Lorex Memo

I will Indicate what Information I found Important in making the best economic decision for the target fill amount. There were several costs that we need to consider when analyzing what will return the most profit. I will walk you through the data I used, the analytical method performed, and my recommendation on what I believe would be the most profitable for Lore Pharmaceuticals. Determining the Proportion of Properly Filled Bottles I started by determining a list of target fill rates to test for your company.There Is a standard normal distribution function that can be used to determine the probability for different fill rates. I used the required fill rate of 10 ounces as a basis of lactating the proportion filled properly for that ounce level. The results only showed a 50% probability as you can see in exhibit A, in the first column. I increased the fill rate by . 1 ounces and continued to calculate the probability using the same standard normal function. These results, shown in e xhibit A, can be used to help calculate the highest possible contribution per case by considering the impact on revenue and variable costs.The results show, with every . 1 ounce increase to the target fill rate, the probability that the bottles with meet the proper fill requirement of 10 ounces goes up. Expected Revenue per Case Now that the probability of properly filled bottles has been calculated, we can determine our expected amount of revenue per case. We know that a case that Is properly filled will sell for $1 86 and a case that has been reworked will sell for 80% of fill rate of jazz. Is $167. 40.We arrive at this number by assuming 50% of the cases will be sold at $186 and 50% will be sold at 80% of $186, or $148. 80. You can see on Exhibit A, that as the probability of properly filled bottles increases, revenue also increases. This is because the higher probability that the cases will meet the 10 ounce requirement, the more cases you will be able to sell at full price. Cos t of Active Ingredients per Case When trying to maximize profit, it is important to consider what costs are going to impact the bottom line.Specifically, we will want to evaluate the variable costs that change related to the target fill line. I started with the data the company provided in the projected operating profit and I calculated what the cost per case of active ingredients per ounce would be. I included the active ingredients and the blending direct labor because these amounts correlate with how many ounces are in each total. The filling materials, filling direct labor, and filling overhead are important costs that will affect the bottom line; however they are not dependent on the target fill rate.By calculating a per ounce amount, we can calculate the active ingredient cost per case. As you can see in Exhibit A, the higher the target rate per bottle, the higher the cost per case. This is because the more ounces used to fill the bottles; the more ingredients are going to be used. Cost of Rework per Case Another cost to consider is the cost of rework per case. Unless every bottle meets the ill requirement of 10 ounces, there is going to be a rework cost. Given the hourly wage and rate at which a case can be reworked, we can calculate a per case rework amount.The higher probability that the bottles are properly filled implies a lower cost of rework. You can see in exhibit A, the cost of rework decreases as the target fill rate increases. Recommendation/Conclusion Based on the calculations, I would recommend that Lore Pharmaceuticals set a target rate of 10. 4 for the current production line of Linton. As you can see in Exhibit A, the highest contribution per case is at the 10. 4 rate. When we increase the target fill rate to 10. 5, the contribution per case decreases. Even though at a target rate of 10. Returns the highest projected revenue per case, the amount of active ingredients used to fill each bottle increases; therefore our contribution per case decreases. An alternative solution could be to invest in a more efficient production line for this drug. The quality of the production line that is being used for Linton is older and much slower than the other production lines in use. We would need to consider whether making improvements to the current production line or buying a completely ewe machine would be worth it for Lore verses using the current production line.

Do Personality Traits Predict Behaviour?

Do personality traits predict behaviour? The trait approach to personality is focused on differences between individuals. After type theorists such as Sheldon, who focused on body parts to determine temperament, and lexical researchers such as Galton who provided the first dictionary of words to describe behaviour, the principles underpinning trait theory were first outlined by Gordon Allport (1937). He found that one English-language dictionary alone contained more than 4,000 words describing different personality traits and suggested that it is how the traits come together that produces the uniqueness of all individuals. Rather than relying on intuition or subjective judgement as did Freud and many other neo-Freudians, trait theorists used objective measurements to examine their constructs. The use of factor analysis was a major breakthrough in the trait approach and Raymond Cattell was the first to make the use of this to reduce the lists of traits to a smaller number. This marked the beginning of the search to discover the basis structure of personality. This essay will discuss the issues surrounding the use of personality measures such as Eysencks personality questionnaire (EPQ) and Costa and Mc Crae’s Big Five model (NEO-PIR) to predict behaviour. Cattell’s 16PF hasn’t had much of an impact but personality measures that followed such as Eysenck’s personality questionnaire, who claimed that 3 types/ supertraits, Extraversion, Neuroticism and Psychoticism, make up the basic structure of personality, and Costa and mc Crae’s Big Five Model measuring Openness, Conscientious, Extraversion, agreeableness and Neuroticism, have received a high level of support. The personality factors are found cross-culturally, in children as well as adults and specifically for Eysencks model in identical twins raised apart, evidence which seems to demonstrate that the observed personality differences are stable across time and have a genetic basis, although the underlying heritability estimate used in studies has been questioned by Plomin. Nevertheless, trait measures have great practical applications; they have been embraced by psychologists from almost every perspective and used by professionals working in a wide variety of settings, such as in the workplace and the education system etc, and are used to make important judgements about an individual’s behaviour in different situations. Employers have used scores from personality tests to make hiring and promotion decisions for many years (Roberts and Hogan, 2000). The methodology used to identify the dimensional structure of personality traits, factor analysis, is often challenged for not having a universally-recognized basis for choosing among solutions with different numbers of factors. More than one interpretation can be made of the same data factored the same way, and factor analysis cannot identify causality. However, some of the most common criticisms of trait theory centre on the fact that traits are often poor predictors of behaviour. While an individual may score high on assessments of a specific trait, he or she may not always behave that way in every situation. This was highlighted by Walter Mischel (1968, 1973) who stimulated a huge debate that raged until the early 1980s, concerning whether personality traits predict behaviour. At the heart of this debate was the questioning of the stability of traits across situations, known as the ‘personality paradox’. He demonstrated with his CAPs model that there is a complex interaction between situations and enduring individual personality differences, however the effects of many variables still have to be examined. Mischel criticised how personality measures were interpreted and used, demonstrating that on average personality measures statistically account for only around 10% of the variance observed in behaviour, therefore 90% is due to something other than the effect of personality. This reflects the fact that many factors contribute to any one piece of behaviour, such as: the characteristics of the specific situation, the person’s mood at that time, competing goals, etc. However an argument in trait theories defence is in regard to the . 30, . 40 correlation co-efficient. How high does a correlation have to be before its considered important? Research by Funder and Ozer (1983) looked at social psychological findings often cited for their â€Å"important† findings and found that they had similar co-efficient of . 36 and . 42. In their defence trait theorists argue that researchers often fail to provide a strong link between traits and behaviour is because they don’t measure behaviour correctly, only measuring one behaviour. As an alternative researchers can aggregate data, one study looked at trait measures of aggression and the number of aggressive acts students preformed, not only on one day but over the course of two weeks and found a correlation of . 1 between the aggregated measure and the trait score (Wu and Clarke, 2003). Burger (2008) states that when all the complex influences on our behaviour are taken into account we probably should be impressed that personality psychologists can explain even 10%. Mischels criticism has had beneficial effects in work settings, with the use of multiple measures of p ersonality such as, psychometric assessments, interviews, individual and group tasks used together as an assessment package to prevent overreliance on the psychometric tool. Furthermore, Mischels views led researchers to look very critically at their methodologies, admitting that measures were often weak and the selection of which traits to study was sometimes inappropriate (Funder, 1999,2001). Today most psychologists agree that the person and the situation react to determine behaviour ( Maggnusson, 1990) and Swan and Seyle (2005) conclude their review on Mischels work by saying that there are still instances where it is helpful to make distinctions between personal and situational determines of behaviour.

