White Privilege Essays

White Privilege Essays White Privilege Essay White Privilege Essay Data Analysis Investigation Introduction Research Question: Do individuals in the Midwest experience the affects of white privilege? During this investigation I seek to explore the differences in privilege that males and females, of different race and ethnic backgrounds, experiences in their daily lives. My fellow Sociology of Race and Ethics classmates and I will conduct Peggy McIntosh’s White Privilege survey, in hopes to find any differences in privilege felt by individuals of varying age, gender, race or class membership. My hypothesis is: According to Peggy McIntosh’s White Privilege survey, she suggests that white people are privileged with what she describes as â€Å"an invisible package of unearned assets, which I (Peggy McIntosh) can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was ‘meant’ to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions maps, passports, code books, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks† (McIntosh, 1988). I suggest that with the changing of times, and ever growing equality that this distinct idea of white privilege is no longer prevalent. I believe that, McIntosh’s view of white privilege is no longer applicable in today’s Midwestern society and culture. I hypothesize that age will have more of an effect on responses to the survey than that of gender or race. I predict that younger people (below 20) are at a greater risk of feeling â€Å"underprivileged†. For my second hypothesis, I suggest that overall people in the Midwest feel privileged versus not. I believe this because I feel that the social stratification in the US, especially in the Midwest, has declined creating a more equal environment for all. Data Collection I will receive my data though the use of Peggy McIntosh’s White Privilege survey. First I will take the survey, while recording my answers, and then give the survey to ten other individuals, recording their answers in the same format. My fellow classmates will do the same, then all of the information will be then collected and charted accordingly into cross-tabulation tables. Each survey participant will be asked to rate their responses on a 1-4 scale: 1 = Strongly Agree, 2 = Agree, 3 = Disagree and 4= Strongly Disagree. The date responses can than be interpreted as answers of Strongly Agree, and Agree indicating a greater response of â€Å"privilege† – which McIntosh believes suggests members in a majority group. The data will then be organized into cross-tabulation tables. Each table will contain only two variables – one independent variable (gender, age, race, member of the class or not) and one dependent variable (each statement from the survey). After collecting the data a few changes were made: age was recoded into groups of ages, while also recoding all responses of ‘Disagree’ and ‘Strongly Disagree’ into one value for each variable, both to make analysis easier. Race was also recoded into ‘White’ and ‘All Other Races’ to expedite analysis. Also the ethnicity variable responses were found to be unreliable, so that variable was removed before running the data. When reading a cross-tabulation table it is important to remember that in order to interpret the data response, you must look for the differences in the percentages of responses not in the difference in the number of responses. Also, the needed information is, if the independent variable (gender, age, race or class membership) seems to make a difference in how a person responds to the dependent variable (the questions). After all the data has been gathered and charted, I will then compare the findings to my hypothesis. In order to discover whether my hypothesis is true or false I will evaluate the cross tables of age, gender, race and class completed from the collected data. Exploring the Data Younger ages (less than 20) have a larger affect than old age in feeling â€Å"underprivileged†. After analyzing the data, I believe my hypothesis that the ages 18-19 feel underprivileged as compared to the older ages, was correct. This is represented in the findings, that of the en questions surveyed, exactly one half the questions (five of ten) the age group 18-19 had the highest disagreement percentage compared to the other age groups. No other age group had close to the equivalent outcomes, the closest age group being groups 24-34 and 45-50 both with two. The findings show that in one half of all situations this age group is presented with, they feel as though they are underprivileged as compared t o other age groups, but by examining just the 18-19 age group or age as a whole, the majority feel as though the ‘Agree’ they are privileged. This finding is universal through all independent variables. While comparing all independent variables, of the 10 survey scenarios no matter what the independent variable is 70% of the time the participants feel they ‘Agree’ to being privileged. Exploring Data – Midwesterners overall feel â€Å"privileged† versus â€Å"underprivileged† no matter the independent factor. After analyzing the cross-tabulations, I feel as though my hypothesis about the Midwestern society is spot on. The data show’s that across any independent factor (age, gender, race and lass membership) a large majority of the participants surveyed feel as though they ‘Agree’ to being privileged. This is an overwhelming statistic that is constant throughout all independent variables; of the ten surveyed scenarios people agree 70% of the time to feeling privileged. In only, one scenario do people as a whole feel as though they are underprivileged. Overall Analysis and Personal Findings I found the collective results very interesting, especially in the age category. I thought it was interesting that older adults feel less privileged more than or equal to that of middle aged adults. I had assumed, that in our society much like that of the Native American societies that respect and privilege comes with age. I found the data surprising that the age group that tended to feel most privileged was ages 20-21. In four of the ten scenarios, the 20-21 year olds surveyed felt the most privileged or ‘Strongly Agreed’ to the situation as compared to all other age groups. I did not expect this, as the previous age group had felt the most nderprivileged in half of the scenarios, and in only an addition 1-2 years, the surveyed participant went from feeling the most underprivileged to the most privileged. I had guessed that the feeling of privilege would gradually increase with age groups, leaving the oldest age group (50 and older) with the highest feeling of privilege. I thought this, not only because society often deems wisdom with age, but also because the older participants surveyed may have grown up in a more dominant white privilege society, and those same feelings and thought processes would still be relevant to the way they feel they fit in society. All in all, I found very interesting facts from the data collected in every category. Things that I had thought would hold true, often did not. Such as, when considering the independent variable of gender, I assumed that women would primarily feel as though they were underprivileged as compared to men, but the data shows other wise. From this survey, men felt more underprivileged as compared to their female counterparts 100% of the time. Another fact that I found shocking was that when considering race as the independent variable. My hypothesis that white privilege was no long prevalent in the Midwest was incorrect. Participants of the ‘Other’ race felt underprivileged in half of the scenarios, and the other half they only ‘Agreed’ to feeling privileged. As compared to their ‘White’ counterparts, feeling privileged 100% of the time. I do believe that in the Midwest, things are moving close to equality as this is seen in at least half or more of the situations both the ‘White’ and ‘Other’ race group feel as though they ‘Agree’ to being privileged. No one group stands out as ‘Strongly Agreeing’ to be privileged for the majority. This tells us, that although there are still instances of white privilege, the Midwestern society is moving away from that and more towards social equality. : McIntosh, Peggy. Daily effects of white privilege. White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, 1988. Tues. 19 Feb 2013. .

