Death Among the Ibo Essay

Although the book Things Fall Apart and The Joys of Motherhood cover about seventy years, the difference between life in 1880s Nigeria and Nigeria in the 1950s is extreme. The Ibo people change from a clan and tribal people to a much less closely knit people much like Europeans or North Americans. The change should not necessarily be construed as an improvement in the life of the Ibo people. When Things Fall Apart begins the Ibo people are much the same as they have been for presumably centuries. They are an agrarian people living close to the land without lives that have isolated and sanitized from death. Death is a natural part of life and is common. They have rules and traditions that have taught them how to deal with death. Although many of their beliefs may seem strange to people in the twenty-first century North America the seem to work well for the Ibo until their traditions are interrupted by European Christian missionaries. The Ibo beliefs have a certain innocence and simplified world view that is remarkably refreshing when compared to today’s efforts to remove death away from society and to prolong death and aging as long as possible. There is a matter of fact character in the Ibo approach to death that makes death both real and normal. There are rules to be followed. When a man dies with a swollen abdomen and swollen limbs, he is not to be buried in the earth because his body would pollute the land (Achebe, 14-15). When an Umuofia girl is murdered, the leaders meet to decide what to do. After discussion they decide they should request compensation for the girl’s death. They elect Okonkwo a young leader who is a self-made man to visit the tribe of the man who has killed the girl and demand that a girl be sent to the Umuofia to replace the girl and another youth be given to the Umuofia as punishment for the murder. There is a balance here that lacks the vengeance of â€Å"an eye for an eye† of the Judeo-Christian culture. Instead it is more of a â€Å"tit for tat† response. Okonkwo visits the neighboring tribe and presents them with the demands of the Umuofia. Clearly there is the threat that war will result if their demand is not met, but it is not made in the â€Å"do it or else† manner common in the twentieth and twenty-first century western civilization. The tribe agrees to the demands of the Umuofia and gives a young girl who is given to the father of the murdered girl. A second youth, Ikemefuna sent to the Umuofia where he is given to the charge of Okonkwo with whom he lives for three years where he is treated like a son Three years later the leaders decide Ikemefuna should be killed to satisfy justice about the girl’s murder. Despite his having treated Ikemefuna as a son, Okonkwo participates in the slaying. He does this in spite of a warning of an elder not to participate because Ikemefuna calls Okonkwo â€Å"Father.† Okonkwo seems surprised about this warning. The decision has been made by the Umuofia leaders and therefore must be followed. There are several interesting attitudes about death and children. Certainly infant death is common among the Ibo. When a child survives infancy and it appears will live to become an adult, the child is said to be staying (Achebe, 42). Similar to this is a belief that some children are reluctant to be born into this world and retain a iyi-uwa that allows them to die so they can be reborn to their mother to torment them. To stop this cycle a medicine man will take the body of the deceased infant and mutilate it so that it will be unable to return, though some have been know to return with a missing finger or mark from the medicine man’s action. Okonkwo who is a renown and admired member of the Umuofia accidentally kills a youth, he and his family are banished. When this happens Okonkwo appears to accept his sentence stoically because it is the established rule. During his banishment European, Christian missionaries move into the area and begin to â€Å"civilize† the Ibo. Laws are made and enforced by hanging and imprisonment. Ibo who suffer such punishment lose their dignity and are no longer the man he had worked to be. When Okonkwo knows that he is going to be killed by the Europeans, he hangs himself rather than submit to the white man’s law. As one might expect from the title Emecheta’s book, The Joys of Motherhood ¸ is more concerned with childbirth and motherhood than with death. It is interesting that the perspective of this book is decidedly written from the female point of view and is concerned with life, instead of the masculine point of view expressed in Things Fall Apart where death is a more prominent concern. In this book death is treated much like it is today. The characters in this book no longer live in the tribal or clan community that Okonkwo lived in where death is considered a normal part of life. Instead they move to the city, Lagos, where