Alien Relative by Amy Tann Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Alien Relative by Amy Tann - Essay Example Although the narrator tells immigration that Hulan is her sister, she is not actually related to the narrator, just like the â€Å"grandmother† Hulan and her husband leave Feng-Yi Frank with â€Å"was not even the real grandmother† (Tan, 1993, p.622). Hulan, her husband, and her two remaining children leave Formosa the same night they leave Feng-Yi Frank with his grandmother and fly to America, assuming they will be able to send for Feng-Yi Frank right away (Tan, 1993). The fake grandmother takes him back to China and it winds up taking them eleven years to arrange for him to come to America (Tan, 1993). When he arrives, he is no longer the six year old boy they left behind, but a young man of seventeen years (Tan, 1993). He is an alien to the country he has just arrived in and an alien to his family, having been separated from them for so many years. Although Hulan does not recognize her son, â€Å"he stared right at his mother, nobody else†, a familiar stranger , remembering that his parents had left him behind although he does not discuss it (Tan, 1993, p.624). Reference Tan, A. (1993). Alien Relative. In D. Roen, G. Glau, & B.

Legal Aspects of Nursing. Homework 5 Case Study

Legal Aspects of Nursing. Homework 5 - Case Study Example These difficulties could have easily resulted in errors in the manual documentation. This hints at problems in the process, rather than a willful act of fraud on the part of the nurses and the nurse under trial in particular. (Case Facts, n.d.) 2. The testimonies of the other nurses are very relevant. They point to difficulties in following the process steps and in being accurate in their accomplishment of the manual documentation for the medications. First the nurses testified that the process prompted them to instances when they were prone to making errors in the manual documentation, because of problems with recall with regard to dosages and to the medicines administered. This is because the documentation was done towards the end of the shift, or during breaks, and not at the point of the administration. Second, this problem was compounded by the fact that in practice, nurses signed narcotics electronically in anticipation of need, and then threw them away when they were not used, especially with regard to the IV bags. This means that there were additional opportunities to make mistakes in the manual documentation later on (Case Facts, n.d.). 3. ... I would have ruled in favor of the nurse ,due to lack of evidence of fraud, and due to the testimony of other nurses that there is a flaw in the process that can understandably result in nurses making mistakes with the manual documentation (Case Facts, n.d.) ANSWERS TO HOMEWORK 5 FORM QUESTIONS (The responses are numbered in order of the appearance of the questions in the assignment form) 1. Patient safety principles relating to the accuracy of medications administered and in the accuracy and integrity of patient records are at play in this case. That there are mistakes in documentation that are used to keep track of patient progress, and that are used to plan future interventions, means that the well-being of the patients are put at risk. The testimonies by the nurses point to fundamental flaws in the hospital processes that need to be admitted to, as a first step to making changes to correct the discrepancies (Suydam et al., n.d., pp. 361-363; Sharpe, 2003; American Medical Associa tion, 2009; Ohno-Machado et al., 2004) 2. Strictly speaking, the nurses are not negligent in delaying the documentation for the medications that they took. For one, there are the electronic signings that cover them, and signify their earnestness to follow the rules. For another, they have to prioritize the manual documentation alongside other tasks, such as attending to the patients and helping the doctors in acute care. These are very pressing tasks. If a patient is unable to breathe on his own or has a very dire condition that needs full attention from the nurse, the documentation can fall by the wayside understandably. The issue is not negligence, but that the work flow forces the nurses to prioritize

