Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 25

Individual Statement Example Also, data is the beginning, yet not the completion point for basic reasoning. Information makes inspiration, without which individual can't think basically. To produce a mind boggling thought, you have to revise a ton of realities, thoughts, messages, hypotheses, ideas. The capacity to think fundamentally has anybody at any age, understudies, however even first-graders collect enough understanding and information. Obviously, the youngsters 's capacity to think will in any case be improved with preparing, however even children can think fundamentally and freely. Talking about the pragmatic side of this issue, I might want to refer to as the model driving a vehicle. Truth be told it is an intricate expertise that isn't yelling, similar to the capacity to ride a bicycle. Before I got in the driver's seat, I needed to pass a specific hypothetical preparing. It didn't required to remember certain standards, yet it was desirable over see precisely how they work, where and why they are applied. The fledgling, who is driving the first run through, makes many superfluous developments, since he has no essential aptitudes. During preparing I got them, however it was taboo to disregard the guidelines educator. From the perspective of experienced driver every circumstance out and about is one of a kind in some degree and requires the driver to take brisk and ideal arrangements. Regularly the contention might be illuminated not in one manner, however two, three or more, beginning from the determination of the course, speed, and bearing of the temporary r e-route. It requires to time to assess the traffic circumstance in entire with every one of its outcomes. In each degree of concentrating there is a perplexing territory of abilities dependent on rudimentary activities. You should go to the full scale level to accomplish genuine outcomes. Likewise, in basic reasoning we once in a while make just a single rudimentary thing. In this way we need to consolidate or utilize a great deal of the fundamental abilities of basic reasoning. In any event, perusing can be called a movement on large scale level. At the point when we read, we

Leadership for Sustainability of the Health System- myassignmenthelp

Question: Examine about theLeadership for Sustainability of the Health System. Answer: Administration exists at the administration, the board and clinical consideration levels of social insurance. Different explores show that the nature of initiative is a main consideration influencing people. Key contemplations incorporate happiness, trust, responsibility, adequacy, values and the inward atmosphere of an association. (Chime et al. 2004; Burke et al.2006; DeGroot, Kiker Cross 2000; Dirks Ferrin 2002; Gerstner Day 1997; Kouzes Posner 2007). The basic job is in the controlling of a target to finish (Avolio, Wlaumba Weber 2009; Kouzes Posner 2007). An investigation was done on 1300 clinics situated in Europe and the United States and t was demonstrated that administration is essential. The wellbeing result is subject to acceptable administration and clinically skillful initiative (Dorgan et al. 2010). In the United Kingdom, the wellbeing workforce is tied down on authority particularly on higher administrative positions. Patients grievances additionally decrease with great execution records (CQC 2011). Clinicians take the shaft positon in administration instead of flooding the rudder of clinical administration with clinicians. Clinical administration is found in the executives, dynamic and empowering of the companions by guiding development and maintaining significant patterns that favor results. The course of this can be accomplished through inserting formative initiative in overhauling quality, security or a dynamic medicinal services preparing. Interest of clinicians in the substance of authority and the executives is basic so as to spare expenses and taking care of clinical issues. Blunders in dynamic and control of the clinical structure happen from fake administration that is asset the board and planning is left to senior clinicians while senior partners have restricted authority ability. Compelling authority enormously improves nurture standards for dependability and reduces the nursing turnover. Practice includes heaps of work and expanded penchant to burnout and truancy for which the administrative group utilizes staffing to oversee (Duffield et al., 2008). The nursing working environment reports profitability in an all around set administration framework with appropriate conventions to compromise, execution evaluation, aggregate inspiration and motivation of medical attendants at all units (Duffield et al., 2008; Eddy et al., 2009; Frandsen, 2009). References Wellbeing Workforce Australia (2012). Authority for the Sustainability of the Health System: Part 1-A Literature Review. Wellbeing Workforce Australia. Adelaide, Australia. Recovered from;https://www.hwa.gov.au/destinations/transfers/administration for-supportability of-wellbeing division literaturereview-012012.pdf Wellbeing Workforce Australia (2012). Authority for the Sustainability of the Health System: Part 1-A Literature Review. Wellbeing Workforce Australia. Adelaide, Australia. Recovered from;https://www.hwa.gov.au/destinations/transfers/administration for-supportability of-wellbeing division keyinformant-012012.pdf Nelsey, L., Brownie, S. (2012). Viable authority, cooperation and tutoring ssss Essential components in advancing generational attachment in the nursing workforce and holding medical attendants. Collegian 19(4), 197-202

Have You Heard About the Free Personal Finance Classes Were Offering Through OppU

Have You Heard About the Free Personal Finance Classes Were Offering Through OppU Have You Heard About the Free Personal Finance Classes Were Offering Through OppU? Have You Heard About the Free Personal Finance Classes Were Offering Through OppU?Whether youre a student in need of financial education or a teacher looking for standards-aligned financial literacy curriculum, OppU is here to help.Hey there, did you know that April is National Financial Literacy Month? Well, around here, it’s one of our favorite times of the year, because helping people understand the ins and outs of sound financial behaviors is a huge part of our mission as a socially responsible finance platform!That’s why we wanted to let you know a little bit more about the free (repeat: free!) financial literacy classes were offering through  OppU. If you’re someone looking to learn how to build your first budgetâ€"or a teacher searching for a smart, engaging curriculum to use with your studentsâ€"OppU is just the thing for you! Money is complex. OppU brings it back to basics.Money seems simple at first. You get a paycheck and you use that money to pay your bills, buy gro ceries, and do some fun stuff like go to the movies. But it’s actually way more complicated than that!Responsible financial behavior means building up savings to protect you when an unexpected bill or financial emergency strikes; it means using loans and credit cards wisely to avoid taking on excess debt, and it means maintaining a good credit score so that future financial opportunities remain open.Doing all of that isn’t easy! Building and sticking to a budget requires discipline and shopping around for the best credit cards means learning a little bit of patience. But before you can do any of that, you first need to grasp the basics of how using money actually works.That’s a key cornerstone of OppU: Breaking down personal finance into its basic building blocks. That way, we can give you the tools you need to start building a better financial future.Charting your OppU journey.Just like a university, OppU is broken down into four different levels: freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior.OppU utilizes instruction videos and quizzes to not only engage learners but to make sure that the information they’re gathering is being retained. Once you create an account, your progress and course completions are tracked.Freshman level starts with spending, where you’ll learn how to take control of your income and manage your expenses. The first video covers how to track income versus expenses, while the second covers the importance of living below your means.Sophomore level covers budgeting and saving. In these courses, you learn the basics of building a budget to keep track of your money and how to put money aside to stop living paycheck to paycheck.Junior level concerns all things credit, which is why it’s the longest unit. Courses in this unit cover how credit scores and credit reports work, ways to maintain and improve your credit, as well as an intro to credit cards and how they differ from debit cards.Senior level finishes off the OppU curriculum by talk ing about debt and loans. The first course walks students through the basics of how debt works, while the second course provides helpful tools and financial advice to help students reduce their outstanding debt loads.OppU is aligned with national standards.From the very beginning, OppU has been about providing both students and educators with courses that weren’t simply engaging and easy to follow, but that were teaching the skills and lessons students need  to know.That’s why the OppU curriculum was developed in accordance with the national standards for financial literacy published by the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy (@NatlJumpStart). Each course not only teaches concrete skills, but they also align with Jump$tarts financial education guidelines.Two educators were instrumental in the development of OppU’s curriculum: Beth Tallman, MBA, and Ann Logue, MBA, CFA. Ms. Tallman taught Personal Finance for Millennials at Oberlin College, while Ms. Logue teach es finance at the University of Illinois at Chicago.If you’re a teacher and you want to use OppU in your classroom, our educators guide is available to download and print.Have questions? We’ve got OppU Answers!Looking for material? Well, OppU has got you covered. Beyond its core curriculum, OppU also features the OppU Answers personal finance blog, which covers financial literacy and other related financial topics.Here are some of our favorite posts:Are you not quite sure what financial literacy actually entails? Then check out Financial Literacy: A Definition, which includes insight from seven different financial literacy experts and program leaders.If you want to get your young children started on the road to fiscal responsibility, then head on over to Financial Literacy for Kids. This post covers six core financial concepts to teach your children and a helpful list of outside educational resources.Cash-strapped millennials (are there any other kind?) should check out Financia l Literacy for Millennials, a post that’s full of helpful tips and advice to help Generation Y get their financial houses in order.And finally, recent and soon-to-be college grads should be on the lookout for future behavior that could tank their score. According to a recent OppU survey, seven in ten college students damage their credit soon after graduation.Apply for the OppU Achiever’s Scholarship!If you’re a current or soon-to-be student who needs help paying for school, we want to let you know about the OppU Achievers Scholarship.Awarded four times a year, this scholarship grants $2,500 for current or future education costs. On an annual basis, the scholarship awards a total of $10,000 to students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement.Applying is easy! Aside from some basic information, all you need to do is submit a short essay responding to the following prompt:In 500 words or fewer, please tell us why you’re an achiever. How have you created opportunity for yo urself? How have you created opportunity for others? Did you start a small business? Are you the founder of a community program? How did you overcome the odds and make your dreamsâ€"or the dreams of othersâ€"come true? Please include links to any relevant material that demonstrates your accomplishments.Decisions are based solely on the applicant’s essay. For an idea of what our review committee is looking for, take a look at these scholarship essay examples from past recipients.Applicants must be enrolled full time in high school or at least part-time in college, graduate, professional, or trade school and possess a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0/4.0.Winners are selected four times a year. The deadlines for submission are March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. If you want to apply for the OppU Achievers Scholarship, click here!Did we mention that OppU is free?If you have money questions and you aren’t sure where to turn, give OppU’s standards-aligned courses a try. It won’t cost you anything, and it could be the first step you take on the long road to a brighter financial future.Stay up to date with all things OppU by following them on Twitter at @OppUniversity. And to learn more about financial best practices, check out these other posts and articles from OppLoans:Building Your Financial Life: Budgeting for BeginnersFrom Budget to Baller: 6 Tips to Grow Your Money10 Good Money Habits to Make Your Friends JealousSave More Money with These 40 Expert TipsDo you have a personal finance question youd like us to answer? Let us know! You can find us  on  Facebook  and  Twitter.  |Instagram