they work for low wages doing the chores the more wealthy white people consider beneath them. Here death is not so common and not accepted so easily. When Nnu Ego’s son dies in infancy and she attempts to commit suicide, she is judged as insane until she is able to move on and continue her day to day life. Her dead son’s body is taken away soon to be replaced by the birth of additional children. Death is less acceptable and hidden from the people because the British people don’t want to think about it. Instead they sanitize it and move it away from day to day life. This happens to the Ibo as well as they move into the twentieth century British colonial lifestyle. Unlike the deaths occurring seventy years earlier where the clan is aware of each death and is able to accept it for the sake of the clan, Nnu Ego dies lying at the side of the road unrecognized. She is not missed by her clan or her people who are scattered throughout the country. The lack of concern about the rights of the individual regarding death in Achebe’s book is disturbing. Given today’s sensibilities where the individual is more important than the society the idea of   replacing one murdered girl with another girl to take her place and the idea of offering a hostage as a response to having committed a crime is troubling. People today   want to move on and get on with their lives after death, almost as if they were to acknowledge death, they will be stricken with some horrible contagious disease. Acceptance of death is still a societal problem today. American’s today seem unable to accept it. However, after reading these books, one if forced to wonder which of the approached to death, the 1880s Ibo, the 1950’s Ibo, or that of Americans in 2006 is best. In some ways the 1880s version with its innocent and almost nostalgic response to death seems to the best.

Age of Computer Essay

Eras in the history of art and architecture may be distinguished by styles such as Renaissance, Gothic, Impressionist or Surrealist, and so on. Techniques too have marked different eras over the centuries: from the primitive tools of the Stone Age, to the Industrial Age marked by steam and electrical power and the discovery of turbines, and engines. Today, we have entered a new era: the computer age – an age which owes everything to inventors. Charles Babbage, an English mathematician, is considered to be the great-grandfather of the computer. Over 150 years ago, in 1840 to be exact, he invented a sophisticated calculating machine, and called it the â€Å"Analytical Engine.† As with many inventions, his creation was far in advance of its time. It took another 100 years before the first computers were built, and as you know, they were huge and incredibly heavy. Take, for instance, the famous Mark I. It was the world’s first electro-mechanical computer and was used during World War 2 by the U.S. Navy. In comparison to 20th-century systems,  it could be likened to a battleship: 2.6 meters high, 16 meters wide, 2 meters deep, and weighing a massive 5 tons! The machine – the hardware – could not develop without the software to match, of course. In this respect, two women mathematicians played key roles. Ada Lovelace Byron, daughter of the poet Lord Byron, wrote in 1843 what today we’d call programs for Charles Babbage’s â€Å"Analytical Engine.† She was a pioneer and is considered to be the very first programmer in history. That’s why 130 years later, the U.S. Department of Defence gave her forename – Ada – A-D-A – to one of the most important computer programs in the world. It is used not only by the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force but also by big industry, universities, and other centers of research. Grace Hopper, an American woman, invented in 1952 the very first compiler of all times, a program which translates a programming language so that it can be understood by computers. It was a sensational breakthrough which opened doors to automatic programming and thus directly to contemporary personal computers (PCs). Today, computers are at the center of thousands upon thousands of other inventions. They are the heartbeats of the modern world. Computers are every-where – from kitchens to concrete mixers, from planes to pockets. They listen. They speak. They act. Never in world history has one invention had such an influence on humanity as a whole. Without the computer age, there would be no global awareness. Internet, in particular, has created a brand new environment. A new culture has been born – free, rapid, and universal – where people share their knowledge and expertise. Information and communication techniques have been turned upside down, distance has been eliminated, frontiers abolished. A tremendous interactive potential is burgeoning on our planet Earth today. Like it or lump it – none can stop it! I would like to mention something concerning Internet. The