailing the events of the Icelandic migration to North America, they are not completely identical in the way the events are summarized. One difference between the two sagas is the initial discovery of the lands to the west of Greenland. In The Saga of the Greenlanders, after Bjarni initially noticed the lands to the west, curiosity spread amongst the people of new lands.Leif was the first to venture to the West in hopes to find the lands; he soon purchased Bjarni’s ship and led on a voyage of his own with fellow companions. 1 However, Eirik the Red’s Saga records the initial discovery of the new lands by the voyage by Karlsefni and Gudrid who were accompanie d by Freydis, Thorvard, Thorvald, and Thorhall. 2 This shows the discrepancy between the sagas and questions validity of who actually found and named the lands. The 1 second difference between the two accounts is the origin of Keel Point.The first saga tells the reader after Thorvald’s ship was wrecked, he announced to his companions that the spot of this unfortunate event will be called Keel Point. 3 Instead, the second saga reveals that Keel Point was just another piece of land named by Karlsefni and Gudrid’s voyage, after they witnessed seeing a keel of a boat around that area. 4 This difference outlines the different perspective the writers had in the story, it forces one to question the meaning of that ship wreck. Another difference is the role of Thorvald, and how it differs between the two sagas.Thorvald in the first saga is seen more independent as he leads his own voyage with his own companions after he thinks Leif did an inadequate job in exploring Vinland. 5 His role in the second saga is altered. He does not lead his own voyage, instead travels along with Karlsefni and Gudrid during their voyage to Vinland. 6 The less importance of Thorvald in the second saga makes historians believe that the writer of the first saga could have been closer to Thorvald which gives him more of an image. Along with the differences, the sagas do have many details of the voyages that can be closely comparable.In both the sagas the reader is told about the discovery of the lands west of Greenland by an accidental occurrence. The first saga describes Bjarni’s discovery of the lands to happen after his ship is blown off course to Greenland where he was going to meet with his father. 7 This is similar to the second saga where Leif finds Vinland by chance, when he is tossed about in the sea while on his way to Greenland to spread Christianity. This allows one to validate the route taken by the voyagers to North America. Another similarity between the two accounts is the story about Leif and how he earned the nickname Lucky.In the first saga, Leif comes across a group of stranded men 8 2 on a skerry and ends up rescuing fifteen of them. 9 This story is alike to the one from the second saga. Leif on his way to Greenland comes across a shipwreck, where he finds men in trouble; he ends up taking them home and sheltering them during the winter. 10 Thus, he gains the nickname Leif the Lucky. This similarity not only shines light on Leif Eirikkson, but also helps to confirm Leif’s voyage to Greenland, since both the accounts agree upon the event.The last similarity is the close connection between the lengths of the voyages. During Leif’s voyage in the first saga it is said that the time spent at sea between one point to another was two days. From Markland to the discovery of Vinland it took Leif two days at sea. 11 Likewise in the second saga the voyage of Karlsefni and Gudrid had similar lengths to the voyage of Leif. Ident ically to Leif, Karlsefni’s voyage from Markland to Vinland also took two days at sea. 12 Since both sagas describe the oyages to have taken the some amount of time, it allows historians to value this source in validating the discovery of the lands because there is no discrepancy between the length of time spent at sea. As a secondary source The Vinland Sagas prove to be a valuable piece of history. Not only because the sagas are the only account available from the 11th and 12th century, but that the accounts together help to piece together the voyages made by the Vikings to America. Together the sagas compliment each other because they help to give different perspective of the Vikings discovery.Since there are many similarities between the two, it allows historians to infer that the sagas truly are factual pieces of evidence to the past. They are also important because it removes the stereotype of the Vikings being nothing but pure savages. It shows that the Vikings were suc cessful pioneers and made profound discoveries 3 In conclusion the sagas hold both differences and similarities. The differences they had was the person who initially had discovered and named the new found land, the origin of the place called Keel Point, and the role of Thorvald as a voyager.In contrast the similarities they held included the naming and way the lands were discovered, Leif’s reputation of being Lucky, and the identical travel time on sea. Although the sagas may fluctuate with the differences and similarities, this source of history is still very feasible and valuable when looking back to the 11th and 12th century during the Viking Age. 4 Notes 1. Gisli Sigurdsson, â€Å"The Saga of the Greenlanders† In The Vinland Sagas, trans. Keneva Kunz (London: Penguin, 2008), 5-7. 2. Gisli Sigurdsson, â€Å"Eirik the Red’s Saga† In The Vinland Sagas, trans. Keneva Kunz (London: Penguin, 2008), 40-41. . Sigurdsson, Greenlanders, 10. 4. Sigurdsson, Eiri k the Red, 41. 5. Sigurdsson, Greenlanders, 9-10. 6. Sigurdsson, Eirik the Red, 40. 7. Sigurdsson, Greenlanders, 4. 8. Sigurdsson, Eirik the Red, 34-35. 9. Sigurdsson, Greenlanders, 8-9. 10. Sigurdsson, Eirik the Red, 35. 11. Sigurdsson, Greenlanders, 6. 12. Sigurdsson, Eirik the Red, 41. 5 Bibliography Sigurdsson, Gisli. â€Å"Eirik the Red's Saga. † In The Vinland Sagas. Translated by Keneva Kunz London: Penguin, 2008. 23-51. Sigurdsson, Gisli. â€Å"The Saga of the Greenlanders . † In The Vinland Sagas. Translated by Keneva Kunz London: Penguin, 2008. 1-23. 6

