Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s house Essay

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s house is all about women’s rights. We can infer from the theme of the novel that the author Henrik Ibsen was a strong Feminist as he created characters that fought for the rights of women. The central character of A Doll’s house, Nora fought for the same cause. Nora attempts to become a strong individual even though she was being locked in a male dominated world. Her husband Torvald’s dominating nature was the one that was preventing her from become self motivated. She appeared inexperienced, naive and vulnerable till the end when she surprised everybody by boldly leaving her husband and children to live an independent life. Nora’s world appeared to be so childish that the author has named it as a ‘doll’s house’. She appeared as an alien to the real world with no real world experience. She was even found humorous in few incidents. But we can see the same Nora being serious and trying to be superior as she says â€Å"one isn’t without influence†. This shows the feminist views of the character or the author. A Doll`s house speaks about women’s rights. Even though Nora is constructed as immature and silly, we can see that this nature is enforced by the society around her. However her true nature was destined to be revealed later. Nora is found to be an independent woman who was restricted within the ‘dollhouse’ by her husband. Her life was like that of a butterfly that is trying to get out of the cocoon to show its true colors. We can see Nora striving, throughout the play, and finally unveiling her original self. She is indeed a classical hero. She was submissive to her husband and was enthusiastic and smart. We can say that Nora was always right in her attitude as this was the best she can be towards her dominating husband. Towards the end of the play she discovered herself and took the big shocking decision to leave her husband and children for ever. The feminist ideologies of Nora were revealed in the end of the novel. She was found subordinate to her husband Torvald who believed that women are frail and can never make decision of their own. However finally Nora gets hold of her individuality and dares to take the great decision to abandon her husband and children. Nora’s great passion for life and her strong feministic beliefs stimulated her to take the decision of her life. She courageously broke away from the doll house that appeared as a prison for her all through these days. Nora was always under the care of someone, first with her father and then with her husband. Nora was a materialistic, impulsive and babyish. But Nora appeared as a bold woman in the final scene of the play. We can see Nora the classical hero walking out of her house in the final scene to live her life. All this makes us doubt whether she was pretending to be silly all through these days to adjust with the patriarchal oppression she was suffering from her husband Torvald. Nora finally becomes fully independent to renounce the false union of marriage and the burden of motherhood. She says â€Å"Never see him again. Never. Never. Never. Never see the children again. Them too. Never. never. Oh – the icy black water! Oh – that bottomless – that -! Oh, if only it were all over! Now he’s got it – he’s reading it. Oh, no, no! Not yet! Goodbye, Torvald! Goodbye, my darlings. † Nora was the upholder of women`s rights. She struggled against the selfish, stifling, oppressive and dominating attitude of her Husband Torvald and the society which he represents. Nora journey lead to her self-discovery as she fought against the exploitation of women by men. Torvald represents the orthodox society and Nora is the advocate of feminism. Torvald did not give any privilege to Nora and called her silly names throughout the play. He called her ‘squirrel’, ‘lark’, ‘little skylark’, ‘little songbird’, ‘little person’, ‘little woman’, and ‘little featherhead’. Torvald never forgot to use the word ‘little’ before these names. He considered her as ‘little’. He was also very possessive and always used ‘my’ before these names. Torvald never considered Nora equal to him. He thought she is inferior to him. The feminist beliefs of Nora rise up at last and she comes to know that she has been a foolish doll in a toy-marriage and walks out of her house slamming the door behind her and surprising Torvald. Nora was just considered like any other possession of Torvald. She was not given any humane privilege. The feminist beliefs of the author hated this attitude of Torvald and encouraged Nora to break away one day from the ‘doll house’. Nora recognizes her rights at last and is awakened. She stops pretending to be what she is not. She became a strong woman and takes control of her own destiny. Torvald considered his wife, children and status symbols and had a very narrow definition about marriage. He thinks that it is the duty of the wife to be good to her husband and children. She deems women as helpless creatures separated from reality and moral force. The author highlighted the self realization of the main character Nora and the way she becomes an example to feminist ideology. The novel thus becomes an extraordinary work in which a man portrays strong feminist ideologies. The attitude of Nora reveals the strong feminist views of the author. Nora always wanted to get out of the clutch of her husband as she says to Rank and Linde â€Å"I’ve the most extraordinary longing to say: ‘Bloody hell! ’† She finally gets out all her social and traditional commitments and obligations as become free as a hero. She is such a classical character that our hearts are with her even though she took the pitiless decision to leave her moral husband and innocent little children. She can be called as a hero as a fought for a good cause, the freedom for the weaker sex. The position of women in the 1800’s, during the time of Nora was too low. They lived as housewives with no right to vote, own property, and make any significant transactions. Nora recognized her slavery and preferred to break away and live a life with freedom. It is nothing but her courage to fight against oppression made her the most admirable stage heroine of the century. What she has done is perfectly justifiable in the light is modern ideology and culture. She was just being a model to the women of modern days. She stepped into a wider world and making her husband understands that he is not the noble person that she expected him to be. She understands that she can no longer continue as a shadow of her husband. She turned out to be a classical hero in the contemporary male dominated society that oppressed women to the core and considered them as a second-class citizen.She just initiated an awakening and made a classical turn in history. Sources Ibsen, Henrik. ‘A Doll’s House’. Introduction to Literature: Reading, Analyzing, and Writing. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1990. Henrik Ibsen. Doll’s House: The Wild Duck: The Lady from the Sea . J M Dent & Sons Ltd, 1979. Marianne Sturman. CliffsNotes on Ibsen’s A Doll’s House & Hedda Gabler. Cliffs Notes, 2003. Egil Tornqvist. Ibsen: A Doll’s House. Cambridge University Press, 2004. Henrik Ibsen A Doll’s House and Other Plays. Penguin Classics, 1965.

Helpful Predators in Agriculture Essay

The effective way of managing insect pests is usually through the execution of multiple methods, these differing tactics are assimilated into a single method to keep the pests at an acceptable level. Execution of multiple methods minimizes the possibility of the pests in adapting to any of the single method. An apt definition of integrated pest management, according to Cornell University’s Biological Control, would be, â€Å"An ecologically based pest control strategy that relies heavily on natural mortality factors and seeks out control tactics that disrupt these factors as little as possible† (Weeden, Shelton, and Hoffmann). These agricultural pests, according to Altieri and Nicholls, such as insects, nematodes, and weeds, are responsible for more than 30% damaged crop production worldwide annually. These losses had been consistent since the 1940’s, when farmers started using chemicals in order to control pests (10). These agrichemicals that have been used have its setbacks; they have proved to be costly to farmers, they are harmful to the environment and, despite its popularity, it had not proven to be 100% effective. As mentioned in Organic Gardening magazine, insect-pests continued to be a problem mainly due to the pests’ resistance and their unusual ability to adapt to a single method control strategy (1992). Many farmers are now looking for a solution that is less dependent on agrichemicals and focused more on copying nature’s way of predatory system, among plants and insects. This method, known as ecological pest management, delegates the entire farm as a complete complex system. This new method aims to keep the insect population at a manageable level with the use of many supporting or interdependent strategies, compared to the old method of aiming for the total eradication of every pest using one method for each pest. The method of ecological pest management uses forces that have been present in the natural world, longer even than the invention of agriculture itself. As plants develop their innate defense mechanism against pests, they were helped by factors within the ecosystem, such as: â€Å"1. Insects that prey on crop insects and mites by eating or sucking their juices. 2. Helpful parasites that appropriate pests for food. 3. Organisms that cause diseases to insects, at times being fatal, and keep them from feeding or reproducing; these organisms also prey on weeds. 4. Helpful fungi and bacteria that stays on roots, thereby retarding advances of disease organisms† (Altieri and Nicholls, 11). Biological control is much like a living insecticide. It is the employment of natural enemies with the purpose of managing pests. It usually involves manipulating an insect into attacking a pest insect. According to a report published by Sustainable Agricultural Network, the natural enemy may be a predator, a parasite, or a disease that will attack pests (78). Helpful predators belong primarily in the families of beetle, dragonfly, wasp, and bugs. Using chemical insecticides have been known to have eliminated these predators in farms. It has been studied that pests like Tetranychid mites, for example, have been plentiful in apple plantations where pesticides have wiped out entire predators’ population (Altieri and Nicholls, 80). Almost all predators prey on a vast variety of insect species and on different life stages, thereby making them very useful in managing insect pests. Some of the most efficient predators are spiders, lady beetles, ground beetles, lacewings, minute pirate bugs, big-eyed bugs, and syrphid flies (Altieri and Nicholls, 86). Conclusion Agriculture had been changing its ways, it has been steadily returning to nature for the answers it has long sought for. Insecticides and pesticides are gradually being stored in the shelves, resulting in a healthier soil, crops, and a healthier method of farming. Perhaps it is within the grand design, that when human ingenuity falters, we return to commune with nature. Works Cited Altieri, Miguel and Clara Nicholls. Manage Insects on Your Farm, A Guide to Ecological Strategies. Beltsville, MD, Sustainable Agricultural Network, 2005. Meet the Beneficial Insects, Organic Gardening. 09 February 1992. Retrieved 09 April 2009. Weeden, Catherine, Anthony Shelton and Michael Hoffmann. The Integrated Pest Management Strategy, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America. Cornell University. Retrieved 09 April 2009.

