The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1195 Words

A common term heard when the American Dream is mentioned is â€Å"a self-made man.† This term refers to the goal of all Americans who are in the working or lower classes. They are not content with where they are in the social pyramid, so they strive to alter their social status. Gatsby, from The Great Gatsby, was one of these lower class citizens. He was not happy about his social standing and lack of money, so he made himself into a new man, one that he hoped Daisy would love even more. Gatsby is a true representation of â€Å"a self-made man† due to his recreation of himself that helped him evolve from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby. â€Å"A self-made man† is not only a man or woman that is made by themselves, but also one that has transformed himself in a dramatic way. For example, a man who started as a poor farmer, then started his own business and made a large sum of money would be considered â€Å"a self-made man.† He created a new persona or identity for himself through his own actions. Often it is looked at as difficult to be â€Å"a self-made man† because it involves breaking out of an inherited social position. Most people do not have the determination to risk everything to become a different, possibly even better, human being. Since being â€Å"a self-made man† is a difficult, but realistic goal, these men and women are often the models in society. They are the people that others look up to and get inspiration from. They look to those who are embracing the American Dream and strive to be likeShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1393 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald was the model of the American image in the nineteen twenties. He had wealth, fame, a beautiful wife, and an adorable daughter; all seemed perfect. Beneath the gilded faà §ade, however, was an author who struggled with domestic and physical difficulties that plagued his personal life and career throughout its short span. This author helped to launch the theme that is so prevalent in his work; the human instinct to yearn for more, into the forefront of American literature, where itRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1343 Words   |  6 PagesHonors English 10 Shugart 18 Decemeber 2014 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life. The Great Gatsby is about the lives of four wealthy characters observed by the narrator, Nick Carroway. Throughout the novel a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby throws immaculate parties every Saturday night in hope to impress his lost lover, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby lives in a mansion on West Egg across from DaisyRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1155 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Gatsby The Jazz Age was an era where everything and anything seemed possible. It started with the beginning of a new age with America coming out of World War I as the most powerful nation in the world (Novel reflections on, 2007). As a result, the nation soon faced a culture-shock of material prosperity during the 1920’s. Also known as the â€Å"roaring twenties†, it was a time where life consisted of prodigality and extravagant parties. Writing based on his personal experiences, author F. ScottRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1166 Words   |  5 Pagesin the Haze F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in a time that was characterized by an unbelievable lack of substance. After the tragedy and horrors of WWI, people were focused on anything that they could that would distract from the emptiness that had swallowed them. Tangible greed tied with extreme materialism left many, by the end of this time period, disenchanted. The usage of the literary theories of both Biographical and Historical lenses provide a unique interpretation of the Great Gatsby centered aroundRead MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald845 Words   |  3 PagesIn F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, colors represent a variety of symbols that relate back to the American Dream. The dream of being pure, innocent and perfect is frequently associated with the reality of corruption, violence, and affairs. Gatsby’s desire for achieving the American Dream is sought for through corruption (Schneider). The American Dream in the 1920s was perceived as a desire of w ealth and social standings. Social class is represented through the East Egg, the WestRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesrespecting and valuing Fitzgerald work in the twenty-first century? Fitzgerald had a hard time to profiting from his writing, but he was not successful after his first novel. There are three major point of this essay are: the background history of Fitzgerald life, the comparisons between Fitzgerald and the Gatsby from his number one book in America The Great Gatsby, and the Fitzgerald got influences of behind the writing and being a writer. From childhood to adulthood, Fitzgerald faced many good andRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald2099 Words   |  9 Pagesauthor to mirror his life in his book. In his previous novels F. Scott Fitzgerald drew from his life experiences. He said that his next novel, The Great Gatsby, would be different. He said, â€Å"In my new novel I’m thrown directly on purely creative work† (F. Scott Fitzgerald). He did not realize or did not want it to appear that he was taking his own story and intertwining it within his new novel. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he imitates his lifestyle through the Buchanan family to demonstrateRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1607 Words   |  7 Pages The Great Gatsby is an American novel written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. One of the themes of the book is the American Dream. The American Dream is an idea in which Americans believe through hard work they can achieve success and prosperity in the free world. In F. Scott Fitzgerald s novel, The Great Gatsby, the American Dream leads to popularity, extreme jealousy and false happiness. Jay Gatsby’s recent fortune and wealthiness helped him earn a high social position and become one of the mostRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1592 Words   |  7 PagesMcGowan English 11A, Period 4 9 January 2014 The Great Gatsby Individuals who approach life with an optimistic mindset generally have their goals established as their main priority. Driven by ambition, they are determined to fulfill their desires; without reluctance. These strong-minded individuals refuse to be influenced by negative reinforcements, and rely on hope in order to achieve their dreams. As a man of persistence, the wealthy Jay Gatsby continuously strives to reclaim the love of hisRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1646 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s witnessed the death of the American Dream, a message immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Initially, the American Dream represented the outcome of American ideals, that everyone has the freedom and opportunity to achieve their dreams provided they perform honest hard work. During the 1920s, the United States experienced massive economic prosperity making the American Dream seem alive and strong. However, in Fitzgerald’s eyes, the new Am erican culture build around that

Merchant of Venice free essay sample

The hatred and greed mostly comes from Shylock because he has been mocked by people. Shylock is portrayed as a greedy character in the play. Shylock is a clownish Jewish stereotype, or a tragic figure that has been spat on. Shylock plays the antagonist. He is a moneylender, father to Jessica, enemy to Antonio. Shylock is also portrayed as an angry man and very greedy. Throughout the play, Shylocks attitude towards money and human relationships is very painful. When shylock hears about Jessica and Lorenzo’s elopement, he rages with a lot of anger. Shylock seems to be more worried about his ducats that Jessica stole than the fact that his daughter is gone. In Shylocks famous speech â€Å"Hath not a Jew eyes† is a powerful speech. He exposes the hypocrisy of the Christian characters that are always talking about love and mercy but then go their own way and make Shylock feel isolated because he is Jewish and different. Go, presently inquire, and so will I, Where money is, and I no question make to have it of my trust or for my sake. Antonio is explaining that even though all his fortunes are at sea, he will try to acquire a loan in order to pay for Bassanio’s trip to Belmont, in attempt to marry Portia. Antonio’s action can be positive or negative. It can be positive in a way that he truly cares about Bassanio and he respects that he is in love with Portia or negative because little does Antonio know, he will be potentially giving up his life for Bassanio. Later in the play another side of Antonio is revealed. Antonio is displayed as a hard cruel man, although a Christian, he displays hatred and contempt towards the Jewish race, usurers and especially towards Shylock. After kicking and spitting upon Shylock, Antonio shows no remorse or sympathy for the man he has abused. Antonio even goes to the point of saying I am as like to call thee so again, to spit on thee again, to spurn thee too. If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not As to thy friends, for when did friendship take A breed for barren metal of his friend? But lend it rather to thine enemy; who if he break, thou mayst with better face Exact the penalty. These action are clearly motivated by hatred towards Shylock in a very negative way. They are negative because Antonio is treating Shylock with no respect and also physically abusing him at times. Even in what Antonio thought were his last days, he lovingly says, â€Å" Pray god Bassanio come to see me pay his debt (die), and then I care not† (3. 3. 38-39). Antonio is asking Bassanio to come see him one more time before he dies. This action is motivated by love because Antonio is not scared to die; he simply wants to see his best friend, who he loves one last time. Jessica’s love and hate are motivated in a positive and negative way. Her love for Lorenzo motivated her to run off with him and abandon her father, Shylock. This action can be either positive or negative because Jessica loves Lorenzo and it’s what she wants to do but she will be disobeying her father and leaving him behind. Jessica hated her father very much. She reveals this before she leaves by saying â€Å"I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so, our house is hell and thou a merry devil. Her hatred for her father motivated her to steal his jewels and ducats before she left. Jessica’s final words to her father were â€Å"Farewell; and if my fortune be not crost, I have a father, you a daughter, lost. † (2. 6. 