A Risk Analysis Of Grasim Industries Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1797 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? GRASIM INDUSTRIES is one of the leaders in cement industry. It is apart of ADITYA BIRLA GROUP. It is the second largest producer of cement after ACC limited. KUMAR MANGALAM BIRLA is the chairman of Grasim industries. RISK ANALYSIS RISKS FOR GRASIM INDUSTRIES Some of the key risks affecting the Company are illustrated below: Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Risk Analysis Of Grasim Industries Finance Essay" essay for you Create order Economic Risk Due to the opening of world trade and diminishing tariffs, the Company is faced with the threat of pressure on margins on products. To counter these, the Company stepped up its focus on value added products by upgrading and expanding manufacturing capacities and increasing RD. In addition, structural cost optimisation and cost control measures have been initiated. BUBBLE BURST Secondly,with the SUBPRIME CRISIS in USA which led to global turmoil to the world economy and led to the fall in the prices of real estate is one of the biggest risk being faced by GRASIM. Competitor Risk The market is highly competitive with the elimination of fiscal barriers and inroads of large corporates into the country with inorganic growth strategies. The Company continues to focus on increasing its market share and taking marketing initiatives that help customers in making informed decisions. Project Execution Risk The Company is in the process of setting up cement capacities and captive thermal power plants. The project execution is largely dependent upon land purchase, project management skills, timely delivery by the equipment suppliers and adherence to schedule by civil contractors. Any delay in project implementation will impact revenues and profit for that period. The Company is continuously reviewing the project execution to ensure that the implementation schedules are adhered. Human Resource Risk The Companys ability to deliver value also depends on its ability to attract, train, motivate, empower and retain the best professional talents. These abilities have to be developed across Companys rapidly expanding operations. There is significant competition from emerging service sectors, which poses inherent risks associated with the ability to hire and retain skilled and experienced professionals. The Company continuously benchmarks HR policies and practices with the best in the industry and carries out necessary improvements to attract and retain best talent and build intellectual capital. Foreign Exchange Risk The Companys policy is to hedge its long-term foreign exchange risk as well as short-term exposures within the defined parameters. The long-term foreign exchange liability is fully hedged, and hedges are on held to maturity basis. As imports (including capital goods import) exceeded exports, the Company has suitably hedged the differential short-term exposure from time to time to appropriately manage the currency risk. Interest Rate Risk The Company is exposed to interest rate fluctuations on its borrowings. It uses a judicious mix of fixed and floating rate debts within the stipulated parameters. The Company continuously monitors its interest rate exposures and whenever required, uses hedging tools to minimise interest rate risk. Commodity Price Risk The Company is exposed to the risk of price fluctuation on raw materials, energy sources as well as finished goods. However, considering the normal correlation in the prices of raw materials and finished goods, the risk is reduced. The Companys strategy of backward integration, like pulp and caustic soda for VSF, helps in minimising the effect of increase in prices of raw materials. Setting up of captive power plants aids in controlling the impact of rise in energy cost, which is a major cost element. Forward integration in value added products, e.g., specialty fibre in VSF, ready mix concrete in cement, wall care putty in white cement enables to reduce the impact of price fluctuation in the finished goods. RISKS FACED BY CEMENT INDUSTRY ECONOMIC RISK The first major risk faced by the cement industry is the current market situation i.e recession, sub prime crisis, bubble burst, fall in the prices of real estate high interest rates on housing loans inflation. All these factors are a threat to cement industry as the are the forces of demand for the cement in the market. COMPETITORS RISK INDIAN CEMENT INDUSTRY is facing a tough competiton with CHINESE CEMENT INDUSTRY AND PAKISTAN which is creating a threat to our domestic market. LACK OF RESOURCES COAL-the major problem There is lack of resources which creates problem for the cement industry in meeting its demand. Since coalfields like BCCL supply a poor quality of coal, NCL and CCL the industry has to blend high-grade coal with it. The Indian coal has a low calorific value (3,500-4,000 kcal/kg) with ash content as high as 25-30% compared to imported coal of high calorific value (7,000-8,000 kcal/kg) with low ash content 6-7% which ultimately increases the price of the cement. ELECTRICITY Another major hindrance to the industry is severe power cuts. Most of the cement producing states like AP, MP experience power cuts to the tune of 25-30% every year causing substantial production loss. INFRASTRUCTURE-TRANSPORTATION There is also the problem of inadequate availability of wagons especially on western railways and southeastern railways. GOVERNMENT POLICIES RISK Government policies have affected the growth of cement plants in India in various stages. The control on cement for a long time and then partial decontrol and then total decontrol has contributed to the gradual opening up of the market for cement producers. OTHER SECTOR RISKS CEMENT INDUSTRY has direct risk from reality sector and petroleum sector.the demand for the infrastructure developments and prices of crude oil in the foreign market and interest rates of our monetary policies directly impact our CEMENT INDUSTRY. TECHNOLOGICAL RISKS/OPERATIONAL RISK Another risk faced by the cement industry is the upgradation of technology which involves huge costs. huge costs are involved in setting up of plants with latest technology and their is a risk of human resource as well linked to it. RISK MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES The Company is exposed to risks from market fluctuations of foreign exchange and interest rate. SO the various risk management techniques followed by Grasim are- The Company has a comprehensive risk management policy. The risk management inter alia provides for review of the risk assessment and mitigation procedure, laying down procedure to inform/report the Board in the matter and for periodical review of the procedure to ensure that executive management controls the risks through a properly defined framework. Foreign Exchange Risk The Companys policy is to hedge its long-term foreign exchange risk as well as short-term exposures within defined parameters. Currently, the Company has a small long-term foreign ex change liability of Rs. 20 crores which is partially hedged. The short-term exposures are covered from time to time. The Companys aggregate exports stood at Rs.101.8 crores and imports at Rs.400.6 croresin FY09. Due to the excess of imports over exports, the Company has suitably hedged the differential exposure. Interest Rate Risk The Company is exposed to interest rate fluctuations on its Rupee denominated borrowings. The Company uses judicious mix of fixed and variable rate debts within the stipulated parameters. The company does not perceive interest rate fluctuations as a significant risk, having any material impact on its profitability. COMMODITY RISK TECHNIQUE The Company is exposed to the risk of price fluctuation on raw materials, energy sources as well as finished goods. However, considering the normal correlation in the prices of raw materials and finished goods, the risk is reduced. The Companys strategy of backward integration, like pulp and caust ic soda for VSF, helps in minimising the effect of increase in prices of raw materials. RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM For the operational risk management they have adopted RIS i.e risk management system which deals in .Specialized risk management training Safety Audit Studies Fire and Explosion Investigations Electrical Safety Audits POST IMPLICATIONS OF RISK MANAGEMENT After the implementation of various techniques the GRASIM INDUSTRIES is able to optimize its risks. The Companys cement volumes grew by 6% during the years as the benefit of new capacities accrued only towards the later part of the year. All major costs decreased. The market coverage of Ready Mix Concrete has increased substantially with large capacity expansions in the last year. Its volumes increased by 24%. Both volumes and realisation were good for White Cement. The value added product Wall Care Putty registered a 40% growth. Sales volume grew from 14.52 million tonnes in FY 07 to 15.54 million tonnes in FY08, a growth of 7%. The Company successfully transited the Birla Plus brand to UltraTech Cement The Engineers Choice for a common brand identity across the country. Upgrading the Companys pollution control equipments on a continuous basis for better efficiency R N D facilities- RD was also focused on improving the processes in plants to achieve better energy consumption and reduced emissions to the environment. Future plans are towards development of new products and utilisation of waste fuels to reduce carbon foot print. The foundation stone for the White Cement RD Centre namely Aditya Research Development Centre (ARDC) was laid on 20th December, 2008. Improved decision-making, planning and prioritizing skills. Well-organized allocation of the resources and the capital. Allowed anticipate the problems and utilizes the best minimizing amount of fire fighting and preventing a disaster, which could lead to sever financial crunch. Risk management significantly improved the probability of the delivery of the business plan, within the time frame and budget. Stratergic investment by acquiring 12.89% equity in Larsen and Toubro. The Business has also enhanced its investment in Ready Mix Concrete, with excellent customer response in the markets being served. Moreover, the Business was able to reduce its cost of sales per tonne through expanded use of alternative fuels, a reduction in the freight cost, a voluntary retirement scheme at one of its major plants and various other process initiatives. In addition, the Company commissioned its new 1.0 Mn.tpa Grinding Unit at Bhatinda in Punjab. An outlay of over Rs. 460 Crores in the last 2 years was committed towards capital investment in support of these priorities; and this programme is being continued in the current fiscal. Improved throughput, reduced power costs and increased process efficiencies are the targeted outcome of this Programme. Continuous technological upgrading and assimilation of latest technology has been going on in the cement industry. Presently 93 per cent of the total capacity in the industry is based on modern and environment-friendly dry process technology and only 7 per cent of the capacity is based on old wet and semi-dry process technology. CONCLUSION The cement industry is one of the main beneficiaries of the infrastructure boom. With robust demand and adequate supply, the industry has bright future. The cement sector is expected to witness growth in line with the economic growth because of the strong co-relation with GDP. As far as GRASIM INDUSTRIES is concerned the company is moving at a faster rate and risk management techniques has helped it to sustain and earn profits at the time of consolidated slowdown inflationary market.

Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck - 1452 Words

The novella â€Å"Of Mice and Men† by John Steinbeck (published in 1937) and the play â€Å"Death of a Salesman† by Arthur Miller (published in 1949) both focus on the idea of the American dream creating a better life for oneself in a land of opportunity. However, both texts question whether this dream is achievable or just an illusion which is unattainable. Steinbecks novella â€Å"Of Mice and Men† tells the tale of two migrant ranch workers, George and Lennie, with a dream of getting their own farm. The genuine catastrophe in â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is that Crooks, the pessimistic stable hand, was right as â€Å"nobody gets no land. It s just in their head. They re all the time talkin about it, but it s jus in their head.† Crooks is alluding to not only the literal possession but also to the fantasy of satisfaction about which these simple men dream of. Implied in the theme of the American dream is the ironic idea that the development and maturity of the characters leads to the obliteration of ones aspirations. George â€Å"matures† by killing Lennie, and in turn killing the dream that they fantasized. George survives on the grounds that he deserts his unreasonable dreams. Dreaming, then again, is mankind s only protection against an aloof world. The title of the novella itself suggests that individuals are helpless in changing their destinies and thus foreshadowing the hopelessness of the American dream. Likewise, Miller demonstrates how development and maturity prompts the destruction ofShow MoreRelatedOf Mice and Men by John Steinbeck973 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction: I. Background A. John Steinbeck was born on February 27th, 1902 in Salinas, California. 1. Salinas River was one of the few centers for shipping, farming, and agriculture a. John Steinbeck worked as an employed laborer, digging canals and working beside men similar to characters in his novels. 2. In a discussion John Steinbeck said, I worked in the same country that the story is laid in. The characters are composites to a certain extent. Lennie was a real person. Hes in an insaneRead MoreOf Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck842 Words   |  4 Pages it was not uncommon to become morosely secluded while working. Men would go far away from their families in search of any jobs they could get, with only themselves to confide in; colleagues only filling in the void of friends and family partially. Naturally, John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, written during this period, would reflect this fact as a major aspect of the story. Loneliness would become the sinew of Of Mice and Men, manifested in some of the story’s main characters: Candy, CrooksRead MoreThe And Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck1549 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay will be exploring the role of women in the texts ‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly and ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck . Both texts are quite dissimilar for the most part, with ‘DNA’ being a contemporary play, dealing with problems faced by modern youth groups and ‘Of Mice and Men’ being a classic novella. Set in the 1930’s, the novella tells a story of two migrant workers who flee to Salinas, California, for work. In spite of this, both explore the presentation of female characters similarlyRead MoreOf Mice and Men by John Steinbeck1358 Words   |  6 Pagesthis expression to stress the fact that there are and will be difficulties in life. John Steinbeck, in his novella Of Mice and Men, does not fall short of the same views. It takes place in the year 1937, a period associated with the Great Depression, and illustrates the hardships of the time, and more so those that laborers such as George and Lennie experience. Life proves to be full of disappointments for both men who are victims of harsh circumstances in more ways than one. The two have a dreamRead MoreOf Mi ce And Men By John Steinbeck894 Words   |  4 PagesOf Mice and Men Essay John Steinbeck once said, â€Å"A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us†. In his novella, Of Mice and Men, two men go on an unexpected journey in search for their dream of happiness. There are many themes that come from their journey such as, the gilded American dream, the bond of male friendships, the power of women and femininityRead MoreOf Mice And Men By John Steinbeck1433 Words   |  6 PagesI am writing a literary essay on the novella, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I will be responding to the question describe an important character and explain how the character helped you understand an important message. In the novella, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, two characters, Crooks and Curley’s wife, help me understand the message ‘Discrimination isolates people’. The book takes place in Soledad, California, mid 1930’s, during the Great Depression, at a time when discriminationRead MoreOf Mice And Men By John Steinbeck1747 Words   |  7 Pages Of Mice and Men is a tragedy And The Pearl is a parable. Author s Name John Steinbeck -Title of Work #1: Of Mice and Men -Genre: Tragedy -Evidence of Genre (explain what makes the work an example of the genre): Tragedy is a branch of literature that uses a serious and dignified style the sad or unfortunate events encountered or caused by a heroic individual. In Of Mice and Men George and Lennie face a lot of tragic events. -Complete Summary of Work: Of Mice and Men is theRead MoreOf Mice And Men By John Steinbeck1354 Words   |  6 PagesThe novel ‘Of Mice and Men’, written by John Steinbeck, is set near the Salinas River in California, America during the Great Depression between 1930-1939. The Great Depression was a distressing time in the history of America as the unemployment rate was high which in turn led to poverty and hunger. During this time, many struggled to find work and this steered them to travel long distances, often without having anyone to talk to. Dreams were crafted by this travelling workforce and were somethingRead MoreMice Of Men By John Steinbeck785 Words   |  4 Pages It was an hopeless time period. For George in steinbeck s book mice of men by John Steinbeck,it was the great depression.This was a time period of a deep and dark economic downturn that affected the whole country. While the story focuses on George and Lennie s struggles through this hopeless time.They were best buds that got along great. They went to farm to farm as migrant works to get there pay. George had to take care of Lennie throughout the book and pick up the pieces, but lennie was a kindRead MoreOf Mice And Men By John Steinbeck1400 Words   |  6 PagesOf Mice and Men, it is not just a band! Of Mice and Men was originally a short novel written by John Steinbeck in the 1930s. Regardless of the shortness in length, though, it is a rather deep and emotional book with quite a few messages behind the fictional storyline. These messages, however, cannot be discovered right off the bat. To genuinely absorb the messages Steinbeck teaches and actually understand the meaning behind them, one must read the book in its entirety. Steinbeck educates readers