Patriarchate society Essay

Hard times shows women as powerless and trapped with in a patriarchate society. How far do you agree with this statement? Discuss at least three female characters.  Dickens show women as repressed and powerless, especially through their dependence on men, we see this especially in the character Louisa. On the other hand, Dickens portrays women as havin power within their emotions, such as emphasis and perception, as we see in Sissy. Although women arnt shown to have power, and shown to have power. The women in â€Å"Hard Times† are shown to have no power. Louisa is forced into marrying Mr Bounderby because he is rich and the main thing is POWER. Dickens shows her reaction: â€Å"She closed her hand as if upon a solid object and slowly opened it as if realising dust or ash†. The use of â€Å"dust or ash† compares to her life as they are both seen as worthless. â€Å"Realising† compares her being released to Bounderby because she has no say in what she wants to do. To summarise this quote she is trying to stay away from Bounderby: â€Å"She closed her hand† this shows she’s trying to be realised to him. It could also show that she is refusing to take Bounderby’s hand in marriage but in the end â€Å"realising† shows she has given up and can’t handle the pressure given to her feel Dickens has presented women as powerless figures rather then having power, this may be because they are effected by the masculine ruled society at the time which â€Å"Hard Times† was wrote. Throughout this novel Dickens shows repression to women, Sissy is trying not to be repressed by Mr Gradgrind however, Sissy is such a strong character Gradgrind tries and tries and tries to do this but Sissy is to Natural and she stand her ground to Mr Gradgrind â€Å"Sissy not Cecile† she does this to show he can’t do the same to her as he has done to the other girls. Sissy pays no interest to Gradgrind with the comments he makes, and he tries to make a mockery of Sissy: â€Å"Unable to define a horse!† Gradgrind trys to show Sissy as a failure and he humiliates her but Sissy has her own kind of power and uses this to take no attention to Mr Gradgrind. In â€Å"Hard Times† women may have not a lot of power but they are shown to have power of emotion. In this book the character Mr Gradgrind is a mean and dull human being; he has no personality, he sees the girls as objects that he wants to put facts into and get them to learn facts, nothing else just facts. We know that women have the power of emotion because Louisa has an imagination and she can create something from as little as nothing: â€Å"There seems to be nothing there accept languid, monotonous and smoke, yet when the night comes, fire burst out father† this shows that Louisa is free from her fathers lessons and her imagination can run wild. â€Å"Nothing† shows that’s she has no life and its dull and boring for her, furthermore it shows that she is drilled with facts and she’s lost her soul as there is nothing there. â€Å"Fire bursts out† could mean that she is bubbling inside and she’s so angry and bitter that her father doesn’t let her have much as a childhood that’s she just wants to burst out like a fire does. We can suggest that Mr Gradgrind had no childhood himself or he had no father figure for him, â€Å"Really my dear† he is trying to comfort her here, however it isn’t really working and it’s pushing Louisa further away from him. Louisa tries to keep the faith and hope that her father will change his ways and become a dad, however it appears after a while she runs out of hope: â€Å"In exactly the same voice as before†. â€Å"Same† could also suggest that it is compared to her father because he doesn’t change and it’s the same all the way through that he wants facts. During this book, Mrs Sparsit is a fan of Mr Bounderby however everything doesn’t go her way when she hears about Bounderby and Louisa possibly getting married. However Louisa doesn’t like Bounderby she likes James Harthouse. Mrs Sparsit notices that Louisa and James are happy together and this is her chance of being with Bounderby if she proves she’s cheating. Mrs Sparsit’s plan is to crush Louisa and get Bounderby’s soul. Mrs Sparsit sees Bounderby has a conqueror: â€Å"If Bounderby had been a conqueror† this shows that she is defending Bounderby because Bounderby doesn’t think Mrs Sparsit as a person he sees her as a â€Å"Captive Princess†. â€Å"Captive† could suggest that he wants Mrs Sparsit as a feature to make him look good as she is from a rich family. It is like having a â€Å"Rolex Watch† because it gives him status and makes him look good. This shows the power of attraction because Louisa has the power to attract James Harthouse and Mrs Sparsit has the power of attraction and the power of perception, we know this because she attracts Bounderby through her rich name and possibly her looks. She has the power of perception because she trying to perceive the dream to get Bounderby. Hard times shows women as powerless and trapped with in a patriarchate society. How far do you agree with this statement?  I would agree with this statement a lot, because men do have mostly power. However women have power in a different way, they have the power of purity, the power of perception and the power of attraction. Although they both have power in both different ways, men are the most powerful because it is all about money, status and education and men have all of these, and they also aren’t treated like objects as the women are.

Smith and Marx Document Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Smith and Marx Document Analysis - Essay Example The Wealth of Nations (1776) composed by Adam Smith is a historical text which advances the idea of capitalism. Capitalism sets the foundation for America’s government and economy. Adam Smith’s view is to encourage a liberalization of the world market with no barriers to trade. Smith lives and writes The Enlightenment period of world history during which the light of reason shines. Revolutions are being kindled; old social orders are being done away and free-thinkers emerge with new perspectives. Regimes such as aristocracy, monarchy and feudalism begin to experience the action of undermining and another group is surging into power, the nouveau-riches – a people who earn fortunes from industry. Absolute control is no longer pleasing to the enlightened ear. Instead, independence obtains wide currency. According to the Communist Manifesto, the essence of history comprises of class struggle. Marx and Engels commence with the statement that "the history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggles." The Marxist document launches into a narrative explaining that from the dawn of Greco-Roman civilization to the time of the manifesto’s publication, history has its roots deep in the conflict of dual ideologies. One dominant camp, â€Å"the oppressor,† seeks to retain a monopoly on wealth and power; whereas the recessive consisting of â€Å"the oppressed† serves to fulfill the interests of the powerful. The divergence of ideas engenders both overt and subtle war between ruling and servant classes. Again,  Marx  and Engels reiterate that â€Å"the history of all past society has consisted in the development of class antagonisms† (The Communist Manifesto). The pyramidal structure or gradation of society remains as a threat to harmony among social classes. From antiquity to modernity, the dichotomous conflict with respect to class

Corporate Finance Investment Banker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Corporate Finance Investment Banker - Essay Example The age of globalization has also opened up new paths for this career. My multi-lingual abilities can prove invaluable in the area of foreign investment when dealing with contractors and clients in differing areas of the world. My interest in the cultures of other countries will aid me in researching the policies, laws, and business traditions necessary to cooperate anywhere on the globe. These talents will be especially valuable as I become involved with international mergers and acquisitions. The dynamic market conditions of China make it particularly suitable as an environment to do business in and I plan to expand with it in the coming years. I hope to become a point of contact for the mutual cooperation between Chinese corporations and industries from around the world. Being a Corporate Investment Banker also has a more pragmatic side that lends itself to the ability to work well with other people. Decisions are often based on consensus and it is important to enlist the support of all participating parties. I possess the insight required to bring together differing viewpoints and am able to offer unique solutions that satisfy the requirements of the interests of everyone involved. This is important when trying to balance the client's requests with the fiscal responsibility you have to senior officials. A failure to accommodate all concerns can result in a poorly budgeted project or missing a deadline for a key decision. It requires the thorough examination of the various facets of the problem to be able to offer a unique solution to a complicated problem in a timely fashion. The talent to solve problems is centered on my talent for paying attention to the details and being thoroughly organized. I meticulously plan projects and anticipate any possible problems or areas that may place the outcome in jeopardy.

Statement of Intent for apply for graduate school Essay

Statement of Intent for apply for graduate school - Essay Example This is because I do not want to restrict myself. Fordham University is the University of my choice because I believe it can provide me with the relevant skills and knowledge I need in order to succeed in my career. In addition, the University offers economic program and since that is my field of study, I will be glad to join Fordham University as my graduate school. I have various skills including computer skills in Microsoft office such as PowerPoint, word, access, as well as R code SAS system, data analysis, and time series models. Accordingly, I can read and speak in Chinese and English as well. I have done a number of part time jobs while attending Stony Brook University. For instance, I have been a tutor since 2010 to 2011, teaching children aged between seven to eight years with fundamentals of Chinese characters, pronunciation and basic math. In addition, I had a two-year experience working as public relation manager and financial manager at Chinese Literature Club at Stony Brook University. I had my internship practice from Faith Asset Management LLC in NJ from June to August 2012, where I gained a lot of experience about my career. My varied work proficiencies have provided me with a better understanding of the nature of opportunities that are available to me. There is so much that I desire to learn and understand especially concerning economics and math. I have been always captivated with economics and someday I desire to be a financial manager at the most famous organization. Currently, I am working for Sky Academy as president assistant as I wait to join a graduate school for further career expansion. Ever since I was a child, I have desired to have a career in economics. My desires have been greatly influenced by my father who has always motivated me to become the person I am today. This is because I have always been a hard worker and have

Leadership and Communication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership and Communication - Research Paper Example This research paper is developed utilizing an interplay of factors which shape leadership development. The researcher discusses leadership, that enables people to go beyond the confines of mediocrity and tread into the realm of excellence. In the process, it induces people to define their desires and to pursue them with passion. Ultimately, leadership transforms potential into reality. In any organization, especially in the academe, the influence of leadership in its operations of has evolved from a simple theoretical framework to the complex structure we have today. The development of leadership theories and communication opened a whole spectrum of information which enhanced the interaction and interrelationships among personnel. In conclusion, the researcher states that the ways to solve human resources problems depend on factors that currently influence the workforce. An examination of these factors would assist the leader and decision maker in arriving at the most appropriate sol ution. At NCO Academy, the problem that was discussed and ensued between the administrators and the instructors necessitated a review and assessment of each set of personnel’s position and role in the academe. By realizing that each personnel’s active contribution to organizational goals, the rift between them would be properly addressed. It just requires the keen governance of NCO Academy’s leaders to steer the organization into an efficiently operating academe focused in the achievement of its organizational goals.

