A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway Essay Example for Free

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway Essay 1. A Clean Well-Lighted Place 2. In the short story A Clean Well-Lighted Place written by Ernest Hemingway in 1933, there are three characters that are defined by light.   First there is the elderly gentleman who is a customer in the bar.   He regularly comes to the bar to get drunk while he sits in the shadows of the leaves of a tree.   This man has lived a long life and has known much pain.   In fact he has known enough pain that he has tried to commit suicide. The two waiters inside the cafe knew that the old man was a little drunk, and while he was a good client they knew that if he became too drunk he would leave without paying, so they kept watch on him. Last week he tried to commit suicide, one waiter said. (Hemingway)   He drinks to dull his pain of loss and pain.   The shadows are symbolic of all of his bead memories clumped together and the leaves that through tiny shadows to hide him are specific memories.   Even though he wraps himself in the darkness, he must be close to the light in order to survive.   The light, or goodness, gives him hope to carry on in a life that he cannot even successfully leave. The next character is the young waiter who must have the light.   He has not lived long, has a wife, and children.   Because his life seems to be exactly where it should be things are good and that is represented by the clean light of the bar.   Because of his youth, there has not been time for messes or losses.   He fears the shadows that shroud the elderly man because he sees them as foreshadows of his own life that he does not want to face. Hell stay all night, he said to his colleague. Im sleepy now. I never get into bed before three oclock. He should have killed himself last week. (Hemingway) The last is the older waiter.   This man has experienced enough life that he, like the elderly gentleman, prefers the dark.   He sees the light as only something to illuminate the defects in life.   The light is very bright and pleasant but the bar is unpolished, the waiter. said. (Hemingway)   This way feels that understands that he has more in common with the elderly man in the shadows, but he longs to be back in the light. I am of those who like to stay late at the cafe, the older waiter said. With all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night. (Hemingway) 3. Hemingway uses A Clean Well-Lighted Place to ponder the meaning of life.   Life is lived and through the journey, individuals know the joy which leave them with a lack of understanding of others like the young waiter and the elderly man.   You should have killed yourself last week, he said to the deaf man. The old man motioned with his finger. (Hemingway) Only those who are satisfied with life should be around him.   Money is not what makes people happy. The elderly man has money, but still he tries unsuccessfully to committee suicide.   Hemingway was well into his career at this time and had plenty of money yet he was not happy.   He adds the quick glimpse of the girl and the soldier who brave the fear of getting caught for the sake of love or the physical part of love to show that there are things that are meaningful in life that are worth the risk.   Yet in the end people are left with their shadows of memories that are so painful that they either desire for nothing but to turn back to the light part of their lives or to desire to leave life.

Material Wastage on Construction Sites Work

Material Wastage on Construction Sites Work Material waste is recognised as a major dilemma in the construction industry and has important implications. The construction industry has been reported to be generating intolerable levels of material waste. This report reviews the causes and preventions of wastage of materials in the construction industry. The report also assists clients, main contractors, subcontractors and others who work in the construction industry with advice on how each individual can make a change to help reduce waste. 1.2. Definition of construction waste Waste is a common term and occurrence in the construction industry worldwide. Wastes are materials that are not main products which the initial user has no further use for his/ her wants to dispose. Waste is measured by size or weight and is unwanted or useless materials. Construction waste can be divided into material, labour and machinery waste, however, material waste is more of a concern because most raw materials come from non- renewable resources. Construction waste is generated by construction activities. 2. CAUSES OF CONSTRUCTION WASTE IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY Waste measurement plays a significant role in the management of systems due to its effective way to measure their performance. Building material waste is complex to recycle due to high levels of contamination and a large degree of different materials mixed together and usually there is inadequate space for its disposal in large cities. There are seven categories of waste identified: There is unnecessary movement of people. When there is waiting by employees for equipment to finish its work. Defects in products. The overproduction of goods that are not needed. Goods awaiting further consumption. Unnecessary processing of goods. Unnecessary transportation of goods. There are other causes of material wastage such as accidents, working under suboptimal conditions, design of products that do not meet the userà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s needs, theft and vandalism. Along with the causes of indirect waste, material waste may be incorporated into buildings since materials are often used in excess of designed quantities or for a different purpose than what is specified, replacing materials for interior quality. It has been noted that material wastage is due to lack of control of materials by contractors. One of the major sources of waste was left over scrap resulting from cutting materials, such as bricks, blocks and sheetrock panels. Most of the waste involved with wood is non- reusable consumables meaning that this material assists in the production process but do not end as part of the building. Packaging and improper handling are also identified as important causes of waste. 2.1 Materials and the waste they cause Different products and materials are experience waste in different ways based on sizes, use and specification, this information was discovered by Skoyles (1976), Bossink and Brouwers (1996) and Forsythe and Marsden (1999) Steel Reinforcement Controlling the use of steel reinforcement on building sites is difficult due to it being bulky to handle due to its weight and shape. Steel reinforcement is always sold by weight. There are three main reasons for steel reinforcement waste:- Short unusable pieces are produced when bars are cut, Some bars sometimes have an excessively large diameter due to fabrication problems and trespassing which leads to theft. Poor structural design in terms of standardization and detailing causing waste due o non- optimized cutting of bars. Cement In- situ production of mortar: Cement is usually manually loaded in the mixer with the use of incorrect equipment. The lack of information available to construction labour for producing different mixes of mortar. Handling and transportation of mortar: This waste is related to site layout problems, lack of maintained pathways and use of inadequate equipment. Brickwork joints: Due to excessive consumption of mortar in joints, this is caused due to insufficient information available about process standards, inadequate supervisions, variations in the size of blocks and the lack of process standardization. Plaster thickness: Due to deviations in the dimensions of structural elements, problems in the incorporation between different designs and the omissions in the designs relating to defining the exact sizes of components such as door frames and blocks. Floor Screed: Due to deviations in the concrete slab level in relation to design and the need to inlay pipes in the floor. Sand, lime and Premix Mortar Sand and mortar are usually delivered in trucks, this may cause additional losses related to the lack of control in the delivery operation and the necessary handling demands. Bricks and Blocks The delivery of material such as the lack of control in the amount of bricks/ blocks delivered and the damage of the bricks and blocks are causes of waste, however, poor handling and transportation are the main causes. Another factor of waste is the need to cut the blocks and bricks which is due to the modular coordination in design. Ceramic Tiles The main source of waste was the cutting of tiles due to the problems in integration between architectural and structural design. This caused the cutting and wastage of tiles. Pipes and Wires Short, unusable pieces are produced when pipes are cut. Poor planning in the distribution of materials does not encourage the replacement of elements by others. Contractors often underestimate the real cost of waste on a project as this is not a clear cost. 2.2. Checklist to assess the causes of waste The following checklist can be used to assess the causes of waste:- Is the tender document complete? Is the design a fixed and agreed design? Is the information provided clear? Is the storage available safe and adequate? Is the workforce trained in waste management and waste reduction? Does the programme allow for the work to be carried out without interference with other trades? 