Honesty in Negotiation

Furthermore, author accepts the complexity of exception and discusses different situation where deception can be accepted. For instance, he mentions concealment or failure to reveal as a form of acceptable behavior in some situation that involves negotiation. To my opinion, failure to reveal is not acceptable in the situation when something very important is strategically hidden from opposite side, which can completely change the direction of negotiation.Further author discusses other unacceptable forms of influences that are broadly used in bargaining, but proofed by multiple research groups to influence human reception and decision-making skills National Center for Biotechnology Information unacceptable and shouldn't be used in negotiation. In addition, scarcity, as a form of influence where final decision is affected by impression about the scarcity of the resource, should also be prohibited in negotiation. I believe practice of such forms of influences should be considered manipu lations and unacceptable in bargaining.The only time when such forms of influence can be acceptable is when they happen naturally, and not planned in advance as part of negotiating strategy. In addition, people should know in advance and be aware of the presence of natural forms of influences, so they can base their decisions accordingly and independently from those influences. As a result, the main point is the importance of making people aware of any forms of influence to demonstrate your respect of their right to know the most accurate information so they can make the most ethically responsible decisions as they can.In other words, treat people the way you want to be treated. For instance, if people are made aware of incomplete information prior to agitation, then it can help them make more rational and informed decisions. Furthermore, author discusses deception about reservation prices, where deception can be more acceptable in some situations. For instance, most of the time bef ore the negation people have firm idea of what result they expect. However, during negotiation process people can change their mind, or can be persuaded into changing their mind.In fact, experienced negotiators can estimate many different directions the negotiation can take, and base their negotiation behavior and actions accordingly. For instance, experienced used car salesman can change the mind of the beer who is trying to negotiate the price down by explaining all great option car has, including low mileage, clear past accident report, great maintenance report. The car salesman genuinely believe into the value and quality of the product he is trying to sell, and at the same time he is trying to convince the customer that the vehicle is priced right.As a result, the customer is convinced and agrees to buy the car for the listed price. I think this form of influence is acceptable and ethical, because salesman uses his expertise and knowledge in negotiation to convince the customer to buy the vehicle. As buyer got more information about the car of his interest, he became aware of new considerations about the value of the vehicle, and as a result he has changed his mind. I believe such form of influence is normal part of negotiation process. A common type of deception, according to the author, is vagueness or ambiguity during the negotiations.In fact, such techniques are commonly used for indirect communication, where negotiators have limited trust for one another. According to author, these techniques are used for self-protection, where negotiators are not completely open, but not for the purposes of confusion or selfish gains. I believe in situation like this, it is acceptable to use vagueness or ambiguity during negotiations, and I wouldn't classify it as an actual deception. However, it would be the exclusion from the rule, rather than a rule. Most of the times vagueness or ambiguity is used to mislead or confuse the negotiator.In addition, author discusse s further that trust is very important, and if there is no trust, then it is unfair to risk everything for the interest or moral rights of others. Author also puts special emphasis on the importance of fairness. Author explains that since negotiation takes place in the untrustworthy environment, fairness plays key role in building that trust ground, so both parties can further involve and participate in the equally honest negotiation. I believe honesty helps to build trust and is the most important part of an effective negotiation.

Aegis Case Analysis Essay

The main question posed in this case is whether Aegis management should continue the relationships with their partners ProPack and POMS, and if they decided to continue with the relationships, how to structure them more effectively. Operating in a slumping economy, Aegis was worried about their level of sales resulting from the partnerships they had entered into. The main goal for Aegis when entering into both partnerships was to bolster sales, and neither company had accomplished that. With the possibility of terminating either relationship, Aegis would have to find another strategy for improved sales. With the absence of this strategy, it will be more productive for the company to restructure their existing relationships. Looking at this case through the concept of strategic alliances will help to find a strategy that will pull Aegis out of its downhill slide. For both relationships, Aegis has entered into licensing and distribution agreements. POMS and ProPack have combined their name with Aegis for separate products, as well as working together to distribute each other’s products. Unfortunately, in this situation economies of scale will not work to lower costs because of the nature of the product and the industry Aegis is competing in. Aegis and its partners have developed a product that is the technological standard for its category, but can continue to add value to the product, making it desirable and useful in the future. In my opinion, the best way to increase the benefits of these relationships is to foster an environment of trust and communication to operate in. This may mean revisiting the contracts that are in place to redefine what each entity wants out of the agreement, and the best way to go about creating sales. If they can do this effectively I believe the companies will work better together, creating more value for potential customers. This will result in an increase in sales for their products.

Apa Style Guide

American Psychological Association (APA) APA Style Manual 6th Edition Quick Reference Writing-Style Handbook Strayer University March 1, 2010 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION4 CHAPTER 1 Basic Form and Appearance5 Margins5 Spacing5 Font Styles5 Page Numbers5 Page Headers6 Title Page6 Headings8 Numbers9 Lists10 Abbreviations10 Tables and Figures10 CHAPTER 2SUPPORTING DOCUENTATION FOR ACADEMIC PAPERS13 In–Text Citation13 Direct Quotations14 Works with no Author or with an Anonymous Author15 Work by Two Authors16 Work by Multiple Authors, five or more16 Paraphrasing17 Do Not Plagiarize18 Using Block Quotations19 Reference List: Basic Rules20 References within the Reference List20 Reference Examples for Periodicals 20 Reference Examples for Non-Periodicals21 Electronic Sources22 Examples for Internet Sources22 Miscellaneous Sources 24 CHAPTER 3 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES26 APA Writing Style Quick Reference Introduction This writing-style handbook is intended to provide basic examples of APA style, modeled after the 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2010). The intent is not to provide detailed instructions relative to every question that may arise. The quick reference is to help students become familiar with the APA style of writing academic papers in a university setting. The key is getting students to not fear writing assignments. Writing is like reading. Students need a lot of practice to help them master the skill. Chapter 1 BASIC FORM AND APPEARANCE Setting up the paper: Margins Set up all margins, using 1-inch margins on all sides of each page. Justify the left side of the page, leave the right side ragged. Spacing The first line of each paragraph should be indented five spaces. The text, throughout the paper, must be doubled-spaced. Use one or two spaces between sentences and one space between words. Be consistent throughout paper. Font Styles The text, throughout the paper, must be written in the same font: Use Time New Roman. Use 12-point size. For emphasis, italics may be used; do not use bold, underlining, or all-capital letters. Page Numbers Insert page numbers in the upper right-hand corner, 1† inside the margin of the paper and ? † from top of page (see Example 1). When inserting the page numbers, do not use the abbreviation P. or p. or the word page. All pages will be numbered in sequence, starting with the title page (page 1) and ending with the reference list. Page Headers Typically, the running head is required only for publication. Check with your instructor regarding the preference for using a running head. The words Running head, only appear on the title page. Use no more than the first 50 characters of the title, left justified of the page number, located in the page header of the paper, and located ? † from the top of the page and 1† from the right edge of the paper. Running-Page Header and Page Number Running head: TITLE OF PAPER1| Title Page A title page is included. When creating a title page, the following information must be centered on the page: Running head and page number Full title of the paper Author’s Name Strayer University Instructor Course (MKT500) Date Complete Title Page with Page Header and Running head Running head: APA QUICK REFERENCE 1 APA Quick Reference Writing-Style HandbookAuthorStrayer UniversityInstructorCourseDate| Headings To organize a paper using headings, establish a hierarchy of sections throughout the paper. This hierarchy functions as an outline, revealing the paper’s organizations. Add an extra space above headings, to set off new topics. Center-section headings contain no caps or underlining. Bold must be used. There are 5-heading levels, in APA, to separate and classify paper sections. The 6th edition of the APA manual revises and simplifies previous heading guidelines. Regardless of the number of levels, always use the headings in order, beginning with level one. The format of each level is illustrated below: APA Headings| Level| Format| 1| Centered, Boldface, Uppercase, and Lowercase Headings| 2| Left-aligned, Boldface, Uppercase, and Lowercase Heading| 3| Indented, boldface, and lowercase heading with period. | 4| Indented, boldface, italicized, and lowercase heading with period. Paraphrased: Passage rewritten to express the idea of the author, but in your own words: For many employees with health problems, often making the decision of whether or not to change jobs is based on the need to maintain the same health insurance coverage and not on the prospect of a better career opportunity (Baker, 2003) ** Three or more consecutive words directly from a source is considered a direct quote and must be cited as a direct quote. Citing Personal Communications: For letters, memos, e-mail, interviews:S. U. Varnes (personal communication, May 12, 2001). *Do not list on Reference page. | Using Block Quotations Block Quotes are identified as a freestanding quote with more than 40 words. Indent the Quote only five spaces from the left margin. Do not use quotation marks. * See the example for formatting block quotations. Note that the end punctuation, for a block quotation, follows the quotation, not the citation. * End the quotation with a period. Block Quotation Author’s name not given within sentence used to introduce quote: When we compare adult students who return to college after being in the workplace we find Adult students are often more dedicated to achieving their college education than many traditional students. Most adult students who make the choice to return to college are accustomed to prioritizing their tasks. These individuals have experienced the demands of juggling their responsibilities and are more willing and able to take the initiative to succeed in their academic career (Smith, 2002, p. 121). Many adults who have excelled in their professional lives know how to apply themselves in their new academic life. Author’s name used to introduce quote: Smith (2002) points out that adult student are often more dedicated to achieving their college education than many traditional students. Most adult students who make the choice to return to college are accustomed to prioritizing their tasks. These individuals have experienced the demands of juggling their responsibilities and are more willing and able to take the initiative to succeed in their academic career (p. 121). Many adults who have excelled in their professional lives know how to apply themselves in their new academic life. Reference List: Basic Rules and Format Your reference list should appear at the end of your paper. It provides the information necessary for a reader to locate and retrieve any source you cite in the body of the paper. Each source, you cite in the paper, must appear in your reference list; likewise, each entry in the reference list must be cited in your text. Your references should begin on a new page, separate from the text of the essay; label this page References centered at the top of the page. (Do NOT underline, or use quotation marks for the title. ) All text should be double-spaced just like the rest of your essay. Your references must be in alphabetical order and reverse indented when the references are more than one line. References within the Reference Page Reference Examples for Periodicals Magazine Article, No Author [article title. (year, month day). magazine name, volume (issue #, if applicable), page number(s). ] Duke Power understates earnings. (2003, May 1). Newsweek, 5(1), 23-24| Magazine Article, One Author [author last name, first initial. (year, month day). article title, magazine name, volume (issue number, if applicable), page number(s),] Smith, J. (2003, May 1). Duke Power understates earnings. Newsweek, 5(1), 23-24| Magazine Article, Multiple Authors If a magazine or journal article has more than two authors, identify all authors by name. Do not use et al.