Main Stream Rap causes social problems in minority communities Essay - 1

Main Stream Rap causes social problems in minority communities - Essay Example Have the lessons of the historical struggles of the African Americans to tide over slavery and gain civil rights gone in vain as the current trends in hip-hop are out to promote drugs, sex, violence, disrespect to authority and crimes? The overall opinion is against the mainstream rap and it is making the African American youth directionless and destination-less, and instead of mitigating, it adds to their woes. I have tried to argue in this paper that in the initial stages, the protest of the African Americans was vocal that in due course evolved into a political struggle. Simultaneously they also protested through literature and religious platforms. The whites continued to dominate the African American community and were not willing to give any concession to them, until slavery was legally abolished. The problems of the African Americans did not end there. Issues like poverty, lack of education, integration with the mainstream society, fight against segregation, employment opportunities continued to confront them. In this paper I have made an attempt to make a passing reference to all such issues. Measures needed for reformation and rehabilitation of the African American youth have also been discussed. Another i mportant problem confronting the African American society is the issue of single mother households. Even with the legal abolition of slavery, racism still casts its evil influences overtly and covertly and creates hurdles in the path of progress for the African American youth. Undoubtedly, mainstream rap is the enemy of the youth viewed from many angles. It promotes unhealthy social values, though music itself cannot be singled out for spreading bad values. It holds the mirror of present societal values and presents what is going on in the American scene. Objectification, lewd music, immodest lyrics have become the characteristics of mainstream rap. It also encourages violence. Through

Compare and Contrast Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Compare and Contrast Research Methods - Essay Example Similarity of data sets used in meta-analysis is in terms of the studies addressing the same research question. Meta-analysis method uses the characteristics of data to make conclusions rather than making general conclusions about data. The method applies when a research deals with quantitative data. Use of secondary data poses the risk of unreliability of meta-analysis. Therefore, researchers need to test the accuracy of secondary data before using it to make conclusions in a research (LaValley, 2005). Other methods of research Questionnaire-Based survey is another research method used in statistics. The method involves isolating samples from a population, obtaining data from the samples and making conclusions about the population based on the sample. Questionnaire method uses questions to obtain data from the field. The method translates research objectives into questions. Focus group is another qualitative research method that goes beyond explaining the quantitative aspects of dat a. Focus group refers to all participants who take part in discussions about a research. This method applies for open-ended research studies that cover a wide range of objectives (Jowett & O’Toole, 2006). Historical research method involves studying what happened in the past and identifying the push factors for these past events. Historians use this method to explain past events by applying scientific skills, conscience and other tools of analysis (Methods Network, 2011). Observation method involves humans using their senses to determine the events taking place and their effects. Observation method can be direct or indirect. Direct observation involves active actions of the researcher to collect data while indirect observation involves collecting data from recorded information, for example, from movies (Management Study Guide, 2012). Action research method involves participation of a group of people who suffer from a similar problem. Attempts to solve their problem reveal the best ways of solving such problems. Applications of research methods in the business sector Historical research is the research method that most business organizations use in their operations. This is because the method involves reviewing past data in the history of an organization. Scholars will be interested in determining the impacts of past events on their performance. The businesses must use past data to identify different variables that affect their performance. Researchers can also use questionnaire method to assess the impact of various strategies on employees and other members of the organizations. Employees answer the questions that the management asks through the questionnaires. The answers help the management in determining whether certain policies are successful in the research. Researchers use focus group method to explain their financial statements. This research method explains quantitative data to give it extra meaning. Businesses explain their financial statements by giving reasons that lead to a loss or profit. Businesses use observation method in observing trends in a population including consumption of goods and services. Action research method is the result of participation of members who suffer from the same problems. Most researchers use action research method to determine the impacts of change among members of the organizations. Change affects all members of the organization and their attempts to deal with the effects reveal the best w