Introduction Of The History Of Bank Of International Settlement And Basel Financial Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3279 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is the institutional home of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, the organizations mandates are to promote international monetary and financial cooperation and serve as a bank for central banks. The BIS also houses the secretariats of several committees and organizations focusing on the international financial system, including the Basel Committee, although these entities are not formally a part of the BIS. BIS membership currently totals 55 central banks. The BIS was created in 1930 within the framework of the Young Plan to address the issue of German reparations. Its focus soon shifted to the promotion of international financial cooperation and monetary stability. These goals were initially pursued through regular meetings of central bank officials and economic experts directed toward promoting discussion and facilitating decision-making processes, as well as through the development of a research staff to compile and distribute financial statistics. The BIS also played a role in implementing and sustaining the Bretton Woods system. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Introduction Of The History Of Bank Of International Settlement And Basel Financial Essay" essay for you Create order Besides, Basel is third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany. With 830,000 inhabitants in the tri-national urban agglomeration as of 2004, Basel is Switzerlands second largest urban area. Basel functions as a major industrial centre for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. The Basel region, culturally extending into German Baden-Wuttemberg and French Alsace, reflects the heritage of its three states in the modern latin name Regio TriRhena. It has the oldest university of the Swiss Confederation (1460). Basel is German-speaking; the local variant of the Swiss German dialect is called Basel German. The detail indicator in Basel I, II, III. Basel I, which is the first credit risk analysis instrument start used in 1998 and also called as Basel Accord. They are classified into different categories of the banks assets according to different credit risk, carrying risk weights of zero, ten, twenty, fifty, and up to one hundred percent. The basic risk weighted assets are required to for banks capital is equal to 8%. However, there is argument from JP Morgan Chase, he mentioned that 8%of minimum requirement is unreasonable, and implement credit default swaps so that in reality they would have to hold capital equivalent to only 1.6% of assets. According to Ahmed Khalidi (2007), they mentioned that Basel I was designed to establish minimum levels of capital for internationally active banks. The main setting of the standards is based on rules of the thumb, that is relatively crude method of assigning risk weights on balance sheet and off balance sheet asset categories. Besides, this also focussed on credit risks but ignoring the bulk of the multiple risks may face in banking industry today. For Basel II, there is the second of the Basel Accords, which are recommendations on banking laws and regulations issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. Basel II uses three pillars concepts, which are minimum capital requirements, supervisory review and market discipline. From previous researchers Wignall Atkinson (2010) found that, the simplified Basel II approach is more granular than Basel I, but retains its basic features. When facing the financial crisis, the Basel Committee cutting the risk weight to mortgages by some 30% and much more in the complicated version. In additional, for the weight for lending between banks was in lower percentage which 20% under Basel I, and it still maintained the same portion in Basel II, but it likely to cut 20 30 % under the sophisticated approach. Based on the research done by Ahmed Khalidi (2007), they have examined the process of development of the Basel Accord from a simple and crude credit risk measurement based capital adequacy accord into a comprehensive risk control framework grounded on three different pillars as below. The first pillar, which is aims to improve the link between bank capital and the risks that could lead to Bank insolvency. There are three major component of risks are can be calculated, which are credit risk, operational risk, and market risk. The calculation of credit risk may separate to three different degree namely standardized approach, which Foundation IRB and Advance IRB. IRB stands for Internal Rating-Based Approach. Besides, also have three different approaches to mention, which is BIA, standardized approach, and the internal measurement approach. The method to measure the market risk is VaR (value at risk). The second pillar is supervisory pillar which aims to improve the supervision capacity of regulators to control the risk of bank failure. The deals of the first pillar, which giving regulators much improved tools over those available under Basel I, it also provides the framework to dealing with other risks may face by all banks. This will improve the risk management system of banking industry. The third pillar is aims to promote greater stability in the financial system. This pillar is allowed the market discipline to operate by requiring lenders to publicly provide banks risk management methods, risk rating measurement and risk distributions. In order to strengthen the banks competitive; they must make that lend greater insight into the adequacy of their capitalisation. Basel III is a new global regulatory standard on bank capital adequacy and liquidity agreed by the members of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. This third version of the Basel is found during the global Financial Crisis. Basel III is more focussed on the banks capital requirements and introduces the new rules of bank liquidity or bank leverage. Based on the OECD estimation, the implementation of this Basel III may improve the annual GDP growth by 0.005 0.15 % point. The development of Basel I, II, III and beyond From Basel I to Basel II The initial Basel I Accord was based on a simple model to measure capital. The starting objective for Basel I was to ensure banks to maintain enough capital to absorb losses without causing systemic problems. Besides it also play an important role in the soundness of banks by avoiding competitiveness conflicts between each others (Wignall Atkinson, 2010). Although it was very simple to be used but this approach had became less effective for the bank to measure its capital over these years. There are problems appeared in Basel I such as it measure the risk based across exposure groups and not the individual elements of credit worthiness within these groups. Besides, this approach also lack of sufficient risk differentiation for individual loans and no recognition of diversification benefits. In conclusion, Basel I is lack of soundness in risk management. After many issues appearing during the time of implementation of Basel I, Basel II was created as the improvement of Basel I to overcome its limitations. The main difference between Basel 1 accord and Basel II accord is Basel II accord was not confined with the rating factor and was based on the fact one size fits all. However, Basel II accord mainly focuses on the rating factors of the borrowers. In Basel II, there are changes in internal processes and have developed a better risk management practices such as securitization monitoring and management of exposures and activities. Basel II has included three compliance frameworks based on the business model of the bank. The Standardized Approach which is almost similar to the Basel I rules was created and smaller, less-complex banks is required to follow it. However, for larger and more complex banks will be encouraged to adopt an Internal Ratings Based (IRB) Approach that directly links a banks risk ratings with its regulatory capital requirements. IRB approach seeks to differentiate risk on an asset-by-asset level for better decision making (Powell). Comparing to Standardized approach, IRB required more highly-complex modeling and expertise. Under the requirement in Basel I the weight for lending between banks was only 20% and the percentage still maintain at the same level under the simplified Basel II. However it has increased by 10% under the sophisticated approach. Lastly, Basel 3 pillar was applied in the Basel II. Pillar 1 provides guidelines for minimum capital requirements more accurate to each banks actual risk of economic loss. Next, pillar 2 evaluates the activities and risk profiles of individual banks. However, pillar 3 leverages the ability of market discipline to motivate prudent management by enhancing the degree of transparency in banks public reporting to shareholders and customers. From Basel II to Basel III However, there was also imperfection for Basel II in practicing the approach. In Basel II pillar 2 which is supervisory review process, is difficult to keep up with changes in market structure, practices and complexity. If there was a mistake in the supervisory in the review process, it will cause the policy makers will be ineffective in countering defects in Pillar 1 and therefore the Pillar 2 will be affected as well (Wignall Atkinson, 2010). Basel III have listed down the new capital and liquidity requirement to replace the Basel II for a better performance of job. There are few changes of development in Basel III compare to Basel II. First, there was an increased of quality of capital which there should be more than 50% of common equities and retained earnings as predominant component in tier 1instead of debt-like instruments. Besides, Basel III also increased the quantity of capital as well. The minimum common equity of tier 1 has increased from 2.0% to 4.5%. However, the total capital increased from 8.0% to 10.5%. Basel III now requires the banks to determine their capital requirement for counterparty credit risk using of stressed inputs. It can help to remove pro-cyclicality which will appear with using current volatility-based risk inputs. Moreover, leverage ratio was introduced for the intention of helping to avoid the build-up in excess leverage that can lead to a deleveraging credit crunch in a crisis situation. Leverage has been reduced through introduction of backstop leverage ratio. The leverage limit is set as 3%, i.e. a banks total assets should not be more than 33 time bank capital. Next, it also increase short term liquidity coverage by introducing the 30-day Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) which helps ensure that global banks have sufficient high-quality liquid assets to withstand a stressed funding scenario specified by supervisors. The following table represents the summary of Basel I, II, and III. Basel I Basel II Basel III Main Functions -also called Basel Accord classified the different categories of the banks assets according to different credit risk uses three pillars concepts minimum capital requirements, supervisory review and market discipline Pillar 1 Minimum Capital Requirements Pillar 2 Supervisory Review Pillar 3 Market Discipline strengthens bank capital requirements and introduces new regulatory requirements on bank liquidity and bank leverage Capital for Systemically Important Banks only -No capital for Systemically Important Banks only -Systemically important banks should have loss absorbing capacity beyond the standards announced today 2 New Liquidity Ratio -Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) -Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) No -LCR focuses on the shorter end of the time horizon. -NSFR looks at a medium term horizon. Common Equity Tier 1 capital Total Capital Common Equity Tier 1 capital Total Capital Minimum Requirements 2.0% 4.0% 8.0% 4.5% 6.0% 8.0% Additional Capital Conservation Buffer Not applicable 2.5% Additional Countercyclical Buffer Range Not applicable 0% 2.5% Additional Requirements For Systemically Important Financial Institutions Not applicable May be added to the other risk-weighted requirements Leverage ratio Not applicable May in effect add to the risk-weight requirements The related paper discussion on the changes in the indicator, along the development of Basel I to II to III. Basel I is the framework of minimum capital standards introduced in 1988 by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and it was designed to enhance the safety and soundness of the international banking system thus to increase the competitive pressure for creating a more level playing field among internationally competitive banks where small difference on pricing could have competitive impact (Ahmed Khalidi (2007). Basel I was emphasized on the credit risk, all of the banks assets were categorized on five classification based on credit risk, such as holding risk weights of 0%, 20%, 50%, and 100%. A new 150% rating comes in Basel II for borrowers with poor credit ratings (Wikipedia, 2011). According to Basel I, those international banks are required to maintain their capital equivalent to 8% of risk weighted assets. However, it has been criticized because the low risk sensitiveness of its capital requirements may lead to greater risk raking and regulatory capital arbitrage practices by banks, furthermore it focused only on the credit risk while ignoring the bulk of multiple risks facing by banks today. Therefore, Basel II has been developed which relies on the three pillars as such capital requirement, supervisory review and market discipline to achieve the safety and soundness of the financial system. The new framework addresses the perceived shortcomings and structural weakness of Basel I and it is fairly complex compare to the crude risk weight of the Basel I in order to make its understanding implementation a challenge to both regulatory and the regulated community. In Basel II, it was focused on financial and operational risk that faced by bank. It created an international standard for banking regulators to exercise when decided the amount of capital that banks need to maintain and guard against the financial and operational risk. Basically, regulatory capital requirements for credit risk in Basel II are calculated according to two alternative approaches which are the Standardized and the Internal Ratings-Based (IRB). Standardized approach of the Basel II framework assembles the simplest options with the objective by simplifying choices for certain banks and supervisors for measuring the other determinants. For operational risk, there are 3 different approaches which are basic indicator approach, standardized approach, and the internal measurement approach whereas for the market risk, the preferred approach is VaR (value at risk). Besides that, Basel II was highlight on the three main fundamentals which are capital allocation to be more risk se nsitive, divided operational risk from credit risk and reduce the scope for regulatory arbitrage. Moreover, it has provided clearer picture on the definition of bank capital by using three pillars concept. In addition, Basel II put more attention on Pillar 1 by describing the different approaches to compute the minimum requirement. It seems that the principles and objectives of Pillar 2 and Pillar 3 is not very precise which left to national supervisors discretion. For Pillar 2, the supervisory review, supervisor tend to determine the banks rating based on its capital and risk levels. Low rated banks will be comparing to high rated banks to tighter the dividend restrictions in order to build capital. For Pillar 3, market discipline, public statement about the banks rating has been made by supervisor through showing the informational role played by rating agencies. It also shown the discipline enforced by uninsured depositors in order to allow the supervisor to reduce banks risk taki ng incentives by reducing the fraction of insured deposits. Overall, Basel II represents a rise in the risk sensitivity of banking regulation and supervision hence it reduces banks risk taking incentives and supervision cost (Elizalde, 2007). Basel III is a comprehensive set of measures to strengthen the regulation, supervision and risk management of the banking sector. It helps to improve the banking sectors ability to absorb shocks arising from economic and financial stress. The minimum regulatory standard for Tier 1 capital ratio has been increased from 4% in Basel II to 6% in Basel III. Basel III continues to be viable capital standard and it does not replace Basel I or Basel II in which Basel III is about more than just capital ratios. It proposed stronger capital framework by increasing the significantly the quality, the coverage, and the required level of bank capital. The components which include credit risk, market risk and operational risk have been adjusted in Basel III. Besides, the new definition of capital also has been adjusted where there are no sub-categories of Tier 2, elimination of Tier 3 category due to no real impact, and minimum requirements established for common equity Tier 1, Tier 2 and total cap ital has been set. Furthermore, there are new rules for counterparty credit risk to be finalized, for instance, the capital adequacy ratio is being raised where the minimum common equity requirement will be 4.5% as compare to the current 2%. A capital conservation buffer of 2.5% is to make sure that banks maintain the level of buffer of capital that can be used to absorb losses during periods of financial and economic stress, thus it will be added to the 4.5% to make a total requirement of 7% common equity to total risk-weighted assets. In Basel III, a countercyclical buffer within a range of 0% 2.5% of common equity or other fully loss absorbing capital will be implemented according to national circumstances. There are also two new liquidity ratios which consist of liquidity coverage ratio and net stable funding ratio are introduced in Basel III. Liquidity coverage ratio is focused on the shorter end of the time horizon and is aimed at ensuring that each bank owns liquid resources to such an amount that short term cash obligations are fulfilled even under a severe stress. In addition, Basel III is introducing a global minimum liquidity standard for internationally active banks that includes a 30-day liquidity coverage ratio requirement underpinned by a longer-term structural liquidity ratio. While, net stable funding ratio looks at a medium term horizon and focused on the structural balance between maturities of a banks assets and liabilities. It is aimed at preventing banks from exposing themselves to extreme maturity transformation risks by funding medium and long term assets with very short term liabilities. Besides that, based on Wikipedia (2011), the introduction of leverage ratio is an additional measurement of Basel II risk-based framework. The purposes of the introduction of leverage ratio are put a floor under the buildup of leverage in banking sector and to introduce additional safeguards against model risk and measurement error by increasing the r isk based with the measurement based on gross exposures. Moreover, in Basel III, it will help to strengthen the risk coverage of the capital frameworks especially for counterparty credit exposures arising from banks derivatives, repo and securities financing transactions. Hence, it also emphasize on raising the capital buffers backing these exposures while reduce procyclicality (Wikipedia, 2011). It would help to provide additional incentives to move OTC derivative contracts to central counterparties and most probably will be clearing houses. Student should gather own conclusion that Include: Agree, Disagree or Unable to make conclusion due to scarcity of data or information. In a nutshell, we can see that there is improvement through the development of Basel which is useful to adapt in fast changing economic and financial environment. Moreover, it is acts as a comprehensive guideline in helping the financial institutions to reshape their capital structure in order to improve their performance in gaining confidence from the public. Since the happening of global financial crisis, Basel has become one of the most important elements to ensure the banks always maintain its capital requirement for its soundness. In addition, the Basel developments show that the country issue is being focused thus it can enhance the ownership of the standard developed. There are few advantages of using the Basel to operate the banks performance level, which is it can raise the quality, consistency and transparency of capital base Tier 1 capital. Next, it helps to enhance risk coverage, from Basel II to Basel III there is apply a multiple of 1.25 to the asset value correlation of exposures to regulate financial firms with assets of at least $ 25 billion. This would have the effect of raising risk weights for such exposures. It may reduce the exposure risk of the assets of financial institutions and minimize the mistake when calculated the intrinsic value of the assets through the Basel. Last but not least, it may improve the leverage ratio of financial institution through Basel III.

