Occupational health nursing Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Occupational health nursing - Personal Statement Example This exposure renewed my interest in this field and since then I have never looked back. In the realm of nursing, I have contributed significantly to the development of health in acute settings. I am patriotic, and I have been in the forefront to help the government realise equitable health for all. I have a whopping seven years of experience in this field. My director is very pleased with my work and wants me to further my education in the same field so that by the time he will be leaving I will be fully equipped to take over. Putting this challenge aside, nursing is something that I loved and had plans to study this same course to the end. Due to this desire, I have chosen to go for my masters in the University of Pennsylvania. Owing to its good reputation and best world rankings in health nursing, I want to get the best quality of education for a career that is so dear to me. In addition to the mentioned reasons, here is why the University of Pennsylvania looked attractive to me. It has the best lecturers in the world with world-renowned health specialists and facilities, has the best library with thousands and thousands of updated learning materials for my utilisation, Lastly the university has the best laboratories in the world with all kinds of recent technology you can imagine in the medical field. The university has also contributed much in research and development in nursing and the medical field, in general, such as the Smell Identification Test (Doty et al., 1984). I chose to study a master in nursing because being a field that I love and with the relevant experience along these lines; I felt it was more relevant. In addition to this, I have loved to be a nurse since high school, and nothing will ever change this. I intend to graduate in two years and later do my Ph.D. in the same field. After graduation, I believe that this master will help me be promoted at work as well as update me as far as my profession is concerned.

A Mothers Legacy In Mary Shelleys Mathilda Essay Example for Free

A Mothers Legacy In Mary Shelleys Mathilda Essay Abstract Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley are two writers whose ideas are likely to be similar. Shelley admits that she is influenced by her mother. Therefore, the purpose of this essay is to find out and to identify the ideas presented in Wollstonecrafts essay on womens rights A Vindication for the Rights of Woman (1792) and see if they are incorporated into Shelleys novella Mathilda (1819). My analysis of A Vindication for the Rights of Woman shows that Wollstonecrafts main ideas are that limited education, the subjugation of women by the family, female dependency on men and romantic thinking are the source for womens inferiority. This essay identifies and examines these ideas in the light of some secondary material and tries to suggest that they are visible as themes in Shelleys Mathilda. In Mathilda, these ideas are visible as themes throughout the novel. The tragedy that befalls the characters illustrates the immoral and self-destructive tendencies which women obtain when being subject to these conditions. On the other hand, Shelley does not emphasize a lack of education and offers an additional point of view where Wollstonecrafts views on motherhood are criticized. The conclusion drawn is that Wollstonecrafts ideas must have had an influence on Shelley as the fate of the characters is an illustration of the society that is criticized in A Vindication for the Rights of Woman and its destruction. However, Shelley does not agree on ideas with the subject of upbringing and goes against a few of her mothers main points, namely the role of mothers and the pre-eminence of education. They mostly have a consensus as most ideas that are present in one work are present in the other but Shelley has rebelled against some of her mothers notions.

