Porn and Prose Essay - 1679 Words

Porn and Prose Pornography has the ability to stay current with each technological breakthrough while pushing the borders of what we deem as â€Å"acceptable† in reading and writing. In, Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age by Tribble and Trubek, an article by Gopnick notes the death of the â€Å"word† before its technological resurgence. â€Å"Each new medium was more visually and sensually rich that the last: movies gave way to talking movies, which gave way to color talking movies, which gave way to round-the-clock talking color television. In that context, words just hung around looking glum, with hardly enough energy left to compose themselves into sentences†(180). Gopnick then discuses the â€Å"revolution† of the Internet†¦show more content†¦The availability and widespread usage of Internet porn has made these mediums more accepted than in the past. While Playboy was once considered a novelty in the risquà ©, it is now conside red tame compared to the material found on the World Wide Web. Playboy is also known for its articles and political satire. The common joke is that men only subscribe to Playboy â€Å"for the articles†, but more often than not, men are reading those articles. You can’t say that for most of the porn found on the web. Reading has a history of association with sensuality. In â€Å"On Women and Reading†, from Tribble and Trubek, there is a painting of an elegant woman reading in a chair. The painting is whimsical in nature and depicts an enjoyment of the literature. She is fully clothed and without an erotic pose, but the softness of the painting coupled with the casual lounging with her book is somehow sensual. â€Å"Novels were regarded with considerable suspicion by the respectable, especially the ‘godly’, who feared that female novel readers would become idle, sexually aroused, or obsessed with a fantasy world† (Tribble and Trubek 338). This fear was in the context of reading, but today, with the popularity of Internet writing and publishing; women have found their own place in pornographic text. Sven Birkerts discusess the phenomenon of the waning of the private self and writes, For some decades nowShow MoreRelatedThe Reasons For And Against Making Pornography Illegal1560 Words   |  7 Pagesreasons for and against making pornography illegal.† â€Å"The only thing pornography is known to cause directly is the solitary act of masturbation. As for corruption, the only immediate victim is english prose† - Gore Vidal. There are many reasons for or against the ban on pornography, some argue that porn is addictive, creates unrealistic expectations of sex and additionally may lead to a more demoralizing or violent nature towards woman. On the contrary, in regards to the previously sated quote, GoreRead MorePornography In The Media1532 Words   |  7 Pagesinclude live exhibitions like sex shows and striptease. The primary subjects of present-day pornographic depictions are pornographic models, who pose for still photographs, and pornographic actors or porn stars, who perform in pornographic films. If dramatic skills are not involved, a performer in a porn film may also be called a model. Various groups within society have considered depictions of a sexual nature immoral, addictive, and noxious, labeling them pornographic, and attempting to have themRead MoreAnalysis Of The Children Of Men 1718 Words   |  7 Pagesprevious ages with a kind of wonder†. (James, 116) Indeed, it appears that though it can occur, eros of a non-sexual type is a difficult find in a world where sex has become devalued, where the state has installed in the public governmentally sanctioned porn shops in a futile attempt to promote sex in the hope that someone may somehow become miraculously impregnated. An exemplary model of this rarity of romantic love in an infertile world is found in the marriage between Helena and Rupert, one in whichRead MoreAnalysis Of Alexie s Poem Alexie 2924 Words   |  12 Pageswe learn that Corliss was living what many see as the stereotypical Native American life: â€Å"a poor kid, and a middle-class Indian, she seemed destined for a minimum-wage life o f waiting tables or changing oil† (Alexie, 5). Then we’re treated to the prose version of â€Å"Part of Your World† and â€Å"Let It Go† and every other Disney Princess â€Å"Get Me The Hell Out of this Provincial Life† aria: â€Å"But she had wanted a maximum life, and original aboriginal life† (Alexie, 5). We see a slightly clichà ©, but nonethelessRead MoreWomen as Commodity8915 Words   |  36 Pagestolerant of sexuality and more specific legal definitions of obscenity, an industry for the  production  and consumption  of pornography arose in the latter half of the 20th century. The introduction of  home video  and the  Internet  saw booms in a worldwide porn industry that generates billions of dollars annually. History Depictions of a sexual nature are older than civilization as depictions such as the  venus figurines  and  rock art  have existed since  prehistoric  times.However the concept of pornographyRead MoreWomen as Commodity8899 Words   |  36 Pagestolerant of sexuality and more specific legal definitions of obscenity, an industry for the  production  and consumption  of pornography arose in the latter half of the 20th century. The introduction of  home video  and the  Internet  saw booms in a worldwide porn industry that generates billions of dollars annually. History Depictions of a sexual nature are older than civilization as depictions such as the  venus figurines  and  rock art  have existed since  prehistoric  times.However the concept of pornographyRead MoreEssay on Gender Inequality in the Song of Songs5212 Words   |  21 Pages13-16. To Fox, the language of the speakers also suggests emotional youth (Fox xii). Scholars have also debated as to whether the Song is even poetry at all. The Mosoretic text of 1008 c.e., the Hebrew source most interpreters use, looks like prose. The Song includes little punctuation, no stanzas, and no lines. However, Falk asserts that when the text is spoken, the rhythms of verse are obvious. She contends that the Song was probably first popular oral literature (Falk, Love 67 and Songs xv)

Community Based Mental Health Care - 844 Words

Mental health providers utilize many forms of research from the interventions that they use to provide care to their clients all the way to the assessment’s that they use to gauge the level of satisfaction of their clients with their services and how effective their services are in regards to their overall mental health wellness. Pennsylvania Mentor’s Lehigh Valley location provides Intensive Case Management (ICM) / Resource Coordination (RC) service, Family Based Mental Health Services and Certified Peer Support Services (CPS). Although these three programs are different, they all provide services to their clients in the home and in the community. ICM/RC’s help their clients with scheduling and following through with medical and mental health appointment, navigating social security and public welfare system, finding employment and utilizing community resources. Family Based Mental Health offers intensive mental health treatment to children who have a mental health diagnosis while providing services to their families. The CPS program help’s clients meet their recovery goals through the support of an individual who also has a mental health diagnosis. I had the opportunity to speak with Pamela Durdock one of the ICM/RC and CPS Program supervisors and Josh Hoch one of the Family Based Mental Health Services supervisors. Both Pamela and Josh were very knowledgeable within their respected departments and what the conditions of mental health services in the Lehigh Valley.Show MoreRelatedThe Community Mental Health Act Of 19631064 Words   |  5 Pages The Community Mental Health Act of 1963, was the first federal law that inspired community-based mental health care, and it ignited the transformation of the public mental health system (Young Minds Advocacy, 2016). Other names of the Act are Mental Retardation and Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act of 1963. It was the beginning of the Deinstitutionalized movement in mental health treatment options for children, youth, and adults (National Council for Behavioral Health (NCBH),Read MoreMental Health Service Delivery Models1146 Words   |  5 PagesMental health illness is related to a group of illness, anxiety and stress are the most common health problems. Mental illness affects how a person feels, thinks, behaves, and interacts with other people (Department of Health, 2007). Mental health service delivery models in Australia has significantly changed from institutional care to the community care setting (Frost et al., 2017). This easy will discuss about he changes in services before and post institutional, how recovery model introduced inRead MoreThe National Council For Behavioral Health1463 Words   |  6 Pagespeople with addictions to veterans with behavior health issues such as PTSD as well as spreading awareness and educating on mental first aid. The National Council for Behavioral Health prides itself on being the unifying voice of America’s mental health and addictions treatment organizations. Partnered with approximately 2,500 member organizations, the National Council claims to be committed to all Americans having access to hi gh-quality, comprehensive, care that explores unlimited opportunities for recoveryRead MoreMental Health Incidents Have Effected Policing1439 Words   |  6 Pagesaddress mental health incidents have effected policing. Through my research I have determined that Canadian law enforcement has failed to manage the new demands placed on them from historical and societal changes towards mental illness. This failure to properly manage has caused inefficiencies Police have long been the default resource to manage new demands from changes in society, and in regards to mental illness, they have been referred to as the â€Å"informal first responders of mental health† (CouncilRead MoreThe Development of Social and Healthcare Systems in the UK1683 Words   |  7 PagesSocial and health care is one of the most important areas of attention in the modern world today. As human beings, we all have been or will be in need of some sort of care in our lives. Old age is a particularly prevalent aspect of care that has received considerable attention in the literature and the press. Other examples of perpetual care needs include mental illness sufferers and those with chronic physical conditions. In the UK, the development of social and health care systems have been consideredRead MoreAwareness Of Mental Illnesses And Treatment Options Essay1235 Words   |  5 PagesAwareness of Mental Illness in My Community Awareness of mental illnesses and treatment options are an ongoing issue in America. This problem isn’t one that can be simply solved overnight. But starting from the community level, people have the power to make a difference. A difference that could benefit people who are suffering with a mental illness and don’t have the opportunities to seek help and treatment. In my community, I have found three mental health services. They consist of Eyerly BallRead MoreMental Health Vs. Health Organization1325 Words   |  6 PagesMental Health Vs. Health Organization Human services field is a very broad field. There are many different types of human services organizations out there. To names a few of human services organizations are mental health, health, education, child welfare, and etc... Under each organization there are different human services workers with different tittle and responsibilities; to name a few of human services workers are psychologist, high school guidance counselor, teacher, rehabilitation specialistRead MoreThe Impact Of The Mental Health Act754 Words   |  4 PagesThe Mental Health Act R.S.O. (1990) is a comprehensive piece of provincial legislation which regulates mental health care in Ontario. Although it can be assumed that the legislation applies to all mental health services and supports (Schizophrenic Society of Ontario, 2013), the laws described in the Mental Health Act (â€Å"MHA†) apply only to psychiatric units in hospitals, and specialized psychiatric facilities within the province (Centre for Addict ion and Mental Health [CAMH], 2012), and to the patientsRead MoreTransformational Opportunities Exist With The United States Mental Health System1671 Words   |  7 PagesStates Mental Health System Mental illness refers to all diagnosable mental disorders defined as â€Å"health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired functioning.† (Williams Torrens, 2008, p. 221) With one in every five American adults experiencing mental illness, the resulting economic burden exceeds $300 billion per year to include approximately $100 billion in direct health care expendituresRead MoreCommunity Mental Health Movement Of The United States1210 Words   |  5 PagesCommunity Mental Health Movement For many years, people who suffered with mental illness were more often than not institutionalized and severely mistreated. The history of the Mental Health movement begins in 1909. The history of advocacy began with Clifford W. Beers. Beers, himself an ex-psychiatric patient who, after his release, crusaded to bring mental health and mental illness to the attention of his fellow citizens (Pols). In 1908, Beers published his autobiography, A Mind That Found Itself

