Comparing The Corner Residents and Dostoevsky’s Underground Man Essay

Comparing The Corner Residents and Dostoevsky’s Underground Man      Ã‚  Ã‚   I am a sick man.... I am an angry man. I am an unattractive man. [...] I don't understand the least thing about my illness, and I don't know for certain what part of me is affected. I am not having any treatment for it, and never have had, although I have a great respect for medicine and for doctors. [...] No, I refuse treatment out of spite. (Dostoevsky 1864: 17)    Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote these words around 1864 to describe the mental state of a hyperconscious retired bureaucrat whose excessive analysis and inability to act separate him from the mainstream of the society in which he lived. Dostoevsky's underground man, as he termed his character, is characterized by alienation, spite, and isolation. Dostoevsky presents the life of his character as a testimonial to the possibility of living counter to an individual's own best interests.    Frequently, the public debate over the those problems which occur in poverty-ridden urban environments is presented as if the inhabitants were copies of Dostoevsky's underground man who differed mainly in that they frequently had less education and more pigment in their skin. That is to say, although there are valid comparisons that can be drawn between the Underground Man and the inhabitants of west Baltimore who are so vividly depicted in The Corner, there are also important differences that make any claim of strict equality between a Russian intellectual from the nineteenth century and a 20th-century tout or slinger an absurd caricature. Moreover, the intent of portraying inner-city residents as Underground Men and Women is, frequently, to blame these people for all of their own problems, something t... ...and we may be in for another string of disappointing years in the War on Poverty and the War on Drugs.    Works Cited and Consulted: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. (1864) Notes from Underground. Trans. Jessie Coulson. Middlesex, England: Penguin Books. Hacker, Andrew. (1998) Two Nations: Black and White, Separate, Hostile, Unequal. In Reading Between the Lines: Toward an Understanding of Current Social Problems. Ed Amanda Konradi and Martha Schmidt. London: Mayfield Publishing Company. Simon, David & Burns, Edward. (1993) The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood. New York: Broadway Books. Wilson, William Julius. (1998) "Ghetto-Related Behavior and the Structure of Opportunity" in Reading Between the Lines: Toward an Understanding of Current Social Problems. Ed Amanda Konradi and Martha Schmidt. London: Mayfield Publishing Company.

Essay --

Carly Starkin Psychology Mrs. True January 9th, 2014 Quarter Project- The Glass Castle The memoir The Glass Castle stood out greatly to me when I was given synopses of our book choices for this project. I have a great interest in family dynamics and how a child’s upbringing could potentially affect him or her. I am also interested in mental disorders, although no particular disorder is specified in the book. Another reason why I chose this book was because I have a relative who has alcoholism and I have become increasingly interested on this terrible disease. Upon opening this inspiring memoir and reading the first few chapters, I was immediately drawn in. The Glass Castle taught me one very important thing about children who are growing up in an extremely dysfunctional household- they do not always turn out as messed up as their parents or guardians. In fact, the author, Jeannette Walls, actually turned out extremely well. She is a successful writer and journalist and seems to be happy with her life. She has showed me that carrying around some serious baggage does not always stop a person from reaching the top. In the memoir, Walls’ parents are extremely selfish and have no morals. There is little to no love shown to Walls and her siblings, forcing them to mature faster than they should have. For example, she had to cook her own food at the young age of three. If I had known nothing about Walls’ success upon reading this memoir, I would never have assumed that she is a bestselling author and big-name journalist. I do not think that Jeannette Walls wanted to share the story of her life with people for the purpose of entertainment. I believe her main focus was to give hope for people who are growing up impoverished or who have a... ...nly parties of one. No one wants to hear about how horrible your day was. Instead, it is always a better conversation when a happy event is being discussed. The Glass Castle definitely relates to psychology. Rex, the father, is an alcoholic. After learning about alcoholism in class, I certainly had a better understanding of why he kept going back to the bottle time after time. The mind of someone suffering from drug addiction or alcoholism is certainly a subject that is being studied in psychology classrooms and labs all over the world. The book is full of mental illness, some of which can be tied to nurture, some to nature. Jeannette Walls’ success can be tied to personal choice because she made decisions about her lifestyle that were not influenced by her upbringing. This is definitely a great book to discuss in a psychology class and I hope we get to do so.