3. PREVENTIONS OF WASTAGE OF MATERIALS Waste can be avoided by implementing inexpensive preventative methods related to managerial improvements. Some building materials and components use large amounts of non renewable sources of energy and sources that are in danger of exhaustion, such as timber, sand and crushed stone. It has been suggested that human work should be the main focus of waste prevention. The values of materials depend to a vast extent on the work that has been spent on them. In order to improve the efficiency of value- adding and non- value adding work, the aim is to eradicate waste by removing non- value adding activities. The control of waste to an acceptable level can only be reduced through major improvement in production system conditions. Waste prevention can be successful in many forms, such as:- By purchasing durable, long- lasting materials, Setting out to remove raw materials that are not incorporated into the final product or service, The use of products that are free of toxic material, By reducing the amount of packaging materials, Conserving water, energy or both, Implementation of in- process recycling. Waste prevention is a known as business strategy from which, any company can benefit. Waste prevention can be a routine part of daily business. The following basic steps can be taken:- Determining What Wastes you generate All waste streams need to be examined, including process wastes, hazardous wastes, non- hazardous wastes, solid wastes and office waste. By looking into bins, one can determine what materials are being thrown away. Each waste stream must be characterized to help determine the source of the waste, what processes generate it and how much is being discarded. Identifying Waste Prevention Measures All wastes should be evaluated for probable reduction. Determine how you can reduce each waste, evaluate your purchasing policies and determine what you can re-use. Production changes that would potentially improve efficiency, equipment, piping and layout changes should be identified. Resources that may help conduct a waste reduction assessment at a business should be identified. Priorities and goals should be set Prioritize waste prevention opportunities by considering cost, payback and increased employee safety. Attainable goals should be set. Get Started Employees should be taught about how to reduce waste and waste prevention activities should be promoted. Encourage employees by offering incentives. 3.1. Recycling Recycling is a process whereby materials that would have become waste, are transformed into new materials and products. By using more recycled or reused materials on a construction project, overall costs can be reduced. In recycling, used materials or waste are transformed into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials to help reduce consumption of fresh raw materials, to help reduce energy usage, to help reduce air and water pollution and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling is an important part of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Reduce, Reuse, and Recycleà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ waste. Recyclable materials include many different types of glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles and electronics. The composting or reuse of biodegradable waste such as food or garden waste is not typically considered recycling. Materials that are to be recycled can be taken to a collection centre or picked up from the curb side and then sorted, cleaned and reprocessed into new materials bound for manufacturing. Recycling of a material will produce a fresh, new supply of the same material. Recycling of goods or materials involves their reuse in producing different materials. Recycling has been a common practise for most of human history. Materials for recycling can be can be sorted into the various types on site, ready for pick up. Copper such as wire, old steel furnishings, or equipment and glass windows are some of the materials that can be recycled from a construction site. The type of waste materials accepted for recycling, varies from cities and countries depending on the types of materials that city or country can recycle. The difference in acceptance is reflected in the resale value of the material, one it is reprocessed. 3.2 Re-using Many materials from construction can be recovered from demolition and renovation sites and donated, sold, stored for later use or reused on current or other projects. Private companies sometimes recover materials from the site which can avoid the cost of removal by a contractor. Companies that have storage space available can store good material for future use or for another project. Space, time and equipment can restrict opportunities to reuse materials on smaller projects. Opportunities still exist to import materials from other sites, which may only be available in limited quantities and therefore better suited to small projects. Packaging waste cannot be eliminated or reduced. The most cost effective option with using packaging and the best option for the environment is to reuse the packaging as many times as possible. Repairing any damaged pallets on site is another way of reusing packaging. The pallets that are not in use can be sold to pallet suppliers. Old polypropylene bags can be used for storing demolition wastes. Large sheets of plastic sheeting can be used as wrapping for materials on site as weather protection. 3.3 Successes of prevention methods 3.3.1 Monitoring process and waste production changes- Track things such as the volume of waste products. 3.3.2 Calculating the savings- Look at savings in handlings, treating and disposals cost. 3.3.3 Look at indirect benefits- Try to gauge the value of less obvious benefits such as reaching new markets and improving public image. 3.3.4 Re-evaluate your efforts on a regular basis- As new raw materials and processes are introduced, waste streams change. Conduct regular assessments of your business to identify additional waste prevention opportunities. 4. REDUCTION OF MATERIAL WASTAGE 4.1. Advantages of reducing waste Reducing waste means that resources will be saved. Society benefits from reducing waste by allowing people to limit their usage of a certain privileged in order to conserve it for the future. This can be done effortlessly and doesnà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t involve any extra equipment or dramatic life changes. Reducing waste will help communities, contractors and it improves the image of organisations and companies that reduce disposal. A lot of space will also be conserved in existing landfills. 4.2. Reasons for reducing waste The reduction of waste can be beneficial to many involved in the construction industry. Reducing waste can be a great financial benefit as waste has a cost. The cost of waste is included in a tender price and paid for by the client. Main contractors have the responsibilities for waste disposal but waste is also generated by sub- contractors. Based on an environmental and a cost perspective, clients, main contractors and sub- contractors have focused on the waste issue. The focus on waste is because of the tremendous escalating applied to landfill tax. Reducing the wastage of materials can also be a benefit to sub- contractors and can result in either a total saving to the project or an increase in project for sub- contractors. There would be a drop in tender prices and a competitive advantage achieved. Sub- contractors are to benefit from using their materials more efficiently. If sub- contractors show initiative to support and engage waste reduction measures, they can improve their chances of being known as preferred bidders as they can help main contractors meet their waste targets. In order for sub- contractors to reap the benefits from reduced material waste, they have to be pro- active. Reducing wastage material is also a benefit to clients and contractors. The cost of waste built into project tenders are paid for by clients. A reduced cost for the project can be achieved by reducing the volume of waste generated. The cost saving from projects can be shared amongst main contractors, sub- contractors and clients. Minimising environmental damage means less quantity of landfill space used and reduced environmental impacts associated with extracting, transporting and manufacturing the raw materials. At a corporate level, reducing waste can bring the following benefits to clients, main contractors and sub- contractors:- It demonstrates commitment to sustainability. It reduces the organisations carbon print Engenders a culture of material efficiency in all project activities. It provides evidence of environmental policies being put into place. Prevention of wastage of materials and recycling of waste reduces exhaustion of natural resources such as trees, oil and minerals. Sub- contractors should consider the following to reduce waste:- Use safe and secure storage Develop a strategy that minimises waste For moving materials, consider mechanical systems and machinery Off- site manufacture or construction should be considered Monitor construction activities Packaging must be used in an efficient way People must be trained and educated on how to reduce waste 4.3. People involved in taking action against reducing waste Waste is equal responsibility between all parties of the supply chain, starting from the client to the waste contractor. All involved cannot work in isolation to manage waste. 