Study of Theatre’s -isms

The only form of theatre known before realism was romanticism so the world was very scared to accept the new, scary kind of plays. Especially considering that the new style was not always perfect and nice, but sometimes sad and disappointing. Realism didn't really catch on so only 20 years later, naturalism was formed. Unfortunately, naturalism did not do so well either. In the 18805-1 9005, symbolism started to appear. This was a very significant step in the life of theatre and is still very often used today. The creators of homeboys believed that reality can only be expressed indirectly and through symbols.They used many medieval symbols and religious paintings in their plays as well as allegorical signs. Around the same time period is when impressionism made it's short appearance. This movement was primarily seen in the set designs because it was believed that â€Å"artist is affected internally through external reality†. Oftentimes in plays today, you will notice a certain painting or color in the background of the set that looks random but always has a deeper, much more interesting reasoning. This all started in the asses with symbolisms and impressionism!In the years 1916-1924 is when theatre started to become more†¦ Artsy. This is when dada and surrealism became genres. Both of these focused on what was unusual and different to the audience. Dada started as a reaction to the First World War. The word â€Å"dada† itself is a made up word that means nothing. It was sought to outrage the audience into action. Sets and costumes often looked blurred together like a big mess – or they were just completely outrageous. Similarly, surrealism said that art must transcend reality by ding all arts into one single vision that suggests a harmony.Many times, there would be what seems like way too much on stage or on a costume but in surrealism, somehow it always blends together peacefully. Surrealism seems to be, in many ways, the most precedi ng of the -isms because of how prominent it still is in theatre and film. Through all of my research, have learned that theatre today is nowhere close to what is was when first created. Am sure that in the next years, theatre will continue to change even more and I cannot wait to see where it ends up when my children are my age!