Causes and Solutions to Prison Overcrowding

Causes and Solutions to Prison Overcrowding Introduction The purpose of this paper is to look at the overcrowded prisons that are plaguing the U.S. The prison system that we have is constantly evolving, but seems to circulate through the same prison philosophies. An overcrowded prison does not lend itself to a productive environment for inmates. Many would not care about the environment that the inmates encounter as they feel the inmate has brought this upon himself through his deviant behavior, however not all inmates will stay in prison forever. We will examine some possible solution to curb the overcrowding that is prevalent in prisons today. Solutions to Prison Overcrowding Prison overcrowding has been a problem that has plagued the U.S. prison system since its inception. The solution to this problem for many has been to build more prisons to house the additional prisoners that have been sentenced there. Those who advocate building additional prisons fail to look at what is behind the overcrowding in the first place. Research has found that crime rates are decreasing. It has also shown that prison populations are increasing. Much like the Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams with the infamous quote, If you build it, they will come that by building more prisons, we will only seek to put more prisoners into them. To fully understand our current overcrowding issue, we must look at the history of the U.S. prison systems and the philosophies that drove them. Then we must look at the sentencing practices that have increased the number of inmates that are incarcerated. This will include the truth-in sentencing laws, the impact of the war on drugs and the enforcement and the increasing of the length of prison terms for certain offenses. We will also take a look at the cost of building a prison and the daily costs of housing an inmate. Then we will look at solutions for reducing prison populations which include rehabilitation and the release of aged offenders and inmates with minor offenses. The U.S. derived many of its ideas about the prison system from England. In the Middle Ages, prisons were used for housing criminals as well as debtors. Juvenile delinquents also began to be housed in prisons. As prisons developed and emerged, the purpose of them changed as well. Drawing from the ideas presented in Essays on Crimes and Punishment by Cesare Beccaria in 1764 a move towards less physical punishment for crimes was made. Beccaria was also responsible for the idea that a punishment should be severe enough to deter crime, but not too extreme. In 1557, England began the use of workhouses. Initially, they were to remove the homeless and vagrants from the streets during the day. During this time, many believed that most criminals were lazy and committed crimes as a result of that. This allowed inmates to work, however they did not learn any useful skills and were not kept in the workhouses overnight. In 1790, the Quakers from Pennsylvania reformed the Walnut Street jail into a prison. The Quakers drew from their religious background and sought to use the prison as a place for an inmate to perform a penance and to make amends for their actions against society. Also, known as the Pennsylvania System, the prison layout allowed for solitary cells. The inmate was placed in the cell, so that they could think about their actions and gain remorse. Work was completed in the cells as well, so the interaction with others was limited to an hour of exercise a day. Although the prison sought to reform the inmates through solitary work, some prisoners could not handle the solitary times and reform did not occur. There was also a high cost involved in maintaining this type of prison. In an effort to improve the prisons, the Mass Prison Era was implemented in 1825. Also known as the Auburn system after the first facility in Auburn, NY, this prison featured areas where inmates worked in groups. However, prisoners still maintained solitary cells when they were not working. When in work groups, silence was enforced. This was done through corporal punishment to maintain order and obedience as well as a strong code of silence at all times. The Auburn prison was also the first to experiment with solitary confinement as a punishment for not following the rules of the prison. One huge difference which produced negative results when compared with the Pennsylvania system is that inmates were not allowed any exercise and they were not given any work to complete. In this system, many inmates went insane, were suicidal and classified as unfit for re-entry into society. Unhappy with their current prison system, The Reformatory Era was developed next. This was the first to introduce the concept of indeterminate prison sentences in the U.S.. This concept came from two European counterparts. The first leader who emerged during this time was Captain Alexander Maconochie who was a warden at Norfolk Island, a prison off the coast of Australia. Maconochie was alarmed at the condition of the prison and sought to reform it. He developed a system where prisoners could earn an earlier freedom with good behavior. Ultimately, it placed the inmates freedom in the hands of that inmate. This was the introduction of the concept of indeterminate sentencing. Another leader during the Reform Era was Sir Walter Crofton who was aware of Maconochies progress and adapted it to the Irish Prison system. Crofton was able to set up a four stage system. In the first stage, prisoners stayed at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin. They were restricted in their activities and movement. In the second stage, they were in Spike Island where they were to begin work. In the third stage, the prisoners were placed in the community on public-service projects. The fourth stage was called the ticket of leave where inmates were allowed to live and work in the community under mild supervision. The response to this was positive until there was an increase in crime which resulted in longer sentences. Crofton did not have the citizens support and could not keep it up. Back in the United States, the indeterminate sentence was introduced by Gaylord Hubbell who was impressed by the Irish Prison system. The indeterminate sentencing was started with approval from The New York Prison Association. Hubbell worked to implement the reformatory practice where prisoners who showed themselves as reformed could earn an earlier release. There were criteria that needed to be met in order to qualify for the indeterminate sentencing: the offender had to be between 16 and 30 years old and it had to be his first offense. Unfortunately, the reform prison era did not last too long as offenders would reoffend. Similar to Ireland, society was not willing to risk the higher crime rates and did not lend its support. It still was the basis for many of the ideas that we hold regarding parole, training and education today. As well as emphasizing the reform of a prisoner over the punishment of a prisoner. In 1890, the Industrial Prison era was sparked. This era brought to light an option to profit from the increasing prison population. There were several systems that utilized inmate work to bring an income into the prison system. The inmate labor systems were: contract system, lease system, piece-price system, state- use system, public-account system and public works system. In contract system, labor was contracted out to private businesses through the prison. Work took place in the prisons, but supplies were provided by the private businesses. In lease system, inmates were taken out of the prison facility and leased out to a private contractor for the day. Piece-price system was similar to the contract system, but inmates produced products that were sold to private businesses. The state-use system had inmates producing products for state offices. The public-account system was a combination of contract, piece-price and state-use systems where inmates produced, managed and sold product s in the free market that was fully run by the prison. Finally, the public-works system had inmates working on roads, highways, cleaning public areas like parks, and restoring other building in the community under the supervision of prison officials. During this time, inmates produced furniture, clothing, cleaning products and other items. The Prison Industry Era was running quite smoothly and making a substantial profit until workers from society like mechanics complained that inmates were taking over their jobs and with cheaper labor. Workers could not compete with them and felt it was unfair. These protests lead to the Ashurst-Summers Act of 1935 where Federal legislation which specifically prohibited the interstate transportation and sale of prison goods where state laws forbade them. (Schmalleger, 2007). This limited the sale of inmate produced products. In conjunction with the Depression, the once profitable Prison Industry ended. The Prison Industries Era lasted for over 40 years and was followed by the Punitive Era. The focus moved back to an age of confinement where the prisoner was to be locked away for their crimes. During this time, larger maximum security facilities were built like Alcatraz. Prisoners who were released from these types of facilities did not receive any education, valuable skills or treatment. The rate of recidivism was high. Luckily, this type of prison systems only lasted about 10 years. The Treatment Era began in 1945. This era relied on treating the inmates like patients versus inmates. Based on a medical model where a therapeutic perspective on correctional treatment that applies the diagnostic perspective of medical science to the handling of criminal offenders. (Schmalleger, 2007) One-on-one therapy was introduced as well as group therapy helped to get an understanding of the emotional and psychological reasoning for crime. There were drawbacks of this era, too. Some inmates fought against being forced to participate in these programs. Prison guards were not properly trained in how the medical model functioned and were also not trained in how to handle the inmates. In 1967, the Community-based Era arrived. In this era, prisons were again faced with overcrowding and coming off of the medical model with the optimistic view that inmates could be rehabilitated. This time they would move them back into the communities where they had committed their crimes to serve their time. The belief was that inmates would not be able to fully rehabilitate in a prison setting. The halfway house was reintroduced and gave the inmates the opportunity to work and reside in the community while being watched at the same time. However, lack of programs caused the inmates to be returned to society the same as they were before committing their crimes. The U.S. watched as recidivism rates and prison populations soared as they entered into the Warehousing Era. Deterred by the crimes that were committed by those inmates who were on work-release or residing in a halfway house, the U.S. decided to limit the liberties that the inmates had once enjoyed. The Warehousing focused on imprisonment for inmates to remove them from society to avoid the possibility of further crimes being committed. In 1970, a new treatment model emerged call the nothing works doctrine which was popularized by Robert Martinson that correctional treatment programs have had little success in rehabilitating offenders. (Schmalleger, 2007). This doctrine helped to implement the mandatory minimum sentencing provision and truth-in sentencing requirements. Calls for truth-in sentencing occurred when the average inmate was serving one third of their time that was handed out by the judge at sentencing. Victims and other citizens were dismayed to learn that the full sentence was not being fulfilled. In the 1990s another popular law was developed called the three strikes and youre out in California and was soon adopted by many other states. The premise for the three strikes law is that if someone was to commit a felony three different times, then the only option was to sentence them to life in prison without the possibility of parole. This has also contributed to a dramatic increase in prison populations. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 1985 there were approximately 550,000 inmates in the U.S. prison and this figure jumped to 1,400,000 by 1995 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2011) Opponents of this law argue that this law costs too much with the increased number of inmates, that it unfairly targets minority offenders, does not help to decrease crime and that not all who were convicted under the three strikes law were convicted of serious, violent crimes. Besides the sentencing guidelines, there was also a war on drugs that was taking place. Sentences for drug-related offenses became more severe and more of the sentence that was handed out by a judge was actually being served. The current era that we are in is the Just Desserts Era which started in 1995. Prisons had now become essentially warehouses for inmates who were receiving longer sentences for the same crime. Rehabilitation was not working, so the inmates are essentially being held. When we look at the past prison systems of the U.S., it is important to look at the goals that each of the systems advocated. Starting with the Penitentiary Era the focus was on rehabilitation and deterrence. The Quakers utilized their religious belief that time alone would lead a person to become remorseful for their actions. The Mass Prison system focused on deterrence as well as incapacitation. The Reformatory Era was focused on rehabilitation. The Industrial Era reverted back to incapacitation and restoration. The philosophy of retribution was strong in the Punitive Era. Not surprisingly, the Treatment Eras philosophy was on rehabilitation. In addition to rehabilitation, the Community-based Era also looked at restoration. The Warehousing Era looked at incapacitation. Finally, the Just Desserts Era looks at retribution, incapacitation and deterrence. The task before us is to find the right balance for todays society of rehabilitation, retribution and deterrence to decrease our pri son populations. One strategy to reduce or stop the increase in our prison populations comes from the sentencing phase. It is important to know the different goals of sentencing. They are: incapacitation, retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, vindication, and punishment. In incapacitation, the offender is sentenced to a prison with the goal of not allowing them to commit further crimes. In retribution, which was popular in the early ages of history, the goal is to seek revenge against the offender. An example of this is the eye for an eye mentality. Deterrence refers to stopping criminal behavior and there are two types: general and specific. General deterrence refers to the ability stop the criminal behavior by the public. An example, would be watching someone getting their hand cut off for stealing. The hope is that it serves a general deterrent to the public to not commit that crime as you have seen what happens to a person when they commit that crime. In specific deterrence refers to the offen der specifically in order to stop them from committing that crime again. Rehabilitation is means to change a persons behavior, so that they no longer commit criminal acts. Vindication refers to the making and enforcing of the law and punishment that goes along with a criminal act. Finally, punishment is the punishment of an offender fairly and equally. The consequences of the punishment for the offender are not taken into consideration. Currently, the determinate sentence law is used throughout the U.S. This started when the government and citizens gave up on the idea of rehabilitating prisoners. Its goals were to have a punishment in proportion to the crime and eliminate the disparity in the prison terms. There are three levels of a term that is ordered by a judge depending on the facts of the case. The terms are called: presumptive, aggravated and mitigated. Presumptive terms are the middle of the road terms. In an aggravated term, there may things that occurred that made the crime a little more severe when compared with similar crimes. In a mitigated term, the offender may have had a limited role in the crime or the crime was not as severe. Another caveat in determinate sentence law is that there is typically not any parole. Once the inmate has served their time, they are released automatically. Also, inmates may work to earn days off their sentence. Prior to 1970, the indeterminate sentencing law was used. This law felt that rehabilitating inmates was the number one priority. Known for parole which released inmates into the community after part of their time was served in prison, indeterminate sentence law failed in the successful rehabilitation of the inmate. In indeterminate sentence law, judges were handing out a minimum and maximum time for a sentence. Then a parole board would complete an annual review of the inmate to determine if they were ready for release. The process was not consistent which caused many to become upset with the unfairness. Another important factor to consider is what do we hope to achieve with those individuals who have proven that they are not able to follow the rules of society? If our goals come from retribution, then we are not looking at deterrence, reformation and economic considerations. We are only looking at public safety. If our goal is to rehabilitate, then will we risk public safety in releasing supposed rehabilitated inmates. While we have increased our prison capacity we have also increased our prison populations. We have now learned that we cannot hold all these inmates as our prison are becoming overcrowded which is unsafe for the prison guards and staff who run them as well as to the inmates who reside in them. One major contributor to the increasing population is the mandatory drug laws. It is not uncommon to find stories of inmates who received a mandatory minimum sentence for their minimal parts in drug offenses. According to Family Against Mandatory Minimums, there are many stories those affected by the strict sentencing laws that were created during the war on drugs. Here is one of them: Stephanie dated several men who were involved in selling drugs. At times, they would help Stephanie support her family. In exchange, she occasionally delivered and sold drugs and took messages for them. On October 26, 1993, police arrested Stephanie after she was found sitting on the front porch of a house next to a bag that contained cocaine residue. She confessed she had crack in her possession and surrendered it to the officers. She received probation. On November 10, several weeks after her arrest, police sent a confidential informant (CI) to make a controlled drug buy from Stephanie. On November 15, the CI purchased two crack rocks for $120. On December 8, the CI bought $40 worth of crack from Stephanie and several codefendants. After this final controlled buy, officers searched Stephanies residence and found four pieces of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia. Stephanie was fined and sentenced to nine months in jail. Nearly three years later on August 16, 1996, police raided Stephanies residence after a CI reported that he had seen crack in the house.   Officers found 500 grams of powder cocaine and $13,710 in an attic safe belonging to Stephanies former boyfriend, Michael. In the master bedroom, police found utensils that tested positive for drug residue. Michael had the key to the safe, along with $797 in cash in his pants pocket. He confessed to police that the money, the cocaine and the paraphernalia belonged to him and that the $797 was from 500 grams of crack he had already sold. Later, Michael would testify that he paid Stephanie to let him reside and store crack at her house. At the time of her arrest, Stephanie had no cash, no bank account and owned no other property besides her car, valued at $2,500. She depended on food stamps and welfare to provide for her children. Stephanie went to trial. She was held accountable for 500 grams of powder cocaine found in the attic safe as well as 500 grams of crack that Michael said he sold.   Several of Stephanies codefendants who dealt drugs with Michael testified against her. Because of their uncorroborated testimony, Stephanie was held accountable for an additional 290 grams of crack, for a total of 1,290 grams (about 2.84 pounds). Stephanie received a sentence enhancement for obstruction of justice because she testified that she had no knowledge of and did not participate in Michaels drug activity.   Because of her 1993 drug offenses, Stephanie was categorized as a career criminal, an enhancement which mandates a life sentence. Despite his objections, Judge Roger Vinson was forced to sentence 26-year-old Stephanie to life in prison without parole.    At sentencing, Judge Vinson said to prosecutors: Theres no question that Ms. George deserved to be punished.   The only question is whether it should be a mandatory life sentence I wish I had another alternative. He told Stephanie, Even though you have been involved in drugs and drug dealing for a number of years your role has basically been as a girlfriend and bag holder and money holder.   So certainly, in my judgment, it doesnt warrant a life sentence. Stephanie received the longest sentence of any of her five codefendants. Over a decade ago, the young mother of three was led out of the courtroom quietly crying. She has now been incarcerated for over 14 years. Her children have grown up without her and her older relatives have aged and passed away. Stephanie has been a model prisoner, actively participating in vocational and educational training and working hard at her prison job. She has completed drug treatment and is sober. Unfortunately, the mandatory minimum life sentence prevents Stephanie from ever having another chance (Families Against Mandatory Minimums, 2011). Stories like Stephanies are not uncommon. Like the judge stated Stephanie needed to be punished for her actions, however it seemed extreme to be sentenced to life in prison for such a minimal role. In many of these cases, the person who was more invested in the illegal activities seems to get away with less time in prison as they were able to make deals with the prosecution. The reason that this occurs is that the person with the most information is in a better position to help prosecutors out and may bargain smaller time in prison for themselves while the person who may have had the smaller role is left holding the bag. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics from a report in 2009, crime rates have remained the same or decreased since 1994 in areas of rape, burglary, property crimes, robbery, motor vehicle theft, and homicide (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2011) In contrast, the number of inmates in the corrections system which include probation, prison, jail or parole, has increased. The trend remains that prison populations are slowly increasing as well. In 2009, the FBIs Uniform Crime Report (UCR) reported a 1.9 percent decline in violent crimes and a 0.8 percent decline in property crimes reported in 2008. This drop in crime came at a time when the prison and jail growth rates fell from previous years (2008). This data shows that while crime rates were decreasing in contrast the incarceration rates had increased. There should also be guidelines when determining who should be sentenced to prison instead of community service orders. A person should be sentenced to prison or jail if any lesser punishment would depreciate the seriousness of the crime that was committed, imprisonment is needed in order to deter them from crime, and if the person has had other sanctions applied to them. The cost of building a new prison is rather staggering. The estimated cost to build a new prison is $250 million and another $45 million a year to run it. In todays economy, it would be unwise to not consider economical factors when debating the construction of new prisons. It is not a mystery that a majority of inmates that were sentenced to prison will one day be released back into society. It is important to remember that once a person has spent time in prison, the chances that he will return are quite high. In a two year time frame, it was found that 70% of inmates committed another offense and were returned to prison. Since we know that many of these offenders will be returning to society (some for a shorter amount of time than others), it is important to ensure that are prisons provide inmates with opportunities. One opportunity that is a win-win situation for all is prison industries. Federal Prison Industries (FPI) emerged during the Prison Industries Era, but was limited by the Ashurst Sanders Act. Today prison industries are in place making license plates, office furniture and other items. However, they are limited as to who they may sell things to. This seems to be a resource that is not fully appreciated. If we were to implement additional trades to provide inmates with some skill upon leaving the prison system, then they would be better able to make the transition into society. Many inmates have an 8th grade education. If they were appropriately trained, they would be able to pay compensation to the victim of their crime, assist in supporting their family while in prison and build confidence in knowing that they have a skill that would allow them to work on the outside. Some examples of valuable skills would be to teach welding skills, automotive skills, electrical skills, farming techniques and other technical skills. Also, the profit that the prison industry makes could go to costs of running the prison facilities, provide education to the inmates, and other rehabilitative programs. There are those that against the prison industries who say that the inmates are being paid unfair wages, however the inmate is currently being housed, fed and clothed which are huge expenditures by a citizen out in society. It appears to balance out. There are others who dont think that the skills being taught are not useful; however it is a skill that they did not have prior to arriving at prison. It also gives the inmate something to do while incarcerated. Boredom in a prison is not a good thing; it could lead to violence and riots. Lets look at some other solutions or alternatives to building additional prisons. It is clear that in order to avoid building new prisons, the inmate population will need to either decrease or remain the same. An alternative to imprisonment would be day fines. Day fines are successfully being collected in both Germany and Sweden. The day fine process has two steps. First, you need to consider the severity of the crime. For example, the more serious the crime the higher the fine will be. Second, you need to look at the income of the offender. Currently, in the U.S. day fines have not completely caught on. Many times, day fines are not enforced or collected. This is the result of fines handed out that a lower income person could not afford, so they dont put utilize resources in collecting them. The day fine could be used as a better deterrent for someone who is rich as they would feel it the same as a person who does not make as much. For example, if you get a $500 speeding ticket and you are someone like Paris Hilton that will not really deter you from speeding again. Now if the fine was raised to $50,000, it could deter you from speeding in the future. An idea that stirs up great controversy is the release of inmates prior to the term deemed by a judge. However, we should remember the war on drugs and many of the sentences set forth by the judge were mandated to the judge. There are many cases where judges at the sentencing stated their unhappiness with being bound to the sentence. Discretion should be given to judge when making sentences, so that the punishment is fitting to the crime. The judge is present at the trial and has access to the pre-sentence report. Having seen the full picture, the judge should be able to hand out the best sentence for the offender. The mandatory minimum sentence law should be replaced with flexible guidelines. We should also look at the idea that not all who are convicted of a crime should go to prison. There are other alternative besides sending someone to prison for committing crimes. These are often cheaper when compared with housing an inmate in a correctional facility. According to the state of Georgia, it costs $28,936 a year for a minimum security prison to house an inmate compared with $1,434 for an offender with intensive probation (FY2009 Costs of Adult Offender Sanctions, 2008). Community corrections is the when punishment involves more community supervision and activities and less confinement. Probation is one of the most commonly used sentences that are applied. There are two types: general and specific. General probation is just that, these are the rules that many offenders must abide by. They direct that the offender must obey all laws, stay within the jurisdiction of the courts, stay employed, allow access to their homes by a probation officer or police officer and not be i n the possession of a firearm. In specific probation, the judge may add specific limitations and rules that pertain specifically to that offender. For example, if the offense was drug-related perhaps mandate drug tests and rehabilitation programs in addition to the general probation guidelines. Intermediate sanctions or alternative sentencing strategies are sentencing alternatives that cover a variety of options. Split sentencing is usually completed in a jail versus a prison. Then there is shock probation where the offender is sentenced to prison, but serves only a short amount of time, they are then released with probation. The goal of this is to surprise the inmate with a shorter prison term. Shock incarceration has the offender in a boot camp like setting for about 90-180 days to shock the inmate into better behavior. It is more commonly used for young offenders and first time offenders. Community service is a common punishment where the offender must dedicate some of their time to a community organization. Some pick up trash on the side of the road or volunteer in soup kitchens; this is usually reserved for minor offenses. Home confinement is another alternative to prisons. This is beneficial as it allows the offender to remain in his community, has the ability to keep his employment, and with his family. They utilize an ankle bracelet which is equipped with GPS to know the location of the offender. This is easily monitored 24 hours a day. Some monitoring devices are able to detect alcohol in the offenders system which would be useful in settings where alcohol or drug use was forbidden. Today satellites assist with detecting the location of the offender. This technology is constantly evolving and is sure to develop some other useful tools in monitoring large amounts of offenders. These are also done at a lower cost compared with incarceration. The Irish System that was created by Sir Walter Crofton is a good basis for the parole system. Under this system, inmates would be able to demonstrate that they have changed their behavior and are ready to enter back into society. It would be a system where they would have to work to be able to move into the next level and are rewarded with additional freedoms. Communities would benefit from the free labor that they receive from inmates through their trash pick-up and the fixing of buildings that are in disrepair. The ticket of leave inmates could be monitored with a

