Generation X by Douglas Coupland Essay Example for Free

Generation X by Douglas Coupland Essay Generation X was Coupland’S controversial title which was derived from the work of Paul Fusell, category X in 1983. In his interview in 1995 Coupland explained that Fusell’s classification of X category were people who circulated in rounds of money, status and social climbing that describe the modern existence. But looking at the Coupland’s novel, it is very different from Fusell’s work. The people he is referring to as generation X are the people born after 1960. The whole novel rotates around the contemporary society issues: love intrigues, adventure, friendship among other themes (Reed). These themes are not new since they existed even in during the times of great philosophers. It is for this reason that I think Marx, Durkheim, and Weber apply to the Coupland’s novel, generation X. Although the novel reveals a lot of friendship and love between some characters there is an aspect of social deviance developing between the modern generation and the past. Emile Durkheim is perhaps the most popular in the field of deviance and his ideas are therefore applicable in this novel. In his argument in the division of society (Huang 63), Durkheim says that differences in a collective society and deviant society contribute to the basis of theoretical framework which outlines reasons as to why people violate norms. On the other hand, his appreciation that deviance in most cases enhances social cohesion provides foundation for theories that examines why deviant labeling occur (62). During the 1995 interview (Reed 3rd par), Coupland on his side revealed that his novel wondered why his generation is being labeled as members of baby boomer when they are capable of thinking by themselves. The idea of social differentiation also seems to crop up in the novel (Coupland 67) hence bringing the three philosophers closer to the novel. In the novel, there are several generation; the first one is the older generation of Mr. and Mrs. Mcarthur, second is the generation X where Andy, Claire and Dag belongs and finally the generation Y for Tyler who is Andy’s younger brother . According to Durkheim, social differentiation contributes not only to deviant conduct but also deviant labeling in more differentiated societies (Schmaus 56). In the novel, which represents the contemporary society, this deviance conduct and labeling is witnessed throughout the novel. The members of older generational view those of generational X and generation Y as some how spoiled and refer to them as global teens (Coupland 48). In his theory about the relationship between the society and individuals, Karl Marx noted that the society is highly stratified because the people who worked the hardest were also the people who received the least as the fruits of their labor (Shlomo 152). Like in the novel, Karl Marx looked forward to a society that accounted for social change. Although Coupland and Karl Max talks of classes of people, the two fail to agree in their classification. Karl Max concentrated on the Proteliant or the majority in the society and the Bourgeois who are the minority. He argues that the former live in substandard living condition while the later have all that life have to offer (Shlomo 160). Coupland classes of people in the society are the older generation and the younger generation. However, like what is contained in Karl Marx ideas, the young generation belongs to the marginalized group with lousy jobs while the old generation view themselves as the think tanks and the wisest. The young characters in the novel try to pull themselves from the characters that belong to the past. Dag’s love interest for example always find herself looked up in the past without realizing what is happening in the modern world. Like the rest, Weber in his work analyses the modern society (Burris 122). He discusses the concept of bureaucracies which according to him is the foundation of social stabilization, cultural symbols and channel of good and services to the modern society (132). He points out that it is the charismatic ideas and not old ideas that change the society (133). But, Marx Weber also brings in a very interesting contribution to the novel, the issue of love and friendship. Weber controversial love life seems close to what was happening in the Coupland (56, 74,132). In his bachelorhood he developed a romantic interest with his cousin Emmy Baumagarten who lived in Strasbourg (Hoenisch 1st par). Weber’s love for Emmerling as he used to call her darling continued for more than eight years despite opposition from both families. During this time their love emotions were bulging with a series of letters and spent several days of their sweet closeness in poetry of string (3rd par). It was in 1887 in his second military as a reserve officer in Strasbourg that Weber had an amorous but not sexual encounter with Emmy (7th par). According to the novel, there exist a very big difference in perception of ideas between the old generation and the modern generation. The difference which is a source of conflict between the generations is what links the three philosophers to the novel. The questions raised in the novel are both relevant and applicable to the contemporary social life but at the same time they refer to classical sociological theories of the â€Å"primitive† generation. It is clear from the novel that each generation is faced by its unique problems which can be solved only by that particular generation alone. It is important to point out that in the increasing globalization and industrialization world of the 21st century the economical, political and sociological landscape is likely to suffer from deepening and widening class struggle. Whether primitive, revolutionary or reformist, the old generation feels obliged to address this issue. Ultimately, Weber, Marx and Durkheim each provided conflicting accounts regarding the ways in which the urban societies of their time was deficient, and what was required to fix it (Schmaus 74). The younger cannot bear the consequences of ignoring the wise ideas the old and it is therefore necessary to embrace unity in diversity while handling societal problems aiming at acquiring necessary social change and stability. References Burris, V. The Neo-Marxist blend of Marx and Weber on Class in: Norbert Wiley (Ed. ), The Marx-Weber dispute. Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications, 1997. Coupland, D. Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. Canada: St. Martins Press, March 15, 1991 Hoenisch, S. Max Weber’s personal life 1886-1893. 1995. November 27, 2008. http://www. uvm. edu/~lkaelber/research/weber2. html Huang, W. S. â€Å"Durkheims rules of sociological method. † Journal for offender therapy comparative crime, (2004): 63-75,. Reed, J. 2001. Generation X: tales for an accelerated culture by Douglas Coupland. www. opendemocracy. net/arts/generation Shlomo, A. The Social and Political Thought of Karl Marx. Cambridge: University Press, 2001. Schmaus, W. â€Å"Explanation and real meaning in Rules of sociological method and division Of labor in society. † Journal Of Sociological Perspectives Spring, (1995): 57-76,. .