4.3.1 Clients Clients need to show initiative and leadership by setting rules and requirements for the proper use of materials and communicating these rules and requirements to the project team. The clients need to ensure that the issues with materials waste are discussed. It is also in the clientà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s best interest to ensure that all people involved are making an effort to reduce waste. 4.3.2 Main Contractors Main contractors have to pass on the information about material waste that the client has given him. The main contractor is to develop a site waste management plan that has estimates of wastes that will be generated. The plan needs to include a strategy to reduce waste. The contractor is to monitor waste data by gathering site waste data and comparing them against site waste data. 4.3.3 Sub- Contractors The sub- contractor must support the main contractors in order to ensure delivery of the clientà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s requirements. Sub- contractors must provide accurate waste estimates for their trade. Sub- contractors can develop actions to reduce waste and submit their ideas to the main contractors. The efficient and proper use of materials must be managed and controlled by sub- contractors to ensure that waste is minimised. On completion of a project, the sub- contractor must provide accurate data on the amount of waste, how was it generated and how it can be reduced. 4.4. Approach to waste reduction Sub- contractors can use four stages to reduce waste:-   Planning Implementation Review Improvement 4.4.1.1. Planning Figure 2 Source: www.org.uk/construction The site management plan is developed by the main contractor during this stage. The waste estimates are developed by sub- contractors. Reductions in waste can be realised by bringing in sub- contractors into the site waste management planning exercise. A waste management plan which is developed by the main contractor should have the following key features:- The waste targets that are set by the client, An estimate of the waste that could be generated on site, Solutions to reduce the waste and, Solutions for wastes going to landfills Main contractors need to ensure that sub- contractors are engaged and challenged on the waste they are likely to generate. Contractors and sub- contractors can manage a process of waste reduction that will allow them to meet the waste targets, if estimates of the quantities of materials and the waste likely to be generated are produced accurately. The following actions can assist the sub- contractors with reducing waste:- Accurate information to be used- when pricing projects, the information used must be up to date, in the correct format and must be accurate. The checklist can be used to check the quality of information. The check list will include:- Are the designs and specifications up to date? Is the latest issue of drawings? Is there any further information needed? Are the drawings in the correct format allowing scaling and printing? Use CAD drawings-Drawings must be available in digital format so that the information is accurate and to scale. This way contractors, sub- contractors and suppliers can have access to the same information and errors can be avoided. Carry out site measurements- if site measurements are carried out, more accurate estimates will be produced. Identifying the causes of waste- all causes must be identified at tender stage. 4.4.1.2. Implementation The implementation of the waste reduction strategy relates to the construction phase of the project. At the implementation stage, the practical measures to reduce waste on site, which is agreed at planning stage can now be implemented. During construction, waste management and waste reduction measures must be implemented. Contractors and sub- contractors must make sure that the waste management solutions that they proposed are put into action. They must also ensure that their effect is monitored regularly through project reviews. At each project review, reports on waste must be produced to assist the team to check performance and look for opportunities to reduce waste. While the project progresses, as each track is completed, reviews of individual performance should be carried out and feedback provided so that:- Sub- contractors can identify how efficient they were on the project. Main contractors can decide which trade contributes what quantity of materials to the waste stream and why. Main contractors and sub- contractors can learn lessons that will enable to improve on reducing waste. Main contractors and sub- contractors can learn lessons which will enable them to improve on reducing waste on projects. An important role in the way waste is generated on site is by construction activities. By main contractors and sub- contractors working together at this stage of the project, obstacles can be removed to increase material efficiency. This can be achieved by taking the following actions:- Implement a Waste Minimisation Strategy for the project as part of the Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) SWMPà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s will soon become a mandatory requirement for many projects. The SWMP must contain detailed measures complying with relevant waste legislation and must also include good practise guidance and objectives in order to maximise reduction, re- use and recovery of construction waste. Develop a logistics strategy that minimises waste- A major contributor to waste is poor logistics. Solutions like just in time delivery, helps reduce damage to materials and products by minimising the time they are stored on site. Use safe, suitable and secure storage- For tradeà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s f materials that cannot fall under just in time delivery, suitable, safe and secure storage should be provided to avoid damage during storage and moves. Consider mechanical systems and machinery to move materials- This is useful for trades where materials are delivered in large quantities. Mechanical handling of materials will minimise damage and loss of the materials. Off-site manufacture and construction- This will improve efficiency and quality. It minimises the amount of work on site. Monitor and programme construction activities- The activities should be regularly reviewed. Work must be planned to avoid the overlapping of incompatible trades working in the same area. Use packaging in an efficient way- Packaging is one of the largest waste streams in the construction industry. Situations occur were either too much packaging is provided or too less packaging. The ways of reducing or eliminating packaging, needs to be investigated by main and sub- contractors. Trade and educate people on how to reduce waste- Personal responsibility needs to be allocated on site for waste reduction. Incentives should be given to people in order for them to reduce waste. Training and tool box talks on waste minimisation must be done to inform workers. There needs to be more interaction between estimators, buyers, site managers and operators. The following best practise activities should also be incorporated in the process of monitoring performance during construction:- A site manager should be appointed by main contractors to reduce waste on site. The position does not have to be a full time task. The role and responsibilities must be clearly defined to the site waste manager. The site waste manager should co- ordinate with sub- contractors to ensure availability of storage conditions. The site waste manager should keep a record of all material entering the site in order to reconcile against what has been used. A trade waste manager should be appointed by sub- contractors. In cases where materials are not supplied directly by the main contractors, the sub- contractors must liaise with the Site Waste Manager to make sure that the materials are supplied in an appropriate manner and in the correct quantity. Site Waste managers should monitors costs and the volumes of disposals of materials. 4.4.1.3. Review Figure 4 Source: www.org.uk/construction As each work package is completed and at the end of a project, a review of waste performance must take place as part of the final account and post project review. A review of waste performance should be carried out when each sub- contractor completes their work. Reviewing the data and providing feedback can have benefits such as :- Determining whether waste minimisation and management strategy is effective. Find out what works and what doesnà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t work in reducing waste. Determine how efficient main/ sub- contractors were on the project. Main contractors can look at the trades and the amount of waste it generates. Capture relevant data for future reference. Sub- contractors and main contractors can learn lessons which will assist them in improving the waste performance on projects. Actions that can be taken at the end of projects:- Post Completion Reconciliation- making a comparison of the net quantity of materials used with the quantity ordered. The quantity of materials un- used provides a measure of how efficient usages of materials have been. Any reasons should be investigated and recorded. Carry- out reviews of performance against targets- Workshops should be carried out at regular intervals as part of the project reviews to access performance. Record Data- Capturing waste data should be continuous across different project types. This will allow contractors, clients and sub- contractors to decide how efficient material usage is and the effect it had on profit and overall project waste. 