From Seeds to Civilizations Bruce D Smith Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

From Seeds to Civilizations Bruce D Smith - Essay Example These factors influence the cultural macroevolution. Here the changes are determined by the environmental factors and not by the social economic and political ones. The important influence of these macro evolutionary factors has been brought to the limelight by Jared Diamond. These factors played a very pivotal role at the dawn of history especially when writing was first invented. For example the Inuit could not invent farming but people in the Middle East could do so because they were surrounded by wild animals/plants which could be domesticated. Cultural microevolution on the other hand generated a need for liquid fuels for industrialized nations. But it was the macro evolutionary factors which shaped the World War II, where Germany and Japan had to use all their efforts to obtain and defend their petroleum supplies since their own territories lacked them. Early historians did not give much importance to the evolutionary view of history. But seventeenth century onwards scholars like Voltaire, Comte and others visualized history as an evolutionary process that was moving towards a goal. Karl Marx was one of the pioneers of the first great theories of historical evolution. Marx tried to find an evolutionary pattern of history based on scientific analysis. Apart from historians even... We are all products of our social and biological backgrounds. It is due to this very reason that the human nature of citizens living for long under democracies is different than those under dictatorships. Evolutionary theory has converted biology into a logical discipline. Evolutionary theory, primarily its cultural aspects can do the same to social sciences. Although some aspects of such a theory can be overshadowed by the story of sociopolitical evolution from hunting and gathering through the establishment of states that can be put together today. Evolutionary theory thus can be formed without making assumptions about genetics. The change in human natures is essentially because of cultural and not biological evolution. Plant domestication i.e. agriculture has played a very pivotal role in human history. It first began in the Fertile Crescent which is now a part of Israel and Lebanon. Population pressure, declining game supplies and increased plant gathering are some of the reasons given for the origins of agriculture .It is believed that the key reason for the spread of farming was due to the episodic periods of scarcity- a discrepancy of the general population pressure speculation. This could explain the rapid spread of agriculture from the Fertile Crescent The second hypothesis is that agriculture developed due to the rapid end of the ice age. The agricultural revolution was accompanied by rising birth rates. This eventually led to the demand of more food and thus led to the pressure of technological change to make more intensive agriculture possible. Due to this intensification and division of labor human society underwent changes through villages, clans to ultimately modern nation states. Differences in the productivity of the physical

The operating statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The operating statement - Essay Example Variable costs are costs are those, which vary with the level of activity while fixed costs are those, which are constant irrespective of the level of activity. However, the increase or decrease of fixed costs is not related to the level of activity alone as they may though change over a period. Variable costs on the other hand are directly related to the business activity; they include costs such as those for raw materials and inventory. They vary in the sense that the more of each you need in production the more the costs will increase (Czopek 2004). When the budgeted of these costs is more than the actual, then the discrepancy is termed as an adverse and a control measure must be put in place in actual/real time (Czopek 2004). The operation statement will therefore help the management in identification of each of the costs, when they are favorable as well as when they are adverse and formulate the control mechanisms for normal operations. As there is no single direct way or strate gy of cost management and control, the mangers will be forced to examine the whole business strategy and make a determination of how to achieve a cost reduction without interfering with the business operations. Variable cost control Variable costs will rise with expansion in production and fall when production falls; this is quite useful for effective decision-making. They include costs such as those for raw materials, packaging and direct labor (Czopek 2004). The operating statement shows clearly a Budgeted gross profit of 18339.30 pounds. As indicated by the variable costs variances, they are adverse as shown: - Sales volume profit variance = (2,130 – 2,100) ? 8.61 = ?258.3 (A) and Sales price variance = (15.0 – 14.5) ? 2,100 = ?1,050.0 (A). Material M3 price variance = (1.55 ? 1,050) – 1,680 = ?52.5 (A), Material M3 usage variance = ((2,100 ? 0.6) – 1,050) ? 1.55 = ?325.5 (F), Material M7 price variance = (1.75 ? 1,470) – 2,793 = ?220.5 (A) and Material M7 usage variance = ((2,100 ? 0.68) – 1,470) ? 1.75 = ?73.5 (A). Direct labor rate variance = (7.2 ? 525) – 3,675 = ?105.0 (F), Direct labor efficiency variance = ((2,100 ?14/60) – 525) ? 7.2 = ?252.0 (A), Variable overhead expenditure variance = (2.1 ? 