inventors in 1990  of the World Wide Web (WWW), which revolutionized the contemporary computer world, did not become millionaires. British Tim Berners-Lee and Belgian Robert Caillau, both researchers at European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, did not make any money through their invention of the WWW. They refused to patent it. They feared that in so doing, the use of the Web would prove prohibitively expensive preventing its use worldwide. Thus, they passed up a fortune so that our world can learn and communicate today, and we should be grateful to them for their foresight. The invention of the computer with its multitude of programs and new information technologies is transforming the traditional perception of an inventor. A more positive image is emerging. No longer personified by an eccentric crackpot, a crackpot male genius working alone in attic, garage or basement, today’s inventors resemble more and more millions of other scientists, industrial researchers and entrepreneurs in workshops or laboratories surrounded by a computer station. All use the â€Å"mouse† instead of a pencil, and their drawing boards are computer screens. Women inventors have also contributed to this change in the traditional image of the inventor, particularly in certain fields such as chemistry, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, not to speak of computer software. In the USA, for instance, the number of women inventors with patents in the field of chemistry increased three-and-half times during the period from 1977 (2.8%) to 1988 (9.9%). It would be interesting indeed to see what further increases have taken place over the past 10 years. Another popular fallacy is not only that the large majority of inventors are eccentric and male, but they are also perceived as being raZther ancient! The truth is that, thanks to the computer, people are actually inventing more and more at an increasingly youthful age. In Silicon Valley, a 30-year old inventor is considered already long in the tooth, and many newcomers to the inventive world are in their 20s. Some predict that in a few years time,  there’ll be a new generation of 14-year-old millionaire inventors appearing in Silicon Valley! Unfortunately, this new generation of inventors – women and very young people – is insufficiently present among representatives of most inventor associations worldwide. These are still run by people who, although totally dedicated to their work, were neither born nor grew up in the computer age. Therefore they find adaptation difficult. Information technology frequently passes them by. This is often a cause of very real problems. lighbulbInternet.jpg (1394 bytes) Let’s now consider some of the ways inventors can make use of the new technologies of the computer age. We all know that inventors need a lot of information. Technological information contained in patent documents is essential at the very earliest stages of invention. It can avoid duplication in research work. It can provide ideas for further development of existing technology. It can also give a glimpse of the technological activities of competitors. That is why Patent Offices have put their patent documentation databases on the Internet. Access is not only fast, but easily accessible, and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It’s also free in the sense that it doesn’t cost the inventor a single cent to consult such documentation! Time-consuming travel to Patent Offices or libraries storing patent documents is a thing of the past. The inventor also has access to much more data than through a single database. Obviously, the ideal is one huge library, containing millions of patent documents from all over the world. The European Patent Office (EPO) has tried to create this world library of patent documents. I am glad to inform you that IFIA Web site allows surfers to visit this EPO site, and through it, to jump to the major providers of patent information in the world, whether they be Patent Offices or private  enterprises, such as IBM. A further advantage is the constant updating of all these databases by each of the providers. In brief, it’s sufficient to click on one address, the EPO address, to access millions of documents: . lighbulbInternet.jpg (1394 bytes) For many inventors, the marketing stage often starts with a prototype to prove that the product works satisfactorily, and what’s more, works safely. The greater a model’s perfection, the greater the chances of selling a license to a manufacturer. But a professional prototype, as close to the final product as possible, can rapidly become extremely expensive. One fantastic and inexpensive alternative to a physical prototype is a computerized model. Basically, it amounts to modelling the invention from all angles on a computer, with self-running commentary, demonstrations and animation of all the invention’s