Accounting and Managment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Accounting and Managment - Research Paper Example Coombs & Jenkins (2002) Costly: For a better idea of the real cost of budget preparation, consider a company where 160 employees devote time to some aspect of budgeting. At an average cost of approximately $105,000 per employee, the company s annual cost of budgeting is nearly $17 million. Van der Stede (2003) Are irrelevant to today's environment: Budgets are developed and updated too infrequently. In today's turbulent business environment, the budgeted numbers could change daily and, as a result, the budget would be out of date before the financial year has even begun. (Barr, p38) Inflexible: Budgets are too reactive and inflexible and are a barrier to change. There are very few companies that actually update their budget during the fiscal year, purely because it is too complex and time consuming. Management and governments also spend very little time each month working on strategy, as most time is spent on data collection, reconciliation and accountability for public funds. Niskanen (1971) Internally focused: Jeremy Hope and Robin Fraser (2003) argue that budgets focus on cost reduction and not value creation. Budgets focus on internally generated targets that are comfortably achievable by you, but appears difficult to your superior. This breeds sub-optimalisation and does not promote growth of shareholder value. Production oriented: According to Stefan Sering and Maria Goldbach (2002), the traditional budget was developed in the manufacturing era where production costs and revenues were predictable, whereas today, an event such as 9/11 can change the way you do business at the drop of a hat. Concentrate on numbers: In the form of incrementalism-where the previous year's appropriation is the starting point for budget formulation, with negotiations focused on increments or decrements, state budgets. It is quite evident that while making budgets, the emphasis is on numbers and cost cutting. Aaron Wildavsky (2001). Does not include non financial information: The budget structure does not reflect changes in the company's organization and processes, and people were budgeting many costs largely under someone else's control. Hope and Fraser (2003) argue that front line managers are unable to regulate their own performance and financial planning processes. And therefore individual behaviours are not better aligned with corporate strategy. They don't reduce costs but protect them. This comes from the age old "use it or lose it" mentality. Staff knows that if they don't use a budgeted expense, it will get pulled from the next year's budget as management sees it as unnecessary especially in the public sector. Any unused balances are cut from the next annual budget. Brimson, Antos and Collins (1999). They encourage managers to play games with it. Budgets can encourage 'gaming' and perverse behaviour. Finance managers are more than familiar with "managing the slack" and making the budget "presentable" to the board. This, however, creates a culture of dishonesty and can lead to greater troubles such as fraud. Jensen (2001) They are results oriented. According to Hansen and Mowen (2006), when budgets are resource driven rather than output driven, then managers concentrate on resources and may fail to see the link between resources and output. When the need arises for cost cutting they make cuts on

Maritime low Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Maritime low - Essay Example This means that in order for there to be grounds or justification for a salvage operation, or effort, it is imperative that a vessel be identified as confronting imminent pr potential peril. The danger, or peril, referred to here implies the actual, imminent or potential confrontation of conditions which would, or already have, exposed the vessel to the threat of loss, destruction or deterioration. Not only that but, for salvage to be justified, the vessel in question cannot have the situation under control. Quite simply stated, if the supposedly endangered vessel has threat under control, then there are no grounds for salvage. Hence, salvage is predicated on the presence of a risk to all that which is on board the vessel. As pertains to the concept of danger, it is necessary to highlight the importance of English case law as regards its precise meaning and implications. This is because, even though the Merchant Shipping Act, 1995, sections 224 and schedule 111 have ratified the Salvage Convention, 1989 and, in so doing, conceded t its supremacy, the fact is that many terms remain undefined in the mentioned convention. Among these terms is that of danger which, although mentioned in Article 1(a) of the Convention is not defined by it. Precisely because of this, case law emerges as important. In the matter of Sem... In this instance, it is apparent that the term, as used in the context of the law of salvage, is encompasses varying degrees of threat/peril. The identification of the degree of danger which a vessel was confronting, or could probably confront prior to the salvage effort is, as outlined in Semco Salvage & Marine Pte. Ltd. v. Lancer Navigationessential for the determination of he amount of the salvage reward. Prior to defining the other components of the law of salvage, it is necessary to explain the precise nature of the services referred to. Under the law of salvage, and as Friedell (1979) explains, the referred to services are generally, and most commonly, towing services, as entails towing the imperiled vessel away from the endangering situation to safety. Apart from that, however, services further include any form of assistance rendered to an endangered vessel, including but not limited to, standing by the vessel until assistance arrives or moving persons on board the endangered vessel for the purpose of saving both life and maritime property (Friedell, 1979). Although the meaning of services is straightforward, it would be informative to turn to case law for determination of its precise implications. In the matter of Tavoulareas v Tsavliris & Ors [2003] EWHC 550 (Comm) (21 March 2003), the court reiterated the fact that within the context of salvage operations, services referred to any acts which were executed for the purpose of alleviating the danger confronting the vessel in question and, included both services which were contracted for and services which were not contracted for. In other words, services could be extended by any

Nature of capitalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nature of capitalism - Essay Example Capitalism is highly accepted in modern society so it is hard to understand its unethical effects in the society. It can be observed only with correspondence to other societies who does not have a capitalist based economic system. Capitalism can lead growth and help in nation’s development but it has several adverse affects according to studies by professionals. A capitalist based society can lead to unfair rights to citizens and hence it creates imbalance in the society. According to a leading philosopher Karl Marx, means of production should not be owned privately as it gives unfair amount of power to capitalists. The owner of means of production can suppress other individuals with low power and end of being rulers. This observation of Karl Marx has significant importance as it is clearly visible in the economic system of modern society. Capitalism leads to less rights and importance to ordinary citizens compared to high profile citizens. This type of unfair rights and inequality is not a very good picture in the modern society. There is an important observation taken from the theory of one of the founders of capitalism, Adam Smith. According to Adam, capitalism is beneficial to everyone in a society that rises from a profit making motive and selfishness. This argument is sufficient enough to show that capitalism is unethical for the society. The moral value in a society goes for a toss with rise of capitalism and society gets divided into two parts the upper class and the lower class (Cudd and Holmstrom 66). This kind of division is not supportive for moral values and ethics in the modern society and in turn leads to inflation, loss of jobs, insufficient workers compensation. In a capitalistic society there is less influence of Government. In addition to this, less-efficient workers lose their jobs without proper c ircumstances. Growing power in hands of capitalists is not good for middle and lower class people in any situation.

“Tipping” vs. Bribery Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Tipping† vs. Bribery Essay There are many similarities between paying a large tip to secure a better table in a restaurant and offering a bribe to secure a business contract. Firstly, both are essentially bribery. In both situations the bribe is something like an expression of gratitude before the fact, or, more accurately, an imposition of obligatory reciprocation—in both situations, the goal of the briber is to put the recipient of the bribe in a position of obligation. Another similarity is that both kinds of bribes are â€Å"competitive†: the bribe is made to gain a perhaps-unfair advantage over others. In both situations the briber creates a situation in which he increases the likelihood that he will be chosen above all else, while also increasing the likelihood that the relevant merits of the different â€Å"contenders† to the wanted resource are ignored. The briber is essentially saying: â€Å"We’re both here for something. I’ll give you more of what you want, so you give me what I want before others get what they want.† There are big differences, however. One is that while the restaurant employee who receives the tip is probably poor; the recipient of the bribe for the contract is not. Both are also a form of cheating, but the bribe for the contract is much graver. Who loses in the two situations? The consequences of the restaurant bribe are minimal—everyone will still get their meals, although some at a worse table (but how bad can a table at a restaurant be?). The consequences of the bribe for the contract, however, are huge, and can be life altering—for the better or for the worse. Considering all the points discussed, it becomes apparent that the two scenarios have many similarities, but they are not the same.

