The Permian-Triassic Extinction Event

The Cretaceous-Tertiary (K/T) Extinction--the global cataclysm that killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago--gets all the press, but the fact is that the mother of all global extinctions was the Permian-Triassic (P/T) Event that transpired about 250 million years ago, at the end of the Permian period. Within the space of a million years or so, over 90 percent of the earths marine organisms were rendered extinct, along with more than 70 percent of their terrestrial counterparts. In fact, as far as we know, the P/T Extinction was as close as life has ever come to being completely wiped off the planet, and it had a profound effect on the plants and animals that survived into the ensuing Triassic period. (See a list of the Earths 10 Biggest Mass Extinctions.) Before getting to the causes of the Permian-Triassic Extinction, its worth examining its effects in closer detail. The hardest-hit organisms were marine invertebrates possessing calcified shells, including corals, crinoids and ammonoids, as well as various orders of land-dwelling insects (the only time we know of that insects, usually the hardiest of survivors, have ever succumbed to a mass extinction). Granted, this may not seem very dramatic compared to the 10-ton and 100-ton  dinosaurs that went defunct after the K/T Extinction, but these invertebrates dwelt close to the bottom of the food chain, with disastrous effects for vertebrates higher up the evolutionary ladder. Terrestrial organisms (other than insects) were spared the full brunt of the Permian-Triassic Extinction, only losing two-thirds of their numbers, by species and genera. The end of the Permian period witnessed the extinction of most plus-sized amphibians and sauropsid reptiles (i.e., lizards), as well as the majority of the therapsids, or mammal-like reptiles (the scattered survivors of this group evolved into the first mammals during the ensuing Triassic period). Most anapsid reptiles also disappeared, with the exception of the ancient ancestors of modern turtles and tortoises, like Procolophon. Its uncertain how much of an effect the P/T Extinction had on diapsid reptiles, the family from which crocodiles, pterosaurs and dinosaurs evolved, but clearly a sufficient number of diapsids survived to spawn these three major reptile families millions of years later. The Permian-Triassic Extinction Was a Long, Drawn-Out Event The severity of the Permian-Triassic Extinction stands in stark contrast to the leisurely pace at which it unfolded. We know that the later K/T Extinction was precipitated by the impact of an asteroid on Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula, which spewed millions of tons of dust and ash into the air and led, within a couple of hundred (or couple of thousand) years, to the extinction of dinosaurs, pterosaurs and marine reptiles worldwide. By contrast, the P/T Extinction was much less dramatic; by some estimates, this event actually spanned as much as five million years during the late Permian period. Further complicating our assessment of the P/T Extinction, many types of animals were already on the decline before this cataclysm started in earnest. For example, pelycosaurs--the family of prehistoric reptiles best represented by Dimetrodon--had mostly disappeared off the face of the earth by the early Permian period, with a few straggling survivors succumbing millions of years later. The important thing to realize is that not all extinctions at this time can be directly attributed to the P/T Event; the evidence either way is constrained by which animals happen to be preserved in the fossil record. Another important clue, the importance of which has yet to be fully adduced, is that it took an unusually long time for the earth to replenish its previous diversity: for the first couple of million years of the Triassic period, the earth was an arid wasteland, practically devoid of life! What Caused the Permian-Triassic Extinction? Now we come to the million-dollar question: what was the proximate cause of the Great Dying, as the Permian-Triassic Extinction is called by some paleontologists? The slow pace with which the process unfolded points to a variety of interrelated factors, rather than a single, global catastrophe. Scientists have proposed everything from a series of major asteroid strikes (the evidence for which would have been erased by over 200 million years of erosion) to a calamitous change in ocean chemistry, perhaps caused by the sudden release of huge methane deposits (created by decaying microorganisms) from the bottom of the sea floor. The bulk of the recent evidence points to yet another possible culprit--a series of gigantic volcanic eruptions in the region of Pangea that today corresponds to modern-day eastern Russia (i.e., Siberia) and northern China. According to this theory, these eruptions released a huge amount of carbon dioxide into the earths atmosphere, which gradually leached down into the oceans. The disastrous effects were threefold: acidification of the water, global warming, and (most important of all) a drastic reduction in atmospheric and marine oxygen levels, which resulted in the slow asphyxiation of most marine organisms and many terrestrial ones. Could a disaster on the scale of the Permian-Triassic Extinction ever happen again? It may well be happening right now, but in super-slow-motion: the levels of carbon dioxide in the earths atmosphere are indisputably increasing, thanks partly to our burning of fossil fuels, and life in the oceans is beginning to be affected as well (as witness the crises facing coral reef communities around the world). Its unlikely that global warming will cause human beings to go extinct anytime soon, but the prospects are less sanguine for the rest of the plants and animals with which we share the planet!

Example Of Observation Report - 1843 Words

Observation-is a great fundamental assessment that will allow us to gain information about general strengths and weaknesses of this learner. Robert M. is one of the 10 gifted and talented students in this particular 4th grade class (Data resource – acceptance to gifted and talented program letter, personal file). Observation of Robert’s skills during the class work time (data resource – personal notes): - High performance capabilities in the ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies areas; - Intellectual capabilities are beyond the average level of students in the 4th grade; - High level of performance in the areas that require critical thinking and problem solving; - Problem solving solutions are usually presented in the unusual, creative†¦show more content†¦2. Pair-share writing assignment, where another student would have a set of really good penmanship skills. 3. Include 1-2 minute stretch break for everybody every 30 to 45 minutes and ask him to wait for the next stretch brake, so we can do it together, but until then encourage him to focus on the class discussion or activity. Random comments will disappear once a certain amount of focus is present. Fountas and Pinnell reading assessment will inform us about Robert’s reading abilities, his comprehension of the text, fluency and vocabulary. According to Fountas and Pinnell reading level system, Robert’s reading level is â€Å"W† (Data source – Fountas and Pinnell reading assessment). Just for comparison purposes, the average reading level in this 4th grade class is â€Å"Q†. Robert scored 3 out of 3 on the comprehension evaluation and only 2 out of 3 on fluency, which means that his reading fluency is in need of some improvement. His fluency score was affected by faster than normal reading speed and that, in turn, was followed by careless reading mistakes and loss of expression through obvious disregard of the punctuation. Robert’s overconfidence that he knows the material, and no text is difficult enough for him is also making him feel as he needs to read the text faster. Following strategies will help Robert to improve his reading fluency: 1. To encourage Robert to slow down and read with expression during theShow MoreRelatedChild Observation Report Essay example1832 Words   |  8 Pages Introduction The location of the observation was at the Community Center (Early Childhood education program) at 11:00am to 12:30pm on April 15, 2014. The meaningful experiences in early childhood education can positively shape childrens development. With a teacher is guidance authentic child-art activity can educate enrich young students learning abilities, encourage positive attitudes toward other children, and more importantly, learn to interact with people around them in the contemporaryRead MoreExamples Of To Add Test788 Words   |  4 Pagesrisk being tested. ï‚ § Start with Ensure. ï‚ § Example: â€Å"Ensure that Batch Manager is continuously monitored to ensure all transactions are cleared and errors are reviewed.† o Type – Select from the dropdown menu ï‚ § Observation – When a onetime observation or multiple observation will be the basis of the test. †¢ Example: Watch a process in progress, inspection, and/or etc. ï‚ § Test of Control – When the control will be directly tested by the test. †¢ Example: Review Reconciliation ï‚ § Substantive Test –Read MoreScientific Method Step Essay705 Words   |  3 PagesMethod Matching Exercise Resource In Part I, match each example from Column 2 with the correct step of the scientific method in Column 1. Explain the reasoning for your choice in Part II. Part I Column 1: Scientific Method Steps __g_ Observe __c_ Ask a question __a_ Create a hypothesis __b_ Conduct an experiment __d_ Collect data __f_ Interpret results __e_ Report results Column 2: Examples of Tasks 1) a) A scientist, based on his observation of the pond, believes that if a pond is exposed to theRead MoreFormal Observations : An Observational Study Of Research1618 Words   |  7 Pages Formal observations is an observational study of research. There’s usually no need to ask questions which are obvious like â€Å"are you male or female?† Instead of asking questions the observer notes whether the participant is a man or woman. One difference between a normal survey and formal observation is that observers often watch a number of people at once and then assess the difference and similarities between the people. 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Therefore, when reporting data, it is important not to reveal students private information and only report on groups large enough to make it impossible to identify individuals. The school reports on groups that are twenty or more people and follows the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The school seeks permission from the administration and parents, where appropriate, to collectRead MoreLalla1219 Words   |  5 Pages5. Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Participant Observation DeMUNCK and SOBO (1998) provide several advantages of using participant observation over other methods of data collection. These include that it affords access to the backstage culture (p.43); it allows for richly detailed description, which they interpret to mean that ones goal of describing behaviors, intentions, situations, and events as understood by ones informants is highlighted (p.43); and it provides opportunities for