Motivation.learners are motivational Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Motivation.learners are motivational - Essay Example earchers have shown that learner’s attribution of success and failures is an essential part of whether the learner will attempt, complete and repeat activities. Therefore, most motivational issues of Jake can be addressed by these theories of the Bandura’s social cognitive theory, and attribution theory. Self efficacy impact the choice of activities. Self-efficacious students readily undertake challenging and difficult tasks more readily than do inefficacious students. (Bandura & Schunk, 1981). It is possible that Jake held a low sense of efficacy for acquiring cognitive skills that attempted him to avoid boring tasks, whereas if he judged himself more efficaciously, he should have participated more eagerly. Self-efficacy can also influence motivation. Students with high sense of efficacy for learning should expend greater effort and persist longer when they encounter difficult tasks than those who doubt their capabilities (1981). Therefore, Jake‘s lack of motivation and low effort to take challenging and difficult tasks can be associated with his low self efficacy. Efficacy and outcome expectancy are closely related; students who perceive themselves as capable of performing well expect successful performances, which in turn promote self-efficacy. Therefore, Jake’s low efficacy influenced his outcome expectancy and performance during his new school year. Also, poor performance in turn, results to low efficiency. In addition, Jake’s lack of motivation can be demonstrated according to attribution theory. Learners who have perceptions of ability in failure are likely to assume that performance is not in their control. Therefore, Jake’s negative attributional style (attributing failure to ability) contributed to his lack of motivation in engaging in difficult tasks, and developing skills. In Addition, learners negative attribution responses are related to inferior use of strategies (Schrieber,2006). Without high self efficacy and the tendency to

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae - Essay Example The genus includes many other types of yeast important to food production. The taxonomic structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is as follows: S. cerevisiae (Baker's yeast) is subjected to various environmental stresses during its propagation and industrial application. Yeast being prepared for the baker's facilities is subjected to many such stresses as freezing, frozen storage and thawing of bread dough. Besides this there are the usual stresses of fluctuations in nutrient supply, acidity levels, osmolarity and temperature and exposure to toxic substances like heavy metals and radiation (Schade et al, 2004). This often reduces the yeast's dough-leavening capabilities as well as other viable factors (Rodriguez-Vargas et al, 2002). The same is true when the yeast is applied to other food production techniques as wine-and beer-making. Thus, the negative effects of environmental stress on this species of yeast have great technological and economic impact (Rodriguez-Vargas et al, 2002). ... Thus, the negative effects of environmental stress on this species of yeast have great technological and economic impact (Rodriguez-Vargas et al, 2002). The organisms, through special stress response factors that act at the transcriptional levels, either induce or repress a set of genes known as the general or environmental or common stress response (ESR) (Schade et al, 2004). Genome wide transcriptional profiling has revealed that 10% of the entire genome is induced or repressed in this stress response (Schade et al, 2004). The induced genes usually are involved in cellular functions such as protein folding and degradation, transport and carbohydrate metabolism while the repressed genes are associated with cell growth-related processes that are suppressed till more convenient circumstances evolve. Such related processes may be RNA metabolism, nucleotide biosynthesis, secretion and ribosomal performance (Schade et al, 2004).Stress Regulation in S. cerevisiae Cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae handle a diverse range of stresses by mediation via a penta-nucleotide element called stress response element (STRE). This is quite in line with the 5-nucleotide heat shock regulatory element discussed later in the paper. STRE mediates in conjunction mainly with two transcriptional proteins Msn2p and Msn4p (Treger et al, 1998). Several genes, the induced ones that are also the ones that are instrumental in inactivating the ones that are repressed in the environmental stress response, responding to stress like heat shock, osmotic shock, post-diauxic shift growth and nitrogen starvation are induced to transcriptional activity by sequences containing STRE, especially the Msn2p/Msn4p/STRE pathway (Treger et al, 1998). There are also a few

Cancer Treatment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Cancer Treatment - Essay Example Sometimes this can be accomplished by surgery, but the tendency of cancers to invade adjacent tissue or to spread to distant sites by microscopic metastasis often limits its effectiveness. The success of chemotherapy is often limited by toxicity to other tissues in the body. Radiation can also cause damage to normal tissue. Identifying causes of cancer and developing strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatments and cure of it ,form the major objectives of cancer research. Cancer research ranges from epidemiology, molecular bioscience (bench research) to the performance of clinical trials to guage and correlate applications of the various cancer treatment. These applications include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy, and combined treatment modalities such as chemo-radiotherapy. The attention in clinical cancer research has shifted towards therapies derived from biotechnology research, such as immunotherapy and gene therapy, since the 1990s. The effectiveness of the various different cures and treatments for cancer can be analysed individually. According to the American Cancer Society, surgery is the oldest form of cancer treatment. It also has an important role in diagnosing and finding the extent of cancer. Advances in surgical techniques have allowed surgeons to successfully operate on a growing number of patients. Today, less invasive operations often can be done to remove tumors while saving as much normal tissue and function as possible.Surgery offers the greatest chance