Musical Style and Innovations of Beethoven Essay Example for Free

Musical Style and Innovations of Beethoven Essay Musical Style and Innovations Beethoven is viewed as a transitional figure between the Classical and Romantic eras of musical history. Above all, his works distinguish themselves from those of any prior composer through his creation of large, extended architectonic structures characterized by the extensive development of musical material, themes, and motifs, usually by means of modulation, that is, a change in the feeling of the home key, through a variety of keys or harmonic regions. Although Haydns later works often showed a greater fluidity between distant keys, Beethovens innovation was the ability to rapidly establish a solidity in juxtaposing different keys and unexpected notes to join them. This expanded harmonic realm creates a sense of a vast musical and experiential space through which the music moves, and the development of musical material creates a sense of unfolding drama in this space. In this way Beethovens music parallels the simultaneous development of the novel in literature, a literary form focused on the life drama and development of one or more individuals through complex life circumstances, and of contemporaneous German idealisms philosophical notion of self, mind, or spirit that unfolds through a complex process of contradictions and tensions between the subjective and objective until a resolution or synthesis occurs in which all of these contradictions and developmental phases have been resolved or encompassed in a higher unity. Beethoven continued to expand the development section of works, extending a trend in the works of Haydn and Mozart, who had dramatically expanded both the length and substance of instrumental music. As Beethovens major immediate predecessors and influences, he looked to their harmonic and formal models for his own works. However, both Mozart and Haydn placed the great weight of a musical movement in the statement of ideas called the exposition, for Beethoven the development section of a sonata form became the heart of the work. Beethoven was able to do this by making the development section not merely longer, but also more structured. The very long development section of the Eroica Symphony, for example, is divided into four roughly equal sections, making it, in effect, a sonata form within a sonata form. The first movement alone of this symphony is as long as an entire typical Italian-style Mozart symphony from the 1770s. His focus on the development would, like others of his innovations, set a trend that later composers would follow. Although Beethoven wrote many beautiful and lyrical melodies, another radical innovation of his music, compared especially to that of Mozart and Haydn, is his extensive use of forceful, marked, and even stark rhythmic patterns throughout his compositions and, in particular, in his themes and motifs, some of which are primarily rhythmic rather than melodic. Some of his most famous themes, such as those of the first movements of the Third, Fifth, and Ninth symphonies, are primarily non-melodic rhythmic figures consisting of notes of a single chord, and the themes of the last movements of the Third and Seventh symphonies could more accurately be described as rhythms rather than as melodies. This use of rhythm was particularly well suited to the primacy of development in Beethovens music, since a single rhythmic pattern can more easily than a melody be taken through a succession of different, even remote, keys and harmonic regions while retaining and conveying an underlying unity. This allowed him to combine different features of his themes in a wide variety of ways, extending the techniques of Haydn in development (see Sonata Form). He also continued another trend towards larger orchestras that went on until the first decade of the 20th century, and moved the center of the sound downwards in the orchestra, to the violas and the lower register of the violins and cellos, giving his music a heavier and darker feel than Haydn or Mozart. Gustav Mahler modified the orchestration of some of Beethovens music most notably the 3d and 9th symphonies with the idea of more accurately expressing Beethovens intent in an orchestra that had grown so much larger than the one Beethoven used: for example, doubling woodwind parts to compensate for the fact that a modern orchestra has so many more strings than Beethovens orchestra did. Needless to say, these efforts remain controversial. In his Fifth Symphony Beethoven introduced a striking motif, drawn from a late Haydn symphony, in the very opening bar, which he echoed in various forms in all four movements of the symphony. This is the first important occurrence of cyclic form. He was also fond of making usual what had previously been unusual: in the Fifth Symphony, instead of  using a stately minuet, as had been the norm for the dance movement of a four-movement work, he created a dark march, which he used as the third movement and ran into the fourth without interruption. While one can point to previous works which had one or more of these individual features, his music, combined with the use of operatic scoring that he learned from Mehul and Cherubini, created a work which was altogether novel in effect too novel, in fact, for some critics of the time. On the other hand, his contemporary Spohr found the finale too baroque, though he praised the second movement as being in good Romantic style. His Ninth Symphony included a chorus and solo voices in the 4th movement for the first time, and made extensive use of fugues, which were generally considered to be a different form of music, and again unusual in symphonies. He wrote one opera, Fidelio. It has been said that he wrote beautiful vocal music without regard for the limitations of human singers, treating the voice as if it were a symphonic instrument even though his conversation books note his desire to make his music singable and include references that indicate that he had remembered his fathers singing lessons. Beethovens development and works are typically divided into three periods: an early period in which his works show especially the influence of Mozart and Haydn; a middle, mature period in which he developed his distinctive individual style, sometimes characterized as heroic; and a late period, in which he wrote works of a highly evolved, individuated, sometimes fragmented and unorthodox style sometimes characterized as transcendent and sublime, where he tried to combine the baroque ideas of Handel and Bach with his icons Mozart and Haydn. In his late years he called Handel my grand master. In contrast to Mozart, he labored heavily over his work, leaving intermediate drafts that provide considerable insight into his creative process. Early drafts of his Ninth Symphony used rough vertical marks on the score in place of actual notes, to indicate the structure he had in mind for the melody. Studies of his sketch books show the working out of dozens of variations on a particular theme, changing themes to fit with an overall structure that evolved over time, and extensive sketching of counter-melodies.

Globalization And The Rise Of Multinational Corporations Marketing Essay

Globalization And The Rise Of Multinational Corporations Marketing Essay Is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. In the world of international business there are lots of strategic options which usually used to measure performance of the business, but here will be using Ansoff matrix on the four (4) strategic options preferable, although each strategic option has its risks involved. 1.1 Globalization and the rise of multinational corporations and branding According to Smith and Doyle (2002): A further, crucial aspect of globalization is the nature and power of multinational corporations. Such companies now account for over 33 per cent of world output, and 66 per cent of world trade (Gray 1999: 62). Significantly, something like a quarter of world trade occurs within multinational corporations (op. cit). This last point is well illustrated by the operations of car manufacturers who typically source their components from plants situated in different countries. However, it is important not to run away with the idea that the sort of globalization we have been discussing involves multinationals turning, on any large scale, to transnational: International businesses are still largely confined to their home territory in terms of their overall business activity; they remain heavily nationally embedded and continue to be multinational, rather than transnational, corporations. (Hirst and Thompson 1996: 98). 1.2 Advantage of globalization Increase competition Globalization has made the competition rises due to technology, most business people has knowledge on how to capture customers by introducing innovation which increase more advantage to consumers, competition is always good to consumers because of the decreases in the price. 1.3 Disadvantage of globalization Terrorism This is one of the disadvantages of globalization, in view of the fact that when different people gathered in one place can create violence, especially murder and bombing, which is not good for business and for country and the citizens. 2.0 FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE GROWTH IN GLOBALIZATION 2.1 The liberalization of international trade The removal of trade barriers has been the source of increasing international trade and changes in customers taste and preference, there has been more freedom of importing and exporting the goods / services exchanged from one country to the other, not only that but also trade protection methods have been minimal such as tariffs and quotas. 2.2 Technological progress Technological advancement has also help to reduce international barriers, most likely the use of internet facilities has more power when it comes to doing business online, its very easy and it can also help to reduce cost of transportation and other fair of travelling. Nonetheless, not only the internet provide such access to consumers but there are such facilities which create product awareness for consumers to see and be able to demand those facilities which encouraged globalization including, application of mobile telephones, satellite communication such as DSTV, global media networks such as BBC, CNN, AL-JAZEERA and VIDEO-CONFERENCING, which helps to lessen barriers to the business such decreasing operating / production cost. 2.3 Cultural awareness and recognition This has increased more awareness and tastes to some consumers; for instance, in the movie industry there are now more recognition on Hollywood, Bollywood and even Nollywood (Nigerian movies) 3.0 THE EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION ON BUSINESS ACTIVITY Globalization can not only provide opportunity to business but also there are some risks/threats in it. 3.1 Increasing competition One of the effects regarding globalization is increasing competition in business, such as mobile phones, in China due to high demand of mobile phones they are now trying to imitate products of other mobile companies like Nokia just trying to compete with them, and yes here in Tanzania, there are very high demand regarding Chinese phones due to its affordable price. 3.2 Economies of location This is one of the positive effects when trying to produce more products on location which is much more cost effective due to power of producing in economies of scale within economies of location, like China is the best place to invest since the productions are likely to be more cheaper, that is, the amount to be paid to one America employee could pay almost ten employees in China, that is the reason as to why the whole world prefers China to be a production place. 3.3 Mergers, acquisitions and Joint Ventures, franchises These factors allows business to spread around nations due to the forces joined between one company / country or business just to make sure they grow-up and fasten, for instance Mc Donald has decided to join forces by franchising the business in the world, which is true, has definitely became well known in the business. 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE FOUR ANSOFF MATRIX MODELS ANALYSIS Globalization makes alliances an essential part of a firms strategy in order to stay competitive and to achieve superior performance. To better capture global opportunities, firms tend to cooperate with other firms to capitalize on and leverage their limited resources since it is impossible for one firm to do it all and do it alone. Similarly, in order to cope with increasing global competitive threats, firms are likely to form alliances .Based on the classical industrial organization perspective-the market power, firms form alliances to reduce competition and uncertainty. Through such cooperation, companies gain market power that helps alleviate competition and improve its competitive position. The decision to enter into a foreign market can be influenced by globalization which could be willingness of the business people, who are willing to go far just to make sure that they expand their market. There are several ways to enter into a foreign market by using the Ansoff matrix as follow:- 4.1 Market penetration (existing market, existing product) Market penetration is one of the strategies used in the existing customers just to make sure sales are increasing without pooling the product out of the market, nevertheless by using market penetration they could use more activities just to make sure that their existing product is well known around the world, for instance to start advertising in multinational countries just like Dutch advertises their products such as, yoghurts, shampoo, milk and even other products, by advertising even in our country they do create such opportunities for penetrating and creating more demand for those who did not have an idea about their products. This strategy not only penetrating the product but also struggling to retain the existing customer for such product because its not very hard to get customers but retaining those customers is very hard job thus, there are lots of strategies in the world of business one of them is marketing, just to make sure the business is well known. For instance Coca cola company has been doing some of the broadening on its own and some in partnership with other companies (Daniels et al, 2008, p.570) just to make sure the coca-cola brand is well known in the world. The coca cola company has gone so far as to test the market in Singapore, Toronto, and even have the coffee shops. Also Coca cola company has joint venture with Nestle for tea products outside the unites state and a joint venture with Cargill to develop a new sweetener to put into drinks (Daniels et al, 2008, p 571) 4.2 Market penetration seeks to achieve four main objectives: Maintain or increase the market share of current products this can be achieved by a combination of competitive pricing strategies, advertising, sales promotion and perhaps more resources dedicated to personal selling Secure dominance of growth markets Restructure a mature market by driving out competitors; this would require a much more aggressive promotional campaign, supported by a pricing strategy designed to make the market unattractive for competitors Increase usage by existing customers. For example by introducing loyalty schemes (Mike Morrison, 2011) 4.3 Market development (new market, existing product) This is one of the market strategies which involve moving the existing product further in international market so as to gain more customers from international market, not only going across or beyond the borders but also attracting new customers in the same product so as to gain more advantage and even to maximize sales. There are many possible ways of approaching this strategy, including: New geographical markets; for example exporting the product to a new country New product dimensions or packaging: for example New distribution channels Different pricing policies to attract different customers or create new market segments Exporting is example of one of the market entry modes, which use a direct sells, goods can be produced within a country and exported to a foreign countries just to capture new customers with the same products which sold in home country. Example of Coca-Cola when entered the Turkish market, it tried exporting from Turkey to Kyrgyzstan, the result unfortunately was a soft drink price of more than four times what it cost to buy a soft drink bottled in Kyrgyzstan itself.(Daniels et al, 2008, p 575) Product its likely to expand more to the foreign countries and have more customers than the home country, this is due to the fact that in the home country customers could change their taste and preference due to time factor, that could be one of the reason why selling abroad so as not to lose market share, at the same time that unwanted product can be re innovated so as to have customers in the home country, for instance, by trying to change packaging of the products, or even change the name. 4.4 Product development (existing market, new products) This is new products in existing market, this is happening when there is product innovation to address the same market towards ensuring that customers are being more satisfied with innovation of the product, this can be done due to so many reasons like: Product has just gone out of the fashion Didnt satisfy customers due to taste and preferences Globalization issues (Mike Morrison, 2011) When the product has just go beyond the fashion it was meant like, here in our country( Tanzania) there are some shoes which are in fashion at the moment, it seems that all women use to wear such fashionable shoes that is due to globalization technology, we can see on Television through DSTV and other fashion Television. Nevertheless this fashion keeps on changing when time passes they will change that fashion in the sense that in the existing market and customers with more fashionable shoes. Didnt satisfy customers due to taste and preferences in the sense that customers taste and preference keeps on changing due to globalization and free trade. Businesspersons can import and export more goods and services depending upon the needs and requirements basing on customers changing tastes to better reflect customers demand. For instance, Tanzania has green tea of its own, but at the moment there are many brands of tea from other countries with different tastes like lemon, tea and others. Therefore, customers might be attracted to shift from the old brands to the new ones. The business could succeed if there is use of one of entry modes like the coordination between two parties, could be two or more people, companies, or even two countries, joint venture can be formed due to numerous rationale like, technology sharing and product development, market entry for a certain county, and even in compliance for the country legal actions, for instance quotas, taxes and tariffs. For example in case of China, it wholly owns its concentrate plant but has joint ventures with various bottling plants, coca cola ownership in foreign bottling operations has became sufficiently significant that it has set up a bottle investment group within the country.(Daniels et al, 2008, p 570) Joint venture can be of useful for the matrix model for implementing those four strategies in order to persuaded market expanding, for instance developing new market to a foreign countries could diversify profit, and even product recognition like Mc Donalds burger king, is well known all over the world. Globalization issues, here meant that, since it is very free to do international business, the world has just been like a village, China can come in Tanzania and do business with Tanzanian, likewise, people between these two countries can not only do business but can also exchange so many things like ideas on what to do business, how they live in their own country, taboos, cuisine, dress code, these can definitely make customers want to experience the differences. 4.5 Diversification (new product, new market) This is where the market is completely new, and products to new customers. There are two types of diversification, namely related and unrelated diversification. Related diversification means that remain in a market or industry with which are familiar. (Mike Morrison, 2011) The diversification can be divided again into horizontal, vertical and lateral diversification. The horizontal diversification is the extension of the production programs. The vertical diversification is the sales stage stored by products pre order. The lateral diversification is the sales of completely new products, which are within the range of the technology and marketing in no connection. (Mike Morrison, 2011) Diversification is an inherently higher risk strategy because the business is moving into markets in which it has little or no experience. For a business to adopt a diversification strategy, it must have a clear idea about what it expects to gain from the strategy and a transparent and honest assessment of the risks This situation is likely to occur to several situations when moving internationally, diversifying is a good strategy because it help to improve sales by having Strategic Business Units (SBUs) because if one product doesnt respond positively in the market other products might perform better, and that can at least reduce failure of the other products because obviously there would be wastage of resources but can be covered to some extent., or even though business can be diversify by using international entry modes to create brand awareness. For instance, franchising This is one of the market entries which assist market expanding when need to go international, franchisor allow franchisee to use the name of the business so as to expand his/ her market share, this is tremendous fine due to the fact that one can have higher profit for the expansion of sells by using someone elses name and business formulae, For instance coca cola company, if franchise with them, they will surely provide formulae, then franchisee will only have to mix with water to have formulae complete. Another example is from Mc Donalds; franchisee should be provided with each and every aspect which will accomplish the meal with the same taste as if were produced by Mc Donalds company, though it is costly. Not only that but also they could even use licensing to which indispensable part when going global, as a means to penetrate into global market, so as to have legal when it comes to use property of your licensor, for instance intangible property such as patents, trademark, and production techniques. The licensee needs to pay fee to the licensor to be able to have the technique assistance if possible, there it will be possible for licensee to market his/her product by using the matrix model, like selling more of the products outside the home country and diversify the profit Conclusion Globalization controlling the world, the whole world has became such a small world, this situation made people to know good and bad due to expansion of technology, therefore applying Ansoff matrix tools when doing business is the most preferable way to do so since it well analyze how managers should behave when going international. APPENDIX 1.1 THE ANSOFF MATRIX FIGURE http://www.mindtools.com/media/Diagrams/AnsoffFig1.gif