Linguistics National Attachment and Generational Identity

Question: Discuss about theLinguistics for National Attachment and Generational Identity. Answer: Introduction The type of the myth that is created by the society itself reveals the approaching into the aspiration and the values of the society. The myth about the society defines the behaviour so that with the passage of time the myth tends to act like a prophecy that is self-fulfilling in nature. Thus, the individuals of the society start to apply the myth in their own daily lives. In the opinion of the author, every country develops certain national myths and national identity that may either have resemblance with the reality or may not[1]. The social identities can be considered both liberating and oppressive for the individuals in the society. The identity of Australia has often been negatively depicted as racist, hostile to art and homophobic. This increases the demand for accepting alternate offers by Australians. Discussion Unlike the myths of America, the myths of Australia have little relation with the realising of the ambition of an individual. Nevertheless, the myths of Australia regarding the Anzacs, mateship, egalitarianism and a belief in a fair go has been useful in obtaining a peaceful society where none of the individuals feels inferior or superior. As opined by the author, the myths do not have any support in Australia from all over the globe[2]. One of the myths of Australia is about the Anzac myth that refers to the exploitation of the brave soldiers of Australia who were determined to prove themselves as effective representatives of the fledging nation. However, the majority of the individuals were able to identify only a few of the Anzacs. Charles Bean sorted out the stories of heroism actively that took place in the battlefield and claimed that the nation of Australia was born at Gallipoli. In order to understand the importance of the myth in understanding the nation identity of Australia, studies have been conducted to determine the attitude of the Australians towards the Anzacs. From the survey data result, it can be stated that the Anzacs are an integral part for the Australians. The result further indicates that the mid aged and the young Australians associate the Australian identity with the Anzacs to a large extent. Opponent argued that among the tertiary educated, city dwellers and individuals having identity with left leaning political parties are less likely to give the Anzacs priority[3]. A famed character trait of the Australian is the mateship. It has been mentioned that Australia is the only nation that celebrates friendship within their national identities[4]. Therefore, celebrating friendship as national identity is considered as a unique trait of Australia. The concept of mateship became stronger after the World War 1. The soldiers of Australia realised that they were fighting a battle in Europe that was no such importance and had little to do with the Australians. It became a kind of justification for fighting for the mates. As per the history of Australia, it can be inferred that there is two influences of the celebration of mateship. The first influence that was identified was the suffering of extreme hardship during convict transport, war in Australia and economic downfall. The second reason was that a number of migrants to Australia did not have families and hence turned towards their mates or friends at times of need. On the contradictory, the author menti oned that not all the individuals in Australia had faced hardship or lacked family bonding[5]. Therefore, mateship has not been that important to certain Australians. Apart from this, as mateship has played a crucial role in shaping the social development of Australia, it is essential in understanding the present situation of Australia. In Australia, not every individual is equal and there is a clear difference among the individuals based on wealth and culture. Moreover, there exists difference among them even in the workplace as they have different level of responsibility, abilities and ranks. There have been circumstances where the critics have been trying to indicate the presence of the inequalities. Although the nation of Australia is not a society of equals, there is a myth that indicates that the society needs to be equal. The myth shapes how the Australians engage with each other in the society. Australians never had a national identity that has been prescribed by the politicians or institutions that helped the nation to wield the power. As stated by the author, the Australians had no existence until 1948 and were considered as British citizens[6]. On losing the identity of the British citizen, there were a number of Australians who had felt aimless and lost. In addition to this, the Australians have unsancti oned national identities for the maximum number of times. However, the identities have never been capable enough to build adequate status to enhance the minority status. As opined by the author, a belief in a fair go is characterised as wanting to help the loser over the tormenter[7]. The myth seemed to be find importance as the authorities treated the migrant in a similar way as they used to treat the convicts. The myth was more famous among the soldiers of the Australia. Moreover, there are many evidences that is effective in proving the importance of fair go shaping the behaviour of the soldiers of Australia. The belief in the fair go supports living and letting others live or ensure that the individuals do not hurt others. Therefore, such an identity cannot be considered as one of the liberating national identities on earth. In support of the fair go, the author mentioned that the Battle of Brisbane signified that the fair go myth can be applicable to attack the racism[8]. Majority of the cultures all over the globe are designed in such a manner that the culture is created around the ruling class and subservient class under it. The national ident ity of Australia is considered as a work in progress, where the individuals of the nation consider the future more important than the past. The national interest and the national identities need to be distinguished properly that helps to build a strong relation with the neighbours and have a proper alliance with USA. The Australians are confused about the identity as they are not aborigines, neither British, Europeans, Asian nor Americans. They need to understand the effective myth that they can use in order to unify themselves and create a sense of being Australian. The best way to define an Australian is to let the way they want to be. The Australians are citizens of the nation and they have to accept few core values and characteristics prevailing in the society of Australia. Conclusion Among the various myths of the nation, the myth regarding the Anzacs, mateship, egalitarianism and a belief in a fair go are effective in understanding the national identity of Australia. It can be inferred that Australia being a small country, often has to suffer from the difficulties regarding the national identities. Although there are many Australians whose ancestors were transported, there still exists a convict stain as the indigenous people are considered under the Australian identity myth. From the complete detailed study, it can be inferred that there is a lack of national identity and the presence of the identity can be effectively studied with the help of the various myth about the nation of Australia. Along with Australia, there are other nations too that suffer from national identity crisis. In terms of the national identity, Australians fall back on these myths to claim everything they authentically deserve. References West and H. Aarons, 'War Memory, National Attachment And Generational Identity In Australia' (2016) 52 Journal of Sociology. Anthony Moran, 'Multiculturalism As Nation-Building In Australia: Inclusive National Identity And The Embrace Of Diversity' (2011) 34 Ethnic and Racial Studies. Gillian Shenfield, 'Metformin: Myths, Misunderstandings And Lessons From History' (2013) 36 Aust Prescr. Steve Wood, 'Nations, National Identity And Prestige' (2014) 16 National Identities.

Nuke The Bastards! A Satire Essay Example For Students

Nuke The Bastards! A Satire Essay NUKE THE BASTARDS!A SATIREThe decision to drop the atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was perhaps the greatest American achievement since the defeat of the Native Americans and their containment in reservations. Not only did it swiftly end the war but it showed the Russians who held the upper hand. It also paved the way for the Cold War, which increased America’s war machine to the unparalleled level it’s at today, as well as numerous memorable events such as the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. There was simply no other way to win without dropping the bombs. It was evident at the time that the only way to end the war quickly, as well as establish an advantage over the Russians, was to eliminate only about 300,000 Japanese people in a spectacular demonstration of American military power. Demonstrating the nuclear weapon to the Japanese with a â€Å"surrender or this will happen to you† type of ultimatum would have done nothing but made the Japanese fight harder and longer, causing hundreds of thousands of American deaths. The American military forces were at the end of their tethers, so invasion would have been impossible without significant loss of life. Through the years of island hopping and fighting the fortified Japanese forces, the Americans knew that the Japanese fought to the last man. In the months prior to the atomic bombings, Japanese civilians were being trained with basic weaponry and hustled into the military, ready to ward of invasion to protect their e mperor. Without demonstrating with a firm hand what was demanded by â€Å"unconditional surrender,† the Japanese would never have given up. When faced with total destruction, they chose to lay down their arms and allowed a peaceful invasion to take place. Since then, Japan has grown as one of the leading technological countries in the world. As for the civilians killed and the controversies that have gone on through the years as a result of their deaths, it was a demonstration. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the chosen targets mainly because of their military targets and for the geography. Scientists at the time did not know the full range of the atomic blast, and the tall mountains that mostly surrounded the two cities provided a way to contain the nuclear explosion. The number of civilians killed by the atomic blasts is greatly outnumbered by the total number of American and Japanese combined casualties that would have resulted from an American military invasion of Japan. The Russians at the same time were experimenting with nuclear technology. They had not yet figured out how to make the atomic bombs. When they witnessed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, they knew that America had won the atomic arms race. When President Truman learned that the atomic bomb had been successfully tested he dealt with the Russians firmly and aggressi vely during the negotiating between leaders of both countries. Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated, â€Å"He told the Russians just where they got off and generally bossed the whole meeting.† Essentially this sparked many significant cultural events, most notably the Cold War and the Korean War, in which the United States has come out victorious. One could say that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have sparked events that have led to America being the most powerful country in the world. Without using nuclear weapons, America would not have made it out of World War II and come out on top. The Japanese were an enemy that would never cease fighting, and the Russians were a threat lingering in the background. It was a definite landmark in the history of the United States military as well as technological branches. In order to save millions of people from potentially years of fighting, the bombs were dropped and history ran its course. Creative Writing

There Is A Large Problem Threatening The Florida Everglades Increasing

There is a large problem threatening the Florida Everglades increasingly everyday. It's called mercury. This deadly chemical has entered the food chain in an organic form called Methymercury. The Everglades provides plenty of warmth, sunlight, and certain bacteria which combine to form the perfect ingredients for the reaction of inorganic mercury mixing with organic matter to form methymercury. Most scientist agree that the mercury found in the Everglades is brought there via winds and traveling from as far as Europe and Africa. It then travels through the rain and is absorbed by bacteria. This marks the beginning of the food chain problem. The bacteria is consumed by plankton organisms who are then eaten by larger invertebrate animals. These become lunch for even larger organisms such as snails and freshwater shrimp, then farther up the food chain to small fish. These fall victim to such predators as gar, bowfin, warmouth, largemouth bass, and in particular, birds such as kingfishers, egrets and herons who eat almost nothing else. And finally at the top of this chain are common mammals of this environment such as raccoons, panthers, alligators and of course, humans. What are the results of this dangerous intake of mercury? Studies have shown that when consumed in large quantities, mercury can cause brain and nerve damage, seizures, kidney failure, blindness and can also be transferred from pregnant mother to child. Scientists say mercury found in parts of the Everglades, and in some of its animal population, is seven times higher than federal safety limits. A 1995 lab study showed that when Egrets where fed mercury tainted fish they lost their reproductive abilities. However you look at it, mercury is a serious health threat to the Everglades and surrounding communities. Not much seems to be being done to correct this threat. Periodical surveys of fishing areas and warnings against eating certain fish has been issued. In fact, many Everglades fish and all alligators are officially classified too dangerous for humans to eat. Most of them along with some turtles wading birds, raccoons and even some insects suffer mercury burdens far above normal. According to the article Mercury in Their Midst, "The average concentration of methylmercury in a fillet of an Everglades largemouth bass is 1.5 parts per million (ppm), three times what the state's Department of Health calls safe." Some scientist believe there really is nothing we can do about this mercury problem. They say that is quickly becoming a global problem. Unfortunately, this dangerous level of mercury in Everglades life is not common knowledge. You have to search hard for information regarding it. It is probably not something you will see on the ten o'clock news. But it is a problem that must be addressed and one that needs prevention and possibly a solution. As if the disappearing land of the Everglades had not posed a problem enough, now mercury is just one more thing to add to it's list of troubles.

