Analysis Of John Steinbeck s The Grapes Of Wrath

John Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas, California. After he graduated high school, he attended Stanford University, but never graduated. In 1925 Steinbeck went to New York to establish himself as a free-lance writer for a little while, but it didn’t work out so he went back to California. He published a few short stories and novels for a while. Then in 1935 he was discovered with Tortilla Flat, a series of humorous stories. Steinbeck’s novels are based on economic problems of labor. After the humorous Tortilla Flat, Steinbeck decided to write a more serious novel, In Dubious Battle, in 1936. It deals with the strikes of the migratory fruit pickers on California plantations. Then in 1937 Of Mice and Men was published. Later, The Long Valley, was published in 1938. In 1939 The Grapes of Wrath was published, the story of Oklahoma tenant farmers who couldn’t earn enough money for a living, so they moved to California and became migratory workers. After a while he wrote East of Eden in 1952, The Winter of Our Discontent in 1961, and Travels with Charley in 1962. Steinbeck wrote those three stories while traveling in a three-month tour through 40 American states. During this tour, he died in New York City in 1968. Modernism is a cultural movement that generally includes art, architecture, music, literature, and design which emerged before 1914. It was a movement of artist and designers who rebelled against late19th century historicist traditions, andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s The Grapes Of Wrath 1554 Words   |  7 Pagescontrast the novel and the movie to show how the messages can be changed when they are put into different medium. After finishing the novel and the movie I would point out that The Grapes of Wrath Novel by John Steinbeck is does a better job capturing an image plus showing messages from back then than the movie by John Ford in many ways. The novel demonstrated various significant rhetorical messages that can be found that were not in the movie, although the novel and the movie had many significantRead MoreAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s The Grapes Of Wrath And Of Mice And Men 1433 Words   |  6 Pagesimportant things in life are love and beauty, whic h bring joy to the process of living. These answers are the philosophy of John Steinbeck † (Benson 555). John Steinbeck was a major American writer who has written many books, which have come to be known as classic American stories. Examples of these classic stories are The Grapes of Wrath, The Red Pony, and Of Mice and Men. John Steinbeck is worthy of the praise he has received for his contributions to American literature because he added a new genre asRead More The Pain of the Okies Exposed in The Grapes of Wrath Essay1485 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pain of the Okies Exposed in The Grapes of Wrath      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Dust bowl was an ecological and human disaster in the Southwestern Great Plains regions of the United States in the 1930s. The areas affected were Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. The poor handling of the land and years of drought caused this great disaster (Jones History). During this time the Okies--a name given to the migrants that traveled from Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, or anywhere in the Southwest or the northernRead MoreEssay about The Grapes of Wrath - Lifestyle in the 1930s1164 Words   |  5 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath is a historical and fictional novel that was written by John Steinbeck in 1939. He wanted to show his point of view of life in US during the years of Great Depression. This essay will talk about the lifestyle the public had during that time which dramatically changed conditions that the environment in we stern part of US had. The plot of Steinbeck?s work of fiction is rooted in the historical and social events of 1930s America, specifically the environmental disaster in OklahomaRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1075 Words   |  5 PagesKirsten Lloyd Mr. Eldridge AP Junior English 21 August 2014 Grapes of Wrath â€Å"Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.† (Seneca), In the 1939 novel, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the reader accompanies the Joad family as they struggle to escape the crippling Dust Bowl of the mid- 1930’s. In hopes of establishing a new life for themselves after being forced off their land the family embark on a journey from Oklahoma to California in search of fruitful crops and steady work alongRead MoreThe Grapes of Wrath: The Role of Ma Joad1252 Words   |  6 PagesThrough the roughest times in life, we come across crises that reveal the true character in those around us. Those who are strong are divided from the weak and the followers divide from the leaders. In the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, author John Steinbeck presents the character Ma Joad who serves an important role as the rock that keeps the family together. The Joad family, apart from many families in Oklahoma, is forced to leave their homes in search of work and better opportuni ties; CaliforniaRead MoreThe Use of Symbolism in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck1052 Words   |  5 PagesThe Use of Symbolism in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath is a novel by John Steinbeck that in my opinion illustrates the terrible conditions under which the migratory farm families of America during the 1930s were forced to live under. This novel in a very descriptive and emotional way tells of one familys migration west to California from Oklahoma (the Joad family) through the great economic depression of the 1930s. The story revolves around the family having toRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1093 Words   |  5 Pages In John Steinbeck s The Grapes of Wrath, Tom Joad and his family are forced from their home during the 1930’s Oklahoma Dust Bowl and set out for California along with thousands of others in search of jobs, land, and hope for a brighter future. The Grapes of Wrath is Steinbeck’s way to expound about the injustice and hardship of real migrants during the Depression-era. He utilizes accurate factual information, somber imagery, and creates pathos, allowing readers connections to the Joad’s plightRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1174 Words   |  5 PagesCody Kunzman 10/26/2014 The Grapes of Wrath Paper â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath† written by John Steinbeck is a classic America novel to say the least. Not only did he create such an inspiring and detailed story line but it was followed up by an Oscar nominated film directed by John Ford. The similarities and differences within the book and the film are very controversial and being able to break down what all happened in each will help a rhetorical analysis to take place in this paper. Rhetorically speakingRead MoreStruggle for Survival in the Grapes of Wrath2273 Words   |  10 PagesStruggle for Survival in The Grapes of Wrath The 1930s were a time of hardship for many across the United States. Not only was the Great Depression making it difficult for families to eat every day, but the Dust Bowl swept through the plains states making it nearly impossible to farm the land in which they relied. John Steinbeck saw how the Dust Bowl affected farmers, primarily the tenant farmers, and journeyed to California after droves of families. These families were dispossessed from the farms Analysis Of John Steinbeck s The Grapes Of Wrath When you think about all of the greatest movies in todays society you can about imagine that they came from books. The only problem with that is the movie, most of the time does not follow the book perfectly. This then changes how someone seeks to understand the overall messages the book wants you to take away from it and are therefore lost. The reason I am writing this is to compare and contrast the novel and the movie to show how the messages can be changed when they are put into different medium. After finishing the novel and the movie I would point out that The Grapes of Wrath Novel by John Steinbeck is does a better job capturing an image plus showing messages from back then than the movie by John Ford in many ways. The novel demonstrated various significant rhetorical messages that can be found that were not in the movie, although the novel and the movie had many significant similarities and differences between them, they were clearly noticeable and picked up on right away, af ter getting familiarized with both the mediums it is clear which one is a better candidate to choose between. In the Novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck portrays many rhetorical messages through out the book. One of those messages has to do with the gender roles in who took the leadership of the family. Ma Joad took the reign of the leader of the family since Pa Joad was too weak from all that has happened to him and his land he lost. â€Å"She walked for the family and held her head straightShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s The Grapes Of Wrath 1594 Words   |  7 Pages John Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas, California. After he graduated high school, he attended Stanford University, but never graduated. In 1925 Steinbeck went to New York to establish himself as a free-lance writer for a little while, but it didn’t work out so he went back to California. He published a few short stories and novels for a while. Then in 1935 he was discovered with Tortilla Flat, a series of humorous stories. Steinbeck’s novels are based on economic problems of labor. AfterRead MoreAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s The Grapes Of Wrath And Of Mice And Men 1433 Words   |  6 Pagesimportant things in life are love and beauty, which bring joy to the process of living. These answers are the philosophy of John Steinbeck † (Benson 555). John Steinbeck was a major American writer who has written many books, which have come to be known as classic American stories. Examples of these classic stories are The Grapes of Wrath, The Red Pony, and Of Mice and Men. John Steinbeck is worthy of the praise he has received for his contributions to American literature because he added a new genre asRead More The Pain of the Okies Exposed in The Grapes of Wrath Essay1485 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pain of the Okies Exposed in The Grapes of Wrath      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Dust bowl was an ecological and human disaster in the Southwestern Great Plains regions of the United States in the 1930s. The areas affected were Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. The poor handling of the land and years of drought caused this great disaster (Jones History). During this time the Okies--a name given to the migrants that traveled from Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, or anywhere in the Southwest or the northernRead MoreEssay about The Grapes of Wrath - Lifestyle in the 1930s1164 Words   |  5 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath is a historical and fictional novel that was written by John Steinbeck in 1939. He wanted to show his point of view of life in US during the years of Great Depression. This essay will talk about the lifestyle the public had during that time which dramatically changed conditions that the environment in we stern part of US had. The plot of Steinbeck?s work of fiction is rooted in the historical and social events of 1930s America, specifically the environmental disaster in OklahomaRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1075 Words   |  5 PagesKirsten Lloyd Mr. Eldridge AP Junior English 21 August 2014 Grapes of Wrath â€Å"Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.