Themes of Alienation and Control in James Joyces Araby Essay -- James

Alienation of â€Å"Araby† Although â€Å"Araby† is a fairly short story, author James Joyce does a remarkable job of discussing some very deep issues within it. On the surface it appears to be a story of a boy's trip to the market to get a gift for the girl he has a crush on. Yet deeper down it is about a lonely boy who makes a pilgrimage to an eastern-styled bazaar in hopes that it will somehow alleviate his miserable life. James Joyce’s uses the boy in â€Å"Araby† to expose a story of isolation and lack of control. These themes of alienation and control are ultimately linked because it will be seen that the source of the boy's emotional distance is his lack of control over his life. The story begins as the boy describes his neighborhood. Immediately feelings of isolation and hopelessness begin to set in. The street that the boy lives on is a dead end, right from the beginning he is trapped. In addition, he feels ignored by the houses on his street. Their brown imperturbable faces make him feel excluded from the decent lives within them. The street becomes a representation of the boy’s self, uninhabited and detached, with the houses personified, and arguably more alive than the residents (Gray). Every detail of his neighborhood seems designed to inflict him with the feeling of isolation. The boy's house, like the street he lives on, is filled with decay. It is suffocating and â€Å"musty from being long enclosed.† It is difficult for him to establish any sort of connection to it. Even the history of the house feels unkind. The house's previous tenant, a priest, had died while living there. He â€Å"left all his money to institutions and the fu rniture of the house to his sister (Norton Anthology 2236).† It was as if he was trying to insure the boy's boredom and solitude. The only thing of interest that the boy can find is a bicycle pump, which is rusty and rendered unfit to play with. Even the â€Å"wild† garden is gloomy and desolate, containing but a lone apple tree and a few straggling bushes. It is hardly the sort of yard that a young boy would want. Like most boys, he has no voice in choosing where he lives, yet his surroundings have a powerful effect on him. His home and neighborhood are not the only sources of the boy's animosity. The weather is also unkind to the boy. Not only is it cold, but the short days of winter make play more difficult under the â€Å"feeb... ... is not at all that he imagined. It is dismal and dark and thrives on the profit motive and the eternal lure its name evokes in men. The boy realizes that he has placed all his love and hope in a world that does not exist except in his imagination. He feels angry and betrayed and realizes his self-deception. He feels he is â€Å"a creature driven and derided by vanity† and the vanity is his own (Sample Essays). The story provides many sources for the boy's animosity. Beginning with his home and overall environment, and reaching all the way to the adults that surround him. However, it is clear that all of these causes of the boy's isolation have something in common, he has control over none of these factors. While many of these circumstances no one can expect to have control over, it is the culmination of all these elements that lead to the boy’s undeniable feeling of lack of control. Works Cited The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 2000 Classic Notes on Dubliners. Grade Saver. 2003. Sample Essays Analyzing James Joyce's Short Story â€Å"Araby†. Gray, Wallace. Notes for James Joyce's â€Å"Araby†. World Wide Dubliners.

