Unaccustomed Earth Book Review

Jhimpa Lahiri plays upon and wrote about the most vital human emotions: life, death, self discovery and love and in doing so, Lahiri wrote a truly unforgettable novel that examines the life of a family over several generations. Unaccustomed Earth is divided up into eight stories and as each story unfolds they reveal layers of life and culture in their context. Somewhere buried beneath the Bengali family’s wild displays of emotions and cries for attention there’s a story about finding acceptance and moving on and looking past the rooted cultural boundaries.Along with the theme of acceptance the book also has an overflowing theme finding one’s self, not just spiritually but accepting one’s identity in a new land. All these characters possess a desire, an urge to discover themselves, even in the most unorthodox mannerisms and the discovery happens over time and generations. While Unaccustomed Earth runs rapid with themes of culture, the book takes the reader to a time where America represented somewhere where communities were active and tightly boned, a time where one could build a new identity and explore freedom.With that freedom, each story has a character or family member torn between their culture and new chances America can offer. The characters face a turmoil of acceptance between their old heritage and trying to conform to norms of a western civilization. Early on the reader sees that Ruma (a lawyer) is starting to become a mirror image of her mother taking the path she once did in her homeland, â€Å"Growing up†¦ moving to a foreign place for the sake of marriage, caring exclusively for children and a household — had served as a warning, a path to avoid.Yet this was Ruma’s life now† (11). While there is freedom in her choice to follow her husband and be a house wife, Lahiri metaphorically tells the reader through this passage that while America offers freedom, it’s not necessary to make drastic changes but to be true to one’s own self. In that same page the metaphor is explored deeper when Ruma sees her father in a different light, â€Å" He was wearing a baseball cap that said POMPEII, brown cotton pants and sky-blue polo shirt, and a pair of white leather sneakers.She was struck by the degree to which her father resembled an American† (11). From this the reader can sense the parallels from the generations, on one hand there’s the foreigner consuming American so much he resembles it, and on the other an American born citizen reverting to a life she could have had in Calcutta. Overall the message become apparent that one’s identity is not defined by a geographical location but by one’s free will and is not limited by heritage and cultural stereotypes.Lahiri seems to often play with the notion of gender roles. At the forefront Ruma’s decision to abandon her career and opt to be a homemaker is met with much displeasure from her fathe r, as he seems to meet this decision with the initial thought that America was supposed to bring new ideologies, he envisioned a different life for his daughter. There is a strong urging from Ruma’s father to get back into legal work and make the best of her life, â€Å"Now is the time for you to be working, building your career† (36).Ruma’s father only wishes to see his daughter happy and successful and not reliant on a man. With gender roles we see Ruma’s Indian heritage come in to play as she feels due to her heritage she has a prime role in taking care of her father and have him live with her. In much of the story we see Ruma often trying to find her cultural identity balancing being a mother and her once promising job. While her father often appears discontent with the traditional lifestyle he was raised in, Ruma eventually finds freedom in her lifestyle choice.The reader can further see gender roles come in to play with Lahiri writes Hell-Heaven we see the narrator showing regret for the unappreciative nature they had towards the hard working mother and her sacrifices. Despite gender roles the future is often unclear for most characters and there is always insecurity no matter what situation arises, â€Å"Even as an adult, she wished only that she could go back and change things: the ungainly things she’d worn, the insecurity she’d felt, all the innocent mistakes she made† (137).Lahiri explores the aspect of death and the Indian culture that surrounds it throughout much of the novel. Whenever there is a death in Unaccustomed Earth it seems to bond the family closer together and bridge the generation gaps. Universally death is in every culture and it becomes apparent that no matter what continent someone is from one can not escape their fate, â€Å"There were times Ruma felt closer to her mother in death than she had in life, an intimacy born simply of thinking of her so often, of missing her.But she knew that this was an illusion, a mirage, and that the distance between them was now infinite, unyielding† (27). There is a commemoration that happens that bonds the whole family together and they must rework and an alteration occurs as they recover as a unit. Yet, although death is ever luminous upon humanity the Bengali families seem to take with a grain of salt, â€Å"The knowledge of death seemed present in both sisters-it was something about the way they carried themselves, something that had broken too soon and had not mended, marking them in spite of their lightheartedness† (272).Unaccustomed Earth seems to present death the way Bengali’s are influence by the Muslim and Hindu influence it has in the region. Overall Unaccustomed Earth is a great representation of Bengali culture and to show just how diverse the families are. While there are universal and cultural themes throughout the novel, all eight stories share a common theme: identity.Without identity there wouldn’t Bengali or Native American, it’s one’s identity that make them what they are, it’s their soul encompassed in relation to who they are, the philosophical thought in relation to gender, culture, and ethnicity. All the Bengali families deal with life and finding a place in their situation or country to try to fit in, to try to belong. From Seattle to Thailand these stories tell a heartwarming account of what makes us human. Works Cited Lahiri, Jhumpa. Unaccustomed earth. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. Print.