† (Seneca), In the 1939 novel, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the reader accompanies the Joad family as they struggle to escape the crippling Dust Bowl of the mid- 1930’s. In hopes of establishing a new life for themselves after being forced off their land the family embark on a journey from Oklahoma to California in search of fruitful crops and steady work alongRead MoreThe Grapes of Wrath: The Role of Ma Joad1252 Words   |  6 PagesThrough the roughest times in life, we come across crises that reveal the true character in those around us. Those who are strong are divided from the weak and the followers divide from the leaders. In the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, author John Steinbeck presents the character Ma Joad who serves an important role as the rock that keeps the family together. The Joad family, apart from many families in Oklahoma, is forced to leave their homes in search of work and better opportuni ties; CaliforniaRead MoreThe Use of Symbolism in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck1052 Words   |  5 PagesThe Use of Symbolism in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath is a novel by John Steinbeck that in my opinion illustrates the terrible conditions under which the migratory farm families of America during the 1930s were forced to live under. This novel in a very descriptive and emotional way tells of one familys migration west to California from Oklahoma (the Joad family) through the great economic depression of the 1930s. The story revolves around the family having toRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1093 Words   |  5 Pages In John Steinbeck s The Grapes of Wrath, Tom Joad and his family are forced from their home during the 1930’s Oklahoma Dust Bowl and set out for California along with thousands of others in search of jobs, land, and hope for a brighter future. The Grapes of Wrath is Steinbeck’s way to expound about the injustice and hardship of real migrants during the Depression-era. He utilizes accurate factual information, somber imagery, and creates pathos, allowing readers connections to the Joad’s plightRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1174 Words   |  5 PagesCody Kunzman 10/26/2014 The Grapes of Wrath Paper â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath† written by John Steinbeck is a classic America novel to say the least. Not only did he create such an inspiring and detailed story line but it was followed up by an Oscar nominated film directed by John Ford. The similarities and differences within the book and the film are very controversial and being able to break down what all happened in each will help a rhetorical analysis to take place in this paper. Rhetorically speakingRead MoreStruggle for Survival in the Grapes of Wrath2273 Words   |  10 PagesStruggle for Survival in The Grapes of Wrath The 1930s were a time of hardship for many across the United States. Not only was the Great Depression making it difficult for families to eat every day, but the Dust Bowl swept through the plains states making it nearly impossible to farm the land in which they relied. John Steinbeck saw how the Dust Bowl affected farmers, primarily the tenant farmers, and journeyed to California after droves of families. These families were dispossessed from the farms

Shadowing Report Free Essays

string(57) " book and sadly it ended up with a non-ideal resolution\." Shadowing Report Interview Date: 04. 08. 2012 Interview Time: 1:00pm Shadowing Date: 04. We will write a custom essay sample on Shadowing Report or any similar topic only for you Order Now 12. 2012 Shadowing Time: 8:30am – 2:00pm The person I chose to shadow for this assignment is John Smith who is a friend of mine. He, himself has been in the management profession for the past 4 years or so starting at Pizza Hut. According to him, he worked at Pizza Hut for about six years and was originally hired as a driver. Due to a car accident, the management opportunity fell into his lap and he began training as a shift manager. He moved his way up quickly to become the acting Store Manager, although he says his official title was Assistant Store Manager. He worked for Pizza Hut for a total of 6 years with half of those years in the management position before finally pursuing another job in another city. That job was with Mighty Taco, Inc, which I’m sure you have heard of because the restaurant is a staple to the Buffalo area. He then packed up himself and his family from the Rochester area to move here to accept the position. I asked him why he made that move and he said it was so his wife could get help with their newborn daughter while she went back to school. He said that it was actually his wife who found the listing for the job in the newspaper and encouraged him to send in his resume. Because of his experience with management when working at Pizza Hut, he was essentially hired after one interview. He has now worked for Mighty Taco as a Manager for almost a year and he works with other Managers, including Shift Managers, Managers and General Managers, and crew members. Mighty Taco, Inc, as I mentioned before, is a staple to the Buffalo area that was founded in 1973. The almost 40-year old company describes itself as being synonymous with fast, delicious, Buffalo-style Mexican food and has about 20 different locations. The first Mighty Taco opened up in Buffalo, NY at 1247 Hertel Ave on August 31, 1973, and although that location is no longer around, the company has made its name for itself within the Buffalo community. The restaurants have what you would expect from a fast-food Mexican chain in that they primarily sell tacos and burritos, but with a twist. They have specials such as the â€Å"Roastito† which consists of chicken breast or steak in a tortilla with roasted peppers and onions, cheese and sour cream, the â€Å"El Nino Burrito† which has half a pound of ground beef in it and the â€Å"Mighty Fish Taco† which consists of a battered fish filet, lettuce, tomato cheese and tartar sauce or salsa. One of the things that I believe makes the company so unique is there unusual advertisements. I remember when I first moved to this area a decade ago and saw my first Mighty Taco commercial on the TV. I must say that it weirded me out, but the advertisements have grown on me over the years and I appreciate their uniqueness. From the chanting of â€Å"Mighty Taco, Mighty Taco, Mighty Taco† to â€Å"Buf-Mex at its Best† the company has won the hearts of all within this area. One might think that working in a fast-food restaurant that education and training may not be necessary but I learned very quickly that this is far from the truth. While this may be true to be a crew member, being a manager in this industry requires the manager to be fully prepared and equipped for anything that comes to them, including training and education. When asked about such training, Steve explained that he received most of his training at his previous job at Pizza Hut. There were many training seminars and programs that he had to go through, including mock role plays and information on how to deal with various paperwork. An example of a mock role play he gave was a customer coming in complaining they found a foreign object in their food and how they would handle it. This later came into real life when one day at Mighty Taco a customer actually came up to him with a complaint of a foreign object found in their food. He said it was kind of ironic but he handled the situation by the book. He apologized profusely to the customer and offered to remake their order as well as throw in a free bag of chips and cheese. He also filled out the proper paperwork associated with the issue including the batch number of the food, time, date, etc and sent it all the main office. The customer left satisfied and the company was able to address the issue. Another situation in which he put his training in mock role play to use was with a situation with an employee. Employee subordination is something no manager likes to deal with. In fact, Steve said it is one of the more challenging part of his job because no one wants to be a disciplinarian. In this situation, an employee was directed to do dishes before he left for the day by the manager on duty to which the employee refused. The manager on duty again directed the employee to help with the dishes and again the employee refused so Steve was brought in to deal with the situation. He explained that he sat the employee down and explained to him what would happen if he refused to do the work he was assigned one more time. It would be considered insubordination and there would be repercussions of suspension or even termination. The employee still vehemently refused to do the dishes and Steve had no choice but to write up the employee and suspend him pending termination. The next day the employee was terminated. In this situation, both managers agreed that they handled it by the rule book and sadly it ended up with a non-ideal resolution. You read "Shadowing Report" in category "Essay examples" These are just many of the items that the training seminars prepare the management for. Since working for Mighty Taco, the only difference he says is that he had to re-certify his food safe certification due to more and more restaurants in the industries making the switch from Prometric to Servsafe. Managers for Mighty Taco typically work a 45 hour work week with at least 5 hours of overtime guaranteed but no more than 7 hours. They get compensated for that overtime with the typical time and a half pay. Steve says that the summer months and Christmas time tend to be busier so he more often than not pushes to the 47 hour mark during those times. The managers typically work one of two shifts, either the opening shift which is 8:30am – 5:30pm or the closing shift which is 5:00pm – 2:00am. While he does not directly work on the schedule, he does have training in making schedules due to his experiences with Pizza Hut. He is trained in making the schedules while complying with various laws associated with schedule making, like scheduling minors. In terms of choosing his work week, he says he typically just rolls with what schedule is given to him but he also gets the days he requests off without an issue. Apparently as long as he works a Monday morning inventory shift every 3 weeks and works a certain amount of open and closing shifts per period, he is free to work whenever, as long as he works 45 hours a week. When it comes to the salary ranges for the various positions within the store, it seems that Mighty Taco, on average, pays higher than other places within the field. He states that the crew members at Pizza Hut only started at minimum wage whereas the crew members at Mighty Taco start at $8 per hour, almost $1 more per hour. The Shift Managers at Mighty Taco start off at about $9. 