Elizabeth Bishops Poem Filling Station Essays -- Elizabeth Bishop Fil

Elizabeth Bishops Poem Filling Station In poetry galore(postnominal) elements are used to bring life to a literary work. Some of these include style, structure, imagery, diction, and allusion. In Elizabeth Bishops poem, Filling Station, the author uses them skillfully to create meaning in a story that otherwise would be banal. Her usage of expressive details supports the writing which helps the reader to imagine what the author is describing. Her style also appeals to the readers emotions and imagination to deplume them into her harsh reality. One of the elements that she uses to engage the reader is through the use of diction. In the first verse, the author opens by describing the setting as dirty. She further supports this in lines 3 - 5 by stating that the station is oil-soaked, oil-permeated, over-all black translucency. These compound phrases gives the reader a clear image of the unpleasant environment that the author is portraying to the reader. In the second verse, the autho r introduces the father, a character who embodies his surrounding environment. Dressed in what the author describes as a dirty, oil-soaked monkey suit which does not even fit out the characters stature, the reader can infer that the family is living under poor conditions. This is further confirmed when the author describes the sons appearance as greasy and throughly dirty. In the attached verse, the author moves away from the disgusting scene of the gas station and uses vivid imagery...

Edgar Allan Poe Exposed in The Fall Of The House Of Usher Essay

Edgar Allan Poe Exposed in The Fall Of The rest home Of UsherEdgar Allan Poe was a alone(p) man that most people could not understand. Many recognize that he is a talented writer with a very strange and dark style. bingle of his most rise up kn bear short stories is The Fall Of The House Of Usher. Many argue the different meanings of this story and how it is symbolic to his life story. Poe was a very confused several(prenominal) who needed to express himself, he accomplished this through the short story of The Fall Of The House Of Usher. Through this story, Edgar was trying to show the fear he had for him self, he did not understand him self so therefore Poe ran from his own personality and estimate. This story enables the reader to take a look at Poes judgement and reveals some of the details that led him into his own insanity.Almost everyone goes through different fazes in their lives where they are trying to find their true self. Some may be happy and content with who they are where as others are scarred and frightened at the human beings they have be get. Edgar finally came to a point in his life where he needed to step back and examine himself. The method that he chose was to look into the depths of his own mind. There are many things for which he needed to postdate to terms with, in a sense he had grown apart from himself and needed to find out who he really was. The story of The Fall Of The House Of Usher is the story of Edgar Allan Poe taking a journey into his own mind in search of who he had become.Upon reaching the house of Usher he has come to the outer shell of his own mind, it is not clear what is wrong but Poe is certain that there is something off set and out of place. He cannot quite fix up his finger on it but it is there never the less. What was it-I paused to think-what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the House of Usher (234). Before Poe truly finds what he is looking at for, he knows that there is something wr ong within himself. Even the setting of this story describes Poes personality and outlook on life. Poe first realizes in his journey that he is alone with no one to turn to except his very own mind. When the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, through a singularly dreary tract of country and at length found myself within view of the melancholy House of Usher (234). In the polish off, this fact of his life coul... ...not trust to see any more and runs away from the house of Usher. By doing this he is running from himself and his very own mind. This is the final trigger, which causes Poe to comprehend his insanity. He runs away from his mind and does not want to accept it but he can do nothing about it. By this realization his mind falls apart and Edgar has reached the aggrandisement of his insanity. Through the short story of The Fall Of The House Of Usher Poe did a phenomenal job of expressing himself and of revealing his own insanity. Poe had an idea of what he was becoming but after he did examine himself he was very frightened and he knew the only thing to do was to run. But for whom did he have to run to? Poe was well known and well respected but he did not have anyone to turn to. When Edgar runs from the house of Usher he is also running from his very own mind but where is he running? What is beyond the house of Usher? The only thing that is beyond the house of Usher is his own mind. The house crumbled and Poe cracked. He ran but the only place he found to confide in was him self. Edgar Allan Poe was scarred and needed help but there was no one, in the end Poe fueled his very own insanity.

History of the Oil Industry :: essays research papers

OilThe oil industry has been around for many millennia now. In the Middle East oil seeped with the ground and it was used in many ways. It was used to waterproof their ships, painting, and even for light. nevertheless the rest of the world, for some time, had relied on another oil produced by whales. But overtime the modern world had slowly reverted back to using oil from the ground. As the industry of refining crude oil arose, many people started wasted firms. But one man had a much greater vision, John D. Rockefeller, as his strength in the oil world grew to unheard of proportions, many of the smaller Businesses were dying off. Manny people and companies started to protest Rockefellers enormous control of the market. Eventually, his company was forced to brake up by the United States Supreme Court. In the present, in that respect are many oil companies and on that point isnt one monopoly. These companies are finding new ways to drill for oil and also refine it more( prenominal) efficiently to ensure that the oil industry will stretch much further into the future. As humanity slowly started to grow into the modern civilization that it is now there were many things it needed to master. For a long time fire was the primary tool of choice, but as people grew more intelligent they began to seek new ways of lighting and energy. At first oil was used to waterproof ships, pots, and crate paintings. The Greeks had also mastered oil to create and awesome artillery unit from it. It was called Greek Fire they would compress the oil and shoot it out of a tube onto enemy ships, as it was being shoot out it was lit on fire. This caused great damage to enemy ships, but also made the Greeks seems immensely powerful. But over time, the use of oil was overshadowed by the use of whale oil. At the time it was fairly inexpensive and extremely plentiful. But over time, the demand for oil grew so large, that the wails were being over killed and the supply be gan to dwindle driving prices to rising slope immensely.As the old way of fueling their energy needs ran out, there was a search for a new way. This is where crude oil was re-introduced. To light there lamps whale oil was no longer needed, but kerosene was now being used widely.

To Believe or Not to Believe, Modern Urban Legends Essay -- essays re

To Believe or Not To BelieveModern urban Legends     Many people bemuse heard the tale of the dotty grandmother who tried to dry off her damp poodle by placing it in the microwave oven. The dog exploded, sad to theorise the least , and Grandma has never been quite the same since. The tommyrot is not true it is an urban falsehood, circulating by word of mouth since the 1970s (Brunvand, 108). Urban legends are popular stories alleged to be true and transmitted from person to person by oral or written communication. Legends tend to arise spontaneously and are rarely traceable to a single point of origin. They spread primarily from individual to individual through various communication, and only in unrepresentative cases through mass media or other institutional means. Every culture has its folktales, including modern America. However, instead of involving gods and goddesses or princes and princesses, modern societys legends involve "some guy my sisters sh ell friend knows" or "someone who woke up in a motel room." They happened, supposedly, to real people, usually recently, in a particular place. They touch the most sensitive jumpiness of human ideas with ironic twists, gross-out shocks, and moral lessons learned the hard way. However, the most remarkable thing about these stories is that so many people believe them and pass them on. wherefore does an audience take the storytellers word at face value, instead of recognizing it as an urban legend? The most obvious reasons as to why this happens are how the story is told to an individual, the relationship between the teller and the listener, and in the case of horror legends, the fear invoked through the moral of the story.     There are many particular elements of an urban legend that play an enormous role in how it is interpreted by the public. They are usually characterized by a combination of humor, horror or a warning. The devil types of urban le gends are cautionary, usually having a moral to the story or a warning to stay "safe", and non-cautionary, which have no cautionary or moral element at all (Harris, 1). The details or beef of these legends are the primary factors that make them so believable. A good example is the "Alligators in the sewage" legend. The setting of this legend is usually a large city, in which a reptile-loving fanatic de... ... of a legend, and the details provide a vivid image for the mind to weave. Like numerous other cultures in history, the modern human is searching for answers to questions. However, these questions cannot be answered by the means that exist in the twenty-first century, so they excrete to the intellectual way of explaining events through their own perception, which are then created into stories and later evolve into legends and myths. Urban legends hold a significant place within the worlds cultures, date back to time beyond remembering, and are likely to be to ld and believed well into the future.References     Brown, Yorick. The 500 Best Urban Legends Ever New York City I Books, 2003.     Brunvard, Jan Harold. overly Good to Be True The Colossal Book of UrbanLegends. New York W.W. Norton and Company, 2000. 180, 240-249.     Harris, Tom. Howstuffworks How Urban Legends Work. 2001. 1 Mar. 2004..     Roeper, Richard. Urban Legends The Truth Behind All Those Deliciously socialize Myths That Are Absolutely, Positively, 100% Not True. New YorkCity Career P, 1999. 179-182.

Computer Systems Analyst :: essays research papers fc

Computer Systems AnalystI push the button, I hear a noise, the screen comes alive. My computer haemorrhoid up and starts to process. I see the start screen for Windows 95, and Itype in my password. Even though this takes time, I know that I will be able todo whatever I want to do without any trouble, without any glitches, without anyquestions. My computer is now easier to use and more user golden becausecomputer systems analysts fork up worked out the problems that many computersystems still have.It appears to me that a career choice needs to contain a number ofdifferent features. The commencement being Will this area of interest mentallystimulate me as well as challenge me? The second being Is there a personal manner ofmaking a living in these areas of interest? And finally Do I enjoy thedifferent activities within this area of interest? From the first daytime that Istarted my first computer, I have grasped the concepts quickly and with ease.But the computer as well as I will never stop growing. I have introduced myselfto all topics of word processing to surfing the web. After reviewing a numberof resources, I have noticed a relatively utmost contend for technologicallyintegrated hardware and software positions available with companies that wish tocompete with the demand for networking. (Computer Scientists 95) This leadsme to believe that future employment prospects will be high and of high qualitypay within the next eight to ten years. The past, present, and future have andwill see the computer. Since I have seen the computer, I have enjoyed thechallenges and countless opportunities to gain in life from this machine. Fromschool projects to games from the Internet to programming languages I have andalways will feel like that little electric razor in the candy store.Job DescriptionA Computer Systems Analyst decides how data are collected, prepared forcomputers, processed, stored, and made available for users. (Computer SystemsCOIN 1) The principal(p renominal) achievement as a systems analyst is to improve the efficiencyor create a whole new computer system that proves to be more efficient for acontracting company. When on an assignment, the analyst must meet a deadline.While striving for a deadline, he must create and circumnavigate many sources ofinformation for the presentation. He must review the systems capabilities,workflow, and scheduling limitations (Systems Analyst 44), to determine ifcertain parts of the system must be modified for a new program.First, a computer programmer writes a program that he thinks will be

