The Non-Smoking Policy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 27

The Non-Smoking Policy - Case Study Example These are the people who will be affected by the cost of healthcare that results from smoking. Smoking in the company will affect or harm the non-smokers in the company (second-hand smoking). Non-smokers will have to put have at the risk of smoking-related illness even when they do not smoke. There is a conflict of interest between the employees and the company as employees feel that random testing and smoking ban is a violation of their rights while the employers believe that the policy is for the benefit of the employees. There exists a tension between the rights of the employees and those of the employer. There are no rights that are being ignored, and no one is failing in his or her obligation. The policy is aimed at ensuring a level playing field for all employees (fairness) - to prevent second-hand smoking and first-hand smoking effects. The issue is an ethical issue arising here is whether those employees who are smokers are being discriminated in the workplace. The issue aris ing, in this case, is the cause of the tension between the rights of the employer and the rights of the employee. Â  The possible alternative to the status quo of the affected employees is quit working at Weyco Inc. and seek for a job at the other USA states where measures against smokers are prohibited. The alternative to the status quo of the company is to fire the employees who violate the non-smoking policy for as long as they do not violate the discrimination laws. To achieve a compromise, both the employer and the employees should arrive at a consensus on the way forward. For example, the employer will have to employ a wellness program that will reward those employees who make lifestyle choices that are deemed to be healthy as part of its occupational health and safety.

UK Immigration Policies Exclude Asylum Seekers Essay

UK Immigration Policies Exclude Asylum Seekers - Essay Example Most of the UK local councils and Government organizations define an asylum seeker as â€Å"someone who enters its territory, seeks refugee status and awaits a decision by its Government on his / her application† (London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, n. d.). This means that anyone who enters the UK territory for some reasons of persecution from another country and applies for a refugee status remains officially an asylum seeker as long as the application remains pending. Asylum seekers whose applications are accepted would become refugees. But, part 6 of the 1999 Immigration and Asylum Act of the UK explains that the term ‘asylum seekers’ also includes those â€Å"who have made no claim for protection under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its Optional Protocol of 1967†. The term also includes those people who have children under the age of 18 but failed in their asylum claim (Harvey, 2002: 189). There are researchers who correctly think that a clear-cut definition is lacking for these terms resulting in confusion on a relationship between asylum and international protection (Kourala, 1997: 274). Several countries have their own independent immigration laws and policies to deal with the asylum seekers and the UK has also been pursuing its own immigration policy. The policy has surely an objective to achieve. A close examination of its policies and laws reveal that the policies are guided by the objective of discouraging the increasing number of immigrants entering the country. Available literature on immigration and asylum seekers suggests that majority of the UK people, like the other Europeans, are ready to accept the increasing inflow of immigrants on the condition that immigrants learn all types of skilled work, that they do not seek full welfare benefits and that they accept and adopt the host culture (Liddle and Diamond, 2006: 26).

Comparative essay between England and Brazil Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Comparative between England and Brazil - Essay Example Brazil consists of 27 federal units, 26 states, and one federal state (Levine 145-148). Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and accounts for one third of the world population. It has an area of 8511965 sq km covering nearly half of South America with its capital being Brasilia. It was named after the dye-wood found there. It borders every nation of the continent except Chile and Ecuador. Brazil is divided into plateaus in the south and the Amazon River basin to the north. According to Fausto (76) analyzed and found out that a study done on 2011 reported that Brazil has a population of 205,716,890 people. Brazil has its main cities as; Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Recife, and Porto Alegre. Brazil is the only Latin American country that derives its culture and language from Portugal. Brazil was one of the only three modern states in the Americas to have its own indigenous monarchy for a period of almost 90 years. (Meade 90-93). Portugal earnestly tr ied to re-impose colonial rule but Brazil was declared independent on 7th September 1822 by the prince thus becoming Pedro I the Emperor of Brazil (Viotti da Costa 52). The nation was ruled by a series of military dictatorships until a revolt that allowed for a gradual return to stability under the civilian presidents (Meade 132). In 1964 to 1984 the military governments strongly encouraged foreign so as to encourage economic growth. After the military coup in 1964, Brazil was ruled by the military again for several years. In 1985 the first civilian president Neves was elected since 1964 bringing a nationwide wave of optimism. Color became the president after winning the 1989 elections but he was impeached by the congress because of corruption scandal and later resigned (Viotti da Costa 112-113). According to Fausto (158-160) asserts that in January 1999 the Asian economic crisis spread to Brazil and the economy remained sluggish throughout to 2001. Dilma Rouseff was elected as pres ident and assumed office in 1st January 2011 and is the sitting president up to date. Background history of England England is the most populous nation of the United Kingdom. It accounts for 84 percent of the combined total population. It has 54 million people and its inhabitants are English or British people. Some genetic evidence shows that the 75%-95% have descended in the paternal line from the prehistoric settlers who were originally from Iberian Peninsula. The spoken language is English. The most widely spread religion is Christianity and as per today 59% of the population identify Christianity (Raumer 67-68). The former capital of England was Winchester until it was replaced by London in 1066. Currently, London is the largest metropolitan area in the UK and also the largest urban zone in the European Union region. During the reign of Emperor Claudius, the Romans invaded Britain in AD 43 subsequently conquering much of Britain the area being incorporated into the Roman Empire as the Britannia (Eccleshare 265-270). The basic political system in England is a parliamentary system and a constitutional monarchy. Before the joining of Scotland and English to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, it was ruled by the monarch and the parliament of England. In the UK 2010 general elections the Conservative Party won the absolute majority in 532 contested seats, 61 more seats more than all the other parties combined. According to Eccleshare (45) argues

Water and Quality Contamination Essay Example for Free

Water and Quality Contamination Essay Introduction. Background: According to the Millennium Development Goals Report 2012, 783 million people, or 11 per cent of the global population, remain without access to an improved source of drinking water. Also the United Nations has long been addressing the global crisis caused by insufficient water supply to satisfy basic human needs and growing demands on the world’s water resources to meet human, commercial and agricultural needs (un.org). In this experiment water quality and contamination of groundwater was investigated. First, I observed the effects that many pollutants have on groundwater. I predict that in this experiment the oil and vinegar will create the large amount of contamination in the water, while the laundry detergent will just create an aroma smell to it. Considering the smells and color to these ingredients I think that it will cause the water quality to have a bad smell and cause the water to be very cloudy. Once filtering the contaminated water, the water will be clear and purified. Second, I will experiment water treatment and filtering. I predict that once the contaminated water is treated and filtered that it will leave me with less contamination or none at all. Then for the last experiment, I will determine the difference between bottled water and tap water to discover any contamination. I predict that the tap water will be the most contaminated and with the most chemicals in it, while the bottled waters; Dasani and Fiji will be completely filtered and free of any chemicals. Objective: The objective of groundwater sampling is to determine whether or  not the quality of the water is poor or valuable enough to drink, and then it leads to decontamination and filtering. Contaminants can move from food, soil, air and water. It is important to note that groundwater and surface water may act both as pathways. Evaluation of surface and ground waters as part of contaminated site investigation studies is, therefore, a major concern. Hypothesis: There were three different steps to this investigation to determine the final hypothesis. The first experiment was the effects of groundwater contamination, second was water treatment and third was drinking water quality. There are a variety of portable sampling devices available for the collection of groundwater, however, each application has different standards and is dependent on the contaminants. A number of different sampling devices and their being able to be used are used to determine the contamination. Techniques for the preservation and analysis of samples and quality assurance and quality control are also presented. Materials and Methods: Experiment #1: In order to determine my final hypothesis I had to experiment many different methods. The first method was to experiment the effects of groundwater contamination. My first step to this method was to gather all the proper materials, which included water, vegetable oil, vinegar, laundry detergent, and 240 mL of soil, cheesecloth and beakers. I started by labeling all the beakers 1-8, so that I can do comparisons and so forth. Then, I carried on to filling the beakers with