Alcoholism Essays (690 words) - Drinking Culture, Alcohol Abuse

Alcoholism The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me Alcohol, probably the oldest drug known, has been used since the earliest of societies for celebration, rituals, and other social situations. In the early 1920's, society viewed alcohol as more of a social problem. The 18th amendment was passed to outlaw the consumption, sale, or trade of alcohol. This action caused much more delinquency, as a result of gangsters, and other organized crimes against the government. Prohibition was abolished with the 21st amendment in 1933. The poem "The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me" was written only a few years after prohibition and reflects the true nature of alcoholism. Although alcoholism was still frowned upon in this era, Schwartz uses a bear to expose and reflect the true nature of alcoholism. In the last stanza, "The secret life of belly and bone" shows that Schwartz feels that alcoholism is still unacceptable behavior. Schwartz uses physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of a bear to explain the nature of alcoholism. Schwartz gives the bear human characteristics that would be true of an alcoholic, "Clumsy and lumbering here and there" and "In love with candy, anger, and sleep." Much like bears, people who are alcoholics, may experience a great deal of difficulty keeping his/her balance or controlling their emotions. Schwartz furthers this metaphor of an alcoholic by showing a physical dependence: "Trembles and shows the darkness beneath." Due to withdrawal, an alcoholic may wake up in the morning with tremors and distress that require a drink for relief. The bear is also eager to engulf his physical need as shown in the line, "A manifold honey to smear on his face." This strong need for alcohol outweighs what a person knows and understands about the effect on the body. Schwartz conveys to his readers that alcoholism is an inevitable burden. He tells us the bear is "That inescapable animal walks with me / Moves where I move, distorting my gesture." It is apparent that Schwartz feels that alcoholism is a burden. Conflicts with culture may make it difficult for some people to develop their own stable attitudes and moderate patterns of drinking. An alcoholic may feel the drinking is a way to become more sociable or change their mood. The author shows that although the bear appears to be confident, he has many insecurities, "The strutting show-off is terrified, dressed in his dress-suit." Schwartz shows an unhealthy connection to drinking, "A sweetness intimate as the waters clasp." This line explains the emotional hold alcohol has over the bear. Using the word "intimate," he shares with the readers what a very personal issue this is for an alcoholic. When he describes the "waters clasp," the reader is able to understand what a strong grasp alcohol has over him. The bear "Howls in his sleep because of the tightrope" to further explain the emotional pain associated with this illness. Along with physical and emotional duress, the psychology of an alcoholic is a deep, recurring issue. An alcoholic who has sustained from drinking is referred to as a "recovering alcoholic," not as a "cured alcoholic." The author is unable to freely admit this is a problem for him; he uses the bear as a scapegoat. Schwartz tells us the story of the bear on his back. He leads the readers to believe that if it weren't for the bear that everything would be okay. He states, "With whom I would walk without him near." If the author could do this and leave his unbearable problems, he feels it "would bare my heart and make me clear." An alcoholic must recognize that he or she is powerless over alcohol, and seek help from a higher power in regaining control of his or her life. Alcoholism is an extremely serious problem it both today as it was yesterday. The poem "The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me" was written to expose a serious problem in an era where there was little or no help for this serious illness. The disorder is marked by extreme or compulsive use of alcohol. This horrifying disease strikes millions of Americans, "The scrimmage of appetite everywhere." Schwartz complaints of the bear and describes it as a continuing problem throughout society. The author is able to articulate the seriousness of alcoholism using metaphors of a bear. A reader must read between the lines to understand how Schwartz conveys that alcoholism affects a person physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

