The Awakening †a Feminist Analysis Free Essays

The Awakening  is a  novel  by  Kate Chopin, first published in 1899 , set in  New Orleans  and the Southern  Louisiana  coast at the end of the nineteenth century. The plot centers on Edna Pontellier and her struggle to reconcile her increasingly unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood with the prevailing social attitudes of the turn-of-the-century  South. It is one of the earliest American novels that focuses on women’s issues without condescension. We will write a custom essay sample on The Awakening – a Feminist Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is also widely seen as a landmark work of early  feminism. Kate Chopin’s  The Awakening  was a bold piece of fiction in its time, and protagonist Edna Pontellier was a controversial character. She upset many nineteenth century expectations for women and their supposed roles. One of her most shocking actions was her denial of her role as a mother and wife. Kate Chopin displays this rejection gradually, but the concept of motherhood is major theme throughout the novel. Edna is fighting against the societal and natural structures of motherhood that force her to be defined by her title as wife of Leonce Pontellier and mother of Raoul and Etienne Pontellier, instead of being her own, self-defined individual. Through Chopin’s focus on two other female characters, Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz, Edna’s options of life paths are exhibited. These women are the examples that the men around Edna contrast her with and from whom they obtain their expectations for her. Edna, however, finds both role models lacking and begins to see that the life of freedom and individuality that she wants goes against both  society  and nature. The inevitability of her fate as a male-defined creature brings her to a state of despair, and she frees herself the only way she can, through suicide. All throughout â€Å"The Awakening,† Kate Chopin shows examples of how women should and should not act in society, in their homes, and with their husbands. In Edna Pontellier’s adopted society, women are viewed more valuable when they conform into the mother-woman role. The mother-woman role is another form of men control, because it dictates how women should idolize their children, worship their husbands, and honor their isolated but inferior positions      As the novel progresses, Edna begins to make increasingly â€Å"open-eyed choice[s] to defy illusions and conventions†. Throughout the novel Edna becomes increasingly sexual, also becoming aware of her sexuality. Her bond of friendship with Robert seems harmless at first, but when he leaves for Mexico Edna believes she is in love with him: â€Å"For the first time she recognized anew the symptoms of infatuation. . . to torture her as it was doing then with the biting conviction that she had lost that which she had held, that she had been denied that which her impassioned, newly awakened being demanded† (Chopin 44). Edna has never had any sexual encounters with Robert, yet her emotions are so aroused by her close friend she is â€Å"infatuated† with him. Until this point, Edna seems to have not realized her feelings for Robert. In time she will call these feelings love, but at this point she is deeply upset because the man she is â€Å"infatuated† with is leaving. Edna’s emotions have been stirred for the first time in a long time, and she is unwilling to merely deal with the fact that the man who did this is leaving. Edna goes into a childlike pout, neglecting the familial duties she previously completed without fail. Edna’s awakening comes in two parts, the emotionally sexual awakening she experiences with Robert and the physically sexual awakening reached with Arobin (Seyersted, Kate Chopin 155). When Robert leaves her the first time, she is upset and broods, unable to believe he left so abruptly, and without saying goodbye. Arobin cannot gain this control over Edna’s emotions, as she distances herself from him and restrains herself from becoming too emotionally attached. Through her experience with Robert, Edna has learned to keep her emotional distance from men, lest she be hurt again. Edna is definitely a more sexual being now than previously in the novel. Before she recoiled at the touch of her closest friend, and now she is indulging in a forbidden kiss, holding Arobin close to prolong the contact. She is also more reserved. Arobin is quite anxious to see Edna again, but Edna pushes him away telling him she will see him at her dinner party, â€Å"not an instant sooner† (Chopin 82). Edna takes control of the situation, pushing Arobin away when he begs to see her again, having come to an enlightened state of being, learning from her mistakes and being an active force in her own life. Edna now makes decisions (such as moving out of the house) based on what is right for her, choices that will drastically affect her life, doing so with open eyes and a clear head. Edna is feminist in nature, but her feminism comes with a price, and not many people are strong enough to endure social ostracizing to enjoy personal freedom. Chopin wonderfully illustrates Edna’s dilemma, showing possible consequences of becoming enlightened outside the context of a broader social movement. By the end of the novel, Chopin still refuses to tell us whether Edna’s awakening is liberating, or if it is tragic. They argue that Edna Pontellier’s awakening is one of mental clarity, and her suicide is a triumphant act. By committing suicide Edna is finally freeing herself from social constraints and possession. Her suicide is an act of liberation, therefore Edna is the ultimate feminist. How to cite The Awakening – a Feminist Analysis, Papers

Strategic Business Context Free Samples â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Provide an analysis of the broad strategic business context of your selected project. Include details about the departments, stakeholders, location and area of business that may influence uncertainty, risks and issues related to this project. Explain why analysis of the business context is important in project risk appraisal. Answer: Risk management is an approach to identify, analyze and to either accept or to mitigate an event that has a probability of occurrence and could also have an adverse impact on the business of an organisation (BusinessDictionary.com, n.d.). Risk management is one of the most important tasks that the managers have to undertake right from the beginning of a project work as a project can be vulnerable to hundreds of risks that can hinder the operations of a project (Investopedia, 2005) Most of the times, the success of a project work depends upon the ability of the company to deal with the risks that come in the way of the project. If the management is well equipped to deal with the upcoming risks, the project has a greater chance of success whereas if a management does not have the tendency to deal with risks, it will be affected by uncertainties and will ultimately fail in the project (Mindtools.com, n.d.) CONSTRUCTION PROJECT A project related to the planning, coordinating and controlling the construction of residential, commercial, heavy civil, industrial, and environmental buildings is known as a construction project. Construction projects are the costliest projects in the world that account for almost 8-9 percent of the worlds gross domestic product. Due to their large budget and accountability, construction projects are highly vulnerable to a number of risks, which makes it crucial for the project managers to adopt a risk management strategy from the very beginning so that the project has higher chances of success. Further, the involvement of too many stakeholders, in the construction project, makes the project even more vulnerable to risks (Stakeholdermap.com, n.d.). The construction industry has been prone to high risks die to a number of factors. Below given is the lost of few of the factors that increase the risks to a construction project: Issues related to cost and time in the completion of the project High possibilities of disputes Intense competition in the construction industry Reduced margins and risk of losing profits Poor level of worker safety and occupational health Tendency of the contractors to save greater time and money Pressure related to safety and health of the workers Expectancy to receive higher returns of the investment made in the project RISKS IN CONSTRCUTION PROJECTS The risks which are not determined before or during a construction project can have a much greater effect on the project as compared to the risks that have previously been assessed by the management and the risks in construction project can cause very huge loss or damage to life, property and finances of the stakeholders. In general, the risks related to a construction project can be classified into business risks, financial risks, technological risks, project risks and political risks. Let us now discuss the risks that are associated with the construction projects: Risks related to the completion of a project these risks arise when a company undertaking a construction project is not able to complete the project within the specified time. The stakeholders involved in this risk are the contracting company, the contractor and the end users (if any). The contracting company suffers because the project gets delayed. The contractor on the other hand suffers because he/she has to pay for the delays in terms of pre-fixed penalties or deductions on the price of the contract. The contractor also loses his or her reputation for not completing the project on time. If there are any end users of the building being constructed, they suffer because they are deprived of the opportunity to use the structure (Cidc.in, n.d.) Price risk These risks are related to the price of the project, which can fluctuate due to the supply-demand factors. In general, the price of the projects is fixed in the very beginning by the contractors as they prepare the estimates and budgets of the project and required resources. Some contracts are awarded at fixed prices while some contracts can be awarded at variable prices, which means that the prices of the project could vary along the timeline of the project. As a result, any kind of fluctuation in the