Vital Pieces of Plant Essay Topics

Vital Pieces of Plant Essay Topics Plant Essay Topics - Overview Biology is an area of study that's very critical in the academic curriculum. Essays are sometimes a difficult assignment for many students. Expressive essays don't have some particular structure, yet it's advised to stick to the five paragraph structure. When the essay on biology was written, a revision is crucial to guarantee the content is in order. Plant Essay Topics and Plant Essay Topics - The Perfect Combination The description of the event might include the feeling of attending a particular birthday party. First off, select a topic that's interesting for you before you think how others are going to react to it. Just like any paper, the subject of your choice is a remarkably important thing. In an issue of speaking, picking out persuasive essay topics is similar to telling yourself what you wish to convey to the rest of earth. Plants are also a rather important supply of food. They need water so the y can grow. Plants must be watered with water that doesn't have any chemicals. They also provide the food that is necessary for humans to survive, as well as providing the basis for the survival of other species that are also essential to human survival. The Pain of Plant Essay Topics Gardening can provide you many pleasures should you just take some time to stop and enjoy them. Gardening is also a rather practical activity. Gardening is a rather physical activity. Gardening also permits you to be in the existence of nature even if this presence is a little potted plant. Although the writer is simply describing the subject, there ought to still be logic to follow. In the majority of instances, you want to develop a topic that will make it possible for other people to realize your viewpoint, and telling them to think that what you write is true. The close of the article ought to be firm and sum up the entire article. Thus, overall, individuals are getting to be aware of the very important need to have a nice and clean atmosphere. Moreover, watching something come alive, grow and thrive due to your efforts can be quite a satisfying experience. You have to make sure you're very interested in the topic before you're able to persuade others about it. Consider an instance of how you can better your speaking via an illustration of a single change in the manner in which you believe. Plant Essay Topics - What Is It? Essay writing is definitely thought to be part of academic life and essay writing demands certain abilities or the region of the writer. The outline for a biology essay offers you clear guidelines about how to go about with writing the write-up. Biology essay topics must be detailed so they can be differentiated from other sorts of papers. Persuasive essay topics don't always must be of a critical nature, you can write about things that are linked in your life. The more information you'll be able to gather about the subject, the better prepared you'll be for writing your essay. It is not very easy to compose a how-to essay. Such essays shall have a good deal of quotations, based just on facts and laws, and show no more than the actual picture of the situation. The biology essay introduction is the the most critical portion of the post, since it will determine whether the readers may wish to read more of the piece or not. Thoroughly research on the subject, and be certain that there are sources from which you may retrieve information. If you're confused with a selection of interesting topics to research online, it's far better to choose what interests you the most. With research, general topics want to get avoided. Last, be certain that the topic you decide on can be supported by some factual evidence. Plant Essay Topics Secrets That No One Else Knows About High Capital Intensive Nuclear Plants need a high degree of technology and an important preliminary capital investment. A way to solve the waste management problem has to be explored and developed.