Negative Effect Of Nuclear Family Essay

The nuclear family is a term used to define a family group consisting of aheterosexual pair of adults; wife and husband, and their children. It can also be known as a ‘beanpole family’ and it can be, especially in middle-class families, child-centered; child-centered is defined as being actively involved by spending lots of time together as the child’s needs and wishes are the most important thing. Only 17% of families in the UK are nuclear families, and this statistic is on the decrease as it is more so a norm in the 21st century to cohabit (an unmarried couple living together and having a sexual relationship).In 2012 there were 18.2 million families in the UK. Of these, 12.2 million consisted of a married couple with or without children. It is in fact 50% of people in the UK who cohabit and the number of opposite sex cohabiting couple families has increased significantly, from 1.5 million in 1996 to 2.9 million in 2012. However, there are other types of families: extended family, unconventional families; single parent families, homosexual families and reconstituted families; step families. Single parent families and step families usually occur after ‘irretrievable breakdown’ of marriage, resulting in divorce. However, it could be that a martial partner or partner has died or left unexpectedly, and after this a new intimate relationship is formed and the couple is likely to procreate. Other characteristics of a nuclear family are: parents having high-paid or good occupations, living away from other family members; independent or privatised; they keep in contact with family via phone and mainly see family on special occasions, e.g. Christmas, Easter, marriages, funerals, and christenings. Despite this, the husband is actively involved in raising the children; ‘new dad’ and they are influenced by the media to be a ‘good father’ and perhaps their peers who are of t he same age as them. Also, they are likely to be called the ‘new man’, a term used to identify men who believe in equality, do house-work, spend time with family and children and do not use any offensive sexist language. There are five theories by sociologist that either support or resent nuclear families. The theories that resent nuclear families are: Marxist and feminist; the nuclear family is not a perfect family. The theories that support nuclear families are: functionalist, post-modern and new right; the nuclear family is the best type of family. Feminists believe: that the failures or ills of family life are due to men, in the family there is gender inequality as it has been proven that women do 3 times more house work than men, women are more likely to be victims of domestic abuse from males, children are more likely to be abused by men rather than women, 80% of divorce is women divorcing men, males are more likely to have addictions (drugs or alcohol or gambling) and men are more lik ely to have a career rather than have a strong focus on the children or housework. In contradiction to this, about two in five of all victims of domestic violence are men; and this is on the increase. However, men do not report domestic abuse from their partners because they are ashamed or embarrassed. Also in favor of men, it is apparent that all men are different, the research and statistics are a generalisation; perhaps not completely reliable. In addition to this, recently there has been an increase in female dominated families;matriarchy. Catherine Hakim (1996) suggests that feminists under-estimate women’s ability to make rational choices. It is not patriarchy (male domination) or men that are responsible for the position of women in families. She argues that women choose to give more commitment to family and children, and consequently they have less commitment to work than men have. Ann Oakleyargues that gender role socialisation is responsible for sexual division of labor. She also argues that there is still an expectation for women to take on the housewife and mother role. Because of this, it is more difficult for women to pursue careers as men do. Oakley also claims that employers expect women to play the role of housewife rather than pursue a career. This patriarchal ideology is justified by men through claims that women are more suited to caring roles because of their maternal instinct. However, Sue Sharpe said that not all women take on caring roles because of their socialisation. They may react against their socialisation, or pursue a career. Charlie Lewis (1980s) stated that fathers are playing a bigger role; they a more committed. Adrianna Burgess agrees with Charlie Lewis. He is a part of the ‘father institute’, a charity that supports fatherhood. A sociologist who wanted major changes was Charlotte Gilman. Gilman called herself a humanist and believed the domestic environment oppressed women through the patriarchal (male dominate d) beliefs upheld by society. She argued that male aggressiveness and maternal roles for women were artificial and no longer necessary for survival in post-prehistoric times. She wrote, â€Å"There is no female mind. The brain is not an organ of sex. Might as well speak of a female liver.† She also argued that women’s contributions to civilization, throughout history, have been stopped because of an androcentric (focus on male) culture. A Marxist view on the nuclear family looks at inequality. Similar to feminism, a Marxist approach to the nuclear family is cynical. A psychiatrist, David Cooper was critical of the nuclear family, and parents; they brought up children incorrectly, leading corruption! His views and research is clearly expressed in ‘The death of a family.’ He has certain beliefs about disciplining children; he believe that parents are obsessed with discipline; ‘control freaks’; children ‘cannot breathe’ and this it is not acceptable; parents should be liberal. He also thinks that this obsession is due to the past where parents were allowed to physically punish their children; violence and hitting. Rd Laing believes that the nuclear family is the cause of a person’s unhappiness; it should take full responsibility for depression or mental illness. It is in fact 50% of adults in Britain are depressedand about eight percent of children and adolescents suffer from depression.More specifically, he states that schizophrenia occurs due to the family. However, it may be un-noticed as mental illness is usually hidden. Edmund Leach; ‘A runaway world’ 1967. He believes that the nuclear family is isolated due to distant relationships with peers, and other family, which is caused by the location in which you live and the occupation you possess. The nuclear family should be outward looking, and it is not, it is inward looking. There should be support from other family members regardless of the situation as, apparently the nuclear family can’t cope with the stresses and strains of modern day society. In contradiction to the beliefs of the above Marxist sociologists: the family, or within primary socialisation play an imperative in teaching their children discipline and self-discipline, which is vital for future employment. It is therefore inevitable! With regards to the believes of Rd Laing, it has been known that when diagnosing mental disorders or illnesses, other factors are present. In addition to this, every individual deals with stress differently, so by assuming that the nuclear family can’t cope with stress isn’t compatible with every family. Divorce is also more likely to occur in the nuclear family, in comparison to the extended family. The functionalist view on the nuclear family is optimistic. They believe that the nuclear family is the norm in modern industrial societies, and it has major functions that contribute to the well-being of society: the family is the primary agent of socialisation; teaching norms and values; the family is central in creating consensus and order. Parsons (1955) argued that families are ‘personality factories’, producing children who have a strong sense of belonging to society. Talcott Parsons believes that the nuclear family provides key functions for society by learning morals, norms and values; primary socialisation, and it provides stability for children. It is described to be universal and functional. Parsons also argued that the family functions to relief the stress of modern day life. It can be known as the ‘warm-bath’ theory, in that the family provides a relaxing environment for the male worker to immerse himself after a hard day. Children or adolescences in nuclear families are unlikely to engage in crime, recr eational drugs, anti-social behavior, and violence. It is only a small minority who engage in this acts; majority have been successful indoctrinated to be a good citizen. Also, Children or adolescences do better in education, exam results, universities, health and career, in a nuclear family. Children in nuclear families are likely to achieve (academically, better health and career), whereas children in single-parent families have lower academic performance, are more susceptible to peer pressure to engage in deviant behavior, have higher dropout rates from high school, and have greater social and psychological problems.However, Kellaghan and this colleagues (1993) conclude that family social status or cultural background don’t determine a child’s achievement at school. They propose that for academic success, it is what parents do in the home, and not children’s family background, that is significant. Similarly, Sam Redding (1999) indicates that in relation to academic outcomes, the potential limitations associated with poor economic circumstances can be overcome by parents who provide stimulating, supportive, and language-rich experiences for their children. The criticisms of the functionalists perspective of the nuclear family is that: there thinking suggests that all members of the nuclear family are underpinned by biology, functionalist’s analysis on the nuclear family tend to be based on the middle-class; they don’t consider other influences such as wealth, social class or ethnicity and the harmonic view from functionalists on family tends to exclude social problems such as increases in divorce rate, child abuse and domestic violence. Ronald Fletcher, ‘shaking the foundation’ (1988) is also in favor of the nuclear family. He argues that people expect more out of marriage and family life than they used to. Couples are no longer prepared to be part of ‘empty-shell marriages’ (marriage without the partners being in love). Therefore divorce is becoming more popular; re-marriage is more successful and procreation is likely. Robert Chester; ‘the rise of the neo-conventional family’ (1985). He believes that the nuclear family has a positive impact on life; 80% of people will live in a nuclear family in sometime in their lives and 80% of people will get married- most people are also likely to become parents. He contends that the neo-conventional family that is characterized by joint conjugal roles and greater sexual equality has replaced it. Chester argues that the statistics only reflect one stage in a person’s life and the ultimately the majority of people will get married, have children and stay in this relationship. New right or traditionalists believe that the nuclear family is the best type of family to live in and that everyone should live in this type of family, on the assumption that, it is on a permanent basis. A relevant example of the New Right approach to the family can be seen in the view that there exists and under-class of criminals, unmarried mothers and idle young men who are responsible for rising crime. It is argued that this under-class is welfare-dependent, and that adolescence girls are deliberately getting pregnant in order to obtain council housing or state benefits. To hinder things further, this under-class is socializing its children into a culture revolving around crime, anti-authority, anti-world and anti-family values. The New right thinkers believe that there has been a significant amount of damage inflicted upon the nuclear family by, for instance, government policies. For example, they claim that government have encouraged mothers to get back to work, but this has resulted in maternal deprivation; lack of love resulting in psychological damage. There have been few taxes or benefits to encourage mothers to stay at home. The New Right argues that commitment to marriage has been weakened by divorce being made easier and single-parent families have been encouraged by welfare policies. It is apparently, more likely for those who are married and have children to stay together, which enables stability for children; children should only be brought up in the marriage by its heterosexual parents, both should be equal. The New right completely looks down upon divorce as in a unconventional family, children do not do as well, in terms of health, education, career etc. The New Right also perceives homosexuality as the symbol of moral decline, ‘unnatural’ and deviant. Many ‘New Right’ thinkers see the 1960s and early 1970s as the beginning of an attack upon the nuclear family; traditional family values. Specifically, the introduction of the contraceptive pill and the legislation of abortion in the 1960s have been associated with the family decline. The sexual freedom women experienced due to these changes apparently lessened their commitment to the family and equal pay and equal opportunities drifted women away from their roles as ‘natural’ mothers. Also, the 1969 Divorce Reform Act was seen as undermining commitment to marriage. Charles Murray (1989). Murray sees the traditional family to be under threat and Murray made this link to the idea of this ‘culture of dependency’. The ‘culture of dependency’ is the idea of people living off benefits rather than working for money. Patricia Morgan’s ‘Farewell to the family’ states that government policy has directly and indirectly contributed to the growth of the mother/child household. While looking to the needs of sole parent families, governments have overlooked or ignored the needs of intact families. Morgan states that the arrival of feminist advisers into governments has radically changed the way government benefits are d istributed. The burden of taxation has increasingly been shifted onto married parents to the benefit of the single and the childless. As a result, lone parents can end up with higher final incomes from any given wage than two-parent families. Also, more mothers are tempted into the workplace, and more children are pushed into day care, in order for traditional families to stay afloat economically. To contradict the beliefs of the New Right are: that the traditional nuclear family is still central to government plans; ‘key ministers have stated that children are best brought up by married natural parents’ andnew rights or legislation for children and women are aimed to strengthen the nuclear family as a whole, rather than weaken it! A post-modernist view on the family is more neutral; all families can face difficulties; any family can be unsuccessful or successful. Post modernists suggest that in the post modern era there is a wide variety of family arrangements people can choose from – nuclear, extended, reconstituted, cohabitation etc. They claim that not one type dominates and that family arrangements are diverse and fluid. Post modernists see such flexibility as a positive thing. Judith Stacey for instance, suggests that a single individual will experience a variety of family structures throughout their life span. Post-modernists argue that the post-modern family life is characterised by diversity, variation and instability. For example, women no longer aspire to romantic love, marriage and children. Cohabitation, single-sex relationships, economic dependence, pre-marital sex and childlessness are now accepted alternative lifestyles. Men’s role(s) are no longer clear, which has, apparently led them to redefining both their sexuality and family commitments. Others disagree with this view; they believe that the basic features of the family have remained identical to the 1950s. Also, the increase in single-parent families and reconstituted families indicate that there is a slow drift away from the nuclear family. Pakulskic and Waters (1996) believe that class can be seen as just one, not very important, division in society along with ethnicity, gender, age, disability, etc. They offer a number of explanations for ‘the death of class’. The development of welfare states and the institutionalization of class conflict have reduced the direct impact of class relationships. Property has increasingly moved from private hands to being owned by organisations and the division of labour has become more complex. Moreover, increasing affluence for the majority has meant that most people are able to choose what they consume and therefore they are able to create their identities. Class background no longer restricts people’s opportunities, confining them to a particular pattern of life and range of experiences. Judith Stacey argues that the greater choice for women gives them the ability to break out of there patriarchal oppression and shape their families to their needs. Therefore, women are the main agents of family change, by changing their role. For example, many reject the traditional house-wife mother role for a career or higher qualifications. Jeffery Weeks; growing acceptance of diversity. Weeks identified that there are shifts in attitudes since the 1950s. The shifts in attitudes are: sexual morality is mostly a matter of personal choice, Church and state have lost the potency to influence morality and there are favourable attitudes to homosexuality and cohabitation. However, despite these changes in attitudes Weeks states that family patterns are not changing; most people want marriage, children are mostly still brought up by couples and many people who divorce get re-married. To contradict this, the New Right and functionalists would disagree and say that the patriarchal nuclear family is the best family as it meets the needs of society. To conclude, I believe that the nuclear family can have a negative impact on its members, which feminist would agree. However, all types of families, e.g. reconstituted family can have a negative impact on its members also. But, the nuclear family is seen to be the traditional family which people have been living in for centuries, so it can therefore be suggested that the changes in society have negatively affected the nuclear family, e.g. equality legislation, and therefore promoted, discreetly, alternative families.

