Macbeth suffers a terrible downfall – Who is to blame? Is it all his fault? Is he truly evil?

In the play†Macbeth†, Macbeth suffers a terrible downfall. At the begining of the play he is fearless and brave he doesn't have a care in the world but by the end he has become corrupted and a fearful, tretorous man. At first we don't see Macbeth we only hear about him all we know at the begining is that he is in battle fighting the norwegians and alongside him is Banquo his dearest friend. The king discribes him as â€Å"Brave Macbeth† for his fighting shows he is brave as well as fearless so later in the play for this he is rewarded Thane of Glamis. Along the way homewe hear about the 3 witches or as Macbeth calls them â€Å"The Instruments Of Darkness†, Macbeth and Banquorun into them and they give Macbeth 3 predictions which are 1)He Becomes Thane of Cawdor 2)He Becomes Thane of Glamis 3)He Becomes King He does not belive it but he is already Thane of Cawdor and anyone would know that. After hearing this Banquo askes about him and the witches say that he will not be king himself but his children or children's children will be, both Macbeth and Banquo are intrigued by what they have herd but when Macbeth askes to know more the witches vanish. This shows that these witches started everything off as you will see when the story moves on. When Macbeth arives back at his camp a messenger brings the news that he has become Thane of Glamis which was the witches second prediction. Glad to hear the news the witches brang him as well as becoming Thane of Glamis, Macbth write's his wife (Lady Macbeth) a letter telling her what has happened, as Lady Macbeth reads the letter she builds up an idea in her head. By the time she had finished reading it she had a plan to make Macbeth king. This plan was to murder The king in his sleep and make it look like the guards did it by placeing the bloody knifes on them. When Macbeth hears of this plan in his head he thinks to himself â€Å"should i or should i not kill the king† he doen't know weather to be loyal to his king or to his wife. In the end he decides to choose his wifeand go through with the murder. As he is walking to the kings chamber he see's a floating knife in his way which he things is a sign to go through with it (or is it a sign of guilt?) then blood appears on the knife and he knows what to do he murders The king. The murder was not shown on stage because the King/Queen always came to see shakespear's plays and if they see themself's getting murdered they might think that someones plotting against them. Macbeth also kills the guards so he has less chance of being found out. Lady Macbeth acts as if it can be forgotten she tells Macbeth to wash his hands clean of the blood and he will never be cought. In the morning when the king is discovered Macbeth tries to cover up his tracks; â€Å"Loyal, and neutral, in a moment; No man, the expedition of my violent love† this is what Macbeth says when the guards are dicovered he said that he killed them in anger after finding out about the murder of The king. Lady Macbeth faints to draw attenchion away from Macbeth. When the air to the throne finds out the king is dead flees to another country. The killing of Banquo is a simple thing to explain, Macbeth has him killed because of the witches predictions. He believes that Banquo's children or children's children will take over his throne so he has him killed BUT! his son Fleaunce escapes. When Macbeth orders the killing of Macduffs family it is so dreadful because he wants Macduff dead not his family. I think that he has hem killed so thatMacduff is corupted and gives himself up. At the end of the play Macbeth changes totally in personallity and everything. From Starting of as brave, fearless Macbeth to feaful Macbeth. He believes he is invinsable that he can not be killed but he soon finds out that he is wrong. Macbeths weak points in this story were his wife, the witches and his conchance. Killing the king was his own choise but is wife also played a big part in killing him telling Macbeth â€Å"He wasn't a man if he didn't go though with it† he also believed it was what he had to do after seeing the floating dagger covered in blood. EVIL! evil is a man whom kills his king, evil is a man who kills his best friend, evil is a man who kills someone elses wife and children! I believe that Macbeth is infact evil for what he did to his king, best frend and Macduffs family. In the begining i don't think he would have even dreamt of doing such a thing but after hearing the witches predictions he changes, his heart turns black and all he cares about is being King of Scotland that was his goal and as far as he was concerned nothing was going to stop him by getting in his way!