Free Essays on Glanmore

Glanmore Sonnets IV There are many important elements within any given poem. Seamus Heaney’s poem, â€Å"Glanmore Sonnets IV,† is of no exception to this idea. Poetry is, more or less, up for interpretation. Most poetry is not written like a novel; it does not tell a specific story and sometimes fails to give you all of the details you need to decipher it. A poem is there for the reader to interpret on his or her own. After recently reading â€Å"Glanmore Sonnets IV† by Heaney I have taken my own understanding of it. This perception could be completely different from any one of my classmates’ understandings, which is reasonably acceptable. To obtain an insightful interpretation of a poem’s content, many elements must be considered. Poetic terms, tone, imagery, language, situation, rhyme scheme and the title’s significance are all elements to deem important when demystifying a poem. I used to lie with an ear to the line For that way, they said, there should come a sound Escaping ahead, an iron tune Of flange and piston pitched along the ground. But I never heard that. Always, instead, Struck couplings and shuntings two miles away Lifted over the woods. The head Of a horse swirled back from a gate, a grey Turnover of haunch and mane, and I’d look Up to the cutting where she’d soon appear. Two fields back, in the house, small ripples shook Silently across our drinking water (As they are shaking now across my heart) And vanished into where they seemed to start. This poem by Seamus Heaney can be explicated through many different approaches. In my elucidation of â€Å"Glanmore Sonnets IV,† the poem can be understood through the poetic terms, situation and the larger idea. To illustrate the poem sufficiently many things must first be understood. First thing to consider to the form the poem is written in. Counting the lines can assist you in determining whether it is a narrative poem, a lyric poem... Free Essays on Glanmore Free Essays on Glanmore Glanmore Sonnets IV There are many important elements within any given poem. Seamus Heaney’s poem, â€Å"Glanmore Sonnets IV,† is of no exception to this idea. Poetry is, more or less, up for interpretation. Most poetry is not written like a novel; it does not tell a specific story and sometimes fails to give you all of the details you need to decipher it. A poem is there for the reader to interpret on his or her own. After recently reading â€Å"Glanmore Sonnets IV† by Heaney I have taken my own understanding of it. This perception could be completely different from any one of my classmates’ understandings, which is reasonably acceptable. To obtain an insightful interpretation of a poem’s content, many elements must be considered. Poetic terms, tone, imagery, language, situation, rhyme scheme and the title’s significance are all elements to deem important when demystifying a poem. I used to lie with an ear to the line For that way, they said, there should come a sound Escaping ahead, an iron tune Of flange and piston pitched along the ground. But I never heard that. Always, instead, Struck couplings and shuntings two miles away Lifted over the woods. The head Of a horse swirled back from a gate, a grey Turnover of haunch and mane, and I’d look Up to the cutting where she’d soon appear. Two fields back, in the house, small ripples shook Silently across our drinking water (As they are shaking now across my heart) And vanished into where they seemed to start. This poem by Seamus Heaney can be explicated through many different approaches. In my elucidation of â€Å"Glanmore Sonnets IV,† the poem can be understood through the poetic terms, situation and the larger idea. To illustrate the poem sufficiently many things must first be understood. First thing to consider to the form the poem is written in. Counting the lines can assist you in determining whether it is a narrative poem, a lyric poem...

The Three Most Important Things I Now Know About California Government Essay

The Three Most Important Things I Now Know About California Government - Essay Example Water is among the basic needs of humans and its constant supply to the public is an important service provided by governments. California County officials appreciate the responsibility of supplying water to the people. That informs the current debate in the state to ensured water security through exploitation of modern innovation. Before the class, I maintained the viewpoint that the State government prioritized challenges to having clean water in California as a priority in their laws and policies. After the class, I knew it was the contrary. Instead, the existing State regulations and agency practices did not embrace innovations, for instance, in water marketing (Hanak, 2011). State regulations and Federal laws were subject to conflict related to water availability to the residents of California. The interest group and media discuss pertinent issues such as security, democracy, and heath care that important in ensuring a balanced society. In California, the media and other interest groups are influential in policymaking such a promoting the concerns of health care. An example is the importance of mending the cigarettes bill in California. There is a high number of youths in the State suffering from addiction to smoking because of the introduction of the e-cigarettes. The participation of anti-tobacco group in fighting against the introduction of e-cigarettes bill such as the American Lung Association in California signifies the implications of the bill on human health. Senator Corbett of San Francisco Bay Area is coordinating other interest groups and the media in their efforts to crack down the marketing and distribution of dangerous tobacco products in the State. All these efforts are indications that health is a vital issue that must be prioritized by the government. That justifies the consideration of the discussion by interest group and the media as a second most important

Thoughts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thoughts - Assignment Example The combination of various psychological characteristics builds their identity and difference among others (Maltby et al., 2013; George & Jones, 2012). Based on the TypeFinder MBTI Profiles analysis, I found certain similarities in my characteristics that indicate a fall in the category of Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving (INFP) personality people. I do not appear to be naturally inclined about the category in which I belong too. I can develop various skills to do well in building my own personality with a lot of effort. My personality reflects that I am idealist in looking for the good and the bad about particular people and events. Even my survival amid various individuals could be a challenge, as I am always looking towards making things in a better ways. The overall result obtained from the TypeFinder analysis reveals the fact that I possesses a goal-oriented passion with moderate independency, conscientiousness, innovativeness, adaptability with inner flame and passionate about shining. The result also reveals that people who are like-minded spend their time with me and feel extremely perseverant, curious along with be ing interested in learning new things from me. Besides, they feel the sentiment of inspiration and joy. In the way of moving forward rather than thinking in logical, exploratory or sentinels manner, I utilise my own judgemental style to pursue things. The result also signified that I always listen to many individuals but interact with lesser number of people. My idealistic, open-minded thinking, creativity, passionate, energetic, dedication, flexibility and hardworking capabilities are the true strengths of mine. On the other hand, different factors that include idealistic, altruistic, impractical behaviour, taking thing on the personal ground and difficulty in dealing with some situations are the major drawbacks I possess due to my personality. Moreover, my

Endangered and Threatened Species of Wyoming Essay

Endangered and Threatened Species of Wyoming - Essay Example All grizzly bears have thick fur that shields them from cold and moisture (Potts, 1997, pp. 7-8). Figure 1. The grizzly bear has fur that has grayish tips. From â€Å"Grizzly Bear,† by J. Eastcott and Y. Momatiuk, n.d., http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/grizzly-bear/. Copyright by J. Eastcott and Y. Momatiuk. Reprinted with permission. The adult grizzly bear has an average height of three to five feet when it is on all fours and six to 10 feet when standing. An adult grizzly may weigh from 600 pounds (Potts, 1997, p.4) to 800 pounds (â€Å"Grizzly Bear,† 2011), and even 1,400 pounds. When it comes to the physical description of the grizzly, it has flat feet and a muscular shoulder hump that powers the forelimbs for digging. Its head is round â€Å"with a concave facial profile† (â€Å"Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)†, 2011). According to the National Geographic, grizzly bears are â€Å"top-of-the-food-chain predators†. Alt hough they eat animals, surprisingly, grizzly bears are fond of fruits, berries, leaves and roots (â€Å"Grizzly Bear,† 2011). Potts (1997) reported that there are 40,000 to 50,000 grizzly bears living in the mountains and forests of Canada and Alaska. In the United States, particularly in the states of Montana, Washington, Wyoming and Idaho, the number of grizzlies is from 600 to 800 (p.5). In Wyoming, grizzly bears are recognized as threatened. Whitaker & Hamilton (1998) define threatened as the likelihood that a species become endangered in the future whereas an endangered species is in the danger of extinction throughout a part of its range (p.549). Due to burgeoning population, people occupy the territories of grizzly bears, driving them away from their home. When this happens, the food supply of these bears becomes limited; thus, grizzly bears go after the farm animals of the settlers. In turn, these settlers hunted the bears until they were almost extinct (Potts, 1997, p.13). Primarily, it was the dwindling number of existing grizzly bears that prompted their being threatened. In an article, it says that human activities that occur in the habitat of grizzlies also deprive these animals of territory and food supply. These activities include timber cutting, grazing, private land development and so on (Delvin, 1999). These grizzly bears have been recognized as threatened since 1967. Not surprisingly, humans bear greater responsibility in managing grizzly bears. It is the humans who pushed grizzly bears out of their territories. Due to growing population, some people settled in areas that are natural habitat to grizzly bears. Moreover, human influence has changed the bears’ natural ecosystems through the many activities such as timber cutting. Human contact has also led to some bears being hunted. For the past years, there were some debates whether grizzly bears should be delisted as threatened. Some experts disapproved, saying that bears are not ready yet to be delisted. However, there are some suggestions to improve the situation of grizzlies. First, there must be a law or policy that strictly prohibits the killing of bears. It is noteworthy that grizzlies were included in the threatened creatures list because of their dwindling number. Thus, for grizzlies to completely recover, humans must not kill them. Second, the government must provide a habitat with sufficient area where the bears are secured and have no way of venturing to where humans live. This is in relation to the fact that bears ventured out of Yellowstone that might â€Å"bring them into dangerous contact with humans† (Eilperin, 2005). Finally, the habitat of the grizzlies must be