Macro economic problems of sri lanka and maldives

Macro economic problems of sri lanka and maldives Introduction Human needs and wants can be fulfilled through production of goods and services. Production can take place with the help of factors of production, which are inputs into the production, such as land, labor and capital. So production and distribution of goods and services, in order to fulfill human needs and wants directly and indirectly, is known as economy. According to Barro (2008), economy is divided into micro economic environment and macroeconomic environment. Micro economy is about economic behavior of specific individual, firms and the distribution of production among individual industries. Macro economy is mostly focused on total production, productivity, rate of employment, consumer prices, incomes of households and net import and export of a country. In this project we will focus mainly on macro economic problems such as inflation, income, unemployment, etc and trends over ten years of economic growth experienced by Sri Lanka and Maldives. And moreover the policies used by government of both countries throughout these ten years to sustain their economic growth at a favorable level. Economic growth shows the changes in real gross domestic product over time. The business Cycle Constant economic growth is not experienced by any country. For each and every country, if we observe the path of economic activity, it can be seen that there are deviation or fluctuations. At times these fluctuations will lead the economy into a more favourable position while during other times it could lead to a more devastating situation. These fluctuations in the economy are known as business cycle, and consist of periods of contraction, trough, expansion and peak. The fluctuations in the economy are usually measured in real GDP and other macroeconomic variables (Delong Olney, 2006). Source: www.imf.org Figure Business Cycle Diagram 1 above shows the business cycle for Maldives and Sri Lanka for the years starting from 1998 to 2008 measured in GDP at constant prices. As can be seen in diagram 1, both the economies of Maldives and Sri Lanka were experiencing a period of contraction from the years 1998 to 2001. After reaching to its lowest in 2001, the economy of both nations started to recover and was flourishing until the natural disaster, tsunami, left a huge impact on the economy of Maldives. However with the aid of other nations and the govt. economic policies, led to a record high economic growth rate. The economies of both countries again are facing a period of contraction from 2006 onward. This may be due the downturn in the world economy. These stages of economic downturn and prosperity shown in the business cycle are explained in more detail below. 2.1 Contraction Trough Contraction starts once the economy reaches its peak and further progress becomes difficult. When the economy reaches to its peak, economic growth starts to slowdown, as there will shortages in the economic resources (Dornbusch, et al.2008) The increasing prices, wages and interest rates would eventually halt the demand for the output and reduce the level of sales. The reduction in sales means that firms will now be holding excess supply and will reduce production and will focus more on selling their excess output. The decline in production will result in fewer amounts of resources being required by the producers. Since the producers now have a pile up inventory they will reduce purchases from suppliers. As the production of output reduces, firms will no longer require the service of some of their employees. Firms start to lay off some of their employees, starting the fear of unemployment among the labor force (Blanchard ,2009).This fear for a hardship for the future will encourage s aving. The reduction in consumer spending will lead to lower profits or even losses for the businesses. Some businesses will even go bankrupt discouraging further investments. In the contraction period the national output starts to decrease as well as prices and incomes and unemployment begins to increase(Delong Olney, 2006). The contraction stage for both countries is in the same period as per diagram 1. The economies are experiencing contractions from 1998 2001 and 2006 2009. Trough Trough is the lowest point of the contraction where the economy takes the turn. At this point countries would have unemployment rate at its highest, inflation will be low and the national output will also be at its lowest. There will be unused capacity within the economy although investments will be less due to high uncertainty towards the economy (Chamberlin Yueh, 2006). 2.1.1 Maldives During the past ten years, Maldives had experience two periods of economic contractions. These were during the periods of 1998 2001 and 2006 2008. Figure For the contraction in Maldivian economy from 2006 to 2008 the annual percent change in real GDP had decreased from 17.98 to 5.84(Figure 1). This was mainly due to the adverse effects on tourism during this period because of the world financial and economic downturn. The fishing industry, the other major contributor to the Maldivian national output, had also declined during this period as the oil price had risen during these years. The rate of inflation was on the rise mainly because of the increase in import prices, oil prices and rise in wages of the public sector as well as the large increase in government expenditure. The rate of unemployment rate is not known for all the years due to lack of data, however, for 2006 the unemployment rate stood at 7.9 percent. 