57-58). This action is negative because it is wrong for her to steal, especially from her father. From the motivation of both love for Lorenzo and hate for Shylock, Jessica converts to the Christian religion and plans to marry Lorenzo. Jessica reveals this saying â€Å" If thou promise, I shall end this strife, become a Christian and thy loving wife.† (2. 3. 20-21) These actions are positive. They are positive because Jessica is doing what her heart and love is telling her to do, even though her father does not agree. Hate is a very strong and dark emotion that motivates the actions of Shylock in a negative way. Shylock’s mind is set on one thing, the pound of flesh in which Antonio owes him for failing to pay back the bond. The bond i s â€Å" Three thousand ducats in three months from twelve. † (1. 3. 113-114) If Antonio fails to pay back the bond; Shylock is entitled to remove one pound of flesh from Antonio. Shylock expresses this demand of the pound of flesh by saying â€Å"Ill have my bond; speak not against my bond: I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond. † (3. 3. 5-6). This quote clearly identifies that shylock has sworn on oath that he will have his bond and nothing will get in his way until he gets what he deserves yet even when he is offered back double the money Shylock purely out of hate refuses. These actions are negative because Shylock can spare Antonio’s life, but from hate he chooses not to. The hate from Shylock to Antonio comes from his hatred of Christians. Shylock reveals this when he says, â€Å" I hate him for he is a Christian† (1. 3. 42). This quote indicates that Shylocks negative actions are all motivated from hatred because Antonio is simply a Christian. In conclusion, love and hate are two very common emotions expressed throughout the play Merchant Of Venice. Love and hate are two emotions that can motivate people to do both good and bad things. They both positively and negatively affect characters such as Antonio, Jessica and Shylock. 822 words

The Enlightenment Essays - Philosophes, Fellows Of The Royal Society

The Enlightenment Main Themes: The Enlightenment 1. The Enlightenment had its origins in the scientific and intellectual revolutions of the 17c. 2. Enlightenment thinkers felt that change and reason were both possible and desireable for the sake of human liberty. 3. Enlightenment philosophes provided a major source of ideas that could be used to undermine existing social and political structures. I. The Major Themes of the Era: A. rationalism --* logical reasoning based on facts. B. cosmology --* new world view based on Newtonian physics --* analysis of natural phenomena as systems. C. secularism --* application of scientific theories to religion and society. D. scientific method --* experimentation; observation; hypothesis. E. utilitarianism (Bentham) --* laws created for the common good and not for special interests. The greatest good for the greatest number. F. optimism & self-confidence --* anything is possible (a reversal of medieval thinking). G. tolerance --* a greater acceptance of different societies and cultures. H. freedom --* a mind as well as a society free to think, free from prejudice. I. mass education. J. legal / penal reforms --* Beccaria, Bentham. K. constitutionalism. L. cosmopolitanism. II. The Philosophes: A. Not really philosophers, but men who sought to apply reason and common sense to nearly all the major institutions and mores of the day. B. They attacked Christianity for its rejection of science, otherworldliness, and belief in man's depravity (Deism). C. Their major sources: LOCKE --* man's nature is changeable and can be improved by his environment. NEWTON --* empirical experience and the rationality of the natural world. BRITAIN --* exemplified a society in which enlightened reason served the common good. D. France became the center for Enlightenment since its decadent absolutism and political and religious censorship seemed to prove the need for reform. E. Paris salons. F. Diderot's Encyclopedie. G. physiocrats: FRANCOIS QUESNAY --* land is the only source of wealth, and agriculture increases that wealth; therefore, the mercantilists were wrong to put so much importance on the accumulation of money. ADAM SMITH --* Wealth of Nations --* he challenged mercantilist doctrine as selfish and unnatural; the interdependence among nations; Father of Modern Capitalism. H. Montesquieu --* The Spirit of the Laws -- admired the British government. -- separation of powers in the government. -- checks and balances. I. Rousseau --* The Social Contract -- Father of Romanticism. -- he differed from the other pholosophes, esp. Locke: -- law is the expression of the General Will. -- rejected science and reason; go with your feelings (inner conscience). -- Man is born free, but is everywhere in chains! J. Voltaire -- Candide -- champion of individual rights. -- I do not agree with a word you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it! -- leading advocate of Enlightened Despotism. III. Enlightened Despotism: A. Prussia: -- Frederick I (1714-1740) -- the Seargent King. -- Frederick II (1740-1786) B. Habsburg Austria: -- Maria Theresa (1740-1780) --* Pragmatic Sanctions. -- Joseph II (1765-1790) --* considered to be the only true enlightened despot. C. Russia: -- Peter the Great (1682-1725) --* Westernization (Windows to the West). -- Catherine the Great (1762-1796) --* rigorous foreign policy; partitions of Poland. IV. Results of Enlightenment Thought: A. contributing factor in the American and French Revolutions. B. Enlightenment thinking reflected in the U. S. Declaration of Independence. C. Enlightened