Proforma: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Judgmental Approach Essay

In addition to forecasting cash flows, managers and investors are also interested in forecasts of the firm’s financial statements. These projected financial statements are called pro forma financial statements. They give both the management and investors an insight into what the financial statements will look like in the future and a signal as to any need to raise long-term funds. The starting point in the creation of the pro forma financial statements is the construction of the pro forma income statement (do you remember why? ). Like the cash budget, it also relies heavily on the sales forecast. Significant errors in the sales forecast will result in errors in the income statement which, in turn, will cause errors on the pro forma balance sheet. Pro Forma Income Statement There are two approaches to creating the pro forma income statement: the percentage of sales method and what I will call the judgmental approach. The percentage of sales approach is simplistic and prone to error (estimating financial statements is tricky enough without compounding the error using an inferior technique). The percentage of sales method assumes that all items on the income statement except interest expense and tax expense vary in direct proportion to the change in sales. This is simply usually not true. Some items will change with sales, but others will not. See the criticism of the percentage of sales approach at the top of page 116 in your text. My illustration will focus on the judgmental approach which allows the analyst to apply judgment to forecast the level of those items that are not expected to vary with sales. My vehicle for illustrating the creation of a pro forma income statement appears below: Assume that sales for the BMX Corporation are expected to be $12 million in 2008 and that sales in 2007 were $10 million. Further assume that cost of goods sold can be divided into two parts: a part that varies with sales and a part that does not (i. e. , cost of goods sold has both fixed and variable components). Further assume that operating expenses can also be divided a fixed portion and a variable portion. Further assume the firm plans to increase its borrowing in 2008 which will increase interest expense on the income statement. The first step in the analysis is to determine the percentage increase in sales: (2008 sales – 2007 sales)/2007 sales = percentage change in sales ($12 million – $10 million)/$10million – 1 = . 2 or 20% The second step in the analysis is to construct the 2008 proforma income statement assuming those items that vary with sales will increase by the percentage change in sales (20%) and that those items that don’t remain fixed. An example of this process is given on the Excel worksheet below. Double click on the worksheet to access it, then scroll up or down as needed. Notice the variable expenses are found by taking the 2007 expense and multiplying by 1 + the percentage change in sales (1. 2). This increases those expenses by 120%. A common error students make is to simply multiply the variable expenses by the percentage change in sales. If we did that here, we would be multiplying the variable expenses by 20%. In other words, we would not be increasing variable expenses by 20%, we would be reducing them by 80%. Notice the pro forma net income for 2008 is $600,000. You may wish to analyze the effect using a strict percentage of sales approach would have had on pro forma net income. Would net income be higher or lower as a result? You would be correct to sense the potential for an exam question here. Finally $200,000 in dividends are deducted from the $600,000 net income giving us a $400,000 addition to retained earnings. The third step is to use the $400,000 pro forma additions to retained earnings in addition to a number of other assumptions to compute the Pro Forma Balance Sheet. I will also use the judgmental approach in this step. The 2007 historical balance sheet and the pro forma balance sheet for BMX Corporation appear in the Excel worksheet below. To access the worksheet, double click on it, then scroll up or down as needed to see view the worksheets. I will make the following assumptions regarding the pro forma balance sheet: 1. The firm wants to continue to maintain a minimum cash balance of $100,000 2. Marketable securities will increase to $75,000 in 2008. 3. Accounts receivable have historically been 36. 5 days of sales. Since sales for 2008 are expected to be $12,000,000, accounts receivable will be $12,000,000 x (36. 5/365) = $1,200,000 (you could also do the following which is algebraically identical: ($12,000,000/365) X 36. 5). 4. Inventories have historically been 20% of cost of goods sold. Since cost of goods sold for 2008 are expected to be $9,000,000, inventories will be $9,000,000 x . 20 = $1,800,000. 5. Vectra will increase fixed assets by $750,000. Depreciation expense for 2008 is estimated to be $200,000. Net fixed assets for 2008 will be: Net fixed assets (2007) + additions to fixed assets – depreciation expense 2008 $5,000,000 + $750,000 – $200,000 = $5,550,000 6. Annual purchases (all on account) have historically averaged 60% of cost of goods sold. The accounts payable balance, in turn, is typically 20% of purchases. Accounts payable will therefore be $9,000,000 X . 60 X . 20 = $1,080,000 7. Taxes payable will be approximately one quarter of the tax expense shown on the 2008 pro forma income statement. Taxes payable will equal $400,000/4 = $100,000. 8. Notes payable will increase to $1,000,000. 9. There will be no change in other current liabilities, long-term debt, or common stock. 10. Retained earnings on the 2008 pro forma balance sheet will change by the additions to retained earnings ($400,000) shown on the pro forma income statement. Since the 2007 retained earnings was $1,000,000, the retained earnings for 2008 are expected to be $1,000,000 + $400,000 = $1,400,000. Notice the 2008 pro forma balance sheet did not initially balance: e. i. , total assets ($8,725,000) did not equal the sum of total liabilities and equity ($8,332,500). In other words, the firm’s need to fund assets of $8,725,000 in 2008 will not be met at anticipated levels of debt and equity. This is the firm’s signal that it will have to raise funds by issuing additional debt or equity in the amount of $392,500.

Consider the contribution creative development Essay

Consider the contribution creative development may make to the education of young children, illustrating your discussion with explicit examples of an activity/activities you planned in nursery and making clear reference to the Early Learning Goals.  Critically analyse at least one activity giving attention to content, organisation, your role, the appropriateness of the activity and the quality of children’s experience in relation to your planned intentions. You should make clear and explicit reference to the response of at least one child if possible, identifying targets for their future needs. Contents  Essay p 2-6  According to HMI (DES 1985:17, cited in Rodger 1999, p. 128) creative development is concerned with,  Ã¢â‚¬  the capacity to respond emotionally and intellectually to sensory experience: the awareness of degrees of quality; and the appreciation of beauty and fitness for purpose.†Ã‚  Creativity allows children and adults to express ideas and feelings in a personal and unique way. Although being creative can be seen as a uniquely human characteristic, if children are to develop their abilities in this area they must be provided with the opportunities that allow them to explore and experiment helping them to gain confidence to express their ideas in a way which is uniquely their own. This is facilitated in the nursery classroom where a rich and stimulating environment is provided helping children to generate and develop their creative ideas supported by sensitive and responsive adults. The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (2000) states how creative development contributes to the education of young children.  Ã¢â‚¬  Creativity is fundamental to successful learning. Being creative enables children to make connections between one area of learning and another and so extend their understanding.† (p. 116)  Creative development covers variety of different subjects, including art, music, dance, role-play and imaginative play. For the purpose of this essay I will be looking at the subject of art, and two art (creative) activities planned and taught whilst on placement in a nursery setting. Peter (1996) stated that in order for teachers to plan appropriate art experiences, contributing to the education of young children, they need to be able to identify the general stage of development in art, that their pupils are at. Peter suggested that there are four stages of development in art, the Scribbling Stage that occurs between the ages of six months and four, the Pre-Schematic/ Symbolic Stage between the ages of four and seven, the Schematic/ Emerging Analytic Stage that occurs between the ages of seven an nine and the Stage of Visual Realism/ Analytic Stage that occurs between the ages of nine and twelve. As we are focussing on art in the early years the stage of most relevance is the Scribbling Stage from six months to four years. The Scribbling Stage is the earliest form of artistic expression and is usually characterised by mark making which becomes more controlled as the child develops. At the beginning of this stage scribbling is random and is done with either hand and their concentration span is short. The value to the child is having the tactile experience and practicing the physical action from the shoulder. As the child develops the scribbling becomes more controlled and a ‘grasp and push’ action is used, rather than a whole arm movement. As children use smaller actions they begin to use a variety of marks, such as straight lines and curves when drawing and painting. When printmaking children will manipulate materials that will make impressions, make marks with body parts and print with objects and found sources. When making collages children will often observe and spread glue on to a surface and place prepared items in an irregular arrangement. Children in this stage are also developing sculpture and 3D skills, manipulating rigid and malleable materials, moulding simple shapes and sticking found objects together. As children’s learning and skills develop they move through the stages, but to ensure children are motivated a balance is needed between familiar activities in which they express themselves confidently and new activities to present them with fresh challenges.

Birth Defects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Birth Defects - Essay Example The paper aims at exploring some of the potent birth defects that are plaguing the mankind; probable causes behind these birth defects and the measures that can be applied to prevent the birth defects in newborns. Current Scenario in the UK Smith (2011) argues that one in 80 babies suffers some kind of a birth defect in the UK such as Down's syndrome or neural tube defects such as spina bifida or congenital heart disease. The surprising part is that the proportion of birth defects in the newborns has almost doubled from the previous estimate. The rise in numbers is purely attributed to a better data collection system and nothing else. In 2009, there were, as per the researchers’ estimate, 14,500 babies with some sort of birth defects in England and Wales. By the way, London had the highest cases of Down's syndrome (34 per 10,000 children) then among major towns. Heart disorder is found to be the most common birth defect among the newborns in the UK needing surgery. At least si x percent of newborns with heart disease are not likely to survive. Spina bifida or neural tube defects are found in at least one in 1,000 babies and doctors say that the birth defects could have been simply prevented if mothers were given folic acid in adequate quantity during pregnancy. Similarly, cleft lip or palate is found to be in 15.2 babies per 10,000; Edwards’ syndrome in seven per 10,000 and Patau’s syndrome in two per 10,000 babies of England and Wales. At least, 50 percent of the defects were detected during pregnancy itself. It is noteworthy that numbers of birth defects due to Down's syndrome are increasing perhaps due to pregnancy incidents at higher age (Smith, 2011). Birth Defects due to External Agents Chiras (2012) emphasises that most birth defects are caused due to some sort of chemical, physical or biological agents. Dietary deficiency of folic acid also plays a pivotal role in birth defects. The time of exposure to any of these agents play a cruc ial role in causing a birth-defect. Organ systems are the most affected parts due to the exposure to any of harmful agent. The central nervous system is more at risk because it starts developing during the third week of pregnancy – a time when woman is not even aware that she is pregnant. Women in the habit of consuming alcohol or drugs are most likely to harm central nervous system, heart, limbs and eyes of the baby as these organs start developing as early as third week of pregnancy. Birth Defect Classifications Broadly, birth defects can be classified into two kinds: Functional and Structural. Functional birth defect relates with the abnormal functioning of some body part. Mental retardation, learning disabilities, speech difficulties are the brain defects that indicate about the functional impairment. Examples of birth defects pertaining to nervous system include Down’s syndrome, autism, and Fragile X syndrome. Metabolic disorders such as phynylketonuria (PKU) or h ypothyroidism are examples of functional disorder. Cleft lip or palate, spina bifida are the examples of Structural birth defects. Missing heart valve, abnormal limbs such as a club foot also fall in this category. Some of the birth defects that follow will explain how they impair body’s normal functioning and learning abilities. Down’s syndrome Down's syndrome is a congenital disorder impacting physical and mental growth of the child. The children with Down's syndrome are also found to be impacted with high incidence of heart disease, hearing or vision issues, Alzheimer's disease. Down's syndrome is found more in boys (by 15%) than girls. More incidences of Down' syndrome is noticed at the places where mothers give births at higher age. Mother with age 45 or above carries the

