Black Sitcoms African American Culture - 1465 Words

The minstrel era stretched throughout the nineteenth century, and is still constantly used to depict African American culture. Today, we as African Americans glorify this instead of acknowledging that for entertainment we don’t have to belittle ourselves. During the minstrel era, white actors would depict the way they seen African American culture by dressing up in certain clothing and painting their faces. â€Å"White men in the nineteenth century blacked up (usually with burnt cork) and took to the stage where they mocked African Americans, codifying black life while seeding American culture with stereotypes that blacks still face today† (Richard 784). During these shows, white entertainers would sing, dance, and even tried to alter their speech to draw the audience’s attention. The theme of these shows were for the actors to show how ignorant and senseless African Americans were because that’s the only way they seen us. Incidentally, black sitcoms beg an their ascension to popularity in the mid 80’s with the debut of the popular television series The Cosby Show. The show introduced the world to a black upper-middle class family who seemingly had it all together. The show lacked the stereotypical characters and attitudes associated with the African American community, which include the Jezebel, Sapphire, and Mammy. Consequently, during this era, many similar sitcoms began appearing on the air, as well. However, while there were spinoff series that likewise showed black peopleShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Gender, Race, And Class1469 Words   |  6 Pagesalso the political side of Gender Inequality. In addition, I will explain the unchallenged culture of male dominance in a leadership position while excluding women who are work twice as hard working as their male counterpart. The word race is a big issue, but I will explain how it mostly affects black or African American people. the word race was created to rationalize sla very until this day African Americans are still suffering because of the color they skin e.g. passed over for a promotion that theyRead MoreGood Times and The Jeffersons909 Words   |  4 Pagesand The Jefferson’s are well known sitcoms that premiered in the 1970s focusing on African American families living in poverty, while offering a comedic twist. The 1970s was in the heart of the civil rights movement, and these shows were based on the lives of blacks during this time (Deane, 2004). Both shows aired during the same timeframe, and it was evident that Good Times and The Jefferson’s aligned with the traditional stigma that society had of African Americans (there were often offensive stereotypicalRead MoreEssay on The Impact of African-American Sitcoms on Americas Culture977 Words   |  4 PagesImpact of African-American Sitcoms on Americas Culture Since its start, the television industry has been criticized for perpetuating myths and stereotypes about African-Americans through characterizations, story lines, and plots. The situation comedy has been the area that has seemed to draw the most criticism, analysis, and disapproval for stereotyping. From Sanford and Son and The Jefferson’s in the 1970s to The Cosby Show (1984) and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the 1990s, sitcoms featuringRead MoreThe Perfect Family Of The 1950s Versus The Present Time Of Families1382 Words   |  6 Pagesthe past. In today’s culture everyone works and raise a family together. From the past to the present time of the 1950s the culture has changed. The woman finally got rights to do more activities now then it was in the fifties. Therefore, people have opinions to go back to the past to experience of what had happened to the nuclear family. America has changed by the culture and the environment from the 1950s to the present time of m en and woman raising a family. American culture in the 1950s was basedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The Clansman 1720 Words   |  7 Pagescertain groups that may not be accurate for example, African Americans in the media are portrayed as criminals, drug addicts, or misogynist which also includes African American women are viewed as abrasive and promiscuous. While there are millions of responsible and respectable African Americans. They are not celebrated in the media. What the community sees are instead are thing in movies and on TV. This changes the general perception of African Americans and cause people to assume they are violent andRead MoreBlack Ish And The Abc Sitcom988 Words   |  4 PagesBlack-ish strategically intertwines the multiple perspectives of its three generational cast to show that ideas linked to race are not finite and that they can change over time. Blackish attempts to address the ways in which society views the African-American race in a light hearted, comedic manner. The ABC sitcom i s centered around a modern African-American family living in suburban California. The cast is comprised of two parents, four children, and a grandfather. Each character plays a vital roleRead MoreThe Black Christ, By Kelly Brown1222 Words   |  5 PagesIn Kelly Brown Douglas’ book The Black Christ, she remarks that â€Å"the Black Christian experience has been one in which Black people have consistently confirmed the presence of a sustaining and liberating Christ in their lives.† Essentially, Black Christianity has a high christology and dependence on a Messiah who is a liberator among many other things. From the times of American chattel slavery and the introduction of Christianity to the enslaved Africans brought from their homeland to a strangeRead MoreDy-No-Mite! Stereotypical Images of African Americans on Television Sitcoms4305 Words   |  18 PagesStereotypical Images of African-Americans on Television Sitcoms The more television changes, the more it stays the same for the genre of African American sitcoms. Some critics believe that African Americans will never accept the images they see of themselves on network television. Like whites, African Americans on television sitcoms should be portrayed â€Å"in the full array of cultures that exist in our society.† Most likely, the majority of white television viewers see a sitcom as no more than 22 minutesRead MoreThe Television Show Black Ish1091 Words   |  5 PagesBlack-ish The television show Black-ish has caused many controversial discussion and opinions. The sitcom features three generations of an African American family, the Johnsons, which includes a successful executive Andre; his wife Rainbow, who is a doctor; their four kids: Andre Jr., Zoey, Jack, Diane, and Andre’s parents Pops and Ruby living in a predominantly white suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles. The theme centers around how Andre came from a poor black neighborhood and his kids don’t seemRead More African Americans role of Television Essays2258 Words   |  10 PagesAfrican Americans role of Television The roles African Americans play on television are not satisfactory. Though the roles have changed during the development of television, the current relationship is not representative of true African American people or their lifestyles. The question is how do the past roles African Americans play in television sitcoms compare to the current roles? How does this affect society’s perception of the African American in American culture? Throughout the history

Evaluation of America’s Cultural Influence on the World Free Essays

Evaluation of America’s Cultural Influence on the World. Jacqueline Gargiulo LIM College Abstract Culturally and politically, America has a strong impact on the world. The works of Matthew Parris and Raja Shehadeh portray offensive behavior by the United States which has impacted younger generations of Palestine and European Countries. We will write a custom essay sample on Evaluation of America’s Cultural Influence on the World or any similar topic only for you Order Now Where Shehadeh’s work, What We Think of America (2), indicates both an admiration and anger towards the United states, Parris’s work, It’s Time We All Signed Up for the Rest of the World Team, outlines a definitive negative towards the America and what it stands for. Both articles suggest that the United States had forced its ideals on to the rest of the world. International perception about the United States seems to be generated both by America’s power and influence as well as from within the nations themselves. Parris refers to the United States as a hegemonic power that needs reigning in where Shehadeh takes a more intimate approach and discusses a personal exchange concerning a family member’s loss of original ethnicity. There are many international voices represented in these works; both positive and negative aspects are explored. Evaluation The world has a mixed view of America. The United States is often seen as a hegemonic empire that looks to control the rest of the world. American fashion, politics, media, and ideals are captivating to younger generations of foreign countries. The works of Matthew Parris, a South African born British political journalist, and Raja Shehadeh, a Palestinian attorney and author on international and human rights and the Middle East, illustrate differing yet complementary views of America’s influence on the rest of the world. While some believe that America has a positive impact on society, others feel that America strips them of their ethnicity and value system. One negative cultural influence that America has had on Palestinians is referenced in the paragraph by Shehadeh which reminisces about country men who leave for America and return striped of their cultural dress and their ethnic accent. Shehadeh (2002) writes, â€Å" The few who come back for brief summer visits parade up and down Main Street in their Bermudas and baseball hats, stopping at the ice cream parlour to reminisce with its proprietor in an old accent that you hardly ever hear in Ramallah today† (pg. 1). Shehadeh portrays admiration for the United States in respect to their advances in transportation and efficient roadways in Ramallah, Palestine, while at the same time discusses the destruction to the states natural beauty and heritage. This is evidenced when Raja (2002) states â€Å"Next came the need for new roads to connect t hem to Israel; not the old British-style meandering roads but American-style straight four-lane highways that cut through the hills that stood in the way† (pg. 92). Shehadeh (2002) continues to explain that â€Å" in the context of the Middle East conflict, roads may seem a small thing, but they have done a kind of spiritual damage. Gone is that attractive stretch of serpentine road that meandered downhill†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 92). Here, as America pushed its cultural influence upon the Middle East, geographic beauty has been lost and in its place convenience of travel has been placed. Hence, Raja Shehadeh’s overall view of America is mixed. Matthew Paris’s work can be viewed as extremist. His overall view of America and its cultural influence is negative. Parris (2003) explains, â€Å"Today there is only one hegemon, the United States of America; but there is no less a need than existed during the Cold War for a wary defensiveness towards the appetite, the pretensions, and the dreams of a great and unchallenged power. If the U. S. eagle is to be contained, collective action is needed by the smaller mammals† (pg. 94). Here, Parris is proclaiming that America is a dominating influence over other nations and if they are to come out from under the influence of this overarching power, they must unite or be consumed. Matthew Parris (2003) furthers his argument by writing that â€Å"As America grows more confident and its muscle and command, it will be clashing again and again, not just with old enemies but with former friends-over trade, the environment, â€Å"pre-emptive† deference, regime change, international law, extradition†¦ the list is speculative, but let us speculate. † (pg. 96) . Parris uses the example of Britain’s own Prime Minister Tony Blair, who sided with the United States instead of standing on his own two feet. Tony Blair thought the bridge could be repaired and that he might be the bridgemaker. Now, he marooned on the other side and will have to take his chances there† (Parris, 2003, pg. 97). Here, America seems to turn its back on Britain by alleviating the bridge that bound them, leaving Tony Blair and his country helpless. America is overconfident that they can repair the bridge when necessary, but for the mean time, make no attempts to do so. Parris also exposes America’s ambiguity over the war with Iraq. â€Å" It is, however; just possible that failure will be faced. The peace in Iraq may prove dirtier than the war, and the American people ( as distinguished from their Defense Secretary) are ambivalent about empire and squeamish about becoming other nations’ policeman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Parris, 2003, pg. 95) Parris is trying to tell us here that the United States has stepped beyond it bounds and is now responsible to take care of Iraq citizens. He further explains that the U. S. will have more accountability for the well being of Iraq’s people because of the actions we have taken to stop the Iraq war. In conclusion, Matthew Parris is suggesting that the United States needs to be reigned in and that if this does not occur the â€Å"hegemonic power†, that is the United States will take over and become insoluble. With this, Matthew Parris’s view on America’s cultural influence on the world is overpoweringly negative. The international perception of the United States as an imposing, and influential power can be seen as either a negative or a positive. Because of its global connotation, it has become a source of analysis and scrutiny. Negatively, the United States is seen as a â€Å"hegemony† that needs taming and â€Å"caging†. Contrastingly, and on a positive note, the United States is influencing trade, transportation, economy, and education. America is influencing these factors towards other countries to try to enhance there knowledge and to further expose them to the possibilities that can be achieved by taking on the American way. One cannot view America’s positives as having no merit. There may be some form of jealousy that is masked by capitalizing on the negative power that is exerted by the United States. In onclusion, America’s cultural influence is primarily mixed as seen in the works of Matthew Parris’s It’s Time We All Signed Up for the Rest of the World Team, along with Raja Shehadeh’s What We Think of America (2). References: Gumery, K. , (2007) International Views: America and the Rest of the World. Glenview, Ill: Pearson Education, Inc. Parris, Mat thew, (2003) â€Å"It’s time we all signed up for the rest of the world team† In Keith Gumery (Ed. ), International Views (pg. 94-97). New York: Pearson Longman Shehadeh, Raja, (2002) â€Å"What we think of America (2)† In Keith Gumery (Ed. ), International Views (pg. 90-93). New York: Pearson Longman How to cite Evaluation of America’s Cultural Influence on the World, Essay examples