Accounting Issues for Religious and Background- myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Write about theAccounting Issues for Religious and Educational Background. Answer: The three industrial benefits of doing Masters of Professional Accounting is Masters of accounting help professionals to go and explore other countries, work there and get more tolerant to other religions. In this article the emphasis is on how the Islam people and those who follow this religion have developed an immunity towards the crime scene in their area given their strong academic profile and given the fact that they are working professionals. Basically, there are two types of religious classes, one where the professionals are attending religious classes and one where they receive formal religious education. So, both serves the purpose on an industrial front to forget about religions and perform their work efficiently. So, from industrial point of view it helps people in breaking the barriers of religion and end up working in different countries that eventually help them to grow and be better(Abdullah Said, 2017). Every religion has its own values and principles but education helps in surpassing it all and helps in the growth of the nation. Industrial development will help in developing the economy and that in turn will help people to grow and lead a better lifestyle. All this is possible only when people are educated. This article covers the prospects of accounting as defined by Franciscan Friar Luca Pacioli, who is the father of accounting. He stated in his book that accounting practices and policies was much more than book keeping and profitability and there is a social responsibility attached to it, that all professionals should keep in mind. Thus, we see this in a way would help the professionals to grow off in each industry if they start accepting accounting more than a job but as a social cause that would help in eventually making the life of people better. Accounting is a medium in any industry that would help in bringing more people connected with each other. It is important with respect to the industry as people who are qualified will take their role seriously and perform to the best of their abilities and not just do the work for the sake of doing the work(Coate Mitschow, 2017). The third benefit from the religious point of view is that the professionals get an understanding about what is ethically correct and what should their course of action be when they pursue such accounting course. Ethical decision making is very important from all prospects thus it makes it necessary for the people to follow it and apply it. When education is provided the professionals start understanding the difference between what is right and what is wrong and they can apply the same for their overall growth both professionally and personally and from an industrial point of view also it is beneficial. Unethical actions might affect the companies badly and can hamper their overall growth. It is thus very important that these companies should focus on hiring professionals who are educated enough to render quality services to the people.(Webster, 2017). Three academic benefits of studying Professional of Accounting from religious point of view- The study of accountancy will help in development of individuals that would be having sharp accounting knowledge that they can apply for the growth of the industries in their regions. From the social structures also if people have knowledge and gains insights about things that they want to study and put forward in their early ages then they would be able to do it better than other. Same principles can be applied to this field of accountancy in which from academic point of view it is important to have detailed knowledge about the things that they want to pursue, the course of action that they want to take and based on the same they can decide their education and career (Ghofiqi, 2018) Getting a master in professional accounting, also makes it better for accountants with a view that they have opportunity to get selected into many organizations and that is excellent with respect to their career and its growth. Academically it will give them an edge over other professionals who are working with them and in the long run will help in their overall development and growth. In the context of social recruiting the management always consider having a professional degree as a trademark of once talent, so that makes it easy to enter the big league and give their best that will eventually help in their overall promotion and growth (Lepist Ihantola, 2018).It makes it easier for people to choose the one who has some credibility over others. A lot of importance has been given to higher education in life and that is important for any field not only accounting. If people can do something better than their peers then will have better career opportunities which might not be possible if they dont have a masters degree. From religious point of view, having a masters degree, opens avenues for different platforms in various countries and that helps in giving people a firsthand experience of the outside world. Not just academically or from industrial point of view, it is beneficial from all aspects as people will get better opportunities and will also make them more sensible. It will help in bringing nations together and will reduce the communal fights that occur. No knowledge is a waste and thus having a masters would definitely help the individual to pursue a great career and build a better life with all the opportunities that they will have(Bouret, 2017). References Abdullah, W. Said, R., 2017. Religious, Educational Background and Corporate Crime Tolerance by Accounting Professionals. State-of-the-Art Theories and Empirical Evidence, pp. 129-149. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-10-6926-0_8 Bouret, I., 2017. Benefits of higher education in mid-life: A life course agency perspective. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, 23(1), pp. 15-31. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1477971416672807 Coate, C. Mitschow, M., 2017. Luca Pacioli and the Role of Accounting and Business: Early Lessons in Social Responsibility. s.l.:s.n. https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/S1574-076520180000021001 Ghofiqi, M., 2018. FORMATION OF VIEWS AND INTERESTS TO THE ACCOUNTANTS PROFESSION IN MASTER OF ACCOUNTING STUDENTS OF JEMBER UNIVERSITY FORCE OF 2016 USING STRUCTURATION THEORY ANALYSIS. THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ECONOMICS, BUSINESS, AND ACCOUNTING STUDIES. https://jurnal.unej.ac.id/index.php/prosiding/article/view/6559 Lepist, L. Ihantola, E., 2018. Understanding the recruitment and selection processes of management accountants: An explorative study. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN ACCOUNTING MANAGEMENT. https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/S1574-076520180000021001 Webster, T., 2017. Successful Ethical Decision-Making Practices from the Professional Accountants' Perspective. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. https://search.proquest.com/openview/e12ab3e2b2df27bc475ad5490cdcdf04/1?pq-origsite=gscholarcbl=18750diss=y