water. Once adding water I then put oil, vinegar and laundry detergent into three different beakers, then mixed them and recorded my observations. After this objective was complete I drained the contaminated water into cheesecloth and recorded my observations from that as well. Experiment #2: In the second experiment, I filtered the water as to how water is properly filtered in order to purify it to drink it. The materials used in this experiment were 100 mL potting soil, beakers, 40 mL sand, 20 mL acti vated charcoal, 60 mL Gravel, alum, bleach, cheesecloth, funnel and graduated cylinder. The first step I took was adding 100 mL of soil to a beaker and adding 200 mL of water to it. Then, with two beakers I went back and forth between the two with the soil  and the sand. Once the solution was created I placed the newly contaminated water into another beaker. Once I completed that I added 10 grams of alum to the contaminated water, stirred it slowly for 2 minutes and waited 15 minutes for results, then recorded them. Meanwhile, I continued to experiment by putting a piece of cheesecloth into a funnel and the funnel into a beaker. On top of the cheesecloth 20 mL of sand, then 20 mL of activated charcoal, then 40 mL of gravel was added. Tap water was then ran through the mixture and waited five minutes to filter and see results. A few drops of bleach were then added to the water to create the filtered water. Then the two results were compared. Experiment #3: In the third experiment, tap water and bottled water were tested and compared to determine if there are health benefits in drinking bottled water. The materials used for this experiment were Dasani and Fiji bottled water, ammonia test strips, chloride test strips, 4-in-1 test strips, phosphate test strips, iron test strips, beakers, Para film, pipettes, and foil packets of reducing powder. First, all three types of water were placed into three separate beakers for further testing. The first test ammonia test strips were used, and then I recorded my results, this process continued with all the other testing strips for my final hypothesis. Hypothesis: My hypothesis was confirmed. At first I did not get much of a good response from the treatment because it was still filled with dirt. The tap water had higher levels of everything during the experiment while the treated water had none. The smell of tap was the smell of city public water while the treated water smelt like bleach. It is better the go through the filtration process. What are the steps to this process are as filtration and disinfection. In this lab I used all these steps to perform water treatment. After this experiment my hypothesis was denied. I thought that the tap water would be the only contaminated water when it was just the most contaminated while the bottled water was indeed clear and filtered, but it was not 100% clear of all contaminants. The major differences are that tap water definitely with holds much more contaminants than bottled or filtered water. My tap water seems as if it isn’t to badly contaminated and is drinkable. I definitely believe that bottled water is a better drinking water and you cant be to safe to consume tap water. Context: Bottled water can come from wells, springs, artesian wells, or the municipal water supply. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulate it as a food product. It is important to note that the FDAs standards are essentially the same as those set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates public water supplies. In some states, however, bottled water requirements are stricter than those for tap water are (people.chem.duke). Overall, the experiments went really well and it was good to learn about the water that we intake. Discovering the effects of groundwater contamination and the quality of water was a huge success. In these processes I discovered the importance to having filtrated water. The  process in this involves many different steps, but after taking all the required steps it leads to have clean and purified water, which is benefits society health. Variables and Futures Experiments: The point of experiment one is for us to get an understanding of the difference substances that are affected on ground water. Conclusions The threat of harmful contaminants in drinking water can no longer be reasonably ignored. The correlation between contaminated drinking water and many significant diseases and health problems is far too strong to discount ( historyofwaterfilters). At the end of the day we as people need water to survive. Millions of Americans receive high quality drinking water every day from their public water systems, (which may be publicly or privately owned). Nonetheless, drinking water safety cannot be taken for granted. SDWA applies to every public water system in the United States. There are currently more than 160,000 public water systems providing water to almost all Americans at some time in their lives(water.epa.gov). It is important to know that the water you are drinking in safe and it is healthy it doesn’t matter if the water is from the bottle or the tap. References http://www.historyofwaterfilters.com/conclusion.html http://people.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/water/wattap.html http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/water/ http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/index.cfm