2.1.2 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka continued on an economic expansion path in 2006 showing a record of 7.4 % which was the highest since 1978.This growth arose mainly from the service sector which grew to 8.3 % during the year and this contributed the highest at 62.6 %. In Contrast the growth rate in 2007 and 2008 declined compared to 2006 which was recorded at 6.8 % and 6 %respectively. Growth rate in agricultural sector (5.7%) in 2007 was moderate due to drop in production of major crops like tea and paddy, but performed well in the first half of year 2008.Industrial sector maintained a growth over 6 % till first nine months in 2008 but declined to 5.9 % in the end. This was due to global slowdown. Unemployment rate dropped substantially to 6.5 % during 2006 and continued its declining trend and dropped to the lowest rate of 5.2 % in 2008.This was mainly due to increased employment in the agriculture and construction sectors and increased in self employment. In 2006, during the early years Sri Lanka experienced a decelerating trend in inflation, which was mainly due to high monetary expansion as well as high government expenditure and borrowings. In 2007, CPI moved in an upward trend increasing to 15.8 %. This was due to terrorist disturbance in the paddy producing areas, bad weather conditions and high demand for rice due to high price in substitutes, and also high price of domestic agricultural commodities. Also due to rise in global oil and gas prices adjustment to some commodities were needed. Also, shortage in global supply and increased in demand in international commodity market caused to raise the price of major imported food commodities. Inflation reached to its peak in mid of 2008 to 28.8 % and declined significantly to 14.4 %, mainly due to the continued tight monetary policy measures by the Central Bank and the sharp declined in the international commodity prices .The increased in CPI was also fuelled by the low supply of domestic agriculture products and also high price in the international market of some imports. Meanwhile, increased in electricity charges which caused to raise price levels was also attributed in increased in inflation. 2.2 Recovery / Expansion Peak Recovery phase of business cycle comes, if government makes good decisions and productive capital investments during the period of trough or recession. In the phase of recovery economy starts to get its position and gross domestic product starts to expand instead of getting worse. Effective physical and monetary policies by the government at the time of recovery would help the economy to gear up the economic activities and establish again until it reaches to peak. In other words it is also called as expansion period of economy. Expansion occurs after an economy reaches to its previous favorable position (Blanchard ,2009). During the months of expansion it is the best time for investment and it is well-known golden time for stock market investors. When an economic expansion occurs stock goes up more than at any other time. During an economic expansion, demand for the goods and services are increased as consumers feel certainty in the economy which leads to increase their spending. More spending in the economy encourages further economic expansion such as increasing productivity, improve standard of living, and reduce unemployment by creating lot of job opportunities in the economy (Dornbusch, et al,2008). When the economy reaches its peak, the output of the nation will be at its highest, investments, inflation and incomes will be high and unemployment will be at lowest. Firms will enjoy a higher profit in this period. 2.2.1 Maldives The economic situation of Maldives was improving throughout the years from 2001 to 2006. During this economic prosperity the annual percent change in real GDP had increased from 3.45 in 2001 to 17.98 in 2006(Figure 1). Figure The major contributors the Maldivian national output, the fisheries and tourism sector had prospered during this period (figure3). Although at the end of the year 2004 the nation was almost swept away by the tsunami, the destruction faced to the economy was eventually put on track with the help of foreign aid and government investments in rebuilding the infrastructure of the country, thus aiding the growing construction industry in Maldives. The total government expenditure and revenue for this period shows just how much the economy was prospering (figure 4). Figure Annual percent change in Govt. Revenue and Expenditure The changes in unemployment rate cannot be clearly seen due to lack of data; however the number of expatriate workers had vastly increased. Unemployment rate had increased from 2000 to 2006 from 2.3 to 7.9 percent. Since, Maldives is heavily dependent on imports, any changes in the world economy has a huge impact on the domestic price level. Inflation rates largely reflect the world economic trend. 2.2.2 Sri Lanka In the year 2001, global recession and low rain fall caused to face an economic slowdown throughout the year; agriculture (-3%), Industry (-2%), Services (-0.5%) and Sri Lanka experienced a negative growth rate of 1.4 percent for the first time after 1948.As a result of favorable international environment, peace process and sufficient monetary policy, the economy of Sri Lanka recovered and recorded growth rate of 4 percent in 2002 and it accelerated in 2003 to 5.9%. Mainly growth was achieved through service sector. Due to the adverse shocks, increase in international oil prices, drought, floods and tsunami disaster at the end of 2004, annual growth had fallen to 5.4 percent. Shortage of supply in agricultural products cause inflation rate to push upward recording 14.2 percent of average inflation in 2001. Tight demand management policies by central bank, increasing number of controlled prices and expansion of domestic production cause reduction of inflation rate to 9.6% in 2002 and 6.3% in 2003. Consequently, the factors used to stable the price level are related to supply side of the economy, drought and import price of key commodities generated cost-push