for cure for many types of cancer, especially those that have not spread to other parts of the body. Most people with cancer will have some type of surgery. While different types of surgeries are performed in relation to cancer, it is curative surgery that is done to treat cancer primarily. Curative surgery is done when a tumor appears to be confined to one area and it is likely that all of the tumor can be removed. It may be used alone or along w ith chemotherapy or radiation therapy, which can be given before or after the operation. Sometimes radiation therapy is actually used during an operation. This is called intraoperative radiation therapy. The medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to control cancer cells is called radiotherapy . Radiotherapy may be used for curative or adjuvant cancer treatment.Chemotherapy refers to the use of antineoplastic drugs to treat cancer. Tumors with high growth fractions (such as acute myelogenous leukemia and the aggressive lymphomas, including Hodgkin's disease) are more sensitive to chemotherapy as chemotherapy affects cell-division and also as a larger proportion of the targeted cells are undergoing cell division at any time. Malignancies with slower growth rates, such as indolent lymphomas do not respond as well to chemotherapy. According to Wikipedia,hormonal therapy is one of the major modalities of medical treatment for cancer. Hormonal therapy involves the engineering of the endocrine system

Metal Health Support for Youth Depression

Metal Health Support for Youth Depression Introduction Feeling sad, unhappy, or down in the dumps occasionally is not unusual, however when these feelings outweigh a youths happiness or excitement it is concerning. Depression is a common and severe disorder amongst adolescences. Depression has lasting effects on an individuals feelings, thoughts, self-worth, behaviors, social relationships, physical functioning, biological developments, work productivity, and life fulfillment. It is a common psychiatric disorder that often affects adolescences and has been ranked as the fourth leading cause of disability and early death worldwide. Depression not only affects emotions but is a serious condition which makes coping difficult and leaves a person feeling sad most of the time. Feelings of sadness and low self-worth are overwhelming and can last for weeks, months or even longer for individuals (Beyondblue, n.d.).   Incorporating mental health programs into the lives of youth is valuable to send a message to individuals that depression is treatable, people can help, and that things can improve. Children and adolescents spend a considerable amount of time at school, and it is necessary for schools to offer mental health programs that include prevention and intervention services targeted at youth suffering from depression (Stallard, 2013). This paper will discuss the causation of adolescent depression, physical manifestations, educational supports, and professional supports.   Causation Everyone experiences depression differently and there is not an easy answer for why youth develop the condition, but there is a combination of reasons. It is a mental illness that significantly affects youth. Depression is more common amongst girls than boys but boys often find it hard to share their feelings (Beyondblue, n.d.). Some of the common causes of youth depression are the same as adults such as biological causes, stress, and trying life events. Other causes of youth depression include parenting, substance abuse, and low self-worth (Coleman, Walker, Lee, Friesen, & Squire, 2009). According to Mental Health America, depressed youth can have too much or too little of certain brain chemicals which also causes depression. Other sources of depression are having a family history of depression, side-effects from medications, and persistent negative thought patterns (Depression in Teens, 2016,).  Ã‚   It is normal for people to feel sad or discouraged at times because we all feel these emotions at some point due to various life events. Such life events like fighting with a friend, a breakup happening, getting a poor grade on an assignment or test, or the death of someone can all create feelings of sadness or disappointment. Non-depressed individuals experiencing these events and feelings manage to deal with the emotions and get past them with a little time and care. However, depressed people experience these events differently because the feelings last longer and affects not only the persons mood but their thinking too (Lyness, 2016,). Many things can change how we think, feel, and behave; however stressful life events can cause youth to develop depression. Symptoms might present with feelings of sadness, distress, and anxiety, however over time they become more intense and overwhelming. Prevalent causes of depression in youth are loss and grief, bullying, alcohol and drug use, low self-esteem and body image, discrimination, physical health problems, life events, family breakups, and loneliness. Stress is another common factor in an adolescent’s life and when young people are under stress, it can increase their likely hood of developing depression. At times problems can seem too big and overwhelming to solve, but the best thing adolescents can do is talk to someone. Youth who take steps and recognize how they feel are on their way to recovery (Andersen, & Teicher, 2008; Beyondblue, n.d.).  Ã‚  Ã‚   Physical Manifestations One in five youth suffer from clinical depression, and more than 25% of adolescents will experience a major depressive disorder by age nineteen. Depression is also prevalent amongst 1% of the population under age twelve, but between age fifteen to eighteen is dominant amongst 17% to 25% of youth. Depression is not an easy diagnosis amongst youth because they have different signs compared to adults. Moodiness amongst youth is common, but when it lasts for more than two weeks help should be sought. Adolescents are likely to be irritable without visible signs of sadness. On the other hand, depressed youth will have low school performance, withdraw from friends and activities, feel hopeless, lack enthusiasm and energy, overreact to criticism, have low self-esteem, lack concentration, feel restless and on edge, have a change in eating and sleeping patterns, develop problems with authority, and exhibit suicidal thoughts or actions. Young people feeling depressed have increased feelings of irritability, sadness, stress, anger, restless, and over analyze what is on their mind. Other feelings youth might experience are guilt, worthlessness, frustration, unhappiness, indecisiveness, and disappointment (Depression in Teens, 2016).   