Rare Earth Minerals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rare Earth Minerals - Essay Example According to the IUPAC, these elements include Yttrium, Scandium and the fifteen Lanthanoids of the periodic table. Yttrium and Scandium exhibit similar physical and chemical properties. They usually exist in their compound forms in the same ore deposits and that is the reason why they are termed as rare (Saunders, p23). With the exception of the radio active promethium, the rest of the rare earth minerals are relatively plentiful and they are distributed all over the earth’s crust inform of ores or minerals. Centum is one of the rare earth’s element, however, it is the 25th most abundant element with a concentration of 68 part per million (Saunders, p24). Due to their geochemical properties, these elements are greatly dispersed all over the earth’s crust and are only found in traceable amounts which can be economically mined in the forms referred to us rare earth minerals. The question that we should asks ourselves, is why the united States hire and pay China to ship in these minerals to manufacture products such as missiles even though they are equally distributed across the globe? It should be noted, that most countries have little interest to mine and exploit these elements since they have several negative effects on the surrounding. One of the most dangerous wastes resulting from the exploitation of these minerals is the radioactive waste byproducts which many countries still can not handle (OECD Nuclear Energy Agency p37). This is the reason why the U.S. shut down its largest rare mineral mine at the Mountain Pass California. Currently, China is the leading producer of cheap electronic gadgets made from these rare earth minerals mined at high environmental costs. What is their worth? The prices of the rare earth minerals increased significantly between January and August 2010 by an average of 300 per cent. For example, the Samarium, a rare mineral that aids navigation in M1A2 Abrahams tanks has increased from $4.5 per kilogram to $34 per kilogram (Geological survey(US), p61). This is attributed to the artificial intervention by the Chinese government. Most of the industries all over the world including the U.S. industries have been relocated to China because the Chinese manufacturing firms that utilize the rare earth minerals enjoy monopoly powers. Some of the industries that have relocated to China due to Tax break and Quotas include Diaodo Electronics (Japan), Rhodia Group (France), General Electric (USA) and New Material Technology (Canada) (Geological survey(US), p62). Foreign international firms have collaborated with the Chinese local enterprises since the Quotas system only relate to raw materials but not the finished or partially finished rare earth minerals’ products. A Chinese investor, Rogers, told Indian business television, that â€Å"The future of the rare earth is great. What is happening is the prices are going through the roof because the Chinese do control the supply. But it is a pure s imple capitalistic economics now† (Geological survey (US), p64). Production of the rare earth mineral across the world The current survey that was conducted established that the total amount of rare earth minerals in the entire world is approximately 99 million tones. The United States and China are the key producers of these reserves. China controls about 36 million tones, which is 30 per cent of the total

MANAGING INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

MANAGING INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS - Essay Example Based on this particular understanding, the objective of this study is to reflect the importance of the European Union (EU), SCM and Reverse Logistics in maintaining and managing the international operations with the advent of globalisation process. European Union The EU is commonly recognised as a governmental and commercial union that comprises of 27 member states from the European continent (Paquet, 2003). It reflects and provides insights about inter-governmentalism, convergence criteria, supranationalism and other common policies for integration which further shapes the business operations in the global context within the periphery of EU. The EU controls and frames strategies related to problems such as budgetary contributions of the member countries that is reflected through legal membership. For instance, some of the common policies performed by the EU, such as the fisheries policies reflect about the norms and the regulations fixed for member countries concerning with the per mit to catch various types of fishes till a given quantity in a controlled manner, restricting the probable inhibition of biodiversity (Paquet, 2003). Additionally, the EU enacted common policies to restrict the Treaty of Lisbon which was allegedly hampering the national sovereignty of the member states in lieu to the integration process of the union (BBC, 2013). Irrespective of the risk of national sovereignty, EU member states avail the benefits of structural fund, trade liaisons outside Europe, and single market opportunities among others (Paquet, 2003). However, the role and the position of every member state is certainly not the same in the EU. For instance, it has often been argued that UK, being a prominent member state of EU has been benefitted by the common policies in terms of international trade relationships. Correspondingly, the nation has also been credited for its tactful measures to protect its national sovereignty. Nevertheless, in the recent political and economic debates, the UK has been witnessed to be suffering in terms of its national sovereignty (BBC, 2013). Supply Chain Management The effective SCM within an organisation helps in managing the upstream as well as the downstream relationships with respect to customers and the suppliers. In this context, it is further admitted that SCM comprises of series of events that are responsible for framing the entire lifecycle of products from conception to their consumption. Additionally, the SCM contributes towards better understanding of the competitive market for an organisation focusing on issues related to its long term sustainability (Ilyas & et. al., 2006). With reference to modern SCM approaches, the application of IT reflects upon the inter-organisational system that helps in the flow of information and the processes crosswise the organisational boundaries. The advent of IT in the global market has resulted in positive impacts over the information sharing among the supply chain partners. The efficient application of SCM has further led towards greater organisational success. For instance, for couple of years, Nokia Company was facing problems with respect to

Management of International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management of International - Essay Example Malaysia is one of the prominent emerging countries in the South East Asia. Malaysian holds the third place in the South East Asia and twenty ninth place in the global economy as per the recent statistics. Malaysia is an Islamic state even though Malaysian Muslims are more civilized and educated compared to Muslims in other parts of the world. Coke needs no introduction in the international market. They are the biggest soft drink manufacturers in the world. Even though Coke was keener in protecting the environment and demonstrating their corporate social responsibility, some of their tactics were criticized heavily by the neutral observers. Injudicious underwater exploitation is the major criticism labelled against Coke from many countries. Coke is currently trying to expand their wings in Malaysia. They are facing severe challenges in Malaysian market because of the anti-American feelings developing across the Muslim community all over the world. Moreover, health concerns about the soft drinks are also growing everywhere and the increasing popularity of bottled water is another major threat for the ambitions of Coke. This report analyses the opportunities and threats waiting for Coca Cola in Malaysia. ... Organizational culture, climate, behaviour and theories have changed a lot as a result of internationalization of business. Outsourcing and offshoring like new business concepts entered the business world because of the growing cross cultural business activities. Corporate companies and other big organizations have already experienced saturation in their domestic countries and they were waiting for an opportunity to internationalise their business. Liberalized rules and regulations for the entry of foreign direct investments (FDI) by many of the countries made the path easy for the multinational companies to exploit the possibilities of Globalization. Even though, the popularity of international business is unquestionable, many of the big organizations are facing stiff challenges in doing international business because of the improper business strategies. Domestic business strategies are not suitable for international business because of the extreme diverse business environment in th e target country. Coca Cola is the world’s largest non-alcoholic beverage company. â€Å"Coca Cola products are consumed at the rate of one billion per day† (Bellis, 2009). â€Å"Invented by Doctor John Pemberton in May, 1886, Coca Cola is currently operating in more than 200 countries with over 50,000 employees and more than 800 production and distribution centres and 300 worldwide bottling partners† (The Coca-Cola Company: Growth, Leadership, Sustainability, 2009). Innovative business strategies keeping in pace with the needs of the changing world made Coca Cola one of the all time great companies in the world at present. Coca Cola and its corporate social responsibility Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) is one of the major business term talked loudly in the