Free Essays on Irony

Though men and women are now recognized as generally equal in talent and intelligence, when Susan Glaspell wrote â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† in 1917, it was not so. In this turn-of-the-century, rural midwestern setting, women were often barely educated and possessed virtually no political or economic power. And, being the â€Å"weaker sex,† there was not much they could do about it. Relegated to home and hearth, women found themselves at the mercy of the more powerful men in their lives. Ironically, it is just this type of powerless existence, perhaps, that over the ages developed into a power with which women could baffle and frustrate their male counterparts: a sixth sense - an inborn trait commonly known as â€Å"women’s intuition.† In Glaspell’s story, ironic situations contrast male and female intuition, illustrating that Minnie Wright is more fairly judged by â€Å"a jury of her peers.† â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† first uses irony to illustrate the contrast between male and female intuition when the men go to the farmhouse looking for clues to the murder of John Wright, but it is the women who find them. In the Wright household, the men are searching for something out of the ordinary, an obvious indication that Minnie has been enraged or provoked into killing her husband. Their intuition does not tell them that their wives, because they are women, can help them gain insight into what has occurred between John and his wife. They bring Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters along merely to tend to the practical matters, considering them needlessly preoccupied with trivial things and even too unintelligent to make a contribution to the investigation, as Mr. Hale’s derisive question reveals: â€Å"Would the women know a clue if they did come upon it?† (289). Ironically, they do discover the clue to the murder of John Wright. For while the men are looking actively for the â€Å"smoking gun,† the women are confronted with more subtle clues in spite o... Free Essays on Irony Free Essays on Irony Though men and women are now recognized as generally equal in talent and intelligence, when Susan Glaspell wrote â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† in 1917, it was not so. In this turn-of-the-century, rural midwestern setting, women were often barely educated and possessed virtually no political or economic power. And, being the â€Å"weaker sex,† there was not much they could do about it. Relegated to home and hearth, women found themselves at the mercy of the more powerful men in their lives. Ironically, it is just this type of powerless existence, perhaps, that over the ages developed into a power with which women could baffle and frustrate their male counterparts: a sixth sense - an inborn trait commonly known as â€Å"women’s intuition.† In Glaspell’s story, ironic situations contrast male and female intuition, illustrating that Minnie Wright is more fairly judged by â€Å"a jury of her peers.† â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† first uses irony to illustrate the contrast between male and female intuition when the men go to the farmhouse looking for clues to the murder of John Wright, but it is the women who find them. In the Wright household, the men are searching for something out of the ordinary, an obvious indication that Minnie has been enraged or provoked into killing her husband. Their intuition does not tell them that their wives, because they are women, can help them gain insight into what has occurred between John and his wife. They bring Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters along merely to tend to the practical matters, considering them needlessly preoccupied with trivial things and even too unintelligent to make a contribution to the investigation, as Mr. Hale’s derisive question reveals: â€Å"Would the women know a clue if they did come upon it?† (289). Ironically, they do discover the clue to the murder of John Wright. For while the men are looking actively for the â€Å"smoking gun,† the women are confronted with more subtle clues in spite o...

Discussion on the working capital policies of companies Term Paper

Discussion on the working capital policies of companies - Term Paper Example These four capital budgeting techniques have been discussed in details in Part-A. This study would assist the junior staff members of MyCompany Plc and would also increase the performance of the company. Capital Budgeting Investment judgments, dividend and financing are critical areas of financial management which needs to be addressed by any organization like that of MyCompany Plc The primary goal or objective of a profit making company like MyCompany Plc is to maximize the wealth of its shareholders. The decisions related to financing refer to the development of an optimal capital structure of the business firm (Clayman, Fridson, and Troughton, 2012, Capital Budgeting). Dividend decision includes the ways in which the profits generated by the business firm are distributed to its shareholders. Lastly, investment decisions refer to the means by which funds are raised by the organizations which are utilized in various operational activities performed by the firm so as to achieve the o verall objective of the business firm (Clayman, Fridson, and Troughton, 2012, Introduction). The organizations are involved in activities which require investments in different types of assets characterized as being both long term and short term. Capital budgeting primarily deals with investments made by the companies which are long term in nature and in larger volumes. These long term investments made by the firms would help in the determination of the strategic position of the firm in future. It has a considerable effect on the cash flows generated by the firm in future. All these facts imply that decisions regarding capital budgeting taken up by firms have an impact which persists for a long term and it is critical to the failure or success of a business firm like MyCompany Plc (Dayananda, 2002, p.1). Capital Budgeting Techniques There are different capital budgeting techniques which are employed by business firms universally. The four capital budgeting techniques have been descr ibed in details here. All of the capital budgeting techniques would help the financial manager of the company to choose the best project and suitable for the firm to invest. There are certain factors which are analyzed before taking the decision, for which the capital budgeting tools are used. They are: a) Generating the cash flows, b) Risk associated with the cash flows generated by the firm in future, and c) The calculated worth of the cash flows which also involved the uncertainties of future (Peterson, & Fabozzi, 2002, p.57). The capital budgeting techniques described here are explained with the help of numerical examples. The projects have been named as Project 1 and Project 2. Both the projects are considered to be mutually exclusive to each other and only one project can be selected out of the two by the company management. Other assumption related to the projects is that both of the projects have a five year lifetime. The initial cash outflow in the year zero is considered t o be ?100,000 for both the projects. Moreover both the projects a

