Higher education Essay Example for Free

Higher education Essay According to my knowledge, education helps empower people. I think education helps shape people; it affects how we act, think and respond. Sometimes education can help a person find their path in life. The process of getting a good education, however, may have its flaws. Most of the time, kids who are raised in a poor neighborhood doesn’t get the same opportunities as kids who are raised in a wealthier community. Like Mike Rose, I believed that everyone deserves a second chance in education. Remedial education was created mainly for that reason. It was created to help students who are underprepared and students who are immigrants. Remedial education also helps many immigrants by developing their basic education. Mike Rose pointed out the importance of remedial education in chapters 9 and 10 of his book â€Å"Why School? Reclaiming Education for All of Us†. Remedial education is the foundation of the education system in the United States because it helps ensure the success of many students. Remedial education helps prepare students who has received a bad education and also offers students a second chance to acquire the fundamental skills needed to get back on track. A student’s backgrounds always have a big impact in their education. Most of the time, students who are in remedial education are students who came from a poor background. Living in a poor neighborhood can affects a student’s education greatly because of all the distractions. In chapter 10, Mike Rose talked about a student of his name Kevin. Mike Rose stated â€Å"He was a good student in poor schools, schools with dated textbooks, scarce resources for enrichment, high teacher turnover. † A person future should not be decided because he or she was born in a lower class. If Universities doesn’t offered remedial education, Kevin would most likely dropout of school. After Kevin’s dropout, the chance of him earning a high salary is slim. The result of that creates a cycle that many Americans are struggling to get out of. I think remedial education helps give these students a chance to break that cycle. Like Mike Rose said, remedial education helps these students greatly by giving the students a second chance at education. In chapter 10, Mike Rose stated â€Å"†¦that is the remediation in nation that prides itself as being a ‘second-chance’ society. † Where this nation is the land where everyone is supposedly given the equal opportunities, students should get equal opportunity. The United States was built on the quote â€Å"the land of opportunities†. It is one of the main reasons why the United States is number one on immigrant’s population. Immigrants who immigrate to this country are mostly non-English speakers, they should be able to receive the same opportunity to success like others students. Remedial education helps many immigrants who may need a little extra help for prepare for college. Some colleges view remedial students as a hassle and a waste of college resources. In chapter 9, Mike Rose stated â€Å"Kick remediation off campus, and the primary thing you will achieve is the greater exclusion of American youth from higher education† (Rose 124). Dismissing remedial education is like denying education from the students. Rose’s statement helps reinforce the fact that remedial education helps Universities and Colleges to reach it highest potential. I think that Universities and Colleges should invest more resources in remedial education because it makes them look good. Show others institutions that they are capable of training underprepared students to be highly qualified graduate, now that is an impressive accomplishment. .Remedial education has always been very important in my family. My uncle has always been a person that I admired the most, simply because he worked hard to achieve his American dream. My uncle was a professor teaching at a University in Vietnam. He came to the United State in the year 2000. He spoke no English, yet the desire to learn and succeed had driven him to the land of opportunities. It was very tough at first, but slowly after settling down, he decided to attend a community college. As he recalled, remediation classes helps build his skills. It helped him learn the about the culture, the language, and the importance of communication. He learned that real education come from engaging courses. Courses that help students develop their thinking, as well as, challenge the instructors. He admitted that without remedial education, he would never be able to fully be prepared for higher education. Now my uncle has developed his own business by using the communication skills and networking he learned in his remedial classes. He is the living prove that remedial education are the core of the education system. Although remedial education shows how unprepared American students may be  for college, it also revealed the false in our educational system. As much as the government tries to reform education, there will always be a loophole. For many students who are affected by this, they rely on remedial education as there last hope to get a good education. Remedial education also acts as a review for many students who feel that they are in need to revisit the basics. No matter what nationality or history a student has, he or she deserves a second chance at education and a remedial education ensures this.