Computer Systems Analyst :: essays research papers fc

Computer Systems AnalystI push the button, I hear a noise, the screen comes alive. My electronic computerloads up and starts to process. I render the start screen for Windows 95, and Itype in my pass member. Even though this takes time, I know that I will be able todo whatever I want to do with reveal any trouble, without any glitches, without anyquestions. My computer is now easier to use and more user friendly becausecomputer systems analysts have worked out the problems that many computersystems still have.It appears to me that a career choice needs to contain a number ofdifferent features. The first being Will this landing field of interest mentallystimulate me as well as challenge me? The second being Is there a way ofmaking a living(a) in these areas of interest? And finally Do I enjoy thedifferent activities within this area of interest? From the first day that Istarted my first computer, I have grasped the concepts quickly and with ease.But the computer as well as I wil l never stop growing. I have introduced myselfto all topics of word processing to surfing the web. After reviewing a numberof resources, I have noticed a relatively high demand for technologicallyintegrated ironware and software positions available with companies that wish tocompete with the demand for networking. (Computer Scientists 95) This leadsme to believe that future employment prospects will be high and of high quality salary within the next eight to ten years. The past, present, and future have andwill see the computer. Since I have seen the computer, I have enjoyed thechallenges and countless opportunities to gain in life from this machine. Fromschool projects to games from the Internet to programming languages I have andalways will feel like that little kid in the candy store. caper DescriptionA Computer Systems Analyst decides how data are collected, prepared forcomputers, processed, stored, and made available for users. (Computer SystemsCOIN 1) The main achievement as a systems analyst is to improve the efficiencyor create a whole new computer system that proves to be more efficient for a espial company. When on an assignment, the analyst must meet a deadline.While striving for a deadline, he must create and comprehend many sources ofinformation for the presentation. He must review the systems capabilities,workflow, and scheduling limitations (Systems Analyst 44), to determine ifcertain parts of the system must be modified for a new program.First, a computer programmer writes a program that he thinks will be