prices of the resources could actually have a huge impact on the contractor as well as on the contracting party. Resource risk these risks are related to the shortage of raw material that might be required for the day to day work operations of the project. Construction projects are very large in size and they require a vast variety of resources everyday. The unavailability of these resources ca actually has a very negative impact on the project as it might get delayed or the work might come to a halt while the contractor would still have to pay for the labor and operating charges. If the risks related to the availability of resources are not accounted for, the contractor might suffer as there will be delay in the project ("Construction Industry Development Council", n.d.). Technological Risks the technology being used in a construction project can also have significant risks as it might not be up to the mark and could also render wrong or inappropriate results. The technology being used can also effect the successful completion of the operations and the structures might not get built properly. Failure due to technological factors can have impact on the contractor, the contracting company and on the end users as well. The technology failures can easily be seen and are definitely bound to occur if not taken care of. If technological failures occur, the contractor would lose his or her reputation, the contracting party might incur losses while the end users will have to use a structure while is not properly constructed and is prone to the risk of failures. Political Risks Construction projects are also highly vulnerable to political risks as the changes in government, taxes, laws, regulations and policies can have serious impacts on the operations of the project. The local and the national government has a major role to play in the construction project work. Some projects can also face resistance from government agencies half way down the timeline and therefore, it is recommended that the constructors should assess the government risks right in advance and should work accordingly. If the construction project has been initiated by the government itself, then the contractors also include the risk of delays in payments, which can cause a breach in the trust between the two parties. The stakeholders in such risks are the construction companies, the government and the contracting firms. The construction company might lose its business if the political or legal system changes and is against the project (Schieg, 2006). Financial risks There are a great deal of financial risks involved in a construction project. Construction projects are usually very long in duration i.e. a smallest construction project can take up to 1 year to get completed whereas construction of huge buildings or infrastructures can take up 5-q0 years. In such conditions, the financial risks related to the project increase. The contractor needs to make a proper assessment of the time value of money so that he can estimate the cost of the project that would incur after the completion of the project, which would include the interest rates, hike in the prices of the resources, time value of money, exchange rate risks, etc. if these risks are not accounted for, the contractor might have to incur very heavy losses and would not be able to complete the project successfully ("Construction Industry Development Council", n.d.) Health and safety risks Another major risk in the construction industry is related to the health and safety of the construction workers. The employees working in construction industry have to deal with a number of complex machines and work in complex environment that has the risk of failure. Further, the material can sometimes be harmful and can cause injuries if it is not handled properly. It is considered to be one of the biggest risks in the construction industry as a number of workers become victims of health related issues and injuries on a daily basis. The key stakeholders in such risks are the contractor and the employees/workers. The workers would obviously be affected if the work conditions have an adverse impact on their health whereas the contractor might have to pay for the treatment of the employees in case they meet an accident while they are working at the construction site. Therefore, it is highly important for the construction companies to maintain a safe working en vironment ("Risk Management in Construction | process of managing risk", n.d.). The risks identified above are the most important risks when considered from the viewpoint of construction project managers as they can have the greatest impact on the operations of the project. These risks also involve the key stakeholders of the project and it makes it even more important for the managers to asses these risks right from the planning phase of the project. RISK ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES There are a number of risk management strategies, tools or techniques that the management of construction firms can use to assess the level of risks and their impacts that would likely be experienced by the organisation. The techniques and strategies used for risk assessment can vary from company to company, industry to industry and project to project. Let us now discuss some risk management strategies or tools that can be used by the managers to assess the risks in the construction project: Risk assessment matrix a risk assessment matrix is one of the best and the easiest ways in strategic and risk management to identify, analyze and manage any type of risks that might occur in the lifetime of a project. The matrix is also known by other names, such as probability and impact matrix. It is a tool that can be used right from the starting of a project to the end of the project and analyze the risks continuously throughout the lifetime of the project (Brighthub Project Management, 2016). Using a risk assessment matrix, the management aims at rating the risks according to the probability of the occurrence of the risk and the likely impact that it would have on the organisation if it actually occurs. The risks are arranged according to priority in the matrix while the priority is decided by computing the product of probability of occurrence of a risk and the likely impact that it would have on the organisation when it occurs. In general, the probability of the occurrence of a risk can be rated in percentage while the impact can be classified into negligible, minor, moderate, significant and severe. For example, if a risk is identified to have an 80-100% probability of occurrence and would have a severe impact on the project, the risk is classified as an extreme risk while a risk with a 1-20% possibility of occurrence and negligible impact on the organisation is classified as minimum risk. The risks are generally divided in to 4 categories, i.e. extreme risk, high risk, moderate risk, low risk and minimum risk ("What is a Risk Matrix?", 2013). Further, these risks can be related to consequences too. In general, minimum risks are known as insignificant risks that have a negligible amount of damage to the the project, low risks are known as marginal risks that do not have much significant damage to the project, moderate risks are the ones which are not a great threat but can still cause of sizable damage, high risks are known as critical risks as they can have significantly large consequences while extreme risks are the ones which have catastrophic consequences, i.e. these can render the project completely useless (Risk Matrix, 2005) The advantages of using a risk matrix are given below: The system of risk matrix is beneficial in promoting a robust discussion so that the actual discussion is much more useful than just the rating. Risk matrix provides a very useful approach that helps in the prioritizing risks according to their possibility of occurrence and possible impact on the organisation. It also helps the management in controlling and running a risk workshop By assigning priority to different risks, the management can efficiently deal with the risks that have a higher priority than the ones which have less possibility of occurrence and would also have a negligible impact. One of the best advantage of a risk assessment matrix is that it provides a graphical or a visual representation of the risk data. Risk Register the risk register is another efficient approach that helps in maintaining a record of all the risks and the results of qualitative risk analysis, quantitative risk analysis and risk response planning. The basic objective of risk register is to keep a detailed account of identified risks, including their description, category, possible causes, possibility of occurrence, impact on the objectives, proposed responses, owners and current status. The risk register is always shared amongst the stakeholders of the project so that they can experience a higher degree of involvement in the project risk management. It facilitates a system of decision making in the organisation by proper definition of the risks and by involving all the stakeholders in the process of risk management (Developing and Populating a Risk Register Best Practice Guidance, 2009) The main components of a risk register are given below: Date the first and the most important component of a risk register is the date. It is important to note the date on which the risks are either identified or modified. The other types of dates that can be included are target or completion dates. Description of the risk this is the column or the row that provides a detailed description of the risks Risk type this is a very important component of the risk register where the type of the risk is identified. This defines the area or the operations to which the risk is related or the business area which would be most impacted by the risks. Likelihood of occurrence the likelihood of occurrence basically provides a description of the possibilities that the risks has of occurrence. The possibility is generally divided into percentage, such as Low (0-30%), Medium (31-70%) and high (70%). Severity of effect it is another component of the risk register which defines the impact that the risks would have on the operations of the organisation. Risk Rank this component of the risk register defines the