Investor Ratio Analysis

Investor Ratios There are various ratios that are designed to help investors who hold shares in a company to assess the returns on their investment. These are: Dividend per Share The dividend per share ratio relates the dividends pertaining to an accounting period to the amount of shares in issue during the period. The ratio is given as follows: Dividend per share = Dividends pertaining to a period Number of shares in issue The ratio provides an indication of the cash return a shareholder receives from holding shares in a company.Although it is a useful measure, it must be remembered that the dividend received will usually only represent a partial measure of the return to an investor. Dividends are usually only a portion of the earnings generated by the firm and available to shareholders. A business may decide to plough back some of its earnings back into the business in order to achieve future growth. These ploughed back profits belong to the shareholders and should in principle inc rease the value of the shares. Thus w h e n assessing the total return to an investor we must look at both the dividends received and any movement in the share price.The dividend per share for Alexis Ltd is given as follows: Page 1 of 5 Dividends per share can vary considerably between companies. A number of factors will influence the amount that a company is willing or able to issue in the form of dividends to shareholders. These factors include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The profit available for distribution to investors The future expenditure commitments of the company The expectations of shareholders concerning the level of dividend payment The cash available for dividend distributionComparing the dividends per share between companies is not always useful as there may be differences between the nominal value of the shares issued. It may be more useful to monitor the trend in dividends per share over a period of time. Dividend Yield Ratio This ratio relates the cash return from a share to its current market value and is given as follows: Dividend Yield Ratio = Dividend per Share Market Value of a Share * 100 1 The ratio for Alexis pic is given as follows: Page 2 of 5 In essence this ratio measures the real rate of return on a share.Investors can compare the returns from a company's shares to the returns that could be earned by investing either in another company or by investing in another form of investment. Dividend Cover Dividend cover (for ordinary shares) looks at how many time a firm's profits (after interest, lax and preference dividends) cover the ordinary dividends. Dividend Cover = Profit after interest, tax and Pref Share Dividends Ordinary Share Dividends For Alexis plc this ratio is calculated as follows: Interpretation: Alexis plc profits covers ordinary dividends 3. 96times.Dividend cover is calculated using the profit after interest and tax figure because banks, government and preference shareholders have a preferential claim on the pro fits of the firm. This ratio is of particular interest to ordinary shareholders. Earnings per share The earnings per share relate’s the earnings generated by the company during a period and available to shareholders to the number or snares in issue. For ordinary shareholders the amount available will be net profit after interest, tax and preference dividends because banks, the government and preference shareholders have a preferential claim on the profits of the firm.Page 3 of 5 Earnings per share = Earnings available to ordinary shareholders Number of ordinary- shares in issue For Alexis plc this ratio is calculated as follows: The EPS is regarded by many investment analysts as a fundamental measure of share performance. Tracking the EPS over time can help assess the investment potential of the company's shares. Care must be taken when comparing EPS from different firms as capital structures differ from one firm to the next. Price Earnings (P/E) R a t i o The price earnings ratio relates the market value of a share to the earnings per share.It is calculated a s follows: P/E Ratio = Market value per share Earnings per Share The P/E Ratio for Alexis is calculated as follows: Page 4 of 5 The ratio reveals that the capital value of the share is 9. 4 times higher than its current level of earnings. The ratio is essence is a measure of market confidence in the future of the company. A high P/E ratio means that relative to profits the price of the share is quite high. Why would this be the case? The higher the P/E ratio the greater the confidence in the future earning power of the company i. e. lthough current earnings are low investors expect them to increase in the future and therefore investors are prepared to pay a high price for the share in relation to the current earnings of the share. A low P/E ratio means that the share price is quite low compared to earnings – this implies a pessimistic view of the future. Nobody will be willing to pay a high price for a share in a company that has unexciting trading prospects. Because the P/E ratio gives a guide as to market confidence in a share it can therefore be helpful when comparing different companies although P/E ratios per sector will vary. Page 5 of 5

Lld Cover Letter

To Whom It May Concern: During this semester our class had to write three major essays, which are: Rhetorical Analysis (RA), Discipline Investigation (DI), and Critical Reading Reflection (CRR). The Rhetorical Analysis paper is based on how â€Å"to develop your understanding of rhetoric by investigating how a writer constructed a professional document or text in your major field. † It is also â€Å"to practice analytical thinking and clear writing. Basically, I had to research a professional document that is in the field that I want to succeed in my future career.I had to analysis what the rhetorical strategies and appeals are and explain it. The Discipline Investigation paper is based on â€Å"to investigate a discourse community you hope to join and to learn about the kinds of text that community uses. † Before I started this paper, I researched about the job position I would be interested in the future and set up interviews with general managers from hotels. I aske d questions to get more outside knowledge and get to know how the job works personally.The Critical Reading Reflection is based on the book we read which is, The Mind at Work and personal experiences with work. My first best essay is the Discipline Investigation, then the second best is Rhetorical Analysis, then the third best is Critical Reading Reflection. My best essay out of the three is the Discipline Investigation. I started out researching for my career choice and then I interviewed a professional to get the inside scoop of the job and daily routines. As I was developing my paper, I thought the hardest part was not being so technical my ideas but to explain and describe the details.For example, writing about the daily routine part I had started writing periodically what he did each day instead of writing explanation of the skills and knowledge he used in his job. The resources I used to write this paper are book, Internet, and personal interview. I find it helpful to research in all the areas, so you can see the different kinds of information you get from each types of source. There were different ways how I improved on my Discipline Investigation essay from the Rhetorical Analysis essay.First, I would read my paper out loud to see if I have any grammatical errors. Second, I would have friends and classmates peer-edit my paper to see if it is grammatically correct, clear and simple organizations, and make sure all my ideas and requirements are there. Third, I definitely paid more attention writing my paper more concisely since I had the idea of how my instructor was going to grade my essay. Fourth, before even starting on the paper I check to make sure I will address the prompt correctly in my essay.Fifth, I realized that free writing and jotting ideas down and creating an outline for brainstorming helps a lot in order to get the flow of writing consistently. In conclusion, I believe there are some improvements as a writer after taking LLD100A course. I learned to be more precise and focus more while I write my papers. My best paper was Discipline Investigation. Writing my best paper, I feel that I have benefited a lot from the methods of my writing improvements. As I take everything step-by-step I believe that I will process as a writer. Sincerely, xxxx

Performance †Dance Essay

Content: the performance we saw was a very simple setting with surprising contemporary dancing. It was a group of 6 dancers but 7 including the choreographer. Some very impressionable moments were when they would do the lifts and floor work all together I felt it was very strong and interesting. Interpretationconnection: three important things I feel the audience should know about the performance is that the piece was a very different modern type of dance, it was based on animal instinct, and there was no specific genre of dance used for the performance to be based on. The most impressionable moment or me was when the dancers were each lined up separately with their backs towards the audience in between the pillars on the back wall up stage, I like this moment because I thought the lighting and spacing really caught everyone in the audiences eye. I felt the modern aspect, the theme of animal instinct and there being no exact genre of dance made me more open to the performance as art because I didn’t try to compare it to anything else I just watched it for what it was. For example at first I felt it was very weird but as it went it went on I grew to be more open to it. Elements of dance: shape- The use of shape in the performance was unlike anything I have ever seen, they used every shape humanly possible but still made it look effortless and keep the audience watching. Space- The performance was well spaced at many times they were perfectly spaced between the large lines on the floor which was very cool looking. Time- There was no specific time ever really used because they has music that had no set beat or time. Dynamic- they used a large amount of emotion for this performance it was unique and really brought the piece to life through there dancing. Overall impression: My impression of the performance is I thought it was a very unique and strong piece of dancing. I liked the use of shape and spacing I thought they were done very well, but I didn’t like the music I didn’t really think it was the best for the dancing and they could have chosen much better music since the dancing was so strong. Overall I thought it was a strong and well done performance.

Library Search Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Library Search - Research Paper Example The need for more information or further assistance on the library search. Create the reference for the article selected using correct APA format including: authors, year, article title, journal name, volume number, issue number, page numbers, italics, parentheses, punctuation, line spacing, and hanging indent. Type a quotation (10–20 words) from the selected article using correct APA format including quotation marks, authors’ names, year, page numbers, and parentheses. Do not use words or ideas the authors cited from another source. Summarize the article in 80–110 words. Be concise and clearly cover the main points of the article. Use correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Do not include the article title, journal, authors, or citations. Nursing theory is based on the expansion and understanding evidence based nursing practices and the contribution to the evidences. It also focuses on more comprehensive and diverse patterns away from just the narrow focus. Carper constitute four fundamental patterns in nursing. The fundamental practices constitute ethical, personal, empirical, and anesthetic practices. Mode of inquiry for development of evidence on each of the values is done differently. Each of the practices are considered a theory on its own. Different lenses are provided by the different nursing theories which are essential for evidence based nursing practices. Perfect inquiry is appropriate for generation and fostering the theories. Use 80–110 words to clearly state how you will use information learned from this article in your future practice. Be concise and clearly relate article contents to your practice. Use first person, correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Details and specifics regarding your own future use of this information are needed. Information from the searches should be stored in a systematic and a convenient way that enables reference. The information is arranged

"Sony Pictures hacked by Russian blackhats, it now emerges Article

"Sony Pictures hacked by Russian blackhats, it now emerges - Article Example Companies require highly sensitive detectors to spot the attackers who get through their private information. The period to begin is before the attack hits: Sony could have managed well its workers well (Qamar, np). Their systems ought to have been under scrutiny of any attacker to keep their data and other third party information private. The worst private invasion in the Sony hack did not occur on to the stars or the executives, but the blameless workers who were used to daily sending and receiving of the system in the company. Consequently, they had their individual love lives, conversations, medical conditions, movie productions, and financial reports on exposure. The media may not have revealed the information but their relatives and colleagues peeked at it. Several personal tragedies unfolded during that period, all being an illustration of the compromised security systems. Information vulnerability can occur to any organization. People should not either reveal their personal details such as intimate conversations on Facebook, text or email to the company. Furthermore, they should not unleash their financial statements to their retailers. It is crucial that every person should be aware of the various crimes that do exist in the internet, and hence respond appropriately to remain safe. Most significantly, the Sony case study was quite a learning experience to both organization and their

