Charles Dickens - Great Expectations :: Great Expectations Essays

The portrayal of society in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations is that of a symbol of contemporary British civilization, with Miss Havisham representing the epitome of such. By utilizing this particular character as the conduit between social body and physical body, the author successfully blends together the kinship inherent to these aspects of British life. Miss Havisham is instrumental in establishing the link between the traditional Victorian society and the manner in which women finally gained significant changes in their investments. The economic health of society at the time of Great Expectations can easily be determined by the manner in which Miss Havisham’s personal history of poor investment strategy reflects the community’s somewhat fragile situation. Also pertinent to the social aspect of Dickens’ Great Expectations is the relationship between younger and older generations, as effectively portrayed between Miss Havisham and eight-year-old Philip Pirrip. Upon meeting this rather outrageous representation of womanhood, the boy – in a child’s infinite innocence – he is compelled to separate himself from what he deems is a strange and unusual existence of alcohol. To him, the rotting barrels that once housed unlimited supplies of beer were symbolic of how he viewed Miss Havisham, a fermentative essence that had long since dried up from disuse and moribund old age. In comprising these thoughts, the young boy was left with the conclusion that such descriptive characterization is both frightening and hostile, choosing to abide by his inner instinct and institute avoidance. "Better not try to brew beer there now, or it would turn out sour, boy; don't you think so?" "It looks like it, miss." "Not that anybody means to try," she added, "for that's all done with, and the place will stand as idle as it is, till it falls. As to strong beer, there's enough of it in the cellars already, to drown the Manor House" (Dickens PG). Clearly representative of an impoverished society is that of Miss Havisham’s forsaken brewery, left in its decaying state with barrels and their â€Å"sour remembrance of better days† (Dickens PG). Indeed, the decrepit condition of the brewery is indicative of a more affluent class of social acceptance that once existed, only to ultimately give way to the likes of Miss Havisham’s degraded reality. The life that has left the brewery can be equated to the life that has been lost from society, as Miss Havisham has led an existence rife with humiliation, deception and heartache.

An Educational Article for the 21st century Essay

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell and Philippine education officials opened recently the Assessment, Curriculum and Technology Research Centre (ACTRC). Located at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Education building in Diliman, Quezon City, the facility will focus on research in support of the Philippines’ implementation of the K to 12 program, which is covered by a law recently signed by President Aquino. Tweddell, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Commission on Higher Education Commissioner Cynthia Bautista, UP president Alfredo Pascual, other education officials and members of the academe attended ACTRC’s opening. The Australian government gave the P150-million grant for the establishment of the center in support of the country’s basic education reform program. ACTRC will focus on curriculum development, school assessment and the application of technology in upgrading the education system. â€Å"Australia strongly supports the Philippine government’s efforts in implementing the K to 12 program. Investing in a quality education system will provide better opportunities for all and a pathway out of poverty for the most disadvantaged,† Tweddell said in a statement. ACTRC will bring together the Philippines’ and Australia’s top research institutions—the UP College of Education and the University of Melbourne’s Assessment Research Centre— in â€Å"grounded research and evaluation activities in the areas of assessment, curriculum and technology as they relate to the implementation of the Philippine government’s K to 12 program.† Through grant-funding, the Australian Agency for International Development would support the center’s first three years of operation, the Australian embassy said. â€Å"Australia shares the Philippine government’s vision that K to 12, if implemented well, will bring the Philippines’ school system closer to international standards. The interaction of curriculum, assessment and the use of technology are important facets of a successful education program,† Tweddell said. â€Å"The curriculum is the blueprint of an education system. Assessment provides a picture of where we are in that blueprint today. Technology enables the curriculum to respond to the needs of the 21st century,† he added. K to 12 is the Aquino administration’s flagship education reform program that aims to improve the quality of Philippine high school graduates by spreading the clogged 10-year curriculum over 12 years. In essence, the program hopes to give Filipino youth longer time to learn and prepare for life after basic education, whether they hope to go on to college or find employment after graduating from high school. â€Å"The University of Melbourne and its Graduate School of Education is proud to be associated with this major initiative to inform the Philippines’ education and research communities. The center will provide an opportunity to put into practice evidence-based research outcomes through its collaborative activities with the Philippines’ Department of Education,† said Professor Field Rickards, dean of the Graduate School of Education of the University of Melbourne. UP College of Education dean Rosario Alonzo said the facility and the collaboration it allowed would help promote the professional development of the UP faculty. â€Å"This is crucial to the university’s (UP) fulfillment of its mandate as a research university,† she said. A. Summary of the Article The article discussed how the Australian Government supports the implementation of the K to 12 Program here in the Philippines. It is also written how they believe that the new curriculon that was founded by the current administration will make the Philippines educational system closer to the international standards. B. Words that I have learned from the article Academe – The academic environment or community; academia. Assessment – The evaluation or estimation of the nature, quality, or ability of someone or something: â€Å"the assessment of educational needs†. Collaboration – The action of working with someone to produce or create something. Crucial – Decisive or critical, esp. in the success or failure of something. Curriculum – The subjects comprising a course of study in a school or college. Facets – A particular aspect or feature of something. Implementation – the act of accomplishing some aim or executing some order C. Ideas I have learned about the article At first i thought that K to 12 program was a bad idea, because it prolongs the years of study of students like me and making it a little much of a burden to my parents because of the added budget for the tuition but when i read articles pertaining to K to 12 implementation such as the likes of this one I simply realize that it isnt such a bad thing after all. I mean 2 years of added time is just a little sacrifice of what can be a result of a better future plus when you know that there are countries, like Australia, that are willing to support us on this kinds of program makes us a little more confident with ourselves that we can be more of a competative player in the international playfield when it comes to education. D. Comments about the article The article was really informative. For me, reading this article changed my point of view on K to 12 program and it also boosted my morale when i read the line â€Å"Australia shares the Philippine government’s vision that K to 12, if implemented well, will bring the Philippines’ school system closer to international standards.† because it gave me a heads up of what can be my potential in the future. E. Resources Site link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/412557/center-to-give-research-support-for-k-to-12#ixzz2blPK2DsX