Talent identification and development in the UK. Long Term Athlete Essay

Talent identification and development in the UK. Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) - Essay Example Most parents want their children to be active throughout their life due to the belief that physical education may enhance self-esteem, fitness, and teamwork in a child’s development. According to Spinks et al (2002, pg. 265), identifying sport potential at an early age, ensures that players receive specialized coaching to accelerate the talent development process. With increased need to develop and nurture young talented players, it is essential to determine the key elements of talent identification, for instance, in football. The authors also argue that talent may be genetically determined, complicated in structure and subject to environmental conditions. Moreover, the aim of talent identification is to increase the probability of selecting a future elite player at an early age. According to Stanford ( 2005, pg 63), LTAD model mainly insists that training, competition and retaining programmes should be set in relation to an individual’s development rather than age. Optimal windows of trainability should be identified and used while the structure of competition programme should be reviewed to optimize the ratio between competitive events and training; moreover, the overall system, needs to be aligned and integrated. Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Model The LTAD model on sports focuses on bringing out the best out of a talented player. For instance, in this case, the main discussion revolves around football. There are key issues that should be considered when deciding on the talent identification and development of a player including: 1) the type of talent that could either be uni-sport or multi-sport talent, predictors of talent depending on weight and height, endurance and psychological factors, which include intelligence, decision making and sk ills. 2) The management should be able to choose a talent identification and talent development programme for football. 3) They should be able to identify the key factors in talent development in that particular sport. According to Hylton and Bramham (2007, pg 223), the LTAD model is a form of long-term scheduling of an athlete’s performance in sport. This model describes an athlete’s six-stage development, which includes fundamentals, learning to train, training to train, training to compete, training to win and active for life. Football as a sport Football (soccer) involves a multiplicity of skills, for instance, some are basic like running, others are goal oriented like scoring and while others are technical like passing, receiving and dribbling. In addition, characteristics of elite team players consist of different categories such as mental, technical, physical, tactical, and social factors. Mental category is associated with confidence, motivation, anxiety contro l, and concentration. Technical factors include skills such as passing, dribbling, receiving, and defending while physical qualities include flexibility, strength, power, and endurance. Moreover, tactical aspect usually includes pressurizing, creating space, and support, and finally, social factors include leadership and cohesion (Reilly, 1997, pg 201). Nevertheless, basic skills are assumed to be developed by a process of maturation, while the other skills have to be learned through practice or experience. In

Russian revolution Papers Assignement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Russian revolution Papers Assignement - Essay Example Kaiser entitled, â€Å"The workers revolution in Russia, 1917†, the article â€Å"The rise and Fall of the soviet Union† by Laurie Stoff and the academic website, â€Å"Seventeen moments in Soviet History, primary and secondary sources covering 1917 through 1936†, the paper gives also greater insights into the advantages and disadvantages that came with the revolution. In the year 1917, the workers in Russia who were angry, hungry and tired of war carried out a revolution against the government of the then Tsar, Nicholas II 1. The revolution was fuelled by the antagonism of the lower class workers against the high class members of their society. Metalworkers involved in the revolution had radical perceptions in the struggle and called for the creation of a soviet power while the unskilled laborers in the country were fighting for better pays2. The revolution brought forth the birth of the communist state in the year 1922 that eventually collapsed in the early 199 0’s3. Before the formation of the communist state there were various other previous attempts to harmonize all the ethnic communities living within the country. The seizing of power after the revolution was done by the Bolsheviks. They empowered the poor and ethnic minorities with the power to rule the country along with the guaranteeing of greater women rights within their society4. The Bolsheviks also gave the people the opportunity to access universal education and self-improvement alternatives5. The ruling Bolsheviks have also been deemed responsible for the bloodiest crimes against the state that the world has witnessed6. Their crimes were committed through the imprisonments of their political rivals, nonconformist thinkers, the killing of many revolting people and the exiling of whole communities. In spite of all the bloody crimes that the Bolsheviks are responsible for instigating, their economic systems have been accredited with making the country the economic giant it currently is7. However, this was done at the expense of the citizens of the country who were greatly impoverished. The Bolsheviks had seized power from the Mensheviks who had gotten to power through their revolution in the month of February 1917 and created an interim government8. The seizing of power by the Bolsheviks took place in the month of October and was referred to as the Bolsheviks Revolution. The entry of the Bolsheviks into power saw the suppression of all politics along with beliefs that were not communist9. This is because the Bolsheviks claimed that they represented the voice of the workers in the country. In the years between 1917 to 1923, the country was involved in world war I and the Russian civilian war which pitted the Bolsheviks against the opposing white army along with foreign armies from France, the US and the UK (United Kingdom). The Bolsheviks won the civil war and rapidly established itself while spreading its policies throughout the rest of the country10 . The Bolsheviks fought under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin who passed away in the year 1924 only to be succeeded by Joseph Stalin who carried the leadership of the country to the 1950’s11. Previous reports indicate that the country had suffered from famine and a collapse of the economy during the Tsar’s regime in the World War I period12. The communist republic of Russia fought against the Polish Republic whose leader wanted

Have You Experienced Gender Discrimination at Work Essay

Have You Experienced Gender Discrimination at Work - Essay Example From the report it is clear that female labour participation has been increasing rapidly in many developed countries. However, the employment rate of women is not fairly matched as men and the typical cause of difference in employment rate among female and male workers is gender discrimination. Gender discrimination has been a barrier from the traditional work environments. The issue has almost been scraped out of the current workplace environment. However, different barriers are felt in the achievement of a gender equality workplace environment. There are many pieces of research that suggested that a number of female workers have been treated in a discriminated way in the work place. This paper hypothesised that gender discrimination is common among universal workplace and come along with unfairly treated situation based on gender. The situations range from job allocation, payment inequity, and other forms of discrimination. Firstly, the literature review will describe the existence of sex discrimination at work. The methodology of the research will be described next, and finally with results that are supported by research data. The increasing number of female rate of employment does not equal to enjoying the same career promotion opportunities as men. Female employees usually experience difficulties to approach a higher level status of work. It is harder to get promoted compared to male employees. Also, they receive a relatively lower wage.

Character of Curley’s wife in Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Character of Curley’s wife in Of Mice and Men Essay The novel Of Mice and Men was written in the 1930’s by a man named John Steinbeck. The book is set in America and at a time during the Great Depression. This was when the stock market had crashed some years prior, lots of companies went bankrupt, the banking systems failed and a massive soar in unemployment was witnessed. Also during this period of the Great Depression droughts were seen in the southern and western states of America with failed harvests in Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. The fertile grassland that once was, became desert like and the area became known as the â€Å"dust bowl†. During this time the women fitted into this society as the home keepers, the men would go out to earn money whilst the woman stayed home to ensure things ran along smoothly there. The key terms that I will be evaluating in this essay, is how Steinbeck portrays Curley’s wife and how he attempts to make the reader either feel dislike or sympathy towards her. In chapter two Steinbeck describes Curley’s wife as a â€Å"tart†, this is a derogatory term used to describe a female who could possibly be â€Å"loose† or â€Å"promiscuous† even if they are not. Even before the reader is introduced to Curley’s wife, Steinbeck begins to tempt the reader to dislike her. Further on in the chapter when she is being introduced for the first time, Steinbeck uses imagery to describe Curley’s wife, he writes about her â€Å"full rouged lips†, her â€Å"red finger nails†, the â€Å"bouquets of red ostrich feathers† and the â€Å"red mules† she is wearing. Here the reader can see that Steinbeck is using connotations of the colour red. Red is seen as a provocative or seductive colour, it can also be seen as a colour of warning or danger. Here Steinbeck could possibly be trying to foreshadow future events to come. From this the reader may begin to already form a dislike towards Curley’s wife as it appears that she attempting to attract the attention of the workers on the farm, this would be an un-natural way for a married woman to behave. In chapter three Steinbeck continues to describe Curley’s wi fe in a negative manner. Steinbeck uses the term â€Å"jail bait† when she is being spoken about by the farm workers. The term jail bait is a metaphor as you cannot literally be a piece of bait that will end another up in jail. A woman who is described as jail bait is somebody who attempts to look older than they  actually are, and are possibly attempting to attract a suitor to take the bait, if this event comes to fruition the suitor could find himself serving a lengthy prison sentence. Further on in chapter three, Steinbeck writes about Curley’s wife as having â€Å"the eye† all the time, Steinbeck again is using a metaphor to descried Curley’s wife actions towards the farm workers. You cannot actually have the eye, what Steinbeck is doing is attempting to show the reader that she is always looking for attention and has to act in a provocative manner to obtain this. The reader may begin to feel strong dislike towards Curley’s wife now, as this is not the way any married woman should act. However it also begins to show the reader what a lonely existence it was for women during this era and possibly all that Curley’s wife actually craved was social interaction which is a basic need for any human being. Steinbeck again could possibly be foreshadowing future events to come. In chapter four Steinbeck begins to touch more on the lonely existence for a woman during this period of time. Curley’s wife speaks about wanting to â€Å"talk to somebody ever once in a while† this again represents the loneliness that she may be experiencing and again possibly the cause for her acting in the manner that she does around the workers. Steinbeck here uses imagery as the reader can imagine Curley’s wife being completely alone from female contact and only having Curley to speak to and the farm workers when Curley is not around. Steinbeck could also be possibly foreshadowing future events to come. Further on in the chapter Steinbeck also creates an element of fear towards Curley’s wife, this is seen when she is talking with Lennie and Candy. Curley’s wife states to Candy that she could get him â€Å"strung up† on a tree when she is challenged by him. Steinbeck a gain is using imagery and a metaphor to describe what will have. Being strung up is a referral to being hung, this would be done by making a noose at one end of a rope and hanging it over a branch and tying it to a tree, unfortunately a person then has the noose put over his head and then the rope is pulled tight and the person is effectively â€Å"strung up†. From this the reader may begin to feel a strong dislike to Curley’s wife even though she could possibly be lonely, the way she is going about getting the attention she craves is not the way to win people over. Making threats to a person who already may not get the best treatment, will only make them fear the consequences more if they are found out. In chapter five Steinbeck uses imagery to describe the way  Curley’s wife quietly approached Lennie in the stable, the reader could feel that this is a sneakily way to get close to Lennie and then before he can get away from her she is upon him. Steinbeck also describes Curley’s wife as having little â€Å"sausage curls†, Steinbeck is using personification to describe her hair, as in reality you would not have sausage as curls in someone’s hair, and again may be attempting to sway the reader to dislike her, also from this the reader may feel that Curley’s wife can be quite sly and cunning at times, the way that she approaches Lennie in the barn is not the norm if you are just strolling about, it must be a calculated act, knowing full well that she will catch Lennie alone. From this the reader may feel a strong dislike towards her, this is due to the fact that although she is married, she is still attempting to get one of the farm workers alone. It is almost like she cannot resist the temptation. And ultimately in the end if anything was to happen, the worker would move on and she would have knew victims to try and entice. Throughout the novella the readers opinions of Curley’s wife may slightly sway from dislike to sympathy, this is because the way Steinbeck uses imagery to describe her at the beginning it is that of a loose and easy woman, craving the attention of men on the farm in an almost sexual and provocative manner even though she is recently married. This theme continues throughout the majority of the story at different intervals. She enjoys to wear red, she is always asking if anyone have seen her husband, she seems to relax more if they have not and enjoys the attention she attracts. The reader may also feel sympathy for her as when Steinbeck describes her wanting company, this could possibly be a reason for her always hanging around the worker and looking for Curley. Ultimately I feel the reader will show great dislike towards her, the way she acts is not the correct way for a woman to act regardless of loneliness. I feel that Steinbeck is attempting to draw attention to how lonely life must have been for any person during that period of time. The struggles that they must have come over and lengths that some people would have gone to achieve that.

