Case Study: Xerox Essay

Q 1: How would Xerox define Diversity? How has the definition changed over the years? A 1: Diversity means more than race and gender. Diversity means creating an environment where all employees can grow to their fullest potential. The first chairman of Xerox, Johnson C. Wilson had the commitment to diversify. Chairman Wilson took proactive steps to create a more diverse workplace in response to race riots in the 1960s. He called for increased hiring of African Americans in order to achieve equality among its workplace. Throughout the 1970s Xerox established an internal affirmative action office and began to hire significant number of minority employees. Xerox placed an emphasis on the advancement of minorities and females in the 1980s. It was during that Barry Rand, an African American, was named the first minority president of a division. In the 1990s sexual orientation was included in the company’s Equal Opportunity policy. Xerox has 50% of its workforce made up by women and minorities. Of that 50%, 48.2% are Xerox’s senior executives. In 2007, Ursula Burns was named the first African American female president of Xerox Corporation. The definition of diversity was changed by Anne M. Mulcahy. She said Diversity was the key to success. Diversity breeds creativity. Companies ruled by a hierarchy of imagination, and filled with people of all ages, races, and backgrounds challenge each other’s underlying assumptions, freeing everybody from convention and orthodoxy. In summary: According to Xerox, diversity is more than just race/gender/numbers. It is about inclusion! By including people of all ages, races, and backgrounds,  Xerox can create a place where employees can grow to their fullest potential with their different ways of thinking, perceiving, and creating innovative solutions. They believe diversity=innovation=success. Over the years you can Xerox maintain their strong focus on diversity. In the 60’s they hired African Americans to improve equality in the workplace. In the 80’s they continued hiring minorities AND women, and in the 90’s hired many of different sexual orientations. Q2: What are the seven reasons why Xerox should be motivated to diversify their workforce? Illustrate how Xerox shows it values its workplace diversity. A: 1.Diversity means different ways of thinking, perceiving, and innovating. Innovation is the reason they are at the top of their industry. 2. Diversity creates productive people. Hiring people of different minorities and backgrounds improves equality and enhances individuality and increases productivity. 3. Diversity is highly respectable. In today’s day and age, America has become very diverse. And to diversify one’s company along with the country will result in respect. Xerox has been named one of the Top 10 companies by Fortune, Forbes, Working Mother, Latino Style, and Enable magazines. 4. Diversity spurs creativity. To enjoy work, feel included, express individuality, and use owns different outlook enhances creativity among employees. 5. Diversity instills commitment. Xerox values diversity from entry-level positions up to the highest seat in the house. With a female African-American as the president encourages employees that anyone can do it and commitment is powerful. 6. Diversity serves as an inspiration for other companies. Diversity for Xerox is inspirational. Their logic and beliefs for diversity truly benefits them and their employees and it is evident through their success and ranking. Diversity in the workplace represents the real world: a place of different religions and beliefs but they all have the same skills, high work ethic, and devotion. 7. Diversity has been working and going strong. Because of success with diversity, Xerox should continue focusing on it. They have a 100% rating on Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index and its Best Places to Work survey. Illustration is a chart: This chart demonstrates diversity in the Xerox company. 3. Xerox defies the leaking pipeline phenomenon. The leaking pipeline is something that explains that women don’t have enough senior positions in the workforce, and then leave before they have the opportunity to receive them. Xerox defies this because they, from the beginning, have been committed to the idea that whoever is right for the job, regardless of background, gender, or sexual orientation, will get the job. This commitment not only enables women to reach those higher positions, but also gives them the motivation to keep working hard and not abandon the business out of fear the company might not promote women. 4. No one can argue that Xerox has not taken major strides towards diversity within their corporation. After all, Xerox made history when Ursula Burns succeeded Anne Mulcahy as its chief executive officer (CEO) in July of 2009. This transfer of power marked the first time ever that a female CEO of a Fortune 500 company was succeeded by another female. As historic as this female to female hand-off was, what made it even more remarkable was that fact that Ursula Burns is also an African-American. With this in mind, one may naturally ask, â€Å"How do women and minorities within the upper management of other Fortune 500 companies compare to Xerox?†. In order to answer this question with authority, our group sought out many reliable sources such as established magazines, think tanks, and websites devoted entirely to the task of tracking, analyzing, and encouraging the idea of diversifying our corporate world. Moreover, since our case and its’ questions were published in 2012, we found it best to compare the other companies to Xerox as they stood in 2012 as well. Lastly, our group also assumed that â€Å"the highest levels of each organization† refers to the corporations’ CEOs and their board of directors. According to the Huffington Post, in 2012 only eighteen (or 3.6 percent) of the five hundred chief executive officers comprised of the Fortune 500 corporations were women1. Of these eighteen eighteen women, only one other was of a minority status – Indra K. Nooyi of Pepsico. Mrs. Nooyi is of Asian/Pacific descent, more specifically, Indian. Hence, with this data we can gather that in 2012 the number of minority women CEOs in the Fortune 500  was a mere two. Comprised of these two were one African-American, one Asian-American, and zero Hispanics. In total, less than one half of one percent of the Fortune 500 CEOs in 2012 were held by minority women. This startling statistic proves that women and minorities are extremely under-represented in the Fortune 500 CEO class. With women occupying eighteen percent of the CEOs positions of 2012’s Fortune 500, the remaining eighty-two percent of positions were occupied by men. Minority men fared better than their female counterparts, but not by much. With a little bit of algebra and data obtained from The Center for American Progress2, one can calculate eight men of Asian descent (1.6 percent), six men of Hispanic descent (1.2 percent), and three African-American men (0.6 percent) held the titles of CEOs within the Fortune 500 of 2012. The four hundred sixty-five (93 percent) residual positions were all held by Non-Hispanic white males. When we expanded our search to include all of the board members for each each of these companies we were greeted with slightly better news. According to Missing Pieces: Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards the report published in 2012 by the Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD), women and minorities combined accounted for 13.3 percent3 of all of the Fortune 500’s board members in 2012. The ABD ranked Xerox as the 35th most diverse board that year. Xerox cares about diversity and it shows. There are many things that other corporations can do to increase diversity in their workplace. For example, human resources personnel can host recruitment events in ethnically diverse areas, such as inner cities. Placing ads in cultural papers, leaving fliers at different churches, and participating in a job fairs may also lead to finding more diverse candidates to apply for and fill their needed positions. With a more diverse staff, more companies can expect an influx of ideas, new talents and perspectives, and increased returns on investments.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 18