Balance School and Social Life Essay

School and social life are like oil and water – they don’t mix. You absolutely want to go hang out with your friends, but you need to study for that test the next day! Dear teens, here’s how to balance your social life and school! Steps Do your homework as soon as you get home. It’s tough, and you want to relax. But this is a great strategy to use; if you do your homework the second you get home, you have the rest of the night to relax. Do this even on Friday. Make it a habit. Listen to music while doing homework. This helps you work at a faster speed and seems to make time go by quickly. However, not everyone can work while listening to music, so if you happen to be one of these people, then you can work in an environment without music – it’s perfectly fine. Turn off your cellphone and television while doing your homework. Distractions are the number one reason why you take five hours instead of one to complete your homework. Have a lot of homework? Then maybe do some on the bus ride home. This won’t work if you walk home from school, though. What you can do is try not to burn the midnight oil or do your homework at the eleventh hour. During lunch break, try to do at least some homework given to you earlier in the day. Don’t ever be afraid of being made fun of. If you really have no time to complete your homework, try explaining it to your teacher. She or he will understand, because teachers used to be students, and after all, they’ve gone through what you’re going through now, right? If your teacher announces there’s going to be a test the following week on Friday, don’t study for it on Thursday. Slowly take your time to study a few chapters a day in the afternoon so that you have lots of free time to socialize after that. Now you’re free to hang out with your friends. I know you’re thinking, â€Å"None of these steps will work! † Well, you’ll never know unless you try. After all, if hanging out with your friends is really that important to you, you would take any option you have.