Business Ethics and Leadership- Whistle-Blowing Essay

Business Ethics and Leadership- Whistle-Blowing - Essay Example To do this effectively, one also has to have a strong sense of leadership, vision and determination to continue moving forward with the ethical values which one believes are correct. Examining the several perspectives of whistle - blowing in an organization can also determine the ethical legitimacy that is a part of this as well as how it takes a specific sense of leadership to follow through with the situation. The Institution of Ethical Decision Making The current concept of ethics within businesses is now recognized as an institution. This is designed because corporations are expected to follow through with a code of conduct that assists with doing what is right and fair for employees and the general public. The institution began with the ethics that were associated with Enron and the complexities which came from the financial situation and deceptions which occurred. This was followed by several believing that a framework needed to be followed within corporations, specifically whi ch would create programs, guidelines and practices that would hold various companies liable for the actions which they were supposed to follow. The defined elements of this institution are based on the cultural and social expectations, relationship to politics and looking at withholding standards in real life situations which occur. By examining and contributing to these various expectations in the right manner, there is the ability to withhold the expectations through the performance of the company and the results which the public is able to look into (Ferrell, Fraedrich, p. 15). The framework which has been built with the institution of ethics is followed with the understanding of moral problems and how this creates specific responses from employees and to the public. The main response through the institution is based on ethical management, meaning that a company has to make specific promises to the community and follow through with these. More important, practices that would caus e harm to employees or the public are supposed to be prevented and hold to specific standards. While there are certain issues which don’t carry a difference between right and wrong, others are determined by the harm which it may cause, which becomes the basis for the standard business practices which are to be followed. While each business is able to withhold the standards and practices, there is also a direct association with others holding corporations accountable for actions which may become public at any time (Geva, p. 133). Ethics and Whistle - Blowing The concept of whistle - blowing is able to move up into an organization because of ethical standards which have been violated. These ethics are based on the institutional standards that are withheld by an organization and which are expected by the public. If there are violations of the employees, organization or to the public, then an individual has the right to point fingers at those responsible. Whistle blowing takes pl ace when an individual decides to point out the faults of a company, specifically with a focus on illegal, immoral or illegitimate practices that are taking place over the organization. It is expected that the response to the whistle blowing will be a large amount of publicity as well as mediation which takes place to resolve the issue. It is further expected that there will be sets of questions which are asked pertaining to

Management of Peripheral Intravascular Devices Essay - 1

Management of Peripheral Intravascular Devices - Essay Example Management of Peripheral Intravascular Devices Intravascular devices are the implements that are useful during the practice of healthcare administration, especially where the target points of administration are the blood vessels. In the management of these devises, there are five areas of central importance – these including skin preparation before the insertion of intravascular devices; administrator practices – these including hand hygiene and the obstructive precautions to be employed during the insertion of intravascular devices. Other chief areas include the dressing systems – related to the areas where intravascular devices are inserted, the time to be taken before intravascular devises are checked or changed; and the favorable hang time for the devices used during the administration. During the practicum session, there are points when different reasoning areas were used, these including the application of a personal point of view and operating on the basis of initial anxiety related to clinical practice. Others included the attempts at bridging the theory-practical application gap which often calls for clinical supervision by experienced staff and the nurture of professional role and mode of practice. These different focal areas were also significant in determining the learning models that would be most helpful towards the development of the best clinical practicum experience.

Mainstreaming social pensions in the social development agenda as a Research Proposal

Mainstreaming social pensions in the social development agenda as a panacea to old age poverty in Sub Saharan Africa;- A comparative study of Ghana and South Africa - Research Proposal Example jority believe it as a factor that can uplift and secure the life of older people, which is well evident when comparing to the elderly like in Brazil, Chile or South Africa. Analyzing the countries where there are no old-age pension systems or it located only among a few people, these elderly are counted among the poor people (Barrientos, et al 2003) Various studies have identified the fact that in most of the developing countries the beneficiary cannot enjoy the privileges of pensions. It is evident that these amounts are channelized to other members of the households. Some of the studies conducted about this issues have identified that the children of the beneficiary households have higher enrolment rates and better health that those who do not receive pensions in their households (Duflo, E. (2003). Though there are not much pension schemes for the elderly majority of the developing countries, it has been found out that South Africa is on the verge of broadening their pension schemes and implementing a safety net program for supporting the elderly. One of the studies found in an online article writes, â€Å"The means-tested, non-contributory (social) pension in South Africa was first introduced in 1928 but it was only in 1993 that the same amount was paid to all racial groups.† The study also observes, â€Å"Women over 60 and men over 65 may be eligible for a monthly pension of R780 (US$109). Means testing is based on an individual’s (and partner’s if married) income levels." (Social pensions in South Africa, 2005). It has been observed that â€Å"The social pension reduces the number of people living below the poverty line by 2.24 million. It increases the income of the poorest 5% of the population by 50%. People in households receiving a pension are 12.5% less likely to be poor in South Africa.† Through this study the researcher aims to find out whether the social pensions in Sub Saharan Africa is really like a panacea to the elderly that they could satisfy

Community Health Nursing assignment #2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Community Health Nursing #2 - Assignment Example An initial fundamental strategy entails structuring nursing curricula to embrace cultural sensitivity. Professionals within culturally competent health care systems should have adequate training in relation to providing care services to persons with varies beliefs, heritage, behaviors, and attitudes. Besides training and structuring culturally sensitive professionals, health care systems should embrace diversity by employing professionals from different cultural backgrounds (Clark, 2008). Primary strategies relates to environmental protection programs and initiatives aimed at preserving natural resources. For instance, nurses can carry out campaigns aimed at energy conservation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Secondary strategies include may include carrying disease and unhealthy environmental screening strategies aimed at reducing prevalence or increasing sensitivity towards. For instance, screening and testing community water for presence of lead would help prevent heavy metal poisoning. Tertiary strategies entails collective responsibility of families, nurses, and probably political campaigns aimed at carrying out civic education for environmentally caused health problems. It is the role of a community health nurses to carry out awareness and educate their clients of better strategies to curb environmental health issues (Clark, 2008) Basic knowledge in health issues by community members is imperative in ensuring successful health promotions and education. Persons with health literacy easily understand nursing language and consequently aid in realization of improved health. Such remains possible as the community participate actively in health promotions and education. In the process of organizing for community empowerment, imperative elements applied include research, evaluation, rehabilitation, healthy living promotion, health problems prevention, and rehabilitation