After breakfast Matt went online to find two stores, neither in Fel ‘s Church, that had the amount of clay Mrs. Flowers said she'd need and that said they'd deliver. But after that there was the matter of driving away from the boardinghouse and by the last lonely remains of where the Old Wood had been. He drove by the little thicket where Shinichi often came like a demonic Pied Piper with the possessed children shuffling behind him – the place where Sheriff Mossberg had gone after them and hadn't come out. Where, later, protected by magical wards on Post-it Notes, he and Tyrone Alpert had pul ed out a bare, chewed femur. Today, he figured the only way to get past the thicket was to work his wheezing junk car up by stages, and it was actual y going over sixty when he flew by the thicket, even managing to hit the turn perfectly. No trees fel on him, no swarms of foot-long bugs. He whispered â€Å"Whoa,†in relief and headed for home. He dreaded that – but simply driving through Fel ‘s Church was so horrible it glued his tongue to the top of his mouth. It looked – this pretty, innocent little town where he had grown up – as if it were one of those neighborhoods you saw on TV or on the Internet that had been bombed, or something. And whether it was bombs or disasterous fires, one house in four was simply rubble. A few were half-rubble, with police tape enclosing them, which meant that whatever had happened had happened early enough for the police to care – or dare. Around the burned-out bits the vegetation flourished strangely: a decorative bush from one house grown so as to be halfway across a neighbor's grass. Vines dipping from one tree to another, to another, as if this were some ancient jungle. His home was right in the middle of a long block of houses ful of kids – and in summer, when grandchildren inevitably came to visit, there were even more kids. Matt just hoped that that part of summer vacation was done†¦but would Shinichi and Misao let the youngsters go home? Matt had no idea. And, if they went home, would they keep spreading the disease in their own hometowns? Where did it stop? Driving down his block, though, Matt saw nothing hideous. There were kids playing out on the front lawns, or the sidewalks, crouching over marbles, hanging out in the trees. There was no single overt thing that he could put his finger on There was no single overt thing that he could put his finger on that was weird. He was Stilluneasy. But he'd reached his house now, the one with a grand old oak tree shading the porch, so he had to get out. He coasted to a stop just under the tree and parked by the sidewalk. He grabbed a large laundry bag from the backseat. He'd been accumulating dirty clothes for a couple of weeks at the boardinghouse and it hadn't seemed fair to ask Mrs. Flowers to wash them. As he got out of the car, pul ing the bag out with him, he was just in time to hear the birdsong stop. For a moment after it did, he wondered what was wrong. He knew that something was missing, cut short. It made the air heavier. It even seemed to change the smel of the grass. Then he realized. Every bird, including the raucous crows that lived in the oak trees, had gone silent. All at once. Matt felt a twisting in his bel y as he looked up and around. There were two kids in the oak tree right beside his car. His mind was Stillstubbornly trying to hang on to: Children. Playing. Okay. His body was smarter. His hand was already in his pocket, pul ing out a pad of Post-it Notes: the flimsy bits of paper that usual y stopped evil magic cold. Matt hoped Meredith would remember to ask Isobel's mother for more amulets. He was running low, and†¦ †¦and there were two kids playing in the old oak tree. Except they weren't. They were staring at him. One boy was hanging upside down by his knees and the other was gobbling something†¦out of a garbage bag. The hanging kid was staring at him with strangely acute eyes. â€Å"Have you ever wondered what it's like to be dead?†he asked. And now the head of the gobbling boy came up, thick bright red al around his mouth. Bright red – – blood. And†¦whatever was in the garbage bag was moving. Kicking. Thrashing weakly. Trying to get away. A wave of nausea washed over Matt. Acid hit his throat. He was going to puke. The gobbling kid was staring at him with stony black-as-a-pit eyes. The hanging kid was smiling. Then, as if stirred by a hot breath of wind, Matt felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It wasn't just the birds that had gone quiet. Everything had. No child's voice was raised in argument or song or speech. He whirled around and saw why. They were staring at him. Every single kid on the block was silently watching him. Then, with a chil ing precision, as he turned back to look at the boys in the tree, al the others came toward him. Except they weren't walking. They were creeping. Lizard-fashion. That's why some of them had seemed to be playing with marbles on the sidewalk. They were al moving in the same way, bel ies close to the ground, elbows up, hands like forepaws, knees splaying to the side. Now he could taste bile. He looked the other way down the street and found another group creeping. Grinning unnatural grins. It was as if someone was pul ing their cheeks from behind them, pul ing them hard, so that their grins almost broke their faces in half. Matt noticed something else. Suddenly they'd stopped, and while he stared at them, they stayed Still. Perfectly Still, staring back at him. But when he looked away, he saw the creeping figures out of the corner of his eye. He didn't have enough Post-it Notes for al of them. You can't run away from this. It sounded like an outside voice in his head. Telepathy. But maybe that was because Matt's head had turned into a roiling red cloud, floating upward. Fortunately, his body heard it and suddenly he was up on the back of his car, and had grabbed the hanging kid. For a moment he had a helpless impulse to let go of the boy. The kid Stillstared at him but with eerie, uncanny eyes that were half rol ed back in his head. Instead of dropping him, Matt slapped a Post-It Note on the boy's forehead, swinging him at the same time to sit on the back of the car. A pause and then wailing. The kid must be fourteen at least, but about thirty seconds after the Ban Against Evil (pocket-size) was smacked on him he was sobbing real kid sobs. As one, the crawling kids let out a hiss. It was like a giant steam engine. Hsssssssssssssssssssssss. They began to breathe in and out very fast, as if working up to some new state. Their creeping slowed to a crawl. But they were breathing so hard Matt could see their sides hol ow and fil . As Matt turned to look at one group of them, they froze, except for the unnatural breathing. But he could feel the ones behind him getting closer. By now Matt's heart was pounding in his ears. He could fight a group of them – but not with a group on his back. Some of them looked only ten or eleven. Some looked almost his age. Some were girls, for God's sake. Matt remembered what possessed girls had done the last time he'd met them and felt violent revulsion. But he knew that looking up at the gobbling kid was going to make him sicker. He could hear smacking, chewing sounds – and he could hear a thin little whistle of helpless pain and weak struggling against the bag. He whirled quickly again, to keep off the other side of crawlers, and then made himself look up. With a quiet crackle, the garbage bag fel away when he grabbed it but the kid held on to what was in – Oh my God. He's eating a baby! A baby! A – He yanked the kid out of the tree and his hand automatical y slapped a Post-It onto the boy's back. And then – then, thank God, he saw the fur. It wasn't a baby. It was too smal to be a baby, even a newborn. But it was eaten. The kid raised his bloody face to Matt's, and Matt saw that it was Cole Reece, Cole who was only thirteen and lived right next door. Matt hadn't even recognized him before. Cole's mouth was wide open in horror now, and his eyes were bulging out of his head with terror and sorrow, and tears and snot were streaming down his face. â€Å"He made me eat Toby,†he started in a whisper that became a scream. â€Å"He made me eat my guinea pig! He made me – why why why did he do that? I ATE TOBY!† He threw up al over Matt's shoes. Blood-red vomit. Merciful death for the animal. Quick, Matt thought. But this was the hardest thing he'd ever tried to do. How to do it – a hard stomp on the creature's head? He couldn't. He had to try something else first. Matt peeled off a Post-It Note and put it, trying not to look, on the fur. And just like that it was over. The guinea pig went slack. The spel had undone whatever had been keeping it alive up to this point. There was blood and puke on Matt's hands, but he made himself turn to Cole. Cole had his eyes shut tight and little choking sounds came from him. Something in Matt snapped. â€Å"You want some of this?†he shouted, holding out the Post-it pad as if it were the revolver he'd left with Mrs. Flowers. He whirled again, shouting, â€Å"You want some? How about you? You, Josh?†He was recognizing faces now. â€Å"You, Madison? How 'bout you, Bryn? Bring it on! You all bring it on! BRING IT – â€Å" Something touched his shoulder. He spun, Post-it Note ready. Then he stopped short and relief bubbled up in him like Evian water at some fancy restaurant. He was staring right into the face of Dr. Alpert, Fel ‘s Church's own country doctor. She had her SUV parked beside his car, in the middle of the street. Behind her, protecting her back, was Tyrone, who was going to be next year's quarterback at Robert E. Lee High. His sister, a sophomore-to-be, was trying to get out of the SUV too, but she stopped when Tyrone saw her. â€Å"Jayneela!† he roared in a voice only the Tyre-minator could produce. â€Å"You get back in and buckle up! You know what Mom said! You do it now!† Matt found himself clutching at Dr. Alpert's chocolate brown hands. He knew she was a good woman, and a good caretaker, who had adopted her daughter's young children when their divorced mother had died of cancer. Maybe she would help him, too. He began babbling. â€Å"Oh, God, I've gotta get my mom out. My mom lives here alone. And I have to get her away from here.†He knew he was sweating. He hoped he wasn't crying. â€Å"Okay, Matt,†the doctor said in her husky voice. â€Å"I'm getting my own family out this afternoon. We're going to stay with relatives in West Virginia. She's welcome to come.† It couldn't be this easy. Matt knew he had tears in his eyes now. He refused to blink, though, and let them come down. â€Å"I don't know what to say – but if you would – you're an adult, you see. She won't listen to me. She will listen to you. This whole block is infected. This kid Cole – â€Å"He couldn't go on. But Dr. Alpert saw it al in a flash – the animal, the boy with blood on his teeth and his mouth, Stillretching. Dr. Alpert didn't react. She just had Jayneela throw her a packet of Wet Wipes from the SUV and held the heaving kid with one hand, while vigorously scrubbing his face clean. â€Å"Go home,†she told him sternly. â€Å"You have to let the infected ones go,†she said to Matt, with a terrible look in her eyes. â€Å"Cruel as it seems, they only pass it on to the few who're Stillwell.†Matt started to tel her about the effectiveness of the Post-it Note amulets, but she was already cal ing, â€Å"Tyrone! Come over here and you boys bury this poor animal. Then you be ready to move Mrs. Honeycutt's things into the van. Jayneela, you do what your brother says. I'm going in for a little talk with Mrs. Honeycutt right now.† She didn't raise her voice much. She didn't need to. The Tyre-minator was obeying, backing up to Matt, watching the last of the creeping children that Matt's explosion hadn't scattered. He's quick, Matt realized. Quicker than me. It's like a game. As long as you watch them they can't move. They took turns being the watcher and handling the shovel. The earth here was hard as rock, heavy with weeds. But somehow they got a hole dug and the work helped them mental y. They buried Toby, and Matt walked around like some foot-dragging monster, trying to get the vomit off his shoes in the grass. Suddenly beside them there was the noise of a door banging open and Matt ran, ran to his mother, who was trying to heft a huge suitcase, much too heavy for her, through the door. Matt took it from her and felt himself encompassed in her hug even though she had to stand on tip-toes to do it. â€Å"Matt, I can't just leave you – â€Å" â€Å"He'l be one of those to get the town out of this mess,†Dr. Alpert said, overriding her. â€Å"He'l clean it up. Now we've got to get out so we don't drag him down. Matt, just so you know, I heard that the McCul oughs are getting out too. Mr. and Mrs. Sulez don't seem to be going yet, and neither do the Gilbert-Maxwells.†She said the last two words with a distinct emphasis. The Gilbert-Maxwells were Elena's aunt Judith, her husband Robert MaxWell, and Elena's little sister, Margaret. There was no real reason to mention them. But Matt knew why Dr. Alpert had. She remembered seeing Elena when this whole mess had started. Despite Elena's purification of the woods where Dr. Alpert had been standing, the doctor remembered. â€Å"I'l tel – Meredith,†Matt said, and looking her in the eyes, he nodded a little, as if to say, I'l tel Elena, too. â€Å"Anything else to carry?†Tyrone asked. He was encumbered by a canary birdcage, with the little bird frantical y beating its wings inside, and a smal er suitcase. â€Å"No, but how can I thank you?†Mrs. Honeycutt said. â€Å"Thanks later – now, everybody in,†said Dr. Alpert. â€Å"We are taking off.† Matt hugged his mother and gave her a little push toward the SUV, which had already swal owed the birdcage and smal suitcase. â€Å"Good-bye!†everyone was yel ing. Tyrone stuck his head out of the window to say, â€Å"Cal me whenever! I want to help!† And then they were gone. Matt could hardly believe it was over; it had happened so fast. He ran inside the open door of his house and got his other pair of running shoes, just in case Mrs. Flowers couldn't fix the smel of the ones he was wearing. When he burst out of the house again he had to blink. Instead of the white SUV there was a different white car parked beside his. He looked around the block. No children. None at al . And the birdsong had come back. There were two men in the car. One was white and one was black and they both were around the age to be concerned fathers. Anyway they had him cut off, the way their car was parked. He had no choice but to go up to them. As soon as he did they both got out of the car, watching him as if he was as dangerous as a kitsune. The instant they did that, Matt knew he'd made a mistake. â€Å"You're Matthew Jeffrey Honeycutt?† Matt had no choice but to nod. â€Å"Say yes or no, please.† â€Å"Yes.†Matt could see inside the white car now. It was a stealth police car, one of those with lights inside, al ready to be fixed outside if the officers wanted to let you in on the secret. â€Å"Matthew Jeffrey Honeycutt, you are under arrest for assault and battery upon Caroline Beula Forbes. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up this right, anything you say can and wil be used against you in a court of law – â€Å" â€Å"Didn't you see those kids?†Matt was shouting. â€Å"You had to have seen one or two of them! Didn't that mean anything to you?† â€Å"Lean over and put your hands on the front of the car.† â€Å"It's going to destroy the whole town! You're helping it!† â€Å"Do you understand these rights – ?† â€Å"Do you understand what is going on in Fel ‘s Church?† There was a pause this time. And then, in perfectly even tones, one of the two said, â€Å"We're from Ridgemont.†