Propaganda Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Propaganda - Research Paper Example According to Magstadt (147), Propaganda is the deliberate and a systematic effort to manipulate the perceptions, cognitions and or behavior using false, true or partial information in order for the informer to achieve certain specific responses that serves his or her intention. Propaganda may therefore passing information mainly to direct perception towards a certain point for the benefit of the propagandist. It therefore follows that propaganda may not benefit the audience but benefit only the architecture of the propaganda. Propaganda may also be intentional deception of individuals by changing their perceptions towards a particular issue. It can be engineered by the government or politicians for political reasons or just by an individual for self benefit. However, victims of propaganda do not often realize until they are completely deceived. Most of the times, propaganda is used to garner political support for politicians and they do this by spreading propaganda against their riva ls. However, it is important to clarify that propaganda is not only for political reasons but may be also witnessed by other societal organizations that have intensions of manipulating the perceptions of the people. The understanding of propaganda in a class setting has therefore to start with the differentiation of propaganda with the other forms of advocacy. There are other forms of advocacy that are used to persuade people and hence change their perception by not necessarily using lies and false information. From the explanation given above, it is clear that there is a difference between propaganda and other tools of persuasion. One idea that has come out is that with propaganda, is that the propagandists are willing and uses confusion and deception to change the people’s perception rather than ordinary persuasion and understanding (Magstadt, 148). Another difference is that they may take the opportunity that the audience do not have the full information and hence use part ial truth and partial lies to confuse them and make them believe. For example, in an organization, the leaders of that particular organization know very well that the information may not be true, however for the individuals in the organization that helps in the dissemination of the information; they might not know this. Bringing this difference in class aids in the understanding of propaganda as it it makes the members in a classroom stay focused and avoids confusion with other methods of advocacy. It also brings the concept clearer for the members in the classroom. It is therefore clear that propaganda is deliberate, deception and confusion that is intended to benefit individual interest or group of individuals. The techniques that are used to share propaganda are also very important. Since it is not a direct deception, it is important to outline the various techniques that are used by the propagandist to share information. The two commonly used avenues for sharing propaganda are t he advertisements through media and public relations. However the difference should come out clear between the advertisement that are meant to promote a commercial product and the advertisement that is only meant to share propaganda. It should be noted that the propaganda often takes a specific forma and is totally different from the commercial advertisements in the media. Propaganda often takes the political or nationalist kind of messages and hence should not be

Lessons from Jesus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lessons from Jesus - Essay Example The first twenty verses of Chapter five of Mark describe how Jesus freed a man from the demons that had possessed him. Background information presented indicates that the demons tormented the man immensely compelling him to dwell near tombs. However, on seeing Jesus, the man recognized that Jesus could offer a remedy to his problem, by ordering the demons to depart from him. Moreover, the man had knowledge of the true identity of Jesus as the one sent from God because he hid obeisance to him. Jesus ought to know the man’s name, and he replied that he was Legion because multiple demons had possessed him. Upon his request, Jesus ordered the demons to move out of him and possess the swine that were feeding on the mountains instead. After the demons possessed the swine, they moved into the sea and drowned. On Jesus’ order, the man went to retell his experience to his people (Reddish, 2011). From verses 21 by Mark, Chapter 5, a man named Jairus approached Jesus requesting hi m to accompany him to his homestead and heal his daughter. According to the man, the daughter was critically ill. Heeding his call, Jesus accepted to go with him, although the large crowd following Jesus proved to hinder swift movement. In this crowd was a woman who had suffered hemorrhaging for twelve years without finding any remedy despite her search. She had the conviction that Jesus had the potential of healing her condition. She only touched her garments and experienced instant healing. As they walked, they received news that Jairus’ daughter had succumbed to her illness. However, Jesus proceeded to the homestead and brought her back to life. In addition, John in Chapter 11 outlines how Jesus resurrected his friend, Lazarus. This happened after he had been in the tomb for four days. During this occasion, Jesus saw the grief of the people and wept to show his sensitivity to their needs (Reddish, 2011). Application It is evident that Jesus had power and used it in a sensi tive manner of helping others.  

Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Euro-Mediterranean Partnership - Essay Example 3. The rapprochement between peoples through a social, cultural and human partnership aimed at encouraging understanding between cultures and exchanges between civil societies (Social, Cultural and Human Chapter)." http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/euromed/index.htm It is an ambitious initiative with bilateral and regional dimensions and multilateral dimension supports, in the increasingly globalised world. Under MEDA programme, they are creating partnerships in all aspects like regional integration, socio-economic balance and financial and technical assistance. Despite these, in 2005 convention, it is noted MEDA was "created at the initiative of the European Parliament in 1996, the program grants aids to no-profit associations, Universities, Research Centres and public Bodies in order to realize projects aimed at promoting democracy, freedom of expression and association, and safeguarding specific groups, such as women, young people and minorities. The granted funds for this kind of projects can total a maximum of 80%" http://www.euromedi.org/inglese/home/partenariato/partenariato.asp). Despite these, in 2005 convention, it is noted that MEDA had very slow advancement. ... in the partnership are peace, security, stability, good governance and democracy, sustainable economic development and reform, education and socio-cultural exchanges, justice, migration and social integration, human rights and democratisation, political and security cooperation, information and communication technology, trade, financial cooperation, dialogues between two or more cultures, and the visibility of the process. It has announced that heredity sites would be maintained and safeguarded, 'Creating a future that care for the past'. "Its aim was to conserve and inventory manuscripts held in small libraries dotted throughout North Africa and the Near East, thus preserving the books and the wisdom they contain," Euro Mediterranean Partnership (2002, p.14). Main topics that would be investigated in the Research are as follows: 1. Illegal immigration into prosperous countries, an annoying issue that has to be controlled and guided in a proper way. Most of the European countries are facing problems due to illegal immigration and are trying to find ways and means of curbing them, while legal immigration would be encouraged. EU is facing extensive confusion as a result of illegal immigration. Research would probe into this matter and would try to present a clearer picture. 2. Security and Terrorism are the two issues that have been haunting every country today, and more so, the Western powers. After the fanatic Muslim movement lifted its ugly head in certain regions, curbing it has become the priority issue to all affected countries. Research would investigate these issues with other connected problems like fanaticism in European countries, growth of terrorist activities, help from Middle East countries in controlling training camps for potential terrorists and

Intellectual and Modern Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Intellectual and Modern Property - Essay Example The protection afforded to intellectual property has been deemed vital to protect innovation and creativity in society, because if this economic incentive is removed, then there will be an erosion of the spur that propels the ingenuity and desire to create new works. Moreover, it protects the inventor from unscrupulous individuals who are able to profit from the innovative elements in the work, while also protecting the moral rights of an author to his own creation. However, conflicts have also been generated through the evolution of the Internet which has facilitated digital copying and modification of previously created works. Moreover, the extension of the duration of protection for copyrighted and patented works has been contested as a measure that interferes with the public rights to fair use of material, especially for information and research purposes. Therefore, it has become difficult to strike an appropriate balance between the protection of the rights of the creators of original works and the rights of the public. The question that will be examined in this research study is the extent to which IPR rights are a benefit to society. The economic incentive provided by IP rights to facilitate the creation of innovative works is undisputed and it also enables the propagation of wealth that is a benefit to society as a whole. Since it allows owners of copyrighted/patented works to earn more from their work, it also allows Government to increase taxes and improves the exchequer so that Government programs can benefit weaker elements of society. It also enables an artist/creator to be protected from unscrupulous elements and thus affords some protection to the vulnerable elements in society. An author is also legally entitled to moral rights to his work, however, in practice, this has not been rigorously upheld in the UK, as demonstrated in further material that follows. The right to ownership of property is the basis for a free and secure society, and by allowing ownership on patents, for example, there is also incentive provided to business to improve their investments.  

Religion in american experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Religion in american experience - Essay Example ishing slave trade also saw support from the moderate social thinkers who taught that the Protestants initiated steps of abolishing slave trade would bear fruits. The Protestants encouraged the slaves to disobey their masters because they taught that the Bible would free the slaves. The Protestants believed that the civil war was a religious war and it was being predestined by God. According to Protestants in 1860s, the civil war marked a period of their influence in United States; however this also marked the end of the domination of Protestants in America (Noll 72). Abraham Lincoln, who was not a member of any religious church, had the same opinion as Protestants since he believed that the civil war was as a consequence of religious war. During his second Inaugural speech in 1865, he captured on the religious distress of the civil war than any protestant follower (Noll 72). He says those who fought were the same people who read the same Bible, and prayed the same God; however, these people turned against each other. Lincoln was assassinated just some days after the Civil War ended and many Protestants mourned and expressed their dissatisfaction for his death. These Protestants believed that Lincoln contributed immensely to the end of civil war, which also led to the abolition of slave that had penetrated most parts of the Northern America (God in America, Episode