Gang Violence among Adolescents

Whenever I see young adolescents loitering or hanging out in streets, doing nothing worthwhile but trying to act tough while showing it to their friends or hurting other people, I feel nothing but regret. They should have been at school, learning things that could help them have a better job and future, or at home helping their family and having fun with them. They could do so much if only they make better use of their time and youth. Local governments are faced with the problems associated with gang violence among adolescents.Preventing adolescents from wasting their lives should be a matter of importance for communities, and this should be prioritized because adolescents can have a better future away from the streets. When crowds of young people gather, they may take a group identity. Other groups or even them, may identify themselves as gangs. Furthermore, cliques tend to identify the formation of a gang as a result of threats or conflicts, police pressure and media coverage.Accor ding to studies, gang behavior is â€Å"situational in nature,† and the attribution of hostile behavior to one gang may further contribute to the formation and identity of a gang. In addition, it may be further solidified once â€Å"neighbors, police, school authorities, and others identify unsupervised groups of young people as gangs† (Short, 1996, p. 3). Preventing young people from being associated with violent gangs have been one of the priorities of communities. Past studies showed that gang violence continue to plague communities as gang-related crimes increased over time.For instance, in 1995, it showed that gang-related homicides increased. From 1979 to 1994 alone, a record of 7,288 gang-related homicides was documented in Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The proportion of gang-related homicides increased from 18 to 43 percent (Maceo, 1995). These figures alone would tell how worse gang violence has become. Gang violence brings young people to jails. In fa ct, many adolescents have been charged for being involved in criminal activities.Just this year, a 15-year-old student was killed by a young man who was an alleged member of a violent street gang. The 18-year-old suspect, who pleaded guilty, was charged with 30 years in prison (Castaneda, 2009). This scenario should not be the kind of life that young people must have. Families should be the first ones involved as they are the primary influencing factors in the lives of adolescents. In the case mentioned above, the parents of the victim were completely unaware that their son was a member of a gang. They learned about it when it was too late to save their son.Parents should know the things that their children are being involved in, and must find ways to talk to their children about the consequences of joining gangs that tend to be violent. Parents should encourage their children to be involved in more worthwhile activities, such as sports, that would further develop their skills and i mprove their talents and make them better individuals. The community also has responsibilities in preventing the existence of violent gangs. There should be constant patrols especially in dark and derelict areas.It would be also beneficial if there are programs designed to lure young people away from the streets, such as volunteer works or business ventures that would teach adolescents the importance of working and being properly compensated for a good work done. Moreover, a center for young people can help those who are trying to get out of gangs and trying to change. Attention must be focused to those who want a way out because they might be harmed due to their willingness to have a better life. These young people should really have a good, fruitful life that a violent gang can never give them.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Working In A Group Psychology Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Working In A Group Psychology Essay According to Ian Brooks, â€Å"Organisation behaviour (OB) is the study of human behaviour in organisational contexts with a focus on individuals and group processes and actions†. â€Å"Hence it involves an exploration of organisation and managerial processes in the dynamic context of the organisation and is primarily concerned with the human implication of such activity† (Brooks, 2009). Overview Groups Group has always been a characteristic of human behaviour According to Aronson’s (2007) people is ‘Social Animal’, and often need interaction with others to function effectively as individuals. Definition of Group ‘Two or more people who are perceived by themselves or other as a social entity.’ (Arnold et al, 2005) The Advantages and Disadvantages of Working in a Group for the Individual When people are working in group have to be anticipated each other opinion and individual working alone cannot perform the more efficiently than what gr oup do. So there is some reward as well as weakness for individual working in group. A number of time questions have been raised whether group problem solving is superior, inferior to individual problem solving. (Hoffman, 1965 and Kelley Maier, 1930). Many problems will face by individual in order to achieving a goal. Thus he become handicapped in his approach and also fails to discover a further approach that may work out problem but in group is opposite to this. For examples the group member do not have the same approach that individual thinks but they will contribute by knocking their ruts in thinking in order to solve the problem. Participation in Problem Solving Increases Acceptance Group problem solving authorize participation and influence, it follows that more individuals acknowledge solutions when a group solves the problem than when one person solves it. When one individual solves a problem he still has the task of convincing others. Therefore, when groups solve such prob lems, a greater number of persons accept and feel responsible for making the solution work. Better Comprehension of the Decision Decision made in group is directly utilized by the group member were as when individual make a decision he has to consult with decision maker to the decision-executors. Disadvantages Social Pressure Social pressure is a major force making for agreement good member will accept tends to silence disagreement and favours consensus. Minority opinions in leaderless groups have little influence on the solution reached, even when these opinions are the correct ones (Maier & Solem, 1952). Reaching agreement in a group often is confused with finding the right answer, and it is for this reason that the dimensions of a decision’s acceptance and its objective quality must be distinguished (Maier, 1963).

Business Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business Project Management - Essay Example Any projects irrespective of the nature of the work go through four important phases that are define, design, develop and deliver. The first stage defines the goals and objectives, the target audience or for whom the project is carried out and who are the actual audience (Brown and Eisenhardt, 1997). The second stage sets the initial structure of the project, or the initial outline. The initial outline is developed after a thorough research is carried out. The necessary protocols are also put this phase, that provides the room for adjustments in the latter phase of the project. The third step or the develop stage is the implementation stage. The real application takes place in this phase. The blockers or impediments that could not be found in the initial phase of the projects are identified in this phase (Brown and Eisenhardt, 1997). The last and the fourth stage is the deliver stage. The deliver stage involves the field testing stage. The blockers identified in the initial stage are removed and the system is provided with the necessary tweaks to overcome the barriers. Then the system is again re evaluated to find out if the blockers are removed effectively.The study aims to point out the relationship between time, cost and quality and the critically evaluate the techniques used to demonstrate the balance of time, cost and quality using critical path method, calculation of the return on investment and the quality management. Advantages and disadvantages of NPVAdvantages... The third step or the develop stage is the implementation stage. The real application takes place in this phase. The blockers or impediments that could not be found in the initial phase of the projects are identified in this phase (Brown and Eisenhardt, 1997). The last and the fourth stage is the deliver stage. The deliver stage involves the field testing stage. The blockers identified in the initial stage are removed and the system is provided with the necessary tweaks to overcome the barriers. Then the system is again re evaluated to find out if the blockers are removed effectively. The study aims to point out the relationship between time, cost and quality and the critically evaluate the techniques used to demonstrate the balance of time, cost and quality using critical path method, calculation of the return on investment and the quality management. Advantages and disadvantages of NPV Advantages It is one of the quickest methods to determine net payoff from a project. The use of d iscounting factor presents a more realistic picture compared to other non discounted methods. Use of NPV also helps in the maximization of the firm’s value (Shenhar and Dvir, 1996). Another important aspect is that, NPV also makes sure that the risks as well as profitability of the projects are given high value. Dis-advantages The complexity of this method increases, when the number of years increases and the projects are not mutually exclusive. This is one of the disadvantages of this technique. The estimation of the discounting rate is another problem. With wrong discounting factor, the net payoffs can either become overestimated or underestimated (Whittaker, 1999. The use of discounting factor is kept constant for