Arab Marriage and Family Formation

Arab Marriage and Family Formation Introduction Arab societies are undergoing major changes as new patterns of marriage and family formation emerge across the region. For long decades, early marriage was the common pattern in the Arab world. However, it is no longer the only pattern. The average age of marriage is rising and more Arab women are staying single for a long time and sometimes they don’t get married at all. These new marriage trends in the Arab World are part of a world global phenomenon. The changes of marriage trends in the Arab world reflect the social and economic changes taking place in the region. Arab economies moved away from agrarian based systems which supported both early marriage and extended family numbers [Hoda R.and Magued O., 2005]. The majority of the Arab populations live in cities working in industrial or service sectors. Today, Arab women are more educated and more likely to work outside their homes for personal and financial independence. These changes create a new image of wom an and change her past traditional role as a mother and household member. The objective of this research is the studying of marriage issue in the Arab world because marriage is one of the key important factors that determine the social and economic present and future in the Arab countries. Both problems of early marriage and increase of average age of marriage of marriage are explained. Finally, a recommended solutions and actions are proposed in order to naturalize the two problems for decreasing the negative impacts and creation of better Arab societies. Importance of Marriage in Arab Society Family is the main concern in Arab societies. Family is considered the main social security system for young and elder people in Arab countries. In Arab culture, parents are responsible for children well into those children’s adult lives, and children reciprocate by taking responsibility for the care of their aging parents—responsibilities that Arabs generally take on with great pride. Marriage for Arabs is thus both an individual and a family matter. In Arab societies, marriage is considered the turning point that defines prestige, recognition, and societal approval on both partners, particularly the bride. Marriage in Arab societies is considered the social and economic contract between two families. Marriage is also considered the right form of socially, culturally, and legally acceptable sexual relationship [1]. Early marriage in Arab World Early marriage is any form of marriage that takes place at age of 18 years. Early marriages are often associated with enforcement. Forced marriage is the marriage conducted without full consent of both parties and sometimes with a threat [2].From human rights point of view, early marriage is considered a violation of human rights conventions. In Arab societies- especially developing countries- early marriage, is considered a means of securing young girls’ future and protecting them. Wars and social problems m ay leads also to early marriage as in Palestine, where the intifada has led to earlier marriage. Many countries in the world have declared 18 as the minimum legal age of marriage. However, more than millions of young girls are expected to marry in the next decade according to the international statistics. [2].

Financial Costs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial Costs - Research Paper Example He aims at reducing the liabilities to the firm while being cautious not to paralyze the production level. Financial cost reduction plans have to place the input and output factors of at equilibrium in order to maximize efficiency. This paper discuses the significance of financial cost to a firm, various cost reduction methods and the aspect of financial restructuring. Significance of Financial costs Financial costs are the expenses that a company incurs in all its activities in commodity production and delivery. These are all the costs that the company pays for in all its activities. They include the cost of raw materials, processing in the production level, transportation, administration expenses like rent, loans payment, salaries tax payments and insurance payments among many other liabilities. Keeping clear accounting records on the financial costs is very important for any given company since the costs are used to determine the profit margins. This is done through a series of ac counting calculations that indicate the overall profit margins by subtracting the cost of the liabilities from the total production value (Codjia, 2012). Financial costs are also very important to a company because they can be referred to when determining the growth rate of a given company. This is done through a professional analysis of the relationship between the input cost and the subsequent output. A company may be investing huge amounts of capital and receiving low profits that influence a slow growth rate. Business analysts can help a business to rectify such an issue through financial restructuring plans. The plans aim at reducing the financial costs while increasing the profit margins. Such strategies strongly rely on the accounting records for the financial costs to pinpoint the loopholes in the company and the areas of insignificant competences that need to be eliminated (Codjia, 2012). During management accounting, the financial costs records are very important in drafti ng a cost effective strategy for a company. Most companies boost their capital with borrowings from banks and other financial agencies. These money borrowing agencies normally request for financial cost audits of the companies that seek loans from them in order to determine whether the companies are qualified for their loans. The relationship between management accounting and financial costs in a firm enable the analysts in the company to draw a feasible periodic business plan (Codjia, 2012). Financial costs are significant to a company in the process of budget making. Allocation of funds during the preparation of the annual budget of a company requires an analysis of the financial costs so that the right amounts are injected to the various processes in the company (Codjia, 2012). The financial costs also enable the planners to detect the deficits in the financial plan before they take loans. It gives an analysis of the total capital input. Financial costs also help in detecting the areas in the firm where the liabilities are accumulated. This may be helpful in the process of reducing production costs. The competitiveness of a company lies in its profitability level. Financial costs are used in the preparation of overall balance sheets and cash flow statements that are used to attract investors in companies. The investors compare the financial cos