Welfare Needs Of The Elderly Social Work Essay

Welfare Needs Of The Elderly Social Work Essay As the population continues to age, it is becoming increasingly important to focus on policies and practices that support and enhance the wellbeing of the older population in later life. One sad reality for many seniors in later life and an increasing cause for concern is elder abuse. Elder abuse is one of the most disturbing and rapidly growing areas of crime throughout the global. It is extremely difficult to exactly quantify the extent of elder abuse because many such cases go undetected and under-reported. The World Health Organization reported that it is generally agreed that abuse of older people is either an act of commission or of omission or neglect, and it may either be intentional or unintentional (Krug et al., 2002). It results in unnecessary suffering, injury, the loss of violation of human rights, and a decreased quality of life for the older person. Like any other form of domestic violence, abuse of the elderly initially remained as a private matter hidden from public view. It was initially seen as a social welfare issue and latter on a problem of ageing, but now has developed into a significant public health and criminal justice concern. The value of loving family institution has been tarnished by greed, position-struggle and impatience. Despite elder abuse is not entirely a new issue; it is time to find out the prevention ways to be implemented and effective interventions to emerge. There are a few welfare needs that will be highlighted after so that the young generation have a strong sense of love and care towards the senior citizen. Elderly Nowadays, Malaysians are living longer; they are on an average of 74 years for men and 78 years for women. In others words, their life expectancy has increase. With the advances in medical care and better nutrition, older people are living longer, they are more visible, more active and more independent than ever before and they are in better health. Therefore there is a growing concern regarding the global phenomenon of aging. A decline in the birth as well as death rates has resulted in an increase in the elderly population. Given that the elderly population is on the rise, it is of paramount importance to examine the care of the older persons. 2005 (%) 2010 (%) Total Population 26.75 m 28.96 m 65 and above 1.15 m 4.3% 1.36 m 4.7 % This table shows that the total population and the aged of 65 years or above in Malaysia between the year of 2005 and 2010. In 2005, the total population of Malaysia was 26.75 million, and which 1.15 million or 4.3% was aged 65 years and above. Moreover, in 2010, Malaysia currently has a population of approximately 29 million, and aged 65 years and above has increased to 1.36 million or 4.7%. With the projected population growth of 2% annually, it expected that the total population in 2020 will rise to 34 million, of which 3.2 million or 9.5% will be the age of 65 years and above. In the year 2035, the country is expected to have a total population of about 46 million of which 6.9 million or 15% will be the aged 65 years and above. This is evident that Malaysias demographic ageing pattern is emerging. Based on the figure showed in this table, the real numbers of older person have increased lately, which also means that the number of elderly will continue to grow over the coming year. As the populations of older Malaysian grows, so there has a hidden problem of elder abuse. Further, the number of elderly with chronic illness is likely to increase. This can pose an increased burden on their caregivers such as family members, and it could lead to a higher risk of elderly abuse. Elder abuse Elder abuse is a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person (Action on Elder Abuse 1995). The wilful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation or cruel punishment with resulting physical harm or pain or mental anguish, or the wilful deprivation by a caretaker of goods or services which are necessary to avoid physical harm, mental anguish or mental illness (1985 Elder Abuse Prevention, Identification Treatment Act). According to the Swanson (1999), elder abuse refers to the mistreatment of older people by those in a position of trust, power or responsibility for their care. This is a global problem that is likely to intensify in view of the increasing number of older people and the changing socio-economic and environmental conditions worldwide (Randel et al. 1999). Further, Hazzard (1995) described elder abuse as cruel and inhumane tre atment of the elderly. Kapur (1997) defines it as a kind of harassment or an injustice done to the elderly by the family members themselves. In fact, there is too many definition of elder abuse but despite this, most would agree with this definition an action or inaction by someone in a position of trust; often a family member or unrelated caregiver. Normally, more than two-thirds of the abusers are their family members and are typically giving their basic needs or care support such as food, shelter, personal care or transportation. In others word, someone who commits elder abuse usually has control or influence over the older person. The older persons often know and trust the abusers. Some victims of elder abuse depend on the people who hurt them, sometimes for food, shelter, personal care, or transportation. Therefore, the abusers could be their family members, friend; someone the older people relies on for basic needs or staff in group residential settings such as care homes or i n long term health care facilities. The Prevalence of Elderly Abuse in Five Developed Countries Country Prevalence (%) USA 3.2 Canada 4.0 Finland 5.4 Netherlands 5.6 United Kingdom 5.0 The accepted prevalence rates of abuse of older people are drawn from five community surveys carried out in developed countries, which are USA, Canada, Finland, Netherlands and United Kingdom. The prevalence of the elderly abuse in USA with percentage is 3.2%, in Canada is 4.0%, in Finland is 5.4%, in Netherlands is 5.6% and United Kingdom is 5.0%. But in Malaysia, the information and data of elderly abuse is scarce. There are no reported cases of elder abuse to the Department of Social Welfare as well as no agency keeps proper records of the incidence of elder abuse in this country. Although this epidemic is virtually unheard of in Malaysia, we are challenged to be aware of the many faces of elder abuse in our own society and this issue is much more common than societies admit. Types of elder abuse Elder abuse referred to an inappropriate action that causes harms or distress to an elderly which the older person has expectation trust onto the person. Elder abuse can take in several forms. Elder abuse may take form in physical, psychological, financial, sexual abuse, neglect and abandonment that cause distress to a person who is past retirement age. Physical Abuse Physical elder abuse is non-accidental use of force against an elderly person that results in physical pain, injuries, or impairment (Ellen, Tina, Jeanne, 2008). This abuse includes not only physical assaults such as hitting or shoving but the inappropriate use of drugs, restraints, or confinement. The physical acts of violence commonly include slapping, hitting, and striking with objects. Indicators of potential physical abuse are broken bones, sprains, or dislocations, unexplained signs of injury such as bruises, welts, or scars, especially if they appear symmetrically on two side of the body, signs of being restrained, such as rope marks on wrists (Elder Abuse.com, 2009). Diagnosis may be difficult even at autopsy as findings may be subtle and invariably some chronic or debilitating disease would be present. The case of an elderly lady from a nursing home referred to the police for suspected physical abuse. Investigations showed that osteomalacia and spontaneous fractures could ha ve accounted for her injuries. However, recognition of physical abuse may not be straightforward, as injuries may be secondary to falls to which the frail elderly are more prone. Emotional abuse Emotional abuse is defined as the infliction of anguish, pain, or distress of elderly. Emotional abuse also referred as an act with the intention that causing emotional pain or injury which often accompanies physical abuse. This abuse may be happens in verbal or nonverbal acts. Verbal forms are included humiliation and ridicule, intimidation through yelling or threats and habitual blaming or scapegoating. Nonverbal emotional elder abuse can take the form of ignoring the elderly person, isolating an elder from friends or activities and terrorizing or menacing the elderly person (Ellen, Tina, Jeanne, 2008). Therefore, an elderly person who shows fear, passive, withdrawn, low self esteem, reluctance to talk openly, insomnia, fatigue and listlessness or behave mimics dementia, such as rocking, sucking, or mumbling to oneself may be abused in the form of emotional abuse. Financial Abuse Exploitation of the elderly is also considered as an abuse which includes acts of material or financial exploitation. Financial or material exploitation is defined as the illegal or improper use of an elders funds, property, or assets (Elder Abuse.com, 2009). Elder financial abuse is one of the most difficult types of elder abuse to recognize due to its lack of obvious symptoms. Some of these include misuse an elders personal checks, credit cards, or accounts, steal elders cash, income checks, or household goods. Most common example case is the announcements of a prize that the elderly person has won but they need to pay money to claim (Ellen, Tina, Jeanne, 2008). Besides that, theft of pension checks, threats to enforce the signing or changing of wills or other legal documents, and coercion involving any financial matters also consider as the example of the financial abuse. Indicators of potential financial abuse may include unusual bank account activity, sudden changes in the elder s financial condition, or worsening medical conditions due to lack of follow up or unfilled drug prescriptions. Exploitation may also occur in the form of fraud schemes; someone may persuade the elderly person to withdraw their life savings in a get rich quick scheme, or contractors convincing the elderly that the house needs repairs which in reality might be unnecessary. Financial abuse is one of the most difficult types of elder abuse to diagnose as the victim may not be aware of its occurrence or may not know how to seek help. Abandonment and Neglect Abandonment is defined as the desertion of an elderly person by an individual who had physical custody or otherwise had assumed responsibility for providing care for an elder. It also referred to the action of withdrawing a person or a thing entirely; putting aside all care for him or it. Neglect of the elderly is also a form of abuse and is often referred to the refusal or failure to fulfil any part of a persons obligations or duties to an elder. This may be intentional or unintentional neglect. Active neglect is the intentional withholding of basic necessities or care, while passive neglect is not providing basic necessities and care because of a lack of experience, information or ability. Another area to consider is self-neglect where older adults, by choice or ignorance, live in ways that disregard health or safety needs, sometimes to the extent that the disregard also poses a hazard to others. For example, the caregiver may be unable to perform care giving duties such as bathing or changing an incontinent elderly person. Therefore, an elderly person with unusual poor hygiene, loss in weight, poor nutrition, skin breakdown, unsuitable clothing, unsafe and unclean living conditions such as no heat or running water, faulty electrical wiring, other fire hazards and smelling of urine may be neglected either intentionally or unintentionally. Sexual Abuse Sexual abuse is defined as non-consensual and unwilling sexual contact of any kind. This includes all unwanted sexual activity, such as verbal or suggestive behaviour, fondling, sexual intercourse or a lack of personal privacy. Besides that, activities such as showing an elderly person pornographic material, forcing the person to watch sex acts, or forcing the elder to undress are also considered sexual elder abuse. Indicators of potential physical abuse are unexplained venereal disease or genital infections, bruises around breasts or genitals, unexplained vaginal or anal bleeding and torn, stained, or bloody underclothing (Ellen, Tina, Jeanne, 2008). Sexual abuse usually implies a physical sexual relationship with an elderly person without that persons informed consent, though this is not restricted to sexual intercourse but includes other forms of intimate sexual contact. It is often difficult to establish whether sexual abuse has occurred, unless the individual has cognitive impai rment. Signs and symptoms of elder abuse Signs and symptoms of elder abuse should be taken seriously. It is vital that we are alert to the possible indicators of abuse. In assessing any situation, it is important to realize that an indicator may be present for reasons other than abuse or neglect. However, if a combination of the following indicators is present there is a need to further explore why those indicators are present. Increase awareness of abuse signs and symptoms as well as monitor the progress in suspected cases of abuse. Home care community nurses can play a critical role in detecting suspected cases of elder abuse. However, in Malaysia, we do not as yet have a health care system in place for such purposes, although these types of services are only now slowly emerging. Hence the only opportunity for detecting abuse is when the older adult visits a primary care setting or an emergency department. Characteristics of the Abused Elder Most victims of elder abuse are mentally competent and able to make decisions for them. Most of them able to taking care of their own health needs and do not need constant care. Although some victims of elder abuse are generally dependent on their abuser in some way, their dependency is not necessarily because they are mentally incapable or physically frail (Al Loney, 2006). However, if the older people who having mental or physical disability, they may be more vulnerable to be abused. Those at risk are most likely to be female, widowed, frail, cognitively impaired, and chronically ill. The older adults who poor in physical health, highly dependence on the abuser, functional or cognitive impairment and a living arrangement shared with the abuser are consider as risk factors for elder abuse. Normally, older women are more vulnerable to abuse than older men and are burdened with a lifetime of experiences and beliefs that may increase their susceptibility. In most instances, violence an d abuse against older women can be sexual, physical or psychological and also can include material or financial abuse and neglect. It can occur in the home, in institutions or as a result of harmful cultural practices that specifically target older women (Breatheinspirit, 2006). There are various studies have looked at factors associated with elder abuse. In the NEAIS report, females and those aged 80 and above were more likely to suffer abuse, family members were the most likely perpetrators and victims of self-neglect were usually depressed, confused or extremely frail. Other studies have similarly reported vulnerable elderly as those with physical and mental weaknesses, advanced age, women, those with previous abusive relationships in the family, financial strain and caregiver stress and burnt out. Characteristics of the Abuser The abuser is most likely