Meaning of life - Anthropology Essay Example for Free

Meaning of life Anthropology Essay The Meaning of Life and Cultural Relativism What is the meaning of life? â€Å"What’s the meaning of life? † is today a question generally meant as a joke. This apparently wasn’t true in the past. Religious teachers, from Jesus to Buddha to Mohammed, offered a clear meaning of life. Philosophers from Plato to Augustine to Voltaire to Nietzsche to William James also offered such a meaning, although in progressively less certain ways. Today, however, philosophers have mostly turned away from questions of the meaning of life (or when they discuss it, they may proclaim life’s meaninglessness, as does Nagel in this week’s reading). A big reason for this is that there are so many different beliefs in the world today: they relativize all beliefs, and make certainty problematic. A key principle of anthropology is â€Å"cultural relativism†: this has become a central principle in today’s world at large. How can you know that your sense of â€Å"the meaning of life† is truer than someone else’s sense of â€Å"the meaning of life†? This is why it may be difficult to be both a Christian and an anthropologist. And this is why this course cannot offer much advice as to â€Å"the meaning of life. † Meanings of Life in Anthropology Anthropologists thus can’t discuss â€Å"the meaning of life†; but they can analyze people’s personal meanings of life, as a way of better understanding how people are culturally and socially shaped. There is a fundamental difference between â€Å"the meaning of life† and â€Å"meanings of life,† and only the latter can be fully explored by anthropologists. Anthropologists explore culture: the ways of thinking by which people live. Anthropologists study a range of different culturally-shaped fields, from economics to politics to religion to gender in different societies. However, few anthropologists have directly studied â€Å"meanings of life† (maybe none, except for me! ) This is because in most societies that anthropologists study, there is no ordinary word that people use to describe what’s most important to them in their lives. However, the Japanese language has such a term: ikigai. Ikigai means â€Å"that which makes your life worth living,† or, more practically speaking, â€Å"what’s most important to you in your life. † Common ikigai are work, family, religious belief, creative endeavor, or personal dream. 1 Why does only Japanese have the term ikigai? Why don’t other languages have ikigai? In any case, even if other languages don’t have the term ikigai, people everywhere can understand what ikigai means. It is â€Å"what’s most important to you in life,† â€Å"what makes your life worth living. † What is your ikigai? This is difficult for students, because you haven’t yet made the life choices of work and family that you probably will make over the next few years. But you can get some idea: Is it pleasing your parents? Finding a boyfriend/girlfriend? Gaining knowledge? Getting good grades and a good future job? Helping the world become better? Pursuing creativity? Being close to God? The Sociocultural Analysis of Ikigai . Most Japanese books about ikigai talk about it in a psychological sense: how individuals seek and find and lose ikigai. However, ikigai is also social: all ikigai involve us in the world of other people: whether you live for family, for your personal dream, for God, or for alcohol, all of these are social. Ikigai in this sense I define as â€Å"that which most deeply links the self to the social world†: ikigai is what ties you to the world around you. This can take two broad forms: ikigai as self-realization, and ikigai as commitment to one’s group: both are fundamentally social. Here is a one-sentence cross-cultural theory of ikigai: â€Å"On the basis of culturally and personally-shaped fate, individuals strategically formulate and interpret their ikigai from an array of cultural conceptions, negotiate these ikigai within their circles of immediate others, and pursue their ikigai as channeled by their society’s institutional structures so as to attain and maintain a sense of the personal significance of their lives. † We have ikigai because ikigai gives us a sense of the purpose and significance and worth of our lives; but we necessarily hold these ikigai within the context of the society around us, with which we constantly interact in forming and maintaining ikigai.

Gambling in Finland Essay Example for Free

Gambling in Finland Essay Gambling, betting, lottery, poker in Finland; there is plenty of choice. In Finland, slot machines are practically everywhere. Some are prohibited for persons under 18 years old, others for children under 15 years. The Finns like a lot the lot (even if the jackpot is much lower in compared to other European countries) and they are a people who like to play poker, especially online. Moreover, in almost all places, not just in casinos, you can play roulette or blackjack. In Finland, there are two casinos (one in Helsinki and one in the Aland Islands), almost 20 000 slot machines and fifty plants such as racetracks where you can do live betting. And do not forget the nearly 300 locals or restaurants with tables where the Finns test themselves maybe watching a game of football or hockey or taking a break from the dance floor. With reference to what I have explained I think that given the numbers reported about the popularity of gambling in Finland it is obvious that this affects actively the life of Finns every day, and in my opinion, it influences negatively, every bets will be destined to lose, this creates a chain reaction, because every personal relationship, family and work will be influenced by mood of the gambler. According to the latest prevalence study (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health/Taloustutkimus 2007) over the last 12-month period, 3.1% of the population (130,000 persons) were classifiable as having gambling problems. Over the same period, 1% of the population (42,000 persons) were classifiable as probable gambling addicts (with a SOGS score of at least 5 points). It follows that I have only analyzed the situation from the point of view of the gambler, but to understand why gambling is so much sponsored in Finland we should consider the benefits (only in economic terms) of the revenues from the game. The state has a monopoly on betting and the whole system is managed by four companies: RAY, Veikkaus Oy, Oy Fintoto and PAF. The main peculiarity of gambling in Finland Is that the revenue from betting and gambling are invested in non-profit organizations related to the world of sport, education and culture. I think this is the only positive aspect regarding the gambling! Because this type of policy is beneficial, and socially useful and consequently that can be shared by people. To put the topic more simply I compared Finnish Gambling situation with the Italian one. Italy has come a long way from totally prohibiting all gambling activities, to legalizing some of them under certain conditions. The main reason why the Italian government adhered to strict rules was the desire to avoid the possible negative effects associated with the industry. The following amendments liberalized the market in 2006: * Legalisation of real-money skill games and betting exchange * Opening of the Italian gambling market to operators from EU and EFTA countries (on condition they meet certain requirements) * Opening of the new license tender that was supposed to rearrange the network of offline betting establishments and also providing possibility for online gaming operators to offer their services on a legal basis. The Italian government has put in place in recent years maneuvers that liberalizing more gambling, even to decrease the volume of illegal betting. On the contrary gamblers have moved from illegal gambling to a legal one, to the detriment of the game controlled by organized crime, only for a short initial period. According to the Report of the Parliamentary Anti-Mafia Commission published in 2011 , when the illegal gambling became legal criminal organizations have transfer their activities. Besides gambling is becoming one of the major sectors of interest for large criminal organizations: the expansion of legal gambling has not reduced, but powered illegal gambling especially in the field of money laundering, making it much easier to pass large flows of money through the internet. So even if the Italian gambling situation is a sensitive issue for the government, unfortunately so far the state has not found the appropriate measures to reduce the problems resulting from it (organized crime, gambling addiction of the people, people?s debts for bets). In brief, the gambling definitely brings money in the trade balance of the state, but we must not forget that there are factors worthy of attention more than economic benefits! As I said, gambling ruins peoples status, it follows that the Government should be much more cautious in taking such a free gambling decision, in addition it is a very delicate subject and wrong choices can affect the lives of many people!