Thinking and Decision Making Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thinking and Decision Making Paper - Essay Example The employees who are known to possess the creative thinking abilities within their personalities are usually seen in a very positive way and they are given the room to exploit their strengths, not only for their own good but also for the sake of the long term success of the organization itself. Creative thinking thus opens many avenues for success and growth within the domains of the organizational reigns in an abundant capacity. Creative thinking does not usually depend a great deal on the way scientific and logical thinking models operate. It distances itself from the same and relies more on the creative input, brought forward by the artist (the employee). (Halpem, 1997) Thus creative thinking style is not possessed by each one of the employees within the workplace. It is a very sought after skill and one that is innate right from the onset of one’s recruitment within an office place setting. Creative thinking is usually rewarded in a very handsome fashion, with salary incentives, perks, medical allowances and so on. The creative artists or employees are seen in a much respected way and are given the dignity that they so richly

Emily Dickinson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Emily Dickinson - Essay Example She spent much of her childhood and on writing letters to her friends and numerous poems. When Emily was only fourteen, she witnessed the death of her second cousin and close friend, Sophia Holland, and became traumatized. Her parents sent her away to live with family in Boston, where she was able to get proper treatment and recover from the horrific event. After she returned home to Amherst, she also returned to school, where she made numerous friends and correspondences, and found solace in her church. When she completed her time at the Academy, she briefly attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, which was short lived due to a mixture of Emily’s failing health and her distaste for the evangelical fervor of the school. She returned home and became, more or less, domesticated, cleaning and cooking for her family. At eighteen, Emily was introduced to Benjamin Franklin Newton, who, according to letters written by Emily herself, was believed to play a large role in the majority o f Emily’s writing as she grew older. He encouraged her writing, sharing with her his belief that she had what it took to be an accomplished, published poet. It was Newton that introduced her to other famous writers and poets, such as William Wordsworth, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Lydia Maria Child. Unfortunately, Newton died not too long after from tuberculosis, and Emily’s brother took on the role of ensuring that his sister got all the books she could possibly want, including many works by William Shakespeare. In 1850, Emily’s emotional and mental states took a turn for the worst. In a span of just a few years, Emily lost a handful of close friends to various illnesses. As a result of these deaths, Emily withdrew into herself, keeping out of sight and sound of society. Emily continued to write her poems, though they focused greatly on the subject of death, which came as no surprise. However, the first half of the 1860s, the years following these deaths, â€Å"p roved to be Dickinson’s most productive writing period (Habegger 405).† In the later half of the 1860s, though, Emily became even more withdrawn, never leaving the house unless she absolutely needed to; even her poems became few and far between. In the mid-1870s, Emily lost both of her parents, as well as a few more close friends, plunging her into an even greater depression, where she remained until she died on May 15, 1886, from Bright’s disease. Emily was considered to be an intelligent poet due to the unique ways in which she wrote her poetry. They contained short lines, slant rhythm, unconventional capitalization and punctation, and they seldom had titles (McNeil 2). Emily often rejected pentameter, preferring to use trimeter, tetrameter, and dimeter, the use of all of these is considered to be irregular. She was also used dashes in the place of periods or commas, which would often increase the moods of her poems. The majority of her poems dealt with death a nd immortality; Emily viewed the latter as something attainable through her writing, which was also a thought she conceived during her brief friendship with Newton. Common themes include the use of flowers and gardens, morbidity, and gospel. Many of Emily’s poems were also peppered with psalms and riddles, as well as hymns and song-forms. When

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 44

English - Essay Example The current political system discourages all people from participating, especially Arab Americans. The system has become unsustainable and there is need to reform American foreign policy. There is need to develop a foreign policy that seeks to establish peace rather than perpetuate war, especially in the Arab world. Practically, all Americans are included in the American Dream. Exclusion from the dream is a voluntary process where the discontented, particularly some minority groups, can excuse themselves from the Dream. American expects a lot from individual people who pursue the American Dream. In their hard work to succeed, individuals usually contribute to the success of the nation through their contribution to the overall economic welfare of the nation. American art exposes a melancholy tension in the Dream. The work culture that was once characteristic of America is waning as the country strives for new innovations aimed at propelling it a step further as the world’s greatest nation. The features of the American Dream that emphasize wealth, fame and power affect the polity and global image of America by casting an image of a greedy country, that focuses more on its interest and would do all to achieve what benefits it at the expense of other

Education of Students with disorders and disabilities Essay

Education of Students with disorders and disabilities - Essay Example The method used should be able to solve the problem for the student. The teacher should be able to comprehend the content first and then transform it to a form that is easy to grasp by the student (Alter, Brown and Pyle 2011). The method of teaching should enable the student to decode the problem and solve most of the problems. The individual performance of each student is necessary to enable the teacher to know the method that best suits each student. There are various strategies that include the draw a picture method, the guess and check method as well the making a table or chart method. For the guess and check strategy, the teacher should ask the students to make a guess from the information that he gives. The draw a picture strategy helps the students as it creates graphics in their minds that are important in comprehending what they are learning. The same aspect applies to the making a table or a chart method. These techniques can be used to teach both Math and English Language Arts. Using Phonemic games is also important especially in teaching English. It involves moving sound tokens for each sound segment. For example, reversing the word ‘cat’ to ‘tac’ and removing the first letter to read ‘at.’ Anyone can nurture the self-esteem and self-determination of students with special needs. Their self-advocacy skills can also be enhanced for them not to feel as though they are less worthy students. Below are some of the techniques that can help in boosting the self-esteem as well as enhancing the self-determination of these students. One of the ways you can nurture the self-esteem and self-determination of students with special needs is by recognizing and enhancing their talents. The reason this is important is because not all students are talented academically. Whatever a student is gifted in, the teacher or parent should focus on that. You should also help the students to look beyond the school. Yes, it is

Leukemia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Leukemia - Research Paper Example The different types of leukemia present with different clinical features and there are differing signs and symptoms. The condition affects the bone marrow as well as the blood with the presence of altered cells in the bloodstream. Different diagnostic procedures are utilized to diagnose this condition. These include the full blood count as well as blood smears. Biopsy of the bone marrow is also performed for a definitive conclusion. Each form of leukemia has its own pharmacological treatment directed towards treating the condition. Bone marrow transplant is the last treatment resort for all types of leukemia. Neoplasms within the blood arise when there is disruption in the normal pattern of differentiation of blood cells. Leukemia falls within the classification of the cancerous pathological conditions of the blood which results in a rise in the white blood cells at their site of production that is the bone marrow as well in the blood which is present in the circulation. There is no specific definitive cause that has been identified for this condition but there are many risk factors and proposed causes which are considered to increase the susceptibility of the development of leukemia. Leukemia is a malignancy which is further categorized into many subtypes. These include the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), adult T-Cell leukemia and hairy cell leukemia (Davidson et al 2009; Kumar et al 2005). The occurrence of leukemia has been associated with different causes. It has been analyzed that alterations in the normal chromosomal development which may be due translocations as well as rearrangements in the chromosomal structure may lead to leukemia. An interesting aspect of leukemia is that it is seen to be present at a higher rate in the people who suffer from other genetic pathological conditions. A higher incidence of acute