Understanding Weather Free Essays

What you will study Entry Regulations If you have a disability Study materials Teaching and assessment Future availability Students also studied How to register Student reviews Distance learning This course provides an introduction to weather patterns and events around the world, explaining the main drivers that determine the weather on a seasonal and daily basis. You’ll explore how the professional weather forecasts for your area have been made and how reliable they are likely to be. Understanding the weather is one of a series of short, five month 10-credit courses introducing fascinating topics in science. We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Weather or any similar topic only for you Order Now You can try out an area of study before you commit yourself to a longer course, or top up your knowledge and skills between longer courses. Register for the course Choose country to update fee: StartEndFeeRegister 06 Apr 2013 See description Choose country above April 2013 is the final start date for this course. For more information, see Future availability. What you will study The weather arises from physical processes within the atmosphere as it responds to the rotation of the Earth and the heating effect of the Sun. In this course you will discover how these processes determine the weather, how they vary depending on location and time of the year and the extent to which they can be forecast. You will also consider some of the ways in which typical variations in the weather and extreme weather events affect a wide range of human activities. Scientific concepts relating to temperature, humidity, air pressure, air density, clouds, precipitation and wind will be explained and you will see how many factors operate together in the atmosphere to produce various types of weather system. This in turn will give you a better understanding of the information conveyed by weather maps. You will also learn about the ways in which meteorological data, including surface and upper-air measurements as well as satellite information, are collected and fed into the computer models that underlie weather forecasting. This will enable you to understand how the professional weather forecasts for your area have been made and how reliable they are likely to be. You will be able to apply this knowledge in making your own short-term predictions of your local weather. There will be plenty of opportunity to consolidate your understanding of the scientific concepts by investigating different weather systems in a variety of climatic zones across the world. By the end of the course you will have developed a range of study skills associated with retrieving and interpreting information in the form of tables, charts, maps and graphs. You will be required to undertake some small projects in which you will develop your ability to observe your local weather in a systematic way and to interpret forecasts. The course is based on a specially written Open University (OU) study book, together with a website with online activities using images, videos and other material and links to particular weather stations. The study book will provide questions and activities to help you to test your understanding, and that you can use for self-assessment as you progress through the course. The course is produced in partnership with the Royal Meteorological Society. Entry The course is designed for people who are coming new to science and to meteorology, and all you really need is an interest in how the weather works and the motivation to find out more about the science underlying meteorological phenomena and forecasting. You must be prepared to study some physical science and to learn how to interpret satellite images, maps, weather charts and graphs. You will need to access various types of forecast through the internet. You must also be willing to make some observations of the weather in your own locality and to keep a record of what you see. Mathematically, you need to be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide, and although it would be useful to have a little basic knowledge of general science this is not essential. The structured teaching will take you to a level at which you will be able to understand important aspects of the science of the atmosphere which give rise to our weather. You should be able to read and understand written English of a style and complexity characteristic of a professional magazine or quality newspaper, and you should be able to communicate your thoughts clearly and comprehensibly in a written format. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration Enquiry Service. Regulations As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website. If you have a disability A proportion of the course is delivered online via the website, so you will have to spend a considerable amount of time using a personal computer and the internet. You must be able to download material from a website and download information from local weather stations via the internet. Written transcripts of the audio-visual material are available. You must also be able to undertake simple observations of the weather in your locality of a period of several consecutive days. The course relies heavily on coloured images, complicated maps and charts, and direct observations of the sky. One of the aims of the course is that students should develop an ability to interpret cloudscapes, weather maps, satellite images and their own observations. No textual descriptions of diagrams will be available and the use of a sighted assistant to interpret the images or describe the sky would conflict with the course learning outcomes. The assessment will only require students to demonstrate that the majority of course learning outcomes have been achieved. You should consider if you will find achieving these learning outcomes challenging and contact the Student Registration Enquiry Service for advice before registering for this course. You will be required to draw diagrams or to annotate diagrams that you download, and then to use either a scanner or a digital camera to produce electronic versions of these diagrams for inclusion in your assessment. Alternatively, creating diagrams electronically will be acceptable. Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and scientific or diagrammatic materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability. If you have particular study requirements please tell us as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Visit our Services for disabled students website for more information, including: help to determine your study requirements and how to request the support that you need Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) using a computer for OU study equipment and other support services that we offer examination arrangements how to contact us for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying. Study materials What’s included OU study book, online activities using images, videos and other material, study guide, maths skills ebook. You will need Basic scientific calculator. You will be required to draw diagrams or to annotate by hand diagrams that you download, and then to use either a scanner or a digital camera to produce files of these diagrams for inclusion in your assessment. Computing requirements You will need a computer with internet access to study this course which includes online activities. You can only access these using a web browser with Flash and Java. If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer since 2006 you should have no problems completing the online activities. If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section. If you use an Apple Mac you will need OS X 10. 5 or later. You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide. Teaching and assessment Study support You can contact a team of expert study advisers through an online discussion forum, and they will be able to help you with academic questions to do with the course and the assessment. There will also be an online discussion forum that you can use to get in touch with other students. Contact our Student Registration Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register. Assessment The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above. You must use the online system to submit your end-of-module assessment (EMA). You will have to submit the single piece of written work for assessment after 21 weeks. There will be no other opportunity to complete the course. Future availability The details given here are for the final course start in April 2013 when it will be available for the last time. Students also studied Students who studied this course also studied at some time: Volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis (S186) Exploring science (S104) Maths for science (S151) The frozen planet (S175) Elements of forensic science (S187) How to register To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. Student Reviews â€Å"Firstly I took this course to gain an extra qualification and credits for University, but also because of my keen †¦ † Read more â€Å"This was an excellent course which included a good mix of theory and practical activities. It was really enjoyable and †¦ † Read more How to cite Understanding Weather, Papers

Leadership Philosophy and Profile

Introduction There are several theories on leadership that seek to determine how leaders behave, and why they behave in such a manner. The situational theory of leadership and the Leader-Member Exchange theory of leadership are among the two main leadership philosophies that explain the situation in detail.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Philosophy and Profile specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While situational theory of leadership explains how managers act differently in varying situations, the Leader-Member Exchange theory explains how managers develop different relations with their subordinates. This paper seeks to discuss the aspect of leadership philosophy together with the relevant profile elaborately and summarise the aspects of the theory. Equally, the paper will provide an example of a personal leadership development plan that integrates key reasoning and constructs of the theories as postulat ed. Situational Leadership Approach Situational theory draws its basis from the belief that behaviour theory is inadequate for the world mainly due to the complicated nature of work and society. Specific behaviours remain only suitable in certain situational contexts. Situational leadership theory, also referred to as contingency theory, defines leadership on the basis of what leaders can do under different circumstances. The main reason why this happens is due to the fact that different forces exist, both internal and external, which affect reactions of leaders. Thus, in this context, it is impossible to define what leadership is without giving due consideration to specific situational contexts. According to the situational theory, the actions of a leader are influenced by the prevailing circumstances. Equally, behaviours also have to be associated with specific environmental situations. The environmental situation which determine the manner in which a leader or a manager behaves m ay include the size of the organization, the level of worker maturity within the company, as a well as a combination of critical contingencies which, together, influence choice of action or behaviour.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this regard, it is prudent to point out that situational factors remain finite and differ depending on several contingencies. A particular leader, for instance, will behave effectively in certain situations but not in others (Fairholm and Fairholm 11). Among the several situational theories that have been postulated include the Path-Goal theory whose main basis is the consideration of issues that motivate individuals. The motivation to behave in a particular way is related to the expectation of end results and the extent to which a person desires the end goal (Baker 10). The Leader-Member Exchange Theory The Leader-Member Exchange theory, abbr eviated as LMX theory, looks at leadership as an interaction process involving both the leader and the follower. The theory also revolves around the dyadic exchange kind of connection between the leader and the follower. Within work group relations, the relationships between the leader and members of the team are further divided into tiny working relationships due to the belief that relationships vary and develop between leaders on the one hand and individual workers in the team. The LMX theory’s assumption is that leaders and their followers form part of an exchange relationship in the sense that the followers follow the leaders for the purpose of expecting to receive something from their leaders while the leaders head the rest of the team as they also receive something from the followers. Thus, it is the exchange relationship and its resultant quality that forms the basis of analysis. Observation of leadership behaviour points out at the tendency by leaders to often behave differently towards different subordinates. The in-group refers to subordinate members of staff whose relations with the leaders are good or favoured. Leaders pay heightened attention to â€Å"in-group† members. In addition, â€Å"in-group† members have the priority of accessing more organizational resources. On the contrary, subordinates who are disfavoured by their leader form an out-group. Unlike their colleagues, they enjoy very little, if any, valued resources of the organization from their leaders. To differentiate â€Å"in-group† from â€Å"out-group† members, leaders identify common traits in regard to age and gender among other traits among the members.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Philosophy and Profile specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A worker considered to be competent in the execution of his or her job may easily be granted in-group membership status (Winkle r 47). Summary of the directive and achievement style of leadership All managers falling within a command chain are supervisors. The directive manager instructs the subordinates lying directly beneath them what is expected of them, in terms of roles and tasks. The manager is also expected to provide a blueprint detailing how the job should be done, as well as monitor the performance and attainment of requisite standards to realize the goals. Often, directive leadership is best suitable in circumstances where organisations have integrated the human resource department within their structures (Barker 49). Directive leadership emphasizes more on strict HRM guidelines and policies, a factor that has also been noted to demotivate workers rather than inject the much needed motivation. The market circumstances are never stable and, therefore, it is not easy to determine a single leadership style that leaders can permanently rely on. As the internal organisational circumstances and external pressures affect the organisation, the business or organization is likewise forced to adapt to these conditions and circumstances. The best suitable leader for this organisation will also eventually change. For instance, an organization planning to undertake a restructuring programme that will entail re-branding the entire organization will require a different type of a leader or manager, separate from the kind of leader or manager that will be required to direct the organization in the course of stability. Achievement leadership is about attaining desirable goals and objectives often not attained by others. A leader who pursues leadership ought to set demanding goals both at the work place as well as within him or her in order to propel self-improvement. The leader must also translate the ideas of achievement to the entire team so that the combined effort of each worker may lead to development and progress. In pursuing to achieve desirable goals, the high standards which are expec ted need to be demonstrated by the leader so that the followers can know exactly what to do. Without the leader demonstrating the capabilities of the followers, it is difficult for the set objectives to be attained. Thus, faith from the leader must be extended to the followers to give them the necessary determination and support towards goal attainment.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Achievement oriented leadership is best applied particularly in circumstances where the task being undertaken is considered to be complex. Leaders who show their followers what way to follow are considered to be effective leaders. There is always one right way of attaining goals and objectives which the leader always has insight on yet the followers are unable to see. This portrays the leader as knowledgeable while the follower looks up to the leader. Equally, the follower is often completely rational, where the rightful methods are deterministically selected basing on the situation at hand (Lussier 365). Personal Leadership Development Plan Personal Objectives To improve on last year’s productivity by half or 50 per cent such that this year’s performance may be one-and-a-half times more than last year’s performance. To develop a leadership style that is flexible and visible. To enhance team work impact through delegation of duties. Professional Learning Needs I need to increase particular skills and knowledge in management so as to enable me control performance effectively as required. I also need to improve on inner individual qualities, such as confidence, commitment to attainment of change, and improve self-belief. These improvements will support the desired developments and translate to results. Monitoring I intend to put in place indicators that reflect on my actual performance in terms of providing a feedback mechanism. The monitoring mechanism will indicate whether all the targets anticipated to be done differently were indeed achieved, and whether the leadership style being employed is competent in terms of giving desirable results. Feedback from the immediate manager will point out as to whether the performance is meeting the desired objectives or whether it is below the targeted results. Measures I will provide feedback concerning new processes that I intend to start, which will lead to the attainment of targeted outcomes as w ell as support the monitoring of benefits realised as a result of changes. Feedback on work progress and targeting will also be important. Information also needs to be provided for purposes of performing business reviews and evaluating the overall change process for purposes of supporting re-designing in case changes do not meet the desired objectives. Measures should also point out as to whether results are being delivered accordingly and in conformation to realistic ways. Concrete milestones must be used as perfect determinants of results achievement in order to effect the full implementation of the necessary changes in the organisation. In other words, the performance indicators will need to be accurate and sensitive. Resources A provision of inventory touching on all resources like money, time, people, and skills will need to be concrete and measurable. The inner organisational resources like culture and values also need to be well accounted for and ensure the resources are alig ned to the task (Yost and Plunkett 56). Conclusion Leadership has been analysed and summarised into theories that distinguish different styles and application. Among the theorised styles of leadership are the situational or contigency approach and the leader member exchange theory, abbreviated as LMX. In situational leadership approach, it is assumed that leaders act in different ways in accordance with the circumstances that afflict them. The LMX approach, on the other hand, assumes that leaders relate differently with their subordinates, either in a favourable or disfavourable manner. The directive leadership style offers that leaders have to always show the way to their followers in order for objectives to be easily realised. Achievement leadership style determines in advance the right goals to be attained before setting out to achieve or realise the same. A personal leadership development plan will include key areas such as personal objectives, professional needs, feedback mecha nism, and the resources required in order to align the skills with the expected targets. Works Cited Barker, Anne. Transformational Nursing Leadership: A Vision for the Future, New York, NY: National League for Nursing Press, 1992. Print. Fairholm, Matthew and Fairholm Gilbert. Understanding Leadership Perspectives: Theoretical and Practical Approaches, New York, NY: Springer, 2009. Print. Lussier, Rober. Management Fundamentals: Concepts, Applications, Skill Development, New York, NY: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Winkler, Ingo. Contemporary Leadership Theories: Enhancing the Understanding of the Complexity, Subjectivity, and Dynamic of Leadership, London: Springer, 2010. Print. Yost, Paul and Plunkett Mannion. Real Time Leadership Development, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print. This essay on Leadership Philosophy and Profile was written and submitted by user Adonis Barr to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Accents and Other Spanish Diacritical Marks

