Respective culture Essay

‘The Gold Cadillac’ can be seen as quite similar to ‘A Stench Of Kerosene; where the mother appears powerful as Dee has the power to stand up to her husband. This is portrayed after Wilbert has just brought the new car and Dee says: ‘That Mercury wasn’t even a year old’. And when she refuses to ride in the car: ‘ †¦mother refused to ride anywhere’. From Dee’s character we get the impression that she has power not only as a mother but also as a woman. However in Pritam’s story only mothers have the power and only mothers and wives are respected in society because they are believed to be the women’s roles in society. This is shown in ‘A Stench Of Kerosene’ where Manak’s mother is referred to only as Manak’s mother giving us the impression that she is only considered as a mother in society and nothing more. By calling her this she is being robbed of her identity, individuality and in some ways of her freedom. On the other hand in ‘The Gold Cadillac’ it seems that even black women have power which is surprising as when this story is set there were many racist states in America. We get this impression from when the mother is constantly referred to as Dee giving her, her own personal identity and not limiting her to her role as a mother or as a wife like Manak’s second wife who we only know as Manak’s second wife. At the start of the story the father Wilbert is completely against the idea of selling his car. However, by the end of his story he has had a change of heart and decides to sell the car. This is a very surprising change in his attitude, considering his attachment to the car at the start of the story. His decision may be down to fear, which his daughter was put through whilst riding in the golden Cadillac and how much of a risk he realised they were all at after being arrested by the police: ‘driving this car any further south with you girls in the car, it’s just not worth the risk’. This could be seen as similar to ‘A Stench Of Kerosene’ in the sense that Manak’s mother is concerned about what is best for him just like Wilbert and Dee are concerned about what is best for their two daughters. In these short stories both authors show different approaches to the prejudice issues of different cultures. In ‘ The Golden Cadillac’ Taylor shows us this by telling the story through the eyes of an innocent and confused little girl. By doing this Taylor makes the effectiveness of racism all the more clear to the reader. In ‘A Stench Of Kerosene’ Pritam uses a completely different approach. She shows how women are not treated equally through Manak’s treatment of Guleri. She also shows how women are not treated fairly through Manak’s second bride, she is bought by Manak’s mother, Manak does not love her and it is as though she is a piece of property. Also Manak’s mother does not seem to care if she hurts Guleri or the second bride as long as her son benefits from it. Guleri feels betrayed as she was in love with Manak and he took a second bride, which is why she kills herself. In these short stories two very different cultures are displayed. In ‘A Stench Of Kerosene’ we see an Indian matriarchal society where mothers have the most power within their families. We also see that the women who are not married or mothers do not have much power. In ‘ The Gold Cadillac’ we see that the story is set in America where it appears at first that black people have equal rights. However, it is clear that in the south they do not. We also see that mothers have the freedom to challenge the decisions of their husbands and are respected just like all the men. The ways in which the two stories are set are similar. ‘ A Stench Of Kerosene’ is set in India; we get the impression that people get on well in this society. However, as the story progresses we realise the disadvantages faced by women. We are similarly misled in ‘ The Gold Cadillac’ in fact it is not immediately that the family in the story is black until we get further into the story. At first we think that black people are equals in society until the family travels into the south and receives much discrimination. In both of the stories ‘The Gold Cadillac’ and ‘A Stench Of Kerosene’, the authors Mildred Taylor and Amrita Pritam attempt to convey the harsh realities of their respective culture. In Pritam’s story women are not always treated as equals and in this case they are not respected unless they are married or are mothers. In Taylor’s story she is attempting to show us that in America black people have not always been treated as equals. In each case the authors appear to be pitiful of the ways in which women and black people are belittled in society. We as the readers are shown this through the strong imagery, brevity of structure and the narrative impact. Both authors give us meaning and the reader is left with a wider knowledge of how culture informs the way in which people are treated depending on race and gender.

Financial Management case study 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial Management case study 2 - Essay Example Based on the probability distribution of the rate of return, you can compute two key parameters, the expected rate of return and the standard deviation of rate of return. This in fact is the measure of risk for a single asset. State Probability Return on Stock A Return on Stock B 1 20% 5% 50% 2 30% 10% 30% 3 30% 15% 10% 4 20% 20% -10% Given a probability distribution of returns, the expected return can be calculated using the following equation:Where, E [R] is the expected return on the stock; N = no: of states; pi is the probability of state i and Ri is return on the stock in state i. So we see that Stock B offers a higher expected return than Stock A. However, that is only part of the story; we haven't yet considered risk. Given an assets expected return, its variance can be calculated using the following equation and the standard deviation is calculated as the positive square root of the variance. Although Stock B offers a higher expected return than Stock A, it also is riskier since its variance and standard deviation are greater than Stock A's. Advantages of Risk and Return: It enables investors and entrepreneurs in taking capital budgeting decisions. In case of risk chances of future losses can be foreseen. Disadvantages of Risk and Return: Uncertainty lies in decisions taken based on these. Calculations might be difficult at times. (b) Explain, with examples, how you would measure the risk of a portfolio. Most investors invest in a portfolio of assets, as they do not want to pout all their eggs in one basket. Hence what really matters to them is not the risk and return of stocks in isolation, but the risk and return of the portfolio as a whole. Expected return of a portfolio: The expected return of a... Most investors invest in a portfolio of assets, as they do not want to pout all their eggs in one basket. Hence what really matters to them is not the risk and return of stocks in isolation, but the risk and return of the portfolio as a whole. Expected return of a portfolio: The expected return of a portfolio is simply the weighted average of the expected returns on the assets comprising the portfolio. For eg : when a portfolio consists of two securities then the expected return is Consider the following two stock portfolios and their respective returns (in per cent) over the last six months. Both portfolios end up increasing in value from $1,000 to $1,058. However, they clearly differ in volatility. Portfolio A's monthly returns range from -1.5% to 3% whereas Portfolio B's range from -9% to 12%. The standard deviation of the returns is a better measure of volatility than the range because it takes all the values into account. The standard deviation of the six returns for Portfolio A is *1.52; for Portfolio B it is *7.24.