Current event Analyses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Current event Analyses - Essay Example He gave us several benchmarks by which to judge writing or speech. I shall use those devices to analyze the recent speech by President Obama after the Boston terror attacks. Terrorism is a problem of huge magnitude globally. With the killing of Osama bin Laden, the President had earlier on reassured the nation that terrorism will be a thing of the past. However, an attack of the most elementary kind happened and several people lost their lives. Therefore, it is important to see how the president, who is well known for his good oratory skills, used this attribute to reassure the nation again. Apart from analyzing the elements of oratory that the President employed, there shall also be a focus on the effectiveness of the speech. One of the most important parts of rhetoric that should never be ignored is the setting. Usually in rhetorical analysis, there is a focus on the text, choice of words and even delivery, however; minimal attention is given to the setting. The setting was very im portant in this case because of two main reasons. One of the reasons is that the President chose to deliver his speech on the attacks in the town where the attacks took place. This is important because he gets to connect emotionally with the people who are affected by the killings. He could have chosen to deliver the speech from the White House, an equally important place, but far removed from the tragedy at hand (â€Å"Boston Marathon Bombing: Mystery Remains over Motive†). Another notable aspect about the President’s chosen setting is that it was a church. This was a time when the nation’s faith in the ability of government to fully protect them against any harm had been shaken. That faith needed to be strengthened and the best place to do that was at the church. The atmosphere was also better attuned to the humility that Americans had been subjected to by this event. We all know Americans as people who have an overly optimistic sense of their own abilities. T he ability to stop criminal attacks was wounded by this attacks and humility was necessary to try and better come to terms with the fact that terrorism is advancing, just as government’s military capabilities improve (Crocker 34). There are three kinds of appeals that we have come to associate with rhetoric. These appeals are to the pathos, the logos and to ethos (Pass 56). All these are certainly detectable in the President’s speech and they shall form the basis of my analysis of this speech. The appeal to the pathetic is the appeal to the emotions. The appeal to the logic and ethics are as straightforward as they sound (Genung 45). The most outstanding device that the President uses in this speech is metaphor. This is a device that runs throughout the President’s speech. The President begins by invoking scripture readings. This was a church service after all, so in a way it was expected. However, he takes it a little further than normal. He says that scripture tells us to â€Å"run with endurance the race that is set before us.† This is a statement that connects with the tragedy at hand in more ways than one. First of all it is important to remember that the attacks that necessitated this speech were targeted at runners in one of the most famous races, the Boston Marathon. This is an annual race that attracts participants from across the world. Likening the marathon to our ‘race in life’ is a strong way of trying to assure the people that life must go on after this gruesome event. The President extends that metaphor on and on

Why Environmental & Ecological Engineering is important Essay

Why Environmental & Ecological Engineering is important - Essay Example In addition to developing avenues toward safe exploitation of natural resources, the branch of engineering is also important because of its role in disaster prevention and management. Through ensuring preservation of ecosystems, the engineering fosters natural mechanisms for controlling factors towards disasters. It also develops strategies for appropriate management of disasters for minimal impacts (Prevention 1, 2). Environmental and ecological engineering is also important in ensuring people’s health. Evaluation and development of environmental constructs are particular instrumental in controlling diseases that can be communicated through natural media such as air and water. An understanding of the media and factors towards diseases’ transmittal therefore facilitates development of strategies for preventing diseases such as those associated with Bioarosol (Jordan, Donald, Tiina and Jane 4631). Environmental and Ecological Engineering is therefore important because it develops strategies for preserving ecosystems, prevention and management of disasters, and promoting people’s well being through prevention of communicable diseases. Jordan, Peccia, Donald, Milton, Tiina, Reponen, and Jane, Hill. A rolefor environmental engineering and science in preventing bioaerosol-related disease. Environmental Science and Technology 42.13 (2008): 4631-4637. Print. Minnesota. â€Å"Environmental and ecological engineering.† University of Minnesota. November 9, 2012. Web. December 3, 2012. . Prevention. â€Å"The role of environmental management and eco-engineering in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.† August, 2008. Web. December 3, 2012.

Information Technology - questions to answer Essay

Information Technology - questions to answer - Essay Example From the other side, the cost of qualitative education is constantly rising. So people who invested huge money in their education can not afford receiving low salaries. Therefore it becomes impossible to find highly-educated professional human resources at low price. Those who sat that personnel from India or China is highly educated should ask themselves how many college graduates from India or China are working at top positions at U.S. companies. Often talented people from overseas should first work in the U.S. company for few years and overtake some corporate training (or post-graduate education) to become valuable employees. I think that ACME Corporation should use experience of other IT companies which are successful in transferring their facilities to developing countries. For example, managers at U.S.-Dutch professional publishing giant Wolters Kluwer shifted software development and editorial work to India and the Philippines. Therefore they are able to pump out a greater variety of books, journals, and Web-based content more rapidly. Wachovia Corp., the Charlotte-based bank inked a $1.1 billion deal with India's Genpact to outsource finance and accounting jobs and handed over administration of its human-resources programs to Lincolnshire-based Hewitt Associates. It's "what we need to do to become a great customer-relationship company," says Director of Corporate Development Peter J. Sidebottom cited in Engardio (2006). Wachovia aims to reinvest up to 40% of the $600 million to $1 billion it hopes to take out in costs over three years into branches, ATMs, and personnel to boost its core business. Here's what such transformations typically entail: Genpact, Accenture (ACN ), IBM Services, or another big outsourcing specialist dispatches teams to meticulously dissect the workflow of an entire human resources, finance, or info tech department. The team then helps build a new IT platform, redesigns all processes, and administers programs, acting as a virtual subsidiary. The contractor then disperses work among global networks of staff ranging from the U.S. to Asia to Eastern Europe. In recent years, Procter & Gamble (PG ), DuPont (DD ), Cisco Systems (CSCO ), ABN Amro (ABN ), Unilever, Rockwell Collins (COL ), and Marriott (MAR ) were among those that signed such megadeals, worth billions. As Engardio (2006) writes, many executives are discovering offshoring is really about corporate growth, making better use of skilled U.S. staff, and even job creation in the U.S., not just cheap wages abroad. True, the labor savings from global sourcing can still be substantial. But it is peanuts compared to the enormous gains in efficiency, productivity, quality, and revenues that can be achieved by fully leveraging offshore talent. However what the company really has to help it survive in this environment is finance. So ACME Corporation can attract professional talents from India, China and Eastern Europe with the same methods as it attracts American specialists. Good strategy for ACME Corporation is to provide social insurance and credits for mortgage or other purposes to its college-educated English-speaking employees from India or China that will attract talented personnel to the company. As Liu (2006) writes, the US economy emerged after World