How to Build a New World Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How to Build a New World - Assignment Example b. Individualism: is a phenomenon that encourages freedom, though at the cost of ties of the family, together with social cohesion. This act usually stresses the initiative of certain individual. In the context, it is worth to note that Klein explains that there is need to embrace freedom, even if it will be at the expensive of certain individuals or firms. c. Socialism: on the other hand, socialism entails a collective ownership. Klein brings out this point clearly by affirming that everyone has a collective responsibility in ensuring the best is achieved for the benefit of the whole family. d. Capitalism: this is a political and economic system where private owners, all in the name of gaining profits, usually control a country’s industry and trade. According to Klein, she points that Harper, forms a figure that represents someone who is Capitalist. According to her, social communities have a difficult in organizing because the secret behind how the organization lost its control is not vivid. Second, those who were supposed to defend the whole community are fighting to gain personal benefit. And third, lack schools; have also participated in this, since people do not have knowledge concerning their rights. 4. Klein claims society needs to "invest in education---education about the ideological and structural reasons why we have ended up where we are." What structures does she refer to? How might education reveal these structures so that, as Klein continues to say, a new world stands on a solid foundation? She refers to the structure of governance, where it favors leaders only. She admits that coalitions being in a top-down agreement will not in any way benefit the whole society. The change should emerge from down to top, with all members engaging in the change. According to the passage, I think that Kleins’ tone is sympathy. Here, she is sympathizing with what is going on, for example she says â€Å"We need you to be our fixed

Analytical hierarchy process Essay Example for Free

Analytical hierarchy process Essay Decision-making is human activity whereby value judgments regarding the attractiveness of preferences play a major role. There are various ways through which an organization can supplement and improve decision analysis; however, the incorporation of human decisions with technology through the design and utilization multi criteria decision analysis (MCDA) contributes towards the success of an organization to a great extent. This essay provides a detailed analysis and evaluation of the multi criteria decision analysis as applied in logistics and supply chain decision analysis in contemporary business and organizations. The first section of this essay introduces the various types of MCDA and provides details about how analytical hierarchy process (AHP) works, being one of the most popular MCDA techniques. This is followed by a detailed analysis of various decision problems in logistics and supply chain which involve the use of MCDA techniques: such include supply chain performance management, supplier selection, production-driven characteristics, logistics and supply chain capital and infrastructural investments. In section that follows, the advantages, disadvantages and limitations of MCDA are clearly detailed out, in special reference to the logistics and supply chain department of an organization. Finally, the essay provides a concluding paragraph which is based on the author’s opinion regarding the effectiveness and success of multi criteria decision analysis in supply chain and logistics management as well as recommendations on what ought to be done to make the application more beneficial to decision makers and the organization at large. Introduction MCDA refers to a multiple decision criteria that aimed at assisting decision makers who are often faced with many and inconsistent problem evaluations. The goal of MCDA is typically to emphasize on the conflicting and inconsistent areas and derive a technique of harmonization (Xiang, 2006). The MCDA methods commonly used in the contemporary decision field include analytical hierarchy process(AHP), weighted sum model(WSM), analytical network process(ANP), inner product vectors(IPV), Weighted product model(WPM), multi attribute value theory(MAVT) , multi attribute utility theory(MAUT), SMART (simple multiple attribute rating technique), Equal Swaps, MACBETH(Measuring Attractiveness by a Categorical Based Evaluation Technique) (Xiang, 2006). Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) This is one of the most famous decision criteria methods. It is a controlled technique used to deal with multifaceted decisions. AHP applies a quantitative comparison technique based on pair-wise evaluations of the decision criteria. It assists the decision maker in generating one among the best alternatives to their problem in accordance to the decision maker’s comprehension of the problem. The method applies the skills of psychology and mathematics to provide rational, comprehensive structure for framing a decision problem, presenting, computing and quantifying the elements, linking elements to goals and assessing other alternative solutions. It is used in education, business, healthcare and other industries as a decision support tool (Jamil and Linkov, 2004). Users of this method begin by decomposing the decision problem into a hierarchy of straightforwardly understandable sub-problems, which can be separately analyzed: the chosen decision problem elements may relate to any aspect of, the decision problem, whether tangible or not. After building the hierarchy, decision makers then evaluate the elements systematically by making well thought comparisons in pairs. Here, AHP necessitates that human judgments should be used while making the comparisons over and above the underlying information to make evaluations between the elements (Jamil and Linkov, 2004). AHP then changes the evaluations into numerical values which can be compared and processed in the whole decision problem. Numerical weights are generated for all the hierarchical elements. This allows for diversity and enables the decision maker to compare consistently and rationally between incommensurable elements. It is this ability that distinguishes AHP from all other techniques if MCDA (Jamil and Linkov, 2004). Finally, numerical values are calculated for all the alternatives. The numerical value of each alternative represents the ability of such an alternative to accomplish the goal of the decision. This makes it possible to directly consider the ability of all available alternatives using their numerical value so that a rational decision maker chooses the alternative with the highest value since it indicates that such an alternative will best suit a solution to the decision problem (Jamil and Linkov, 2004).