Despots. D. European thought became centered on the belief in reason, science, individual rights, and the progress of civilization. E. New evangelical religious movements --* Pietists, Methodists. ADDITIONAL TERMS TO KNOW: philosophesphysiocratsutilitarianismcosmopolitanismsalonlaissez-faireImmanuel KantJohn WesleyMethodismPietismGeneral WillPhilosopher-King The Enlightenment The Age of Reason 18th century intellectual movement based on reason caused by the scientific revolution Questioned the physical universe Centered in Paris -the modern Athens Believed in natural laws - very secular Criticized: a) Absolutism b) Established Church Very important to American Revolution Enlightened Thought 1) Natural science should be used to understand all aspects of life a) Nothing was to be accepted on faith b) Caused conflict with the church 2) Scientific laws were capable of discovering human and natural laws 3) Humans could create better societies and people Enlightenment Philosophe (Fr. Philosopher) but not only a French movement Critics of absolutism did not face death for their beliefs like in other countries French was the lingua franca -international language of educated Critics of the Old Regime and absolutism Developed new ideas about God, human nature, good and evil, and cause and effect relationships Humans were basically good, but corrupted by society Ideas were established by Marquis de Condercet in Progress of the Human Mind Salon Bernard de Fontenelle popularized science and made it easy to understand Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds Fontenelle brought science and religion into conflict (Catholics and Protestants scientists believed their work exhalted God) John Locke English thinker, rejected Descartes Tabula

Cooperatives in Kenya Essays

Cooperatives in Kenya Essays Cooperatives in Kenya Essay Cooperatives in Kenya Essay Co-operatives are user-owned, user-controlled and user-benefited organisations. They could be agricultural, non-agricultural, unions, or Savings and Credit co-operatives. They operate in different sectors of the economy including, agricultural, handicraft, Jua kali, transport, housing development, building and construction, banking and many other such spheres of the economy. Clearly, the cooperative movement has had its tentacles in every possible sector of the Kenyan business world. These co-operatives, and more strongly established, the agricultural cooperatives , play a major role in production, especially in the marketing bit. However, the broad objective of the co-operative concept is to promote the economic interests and general welfare of members in accordance with co-operative principles, and thus, pivotal in economic growth and alleviation of poverty. The policy objective of the Kenyan co-operative movement is to spur sustainable economic growth by focusing on achievement of desired outcomes through strengthening of the movement, improving operation extension service delivery, corporate governance, access to markets and marketing efficiency (International Monetory Fund 2007). The co-operatives have an immense potential to deliver goods and services in areas where both the public and the private sector have not ventured into. In most cases, co-operatives are local institutions that address local needs, employ local talent and are lead by local leaders, either directly or through branches. The co-operatives in Kenya are organized into service and producer co-operatives. The producer co-operatives’ objectives are to promote the use of modern technology and contribute to national development through production. The service co-operatives are responsible for procurement, marketing and expansion services, loan disbursement, sale of consumer goods and member education. The co-operatives have made remarkable progress in agriculture, banking, credit, agro-processing, storage, marketing, dairy and housing. Service co-operatives are the closest to communities and are organized on a shareholder basis, formed by individual members of organizations voluntarily working in a specific geographical area. For instance, primary level sugarcane farmers co-operatives provide a collection point for ,the farmers’ prooduce and even negotiate the per ton cost of sugarcane. Considering the substantial benefits that the cooperative movement has to our economy, and considering its significance to the livelihood of many, the Government recognizes the need for urgently improving management structures and accountability of co-operatives, so as to create a sustainable environment for their existence and operations. Just some few numerical facts to back my case as to influence of co-operatives to the society: -The cooperative is almost 103 years old, having started with the Dairy Societies in 1908. -In Kenya, we have about 12,000 registered co-operatives out of which 5000 are SACCO’s (Savings and Credit Co-operatives). -The Co-operative movement in Kenya has a membership of over 7 million individuals, making it the largest in Africa. It impacts directly and indirectly on 70% of Kenya’s population. SACCOS themselves have mobilized over 150 Billion Kshs in savings, more than 30% of the National Domestic Savings. -There is an entire Ministry, Ministry of Co-operative Development that provides enabling policy, legal and institutional framework. The co-operative movement in Kenya is organized into a system comprising of primary and secondary societies. The structure coalesces into a four tier structure of primary co-operatives, Unions, National co-operative Organizations (NACOs) and one Apex body, the Co-operative Alliance of Kenya (CAC). At each level, different functions can be performed. While the structure is stable, the performance and linkages within the various levels is weak, but there is room and potential for the co-operatives to work together much more through local, national, regional and international structures than the current prevailing situation. Historical Origin of Co-operative movement in Kenya – A Timeline survey 1908 – The first co-operative in Kenya formed, exclusive to the white settlers. 