E-commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

E-commerce - Essay Example When utilized properly, it allows companies and organizations to enhance their profitability, move into new markets and also provide the consumers with better services and products. It is due to the advantages of the practice that several enterprises, both small and large, continue to incorporate it into their operations and procedures. By 2005, the e-business revenue exceeded $2 trillion (Laudon & Guercio 2014). This is a strong signal that additional businesses are becoming aware of the opportunities that are available and exploiting them for their own benefits and that of the customers. Some of the brick and motor enterprises which had only physical presence have decided to embrace it to realize the benefits of the innovation (Chaudhury & Kuilboer 2002). It is, however, important to remember that for a brick and motor business to embrace and benefit from e-commerce, it must be ready to counter some of the challenges inherent in the practice. With the right approach, positive outco mes will be realized both in the short term and long term. E-commerce can be defined as a business that is transacted electronically. In most instances, the internet is used (Frieden & Roche 2006). Majority of people take e-commerce to be only about buying commodities over the web. However, it is much more than this. The practice includes purchasing various items from online sellers, online banking services and paying for travel services and accommodation. The basic idea is that there is minimal or no physical contact between the seller and the buyer of the commodity (Graham 2008). This is unlike the brick and motor business model, which requires the buyer to come to the physical location of the commodities and products and buy them or pay for them. Brick and motor businesses rely on traditional selling platforms (Humeau & Jung 2013). This is the same model that Coventry Books has been using. For a customer to transact any business with Coventry

MOTIVATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MOTIVATION - Essay Example 2010). As such, motivation is may be referred to as an inner drive, which arouses action or behavior in a particular manner. Motivation is characterized of having three components: intensity, persistence and activation. Intensity is seen in the ability of an individual to have vigor and concentration in pursuing attainment of a given goal. Persistence depicts a continuous effort that individual places in a goal irrespective of the various obstacles that may exist in the process of pursuing this goal. Finally, activation depicts the process or decision of behavior initiation, which is geared towards attainment of the goal. Motivation is characterized of various theories. Drive reduction theory is one of these theories, which argue that people tend to act such that their needs are reduced and a constant psychological state is maintained (Jiming & Xinjian 2013). An example is that, people will eat so that the need for food is reduced. Homeostasis, which depicts maintenance of a constant physiological equilibrium, is a common idea in this theory. The other theory is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory, which suggests that people are highly motivated because of the needs hierarchy. The first level is characterized of physiological needs like security, safety, water and food, the second level is characterized of social interaction needs like need to belong, the third level is characterized of self-esteem needs like need for individuals respect, and the fourth level is characterized of self-actualization needs like needs for one to realize his or her full potential. Maslow has a believe that people will only have an attention for higher needs in times when lower needs have been satisfied satisfactorily (Hayenga & Corpus 2010). These needs of people include learned needs and innate needs, which are influenced significantly by culture and society. There are limited innate needs that include elimination of wastes, oxygen, water and food, and numerous learned needs that include power, autonomy, and achievement. The determination of the level of needs among people is based on the values or perceptions, which people may perceive to be essential in their life. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Intrinsic motivation depicts a motivation facet that is triggered by enjoyment or interest in the task being performed. This motivation exists internally within an individual and does not depend on desires for reward or external pressures such as recognition for the performance (Mirabela-Constanta & Maria-Madela 2011). Intrinsically motivated individuals tend to focus on completion of their tasks in a willingly manner in order to improve their skills level and increase capabilities. People in an organization may be intrinsically motivated in case of: Them attributing the performance results to factors, which are under their control, or autonomy, If they posses self-efficacy beliefs, skills of making them the best agents of attaining the key goals of the or ganization, and Have the ability of mastering the culture and ethics of the organization towards attainment of a better performance. Extrinsic motivation on its own is focused on outcomes of performing a given activity. This indicates that extrinsic motivation is not inherent in an individual, but emerges from outside an individual (C?nar et al. 2011). Examples of common extrinsic motivation include rewards like bonus for an improvement in the performance level of an individual. Another example is competition, which triggers an individual to focus on attaining better results in the field of work in comparison to the other individuals in the same field. Comparing extrinsic to intrinsic motivation