Currency Exposure to Hedging Currency Risks

Currency Exposure to Hedging Currency Risks Hedging Currency Risks at AIFS, we shall now address the many stipulations regarding issues such as currency exposure and hedging decisions of the AIFS Company. Looking at the theory and practices of Archer-Lock within the company, with the information given we shall now analyze and interpret the report of AIFS. Using the financial Instruments of the foreign exchange market, the effect these instruments have on hedging will further be discussed, as well as the result of these instruments on the hedging decision. It is important to note that Becky Tabaczynski, CFO for the groups high school travel division ACIS, portrayed the idea a good hedging result is gained due to good relationships across the board. Whilst in some companies, hedging is considered a financial decision, independent of the business needs here; were trying to match the business needs. Now with the information provided in the case study, combined with knowledge of hedging options, the topic of currency exposure will be discussed. Q1. What gives rise to the currency exposure at AIFS? Currency exposure is the extent to which the future cash flows of an enterprise, arising from domestic and foreign currency denominated transactions involving assets and liabilities, and generating revenues and expenses are susceptible to variations in foreign currency exchange rates (International Federation of Accountants, 2010). Currency exposure at AIFS can be caused by 3 risks: the bottom-line risk, volume risk and competitive pricing risk. These 3 risks happen at AIFS because of the AIFSs hedging policies, so before analysing these 3 risks it is necessary to analyse AIFSs hedging policies. AIFSs Hedging Policies AIFS starts to hedge foreign currencies between 6 months and 2 years before the main pricing date, and uses forward contracts and currency options to hedge currency; the main hedging technique is forward contracts. Then AIFS uses these currencies to pay its customers expense abroad. AIFS charges USD by catalogue-based price from its customers, so no matter how the exchange rates change in the spot market, AIFS never changes its price in that period. AIFS uses forward contract to hedge before it has completed its sales cycle. So AIFS has to predict its business then hedge based on its prediction, but the situation that the number AIFS pays equals to the number AIFS buys is very hard to carry out. When the currencies that AIFS has bought are smaller than it has to pay, AIFS has to buy some more currencies by using currency options. When the currencies it has bought are greater than it has to pay, currency exposure happens. The Bottom- Line Risk Exchange rate is always fluctuant. EURO is one of the main currencies that AIFS needs to hedge. Looking at the graph, the exchange rate between USD and EURO in January was highest in 2010, which was 1.427$/à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬, and the exchange rate in June was the lowest, which was only 1.221$/à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬, the difference between highest and lowest is 0.206à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬/$, so when purchasing large amounts of EURO by using USD, the large difference of price will appear. The main hedging technique of AIFS is forward contracts, so if the exchange rate at the contract date is higher than the exchange rate at the settlement date, AIFS is at a disadvantage (maybe AIFS can choose currency options at this time, but it needs to pay premium, so the cost may be not reduced so much). When this situation happens, AIFSs cost will be higher and it will lose profit. 2010- American Dollars to 1 EUR Average Rates January 1.42721 USD (20 days average) February 1.36857 USD (20 days average) March 1.35685 USD (23 days average) April 1.34095 USD (21 days average) May 1.25653 USD (21 days average) June 1.22085 USD (22 days average) July 1.277 USD (22 days average) August 1.29029 USD (21 days average) September 1.3067 USD (22 days average) October 1.38978 USD (21 days average) November 1.38806 USD (12 days average) From X- rate.com, 2010 The Volume Risk When AIFS uses forward contract to hedge currencies, it doesnt know the number of customers it will get in this period. AIFS has been doing culture and educational exchanges for more than 40 years and got a very good praise and has a large number of customers, every year many young people go abroad via AFIS. Because its so popular, its hard to say how many customers will be increased next time. Also, war, terrorism and policies and other uncertainties will affect peoples mind, these factors will make more people prefer to stay at home rather than go abroad, and in that case the number of customers will be decreased. So its hard to predict the number of customers, its hard to say whether the number of customers will increase or decrease. In negative situations where there will be a lack of customers, the foreign currencies that have been bought will not be used; this is when currency exposure is evident. The Competitive Pricing Risk When AIFS is purchasing and using currencies, its competitors are doing it as well. These companies may contract with banks in lower exchange rates, which makes their charges lower than AIFS and therefore makes AIFS less competitive. Customers may buy currencies from other companies, and so AIFSs currencies cant be sold up and currency exposure happens. The changes of transportation fees (like train, boat, plane ticket), living fees, hotel fees can also give rise to the currency exposure. When these fees reduced, AIFS will pay less and may not use all of the currencies it has bought. According to AIFSs hedging policies, it has to predict the exchange