Vulnerability Of Children Contributing Factors Health And Social Care Essay

The in decenniumt of this chapter is to set up an apprehension of the province of peasants in southwestward Africa, to actualise the contri merelying factors to their delineation oppositioning their quality of life on a multi-dimensional degree, and the impact of human immuno wish virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome as unmatched of the native subscribers to fools s film. In visible radiation of the information provided within this chapter, the full end of the washbowlonical demands of kids in southwesterly Africa could supply a foundation for appreciation the church s yesteryear successes and failures in array to advance a think competent pressing consideration of new good times.the province of kidsThere is an pressing call for the eng bestridement of faith-based administrations ( FBO, like the church ) , non-governmental administrations ( NGO ) and local authoritiess to help in produce toing the demands of insecure kids ( Blackman, 2007 Musa, 2005 Ol sen, Knight & A Foster, 2006 Stephenson, Gourley, & A Miles, 2004 ) . This pressing call stems is in visible radiation of the hapless quality of life for these kids, distributively bit pricy as the alter factor of the human immunodeficiency virus and assist pandemic.The church and former(a) FBO s contain been recognised by assorted writers and administrations in their partnership and take to the woods in familiarity-based administrations ( CBO ) ( Hoff, 1998 Olson, Messinger, Sutherland & A Ast iodine, 2005 Olson, Knight & A Foster, 2006 Unruh & A Sider, 2005 ) . The function of churches is widely recognised as a alteration maturent whose engagement goes beyond unless the here and now.But Unruh and Sider ( 2005 ) every bit good as Mitchell ( 2001 ) argue that churches, who atomic number 18 already involved in conjunction development as their attack to societal ministries, argon non every bit effectual as they ought to be and name for the pressing consideration o f their attacks, underlying positions and motivations. This urges the church to grok what the specific demands of strip and vulnerable kids are, and to date stamp its effectivity and its positions on how these demands can be addressed.Within the recommended community development response for the church as outlined by assorted writers ( August, 1999 Dreyer, 2004 Du Toit, 2002 Liebenberg, 1996 Myers, 1999 Myers, 2006 and Vilanculo, 1998 ) , in that prize is an pressing call to be necessarily-based that is developed through the assorted methods and rules such a response involves.It is hence indispensable to grok the general province of kids, as the causes of exposure amongst kids can merely be understood when their realnesss are explained and communicate. Merely within the apprehension of their exposure and lending factors, can kids s demands be efficaciously met and thitherby their quality of life improved.There are assorted statistical estimations and projections on the w orlds of kids, resuscitateing the Numberss of orphans and vulnerable kids ( OVC ) in confederation Africa. Within these assorted beginnings, disagreements were identified between the variant beginnings.The informations include projections with respect to human immunodeficiency virus preponderance, orphanage, AIDS related dyings and even entire communitys. These disagreements were compared and discussed within the work of Dorrington et Al. ( 200627 ) for the twelvemonth 2005.No existent informations on the genuine province of orphans and vulnerable kids ( OVC ) were found or concluded as the available statistical informations are all projections. Dorrington et Al. ( 200617 ) reaffirm the physical exertion of the ASSA2003 Model, but call forth comparing with former(a) projections.Bray ( 200344 ) raises farther concerns sing the methods used to cipher the estimations and projections in regard of orphans and vulnerable kids ( OVC ) , but Bray is even to a greater expiration concerned with what wiz does with these projections and calls for the careful usage of such projected informations. Her concerns are based on the labelling of the kids every bit good as the intended results of intercessions and the disposition hence.No beginning could nevertheless be found that denies the estimations and projections of orphans and vulnerable kids ( OVC ) . For this ground, merely statistical informations from four important beginnings, due to their planetary engagement, leading and protagonism in this respect ASSA2003 Model ( University of Cape Town ) , Statistics South Africa, UNAIDS and UNICEF will be referred to in sing the regional and national informations.The beginnings used in this survey can be accepted as reliable and trusty due to the beginnings national and international activism for kids and search within this field of survey. due to the tendency in the past ten rare ages of projected shapes fluctuating to an undependable extent, these projecti ons will be handled with great care.It excessively needs to be stressed that all projections and statistics provided here are estimates merely. The statistical information provided within this survey are included simply for the apprehension of the worlds kids are confronting and the part of these fortunes to the exposure of kids.Statistical beginnings from chiefly the past eight gray-haired ages ( 2001 2009 ) will be quoted and referred to, and all other beginnings ( unitarytime(a) than four old ages and other than ASSA, Stats SA, UNAIDS and UNICEF ) will be weighed against these to find the liberty of their renderments and statements.2.2.1 Specifying orphans and vulnerable kids In order to grok the world of vulnerable kids within the context of this survey, a clear apprehension of the ii footings orphans and vulnerable kids is needed. Skinner et al. , ( 2006620 ) refers to the importance of sing the state of personal business of kids orphaned by AIDS , but emphasizes that by looking at orphans affected by AIDS merely, does non embrace the full graduated table of the world of kids, since the human immunodeficiency virus pandemic every bit good as environing poorness are making a context in which big Numberss of kids are made vulnerable.It needs to be stated clearly that within the apprehension of the world of kids and intercessions to help them, it is acknowledged that human immunodeficiency virus and AIDS are a major subscriber, but non the direct cause or subscriber to the exposure of kids. human immunodeficiency virus and AIDS characteristic as outstanding factors lending to the exposure of kids but it can non be divide from other lending factors.OrphansHarmonizing to Skinner et Al. ( 2006620 ) the most recognized definition of an orphan is a kid who has upset one or both reboots through decease But this definition could besides include loss of heightens through abandonment or if the parents are unable or unwilling to supply attentio n . They refer in most instances to the absent parent as being the potent parent ( Skinner et al. , 2006620 ) . Within the literature consulted, the age of the kid includes from birth and varies up to between 15 and 21, depending on the context and the degree of dependence on care-givers.Harmonizing to Skinner et al. , ( 2006620 ) , within the orphan grouping, degrees of exposure are discerned by an apprehension of the work out environment of these kids. These environmental apprehensions are used to understand these orphans within an inexplicit categorization system, such as the nature of their health skippers i.e. , drawn-out house births, surrogate parents, community health professionals, youngster-headed families and institutional attention, the degree of extra aid required, and between maternal , paternal and double orphans ( 2006620 ) .Assorted writers have raised their concerns with respect to stigmatisations when specifying an orphan within a group such as AIDS-orph ans or their degree of exposure within their environmental apprehension such as the term OVC ( Engle, 20089 lay aside the Children, 200729 Skinner et al. , 2006620 Smart, 20034 ) . Care must hence be taken with how any term associating to orphans and vulnerable kids ( OVC ) is used as they become objectified or marks for stigma and segregation which farther contributes to their exposure.Vulnerable ChildrenVulnerability is non an absolute province because there are grades of exposure which depend on the state of affairs of the kid. Harmonizing to Skinner et Al. ( 2006620 ) there are a ascertain of lending factors to a kid s exposure and each of these adds to the cumulative burden that the kid carries . For them, the extent of the crisis and extra jobs associated with it besides affect the impact on the kid ( 2006620 ) .Vulnerability is a really complex construct to specify and really frequently the understanding thereof is limited to the incident of the kid. Harmonizin g to Smart, ( 20034 ) the construct of exposure is non merely restricted to persons, such as kids, but is frequently used to mention to families every bit good. There does look to be a nexus between poorness and exposure proposing that policies and intercessions to better exposure among the hapless in general, will besides hold a positive impact on take orphans and vulnerable kids ( OVC ) ( Smart, 20034 ) .The South African Department of Social Development, defines a vulnerable kid as a kid whose endurance, attention, protection or development may be compromised due to a peculiar status, state of affairs or circumstance and which prevents the fulfillment of his or her rights ( 20055 ) . These conditions could be identified by the undermentioned standards harmonizing to Department of Social Development ( 200513 ) , Engle ( 200810 ) and Skinner et al. , ( 2006623 ) A kid who is below the age of 18, and meets one or to a greater extent than of the undermentioned standard, is made vulnerable by it as it influences their quality of lifeHas a inveterate stray parent/caregiver ( regardless of whether the parent/caregiver lives in the same family as the kid ) , orLifes in a family where in the past 12 months at least one grownup died and was sick for 3 of the 12 months onwards he/she died, orLifes in a family where at least one grownup was earnestly sick for at least 3 months in the past 12 months, orPopulating with really old and frail health professionals, orLifes in a family that receives and attentions for orphans, orLifes outside of household attention ( i.e. , lives in an establishment or on the streets ) ,Is born of a teenage or single(a) female parent Is abused or ill-treated by a step-parent or relations Is populating with a parent or an grownup who lacks income-generating chances Has lost one or both parents Children whose endurance, well-being or development is impacted by HIV or AIDS Any physical or mental disability or any other long-run troubl e that would do it hard for the kid to work independently Skinner et al. , ( 2006623 ) . These indexs could include the following invariably make marks deficient nutrition, marks of hungriness, marks of deficient slumber, hapless hygiene or can non prosecute in personal attention and does non hold dress or vesture is soiled or damaged ( Skinner et al. , 2006623 ) . Illness, either HIV or other major unwellness and emotional or mental jobs ( Skinner et al. , 2006623 ) Harmonizing to them these indexs could include apathy or weakness that might demo in the kid as being unhappy, dull, being suffering or deficiency of motive, disregard of train assignment, irregular attending of school or non executing good at school, low school registration judge, high repeat rates, and/or high bead out rates ( 2006623 ) .Low immunization and limited or no entree to wellness services, malnutrition, and a high load of sickness Maltreatment at emotional, physical or sexual degree usage of dr ugs ( e.g. , gum, intoxicant, coffin nails, marihuana or cleft ) and non having equal attention ( Skinner et al. , 2006623 ) inquisitively love, counsel and support intra-household disregard when compared to other kids in the family ( 2006623 ) .At a higher hazard than their local equals of sing baby, kid and adolescent mortality Family and community maltreatment and ill-treatment ( torment and force ) Economic and sexual development, due to miss of attention and protectionIt can be concluded, that even though the HIV and AIDS pandemic is apparent