Business and Institutional Marketing Coursework - 1

Business and Institutional Marketing - Coursework Example The last few decades witnessed dramatic growth in information technology and currently it has become one of the most robust industries in the world. Since the IT sector has a high rate of productivity, particularly in the industrially developed world, it plays a great role in driving the overall global economic growth. Economies of scale influence both consumers and enterprises to increase the demand for IT products and services; and this situation in turn contributes to the rampant growth of IT sector. Nowadays, information technology as well as hardware and software associated with IT sector have become an integral part of almost all global industries (Economy Watch 2010). Since information technology is potential enough to reduce the cost of production to a clear extent, every major company tends to acquire IT products and services despite the implementation costs. Dell, Inc. and IT industry Dell, Inc. is a Texas based American multinational IT corporation which deals with the development and sales of IT products and services. Currently, Dell is one of the world’s largest technological corporations with a potential of more than 103,300 employees (Dell, 2011). The company has been ranked at 41st in the Fortune 500 list. Development of customer base and mergers and acquisitions are the major expansion strategies of Dell and its major mergers and acquisitions include Alienware (2006) and Perot Systems (2009). As of 2009, the company’s product lines include personal computers, data storage devices, computer peripherals, and software. The Dell is well known in the IT industry for its innovativeness in supply chain management and e-commerce sector.

Human production Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human production - Assignment Example At puberty, the kiss1 gene activates GPR54 gene which then activates hypothalamus to produce GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone); a hormone that stimulates pituitary gland to produce hormones that affect testicles and ovaries. In males, testosterone is produced that affects the development of testes and penis along with the development of secondary sexual characteristics. In females, estradiol is produced by ovaries and it brings about the development of reproductive system and secondary sexual characteristics. An additional effect is the onset of menarche. 6. Spermatogenesis may be divided into three phases: spermatocytogenesis which is a proliferative phase; meiosis which produced cells containing half number of chromosomes and spermiogenesis (mitosis allows division of spermatogonia and they develop into primary spermatocytes and during Meiosis 2 secondary spermatocytes are produced) in which spermatozoa are produced. Seminiferous tubules allow spermatozoa a channel to pass through. Spermiogenesis comes to an end when spermatozoa are released from sertoli cells. Androgen (testosterone) is produced by Leydig cells. 7. Sperms are produced within seminiferous tubules from where they migrate to epididymis. They are stored here until maturation. During ejaculation, the sperm travel from epididymis to vas deferens, the ampulla. At this point other secretions are added to the sperms and the mixture is then propelled towards the ejaculatory duct and then while passing through urethra prostrate gland’s secretions is added. The combination of all these products is now known as semen which takes on a milky color; a secretion that is then expelled out of the body. Uterus is made up of layers of smooth muscle and it is hollow from within. It consists of an isthmus, cervix, fundus and a body. During menstruation, the inner lining show growth of tissue; preparation of the uterus for implantation if