Do The Right Thing Analysis Essay Research free essay sample

Do The Right Thing Analysis Essay, Research Paper The first scene begins with a stopping point up shooting of Senor Love Daddy # 8217 ; s oral cavity, the top of a mike, and an dismay clock. The dismay clock, being used as a prop, is doing a really loud, raging, pealing sound. This is done in order to acquire the viewing audiences attending to the job of racism. After the tintinnabulation Michigans, we start reframing in, and whizzing out easy, seeing more of Senor Love Daddy and the mike. There is difficult illuming nowadays in the scene. The full shooting has a ruddy colour to it. A slow rapid climb and the ruddy colour are used to demo the spectator how hot the scene of the film is. The colour besides reflects tenseness, struggle, choler, and defeat, things that are non being expressed in the movie yet. As we are whizzing out, Senor Love Daddy says # 8220 ; Wake up, wake up, wake up # 8221 ; This portion of the scene is besides is intended to acquire the viewing audiences attending to the job of racism. The foreground and some of the in-between land are in shallow focal point. This is a get in your face type of shooting, allowing the spectator know that this film will be in your face for the following two hours and that the viewer better pay attending to the job at manus: racism. This shooting is entirely for the viewing audiences, to acquire their attending. We stop whizzing out one time we see the whole mike. At that point, we start tracking out and the camera starts traveling easy up, via a Crane. We now see the contemplation of the street outside Senor Love Daddy # 8217 ; s workplace, on the glass window Senor Love Daddy is confronting. We besides see chapeaus of many different civilizations sitting Senor Love Daddy # 8217 ; s desk. This shows that he respects many different civilizations and shows he is a really unfastened individual. Besides Senor Love Daddy # 8217 ; s workplace is street degree. He talks to all the characters in the film like Mookie, Radio Raheem, and the people playing outside with the fire water faucet. This shows he is willing to pass on with the vicinity and besides show one time once more that he is a really unfastened individual. He is ever looking outside the window at the community. Senor Love Daddy is non concealing from anybody. He is the voice of the vicinity. The camera continues traveling up on a Crane until it is at an high angle, and we start panning to the left. While we are panning to the left we see that Senor Love Daddy works at FM 108. Besides written on the underside of the edifice are the words # 8220 ; WE LOVE # 8221 ; . This is really dry since the stoping of the film shows anything but love. We pan to the left until we see the street this film chiefly takes topographic point in. While the camera is at an high angle, there is a deep focal point, utmost long shooting of the street, to demo the vicinity to the spectator and to give the viewer some sense of spacial orientation. The reddish colour is still being used to demo the intense heat and reflect the things mentioned above. The following scene begins with a high angle, long shooting of Da Mayor kiping in a little bed in a sleeping room. Coming from a broken blind covering the window, are a combination of gold, orange, and ruddy colourss. The colourss are shown on Da Mayor, his bed and other milieus near him. This is done to demo the intense heat of the scene and to demo the defeat and tenseness still non yet present on the movie. We see that the room is really littered and little. It # 8217 ; s obvious that the dweller doesn # 8217 ; Ts have much money. He is lying down on the bed so still he looks dead ; he resembles a cadaver. This is done by Lee to stress how uneffective this character is. Lee wants us to believe how uneffective Da Mayor is traveling to be in this film, and how this character is non good for a whole batch. Lee wants us to pigeonhole him based on what we see. Next the camera rapid climb in really easy. We see a truly old wireless turned on, on the left side, and a truly old fan that is turned on, on the right side, that doesn # 8217 ; t seem to be making anything to cut down the heat. We hear Senor Love Daddy # 8217 ; s voice coming from Da Mayor # 8217 ; s wireless. The wireless, along with the trailing out of the first scene and the zooming in at the beginning of this scene, aid ties these two scenes together. In kernel, the associating shooting is done with lens motion. As the camera rapid climbs in, we see the tremendous sum of perspiration on Da Mayor # 8217 ; s organic structure and tonss of beer bottles on a tabular array by the side of the bed. Following Da Mayor gets up, moves the blind, looks out the window, and lies back down. This is done to demo that it is one of those yearss you wish you slept through. The following scene begins with low angle, medium shooting of Smiley. He has a really big church behind him to function as the background. Use of the low angle shooting makes the church expression immense. Lee does this low angle shooting to make an astonishing and dramatic consequence. The church has a ruddy colour due to its ruddy brick building. This one time once more is done to stress the intense heat and to bind this scene with the old two. We notice that Smiley has a face fungus doing him expression like a prophesier or sermonizer. Interestingly plenty, Smiley is the lone character in the full film with a face fungus. Smiley is have oning a red/pink faded long arm shirt, khakis, and has a black belt on ; a really old fashioned ensemble. Smiley is really cautiously dressed sing it # 8217 ; s a really hot twenty-four hours. He has a xanthous tape participant around his cervix and is keeping a image in his custodies, but we can # 8217 ; t state of what the image is. The yellow colour of the tape participant here serves as a warning mark to us. We meet Smiley while he is prophesying an of import message and we see that cipher is at that place to listen to it. As we listen to Smiley preach, we notice that he has a address damage. This damage is the ground no 1 listens to him. Smiley is prophesying a really of import message but no 1 in the film realizes it till its to late. Nebiims in this film are looked upon as castawaies and Smiley is an castaway with an of import message. The church plays no function in the movie and we neer see it once more. Lee is either stating us that people in the vicinity are non taking advantage of the church or the church is ineffective and is making nil. The church in this film is a lost cause. This shows that faith does non play a serious function in these people lives. The following shooting of this scene is a close up shooting of the image Smiley is keeping. We see that Smiley is keeping images of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King. Both these work forces were assassinated because of their beliefs. Smiley draws an Ten on Malcolm X, and a Crown on Dr. Martin Luther King with a ruddy marker. This is warning mark by Lee, to acquire people to believe about happening solutions to the racism job. The 3rd shooting of this scene has the same apparatus as the gap shooting of this scene. The of import facet of this scene is Smiley speaking about the battle against apartheid. However, Smiley pronounces it # 8220 ; Apart hate # 8221 ; because of his address damage. There is no favoritism officially in the United States, but apartheid is evident. Smiley is a combination of races. He # 8217 ; s hone for this function because he represents all, non merely one. Besides he is a really calculated pick to take for this function, because Smiley has a disablement. Lighting in this shooting is high key, really bright, with few or no shadows in the background. In the following scene you instantly notice strong backlighting with a silhouette of Mookie. The sunglassess on the window are an unpleasant volatile, intense ruddy. Haziness in shooting indicates some kind of filter was used. The filter gives the shooting a murky and cryptic visual aspect. Low cardinal lighting is used, really strong key visible radiation from back is evident, and there is small or no fill visible radiation. The camera is positioned at an utmost long shooting and the camera tallness is waist high. This tallness is used because Mookie is sitting on a bed. As we move in buttocks Mookie, we can state the shooting is being filmed with a manus held camera. Mookie # 8217 ; s have oning a white Bull # 8217 ; s New Jersey with Jordan # 8217 ; s figure stitched in ruddy on the dorsum. As we move in, we notice he is numbering money. We see Mookie is a immature black adult male with a slice, hippie haircut. His haircut suits the clip the film takes topographic point in. Mookie has a little Ag earring in one ear. Mookie is have oning a leather watchband with shells on it and a medallion shaped like Africa. This shows that Mookie has cultural heritage and pride. It looks as if we are mousing up on Mookie as we move up on him. It looks like we are watching an episode of COPS. We stop at a stopping point up shooting of him numbering money. We are being set up by Lee to believe that there is no manner Mookie earned the money in his manus lawfully. Lee wants us to pigeonhole and racially profile Mookie. Every feature of Mookie in this scene makes him look as a condemnable. There is a big image of a dollar measure in the corner while Mookie is numbering his money. This shows that he likes money, he wants more. We see a hide-a-bed. He is likely non in this current home for good. The bed is used as a impermanent agencies to kip in. In the 2nd shooting of this scene we get a stopping point up shooting of Jade. She is kiping and the colour pink is really evident in this shooting. It shows that Jade is really placid and peaceful. Following Mookie comes over to trouble oneself Jade and wake her up. Mookie says # 8220 ; Wake up, wake up # 8221 ; This is done to bind the first scene with Senor Love Daddy to this 1, as it reminds us of Senor Love Daddy and the first scene. We get down whizzing out easy and are in shallow focal point as we start to larn about these two characters. Through Mookie and Jade # 8217 ; s conversation we learn that they are brother and sister. We learn that Jade must work a batch since she says Saturday is the lone twenty-four hours she can kip in. She tells Mookie to acquire to work and from this we can Tell that she is the responsible one of the two. The scene concludes by Mookie acquiring up off the bed and traveling to work.

Things Fall Apart Critical Response free essay sample

Apart Achebe Critical Response Throughout the interview with Achebe, there were many ideas that were discussed pertaining to worlds past and present. The the ideas that were discussed were African thoughts, colonization, slavery and power. How Africans and African societies are minorities in the world and need leadership to flourish. How colonization is justified because of the greater power that other countries posses. Many of the topics discussed in the interview were also touched upon in Achebes book When Things Fall Apart.The first idea that was discussed in the interview was colonization and what the book When Things Fall Apart means to different people around the world. The fact that people from different countries came into new and different places and took over without permission. In the beginning, Achebe did not intend the book to have connections to history, Achebe was describing the colonization of his tribe from his point of view, as the colonized rather than the colonizers. We will write a custom essay sample on Things Fall Apart Critical Response or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This connected not with only people and tribes in Africa, this was happening all around the world and many different people ND cultures can relate to the situation of being colonized. After Achebe wrote the book, he learned something, which was that [different people] had a history that was similar to the story, the history of colonization (Achebe). Achebe states that there are different forms of dispossession. There are many ways that people can be deprived of their needs and taken over completely.Colonization relates to the the book When Things Fall Apart because they both include foreign people coming into a different area and upsetting society and disturbing the social order. Foreigners changed everything that held them together and things fell apart. Their way of life changed and forced to follow something different. Keeping all of this in mind, some people and countries have still not healed fully from the heavy blows of colonization in the past. Colonizers scared many people as well as done some very terrible damage to societies and cultures.Another idea that the Achebe interview explored was the portrayal and characterization of African people. For example, the Europeans were not very friendly towards Africans. Africans were thought of as less important, uncivilized, and worthless. On the other hand, Europeans thought of themselves as rulers, civilized, and powerful. This thinking by European people led to many cruelties against Africans, for example slavery and colonization. The thought that Africans were not equal to Europeans led to Europeans thinking that the slave trade was good and what they were doing to these African colonies and people are justified.After Achebe published his book showing the world African point Of view to this matter, others are also tarring to join Achebes cause in showing other people both sides. The new point of views on these matters gave the world another perspective. A perspective of how people who think that they are better can just come in and take power away from lesser minorities. The shift is not in the structure of power [or] political power (Achebe), but a shift in power that people will tell stories about. I think the shift in power that Achebe is referring to is who is in power.How the power were taken away from the minorities and replaced with powerful countries with an aim to reform. Achebe thinks that this power shot will create different and new stories that can be told to other people. Stories feed off each other and due to this, Achebe thinks that the world will be a better place. Although Achebe thinks that African point of view stories will change the world, it is unlikely to happen. I think this because different cultures are mindlessly absorbed in their own culture and dominance.Some people limit themselves from the rest of the world and only open minded people will be affected by the stories. Even the news today miming from Africa is one sided. People do not see the point of view from the civilians but rather take the point of view of the more powerful nations and governments. Coverage of Africa is skewed and focuses on famines, unrest, and government and neglects to cover countries that are working to solve problems. Achebe thinks that literature is used to justify slavery and imperialism. The one sided thoughts and opinion on matters creates a divide in peeps judgments. This does not allow people too see both sides of the story and get full understanding of the situation. Achebe has great views and ideas to improve Nigeria and thinks that Nigeria has a bright future. Achebe thinks that Nigeria is unable so far to manage political transactions and peace (Achebe). Achebe still keeps tight ties with Nigeria and still wants to move back. Achebe hopes that resources can be given to Nigeria so it can flourish, evolve as a country and diversify. Achebe dreams that there will be a universal civilization. Where everyone is equal and is under one central set Of ideas.