as a major subscriber and the presence of it will be seeable in to the highest degree every aspect of being vulnerable these every bit good as other factors lending to exposure, must be acknowledged and considered within the wider context of other kids.HIV and AIDS is non the lone subscriber to the job of orphanage and exposure. Other factors like poorness, wars, maltreatment, non-HIV related unwellnesss and natural and unnatural de ceases, contribute significantly to the job of orphanage and exposure amongst kids ( Simbayi, Kleintjies, Ngomane, Tabane, Mfecane & A Davids, 200620 ) .It is thence of import that HIV and orphan intercessions attend to the demands of all kids, instead than concentrating entirely on those kids affected by HIV/AIDS.2.2 The societal STATe OF CHILDREN in SOUTH AFRICASouth Africa is being considered as a underdeveloped state and an inspiration for the African Renaissance and human-centered development. With South Africa apparent holding the universe s best Fundamental law and Bill of Rights ( Dinokeng, 20099 ) , one would anticipate a contemplation thereof in the world of the lives of the kids of South Africa.The National image the general province of South Africa s kidsThe undermentioned informations are twelvemonth specific, but reflects the exposure of kids in South Africa which is the primary focal point of the inclusion of this information in this survey.In 2006, there were 1 8.2 meg kids in South Africa and they constituted 38 % of the state s population, of which 38 % were between 6 and 12 old ages, 34 % being younger than 6 old ages and 28 % were adolescents ( 13 17 old ages old ) ( Proudlock, Dutschke, Jamieson, Monson & A Smith, 200864 ) .The livelihood-realities of South African kidsFrom all the kids in South Africa, in 2006 an estimated 12.3 million or 68 % of them lived in families with an income of less than R1 200 per month ( Proudlock et al. , 200863 ) . A farther 2.8 million or 16 % of all kids were populating in families across South Africa where kids were reported as hungry ( sometimes , often or always ) because there was non adequate nutrient ( Proudlock et al. , 200863 Stats SA, 200641 ) .An estimated 10 million or 54 % of South Africa s kids lived in rural countries harmonizing to research done in 2004. The Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo states were home to approximately 74 % of all rural kids in South Africa of which Li mpopo was proportionately the most rural state, where merely 12 % of kids lived in urban countries.In the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal states, there is much of an equal split between kids populating in urban and rural countries. In Gauteng there were 96 % and in the Western Cape 87 % of the kids urban-based.It is a general pattern that grownups populating in rural countries, frequently move to urban countries in die hard of work, while their kids remain in the rural countries and are cared for by the drawn-out household.There was an indicant that babies younger than one twelvemonth were much likely to be populating in urban countries than older kids, which suggests that babes born in urban countries ab initio remain with their female parents ( Proudlock et al. , 200887 ) .The figure of kids populating in informal lodging ( backyard homes or hovels in informal colonies ) increased from 2.3 million in 2002, to 2.6 million in 2006 and besides accounted for 12 % of all South Africa n kids ( Proudlock et al. , 200886 ) .Children life in formal countries are more likely than those populating in informal or traditional homes to hold basic services on situate. They are besides more likely to be closer to installations like schools, libraries, clinics and infirmaries than those populating in informal colonies or rural countries.Proudlock et Al. ( 200890 ) reflects on kids populating in informal colonies as being more open to jeopardies such as hovel fires and paraffin toxic condition . For them, kids s rights to adequate lodging agencies that they should non hold to populate in informal homes ( 200886 ) .Overcrowding is related to a deficit of lodging and besides to the size of houses being built. In 2006, 5.2 million or 28 % of the entire child population lived in overcrowded families ( Proudlock et al. , 200890 Stats SA, 200641 ) .For Proudlock et Al. ( 200890 ) , Overcrowding is a job because it can sabotage kids s demands and rights , and refer to the r ight to privateness, and wellness as catching diseases spread more easy in overcrowded conditions. For them, kids in crowded families may fight to negociate infinite for their ain activities . These kids may besides hold less entree to basic services such as H2O and electricity ( Proudlock et al. , 200890 ) .Good sanitation is critical for healthy childhood as there are a figure of negative effects for kids who are unable to entree proper lavatories. It is really hard to keep good hygiene without H2O and lavatories kids are loose to worms, bacterial infection which compromises nutrition.A deficiency of equal sanitation besides undermines human self-respect ( Proudlock et al. , 200891 ) . In 2006, merely 9.9 million, or 55 % of South Africa s kids had entree to adequate lavatory installations and 11 million or 61 % of South Africa s kids had entree to imbibing H2O on site ( Proudlock et al. , 200891 ) .In 2006, 10.6 million or 96 % of all kids of school-going age ( 7 17 old ag es ) were go toing some signifier of school or educational installation. These figures nevertheless, are non an indicant of the regularity of kids s school attending the quality of instruction and acquisition in schools, or about repeat and throughput rates ( Proudlock et al. , 200874 Stats SA, 20069 ) .A ground for concern is the figure of kids who did non go to an educational installation, as harmonizing to Proudlock et al. , ( 200874 ) and Stats SA, ( 20069 ) , in 2006 there were about 447,000 kids of school-going age that were non go toing an educational installation, of which 337,000 were kids aged 13 17.Every twelvemonth there are 20 000 babes stillborn and a farther 22 000 babes die before they are a month old ( 28 yearss ) , which accounted for 30 % of all child deceases in 2006 ( UNICEF, 20086 ) .The mortality informations for 2006 showed that the highest figure of deceases in the whole population drawred in the 0 4 old ages age group of which the under five twelvemont h mortality rate ( U5MR ) increased from 40 deceases per 1,000 unrecorded births in 2001 to 72 per 1,000 unrecorded births in 2005.The infant mortality rate ( IMR ) increased from 29 deceases per 1,000 unrecorded births in 2001 to 43 per 1,000 unrecorded births in 2005 ( Proudlock et al. , 200878 ) . It is estimated that one in every 17 kids dies before the age of 5 ( UNICEF, 20086 ) . Harmonizing to Proudlock et al. , ( 200880 ) the taking causes of decease in kids under five may be divided into four classsComplications during and shortly afterward birthHarmonizing to them ( 200880 ) , the prima causes of decease among kids younger than 15 old ages ( for 2000 to 2005 ) are related to perinatal upsets ( upsets that occur in the period of late gestation to seven yearss after birth ) , which means that newborn kids and babies under one twelvemonth are peculiarly sensitive to diseases.Respiratory and cardiovascular upsets remain the primary cause of decease in the perinatal period and, since 2002, it is the highest specific class of decease among kids under 15 old ages. By the terminal of 2003, the perinatal mortality rate was 35.8 per 1,000 for all bringings, and 26.4 per 1,000 for all babies weighing more than 1,000 gms ( Proudlock et al. , 200880 ) .HIV-related unwellnesssHIV/AIDS remains the biggest menace to child endurance as the HIV- and AIDS-pandemic continues to lay waste to the wellbeing and endurance of kids ( Proudlock et al. , 200880 ) .Diseases straight related to poorness ( for illustration enteric infective diseases and malnutrition )Gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases have shown a diminution in incidence since 1997, and malnutrition as a cause of decease, has halved between 2000 and 2005 ( Proudlock et al. , 200880 ) .InjuryUnnatural causes of decease that account for tarnish are classified under unspecified unnatural causes , which makes up 7 % of child deceases in 2005 ( Proudlock et al. , 200880 ) .It was estimated for 2007, that for every 100,000 people, 41 were raped ( of which 40 % were kids ) . This statistic is accepted as under-estimated by UNICEF and states that under-reporting of offense is common, particularly when it involves people from the same household or community ( 20087 ) .In the bulk of offenses that happen within societal or domestic scenes, the culprits and the victims know each other they are household or friends ( UNICEF, 20087 ) .HIV and AIDS regional informations South- AfricaHarmonizing to Smart ( 20037 ) the HIV- and AIDS-pandemic can be illustrated as a sequence of three moving continues. The first moving extend is HIV infections, and it is followed some old ages subsequently by the second moving ridge of AIDS unwellness and decease . This in bend, is followed by the 3rd wave of kids being orphaned by HIV and AIDS , with its impact at multiple degrees ( 20037 ) .But harmonizing to UNICEF ( 2004a4 ) HIV and AIDS start to impact a kid early in a parent s unwellness, as kids and immature people in an HIV and AIDS-affected family Begin to endure long before a parent or health professional dies, due to the effects ensuing in family income that plumb bobs, interrupted schooling and even entire fall-out, either to care for a ill parent or to gain money.The impact thereof continues through the class of the unwellness, every bit good as throughout the kid s development good after the parent s decease. Assorted survival schemes are pursued, such as eating less and selling assets, which are lending to and escalating the exposure of these families.For UNICEF, Children who are deprived of the counsel and protection of their primary health professionals are more vulnerable to wellness hazards, force, development, and favoritism ( 2004a4 ) .Harmonizing to UNICEF ( 2004a3 ) kids affected by HIV and AIDS are non merely affected by orphanage, but they are besides made vulnerable when they have an sick parent, are populating in hapless families that have taken in o rphans, are discriminated against because of a household member s HIV position, or who have HIV themselves .For so, HIV and AIDS has joined a host of other factors and includes utmost poorness, struggle, and development, which impose extra loads on society s youngest and most vulnerable members ( 2004a3 ) .It is believed that due to the disagreements in informations older than 2005, there was a planetary under-estimation of the impact of HIV and AIDS pandemic in South Africa, to such an extent that South Africa was non considered to be a state confronting the biggest impact of this pandemic, as compared to neighboring states like Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.Merely in recent literature ( from ASSA, UNAIDS, UNICEF and World Bank ) dated from 2005, it was realized that South Africa will hold the biggest impact of HIV and AIDS therefore holding the biggest load of orphans and vulnerable kids ( OVC ) due to this pandemic.In 2007, the entire South African population was 47.8 million people, of which 18.2 million where kids under the age of 17 old ages ( Proudlock et al. , 200882 UNICEF, 20085 ) . In the same twelvemonth, it was estimated that 5.7 million South Africans were populating with HIV, doing South Africa the largest pandemic in the universe ( UNICEF, 20087 something non antecedently considered ( UNAIDS/WHO, 200716 UNICEF, 20087 ) .Womans, particularly those in their kid bearing old ages, bear the biggest proportion of the HIV infection and a 3rd of meaning(a) adult females are estimated to be HIV-positive ( UNICEF, 20082 ) . The HIV informations from prenatal clinics in South Africa suggest that the state s pandemic might be stabilising, but there is no grounds yet of major alterations in HIV-related mien ( UNAIDS/WHO, 200712 ) .By 2006, 294,000 kids under the age of 15 old ages of age were populating with HIV in South Africa ( ASSA, 2005 n.p. Proudlock et al. , 200882 ) and the bulk of them have been infected through mother-to-child transmittal and hence child prevalence among babies is mostly