Critically Assess the Scope, Meaning and Relevance of Essay

Critically Assess the Scope, Meaning and Relevance of Non-Discrimination in WTO Agreements - Essay Example Introduction WTO (World Trade Organisation) is a global institution that facilitates a free trade to happen in the world. The phrase â€Å"free trade† is always misconstrued since it does not connote that it is a free to trade from one nation to another nation. The WTO rules permit tariffs and other varieties of restrictions that assist to safeguard a nation from unfair trades. Thus , the phrase â€Å" free trade â€Å" can better be explained as a market where business can happen in an open and a fair field where there exists no ingenuous competition. By including a non-discrimination clause, WTO facilitates that a free trade exists in the international level. All countries that are members of WTO have consented to play fair in all their business transactions. This is made possible by demanding all trades to be made in the public eye. A WTO member country should not have a restriction to any trade that is being offered to one company and the same restriction would extend to all the companies which indulge in the same type of commerce. Among the non-discrimination measures, the most renowned ones are the national treatment and the most favoured nations. These two clauses under the guise of non-discrimination appear in some form or other in the† GATS (The General Agreement on Trade in Services), the GATT (the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade), the TRIPS (the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights)† and in other numerous WTOs agreements1. In addition to â€Å"National Treatment (NT) and Most Favoured Nations (MFN), WTO also have more commonly termed anti-discrimination provisions, some important illustrations of which contain non-discrimination clauses in GATS Article XIV, other Agreements on the... Non-discrimination principle mainly revolves round the concept of treating all foreign services or products equivalent to the like domestic services or products. The doctrine of non-discrimination was intended specifically to thwart protectionism and to make sure that equal treatment is being given to both domestic and foreign goods. A question arises whether goods may be treated diversely since the manner in which they have been manufactured, even if the manufacturing process employed does not put down a mark in the end product. Further, it is to be noted that when contrasting two goods, different production methods or processes (PPMs) might have been employed in the manufacture of such goods, which do not per se make these goods â€Å"unlike.† For example, governments may like to differentiate between wood where the production process is not known and wood products emanated from the sustainably grown forest. Under these circumstances, the evaluation of similarity between two kinds of wood if the two varieties of wood may be especially difficult. For this, the evaluation of likeness between two goods or products should be done on each case basis, which was mentioned by the Appellate Body in EC-Asbestos case to find out whether there is a discrimination or not.

Daffodils by William Wordsworth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Daffodils by William Wordsworth - Essay Example â€Å"Daffodils† takes one on the journey of the Romantic age, where one can find all the elements of love, passion, excitement, and praise for the blossoming fields occupied with waving daffodils. In Daffodils the poet narrates the story of his encounter with the God’s most beautiful creation, the daffodils. The first stanza describes the gloominess on the poets face when he is wandering pointlessly beside the lake surrounded by loneliness he notices a floating cloud in the sky, sweeping above the valleys and the hills. And then his eyes meet a large number of daffodils gathered by the side of the lake. Sheltered by a growing tree the daffodils were glowing and gleaming like gold. The constant push of the airy breeze was making them dance in joy and delight. The yellow sheet of daffodils made the entire atmosphere vibrant and full of life. The line: â€Å"A host, of golden daffodils† describes the richness to the color of the flower. Gold is a highly treasured piece of metal, very rare on earth. The poet gives the same status to daffodils which beauty has captured the attention of the poet. According to the poet, the aligned daffodils resemble the shining stars up in the night sky in the form of Milky Way, enlightening the entire space with their glow and imperfection. The use of night sky to describe the imperfection of daffodils can be explained by the example of darkness in a closed room; darkness is associated with loneliness and despair, but as the moonlight enters the room it suddenly lights up and the feeling of isolation is gone. As the poet glance at the dancing daffodils, he also lights up from within and is unable to escape the feeling of joy. The power of daffodils accentuates the entire atmosphere and the waves of the lake also start to dance with them.  