functions. The diskette or ZIP disk can be duplicated in as many copies as necessary, and sent via regular mail. The computerized prototype can also be loaded onto a video tape and copies made. Busy executives – prospective investors, licensees or buyers – seem, however, to prefer a diskette which is easy to put into the computer, in addition to the fact that most offices do not have a TV and VCR. The video tape would seem more appropriate when presenting an invention at an exhibition or fair. On the subject of invention shows, let me stress in passing that virtual exhibitions exist already. One of IFIA’s members, the Hungarian Association of Inventors, even launched an international competition of inventions last March with a virtual jury, each member sitting serenely in front of his/her computer screen, somewhere around the world. lighbulbInternet.jpg (1394 bytes) With the computer age upon us, we are also moving slowly but surely away from the traditional paper system of filing patent applications to the new  electronic filing system – a rapid and cheap transmission system of text and image data. Patent Offices are now engaged in preparing the necessary tools to assist inventors and other applicants in this form of electronic commerce. Naturally, their Web sites will have to provide links to reference material, technical guidelines and instructions on filing applications. The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, provides inventors and industry with an advantageous route for obtaining patent protection worldwide. Starting from January 1, 1999, the PCT is offering a reduction of US$ 200 (two hundred) for every electronic filing. That’s quite an encouragement to use this system! However, no system is perfect. It still remains a fact that Patent Offices are faced with serious technical issues related to information security. Namely: How to ensure the security and authenticity of the transmission and exchange of unpublished – therefore confidential – data? The next question to arise is: Who will be responsible in case of third-party intrusions? The Patent Office? – or the applicant? Because of the international nature of the patent system, it has been decided recently that all information security issues will be examined in the framework of WIPO. To better understand some of the many issues involved, I would like to give two examples as described in a WIPO document discussed a few days ago in Geneva: † †¦ any exchange between applicants and examiners requires excellent levels of security and data privacy. Furthermore, many of these activities require some assurance of the identity of one party or another. For example, if an applicant is exchanging information with an examiner, the examiner needs to know that the individual is indeed authorized to provide  information, (e.g. proof of identity), and the applicant needs to be confident that he or she is indeed in contact with a patent examiner and not a clever hacker. [†¦]† â€Å"The exchange of priority documents provides another interesting example. If a priority document is to be exchanged in electronic form, it needs to be validated by the originating party. In other words, the document needs to be signed to demonstrate its authenticity, it needs to have a guaranteed time stamp associated with the transaction, preferably by a third party (to prevent presumed or actual forgery of dates and times), and it needs to have some guarantee of accuracy, so that a party obtaining the document can tell if tampering occurred†¦Ã¢â‚¬  lighbulbInternet.jpg (1394 bytes) Every now and then we hear some people say, â€Å"There’s hardly anything left to invent. Everything has been invented already!†. What a silly remark! You can be certain that inventors will continue inventing, and new discoveries will be made, right up to the very last minute before the world comes to an end! But to return to today, with the computer age, the possibilities of invention are endless and in all possible fields. It has also been said that the computer will eventually invent the inventor. By that I mean that one day, the computer will replace the inventor. Up to a point, I must agree – but only to a certain extent. You can feed the computer with billions of data. One has even beaten a world chess champion. Nevertheless, the computer has no humanity, no imagination, no sensitivity or affectivity, and no inherent wisdom. Can it smell the perfume of a rose? †¦interpret the color of a sunrise? Can it caress the cheek of a child? †¦or savor the taste of Hong Kong’s dim sum?! Above all it’s a machine – a fantastic machine – but remember, it’s only a machine. So let’s not make a new god out of the computer, as some tend to do. But rather use its possibilities to a maximum †¦ and through it, try quite simply to build a better world. That should be our motto.

Inclusive Education For Children With Disabilities And...