Imperial Administration in Han China and Imperial Rome

Analyze similarities and differences in techniques of imperial administration in TWO of the following empires: Han China (206 B. C. E. -220 C. E. ) Mauryan/Gupta India (320 B. C. E-550 C. E) Imperial Rome (31 B. CE-476 C. E. ) While imperial administration in Han China from 206 B. C. E to 220 C. E. and Imperial Rome from 31 B. C. E. to 476 C. E. had their similarities like the family roles that the government encourages, living under one ruler who gives the people some control, and the general idea of equalization, they also had their differences.One of these differences being in how each ruler gave their empire control and where they put themselves according to the rest of their empire. Both Han China and Imperial Rome are controlled under one central leader. Both of these leaders give the citizens some form of control and contribution to their empire. The difference is how they give the citizens power. In Imperial Rome, Augustus keeps the reliable forms of the Republic such as the offices, honors, and privileges of the senatorial class as a base for his new restored Republic now called the Principate.In keeping the form of the Republic he still gives power to the Senate. In China, Gaozu kept the Qin Empire as his influence to keep choosing district officials to hold some of his power. In addition, Augustus includes himself as an ordinary citizen. What he altered from the Republic to the Principate is the reality of power. He never called himself the emperor or dictator but called himself â€Å"princeps† meaning first among equals. Gaozu was called the emperor and didn’t disagree in having ultimate power.Instead, he equalized the rest of the people and just put himself on top. Both empires believed in generalization of the people, Augustus just took it a step farther by including himself. A major similarity in both Imperial Rome and Han China is the idea of having the leading role of the family the eldest male and the women having no place in pol itical issues. In Later Han, families believed heavily in respect, obedience, and loyalty to the elder male of the family.In both empires, women stayed home to raise the children and do household chores while the men were soldiers, doing business, and discussing politics. Although women had no role in legal proceedings, they still had a great influence on the male’s decisions. Women gained greater personal protection and economic freedom over a course of years and many influenced and helped shape history. In conclusion, I think the reason that Chinese emperors believed they were of ultimate power was because of the previous dynasties who thought the same thing.The Han Empire had previous influence from all the Chinese dynasties before it. On the other hand, The Roman Empire was younger and might have seen that other empires weren’t happy with the emperor being the central control. Augustus might have taken this as influence to do something different and decided to incl ude himself in the people. Overall, Imperial Rome and Han China are two very similar empires that have the same general idea of how they wanted their empires to be.

Richard Nixon and the WaterGate Scandal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Richard Nixon and the WaterGate Scandal - Essay Example The edifice of the Watergate scandal has been based on corruption, espionage and antidemocratic activities, ostensibly based on ensuring President Nixon, a second term in the Oval Room. However, certain facts like the Vietnam war, the release of Pentagon papers, and growing public resentment for his policies were serious impediments to this objective and had to be dealt with a firm, and if necessary, strong arm methods. This was ensured by use of the CIA and other governmental agents to discredit the President's political opponents, and seek to ensure his victory in the Presidential elections. He was able to achieve re-elections but he was constrained to pay the final price in terms of loss of his office and personal humiliation amidst a political scandal that rocked the entire country and shocked the world into mute speechlessness. At the time of instigating the Watergate scandal, President Nixon was not aware, or did not make himself to visualize that his political career would leave him a bitter and disillusioned man, devoid of moral principles and ethics that are the hallmarks of a strong and committed leader.This entire episode started when, while conducting security checking at the Watergate hotel, a security guard noticed a door prevented from closed by the use of tape. He removed the tape and continued with his check However, he was dismayed to find, that on his return, the door was reaped. He informed the police about the burglary. The police arrested five persons from the office of the Democratic National Congress, who had been illegally repairing wiretapping equipment and taking photographs of documents. Likewise, before the burglary in the Watergate Hotel on June 17, 1972, when a group of five burglars, who were members of a group of anti-Castro Cuban refugees called 'Plumbers', broke into the Democ ratic Party's National Committee offices, the term "Watergate" had no greater implication to the Americans and the entire world, rather than an office and a sumptuous apartment complex in Washington, D. C. As a result of the 'third-rate burglary', "it came to be associated with the greatest political scandal of that century and would change the lives of the many people involved" - principally the then President Richard M. Nixon and as for the present day political system, it imparts great meaning. (U.S. History.com, 2008). In the current American Background, the term Watergate has become a common phrase which denotes and expresses the fall of Richard Nixon, one of the most outstanding political figures of the 20th century America and the world. He had refused to hand over incriminating tapes illegally recording the conversation he had when he served in the White House. He refused to hand over the tapes even during the Supreme Court Proceedings. The Court had no other option but to impeach the President, but he preferred to resign rather than face impeachment. The former President of the USA was the only conspirator in the Watergate scandal who did not go to jail. "The lessons learned by these events are enormous. The story of Watergate is a complex and deep one full