Discuss the role of Lady Macbeth in the play Essay Example for Free

Discuss the role of Lady Macbeth in the play Essay Lady Macbeth takes a leading role in the play. From the very first sighting, that we encounter her, her strong powerful character over powers us. I will be focusing on the role of Lady Macbeth, whom is married to the main character Macbeth. Lady Macbeth plays and important role in the play, as she influences events that take place to a large extent. As the play develops, we see Lady Macbeth displaying many aspects and qualities of her personality. Lady Macbeth by nature I believe is a manipulative woman; she has a goal in her sights and seems to use everything in her power to reach it. Her involvement in the murder of King Duncan is dominating; she formulates and directs the whole plan. Lady Macbeth is the person who gives the impetus to Macbeth to do what she believes he must do. The first time we come into contact with her is in Act 1 Scene 5 of the play. We see her performing a soliloquy. Here she makes an immediate impact, performing on her own centre stage, reading a letter from Macbeth. The letter informs her of Macbeths and Banqos meeting with the witches. It tells her of the witches prophecies to him the prophecy that one day she and her husband would become King and queen of Scotland. This idea seems to kindle a fire in Lady Macbeth. Immediately she seems to be forming a scheme, putting plans together to fulfil the witchs forecast of Macbeths life. This shows how determined and ambitious Lady Macbeth is. Glamis thou art, and Cawdor: and shalt be what though art promise. She promises that what the witchs predicted will be fulfilled. She indicates that she has immediately formulated the idea of a murder. This straight away creates a first impression on the audience evil personified! I fear thy nature, is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. Lady Macbeth knows he knows he is a man of honour and that she believes that he deserves the status of a king. Lady Macbeth realises it will be a hard decision or Macbeth, perhaps shocking idea that killing Duncan would be to catch the nearest way, to becoming a royalty himself. She knows it is an extremely tempting offer and he will suffer greatly over his final decision. She feels that he has a soft personality, and does not have it in him to fight for this position. He is too decent a man to take advantage of this opportunity. Lady Macbeth thinks he has the ambition but lacks the courage. She feels he is a kind, generous, noble man and cant go ahead with what she has in mind for him. Lady Macbeth feels as though only she can persuade Macbeth to Initially Lady Macbeth seems to have the stronger ambition of the two. She appears to be an individual who is totally devoid of moral conscience; she has the appearance of an unstoppable woman. She has strong beliefs that will power/courage are the only two things that should dominate Macbeths mind, Screw your courage to the sticking place! Someone who encapsulates evil. The audience comes to realise that Macbeth, who is very tempted by the notion of kingship, has no chance against this self-created monster. He is affect damned. The witches prophecy is something that Lady Macbeth is obsessed by and is determined to will into fruition. Her second soliloquy now shows the igniting of this wicked plan. She realises that Duncan is actually coming to visit her at the castle. Her first few lines are probably spoken in total amazement. He brings great news; She would probably exclaim this quite joyfully. This works on two levels though. It is a great honour to have the king himself staying the night. It is also her big chance, in her mind, not to be missed! Lady Macbeth makes a decision that he will not be leaving alive. She is fully confident that she is making the right decisions and that the chance that she has awaited has arrived. Lady Macbeth decides to take the opportunity and make sure that Duncan is killed. This shows that Lady Macbeth has no pity what so ever. She isnt going to let anyone come in her way. Lady Macbeth has clear ideas, and has planned exactly what has to be done. The raven himself is coarse, That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan. Since her first soliloquy, the audience has established that she has more ambition, and craves more domination than a woman (particularly at that time) is thought rightly to have. The notions that she has conjured up do not seem to be likely of a particularly feminine personality. She shows very little compassion or worry. Now, she (by the power of magic) wants to get rid of any womanly nature at all, Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here. She would deliver these lines as if calling to a divine power. She calls to the spirits that tend on mortal thoughts these are the spirits that tend on any murderous thought or ambition. Lady Macbeth wants the sympathetic nature of a woman to be taken away from her so that any feelings that stop her from doing this deed are got rid of. She asks them to, Stop thaccess and passage to remorse. She wants to be separate as possible from the milk of human kindness. She wants her breasts to be instead full of bitter poison. She probably desires to get rid of most human qualities, and, instead be on a par with these magic murdering ministers The spirits of evil and murder. Lady Macbeth becomes very impatient and wants time to pass quickly so that she can proceed with her plans. You wait on natures mischief! Comes thick night. She wants the night to fall quickly so that it can hide the murder she is planning in the shadow of its darkness. That my keen knife sees not the wound it makes. After she says this, it is clear to the audience that he is serious about killing Duncan and will go ahead with the deed. Lady Macbeth at this point has herself very excited. When her husband finally enters, we see him and her together for the first time. In her excitement Lady Macbeth addresses him as Great Glamis, Worthy Cawdor and then, All hail thereafter The king! This excitement would cause her, I believe, to change the way she speaks This excitement and more importantly the will power she derives from it seems to overtake her husband. This again reinforces the audiences suspicion that Lady Macbeth is pushing herself further than is appropriate. When she learns that Duncan will be coming the next day, she tells Macbeth that Duncan will not be seen on the face of the earth after tomorrow. O, never Shall sun that morrow see. She clearly states to Macbeth her feelings and what she believes needs to be done, in a straightforward manner. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth that he needs to change his personality, and that he needs to put on an act. To beguile the time, Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent undert. Lady Macbeth wants her husband to act innocent but have an evil soul. All of this shows how she enjoys dominating situations and people. Lady Macbeth likes to be in control of everything that happens. She is trying to persuade Macbeth to do the deed. Then also enjoy the end, which is becoming Queen herself. The nights great business into my dispatch. Leave all the rest to me. Lady Macbeth believes that she can sort everything out herself, as she knows what needs to be done, and how she is going to do it. She likes taking control of things. This shows she is single minded. In Act 1 scene 6, Duncan finally arrives. Lady Macbeth now proves how deceptive and two faced she really can be. Duncan arrives with nothing but compliments for the castle and its hosts, This castle hath a pleasant seat, See our honoured hostess. Lady Macbeth shows herself as the perfect hostess, All service in every point twice done, and then done double. Then she leads him triumphantly, almost as a trophy, into the castle and to his dreadful fate. In act 1 scene 7 Lady Macbeth has her work cut out for her. She constantly has to reinforce her husbands resolve, pushing him on. Macbeths resolve fails him, in his soliloquy, he is in agony with his doubts, and he decides against following through with the plot. We see her talking to Macbeth about killing Duncan. He thinks of all the reasons why he cannot kill his king. He sees him as an honourable king, an honourable man. He is His Kinsman, And Macbeth was his subject. Macbeth had been honoured by Duncan, being made Thane of Thife. He also worries what will happen, Tears shall drown the wind. He reaches his final decision; the murder will not go ahead. Macbeth seems to wake up, he doesnt ask his wives permission, and he seems to have regained control from her dominating influence. Lady Macbeth enters asking why Macbeth, as expected of a host, was present at the table, Macbeth asks hath he asked for me? Lady Macbeth replies, Know you not he has? I believe she would ask this question quite firmly; she wants Duncan to be oblivious to any negative feelings Macbeth may have. Macbeth goes straight to the point and out lines his reasons, We will proceed no further in this business; He hath honoured me of lateWhich would be worn in its newest gloss, not cast aside so soon. Lady Macbeth is somewhat taken aback staggered by her husbands decision. Here she thought she had the cat in the bag, her husband was prepared to take this amazing opportunity to grasp kingship. Her willpower had spurred him onto it. Now she saw she wasnt as powerful and influential as she originally thought she was She turns on Macbeth. In a moment she realises her willpower had not had its desired affect. Lady Macbeth changes, her tactics switch from unsexed to using her feminine powers. As a woman, she will now humiliate and manipulates Macbeth as a man. Lady Macbeth knows that it will sting Macbeth if she taunts him. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth had been mentioned to be, A worthy bridegroom for the goddess of war herself! He has been honoured for his great roles in battle by the king himself. Naturally, it will provoke Macbeth if his honour or masculinity is challenged. She taunts him: Was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since? Lady Macbeth I believe would utter this in mock disbelief. She would be sounding as if to be appalled at the lack of confidence in Macbeth conviction. It makes a fool of him, she asks, Were the hope drunk Wherein you dressed yourself? She is saying, was your hope drunk? And now, wakes with a hangover regretting what it had said? She uses the words, pale and green to pictorially describe colours and shades that are normally associated with weak, and sickliness. She then continues, using her feminine power, to question his love for her, saying, Such I account thy love. Meaning his love to her is as one of his drunken promises. These are not words that Macbeth is accustomed to having directed at him. He is not used to having his courage mocked. He perfectly knows he is not a coward. He is one of the bravest men around. Lady Macbeth expects him to retort this way. He continues though, he puts his finger right on it, Who dares do more is none. Macbeth means whoever dares to do anything more daring, dangerous or maybe wicked, isnt human; they are supernatural, probably monstrous. Macbeth is defending himself, he is suggesting that anything more brave wouldnt make him a man, it would make him monster; and that is the truth. Macbeth knows its the truth, Lady Macbeth knows it is the truth, and importantly the audience realise this is the truth. He is prepared to do all men can do, but he draws the line at becoming a monster. Lady Macbeth would perhaps falter at this. Yet again though, she picks up the offensive, though in a slightly weaker position perhaps. She takes a risk by replying What beast wast then, that made you break this wicked enterprise to me? Lady Macbeth shifts the blame back onto Macbeth, claiming he was the one to hatch the plan, the crucial words being you break thisto me. The audience will pick up on this, realising that it was never Macbeth who ever originated the idea, it was in fact Lady Macbeth. Macbeth fails to see this though and she carries on. She reasons that when he (Macbeth) had proposed this enterprise to her, then he were a man. Lady Macbeth tries to change Macbeths perception of what is manly. She tries to change what Macbeth perceives as man, being brave and daring to do all that may become a man, to a man being almost a killing machine. She does this by saying When you durst do it, then you were a man. Lady Macbeth thinks that a man is someone who would do anything to make himself bigger, stronger or more powerful. Lady Macbeth then uses a slightly different tack; she uses shock tactics to demonstrate how she feels about following through with the murder. Lady Macbeth brings to mind the most grotesque image that she can think up. She says she would take a child, hers, and while it was smiling in my faceand dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done