the person with whom the elderly person stays with. More often, the abuser is a close relative; 80% being spouses and children of the victims, or a close relative. In some cases, elder abuse may be caused to abusers over use of drug or alcohol, history of anti-social behaviour, or mental illness problems. Abuse is more likely to happen when the abuser is going through a period of high stress. It may be the stress of looking after the older person due to old age is a time of weak health, low income, meaningless role, or the death of loved ones (Al Loney, 2006). These problems may be creating great unhappiness for older people and then damage the relationships with their family. In extreme cases, this may lead to abuse. Elder abuse often happens because of the abusers power and fully control over an older person. Family members who depend on the elder for financial, housing, or other necessities have a higher risk of become an abuser. A caregivers inexperience, a history of family violence, economic dependence on the elder or a blaming personality and unrealistic expectations often contribute to elderly abuse. The abuser may be lack involved in community activities, social services, and even contact with other family members. Besides that, they may lack of family support, facing marital conflict, overcrowding and the high burden of care placed on the caregiver. In most of elder abuse cases, the abuser may not allow people to visit or talk to the older person alone. On the other hands, staff in long-term care homes, such as homes for the aged and charitable institutions, might involved in abuse the older people in physically or mentally. Abusers are more likely to be staff members who are not able to do their jobs properly (Al Loney, 2006). This may due to poor of training, low salary, over-work without pay, or under-staffing. Besides that, it also could be the staffs have personal problems that influence their services to older people which under their care. But, there is no excuse for abuse. The personal circumstances or problems of the caregiver cant be an excuse of elder abuse. These problems may be factors in the abuse, but they do not try to recognize it. It is unmoral because the older people are fully trusted and relies on the caregiver, but the caregiver misuse the trust of the older people to do something that threaten to the older people. Common Reasons Elder Abuse Is Not Reported The actual and prevalence of elder abuse is unknown and difficult to measure. Elderly abuse exists in our society but it is seldom reported, and perhaps even less so in an Asian society where filial piety and respect for the elderly is traditionally highly regarded. This problem often remains undetected because of poor public awareness and lack of knowledge among health care personnel. This is because it can cause some adverse effects on the health and quality of life of the elderly. Due to their mental capacity, they are unaware of the help available to them. Therefore, elder abuse is seldom reported. In most situations, elderly are unlikely to report that they are abused as they are fear of embarrassment and fear of losing care support. They are mostly completely under the control of the abuser and depend on the abusers for food, shelter, clothing and health care. Furthermore, they also fear of harm by the abuser. Some of them are lack of awareness; they are only suspect but uncert ain that is abuse, therefore, the cases of elder abuse is hardly to report and also seldom reported. Risk Factors for elder abuse Abuse of older adults is such a complex issue with no single explanation. However, there are many factors seem to contribute to these critical issues and each case has its own unique mix of factors. One of the most obvious factors is the family dynamics. The habits, values, emotional and coping skills are learned early in life and largely through family interaction. In other words, if unhealthy or violent behaviours go unchecked, abuse may continue when roles are reversed.   Therefore, if a child who was previously abused becomes a primary caregiver, there is a probability that the cycle of abuse will continue and be inflicted on a dependent parent. Besides that, inability to cope with stress especially for those non professional caregiver such as spouses, adult children, other relatives and friends find taking care of an elder would caused many responsibilities. This may be extremely stressful to cope with the demands of elder care giving. As a result, the stress of elder care can lead to mental and physical heaths problems that caused caregivers impatient, burned out, and sometimes are unable to keep from lashing out against elders in their care. Next, problem of elderly abuse may also happen in the nursing home when the staffs who worked are those lacks of experience and training. This is because even caregivers in institutional settings can experience stress at levels that can lead to elder abuse. The nursing home staff may be prone to elder abuse if they lack training, have too many responsibilities and are unsuited to care giving, or they are work under poor conditions. Social isolation can also conceal and perpetuate abuse or neglect. An older person may become isolated due to physical or mental illness, or through the loss of friends and family members. Therefore, isolation does not just conceal abuse and neglect; it perpetuates the problem.   The result of this isolation can make it easier for an abuser to exploit, neglect or abuse an older person.  There is a significantly higher risk for elder abuse if without a caring support network.   In addition, if a caregiver imposes isolation to avoid uncovering the abuse, this is also a form of abuse. In addition, sometimes caregivers who are unable to cope with the long term care giving may react to the stress of too many responsibilities in appropriate ways. These unusual releases way are such as abusing, neglecting the older adults in their care. Also, most of the caregivers perception is that taking care of the elder is burdensome and without psychological reward. Thus, many of them choose to neglect the older adults. The societys acceptance towards violence can also be a form of factors in contributing the elderly abuse. For example the Canadians see violence in the news, movie and television shows. This wide exposure often leads to a general acceptance or tolerance of violence as an acceptable way of venting frustration or anger. Thus, this tolerance creates an environment which can contribute to abuse and neglect of older adults. The welfare needs of elderly Welfare needs are necessary for elderly in order to stop the growing elder abuse issue. The government, law and legislation, mass media, school education, health care providers, family and also elderly have the responsibility to give support the rights of old persons. The government The National Service Program or Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN) was established since started in 2004 as a response to the Malaysian Governments desire to inculcate the spirit of patriotism in the hearts and minds of Malaysian youths. Besides to develop the spirit of patriotism, it instils a spirit of caring and volunteerism among members of society as well as to develop positive characteristics among younger generation through good values. The three-month program is aimed at shaping young people into disciplined, independent and resilient citizens capable of advancing the nation. From this programme, the young generations could learn how to respect the elderly. Welfare pension should be introduced in Malaysia. If elderly do not have the ability to claim maintenance from their financially-able children, they have the pension as a security. It is seen as a way to eradicate poverty. The senior citizens are still able to take care of themselves in spite of they are abandoned by their merciless children. Abuse prevention programme could be introduced by Malaysian government as well. Its purpose is to provide and arrange for services to protect adults who are unable to protect themselves from abuse and provide older adults with information about their rights. For example, Abuse Prevention Programme (APP) in Australia which supports older adults who are being abused, or who are at risk of being abused, by someone with whom they are in a relationship of trust, such as family and friends. APP advocates work in consultation with the older adult, either directly, or with someone else the older person has chosen (their representative). APP can assist them to identify and understand the issues related to abuse of their rights as well as discuss information about options which they can implement to assert their rights. Besides, it suggests action they can take to stop abuse of their rights and give them with appropriate advocacy support that enables them to have their rights met. In addition, the government can launch adult day care programme, which it enables the caregivers to get time off during the day. Adult day care is a planned program of activities designed to promote well-being though social and health related services. Adult day care centres operate during daytime hours, Monday through Friday, in a safe, supportive, cheerful environment. It not just provides older persons an opportunity to get out of the house and receive both mental and social stimulation but also gives caregivers a much-needed break in which to attend to personal needs, or simply rest and relax. Law and legislation Malaysia law and legislation also play a vital role in overcoming the elderly abuse problem. Malaysia law can establish a legislative Elder Protective Act which is warranted to protect our vulnerable elderly from untold suffering. They have the right to live with dignity and security. For example in all 50 US states have specific adult protection legislation within which issues related to elder abuse and/or neglect are addressed. This legislation is influenced by child welfare models, and is characterised by legal powers of investigation, intervention and mandatory reporting. In the absence of federal mandates, states have been developing their own responses to adult abuse, neglect and exploitation. Legislative Elder Protective Act should be implemented by the government to safeguard the rights of our vulnerable elderly. Suggestion has been made for the government of Malaysia to adopt a law which allowing the elderly parents to claim maintenance from their financially-able children. This can be learned from the country of Singapore where the Maintenance of Parents Act enables parents above 60 years old who cannot support themselves to seek legal action forcing their children to provide maintenance for them. The government of Malaysia should also tighten the law and can used country of India as an example. In India, children could be imprisoned or fined or be subjected to both if they abandon their elderly parents. The Tamil Nadu government is set to notify rules for the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, to help tribunals in each district decide on the order of maintenance for elderly citizens, who complain about being neglected by their children. Therefore, the government is committed to develop such services and formulate policies against elder abuse in Malaysia. Malaysia, being one of a few countries that uphold Syariah Law has Islamic Law that governs the welfare of family matters including the ageing parents, following the case in which a couple sued their daughter for not providing sufficient maintenance as what they have agreed. Elder abuse is a national problem with far reaching consequences for individuals, families, communities, and institutions. The state courts must play a critical role in addressing the needs of victims of elder abuse. The courts ability to assist older persons essentially determines whether individuals live their remaining years with respect and dignity, or are further alienated from the justice system with personal safety. Mass Media Mass media also plays a quite significant role in minimizing the problem of elderly abuse in Malaysia. The media was often blamed as one of the sources of the negative images of older adults in society. It was seen as important to work with the media to change these negative images, to raise awareness and to educate the population about elder abuse. They are able to inspire the public to be aware of this social issue by utilizing mass media such as televisions, radio networks, internet, newspaper, magazines, etc. Nevertheless the problem often remains undetected because of poor public awareness and lack of knowledge among healthcare personnel. Therefore, the print as well as electronic media are to play active roles to increase the societys awareness of the elderly. Media coverage of elder abuse cases can make the public knowledgeable about-and outraged against-abusive treatment in those settings. Due to most abuse occurs in the home by family members or caregivers, there needs to be a concerted effort to educate the public about the special needs and problems of the elderly and about the risk factors for abuse. Within mass media cultures, social issues such as elder abuse, have key reference points which can attract concentrated coverage of the topic and carry influential associations in public perceptions. For example, in USA, the Indochina Sino-American Community Centre  formed a coalition called Chinese Americans Restoring Elders, they used mass media to encourage the public to contact the Community Centre for matters related to elder abuse; provided some individual counselling sessions; and conducted a press conference and distributed brochures and flyers in Chinatown to commemorate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The television networks always played the advertisements that have the influence on the public over the caring of the elderly. Like the PESTRONAS during religious or cultural holidays (namely Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, Deepavali) are often accompanied by touching advertisement that convey the message to show love and care to our parents. School Education Education is the cornerstone of preventing elder abuse. This education needs to start very early, in primary school. The students need to be educated to perceive to older adults more favourably as positive contributors to society. The elderly do not necessary mean burden to the family or society. With their wealth of knowledge and experience, they can still contribute to economic development and wealth creation. They have contributed to the development of the nation in their earlier years and they can still continue to be productive in their golden years. The students should consider senior citizens are an important and integral part of our society. Students need to understand the interpersonal dynamic of care-giving. For example, they need to be award of the value placed on the dependency and inter-dependency in care-giving; role reversals in care-giving; and how unresolved emotions between the elderly and the care-giver influence the care-giving process. The school curriculum is to include education on the family to enable the younger generation to understand and appreciate the elderly. They need to be encouraged to form closer relationships with older adults. The general population also needs to be aware that elder abuse happens and is a problem. Students need to understand the subtle difference between abuse, neglect and abandonment theoretically as well as operationally. The moral education teachers not just teach theoretically but also operationally. What is more, the schools should organise a numbers of the activities like visiting old