1945 – A new Co-operative Societies Ordinance was enacted allowing African participation. 946 – A department of co-operatives was established and a Registrar appointed. 1952 – Colonial civil servants began joining the movement. About 160 co-operatives registered. 1954 – Application of the Swynnerton plan boosted the co-operative movement. 400 registered. 1963 – Upon independence, co-operative movements were the key cornerstone of nation building. Around 1000 soc ieties had been registered. 1967 – The Government initiated KNCDP (Kenya Nordic Co-operatives Development Program), which was funded by Nordic countries and also the World Bank. 974 – Kenya had a fully fledged Ministry of Co-operative Development. 1997 – A new policy was formulated to provide for a member based, autonomous and member controlled movement, through Sessional Paper no. 6 of 1997. 2004 – The Co-operative Societies Amendment Bill, 2004 sought to re-introduce Government control while recognizing a free market economy. Principles upon which the Co-operative movement is founded. Voluntary and Open membership – There should be no limitation to membership in a co-operative society. Limitations may only be placed where a certain skill or profession is required. Therefore, co-operative membership is open to all who are willing to accept the responsibilities of membership without gender, social, political or religious discrimination. Democratic member control – It works on the following principles: 1)Members must have the final authority in making decisions concerning their society. 2)Every member has one vote notwithstanding his or her share contributions. 3)There must be a small group of members elected by other members which forms the committee which manages and administers the society. Autonomy and Independence – Co-operatives are self-help organizations controlled by members. All contracts entered into by the co-operative is done without external influence and by collective decision of the members themselves. Member economic participation – A co-operative is formed not for the motive of profit, but to provide services. This is branched into 2: 1)Limited rate of interest on capital – A share capital of a co-ope rative gets a limited rate of interest. Key aim is to benefit members collectively and thus applying capital generally to development of the co-operative. 2)Disposal of surpluses – In a co-operative there should be a fair and just system of distribution of surplus. Therefore surplus is either reinvested for the benefit of the society in general, or distributed in proportion to a member’s business transaction with the society. Promotion of education, training and information – A member of a co-operative must be informed of everything about the co-operative organization. This includes his rights, obligations, the principles that guide the society, the management and administration and its activities. Co-operation among co-operatives – This principle was established to strengthen the co -operative movement through mutual assistance at local and international level so as to bring about social and economic development of people regardless of their background. Concern for the community – Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by the members. The general upliftment should be the key thought upon co-operative decision making. Moral values upon which the Co-operative movement is found Self-help – A Co-operative is formed by members to help themselves achieve a certain objective or benefit which would be difficult, or almost impossible to achieve as individuals. Chief concern is to help members themselves. Self responsibility – A co-operative movement is self-sustained, it has its own management, makes its own decisions and undertakes its own responsibilities. Every member accepts the risks associated thereto, and in case of a mishap, every member shall bear the brunt of it collectively. Democracy – Every member has 1 vote in decision making regardless of the proportion of shares held. All decisions and resolutions made by a co-operative are made collectively with maximum member participation. Majority rule prevails. Equality and Equity – A co-operative treats all members as equal regardless of their capital or investment. All members are given equal rights and are subject to the same obligations. Rules and principles of a co-operative are also applied uniformly, and decision making is also every member’s right and not a decision of a chosen few. Solidarity – All members of a co-operative are very adamant and firm on their cause and purpose for which the union was formed. There is a sense of unity that binds them together. Moreover, every co-operative helps another co-operative for furtherance of the collective co-operative movement. Honesty – Members are required to come to the co-operative with truth and honesty. They should also be willing to undertake their duties with due diligence, and report every profit or benefit