Adolescents experience more emotional and behavioral problems than do non-depressed youth. Young people who are depressed can have co-occurring disorders such as anxiety, difficulties paying attention and hyperactivity, aggression, substance use, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Youth who are experiencing depression not only have personal issues, but their social relationships are affected too. Depressed adolescents feel unsupported by friends and adults. Youth also show more signs of a lack of interest in activities they find enjoyable, feel extremely sleepy throughout the day, have a decreased ability to think and focus, feel deeply saddened, and suicidal. Suicide unfolds with age, therefore before the age of ten it is rare for children to have suicidal thoughts or actions, but increases between the age of ten and fourteen, and rises ten times higher in youth ages fifteen to nineteen (Andersen, & Teicher, 2008).   Educational Support Implications Since depression is a common mental health diagnosis amongst youth, it is important to know depression screening is one possible method for managing depression. Then again, there are risk factors for screening youth. A few risk factors are testing is costly, it can cause harm to some people due to misdiagnoses and in proper treatment, and there could be false positive results if screening tools are not administered properly. Across the United States, screening programs have been implemented in some schools and medical settings. Screening is an early intervention to help detect signs and symptoms amongst youth who otherwise show none. Depression symptom questionnaires and small sets of questions are used for testing to identify individuals who may have current depression that has not been recognized (Thombs, Roseman, & Kloda, 2012).   Depression is not easy to determine amongst youth due to the different symptoms, on the other hand few children are identified and referred for treatment. Schools are natural and convenient setting for mental health prevention programs to be offered. Youth regularly spend a substantial majority of their time at school. Many adolescents who have depression have no contact with mental health services. Schools can provide universal programs to target all youth regardless of risk, or they can provide selective interventions which target selected groups with an increased risk. When providing a global approach schools can cover a larger population and mental health is less stigmatizing; however, the programs can result in smaller treatment effects. Programs can be appealing and have a significant impact on mental health if supported and implemented correctly (Stallard, 2013).  Ã‚  Ã‚   At school youth also need to be able to talk with a counselor or social worker about their feelings. They also need to be provided with adequate daily exercise, exposure to daylight, and healthier eating options. School personnel can teach relaxation skills to help increase sleep and decrease feelings of worry. Many adolescents find it beneficial to confide in and talk to a trusting adult. Educators can listen and show empathy, remind the youth that things can get better and that they are there for them, help them see things that are already good in their life, find enjoyable things to do, and give honest compliments and smiles. Youth need to be educated on how to manage sad feelings. In order to help youth gain positive coping skills, schools need to provide educational curriculum on eating healthy foods, getting the right amount of sleep, exercising, taking time to relax, and taking time to notice the good things in life (Lyness, 2016, August). Schools can be a common place for stu dents to see a mental health professional; therefore, it is important for schools to have effective school-based programs to address mental health issues in the schools. It is vital for schools to provide school personnel opportunities for training in recognizing youth depression. Classroom teachers have contact with students throughout the school day and are likely to see changes in students behaviors. Not only is it important to recognize depression in youth, but it is necessary to evaluate and treat depressed adolescents. School counselors, school nurses, school psychologist, and school social workers can help students experiencing depression, especially if youth are not receiving professional outside counseling. These school personnel are trained to recognize and plan for mental health issues in students and should be utilized to help students with depression. School mental health professionals can screen students for mental health, develop interventions and plans, provide prevention programs, and provide individual or group counseling. Although schools have resources, to be most helpful, schools should connect with resources outside of school (B eyondblue, n.d.; Stallard, 2013).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Professional Supports Youth struggling with depression need immediate treatment because if left untreated it can lead to death. Some adolescents may refuse treatment; however significant adults in their life can seek professional help. Depressed youth should see a therapist to assist them in understanding why they feel the way they do and to learn how to use coping skills to handle stressful situations. There are individual counseling options available along with group and family counseling opportunities. When working with a mental health professional, youth may be presented with the possibility of medication to help feel better. Several factors contribute to youth depression, but prompt and appropriate treatment are critical in helping youth cope with depression. When working with a therapist young people can do psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and medication (Depression in Teens, 2016). With the right care and treatment, depression can get better and easier to manage. Individuals who are depressed should not wait to get help because things can only get worse. Youth who feel depressed should talk to a parent or an adult and get the right help. A medical doctor can provide a checkup and look for symptoms causing depression. Different medical conditions that might cause depression include hypothyroidism and mono. Another resource for youth is to utilize a therapist or counselor to talk about his/her emotional state. Speaking to a counselor or therapist allows individuals to understand emotions, put