magnitude or the level of the risk. In general, the rank of a risk is defined as the product of the likelihood of occurrence and the consequences of the risk. Risk trigger these components basically define the triggers that would indicate that the right time has come for the management to deploy all the contingency or preventive measures that they had planned earlier. Prevention plan these are the plans that the management has planned earlier to deal and prevent the risks that had been identified. Contingency plans these plans are related to the situations where the management would want to address the risks once they have occurred (Development, 2013). Risk owner this component of the risk register identifies the people who are responsible for the implementation and prevention of risks using the prevention and contingency plans. Some of the risk owners can be stakeholders, the project team, the project manager, project sponsor. Residual Risk The risk that still remains after all the contingency and prevention plans have been implemented is known as the residual risk and even this is recorded in the risk register (register, 2016). Let us now discuss some of the importance of risk registers: It helps in gaining a better understanding of the risks that the organisation or a project is likely going to face in the near future. It increases the awareness of the project management teams about the extent of the risks that have been identified It helps in differentiation and identification of risks that the organizations management is ready to accept and the level of risks that the organisation itself is willing to accept. It helps in identifying the ability of the management to control and reduce the risk if it occurs (Roughnotes.com, 2016). It helps in reporting the status of the risk at any point of time throughout the lifetime of a project It helps in identifying the triggers and important events that help in recognizing the beginning of a risk related event. It has the greatest benefit of identifying the risk owners, the risk controllers and involving all the stakeholders in the decision making process by sharing the right information with them. It helps in differentiating between the contingency plans and the prevention plans (Roughnotes.com, 2016) It also has a benefit of recorded dates. It informs the management about each and every modification or changes made in the risk management plan (Healthandsafetyatwork.com, 2016). Both the above techniques identified for the purpose of risk assessment and management are two of the best techniques available for any of the organisation to increase the chances of success of its project by successful identification, planning and mitigation of risks. They are not only just flexible but also provide an approach that helps in identification of risks right from the beginning of a project to the end while there can be significant changes made in the running life cycle of a project. Therefore, it is important to undertake such approaches in the life cycle of a project which allows the project management team to have a flexible approach towards risk assessment, management, control and mitigation . IMPLEMENTATION AND RISK PLANS It is never enough to just have risk management strategies until and unless they are implemented along with all the appropriate resources to deal with the risk. An organisation that assesses the risk and is not able to deal with them is never successful in saving the project from the damages of the risks. In general, the risks can be positive and negative. The positive risks are the ones which, if occur, have the potential to get benefits for the company and the project on the overall whereas the negative risks are the ones which, if occur, can have major drawbacks for the company and can result in the failure of the project in extreme cases. Therefore, it is very important to incorporate risk management strategies along with all the required resources to make the best use of the positive risks and at the same time neglect or prepare to deal with the negative risks so that the project can be saved from failure. RISK MANAGEMENT IN PROJECT LIFE CYCLE A major area where the companies fail in the project management approach is when they are not aware of the stages in a project life cycle where as risk management program should be identified and implemented. In general, there is not such particular position in a project life cycle where the risks should be identified by the managers. Rather, the assessment of risks should be started well before the commencement of the project and should be carried out until the project is completed with success. In general, a project has to go through a number of stages and the long duration of construction projects greatly increase the vulnerability of the projects to the changes in risk. In construction projects, new risks can arise on a daily basis, which can be extremely dangerous and can be more drastic than the ones which had been already identified by the project management team. In such a condition, it is definitely required that the risks should be identified on a daily basis according to the changing situations. It should be ensured that with the completion of every short term goal and the beginning of a new operation, the management should once again check and identify the risks that might have a greater possibility of occurrence than before. The management should carefully compare the prevailing situations with the risk register and the risk assessment strategies to once again consider the risks that have failed to occur till that particular time while it would also provide an in sight to the upcoming risks according to the prevailing situations (Anon, 2016). The continuous assessment of risks throughout the life cycle of a project would render the following advantages to an organisation: A system of continuous assessment of risks helps in eliminating the redundant risks or the ones which have failed to occur. It helps in identifying new risks that may arise as a result of change in the situations It helps in reassessing the previously identified risks and assigning them new probabilities based upon the new probability of occurrence and updated impact that could be born by the organisation if the risk occurs. Sometimes, in construction projects, changes in weather conditions, employment rules regulations, governmental policies, etc. can introduce new risks in the project life cycle. Therefore, it helps in reassessing the risks and finding out the new ones. It helps in updating the risk registers and matrix continuously, throughout the life cycle of the project, until it reaches its final stage or is successfully completed. STRATEGIES TO UPDATE RISK REGISTERS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROJECT As discussed above, it is highly important for the project management teams to continuously make assessment of the risks that have occurred, that did not occur and the ones which have increased probability of occurrence. The risk registers require continuous update so that a better approach towards risk management can be ensured and the chances of success of the project can be increased exponentially. It is never enough to just create a register that contains components related to risks while there is no valid information or if the information is not updated from time to time. The risk registers should evolve along with the life cycle of the project. Let us discuss some strategies that can ensure regular updation of risk registers and other tools and techniques that the organisations or the risk management teams used to analyze and plan to deal with the risks that might occur in the life cycle of a project: It is essential that the risk registers are circulated in all the operational units of the project operational teams so that each one of them can give their feedback about the information contained in the risk registers or make changes that they feel are necessary to keep the register updated. The project manager can fix weekly meetings where front line leaders from all the operational units of a construction project can come together and help in the process of re-assessment of risks. Each of the front line managers are aware of the status of the project and have the ability to provide valuable information that can be used in the process of continuous updation of risk registers. The project manager can also implement a system where the managers or the leaders from all the departments can provide their feedback about the project status and the possibility and impact of future risks through a separate register, which would be continuously analyzed by the risk management team. The team would then extract valuable information from the feedback provided by the operational heads and would make the required changes in the risk registers. Another strategy that the project managers can use to ensure continuous updation of risk registers is to use computer based softwares to feed important data and information. Information systems have always proved their efficiencies in dealing with data and information and allowing the user to easily access and modify them whenever required. Using information systems and softwares, the project managers will be able to track the evolution of the risk registers throughout the lifecycle of the project and would be able to introduce the desirable changes whenever required. Keeping the risk registers and other strategies used for risk assessment is important not just for the project team but is also important for the stakeholders as it provides timely and important information to all and increases their awareness about what exactly is happening in the project. Some of the stakeholders might not be directly involved in the day-to-day activities of the project but they still deserve to know about what all is happening in the project. Further, as they are not involved in the business directly, they can provide valuable feedback to the management by assessing the information from risk matrix or registers from time to time, which might have been actually overlooked by the project management team. ROLE OF STAKEHOLDERS IN RISK REGISTERS There are a number of stakeholders in a construction project, such as the contractor, the sponsor of the project, the employees, the end