Business Management: Small and Large Business Differences

Business Management: Small and Large Business Differences Small Large Management The purpose of this report is to review and provide a critical analysis (agree/disagree) if small businesses require different management style(s) compared to large businesses. In the contemporary business environment it is true that small business require different management styles compared to large ones. Therefore the report will start by outlining the differences between a small and large business and their characteristics. Moreover the report will look into different management styles and try to demonstrate their contributions to the small businesses compared to large ones, on top of that underpinning the strategic relationship which these style(s) have to the small businesses. 2.0 Introduction Before undertaking the discussion it’s important to know the meaning of a small and large business. What exactly is a small business and when does it become medium-sized or large, are the key questions whose answers will be portrayed in this report. The small business administration defined a small business as a firm with 500 or fewer employees with annual revenue under  £2500000 (www.delawarecountybrc.com `). However the legal definition of â€Å"small† varies from country and industry, a small business is the one with small number of employees generally under 100 employees in the United States while under 50 employees in the European Union (strorey, 2005). Some definitions focus on numerical parameters in order to differentiate between smaller and larger business types. The European commission (EC) initiated an important set of definitions of small and medium sized enterprises based on the headcount, turnover and balance sheet value. The committee of inquiry on small firms, set up in the UK (1971) proposed that a small firm has three essential characteristics. A small firm is managed by its owner(s) in a personalized way. It has a relatively small share of market in economic terms. It is independent, in the sense that it does not form part of a larger enterprise and its ownership is relatively free from outside control in its principal decisions (Longenecker et al, 2000). 3.0 Methodology A background reading and research was done in writing this report by consulting lecturer notes of this module and creating points. A list of recommended text books (from the library) were consulted for application of academic theories and models. The report outline being updated when suitable new points were found, internet sources were used to gather examples and further arguments for consideration. 4.0 Findings Small businesses do not conform to any neat parameters, much depends on the industry in which they operate and the personalities and aspirations of those that run them. The objective of this section is to understand the deference between the management role in a small firm and in a larger corporation. Griffins (2000) explain the meaning of management as a set of functions directed at efficient and effective utilization of resources in the pursuit of organizational goals. Efficient in the sense that the resources are used wisely in a cost effective manner, and effective in making the right decisions and successfully implementing them. The management challenge is to maintain control over the process of an organization while at the same time leading, inspiring, directing and making decisions on all sorts of matters. Hannagan (1998) points out that the challenges of modern mangers is to deal with this tension between operating the present systems, structures and processes and the need to change in order to survive. The larger an organization the more specialized management can become, and at the highest level an organization need convergence of skills (Hannagan, 1998). Managing in a small business is not like managing part of a large organization, however, (Stokes Wilson, 2006 ) argue that it is difficult to say precisely what the difference are other than having fewer resources to things. According to (Stokes Wilson, 2006), Small business management is different in several respects to management in larger organizations because of social structures, relationships and because of the level of resources available. While these differences are derived from the numbers of employees and the size of turnover, it is their management implications that are the primary concern of this report. For example a manager who has special department in a small business is facing situation typical of small challenge than large business manager. Coyle (2003) explains that businesses with les than 10 employees rarely need a middle management structure, but over that size there is often pressure on the owner-manager to delegate more of the decision making. Waynarczyk (2001) identifies three key aspects in which small and large firms differ: uncertainty, innovation and evolution. Uncertainty- is a persistent feature of small firms which tend to have small customer bases and limited resources Innovation of either very new products, or marginal differences to well established ones, is a key factor in the success or failure of new business start-ups. Evolution refers to the state of constant structural and market changes which small firms are likely to experience as they struggle to survive and develop. It could be argued that uncertainty, innovation and evolution are also crucial part of the business environment of large corporates in today’s fast changing world. Siropolis (1998) also emphasize that management in small firms differ from that of large firms due a number aspects. These include; Centrality of the owner-manager The formality of structure The level of resource constraints Vulnerability to external context and change Limited product range and market focus. The vulnerability of small business to their external context has a relation to their inability to deal adequately with change. The introduction of new regulations can have a disproportionate effect on the fortunes of small business, whose limited resources cannot easily be redeployed to deal with the new procedures. (Hall, 1995) points out that small business environment exerts some pressure that can be different to the influences on larger organizations. Problems of the availability, cost of finance, and the burden of government regulations and paper work are examples of the preoccupation that concern the manager of a small enterprise but possibly do not concern many corporate managers in large organization (Scarborough Zimmerer, 2000). Differences in the environment are probably as great between sectors defined by products or markets as they are between those delineated