H.G. Wells and The Red Room by Conan Doyle and The Clubfooted Grocer Essay Example For Students

H.G. Wells and The Red Room by Conan Doyle and The Clubfooted Grocer Essay For both stories that I have selected H. G. Wells and The Red Room, Conan Doyle and The Clubfooted Grocer each writer has used plenty of different techniques to create tension and suspense. Each of the techniques holds their own importance in the role of creating tension and suspense. Language, context gothic influences, withheld information and imagery are all of the techniques that I will be reviewing and comparing between each of the stories. In The Red Room there are many references to darkness, isolation and old places, which is a typical gothic setting. The Red Room is set in a castle, which people often associate with isolation and if you are isolated then the only people that can help you are far away thus creating tension and suspense because the writer is implying that there is to be death or some kind of violent activity. A good example of the type of setting in The Red Room is The long draughtyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦shadows cower and quiver because it has a reference to darkness where the writer has mentioned that there is a candle and there are shadows. This entails that it is dark and there is only a primitive lighting system, which implies that vision is impaired so you might not be able to see trouble when it is coming towards you. This also builds up tension and suspense, as there are constant subtle hints to violence and death. Also in that last quote the writer describes that the shadows cower and quiver and the technique used here is personification, which makes the shadows sound like they are alive and that they are like ghosts, which hints towards the supernatural. Strange noises and weird things like the queer old mirror surround the castle and the door creaked which again is a subtle hint towards he supernatural. There are many more references to the darkness where the writer is constantly trying to put the fact toward the reader that the narrator has impaired vision and that it is night-time which is when supernatural things mostly occur e. g. looked up the blackness of the wide chimney and the dark oak panelling . It is very much the same kind of point Doyle is trying to get across in The Club Footed Grocer. There are constant references to isolation and darkness e. g. desolate rolling plains , depressing country and bleak and sad and stern . These are all references to isolation, which means that there are no means of help and law and order. This is a good way of implying that there is going to be some kind of violent action later on in the story and that the people involved will have to deal with it themselves rather than gain the help from some kind of authority. In The Red Room, there are many uses of language, which create tension and suspense. The writer uses imagery many times. He uses personification when mentioning the shadows a shadow came sweeping up after me , but its shadow fellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦someone crouching to waylay me which increases the supernatural feel to the story and creates the feeling that the shadows are out to get the narrator. When Wells wanted a fast, very active scene, he uses a technique called verbs of action. This is where instead of using normal verbs like walked he uses many other verbs like dashed , snatched and thrust which increases the pace and creates more of a sense of tension and suspense. Doyle also uses this technique when there is a fast paced, violent scene where there is a fight lashed , whirled , cried and seized as it increase tension and suspense. Doyle also uses short sentences wont tell, wont you? Well see about that! Get him ready, Jim! Which create pace, tension and suspense. In The Clubfooted Grocer, Doyle uses dark language to create tension and suspense by making Steven Maples house seem like a prison The inmatesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦rasping of locks and clattering of bars which entail that Steven Maple is a prisoner in his own home and has to lock himself in securely for his own safety which also hints towards violent action later on in the story. This is a very good way of creating tension and suspense. In both of the stories information is withheld. .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b , .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b .postImageUrl , .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b , .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b:hover , .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b:visited , .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b:active { border:0!important; } .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b:active , .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uaae21e031eb06a768d428ebb356ba63b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Culture and traditions and discuss EssayIn The Red Room, Wells has not given out any information about the room, what haunts it or the history of it. You eventually find out that fear is haunting the room but because the information is withheld it creates tension and suspense as it makes you very involved in the story. It makes the reader more involved in the plot, as your imagination is needed to think about what might haunt the room and who the apparent ghost is. In The Club Footed Grocer, Doyle uses withheld information when John Maple receives the letter from his Uncle. Doyle doesnt say why Steven Maple wants the services of his nephew or why he wants him to bring a gun. This creates tension and suspense because you think that there will be violence as John is told to bring his gun and you start to feel fear for John Maple because he is naÃÆ' ¯ve because he sees this trip as an adventure and he probably doesnt know that he will encounter violence. Each of the writers has used characterisation as a key part of creating tension and suspense. In the Red room, Wells has made the three old people particularly vivid by his description. He has made them all very old the old woman , pale eyes , decaying yellow teeth , withered arm and ancient faces which has made the feel of the story change as people often associate the old with death and death with the supernatural and so the story now implies tat there is going to be some kind of death or supernatural activity that is going to happen. The narrator is very cynical and because it is a gothic horror story written in the Victorian era, many of the people reading it will have been able to sympathise and relate with him as he is a middle class Victorian which will be the majority of the readers of this story. The Victorians were very cynical and often tried to explain things by logic so he is a typical Victorian. And when the readers have related themselves with the narrator then they will experience the emotions that the narrator is feeling. This creates a very large sense of tension and suspense for the reader as they are now involved in the story. In The Club Footed Grocer, the narrator, John Maple, is a middle class, educated Victorian gentleman. Many of the readers of this story when it was first published, would have been Victorian gentleman so they would have been able to relate to the narrator. Like most of the middle class, young Victorians, he is naÃÆ' ¯ve of life outside educated people and the law. So he has no idea of what he is about to encounter and feels that the journey to his uncles is an adventure even though there is a hint that he will encounter violence as he is told to bring his gun. Because Steven Maple has already been described as an unsavoury character we can assume that the help that he needs is not legal and is to do with some trouble he has caused. This is an implication that there will be some kind of violence later on in the story. When John Maple is going to his uncles house he encounters a man who was described as a burly fellow and rough . He also had earrings the glint of earrings in his ears and all these things put together would mean that he is an unpleasant character to a Victorian audience. I conclude that the two stories may have very different plots and story lines but they both use the same techniques. The techniques used are typical gothic horror story techniques used to create tension and suspense. In my opinion, the most effective of all the techniques used is withheld information as it leads you to guess at what is going to happen. When the lot unfolds the story makes sense and you remember all the things that were withheld previously in the story and it all fits together.

William Faulkner Essays (1600 words) - Modernist Literature

William Faulkner William Faulkner is viewed by many as America's greatest writer of prose fiction. He was born in New Albany, Mississippi where he lived a life filled with good times and bad times. However, despite bad times he would become known as a poet, a short story writer, and finally one of the greatest contemporary novelist of his time. William Faulkner's accomplishments resulted not only from his love and devotion of writing, but also from family, friends, and certain uncontrollable events. William Faulkner's life is an astonishing accomplishment; however, it is crucial to explore his life prior to his fixated writing career. In 1905, Faulkner entered the first grade at a tender age of eight, and immediately showed signs of talent. He not only drew an explicitly detailed drawing of a locomotive, but he soon became an honour-roll student: "His report card would show no grades below Perfect or Excellent" (Blotner 21). Throughout his early education he would work conscientiously at reading, spelling, writing, and arithmetic; however, he especially enjoyed drawing. His deportment at school was very high, but it was not as high as it was at home. When Faulkner got promoted to third grade, skipping the second grade, he was asked by his teacher what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he replied, "I want to be a writer just like my great granddaddy" (Blotner 23). At last, (in 1914) Faulkner took interest in poetry, but no one in Oxford could tell him what to do with his poems. Meanwhile, Faulkner, who is very talkative, would always entertain Katrina Carter and Estelle Oldham by telling them vividly imagined stories. Eventually, Faulkner grew very fond of Estelle in fact, if he heard her voice he would deliberately attempt to be spotted by Katrina in hopes that she asks him to join her. Estelle soon became the sole inspirer and recipient of Faulkner's earlier poems. Coincidentally, a gentleman named Phil Stone would fall in love with Estelle's friend, Katrina. As a result, Katrina had told Stone about Faulkner and his poetry. So one afternoon, Stone walked to Faulkner's home to get acquainted, and during his visit he received several written verses from Faulkner' poetry collections: "Anybody could have seen that he (Faulkner) had talent?it was perfectly obvious" (Blotner 44). Stone not only became Faulkner's close friend, but also a mentor to the young writer at the beginning of his career. Stone immediately gave the potential poet encouragement, advice, and models for his study of literature. For example, Stone would give practice drills in punctuation, as well as lecture Faulkner on goals and grammars. Meanwhile, Faulkner's main interest in school became athletics such as football and baseball, thus his grades started to deteriorate: "Bill showed absolutely no interest in the education being offered?He gazed out the windows, and answered the simplest questions with ?I don't know'" (Blotner 39). Eventually, he would quit both athletics and school altogether. In 1919, his first literary work was acknowledged and published in The New Republic. The poem is a forty-line verse with a French title that acknowledges the influence of the French Symbolist, "L'Apres-Midi d'un Faune." In September, Faulkner would enroll in the University of Mississippi, and during his academic years it did not deter him from writing more poems. The Mississippian, the student paper, published "Landing in Luck" by Faulkner- the story is a nine-page short story created from his direct experience in the Royal Air Force flight training in 1916. He has also written several other poems such as "Cathay", which is published in the Oxford Eagle and "Sapphic", which is published in The Mississippian. During the summer, Faulkner became a house painter in Oxford, and in the beginning of autumn he enrolled in the University of Mississippi; however, his early pattern of school started to take toll. Faulkner began to cut classes and finally just stopped going. Although, this time he participated in a drama club called "The Marionettes", and began to publish book reviews in The Mississippian. In the summer of 1921, Faulkner decided to take a trip to New York to receive some professional instructions from editors and critics, since Stone was busy with his academic studies. Faulkner stayed with a man named Stark Young, where they shared an incredibly small apartment. Later, Young introduced Faulkner to Elizabeth Prall of the Doubleday bookstore to see if she wanted some help prior to the Christmas rush. Reluctantly, Prall accepted and never regretted her choice since. "Faulkner made a good clerk-polite, interested, and one of the best salesman in the store?