Comparing Themes in The Return of the Native and Great Expectations :: comparison compare contrast essays

Themes in The Return of the Native and Great Expectations      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Classic novels usually share in the aspect of universal themes which touch people through out the ages. All types of audiences can relate to and understand these underlying ideas. Victorian novels such as Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native and Charles Dickens' Great Expectations are examples of literary classics that have universal themes. Hardy's tale illustrates the role of chance in his characters lives. Through the story we encounter events of pure coincidence and their effects. Dickens, considered to be more of a reformer (Literature Online), tries to portray a social theme in his novel. The basic theme of Great Expectations is that good does not come from ones social standing but rather comes from their inner value. These novels are considered classics because of their timeless themes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native displays a theme of chance. Book First, chapter 8 contains a perfect example. Eustacia persuades young Johnny Nunsuch into helping her feed a fire. She dismisses him and begins to walk home. Before reaching home, he is frightened by the light coming from the heath and returns to discover Wildeve meeting with Eustacia. By pure chance, Venn discovers the boy and quizzes him.    "Then I came down here, and I was afeard, and   I went back; but I didn't like to speak to her, because of the gentleman, and I came on here again" [Johnny Nunsuch]    " A gentleman--ah! What did she say to him, my man?"  Ã‚   [Diggory Venn]    "Told him she supposed he had not married the other woman because he liked his old sweetheart best; and things like that"  Ã‚   [Johnny Nunsuch]    [Book First, chapter 8, pp. 82]    This chance exchange reveals that Wildeve is meeting with Eustacia. Venn uses this to his advance by announcing himself to Mrs. Yeobright as a suitor for Thomasin. This backfires because Mrs. Yeobright tries to use the second suitor to force Wildeve to marry Thomasin. These events all occur from the chance meeting between Venn and Johnny Nunsuch. Another example of chance and coincidence can be seen in the famous gambling scene of Book Third, chapter VII. This is perhaps one of the most critically examined parts of the book.    " "Very well," said Wildeve, rising.

Tupacs life :: essays research papers

On June 16, 1971, Tupac (born Lesane Parish Crooks) was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was named after an Inca Indian revolutionary: Tupac Amaru means "shining serpent", and Shakur is arabic for "thankful to God". Tupac was the son of the politcal activist Alice Faye Williams (Afeni Shakur). She was a member if the Black Panther Party. Tupac grew up without knowing that his biological father was still alive. Afeni moves in with Mutulu Shakur who becomes Tupac's stepfather and confidant for the rest of his life. Tupac accepted him as a father figure. At the age of 12 Tupac found a passion for acting and writing poetry. Afeni enrolls him in a Harlem theater group. Tupac plays Travis in 'A Raisin the Sun' as his first performance. Unfortunately, Tupac was unable to continue his training, and moved with his family to Marin City (The Jungle), California. He has been quoted saying "Leaving that school affected me so much, I see as the point where I got off track". The man side began to come out of Tupac as he now began to hang with the wrong crowd. Tupac changed out his alias MC New York with a new one, 2Pac. He rapped with Ray Luv in a group called "Strictly Dope". They perform in small shows for people around the neighborhood. Tupac auditions for Greg Jacobs (Shock G) of the group Digital Underground. Tupac joins the group as a roadie, dancer and as a rapper. He toured with Digital Underground, instead of waiting around for them to get back in town to work on his album, he preferred to travel with them to kill time. He appeared on several songs with Digital Underground including "Same Song", "DFLO Shuffle", and "Wassup Wit Tha Luv". Nothing could have stopped this man, he was on top of the world making movies and receiving good reviews and getting better acting jobs. Three days after he finished making "All Eyez On Me" Tupac began work on Makaveli: The Don Killuminati". Tupac never lived to see the album being put out. He died due to gunshot wounds. He and Suge Knight were attending the Mike Tyson Vs Bruce Seldom fight at the MGM Grand In Las Vegas, Nevada on the September the 7th, 1996. After the fight in the lobby, one of the staff from Death Row spotted Orlando Anderson. He was a crip who stole one of Death Row's chains.