4.4.1.4. Improvement Figure 5 Source: www.org.uk/construction Companies can demonstrate best practise and a company- wide commitment to waste minimisation and management for an improved reputation with clients by improving performance. In improving performance, the waste minimisation is the ability to deliver projects for a lower cost which is the main benefit. Actions such as the following can be taken:- Share the lessons that have been learnt- A good way to improve performance is to learn from experience. The issues relating to minimisation and managing waste are new and good and bad experiences need to be shared across the construction industry. Promoting Innovation- By finding and identifying new ideas in the field of waste management and minimisation, clients, contractors and sub- contractors can contribute to increasing requirements for reducing construction environmental impact. Raise Awareness- All participants to the construction process can improve their performance on reducing waste, increase profits and by promoting a more sustainable image of the industry by raising awareness. Demonstrate better financial and environmental results- Contractors and sub- contractors can demonstrate through examples for future tenders and this can provide competitive advantages. 5. WASTE MANAGEMENT Waste management is defined as the collection, transportation, processing or disposal, managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term waste management normally relates to materials produced by human activity. This process is generally done to reduce their effect on health and the environment. Waste management is a distinctive practice from resource recovery which forces on delaying the rate of consumption of natural resources. The management of wastes, treats all materials as individual class, whether solid, liquid or radioactive substances, and tried to reduce the harmful environmental impacts of each through different methods. Waste management practises differ for developed and developing countries, they also differ for urban and rural areas and for industrial and residential producers. Waste management for non- hazardous waste residential and institutional waste in metropolitan areas is usually the responsibility of local government authorities, whilst waste management for non- hazardous commercial and industrial waste is usually the responsibility of the generator. 5.1 Waste handling and transportation Waste collection vehicles in South Africa, dustbins and waste sorting moulded plastic are some collection methods. Waste collection methods vay widely among different countries and regions. Areas in the less developed countries, do not have formal waste collection systems. 5.2. Waste Management Concepts There are a number of different concepts regarding waste management which vary in their usage between countries or regions. Some of the most widely used concepts are:- Waste Hierarchy The waste hierarchy refers to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Reduceà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Reuseà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Recycleà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ which are known as the à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3 Rà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½sà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. These classify waste management strategies according to their appeal n terms of waste minimisation. The waste hierarchy remains the cornerstone of waste management strategies. The aim of the hierarchy is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste. Polluter Pays Principal Polluter Pays Principal is a principal where the polluting party pays gor the impact caused to the environment. In regard to waste management, this refers to the requirement for a waste generator to pay for appropriate disposal of the waste. 6. HAZARDOUS WASTE A major concern too many countries in the world is hazardous waste. Hazardous wastes are discarded materials that make them potentially harmful to health and safety of humans and the environment. Chemicals, heavy metals or substances generated as by products during commercial manufacturing, discarded paint, thinners, cleaning fluids and batteries can all be included as hazardous waste. Hazardous waste can be in the form of liquids, solids or gases. Hazardous waste sites can pose as a public health threat if the sites are not properly designed or managed. A Hazardous Waste Worker Training Programme (HWWTP) was created to support the Health and Safety of workers who work with hazardous waste. In order to minimize uncontrolled hazardous wastes, all involved in the transportation must comply with the SANS 10406 on Transportation of Dangerous Goods. The objectives of the transportation of Hazardous wastes are:- To ensure the correct packaging, temporary storage and collection prior to transportation, to prevent accidental spillage into the environment and minimise the impact if spillage occurs. To ensure that the hazardous waste arrives safely at a permitted facility. To ensure that emergency facilities are in place before accidents occur and the hazardous wastes are correctly marked so as to aid the emergency team. 7. CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION DEBRIS Construction and demolition materials consist of the debris generated during the construction,

Gender Roles In Pakistan Sociology Essay

Gender Roles In Pakistan Sociology Essay Gender reflects the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that are considered apt for men and women in any society. Mostly the terms gender and sex are not differed and taken as closely related terms. Sex relates to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women while gender refers to cultural differences rather than biological ones between men and women. Male and female are sex categories while feminine and masculine are gender categories. Moser (1993) says that the differences between women and men within the same household and within and between cultures are socially and culturally constructed and can be altered over time. These differences are mirrored in social roles, responsibilities, access to resources, social limitations, opportunities, needs, perceptions, views, etc. Thus, gender does not take only women, but considers both women and men and their interdependent relationships and responsibilities. Reversal A reversal can be taken as change whether the change is a positive or negative against the prevailing trend. It is a change from one state to the opposite state turning the situation into an opposite direction or situation. Gender Roles A gender role defines the appropriate social and behavioral norms adopted by men and women in a social setting. Gender roles vary from culture to culture and traditions and roles can change over time even in the same cultural settings. Gender roles are cultural and personal to determine the speaking, dressing and communicative styles of males and females within a society. These cognitive frameworks are deeply embedded within the minds of males and females to define the masculine and feminine roles. Various socializing agents like parents, peers, teachers, television, movies, music, books and religion influence determining the gender roles within a society. Parents are the biggest factor to decide the gender roles especially of their young offspring. Parents usually treat male and female infants differently. Expectations for males and females are set in a very early age. Traditionally, boys are taught how to fix and build things and how to earn for household and girls are taught how to cook, sew and manage the household. Children then receive parental and social approval when they conform to gender expectations and adapt themselves to the cultural and conventional roles which are reinforced by the additional socializing agent, media. In other words, gender roles and the values pass from one generation to the successive generation in a society. Linda L. Lindsey and Sandra Christie (n.d.) say that as long as the girl infant is wrapped in the pink blanket and the boy infant is wrapped in blue blanket, the development of gender roles gets started. The pink and blue colours are the first indications given by the society to distinguish a female from male. As they grow up, the other cultural factors assure the distinction to remain intact. Girls are given dolls, doll houses and tiny stoves to pretend run a whole household system while boys are given toy tools to construct buildings and toy weapons and tanks to wage wars. In the teen and adult age, girls buy cosmetics and clothes while boys buy sports components and stereo components that is a result of gender role socialization. Commonly the gender roles espoused in childhood remain constant in adulthood. Gender Roles in Pakistan According to a Gilani Research Foundation survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan (april 27, 2009), majority of the Pakistani males and females have distinct roles to play in the society. In the recent years although womens status and role has been uplifted beyond being a housewife, the priority is still given to men in politics, education, employment, and related walks of life. Dr. Rakhshinda Parveen (n.d.) expresses that the constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan dictates equal rights for men and women. However, men are more equal than women in reality. The reality shows women in lower status than men in every sphere of life whether its education, food, health care or freedom of choice of partner. According to the Human Development Report 1999 of UNDP, the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) rank of Pakistan among 185 countries is 100. This rank determines the empowerment of women on a country basis. This measurement results in unequal status of women in economic resources, participation in political decision-making and economic decision-making. In spite of the fact that the Holy Quran dictates the equal rights for women wellbeing and development, women have always been the main target of rights violation in the Muslim countries. The typical subjugated image of Pakistani women reflects the centuries old patriarchy deeply rooted in the sub-continent. Alt hough, emancipation and empowerment has always been documented in the legal documents, this has not come to the reality to its full extent yet. The two fundamental perceptions establish the gender relations in Pakistan that women are inferior to men and that a mans honour is determined by the actions of women of his family. In the Muslim societies, women bear the honour of the family name. To ensure that honour, they are not supposed to dishonor their families, their mobility is limited and they have restrictions on their behavior and activities and have very limited contact with the opposite sex. Women are constrained to have Purdah (veil) to restrain their protection and respectability. Purdah creates physically and symbolically different spheres for men and women by separating their activities. Mostly women spend their time at home to do homely tasks and go out only for serious and approved reasons. Social life generally revolves around the activities of men in society. In the most parts of the country, except in Islamabad, Karachi, and wealthier parts of a few other cities, those families are considered shameless who do not restrict their women. Purdah is practiced according to the family tradition, class and rural or urban residence but men and women do not mix freely anywhere without serious reasosn. The most extreme restraints can be found in parts of the North-West Frontier Province and Balochistan, where women are not allowed to almost leave the house before they get married and are not allowed to meet the unrelated men and they cannot contact with their male cousins on their mothers side, because these men are not classed as relatives in a strongly patrilineal society. In the rural areas of Punjab and Sindh, gender relations are relaxed because women are equally responsible with men fosr transplanting, rice seedlings, weeding crops, raising chickens and selling eggs. When a family aspires a higher status, it entails stricter purdah as a first social change. (Jone Johnson Lewis, 1994) Some urban women, residing in the close-knit communities in the old cities of Lahore and Rawalpndi, generally wear a burqa(fitted body veil) or a chadar (loosely drapped cotton cloth used as a head covering and body veil) when they leave the homes. They usually live in a multistory (havelis) building constructed to accommodate large extended families. The places where people do not know their neighbours, there are less restrictions on womens mobility. Reversal of Gender Roles In the modern times, the old perceptions of a patriarchal society are destabilized that has shifted the earlier unequal power dynamics between males and females and has resulted in the empowerment of women over men. The traditional gender roles have given a way to totally reversed roles to reserve the rights and emancipation of women. Now a days, wives are earning as much as 20% more than their husbands in the whole world that dictates the changing power dynamics that shows that women have got the power to harness the economic power upsetting the old traditional patriarchal beliefs. Traditionally, the women used to need physical protection and economic stability provided by men to save their submissiveness. (Kandiyoti,1988). The traditional patriarchal hierarchy has been shattered and resulted in females patronizing their male counterparts in courtship. Modern women have become more educated and successful, that education and awareness has empowered women resulting in displacing men from their gendered position in society. The emergent trend of educated women out-earning their partners has led to changes in social perceptions and household roles. It has gradually shifted the institutionalized and privileged status of males in society. If women become the breadwinners, the domestic order shifts automatically to men because there is not any other option and this can give both men and women a sense of purpose and identity. Alongside the empowerment of women, the emasculation of men redefines the masculinity and femininity which has determined the gender activities of society. Men, who have become domestic, have redefined the masculinity by entitling them as providers who provides not only economically but also emotionally and logistically. The traditional notion of masculinity of a father has been limited to begetting protecting and providing for children. The difference between what is masculine and what is feminine is what is determined by the gender roles adopted by both the genders. However, by bearing the role of childrearing and household chores, the masculinity of males comes into question that results in confusion in the individual males social identity. As a result, unemployed husbands preserve their masculinity by claiming that they are still provider if not economically but emotionally as they spend more time with their children than their own fathers. (Liza Mundy, 2011) Deccan Herald (2012) conducted a research to study the effects of massive social changes on gender relations. The study has found that men today want babies and commitment, while women are more likely to want independence in their relationships. The study was conducted on over 5,000 American adults and the results revealed that more than half of the single men wanted to have children as compared to just 46 percent of women. The results showed the effects of the growing gender role reversal. History of Gender Roles Reversal The gender ideologies have changed since 1970s. Women became aware of their rights and emancipation with the emergence of feminist movement in 1970s. In 1960, 19 percent of married women with young children were in the paid labour force (U.S. bureau of the Census 1999). By 1998, the ratio of working women was up to 64 percent. This movement of mothers into the work places in the time span of 40 years left a profound effect on the attitudes towards the working women in the public and private spheres. The most of the American men approved and expected their wives to be active in working outside homes as the paid labour force. At the same time the provider role ideology continued to have great effects on males and females. The modern men and women are more receptive for women participation in working places than they were in 1970s. The nostalgia for breadwinner/homemaker family can still be found but more in men than women. Although some men resent the constricted definition of masculin ity that narrows their role as economic providers, they stick to their roles as emotional providers among their children. (Teresa Ciabattari, n.d.) A minority of U.S men resisted changes in womens roles that could result as harmful for children and family life. These rapid changes in the roles of women have resulted in the widening gap between mens and womens attitudes. There is a larger gender difference in attitudes than it was 25 years before. (Teresa Ciabattari, n.d.) Reversal of Gender Roles in Pakistan Gender roles have not been altogether revolutionized in Pakistan but have still been treading the way to transform. The contemporary socio-political and economic conditions in Pakistan are restrained in the paradigm of patriarchy and capitalism. The envoys of women rights movements have been shouting out loud the revolution in the gender roles that has resulted in women working in every field of life. Women have come out of their spheres at home to take part in the tread of progress but they have instigated some initial stages yet and have a long way to trek on. (Pak Tea House, 2012) The women of Pakistan had confronted great challenges in the early 1990s such as increasing practical literacy, gaining access to employment opportunities at all levels in the economy. This development promoted a change in perception about womens roles in society. Women status in society gained public voices from within and outside the political process. The twentieth century has seen various attempts to bring social and legal reforms to improve the Muslim womens lives in the subcontinent. Islam has played very important role to develop the rights of women since partition. Muslim reformers in the nineteenth century introduced women education to ease some of the restraints on womens activities to ensure womens rights under Islamic law. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan organizes the Mohammedan Educational Conference in the 1870s to endorse modern education for Muslims, and he founded the Muhammadan Anglo- Oriental College. Many of the early proponents of education improved the status of women education by initiating cooking and sewing classes initially in a religious framework to advance women knowledge and skills. Still the literacy rate was very low as in 1921, there were only four out of every 1,000 Muslim females were literate. (countrystudies.com, n.d.) Different organizations have been developed for the betterment of womens rights. The Gender and Development (GAD) was introduced as a replacement to the Women in Development (WID) approach. Both organizations aspire to construct the gender equality and tackle the subordination of women in the home and in the public sphere. WID was established in the late-1970s, when it was acknowledged that women were left at the sideline in the process of development and progress of country. WID tended to examine women in isolation while GAD developed the female gender roles maintained by many facets of society, community, economy and not least of all, men. Gad aims to empower women to increase women self esteem, to encourage women organizations. (Jenny Mason, 2009). GAD challenges the social norms which dictate the women subordinate position to men. The educational gender gap in Pakistan is the result of the specific historical, political and cultural forces. (Jafar, 2002) The movement for independence from the British colonization in 1947 was very significant for women who challenged their traditional, domestic gender roles in the male patriarchal society to actively participate in the fight for common Muslim rights. (Jafar, 2002) During the period from independence to the beginning of Zia ul-Haqs rule in 1977, there was a coalition between the womens movement and the state with a common goal to create a modern Pakistan by equalizing womens rights: by granting them government jobs and increasing educational rights for women. (Jenny Mason, 2009) In 1977, General Zial ul-Haq overthrew the government of Zulfiqar Bhuto thinking it to be un-Islamic and aspired for Pakistan to return to Islam. General Zia ul-Haq emphasized the dichotomy of Islam versus the West. This Islamization approach appealed many anti-colonialists and nationalists who supported patriarchy in the country. They accentuated the symbol of Pakistani women as traditional and a symbol of honour for their male partners. Women were taken as ideological boundary makers between Muslims and the western World. (Jafar, 2002) These laws and norms moved women to the private sphere and those who continued to work in the public sphere were portrayed as the symbols of moral decay. In spite of Zias efforts to restrict womens liberty in the public sphere, the womens movement in Pakistan continued to develop during his rule. The Womens Action Forum (WAF) was established in 1981, which fought for the policies created by Zia and their promotion gained international attention which placed a negative pressure on Zias government which helped to avert the further discrimination of womens rights. After the suspicious death of Zia in 1988, Benazir Bhutto, the daughter of Ali Bhutto, was elected as the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan which was a big step towards the growth of women in Pakistan. (Jenny Mason, 2009) Although today womens rights movements and organizations are active in fighting for gender equality, only few are willing to touch the family traditions and honour. Others tend to remain traditional when it comes to the family honour and name. Islam as well as Pakistans constitution has dictated equal rights for man and woman but the society greatly violates women rights. Despite all these violations, Pakistani women have elevated their status in society with the help of some organizations, enlightened groups and government. It has happened just because of the increase in awareness of girls education Now in Pakistan women are working everywhere as in schools, colleges, universities, offices, factories, hospitals etc. they are students, workers, teachers, doctors, nurses and pilots. Pakistani women have proved to do whatever they are capable of despite all the hardships they face in society. These working women are seeding a silent revolution in Pakistan. A silent social revolution has seeped in with rising number of women joining the workforce and moving up the corporate ladder in Pakistan. (Fehmina Arshad, n.d.) They are doing everything from pumping gasoline and serving burgers at McDonalds to running major corporations. Women now hold 78 of the 342 seats in the National Assembly. The cultural norms regarding the women in the workforce have been changed. Despite all the enlightenment and development regarding the rights of women and their being in the workforce, the society has still been captured into the old shackles of conservatism and the working women have to face criticism and condemnation from some for being bold enough to stand up for their rights. Working women are always blamed for being poor mothers and condemned to bring a bad name on the honour of the family in Pakistan. (Fehmina Arshad, n.d.) Despite women taking earning responsibilities, men do not take any attention about household chores. Women have to bear outside as well as inside home responsibilities. Pakistani Television Dramas (History) The Pakistan Television Corporation or PTV is Pakistans first national television broadcaster. PTV transmitted its first live program on November 26, 1964, in Lahore. Pakistan started its broadcasting from a small pilot TV Station which was established at Lahore from where first transmission was beamed in Black and White with effect. Television centres were established in Karachi and Rawalpindi/Islamabad in 1967 and in Peshawar and Quetta in 1974. (Rafay Mehmood, 2011) Pakistani media has played a foremost job in programming many unforgettable Pakistan classical dramas which inspired the generations in the past history. PTV started the tendency of making classic dramas with the help of intellectual writers, powerful direction, and multitalented actors.(Anum saulat, 2010) The decades of 1970s, 1980s and 1990s have seen the tremendous success of dramas and telefilms in the Indian Subcontinent. There was only one TV channel, PTV, at that time which had touched the peak of success in drama making. PTV telecasted many popular dramas like dhoop Kinary, ankahi, tanhayian and dhuan. The whole concept behind telecasting such dramas is to present a well prepared family drama with a strong script to provide a clean environment. The credit of such classic dramas goes to the brilliant story writers like Haseena Moen, Seema Ghazal, Ashfaq Ahmad etc. Their stories mirrored the heart touching issues of society. This was the magnificent time for Pakistani classic dramas which won many national as well as international awards. (Anum Saulat, 2010) The most famous drama serials of this time include Khuda Ki Basti, Unkahi, Tanhaiyaan, Akhri Chatan, Zair Zabar, Aangan Terha, Fifty Fifty, Studio Dhai (2-1/2), Studio Ponay Teen (2-3/4), Andehra Ujala, Sona Chandi, Uncle Urf i, Taleem-e-Baalighan, Alif Noon, Waaris, Dhoop Kinare, Sunehray Din, Alpha Bravo Charlie, Ana, and block buster serials like Pesh, Dhuwan, Kath Putli, Wafa Ham Nibhaein Gai, Bandhan, Kaghaz Kay Phool, Muqqdas, Bint-e-Adam, Malangi, Sawan, Sheela Bagh, Tinkay, Aisa Bhi Hota Hai bhar, rasta de zindgi, and many others. Many programs were very popular even in India. Indian streets used to become deserted when few of the most popular Pakistani TV dramas were broadcasted. Although Pakistan and India are always at daggers drawn with each other, still the dramas of PTV were very popular and still are studied in the acting academies in India. In the early 90s, the private produces entered the territory of Pakistani TV for the first time and presented some phenomenal programs such as drama serial Jaal and Kashkol, cooking shows like potluck and sitcoms including family Front and Teen Bata Teen that enthralled the viewers for a long time. Though Indian programs like CID and Ekta Kapoors Hum Panch created a small cult of their own but the local channel STN and PTV kept the countrol. Whether the field was drama , sitcom or crime stories, the 1990s gave a tough time to Indian Programming because of the quality, cultural relevance of the local dramas and because the access to the satellite channel wasnt easy In Pakistan and was considered a luxury. (Rafay Mehmood, 2011) As the sun was setting on PTVs golden era, Family Fronts Sumbal, Nusrat and Bobby; Alpha Bravo Charlies Faraz, Kashif and Gulsher; Samsung VJs Faisal Qureshi, Jawad Bashir, Ahsan Rahim, Amna Khan and Ahmad Ibrahim; Teen Bata Teens Lucy, Johnny and Shaffu became a cult icon and are still remembered for their brilliant performances to make the characters everlasting. (Shiza Nisar, 2010) There came a time starting from 2001 when Indian dramas showed on a channel, Star Plus, were immensely popular that they not only attracted the women but also children started watching them. But now Pakistani dramas once again have touched the peaks of fame. Indian dramas got famous because of the glamour and family politics shown in them. These dramas affected the Pakistani cultural norms values and traditions so badly that the living styles of the viewers became Indian and they corrupted the society as they were so unreal. They showed the unrealistic lives of industrialists, elites and landlords through glamour. In the start Pakistani dramas started copying their style but soon they turned back to their own identity with the arrival of new competitive private producers in the industry. With the realization that the Indian