The value of friendship

True friendship is one of the most important asset that human has and true friendship surpass any obstacle and test of times. We are born as social beings and no human can live alone like an island.Although this is taken literally most of the times, no one understands the value of those around you not until you are left alone one day in a situation you need help. Grieve (2008) assert that in every aspect of our life, we interact with people in different ways. It is through interaction with people that we are socialized to the society. However it is not everyone in our life that we get along with.There are individuals who we become close confidants to, who we can term as true friends.   Although it is usual to make and lose friends, there are friends who have a great impact in our life and whose memory lives to our old age. These are who we call true friends.   True friends are hard to come by and when we lose them, we do feel that a part of us has been taken away.A true friend is one who is ready to sincerely do anything for you in value of your friendship. However most of the times we take our friendship for granted and we may not be committed to like our friends are. According to Donegani et al., (2006) despite this, true friendship will survive all odds and the bond between the two friends survives beyond the reason for the end of their friendship.True friends are bonded by a strong bond in a way that although they may be separated psychically, their hearts longs for the other and what remains in their friendship is the melancholic memories of the times they shared together.A wise saying says no one knows the value of water until the well dries and this can be applied to our friends. We never know the value of our friends not until we are separated. As we said, most of the time will be taking our friendship casually not realizing their value in our life.However when we are separated, we start seeing difference in our life. Lonely moments starts crawling in our life and we spend long days thinking about the good times we had before. Although we may try our foot in making other friends, we never fell satisfied. We still miss the days we spend with our friends. It is true to assert that true friendship surpass any obstacle and test of timesDuring my high school days, I learnt the value of friendship in the hard way. I was sad and lonely girl in my childhood as I grew at home as the only child. My parents were both full time workers and I spent most of my time in the house alone.My life brightened when I went to school as I interacted with other children and made friends. Among the friends I made in my junior school, Jane could be considered as a true friend. Our friendship blossomed as we were in the same class and lived in the same neighborhood. We spent our time together, played together, ate together, and bonded the same bus to school; our friendship was the center of our life.We were close confidant with one another and we shared our innermost feeling. Furthermore we were faced by the same condition at home since Jane was still the only child in the family and her parents were full time worker.When we were not in school, we spent our time together either in our home or in their home. I cherished each and every moment I spent with Jane. I felt a different person in her company, my eyes brimmed with happiness and my heart was filled with joy like child curdled by her mother. I felt like Jane was my sister and I real took her like my sister.On our birthday, we showered each other with gifts and up to date, I still have the old doll that she bought me on my eight birthdays. However, fate had it that our friendship would not grow beyond out middle classes. When we went to high school, things changed rapidly which left me a lonely person in life.I have come to believe that very precious things which you value most in you life are the one which you are most likely to lose and in a more painful way. I did not think that our friendship with Jane be broken by any third party.However this came to in our first year in high school. Our parents had decided to take us to the same high school since they realized the value of our friendship and they encouraged us to be there for each other.  Ã‚   One day, Jane came running to be in a very upbeat mood.   I could see that she was very excited and she told me that something very wonderful had happened in her life.I was very happy to see my friend that much excited but little did I know that the unfolding news would change our friendship and affect me in a great way. Jane informed that she had fallen in love with Kelvin, who was a new boy just admitted to the school. She informed me that Kelvin had approached her and she cold not resist since she had strong feeling towards him.I advised her about the difficulties she may face dealing with her boyfriend and committing her time to education but she assured me that she would manage it. Upon pondering the news, I told her that this was her decision but I cautioned her to be very careful. She promised me that she would be extra careful and would not relent on her educational goal of becoming a doctor. However, I had one concern about our friendship.I felt that Jane would spend most of her time with her new boyfriend. With a thoughtful expression, I asked Jane: â€Å"Is your new friendship going to a break up our close friendship?†Ã‚   Jane looked at me and replied straight to my face â€Å"Don’t by like that, of course you know that I love you more that anything. You are my best friend and nothing can separate us.Don’t you believe me?† for something thins were as usual but with time I noted that Jane was avoiding my companionship and she was spending more time with her boyfriend.   I started feeling sadder and lonely. My childhood days crawled back in my life.   When I thought about the words Jane had uttered straight to my face, I felt she was a liar a nd she did not value me at all.   With time, our friendship died away and I felt sadder.One day, Jane borrowed my book and she lost it. I could not control my anger and I hurled words at there calling her a liar and untrustworthy friend. She reiterated and hit me hard with her lunch box. Our friendship was as dead as a dodo.Only melancholic memories of our past that remained, hunting me on daily bases. This was just the begging and more lonely days came when were separated after high school.   However, true friendship does not end and although you may be separated physically, you are together at heart.

Marketing Plan for Red Bull Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Plan for Red Bull Company - Essay Example Cumulatively, the company sold over 35 billion cans worldwide to date. Red Bull is the brand name used by the Red Bull Company from Austriai. This energy drink contains several ingredients, which make it a super energy drink. These include glucose, glucoronolactone, caffeine, sucrose, taurine, and B-group vitamins (Red Bull GmbH, n.d.). This drink trades in two major brands i.e. R-B Energy Drink and R-B Sugar Free. The later is similar to the former, only that it lacks sugars. Aspartame and acesulfame K sweeteners replace this glucose and sucrose. Red Bull enjoys worldwide market coverage as well as global competition from established soft drinks players. Emerging markets for soft drinks and health concerns of consumers are some of the issues affecting the market growth and expansion of the drink. Obesity is also becoming a major threat in the soft drinks market due to the sugars they contain. This is even more challenging to this industry owing to the fact that most of its target ma rket ranges among children and the youth who are most vulnerable to obesity. However, Red Bull managed to maneuver though all these challenges to sit comfortably at the top of preferred energy drinks around the globeii. Current Marketing Situation For any firm that seeks to succeed, it is important to define a company product's position, target and segmentation. In terms of its position, Red Bull is an energy drink that increases concentration, reaction speed, and performance as well as improves people's emotional state. Consumers can find all these benefits when drinking Red Bull. During tiring days, long school days, and stressful work, people want to get a product that helps them to relax their bodies and minds. Moreover, Red Bull provides not only its regular style of beverage but also a sugar-free version for people who are concerned about their health. Red Bull's target market is active males and females between ages of 17 to 35. For this reason, Red Bull targets people in col lege, recent college graduates, and workers who also study. These types of people have active and busy lifestyles that make it hard for them to endure long days and nights. Especially for the workers who study, it is challenging to balance sports, education, clubs and jobs. Red Bull is the solution for people at the turning point in their lives because energy is important component that keeps individuals active to achieve their goals Objectives and Issues Marketing Strategy It is important for the company to have segmentation in order to market its product and have costumers. Red Bull segments its product by demographic, geographic and psychographic components. The main demographic of Red Bull is young males and females between 17 and 35 years old. The geographic component focuses on people who study at places where life is busy and rushed. Bars and clubs near or on these places are also a geographic segment, in which Red Bull concentrates. The psychographic segment includes young s tudents and professionals who have long days filled with study and work, so they get tired and stressed. They want to relax and have fun at night, enjoy the rest of the day and remain active by having energy drinkiii Distribution of Red Bull energy drink is through most gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores in the U.S. Some of the stores include Safeway, Quick Trip, Conoco, SuperSaver, and 7-Eleven. The product is also available in supercenter stores such as