Student Debt and Its Implications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Student Debt and Its Implications - Essay Example Many students engaged in borrowing as well as in huge sums of money. During graduation, the average debt in 2008 rose by six percent in the following year heating $24,000. In the year 2008, there was the highest number of defaulters in federal loan repayment in over a decade. This was when the nation’s economy slid into recession. Partly driven by the slow economy, federal loan defaulters are increasing. If a student fails to make payments for 270 days, it becomes a matter of increasing significance to both community colleges as well as the students. Loan default brings about severe consequences to the borrowers as well as colleges. When one misses some payments he/she could be demanded to play through calls and letters. However, defaulting can destroy a student’s future. Federal agents will demand that a defaulter pays the loan in full. In addition, the case may be assigned to some collection agency. A defaulter’s wages, as well as benefits, could be garnished till the balance (that may not be easy to discharge in bankruptcy) gets resolved. This may apply even to old age social security benefits being garnished (Clark, 499). Loan defaults for borrowers could wreck their credit, create the inability to buy a home or car, finding employment or even renting a home. Colleges, where only a few students get to borrow, have special protections, however, colleges could result to being not eligible to federal loans as well as grants where most of the colleges’ former borrowers default within a given period of 3 years’ time for entering payment (Bryce, Matthew and Debbie, 1). With federal loans as well as the grand plus loans, it is at a time when this loan is twenty-one to thirty days late that the loan can go to delinquency but the national credit bureaus may be informed when a loan is 60 days late. However, the program of federal loans provides a number of plans to that held defaulters. But one has to negotiate with their lender in the case for private loans which involve agreement terms of the loan as well as options for payment.  Ã‚  

Impact of Technology on Society (Telephone ) Essay

Impact of Technology on Society (Telephone ) - Essay Example Advancement of technology has fueled the use of telephone across the world. This is because telephone devices allow users to send instant messages, offer voice calls, and access to websites. However, the conveniences and pervasiveness have not brought benefits but also some numerous negative impacts (Murphy, 2009). The content of this paper will examine the telephone technology as a form of communication and the impacts it causes to the society. 2. Background 2.1What is telephone technology. A telephone is a telecommunication device that enables two or more parties to conduct a real time conversation when they are not close enough to hear each other talking directly. The device converts sound, efficient and most typically the human being's voice, into electronic signals appropriate for its transmission via data cables or other transmission channel over a wide distance, and replays such signals in an audible form to the users (Murphy, 2009). 2.2 When was the telephone invented and by whom? The telephone technology has resulted in an integral part in today’s life since its invention by Alexander Graham Bell in the 1876 (Murphy, 2009). The nineteenth century was the communication revolution era whereby there was invention of many communication devices. Researches argue that the nineteenth century’s greatest invention was the initiative of invention itself. The invention of telephone technology has had many impacts on the world. Telephone has also brought the current generation into the secondary oral age. The first telephone technology invention in the year 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell and additional development by other inventors, the telephone was the initial communication device in world history that enabled human beings to communicate directly with one another over large distances (Murphy, 2009). Rapidly, telephones became indispensable in government, business, households, and is currently the most used small communication device. 2.3 How does t elephone work Telephones operate in a simple way. It captures the user’s voice vibrations through plates and coils and then translates the vibrations into electrical signals. The telephone amplifies these signals and then transmits them to another telephone device where the receiving device changes them to voice signals in the reverse form (Farndon, Manning & Walt Disney Company, 2003). When the receiver picks up the call, the telephone connects him or her to the network. When one dials a phone number, this number goes to the telephone provider requesting for connection with that number’s subscriber. The provider then times this conversation duration and bills it. In many countries, the telephone network is digital, therefore, the telephones behaves in a similar way like a computer, transmitting and receiving audio signals in binary codes (ones and zeroes) as an alternative of a continuous signal. When you convert tens to binary codes, you get an approximate whole numb er, which defines the telephone’s audio sample. This system can be used anywhere not only with telephones and its called PCM. That is how the telephone operates (Farndon, Manning & Walt Disney Company, 2003). 3. Impacts on society 3.1 What was the society like before development of telephone tech

U01d2 Cost Shifting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U01d2 Cost Shifting - Essay Example There are a number of different treatments like the surgical, non – surgical cancer, organ transplants and other imaging like CT, MRI, PET scans and numerous other highly sophisticated tests which need to be considered and covered for. America’s health care system in the country is also structured in a manner which contributes to the rise on costs (Griffin, 2000). The concept of cost shifting is one of the major reasons that the costs have also gone up. Cost shifting simply implies at how the cost of care has shifted from one set of people to another group. The concept is such that if one group of people is unwilling to pay the bills, then the costs are redistributed to another set of people who can’t refuse to pay for the costs. One of the few reasons for the inclusion of cost shifting in the health care industry is the creation of Medicaid and Medicare. Shi and Singh explain that the cost shifting was included to offset costs when the charity received was used to make up for the difference. Feldstein explains that when there is a belief that cost shifting occurs, this could possibly be when the hospitals raise their prices to compensate for the patients that are lower charged (Morrisey, 1994). Feldstein also unveils that the costs have increased for two reasons, namely, an increase in the variable costs in terms of the wages and secondly, there are changes in the hospital payer mixes, i.e. an increase in the less price sensitive patients which allows the hospitals to increase the mark ups. This is viewed to be a profit for the hospital however this is a selfishly induced process and is controlled by the cost shifting. The knowledge that people have on the increase in the costs of the providers to make profits has led the industry to be impacted negatively and is also impacting the human charity as well. There is a clear sense of mis happenings within the industry where the rich are being given complete access to quality

Design a Marketing Metrics system for a commercial organisation of the Essay

Design a Marketing Metrics system for a commercial organisation of the group's choice - Essay Example The authors have aptly summarized the difference between yesteryears and the current day marketing where it has become a science rather than an art. Art and skills are definitely required but the scientific factor is a much needed factor. Here comes the metrics portion of the marketing activity. â€Å"A metric is a measuring system that quantifies a trend, dynamic, or characteristic. In virtually all disciplines, practitioners use metrics to explain phenomena, diagnose causes, share findings, and project the results of future events† (Farris et al., 2006). The executive summary gives a comprehensive and compact picture of the importance of Marketing Metrics in today’s business world. If the marketers are unable to quantify their projections they would not even know what they are looking forward and then all planning and marketing activity becomes vague. By quantifying it is meant that marketing requires numbers like percentage of customers requiring their products, judg e the change in market conditions, explain customer habits and purchase trends. All the quantitative measures can be put in the form of metrics which will define the future course of marketing activity in an organization. This marketing metrics is being done for Coca Cola who needs no introduction in the beverage market where they have a huge presence for decades. Even though Coca Cola has established its brand over the years but still it requires a dynamic marketing team to work round the clock to ensure that it reaches out to its customers in a market which is volatile and can change in a matter of no time. Therefore marketing metrics is required to constantly analyze the changes in trend, the purchasing habitat of people, customer tastes, and inclination to reward systems or accumulation of points on coca cola consumption. The report also emphasizes the background of the company, its non financial resources and its financial resources. The non financial resources include market s hare, customer relationship management, awareness, competitor analysis, product lifecycle and customer satisfaction. The financial resources include Sales and Revenue as well as the Return on Investment (ROI). A lot of planned marketing metrics is done by Coca Cola Company so that it can stay competitive in the market. Marketing metrics involves quantitative analysis based on which important business judgments are made and the marketing managers needs to be spot on and accurate in this analysis to use it to the good effect of the organization as a whole. Introduction Marketing metrics is a complex phenomenon and corporate like Coca Cola needs a range of metric to come to a definite and logical analysis. To achieve the marketing metrics a range of parameters and phenomenon needs to be derived and appropriate data input and analysis needs to be done. Customer satisfaction survey is one of the key input areas where customers quantify their satisfaction level. Similarly trend analysis i s done with customer survey which gives an insight to the company as to the market trends and habits of the consumers. This section gives a comprehensive insight into the method and manner of producing a marketing metric which would serve the purpose of getting quality and quantitative information of the market situation which will enable the marketing department to come to marketing decisions based on analysis. â€Å"The challenge, of course is knowing what to measure and exactly how to measure it. That is where Marketing

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 29

Case Study Example In addition, he went ahead to develop diversification strategies which saw the bookstore increase its stock to include magazines, scratch cards, music tapes, VHS videotapes, CDs, DVDs, and greeting cards. His movements from one location to another were necessitated by circumstances but his business continued to grow. He began the business alone developed it to level of having a part-time employee to help him and finally ended hiring a full time staff. Tim is planning to have Page Two move to a new building owned by Bob Turner. The owner has the good will to allow him have the building but he has to make a decision before an upcoming competitor Tammy’s Treasures takes it up. The approach taken by Page Two has pros and cons. The choice of products is quite adequate. Since the adoption of a diversification strategy, the bookstore has been on a positive path to profitability. The buyers of books are at a position of finding other things that they can relate to such as the videotapes among others. Apart from the products serving as another income generator, they play a critical role in marketing other products. This means that the traffic in the store increases which implies that more people will be attracted there. The products are also interrelated; it is likely that a customer may prefer an audio book as opposed to a print one, such can easily be found in the store. There is a high degree of complementarity of the products that are offered in the stall. An appropriate location is important for a vibrant business. Tim should consider the new location despite it being more expensive. The new location provides a spectacular opportunity for Page Two to adopt a new face. In addition, taking up the new location will restrict the competitor, Tammy’s Treasures from taking up the premises. As a marketing strategy that would ensure that Page Two’s brand is strengthened Tim can think of