Evaluating The Theory Of Socialist Economy Politics Essay

Evaluating The Theory Of Socialist Economy Politics Essay If one wants to examine the experience of socialist economies of the twentieth century, one need must examine the socio-economic meaning of the term socialism. This ought to be subject to a scientific analysis, primarily with respect to increasing problems in the socialist countries and to discussions and reform efforts that have been underway at various points in time over the last century in those countries. In this context, the analysis in the essay must restrict the notion of socialism to that of a social system whose characteristics have been molded both by specific theoretical works and by practical political, legal and economic institutions and measures in socialist countries. This has to be limited a little further and the essay will therefore primarily focus on the socialist economic system and its crucial connection with the political system. Proceeding from this framework, this essay shall first deal with the theoretical and practical evolution of the general basic charact eristics that are typical of the socialist economic system. Subsequently, it will examine the economic results or rather the recurring deficiencies caused by the socialist system. This will then lead to a detailed analysis of how these deficiencies may have had their earliest roots in errors contained in the very theory that was the starting point of communist practice. The genesis of the socio-economic meaning of the term socialism has its roots in theoretical works of Marx, Engels and Lenin. How this concept has satisfied the fundamental criteria of the development of socialism in the course of its practical realization in Soviet Union, China, Yugoslavia, Cuba and other socialist countries must be examined, and whether it has resulted in the socio-economic development expected by the above-mentioned theorists. After the shock and disillusionment from the collapse of the Eastern bloc, the disasters of neoliberal economic policies, East and West, have given new urgency to rethinking the socialist alternative to capitalism. Whatever one says about the feasibility of socialism, however, at some point the collapse of `actually existing socialism has to be explained. The centrally planned economy was certainly successful for a period, based on extensive growth with ample supplies of labour power and raw materials. The system collapsed when it attempted to shift toward a more intensive mode of growth. Permanent consumer goods shortages and the alienation of workers sealed its fate. In attempting to broaden the debate on the feasibility of socialism, the essay shall embark with the origin of the concept in Marx. To begin with, it must be made amply clear that the term socialism refers to the social system which Marx referred to as the first and last phase of communism  [i]  . Marx inferred the characterization of this lower form from the historical necessity of the development of communism, and from the fact that communism would directly emerge from capitalism and would be therefore characterized by capitalism for a relatively long time- the first phase. Marx and Engels substantiated the historical necessity of the development of communist society by saying that capitalism would increasingly impede the further development of productive forces and only new economic and social conditions, that is, socialist conditions, would cause productive forces to evolve at a substantially faster rate than they could under capitalism. This historical materialist perspective gave rise to the fundamental criterion for the development of the socialist economy also held by Lenin. He was convinced that the expropriation of capitalists would result in an immense extension of social productive forces and in a higher degree of labour productivity. Following the nationalization and redistribution of land consequent upon the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, a brief period of workers control was realized in the Soviet Union. However, state ownership and control of industry and financial institutions were rapidly extended, along with a ban on private trade, and the whole economy moved towards an economy in kind, a moneyless economy. These eventualities could again be traced back to Marxs conceptualization of socialism as an associated set of producers. In modern capitalist society, according to Marxs analysis, the social relations of production, which establish the framework of a distinct mode of life, are constituted by the capitalist ownership of means of production and by wage labour; and the essence of the socialist alternative had always been the transformation of private ownership into so cial ownership which Marx expressed by referring to a future society of associated producers. This associated mode of production  [ii]  was not treated in the socialist literature of the nineteenth century as having only an economic significance, but as a vital element in the constitution of a new form of society in which individuals would no longer be dependent upon the dominant minorities, but would be able to develop freely in a social environment which they took a full and equal part in creating. Socialism, therefore, was meant to obviate its fundamental opposite, capitalism, by substituting social ownership of the means of production for their private ownership. Market relations would have to be eliminated, and production as a whole would have to be oriented towards future developments of demand with the help of economic planning. Direct social labour on the part of the working population would result in a faster growth of labour productivity than under capitalism. This preoccupation with rapid increase in economic growth had its genesis in several factors. The advent of socialism in countries which were for the most part economically backward, agrarian and peasant societies, and the perceived need for extensive and rapid industrialization was the first of these. Next, the rapid post-war expansion of organized capitalism, characterized by large-scale state intervention, partial planning and very high rates of growth and the need for socialist countries to compete effectively with capitalism in the provision of high material levels of living ensured that an extraordinary stress was laid on rapid economic growth through industrialization. Lenin also pointed out that the economy is something like a giant enterprise owned by the people, who are represented by the socialist state. The activity of all the parts, the overall production by all enterprises, as well as the distribution of the means of production and the labour force among them would have to be determined with the help of one single overall plan. Although Lenins shift towards the New Economic Policy (NEP) resulted in the reintroduction of market relations in the economy, it did not change the idea of substituting systematic planning for market relations in socialism. Lenin justified the reintroduction of market relations on the strength of the existence of private producers, chiefly farmers, during the transition to socialism.  [iii]  The old bourgeois producers had to be transformed in the new socialist economy. This could be done by socializing the populace, an act which needed active state-intervention. Stalin, however, understood economic retention of market relations only in terms of formal commodity- money relations, and eliminated market mechanisms. During Stalins rule, some characteristic features of the socialist economic system developed, whose theoretical reflections bordered on being dogmas. According to him, the means of production must not be in private ownership. Rather they must be in state ownership to a decisive extent. The development of production must not be determined by market mechanisms. Rather, it must be fixed with the help of central plans. Prices must only be retained for the exclusive purposes of formal planning and calculation. They must, however, be fixed by a central state authority and must not be changed by enterprises in accordance with market conditions. Such and further fundamental dogmas were meant to preclude the reappearance of capitalist ownership and the re-emergence of economic anarchy, while ensuring the fast, effective and proportionate development of socialist production determined by pla nning. The communist parties began to label such a system organized along such economic lines as real socialist. However, not one of the objectives ever aimed at by a socialist development process was reached. This was not chiefly a consequence of subjective mistakes made by party and state leadership with regard to economic policies, rather, it was the result of defects inherent in the conceptualization of the system, which had already been embodied in Marxist-Leninist theory. In comparison with capitalist production, socialist production in Soviet Union and Yugoslavia suffered from several deficiencies which caused them to lag behind. The production showed a lower degree of efficiency than a free-market system. The production grows in a predominantly extensive manner while its intensive growth (through technological progress and the qualitative development of the production factors) is absolutely inadequate. Here, there is an assumption at work which is evidently a capitalist construct- that of measuring productivity by taking recourse to such accepted yardsticks as GDP (Gross Domestic Produc t) rates. The GDP rates are a criteria adopted by intensively capitalist countries to measure productive economic growth, not the ideal parameter to judge the growth in a country with accepted socialist status. Nevertheless, if the material levels of living in the socialist and capitalist countries be taken as a uniform criterion, the socialist nations do demonstrate the relative inefficiency of the state to meet these needs on parity with capitalist countries. Another set of deficiencies in the socialist economies of the twentieth century concerns the nature of production. Production was not sufficiently geared to demand; on the one hand it produced quantities of non-required goods, while on the other, it did not satisfy concrete demand to any large extent. Moreover, production supplied few high quality and fashionable consumer goods, and the technological standards of capital goods were far behind those of capitalist countries. The proportion of consumer goods in production was substantially smaller than Western free-market economies. The official economic theory or more accurately, the ideological propaganda of the USSR and Yugoslavia, as well as of other socialist countries, ignored or concealed these economic defects for years. They only worked with the fast growth rates of production volumes in the initial years, overlooking the losses in efficiency which were increasing from the beginning. Ever since its inception, the planning system prevented a highly efficient investment development, not only because of slow technological progress, but also because it rendered impossible a selection of the most profitable investment projects which are numerous in a free-market economy. Central investment planning and the allocation of investment funds is affected by means of a primitive accounting of input and output without, crucially, an optimal profitability selection.  [iv]  Most important, however, is the fact that the planning system from the start prevented consumers from influencing the development of productio n through the market and from assessing the performance of individual enterprises with the help of market selection. Both in the free-market and in the planned economy systems, lack of balance between supply and demand is inevitable with regard to certain commodities. In a free-market system, however, producers are compelled to overcome these imbalances as soon as possible if they are to achieve profits rather than sustaining losses. In a planned economy system, the extent of the imbalance is substantially greater, and is overcome considerably slowly- if at all. It is at this crucial juncture that one needs to realize that there is a great difference between those societies in which the greater part of productive resources are publicly owned and central planning has a major role, and on the other hand, the societies in which there is only limited public ownership and planning and the construction of a socialist economy involves some extension of planning in diverse forms, along with restrictions on market mechanisms.  [v]  It is the former group of countries that includes the Soviet and Yugoslavian experience that this paper posits as a contrast to the latter Chinese experience with socialism. Even within the group of socialist countries in Eastern Europe (Soviet Union and Yugoslavia) there are important differences arising from distinctive economic, social and cultural conditions, which are revealed in a very different course of post-war development. Two socialist countries in the last century undertook a fundamental and complete restru cturing of the economy- Yugoslavia (where the phase of centralized management was very brief, and hence provides a contrast of sorts to the Soviet experience) and Hungary. The economic system that Yugoslavia adopted provided the model for several economies. The theoretical framework which the Yugoslav is based on is clearly formulated by Horvat who, after rejecting the eclecticism of a mixed economy, continues: We wish to preserve essential consumer sovereignty because socialism is based on the preferences of individuals who control the society. We also wish to preserve the autonomy of producers, since this is the pre-condition for self-management. When these are taken together, we need a market. But not a laissez-faire market. We need a market that will perform the two functions just stated, neither less or more. In other words, we need the market as a planning device in a strictly defined sphere of priorities and planning as a precondition for an efficient market in order to increase the economic welfare of the community.  [vi]   Yugoslav society, thus, unlike Soviet socialism, was constantly caught in a dilemma between the plan and the market, which not only reflects the unclearly defined principles and aims of economic policy, but also is a manifestation of the actual balance of forces in society; that is to say of the clash between advocates of centralized planning and those who uphold the absolute validity of market laws. The dilemma is irreconcilable and the question which remains to be explored is whether the Yugoslav experience demonstrates that there are formidable difficulties in achieving the integration of planning and markets in any regime of public ownership, or more broadly, in a socialist society. In considering this crucial question, one should remember that for two decades the Yugoslav system functioned quite effectively, producing high rates of economic growth and an impressive development of social and cultural life. The turning point, as it were, came, theorists believe, with the rise in o il prices and the Western recession of the early 70s. It may also be argued that the subsequent economic decline was due in large measure to the failure of planning to deal effectively with the consequences of these events, and in particular with the massive growth of external indebtedness. It is certain, therefore, that the economic development of Yugoslavia and other socialist societies had been adversely affected by the their close links with the capitalist world, and by the failure of policy-makers to take a due account of the cycle of growth and recession in capitalist societies which is, after all, at the heart of Marxist economic analysis. As Golubovic claims, Socialism with markets is here to stay  [vii]  . The countries in Western Europe, which could be labeled Socialistic or tending towards being socialist, faced problems which were very different from those faced by socialist ones. Nevertheless, some issues were of common concern, highlighting certain universal facets of a socialist economy as it took shape in the twentieth century. The common concerns were centered on the particular forms which public ownership of productive resources, and economic planning should take in the future. In these countries the movement towards socialism got retarded by the advent of conservative governments. And, going by the experience of Yugoslavia one would imagine that treading a middle path between plan and market was indeed the only way to go for countries claiming to be socialist. The Chinese experience with socialism, however, not only contrasts with the Yugoslav experience, but it seems to be hinged on lessons learnt from the experience of the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalins rules. The Chinese and the Cuban methods alert us to Marxs central issue: the proletariat must not only change the relations of society but in the process change itself. Here, the present analysis calls for a contrast between the Soviet and Chinese experiences. The Cuban experience shall be scrutinized later. The October Revolution proved the validity, under conditions existing in Russia in 1917, of the first half of the Marxist-Leninist theory of transition to socialism. The industrial proletariat was able, under resolute revolutionary leadership, to overthrow the bourgeois regime which had come to power in the erstwhile February revolution. However, with regard to the second half of the theory- the capacity of the proletariat to lead the way in the construction of socialism- the Russian experience is at best inconclusive. One must remember that small to begin with; the Russian proletariat was decimated and dispersed by the four years of bloody civil war, hunger and chaos which followed th e revolution. The Bolshevik government was forced to rely on the erstwhile antisocialist bureaucratic administration, overrun as it was with problem of survival and economic recovery. Under the circumstances, revolutionizing practice tending to produce socialist human nature almost totally disappeared. Instead the reconstituted and expanded proletariat which came with forced industrialization was repressed and atomized, deprived of all means of self-expression, and terrorized by an omnipresent secret police. The notion that abolition of exploitative private property in the means of production ushers in an essentially classless society which, given a sufficient development of the forces of production, will evolve in a harmonious way towards communism is exploded once and for all through the Soviet experience. As Nicholas Poulantzas points out, in a society divided into classes, the relations of production consist of a double relation which encompasses mens relations to nature in material production- economic ownership and possession. The first of these relations, that of economic ownership, is the real economic control of the means of production. In the socialist countries, formal, juridical ownership of the means of production belong to the state, which is held to be the peoples state, but real economic control rests in the hands of the directors of enterprises and the members of the party apparatus.  [viii]  Socialist ownership by the whole people has degenerated into ownership by a privileged stratum. It is a privileged stratum- what Charles Bettelheim has called a new state bourgeoisie  [ix]   which controls the means of production and thereby decides how the fruits of production are to be utilized. This unholy collusion at the highest levels of governance killed the revolutionary urge of the proletarians who had effected the revolution a decade back (1917). While the Russian experience thus throws light on the positive side of constructing revolution (a real revolution of the proletariat), it does provide devastating proof of the impossibility of infusing seemingly socialist forms with genuine socialist content unless the process, as Marx delineated, goes hand-in-hand with the formation of socialist human beings.  [x]  It also alerts us to the undesirable effects of bureaucratization that took the wind out of the sails of the socialist regime. A different choice of means could have yielded drastically contradictory and possibly, favorable, results f or the Soviet Union under Stalinist rule. More equality and fewer privileges to the bureaucracy, lesser incentives for the erstwhile bourgeois class, more trust and confidence in the masses, greater inner party democracy are some factors which could have been the steering principles of a course which could have ensured the survival of socialist Soviet Union. It wasnt just these negative lessons from the Soviet experience that impelled the Chinese to pioneer a different path to the construction of socialism. The situation and the proletarian background in China formed the basis of these differences. For one thing, the Chinese proletariat, though smaller than the Russian counterpart, was never plagued by economism. This is explained by Mao who wrote, Since there is no economic basis for economic reformism in colonial and semi-colonial China as there is in Europe, the whole proletariat, with the exception of a few scabs, is most revolutionary.  [xi]  Moreover, the prolonged civil war in China, combined with the war against Japanese invaders fostered a vast growth in both size and the maturity of the revolutionary forces, while a much shorter period of civil war and resistance to foreign invaders in the Soviet Union seriously weakened the revolutionary forces there. The result was China was much more socialised, in as much as the people were more imbued with the ideals of socialist revolutionary fervor than in Russia. When one has to evaluate the Chinese experience, it may well be stated at the outset that its most important contribution to the advance of Marxist thought was to suggest an alternative to the Soviet and east European experience with socialism. In the first years after they came to power, the Chinese Communists set out to follow the Soviet model of collectivization of farms but soon discovered that it put demands on the agricultural sector which could not be met. In the 1920s the Russians decided to squeeze the needed surplus out of the peasants, with the fearful consequences of a decimated and atomized proletariat. This option did not even exist for the Chinese. With a reordering of priorities under Maos regime, industry was to be geared to the needs of agriculture and developed not only in the cities but especially in the countryside, beginning the process of introducing the peasantry to modern technology. This meant the capital needed to develop the Chinese economy was to come from a general increase in the productivity of the Chinese labour force. This in turn, required a vast and historically unprecedented innovation in the form of the agricultural communes and the introduction of a Chinese version of the Green Revolut ion. The economy thereafter worked really well by world standards: China became essentially self-sufficient in agricultural production; and industry developed, in terms of both rapidity and geographical distribution. In recent decades China has opened its economy to foreign investment and to market-based trade, and has experienced strong economic growth. It has carefully managed the transition from a planned socialist economy to a market economy, officially referred to as the socialist market economy, which has been likened to capitalism by some outside observers. As a result, centralized economic planning has little relevance in China today. The current Chinese economic system is characterized by state ownership combined with a strong private sector of privately owned enterprises that generate about 70% of GDP.  [xii]   The Cuban experience with socialism was also illuminating as it highlighted the role of national integrity, nationalization of the populace and the cultivation of the spirit of patriotism in the masses as prime factors leading to a socialist revolution along the lines Marx postulated (1986). The revolutionary government under Fidel Castro found socialism to be the most viable means for freeing Cuba from domination by capitalist countries, guaranteeing in a way Cubas sovereignty. The mission also involved mobilizing and educating the populace even as anti-capitalist changes were vibrant in the party apparatus (again, as in Marx, the ideal ground for a socialist revolution and consolidation of the means of production after the revolution was the party apparatus). Socialism, through the Cuban alternative, has been demonstrably shown to be a process that is premised on unleashing the power of the people, who learn how to change themselves under circumstances and able leadership.  [xiii ]  This consensus and subsequent legitimization of the Cuban state has been shaped by the revolutionary, patriotic and political behavior of the masses. The power of the state is, in the Cuban experience with socialism, shown to be the one with appropriate means to produce change. The way there are deficiencies as with any other socialist regime but these are being tackled in Cuba are paradigmatically different. The debates with respect to deficiencies in Cuba do not reflect the need to replace the regime, but the need to improve it by deepening its ideals and the socialist project. This desire to stand by the ideology of socialism is what sets the Cuban experience apart from all others. It was thereby shown, through the Chinese experience, and the ideologically successful (not equally economically successful, however) Cuban experience that the Soviet and East European experience with socialism, far from being an embodiment of the laws of socialism, was merely one possible path to economic development and as history has demonstrated, one which is in irreconcilable contradiction with the requirements of a socialist transition to communism. Nevertheless, it was only after the creation of the first socialist society in 1917 consequent upon the Bolshevik revolution that central planning (with the concomitant, unintended consequence of bureaucratisation) came to occupy a central place in the definition of the socialist economy. The importance of the Bolshevik revolution is thus paramount. The optimum mix of planning and markets, however, has not been demonstrated neatly by any socialist economy till date. Yugoslavia came close but the dilemma whether to opt for a centralized plan or market mode was irreconcilable to say the least, as demonstrated in the essay. This general sense of disillusionment with the origin and evolution of socialist economies in East Europe has given rise in the countries burdened with it to search for new models of a socialist economy. The chief factors contributing to the disillusionment were probably three: the increasing recognition that a socialist organization of production would be not more but much less productive than private enterprise; an even clearer recognition that, instead of leading to what had been conceived as greater social justice, it would mean a new arbitrary and more inescapable order of rank than ever before; and the realization that, instead of the promised greater freedom, it would mean the appearance of a new despotism. A significant development, hence, was the presentation of the decentralized model whereby the decisions regarding current economic operations would be largely decentralized while the government would retain control over new investment.  [xiv]  This model constituted a p artial departure from Marxian socialism (For in Marxs terms, market socialism is a contradiction in terms), since it allowed some elements of the market to slip into the regulation of current production. Nevertheless, the problems involved in restructuring the socialist economies are multiform and complex. What assumes pre-eminence in such a remedy is not the question of ownership or the excessive promotion of competition, but the decentralization of economic decision-making by giving enterprises greater independence in a controlled environment of market relations. Developing new, indirect modes of planning the economy as a whole have to be devised simultaneously. Economic changes in a socialist economy are thus closely bound up with political manouevres. Political reforms are necessary which require for their success the holistic socialization of the populace, a new spirit of individual enterprise, responsibility to production and administration. Public ownership of the major productive resources is essential for the construction of a socialist economy and then a socialist society. This is so because on one hand is the need to eliminate domination by a capitalist class or a privileg ed bureaucracy as a necessary precondition of classlessness; and on the other hand is the need to extend democratic participation as widely as possible, which is simply another aspect of classlessness or egalitarianism. The postulation of participation in decision-making, however, is accompanied by a controversy concerning the conflict between goals of participation and efficiency. This is primarily with regard to publicly owned enterprises concerning their efficiency and ability to innovate, which is related in most discussions to the question of incentives for both management and workers. This criticism is not totally fair for two reasons. Firstly, it should be amply clear that what is being dealt with is a relative inefficiency  [xv]  and that too not in all cases, as this essay has demonstrated. Moreover it is a fact universally acknowledged that socialist countries as a whole (with a few exceptions) were very successful in the earlier periods in achieving rapid industrializ ation and major technological innovation in some spheres. The central message of the paper is that there is no single ideal model of socialism. Once capitalism is overturned and there is public ownership of the means of production, people will be free to choose democratically among a variety of models of socialist organisation of the economy- as has demonstrably happened in the countries chosen for analysis. Options could range from the completely centralised state rationing of all products (Stalinist Russia) to market socialism (Yugoslavia and later China) with an integral role for money. But a socialist society could also opt to let the full product of peoples labour accrue back to them (Early China after the revolution and Cuba), taxing workers appropriately in order to effect redistribution and investment. Or it could allow only part of the total product to accrue directly to workers, at th