inflation. And average inflation rate turn unfavorable to 7.6% in 2004. The slowdown in both economic growth and investment expansion during the year 2001 and 2002 resulted increase of unemployment rate marginally to 7.8% and 9.1% respectively. Economy recovery, mostly in service sector, and employment opportunities under the policy of new government, unemployment rate was declined in 2003 and 2004. Increasing countrys external reserve, expansion of external factors and recovery of export shows an overall surplus balance of BOP in 2001, 2002 and 2003, well below the target. In 2004 there is an adverse balance on BOP because of raising reserve money caused expansion of domestic assets and reduction of net foreign assets. Macroeconomic Policies Sustainable economic growth is achieved by utilizing the monetary and fiscal economic policies efficiently. Monetary policies are mainly focused on controlling the money supply within the economy through the use of instruments such as controlling interest rates, reserve requirements, exchange rates, etc. Fiscal policies are aimed at influencing the aggregate demand in the economy by using tools such as taxation and government spending (Delong Olney, 2006). 3.1 Maldives To maintain stable economic growth, the central bank of Maldives, Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) employs various monetary policies. One of those policies is to maintain a stable exchange rate to have price stability in the country. The instrument used to achieve this was to maintain a Minimum Requirement Reserve (MRR), MMA CDs, T-Bills, Repo Facility, Lombard facility and Rediscount facilities. These tools are used to control the money supply within the economy. When the economy moves into a contraction period these policies aim at increasing the money supply within the economy. For instance, when the economy faced a contraction in the aftermath of tsunami, MMA increased the money supply by selling T-Bills to finance the large investments of the government and the MMR was reduced thus, increasing the money supply in the economy. When the money supply increases and interest rates fall, the consumer spending increases increasing the demand for goods and services. However, in recent years, especially during 2008 and 2009, monetary policy instruments were mainly used to provide short credit facility to the government leading to rapid increase in money supply resulting with a high inflation and a shortage of foreign exchange. 3.2 Sri Lanka During the year 2001 Sri Lanka experienced a negative economic growth rate since 1948. To recover and achieve a high economic growth, Central bank started and continued to use fiscal consolidation process, increasing public investments, strengthening debt management and restructuring public enterprises. More over efforts were taken to reduce recurrent expenditures, setting up low interest rates hoping to reduce interest cost. Countrys total external reserve increased and stabilized the exchange rate enabling the central bank to purchase foreign exchange from the market. To improve domestic rupee liquidity central bank purchased foreign currency and shifted entire interest rate structure downward. In order to avoid cost push inflation, government increased the number of controlled price level. All these policies led to speed up economic growth of the country at the end of 2002. And to maintain this growth, government continued fiscal consolidation policies and tight monetary policy. A nd to gain a sufficient surplus balance on BOP some imports were controlled by imposing marginal requirements against letter of credit. In 2007 fiscal debt and public debt continue to improve despite the lower revenue collection during the year. These were achieved by rising defense expenditure, domestic interest rates, tax and duties. Government was able to reduce deficit financing from domestic banking sources. Government opted to switch more external borrowings in response unpredictable and rising domestic market interest rates. Conclusion As we observe economic trends of these two countries, both countries had fluctuations on their economic growth. As two countries are developing countries, fluctuations on their economy are mainly related to world economy. Reflections of natural disasters are the second major factor that caused slowdowns in the economic growth of these countries. Terrorist attack on 11th September 2001 and Tsunami disaster caused economic downturns for both countries. During the periods of recession and contraction, the central banks used several policies to recover their economy. Even though central bank of Maldives uses only monetary policies to sustain their economy, government of Sri Lanka used both fiscal and monetary policies to retain their favorable economic position. Appendices

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Essay -- Philosophy, Political Science

The concepts of liberty and individuality experienced a critical change in meaning and understanding as Europe shifted from the 18th century Enlightenment era to the age of political economy and utilitarianism of the 19th century. This clear distinction can be seen when comparing the works of enlightenment thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau to authors of the 19th century, including utilitarian John Stuart Mill and communist Karl Marx. The fundamental differences in the ideas of liberty and individuality between the two centuries can be attributed to the political, economic, and social climates of each author’s time. Rousseau’s interpretation of liberty was that of true, unlimited freedom. However, this form of liberty only exists in the state of nature, and thus termed natural liberty. Rousseau maintains that "the law of nature" is the law of self-preservation and individuals have no moral duty toward each other. In order to protect themselves