Importance of Corporate Governance

Importance of Corporate Governance 1. INTRODUCTION This chapter provides a definition of corporate governance and examines importance of, and the principles underpinning corporate governance. It also reviews prior research examining corporate governance disclosures and in particular, those which have investigated corporate governance disclosure in ECMs. 2. DEFINITIONS OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Modern corporations have dispersed ownership structure (Jenkinson and Mayer, 1994). Due to this, these corporate entities are characterised by contractual relationships between (shareholders) owners and managers (agents). Management is hired by owners (i.e. investors) to run the business on their behalf (Sarpong, 1999). Within the agency theory framework, it is theorised that managers may seek to maximise their wealth to the detriment of shareholders and bondholders through the consumption of perquisites (Jensen and Meckling, 1976). Decisions of agents have the tendency of unfavourably transferring wealth from one principal to another i.e. from bondholders to shareholders (Watts and Zimmerman, 1978). John and Senbet, (1998 p. 372) define corporate governance â€Å"as a means by which stakeholders of a corporation exercise control over corporate insiders and management such that their interest will be well protected†. Similarly, it is proposed that â€Å"corporate governance i ssues arise in an organization whenever two conditions are present. First, there is an agency problem, or conflict of interest, involving members of the organization these might be owners, managers, workers or consumers. Second, transaction costs are such that this agency problem cannot be dealt with through a contract† (Hart, 1995, p. 678) To avert the agency problem, there is the need to ensure that adequate and effective corporate governance structures are put in place to prevent abuse of power by managers (Cadbury, 1992). Corporate disclosure through annual reports is one of the essential instruments for the monitoring of managerial behaviour (Watts, 1977; Watts and Zimmerman, 1978). This requires frequent evaluation of managerial activities and performances particularly, through independent non-executive directors (Roberts et al 2005). Berle and Means (2003) view corporate governance as a relatively new concept in both the public and academic domains, although the central issues the concept seeks to address have been in existence for a longer period. The most common definition of the concept has been provided by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED). It defines Corporate governance as: ‘ a system by which business corporations are directed and controlled. Corporate governance structures specify the distribution of rights and responsibilities among different participants in the corporation, such as, the board, managers, shareholders and other stakeholders and spells out the rules and procedures for making decisions on corporate affairs. By doing this, it also provides the structure through which the companys objectives are set and the means of attaining those objectives and monitoring performance (OECD, 1999 p. 11). The influential Cadbury report defines corporate governance fundamentals and somewhat simplistically as ‘ the systems by which companies are directed and controlled (Cadbury 1992). This will require putting in place appropriate mechanisms which will ensure that corporate resources are safeguarded. Johnson and Scholes (1998) explained that corporate governance is concerned with both the functioning of organizations and the distribution of powers between different stakeholders. They argue that corporate governance determines whom the organization is there to serve and how the purpose and priorities of the organization should be decided. Thus, among other things, corporate governance is concerned with structures and processes for decision making, ensures accountability and controls managerial behaviour. It therefore, seeks to address issues facing board of directors, such as the interaction with top management and relationship with owners and others interested in the affairs of a company. The definitions outlined, directly or indirectly, share common elements. They all acknowledge the existence of conflict of interest between managers and shareholders as a result of the existence of separation of ownership and control in corporate activities. They further recognize the need to put in place effective corporate governance mechanisms to ensure that shareholders and investors interest are well protected. 