Deja Vu Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Deja Vu - Essay Example The experience of dj vu is usually accompanied by a compelling sense of familiarity, and also a sense of "eeriness", "strangeness", or "weirdness". The "previous" experience is most frequently attributed to a dream, although in some cases there is a firm sense that the experience "genuinely happened" in the past" (2008, pg. 1). Dj vu is an experience that is quite common, with 70% of people reporting experiencing it at least one time in formal studies. Past literature has also discussed dj vu, indicating that it is a rather old phenomenon. The experience is rather random, thereby making it hard to recreate in laboratory studies. Hence, research on the topic is most often conducted under states of hypnosis. The fact that the experience is hard to recreate also leads to there being little statistical research on the topic available. There are three different types of dj vu: dj vecu, dj senti, and dj visite. Deja vecu translates directly into "already lived." It is the most commonly experienced form of dj vu. "Dj vcu refers to an experience involving more than just sight, which is why labeling such "dj vu" is usually inaccurate. The sense involves a great amount of detail, sensing that everything is just as it was before and a weird knowledge of what is going to be said or happen next" (Wikipedia, 2008, pg. 2). Deja senti "primarily specifies something 'already felt.' Unlike the implied precognition of dj vcu, dj senti is primarily or even exclusively a mental happening, has no precognitive aspects, and rarely if ever remains in the afflicted person's memory afterwards" (Wikipedia, 2008, pg. 2). Deja visite "is less common and involves an uncanny knowledge of a new place. The translation is "already visited." Here one may know his or her way around in a new town or landscape while at the same time knowing that t his should not be possible" (Wikipedia, 2008, pg. 3). How Stuff Works offers an additional definition. In situations where one is learning a new topic, it is often helpful to look at the definitions provided by several sources. According to How Stuff Works, "The term deja vu is French and means, literally, "already seen." Those who have experienced the feeling describe it as an overwhelming sense of familiarity with something that shouldn't be familiar at all. Say, for example, you are traveling to England for the first time. You are touring a cathedral, and suddenly it seems as if you have been in that very spot before. Or maybe you are having dinner with a group of friends, discussing some current political topic, and you have the feeling that you've already experienced this very thing -- same friends, same dinner, same topic" (2008, pg. 1). Methods Used to Find the Answer The answers for this particular research assignment were found utilizing a search engine. The writer went to www.google.com, typed in the keywords 'dj vu' and selected resources from the hit list. Implications the Answer Has The main implication that the answer has is that this is a fairly common phenomenon that has been around a long time and, therefore, will likely remain around. It is not something to be experienced merely in the past or the