The roles of bias, Context, and the researcher in Qualitative Research Assignment

The roles of bias, Context, and the researcher in Qualitative Research - Assignment Example Ensuring the integrity of the research data is one of the primary priorities of every researcher. Consequently as a researcher carries out a qualitative research undertaking, it is important to understand the potential impacts of external factors such as environment, context, personal bias as well as the role of the researcher on the integrity of the research data. For example, in a qualitative research, bias often the reliability, validity of the findings by distorting the truth or skewing the collected qualitative data. On the other hand, the researcher is also considered an important instrument in a qualitative research and some of the roles of a researcher include gathering data as well as interacting and collaborating with the participants in the research (Brown, 1996). This paper describes the results of my personal observation of a photograph in correlation to the roles of context, bias and the research during a qualitative research study. Description of the results The results of my observation suggested that the photo requires a qualitative analysis to capture all the required qualitative data and any non-numerical information that a company can use in performance analysis. The use of qualitative data to support businesses in decision-making provides a business with the detailed picture of the performance of individuals. The use of qualitative research by Health Plus creates openness in the organization (Creswell, 1994).

Plate techtonics Essay Example for Free

Plate techtonics Essay The Earth’s crust is composed of numerous plates which are constantly moving in relation to one another. This movement is responsible for earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain formation and the theory describing this phenomena is called plate tectonics. Plate techtonics was first described in the 1960’s and unified the theories of contenental drift and magnetic field change. The Earth’s interior is divided into three major sections based on their composition: the crust, mantle, and core. The crust is the uppermost portion, and accounts for less than 1% of its volume. It varies in thickness from 2 to 35 miles and it is this layer. Below the crust is a thick layer of rock called the mantle which is nearly 1500 miles thick. The core consists of 15 % of the Earth’s volume and 32% of its mass. It is very dense and is made mostly of iron. Another set of divisions of the Earth’s interior can be made based on mechanical differences and types of heat transfer; the lithosphere and the asthenosphere. The innermost asthenosphere is hotter and fluid-like. The lithosphere is a division made up of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle. It is cool and rigid and is broken up into seven major and many minor techtonic plates. These plates move in relation to one another at one of three types of plate boundaries: convergent or collision boundaries, divergent or spreading boundaries, and transform boundaries. Most of the worlds active volcanoes occur along plate boundaries. The major plates are African Plate, Antarctic Plate, Arabian Plate, Australian Plate, Caribbean Plate, Cocos Plate, Eurasian Plate, Indian Plate, Juan de Fuca Plate, Nazca Plate, North American Plate, Pacific Plate, Philippine Plate, Scotia Plate, and the South American Plate. There are also many minor plates throughout the world.   As techtonic plates move, they interact with each other and create friction, pressure and/or strain. Stress builds up in both plates and when it reaches a level that exceeds the threshold of rocks on either side of the fault, this accumulated potential energy is released. The brittle upper crust reacts by fracture, or instantaneous stress release to allow motion along the fault. Energy released in this way is the cause of earthquakes which are commonly found along transform boundaries. The San Andreas Fault along the western coast of North America is a well known transform boundary. Here, the Pacific and North American plates meet and move against each other. Other examples of transform faults include the Alpine Fault in New Zealand and the North Anatolian Fault in Turkey. Mendocino Fracture Zone offshore northern California). Divergent boundaries consist of two plates that move apart from each other. When this occurs, a space is created and fills with molten magma. Spreading is not usually uniform and can create massive fault zones. Divergent boundaries are common in the sea floor and are the cause of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the East Pacific Rise. Convergent boundary action depends on the density of the plates that are colliding. Oceanic plates tend to be more dense, with a higher percentage of heavy elements. When a dense oceanic plate collides with a less-dense continental plate, the oceanic plate is typically thrust underneath. This forms a subduction zone and is responsible for oceanic trenches and mountain ranges. An example of a continental-oceanic subduction zone is the area along the western coast of South America where the oceanic Nazca Plate is being subducted beneath the continental South American Plate. Another phenomenon that occurs as the subducting plate descends is a rise in temperature as hot water that has been encased in the porous oceanic crust is released. As the water rises into the mantle of the overriding plate, it lowers the melting temperature of the surrounding mantle, producing â€Å"melts† (magma). These melts rise to the surface and are the source of some of the most explosive volcanism on Earth because of their high volumes of extremely pressurized gases. Mount St. Helens was formed in this way. As these melts rise to the surface and cool, they form long chains of volcanoes inland from the continental shelf and parallel to it. South America is dense with this type of volcanic mountain building from the subduction of the Nazca plate. In North America the Cascade mountain range, extending north from Californias Sierra Nevada, is also of this type. The entire Pacific Ocean boundary is surrounded by long stretches of volcanoes and is known collectively as The Ring of Fire which are the most active volcanoes in the world. When two continental plates collide, they will buckle and compress or one plate goes under the other creating mountain ranges. Currently, the northern margin of the Indian plate is being pushed under the Eurasian plate, and is creating the Himalayan Mountains. When two plates with oceanic crust collide, they typically create an island of volcanoes that erupt through the overriding plate. Japan and the Aleutian Islands were formed in this way. The world is constantly changing and the occurrence of natural disasters is a constant threat. Life in a high risk location may be uncertain, but many people have chosen to live near these potentially dangerous areas for reasons that they feel outweigh the risk. Choice is part of our rights as a human being, and we each must educate ourselves as to our environmental risks and weigh our priorities to make the decisions that are right for each of us. Our awareness of plate techtonics can allow us to assess our future risks. Not allowing people to live in high risk areas would remove their choices over their own lives.