Lost at Sea Essay -- Personal Narrative Rescue Essays

Lost at Sea The breeze from the Indian Ocean moved across my skin like freshly ironed silk as I stood on the fantail of the aircraft carrier looking up at the night sky. It is an impressive sight to look upon the fires of those uncountable stars. If you were to take the grandest starlit sky that you could imagine, then imagine it after God has thrown another bucket of stars across the dark. That is like the night sky at sea can be. Flight operations had secured several hours earlier, and I used the opportunity to escape from the steel interior of the ship. I tried to get some fresh air at least once a day to deliver my senses from the smells of jet fuel and sweat that pervaded my world. Days are long when the ship is underway. The fifteen or twenty minutes of fresh air I could get in the evenings rejuvenated me. There is no deeper dark than the dark at sea. The stars are bright in the sky, but they don't lower themselves to light the deck of the ship. Warships practice light security and no white light is allowed to breach the weather decks. White light travels for miles at sea. The only light on deck is what meager light your retinas can collect from the moon and stars. There seemed to be no moon in the sky on this night. I could barely make out the vague shapes of the aircraft parked around the flight deck. I stood there for some time letting the stars persuade me that my home wasn't really all that far away, when I sensed someone's presence. Half way through a turn toward the feeling, my arms were grasped and I was being pushed toward the catwalk. I remember calling out, trying to figure out what was going on, when I heard a gruff voice say, "This just ain't your night swabby, you're going for a swim with the... ...me small drinks of cold fresh water. I grabbed for the canteen, but didn't have the strength to take it. "It's a lucky thing we spotted you, shipmate." another voice said to me. I was lifted into a stokes type stretcher and a blurry face appeared before me "They've got the two dudes that tossed you in custody. It seems like it was a case of mistaken identity. They thought they were tossing someone else over." He laughed a quick short "Ha!" and looked at me like I was the hero, and not him. I would have cried if there had been any water in me to spare. The chopper followed the octopus wearing my boots and landed on the deck I had left four days earlier. I felt the stretcher being offloaded, bouncing me toward sickbay. I looked at the sea one last time with burnt red eyes before they brought me into the interior of the ship and I said to it, "I beat you!"