Organizational behavior (research analysis) Assignment - 2

Organizational behavior (research analysis) - Assignment Example To ensure that all the employees are up to date with the company values, I would organize annual events whereby the employees will be reminded on the core company values. Internal conflict resolution has been found to be more effective as compared to external methods such as courts. To come up with a good conflict resolution strategy, I would seek the opinion of the employees on workplace conflict guidelines. Conflict resolution should begin at the departmental level so that small disputes are handled before they blow up (Taylor, Rebekah, and Pamela 24). Every department should have a conflict mediator who will be trained on conflict mediation. Although training would be expensive in the short-term as compared to hiring mediators, it will be worth the cost since no new wages will be incurred in the future. Department managers will be trained as conflict mediators. Integration of management skills and conflict mediation will help solve conflicts wisely. Ineffective communication problems are bound to cause havoc in a working environment. As the new manager, I will ensure that communication channels are effective so as to avoid misunderstanding. The structure of the organization will be altered so that communication will be easier. Every department head will communicate directly to a central manager whose main function will be coordinating the different departments. The central manager will pass information from department to department and hence no cases of departmental misunderstanding will arise. According to Taylor, improper communication in departments is the root cause of conflicts in organizations (Taylor, Rebekah, and Pamela 56). He argues that a central communication point helps solve communication problems. Fair evaluation is defined as the process of determining an individual’s job-related actions without favoring or discriminating them. Fair evaluation also means that the employee’s

Marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Marketing plan - Essay Example Akin to olive oil in terms of function, tea seed oil is very effective for hair care. Not only does it strengthen hair and protect it from damage, it also provides moisture to the hair. Shiseido now intends to sell Tsubaki in Australia as it sees tremendous potential for that product in that market. Competitive Landscape in Australia Procter & Gamble Australia Pty Ltd, Unilever Australia Ltd, L'Oreal Australia Pty Ltd, Hans Schwarzkopf & Henkel GmbH & Co KG, Colgate-Palmolive Pty Ltd and Alberto-Culver Pty Ltd. In addition to these there are many other, domestic as well as international players, vying for a chunk of the shampoo market in the country. Demographic Environment The total population of Australia stood at 22 million in 2010. The gender-wise break-up of the Australian population is depicted in table below: Population (Gender Wise)    2010 2020    in '000 % in '000 % Male 10998 49.76 12591 49.86 Female 11102 50.24 12663 50.14 Total 22100 100 25254 100 Source: Euromonitor International The table shows that the male female population is almost equal and is likely to remain so by 2020. The ethnic composition of the country includes 92 percent Whites, 7 percent Asians and 1 percent Aboriginal and others (Euromonitor 2011). Thus females of Asian origin residing in Australia are approx .7 million. The Tsubaki shampoo would be targeted at this section of the society. It is imperative that the age-wise break up of the female population is considered while developing/modifying the product for the Australian market.    Female Population Age-Wise ('000) Age 2009 2010 2015 (E) 2020 (E) % Growth 0-14 2033 2052 2173 2326 13.3 15-64 7327 7415 7763 8095 9.2 65+ 1591 1635 1925 2242 37.1 Total 10951 11102 11861 12663 15.6 Source: Euromonitor International The above table clearly demonstrates that a drastic shift in Australia‘s demographic profile is imminent as a considerable chunk of the population is set to grow old in the coming future. This growth in the number of older consumers is likely to propel the demand for products that make people feel and look younger (Data Monitor 2011). The life expectancy in the country is 81.81 years for the total population. While it is 79.40 years for men, the life expectancy for the average Australian woman is 84.35 years. Economic Environment The Australian economy has registered a steady growth in the GDP in the last few years. The economy is estimated to grow by 3.7 percent this year. The inflation rate has also been below the 3 percent mark since 2010. The unemployment rate which has been steady at a shade above 5 percent is the brightest spot. Compare this to the unemployment rates in other developed countries where the joblessness has reached double digits. Key Economic Indicators    2009 2010 2011 2012 (E) GDP Growth (%) 1.3 3 3.5 3.7 Inflation 1.8 2.9 2.8 2.9 Unemployment Rate 5.6 5.3 5.2 5.1 Source: Data Monitor 2011 Australia is primarily a middle-class society. Close to 5 million, or 6 1 percent of the households in the country had an annual disposable income of more than US $45,000 in 2009. During the same time period, 36 percent of the Australian households had an annual disposable income of more than US $75,000. At the same time, more than 95 percent of the country is above the poverty line (Data Monitor 2011). The table below depicts that the average annual gross income has steadily risen across income brackets. The growth is considerably higher than