0 per hour and the Managers start off at about $11 per hour. The General Managers get paid a salary wage that is set by Mighty Taco based upon experience and time with the company. Not only do the employees with Mighty Taco generally get paid higher, but Mighty Taco has some great benefits. For example, the Managers and General Managers get full medical insurance and the General Managers get full medi cal insurance for their families as well. The only thing Steve has to pay is the co-pays. â€Å"Health insurance is rare enough in the food industry, but to get it paid in full? That’s amazing! Steve says. He also receives a week of vacation after being with the company for a year with the maximum going to 4 weeks. Employee evaluations are something that is common to every business and Mighty Taco is no different. Raises within the company are earned through 6 month reviews. Steve explains that his second review is actually coming up because, like previously mentioned, he has been with the company for almost a year. The raises for managers is a percentage based system based upon how the store is doing, how the manager personally does and various other factors. After explaining to me how the performance evaluations are done, I quickly realize that he is talking about a Graphic Rating Scale Method that I learned about in my Human Resources class. A Graphic Rating Scale Method is the most common type of evaluation method which lists a number of traits and a range of performance for each field. Some of the various traits Steve is scored upon include time management, training and development of employees, organizational know how, communication, teamwork, etc. According to Steve, teamwork is one that he always scores high on due to his ideals on the importance of teamwork. He believes that in the service industry,your work is also dependent on other people and goes on to say, â€Å"one man cannot do the job alone and it requires teamwork to accomplish any goals for yourself and the company. † The supervisors in the company who conduct these evaluations are the General Manager of the store and the District Manager. Being a manager is something that Steve enjoys with his favorite part pertaining to the management of the employees and helping to improve them as well as himself through the hard work and effort put into the job. He, in particular, really likes working for Mighty Taco because he feels like the company respects all their employees. He says that at his previous job, he did not feel like he or the other employees received any of the respect they deserved. Being respected is key in maintaining moral and motivating employees. Although he does enjoy it, the job of a manager can be stressful at times. It is the big stuff he dreads, like the before-mentioned issues with crew members, but the little stuff is easy to deal with. Things like not having enough crew members during a busy shift or running out of a particular food or customer complaints. He says the best thing is to remain focused and to try and not let it get to you. He says that as a manager, he cannot let the stress get to him because he is the example to the crew members and must remain professional. However, once he gets home, he relieves stress by spending time with his family, specifically his 10 month old daughter, and playing video games like any typical male in their 20’s. Steve would like to stay with the company as long as he can due to the opportunities it has given him. His ultimate goal is to be a District Manager for Mighty Taco, in particular the one for the new restaurants opening up in Rochester, where he is originally from. He then jokes and says that he’ll settle for being promoted to a General Manager position for now. Overall he really likes Mighty Taco as a company and hopes to stay with them for a long time. I shadowed Steve on Thursday, April 12, 2012 during an opening shift from 8:30am to 2:00pm. This is what happened while I was there: Upon entering the store, the alarm was shut off and the ovens were turned on. From there the lights were turned on and he clocked into the system. At this point, he is the only employee in the store and arrived approximately 10 minutes before his shift started. The next employee didn’t arrive for about 15 more minutes and he is the cook, hence the ovens being turned on. His next step is to goes into the office to check the manager logs for any important information left by the previous shift’s manager. This manager log, he informs me, includes any employee interactions and write ups, and any pertinent information like any cleaning jobs that have to be done today. He tells me that one of these cleaning jobs includes cleaning out the freezer, which is not done very often. From there he pulls all the paperwork and starts to go over any checklists, like the opening checklist. He gets the sales from the previous night and how over or under it is from forecast as well as the labor yield and the cost of sales of food. With all that information written down, he then calls it in to his District Manager. The next thing he does is check all the emails for any customer complaints that came in overnight and anything that may have come in from the main office. Today in the emails, he received a complaint about missing an item on his order and he informs me that this is pretty commonplace. The next big thing he does has to deal with the money in the safe. He made sure that the deposit from the previous night is there and make sure it adds up. He also counted the change in the petty cash and called the bank with an order for more change. Once making sure that all the money is there, he then ensures that all of his other employees arrive before going to the bank. Once three more employees arrive, we go on over to the bank at about 9:00am to deposit the money and to get the coin order. Upon returning to the store, he then writes down all the information about the deposit including the credit card log. He then faxed that information over to the office. After the money is situated, he then helped the crew members with setting up the line and making sure everything is in order for the morning. He set up the soda machines, and made fun of me for saying soda rather than pop, he filled up the food wells in the line for the employees and just went around seeing what the employees needed help with. He did this until about 9:45am where he then puts the cash drawers into the register. I ask him if he prefers to work on the line or to work in the office and he tells me he’d prefer to be in the thick of things but he has to the his managerial duty. At 10:00am, he finished the checklist and essentially opens up the store for the customers. Now the day officially begins and it is quite interesting to see everyone working together in this environment. As soon as the store opens, a customer immediately comes in and I ask if this is a normal occurrence. I’m told by Steve and the employees that more often than not, customers do not start showing up until closer to 11:00am. Also at 10:00am, another employee comes in and Steve immediately directs him to do a lot check, which he tells me includes sweeping and emptying the trash outside. At 11:00am, two more employees show up and I ask Steve what is the role of all these employees. Because to me it seems there are a lot of employees but then again, I am not used to this line of work. As it stands right now there are 8 employees plus Steve and he tells me what each of their jobs are. There is a cook for the morning, but he eventually goes on to register or line depending on where he is needed. There are two employees on register up front, there are two employees on headset/cash-out on drive-thru, there are two employees dedicated to drive-thru line and two employees dedicated to the front counter line. The employees on line are broken down into wrappers and grill. I ask Steve which of these jobs he prefers to help out on and he informs me he prefers wrapping on the front counter line. He also then informs me that when the lunch rush happens at 11:30am, that I need to stay out of everyone’s way. I can only describe the lunch rush as being organized chaos. While it is extremely busy, Steve directed all his employees efficiently based upon their strengths and weaknesses. He helped out wherever he was needed and kept up morale and motivation by joking with his employees. The banter back and force is amusing but at the same time questions are being asked about appropriate conduct. For example, questions about what went on a particular taco were often shouted out as well as questions confirming what the customer wanted. Even at the store’s busiest moment while I was there, Steve kept his cool when dealing with both employees and customers alike. It seemed to me that everyone worked together efficiently in this environment, bringing about a sense of teamwork. After the lunch rush was over, which was about 1:30pm, we had a moment for me to ask him some questions about his day. I asked him how he prioritized his responsibilities during the day. He explained that there are 5 priorities set by Mighty Taco: customer service, cleanliness in customer area such as the dining room, cleanliness in the kitchen area in customer view, food preparation and food maintenance, and other cleanliness duties. He explains that anything he does throughout the day, he first takes into account the customers because he believes they are one of the most important aspects of his field. I then ask him how he decides who gets assigned to which job. He