How do you respond to the view that in the stories in The Bloody Chamber Angela Carter presents a sinister distortion of family relationships? Essay

?How do you respond to the view that in the stories in The Bloody Chamber Angela Carter presents a sinister distortion of family relationships? Within Carter’s short stories, she may present a sinister distortion of family relationships by subverting ‘typical’ family roles, perhaps in a way that has a harmful or negative outcome for particular family members. She could appear to do this through the presentation of the parent and child relationships in The Snow Child, or the husband and wife relationship in The Bloody Chamber. The Gothic element of the stories is emphasised through the ‘sinister’ aspect of these distortions, as the relationships Carter presents can be somewhat disturbing. However, in some of her stories it appears that family relationships are not distorted, such as the mother and daughter relationship in The Bloody Chamber or the father and daughter relationship in The Courtship of Mr Lyon. In The Snow Child, Carter may subvert the typical expected roles of parents as the behaviour of the Count and Countess towards their ‘child’ is deemed very unusual. The Count behaves in a particularly alarming manner, portraying an obvious sexual attraction to the girl who appears before him after listing the qualities he desires. She is a clear manifestation of his fantasy, and is described as the â€Å"child of his desire†, which immediately signals abnormality for the reader as â€Å"desire† perhaps suggests a sexual element whilst â€Å"child† reminds us that she fulfils the family role of a daughter, thus highlighting her childlike innocence. The girl is described as â€Å"stark naked†, implying an eroticism about her, and alluding to the idea of female nudity as a part of male fantasy which is disturbing and sinister for the reader considering the Count is a father figure to her. Also, after the child’s death Carter describes how the Count â€Å"thrust his virile member into the dead girl†, and this explicit, shocking description of the sexual act emphasises the disturbing nature of the father and child relationship. It is possible that Carter chose to describe this act of necrophilia so explicitly in order to emphasise to the reader the harsh realities of some perhaps sexually abusive relationships within families. The helplessness of the â€Å"dead girl† and the Countess simply watching on perhaps highlights how females are often the victims of men and can be powerless, so fulfilling Carter’s feminist agenda that is evident in many of her other short stories. Carter may also present a sinister distortion of family relationships through the husband and wife relationship portrayed in The Bloody Chamber. The Marquis is obviously dominant within the relationship, exercising an excessive control over his new bride that eventually proves to be a serious threat to her once she discovers that he aims to murder her as he did his previous wives. Carter presents the ruby choker as a symbol within the story that represents the Marquis’ control over his bride. It is described as â€Å"clasped around my throat†, the violently threatening word â€Å"clasped† creating a sinister tone as it alludes to the image of strangling, thus suggesting the Marquis has an aggressive control over his wife. The ruby choker is also likened to â€Å"an extraordinarily precious slit throat†, again connoting danger for the bride and perhaps suggesting the potentiality for her to be a victim of murder. The Marquis himself is described as a powerful and dominant figure, as animalistic imagery is used to emphasise his authoritative nature within the relationship. The description of the â€Å"leonine shape of his head† and his â€Å"dark mane† liken him to an animal such as a lion, and so suggest a natural authority about him whilst highlighting his ability to perhaps behave like a predatory animal. The Marquis also has a clear sexual dominance within the relationship, as the bride describes; â€Å"his movements seemed to me deliberately coarse, vulgar†. The adjectives â€Å"coarse† and â€Å"vulgar† suggest a lack of romantic intimacy within the relationship, and the Marquis acting â€Å"deliberately† creates a sinister tone as it suggests he is fully aware of the power he is purposefully exercising over his bride. However, the father and daughter relationship in The Courtship of Mr Lyon may suggest that Carter does not present a sinister distortion of family relationships as despite the father’s recklessness, the paternal love he has for his daughter is evident to the reader. She is described as â€Å"his Beauty, his girl-child, his pet†, suggesting his affectionate love for her and the possessive pronoun â€Å"his† emphasises their physical connection as father and daughter. Beauty also shows her concern for her father and eagerness for him to return home, as Carter describes her thoughts of, â€Å"I hope he’ll be safe†. This makes it evident to the reader that both father and daughter share an emotional bond, so implying they have a healthy and loving relationship. The father also wishes to give Beauty what she desires, in this case a single white rose. He becomes so desperate to fulfil her wishes that he resorts to stealing a rose from the Beast’s garden despite having just heard â€Å"a mighty, furious roaring†; the justification for doing this is â€Å"because he loved his daughter†. This portrays the strength of paternal love, as it has caused the father to go to extreme lengths to please his daughter, in which he is fully aware of the threat it poses to him. The father in The Courtship of Mr Lyon is not without fault; not only does he steal the rose, but the reader learns that he has lost his fortunes through gambling. However, through the portrayal of the positive father-daughter relationship, Carter may be showing how the flaws of the father along with the love he has for his daughter makes him human, which links to the metamorphosis of the Beast to a human in the ending. Therefore, Carter may be suggesting that love and positive family relationships are what make us human. Overall, it appears that in some cases Carter does present a sinister distortion of family relationships, and often it is this element of her stories that emphasises their Gothic aspect. The subversion of typical family roles in a way that is nonconforming to what the reader considers the norm often proves to be disturbing and adds to the suspense of the stories. Carter often uses the distorted family relationships to suggest that danger can come from within the home. However, this is not always the case as some family relationships within Carter’s stories are deemed as normal and positive, and Carter uses other elements of the stories to conform to the Gothic genre. The positive relationships portrayed may be a way for Carter to present other ideology, often about how ‘love conquers all’.

The reflection of the case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The reflection of the - Case Study Example This is one of the dilemmas facing Kamen and Segway entering into the market, and what the early investors in Credit Suisse and Perkins were also facing, investing close to $37 million each and for that getting only about seven percent of total equity. That meant they were valuing Segway very highly, while allowing Kamen to hold majority shares of the firm. It was an educated gamble and entails a lot of risk. The risk mitigation measures, such as the undertaking of formal and rigorous market research, were essentially not present in this case. The investors, and Kamen, had to go on faith that Kamen’s intuitions are correct. One can argue that from the perspective of the market, there are many other unknowns too that make the Segway venture more complicated. There are the laws on the use of the Segway in public streets and the way they are to be regulated or not that add to the uncertainty of the success of the product. Moreover, there are unknowns too with regard to whether th ere are going to be oppositions from vested interests who may be adversely affected by the success of the Segway, including the traditional car manufacturers, and even the oil companies, whose sales and profits will be affected by the success of the new machine. One can expect that these vested interests will not take the introduction of the Segway and the threat to their livelihoods sitting down. Of course if the threat is real they have the motivation to block its success, by lobbying for the Segway’s regulation for instance, and making it difficult for the Segway to gain access to roads. These and other vested interests will surely put up a fight. Then too, as the article notes, it is not clear at that point whether the market will warm up to the new vehicle, given that the American love affair with automobiles is deeply entrenched in the culture and is part of the American psyche, immortalized in art, in popular culture, in the movies, and in

Assignment for Business Integration Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

For Business Integration - Assignment Example If the employee productivity is at its highest level then the company would be beneficial after all. So every company should take care that every employee of the company is highly motivated so that they can provide their full effort. If an employee becomes demoralized then he can’t provide his 100% effort for the company as well as the employee can leave the organization, which is in turn the loss of the organization itself. Some researchers have stated some theories, following these principles the company management can make sure that the employees are well motivated. This report is an attempt to analyze the Hertzberg’s factor theories which influence the employees’ motivation positively and thereby suggesting some ways to improving the performance of the team members. Hertzberg’s Factor Theories Among the motivational theories presented by certain researchers the factor theories of Professor Frederick Herzberg is an important one. The motivation- hygiene theory of Herzberg was presented in three volumes. In the year 1959 it was first stated by Him. After that the theory was elaborated by him and at present the theory is applied by many organizations. The research about the motivation to work had two hypotheses. These are as follows The factors which are causing positive attitudes among the employees which affected their performance and the factors which are causing negative attitudes among the employees are different. The factors which affect the performance of the employees or personally differs for the job events which are extended over long term than the job events which are of short duration. From the research outcomes the factors which leading to job satisfaction and the factors which leading to job dissatisfaction are specified and thus it became the part of the theory. There are five factors of job satisfaction recognized by the researcher. These are the work of the employee (Is it challenging or not), the verbal recognition , the responsibility in the organization, the achievement and the promotion of the employee in the organization. If these five things are present in the organization then the basic needs of the employee will be satisfied and the employee would be able to produce an improved performance. On the other hand there are also certain factors which lead to the job dissatisfaction of the employees. These factors are the policy of the company and the practice of the administration, the working conditions, the interpersonal relations between the employees and especially with the supervisor, the technical quality of the supervisor, job security and remuneration. These factors are represented by Herzberg as the hygiene factors. Herzberg argued that when these hygiene factors are appropriately provided by the company management then the dissatisfaction of the employees is removed and performance of the employee get improved to a certain point. But providing only these factors don’t ensure the performance to the high level which is possible potentially. Regarding the human motivation Herzberg said that human being has two kinds of needs. One is the basic needs (life security, hunger, pain etc) and the other need is of psychological growth. Herzberg emphasized that there are need of motivators in the company as the employees who are the hygiene seekers are motivated only for a short term. They need external