Movie Review Of Fargo Film Studies Essay

Movie Review Of Fargo Film Studies Essay Fargo, the first time that I heard that name, I could not see how the name had anything to do with the movie. At first I thought maybe it was the name of a character in the movie but after watching the movie I came to learn that it was the mane of where most of the movie was based around; Fargo North Dakota. Fargo is a 1996 movie done by the Coen Brothers. This movie is also based on a true story which, after you watch it, you feel terrible for the victims. I would say that this movie is a dark comedy. I say this because the plot and the form of the movie have this dark but comedic aspect. The Brainerd accents have a very unthreatening way to the way it is used and due to the innocence of the accents; it throws off the seriousness of the situation. A main character in the film who gives off more of a comedic aspect is the seven month pregnant chief of police from Brainerd Minnesota Marge Olmsted. I doubt the director(s) were going for a comedic aspect to the film, but with the accent s, and constant use of the word Yaa, you couldnt help but laugh occasionally. The movie Fargo is about a nerdy, mild mannered, shady Executive car salesman named Jerry Lundergard who falls heavily into unexplained debt and comes up with a seemingly genius idea to hire some criminals to kidnap his wife. The reason for the pre conceived kidnap is to retrieve a ransom for her safe return, and get the money from her father who is a wealthy businessman. In the process of Lundergard and his accomplices going forth with their plan, things start to get out of control and eventually Marge Olmsted, the Brainerd Minnesota chief of police gets involved and starts investigating three coincidental murders that occur in her city. Marges character is a likeable polite character who seems after a while to be one of the only competent people in the whole town. The main characters in this film to pay attention to were Jerry Lundergard; a seemingly unstable character, he is shown to be desperate and insecure and there was even a scene after his wife was kidnapped where he practic es his distress call to make it seem believable. Predictably, as the murder investigation broadens and starts to lead back to him, he starts to break down emotionally. Throughout the movie they never explained what exactly his debt was for. Marge Olmsted; Brainerd Chief of police; Carl plays the small time crook who is described literally as the smaller, funny looking kind of guy by all those who came in contact with him and lived. Carl is a very talkative and vulgar kind of guy but seems to have some emotion for murder. His partner on the other hand, Gaer is of European decent. Seemingly quiet but composed character although he commits most of the murders showed in the film. He is a heavy smoker and is shown until towards the end to be more like Carls back up with muscle. This movie housed a couple of big named actors of their time. Some of which I know to still be in the acting business. Carls character and Jerrys character were played by Steve Buscemi, and William H. Macy, which to me, were the only two recognizable stars in the movie. Carl is known for such movies as Reservoir Dogs, and William is known for movies like Cellular, Wild Hogs, and Thank You for Smoking. This movie does a good job in showing the gender role differences in Marges growing family. In her introduction scene where she and her husband first come into the picture, they show how the gender roles are reversed. Usually, it would be the man who is the chief of police and his wife is the stay at home parent who takes care of the backup stuff. In the Olmsted household, Marges husband Norm is the reversed gender role character. He is never shown to be at work or ever even doing any kind of work for that matter, and she is the one with the seven month pregnancy. He makes her breakfast in the morning, brings her lunch to work, and always talks about his painting but somehow their relationship seems to work. Marge is also shown to have a pretty big appetite which is totally understandable due t o the fact that she is eating for two and always makes the joke can I have a seat?, I;m carrying quite a load here. The movie as based on true events starts to get a lot darker and grittier than the expectations of a dark comedy. The ransom exchange scene where the father gets killed semi brutally is a turning point of how serious and out of control things got; He was shot numerous times unnecessarily, and even the ending scene where the European criminal is shown grinding up his partner in a wood chipper and blood is being sprayed everywhere. This movie did not rely on scenery or music to help tell the story. In fact, the scenery was mostly white and snowy because it seemed to be shot in the winter time. There was music, but the music was not done in such a way that it would give away parts of the story. The directors claim that out of respect for the dead, the film was depicted as is. Names were changed though to protect the identities of those who survived. Overall, this movie wa s beyond my expectations but still was able to hold my interests enough for me to really enjoy the movie while giving my regards to those who unfortunately lost their lives.