gained personally in the pretext of the co-operative. Openness – Co-operative members are required to be open to each other in the sense that they should disclose information in their possession which would have been beneficial to the co-operative, and even to share ideas and thoughts of other members amongst themselves, not for personal gain, but for mutual benefit. Social responsibility – The chief aim of the co-operative movement is to promote the economic welfare of the members and even the general public at large. A co-operative movement should ensure the development and poverty alleviation of the people of the region where it is situated. Benefits of Co-operative organizations to the community at large When it comes to agricultural co-operatives, they help farmers in the collection, transportation, processing and marketing of agricultural produce. A common example would be the Kenya Co-operative Creameries (KCC) which has over the ears helped dairy farmers get value for their milk. Co-operatives enable many individuals pool their funds, to undertake bigger projects and investments which they would otherwise not be able to do, e. g Cashew nut farmers came together to form a co-operative through which they erected a plant to process their produce, since the Government had banned exports of raw cashew nuts abroad. The co-operatives could distribute farm inputs more efficiently and thus boost agricultural production while cutting costs. A common example would be the import of seeds. Many farmers would get access to high quality highbred seeds which would be imported by the co would be to purchase a common item used by every member in bulk, so as to enjoy quantity discounts. Previously, small-scale farmers used to sell their produce to middlemen who would be the link to the actual buyers. This would mean, a substantial portion of the profits would be chewed up by the middlemen. After the establishment of co-operatives, the co-operative eliminated the middlemen. This meant, the entire profits would be retained by the members themselves. Social control mechanisms become an acceptable substitute for physical assets as collateral for loans. The co-operative may also allow its assets, upon agreement by other members, to be used as collateral to seek loans for the upliftment of one of their members. Poverty can be alleviated by planning, organizing, implementing and managing income-generating activities. Co-operatives promote even the smallest of farmers to gain a fair value for their produce. This encourages many individuals who are below poverty lines to farm for themselves. Single and widowed women even have a way to earn for themselves. They are catered for through their co-operatives. Development funds are channelled to individual members. Individuals with exceptional ideas are motivated and encouraged where funds are commonly pooled via the co-operative and distributed to those requiring them. Members can be educated on economic and social issues affecting the industry, including development of entrepreneurial skills. The co-operatives organize workshops and trainings for their members to build their knowledge and skills in their areas of expertise. The co-operative also undertakes to solve common problems together. E. g KCC (Kenya Co-operative Creameries) helping dairy farmers save their cattle from ticks. Wealth and capital can be created and owned jointly by large groups of low income earners. There is a common pool through which capital is owned and invested in specific areas for profit generation for all the members of the co-operatives. The co-operative concept encourages a common sharing of ideas. When members come together, they exchange ideas to come up with ingenious solutions for their problems, or clever solutions for their common investments. Challenges facing co-operatives in Kenya Lack of integrity on the part of the union, society committee members and employees. The corrupt people in management mismanage and misapply funds which act to the detriment of other members. Some co-opera tives have even been opened as a con, a money making scheme for the certain few. Excessive costs in handling member produce, and high administration costs. Sometimes the administration costs of the co-operative tends to supercede the profits and gains of the co-operative, this renders a co-operative not viable, and eventually spell its dissolution. Poor management. Some of the co-operatives, especially the ones for low income individuals are poorly managed, since those in management of the co-operative are illiterate and not well educated, therefore there would be serious lapses and judgemental errors and inefficiencies in their decisions. Lack of basic understanding among the co-operatives about the purpose and functions of the movement. Some of the members do not understand the purpose of the co-operative movement, hence they are unaware of how exactly to capitalize on the co-operative for their own benefit.. Inadequacy of resources. Majority of the co-operatives are formed by low income earning individuals whose very quest is wealth upliftment. Therefore the investment of such individuals in the co-operative is minimal, and thus, leaves the co-operative handicap – with a lot of ideas, but few resources to cater for its implementation. Some of the co-operatives fail to reach up to the standard acceptable by consumers and most importantly, acceptable by export standards. Therefore, many co-operatives, due to poor delivery of quality, do not get value for their products. This