Accents and Other Spanish Diacritical Marks A diacritical mark, or a diacritic, is used with a  letter to indicate that it has a different pronunciation or a secondary meaning. In Spanish, there are three diacritical marks, also called diacrà ­ticos in Spanish,  a tilde,  an  umlaut and an accent. Diacritical Marks in English English uses diacritical marks almost solely in words of foreign origin, and they are often omitted when written in English. Examples of English words using diacritical marks are faà §ade, which uses a cedilla; rà ©sumà ©, which uses two accent marks; naà ¯ve, which uses an umlaut, and pià ±ata, which uses a tilde. Tilde in Spanish A tilde is a curved line above an  n, it is used to distinguish n from à ±. In a technical sense, this might not be considered a diacritic, since n and à ± are separate letters of the alphabet.   The mark above the letter indicates a change in pronunciation, also called a palatal  n, which means, that the sound is made by putting the tongue to the top of the mouths palate or roof of the mouth to make the sound.   There are many examples where the tilde is used in Spanish, for examples, aà ±o, meaning year;  maà ±ana, meaning tomorrow, and Espaà ±ol, meaning the language from Spain or a Spaniard. Umlaut in Spanish An  umlaut, often called a dieresis, is placed over the u when it is pronounced after a g in the combinations gà ¼e and gà ¼i. The umlaut changes the sound gu combination into a w sound that one would hear in English. Umlauts are rarer in Spanish than the other types of diacritical marks.   Some examples of umlauts in Spanish include the word for penguin, pingà ¼ino, or  averigà ¼Ãƒ ©, which means found out about or verified. Accent Marks in Spanish Accents are used as an aid in pronunciation. Many Spanish words such as  rbol, meaning tree,  use accents to put the stress on the correct syllable. Accents are frequently used with some words such as  quà ©,  meaning what,  and  cul, meaning which,  when they are used in questions. Spanish accents  can only be written over the five vowels,  a, e,  i, o, u, and the accent is written from lower left to upper right:  , à ©, à ­, à ³, à º. Accents are also used to distinguish some sets of words that are otherwise spelled alike and pronounced alike but have different meanings or different grammatical usages, also known as Spanish homonyms. Common Spanish homonyms Accents help differentiate one homonym from another. Following is a list of common homonyms in Spanish and their meanings. Spanish Homonym Meaning de preposition: of, from d third-person singular subjunctive form of dar, to give el masculine article: the l he mas but ms more se reflexive and indirect object pronoun s I know si if s yes te object: you t: tea tu your t you

The Most Dangerous Myth about Writing - Freewrite Store

The Most Dangerous Myth about Writing - Freewrite Store Based on the encounters I’ve had as an author and an editor, I’d say it’s rarer to find someone who doesn’t want to write a book than someone who does. Today’s guest post is by editor and author Susan DeFreitas (@manzanitafire), whose debut novel, Hot Season, won the 2017 Gold IPPY Award for Best Fiction of the Mountain-West.       Based on the encounters I’ve had as an author and an editor, I’d say it’s rarer to find someone who doesn’t want to write a book than someone who does. Many dreamers never so much as start. But there are also a whole lot of would-be authors who start writing a book and never find a way to finish it. Some writers lose the thread of a novel because they lack a sense of the big-picture, the story as a whole. Some abandon their writing projects because they lack the discipline to set aside time to write. But there are many writers who fail not because they’re not cut out for writing, but because they are, in as much that they’re perfectionists. But that perfectionism has been misplaced. Which is why I consider the idea that you should revise while you’re drafting a book the most dangerous myth about writing. The Great (Unwritten) American Novel In 2000, the ink on my degree in creative writing was not yet dry, but I was working on the Great American Novel. For me, at twenty-two, this involved working in a bagel shop and spending a lot of time in Coyote Joe’s, my local watering hole- but despite my youthful excesses, I worked steadily at the novel I had in mind. Sure, it was a sprawling epic- and sure, my reach exceeded my grasp (by a mile, at least!). But the book didn’t fail because I lacked vision, nor did it fail because I stopped writing- in fact, I worked diligently on it for the next ten years of my life. That novel failed because every time something seemed off, I went back to the beginning and revised. The Power of Deadlines There is a perennial truth known to grad students and journalists: a looming deadline will make you actually finish a piece of writing, no matter how epic or ambitious your aims with it might be. When I went back to school at thirty-two, I no longer had the luxury of revising ad infinitum, because I had to turn out twenty pages of new work every two weeks. And yet, these were somewhat famous people I was working with, who might just give me a hand up if they liked my work. The incentive to produce polished prose was high. But how could I produce polished work in just two weeks? My solution was simple: I worked twelve-hour days. I hadn’t kicked my perfectionist’s habit of revising as I drafted, I’d just found a way to accommodate it (by eliminating nearly everything else of any consequence from my life). As a result, I did produce some polished work (though I’d scrap a whole lot of it later; see Editor’s Note, below). And maybe, just maybe, I managed to impress someone- if not with my work, than my work ethic. But what I lost, in the process, was my enjoyment in writing itself. Remember When Writing Was Fun? When I was a kid, I didn’t dread the act of writing. Between the pages of my composition notebooks, fantasy worlds came alive and â€Å"imaginary friends† became real. I was always looking for an excuse to play hooky from the rest of my life (especially if it involved homework or chores). After grad school, I asked myself, â€Å"When did writing become something I hate?† I realized this change occurred when I tried to perfect a piece of writing, to finish it, in too short a span of time. But that short span of time- the almighty deadline- was what had finally allowed me to finish in the first place. How could I make writing fun again, while actually producing publishable work? For me, the answer was this: Stop revising as you write. Separate drafting from revising. And reconsider your tools. Part One: Stop Revising as You Write Remember my Great (Unwritten) American Novel? It’s languishing in the back of my hard drive because I could not stop going back to the beginning and revising it. Which, though it gave me the illusion of progress, kept me from doing anything more than inching forward. It can be useful now and then to look back at where you’ve been with your novel and the promises you’ve made to your reader- useful too to remember what the voice of the protagonist or narrator sounds like. But take it from someone who sacrificed years of her life in the service of a failed manuscript: that boomerang that keeps sending you back to the beginning is unlikely to ever give you enough momentum to write your way through to the end. And oftentimes it’s only once you’ve reached the end of your book that you know- really know- the way that it should begin. So no matter how polished your opening pages might be, you might have to scrap them in the end. Part Two: Separate Drafting from Revising When I talk about drafting, I’m talking about the process of creating new work. By revising, I’m talking about the process of improving that work- adding to it and deleting from it, reshaping and improving it. Productivity experts tell us that we’re less efficient when we’re constantly switching between tasks, and it doesn’t take a neuroscientist to tell you that drafting and revising make use of very different parts of the brain. (The former generally involves throwing spaghetti at the wall; the latter involves deciding what sticks.) As a consequence, switching back and forth between these two tasks in the same session tends to be not only inefficient but frustrating- and because it’s hard to do both tasks well, you never quite achieve the effortless state of flow. That’s another term productivity gurus like to throw around. But writers, you know what I’m talking about: The flow state in drafting is when the next word, the next sentence, the next movement of the story, is clear; the flow state in revising is when you can easily tell what’s on and what’s off (and how to address the latter). If you want to work efficiently- and with less frustration- my advice is to separate these two tasks as much as humanly possible. Part Three: Reconsider Your Tools When I decided I was going to make writing fun again, I tried all sorts of process-oriented hacks. Some of them stuck, and some of them didn’t, but one of the most useful strategies I found was drafting by hand. When you open up a Word document, the first thing you see is the beginning of the piece. If you’re a perfectionist- and to succeed at writing, I believe, you must be- it’s difficult not to get sucked in. (What’s a little nip and tuck here and there?) The trusty composition notebook from my childhood, I found, did not work that way. I opened to the last thing I had written, not the first- and in doing so, more effortlessly found the thread (especially if I had made a few notes the last time I wrote, about what came next). Of course, writing by hand is slower than writing on a computer. So if you can find a way to write- via a typewriter, via tech like the Freewrite, or simply via the willpower required to start at the end of your Word document, rather than the beginning- you’ll have the best of both worlds. Editor’s Note Everything I’ve learned in the course of my journey as a writer has been backed up by what I’ve learned in my career as a freelance book editor. At Indigo Editing Publications, we work with authors over the course of three distinct rounds of editing: a developmental edit, a line edit, and a proofread. Which is to say, we don’t cut a comma, question a word choice, or ask to see a single image clarified until the story itself has been nailed down. Doing so would be a waste of the client’s money, and of our time- because the word, sentence, or image in question might not even make the cut for the next draft. Just as writers are best served by separating drafting from revising, revising is best served by separating work on the story from work on the language itself. It can be hard to do, but it is, without a doubt, the most efficient way to work. In Conclusion Certainly, there are exceptions to every rule, and there are some successful authors who meticulously revise as they draft new work (Zadie Smith is a good example). But in my experience, these writers are the exception. Those who succeed in publishing are usually those who’ve learned how to reliably enter a state of flow, in both drafting and revising- and in most cases, they’ve learned to do it by separating drafting from revising. Of course, I’m curious about your thoughts on this. When has writing been the most fun for you? How has perfectionism served you as a writer (or held you back)? And what’s the number one most useful writing hack you’ve found?    An author, editor, and educator, Susan DeFreitas’s creative work has appeared in (or is forthcoming from) The Writer’s Chronicle, The Utne Reader, Story, Southwestern American Literature, and Weber- The Contemporary West, along with more than twenty other journals and anthologies. She is the author of the novel Hot Season (Harvard Square Editions), which won the 2017 Gold IPPY Award for Best Fiction of the Mountain West. She holds an MFA from Pacific University and lives in Portland, Oregon, where she serves as an editor with Indigo Editing Publications.