Intro to fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intro to fiction - Essay Example The main character in the story sees Mangan’s sister at the time when they were playing with other boys. The boys used to admire the way Mangan’s sister walked and the ways she had made her hair. This desire in the boy is brought out when he describes the ways the hair of Mangan’s sister moved as she walked. â€Å"soft rope of hair tossed from side to side,†(Joyce 14). This story shows the way in which boys get mental confusion as they begin to notice the beauty in women. The main character in the story is still too young to understand issues of love. He does not know how to please a beautiful girl. He decides to go to the market to buy a good present for the girl hoping to win her love. However, he starts to feel some sense of confusion as he realizes the confusion of love. He fails to win the love of the girl and suffers deeply because of rejection. The behavior of the boys in the story by James Joyce is almost similar to the behavior of the three men in the story called â€Å"A Woman on a Roof.† In this second story the three men see a woman sunbathing on the roof of her house. The woman is dressed scantily and the men can see most of her nakedness. The men are caught up by desire and want to catch the attention of the women. All of them try in different ways to attract the woman but she refuses to listen to them. However, she remains on the roof as she enjoys the sun. The men are Tom, Stanley, and Harry. Tom is the youngest of them while Harry is the oldest. Tom is very much interested in loving the woman. He does not have a lot of experience in issues of love and thinks that he is the only one who can love the woman in the proper way. He does not want the other men to win the love of the woman. However, the woman rejects all of them. Stanley is very angry with the woman because he thinks that women must love men. According to Stanley, the actions of the woman are equal to â€Å"a crime gotten away with,† (Lessing 858). This means that

Benefits of Going Green. Improving the Environmental and Ethical Image Essay

Benefits of Going Green. Improving the Environmental and Ethical Image of a Restaurant - Essay Example It is practically one of the biggest business trends of the last quarter of a century alongside adoption of computers and the internet. This then begs the question; what has prompted organizations to take up green ways? Investigations into the issue point to the fact that going green is not just empty trend, but a powerful strategy to gain competitive advantage for organizations in modern times. It enables a company to create a good corporate image and reduce costs thus maximizing profitability. Although there is evidence to support this, several companies have still not found going green a strategy worth pursuing. Hence, this part of the paper explores what going green entails and the benefits it accrues to businesses especially in the automobile industry, the food industry and the accounting/audit industry, which can be extrapolated to any other businesses. What is â€Å"Going Green?† Going green in a business is usually defined as the practice of monitoring, reducing and measuring the environmental and social costs of conducting business (Polimeni et al. 2010). Going green generally involves reducing wastes, decreasing use of energy and adoption of recycling techniques. Depending on the industry, strategies for going green include cutting on paper work, encouraging employees to car-pool, giving incentives to employees to adopt green technologies such as buying hybrid vehicles, reusable water bottles and using alternative sources of energy among others. A company that wishes to go green needs to make it a policy and communicate this to its employees. The policy should contain the company’s commitment to go green and the proposed strategies of doing this as appropriate to the company. The management should be committed to adopt these strategies in order to make employees follow suit. Benefits of Going Green The benefits of adopting green strategies are wide and varied across all industries, especially with the recent global economic melt-down. Case examples of industries that have adopted these strategies and the benefits they have accrued are studied and general benefits accrued discussed at the end. One of the biggest sectors that is directly affected and directly influences all other organizations in terms of the environment is the automobile industry. Vehicle manufacturers are at the forefront of adoption of green technologies, and thus the increasing emphasis on hybrid and electric vehicle. Robinson’s and Schroelder’s (2009) study of Subaru Indiana Automotive Inc. illustrates that through green principles and efficiency improves not only environmental conservation but also profits plus competitive advantages. Employees at every level in the company continuously pursue strategies to increase efficiency, reduce production of wastes and also reduce energy consumption. The strategies have resulted in 14% reduction of ele ctricity consumption since the year 2000, plus the company has not taken any wastes to the depository since 2004 as of 2009. The company has saved on costs in both long term and short term basis, with habits such as dimming lights when workers are on a break reaping immediate savings on costs. Other strategies such as redesigning processes initially increased costs but they have over time resulted in cost-saving. The two authors also found out that going green in the company involves detailed scrutiny of operations and new perspectives, which lead to innovations that create competitive advan

Software and Data Sharing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Software and Data Sharing - Essay Example According to Tan & Payton (Eds), data sharing is different in CHIN models from Mayo clinic because CHIN uses data sharing and health IT innovations to improve partnerships between clinicians, public health leaders, policy makers, and informatics experts. CHIN community partners gain from the shared data such as centralized data warehouse a connected electronic health record. Contrary to this, Mayo clinic shares its data through creating software, tools, and services for large scale health records. The risk of a Community Health Information Network (CHIN) is that membership in it, if not controlled can lead to greater risks associated with the law. The benefits include facilitation of care, lower cost of care, and knowledgeable choice to the patients. The providers on the other hand reduce segregation of rural physicians, mange complete cost of therapy, and develop a competitive market

Legal & Tax Implications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal & Tax Implications - Essay Example Your organizations expenses for the event total ,000. Artists, galleries, and individuals donate art to be auctioned at the event. Purchasers of tickets to the event, donors of art, and purchasers of the art at the auction have asked for receipts to substantiate their gifts (for income tax deduction purposes) to your organization. How do you respond? With regards to gifts of art, the law states that â€Å"gifts of art and other tangible personal property are not deductible if there are "intervening interests." For example, if a person gives a painting to a museum but does not actually deliver the painting and retains it in her home, then the gift is not complete until the actual delivery to the museum occurs. At that time, the gift is deductible. Sec. 170(a)(3). The obvious purpose of the rule is to allow the deduction only when the charity actually has ownership and control of the art or other personal property.† (Crescendo Interactive, Inc. 2009) Therefore, the purchasers of tickets to the event, donors of art, and purchasers of the art at the auction who have asked for receipts to substantiate their gifts can only do so when their respective art pieces have actually been sold and the proceeds have been remitted to the charitable organization holding the fundraising event. Case Study 2: P.J. Morgan started a bank in 1947. Morgans bank merged with Mega Bank Corporation (a publicly traded company) in 2000. Morgan now owns 1 million shares of Mega Bank Corporation. The share price is currently 0 per share and Morgans cost basis in the stock is .01 per share. Morgan has pledged ,000 to your organization and he plans to write a check for that amount before the end of the tax year. What might be another option Morgan should consider? What are the tax implications? According to Eisenhower Medical Center Foundation (EMCF), the basic rule is that â€Å"The basic rule is that a gift to a charity is deductible when the property or cash is delivered