Male culture disadvantages boys in education Essay Example for Free

Male culture disadvantages boys in education Essay Until the late 1980s, most sociological literature focused on the underachievement of girls. Girls were less likely to pursue A levels and consequently to enter higher education. However, in the early 1990s, it was argued that girls had begun to outperform boys at most levels of the education system. The main sociological focus today therefore is on the underachievement of boys. Epstein et al.(1999) state that boys underachievement is not something new, but in the past was not a worrying trend for two reasons: working-class boys used to move easily into jobs without good qualifications in the days when sons followed fathers into mines, factories, etc. And the structural and cultural barriers preventing females access to high-status jobs and the pressure on women to become wives and mothers, etc. meant that males always achieved better paid jobs in the long run. However, today Epstein notes that governments are anxious about large numbers of unemployed young men because they are a potential threat to social order. There are many reasons why boys are under-achieving in education. In some schools, the extent of boys underachievement has become so serious that twice as many girls are getting five GCSEs grades A-C. It is estimated that by the age of 16, nearly 40% of boys are lost to education. Some sociologists have suggested that the fault lies with teachers. Studies of classroom interaction and the relationship between pupils and teachers suggest that teachers are not as strict with boys as with girls. It is claimed that teachers tend to have lower expectations of boys, e. g.they expect work to be late, to be untidy and boys to be disruptive. Emphasis in the past has been on excluding such boys rather than looking for ways to motivate them. Consequently a culture of low achievement evolved among boys and was not acted upon because the emphasis in schools for many years was to make education more relevant and interesting for girls. Boys performance in schools is a complex issue. This policy issue of boys underachievement can be understood in many different ways. The issue can be framed in terms of human capital, class inequality, equal opportunities or social justice. Links can be drawn between the low educational attainment of some boys and the low employment rates of some young men. There is also for some boys an antagonism between educational attainment, even attentiveness, and the performance and achievement of particular and valued masculinities. Mac An Ghaill (1996) argues that working-class boys are experiencing a crisis of masculinity. Their socialisation into traditional masculine identity has been undermined by the decline of traditional mens jobs in manufacturing and primary industries such as mining. Mass unemployment found in working-class areas means that boys are no longer sure about their future role as men. This confusion about their future role may lead working-class boys to conclude that qualifications are a waste of time because there are only limited opportunities in the job market. The future looks bleak and without purpose so they dont see the point in working hard. They may temporarily resolve this crisis by constructing delinquent or anti-school subcultures, which tend to be anti-learning. Research evidence indicates that boys appear to gain street credibility and status in such cultures for not working. In 1994 Panoramas The Future is Female by Hannon suggested that with more opportunities for women in the work place, a change in the female ideology and with a fairer education system women simply passed the boys. Boys are not actually doing worse than they have done in the past, they are improving, but girls improvement outstrips boys Hannon, The Future is Female, 1994. With father opportunities of women it is easy to realise the origins of the current masculinity crisis, as there is no set role. Boys are no longer thought of as maturing later and comfortably walking into sustainable education. Instead men are expected to work hard throughout education to reap the rewards later but this is against the gender stereotype portrayed through the agents of socialisation. With this problem the new man was created producing a crisis for men on which to evolve into. Both published in socialisation agents boys have the problem of evolving into fulfilling the laddish stereotype or one in which they draw away from the idea that it is not male to work hard in education. Other sociologists have pointed to the feminine culture, which surrounds younger children as a possible influence on male under- achievement. Children, both male and female, may equate learning and therefore schooling with femininity. As boys grow up, they identify with more masculine role models and may reject academic learning and skills such as presentation and reading as feminine. Boys and reading and boys and literature are frequently mentioned by teachers as trouble spots in educating boys. Many young boys belong to anti-learning sub-cultures and they would therefore be deemed as un-cool if they achieved well in school especially in a girly subject such as English. Many boys dont try to achieve at school simply to conform to their groups norms and values. If their group doesnt value education then they wont. They believe it is more valuable to be popular and in with the right crowd as opposed to achieving in school and education.