Business Continuity and Crisis Management Essay

Business Continuity and Crisis Management - Essay Example In the course of providing services to their customers there exists a probability of certain disruptions that might impact them to such an extent that they might not be able to serve their customers. It is for this reason that organisations undertake functions for prevention of disruptions, try to stay prepared, undertake risk management, crisis management, recovery processes and emergency responses. They also decide on processes that can ensure speedy resumption of business and manage resources for this purpose based on their understanding of their business environment. These functions serve as the organisation’s protection from future predicaments. Efficiency and effectiveness is achieved through the integration of these functions (Shaw, n.d.). There are several factors that affect business continuity namely networking reliability, data availability, scalability and availability of operating systems, application availability and reliability of server hardware. It is imperati ve for a business to continuously operate, ensure data availability at all times and display agility in accessing the data. The advancement in information technology has made it necessary to achieve business continuity on the basis of ‘continuous computing’ technologies. This is the reason that Business Continuity Management (BCM) and Crisis Management has become an integral part of the information system of an organisation (Nijaz & Moon, 2009). Most businesses do not prepare for unexpected breakdowns in advance or even if they plan, it is often outdated. Good continuity is reflected through advance planning thereby paying attention to minute nuances so that when an emergency situation arises then there is no reason to panic. Most organisation lack this kind of detailed planning as they tend to concentrate only on Information Technology (IT) and carry out too much of business analysis. Planning and simplicity in BCM ensures acceptable service levels for key processes in the business. BCM involves preplanning and coming up with alternative solutions. BCM is essential for the long term survival of the business (Hotchkiss, 2010). What is BCM? In the words of Shaw and Harrold, business crisis and continuity management can be defined as â€Å"the business management practices that provide the focus and guidance for the decisions and actions necessary for a business to prevent, prepare for, respond to, resume, recover, restore and transition from a disruptive (crisis) event in a manner consistent with its strategic objectives† (Shaw, n.d.). BCM entails maintaining and developing a total plan for business continuity which ensures the business’ survival in case any disruption occurs. BCM involves development of plans based on the analysis of business impact, plan execution and regularly updating the plan to discover new risks, threats and business situations (Hotchkiss, 2010). BCM involves evaluating and understanding the risks faced by the company, assessing the impact of an unexpected situation on the organisation and accordingly making decisions regarding the extent to which the organisation should prepare for an unforeseen crisis situation (Matthys, 2010). Critical Appraisal of Drivers of BCM Every organisation in today’s world needs to bring about strategic changes in response to the changes occurring in their economic environment. These changed are driven by various regulations namely government regulations and compliancy regulations.

Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pollution - Essay Example â€Å"Total six percent of maritime transport of the world is done through and on the coasts of Red Sea. Red Sea is connected to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Sudan, Israel, Yemen, and Djibouti. Not only is the maritime trade, tourism also one of the most significant factors†. (Nasser, 2003). Red sea is one amazing body of water with high salinity and wonderful marine life which attracts hundreds and thousands of people from around the world every year. It is stuck among some of the most important countries of the world, hence all the Tourism. Despite all the beauty and utility, the security and survival of the sea is a major concern. Red Sea’s coral reef, eco system, and marine life is in danger because of the oil spill, waste dump by all the surrounding countries, mighty natural evaporation and lack of input by any rivers, and last but not the least is absence of awareness among the government and responsible people about the issue. Red Sea is no longer a scene of pure nature and complete harmony. Unnecessary buildings in the form of hotels and restaurants in order to accommodate tourists, has also diminished the natural and awe and beauty of the place. The concerns of the area not restricted. There are numerous problems affecting Red Sea. One of which is unrestricted fishery. The adjoining countries have been unable in bringing about effective rules and regulations for fishery and the consequence is disappearance of world’s precious species and marine life. Apart from unhindered developments of tourist resorts and unrestricted fishery, Oil spill in the area is also a huge concern. Since the sea is a major connection connecting Europe with Asia, it has numerous ships in waters at bays all the time and this causes mighty pollution. One of the factors to be understood is that the Countries that surround the sea are oil rich countries. They export oil and their oil rigs are almost constantly present in the sea and they