Write an essay about an important event in your life that taught you a

Write an about an important event in your life that taught you a valuable lesson. Engage your readers by incorporating vivid descriptions that use the five senses - Essay Example Drenched in sweat, discomforted from nausea, I could no longer take it! I opened my eyes and found a shadow lurking by my side as I lied helplessly in the hospital bed. The smell of the ward made me even queasier. My hands were injected with tubes so I could not understand why I laid there or felt so deprived of strength. I was only twenty-five; therefore, I was not supposed to be here. Like all young people, I had dreams to chase, desires to fulfil; however, they all shattered as the doctor broke the news to me. The piercing pain in my heart and nausea was actually a heart attack. One more attack and the journey of life would end for me. It came as a severe shock. Not a single word of sympathy and sorrow from anybody consoled me in that hour of deep grief. Eventually, my sorrow abated with time but even it could not heal the scar in my soul. Nonetheless, the night when I was discharged turned out to be an unforgettable life-changing experience. It was around sunset, while returning home; my eyes caught the sight of the full moon. The full moon night is always a captivating beauty; however, that night it looked preternaturally large and clear. The rain in the morning had cleared the sky to present the golden disk; it was an unutterably fascinating sight. You could see the neighbouring buildings with a clarity, which almost took the breath away for a while. The moon seemed to have come down to kiss the treetops. Indeed, it seemed as though the trees were higher than the spot moon had chosen that evening to ordain a generous glimpse. As we drove down the road, the whole world looked drenched in the flood of mellow light. The moon had polished everything to give the night a feeling that was beyond words to capture or reproduce. The moonlight enlightened everything in the pitch-darkness. It served to fill my bleak life with hope again. The sorrow turned into the most imperative lesson I

Work, People and Productivity Mgt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Work, People and Productivity Mgt - Essay Example These include; Preoccupation with failure, sensitivity to operations, reluctance to simplify interpretations, deference to expertise and commitment to resilience. People in HRO work in recognition of the high risk environments and occupations. In order to enhance productivity and reliability the HRO must carry out self-assessment and evaluation. These characteristics provide a guide to the thinking and mindfulness in the organization (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2001). It is important to recognize that policies and manuals in an organization constantly change; the HRO should be mindful and be sensitive to the complexity of the systems and environment of the HRO. The HRO should quickly work to identify and anomalies and problems and quickly eliminate potential problems. As an HRO it is important to always be aware and have updated information on the state of the systems and processes in the organization. This is key to identifying possible problems and preventing them (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2001). It is important that the HRO offer concrete and detailed explanation and documentation of processes in the organization. Simple explanations to processes and activities are not ideal for proper diagnosis of problems in the organization. This eliminates the problem of not knowing what’s going on in the organization until it’s too late. Concise and clear explanations of processes improve reliability and productivity of the organization (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2001). Failures and errors are bound to occur in any HRO, it is the roles of the HRO to identify, predict and eliminate possible catastrophes rather react to them. An HRO constantly keeps in mind that they might have omitted something that might put the organization at risk. This should be viewed as opportunities to improve current systems by determining weaknesses, examining

Leadership of the Sexes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership of the Sexes - Essay Example Men and women primarily differ due to their genetic make up and react to situations with corresponding influence from hormones. In stress and conflict, women produce the oxytocin hormone that tends to harmonize relationship while men produce testosterone which drives men to act aggressively. Scientific studies and tools emphasize on the distinction between the sexes. Using PET scan (monitors activity of neurons), MRI scan (shows flow of blood), and SPECT scan (tracks brain activity) on brain areas, it was revealed that with more activity, more blood flows in the â€Å"spatial-mechanical centers† on the right side of the male brain while for the female, blood flows more on the â€Å"verbal-emotive centers in both sides† (men tend to move around during meetings while women discuss matters); there is more gray matter on men (making them process singly and locally) while women have more of the white matter (they â€Å"process more globally† and evaluate the world reg ularly); the larger hippocampus in female brain makes them recall â€Å"more physical and situational details;† larger amygdala in females tends to resolve conflict by upward direction toward the verbal areas in the brain while for males, the direction is downward that tends to produce physical manifestation; and hormone secretion affects the thinking process of both genders differently (more testosterone and vasopressin in males makes them territorial and aggressive while more serotonin and oxytocin influence females towards calmness and bonding) (Gurian and Annis 3). Brain differences enable women to utilize participatory leadership (at ease with teamwork, value work relationships) and rationalize inductively, while men tend to use transactional leadership (testing people and ideas) and rationalize deductively. Women used to describe things, empathize with people, prefer â€Å"verbal interaction,† and capable of multitasking, while men directly tell