Canadian Teenagers Essay -- Drugs and Alcohol, Cannabis, Marijuana

today's society Canadian teenagers are exposed to different pathway involving drugs. The most common drug used among Canadian teenagers is alcohol followed by cannabis.(Leslie, Karen 2008) Canadian teenagers are influenced by drugs and alcohol on a daily based at school and through the media. In Canada the legal drinking age is nineteen in most provinces with the exception of Quebec where it is eighteen years old. Teenagers who have family members with drug and alcohol problem or if they suffer from depression, anxiety or other various forms of mental health disorders are at a higher risk of developing and addiction or experimenting with drugs and alcohol.( Leslie, Karen 2008) . According to Leslie and Karen one in every five students will develop an alcohol dependency; it has an affect on their health, school and other problems. Students in the seventh and ninth grade indicated the average age for their first experience with alcohol is eleven years old (Leslie, Karen 2008). Alcohol intoxication comes along with great responsibilities. Adolescence are not mature enough to handle consequences and do not know the responsibilities thoroughly until they have experienced it. Alcohol plays a huge role in suicide and self-harm particularly among adolescence and young adults (Leslie, Karen 2008). The highest rate for adolescent patients is between the ages fifteen to nineteen years old who sustained unintentional injuries due to the presence of alcohol, which can also lead to violence among themselves (Leslie, Karen 2008). In Leslie and Karen research out of four hundred eight injuries involving violence 22.7 percent were involved in alcohol. Underage drinking can lead to unintentional fatal and non fatal injuries. The most common fat... ...ion during sex compared to females. During oral sex 44.4% of male’s claims to use condoms and 26.8% method only consisted of the female being on birth control. The smarter method using condoms and birth control during oral sex was only 8.1%. Leaving the most lack method, using no protection or any methods consisted 26.8% of males (Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality; 2006). The number of sexually active teens hasn't increased over the past two decades, the percentage of females having sex at a young age has. (Susan McClellan 2001). Having said, female parents disprove of teen pregnancy 56.8% of the time and males parents disprove 44 % of the time. Today in Canadian teen pregnancy and abortion rate are high, but Nunavut consists of the highest rates (McKay, Alexander). To get an abortion in Canada cost 400 dollars and it does not require permission from parents.

Use of Weather in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre :: Jane Eyre Essays

Use of Weather in Jane Eyre    In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, good weather is Bronte’s tool to foreshadow positive events or moods and poor weather is her tool for setting the tone for negative events or moods.   This technique is exercised throughout the entire novel, alerting the readers of the upcoming atmosphere. In the novel, Jane’s mood is, to a degree, determined by the weather mentioned. For example, after Jane was publicly and falsely accused of being a liar by Mr. Brocklehurst, an upcoming positive event was predicted when Jane described her surroundings, â€Å"Some heavy clouds swept from the sky by a rising wind, had left the moon bare; and her light streaming in through a window near, shone full both on us and on the approaching figure, which we at once recognize as Miss Temple† (62).   Surely enough, Miss Temple invited the two girls to her room and treated them with cake and tea, which brought Jane comfort from the public humiliation.   â€Å"We feasted that evening as on our nectar and ambrosia; and not the least delight of the entertainment was the smile of gratification of our hostess regarded us, as we satisfied our famished appetites on the delicate fare she liberally supplied† (65).   Another example of this is Jane’s first morning at Thornfi eld.   A positive mood was foreshadowed when Jane described the weather as such: â€Å"The chamber looked such a bright little place to me as the sun shone in between the gay blue chintz window and carpeted floor, so unlike the bare planks and strained plaster of Lowood, that my spirit rose at the view† (90). This not only foreshadowed the positive mood of Jane, but also the experience she would have in the near future living in Thornfield.   She would soon discover her husband to be Mr. Rochester and appreciate her companies such as Mrs. Fairfax and Adele, who for the first time in her life treat her as an equal.   All positive weather described in the novel foreshadowed either a positive mood or event, sometimes both.   Bronte was consistent with this use of the weather. On the other hand, poor weather in the novel was used to foreshadow negative events or moods.   In the opening of the novel, when Jane was living in Gateshead, she was reading while an unpleasant visit of John Reed was foreshadowed:   â€Å"After it offered a pale blank of mist and cloud: hear, a scene of wet lawn and storm-beat shrub† (2).