this. By this, Lady Macbeth reveals a side to her to her audience. She is evil and she will stop at nothing. What she meant by killing her child like this was to show her strength of conviction and willingness to carry out her word had I so sworn to you [Macbeth]. It appears to work, and Macbeth falters saying (indicating a change of heart) If we should fail? Lady Macbeth has now re-engaged him, and Macbeth is curious again. Again Lady Macbeth shows her strength of conviction and will, Screw your courage to the sticking place and well not fail, Lady Macbeth I think hits these words with a real sense of belief, urging Macbeth to think about it. Failing? Lady Macbeth declares that this is impossible. She proceeds to outline her plan, believing she now has Macbeth back onboard. She will make Duncans guards drunk and she and Macbeth will commit the murder, leaving the guards to take the fall for it. The plan is ruthlessly simple and cowardly. The audience cannot help but realise this; Lady Macbeth has thought this through non-stop and has made her plan as efficient and as fool proof as possible. Lady Macbeth makes it so safe, and has reconfirmed Macbeths original intentions but still Macbeth will know in the back of his mind, this is all wrong. Lady Macbeth has powerfully changed Macbeth, using his moral weaknesses exposed by his ambition, to change his mind. Macbeth has let his wifes iron will destroy his conscience and his somewhat sophisticated moral sense. Again though, the audiences are left with sub-conscience doubts about Lady Macbeths appearance of unshakeable strength. In Act 2-scene 2 there is more talking between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, about killing king Duncan. Here she displays he having controlled and authority over Macbeths mind and actions, but also how support she can be towards him. One of the things that particularly stood out was her inability to commit the murder herself. For all the boasting and the character she built up of herself, Lady Macbeth cannot do any of which she said she was so sure of. Lady Macbeth was supposed to commit the murder herself, but she goes in and comes straight back out again, being startled by a birds cry as she stands there. Macbeth comes up the stairwell and sees Lady Macbeth there; she seems to make some excuses for her being there saying, I am afraid they have awaked, then she admits, And tis done. Th attempt and not the deed. Lady Macbeth has faltered, and she cannot bring herself to the deed she swore she would do even if she had to dash her own childs brains out. She came into the chamber and almost I would imagine shouts the line, Hark! I laid the daggers ready. Lady Macbeth is angry I think with herself, as if she is ashamed. She makes the excuse that she entered, saw Duncan and saw he was like her father in his sleep and could not kill him baring in mind she was prepared to kill her own child. Macbeth nevertheless has killed Duncan. Macbeth is almost immediately feeling the consequences; he recounts it as if he suffered immediate guilt whilst he was doing the murder. Macbeth has started to crack; he is breaking down, saying that he heard voices saying he would no longer be able to sleep. What Lady Macbeth now faces is what ultimately destroys her. She has now to bear up to Macbeths faltering conscience amidst her own despair. Lady Macbeth tries to silence Macbeth, trying to drive the thoughts of guilt out of her mind trying to remain strong saying A foolish thought to say a sorry sight. A few lines on Lady Macbeth prophetically says, These deeds must not be thought. After these ways; so, it will make us mad. It is here that Lady Macbeths character has its biggest and final test. Lady Macbeth now reverts into a controlling wife, as she tries to distract her mind from what has happened by snapping into gear and sorting out what has happened. She is practical and tells her husband to go and wash himself of blood, and then she summons whatever courage she may have left to go and put the daggers with the guards to ensure that they have the blame. Again Lady Macbeth is practical, there is a knock at the door of the castle and she restrains her husband from answering it. Lady Macbeths mind is in full gear with this murder. She sees that it would be strange if they were to answer the door at this hour of the night saying, Get on youre night-gownAnd show us to be watchers. Lady Macbeth is in full control of her faculties at this point, whereas her husband is starting to really break down, already wishing hed not done it Wake Duncan with thy knocking. I would thou couldst. Lady Macbeth is not the strong person she appears to be though. Following on in Act 2 scene 3, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth perform an amazing drama to dupe them, and prove their innocence. Macduff arrives at the gate and goes to see the king in his chamber, and returns with the news of his death. The blame obviously falls upon the guards and Macbeth convincingly puts up a show that he loved Duncan so much that he kill the guards on the spot, Thus, removing any ability for them to defend themselves. Now, this does temporarily shift suspicion towards Macbeth, but he gives such an intricate and heartfelt speech, that combined with Lady Macbeth swooning and starting to faint, Help me hence, ho! She draws the attention away from Macbeth, it is enough to convince the others of their innocence at least for the moment. The murder also frightens Duncans sons; they fear that they might be next; this is probably true, since in order for Macbeth to have a good chance to become King, both of them must be killed. Therefore, they flee, and this puts them under suspicion. It could be reasoned that they might have killed their father in order to quicken their ascension to the throne. Again, all of which are complete lies. Such harmonious co-operation when under pressure shows that Lady and Lord Macbeth do indeed work well together, and have an excellent relationship. In Act 3-scene 2 Macbeth is crowned King, one of the first things Macbeth does, is have Banquo assassinated. It is important to note that he does this independently of his wife; his coronation seems to have given him new courage. We see Lady Macbeth being impatient. Lady Macbeth is again telling Macbeth to put his past behind him, Whats done is done, Putting more strain on their relationship. Macbeth obviously however has taken over, he hints to Lady Macbeth that he has a plan in action and she should be, Innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck. Lady Macbeth knows something is going on, however see isnt fully aware of it. She thinks this after a conversation with Macbeth as he means to be unsettled and sneaky. Lady Macbeth tried to lighten things with Macbeth by telling him not regret anything. Things without all remedy She is telling him not to think about something that cant be corrected. Lady Macbeth is the opposite however; she is at heart a weaker woman than Macbeth is the stronger man. She does start to feel guilt and consequences for her actions; she cannot keep the ruthless monster image up. Lady Macbeth wants to know what Macbeth is planning behind her back, however he refuses to tell her that he is plotting to kill Banquo. Whats to be done Lady Macbeth shows that she is curious and dislikes being left out with Macbeths plans. Macbeth even teasingly knows this, saying in affect that she would prefer not to know the details of his plan. Lady Macbeth herself however, is doubtful in her new found power; she is troubled by their present state. However, she does tell Macbeth this, who is already worried, almost to the point of suicide by his speech. Instead, she comforts him again, advising him not to brood on the past. However, he is still deeply concerned. He tells his wife of his plan to kill Banquo, and for a change, she asks him what to do. He tells to do as she has told him; to put on a false face, and pretend nothing has happened. Macbeth does however, suggest his discontent about his deceitfulness, but recognises its necessity. This switching of roles due to Macbeths increased confidence and Lady Macbeths lack of is perhaps quite important. It shows that their relationship is changing. The Lady Macbeth of Act-1 has lost its initiative in evil. Act 3 Scene 4 Lady Macbeth becomes increasingly worn down by her husbands own mental deterioration. Macbeth makes quite a scene at his feast, holding a party to celebrate his title of king. It starts with him not sitting at the table and instead having a furious conversation with one of the murderers of Banquo. Lady Macbeth hurries in saying that You do not give a cheer. The feast is sold, Macbeth is acting strangely to his guests, but this is not the strangest thing to happen yet by far. Macbeth becomes hallucinated and colour drains from his face and he begins to shout because of seeing a ghost, only visible to himself a ghost of Banquo. Lady Macbeth immediately covers for him, Sit worthy friends Lady Macbeth realises that Macbeth is about to give the whole game away and has to desperately rescue herself and her husband. She tells the guest that Macbeth is having a fit, but he will soon recover. She calms Macbeth down, by calling him out the room to ensure he doesnt say anything he shouldnt. You have displace Lady Macbeth is totally confused to why he is acting like this; she then goes on by asking the guests, with a complete lack of ceremony, to leave immediately. Stand upon the order. Lady Macbeth is very rude in telling the guest to go, as she fears that Macbeth might say something he shouldnt. This surely wears her down and worries her of what the guests may think. Lady Macbeth tries to pull Macbeth together, but it has no effect. She is undergoing along with her husband a state of intense mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. This is the last time the Macbeths are seen together as one working unit. Lady Macbeth says little at this point and cannot seem to match her husbands vigour. Macbeth says, I amoer Meaning he admits that he is too far-gone, it is simpler to carry on his bloody ways than to turn back now. Lady Macbeth urges him to stop, telling him he lacks sleep and needs to go to bed. Macbeths range of evil has outstretched Lady Macbeths, she is beyond it all. This is the last time that Lady Macbeth is seen as sane. In fact, Lady Macbeth is not present in any of Act-4, not appearing until into Act-5. Scene I is where the most obvious change of Lady Macbeth unfolds. The long absence of Lady Macbeth until Act-5 reinforces her appearance as the mad, delusional woman in scene ii. Her mental stability reaches its terminal point and this once monster, becomes nothing but a nervous wreck. The human traits of guilt, conscience and common human feeling all catch up with Lady Macbeth. She could not run from them forever, and now they have reduced her to a pitiful state. Lady Macbeth walks around her bedroom, shuffling nervously, crying out when she cannot remove a figurative spot of blood or guilt. Lady Macbeth recounts her guilty deeds but as a sign of her mental disarray, she cannot tell them in any chronological order. I would imagine an actor playing the part of Lady Macbeth telling each incident that she calls to mind, as if it cuts her mentally breaking up her mind. The agony that Lady Macbeth passes through will eventually lead to the last part of her deterioration. Her agony will drive her to despair and ultimately, she is mentioned to have committed suicide. In act 5 scene 5, we learn that Lady Macbeth is dead. This is a bad end for Lady Macbeth; though, a woman of powerful ambition and driving force, and a person in an influential position she dies pathetically. This end runs parallel to the events of the play and reflects on the outcome of the theme of evil throughout. Lady Macbeth thought she was as evil as she could wish to be, as unconnected from other womanly and human qualities as she might choose. She believed ambition and will power were everything yet it was all these things that ultimately lead to her end. Lady Macbeth thought that her ambition and worldly success would justify any move she made. Lady Macbeth would not accept that evil is self-destructive. Her impressions of overpowering evil were in the end of a day only an impression. Her conscience first shows its greater power when she is unable to kill Duncan herself. Her next step was when she had to come to terms with her and her husbands reality of evil. The mounting guilt becomes heavier and heavier on her, with the killing of Banquo and the guards. She has to continue to keep up her appearances and her husbands resolve, excusing his behaviour, supporting him, all whilst keeping on top of her own mental condition until he overtakes her in evil. This has its obvious end; she has no way of escape, which further tortures her mental condition. The only way out of her self-created downward spiral was her own death.