dramas had corrupted the society, these drama makers extinguished the Indian elements from the productions to follow their old trends of limited episodes and powerful story line. Many writers started writing many powerful stories for different TV channels like Geo, Hum TV, PTV, ARY digital. (Anam Saulat, 2010) Now a day, expression in media has resulted in a lot of channels and variety of Pakistani dramas for the viewers and every channel is now struggling hard to provide the audience with the best dramas ever. This competition has aggravated them to make good serials which reflect and mirror the true picture of Pakistani culture and traditions. Because of this sudden revival of Pakistani dramas, the audience loves the new dramas very much. (Shiza Nisar, 2010) The modern dramas that have gained popularity are meri zaat zarraye be-nishan Ainee ki aygi barat series on Geo and , nur pur ki rani malaal wasal nur bano ,qaide e tanhai, ,humsafar and many others on Hum TV. These dramas are realistic with powerful direction and script. They mirror the societal issues that actually exist in the society. Moreover, dramas like wasal, ishk junoon deewangi doraha and malaal focus on the problems that are faced in a marriage because of modernity and reversal of gender roles. These problems do prevail these days. The reason why the ratio of divorces has increased is well depicted in these dramas. People should be well aware of the bitter realities that prevail in society. (Anum Saulat, 2010) Reversal of Gender Roles in Pakistani Dramas The electronic media in Pakistan has become an avenue for women to be seen shoulder-to-shoulder with men where they can work as diligently as they can to be an active part of the society. However, the role of women in our media seems to be heading in a direction where only their looks and attractiveness can be rewarded. (Zirgham Nabi Afridi, 2010) Most of these dramas revolve around the family, especially women, often as independent individuals and most often as mothers, sisters and wives. The majority of Pakistani dramas today are a strange mix of progress and retreat. Some of the serials hold a few liberal, progressive and gender-sensitive messages, most of them emphasize patriarchal values existed in society. The Pakistani dramas reflect two main streams to depict the gender roles. One is to portray women as dependent on their male partners in a male patriarchal society. Women are shown being brutalized by men, slapped, beaten up, disgraced and ill-treated and men are depicted as the decision makers of the family, who simply dictate women what to do and what not to do. The other stream is to show the women indulged in working shoulder to shoulder with men to be an active participant in the progress of society. They are well aware of their rights and can stand for their liberties if ill-treated but the working women are also portrayed negatively who are the main source for a home breakup. It is rather difficult for the general viewing public to understand the contradictory messages lying within the modern day drama. Working women are depicted as strong and independent, yet also negatively portrayed as cunning (In Durr-e-Shawar the male lead, Haider, laments the fact that his wife, Shandana, is a working woman). (Tasneem Ahmar, 2012) Television dramas can be considered as important tool to propagate gender equality. The dramas depicting equality of gender roles do not expose the overt victimization of women in them. Female characters in these serial are strong, independent and intelligent. How women are portrayed on TV is linked to the prevalent trends set by the management of entertainment television channels. The women who have reached the top in management struggle to change the prevailing trends. They act like new trend setters. Sultana Siddiqui, for example, established a policy that no woman will be slapped in the dramas aired on the TV channel she heads. Moneeza Hashmi, as managing director of the state-run television in Lahore, supported extensive programming intended to guarantee the womens rights and gender equality. After she left, the policy unfortunately seems to have disappeared. (Bushra S, 2012)

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Globalization Essay -- Pros and Cons of

The notion of globalisation encompasses various different aspects of social, economic and political life. In order to answer the question of whether or not globalisation is a progressive or negative force, I must first define globalisation. Then I shall examine the impact of globalisation on the population and finally determine whether this is a positive or negative impact. There are five different aspects that I have chosen in order to define the phenomenon of globalisation. They are internationalisation, liberalisation, universilisation, westernisation, and deterritorialization. (Scholte, page 16) Internationalisation refers to the significant increase in relations between countries. Increases in economic trade and politcal relations between countries has led to increased interdependency between countries, especially on an economic level. There has also been increased movement of people, capital, and ideas between countries. International relations between countries have always existed, but in today's globalised world, these relations have become more important and more significant than ever before. Liberalisation refers to the loosening of government restrictions on movements between countries. It is easier for individuals to move between countries, and also for money and capital to move between countries. The main component of liberalisation has been economic. There have been increasing commitments on the part of nations to adopt free trade policies and allow the free movement of capital between states. There have been significant reductions in tarriffs and on foreign exchange restrictions. Capitalism has been adopted on a global level with companies competing against companies in other countries, and the in... ... has positive and negative effects as it does create for better awareness, understanding, and tolerance of other cultures, it has also eroded many tradional cultural values and this has caused resistance to globalisation. Lastly, globalisation has reduced the power of nation states and increased the power of international organisations and multinational corporations. Globalisation has positive and negative effects, but one certainty is that globalisation does exist and it remains to be seen how much further it will go. Bibliography Bamyeh, Mohammed A. The Ends of Globalisation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2000. Sandbrook, Richard. Civilizing Globalisation - A Survival Guide. Albany: State University of New York, 2003. Scholte, Jan Aart. Globalization - A critical introduction. International Politics Studypack for Term 2, 2006. The Benefits and Drawbacks of Globalization Essay -- Pros and Cons of The notion of globalisation encompasses various different aspects of social, economic and political life. In order to answer the question of whether or not globalisation is a progressive or negative force, I must first define globalisation. Then I shall examine the impact of globalisation on the population and finally determine whether this is a positive or negative impact. There are five different aspects that I have chosen in order to define the phenomenon of globalisation. They are internationalisation, liberalisation, universilisation, westernisation, and deterritorialization. (Scholte, page 16) Internationalisation refers to the significant increase in relations between countries. Increases in economic trade and politcal relations between countries has led to increased interdependency between countries, especially on an economic level. There has also been increased movement of people, capital, and ideas between countries. International relations between countries have always existed, but in today's globalised world, these relations have become more important and more significant than ever before. Liberalisation refers to the loosening of government restrictions on movements between countries. It is easier for individuals to move between countries, and also for money and capital to move between countries. The main component of liberalisation has been economic. There have been increasing commitments on the part of nations to adopt free trade policies and allow the free movement of capital between states. There have been significant reductions in tarriffs and on foreign exchange restrictions. Capitalism has been adopted on a global level with companies competing against companies in other countries, and the in... ... has positive and negative effects as it does create for better awareness, understanding, and tolerance of other cultures, it has also eroded many tradional cultural values and this has caused resistance to globalisation. Lastly, globalisation has reduced the power of nation states and increased the power of international organisations and multinational corporations. Globalisation has positive and negative effects, but one certainty is that globalisation does exist and it remains to be seen how much further it will go. Bibliography Bamyeh, Mohammed A. The Ends of Globalisation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2000. Sandbrook, Richard. Civilizing Globalisation - A Survival Guide. Albany: State University of New York, 2003. Scholte, Jan Aart. Globalization - A critical introduction. International Politics Studypack for Term 2, 2006.