Statement of purpose to applying to university Personal

Of purpose to applying to university - Personal Statement Example recognizes that aside from this main personal objective, there is a firm desire to be an instrumental contributor to the development of my native country through this field of study. It was acknowledged that most of the students who reportedly graduated in the last decades focused on literary programs where professional careers in education and providing instructional approach through teaching have been appropriately satiated and addressed. Likewise, as affirmed from the narration of our prophet Mohammed, peace is upon him, when he said that we must look for knowledge everywhere. As such, this advice is put into application through fervent desire for traveling across countries for both leisure and educational pursuit. I believe that through being immersed in different cultures, traditions and languages, I would be able to personally experience and learn about people, arts, communication patterns, and current global trends. In addition, I contend that by travelling, it would provide me with the perfect opportunity to practice speaking and communicating through English, as my second language. Thus, I would like to develop greater proficiency in English through being enrolled in the university in the United States. passion to delve into theories and concepts that integrate courses in biology, as well as in information technology. I recognize that contemporary organizations have applied advanced discoveries in the field of biology, or the study of life; as well as in vast technological advancements in information and the use of computers, the internet, as well as other technical fields. In addition, since graduates from this particular field are still rare in Saudi Arabia, I plan to share the fruits of the knowledge to be gained from the program to my country through helping in its growth and development within this discipline. I am most grateful for the government for according me with a scholarship to enable me to pursue higher education in the United States. As

Appraising The Performance Of An Organizations Employees Essay

Appraising The Performance Of An Organizations Employees - Essay Example Indeed, making a business successful in a particular setting demands crucial and detailed studies and examination of the factors that will generate the best results that will serve the aims and objectives of the company. In this light, owners of big business organizations operating in a competitive business environment should be in constant look out with its competitors and the overall status and events in the industry. Taking advantage of the opportunities and intensifying the strengths while minimizing the risks and weaknesses of a business firm greatly helps in predicting the success in business enterprise. Graphic rating scale can be used in appraising the performance of an organization's employees. Ranking employees from best to worst on a particular trait, choosing highest, then lowest, until all are ranked. Another method is the Alternation ranking method - An appraisal method that aims at combining the benefits of narrative and quantified ratings by anchoring a quantified scale with specific narrative examples of good and poor performance. (bars) . Paired comparison method - Keeping a record of uncommonly good or undesirable examples of an employees work-related behavior and reviewing it with the employee at predetermined times. (critical incident). While in forced distribution method, uses a scale that lists a number of traits and a range of performance for each. The employee is then rated by identifying the score that best describes his or her performance for each trait. Similar to grading on a curve; predetermined percentages of rates are placed in various performance categories. (forced distribution) Management by objectives (MBO) - Involves setting specific measurable objectives with each employee and then periodically reviewing the progress made. Management By Objectives (MBO), is a traditional management approach to directing the efforts of managers and the organizational units for which they are responsible. It is intended to motivate stronger performance on the part of managers and employees through goal setting, participative decision-making, and objective feedback (Rodgers and Hunter, 1992). In its broadest construction, it is seen as a planning and control system which is designed to encourage self-control over an individual's work while assuring that managers' efforts are aligned with the organization's overall goals and priorities. According to Swiss (1991), the heart of a full-fledged MBO process is the negotiation between a higher level manager and a subordinate manager of a performance contract that has the components such as major objectives to be accomplished by the subordinate manager within specified completion dates, resource commitments to support these objectives, action plans and milestones for accomplishin g these objectives, periodic meetings of the manager and subordinate to review progress and make midcourse corrections if necessary, and an assessment at the end of the MBO cycle of the subordinate's performance, which should feed into both personnel appraisal processes and MBO planning for the next cycle. Swiss (1991) characterizes MBO as being particularly useful for providing direction and control over project oriented agencies where workloads shift and priorities tend to change frequently, as opposed to another major management approach, performance monitoring, which may be more appropriate for managing the continuing operations of organizations whose outputs are relatively stable. LearnInMotion.com: The Performance Appraisal Jennifer and Mel disagree over the importance of having performance appraisals. Mel says it's quite clear whether