rate fluctuant, the number of customers, which may be different with the final exchange rate and the volume when selling currencies, so the currency exposure happens. The actions of AIFSs competitors may make AIFS less competitive resulting in minimum sales of the currencies bought, further resulting in currency exposure. So the bottom-line risk, the volume risk and the competitive pricing risk will give rise to the currency exposure at AIFS. Also, the changes of fees may cause currency exposure. Q2. What would happen if Archer-Lock and Tabaczynski did not hedge at all? According to the case, The American Institute for Foreign Students (AIFS) organizes students who study abroad and the cultural exchange programs. It has two major divisions which are Archer-Lock managed The Study Abroad College and the High School Travel division, whose finances Tabaczynski managed. The problem faced by AIFS is the revenues of the company are mainly in US dollars, but most of their costs are in British pounds and Euros. AIFS sets guaranteed prices for its exchanges before its final sales figures are known. Therefore, for AIFS, the foreign exchange hedging is the key important area. The managers use currency hedging to protect their bottom line and cope with changes in exchange rates. But if Archer-Lock and Tabaczynski did not hedge at all, it would mean full exposure to the currency risk, the company could lose a lot of money if USD depreciated. Maybe the company can produce good results and have a really good profit when the USD appreciated if they did not hedge at all, as there are no other losses to erase their total revenue. However, they cannot know what the future sales volume and future exchange rate are, and so they may need to face losing a tremendous amount of money if USD depreciated. The cost base of the company would increase, and the revenues in USD will remain the same, this means their profitability would be erased. Also, AIFS needs to preserve their price guarantee policy. If they did not hedge at all, the company may incur losses by following this policy. Moreover, there may be a difference between final sales volumes and projected sales volume, and this exposes the company to having either more or less of the foreign currency depending on the final sales volume. For instance, as we know from the case, every year AIFS expected 25,000 students in their project. If the currency exchange rate decreased to USD 1.01/EUR, the company could save USD 5.25 million, however, if the exchange rate increased to USD 1.48/EUR, the company lose USD 6.5 million. Q3. 100% hedge with option and 100% hedge with forward The data shows above, When 100% hedge with option, currency rate 1.01, and the outcome is higher than total cost, the company can gain the profit. Rate becomes to 1.22 and 1.48, the outcome is lower than total cost, and the company has risk and a loss of money. When 100% hedge with forward, the fixed rate is locked in 1.22, the outcome is 0. That is means no risk and no profit. Q4. Using the forecast final sales volume of 25,000, the following are the possible outcomes relative to the zero impact scenario described in the case. Zero impact happened with rate (1.22) when they use forward contract were the same as project costs. When dollar becomes weak (1.48) it would cause a negative impact by a loss of money. When dollar becomes strong (1.01) it would cause a positive impact through gain of profit. When the USD is strong (1.01), the more options there are to hedge, the lower the cost. When USD is weak (1.48) the more options there are to hedge, the more the cost. Q5) what hedging decision would you advocate? Should we not hedge at all? As AIFS guaranteed its prices would not change before the next catalogue, if the USD goes weak, AIFS need to more USD to pay for its overseas cost ¸ however the price cannot be changed, which means AIFS will lose money. To eliminate this risk, AIFS better hedge. What do you advocate? (Advantages and Disadvantages) The forward contract is a simple arrangement widely used by the companies to manage the exchange rate risk. It can guarantee the amount of currency AIFS would receive in the expiry date of the contract, so it can get larger profits with forward contracts if AIFS count on a favourable exchange rate. The company can also avoid the 5% option premium, but it is not easy to get the counter party who would agree to fix the time period and the future exchange rate which would result in illiquidity. Thus being bilateral private contracts, the forwards have to be executed. The option contract can eliminate the downside risk and being more flexible, it can be seen as a combination of covered interest arbitrage depending on the difference in currency options and interest rates; it gives the company the right to sell or purchase a currency at an agreed exchange rate, but not the obligation. With the option contracts AIFS can hold the currency until the favourable exchange rate arises, so it would be more secure for the company. However, the premium cost is the disadvantage of option, and it has to be paid up front. Both forward contract and option contact work if the company is tight on cash and cannot spend 5% option premium in this case the forwards contract is a better choice. However, if AIFS has sufficient funds and foresees changes in exchange rates, then it should use option. AIFS does not have to exercise the contract when currency moves to unfavourable exchange rates. What happens if sales volumes are lower (10000) or higher (30000) than expected (25000)? According to appendix 3 and 4: The sales volume increase to 30000, exchange rate is 1.01. AIFS Company can gain the profit. Exchange rate is 1.22 and 1.48, AIFS Company exist risk loss the money; but when use 100% forward to hedge Company can avoids risk and there is no profit. The sales volume is decrease to 10000, the total cost is 1000* 10000= à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000000 There are 3 possible situations that will happen at this time. = 0.4 = 40% According to the calculation above, when AIFSs currency hedge is covered less than 40% of its prediction (it predicts 25000 sales volumes), AIFS needs to buy some more currency to reach à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000000 by using spot trading rate; when AIFSs currency hedge is covered at 40%, the currency it buys is equal to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000000; when the currency hedge covered over 40%, AIFS cant use all of the EUR it has bought, so AIFS has to sell the extra EUR or save them and use them in the next period. 