Royal mail Privetisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Royal mail Privetisation - Essay Example Many governments owned so-called natural monopolies such as water, power, and postal services on the assumption that market efficiency would be attained if there were only a single seller. It is easy to see why a monopoly may be needed in some markets, as in the case of utilities where large investments are needed, or in postal services where a number of mail delivery routes are not profitable enough to attract private investments. But as many nations eventually experienced through the years, this market structure became characterised by inefficiency and wasted resources. This was the situation at Royal Mail in 2002. Its vehicle repair centre situated in the Isle of Wight was a case in point. The poor location entailed unreasonable expenditures, a factor for inefficiency and a destroyer of value. Since it would be a better use of resources for broken down vehicles from different parts of the British Isles to be repaired in the nearest motor shops, this vehicle repair centre would be under-utilised. Its facilities would be better off sold, closed down, or put to other use, for example as a conference centre for its workers. Monopolies lead to inefficiency and waste because the absence of competition leads to complacency, as the company enjoying a monopoly position would not have the incentive to improve itself and be efficient. Like a pensioner unmotivated to work because of a guaranteed income, monopolies know that their market has no choice but to buy its products, no matter how poor the quality. And when the monopoly, like Royal Mail, is labour intensive, not only do the workers become a formidable political force that can influence the outcome of elections (â€Å"forcing† politicians to listen to their pleas), but also their lifetime employment status binds the state to pay until retirement, a disincentive for increasing

Israeli's treatment of arab citizens, Research Proposal

Israeli's treatment of arab citizens, - Research Proposal Example The fire of hatred burns brightest in the hearts of the Arabs for America because they were tools to kindle the hegemonic designs of the Arabs on the Israelis. Therefore the United States is facing rising anti- Americanism almost all over in the world. Pew Global Attitudes Project, (June 2003) Some of these reactions are due to the U.S strikes directed towards some Arab countries including its occupation of Iraq and secondly the political, military and economic support by the U.S in support of Israel against the Arabs. Another reason for the Arab antipathy and hatred for America lies in the fact of America’s support for a major number of undemocratic regimes of the Arabs. The Arab public sees U.S. positions in the Arab-Israeli conflict as biased and feels the U.S. government is not an honest broker in the conflict.† (Nicolas Francis, Moises Naim, and Abdel Monem Said Aly, (2002) These unfavorable conditions have led to the great hostility between the Israeli and the Arab s which seems to be blowing out of proportion time and again thus intensifying problems further. Shocking reports from the Department of State’s Annual Human Rights Division give us a clear insight into the Israeli’s treatment of the Arab minority. Depressing facts of abuses on the human rights of the Arabs by the Israelis have been well documented over the years to give us the bigger picture of life in the Arab countries. For over 30 years now, the Israelis have detained, tortured and killed many of the Arabs thereby fuelling resentment still further. In addition to this countless Arab homes were demolished and their lands confiscated without any explanation given to any human rights organization whether national or international for the past many years. The Arabs in Israel constitute about one –fifth of the population of the country but in spite of their large numbers they are deprived of most of the civil rights which other citizens of the country enjoy. According to the