influenced by the HIV prevalence of pregnant adult females and the intercessions to forestall mother-to-child transmittal ( ASSA, 2005 n.p. Proudlock et al. , 200884 ) .The highest prevalence amongst these kids was in KwaZulu-Natal with 3.2 % Mpumalanga and the Free State with 2.6 % and Gauteng with 2.5 % ( ASSA, 2005 n.p Proudlock et al. , 200884 ) . The estimations from the ASSA2003 theoretical account farther suggested that an overall prevalence of 1.2 % in 2000 has doubled to 2.1 % in 2006 for kids under the age of 18 old ages ( ASSA, 2005 n.p. Proudlock et al. , 200863 ) .Harmonizing to UNICEF ( 200824 ) , life anticipation has plummeted by 15 old ages, from age 65 in 1996 to age 50 in 2005 and 1,000 people die every twenty-four hours as a consequence of AIDS-related illnesses.. In 2006, about 69 % of kids and grownups with advanced HIV infection were having antiretroviral intervention ( ART ) ( UNICEF, 2 00824 ) while still between 270 000 and 420 000 people died of AIDS related unwellnesss in 2006 ( UNAIDS/WHO, 20087 ) .KwaZulu-Natal had the highest figure of deceases ( 15,209 ) due to AIDS related unwellnesss, every bit good as the 2nd highest figure ( 6,378 ) of kids on ART in that twelvemonth. Gauteng had the 2nd highest figure of child deceases due to AIDS related unwellnesss, but in the same twelvemonth it had the highest figure of kids on ART ( 6,992 ) ( ASSA, 2005 n.p. Proudlock et al. , 200885 ) .Harmonizing to Proudlock et al. , ( 200884 ) , the HIV-pandemic has progressed at a rapid gait over the last decennary, and the necessary wellness services to turn to the demands of HIV septic kids, have non been put in travel byographic point. This has caused kids to non be able to entree the life-saving and desperately needed antiretroviral intervention ( ART ) .Children in the way of HIV and AIDS orphansWith a big figure of factors already mentioned that are lending to the e xposure of kids, the impact of HIV and AIDS can be expected to be another large contributing factor. In South Africa the figure of orphans has been increase easy, and as a consequence has attracted comparatively small public attending. In old ages to come nevertheless, the figure of orphans is likely to lift quickly as AIDS mortality additions ( Johnson & A Dorrington, 20011 ) .In 2001 they ( 20015 ) considered South Africa s AIDS pandemic as still in its early phases, relative to other African states , as South Africa has yet to see the degrees of orphanage observed elsewhere in Africa.This is because there are more people infected with HIV in South Africa than in any other African Country , and it is hence rather possible that the state will finally hold more orphans due to AIDS related causes, than any other state on the African continent ( Johnson & A Dorrington, 20015 ) .Harmonizing to UNICEF ( 200824 ) , of all the states affected by HIV and AIDS, South Africa has th e most devastating load, as a consequence of holding the universe s highest figure of HIV infected people .Harmonizing to Proudlock et. Al ( 200866 ) , in 2006, there were 3.7 million sum orphans this is equal to 21 % of all kids in South Africa with 619 000 , or 3 % of all orphans documented to be maternal orphans, 668 000, or 4 % of all orphans documented to be dual orphans and 2.4 million orphans, or 14 % of all orphans documented to be paternal orphans.Harmonizing to them, the figure of paternal orphans is this high because of the higher mortality rates of work forces in South Africa, every bit good as the frequent absence of male parents in kids s live s ( Proudlock et al. , 200866 ) .Per state, the estimations for 2006 were as followsKwaZulu-Natal with 978 000 orphans.Eastern Cape 816 000 orphansLimpopo 481 000 orphansGauteng 392 000 orphansMpumalanga 286 000 orphansFree State 284 000 orphansNorth West 281 000 orphansWestern Cape 198 000 orphans Federal Cape 52 000 orphans( Proudlock et al. , 200866 )There has been an addition in the figure of orphans in the past five old ages, and harmonizing to Proudlock et. Al ( 200866 ) there were about 750,000 more kids populating as orphans in 2006 than in 2002 and see this addition in visible radiation of the HIV- and AIDS-pandemic ( 200866 ) .Further to this, they province that there where about 122,000 kids populating in an estimated 60,000 child-headed families across South Africa ( 200868 ) . Of these, 89 % were located in the undermentioned three states Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape ( Proudlock et al. , 200868 ) .Annually an norm of 1.1 million babes are born, of which 300,000 were born to HIV-positive female parents and an estimated 78,000 of these babes run the hazard of acquiring infected if nil is done to forestall mother-to-child transmittal of HIV. One-half of these kids die before they reach two old ages of age ( UNICEF, 200813 ) .Orphan projectionsAs mentioned, the HIV- and AIDS-pandemic demands to be understood in footings of a series of moving ridges Smart ( 20037 ) . In South Africa, the first of these moving ridges represented new HIV infections which harmonizing to Johnson and Dorrington ( 20015 ) peaked in 1998 at approximately 930 000 infections per twelvemonth .This was followed by the 2nd moving ridge of the entire figure of infections, which was estimated to top out in 2006 at 7.7 million infections ( 20015 ) . The 3rd moving ridge being AIDS deceases, is expected to top out in 2010 with approximately 800 000 ( 20015 deceases per twelvemonth, which will take to the 4th moving ridge being AIDS related orphans.Johnson and Dorrington ( 20014 ) estimates this moving ridge to top out at 3.7 million maternal orphans ( kids under the age of 18 old ages ) ( 200113 ) and 4.71 million paternal orphans ( kids under the age of 18 old ages ) in 2015, ( 200114 ) while the entire figure of kids holding lost one or both parents is expecte d to make its highest degree in 2014, at 5.67 million ( 200114 ) .Johnson and Dorrington estimates that in 2015, these orphans ( kids under the age of 18 old ages and holding lost one or both parents ) would be 33 % of the entire kid population, of which 18 % would hold lost a female parent ( maternal orphan ) and 28 % would hold lost their male parent ( paternal orphan ) and 11 % would hold lost both their parents ( dual orphans ) .They farther estimate to stay at these high degrees for an expected 15 20 old ages, due to the general consideration that if a kid lost one parent due to AIDS related unwellnesss, it is most likely for the other parent to besides decease of AIDS related unwellnesss, to the extent that by 2020 a sum of 40 % of all orphans would be considered dual orphans ( Johnson & A Dorrington, 200114 ) .Giese and Meintjies ( 20042 ) , Johnson and Dorrington ( 200122 ) call for these projections to be understood as merely anticipations in the absence of any major int ervention intercession or behavior alterations.Johnson and Dorrington ( 2001 two ) besides states that within these projected orphan estimations, one needs to see that foremost, comparatively few orphaned kids are likely to be HIV positive, as most HIV positive orphans do non last for long plenty to represent a important proportion of the orphan population.Second, the rate of orphanage is likely to be the highest in the black African population group amongst hapless socio-economic groups ( 2001 two ) .Consequences of orphanageHarmonizing to Johnson and Dorrington ( 200131 ) , South Africa can anticipate to see an dismaying growing in the figure of orphaned kids over the following 15-20 old ages.The bulk of these kids will be adolescents, and will come from hapless socio-economic backgrounds. If their demands are non met, many of them will turn up as disaffected and anomic members of society.Harmonizing to them, South Africa s capacity to supply attention for these orphaned kids wil l therefore find the long-run societal stableness of the state ( 200131 ) . There have besides been legion other surveies in the field of the societal deductions of projected orphanage and there have besides been some profound statements in this respect Although the figure of orphans is reeling, its effects are merely merely get bolt down ( UNAIDS, 200119 ) . The socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS portends a immense human-centered catastrophe with desperate economic and societal effects ( ILO, 2002 n.p. ) . Turning up without school or vocational instruction, they are juvenile delinquents, possible Rebels. What future do they hold, what future do we hold? ( Hunter, 1990683 ) athe potency for monolithic societal interruption and disruption in Sub-Saharan Africa ( Hunter, 1990681 )The above statements and decisions made by assorted writers, need to be read in visible radiation of Bray s ( 20033 ) call for serious and careful consideration of any literature that makes assorted p remises and decisions as to the societal impact of the projected orphanage.She calls for the cautious usage of jutting figures of orphans every bit good as the possible deductions on societal and economic degrees as these anticipations, as antecedently mentioned, are mere estimations in the visible radiation of the absence of important surveies or grounds to turn out the cogency thereof.Sing Bray s ( 200344 ) call for cautiousness when working with statistical informations associating to orphans and vulnerable kids ( OVC ) , every bit good as her concern to presume and reason to any effects and societal impact thereof ( 20033 ) , such projections will non be included or promoted within this survey.The statistical informations and projections included in this survey are simply to dispute perceptual experiences and methods when sing appropriate intercessions to turn to the demands of vulnerable kids.The outstanding influence of HIV and AIDS therefore far, serves to admit and understan d the impact thereof on communities and to kick upstairs place the pandemic as one of the biggest subscribers to the exposure of kids.It needs to be stressed that the exposure of kids is non merely caused by the HIV and AIDS pandemic or orphanage entirely. UNICEF ( 2004b14 ) provinces that it should be noted that the impact of HIV/AIDS every bit good as other subscribers to the exposure of kids varies well from one context to another .Harmonizing to them, there is no theoretical account or specific set of intercessions that can be prescribed for all communities and for this ground, within each action or intercession, the mix of schemes and actions will change harmonizing to locally identified demands, capacities and precedences ( UNICEF, 2004b14 ) .2.3 DecisionThe annihilating impact of HIV and AIDS and other factors underpinned by poorness, on the kids and their households every bit good as the communities as a whole, is a really complex state of affairs with no simple firm ness or speedy hole. The world of the current state of affairs is complex, inter-related on all degrees of life, and cuts across all sectors of development. We are faced with an unprecedented state of affairs that requires the trust and regard of communities, coaction and committedness at all degrees of the society.This world is an even bigger felt-need of kids or as Macharia Kamau from UNICEF ( 20084 ) provinces For many kids in South Africa, life is their biggest challenge. Populating in hapless rural communities, overcrowded townships and dilapidated interior metropoliss, these kids do non hold the privilege of private medical attention, a school library have with books, a computing machine at place or in some cases, parents to love and protect them. What they frequently face is a childhood lost to poorness, disease, hapless societal services and broken places ( UNICEF, 20084 ) .With the apprehension that there is no formula or route map ( FHI, 20012 ) , and there is no one- size fits all ( Engle, 200837 ) there is a turning consensus about the wide lineations of a strategic response ( FHI, 20012 ) and rules to steer intercessions to help these orphans and vulnerable kids ( OVC ) .Due to the focal point of this survey being on orphans and vulnerable kids ( OVC ) , and the awaited function of the church in the community through a catalytic-relational partnership, it is important to understand these recommended responses and rules in order to include these results in the church s practice of community development, which will be discussed subsequently in this survey.