The Secret Circle The Captive Chapter Five Free Essays

string(60) " go inside and I’ll show you how to make an infusion\." â€Å"You stupid outsider,† Faye screeched, twisting away from Cassie. â€Å"It was just getting started-now you’ve ruined everything!† Cassie lay on her back, gasping. Then she pointed shakily, sitting up. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Captive Chapter Five or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"That’s what I ruined,† she said, her voice soft from lack of breath, and from fear. Faye looked up at the ceiling, at the dark, charred circle on the white plaster. â€Å"It was coming right at you,† Cassie said, too unnerved to yell, or even to be angry. â€Å"Didn’t you see it?† Faye just looked at her, black lashes heavy over speculative golden eyes. Then she looked at the skull. Cassie leaned over and covered the skull with the cloth. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"I’m taking it back,† Cassie said, still breathless. â€Å"Diana was right. I was right, if I’d listened to myself. It’s too dangerous to handle.† She expected Faye to explode, possibly even to fight her. But Faye looked up at the stain on the ceiling and said musingly, â€Å"I think it’s just a matter of more protection. If we could capture that energy-channel it. . .† â€Å"You’re crazy,† Cassie told her bluntly. â€Å"And,† she added, â€Å"our deal is finished. I did what you asked: I brought you the skull. You used it and you almost got killed. So now it’s over.† Faye’s lazy expression disappeared. â€Å"Oh, no, Cassie,† she said. The hint of a smile curved her lips, but her eyes were predatory. Ruthless. â€Å"It’s only starting. Don’t you see?† She began to laugh. â€Å"You’re more my captive now than ever. It’s not just Adam anymore-now I can tell Diana about this. How do you think the Princess of Purity is going to feel when she finds out her ‘little sister’ stole the skull? And then brought it to me to use?† Faye laughed harder, seeming delighted. â€Å"Oh, Cassie, you should see your face.† Cassie felt as if she were smothering. What Faye said was true. If Diana found out that Cassie had dug up the skull-that Cassie had lied to her-that the whole story last Sunday about being too scared to go home had been a trick†¦ Just as it had the last time she’d stood in this room, Cassie felt her spirit, her will, draining away. She was more trapped than ever. She was lost. â€Å"You take the skull back now,† Faye said, as if it had been entirely her idea. â€Å"And later- well, I’ll think of something else I want from you. In the meanwhile, you just keep yourself available.† I hate you, Cassie thought with impotent rage. But Faye was ignoring Cassie completely, bending to pick up the bristling kittens, one gray and one orange, which had crawled out from under the dust ruffle. The vampire kittens, Cassie remembered distractedly-the ones with a taste for human blood. Apparently even they hadn’t liked this business with the skull. â€Å"What about that?† Cassie said, pointing at the dark stain on Faye’s ceiling. â€Å"Don’t you feel at all responsible about letting it loose? It could be out killing somebody-â€Å" â€Å"I doubt it,† Faye said, and shrugged negligently. â€Å"But we’ll just have to wait and see, I suppose.† She stroked the orange kitten and its fur began to lie flat again. Cassie could only stare at her, tears rising to her eyes. She’d thought she could control Faye, but she’d been wrong. And right now the new dark energy could be doing anything, and she was helpless to stop it. You could tell Diana, an inner voice, the core voice, whispered, but Cassie didn’t even pretend to listen. She could never tell Diana now; that chance was over. Things had gone far too far with Faye. â€Å"Cassie, are you nervous about something?† Laurel had paused with the white-handled knife in her hand. â€Å"Me? No. Why?† Cassie said, feeling every moment as if she might jump out of her skin. â€Å"You just seem kind of jittery.† Laurel gently snicked the knife through the base of the small witch-hazel bush. â€Å"Now, this won’t hurt a bit†¦ you’ve got plenty of roots down there to grow back from†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she murmured soothingly. â€Å"It’s not about Homecoming, is it?† she asked, looking up again. â€Å"No, no,† Cassie said. She hadn’t even thought about Homecoming this week. She couldn’t think about anything except the dark energy. Each day she expected to hear about some new disaster. But today was Thursday, and nothing had happened yet. No avalanches, no bodies found, nobody even missing. Oh, if only she could let herself believe that nothing would happen. The energy she and Faye had released had been small-she felt sure of that now-and maybe it had just evaporated. Cassie felt a delicious peace steal through her at the thought. Laurel had moved over to a clump of thyme. â€Å"It’s not too late to change your mind about coming,† she said. â€Å"And I wish you would. Dancing is very witchy-and it’s Nature. It’s like one of our incantations: â€Å"Man to woman, woman to man, Ever since the world began. Heart to heart, and hand to hand, Ever since the world began.† She added, looking up at Cassie thoughtfully, â€Å"Wasn’t there some guy you met over the summer that you were interested in? We could do a spell to pull him here-â€Å" â€Å"No!† said Cassie. â€Å"I mean, I really don’t want to go to Homecoming, Laurel. I just-I wouldn’t be comfortable.† â€Å"Thank you,† Laurel said. For an instant Cassie thought it was addressed to her, but Laurel was now talking to the thyme. â€Å"I’m sorry I needed part of the root, too, but I brought this to help you grow back,† she went on, tucking a pink crystal into the soil. â€Å"That reminds me, have you found your working crystal yet?† she said to Cassie. â€Å"No,† Cassie said. She thought of the jumble of crystals in Faye’s box. She’d liked handling them, but none of them had stood out as hers, as the one she needed as a witch. â€Å"Don’t worry, you will,† Laurel assured her. â€Å"It’ll just turn up one day, and you’ll know.† She stood up with the thyme plant in her hand. â€Å"All right, let’s go inside and I’ll show you how to make an infusion. You read "The Secret Circle: The Captive Chapter Five" in category "Essay examples" Nobody should fool around with herbs unless they know exactly what they’re doing. And if you change your mind about Homecoming, thyme soup helps overcome shyness.† Cassie cast a look around the great wide world, as she always did now, checking for the dark energy, then she followed Laurel. The next day, in American history class, Diana sneezed. Ms. Lanning stopped talking and said, â€Å"Bless you† absently. Cassie scarcely noticed it at the time. But then, at the end of class, Diana sneezed again, and kept sneezing. Cassie looked at her. Diana’s eyes were pink and watery. Her nose was getting pink, too, as she rubbed it with a Kleenex. That night, instead of going to the Homecoming game, Diana stayed at home in bed. Cassie, who knew nothing about football and was only yelling when everybody else yelled, worried about her in some back corner of her mind. It couldn’t have anything to do with the dark energy, could it? â€Å"Applaud,† Laurel said, nudging her. â€Å"For the Homecoming Queen. Sally really looks almost pretty, doesn’t she?† â€Å"I guess,† Cassie said, applauding mechanically. â€Å"Laurel, how come one of us isn’t Homecoming Queen? Instead of an outsider?† â€Å"Diana didn’t want to be,† Laurel said succinctly. â€Å"And Deb and the others think it’s too goody-goody. But from the way Jeffrey Lovejoy’s looking at Sally, I’d say Faye made a mistake. She told Jeff to come to the dance with her, but he’d already asked Sally and he’s a fighter. It’ll be interesting to see who gets him.† â€Å"You can tell me all about it,† Cassie said. â€Å"I saw the last fight between Faye and Sally; this one I can miss.† But it didn’t turn out that way. Cassie was in the herb garden when the phone call came. She had to go through the kitchen and into the new wing of the house to get to the telephone. â€Å"Hello, Cassie?† The voice was so muted and stuffed-up it was almost unrecognizable. â€Å"It’s Diana.† Fear crinkled up Cassie’s backbone. The dark energy†¦ â€Å"Oh, Diana, are you all right?† There was a burst of muffled laughter. â€Å"Don’t panic. I’m not dying. It’s just a bad cold.† â€Å"You sound awful.† â€Å"I know. I’m completely miserable, and I can’t go to the dance tonight, and I called to ask you a favor.† Cassie froze with a sudden intuition. Her mouth opened, and then shut again silently. But Diana was going on. â€Å"Jeffrey called Faye to tell her he’s going with Sally after all, and Faye is livid. So when she heard I was sick, she called to say she would go with Adam, because she knew I would want him to go even if I couldn’t. And I do; I don’t want him to miss it just because of me. So I told her she couldn’t because I’d already asked you to go with him.† â€Å"Why?† Cassie blurted, and then thought, Ask a stupid question†¦ â€Å"Because Faye is on the prowl,† Diana said patiently. â€Å"And she likes Adam, and the mood she’s in tonight, she’ll try anything. That’s the one thing I couldn’t stand, Cassie, for her to get her hands on Adam. I just couldn’t.† Cassie looked around for something to sit down on. â€Å"But Diana †¦ I don’t even have a dress. I’m all muddy†¦.† â€Å"You can go over to Suzan’s. All the other girls are there. They’ll take care of you.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cassie shut her eyes. â€Å"Diana, you just don’t understand. I can’t. I-â€Å" â€Å"Oh, Cassie, I know it’s a lot to ask. But I don’t know who else to turn to. And if Faye goes after Adam†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was the first time Cassie had ever heard such a forlorn note in Diana’s voice. She sounded on the verge of tears. Cassie pressed a hand to her forehead. â€Å"Okay. Okay, I’ll do it. But-â€Å" â€Å"Thank you, Cassie! Now go right to Suzan’s-I’ve talked with her and Laurel and Melanie. They’ll fix you up. I’m going to call Adam and tell him.† And that, Cassie thought helplessly, was one conversation she thought she could miss too. Maybe Adam would get them out of it somehow, she thought as she drove the Rabbit up Suzan’s driveway. But she doubted it. When Diana made her mind up about something, she was immovable. Suzan’s house had columns. Cassie’s mother said it was bad Greek Revival, but Cassie secretly thought it was impressive. The inside was imposing too, and Suzan’s bedroom was in a class by itself. It was all the colors of the sea: sand, shell, pearl, periwinkle. The headboard on Suzan’s bed was shaped like a giant scalloped shell. But what caught Cassie’s eye were the mirrors- she’d never seen so many mirrors in one place. â€Å"Cassie!† Laurel burst in just behind her, making Cassie turn in surprise. â€Å"I’ve got it!† Laurel announced triumphantly to the other girls, holding up a plastic-draped hanger. Inside Cassie glimpsed some pale, gleaming material. â€Å"It’s a dress Granny Quincey got me this summer-but I haven’t worn it and I never will. It’s not my style, but it’ll be perfect on you, Cassie.† â€Å"Oh, God,† was all Cassie could think of to say. She’d changed her mind; she couldn’t do this after all. â€Å"Laurel-thanks-but I might ruin it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Don’t let her talk,† Melanie ordered from the other side of the room. â€Å"Stick her in a bath; she needs one.† â€Å"That way,† Suzan said, gesturing with splayed fingers. â€Å"I can’t do anything until my nails are dry, but all the stuff’s in there.† â€Å"Beauty bath mix,† Laurel gloated, examining the assortment of bottles on the gilt shelves in Suzan’s bathroom. There were all kinds of bottles, some with wide necks and some with long narrow necks, green and deep glowing blue. â€Å"Here, this is great: thyme, mint, rosemary, and lavender. It smells wonderful, and it’s tranquilizing, too.† She scattered bright-colored dried flowers in the steaming water. â€Å"Now get in and scrub. Oh, this is good,† she went on, sniffing at another bottle. â€Å"Chamomile hair rinse-it brightens hair, brings out the highlights. Use it!† Cassie obeyed dazedly. She felt as if she’d just been inducted into boot camp. When she got back to the bedroom, Melanie directed her to sit down and hold a hot washcloth on her face. â€Å"It’s ‘a fragrant resin redolent with the mysterious virtues of tropical balms,’ † Melanie said, reading from a Book of Shadows. â€Å"It ‘renders the complexion clear and brilliant’-and it really does, too. So hold this on your face while I do your hair.† â€Å"Melanie’s wonderful with hair,† Laurel volunteered as Cassie gamely buried her face in the washcloth. â€Å"Yes, but I’m not going to give her a do,† Melanie said critically. â€Å"I’m just making it soft and natural, waving back from her face. Plug in those hot rollers, Suzan.† While Melanie worked, Cassie could hear Laurel and Deborah arguing in the depths of Suzan’s walk-in closet. â€Å"Suzan,† Laurel shouted. â€Å"I never saw so many pairs of shoes in my life. What do you do with them all?† â€Å"I don’t know. I just like buying them. Which is lucky for people who want to borrow them,† Suzan called back. â€Å"Now, let’s get you into the dress,† Melanie said, some time later. â€Å"No, don’t look, not yet. Come over to the vanity and Suzan will do your makeup.† Feebly, Cassie tried to protest as Melanie whipped a towel around her neck. â€Å"That’s all right. I can do it myself-â€Å" â€Å"No, you want Suzan to do it,† Laurel said, emerging from the closet. â€Å"I promise, Cassie; just wait and see.† â€Å"But I don’t wear much makeup-I won’t look like me †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes, you will. You’ll look more like you.† â€Å"Well, somebody decide, for heaven’s sake,† Suzan said, standing by in a kimono and waving a powder puff impatiently. â€Å"I’ve got myself to do, too, you know.† Cassie yielded and sat on a stool, facing Suzan. â€Å"Hm,† said Suzan, turning Cassie’s face this way and that. â€Å"Hmm.† The next half hour was filled with bewildering instructions. â€Å"Look up,† Suzan commanded, wielding a brown eyeliner pencil. â€Å"Look down. See, this will give you doe eyes,† she went on, â€Å"and nobody will even be able to tell you’re wearing anything. Now a little almond shadow†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She dipped a small brush in powder and blew off the excess. â€Å"Now just a little midnight blue in the crease to make you look mysterious†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Eyes shut, Cassie relaxed. This was fun. She felt even more decadent and pampered when Laurel said, â€Å"I’ll take care of your nails.† â€Å"What are you using?† Cassie asked trustingly. â€Å"Witch-hazel infusion and Chanel Flamme Rose polish,† Laurel replied, and they both giggled. â€Å"Don’t jolt my hand,† Suzan said crossly. â€Å"Now suck in your cheeks like a fish. Stop laughing. You’ve got great cheekbones, I’m just going to bring them out a little. Now go like this; I’m going to put Roseglow on your lips.† When at last she sat back to survey her work, the other girls gathered around, even Deborah. â€Å"And finally,† Suzan said, â€Å"just a drop of magnet perfume here, and here, and here.† She touched the hollow of Cassie’s throat, her earlobes, and her wrists with something that smelled wild and exotic and wonderful. â€Å"What is it?† Cassie asked. â€Å"Mignonette, tuberose, and ylang-ylang,† Suzan said. â€Å"It makes you irresistible. And I should know.† Alarm lanced through Cassie suddenly, but before she had time to think, Laurel was turning her, loosening the towel around her neck. â€Å"Wait, don’t look until you’ve got your shoes on†¦. Now!† Laurel said jubilantly. â€Å"Look at that!† Cassie opened her eyes and drew in her breath. Then, scarcely knowing what she was doing, she moved closer to the full-length mirror, to the lovely stranger reflected there. She could hardly resist reaching out to touch the glass with her fingertips. The girl in the mirror had fine, light-brown hair waving softly back from her face. The highlights shimmered when Cassie moved her head, so it must be her-but it couldn’t be, Cassie thought. Her eyes didn’t have that dreamy, mysterious aura. Her skin didn’t have that dewy glow, and she didn’t blush that way, to bring out her cheekbones. And her lips definitely didn’t have that breathless ready-to-be-kissed look. â€Å"It’s the lipstick,† Suzan explained. â€Å"Don’t smudge it.† â€Å"It’s possible,† said Melanie, â€Å"that you’ve gone too far, Suzan.† â€Å"Do you like the dress?† Laurel asked. â€Å"It’s the perfect length, just short enough, but still romantic.† The girl in the mirror, the one with the delicate bones and the swan’s neck, turned from side to side. The dress was silvery and shimmering, like yards of starlight, and it made Cassie feel like a princess. Suzan’s shoes, appropriately, looked like glass slippers. â€Å"Oh, thank you!† Cassie said, whirling to look at the other girls. â€Å"I mean-I don’t know how to say thank you. I mean-I finally look like a witch!† They burst into laughter, except Deborah, who threw a disgusted glance at the ceiling. Cassie hugged Laurel, and then, impulsively, hugged Suzan, too. â€Å"Well, you are a witch,† Suzan said reasonably. â€Å"I’ll show you how to do it yourself if you want.† Cassie felt something like humility. She’d thought Suzan was just an airhead, but it wasn’t true. Suzan loved beauty and was generous about sharing it with other people. Cassie smiled into the china-blue eyes and felt as if she’d unexpectedly made a new friend. â€Å"Wait, we almost forgot!† Melanie said. â€Å"You can’t go to a dance without a single crystal to your name.† She rummaged in her canvas bag, and then said, â€Å"Here, this will be perfect; it was my great-grandmother’s.† She held up a necklace: a thin chain with a teardrop of clear quartz. Cassie took it lovingly and fastened it around her neck, admiring the way it lay in the hollow of her throat. Then she hugged Melanie, too. From downstairs a doorbell chimed faintly, and, closer, a male voice shouted, â€Å"For crying out loud! Are you going to get that, Suzan?† â€Å"It’s one of the guys!† Suzan said, thrown into a tizzy. â€Å"And we’re not ready. You’re the only one dressed, Cassie; run and get it before Dad has a fit.† â€Å"Hello, Mr. Whittier; sorry, Mr. Whittier,† Cassie gasped as she hurried downstairs. It wasn’t until she was at the door that she thought, Oh, please, please, please, let it be any one of the others. Don’t let it be him. Please. Adam was standing there when she opened the door. He was wearing a wry smile, appropriate for a guy who’s been commandeered at the last minute into escorting his girl’s best friend to a dance. The smile disappeared instantly when he saw Cassie. For a long moment he simply stared at her. Her own elated smile faded, and they stood gazing at each other. Adam swallowed hard, started to say something, then gave up and stood silent again. Cassie was hearing Suzan’s words: It’ll make you irresistible. Oh, what had she done? â€Å"We’ll call it off,† she said, and her voice was as soft as when she’d told Faye about the dark energy. â€Å"We’ll tell Diana I got sick too-â€Å" â€Å"We can’t,† he said, equally soft, but very intense. â€Å"Nobody would believe it, and besides†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The wry smile made an attempt at reappearing. â€Å"It would be a shame for you to miss Homecoming. You look†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. â€Å"Nice.† â€Å"So do you,† Cassie said, and tried to come up with an ironic smile of her own. She had the feeling it turned out wobbly. Cassie took another breath, but at that moment she heard a voice from the second floor. â€Å"Here,† Laurel said, leaning over the balustrade to toss Cassie a tiny beaded purse. â€Å"Get her to the dance, Adam; that way she’ll have a chance at some guys who’re available.† And, from the bedroom, Suzan called, â€Å"But not too many, Cassie-leave some for us!† â€Å"I’ll try to fend a few of them off,† Adam called back, and Cassie felt her racing pulse calm a little. They had their parts down now. It was like acting in a play, and all Cassie had to do was remember her role. She felt sure Adam could handle his †¦ well, almost sure. Something in his sea-dark eyes sent thin chills up her spine. â€Å"Let’s go,† Adam said, and Cassie took a deep breath and stepped with him outside into the night. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Captive Chapter Five, Essay examples