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 177

Essay Example This paper will discuss how the perception of the media has changed about the article â€Å"Secret talks on radio† by Dan Shelley. Many have been under the impression that the media is always transparent no wonder media enjoy much freedom in the United States of America. Little could one know that most of the time they wag the dog, shifting focus from the real issue to the less significant- until one reads Dan Shelley’s article. Nevertheless, talk show hosts, for example, Charlie Sykes - one of the best in the business - are famous and capable because they speak to a section of the populace that feel disappointed and even misled by the media. These individuals accept the media are prevalently staffed by and reliably reflect the perspectives of social liberals. This perspective is at this point so deep-rooted and long-held; it has developed into some part of each preservationists DNA (Shelley, 1). An anchorperson must sustain the thought that ones audience members are exploited people, and the host is the vehicle by which one could be engaged. The host outlines for all intents and purpose each issue in us-versus-them terms. There must be an awful man against whom the host will insistently safeguard those devoted audience members. He further argues that, this adversary might be a lawmaker - either a Democratic officeholder or, in uncommon situations where no Democrat is advantageous at fault, it could be a "RINO" (a "Republican In Name Only," who is considered not traditionalist enough). It might be the chilly, remorseless government administration. As a rule, in any case, the foe is the "standard media" - neighborhood or national, print or telecast. Moreover, In Shelley’s article one finds this very striking: Here and there, it can even be their stations news chief. One year, Charlie focused on Shelley’s because he had trained his midday newscaster report the Wimbledon tennis results, despite the fact that the matches

Fundamental of International Buisness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Fundamental of International Buisness - Essay Example Ð µ is closÐ µly connÐ µctÐ µd with Ð µconomic growth Ð °nd tÐ µchnologicÐ °l chÐ °ngÐ µ, drÐ °mÐ °tic incrÐ µÃ °sÐ µs in world trÐ °dÐ µ in goods, sÐ µrvicÐ µs Ð °nd finÐ °nciÐ °l Ð °ssÐ µts in lÐ °st dÐ µcÐ °dÐ µs Ð °rÐ µ duÐ µ to drÐ °stic Ð µconomic chÐ °ngÐ µs Ð °nd tÐ µchnologicÐ °l Ð °dvÐ °ncÐ µs. Ð ctuÐ °l tÐ µchnologicÐ °l dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µnts hÐ °vÐ µ strong implicÐ °tions for world trÐ °dÐ µ Ð °nd output growth. TÐ µchnologicÐ °l Ð °dvÐ °ncÐ µs drÐ °sticÐ °lly rÐ µducÐ µd thÐ µ trÐ °nsportÐ °tion Ð °nd tÐ µlÐ µcommunicÐ °tion costs Ð °nd drÐ °mÐ °ticÐ °lly chÐ °ngÐ µd thÐ µ structurÐ µ of intÐ µrnÐ °tionÐ °l trÐ °dÐ µ in thÐ µ sÐ °mÐ µ timÐ µ. In fÐ °ct, nÐ µw tÐ µchnologicÐ °l chÐ °ngÐ µs lowÐ µr thÐ µ nÐ °turÐ °l bÐ °rriÐ µrs of spÐ °cÐ µ Ð °nd timÐ µ thÐ °t sÐ µpÐ °rÐ °tÐ µ nÐ °tionÐ °l mÐ °rkÐ µts whilÐ µ libÐ µrÐ °lizÐ °tion policiÐ µs thÐ µ Ð °rtifici Ð °l bÐ °rriÐ µrs to thÐ µ intÐ µrnÐ °tionÐ °l movÐ µmÐ µnts of goods, sÐ µrvicÐ µs Ð °nd cÐ °pitÐ °l. TÐ µchnologicÐ °l dÐ µvÐ µlopmÐ µnt mÐ °y bÐ µ Ð °ccÐ µptÐ µd Ð °s thÐ µ Ð µnginÐ µ of thÐ µ Ð µconomic globÐ °lizÐ °tion in thÐ µ world. ThÐ µ lÐ µvÐ µl of tÐ µchnology, broÐ °dly spÐ µÃ °king, cÐ °n bÐ µ dÐ µfinÐ µd Ð °s Ð ° stock or Ð ° combinÐ °tion of our knowlÐ µdgÐ µ Ð °nd Ð µxpÐ µriÐ µncÐ µs on production procÐ µss, product quÐ °lity, orgÐ °nizÐ °tion of production Ð °nd mÐ °nÐ °gÐ µmÐ µnt, mÐ °rkÐ µting Ð °nd sÐ µrvicÐ µs (Kibritcioglu, 1997). In Ð °ll countriÐ µs, thÐ µ primÐ °ry Ð µxport sÐ µctor is mÐ °nufÐ °cturing industry, Ð µxcÐ µpt thÐ µ MiddlÐ µ ЕÐ °stÐ µrn Ð °nd Ð fricÐ °n countriÐ µs which Ð °rÐ µ rÐ µlÐ °tivÐ µly rÐ µsourcÐ µ Ð °bundÐ °nt Ð °nd hÐ µncÐ µ, Ð µxport mÐ °inly mining sÐ µctor products or oil. TÐ µchnologicÐ °l Ð °dvÐ °ncÐ µs is thÐ µ kÐ µy fÐ °ctor in thÐ µ growing volumÐ µ of intÐ µrnÐ °tionÐ °l trÐ °dÐ µ of goods Ð °nd sÐ µrvicÐ µs. TÐ µchnologicÐ °l gÐ °p bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn industriÐ °lizÐ µd Ð °nd dÐ µvÐ µloping countriÐ µs Ð °s Ð ° sourcÐ µ of forÐ µign trÐ °dÐ µ, on thÐ µ othÐ µr hÐ °nd, mÐ °y bÐ µ closÐ µd Ð µithÐ µr duÐ µ to thÐ µ continuÐ °l dissÐ µminÐ °tion of informÐ °tion from thÐ µ Ð °dvÐ °ncÐ µd onÐ µs or both. ThÐ µrÐ µ Ð °rÐ µ mÐ °ny intÐ µrnÐ °tionÐ °l orgÐ °nizÐ °tions thÐ °t fÐ °cilitÐ °tÐ µ forÐ µign trÐ °dÐ µ. Ð mong thÐ µm thÐ µ most

