Female Representation Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein Essay

Frankenstein: Female Representation In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein there is a strong antithesis between motherhood traits of care and bravery that female characters possess and that Victor lacks. Agatha role as sister in the De Lacey family represents the values of care of a sister and a mother, Caroline’s sacrifice her life for the health of her adopted daughter, likewise Elizabeth bravery to testify in favor of Justine when Victor remains silent and Victor’s abortion of the female creature. Most importantly none of the female characters are involved on the creation of the Creature. It is for this lack of traits and distance from female character that he is driven to create the Creature and ultimately bring destruction upon his family. Through this antithesis of traits between Victor’s and the main female characters, the author emphasizes the necessity to have female presence in a family and ultimately a society. In the novel, the De Lacey family represe nt the virtuous qualities of a family and with it the repetitive theme of the fulfillment of the empty role left by the death of the mother only by other female members of the family. In the De Lacey family Agatha sets up and fulfills the empty role of their death mother by performing the domestic roles, caring for her father and brother as well as performing labor work outside the house. The descriptions of the chores performed by Agatha and her brother are unequal. In accordance to the Creature’s observations: â€Å"I sawShow MoreRelatedThe Guilt Of The Death Of Others By Mary Shelley1307 Words   |  6 Pagescharacters in her writings. Mary Shelley’s guilt is significant to the guilt of her characters because they are created by her. Through them she is able to express her own guilt for the death of others. The characters inside Mary Shelley s writings have losses and gains similar to her own. In her writings, Shelley would take a theme that was evident in her own life and apply them to her writings. â€Å"Mary Shelley, in her second novel [Valperga] as well as in her first [Frankenstein], is interested in takingRead MoreLesbian Honesty: Reading Between the Lines1251 Words   |  5 PagesIn Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein the critical essay â€Å"Lesbian Panic and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein† (â€Å"Lesbian Panic†) by Frann Michel approaches Frankenstein from a gender perspective and applies Adrienne Rich’s lesbian continuum, the â€Å"Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence† where female relationships, mother-daughter/sisters/female friendships which all fall under the umbrella of lesbian relations, to the relationships that are present in Frankenstein. Frann Michel clarifies through herRead MoreThe Representation Of The Mother2278 Words   |  10 PagesThe Representation of the Mother in Frankenstein â€Å"Through the blur, I wondered if I was alone or if other parents felt the same way I did - that everything involving our children was painful in some way. The emotions, whether they were joy, sorrow, love or pride, were so deep and sharp that in the end they left you raw, exposed and yes, in pain. The human heart was not designed to beat outside the human body and yet, each child represented just that - a parent s heart bared, beating forever outsideRead MoreFemale Gothic The Monsters Mother Essay1534 Words   |  7 PagesFemale Gothic: The Monster’s Mother In Ellen Moers’ critical essay Female Gothic: The Monster’s Mother (1974) on Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, she argues that Mary Shelley’s story is greatly influenced by her experience of motherhood. This essay uses the historical approach, biographical, and formalist approach at point. Moers references the cultural context of the novel, Mary Shelley’s experience as a woman and mother and how that influenced her writing, and focuses on the genre of the novelRead MoreFrankenstein, By Mary Shelley1603 Words   |  7 Pages Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was written during the Romantic period. If follows the trend of romantic novels of containing gothic themes, but with more profound meaning in the message that the novel tries to convey. Shelley’s use of imagery especially of the monster and how people react upon seeing him is an perfect example for how she held a broken mirror to society showing how people react to things that are different and unknown. In the novel the monster is a greater metaphor for people thatRead MoreMary Shelley s Frankenstein : What Made The Monster Monstrous1751 Words   |  8 PagesRonald Britton is the writer and editorial manager of the article: Mary Shelley s Frankenstein: What Made the Monster Monstrous. All throughout this article Britton will talk about the genesis of the renowned story of Frankenstein, which emerged from a fantasy experienced by Mary Shelley while on an occasion imparted to her spouse and her stride sister. The creator talked upon Shelley expressing that â€Å"She emphasizes that she was not confined to her own identity in these daydreams, she became othersRead MoreIs Frankenstein Really A Monster?2155 Words   |  9 PagesIs Frankenstein Really a Monster? I. Introduction Ronald Britton is the writer and editorial manager of the article: Mary Shelley s Frankenstein: What Made the Monster Monstrous. Throughout this article Britton will talk about the genesis of the renowned story of Frankenstein, which emerged from a fantasy experienced by Mary Shelley while on an occasion imparted to her spouse and her stride sister. The creator talked upon Shelley expressing that â€Å"She emphasizes that she was not confined to herRead MoreSocietal Dilemmas Of Frankenstein And Frankenstein1541 Words   |  7 Pagesoften not afraid to address societal dilemmas. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Dracula by Bram Stoker are two examples of this. Mary Shelly uses Frankenstein’s monster as a metaphorical figure to demonstrate the treatment of the marginalised. This is clarified through the Monster’s declarative â€Å"All men hate the wretched;† referring to the fact that his physical appearance has caused everyone in society to reject him – including his creator, Frankenstein. This could be an allusion to the treatmentRead MoreThe Monster By Mary Shelley1563 Words   |  7 PagesA six foot man created by a montage of flesh and sinew might of been the most terrifying scene that Victor Frankenstein has ever beheld. The monster which is known by many through the well known gothic classic, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, has a lot to teach us about human nature. The monster was created not as a physical representation, but rather as a deep symbol of Victor Frankenstein. The monster really just lives within Victor, and drives him to the extent of doing things that he may neverRead More Essay on Shelle ys Frankenstein and Miltons Paradise Lost3164 Words   |  13 PagesShelleys Frankenstein and Miltons Paradise Lost   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even upon first glance, Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and John Miltons Paradise Lost seem to have a complex relationship, which is discernible only in fractions at a time.   Frankenstein is Mary Shelleys reaction to John Miltons epic poem, in which he wrote the Creation myth as we perceive it today.   His characterizations of Adam and Eve and the interactions of Satan and God and the impending Fall seem to have almost taken a Biblical proportion

Analysis Of The Article Why Women Smile By Amy Cunningham

Syllabus Assignment For my syllabus assignment, I found a fascinating article titled â€Å"Why Women Smile† by Amy Cunningham. This is a great piece that looks at how women’s emotions are still heavily influenced by society, whether its suppressing certain emotions or exaggerating false ones. While this article was written over a decade ago, I feel like the points brought up and the overall message are still very relevant in todays culture and society. The author, Amy Cunningham, is a freelance author and editor based out of New York. She specializes in writing about healthy living, which is what intrigued me as to what drove her to write this article. To prepare research for this piece, she interviewed and studied psychologist and facial expression expert Paul Ekman. This article was originally written for a magazine titled Lear’s, which is no longer around but many of her other works have been published in popular magazines such as Glamour Magazine and The Washington Post’s magazine. To date, Cunningham is still receiving checks from an academic press because of how well the article teaches in college courses. In the article, Cunningham brings up many compelling points that help drive her argument on the reasons as to why women smile. One of the main points she touches on is the biological aspect of it. She relates it to monkeys and how they use a smile in their environment to show that they are not going to cause harm to anyone around them and that they are passive. This helpsShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesOverview 23 †¢ Inputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment Library How Much Do I Know About Organizational Behavior? 4 Myth or Science? â€Å"Most Acts of Workplace Bullying Are Men Attacking Women† 12 An Ethical Choice Can You Learn from Failure? 24 glOBalization! Does National Culture Affect Organizational Practices? 30 Point/Counterpoint Lost in Translation? 31 Questions for Review 32 Experiential Exercise Workforce Diversity 32 Ethical Dilemma