Free Essays on Women Of 911

Free Essays on Women Of 9/11 Women Of 9/11 September 11, 2001, will be remembered as one of the most horrific and unbelievable days ever experienced in the United States. The events of this day certainly changed every American, and likely affected every person in the world in some way, form or fashion. The events that occurred on September 11, 2001: Four commercial airliners are hijacked by an organized group of terrorists. Two of the airliners crash into and obliterate the twin World Trade Center towers in NYC. One airliner crashes into the Pentagon in Washington DC and destroys a side of the building. These terrorist acts were meant to bring on the demise of America, bring a country so strong to its knees. They succeeded in their mission they brought America to her knees, but what happened next no one expected. America stood up and came together like never before. We regained our composure the men of America came to the plate and performed. The men of the NYFD and NYPD came together and held the country together. Wait a minute where were the women while all this was happening? This is what the media failed to show. When we turned on the television we didn’t see the women digging through the rubble or carrying out survivors, but they did. I am happy that I went to see Women of 9/11 because the thought of women helping never crossed my mind. Its funny how all the women were left out by coincidence, something about that just doesn’t seem right. It would seem that it would make the women involved bitter about it, but that’s not the case at all. The two women who came and spoke were the nicest ladies I have met. They didn’t say anything negative about media stations or other media outlets, they just came to let us know the truth. They came to let us know that the same work we seen the men on the cover of â€Å"Time† or â€Å"Newsweek† doing their were women right besides them....

Decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Decision - Essay Example These places on the web are full of information for students, faculty and potential students. In addition to housing information about current events or application procedures, the university web site attempts to present a certain image about the school. In marketing, this would be called branding. Universities try very hard to convince potential students that they can expect specific opportunities and live a certain lifestyle if they attend this university. In this way, college web sites have become increasingly influential in attracting prospective students to individual schools. A great way to see how this is done and whether it is done well is to compare the web sites of two different universities. In this activity, Penn State University and Stanford University are compared and contrasted. The Penn State University web site is adorned in blue and white, the school colors. The first impression I have when looking at their web site is that it is not very visually appealing. The blu e background seems to overpower the rest of the page. The images are poorly done as well. Visually, the photographs used are simply photos of people not doing particularly interesting things. There is the image of two individuals standing in a laboratory, an image of a white kid standing neck to a man dressed in some sort of traditional dress and other photos of graduate and undergraduate students. The images are given very little context, other than a heading above each that seems to shout â€Å"Research† and â€Å"Global†. They are also tagged with captions that seem a bit insipid, such as, â€Å"How can research improve our lives and communities?† Anyone contemplating college should already have some answers to this question, so the reader is not inclined to click on the link to find out more. What is nice about the Penn State University web site is the clean design and the ease of finding the most useful information. Key links are found in a neat column that flanks the right side of the photomontage. These include links to lists of campuses, a visitors guide and new student information. Below the photo montage there is a horizontal band of links to information for professionals concerning jobs and the faculty portal. Immediately below this, a search window is prominently displayed. Overall, the layout sends the message for the university that this wed site is a tool that you can use to access information. The utility of the web site seems to be of utmost importance to the designers, because it is not a very visually attractive or stimulating website in any way. One of the amazing things about the web and school web sites it their ability to change and evolve. I insert this paragraph here, because the Penn State site has actually changed since I have begun researching these two universities. The Penn State site is now much more visually appealing, having combined all of the photographs into a scrolling sequence window. Some of the photo s are the same, so they are still not particularly intriguing or interesting, but they work better on the screen one at a time. This gives the photo a better context. The sequencer also breaks up the monotony of just having half a dozen photos of people staring into the camera lens. This new design is a great improvement over the original page I saw on the Penn State site yesterday. The Stanford web site is more visually appealing than the Penn State site, even with the improvements. A beautiful photo of historical actors is accompanied by a headline stating, â€Å"Picture Jasper Ridge: Biological Preserve Provides Unique Space for Performance Piece.† This photo and headline makes me want to learn more. I find myself asking questions about Jasper Ridge and the nature of the performance that is going to take

Real Estate and Recession Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Real Estate and Recession - Research Paper Example This is what happened in United States before the global financial crisis. The values of houses touched the peaks during the year 2006 which begin to rapidly decline during 2006-2007. Now let us discuss some of the causes which led to the burst of housing bubble. The housing tax policy as discussed in taxpayer relief act of 1997 encouraged people to invest in housing rather than stocks and other types of investments. There were not enough regulations in place to have a proper check and balance on such housing investments. The use of mandated loans is considered another cause of the burst of housing bubble. Then the federal bank also lowered interest rates while the rise of houses was not uniform in all regions of United States. The Americans used to believe that investing in houses is a secured investment and they even preferred to become owners of their houses. There were many marketing campaigns being run to encourage people to invest in real estate. This encourages more and more p eople to invest. However, the high values of houses were later followed by decline in prices which busted the bubble. The housing bubble affected the U.S economy in various ways. Millions of new houses were built and sold. The share prices and revenues of big construction companies reached to the peak and made millions as a result. There was a large increase in mortgage equity withdrawals which usually include loans for home equity and cash out refinancing. The housing bubble led to the recession in United States which was the worst after great depression. Many Americans were forced to migrate from the expensive metropolitan areas due to price variation in different regions on United States. The subprime mortgage crisis was one of the most important reasons which led to the global financial crisis. This was due to the result of delinquencies and foreclosures in subprime mortgages. Then it was followed by the decline in value of these securities backed by the underlying mortgages. Th e financial crisis and recession has not ended yet. Financial experts believe that the slow growth will continue till the end of year 2012. The entire world in interconnected and the United States is bound to suffer due to the events and happenings across different countries. Since the start of financial crisis, the federal government has been taken serious effects to avoid this in future. However, there are few things which need to be emphasized. There must be some lender of the last resort such as International Monetary Fund (IMF) who can come for help whenever needed. Unfortunately, IMF doesn’t have this job role or enough resources to handle such situations. This needs to be raised during the coming IMF meetings. Then there is need of regulations which can protect the organizations from taking excessive risk. The leverage ratios can also be put in some limit in order to estimate the damage by the shock. The federal bank should put special efforts to control the growing po wers of big firms which can even negatively affect the situation. The firms and even government institutions should pay special consideration while extending credit to borrowers. The credit history of prospective buyers needs to be checked before giving them loans. In order to avoid mortgage crisis, Federal Deposition Insurance Corporation (FDIC) came out with loan work out model. This model was introduced with the

The Effectiveness of Computer Applications in Second Language Research Paper

The Effectiveness of Computer Applications in Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition - Research Paper Example The following is a list of some of the factors that determine the number and choice of words a learner is expected to know when learning second language. According to your own understanding, which factor(s) are the most important? The following is a list of various approaches to second language vocabulary acquisition. According to your own evaluation, please indicate your ranking of their effectiveness by assigning them ranks from 1 to 4, where â€Å"1† is the most effective and â€Å"4† is the least effective Accelerated Reader is an example of computer application in second language vocabulary acquisition, in which many of the popular books and cloze tests are stored and used to check the children’s cognitive ability. Do you think this is a bright idea? If yes, check its relevance (Tick where appropriate) Computer technology also offers teachers the opportunity to present still pictures and motion videos to enable learners to make associations with new vocabulary. Please classify this technology according to the importance you attach to