525) – 1,260 = ?157.5 (A), Variable overhead efficiency variance = ((2,100 ? 14/60) – 525) ? 2.1 = ?73.5 (A). In order to achieve the budgeted profit, the management will have to do something about the adverse variable cost variances, which include those for labor, raw material in terms of material usage and the variable overheads. Material M3 whose price variance is adverse with its usage favorable, the management can look for a cheaper substitute of the same material to curb the negative variance. Depending on the cause of adverse material price variance as indicated by material M7, management will find out, if it is caused by changes in purchase prices, they can find a substitute. If it is caused by substitution of the original with a new material, the management will decide to go back to the original raw material. The management by help of the operating statement will be able to device other ways of controlling the adverse material cost variance by deciding to look for materials which have cash discounts and buying from suppliers who offer transportation and storage as after sales services. Direct labor rate variance is favorable with direct labor efficiency variance being unfavorable at 252.0 pounds. The management is therefore able to know the causes of

Change Model Essay Example for Free

Change Model Essay The aim of this essay is to critically analyse the background of the Qantas and its decision to launch Jetstar on May 2004 that operated around 800 flights a week across network of 14 destinations within Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Secondly, this essay will evaluate how Data Collection Feedback Cycle change model is used to gather major information and to critically analyse it. Thirdly, this essay will critically evaluate the background of Qantas and Virgin Blue and will also highlight various reasons that eventually led the Qantas group for the launch of the Jetstar. Fourthly, this essay will also critically analyse the revenue and profit performance of Qantas prior the introduction of Jetstar i.e. 2002. Fifthly, it will continue to critically evaluate the trend in Qantas and Virgin Blue in 2003. Then the sixth paragraph will also critically evaluate the trend in Qantas after the launch of Jetstar. Lastly, the essay will also look into the annual reports of the year 2005-2009 and critically analyse the significant value added by the Jetstar to the Qantas group; and will critically analyse whether the executive decision of Qantas to launch Jetstar in order to retain the 60% domestic aviation market from its competitors has been a strategic success or not. This paragraph will critically analyse the change management information gathered to launch Jetstar low cost airline in May 2004 by using the Data Collection Feedback Cycle change model. Nadler (1977) as cited in Cumming and Worley (2009:122) highlights that the Data Collection Feedback model consists of five phases that are (1) planning to collect data, (2) collecting data, (3) analysing data, (4) feeding back data and (5) following up on the data collected. In planning to Gather information to justify change Nadler (1977) argues that primary methods such as, direct interviews with CEO and key change agents, observing and identifying the need for change and the use of un obstructive measure as sampling technique, force field analysis and scatter diagrams, could be used to gather major information. In contrast Danaher have used various published data to trace the evolution of the Jetstar strategy of its initial position, to its efforts to attain price competitiveness and service parity, followed by its highly focused, cost-effective service delivery strategy. Based on it they have developed a hierarchical model with parameters estimated at the  individual level. This allows us to study not only how service design and pricing initiatives shift the perceived performance of Jetstar relative to its competitors but also how the airline can move market preferences toward areas in which it has competitive advantage. After done with the planning of the collection of data from competitors performance on its revenue, sales profits, passenger numbers and market share in 2002, 2003 and 2004 against Qantas key performance indicators for the same period between 2002, 2003 and 2004 from the Annual Reports of both Virgin Blue and Qantas domestic operations. Nadler (1977), after the data has been collected data they are analysed using the qualitative change data such as directors report, World Business Briefing /Australia: Airline Profit(2004).The reminder of this essay will critically analyse the data collected from secondary sources such as Annual Reports, newspaper articles and journal articles to analysis the data sourced to evaluate what would be the most effective change to be implemented by Qantas in responding to Virgin Blue competition the Australian aviation domestic sectors. This paragraph will evaluate the basic background of Qantas and Virgin Blue and will also highlight various reasons that eventually led the Qantas group for the launch of the Jetstar. After the deregulation of Australian aviation market there were several airline companies entering the market however the most significant entrance was of low fare airlines Impulse in June and Virgin Blue in August 2000. The arrival of Impulse Airlines and Virgin Blue doubled the number of players and dramatically challenged the stable duopoly of Qantas (after its merger with Australian