feelings into words, feel understood and supported, builds confidence, increases problem-solving skills, helps change negative thinking, increases self-worth, and increases experiencing positive emotions (Lyness, 2016). Conclusion Youth depression is growing at a fast rate. When young people are feeling down, they can try to make new healthy friendships, participate in sports, a job, other school activities, or hobbies, join an organization, and ask a trusted adult for help. However, sometimes these will not help an individual, and they become depressed (Depression in Teens, 2016, December 08). Even though schools provide mental health programs for youth at risk, many students with mental health diagnoses are being untreated. In schools, it is common for school counselors, school nurses, school psychologist, and school social workers to provide mental health services to students. Schools are a safe place for youth to become educated positive, healthy ways to cope with stressful life circumstances. Depression can go unrecognized because people do not realize they are depressed, it might be misunderstood as a bad mood, or some people with depression have co-occurring mental health issues. Without recognition of a change in mood, thoughts, and behaviors many depressed adolescents will turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as alcohol, tobacco, and drugs; therefore, depression education for all individuals is essential (Depression in Teens, 2016).   References Andersen, S. L., & Teicher, M. H. (2008). Stress, sensitive periods and maturational events in adolescent depression.  Trends in Neurosciences,31(4), 183-191. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2008.01.004 Beyondblue. (n.d.). Retrieved July 6, 2017, from https://www.youthbeyondblue.com/understand what%27s-going-on/depression Coleman, D., Walker, J., Lee, J., Friesen, B., & Squire, P. (2009). Childrens Beliefs About Causes of Childhood Depression and ADHD: A Study of Stigmatization.  Psychiatric Services,60(7). doi:10.1176/appi.ps.60.7.950 Depression in Teens. (2016, December 08). Retrieved July 07, 2017, from http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/depression-teens Lyness, D. (Ed.). (2016, August). Depression. Retrieved July 06, 2017, from http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/depression.html# Stallard, P. (2013). School-based interventions for depression and anxiety in children and adolescents.  Evidence Based Mental Health,16(3), 60-61. doi:10.1136/eb-2013-101242 Thombs, B. D., Roseman, M., & Kloda, L. A. (2012). Depression screening and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents: a systematic review protocol.  Systematic Reviews,1(1). doi:10.1186/2046-4053-1-58

Frankenstein :: Essays Papers

Frankenstein6 In the story, Frankenstein, Victor (who is the main character) experiences many tragedies resulting from the creation of his â€Å"Monster†. One of which – the leading cause, eventually pushing him to hunt down his creation – is the guilt for which he feels for indirectly being the cause of the deaths of his family members, his only close friend (Henry), and the family housekeeper, Justine Moritz. Mary Shelly is noted for having incorporating her own experiences within the novel. In class, we’ve already discussed how Mary incorporated little bits of information in the story that related to her own experiences. Even though found many similarities between Victor and Mary’s experiences, we failed to discuss the guilt that, in my belief, both Mary and Victor had in common. Like Victor, many of Mary’s close relatives, friends , and associates past away. From the deaths of her three children, the death of her biological mother, her husband’s deceased first wife, and the death of her half-sister, Fanny (who took her own life), Mary too had many tragedies occur in her life. However, in class we failed to mention if Mary, like Victor, felt in any way responsible for any of these tragedies that occurred – if she felt any guilt. A perfect example would be Percy’s first wife Harriet, who killed herself (probably because she couldn’t bare the fact that her husband left her for another woman – Mary). Another would be the death of her three children (who she could have felt some guilt, being that she was always traveling rather then being present at all times to tend for them, or maybe not taking the necessary precautions that an expectant mother should take). I strongly believe that Mary and Victor shared a similar guilt; Victor created a monster and Mary stole Percy from Harriet as well as provided absence in her home. It is well accepted that Mary wrote many pieces to Frankenstein as symbolism to what went on in her life as well as what was going on in history at the time she wrote it. I believe that she went on to include not only events, and descriptions of her many travels in the Eastern Hemisphere, but also incorporated her feelings and emotions as well (in this case, her guilt is just one of them). Frankenstein :: Essays Papers Frankenstein6 In the story, Frankenstein, Victor (who is the main character) experiences many tragedies resulting from the creation of his â€Å"Monster†. One of which – the leading cause, eventually pushing him to hunt down his creation – is the guilt for which he feels for indirectly being the cause of the deaths of his family members, his only close friend (Henry), and the family housekeeper, Justine Moritz. Mary Shelly is noted for having incorporating her own experiences within the novel. In class, we’ve already discussed how Mary incorporated little bits of information in the story that related to her own experiences. Even though found many similarities between Victor and Mary’s experiences, we failed to discuss the guilt that, in my belief, both Mary and Victor had in common. Like Victor, many of Mary’s close relatives, friends , and associates past away. From the deaths of her three children, the death of her biological mother, her husband’s deceased first wife, and the death of her half-sister, Fanny (who took her own life), Mary too had many tragedies occur in her life. However, in class we failed to mention if Mary, like Victor, felt in any way responsible for any of these tragedies that occurred – if she felt any guilt. A perfect example would be Percy’s first wife Harriet, who killed herself (probably because she couldn’t bare the fact that her husband left her for another woman – Mary). Another would be the death of her three children (who she could have felt some guilt, being that she was always traveling rather then being present at all times to tend for them, or maybe not taking the necessary precautions that an expectant mother should take). I strongly believe that Mary and Victor shared a similar guilt; Victor created a monster and Mary stole Percy from Harriet as well as provided absence in her home. It is well accepted that Mary wrote many pieces to Frankenstein as symbolism to what went on in her life as well as what was going on in history at the time she wrote it. I believe that she went on to include not only events, and descriptions of her many travels in the Eastern Hemisphere, but also incorporated her feelings and emotions as well (in this case, her guilt is just one of them).