Pakistan Microfinance Sector Analysis

Pakistan Microfinance Sector Analysis The aim of this study refers to highlighting the key challenges and prospects for the microfinance sector of Pakistan. Being practiced since last few years, microfinance is considered to be an imperative financing practiced by financial institutions for the development of countrys economy. This study has been carried out using the following four steps: present scenario of microfinance in Pakistan, identification of internal and external challenges, prospects in microfinance, and policy recommendations to boost microfinance sector in Pakistan. In this research, microfinance framework has been used to better understand the process of building a sustainable microfinance institution. The findings have been obtained through Primary data which has been collected by sending 80 questionnaire surveys to microfinance sector. The companies that have participated are banks and other financial institutions. This research contributes in three ways. First, microfinance institutions will be facilita ted in highlighting the challenges and prospects that are being neglected in the process of analyzing the problems and opportunities faced by this sector. Second, other financial institutions and banks, realizing the significance of this business, will get encouragement to enter this sector with more innovative products and better standard practices. Thirdly, it will help the country in coming up with new strategies for micro financing. Moreover, microfinance sector may start conducting more training sessions to enhance the skills of the clients which will impact positively on this sector. INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem Poverty cannot be illustrated, it can be experienced. One knows more about it when he is starving and can not manage to pay for food. He and his children want new cloths on festivals but can not buy these, due to low income. He is sick, but he is not able to buy medicine. He wants to send his children to school, but can not bear the expenses. He wants to be appreciated in society, but is treated poorly by the institutions of the state and society. He is voice less and incapable (Gobind M et al,2008). Poor people save all the time, although mostly in informal ways. They invest in assets such as gold, jewelry, domestic animals, building materials, and things that can be easily exchanged for cash. They may set aside corn from their harvest to sell at a later date. They bury cash in the garden or stash it under the mattress. They participate in informal savings groups where everyone contributes a small amount of cash each day, week, or month, and is successively awarded the pot on a rota ting basis. Some of these groups allow members to borrow from the pot as well. The poor also give their money to neighbors to hold or pay local cash collectors to keep it safe. However widely used, informal savings mechanisms have serious limitations. It is not possible, for example, to cut a leg off a goat when the family suddenly needs a small amount of cash. In-kind savings are subject to fluctuations in commodity prices, destruction by insects, fire, thieves, or illness (in the case of livestock). Informal rotating savings groups tend to be small and rotate limited amounts of money. Moreover, these groups often require rigid amounts of money at set intervals and do not react to changes in their members ability to save. Perhaps most importantly, the poor are more likely to lose their money through fraud or mismanagement in informal savings arrangements than are depositors in formal financial institutions. The concept of microfinance was launched to help the poor population of the world. The significance of microfinance cannot be neglected for the development of any economy. Microfinance encourages poor households to consume their funds in productive activities by providing them small amount of loans. Poor household refers to low-income people who traditionally lack access to banking and other related financial services. The concept tend to empower would-be entrepreneurs to take up a trade for living, allow them to start earning, and thus to provide their families with income stability. The income that generates from such businesses not only helps in expanding those activities but also contributes to the income of the household bringing benefits for the whole family. In Pakistan, about one-third of the population is Å“un-banked?, or lacking access to finance, which if appropriately tapped can offer tremendous opportunities to both banking institutions and businesses. As a step towards mainstreaming the un-banked, SBP has envisaged increasing the size of micro and small enterprise (MSE) financing from one million borrowers to four million borrowers, and from Rs.1 billion to four billion by the year 2010. In this context, increasing institutional outreach and sinking micro financing in to the sector are considered pivotal strategies. Other areas of interest include regulatory regimes, product and process innovations, relationship management and monitoring, and market intelligence data (Sohailuddin Alavi, 2007). According to ILO (2005) cited by Dahri (2007) it is concluded that the reality for most of the worlds poor is that they have to work often for long hours, in poor working conditions and without basic rights and presentation- at work that is not productive enough to enable them to themselves and their families out of poverty, it is Å“decent and productive? employment that matters, not employment alone. In developing countries, so many strategies have been put into practice and research has been done but it is felt that it is not enough and research should remain continue in light of latest reports and research to highlight the challenges and opportunities of microfinance. These studies are helping in bringing new strategies into practice. As Pakistan is also a developing country, further suggestions would help to overcome the challenges faced by microfinance and avail the opportunities that exist for this kind of financing. To keep these things in mind attempt has been made to iden tify the internal, external challenges and opportunities as special objective in this study. LITERATURE REVIEW The great challenge before us is to address the constraints that exclude people from full participation in the financial sector. Together, we can and must build inclusive financial sectors that help people improve their lives.(Kofi Annan, 2007). However, poverty is a widespread problem found in the rural areas of Pakistan, as almost 28 per cent of the total rural households is categorized as poor. In this regard, the provision of credit, especially micro-credit, has now become an effective tool and a successful strategy for poverty eradication. In Pakistan over the past few years, the number of active borrowers has increased by 85 per cent while total outstanding loans grew by 115 per cent (Economic Survey of Pakistan, 2005-2006). The broader definition of microfinance includes not only microcredit but also other financial services, which can be offered to the poor. Interested economists found soon that not only small credits but also other services connected with lending could improve economic lives of the poorest (Bauer, Chytilova Morduch, 2008). Most MFIs connect their credit services also with educational or saving programs or business trainings, retraining scheme or technical trainings. Logically, the investments can turn out to be more profitable when the people have access to training, which can enhance their skills. Historically, the goal of microfinance was the alleviation of poverty. For many years, microfinance had this primary social objective and so traditional MFIs consisted only of non-governmental organizations (NGO), specialized microfinance banks and public sector banks. Although the Microfinance sector has reached a maturity stage over the last three decades, but the capacity of operational level staffs has not enhanced to that extent (Hassan Islam, 2008) A variety of studies have found a few key strengths and positive impacts produced by the implementation of microfinance programs in poor and impoverished areas of the world. First, microfinance programs can be an effective way to provide low?cost financial services to poor individuals and families (Stephens Tazi 2006). Second, such programs have been shown to help in the development and growth of the local economy as individuals and families are able to move past subsistence living and increase disposable income levels (Khandker, 2005). MFIs should take initiatives to upscale their Microenterprise clients to SME level and provide necessary support to link these clients with mainstream financial institutions. The MFIs should take responsibilities of their clients managerial skill development training (Hassan Islam, 2008). In addition, many studies (primarily microfinance institution impact studies and academic researcher qualitative or case studies) have shown that microfinance programs were able to reduce poverty through increasing individual and household income levels, as well as improving healthcare, nutrition, education, and helping to empower women. For example, standard of living increases, which help to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, have occurred at both the individual and household levels as a result of microfinance programs (Khandker, 2005). Furthermore, it has been demonstrated by some research that microfinance programs increase access to healthcare, making preventative healthcare measures more affordable to the poor (Morduch, 1998). Finally, it has been shown that such programs can help borrowers to develop dignity and self-confidence in conjunction with loan repayment, and self?sufficiency as a means for sustainable income becomes available.The Microfinance Summit Campaign Report (2006) estimates that there are now more than 3,000 microfinance institutions, serving more than 100 million poor people in developing countries. The total cash turnover of these institutions world-wide is estimated at $2.5 billion and the potential for new growth is outstanding.One individual who gained worldwide recognition for his work in microfinance is professor Muhammad Yunus who, with Grameen Bank, won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. Yunas and Grameen Bank demonstrated that the poor have the ability to pull themselves out of poverty. Yunus also demonstrated that loans made to the working poor, if properly structured, had very high repayment rates. His work caught the attention of both social engineers and profit-seeking investors (Grameen Bank, 2008). Some key strengths and positive impacts of microfinance programs in poor and impoverished areas of the world that; Microfinance programs can be an effective way to provide low-cost financial services to poor individuals and familie s (Stephens Tazi 2006). Such programs help in the development and growth of the local economy allowing individuals and families to move past subsistence living, and therefore increases their disposable income levels (Khandker 2005). Negative impacts of microfinance and microcredit programs are that; microfinance programs benefit the moderately poor more than the destitute, and thus impact can vary by income group (better-off benefit more from microcredit) (Jonathan Barbara 2002; Morduch, 1998; Dugger, 2004). Both formal and semi-formal financial institutions cover a very small share of MFIs markets as compared to informal market (Aleem, 1990). Hassan and Islam (2008) in a study conclude that, uplifting of client, managerial skill development programs for both client and staff of MFI and governmental policies can uplift the MFI growth which in turn has positive impact on overall macroeconomic growth of country. Moreover, the studies conducted on micro-credit were mainly based on the impact assessment of the programme. Realizing the situation, there is a need for an empirical study to analyze the factors that determine challenges faced by MFIs and future prospects in microfinance programme. Objectives of the Study The objectives of the study are: To explore the present scenario of MF in Pakistan To identify the challenges faced by MFIs in Pakistan To identify the internal and external constraints of MFIs in Pakistan. To provide policy recommendations to boost MFIs sector in Pakistan RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Conceptual Frame Work Utilizing the above mentioned details, a framework is suggested for MFI. Generic Framework for Building Sustainable Micro Finance Bank (MFB) Source: SOHAILUDDIN ALAVI (2007) Å“Microfinance in Pakistan: Challenges and Prospects?, journal of the Institute of Bankers Pakistan Volume 74, Issue No. 3 page 52-61 Data Collection In this research study, primary data has been obtained from questionnaire survey. The primary data here has been collected through a comprehensive questionnaire in this research. Primary data There are several choices for primary data collection i.e. survey (questionnaire), interview, observations and experiments. These choices are shown in below figure. The primary data here has been collected through a comprehensive questionnaire in this research. Primary Data Sources Source: Ghauri, P. Gronhaug, K. (2005). Å“Research Methods in business Studies?, 3ed. Prentice Hall. Size of the Sample The questionnaire was distributed to 80 executives in four different MFIs. These executives have the responsibility of key customers identification, analysis and operational activities involved in the management process. Out of the 80 respondents 54 (67.50%) have responded. The author has done the convenience sampling due to the limitations. Questionnaire We have divided this Questionnaire into three segments; External Challenges Internal Challenges Prospects First and second section measure challenges, both internal and external faced by MFI and third section addresses the future prospects for MFI. Each section is based on separate research objectives. Only closed-ended questions are included in the questionnaire. In closed-ended questions Likert-scale method (Proctor, T. 2005) is used for response. Seven different scaling options are included in Likert-scale method to minimize the response biasness. The scales: strongly agree, agree, slightly agree, neither agree nor disagree, slightly disagree, disagree and strongly disagree are assigned ranks from 1- 7 respectively. DATA AND METHODOLOGY Data and Sampling As we have limited MFIs in the country so author has distibuted 80 questionnaires and 54 responses are received (67.50%) from Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore cities. In the above section, the six factors highlighted addressees the external challenges of MFIs in the market of Pakistan. Govt.s due importance to the sector Staff trainings by the MFIs Utilizations of the loans Importance of clients skills development by the MFIs Islamic point of view Local norms Its clear from the table 1(b) that Å“Government is giving due importance to MFI?, out of 54 respondents 78% response positively and 22% in negative. It means Government considers MFI as a very important sector in the country development process. Second question is about Microfinance Institutions staffs training level; there is 50% response in positive and 50% in negative. This indicates that MFI staff working in market needs adequate training. Ultimately, their training may draw some positive impact on MFI sector in specific, and at large it may benefit the countrys economy. Third and the most important factor about the utilization of loan money by client, surprisingly 70% of respondents say that loans are used for investment purpose by client and not for personal consumption. However, 30% of respondents believe that loan taken by client is used for their private consumption. The fourth question is about MFI attitude towards clients skills development shows; only 26% of responses are positive and 74% responded negatively. This result indicates a gap for policy makers of MFIs concluding that they are not putting due efforts in their business because their client is usually not only poor but also lacking management and other skills. Further research can be done on the level of skill of client and the growth of their business and relationship with MFI. The second last question in the first section addresses the perception of the client about financial institute in religious perspective; 80% of respondents are positive that financial intuitions are largely perceived as non-Islamic. This issue can be resolved by focusing on the establishment of Islamic MFIs or marketing the concept of microfinance more aggressively. Final question is about the norms restrictions on the financial sector, again 53% of responses are positive about the existence of such norms and 43% are negative. We may say that in future these norms may go to decline. Internal Challenges The section 2 of the challenges is about the key internal challenges faced by MFI. We have discussed six different internal challenges; the first and probably the most important challenge is about the availability of other cheaper financial resources. 