Risperdal :: Drugs Schizophrenia Essays

Risperdal Risperidone is an atypical antipsychotic used to alleviate the symptoms of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is defined by its effects in altering perception, thoughts, or consciousness called hallucinations or delusions. It affects about 1% of the population, with about 2 million people affected in the United States. About 50% of those affected become severely and permanently disabled and dependent upon public assistance. Schizophrenics make up about 10% of the totally disabled population and as much as 14% of the homeless. The United States spends about $70 billion annually. About 1 out of 4 patients will attempt suicide, and 1 in 10 will succeed. There is great social stigma associated with the disease (Sarason & Sarason, 2001, pg. 350). The dopamine theory behind the cause of schizophrenia states that in part excess dopamine is a possible factor or there is more than an average number of dopamine, Type 2 receptors. Risperidone acts on the dopamine D2 receptor (Sarason, et al, 2001, pg. 368). Risperidone is a psychotropic drug and is part of the chemical class of benzisoxazole derivatives used as a treatment for schizophrenia, with some results for bipolar manic disorder, as well. The molecular formula is C23H27FN4O2, with a molecular weight of 410.49 (Ereshefsky & Mascarena, 2003). Route of administration is oral. Once the drug passes the esophagus and stomach, it makes its way into the small intestines. There are beds of capillaries within the intestine walls.

My Antonia by Willa Cather Essay

Based on the novel, Jim Burden’s observation of Antonia and even the way he looks at her and interacts with her, it seems clear that he loved Antonia. He did not pursue her, however. Jim spent his childhood in his grandfather’s house in the prairie and spent a lot of time with Antonia. Eventually, in the second book, he spends more time with Antonia and also with the girls working in town. It is at this time that he notices the sexuality of Antonia. Hence, his descriptions of Antonia, and later of Lena, become charged with sexuality. Jim Burden’s relationship with Antonia remained platonic first, because Antonia put emphasis on the four years difference they had and looked down at Jim as her junior. Hence, Jim felt that Antonia looked down on him as a child. When he turned his attention to Lena Lingard, she decided to toy with the young man’s feelings. Antonia had to intervene to prevent Jim from being heartbroken. The relationship between Antonia and Jim remained platonic, at least on the surface. Jim did not see through the defenses set up by Antonia to prevent their being linked romantically together. But since Jim turned his attention to Lena, Antonia felt that she should protect the emotions of Jim. Jim and Antonia are connected with the threads of childhood and of the friendship of growing up together. But Jim, being an orphan and a man, has to study and pursue his dreams for himself. His education and the very act of pursuing his dreams stand in the way between him and Antonia. Years later when he goes back and finds Antonia with her husband and her ten children, he feels affectionate to them yet he adds a wistful longing by saying that Antonia and he â€Å"possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past. † In the end, that was what they shared together. Works Cited Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1954.

Deviance in Bowling for Columbine

This paper entitled, â€Å"Deviance in Bowling for Columbine† intends to find out the validity of the opinion expressed by the film’s author. It also aims to articulate personal opinion with regards to the issue raised in the film. Furthermore, it will also present a solution to the issue raised. Last but not least, it will state an obvious obstacle to the solution. Validity of the Opinion Expressed by the Film’s AuthorThe validity of the opinion expressed by the film’s author may not at all be questioned basically because his articulations resulted from a true-to-life story. In addition to that, he reiterates violence and deviant behaviors so as to reintroduce to this growing problem of society. To help us understand better the validity of the opinion expressed by the film’s author, let us go through some of the film’s details: The story of â€Å"Bowling for Columbine† is about the United States’ obsession of violence and guns (Bowling.. , 2002).It is a sort of a documentary wherein the story is based on the incident dated April 20, 1999 (Bowling.. , 2002). Here, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, students of the Columbine High School, attended their bowling class before they carried out a killing spree at the aforementioned school in Little, CO (Bowling.. , 2002). While Michael Moore, the star of the movie, thinks about the aforementioned alarming event, he takes into consideration the relation or association of bowling or the game of ten pins and random violence (Bowling.. , 2002).He, then now calls on the Michigan Militia to: 1) spend time with James Nichols, the brother of Terry Nichols who is one of the people responsible for the bombing of Oklahoma City; 2) visit K-Mart’s offices, where two young individuals were injured as a result of the Columbine massacre; 3) request K-Mart to discontinue selling ammunitions; 4) place under scrutiny the role of the media in the United States in relation to the fear and anger that it brings about; 5) compares United States and Canada’s statistical information on crime rate; as well as 6) question Charles Heston, the president of the National Rifle Association, with regards to his participation to the rally of pro-gun, which was held in Littleton just days after the massacre in Columbine, as well as, another protest in Flint, MI, just after a 6-year-old was killed by a classmate using an Uncle’s gun (Bowling.. , 2002). Personal Opinion on the Issues Raised in the Film Violence is highly related with deviance or deviant behaviors. Deviant behavior is technically defined as â€Å"a behavior or an act that is known to violate of defy social norms† (Wikipedia, 2007).I strongly believe that the issues raised in the film were timely and appropriate since his movie shows the advantages of deviant behavior to the society through the three major sociological theories, namely: a) Structural Functionalism, b) Conflict Theory, and c) Symbolic Interactionism. Through the killing/gun shooting shown in the movie, cultural values and norms were affirmed, moral boundaries were clarified, social unity is upheld, and social change is encouraged (Wikipedia, 2007). Because it is such a terrible occurrence, the movie is utilized to address violence, as well as, the deviant behaviors illustrated in it. More specifically, the issue raised here is with regards to how the society deal or handle guns and how it contributes largely to deviance or deviant behaviors in our society. Alternative and Probably the Most Successful Solution to the Issue RaisedI strongly believe that the most successful solution to the issue raised, at this point, is gun control. Several things may be carried out to control the consequences of gun handling and some of these are the following: 1) weight the advantages and disadvantages of owning a gun before eventually acquiring one; 2) promote â€Å"no gun† zones within the school; 3) get the local involved in school safety training; 4) take note of what the children are watching on television, tell them what programs they should watch and let them know the importance of watching only informative ones instead of violent ones that may motivate them to become one tool; 4) etc (Michigan.. , n. d. )Impediments/Obstacles to the Solution which may be Raised by Persons which have a Stake in the Outcome The only apparent obstacle to the solution which may be raised by persons which have a stake in the outcome are those who have extreme love for guns. They may protest on it since they know they will experience a little â€Å"uneasiness† since it will no longer be that easy to acquire a gun. Reference Bowling for Columbine. (2002). Retrieved May 28, 2007 from http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0310793/ Michigan Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence. (n. d. ). Retrieved May 28, 2007 from http://www. mppgv. org/what_you_can_do_content. htm Wikipedia. (2007). Deviant Behavior. Retri eved May 28, 2007 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Deviant_behavior

Gatsby vs. Richard Cory

The saying â€Å"do not judge a book by its cover† is true because appearances can often be deceiving. A person can easily act calm, cool, and collected, but in reality feel like their world is falling apart. In both the poem â€Å"Richard Cory† and the book The Great Gatsby, Richard Cory and Gatsby both appear to be well put together gentlemen with an ideal lifestyle. However taking a look below the surface it’s easy to see that this is only a clever facade to mask their true feelings. In both works irony is the main literary element which proves that appearances can be deceiving. Gatsby lived a luxurious lifestyle and his parties were the envy of everyone. People who didn’t even know him would make desperate attempts to receive an invitation to these extravagant parties. However what no one knew was the reason behind the festivities. Gatsby’s true purpose in life was to win the love of Daisy. He worked hard to attain his wealth through corrupt practices and eventually received a status worthy of recognition. After finally realizing all of this still wasn’t enough it was inevitable for him to die like his dream. Gatsby had to die because he had no reason left to live. It is ironic that this man who had achieved so much so quickly had no purpose left in life. Richard Cory’s story is similar to that of Gatsby. He was a high society man and the envy of many of the townspeople. He is characterized in a way that makes him appear to be almost god-like. He â€Å"glittered when he walked† and yet when he spoke he seemed humble and genuine. He was â€Å"richer than a king† and â€Å"schooled in every grace. † He was the man everyone knew and wished they could be. The way he presented himself to the town was obviously quite different from his true feelings because his fate was sealed after he put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. It is ironic that the man everyone wanted to be was unhappy enough to commit suicide. He presented himself in such a manner that o one would have even suspected the depression he was masking so well. A facade is hard to spot because a person can so easily hide their true feelings. Gatsby and Richard Cory both appeared to have it all: wealth, a good reputation, and the admiration of many. They were both incredibly flawed men beneath the surface however. Gatsby had one dream in life and when he realized it was a dream that could never become a reality he had noting left to live for. Richard Cory, although we don’t know exactly what, faced a severe problem in his life that caused him such distress that he felt the only way to end his problem was to end his life. Although we may think we know a person we could be completely wrong. They could even be experiencing emotions no one could possibly know or understand.