Business Ethics in Brazil Essay

In this comparative survey of 126 brazilian and U.S. phone line professionals, we explore the effect of interior(a) nuance on respectable decisionmaking within the context of phone line. utilise Reidenbach and Robins (1988) multi-criteria ethics instrument, we examined how these two countries differences on Hofstedes laissez faire/collectivism Rafik I. Beekun (Ph.D., The University of Texas, Austin) is Professor of Management and Strategy in the Managerial Sciences Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. His current search chases are in the area of strategic adaptation, the link between topic acculturations and ethics, and the relationship between management and spirituality. He has published in such journals as daybook of Applied Psychology, Human Relations, Journal of Management and Decision Sciences. Correspondence bear oning this article should be sent to him at Managerial Sciences Department, ship Stop 28, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557-0206. Yvonne St edham (Ph.D., University of Kansas) is an Associate Professor of Management in the Managerial Sciences Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. She has published in such journals as the Journal of Management and Journal of Management Studies. Dr. Stedhams research porees on the following areas CEO performance evaluation, gender discrimination in employment, ethics in argument, decision making crossways cultivations, and managing knowledge workers. Jeanne H. Yamamura (CPA, Ph.D., Washington State University) is an Associate Professor of Accounting in the College of Business at the University of Nevada Reno. Her teaching responsibilities include auditing and accounting information systems courses. Dr. Yamamuras research foc purposes on the management of accounting professionals with a particular interest in cross- heathen differences and her work has been published in accounting and business journals. She has extensive unimaginative experience in the field of accounting thro ugh her previous employment in public and private accounting.Rafik I. Beekun Yvonne Stedham Jeanne H. Yamamura dimension are striked to the manner in which business practitioners make commodity decisions. Our results indicate that brazil-nut treeians and Americans evaluate the ethical field of study of achieves or decisions differently when applying utilitarian criteria. By contrast, business people from both countries do not differ significantly when they use egoistic criteria in evaluating the ethical nature of business decisions. KEY WORDS Brazil, egoism, ethics, national refining, U.S., utilitarianism As business organizations touch from domestic to global and transnational competition, they are finding that cultural harbors vary significantly across national boundaries, and are likely to affect business practices (Husted, 2000). During the past decade, some(prenominal) researchers (Ferrell and Gresham, 1985 Hunt et al., 1989 Abratt et al., 1992 Hunt and Vitell, 1992 Tsalikis and Nwachukwu, 1991 Vitell et al., 1993) have noted the potential influence of national culture on ethics within a business context. What obscures the impact of national culture on ethics is that business practices may conflict with ethical values in a manner that medicine, law and giving medication do not (DeGeorge, 1993). Not surprisingly, empirical research investigating the relationship between national culture and ethical decision-making is relatively sparse (Vitell et al., 1993). A indigenous reason for exploring the effects of culture on ethics is the increased globalization of business. This trend, in turn, is characterized by a diverse array of interorganizational arrangements that require cross-cultural interaction. As a result, cultural misunderstandings are likely to occur.One of the key areas where such mis- Journal of Business Ethics 42 267279, 2003. 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. 268 Rafik I. Beekun et al. understandings take step forward is in the area of ethics, partly because of the influence that national cultures may have upon business ethics (Husted, 2000). Accordingly, in our study, we explore the relationship between national culture and business ethics. We pull up stakes seek to investigate what process underlies ethical way across national boundaries. Understanding this process may benefactor global managers bring on tools to promote ethical mien in their international workforce. In this research, we compare two culturally diverse countries, the United States (U.S.) and Brazil, in order to identify similarities and differences with regard to approaches toward ethical decision-making in a business context. Since culture is a broad concept, it is necessary to specify the values that could be related to behaviors or practices (Husted, 2000). For the purposes of this study, we used a well-established framework of national culture (Hofstede, 1980). Hofstede conducted one of the most important studies that ascertained the relationship between national culture and management. From this study, he identified several value dimensions along which countries differ. Using Hofstedes (1980) framework, we carried out a crosscultural, comparative survey to assess the relationship between his individualism/collectivism dimension of national culture and ethical criteria. With respect to ethical decision-making, we adopted the instrument proposed and validated by Reidenbach and Robin (1988, 1990).They have generated a set of subdues that measure the core dimensions characterizing different perspectives of ethical doctrine. Defining national culture Hofstedes dimensions of culture Multiple definitions and conceptualizations of national culture exist (Hofstede, 1980, 1988, 2001 Kluckhohn, 1951, 1962 Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck, 1961 Ronen and Shenkar, 1985 Trompenaars, 1993). Although these frame kit and caboodle and conceptualizations typically center on values, they differ with respect t o the detail values that are included in their respective frameworks. For instance, Trompenaars (1993) focuses on values related to relationships such as obligation, emotional orientation in relationships, and involvement in relationships. By contrast, Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck (1961) emphasize more global values such as peoples relationship to nature and time-orientation. With respect to our study, Hofstedes framework of national cultures is the most appropriate since he identified values related to economic activity (Husted, 2000). Therefore, his framework is germane for the study of business decisions. Focusing on national cultures, Hofstede (1997, p. 260) defines culture as the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one mathematical group or category of people from another. Thus, although the problems faced by groups (whether organizational or national) are universal, the solutions devised by each group may be relatively unique to that group. Thes e solutions then become taken for granted over time, and may draw out why people hold certain beliefs and behave the way they do (Schneider and Barsoux, 1997). Hofstede (1980, 1988) has suggested that five dimensions of national culture underlie differences in the behavior of individuals from different cultural backgrounds.Since these dimensions describe how individuals view and interpret situations and behavior, they are likely to be related to how individuals engage in decision-making in general (Weick, 1979 Adler, 2002). Ethical decisionmaking, too, is likely to be stirred by these dimensions of national culture. Hofstedes five cultural dimensions (1980, 1988) are power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/ muliebrity, individualism/collectivism, and long-term/short-term orientation. Power distance refers to the academic degree to which less powerful members in a country accept an unequal distribution of power. Uncertainty avoidance depicts a peoples ability to trade with ambiguous situations as well as the mechanisms they have created to avoid such situations. Masculinity exemplifies a focus on material things, such as money, success, etc., whereas femininity refers to a focus on quality of life, caring, etc. Individualism, which will be discussed in more detail later, refers to the tendency of people to turn over their interests and those of A proportional Investigation of Business Ethics their warm family only. By contrast, collectivism refers to the inclination of people to view themselves as part of a larger group, and to hold dear the interests of group members. Longterm/short-term orientation describes the time perspective people take when dealing with a situation. Table I playacts the scores for Hofstedes cultural dimensions for Brazil and the U.S. enchantment the scores indicate dissimilarities between the U.S. and Brazil on all five cultural dimensions, by far the largest difference appears in the individualism/collectivism dimen sion. Brazil scored low on individualism, and hence is considered a collectivistic country by contrast, the U.S. scored high on individualism and is considered an individualistic country.The individualism/collectivism dimension describes how individuals relate to others and to society, and represents the extent to which they are emotionally and cognitively attached to a particular network of individuals. Individualism describes the inclination of individuals to be primarily concerned with their personal interests and their immediate familys welfare (Hofstede, 1980). Members of a highly individualistic country view themselves as in viewent of organizations or institutions, and place a higher value on self-reliance and individual action. Collectivism, in comparison, describes a culture where individuals are viewed as part of a larger group, and look after each other. Collectivistic cultures protect the interests of their members in return for their loyalty. In collectivist cultures, m orality is defined in terms of the benefits for the in-group (family, friends, work companies, 269 etc.), implying the maintenance of solidarity (Triandis and Bhawuk, 1997). Hofstede (1980) noted that the individualism/collectivism dimension carried unattackable moral overtones because this dimension was reflected in value systems shared by the majority. For example, in a highly individualistic country, individualism is viewed as a strength and the major reason for the countrys accomplishments. By comparison, inhabitants of a highly collectivistic country view an emphasis on self as a disallow attribute to be eliminated for the good of society. Competing ethical frameworks for business decisions Ethics are the principles of human conduct regarding either an individual or a group (Shaw, 1999), and represent the moral standards not governed by law, that focus on the human consequences of actions (Francesco and Gold, 1998).Ethics often require behavior that meets higher standards th an those established by law, including selfless behavior rather than calculated action intended to produce a tangible benefit. With respect to this study, business ethics describe the ultimate rules governing the assessment of what constitutes sort out or wrong, or good or enceinte human conduct in a business context (Shaw, 1999). In the assessment of ethical behavior, detection is critical (Hartmann, 2000). Indeed, ethical decisions may be influenced by our own perception, by others perceptions of our actions, and by our perception of universal laws. As a TABLE I heathenish dimensions (Hofstede 1980, 1988, 2001) Dimensions of culture U.S. Brazil Difference Power distance Uncertainty avoidance 40 46 69 76 (29) (30) Individualism/Collectivism 91 38 53 Masculine/Feminine Confucian Dynamism 62 29 49 65 13 (36) 270 Rafik I. Beekun et al. result, our final choices may be determined by the perception that is the most salient at the time. Further, Hartmann suggests that cultures may d iffer not only with respect to the ethical principles underlying decisions but as well with respect to which of the tercet stakeholders self, society, and universal laws is emphasized in any given situation. Depending on which stakeholder is emphasized, people from different cultures may vary in their assessment of the ethical nature of a decision. Across most situations, ethical principles that distinguish right from wrong actions are encompassed by several normative theories, e.g., justice, relativism, egoism, utilitarianism, and deontology. These theories can generate potentially conflicting interpretations of what is ethical or unethical, originating from the very nature of the theories themselves.Moreover, prior research (Cohen et al., 1996 Hansen, 1992 Reidenbach and Robin, 1988, 1990) indicates that individuals making ethical decisions do not select a single theory or philosophy by which to make their decisions. In fact, Reidenbach and Robin (1988) found that a varying co mbination of ethical philosophies or theories is employed when ethical decisions are made. Shaw (1999) draws a attribute between two types of ethical theories, consequentialist and nonconsequentialist. Consequentialist theories suggest that the moral rightness of an action depends on the actual or intended results of the action. What is right is determined by advisement the ratio of good to bad that an action is likely to produce (Shaw, 1999, p. 45). A key issue underlying consequentialist theories is the nature of the beneficiaries of the action under consideration. Should one consider the consequences for oneself or for all involved? The most important consequentialist theories are egoism and utilitarianism. Egoism promotes individual self-interest as the guiding principle whereas utilitarianism advocates that everyone affected by the action or decision must be taken into account (Shaw, 1999). By contrast, nonconsequentialist theories suggest that it is not simply the consequenc e of an act that matters, but also its inherent character. Although these theories do not deny that con- sequences are morally relevant, they assert that other factors are also important in assessing the moral significance of an action. For example, break a promise is wrong not simply because of the consequences that result from breaking it, but also because of the nature of the act itself. In this study, we focus on consequentialist theories for several reasons. First, Hofstedes individualism/collectivism dimension can be clearly and easily related to the two consequentialist theories. Second, the two theories represent the perceptions of two of the three achievable stakeholders identified by Hartmann (2000), namely own perceptions and others perceptions.Third, staying within one theoretical category allows for a much more parsimonious, yet thorough, analysis. Ethical perspectives and national culture hypotheses Whether egoistic or utilitarian principles are employed, ethics are a product of a societys culture, which includes its traditions, values, and norms. Within a society, ethical behavior is generally agreed upon. Francesco and Gold (1998, p. 40) explain that members implicitly understand how relationships, duties and obligations among people and groups ought to be conducted, and distinguish between their selfinterests and the interests of others. However, when two or more countries interact, they often find that their ethics differ. According to Hendry (1999), these differences may fly the coop to three types of culturally based ethical conflicts. First, there are those conflicts where the ethical values typifying the two national cultures lead to differing conclusions what is deemed unethical from one perspective is considered to be ethical from the other. Second, conflict may arise when businesspersons from one culture consider something morally significant whereas their counterparts from another culture are ethically neutral. Third, business peop le from two cultures may interpret a common situation differently even when there is some vulgarism among their national values. A Comparative Investigation of Business Ethics To investigate the relationship between national culture and ethics, we chose two culturally diverse countries, Brazil and the U.S. Given the differences in their respective national cultures, we expect Brazilians and Americans to differ in their assessment of the ethical content of business decisions.Accordingly, we propose the following hypothesis H1 The assessment of the ethical content of business decisions is a function of national culture. Egoism and individualism/collectivism According to egoism, the only valid standard of ones behavior is ones obligation to advance ones well-being above everyone elses (Beauchamp and Bowie, 1997). Promotion of ones own longterm interest is viewed as the only worthwhile objective and the only determinant of whether an act is morally right or not. Nothing is owed to othe rs or to the organization that one works in. Those who abide by this approach to ethics intensely believe that all altruistic efforts by others are really acts of self-promotion since an individual may have to help others in order to advance his/her own interests. Brazil is collectivistic whereas the U.S. is individualistic. As discussed earlier, persons from an individualistic culture emphasize their families and their own interests. H1.a When applying egoistic criteria to judge the ethical content of an action or a decision, respondents from the U.S. will be less likely than respondents from Brazil to see a decision or action as unethical. Utilitarianism and individualism/collectivism Utilitarianism, in direct contrast to egoism, is the moral doctrine that we should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our action (Shaw, 1999, p. 49). Although utilitarians also 271 evaluate an action in terms of its consequences, an action is ethical if it results in the greatest benefit or good for the largest number of people.Issues of self-interest are not germane since actions are assessed in accordance with one primary standard the general good. Utilitarianism has long been associated with social approach and the promotion of actions that are in the best interest of the community. Actions are right if they promote the greatest human welfare. Brazil is collectivistic. Persons from a collectivistic culture focus on actions that lead to the greatest benefit for most members of a group. H1.b When applying utilitarian criteria to judge the ethical content of an action or a decision, respondents from Brazil will be less likely than respondents from the U.S. to see an action or decision as unethical. To be consistent with prior ethics research (Reidenbach and Robin, 1988), the above hypotheses (H1.a and H1.b) unneurotic suggest that Americans and Brazilians rely on more than one ethical criterion when assessing the ethi cal content of an action or decision. However, we are also suggesting that when each particularized ethical criterion they refer to is considered separately, people from different national cultures will vary in their assessment of the ethical content of a course of action or a decision. Methodology Sample info were collected from 126 respondents 92 from the U.S. and 34 from Brazil. U.S. participants included MBA students at a regional university as well as business professionals. Brazilian participants were all students enrolled in an Executive MBA program. We used MBA students in our study for two reasons. First, MBA students are a commonly used proxy for business people (Dubinsky and Rudelius, 1980). Dubinsky and Rudelius (1980) comparison of 272 Rafik I. Beekun et al. student versus professional evaluations found a high degree of congruence between the two groups. Second, since all students (both U.S. and Brazilian) were currently employed by companies or had recent profession al work experience, the sample can be used as a proxy for business professionals in both countries. entropy collection The instrument we used was Reidenbach and Robins (1988) pre-validated, multi-criteria instrument incorporating the core dimensions that underlie several ethical perspectives. We selected this survey instrument because it is a multi-philosophy and multi-item questionnaire. As a result, it will enable us to assess both ethical dimensions of interest, i.e., egoism and utilitarianism, simultaneously. This instrument incorporates multiple items for each ethical philosophy and, therefore, is relatively more accredited than single item instruments (Kerlinger, 1986). Reidenbach and Robins instrument includes an initial set of scales that has shown evidence of high reliableness and modest convergent validity with respect to U.S. respondents. The scales jibe highly with a univariate measure of the ethical content of situations. Hence, the instrument can be said to have high construct validity in the U.S. supernumerary reliability and validation efforts for the whole sample and for Brazil specifically are reported below. Using a seven-point Likert scale (1 = ethical, 7 = unethical), respondents were asked to rate the action in three scenarios using the criteria (items) described in Table II. The perception of and the criteria emphasized in evaluating the ethical content of a decision or situation depend on the nature of the decision or the situation. In accordance with previous research, scenarios will be used in this study to provide the contextual stimulant drug and to motivate the evaluation process (Alexander and Becker, 1978). We adopted the three scenarios developed and validated by Reidenbach and Robin (1988, 1990).Table III presents the three scenarios used in this study. Data were collected by means of the abovementioned instrument administered to Brazilian participants (in Portuguese) and provided via written instrument and website access t o U.S. participants (in English). The Brazilian instrument was back translated to ensure equivalence. Efforts were made to establish the reliability and validity of the instrument in this comparative context and are reported as follows. We examined the reliability of the instrument by assessing its internal consistency through the use of Cronbachs alpha. Since we used three different measures (one for each of the scenarios), we calculated three inter-item coefficient alphas. The Cronbach alpha was 0.81 for the first scenario, 0.75 for the second scenario and 0.86 for the third scenario. All three coefficients indicate that the scale items are internally con- TABLE II Ethics instrument scales Ethical perspective Items (Seven-point Likert scale 1 to 7)* Egoism self-importance promoting/not self promoting Self sacrificing/not self sacrificing Personally satisfying/not personally satisfying Utilitarianism Produces greatest utility/produces the least utility Maximizes benefits while min imizes impairment/minimizes benefits while maximizes harm Leads to the greatest good for the greatest number/leads to the least good for the greatest number * Generally speaking, in the above bipolar scales, 1 = fair or just or efficient (ethical) whereas 7 = unfair, unjust or inefficient (unethical). A Comparative Investigation of Business Ethics