and their property from others, individuals may agree to a social contract in order to form a society that is beneficial to all. The contract functions on the basis of a mutual obligation between society and each individual, and is fulfilled by a surrender of natural liberty in exchange for a moral and political freedom. The general will, which is the will of society as a whole, always desires the common good, says Rousseau. Civil society is thus governed by the general will of the body politic that desires the common good. It is interesting to note that Rousseau’s social contract theory essentially abolishes the ideas of the individual, and instead adopts only ideas common amongst all. This is a key factor that distinguishes 18th century philosophy with that of following century. Rousseau’... ...rkets. The nature of Capitalism makes this so, since the primary goal is to increase efficiency and profit. By taking over other markets, the consumer and labor pool populations are both enlarged. The constant advancement and revolution of technology was also a pattern Marx had noted. With increased productivity resulting from changing technologies also came instability and anxiety, since improvement of machines meant the replacement of human work and job insecurity. These largely negative aspects of capitalism motivate Marx to write the critical The Communist Manifesto. By closing analyzing each authors work, it can be said that the contents of their respective books were indeed a result of the environment the author had been exposed to. As a result, the ideas of liberty and individuality changed as times changed, leading to the differences between the centuries.

Janie Speaks Her Ideas in Their Eyes Were Watching God :: Their Eyes Were Watching God Essays

Janie Speaks Her Ideas in Their Eyes Were Watching God In life to discover our self-identity a person must show others what one thinks or feels and speak his or her mind. Sometimes their opinions may be silenced or even ignored. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character Janie would sometimes speak her ideas and they would often make a difference. The author, Zora Neale Hurston, gives Janie many chances to speak and she shows the reader outcomes. When dealing with all of the different people Jaine faced, she would find a way to speak her ideas, receive a response, and through this exchange she developed her sense of self-worth. When Janie found a way to speak her ideas, they would have an impact on everyone. Though, Janie did not always speak her ideas. She would often do something that made an impression on someone. The first real action Janie took was to leave her husband, Logan Killicks. By doing this, she has shown the community that a person can not always be happy with material things when she or he is not in love. Janie says, "Ah want things sweet wid mah marriage lak when you sit under a pear tree and think." She shows her grandma that she is not happy with her Janie's next husband, Joe Starks was very nice to her and gave her everything she wanted. When it came to Janie wanting to talk or speak her mind, he would not let her, and that made her feel like she was less of a person than he. Until one day, towards the end of their long marriage, when Jody made a very mean comment about Janie's body. She came back with, "When you pull down yo' britches, you look lak de change uh life." After these words came out, Jody hit her. These harsh words could never be forgiven. At the end of their marriage, before Jody died she finally told him her feelings. "....And now you got tuh die tuh find out dat you got tuh pacify somebody besides yo'self if you wants any love and any sympathy in dis world. You ain't tired to pacify nobody but yo'self. Too busy listening tuh yo'own big voice," said Janie. Her final and most loved husband was Vergible "Tea Cake" Woods. She could talk most openly with him. Once, she accused Tea Cake of having a liking for Nukie. He quickly reassured her that he didn't, and there was nothing to be worried about. After Tea Cake's death, Janie was too upset

american folk :: essays research papers

The dancer is a man wearing leather boots, loose fitting red silk pants, and a white shirt with colored embroidering down the middle. His hair is shaved to the scalp except for a small circle on the top of his head, where the hair is about half a foot long. He squats down low, and kicks his feet out with his body upright and his arms folded. The dance has a historic meaning behind it, dating back to when Russia took over Ukraine. A group of organized rebels known as the Cossacks, who hoped to end Russian Rule, isolated themselves in a fort in the Carpathian Mountains. The dancer symbolizes a triumphant Cossack warrior. During festivals and other celebrations, the Hopak was a common dance. This dance is still taught to Ukrainian Americans today, starting at age seven. At Ukrainian debutante balls, the men who know the dance do it during a specific song, which is played at every ball. There are also professional dance groups who perform the Hopak around the United States and Canada. T he dancers today still wear the traditional clothing, but the hairstyle has become much less common. Many Ukrainians forget the dance with time, but those who remember it take great pride in their ability and perform the dance at nearly every ball and celebration they attend. This dance exists as a representation of Ukraine’s history, in particular the conflict with Russia. However, in the past, it served an entirely different function. The Hopak originates from the Kozac, which is an older Ukrainian dance. The Kozac is named after the Cossacks, who performed it, and it’s essentially the workout they performed to â€Å"warm up† for battle. â€Å"The movements were part of a regime of calisthenics to keep the Cossacks fit for battles.