greatly hampers their income generating ability. Government involvement. Sometimes the government involvement is too excessive, and thus it makes some of the co-operatives too dependent on Government support and foreign aid. Such an attitude prevents the co-operative from operating on its 100% capacity and ability. Some co-operatives face stiff competition for their products, from rich investors who deal in the same product. This would not allow the small co-operatives to grow into being businesses to enable them to compete with the rich investors. SUGGESTED REFORMS The Ministry should undertake constant training and workshops for members of co-operatives and most importantly the management of the co-operatives to enable the co-operative to be steered in the right direction, in the most efficient of manners. Help co-operatives to deal with technological changes by informing them of new developments, and also to undertake research which would help the co-operatives to deliver quality products. The Government should easen up their lending rates for co-operatives to enable them access easy finance, to enable them to undertake larger projects so as to grow enough to compete with other investors in the same industry. Corrupt managers and co-operative members be subject to the stringent of rules, and punished severely for their misdeeds, so as to curb con men from using the co-operative movement as their money mint. Threaten to deregister any co-operative which con ducts its operations with low integrity. This would instil more confidence of the public into the co-operative movement, and encourage them to be part of it. POWERS OF THE REGISTRAR OF DISSOLUTION OF SOCIETIES. If the registrar after holding an inquiry or making an inspection or receiving an application made by at least three quarters of the members is he of the opinion that the society ought to be dissolved he may in writing order its dissolution and subsequent cancellation of registration. Any member who feels aggrieved by this order may within two months after its making appeal against it to the Minister with a final appeal to the tribunal. Where no appeal is filed within the prescribed time the order shall take effect on the expiry of that period but where an appeal is file within time the order shall not take effect unless confirmed by the minister or by the tribunal. When the registrar makes that order, he must make a further order relating to the custody of the books and documents of the society and the protection of its assets. It should be noted that no society shall be dissolved or wound up except by an order of the registrar. Where a society has less than the prescribed number of members the registrar may in writing order its dissolution and that order takes effect immediately and where registration is cancelled the society ceases to exist as a corporate body from the date the order takes effect. It should also be noted that Section 64 applies the provisions relating to winding up of companies to winding up of cooperative societies. Where a registration is cancelled the registrar may appoint one or more persons to be liquidator or liquidators of that society and all the property of such a society vests in him from the date upon which the order of cancellation takes effect CONCLUSION To reach large numbers in the low income sector, requires an able and strong co-operative ministry, which has a firm co-operative policy guiding it. The co-operative policy should be capable of meeting diverse needs of different segments of the population and varied speres of the economy. Co-operatives and strategic alliances are very important in setting pace for individuals to venture into entrepreneurship, or self wealth creation, especially for low income households, a sector of the economy which has been severely neglected by the commercial Kenya. These households would get a blessing in disguise in the shape of a co-operative. Promotion of the co-operative movement should be seen as one way of promoting social and economic justice, especially in developing countries which are ravaged by poverty, diseases and hunger. In Africa, co-operative development is certainly the nest frontier for low income earners who want to strike it big. This is a movement which has enormous potential for expansion and growth. Once again, I emphasize that the cooperative structure and the cooperative philosophy are very effective and flexible in satisfying the needs of the poor. This makes the cooperative model very idea for channelling agricultural products, and the idea of farming into the masses. I wish the cooperative movement in Kenya a fruitful future, and wishing them luck in their battle against poverty eradication coupled with high inflation. ******************************** REFERNCES: -Class Notes -Article by Nelson Kuria of CIC Insurance Ltd in the Daily Nation -www. cooperative. go. ke -www. ilo. org -Handout by Mr. Mweseli, from the KLSS Bureau -Nutshells – Business Law