Women Free Essays

string(35) " not good for the man to be alone\." Women have a significant importance in the society. They play the fundamental role in the improvement of a nation. In many societies, the place of women has been discussed for numerous times. We will write a custom essay sample on Women or any similar topic only for you Order Now Each society placed the women in their society variously. Their view of women had shaped according to their style of living, culture, laws, and religion. Even in the modern era, the place of the women is still not clear. It can be seen the level of development of a civilization by looking how women are positioned in that civilization. Although women sometimes lived in a state of liberty, they mainly have limited life. Almost every emerging civilization had set limits on women’s freedom of expression and travel. Unfortunately, in much of human history, women had treated as they were the second-class citizen and women were expected to be submissive. Mostly, they were depended on their husbands or fathers. To give an example, in Ancient Greece, women did not have many rights. Women were not permitted to become a citizen of the Athenian city-state. Since they were not able to own their property, they were not able to hold full citizenship rights. Women actually had fewer rights than slaves because they were never allowed their own freedoms (GreekBoston.com). Also, Emory Adams Allen stated that Athenian women were always minors, subject to some male- to their father, to their brother, or to some of their male kin (444). There was even this saying in Ancient Greece time †The best woman is the one who never speaks† (Berktay 106) As a matter of fact, many examples can be given from history such as Romans, Ancient Egypt etc. Though, the point is that the women in many societies somehow suffered enough. Surely, the suffering of women is not only belonging to the past. Still, women are exposed to verbal abuse, violence, they are forcing into the marriage etc. It needs to point out that there is not only one homogenous and unchangeable woman concept. However, all the women regardless of their race, status, and religion had faced inequality at some point in their lives.The way women are perceived in societies has many factors. One of the greatest factors can be their culture. Since the roles and activities of men are determined by the cultural systems in the societies, the effect of the cultural factor is essential. Culture cannot be defined as a single concept. It covers many aspects such as the style of living, manners, customs, arts, values, morals etc. As anticipated, culture can differ from society to another one. For instance, Turks and Arabs are often confused to have a same cultural system just because they share the same religion. However, those cultural differences were even before the Islam. In pre-Islamic Arab culture, when someone has a daughter as a firstborn, it would be a shame for them. On the contrary for Turks, there were people who wanted Oghuz Lord’s prayers to have a daughter (Gà ¶kalp 26). On the other hand, even after Turks’ acceptance of Islam, there were great differences between Arabs and Turks such as the monogamy. Arabs have a polygamy culture rather than the monogamy. For this reason, even though both nations are sharing the same religion, the disparities can be seen effortlessly. After touching upon the effect of the culture briefly, now it should be mention another massive effect of perceiving the women, and that is the religion. This paper is an attempt to discuss how women perceived in Christianity and Islam.Before discussing the place of women in Christianity, it is essential to know about the main concept of the human beings in this religion. ‘How human beings are portrayed in Christianity?’ The man is considered to be sinful and filthy. Therefore, when an infant comes into the world, (s)he will be baptized to purified from sins and filths. The reason for baptism is to get rid of the original sin which was Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience to God for eating a forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. It needs to point out that, according to Bible, Adam committed the sin because of Eve tempted him. Eve is portrayed as a seductive woman. Furthermore, Eve is considered to be the first human who fell into sin. As if she is the initiator of all the evilness. Eve is also responsible for the original sin because she tempted Adam. For this reason, women had linked with evil concepts such as wickedness, sin, and seductiveness. The view of women in Christianity has few problems. Church fathers, theologians, and authors have interpreted the bible to the extreme forms to create a widespread feminist literature. (Berktay 105) To give an example, Saint Augustinus, who preoccupied with an incomprehensible mystery of why God created the woman, states that a woman cannot be created only to be a companion for a man. Moreover, a woman simply cannot be created for helping a man because a man can perform this task better. Hence, Augustinus comes to the conclusion that woman has no value aside from child-bringing (Brundage 85). Another North African Christian theologian Tertullianus, who was an extreme misogynist, declared as: You are the gate of hell woman! You are the first to oppose the law of God; you deceived such a man that even the devil would not dare come close to him. You easily ruined the man who was created in the image of God. Because of your blame, even the son of God must die! (Ruther 157). The Christian Bible consists of two main parts, the first part is the Old Testament and the second part is the New Testament. Old testament almost has the same content in Tanakh which is the holy scripture of Jews. However, Tanakh is called Old Testament by Christians and they interpret Tanakh differently. The woman in Old Testament begins with Genesis 2:18 † The Lord God said, â€Å"It is not good for the man to be alone. You read "Women" in category "Papers" I will make a helper suitable for him.† It can say that loneliness is not good for the man so that God created a helper for the man, and the helper was Eve. The word of the man refers to Adam. Suitable partner that is in the verse can be defined as a fitting partner for a man. Being partner is also relative to marriage. Afterwards, Eve’s creation is mentioned in Genesis 2:21-22 † So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.† According to David Guzik, who is a pastor, God used Adam’s own body to create Eve to forever remind him of their essential oneness. Eve and Adam made from same substance. They are more alike than they are different (Guzik). The creation of the human race started in Adam. In Genesis 3:16 † To the woman He said, â€Å"I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.† This verse is the God’s curse and punishment upon the woman. The Women were cursed with the severe pain. A woman has to be under the authority of a man, and a wife has to be under the authority of a husband. Man is to lead woman. A woman should be submissive and she must let him to rule over her. Genesis 19 is about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, the man who offers his two daughters to the men to rape them instead of two angles that comes to the Sodom is ultimately dreadful. †Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him. and said, â€Å"No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.† (Genesis 19:6-8). The low place of women is can be seen easily in these verses, Lot is willing to prostitute his two daughters. In Exodus 21:7-11 And if a man sells his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do. If she please not her master who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed. To sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her. And if he has betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters. If he takes for himself another wife, her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage shall he not diminish. And if he does not do these three unto her, then shall she go out free, without money. During the ancient times, slavery was very common for both man and woman. However, when other male servants had right to walk out, female servants had no right to. As in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and the Collages book states that the reason for the different treatment of female slaves is to be found in the fact that a female slave was as a rule her master’s concubine (Perowne). These verses refer that it was alright to trade women and female slaves, and undesirable female slaves can be released without money. In addition to that, polygamy was allowed.The distinction between having a male child and female child and it is consequences can be seen in Leviticus 12:1-5: Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, â€Å"Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled. But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days. † These verses are about the ritual impurity after the child-bringing. After a male child comes into the world and circumcised on the eighth day, the woman will be unclean until the eighth day. As David Guzik’s commentary on the main understanding of this ceremony is to understand the idea of original sin. Every birth another sinner was brought into the world, and the woman was here symbolically responsible for bringing a new sinner into the world. (Guzik). Moreover, as it seen the period of impurities is increased when having a female child, and the reason for this can be a female child will also give birth a sinner in the future. Leviticus 21:9 states that † And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the whore, she profanity her father: she shall be burnt with fire.† Since the daughter of a priest represents the religion she needs to be careful about her behaviors and she has the responsibility of being a daughter of a priest. Therefore, they need to follow the religion accordingly. However, this verse states that if she dishonors of herself the consequences would be punished fiercely with burning. It is a massive punishment. It needs to emphasize that Why only the daughters of a priest are responsible to follow the religion properly and they are punished when they dishonor themselves but no sons? The sons of a priest are not even mentioned. The way the widows and divorced women were perceived in the Old Testament was not that positive. To give an example, in Ezekiel 44:22 † They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.† It is obvious that the priests were not allowed to marry a divorced woman or widows except a priest’s divorced wife. Discrimination against divorced women and widows can be observed through this verse. How to cite Women, Papers