by size of company. Such differences in the business environment justify the need of different management styles between small and large business firms. Moreover the financial management of a small business is different from that of a large firm. In a study conducted by walker and Petty the financial difference between small and large firms were evaluated and saw that there are clearly some differences between them. The disparities in dividend politics, dividends as a percent of earning are approximately 3% and 40% for small and large business (Hall, 1995). The second difference is the liquidity; large firms have more liquidity which is reflected by the current ratio, the quick and current ratio increase as the firm size becomes larger. This difference exists because, small firms retain smaller amount of accounts receivable and inventory, second small firms rely heavily on current liabilities, thus small firms maintain less liquidity. The apparent difference in liquidity between large and small firms lends further support that small business require a different management style to large ones. If the managers of small businesses are willing to assume greater risk, their attitude may well be reflected in the small firm’s liquidity (Zimmerer and Scarborough, 2005) According to (Stokes Wilson, 2006), the internal structure of a small business creates the need for a different management approach. In a larger company, the chief executive is the head of the team of specialists in production, finance, marketing, personnel and other functions. There is a clear distinction between those planning the future of the business in the longer term and those implementing the strategy on day to day basis. On the other hand small business owner-managers have to do it all; they are generalists who will have to turn their hand to all functions from sales to production. They are the planners and implementors, responsible for deciding strategy and making it happen. 4.1 Types of management control The way in which an owner-manager exercise control over their workforce will depend not just on the personality of a manager, but also the deposition of power in the employer-employee relationship. Saini Dhameja (1998) points that some circumstance gives the owner –manager, as employer, relatively high levels of control over employees; in other situations employees may be able to call more of tune. To illustrate this relationship Goss identified four types of management control- fraternalism, paternalism, benevolent autocracy and sweating in small firms. Extent of employee potential economic independence Fraternalism This describes a situation where the owner-manager is heavily dependent on the skills of the employees(s) to get the job done. This management is style is also common in professional and high technology small business. Paternalism This occurs where alternatives for employees are more limited, and the employer is less dependent on specific workers. E.g. farming Benevolent autocracy This is the most common situation in a small firm; the manager-owner is less dependent on the employee and able to exercise their influence from the position of power as an employer. Sweating This occurs in circumstance by which the employer exercises all the power and the employee none. These four examples of types of management control are not meant to be exhaustive; there are many variations on the theme. In some small firms two different modes of relationship can exist side by side. What emerge from looking at these types is that there is a highly varied pattern of management of people in small firms. 5.0 Business growth models Small businesses vary widely in size and capacity for growth. They are characterized by independence of action, differing organizational structures and varies management styles. As growth occurs managerial capacity constraint (Jensen and meckling, 1976) imply that existing behaviors are further reduced in frequency as new behaviors are adopted to manage the growing firm. As small businesses undergo these changes, a differentiating factor between successful and unsuccessful firms is that successful firms act in â€Å"anticipation of bigness† (Hambrick and Crozier 1985). Hence growth stage theories provide a measure of predictability regarding what to expect in anticipation of getting bigger. As newly formed business becomes established and grows its organization structures and pattern of management change. Longenecker et al (2000) points out that management in any organization must adapt to the growth and change, however they explain that changes involved in the early growth stages of a new business are much more extensive than those that occur with the growth of a relatively mature business. A number of experts have proposed models related to the growth stages of a business firms. These models typically describe four or five stages of growth and identify various management issues related to each stage. Some of these models are; 5.1 Churchill and Lewis growth model Churchill and Lewis suggest 5 growth stages of small business which each have its own management style. These stages are; Existence-this is the initial stage, where a business has an aim of staying alive, at this stage a business needs to find and maintain customers. Survival- at this stage a business, establish customer and produce position, viability, maintenance of cash flow. Success- this is stage where a business makes a choice between growth and consolidation. Take off-this is the growth. Maturity- a mature stage. This model provides the linkage of growth stages to management style, organizational structure, systems and overall strategy. See fig below Stage Management style Extent of formal system Major strategy Existence Direct supervision Minimal to non existent Existence Survival Supervised supervision Minimal Survival Success (growth) Delegation/coordination Basic, developing Maintaining profitable status quo; get resources for growth Take-off Divisional Mature Growth Mature Decentralization Extensive Return on investment Source: lecture notes, 2007 Moreover Scott and Bruce (1987) also presented changes in a firm which are associated with growth. These changes are presented in a form of stage models. They infer that the small firm moves from inception (stage 1) through to maturity (stage 5). Inception-this is the stage of generating profit gaining customers limited, gaining customers. Survival- at this stage a business experience over trading, uncontrolled growth. Growth- at this there is adequate resourcing, organizational structure develop, system and control. Expansion- there is financing growth, focusing externally on environment and At each of these stages the top