Americans versus the Spanish Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Americans versus the Spanish Culture - Essay Example Pietri managed to illustrate the actual state of the cultural rivalry and the differences between the American and the Spanish communities in America. The poem clearly showed the differences, mostly due to his decision to use a number of issues such as differences in language, skin colour, and economic differences. Culturally, people of the Spanish community were considered slaves of the Americans and were supposed to work in their fields, industries and homes, ultimately dying with the poverty they came with to the country. The poem explored their deplorable conditions, their lack of ambition and their high level of suffering. Pedro Pietri revealed that hardly could the Spanish escape poverty that ravaged their masses. Instead, they died in hope for a better life, like owning some form of property, for example, a piece of land or a house. In their efforts to impress their bosses, they frequently died. He sympathized with them, for he never saw a possible end to the problems in the f oreseeable future. The scolding and demeanour of the race is evident, with the writer noting that some workers wished death would befall their supervisors so that they could get a pay rise. He actually sympathized with the troubled race of the Spanish and their hopeless condition. (Pietri 1-11). Rodriguez (7) gave his reasons for believing in the existence of cultural differences between the Americans and the Spanish. However, he did not vividly highlight the effects of this difference, just like Pedro Pietri did. His is a story of his

Applied ethics ( ethics in marketing) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Applied ethics ( ethics in marketing) - Essay Example The theory emphasizes the need for people to learn how to break bad habits of character for example greed or anger (Chonko, & Hunt, 1985). The advertisement I choose from the news is on the Embassy Cigarettes. On the theory of deontological, the company marketing has the obligation to adhering to the moral rules. This implies that when marketing this brand of cigarettes, they should not give any misleading information about the product. Marketers must clearly indicate the contents that have been used to make the cigarettes on the packet. The contents indicated must genuine, only those that were used without any additional materials or omitting some of the ingredients. This a moral ethic as the consumer gets to know what was used in the making of that product and based on that information, consumers will make decisions. When all the content is genuinely on the packet, the user will read through that information and based on it, they will be able to decide whether to buy it or not. Marketers must ensure that the information they display is not misleading to the product consumer (Gibson, 2000). The marketers of the Embassy Cigarettes must focus on the second theory of marketing ethics, the teleology theory. Based on their advertisement, the marketers should consider what action their decision might have to the consumer after using the product. The teleology theory emphasizes that the company has the obligation of taking care of the customer. The product should not affect the user after using it, due to the false information given to it. For example, if the marketers omit to include an ingredient used in the manufacture of the cigarette on the packet, it is not ethically correct. This because a consumer will make a wrong decision in case the product consist an ingredient that causes complications to their health. When they buy and use the product, they are sure

Finding a Large Problem as an Idea and How to Implement It to Achieve Success Essay Example for Free

Finding a Large Problem as an Idea and How to Implement It to Achieve Success Essay Ideas can and do change the world. Ideas are important to bring innovation and change in this world. Ideas can be used by students to achieve success in their academic life. Through the power of ideas, students can revitalize their sagging prospects and boost their grades. Of all the ideas mentioned in class, I was very impressed by the idea of finding a large problem and working to rectify the problem. It’s similar in my mind to finding a root cause or a deeply entrenched issue that is preventing success. To cure a problem or to enhance performance, one has to begin at the grass roots level. To find a problem, one has to look in hindsight and do a back ward analysis as to where one was found wanting. By identifying the problem, alienating it from other issues and after generation of ideas and solutions for the problem, the best solution is selected (International Development Experiences, Applications Systems, 2004). So, in order to prevent future occurrences, one has to begin by looking at the past. I can use this approach to solve a great deal of the issues in my academic and personal life. I will discuss academic solutions here. One of the largest problems that I face as a student is that my grammatical and vocabulary skills are not very refined and need a lot of work. I identified this problem by looking at past comments of my teachers. I have understood that there are a number of alternatives to solving this problem. Firstly, my spoken English remains very satisfactory, so my focus is on my written communication. One of the alternatives is to read various items, such as books, journals, magazines and newspapers. Another alternative is to practice writing essays and summaries. The final alternative is to do a combination of both the above alternatives. Since reading is not sufficient to increase writing skills and similarly writing with my current vocabulary base is also not nearly enough. Therefore, the best alternative is to allot time to both reading and writing every week. List of References International Development Experiences, Applications Systems. (2004, November 1). FAQs. Retrieved 2 2, 2009, from IDEAS Problem based learning: http://celt. ust. hk/ideas/pbl/faqs/index. html#1