says its based upon their knowledge, skill level, time allotment and willingness to learn. He says that employees that are only there for a short time he more often than not will direct them to do a simple and quick cleaning or preparation job. I also asked him what is the most dangerous thing that has ever happened to him during his time as a manager. I got a startling response that I didn’t expect. He started off laughing and saying that he was robbed at gunpoint one time when working at Pizza Hut. Apparently one night close to closing time, a man came in following an employee demanded all the money in the register. In this situation, one that he hopes no one ever has to go through, managers are taught to comply with any and all demands of the perpetrator. Procedure states that in such an event, the police should be called as well as the immediate supervisor and District Manager and the store should be shut down. Sadly the perpetrator was not found but no one was harmed, which is the main goal in a situation like that. On that scary note, the shadowing was over and I thanked him profusely for allowing me to shadow his job and told him I would contact him with any further questions. Throughout this entire experience, I learned quite a bit of things. I have never worked in a management position before even though that is what my major is. Prior to coming back to school I have only ever worked in the Accounting world, from being a bookkeeper to working in Accounts Payable. While I would still like to stay in that section of the business world, this experience has taught me the hard work that goes into management. I hope to take these experiences and use them to further my career after I graduate, hopefully getting a position as an Accounts Payable Manager. Steve Nadig left me with some good advice for the eventuality of me becoming a manager of some sort which basically was to keep all my paperwork as organized as I can. He says that’s his least favorite part of the job and he works hard on keeping all his paperwork in order. He also states that I should try to be as unbiased as possible, which I will take to heart because I know first hand what its like to have bias get in the way of a good management decision. Overall I found this to be a wonderful experience and I’m happy for getting the chance to do so. Works Cited â€Å"What Types of Behavior Indicate Insubordination? † Small Business. 21 Apr. 2012 . â€Å"Mighty Taco. † Mighty Taco. 21 Apr. 2012 . Dessler, Gary. â€Å"Chapter 6 Performance Management and Appraisal. † A framework for human resource management. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2011. 174. How to cite Shadowing Report, Essay examples

The Role of Lenses in Optics

Lenses (optics) are devices which serve in the transmission or refraction of light as well as diverging and converging of a beam (Harris, 2002). They are illustrated by the curvature of the two optical surfaces (Harris, 2002). There are two main types of lenses, that is, concave lenses and convex lenses. Geometrical optics is also known as ray optics is used in the depiction of how light travels and this is described in terms of rays which explain the refraction and reflection of light rays (Glassner, 1992).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Role of Lenses in Optics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These two ideas share the common concept of convergence and divergence, but on the larger field, they are part of the wider field of natural sciences. The force of nature takes an upper hand in the study of optics. The forces of nature more especially light and rays help in understanding of patterns in natur e. Some of these very important aspects of lenses and geometrical optics are discussed below and bring in to light how they relate and link with each other to bring out a clearer understanding of their roles (Winston et al 2005). To begin with, in regard to lenses, there are of two types, that is, the convex lenses and the concave lenses. In the case of convex lenses, they are converging lenses that are thinner towards the edge but thicker in the middle (Harris, 2002) and they are mostly used to closely examine small objects. The distance between the object and the radius of curvature is changed in relation to the focal length when convex lens are used (Glassner, 1992). However, it is noted that images produced by the convex lenses are real. This type of lens aids in examining small objects closely, among children it is common because they use it while playing with the rays of the sun to burn small pinholes on pieces of paper and even dry leaves and chips of wood. Winston et al (200 5), acknowledges that, concave lenses are thicker towards to the edges and are thinner in the middle. Convex lenses produce virtual images which are always erect and reduced (Winston et al, 2005). According to Winston et al (2005), these images also look like they are far away than they actually are. The concave lens is diverging and therefore spreads light rays that pass through it. Its main use has been seen in spectacles and contact lenses that help correct short sightedness (Glassner, 1992). Harris (2002) proposes that the focal length relates to the concave and convex lenses because it is part of that system, when it is looked at in relation to the focal point, thus defined as the distance that exists between the place where parallel light rays converge which usually happens at infinity also called the focal point and the center of the convex lens or concave mirror (Harris, 2002) in the case of convex lens, it comes after the rays have hit the optical center of the lens, but in the case of the concave lens, the focal point lies before the rays reach the optical center (Winston et al, 2005). It is understood that a lens that has got a short focal length can see a wider view of the subject in question but with a lesser level of magnification than that that has got a longer focal length which will have a higher level of magnification (Glassner, 1992). The focal length therefore plays a major role in determining the type of lens to use.Advertising Looking for research paper on natural sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When using the lenses, there is the converging and diverging of the rays (Jahns Brenner, 2004). Diverging of rays happens when the light rays are seen to be spreading apart as they move far away into infinity when viewing an object. An object is seen by viewing the light that emanates from the object or reflected on the object and sometimes both happens. For instance in regard to the pupil of the eye, whenever an object that is close to the eye is viewed, the light rays from the object diverge as they move through the pupil into the eye (Harris, 2002). When the object is far away, for instance the sun, its rays still diverge to make it possible to see it (Winston et al, 2005). If rays are spread out then they are called divergent rays. Converging of rays happens when the rays of light emanating from different sources tend to come together and meet at a single point (Jahns Brenner, 2004). According to Glassner (1992), divergent rays occurs when the ray moves further from the optical axis, therefore, a ray is regarded as divergent or convergent depending on its relation to the optic axis. A ray that passes through the lens without any change represents the legitimate ray path (Harris, 2002). Real versus virtual image In the study of optics (Jahns Brenner, 2004), when an image is considered to be real, then light converges on that image. For real images to occ ur, objects have to be put on the outside area of the focal length of converging mirror or lenses, and then the resultant image is usually inverted. A real image can only be formed when the distance from the lens is greater than the focal length in the case of a converging lens (Harris, 2002). Images formed by cameras (the negative) together with overhead projectors are some of the examples of real images (Jahns Brenner, 2004). According to Harris, (2002), one of the striking characteristic of a virtual image is that the image is the diverging outgoings rays are from a point on the object. This means that in the mirror or lens, the image or a point on an image (Harris, 2002) will seen to be on the inside of the focal length of a converging lens. This will make the virtual image appear erect and shrunken. According to Glassner (1992), virtual images are produced by converging lenses when the object is placed inside the focal length. Therefore, the virtual image is erect and enlarged , as it is further from the lens than the object (Glassner, 1992).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Role of Lenses in Optics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The image therefore can be formed even if the rays do not meet. For example, the image of one in a mirror is an example of a virtual image because the image is just captured and copied directly as it is when one moves the mirror; no image will be in place. Concave mirrors produce real or virtual images, depending on the nearness of the objects to the concave mirror. On the contrary, convex mirrors produce virtual images of ordinary objects (Jahns Brenner 2004). There are also have concave and convex mirrors, they both reflect light and images also. The difference between both is that one curve inwards and the other outwards (Jahns Brenner, 2004) and convex mirrors have got their surfaces bulging to the source of light or object. Ideally they are also called diverging mirrors. Convex mirrors have a wider field in terms of view and they bulge outward in the middle. On the other hand, concave mirrors curve inwardly in the middle (Jahns Brenner, 2004). These two mirrors are useful in fields of safety and sciences, the concave mirror specifically in the car headlights and also make-up mirrors. The convex mirrors are mostly used for surveillance purposes in places like hallways and supermarket stalls. Glassner (1992) acknowledges that, tracing a ray of light is also possible because it helps in locating an image. For ray tracing, the illumination consequences are achieved by calculating the effects of a surface. This is done through the tracing or the tracking of the path followed by a light of ray. However, the tracing and tracking of the path of ray of light is usually done when the ray of light is bouncing off or when it is being refracted (Glassner, 1992). It also helps solve the problem caused by bending wave fronts, rays t hat may have changed direction or reflected off surfaces. Ray tracing is used in tracing radio signal through the ionosphere where the radio signals are refracted or reflected back to the earth (Glassner, 1992). The importance of this aspect is that it helps in shaping the behavior of