Rickshaw by Chinese literary great Lao She Essay Example for Free

Rickshaw by Chinese literary great Lao She Essay Through telling the story of Xiangzi, Lao Shes Rickshaw moulds a woman in Hu Niu that is the antithesis of everything that a woman should be in the traditional society of that period. In the time-honoured Chinese culture, there has long been a strong prejudice against women of power. Every unfavourable image has been linked with particularly those who have proved especially formidable. Throughout the histories that have been written by mostly men where views as traditional as Xiangzis have been prevalent, dominant women have been presented in the most unsympathetic light. In similar fashion, our look at the character Hu Niu is relentlessly coloured by Xiangzis harsh narrative. It is impossible to do a light reading of Rickshaw and hope to be presented a face for Hu Niu that is to true to her actual person. Therefore, in order to ensure that our understanding of this distinctive woman is holistic, we must consider two issues: what sort of social influences have manipulated Xiangzis point of view; and what is Xiangzis innate character that so overwhelming pre-ordains the way he thinks. Only after peeling back such layers do we see a depiction of Hu Niu that is not peppered by biases. Only by doing our own commentary on the story do we hear the point of view of who is not talking and what is not being told, and that is the narrative of Hu Niu herself. What we subsequently come to realize is that, due to his wild prejudices, Xiangzi has rejected his best chance of escaping the rickshaw-pullers misfortunes when he rejects Hu Niu. In the broader sense of the Chinese history, women who have held power have often been blamed as the cause for ruin of an entire dynasty period. Historians have, for example, always blamed the downfall of the Qing dynasty on solely Empress Cixi and her refusal to recognize the changing times around her. In a more specific sense within the context of this novel, Xiangzi presents Hu Niu as the woman who is fully to blame for causing the downfall of a man. Women who strayed away from the traits that society norms dictate are seen as abnormal. In the same way, Xiangzis descriptions are most discriminating when revealing thoughts about any strong woman in his life, and he especially vilifies Hu Niu. This is not unlike the negative ways that dominant women like Empress Cixi and Empress Wu Zetian have been  represented throughout history. Under Confucian beliefs, it has been highly regarded the notion that the best types of women were the virtuous ones who may show maternal instincts before they even marry towards their younger siblings and widower fathers. There have always been deep-seated attitudes that have limited womens access to power. Patriarchy being the norm of the culture, a womans position within her family and the social hierarchy was as a dependent, not leader, of men. The tendency has been to assign women and men different roles, and womens special reproductive functions, of course, encourage this division. Often, the sharply restricted participation of women as competitors raises questions about a females ability to command. In actuality, women are by nature no weaker than men. As a generalization, certainly, they may be physically slighter and their characters gentler, but this does not equate to them being fundamentally powerless, useless, hesitant, cowardly, or able to survive only by obeying men. Scientists and historians have devised systems to analyse the workings of the world that, coincidentally, protect their own interests while oppressing and dominating women: the theory of Yin and Yang, for example, was established to demonstrate that, inherently, the female sex (yin) is linked with softer elements of the world such as stillness, inwardness, or earth, etc., while the male (yang) is linked with much stronger elements such as motion, outwardness, sky. Commanding and opinionated women were seen to be transgressing this boundary of yin and yang. Women who yielded power and used their skills in mind games to manipulate situations to their favour are seen as masculine and unnatural. Women who used their sexuality were seen as even more improper. Regardless of their individual personalities and abilities, females have been perceived as too weak, irrational and emotional to rule. This sentiment is shown in a Chinese saying that stated: A woman ruler is like a hen crowing . As we see from the beginning of his tale, due to Xiangzis traditional views,  his dream is to someday marry a robust and honest country girl after making enough money . As a result, it is apparent to us that the foundation of Hu Nius very nature had doomed her from the onset to be the recipient of all of Xiangzi prejudices. The precise manner in which she came to catch Xiangzi in marriage ignited every one of his prejudgments against women, especially against those who yielded sexual power. Xiangzi is incredibly scared of sexual women, but he mostly piously masquerades this fear as loathing or distaste. The morning following Hu Nius seduction of him, Xiangzi is thoroughly disgusted by the thought of Hu Niu, whom he deems as ugly, old, nagging, and shameless (54). So despite the fact that the warlord soldiers has so heartlessly robbed from him the first rickshaw he had loved so passionately, in Xiangzis mind they are still nowhere near as despicable as Hu Niu is (54). The fact that all the wrongs in the world that have been done onto him did not compare to the hurt done onto him by sex-hungry women attests to his outright prejudice. After Hu Niu gains some knowledge from Xiao Fuzi about the variety of physical acts, she proceeds to use Xiangzis body to find her lost springtime (172). This enrages Xiangzi, who subsequently believes that Hu Nius cooking for him and caring for him is merely attempts to fatten him up to make him her plaything (152). Xiangzis disdain for sexual women also manifests itself in the way he sees Madam Xia, as merely a woman who could give him a little extra cash (204). Xiangzi always tries to find safety in reverting to look down on the women whom he secretly finds intimidating. He does not like Madam Xia because he finds her to be a little terrifying, the way Hu Niu had been terrifying (204). He feels that Madam Xia brought with her all the harmfulness and destructiveness of the female sex that he had already tasted before and hated. His scorn for sexually predatory women is confirmed by the fact that he feels Hu Niu and Madam Xia were the same line of goods (204), meaning both women were strong, calculating and impure. Xiangzis view had been shaped by the fact that society as a whole only accepted women who exhibited bashfulness and mildness. History tends to vilify Empress Wu Zetian, for example, and tell stories of her sexual appetites . She harboured imperial ambitions of becoming emperor and was indeed perhaps one of the most able of the Chinese emperors. In attempts to regain her youth as she aged, she kept  a number of young men as her companions , no different from the way both Emperors and ordinary men alike all kept concubines. But history has been quick to condemn the gender reversals and sexual excesses of women as abnormal and uncivilized. Xiangzis little regard for women also encompasses his prejudice against financially minded females. We as readers notice immediately how much more intelligent Hu Niu is than Xiangzi, but he only sees her as manipulative. Hu Niu recognizes that brute strength is hardly the only way to make a living. Her business sense shows clearly in her immediate idea to rent out a room to Xiao Fuzi to aid the latter in the entertainment of men, or her quick thought to rent out the rickshaw to Ting as opposed to letting it sit idle when Xiangzi caught pneumonia from the summer storm (184). She has it meticulously planned out of how much money to spend on what items. Hu Niu is astute about what actions can be taken when money begins to decrease. She suggests that they go back to Old Liu, act submissive, and make up with him for the fight she had with him; she knows that she needs to given her father face, that he needs to be flattered and cajoled. She calculates, albeit too late, that by submitting to Old Liu, she and Xiangzi would be able to get the mans money legally in the proper line of inheritance (147). We see Xiangzi subsequently admitting to himself that none of this had ever occurred to him (148). Yet, even though he admits that he had never thought Hu Niu would have a plan like that in mind, and now he had an idea of her smarts, he still refuses to agree with Hu Niu. His stubborn reasoning is that he does not want to be the wifes toy nor the father-in-laws lackey (149). But he himself has no other ideas. The absurdity is clear in the fact that his only argument is, he just does not want to loaf, and pulling a rickshaw is all he knows. Xiangzis prejudice against economically minded females is also seen in his disregard for Kao Mas advice regarding savings and investments. Kao Ma tries to teach Xiangzi how money breeds money and is herself very adept in modern financial strategies (70). Although Xiangzi thinks Kao Ma is perfectly nice and is one of the very few women whom he respects, her advice to him is very quickly dismissed by Xiangzi simply because she was merely a  woman. He trusts only himself, and when he adds up his money on his own, he promptly decides that it is much safer kept in his own hands (72). His entire mind is centred only on safekeeping the money that he has. Besides laboriously pulling a rickshaw for a seemingly infinite period of time, his mind is nothing like Kao Mas or Hu Nius regarding how to use the money one already has to earn more. Xiangzi in fact feels that his deathlike grip on his money is worthy of respect, and even though Kao Ma was a nice enough woman, he sees no advantage in following her advice (73). Even when Madam Fang, an old employer, had urged him to open a savings account, he promptly rejected the notion because, through his warped logic, he felt that the cash in his hands was much better than the numbers in a passbook (71). One can not help but think that if it were not the Madam Fangs and Kao Mas of the world giving Xiangzi these advice, if in fact a man Mr. Cao, perhaps had done so, Xiangzi would certainly have listened much more seriously. Xiangzis loathing for being under Hu Nius control is a reflection of the fact that, throughout history, there have been blatant biases against female rulers. That a female could gain power over men and an entire country thereby abandoning the path set up for her by society was not accepted to a huge degree. Cixi, likely the shrewdest woman of all of Asia during her period, has been credited with the some of the worst things to befall her era. Much has been said about her rule as being the significant contributing factor to the ruin of a nation. Be that as it may, her control stems from power she fought for and won for herself. She rose from the lowest positions of a fifth rank concubine to what was eventually considered by many at the time as the only man in China, and likely exercised more power than any woman in that time . Another illustration of the bias can also be found against Empress Wu Zetian. Likely one of the most influential and oftentimes misunderstood rulers of Tang Dynasty China, she controlled the empire during one of its more peaceful and culturally diverse periods . Some may say that she was ruthless in her desire to gain and keep power, but others may say that she merely did what she had to and acted no differently than any male emperors of the same period. The kinds of behaviour criticized in men are dramatically different than those criticized in women, especially one dominant and deviant enough to rule an empire. It should be no surprise to us, then, that Xiangzi, someone who is determined to be dependent on only his own size and strength, should find is so unbearable to be controlled by a woman like Hu Niu. Xiangzi is dogged about relying on nothing more than his own muscles, and he mistrusts a woman who uses shrewdness and mind game to get what she wants. To him, Hu Nius calculating proposals are shameful, and he hates having to be at the mercy of her dominance (149). The fact that a woman ordered him about was insufferable for someone as headstrong as Xiangzi. This loathing comes to such a height he eventually declares that he is glad that she is dead because she had always oppressed him (218). He believes anyone who is powerful or calculating to be evil and deserves to die. Despite the fact that Xiangzis hatred has been building since his meeting of Hu Niu, the severity and mercilessness of his venom here is still surprisingly startling. Xiangzi states that the only people he thought deserves to live was himself and Xiao Fuzi, who is loyal and honest (218). Such a statement reveals to the reader that if Xiangzi is ever at all capable of empathizing with anyone, it is only with the passive and the meek. Xiangzis discrimination against Hu Niu cannot be fully understood until we get a feel of his ode to Xiao Fuzi. The earliest we observe of his intolerance for women as a whole is when he purchases his first rickshaw and the only class of persons to whom he simply refuses to grant a ride are women, who are, in his opinion, an indication of bad omen (10). More appropriately, we could say Xiangzis bias is most concentrated against specifically those women who know what they want and stops at nothing to achieve it. We see that the only woman in this entire novel of whom he sings high and unfettered praises is the one woman who is different from Hu Niu in every possible way: simpleminded, thoughtless, compliant and sweet Xiao Fuzi. As we know, tradition calls for women to have no opinion, listen to the husband, be tolerant, be useful and not be afraid of hard work. Xiao Fuzi is the epitome of the perfect woman of Xiangzis dreams. Even when Hu Niu is making Xiao Fuzis life miserable and her business difficult, the latter is still capable of swallowing her tears, and humbling herself by throwing herself at Hu Nius mercy. The bearing of disgrace by kneeling  before Hu Niu is the most admirable of sacrifices (188). Xiangzi loves Xiao Fuzis mildness and it shows in his fondness for her companionship and conservations (186). With Hu Niu, he never got the last word. Xiangzi can only tolerate a traditional woman who listens to men. Therefore, in Hu Nuis devotion to Xiangzi, we see that her love could never find reciprocation or fulfilment. Furthermore, we can deduce for ourselves that if Xiao Fuzi was not someone who handed her whole life over to himsomeone who needed a man like himsomeone whom he could rescue (224), nothing about her either would have been any allure for Xiangzi. If Xiangzis opinion were the only narrative in the novel, then simply after considering his side could be the end of our story. After all, this novel is centred on Xiangzi the repetition in his buying the rickshaw, losing the rickshaw and is about how life has killed his idealistic dreams. However, merely Xiangzis account can not be depended upon. The story of Xiangzis loss of hope is told through two competing narratives. There is another narrator besides Xiangzi that every now and then gives us glimpses of the fact that the Hu Niu at the centre of all of Xiangzis lamentations is not completely real. Throughout Xiangzis struggles, the one character that we cannot get away from is Hu Niu, even though a pure account of her inner thoughts hardly ever surfaces. The importance of her role in this novel may seem somewhat belittled by the fact that every image we get of her character is through Xiangzis eyes. To work against Xiangzis bias, the reader must delve deeper under the surface n arratives through which to form ones own version of the original Hu Niu. We see very little of a non-Xiangzi-influenced, neutral narrators Hu Niu. And if we did rely on Xiangzis mind to tell us the whole story and all its underlying events, we would be cheating ourselves. For a thorough view of Hu Niu, Xiangzis version must be rounded out by our own analysis. The reason for this is that there is always a story unfolding that Xiangzi simply does not understand; there is a woman in this story that Xiangzi does not recognise. How reliable is Xiangzis explanation of the story? We should consider how reliable Xiangzis explanation is of the world at large. Xiangzis views of himself and the environment surrounding him occasionally seem ridiculously upside down. Having arrived in Beijing from the countryside at age 18, he has no education and is merely somewhat street smart. Being physically strong, and possessing characteristics like passion, honesty, righteousness , he is extremely self-righteous and self-confident. Through the narrators descriptions of Xiangzis arrogance, it helps us see that his views of himself are horribly distorted by his ego. Once he had grown into his body by his 20s, he became tall, strong, broad-shouldered and big-footed (5). He thought of himself as the best at what he did. We further see Xiangzis vanity in the fact that he goes as far as to smile at himself whenever he looks in the mirror; he is that satisfied with himself. He is so confident in his strength to be able to conquer everything that he never likes or bothers to talk with others or discuss anything with fellow rickshaw pullers. Even when he encounters something unlucky, he still believes that he would find a way out of it and would not be easily cheated or defeated because of his strength. All this narcissism we see in Xiangzi is a completely contradictory view to what we as bystanders think of him when we regard Xiangzi. We see on his face a particularly lurid scar, courtesy of a mule (5). This scar is long and large and a quite noticeable flaw on his face. Quickly, we begin to see that this scar is representative of more inherent character flaws, something more innate in Xiangzi that contributes to his eventual downfall. One of these flaws is his ego. Even though we see this gaping imperfection on his face, Xiangzis love for it remains the same as his love for his body, blind and excessive. He sees his face as also possessing tough strength just like his face (5). He essentially regards his face as another extension of one of his limbs; as long as his four limbs are strong, his face is also strong and noble. In actuality, Xiangzis scar attests to his short-sightedness. We sense that there is a feeling of mockery in the narrators detached statement that Xiangzi believes relying on only his []intelligence[] and exertions were enough to realize his ambitions (4). Another flaw is Xiangzis weakness for compliments, also a testament to his  vanity. He feels particularly important, for instance, when his impressive height requires him to duck his head when he passes through a doorway (11). Also, when no rickshaw puller is willing to risk going to Qing Hua University for fear of the warlord soldiers, all someone has to do is call Xiangzi a Big Boy and he promptly decides he would go, as though his strength could certainly prevent any danger from befalling him. This flattery of Big Boy, and the fact that the payer of the compliment was a short-of-bodybaldhead to whom Xiangzi felt significantly superior, led to the demise of Xiangzis first rickshaw. He had felt invincible. Xiangzis character flaw is also seen in his stubbornness. He is stubborn about not letting go of his money for medicine when he falls ill (9). He is stubborn about never needing a helping hand from anyone or anything. He deems himself to be so great that, depending only on his strength, he believes he would be able to escape from the evil cycle that is the life of a rickshaw-puller. This said cycle comprises the rickshaw man being forever doomed to pull a rickshaw his entire life, be frequently susceptible to injury, ultimately grow old, become chronically ill, and, unable to run any longer, one day fall down in the middle of the streets and die. Xiangzi is mulish about the fact that he could beat the system without anyones assistance if only he just stays away from distractions. This brings us to his ultimate stubbornness, which is about the disastrous distraction that is Hu Niu. As a result of seeing Xiangzis impressions of himself, we are wary of the validity of the image of Hu Niu Xiangzi projects through his narration. In knowing how traditional his views are and how biased he is against women of power, it is immediately evident how distorted his vision is of Hu Niu. As readers, we can see that his life takes a favourable turn when he meets Hu Niu. Even if we did contemplate her through Xiangzis prejudiced eyes, we can still see how useful and capable a person she is. This woman knows about life. We value her authority, and Old Master Liu values her authority and did not want to see her married and gone , but Xiangzi seems fundamentally incapable of seeing anything positive in her capabilities. In his mind, her intelligence translates into shrewdness, and her ability to manage and  organize translates into manipulation. What is more, he refuses to see that Hu Niu really cares for him. He rejects the possibility that, if only he would listen to Hu Nius advice, he could escape the rickshaw pullers horrible lifecycle. His stupidity is so blinding that he attributes his decline to the existence of Hu Niu, when in actuality his own stupidity is the very trait that causes his demise. Xiangzis closed-mindedness makes him unable to understand others motives, locking him in, and causing him to see everything from only his own point of view. Xiangzi does not have the intelligence or foresight to see the Hu Niu that readers see, or the fact that Hu Niu is his finest chance at a better life. Worse, he actually thinks Hu Niu will be the death of him. Every time she takes something into her own hands or solves a problem a problem from which Xiangzi would always run away, besides he would believe that he has suffered another wrong because he cannot stand being under her control (140-144). We consider Hu Nius economic sense to be sensible and her logic to be a good way to extract Xiangzi from his dreary existence. She has sensed that his personality could doom him to toil all his life (149). But she tells him outright that even though he may have his plans to sweat away his entire life, she has her plans to change that (149). And her plans for him consist of the hope that he will not need to pull a rickshaw anymore, not have to stink with sweat, and can get out of a dead-end occupation. Xiangzi, however, does not see that using keen business practices instead could lead quicker to a better life. All he wants is to painstakingly make money cent by cent through blood and sweat and buy his rickshaw; he does not know there could be any other ways to live. Hu Niu knows what must be done to help Xiangzi escape misfortune. She tells Xiangzi explicitly that she will take care of [him]; but all he wants to do is escape (83). To be sure, Hu Nius effort to end Xiangzis life as a rickshaw puller is partly due to the act that she does not want to be the wife of a poor rickshaw man (158). She regards herself as someone significantly more elegant than those living in the mixed courtyard. The thought that she could lose everything on Xiangzis account makes her momentarily almost regretful of marrying him (158). Nevertheless, these thoughts were only temporary  lapses in her mind, for she truly is in love with Xiangzi. She likens the happiness she feels being married to Xiangzi as feeling like her entire body was a big red flower blossoming warmly, fragrantly, beneath the rays of the sun (158). Inside, she knows that even if Xiangzi spends his whole life pulling a rickshaw, or if even he were reduced to begging, she would still never leave him; she would stay with him forever (158). Hu Niu tells Xiangzi of her love for him over and over: I think about you all the time. I love you. Ill take care of you (83), I know youre ambitious but you ought to realise that I really love you, too (156). But Xiangzi ignores it all. He is contemptuous of her behaviour and begrudges Hu Nius money (152). He does not want to think about how unmanly it is to be using his wifes money to buy a rickshaw (148). Hu Niu is scrupulous in her care for Xiangzi. She is not gentle by nature like Xiao Fuzi, so she does not know how to sweetly cajole him when speaking, especially if she is already anxious over him. When she tells Xiangzi that she still has four hundred dollars left after they marry and prods him to relax a little and enjoy life because he pull[s] a rickshaw and stink[s] of sweat all year long, it comes out sounding near to an order (148). But it is clear that her heart is not unkind and her intentions are good. Stubbornly, Xiangzi only sees the attention and concern that Hu Niu showers him as her attempts to fatten him up like a cow so as to better squeeze the milk out of him (152). We witness the fact that Hu Niu would very much like to have a quality family life with Xiangzi and hopes for Xiangzi to have a better life than that of a rickshaw pullers. She is undeniably calculating in deciding to approach her father, despite their fight, in order to get a firmer grip on Old Lius money. But this is so she would then be able to find Xiangzi a better job (157). She believes that Xiangzi has ideal traits of strength, diligence and frugality and sees in him potential for greater success if only he would let go of his death grip on the desire to only pull a rickshaw. But because Xiangzi has been a child of misfortune and knew what deep poverty was (152), he is unshakable in his belief that only hard physical labour is the solution to anything. Without much life experience (other than that of pulling a rickshaw), Xiangzi does not know any better. By ignoring the potential of Hu Nius abilities, he is  doomed to stay in the disastrous cycle. By looking beyond Xiangzis prejudiced criticisms of Hu Niu, we get a much most realistic view of this woman. Indeed, we even feel sorry for her. When she thinks of the joy of being married to Xiangzi, it is a fascination for her that she could not even speak of (158). We as readers, however, read almost in the same breath of Xiangzis hatred for her. While she wants to promenade with Xiangzi and show off the happiness of her marriage, Xiangzi, meanwhile, finds walking about with any woman in tow to be a disgraceful business, much less someone he abhorred as much as Hu Niu (146). This sort of ingrained thinking Xiangzi cannot change. Our sympathy for Hu Niu stems from the fact that her attempts to loosen his attitude and alter his mindset were ill-fated from the beginning. Xiangzis palpable narrow-mindedness permeates the entire novel. When he comes to the realization that his body wasnt as strong as it had been, he attributes it to the fact that Hu Niu, the bloodsucking monster, has sucked away his virility (205). It is never even a consideration that his age and the major bouts of illness could be the reasons for his inability to run as fast as before. Societal traditions have also embedded in him preconceptions about women like Hu Niu, whose every movewas like that of a woman who had been married for a long time (145) and chauvinism that a woman who is quick, experienced, and had an air of self-confidence is conversely not worthy of respect. Ironically, the more obsessively Xiangzi portrays to us the evil Hu Niu that he wants us to see, the more clearly we see the Hu Niu that is not shown through Xiangzis narrative. A thought that perfectly captures the irrationality and absurdity of Xiangzis mind is when Hu Niu poses to him the question, Between the two of us, who should listen to who? (149). This is a loaded question that triggers much thought. Despite the tenacity of Xiangzis incessant commentary, we do not come to side with him in formulating our answer to that question. On the contrary, we have gathered every evidence in each situation to believe that Hu Niu was the key to Xiangzis chance at breaking the cycle. Xiangzi is the only one who does not  see this and it is to his own immense detriment. His many character flaws are revealed in his enormous ego, stubbornness, shortsightedness, and staunch mistrust of others advice, especially advice from women. His prejudice against Hu Niu has been particularly hardened by societal beliefs and the traditional stigma that follows sharp and able women. Xiangzi is trapped in the blindness of his prejudice and remains perpetually unable to see and hear the Hu Niu that we ultimately comprehend. Ignoring Hu Nius help, support and advice, we watch with disappearing sympathy as Xiangzis hurtled towards the expected end of a rickshaw-pullers life cycle.