Airlines) and Ansett, setting off a vicious price war (Traca, D., 2004). However, Impulse facing a major trouble in the cash flow agreed on May 1, 2001 to hand over its operations to its biggest rival, Qantas Airways. As per the deal Impulse stopped its passenger service under its own name on May 14 and leased 21 aircraft as well as cabin crews and pilots to Qantas. The deal led the stock of Qantas heaved by 26% closing at $3.40 per share giving Qantas a significantly stronger position in the Australian market (Gaylord, 2001). Qantas, Australia’s leading domestic and international carries launched a budget airline called Jetstar in May 2004 (Qantas annual report, 2004). With Jetstar Qantas’s aim was to cover the low fare segment of the aviation  industry, which came into existence in the year 2000 with its competitor, Virgin Blue. Virgin had been successfully eating up QANTAS market share by attacking it from below as a no frills provider. In 2001 the collapse of Ansett in domestic market, led Qantas to lease extra flights, add hundreds of special flights in order to help stranded travellers due to Ansett crisis. At the time Qantas flew more than 50,000 former Ansett passengers for free and other 65,000 on heavily discounted fares. Due to this Qantas was able to deliver a profit before tax of $631m and net profit after tax of $428 million at the end of 2002, 30 June, despite of the fact that the world’s aviation market was suffering from â€Å"constant shock syndrome†, due to the September 11 attack followed by bombings in Bali, the war in Iraq and of course the devastating outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Qantas annual report, 2003). The shutdown of Ansett also highly benefitted Virgin Blue, since the event provided a wide opportunity for Virgin Blue to grow rapidly and become Australia’s second leading domestic carrier. In 2000 it started with only one route (Brisbane to Sydney) with two aircrafts and a team of just 200 people. In 2001, with the opportunity to widen its market segment, 14 new routes were launched (virginaustralia – history). The aim of this paragraph is to highlight how Qantas and Virgin Blue became the only two players in the Australian domestic aviation market in 2002. It will also look in to the key financial indicators of both the companies so that a comparison could be drawn out. In 2002 there were only two companies that survived the fare war of 2000-2001. One of them was Qantas that gained 80% of the domestic market share following Ansetts cessation. Whereas, the number of international passenger declined by 11% which makes an average decline of about 25% in global aviation market (Traca, D., 2004). In the same year Qantas domestic carried 1485 million passengers making a RPK of $2034 million and the ASK of $2503 million (Traffic and capacity statistics, 2002). Qantas announced its financial results for the year ended 30th June 2002. As per the financial result the company had $631 million of profit before tax, a net profit after tax of $million, revenue of $ 10,968.8 million and earnings per share of 29.1 cents (Qantas annual report, 2002). The other survivor of the fare war, Virgin Blue managed to emerge as second Australian Domestic carrier, covering of about 20% of the domestic market  (Traca, D., 2004). Due to its strategic low operating cost and soaring market share, it was able to achieve net profit before tax of $34.8 million and revenue of $388.3 million. In this year the airline carried 3.2 million passengers, its traffic as measured by RPK’S was 3169 million, capacity measured by ASK’S was 3898 million (Virgin Blue annual report, 2004). In March 2002 Patrick Corporation, the premier port cargo handler, bought 50% of the airline. This change made Godfrey, chief executive of Virgin Blue confident about the enlargeme nt of the domestic operation and also expansion into the international market with service to South Pacific (Traca, D., 2004). This paragraph critically analyses the key financial indicators of the Qantas and the Virgin Blue of the year 2003. It will also highlight how Virgin Blue concentrating only of the leisure domestic market was slowly overcoming the market share of Qantas. In 2003 Qantas domestic carried 1768 million passengers making a RPK of $2262 million and the ASK of $2683 million (Traffic and capacity statistics, 2003). Qantas announced its financial results for the year ended 30th June 2003. As per the financial result the company had $502.3 million of profit before tax, a net profit after tax of $343.5 million, revenue of $11,374.9 million and earnings per share of 20 cents (Qantas annual report 2003). Speaking of announcements, in the Annual General Meeting held on 16th October 2003 it was announced that â€Å"the airline is investigating the establishment of separate domestic low cost airline to service the leisure market in Australia† (Preliminary monthly traffic and capacity statistics, July 2003).In this same year Virgin Blue carried 6.8 million passengers, its traffic as measured by RPK’S was 7194 million, capacity measured by ASK’S was 9078 million. Taking advantage of the fact that Virgin Blue had no other competitor serving the price sensitive market of Australia, it earned revenue of $914.6 million, compared to previous year the revenue earned up roared by 135.5% and the number of passengers carried also increased by 107% (Virgin Blue annual report, 2003). This paragraph will critically analyse the launch of Jetstar in May 2004 and the changes