Comparing Characters of Ellen Foster and Into the Wild Essay -- Compar

Comparing Characters of Ellen Foster and Into the Wild The raging cold screams against his back at night. Her father's drunken jeers make her shiver as she cowers in the corner of her room. Both have natural families, yet both have been driven to flee from these families. She flees because her life amongst family is terrifying, loveless, and oppressive. He flees because he believes that his family has grown arrogant and materialistic, and is thus oppressive as well. She is the title character of Kaye Gibbons' Ellen Foster, and he is Chris McCandless, a real young man portrayed by Jon Krakauer in Into the Wild. In their respective stories, Ellen and Chris both find themselves on their own, each taking a journey farther and farther away from his or her family as each searches for truth and personal satisfaction. Neither Chris nor Ellen seems to regret leaving home, but their reasons for fleeing are quite different. Ellen is attempting to escape from her family because she desires love and a stable setting in which there are people to nurture her, while Chris is trying to avoid just that. Ellen's code of ethics places strong value upon family and friends; Chris's, however, spurns human companionship because he seems to feel that it pollutes his relationship with nature and with the one upon whom the course of his life depends the most: that is, himself. Upon first glance at the character of Ellen Foster,... .... He seemed more at home with the harsh elements of nature, which disciplined and taught him like dutiful parents. Even though he died as a result of his journey toward truth and freedom from the fetters of society, Chris was alone with nature, which was his idea of true family. The nurturing bodies that aid the growth of Ellen Foster and Chris McCandless are complete opposites. Ellen thrives on human love and acceptance, eating it like the sweetest fruit of the shadiest tree, while Chris bathes in snowstorms and nestles into the elements as if he sleeps in a home-sewn quilt. Each character   endures a long journey to attain security, but in the end, they both arrive home, where they are free at last.

The Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

Symbolism is the practice of representing things by symbols. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a book of much symbolism. Set in 16th century New England, the book starts with the public punishment of Hester Prynne, a convicted adulterer. One of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the book is Hester’s illegitimate daughter, Pearl. Throughout the story, she develops into a dynamic symbol - one that is always changing. Pearl represents her mother’s punishment, a rose, and the scarlet letter. In The Scarlet Letter, the Puritans forced Hester to wear a scarlet letter â€Å"A† across for her chest, for the crime of adultery. The punishment continued as Hester was treated as outcast and mocked by the town. â€Å"Tomorrow would bring its own trial with it; so would the next day, so would the next,† the narrator explained. On the other hand, God’s treatment of Hester for her sin was quite different than just a physical token: he gave Hester a very unique child which she named Pearl. The child was a constant mental and physical reminder to Hester of what she had done wrong and how she could not escape it. In this aspect, Pearl symbolized God’s way of punishing Hester for adultery. â€Å"She named the infant Pearl as of being of great price-purchased with all her mother had,† the narrator says. Pearl grew to be a very passionate and lively young girl. She becomes a contradicting factor in her mother’s life. To her mother, Pearl symbolized the rosebush outside of the jail, because at some times she could be bright and vibrant. However at other times, she could be wilting. It was at these times when she was â€Å"wilting† that brought Hester the most grief. One final way in which Pearl symbolized something in the novel was her association with the scarlet letter. Hester began to think of the letter and her daughter as both â€Å"the object of her affection and the emblem of her guilt and torture.† Hester clothed the child in bright crimson dressed. That, combined with a vivid complexion, gave Pearl the appearance of the scarlet letter. The townspeople began to notice the similarities, also.

Canon Business Analysis Essay

In 1925, a German camera maker named Oskar Barnack, developed a new, ground-breaking camera called the Leica. It was not until 1933 that a company responded to the success of Barnack’s creation and produced their own 35 millimeter version of his innovative design. Thus was born the Canon Company. By the 1950’s, Canon attained the title of leading producer of cameras in Japan. Since that time, Canon has made it a point to expand and diversify their company as much as possible. They are able to accomplish this primarily through a strong Research and Development program. Through this program, Canon has explored many different technologies such as home electronics and x-ray technology. One of the first product areas they explored was in the electronic calculator segment. Due to the complex nature of the technology, Canon’s engineers were forced to adapt and develop the intricate micro-electric processors that were being used. They were very successful in doing this. In late 1964, one year after their research started, Canon engineers presented top management with the finished product, the Canola 130. This product became the world’s first 10-key numeric pad calculator. However, Canon has not always succeeded in their endeavors. With every triumph comes a failure. One such instance was a printing device that utilized magnetic material that would coat the paper. They called this the Synchroreader. Although it was touted for its use of technology, the application, it was not patented. Another company took the design, improved it, and made it more affordable. Canon learned its lesson after that instance. Body In 1961, a new technology was developed by the Xerox Corporation. In the following years, with the success of their model 914 office copier, Xerox would enjoy a reported ninety three percent market share world wide. Xerox also had the advantage in that they held approximately five hundred patents. This tactic prevented other companies from intruding on their Plain Paper Copier (PPC) technology. Canon entered the market late in the 1960’s and was looked at with a skeptical eye. They were the â€Å"camera company from Japan† (Mintzberg, et al 2003, p. 75) and were not looked at as serious contenders in the photocopy market. Due to the PPC market being cornered by Xerox and their numerous patents, Canon instead moved into the Coated Paper Copying (CPC) market. This technology transfers the reflection of the original image directly to the special zinc oxide coated paper. This is in direct contrast from the PPC technology which uses regular paper and indirectly transfers the image using a rotating drum and charged particles. A similar technology is still being used in fax and photocopiers today. In 1962, while still in the inferior Coated Paper Copying and marketing under a separate name, the Top Management of Canon challenged their engineers to create a PPC process that would not infringe upon the patents held by Xerox. The engineers answered with the â€Å"New Process† in 1968 and became the first copier to carry the Canon name. Two years later the research came to fruition when the NP1100 was released in Japan. This model utilized dry toner and copied at a whopping rate of ten pages per minute. This, of course, is slow by today’s standards. Canon had finally broken into the PPC market. Riding on the success of this new technology, Canon released the NPL7 in 1972, marketing it exclusively to Japanese companies. This model contained several noticeable improvements over the first generation NP1100. Most notably is that the model was â€Å"More economical, more compact, more reliable,† while still keeping the same quality of copy. (Mintzberg, et al 2003, p. 77) Canon’s Top Management began looking for alternative markets for the Plain Paper Copier in the latter half of the 1970’s. The small office market was identified as Canon’s next target market. They devised a plan to accommodate this market by producing a photocopier, using PPC technology, and offering it to small businesses that did not require the large volume, high speed machines that were currently being offered on the market. The concept itself had the potential to change the market by decentralizing the office photocopier. Prior to this innovation, the photocopier in large offices were centralized to one corner of the office, primarily due to its mammoth size. In 1979, Canon’s concept became a resounding reality. They were able to produce a photocopier that not only met and exceeded the cost and reliability targets that were set by Top Management, but in a more practical application, it was able to reduce the need for constant and continual copier maintenance. Based upon previous experience with patent law, Canon employed the use those laws to protect their new found development. Through the years, Canon has demonstrated several core competencies that have enabled them to propel themselves to the top of the market. First and foremost, Canon has employed a pool of extremely talented engineers who made up Canon’s Research and Development team. Through their research, Canon was able to uncover new and innovative products. This varied product line, which included cameras, calculators, and photocopiers, demonstrates Canon’s diversified product line. This diverse line of merchandise is integral to the company’s survival and has enabled Canon to take a multifaceted approach to technological competition. The more diverse type of products that are offered, the more chances there are for success. This has not always worked out in Canon’s favor however. An example of this would be in the development of the synchroreader. Although the technology was much more advanced than what was on the market, poor marketing decisions and an ignorance of United States patent laws cost Canon that share of the market. Since that time, Canon has taken a step by step approach to their marketing strategies. This is especially apparent with the development and marketing of the NP110 copier. They began by distributing the unit in Japan only in a direct sales format. In doing so a company opens themselves up to the threat of collapse due to spreading themselves too thin. Secondly, we can surmise that an isolated marketing strategy, such as the one that Canon employed when marketing their copier to local Japanese dealers first, will be more effective in the long run. By distributing the product locally at first you can focus on close to home customers rather than across seas customers. Finally, a truly cost effective manufacturing process can be more beneficial at times than the products that come off the assembly lines themselves.