Australian women in WW2 essays

Australian women in WW2 essays The coming of World War II in 1939 saw almost 800 thousand Australian men and women leave the country serving the Australian Armed Forces. For the many women left behind this created vast opportunities for them to develop their economical and social status. Their patriotism was targeted in many areas, including paid work, romance and motherhood. They became highly independent parents and in the work force and many Australian women found romance in the visiting American soldiers. With hardly any men left in the country Australian women's patriotism was called upon, the work that they had traditionally done in the home was seen as unnecessary, and they were called upon to enter the 'real work force', or jobs that had previously been seen as men's work.. The government and private industry had realised the enormous potential of a mobilised work force of women. Many of the tasks undertaken by women initially caused surprise and some open debate, but it was not long before scenes of women working in factories and with heavy machinery ceased to be unusual. Women were encouraged to fill the gap that the men had left in the work force and enter areas of work including munitions, factory work and other auxiliary services. Many women undertook intensive training on machinery and production procedures to ensure the supply of products essential to Australia's war effort. Women working in the jobs classified as men's were receiving 90% of the male wage, while women who stayed in work that could not be left, like clothing and textiles remained at only 65% of the male wage. There was great concern about the introduction of women to the work force, particularly their suitability and whether or not they would maintain their femininity. There was also fears that women in uniform would develop lesbian tendencies and cause men to be obsolete. This, ofcourse, was untrue and it was also proven that women were just as worthy in the work place a ...

Say and Write Take Care (Ki o Tsukete) in Japanese

Say and Write 'Take Care' (Ki o Tsukete) in Japanese The Japanese phrase  Ki o tsukete  means take care. It is the phrase you would use when saying goodbye to a friend (whom you expect to see again within a few days) or a boss or coworker (whom you expect to see the next day or after a weekend). But the phrase deserves some explanation. Many in Western cultures believe that the Japanese use sayounara when saying goodbye. Nothing could be further from the truth, notes FluentU, adding that not only is this stereotyping, but the term sayonara also  implies a finality, as if you are saying goodbye for good. Saying sayounara to a boss or loved one may leave them feeling confused or  upset, says the language website. If you plan to study Japanese or visit Japan, its important that you know how to say goodbye in a socially appropriate way. Read on to learn how to use the phrase Ki o tsukete, including how to pronounce it and in what social context to use it. Pronouncing Ki o Ttsukete​ Click the link to bring up an audio file that will let you listen to the correct way to pronounce the Japanese phrase for take care. As you listen to the pronunciation for Ki o tsukete, pause after you listen once or twice and practice saying the phrase. Japanese Characters: Writing Ki o Tsukete​ It can also help to know how to write the phrase for saying goodbye. Before studying how the phrase is written, its important to understand the three Japanese writing systems: kanji, hiragana, and katakana. Kanji is symbolic (or logographic). It is the most common means of written communication in the Japanese language. Hiragana is a phonetic syllabary made up of simplified kanji letters, notes study guide  Japanese Grammar. Hiragana  is used primarily to spell words that have  Japanese roots or grammatical elements. Katakana is used to spell foreign and technical words (computer is one example) or for emphasis. The phrase Ki o tsukete​ is a combination of kanji and katakana, and is spelled as follows: æ °â€"を㠁 ¤Ã£ â€˜Ã£  ¦Ã£â‚¬â€š The phrase can also be translated as be careful. The saying implies a concern you want to express for the health and welfare of your listener, in that you are wishing her well until you are able to see her again. Using Ki o Tsukete​ Correctly The  Iidabashi Japanese Language School points out yet another issue to be careful of when using the phrase Ki o tsukete. You are, indeed, telling your listener to take care or be careful when using this phrase. However, the school notes on the website, Gaijin Pot: It is a phrase which signifies that one is praying for the safe trip of another.  As such, it is a phrase that only the person watching someone else go is able to use.  The person leaving cannot say it to the person staying behind. In other words, only the person staying behind can use the phrase to, essentially, wish a safe journey to the person who is leaving. So, if you are the one leaving work or home, FluentU suggests the following alternative phrases for saying goodbye in Japanese: è ¡Å'㠁 £Ã£  ¦Ã¦  ¥Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢ (㠁„㠁 £Ã£  ¦Ã£  Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢,  itte kimasu) I’m leaving home㠁Šå…ˆã  «Ã¥ ¤ ±Ã§ ¤ ¼Ã£ â€"㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢ (㠁Šã â€¢Ã£  Ã£  «Ã£ â€"㠁 ¤Ã£â€šÅ'㠁„㠁â€"㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢,  osaki ni shitsurei shimasu) Excuse me for leaving first㠁Šçâ€" ²Ã£â€šÅ'æ §ËœÃ£  §Ã£ â€"㠁ŸÂ  (㠁Šã  ¤Ã£ â€¹Ã£â€šÅ'㠁•ã  ¾Ã£  §Ã£ â€"㠁Ÿ,  otsukaresama deshita) Thank you for your hard work There are also a number of other ways to say goodbye in Japanese, which you will learn as you continue to study the language. So ki o tsukete (be careful or take care) to use the correct phrase when you plan to leave. Source Inc. BarCharts. Japanese Grammar. Quick Study Academic, Bilingual edition, QuickStudy, January 1, 2005.

Business ethic aboute Nike Companey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business ethic aboute Nike Companey - Essay Example Loveleena Rajeev (2009) supposed that â€Å"the lack of business ethics in the market, is the reason the world economy is presently in crisis†. Ethics, in its simplest definition is the perception of right and wrong. Our urbane and civilized world is anchored in ethical values, where without it, the society will be in chaos and disarray (Smith & Smith, 2009). It follows that business ethics â€Å"are moral values and principles, that determine our conduct in the business world† which refer to all aspects and phases in commerce (Rajeev, 2009). In a sense, it should not have been a contentious matter as the conduct of business is simply about delivering and/or exchanging advantages with the firm making profits from it, however, the emergence of â€Å"greed has led the present business scenario towards unethical business practices, legal complications and general mistrust (Rajeev, 2009)† The need for ethical behaviour especially in business leapt from this mire of distrust. Thus the framework of ethical business practices outlines â€Å"a code of conduct that facilitates, if not encourages, public confidence in their products and services (Smith & Smith, 2009). This structure provides guiding principles in getting through ethical dilemma posed in the conduct of business to encourage fair practices and unbiased results, always putting the best interest of the concerned sectors in mind. One such company which found itself in the middle of an ethical scandal is one of the world’s largest shoe manufacturers, Nike, Inc. The controversy was nicknamed Nike’s sweatshop as it pertained to the offshore production houses of the company which was alleged to have poor labour practices and exploitation of manpower. Nike was born from the coming together of Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman which in its early stages imported sports shoes from Japan. In two decades, this shoe manufacturer was able to conquer about half of the world market after it

Peers comment w5a1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Peers comment w5a1 - Assignment Example Ye man Cheng also fails to mention the New Urbanists. Ye man Cheng states that the traditional architects and those with modern sensibilities were the ones considered as Urbanists. Ye man Cheng fails to give an example of an Urbanist developing community. One example of an Urbanist community is Seattle in Florida. The post focuses on discussing the principles of Urbanism without discussing the other required areas including defining the problems associated with Urbanism and the Impacts of Urbanism in architecture in the late half of the 20th century. Urbanism results in over planned towns that limit residents freedom to make changes to their homes due to the restrictions by the neighborhood committees about the exterior of the buildings. Urbanism created safe cities that saw people move from the rural areas to the cities. Diandra provides a simple description of the concept of Urbanism and how it started. The post states that Urbanism strove to change the attitude of greediness and not caring about the environment by redesigned the cities and towns. The post also states the pioneers of New Urbanism and the goal of Urbanism. New Urbanists wanted to reduce the amount of sprawl by creating buildings or communities with walk-able distances and also creating parks in the surroundings. The post provides an example of Urbanist town and also gives an explanation of the pros and cons of creating Urbanist towns. The post also states the impacts of Urbanism on architecture in the late half of the 20th century. After the creation of the first Urbanist town, Seattle in Florida, the New Urbanists were hired to do more