management, the management style, and organization of structure change. The table below summarizes this application of this model. Growth stage Top management Management style Organizational structure Inception Direct supervision Entrepreneurial/individualistic Unstructured Survival Supervised/supervision Entrepreneurial/ administration Simple Growth Delegation/ condition Entrepreneurial/co ordination Functional centralized Expansion Decentralization Professional administrative Functional decentralized Maturity decentralization Watchdog Decentralized/functional product Source: (Storey, 2002.pg 121) In addition Greiner model (1972) sees also the relationship between management style and growth stage. He categorized the growth of a small business in five different phase stages, from phase 1 to phase 5 as explained below. Phase 1- involves growth through creativity and followed by crisis of leadership Phase 2-involves growth through direction followed by crisis of autonomy. Phase 3- involves growth through delegation and followed by crisis and o control Phase4-involves growth through coordination followed by crisis of red tape Phase 5- involves growth through collaboration and followed by crisis. 6.0 Is Mall Business Management Fundamentally Different To A Large Enterprise? Burns (2003) agree stating that â€Å"of course there are other characteristics of small business that may be added to the list: perhaps the most obvious is the severe limitation of resources faced by small firms both in terms of management and power as well as money. This statement highlights the qualitative and quantitative elements of small business that makes them fundamentally different to large business and not small scale. He points out that small business have many characteristics that set them apart from larger ventures. Personalized management-it is expected that the owner of a small company should always be involved material decision and take an active role on all aspects of the management. Since one person has much overwhelming control over decision. Managers deal with their staff in different ways, some are strict with their staff and like to be in complete control, whilst others are more relaxed and allow workers to the freedom to run their own working lives. Whatever approach is used it will be vital to the success of the business (Boddy, 2005). The organization is good as the person running it, hence he outline that there are three main categories of management styles which are; autocratic, paternalistic and democratic. Autocratic style of management (o authorial) managers likes to make all the important decision and closely supervise and control workers. Managers do not trust workers and simply gives orders (one way communication). Longenecker (reference) points that total management of an autocratic style and the use of informal control system often arise from the very real pressure of time in small business environment. Paternalistic management gives more attention to the social needs and views of their workers. Managers are interested in how happy the workers are in many ways, they consult employees over issues and give feedback or opinions. The manager will however make the actual decision. Democratic style of management will put trust in employees and encourage them to make decisions. They will delegate to them the authority to do this and listen to their advice. Small market share-they can not dictate price or influence heavily on the numbers of goods sold. Their buying power is reduced since they do not buy in large quantities they must buy at a more expensive price. Small businesses must therefore sell at a more expensive price and become less competitive. Customer loyalty-small businesses especially those occupying the niche market often become reliant on small but loyal customer base. Should they only lose one or two of these customers the business may fail. Finance –small business often find it difficult to raise finance to grow, and are very dependant on customer prompt payment in order to survive. Small businesses are often family owned enterprises, Kets de Vries (1993) outline the following advantages and disadvantages of family owned enterprises. Advantages Long term perspective Dependable culture that encourages long lasting relationship with all business partners Strong identification/commitment and stability Knowing the business Family culture as a source of pride. Disadvantages Static thinking Managerial difficulties when family objective are in conflict. Less acceptable capital market Nepotism Succession problems 7.0 Conclusion Managing a small business is different to managing in a large company. Entrepreneurs need total management to jungle their many responsibility in running a small firm. Premises are key resources that require decisions on locations, physical and environmental features and types of lease or purchase. other operations resources to be managed include materials and equipment. People are the key resources in most enterprises,many entrepreneurs feel inadequate to deal with the legal issues and conformity to employment laws that are required today. Hence four management control have been identified in small business firms. Although small firms are frequently managed by solo owners some high growth firms are manged by an entrepreneur team. 8.0 References Boddy, D., 2005. Management: An Introduction. Pearson Education Limited: England Bridge S, O’Neil K and Cromie S, 1998. Understanding enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Small business. MacMillan Press Ltd, London. Burns P, 2001. Entrepreneurship and Small business. Palgrave, New York. Deakins, D., 1996. Entrepreneurship and Small Firms. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, London. Hanna Longenecker, J., Moore, C., and Petty, J., 2000. Small Business Management: An Entrepreneurial Emphasis. 11th Edition. South-Western College Publishing, USA Mullins, L., 2005. Management and Organisation Behaviour. Pearson Education Limited, England Saini, J.S., 1998. Entrepreneurship and Small Business. Rawat Publications, New Delhi Scarborough, M.N. and Zimmerer, W.T., 2003. Effective Small business management: An entrepreneurial Approach. 7th Edition. Pearson Education, Inc: New Jersey. Siropolis, N., 1998. Entrepreneurship and Small Business management. 6th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York. Stokes, D. and Wilson, N., 2006. Small Business Management and Storey, D (2002), understanding small business sector , Thompson Learning, London http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_business Accessed on 29th October 2007. (http://www.delawarecountybrc.com/glossaryterms.htm Accessed on 29th October 2007.