that it brought in the key financial indicators of Qantas and as well as of Virgin Blue. Following the announcement made in 2003 Annual  General Meeting Qantas Introduced Jetstar in May 2004. In the first year Jetstar alone carried 273,000 passengers. Prior Jetstar Qantas already had Qantas Domestic and Qantas Link serving domestic passengers. With these three Qantas in total carried 1973 million passengers. Compared to 2003/04 the number increased by 9.4% (Traffic and capacity statistics, 2004). In the same year Total Domestic (Qantas, Qantas Link and Jetstar) traffic was measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs) of $2451 million while capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) increased to $3021 million (Traffic and capacity statistics, 2004). On 19 August 2004, Qantas announced its financial results for the year ended 30 June 2004. In the announcement it was stated that the company had achieved a profit before tax of $964.6 million and a net profit after tax of $648.4 million. Similarly, $11.4 billion of revenue, earning per share of 35.7 cents (Qantas annual report, 2004/05). Despite increasing domestic competition during the year Virgin Blue continued to show strong growth and profitability. During the year Virgin Blue carried over 10million (m) passengers, an increase of 53% compared to previous year. Doubling its passenger number the third time in a row in this same year it welcomed its 20 millionth passenger. Its revenue for the 2004 financial year was $1362.3million which is 49% more than the previous year. In the same year profit before tax was up by 45% to 226.2million and a Net Profit After Tax of 158.5million (Virgin blue annual report, 2004). Till March 31, 2004 Virgin Blue had 44 Boeing Net Generation 737 – 700 737 -800 aircraft out of which 36 were leased and 8 were owned. However, during the year the fleet was increased by 15 aircrafts. Since the day of establishment Virgin Blue was committed to keep its cost base low and they are continuously working through it so that they could consistently provide their customers with low fares travel. Their cost per ASK for the financial year 2004 was 8.16 cents whereas a year before it was 8.48 cents. A decrease of 3.5% put the company on a good front in terms of scale and productivity (Virgin blue annual report 2004). The Australian discount airline Virgin Blue, has won 30% of the market from Qantas, the national carrier, which will introduce a low-fare airline, Jetstar. Fare surcharges are being imposed by both groups as fuel pri ces rise (Shaw, 2004). Jetstars initially offered $48 for Melbourne to Hobart route and from $54 for Sydney to the resorts south of Brisbane. The price was similar  to what the price Virgin Blue was offering at the same period. All Jetstar flights offered one class of travel, with unreserved seating. In contrast Virgin Blue offered assigned seating and baggage connections to final destinations (Henly, 2004). This paragraph critically analyse the key indicators for Qantas and Virgin Blue for launching Jetstar in May 2004. It is very clear with the annual report that Jetstar has been profitable ever since it was launched in the year 2004 (Jetstar Media centre). However, the road wasn’t quiet smooth in the initial years. From its launch Jetstar was exclusively using a â€Å"low price† message in its communication, but it was lagging way behind Virgin Blue in terms of quality. The Jetstar overall quality disadvantage was greater at 22.3% (6.02 versus 7.75) (Danaher et.al, 2011. pp. 586 -594, Fig 3). Jetstar was already appealing on the price front, and then it addressed its deficit in quality and tackled that by focusing on some specific sub attributes (not disclosed by the company) that provided Jetstar a good opportunity to overcome the point of difference with Virgin Blue. Then the price perception of Jetstar relative to Virgin Blue dramatically improved from 6.9% deficit in March 2008 to 2.5% deficit in only 3months i.e. 7.42 versus 7.62 (Danaher et.al, 2011. pp. 586 -594, Fig 3). Since the establishment the main concern as a parent company for Qantas Group was that whether Jetstar would financially be profitable in its own right. Hence, it did by earning revenue of $1.020 billion, $1.414 billion, and $1.605 billion in the year 2007, 2008, and 2009 respectively. It was 7%, 10%, 12% of Qantas group revenue respectively (Qantas annual report, 2009). Similarly, in the same order the profit earned was $79 million, $104 million and $118 million (Danaher et.al, 2011. pp. 586 -594, Table 2). Similarly, speaking of market share of Jetstar, it has increased by 29% from the year 2008-2009. Earlier with the perceived mediocre price competitiveness and low quality it was in a poor position as compared to Virgin Blue, whereas, with the necessary remedies taken within the 1st quarter of 2008 it was in position almost equal to Virgin Blue in terms of covering the large proportion of the target market. Jetstar Market Share of Domestic Australian Leisure Air Travel was 14% in the first quarter of 2008, with the changes made the market share increased to 14.6% and it gradually kept on increasing and it had 18.1% of market share in March 2009. Further, with the increase in profit it improved its perceptual position, whereas,  Virgin Blue has remained relativ ely stationary. In conclusion if we are to pay close attention to the domestic growth strategies of the country’s largest airline company; Qantas, its decision of launching Jetstar seems be