Arabic Mythology Essay Example for Free

Arabic Mythology Essay Like any other culture, ancient Arabs believed in demons, devils and the like, or at least they had stories about these things whether or not they believed those stories were true. Like everybody else they had their own mythology. Some of these stories are not really famous even for native speakers, like the story of how the rooster lost its ability to fly, or the legend which states that a very long time ago everything was able to talk; And some other stories are well-known (at least for those who DO read) like the ogres and poetry Genies. Arabs have a long-forgotten term which says â€Å"when everythingQ was talking† to describe something that happened a long time ago, especially in the pre-historic era. The root of this term is that ancient Arabs believed that everything -everything including animals and rocks- had the ability to talk at one point in history. And a lot of Arabian legends took place at that part of history. One example of this is the story of how did the rooster lost its ability to fly. The story goes like that: the rooster and the crow were drinking together until they finished all the drinks they had. So the crow told the rooster that he would bring more drinks and food if he gave him his wings and the rooster agreed. Needless to say, the crow never returned them and that is why the rooster crows every morning. He is calling the crow at the same time he took his wings. Most of the paranormal Arabian stories take place in the desert with a single hero. There are just so many Arabian stories about encounters with paranormal creatures in the desert. Some of them are friendly like poetry demons or genies and some are not like ogres. Also there are some stories about heroes like â€Å"Ta-ab-ba-ta_Sha-run†, a real man who became a legend because of all the stories that were made up about him. He was described as â€Å"The fastest man when he run, and the strongest when he fights. His spear when thrown is like winter’s wind†¦etc† and he had so many encounters with demons and ogres in the desert. One of these encounters gave him his name when he fought an ogre bare-handed and killed it in â€Å"Raha-Bitan†. Then he carried it to his people under his armpit so they gave him his name which means â€Å"the one who carry evil ender his armpit. † Unfortunately he was a thief in a lot of stories. When talking about pre-Islamic Arabs you can consider the demons and the Genies to be the same. Genies were famous as excellent poets, and Arabs believed that every human poet had a Genie friend who inspires him with verses, even if he didn’t know about it. The genie is called â€Å"Ra-Ei, this word is driven from the verb ‘to see’ and ‘realizing what is behind the seen’. And from a noun mean seeing the future – or predicting it – ether in real life or a dream that turns true. When you talk about a poet and his genie you say that the poet is the Genie’s â€Å"Elf† and the genie is the poet’s â€Å"Ra-Ei†. Elf is a word driven from â€Å"Elfah† which means a close relationship or feeling comfortable with a person or a thing that you get used to. Also some say that the Genie is born with you and you are stuck together forever, while others said that you do not born with a Genie but you can have one later. People said that the Genies come from a valley named â€Å"Abqar/Abkar† and their master is setting under â€Å"the poetry tree†, the root for all rhythms and verses in the world. It is said that you will become a poet if you sleep in that valley for one night and you will meet your genie. All poetry Genies belong there even if they didn’t actually live there. A genie doesn’t necessarily need to be physically near his human friend to inspire him with verses so some Genies decide to stay there. Some famous poets claimed that they know their Genie and gave him a name, and some of them said that they met their Genie personally. Like ‘Abu-Nawas’ and ‘Al-Faraz-daq’ who both claimed that the head Genie is their â€Å"Ra-Ei†. Nowadays, we know that almost all mythologies are wrong, but that is not a reason to forget them because the value of mythology does not lay in its veracity but in its role as a part of history and culture.

The Benefits of Advances in Communication for the Visual or Hearing Imp

The Benefits of Advances in Communication for the Visual or Hearing Impaired Language is a means of communication that people use to interact with others in society. Generally, language comprises vocal sounds to which meanings have been assigned by cultural convention and often supplemented by various gestures. (Sharma, 30) For any 'normal' person, language is no longer viewed as a tool to acquire: language is placed as a standard and basic skill, almost being considered given at birth. Such an idea about language is reasonable when taking into account how the development of speech and language is acquired in early childhood. But as a rule, such a 'standard and basic' process of language development is only relevant to 'normal' people, those without any sensory impairments such as blindness or deafness. For the blind and the deaf, acquiring and developing language is a studious process - the blind having to depend extensively on their hearing, and the deaf depending extensively on their vision. With restricted sensory abilities on thorough development of language, both the blind and the deaf can be limited to possible communication and interaction with others in society. Consequently, many computer related technological inventions and improvements have been developed, and both the blind and the deaf have significantly benefited from these innovations as a way of having wider access and use of language in day-to-day living. Indeed until an emergence of technological innovations, the blind and the deaf suffered limited access of communication and interaction with others, among many other things. In order to fully understand and analyze affects of technological innovations on language development, social interactions, a... ...arry. Working with Braille, a study of Braille as a medium of communication. Switzerland: Unesco 1981 Holbrook, Cay M. Ph.D., ed. CHILDREN with VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS a Parents' Guide. Woodbine House, 1996. Lewis, Morris Michael. How Children learn to speak. London, Harrap [c1957] Oesterreich, Lesia. Understanding children, Language development. April, 2004. Sharma, Vimlesh. Cognitive Styles and Language Comprehension of The Blind. Delhi, India. 2001 Sterne, A and Goswami, UC (2000) 'Phonological awareness of syllables, onset-rime units and phonemes in deaf children' in Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry & Allied Disciplines, vol. 41, no. 5, July 2000, pp. 609-626. General information from DEAFSA and American Foundation for the Blind

Concept Analysis Process

Concept Analysis Process Aim/Purpose: To clarify the meaning of the term â€Å"expert† Definition: Expert 1. A person who has a special skill or knowledge in some particular field; specialist; authority 2. In the military it is noted as the highest rating in rifle marksmanship, above that of marksman and sharp shooter. Or B which is the person who has attained that high rating 3. Possessing special skill or knowledge; trained by practice; skilled 4. Pertaining to, coming from, or characteristic of an expert i. e. expert advice Attributes- experience, specialized, theoretical, and practical knowledge, highly developed skills, intuitive patterns of functioning, recognition by others. Antecedents: 1. A student of the particular field of study he/she wishes to become an expert in 2. An institution with the accreditation to teach/train others in the particular field 3. The earning of the highest educational degree afforded to a person within that particular field of study 4. At lea st 5 years of experience/practice within the particular field Consequences: . Individual obtains confidence 2. Individual makes more independent decisions in relation to skilled knowledge 3. Peers feel intimidated by individual 4. Peers go to individual for advice Empirical Refinements-consensus amongst those in a profession for defining criteria and specific competencies Ways of knowing: Empirical knowing was used by the group as a whole and individually. Empirical is the scientific information found in data, observations, research, inquiries and so forth.Example: Empirical knowledge was used for understanding and defining the term â€Å"expert†. Aesthetical knowing is allied to creativity; transforming the intangible to tangible. Example: Aesthetical knowing was in play during this assignment. After reading our assignments, research, discussions; understanding of subject while transform into reality via the end product, the finished paper. Personal knowing is obtained throu gh life: our jobs, home life, and recreation. After expert is defined, our experiences defines what the term means to each of us.For some, expert is a resource person that we contact to lead projects or captain a team. An expert can be a role model that we aspire to mimic or someone we and our colleagues place in a position of authority. Ethical knowing is what guides us. It is the center of who we are and what we know as right vs. wrong. Ethical knowing is obtained through our culture, religion and belief system. Example: the leader utilized ethical knowing to assign each of us equal, fair job duties for this assignment.