The similarities, and differences, between the philosophies of John Term Paper

The similarities, and differences, between the philosophies of John Rawls Theory of Justice, Adam Smith Theory for Moral Sent - Term Paper Example In the end what we have in Gates creative capitalism is an extrapolation of earlier theories, customized and set to the more practical tune of direct intervention and redistribution. Rawls and Gates’ in the Looking Glass Bill Gates and creative capitalism in relationship to Rawls’ Theory of Justice provides the basis for comparison between pure social theory and practical application. Not that the two always coincide, and certainly not that either necessarily agrees with the other implicitly. Yet both Shaw and Barry put forth the proposition that Rawls’ ideas [like those of Gates] ‘touch a responsive chord† (Shaw and Barry:128). Rawls’ concept of society â€Å"as a cooperative venture† (Shaw and Barry 129) resonate throughout Gates 2008 remarks before the World Economic Forum. As social contract theory, both Gates and Rawls call for a rethinking and extension of original social contracts proposed by earlier philosophers. But perhaps the most significant connection tying the two emanates from Rawls’ theory â€Å"that social and economic inequalities are justified only if those inequalities benefit the least advantaged members of society† (Shaw and Barry 129). ... (Gates, Economic Forum: 1) Guth goes further in his criticism, referring to Gates’ proposals for creative capitalism as a â€Å"revision of capitalism† (Guth par 1), a concept never popular with purists. It can also be said that in rethinking the terms of capitalism vis a vis the world’s poor, Gates returns to Rawls’ concept of original position. Beyond mere philanthropy--a term often used to describe Gates work--he is offering the wealthiest an opportunity, as Rawls’ theory suggests, to gather, think and discuss the meaning of true social justice [in economic terms] (Shaw and Barry 133). Rawls rather naive conclusion, however, that those discussing original position must not be conscious of social status runs counter to Gates’ full acknowledgement of social level and his direct appeal to the wealthiest. Stating the two great forces of human nature as† self interest and caring for others† (Gates, World Economic Forum: 3), Gates ag rees with Rawls at least regarding self interest as a driver, taking the theory of what makes capitalism tick a step further in proposing that â€Å"The genius of capitalism lies in its ability to make self interest serve the wider interest† (Gates, World Economic Forum: 3). Regarding the thrust of both Rawls’ theory and creative capitalism, it is difficult and wrong to declare that one or the other is based on pure reason or pure sympathy. Yet in analyzing Rawls and Gates one might tend more toward judgments of reason over sympathy as the catalyst for their proposals. Gates, however, at times tends toward the latter in his declaration that the poor of the world have not enough resources to sustain them.(Gates, World

UK employee relations have seen significant changes over the last 30 Essay

UK employee relations have seen significant changes over the last 30 years. Evaluate the importance of these changes and how the - Essay Example One of the other changes that have occurred since 1980 is the growth of non-standard employment, which includes short fixed-term contract, temporary employment, freelance work, outwork, homework and part-time work (Millward et al., 2000, p. 44). As far as part-time employment is concerned, 25% of firms had part-time workers in 1980, while 44% of the firms had part-time workers in 1998 (Millward et al., 2000, p. 44). The ever-increasing use of part-time workers has implications for unions, as part-timers are much less likely to be a part of a union, and workplaces that employ a substantial number of part-time workers are less likely to recognize trade unions (Millward et al., 2000, p. 45). With regards to workers with short fixed-term contracts, this number rose from 19% of all firms answering they had at least one employee with a short fixed-term contract in 1980 to 35% answering this question in 1998 (Millward et al., 2000, p. 46). With regards to temporary employment, the percentag e increased from 20% of all firms answering in the affirmative whether they had at least one temporary worker in 1980 to 28% answering this same question in 1998 (Millward et al., 2000, p. 47). With regards to free-lance workers, the data is unclear as to whether this number has risen or fallen between the years 1980 and 1998 (Millward et al., 2000, p. 48). Employee relations have also undergone a big shift since 1980. One of the shifts is in regards to whom manages the employees – in 1980, employees were managed by a generalist; in 1998, the shift was towards management by a specialist in employee relations and line managers. In 1980, generalists accounted for 75% of all managers; in 1998, they accounted for only 46% (Millward et al., 2000, p. 52). One of the reasons for this shift is the increased prevalence of foreign firms, as they rely more upon employee relations specialists, such as human resource managers than domestic workplaces (Millward et al., 2000, p. 54). What t he shift towards employing ER specialists for employee relations shows is that firms increasingly see employee relations as a position that requires a professional with formal credentials (Millward et al., 2000, p. 81). Another major change is that more women are managing employee relations – just 12% of employee relations positions were held by women in 1980, while 39% of employee relations positions were held by women in 1998 (Millward et al., 2000, p. 59). Another of the broad changes has concerned unionism. In particular, unionism has fallen considerably since 1980. In 1980, 73% of workplaces had one or more union members; that number fell to 54% in 1998 (Millward et al., 2000, p. 84). Moreover, the density of union members fell from 47% in 1980 to 36% in 1998, with the fall most steep in the private sector, with the public sector showing much less of a decline (Millward et al.., 2000, p. 103). With the decline in numbers came an attendant decline in clout, with collectiv e bargaining coverage declining during the period between 1984-1998 (Millward et al., 2000, pp. 180-181). In 2004, around 34% of all employees were union members, and there were still roughly 36% of workplaces with a union, mainly in the public sector (Kersey et al., 2004). However, the decline of unions did not mean that employees lost their voice – there simply was a shift from union representatives being the voice of employees to the implementation of channels where employees can communicate directly with