a successful strategic decision. It was matter of concern that the Virgin Blue an airline company focusing on the price sensitive market would whether survive the competition with 82 year old veteran airline company. However, with its striking approach of low fare Virgin Blue today covers 35% market share of the domestic aviation sector. By critically evaluating the financial indicators of both companies for the year 2002-2004 and also following the series of events, it becomes quiet clear that though Virgin Blue had started small it managed to cover 20% of the target market in 2002. In further years concentrating only in the no frill travel it was able to hold the 30% of the market share, which became a matter of concern for Qantas because though it was making more profits then Virgin Blue it was losing it domestic market grip, therefore, led to the launch of Jetstar. However, even after the Launch of Jetstar Qantas performance was not like it was expected because in the year 2004 Qantas domestically carried only 2061 million passengers which were only 88 million more than the last year. However, with the necessary major changes (not disclosed by the company) Jetstar alone was able to regain the market share of 18.1% by March 2009. REFERENCE LIST Gaylord, B. (2001). Qantas to Absorb Competitor As Fare War Takes a Victim. The New York Times; Business Day. 11Shaw, J. (2004). World Business Briefing /Australia: Airline Profit. The New York Times; Business Day. Henly, G, S. (2004). Travel Advisory; New Offshot of Qantas Offers Lower Fares. The New York Times; Travel Danaher. J. P., Roberts. H. J., Roberts. K., Simpson. A. (2011). Applying a Dynamic Model of Consumer Choice to Guide Brand Development at Jetstar Airways. Marketing Science, 30(4), 586 – 594. Doi: 10.1287/mksc.1100.0619 Traca. D., (2004). Virgin Blue Fighting With National Champion. INSEAD, 5179. Traffic and Capacity Statistics. Retrieved from: http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/investors-traffic-statistics/global/en Jetstar Media Centre. Retrieved from: http://www.jetstar.com/mediacentre/facts-and-stats/jetstar-group Nadler, D. (1977). cited in Cumming and Worley (2009). Organization development change, 9th edition, South- Western Cengage Learning. Qantas annual report (2002). Retrieved from http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/about/investors/2002AnnualReport.pdf Qantas annual report (2003). Retrieved from http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/about/investors/2003AnnualReport.pdf Qantas annual report (2004). Retrieved from http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/about/investors/2004AnnualReport.pdf Virgin Blue annual report (2004). Retrieved from http://www.virginaustralia.com/cs/groups/internetcontent/@wc/documents/webcontent/~edisp/annual-rpt-2004-a3.pdf

A Proposal to Stop the Poaching of the Siberian Tiger Essays -- Argume

A Proposal to Stop the Poaching of the Siberian Tiger One of the world’s most beautiful creatures, the Siberian tiger, has been roaming earth for many years. The Siberian tiger subspecies has been subjected to many obstacles, which make it very difficult for it to survive. Their main threat is not lack of food, but â€Å"man,† one of God’s most fierce and cruel species. Because of man the tiger population has reduced to approximately 400 in the wild, and restricted their remaining habitat to the Russian Far East (Field Projects). Man has done many things to destroy the Russian Siberian tiger. They have cut down forests and moved in on the tiger’s territory, causing them to flee and become fragmented throughout Siberia making it hard for them to mate and hunt. Poaching has also made it difficult for the tiger to survive. Man has illegally killed this magnificent animal over decades for sport, food, trade, medicinal purposes, and to protect their livestock. Though man is very powerful and capable of causing the extinction of the Siberian tiger, they are also capable of helping the tiger to survive. Many people are supporting conservation organizations in order to help the surviving population of the Siberian tiger. These conservation organizations are trying to stop the annihilation of the Siberian tiger by strengthening anti-poaching patrols, establishing a compensation program for farmers, and educating people. According to researchers, â€Å"between 1990 and 1994 approximately sixty tigers were poached a year† (Field Projects). Some Russian experts predicted, â€Å"that, if no immediate measures were taken, the Siberian tiger would go extinct soon after the year 2000† (Field Projects). The Russian ministry of environment began a project... ...ob to clean up what we started and end the illegal killing and help the tiger population to expand and survive in their habitat. Many foundations have been funded in order to make this possible, it is also our job to make sure they stay in effect to eventually end the poaching of the Siberian tiger. Richard Burge noted in Riding the Tiger, â€Å"The tiger is more than a charismatic predator: it is a keystone subspecies in its environment. By saving the tiger in the world, we save complex ecosystems and habitats that would otherwise be destroyed in the relentless march of human need and, all too often, greed† (U. S. Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act). Works Cited â€Å"Field Projects.† 5 Tigers. 3 October 2001. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Rhinocerus & Tiger Conservation Act. Summary Report 1999-2000.