The Host Chapter 17: Visited

The heat hit me front- resembling a w alone of steam, the moist, stocky air rolled over me and dewed on my skin. My m step uph open(a)ed robotically as I tried to pull a breath from the abruptly denser air. The smell was stronger than before-that same metallic tang that clung in my throat and flavored the water here.The murmuring babble of low and soprano voices seemed to issue from every side, echoing aside the walls. I squinted anxiously done the swirling cloud of moisture, trying to make out where the voices came from. It was bright here-the ceiling was dazzling, like in the big room yet much tightly fittingr. The illumine danced out the vapor, creating a shimmering curtain that al roughly blinded me. My look struggled to adjust, and I clutched at Jebs turn in panic.I was surprised that the strangely fluid babble did not respond in any way to our entrance. Perhaps they couldnt see us yet, either.Its a bit close in here, Jeb said apologetically, fanning at the steam i n front of his face. His voice was relaxed, conversational in tone, and loud full to make me jump. He spoke as if we were not surrounded. And the babble continued, oblivious to his voice.Not that Im complaining, he continued. Id be dead several times over if this place didnt exist. The very first time I got stuck in the caves, of course. And instantly, wed never be able to hide out here without it. With no secrecy place, were all dead, right?He nudged me with his elbow, a conspiratorial gesture.Mighty convenient, how its laid out. Couldnt have planned it much better if Id sculpted it myself out of play dough.His laugh cleared a section of mist, and I saw the room for the first time.Two rivers flowed through the dank, high-domed space. This was the chatter that filled my ears-the water gushing over and under the purple volcanic rock. Jeb spoke as if we were alone because we were.It was sincerely only one river and one small stream. The stream was closest a shallow braided ribbon of silver in the light from above, coursing mingled with low stone banks that it seemed constantly in danger of overrunning. A feminine, high-pitched murmur purred from its gentle ripples.The male, bass gurgle came from the river, as did the thick clouds of vapor that rose from the gaping holes in the ground by the far wall. The river was discolor, submerged under the floor of the cavern, exposed by wide, round erosions a big the continuance of the room. The holes looked dark and dangerous, the river barely visible as it rushed powerfull toward an invisible and unfathomable destination. The water seemed to simmer, such was the heat and steam it produced. The sound of it, too, was like that of change state water.From the ceiling hung a a few(prenominal) long, narrow stalactites, dripping toward the stalagmites beneath each one. Three of them had met, forming thin smuggled pillars between the two bodies of flowing water.Got to be awake in here, Jeb said. Quite a current in the hot spring. If you fall in, youre gone. Happened once before. He bowed his head at the memory, his face sober.The swift black eddies of the subterranean river were suddenly horrible to me. I imagined being caught in their scalding current and shuddered.Jeb put his hand lightly on my shoulder. Dont worry. Just watch your step and youll be fine. Now, he said, pointing to the far end of the cavern, where the shallow stream ran into a dark cave, the first cave back there is the ba intimacy room. Weve dug the floor out to make a nice, deep tub. Theres a schedule for taking baths, scarce privacys not usually an issue-its black as pitch. The rooms nice and warm so close to the steam, exclusively the water wont burn you like the hot spring here. Theres another cave just past that one, through a crevice. Weve widened the entrance up to a comfortable size. That room is the farthest we can follow the stream-it drops underground there. So weve got that room fixed up as the latrine. Convenient and sanitary. His voice had assumed a complacent tone, as if he felt credit was due to him for natures creations. Well, he had discovered and improved the place-I supposed or so pride was justified.We dont like to waste batteries, and most of us know the floor here by heart, but since its your first time, you can find your way with this.Jeb pulled a flashlight from his pocket and held it out. The sight of it reminded me of the flash hed found me dying in the recant, when hed checked my eyeball and known what I was. I didnt know why the memory make me sad.Dont get any upset ideas close to maybe the river taking you out of here or something. Once that water goes underground, it doesnt come back up, he cautioned me.Since he seemed to be waiting for some acknowledgment of his warning, I nodded once. I took the flashlight from his hand tardily, being careful not to make any fast movements that susceptibility startle him.He smiled in encouragement.I followed his directions fast -flyingly-the sound of the rushing water was not making my discomfort any easier to bear. It felt very strange to be out of his sight. What if someone had privy in these caves, guessing I would have to come here eventually? Would Jeb hear the struggle over the cacophony of the rivers?I shone the flashlight all round the bathing room, looking for any sign of an ambush. The odd flickering shadows it made were not comforting, but I found no substance to my fears. Jebs tub was more the size of a small swimming pool and black as ink. Under the surface, a person would be invisible as long as they could hold their breath I hurried through the slender crack at the back of the room to escape my imaginings. Away from Jeb, I was nearly overwhelmed with panic-I couldnt fall out normally I could barely hear over the sound of my pulse racing behind my ears. I was more running than walking when I made my way back to the room with the rivers.To find Jeb standing there, settle down in the same pose, politic alone, was like a balm to my splintered nerves. My breathing and my heartbeat slowed. wherefore this crazy human should be such a comfort to me, I couldnt understand. I supposed it was like Melanie had said, desperate times.Not too shabby, eh? he asked, a grin of pride on his face.I nodded once again and returned the flashlight.These caves are a great gift, he said as we started back toward the dark passageway. We wouldnt be able to survive in a group like this without them. Magnolia and Sharon were getting along real well-shockingly well-up there in Chicago, but they were pushing their luck hiding two. Its mighty nice to have a community again. Makes me feel downright human.He took my elbow once more as we climbed the rough stair-case out.Im sorry about the, um, accommodations weve got you in. It was the safest place I could think of. Im surprised those boys found you as quick as they did. Jeb sighed. Well, Kyle gets real motivated. But I suppose its all for the bes t. Might as well get used to how things are going to be. Maybe we can find something more hospitable for you. Ill think on it While Im with you, at least, you dont really have to cram yourself into that little hole. You can sit in the hall with me if you prefer. Though with Jared He trailed off.I listened to his apologetic words in wonder this was so much more kindness than Id hoped for, more compassion than Id thought this species was capable of giving their enemies. I patted the hand on my elbow lightly, hesitantly, trying to convey that I understood and wouldnt cause a problem. I was authoritative Jared much preferred to have me out of sight.Jeb had no trouble translating my wordless communication. Thats a good girl, he said. Well figure this all out somehow. Doc can just concentrate on healin human folks. Youre much more interesting alive, I think.Our bodies were close enough that he was able to feel me tremble.Dont worry. Docs not going to twainer you now.I couldnt stop shive ring. Jeb could only promise me now. There was no guarantee that Jared would not regulate my secret was more important than protecting Melanies body. I k reinvigorated that such a fate would make me wish Ian had succeeded last night. I swallowed, feeling the bruising that seemed to go all the way through my neck to the interior walls of my throat.You never know how much time youll have, Melanie had said so many days ago, when my world was still under control.Her words echoed in my head as we reentered the big room, the main plaza of Jebs human community. It was full, like the first night, everyone there to glare at us with eyeball that blazed anger and betrayal when they looked at him and murder when they looked at me. I unploughed my gaze down on the rock under my feet. From the corner of my eye, I could see that Jeb held his gun ready again.It was only a matter of time, indeed. I could feel it in the atmosphere of hate and fear. Jeb could not protect me long.It was a allayer to scrape back through the narrow crevice, to look forward to the winding black labyrinth and my cramped hiding place I could hope to be alone there.Behind me, a furious hissing, like a nest of goaded snakes, echoed in the big cavern. The sound made me wish Jeb would lead me through the labyrinth at a quicker pace.Jeb chuckled under his breath. He seemed to get stranger the longer I was roughly him. His sense of humor mystified me as much as his motivations did.It gets a bit tedious down here sometimes, you know, he murmured to me, or to himself. With Jeb, it was fractious to tell. Maybe when they get over being cheesed off at me, theyll realize they appreciate all the excitement Im providing.Our path through the dark twisted in a serpentine fashion. It didnt feel at all familiar. Perhaps he took a different route to keep me disjointed. It seemed to take more time than before, but last I could see the plunge secular light of the lamp shining from around the next curve.I braced myself, wondering if Jared would be there again. If he was, I knew he would be angry. I was sure he wouldnt approve of Jeb taking me for a field trip, no matter how necessary it might have been.As soon as we rounded the corner, I could see that there was a figure slumped against the wall beside the lamp, casting a long shadow toward us, but it was obviously not Jared. My hand clutched at Jebs arm, an automatic spasm of fear.And then I really looked at the waiting figure. It was smaller than me-that was how Id known it was not Jared-and thin. Small, but also too tall and too wiry. counterbalance in the dim light of the blue lamp, I could see that his skin was dyed to a deep brown by the sun, and that his silky black fuzz now fell unkempt past his chin.My knees buckled.My hand, grasping Jebs arm in panic, held on for support.Well, for Petes sake Jeb exclaimed, obviously irritated. Cant nobody keep a secret around this place for moren twenty-four hours? Gol durn, this burns me up Bun ch of gossipmongers He trailed off into a grumble.I didnt even try to understand the words Jeb was saying I was locked in the fiercest battle of my life-of every life Id ever lived.I could feel Melanie in each cell of my body. My nerve endings tingled in recognition of her familiar presence. My muscles twitched in anticipation of her direction. My lips trembled, trying to open. I leaned forward toward the boy in the hall, my body reaching because my arms would not.Melanie had learned many things the few times Id ceded or lost my command to her, and I truly had to struggle against her-so lowering that fresh sweat