Our Town Analysis Essay Example For Students

Our Town Analysis Essay Our Town is a play that takes place near the turn of the century in the small rural town of Grovers Corners, New Hampshire. The playwright, Thornton Wilder is trying to convey the importance of the little, often unnoticed things in life. Throughout the first two acts he builds a scenario, which allows the third act to show that we as humans often run through life oblivious to what is actually happening. Wilder attempts to show life as something that we take for granted. We do not realize the true value of living until we are dead and gone. The through-line of the action seems to be attention to the details of life. Wilder builds up a plot that pays attention to great details of living. In the first act when Mrs. Gibbs and Mrs. Webb are stringing beans and passing the time, the reader continues on, not thinking that importance lies in the scene. As the play comes to an end, the reason for that scene becomes evident: the most trivial occurrence can be the most meaningful moment. We as humans, however, do not realize the greatness of these little points until it is too late. Near the end of the story, the deceased townspeople are stationed on chairs downstage, to imitate graves. They are still able to talk, yet only in a lackadaisical tone. They provide the audience, at the end, with a sense of guilt or loss. The fact that the people of Grovers Corners did not realize the importance of life until it was gone, makes the audience feel as if they should be getting more out of their lives. Wilder so precisely portrays the idea, that the audience is left wondering if they too, like the people of Grovers Corners, are not living life to the fullest. The play makes you think, whether for a split moment or a long time, about the idea of being aware while going about even the most menial of tasks. While at the funeral, the living members of the cast all have umbrellas above their heads. The dead members sit in chairs imitating graves, and are rained upon. The symbolism repr esented by the umbrellas could be that the living are sheltered from the light of reality and importance. Only when you are dead do you notice that there was more to it, and the umbrella that you held while it was raining is taken away, allowing you to be opened up to a whole new light of realization. In the scene just before the wedding, George tries to see his bride-to-be. The Webbs explain to him the superstition behind not allowing the groom to see his bride until she walks down the isle. The action of this scene is anxiety. George wants to see Emily before the big event and is expressing a great desire to do so. The parents are intent on not allowing George to see their daughter. Mrs. Webb is also understandably worried about loosing a daughter to marriage. Emily is upstairs having reservations about the whole ordeal. Mr. Webb brings the two of them together before the wedding, breaking the superstition, and explains to them that they were meant to be together. He has George te ll his bride that he will do the best he can to take care of her. Throughout the whole scene the reader can feel the tension and nervousness-anxiety that Wilder wants to portray. There are several subordinate actions that support the overall action of attention to detail, anxiety is just one of them. Some of these actions are: nervousness, sorrow, pain, happiness, true love, and hopelessness. The nervousness is evident during the wedding, as well as when Emily returns to visit her twelfth birthday after her death. Sorrow and pain are felt during the funeral, and at other times in the graveyard. Happiness is felt at the soda shop when Emily and George first come to realize that they are meant for each other. There are so many underlying actions that support the through-line. Every action in Our Town seems to play an important role of the discovery of new characters, new feelings, and new insights. .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e , .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e .postImageUrl , .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e , .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e:hover , .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e:visited , .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e:active { border:0!important; } .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e:active , .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4dea49cb4212ec83e3f88a762f28730e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Harriet Tubman Essay