Contextual role in lifespan dvelopment

Lifespan development is the process by which individuals go through a series of stages that unfold one after the other. Development applies to both the physical and non-physical dimensions. Almost all individuals agree that physical growth stops at certain points. However, there is a lot of contention about where the issue of personality development stops. Many authors have used descriptions such as adulthood, inner unity and self actualization in attempts to describe where this development ends. However, these definitions are all linked to certain cultural or historical aspects of a person’s life. This then brings out the importance of context within the field of lifespan development. The essay shall look at cultural, historical, spiritual aspects that affect how an individual’s lifespan development occurs. (Pogson and Tennant, 1995)Role of contextMany books address the stages that human beings go through as they grow but few of them pay attention to the forces or powe r that one’s social surrounding can have upon their lives.   It should be noted that the environment can influence ones’ development both physical and intellectually. This is because the environment can interact with ones genes and change the way they grow.Many theories exist about the stage of development. Some experts suggested seven stages; others suggested six while others believe that human beings go through five stages. While these stages may be common among certain individuals, one cannot ignore the fact that they are not applicable to all individuals. By establishing a system of theories that generalize developmental stages, these experts were ignoring one of the most crucial facts in development; the individual. Each and every person is exposed to different cultural or social aspects; consequently, that person is bound to turn out differently in comparison to their counterparts. (Jarvis, 1997)When one examines the nature of stages that their own lives have u ndergone, one can see that none of them actually fit ideally into the latter mentioned life stages. There are some delays in certain instances and there may also be some skips. One must therefore ask themselves why this is occurring. The answer is that human beings are creatures of their surrounding. Every single person is exposed to different experiences. This affects them both physically and otherwise and it can therefore affect the nature of their developmental process.Life development should not be mechanized in such a manner that one can assume that they can predict growth phases. Life is not clear cut and sometimes, one’s experiences can either cause that person to retrogress (in that they depict signs characteristics of an earlier stage), in other instances, experiences may propel individuals to enter into stages that may not be predicted for their age. Sometimes, one can undergo a certain stage twice and these are all as a result of people’s interaction with th eir environment. (Humphries, 1988)Some of the stages created by experts on lifespan development may not necessarily be prevalent in all parts of the world. The authors mentioned include ·   Erikson ·    Piaget ·    Kohlberg ·      EtcThese experts conducted their studies only in certain parts of the world while the rest were left out. Sometimes, some communities may not depict the characteristics laid out in their theories. For instance, stages such as mid life crisis may not prevalent in all parts of the world. Some people may assume that this is a western notion.Another important issue that affects development is one’s gender in relation to their surrounding. Because of the roles laid out by society with respect to gender issues, then one cannot assume that all societies will have individuals who go through similar stages as do other women in the rest of the world.Certain psychologists and sociologists came up with a series of factors that can affect the n ature of one’s life outcome. An example of such an author was Holmes and Rahe. The latter authors described some forty three items that can alter one’s perception of the world around them, these includedSA spouse death-100Divorcce-73Separation from a spouse-65A close family member’s death—63Detention in jail-63Illness-50Marriage-47Pregnancy-39Job retirement-45Others included reconciliation with a spouse, changes in health etc. (Rutter and Rutter, 1992)The latter ratings were in order of the event’s ability to alter one’s development. The authors explained that when these events occurred, then one had to succumb to overwhelming emotional burdens. It should be noted that the list largely contained a number of adult related issues. It was also explained that the degree to which he events alter one’s life is largely dependent on whether they were expected in one’s lifespan. Also the sequence within which those events occur also mat ters because when the events follow one another, then they can cause a crisis which eventually changes one life course.ConclusionIt should be noted that development largely depends on one’s experiences and environment. In other words, context is crucial. This is the reason why many developmental stages are not linear and vary from individual to individual.ReferencesRutter, B. and Rutter, M. (1992): Developing Minds. Challenge and continuity across the life span; PenguinPogson, P. and Tennant, M. (1995): Learning and Change in the Adult Years; Jossey-BassHumphries, B. (1988): Adult learning in social work education; Critical Social Policy No. 23: 4-21Jarvis, P. (1997): Adult Learning in the Social Context; Croom Helm