Literature ans society Essay Example for Free

Literature ans society Essay The literature of an age, and its social set up keeping and reacting one over the other. Literature influences the society; society is reflected in Literature and in this way, in all languages and at all times there has been a close interaction between the two. Literature of any age cannot escape the influence of the social scene and therefore is found reflecting the society of the age when it is created. The poet, the dramatist, the novelist, the essayist are all the product of their age and their-age openly and clearly gets imaged in their compositions. That cannot be helped, it so seems. Take  the example of two literatures — English and Hindi. Chaucer is called the father of English poetry and actually English literature in its form and language which kept on developing and improving, begins from him. His most representative work is the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales and then the Canterbury Tales. All the characters painted in these tales are the true representation of the types of such people as they were in his times. While Chaucer is a reflector of those characters and their types of his age — he is virtually and truly described as the chronicler of his age — his characters whether a  Knight; the Prioress; the monk, the fat fryer, the sailor, the squire, the priest — all are truly the representatives of their types in the contemporary society as they actually were. Chaucer is a painter as well as a critic of his society. Shakespeare — the greatest dramatist of English language — one of the greatest of all languages brings in ‘ghosts’, ‘witches’, and ‘courtier’ and ‘fools’ in his plays which were as per the liking of his audience and a part of the English Society of his times. That is what is rightly said about Shakespeare that in addition to the normal three ‘unities’—  Time, Place and Action in drama, he brought about the fourth unity — ‘unity with the people’. That encomium clearly Shakespeare being influenced by the society of his age and in his plays he, though never gave any message or pronounced any philosophy, but that is always there — the triumph of the good over the evil. This was the message that was most needed to his age after all that had happened earlier — Henry VIII —the king having been killed, Mary Tudor — a despotic, arrogant, a cruel ruler and then a benevolent, all embracing middle-path follower queen — Queen Elizabeth. As is the king so are the people — is an old but true saying and Shakespeare reflects that hilarious sometimes, but somber and philosophic at the other in his plays. Hulton was very much the product of his age. A truly puritanical person; a deeply religious man, he gave to his age which was battling with belief and disbelief — the message of God’s triumph over Satan. The Eighteenth century of English literature is a true product of the age. The social scene had degenerated into debauchery and license after the Restoration of Charles II who brought along with him all that he had enjoyed during his exile and adjourns in France and the literature of that period reflects all that was happening in the society. Alexander Pope’s ‘Rape of the Lock’ is a reflection of the so-called lascivious high society of and pungent satire too, on all that was too much too bad for the society. Thus Pope is a reflector as a corrector of his age. So are Addison and Steele as essayists. Balzac, Zola, Maupassant of France had cast their influence on every Wycherley, conserve and later Restoration dramatists who had gone to the lowest depth in describing social disparity and this is how literature reflected the age. The French Revolution — a very significant political and social event of Europe had as its basic tenets — Equality, Fraternity and Liberty — and these tenets and the revolution did cast its spell all over Europe and England and the English poets could not escape that influence. Wordsworth was moved by the humanitarian aspect of the revolution in the earlier phase but later its bloodiness and violence disillusioned him and all this is reflected in Wordsworth’s poetry — ‘poet of man’ and in his later poetry. Shelley was moved by the revolution’s ‘spirit’ of revolution and Byron by its fighting spirit. Tennyson was a true representative of the Victorian age and sang of the glories of the Empire while his nature poetry gets influenced by the advancement of Science in the later nineteenth century. He did not remain a ‘priest of nature’ as Wordsworth was because where science advances religion declines. Charles Dickens saw the backside of industrialization — the poor getting Poorer and the rich richer — the sufferings of the poor are ignored and his novels reflect all this. The First World War (1914-19) created a group of who sang of the glories of war, of chivalry and  Sacrifice for the nation and then there is the post w poetry and post-war drama — Bernard Shaw dramatist known for his pungent satire, pricking the balloon of romanticism associated with war heroism and love in his ‘Arms and the Man’. Eliot comes on the literary stage to deal with the utter disillusionment of the age in his ‘Wasteland’ all this about English Literature. Similarly in Hindi Literature, when Prithvi Raj Chauhan was fighting valiantly with Mohammad Gori Chandrabardai — the warrior poet was singing of the glories of war and his hero in his ‘Prithvi Raj Raso’. Then came the Bhakti Kal — the period of Bhakti — the country and the nation had fallen under the Muslim yoke and there were class conflicts on the basis of faith and religion. There came on the literary scene, Kabir, who preached anti-fanaticism; pricked the bloated balloon of superstitions and blind faiths and admonished both ‘mullahs’ and ‘Pandits’ and showed the way of God. Tulsidas found the Hindu society divided into factions ‘Shaivas’ and ‘Vaishnavas’ and showed the path of love, brotherhood and mutual respect for all Gods and presented the ideals of a son, a brother, a wife, and a devotee. The triumph of Ram — the incarnation of the Good over Ravan, the symbol of Evil is an eternal lesson given by him to the society — whose lessons remain revered even till today. The period of comparative social peace created a set of poets who indulged in pleasing their patrons — the Kings — as their courtiers and songsters. Their poetry is full of amorous sports in which they make Krishna a Radha and the Gopis their actors — a very wrong a vitiated depiction — unbecoming of those great. This was done just to gratify their patrons — the sensuous and sensual kings. This is how the social scene was reflecting itself in literature. Then, comes the modern age. The British were ruling India and there were classes close to the ruler and classes suffering at the hands of the officials and at the hands of the so-called elite of the society. There were classes created — the superior, the downtrodden — the imperialists and the nationalists. Prem Chand — the great novelist unravels this class fight in his novels and thereby, not only reflects the society of his times but gives a lesson too. His novels, his short stories — all have a lesson to give. There was Bhartendu Harishchandra — the poet the harbinger of the modern age and thought, who successfully caricatured the classes — social and religious — thus reflecting the social scene with a point to reform it. Thus goes on the scene. Maithili Saran Gupta — the Gandhian poet sings of the glory of Ram, of the glory of Lord Buddha, of the glory of other mythological heroes his thrust throughout being to awaken the masses and enlighten them into cordial social contacts. The national fervor reverberated through the veins of the Psyche under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and poets  after poets, writers after writers sang of the of our ancient land and its culture. Jai Sanker rasad, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, the poets; Dharmvir Shrilal Shukla — the novelists brought into focus the inequalities and imbalances that plagued the social scene and through their thoughtful and sometimes highly satirical way brought to the fore the social and political malaise through which our present generation passing. This true presentation has been with a purpose — to awaken the social conscience to the problems that dog the people. Literature thus has been holding the mirror up to Nature on one hand; reflecting all traditions,  trends and tendencies while rising up the finger of caution too to guard against all that goes against the basic values of life. Literature and Society have remained and shall remain ever intertwined and the more they so remain, the more solid would the foundations be laid for a sustained growth; a well-coordinated growth and a corrected social order Literature has to play its part as a reflector and a corrector of society and society has to inspire men of letters to keep themselves on their guard towards their mission of social good.