Financial Analysis of Marvel Toys Pvt. Ltd Research Paper

Financial Analysis of Marvel Toys Pvt. Ltd - Research Paper Example It intends to expand business to other EU countries. For this purpose, it is planning to build a larger and modern warehouse and distribution facility which would cost around $10 million and would be completed by June, 2013. This cost includes machinery worth $2 million. It also plans to renovate its existing warehouse for $200000. The projects, to be completed by January, 2013 could increase 25% revenue. For this new project, capital is planned to be acquired through a local UAE bank. The current document dwells into the complete financial analysis of the organization. The financial analysis includes: 1) Cash Flow analysis 2) Ratio analysis and 3) Analysis by a long term creditor 4) Examining the collateral security to be offered by the firm in case loan is granted for the firm. 5) Conclusion The cash flow analysis details about the cash generated through various activities of the firm like operating, investing and financing. Operating cash flows elucidate the increase and decrease in cash pertaining to income statement. Investing cash flows depict increase and decrease in assets while financing activities revolve around dividend and other payments to stock holders. If the cash flows are positive and growing year on year, they are considered to be favorable for any creditor. The ratio analysis is extensively studied through a variety of ratios. The meanings of those ratios are explained for comprehensive understanding of their purpose. They are then compared to previous year and industry average to ascertain their degree of favorability and non-favorability of ratios. Recommendations are made to improvise the ratios in the long run. The only area of concern identified was that of interest expense servicing which could be easily done by increasing sales through upgraded warehouse. Once the analysis is completed, as a banker, we can analyze the outcomes. For analysis, we need to arrive at the requirements of criteria for firm’s suitability to be bestowed with a long term loan. The requirements are the positive cash flows, favorability of crucial ratios, a discussion of property which would be available as security, credit history of the loan taking firm and perfect documentation giving all relevant details. Positive cash flows are examined by the cash flow analysis. The crucial ratios namely debt-equity ratio, return on capital employed and proprietor ratio are calculated to know whether a long-term creditor would be interested to extend finance for Marvel toys. It is understood that these ratios are favorable and the firm is qualified for further finance. Land and buildings which were valued conservatively at $50 million could be offered as collateral security for further finance and overdraft. The credit history is always positive as the firm has never exceeded its overdraft limits. The only requirement which the firm would need to perform is to file documentation giving details of expected revenue from such investment so that the bank authorities would be convinced to extend the required loan and overdraft for the firm. Introduction Marvel Toys Pvt. Ltd which imports and exports toys from China to UAE are now planning to build new warehouse of larger capacity and also renovate its existing warehouse. It plans to expand its business to cater to total EU customers. It wishes to

Chinatown Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chinatown - Case Study Example Water has a sexual meaning in the movie and this is portrayed by the different characters present lie Jake and Cross from the movie. Water is a very essential commodity for both internal and external use. Poor planning in the water system may not achieve the desired effect on urban planning because good urban centers have stable water supply system. Transparency in the urban water commission enhances urban development as individuals are attracted to places with availability of such factors like water and security. Urban centers are characterized by large populations who cannot stay permanently in areas without water for a long period, therefore, most urban planers take into consideration the availability of water when erecting structures or drawing up the map of a new urban center. Suburbanization is eminent in Chinatown movie by the culture presented by the film producer in the movie. A perfect example of the differences in the suburbs is the presence of the Mall which greatly differs in the different areas mentioned in the movie. Urban growth and suburbanization are a process where developments happen gradually and within a set period of time. It is traced through the obscure era when there was scarcity of resources to an era when the mission of drought management, water quality and good control of the environment is achieved. Urban growth must be accompanied by a tremendous increase in the population of individuals within a given urban center. The increase in the urban centers will promote the development of suburbanization since there will emerge class difference amongst the individuals living in the area. Political corruption is an issue of concern in Chinatown movie. An example is that Polanski flees from the unfair verdict of the judge who was corrupt and wanted to wreck political career. The movie is filled with issue of political and moral corruption and this lies the political planning of the movie.