The Concept Of Microfinance

The Concept Of Microfinance In the recent years, most of the countries across the globe are in a sweeping mood to promote microfinance not only as a positive rural development intervention but also as a rural development panacea. As a result, the developmental economists in underdeveloped and developing economies have increasingly become enthusiastic in promotion and development of microfinance as one of the rural development initiatives. The purpose of such an initiative is to promote the welfare of the society as a whole by targeting the most talked developmental objectives of poverty alleviation (Shah,2008) and balanced regional development (Barman et al. , 2009). Micro-finance today though has become one of the most debated topics but it is a much confused buzzword among the bankers and the policy makers. Micro-finance is more than just a word as it has much wider meaning and implications. It is an instrument and a tool that has power to collectively address poverty, empower the socially poor, address gender issues and thereby strengthen the society as a whole. Micro-finance has therefore emerged as a powerful mechanism which ensures the social and economic empowerment of poor (Sriram, 2004). Concept of Microfinance Microfinance, according to McGuire and Conroy (2000), is the provision of financial services, primarily savings and credit, to poor households that do not have access to formal financial institutions. The Task Force on Supportive Policy and Regulatory Framework for Microfinance set up by NABARD in November 1998 defined microfinance as the provision of thrift, credit and other financial services and products of very small amounts to the poor in rural, semi urban or urban areas, for enabling them to raise their income levels and improve living standards (Sharma, 2001; Reddy, 2005, Reji, 2009). These financial services, according to Satish (2005) and Dasgupta (2006), generally include deposits, loans, payment services, money transfers, and insurance to poor and low income households and their microenterprises. However, the expression microfinance according to Torre and Vento (2006) denotes offering the financial services to Zero or low income beneficiaries. Wanchoo (2007) defines microfinance as any activity that includes the provision of financial services such as credit, savings, and insurance to low income individuals who either fall below the nationally defined poverty line or fall just above that, with the goal of creating social value. The creation of social value means making efforts in direction of eradication of poverty, improving livelihood opportunities for the poor through the provision of capital for micro-enterprise, promotion of savings for poor so that current problems and future risks can be minimized. However, how much below or above the poverty line has not been defined anywhere in the literature so far. Arabi (2009) and Satish (2005) defines microfinance as small scale financial services primarily credit and deposits that are provided to people who farm, fish or herd and adds that it operates small or microenterprises both in urban and rural areas. According to Dinesha and Jayasheela (2009), these financial services are provided by financial institutions to the poor to meet their normal financial needs life cycle, economic opportunity and emergency. In the words of Dhandapani (2009) microfinance means extension of small loans to the poor, especially women to start business, invest in self employment works with the aim to increase their income and standard of living. As per the definition of Nagayya and Rao (2009), microfinance refers to entire range of financial and non-financial services including skill upgradation and entrepreneurial development of poor. Sehrawat etal. (2011) however, defines microfinance as a financial service provided by financial institutions to the poor which may include savings, credit, insurance, leasing, money transfer, equity transaction, etc. to meet their normal financial needs like life cycle, economic opportunity and emergency. In short, it can be said that the concept of microfinance involves Banking for the poor and Banking with the poor. Such banking initiatives open doors of finance for destitute and underprivileged people who otherwise do not have access to finance from formal financial sources due to lack of collateral security (Nagayya and Rao, 2009; Barman et al. 2009). Microfinance targets the poorest segment of clients. They are self-employed and household-based entrepreneurs. Their diverse micro-enterprise includes small retail shops, street vending, artisanal manufacture, etc. Components of Microfinance (Microfinance vs Microcredit) The term `microfinance and `microcredit are often used interchangeably but in reality there is the difference between the two. Microcredit is the extension of small loans to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans. Microfinance is a broader concept encompassing not only the extension of credit to the poor, but also the provision of other financial services like savings, cash withdrawals and insurance (Dasgupta, 2006; Nagayya and Rao, 2009). Microcredit is the component of microfinance. There are four components of microfinance: Microcredit: It is a small amount of money lent to a client by a bank or other institution. Microcredit can be offered, often without collateral, to an individual or through group lending. The purpose of such a loan is to provide credit to those who require it. Microsavings: These are small sums of money that allow poor people to save small amounts of money for future use. These saving accounts are often without minimum balance requirements. It helps low households to save in order to meet unexpected expenses and plan for future investments. These are the means of collateral to microcredit (Sinha, 2005). Microinsurance: It is an economic instrument characterised by low premium designed to service low income people not served by typical social or commercial insurance schemes and helps in mitigating risks affecting property and health (Khandelwal A.K., 2007). Remittances: These are transfers of funds from people in one place to people in another, usually across borders to family and friends (Khandelwal A.K., 2007). The Rise of Microfinance Movement / the Beginnings of Microfinance The concept of Microfinance is not new as it has had its prevalence in the long past. The imprints of microfinance can be traced back to Indonesia which points towards the formation of Indonesian Peoples Credit Banks which were set up in 1895 and which had close to 9000 units. Later, efforts were made to bring about revolution in Pakistan (now Bangladesh) by Akhtar Hameed Khan in 1959 in form of formation of Academy for Rural Development (Khandelwal, 2007). In the late 1970s, the economists round the world recognised that poor lack access to financial services (McGuire and Conroy, 2000; Tiwari and Fahad,1997 ; Barman et al., 2009). From this developed a new emphasis on establishing better financial systems which could direct credit to poor clients on a more sustainable basis than had been possible under previous discredited schemes of directed credit (McGuire and Conroy, 2000). At that time, Professor Muhammad Yunus popularised the concept of microloans as he believed that peace prevails only when hunger is quelled (Shetty and Veershekharappa, 2009). He started Grammeen Bank in 1976 in the outskirts of Chittagong University campus in the village of Jobra, Bangladesh with only a meagre amount of $27 as loan and made it a target to grant loans to the poorest of the poor. He felt concerned for the miserable landless women who were labouring for other people. He reasoned that if these women could work for themselves instead of working for others, they could retain much of the surplus generated by their labours, currently enjoyed by others. He started giving loans to even beggars. He was also of the view that if beggars can go to houses for getting money, they can go to houses to sell a product also. The Grameen Bank lending procedures are simple and effective. The first and foremost step in receipt of credit is the formation of the group of five members that gather once a week for loan repayment (Dasgupta, 2001). Loans are initially made to two individuals in the group, who are then under pressure from the rest of the members to repay in good time. The borrower has to repay the loan in weekly instalments spread over a year. The functioning of Grameen Bank also involves enchanting of 16 Decisions at the start of their weekly session. These decisions include production of fruits and vegetables in kitchen gardens, investment for improvement of housing and education for children, use of latrines and safe drinking water for better health, rejection of dowry in marriages etc. Although observance of these decisions is not mandatory, in actual practice it has become a requirement for receiving a loan (Tiwari and Fahad, 1997). In order to promote thrift habit, it is compulsory for every member to save one Taka per week which is accumulated in the Group Fund. This account is managed by the group. The amount in the Fund is deposited with Grameen Bank and earns interest. A member can borrow from this fund for consumption, sickness, social ceremony or even for investment (if allowed by all group members). In case of default in repayment or failure to attend meetings, the defaulters may be charged with a fine or may be expelled. The members are free to leave the group before the loan is fully repaid; however, the responsibility to pay the balance falls on the remaining group members. Some of the key strategies adopted by the Grameen Bank are listed below: I) There is an exclusive focus on the poorest of the poor. This is exclusivity ensured by: establishing clearly the eligibility criteria for selection of targeted clientele and adopting practical measures to screen out those who do not meet them. in delivering credit, priority has been increasingly assigned to women. the delivery system is geared to meet the diverse socio-economic development needs of the poor. 2) Borrowers are organized into small homogeneous groups. Such characteristics facilitate group solidarity as well as participatory interaction. Organizing the primary groups of five members and federating them into centers. The Centers are functionally linked to the Grameen Bank, whose field workers have to attend Centre meetings every week. 3) Special loan conditions which are particularly suitable for the poor. These include: a) very small amounts of loans given without any collateral b) loans repayable in weekly instalments spread over a year c) eligibility for a subsequent loan depends upon repayment of first loan d) individual, self-chosen, quick income-generating activities which employ the skills that harrowers already posses. e) close supervision of credit by the group f) stress on collective borrower responsibility or peer pressure g) special safeguards through compulsory and voluntary savings to minimize the risks that the poor confront. h) Undertaking of social development agenda addressing basic needs of the clientele. This is reflected in the sixteen decisions adopted by Grameen borrowers. Thus, the lending operations of Grameeen Bank include the use of group guarantees, inculcating compulsory savings habit and transparency of credit transactions (Mcguire and Conroy, 2000). A still more interesting feature is the ingenious manner of grant of credit without any collateral security. The availability of lending outlets near the clients, simple application procedures, and quick disbursement of loans are the special techniques to ensure good repayment rates (Tiwari and Fahad,1997 ). The Grameen Bank is now lending loan size of $ 800 million a year with an average loan size of almost $130, the bank has 7 million borrowers, 97 percent of them are women and an unmatched repayment rate of 98 percent(Tiwari and Fahad,1997 ; Singh and Kumar,2008). The microloans not only helped the poor in getting finance in Bangladesh and facilitated the lives of millions of poor but also earned Muhammad Yunus a Nobel Prize in the year 2006. Evolution of microfinance in India The Grameen Bank model of microfinance based on joint liability of members has received wide international appeal and popularity in numerous emerging economies like India. In fact the developing economies have even tried to replicate these models for developing small scale business and reducing poverty levels (Jha, 2002; Idolor and Imhanlahimi, 2011). The evolution of Indian MF can be broadly divided into four distinct phases: Phase 1: The Cooperative Movement (1900-1960) During this phase, there was dominance of two sources of credit viz. institutional sources and non-institutional sources. The non institutional sources catered to 93 percent of credit requirement in the year 1951-52 and institutional sources accounted to 7 percent of total credit requirements pertaining to that year. The preponderance of informal sources of credit was due to provision of loans for both productive and non productive purposes as well as for short term and long term purposes and simple procedures of lending adopted. But they involved several malpractices like charging high rates of interest, denial of repayment, misappropriation of collaterals, etc. At that time, government considered cooperatives as an instrument of economic development of disadvantaged masses. The credit cooperatives were vehicles to extend subsidized credit to poor under government sponsorship. They were characterized as non exploitative, voluntary membership and decentralized decision making. The Primary Agricultural societies (PACS) provide mainly short term and medium term loans and Land Development Banks provide long term loans as a part of cooperative movement. Phase 2: Subsidized Social Banking (1960s 1990) It was observed that cooperatives could not do much as was expected of them. With failure of cooperatives, All