1. IMPORTANCE OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE As a result of globalization and the increasing complexity of business there is a greater reliance on the private sector as the engine of growth in both developed and developing countries. Organizations do not exist in a vacuum; they rather interrelate with a number of interest groups, known as stakeholders (Freeman, 1984). These stakeholders include shareholders, governments, regulatory bodies, creditors and the general public (Pease and Macmillan, 1993). Stakeholders are impacted by the activities of companies. In this regard, and in the context of this study, adequate and effective corporate governance disclosure becomes relevant to investors and other stakeholders from a number of standpoints. Effective corporate governance disclosure promotes transparency in corporate structures and operations. It strengthens accountability and oversight among managers and board members to shareholders (Bosch, 2002). This oversight and accountability combined with the efficient use of resources, improved access to lower-cost capital and increased responsiveness to societal needs and expectations leads to improved corporate performance. Many studies exist linking good corporate governance with better Performance. Fianna and Grant (2005) explains that good corporate governance helps to bridge the gap between the interests of those that a company, by increasing investor confidence and lowering the cost of capital for the company. Furthermore, they also add that it also helps in ensuring company honours, its legal commitments and forms value-creating relations with stakeholders. Coles et al. (2001) and Durnev and Han (2002, also found that companies with better corporate governance enjoy high er valuation. These studies results, helps in confirming the idea of good corporate governance, result in better decisions at all levels of the organization, not at top-management and board levels, but also in the better performance of the organization Again adequate and effective corporate governance disclosure ensures that corporate activities are run in an open and transparent manner (Brain 2005). Last, corporate governance practices boost market confidence and ensure effective allocation of capital in the market (Greenspan, 2002). From the forgoing discussions, the realization of the importance of good corporate governance practices is largely dependent on a number of internal factors. As a way of achieving this, a number of principles have been established. 3. PRINCIPLES UNDERPINNING CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DISCLOSURE A number of principles underpin effective corporate governance. These principles are business probity, responsibility and fairness or equal opportunity. Corporate entities are expected to exhibit these qualities to ensure good governance. Embracing the outlined principles will improve relationships between companies, their shareholders and the overall welfare of every economy. These principles are briefly discussed. Business probity requires individuals in charge of companies to be open and honest in the discharge of their activities. According to Brain (2005) openness implies a willingness to provide information to individuals and groups about the activities of a company. In this regard, it is important to recognize that shareholders and investors need to know the position of a company in order to evaluate their performance. Timely delivery of information will enable them achieve this purpose. Good corporate governance disclosure requires handlers of companies to be honest in the discharge of their activities. Honesty requires managers to deliver factual information. A sign of honesty is that statements of companies are believed. However, Brain (2005 p. 26) contends that â€Å"honesty might seem an obvious quality for companies, but, in an age of spin, and the manipulation of facts, honest information is perhaps by no means as prevalent as it should be.† Corporate governance requires handlers of corporate entities to be responsible in the discharge of their duties. Investors require confidence that companys financial systems are secured and credible. Managers are therefore expected to work in this direction to meet investors expectation. Responsibility in the context of corporate governance includes other issues such as transparency and accountability. These principles are vital to the survival and welfare of every company. Thus, managers have a duty to explain their actions to shareholders as well as investors so as to enhance their understanding of the direction of the companys activities. The principle of fairness requires impartiality and a lack of bias in corporate activities. In the context of corporate governance, the quality of fairness is achieved when managers behave in reasonable and unbiased manner. In this sense, to ensure good governance shareholders are expected to receive equal consideration. This means minority shareholders should be treated the same way as majority shareholders. References Berle, A.A. and G.C. Means (2003). The Modern Corporation and private property, New York, Macmillan Company. Bosch, H. (2002), The changing face of corporate governance, UNSW Law Journal, Vol. 25 No.2, pp.270-93. Brain, C. (2005) Corporate Governance, ICSA text Cadbury A. (1992) Financial Aspect of corporate governance Coles JW, Mcwilliams VB, Sen N. An examination of the relationship of governance mechanisms to performance. Journal of Management 2001; 29 (1):23-50. Durnev A, Han KE. The interplay of firm-specific factors and legal regimes in corporate governance and firm valuation. In: Paper Presented at Dartmouths Center for Corporate Governance Conference: Contemporate Governance; 2002. p. 12-3. Fianna J, Grant K. The revised OECD principles of corporate governance and their relevance to non-OECD countries, vol. 13. Blackwell Publishing Ltd; 2005. p. 2. Freeman, R.E (1994). The Stakeholder Theory of Modern Corporations. Concepts, evidence and implications, Academy of Management Review Vol. 20, 65-91 Greenspan, A. (2002) Corporate Governance in Emerging Markets Hart, O. (1995), â€Å"Corporate Governance, Some Theory and Applications, The Economic Journal 105: 687-689 Jenkinson T. and Mayer C.P. (1994). Hostile takeovers defense attack and corporate performance. McGraw Hill. Jensen, M. C. and Meckling, W. H (1976). Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behaviour, Agency Costs and Ownership Structure. Journal of Financial economics 3(3): 305-60 John, K., and L. Senbet (1998), â€Å"Corporate Governance and Board Effectiveness†, Journal of Banking and Finance 22: 371-403. OECD (2005), Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State Owned Enterprises Roberts, J. T. McNulty, et al (2005). â€Å"Beyond agency conceptions of the work of the non-executive director: creating accountability in the boardroom†. Special Edition. British Journal of Management 16:S5-S26 Sarpong, K.K. (1999) Financial Reporting in Emerging Capital Markets: A Case Study of Ghana, PHD Thesis, The University of Warwick Watts, R. L. 1977. Corporate Financial Statements, a Product of the Market and Political Processes. Australian journal of Management: 53-75. Watts, R. L. and J. L. Zimmerman. 1978. Towards a Positive Theory of the determination of Accounting Standards. Accounting review: 112-34

The Excess of Men in the Mishnaic Tractate Yoma :: essays research papers

The Excess of Men in the Mishnaic Tractate Yoma   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, whatever their sins, putting them on the head of the goat; and it shall be sent off to the wilderness through a designated man (Leviticus 16.20).† â€Å"He who set the Azazel-goat free shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may reenter the camp (Leviticus 16.26).† The preceding two quotes were the only mention of any people other than Aaron who were involved in the activities on the Day of Atonement. However, in the mishnaic tractate Yomah the mishnaic authors mention at least 50 other men who participate in the day’s events. It is unclear for this addition. Noticeably the groups of men are broken up into two distinct categories. The high priest is apparently trained, guided, and even observed by a group of elders of the court who eventually deliver him to the elders of the priest hood. The other group, was a group of men who completed many of the chosen High Priest’s simple minded and non exertive tasks. There is no specific name classification given to these men. This may be exemplary of their unimportance in the holy doings of the day. Unlike the need for elders of the court and priest hood, the necessity of these men is a bit unclear. It is unclear in the mishnaic tractate Yoma, as to why the many tasks performed by this nameless group of men could not just have been performed by the High Priest himself as it was by Aaron. The authors of this text write that â€Å"another priest was made ready in his stead lest aught should befall him to render him ineligible †¦ Also another wife was made ready for Page 2 him lest his own wife should die†¦ (Yoma 1:1)† Obviously one of the concerns for extra people in this day’s events is to assure that no matter what happens â€Å"the show must go on.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"They delivered unto him elders from among the elders of the Court, and they read before him out of the [prescribed] rite for the day; and they said to him, ‘My lord High Priest, do thou thyself recite with thine own mouth, lest thou hast forgotten or lest thou hast never learnt’. On the Day of Atonement in the morning they make him to stand at the Eastern Gate and pass before him oxen, rams, and a sheep, that he may gain knowledge and becomes versed in the [Temple-]Service (Yoma 1:3).

Girls of Riyadh

Discuss in what ways Girls of Riyadh demystified or confirmed your gender perceptions of the quintessential Muslim society that Saudi Arabia is meant to represent. Girls of Riyadh is the poignant delineation of Saudi Arabia’s secluded society where young women who silently cherish westernized aspirations are weaved within the strict conventional web of the Arab law.Alsanea challenges the dictatorial and Islamist regimes of Saudi Arabia by contentiously incorporating prohibited issues such as homosexuality, the quest of love, sexuality and subjugation of the women in her work. She generally attempts to demonstrate â€Å"that a Western code of life in an Arab society is more preferable and suitable than the Islamic one† (Mubarak, 2011). Subsequently, she reiterates, between Muslims and the West, the existing chasm which is grounded on the latter’s perception of Islam as an obstruction to the Arab woman and her struggle for independence.This paper accordingly elucid ates the various ways this novel demystifies gender perceptions in the typical Muslim society that Saudi Arabia is meant to represent. The characterization of the four protagonists namely Gamrah, Sadeem, Michelle and Lamees condemns Islamist fundamentalism as misogynist and calls for autonomous and secular political legal frameworks. The text simultaneously divulges the prevailing inconsistency between the opposite sexes in the Saudi society.While Doumato (1992) articulates in her work that Arab women are prohibited to travel without their ‘mahram’ or male guardian, Abdulla (1981) further exposes the prevailing sex segregation in Arab countries where the Muslim girl is anticipated to learn how to