radio signal behavior as the radio signal goes through the ionosphere. Fresnel lenses have greatly taken the place of other conventional lenses (Jahns Brenner, 2004). These lenses are characterized by a large aperture and a very short focal length. The lenses are very much thinner than the conventional lenses; they are also large and flatter.Advertising Looking for research paper on natural sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These lenses are capable of capturing light from sources and making it possible over great distances (Glassner, 1992). The lenses are in a form of many small pieces of glass put together though it seems like a single glass and characteristically very light in weight. Much of the material is removed but the surface curvature remains (Jahns Brenner, 2004). Much of the material is removed but the refractive power of the Fresnel lens is effectively maintained making it cost effective. All clearly stated, that the patterns in nature that encompass the lenses and the geographical optics surround the reflection and or refraction of rays, how lenses and mirrors work as well as how nature itself works this out. This helps in the understanding of the role of light in viewing objects. References Glassner, A. (1992). Ray Tracing: Theory and practice. Morgan Kaufmann Harris, N. (2002). Natural Sciences, Blackbirch. Sandiego Jahns, J. Brenner K. (2004). Micro optics: from Technology to Applicatio n. New York. Springer Publishers Winston, R., Welford, W., Minano, C. Benitez P. (2005). Non-imaging Optics: Referex Engineering. Academic Press This research paper on The Role of Lenses in Optics was written and submitted by user Mollie D. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Role of International Financial Institutions in 2008 Financial Crisis

Role of International Financial Institutions in 2008 Financial Crisis Introduction Late towards 2007, the earliest effects of 2008 financial meltdown were already being felt at some sectors of economy in several countries, notably in Europe and America. The financial crisis that would later become apparent throughout the year 2008 did not only catch the world unaware but would later turn out to be the worst in recent times.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of International Financial Institutions in 2008 Financial Crisis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The 2008 credit crunch did not only result to worldwide financial crisis but also caused slowed economic growth of the world’s largest and leading economy that eventually triggered the global recession that started as early as 2006 (Hines, 2008). In fact, the global credit crisis that is just ebbing away has its roots in United States banking system and more specifically as a result of lending towards mortgage housing and cred it lending in general as we shall get to see in the following chapters. In 2005 the United States housing industry flourished and reached its peak in terms of value and business bustle, by then the banking industry had aligned their lending funds towards this end as a result of the positive and sustained growth in the housing industry. This is the point from which we shall trace the major root causes of the 2008 financial crisis; this paper intends to show that the current regulatory standards instituted by various financial institutions internationally largely contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. Even more disappointing is the fact that the financial regulatory standards that were in place were unable to anticipate and therefore avert the ramifications of the financial crisis before it happened as should have been the case. Background to the Financial Crisis In order to understand how the financial crisis came about it is important to review the factors that culminated to the widespread credit crunch that finally caused the 2008 financial crisis. By reviewing these factors it will be possible to identify specific financial regulatory standards that can be directly attributed to the crisis.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More But first let us briefly define what the term financial crisis implies in this context, which incidentally is our first indication that the recent financial crisis was largely a function of the failings of the international financial institutions policies. Credit crisis is a term that has been coined to describe the situation whereby accessibility of loans or credit finance becomes limited due to their unavailability. It is a trend that results to financial institutions reducing the amount of loans that they can disburse to clients irrespective of increased interest rates that they can charge on such loans (Pattanaik, 2 009). In these circumstances, prerequisite conditions that are necessary before the loan can be disbursed are therefore reviewed and made stricter in order to limit the amount of credit finances that can be disbursed (Graham, 2008). Credit crisis is said to occur when the relationship between interest rates and credit loans being disbursed are heavily skewed, or when there is a general reduction of loans available in spite of increased demands (Pattanaik, 2009). Ideally the relationship between interest rates and availability of financial credit is such that increased interest rate in the market means that financial institutions are willing to increase lending in order to increase profits. Thus, because financial institutions are regulated by internationally accepted financial standards, their failure is therefore a reflection of these international financial regulatory standards. In a journal article by Acharya et al that sought to investigate the causes of 2008 financial crisis, i t directly attributed the crisis to have been triggered by the housing market collapse which occurred as early as 2006 (Acharya, Philippon, Richardson and Roubini, 2009). It is during this period that two prominent financial players in the housing market collapsed; the Ownit Mortgage Solutions Company and New Century Financial in what should have signaled to the policymakers that housing market was crumbling (Acharya et al, 2008). But instead no body realized this and the financial situation continued to aggravate further.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of International Financial Institutions in 2008 Financial Crisis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By the time in what is now referred as housing bubble busted most banking institutions have invested significant amounts in the housing industry that had accumulated over time in a sort of loose credit lending. The aftermath was increased mortgage payment defaults and foreclosures on existing loan repayment that was taking place on large scale. The steps that led to increased forfeiture of loans by lenders can be analyzed in the following steps. The first step was the induced easy loan terms and reduced interest rates by the banks tailored for housing finance (Hines, 2008). These incentives nudged borrowers to take up substantial mortgages with prospects of future renegotiation on mortgage terms and rate with hope of easier rates. In addition due to growth boom in the housing industry borrowers easily took up mortgage loans as an investment option with intention of selling the properties at higher values at a later time and this kept on happening (Hyoung-kyu, 2007). As we shall later discuss in this paper, this should not have happened with strong financial regulatory standards in place. Underlying all this was the fact that more housing constructions were taking place as investments funds that financed housing sector flowed from every other sector of the economy. By the time the housing bubble eventually busted many players had invested substantial amount of money in the industry that could not be written off easily without encountering huge losses that would lead to bankruptcy. This is because the housing value plummeted at a rate that had not been foreseen. The bank reacted immediately by increasing mortgage interest rates and phasing of earlier easy mortgage packages, additional lending on mortgage was tightened and all forms of lending in general almost halted (Acharya et al, 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The borrowers on the other end moved to dispose-off housing properties and salvage finances that could still be obtained from the mortgages, thereby triggering drop in house values. In the resulting scenario many borrowers choose to forfeit their mortgage to the banks rather than sell the houses in a collapsed market since it would have eventually cost them additional funds to settle the difference (Hines, 2008). The other option of financing the full cost of the mortgage was now complicated by increased interest rates, and so now the credit crunch nightmare had began. In fact, housing industry is not the only sector that hoodwinked consumers to apply for large chunks of loans; it was the same case in automobile industry and in credit cards. Increased availability of liquid cash from foreign reserves had prompted the financial sector to invent financial packages such as Mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and others like Collateralized-Debt Obligations (CDO) (Rose and Spiegel, 2010). B oth of these are forms of funds that allowed investors to finance the housing industry and gain financial returns through banking institutions. The consequences of housing industry collapse was therefore greatly felt by the banking institutions that had advanced loans in all the three sectors that were hardest hit, these sectors were the first to announce financial losses (Rose and Spiegel, 2010). It is from such financial reckless practices as this that exposed further the financial institutions to the shocks of financial crises similar to the one experienced at the time. Thus even at this point we get to see how lack of financial regulatory oversight failed and thereby directly contributed to the financial crisis itself, which is a factor that would become even more apparent as we discuss the major factors that caused the financial crisis itself. Major Factors Attributed to Financial Crisis To understand how the international financial regulation policies might have contributed to the financial crisis, let us discuss the major factors that significantly contributed to the financial crisis and investigate the failure of financial regulatory oversight for each of them. Credit crisis is a phenomenon that can be triggered by any of the various factors in the financial sector or combination of several such factors. There are mainly five reasons that directly affect financial institutions loans and which in extension can trigger a credit crisis assuming they happen all at once. One of the reasons is anticipated