Personal Journey Into Medicine Personal Development Essay

Personal Journey Into Medicine Personal Development Essay The presence of the doctor is the beginning of a cure-goes the proverb. It is something I firmly believe in. The art of healing patients begin at the moment the patient sees the doctor, not only when the medicine is prescribed. The practice of medicine is a combination of knowledge, compassion and love for the people we treat and fellow human beings in general. Thats the combination of medicine that will treat the patient as a whole and uphold the WHO definition of health: Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity Since childhood, the idea of treating people has inspired me. The house next door to where we live was given for rent and most of the time, doctors used to occupy it. They used to see patients at home as well. During the summer school vacation time I used to stay with the doctors during their working hours at home. I had the opportunity to see them interact with patients, provide them comfort and give them medicines. The patients used to return for follow up and thank the doctors for the help and care they had provided. I could see the gratitude expressed clearly in the patients eyes and even though I was a child and a mere spectator of the whole process, my mind was able to comprehend how well a doctor can change another persons life for the good. The interest in the profession took its initial roots from there. When I was 12 years old there was an incident that further strengthened the interest for Medicine within me. One night my best friends dad collapsed, the doctor next door ad ministered CPR and he was taken to the nearby hospital immediately. Further we came to know that my friends dad had suffered from a myocardial infarction popularly known as heart attack. I was intrigued by this and wanted to know exactly what it was and the doctor explained it to me in a way comprehensible for a child of my age. The working of the heart fascinated me. The intricate way in which our organs work; how a doctor can change another persons life with timely action; all these intensified my interest in Medicine during my childhood days itself. When I was a child, my parents left me with my grandparents. My parents had difficulty to take care of me in their hectic work schedule. Even though my grandparents looked after me in the best way possible, I always missed my parents. I used to feel a lack of love always, maybe from the absence of my parents proximity. Somehow I resolved in my sub conscious mind that nobody else should suffer from the absence of care. This decision had a tremendous effect in my life when I entered Medical School. I always used to feel that all the patients whom I used to come into contact with as one of my own relative.. My senior doctors wanted to know as to how I became like this and traced it back to my childhood. Now I believe everything that happens to us has a good effect in our lives sooner or later. My interest in Internal Medicine started growing in the early years of Medical School. When the clinics started in the second year, I found myself drawn towards the Internal Medicine ward more than any other specialty. There were a variety of cases, and at times a specific disease will manifest with varied presentations. Puzzling diagnostic problems which would fall into place with a specific examination finding. All of us are made unique and hence, though two patients may share the same disease process, two treatment plans can not be the same. The doctors who taught us were veterans in their respective fields and instilled within us great interest and love for the vast subject. At times I would think in awe that Medicine is wonderful, vast and challenging. Every day the senior doctors used to have case discussions of patients in entirety starting from diagnosis and treatment of illness to offering support and counseling. The medical students were also asked to actively participate i n such group discussions and ask all our doubts. During my student period I always made sure to see as many Internal Medicine cases as possible, the wide variety of cases always enthralled me and the different physiological systems acting with each other paves the way to list a variety of differential diagnoses as well. Our medical school was always conducting seminars and conferences of which the internal medicine department took a great interest to participate. I had the fortune to participate in state conferences as well. Each day a week, the hospital used to conduct a meeting which included the entire departments and hospital staff discussing the rare and interesting cases they have encountered; this was a good experience and played a role in deepening my passion for the subject of internal medicine. Our professors in internal medicine used to conduct seminars on what not to do in Medical Practice as well, exposing to us the pitfalls they had in their life and how to be cautious against them. Another thing I found interesting about Internal Medicine is that we can take care of all the patient population. There is no restriction to any age group or gender. In my third year of medical school, we had postings in a community health center. When I was working there, I came across a patient, he was a fisherman, and he had come for refill of medication for his hypertension. The doctor in charge asked me to examine him. Examination of his system showed Mitral Regurgitation. The doctor in charge asked me to write him a referral letter to the local hospital for further evaluation including ECHO and stating that his financial condition is poor. Weeks later I saw him in our medical school, he was referred to our institution for surgery, while I was speaking to him-he took out the old referral letter which I wrote from his pocket and thanked me for helping him out. He even called up my parents to tell them that I helped him. Though I couldnt be directly involved in the treatment aspect, the way in which the patient expressed his gratitude touched me a lot and made me thinking that how much good we can do for people and improve the quality of their lives. During my internship period the idea of treating the patient as a whole and not only the disease process itself took a firm grip in my mind. As much as we treat and cure patients, I understood that counseling them and giving advices on the preventive aspects of diseases is of paramount importance as well. In India the disease like Malaria,Dengue,Cholera,Tuberculosis,Chikungunya-just to name a few, are rampant. Such diseases can be easily avoided with proper counseling and for that good communication skills are required. These are skills, I understood, that we gain with experience and no text book advice can help us with it. We can always treat the disease, but I think it is more important to isolate the main cause of the same and eliminate it from the scene. For example- doctors treat childhood asthma, the root cause of the same might be due to passive smoking from a close family member; if we just spend a few minutes in delving more deep into the patient history we will be able to i solate the main cause and prevent the childs future attacks of asthma and with good communication skills to stop the family member from smoking and protect his/her health as well. The importance of rehabilitating a patient is another important thing which I found during internship period. In some cases, the patient is treated and some unavoidable residual problem may persist. The patient may not be able to go back to work, if so, what to do next? In this aspect I found the meaning of rehabilitation-something I read many times in the textbook and regurgitated into the exam answer papers in a new and different light. It is again important to make the patient aware of support groups and help them find a livelihood which is suited for their present health condition. As an intern I saw that internal medicine doctors as primary care physicians doing this more than any other specialty the treating the patient as a whole and concentrating on the preventive aspect as well. This augmented th e my love for internal medicine and made me aware of the fact that an internal medicine doctor is a unique combination of extensive knowledge, sharp diagnostic and treatment abilities; with humanistic qualities of empathy, compassion and integrity. I have always felt a particular liking and empathy for AIDS patients because they are always socially discriminated and the stigma surrounding AIDS even in this 21st century also is to such an extent that a diagnosis of AIDS means social death. During my internship period I saw many HIV positive patients. As tuberculosis and HIV go hand in hand, I saw many patients being treated for extended period of time and our consultants helped them through their ups and downs. Once again I was enlightened to the fact that humanistic qualities are important in a doctor treating patients with such a chronic disease surrounded by social stigma. As a part of our posting in internal medicine department three of us were sent to work in an AIDS hospice. The learning experience there was beyond any textbook knowledge that we garnered over the years and the summation of the time I spent there has helped become a better doctor and a better person I am today. There was a total change in the outlook I had for this chronic illness. The interest in this disease which presents in various ways with a large number of associated opportunistic infections , gave me the idea of making an AIDS Man-a full blown poster of a man with AIDS with all the possible opportunistic infections. This was effectively used in several health education campaigns we conducted from our Medical School. I have always believed that doctors should not be anyones judge-dont think as to how this person got this disease. A patient should always be treated with the same care and compassion, no matter what the disease is or how he/she contracted it. The medical school I studied in is a charitable institution as well, catering to the needs of underprivileged sections of the society, so I was always close to the cradle of the basic human needs and emotions. I was a part of numerous camps that our Internal Medicine department had conducted which encompassed giving free medications and further follow up in our hospital; by doing this we were able to reach our medical care to all the sections of society, notably the tribal population in our state. The health condition is the tribal areas were far worse than I had imagined-poor sanitation facilities, malnourished children, symptomatic but un-discovered cardiac problems in children and adults alike, various forms of oral cancers, pregnant women not seeking medical care, high maternal and infant mortality rate, neonatal tetanus and so on. With our constant individual counseling, health education sessions and poster campaigns we were able to instill the importance of medical care in thei r minds. A primary health center was established in the tribal area in which I had the opportunity to participate and slowly, but steadily we were able to gain the trust of the local people there and provide health care for the community thereby improving the quality of their lives. It was during the internship period that I found there is a teacher inside me. I had the opportunity to go to different schools and communities to give health education classes on substance abuse, STDs and so on. I found the art of providing health education and interacting with various people from all walks of the society a fulfilling experience. To speak to patients and families when they are helpless the most, is a challenge that the medicine has provided. We all know that people become vulnerable when they are sick. To help people take decision regarding the different treatment modalities: which is best for which patient, to have help people take end of life decision, comfort the immediate relatives and ease the passing of terminally ill patients, to hold their hands and comfort them, to wipe a tear from their eyes and an occasional hug for an old patient who has been abandoned by her children and tell her that we are all here to take care of you, has all given me a certain amount of satisfaction. My interpersonal and communication skills were polished and developed during this period of time. I was able to establish a good relationship with many patients who were under our care during internship. They all touched my life as much as I was able to touch theirs. Internal Medicine is a dynamic branch as the internal medicine doctor not only treats the disease, but the patient as a whole. I want to achieve better training as a doctor; make meaningful contributions to the society and I believe that research opportunities are one of the best to achieve that goal. The internal medicine residency program will foster my interest in academics, offer the best clinical training and provide research opportunities. I would like to nurture the teacher within me through patient education and involvement in student training. My personal reason for liking internal medicine is that it uniquely combines hard work, service, compassion, empathy and strong communication skills. In addition to the traditional education, a physician studying abroad will obtain a general global perspective on various health issues and hence encourage broad mindedness. I expect a challenging environment in which to practice and learn the enormous volume and life experiences that enc ompass internal medicine. I am sure that Internal Medicine residency will be a fulfilling experience helping me to develop a strong foundation for the future years in this field.