become an ideal housewife to her husband and a successful mother to her children instead of looking forward to join competitive fields such as geology, meteorology and so on which are explicitly for the men.Alsanea, by applying western tints to her novel, defies the conservativ e Arab society with the emergence of her four female characters who confront the political culture of Saudi Arabia as a social force. With the proliferation of technology in the 21st century, Alsanea uses the Internet as a medium to communicate to her readers. By so doing, she connects both male and female readers in a country where â€Å"integration of the sexes, at least in public, is still non-existent† and where â€Å"veiling is enforced† (Bahry, 1982).The virtual interaction between Lamees and the other masculine cyber users remarkably contradicts the Arab society where such crossing point is out of question. The internet, â€Å"the narrative topological main figure† (Ghadeer, 2006), becomes also a space where the narrator and her virtual female characters (â€Å"I’ve decided to change all the names of the people I will write about†) interact with the youth culture anonymously to expose the horrendous principles of the Arab society. It additio nally acts as a prominent tool in shaping the feminine’s individualism.Lamees, for instance, teaches Gamrah how to make use of the internet which helps her to isolate herself from the bitter memories of Rashid’s betrayal: â€Å"With the help of Lamees, Gamrah got to know the world of chatting†. Alsanea provokes the conventional Saudi community as Lamees plunges in the virtual world to such an extent that she can even figure out the dissimilarities between men in Riyadh and those of the eastern and western provinces: â€Å"guys from Riyadh are a little different than the eastern province boys, and they’re different from the western province and so it goes†.Virtual communication hence reconstructs the existence of the wired Saudi girl beneath her abaya into an inquisitive connection of primitive culture and technology. Digital technology appropriates the reality of the Arab feminine personality as it enables her to show that she also has a voice. As such, this Arab feminine struggle broadens democratic space in the society as a whole (Esfandiari, 2004). At the same time as the author connects orality with the internet, she deliberately underlines the real and the fictional.According to Ghadeer, this new mode of writing does not signify that Alsanea is discarding the â€Å"old form of narration or suggesting its loss† but she uses this writing style to unveil the undeniable social taboos. This is evidenced as cyberspace readers respond to the prohibited subjects brought forward by Alsanea. The taboo issues as such become overtly discussed concerns. Um Nuwayyir, for example, is thunderstruck when she is informed that her son is â€Å"defining his sexual identity† because unlike in the West to be homosexual in the Arab countries signals â€Å"an utter calamity, an illness worse than cancer. The author dismantles the hypocritical attitudes toward homosexuality which she attests is a normal behaviour that should be ac cepted in any society and by so doing her work becomes a driving force against the traditional Arab community (Mubarak, 2011). In this way Alsanea thoroughly condemns the Islamic Arab communities and distinguishes them with Western civilization. Michelle, as evidence, perpetually laments about Riyadh for not being a city like the West where â€Å"Everyone was minding his own business. However as Nuwwayir ultimately identifies his masculinity the author unconsciously emphasizes that homosexuality has no place in a country like Riyadh where gender representation remains constantly stereotyped. It is likewise outrageous as Alsanea depicts the persistence of constraints on the binary interaction between the two sexes in Riyadh even when they are out of country. To escape from her grief Sadeem leaves for London where she becomes acquainted to Firas to whom she has to prove continuously that she is not of loose character since she does not wear the abaya and interacts openly with men.Als anea henceforth demonstrates that the severe conservative Arab rules exceed geography as well. To some extent the Saudi girl is not really liberated even if she is far from her native land. This feminine narration consequently stirs the whole media as it overtly discusses how the girls impersonate the opposite sex by travelling without any male guardian and flourish sexual desires instead of confining â€Å"their bodies to foggy corridors of old traditions and patriarchal taboos† (Ghadeer).In short, it does not completely share the view that â€Å"woman is to man as butter is to sun. † The novel also highlights issues which the society rejects and alleges that both sexes are prejudiced, thus protesting that Saudi Arabia â€Å"is a fruit cocktail of social classes where no class ever mixes with another. † Michelle, the half-American and half-Saudi girl, besides, cannot marry the man of her life as Faisal’s mother, who declares this relationship fruitless, rejects her. Similarly Rashid is forced by his family to marry a Saudi girl instead of his Japanese girlfriend.Nevertheless by leaving the former for his girlfriend suggests a courageous move on the part of Rashid since unlike Faisal he draws criticism in a nation whereby people are