Essay --

Project 4-1: Develop a Personal Disaster Plan 1. Determine which types of natural disasters are the most common for the region in which you live. In Kansas and Missouri states, the most common natural disasters are occurred by Tornado’s and Snow storms. Kansas is ranked in 3rd position in the frequency of tornados. Missouri is ranked in 8th position. Joplin tornado was one of the biggest disasters in Missouri State. This occurred in the summer of 2011. This disaster took lives of more than 150 people and injured over 1000 people. This disaster caused property damage close to $3 billion. The maximum width covered by this tornado is close to 1 mile. St. John’s Regional Medical Center was one of the most damaged areas of this tornado. Heavy snow falls in the months of January and February and a minimum of over 10 inches snow fall is expected in every winter. So we have to be prepared for the snow storms as well 2. Find out which government or private agencies and organizations have information on disasters for your area. There are several government or private agencies which have information regarding disasters in our area. One of the government agencies among those is Missouri Department of public safety State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). This has information regarding planning and preparing for disasters. This also has information regarding recovering and rebuilding from the disaster. This will also let people to volunteer for the disaster recovering programs. The plan and prepare section of the official website of SEMA has information on how to plan ahead for the various disasters like preparing for severe winter weather conditions, preparing for tornados, preparing for floods, etc. There is also one more agency ca... ...t state. †¢ Teach them about the first-aid process and other safety procedures. †¢ Mock the situation and practice my family in case of emergency. References:- 1. 2011 Joplin tornado - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Joplin_tornado 2. Retrieved from stormaware.mo.gov/preparing-for-a-tornado/ 3. Retrieved from stormaware.mo.gov/tornado-facts-history/ 4. How to Prepare for a Tornado: 14 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2014, from http://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-a-Tornado 5. Kansas Tornadoes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.disastercenter.com/kansas/tornado.html 6. Missouri Tornadoes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.disastercenter.com/missouri/tornado.html 7. Severe Winter Weather. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sema.dps.mo.gov/plan_and_prepare/winter_weather.asp Essay -- Project 4-1: Develop a Personal Disaster Plan 1. Determine which types of natural disasters are the most common for the region in which you live. In Kansas and Missouri states, the most common natural disasters are occurred by Tornado’s and Snow storms. Kansas is ranked in 3rd position in the frequency of tornados. Missouri is ranked in 8th position. Joplin tornado was one of the biggest disasters in Missouri State. This occurred in the summer of 2011. This disaster took lives of more than 150 people and injured over 1000 people. This disaster caused property damage close to $3 billion. The maximum width covered by this tornado is close to 1 mile. St. John’s Regional Medical Center was one of the most damaged areas of this tornado. Heavy snow falls in the months of January and February and a minimum of over 10 inches snow fall is expected in every winter. So we have to be prepared for the snow storms as well 2. Find out which government or private agencies and organizations have information on disasters for your area. There are several government or private agencies which have information regarding disasters in our area. One of the government agencies among those is Missouri Department of public safety State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). This has information regarding planning and preparing for disasters. This also has information regarding recovering and rebuilding from the disaster. This will also let people to volunteer for the disaster recovering programs. The plan and prepare section of the official website of SEMA has information on how to plan ahead for the various disasters like preparing for severe winter weather conditions, preparing for tornados, preparing for floods, etc. There is also one more agency ca... ...t state. †¢ Teach them about the first-aid process and other safety procedures. †¢ Mock the situation and practice my family in case of emergency. References:- 1. 2011 Joplin tornado - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Joplin_tornado 2. Retrieved from stormaware.mo.gov/preparing-for-a-tornado/ 3. Retrieved from stormaware.mo.gov/tornado-facts-history/ 4. How to Prepare for a Tornado: 14 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2014, from http://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-a-Tornado 5. Kansas Tornadoes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.disastercenter.com/kansas/tornado.html 6. Missouri Tornadoes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.disastercenter.com/missouri/tornado.html 7. Severe Winter Weather. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sema.dps.mo.gov/plan_and_prepare/winter_weather.asp