Moment of Truth Essay

The crowd was deafening. A few drunken chants, a boo here and there was all I could make out over my asthma-like pants. I didn’t blame them though. For two rounds I’ve been dodging, shifting, and shoving myself around the ring. I didn’t stand still, I couldn’t stand still. I wasn’t going to win this one. He was too big, too bulky, too mean looking. â€Å"There’s no way he’s 76 kg, there must have been some sort of mistake† I kept telling myself. I was a half expecting the referee to stop us saying â€Å"Sorry gentlemen, there was a mistake in the matching, and I’m gonna call a ‘No Contest’†. But I knew that wasn’t the case, just a bit of wishful thinking to ease the pain. He came at me again, this time more aggressively. It was probably the frustration, or maybe he wanted the knockout. Either way, I was losing and I knew it. For a second, I thought of taking the fall just to give the crowd something to talk about. He tried his best to trap me, but I kept backing up and prolonging this dance of ours. â€Å"Two minutes! Do something† I thought I heard my corner shout. I dashed back one more time, that’s when I saw the slight buckle in his knees. He was tired, exhausted, spent, almost expired. His mass advantage worked against him when it came to endurance. Now is my shot, it was either hit or miss. But I wasn’t going to waste it on an offensive strike. It had to be a counter, or he would expect it. I planted myself, and like a fish to the bait he came for the trap and swung. I flung out my jab to deflect his and countered with a right straight while my eyes were closed. I felt the contact, opened my eyes, he wasn’t there. The referee pushed me to the opposite corner as he continued the count. Everytime he yelled a number, the crowd would repeat it more frantically. Yal Wahsh! † I heard my roommate call from the corner. By the seven count, the referee realized all hope for the staggering beast were lost and declared me the winner. I was overwhelmed, I had one my first prize-fighting match and it felt like it should. â€Å"I hate these things! They’re ridiculous† I complained to myself as I unwrapped my knuckle wrappings. The locker room was smaller than i was used to and it had this wet dog stench about it but my face still wore a smile. â€Å"Hey! How are you? ok? † I was startled by a deep voice echoing behind me. I turned to see a small figure of a man. An old man. He wore an unbuttoned shirt with a wife-beater underneath. An earring on the left ear, and a mountainous gut. â€Å"Yeah I’m good, thanks. † I answered resuming what I was doing. â€Å"That’s a good win out there, you know I used to be a boxer? † He questioned rhetorically. â€Å"Oh really? , What happened? † I replied with a smug smirk on my face knowing the sarcasm went unnoticed. â€Å"You’re funny kid? eh? † he replied with after a light chuckle. â€Å"Everyone will grow old one day, this will never change. † †True† I nodded, extracting his ideas from his broken English. This is for you,† he said while extending a hand lighting clutching a bulky envelope. â€Å"Oh, aren’t I supposed to stop by the manager’s office to pick up my check? † I asked bluntly. It was received with a laugh, â€Å"This isn’t part of your prize, it’s just something extra from me. You made good money. Thirteen to one against you, I liked that and I won. So here, a tip eh? † I blindly grabbed the envelope from him and thanked him, not knowing what I had started. A card slid out of the envelope and onto the ground. â€Å"Anothony G. DeBatista – White Arrow Bar† was what I realized it said after picking it up. I recognized the place, I walked by it on my way to university every day, I just never really noticed it. Day after day, I found myself more drawn to the shady local bar. Everyday I didn’t go, I felt more inclined to do so the next day. It was as if I owed him something and I was putting it off. â€Å"The least I could do is drop by, right? † I convinced myself one time after class. I walked in, startled by the simultaneous bell but quickly realized what it was. There weren’t many people occupying the seats, I could see a group, much younger than I, sipping away at their ill-gotten delights and rambling on about how tough life was. In almost every sense of the word, it was shady, if not just plain out creepy. â€Å"Come around, to the back† I heard a familiar deep voice bark at me from behind the bar. So I squeezed under the counter and entered the make-shift kitchen Tony was sitting in. We started a conversation of senseless formalities, almost as if he was checking up on me. I was curious about what he really wanted to talk about. I was also intrigued by the question of why a simple bar owner carried a business card. But all these speculations were put to rest when I eventually realized all he wanted to do was talk. Nearly every day after class, I would stop by at Tony’s just for a casual chat. We would talk about sports, politics, anything that caught our mutual interest; we would find a way to discuss it, constantly reinforcing