users, etc. and all of them have their own roles and responsibilities. It is obvious that when the stakeholders have their own stakes invested in the project, they too have some responsibilities towards the project and the risks that are associated with the projects. It becomes the responsibilities of the project management team to involve the stakeholders in the decision making and risk management process and at the same time it is also the responsibilities of the stakeholders to actively participate in the project management process. The stakeholders should be informed of the project status from time to time. The risk registers or the risk matrix should be shared with all the stakeholders as there is always a chance of human error because of which the management could oversee some of the important risks that have a likelihood of occurrence whereas an external viewpoint of the stakeholders and their involvement would ensure that the important risks are not overlooked. Further, the important stakeholders of the project can also arrange for regular meetings or functions where the project management teams would have to come together and disclose all the important information and data to them. In a way, it also falls upon the stakeholders to decide the level up to which the stakeholders want the management to involve them in the decision making process related to risk management. OUTLINE OF RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY Risk management is not an easy task at all. There are a number of companies that have tried their best to assess and deal with the risks related to the project but millions of them have fallen victims to identified as well as unidentified risks. One of the major reasons behind the failure of companies and projects due to risks is that they do assess the risks and plan for the mitigation of risks but they do not adopt any approach that could help them reassessing and identification of new risks that come up due to changes in situation. Sticking to the risks and mitigation measures decided before the commence of a project makes a company more vulnerable to the changing environment and any new or unidentified risk can hinder the project lifecycle because the companies are not prepared to deal with them. Even with the implementation of risk registers, a number of companies have reported failure because they do not have proper knowledge and resources that could help the management in prop er utilization of risk register strategies. A number of experts have also given arguments that the failure of risk registers is not just because of individual errors but are also a direct result of the organisation culture and nature, which might not fit with the tools or techniques being used. Another major reason for the failure of risk registers is that it limits the thinking capability, gut feelings and emotions of the managers as they become largely dependent on the information that is explicitly available to them. Further, there is also a belief amongst the managers that risk registers mainly focus on the future which increases their chances of failure because the future can never be accurately determined (Budzier, 2011) Let us now prepare a plan that would help an organisation in preparing and dealing with the risks that might be experienced by them in the near future: First of all, the first and the foremost thing that the management needs to ensure is that the risk management should be incorporated at each and every level od the organisation. The risk management program should be provided with all the resources that are necessary for the success of the project (Blackman, 2015). Secondly, the risk management process should be commenced right from the beginning and should be carried out continuously till the end of the project. The management of risk should be focused on the present as well as on the future, rather than just limiting the program to either the present variables or the future possibilities. Thirdly, no matter what tools or techniques are used for the purpose of risk assessment and mitigation, each and every stakeholder in the project should be aware about all the important information and should also feel that they themselves have a responsibility towards the process of risk management. Regular meetings and sessions should be arranged to identify risks and make necessary modifications in the risk management tools and strategies. Fourthly, the management should actively prioritize the risks that are identified during the lifecycle of the project based upon their likelihood of occurrence and the management should be well prepared to either accept the risks, plan for the mitigation of the risks or to reduce the impact of the risks if they cannot be avoided at all. Fifthly, it is also important for the management to use information systems and technologies in the management of the risks because risk management and assessment is vulnerable to human error and companies cannot afford to lose their projects because of any kind of human error (Developing a Risk Management Strategy, 2005). Lastly, the organisation should never rely upon a single tool or technique to assess and manage risks. For example, organisations can rely upon risk registers to involve stakeholders and to assess and manage risks while it can also adopt a risk assessment matrix to graphically represent the status of the project and the risks associated with it from time to time. CONCLUSION Risk assessment and management is one of the most crucial program that must be carefully planned and executed by all organisations that take up any kind of project, small or big. The business organisations, in the present scenario, are working in a global environment which is highly complex and changing with every second. In such an environment, business organisations and their projects become vulnerable to the changing conditions, which introduce new risks at every turn. Therefore, risk assessment and management should be given a greater importance than it is given in the present times so that the chances of the success of the project can be increased exponentially. REFERENCES Blackman, A. (2015). Effective Risk Management Strategies. [online] Business Envato Tuts+. Available at: https://business.tutsplus.com/tutorials/effective-risk-management-strategies--cms-22887 [Accessed 10 Jun. 2016]. Budzier, A. (2011). The risk of risk registers - Managing risk is managing discourse not tools. 1st ed. [ebook] pp.5-15. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220220795_The_risk_of_risk_registers_-_Managing_risk_is_managing_discourse_not_tools [Accessed 10 Jun. 2016]. Cidc.in. (n.d.). Construction Industry Development Council. [online] Available at: https://www.cidc.in/new/articles2.html [Accessed 8 Jun. 2016]. Developing a Risk Management Strategy. (2005). 1st ed. [ebook] vailable at: https://www.imaginecanada.ca/sites/default/files/www/en/library/kdc-cdc/guide_kowalski_risk_eng.pdf [Accessed 10 Jun. 2016]. Developing and Populating a Risk Register Best Practice Guidance. (2009). 1st ed. [ebook] pp.1-20. Available at: https://hse.ie/eng/About/Who/OQR010_20090422_v_11Developing_and_populating_a_Risk_Register_BPG.pdf [Accessed 10 Jun. 2016]. Development, C. (2013). What are the 12 Key Elements of a Project Risk Register Template?. [online] Continuing Professional Development. Available at: https://continuingprofessionaldevelopment.org/key-elements-project-risk-register-template/ [Accessed 10 Jun. 2016]. Smallbusiness.chron.com. (2016). How to Assess Risk in a Project. [online] Available at: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/assess-risk-project-13702.html [Accessed 10 Jun. 2016]. Osbie.on.ca. (n.d.). OSBIE - Ontario School Boards' Insurance Exchange - Identify Risk Management Strategies. [online] Available at: https://osbie.on.ca/risk-management/manual/Strategies.aspx [Accessed 10 Jun. 2016]. register, H. (2016). How to create a risk register. [online] CIO. Available at: https://www.cio.com.au/article/401244/how_create_risk_register/ [Accessed 10 Jun. 2016]. Mindtools.com. (n.d.). Risk Analysis and Risk Management: Evaluating and Managing Risks. [online] Available at: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_07.htm [Accessed 9 Jun. 2016]. Brighthub Project Management. (2016). Risk Assessment Matrix - How to Use It in Risk Management. [online] Available at: https://www.brighthubpm.com/risk-management/88566-tool-for-assessing-project-risk/ [Accessed 9 Jun. 2016]. v.hk/media/eng/publication-and-research/quarterly-bulletin

Undergraduate Students Views on Social Links and Their Influence on Motivation

The Discount Window as a Monetary Policy Tool

The Discount Window as a Monetary Policy Tool The discount window is a monetary policy tool (managed by central banks) that permits genuine institutions to scrounge money from the central bank, mostly on the basis of short-term, in order to obtain fleeting paucities of liquidity, which may be caused by either internal or external intervals.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Discount Window as a Monetary Policy Tool specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The interest that is charged by the central bank is known as the base rate, discount rate or repo rate. However, the borrower must provide collateral on such loan (Federal Reserve 1). The main idea behind the discount window is to give banks liquidity whenever they necessitate it without making them much dependent upon it. In 2007, the Federal Reserve successfully did this by decreasing or increasing the discount rate. This means that by decreasing the discount rate, the Federal Reserve is attempting to enhance the development by making liquidity easier to be obtained, and by increasing, it indicates that Federal Reserve is worried about inflationary on the economy and that is why it is endeavoring to decrease the amount of money in the economy (Bogle 12). What Was Happening to the Banks at That Time? The financial crisis of 2007 was stimulated by the shortfall of liquidity in the US banking system. This caused large financial institutions in US to get themselves into hot water and even some collapsing. The financial sector was impacted by the world crisis in February, 2007. The financial crisis was caused by the major loss which had been reported by the world’s largest bank (HSBC). The bank had lost holdings by $10.5 billion. This led to the crisis which had been compared with the Great Depression. For about 100 mortgage companies had to report about selling their activities or about their shut down throughout 2007. As crisis continued to dig out, other financial institutions decided t o merge or announce to look for merger partners. The top managers (such CEO’s) who could not bear the situation, made a decision of relinquishing their jobs, a good example is the CEO’s of Citigroup and Merrill Lynch, who relinquish within two weeks (Dozark-Frideres 1). Moreover, this financial crisis of 2007 caused huge panic in financial markets and as a result, a lot of investors were totally discourage, hence they began taking away their money from shrinking mortgage bonds and equities and invest it in other secure ways, such as commodities as â€Å"store of value.†Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, due to overwhelming number of investors in commodities following the collapse of financial firms, the speculation of commodity has resulted to food crisis and an increase of oil prices, because of commodity super-cycle. In addition, the financial investors who are looking for fast returns have taken away trillions of money from the risky mortgage bonds and equities, making some to invest in raw materials and food (Bogle 45). In 2006, provisions for prospect defaults and mortgage defaults influenced the income at the 8533 depository institutions of the United States. These defaults caused the decrease from $35.2 billion to $646 million by the FDIC. This resulted in a decrease of 98%. Having analyzed the financial situation in t world, it may be stated that the country’s economy has not experience such problems since 1990. 2007 was considered to be the worst year for performance for most financial firms in the country. Turning to the problems of insured depository firms, is should be mentioned that the companies had lost about 31% in comparison with 2006. Thus, the income of the insured depository firms in 2007 was $100 billion, while in 2006 it was about $145 billion. In same year (2007), the profit decreased from $35.6 billion Q1 to $19.3 billion in Q1 of 2008, a decrease of 45% (FDIC 1). Below is a bar graph that shows the quarterly U.S. bank earnings from 2004 to 2008. Quarterly U.S. Bank Earnings from 2004 to 2008 Furthermore, there was a situation when the discount window became the same as the federal fund rate. This situation became possible due to the fact that the supply curve of reserves became horizontal. This was provoked by the Fed desire to offer as many loans as possible at the discount rate to prevent them from bankruptcy. There was a situation in 2007 when discount rate and the federal fund rate equaled each other. This situation became possible in a number of reasons. â€Å"As iff rises above id, banks will borrow more and more at id, and re-lend at iff. The supply curve is horizontal (perfectly elastic) at id (Wright and Quadrini n.p.).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Discount Window as a Monetary Policy Tool specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The situation is showed below. Table 1. Equilibrium in the fed funds market (Wright and Quadrini n.p.) It is possible to consider the situation when the discount rate and the federal fund rate equaled each other: on the 16th of March, 2008 the discount rate was cut 25 bps and was reduced to 3.25% and indicated an intermeeting move (Chronology n.p.). What Was Happening to the Economy? The economy of the United State of America was also in hot soup. Betwixt June 2007 and November 2008, it was report that Americans lost approximate a quarter of their net value. The prices of house had decline to 20% from their peak in 2003, while other prospect markets indicating a potential decline of 30 to 35%. By mid-2008, the US total home equity decline to $8.8 trillion for its peak in 2006 that valued at $13 trillion. To understand the level of the problem, it is important to consider the activities from a broad U.S. stock index. The decline in No vember 2008 was 45% if to calculate from the peak in 2007. The declination of the total retirement assets from 2006 to 2008 was about 22% (in 2006 the numbers reached $10.3 trillion, and in 2008 the activities hardly reacted $8 trillion). Meanwhile, the investments and the savings made a loss of $1.2 trillion. At the same time, a loss of $1.3 trillion was considered in the activities of the pension assets (Dozark-Frideres 1). Below is a graph showing US housing price performance from 1998 to 2007. Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More How the Discount Windows Usually Operate To save the situation, or at least do not support its further damaging development, the Federal Reserve Bank have created three different discount window programs. These discount window programs were directed at depository institutions. â€Å"Primary credit, secondary credit and seasonal credit† (Federal Reserve 1) are the discount window programs implemented by the Federal Reserve Bank. However, although all credits are fully secured, each credit has its own rate of interest. In the primary credit program, loans are normally prolonged for a short term (for about 24hrs) to depository firms in order to meet the financial conditions. For the financial firms that are not under primary category can apply for secondary credit so that they can settle their severe financial problems or short-term liquidity necessities. On other hand, seasonal credit is prolonged to comparatively small depository firms that have persistent intra-year ebb and f low in funding necessities, like seasonal resort communities or banks in agriculture. Now, it is important to consider the discount rate charges in the primary credit, in the secondary credit, and in the seasonal credit. Turning to the primary credit, the charges are more than the normal level of short-term market interest rates. Using the secondary credit, the charges are going to be above the primary credit. Using the seasonal credit, the charges are going to be set on an average of certain chosen market rate. The depository institutions had an opportunity to choose the discount window program depending on the conditions of each offer. The discount rates have been formed by every Reserve Bank’s board of directors (Federal Reserve 1). How Did It Exactly Operate in 2007? In the response, the USA central bank together with central banks across the globe and the Federal Reserve took several measures to address the crisis. Below is how the discount window operated in 2007. The discount rate was decreased from 5.75% (August) to 4.75% (December), and the Federal funds rate was also lowered from 5.25% (August) to 4.25% (December). They also formed lending institutions, which offered loans with low collateral to banks and other financial firms. The financial institutions were encouraged to apply for loans, either under primary, secondary or seasonal credit, but this depended on their qualification (Dozark-Frideres 1). Did the Discount Window Continue to 2008 and Why? The discount window programs continued in 2008. Here are a number of reasons for such decision. The main reason for extending discount window in 2008 was the fact that still many financial institutions had not fully recovered from this crisis. In December 2008, the Federal Reserve decreased the federal funds rate further to a range of 0-0.25%. Moreover, in November 2008, the Fed said that it wanted to purchase MBS of the GSE at a price of $600, in order to decrease the mortgage rates (Dozark-Fri deres 1). The Federal Reserve Bank could not leave unstable financial situation in the country without support, so the decision was made to continue the discount window programs up to the time when the financial stability is implemented in the world bank system. What Does the Discount Window Do With Sterilized Funds in the Federal Reserve? The discount window can open market operations, whereby it venders bonds domestically, hence gaining new cash that can go around the home economy (Federal Reserve 1). Moreover, according to the Federal Reserve, â€Å"U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks that hold reserves are eligible to borrow under the same general terms and conditions that apply to domestic depository institutions† (Federal Reserve 1). Why Did Not the Federal Reserve Allow Lehman Brothers to Use the Discount Window in 2007? The Federal Government did not want to bail out Lehman brothers, as it had had already drawn the line somewhere, and other financial firms cou ld not stay connected with Lehman assets on the spot (Siris 1). At the same time, many financial institutions â€Å"could not get comfortable with Lehmans assets in an instant† (Siris 1). Federal Government hoped that Lehman had enough assets to recover from crisis and stabilize the situation. The theoretical ability of Lehman to keep the company afloat was one of the main reasons why it was refused in discount window program. Still, the firm suffered more than it was expected and there was a threat Lehman’s bankruptcy impacted each organization at the Wall Street (Siris 1). In conclusion it should be stated that discount window programs provided by the Federal Reserve Bank were effective and they made it possible for many different companies remain afloat. At the same time, the inability of the programs to fund each organization and cover the expenses or each company made the Federal Reserve Bank draw the line which did not satisfy the expectations of many financial i nstitutions at the Wall Street. But, in general, the activity was successful. Bogle, John. The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism. London: Yale University Press. 2005. Print. â€Å"Chronology – Fed funds rate changes since 1994.† Reuters. June, 2010. Web. Dozark-Frideres, Taryn. How Did the Central Banks in the U.S. and Europe React to the Global Financial Crisis? 2010. Web. FDIC. FDIC Quarterly Banking Profile. 2008. Web. Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve Discount Window. 2010. Web. Siris, Peter. Government Did Not Want To Bail Out Lehman Brothers. 2008. Web. Wright, Robert E. and Vincenzo Quadrini. Money and Banking. Irvington, NY: Flat World Knowledge 2009. Web.