1.48 1.01 10000 30000 Source: AIFS case There will be 4 outcomes with the in the money and out of money positions and high and low sales volume (30000 or 10000). Square 1 shows low sales volume (10000) with strong USD that when the company is out of money (1.01USD/EUR). AIFS has an excess of currency. In this case, if it locked into surplus forward contracts then it would lose money. So the option contract is more favourable. AIFS does not execute the contract, it just lets it expire. In square 2 shows low sales volume (10000) with weak USD, The requirement of the currency is below the projection (25000), and the exchange rate is high (1.48USD/EUR). If AIFS uses forward contract the gain is larger compared to when it uses options contract because the options contract costs 5% of the nominal USD strike price. In square 3 the exchange rate moved out of money (1.01USD/EUR) and the sales go higher (30000) than expected. So AIFS doesnt have to buy euro at higher rate, therefore, the Options contract is better, as the extra volume they need (5000), can be bought at the spot rate. The increase of the Spot and Fixed rates and the difference of the volume of sales are the reason for company loss. The tricky square 4 shows when the exchange rate moved in the money (1.48 USD/EUR) and AIFSs sales volume came in higher (30000) than projections, which means the company need more currency (5000), however, the exchange rate is high. In this case, Forward contracts should be used and the extra volume at the spot rates should be bought. The increase of sales may offset the downside. For companies that work with more than one currency, several hedging techniques are available to guard against foreign exchange fluctuations. After studying and addressing the case study of AIFS, it can be concluded that the changes in fees can be the cause to currency exposure. The fact that the companys revenues are in USD, and costs in GBP and Euros may result in a rise to currency exposure. After analyzing the affects of financial instruments such as forward and option contracts will have on the company, it has been decided that the company would be at a better advantage with Forward contract in order to prevent risks. AIFS charges USD by catalogue-based prices from its customer, and as the company guaranteed the prices will not change, if the rate of the USD decreases then the company will be at a loss as they will have to cover other expenses with the currency they have bought, and in order to prevent this risk, the company would be in a better position if they hedged. REFERENCES: International Federation of Accountants, 2010, http://www.mia.org.my/handbook/guide/imap/imap_3.htm#Business%20Implications [Accessed on 4/11/2010] X-rate.com, 2010, http://www.x-rates.com/d/USD/EUR/hist2010.html [Accessed on 16/11/2010]

real job :: essays research papers

Let’s talk about the importance of having a â€Å"real job.† I have spent a huge portion of my life working for someone else. I consider myself to have three full time jobs. All of my jobs are equally important to me. Yes I lead a normal life, but it is a very hectic one. I have a full-time job, attend school full-time, and I am a full-time parent to four kids. My day starts when I hear the alarm blaring at 6 a.m. and I smell the fresh brewed coffee that I set up the night before. I get out of bed where I have been nestled into my warm flannel sheets, and begin to wake up my children so they can get ready for school. As we all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so I start the pancakes, eggs, or waffles like I do every morning. After breakfast we all take our turns in the bathroom getting ready for the busy day ahead of us. My daughter of course is the â€Å"queen of primping.† She always takes the longest. I get the kids all bundled up with backpacks and lunches, onto the bus they go. â€Å"Whew† I have a brief minute to breathe. Now I am off to what I consider my second job, which is going to Washtenaw Community College. I am attending school to get my Associates in Applied Science Degree for Nursing. This semester I have fourteen credit hours. I attend school Monday- Thursday from 9 a.m.- 11 a.m. I find school to be very demanding on me because I am coming back after fourteen years of taking a break. I know it will be well worth it in the long run. I also believe that I am setting an example for my children. When I leave school I start my third job. This is the one that â€Å"brings home the bacon.† I work as a server at Applebee’s restaurant. I also take on the role as Assistant Manager twice a week. My primary role is to make sure that every guest that walks into the restaurant is taken care of. This job is like my second family. Recently I found out that a co-worker has a life threatening disease called Multiple Sclerosis. Just so happens, she is my best friend. The joy of working for big corporation is that they will do anything to help others.