Inclusive Education Introduction From many years, the topic of inclusive education has become a center of debates and discussions related to the educational practice and policy development around the globe (Farrell and Ainscow, 2002). Presently, the Education of youngsters and children with disabilities and special educational needs (SEN) is a well-recognized primary objective of policies in several countries (Lindsay, 2007). The policy and legislative trends from previous three to four decades have shown an apparent move from the approval of the orthodoxy of the segregated education of children with SEN. The United States opened new ways of introducing the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975. Which, was consequently revised by the 1990 Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and updated afterwards in the year 1997. Promoting the ‘whole-school’ approach to the inclusion education and inclusion concept (Evans and Lunt, 2002). Currently, all of the European Union countries have legislation that is designed to require or promote inclusion. Few commentators (Pijl et al., 1997) also have described it as ‘global agenda’. Nevertheless, the meaning and definition of inclusive education is still the topic of much debates and discussion, and it is not a simple task to define the best practice (Slee, 2001). The inclusive education movement has been recognized internationally by the Salamanca Statement of UNESCO (UNESCO, 1994). Which, reflects the ‘Education for All’Show MoreRelatedImproving Student Participation Is A Matter Of Importance1543 Words   |  7 Pagesability, ethnicity and learning needs. Ensuring student participation is a matter of importance, since children are at times deprived of equal right to use inclusive education from early childhood through to adulthood. 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This act required that procedures be enacted that would protect the rights of disabled children and assure that to the extent appropriate handicapped children are educated with children who are not handicapped and that the removal of handicappedRead More Inclusion in the Classroom Essay1638 Words   |  7 PagesInclusion in the Classroom Inclusion in classrooms is defined as combining students with disabilities and students without disabilities together in an educational environment. It provides all students with a better sense of belonging. They will enable friendships and evolve feelings of being a member of a diverse community (Bronson, 1999). Inclusion benefits students without disabilities by developing a sense of helping others and respecting other diverse people. By this, the students will

Predictors Of Academic And Academic Motivation - 1153 Words

Predictors of Academic Persistence in Higher Education EDPS 189H Section 001 Term 1 Alex McKinney Abstract Accurately predicting academic persistence for incoming and returning college students is constant problem for all involved. Multiple predictors currently exist to help determine the academic motivation of students. Traditional predictors cover the cognitive aspects of students. The most common predictors are standardized tests and high school GPA. Noncognitive predictors are difficult to accurately measure but still contribute to a student’s persistence. Cultural predictors such as economic status, moral support and ethnic differences also play a role in a student’s academic motivation. The purpose of this paper was to explain the effectiveness of these predictors. Predictors of Academic Persistence in Higher Education I. Introduction a. Define Persistence II. Predictors in a Traditional Sense a. Standardized Tests i. Validity ii. Effectiveness b. High School Grades i. Validity ii. Effectiveness III. Non-cognitive Predictors a. Validity b. Effectiveness IV. Cultural Predictors a. Economic Status i. Validity b. Social Support i. Validity c. Ethnic Differences i. Validity V. Conclusion a. Restate Important Results VI. Discussion It is a common concern whether a higher education is economically viable for many individuals. A college education can be, to some extent, equated to gambling. There is a considerable amount of risk involved when choosing to further one’sShow MoreRelatedâ€Å"Academic Stress, Achievement Motivation, and Academic Achievement as Predictors of Adjustment Among Highschool Students.†3007 Words   |  13 Pagesâ€Å"ACADEMIC STRESS, ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION, AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AS PREDICTORS OF ADJUSTMENT AMONG HIGHSCHOOL STUDENTS.† ABSTRACT The main aim of the present study was to explore the relative contribution of academic stress, achievement motivation and academic achievement among adjustment of high school students. 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Lysistrat A Political Satire Written By Aristophanes