The railroad in the United States Essay Example

The railroad in the United States Essay In the simplest manner: the railroad changed the face of a nation. The railroad in the United States changed how people traveled, did business, and how Washington governed people. The railroad created new standards and new laws that still affect the way we live today. It helped create a new type of wealth that had never been seen before and became the first big business in the United States. Without the railroads impact, it would be difficult to fathom where the United States and the world would be today.The golden age of the railroad is considered to be by many the period that stretched between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the First World War.1 Railroading from 1865 to 1929 covers the great expansion, the golden age and the beginning decline of the railroad. The emergence of the modern America, and the beginning of the Great Depression of the United States also can be seen within these dates; this emphasizes the large role that the railroads had in the industrializa tion of the America. It is clear that the history of the United States coincides with the history of the railroad; during these times the railroad played a vital a vital role in thebuilding of the United States. But, the relationship was symbiotic, because it is also possible to see that the direction in which the country was going played a role in how the railroad was formed, controlled, and regulated. Truly, the railroad is a form of transportation that helped make the United States what it is today.The year 1865 finally brought an end to war that had sliced a nation in half. The war, however, was not a destructive force to the railroads. With the exception of the southern lines, American railroads were generally in excellent shape in 1865.2 The Civil War brought new strength to the American railroads. The need to provide for the war had caused the railroads of the United States to expand by as much as 35,500 miles at the end of the war.3 The War had brought new strength to the ra ilroads and the railroads were now standing before their golden age. This golden age began with a big bang: the completion of the transcontinental railway.The story of the transcontinental railway could very well be suited for a Hollywood movie. It involves corruption, greed, great visions, and great strength. Public demand for a transcontinental railway was originally inspired by a proposal made in 1836 by the American statesmen John Plumbe and Robert John Walker.4 The demand for therailway was later increased with the arrival of the gold rush in 1849. In 1861, the Pacific Railway Bill was passed, this bill called for the building of the transcontinental line to be done by two companies, Union Pacific Company and the Central Pacific Company. The job of the Union Pacific Company was to build west from Omaha, while the job of the Central Pacific Company was to build east from Sacramento5. The bill also called for the companies to receive a right-of-way strip for their line (and whate ver they needed for rail yards, sidings, and other facilities), as well as five alternate land sections on each side of the track.6 The companies were also offered loans that went from $16,000 per mile of track in the lowlands to as much as $48,000 a mile in the mountainous regions.7The Union Pacific got of to slow start until they acquired a good engineer by thename of General Dodge, who was one of Shermans Civil War railroad men. UnderGeneral Dodges direction the work on the Union Pacific soon took on a furious pace and a military atmosphere; military preparedness and quickness were exactly what was needed to deal with the hostile Indians.Life on the Central Pacific was by no means pleasant, but they did not have much a problem with the Indians.8 However, one thing that was a problem on the Central Pacific was the lack of labor. California, being largely uninhabited at the time, did not provide a large labor resource; and so the managers of the Central Pacific had to look elsewher e for their labor needs. One of the places they looked for new labor was China. The Chinese turned out to be well suited for the job, and at one point nine-tenths of the labor force of the Central Pacific was Chinese.Eventually the two the companies came within sight of each other, and a meeting place for the two rails was designated. The meeting place chosen was a waterless basin of sagebrush just north of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. This place was called Promontory Point. It was decided that the two companies would meet and there would be a greatceremony to connect the railways. The ceremony was planned, and all of the railroad officials and dignitaries came to drive in the final spike. On May 10, 1869, this event finally took place. The driving in of the final spike came with a little embarrassment: First, one of the leaders of Central Pacific went up to drive in the golden spike and missed; next, the leader of the Union Pacific stepped up to drive in the golden spike and he too missed.9 Eventually, the final spike was driven in: though it is not clear who actually did it. Despite all this, the nation celebrated for the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast had at last become connected by rail; and the railroad now stood on threshold of its golden age.The years following the completion of the transcontinental line brought an abundance of new railways. The rail network in the United States went from 35,000 miles in 1865 to 164,000 miles in 1890. This building was brought to an all-time high, when in 1916 the total length of the rail network in the United States reached 254,000 miles.10With such a rapid pace of construction, the building in the half-century after the Civil War led to an average annual construction, of over 4,000 miles a year. Even though this rapid construction was not equally spread throughout the country, every area did see some expansion.The transcontinental rail also led to great expansion in the West. The transcontinental railway, and th e railways following, brought eastern markets within a few days of western grain and cattle lands, and eventually helped create great cities in the West itself.11 The new railways of the West also brought about the virtual extermination of the buffalo. The new rails cut the herds in half and destroyed their natural habitat. It also became a game for people heading west on the railway to shoot the animal from their train window.12Now that the railroad spanned across the continent, the railroad was becoming a major player in the expansion of industry. The industry of the United States was rapidly expanding, and the railroad was becoming more than just a small factor in a great group of expanding industries. Railroads encouraged growth not only through the offering of their transport services, but also through the transportation need, of other industries. Railroads were not only the biggest shippers of industrial products; they were also American industrys best customers.13 The railroa ds became a huge buyer of steel, coal, lumber, and oil. To say that the railroad was an important factor in the industrialization of America is a huge understatement. The railroad became the pulse of industry and was considered by many the leading factor in the expansion of industry in the United States.While the network of rails was spreading, great financial networks were also developing. Groups of once independent railroad companies were grabbed up and consolidated to form large railroad systems.14 One prime example of this was The New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, which were formed by the consolidation of about 200 originally independent lines.The large consolidation brought about the need for new standards and new technology that would help the railroad continue to grow and operate more efficiently. One of the new standards that was needed was a standard gauge for the railroads to operate on. This was needed because the expansion of the rails had now brought the need to move the freight from one line to another. This was not possible because throughout the country there were different gauges. For example in the south the popular gauge was five feet, but on other railroads like the Erie the gauge was six feet. It was decided amongst railroads that a standard must decided on, and that standard became four feet, eight and one half inches.15Another standard that was created and is still used today is standardized time. Until the movement for Standard Time, each town had its own time. There were, for example, thirty-eight different times in the state of Wisconsin alone. Given the amount of different times, the speed of trains, and the distance these trains traveled. This spelled one thing: complete chaos. Eventually the problem was solved in 1883, when the General Time Convention was held by the railroads. At this convention it was decided that the continental United States would be broken up into four standard time zones. People soon found it easy t o set their clocks by railroad time, and thus the railroad standard became a national standard.Other technological innovations that were created to aid the expansion and consolidation of the railways were: the use of steel rails, the automatic coupler, and the air brake. The automatic coupler allowed a coupler to close on impact, but still be able to open from the side of the car. The air brake, invented by George Westinghouse, allowed trains to stop much quicker than they had been able to in the past.Besides bringing about new technology, the consolidation of the railways also brought about the great railroad barons. The railroad had become a likely stop for the strong businessmen interested in making millions by manipulating the rail system. But in gaining such immense power, many railroad builders and consolidators became unethical and ruthless in their business practices. Watered stock, stock market rigging, corrupt rate wars, rebating and labor violence all became part of the n ew railroad picture. 16Railroad barons like Jay Gould James Fisk were masters at these tricks. One example of how money was made was by stock watering, which was the process of increasing the number of shares of a company without adding to the companys assets.17Perhaps one of the greatest of the great railroad barons was Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt. Originally from the steamboat business, Vanderbilt gained control of such railroads as the New York Central and the Erie through ruthless business practices. A prime example of Vanderbilts ruthless practices is how he obtained control over the New York Central Railroad. Vanderbilt was frustrated with the current managers of the New York Central because they often bypassed his railroad when sending freight into New York City. So, Vanderbilt simply stopped shipping their freight and passengers one day. The New York Central stock rapidly began to drop on Wall Street because of Vanderbilts actions. Seeing that the stock was now cheap, Van derbilt began buy up the stock while it was cheap, and the company eventually fell into his hands.18 But practices like this could only go on for so long.The railroads activities had become too corrupt for most people and were beginning to become a financial burden for many farmers and business owners. Business owners and farmers began to resent the railroad and decided that something must be done. Taking the initiative was a group called the Patrons of Husbandry, popularly known as the Grange. The Grange was originally formed as a social group to bring farmers out of the isolation of their farmhouses.19 They had picnics, suppers, and other events, that well frequently held at the local Grange Hall. However, as railroad abuse increased the group shifted from entertainment purposes to more political purposes.The Grangers bonded together to establish many things that helped farmers, but their primary purpose eventually became to bring reform to the railroads.20 The Grangers quickly gr ew in size and gained enough power to elect people free of railroad influence, in the state legislatures. They pushed for new laws that would regulate the railroads monopolies, and eventually succeeded. But the Grangers success only came at the state level through what were called Granger laws. Even though these laws were aimed to regulate monopolies, though such things as freight and passenger rates, they were easily evaded by the railroads. However, some progress had been won. The nation was beginning to shift from an attitude of laissez-faire capitalism to a more progressive state of mind.One of the biggest things people learned from the Granger laws was that reform of the railroads was going to have to take place on a national level. In 1885, a Senate committee conducted an investigation of railroad business practices. The final report from the committee listed the familiar abuses of the railroads, such as watered stock and unreasonably high rates. This investigation made it cle ar that Federal Government must do something and in 1887 it did. The Interstate Commerce Act, in language that was perhaps deliberately vague, required that all interstate rates be reasonable and just and prohibited the familiar competitive practices of rebates, drawbacks, and pools.21 The act also required that the railroad publish their rate schedules and file them with the government. An Interstate Commerce Commission was created to administer the act and enforce it. The success of the Interstate Commerce Act was short lived and was easily evaded because of its loose wording.22 In 1890 the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed, but it too failed in regulating the railroads because of loose wording.23The move for railroad regulation was ultimately lost until the arrival of Theodore Roosevelt and a strong Progressive movement. Roosevelt considered railroad regulation to be a major issue and strongly moved for the greater empowerment of the Interstate Commerce Commission. His wish was gr anted in 1906 when the Hepburn Act was passed. The Hepburn Act greatly extended the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission. It also abolished the granting of passes and made the laws against rebates stronger.24 Following the Hepburn Act, were more and more laws aimed at regulating therailroads. As the new regulations went into effect, the railroad slowly began to slip down hill. But concern with the regulations was turned away from with the arrival of the First World War.Many problems faced the railroads as America entered World War I in 1917. One was the increase of rail traffic caused by the war. The railroads became very busy and subsequently operating cost rose. The railroads began to lose money due to the Interstate Commerce Commissions hold on the rates.25 Another problem that faced the railroads during World War I was that of management. Railroad executives found it very difficult to operate their rail lines together during the war. The creation of a railroad War Board w as an attempt to help the situation, but it did not work very well. Eventually it was decided by the government that they must take over, so an act was passed that allowed the Interstate Commerce Commission to control the movement, distribution, and exchange of railroad cars. This too failed because the commission was inept in exercising its authority. Given all the failed attempts, the government decided in 1918 to take complete control of the railroad.26 The government remained in charge of the railroad until the Transportation Act of 1920, which called for their return to private management.The future was not bright for the railroads: ever since the arrival of the First World War the railroads had experienced a general decline. This was due mostly to the development of new types of transportation. Millions now owned Henry Fords model T automobile, and various other cars.27 The twenties brought the arrival of motorbuses, which also took away from the railroads business. Other new forms of transportation, such as trucks and airplanes, also took their toll on the business of the railway. So, as the nation was roaring through the Twenties and heading for the Great Depression, the railroad was becoming ever increasingly a thing of the past.If there is to be an a lasting lesson from the history of the railroads from 1865-1929 it is that major industrial innovations can only live an unregulated life for so long. The United Stated was a booming country experiencing wide spread industrialization. The railroad was an essential part of this boom, but railroads had to change just as the to country had to change. The free going attitude of laissez-faire can only last so long in a country where equality and fairness before the law are valued. The railroads fully rode the first wave of industrialization and faded into the background when their time had come. The significance of the railroad will probably never be fully realized, but their impact will always be felt. The