TECHNICAL, VOCATIONAL AND TRAINING IN SOMALIA

TECHNICAL, VOCATIONAL AND TRAINING IN SOMALIA TECHNICAL, VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET) IN SOMALIA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world, a situation aggravated by the civil war and the absence of a functioning national government for over a decade. The impact of state failure on human development in Somalia has been profound, resulting in the collapse of political institutions, the destruction of social and economic infrastructure, and massive internal and external migrations. This is more pronounced in Central South Somalia where intermittent conflicts continue to destroy what has been left. In the more peaceful semi-autonomous regions of Puntland and Somaliland, notable progress has been registered in public sector growth, albeit slowly. Even in these regions, the public sector has very limited capacity to create employment opportunities for its own citizens. Providing employable skills is one of the alternatives assessed to have potential to create employment opportunities for the youth. The level of economic development notwithstanding, partner governments in Puntland, Somaliland and Central South Somalia need to formulate and execute appropriate systems and policies that can effectively guide and facilitate the growth of the private sector within agreed national development priorities. Still, in spite of the efforts of the international community, weak coordination and fragmented implementation of actions has not supported the effective growth of the TVET sector. The choice of skills training is not always guided by the needs of the market but by need to ‘address all needs by projects whose scope is too small to warrant such undertakings. Puntland, Somaliland and Central south Somalia do not have standardized curriculum or syllabi for TVET. There is also no standardized system for TVET assessment, examination and certification. The only standardized curriculum available but not being used in most of the TVET centres is the UNESCO PEER developed curriculum[1]. It is imperative that this is considered in any future intervention. Implementation of education programs in Somalia is coordinated through the Education Sector Committee (ESC), yet there are many partners with sub-programs falling under this sector but subsumed under a different thematic area. In such situations, the TVET does not receive appropriate technical direction for its success. The survey involved conducting a skills training market and opportunities study in respect of the vocational training leading to livelihoods opportunities of the unemployed youths in Somalia. The survey was expected to provide a situational analysis on skills development by focusing on opportunities and institutional arrangements for skills development taking cognizance of the specific characteristics of the three different zones of Somaliland, Puntland and South Central Somalia. The study would come up with recommendations on appropriate skills development to provide the target and guidelines on implementation framework of the skills development strategy. Data was gathered using secondary sources, key informant interviews, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and direct observation. Excerpts of interviews with stakeholders by the first consultant were reviewed and relevant inferences made. The survey found that skills market in Puntland, Somaliland and some regions of South Somalia has potential owing to private sector growth, the high demand for specific skills, among other factors. The skills in high demand include electrical works, tailoring/dressmaking, solar PVC technology, plumbing, shampoo/soap making, masonry, metal work, shoe making, fabric design (tie/dye, printing, batik, and embroidery), secretarial, management and ICT. Poverty, insecurity, low expectations and an overall environment characterized by market imperfections limit skills development and will be critical challenges during project implementation. Based on the findings, the survey recommends the following: 1. Financial support to partners and institutions implementing vocational training activities should demand a proportionate financial contribution from the partner government or institutions. This could take either or all of the following forms: cost recovery through charging user fees; government part funding to the VTCs or public-private-partnership. 2. Capacity strengthening of MOEs structures to execute a policy framework which will guide the quality implementation of vocational training by public and private institutions. 3. Given the nascent/formation level of the management structures of respective vocational training centers, it is critically important to train and build the functional capacity of these institutions on the vocational skills training concept and Employment Promotion so that they can be stronger in their role of designing and implementation of literacy and vocational training in skills with economic and social relevance to the community. 4. Orientation of the vocational training teachers on adult education pedagogy/methodologies. Even if they have been found qualified during recruitment, orientation is critically important for consensus and solidifying their understanding on vocational and livelihoods skills training objectives and expectations as well as the different stages in the learning process. 5. UNESCO needs to re/design modular training process entailing the following three areas: (i) Basic functional literacy and numeracy skills. (ii) Vocational and Livelihoods skills in identified trade areas. Cross cutting issues such as HIV and FGM needs to be gradually worked into this module. (iii) Simple business management or entrepreneurship skills on identifying and evaluating a viable business idea, market effect on skills demand, getting started and basic management and book keeping, and customer care principles. Continuous efforts should be made to bear in mind that livelihood and skill training is a process and not an episodic event. 6. Given the landscape of insecurity and the concomitantly heavy investment in security, it is advisable to link vocational training with peace and reconstruction efforts. The example of Kosovo Enterprise Programme (KEP) in the collapsed USSR can be a learning model. The model is simple and workable in any society under reconstruction. 7. In order to enhance the marketability and relevance of the skills, it is critical to support a research and marketing development unit that regularly undertakes local Economic Development and Skills Market survey for consideration by VTCs in reviewing vocational skills curriculum. The training approach adopted should be one that links center-based vocational training and apprenticeships in which those being trained can undertake practical work with the local business/merchant community for purposes of applying the knowledge acquired and getting exposed in starting their own enterprises. The capacity of the master craftsmen to whom the trainees will be attached will have to be improved through training and induction on areas of practical emphasis. 8. Address the poverty barrier that hinder access to vocational skills training by implementing competency/performance based bursary schemes for the trainees. Existing schemes pay the cost of training based on duration required to complete the training. It is a fact that not all are competent enough to produce quality products after completing. A high premium needs to be pegged on performance for both the trainee and the master trainer. 9. Within a wider consultation under the principle of Sector Wide Approach, rethink the incentive structure for trainers at vocational training centers so as to attract and retain qualified trainers. 10. Creating synergy with other vocational training programs implemented or being implemented by other donors (STEO, VETAPE etc) in the same regions will strengthen the sector growth by avoiding wasteful duplication of efforts. This should be greatly achieved through the organisational platform of Somali Support Secretariat/Education Sector Committee and other coordination mechanisms in Puntland, Somaliland and Central South Somalia. 1 INTRODUCTION Susceptibility of Communities to adverse effects of poverty is largely contributed by lack of appropriate skills to engage in efficient and diversified income generation production systems. In Somalia, unemployment creation is slow and inadequate to absorb the high number of youth looking for employment opportunities. Livelihood skills that include technical and vocational abilities impart the community with capabilities, resources and opportunities for pursuing individual and household economic goals. Where this is lacking, poverty and insecurity rise by almost equal proportion. Weak institutional structures limit the provision of skills causing individuals ability to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life to be adversely affected. The political and social turmoil in Somalia provides many challenges for young people, which could be potentially alleviated by providing them with opportunities to acquire appropriate employable skills. Consequently, UNESCO is supporting the development of a systematic, coordinated, needs-based and institutionalised provision of vocational, technical and livelihoods skills approach in Somalia. By working with the local administrations, partners and institutions to set systems and standards for skills development, UNESCO aims at strengthening vocational, technical and livelihoods skills for development and participation of young people. One of the major problems UNESCO will be addressing is the need to increase opportunities for employment and participation in income generation activities for the youth. As verified from different studies and reports, the youths are deficient in employable skills and have limited opportunities to develop themselves in the current situation. In the last 7 years, there has been increased attention by the international community to the revitalisation of the TVET sector. Unfortunately, the capacity of the Ministry of Education to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the TVET is weak raising serious questions on quality and sustainability. The result has been training that is neither linked to the market nor designed with adequate consideration of the capacity of the trainees to uptake and practice the skills effectively. 1.1 BACKGROUND With a population of 7.7 million in 2006[2], and an income per capita estimated in 2002 to be $226 (compared to $515 in Sub-Saharan Africa), Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world. The UNDPs Human Development Index ranked Somalia 161 out of 163 countries in 2001. Extreme poverty (less than $1 PPP) is estimated at 43 percent. It is 10 percentage points higher for rural and nomadic populations. General poverty (less than $2 PPP) afflicts 73 percent of households, but reaches 80 percent in rural and nomadic populations. Income inequality is significant with the poorest 10 percent of the population receiving only 1.5 percent of total income. The civil conflict, continuing insecurity in many parts of the country, and poor access to services and infrastructure have made conditions worse than they were before the civil war. Absent or weak administrative structures provide minimal interference with trade or private sector activities. As a consequence, the private sector has flourished, trading with neighbouring and Asian countries, processing agricultural products and manufacturing on a small scale, and providing services previously monopolized or dominated by the public sector. There has been significant (but unmeasured) private investment in commercial ventures, including in trade and marketing, money transfer services, transport, communications, airlines, telecommunications, construction and hotels, education and health, and fishery equipment, largely funded by the large remittances from the Diaspora. The World Bank Country brief for Somalia (2009) assesses that remittances, amounting to about $1 billion per year, have partially offset a larger drop in per capita output for Somalia. However, persistent insecurity threatens further growth of the private sector and the absence of provision of key public goods is hurting both rural and urban households and the private sector. The macro-economic situation offers opportunities as well as challenges in the promotion of vocational and livelihoods skills. The thriving private sector, offers varied opportunities for skills to drive the growth of the different enterprises. Some of the skills are not readily available in Somalia and are frequently sourced from Diaspora or neighbouring countries, the main reason being that there are not adequate Vocational Training Institutions that offer quality trainings to meet the skills demand of the local market. On the other hand, the weak administrations have resulted to growth of the private sector, including the vocational training under a policy vacuum. Even where it exists in Somaliland, enforcement is weak leading to major challenges on quality control. In an environment where the private sector is far ahead of the regulatory functions of the government, it would be more prudent to pursue the dual track of strengthening the governments capacity to implement policy guidelines alongside capacity development of the private vocational training institutions and organisations to implement demand driven quality skills training and self regulate. Male and female Gross Enrolment Rates was estimated by UNICEF to be 37 percent and 25 percent respectively in 2006/2007 school year[3]. Since 2000, the number of children enrolled in grades 1-8 has increased roughly by 300%, from an estimated 150,000 to over 467,780[4]. There is a very high disparity between male and female learners, administrative regions, and various social and economic groups. Secondary enrolment rates are even lower, estimated by UNESCO[5] to stand at only 6%. Those joining Institutional Based Vocational Training are even lower as the facilities only exist in major cities of Puntland, Somaliland and Central South Somalia. Even where they exist, their capacity to absorb the growing number of school dropouts and those who complete grade 8 and form 4 for vocational training is limited. It is estimated that about 65.5% of the urban youth are unemployed. The figure is lower among the rural and nomadic communities where it is estimated to be 40.7%[6]. This is expected, bearing in mind that in rural areas, over 75% of the communities is estimated to be employed within the agricultural and livestock sector- their main source of livelihoods. Overreliance on traditional farming systems coupled with extreme weather conditions have been highlighted as major causes of poverty in the rural areas. A feasibility study conducted by the EC in June 2004 in Puntland and Somaliland revealed that there was a very high rate of unemployment among young adults, and in turn resulted to vulnerable livelihoods and widespread poverty of the target groups. The situation is worse in Central-South Somalia where the civil war destroyed the entire economic and social infrastructure resulting in missed opportunities, disruption of the social order, poverty and vulnerability. Based on available policy papers, strategies and study reports available in the three different regions major problems identified on access to TVET include: threat to traditional livelihoods sources, Structural constraints on job creation, limited availability of people with employable skills and basic education and, high population of disadvantaged