Malnutrition In Children And Preventive Measures Essay

Malnutrition In Children And Preventive Measures - Essay Example What is your claim? Is it that it has emerged as growing health problem all over the world or that the long term impact is too severe? What are your main points? They seem to be: economic impact, concentrated in developing countries, active intervention by governments, educational intervention through health care services, women’s rights, and nursing care guidelines for treatment. How could you apply this to your paper so that the thesis statement includes your topic, claim, and indicates the structure, Marco? *Marco 2638165 has requested that you respond to the Introduction/Conclusion: I have no concerns about either your introduction or conclusion as both perform their respective functions well. Your introduction prepares the reader for the essay that follows by proving very helpful background information. The conclusion does a most effective job of reinforcing your overall discussion by echoing your overall thesis and summarizing the main points of discussion. Good work!   Use of Resources: Your citations all comply with APA guidelines—well done, Marco. However, your References page needs a little work. Your References page at the end of the essay correctly lists all of the sources used in your paper in alphabetical order by inverted author’s name. However, they should be presented in a hanging indent. You have also correctly list internet sources with unknown authors under the article or entry name and placed titles in italics.Here are examples and models for you to review against: With electronic sources it is only necessary to give the retrieval date for APA if the website is likely to be updated frequently. While the order may vary, an example of a listing for an electronic source is: Justice, C. (2004, July 28). The struggle against... If the population is healthy then there would be the generation of a proper workforce which in turn will contribute to the economic growth of the economy. Thus policies are made by the government to ensure a healthy environment. ‘Healthy People 2020" was launched in 2010 by the Department of Health and Human Services which had almost 1200 objectives focusing on different areas of public health. The principle goal of this program was to ensure high-quality life, achievement of health equity, elimination of disparities, promotion of good health and healthy behaviors (CDC, n.d). Keeping the goal of Healthy People 2020 in mind it is essential to seriously look into the matter. Child malnutrition has been growing at an alarming rate in the developing countries. Children represent future generation and hence provision of proper health facilities to curb malnutrition is an essential requirement. If proper attention is not given to this issue then it would hamper the growth of the econ omy. In the sub- Saharan Africa the number of children who are undernourished (low weight for age) has increased from 90 million in the year 1970 to 225 million in the year 2008. It has been projected that it would increase by another 100 million by 2015 (Teller & Alva, n.d). The situation of malnourishment is equally grim for India where the state of Madhya Pradesh accounts for the highest rate of malnutrition. The seriousness of malnourishment can be understood from the extent of its long term consequences.

Stress and Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Stress and Health - Essay Example e body to any demand whether it is caused by, or results in pleasant or unpleasant conditions†¦We must, however, differentiate within the general concept of stress between the unpleasant or harmful variety, called â€Å"distress† (from the Latin dis = bad, as in dissonance, disagreement), and â€Å"eustress† (from the Greek eu =good, as in euphonia, euphoria)†¦However, the fact that eustress causes much less damage than distress graphically demonstrates that it is â€Å"how you take it† that determines ultimately, whether one can adapt successfully to change.(p.6) Thus, stress may affect an individual positively or negatively. It depends on one’s outlook of the situation. Does stress affect the well being of individuals? This paper attempts a response to this question and provides certain practical solutions that can be used to ease the burden of stress on one’s health. Firstly, today’s society demands that an adult is faced with several responsibilities namely, children, family, work, or one may even be in the process of fostering a social relationship which will require quality time. As Seyle implied distress or eustress is determined by the individual’s perception of the circumstances. For example, an individual who has family responsibilities and is also a full-time student may view the course as a distressing factor because the time lost in attending these courses may have been used to obtain a job that would provide income to attend to the needs of the family. This individual may experience and perceive this lost time as depressing and as a result may respond negatively to the conditions, thus worsening his/her mental and physical well-being. Contrastingly, the same individual could decide to take a different perspective and recognize the value of this time as an investment into procuring a job with better-quality remuneration that could not otherwise be acquired. This student, then by changing his/her viewpoint can reduce the stress level from a

Concepts of Black Identity

Concepts of Black Identity In the article Skin Bleaching, Self-Hate and Black Identity in Jamaica, Christopher Charles, tries to uncover the reason why Blacks in Jamaica decides to bleach their skin. In the article, Charles, uncover the word Identity which separates one entity from the rest. Jamaica is a plural society (Charles, 2003) and many black Jamaicans try to be accepted by the superior European culture. The major factor that contribute to the low self-esteem in Jamaicans are the black mothers telling their children white is better than brown and brown is better than black and their nappy hair is bad. Bleach has become so prevalent in Jamaica. The Ministry of Health and the Police force had to be more vigilant to crack down on bleaching. Many under-the-counter products were seized by the police but with a determination to have another identity many black Jamaicans were creating their own home-made products. Female advancement to be light-skinned or fair was blamed by the postindependence nationalist leaders. There are many reasons why females bleach but the one that stands out is their concerned with their body image (Charles, 2003). Christopher Charles made many interesting points as to why black Jamaicans bleach. The issue even 10 year olds in school are taking bleaching pill made me very upset. How could a mother or father put their own child through such a horrible treatment just so that their child can be brown skinned and be accepted by society? Bob Marley once said until the colour of a mans skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes. I agree with this statement because Jamaican women has lost track of what is important and significant about of black beauty. I also support the fact that parents should protect their child from all danger but endangering your child while trying to protect them color-coded or keeping up appearance is not accepted at all in my book. I think policy makers should put strict measures in place to severely deal with parents that strive to change the colour of their child skin and endanger them because the desire to change ones skin color to look different from ones racial group is cause by the psychological scars of the hierarchical plural society (Charles, 2003). The statement there are persons who are black, and they recognize this fact is true as far as I believe. However, Blackness has less salience in the construction of their identities (Charles, 2003). For example, someone (black) was adopted at a young age at about 12 by White parents. These white parents will teach their adopted child their values, norms and symbols because that is what the parent know to be right. The child identifying them as black but they still will not portray much of the black nominal. Another example of one embracing the nominal of other group is whites who become Rastafarian. They are not neglecting their own identity but their self-affirmed identity is with the group or groups whose values, norms and symbols they have incorporated (Charles, 2003) In concluding, I do agree with Charles on many aspects. Most black women, especially Jamaicans, have no value for their skin color any more. Parents instill this norm in their kids at a very young age, and therefore they grow up with the same mentality to teach their kids. And therefore, the cycle continues. The colonial system has miseducated our people into believing that the only standard of beauty is the one defined by European ideals (Charles, 2003). reeducation (Charles, 2003) is necessary for our people. Two Worlds by V.S Naipaul Two worlds defines how V.S. Naipaul, of Indian background, had to deal with the reality of knowing just about nothing of his ancestors other than his grandmothers house which had a little of the Indian history that their ancestors brought with them from