Investors Gain New Clout Essay Example for Free

Investors Gain New Clout Essay From the many problems now being experienced by the US in their economy and the way they conduct their businesses, legislators and other groups are turning to new ways to improve the old system and pull America’s economy out of its slump. The latest among these moves is the move by the legislative to give shareholders more power and control in placing and ousting members of the board of directors. This move has become an issue due to the shift in power in terms of whose interest is favored by the ruling. There are several different interests that exist in a company especially when individuals and groups within it make decisions. There are shareholder interests, employee interests, management interests and stakeholder interests that conflict with each other. The current issue highlights the conflicts that arise between the interests of the management and the shareholders as well as the different interests of the shareholders themselves. This is where the clash begins. On the one hand, those who approve of the new ruling maintain that their interests are being upheld especially because they are the ones who invested in the business. This forwards their main interest of the organization succeeding in the long term because of the investments they have put into the business. While the previous ruling handicaps small shareholders, this new rule gives them voice through the process of â€Å"proxy access† as long as they have at least 3% of the controlling stock. This will enable them to express their dissent and dissatisfaction in the board members and oust them especially if they think that the actions of the board are not appropriate. On the other hand, the interests of the management, will be challenged by the new ruling and could result in problems in implementation and efficiency. While the constitutionality and the perceived negative effects of this ruling are contestable, one thing is clear: big business that angered their investors would go under pressure and could find themselves rethinking their strategies. A noticeable thing about this change is the apparent relativity on how democracy is perceived. Before the ruling, many directors served as the signing body for the chief executives and other high ranking officers they are tasked to oversee. This brings into light the apparent control of CEOs and other executives regardless of how the owners of the company feel about their decisions. With owners finally having a measure of control to a fair and impartial opportunity to elect independent directors, many things are going to change in corporations starting with both the board and top management focusing, instead, on serving the interests of the shareholders as their priority. With the democratization of the shareholders as they are given more power, many in management will see such democratic procedures as a bane rather than the boon they have always perceived it to be. Business roundtables, in order to veil their attempts at skewing the corporate election processes to favor the corporation over substantial shareholder interests, have tried to stop such democratization of power within their systems. However, their efforts have recently been trumped by the â€Å"proxy access† rule. The new ruling has made corporate directors directly accountable to the actions of the company. This will result in (at least speculatively) the improvement of performances of the directors unless they want to be voted out of office and replaced by independent candidates chosen by the shareholders who are against their performance. This power is, however, a double-edged sword. Advancing the interests of shareholders who, among themselves, have different interests could prove to be an overly bureaucratic and cumbersome process where all sides would need to be appeased in order to incur no one’s wrath and be dismissed from the position they have been holding. With as little as 3%holding shares, corporate directors will have many parties to appease, which will require them to be very dynamic and charismatic, as well as having an overall good performance, if they want to stay on the board.