“Brown girl, brownstones” by Paule Marshall Essay

Plot summary The prose fiction Brown girl, brownstones by Paule Marshall, is a bildungsroman with autobiographical elements, tracking the life and experiences of the main protagonist, Selina Boyce and the family and friends in her life. Marshall uses various elements and techniques in the prose, to bring about different themes, characteristics and aspects in her novel. The text is set mainly in the 1930’s Brooklyn, New York, at a community of brownstone houses occupied by the Bajan immigrants. Though there are various perspectives of other personas in the prose, Marshall uses a third person narrative to show the first person perspective of Selina. The story begins with Selina at ten years old and continues until she is no longer a minor. It shows the theme of identity as Selina is trying to find who she is amongst members in her family. â€Å"But they have taken no photographs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  was one of the first time Selina’s loneliness can be seen in the text. She is jealous of the fact her parents took photographs of the family before the death of her infant brother, yet took no keepsakes of hers. Then it goes on to where Marshall is a very descriptive narrator, using a cinematic effect in her story telling. The scenes shift continuously to suggest simultaneous action which produces a dramatic effect that helps to build conflict and suspense. She also uses devices and diction to bring about various themes and symbolic elements in her text. She uses the technique of epigraph to start each chapter, it is a type of foreshadowing, hinting of what will happen throughout the chapter. It also helps to characterize individuals in the story. Contrast is also a reoccurring technique in the text, as characters such as Silla and Deighton, Ina and Selina, have contradictory personalities. There is also contradiction in the symbols and diction in the text. Words such as ‘winter’ and ‘Sun’, ‘darkness’ and ‘light’, are contradictory symbols referring to the characteristics of individuals such as Selina’s parents in the text. The write r involves the use of the Bajan dialect as well as English, as if trying to incorporate the reader in the culture of Barbados and also add credibility and realism to the story. It suggests pride in the Bajan culture. The author uses various figurative devices in the text. There is a heavy focus on the use of personification and architectural imagery. Symbolism is evident in the prose; using colors such as red to represent romance and sexual relationships; and white, and  brownstones to represent upward mobility, status and unattainable goals. Land in the text is also symbolic of independence and opportunity. The use of conflict, such as; mother-daughter, husband-wife, black-white, is brought out by the symbols and conflicting elements in the prose. It shows the destruction in relationships, and accentuates climatic moments, such as when Deighton, used the money Silla stole from him, or when Silena told the whole Bajan association, she’d tricked them. Marshall uses devices such as; imagery, epigraph, motif, foreshadowing, pathetic fallacy and biblical allusion, to show racism, identity, women in society, family, deceit, and various other themes in the prose fiction. The denouement, begins with Silena recognizing who she is and making final decisions for herself. After all her trials and lost relationships, she finally covers her identity, accepting who she has become, the trials she is yet to face and the people in her past who has made her who she is today. Especially her mother, whom she had always fought against. Rational The life of Deighton Boyce, was the subject chosen for the poem between many view Deighton as a problem in the text Brown girl, brownstones, giving him no sympathy. The poem was intended to convey sympathy for Deighton. His life in the poem is specifically intriguing as though he causes many shifts in characteristics of others in the text, his own life is not emphasized. The poem will hopefully give an explanation of the circumstances surrounding the issues of Deighton death, and his life. Mocking Jay I saw a song bird fight a bird of prey, Beautiful-ugly, he was, filled with sorrow, was she. Night and day, He sang a tune of love and wonder, She sang back of vicis and plunder, I tried to save that mocking Jay, But the night stole him away. Where are you my mocking Jay? Trapped in the tomb of brown stones? Your young are calling, where are you? Won’t you fight the snow away? Don’t you hear the light’s moans? Has she trapped him too? No longer perched on your window silla They’ve clipped your wings You’ve destroyed their prison The flock screams their Bajan banter Fly away home my mocking Jay Swim home my song bird But, mocking Jay’s never dive†¦ I’ll send a new light your way†¦ For you to see through winter’s clock†¦ To save your flock†¦ To blind your eyes†¦ And save you from the dark†¦ Shattered tunes of my broken song bird Remember your prayers Eulogy. The sad broken memory. The life you ran away. Dead like marrow staining the asphalt. Staining corals a sea away. Songs long dead, I’ll sing them to you. I’ll pray your tarnished soul away. Deighton, my mocking Jay. Analysis The poem â€Å"mocking Jay†, is a kind of stanzaic elegy, in tribute to a character in the prose text â€Å"Brown girl, Brownstones†. The poet uses the mimicking bird, mocking jay, to represent the character Deighton in the prose text. Not only do mocking jays have a gift in music, which was one of the professional genres Deighton attempted, but they repeat everything sung to them in a mocking manner. Deighton, like these birds, reflects a mocking version of the negatives surround him; from using the money his wife stole from him, to purchase frivolous gifts to spite her; to changing his course of study every time he is confronted with racism or barriers. Deighton also  has the dream like (surreal), and fun loving attributes common to these birds. The poem comprises of four sestets, a couplet a single line and a septet. The stanza formation, is quite symbolic. The first stanza is the first of the four sestets. At the end of each sentence in this sestet is a comma. This represents the fact that this relatively pleasant chapter in his life is not yet complete, it won’t end in a ‘happy ever after’. It is as if to say that the beginning of their relationship was an unfinished dream. The second sestet ends in a question within, as if questioning the relationship, not understanding the change in the relationship and in Silla. The third sestet ends without punctuation is representative to all the times Deighton and the audience were waiting to see Silla’s response to sightings behavior. The final sestet concludes with â€Å"structured-chaotic† punctuation, of when Silla’s revenge unfolds it was chaotic in the circumstances of deportation, but structured in that it was her plan all along. Combining with the lack of punctuation, the couplet of stanza five signifies hi s never ending pain. It symbolizes that, as the lack of punctuation prevents the sentence from truly being complete, his pain and suffering will not end even in the afterlife. The single line consists of one word â€Å"Eulogy†, this refers to the speech given at a funeral or a recollection of the past doings of an individual after he is dead. This word being the shortest stanza, represents the lack of quality and memorabilia Deighton has left behind with his children. The final stanza a sestet can be tied to the biblical representation of the day God rested. The number seven represents the change that occurs after an accomplished cycle. Deighton, accomplices all he could so the last stanza represents his death the final rest he accomplished after his life cycle. The poem has a steady rhythms. Though not all stanzas have a structured rhyme scheme, the poem still flows as if it does. It is like the steady yet unusual flow of life, just as the poem is a depiction of Dighton’s life as was repre sented in the prose fiction. The first stanza contains a set of rhyming couplets, repeating the first rhyme in the last stanza (an â€Å"a, a b, b a, a† format). The last rhyme however is a forced rhyme, this is there to show that leaving the omnipresence was not something the Jay wanted, but was what was forced on him. The second stanza consists of alternate rhymes that emphasize the questioning in this stanza, that he is running alternate scenarios in his mind as to why the wife who used to love him hates him so  much now. The fourth sestet has the last rhyme, â€Å"clock† and â€Å"flock†. This symbolizes that the time he has left with his children is limited as his death is nearing. The rest of the poem is rhyming going parallel to the pores fiction as explanations are revealed in the story, the confusion and rhyming stops. The poem commences with the omnipresent narrator giving a visual imagery of the meeting between two contradicting birds. The â€Å"song bird† represents something happy, passive and peaceful, while â€Å"bird of prey† represents something sly, dominating and warlike. The story continues with oxymoronic inverted syntaxes of line two, that helps to emphasize that the creatures have contradicting personas and that their union could never last as it was based on confusion. Just as in the prose fiction, Silla thought she could turn Deighton into someone he wasn’t, and failed. The diction used in the first stanza such as; â€Å"vicis†, â€Å"Jay† and â€Å"Night†, aid in displaying the theme of conflict in relationships. ‘Vicis’ is the Latin word for change, in reference to the context it highlights Silla’s need to change her husband’s persona and fight to create a life for them that he never wanted. The capitalization diff words such as Jay and Night, personify these nonhuman objects, in the case of the Jay it helps to emphasize this being a character trait of Deighton, while the Night highlights Silla’s character as bright cold and heartless, but at that time seeming beautiful and peaceful . Lines three and four of the first stanza also help to concretize the theme of contradictory persons in relationships, displayed in the first stanza. Stanza two is a rhetorical question sestet, it constantly asks questions the ‘Jay’ is obviously unable to answer, and these are symbolic of the time where the relationship between Silla and Deighton was confusing. He didn’t know where she stood, whether still in love with him or hating h for the injustice she believes he did to their son, the first line emphasizes this. It follows with a reference to the brownstone house Silla spent a majority of the text fighting to obtain. The use of diction such as â€Å"prison†, â€Å"brown†, and â€Å"stones† was a slight pun as a Jay would find a house made of stones a prison, and juxtaposed with the text, it can be said that Deighton saw the house his wife fought so much for was like a prison to him, and a symbol of his failures in his relationships and providing for his family. Line two is the first and only mention of their children in the poem. This is symbolic as it shows that not only did Deighton not spend enough time  with them and focused more on himself, but he also failed as a father in that he couldn’t protect them from the â€Å"snow† which is a personified symbolism of his wife. The personification of the ‘light’, at the end of the stanza references all the happiness and innocence still in the family. When the persona asks about the moaning light that ‘she’ has trapped it means that he was unable to prevent the happiness and life from leaving their family, this aids in uncovering the themes of failing one’s family and loosing things that are important. The third stanza has the most textual allusions, the stanza opens with a pun, â€Å"window silla†. As a bird a sill is somewhere you can rest, be at peace like a home, in this means Deighton no longer feels at home in the browns stones. Silla is also the name of his wife so it can mean that he is also no longer feeling happy in his marriage, as shown in the text queen he began going you the house form his mistress in the nights. â€Å"They’ve clipped your wings† line two of the stanza refers to when he almost got his arm amputated due to his indolence. This is symbolic as it is a physical representative and slight foreshadowing of how his time was ending. The next line refers to the song they sang to him at the wedding. The ‘f’’, ‘s’, ‘th’ and ‘b’ fricative and plosive so funds of the fourth line in the third stanza, emphasizes the running and the drama happening in that scene of the text. The ‘swim home’ in the last line of that stanza references the Caribbean since Islands in the Caribbean are surrounded by water. The last sestet refers to the last actions before Deighton’s death. It starts with a pun, on Deighton’s childhood, as he dived for the coins white men through at him, and also an allusion to him diving to his death. The ‘new light’ is symbolic for Deighton’s religious period, where the movement of the new light helped him to finally discover himself, though completely swiping his personality. ‘winter’s clock’ is symbolic for Deighton’s attempts at going back in time to rectify the problems mainly caused by his relationship with his wife. The couplet, single line and septet, is after his death. People have pained cries due to morning Deighton’s death. The mansion of Prayers refer to his newfound beliefs and Eulogy is the speech given at a funeral. The final stanza is technically the omnipresence’s eulogy for Deighton, though it shows that he is not someone people will remember with respect. It speaks of how he could have had a life if he’d made different choices. It gives an image of his death at sea, and  its connection to his past in the Caribbean. It then shows the general sadness surrounding his death, and accentuates the theme of death in the text. The poem changes from a tone of observation, to unease, to sadness. Hopefully bringing out an overall sympathy for the persona. Though it is not a total rhyming poem, it still has a flowing rhythms that showcases the life cycle of Deighton, as shown in the text. Conclusion The text Brown girl, brownstones, is an excellent depiction of women and men in immigrant communities. Most persons generally sympathize with the women of these communities, however this poem has hopefully garnered a positive response to men in these communities, and those shown in the text. This may help persons to recognize that women were not the only ones with problems in the text. The blame for these conflicts also, should not be solely the fault of males like Deighton, in the prose, but equally shared between each individual, and characters in the prose fiction.