India. He lived in a world where his Hindi language was minimal, only the alphabet was known among some, because the English language was penetrating through Trinidad. No one asked about India and when they decided to ask about it was already too late. As a writer his darkness became his subject. He wrote on India, Africa, the colony and many other topics. He traveled to India to discover what India was like because no one could have told him about India. He also traveled to different Caribbean region to learn more about the colonial setting. I cant remember anyone inquiring. And now the memory is all lost (Naipaul,n.d), this statement touch me because the Caribbean has a rich history as mix languages that was lost because of the constant change in the colonial master. In Grenada, many years ago we speak both English and French Creole but because of ignorance and selfish behaviors the French Creole language died with our great grandparents and was not pass down from generation to generation to preserve whats ours. But in St.Lucia French Creole has been passing down from generation to generation because they see the need to preserve what makes them different from the rest of the world and the Caribbean. Naipaul, (n.d) stated that All children, I suppose, come into the world like that, now knowing who they are. But for the French child, that knowledge is awaiting. That knowledge will be all around them. It will come indirectly from the conversation of their elders. It will be in the newspapers and on the radio. And at the s chool the work of generations of scholars, scaled down for school texts, will provide come idea of France and the French. The Mimic Men written by Naipaul, even if his intention was of the book was different but it capture a meaning of how the Caribbean is still on the puppet string being Mimic by the slave master. Men who had grown to distrust everything about themselves (Naipaul.n.d.). We are able to do anything and achieve anything on our own but once the former colonial master no longer in control get involved our inner slave starts to show itself, no longer we believe but obey and the Colonial men mimicking the condition of manhood (Naipaul, n.d.). In conclusion, Naipaul was lost in a world where he was born and a world where he was from. He travelled to India to discover where he came from, his ancestral land (Naipaul,n.d.) and also the Caribbean. Naipaul stated the world is always in movement and so we as Caribbean people need to move with the world for if we remind in mental slavery will and not up elevate our self our ancestor would have fought for our freedom in vain. O Brave New World by Maryse Conde The article O Brave New World by Maryse Conde raised some serious issues about globalization and what it means for the Caribbean. First he highlights, Caribbean countries seem to be the most concerned with this future since they lack political and economic power (Conde, 1998). This makes it difficult for Caribbean countries to compete in the global village against first world countries. Secondly, Conde, shamelessly states Globalization does not frighten me but For me it means reaching out beyond national and linguistic borders both in actual exchanges and transatlantic influences and in the expressive imagination of diasporic black communities (Conde, 1998). Here, Conde is showing that we do not need to have the largest economy nor political powers to break down barriers. We need to emerge together to overcome all obstacles as one people. Finally, Conde, highlighted black people had no intention of solving individually the problems of their specific countries but looked towards the t ransnationalization of black culture as a solution (Conde, 1998). He is mentioning that the barriers that once stood in front black people is beginning to give way and we Negroes of all origin and nationalities with different customs and religious vaguely sense that they belong, in spite of everything, to a single and same race(Conde, 1998). Sitting here and thinking how it is that we Caribbean people find it difficult to come together as one and not stand as individuals. Little Montserrat in the Caribbean, unknown to the majority of westerners, emerged from obscurity when it was threatened by the volcanic eruption of the Soufriere. This is a perfect example of why we need to stand as one people and not wait for a disaster to bring light to the Caribbean. I believe that we need to take ourselves out of the backward thinking and move towards a future thats transnational and global. Conde stated No intention of solving individually the problems of their specific countries. I dont agree with this statement because problematic countries will consume a lot of the other countries resources which will create even more problem for the resourceful country. For example, with the difficulties facing some African countries it would be hard to assist them. After encountering people of the same race from different countries, the state ment Negroes of all origin and nationalities with different customs and religious vaguely sense that they belong, in spite of everything, to a single and same race. On the religious aspect of the quote, I would have to agree with Conde. For example, in a black society of different religions: Rastas, Adventists and Catholics. Rasta believes that eating meat is bad, most Catholics believes that meat is good, while the Adventists think that pork (meat) is bad. Can everybody exist as one and not exist as multitude in the same race? I think not and this will create a lot of indifferences and cause a division between the people of the same race. In conclusion, the article, O Brave New World, has shown us that we still have a long way to go as transnational of black culture and with an ever changing world and each nation wanting to keep its own identity I think it would be difficult for any black nation to exist as one. Is Massa Day Dead? In the introduction of Is Massa Day Dead?, Orde Coombs highlight West Indian society is essentially a pappyshow society in which serious thought and dreadful calamities are acknowledge with the briefest of attention so that one can go about the business of ones business (Coombs,1974). In the West Indian society we give a blind eye to a lot of the serious issues or problems that plague our society in West Indian but in order to solve this issues we will have to change our way of thinking and remove The American cultural juggernaut that smashes its way into the willing or unwilling psyches of all the islanders (Coombs, 1974). Derek Walcott portrays a view that suggests he accepts both side of his heritage and cannot let one fade and one prosper but give both balance because both are important to his life. Brathwaite had a different view that we should accept our Africanness and neglect the other half of our ancestors. Whereas Millette and Rohlehr believe that black people need to stand up and drive its intellectual dynamic against the deepening pressure of this age of neo-colonialism (Coombs,1974). Hodge, Thomas, Hodgson, Stewart, Edmondson all speak of striving for equality among all black people and most importantly to take pride in our Africannes of West Indian society. In the Is Massa Day Dead? Brathwaite bids us a journey into the past to find the African and Amerindian in us, for only then can we become ourselves and measure the rhythm of our own creativity (Coombs,1974). Braithwaites views are that we should forget about the European that is in some of us, for example, Derek Walcott, like the halves of a fruit seamed by own bitter juice, that exiled from your own Edens you have placed me in the wonder of another, and that was my heritance and your gift. Walcott have both African and European in him and he claims both heritage and not one over the other but embracing of both cultures. Braithwaites view which I think dont apply in this global village but Walcott views pin point the direction that is being taking today as Coombs stated, black people have begun not only to probe their commonality, but to understand that the shibboleths that separate us. There are Many of the more serious thinkers of these islands who want to usher in a just society, who wants to abolish privileges based on race or class (Coombs, 1974). In the Caribbean we are still, sort of under the slave master mentally because once islanders make a valuable contribution to the island their ideas are not analyzed, but they themselves are put under a blaze of lights and their foibles and weaknesses exposed(Coombs,1974. With this type of mentality by islanders the island development will remind one place and not move forward but floats around like a piece of plank for all eternity. May be this due to the fact that Cultural juggernaut has penetrate our minds more then we think and it will and lot of education of our people and take us out of this illusion that America is better than us. In conclusion, I think that Coombs effectively displays a lot of the problems that we are faced with in the Caribbean. Among them, the inequality between men and women and how men still dominate and have high positions in society. However, in recent years, you will find women graduating with degrees and earning high positions in society. This clearly shows that woman are rising