the age gap with our conflicting views on the same matters. Sometimes we’d play chess, sometimes he would send me out on errands he couldn’t find the time to do himself. I had to admit, I enjoyed that old man’s company. I felt that I could learn a lot from such wisdom. It wasn’t until I was approached by a fellow classmate that I disrupted this pattern. He had seen me constantly wandering off into the bar, and asked me who it belonged to. So i replied, â€Å"It’s Tony’s Bar† thinking it to be an inquisitive question. My classmate filled me in on everything I didn’t want to know about Tony. I didn’t want to know about how he owned 32 apartment complexes around Malta, had a significant amount of shares in the casino business, and was known to be a contact to the Sicilian crime family. I dismissed it all at first, thinking it too ridiculous to be true. â€Å"Believe it or not man, it is what it is. † he added when he saw my disbelief. Most people would cut ties after hearing something like that, â€Å"nip it in the bud† as they say. Not me though, I was still in a state of awe. To be honest, it was more of a state of intrigue than disbelief. There was something about that scenario that appealed to me. I had always loved mobster movies, everything from â€Å"The Godfather† to â€Å"The Departed†. I kept going to Tony’s bar, despite knowing who or what he was. Every time I walked through that door, I walked out a little more confident, a little more powerful, a little more corrupted. I was protected, and I acted like it. I really wish you luck, Omar, I’ve got quite a number on you. † Tony exclaimed before i entered the locker room. â€Å"Money in the bank. † I replied with a smug smile. I spoke too confidently, I couldn’t lose this. I bumped fists with my opponent and with the bell began my downfall. Punch after punch, I couldn’t see them coming anymore. He was faster than I thought. Every time that bell rang, I sat in the corner preaching myself new strategies, although I knew I’ve already lost. I had to win this though, Tony was counting on me. What if he loses a fortune on this? What if I fall from grace? Would it upset him? Would he do something about it? My mind went into a spiral of pessimism and panic. It had just dawned on me how dire my situation had become. â€Å"No worries,† I told myself, â€Å"I still have a round left, it’s not too late. I just have to take him down. † The bell rang and I dashed for the offensive. I had gone in too fast, and extended my jab too early. Mere target practice for him, I was caught with a straight and a left hook to follow. Its a funny feeling, being knocked out. Your mind makes you believe you’re still awake while your body completely fails you. You end up staggering fully conscious in mind, telling the referee you’re still alright to fight while your knees are giving in. The referee called the match, I knew I had lost. â€Å"God damn these wraps! † I found myself saying again. The locker room was once again abandoned except for my sad self. The door was knocked and my heart along with it. I knew it was Tony. I just didn’t know what to expect. â€Å"Come in† I answered hesitantly. â€Å"Hey kid, quite a fight eh? † he said not really expecting an answer. â€Å"I’m sorry, Tony, I don’t know what happened† I shot back almost instantly. Sorry? I didn’t get hit, you’re the one who got hit† he replied jokingly, †Why are you sorry? †. â€Å"Aren’t you pissed about the money? † I asked half-heatedly. He burst out in a chuckle â€Å"Malla, money is always coming and going my friend, you’ll do better next time, just train alright? † With that, he walked out, leaving me to my own devices. I couldn’t believe how stupid I had been. Stupid enough to assume that fantasy role I had taken, a gangster, in all sense of the word. I was no gangster, and I certainly didn’t have the heart for it. I was a nine-teen year old kid with his whole life ahead of him, but that was a role I never wanted to be. It’s almost poetic, when reality sets in and your eyes open up for the first time since birth. That’s when I became fully aware of my surroundings, truly appreciative of the things I was, and the things I wasn’t, and couldn’t be. I proclaimed this my rebirth, and it didn’t take a spiritual awakening or holy revelation to acquire it. All it took was one situation, one experience, and one hell of a scare to bring me back to reality. I never really saw Tony that much after that. Every time I passed that bar, I’d just leave it to sulk in its own gloomy haze. I’d remember how I sold out the memories, the laughter, the debates, the chess games, and the friendship to prejudge on reputation. Tony was a bad man, probably. In a way, though, Tony was a good man, at least to me. A friend when I needed him to be, a mentor at other times. No matter what the man had done in his past, I couldn’t deny him his wisdom. Eventually, I read in the paper that Tony was apprehended after a drug smuggling sting and sentenced to six years. He was out in three months. Like I was told, he’s connected.