Social and Mental Effects to Broken Family Status Essay Example for Free

Social and Mental Effects to Broken Family Status Essay Children need to have both parents in the home to have a balanced life. Both socially and mentally but, if the parents cannot get along and the children are being raised in a constant battleground, socially and mentally this can be more damaging to them. This can lead to trust issues and other relationship problems. Parents who abuse each other will most likely have children who will become involved in abusive relationships. Children whose parents have divorced and the absent parent are still involved in their everyday life still benefit from both parents. But most importantly the child needs to understand that their parents’ divorce or break up was not and never will be their fault. Divorce is hurting American children very badly. Each year over a million children suffer the divorce of their parents and by 1999, half of all American children reaching their eighteenth birthday and who were born to married parents will have experienced the divorce of their parents. The reversal of the legal status of divorce will entail nothing less than a cultural revolution because American culture now embraces divorce in law and in behavior. It’s easy acceptance once rejected as scandalous. Even if they themselves have divorced the men and women who shape popular opinion, as well as the policymakers in state legislatures who are responsible for domestic law should begin to challenge this practice. The devastating effects of divorce on children just might provide these leaders with the motivation to start such a cultural revolution, or at least to question the direction the nation has taken. The plight of children may give Americans the moral courage to overcome a fear of raising this delicate subject. If Americans do not overcome this fear, we will lock ourselves into inaction and lock the nation into a downward spiral of weakening effects and diminishing social capital because divorce diminishes children’s future competence in all the major institutions. In family life, divorce permanently weakens the relationship between children and parents. It leads to destructive ways of handling conflict, diminishes social competence, leads to early loss of virginity, and it diminishes young adults’ sense of masculinity or femininity. It leads to more trouble in dating, to more cohabitation, to higher divorce rates later in life, to higher expectations of divorce, and to less desire for children. * In religious life, divorce diminishes the frequency of worship of God, and recourse to Him in prayer. * In education, divorce diminishes learning capacities and high school and college attainment. * In the marketplace, divorce reduces household income and massively cuts the life-wealth of individuals. * In government and citizenship, divorce massively increases crime rates, abuse and neglect rates, and the use of drugs. * Also, divorce weakens the health of children; even their life spans will be shortened. * Finally it increases behavioral, emotional and psychiatric risks, including suicide. The effect of divorce on children’s hearts, minds and souls range from severe to mild, from seemingly small to massive, and from short term to long term. None of the effects apply to every child of divorce, nor is it likely that any one child has suffered all the effects. Nonetheless, the one million children who see their parents’ divorce each year are affected by the trauma. There is no way to predict how any particular child will be effected or to what extent, but it is possible to predict its effects on society. They are numerous and very serious. The major issue for researchers is no longer what the ill effects of divorce are, but the depth and length of persistence of these effects on children, and on their future children and grandchildren.

Weaknesses of Stainless Steel

Weaknesses of Stainless Steel Introduction This report has been written to give you the reader a basic understanding of stainless steel. The report will explain how it is made, uses in industry and the strengths and weaknesses of the material. History Originally known as rust less steel, stainless was officially discovered between the years of 1900 and 1915. There is no exact date of creation as the discovery was the culmination of many works, the first of which is recorded in 1821. A Frenchman named Berthier found that when iron is alloyed with chromium it becomes resistant to some acids. Further developments were made in 1872, when three British scientists tried to patient their version of stainless steel which contained, 30-35% chromium and 1.5-2% tungsten, which they too declared was weather and acid resistant. Three years later in 1875 another Frenchman, Brustlien, discovered the iron used to make stainless had to have a very low carbon content, of only 0.15%, which was only discovered because ferrochrome became available. Why this material is considered useful or important? Stainless steel is considered to be very useful because it is ductile and malleable and produced to withstand the elements, resisting oxidation and staining. With over 150 various different stainless steel compounds there is one to suit most applications where other metals maybe used. Where is it found? Stainless steel is not found, it is manufactured from various elements depending on its required use. All stainless steel begins as low carbon steel (50% or more) which is combined with 10 to 26% chromium, to create the base of all stainless steels. which is a hard metal with a high melting point. What are the raw materials that are used to produce this material? The raw materials use to produce stainless steels are, a minimum of 50% low carbon steel, and at least 10% of chromium. Depending on the grade of stainless steel other elements will be added during production including nickel, nitrogen and molybdenum which will give added resistance to various forms of corrosion and can also reduce the overall weight. What are its applications in industry? Stainless steel is used widely across many industries such as: Surgical tools: Forceps, needles, scissors and scalpels Kitchen ware: Pots, pans, knives and forks Architectural structures and panels: roofing, decorative pieces eg. Empire state building Storage containers: For liquid chemicals to beer or milk. Automotive parts: car exhausts, catalytic converters, trim pieces and fasteners Marine: Handles, nuts and bolts, frames and fixtures Even down to the most basic nuts and bolts. The most commonly used form of stainless is 304 due to is cost, strength, versatility and finish available along with its great welding and forming characteristics. 304 is austenitic meaning it is a non metallic solid solution of iron and carbon which contains no more than 0.08% carbon, and a minimum of 8% nickel and 18% chromium 316 is the most common form of stainless steel after 304 and is often referred to as marine/ surgical grade stainless. Due to the fact that 316 is sold as a marine grade of stainless it has to resist chloride corrosion caused by salt water, so the addition of molybdenum is required. Molybdenum is a silver coloured element which has an extremely high melting point and when alloyed with steel becomes very hard and resistant to salt corrosion. This is why 316 is suitable for marine use and is also used in surgical and food and beverage applications such as milk storage tanks and piping where a sterile environment is very important. For applications where heat is an issue titanium can added to raise the melting point 321 other wise know as aircraft grade stainless has an increased resistance to temperature, withstanding 600-900Â °C What are its properties; i.e., mechanical, electrical, thermal, chemical, physical, etc. Mechanical properties of stainless steel are its ability to What are its strengths and it limitations? The biggest strength of stainless steel is that it has a very high resistance to oxidation. Although there are many other advantages: Low maintenance: Rarely requires cleaning Anti staining and wont rust: due to the chromium in stainless steel, which reacts to oxygen creating a protective surface layer over the metal, it is very hard to stain, or create rust. High positive and negative temperatures: The ability to withstand temperature allows stainless to be used in a wide range of different environments. Pressure: Stainless steels ability to contain high pressures make it ideal for storage containers and piping. Malleable and ductile: Stainless is most commonly produced in coils, sheets, plates, bars and tubes of differing size. What are the future demands and applications on this material? Stainless steel will be use for long time to come into the future. Although there is no specific future applications that stainless will be in demand for it will be a material which will continue to be used for many years to come purely because stainless steel is 100 recyclable. Even the majority of stainless steel produced today will contain up to 60% recycled material. Knife http://www.valleymartialarts.com/index.php?main_page=indexcPath=3_18 Kitchen http://www.furniturestoreblog.com/2009/01/24/the_ultimate_stainless_steel_kitchen_from_strato.html Tubes http://www.thomasnet.com/articles/metals-metal-products/stainless-steel-tubes Chromium http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromium http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybdenum http://www.wisegeek.com/how-is-stainless-steel-made.htm http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=965 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_steel_grades http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel#Uses_in_sculpture.2C_building_facades_and_building_structures