King of the castle tension free essay sample

?â€Å"I’m the King of the Castle†: Literature Coursework Investigate the ways in which Susan Hill uses language to create tension and a sense of foreboding in â€Å"I’m the King of the Castle† Susan Hill implements several writing techniques to create tension in the novel. Tension in this sense simply means mental strain or excitement in the readers. One of the techniques used is shown when she uses a third-person narration to narrate the story. This narrator is omniscient and implies that he/ she is not one of the characters in the novel, and yet at the same time knows everything that is running through the characters minds. Hill uses this technique to bring the readers on a journey of moving freely in time and space to allow them to know what any character is doing or thinking at any one point of time. This is only possible because the narrator is not a character in the novel and is allowed to be anywhere, anytime. Susan Hill uses many different techniques to put a point across, the most important being her use of imagery. However her writing also has many other qualities such as good structure and her ability to think like her characters. In addition she manages to build up tension and uses different ways of emphasising words or phrases. All of these factors contribute to her unique evocative style and add to her reputation of being a very talented writer. In chapter eleven, she describes vividly how Kingshaw feels sick with fright when Hooper locks him in the shed. He retched, and then began to vomit, all over the sacks, the sick coming down his nose and choking him. It tasted bitter. He bent forwards, holding his stomach. When it finished he wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt. He was shivering again. This passage is an example of her excellent use of imagery. She conjures up a picture of the scene as well as expressing Kingshaws fears and senses in an evocative style by using a scene that we can all relate to and understand. An example of Susan Hills good structure is at the very beginning of the novel, when Hooper and Kingshaw first meet, Hooper sends Kingshaw a note saying I didnt want you to come here. This sets up the story line from the beginning, leading us to expect events to come. Then at the very end of the novel before Kingshaw commits suicide, Hopper sends him a final note saying Something will happen to you Kingshaw. She shows the ability to be able to think like a child, which adds to the overall affect of the book because the main character is Kingshaw who is a child. This process of her thoughts gives us a wider understanding of Kingshaws character and his thoughts. Examples of her thinking like a child appear in many forms in the novel. One of them is her use of childish language and grammar. Now, he thought, I know what Hooper is really like. Hes a baby. And stupid. And a bully. Notice in this particular phrase that she uses childish words like baby, stupid and bully. The use of short abrupt sentences emphasise the words and adds to the childish theme, because it is grammatically incorrect to start a sentence with a conjunction, which is what a child may do). Another form of her childish thinking is how she shows an understanding of childrens fears and their reactions. An example of this is Kingshaws fear of moths. There are a lot of moths, Hooper said softly, there always are, in woods. Pretty big ones, as well. Kingshaws stomach clenched. In his nostrils, he could smell the mustiness of the Red Room. This passage shows how Hooper taunts Kingshaw with his fear (childishly). She shows Kingshaws reaction to his fear by saying his stomach clenched. She then continues with his memory of the Red Room, where he had been scared by the death moths, using her evocative style to describe how he associates moths with the musty smell of the Red Room. She uses the example of moths throughout the book, along with Kingshaws other fears such as birds. To keep the reader alert Susan Hill tended to change from one scene to another very abruptly. A Classic example is in chapter sixteen, when every one was in the Breakfast room on the day of Mrs. Helena Kingshaw and Mr. Hoopers wedding announcement. Suddenly the scene changes to them being in a muddy field. This can be quite confusing for the reader but it does keep them alert. It was also in this scene where Susan Hill showed her ability to build up tension. This was done by Kingshaw expressing his fears about something that we do not know about, and Mrs. Helena Kingshaw talking about how he was scared by this thing when he was little. As the passage continues the writer gives us a clue that the unknown fear is of a certain place and finally (after a page of writing) she tells us that the place in question is a circus. Susan Hill uses many different techniques to build up an atmosphere. In my opinion the most effective atmosphere that she created was in chapters twelve and thirteen, when Hooper falls off the castle wall. When Kingshaw reaches the top of the castle (without Hooper) he feels a sense of power. He shouts out â€Å"Im the King of the castle† which relates to the title of the book. To make us understand how Kingshaw really does feel King, she repeats the phrase I am the King thrice. He felt so powerful that he thought he could kill Hooper. When Kingshaw is in a rage with Hopper, telling him to come down, he swears at him, this shocks the reader, as he is only a child. When Hooper is falling off the castle wall Kingshaw commands TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE WALL, HOOPER. The use of capital letter creates the effect that what he is saying is important. When Hooper falls and is carried off on a stretcher, thunder rumbles in the back ground which gives the ironic affect that it is not going to be a good thing for Kingshaw. Kingshaw is then made to get down from the castle, which can be classed as an example of his life. Every time he reaches the top he is always forced to go back down which is, once again, ironic. The whole book gives an immense sense of tension to the reader. The atmosphere is one of suspense and danger. The overall use of abrupt, simple dialogue accentuates the feeling of incoming peril. Susan Hill writes the novel in a way which causes the reader to constantly be alert, and to expect the sinister and foreboding to occur. Arsalan Abdullah