Atomic Company Case Study

Thanks to a lucky series of events, Atomic Company has enjoyed a sharp increase in sales of their Tiger Pants line. The most obvious and immediate pains being felt by management is the inability to predict future sales and the high amount being paid out in sales commissions. While these are legitimate concerns, I believe deeper problems exist. The current sales structure divides independent sales representatives into different product lines and territories. This means that an Atomic Company retailer carrying four or five different Atomic product lines would have four or five different sales representatives. Not only that, independent sales representatives typically have a fairly high turnover rate in the industry, which means that relationships with Atomic retailers suffer. With this structure, it’s difficult to get a full picture of a retailer’s needs. In order to place an order for Atomic clothing, the retailer has to go through multiple people. With high turnover, it could mean that a retailer has to work with a new sales rep every year – sometimes more frequently. It’s difficult to estimate future sales because sales reps don’t have a big picture view of retailer needs. More importantly, Atomic Company is not encouraging fully committed relationships by creating value, meeting expectations, or building trust (Cron & DeCarlo, 2009). An added issue surrounding sales structure is that commissions are set up so that sales reps get rewarded with high commissions for orders from existing accounts. If the sales reps are getting orders from a spike like the one just experienced, they may not care to go out and find new business or nurture existing accounts since they’ve already met their personal commission goals. Alternative Courses of Action 1. Develop a sales structure where a greater number of territories are created for independent sales representatives. Keep the commission at a flat 15 percent. 2. Transition into a company sales force for all product lines of Atomic Company, including Tiger Pants. Set salary at $40,000. Reduce the commissions to 10 percent for sales from the first year of new retail accounts and five percent of new sales to existing retail accounts. Further, set up a way for existing accounts to place straight rebuys directly with the company that sales reps would receive two percent commissions. 3. Maintain status quo, sticking with the current structure for independent sales representatives and commissions. Analysis of Alternatives 1. By increasing the number of territories and then assigning one representative to each territory for all apparel lines, reps will be able to focus on building relationships with retail stores. Each rep will have a good idea of the total amount of Atomic apparel being purchased by their retail stores, along with opportunities to expand various lines. They will understand their customers and be better able to predict future sales because they will have developed a relationship with store managers. This approach will simplify the purchasing procedures and create value for retail stores since they will only need to place one order for all Atomic products. The number of sales calls will decrease, level of communication will increase, and overall expectations will be met at a much higher rate. Commission rates would be kept at the usual 15 percent so current independent sales reps working with Atomic wouldn’t have to adjust to a new pay structure. More importantly, Atomic won’t have to risk losing their current reps and have to go through the hiring process or risk disruption to current accounts. The downside to going with this approach is that Atomic Company may end up spending more than they should on sales commissions. Fifteen percent is a very high rate and really starts to take its toll when sales spike like they did in the case of Punk Rock Academy. Further, independent reps are less loyal to the company, leading to higher turnover rates and, ultimately, impaired retail account relationships. 2. Hiring company sales reps and separating them out into defined territories for all Atomic Company product lines will provide each of the benefits stated above. Additionally, company sales reps will feel a higher sense of commitment for Atomic and the accounts they serve since they will be receiving a salary with commissions based on performance. The way the commission structure is set up, there’s incentive for sales reps to try to identify opportunities for new business. If a situation similar to Punk Rock Academy arises, sales reps will still get some commissions from their existing retail accounts without getting bogged down with administrative tasks. Straight rebuy orders will be processed internally, allowing reps to focus on generating new sales. A downside of going with this new structure is that there would be a significant adjustment period for new reps to get hired and become familiar with retail accounts. Additionally, an investment would have to be made in providing office space, equipment, training, and an employee benefits package. 