The Story I Was Made To Tell :: Personal Narrative Depression Papers

The Story I Was Made To Tell This is the story that I am made to tell. I have written pages and pages of other tales, dancing legends and laughing mysteries, choking secrets that fell away from me the minute they dripped on to the page. But I have always, it seems, been working around this one core subject, the one that eludes me and presses in on me at the same time. You see, I think that in the end, we all have one true tale to tell, to tell well, to tell with all the truth and simplicity, honor and respect that it deserves. And that story will live inside of us forever, praying to be let out. But it isn’t easy to unravel the chapters of your one story. For me, it is still quite impossible, but it is time that I try. Nothing I will ever write can approach truth until this story is told. And perhaps it is my job to try. The story — it is my mother’s. And therefore, mine. It is built of nothing less than miracles and tragedy. It is nothing more than the story of one person. It is the only thing that makes me cry, in the deepest pocket of myself, because it is an untold, unfinished story of the highest importance. The story actually sings in me every time I breathe in, breathe out, every time my eyes lift to see the air and its tingly life, every time my hip aches or my hands sing, or my cheeks puff up in sickness or cold. But no matter its majestic significance, its indelible mark on my life, I still have never been able to tell it. That is the hole I am trying to fill. 1994, spring, a school day. My father, for some reason, drove me back from school one day. This was very unusual, since my father spent more than half his time in England during those years, and a great deal of time in other countries, as well, all as part of his job. He was rarely around, and when he was, he certainly wasn’t picking me up from school or anything else. Either way, he drove me home on this particular day, and as we approached the driveway, almost at our house, he told me an interesting piece of news. The Story I Was Made To Tell :: Personal Narrative Depression Papers The Story I Was Made To Tell This is the story that I am made to tell. I have written pages and pages of other tales, dancing legends and laughing mysteries, choking secrets that fell away from me the minute they dripped on to the page. But I have always, it seems, been working around this one core subject, the one that eludes me and presses in on me at the same time. You see, I think that in the end, we all have one true tale to tell, to tell well, to tell with all the truth and simplicity, honor and respect that it deserves. And that story will live inside of us forever, praying to be let out. But it isn’t easy to unravel the chapters of your one story. For me, it is still quite impossible, but it is time that I try. Nothing I will ever write can approach truth until this story is told. And perhaps it is my job to try. The story — it is my mother’s. And therefore, mine. It is built of nothing less than miracles and tragedy. It is nothing more than the story of one person. It is the only thing that makes me cry, in the deepest pocket of myself, because it is an untold, unfinished story of the highest importance. The story actually sings in me every time I breathe in, breathe out, every time my eyes lift to see the air and its tingly life, every time my hip aches or my hands sing, or my cheeks puff up in sickness or cold. But no matter its majestic significance, its indelible mark on my life, I still have never been able to tell it. That is the hole I am trying to fill. 1994, spring, a school day. My father, for some reason, drove me back from school one day. This was very unusual, since my father spent more than half his time in England during those years, and a great deal of time in other countries, as well, all as part of his job. He was rarely around, and when he was, he certainly wasn’t picking me up from school or anything else. Either way, he drove me home on this particular day, and as we approached the driveway, almost at our house, he told me an interesting piece of news.

Bicycle Xing :: essays research papers

Bicycle Xing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Lords Prayer is 66 words, the Gettysburg Address is 286 words, and there are 1,322 words in the Declaration of Independence, but government regulations on the sale of cabbage total 26,911 words.† This statement made from government annalist Ralph Reed in the summer of 1993, show just how absurd some government regulations can be. If something is important, we generally tend to just say it. If something is not entirely needed we just fill it full of jargon and become very longwinded. An example of a frivolous regulation is the one in Missouri that all bicycles are to be ridden on the street only. The regulation strictly forbids riding on the sidewalks. This asinine regulation violates personal liberties and should be eliminated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This regulation should be done away with for several reasons: First, the regulation is ineffective. People ride their bicycles on the sidewalks currently and they are not punished for it. This means that there is little to no enforcement for this regulation. So, if the regulation isn’t observed or obeyed by the citizens of the state, and it isn’t enforced, than it does no good to have the regulation in the first place. It is not needed and therefore should be eliminated. Next, the regulation says that bicycles should be rode in the streets, but riding a bicycle in the street can be very dangerous. In today’s society automotive drivers are distracted way too much as it is. Accidents happen because drivers are distracted by things such as cell phones, bad weather, darkness and sometimes because they just aren’t paying attention to the road ahead. Having to worry about a cyclist on the street is just another hassle that drivers should not have to put up with. Finally, little kids learn to ride there bikes between the ages of four and six. It is very dangerous for a little child who is just learning how to handle a bicycle to ride in the street with cars that are much larger and could potentially harm them. Sometimes children swerve on there bikes because they are just getting used to them, and a child swerving into traffic could be deadly. Then this creates a problem because it’s too dangerous for a child to ride in the street, and the sidewalk is off limits, so the child has nowhere to pursue the happiness that a bicycle could bring.