A Marxist Criticism on The Importance of Being Earnest :: essays research papers

A Marxist Criticism on "The Importance of Being Earnest"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Excuse me Geoffrey, could you get me some more water. I'm terribly thirsty, and the weather out here isn't doing any good for my complexion." declares the man as he sighs in exhaustion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Right away sir, anything else?" proclaims the servant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "No that will be all." says the man as he waves off the servant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So is this the scene of yesteryear's society or one of today's, well in actuality it can be either. In today's world the rich still rely on butlers and maids. It seems to be a practice that will always exist in this world, but the question largely is not on their jobs, but if they are deemed of a different class, and sadly to say yes. In today's world it seems that class is still a huge part of the world order, and moreover it seems that there will always be the rich and poor, the owner and the worker. This is even demonstrated by the literature of our time and that of other era's, such as the play "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde. In this play Wilde display's the class structure with a different and interesting twist. He makes a reflection on the society with his own sense of humor, but however it still leaves a very good opportunity to make a Marxist critique about the way the class structure influences the play. He leaves room for these critiques when he writes about the servants, the nobles, and the middle class. His view on society and class is very evident on the way the servants are portrayed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "‘I don't know that I am much interested in your family life, Lane'"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "‘No sir; it's not a very interesting subject. I never think of it myself.'"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this passage from the play it is very clear that Wilde likes to give his characters some life, but however it seemed that he was giving the servants a bit too much, but nevertheless it does establish very well the position of those servants. In the society Wilde is presenting it seems that the place of the servant was not only for manual labor, but also to provide conversation, and to compliment the employer's personalities. In the story the idea of class was demonstrated by the interaction between Lane and Algernon even though Lane was witty he did know his place as a servant and throughout the play the servants were an excellent reminder that class structure did exist. Wilde's idea of a witty servant has even spawned off into today's society with television sitcoms

Combating Healthcare Disparities Essay -- Health care inequality racia

Combating Healthcare Disparities Disparities in healthcare are a real and urgent problem in our nation. There is indisputable data supporting the fact that disparities exist not only across different racial groups, but also across the cultural and economic stratification of our society. Moreover, there is even data showing disparities among each of these respective groups along gender lines. So what can be done about these disparities to assure that all patients receive equal and adequate care? Well, there are certainly many political and governmental changes or modifications that would go a long way towards narrowing the gaps in healthcare, but such changes are beyond the scope of this paper. Instead, I will focus on the steps that I, and all of my colleagues, can take independently to attempt to eliminate healthcare disparities in our own practice. There are countless contributing factors that might lead to disparate care in the setting of private practice. Aside from disparities that might arise from actual medical decisions made by the physician, there are many more, often quite subtle, factors which play just as important a role in contributing to disparate care. For instance, factors such as the choice of location for practice, billing and payment policies, and the hiring and training of staff, all play a significant role in either introducing or eliminating healthcare disparities. As we are primarily interested in eliminating the preexisting disparities in the system, this paper will attempt to offer practical, yet useful, suggestions of ways to decrease or, preferentially, eliminate disparities caused by each of the above contributing factors. The first, and most obvious, cause of healthcare disparities is actu... ... must realize that medical education varies dramatically from institution to institution and not all healthcare workers are aware of and/or have been educated about the disparities in our healthcare system and their causes. In this case, it is the responsibility of the providers who have been educated to, in turn, educate their colleagues and peers about the issue. A provider who has been educated about the problem, yet does nothing to help resolve it, has, in effect, wasted their education and knowledge. It is for precisely this reason that I will do my very best to assure that all of my coworkers and certainly my staff are educated about the issue and are aware of the possible ways to combat the disparities in care. It is only through education and awareness that these disparities can be resolved and I intend on doing my part to see that they are, indeed, resolved.