The Power of Eye Contact

Eye contact and eye expressions are arguably one of the strongest and most intimate forms of non-verbal communication through reading a person’s body language during face-to-face interaction. Eye contact can make or break a job interview or presentation, romantic dates, casual conversations and many other situations. It can show whether a person is feeling sad, happy, confident, excited or scared and so on.Experts say it is unclear whether it is a person’s eyeballs directly portraying the look of certain emotions or if it is the muscles surrounding the eyeball that creates the expression. â€Å"When we make eye contact with another person, we are in some sense giving that person keys to our emotional world† (Ellsberg 6). Research explains that the most distinct expression is the glistening expression of rage in a person’s eyes. It can cause the eyes to become bright, bloodshot and even protruding from the sockets, which Darwin calls an example of serviceab le expression (Ellsberg 15).Serviceable expression is one of the types of principles that Charles Darwin believes is the majority of human body language, the other one being the principle of anti-thesis, which he wrote about in his book The Expressions of Emotions in Man and Animals in 1872. Serviceable expression is natural instinct like reaction that the eyes make to a certain situation. For example, if it is bright or someone is having trouble seeing something, they will squint or if a person is surprised their eyes will widen, making their emotions obvious to others.The other principle is the principle of antithesis which is described by the â€Å"shrug†. This principle is done voluntarily and used to express opposing attitudes. In chapter one of The Power of Eye Contact by Michael Ellsberg, the author explain how many of his friends had a deep, emotional and almost very personal hatred against Bill Clinton, even though they had all never met him. At an event one night, s ome of these friends ended up face-to-face with Clinton and their views of him changed immediately all because of his powerful eye contact.Many say that Bill Clinton not only seduces woman, but everyone he makes eye contact with. He starts off with a handshake and looks deep into the eyes of that person, and when moving on to the next person, he looks back at the previous person â€Å"sealing the deal†. His eye contact is so powerful it can make whoever he is speaking to make them feel as if they are the only two in a room full of people. He can make a person feel that they are almost special to him. Many woman go home afterwards expecting a message r e-mail from Bill because they felt so connected after locking eyes in such a seductive manner. Eye contact is a natural occurrence, though, it is also a skill that can be learned to be improved on in just two weeks, illustrates chapter two. Many people have a fear of eye contact. My own personal experiences proves that some peop le out there are terrified of eye contact with strangers. A few months ago I had been getting work done on my car when the mechanic called me over to speak of some issues and that was when I realized he could not look me in the eyes.He looked everywhere else but at my eyes. When he did make the slightest eye contact with me he immediately looked in the opposite direction like it was an accident or he had did something wrong. It was so bad I could not even focus on what he was saying because I was so confused that maybe something was wrong with him or even the possibility that he might have been blind, that was how bad it was. People may be petrified by eye contact because it makes them feel vulnerable. If they make eye contact with a person then that person maybe be able to tell how they really feel.Some people just want to keep their feelings and emotions to themselves because of the possible risks of being laughed at or embarrassed. Second, others may be afraid of eye contact beca use they have social phobias or anxieties (Ellsberg 36). Psychologists have come up with steps for people to overcome their fear of eye contact. Step one consists of â€Å"eye gazing† with a friend or family member. It consists of sitting a foot or two in front of them and staring them in the eyes in intervals, helping eye contact become more comfortable for you.Next is to walk down a street and look strangers that pass in the eye just long enough to determine their eye color. If the person notices you making eye contact with them, when looking away do not look up or down, but either left or right. If you look down it is perceived as a look of shame or that you are portraying yourself to be a lesser to the other person and that they are better (Ellsberg 40). Step three requires you to hold longer periods of eye contact with strangers like waiters/waitresses or cashiers and clerks to practice making eye contact. Doing this can actually help you and others brighten up your day! Furthermore, the fourth step asks that you make substantial eye contact with family members, friends, co-workers or anyone else you may know. Showing the correct amount of eye contact during conversation shows that the person is actually paying attention to what is being said. Last but not least, take all the skills you have learned and apply them to making substantial eye contact with people you have just met. This can help you develop new experiences with people and a sense of trust with strangers just by making eye contact and reading their expressions.Eye contact is very important when it comes to determining and establishing relationships either with friends or new acquaintances, but it becomes an even more crucial skill when it comes to business, specifically in sales as it is discussed in chapter 5. â€Å"Body language is 80 percent of sales† remarks Victor Cheng, a successful business coach who has been featured on Fox News, MSNBC and even in the Wall Street Journal ( Ellsberg 105). During a business meeting Cheng was excellent at getting answers because he could read the answers to his questions because everyones eye and facial expressions were so obvious.He could read easily whether Jena hated an idea or loved it because her eyes lit right up and posture completely changed. When people say the saying â€Å"I can see it, it’s written all over your face†, this is what they mean. Reading the person is like reading a book because their expressions are so clear. Cheng further explains that eye contact in business helps you understand if the client is trusting and listening to you on the advice or input that’s being given. If eye contact is not made it may be assumed that something may be wrong with the person or that there might be some issues.If a person is trying to sell a product, even if they don’t like it or believe it in, if they act enthusiastic the customer may take that as it’s a good product and buy, thou gh it is hard to fake if its a bad product or service. On the other hand, true enthusiasm and belief in a product or service that is being sold will make it so much easier to sell compared to something that is not of good quality. People can see the difference in the salesperson’s expressions and help complete making the overall sale. When selling something the salesperson also has to be aware of the customers expressions as well.If they are not happy and it is definitely obvious the sale won’t happen, the customer will show overt signs of disinterest such as keeping their arms folded or they are not making eye contact. When making eye contact with a customer you do not want too little eye contact but not too much eye contact. The perfect amount is intermittent. Also, to fully be paying attention, you need to be listening in addition to the eye contact. In a job interview, the person being interviewed is like the product being sold.Good eye contact and expressions must be portrayed along with true interest in the person to be sold. Seeing expressions of confidence, comfort and trust are some of the greatest expressions in a job interview and workplace situation. Chapter 6, How to Wow a Crowd with Eye Contact discusses eye contact in public speaking and presentations. Toastmasters is an organization devoted to helping people learn to perfect public speaking, presentations and communication skills and consists of 250,000 members and 11,000 chapters all throughout the world (Ellsberg 131).Toastmaster holds the Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking yearly where there are many competitions and tests that weeds out the weakest to come to one final winner at the end. For some people, I know myself as well, something like Toastmaster is horrifying, having to perfect public speaking in front of large crowds purely for gruesome competition. Many previous champions stress how eye contact is an extremely important aspect of the competition and a key to becoming the best.The secret to creating the best first impression on the audience through eye contact is when the speaker comes on stage, to stand there for a bit and not begin speaking right away. The speaker gives the audience a chance to get a feel for his or her self and look them in the eyes to make each person there feel that they are â€Å"one† with the speaker when direct eye contact is made. This is called â€Å"relational presence†. It allows the audience to judge and connect with the speaker personally. When you begin to speak, share with the audience how you feel. If you are horribly sick, let them know.They will feel closer with you and understand if your speech isn’t the greatest while having even more respect in the end. If feeling overwhelmed in front of a large crown, Author and Speaker Lee Glickstein recommends breaking down the crowd into smaller groups mentally. This was something he decided to do out of fear and then later learned that many skilled speakers use this technique as well. Furthermore, nowadays many people use multimedia tactics to give presentations such as powerpoint presentations. It is a common habit to read straight off the lides which tends to put the audience to sleep, which is the biggest mistake when it comes to visual presentations. To counteract this problem try using eye contact to keep the audience awake by constantly choosing on people rather than just reading. After learning many different techniques and skills to creating strong and powerful eye contact and avoiding finding fear in those situations, it is not even the lessons we learned that really matter, it is inside you that matters. Making eye contact with people lets them see inside you, read you, and understand your emotions.As hard as someone tries, hiding emotions through their facial and eye expressions is nearly impossible. If a person is sad or uncomfortable with themselves, then they will not feel comfortable creating eye co ntact and allowing other people in to understand if they cannot understand themselves. A person must be comfortable and confident with themselves to create the distinct power in the glares that melts people like Bill Clinton has the capability to do. With a look deep into the eyes of Clinton can seduce even men, who had absolute hatred for him beforehand.One ten second glance and a handshake from Clinton emits enough charisma and strength to change a person’s view on someone they have previously strongly disliked. To have the upmost confidence to give a speech or presentation with strong eye contact, whether being close friends, co-workers or even family, it is most important to have practiced and be comfortable with yourself first. It takes belief and trust in yourself to use the skills and techniques to their maximum. Reference: Ellsberg, Michael. The Power of Eye Contact. New York: HarperCollins. 2010. Print.