railroad in the United States Essay Example The railroad in the United States Essay In the simplest manner: the railroad changed the face of a nation. The railroad in the United States changed how people traveled, did business, and how Washington governed people. The railroad created new standards and new laws that still affect the way we live today. It helped create a new type of wealth that had never been seen before and became the first big business in the United States. Without the railroads impact, it would be difficult to fathom where the United States and the world would be today.The golden age of the railroad is considered to be by many the period that stretched between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the First World War.1 Railroading from 1865 to 1929 covers the great expansion, the golden age and the beginning decline of the railroad. The emergence of the modern America, and the beginning of the Great Depression of the United States also can be seen within these dates; this emphasizes the large role that the railroads had in the industrializa tion of the America. It is clear that the history of the United States coincides with the history of the railroad; during these times the railroad played a vital a vital role in thebuilding of the United States. But, the relationship was symbiotic, because it is also possible to see that the direction in which the country was going played a role in how the railroad was formed, controlled, and regulated. Truly, the railroad is a form of transportation that helped make the United States what it is today.The year 1865 finally brought an end to war that had sliced a nation in half. The war, however, was not a destructive force to the railroads. With the exception of the southern lines, American railroads were generally in excellent shape in 1865.2 The Civil War brought new strength to the American railroads. The need to provide for the war had caused the railroads of the United States to expand by as much as 35,500 miles at the end of the war.3 The War had brought new strength to the ra ilroads and the railroads were now standing before their golden age. This golden age began with a big bang: the completion of the transcontinental railway.The story of the transcontinental railway could very well be suited for a Hollywood movie. It involves corruption, greed, great visions, and great strength. Public demand for a transcontinental railway was originally inspired by a proposal made in 1836 by the American statesmen John Plumbe and Robert John Walker.4 The demand for therailway was later increased with the arrival of the gold rush in 1849. In 1861, the Pacific Railway Bill was passed, this bill called for the building of the transcontinental line to be done by two companies, Union Pacific Company and the Central Pacific Company. The job of the Union Pacific Company was to build west from Omaha, while the job of the Central Pacific Company was to build east from Sacramento5. The bill also called for the companies to receive a right-of-way strip for their line (and whate ver they needed for rail yards, sidings, and other facilities), as well as five alternate land sections on each side of the track.6 The companies were also offered loans that went from $16,000 per mile of track in the lowlands to as much as $48,000 a mile in the mountainous regions.7The Union Pacific got of to slow start until they acquired a good engineer by thename of General Dodge, who was one of Shermans Civil War railroad men. UnderGeneral Dodges direction the work on the Union Pacific soon took on a furious pace and a military atmosphere; military preparedness and quickness were exactly what was needed to deal with the hostile Indians.Life on the Central Pacific was by no means pleasant, but they did not have much a problem with the Indians.8 However, one thing that was a problem on the Central Pacific was the lack of labor. California, being largely uninhabited at the time, did not provide a large labor resource; and so the managers of the Central Pacific had to look elsewher e for their labor needs. One of the places they looked for new labor was China. The Chinese turned out to be well suited for the job, and at one point nine-tenths of the labor force of the Central Pacific was Chinese.Eventually the two the companies came within sight of each other, and a meeting place for the two rails was designated. The meeting place chosen was a waterless basin of sagebrush just north of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. This place was called Promontory Point. It was decided that the two companies would meet and there would be a greatceremony to connect the railways. The ceremony was planned, and all of the railroad officials and dignitaries came to drive in the final spike. On May 10, 1869, this event finally took place. The driving in of the final spike came with a little embarrassment: First, one of the leaders of Central Pacific went up to drive in the golden spike and missed; next, the leader of the Union Pacific stepped up to drive in the golden spike and he too missed.9 Eventually, the final spike was driven in: though it is not clear who actually did it. Despite all this, the nation celebrated for the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast had at last become connected by rail; and the railroad now stood on threshold of its golden age.The years following the completion of the transcontinental line brought an abundance of new railways. The rail network in the United States went from 35,000 miles in 1865 to 164,000 miles in 1890. This building was brought to an all-time high, when in 1916 the total length of the rail network in the United States reached 254,000 miles.10With such a rapid pace of construction, the building in the half-century after the Civil War led to an average annual construction, of over 4,000 miles a year. Even though this rapid construction was not equally spread throughout the country, every area did see some expansion.The transcontinental rail also led to great expansion in the West. The transcontinental railway, and th e railways following, brought eastern markets within a few days of western grain and cattle lands, and eventually helped create great cities in the West itself.11 The new railways of the West also brought about the virtual extermination of the buffalo. The new rails cut the herds in half and destroyed their natural habitat. It also became a game for people heading west on the railway to shoot the animal from their train window.12Now that the railroad spanned across the continent, the railroad was becoming a major player in the expansion of industry. The industry of the United States was rapidly expanding, and the railroad was becoming more than just a small factor in a great group of expanding industries. Railroads encouraged growth not only through the offering of their transport services, but also through the transportation need, of other industries. Railroads were not only the biggest shippers of industrial products; they were also American industrys best customers.13 The railroa ds became a huge buyer of steel, coal, lumber, and oil. To say that the railroad was an important factor in the industrialization of America is a huge understatement. The railroad became the pulse of industry and was considered by many the leading factor in the expansion of industry in the United States.While the network of rails was spreading, great financial networks were also developing. Groups of once independent railroad companies were grabbed up and consolidated to form large railroad systems.14 One prime example of this was The New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, which were formed by the consolidation of about 200 originally independent lines.The large consolidation brought about the need for new standards and new technology that would help the railroad continue to grow and operate more efficiently. One of the new standards that was needed was a standard gauge for the railroads to operate on. This was needed because the expansion of the rails had now brought the need to move the freight from one line to another. This was not possible because throughout the country there were different gauges. For example in the south the popular gauge was five feet, but on other railroads like the Erie the gauge was six feet. It was decided amongst railroads that a standard must decided on, and that standard became four feet, eight and one half inches.15Another standard that was created and is still used today is standardized time. Until the movement for Standard Time, each town had its own time. There were, for example, thirty-eight different times in the state of Wisconsin alone. Given the amount of different times, the speed of trains, and the distance these trains traveled. This spelled one thing: complete chaos. Eventually the problem was solved in 1883, when the General Time Convention was held by the railroads. At this convention it was decided that the continental United States would be broken up into four standard time zones. People soon found it easy t o set their clocks by railroad time, and thus the railroad standard became a national standard.Other technological innovations that were created to aid the expansion and consolidation of the railways were: the use of steel rails, the automatic coupler, and the air brake. The automatic coupler allowed a coupler to close on impact, but still be able to open from the side of the car. The air brake, invented by George Westinghouse, allowed trains to stop much quicker than they had been able to in the past.Besides bringing about new technology, the consolidation of the railways also brought about the great railroad barons. The railroad had become a likely stop for the strong businessmen interested in making millions by manipulating the rail system. But in gaining such immense power, many railroad builders and consolidators became unethical and ruthless in their business practices. Watered stock, stock market rigging, corrupt rate wars, rebating and labor violence all became part of the n ew railroad picture. 16Railroad barons like Jay Gould James Fisk were masters at these tricks. One example of how money was made was by stock watering, which was the process of increasing the number of shares of a company without adding to the companys assets.17Perhaps one of the greatest of the great railroad barons was Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt. Originally from the steamboat business, Vanderbilt gained control of such railroads as the New York Central and the Erie through ruthless business practices. A prime example of Vanderbilts ruthless practices is how he obtained control over the New York Central Railroad. Vanderbilt was frustrated with the current managers of the New York Central because they often bypassed his railroad when sending freight into New York City. So, Vanderbilt simply stopped shipping their freight and passengers one day. The New York Central stock rapidly began to drop on Wall Street because of Vanderbilts actions. Seeing that the stock was now cheap, Van derbilt began buy up the stock while it was cheap, and the company eventually fell into his hands.18 But practices like this could only go on for so long.The railroads activities had become too corrupt for most people and were beginning to become a financial burden for many farmers and business owners. Business owners and farmers began to resent the railroad and decided that something must be done. Taking the initiative was a group called the Patrons of Husbandry, popularly known as the Grange. The Grange was originally formed as a social group to bring farmers out of the isolation of their farmhouses.19 They had picnics, suppers, and other events, that well frequently held at the local Grange Hall. However, as railroad abuse increased the group shifted from entertainment purposes to more political purposes.The Grangers bonded together to establish many things that helped farmers, but their primary purpose eventually became to bring reform to the railroads.20 The Grangers quickly gr ew in size and gained enough power to elect people free of railroad influence, in the state legislatures. They pushed for new laws that would regulate the railroads monopolies, and eventually succeeded. But the Grangers success only came at the state level through what were called Granger laws. Even though these laws were aimed to regulate monopolies, though such things as freight and passenger rates, they were easily evaded by the railroads. However, some progress had been won. The nation was beginning to shift from an attitude of laissez-faire capitalism to a more progressive state of mind.One of the biggest things people learned from the Granger laws was that reform of the railroads was going to have to take place on a national level. In 1885, a Senate committee conducted an investigation of railroad business practices. The final report from the committee listed the familiar abuses of the railroads, such as watered stock and unreasonably high rates. This investigation made it cle ar that Federal Government must do something and in 1887 it did. The Interstate Commerce Act, in language that was perhaps deliberately vague, required that all interstate rates be reasonable and just and prohibited the familiar competitive practices of rebates, drawbacks, and pools.21 The act also required that the railroad publish their rate schedules and file them with the government. An Interstate Commerce Commission was created to administer the act and enforce it. The success of the Interstate Commerce Act was short lived and was easily evaded because of its loose wording.22 In 1890 the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed, but it too failed in regulating the railroads because of loose wording.23The move for railroad regulation was ultimately lost until the arrival of Theodore Roosevelt and a strong Progressive movement. Roosevelt considered railroad regulation to be a major issue and strongly moved for the greater empowerment of the Interstate Commerce Commission. His wish was gr anted in 1906 when the Hepburn Act was passed. The Hepburn Act greatly extended the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission. It also abolished the granting of passes and made the laws against rebates stronger.24 Following the Hepburn Act, were more and more laws aimed at regulating therailroads. As the new regulations went into effect, the railroad slowly began to slip down hill. But concern with the regulations was turned away from with the arrival of the First World War.Many problems faced the railroads as America entered World War I in 1917. One was the increase of rail traffic caused by the war. The railroads became very busy and subsequently operating cost rose. The railroads began to lose money due to the Interstate Commerce Commissions hold on the rates.25 Another problem that faced the railroads during World War I was that of management. Railroad executives found it very difficult to operate their rail lines together during the war. The creation of a railroad War Board w as an attempt to help the situation, but it did not work very well. Eventually it was decided by the government that they must take over, so an act was passed that allowed the Interstate Commerce Commission to control the movement, distribution, and exchange of railroad cars. This too failed because the commission was inept in exercising its authority. Given all the failed attempts, the government decided in 1918 to take complete control of the railroad.26 The government remained in charge of the railroad until the Transportation Act of 1920, which called for their return to private management.The future was not bright for the railroads: ever since the arrival of the First World War the railroads had experienced a general decline. This was due mostly to the development of new types of transportation. Millions now owned Henry Fords model T automobile, and various other cars.27 The twenties brought the arrival of motorbuses, which also took away from the railroads business. Other new forms of transportation, such as trucks and airplanes, also took their toll on the business of the railway. So, as the nation was roaring through the Twenties and heading for the Great Depression, the railroad was becoming ever increasingly a thing of the past.If there is to be an a lasting lesson from the history of the railroads from 1865-1929 it is that major industrial innovations can only live an unregulated life for so long. The United Stated was a booming country experiencing wide spread industrialization. The railroad was an essential part of this boom, but railroads had to change just as the to country had to change. The free going attitude of laissez-faire can only last so long in a country where equality and fairness before the law are valued. The railroads fully rode the first wave of industrialization and faded into the background when their time had come. The significance of the railroad will probably never be fully realized, but their impact will always be felt.