fall in value of collateral assets that are used by creditors to obtain loans from banks (Graham, 2008). In this case the financial institutions become reluctant and unwilling to give out loans that are secured by such assets where all indications points to their market values plummeting. Other reasons could be sudden exogenous adjustment in regulation by central bank that touches on lending requirements by banks or which elevates reserve requirements (Grah am, 2008). In both these two circumstances, Basel I and Basel II guidelines have been specifically developed to address this challenges by setting levels at which financial institutions should maintain their Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) and Capital to Risk Assets Ratio (CRAR) (Claessens, 2008). Capital Adequacy is a financial term that is used to define the regulatory guidelines that requires financial institutions such as banks to reserve certain percentage of their Primary Capital Base that is consistent with the institutions lending (Basel.org, 2000). A bank must ensure that its capital base assets are at a minimum of 8 percent of its assets; the rule of thumb that applies is lending of $12 for each single dollar of the bank’s capital (Scott, 2005). The purpose of calculating capital adequacy is to ensure that a bank is not exposed to financial risks that are caused by the lending policy of the institution. These regulations were developed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision which redefined the international Capital Adequacy standards on 2004 that are now used to regulate financial institutions all over the world (Rasmusen, 1988). As we can therefore infer from the happenings of the 2008 financial crisis, most banks were not adhering to these standards as set out by Basel II guidelines. The central bank might also trigger credit crunch through regulations that intend to tightly control financial institutions lending. In such instances the banks usually respond by enacting measures that prevent their loss or transfer their operating risks to the creditors usually through increased interest rates of loans or reduction in lending. However these factors alone cannot by their own trigger credit crunch, more often credit crisis is caused by an array of factors that combine together over a long duration of time. The hallmarks of a credit crunch usually include extensive sustained losses by lenders caused by sloppy and hasty lending policies over g iven period of time as was the case in 2008. Sometimes it is due to plummeting of collateral assets that were used to secure loans which substantially lose value overnight as it also happened to the United States housing industry. When this happens the bank sustains huge losses caused by loss in value of the assets. The implications that follow are two parts: the bank has no adequate loan reserve that they can continue to disburse to future consumers, and two despite the availability of loans the banks becomes timid and cautious towards future lending (Hyoung-kyu, 2007). The next phase of credit crisis is limited lending and inaccessibility of the loans by consumers and lack of funds in general that virtually affect every other sector of the economy triggering what is then referred as economic recession (Hines, 2008). This therefore are the major factors that are likely to cause a financial crisis, some of which as we have seen were attributed to the 2008 financial crisis. However t he effect of a credit crisis last for sometime only depending on the extent of loans that were disbursed by the banking industry, and the extent in which the losses can be absorbed assuming the banks affected were not much. In the following section we are going to analyzed in detail the specific financial regulatory policies that were flaunted by the financial institutions culminating to the 2008 financial crisis. Failure of Financial Regulatory Standards The Bank of International Settlements (BIS) is an international financial institution body based in Switzerland that serves two important functions; develops and promotes financial policies and provides banking services. IMF on the other hand has the mandate to regulate global financial systems notably in two major areas that include balance of payments and stabilizing exchange rates. For this reasons BIS is better placed to influence the outcome of financial crisis since it is the institution that is mandated with the responsibili ty of developing various monetary policies. In fact BIS has very specific mandate to set and regulate one of the policies that is at the centre of the financial crisis i.e. CAR as we have so discussed. As a result it is the major sponsor of both Basel I and Base II financial regulations which are crucial in regulating safe lending as we shall get to see shortly The shortcomings of Basel financial frameworks have been apparent for as long as the first guidelines were instituted. Despite the many advantages that Basel guidelines were promoting, they also had inherent advantages. When Basel I accord was implemented its focus was on setting the minimum possible capital levels for financial institutions and also ensuring that banks embraced low value assets as collateral. The flip side of this rationale was an increased risk to financial institutions brought about by incomplete analysis of the dynamic market parameters. As a result numerous changes were required to be made on basel I fra meworks which culminated with development of basel II accord. One such amendment was in 1996 for market risk that saw the CAR expanded to incorporate the risks associated with other financial market force. However even then Basel I accord had still other inherent limitations (Basel 2000). The Capital Adequacy calculation for instance did not provide an accurate and reliable financial guideline for determination of CAR (Basel 2000). Another disadvantage under Basel I accord was the tendency of the banks to undertake regulatory capital arbitrage which enabled them to manipulate their core capitals in order to reflect favorable capital assets that made them compliant, lastly the accord did not offer ideal risk mitigations approaches to banks (Basel 2000). Hence Basel II was born in 2004 to address these shortcomings and incorporate other challenges that banks were facing in the financial sector. Throughout this period we can see how the BIS sponsored financial policies was wrecking hav oc and promoting a culture of dubious financial dealings that financial institutions kept even after these guidelines were overhauled. The new Capital Adequacy calculation is guided by three core principles that are referred as pillars: market discipline, operational capital requirement, and supervisory review (Basel 2000). Pillar number one pertains to regulatory capital of three critical risks that a bank encounters during it routine financial operations: market risk, credit risk and operational risk. For each of this risk the accord provides various calculation techniques that set the desired level of accuracy such as standardized approach, foundation Internal Rating-Based (IRB) approach and advanced IRB for calculating credit risk (Basel 2000). The underlying working definition of capital categorizes banks equity into two groups: tier I capital and tier II capital. Tier I Capital is defined as the actual equity inclusive of retained earnings while Tier II Capital is the subordin ated debt in addition to the preferred shares (Basel 2000). Tier I capital are financial institutions assets that can absorb financial losses of a bank during trading without necessitating the bank to enter into bankruptcy. Tier II capital are the other type of assets that are reserved primarily to absorb losses of large magnitude during the event of bankruptcy. It is this categorization of financial institutions capital that has provided a loophole for banks to circumvent and thereby lend more than they should ideally be allowed through invention of concepts such as financialization. For instance capital adequacy ratio is calculated by dividing the bank primary capital by the sum of the bank’s assets (Basel 2006). The core capital is a sum of both Tier I and II capital while assets in this case refers to the weighted assets or the minimum requirements as set by the banking regulator, such a ratio should not exceed the Basel accord threshold level that is set equal to or less than 8%. The CAR is further adjusted to calculate the three other subcomponents of the capital adequacy namely: standardized approach, basic indicator approach and advanced measurement approach that offer varying degree of accuracy (Basel 2006). For this purpose the approach used in calculating risk weighting requires the bank to categorize the nature of the assets into two: fund based assets and non-funded assets (Basel 2006). Fund based assets usually include bank investments, loans and liquid cash at its disposal, while non-funded assets include items in the Off-Balance sheet that are first taken through a series of conversions in order to ascertain their true value. Despite these elaborate calculations it is still possible for a bank to obtain a positive ratio if factors that affect market risk are not considered. What we know for a fact is that somehow just before the 2008 financial crisis; most financial institutions have been flaunting or circumventing basel II accords en ma sse up to the time of the crisis. One of the recent advanced theories in economic studies that attempts to explain the cause of the 2008 financial crisis has been advanced by Foster and Magdoff. Foster and Magdoff theory attributes the 2008 financial crisis to the broader factors of monopoly finance capitalism which is a function of a phenomenon that they refer as stagnation that is characteristic of all mature capitalist systems (Foster and Magdoff, 2008). Foster and Magdoff describe mature capitalist system as â€Å"stagnant† because of its monopolistic nature that is caused by few corporations that dominates and control most of the available capital flow (Fostor and Magdoff, 2008). When this happens as it has been taking place since the 1980s less capital becomes available for investment in economic sectors that are most in need while the real capital becomes restricted and unavailable, this outcome is what Foster and Magdoff also attributed to the occurrence of financiali zation. The implication of this unbalanced excessive capital availability in particular sectors only creates demands for investment opportunities that offer high returns and this is where the evils of monopoly-finance capital begin. Hence, from a more general perspective based on Foster and Magdoff theory monopolistic finance capitalism which are a function of international financial policies are to blame for the 