Claude Mckay`S If We Must Die Essays - Harlem Renaissance

Claude Mckay`S ?If We Must Die? Poetry Claude McKay If We Must Die One of the most influential writers of the Harlem Renaissance was Jamaican born Claude McKay, who was a political activist, a novelist, an essayist and a poet. Claude McKay was aware of how to keep his name consistently in mainstream culture by writing for that audience. Although in McKays arsenal he possessed powerful poems. The book that included such revolutionary poetry is Harlem Shadows. His 1922 book of poems, Harlem Shadows, Barros acknowledged that this poem was said by many to have inaugurated the Harlem Renaissance. Throughout McKays writing career he used a lot of dialect and African American vernacular in his writing, which was rather controversial at the time. Writing in dialect wasnt considered proper for writing formal literature. For this paper I chose the poem If We Must Die, one of his strongest political poem included in Harlem Shadows. The subject matter that McKay writes about is confrontational. Even if McKay used classical poetry techniques to write If We Must Die. McKay used the poetry technique of the sonnet by using the 13 lines and 1 last line in the end. In If We Must Die McKay uses rhymes, and metaphors to associate and personify the poem. Using these techniques the audience can identify with the writer and the poem itself. The poem at first seems to have been written for a black audience but then it grew tremendously for a wider universal audience. This poem spoke to anyone and everyone who was being oppressed or in a situation that they werent in control of. This poem was for anyone who is or was put to death. This poem showed that everyone deserves a noble death, a death of honor and respect not to be beaten and treated like an animal but like a human being. If We Must Die was first published in the Liberator in 1919. Then in his compilation of poetry Harlem Shadows in 1922. Where already the world war had ended. It was one of the very first poems that initiated the tone, subject and matter of the Harlem Renaissance. The poem is revolutionary, its the type of poem that makes people think and take action. He made the reader feel important and recognized the value of a human life. McKay believed part of the poets job is to politically inform the minds of people. Leading to the influence of such people as Amiri Baraka, starting the Black Arts Movement. The poem itself is a validation, recognition of the value of a human life. In the first line of the sonnet If we must die, let it not be like hogs. If we as humans die in whatever situation arises, let it not be like an animal, inhumane, without a name and unjust. If we must die, O let us nobly die, and eventhough the person might be by far outnumbered, beaten and maimed not to sit there and take the punishment. That there last breaths is one of victory because the person never stopped fighting back. Erasing the idea of passive resistance which made such people like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. known for. Although the poem had a universal appeal, McKay published this poem through one of the fiercest times for African Americans. There were severe racial problems with Blacks and Whites through out sparking violence. In 1919 theyre where countless race riots in Harlem and all over the United States. This poem could have even fanned the flame that the race riots started. This poem itself moved people to stand up for themselves and I dont doubt that it did. This poem can easily be read today and appeal to todays society. It seems that there will always be an oppressed group, that is something we cant escape from. If the poem If We Must Die were read today, I feel it would move countless people into action. Especially now where there are a lot of problems with the New York City police department. The Police departments using tactics of racial profiling, countless shootings, and deaths of young African American and Latino men. No matter what decade we live in, same

A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison

A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison The following summarizes one of the best-known  examples of the Indian Captivity Narrative.  It was written in 1823 by James E. Seaver from interviews with Mary Jemison, a Scots-Irish woman who was taken by the Seneca during a raid when she was twelve and adopted by a Native family.  Its important to remember, when reading it, that such narratives were often exaggerated and sensational, but, paradoxically, also depicted Native Americans in more human and humane ways than other documents of the time tended to. The original narrative is available in whole at several other sources: A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary JemisonA Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison - Google BooksA Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison - Project Gutenberg Note: in this summary, words from the original which are now considered disrespectful  are used, to preserve historical accuracy of the book. From the front material: An Account of the Murder of her Father and his Family; her sufferings; her marriage to two Indians; her troubles with her Children; barbarities of the Indians in the French and Revolutionary Wars; the life of her last Husband, c.; and many Historical Facts never before published.Carefully taken from her own words, Nov. 29th, 1823. Preface: The author describes what is for him the importance of biography, then details his sources: mostly interviews with the then-80-year-old Mrs. Jemison. Introduction: Seaver describes some of the history which his audience may or may not have known, including the Peace of 1783, the wars with the French and Indians, the American Revolutionary War, and more. He describes the Mary Jemison as she came to the interviews. Chapter 1: Tells of the ancestry of Mary Jemison, how her parents came to America and settled in Pennsylvania, and an omen foreshadowing her captivity. Chapter 2: Discusses her education, then a description of the raid where she was taken captive and her early days of captivity. It narrates her memories of her mothers parting words, the murder of her family after she was separated from them, her encounter of the scalps of her family members, how the Indians evaded their pursuers, and the arrival of Jemison, a young white man, and a white boy with the Indians at Fort Pitt. Chapter 3: After the young man and boy are given to the French, Mary is given to two squaws. She journeys down the Ohio River, and arrives at a Seneca town where she is officially adopted and receives a new name.  She describes her work and how she learns the Seneca language while preserving knowledge of her own. She goes to Sciota on a hunting tour, returns, and is taken back to Fort Pitt, but returned to the Indians, and feels her hopes of Liberty destroyed.  In time, Mary returns to Sciota then to Wishto, where she marries a Delaware, develops an affection for him, gives birth to her first child who dies, recovers from her own illness, then gives birth to a son she names Thomas Jemison. Chapter 4: Mary and her husband go from Wishto to Fort Pitt. In this section, she contrasts the lives of white and Indian women. She describes interactions with the Shawnees and her travel up the Sandusky. She sets out for Genishau  while her husband goes to Wishto. She describes her relationships with her Indian brothers and sisters and her Indian mother. Chapter 5: The Indians go to fight the British at Niagara, and return with prisoners who are sacrificed. Her husband dies. John Van Cise tries to ransom her.  She narrowly escapes several times, and her brother first threatens her, then brings her home. She marries again, and the chapter ends with her naming her children. Chapter 6: Finding twelve or fifteen years of peace, she describes the life of the Indians, including their celebrations, form of worship, their business and their morality.  She describes a treaty made with the Americans (who are still British citizens), and the promises made by the British commissioners and the reward from the British.  Indians break the treaty by killing a man at Cautega, then take prisoners at Cherry Valley and ransom them at Beards Town.  After a battle at Fort Stanwix [sic], the Indians mourn their losses.  During the American Revolution, she describes how Col. Butler and Col. Brandt used her home as a base for their military operations. Chapter 7: She describes Gen. Sullivans march on the Indians and how it affects the Indians. She goes to Gardow for a time. She describes a severe winter and the suffering of the Indians, then the taking of some prisoners, including an old man, John OBail, married to and Indian woman. Chapter 8: Ebenezer Allen, a Tory, is the subject of this chapter. Ebenezer Allen comes to Gardow after the Revolutionary War, and her husband responds with jealousy and cruelty. Allens further interactions include bringing goods from Philadelphia to Genesee.  Allens several wives and business affairs, and finally his death. Chapter 9: Mary is offered her freedom by her brother, and permitted to go to her friends, but her son Thomas is not permitted to go with him. So she chooses to stay with the Indians for the remainder of my days. Her brother travels, then dies, and she mourns his loss. Her title to her land is clarified, subject to restrictions as Indian land. She describes her land, and how she leased it out to white people, to better support herself. Chapter 10: Mary describes her mostly happy life with her family, and then the sad enmity that develops between her sons John and Thomas, with Thomas considering John a witch for marrying two wives. While drunk, Thomas  often fought with  John  and threatened him, though their mother tried to counsel them, and John finally killed his brother during a fight. She describes the Chiefs trial of John, finding Thomas the first transgressor. Then she reviews his life, including telling how his second son by his fourth and last wife attended Dartmouth College in 1816, planning to study medicine. Chapter 11: Mary Jemisons husband Hiokatoo died in 1811 after four years of illness, estimating him at 103 years of age. She tells of his life and the battles and wars in which he fought.   Chapter 12: Now an elderly widow, Mary Jemison is saddened that her son John begins fighting with his brother Jesse, Marys youngest child and the main support of his mother, and she describes how John comes to murder Jesse.   Chapter 13: Mary Jemison describes her interactions with a cousin, George Jemison, who came to live with his family on her land in 1810, while her husband was still alive. Georges father, had emigrated to America after his brother, Marys father, was killed and Mary taken captive. She paid his debts and gave him a cow and some pigs, and also some tools. She also loaned him one of her son Thomas cows. For eight years, she supported the Jemison family. He convinced her to write a deed for what she thought was forty acres, but she later found out that it actually specified 400, including land that didnt belong to Mary but to a friend. When he refused to return Thomas cow to one of Thomas sons, Mary decided to evict him. Chapter 14: She described how her son John, a doctor among the Indians, went to Buffalo and returned. He saw what he thought was an omen of his death, and, on a visit to Squawky Hill, quarreled with two Indians, starting a brutal fight, ending with the two of them killing John. Mary Jemison had a funeral after the manner of the white people for him. She then describes more of Johns life. She offered to forgive the two who killed him if they would leave, but they would not.  One killed himself, and the other lived in the Squawky Hill community until his death. Chapter 15: In 1816, Micah Brooks, Esq, helps her confirm the title of her land.  A petition for Mary Jemisons naturalization was submitted to the state legislature, and then a petition to Congress. She details further attempts to transfer her title and lease her land, and her wishes for disposal of waht remains in her possession, at her death. Chapter 16: Mary Jemison reflect on her life, including what the loss of liberty meant, how she took care of her health, how other Indians cared for themselves. She describes a time when it was suspected she was a witch.   I have been the mother of eight children; three of whom are now living, and I have at this time thirty-nine grand children, and fourteen great-grand children, all living in the neighborhood of Genesee River, and at Buffalo. Appendix: Sections in the appendix deal with: Devils Hole battle in 1763General Sullivans Expedition in 1779Seneca traditions about their origins and languageIndian religion, feasts, the great sacrificeIndian dances: the war dance and the peace danceIndian governmentthe Six Nationscourtship, marriage, divorcefamily governmentfuneralscredulity: belief in spirits, witches, etc.farming by Indian womenIndian ways of computing time and keeping recordsanecdotesdescription of the Genesee river and its banksa hunting anecdote

Presentation about my classmate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Presentation about my classmate - Essay Example His wife is a social worker and somehow, her job has a great influence on him as well that strengthens the effects of his son’s situation to him as a father and a person. He dreams to build a support structure where he could be a part of a bigger objective and influence to adults with disabilities. He plans to do this by creating a non-profit organization for adults with disabilities so that a positive environment can be created for them where they can still become functional and fulfilled individuals. For this person who loves the outside, making connections to it by biking and hiking, he wants to share the simple joys of the outside world with the disabled who often are put in institutions. The support structure that he dreams for them would somehow enable them to become functional human beings, able to maximize their capabilities through the help of knowledgeable people. This is what drives and inspires him to get a degree that would propel him to achieve his dreams. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Justin