people. Among the strategies suggested to address these problems include: provision of financial resources to strengthen TVET framework; Institutional and organisational development for sustainability of TVET, raising quality levels and relevance of skills to increase employability; policy dialogue with partners; Increase and optimise capacity through better management and utilisation of facilities; increased provision and retention of qualified trainers and the implementation of employment promotion to improve rural livelihoods. Financial support towards development of TVET sector by EC, Italian Cooperation, UNDP and other international development partners have resulted to enhanced institutional framework for implementation of vocational training. In particular, capacity has been developed in the ministries of Education in Puntland and Somaliland resulting to the establishment of TVET units, administered under the NFE department headed by a Director. TVET policy developed under the EC funded PETT project has already been approved and adopted by MOE, Somaliland. In Puntland, the draft policy developed under the same project has not been finalised for adoption by the council of ministers and parliament. However, attributes of it are well captured in the Puntland Education Policy Paper (PEPP), 2007. Personnel working in Vocational Training Institutions have benefited from capacity building programs implemented under the PETT and STEO projects funded by EC and UNESCO support. The vocational training centers in Kismayo, Mogadisho, Berbera, Burao, Hargeisa, Galkaio, Garowe and Bosaso have received support in the form of equipment. The Kuwait government contributed equipment towards Garowe Technical and Vocational Training center. However, due to low pay, the institutions have not been able to retain all the trained personnel. However, as captured by End of Project evaluation[7] report of PETT (Promotion of Employment Through Training) project, there are many gaps that the current grants are not able to completely address owing to the large number of people who need the skills. The vocational training manuals developed by UNESCO for 11 crafts and trade skills covering levels 3 2 are the only coherent manuals that exist. The manuals have been good references materials for vocational training programs implemented from different funding sources in Somalia. Several studies undertaken by international development partners indicate that the vast majority of the 14-20 year age group is out of school and with very limited access to education and skills training. Among the urban, rural and pastoral families, lack of employment and poverty are consistently ranked the most common problems and potentially the most common causes of other social problems. The institutional framework for implementing TVET in all the three zones (Puntland, Somaliland and South Central Somalia) is weak and currently not able to offer technical support that would guarantee quality control, registration and certification of all the institutions providing vocational training. The situation in south central Somalia is different; Coverage of Ministry of Education as an implementing partner is limited to small pockets of Mogadisho; No recognizable central authority for liaison purposes; Widespread destruction of facilities which could create demand for more capital especially for institutional based intervention (IBTVET); fluid security situation pitting the armed groups against the Transitional Federal Government and threatening to result to full blown conflict. The Technical, vocational and livelihood skills development envisaged by UNESCO is in tandem with the Rehabilitation and Development priorities for Somalia that can partly be pursued through supporting sustainable livelihoods improvement via provision of employable skills to the youth. Currently the majority of the youth have limited knowledge and skills to enhance their employability (self or paid) and productivity. It is recognized that chances of gainful employment are enhanced by acquisition of employable skills. The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Somalia is very limited due to lack of adequate infrastructure and systems to implement the activities falling under the sector. Trainings are provided by private vocational training centers and the few public training centers funded by the international community. As institutionalised training is limited, most trainees acquire their skills through apprentice training. In effect the quality of skills acquired is dependent on the capacity of the trainee and the quality of the trainers/craftsmen to provide training. TVET needs to be expanded in order to produce skilled artisans and middle level technicians who will eventually strengthen the Somali economy, which can then increasingly rely on their own domestic workforce. Consequently, the MoEs need support in order to expand their capacities by strengthening the TVET framework. The increased efforts by the international community to provide improved technology (eg motorised water pumps, grain milling machines, tractor hire, and improved livestock management systems) are intended to raise productivity and value addition to cushion peoples livelihood activities from the effects of extreme weather patterns. Due to limited technical skills, the uptake and sustainability of this technology has been discouraging. The low unemployment in the rural areas by itself is deceiving as there is plenty of disguised unemployment. Many implementing partners (IPs) have activities under the broad category of livelihoods development. These entail beekeeping, tailoring and dressmaking, soap making, sesame oil extraction and flour milling. By funding livelihood activities, Implementing partners plan to graduate the communities from emergency to development status. But despite the increased programming around the livelihoods development activities, beneficiaries are not being lin ked to vocational training institutions to acquire the relevant skills; in other regions, skills training opportunities are completely lacking. Evaluation reports of many of these interventions present a very grim picture of the sustainability of provided technologies. The primary objective in providing the technologies was to increase productivity that was to result to increased income and employment opportunities for the many unemployed youth in the urban and rural areas. As poverty and unemployment are the major drivers of conflict in Somalia, employment creation for the youth is not only a social and economic necessity but also a political imperative. The study is based on the information needs by UNESCO to guide in planning interventions in TVET and livelihoods Skills Development in Somalia. The study aims at analysing the status of Technical Vocational Education and livelihood skills Development (TVELSD) in Somalia to map out current interventions and gaps in the sector. It also aims to assess the policy and resource capacity of the respective MOEs to implement a sustainable TVET. The survey is reviewed against the existing policies by the government in the respective regions. The broad national development study in Somalia is well documented in the Joint Needs Assessment (JNA) report and the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) report. A previous survey undertaken by UNESCO PEER[8] in 2002 revealed that a number of the institutions providing TVET lacked proper management structures, standardised curriculum and assessment system. Additionally, they lacked adequate equipment, teaching and learning materials, and qualified and motivated personnel. A countrywide market feasibility study conducted by European Commission[9] in 2004 re-confirmed this state of affairs by citing the following constraints in the TVET sub-sector. * Weaknesses in the management of TVET activities; * Difficulties of quality assurance for TVET, especially limited availability of course syllabi and lack of qualified technical trainers; * Limited number of standardized TVET courses; * Lack of standardized assessment and certification services; * Urban bias of TVET opportunities and limited benefits to rural communities; * Difficulties of sustaining TVET interventions; * Lack of strategic planning for TVET by local authorities; * Limited capacity of local authorities to manage TVET Prior to the civil war that culminated in the collapse of the government in 1991, Somalia had functioning technical and vocational institutions in Mogadishu, Kismayu, Burao and Hargeisa that specialized in a range of technical courses and traditional trades at craft and artisan levels. Youth joined these institutions to acquire specialized skills that in turn enabled them to join the employment sector, either as employees or self employed persons. Most of these institutions were however destroyed or run down during the long period of civil. Consequently, these events resulted to high drop out of youth from schools to add to the number of unskilled youth that existed even before the civil war. With limited skills and no functioning education system, the youth had limited livelihood options. In apparent response to the demand for education and vocational skills training, the international community through UN, INGOs, LNGOs have supported the rehabilitation and or construction of vocational training centers in major towns of Somaliland (Hargeisa, Berbera and Burao), Puntland (Bosaso, Garowe, Gardo and Galkaio) and Central South Somalia (Mogadishu, Merka, Baidoa). Most of the functioning institutions are owned by local Institutions and governments through the support of the International Community. Several skills provided in these institutions include: garment making, soap making, tie and dye, carpentry, computer technology, masonry, electrical installation, plumbing and metal fabrication. UNESCO PEER through Technical and Vocational Education projects funded by the Italian Government initiated several interventions to revitalize technical and vocational education in Somalia at the grassroots level. Some of those interventions include: development of curricula/syllabi in selected marketable and demand driven trade areas, training of instructors and center managers, provision of course materials and textbooks to vocational training centres and initiation of standardized assessment and certification. This study commissioned by UNESCO PEER draws lessons from past and current activities on TVET in Somalia. 1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY According to the TOR, the study will identify dimensions of technical and vocational education training (TVET): Skills Development and issues of economic relevance, social relevance, and management models effectiveness. Based on this; make recommendations for increased and improved TVET delivery in Somalia. The anticipated results of the study will be as follows: 1 Analysis of the organization and structure of TVET, public and private, formal and non-formal, by levels and management structures, including objectives, strategies and results, as well as the regulatory framework for private TVET 2 Identification of the main issues and problems in TVET delivery in terms of relevance to economic and market requirements, access to training, quality of training, and efficiency in the delivery processes. 3 Analysis of government TVET management and delivery. 4 Recommendations on improving the relevance, equity, quality, efficiency and management of TVET 1.3 SCOPE OF WORK The study was planned to cover the whole of Somalia but due to insecurity in the Central South Somalia, the Consultant limited his visits to Puntland and Somaliland- the two semi-autonomous regions of Somalia. The survey covered the Non Formal, technical and vocational Education sub-sector targeting the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS), Refugees, Returnees, pastoral communities and ex militia as study groups. The study involved undertaking socio-economic and prefeasibility investigation of vocational and livelihoods skills training in Somaliland, Puntland and Central South Somalia. Unfortunately, field visits to south central was not undertaken due to insecurity. 1.4 JUSTIFICATION FOR THE STUDY i. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in conflict and post conflict areas is a critical component of the socio-economic development of target communities. It has been assessed that acquisition of livelihood skills results in enhancing communities ability in battling poverty and social exclusion in favour of self-employment. By spreading know-how, it inspires innovation and works to curb unemployment, especially among marginalized population in conflict and post-conflict countries. ii. It will act as a catalyst for streamlining the TVET sector in Somalia by providing information which will better inform policy makers and service providers and facilitate TVET programme development. iii. It will contribute to better coordination and implementation among stakeholders. 1.5 APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY Following initial meetings with the Head of UNESCO PEER in Somalia, it was agreed that the study would review the initial study report, assess information gaps not addressed by the submitted report and use a combination of methods to collect information necessary in re-drafting the report. The study thus reviewed available information on TVET projects that included the PETT and STEO, relevant TVET-related surveys, project evaluations reports and best practices undertaken elsewhere in the world. There was a feasibility Survey done by EC[10] in June 2008 covering Puntland and Somaliland and the report was extensively used as a key source of information for this study especially in the general overview of livelihoods and vocational training situation in Somaliland and Puntland. However, from the gaps identified from the direct interviews with stakeholders in Somaliland and Puntland and to validate some of the information contained in the report and documents reviewed, questionnaires were designed to elicit information from the some of the VTC where much of the information gaps existed. The data collection was undertaken by consultant assisted by field based UNESCO staff. The methodologies adopted in redrafting the report included: i. collection of data from the submitted report, ii. stakeholders consultations and interviews, iii. Review of literature available, and iv. internet research, The methodology and approach used in generating data for the first report included: i. Discussions with different TVET stakeholders, NGOs, UN agencies, institutional managers and trainees to understand implementation of TVET; ii. Focused group discussions with the Somali Ministries of Education officials at various levels and other stakeholders to establish policy aspects of Non Formal and Technical and Vocational Education; iii. Site visits to observe institutional facilities; iv. Document review of UNESCO PEER reports and syllabuses and reports of other agencies hard copies and online including UNESCO Website to gain insight into technical and vocational education; v. Structured questionnaire used to access baseline data on institutions offering technical and vocational training; vi. An assessment of the job market to find out the livelihood skills and skill gaps. The consultant was not able to visit some central south Somalia but was able to interview MOE officials in Puntland, Somaliland and other implementing partners in both locations. Much of the information in compiling this report is derived from the initial field interviews undertaken by the first consultant and enriched by additional literat