74% of the respondents agree that the availability of other cheaper source of finance is a great challenge for them and 36% responded in opposite. This indicates the fact that the cost of borrowing is high for small borrowers. Effort should be done to make small loans available at some competitive cost in comparison to other financial products. About the limited physical presence of MFI, 87% response is positive and only 13% is negative, which again reveals the gap for policy makers that the limited presence may be the major cause of low performance and growth of MFI sector. The third question is about the general inability of MFIs about risks and standard practices; 52% responded positively about the situation but 48% do not agree. We may say that there is a great need for MFIs to mitigate the risk factors and adopt the standard practices. The fourth question is about the incompatibility of conventional banking with the need of microfinance product; 52% of respondents are positive about the inaptness of conventional banking with microfinance product need while 48% do not agree that there is incompatibility of microfinance need and traditional banking. So we may say that a second majority of MFI believes that conventional banking system can also cater to the need of microfinance product. The second last question of this section is about the availability of quality human resource in comparison to other financial institutions; 48% of the respondents are positive about the availability of quality human resource due to scare funds while 52% do not agree. This shows that availability of quality human resource is not much of an issue in MFIs. Final question is about the lacking in value chain and delivery process of mic rofinance product; a majority of 59% is positive that there are lacking in value chain and delivery process, but 37% are of opposite view and 4% are uncertain about the answer to this question. Prospects/Opportunities The third and the last section is about the opportunities for MFIs, first question is about the promotion of different kinds of business through MFIs; 56% of respondents are positive that MFIs are promoting all kinds of business and 44% do not agree. The second majority of respondents believe that MFIs are not addressing all kinds of business. Hence, there is a need to look at the different kinds of businesses served by MFIs. In the question about the role of MFI,s in reduction of poverty, 83% are positive about the role of MFI in poverty reduction, while a minority of 17% do not agree. The fourth question about the role of MFI in economic growth of country; 100% respondents advocate that MFIs are working for the economic development. 100% respondents are positive that MFIs are not only working against poverty but also playing some other roles too in economy. Finally a 70% of respondents are positive about the alliance of commercial banks and MFIs , 13% do not agree about the allianc e and 17% are uncertain. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION In this study, conclusions will be drawn on the basis of literature review and analysis made through market research. The reasearch is divided into two parts: conclusions and recommendations. Conclusions From this study we conclude that; Government is providing due importance to MF sector. MFIs staff needs training which can impact positively on MF Sector. A majority of 70% believe that loan is utilized in investments activities rather than personal consumption. MFIs have very low attention toward its clients skill development. A majority of population perceive MFIs and other financial services against their religious beliefs. Lastly norms and culture poses threats to MFIs and Banks. Cost of microfinance is relatively high in compassion to other financial products. Standards of practices and processes need improvement in MFIs. Alliance of commercial banking and microfinance is viewed as positive. Recommendations MFIs staff working in market needs adequate training. Ultimately, their training will draw some positive impacts on MFI sector in specific and may also benefit the economy of the country at large. MFIs are not putting due efforts in their business because their client is usually not only poor but also lacking management and other skills. Further research can be done on the level of skills of the client and growth of his/her business to elaborate the different skill levels. There may be a need of Islamic MFIs or marketing the concept of microfinance more aggressively to avoid the potential biasness in financial organizations. Effort should be done to make small loans available at some competitive cost in comparison to other financial products. There is a great need for MFIs to mitigate the risk factor and adopt the standard practices. Limitation of Research This study had the following limitations The author was not able to distribute the questionnaire to company executives all over the country. Time period to conduct the study was very limited. Some of the respondents did not answer the questions seriously Sample size was limited to 3 cities only which cannot be easily applicable to all population of Pakistan. The questionnaire was sent to respondents through e-mail. It was not feasible for the author to conduct the interviews personally. All respondents cant maintain same level of accuracy in answering the questions due to lack of time and interest. It may create little discrepancy to some extent in formulating the conclusions. Refrences www.sbp.org.pk/publications/prudential/micro_prs.pdf www.sbp.org.pk/l_frame/MF_Bank_Ord_2000.pdf Kofi, Annan. UN secretary,.2007. Avalibale atÂÂ  : http://www.diplomatie.be/en/travel/visa/default.asp Herani, Gobind M, Rajar , Allah Wasayo, Wasim, Mohammad Pervez and Shaikh, Riaz Ahmed., 2008. The Nature of Poverty and Its Prospects: Pakistan Evidence. Journal of Global Economy ,4(3), pp. 183-194. Global Monetary and Financial System: Principal Issues. Journal of the Institute of Bankers Pakistan , 74 (2) pp 1-6 Available at:www.ibp.org.pk/journal/Journal-Apr-Jun-2007.pdf Pakistan Statistical Profile Available at: agingandwork.bc.edu/documents/CP03_Workforce_Pakistan.pdf M. Bauer, J. ChytilovÃÆ'Â ¡, J. Morduch., 2008.Behavioral Foundations of Microcredit: Experimental and Survey Evidence from Rural India. American Economic Review,59 (1) pp71-86 Rashed Al Hasan., K.M. Zahidul Islam., 2008. Bridging the Gap between Microfinance and SME Financing in Bangladesh: Unlocking the Potentials. Daffodil International University Journal of Business and Economics, 3.(1), pp 41-57 Shahidur R. Khandker., 2005.Microfinance and Poverty: Evidence Using Panel Data from Bangladesh .The World Bank Economic Review, 19(2), pp263-286 Jonathan Morduch., 1998. Does Microfinance Really Help the Poor? New Evidence from Flagship Programs in Bangladesh, Department of Economics and HIID Harvard University. Available at: www.princeton.edu/rpds/papers/pdfs/morduch_microfinance_poor.pdf Grameen Bank. Available at: http://www.grameen-info.org/ Dugger, Celia W. 2004. Å“Debate Stirs over Tiny Loans for Worlds Poorest.? New York Times. Morduch, J., and Haley, B. (2002), ËÅ"Analysis of the Effects of Microfinance on Poverty Reduction, NYU Wagner Working Paper No. 1014 Available at: http://www.nyu.edu/wagner/workingpapers.html Briefing Note Summary of the Poverty and Social Impact Assessment: Pakistan Microfinance Policy May 2006 Available at: www. pipl.com/directory/name/Tazi/Hind Pakistan Microfinance Sector Analysis Pakistan Microfinance Sector Analysis The aim of this study refers to highlighting the key challenges and prospects for the microfinance sector of Pakistan. Being practiced since last few years, microfinance is considered to be an imperative financing practiced by financial institutions for the development of countrys economy. This study has been carried out using the following four steps: present scenario of microfinance in Pakistan, identification of internal and external challenges, prospects in microfinance, and policy recommendations to boost microfinance sector in Pakistan. In this research, microfinance framework has been used to better understand the process of building a sustainable microfinance institution. The findings have been obtained through Primary data which has been collected by sending 80 questionnaire surveys to microfinance sector. The companies that have participated are banks and other financial institutions. This research contributes in three ways. First, microfinance institutions will be facilita ted in highlighting the challenges and prospects that are being neglected in the process of analyzing the problems and opportunities faced by this sector. Second, other financial institutions and banks, realizing the significance of this business, will get encouragement to enter this sector with more innovative products and better standard practices. Thirdly, it will help the country in coming up with new strategies for micro financing. Moreover, microfinance sector may start conducting more training sessions to enhance the skills of the clients which will impact positively on this sector. INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem Poverty cannot be illustrated, it can be experienced. One knows more about it when he is starving and can not manage to pay for food. He and his children want new cloths on festivals but can not buy these, due to low income. He is sick, but he is not able to buy medicine. He wants to send his children to school, but can not bear the expenses. He wants to be appreciated in society, but is treated poorly by the institutions of the state and society. He is voice less and incapable (Gobind M et al,2008). Poor people save all the time, although mostly in informal ways. They invest in assets such as gold, jewelry, domestic animals, building materials, and things that can be easily exchanged for cash. They may set aside corn from their harvest to sell at a later date. They bury cash in the garden or stash it under the mattress. They participate in informal savings groups where everyone contributes a small amount of cash each day, week, or month, and is successively awarded the pot on a rota ting basis. Some of these groups allow members to borrow from the pot as well. The poor also give their money to neighbors to hold or pay local cash collectors to keep it safe. However widely used, informal savings mechanisms have serious limitations. It is not possible, for example, to cut a leg off a goat when the family suddenly needs a small amount of cash. In-kind savings are subject to fluctuations in commodity prices, destruction by insects, fire, thieves, or illness (in the case of livestock). Informal rotating savings groups tend to be small and rotate limited amounts of money. Moreover, these groups often require rigid amounts of money at set intervals and do not react to changes in their members ability to save. Perhaps most importantly, the poor are more likely to lose their money through fraud or mismanagement in informal savings arrangements than are depositors in formal financial institutions. The concept of microfinance was launched to help the poor population of the world. The significance of microfinance cannot be neglected for the development of any economy. Microfinance encourages poor households to consume their funds in productive activities by providing them small amount of loans. Poor household refers to low-income people who traditionally lack access to banking and other related financial services. The concept tend to empower would-be entrepreneurs to take up a trade for living, allow them to start earning, and thus to provide their families with income stability. The income that generates from such businesses not only helps in expanding those activities but also contributes to the income of the household bringing benefits for the whole family. In Pakistan, about one-third of the population is Å“un-banked?, or lacking access to finance, which if appropriately tapped can offer tremendous opportunities to both banking institutions and businesses. As a step towards mainstreaming the un-banked, SBP has envisaged increasing the size of micro and small enterprise (MSE) financing from one million borrowers to four million borrowers, and from Rs.1 billion to four billion by the year 2010. In this context, increasing institutional outreach and sinking micro financing in to the sector are considered pivotal strategies. Other areas of interest include regulatory regimes, product and process innovations, relationship management and monitoring, and market intelligence data (Sohailuddin Alavi, 2007). According to ILO (2005) cited by Dahri (2007) it is concluded that the reality for most of the worlds poor is that they have to work often for long hours, in poor working conditions and without basic rights and presentation- at work that is not productive enough to enable them to themselves and their families out of poverty, it is Å“decent and productive? employment that matters, not employment alone. In developing countries, so many strategies have been put into practice and research has been done but it is felt that it is not enough and research should remain continue in light of latest reports and research to highlight the challenges and opportunities of microfinance. These studies are helping in bringing new strategies into practice. As Pakistan is also a developing country, further suggestions would help to overcome the challenges faced by microfinance and avail the opportunities that exist for this kind of financing. To keep these things in mind attempt has been made to iden tify the internal, external challenges and opportunities as special objective in this study. LITERATURE REVIEW The great challenge before us is to address the constraints that exclude people from full participation in the financial sector. Together, we can and must build inclusive financial sectors that help people improve their lives.