Challenges of Raising a Disabled Child Essay Example for Free

Challenges of Raising a Disabled Child Essay Caring for a child with a disability can be challenging due to parenting responsibilities and the difficulties they encounter when interacting with an often unreceptive environment. Consequently, parents can be at increased risk for excessive levels of personal distress which in turn can adversely affect the well being of the child and the entire family unit (Plant Sanders, 2007). Parents of children with disabilities can be at an increased risk for psychosocial distress (Parish, Rose, Grinstein-Weiss, Richman Andrews, 2008; Plant Sanders, 2007). The parenting responsibilities for parents of children with disabilities often require a significant amount of time to complete, can be physically demanding, can disrupt family and social relationships, and can adversely affect caregiver employment (Brannen Heflinger, 2006; Seller Heller, 1997). Perhaps as a consequence of these additional impacts, family caregivers of children with disabilities can be at increased risk to experience depression, physical health problems, and decreased quality of life (Feldman, et al. , 2007; Ones, Yilmaz, Cetinkaya, Calgar, 2002). The added challenges of caring for a child with a disability may lead to more stress and greater physical and emotional health risks for parents and their families (e. g. , increased conflict with spouse; Murphy, Christian, Caplin Young, 2006) compared to families without a child with a disability (Feldman et al. , 2007). This topic is particularly personal for me because I know first hand the psychological affects and challenges that a handicap child could have on parents, family members, and friends. My son was two months when I notice that something just wasn’t right with him. I noticed him favoring one side instead of looking straight ahead. I mentioned my concerns to our family doctor. His doctor didn’t see it as a problem. She said to just continue to watch him. Two months passed and still no change, so at his next appointment I expressed my concern again. I insisted that she run tests on my son immediately. I knew something seemed different; I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I had already had two other boys so something just didn’t sit right with me. The doctor sent my son to be tested at University of Maryland Hospital and my son was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus Dandywalker Malformation with Palsy. He had to have surgery at six months to have a shunt placement to drain the water from his brain. I was devastated. My husband and I went through several defense mechanisms. The first I believe was denial. We didn’t want to face the fact that something was wrong with our child, our baby. He seemed so perfect when he was born just a few months ago. We went through repression, rationalization and intellectualization. We couldn’t wrap our minds around the fact that our child would be different from other children. Nobody wants to believe that something is wrong with their child. I felt a little embarrassed for fear of what people might think about our child or what someone would say. So many things raced around my mind. We wanted to blame the doctors; maybe they did something wrong in my prenatal care. I went over in my mind again and again of every little thing I did when pregnant to ensure that I had did everything I was supposed to do. I didn’t drink, smoke or do drugs. What happened? We tried to search our family history genetics. We just came up empty. My husband and I became depressed, frustrated, and angry. I felt helpless about my son’s condition. I wasn’t sure what to do. Finally, I began to investigate my son’s condition. I read all I could get my hands on. I searched for schools and other medical resources to help me address my son’s needs. In the back of my mind I was still trying to make sense of the fact that my son had a developmental and neurological problem that would affect him for the rest of his life. I wondered what restrictions we would face now and in the future. I still wasn’t sure if I could cope with his lack of development neurologically, physically, mentally or emotionally. I began to question God. I wondered why me. I wasn’t sure if I would have to stop working. I wondered how we as a family would work together to stay a family. I had so many questions, but no answers. I prayed asking God for help and guidance. Later, I began to realize that I had to be strong. I had to accept what the reality was with my son and his disability. It hasn’t been easy. We faced many financial problems, medical issues, several hospitalizations for my son, divorce; daycare issues especially since my son needed twenty four hour daycare. Day care is very expensive as well as diapers and wipes for disabled children. Insurance covers some things but not enough. A person has to be making next to nothing in order to get any assistance from the government; we needed assistance regardless of what we made monetary. I would have never known what disabled families went through to get their voice heard and children’s needs assisted unless I had to face these great challenges myself. So much goes into raising a child with disabilities. There are many variables that factor into taking care of a disabled child. Financial hardships are another important factor that influences parents’ wellbeing. In general families with children with disabilities experience much higher expenditures than other families (Newacheck and Kim, 2005) found that, on average, the total annual health care expenditures for children with disabilities were more than three times as much compared to children without disabilities. The financial strain incurred by families of children with disabilities is likely due to increased expenses related to the child’s needs as well as loss of employment or inability to work because of parenting responsibilities (Murphy et al. , 2006; Parish et al. 2008; Worcester et al. , 2008). Inability to engage in employment can also lead to feelings of isolation, a lack of fulfillment and low self-esteem (Shearn Todd, 2000). Families of children with disabilities often report feeling isolated from the community (Freedman Boyer, 2000; Worcester et al. , 2008). What I’ve learned from researching the challenges of raising a child with disabilities; as well as being a parent of a disabled child is that there is still so much more to be done. There is still research that hasn’t been touched regarding parents and their disable children. We the parents have to be the voices for our disable children. We have to be better informed about what our disabled children rights are. We have to be willing and ready to fight on behalf of our disable children. Parents and state officials have to work to get better laws passed to accommodate disabled children. Disabled children need better health care programs, better schools; a place for them to be themselves. Parents need a place to relax and not have to worry about dirty looks that people who don’t have disabled children give them. Parents shouldn’t have to feel ashamed that they have disabled children. We shouldn’t be looked down upon because our children are different. Our children shouldn’t be bullied or treated like they are worthless. Our children are special. They deserve the best that we can help them to achieve in life. They deserve a chance like the rest of us. We’ve got to come together and help each other to provide a better life for all! The questions we should ask researchers to study are many. One could be what’s being done to assist parents with disabled children? Are there programs to assist parents in child care for disabled children? Normal daycare centers are for infants through 12 years of age. As of today my disabled son is 16 years old and there’s really no day care for children his age. Another question is why do they go according to parents’ income in order to assist with social security disability? A parent shouldn’t have to be jobless in order to obtain assistance from social security disability. Yet a person who walks into social security disability and say my back hurt or that they have a condition can obtain money; work the system while the truly disabled suffer. There are so many people working the disability system and really aren’t disabled. We have to help the programs we have for our disabled children actually help the disabled children. In conclusion caring for a child with a disability can be challenging, but many of these challenges are likely due to a lack of necessary environmental supports. Future research should expand on these findings and policy makers, scientists and providers should give particular attention to the environmental support needs of parents in order to create policies and interventions that are more family centered.