2008 financial crisis. More specifically let us see how financial policies notably in United States which was the epicenter of the financial crisis systematically led to the 2008 credit crunch. One was the housing market boom and bubble that was characterized by low mortgage interest rates, increased availability of funds that pooled borrowers to taking unnecessary and inflated mortgages (Gjerstad and Vernon, 2009). Borrowers and investors in the process saved less and substantial funds were channeled to this sector, by the time the housing market was collapsing more than $ 10 trillion dollars was approximately held in the industry. The upshot was more than 50% of home owners that had negative equity or houses that just equaled their mortgage values which could not be sold due to house surplus in the market and cheap going prices (Gjerstad and Vernon, 2009). This was a major lax of the various financial oversight bodies that had the mandate to foresee and prevent such a ballooning financial effect that was taking place in the housing sector all this time. It is for this reason that the 2008 European head of States seminar resolved to have â€Å"An early warning system must be established to identify upstream increases in risks† (Rose and Spiegel, 2010). Perhaps one of the most blatant disregard to financial policies that took place at this time was by the financial institutions in their rush to make a killing from the booming housing market. In fact the financial institutions are to blame for the amount of mortgages that borrowers had obtained t hat were purely for speculative purposes and therefore for investment only, which is not actually a bad thing unless there are no policies to regulate such a widespread speculative investment. By 2006 the number of mortgage and houses that had been secured as investment options were approximately 40% of all the total houses in the market (Gjerstad and Vernon, 2009). This was the main factor that greatly contributed to the housing surplus that made their price falls. Another cause was the securitization, a term that is used to describe a practice where bank can transfer the value of the mortgage to their investors and therefore continue to obtain further funds for lending to borrowers (Gjerstad and Vernon, 2009). Ideally banks are supposed to hold on the mortgage as security until they are paid in full or forfeited; these way additional funds cannot be secured until such time when any of the two outcomes occur. But of course the banks in their rush to lend and make profit out of the interest disregarded this policy. So as it turned out securitization system allowed banks to continue pumping funds to an already saturated sector while hoodwinking investors to believe housing industry to be thriving by transferring mortgage agreements to them. In the process the banks were able to ease the lending terms and lower rates due to availability of funds in a bid to disperse as much funds as possible and therefore make profits. In fact, lending conditions to borrowers were even questionable verging on illegal practices, figures released by Federal Reserve indicates that 47% of borrowers did not make any down payment of the mortgages as required by law (Gjerstad and Vernon, 2009). Over time borrowers were not required to provide evidence of income nor employment as is usually the tradition, instead banks focus was on credit score which depended mainly on the amount that a borrower had in the bank beside other factors. The problem was that the system used to calculate cred it ratings was flawed in the first place and ended up misguiding investors on the value of borrower assets. Currently, the inflated credit ratings that were given to Mortgage-Based Securities (MBS) by credit rating agencies are now under investigations since their high ratings allowed transfer of MBS to investors who later ended up holding less valuable MBS than they initially paid for them (Gjerstad and Vernon, 2009). The government too was to blame for some of its policies which were clearly self defeating; this was because of the government policy that had been put in place mortgage policies which had the vision of promoting home ownership among Americans across the boards through legislations such as Alternative Mortgage Transaction Parity Act (Hines 2008). As far as 1995 the government had started issuing tax rebate to all persons with mortgage. This and other government policies that also failed to control use of adjustable-rate mortgages which do not favor borrower in the lon g run resulted in fueling a housing boom that was already getting out of control under the very noses of financial policy makers. Thus, as we can see the inability of the government to intervene and enforce existing financial regulatory standards during the whole process also contributed to the financial crisis. While the US was dishing out numerous and unsecured mortgage loans to its citizens, Britain was also experiencing increased lending of loans to finance home but not at the unprecedented rates as witnessed in United States. For the rest of the world the global recession was hardly caused by mortgages but by collapse of industries that relied on investor funds that had now been retracted by timid investors and by international companies that were affiliated to US companies that had collapsed in the process (Saltmarsh, 2008). For many businesses the problem was the lack of funds to sustain daily business operations due to the credit crunch emanating from United States. Most thi rd world countries financial institutions are tied up with foreign international financial firms though they always function independently. These local financial institutions therefore adopted strict loan disbursement policies in the wake of the subprime crisis. Without access to regular funds that medium and small businesses have always relied on, most of the businesses had to close down thereby causing unemployment. As a result the most affected businesses in developing countries were the ones exporting goods to developed countries in America and Europe. Most of the businesses exporting commodities were the agriculture sectors, mining, and oil industry. Countries that predominantly relied on agriculture earnings through exports were required to export less due to fall in demand or suspended their exports all together. In the tourism sector the trend was the same with less people unwilling to spend in holidays. Overall the foreign reserves of many countries which are almost always in form of dollar shrunk affecting virtually every other sector of the economy (Saltmarsh 2008). The result was world economies hampered by lack of products market and liquidity funds to sustain growth. As the financial crisis reached its peak in 2009 many countries sprung to action with measures to halt and reverse the economic recession phenomenon by injecting billions of funds. The United Stated was the first to undertake an assortment of measures contained in the economic stimulus package that was signed into law by President Obama (Grabel and Weaver, 2009). The stimulus plan included $787 billion that aimed at reinstating and creating more jobs that were lost during the recession in addition to stimulating the economic activity and consumers spending (Grabel and Weaver 2009). But without restructuring the financial policies that originally contributed to the 2008 financial crisis, the world economies has been recovering at a slower rate than should have been the case. Conclusio n As one gets to analyze the facts that caused the financial crisis the extent of the housing market speculation is notable and significant whereby all the actors in the economy from consumers to bankers continued to pump more funds in housing industry as investment options. For this to have happened the weakness is seen to have been the breakdown of the international financial regulatory policies as we have so far discussed. Indeed, the failure of the international regulatory institutions to intervene and provide an oversight mandate is seen to be the critical factor that led to the occurrence of the financial crisis. At present policy makers continue to investigate and implement measures in order to avert a similar financial crisis from occurring in future and ensure it does not occur unnoticed as it happened in 2008. Meanwhile world governments remain apprehensive as the last impacts of global recession continues to recede without clear indications of what exactly needs to be don e in order to insulate economies from what appears to be the failings of international institutions of financial regulations. References Acharya, V., Philippon,T., Richardson, M Roubini, N. (2009). The Financial Crisis of 2007-2009: Causes and Remedies. Financial Markets, Institutions Instruments, 18(2): 89-137. Basel.org, (2000). A New Capital Adequacy Framework. Consultative Paper Issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. Web. Claessens, S. (2008). The Political Economy of Basle II: The Costs for Poor Countries. The World Economy, 31(3): 313-344. Claessens, S. Dell’Ariccia, G. (2010). Cross-country experiences and policy implications from the global financial crisis. Economic Policy, 25(62): 267-293. Foster, J. Magdoff, F. (2008). The Great Financial Crisis: Causes and Consequences. New York: Monthly Review Press. Graham, T. (2008). The Credit Crunch: Housing Bubbles, Globalisation and the Worldwide Economic Crisis. London, UK: Pluto Press. Gabor, D. (2010). The International Monetary Fund and its New Economics. Development and Change, 41(5): 805-830. Gjerstad, S. Vernon, S. (2009). From Bubble to Depression? Why the Housing Bubble Crashed the Financial System but the Dot-com Bubble Did Not. Wall Street Journal, 15 (9): 165-172. Grabel, Michael., and Weaver Christopher 2009. The Stimulus Plan: A detailed List of Spending. Web. Hyoung-kyu, C. (2007). Do markets enhance convergence on international standards? The case of financial regulation. Regulation and Governance, 1(4): 295-311. Hines, P. (2008). From Crunch to Squeeze: Global Impact of the Credit Crisis on Commercial and Small Business Lending. Web. Pattanaik, S. (2009). The Global Financial Stability Architecture Fails Again: sub-prime crisis lessons for policymakers. Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, 23(1): 21-47. Rose, A. Spiegel, M. (2010). Cross-country Causes and Consequences of the 2008 Crisis: International Linkages and American Exposure. Pacific Economic Review, 15(3): 340-363. Rasmusen, E., (1988). Mutual Banks and Stock Banks. Journal of Law and Economics, 31(2): 188-199. Saltmarsh, M. (2008). Impact of Global Credit Crunch Expands in Europe. Web. Scott, H., (2005). Capital Adequacy beyond Basel: Banking, Securities and Insurance. Washington, DC: Oxford University Press.