Belonging †Black Swan & Romulus My Father Essay

The experience of belonging is a deep human instinct that is forged through steady connections to place, people and eventually a world of thoughts that keep our existence stable. The failure to maintain these connections can lead to the eruption of alienation, isolation and tragedy. These intensely moving human experiences are investigated in Raimond Gaita’s biographical memoir ‘Romulus My Father’ and Darren Aronofsky’s film ‘Black Swan’. Good morning teacher and classmates. The text ‘Black Swan’ is a film directed by Darren Aronofsky. It is about a ballerina, Nina, who is elected for the main role in the classic ballet performance Swan Lake. She must play both the white and black swan but can only dance the white. She strives to belong in the position as the black swan and succeed in her role, but in doing so she spirals into insanity. My collage of pictures from the movie Black Swan, defines the importance of acceptance as an essential foundation of belonging. Without the acceptance of a person into their surroundings, it becomes difficult for them to believe that they have a sense of belonging, which is what lead Nina to insanity. Although acceptance is a key factor in belonging, identity and relationships can alter the acceptance of the individual. This is displayed when Nina morphs into her evil twin, the black swan that eventually corrupts her identity and total sense of belonging. At times Nina doesn’t feel as though she belongs in herself. Her mind-controlling mother is a big factor in this as she obviously has border issues and keeps strict control over all phases of Nina’s life. Because of this childish way Nina is treated, she feels trapped in her own little world, causing her to feel a sense of not belonging. Nina’s bedroom is displayed in the movie as very juvenile with butterflies on the wall, a big white rabbit, a ballerina music box and an over all theme of baby pink. The white rabbit next to the window is a symbol of mind control, which originates from the movie Alice in Wonderland. By Alice following the rabbit she is lead to an alternate world, wonderland, which results in dissociation, exactly what Nina feels throughout the movie. Throughout the movie Nina thrives to be accepted and belong in the role of the black swan. Thomas, the ballet director selects Nina for the Swan Queen, which means she has to play the roles of both the white and black swan, both completely opposite characters. Thomas knows that the meticulous dancer is perfect for the role of White Swan, but knows Nina’s frigid style will struggle to pull off the twisted, sexual and dangerous character of the Black Swan. Whilst watching Nina dance he says, â€Å"I knew the White Swan wouldn’t be a problem. The real work would be your metamorphosis into her evil twin. † For Nina to belong in both roles as the White and Black Swan she must master good and evil; light and darkness. This concept of duality is so vital, but as Nina lets the Black Swan gain power she begins hallucinating and starts to see all sorts of strange mutations on her body. Nina has no idea how these appear and falls into an utter state of confusion, not feeling as though she belongs in her own skin anymore. Motifs being Mirrors and Black Wings are used throughout the movie as signs of psychosis and the force of the Black Swan into Nina’s White Swan like character. The Black Swan evidently does not belong in Nina and therefore begins to destruct. Mirrors symbolically reflect the true state of Nina’s mind. As the Black Swan continues to take over, creepy images are reflected as though it has a mind of its own. As these images are reflected Nina realises she does no longer belong to her own reflection and that she has a completely separate creature living inside her. It obviously does not belong in her as it acts totally out of her control. Right before Ninas big performance as the Black Swan she fights against herself in her dressing room. During the fight a mirror breaks, this represents the collapse of the psychological boundary separating both creatures. The shattering of the mirror, results in Nina becoming the Black Swan. Black wings symbolically represent the force of the Black Swan into Nina, at different stages of the movie. Shortly after being crowned ‘Swan Queen’, Nina is fascinated by a creepy statue with wings spread. Little does she know it represents what she is about to become. Black Wings also appear on the back of Ninas friend Lily, and attached to Nina at the end of her ‘perfect’ performance as the Black Swan. She is briefly shown with black wings, symbolizing that she has become ‘one’ with the Black Swan and it now belongs inside her. After her transformation, Nina fails to maintain stability between places, people and her thoughts, and as stated in the thesis, this consequently leads to tragedy. The whole process of marrying the white and black, good and evil, light and dark consumes her. The black swan completely possesses her and becomes this destructive force that she cannot live with. After a long process of tormenting her physically and mentally, Ninas sense of belonging finally collapses and she believes she cannot go on. The only way she can free herself is by committing suicide, and that she does. Raimond Gaita’s memoir ‘Romulus My Father’, tells the story of his father Romulus who migrated to Australia with his wife and son. Gaita’s story of his father investigates the events of his life and defines the troubles that Romulus had trying to belong to the Australian culture. Like Nina, Romulus tries his hardest and does everything he can to be accepted. Romulus My Father explores a sense of familiar belonging and how it shapes who we are. In the novel a deep sense of belonging is present within the narrator himself. The narrator delivers observations in a reflective and thoughtful tone. High modality of verbs suggests pleasant nostalgia about events in the book. A sense of belonging between Raimond and his father is displayed in the quote, â€Å"I loved him too deeply†¦no quarrel could estrange us†. Even after Christina dies, Raimonds aspects of belonging is family and culture, â€Å"we came together as son and husband with the woman whose remains lay beneath us†. Juxtaposed against Raimonds belonging is suffering of Christina in her displacement. The mothers inability to belong is described by Raimond as â€Å"a troubled city girl, she could not settle†¦ in a landscape that highlighted her isolation†. The depressed tone that Raimond conveys, suggests that Christine could not fit into the community and in Australia. Because of this lack of belonging she is lead to isolation and alienation, which results in her betraying her family, which is juxtaposed by â€Å"I felt awkward with her†. This shows Raimonds relationship with his mother has lost the familiar belonging it once contained. The parent and child relationship gives belonging to both Raimond and Romulus. Raimond gives his father strength to overcome constant tragedy, â€Å"my son is everything to me† and â€Å"never say I don’t love you†. Romulus does everything he can to give his son a better life â€Å"he denied himself so I would have more†. Other central themes that force the characterizations of Romulus and Raimond are cultural and national belonging. Although pleasure and security is found in Victoria, a strong connection exists between Raimond and Romulus and their origin, Europe. Raimonds similes about his father display his sense of isolation in Australia, â€Å"he longed for European society, saying that he felt like a prisoner in Australia. Raimond found that there was an absence of belonging in Australia, which is a sense of nationality and ethnicity. Verbal irony is used by Raimond, â€Å"They called him Jack†, which shows that even though the town tried to make Romulus belong by changing his name, he still decided to keep his won. Even though Romulus belongs to his community he still felt an absence of belonging that he did not want replaced with a simple name-change. The way that the narrator constantly refers to Europe displays that they still have a strong connection to their home where extra pleasure, comfort and sense of belonging can be found. Our belonging and who we are is shaped by our context. ‘Romulus My Father’ by Raimond Gaita explores the definitive nature of cultural and familiar belonging. â€Å"Black Swan† by Darren Aronofsky allows the viewer to experience the dark side of entertainment through mind control, manipulation and immortality clashing with success and recognition and the destruction that can be caused on an individual when they do not connect with their sense of belonging. Together these texts allow us to examine both positive and negative aspects of belonging.

interracial children essays

interracial children essays Proposal: Would there be a benefit for interracial children having a multiracial box on any application as means of identifying interracial children. Despite growing numbers, public images of interracial people - who have been part of the American landscape since the first Africans reached America's shores. Confusion surrounding race stems from the illogic used to define it. Slavery laws and social practices set a precedent - which survives to this day. Traditionally, "White America" as a whole has disenfranchised a people who appears or by definition has physical characteristics that challenge their hue as "White", today, this challenge is more evident than ever as marriages of different races has climbed in the United States. According to the United States Census data, there are over one million interracial marriages. Marriages between white men and Asian women are highest, supporting almost 25 percent of all interracial covenants. It is estimated that one out of every four marriages is between blacks and whites. This research proposal will designate its focus and energy toward the offspring of interracial couples. Until recently, conventional wisdom typically classified an interracial child as being of the same race as the minority parent. It is this limited and compartmentalized approach that has warranted a push for reclassification of interracial children. A child of an interracial partnership should have the right to choose which race identifies them. This analysis will examine the need for affirming the uniqueness of the child and why a full racial heritage will conceal a more settled, secure child. Once a child has cultural security, this research will prove that interracial children will dissipate the belief of inferiority among the minority parent. The basis of this analysis will contrast the studies that interracial children are inferior, abn...

Berlin Diaries Vs Survival In Auschwitz Essay

Berlin Diaries Vs. Survival In Auschwitz Essay, Research Paper Berlin Diaries V. Survival in Auschwitz The two books Berlin Diaries by Marie Vassiltchikov and Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi both chronicle World War II from two different positions. They are both personal histories from each writer # 8217 ; s existent experiences. The two books have different formats, points, facts, and actualities. For illustration, Berlin Diaries is in existent diary format, and Survival in Auschwitz is in narrative format. I found that Berlin Diaries was harder to read because of the format, where Survival in Auschwitz was easier to follow. Besides both narratives were taken from two really different points of position. Marie Vassiltchikov was a Russian blue blood that fled Russia and was seeking safety in Germany. Primo Levi was an Italian Jew who was captured by the Nazis and taken to a concentration cantonment. Vassiltchikov was free, she lived a restricted life, but she still had her freedom. Levi was a captive ; he lived a prisoner slave life and had no autonomies or freedoms. This difference seems to be the most eventful. They led such different lives. Levi was the absolute curse of the Nazi being, as they were to him. In contrast, Vassiltchikov really worked for the Nazis ; granted to hold the freedom that she did, that # 8217 ; s where she had to work. But still, Vassiltchikov had freedom, how much more different could one get from being a Judaic captive in a Nazi concentration cantonment, as Levi was. There are so many points to this major contrast that it about encompasses the full construct of comparing and contrasting he two. While there could non be anything more opposite than holding freedom and being a captive, there were still other differences that had no respect to Vassiltchikov and Levi # 8217 ; s existent life conditions. Missy ( Vassiltchikov ) originally was flying the Russian ground forces. They would hold killed her for being an blue blood. Primo # 8217 ; s danger was ever from the Nazis. His Judaic # 8220 ; race # 8221 ; was his grade of decease. As mentioned above, Missy was a Russian blue blood ; Primo was from the working category of Italy. Generally their demographic backgrounds could non acquire much different either. Religion was besides a major and blinding difference. Besides as mentioned above Primo was a Jew and Missy was Christian. This difference is what separated them further in Missy # 8217 ; s freedom and Primo # 8217 ; s imprisonment. Another difference that played a immense function in each book was the existent placing of each narrative. Missy wrote her journals as she traveled through out Germany and Europe. She experienced bombardment, metropoliss being destroyed and the existent war right in forepart of her. Primo on the other manus, may hold been right in the center of the war # 8217 ; s causes, but he neer saw the combat and the bombs like Missy did. Girl may hold had freedom, but she was out in the center of the battleground. It is a difficult realisation to hold that Primo could be in a immense Nazi labour cantonment and non of all time truly experience World War II from the existent war position. He was the war, but neer truly saw it. He lived a war but it was a different war ; his was internal, unsafe and merely as life threatening as being on the forepart lines, but it was about like all the other combat was non-existent to his day-to-day conflict of life. Another enormous difference was the format of each book. Berlin Diaries was merely that, a diary. Missy wrote what was go oning as it was go oning. She had no clip to reflect on her experiences, she merely took history for things as they happened. Survival in Auschwitz was written in retrospect to the war. Primo wrote it as a memoir and had old ages to reflect on his experiences. He wrote it to read like a narrative. One can follow his day-to-day life and acquire a image of what this snake pit on Earth called Auschwi tz was truly similar. It gives a graphic history of what life, as a Judaic captive in a Nazi labour cantonment, would be like. Berlin Diaries, since it was a diary, makes it harder to acquire that image of life. Missy is frequently concerned with her ideas and personal life while she is right in the center of acquiring bombed. It might look really petty at times, but those bombs were her life. She was non seeking to do a narrative out of it. She was merely composing how she lived. If one were to populate in the center of the battleground during a war, one would still populate their life. She could non hold realized at the clip that she was right in the center of something that was altering the universe as she knew it. How could anyone cognize that what is go oning to him or her right now is history? To them, it is merely their life. If Primo were to compose Survival in Auschwitz as it were go oning, the book would be wholly different. The differences between these two books that are about the same war have many differences ; nevertheless they have some analogues and similarities every bit good. The first major similarity is that they are about the same war. They have the same causes and the same factors set uping the same period in clip. The Nazis are present in both books, and are viewed negatively in both. Their lives were drastically changed by the same war. They may hold been in different state of affairss, but the same grounds put them in those state of affairss. They were from such different backgrounds, but brought down by the same thing. Everything was comparative. Both Primo and Missy were populating out of necessity ; they had nil of their former lives. Their personal properties and loved 1s were gone. Their lives were brought down to desolation and bare endurance. They were missing the agencies to populate as they had ever known. They had no control over their environment or how they lived. They struggled to populate each twenty-four hours. One major analogue for them was nutrient. They were both hungering, Primo was hungering as a signifier of anguish, and Missy was merely being badly rationed ; but none the lupus erythematosus they were both hungering. Both of them wrote about nutrient invariably, they obsessed over it. Food or any sort of nutriment was the chief concern of both Missy and Primo # 8217 ; s lives. Besides they both lived each twenty-four hours in fright of their lives. Primo was in changeless fright of acquiring selected to travel to the gas chamber or merely death of famishment. Missy feared acquiring caught by the Soviet ground forces, acquiring killed by bombing and the Nazis. She was involved in some things that if she were caught, she would decidedly be killed. Both Missy and Primo spent their lives in changeless passage from one life agreement to another every bit good. Primo was ever being shifted from one barracks to another to the infirmary to another barracks. Missy was ever go forthing one little flat to another bantam flat, from metropolis to metropolis. They both had to cover with holding no place, no individuality and no topographic point of comfort. While everything that happened to Primo may hold been a signifier of anguish inflicted on him by the Nazis, and Missy # 8217 ; s desolation was merely due to the war ramping along, both still suffered. As one can see, these two books about World War II can be looked at on different degrees of comparing and contrast. It may look at first that they are merely similar on the surface, but one time one looks deeper into each narrative they have a figure of similarities. They have analogues on every degree of human life and endurance when faced with despair and desolation. To look at World War II through these two positions gives the reader a much more accurate and realistic image of the war than any history book of all time could. Both Survival in Auschwitz and Berlin Diaries give a complete existent life sense to a war that can frequently look unreal or incredible in modern times.