On “Education” in “Modern” India Essay

As I was sat down, trying to ‘learn’ chemistry one Friday evening, I began thinking on our education system due to which I had to study in such a poor way; it’s a pity, that I have started hating the subject, or all subjects for that matter, the more the examinations approached. To that end, I wrote a poem later – my debut poem, with which I’d like to introduce the topic; her it goes: â€Å"Education† for Progress You take a pot and fill it with water, the ocean still remains, You make the pot bigger, to douse the house’s flames And you make it even bigger, till you wash all of hell. But as men march on in time’s way, so do the forces grow, That bar the door of wisdom, till it maketh a man (a) crow; And once, but out the feathers come, than you just lo: For cells have formed where ere was Eden, And into the Saharan sands hath Plato been driven; Till now, had man’s asininity been aeon ridden? You look across many a book or any common mind, And surprised you may well be, to find: The fountain remains flowing as ever, waiting for Its very first drinker. But heads of men are now sore, And they allow not the thirsty to have a pour, But Indian crabs as they are, they pull him back onto shore. They set for education a Hammurabi’s code, And state it on an Economist’s ode: not the fountain Whose drink all doth desire, but a mere factory by the road That gives not many the bliss which they hope, but pain; Agony from not just failing to educate the self, But excruciation seeing others that too need help. The birth of a boy sees many a new colour: Businessman, engineer, NRI or a doctor. The scholar of yore is seen no more As machines of the line’s grown stronger than before. The student of the day is not the knowledge seeker, But a piece of iron thrown in the hands of a ‘caster’; That moulds and melts him not into the Being, But a mercantile golem that lives to seek a living. To commend its superiors enjoying the beauteous Nature, Whilst it toils in turmoil on these pans of fire: Institutes that teach not to analyze and wonder, But to gobble, espouse, vomit and then†¦just wander. So, do we just give tests and go on becoming another mechanical product of this degree-machine, or relieve ourselves of this blunder? We find that today, education has reached such a stage, that the difference between the educated and the uneducated, is but a degree (or no degree), however the other may know; which reminds me of what a teacher of mine once said: â€Å"†¦You may wonder at the fact, that I have said Euclid and Aristotle together. You see, in the ancient world, the gift we had got, was the scholar, not the B.Tech, M.A., or B.Sc. (Hons). Thus, you get the same Pythagoras, who devised the theorem, AC2 = BC2 + AB2, giving the theory of transmigration of souls – two very different subjects, philosophy and mathematics, but the very same person.† Indeed, today we do lack such people, for the very fact that, India today is not the divine land where knowledge is respected – the land where the greatest university of the time exists, but a machine designed ages ago, to churn out Indian Civil Service workers, extended beyond into independent India by mistake (rather ignorance and lack of understanding), and united with the pre-ancient Indian processes of rote-learning, to make another machine, completely satisfactory in its ability and purpose of creating doctors and engineers, who work completely like a machine, with no interest in finding new methods or discovering new techniques or findings, but just working as per the age old methods engineered earlier, or today, but certainly by foreigners. The primary cause I believe, which has led to this is the method of education provided by society on him, from day one onwards – the very same day the student sees school that is. But first, let us have a look at the ‘ideal’ student, as society – the Indian society – views him. Is it not a boy, well in attire, i.e. in a neat and clean uniform, sitting in front of the table, with a book in front of him, learning what is written in the book, by-heart, writing down all that he has learnt, and at the end of the year, coming out with flying colours in his report-card? To those who find no problem with this, my question is â€Å"Why the farce?† Why the farce of such a false scene that has been idolized, to kill even the Einstein’s that our country has created? Is it that we have been so much into this claptrap of the rote-learner being the ideal, that we form this leucoma, to fail seeing through this farcical non-sense? Now, let us have a look at the true side of this story – the story that many of us have to go through, especially the ‘hopeless’ and the ‘fools’. As the young mind enters the nursery, he is forced to accept what he is told – a good method to teach language the fast way, but, the real problem occurs, when this process is extended into subjects which require full understanding, like mathematics. The student learns that two plus two is four, rarely because two objects and two objects come in to make a number o objects we call four, but rather because it makes four, be all and end all. And practicing thus, he goes on to learn tables, least understanding, what fives times three actually means. Thus, this process of forced learning create a feeling of boredom and the people who become successful, hence, are those who can accept these facts easily, little realizing the beauty that lies behind of the subject that lies beyond it, or the logic of why they are doing such, and at times, even, what they are actually doing, as an interview I carried out on standard three and four students, indicated – they knew very well, that eight into nine is seventy-two, without even the basic knowledge of why it is not seventy-one or seventy-three for that matter; it was seventy-two because they had learnt it to be seventy two PERIOD! It reminds me of Einstein’s â€Å"Concepts that have proven useful in ordering things easily achieve such authority over us, that we forget their earthly origins and accept them as unalterable givens.†(Translated from German) Worse still happens, when we try to extend this method into higher education, especially in the science and arts streams. Speaking of science, wherein I fit, the last blow on the camel’s back comes, when we are forced to accept theory and practical as two different ‘papers’, rarely finding the link lying between them. The only aim the students form now, is to get marks by properly doing what lay in front of us, finding the ‘correct’ answer, and finally, getting the marks. After that, there is nothing more to discover, and in some experiments, they don’t even figure out what physical quantity they are measuring. Some of us again, like a very good engineer, try understanding the things, from what is written in theory, which we have learnt by reading the book – thus, we tend to believe the book at each stage, even at the cost of manipulating the results of our experiments; little do we thus learn, that the value of ‘g’ which we got as 7.9 – 8.1 is actually the correct one, and not 9.81. Thus, we even fail to realize our foolishness. Computer Science is in fact, the only exception to this rule, as in it, we know why we are doing something, clearly, at least to the level of gates, which is generally considered the base of computing – at least as far as the programmer is concerned; which is perfectly acceptable. But as far as the other subjects are concerned, it is a different story altogether. Thus, this rote-learning that most of us have to go through in many subjects, in many schools, and in many standards is the sole cause of this problem. What intensifies this, are the many competitive examinations that we, the high school students, try to prepare ourselves for. In the process, we blindly accept some facts and play as much as we can with them, to tackle the problems that would be given in the exams. Thus, we slowly and painfully, kill the scientist, which lies within someone. But what truly wait, is not more criticism, but a solution to all this; of course, it is only my thought, which I believe can work, but it is a thought that comes from first0hand experiences and realizations. So, let us begin to address this from day one. The child enters the school, knowing nothing; what he especially does not know, is the beauty of knowledge and to him, school is a dreadful place (courtesy the stories that society teaches him). Hence, this can easily break him; thus, we must first break this breaker, by allowing him to play and interact with the other students and the teachers, as time progresses, to get a firm grip on him. As the bond slowly develops, we can introduce him or her to alphabets first those of his mother-tongue, and then that of English – however, both these languages must be taught simultaneously, or at least in the same class – nursery. Thus, we must teach the child, with a caring attitude, having no concern for teaching him this much or that much, as specified by the syllabus, we can form a proper child, who is ready to learn. And as he progresses to higher subjects like mathematics, science and higher English/Bengali/Hindi, it can be taught slowly and in a manner wherein the child learns by experimentation. For example, tables can be taught, not through the usual boring and strict way of mugging up the tables up to 9, but by making him himself realize, that when two is added five times, it gives ten and making him do the exercise a number of times fully understanding how these follow, as tables. This done, the student formed would be one, who is ready to experiment, loving the subject, fully understanding what he does. At the end of the day, a student who does this, would really want to learn it faster and would do so. Going on to English, comprehension and grammar exercises and short stories can be taught, in a way that makes him realize what the content of the story is, and make him develop a reading habit; reading classes can be organized, so as to develop his reading skills, and full scale discussion of the topics, with debates, speeches, etc. can be taken in order to develop his skills in public speaking, understanding the language, etc. As for science, â€Å"everything around us is science and can be understood if tried to† can be the key to the success in this path. The children can be taught to thus observe the phenomenon around, to learn form what he sees around him and only at this stage, remember (not blindly accept) that something he sees, like wet clothes drying up when it is kept in the sun, etc.; to this note, I remember a personal experience that I cherished: in class two, when we were being taught birds, we were asked to collect feathers of birds that had fallen, in order to study them, match them to find whom they belonged to, and even discuss on them. The experience of that class, as I still remember, was the most entertaining, enthralling and enriching one ever in my life. But sad it is, that few teachers are so innovative enough to draw our full attention, and let our interest in the subject rise to such an extent, where we learn so nicely that we remember those classes for our entire life. Coming back, this process can go on thus, and as for value education, classes should be based on yearly assessment of thoughts, not as in maintaining a diary, but as a class-work. Shifting up to the high school level, children from class six onwards can be allowed to go to the practical labs, to freely experiment with the instruments upon the teachers’ instructions, observing, making systematic recordings, and last but not the least, themselves inferring from the data they find, so as to find patterns in Nature. This can be nicely done in physics, if not chemistry – at least with organic chemicals the students can experiment, as for harsh ones, the teacher can perform the experiment, making the students infer from them. Thus, an ‘experimentative’ approach and curious nature would be instilled into the child’s young mind, as he passes through this elementary level of science, giving rise to the birth of the scientist within him. He should also be given full freedom to talk on the subject in the class, alone with the teacher, in word or in writing, so as to fully clear his/her doubts, and understand the subject deeper than ever. In a line, the student should not learn the laws, but derive them out of his activities. Moving on to class nine, the first six months can be classes of revision of whatever he or she had learnt in the junior classes. Later, new topics can be introduced, and in a very similar manner, he must be taught these. Hence, the final student that would be formed would not be the marks-seeker, but a true knowledge-seeker – thus at least the scientist. As for arts, students can be introduced to philosophy at an elementary level itself, not in the form of boring lectures, but by making them philosophize on everyday happenings, historical events, problems and solutions, etc.; thus he’d not need to learn philosophy, but develop a taste for finding philosophy in everyday life. Hence, when he/she will read texts of great authors, he’d immediately find the essence of it all. The same goes for commercial applications and economics, where he can be made to realize the truth behind all the business policies – through stories, and even experiments in the form of mock business sessions (even on very small imaginary ones, like buying a product of Rs. 2), to make the students understand the principles behind the complex business policies. He should also be given the proper mathematical background required behind this, as in pure statistics and some of pure and applied mathematics, and if a student is found interested more in some subject, which is not in his syllabus, he can well be taught the lesson after school. This method I believe,, will surely create not only a true student, but also a complete human being. As for the so-called ‘boring’ subjects of history and geography, it is the method of teaching alone, that makes all the difference. History can be taught by first drawing the interest of the student. Ancient history is a good place to start this practice, by making history an extension of literature and logic combined. He can be †¦ taught to learn not the whats alone, but taught more importantly the ‘why’s and hence, the deeper ‘how’s!

My Childhood Days Essay

It was a green world where I was born. I was born and raised in a small town which could almost know as countryside. Now, the small town has already collapsed and turned into a developing-city. It is so sad that I can only recall my childhood days in my mind instead of visiting the small town. It was a small town with warm-hearted villagers. We were all friends and always share our foods and games. Mak Kwan had the most famous cooking while En. Chong could fly the kite highest. Hmm†¦ I could still smell the curry in the air! My brother and I, we used to rush to Mak Kwan’s home and asked for curry when we smell it. Mak Kwan never decline and always offers us a big bowl of curry to share with our family. The satisfaction is so hard to describe. In my childhood days, I loved to fish in the rivers. Especially hand-fishing! I never like to fish with the rods because it is too messy. Although I like to fish, I am not good at it. So, it was always a big surprise for me when I succeeded to catch a fish. It made me smile all the day because I was over the moon! I usually went fishing with my brother. Not like me, he was good at hand-fishing. He could always catch a basket-full of fish. But, we only chose a fish to bring home and let the others go. Brother said that this was to make sure that there are always fishes in the rivers. One day, I watched â€Å"Recess† and I was so impressed by the tree-house. I asked for permission to build a tree-house, and my father promised to make me one! God is so good to me! My dad said that it was his dream when he was small too, so, he tried to make his and my dream came true. Then, we started to proceed. First, we selected a tree which was suitable to build a tree-house. After that, we drew a simple blue-print of the tree-house. We chopped down some trees and cut them into boards (it was not encouraged to cut down trees at that time, but no one stopped us because everyone was excited to see the tree-house). After three months, it was done! Not as luxurious as the one in â€Å"Recess†, but it was pretty good. At that time, I thought that I would become a good architect because I could design and build. Now, I learned that I was naive and stupid. In my childhood days, it was not only my playground, but also my safe haven when I was scolded by my parents. It use d to be my home to home. In the small town I lived, there was a small jungle. My brother and I enjoyed jungle trekking and explored some new things in the jungle. We had an album named ‘Jungle Diary’. We wrote down all the interesting incident during the exploration. We also collected the unique leaves, sticked it in the album and did some notes. We also liked to observe the animals’ lifestyle. We had an old digital camera, we shot the photos of the birds and wrote down the characteristics. It was fun. One time, we followed a deer along and accidentally went in too far into the jungle. We got lost! It was a terrible incident, I absolutely don’t want to recall it. In my childhood days, all the children in the village loved to fly kites. As I said before, En. Chong could fly the kites highest. So, he taught us how to fly the kites high in the sky. It was all about control. If the string is too tight, It breaks, but if it is too loose, it can’t go high. Just like our life. In a windy season, we organized a small kite-flying competition. Although it was small, everyone took it seriously. Because the design and beauty of the kites would be judged, we had to do it on our own. No shop would sell the kites at that time to prevent us from cheating. Of course, En. Chong was the busiest person because everyone asked for his help to make sure the kites could fly. En. Chong is a selfless person, he never declined to teach. He said that he was happy that many people tried to learn the way of making a good kite. It was not easy as what we thought, I failed three times before I got it. It was a big day, the competition. I didn’t win the first p lace, but it was a very memorable incident. I am not going to forget it. There were else more funny and wonderful memories in my childhood days. Unfortunately, kid nowadays can’t experience these funny things anymore. In the city now, people don’t even bother to know their neighbour’s name. The river is polluted, the tree with tree-house is gone, no more jungle for us to explore, and how often can we see the kites in the sky? They said it is the inevitable price for the modernization and industrialization. Yes, thanks to the development, and the pollution. I am glad that I was born in the 90s. Shame for the 00s, all they have is the internet. In the time comes, we will learn that how much hurts we had brought to our Mother Earth.