3. Sticking to the status quo will produce results similar to what have been achieved to-date. While the company has experienced success with it, recent developments with Punk Rock Academy have proven that it is flawed. Independent sales reps don’t have a fully vested interest in Atomic’s success. This structure also makes it difficult for true relationships to be formed with retail accounts. Finally, commission rates are structured in such a way that there is not a lot of incentive to develop new retail accounts as long as business is booming. The minute fads change, however, reps will be set back and will have to scramble to make up for the loss in sales. Recommended Course of Action Although switching the entire company and all product lines over to internal sales reps would require a significant initial investment of time and money, it will be worth it in the long run. My recommendation is to go with option two. Overall, this course of action will put the focus back on forming account relationships that will create value and allow Atomic Company to meet the expectations of their retail outlets. More in-depth knowledge of accounts in smaller territories will make it easier to predict future sales, especially when a spike in sales occurs. Retail stores will provide excellent input on consumer behavior since they know their client base and can use past experience as a reference. The revised salary with commission structure will help reps balance out serving existing accounts with finding new business. A base salary will help retain sales reps since they won’t be worried about facing months when sales might be a little slower. Implementation/Action Plan All existing independent sales reps should be alerted as soon as possible that effective the beginning of third quarter, Atomic Company is making a switch to inside sales representatives. All reps with a solid track record would be invited to continue on as a full time employee with salary and revised commission structure. Reps would have two weeks to make a decision on their intentions to stay with the company. If individuals choose to leave, they would be offered a bonus if they stay on contract until the beginning of the fourth quarter. After two weeks, Atomic Company will have a sense of how many new sales representatives will need to be hired so they can begin the recruitment process. Formal salary and commission structures will be set up and the VP of sales will develop a complete plan for sales training and account relationship management under the revised territories. Benchmark sales goals, objectives and strategies will be written out to fall in line with overall company goals. After the first quarter under the new structure, management will need to evaluate progress and adjust as needed. Contingency Plans If timing doesn’t allow for a quick implementation of the new sales structure, a hybrid approach can be taken. The eastern territories can be broken down into smaller areas and inside sales reps can be hired to manage those accounts. Meanwhile, the central and western territories of the U. S. can maintain use of independent sales reps for various product lines. This could be a good opportunity to test out the new structure to see how well received it is by retail accounts and how it impacts overall sales.

Essay on “The Red Scarf Girl” by Ji Li Jiang

â€Å"The Red Scarf Girl† â€Å"Many friends have asked me why, after all I went through, I did not hate Chairman Mao and the Cultural Revolution in those years. The answer is simple: we were all brainwashed. †p. 276 The book â€Å"The Red Scarf Girl† is a memoir written by author Ji Li Jiang recounting what it was like to grow up during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, taking place in China from 1965 to 1968.During this time, a political leader named Mao Zedong convinced the people of China that the â€Å"four olds†, or the old ways of China, were wrong and that the only way for their country to move forward was to completely revamp their beliefs and ways of life; basically creating a whole new culture for the Chinese. By ways of torture as well as basically brainwashing the people into thinking whatever he said was true, Chairman Mao single handedly shaped China’s culture by removing all anti-communist beliefs.During the first part of th is book, little things that Ji Li Jiang witnesses and says hints that Chairman Mao was forcing change onto the people of China. For example, in chapter 2, Ji Li helps destroy a sign for the Great Prosperity Market, saying that names like this are four olds. Many other words and phrases such as â€Å"fortune† and â€Å"innocent† were also considered four olds, and were not to be used. But this was just the first step of Chairman Mao’s plan.He also convinced his workers, called â€Å"the red guards†, to publicly humiliate people for various anti-Communist acts. These public humiliations got more and more violent as time went on; in the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, people were mainly humiliated for their clothing. On page 30, a man’s clothing is cut apart while he is standing in the middle of a street because the tight pants and pointed shoes he wore were considered four olds; â€Å"†¦tight pants and pointed shoes are what the Western b ourgeoisie admire.For us proletarians, they are neither good looking nor comfortable† said the Red Guard preforming this act. But as the story progresses, people are forced to wear dunce caps and signs with horrible messages written about them around their neck. They were then paraded around while people yelled