The Ethiopian Revenue And Customs Authority

The Ethiopian Revenue And Customs Authority Before I identify the extent to which the Ethiopian revenue and customs authority move from a gatekeeper style of compliance management to a more risk-based management style, it is necessary to coat the key objectives of the authority. The key objectives of the authority are commonly facilitation, control and then achieving an appropriate balance between trade facilitation activities and regulatory controls. Thus, the authority has been implementing different risk- based management styles to apply efficient and effective controls in order to fulfill the responsibility to collect revenue, implement trade policy ,safeguard the public ,manage the increasing international trade and tourism, reduce custom personnel and offer trade facilitation to legitimate traders, travelers and carries. The ultimate objectives of the authority is creating compliance and voluntary tax payer and collecting tax and duty from the economy by applying legitimate and modern tax system. If so, the authority bel ieves that it is must to have techniques styles which are- risk based compliance management rather than gatekeeper style of compliance management to achieve the above objectives of the authority effectively and efficiently. Thus, the authority is applying different risk based compliance management techniques from time to time. Especially, since the authority introduced business process re-engineering to reform its controlling techniques from gatekeeper compliance management to risk based compliance management styles. Then, it necessary to define why need manage risk? The concept of organizational risk refers to the possibilities of events and activities occurring that may prevent an organization from achieving its objectives. Such as providing the international trading community with an appropriate level of facilitation, and ensure compliance with the organizations laws such as licensing requirements , valuation provisions ,rules of origin duty exemption regimes, trade restrictions and security regulations, as well as the potential failure to facilitate international trade. Thus, like any other organization, the authority need to manage its risks. This requires the systematic application of management p rocedures designed to reduce those risks to ensure that its objectives are achieved as efficiently and effectively as possible. This leads the authority to reform its management styles to risk- based compliance management style from gatekeeper compliance management styles. As a whole, the authority reforms all most all its managing styles from the traditional gatekeeper management style to risk based compliance management styles. The authoritys managing styles are characterized by identification of potential risks with resources being directed towards high risk areas and minimal intervention in similarly identified low risk areas. Relatively the pre business process reengineering reformation, authoritys managing style was characterized by indiscriminate custom intervention or a regime of 100% checks. Similarly, payments of duties and other taxes are a pre requisite for customs clearance and such clearance is invariably withheld until all formalities and real-time transaction checks completed. This compliance managing style was a gatekeeper managing style in which the authority was using as managing style for so many times till the authority internalized business process reengineering to all its organizational structure and administration style as a who le. The Authority has been changing its a compliance management styles to risk based management from the traditional 100 percent document check and physical examination except with too much rare random and arbitrary of the authority intervention which could not characterized the authorities a compliance management style to be gatekeeper style. Thus, it is possible to estimate the authority to what extent does it move from gatekeeper style of compliance management to a more risk based management style. The authority internalized different new risk based management approaches to its managing style for its effective and efficient objective achievement. Before I define the different new approaches applied by the authority, it is necessary to define the two styles of compliance management. The first one is the risk based compliance management style which characterized by the identification of potential risks, with recourses being directed towards high risk area and minimal intervention in similarly identified low risk areas in order to deliver legitimate, moderate and fast service to traders, collect the revenue effectively and efficiently, facilitate the transaction and safeguarded the public. Thus, such regimes adopt strategies that break the nexus between physical control over goods and a traders revenue liability, and permit customs clearance to be guaranteed prior to the arrival of ergo. Whereas the gate keeper style of compliance management style is characterized by indiscriminat e customs intervention or a regime of 100 percent cheek. Similarly payment of duties and other taxes is a pre request for customs clearance under the gate keeper model and such Clearance is invariably with held until all Formalities and real-time transaction checks are completed. If such style of compliance management is used as a key techniques of compliance management in the current time, in which the trade volume and complexity is increasing rapidly, the authority could not be efficient and effective in different purposes, such as trade facilitation, delivery legitimate and moderate client service, safeguard the public and collection of revenue. This is the key reason to the authority to reform its compliance management style from gatekeeper compliance management style to risk based management style. From the new approaches of compliance management applied by the authority some are listed below. A. Self assessment: in which the value add tax (vat) registered trader declare its input tax and output tax to the authority monthly In a way that the trader keeps its own financial recorders during his /her transaction and then declared to the authority in order to pay if there is tax payable and to forward credit or refund if there is credit according to the tax and duty regulations and laws of the authority. Here the focused point is not the self declaring but the system by itself is risk based compliance management style because if the authority is uncertain with some points of the traders declaration or if there are a potential risks with trader, the authority assure the uncertainty or risk through Audit by the authoritys auditors. If we look this against the risk based compliance management pyramid it leads us to the compliance assessment that could help the authority to facilitate the day to day transaction of the traders and the need to control the traders and the trade itself, and also it could identify information of compliance and non compliance being the authority gather different financial recordings from the trader as a result this could help the authority to select potential risks, low risks and compliance or non-compliance profiles. The other point is that the authority could investigate (audit) the industry, traders, manufacturers, importers and whole salers when they are suspected. B, Applicable dates for determination of duties and taxes:-The applicable date for determining customers duties and taxes is as follow:- For goods imported: the date when the customers declaration is accepted. This by itself could assure pre arrival assessment, clearance and fast release of imported goods during their arrival in custom control which could be classified in to risk based compliance management style because the authority could intervene if there is any potential risks with arrived goods before release is approved. For goods carried by passengers: the date of customs clearance. This could compare with the risk based compliance management pyramid it leads us to client service in which the client could get fast and immediate service by the authority accompanied by cooperation and consultation of the authority to the client. The authority expected to deliver fast and legitimate client services. But it has not to be risky to the authority revenue collection and the public