The Saxophone Changed The World Film Studies Essay

The Saxophone Changed The World Film Studies Essay Got Sax? This is an excellent paper. It has good info that is well presented. It is 1 page short of consideration for an A. Your grade is the highest B I can assign, and your point accumulation is 179 of a possible 200 points. Lorna Young Whether you listen to rock, metal, rap, jazz, classical or opera, the music all has one connecting element, instruments. Without instruments the world and music would be a much more calm and boring place. Leo Tolstoy described Music as the shorthand of emotion (Brainy quotes, 1/11). Music can convey feelings and expressions that people can universally understand and feel not just listen to. A very powerful way to convey a feeling is through the playing of an instrument, and the best out of such, the Saxophone. The Saxophone is a newer instrument but with its beautiful range and tone quality it brings life and feeling to the music art form. The Saxophone has become one of those so well loved instruments, in large part because of the beauty of its Tone. (Anonymous, 2011). The sax and its famous players have changed the shape and sound of music forever. The saxophone was created by a Belgium man named Adolphe Sax, the son of a chief instrument maker. Adolphe learned his fathers skill and even surpassed his father in the trade. Adolphe being smart in the field, fixed the technical awkwardness of several instruments and also created several instruments in different materials and ways that others previously could not. Being the visionary he was, Adolphe had an idea to create a completely new instrument. This Instrument would combine the power of a brass instrument with the subtleties of a woodwind instrument and the facility of a stringed instrument. After much experimentation, he had his first working model in 1841, which he called the bass horn. It wasnt until a review of his new instrument in the French paper Journal des Debats, however, that the name le saxophon or saxophone came about. In 1846, Adolphe Sax won two patents for his designs: One for a set of saxophones intended for the orchestra and the other for a set of saxophones intended for military bands. Each set consisted of a range of sizes from the small sopranino saxophone to the huge subcontrabass saxophone. These two patents represented Adolphs two dreams for the saxophone (DeJesus). He put a clarinet-like mouthpiece onto a metal body with a conical shape similar to an oboe and came up with an instrument louder than traditional woodwinds and suitable for military music (jazz-music-history.com, 2010). Adolphes invention changed military and classical music. Adolphe also wanted to include the saxophone in the orchestra setting but there came about some problems with this idea. Adolphe was a very proud man and wanted to always improve the string instruments, which the players and conductors found extremely annoying. The sax at the time had several problems so it never became an important piece in the orchestral world. Adolphe also wanted the sax to become an important piece in the military band, which did become true. Adolphe showed the French military band the sax, and while reluctant at first, adopted the piece and was a huge success. Because of this, military bands all over the world wanted a sax in their band. With the saxs prevalence in the military band settin g, the sax made it to New Orleans and started the creation of jazz, and its form that it is today (DeJesus). At first the sax was not hugely popular but, In the nineteen-twenties there were as many as one million saxophones sold, based solely on the sound of the recordings (Anonymous, 2011). The saxophone changed the world of music greatly with its sharp and smooth sound. The history of Jazz music origins is attributed to the turn of the 20th century New Orleans, although this unique, artistic medium occurred almost simultaneously in other North American areas like Saint Louis, Kansas City and Chicago. Traits carried from West African black folk music developed in the Americas, joined with European popular and light classical music of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, became the syncopated rhythms of Ragtime and minor chord voicings characteristic of the Blues (Johnson, 2011). When Big Band and swing music was coming around in the 1930s the clarinet was the most greatly used instrument. But as the 1940s rolled around and Bop music became more popular clarinets as a solo instrument started to dwindle and they were replaced by the sax. Ever since then the jazz industry has been forever changed with two leading instruments, trumpet and sax (jazz-music-history.com, 201 0). Throughout the Saxophone History, the saxophone has enjoyed success in military bands, and then graduated to an increased solo repertoire in the classical world. Meanwhile, it has become part of many popular music genres, such as pop, big band, blues, rock and roll, ska, and jazz. The saxophones relatively easy learning curve has made it popular in public school music programs for children and adults alike (Anonymous, 2011). There have been many great saxophone players that have changed the face of the music industry, not just jazz. Charlie Parker is said to be one of the most influential and important saxophonists in the jazz community. Parker started off his music career in school where he played the baritone horn. His love of music and his interest moved him over to the alto saxophone. Pretty shortly after starting the alto, Parker quit school and started playing with local bands. While playing with different bands he went to New York, which greatly influenced his style of music. After touring some Parker decided to move to New York. Parker got a job washing dishes and met Biddy Fleet a guitarist. Biddy taught parker about instrumental harmony. Several years later Parker made his own group that made some of his most famous music. In 1955 at the height of his career he died in a friends apartment (Louck, 2012). Charles Yardbird Parker was an amazing saxophonist who gained wide recognition for his brill iant solos and innovative improvisations. He was, without a doubt, one of the most influential and talented musicians in jazz history (Louck, 2012). Another one person to greatly influence jazz is John Coltrane. John Coltrane was always surrounded with music in his family and this is what started him off on the clarinet and the E-flat horn. As Coltrane got older and his tastes in music changed he switched over to the alto saxophone. After world war two where he served in the Navy Band, Coltrane began playing the tenor saxophone as well. During this period he played with many different bands and became known for using a technique known as the sheets of sound where he would play at one time, multiple notes. Coltrane in 1960 created his own quartet and created some of the most innovative and expressive music in Jazz history including the hit albums: My Favorite Things, Africa Brass, Impressions, Giant Steps, and his monumental work A Love Supreme which attests to the power, glory, love, and greatness of God. Coltrane felt we must all make a conscious effort to effect positive change in the world, and that his music was an instrume nt to create positive thought patterns in the minds of people (John coltrane -, 2008). Later in 1967 John Coltrane died of liver disease. Coltranes music lives on today and he has been commemorated many times over. His music has been played in television shows such as Days of Our Lives, The Cosby Show, ER, and many more. Coltranes music has changed jazz into the expressive art form that it is today (John coltrane -, 2008). Another huge saxophone superstar and legend is Coleman Hawk Hawkins. From the Classic Jazz period to the Swing Era one player had a virtual monopoly on the tenor sax, that man being Coleman Hawkins, a.k.a., the Hawk or the Bean. Hawkins (born 1904, St. Joseph, Mo.) was not the first Jazzman to play the tenor but he was the leader in transforming it into a fully expressive, hard driving Jazz instrument. Following a ten year period of getting the hang of that confounded contraption, the Hawk went on to a fifty year career filled with near flawless playing as leader of his own groups as well as with an amazing variety of other combos. He was an inspiration to dozens of top notch Jazz tenor men (Weinstock Len). Coleman Hawkins was great because he mastered the sax in two forms, the hard riffs of playing many notes very quickly, and the slow ballads, this put him at the top of his class. He like the many other musicians bounced around from band to band playing whenever and wherever possib le. Hawkins style was different from Charlie Parkers and his made Hawkins look old fashioned. Hawkins changed his style and played with other famous people, even John Coltrane. He also recorded with Duke Ellington. Hawkins had several different times where he was a band leader or accompanied others. He also was featured in the movie Stormy Weather in 1943(www.redhotjazz.com,). In the saxophone family there are many different kinds, each a different size. The most commonly played and seen saxophones are the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone. There are stranger more rare types of saxophone such as the F Mezzo Soprano, C Soprano and F Baritone, but these are rarely seen in concert format. The soprano saxophone is the highest of the saxophones and is played in the key of B flat. This sax can either be found in a curved form, looking like a baby alto, or in a straight for, looking like a brass clarinet. This saxophone is not recommended for a beginner because of how strong of an embouchure is needed. Embouchure is the mouth position needed to play an instrument. The alto sax is usually the most commonly seen sax and is the next step lower in pitch. When one thinks of a saxophone one usually pictures the alto sax. This medium sized, curved with a smaller mouthpiece, instrument is the usual sax that a new player is started on. The alto sax is played in the key o f E flat. The tenor sax, which is the next step lower in range, is a larger form of the alto sax and is played in the key of B flat. This type of sax is commonly used in jazz music but can be found in a concert setting also. The largest of all the saxophones commonly seen in music is the Baritone sax, which is also the lowest sound (About.com, 2001). If you saw this saxophone you would know it because it is huge compared to the alto. It takes a lot of lung power to play this horn but if played right, it sounds just as beautiful as the other horns. The saxophone is played in a different way than most instruments even though it closely resembles the embouchure of a clarinet. To play a saxophone, a saxophonist holds the saxophone so that the mouthpiece, which is attached to the crook, gently swings into the mouth for placement by adjusting the neck strap. (Smaller saxophones, such as the sopranino and soprillo, may be played without using a neck strap as it suits the player, but it is essential for the larger saxophones.) The mouthpiece is a shaped piece of rubber, plastic, metal, or glass that allows a reed, held in place by a ligature, to vibrate. These vibrations are the birthplace of sound within a saxophone. By placing the mouthpiece gently in ones mouth and blowing across the reed, vibrations travel through the body and out the tone holes that are uncovered. Pressing and opening specific keys allows different tone hole combinations, which gives the saxophonist the freedom to play over two octaves of pitches. (Some saxophoni sts can play many more octaves by using new fingerings and breath techniques in the upper range, which is known as altissimo) (Anonymous, 2011). When the mouthpiece is in the mouth the player bites with his top teeth straight down on the mouthpiece. Some players opt to getting a sticker type guard for the top of the mouthpiece so it will not wear as fast. The bottom teeth are masked by the bottom lip so as not to bite the reed causing squeaking. A player then tightens the corners of the mouth as to frown and blows with a steady stream of air. The player breathes through the mouth in quick burst because breathing the nose does not get such a deep breath and it is slower. After many hours of practicing with hand placement, learning how to read music and playing one can have a new hobby that can be beneficial to the soul or even to the wallet! Charlie Parker once said Dont play the saxophone. Let it play you (Parker, 12/0). The Saxophone is deeply rooted in music and the players life. It is not just an instrument to some people, but a way of life. Music is very influential, almost as prominent as religion in some peoples lives. The clarinet may have been popular at one point but now the saxophone is one of the most prominent instruments in jazz to date. The saxophone is one of the most popular instruments to play and listen to as well. Adolphe Sax changed the music scene with his new instrument causing enjoyment for generations. Even with the saxophone never becoming a prominent part in the orchestra Adolphe Sax would be proud of how much the sax has influenced the music industry now and forever.