Examples Of Racism In A Raisin In The Sun - 1672 Words

African-Americans have experienced racism since the 1600s and throughout American history. However, not many books have been able to display the ethnic ignorance that white people have towards blacks. One of the more successful stories is A Raisin in the Sun shares a compelling story about an African-American family during the 1900s and offers many themes about social class and race. In A Raisin in the Sun, a negative legacy is left on modern drama due to the many examples of poverty and the message of money in the novel; though some people may believe that the play was an accurate depiction of the African-American lifestyle and their culture, they are wrong to believe this impractical belief because it leads to many white people assuming†¦show more content†¦In fact, poverty that the black community experiences has a direct correlation to discrimination, as Tayebeh Nowrouzi claims, â€Å"Big Walter s life was a constant suffering from his discriminated hostile economic and social world†¦ he could not escape the despair and poverty that discrimination imposed on African Americans† (Nowrouzi et.al. 2272). In arguing this claim, Nowrouzi is explaining that economic poverty is due to racism and discrimination. The phrase â€Å"he could not escape† confirms how although Big Walter worked diligently his whole life, the poverty and economic failure was an impending doom. Moreover, the use of the words â€Å"constant suffering† suggests that Big Walter and the black community have been dealing with poverty and economic disparity for as long as they have been alive. The life of Big Walter is very symbolic because the treatment of African-Americans has not changed from his lifetime to Walter and Travis’s lifetime. The legacy that A Raisin in the Sun has left in modern society is very negative because the play demonstrates a profoundly racist and discriminated point of view of African-American poverty. However, not only does the play show differences in the welfare of African-Americans compared to whites, it also illustrates the theme of money and greed. TheShow MoreRelated Racism and the American Dream in Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun1340 Words   |  6 PagesA Raisin in the Sun is written by a famous African- American play write, Lorraine Hansberry, in 1959. It was a first play written by a black woman and directed by a black man, Lloyd Richards, on Broadway in New York. The story of A Raisin in the Sun is based on Lorraine Hansberry’s own early life experiences, from which she and her whole family had to suffer, in Chicago. Hansberry’s father, Carol Hansberry, also fought a legal battle against a racial restrictive covenant that attempted to stop African-Read MoreWhite Dominance During The Post Segregation Era945 Words   |  4 PagesWhite Dominance in the Post-Segregation Era Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, addresses the hardships of an African-American family living in the projects of post-segregation Chicago. The family aspires to fulfill their dreams of owning a home despite the odds they face. W.E.B Du Bois critical race theory explains the issue of racism and white dominance that not only the family in the play faces, but the African-American community as a whole. 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My Most Embarrassing Moment - Personal Narrative Essay

My Most Embarrassing Moment - Personal Narrative Ding! Ding! Ding! It was everywhere, pen, pencil, papers, rubbers, sharpeners and games. I woke up in a room which looked like a recycling truck. I was so hooked up with my homework and playing my games to the next level that I didn’t even know that I went to sleep. I wasn’t in the mood to go to school. I just wanted to wake up when I wanted to, eat ice cream for breakfast, complete all my games, watch films and then go to bed when I got tired. But that never happened. My name is Mathulan and I go to the Heathland School. I also have a little brother Kohulan, he is the most annoying boy ever, and he tricks me and gets me into places where I fell like†¦show more content†¦I scampered to the basement, fiddled inside the dirty basket but couldn’t find it. â€Å"Check in the dirty basket,† yelled mum. 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