Euthanasia in Australia Essay example -- Argument for Euthanasia

Although euthanasia is a complex and controversial subject, under certain conditions people should have the right to decide to end their own lives. Is euthanasia murder or mercy? We need to understand what Mercy, Murder and Euthanasia are before we can form any opinion. (Oxford dictionary) Mercy / (say mersee) Compassionate or kindly forbearance shown towards: an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence. Murder / (say merduh) Unlawful killing of a human being by an act done: with intention to kill or to inflict grievous bodily harm. To kill or slaughter, inhumanly or barbarously. Euthanasia is such a controversial word that it creates many discussions and even arguments. This has gone on since well before the first legal case of euthanasia had even happened and will continue for a long time to come. The Oxford dictionary defines Euthanasia as (1) Painless, peaceful death (2) The deliberate putting to death painlessly of a person suffering from an incurable disease: also called mercy killing. That seems simple enough as it is worded but there are different degrees of Euthanasia these are: Passive (voluntary/non-voluntary) Euthanasia- This is where life sustaining treatment is either withheld or withdrawn, in order to bring about a quick and/or painless end or because continuing treatment may be unduly burdensome and/or medically futile. Double Effect: This term is used to deny responsibility of an unforeseen death when medication is used to control pain and suffering but where the quantity of medication is the actual cause of death. Medical/Physician Assisted Suicide: This is where a Doctor provides medication to a patient under their supervision to hasten his or her d... ...st be drawn to decide what Euthanasia is and what is not. Is it Mercy or Murder? These groups don’t seem to know, can you make that decision? The right to life organisations believe in the right to live and therefore will always see euthanasia as a killing. The many people who chose relief from the any illnesses will always look at euthanasia as a peaceful end to their suffering live. The Australian laws continue at this time to see euthanasia as a murder thus making it a crime and these crimes are punishable in the courts the same way as any other murder. The euthanasia debate will continue for many years to come. Euthanasia touches some of the deepest feelings in human beings. It is the power over life and death, and responsibilities no one wishes to take or have to be taken. This of course leads to the natural ultimatum, that it is the patient's own choice.