Coursework of innovation and technology transfer Essay

Coursework of innovation and technology transfer - Essay Example For exÐ °mple, since 1981, grÐ °ms-per-mile (gpm) emissions of cÐ °rbon monoxide Ð °nd hydrocÐ °rbons hÐ °ve been reduced to Ð ° mÐ °ximum of 4 percent of their mid-1960s levels. In Ð pril 2002, CÐ °liforniÐ ° becÐ °me the first US stÐ °te in which Ð ° bill restricting cÐ °rbon dioxide emissions from Ð °utomobiles wÐ °s introduced. Current nÐ °tionÐ °l regulÐ °tions cÐ °ll for less thÐ °n 0.25 gpm of nonmethÐ °ne hydrocÐ °rbons in vehicle exhÐ °ust, less thÐ °n 3.4 gpm of cÐ °rbon monoxide, Ð °nd less thÐ °n 0.4 gpm of nitrogen oxides. UnfortunÐ °tely, reÐ °l-world emissions of cÐ °rbon monoxide Ð °nd hydrocÐ °rbons Ð °re typicÐ °lly Ð °bout five times higher thÐ °n the levels tested in the lÐ °b, while emissions of nitrogen oxides Ð °re Ð °bout two times higher. The reÐ °son is thÐ °t some emissions tests do not mÐ °tch reÐ °l-world driving conditions very well. Ð lso, some emissions controls do not survive the weÐ °r Ð °nd teÐ °r o f driving. OverÐ °ll, this is still Ð ° mÐ °jor Ð °chievement, Ð °nd the Ð °ir is noticeÐ °bly cleÐ °ner in some U.S. cities. To respond to the chÐ °llenges of the cleÐ °ner Ð °ir Ð °nd less pollutions done by Ð °utomobiles, the electric vehicle hÐ °s been introduced on the mÐ °rket in the nineteenth century. However it fÐ °ded Ð °s the gÐ °soline powered engine took the spotlight. Current pÐ °per is Ð °imed Ð °t presenting the electric vehicle mÐ °rket chÐ °llenges Ð °nd importÐ °nce of this innovÐ °tion Ð °s one of the Ð °lternÐ °tives in the Ð °utomobile industry. The pÐ °per discusses the significÐ °nce of the technology, competitive Ð °dvÐ °ntÐ °ge on the mÐ °rket Ð °s well Ð °s risks Ð °ssociÐ °ted with the introduction of the electric vehicle to the Ð °utomobile industry. CÐ °liforniÐ ° single hÐ °ndedly pushed the Ð °utomotive industry into developing the electric vehicle to its fullest cÐ °pÐ °city by instituting, in 1990, the zero-emission vehicle mÐ °ndÐ °te, or ZEV. It requires thÐ °t Ð ° specified mÐ °nufÐ °cturer’s sÐ °les consist of

Evaluating Decision Alternatives and Assessing Risk Essay

Evaluating Decision Alternatives and Assessing Risk - Essay Example The chairman to the bank Kenneth Lewis admitted that the information he gave out was not accurate. The executive of the bank, therefore, made mistakes that were against the ethics required in corporations (Cohen, 2009). There are many decisions that the executive of the bank of America took that render them unethical. Among them includes the disguise by Merrill lynch on the risk involved. It was done by changing the â€Å"investment grade† to other investments referred to as the CDOs. The problem was further increased by the credit derivatives. It was because a person could trade the investments many times. It could only get understood by the professionals due to payments on mortgages being done in several years. The activities in the bank continued deteriorating in the prevailing days that loans begun defaulting (James et al., 2002). Merrill lynch as indicated was not able to trade billions of the CDOs as if it had traded them, the players in the market had a chance of discounting the CDOs. The workers in the Merrill had the intentions of earning high bonuses continuously; as a result, they did not trade the CDOs. The employees did not indicate losses and later escaped with the lies. The accountants in the Merrill lynch failed to perform their duties and obligations. The problem raised alarms to the non professionals, however, the management allowed Merrill to escape with the funds. The bank of America acquired the Merrill lynch in the year 2008. A month later it was known that Merrill had losses that summed up to $15 billion. It was in the fourth quarter of the year and BofA made claims that the losses got incurred in December (Cohen, 2009). The bank did not give information to the shareholders and moved on to putting $20 billion in TARP funds. SEC (Slumbering Esquires Club) filed another complaint against the Merrill failure to disclose information about the losses in the month of

Concept Analysis Pain In The Oncology Patient Nursing Essay

Concept Analysis Pain In The Oncology Patient Nursing Essay Are you having any pain. These are most likely the first words from a registered nurse to an oncology patient. Pain is a concept that creates many challenges for medical professionals. In a review of patients with cancer, pain was reported in 33% of patients after treatment to cure cancer, 59% of patients given anti-cancer treatment with the aim of either curative or palliative treatment, 64% of patients having advanced, metastatic or terminal cancer and 53% of patients with all stages of the disease (Chapman, 2012a). Pain management is a common reason an oncology patient is admitted as an inpatient to a hospital. Nurses are at the forefront of assessing and managing pain to achieve adequate therapy. However, in order to reach this outcome, nurses need to understand the types and causes of pain, assessment tools, non-pharmacological treatment and action of pain medications (Casey, 2011). Nursing staff and other medical professionals need to act as patient advocates when dealing with pain so that symptoms can be managed. Nevertheless, within the healthcare system, the prevalence of pain is increasing and pain is a complex issue that is not always well understood or managed by healthcare professionals and patients (Shaw, 2006). Issues with Pain Nurses are constantly faced with managing pain and need to develop skills to identify when pain is not adequately controlled in order to make recommendations to alleviate a patients pain. Unfortunately, there are many times when both nurses and physicians are not well educated in pain management and are not successful in decreasing an individuals pain level. Regardless of the variety of treatment options, cancer pain is not always effectively managed due to several barriers that include poor assessment, insufficient knowledge about pain and treatment and specific concerns about dependence, tolerance, addiction and drug-related side effects (Chapman, 2012b). In addition, many medical professionals hold inappropriate beliefs and attitudes toward pain management, which can affect providing pain relief for patients (Naylor, 2003). Some practitioners are fearful of prescribing or administering pain medications at a high level that might be required due to a patients tolerance. This create s many challenges in providing adequate pain control for patients that are able to verbalize their pain, as well as those patients who are not able to verbally express their pain levels. Significance in Nursing Pain is a significant concept in oncology nursing. Physicians and nurses working with this population need to be experts in pain management. It is critical for medical professionals to understand the different types of pain that oncology patients can experience. There are several pain management treatments available and not every medication will work effectively for a patient. It is important for nurses to recognize differences so that patients can be effectively managed. When pain is not adequately controlled, patients can become withdrawn and unable to focus on important aspects of their quality of life including activities of daily living and sexual and social relationships (Chapman, 2012a). In addition, mood, sleep patterns, cognition and existential beliefs can be affected (Chapman, 2012a). There are several types of pain that an oncology patient can experience. The most common types of pain are chronic pain, acute pain and breakthrough pain. Chronic pain is a constant pain. Acute pain can last anywhere from a few days to a few months and typically resolves when the underlying condition is treated (Chapman, 2012). Breakthrough pain happens briefly with moderate-to-severe flare-ups that occur even when a patient is taking long acting pain medication to address their chronic pain (Kedziera, 1998). Understanding these types of pain is pivotal to determine medications to be prescribed and implement non-pharmacological therapies. When medical staff understands the causes and types of cancer pain, they can individualize pain management strategies in order to improve the quality of patient care as well as provide sufficient pain relief (Chapman, 2012a). Oncology patients pain can be caused by several factors. Pain can be caused by tumors, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation which can affect different parts of the human body (Chapman, 2012a). When staff is knowledgeable about disease processes and treatments, medical professionals can prescribe medications to address specific pain. Nurses must assess an individuals pain management regimen at home so that dosing can be adjusted when admitted to the hospital. Nurses must be diligent in comparing prescribed medications to home medications. There have been instances when physicians will fail to order a long acting pain medication that a patient might take at home that can result in inadequate relief. Pain Assessment Assessing an individuals pain is a key component in achieving pain management. Nurses need to evaluate a patents pain when considering pain therapy and the nurse needs to focus on the following factors: (1) consistency in pain control, (2) taking action in response to an individuals pain assessment, (3) maximize effectiveness of medications while reducing side effects and (4) avoid gaps in pain control (Casey, 2011). Physicians do not spend as much face-time with patients as nurses, therefore, nurses have the responsibility to understand a patients pain and verbalize to the physician to achieve adequate pain control. An accurate and detailed assessment can provide guidance in creating an individualized treatment plan (Naylor, 2003). Each persons pain is going to be different and it is important to utilize assessment tools to implement the most effective pain management plan. When determining ways to manage pain based on the assessment, nurses need to not only focus on the physical as pects but also include pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments to reach optimal comfort (Naylor, 2003). Education and training on different types of pain assessment tools and scales that are utilized in practice is essential to effectively manage pain levels of each patient. Without the ability to adequately assess a patients pain, there will be profound negative effects on comfort levels and the ability to meet health goals. Nurses have a pivotal role in addressing pain in oncology patients. It is essential for nurses to realize that managing pain goes beyond administering medication and that utilizing a holistic nursing care approach can allow a nurse to better understand a patients individual pain. Pain responses can be affected by psychological, social and cultural influences, such as anxiety, anger and fear that may enhance an individuals perception of pain (Naylor, 2003). In addition, cultural beliefs, upbringing and social situations may be the reason for certain expressions of pain (Naylor, 2003). Nurses need to be vigilant in recognizing factors that affect a patients pain and the meaning that an individual attaches to pain (Chapman, 2012a). A nurses role goes beyond completing tasks on a checklist but having the ability to connect with their patients to identify root causes of pain. It has been found that in order to reach a goal of effective symptom management, the multidisciplinary team must c reate a positive therapeutic relationship with the patient (Chapman, 2012a). Many times a patient is looking for the opportunity to express themselves and nurses have the ability to provide an environment that allows patients to open-up and verbalize their feelings. Changes to Nursing Practice The concept analysis has brought heightened awareness to the idea of pain. When assessing pain, there are many factors to be considered as addressed in the concept analysis. The analysis opened a door to look beyond what medical practitioners physically assess but also the importance of listening and understand the patient. The nurse must reflect on experiences he/she has with patients to improve their ability to effectively manage pain. Nurses need to realize that in order to implement appropriate nursing activities to meet a patients pain needs requires an ongoing learning process to truly understand the concept of pain (Cheng, 2003). Nurses have the ability to manage pain by getting to know their patients to be able to implement change. Nurses need to work on their listening skills so that patients feel that they can openly express their feeling and concerns. This allows the nurse to help guide the patient to becoming involved in his/her care. It is clear that when pain is not ade quately controlled it can have negative consequences on not only the patient but the entire family unit. Anticipated Outcomes Through the use of reflecting, provides the opportunity to anticipate outcomes and create successes in managing pain. One tool to achieve effective pain management and evaluate strategies is by conducting pain assessments (Naylor, 2003). Through these assessments, a nurse can identify physical effects of pain and understand both location and intensity. To know if a nurse is successful, the nurse will see a change in level of reported pain or physical attributes that a patient might exhibit. By changing current practice methods, nurses will be able to create an environment where patients will verbally express feelings which will be a sign of progress in better meeting patient needs. In addition, through these encounters nurses will be able to identify their patients use of coping mechanisms to address pain. Nurses can also see success when utilizing a holistic nursing approach by looking beyond everyday tasks and viewing the patient as a human being. As nurses identify factors that af fect pain management, they will be able to better meet patient needs. Nurses will have the education and skills to recognize and alleviate pain before it occurs by utilizing pain management interventions, methods and medications. Concept Analysis The analysis has relevance to understanding the concept of pain, while also isolating it from other concepts. The concept analysis regarding pain was intended to increase awareness and understanding pain by clarifying the defining attributes of pain, identifying antecedents that affect the perception of pain and the possible consequences of pain (Cheng, 2003). It is clear that pain is a concept that is not always well understood and requires analysis that others can become more conscious and responsive to addressing patients pain needs. The model case discussed pain using a scenario regarding an oncology patient. The model case included all the defining attributes: (a) unpleasant and distressful experiences originating from physical sensation and having both positive and negative meanings for an individual; (b) an individual human experience; (c) a state of feeling in both sensation and emotion (verbal), and behavioral components; (d) physical and psychological responses to the stimulus; (e) function of pain, including protective and warning signs; (f) pain responses and learned and influenced by personality, environment, emotions, social and cultural (Cheng, 2003). This example supported the concept of pain and clearly stated the characteristics of the case to addressing all the points regarding the concept of pain. Due to each patients individuality, personal experiences and views, there are several types of scenarios that could have been utilized as a model case. The model case creates awareness for nurses of all the factors to consider when understanding a patients pain. Nurses have to be able to use the skills to visually assess and listen to patients while understanding a patients history and the events that have taken place to bring the patient to the point of the pain that they are reporting. Understanding a patients culture and individual beliefs can provide insight regarding a patients response and expression of pain. Nurses need to be aware of potential patterns in certain cultural groups, however, nurses should not over generalize or stereotype that everyone within a culture will behave in the same manner (Davidhizar, 1997). This emphasizes the complexities when assessing and understanding a patients pain, and nurses need to go beyond the basic assessment tools and understand the individual to achieve effective pain control. The use of a borderline case and contrary case were used to distinguish the concept of pain from the model case (Cheng, 2003). The cases are important in differentiating the concept of pain from other closely related concepts, as seen in the additional cases. The borderline case did not meet all the elements of the model case and the contrary case addressed the concept of fear related to pain (Cheng, 2003). These cases enhance the model case and allow the reader to see alternate examples of situations that may arise in a clinical setting. Conclusion Pain is a universal part of the human experience and will continue to be an integral part of providing nursing care (Shaw, 2006). Pain is a complex concept that does not have one specific answer to meet all patient needs. Pain management requires assessment skills, knowledge and a holistic approach to nursing care to be successful at eliminating or effectively controlling pain in oncology patients. Nurses have both technical and moral tasks in the management of pain because they are the ones conducting assessments, administering pain medications and evaluating effectiveness, as well as, determining which pain relief measures and interventions are provided to patients (Shaw, 2006). Nurses need to continue to expand their knowledge base and be aware of their own values and beliefs in order to be successful in managing the dynamics and complexities of pain.