(Kofi Annan, 2007). However, poverty is a widespread problem found in the rural areas of Pakistan, as almost 28 per cent of the total rural households is categorized as poor. In this regard, the provision of credit, especially micro-credit, has now become an effective tool and a successful strategy for poverty eradication. In Pakistan over the past few years, the number of active borrowers has increased by 85 per cent while total outstanding loans grew by 115 per cent (Economic Survey of Pakistan, 2005-2006). The broader definition of microfinance includes not only microcredit but also other financial services, which can be offered to the poor. Interested economists found soon that not only small credits but also other services connected with lending could improve economic lives of the poorest (Bauer, Chytilova Morduch, 2008). Most MFIs connect their credit services also with educational or saving programs or business trainings, retraining scheme or technical trainings. Logically, the investments can turn out to be more profitable when the people have access to training, which can enhance their skills. Historically, the goal of microfinance was the alleviation of poverty. For many years, microfinance had this primary social objective and so traditional MFIs consisted only of non-governmental organizations (NGO), specialized microfinance banks and public sector banks. Although the Microfinance sector has reached a maturity stage over the last three decades, but the capacity of operational level staffs has not enhanced to that extent (Hassan Islam, 2008) A variety of studies have found a few key strengths and positive impacts produced by the implementation of microfinance programs in poor and impoverished areas of the world. First, microfinance programs can be an effective way to provide low?cost financial services to poor individuals and families (Stephens Tazi 2006). Second, such programs have been shown to help in the development and growth of the local economy as individuals and families are able to move past subsistence living and increase disposable income levels (Khandker, 2005). MFIs should take initiatives to upscale their Microenterprise clients to SME level and provide necessary support to link these clients with mainstream financial institutions. The MFIs should take responsibilities of their clients managerial skill development training (Hassan Islam, 2008). In addition, many studies (primarily microfinance institution impact studies and academic researcher qualitative or case studies) have shown that microfinance programs were able to reduce poverty through increasing individual and household income levels, as well as improving healthcare, nutrition, education, and helping to empower women. For example, standard of living increases, which help to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, have occurred at both the individual and household levels as a result of microfinance programs (Khandker, 2005). Furthermore, it has been demonstrated by some research that microfinance programs increase access to healthcare, making preventative healthcare measures more affordable to the poor (Morduch, 1998). Finally, it has been shown that such programs can help borrowers to develop dignity and self-confidence in conjunction with loan repayment, and self?sufficiency as a means for sustainable income becomes available.The Microfinance Summit Campaign Report (2006) estimates that there are now more than 3,000 microfinance institutions, serving more than 100 million poor people in developing countries. The total cash turnover of these institutions world-wide is estimated at $2.5 billion and the potential for new growth is outstanding.One individual who gained worldwide recognition for his work in microfinance is professor Muhammad Yunus who, with Grameen Bank, won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. Yunas and Grameen Bank demonstrated that the poor have the ability to pull themselves out of poverty. Yunus also demonstrated that loans made to the working poor, if properly structured, had very high repayment rates. His work caught the attention of both social engineers and profit-seeking investors (Grameen Bank, 2008). Some key strengths and positive impacts of microfinance programs in poor and impoverished areas of the world that; Microfinance programs can be an effective way to provide low-cost financial services to poor individuals and familie s (Stephens Tazi 2006). Such programs help in the development and growth of the local economy allowing individuals and families to move past subsistence living, and therefore increases their disposable income levels (Khandker 2005). Negative impacts of microfinance and microcredit programs are that; microfinance programs benefit the moderately poor more than the destitute, and thus impact can vary by income group (better-off benefit more from microcredit) (Jonathan Barbara 2002; Morduch, 1998; Dugger, 2004). Both formal and semi-formal financial institutions cover a very small share of MFIs markets as compared to informal market (Aleem, 1990). Hassan and Islam (2008) in a study conclude that, uplifting of client, managerial skill development programs for both client and staff of MFI and governmental policies can uplift the MFI growth which in turn has positive impact on overall macroeconomic growth of country. Moreover, the studies conducted on micro-credit were mainly based on the impact assessment of the programme. Realizing the situation, there is a need for an empirical study to analyze the factors that determine challenges faced by MFIs and future prospects in microfinance programme. Objectives of the Study The objectives of the study are: To explore the present scenario of MF in Pakistan To identify the challenges faced by MFIs in Pakistan To identify the internal and external constraints of MFIs in Pakistan. To provide policy recommendations to boost MFIs sector in Pakistan RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Conceptual Frame Work Utilizing the above mentioned details, a framework is suggested for MFI. Generic Framework for Building Sustainable Micro Finance Bank (MFB) Source: SOHAILUDDIN ALAVI (2007) Å“Microfinance in Pakistan: Challenges and Prospects?, journal of the Institute of Bankers Pakistan Volume 74, Issue No. 3 page 52-61 Data Collection In this research study, primary data has been obtained from questionnaire survey. The primary data here has been collected through a comprehensive questionnaire in this research. Primary data There are several choices for primary data collection i.e. survey (questionnaire), interview, observations and experiments. These choices are shown in below figure. The primary data here has been collected through a comprehensive questionnaire in this research. Primary Data Sources Source: Ghauri, P. Gronhaug, K. (2005). Å“Research Methods in business Studies?, 3ed. Prentice Hall. Size of the Sample The questionnaire was distributed to 80 executives in four different MFIs. These executives have the responsibility of key customers identification, analysis and operational activities involved in the management process. Out of the 80 respondents 54 (67.50%) have responded. The author has done the convenience sampling due to the limitations. Questionnaire We have divided this Questionnaire into three segments; External Challenges Internal Challenges Prospects First and second section measure challenges, both internal and external faced by MFI and third section addresses the future prospects for MFI. Each section is based on separate research objectives. Only closed-ended questions are included in the questionnaire. In closed-ended questions Likert-scale method (Proctor, T. 2005) is used for response. Seven different scaling options are included in Likert-scale method to minimize the response biasness. The scales: strongly agree, agree, slightly agree, neither agree nor disagree, slightly disagree, disagree and strongly disagree are assigned ranks from 1- 7 respectively. DATA AND METHODOLOGY Data and Sampling As we have limited MFIs in the country so author has distibuted 80 questionnaires and 54 responses are received (67.50%) from Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore cities. In the above section, the six factors highlighted addressees the external challenges of MFIs in the market of Pakistan. Govt.s due importance to the sector Staff trainings by the MFIs Utilizations of the loans Importance of clients skills development by the MFIs Islamic point of view Local norms Its clear from the table 1(b) that Å“Government is giving due importance to MFI?, out of 54 respondents 78% response positively and 22% in negative. It means Government considers MFI as a very important sector in the country development process. Second question is about Microfinance Institutions staffs training level; there is 50% response in positive and 50% in negative. This indicates that MFI staff working in market needs adequate training. Ultimately, their training may draw some positive impact on MFI sector in specific, and at large it may benefit the countrys economy. Third and the most important factor about the utilization of loan money by client, surprisingly 70% of respondents say that loans are used for investment purpose by client and not for personal consumption. However, 30% of respondents believe that loan taken by client is used for their private consumption. The fourth question is about MFI attitude towards clients skills development shows; only 26% of responses are positive and 74% responded negatively. This result indicates a gap for policy makers of MFIs concluding that they are not putting due efforts in their business because their client is usually not only poor but also lacking management and other skills. Further research can be done on the level of skill of client and the growth of their business and relationship with MFI. The second last question in the first section addresses the perception of the client about financial institute in religious perspective; 80% of respondents are positive that financial intuitions are largely perceived as non-Islamic. This issue can be resolved by focusing on the establishment of Islamic MFIs or marketing the concept of microfinance more aggressively. Final question is about the norms restrictions on the financial sector, again 53% of responses are positive about the existence of such norms and 43% are negative. We may say that in future these norms may go to decline. Internal Challenges The section 2 of the challenges is about the key internal challenges faced by MFI. We have discussed six different internal challenges; the first and probably the most important challenge is about the availability of other cheaper financial resources. 74% of the respondents agree that the availability of other cheaper source of finance is a great challenge for them and 36% responded in opposite. This indicates the fact that the cost of borrowing is high for small borrowers. Effort should be done to make small loans available at some competitive cost in comparison to other financial products. About the limited physical presence of MFI, 87% response is positive and only 13% is negative, which again reveals the gap for policy makers that the limited presence may be the major cause of low performance and growth of MFI sector. The third question is about the general inability of MFIs about risks and standard practices; 52% responded positively about the situation but 48% do not agree. We may say that there is a great need for MFIs to mitigate the risk factors and adopt the standard practices. The fourth question is about the incompatibility of conventional banking with the need of microfinance product; 52% of respondents are positive about the inaptness of conventional banking with microfinance product need while 48% do not agree that there is incompatibility of microfinance need and traditional banking. So we may say that a second majority of MFI believes that conventional banking system can also cater to the need of microfinance product. The second last question of this section is about the availability of quality human resource in comparison to other financial institutions; 48% of the respondents are positive about the availability of quality human resource due to scare funds while 52% do not agree. This shows that availability of quality human resource is not much of an issue in MFIs. Final question is about the lacking in value chain and delivery process of mic rofinance product; a majority of 59% is positive that there are lacking in value chain and delivery process, but 37% are of opposite view and 4% are uncertain about the answer to this question. Prospects/Opportunities The third and the last section is about the opportunities for MFIs, first question is about the promotion of different kinds of business through MFIs; 56% of respondents are positive that MFIs are promoting all kinds of business and 44% do not agree. The second majority of respondents believe that MFIs are not addressing all kinds of business. Hence, there is a need to look at the different kinds of businesses served by MFIs. In the question about the role of MFI,s in reduction of poverty, 83% are positive about the role of MFI in poverty reduction, while a minority of 17% do not agree. The fourth question about the role of MFI in economic growth of country; 100% respondents advocate that MFIs are working for the economic development. 100% respondents are positive that MFIs are not only working against poverty but also playing some other roles too in economy. Finally a 70% of respondents are positive about the alliance of commercial banks and MFIs , 13% do not agree about the allianc e and 17% are uncertain. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION In this study, conclusions will be drawn on the basis of literature review and analysis made through market research. The reasearch is divided into two parts: conclusions and recommendations. Conclusions From this study we conclude that; Government is providing due importance to MF sector. MFIs staff needs training which can impact positively on MF Sector. A majority of 70% believe that loan is utilized in investments activities rather than personal consumption. MFIs have very low attention toward its clients skill development. A majority of population perceive MFIs and other financial services against their religious beliefs. Lastly norms and culture poses threats to MFIs and Banks. Cost of microfinance is relatively high in compassion to other financial products. Standards of practices and processes need improvement in MFIs. Alliance of commercial banking and microfinance is viewed as positive. Recommendations MFIs staff working in market needs adequate training. Ultimately, their training will draw some positive impacts on MFI sector in specific and may also benefit the economy of the country at large. MFIs are not putting due efforts in their business because their client is usually not only poor but also lacking management and other skills. Further research can be done on the level of skills of the client and growth of his/her business to elaborate the different skill levels. There may be a need of Islamic MFIs or marketing the concept of microfinance more aggressively to avoid the potential biasness in financial organizations. Effort should be done to make small loans available at some competitive cost in comparison to other financial products. There is a great need for MFIs to mitigate the risk factor and adopt the standard practices. Limitation of Research This study had the following limitations The author was not able to distribute the questionnaire to company executives all over the country. Time period to conduct the study was very limited. Some of the respondents did not answer the questions seriously Sample size was limited to 3 cities only which cannot be easily applicable to all population of Pakistan. The questionnaire was sent to respondents through e-mail. It was not feasible for the author to conduct the interviews personally. All respondents cant maintain same level of accuracy in answering the questions due to lack of time and interest. It may create little discrepancy to some extent in formulating the conclusions. Refrences www.sbp.org.pk/publications/prudential/micro_prs.pdf www.sbp.org.pk/l_frame/MF_Bank_Ord_2000.pdf Kofi, Annan. UN secretary,.2007. Avalibale atÂÂ  : http://www.diplomatie.be/en/travel/visa/default.asp Herani, Gobind M, Rajar , Allah Wasayo, Wasim, Mohammad Pervez and Shaikh, Riaz Ahmed., 2008. The Nature of Poverty and Its Prospects: Pakistan Evidence. Journal of Global Economy ,4(3), pp. 183-194. Global Monetary and Financial System: Principal Issues. Journal of the Institute of Bankers Pakistan , 74 (2) pp 1-6 Available at:www.ibp.org.pk/journal/Journal-Apr-Jun-2007.pdf Pakistan Statistical Profile Available at: agingandwork.bc.edu/documents/CP03_Workforce_Pakistan.pdf M. Bauer, J. ChytilovÃÆ'Â ¡, J. Morduch., 2008.Behavioral Foundations of Microcredit: Experimental and Survey Evidence from Rural India. American Economic Review,59 (1) pp71-86 Rashed Al Hasan., K.M. Zahidul Islam., 2008. Bridging the Gap between Microfinance and SME Financing in Bangladesh: Unlocking the Potentials. Daffodil International University Journal of Business and Economics, 3.(1), pp 41-57 Shahidur R. Khandker., 2005.Microfinance and Poverty: Evidence Using Panel Data from Bangladesh .The World Bank Economic Review, 19(2), pp263-286 Jonathan Morduch., 1998. Does Microfinance Really Help the Poor? New Evidence from Flagship Programs in Bangladesh, Department of Economics and HIID Harvard University. Available at: www.princeton.edu/rpds/papers/pdfs/morduch_microfinance_poor.pdf Grameen Bank. Available at: http://www.grameen-info.org/ Dugger, Celia W. 2004. Å“Debate Stirs over Tiny Loans for Worlds Poorest.? New York Times. Morduch, J., and Haley, B. (2002), ËÅ"Analysis of the Effects of Microfinance on Poverty Reduction, NYU Wagner Working Paper No. 1014 Available at: http://www.nyu.edu/wagner/workingpapers.html Briefing Note Summary of the Poverty and Social Impact Assessment: Pakistan Microfinance Policy May 2006 Available at: www. pipl.com/directory/name/Tazi/Hind