security. In such cases the authority gives the service based on the risk level of the imported goods by the passenger. C, Administrative settlement of custom offences:- The authority settle custom offences, other than those relating to contraband or involving above 25% or birr 500,000 of the payable duties and taxes, administratively by taking due account on the nature of the offences and their impacts on the interests of the public and government. According to this, custom offences administrative settlement the authority keeps the importer profile to identify the intention of the offences by the importer if it is deliberate or not in a way that risk based management to identify compliance and non-compliance to enforce non-compliance using administrative discretion. According the profile of importers offences, the authority levies different administrative actions starting from persuasion- formal warning-penalty with regard their difficulties, offence times and if or not the importer committed the offence deliberately. The administrative settlement of custom offence in the authority start to contribute a remarkable result to the import and export facilitation of the country, revenue collection of the government and prepare a profile that could help to identify compliance and non-compliance. An appropriate legislative frame work is an essential element of any regulatory regime, because the primary role of custom is to ensure compliance with the laws as identified in the above pages regardless of the compliance management approach that it is supporting, the legislative frame work must provide the necessary business law for the achievement of the range administration has chosen to adopt. For ex sample, an appropriate bases in law mast exist to enable customs to break nexus between its physical control over internationally trading goods and revenue liability (that is, custom duty and other taxes) such goods may attract. This does not necessary imply, however, that such differentiation must be explicitly addressed in relevant statutory provisions. For example, if legislation itself is silent on the relationship between customs control over cargo and revenue liability sufficient scope is likely to exist for administratively flexible solutions to be implemented. underpinned by relevant legal provisions , the various elements of administrative and risk management frame work employed by customs essentially reflect the underlying style of compliance management being pursued by the administration with an increasing use of risk management principles as the administration move away from traditional, risk averse gatekeeper style of compliance management to more risk based approach. The available technological frame work represents an enabler that, while not critical to the achievements of a risk management style, service to significantly enhance an administration ability to adopt such styles. Thus, the authority applies a technological information system centrally to reform the traditional gatekeeper style of compliance management which the legislative base provides for a one size fits all approach compliance management to a risk based management style in which the legislative base provides for a flexible and tailored solutions to enable relevant risk management administrative strategies to be implemented. The legislative base recognizes responsibilities for both government and the trading community in achieving regulatory compliance. This could provide logical frame work for demonstrating how various types of risk based strategies, including non enforcement strategies such as self assessment, may be used to effectively manage compliance. Fundamentally to this approach is the need to provide the commercial sector with the ability to comply with custom requirements. This involves establishing an effective legislative base and an appropriate range of client service strategies,(including effective guidelines).Such strategies are necessary to provide the commercial sector with the means to achieve certainty and clarity in assessing liabilities and entitlement. This is the reason why the authority is reforming its means of communication electronically from the traditional way of communication. Thus, this could also recognize res pective responsibilities of government and industry of the country and sanctions for non compliance. From the technologies that the authority internalized to its organizational structure is tin integration system which is the one and the moderate technological advancement that could help the authority to give the tin number to all registered clients similarly and use to have different supporting information of the trader, importers, whole seller, enterprises and other business entities country wide. This could minimize different level of risk that could appear in the gatekeeper compliance management style relatively. Such technological advancement provides the trading community with electronic as well as paper based reporting, storage and authentication. Such previsions could enable regulators to relay on commercially generated data to the greatest extent possible. As well as appropriate communications and information technology to provide for automated processing and clearance ar rangements. Regulators could achieve maximum integration with commercial system of the country that the authority needs to facilitate transactions as much as possible. The authority is applying different new approach of compliance management style to its operational and administrative structure to achieve the above specified key objectives of the authority. It could be said that the authority is getting a point full results by applying the above specified new approach of compliance management that aimed to reform traditional gatekeeper style of compliance management to risk based management style is almost organizational wide working approach for different purposes supposed by the authority . Even though some drawbacks are occurring with applying the new approach of compliance management, the authority is working day to day to reform its compliance management approach as much as possible. From this it is possible to estimate to what extent does the authority moved to adopt risk based compliance management styles and applying different new approach of compliance management style through organizational reformation. To conclude, in assessing the level of compliance, custom should encounter two situations: compliance and non compliance. The non compliance spectrum ranges from innocent mistakes blatant fraud. If the errors near to the fraudulent end of the spectrum, some form of sanction will need to apply, including administrating penalties or in more several cases, prosecution and license revocation. Before determining the need for or nature of, a sanction, however, it is important to identify the true nature of the risk by establishing why the error has occurred. For example, the error may be the result of a control problem within the company due to flawed systems and procedures or it may be the result of a deliberate attempt to defraud. It also may be that the relevant legislation is unclear or the administrative requirements are ambiguous. The type of mitigation strategies that custom should employe to ensure future compliance will depend on the nature of the identified risk. Unless the error is fraud to be international, it may be appropriate to address systematic problems within the company or to provide the company with advice on compliance issue or provide formal clarification of the law and regulations of the authority through binding rulings or other means. In this regard it is important to recognize that different solutions will be required to address honest mistakes on the one hand, and deliberate attempts to evade duty on the other. Effective risk management is central to modern customs operations, and provides the means to achieve an appropriate balance between trade facilitation and regulatory control. To manage risk effectively, the authoritys administration must gain a clear understanding of the nature of risks to the achievement of its objectives and device practical methods of mitigation those risks. Finally, there needs to be a demonstrated commitment from the highest level of the organization structure to support the transition to risk based approach compliance management.