A Lesson in Reinvention

A case study on the lesson in reinvention is what this paper will focus on and the paper will also try to establish the successes and major challenges that a company known as Hampton in Virginia City has faced over the last years since its inception.   Hampton organization is currently under major reforms that have led to changes in its organizational culture.There are a range of activities that were taking place with the most of the 1,300 city employees having participated in the available more than 115 task forces, committees, advisory groups, self-directed teams all who worked under different jobs that were not their usual jobs.For instance, the city’s assistant manager, Mary Bunting was preoccupied with the task of digging ditches with a city’s sewer crew, development of a new city park that was required by another agency was performed by a certain heavy construction team that worked under the public works department, the chief housing inspector Mr. Donald Gurley on the other hand was busy organizing for an exhibition that concerned the provision of city services for a college in the neighborhood which was also a training program that could be made available to the city’s residents, Kevin Gallagher who was in charge of the city’s recycling programs assisted the street crews in clearing ice and snow (Lane, 1999 p. 412-418).All these activities that were taking place mainly because of the change that Hampton’s city manager Bob O’Neil had initiated.   He wanted his assistants to integrate well with various agencies and this could only be achieved by making them to work in conjunction with various agencies so as to be able to know and understand how these organizations operated.As a result, this strategy led to various impacts on the employees of Hampton organization.   The assumptions and beliefs that the employees had about each other changed as the case of Mary Bunting’s assumption on sewer employees.   She found out that these employees were actually more flexible and skilled on their new responsibilities.   Motivation was also apparent on the employees under the heavy construction team.   Teamwork is evident and created a positive impact on employees and employers.For instance, Kevin Gallagher enjoyed the teamwork that was created as it connected him to other employees as well as understanding their roles and responsibilities.   This is informal connecting and creation of networking among the employees as a result of the collaboration that was among the employees of Hampton as they tried to achieve the organizational objectives (Lane, 1999 p. 412-418).This change as offered by city manager Bob O’Neil was essential for Hampton because of the existence of a non-competitive economic as well as fical development structure and the â€Å"inside the box â€Å"standardized issue of bureaucracy that was intense in the organization was causing a major stagnation to Hampton .In the past, the employees at Hampton did not portray much flexibility and bureaucracy was felt in the city government whose boss was the manager.   The departmental heads were directed on what to do by the assistant city managers and on the other hand these heads of departments guarded their hoarding decisions, their turf and information by commanding supervisors and middle managers who were responsible for controlling the everyday work of employees.Another issue concerning bureaucracy is that employees as well as managers were preoccupied with operational procedures that were mainly detailed and the chain of command was evident in communication processes in Hampton.   In other words the past Hampton organization greatly prized the aspects of stability, control, loyalty and certainty (Lane, 1999 p. 412-418).As a result, Hampton was slowly dying as noted by James Eason.   The impacts then were high population growth rate, high taxes, reduced per-capital income and home values were among the lowest in the region, a strain on the budget that was caused by debt-repayments and lastly there was business loss in the city to the neighboring communities.This therefore proved that Hampton was non-competitive hence the city council opted to find a suitable city government that could be quick to respond to the needs of the community, an innovative city government as well as action – oriented and flexible.The city council identified Bob O’Neill who had once worked as an intern in the city hence he clearly understood the bureaucracy right from the inside.   Bob O’Neil was given a performance contract that was written by the city council that contained clearly specific and spelled out for city government (Lane, 1999 p. 412-418).Upon his arrival to the Hampton organization, O’Neill instructed his assistant managers to work on long-term strategic policies rather than micromanaging their departments.   Moreover, he asked directors to full y control their agencies.He also worked with the city council through the method of â€Å"core† strategy in order to achieve the set goals.   He also put the heads of department under performance contracts which contained spelled out results that they were expected to attain and also included bonuses for any achievements made by these departmental heads (Lane, 1999 p. 412-418).