GAAS, GAGAS and PCAOB Auditing Standards

Audit standards are set codes of conduct for auditors when auditing financial statements or other financial issues of a company. There is also a relation to performance audit and certain attestation engagements.The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) established all Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS). GAAS, in turn, formed the basis for other standards like the Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS) and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). This paper seeks to define those three standards, while clarifying the similarities and differences between them.All the three standards have some underlying similarities. They all address the basic audit issues like transparency, accuracy, reliability etc of financial statements.They all also spell out standards for audit field work and performances, simultaneously spelling out, on a dynamic base, the education and qualifications required of the audit and audit assistants. All th e three standards ultimately target the protection of the firm and its assets or finances. They minimize operational risks. And though driven by different objects, GAGAS and PCAOB are based on the AICPA’s GAAS.The different objectives of the three auditing standards results in a difference in their content, approach, criteria and specifications. Nowadays, the GAAS primarily deals with audits of non-issuer public companies. PCAOB, on the other hand, addresses the concerns of auditors auditing issuer and certified public companies.Its hold in matters of issuer companies, as controlled by the American Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is paramount. GAGAS, as set by the Government Accountability Office, applies to government organizations or organizations availing government assistance, setting auditing standards for their functions, activities, programs and so on.[1]IntroductionThe external audits of governmental and non-governmental entities may be broadly classified int o Financial Audits, Performance Audits and Attestation Engagements. Auditing Standards have some General Standards, as well as Field Work Standards and Reporting (GAO, July 2007).The Generally Accepted Audit Standards (GAAS) are issued as Statements on Audit Standards (SAS)[2]. This is done by the Audit Standards Board or ASB which has been set up by the AICPA. These standards relate principally to the audit processes and procedures which are to be adopted by the public companies not issuing shares. [3]The General Accepted Auditing Standards are sets of systematic guidelines used when conducting audits on company finances, to ensure accuracy, consistency and verifiability of auditor’s action and reports.However, for auditing government bodies, the US Government Accounting Office sets separate rules and standards, outlined by the GAGAS. These include auditing of their activities and programs, as well as all their functions.The objective is to ensure proper use of funded assist ance availed from government bodies or agencies. (GAO, Jul 2008). Companies that issue shares and that are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission were placed under the standards of the PCAOB[4].As per the provisions of GAGAS, their reference incorporates GAAS, unless the Government Accounting Office specifically excludes them through a formal announcement. Sometimes, depending on the audit requirements and the organization being audited, GAGAS may be used together with PCAOB.Basic Objectives and Premises behind all Audit Standards:The similarities amongst all the auditing standards may be drawn from their basic premises and government policies driving them. For example, all auditing standards serve as a regulatory tool, prescribing the process to be followed by auditors, and determining what is to be scrutinized in the financial statements, internal control processes and management performances.Audits done on an organization’s financial statements express an o pinion on the fairness with which the statements represent the status and changes in the financial position, operational results and cash flows.Universally, audits need to be performed by a person or persons who has/have adequate technical training and proficiency as an auditor. The auditors need to maintain their independence so that their assessment and opinions reflect an impartial and objective view of the issues involved. They are also expected to exercise due professional care in planning and conducting the audit report [5].The auditor must have sufficient knowledge of internal control processes so as to enable him to plan properly and arrive at the nature, extent and timing of tests to be performed for ensuring a proper audit. While in the field, the work needs to be adequately planned and properly supervised.The competency and sufficiency of evidence reviewed needs to be assured so that the auditor and others can form a proper opinion on the financial matters in the organiza tion, which is subjected to the audit.All performance audits have similar standards. The auditors must prepare written audit reports communicating the audit results[6].   The audit reports should be prepared and made available so as to ensure timely use by management legislative and other interested parties.The auditors must report the scope, objectives and methodology of audits. They must report any significant findings of audits and in the applicable cases, also the auditor’s conclusions.They should report recommendations for action. This is to correct problem areas and ensure operational improvement. They must state what auditing standard was used in the reporting. All cases of significant non compliance or abuse must be reported, found during or related to the audit. In some cases, this reporting has to be done to outside parties.Appropriate inspection and observation must be conducted to gather competent and factual evidence so that a reasonable opinion on the financia l state of affairs of the organization under audit may be formed.Audit work must be properly planned & materiality considered for arriving at considered opinions based on competent evidence by selecting appropriate nature, timing & extent of tests. Audits must be designed so that material frauds may be detected reasonably well.[7] It is notable that frauds are intentional misstatements.Material misstatements may result from direct & material illegal acts and this is to be considered in audit design so as to ensure the reasonable detection of such misstatements through the audit process.[8]   The auditor must detect any indirect illegal acts that may indirectly affect correctness of financial statements by applying audit procedures[9] (GAO, Jul 2007).Every audit strives to maintain accountability and transparency within any organizational policy, whether for governmental or non-governmental organizations. To this end, public resources within an organization must be efficiently, eth ically, effectively, equitably and economically utilized.Where this is not the case, audits prescribe the remedial steps to be taken in a time-bound manner by the organization’s management and other concerned parties. All assessments by the auditors must be objective, concise, independent and factual, as related to an organization’s financial or management performance. The auditor therefore needs to be independent and impartial. All this adds up to a case for complete professionalism and quality of audit processes.