Lone Parents And Poverty

Lone Parents And Poverty I have chosen to focus my essay on lone parents and poverty. Lone parents are a growing group in Great Britain and elsewhere, and one with high rates of poverty and receipt of social assistance. This paper will analyse the current Governments policy objectives and their vision that it is right to expect people to make every effort to get themselves ready for work, as well as raising expectations within society. employment, or employment on low earnings (Millar and Ridge 2001). This means that many lone parents have to rely on state benefits which are often set at low levels. To this list we might also add low rates of receiving child support from ex-partners (the father of any children), and relatively low rates of child support even among those receiving any (Marsh et al 2001). It is widely accepted that poverty is a consequence of lone parenthood. But poverty is itself also a cause of lone parenthood, particularly for single (never-married) lone mothers. In previous years in Britain lone parents with children below the ages of 16 had a right to seek paid work or not without any risk of sanctions from the Government or other Government bodies (Rafferty and Wiggan, 2011). This was further pointed out by by the Freud Review (2007) of the welfare to work provisions as well as the green paper on welfare reform published in the same year In work, better off: next steps to full employment. This was seen as a critical phase in the development of social poilicies within the area, it saw a new social agreement and view that sought to reinforce lone parents oblihations to seek paid work (Department for Work and Pensions 2007). The subsequent December 2007 White Paper, Ready for work: full employment in our generation, while acknowledging that many respondents to the Green Paper did not support the proposal to require lone parents to seek work on the basis that they should be able to choose to stay home to look after their children full-time, pointed towards evidence of the negative long-term effects for parents and children of long-term economic inactivity. Under the old labour Government, lone parents with a child under 16 who were not in full-time work could claim Income Support. However, from November 2008 most lone parents with a youngest child aged 12 or over were no longer eligible for Income Support. Those deemed able to work were instead able to claim Jobseekers Allowance, provided they were available for and actively seeking work. The age threshold for the youngest child was then progressively lowered, so that by October 2010 most lone parents with a youngest child aged seven or over were subject to the JSA regime and this was further extended in the Budget 2010 to those whose whos youngest dependent child being  ¬Ã‚ ve or over (Great Britain, Parliament, Her Majestys Treasury, 2010). The Governments intentions are for those who find work to benefit from higher income and improved wellbeing. They are committed to halving child poverty by 2010-11 and on the way to eradicating it by 2020. Currently there are 2.9 million children living in poverty. In addition to making families better off, paid work has other important benefits including improving the health and well-being and future prospects of both parents and children. There are also fiscal benefits behind the idealisms, with a lower benefit burden the Government estimates that this policy change will affect approximately 100,000 single parents in 2011 and make saving of  £380m between 2011 and 2015 (Tickle, 2010) there is also wider social gains with reduced adult and child poverty through increased employment (DWP, 2008). Lone parents feel that their concerns have been disregarded; that being a parent is a full time job and there are insufficient flexible, family friendly jobs available (Woods, 2011). Gordon (2002) stated that there was an uncertainty about how to get benefits reinstated quickly if a job did not work out well for the lone parent and it was another barrier in the way of seeking employment as well as the loss of Housing Benefit and changes in their Working Tax Credit. This is reinforced by the Policy Studies Institute (1997) which found that many out of work lone parents say they are unable to take paid jobs, even if they could find affordable childcare and the biggest reason given was that their children were too young and needed their mother at home. On 26 October 2009 Gingerbread published a report, Signing on Stepping up? Single parents experience of moving on to Jobseekers Allowance, which presented the findings from a qualitative study based on interviews with 34 lone parents both before and after their move to JSA, carried out between January and August 2009. Before the move, parents expected to feel under considerable pressure to find work once they were on JSA. Once they were on JSA many parents did indeed feel under pressure and some were applying for jobs that would not really be suitable. In general the increase in pressure was not accompanied by more support to find a job; once on JSA many parents said that they had not had any support or advice about job hunting apart from hurried fortnightly sign-on appointments. Many parents said that they felt the Jobseekers Allowance is more stigmatised than Income Support, and parents felt embarrassed about signing on at the Jobcentre. The change to fortnightly payments also was very unpopular and caused problems for many parents. There was evidence that parents are not getting enough clear information about the change to JSA. Some parents did not know well in advance when their benefits would change, others were worried that their JSA might be stopped if they didnt find work, and many did not understand the conditions and flexibilities around JSA. Many of these parents had health conditions or other responsibilities that would make it difficult for them to work, and many had children with health issues or problems at school. Channel 4 News (2011) broadcast this as the new welfare reforms for single parents coming into force, and that lone parents are being set up to fail by the new proposals. (Gingerbread, 2011). Gordon went on to state that older policies that had been pushed through and pursued by the Conservatives in the 80s and 90s had resulted in a large increase in low-income households and families. This only changed when New Labour came to power in 1997 they changed direction and focused their policies on making work pay by creating a liveable minimum wage and a welfare ideology within society, which emphasised the importance of maternal care. They created the making work pay strategy which they hoped would in the long term lower the numbers of people, including lone parents, who were welfare dependant. It was aimed at all groups who were seen as vulnerable and suffering under the older system and was especially helpful to lone parents as it included increased financially supported childcare and a specific New Deal which started after the 1997 election. The deal was a voluntary programme which offered help and support for lone parents who wished to return to work or make an attempt to do so. It included job search support and the training needed, along with personal support, to help lone parents attempt to adjust and prepare for the transition to work however one of the flaws that developed was that there was