End of Life Peace Without Pain

End of Life: Peace without Pain Jacqueline R. Reviel Loyola University New Orleans End of Life Peace without Pain Pain management during end of life care is crucial to the comfort and peace of the patient and their family. â€Å"With better pain control, dying patients live longer and better. Pain shortens life. Relief of pain extends life† (Zerwekh et al. , 2006, p. 317). The nurse must educate about (a) disease pathology, (b) signs & symptoms, (c) interventions, (d) medications, (e) alternative therapies, and (f) supportive care, related to end of life care. Pain management involves understanding the pharmacological issues, and management issues surrounding opioid drugs used for pain control. The identification of (a) nursing diagnosis, (b) implementation, and (c) education are essential in keeping the patient and family comfortable and at peace. Pathology, Signs and Symptoms End of life presents with specific pathology which can cause extreme pain and discomfort. The body’s organs begin to shut down as death approaches hypoventilation causes hypoxemia and hypercapnia in turn increasing the workload of the heart as it tries to oxygenate the vital organs. The kidneys and liver begin to fail and toxins begin to build up. The heart fails as it can’t keep up with the demand. Zerwekh (2006) lists specific signs and symptoms associated with death (a) reduced level of consciousness, (b) taking no fluids or only sips, (c) decreased urine output, (d) progressing coldness and mottling in legs and arms, (e) irregular labored breathing; periods of no breathing, and (f) the death rattle. Diagnosis & Interventions Diagnoses related to end of life care are (a) Ineffective tissue perfusion, (b) Alteration in comfort, (c) Activity intolerance, (d) Impaired gas exchange; (e) Ineffective breathing patterns, and (f) Decreased cardiac output. Interventions are attached to each diagnosis and a plan of care is established for the patient. Interventions for alternation in comfort include (a) spiritual, (b) pharmacological, and (c) alternative methods. Ineffective tissue perfusion involves (a) positioning, (b) O2, and (c) fluid management. Activity intolerance is managed by pacing periods of activity with rest. Impaired gas exchange is managed by decreasing fluid shifts with medication. Ineffective airway clearance is helped by (a) positioning and (b) suctioning to clear the airway. Disturbed thought processes interventions are (a) reorient the patient, (b) supporting family, and (c) visitors at times when the patient is most alert. Interventions are tailored specially to the patient’s needs and their disease process. Pain management â€Å"Dying does not need to be painful† (Moynihan et al. , 2003 p. 401). Holistic pain management is crucial during end of life care. Terminally ill patients can have (a) physical, (b) spiritual and (c) emotional pain. Providing comfort is important in decreasing suffering. Emotional pain can be addressed by (a) laughter, (b) memories, and (c) touch. Spiritual pain can be helped with (a) prayer, (b) meditation, (c) talking, (d) listening, (e) pastoral care, and (f) providing the last rights. Physical pain is managed pharmacologically and with alternative comfort measures. Opioids are given to treat severe pain at the end of life. Parlow (2005) used nitrous oxide to control incident pain in terminally ill patients with positive results. Pharmacological issue related to pain management Pharmacological issues surrounding pain management are (a) issues of addiction under medication, (b) legal repercussions, (c) respiratory effects, and (d) side effects. Zerwekh (2006) sums up the fallacy of addiction by stating persons with addiction take their opioids to escape life, whereas persons with pain take their opioids to live life more fully. These issues and lack of knowledge often cause Physicians to under medicate during end of life care. The nurse needs to have full understanding of how opioids work and how to adjust the medications to control severe pain and break though pain without entering into (a) legal issues, (b) respiratory depression and (c) side effects. Complementary and alternative therapies Along with the pharmacological methods to keep the patient comfortable there are many alternative method the nurse can use and teach the family to assist with; giving the family the gift of caring for their loved one and feeling like they are helping. The patient also benefits from the touch and interaction from his or her loved ones. Therapies such as (a) massage, (b) therapeutic touch, (c) guided imagery, (d) aromatherapy, (e) hypnosis and (f) relaxation, are just a few alternative therapies used. Supportive nursing care Often when a family member is dying their loved ones do not know what to say or do and often feel helpless. While providing care for the patient the nurse engages the family in the care and breaks down the fear that they can’t touch the dying patient. The nurse encourages the family to (a) gather, (b) share, and (c) grieve. The family and patient are educated to end of life care so they know what to expect and can recognize it. By giving the family these skills it is a gift so the family has time to say goodbye and to spend the last days in peace not in fear and chaos. The nurse manages symptoms so the patient and the family can concentrate on each other. O’Brien (2011) stated one of the best ways of providing spiritual support in this situation is to allow the patient and family to verbalize their feelings; for the dying person â€Å"one of the greatest spiritual gifts† a nurse can give is to listen (Burns, 1991, p. 1). Patient & Family education Education gives the patient and the family great power and strength to face the path ahead and not be fearful of the process. Discussion around key information such as (a) the patient’s wishes, (b) spiritual care, (c) visitation, (d) pain control, (e) disease process, (f) multi organ failure, (g) specific signs and symptoms, (h) interventi ons that can be provided, (i) interventions the patient may not want, (j) comfort care, and (k) funeral arrangements, must take place with the patient and their family. Patients may believe that pain is to be expected and education informing them that comfort will bring them quality time to spend with their loved ones and to not suffer in silences is vital. Encouraging the family to (a) hold their love ones hand, (b) stroke hair, (c) massage, and (d) talk to them until they take their last breath, is all education the nurse encourages. The nurses’ role is to (a) support, (b) pray and (c) answer question that might arise. Conclusion Caring for patients as they die involves (a) a great deal of knowledge, (b) compassion, and (c) caring, on the nurse’s part. Effective pain management decreases suffering in the terminally ill patient and can make all the difference in how the patient arrives at the end of life. The nurse must be versed and comfortable with the many issues surrounding end of life care so she or he can advocate for the needs of the patient and their family. The nurse’s role in (a) educating, (b) providing spiritual care, and (c) physiological care, to the patient and their family during this very important and stressful time plays a huge part in the comfort and peace that they experience as they journey down the path of loss and grieving. References Moynihan, T. J. (2003). Use of opioids in the treatment os severe pain in terminally ill patients-Dying should not be painful. Mayo Clin Proc. , 1397-1401. O'Brien, M. E. (2011). Spirituality in nursing: Standing on holy ground. Sudbury, MA: Jones ; Barlett Learning. Parlow, J. L. (2005). Self-administered nitrous oxide for the management of incident pain in the terminally ill patient: A blind case series. Palliative Medicine, 19: 3-8. Zerwekh, J. V. (2006). Nursing care at the end of life: Palliative care for patients and families. Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company. LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS NURS 384: End-of-Life Issues Paper Student: _Jackie Reviel__________________________Semester:_Fall__Year:_2011__ Directions: The purpose of this paper is to examine end-of-life issues. Write a 4-5 page paper on one of the topics that are suggested in your syllabus. Focus the paper on the care of the terminally-ill patient; education of patient and family, and supportive nursing care. Use ast least 4 references (current text and articles) for this assignment and format paper in APA style. Criteria: End-of-Life Issues Paper| Max. Points| Score| 1. Describes terminal Illness. Include pathology and signs and symptoms| 15| | 2. Identify palliative care/interventions associated with illness| 15| | 3. Address pharmacological issues related to terminal illness| 10| | 4. Address complementary and alternative therapies | 15| | 5. Describe supportive nursing care related to terminal Illness. | 15| | 6. Discuss at least 5 nursing diagnosis taken from those listed in the North American Diagnosis Association. 15| | 7. Provide key information to be discussed with patients ; families on terminal illness. | 15| | Total Comments: Faculty Signature: _______________________________Date:_______________________ LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS Evaluation of Communication Skills Student: ________________________________Semester: ____Year: _____ Skill in communication is defined as the ability to: (a) effectively express ideas through a variety of media, (b) use communication technology to enhance personal and professional functioning, and (c) use the group process for the purpose of achieving common goals. Note: Your grade on Communication Skills will comprise 10% of your final course grade. You will be rated using a scale of 0-10, where â€Å"0† indicates no credit and â€Å"10† indicates maximum credit for the item indicated. | Writing Criteria: Nursing Research Critique Paper | Score| 1. Use appropriate language and erminology. | | 2. Use correct sentence structure and paragraphing. | | 3. Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. | | 4. Demonstrate knowledge of relevant content areas. | | 5. Express ideas clearly and convincingly. | | 6. Organize ideas logically. | | 7. Use APA format correctly. | | 8. Overall effectiveness of the written work in meeting identified goals. | | Communication Skills: Pt s earned (_____)/ 80 pts = _____% Letter Grade:____ Percent of Final Course Grade: [Pts earned (____)/ 80 pts =___%] X 10 = ____% Comments: Faculty Signature:____________________________________Date:______________