Would Tom Sawyer Have Been Prescribed Ritalin Essay

Would Tom Sawyer Have Been Prescribed Ritalin - Essay Example As the discussion highlights obviously, lack of control leads to decrease in the discipline. The diagnosis itself is relative because the border between impulsive personality and disorder is defined by the community. In the UK and Japan, the definition of impulsive personality seems to be broader because children in these countries are prescribed Ritalin not so often. While some doctors give to their patients more and more Ritalin prescriptions, others state that children can do without it because this drug serves as a â€Å"quick-fix† of the problem which does not cope with its causes. In this debate, I agree with Dr. Diller that better parental care and less pressure can result in better discipline and Tow Sawyer will live without Ritalin. The biggest problem children face in their life is represented by various demands. Children are required to be obedient; they have to meet different standards, pass various tests and participate in boring activities. These demands can caus e bad and impulsive behavior in children. It is not a disorder, but a logical reaction of a person to the situation when people are forced to do something they totally dislike. If children misbehave at school they do not necessarily have ADHD; it is possible that they cannot concentrate on tasks which do not fit their personality. The biggest pressure at school is the need for high performance. When I studied  at school, my parents always wanted me to be the best in the class. When I was worse than other kids, they tended to push on my forcing me to study something I disliked. I cannot say that their efforts were effective because they only destroyed my desire to learn the subjects where I could not succeed. Different studies show that Ritalin does help to concentrate on boring tasks, but it is helpless at improving

Three Types of Major Networks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Three Types of Major Networks - Essay Example The connectivity is generally made possible using a copper cable or optic fiber cable (OFC). The reach is further extended somewhat when we use the optic fiber. But that results in substantial increase in costs. Therefore in organisations where the purpose of LAN is not commercial and it is merely for information sharing, OFC is not a viable option. LANs are generally used to connect personal computers and sharing resources like printers. Generally LAN can work on speeds ranging from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps, with modern networks even working at somewhat higher speeds. The interconnections could be in Bus, Ring, Star or Tree topologies. Bus and Ring are the generally used ones’. The arbitration mechanism for resolving disputes is called Ethernet or IEEE 802.3. Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN): Such networks are called "metropolitan networks" because they are usually used for areas like metro-cities. It is a bigger version of LAN and normally uses similar technology. The coverage area of LAN could extend upto 10 kms. An organisation having couple of offices within a city can make use of MAN for interconnecting all such offices. MAN are also compatible with local networks. A Metro area network is also interconnected with one or two cables without any switching elements. Normally, this type of network is made a high speed network using optical fibre cable connections. Couple of LANs can be interconnected with the help of a MAN. The main reason for placing MAN into a separate category is that a standard has been adopted for them. This standard is called Distributed Queue Dual Bus (DQQB). DQQB is made up of two unidirectional buses (cables) to which all the computers are connected (fig 2). This standard is also known as IEEE 802.6. The key fea ture of MAN is that it allows ‘broadcasting’ i.e. one person/ node can messages for all the person/ nodes in the network simultaneously. This is possible because of the design of DQQB. Wide

The Great Post-It Mascare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Great Post-It Mascare - Essay Example He exemplifies Nietzsche’s observation that intelligence, mind, spirit etc. are falsely regarded as man’s highest faculties and in reality they have no privileged status within that power complex which we call a human person (Grimm, 1977, page 10). He finds a justification to his intense desire to exercise control over others by assuming that people have an inherent dislike for work and tend to avoid responsibility; they must, therefore, be pushed, punished, coerced and directed to ‘extract’ work. Such attitude is bound to prevent free and fair communication. Conflict is inevitable when there is neither motivation nor communication. It is almost a century since the Hawthorne Studies revealed the significance and benefits of informal organization. It is an irony that managers of George’s kind still abound. Positive organizational behavior recognizes employee well-being to be the heart of performance of improvement in workplace (Kinder, 2008, page 51). The perspective of Beverly or Bob is that the average worker enjoys work, is ready to accept responsibility if adequately reinforced and can exercise self-direction. Such perspectives can create win-win situations. It cannot be denied that Bob owes his success, to a great extent, to Beverly’s trust, encouragement and willingness to delegate. The approach is grounded in the awareness that ‘passing the torch from generation to generation is the primary conduit through which core lessons of leadership are learned’ (Deal et al., 2010, page 152). The benefits of the awareness are mutual. Beverly, as the COO, is still responsible for the people she has molded. She must see to it that the methods and processes initiated by her (in the interest of the employees) will be continued and improved upon by the successor. As George’s superior, she can monitor his leadership style and act as necessary. Changing the departments of