Lysistrata was a political satire written by Aristophanes in early 400 B.C.E., and was performed in Athens. The connection between Lysistrata and the society and culture surrounding it is deeply significant. Due to the immense cultural pressure in this period, it’s difficult to pinpoint a singular theme that Aristophanes was trying to make a comment on. With the Peloponnesian War continuing to lead a seemingly endless reign of chaos over Greece and its citizens, these elements of fear and despair became very relevant in the plays of the time, most notably being Aristophanes’ Lysistrata. Within such satires, it became commonplace to see women being used as satirical devices to call attention to the craziness that had consumed society. It also contributed to the idea of women having a social or political power and, more importantly, having worth and a voice. Although it is impossible to know exactly which social aspects Aristophanes was trying to comment on, through histo rical documents and contexts, it is clear that statements were made condemning war through the satirical use of subverting gender norms to reinforce the foolishness in society and fighting. The fighting and devastation that influenced Aristophanes was the result of the Peloponnesian War. The war had been reigning terror and sorrow from about 431 to 404 B.C.E. across the Greek nation (â€Å"The Peloponnesian War†). It was fought between Sparta and Athens, however, each of these cities served as the head of

Comparing and Contrasting two pieces of music. Essay Example For Students

Comparing and Contrasting two pieces of music. Essay Fantasy on Japanese Woodblocks by Alan Havens. I felt different about both pieces, but I did see a couple similarities. And thats what Im going to explain about in this essay: both the differences and the similarities of the two pieces. Ill start by explaining how I felt about both pieces. The Gavotte had a very calming affect on me. For a minute I felt as if I was in the wonderful Jungle sitting and existing to a peaceful waterfall and finding peace to my soul. But it also made me tap my fingers and feet. The second piece by the Havens had awoken a totally different emotion in me, instead of feeling happy and peaceful I felt scared, uncertain, and had a feeling that something bad was about to happen. After a while I started to get annoyed of all the repeated high notes. But I still tapped my fingers according to the Marimba. Unfortunately I didnt have any intellectual or spiritual responses for both the pieces. I will now explain the elements of Music to show how both the pieces where played differently and how they were played the same. The beat of the Gavotte was not too fast or too slow, more or less in the middle. Although it did have a Jump once in a while. The rhythm was pretty lazy and simple because it had quite a bit of repetition. But it isnt as obvious as the very repetitive rhythm of the second piece by Alan Havens. The Gavotte had a skip and step melody , which means that it notes would Jump back and forth on the scale. The harmony was thick and had a rich sound to it. It had a block harmony. The timbre would have a occasional Jump once in a while. During most of the piece it had a relatively low level of dynamic contrast. The Fantasy on Japanese Woodblocks was the strangest piece Ive ever heard because it sounded like a mess, but at the same time it was very interesting. What made this piece so annoying was the continuous Jump of pitches and the repetitive rhythm accompanied by a fast Jumpy beat. This piece also had a skip and step melody. The harmony had a counter melody, which helped make the repetition of the piece slightly less obvious. The timbre was hard and rough. The notes were hard and disjointed most of the time, it never really came down softly. After listening to both pieces, I can without doubt say that I liked the piece by Profiled better than the one by the Havens, because I would rather be happy than scared, and I believe that I speak for everyone in my class when I say that. But Comparing and Contrasting two pieces of music. By headquarters ND repetitive, although the piece by Havens was a lot more repetitive than the piece by Profiled. But then again, the repetitions is what that created the theme for that piece. Its no doubt that music from different parts of the world will be different, The Gavotte and the Fantasy on Japanese Woodblocks are a great example of music from different parts of the world. But each and every one of them will have unique beauty, something that will make it stand out from the crowd, after all, who would like to live in a world where everything is the same!