limited opportunities for the training amongst lone parents. Government policies that are designed to help vulnerable groups, including lone parents, get back into the working environment and reduce the levels of poverty within society could had a profound difference and change the quality of life for lone parent families. (Gregg, Harkness and Smith, 2007) It is obvious that Social Workers must be aware of lone paretns and their daily struggle with poverty and employment. It is a current and big issue within socieity and poverty is a key and defining feature in the lives of many service users. (Cunningham Cunningham, 2008) They go further by statting that sociology is a key component and skill for Social Workers to learn and understand so that they can use it in their practice to under pin the Codes of Practice set forth by the General Social Care Council. The same codes that state that all Social Workers must have appropriate knowledge and skills to provide social care and keep those skills and knowledge up to date. (GSCC, 2002) Reducing welfare dependency for lone parents could result in reduced welfare expenditure and maximised employment rates along with improved socio-political impact for women however the financial incentives for work has to be substantive and sustainable to reduce the risk of in-work poverty. (Knijn, Martin and Millar, 2007). Finch et al (2004) suggested that a lack of good childcare was one of the significant barriers to the governments target to increase the lone parent employment rate to 70 % by 2010. In the budget address of 2010, George Osborne stated that the government expects lone parents to look for work when their youngest child goes to school. These changes were then implemented on 25 October 2010 and affected lone parents claiming income support. The Job Seekers Allowance Regulations 2010 also changed the policy too making it that once children are of full time school age, parents who are able to work and are claiming benefits should be expected to look for paid work to support themselves and their family. Gingerbread, is still calling on the Coalition Government to implement plans to enable all employees to apply for flexible working, to ensure all jobs in the public sector are offered on a part- time or flexible basis and introduce a right to paid parental leave to help parents deal with time off when children are ill. (Ahrends, 2009) Ahrends goes onto state that David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg all pledged to challenge prejudice against single parents in 2010 and the newly elected Coalition Government further stated that it was committed to introducing flexible working for all and launched a taskforce on children and families. Unfortunately 9 months later this same government has scraped regulations and introduced new ones which came into force April 2011 as part of a package of measures to reduce bureaucracy for businesses. It means firms with fewer than 10 employees from all new red tape for three years as it subjects 21,000 pieces of regulation to an audit by the public. (Stratton and Wintour, 2011) This will see a shelving of the right to request flexible working for parents with children under 17 which will apply to all firms, not just small ones. It will also scrap the right to request time for training and education toward continuous professional development. Single parents often want to work, but finding jobs to fit around the school day is very difficult; as is finding and paying for suitable good quality childcare before and after the school day. (Freegard, 2010). It is also important to note that family friendly jobs are still far too rare despite the Government requiring 100,000 single parents to seek work in 2011. (Woods, 2011) There has also been calls for the Government to move faster on plans for flexible working hours for lone parents however business case for flexible working has been proven with most employers agreeing that people work best when they have a work/life balance. (Weir, 2011) However it is important to note that in terms of poverty eradication there has been an improvement. Single parents employment rate has certainly risen, from 40% in the early 1980s to 56.6% in 2009. (Giullari, 2009) For the Governments policies to work, there has to be sustainable, flexible work for lone parents to be employed in. Under this welfare ideology one of the key assumptions is that all adults should be in work even if it means precarious employment. (Lewis and Giullari, 2005) Ahrends debates although successive governments have promoted work as the route out of poverty and that many single parents are better off in paid work this is not always the case: 21% of children whose single parent is in full time work still fall below the poverty line, as do 29 % of children whose single parent is working part time. 4 out of 10 children living in poverty are in a single parent household, and 9 out of 10 of them are mothers. More than 20% of women have persistently low incomes, helping, rather than forcing, these women is the answer. Finch et al (2004) discusses that numerous studies have suggested that Britains parents are failing, children are miserable and have poor moral, social and intellectual upbringing. And it has been said that children from single parent families are worse behaved, children raised by single mothers are twice as likely to misbehave as those born into traditional two-parent families. (Paton, 2011) When a lone parent starts work, there are many changes to daily life. and the lives of their families and other family members. All of this including the social, work, carer and school settings are key elements to work sustainability; this has not yet been systematically explored in research. (Millar and Ridge, 2009) Lone parents are a growing group in Great Britain and elsewhere and now represent one quarter of families with children (Haskey 2002). In the longer term, perhaps one half of British children will pass through a non-intact family at some stage in their childhood. Lone parents have been an important area of social policy study, given their high rates of receipt of social assistance. Their low incomes may be traced to low rates of economic activity, low rates of maintenance receipt, and relatively lower earnings when in paid work. A lot of single parents do want to work and for good reasons such as the sense of financial independence they get but also to set good examples for their children however with the current changes to the social policies surrounding lone parents and their benefits and the forthcoming changes mean that they feel isolated and vulnerable. In conclusion lone parents are facing a changing environment due to the budget cuts and the reduction in services. With the Coalition Government there has been a shift away from supporting lone parents being full time carers at home to an employment-based maternal model. There is a rhetoric focus and direction towards supporting employment and now the move to compulsory work-related requirements. Lone parents with children five years or over are treated the same as any other unemployed claimant. (Woods, 2011) Family-friendly employment with a work/life balance are not now part of the governments policies and without action from both the Government and employers, many single parents will remain in the poverty trap. (Woods, 2011) Word Count: 2508