Rational Choice :: Economics

Rational Choice --------------- In the past century, philosophers and social scientists have given theories of individual and interactive decision making a rigorous foundation. Indeed, contemporary decision and game theory have revolutionized our understanding of rational choice in ways that parallel the concurrent revolution in philosophical logic. Carnegie Mellon's philosophy department is recognized as one of the foremost departments in the world in decision and game theory. Primary research at Carnegie Mellon in decision and game theory focuses on the foundations of Bayesian decision theory, interactive knowledge concepts and their applications in game theory and equilibrium selection in games. Decision theory is motivated to a large extent by the consequentialist, and especially the utilitarian, traditions in moral philosophy. To bring about the best consequences, one must know what they are. From the beginning, both critics and defenders of moral consequentialism raised skeptical doubts about the possibility of ever deriving a satisfactory procedure for rank ordering alternatives so as to identify the best choice. In the special case of utilitarianism, the great 19th century utilitarians John Stuart Mill and Henry Sidgwick themselves thought that an exact calculus of utility that would enable societyÈs members to know precisely how to produce the greatest overall welfare might not be possible. Any proposal for a utilitarian calculus raises two fundamental questions: (1) How are quantities of utility to be ascribed to alternatives in a nonarbitrary way?, and (2) How are likelihoods to be ascribed to alternatives in a nonarbitrary way? A decision theory based upon utility is intimately related to theories of probability, which are needed for the calculation of expected consequences. In 1926, Frank Ramsey presented a monumental essay Truth and Probability, which laid the cornerstones of contemporary decision theory. Ramsey proved a representation theorem that enables one to derive both quantitative utilities and probabilities over alternatives that uniquely cohere with one's qualitative preferences over these alternatives. The work of Ramsey and his successors, most notably Leonard Savage, has resulted in modern Bayesian decision theory, which provides a precise account of how to choose so as to maximize expected utility. This work has also sparked a great flowering of alternative decision theories, some of which generalize Ramsey's and Savage's treatments and some of which constitute alternatives to standard Bayesian decision theory. Game theory considers cases in which decision problems interact. The mathematician John von Neumann and the economist Oskar Morgenstern established game theory as an important branch of social science in 1944 with the publication of their treatise Theory of Games and Economic Behavior. Von Neumann and Morgenstern presented a precise mathematical account of situations in which agents make interdependent decisions. To be sure, von Neumann and Morgenstern had intellectual precursors. In the 1910s and 1920s, the mathematicians Ernst Zermelo

Our Society’s Indifference to Violence Essay

Last year, while sitting in my car with a friend at the beach, I witnessed a terrible situation in which almost no one helped the woman in trouble. Although I was scared, it never occurred to me to not offer my assistance. Looking back at the situation now, I can’t help but wonder if I wasn’t there how differently the night may have turned out for an innocent girl. This one night, changed my life and probably saved hers. On this night, we sat in the car talking about the day’s events and enjoyed the calmness of the ocean and the peacefulness of the night. Although it was already dark, many other cars lined the boardwalk and several people were sitting out watching the wave’s crash on the nearby beach. For a late evening, the beach was unusually busy. We sat and talked for few minutes before noticing a commotion off in the distance. At first, it appeared to be a prank, or a fight. Initially I didn’t think it was serious and went back to enjoying the sound of the waves and the company of my friend. Soon, the distraction appeared to take on a more desperate tone, so I focused ahead on what was happening. In the distance I could see a young woman frantically running from vehicle to vehicle. I had no idea what was going on, and although I wanted to ignore it, something told me not to. I strained my eyes to see what she was doing, and to my surprise no one else seemed to notice how frantic she was. As she ran around, shouting and what looked like crying, people walked away, rolled up their windows and ignored her. She was making her way down the line of parked cars in a hurried fashion, but I still had no idea how severe the situation was. In no time, she was standing at the driver’s side window screaming. Her words were difficult to make out and my first thought was that she was drunk or on drugs. I quickly dismissed this idea when I noticed her shirt. It was covered, in what appeared to be blood. She was crying, and talking so fast I couldn’t make out what she was saying. What was clear was that she was asking, in fact, begging for help. We quickly told her to get into the backseat, away from the danger that had caused her this horrible reaction. She was trembling, and bleeding and crying. We did our best to comfort her and quickly called 911 from our cell phone. Luckily the police were nearby and responded very quickly. As we sat, and waited for the police to question us, we couldn’t help but wonder why no one had helped her. She had asked at least ten people for help, and all of them had ignored her. The situation was obviously dire and had we not called the police immediately who’s to say what would have happened to her. We waited for what seemed like an eternity until finally the police explained the situation. It seemed the girl was making her way back to the road from the beach when a man jumped out from behind the bushes and attacked her. She had been stabbed, but managed to get away before he was able to do more harm to her. Unfortunately, the unidentified man was also able to get away. After being attacked, and stabbed, she ran for help. She was obviously hurt and bleeding but no one, except us, helped her. She was quickly whisked away in an ambulance and the police assured us that her wound was minor and she would be okay. We sat for at least another hour as the helicopters, police and search dogs looked for the assailant. We learned later, on the news that the man was never found. It was so disturbing to see someone in obvious need asking for help and everyone turning their back to her. It was as if they couldn’t be bothered, or they thought she was joking. So many people were so quick to dismiss it as â€Å"not serious† just to justify their time of peace that it nearly cost someone their life. I would like to think that if the people who did not help, knew that the girl was injured they would have offered to help, but I am not sure. They were all so quick to make a judgment about the situation and assume that it was serious that this girl, who had just been stabbed, couldn’t convince them that she was hurt. Our culture is becoming one of not only increasing violence, but one of desensitization to that violence. Had we not been there to help, I can’t help but wonder if anyone would have thought to call the police, or an ambulance, or offer even basic comfort to someone in obvious need. The people that did not help that night were completely indifferent to her and were more considered with their own enjoyment that they failed to help a young girl in need. In so doing, their lack of assistance may have provided the attacker the time needed to get away. In this case, indifference led to injustice for not only this one girl, but to everyone else this man may have attacked in months and years to come. We’ll never know just how many people this lack of compassion affected. Our society has become numb to violence and that numbness has not only caused an increase of violent acts it has caused a greater degree of indifference for the victims of horrible crimes like the one I witnessed. The people on the beach that night justified their lack of action by saying they thought she was acting, or drunk. Sadly, it should never have mattered why she was screaming, bleeding and asking for help. Help should have been offered without question and without prejudice. If we don’t change this behavior, as a society, violence and indifference will only continue to grow as it has for the past several decades.