Choose one of the 5 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Choose one of the 5 questions - Essay Example The purpose of this research paper is to summarize the company’s strategic plan for the next three to five years. In discussing, this document will describe the company’s overall business strategy and IT department strategic plan in ensuring that it align with the business priorities and financial justifications. Further, the researcher will be looking at some of the current strategic issues the company is facing. Business Strategy and Capabilities Medtronic is a global company whose headquarter is located in Minneapolis Minnesota. Historically, the company started developing their facilities in 1967 when the first service center was created in Amsterdam’s Schipohl followed by Kerkrade located in Netherlands. Today, the company has expanded so much that there are facilities all over in the world. It is important to understand how the company has been progressing for the past years and the main challenges that need to be met to achieve their strategic plan. Accord ing to Medtronic, Inc, for the past five years, the company has shown a remarkable growth in sales and revenue (Ford, 2013 B). Despite the noted progress, the company has identified a number of challenges that needed to be solved. ... In this case, the IT cost drivers should be considered when establishing the company’s strategies and objectives as discussed in the following section. Establishing Priorities Studies show that, Medtronic IT department provides the company with excellent products and services across the globe (Michelson, 2013). To fully succeed in the competitive world, IT departments needs to understand the functional team required and how they can utilize their services to solve the challenges identified. For instance, the IT department needs to develop software that tracks the clinical trial data; the company needs to look into China or India since these countries have a high number of graduates’ students each year who are competent and experienced and they would cost the company one quarter of the salaries they would earn in the United States (DeRosa, 2013). Furthermore, this report makes the following suggestion, for the IT department, as a means of solving their challenges. First, the department needs to create a strong IT team that would support and implement the goals and objectives set by the strategy team. There is a need to have a team that would conduct analysis that would enhance positive growth in the company and ensure that there is a small group of IT staff that facilitate daily activities (Oppenheimer, 2013). The IT standardization would help the Company to lower costs and provide opportunities to innovate new products. Overall, the IT department’s information of the business world would help the company achieve its missions and values. Background Medtronic is headquartered in Minneapolis and was founded in the year 1949. It is an international supplier of

Finance and Accounting Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Finance and Accounting Concepts - Essay Example It consists of financial activities which include collecting, recording, analyzing and communicating the financial information to others. The financial data is a collection of facts which is expressed in numerical symbols and characters. The major task of the accountant is to records the financial transactions and converts data into financial information. The study will deal with the various accounting concepts that have helped the accountants in dissemination of financial information. Accurate financial presentation helps in the systematic recording of the financial transactions and also helps in identification of errors in the accounting procedure. The author of the study will able to give an insight into the basic accounting concepts and its impact on the business activities. Finally, the study will conclude with the various accounting concepts and its practical applications. Accounting Concepts & Procedures Accounting is definitely concerned with the recording of transactions tha t affect the business activities and is also related to preparation of income statement and the balance sheet. As per the AICPA committee of terminology accounting is regarded as a process of recording, classifying, summarizing and in systematic and significant manner. It is called an information system which helps in the identification, measuring, and communication of economic financial information which permits rationale and judgmental information among users. 1) Art of recording the business transactions: The systematic method of recording financial transactions in the books of accounts which helps in the fulfilment of the objective of the user and the accountant. 2) Systematic Process: Recording financial transactions is regular in nature and is done in methodical and chronological manners. Accounting is done through the application of various rules, regulations, principles and expertise. 3) Measurable in terms of money: The accounting transactions are measurable in terms of mon ey and need to be recorded in the books of accounts. These accounting events are measurable in terms of money. The events which are not measurable in terms of money are not recorded 4) Information Systems: It is information systems that measures the accounting process and communicates about the financial information through an economic entity. It also supplies financial information to the decision makers. 5) Medium: It is also regarded as an important medium for communicating the financial information and their interpretations. The main objective of the financial accounting would be to provide the necessary information to the user in a systematic process. There are various branches of accounting; cost, managerial and financial accounting procedures. It helps in ascertaining the results of the business transactions and also assessing the true financial position of the company. The major functions would be to identify and record the financial transaction of the organization which can be measurable in terms of money, grouping transactions that are similar in nature of a particular place which is done in ledger, summarizing the financial transactions which involve the preparation of income statement, trial balance and balance sheet and interpretation of financial statements by ascertaining the financial position of the company. Some of the major objectives of accounting would be to ascertain the results of a business organization within a particular time period ascertain the true financial position of a business organization and provide the necessary financial information to the users. The different types of users of accounting wo

See description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

See description - Essay Example While offshore drilling is not the complete answer to our energy problems there are a few advantages and benefits that we will reap if this is pursued. On the other hand, careful examination of the possible consequences should be done to determine if the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. . One of the largest benefits of offshore drilling for oil and gas is the financial gains it would bring to the country. This type of production would result in the creation of hundreds of jobs which are well needed to lower the unemployment rate which has grown significantly since the economic recession. According to the American Energy Alliance (2009) offshore drilling would bring three phrases of development that would contribute significantly to the nation’s economy. The organization stated that industries would grow from the initial exploration and development of offshore facilities; the extraction of oil and gas resources; and refining crude oil into finished petroleum products. The report from the organization also predicted $2.2 trillion in total tax receipts; 1.2 million jobs annually across the country and $70 billion in additional wages each year. The United States currently imports two billion barrels of oil annually. The Energy department has announced that this year it is expected to import 2.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. A sustained flow of oil from a domestic source of energy would create sustained financial flow to the national treasury thus allowing the government to focus on many areas left unattended due to lack of proper funding. Another advantage of offshore drilling comes in the way of increased political power and authority. The dependence of the United States on oil and gas imports has lessened the power it has in influencing the price of oil. This power lies in the hands of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) that have the power of manipulating oil production which can negatively

Internship Report at National Bank of Malaysia (BNM)