German Barbarians :: essays research papers

Just outside the boundaries of the Roman empire of the first and second centuries, beyond the Rhine River, and occupying the area of Central Europe of what is today Germany, lived the tribes of the Germanic people. In Germania, the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus gave an account of the lifestyles and organization of these peculiar barbarians. These descendants of modern Germans proved peculiar in that they adopted many qualities typical of barbaric cultures, yet they simultaneously practiced virtues more befitting of advanced civilizations, values more ethical than even the Roman empire of the time. The German warriors had a rigid code that defined how to live honorable lives and shameful acts to avoid committing, and the warriors also adhered to strict tradition in their relationship with their king or chief.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The climate of Germany suited the warriors well. The combination of â€Å"wild scenery and harsh climate† (Tacitus, Germania) had given the barbarians an inherent endurance towards cold and hunger over time. To cope with their surroundings, the warriors had developed powerful physiques, yet their abundant resources of strength and stamina proved not to be a source of pleasure for them, for the warriors had â€Å"no fondness for feats of endurance or for hard work† (Tacitus, Germania). In earthly matters, Germany’s apparent lack of precious metals made the warriors quite utilitarian in regards to physical possession. They preferred silver to gold, as silver could be more easily fashioned into useful objects. Only the tribes of warriors on the borders of the Roman empire recognized gold and silver as trading commodities, while the ‘backwoods’ tribes traded through the simple practice of barter, yielding one item in exchange for anot her (Tacitus, Germania).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Germanic tribes were by no means idle people. Not content with the quietness characteristic of daily lives built on routine, â€Å"for rest is unwelcome to the race† (Tacitus, Germania), the tribes warred with their neighbors. In most cases, the tribes did not engage in voluntarily combat to gain or defend land or to right some alleged wrong against them; they mostly fought for two reasons. They first believed that it was easier to distinguish one’s self in the uncertainty of war, rather than in the predictability of routine. So war became a way for the barbarians to prove their honor, or sometimes expose their shame, as the abandonment of the shield during combat was â€Å"the height of disgrace† (Tacitus, Germania).