out of the mentally that women should be seen and not heard. Brathwaite and Walcott stand on their Africanness and Europeanness and for the many struggles that are still being fought by black thinkers to unshackle us from the neo-colonialism that still is with us today. West Indians and their Language by Peter A. Roberts West Indians and Their Language by Peter Roberts highlighted how geography, politically, definition, history and culture connects the West Indies language. The term West Indian as define by Roberts, it confers on the people of many different islands an identity or homogeneity which all of them do not want to be associated with (Roberts, n.d.). The term West Indies, does not have a precise meaning or definition but Roberts gives a general meaning it refers to the very same islands or territories (Roberts, n.d.). Roberts made mention of how geography and politics influence the West Indies connectively. Geographically, the islands are separated into the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles there were separated because of the size of the islands and the distance from each other. Politically, the West Indies European policy determined the entities in the Caribbean by creating great distances or close links between the islands regardless of their actual distance from each other (Robert s, n.d.). Roberts, define the term language and a language. Language can be look at from the linguistic competence which the joining of the innate capacity (the child) and actual input from the society (words, phrases) (Roberts, n.d.). Languages in the West Indies change over time because of the constant chance of colonial (British, French) power which gives birth to the distinction of language throughout the West Indies. Roberts, highlights the varieties of language spoken in the West Indies. English which is said to be good or proper; English thats not good or proper is dialect (Roberts, n.d.). Roberts also give details of Creole, Patois and Slang that is part of the West Indies. Roberts enlighten me on West Indies language on how diverse our language is. I would have never thought that dialect is considered to be Standard West Indies English. Grenada, as history has shown, been through the French and the British hands for many years and finally become British about the 19th century (Roberts, n.d.). To look at why Grenada loss its French Creole I will take it from a cultural, educational and geographical point of view. First geographically, Grenada is located near to Trinidad than St.Luica and the other French Creole speaking islands. Cultural view because Grenada is now under the British rule, British will impose its culture on Grenada. Finally, from an educational view, British try or should I say eradicate French Creole through the use of school and teaching British language while the French Creole dead out. In conclusion, Roberts give a comprehensive understanding of West Indies language on how it went through so many different circles till it ends up as it is today. French Creole and many other languages that was lost because we were washed away of our African language and taught the European language English which is still considered bad or broken. West Indian English, however, unlike other dialect of English (perhaps excepting Indian English), has features which are significantly difference in nature, features which have resulted from the nature of the contact between African and European and from the circumstances of development of language in the West Indies (Roberts, n.d.). The Roots of Caribbean Identity: Language, Race and Ecology by Peter. A. Roberts In the article The Roots of Caribbean Identity: Language, Race and Ecology Roberts links how European countries embrace their identity which suggest that place, people and language are closely allied in the formulation of national identity (Roberts, 2008) and in the Caribbean we have a great present of European influence such as the language, place and person. Also he highlighted the notion of identity (Roberts, 2008). We in the Caribbean are the same but yet we still are different and how we as social being differentiate ourselves into classes. Finally, human societies are not static but no matter how similar or different we are we will create a new identity that will either be accepted or not. Language is in part a universal human factor and in part a factor of place this statement makes me think of how we as humans are the same but yet so different when it comes to our language. For example, here in Grenada we have this stigma (distinct language) between people from the country side (St.Patricks) and people from the town (St.Georges). Recognize speakers from outside their community by their speech. Someone from the country side will speak more dialect than someone from the town and someone from the town will speak not restricted to use of a single language because in the town people consider themselves as speaking standard English, considering they live on the tourism belt. Roberts stated that a sound is in essence what language or variety of language they speak. Many Caribbean islands national language is English because of the colonial ties with Britain. For example, if a tourist comes to Grenada; the taxi men and other people that come in contract with the tourist will know the nationality of that tourist base on their accent, for instance, if its a British tourist the taxi man will put on a British accent or if its an American the taxi man will put on an American accent. This is not a good way to appreciate our own language because the tourist might not even be able to understand what you are saying and this is why we as Caribbean people need to hold on to wants ours and pass it on from generation to generation. As Roberts mention while behavior may in some objective way be the best criterion for judging sameness, it is the sense of sight (colour/race) and sound (language) that provide the initial and usually most deep-seated conclusions about sameness and difference in identity. The Antilles: Fragment of Epic Memory written by Derek Walcott tells us of how the Caribbean move from a history of violence to what it is today. He mentions how the Caribbean culture is not evolving but already shaped (Walcott, 1992) and its proportions are not to be measured by the traveler or the exile, but by its own citizenry and architecture (Walcott, 1992). Which is true because when foreign looks at postcard they see blue sea, drinks with umbrella and they dont see the true nature of the island, the real history of the Caribbean. Walcott talks about how in Trinidad, the Indian people, reenact the Hindu Epic the Ramayana in the small village of felicity that shows the collective memory of its people which is the essence of human experience which goes way beyond any history that can be found in books. After reading and internalizing The Antilles: Fragment of Epic Memory, I agree with Walcott on one fact, which I think has been plaguing us in the Caribbean for some time now and it still is going on even if many efforts are being place in school to teach us about our history and not too much about the European history. As Walcott stated Every endeavor is belittled as imitation, from architecture to music for example, in Grenada the government is introducing to its school curriculum, consume making, with the intention of passing on some of our history to the youth. Today most of the youth are straying towards the first world culture. For instance, you would not fine a kid playing some of the Caribbean games no more but they would engaged in video and computer games or watch MTV or the Disney World channel or some foreign channel that dont teach them about their culture or ancestors. This is how the islands from the shame of necessity sell themselves; this is the seasonal erosion of their identity (Walcott, 1992). Walcott writes, Visitors to the Caribbean must feel that they are inhabiting a succession of postcards. The Caribbean is like a Botanical Gardens, as if the sky were a glass ceiling under which colonized vegetation is arranged for quiet walks and carriage rides (Walcott, 1992). The hidden beauty of the Caribbean is unknown by travelers (tourist) but known by citizens. The Caribbean seasons are like an unending summer of the tropics not even poverty or poetry seems capable of being profound because the nature around it is so exultant, so resolutely ecstatic, like its music, thats a perfect description of how the Caribbean is and not a postcard that tells a million words but the true essence of its culture, its people and its way of life. In conclusion, A culture based on joy is bound to be shallow (Walcott, 1992). Walcott speaks on how we take our culture, the people and the beauty and wonders of the Caribbean for granted. The Caribbean belong to us and we should portray it, not as a postcard, but a symbol of our heritage, our culture, our place of birth, as the song goes by Eric Donaldson this is the land of my birth, in essence, the Caribbean is the land of our birth and Caribbean people should not only express themselves when they are away from home, but should do so all the time. And in doing so, it should not be half represented. They should speak the true facts and paint the true picture of the land.