Internship Report at National Bank of Malaysia (BNM) Introduction My internship was performed in the Republic of Macedonia, more exactly, at its National Bank. This institution is the one that deals with the macroeconomic policies applicable in the country. These policies allow a stable and long term economic development of one country. I opted for Macedonia because it is the country of my origins, and also because I think one day I will be able to work for one of the Macedonians institutions. So this internship will help me find out how these kind of institutions really work, what is the aim of their work. Macedonia is in a transition process, that undoubtedly is always characterized by numerous difficulties, which are, in general, very similar to other countries living these same processes. The mail purpose of the government of Macedonia is the integration of the country in some international organizations such as NATO or the European Union. While its integration in NATO would secure the borders of the country, and a long term stability (as we know that some under ethnic conflicts had risen in 2001), the integration in the EU, which is far more complicated and demands a very high responsibility of the government, will boost the economic development of this small country with a little bit more than 2 million citizens. The importance of the National Bank, in terms of these integrations, is unavoidable. The Bank is responsible for the monetary policy and economy, for important indexes such as Inflation Rate, CPI (consumer price index), which indexes help to clarify the development of the country in a long term. The economic stability, and the territorial stability, are two very important things, in order that Macedonia could be part of the big European family, and become a potential country that will attract foreign investments at a much higher degree. I. Description of the institution About NBRM Organization chart Functions : the National Bank shall perform the following functions: establish and conduct the monetary policy; regulate the liquidity in the international payments; establish and conduct the Denar exchange rate policy; handle and manage the foreign exchange reserves; regulate the payment system; grant founding and operating license to a bank and a savings house and supervise the banks and savings houses; grant a license for performing services of prompt money transfer and supervise the operations of the entities performing services of prompt money transfer in accordance with a law; grant operating license to foreign exchange bureaus and supervise their operations in accordance with a law; issue banknotes and coins perform activities for the account of the central government and the government administration bodies. THE MONETARY POLICY: Monetary Policy-Design Designing of the monetary policy The National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia (NBRM) is a central bank, and accordingly, the only bank of issue in the Republic of Macedonia. Its primary objective is to maintain the price stability, thus being independent in the performance of its functions. The National Bank supports the economic policy of the country and the financial stability of the country, without jeopardizing the achievement of the main objective, and adhering to the principles of market economy. In line with the legally set functions, the NBRM designs and conducts the monetary policy at a level of the national economy. At the end of the current year, in line with the previously determined macroeconomic framework, the NBRM works out the Projection of the monetary developments for the following year, adopted by the NBRM Council. Monetary policy goals The maintenance of the price stability is a primary objective of the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia, established by a Law. The establishment of this goal is in line with the current EU monetary policy layout, based on the empirically confirmed perceptions that the price stability creates most favorable macroeconomic environment for accelerated economic growth sustainable on a long run. Until 1999, the inflation in the Republic of Macedonia was measured through the retail prices index, while since 2000 it has been monitored by the costs of living index. In order to attain its ultimate goal, the NBRM determines an intermediary target of the monetary policy. Thus from April 1992 to September 1995, the NBRM was applying the strategy of targeting the money supply M1, as an intermediary goal of the monetary policy. Since October 1995, the NBRM has been implementing monetary strategy of targeting the nominal exchange rate of the Denar against the Deutsche Mark, i.e. against the Euro since January 2002. Accordingly, the maintenance of the Denar exchange rate stability is an intermediary goal of the monetary policy. The exchange rate targeting strategy is applied due to the following: a. the importance of the exchange rate in a small open economy (the Republic of Macedonia exchanges around 80% of the GDP with abroad); b. the need of nominal anchor for maintenance of financial discipline and credibility; c. high degree of currency substitution (over 40%) and d. exchange rate transparency and the possibility of daily monitoring by the economic agents. Money supply and money demand The money supply in the Republic of Macedonia is subordinated to the maintenance of the Denar exchange rate stability, as a nominal anchor in the economy. The amount of money supply is determined in line with the need of regular execution of goods and money transactions, i.e. the economic activity in the country. The money supply is monitored through the following monetary aggregates: M0 – reserve money (currency in circulation, banks account with the NBRM and cash in the banks vaults), M1 (currency in circulation and transaction deposits), M2 (M1, Denar and foreign exchange deposits with a maturity of up to one year), M3 (M2 and restricted deposits) and M4 (M3 and Denar and foreign exchange deposits with maturity of over one year). The movement of these aggregates is monitored in line with the adopted projection. The money demand, by the definition, is determined by the income level, the price level and the short-term and the long-term interest rates. On the basis of the prev ious practical experience, the money demand in the Republic of Macedonia is relatively unstable, primarily due to the transitory and the external shocks, as well as the effect of the currency substitution. Interest rate policy and transmission mechanism With the monetary policy being directed towards preserving the Denar exchange rate stability, the interest rates and the money supply are endogenous variables, determined by the achievement of the intermediary goal. The NBRM, through its interest rate policy, sends monetary signals to the banks, thus making efforts to influence their lending and deposit interest rates. The lowest interest rate of the NBRM is the discount rate, whereas the highest is the interest rate on the Lombard credit. Currently, the referential interest rate in the economy is the interest rate registered on the CB bills auctions, with respect to its close relation with the interest rate on the Money Market. Due to the higher liquidity in the banking system, no need of organizing credit auctions has been registered over a certain period. However, the transmission canal of the monetary policy through the interest rates in the Republic of Macedonia is still insufficiently developed, considering the insufficiently d eveloped financial market, the rigid interest rate policy of the banks and their insufficient responsiveness to the monetary signals of the NBRM. DENAR EXCHANGE RATE POLICY Exchange rate policy According to the National Bank of Macedonia Law (Official Journal of Republic Macedonia nr. 3/2002 51/2003), the National Bank of Macedonia establishes and executes the denar exchange rate policy in order to achieve the main purpose – the conservation of the price stability. Current foreign currency system According to article 33 from the currency policy law, the denar rate is determined by the simple rule of offer and demand for foreign currencies in the currency market. The denar rate in relation with the Euro is fixed by the reports from different banks that take part in the currency exchange market. As for the other foreign currency, the rate of the denar is determined by the relation between these currencies and the Euro rate, which is fixed by the European Central Bank. The buying and selling rate is calculated with the addition and deduction of 0.5%. In fact, this is the way how the National Bank of Macedonia exposes every day the approved currency rates on the Currency List. The execution of the currency policy According to the denar rate targeting strategy, as an important element, the goal and also hard task of the monetary policy is to keep stability between the denar and the Euro rates. If there are tendencies to the depreciation or appreciation of the denar, the National Bank interacts by selling or buying respectively, foreign currencies, after what the monetary strategy becomes respectively more restrictive or more expansive in relation to the projected targets. Relationship between the monetary and the currency policy There is a huge dependence between the monetary and the currency policy. It is important for the Macedonian economy to keep a stable exchange rate with the euro, in order to keep price stability in the country, which element will lead to a better life for all its citizens. In October 1995 the monetary targeting strategy was overturned, and a new strategy was embraced, called the targeted nominal denar rate strategy. With this new strategy, the rising of the money supply is transformed into an instrument that helps, directly, on the stability of the currency rate, and indirectly, on the price stability. Currency reserves When the Macedonian National Bank became independent, it had no currency reserves at all. It all began in 1992, when the National Bank began creating its own reserves. The amount of foreign currency reserves is rising permanently. While in 1992, there were around US $60 million, it became US $803 million in 2003, which represents the amount of four months of import. According to article 25 from the Law on the National Bank of Republic of Macedonia, the management of the National Reserve is in the hands of the National Bank itself. It has also to duty to prepare and consolidate reports every 6 months. On behalf of the management of the National Reserve, the National Bank, according to article 28, is loyal to the principles of awareness, liquidity and profitability. The exchangeability concept The Macedonian currency has a present exchangeability. In June 1998, Macedonia has accepted article nr. 8 of the International Monetary Funds Statute, which stated that all currents transactions between residents and non-residents can be completed freely, without restrictions. As part of this agreement between the National Bank of Macedonia and the IMF, was also the liberalization of capital transactions. The direct investments of residents abroad, and of non-residents in Macedonia, are now free, except of a taxation fee in order to register by the ministry of economy. Non-residents can now invest into any Macedonian company, to start their own companies, and to buy shares so that they can become shareholders of all enterprises listed on the Macedonian Stock Exchange (MSE 10). The profit and all the capital investments can be taken back to the non-residents place, if there are no more liabilities towards the government. Non-residents, on behalf of diplomats, and other embassy representatives, have the right to buy real estate, but under certain conditions of demand and registration at the Central Registry of Macedonia. Residents may distribute and sell native shares at foreign financial markets if he/she has the permission from the Commission of shares and financial instruments. Credit transactions are also liberalized, in and abroad the country, so that the funds can move loosely, but for that, the National Bank needs to be informed. Residents may use foreign currencies obtained from transactions made with a foreigner to clear any debt he has, or also use them in the currency market to exchange them into the national currency. In order to pay with a foreign currency abroad, a resident may â€Å"buy† these currencies in exchange offices. Other residents, such as physical persons, can also exchange their money for other purposes, not only for business. As for the opening of an account abroad, residents need to be authorized by the National Bank itself. It is possible for any non-resident to open a denar or foreign currency account, and to use it whenever he/she wants to, with no objection. But there is a limitation on the amount of payments a month, this limit is 10.000 Euros. But, in case of disorder of the balance of payments or the financial system, the National Bank can prevent the circumstances to worsen by application of some restrictions. PAYEMENTS SYSTEMS IN MACEDONIA General Features of the Payment System The payment system represents a sum of instruments, procedures and infrastructure for money transfer. It is of great importance for all economic agents since it enables fast and efficient payments in the national economy. The payment system of the Republic of Macedonia can be presented schematically as: The central bank, which runs the accounts of the deposit money institutions – the banks, is at the top of the payment system. In the payment system, the central bank has the following functions: operational, development and function of monitoring of the other payment systems in the country. The banks, which run the accounts of other legal entities and natural persons, consist the following level. Running of the accounts is decentralized – which means, each bank runs only the accounts of its clients. In order to execute and perform prompt settlement of the large value payments and urgent interbank payments, the system of the central bank is used. For netting the small value payments, a specialized institution – the Clearing House for small value payments is used, while the results of the netting are later settled in the system of the Central Bank. Start of the New Payment System On July 30, 2001, the functional implementation of one of the most complex reforms in the Republic of Macedonia, the Reform in the Payments System, commenced. This Reform is managed by a Steering Committee comprised of experts from the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia, the Ministry of Finance, the banks, the Payment Operations Bureau and eminent professors from the Faculty of Economics in Skopje. This start represents a beginning of a new payment system designed according to the payment systems of the countries with developed market economies. The new payment system enhances the competitive component of the banks and represents a prerequisite for implementing new banking products which increase the efficiency of the banks and the banking system as a whole. The competitiveness induces new IT tendencies in the banking operations. The reform enables more efficient monitoring and management of the liquidity of