buy custom The Gulf Cooperation Council essay

buy custom The Gulf Cooperation Council essay The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was established in 1981 and comprises of six member countries namely Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (Saidi, 2011). These countries are all oil exporting nations; therefore, they formed the cooperation to fight their challenges jointly. GCC was established with an initial aim of protecting the member countries from threats caused by the Iran- Iraq war. On the other hand, corporate governance is defined as the structure, in which large business enterprises are governed and controlled. Corporate governance at GCC has made its economy flourish, and the member states continue enjoying the continued period of explosive growth (Saidi, 2011). These countries have an exceptionally strong economic block whose growth has been on the rise. This paper will focuses on the corporate governance of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and how this compares with the Euro. Corporate governance can sound like a relatively new term in the GCC member states. This is because it is not long since the concept was introduced to the Arab countries. Nevertheless, for the short period that it has endured in the region, corporate governance has helped the region to improve the manner in which corporations in the area are governed, significantly (Saidi, 2011). It can be said that implementation of corporate governance is erratic, perhaps, due to the underlying values that are a norm in the area. Despite of this, philosophy and concepts of corporate governance are currently remarkably well accepted in the region (Saidi Kumar, n.d). In line with this statement, it is worth noting that nearly all member countries of GCC have embraced corporate governance codes that are used in publicly listed corporations. Oman took the lead by instituting corporate governance standards for listed companies in 2002. It can, therefore, be said that corporate governance in the GCCs member states has shown some remarkable strides over the recent couple of years. It has been mainly accelerated by public governance and the need to pursue the high standards in governace. It has seen economies in member states grow at a tremendous rate owing to diversification of their economic investment portfolio. The investment in the infrastructure has been on the increase, and this involved both the public and private sectors (Saidi Kumar, n.d). An economic block, which enjoys social integration and political stability, is usually a target for many investors, such as proved to be the GCC. The increase in the investment ratio by the private sector in GCC has fostered productivity growth. It is also found that the vibrant private sector in GCC has taken the lead in accelerating economic integration in the region (Saidi, 2011). Even foreign investors have targeted the region resulting to mergers and acquisitions amo ng multinationals and local corporations. There is, however, a lot of effort that needs to be put towards expelling the perception that the concept refers to extravagance and compromises the economic performance of an organization. The set codes and guidelines need to be enforced, so that companies and other organizations in the area can realize sustainable improvement (Saidi, 2011). When best worldwide practices in corporate governance are incorporated into companies, within the local settings at the region, the economy at GCC will attain much higher levels than it has, at present. The corporate governance structures, as stipulated in the guidelines by regulators, have been implemented in the six member states of GCC, at different phases. Some of the countries in the cooperation are advanced compared to others, in the viewpoint of corporate governance. This implies that there have been limitations that have hindered successful implementation of the concept of corporate governance among members of GCC (Saidi, 2011). This was influenced by factors, such as isolation of economic block from the entire world economy. Moreover, the region is dominated by large and well established businesses that are familyowned and which have been depending on internal sources of income, for a long time (Saidi, 2011). Development of corporate governance is further derailed by the presence of a coompetitive banking network in the area, in order to meet the requirements of the organizations, based in GCC. Effective corporate governance is concerned, among other things, with the overall accountability and empowerment of all those involved. However, most of the efforts are aimed at ensuring that the management structure of companies in the GCC member states adhered to the standards of corporate governance (Saidi Kumar, n.d). Previous studies have shown that the banking sector in GCC countries is well established so that banks retain their role in funding of businesses. Financial institutions have also embraced the concept of corporate governance in most of their operations, thereby bringing about the effectiveness in the region (Saidi, 2011). The banks and other financial institutions are paramount stakeholders in progressive performance of organizations within the GCC. This provides, therefore, an excellent platform on which the research will be based. Although GCC countries enjoy sound economic growth, their monetary policy is yet to be improved. A strong currency, such as the euro, helps towards placing countries that are members of the European Union in a better position, while carrying out international trade (Saidi, 2011). However, GCC cooperation is yet to come up with a strong currency that marches the euro. These countries need to develop a common currency, which has to be strong like the currency of the neighboring trading blocks. Just like scenarios that advocate for change face a lot of resistance, implementation of corporate governance has also faced various challenges, some of which were outlined above. Some challenges are only witnessed in concentrated localities, and not in others. In order to realize some considerable change in the region, government authorities need to support and foster the changes (Saidi, 2011). When the government pledges its support to the initiative, significant success may be achieved. Moreover, there is also a need to institute structural, legal and regulatory reforms, in order to bring an overhaul in the entire economic sector. Buy custom The Gulf Cooperation Council essay