Islam and the Challenge of Democracy Essay

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl is the most prolific of the Islamic thinkers of today’s world. He is a great Islamic jurist and scholar, and is now a Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law giving the students knowledge of Islamic law, Immigration, Human Rights, International and National Security Law. His Islam and the Challenge to Democracy is the quest to find out numerous questions and varied answers in establishing the relation between the principles so enshrined in Democracy and Islamic political and religious tenants. To propound the relationship between the Islam and democracy is not a straightforward as it involves the deep and thorough understanding of the religious and political structures of the Islamic world and Democracy in its entity. Dr Khaled says that issue of democracy in the Islamic world of today is being hotly debated and there are both pro and anti versions to this issue that compete with each other and the biggest challenge before the advocators is to promote the vision of social justice and faith. The very first section only of his most profile book Islam and the Challenge of Democracy straight forwardly says that he does not believe as what other Muslim advocators say that Islam has given birth to Democracy but various elements of Democracy are very well present in the Islam and we can say that Islam too supports Democracy. In this endeavor, he defied the view of radical Islamists as well as hardened Islamophobes who say that as God is sovereign master of whole Universe, therefore the principles of Democracy do not hold true for the Islamic world. El Fadl poises that there is no doubt of the fact that the God is the sovereign power in the Universe yet this is God who has bestowed upon the humans, the power to envisage the right to form rules to govern themselves in the form of deputies or khulafa. In-fact Islam also believes in a form of government, that gives power to the people, transparency in the decision making through shura’ and there is a toleration for any disagreements and disputes arising out of any rule and rules are accountable to his subjects for any actions. El Fadl believes in the formulation of the basic ethical values, and rights for all human beings on this Earth. He focuses that Islam should formulate the laws through ijtihad on which shari‘ah doesn’t have anything to say. He emphasized on the importance of formulating the maslaha or the ‘public good’ and ahkam al-shari‘ah or ‘expediency laws’ to envisage new thought process to develop the understanding of giving equal rights to every one. He admits that any interpretation of Islamic tenets, which has been construed by Islamic religious heads or Islamic religious leaders cannot be held as mere will of the divine power or God. He vehemently opposes the formation of the Islamic state that has all the rights to form the Shari’ah, because he is fully aware of the fact that no human being can interpret the will of the God or divine power. If this is done, it will lead to misunderstanding or very limited understanding of the link or relation between the Islam and will of God and this in turn would mean trying to become equal to God and that’s the biggest sin. This will further lead to authoritative and oppressive state. He said that although Muslim jurists defined and formulated number of political systems, yet there is nothing specific mentioned in Qur’an about any form that Government wishes to take. But Qur’an does recognize social and political values which form the basis in an arena of Muslim politics. Three values that are so enshrined in the Islamic testament: â€Å"Are: pursuing justice through social cooperation and mutual assistance (Qur’an 49:13; 11:119); establishing a non-autocratic, consultative method of governance; and institutionalizing mercy and compassion in social interactions (6:12, 54; 21:107; 27:77; 29:51; 45. 20)†. (El Fadl, Democracy and Divine Sovereignty, 2) Overall Muslims should form the government that would help in endorsing these values. As he said, â€Å"Qur’an says that God has bestowed all human beings a divine power by making them viceroys of God on this earth: He says, â€Å"Remember, when your Lord said to the angels: ‘I have to place a vicegerent on earth,’ they said: ‘Will you place one there who will create disorder and shed blood, while we intone Your litanies and sanctify Your name? ’ And God said: ‘I know what you do not know’† (2:30). (El Fadl, The Case for Democracy, 3) Institutionally it can be pointed out that the ulama, or Jurists can act as interpreters of the words of God and define what is moral and what acts are immoral for the humans. Every word of them is the voice of the God. But the law of the state demands that no religion can be imposed on the working of the state because laws of the state have been formulated by the humans according to their own whims and state itself. And therefore in his own words, â€Å"Democracy is an appropriate system for Islam because it both expresses the special worth of human beings—the status of vicegerency—and at the same time deprives the state of any pretense of divinity by locating ultimate authority in the hands of the people rather than the ‘ulama†. (El Fadl, Shari‘ah and the Democratic State, 20) Finally he says that educators try to enthuse in the soul of the people the moral values of Qu’ran and induce the society to turn towards will of God. But in this world of today, if a person is morally strong but cannot imbibe by full majesty of God but still believes in the fundamental rights of individuals, still have to be answerable to the will of God. It’s not just the mirage of the El Fadl’s views but also the vision of the several scholars on the most crucial and complex subject, Islam and the Challenge of Democracy. The second section of the book consists of short responses to El Fadl’s essay by several scholars. Nader A. Hashemi says that the most prominent aspect to El Fadl is his belief that Democracy can be possible in Islamic countries, with this he proved false, the wildly held belief that Islam is not compatible to democracy. He further said that this idea has gained immense popularity after September 11. He states that biggest challenge in front of the Islamic nations is the choice that they have to make between the modernization and fanaticism and the future of the Middle East all depends on which of them will go for a longer period. John Esposito espoused that El Fadl indicates complex and multiple manner by which Qur’an can be interpreted by the religious fundamentalists, fanatics and politicians to fulfill their various social and political motives. Jeremy Waldron appreciates El Fadl’s study of the theory of the Islamic democracy. Jeremy says that El Fadl conceptualized in the most articulate way the issue of the Islamic tradition and the way in which he poises about the politics and the rule of law in the milieu of the medieval age and how these thoughts were so prevalent in the early modern thought in the Christian era. Also, how the moral and ethical values in the context of good governance had to struggle to make its place in front of scriptural authority and theocratic rule. The most enduring thing was that these ideas not only grew out of the abased environment but also actually kept on presenting itself by religious ideas and ecclesiastical practices. Muqtedar Khan talks about the â€Å"Pact of Medina†, which was signed between the Prophet and Jews and the pagans of the town. This pact he said could be utilized to give the Islamic world the model for democracy and pluralism. In this pact, all the parties were guaranteed equal rights and equal responsibilities. Echoing El Fadl, he pinpointed that Islam should be made a symbol of ethical values and moral principles and should solve all the problems from the new outlook and new democratic perspective. But Saba Mahmood criticized Fadl on the point of liberalization. She says that very concept of liberalization is full of contradictions and the limitations that follow. She further says that he focused more on rights of individuals than on community as a whole. El Fadl also ignored the human rights violations that follow liberalization, which are most popular in the most liberalized states like United States of America. Even Kevin Reinhart revokes same voice as Saba Mahmood by saying that El Fadl ignored the vital point of what the Western nations learned from their liberalized approach in their relations with the other countries including Islamic nations. The whole liberalized approach depends on polices of Westernized nations and the military interventions of the USA in Islamic countries jeopardized whole concept of democracy and liberalization. William Quandt too said that the absence of democracy in the Islamic countries do not lie in their religion perspective but the problem lies in the presence of monarchical or dictatorial regimes in these countries, which partially or all are backed by the Western powers. In William Quandt views lie the whole thrust of the problem in the Islamic countries. The requirement is the political and structural changes in the Islamic world that would bring about social and economic upliftment from the vision of democracy, which El Fadl, all the intellectuals and scholars agree won’t be welcomed by either the ruling regime or the Western allies. All in all, Islam and the Challenge of Democracy is the most thought provoking book ready to be explored and pondered in every religious and political arena of the Islamic world. WORKS CITED El Fadl, Abou Khaled. Islam and the Challenge of Democracy: Can individual rights and popular sovereignty take root in faith? Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004.

Predictors of Interracial Dating and Marriage Essay

Interracial relationships and marriages have long been in existence. It was an inevitable outcome of the migration of various other races to the United States since the time of the Mayflower. Such relationships have weathered the height of social discrimination way back during the human rights movements of the sixties and have evolved from the shadows to the forefront of today’s open and well-balanced relationships between a man and a woman. In the United States, it has always been people from the same social class or those financially equal who end up marrying, it is not necessarily out of love. These parings are usually done in order to preserve a certain social order and it works just fine most of the time. It becomes socially unacceptable therefore for someone of a lower or more inferior social position to â€Å"marry up† and make things unpleasant for the couple because their families and friends often get involved and make dating a living hell for the couple. My researches for this paper have proven to me that skin color has never been an issue for any of the interracial couple. Skin color and race have no bearing on their common interests, goals, ambitions, and beliefs in life. The aforementioned are the key predictors in whether their relationship will work or not and for how long in any normal relationship. Even though such relationships have to usually struggle for acceptance in society, the couples involved do not even notice it anymore because to them, they are simply normal human beings in love with one another. Although interracial couplings made up only 2. 9 percent of marriages since 2002 according to the United States Census Bureau, these marriages seem to last longer and seem to be very widely discussed amongst local populations. It is my opinion that 2 social norms, beliefs and traditions most often dictate who we should have a relationship with and eventually end up starting a family with, these very norms are also the reason why such traditional hook-ups fail. In the case of a relationship, the difference in race, traditions, and beliefs work to keep the pairing interesting since it becomes a learning experience for both parties. A marriage is a union of two souls that become one. It is also a life long learning experience for the spouses as they learn about their varied traditions and beliefs and work with each other towards making those clashing beliefs gel and work towards solidifying the union. The people of the 21st century have seemingly decided to turn a blind eye towards interracial couplings. This may be because the United States has become a melting pot for not only the African- Americans, but for the Asians and Hispanics as well. The greater predictor of whom one will most likely choose to love and marry is no longer based on social norms but on personal preferences regardless of skin color, race, and social standing. An estimated 46. 3 million Americans, with ages ranging from 14-24 compose the Millennial Generation, who no longer believe that race is an issue. Instead they set out looking for others who share common perspectives and interests with them. The modern relationships they are involved in are based in multi-cultural diversity and inclusions. Television programs such as Grey’s Anatomy further help to erase the great racial divide as they provide story lines with interracial couplings, such as the Korean Christina Yang and her immediate superior Preston Burke, who happens to be an African-American. Though different as night and day, their relationship simply works, and never 3 was their culture, race, or skin color called into question by their friends, relatives, and co-workers. Instead, they have had to struggle to make their relationship work because of their personal, not racial, differences; the fact that they are an interracial couple makes them interesting to get to know. In an effort to become a politically correct nation, we have become a race of people suffering from â€Å"color-mute syndrome†. It teaches us not to be a racist person by acknowledging a person’s color or race. We are all becoming involved in the process of learning to choose our friends, lovers, and companion solely on the basis of common ground. Race is no longer an issue these days. It is no longer a make or break factor in relationships because we have learned to see beyond color and race, and all the way into a person’s heart and soul. We no longer judge a person by his skin color. A man no longer carries a stigma because of belonging to a certain race or skin color. There are no longer limitations as to who you can be and whom you can be with. Karina Anglada, a 17-year-old High School senior in Chicago who hails from Puerto Rican roots says, † It goes beyond that to whom you get along with. † That in my own personal opinion, is the greater predictor of whom you might choose to love and marry regardless of social indicators. Works Cited: Sharon Jayson. February 8, 2006. New Generation Doesn’t Blink at Interracial Relationships. USA TODAY. February 8, 2006. Retrieved December 30, 2006 from http://www. usatoday. com/news/nation/2006-02-07-colorblind_x. htm Mary Ann Albright. Love Sees No Color. Corvallis Gazette-Times. December 11, 2004. Retrieved January 2, 2007 from http://www. gazettetimes. com/articles/2004/12/12/news/top_story/sunloc01. txt