Christian Worldview Essay

I. What is a worldview? A worldview is the way that each individual interprets the world and how they see everything as a whole. The way people were raised and brought up has a lot to do with how they perceive the world. It provides us with a foundation for the way we live. II. Articulate the Biblical/Christian Worldview for each of the following questions The question of Origin When you think about how life began and how everything became into existence on this earth, what comes to mind? Through a Christians eyes there can only be one answer, and that is â€Å"God created the Heavens and the Earth† (Genesis 1:1) and In Psalm’s David talks about how earth was formed by God’s hands (Psalm 95:5). There is no question, God is our creator. The question of Identity What does it mean to be a human? And are humans more important than animals? God, the all-powerful Creator, cares for his most valuable creations which is us, mankind. We are created above any animal (Psalms 8:5) and God gave us so much authority to be in charge of the earth. He also says that we need to take care of and be responsible for all animals (Psalms 8:6-9). The question of Meaning/Purpose Why does mankind exist? According to Christianity we are here to have a personal relationship with God, the one who created us. He wants us to live life more abundantly (John 10:10). God is our Heavenly Father and he wants a relationship with each of his children. The apostle John talks about the relationship we are to have with God in 1 John 3:1-3. God is building His own family and we will have an eternal relationship with our Heavenly Father if we have accepted Him as our one and only Savior. Paul tells us that God desires all men to be saved and come to know truth. (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Then we will have eternal life. The question of Morality What is meant by right and wrong and how should a Christian live? All men are born sinners and cannot be saved by anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ. We all know the difference between rights and wrong, it’s just whether or not we apply critical thinking when we are faced with a decision. Like everyone says just think What Would Jesus Do! The Bible says that it should be our final authority. (2 Timothy 3:16). God created the Ten Commandments so His people would know right from wrong. (Revelation 22:14-15). If we sin, we need to ask God for forgiveness because if we don’t He will chastise us and we will have to endure the consequences. The question of Destiny Is there life after death and what will happen to me when I die? Yes, there is life after death it is called eternal life. If you have accepted Christ as your one and only savior you will be spending eternity with God in Heaven. In John 3:36 God says whoever believes in the Son will have eternal life. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior you will be cast into the lake of fire to live eternally in Hell. There will be intense grief and anger in Hell. (Matthew 13:42). The free gift of eternal life is available to all who will accept Jesus Christ but if we don’t accept it now we will not have another opportunity after death. III. How might/should a biblical worldview influence the way you do the following Vote in local or national elections The way we vote should line up with God’s word. We should do as much research on the people running for office as possible and see what they believe in. See if they are for pro-life, or what their religious beliefs may be. God says, if any man teaches of another God let that man be a curse (Galatians 1:6-9).Voting for a Christian candidate is so important and will affect how things change in your community and nation as a whole. Think about, treat, and speak to others on a daily basis As Christians we should not just always speak to others with respect but we should also think with respect. God knows everything even our thoughts. If we have a wrong thought we should ask for forgiveness. John 15:12 says â€Å"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.† Treat people with kindness and love, just as you want to be treated. And do not judge others, Luke 6:37 says â€Å"Judge not and you will not be judged.† We should always try to live according to Gods word because one day we will have to provide an answer for the way we act.

Dependency on Computers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dependency on Computers - Essay Example However, the question is whether or not it is feasible to post every daily action onto a computer, because after all, people are losing out on their identities as mentioned within the purview of this paper. There are various possible claims available for this paper; some might say that dependency on computers is valid because computers are the future of the world; they help in minimising manual work; gaining efficiency as well as assisting in executing new ideas. However, on the other hand, the other school of thought suggests that despite all the help that computers provide people with, they lead to a disintegration of society by slowly leading to the loss of personal identity – this means that with excessive dependency on computers, man will be losing out on his intelligence and brain power. Both these claims are discussed further within the purview of this essay, with valid examples. My position regarding the topic is that people are too dependent on computers even though i t helps them more than affects them in a negative manner. In today’s world, a computer is not just another inanimate object, but an animate one; it is literally like an individual’s slave and performs all the necessary functions for social and professional well being. No person is able to work without the help of a computer; for example in school and college life it involves submitting assignments and carrying out research work, in the work sphere it includes working on different types of software in order to achieve an organisation’s goals, at home, it provides for leisure time on various social networking websites through the internet and also helps a person to enjoy himself by playing games or writing. Today, most writers have also shunned the use of the pen and have taken to working with laptops and computers in order to get their work done. However, sometimes, this hampers the personal growth of an individual because it leads to them losing out on their wri ting skills and abilities. For example, when a person is using the computer to write, he has access to internet sources and pages as well as a dictionary and a thesaurus which makes him change his words every now and then. Thus, the end result so procured is hardly a personal thought and becomes a robotic one instead. However, with the help of the pen, one can easily write what he feels about the situation or circumstance instead of using help from other sources. Furthermore, the internet also makes people indulge in plagiarism or stealing of other people’s works for the purpose of completion of their projects and papers. This is almost like theft of intellectual property and thus should not be encouraged. Using a computer has become a reflex action in people’s lives; they cannot function without switching on their screens at least five times a day. In order to support this very claim, I would like to take the example of this very paper being written and read, which wa s done only with the help of a computer. Dependency is a good thing, especially if the object being used is helping a person rather than harming him. Every object has negative connotation attached to it however the point is to look at the positives. On the other hand, the computer facilitates networking and helps people to connect with each other via the internet; this is primarily one of the main reasons that people are so dependent on the computer. If they want to look up some information these days, books are barely opened because it is much easier to find information on the computer with the click of a mouse. The government also makes use of the computer in order to get its work done in a more