horribly mean things at them, sometimes even throwing things. Many people were treated this way because of their, or someone in their family’s occupation; if you or anyone in your family was a landlord, you would definitely be treated this way.Landlords were believed to be â€Å"black welps†, meaning that they were evil people, because they would take land from the poor if they did not pay their taxes, and also often were wealthy enough to afford housekeepers. Many teachers were also treated harshly if the Red Guards had any reason to believe that they were teaching their students anti-communist ideas. The people of China did not think twice about this beh avior, however, because Chairman Mao had convinced them that people like this should be treated harshly. To us Chairman Mao was god. He controlled everything we read, everything we heard, and everything we learned in school. We believed everything he said. Naturally, we knew only good things about Chairman Mao and The Cultural Revolution. Anything bad had to be the fault of others. Mao was blameless. † (p. 276) Certain people were treated even more severely. Struggle meetings (gatherings within the workplace where people were publicly humiliated) were very common and often used physical violence to correct people.During one struggle meeting, a woman is beaten and forced to climb the chimney of a factory as a punishment, for she was believed to be a teacher pushing anti-communist beliefs on her students. Ji Li Jiang’s father is forced to partake in these daily because he was believed to be conspiring against the communist party. Even if The Red Guards did not have substa ntial evidence to torture these people, they had full permission to anyway under the power of Chairman Mao. â€Å"When I started to write this book, I asked An Yi’s mother if she had hated Mao when she was forced to climb the factory chimney. I didn’t hate him’ she told me. ‘I believed that the Cultural Revolution was necessary to prevent revisionism and capitalism from taking over China. I knew that I was wronged, but mistakes happen under any system. If the country was better for the movement that persecuted me, I was still in favor of it. It was only after Mao’s death that I knew I was deceived. † For Ji Li Jiang, it was not until her father was tortured that she realized that the Cultural Revolution may not have been great as it sounded. Before then, Ji Li Jiang actively participated in these events.So did all of her siblings and classmates. They all believed whole heartedly that Chairman Mao was doing this for the good of the people. Bef ore the Cultural Revolution, people had big ceremonies for their ancestors, and for the Chinese New Year. They believed in many superstitions, such as not sweeping the floor on New Year’s Day as to not sweep out the god of wealth, and eating spring rolls to â€Å"roll in the money†. People were not ridiculed because they were wealthy; wealth was admired and people strived for it. People collected stamps and other valuable things and cherished them with all their hearts.They kept photographs of themselves and their family members. They wore fancy clothes on special occasions, and the elderly kept elaborately decorated trunks containing all their families heirlooms and passed them down from generation to generation. People were allowed to hire housekeepers to help them around the house and with taking care of their children. But during the Cultural Revolution, none of these things were allowed. They were all considered four olds, and people’s houses were searched and pillaged to make sure that none of these things were going on.Years after the Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao was proven guilty of unleashing this chaos onto the people of China purely to protect his own political position. â€Å"It was only after Mao’s death in 1976 that people woke up. We finally learned that the whole Cultural Revolution had been part of a power struggle at the highest levels of the Party. Our leader had taken advantage of our trust and loyalty to manipulate the whole country. This is the most frightening lesson of the Cultural Revolution: without a sound legal system, a small group or even a single person can take control of an entire country. This is as true now as it was then. †

How was Civilian Life Affected During World War 2 Research Paper Example

How was Civilian Life Affected During World War 2 Research Paper Example How was Civilian Life Affected During World War 2 Paper How was Civilian Life Affected During World War 2 Paper During the course of the Second World War the lives of civilians were changed in a number of ways. In this essay I will be mainly concentrating on how the lives of people living in Britain were altered. In order to answer the question How was Civilian Life Affected During the War? , I will look at how daily life changed due to evacuation, bombing and rationing and the role of the woman changed. The lives of British civilians were affected immediately with the beginning of the war. Fearing air raid attacks from the German Luftwaffe black outs began. The idea of blackouts was to make it difficult for German bombers to find their arget. Main cities which were considered to be most vulnerable to attacks were, literally blacked out at night. Street lights were turned off, car