Women Entrepreneurs In Khulna

Women Entrepreneurs In Khulna Free Online Research Papers Existing sex ratio in demographic structure of Bangladesh indicates that women comprise almost 50% of the total population. They are essential part of nation’s human resources. Due to this demographic structure, the issue of the participation of women in the mainstream economy is imperative. Without a meaningful and active participation of women, half of the total population, in regular economic activities, a dynamic and sustainable economy is impossible. A sustainable economy is a precondition for national growth and prosperity including institutionalization of a democratic system. It is also impossible to achieve the target of a poverty-free society without incorporation of women in the mainstream economy. Considering the issue, a special emphasis has been given by the Government, donor agencies, NGOs, business community and all other relevant stakeholders through different interventions to ensure increased women’s participation in formal economic sector, especially in business and industry. The major initiatives undertaken by the Government so far included establishment of a separate ministry on women’s affairs, formulation of the National Policy for Advancement of Women-2008 and the National Action Plan. The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), which is now the main document for national development in Bangladesh, also incorporated some noteworthy issues to ensure women’s participation in social and econom ic life. The industrial and SME policies 2005 of Bangladesh Government have emphasized women entrepreneurship development, particularly in SME sector. Despite various initiatives from different corner of the state, the level of participation of women in the mainstream economic activities, especially private sector, remains insufficient and the percentage of women in business and industry is still below than that of their male counterpart. Due to govt. budgetary limitations for Khulna city, the once-titled â€Å"Industrial City† has lost its good days and also the business environment is yet to be congenial for business enterprises. Likewise other parts of the country, women in Khulna city have also been engaged in small-scale enterprises for their survival and these enterprises have benefitted their family and life.But here has been too few research efforts carried out in Bangladesh on particularly the women entrepreneurship of Khulna City so far. In this paper an attempt is therefore made to evaluate the nature of the women entrepreneurial ventures and their impact on the socio-economic development of these women taking Kh ulna city as the study area. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW Women’s entrepreneurship needs to be studied separately for two main reasons. The first reason is that women’s entrepreneurship has been recognized during the last decade as an important untapped source of economic growth. Women entrepreneurs create new jobs for themselves and others and by being different also provide society with different solutions to management, organization and business problems as well as to the exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities. However, they still represent a minority of all entrepreneurs. Thus there exists a market failure discriminating against women’s possibility to become entrepreneurs and their possibility to become successful entrepreneurs. This market failure needs to be addressed by policy makers so that the economic potential of this group can be fully utilized. While without a doubt the economic impact of women is substantial, we still lack a reliable picture describing in detail that specific impact. Recent efforts initiated by the OECD (1997, 2000) are responses to this lack of knowledge and have focused the attention of policy makers and researchers on this important topic. The second reason is that the topic of women in entrepreneurship has been largely neglected both in society in general and in the social sciences. Not only have women lower participation rates in entrepreneurship than men but they also generally choose to start and manage firms in different industries than men tend to do. The industries (primarily retail, education and other service industries) chosen by women are often perceived as being less important to economic development and growth than high-technology and manufacturing. Furthermore, mainstream research, policies and programs tend to be â€Å"men streamed† and too often do not take into account the specific needs of women entrepreneurs and would-be women entrepreneurs. As a consequence, equal opportunity between men and women from the perspective of entrepreneurship is still not a reality. In order for policy makers to address the situation the report makes a number of recommendations. Many economists, sociologists, psychologists and behavioral scientists have made attempt to define entrepreneurship in their respective fields. The concept in the field of entrepreneurship could be classified into two disciplines: Economic concepts and behavioral concepts. Schumpeter, 1967 clarified entrepreneur as an innovator with potentialities of doing new things, as an economic leader, as a chief conducive function in the process of economic development. McClelland, 1965 views that the supply of entrepreneurship is highly dependent upon the intensity of overachievement motivation, called the â€Å"need for achievement† (n ACH motive). Rahman, 1997 said that, entrepreneurship is the function that is specific to the entrepreneurs’ ability to take the factors of production – land, labor and capital and use them to produce new goods or services. Entrepreneurship is defined as a kind of behavior of a person that includes perceiving economic opportunities, initiat ive taking, creativity and innovation, organizing social economic mechanism to turn resources and situation to practical account and is the acceptance of risk to failure. Women entrepreneurs: A woman entrepreneur is defined as a woman who has alone or with one or more partners, started, bought, or inherited a business, is assuming the related financial, administrative, and social risks and responsibilities, and is participating in the firm’s day-to-day management. Such women are also known as women business owners or women entrepreneurs or self-employed women (LFS, 1996) More recently, a new trend has emerged where women are venturing as entrepreneurs and are contributing to the economic development. Women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh represent a group of women who have broken away form the broken track and are exploring new vistas of economic participation. Their task has been full of challenges (Begum 2000). More recent American research examines in great depth both by motivation by female start-up and the problems faced by a woman when starting a business (Hisrish and Brush, 1984). Motivations for business start-up as Bangladeshi were identified as a desire for job satisfaction, independence and achievement (Begum, R 2000).The major problems, identified by the female respondents in this study, were under capitalization and a lack of knowledge and training in business skills. A majority of the respondents reported difficulties in â€Å"overcoming some of the social beliefs that women are not serious as men about business.† A later study (Hisr ish and Brush, 1996) focused on different types of female-owned business and confirmed the lack of support offered to female proprietors in non-traditional sectors. In a more recent study, Goffee and Scase (1999) use a sample of 54 female proprietors to identify a typology of female entrepreneurs. Four types of female entrepreneurs were identified: a) Conventional entrepreneurs; b) Innovative entrepreneurs, c) Domestic entrepreneurs and d) Radical entrepreneurs. Chowdhury (1988) classified ten types of women entrepreneurs in her study as follows: a) Self made women individual entrepreneurs, b) Trained women industrial entrepreneurs, c) Women entrepreneurs who as wives of business people are involved in production, d) Women are share-holder of commercial firms, e) Women as administrative executives of enterprises, f) Women as inheritor of parents or husbands firms, g) Women as partners in business, h) Researchers turned entrepreneurs, i) Rural women entrepreneurs and j) Industrialis ts cum traders. In spite of women taking entrepreneurship in many challenging fields, the present women entrepreneurial activities in Bangladesh is not very high. Women are participating in starting small-scale industries in the country, out of which only 8% of the industries are run exclusively by women entrepreneurs (LFS, 1996). Entrepreneurial Quality: Entrepreneurial qualities are same for men and women to succeed as entrepreneurs. The major entrepreneurial qualities seen in Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs are that they have confidence, commitment, innovative and creative knowledge, need for achievement, profit oriented, hard work driving energy and risk taking ability (Begum R.2000). 3. PROBLEM STATEMENT Our report paper was constructed with a view to analyzing the present entrepreneurial situation of women in Khulna city and how these entrepreneurial ventures have helped to make them self –reliant in their socio-economic life. In recent years, with the growing tendency to flourish businesses, women are not lagging behind in their contribution to their family and self existence. Although there have been researches in area of entrepreneurship, no specific research has been done on women entrepreneurial ventures on Khulna city. So for a detailed knowledge on women businesses and their motivation to be engaged in such ventures have a special concern for the NGOs, micro-credit institutions and for the policy holders. So this is a effort to have a detailed analysis of women entrepreneurial businesses. 4. OBJECTIVES OF THE REPORT As mentioned earlier, the main objective of the study was to evaluate the nature of women entrepreneurship in Khulna city, its socio-economic impact and also to identify problems and suggest guidelines. Following were the specific objectives of the study: i. To analyze the main entrepreneurial ventures run by women entrepreneurs in Khulna. ii. To show how these enterprises are creating an overall positive impact on their family status and for economic solvency. iii. To identify the major constraints for women entrepreneurship development and giving recommendations for the rapid flourishment of women entrepreneurial ventures. 5. SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study was undertaken in Khulna city which is located in the South-western region of Bangladesh. It is the third largest city in the country. Before proceeding to the formal study, a literature review has been covered on women entrepreneurship. For the convenience of time and resources, the main women entrepreneurial ventures in the metropolitan city have been interviewed and questioned. An emphasis was given on hearing the experience of the women entrepreneurs. The policy recommendations have been suggested with regard to the current scenario and also from the research and report papers of national NGOs.. 6. LIMITATIONS OF THE REPORT The study report faced the concrete statistic data regarding the women entrepreneurial activities of Khulna city. There are no updated numerical figures about the entrepreneurial ventures in the internet and in journals. To be authentic and representative, it has to survey a minimum number of women entrepreneurs from each sector, which was time consuming and demands more time and, the survey does not flow such objective, it aims to work out program for women entrepreneurs of the Khulna City. However, a good number of women entrepreneurs were distributed questionnaire for their uses. Being involved in women entrepreneurship development activities we recognize that there should be an all-covering broad-based survey in this regard to gain a concrete idea for supporting and integrating women entrepreneurs in Khulna city. 7. METHODOLOGY For the completion of the report, we used both primary data and secondary data from various sources. 1. Primary data: The main source of primary data was a number of interviews with women entrepreneurs from several entrepreneurial sectors and structured questionnaires which were answered by the entrepreneurs. For every sector, five entrepreneurs were interviewed. The questionnaires included questions regarding their educational background, family background, family support, initial capital, scope of businesses, services, profit margin and the probability of sustaining businesses amidst various problems. Then our second goal of assessing the impact of these ventures were achieved through giving the entrepreneurs questions regarding the monthly income, supporting family, decision-making skill and have more say in family matters. 2. Secondary data: The main source of secondary data was internet-based journals and research papers for covering literature review on women entrepreneurial situation in Bangladesh. For covering the solutions of the problems of women entrepreneurs, different proposals that have been made were also analyzed and included. 8. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION In this section, results of data analysis is shown and interpreted. Collected data were analyzed and interpreted in line with the report objectives stated before. Hence, the discussions in this section are divided in main three parts: the first part will include the nature and current scenario of entrepreneurial ventures of women including the constraints of these ventures.. The second part will involve the impact of these entrepreneurial activities on their socio-economic life. The third part will suggest some solution proposal for removing the current barriers of women entrepreneurship development in Khulna city. Scopes and nature of women entrepreneurial venture of Khulna city Through detailed analysis of the answers of the questionnaires, some common women entrepreneurial ventures were identified. ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURES OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS SL. No. Type of Businesses 1. Beauty parlors 2. Butique shops 3. Poultry farming 4. Tailoring 5. Dairy farming 6. Others 8.1 BEAUTY PARLORS In recent times beauty parlors have become the lucrative business for women entrepreneurs in Khulna. Starting with home-based services they are entering into this venture in a separate commercial basis. As it is mainly a home based entrepreneurship, women are very much interested about the prospect of this business. Actually beauty parlor is such a place where women care women; that means here service provider is women and the customer is also women. For that reason the women who are related with this business, can conduct their business conveniently. It is also a risk less business as women don’t need to invest a lot for their material of beautification. Along with that, a woman is very much interested to make her self stylist and fair in every circumstance for that this is very momentous for her to get help from a beauty parlor. It is found that the main locations of the beauty parlors are South Central Road and New Market. Around South Central Road, there are about 5 beauty parlors, and there are 4 beauty parlors in and around New Market. From the interview with some openers of beauty parlors of South Central Road, we found that the initial capital of starting a parlor few years back was much lower than the present modern well equipped parlors for the emergence of new beautification techniques. The first parlor of this area (Pleasure Beauty Parlor) started its business with only 80,000 taka. But newest parlor of this area (Nanking Beauty Parlor) has started its business with around 12,00,000 taka. And obviously it is very much modern and customers are very interested to go there. For the competition, the other parlors are also trying to give better service to their customers. The parlors of new market have begun their business almost at the same time and the market there is very much competitive. But the pa rlors of this area are not much more popular than those of South Central Road. Here is a table regarding the 10 parlors of Khulna City. For making our study more representative and credible, small medium as well as large parlors were taken as samples. The sample results are given below: Initial investments of the entrepreneurs Amount (in taka) No. Of entrepreneurs Percentage Below 20000 2 20 20001- 90000 2 20 90001- 200010 3 30 200011- 370000 2 20 Above 370000 1 10 total 10 The average monthly turnover of the entrepreneurs is also satisfactory. The average turnover of the studied parlors is Tk. 25000 ranging from Tk. 18000 to Tk. 45000. Profit margin is also very high (40%). The monthly income of the enterprises Amount (in taka) No. of entrepreneurs Percentage Average income Below 20000 1 10 35000 20001 26000 2 20 260001- 35000 3 30 35001- 40000 2 20 40001 45000 2 20 total 10 100 Percentage of profit Percentage of profit No of entreprenurs Percentage Average profit (%) Below 15% 1 10 40 16% 20% 3 30 21- 28% 2 20 29% 36% 2 20 37- 44% 2 20 total 10 100 With the starting of home-based and separate business-location based beauty parlors, women entrepreneurs are now able to supplement their family with handsome income and the