How to Clear Your Mind - Unclog Your Brain - Relax

How to Clear Your Mind - Unclog Your Brain - Relax Sometimes we can get so caught up in the stress and worry of our personal lives that our minds become too jumbled to operate effectively. This is especially dangerous in a test-taking situation. After hours of reading and studying, our brains can lock up in a state of overload. In a stressful situation, it’s often necessary to clear your mind completely to allow your brain to refresh itself and recalibrate all of  its functions. But when you’re tense, clearing your mind isn’t so easy! Try this relaxation technique if you think your brain has seized up from information overload. 1. Set aside at least five minutes for quiet â€Å"clearing† time If youre at school, see if you can put your head down somewhere or find an empty room or quiet space.  If necessary, set a watch (or phone) alarm or ask a friend to tap you on the shoulder at a designated time. 2. Think of a time or place that puts you into a complete state of peace This place will be different for different people. Have you ever sat on the beach watching the waves come in and realized you’ve â€Å"zoned out† for awhile? This is the sort of experience you’re looking for. Other experiences that make us zone out could be: Sitting in the dark and staring at Christmas tree lights- remember how quiet and peaceful that feels?Lying in bed late at night listening to good musicLying on your back on a cool day watching clouds roll by 3. Cover your eyes and go to your â€Å"place† ​ If you are at school preparing for a test before class, you may simply rest your elbows on the desk and put your hands over your eyes. For some people, it may not be a good idea to put your head down. (You might fall asleep!) Use all your senses to make your experience as real as possible. If you are thinking of a Christmas tree, imagine the smell of the tree and the look of the layered shadows on the walls. Don’t let any thoughts creep into your head. As soon as you start to think about a test problem, clear away the thought and concentrate on your peaceful place. 4. Snap out of it! Remember, this is not nap time. The point here is to rejuvenate your brain. After five or ten minutes of clearing time, take a brisk walk or take a drink of water to re-energize your mind and body. Stay relaxed and resist the urge to think about the things that are stressing you out or clogging your brain. Don’t let your brain go back to freeze-out. Now go forward with your test or study session refreshed and ready!

Philadelphia Story essays

Philadelphia Story essays In George Cukors The Philadelphia Story, a definite class struggle is carried out in the pursuit of Tracy Lord (Katherine Hepburn). George Kitteridge (John Howard), a new-money industrialist with political aspirations, is engaged to Tracy. Upon the eve of their marriage, Tracys old husband and childhood friend C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) comes back in order to requite his love. A third suitor, a poetic writer named MaCauley Conner (James Stewart), also engages Traceys heart. But the real twist of The Philadelphia Story is its subtle commentary on the three backgrounds and classes that each of Tracys suitors comes from. In failing to take Tracys hand, George does not prove that a man in America cannot rise from one class to another to join the ranks of The Lords, quite the contrary he shows that in order to earn Tracys love a suitor must be more than from the same class he must understand what she truly wants. While the question of Tracys desire lingers throughout the movie, the question of her needs is addressed immediately. In the opening shot of the film, we see Tracy throw C.K out of her house, breaking a golf club of his over her knee in the process. She is obviously assertive, not to mention rich. Her concerns in marriage are easily assumed to be not material in nature. We gain further indication of her personality as her little sister Dinah (Virginia Walker) comments of Tracys wedding day, It wont rain Tracy wont stand for it. As the preparations for the wedding day continue, we can see that Tracy is the man of the house, accented by her wardrobe of masculine-cut suits and slacks. She has even advised her mother to take a stand against the infidelities of her father, and has subsequently taken his place at the head of the house. It seems that Tracy has wealth, power, intelligence and...

ACT Score Ranges Understand Your Score vs. Class Grades

ACT Score Ranges Understand Your Score vs. Class Grades SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you wondering what the highest and lowest possible scores you can get on the ACTare? And, once you receive your score, what does it mean? Many people find it difficult to understand their ACTscore because the exam doesn't usethe same kinds of grades your classes do. In this guide, we've converted ACTscores into class grades to make them easier for you to understand. What'sthe Total Range of ACT Scores? For each section of the ACT, the lowest score you can get is a 1, and the highest score you can get is a 36. The ACT contains four required sections, English, Math, Reading, and Science, and scores from each of those sections are then averaged to get a total composite score for the entire exam. The range of the composite score is also 1-36. However, that still doesn't tell you all the information you need to know. This is because it's quite uncommon for someone to get a perfect score of 36 or a low score of 1 on the ACT. Also, you're probably more used to letter grades, like A- or B+, because that's whatyou see in class. To give you a better understanding of the ACT, we've converted ACT scoresinto letter grades as well asnumericalclass grades, like 85% or 55%, that you've likely seen throughout your time in school. How Can You Interpret Your ACT Score? In the table below, we've mappedACT scores to numerical and letter class grades. We thenexplain how to interpret the results and also how we created the table. In the final section of this guide, we also discuss what a good ACT score is. Conversion of ACTScores to Class Grade Equivalents ACT Composite Score Numerical Class Grade Letter Class Grade 36 100.0 A+ 35 99.9 A+ 34 99.8 A+ 33 99.6 A+ 32 99.3 A+ 31 99.0 A+ 30 98.5 A+ 29 98.0 A+ 28 97.4 A+ 27 96.6 A 26 95.7 A 25 94.7 A 24 93.5 A 23 92.1 A- 22 90.6 A- 21 88.9 B+ 20 87.2 B+ 19 85.5 B 18 83.7 B 17 81.5 B- 16 78.7 C+ 15 75.5 C 14 71.6 C- 13 64.1 D 12 45.1 F 27.3 F 10 15.9 F 9 9.9 F 8 6.4 F 7 4.0 F 6 2.5 F 5 1.5 F 4 0.8 F 3 0.5 F 2 0.3 F 1 0.0 F How can you use this table? For example, say you got a 17 on the ACT. You'd then want to find this row: ACT Composite Score Numerical Class Grade Letter Class Grade 17 81.5 B- From the table, we can see that getting a 17 on the ACT is roughly equivalent to getting a score of 81.5% or a letter grade of B- for a class. What DoesThis Table Really Mean? Put simply, the above table takes ACT scores and converts them to class grades. This gives you a rough idea of what letter grade or percentage you would have gotten on the ACT if the exam had used those types of scoring methods. Class grades are familiar to you because you've used them your whole life, but you may not have any experience with the ACT grading scale. The table takes information you may not completely understand and converts it to something you're more familiar with. More precisely, the above table convertsACT scores to class grades based on percentiles. These percentiles were calculated based on scores of previous ACT exam-takers. The class grades percentiles were based on a large academic survey of grading trends in college (which typically closely match high school grades). So, to go from an ACT score of 17 to a class grade of a B-, we found the ACT percentile for 17, then used the survey to determine what letter grade corresponded to that same percentile. Things to Note inthe Table First, note that the distribution ofACT scores and their class grade equivalents are quite different. At the top of the ACT scale, a 36 and a 28 are 8 points apart, yet, after the conversion, they all map to an A+. That's not a typo; both a 36 and a 28 are equivalent to an A+. Why is this true? It's due to the fact that classes often don't do a great job of differentiating between great students andtruly stand-out ones. In a hypothetical class of 20 students, you might have two people earn an A+. That may seem like a small number at first, however; if that same class represented all the students in the US, only two would score a 28 or above on the ACT. This is one of the reasons the ACT is very useful to colleges, particularly highly selective colleges, because it distinguishes between great students and the very best. Another thing to note is that both class grades and ACT scores do a good job of resolving middle-of-the-pack students.Ifyou go from an ACT score of 13 to a 22 just a range of 9 that's equivalent togoing from a straight D to an A-. For students who are about average in their class or a bit below, both ACT scores and class grades have solidresolution. You may also have noted that neither ACT scores nor class grades begin at zero. Why not? Think about what you know about grading patterns and scores you and your classmates have received. When did you last hear of someone getting a 10 out of 100 as their final class grade? Failing grades are given out less than 4% of the time for class grades. Similarly, when did you last hear of someone getting less than a 10 on the ACT? Neither case is common. Even though, technically, the lowest ACT score is a 1, less than 1% of people taking the ACT get lower than a 10.Therefore, it's more realistic tothink of the ACT as starting from 13, not 1. Can You Really Convert ACT Scores to Class Grades? Yes, it's completely possible to convert ACT scores to class grades; however, it's not an exact science, and there are a few things you should be aware of. First, remember that ACTsand your school classes don't testthe same thing. The ACT is a multiple-choice exam takenin one sitting. Classes, on the other hand, require hours of learning and schoolwork over a long period of time. Additionally, you take the ACT alone, but in your classes you work with teachers and classmates every day. Because the two measure very different things, getting a B- in a class does NOT automatically equala 17 on the ACT, and vice versa. Additionally, class grades aren't as rigorous as the ACT. If you got an A- in a class, would you consider that a good grade? If half the class got an A or an A+, then your A- would be considered a bad grade. Conversely, if you were the only person to get an A in that class all year, that A- would be a great grade. Therefore, you shouldn't view the conversion too rigidly. However, those notes aside, you're correct if you think about the table as "lining up," say, different varieties of races at a track meet. For example, you can't compare someone's performance in the 100-meter dash with a marathoner, but you could say that someone who completed the 100-meter dash in 10 seconds was at an Olympic level, while 2 hours 10 minutes would also be considered an Olympic level marathon time. What’s Next? Not sure what ACT score you should be aiming for? Read this guide to figure out your target ACT score. Want to begin or continue prepping for the ACT? We have a guide that explains every single question type on the ACTso that you're completely prepared for the test! Looking for an easy way to boost your ACT score? Learn aboutthe most common mistakes students make when guessing on the ACTand how you can avoid them. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Starbucks' Foreign Direct Investment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Starbucks' Foreign Direct Investment - Case Study Example rbucks experience† in a foreign country, the company decided to consider entering into a â€Å"joint-venture† agreement with the foreign business partners. By doing so, it was easier on the part of Starbucks to transfer its business culture and practice to Japan. This was done by instructing some American employees to train the newly hired workers in Japan. By teaching the foreign workers on how Starbucks is making their coffee, the company was able to extend the Starbucks atmosphere in a foreign land. Starbucks decided to enter into a joint-venture agreement with its pre-selected foreign business partners. As a common knowledge, Starbucks is new in a foreign country. Therefore, it would be very difficult on the part of Starbucks to gain sufficient knowledge about the business licensing requirements in Japan, its existing labor policies, and the business culture in Japan among others (Morrison et al., 2008, p. 56). By taking advantage of the joint venture agreement, it will be so much easier on the part of Starbucks to learn more about the Japanese market. Likewise, joint-venture will also help the company remove barriers related to cultural and language differences (Kreitner & Cassidy, 2011, p. 96). Without losing Starbucks’ control over its foreign business partner, the joint-venture agreement will make it easier for Starbucks to establish a strong business relationship with its potential suppliers. Q.3 What are the advantages of a joint-venture entry mode for Starbucks over entering through wholly owned subsidiaries? On occasion, Starbucks has chosen a wholly owned subsidiary to control its foreign expansion (i.e. in Britain and Thailand). Why? Among the advantages of joint-venture agreement includes allowing Starbucks to share the risks of operating its business in a foreign market like the Britain and Thailand (Schermerhorn, 2010, p. 383). In case Starbucks’ target consumers in a foreign land do not patronize Starbucks’ products and services, the