Adolescence and Teenage Pregnancy

Here in the Philippines, we believe in the saying of our national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal that â€Å"Youth is the hope of our Mother land†. In their hand lies the future generation to follow. But as we see from the situation nowadays, what were expecting from the youth is the contrary if the saying. Teenagers are prone to pregnancy. Almost every year there is a rapid increase on the number of pregnant youths.One of the major causes of this problem are that most of the youths nowadays grew up in broken homes. Parents either the father or mother of the youths chose to leave their children behind because of the fact that they cannot handle anymore their obligation as parents. In relation to this problem, our government is now working on the Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill) as one of the most effective solution not only to teenage pregnancy but also to the increasing population of our country.Statement of the ProblemThis study answers the following questions:1. At what age did yo u become sexually active? 2. What is your current situation with pregnancy? 3. Was the pregnancy planned? 4. Did you ever think of aborting the baby? 5. How would you rate the following from its substantiality: condoms, pills, morning-after pill, other conceptive methods, STIS and STDS? 6. Do you know the whereabouts of your local family planning clinic? Did you know this before you got pregnant? 7. Do you know of anywhere in your local area where free condoms are available to younger couples? 8. As a teen aged mother, how do you plan to support your child’s financial needs? 9. Are you or your partner currently working? If yes, where do you see yourself in terms of occupation? 10. Can you manage financially, physically, emotionally and mentally your current situation? 11. Do you still continue to pursue your education? 12. Do the people around you respect your current situation at such young age?Significance of the StudyThis study is significance for the following reasons:a.E nhancement of people’s knowledge on number of students indulged in Teenage Pregnancy in Philippines. b.Increase the awareness and knowledge on the increasing number of teenage pregnancy cases. c.To be able for them to absorb and reflect the effects and problems attached in teenage pregnancy. d.To help prevent from indulging from this early pregnancy.Teenagers – they are the ones involved in this case. They could be helped through the informative content of this study. They could realize the negative effects of teenage pregnancy and how it could change their whole life. Society – it could lessen the percentage of single parenthood among the community. It could orient family members on how teenage pregnancy can affect the family most especially the teens. Sources of Contraceptive materials – they may expect an increase in demand due to the awareness of the teenagers on getting pregnant at an early age Local Government – they could be able to implemen t and facilitate projects concerning the rate of teenage pregnancy issue.They could be able to understand the deeper cause of this inflating rate of early pregnancy. Community Members – they could build a strong alliance against teenage pregnancy and they could be a more productive part of the community in terms of cooperating in the alliance Parents – they could expect a better future and a progressive and a more valuable and worthy support to their sons and daughters. Non-Government Organization – they could more stabilize their goals on this sector and comply an efficient purpose on execution of ideas from which this study focuses. They could be more sufficient in terms of project planning and data analysis of social factors of teenage pregnancy. Others – they would get a broader knowledge on how the teenage pregnancy work in the society.Scope and Delimitations of the StudyThis investigation is conducted to determine the rate of teenage students that i s engaged in teenage pregnancy. This way, we could determine the status and profile of the teenager indulged in teenage pregnancy The aspects looked into were the quantitative information of number of teen aged students indulged in teenage pregnancy and the data behind this. This  investigation focuses on number of teen age students indulged in teenage pregnancy in Philippines portrayed by teenagers as respondents during January to February 2011 Definitions of TermsTeenage pregnancy – refers to any pregnancy on women that took place between the ages 13–19 years old. Teen aged Students – refers to students that ages a number that end in â€Å"teen† as the last syllable such as13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 .Rate – refers to a quantity from a recent quantity STIS – refers to Sexually Transmitted Infections STDS – refers to Transmitted DiseasesBibliographyCHAPTER II-REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATUREThe purpose of this section of the study i s to provide a review of relevant literature that focuses on questions related to teenage pregnancy. The Introduction to this study offered an overview of the extent of the problem, its effects and outcomes, and a conceptual framework in which I t was asserted that peer pressure to begin sexual activity coupled with low self-esteem may very well be instrumental in placing some young girls at risk for pregnancy during adolescence.Statistical methodsThe two outcomes were pregnancy rate, a proxy for conception rate, and pregnancy outcome. Both outcomes were measured at the level of small area and were analyzed for each of three age groups, 13-15, 16-17, and 18-19 years, based on the maternal age at conception. Pregnancy rates in 16-17 and 18-19 year olds were expressed as the ratio of observed to expected pregnancies, in order to standardize for marital status. The expected number of pregnancies was derived by applying national rates in married and unmarried teenagers to local married and unmarried populations, then adding the results to obtain a total.The expected number of pregnancies in 13-15 year olds in each area was derived from the total national rate. Pregnancy outcome was expressed as the proportion of conceptions resulting in a  maternity; outcomes classed as miscarriage and other were excluded. This proportion was calculated separately for married and unmarried teenagers in each age group. I considered marital status to be an important indicator of the cultural background of young women, although in some cases conception would have preceded marriage.CONTRIBUTING FACTORSCauses or Effect? The burdens of early childbearing on disadvantaged teens are undeniable. Trying to untangle the factors which contribute to teenage pregnancy from its effects, however, leads to a â€Å"which came first, the chicken or the egg?† dilemma. Educational failure, poverty, unemployment and low self-esteem are understood to be negative outcomes of early childbearing. These circumstances also contribute to the likelihood of teen pregnancy. For example, recent studies suggest that most adolescent mothers have already dropped out of school before they become pregnant. On the other hand, adolescents still enrolled in school when they give birth are as likely to graduate as their peers. It is not clear how well the adolescents with the most problems would have fared in the future even without early parenthood.Following are some of the contributing factors or causes of teenage pregnancy: 1) Lack of Parental Guidance: Most people evade their children from talking about sex. In some cases, they provide false information regarding sex and discourage their children to participate in any informative discussion about sex. In some cases, teenage mothers are not well educated about sex before getting pregnant and thus this leads to lack of communication between the parents and the children.2) Adolescent Sexual Behavior: Among the adolescents, peer pressure is a major factor that encourages the teenage boys and girls to indulge in sexual activities. Early dating, as early as 12 years of age, is another factor that contributes to teen pregnancy. 3) Inadequate Knowledge about Safe Sex: Most adolescents are unaware of safe sex. They probably have no access to the traditional methods of preventing pregnancy. And the main reason behind is that they are either too embarrassed or fear to seek information about it.4) Exploitation by Older Men: This is another major factor that contributes to pregnancy among the teenagers. Those girls who date older men are more likely to become pregnant before they attain womanhood. Rape, sexual exploitations etc. also  takes place that leads to unwanted pregnancy among teenage girls. 5) Socio Economic Factors: Teenage girls who belong to the poor families are more likely to become pregnant. Researchers have found that even in the developed countries teenage pregnancy occurs most commonly among the deprived se ctions.CHAPTER III-METHODOLOGYResearch DesignThe study being conducted is a descriptive research. It includes the collection of data needed to answer the question concerning the current status of the study.Research Respondents The respondents of this research study are the female teen age students that are engaged in teenage pregnancy at Philippines. This study is conducted at Philippines where the study focuses to extract the statistical data of teenage pregnancy. This study is conducted in January-February 2011.Research InstrumentsThe researchers used a self-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire is all about the background of the information about the pregnancy of the teenager. It is structured as to guide the respondent in reflecting and understanding her situation.Validation of Research InstrumentThe research instrument was submitted to our Research Professor to correct and finalize the questionnaire. Hence, there was no dry run conducted due to lack of time.Method of Scor ing and InterpretationIn analyzing the data gathered though the questionnaire, the researcher utilized the following: On the age of the teen aged female student that started to become sexually active Mean Range Interpretation 10 yrs. old and below too minor 11-15 years old early adolescent 16 – 19 years old late adolescent.CHAPTER V-SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONSThis chapter presents the summary, conclusions, recommendations based on the findings on the study.SUMMARYThis study aim to know the rate of teenage pregnancy in Philippines. Specifically, the sought answers about the profile of female high school students in terms of the age when they became sexually active, current situation in her pregnancy, how the pregnancy was done–planned or not, thought of aborting the baby, rate of substantiality of contraceptive materials, effects of teenage pregnancy in the teen’s health, knowledge about the availability of free condoms, how to support the childâ₠¬â„¢s financial needs, partner’s occupational status, management of the situation, pursuance of education, and the dignity and respect of the teen’s social community. The female high school students of ages 12-18 were involved in this study as the respondents.Questionnaires were disseminated to the female high school students in Philippines. The study used the descriptive method of research since it was the most appropriate method to use that a self-structured questionnaire was used as a valuable tool in gathering data from the respondents. The results of the survey were tabulated and their acquired data was statistically analyzed and interpreted in order for the researcher to come up with a better conclusion.CONCLUSIONSThe following conclusions were formulated based on the findings of the study and are presented. 1.The rate of teenage pregnancy in Philippines is very much alarming. It has been observed that the rate of teenage pregnancy is increasing because of curios ity and peer pressure. 2. Most female are sexually active at the age of 11-15.3. Teenagers who are engaged at teenage pregnancy mostly are drop out of school. 4. Teenagers are engaged in this activity due to lack of knowledge about the consequence they are about to face. 5. Teenagers still depend on their parents.6. They don’t know what kind of occupation they will have.RECOMMENDATIONSBased on the conclusions on the study, the following recommendations are hereby presented. 1.Every man and woman has the right to decide what he/she will take on his life. Just be sure that you can stand all the consequences in your every action. 2.Teenage pregnancy is not an easy thing. You should have the knowledge about this and be aware that it has dangerous effects on  a teenager’s life. 3.There is no hindrance in anticipating in this situation.