How to Trace Your U.S. Military Ancestors

How to Trace Your U.S. Military Ancestors Nearly every generation of Americans has known war. From the early colonists, to the men and women currently serving in Americas armed forces, most of us can claim at least one relative or ancestor who has served our country in the military. Even if you have never heard of military veterans in your family tree, try a bit of research and you might be surprised! Determine if your ancestor served in the military The first step in searching for the military records of an ancestor is to determine when and where the soldier served, as well as their military branch, rank and/or unit. Clues to an ancestors military service may be found in the following records: Family storiesPhotographsCensus recordsNewspaper clippingsJournals, diaries correspondenceDeath records obituariesLocal historiesGrave markers Look for military records Military records often provide an abundance of genealogical material about our ancestors. Once you have determined that an individual served in the military, there are a variety of military records which can help to document their service, and provide useful information about your military ancestors such as birthplace, age at enlistment, occupation, and names of immediate family members. The primary types of military records include: Military service records Enlisted men who served in the regular Army throughout our countrys history, as well as discharged and deceased veterans of all services during the 20th century, can be researched through military service records. These records are primarily available through the National Archives and the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). Unfortunately, a disastrous fire at the NPRC on July 12, 1973, about 80 percent of the records of veterans discharged from the Army between November, 1912 and January, 1960, and about 75 percent for individuals discharged from the Air Force between September, 1947 and January, 1964, alphabetically through Hubbard, James E. These destroyed records were one of a kind and had not been duplicated or microfilmed prior to the fire. Compiled military service records Most of the records of the American Army and Navy in the custody of the War Department were destroyed by fire in 1800 and 1814. In an effort to reconstruct these lost records, a project was begun in 1894 to collect military documents from a variety of sources. The Compiled Military Service Record, as these collected records have come to be called, is an envelope (sometimes referred to as a jacket) containing abstracts of an individuals service records including such items as muster rolls, rank rolls, hospital records, prison records, enlistment and discharge documents, and payrolls. These compiled military service records are primarily available for veterans of the American Revolution, War of 1812, and the Civil War. Pension records or veterans claims The National Archives has pension applications and records of pension payments for veterans, their widows, and other heirs. The pension records  are based on service in the armed forces of the United States between 1775 and 1916. Application files often contain supporting documents such as discharge papers, affidavits, depositions of witnesses, narratives of events during service, marriage certificates, birth records, death certificates, pages from family bibles, and other supporting papers. Pension files usually provide the most genealogical information for researchers.More: Where to Find Union Pension Records | Confederate Pension Records Draft registration records More than twenty-four million men born between 1873 and 1900 registered in one of three World War I drafts. These draft registrations cards may contain such information as name, birth date and place, occupation, dependents, nearest relative, physical description, and country of allegiance of an alien. The original WWI draft registration cards are at the National Archives, Southeast Region, in East Point, Georgia. A mandatory draft registration was also conducted for WWII, but the majority of WWII draft registration records are still protected by privacy laws. The fourth registration (often called the old mans registration), for men born between April 28, 1877 and February 16, 1897, is currently available to the public. Other selected WWII draft records may also be available.More: Where to Find WWI Draft Registration Records | WWII Draft Registration Records Bounty land records A land bounty is a grant of land from a government as a reward to citizens for the risks and hardships they endured in the service of their country, usually in a military related capacity. At the national level, these bounty land claims are based on wartime service between 1775 and 3 March 1855. If your ancestor served in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, early Indian Wars, or the Mexican War, a search of bounty land warrant application files may be worthwhile. Documents found in these records are similar to those in pension files.More: Where to Find Bounty Land Warrants The two main repositories for records relating to military service are the National Archives and the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), with the earliest records dating from the Revolutionary War. Some military records may also be found in state or regional archives and libraries. The National Archives Building, Washington, D.C., holds records relating to: Volunteer enlisted men and officers whose military service was performed during an emergency and whose service was considered to be in the federal interest, 1775 to 1902Regular Army enlisted personnel, 1789–October 31, 1912Regular Army officers, 1789–June 30, 1917 li]U.S. Navy enlisted personnel, 1798–1885US Navy officers, 1798–1902US Marine Corps enlisted personnel, 1798–1904Some US Marine Corps officers, 1798–1895Those who served in predecessor agencies to the US Coast Guard (i.e., the Revenue Cutter Service [Revenue Marine], the Life-Saving Service, and the Lighthouse Service, 1791–1919) The National Personnel Records Center, St. Louis, Missouri, holds military personnel files of US Army officers separated after June 30, 1917, and enlisted personnel separated after October 31, 1912US Air Force officers and enlisted personnel separated after September 1947US Navy officers separated after 1902 and enlisted personnel separated after 1885US Marine Corps officers separated after 1895 and enlisted personnel separated after 1904US Coast Guard officers separated after 1928 and enlisted personnel separated after 1914; civilian employees of Coast Guard predecessor agencies such as Revenue Cutter Service, Lifesaving Service, and Lighthouse Service, 1864–1919 The National Archives - Southeast Region, Atlanta, Georgia, holds draft registration records for World War I To have the National Archives staff search these records for you, get a World War I Registration Card Request form by sending an email to archivesatlanta.nara.gov, or contacting: National Archives - Southeast Region5780 Jonesboro RoadMorrow, Georgia 30260(770) 968-2100archives.gov/atlanta/

Disscusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Disscusion - Essay Example The CDF (2014) affirms that no cases of the new H7N9 virus have been detected in people and birds within the United States. A number of avian influenza viruses have been able to cross the species barrier on a few occasions with the effect of having a varying impact on human health. Kreijtz et al, (2013), point out that the majority of the humans infected with avian virus have presented with severe viral pneumonia before they eventually became critically ill. These symptoms are supported by findings by the CDC (2014) which reports that while some relatively mild cases of human H7N9 infection have been reported with most of these patients being diagnosed as having severe respiratory illnesses, an alarming one-third of infections result in death. The pandemic potential of the H7N9 virus is evidenced by the fact that the estimated mortality rate of one-third of infected patients provided by the CDC (2014) is found to be similar to the results of an epidemiologic study that was conducted on 82 confirmed cases of persons infected with the H7N9 virus in china by Li et al. (2013). In the study, it was found that the mortality rate for the disease was at about 21%, however, Li et al, (2013), highlighted the fact that this percentage was quite likely to increase as most of the patients in the study who were confirmed as having the H7N9 virus infection remained critically ill. Attempts to try and control the spread of the avian A (H7N9) virus by the controlled culling of birds in affected areas might not be particularly successful as is shown by the results of a study conducted by Olson et al, (2013). In the study, the researchers established that controlling human infection with the H7N9 avian influenza subtype by the culling of birds might prove to be quite challenging as a result of the probability that some of the infected domestic flocks might be asymptomatic. Olson et al, (2013), also

Cooperative learning groups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Cooperative learning groups - Essay Example The researcher states that scholars, educators, and school officials have become more and more interested in students’ performance in mathematics. Several studies have reported that, starting from middle school, girls are prone to develop more unconstructive attitudes towards math and score low on standardized exams. Moreover, a significant relationship has been found between performance and attitudes. Certain factors that are associated with performance of students in math comprise learning experiences, sense of belongingness, racial or ethnic affiliation, gender, self-worth, stereotyping and attitudes. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics claimed that instruction, competent educators, high expectations and equity should be awarded to every learner. By doing so, performance of students in math has a better chance to progress. The topics crucial for every student are usually included in Geometry, Algebra I and Algebra II subjects. However, only 62 percent of the overall population of high school graduates in 2000 finished three years of math in a manner that successfully introduced them to this integral content. This figure implies that students are not gaining the knowledge and proficiency they should possess to perform well in the world outside schooling. In fact, of roughly 70% pupils who promptly advance to college, approximately 28% should enroll in refresher or remedial programs in math or English. Moreover, a significant number of fourth grade and eight grade students poorly performed in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 2003. (DiMaggio, 2001, p. 5). Every state that participated in the NAEP 4th grade math assessment test in 2000 and 2003 reported improvements in mean scores. Among the states that participated in the NAEP 8th grade assessment test in 2000 and 2003, the mean scores improved in numerous states (DiMaggio, 2001, p. 5). In a nutshell, the mean scores at all grade levels improved. Such progress is inspirin g and rewarding but the scores still show the unsatisfactory outcome of collaborative attempts to greatly improve the performance of all students. To sum up, the performance of students in math is not where they should be when measured up to the nation’s standards, the achievement levels of their international counterparts and their capacity to function well beyond high school (Strebe, 2009). The nation needs individuals that is capable of performing in the contemporary world, which implies that new teaching and learning strategies are needed to achieve the desired outcomes in math and other major subjects. Cooperative Learning Groups Learning has traditionally been focused on ‘competition’, hence, the emergence of cooperative learning. Cooperative learning is a model of instruction where small groups composed of learners of distinct capability levels team up to achieve common objectives and take full advantage of their potentials. Cooperative learning facilitate s individual responsibility within the framework of cooperation or group dynamics (Williams, 2002). Teamwork is an important component of the attainment of learning objectives of the course. In the context of cooperative learning, the learning is planned and organized to ensure that learning is actually occurring (Kagan, 1994). The teacher picks the groups to think about a multitude of perspectives, capabilities, ethnic/racial affiliations, gender and other attributes. Furthermore, cooperative learning builds a classroom partnership and harmonizes individual responsibility and interdependence. Because the task of the group is incomplete until every member has accurately and clearly understood the topic, every student is contributing to the attainment of a shared objective. With every student accountable to a specific part of the