Goodness As A Simple And Indefinable Property Philosophy Essay

Goodness As A Simple And Indefinable Property Philosophy Essay Moores Principia Ehica was the first to claim that goodness is an indefinable non-natural property belonging to a simple intuition. For Moore a property is natural if, and only if, it is detectable by the senses1. Ever since Moore, the debate of what good is has become essential to moral philosophy and meta ethics. Moore, to understand the simple notion of good, puts forth an analogy of the simple notion of yellow. The notion of yellow can only be conceived by those who already understand it, the same applies to good. Moore is contrasting the indefinable understanding of goodness to the indefinable perception of a colors qualia. Qualia is defined as the subjective quality of conscious experience2. We can mention certain properties of yellow: its specific wavelength or frequency. But we cannot mention what the nature of the property of being yellow is. This is because colour is a simple property that cannot be analyzed. To experience colour, we must appeal to our experience. Complex notions, on the other hand, can be defined by their sub-parts and the relationships between those sub-parts. The property of being a horse is an example of a complex object that can be defined because it has many different qualities3. But it can only be defined until it has been reduced to its simplest terms beyond which those simple terms cannot be defined. Since simple terms cannot be reduced any further, they cannot be clarified to anyone who does not already understand them. Yellow and good are not complex, but are simple notions. Moore, in this sense, thinks good is indefinable. Good, as a concept does not correspond to the concepts of pleasure, desire or usefulness. Given that there are things that we call pleasurable as well as good, but we can call a thing pleasurable, desirable or useful and then ask, but is it good? The fact that we are able to ask such a question of a thing with particular qualities of pleasure, desire or usefulness is evidence, for Moore, that good cannot be identical to the concepts of pleasure, desire or usefulness. This is known as the open-ended question problem. Saying that something is pleasurable does not exclude the question, yes, but is it good? The Open Question Argument Moore backs his claim that good is simple and indefinable through the famous open question argument. He argues that good cannot be defined by considering the fact that whatever definition be offered, it may be always asked, with significance, of the complex so defined, whether it is itself good 4. What he means by this argument is that, if we, for instance, equate good with doing what is pleasurable (which seems reasonable) then, Moore points out, that it can still be asked is it good to do what is pleasurable? Therefore, it remains an open question (hence the name of the argument) whether something is good, irrespective of it being pleasurable. Moore accepts that the argument does not demonstrate that pleasure is not the only test for an actions goodness, all it demonstrates is that what is pleasurable cannot be known by simply inspecting the definition of good. What is good has to be known in another way. Moore also formulates the term naturalistic fallacy. Â  Naturalistic fallacy is defined as an intent to classify some things simply being the case to the case of it being good. If something is pleasurable then, this quality alone cannot tell us anything about its being good. The Naturalistic Fallacy According to Moore, if good is simple, indefinable, cannot be analyzed and what is good? remains and open question then an attempt to define the simple notion of good as any other naturalistic notion is to commit the naturalistic fallacy5. To clarify, Moore draws the yellow analogy. Yellow can be defined as a specific wave length but these waves are not yellow. To commit the naturalistic fallacy is a common mistake when attempting to define good. While it may be entirely possible that all things that are good can also be something else, just as yellow things have certain other properties, but to equate these properties to the definition of good is incorrect. Good as an intuition Moore claims that though good is indefinable, it is part of our everyday coherent language. This is because we identify good based on our intuition. MacIntyre objects to this view by saying, how, then, do we recognise the intrinsically good? The only answer Moore offers is that we just do 6. But this would make good a complex notion since for different people good would have different analyzable content. Furthermore, this would be contrary to Moores claim of good being a simple notion. Objections Philosophers such as Mackie, MacIntyre and Nagel do not essentially agree with the naturalistic fallacy or the validity of the open question argument. Mackie, presents an objection to Moore with his argument from queerness. He argues that there is no such thing as goodness and badness. Moreover, he claims, goodness and badness have no properties or qualities that can be reduced to simpler terms since they do not exist. Goodness and badness are meant to properties of objects but they are queerly different to other properties like weight, size or fabric. Mackie concludes that goodness and badness are prescriptive moral terms and intrinsic or inherent properties of things is simply not possible.7 Moore responds by arguing that good is a simple concept of ethics. And all other ethical concepts must be derived from it. Although good cannot be defined, what is good can be defined. Thus, while we do not know the definition of good we can identify which things are good. David Hume says it best, just because something is the case does not by that fact indicate to us that it ought to be the case. Â   Conclusion In my opinion, Moores claim of good being indefinable due to it being a simple and non natural property is an extreme argument to make. If Moore is right, then it would mean that there is no objective way of defining good and that the term is relative to the human species. This fact is hard to reconcile. There would be substantial implications for the way good is discussed at a practical and theoretical level of ethics. Many do not agree with Moores arguments, especially MacIntyre who says, more unwarranted and unwarrantable assertions are perhaps made in Principia Ethica than in any other single book of moral philosophy 8. But we have to accept that Moore has been responsible for raising many issue that have become central to meta ethics today. On the other hand, maybe good is so inherent and intrinsic to the human mind that we cannot completely define it. This would not be surprising as our language is not a rational or precise tool that can be used to comprehensively define one of the most important terms used in ethical discussions today.