individual banks, as well as better efficiency in conducting the monetary policy. The previous payment system (effective until December 31, 2001) incorporated strong static components and limitations both regarding the options, as well as technological limitations, which represented an obstacle for the future development of the financial infrastructure and the financial system as a whole. The implementation of the new payment system was encompassed a transitional period from July 30, 2001 until December 31, 2001, during which besides the implementation of the new systems, the Payment Operations Bureau continued with its operations as a specific payment system. The National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia has important functions in the new payment system, which are stipulated in the new Law on Payment Operation. BANKING SUPERVISION According to the Law on the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia and the Banking Law, the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia is the only supervisory authority responsible for licensing and supervision of banks and savings houses in the Republic of Macedonia. The main purpose of the supervisory function performed by the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia is the maintenance of safe and sound banking system and protection of the depositors and other creditors that had invested their money in the banking system. The National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia has established supervisory standards that are incompliance with the international standards and practices set by the Basle Committee on Banking Supervision. Supervisory standards While performing their activities, banks are obliged to comply with the existing supervisory standards that are implemented for the purpose of limiting the banks risk exposure. The supervisory standards established and implemented by the National Bank are derived from the Basle Committees principles and the European Directives. The most important standards implemented by the National Bank are: capital adequacy, i.e. maintenance of an adequate capital base that will enable covering of the risk profile of banks. The capital adequacy ratio calculated as a ratio between the banks own funds and its risk weighted assets, must not be lower than 8%; criteria for classification of on-balance and off-balance sheet asset items of banks according to their risk level and determining adequate amount of impairments and special reserves for coverage of the banks potential and/or established losses; exposure limits as a ratio between the total on-balance and off-balance sheet exposure to a single persons and group of connected persons and the banks own funds; limits of exposure to the FX risk and the manner of managing this type of risk; limits on investments in land, buildings, equipment and equity holdings. ISSUE COINS AND BANKNOTES 1. Legal Tender in the Republic of Macedonia Legal tender in the Republic of Macedonia is the Macedonian Denar, consisting of 100 Deni. The National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia has the exclusive right of printing and issuing banknotes in the Republic of Macedonia. Macedonian banknotes in circulation (issue 1996 and 2003) :  · 5000 Denars issue 1996  · 1000 Denars issue 1996 and issue 2003  · 500 Denars issue 1996 and issue  · 100 Denars issue 1996  · 50 Denars issue 1996  · 10 Denars issue 1996 2. Printing and characteristics The lower banknote denominations of 10, 50 and 100 denars are printed in Macedonia, while the banknotes of 500 and 1000 denars (1996 issue) are printed at â€Å"Thomas de la Rue†, London. The last banknote issue of 2003, 500 and 1000 denars denominations, was also printed in TDLR. The Macedonian banknotes posses several security features like watermark, windowed-thread, intaglio print, latent image, micro-text, see-through feature, and optically variable ink. 3. Institutions which Act as cash collectors Institutions which act as cash collectors are the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia and commercial banks. II. Internship description As I am from the Republic of Macedonia, I thought maybe doing an internship there would be a plus for me. I graduated in Macedonia in 2002, so I really wanted to go back there to an internship, which I think it was a good idea in order to put together what Ive learned at university and whats happening in the real life out there. I think it is crucial for a student, or a future graduated student, to learn and make the link between theory and real life practice in order to get ready and not surprised or shocked when first meeting life for real. The reason also why I chose Macedonia to complete my internship, is that one day after graduating in Belgium, to be able to go back there, and work for my country, which would be much easier if the internship was done there, especially at a very important institution, its National Bank. But, it is also important to say that in this kind of countries, it is difficult and complicated to find a company, private or public, that would accept a future graduated student to do his/her internship there. This is also the position of national institutions. In such countries, that are living in transition, and where this process takes so long, and has many difficulties, the problem of informal economy is very present in the everyday life. This is the reason why, it is so hard to find a company that would offer you a normal and proper internship, unless, of course, if you may know the head of the company or institution. I was, unfortunately, not in this case of knowing somebody â€Å"important† to either private or public institutions. Regardless this fact, I still applied and send the demand of such internship at the National Bank of Macedonia. It took very long to get a response from them, but it finally came positive. After this, they were some complication, especially during the 2007 summer, for me to begin with the internship. In fact, there were some procedures to respect, which were not told to me and which I didnt know. Above all, the extreme heat of that summer had an impact on the government to reduce much of the working hours, especially in its institutions. That is the reason why I could not manage to start the internship that summer. My internship could finally be done during the three months of holiday granted to last year students at ICHEC. I was accepted by the human resources manager at the Bank, who interviewed me, especially to learn about my background, such as school, political, interests on the National Bank, and so on. After that I could finally begin with the internship. I was told to begin the very next day, after signing a convention of behavior at the Bank. I was supposed to start at 8 am and finish at 4 pm, which is the work time of each functionary working at this institution. After the interview, the Human Resources Manager advised me, in relation with my interests, to do the internship in the Research and Development department of the National Bank. It was a little confusing, because in general, students are allowed to come for their internships a few hours during working days, while I was invited to go there all day long. It was a something I didnt expected at all when I applied for this internship. But the conditions were given by them, so I did not wanted to react about that. But it was not the best manner to execute and learn about my topic. When I begun the internship, I had the task to read the reports that are issued by the National Bank itself. Actually, I didnt understand why I had to do this, but everybody told me they had done so when they started work at the Bank. It was also the way internship students started at this institution. It was a little confusing, but I had to rely on this task. This reading of the reports helped me though to learn further more of the different indexes that are studied, and their importance in order to measure the development of the macroeconomic policy of Macedonia. But I would have been more satisfied if I was told before beginning this internship to do so, in order to not waste my time reading during my internship, which was limited in time. First, I had a topic that seemed very clear and comprehensive to me. But after a few days at the Bank, I understood that something had to be changed in this topic because as I was entering my internship everyday more and more, I could see that my topic was too vast, and it could not really help me for my final paper, which would be related with the internship. After many consultations with my internship advisor, and also with participation of the head of the sector, I decided to somehow change my topic. At the beginning, I was opting for a study about the macroeconomic indexes, such as Inflation Rate, Unemployment Rate, CPI (consumers price index), etc. These indexes are studied and performed by the National Bank of course. But as I said, it was really a vast topic, which could have gone nowhere, and finally not helped me much to the purpose of the internship. So I opted for a change. This change was more directed towards the energy sector of Macedonia, and how energy has an influence on the economy of this country. This idea came, as I said, after consulting people working there, but above all, after attending on a presentation performed by a professor of the Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje for the National Bank. The professor presenting was Dr. VlaÃ… ¡ko ÄŒingoski, and the topic: The Electro-energetic Situation and Perspectives of Republic of Macedonia. The presentation was mainly on the problems concerning the energetic sector of Macedonia, from its independence until today, the current situation of energy and also the most probable and real manners to overcome the negative balance on this sector. This presentation really opened my path, and helped me a lot into finding a new and more specific topic for my final paper. Other presentations regarding energy, and the energetic sector concerning Macedonia were performed after. I attended all of them, as my interest was since balancing toward this topic. I was allowed though to be present at these meetings, so it helped me further more in my focusing. The other presentations were performed also by professors, or people working in the management of electro-energetic companies. But my internship wasnt all about attending presentations, and taking notes of them. As I said, I was accepted at the Research and Development department of the Bank. This department, which was the one where my main advisor worked, is the principal responsible for the construction, consolidation, editing, and writing the annual, trimester, monthly, and even two-weekly reports concerning the development of the economical situation of Macedonia, and comparing them to other countries, mainly from the Balkans. These reports have different parts, in general. The first part, concerns the economic development in a global point of view. Next we have the development of Macedonia, then the monetary development, the capital market, etc. Generally speaking, they are specific teams that work on a specific part of these reports, but the teams can sometimes change. My main advisor was more active on determining and calculating macroeconomic indexes, and then, comparing them with the same indexes of one specific period of last year, or same periods in the past. That was in general his role, and the one of his team. In fact, I was introduced at his computer to see how things are going, working thus with these indexes. All indexes were calculated via Microsoft Excel, and a software, which is frequently used by National Banks in the region and wider, called eViews. I was not able to have this software on my computer, as it is a program only the National Bank of Macedonia may use. This is why I couldnt really get deep into this software, in order to understand how it works, and what data or information it offers. So, the whole things was to take right data, transform and calculate them into indexes, compare them with same indexes of past periods, design different graphics and tables so that it is more comprehensive to the reader, and finally do the interpretation of the results. The data I mentioned before, which are the base of these indexes, are delivered from the Statistical Office of Macedonia. It is this office that has almost all statistical data for the population living and working in Macedonia. It also has information about the housing sector, which is important to calculate some indexes, such as inflation and CPI. Then, I was able to start and calculate myself some basic and simple indexes, but mostly, I was asked to compare them with the past permofmances. This is not a very difficult task to do, as I have had many statistical classes during my study years both in Macedonia and Belgium. But I have to say that, my internship was far from what I was expecting. I am conscious that the period I was able to do the internship, was a full working period. Everybody there was working at high speed to finalize the annual report of 2007, which is the most important, and also most voluminous of all. So, they had not very much time to spend with me and my internship. In general, this internship enabled me to see what the sector works in real terms, and also, it was very important for me that I was able to have access to the Banks library, and also to many publications that I saved, which helped me analyze the data that interested me more after I was done with the internship. III. Technical Part Introduction As I mentioned in the introduction of this internship report, I was first keen on studying the macroeconomic indexes that the National Bank of Macedonia uses in order to develop its reports (annually, monthly, even 2 weekly reports) that are required by many organizations such as World Bank, the ECB, the International Energy Agency, etc. But after some time, I realized I should be focusing more on one specific matter, and that was the energetic sector of Macedonia. I think the problem of energy, globally speaking, is becoming more and more an important issue, that is undoubtedly an unavoidable factor for the economic growth and development of one country. Especially, in countries such as Macedonia, who arent very rich in natural resources, this situation can have a huge impact, having in mind that these countries are highly dependent on the import of energy producing products. The reason why I chose this topic to study is, that it is a problem everybody talks about in these days, as we are conscious of the high prices of oil in the recent months. This is another important factor that pushes the issue of the Macedonian energetic sector just further. This study provides an overview of the investment and policy choices in the Macedonian energy sector. On the investment side, the study highlights the criteria under which potential investments in a new Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant and a new coal mine should proceed. The Report focuses on reforms that would be required to support the CHP project, namely ratification by Macedonia of the Kyoto Protocol and resolution of ownership issues related to the gas pipeline linking