An Evaluation of the Significant Factors that Contribute towards the Success Of Companies Operating in the Bulgarian Property Market

There are several factors that had come together to give an exceptional boost to the real estate market in Eastern Europe. The major factor that contributed to the boom was the abandoning of central planning, which was a system that was embraced by all communist countries before the fall of the Soviet Union. After that every Soviet block and East European countries had started introducing the market economy. That automatically opened the door for property speculation and currently many investors are buying property in Eastern Europe with a mixed result.Among the East European countries Bulgaria had finished ahead simply because it became among the hot tourist destinations in a few years time and it started to attract both investors and tourists in a big number. The outcome was mixed and there are some who say that Bulgaria’s property market is saturated whereas there are others who say it is still possible to make money by investing in Bulgaria’s real estate. It was in l996 that Bulgaria was able to topple the communist regime.From then on, it had decided like many East European countries to introduce the market economy. While doing that, as European countries it was inevitable that they would join the EU. However, before doing that they had to go through a preparation phase that had a considerable amount of aid earmarked to it. Using whatever was getting into their system these countries were working to transform their economy that had been under a central planning for all those years and eventually they started showing some positive result. (Angelov, Ivan et al. 1992-2001)Bulgaria was not different from similar Eastern European countries in such a way that there was a lot of activity in the capital Sophia where there was some kind of a construction boom simply because the workforce was able to make more money hence they were able to afford to pay for better accommodations. The commercial sector also saw some activity where offices and other comm ercial properties were in high demand. This started attracting investors since the country had opened its doors for outsiders as long as they met certain requirements.What took place was a boom by any standard even if it was not different from what was happening in the other countries that were selling properties cheap simply because they were starting out from a system where property did not have any value since they were under communism. (Petrov, Georgi 1969) In all this Bulgaria got another advantage because of its tourist industry that became very popular to the point where it started to compete with other destination such as Spain, Greece and Portugal. One of the reasons for this was the low price that includes both cost of living and the price of buying property.The second one was Bulgaria has a tourist sector that has a ski resort, a mountain hiking trails and summer vacation spots in the coastal regions of the Black Sea. None of the other countries had all three facilities i n one location. In addition, there is a spa and mineral water that needed development. Once the location became popular, it started attracting tourists in big number. Some of them were only visitors attracted by the beauty of the surrounding area and the low price for the amenities.Some also started buying property because other locations such as Spain were very crowded and the price of property was not as cheap as it was in Bulgaria. In addition, property development companies were also attracted and they had been building apartments, hotels and houses for a while now. However, after all the buying and investing that took place the demand for housing is not accommodated and there is some distance to go before that becomes a reality. The value of property is not where it was at the beginning yet, it is still cheap even if it had been steadily appreciating.This means whether they are investors or people are buying homes for vacation or retirement it is still easy to get a good value for their money even if it is not going to be like those who invested earlier that had paid very cheap price for whatever they bought. Hence, since the demand for housing and other facilities that the tourist population needs is in short supply, especially companies and entrepreneurs who want to invest in the country will see a good return on their investment since the number of the tourist population is growing steadily.There are various sectors to invest into. The office, commercial and industrial sectors go in parallel to the kind of economic growth the country attains, because currently the capital city seems to be saturated and the cheapest properties could be bought around there. However, the development is reaching the other major cities, which means it is still possible to make money by investing in the office, commercial and industrial sector since there is always economic activity. The tourist sector’s demand for various amenities is not met.It means there is enough room for new entrants to make a hefty profit on their investment. What are hot now are apartment buildings, hotels, living accommodation around the spa and the spring water that are scattered around the country, luxury housing that is picking up, and golf courses are among the few areas that are requiring accommodation. Among the East European countries, Bulgaria has become one of the hot investment destinations. There are many reasons contributing for that and among them are its coastal, mountainous and recently its cities are attracting investors in a big number.Although, at this particular juncture it is possible to say there is an on and off signal since some of the markets have started cooling down simply because of the close to 31% annual property value growth that was attained in the last three years alone. Yet there is still a huge price advantage when compared to any European country as well as there is a capital growth that is unmatched anywhere else. The other obvious at traction factors are the sun, sand, sea, skiing, spa and mineral water. It also has a stunning landscape with a moderate temperature that goes with it.All this are coupled with a booming economy that started after the country abandoned its communist system and embraced a market economy. Bulgaria has similar size with Britain but its population is around 7. 