A global organizational theory for the 21st century Assignment

A global organizational theory for the 21st century - Assignment Example Organizational theory, in the present era has become imperative for effective functioning of the organization in global environment. Organizational theory provides modern treatment to the managers to perform better task in the organization for attaining specific objectives of the organization and deliver goods or services to consumers in such a way that there is maximization of profit at the end of the transaction.This paper tries to cover the brief description of global organizational theory in the 21st century embracing all the modern management theories. The rest of the project includes all the recent issues related to ethics, politics, cross cultural communication and parochialism and ethnocentricism. Lastly it emphasizes on the results of implementing new things in the organization for global relations and terconnectedness.Organizational Behavior can be defined as the study of what people think, feel and do in and around the organizations. It is the activities of the people who are working together in an organization to reach common goals or objectives. Organization consists of people with attitudes, cultures, beliefs, norms and principles. The Organizational Behavior facilitates the procedure of explaining, understanding, predicting, and maintaining and altering employees’ behavior in organizational surroundings.Leadership in the 21st century brings changes in conceptualize thinking, personal practice, organizational application. Leadership qualities develop in the individuals who have the capacity to influence, motivate and inspire others. 21st century leadership is holistic in nature and is related to mind, heart, spirit and energy of the individuals. Leadership development shifts from the individual to the group of people. In the present scenario, leaders always try to keep them update and overcome the weakness by understanding them (Sandmann & Vandenberg, 1995). Global Organizational Theory An organization is a designed social structure where g roups of individuals work collectively to meet certain common objectives. Organizational theories are the backbone of the field of organizational studies. This has the purpose for analyzing the resources of the organization particularly human resources for understanding the structures, the functions and the properties for increasing the productivity and gratification. It is the study of organizations to solve problems, meet the needs of stakeholders and maximize the efficiency and output.   Classical theory put forward that there is a single way to generate and run an organization. But current theory set diverse approach of the organization based on its size, technical requirements, situation, environment and nature of industry. Since the organizational theories are interdisciplinary in their approach, diverse fields such as sociology, anthropology, economics, psychology and political science are described in this theory. Organizational studies apply facts and modeling with other social science for proper functioning of the organization (ISCID, 2005). Management Theory The modern management theory was evolved in the nineteenth century and in the twentieth century revolution, the management theory changed from traditional theory to the Japanese management approach. Through these theories managers of the organizat

Legalization of Drugs in United States and Mexico (based on drug Research Paper

Legalization of Drugs in United States and Mexico (based on drug problems, trafficking, and cartels between these two countries) - Research Paper Example egardless of the legality; or allow the illegal status of drugs to continue to foster an environment and business that spreads violence, fear, insecurity, and the loss of life into American communities (Morris 36). Instead of wasting a lot of the government resources in trying to suppress the use of the drugs, the state should run a campaign that is information oriented so as to enlighten people about the risks and even possible consequences of using many kinds of drugs. This paper seeks to analyze whether the use of drugs should be legalized or not in the United States and Mexico based on the problems that are associated with the drugs that create cartel between the two countries. In the United States, purity of illegal Amphetamine in most cases is below 5%, and some of the tablets that are sold in the marketplaces are sold as ecstasy that do not contain MDMA at all. Instead, a lot of drugs are adulterated with other substances like chalk and even talcum to form completely different drugs. When the use of drugs are made legal then the state can get it very easy to regulate their sale and availability in the market to make sure that they are very safe and clean for human consumption and that they ate not cut with other substances that may be harmful to human life. Making the use of drugs illegal by the state increases the amount of crime that could have been easily eliminated if the drugs were legalized. Controlling the prices of the drugs would imply that drug addicts would leave their habits of stealing so as to fund their habits of using drugs. On the other hand state provided drugs services would keep out the drug dealers out of the business thereby starving the criminal gangs of their primary source of funds. Most Taliban get a lot of their revenues from the sale of poppies which gives a good ground for the heroin. They participate in doing this through intimidation farmers in the local regions who would otherwise sell their produce at the market places