women are supposed to have more decision making and participating skills in their family. One particular parlor-owner in South Central Road stated that she was having more confidence in maintaining her family through her steady income. With the flourishment of modern and highly instrument-based parlors, the employment opportunity has been created in those parlors. The parlors in south Central Road on an average have created employment for five women. So, this parlor business is creating a overall impact on their socio-economic lives. The role of BRAC Bank, EBL, and Eastern Bank is significant for financing this SME. BRAC bank is giving is providing low-interest short-term credit to women entrepreneurs in this sector. CARE, UNNAYAN and some few other NGOs are providing low-interest credit to parlor-owners. But st ill govt. banks are reluctant to provide financial support for SMEs. So there should be more proper govt. policies for the growth of beauty parlors and other women SMESs 8.2 BUTIQUE SHOPS Butique shops are the second largest business sector where we found more women entrepreneurs. There are many Butique shops situated in Khulna city. Lion’s shares of these shops are owned by women entrepreneurs. In Butique shops new designed and fashionable dresses are made and sold. They also take orders from the customers. Customers suggest their own design or select from their catalog. Embroidery, batic, applic, karchupi and different types of design are done in these Butique shops. These shops are mainly small business and very few workers work in these shops. We have found that not more than five workers work in a shop and average number of workers are three. These shops need not too much capital to start but the return is much more appreciable. We have found many Butique shops in New Market, Baitur Nur Shopping complex, Jalil Tower and Daulatpur Bazar in Khulna city. The following table shows some Butique shops in Khulna city. Initial investments of the entrepreneurs Amount (in taka) No. Of entrepreneurs percentage Below 20000 3 30 20001- 90000 2 20 90001- 200010 2 20 200011- 370000 1 10 Above 370000 2 20 Total 10 100 The monthly income of the enterprises Amount (in taka) No. of entrepreneurs Percentage Average income Below 20000 2 20 25000 20001 26000 1 10 260001- 35000 3 30 35001- 40000 2 20 40001 45000 2 20 Total 10 100 Percentage of profit Percentage of profit No of entrepreneurs Percentage Average profit (%) Below 15% 2 20 30 16% 20% 3 30 21- 28% 2 20 29% 36% 2 20 37- 44% 1 10 Total 10 100 Because of less capital needed and also for the demand this sector becomes much attractive to the women entrepreneurs. But the competition also becomes higher and higher in recent years. 8.3 POULTRY FARM Poultry is another thriving sector in which women entrepreneurs are getting the advantage of running it as home business. In an interview with five women entrepreneurs from different regions of Khulna we found a positive ground for being engaged in such business, although the fear of Bird-flu is causing some discouragement among women regarding the continuation of poultry. Five women entrepreneurs from Sonadanga, Boyra, and Daulatpur have been interviewed. The average initial capital for starting a firm having 500 chickens has been observed to be Tk. 2 lakhs. Women entrepreneurs reported that they calculate their income and profit margin in terms of sale of chickens and eggs at every term, One entrepreneur from Boyra has reported that for the sale of a 500 chicken package, on an average tk. 30000 is earned as profit margin. On another study from an entrepreneur from Sonadanga, this particular layer firm owner has stated that, from the selling of every piece of egg, 50 paisa is earned as profit margin. So, for the sale of 1000 eggs, Tk. 500 remains as profit margin. So, by selling 500 eggs daily, this women entrepreneur earns 250 tk. profit margin daily. So, considering this women entrepreneurs are being more encouraged to run such business, because they can run it with their household chores side by side. Generally, no employment opportunity is being created for other women except for the self-employment of the entrepreneur. But for the bigger socio-economic impact, women are adding income to their family matters and women are becoming self-reliant by being engaged in poultry. Estimate of expense and income margin Quantity of output Approximate expenses(tk) Approximate revenues(tk) 300 chickens 60,000 90,000 500 chickens 100,000 140,000 500 eggs 2,500 250 1000 eggs 5000 500 Considering the present scenario, women entrepreneurs have identified the following problems and obstacles in their running poultry firm : Increased price of poultry feed items Not rising the price of chickens in proportion to the production cost Lack of financial support from financial institutions Losing encouragement due to Bird-flu Profit margin not increasing much So, in removing the present barriers, most of the poultry owners have reported the following remedies for the smooth completion of their business : Govt. To take initiative for not spreading the fear of Bird-Flu Providing regulatory measures by the govt. not to increase the price of feed items Training facilities from govt. and NGOS. Low-interest rated credits 8.4 TAILORING Most of the women seeking for doing something prefer to start a tailoring shop. As they are normally introvert so they like to work in the environment dominated by her and the stakeholders will be women. It is tailoring shop which fulfills all the requirements. Mainly girls and women are customers here so tailors shop is a good choice for the women to start a business. With the initial capital like thirty to fifty thousands taka women start a tailoring shop. Before that women have to train for tailoring. And in the tailoring shop they act both as tailor and master. We have found that average workers work in a shop is about three to four. Business and demand of the service of a particular shop depends on the updated fashionable dress. Initial investments of the entrepreneurs Amount (in taka) No. Of entrepreneurs percentage Below 20000 2 20 20001- 90000 2 20 90001- 200010 3 30 200011- 370000 2 20 Above 370000 1 10 Total 10 100 The monthly income of the enterprises Amount (in taka) No. of entrepreneurs Percentage Average income Below 20000 2 10 25000 20001 26000 2 15 260001- 35000 3 25 35001- 40000 2 25 40001 45000 1 25 Total 10 100 Percentage of profit Percentage of profit No of entrepreneurs Percentage Average profit (%) Below 15% 2 10 25 16% 20% 2 20 21- 28% 3 20 29% 36% 2 25 37- 44% 1 25 Total 10 100 8.5 DAIRY FARMING Dairy Farming is another profitable venture in which poor and lower-income classes of women are being involved more. From interviews with five women entrepreneurs in this sector, we identified the following reasons for growing it more : Family business Capital is not too high compared to other home business Easy for maintenance and care of cattles Usage of cow dungs as the fuel for poor women Making of fertilizer through processing cow dungs Satisfactory profit through selling milk Considering the haphazard and irregular estimate of their buying and selling of cattles, women entrepreneurs could not give accurate estimate of their business. But, on an average, their whole cost of rearing and feeding cattles are compensated through the selling of milk. Occasional selling of cattles although dont help the women. So, 6 out of the five women said their dairy farming was unsatisfactory and they would rather give it up. The rest of the 4 women expressed their businesss is running well enough to support their family. The result of their monthly income is as follows. Monthly income of the entrepreneurs Amount (in tk) No.of entrepreneurs Percentage (%) Average monthly income Below 3000 3 30 3500 3001-4000 4 40 4001-5000 2 20 5001-5500 1 10 In an effort to analyze the positive impact of the dairy business in the life of women is their solo dependence of this family venture. Women have been able to support the education of their children and making savings in the local Samites and NGOs. Women have become more sensible in their family matters and their decision-making capability has been reported to be more extensive than ever before. On giving policy recommendations for the flourishment of such cattle business, the following measures have been suggested: More easy micro-credits from local NGOs. Expansion of govt. training programs in such fields Innovation of nutritious cow and goat feeds 8.6 OTHER SECTORS TEA-STALL Another sector of women entrepreneurship is tea-stall. Women are starting these shops to contribute in the family income. These shops need too little investment. So, lower middle class and poor women are usually found in this business. In this shop biri, cigarette, snacks, paan etc are also sold. We interviewed some of the entrepreneurs and found that average initial capital needed is approximately five thousands taka. No worker is usually needed because here the owner is the seller. Monthly income is about fifteen thousands taka and the profit is about approximately four thousands taka. Fish selling, vegetable cultivation, mat weaving are some other minor sectors in which women are doing better and bringing a minimal income to their family. In New Market, Nirala Bazar and Natun Bazar and in footpaths, women have been reported to be involved in fish and vegetable selling. Although no overall reliable data have been found, yet fish and vegetable selling are their major source of income. VENDORS women became involved in selling as vendors or hawkers, because they didnot have other sources of support. Majority of these women had to fend for their families as amale breadwinner was absent due to divorce, separation, death or disability of husband.Some said that their husbands left them or married again and they had to take care of thechildren. Some started work after they returned to their fathers home. Some women startedworking to support their families after their husband died. A couple of women said theirhusbands were disabled and they had to take the main responsibility to look after the family.In pursuing businesswomen received support from other women entrepreneurs and NGOs.Some male business persons also helped the women. In describing the advantages of being a vendor, women said they receive a greater return ontheir sales. They also felt that if more women vendors came to the market, then more womenbuyers would also come. Some women who go to the market as buyers said that if the pricewas right, they would prefer to buy from women. They feel more comfortable buying theirpersonal items from women.From the vulnerability matrix exercise, among potential women vendors and existing womenvendors, availability of and access to capital emerged as the main constraint for women. Men have more resources and social connections which provide them greater access to capital. That gives them a competitive edge. Moreover, women face gender bias when trying to get their space in the market. Vegetable vendors in Bagerhat described the harassment they faced, some times face hazards from the Izaradaar to sit on the vegetable platform. They have specific area but sometimes someone else occupies the spot by giving more sit ting charge. Capital constraint is an even bigger issue for women who operate fixed shops. The three fixedshops started by women without government assistance are shabby and very small.. Women had said that if they had the capital, they would decorate the shop to make it look more attractive. The barriers which have been found by women in this regard are as follows: Unavailability of suitable places in the sides of markets Dominance in business by male counterparts Lack of effort for cultivating vegetable through scientific process Lack of financial support for starting a large-scale business 9. OBSTACLES SPECIFIC TO STARTING NEW WOMEN BUSINESS VENTURES Firstly, women in general lack human and financial capital and that their opportunities are related to their idiosyncratic experiences it is difficult to separate out if they are discriminated against because of their sex, or because of lack of human and financial capital. If it is the latter, then the financial institution has not discriminated against a person based on his or her sex. The financial institution has just tried to optimise its loan portfolio based on those that probably have the highest chance to make a firm survive and prosper. Secondly, three areas have been identified as potential or real problems for women when it comes to financing: a) women may be disadvantaged in raising the initial capital to start a new firm; b) collateral needed for external financing may be above the wealth level of most women; c) finance for an existing firm may be less available, because women are less likely than men to penetrate informal financial networks. Thirdly, results indicate that women still perceive a negative attitude from financial institutions such as banks and other lending institutions. This negative attitude arises due to two possible reasons as discussed in the literature: a) women are not viewed as entrepreneurs due to the attitudes formed by traditional gender roles; b) women engage in industries that the financial institutions are not used to handle (as personal services, care, etc.). Also in the personal networks and the family it is harder for women to find financial resources to start a business. 10. KEY POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Based on these findings, policy measures to support women’s entrepreneurship can be several types: Ensuring the availability of affordable child care and equal treatment in the work place. More generally, improving the position of women in society and promoting entrepreneurship generally will have benefits in terms of women’s entrepreneurship. Listen to the voice of women entrepreneurs. The creation of government offices of women’s business ownership is one way to facilitate this. Such offices could have programme responsibilities such as providing women’s business centres, organizing information seminars and meetings and/or providing web-based information to women. Incorporate a women’s entrepreneurial dimension in the formation of all SME-related policies. This can be done by ensuring that the impact on womens entrepreneurship is taken into account at the design stage. Govt. and NGOs providing loan at lower interest rates and creating opportunity for training and facilitating the environment of business More research work on women entrepreneurs and the strengthening of Women and Child Ministry. Knowledge about women’s entrepreneurship and valuable tools for its development and promotion. Co-operation and partnerships between national and international networks can facilitate entrepreneurial endeavors by women in a global economy. Periodically evaluate the impact of any SME-related policies on the success of women-owned businesses and the extent to which such businesses take advantage of them. The objective should be to identify ways to improve the effectiveness of those that should be retained. Good practices that are identified in this way should be disseminated and shared internationally. 11. CONCLUSION From the detailed analysis of the women entrepreneurial ventures, women are observed to be more willing to achieve self-employment and self-reliance. The selected women entrepreneurs of Khulna city have mainly started their business for their survival rather than meeting self-actualization needs. Some sectors like beauty parlors, boutique and tailoring are really doing a lucrative job for women entrepreneurs whereas the performance of other business like dairy farming and vendors are not satisfactory as to be more growth-oriented. But, still lots of possibilities are there and if govt. women policy gives more emphasis of women entrepreneurship, then women entrepreneurs will be more encouraged. Besides, Women Entrepreneurs Association (WEA) can arrange more financial capital and technical knowledge for women in Khulna. For one thing, low govt. budget for Khulna region has severely harmed the women entrepreneurship. So, for building up more varied women ventures and rapid growth of exi sting ventures, a clear cut SME and women entrepreneurship policy needs to be formulated and through this , women will be capable enough to bring a positive socio-economic impact in their life. 12. APPENDIX 12.1 QUESTIONNAIRE: 12.2 REFERENCES: 1. Islam, Nazrul: Entrepreneurship Development With special references to Bangladesh 2. Womens Access to Markets Vulnerabilities and Constraints: Project of care Bangladesh 3. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (2006). Statistical Year Book of Bangladesh 2006 4. Agnello and Moller (2006). Women Micro-entrepreneurs and their Business Needs, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Urban Sector group ILO 5. managementhelp.org/aboutfml/privacy.htm 6. erim.eur.nl/entrepreneurship 7. entrepreneurship-sme.eu/index.cfm/12,html?nxt=ctm_publikatiebestelnummer=R200809 8. http://ideas.repec.org/stepbystep.html Research Papers on Women Entrepreneurs In KhulnaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Fifth HorsemanMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductResearch Process Part One19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraDefinition of Export QuotasPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionTwilight of the UAW