Roman catholic funeral and burial practices Research Paper

Roman catholic funeral and burial practices - Research Paper Example They are also known as ecclesiastical funerals in the Church. When a member of the family or a loved friend passes away, the others are left grieving and wondering why it had to happen to him. However the truth lies that every person is going to see his end one day or another and thus, instead of feeling tremendous sorrow for the deceased one, people try and hope for the best and thank Jesus for all that he has done and everything he had provided the person with during his lifetime. The Roman Catholic Funeral rites thus help to offer a very profound journey for the dead that helps his family and friends to pass through the beautiful emotions of grief and loss as well as joy that the person is going to a happier place where he is believed to have an everlasting life in heaven or paradise. There are a number of varied beliefs on what happens after death, for all different religions. In the Roman Catholic Church, people are taught that after death, a body begins to decompose into the Ea rth. During this process, the soul however leaves the body and undergoes an immediate evaluation. This is according to the Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (KJV). They believe that there are very few people who end up going to heaven after their death. They are those people that spend their lives worshipping God and let God show them the way in every aspect of their lives. They are thus glorified and are rewarded by eternal bliss in heaven. Some saints, the Virgin Mary and Apostles qualify for walking on this path after their death. On the other hand, those who commit sins during their lifetime or reject the existence and worship of God are transported to Hell after their death. It is here that they are tortured for the rest of whatever they have left, their souls are not give mercy and they are stuck forever in this position that they are believed to have created for themselves, by inflicting upon them, deeds during the course of their lifetime. Yet another state that many dead people enter into right after their death is the state of purgatory. This takes place when a person loves God ‘imperfectly’ during his lifetime but dies in a state of grace. Purgatory is said to be the state where such people have to suffer for a long time in order o cleanse themselves of whatever imperfections have been accumulated within their souls because of their deeds in their lives. They might have committed certain mortal sins, but after some ablution these are cleansed off and forgiven in the Sacrament of Peace. However, such people are still believed to have some punishments which need to be discharged. (CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA) The Roman Catholics believe that Purgatory is much like Hell because when people are tortured here in order to cleanse themselves, they are tortured endlessly with fire. This happens till they are perfectly pure again to be able to qualify to enter the gates of Heaven. It is also belie ved that if the friends and family of the deceased pray to God for his soul, then his stay in purgatory is shortened, otherwise he has to endure fighting with fire till he is absolved. The difference from Hell is that one in Purgatory eventually gets to enter Heaven unlike those who already are in Hell. Moving on to the actual funeral rites in the Roman Catholic Church, these have three parts.

Business plan for a restaurant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business plan for a restaurant - Essay Example The business should get to meet its financial targets and be aware of its financial position. The business should aspire to meet its social responsibility by running profitably, ethically and in accordance to the legislations and regulations (LLC 2010, p. 67). Goals The restaurants goals shall get tied to its mission and vision statements. The goals should be SMART; specific, measurable, realistic, achievable, and timely (Hatten 2011, p.88). The restaurant’s goals shall allow the business to plan and understand its point of success. The goals shall not become fixed as they will get updated with time as the business proceeds. The restaurant team should aim to achieve the business goals and assist to ensure they are met for the eventual success of the business (LLC 2010, p. 77). The restaurant’s goals shall be to provide impeccable and irresistible service by showing graciousness, warmth, efficiency, knowledge, integrity and professionalism. The restaurant also aims to im prove the quality of life of the local community around the Waterloo station and beyond by conducting donations and fundraisers (Walker 2007, p. 75). Location The Waterloo station serves as a superb location for a restaurant business. The completion of the construction of a retail balcony at the station for retail and catering outlets, the station provides a fantastic location opportunity for a restaurant business (Walker 2007, p.116). The station provides a great strength for the potential business due to its strategic positioning, which serves a large number of passengers. For the restaurant to become successful, it will require a customer base, and this will be partly covered by its location at Waterloo (LLC 2010, p. 97). At Waterloo station, the restaurant will get located...Its location on the first floor of the station also ensures that it is easily visible and accessible to potential customers The business other strength will lie in its pricing. The restaurant plans on offering prices for its services that are slightly lower to its competitors present at the station (Patti 2004, p.44). The other strength lies in the fact that the restaurant shall focus on Italian cuisine. This cuisine is popular and caters for a variety of meals that will attract a wide customer base. Weaknesses Since the establishment will get located at the first floor, there is a slight chance that customers might shun it. Some customers want a quiet place to have their meals and this cannot be promised at the first floor where the movement is relatively high to the second floor. Opportunities The business opportunity lies on the completion of the construction of the retail balcony at the Waterloo station. This makes the restaurant among the first establishments to grasp the retail spaces offered. The other opportunity lies in the restaurant’s menu. The restaurant’s plans on offering diabetic, vegan, and low fat diets makes it standout with the few restaurants offering such services at the station Threats The restaurant faces stiff competition from older restaurant establishments at the station. Some establishments have already developed a devoted customer base, and it will be difficult to lure such customers away

Going Paperless Through the Juvenile Offender Tracking System Essay

Going Paperless Through the Juvenile Offender Tracking System - Essay Example Although there has been a decrease of juvenile offenders in the Harris County (Harris County, 2010), there is still a need of keeping the records and tracing juvenile offenders; though there are only a few of them left, the community’s safety should not be risked. The Juvenile Offender Tracking System (JOTS) is the technology used by the Harris Country Juvenile Records Department in keeping track of the youth offenders in their jurisdiction. According to a report by the Justice Information Management System in Harris County (2002), the said technology is used to track misdemeanor by juvenile offenders and keep records of their acts since the first of January 1996. JOTS tracks, specifically, those whose age is â€Å"older than 9 and less than 17.† Texas is not the only state that uses technology as a way to keep an eye of their records. Internet has surely embraced by the justice system.