headlights were masked and windows were covered with thick curtains. This caused many inconveniences for people, because it meant that it was very hard to travel at night. On top of this the amount of road accidents steeply inclined. In one month of blackout over 1000 people were killed on the roads. However, blackouts did not stop the threat from the air. Even though the Germans could not see what they were bombing didnt necessarily mean that he bombs didnt find their target. From September 1940 to May 1941 the Blitz became a part of life for many British people. Nearly every night people living in towns and cities would be awoken by the loud droning of the air raid siren. This told people that a German raid was impending. These people only had minutes to reach the safety of their air raid shelters before the bombing began. Once in the shelter they would have to sit out the falling bombs, praying they wouldnt be hit. This would have been a terrifying experience, spending sleepless nights laying huddled in a dark air raid shelter. German bombing resulted in thousands being left homeless and thousands being killed. Children would be orphaned whilst an entire road of houses would be reduced to rubble living people to face the rest of the war homeless. During the Blitz, the evacuation of children to the country began. People living in the country were not as vulnerable to air raids as people in the cities. Therefore the country was considered to be a much safer place to live. During the Blitz roughly two million children were moved to villages in the country. Here they lived with the villagers. For every child moving from a big city to he country was a new experience. Many saw sheep and cows for the first time in their lives. Many poor evacuees it was a better change in lifestyle. Bathing for these children became a regular occurrence, so did eating at the table. For these children evacuation had bought them a more healthier life and in some cases a more well mannered up bringing. For other children it was the opposite. They left comfortable homes in the city for old farms and their animals. No indoor toilets no bathrooms, no electric. It was like going back to the olden days. I never imagined someone could live like that. This was the pinion of one evacuee. It shows that for evacuation didnt affect life for better, but for worse. There was one aspect of the war that affected all the civilians of Britain, whether they lived in big cities or the country, rationing. As most of the food being brought to Britain in ships were intercepted by German submarines, supplies began to run short. This meant that certain foods had to be rationed. People were given ration books with coupons, which they then used to buy food. As the war continued soap and clothes were also rationed. People were even told to monitor how much hot what they used. If food supplies were good then an adult could expect the following for one week; 100g jam 50g magerine 350g meat 3 eggs (dried powder) 50g cooking fat 50g butter 100g cheese 225g sugar 50g tea Rationing affected everyone. It caused them to be more careful and conservative. Rationing also meant some hardship, because they were forced to cut down. However, people were not led to complete starvation. For people living in upper classes rationing would have had a bigger affect on them. They would have been used to more food than rationioning provided. Also they would not be used to not washing in hot water. Richer people would have suffered more where poorer people would have still been affected but not as much. The war probably affected civilian women the most. When the fighting began millions of men left their jobs and joined the army. This left many vacancies in many different jobs. These were filled by women. Three hundred thousand women left their jobs in the clothing industry to help in the war effort. They were joined by many other women and anyone who wasnt fighting. Women worked in shipyards, aircraft factories, engineering work, chemical factories and arms factories. They also became bus conductors, railway workers and abourers. By 1943 about 80% of women were contributing towards the war effort. The contribution of women during the war aided Britain greatly and was probably a factor of its eventual success. With women working and doing the jobs men normally did men were able to go and fight inthe war. In conclusion and in answer to the question, How was Civilian Life Affected During World War 2? , it can be said that civilian life was greatly affected. For everyone living in big cities there was the risk of being made homeless or killed by German bombing. This may have caused people not to take their lives for granted. People were put in increased danger when they travelled at night due to the blackouts. Children were separated from their parents when they were evacuated to the country. However, many children enjoyed the country way of life. Rationing meant that everyone had to cut down on food. Maybe the biggest change in civilian life happened to the role of the woman. During the war she became a much more needed and respected member of society. This evidence shows that, for many people that war brought hard times and much work was needed to pull through. Overall, the war brought many changes on civilian life, some were good, others bad.