Positive Effects Can Come From a Lower Birth Rate Essay

In the not-so-distant past, there was a world wide effort to create zero population growth. The environmental uproar in the 1970s had scientists convinced that with 4 billion or so people on that planet, Earth had reached her carrying capacity. The basic premises was that there wasn’t enough room for all the people being born and that there definitely would not be enough room when we reached 2050 and a project population of 11 billion (Cohen, 1). Though the global warming predicts had not begun yet, there were huge concerns that the planet could not produce enough food for 11 billion people and that we would be consuming resources at such an alarming rate that world would die from too many people. Flash forward thirty years and now, industrialized countries across the world are expressing concern that they may have been too hasty in their condemnation of population growth. In fact, many are downright worried about their population declines or very slow population growth. They express concern that the economy will collapse as the burden of the elderly is too great for the younger generation to support and care for. Labor leaders claim there will not be enough people to do the work that needs done and others decry the trend as the true end of the British Empire and the dominance of Western Civilization as those are the countries with declining birth rates. The simple truth is that a low birth rate can be a positive choice for the industrialized world, if considered in the right light. This paper will look at some of the factors contributing to the declining population and the effects that are likely because of a population decline. To understand how this situation developed, it is interesting to review the last 900 years of human sexuality. In his essay â€Å"Two Successive Motivations for the Declining Birth Rate in the West†, Phillippe Aries argues that since the Middle Ages, the shift in societal norms had lead to the declining birth rate. The Church enticed people to a moral stance against pre-marital sex and as the economy evolved from largely agrarian to industrial and even retail based, the large family was no longer an economic necessity (646).   In an agrarian society, children were a source of cheap labor and a financial boon to their parents. The cost of feeding and clothing them was more than made up for by their assistance in earning the family sustenance. But as societies moved away from the farm, children became an expense. Indeed, Aries writes, the trend to significantly smaller families began in the Middle Ages and continued unabated until the Baby Boom after the end of World War II (647). The trend toward smaller families was also a sign of planning and forethought. It was assumed that a smaller family could even be considered a measure of self-control and â€Å"The fewer the children, the more care and attention that could be devoted to each† (Aries, 647) As society became more mobile and people were no longer trapper in the social class that they were born in, people chose smaller families with the idea that they could provide more opportunities for that smaller family and their children would have greater economic opportunity that they did (648). In addition, in the mid-1970s concerns about overpopulation ran rampant. By the mid 1990s, they were in crisis mode.   In Science magazine in 1995, JE Cohen wrote, â€Å"Earth’s capacity to support people is determined both by natural constraints and by human choices concerning economics, environment, culture (including values and politics), and demography. Human carrying capacity is therefore dynamic and uncertain.†Ã‚   (341). Though scientists argued about what that carrying capacity might be, they warned rabidly that if the exponential population growth were not stopped the capacity would be reached in our children’s lifetime if not our own. Further complicating things was an environmental movement   that claimed deforestation to turn the land into agricultural production as causing soil erosion and pollution faster than we could imagine. If the world growth continued unabated, the population would reach that carrying capacity much sooner because the Earth would be too polluted to sustain life. Even now, in An Inconvenient Truth Nobel Prize winner Al Gore points out that trees cut down to provide grazing land for cattle are contributing to global warming because the living trees would have cut carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Though Gore does not make the leap, it is there to behold. Too many people means more land devoted to food production which means fewer trees and faster global warming. With all that in place, it is no wonder then that people chose to have smaller families or no families at all. And that is where the new scientific debate and political nightmare began. The United Nations reports that 75 percent of the industrialized nations of the world have reached zero population growth including the United States and most of Western Europe. The population of Britain is still growing at a very slow rate, largely due to immigration, but in Germany and Japan the total population has begun to decline. This has thrown social scientists into a tizzy. They complain that there will not be enough workers to take all the jobs that are needed; they claim the workers will no longer be able to meet the tax demands of their nations; and they claim that a declining number of young people will mean that there is no one around to care for the Baby Boomers as they get older.   Not surprisingly, many of these doom and gloom predictions are written by Baby Boomers. Instead, it might be nice to focus on the positive benefits of population control. A smaller population will mean simple things, like less congestion on the highways and fewer people in the one open checkout line at the grocery store. But those are the incidental effects of a lower population growth. The key benefits of a smaller population are: better access to education, less pollution and therefore less global warming, and more job opportunities. For a decade or so, Americans have been decrying overcrowding in the school systems as a factor in school performance.   In 2003, CNN reported that overcrowding was causing a boom in the temporary classroom business and states across the nation were taking steps to reduce overcrowding (CNN, 1).   With a declining birth rate in the industrialized nations, fewer children will need to be educated and the student to teacher ratio will decrease. That will lead to more individualized attention for each student and better learning opportunities. In addition, as those children get older, instead of being able to raise prices and keep students from going to college, colleges and universities will be forced to compete for students. The reality is that smaller class size throughout the educational process will mean that all students are getting a better education, not just the ones who can afford private school or the ones lucky enough to be talented an attract a teacher’s interest. Furthermore, as the population seeking a college degree decreases second-class universities with questionable accreditation will be driven out of business and the top academic talent will mass in good schools providing good educations. As simple as it sounds, another advantage of a smaller population will be less pollution. Gore’s movie and other studies of global warming indicate that one of the significant contributors to greenhouse gases are personal vehicles. If there are fewer people, there will by simple logic be fewer cars and fewer cars mean that fewer greenhouse gases are emitted. And, fewer people means less need for food, so some farmland could be returned to forest or converted from vast corporate farms to sustainable small farms which produce healthier food and fewer pollutants. The rain forest of the Amazon River Basin could be left as rain forest with no need for more cattle to feed the world’s desire for beef consumption and the demand for electricity would fall as there were fewer people using it. As the demand for electricity falls, older, fossil fuel burning electric plants could be shut down or replaced with newer, cleaner burning generation facilities. The ultimate proof of the effect that the population has on the environment can be observed today in India. â€Å"Environmental pollution is one of the serious problems faced by the people in the country. Rapid population growth, industrialization and urbanization in country are adversely affecting the environment. (Nagdeve, 2).   India has polluted its sacred rivers and begun poisoning itself, creating a severe lack of potable water because of its overpopulation.   Many of the pollution problems come quite simply from human excrement. There are insufficient sewage facilities and the sewage contaminants the ground water, leading to environmental collapse. With 1.1 billion people, India is the second most populous nation in the world and is being destroyed by its high birth rate (Nagdeve, 33). In China, the world’s largest population has become the primary source of greenhouse gases and is polluting the world at an alarming rate. Though they have instituted some population control measures, the population is so large now that until some of it dies off or moves to other areas, overcrowding and pollution, as well as poor access to resources will continue to be their plight. By far the most concerning aspect of the low-birth rate to most the industrialization nations is the impact it is likely to have on the economy. Naysayers claim the smaller populace will be unable to meet the needs of the elderly population, will be unable to meet the tax burden placed on them by their parents and grandparents and will not be able to meet the employment needs of the country.   The arguments are complicated and may have a grain of truth in them, but are not the forgone conclusion that they are assumed to be. First, there is the issue of meeting the needs of the elderly populace. This is in many ways a self-serving argument of the Baby Boom generation the reality is that in the United States, a third of the workforce is now over the age of 55. â€Å"Because of an aging population and declining growth of the labor force, human resource policies are changing. Companies are offering incentives to keep older workers working past retirement age. Older workers can sometimes replace the lack of younger employees. Opportunities like flextime, part-time, temp work, job sharing, and extended vacations are becoming more common for employees of all ages. Businesses are learning that people of all shapes, sizes, ages, colors, and backgrounds can be good workers† (Johnson, 1) Many of the Baby Boomers are living to ripe old ages and will need long term care, but it also means they are staying in the workforce longer.   And, they are better able to care for themselves than any previous generation of retirees. In addition, society has seen this short-term boom in the elderly population coming and ahs planned for it. Retirement communities and apartment complexes make care for the elderly much easier than in previous generations. Since they are all located in one area instead of being spread out in various private homes, the number of people needed to care for the elderly is greatly reduced. Second, there is the question of the tax burden, again a selfish notion of the elderly that the younger generation should have to support their Social Security needs even though it is an unrealistic expectation.   Unfortunately, instead of working as Franklin Roosevelt had planned and being a supplement to a personal retirement plan, Social Security has become the only retirement plan for many Americans and the government has continued to bail out failed retirement plan after failed retirement plan, usually due to poor fiscal planning or malfeasance on the part of those overseeing the plan. The simple reality is that the elderly cannot continue to rely on the government to meet all their needs and it is likely that in choosing to have fewer children they chose not to have the financial support of a younger generation. Aries argued that they shouldn’t need the financial support family or the government because of their decision not to have a large family.   He argued that with the money people saved by not having a family, they should be able to pay for help when they reach retirement age (Aries, 629). While this inability to deal with the tax burden is a valid concern, it can also be viewed as a great opportunity. Many people complain that the current government system is messed up and the tax plan unfair, but no one seems to be able to do anything about it.   Though a collapse of the economic structure is an extreme way to bring about change, it is a valid way and one that may have to be considered in the near future. Finally, the argument against low-birth rates is that the there will be insufficient people to work the jobs that need doing. This is perhaps the weakest argument of all. Do we really need a Starbucks on every corner and a McDonald’s two doors down?   The reality is that the economic market will correct itself.   Fewer people available to do the jobs will mean that high school and college students are able to find part-time work again and it will mean that the unemployment rate will drop. Regardless of the opportunity, there will always be some degree of unemployment either voluntary or temporary, but with greater opportunities available, more people will have better economic opportunities. Yes, some low-paying jobs may go unfilled. If that happens, the need will equate to the job growth. Like the tax issue, it will probably mean a restructuring of societal values. If more people are need in the medical field to care for the elderly and society places a higher value on that then serving coffee or flipping burgers, society will adjust to the loss of mass market coffee and fast food. After all, less than fifty years ago, fast food was barely thought of. Fast food and poor paying retail jobs were not always a vital part of the American economy and if there is a labor shortage, they might be gone again. If there is a shortage of labor, society will adjust and fill the positions that it most needs. Some economists have argued that with a smaller labor force, economies could collapse as the total productivity level of a nation is decreased, but historical analysis shows us that this too may be a made up fear and an irrational prediction. In an essay regarding the impact low birth rates will have on the economy, William H. Reid, writing for the Journal on Extension said that history shows that our most productive times in history were when the population was smaller. For example, he said, right after the Black Plague productivity in Europe skyrocketed (Reid, 1). The idea behind the increase was that people had something to work for and out of necessity worked hard to get it. He further argued that while overall productivity might be down, wages will be up as employers compete for qualified staff. That will mean that the economy will be booming. The simple truth is that zero population growth was a good idea twenty years ago and that has not changed.   The great majority of opposition to it in Europe and North America is in fact a form of xenophobia, a fear that if other parts of the world outbreed the locals, the local way of life will be destroyed. If analysts were honest and admitted to this fear, there might be more action taken on it. By hiding their fears in other â€Å"concerns†, they miss a chance for honest discourse on the effect that a huge Indian and Chinese population will have on the world. They miss the opportunity to take real action to address the overpopulation concerns of India.   Allowing more people to emigrate from overcrowded areas to less crowded areas will cut down on the demands on the resources of individual nations and improve the quality of life around the globe. However, so many areas are insular and afraid to share their land or way of life with anyone of a different culture. If the industrialized countries were at least willing to admit that, there arguments might have more standing in the world’s eyes. The reasons why the birth rate in the industrialized world is dropping are numerous and debatable.   Aries suggested that another reason why the birth rate is declining is that people no longer see a way to make the world a better place for their descendants. Whether it is a fear of nuclear annihilation or global warming, many people are concerned that the world will not be a great place for the next generation and have decided against having children (469). Others have decided to keep the money for their own happiness instead of spending it on a child and some simply wait longer than they meant to and find they unable to have children. Whatever the reasons for the declining birth rate, it is a fact of life in Europe and North America. Those nations can simply decide how to live with the consequences or, as they have in parts of Europe, take extreme action to reverse the course. In Japan and Germany where the population is already beginning to decline, the smaller population had coincided with an economic growth period. Whether this is simply coincidental is hard to tell at this point, but history seems to tell us that the chances are good that a deckling birth rate does not spell doom and gloom and the end of the world. Instead, it will like lead to a period of greater education for the average person, a cleaner environment and a booming economy. It may also lead to revolutionary thinking as the countries that have always had plenty of people to do their menial tasks have to consider other alternatives, such as an open border with Mexico so that there are more workers, or allowing a mass immigration from India, to relieve overcrowding there. Whatever the solution, it will require scientific and political minds meeting together and honestly discussing the wants and fears of Europe and North America and their desire to change them. In the end, the best consequence of a declining birth rate might be a further globalization of the world. Areas in the Far East and the Indian subcontinent with population problems will need to find more space and Europe and North America will have to find more workers. If the struggle be worked through and the prejudices and fears overcome, then the best thing that could come from a lower birth rate would be an international melting pot with everyone working together for a better planet, better economy and a better life. WORKS CITED Aries, Phillippe.†Two Successive Motivations for the Declining Birth Rate in the West† Population and Development Review > Vol. 6, No. 4 (Dec., 1980), pp. 645-650   November 20, 2007. Cohen, JE â€Å"Population growth and earth’s human carrying capacity† Science Vol.269, Issue 5222, Summer, 1995, p. 341-46. â€Å"Ending overcrowding in California Schools†Ã‚   Policylink < http://www.policylink.org/Research/SchoolOvercrowding/> November 20, 2007. Johnson, Kelly. â€Å"The Effects of a Declining Birth Rate on the Labor Force† < http://cber.cba.ua.edu/rbriefs/ab_jan98.html> November 20, 2007. Martin, Steve P. â€Å"Diverging Fertility among U.S. Women Who Delay Childbearing Past Age 30† Demography , Vol. 37, No. 4 (Nov., 2000), pp. 523-533 November 20,2007. Nagdeve,   Dewaram. â€Å"Environment and Health in India†Ã‚   presented to Asian Context at Bangkok, Thailand, June 10, 2002. < http://www.iussp.org/Bangkok2002/S09Nagdeve.pdf> November 20, 2007. â€Å"Overcrowding Fuel Boom† CNN.com < http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/06/02/classsize.portables.ap/index.html> November 20, 2007. Reid, Walter H. â€Å"Will Declining Birt Rates creates a Crisis?† Journal of Extension (Summer 1988), Vol. 26, No. 2 , November 20, 2007.   