not authorized to date until married. Lamee likewise has to split her friendship with Fatimah simply because the Arab society does not favour Sunni-Shi’a interaction. The character of Um Nuwwayir in view of that is used as a pawn to the liberation of the young lovers. Her house becomes a space where the â€Å"hapless lovers† transcends the regulation denying the mixing of unmarried people: â€Å"Um Nuwayyir’s place was the safe haven par excellence for sweethearts. It is noteworthy that, until the subject of marriage crops up, the respective relationship of Michelle-Faisal and Lamees-Firas remains secured. In other words, the author portrays wedding as a theme, which communicates th e message that practically behind every matrimony, lies the trend of incomplete lost love. As a result, at the end of the novel Sadeem marries her cousin Tariq not because she loves him but to avenge the two previous men who almost devastated her. Faisal as well marries out of compulsion while Michelle and Gamrah remain single and the experiences of her friends guide Lamees to make the right choice in her life.Among the four girls she is the apparently the only one whose married life blossoms. As a matter of fact, as Clark in the work of Fiske (2005) explicates, the woman cannot fit choices to herself and the only option left to her is agreement, hence enunciating her conforming nature. Gamrah, divorced and left with a child, has to face the hurdles of her society, â€Å"shrinking, secretly and silently† since the norms of the society does not permit her a second marriage. Clark hence stipulates, â€Å"like the kitten †¦ her eye cannot help but follow the kaleidoscopic movement of the objects surrounding her. Like all the Saudi girls, the female characters must content themselves with their culture’s contradictory stances. Girls of Riyadh moreover reinforces the Orientalist stereotypes of the Arab women, either as the overtly eroticized, just like Sadeem whose erotic conduct is apparent as she â€Å"strewed across the sofa, the candles placed here and there †¦ the black nightgown that revealed more of her body than it concealed †, or as intensely subjugated women in the male dominated world, like Gamrah who has to live under the patriarchal rules.As the novel unravels, Alsanea nonetheless obliterates this orientalist perspective as she stresses that the Riyadh woman is not â€Å"a sexual symbol† or â€Å"closeted in the palace’s women’s quarters†(Mubarak). This is demystified as Michelle confronts Faisal by attending his wedding which depicts she is strong enough to resist his betrayal and is not in n eed of his ‘manly’ support. Similarly, Lamees weds someone of her own academic position which again delineates that she is not the ‘Other’.Ultimately this proves that the hetero image of the women perceived by Orientalism is falsified as Fanon (1965) clarifies, â€Å"It was the colonialist’s frenzy †¦ his gamble †¦ to bring this woman within his re ach, to make her a possible object of possession. † Throughout this essay, it is significant that the rules the Arab law transmits do not utterly correspond to the Islamic teachings which, Shands (2008) makes clear, have been misinterpreted as â€Å"media generally tend to judge Islam in the light of the behaviour and actions of some Muslims. Likewise while the Riyadh society surrounds the woman in its suffocating grip, Islam conversely advocates the protection of woman on men’s part. Esfandiari, in regard to this, articulates that the Islam practised in Nigeria or Saudi Arabia may not necessarily reciprocate to the Islam in Indonesia. Significantly the roles and privileges of women in any nation â€Å"are the product of its particularly history, culture, and political character. † As illustration, despite being literate the Riyadh woman is not supposed to sign: â€Å"The sheikh says fingerprint, not signature.The men are the only ones who sign their names. † This does not however means the same in other Arab countries like Egypt. This paper demonstrates that although Riyadh is compacted with severe regulations concerning the women, Alsanea overtly fights against them to reveal that her girls have the potential to enrich the society. Subsequently after confronting much obstacles the female characters identify their own individuality which push them to construct their advancement. They become the channel through which any Saudi girl can modify the cultural and social circumstances of any woman.In addition, the author reveals that the misrepresent ation of the Arab woman is due to the failure of the Western literature to comprehend her. Literature should henceforth be adopted as a means to approach â€Å"different cultures through the similarities and not differences† (Shaheen, 2001). Bibliography Alsanea, Rajaa. (2007). Girls of Riyadh. New York: The Penguin Press Cooke, Miriam. (2001). Women Claim Islam. New York: Routledge Fiske, John. (2005). Cultural Studies. New York: Routledge Fanon, Franz. (1965). A Dying Colonialism. United States of America: Grove Press Mubarak, A. 2001). Twenty-First Century Arab Feminism: a movement from Islamic to the Secular. An International Journal in English, pp 1-9 Sabbagh, Suha. (1996). Arab Women: Between Defiance and Restrain. Canada: Olive Branch Press Said, Edward. (1995). Orientalism. New York: Penguin Shands, Kerstin. 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