Reflections on Death in The Snows of Kilimanjaro Essay -- Snows of Kil

Reflections on Death in The Snows of Kilimanjaro      Ã‚  Ã‚   Hemingway's The Snows of Kilimanjaro is stereotypical of "The Lost Generation" and their values. They were a generation of expatriated US writers that lived and wrote between the Great Wars and thought of themselves separates from the postwar values and "above" the materialistic western society and continuously question morality and philosophy in their work. They tended to think very little of the rich people. These reflections on life are clear during Harry's retrospectives all throughout the story. In this all around depressing story, Harry is in Africa with his wife and a few days back scratched his leg and it got infected to the point of gangrene. Since the begging of the story Harry is well aware he is going to die and reflects back on his life and his failure as a writer and to some point as a human being.       "I watched the way they sailed very carefully at first in case I ever wanted to use them in a story. That's funny now."1 In this sentence Harry reflects on the buzzards that are attracted by the odor of impending death and how as many other things he wanted to write about and thought he would, he never will now. There are several anecdotes throughout the story that all by themselves could be whole stories, but Harry just never got around to writing about them probably because he did not have confidence in himself as a writer. "But he had never written a line of that, nor of that cold, bright Christmas day with the mountains showing across the plain that Barker had flown across the lines to bomb the Austrian officers' leave train, machine-gunning them as they scattered and ran." 2 This is one of the many experiences the narrator has during his life... ...that at the end would be something welcome as a weight lifted off his chest.      Bibliography: Endnotes: 1 Hemingway, Ernest,   "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," in The Norton Anthology: American Literature, fourth edition-volume 2, page 1635.  Ã‚  Ã‚   2 Hemingway, page 1638. 3 Hemingway, page 1637. 4 Hemingway, page 1637. 5 Hemingway, page 1639. 6 Hemingway, page 1640. 7 Hemingway, page 1640. 8 Hemingway, page 1634. 9 Hemingway, page 1643. 10 Hemingway, page 1651. 11 Hemingway, page 1650-51. 12 Hemingway, page 1650. Other Referenced material not cited. 13 Wilson, M. (2000, October 23). The Hemingway Resource Center (Online). Available: http://www.lostgeneration.com/hembio.html 14 Ogunsuyi, Dr. Austin (2001, September ). African Culture (Online). Available : http://africancultures.about.com/cs/customs/

History of British Empire Notes Essay

History of the British Empire leading to the establishment of the commonwealth This work contains information about the British Empire compared to the Roman Empire than compared to the Spartans. This shows who done b=worse things and was it worth going through all of that if their Empire is not the best? My work also contains certain opinions(mine and my dad) and tan some extra information about the commonwealth, what they do and who’s involved in it. I say that that British Empire changed the world the most because their economic system and schooling system means they had technology and money to build army and navies in Rome could only dream of. However the British got their political and law system from the Romans and Rome in the day had great economic power. ‘The sun never sets on the British Empire’ Is a well-known saying about the British Empire because there was a lot of colonies around the world which meant it was daytime somewhere in the Empire. The British Empire covered the largest land area ever ruled over by one nation, this involved over 166 countries. The British Empire began around the 1700, even though there is no longer considered an empire it still has a vast commonwealth network (this means that there are still some colonies that still believe in the British Empire) However, the Roman Empire lasted over 1,000 years and stretched from Britain to the Middle East. Much of the building technology of the Romans were adopted by the western world and are still used today. 2,000 years later. The Romans had much less of advanced tools to work with and the longer length of the time they was an empire. There are many good and bad points about the Roman Empire but what shocked me the most was that they took over neighbouring countries in their plan to take over the world; they tried to do this through violence and destruction. They would use black slaves and animals as entertainment; this would involve blood and violence. This would be held in the Colluseam. They also had massive amounts of slaves and killed hundred thousand during their conquest. The Empire wasn’t all that bad, considering the Empire was so big there had to be harsh and inhumane things to keep control of it. But things like the gladiatorial games weren’t necessary as without the slave the Roman Empire wouldn’t have been as successful and prosperous as they were. I think that the slaves deserve a lot of credit in making the Empire a success, even though what the Romans done to them were harsh and despicable. If I was to compare the Roman Empire to the Spartans, really the Roman Empire would be k nown as what they done would have been common at the time as the Spartans put a whole race into slavery and never let one of them rise above being classed as a slave. The Romans was quite cruel as they would torture slaves, child molestation, rape, poison and incest slaughter, this was just some of the things they would to the slaves compared the British Empire which invaded countries, changed most of their original cultures, once used privateers(pirates that were authorized by the government) would be used to plunder enemy ships during war and encouraged the colonies even in America to do the same. So I have compared the British Empire to the Roman Empire who was then compared to the Spartans and to conclude my research i believe that we should be proud the British Empire as we was much more civilised and didn’t go over the top in attempting to take over the world unlike the Roman Empire who would put people/slaves through the worst things to try to succeed in taking over the world. Just to make things clear the Spartans was far worst as they put a whole race into slavery and that’s all they would be. I asked my dad if he is proud o f the British Empire and he said: ‘At the time they brought allot of civilisation to many places that lacked in it, in different countries they helped build rail roads, postal services, and religion.’ Than I asked him if he was proud of it now, he replied: ‘Yes because nowadays we have strong, economical and commercial ties with the common wealth countries’ I don’t think my dad was too sure about the bad points but apart from that it was clear that he is proud of the British Empire because of how much it has helped the world today. The coalition government has set out a vision to strengthen the commonwealth as a focus for promoting democratic values and development. There are 54 independent sovereign states in the commonwealth. The commonwealth are a group of countries working in the same direction to promote the common interest of their people and promotion of international understanding. Membership of the commonwealth is voluntary , it is 63 years old, it has 54 member states which together comprise over 2 billion citizens. Her majesty the queen is head of the commonwealth, membership of the commonwealth does not bring with it contractual obligations rather members commit to a series of statements of believes esta blished by heads of government. The priorities and programmes of the commonwealth: 1.Good offices for peace- strengthen democratic processes and institutions 2.Rule of law- promoting the rule of law is seen enhancing democracy, good governments and development across the membership 3.Human rights- aims to assist members in the adoption and implementation of international human rights 4.Economic development-to assist developing countries to improve their understanding of international trade rules and regulations and to help them strengthen their negotiations within the world trade organisation. 5.Environmentally sustainable development- the commonwealth brings together industrialised countries with significant greenhouse gas emissions. 6.Large emerging economies- notable energy production and some of the poorest and the most vulnerable economies. 7.Human development- the commonwealth works towards the millennium development goals and is partially active in education, gender and health.

Minimum Wage Essay

In this year’s State of the Union Address to Congress, President Obama recommended raising the minimum wage to benefit workers who cannot support themselves and their families with their current salaries. The articles, Why We Need to Raise the Minimum Wage and Why We Shouldn’t Raise the Minimum Wage tell us that there were some controversies in raising the minimum wage. As an economics major, I believe it is a bad idea to raise the minimum wage because it creates more unemployment, and it will reduce entry-level jobs. Since increasing minimum wage is not the solution to the poor people, the government should rather increase the earned income tax credit than minimum wage. In the article Why We Need to Raise the Minimum Wage by Andy Stern and Carl Camden, the authors support raising of minimum wage. They argue that raising the minimum wage could reward hardworking Americans by providing basic needs such as basic medical insurance and living in secure housing. Since the low wages are not enough to get those basic needs, workers are getting paid in cash because they can avoid tax responsibilities. The authors allege that raising the minimum wage will restore dignity and value to low-wage work. Conversely, in the article Why We Shouldn’t Raise the Minimum Wage, author Kevin A. Hassett and Michael R. Strain argue that raising the minimum wage does not recover from poverty, and it is a dishonest approach to hide the true cost of the government policy. According to the authors only 11.3 percent of workers from the poor would benefit from raising the minimum wage. Many people who live in poverty do not work, and workers who earn the minimum wage are normally not the primary breadwinners in their households. Hasset and Strain assert that increasing the minimum wage is an insincere approach of the politicians because minimum wage law could provide an opportunity to score political points easily. Even though, expanding the earned income tax credit is much more efficient, the government do not want it because they do not want to use money directly out from treasury. In the economical perspective, raising the minimum wage is a bad idea because it creates more unemployment and reduces entry-level jobs. From the point of view of basic supply and demand, employers and workers adjust the quantity of supplied labor according to wages until the quantity of labor demanded equals to the quantity of labor supplied, reaching an equilibrium wage. However, the minimum wage policy ignores the market price by setting a price floor higher than the equilibrium wage. According to the law of demand, few employers will be willing to hire workers if the minimum wage is increased, and it will create unemployment. Moreover, if minimum wage increases there will be fewer entry-level jobs than before because firms will no longer hire unskilled workers at higher cost. Entry-level jobs are good for younger and unskilled workers. Eliminating these jobs makes it difficult for the low skilled and younger workers to find suitable employment. As mentioned in Hasset and Strain’s article raising the minimum wage is not the solution to poverty because workers who earn the minimum wage are generally secondary earners like an elderly parent earning some retirement income, a spouse with a part time job, or they are young people living with their parents. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, in 2009, expansion of EITC lifted 3.1 million people out of poverty. In conclusion, earned income tax credit will be a more efficient tool than minimum wage policy.