Men Will Rise From The Dark Depth Of Prejudice To The Majestic Heights :: essays research papers

Men Will Rise From The Dark Depth Of Prejudice To The Majestic Heights Of Brotherhood   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Men will rise from the dark depths of prejudice... What is prejudice? The Websters dictionary defines it as â€Å"a biased opinion based on emotion rather than reason.† This is most certainly the case. Through out history groups of people of the same race, religion, color, etc. have had unspeakable acts committed against them by others who think with their â€Å"...emotions[s] rather than reason.† Because one is a different color they think that that person is odd, or inferior. Or they see some one of a different religion as a person who is rejected by God. These are both examples of prejudice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people have seen the effects of prejudice and sought to put an end to it. one such person was Dr. Martian Luther King. By the time Dr. King became involved in civil rights he was already an ordained minister. He had married and he and his wife had four children. His civil rights activities began with the protest of an incident that occurred on a public bus. Rosa parks had broken the law by not getting out of her seat to allow a white person to sit in her seat or row. An organization was formed to boycott the buses and Dr. Martian Luther king was asked to be president of it. In his first, and in my opinion, most powerful speeches Dr. Martian Luther King stated â€Å"First and foremost we are American citizens...We are not here advocating violence...the only weapon that we have...is that of protest...The great glory of American democracy is the right to protest for right.† Dr. King and the organization succeeded. The Supreme Court ordered the city to have equal, integrated seating. This was only the first in many battles lead by Dr. Martian Luther King.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. Martian Luther King had a dream. A dream to unite all mankind as one. A dream to see an end to prejudice. A dream to reach the promise land. Although many of his goals as far as discrimination have been met, Dr. Martian Luther King never got to see this. He was shot and killed on April 4, 1968. In 1983 congress passed a national holiday in his honor. It celebrated on the third Monday in January. Dr. Martian Luther King Became the second person to have a national Holiday, the first being George Washington, the countries first President. One of his Ideals that has not yet been achieved nor properly addressed is that of brotherhood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Majestic heights of brotherhood. Anyone who has ever experienced Men Will Rise From The Dark Depth Of Prejudice To The Majestic Heights :: essays research papers Men Will Rise From The Dark Depth Of Prejudice To The Majestic Heights Of Brotherhood   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Men will rise from the dark depths of prejudice... What is prejudice? The Websters dictionary defines it as â€Å"a biased opinion based on emotion rather than reason.† This is most certainly the case. Through out history groups of people of the same race, religion, color, etc. have had unspeakable acts committed against them by others who think with their â€Å"...emotions[s] rather than reason.† Because one is a different color they think that that person is odd, or inferior. Or they see some one of a different religion as a person who is rejected by God. These are both examples of prejudice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people have seen the effects of prejudice and sought to put an end to it. one such person was Dr. Martian Luther King. By the time Dr. King became involved in civil rights he was already an ordained minister. He had married and he and his wife had four children. His civil rights activities began with the protest of an incident that occurred on a public bus. Rosa parks had broken the law by not getting out of her seat to allow a white person to sit in her seat or row. An organization was formed to boycott the buses and Dr. Martian Luther king was asked to be president of it. In his first, and in my opinion, most powerful speeches Dr. Martian Luther King stated â€Å"First and foremost we are American citizens...We are not here advocating violence...the only weapon that we have...is that of protest...The great glory of American democracy is the right to protest for right.† Dr. King and the organization succeeded. The Supreme Court ordered the city to have equal, integrated seating. This was only the first in many battles lead by Dr. Martian Luther King.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. Martian Luther King had a dream. A dream to unite all mankind as one. A dream to see an end to prejudice. A dream to reach the promise land. Although many of his goals as far as discrimination have been met, Dr. Martian Luther King never got to see this. He was shot and killed on April 4, 1968. In 1983 congress passed a national holiday in his honor. It celebrated on the third Monday in January. Dr. Martian Luther King Became the second person to have a national Holiday, the first being George Washington, the countries first President. One of his Ideals that has not yet been achieved nor properly addressed is that of brotherhood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Majestic heights of brotherhood. Anyone who has ever experienced