Political Communication and Media Reportage Essay

Political Communication and Media Reportage - Essay Example Therefore, a certain candidate should be differentiated from another one. It is no longer enough for politicians to have solid political platforms and to have experience in public service. Politicians these days need to have mass appeal and be celebrities in their own right. Sometimes, the competent political candidates lose out to less competitive ones because of the inability to recognize this. "To become a celebrity requires recognition as a star player in the field of sports, entertainment, fashion, or politics (Kellner 2003)." Our celebrities today are not only concerned about their professionalism and their performance in their fields of specialty, but of the image they project and the way they present themselves. Politicians have turned into media celebrities and their lifestyles have become as important as their policies. Style and presentation, as well as emotions, not only substance, are important. This is what Lilleker (2006) calls the "aestheticisation" of political communication. We're used to movie stars and talents being concerned about projecting a certain kind of image to the public. But now, even the politicians need to be concerned about their image and the way they appear in public to stay ahead of the game. This shows that the public perception of those who appear in the media are not accidental, but are somehow planned or executed. With the seemingly large scope of the media and the limitless possibilities, the political actors and the media are still able to offer what seems to be a personal encounter to their audience. According to Nass & Reeves' Media Equation Theory (1996), people respond unconsciously and automatically to communication media as if it were human. It is possible, therefore, for the individual to engage in interpersonal communication with the media, however impersonal it may seem. For instance, people know that there is no way that computers or television sets would respond to them, and yet they talk to them as if they were real people. A number of people think that they already know a certain actress or celebrity as well as they know their closest friends, simply by tuning in to the latter's interviews and watching anything with the celebrity on it. This very nature of interpersonal communication between the individual and the media could have resulted to extreme adoration or hate toward the celebrity. But still, more often than not, it is easier to make it work for the celebrity. Based on these observations, politicians now opt to guest on popular talk shows. They want to seem like plain folks, one of the people, as well as to appear nice and attractive. As what we've seen in the former president Ronald Reagan's case, suffering from a debilitating disease or the idea of being vulnerable and human, appeal to the public. Reagan, the first president, who was an actor by profession, had a good plotline for his presidency. He advocated the triumph of market capitalism and the defeat of communism in the Cold War. Yet, during his time, the wealth distribution became uneven, with the wealth going upward, increasing the divide between the rich and the poor. His efforts to strengthen the military cost the United States a lot of money as well as the savings and loan scandal. But despite of this, his ratings were high. Perhaps, his economic failure was overlooked by the

Services Sector Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Services Sector Marketing - Case Study Example Having a restaurant and running it is no big deal - people all across the world do that, but not many have succeeded the way that TGI Friday's has done. The business has done a remarkable job in developing its cutting edge over its competitors, doing what others haven't done, bringing up innovation and creativity, that attracts thousands of customers to its outlets all around the world, and has maintained itself and its status as the premier entertaining hang out place, with themed coverage, and instances that create a memorizing impact on the customer, pulling them to come over again and again. Customer attraction and retention is an important phenomenon when devising a marketing plan, and this is where TGI Friday's has been fairly successful in doing a remarkable job. The difference that it has created is what gives it a cutting edge. As mentioned in the company policy, amongst the critical components for the business is the ambience that it wants to create within its environment. And certainly, the business has been successful in the same. Critical incident is a derived form of critical incident technique, in which events and observations are gathered, and these observations formulate the critical incident. Critical incident techniques define process from the point of understanding and witnessing the 'incident' to the fact finding and collecting data from the participants and till the issue is resolved. TGI Friday's can identify what constitutes a critical incident by conducting research in its area or industry specific terms, and it would ultimately lead the business into identifying whether or not it has achieved customer satisfaction. For this purpose, on a general note, businesses hire consultants for rendering their services mainly to identify the variables. Researches reveal that the critical incident here, as also mentioned in the case, would be a busy time at the restaurant. Observing the various aspects related to a busy time and comparing the same to a non-busy time would yield meaningful outcome. Here, observation needs to be done by a neutral person who is neither very defending about the employees nor a very customer centric individual. The various aspects that need to be observed are mainly the delivery time, the professionalism of the servers, and manner of delivery, lag time and other several variables. These aspects should not just be observed but the participants i.e. the customers should also be asked questions about the same. A few observations during busy times, and a few during the non busy timings would definitely yield outcome that have comparative basis and thus can be compared to illustrate whether the business has achieved customer satisfaction or otherwise. Q3: Discuss the relative merits and demerits of 'blueprinting' and 'Servicescapes' as conceptual framework for analyzing the service encounter at TGI Friday's. Blueprinting is defined as a mechanism that portrays in a visual format the procedures and participants that are involved in producing a service, or in other words, it is a visual