45 million people. The country is located in the southern east of Europe and it borders Greece, Macedonian, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey. Currently the investment business in properties has cooled off in Sofia the capital where the property price was the highest in the country and since the country had joined the EU the growth rate had accelerated requiring more housing and commercial properties.At the same time because of its 354 km of Black Sea coast and its 37,500 hiking path, mountain trails, blended with its ancient history, it has become among the best tourist destinations in Europe. Many people are buying property at this location as a vacation home, or for future retirement or simply to speculate on the booming and overheated real estate market. The Property Market The property market in Bulgaria had focused on the capital city even if it was taking place across the country. It is possible to buy a decent cottage for ?5000 whereas the average price could be between ? l0,000 and ? l80,000 yet ? 50,000 could also buy a well-maintained property in a good location. The nature of the property market focuses on various sectors. There is the tourist industry that needs accommodation that is not yet saturated, in fact, there are some areas that are not meeting the standard, yet they have become tourist attractions availing huge opportunities especially for property managing companies. The second area is for individual investors who want to buy a property whatever the reason behind it might be.It is possible to use the property as a cottage and renting it out when it is not in use. It is also possib le to plan for retirement or for speculation, because a property bought three years ago would have appreciated up to 30% in addition to the rental income it would generate. And it seems that the market is saturated with such a growth rate, but it is not, which means anyone who is buying property at this point in time certainly will see it appreciating in the coming years although there are a few caveats to look out for.(Property Showrooms) However, the other sector that had become lucrative was the capital Sofia where the demand was high simply because of what was taking place in the capital. The city was attracting a huge amount of investment from outside by creating a prevalence of young and educated work force that needed modern accommodation and it had taken a lot of building to meet the demand creating a lot of opportunities for companies to head that way. (Baytchinska, Krassimira et al.1998) It is not only that a huge amount of commercial development was required as the (Annua l Reports 1991-2000) demand was growing at a fast pace, another opportunity that was attracting big developers. Another reason why bigger, experienced, and well funded companies had a good chance to be successful in that area is it is only such companies that will be in a position to obtain permission as they can meet the strict environmental standards that is being put in place.As well, paying a particular attention to the natural beauty of the surrounding and the country parks is also important. What this meant was anyone that meets the requirements can go in there and buy built property and rent it out until the price appreciates and when it becomes profitable it is possible to put it on the market. While such opportunities are available even for individual investors, it is bigger developers that benefit more since they could be involved in a bigger scale development. (Due, J. M. and Schmidt, S. C. 1995) TourismThe other driver is tourism that has created an unprecedented opportu nity in the country by making it the newest attraction among the international tourist industry. Accordingly, the summer months see over 50% of the overall tourist population who are there to visit the coastal regions. The winter months come in second by attracting around l4% of the tourist population who are coming there to take advantage of the ski resorts. The forecast for 2010 estimates the number of tourists visiting the region would surpass 20 million making it among the emerging tourist attractions.One of the reasons that is contributing to the success displayed in the capital city was its close proximity to one of the popular ski resorts at Vitosha where visitors are looking for high quality accommodation that is creating the dual market advantage fuelling the property investment. (Polycontact) LITERATURE REVIEW Real Estate Cycle Real Estate cycle had always been influenced by how the economy was performing. At the same time the population growth also has a direct effect on the demand of real estate since they will need more amenities.It also requires accommodation, hence the amenities need to be at a given location to tend for all the needs. Because of that real estate is considered to be a cyclical industry that reflects what goes on in the economy. The first individual who discussed real estate cycle was Homer Hoyt in the year 1993 when he analysed the Chicago market scene. Prichett (1984) confirmed that there is a real estate cycle that always lag demand, but it was possible to determine the cycle when both demand and supply go the opposite direction.Accordingly, he stated that the best time for investors to go in is when there is a decline in the market and when the market starts to pick up. Witten (1987) continued on the same idea by saying that every location has its own unique cycle that it introduces into the market and stated that supply is mostly determined by the availability of capital. That is proven to be true in Bulgaria where the deman d is not met simply because the number of investors and developers is still very low even if the demand is already there and is growing.Brown (1984) was not different from the others in that he stated that the main determining factor as far as cycles are concerned was what was happening in the economy. But he stressed on the length of the time such studies will be conducted since he believes that the longer the time is the finding will be better. According to him if the aim is to