Leadership, Teambuilding, and Communication Essay - 6

Leadership, Teambuilding, and Communication - Essay Example Trait theories recognize the characteristics and behaviors of people across the globe. It states that leadership is an inborn quality and that leaders cannot be raised. This is a hypothetical picture of an ancient belief which explains that when a group of people were facing extreme problems, a hero appeared and led them towards success. Even in today’s world, some people believe that leadership is an inborn quality (Fairholm, m. R., & Fairholm, g. W., 2009). The leaders with the trait theory have characters such as: decisiveness, assertiveness, cooperative approach, ambitiousness, alertness, etc. In business, managers can use the information from the theory in order to assess their positions in the firm and to evaluate how they can strengthen their position. It helps them to have in depth knowledge about their own identity and the way they can affect others in their firm. This theory helps the manager to understand their weaknesses and strengths, thus, they come to know about how they can develop and enhance their leadership qualities (Lussier, N., & Achua, F., 2010). This theory suggests that not all the leaders who are successful have same characteristics. Theory states that the success of leadership depends on the correspondence between the style of a leader and the demands of a situation. This means that the effectiveness of leadership style is a function that is used in the given situation. (Judge, 2002)According to this model, a manager must know his style of leadership, diagnose the situation and then look for the coincidence between his style and the specific situation. This theory suggests that levels of directive and supportive behavior of a leader should be based on the level of staff available. Managerial behavior occurs when a leader uses one-way communication to specify the duties of his followers. The supportive behavior occurs when the leader uses bi-directional

Barn Burning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Barn Burning - Essay Example Even though the story itself is not set in the Depression Era, but somewhere at the end of 19th century, the same themes of family heritage, maturation, and inequality are present in the story as they were at the time that Faulkner wrote this story. Faulkner's ability to impart his "strongly topographical imagination"(Miller 211) adds color and zest to this story, which can be taken at face value with some implicit tones contributing to the dilemmas of Sarty. The story, in a fairly solid Faulknerian manner, is centered on the conflict a young boy, Sarty Snopes, experiences, in relation to being faithful to his father versus behaving in the right manner ethically. From the beginning, we can see the extreme anguish of young Sarty, who once again has to lie to protect his father, feeling "fear and despair and the old grief of blood" (Faulkner 350). Sarty has no choice; he was born into this family, and inherited with it "the old fierce pull of blood" (Faulkner 348). His father is described as a man with "wolf like independence and even courage when the advantage was at least neutral which impressed strangers, as if they got from his latent ravening ferocity not so much a sense of dependability as a feeling that his ferocious conviction in the rightness of his own actions would be of advantage to all whose interest lay with his" (Faulkner 350).