Fiedler’s Contingency Theory Essay

The contingency Theory shows the relationship between the leader’s orientation or style and group performance under differing situational conditions. The theory is based on determining the orientation of a leader ( relationship or task ), the elements of the situation ( leader-member relations, task structure and leader position power), and the leader orientation that was found to be most effective as the situation changed from low to moderate to high control. Fred Edward Fiedler in his landmark 1964 article, â€Å" A contingency of Leadership Effectiveness. studied and emphasized the importance of both the leader’s personality and the situation in which that leader operates. Fiedler found that task oriented leaders were more effective in low and moderate control situations and relationship oriented managers were more effective in moderate control situations. Fiedler and his associates studied leaders in a variety of contexts but mostly in military context and their mo del is based on their research findings. They outlined two styles of leadership namely task-motivated and relationship-motivated. Task refers to task accomplishment, and relationship-motivation refers to interpersonal relationships. He measured leadership style leadership style with the Least Preferred Co-Worker scale (LPC scale ). According to Northouse ( 2007 ), the leaders scoring high on this scale are relationship motivated and those scoring low are task motivated. Northhouse further indicated that, central to contingency theory is the concept of the situation, which is characterized by three factors. One, leader-member relations which deals with the general atmosphere of the group and the feelings such as trust, loyalty and confidence that the group has for its leader. Two, task structure, which is related to task clarity and the means to task accomplishment. Three, the position power, which relates to the amount of reward-punishment authority the leader has over members of the group. These three factors determine the favorableness of various situations in the organization. Definitions of factors in Contingency Theory Situational elements One, is the leader-member relations. The regard with which the leader and the group members hold one another determines in part, the ability of the leader to influence the group and the conditions under which he or she can do so. It therefore follows that a leader who is accepted by the group members is in a more favorable situation than one who is not. Two, is the task structure which is determined by the following questions in mind; can a decision be demonstrated as correct? , are the the requirements of the task of the task understood by everyone? , is there more than one correct solution?. If the group’s task is not structured, and if the leader is no more knowledgeable than the group about how to accomplish the task, the situation definitely becomes unfavorable. The third factor is the leader position power. This is determined by the rewards and punishments which the leader officially has at his or her disposal for either rewarding or punishing the group members based on how they perform. The more power the leader has, the more favorable the situation. Leader Orientation Fiedler used the Least Preferred Co-worker scale commonly known as LPC scale to measure leadership style. LPC helps management identify the human relations orientation and task orientation of possible leaders. He analyses leader orientation as follows. One of the factors is relationship orientation in which he said that high LPC leaders are more concerned with personal relations, more sensitive to the feelings of others, and better of heading off conflict. Such leaders use their good relations with others to get a job done. This also enables them to deal with complex issues when making decisions. These leaders tend to have an LPC score of 73 and above. In high control situations, these leaders tend to become bored and are no longer challenged. They tend to seek approval from their superiors ignoring their subordinates or they may decide to reorganize he task. They often become inconsiderate toward their subordinates as a result, become more punishing and more concerned with performance of the task. In moderate control situations, they focus on group relations. They reduce the anxiety and tension of group members and thus reduce conflict. They handle creative decision making groups well. They see this situation as challenging and interesting and perform it well in it. Lastly, in low control situations, they always try to obtain group support often at the expense of the task. In fact under extremely stressful situations, they may also withdraw from leadership role, failing to direct the group’s work. The second factor is task oriented. According to Fiedler, the LPC score for leaders here is 64 and below. Low LPC leaders are more concerned with the task, and less dependent on group support. They tend to be eager and impatient to get on with work. They quickly organize the job and have a no-nonsense attitude about getting the work done. In moderate control situations, they are anxious and less effective. They become absorbed in the task and pay little attention to personal relations in the group. They tend to be insensitive to the feelings of their group members, and the group resents the lack of concern. However, in high control situations, these leaders are relaxed and develop pleasant relations with subordinates and they are easy to get along with. As work gets done, they do not interfere with the group or expect interference from their superiors. And lastly in low control situations, the leaders devote themselves to their challenging task. They organize and drive the group to task completion. They also tend to control the group tightly and maintain strict discipline. Fiedler and associates concluded that if a leader’s LPC scores fall between 65 and 72, then the leader must carefully analyze their leadership style as they learn more about the relationship oriented and task oriented styles. However, it is important to note that there is no single leadership style that is effective in all situations. Rather, certain leadership styles are better suited for some situations than for others. Fiedler further pointed out that the effectiveness of the leader is contingent upon the orientation of the leader and the favorableness of the situation.