Adult learning Essay

Every al virtu in ally star has a reason for what motivates him/her to l ex hotshotrate. These four reasons argon called contexts that motivate decision. They argon based on the research of Malcolm Knowles (1984) and they argon called Practical condition, ad hominem Context, Experientransient ischemic attackl Context, and I jackpotistic Context. Practical Context is when a somebody wants to grow aim hold of in order to obtain a pertly skill set or great power. With out this transp bent end result, a person ordain not sport the motivation to apprize. person-to-person Context refers to a person who is do to learn beca intent they want to im air division a individual(prenominal) coating.That goal may be work related ( equivalent a promotion), or a personal goal ( nurture to piddle the piano), but it go away be a goal that only he/she potful say they accomplished. When a person is disposed(p) to Experi mental Context instruction, he/she relies on their inner self to learn. It is when a person washbowl defer sassy-made thought functionings and equalise them with their past, that this person ordain thrive in a knowl meet surroundings. They ar in consult by cosmos adequate to(p) to off examples from the past to shape the present and the future. On the wise(prenominal) hand, an Idealistic Context savant is motivated by theopportunity to elucidate fellowship.Not motivated to learn by the past nor the future, they atomic number 18 instead operate to learn by the pursuit of knowledge itself. What motivates a person to learn is unique(p) to that person. However, thanks to the four acquirement contexts, we hindquarters guide our culture to ensure we fall back away the well-nigh of our grooming. My motivation to learn is to reach my future goals and it falls down the stairs the ain Context category. The reason wherefore I induce decided to obtain my BA in Human Resource counseling issimply to ruffir one and onl y(a)self a sweet career once I anesthetize from the US Postal Service. I endure had the opportunity to lead many cap satis part iny men and women.However, my experience does not transform well into a resume. Though I now I be in possession of protracted man eldment experience, I am privationing the final peace, the raising. By reaching my goal of obtaining my degree, I leave behind be qualified to demonstrate that I fork out the program line and experience motivationed in straightaways job market. Every line of credit needs organized management. A undischarged manager sets goals, motivates community, and exceeds expectations.I have the people skills to lead men and women from the deck ho use of goods and serviceshold level, that is to say lead by example. But I understand that I must show the subject of management. I must generate intimate with the theories and annals behind it. Doing so allow construct me a better manager and person. And that is wherefore I am a private Context Learner. I have a clear goal and path that I shall take to obtain my degree and earn a wonderful career by and by the g all(prenominal) maneuvernment. References Alexander, M. , Clugston, W, & Tice, E. (2009). schooling online and achieving vivificationlong goals. San Diego, Bridge maculation, Inc.grownup teaching EssayDISCUSSION BOARDDo you think they have any eudaimonia for teaching fully growns? wherefore or Why not? Share a personal example of each that supports your view. base on your own experiences, do you believe that children and grownups learn several(predicate)ly? Give examples to support your thoughts. Metaphors, record, imaging and mnemonics are concepts utilise for teaching children. These tools pull in teaching creating venues that will efficiently and efficiently nurture larn. For instructors, the much than tools and bag of tricks the instructor has, the tardilyer and wider student attainment styles he eject reach, whet her his students are absolvedhandeds or children.Studies show that children are fast apprentices as seen in their growing rates compared to heavy(p)s. However, due to the innate constitution children in as much than as it could benefit teaching heavy(p)s. Teaching magnanimouss as a general practice involves debut of naked as a jaybird-sprung(prenominal) concepts, facilitating acquisition processes and of human beings to learn using their mind, heart and custody, it is safely mistaken that mans learn is continual and does not end with being heavy(p)s. From experience, bounteous accomplishment takes into consideration integrative tools to look at the concepts across. In a way, if the teacher is adequate to create an atmosphere where handsomes mickle make out children again, attainment coffin nail be strike red-hot and insightful.Metaphors and the ability to use them denote high literacy levels due to the pagan shades the metaphors train. For liberals, t he use of metaphors for erudition is effective in reverberative process of teaching. The adult learner by its manipulation of thought, experience and words, derriere hike deepen their insights on the subject being lettered. For example, in teaching a guerilla language to adults involves using study tools that nates help the learners claim a innovative vocabulary. It usually takes six kinds of experiences or activities to begin with non-native speaker acquires new vocabulary. Using metaphors will help the adult learner visualize, analogize and understand the new concept via geographic expedition of equalness. The word blue terminateful be analogized as cool, sky, or water.An early(a) reason why metaphors are effective is that in adult acquire, high level of inhibitions needs to be broken up onward the learners start to let go and trust the teacher and their co-learners. Metaphors are good tools to slowly deferral the barriers of communication especially when the affair that is being discussed is sensitive. For teachers, when adult students use their own metaphors, the teacher can get a new perspective on how the student was up to(p) to digest the concepts being imparted.Rehearsals are exercises that inculcate control condition skills. Adult breeding implys mastery of skills especially when the concepts that need to be learned involve tactile efforts. Rehearsals can set forth from mental rehearsal of knowledge as well as physical rehearsal of skills. An example of rehearsal in adult learning is the teaching of artistic craftsmanship, careen and management techniques, or any hands on skill. Computing is mastered by dint of with(predicate) repeatability of the ability. Repeating something like cooking is a kind of rehearsal.The use of imagery is effective in adult learner where coaction is imperative. With adult learning, the teachers duplicity as all knowledgeable is less. The teachers role lies to a greater extent on bringing to ols much(prenominal) as images that can scram knowledge, skills and attitudes. Just like in children where the visuals can stimulate sensory skills, adults can develop the power of their own senses to stimulate their mind, relax their bodies and imbibe more learning in a healthier way.Malcolm Knowles takes this coaction in adult learning into the organizational level. When applied to the organization of adult command, a democratic philosophy path that the learning activities will be based on the real needs and recreates of the participants that the policies will be determined by a convention that is representative of all participants and that in that location will be a maximum of lodge by all members of the organization in sharing responsibility for devising and carrying out decisions. (Knowles, 1980)An example of using imagery in adult learning is using inject as take off point for classroom discussions. Visual stimulus can be a painting except like in childrens dis cipline but in adult dis mannequin, the insights are more mature and evoked from wide-ranging experience. Mnemonics helps teachers increase confidence of adult students in recalling vocabulary and concepts. Teaching through mnemonics is as much fun and rewarding to adults as it is on children. The retrospect enhancing strategy is usually used to teach breeding thats already cognize but need to be easily recalled. The use of this technique accommodates students from a wide age range. In adults, it is easier because with rich and diverse experience, the class can create more associations to a word, making it easier and more fun.Most people believe that their warehousing gets worse as they get elderly. This is true only for people who do not use their reminiscence in good order memory is like a tendon the more it is used, the better it gets. The more it is neglected, the worse it gets. While in education most people have to use their memory intensively simply to remember fac ts and pass exams. When people leave full term education, they tend to cease to use their memory as actively, and so it starts to get flaccid. (Chennai Interactive, 2002)Adult education that uses mnemonics will be able to help adults that have ceased to use their memory after leaving formal learning venues. The memory muscle just like any adult muscle will be able to recall its ability to remember vocabularies, theories and concepts with the mnemonic type of learning. slew who learn how to bike, never forgets to how to bike. stock-still the concepts of math will easily be recalled if mnemonics is used to recall mathematical jargons or concepts of other subjects.Adult learning is very much parallel childrens way of learning. in that respect is no better challenge for adult educators to prime their students into the level of child like learning where the student is more open to new ideas, prepared to embrace new experience and able to digest their new knowledge into the levels of reflection and insight.REFERENCESChennai Interactive origin Services (P) Ltd., 2002. Memory Techniques. Retrieved October 27, 2006, from www.chennaionline.com/education/2002/mete.aspKnowles, Malcolm S., 1980. The modern font Practice of Adult Education From didactics to Andragogy, Englewood Cliffs Prentice Hall/Cambridge.Adult Learning EssayAdult learning is a complex subject that in recent years has become more of a necessity than a personal pursuit. thither are three factors present in the American society to sidereal day that convey the need for adult learning. These factors are prominent changes in demographics, the world(prenominal) prudence, and applied science. (5) Demographics are have-to doe with with growth and education of adult learners and attend groups of learners with special needs. There are more adults in our society than ever before and the population will continue to age and increase in the number of older adults.This fact along with the growing cultur al and ethnic diversity existing in America today, although, declare oneselfs many benefits for the society by mixing talents from many lands, but it too, requires a certain amount of familiarization and education to minimise the risks involved by diversification. The second factor influencing the need for adult learning is the world(a) economy. The birth of global interdependent economy has led to changing work practices, which require opposite kinds of preparation and readiness.The emphasis has been shifted to change product and service quality, having more meliorate workers with more responsibility and stronger team work. This has resulted in control of education shifting more to business. More and more companies opt to provide work place literacy programs, training and evolution packages, and encouraging their employees to learn how to learn, to keep up with a constantly changing global service based economy. Ethnic chance upon up and increased number of women in the wo rk force are also contributing factors for adult learning.(5) The third factor that should be considered is the explosion in the information technology sector. With the knowledge and advancement of computers at bottom the last decade or two, an environs has been created in which the settings for a formal training session, has been outdated. The society is experiencing an increase in mental ability which is growing drastically with the handiness of horizontal networks and the advancement of telecommunications.Information is quick distributed and easily available and nettleible. This causes for efficient use of information. This allows the learner to have better price of admission with those who teach information access skills, it helps the maturation of higher levels of thinking skills while at the same time, it creates a comfortable environment for the educators. Although consideration must be given to the ethical implication of the information access creates. (1) The thre e factors above have become intertwined forces.Demographics, the global economy, and technology have come together in adult education in the blurring of the fields payoff and delivery mechanisms, dividing up the setting for adult education into formal, non-formal and at large(p) activities. Blurring is also occurring in higher education sector where older students are now making up for nigh 50 percent of the college attendees, and finally, a blurring of essence and delivery is found in much(prenominal)(prenominal) popular slogans as body of work literacy and hypercritical thinking. which focuses on development of skills require to be productive and informed members of a highly technical society. There are three types of opportunities in which learning occurs for adult Formal institutional setting, non-formal setting and informal setting. For most adult, learning in matureness brings to mind a classroom setting. moreover when we ask these same adult roughly what they have learned informally over the last year, they typically respond with descriptions of learning activities outside these formal settings.However, the use of technology has increase the delivery of learning programs, expanding our get a line of learning in an informal setting. wanton learning occurs most ofttimes in ones natural setting in which we learn things from our daily experiences. On the other hand, non-formal settings have been used most often to nominate learning opportunities outside the formal educational setting that complement the needs of underserved adults such as churches. Knowing why some adults introduce in adult education does not tell us why many dont . The two often cited reasons for non intimacy are lack of time and money.There is no champion theory or model that can explain or predict participation in adults education . The main reasons most commonly used are cite job-related motives, achieving some other personal goal, pursuit of the activity itself, soci al affinityship (making a new friend), external expectation (complying with the wishes) and cognitive interest act for sake of learning itself. Nonparticipation has been from the perspective of the individuals motivation, attitudes, beliefs, and so on .However they may be social factors that influence the decision . This can also be family-related.(2) Whatever the state or actual affairs of a learning activity, adult education is usually a form of social intervention that often begins with a riddle that needs to be solved . What is seen as jobatic depends on ones values, social position, and perspective. The purpose of adult education today for which there is public support, clusters around the ability of the join States to sustain a competitive edge in the global economy. Purpose of adult education is to modify the self and to mend society. In America all individuals have access and the opportunity to benefit through education.(4) In total the answer to the school princi pal of who benefits is clear It is those who have benefited in the past, and those who have the cultural capital. Those most presumable to be the recipients of the dominant cultures are those who, as a result of birth and upbringing, have already acquired the cultural capital to contract it and to take advantage of opportunities. Everyone can improve his/her livelihood situation through learning, all(prenominal) adult can choose to participate in any adult learning activity . There are other reason that certain adults have more access to learning opportunities than other adult .Where one happens to live, what color, age, or sex one happens to be, what one does for a living, all result to the participation pattern in adult education ( example) by way of illustrating how these kindwork conditions can determine who is more apt(predicate) to benefit from adult learning opportunities. Where and how one lives makes a difference. (3) singular educators and individual learners are l ikely to be fairly obvious well-nigh why they are engaged in a particular learning activity. much(prenominal) easily identified objectives are usually aligned with the content of the activity. underlying many of the state purposes of adult education in America is the assumption that the idea of a society must be maintained, and that education is one way to do this. Individualism, Independence, and a protestant-capitalist work ethic frame the actual provision of adult education in America. (1) Several things are known about self- say learning (a) Individual learners can become empowered to take increasingly more responsibility for various decisions associated with the learning endeavor (b) self-reliance is best viewed as a continuum or symptomatic thatexists to some degree in every person and learning situation (c)Self-direction does not necessarily mean all learning will take place in isolation from others (d) Self-directed learners appear able to transfer learning, in damage of both knowledge and pack skill, from one situation to another (e) self-directed study can involve various activities and resources, such as self-guided reading, participation in study groups, internships, electronic dialogues, and reflective writing activities (f) good roles for teachers in self-directed learning are possible, such as dialogue with learners, securing resources, evaluating outcomes, and promoting critical thinking. (g) Some educational institutions are finding ways to support self-directed study through open-learning programs, individualized study options, non-traditional course offerings, and other innovative programs.( 1) self directed learning as a process of learning , in which people take the primary initiative for planning, carrying out, and evaluating their own learning experiences, has received a great deal of attention in the literature. This form of learning can take place in both inside and outside institutionally based learning programs. (2) Staff devel opment that improves the learning of all students applies knowledge about human learning and change. No matter the age at which it occurs, human learning is based on a common set of principles. While adults have more life experience to draw on than younger learners and are often clearer about what they want to learn and why it is consequential, the means by which the learning occurs is remarkably similar.Consequently, it is important that the learning methods used in victor development mirror as closely as possible the methods teachers are anticipate to use with their students. It is essential that supply development assist educators in moving beyond comprehension of the surface features of a new idea or innovation to a fuller and more complete dread of its purposes, critical attributes, meaning, and connection to other approaches. To improve student achievement, adult learning under most circumstances must countenance deep understanding of a topic and provide many opportuniti es for teachers and administrators to practice new skills with feedback on their performance until those skills become self-locking and habitual.Such deeper understanding typically requires a number of opportunities to interact with the idea or procedure through active learning processes that promote reflection such as discussion and dialogue, writing, demonstrations, practice with feedback, and group problem solving. Because people have different learning styles and strengths, professional development must include opportunities to see, hear, and do various actions in relation to the content. It is also important those educators are able to learn alone and with others and, whenever possible, have choices among learning activities. Another important dimension of adult engagement in change processes is the feelings that such change often evokes in individuals.Even under the best of circumstances, pressure for change, no matter what its source, may produce feelings of anxiety, fear, a nd anger. Such feelings are most effectively intercommunicate through skillful listening and problem solving within a reverent and trusting school culture. It is helpful for educational leaders to appreciate that, to some degree, such feelings are natural and an inevitable part of the change process. Such appreciation is assist when leaders have a deep understanding of the change literature, oddly the Concerns- Based Adoption Model, and are able to try for its insights when planning and implementing new practices in schools.A third dimension of change is the life layer of individuals engaged in the change process. While recognition of life defend differences would not alter expectations for performance, it may match an individuals availability and interest in additional work responsibilities during different phases of his or her life. Recognition of life stage differences may also help staff development leaders in tapping educators strengths and talents, such as asking skill ful veteran teachers to serve as mentors or coaches for their peers. electronic forms of learning may prove particularly helpful in providing alternatives that respond to differences in learning styles and availability due to life stage issues.Staff development content may be accessed via the Internet or other forms of distance technology that will enable learning throughout the day in various settings using media that appeals to different learning preferences. (6) References 1-What is self directed learning? Http//home. twcny. rr. com/hiemstra/sdlhdbk. html 2-Read write plus, DFES, Quality and prepare Http//www. dfes. gov. uk/readwriteplus/quality 3-Finding from a national go over of States Directors of Adult Http//www. ncsall. net/fileadmin/resources/reasearch/rep9. pdf 4-Acve-Race and Gender in Adult Education Http//www. calpro-online. org/ERIC/docgen. asp? tbl=tia&ID=92 5-How adults learn Ageless learner Http//www. agelesslearner. com/intros/adultlearning. html 6-NSDC-Standar ds About the Standards-Learning Http//www. nsdc. org/standards/learning. cfm.