Patriarchy In Twilight Saga English Literature Essay

Patriarchy In Twilight Saga English Literature Essay Its easy to observe the expansive reach of the Twilight saga. For starters, it is a cash-cow. To date, the four book series has sold approximately 85 million copies (Grossman) and has claimed the top four spots on USA Todays year-end bestseller list for the years 2008 and 2009 (Minzesheimer and DeBarros, Sellers;Twilight Sweeps). Twilight saga merchandise though sold in multiple retail outlets single-handedly brought retailer Hot Topic back from the depths of economic gloom and doom in 2008 (Odell).  [1]  The film adaptation of Twilight grossed $380 million at the box office (more than 10 times what it cost to produce) before earning over $3 million in DVD sales on its first day of release (Armstrong) while New Moon performed even better earning more than $700 million worldwide before its DVD release in March 2010 (The Twilight Saga: New Moon). Beyond the economic impact, the series inspires Beatlemania-type fanaticism among its growing, primarily female, fan-base. Conduct a G oogle search for Twilight fansite, and youll get almost 1.2 million returns. Furthermore, a November 10, 2008 scheduled appearance in San Francisco by Robert Pattinson (the actor portraying Edward Cullen in the film adaptation of Twilight) was cancelled after he was swarmed by fans. The melee also resulted in a broken nose for one fan, while another lost consciousness (News from WENN). Pattinson made the following remarks about the impassioned Twilight fandom: People know my name, ambush me in public, try to figure out what hotel Im staying at, ask me to bite them and want to touch my hair. It feels surreal (Bell). These are but a few examples that demonstrate the massive impact the Twilight saga has on audiences. The widespread audience response might cause some to wonder just what it is about Twilight that appeals so much to fans. There are others, like myself, who have chosen to question the impact the Twilight narrative may have on readers specifically female readers perceptions of culture. While there are many aspects of the Twilight narrative being debated by fans and critics alike, themes of patriarchy and misogyny are of particular interest (Mann; Myers; McClimans and Wisnewski; Housel). The Twilight Saga is Just Entertainment, Right? Why Should We Care? Before we can enter into a proper analysis about the impact of patriarchal and misogynistic themes in Twilight, its first important to understand why wed want to analyze an artifact of popular culture at all. An older academic view situates popular texts like the Twilight saga as low art, or mass produced schlock meant to dupe unsophisticated audiences, like us, into passivity (Horkheimer and Adorno; Benjamin). Postmodern cultural studies scholars, however, see popular culture as an aspect of mass culture (Storey, Cultural Theory), or the values and ideas that members of a society form from common exposure to the same cultural activities, communications media, music and art, etc.  Thus, examining popular culture texts exposes how they are used assert social values upon others (Barthes). Female-targeted popular culture artifacts like the Twilight saga are sites that are especially worthy of examination since they place the female/feminine experience at the forefront of media criti que (McRobbie and McCabe; Modleski; Radway; Ang; Mellencamp). The central concern of feminist media analyses is to examine patriarchal ideology as it relates to power and agency in society (Baumgardner and Richards; Durham; Storey, An Introduction; van Zoonen). Analyzing texts through a feminist lens can serve as a means of exposing and critiquing patriarchy in popular media and, in the process, help to liberate audiences from traditional, stereotypical representations (Durham). It is also a way to understand the concept of gender as a social construction, and posits media texts as critical sites for the negotiation of gender roles. If we read the Twilight saga closely, we might conclude that it promotes what Cynthia Enloe calls a Culture of Imminent Danger, which she defines as a culture sustained by the classical patriarchal caveat that women are in the sort of danger from which only rational men can protect them (234). One way in which the Twilight saga reinforces a Culture of Imminent Danger is seen in the roles of the adult male and female characters in the series. For example, male characters are written into roles or occupations that reflect the role of protector. Charlie, Bellas father, is the police chief in Forks; Carlisle Cullen, Edwards father, is the most prominent doctor in town; and Billy Black, Jacobs father, is a Quileute tribe elder. Meanwhile, the female characters in Twilight, are symbolically annihilated that is they are largely trivialized and either symbolized as child-like adornments who need to be protected or they are dismissed to the protective confines of the home (Tuchman 8). The ro le of Bellas mother, Renee, is muted throughout the story we know only that she has decided to follow her new husband to spring training camp in Florida and that she is childlike and harebrained (Meyer, Twilight 4). Before Renee remarried, Bella saw herself as her mothers caretaker. Esme, Edwards mother is also superficially presented. As the matriarch of the Cullen clan, she is characterized only by her ability to love passionately and her strong mothering instincts (Meyer, Twilight 307, 368). Bella, too, has been seen by some as falling victim to symbolic annihilation. In the discussion topic Bella, is she a bad influence for teens? on the TwilightMoms.com fan site, for example, fans express concern that Bella is a weak character because she sees herself less beautiful than Edward, less intelligent, and clumsier than everyone else. Bella, because she is the weak and vulnerable one, is in constant need of care and protection she is dependent upon Edward for survival. Indeed, we see what happens to Bella when she is abandoned by the protective influence of Edward she becomes a lost moon (Meyer, New Moon, 201). Later, when Bella and Edward visit Renee in Eclipse, Renee remarks to Bella that her role in her relationship to Edward is that of a satellite, or something (Meyer, Eclipse, 68). A satellite can be understood as any object that moves around a larger object. The comparisons of Bella to a moon or other satellite are significant since they symbolically place Edward at the center and Bella in the periphery. This scenario illustrates Edwards role as the actor and Bellas role as the reactor in the Twilight saga. When Edward moves, so does Bella. When Edward leaves, Bella, too, checks out. Likewise, it implies that the orbiter is the least valuable one in the relationship. Take, for example, the Earths relationship to the Sun. The Earth as a support system for human life is important in its own right, but the Sun has far more importance. Without the Sun, the Earth is annihilated. Without Edward, Bella is annihilated. Because the symbolic annihilation of women in media fails to address the full range of womens real-life goals and potential, it plays an important role in establishing and normalizing ideology that helps those in power (read: men) stay in power. But, Bella exists in a world much different than ours. How much potential can we expect Bella to posses in a situation where she is forced to battle super-human forces? Meyer acknowledges this when responding to critics. She says: There are those who think Bella is a wuss. There are those who think my stories are misogynistic-the damsel in distress must be rescued by strong heroà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I am not anti-female, I am anti-human. I wrote this story from the perspective of a female human because that came most naturally, as you might imagine. But if the narrator had been a male human, it would not have changed the events. When a human being is totally surrounded by creatures with supernatural strength, speed, senses, and various other uncanny powers, he or she is not going to be able to hold his or her own. Sorry. Thats just the way it is. We cant all be slayers. Bella does pretty well I think, all things considered (Meyer, The Story). Im willing to buy Meyers explanation to an extent. But, just because the Twilight saga narrative is set against a backdrop of fantasy does not mean its capabilities for reinforcing the oppressive ideology that exists in our real-world go unrealized. For example, Bella only becomes strong by conforming to the masculine standard put forth by Edward (that is, by becoming a vampire). Of course, Edward cannot reverse himself to his human form, but when Bella changes for Edward, it legitimizes a longstanding cultural norm of women adjusting their desires to accommodate those of her male partner.  [2]  As with the satellite analogy, this aspect of the Twilight saga highlights Edwards superiority over Bella. Edward Is The Worlds Best Predator, Isnt He? Everything About Him Invites You In. When readers buy a romance novel, they are being sold more than just the book. The ideology of romance exemplified by lessons of gender subjectivities and sexual difference in a patriarchal structure embedded in the patriarchal and misogynistic themes present in romance genre is also being sold (Brown; Cooper). The romance narrative of the Twilight saga teaches us that if social order is to be successful and maintained, then the most notable compromises will have to be made by women. This lesson establishes, then, that if women wish for patriarchy to be neutralized in society they will have to be the ones to do it. We see this perspective manifested in the online comments of several readers comments that largely are critical of Bella for failing to overcome the patriarchal constraints present in the Twilight saga (see for example beka; Jost; North; Seltzer; or any of the myriad of fan posts on TwilightMoms, Twilight Lexicon, and other fansites). However, men and women exist togeth er in society and, as such, any fair reading of the Twilight saga would also be looking at Edwards responsibility in perpetuating oppressive ideas about gender roles in human society. Perhaps the most profound way that Edward Cullen reinscribes an oppressive patriarchal ideology is that he demonstrates the classic signs of a batterer. Many readers might disagree with my assessment by pointing out that Edward is motivated by his intense desire to protect Bella and he only has her best interests in mind. The framing of Edwards actions as being in Bellas best interests is precisely what makes them so dangerous. This viewpoint normalizes and legitimizes masculine power over females for the reader. As for how Edward demonstrates signs of a batterer, one need only refer to the criteria established by nationally known domestic violence trainer and consultant Lydia Walker. As part of her Getting a Firm Foundation training, Walker has developed a list of seventeen behaviors seen in people who abuse their partners. Walker warns that if the person has several (three or more) of these behaviors, a strong potential exists for physical violence the more signs a person has, the more likely the person is a batterer. Edward exhibits at least seven of these behaviors (in varying degrees) at different points in the Twilight saga.  [3]  These are: Jealousy Of course, the tension between Edward and Jacob is at the forefront of the story, but Edward expresses his displeasure in many of Bellas potential suitors, In Twilight, for example we are most acutely aware of his dislike for Mike Newton. Edward tells Bella that when Mike asked her to the school dance, he was surprised by the flare of resentment, almost fury that he felt (Meyer, Twilight 303). Edward is surprised by his feelings, remarking that jealousy is so much more powerful that I would have thought. And irrational! (304). Controlling behavior Walker defines controlling behavior as those actions that are attributed to a concern for a womans safety and well being. We see one example of Edwards controlling behavior in Twilight when he follows Bella and her friends to Port Angeles. Walker also warns that controlling behaviors are frequently manifested in the abusers lack of willingness to let a woman make personal decisions. We see Edwards controlling behavior reappear later in the same chapter when he tells Bella when she needs to eat (even when she insists that she isnt hungry), and again when Bella is recovering in the hospital in the last chapter Edward calls for the nurse to administer pain medication to Bella even though she is clear that she does not need them (Meyer, Twilight 477). In Eclipse, Edwards attempts to control Bella are particularly disturbing as he continuously attempts to prevent Bella from visiting Jacob. First, he disconnects the cables to her car battery. Later, he manipulates Al ice into participating in a kidnapping plot designed to keep Bella away from La Push. When he finally agrees to let her go, he does so only if he can take her there and pick her up himself. Perhaps the most appalling example, though, is in Breaking Dawn when Edward attempts to arrange for an abortion for Bella without any discussion from her or her permission. Quick involvement Most battered women dated or knew the abuser for less than six months (many for less than three months) before they were married, living together, or engaged. An abuser comes on like a whirlwind (Walker). Chapter one of Twilight tells the reader that Bella moves to Forks in January. It is not until March that Bella and Edward decide to become a couple (Twilight Chapter 10). By Prom in May, shes ready to give up her mortality for Edward (Twilight Epilogue). In fact, the entire story only spans two years. Unrealistic expectations Walker characterizes unrealistic expectations in terms of possessiveness and states that abusive people will expect their partner to meet all of their needs. At one point, Edward tells Bella that he is anxious à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to be away from [her], and that he gets distracted à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ worrying about [her] (Meyer Twilight 188-9). Edward is relentless in keeping Bella close to him, unrealistically worried that some great harm will come to her. Edward tells Bella: You are my life now (314). Blames others for feelings The abuser will tell the woman you make me mad, youre hurting me by not doing what I tell you, I cant help being angry' (Walker).  The abuser is, of course, responsible for what he thinks and feels, but will use his feelings to manipulate his partner. One example of Edward acting in this way can be found in the meadow scene in Twilight. Prior to this point, Edward has made his desire for Bella known, but it is not until they are in the meadow that he drops his mask to show Bella the true extent of the danger he poses to her. Hes frenzied as he explains all the ways in which he could easily destroy her, and then blames Bella when he feels he has lost control (Meyer, Twilight 263-5). Later, when Bella and Edward kiss before meeting the rest of the Cullens for a game of baseball, he forcefully pulls himself off of her when he loses control and proclaims: Damn it, Bella! à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Youll be the death of me, I swear you will (363). Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Walker warns women to look out for sudden mood changes in which one minute the abuser is really nice and the next minute hes exploding.   