A Christian Response To Divorce Theology Religion Essay

A Christian Response To Divorce Theology Religion Essay I sometimes wonder if divorce is really acceptable to God or if he really considers it a sin. There are a number of factors to consider in making this decision. For the purpose of this paper I am going to review my personal life, reasons people get divorced, and some religious documentation and opinion to draw hopefully reach a reasonable conclusion. I was raised by my mother and my step father, my parents divorced when I was two years old. I attended a Catholic School from kindergarten to the fifth grade; I dont recall attending any religious classes even though the school was right next to our Church. We went to Church every Sunday and that is the only time I remember learning anything about God. My mother changed my last name on my school records so it would be the same as hers. She said it was just easier that way but I wonder if that was the real reason, because I know now that Catholics view divorce as sinful behavior so they may have been pressuring her. It was around this time that my mother decided she needed to find a new religion as well. She told me we were converting to Judaism because she needed a religion that was more like a way of life than Catholicism. I didnt really care one way or the other at that point in my life I was just a kid. Divorce was a pretty normal occurrence in my family. My grandmother had eight siblings and three of her sisters, that were still living, were all divorced, they were also Catholic. My mothers only sibling my aunt was also Catholic and divorced. I didnt know until I got older that they were all considered sinners at Church. My older cousin knew because we went to the same school but she never told me. I have been married for twenty years and have never been divorced, not that I have never thought about it, just because I would rather just work out the problems than start over. I couldnt imagine that if I chose to get a divorce I would be committing a sin against God. Some of the time I actually think that it may bring me closer to God which is the opposite of sin so how could that be sinful. The divorce rate has declined slightly since 1982 but the number of divorces are still historically high (Alan J. Hawkins). Estimates are that about 40% of first marriages and an even higher rate of second marriages end in divorce. Some policy makers are trying to change both marriage and divorce laws to combat in the hope of bringing the divorce rate down (Alan J. Hawkins). Another way to combat divorce is to work on marriage and there are many faith based programs that offer workshops, retreats and marriage based enrichment programs. In some states take Florida for example you have to wait three days to obtain your marriage license unless you attend pre-marital counseling, and in Illinois you have to wait 60 days unless youve attended 4 hours of pre-marital counseling (Alan J. Hawkins). Some states are even diverting money from their temporary Assistance to Needy Families Funds to support pre-marital counseling. In the State of Florida marriage education is a class just like driver s education, and in Adrian County Michigan one court will not issue a marriage license without pre-marital education to anyone within its jurisdiction (Alan J. Hawkins). Some people feel that it is just too easy to get a divorce now days, and maybe a change in legislature would keep marriages together. Creating tax reforms that will benefit married couples and differentiating the ease of no-fault divorce laws, especially when there are children involved are two ways to combat the problem. The trend seems to be to keep the sanctity of marriage for economical reasons as well as spiritual reasons but how do the causes for divorce play into this dilemma? The top ten reasons I found were infidelity, poor communication, change in priorities due to having kids or job changes, lack of commitment to the marriage, sexual problems, addictions, failed expectations, physical and emotional abuse and the number one reason money (McCloud). These are all things that we have to go through to live and some look like reasonable reasons to file for divorce but for me to evaluate these reasons I have to figure out if they are harmful or sinful. 53% of American marriages end in divorce due to infidelity (Infidelity Facts). People cheat on their spouse for many reasons but men tend to cheat because of sex. They want to spread their seed or loose sexual desire for their wives especially after childbirth. Ive even heard it said that men are not made to be monogamous, or that their spouse is no longer as much fun as she was when they married. Some men commit adultery to feed their ego because they feel a need to be in control or to feel that they have made some type of conquest. Women on the other hand cheat more times than not because of the emotional deficiency they suffer in the marriage. Regarding poor communication I found a quote that summed it up pretty nicely Lack of communication is one of the leading causes of divorce. A marriage is on the rocks when the lines of communication fail. You cant have an effective relationship if either one of you wont discuss your feelings, cant talk about your mutual or personal issues, will keep your resentments simmering under wraps, and expect your partner to guess what the whole problem is about (Panse). Having a family definitely changes the dynamics in any household and all big changes affect the way a husband and wife interact with one another. It will infringe on the time you get to spend together, your finances will be affected, and your focus is altered. Some people get married because they feel they have to either the biological clock is ticking or they have a child out of wedlock, or maybe there is pressure from family or colleagues to tie the knot. Intimacy especially sexual can be a deal breaker only if you let it. In todays society there are surgeries and so many