The Realistic Hero Essays - English-language Films, Free Essays

The Realistic Hero Essays - English-language Films, Free Essays The Realistic Hero Tom Sawyer, the main character of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, written by Mark Twain, is an average boy who is bored with his civilized life and escapes these constraints by pulling pranks, and pulling other mischievous things. The character of Tom, in the most part, is presented as a realistic and convincing boy. He is kind and loving, but also cruel, stupid, and hypocritical of others at times, as well as, he shows maturation throught the story. The story of Tom Sawyer,as well as being about a realistic character, is a story that is intrusive to adults and children. Tom is shown throughout the story as a typical boy of his time and place. He has a loving, happy home, with his devoted Aunt Polly to care for him. He is mostly restricted by his home routine of prayers, meals, chores, bedtime, and things like that, but when his routine life gets to dull, he has the nearby river and woods, where he can go to escape. Though Tom is not " the model boy" of the village, he even hates the "model boy." He plays boyish pranks on Aunt Polly, Sid, his friends, and everyone in town. He steals, lies, plays hooky, fights, and goes swimming secretly, but he is a normal boy and this is what normal boys do at his age. Tom is a clever, imaginative boy who has a good knowledge about human nature and knows how to use it. He continually outwits his Aunt Polly, and also persuades other boys to do his work for him without them even knowing of his trickery. One example of this is in the whitewashing scene, when his Aunt Polly makes him whitewash the outside fence before he is allowed to play. He slyly conviences the first boy by saying "...I don't see why oughtn't like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence everyday?" (21) With this cunning use of words he manipulates the boy to whitewash the fence, which leads to others also joining in to help. In the end, Tom has made a tidy profit as well as got the whitewashing done without actually doing it. As well as Tom being known as a strong boy, he also has fears. He is afraid, at various times in the book, of being harmed by Injun Joe, starving to death with Becky in the cave, of witchcraft, and of death during the thunderstorm when he is ill with the measles. Some of his fears are based on real dangers, such as with Injun Joe. Others are just simply fears in his mind. Partly by luck and partly by using his mind and courage, Tom is able to eventually triumph over his fears. Tom , who is usually a spirited guy, sometimes goes off by himself to be alone and think about his death. Ususally these dark moods only last a very short time, then he is back to his rowdy self. For example, after being rejected by Becky, he goes off into his comforting woods and thinks about ways to get back at her, and even thinks about running away. Though he gets into these moods occasionally, a quick visit from his friends he totally forgets his depressed mood, and resorts back to his spirited self. Although Tom likes to rebel against society and its restrictions, he is basically respectable. He is the nephew of a woman who is the soul of suitability and who is instilled him with these values. When Tom calculates his pranks and adventures in term's of society's reactions. At the end of the story, he even persuades his best friend Huck, who is an outcast in the town, to become "respectable" by telling him "Well, everybody does that way, Huck." (243) Tom also conviences Huck to "be respectable" by telling him he won't let him join his robber gang " if you ain't respectable." Also another aspect of Tom that is realistic is how he grows throught the story. Tom starts out acting childish and irresponsible and ends up acting more mature and responsible. The story of Muff Potter begins with Tom and Huck going to a graveyard to try