She explains that explosiveness and moodiness are typical of people who abuse their partners since these behaviors can intimidate and frighten the victim and are reflections of the abusers use of threats and manipulation to establish and maintain power and control. The entire first part of Twilight (certainly until Bella is rescued in Port Angeles by Edward in Chapters eight and nine) is focused on Edwards odd behavior towards Bella that vacillates between amusement and pure contempt. At one point, his behavior causes Bella to say to Edward, I cant keep up with you, and question him as to whether he has a multiple personality disorder (Meyer, Twilight 84, 82). Even after Edward makes his true feelings for Bella known and while he continues to keep his emotions in-check around Bella, hes prone to the occasional swing. Any force during a conflict This may involve a batterer holding a woman down, physically restraining her from leaving a room, or pushing/shoving her (Walker). In Chapter five of Twilight, Bella faints during a blood-typing exercise in her Biology class. Edward convinces the school secretary to excuse them from class so that he can escort her safely home. Bella relents, happy to get out of class, but is fully intent on seeing herself home. When Bella moves to the drivers seat of her truck, Edward physically restrains her by pulling the back of her jacket, telling her, Where do you think youre going? (Meyer, Twilight 103). Later, Bella is restrained again, this time by Edwards brother Emmett (under Edwards direction) as they rush to flee James after the baseball game. While trying to decide how to counter James inevitable attack, Edward decides to take Bella away from Forks. When she protests, Edward orders Emmett to secure her by her wrists and forcibly strap her into the harness of the Jeep they are using to escape (381). Of course, not everyone will see it this way. Some will see Edward as he is presented as the ideal, romantic, doting boyfriend and rationalize that his actions are justified because they were enacted with Bellas best interests in mind and because Edward, as a vampire, has physical and mental capabilities that Bella, as a mortal, does not possess. But, we cannot let Edward off the hook just because he is a vampire and not a living, breathing person. While personhood is certainly linked to humanity, Nicolas Michaud suggests that one does not necessarily need to be human to be a person: Personhood should be granted to those who demonstrate certain qualities such as consciousness and self motivated activity; those who demonstrate certain capabilities such a practical reason and affiliation should also not be denied the ability to flourish if they so choose (45). Edwards respect for the human soul, his choice to drink animal blood instead of human blood, and his attempt to assimilate in to Forks society demonstrate his desire to pass and be accepted as a person and not a vampire. Therefore, if Edward wants to enjoy the benefits of personhood in our society, we have to demand of him the same standards that we would expect from any other male in it regardless of any supernatural power he may possess. There are those that will argue that even though Edward exhibits these tendencies, he does not cross the line to become a full-fledged physical abuser. However, while physical violence is one method by which men control women and maintain their supremacy, patriarchy does not need to be enforced by using violence alone. In this case, Edwards actions create an environment where Bella cannot love Edward without loathing herself. He demonstrates that, despite the claim to the contrary, he is actually very far from perfect. Yet, Bella still sees herself as subordinate to him. She consistently reminds the reader and herself that she is not good enough for Edward. Because the Bella/Edward relationship is presented as fated and Edwards actions are justified as being for the benefit of Bellas safety, we permit Bella to respond in ways that would concern us if we saw it manifested in others close to us. We condone her continued disregard for her own personal safety. We allow her to isolate h erself from her family and friends. We accept her explanations for her repeated injuries. Bella literally gives up her life for love. Edwards controlling behavior coupled with Bellas justification of it creates a situation in which the females subordination becomes not only acceptable to readers, but rational as well. Can Romance Narratives be Anything But Oppressive? The abuse narrative present in the Twilight saga becomes especially problematic when viewed with an understanding of the romance genre. Romance as a genre is frequently characterized by the quest for an ideal heterosexual love relationship between a strong, dashingly handsome, young man and a beautiful, vulnerable, self-sacrificing young woman (Burnett and Beto). These qualities of romance stories are at the forefront of the Twilight saga. While these aspects of romance can be read as contributing to the perpetuation of patriarchal ideas about gender roles, romance can also be interpreted as the ultimate feminist genre. Catherine Asaro reminds us that the plots of most romance stories are centered on the desires of the heroine; her values are given priority and she always ends up getting what she wants. Bella spends four books telling us, the readers, that she wants to achieve immortality as a vampire and spend eternity with Edward while still being able to keep her best friend and Edwards rival suitor Jacob around. Breaking Dawn sees Bella fighting for her right to bear a child. She ultimately achieves all of this. Asaro also asserts that romance novels are unique in that they adhere to the female gaze. Laura Mulveys concept of the male gaze rests in the assumption that the audience is forced to view the action and characters of a filmic text through the perspective of a heterosexual man. Examples of its manifestation in filmic texts are seen in camera shots focusing on the curves of the female body, cleavage, or other sexualized positioning of women. In romance novels, however, the male form is the one under the heaviest scrutiny its features extolled upon in great detail. In fact, the female heroine is frequently described with just enough detail to humanize her, while leaving enough information out of the picture so that the reader might insert herself into it. In Twilight, Bella frequently compares Edward to the mythical Greek god Adonis. Her description of his facial features is specific. We see Edward, through her eyes as perfect and angular with high cheekbones, a strong jawline, and a straight nose and full lips. His hair, which is always messy, is an unusual, eye-catching shade of bronze while his eyes are topaz. Bella, on the other hand, is described to the reader far more simply she has long brown hair and brown eyes. Texts presented through the female gaze are significant in two distinct ways. For one, that the heroine is presented as an everywoman can be seen as empowering to female readers who are often only presented with representations of female characters that fade into the background unless they have qualities deemed important' (Asaro). Readers are able to recognize aspects of themselves in the narrative. Also, it legitimizes female sexuality and debunks the myth that women dont notice men in that way. Physical attractiveness is just as important for females as it is for males. Female sexuality is further legitimized in romance in that the heroine is rarely punished for engaging in sexual acts and can frequently be seen as the initiator of such acts. In Twilight, it is Bella who is eager to consummate the relationship she has with Edward and Edward who is resistant to give in without being married. Still, there is plenty in the saga to support the charges that the Twilight narrative is potentially harmful. Even though Edward never crosses the line into domestic violence, his behavior is still troublesome since the heavy consumption of romance narratives can, over time, influence readers interpretations of appropriate behavior for men and women in romantic relationships. In The Killing Screens, George Gerbner discusses his cultivation theory, which was developed to help explain the cumulative and overarching impact repeated media exposure has on the way we see the world in which we live. It emphasizes the effects of media consumption on the attitudes rather than the behavior of audiences. In short, heavy exposure is seen as cultivating attitudes which are more consistent with the world of media than with the everyday world. Gerbner argues that media cultivates attitudes and values which are already present in a culture, normalizing and reinforcing more dominant values, while mak ing other, more underlying ideas more salient. In a society such as ours where masculine ideology is already privileged; where we already have historical struggles with creating safe, egalitarian spaces for women; and where we already struggle with violence and intimidation, Gerbners theory tells us that extended consumption of the over-representation of patriarchy in the Twilight saga can normalize and legitimize acts of oppression that we might witness or experience in our own lives. When abuse is made to be fun and entertaining, we run the risk rationalizing and justifying it and fail to see the tragedy in it when we come across it in our real lives. Viewing the Twilight saga through this lens moves the conversation from the question of, What are romance narratives like those in Twilight doing to women? to What are women doing with them? Romance has been, perhaps, one of the most denigrated popular culture genres (Asaro; Wethington; Holmes). Common complaints include the lack of diversity and scope of romance narratives (typically seen as a result of the demands of powerful commercial forces and publishers looking to quickly churn out formulaic narratives that have previously proven to be profitable); and the genres consistent reliance on conservatively rigid messages about race, gender and male-female relationships; and the objectification of human bodies in explicit, almost pornographic, sexual representations (Wethington). Not everyone buys into these criticisms. Feminist media scholar Janice Radway was one of the first to take seriously the pleasure that women readers consistently seem to find in romance. According to her inf luential text Reading the Romance, women use romance as a way to set up a quiet space for themselves. They not only vicariously enjoy status positions and spaces of nurturing through the books that they do not enjoy in the real world, but romance stories also provide a fictional space in which readers can rehearse and make sense of their individual identity and role in society (Radway; Burnett and Beto). The role romance plays in preparing individuals how to behave in their public lives is even greater for young readers than what it may be for adults. Girls will use romances as an alternative to a romantic relationship when one has not yet presented itself. Romance novels act as safe spaces to gain insight on how to meet boys, what kinds of things they might say to them, and what dating is like. For them, romance novels act as beginners manual for adolescence (Cherland and Edelsky; Christian-Smith; Willinsky and Hunniford) Audiences appear to carry the lessons and desires cultivated through repeated exposure to romance narratives in their youth with them throughout their lives. For example, a generation ago, at the height of the coming-of-age teen romance flick, there emerged two archetypes for the ideal boyfriend Jake Ryan and Lloyd Dobler. Jake Ryan, of course, was the cool, super-popular, super-rich, Porsche-driving, way-too-hot-to-be-in-high-school hunk who caught the Plain Jane Samantha Bakers eye in the film Sixteen Candles. Lloyd Dobler, on the other hand, was an unpretentious, earnest, boombox-hoisting everyman who was thoroughly devoted to the super-smart Diane Court in the film Say Anything. Its been more than 25 years since Sixteen Candles was in theaters and 20 years since Say Anything was released, yet women coming of age in the 1980s still find themselves longing for their Jake or their Lloyd but, not finding him. (Stuever, Real Men; Steuver, What I Did). There is evidence that the same desire audiences have for a relationship with Jake and Lloyd also exists for Edward Cullen, regardless of the age of the audience member. For example, on the discussion forum for the TwilightTeens.com fansite, for example, one can find a multitude of discussion threads in which young fans deliberate questions like On a scale of 1 to 10, how lucky is Bella Swan [to be with Edward Cullen]?; Could you see yourself dating a guy like Edward?; or What do you like about Edward? Additionally, Emily Reynolds interviews and surveys with female adult readers of the Twilight saga revealed that it was Bella with whom readers most frequently identified and whose behaviors they most saw in themselves, making it easy for the reader to slip into Bellas shoes. This identification most frequently manifests itself in a desire to be romantically linked with Edward. According to one of Reynolds participants: I would leave my husband for someone like that (30). The difference, of course, is that seeking out a Jake Ryan or a Lloyd Dobler though destined to end in disappointment is not likely to meet with a violent end, though seeking out an Edward Cullen might. Is it all bad? It is not my goal to vilify the Twilight saga. It is okay to enjoy things that are entertaining and fun, but we should not dupe ourselves into believing that our entertainment media does not also assist in formulating our ideas about our culture. Popular media help shape a worldview in audiences that re-inscribes dominant positions of power and authority (Althusser; Gitlin; Hall), which in Eurocentric cultures like ours is white, patriarchal capitalism (Fiske qtd. in Meyers 7). Patriarchy is the primary oppressor of females in a society (Firestone; Greer; Millett). Since patriarchy does not necessarily operate as an explicit, perceivable reality (meaning, we dont always recognize it when we see it), we must review the aspects of our culture pop culture included that perpetuate patriarchal ideology and cause it to be normalized. What are, in fact, dangerous ideas that devalue the female in society are too frequently seen as legitimate choices in the Twilight saga choices made in th e name of true love or in the face of supernatural forces. When presented through these lenses, Bella and Edwards relationship is seen as romantic and desirable when in any other world it would be destructive. We have to remember that patriarchy, while notable for marginalizing females, does not operate free from feminine influence (Enloe). Social systems are not made solely of men; women are also contributing members. As such, a patriarchal society relies on the participation of all members men and women to endure. Therefore, as destructive as Edward is in the Twilight narrative, the real danger exists when we fail to confront patriarchy and oppression when we encounter it. It is advantageous that Twilight appeals to readers across several generations because it can be used as a framework for encouraging discourse between adults and youth about how female oppression occurs in society. Only future analysis will tell if these conversations are happening. Lets hope that they are.