Does Globalization necessarily lead to cultural homogenization? Essay

Globalization entered everyday English usage in the early Sixties, following the periodical of Marshall McLuhan’s Gutenberg Galaxy (Mc Luhan 1962). Malcolm Waters, a principal authority on the subject, define globalization as a â€Å"process in which the limits of geography on social and cultural arrangements retreat and [as a consequence] people become ever more aware that [such constraints] are retreating† (Waters 1995, p. 3). The term ‘global’ is an astoundingly recent creation, appearing for the first time in the 1986 second edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. The OED’s definition of ‘to globalize’ is easy and to the point: â€Å"to render global. † In globalization â€Å"a large and increasing proportion, whether native or of immigrant backgrounds, are also people with little or no education and few Marketable skills† (Cohen and Kennedy: 2000, 75). â€Å"Globalization, in transnational corporate lingo, is conceived as the last of three stages of global transformation since 1945† (Jameson and Miyoshi 1998). The impact of the new world economy has been just as great on North-South relations as on North-North ones. For one thing, as Manuel Castells suggests, some parts of the South are becoming increasingly irrelevant and marginal to the world economy (Castells, 1997). In other parts, the possibilities for information-based development are there, but a totally different set of new policies is required. These policies would have to be based on the development of human productive potential. In popular usage, globalization is associated with the idea that advanced capitalism, aided by digital and electronic technologies, will ultimately obliterate local traditions and creates a homogenized, world culture. Critics of globalization argue that human experience everywhere is becoming fundamentally the same. The transformative power of digital technologies in a globalised world means that â€Å"information and knowledge have now become media of production, displacing many kinds of manual work. Marx thought that the working class would bury capitalism but as it has turned out, capitalism has buried the working class† (Hutton and Giddens 2001:22). Globalization is both Homogeneity-Heterogeneity as it â€Å"refers to both the compression of the world and the intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole†. In other words, it covers the acceleration in concrete global interdependence and in consciousness of the global whole (Robertson 1992: 8). It involves the crystallization of four main components of the â€Å"global-human circumstance†: societies (or nation-states), the system of societies, individuals (selves), and humankind. This takes the form of processes of, respectively, societalization, internationalization, individuation, and generalization of consciousness about humankind (Robertson 1992: 215-6; 1992: 27). Rather than referring to a multitude of historical processes, the concepts above all capture â€Å"the form in terms of which the world has moved towards unicity† (Robertson, 1992: 175). This form is practically contested. Closely linked to the process of globalization is therefore the â€Å"problem of globality† or the cultural terms on which coexistence in a single place becomes possible (Robertson, 1992: 132). The actual process of globalization has been erratic, chaotic, and slow. Some observers of modern politics argue that a basic version of world culture is taking shape among extremely educated people, particularly those who work in the rarefied domains of international finance, media, and diplomacy. Hyper elites of this nature make up what Samuel Huntington (1996) calls a â€Å"Davos culture†, named after the Swiss town that hosts yearly meetings of the World Economic Forum. Whatever their ethnic, spiritual, or national origin, Davos participants are said to follow a identifiable lifestyle characterized by consistent behaviour (social ease, aristocratic manners, and the ability to tell jokes), technological complexity (knowledge of the latest software, communications systems, and media innovations), complex understanding of financial markets and currency exchange, postgraduate education in influential institutions, common dress and grooming codes, similar body obsession (dietary restraint, vitamin regimes, fitness routines), and a control of American-style English which they use as the main medium of communication. â€Å"Super cultures in the global age of communication which is distinguished by growing and ‘complex connectivity’† (Tomlinson 1999) Davos people, it is asserted, are instantly identifiable and feel more comfortable in each other’s presence than they do amongst less sophisticated compatriots. The World Economic Forum no longer commands the consideration it did in the Nineties, but the term â€Å"Davos† has entered world vocabulary as a synonym for late-Twentieth-Century cosmopolitanism. Building on this idea, the sociologist Peter Berger (1997) argued that the globalization of Euro-American academic agendas and lifestyles has formed a worldwide â€Å"faculty club culture†. Since the Sixties, international funding agencies have sustained academic exchanges and postgraduate training for scholars in developing countries, permitting them to build alliances with Western colleagues. The long-term consequence, Berger argues, is the formation of a global network in which similar values, attitudes, and research goals are collective. Network participants have been instrumental in encouraging feminism, environmentalism, and human rights as global issues. Berger cites the anti-smoking movement as a case in point: the movement began as an elite North American preoccupation in the Seventies and consequently spread to other parts of the world following the forms of academe’s global network. As with Davos sophisticates, members of the international faculty club rely on English to communicate with each other. The anthropologists Ulf Hannerz and Arjun Appadurai have studied similar elites that work on a global scale. Hannerz (1990) believes that a world culture appeared in the late Twentieth Century, stemming from the activities of â€Å"cosmopolitans† who nurtured an intellectual approval for local cultures in the developing world. The new global culture, in this interpretation, is based on the â€Å"organization of diversity† rather than â€Å"a replication of uniformity. † â€Å"Cultural globalization refers to the intensification and expansion of cultural flows across the globe. Obviously, ‘culture’ is a very broad concept; it is frequently used to describe the whole of human experience† (Steger 2003: 69). By the end of millennium, international elites had organized dozens of NGOs to assist preserve cultural diversity in the developing world. Institutions such as Cultural Survival (located in Cambridge, Massachusetts) now work on a world scale, drawing attention to indigenous groups that expect to see themselves as â€Å"first peoples†Ã¢â‚¬â€a new, global description that emphasizes common experiences of utilization. Appadurai (1997) claims that modern diasporas are not simply transnational but â€Å"post national† meaning that people who work in these spheres are unaware of national borders and socialize in a social world that has several home bases. Fundamental to these elite visions of globalism is a disinclination to describe exactly what is meant by culture. This is not unexpected, given that the idea of culture has become one of the most contentious issues in contemporary social sciences. Throughout most of the Twentieth Century, anthropologists defined culture as a shared set of beliefs, customs, and ideas that held people together in identifiable, self-identified groups. Scholars in several disciplines challenged the idea of cultural coherence as it became obvious that members of close-knit groups held fundamentally different visions of their social worlds. Culture is no longer professed as a pre-programmed mental library, a knowledge system inherited from ancestors. Modern anthropologists, sociologists, and media specialists treat culture as a set of ideas, aspects, and expectations that are continually changing as people respond to changing circumstances. This logical development reflects communal life at the turn of the Twenty-First Century; the disintegration of Soviet socialism and the rise of cyber capitalism , both of which have increased the perceived speed of societal change everywhere. Globalization empowers the hybridization of nations and communities to fight cultural imperialism or chauvinism by helping them to describe who they are, where they come from, and where they are going. Globalization and technology assist communities to develop cultural networks, free from state or hierarchical controls, regulations, or limitations. It also helps to demystify cultural differences by easing intercultural connectedness, interactions and hybridization. Therefore, while properly managed, globalization can be good for cultural inspiration, diversity and development. There is a ‘new cosmopolitanism’ in the air as, through criticism, the concept has been rediscovered and reinvented. As the late Nineties there was a sharp increase in literature that attempted to relate the discourse on globalization (in cultural and political terms) to a redefinition of cosmopolitanism for the global age. â€Å"The new cosmopolitanism is the prerogative of wealthy, self-serving, anational agents of capital on the one hand and, on the other, international moralists. † Nussbaum, 1996, 5. For this reason it is worth pointing out that etymologically, cosmopolitan is a blend of ‘cosmos’ and ‘polis’. Thus ‘cosmopolitanism’, captivatingly enough, relates to a pre-modern ambivalence towards a dual identity and a dual devotion. Every human being is rooted (beheimatet) by birth in two worlds, in two communities: in the cosmos (namely, nature) and in the polis (namely, the city/state). More exactly, every individual is rooted in one cosmos, but concurrently in different cities, territories, ethnicities, hierarchies, nations, religions, and so on. This is not an elite but rather an inclusive plural membership (Heimaten). Being part of the cosmos nature, all men (and even all women) are equal; yet being part of diverse states organized into territorial units (polis), men are different (bearing in mind that women and slaves are expelled from the polis). Leaving aside for one moment the issue of women and slaves, ‘cosmopolitanism’ at its root includes what was separated by the logic of barring later on. â€Å"Cosmopolitan† ignores the either/or principle and symbolizes ‘Sowohl-alsauch thinking’, the ‘this-as-well-as-that’ principle. This is an ancient ‘hybrid’, ‘melange’, ‘scape’, ‘flow’ idea that is even more structured than the new offshoots of globalization discourse. Thus cosmopolitanism generates logic of non-exclusive oppositions, making ‘patriots’ of two worlds that are concurrently equal and different. The â€Å"anti-globalization† label became prevalent after the Seattle demonstration, apparently â€Å"†¦a coinage of the US media† (Graeber 2002:63). However, it is significant to realize that the term is strongly contested amongst activists – and that many, if not most, reject the label â€Å"anti-globalization† entirely. So what is it, exactly, that activists oppose? Although there has been significant attention paid lately to militarism in the context of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it seems to me that most activist accounts in recent years have focused more centrally on phenomena linked with economic globalization: the increasing power of corporations, the growing role of international financial institutions, and the neoliberal policies of trade liberalization and privatization propounded by the latter and from which the former benefit. These are seen to produce economic inequality, social and environmental destruction, and cultural homogenization. They are also accused of leaching power and autonomy away from people and governments – of being anti-democratic. Such an understanding of â€Å"the enemy† chimes with many commentaries on the movement (Starr 2000; Danaher and Burbach 2000). It can also be discerned on activist websites. The Charter of Principles of the World Social Forum (2002) declares participant groups â€Å"†¦opposed to neoliberalism and to domination of the world by capital and any form of imperialism†. The statement of principles on the Globalize Resistance site (2002a) indicates that it is primarily against the extension of corporate power over people’s lives under the heavy hand of international financial institutions similar to the WTO and IMF. The group’s newsletters then target the exploitative practices of particular multinational corporations and draw attention to problems of debt and financial restructuring. Lastly, the Peoples’ Global Action manifesto (1998) articulated opposition to the expansion of the role of â€Å"capital, through the help of international agencies† and trade agreements. There are significant resonances here with academic depictions of globalization. I have argued elsewhere that an ‘economic-homogenization’ model of globalization is becoming increasingly dominant in both academic and popular usage, which focuses attention on the improved combination of the global economy and its homogenizing effect on state policy and culture (Eschle 2004). Such a model is prevalent in International Relations (IR). It is characteristic of liberal IR approaches that support globalization that skeptical refutations of globalization are described as exaggerated and ideological and critical IR theories condemn globalization as profoundly damaging. It is with this last, critical, approach in IR that we find the strongest resonance with activist discourses. Both activist and academic critics share the assumption that globalization equates with the neo-liberal economic developments described above. Then, in an extremely significant move, these developments might be linked to the underlying structures of the economy and globalization reinterpreted as the latest stage of capitalism. According to Klein, â€Å"the critique of ‘capitalism’ just saw a comeback of Santana like proportions† (2002:12). The global culture is usually used in contemporary academic discourse to distinguish the experience of everyday life in specific, exclusive localities.