avail a reliable feasibility analysis, investment advice or credible market analysis, trends and seasonal components will have to be removed from the study that will be conducted.Wheaton (1987) studied ten cities and determined markets for office space have 10 to 12 years time span and that had been demonstrated to be true in Bulgaria as it will be demonstrated later where the cycle is the outcome of how the economy performs and factors such as GDP, interest rate and employment growth have a direct effect o n the cycle. Wheaton and Torto (1988) studied both rent and the available vacancy and found out that it is possible that there is a drop of 2% on a yearly basis for the glut that will be created in space for rent.Phyrr, Born and Webb (1990) based their real estate analysis on a theoretical cycle model that focuses on demand, supply and the effect of inflation and arrived at a conclusion that the timing in acquiring and desposing off a property is crucial in realising profit for would be investors. Phyr, Born, Robinson and Lucas (1996) took their research further by comparing a traditional valuation model against what they called cyclical assumptions by taking into consideration demand, supply, absorption, occupancy rate and the rent difference between new and older units.The conclusion they arrived at was cyclical assumptions could affect how properties are valued, but the better method was the cyclical model, which is a better indicator for a long term investment when compared to k nowing the value of a property at one point in time. Mueller and Laposa (1994, 1995) took into consideration sub markets by stating, on the outset it seems that sub markets move differently, but in the long run they tend to fall back in place with the overall markets.The case in Bulgaria had been different simply because of the number of drivers that can function independent of each other and have their own unique characteristics that are not influenced by the others, yet they can be labelled as sub markets. Muller (1995) came up with two cycle types, a physical cycle that looks at the demand, supply and occupancy rate and the second one that looks at the capital flow into real estate that will affect the property price. If there is excess capital finding its way into the market it will bring down the price of both rent and property value.What is taking place in Bulgaria is the opposite simply because it is a new market and there is lack of capital coming into the country to satisfy the existing demand that is on the rise. It is also worth mentioning Grenadier (1995) who developed a theoretical option pricing model studying by how vacancy rate and rent are interacting. The finding was both follow the economic trend where when there are booms and growth rents will start to get higher as there is surging demand.That is exactly taking place in Bulgaria now where owners or investors that buy property to rent will always see their rent income appreciating simply because the demand is rising consistently. The Price Factor When examining the factors that are influencing the property market in Bulgaria they are not different from what the academician above touched on. Because of that the FDW Model that came into existence when DiPasquale and Wheaton (1992) published a diagrammatic integrated property and asset market model on the website of Curtin Business School is used on this research.The particular publication was followed by an article written by Fisher, DiPasqua le and Wheaton that became FDW Model that focuses on a given real estate market, asset market variables and factors that contribute in establishing the equilibrium of demand and supply of a particular market. This particular model is applied here to examine the factors that are influencing the Bulgarian real estate market. One fact that ascertains a good future for the country is it has managed to keep property prices reasonably low when compared to other European countries that have joined the EU recently whose cost of living had risen considerably.On top of that this particular country is managing to mix two sectors together in such a way that since what it avails for the tourist industry is vital there is a need for adequate and modern accommodation that is not met yet and that will be on the rise for as long as the number of tourists is on the rise. The other area is the country’s economy is also growing and it would create enough demand in the capital for now that will s pread to the other regions over time. The demand in the capital is somewhat met and is saturated currently yet, as a growing economy there will continue to be a surge in demand as the economy grows.Another area that is adding lustre to what is taking place is the new demand for secure and luxury development that is another challenge that has to be harnessed by companies that have specialisation in that area. (Eastern Europe Property) Hence, since it is possible to say the country is new in its endeavour it would mean that it still has more room and potential to grow its economy as well as raising the standard of living of its people that is not advanced yet, especially in the rural regions.(Minassian, Garabed, Totev, Stoyan 1996) When that takes place over the years any company that has a good presence will be in a position to spot the opportunities and capitalise on them. Since the country is already a member of the EU that has a master plan for all its members to attain a certain amount of growth in a given period of time, it cannot become stagnant until it meets that requirement that will take years.Moreover, as the living standard of the local people improves their demand for accommodation will be much higher than it is now creating a sustainable boom that is not easy to exhaust in the near future. In addition to that it is a tourist attraction that has seen an increase of 50% between the years 2000 and 2004 where 90% came from the EU countries. This means there will be a similar growth rate going forward into 2010 that is expected to reach 20 million and all that influx definitely requires accommodation that is going lacking now as there are busy destinations that are barely managing.This means a huge opportunity mainly for developers that can build bigger housing complexes that are available for rent as well as for sale by the unit. Big hotels are needed badly and the amount the best hotels are charging now is very low compared to what is happening in th e other part of the world, which means more opportunities for companies that want to open bigger hotels since there is an obvious shortage.