Black Nationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Black Nationalism - Essay Example ings in a comprehensive manner; comparing various views, common sense, philosophical tendencies, and/ or set of ideas that are proposed by class that is dominant in a given society (Michael 6). The main logic behind ideology is to bring about change that is deemed desirable in the society, or through a normative process, facilitate adherence to certain ideals where there is already the existence of conformity. The use of ideology in search for freedom among the blacks is one of the most evident across the world. This is because, for a long time the blacks have been advocating for gaining the national identity like the other races. Their advocacy was informed by the fact that the blacks across the world were under various forms of bondage namely colonialism in Africa and slavery in America. As a result, they were racially discriminated, and politically and economically sidelined in addition to losing their identity, thus, the rise of Black Nationalism. In the United States, Black Nationalism referred to a social and political movement that held set of beliefs that the American Americans should have political, economic, and social institutions that are distinct and separate from those of white society. This discussion will critically analyze the significance of black separatism ideological approach that was beneficial to the Black quest for freedom and self- determination. The ideology of Black separatism was one of the major ideologies under the political slogan ‘Black Power’. The ideology was pushed forward by Black Power adherents who believed in Black autonomy and the need of blacks separating from the whites economically, politically, and socially. The ideology was prominent in the 1960s and 1970s during the Black Power movement that emphasized on recognition and respect of black race identity and advocated for the creation of black social and political institutions in order to promote the collective interests of the blacks and advance their values as well

Legal, Social, and Economic Environments of Business Assignment

Legal, Social, and Economic Environments of Business - Assignment Example Despite small businesses enjoying a wide range of advantages over their large business counterparts like lower initial costs, flexibility in terms of operations and maximization of the few niche of customers that they handle, there are still several issues and challenges surrounding the handling of such businesses if not just a few that they have to contend with and manage. The issues revolve around finances of such organizations, management problems including wrangles in leadership and employee issues (Associates & Granville, 1989). The simple survey I carried out revealed to me a gist that many small businesses are at the dire risk of being bankrupt, this majorly arises due to the fact that most small businesses do not have at their disposal a wide range of financial sources to get money (Associates & Granville, 1989). Undercapitalization has also been highly attributed to poor planning and management of the few resources that are at their disposal, in our case there are very creative innovations without financiers. This is also largely attributed to the fact that a private businessperson has access to all the finances of the business and may not be in possession of all the knowledge to manage the resources (Hisrich, 2004). Another contributor to the financial challenges is the fact that small businesses all financial liability finally rests on a single person who becomes liable to all business debts in case of liability hence financial burden. Apart from undercapitalization, most small businesses suffer businesses also suffer problems of general mismanagement due to lack of skills by their owners who act as the central managers to the businesses (Hisrich, 2004). ... Apart from undercapitalization, most small businesses suffer businesses also suffer problems of general mismanagement due to lack of skills by their owners who act as the central managers to the businesses (Hisrich, 2004). This problem can only be eliminated if management can be separated from ownership. Actually this problem as observed in many small businesses resulted from a myth called the â€Å"Entrepreneurial Myth† where an expert in a given filed is believed to be in the position of running a successful business in the same field. This is normally not the case (Associates & Granville, 1989). Problems with employees is normally not that much in small businesses but still due to one on one touch with all its employees the business at times come to loggerheads with its employees (Hisrich, 2004). To help on the challenges above several legally instituted businesses are at the disposal of an entrepreneur to pick from when considering alleviating such issues. One is the sole proprietorship: this is a business entity where there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business (Hisrich, 2004). The owner enjoys all the profits and the benefits, has all the control in business operations with the only major challenge being difficulties in raising capital and harsh local authority taxation laws and regulations (Hisrich, 2004). Secondly, we have the partnerships. As opposed to sole trader, partnership is an association of more than one individual and a maximum of around twenty who in an association spirit comes together and draws what we call a partnership deed that is a legal binding document for all partners (Associates & Granville, 1989). This document defines their extent of operation and business insolvent. In this form of business, profits

FAS 202 Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

FAS 202 Final - Essay Example Baroque era ideas of empire, iconography and compositions movement occur in the eighteenth century. Conversely, architecture is emanates from the Renaissance in Europe in the fifteenth century extending to the corresponding sixteenth century subsequent to the development of the Gothic. Renaissance Architecture was first developed by Filippo Brunelleschi. The two works of art that is painting and architecture have very close correlation in regard to the places initial places they commenced. Baroque painting and Renaissance architecture style begun in Italy then subsequently spread to other parts of Europe. They are interrelated in regard to painting and architecture in that they both utilize distinctive classical forms, which are used in books, valuable objects and oil painting. This makes them relatively easier to compare and contrast. Baroque painting style commenced within Rome, Italy and subsequently spread to other parts of Europe. Moreover, it is closely associated with the renowned Baroque cultural movement that is it associated with Absolutism (Castex, 2008). Absolutism is a renowned Counter Reformation and the Catholic Revival. It mainly possesses fundamental era ideas of empire, iconography and compositions movement that took place in the eighteenth century. Baroque painting is characterized by massive performance that is rich in deep color and corresponding deep light coupled with the dark shadows. These features are mainly utilized to depict the duration prior to the event (Dickerson, 2013). Renaissance architecture occur in the period amidst 15th and early 17th centuries within diverse regions of the Europe due to the conscious revival and advancement of particular elements pertaining to ancient Greek and Roman and the corresponding material culture (Bohn & Saslow, 2013). It followed the renowned Gothic architecture that was succeeded by the corresponding Baroque architecture Renaissance architecture majorly employ Classical art

Promotion - Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications Essay

Promotion - Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications - Essay Example To me, the introduction of the white, brown and chocolate-sandwiched bread gave me the knowledge about their efficiency in reaching the customers in time with information on the loss, existence or price increase or fall of these products. The company makes sure that the public, customers or audience in the communication field are reached in the most amicable and plausible way. The company sets information through the points of purchase, the supermarkets within the region. This perfectly reaches the customers as these are the points where they continuously get into contact with the company. The company does this through the use of banners. The company also gets into contact with the customers through the internet and at this point the Andronico’s Company passes information to the customers through the social interactive network platforms, like the tweeter, facebook and other social platforms (Lee & Park, 2007, p 235). To effectively pass the information to the customers about t he products, the company uses direct mail in the case where they have the contact mails of the esteem customers. This will get the customers with notification and beware of the situation in the markets (Lee & Park, 2007, p 228). This will reduce the wasting of time to go to the markets to buy a product not in the market. The company also uses the print media to communicate to the customers about the product that they are interested in. with line this, the company also uses the broadcast media which reaches most of its customers as the broadcast media is widely spread throughout the country. The company organizes events and through which all the relevant information is provided to the customers of specific goods. This will be followed by new information on counter products in place for the lost products in the market at the moment. Andronico’s communicates to the customers through the processes of sales

Methods for Resolving Small Scale Systems Problems Essay - 1

Methods for Resolving Small Scale Systems Problems - Essay Example General systems theory is often used to solve many problems. Problems are nothing new for human being. Since the creation of mankind, it is a common fact that human beings are continuously facing different problems and adopt various techniques to cope with these problems. Situations that may arise time to time always require some action to cope with them. Moreover, problems may be well defined and at small scale like opening a can, solving some mathematical problem and scoring in any specific game. On the other hand problems and issues may be of large scale. This may include the opening of a business which requires proper strategies, planning at each and every step. So, each and every problem always requires some specific strategy and solution. However, it does not mean that one solution is used to resolve any particular issue only and it is not suitable for some other problem. 2. After that you have to choose the strategy in order to solve the problem. For that purpose you should consider all those strategies and solutions that are available. Just adopt one that you think best out of all. Here, I want to mention that the basic reason to explain all the above mentioned details is to make it clear that problem solving always requires some specific phases whether short term goals are required to achieve or long term goals. So, here we can also say that problem solving of large scale systems can be applied to smaller scale systems as well because the basic thing to follow is to consider all the required phases accordingly. Now, I am going to explain briefly some of the systems methodologies that are described to resolve the problems of large scale systems. I will further explain that how these strategies can be applied to smaller scale systems. Basically, systems science and systems theory evolved to handle the real world and to resolve complex, intertwined, large scale and small scale systems problems. Remember, problems always contain some sort

Promotion - Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications Essay

Promotion - Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications - Essay Example To me, the introduction of the white, brown and chocolate-sandwiched bread gave me the knowledge about their efficiency in reaching the customers in time with information on the loss, existence or price increase or fall of these products. The company makes sure that the public, customers or audience in the communication field are reached in the most amicable and plausible way. The company sets information through the points of purchase, the supermarkets within the region. This perfectly reaches the customers as these are the points where they continuously get into contact with the company. The company does this through the use of banners. The company also gets into contact with the customers through the internet and at this point the Andronico’s Company passes information to the customers through the social interactive network platforms, like the tweeter, facebook and other social platforms (Lee & Park, 2007, p 235). To effectively pass the information to the customers about t he products, the company uses direct mail in the case where they have the contact mails of the esteem customers. This will get the customers with notification and beware of the situation in the markets (Lee & Park, 2007, p 228). This will reduce the wasting of time to go to the markets to buy a product not in the market. The company also uses the print media to communicate to the customers about the product that they are interested in. with line this, the company also uses the broadcast media which reaches most of its customers as the broadcast media is widely spread throughout the country. The company organizes events and through which all the relevant information is provided to the customers of specific goods. This will be followed by new information on counter products in place for the lost products in the market at the moment. Andronico’s communicates to the customers through the processes of sales