India Rural Credit Survey Committee in 1969 emphasized the adoption of Multiagency Approach to Institutional Credit which assigned an important role to the commercial banks in addition to cooperatives. Even Indian planners in fifth five year plan (1974-79), emphasised Garibi Hatao (Removal of poverty) and the growth with social justice. It was due to this approach that in 1969, 14 leading banks were nationalized and later on five regional rural banks were set up for the purpose on October 2, 1975 at Moradabad and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Bhiwani in Haryana ,Jaipur in Rajasthan and Malda in West Bengal. Hence, as a result of Multiagency approach and other planning initiatives, Government focused on measures such as nationalization of Banks (Shetty and Veerashekharappa, 2009; Sriram, 2005), expansion of rural branch networks, establishment of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and the setting up of apex institutions such as the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Small Scale Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as the central bank of the country played a crucial role by giving overall direction for providing credit and financial support to national bank for its operations. Therefore, after the multiagency approach, the commercial banks and regional rural banks assumed a major role in providing both short term and long term funds for serving the poorest of poor. Despite, the multiagency approach adopted, a very large number of the poorest of the poor continued to remain outside the fold of the formal banking system(Reddy and Manak, 2005; Singh and Kumar, 2008; Nagayya and Rao, 2009; Shetty and Veershekharappa, 2009). While these steps led to reaching a large population, the period was characterized by large-scale misuse of credit, creating a negative perception about the credibility of micro borrowers among bankers, thus further hindering access to banking services for the low-income people. However the gap between demand and supply of financial services still prevailed due to shortcomings of institutional credit system as it provides funds only for productive purposes, requirement of collateral, massive paper work leading to inordinate delays. As a response to failure of formal financial system in reaching the poor and destitute masses, the micro finance through Self-help groups was innovated and institutionalized in the Indian scenario. While no definitive date has been determined for the actual conception and propagation of SHGs, the practice of small groups of rural and urban people banding together to form a savings and credit organization is well established in India. In the early stages, NGOs played a pivotal role in innovating the SHG model and in implementing the model to develop the process fully (Reddy and Manak2005). The first step towards Micro-finance intervention was establishment of Self Employed Womens Association (SEWA), non formal organization owned by women of petty trade groups. It was established on the cooperative principle in 1974 in Gujarat. This initiative was undertaken for providing banking services to the poor women employed in unorganized sector of Ahmadabad. Shree Mahila Sahkari Bank was set up as urban cooperative bank. At national level, SHG movement involves NGOs helping in the formation of the groups. During this time, the planners and policy makers were desperately searching for the viable ways of poverty alleviation. Around that time, the Government of India launched the Integrated Rural Development Program (IRDP), a large poverty alleviation credit program, with the purpose of providing credit to poor and under-privileged which involved provision of government subsidized credit through banks to the poor. But the IRDP was a supply led programme and the clients had no choice over the purpose and the amount. At this stage, it was realised that the poor really needed better access to these services and products, rather than cheap subsidized credit. That is when the experts started talking about microfinance, rather than microcredit. Keeping in view the economic scenario of those days, a strong need was felt for alternative policies, procedures, savings and loan products, other complementary services, and new delivery mechanisms, which would fulfil the requirements of the poorest, especially of the women members of such households ( Barman et al. 2009; Shetty and Veerashekharappa, 2009). It was during this time, NABARD conducted a series of research studies independently and in association with MYRADA, a leading NGO from Southern India, which showed that a very large number of poor continued to remain outside the fold of the formal banking system (Reddy and Manak, 2005). Later on PRADAN in its Madurai projects started forming women SHG groups (Satish, 2005). During 1988-89, NABARD in association with Asia Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA) undertook a survey of 43 NGOs in 11 states in India, to study the functioning of microfinance SHGs and their collaboration possibilities with formal banking system (Satish P, 2005; Shetty and Veerashekharappa, 2009). Both these research projects laid the foundation stone for the initiation of a pilot project called the SHG linkage project (Satish P, 2005). Phase 3: SHG-Bank Linkage Program (1990 2000) The failure of subsidized social banking lead to delivery of credit with NABARD initiating the Self Help Group (SHG) Bank Linkage Programme in 1992 (SBLP), aiming to link informal womens groups to formal banks. This was the first official attempt in linking informal groups with formal lending structures. To initiate this project NABARD held extensive consultations with the RBI. This resulted the RBI issuing a policy circular in 1991 to all Commercial Banks to participate and extend finance to SHGs (RBI, 1991). This was the first instance of mature SHGs that were directly financed by a commercial bank. The informal thrift and credit groups of poor were recognized as bankable clients. Soon after, the RBI advised Commercial Banks to consider lending to SHGs as part of their rural credit operations thus creating SHG Bank Linkage ( Reddy and Manak,2005). The program has been extremely useful in increasing banking system outreach to unreached people. The programme has been extremely advantageous due to reduction of transaction cost due to less paper work and record keeping as group lending rather than individual lending is involved (Barman et al. 2009). The SHG bank linkage is a strong method of financial inclusion, providing unbanked rural clientele with access to formal financial services from the existing banking infrastructure. The major benefit by linking SHGs with the banks is that it helps in overcoming the problem of high transaction cost of banks as the responsibility of loan appraisal, follow up, recovery of loans are left to poor themselves. On the other side, SHGs gain by enjoying larger and cheaper sources (Varman, 2005). Later, the planners in Ninth Five year plan (1997-2002) laid emphasis on Growth with Social Justice and Equality. The objective of Ninth plan as approved by the National Development Council explicitly states as follows: Promoting and developing participatory institutions like Panchayati Raj Institutions, cooperatives and Self -Help Groups. Hence, it was ninth five year plan that expressly laid down the objective of establishment of Self Help Groups in order to achieve the objective of Growth with Social Justice and Equality as a part of microfinance initiative. Meanwhile, in 1999, the Government of India merged various credit programs together, refined them and launched a new programme called Swaranjayanti Gram Swarazagar Yojana (SGSY). The aim of SGSY was to continue to provide subsidized credit to the poor through the banking sector to generate self-employment through a Self-Help Group approach (Sriram, 2005). Phase 4: Commercialization of Microfinance: The first decade of the new millennium This stage involves greater participation of new microfinance institutions that started taking interest in the sector not only as part of their corporate social responsibility but also as a new business line. A number of institutions have been set up overtime which were required to meet the credit requirements of the new society and downtrodden. At present Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012) aims at Towards More and Inclusive Growth. The word inclusive growth means including and considering those who are somehow excluded from the benefits which they (poor) should avail. Microfinance is a step towards inclusive growth via inclusive finance which moves around serving the financial needs and non financial needs of poor in order to improve level of living of rural masses. Demand and Supply forces of microfinance 1.5.1 The Demand for Microfinance Traditionally the targets of microfinance meant the poorest of the poor and the poor. More, recently, microfinance focus is changing as it has now started serving people who, although, not living in poverty, have general difficulty in obtaining the credit (Torre and Vento, 2006). This is on account of socio-economic changes that have put forward potential new microfinance clients. In this way, modern microfinance is expanding its horizon from poorest of poor to the victims of financial inclusion. The phenomenon of financial inclusion has been defined in literature as inability to access finance in an appropriate way ( ). These victims of financial inclusion involve disadvantaged individuals who are unable to bear the cost and conditions of financial products offered. Another category of microfinance targets included the marginalised people who mainly comprise of small scale entrepreneurs who are running small businesses, self-employed workers and individuals who unable to obtain cred it (Torre and Vento, 2006). In this category, women assume major significance. This is due to the more responsible nature of women who are more responsible in repayment of loan then men. The continuing involvement of poorest of the poor, poor, disadvantaged and marginalised people determines the greater complexity of the supply forces of Indian microfinance structure and thus, a more decisive move away from traditional pattern of credit. 1.5.2 The Supply of Microfinance In any economy, most of the day-to-day activities require finance. Finance is required both for productive and non productive purposes. The productive purposes include requirement of fixed capital for commencement of business, funds for working capital requirement to meet day today activities, trade related emergencies, exploring investment opportunities etc. On the other hand, finance may be needed for non productive purposes, such as for celebration of marriages, births and deaths, for litigation. In order to satisfy in above needs there are two available sources of credit available to the poor: institutional sources or formal sources, non-institutional sources or informal sources. Formal institutions are the registered entities subject to all relevant laws. These include commercial banks (including public and private sector banks), regional rural banks and cooperative banks. Recognizing the potential of micro finance to positively influence the development of the poor, the Reserve Bank, NABARD and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) have taken several initiatives over the years to give elevation to the micro finance movement in India. The Commercial Banks and Regional Rural Banks provide both short term and long term funds for serving the poorest of poor. The Primary Agricultural societies (PACS) provide mainly short term and medium term loans and Land Development Banks provide long term loans. The National Bank of Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) is the apex institution at national level for agricultural credit and refinance assistance to the agencies mentioned above .The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as the central bank of the country plays a crucial role by giving overall direction for providing credit and financial support to national bank for its operations. On the other hand, government owned societies like Rashtriya Mahila Kosh(RMK), Mutually Aided Cooperative Societies, private sector companies like specialized NBFCs are also involved in providing credit to the poor. Informal institutions include self help groups, money lenders, traders, relatives, commission agents. They are providers of microfinance services on a voluntary basis and are not subject to any kind of regulation. 1.6 Self Help Groups Defined A Self Help Group is a basic unit of micro-finance which comprises of 15 to 20 people having homogeneous social and economic background (Singh and Kumar, 2008) that voluntarily come together to save small amounts regularly and mutually agree to contribute a common fund. The aim of such formation is to meet present and emergency needs of the members on mutual help, solidarity and joint responsibility basis. Self Help Groups (SHGs) are necessary to overcome exploitation, create confidence and creation of feeling of self worth for the economic and social self-reliance of rural poor, particularly among women who are mostly invisible in the social structure. The Self Help Groups are the basis for further action and change which help members become self reliant economically and socially. It also helps building of stable relationship for mutual trust between the promoting organization and the rural poor (Singh and Kumar, 2008). Though loan repayment is a joint liability of the group but, in reality, individual liability is stressed upon (Singh and Kumar, 2008). Maintaining group reputation leads to the application of tremendous peer pressure. The group members use collective wisdom and peer pressure to ensure proper utilization of credit and its timely repayment thereof. In fact, peer pressure has been recognized as an effective substitute for collaterals (Barman et al. , 2009).