products available to enhance sexual arousal and drive that it seems easy to overcome. Most addictions can be treated in some type of medical forum but the key is in recognizing there is a problem and getting the treatment. Some people dont take any time to get to know the person they are marrying before they get married or tend to think they can change what they dont like about them. They are too often looking fo r a quick solution when it does not work out (Panse). Abuse is a horse of a different color Ive seen firsthand what mental and physical abuse does in a marriage. It tears people down and strips them of their self confidence. It does not seem rational to do this to another human being. Money, the root of all evil, I see the harm in all of these actions but I believe these are things God will forgive you for if you ask him to and as long as you discontinue the action. If the reasons for divorce are considered sinful it would seem to me that if you get rid of the sin causing the divorce you would no longer have reason to divorce. My findings on rationale for divorce may seem rationale to me but there are others who believe differently. The Bible for one is very clear on how God feels about divorce and there are various scriptures to prove it: I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel, and I hate a mans covering himself with violence as well as with his garment, says the Lord Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith (Malachi 2:16). What God has joined together, let man not separate . . . I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery (Matthew 19:6, 9). Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery (Mark 10:11-12). If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him (1 Corinthians 7:12-13) (Brittan). Some people are of a mind that you need to do whatever you have to do to stay married. They would even go so far to say that if you are already divorced for an unbiblical reason and you were a Christian when you got divorced, then you need to face the awfulness and seriousness of your sin (Brittan) and you shouldnt pretend that is was not wrong in the eyes of God. Additionally they give warning in scripture that you should not ask for Gods grace when you get divorced because that too is a sin They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord (Jude 4) (Brittan). I found one ministry that believes based on experience that staying in a non-feeling relationship and enduring the pain was worth going through because of the growth in the Lord they gained by doing so (Matthews). With all of the documentation in the Bible a good Chris tian would just do what the bible said and not get divorced, but I still wondered if there were ever any exceptions. There is also scripture to support divorce under certain circumstances: I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery (Matthew 19:9). Jesus said God only allowed divorce in the Old Testament because of the hardness of our hearts (Matthew 19:8). If you are married to an unbeliever, it is Gods desire for you to stay married (1 Corinthians 7:12-14, 16; 1 Peter 3:1-6). To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is n ot bound in such circumstances (1 Corinthians 7:12-15) (Brittan). Now all of this made me err on the side of caution if there are exceptions for divorce not being a sin in certain situations maybe I could find some documentation to counter all divorce as a sin. I ran across an article written by a Christian woman who had gone through a divorce and she admitted to being one of those Christians who frowned upon people who divorced. She commented on the spiritual crisis she endured and the questions she as a believer asked herself. She wanted to know if there was a Godly way to get through it, where to find God in the process, and if somehow this changed what type of Christian she was (Carsten). In doing so she found comfort in the word and a few passages that led her to the conclusion that when Gods says he hates divorce he is saying it out of compassion because of the destruction it causes. God wants us to be married for the protection and safety that it gives us and for the love it provides us. He cares more about human beings than he does an act like divorce (Carsten). Jesus showed us on many occasions how important rule keeping was in comparison to the needs of a person. One occasion in the Bible that confirms this is in the book of Matthew: At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. [2] When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath. [3] He answered, Havent you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? [4] He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated breadwhich was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. [5] Or havent you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? [6] I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. [7] If you had known what these words mean, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. [8] For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. (Matthew 12:1-8) In conclusion I have found that some Christians take the word of God and use it in such a way that they turn Gods condemnation of acts into condemnation of people. They disregard his compassion for people and this discounts the very foundation of their religious faith, Jesus Christ. They speak of sin as sacraments against God when the sin is whatever you do that takes you away from God and causes you to lose faith in him. If you divorce and fall away from God in the process then you are committing a sin, and sinful acts to cause divorce can be forgiven but you have to commit yourself to keeping your faith and staying from those things that you ask Gods forgiveness for. In the beginning I wondered if divorce was acceptable to God or if it were a sin. I am concluding that it is acceptable and it is not a sin because divorce in and of itself is not the sin, the sin of divorce only occurs when you divorce God.