Maximus and Odysseus Essays -- essays research papers

Maximus and Odysseus   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While watching the film Gladiator with my girlfriend I realized the striking similarities that heroes share. However, I always wonder who is more of a hero. The definition or hero is a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. So let us compare the two heroes as the dictionary defines them. In the end I hope to be able to define who is a greater hero.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maximus was a great warrior in the Roman legion under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. His first courageous feat occurs when he defeats the last of the Barbarians of Germaina. Leading his army along a 12 year campaign he brought it to an end. Next he risks his life as he defies the new Emperor Commodus, knowing that this could mean death. Commodus was the only son of Marcus Aurelius. However Commodus killed his father and took the place of Caesar. During his second courageous act, his wife and only son are murdered and he is to be executed. This changing his journey home as I will discuss as we move on. Furthering his acts of heroism he manages to save the lives of many slaves by battling in the arena, saving a senator from execution, and avenging his wife and son by slaying the emperor. His acts of nobility occur when he saves the senator and fulfils the wishes of the dead Marcus Aurelius. He gives Rome back to the senate and returns the power back to the people. Maximus’ continuing acts of selfless heroism and putting his life at stake for those who betrayed him make him great. His first act of selflessness occurred when he agreed to help out Commodus’ sister, who knowingly let his child, wife, and almost himself be slain. He forgives her and agrees to meet with her senator to help give Rome back. His second act of selflessness occurred when he battled in the arena taking on 5 enemies while the other slaves stayed in the back of the entryway. Going to his journey home, he no longer needed to reach the olive fields with stones that warm in the sun as his child plays, and his wife helps with the harvest. His journey has changed to get his vengeance and in the end die so he can reunite with his family. I bring this up because dieing is a change as is the change Odysseus goes through by essentially becoming no one, a regular Joe so to say. This is what I believe... ...live because he believed he wasn’t truly out to get his wife, but more so to the fact that he could sing the tale of the events later when it was all done. Revenge is much simpler than other factors. I believe at first Odysseus was out for glory at first, I think that is the real reason he was in the war. Maximus stated from day one that he only wished to return home so he could be with his family. I think the inner qualities of Maximus make him more of a hero. However, not taking anything away from Odysseus, I believe that many people in his case would have taken the chance to kill all the men that tried to get with their wives if they were away. I believe it took lots of courage to wrestle with Poseidon, leave islands with beautiful women, and his use of intelligence to beat the Cyclops was great. In the end I believe the only real thing that makes Maximus a better character and hero is that he killed for reasons better than Odysseus. Mainly in the end, when Odysseus kills the suitors, I believe I would have probably done the same thing, but that doesn’t make it right. Maximus saved a nation and did what was right. These are the reasons that Maximus has the edge on Odysseus.