Effects of Democratic and Autocratic management

Effects of Democratic and Autocratic management Different companies have different management systems. Every manager wants to use special management style for developing their own company. Managers personalities will influence the type of style adopted. Selecting the correct management style may lead to greater motivation and productivity the workers. There are many management styles, such as democratic, autocratic, consultative, Laissez Faire, and paternalistic. Every management style leads to each company has a different structure. If a company has a good management style, it will motivate its workforce. It may allow a company get more profits. If managers want to build a successful company, selecting a right management style is very important. Although each management style not only has advantages, for a company, they need to choose a management style carefully. If the management style cannot motivate workers, this company will have big problems, such as lower efficiency, hardly completed tasks or hardly execute managers decisi ons. Managers have many different ways to handle their labours. Some managers want to completely control the workers; some managers want to let workers more relaxed and have the freedom to finish their jobs. In this essay, I will compare and contrast two different management styles, which are democratic and autocratic, and evaluate how they can affect employees and motivate them. Firstly, I will explain democratic management style. This management style allows people joining manage the company and having their own ideas and ways for finish their jobs. However, workers must complete the job on time. Bill Gates is the most famous example of using the democratic management style. If the workers has different opinions, Bill encourage workers argue with him. (Ruth, 2008) Under this management style, when managers need to make important decisions, they will hold a meeting; listen to their workers ideas or suggestions. This way involves workers to manage the company; workers will think they are a part of company. Many people just work for money, if managers have no idea about how to motivate them; it may be result in lower efficiency. For a company to use, a management style of democratic which require worker have professional skills. And then, I will illustrate advantages and disadvantages about democratic management style. If the company use democratic management style, directors can get along well with workers, because between the boss and the workers, good communication is very important. Thus democratic management style helps them have a good communication. When important and complex decisions need to be made, the managers may be not able to consider all of the ways, so listening to other peoples ideas is very important. The democratic management style has the higher degree of motivation people. Although the democratic management style has many advantages, it also has some disadvantages. When the company has to make a decision, it will spend lots of time on collecting the workers ideas. They need hold to a meeting, and then choose the best solution. Another disadvantage is that if the workers have not enough skill and experience, potential mistakes are exiting, and sometimes, the manager cannot accepts workers ideas on each decision, workers will think the managers do not respect them. It will be harmful develop company. (Blurt it, 1999) Secondly, I will explain autocratic management style. This management style is totally different to democratic. Howell Raines and Martha Stewart is the classic example of how to use the autocratic management style to building a successful company. (Money-zine, 1999) Autocratic management style means the manager make all the important decisions, and require workers just need to complete tasks. In all the processes, workers do not take part in decision making. This will lead to workers is no sense of belonging, and workers cannot show their special abilities. Under this management style, workers just follow the directors commands. There are some advantages, the decision made quickly, because directors do not spend time on collecting workers ideas, and so, the tasks will be completed on time. Another advantage is that autocratic management style helps companies increasing efficiency when the company employ many lower skilled workers. On the other hand, this management style also has som e weaknesses. There is no two- way communication between managers and workers. Managers just require workers what they should do, but directors do not want to know what they think. Another disadvantage is that workers cannot always work hard for company. If there is another company can offer the higher salary, the worker will resign. This will become a problem for building a successful company. (Learn management2, 2000) Thirdly, I want to illustrate how to motivate workers? Workers are the basic resources of a company, so if managers want to build a successful firm, motivating them is very important. Motivating workers not only one way which increase salary, there are many ways for motivation labour. First, managers must have a good example for cheerful. Second, managers need to listen to workers think. Third, managers can draw a good picture of future showing for workers. Fourth, managers can not blind making decisions because of their personal like and dislike. Through above four methods, it can help motivate workers. In fact, not everyone works just for money. Many people think work is very interesting, so managers need to try to use another way to motivate them, other than increasing their wages. (Wiki how, 1999) Finally, I will compare which management style can more affect employee the most. Every style has good aspects for the companies. In this part, I will mainly compare democratic management style and autocratic management style. Democratic management style allow people to join decisions making, although the company need to spend more time collecting ideas, this way can improve workers enthusiasm. Once people have a sense of belonging, people will work harder. They will think the company is like working for their family; they will have greater powerful for job. However, there also are risks for the company. If workers take part in decisions, they must have professional skills and enough experiences, if some people do not actually reach this level, the mistakes will be made. On the other hand, under the autocratic management style, managers make all the decision, people just follow the order working. In fact, this management style also influences workers. Despotic leader always think peo ple just work for money, so if they pay workers, the workers will follow their orders, and the job will be completed on time. If a manager chooses the autocratic management style, they think increase the salary can motivate them. Nowadays, almost managers choose to allow people take part in decision making, because when managers want to encourage employees attending decision making, the autocratic management style should be not used, and if the workers become repugnant, the autocratic management style are also not effective. (Money-zine, 1999) In order to reduce the risks, they through provide more professional training chance for workers, or cooperate with professional school for obtain labour. If building a company, the boss makes all the decisions, and controls everything. It will lead to the boss having to work all the time and the potential mistake will still exist. It may be bad for the company. Mr. Robbins said that work committees and meetings are tow most popular ways of encouraging workers participation. (Stephen, 2002) Therefore, although the company need to spend many times on collecting ideas form workers; almost managers choose allowing workers taking part in decision making, such as democratic management style or paternalistic management style, and try to other ways to reduce mistake or error. Whether democratic or autocratic, managers just want to choose the best management style for their company. I think all managers want to motivate workers and increase efficiency. However, they choose different way to achieve their goal. The democratic management style and the autocratic management style are totally opposite management style. The democratic management style allow workers attend to make decisions, making workers feel they are a part of the company, and making them know development of the company is also their responsibility. However, the autocratic management style, managers make all the decisions, workers just complete managers commands. This allows workers do their job, and get their salary. Whether the company develop or not, they will not care. In the long term, their enthusiasm decrease. If managers want to motivate them, it may be by through increasing their income, but this is not the best way for motivation. If managers want to build a more efficiently company, motivating workers is become the most important thing.

Is Abortion Murder? Essay examples -- essays research papers

Many people believe that morals or ethics should not have any persuasion at all in our laws. Do you believe that slavery is immoral? Is the issue of slavery a moral position? Is the legislation on that moral position appropriate? Then what you have most likely said is that it is appropriate to legislate moral issues that you are in favor of. Should slavery be enforced purely as a moral issue? This is an important point because many people say that we should not force a particular morality on the issue of abortion. Slavery was brought up because it involves human rights, as abortion does also. The question is whether an unborn child is a human being that has the same inalienable rights that a black human being has. This stems the question, â€Å"Is abortion murder?† If so then there has been a legal genocide going on in the United States since 1973 with over 40 million victims. â€Å"Life, biologically speaking, begins at fertilization. We all begin with the same raw materials: an egg and a sperm. We are fully human when these gametes unite at fertilization, as nothing else is added to us- only nourishment and time to grow.† (Earll, 2003) According to Carrie that means that we are human at the moment of conception. At this controversial point is where Carrie with the pro-lifers and the pro-abortionists butt heads. Pro-abortionists like Henry Morgentaler say that, â€Å"I believe that an early embryo may be called a potential human being. But remember that every woman has the potential to create twenty-five human beings in her lifetime. The idea that any woman who becomes pregnant as a result of non-procreative sexual intercourse must continue with her pregnancy does not take into consideration the fact that there is a tremendous discrepancy between the enormous potential of human fertility and the real-life ability of women and couples to provide al l that is necessary to bring up children properly.† (Morgentaler, 1996) This summarizes most pro-abortionists views that abortion is not about the child but about the mother and what she wants. Others do not see an unborn child as being a human being. Stephen Currie agrees with this when he wrote â€Å"It is a mistake, however, to see this as evidence that the smallest fertilized egg is somehow already a person. Perhaps "life" does begin at conception in some way, but fully human life does not.† (Currie, 2000) This shows t... ...torials that promoted abortion were unimpressive and seemed written out of anger and never mentioned what most girls who have had an abortion felt like after the fact. I found the pro-life editorials very hopeful and full with a sense of love for the innocent children. Unlike the pro-abortion editorials they took slanderous stab at those who oppose them which helped me to respect what they were saying more. People like Hank Hanegraaff are showing others who are not educated about unborn children that, â€Å"They deserve protection, not capital punishment.† We now have a president that also believes in the sanctity of life and has shown it by proclaiming Sunday, January 18, 2004, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. References Earll, C. (2003) The Sanctity of Human Life. Retrieved February 10, 2005 from http://www.family.org/cforum/pdfs/fosi/bioethics/sanctity_of_human_life.pdf Morgentaler, H. The Moral Case for Abortion. Free Inquiry, Free Inquiry, Summer 1996 Currie, S. Abortion. Opposing Viewpoints Digests ® Series. Greenhaven Press, 2000 Hanegraaff, H. Practical Apologetics, Annihilating, Abortion Arguments. Retrieved February 11, 2005 from http://www.equip.org/free/DA375.pdf