Women 100 Years Ago and Women Today

Loftus 1 How Religion Has Affected My Life I've been going to church with my grandparents for as long as I can remember. I've always been a part of church related activities. We always said grace before we ate a meal. I said my prayers before I went to bed. I was baptized when I was born. I had my first communion. I was a very religious little kid and I always had God in my life. Of course, I only did all those things because I thought I was supposed to. I just thought it was something that everybody in the world did. But, as I got older I learned that it was all just a part of my religion.I also learned that not everyone had the same religion as I did. There were many different religions. There were even some people that didn't have a religion. Once I realized all of those things, I started asking questions. Why was I catholic? Why did I have to go to church every Sunday? Why is it so important? I asked my grandmother these questions and her only response was, â€Å"It's because Je sus died on the cross for us. † But I still had the question lingering in my head: Why? My mother and father never went to church with us. My mom would drop us off a religion classes but that was about it.When I asked my mom why she'd never gone to with us she had said, â€Å"I don't believe that you have to go to church every Sunday to show your appreciation for God. † That really had me thinking, if my mom and dad never went, did I really have to go? I certainly didn't like sitting in the cold for an hour listening to people singing terribly and other people talking about things I never understood. Always standing up and sitting down every couple of Loftus 2 minutes. It got very old, very fast. By the time I was a teenager, I got really tired of the same old thing.That's when it all started. At the age of thirteen all I wanted to do was hang out with my friends. They weren't the best of people but they accepted me and that's all I cared about. I started being more lik e them. Wearing all black, doing my make up really heavily, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, experimenting with drugs. I turned into the complete antithesis of the girl I was when I was younger. My family definitely started to notice. My mom and dad said it was just a phase but my grandmother thought I was starting to become a â€Å"devil worshiper†. She orced me to go to church with them. I was forced to go to religion class. I got the you-need-Jesus-in-your-life talk every time I was around my grandma. That is when I really started to resent everything that had to do with my religion. My grandmother had pushed me to my breaking point. I didn't want anything to do with God or Jesus. When asked, I always told people I didn't have a religion. I was against it. I refused to go to church or religion class. I stopped saying grace before I ate. I stopped saying prayers before I went to sleep. I even stopped believing there was a God.This caused a lot of tension between my gra ndmother and I. We never saw eye to eye on anything. We were always arguing over something. She always told me that she never thought she'd have a granddaughter like me. She expected me to be more of a lady. I couldn't stand being around her. I didn't tell her anything. She had forced religion on me to the point that I didn't want to have a religion anymore. It even caused me to think I hated her. You could only imagine how much harder it got once my mom lost our house and we had to move into my grandparent's house.I got so angry when my mom told me the news. All I wanted to do was scream. The thought of having to see my grandma every single day was terrifying. My life had gotten significantly more tough Loftus 3 at that point. When we moved in, I stayed in my room all the time. If I wasn't in my room, I was either at school or out with my friends. When dinner was ready I ate with my head down. Not speaking to or looking at anyone. My mom caught on real quickly. I remember one night she pulled me into her bedroom after dinner and asked me why I was acting so strangely.I poured my heart out and told her everything I was going through. She told me, â€Å"You need to stop hating your grandmother. She is getting older and her health is declining. She won't be here one day and you're going to regret not having a good relationship with her. You don't have to go to church every Sunday. You don't even need to go to religion class. You just need to respect the fact that your grandmother is just leading you by example. That's how she was raised. So, you need to stop getting angry at her and you need to start building a better relationship with her. That is the night that things got better. Every time I want to get angry with my grandma I remember what my mom told me and I haven't gotten angry with her since. I never got my faith back and there are still some things I can't tell my grandmother due to her being so religious. I would love to tell her that I'm engaged but, I can't because I'm a homosexual and I'm sure she'd disown me. But despite that, my grandmother and I are now on good terms. We talk on the phone more often since I moved away and I plan on visiting her whenever I make my trips back home.

Emerson’s Essay On Heroism Essay

The first and most important implicit question in this statement is by what standards Emerson is judging a hero—and whether it even matters, as he seems to be saying that a hero is a hero despite anything else. This assertion is false, however, because there is inevitably, not only in the actions of heroes but also in those of antiheroes, an element of situation and circumstance that either augments or diminishes their capacity for good. In 1984 by George Orwell, protagonist Winston Smith is, from what the reader can tell, the only individual (with the exception of his compatriot Julia) in his Big Brother society who sees anything wrong with the tactics employed by the government and, subsequently, who attempts to do anything to protest. This alone could constitute a reasonable definition of a hero: in an evil culture, he is the only one fighting for good, but he continues nonetheless. For the majority of the novel, Winston is certainly a hero as he fights the system; at the end, however, he is defeated, brainwashed and convinced that he â€Å"loves Big Brother.† Is he any less of a hero because a hopelessly corrupt and evil institution managed to break his spirit? The answer may not necessarily be yes, but the point is that it is a point of debate, and casts enough doubt upon the validity of the original statement to warrant further examination. The idea of a hero can encompass so many characteristics, and to avoid playing the semantics game one must assign only a few, perhaps the possession of morality or of great leadership. History is full of persons, however, which could have been heroes under different circumstances but simply drew the short end of the stick or inadvertently used their talents for malevolence. It is an old axiom that no villain thinks of himself as a villain, and this is proved by the actions of Hitler and Mussolini, Axis leaders during World War II. Both were skilled politicians, leaders, and propagandists, and in these respects were no different than Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, the Allied directors who are customarily acknowledged as heroes by the general public. Conversely, everyone knows people who are intrinsically good but are not recognized as heroes, simply because they have yet to encounter a situation to bring out their morality and goodness. The vague abstractions of the term â€Å"hero'† and the fact that Emerson does not include a definition with his claim, makes its disproving an easy task; perhaps if he had been more explicit it would be not only more difficult to contradict him but also more simple to identify who is a hero in our society and who is not.