Project Management Research Paper Example

Project Management Paper The scenario is a business owner wants to expand the building in which the business in occupying, but the business owner does not know where to start. This is the point where the business owner needs to incorporate project management. To understand project management, the business owner needs to know what a project is, the basic phases of the project life cycle and purpose, and the importance of project management for an organization to accomplish tasks. Once the business owner understands project management, the expansion can begin. Project management does not need to be complex. Taking the time to understand the process will help an organization achieve maximum success. What is a project? Projects are any series of activities or tasks that have a characteristic of possessing a specific objective needing to have accomplishments within certain specifications, possessing a specific start and end date, possessing a budget to keep, uses human and nonhuman resources, and are multifunctional in nature (Kezner, 2009). A project is anything that helps a company improve on its operation, product, or marketing. When one thinks of a project, the words build, move, and non-routine come to mind. Project life cycles A project life cycle is a logical sequence of activities to accomplish a projects objectives or goals. The project life cycle has five major stages that most organizations use: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closure. These stages help a project to stay on time, budget, and within scope. As with most plans, a project must broke down into smaller stages depending on the size, scope, and resources that will be in use during the project. We will write a custom essay sample on Project Management specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Project Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Project Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Project initiation A project must start with an idea. Because everyone has a different idea of what can help a company, all the projects must go through a selection process. During the initiation stage, several steps will be accomplished. All the projects will go to management for review and a selection of the best project given resource limits will get approval. The recognition of benefits of the project will also get an approval from management. All preparations of the documents will need to be complete to help get the project approval. The final step is the assignment of the project manager (Kerzner, 2009). Project planning The planning stage is the most important stage in a projects life cycle. The planning stage is when the aspects of the plan will be laid out on the table. The actual work to accomplish, the quality and quantity of work, and the resource needs to define. A plan of action will be put into place that will include the scheduling of all activities, the budget, the time, and the objectives. Once the plan is put into place, an evaluation of all the risks can be accomplished to ensure the project will be a success (Kerzner, 2009). Project execution The execution stage is when the project work actually starts. During this stage is when the project manager will negotiate for the project team members he or she will need for the project. The project manager will also be directing and managing the work by holding meetings to ensure everyone understands what he or she is to do. The manager will also be working with the team members to help them improve on any process that is not working (Kerzner, 2009). Project monitoring and controlling The project monitoring and controlling phase is one of the critical steps in the process. During the monitoring and controlling phase, the project manager is tracking the progress of the project. In monitoring and controlling the project, the project manager will analyze the variances and know the impacts of the variances if something goes wrong or gets off track. By analyzing the variances and impacts, the project manager will be able to make adjustments if the need arises. Project monitoring and controlling also helps to compare actual outcomes to what the predicted outcome is (Kerzner, 2009). Monitoring and controlling a project will help the project manager see exactly what is going on and what needs fixing before a major crisis can begin. Project Closure The last phase of a project is the project closure. During this phase, the project manager will verify all the work has been completed within time, budget, and specifications the client requires. Once the client has approved the project, the contract will have closure, all financial aspects of the charge numbers will have closure, and all administrative paperwork will have closure (Kerzner, 2009). The project closure process will ensure the project is complete and no other issues will arise. Importance of Using Project Management An organization needs to stay competitive or it will not survive. When an organization initiates a project, project management needs to be in place to ensure several items are not forgotten. Project management helps to elevate barriers that may present itself during the project. Project management will help identify responsibilities to individuals to ensure all activities are accounted for, minimizes continuous reporting activities, identifies time limits, measures accomplishments against plans, can identify problems before the problems become too big to handle, helps with corrective actions of problems, and can improve estimating capabilities for future projects (Kerzner, 2009). Project management is a way for organizations to make sure their projects are on track and can be accomplished within the specifications, time, and budget. Without project management, the project may not even get off the ground, and if the project does start it may not finish at all. Conclusion A project is any task that meets certain criteria such as time, budget, and specific objectives. A project has a life cycle that includes five steps: project initiation, project planning, project execution, project monitoring and control, and project closure. Each step in the project life cycle is important to the success of the project in different ways. One needs to know what the project is, how to progress in the project, working on the project as a team, knowing what is happening during the project, and know when the project is complete. Without the use of project management, organizations may possible not survive in the world market because every day individual’s want new and better items to play with or have in their homes. Project management is an important part of any organizations, and by understanding what a project is, the organization will have an idea of what projects to complete to meet the objectives of the organization and the expectations of its clients.