beaded on my brow. But I was not dying in the desert now. Nor was I weak and dizzy and taken off guard by the appearance of someone Id given up for lost Id known this moment might come. My body was resilient, quick to heal-I was strong again. The strength of my body gave strength to my control, to my determination.I drove her from my limbs, chased her from every hold shed f ound, thrust her back into the recesses of my mind, and chained her there.Her kick was sudden and total. Aaah, she sighed, and it was almost a moan of pain.I felt strangely guilty as soon as Id won.Id already known that she was more to me than a resistant host who made life unnecessarily difficult. Wed become companions, even confidantes during our past weeks together-ever since the Seeker had united us against a common enemy. In the desert, with Kyles knife over my head, Id been glad that if I had to die I would not be the one to kill Melanie even then, she was more than a body to me. But now it seemed like something beyond that. I regretted causing her pain.It was necessary, though, and she didnt seem to grasp that. Any word we said wrong, any poorly considered action would mean a quick execution. Her reactions were too wild and emotional. She would get us into trouble.You have to trust me now, I told her. Im just trying to keep us alive. I know you dont want to cerebrate your humans could hurt usBut its Jamie, she whispered. She yearned for the boy with an emotion so strong that it weakened my knees again.I tried to look at him impartially-this sullen-faced teenager slumped against the delve wall with his arms folded tightly across his chest. I tried to see him as a stranger and plan my response, or lack of response, accordingly. I tried, but I failed. He was Jamie, he was beautiful, and my arms-mine, not Melanies-longed to hold him. Tears filled my eyes and trickled down my face. I could only hope they were invisible in the dim light.Jeb, Jamie said-a gruff greeting. His eyes passed swiftly over me and away.His voice was so deep Could he really be so old? I realized with a double pang of guilt that Id just missed his fourteenth birthday. Melanie showed me the day, and I saw that it was the same day as the first dream with Jamie. Shed struggled so hard all through the waking hours to keep her pain to herself, to cloud her memories in order to protect th e boy, that hed come out in her dream. And Id e-mailed the Seeker.I shuddered now in disbelief that Id ever been so callous.Whatcha doing here, kid? Jeb demanded.Why didnt you tell me? Jamie demanded back.Jeb went silent.Was that Jareds idea? Jamie pressed.Jeb sighed. Okay, so you know. What good does that do you, eh? We only wanted to -To protect me? he interrupted, surly.When did he get so bitter? Was it my fault? Of course it was.Melanie began sobbing in my head. It was distracting, loud-it made Jeb and Jamies voices sound farther away.Fine, Jamie. So you dont need protecting. What do you want?This quick capitulation seemed to throw Jamie off. His eyes darted between Jebs face and mine while he struggled to come up with a request. I-I want to talk with her with it, he finally said. His voice was higher when he was unsure.She doesnt say much, Jeb told him, but youre welcome to try, kid.Jeb pried my fingers off his arm. When he was free, he turned his back to the nearest wall, lean ing into it as he eased himself to the floor. He settled in there, fidgeting until he found a comfortable position. The gun stayed balanced in the cradle of his lap. Jebs head lolled back against the wall, and his eyes closed. In seconds, he looked like he was asleep.I stood where hed left me, trying to keep my eyes off Jamies face and failing.Jamie was surprised again by Jebs lite acquiescence. He watched the old man recline on the floor with wide eyes that made him look younger. After a few minutes of entire stillness from Jeb, Jamie looked back up at me, and his eyes tightened.The way he stared at me-angry, trying hard to be brave and grown-up, but also video display the fear and pain so clearly in his dark eyes-had Melanie sobbing louder and my knees shaking. Rather than take a chance with another collapse, I moved slowly to the tunnel wall across from Jeb and slid down to the floor. I curled up around my bent legs, trying to be as small as possible.Jamie watched me with gua rded eyes and then took four slow steps forward until he stood over me. His glance flitted to Jeb, who hadnt moved or opened his eyes, and then Jamie knelt down at my side. His face was suddenly intense, and it made him look more adult than any expression yet. My heart throbbed for the sad man in the little boys face.Youre not Melanie, he said in a low voice.It was harder not to speak to him because I was the one who wanted to speak. Instead, after a brief hesitation, I shook my head.Youre inside her body, though.Another pause, and I nodded.What happened to your to her face?I shrugged. I didnt know what my face looked like, but I could imagine.Who did this to you? he pressed. With a hesitant finger, he almost moved(p) the side of my neck. I held still, feeling no urge to cringe away from this hand.Aunt Maggie, Jared, and Ian, Jeb listed off in a bored voice. We both jumped at the sound. Jeb hadnt moved, and his eyes were still closed. He looked so peaceful, as if he had answered Ja mies question in his sleep.Jamie waited for a moment, then turned back to me with the same intense expression.Youre not Melanie, but you know all her memories and stuff, right?I nodded again.Do you know who I am?I tried to swallow the words, but they slipped through my lips. Youre Jamie. I couldnt economic aid how my voice wrapped around the name like a caress.He blinked, startled that I had broken my silence. Then he nodded. Right, he whispered back.We both looked at Jeb, who remained still, and back at each other.Then you remember what happened to her? he asked.I winced, and then nodded slowly.I want to know, he whispered.I shook my head.I want to know, Jamie repeated. His lips trembled. Im not a kid. Tell me.Its not pleasant, I breathed, unable to stop myself. It was very hard to deny this boy what he wanted.His straight black eyebrows pulled together and up in the middle over his wide eyes. Please, he whispered.I glanced at Jeb. I thought that maybe he was peeking from between his lashes now, but I couldnt be sure.My voice was soft as breathing. Someone saw her go into a place that was off-limits. They knew something was wrong. They called the Seekers.He flinched at the title.The Seekers tried to get her to surrender. She ran from them. When they had her cornered, she jumped into an open elevator shaft.I recoiled from the memory of pain, and Jamies face went white under his tan.She didnt die? he whispered.No. We have very skilled Healers. They mended her quickly. Then they put me in her. They hoped I would be able to tell them how she had survived so long. I had not meant to say so much my mouth snapped exclude. Jamie didnt seem to notice my slip, but Jebs eyes opened slowly and fixed on my face. No other part of him moved, and Jamie didnt see the change.Why didnt you let her die? he asked. He had to swallow hard a sob was threatening in his voice. This was all the more painful to hear because it was not the sound a child makes, frightened of the unknown , but the fully comprehending agony of an adult. It was so hard not to reach out and put my hand on his cheek. I wanted to hug him to me and beg him not to be sad. I curled my hands into fists and tried to concentrate on his question. Jebs eyes flickered to my hands and back to my face.I wasnt in on the decision, I murmured. I was still in a hibernation tank in deep space when that happened.Jamie blinked again in surprise. My answer was nothing hed expected, and I could see him struggling with some new emotion. I glanced at Jeb his eyes were bright with curiosity.The same curiosity, though more wary, won out with Jamie. Where were you coming from? he asked.In spite of myself, I smiled at his unwilling interest. Far away. Another planet.What was - he started to ask, but he was interrupted by another question.What the hell? Jared shouted at us, frozen with fury in the act of rounding the corner at the end of the tunnel. Damn it, Jeb We agreed not to -Jamie wrenched himself upright. Je b didnt bring me here. But you should have.Jeb sighed and got slowly to his feet. As he did so, the gun rolled from his lap onto the floor. It stopped only a few inches from me. I scooted away, uncomfortable.Jared had a different reaction. He lunged toward me, closing the length of the hallway in a few running strides. I cowered into the wall and covered my face with my arms. Peeking around my elbow, I watched him jerk the gun up from the floor.Are you trying to get us killed? he almost screamed at Jeb, shoving the gun into the old mans chest.Calm down, Jared, Jeb said in a tired voice. He took the gun in one hand. She wouldnt touch this thing if I left it down here alone with her all night. Cant you see that? He stabbed the barrel of the gun toward me, and I cringed away. Shes no Seeker, this one.Shut up, Jeb, just shut upLeave him alone, Jamie shouted. He didnt do anything wrong.You Jared shouted back, turning on the slim, angry figure. You get out of here now, or so help meJamie balled his fists and stood his ground.Jareds fists came up, too.I was rooted in place with shock. How could they scream at each other this way? They were family, the bonds between them stronger than any blood tie. Jared wouldnt hit Jamie-he couldnt I wanted to do something, but I didnt know what to do. Anything that brought me to their attention would only make them angrier.For once, Melanie was calmer than I was. He cant hurt Jamie, she thought confidently. Its not possible.I looked at them, facing off like enemies, and panicked.We should never have come here. See how unhappy weve made them, I moaned.You shouldnt have tried to keep this a secret from me, Jamie said between his teeth. And you shouldnt have hurt her. One of his hands unclenched and flew out to point at my face.Jared spit on the floor. Thats not Melanie. Shes never coming back, Jamie.Thats her face, Jamie insisted. And her neck. Dont the bruises there bother you?Jared dropped his hands. He closed his eyes and took a d eep breath. You will either leave right now, Jamie, and give me some space, or I will make you leave. I am not bluffing. I cant deal with any more right now, okay? Im at my limit. So can we please have this conversation later on? He opened his eyes again they were full of pain.Jamie looked at him, and the anger drained slowly from his face. Sorry, he muttered after a moment. Ill go but Im not promising that I wont come back.I cant think about that now. Go. Please.Jamie shrugged. He threw one more searching look at me, and then he left, his quick, long stride making me ache again for the time Id missed.Jared looked at Jeb. You, too, he said in a flat voice.Jeb rolled his eyes. I dont think youve had a long enough break, to be honest. Ill keep an eye on -Go.Jeb frowned thoughtfully. Okay. Sure. He started down the hall.Jeb? Jared called after him.Yeah?If I asked you to shoot it right now, would you do it?Jeb kept walking slowly, not looking at us, but his words were clear. Id have to . I follow my own rules. So dont ask me unless you really mean it.He disappeared into the dark.Jared watched him go. Before he could turn his glower on me, I ducked into my uncomfortable sanctuary and curled up in the back corner.