How to Be a Successful Working Student Essay Example for Free

How to Be a Successful Working Student Essay How to Be a Successful Working Student To work while studying is something that will really stress you out if you don’t know how to manage your time and settle your priorities. Your life, your work, your relationships all seem to conspire to deny you the time needed to do the reading, the writing, and the classes needed to complete your course of study, or so it seems. However, it doesn’t mean that you have to punish yourself and neglect the enjoyment that is offered by student life. As for me, now that I have to balance my work and my studies, I follow some guiding principles so that as much as possible I would not sacrifice my performance in school and in my work. There are a lot of things to consider before I decide on how I will spend an hour, a minute, or a moment of my day but to manage time does not mean about getting more time, it is about using it more effectively. We can’t control time, but we can always settle what to do with it. Planning my day ahead and knowing what my limitations are, I try to follow a scheduled time so that I won’t be trapped in a situation that is already out of my control. And with other obligations, I know that I have less study time than those students who can spend full-time on study. So, I know that I have to maximize it. There are times here and there which I use to maximize my time. For example, reading a course material on the commute, during the meal break at work, while waiting for the class to start, or in other spare minutes. Since these pockets of times are short-spare time in between tasks, I make my reading materials in a handy format. Then, as much as possible, I try to connect with others. I know that I should not take it all by myself. A good way to combat stress and loneliness is to seek out the company of people whom you know you can have a good time and share your problems with. Those â€Å"pieces of gold†, or the positive and enjoyable moments could lift up my spirits and help me to begin to see things in a new and balanced way. And lastly, I learn to always see things positively. That is a rule of thumb, because if I allow myself to be consumed by negative thoughts, it will only leave me depressed and would not be able to cope up with what my schedule asks of me. To always ask GOD for guidance and acknowledging that I cannot do things by my own. I just always remind myself that I am a student who is working, not a worker who is studying. I always put my studies first before anything because I know that it is one thing that I can hold on in the long run. To work while studying is one opportunity that I know I should be thankful, so now that I am already in this situation and is handling more responsibility, I just see this as a chance to grow and become more of a better, mature person. Any working student may agree with me that it is really hard to balance school and work, so to those who are committing their time fully to their studies, do not envy us when we receive our salaries. Just be grateful because time cannot be bought. That’s one thing that I have learned since I started to become a working student.

Manchester City Swot Analysis Marketing Essay

Manchester City Swot Analysis Marketing Essay INTRODUCTION The project is basically about the two football teams from different football clubs. The idea is to make a strategic comparison between the two teams. The names of the football teams that have been taken for comparison include the Manchester City Football club and Barcelona Football club. The team Manchester city is basically from the English premier league whereas the team Barcelona is from the Spanish Division (Barcelona Soccer Institute, 2012). Both the teams have a good reputation in the Football industry around the Globe. The aim of the project is to analyze the mission and vision statements of both these clubs and compare them to analyze the comparative effectiveness of the two. This will provide more information as to who is the better side of the two of them. On the other hand SWOT analysis of both teams will also be conducted and compared to see which team has the most strengths and opportunities available. BACKGROUND AND HISTORY Manchester City Football club is basically an English premier league football club located and based in Manchester. It was founded in 1880 and was initially called West Gorton. Then in 1887 they became Ardwick Association Football club and then they became Manchester City in 1894. Thisclub has played at the City of Manchester stadium since the period of 2003, and have also played for Maine Road from 1923 as well (Wikipedia, Manchester City F.C., 2013). the most cherishing and successful period for the club was in the late 1960s and the early part of 1970s when they managed to win the league championship, League Cup, FA Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup under the management of Malcolm Allison and Joe Mercer. After being defeated in the FA cup final of 1981, the cup actually went into the phase of decline, totally culminating in relegation towards the third tier of English football in 1998. This was the only time in their history that they went so down. After having regained the sta tus of premier league, the club was eventually purchased by the Abu Dhabi United Group and the club became one of the wealthiest in the world. In the year 2011 the Manchester city club managed to qualify for the champions league and was able to win the FA cup. In the year 2012 the club managed to win the premier league, which is also referred to as their first league title in the past forty years. On the other hand Futsal Club Barcelona is there from the emergence of their football club in 1899. FC Barcelona, which is also known as merely Barcelona or Barca is actually based in Barcelona Catalonia in Spain (Wikipedia, History of FC Barcelona, 2011). The team was actually founded by a group of English, Spanish and Swiss footballers, and this group was actually led by Joan Gamper. The club has been known to play amateur football in the early years until 1910 in various competitions that were regional. It was also in 1910 that the club participated in the first of their European competitions, and since that time the club has been able to win 10 UEFA trophies and a sextuple. By the year 1928 Barcelona co-founded La liga which is the top tier in Spanish football, and they also found some small string of football clubs as well. Barcelona has never been relegated from La liga and share the same record as one of their competitors known as the real Madrid. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Corporate governance is basically a system of rules, processes and practices by which the company is controlled and directed. The concept actually involves balancing the interests of the various stakeholders in the company. Looking at the structure of both the football clubs, both are very similar and follow a business format of a public limited company. Manchester city Football club has been having a good time with the management and all the stakeholders of the company are satisfied (Corporate Info, 2012). The main reason behind this is that the management of the football club aims to motivate the football players and fans for the company, on the other hand the players believe in continuous and quality. The main aim of this football club is to fulfill the expectations of their fans and people. On the other hand Barcelona is one of the most successful clubs of the world. The club believes in total quality and promotes many core values like healthy diet, tolerance, and sports for the disabled. On the other hand the club also speaks against racism (Pont, 2011). The management of the company and the players has been facing some problems; therefore Barcelona fails to balance the interests of various stakeholders of the company. SWOT ANALYSIS BARCELONA FOOTBALL CLUB STRENGTHS Barcelona has a strong local Brand name and the best club in Europe and Spain. The Camp Now stadium of Barcelona has a seating capacity in excess of 100000 Barcelona has the best players in the world that are playing for their Team. The brands known as the UNICEF, Qatar Foundation and Nike are associated Brands with the Barcelona Football Club. This means that the team has one of the best brand endorsements in the world. WEAKNESSES The team is known to have a lot of controversies in the football matches. It is basically from the lesser popular and famous clubs as compared to the clubs that are English OPPORTUNITY The club has the opportunity to increase their fan bases from the countries like china, USA and India. If the Barcelona football club is able to focus on more advertising and promotions then this will help the club a lot in building brand equity. THREATS The other clubs that are prevalent in Europe are buying out the good players out of Barcelona. This can be fatal for the club if they do not stop this from happening The club has reported a lot of internal problems between the players and management which can also pose a threat to the wellbeing of the club in the future. The club has been known to have a lot of financial debt because it has been involved in the player transfers of expensive players. This can cause liquidity problems to the club in the future. MANCHESTER CITY SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS The Manchester city football club has a local positioning within Manchester The club has a lot of openness and innovation in the department of culture. They allow players from all cultures to prove their worth and join the club. The club has some of the richest sponsors as compared to other clubs. WEAKNESSES The club has a weak presence in the city of Manchester because many other competitors are also popular over here. The name of this club is not very well established as compared to other clubs. Most of the players playing in this club are average players. OPPORTUNITIES The club should higher better players and make use of the rich sponsors that they have. This will improve of the performance of the club in the future. The club should get more brand endorsements to improve the brand image of the club. The club can higher some of the best coaches around the world given the fact that the club is rich. THREATS Manchester United Football club is better than Manchester City and is more popular in Manchester than any other football club. As the case with other clubs internal problems are prevalent in this club between the management and the Coach. The club should ensure that the problems do not get worse in the future. ICEBERG PRINCIPLES THEORY The iceberg is basically a model that not only considers the visible logical level of the subject, but also explains the invisible emotional level of the subject (GmbH). The logic level of the subject which includes the strategy, structure, functions and processes usually accounts for 10% of the overall human capacity whereas the cultural level amounts to 90% of the human capacity. Following is the sketch for a typical Iceberg Theory. The structure of the iceberg principle and its 5 process levels STRATEGIC LEVEL At the strategic level Manchester city FC aims for delivering the best quality football to its fans. They are basically concerned for high performance and value for the shareholders of the company. On the other hand the Barcelona football club claims to be one of the best in the world and they claim that they are not just a club; they are more than a club. STRUCTURAL LEVEL The management performance for Barcelona has been poor at the structural level because the company has incurred many losses because of expensive player contracts. On the other hand Manchester city has one of the richest management team. The management team rewards its players very well and their goal is quality performance for the fans. PROCESS LEVEL Manchester city claims that its core values include serving the fans of the football club by portraying excellent performance. Their main aim is to create continuous value for its fans and the shareholders of the company. On the other hand Barcelona aims to work about by following the core values including the treatment of sports as the focal point, supporting the strategic plans of the club and exploring the new areas of financing for the club. The club also aims at bringing the members closer to the club in terms of activity and communication. FUNCTIONAL LEVEL The performance level of the employees or the players of Manchester city has been very high in the present. This is because they have recently won the premier league for the first time in the past forty years. Therefore, the performance level of the players has been excellent. On the other hand Barcelona has been struggling recently because of some clashes between the management and players of the club. On the other hand there have been many player transfers from this team in the recent years which has affected the team chemistry to some extent. However the team has the potential to bounce back from such problems because it is one of the best clubs of the Spanish league. CULTURAL LEVEL At the cultural level Barcelona football club has been committed to promote the society as much as possible. They see children and young people as their main beneficiaries and are also known to promote values and education. The club has also organized many sporting activities for the civilians of the country. On the other hand Manchester city is known to play for the fans. They have highly praised the fans of the football club for their never ending support. On the other hand Manchester city has Donated 500000 pounds to the Royal Manchester Childrens hospital recently and has also been known to perform charity work for the people. Therefore both the clubs have a good relationship with the fans and the society at the cultural level CONCLUSION After all the analysis that has been conducted for both Manchester city and Barcelona, it is true to say that there are some considerable differences in the results. Considering the SWOT analysis of both the clubs, it is evident that Barcelona is no doubt a better side than Manchester City by all means. This is because they have the best players from around the world, and some excellent brand endorsements as compared to Manchester City who are usually ranked as an average side overall. However Barcelona has been facing a lot of internal problems such as the problems between players and management, the frequent transfer of expensive players, and their recent financial crises. Manchester city does not have any such problems and are a more stable side because they have one of the richest clubs in the world. On the other hand the Vision and mission statements of both the football leagues are good. The mission statement of Manchester city is more thorough than that of Barcelona. The corporate governance of Manchester city is better than that of Barcelona, and the Iceberg principle also looks more favorable for Manchester City overall. Therefore Manchester City is surprisingly a more stable side as compared to Barcelona despite the fact that Barcelona has a better football club.