Contrasting Feelings in Perraults Cinderella and Grimms Aschenputtle

Charles Perrault's "Cinderella" and Wilhelm and Jacob Grimms' "Aschenputtel" both feature a mistreated, yet kind heroine who, despite overwhelming obstacles, attends a ball and marries a prince. However, the similarities between these two versions of the fairy tale end here. While Perrault's version emphasizes the moral and materialistic concerns of his middle-class audience, Grimms' focus is on the harsh realities of life associated with the peasant culture. Perrault immediately connects with the materialistic values of his middle-class audience as he describes in detail the pampered lifestyle of Cinderella's step-sisters who "lay in rooms with inlaid floors upon beds of the newest fashion" (Classics, 17). Once invited to the ball, the step-sisters contemplate what they will wear. One decides on her "red velvet suit with French trimmings", while the other chooses to accentuate her look with a "diamond stomacher" (Classics, 18). While Perrault describes in detail the pampered lifestyle of this bourgeoisie family, he says much less about the appearance of the misfortunate Cinderella. While Cinderella's clothing is of little interest to Perrault's audience, her "rare goodness and sweetness of temper" (Classics, 17) are esteemed values desired by all the middle-class. When called upon to arrange the hair of her unkind step-sisters for the ball, we are told that "anyone but Cinderella would have dressed their hair awry, but she was good-natured, and arranged it perfectly well" (Classics, 18). After arriving at the ball with the help of a fairy godmother, and winning the affection of the desirable prince, Cinderella "sat down with her sisters showing them a thousand civilities"(Classics, 20). Her rare goodness ... ...igeons pluck out her step-sisters' eyes to repay them for all the evil they brought upon her. Although the heroines in "Aschenputtle" and "Cinderella" both manage to attend the ball and marry the prince despite mistreatment and unreasonable demands, the two versions of the popular fairy tale leave the reader with contrasting feelings. These contrasts can be understood when considering the writers' audiences. The violence and references to nature found in "Aschenputtle" are commonplace in the peasant culture of which the Grimms were fascinated, while the focus on the pampered lifestyle of the bourgeoisie family, and the kindness of Cinderella are aspects Perrault's middle-class audience desires. REFERENCE Griffith, John W and Charles H. Frey. The Custom Edition of Classics of Children's Literature: Fourth Edition. New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, 1996.

Analysis of A Cry in the Dark Essay -- A Cry in the Dark Religion Chri

Analysis of A Cry in the Dark A Cry in the Dark, based on a true story, is about a mother whose baby is killed during a camping trip along with her husband. The mother, Lindy Chamberlain claims to have seen her baby being carried away by a dingo and then assumes that the dingo is the cause of her baby's death. As she reports this to the police, she is inconsistent with some of the details that she reports along with other factors that stood against her, the police, meda, and even people watching this take place as it caused commotion in the news, accuse her of murdering the child. The mother and the father of the murdered baby are religious and dedicated to the religion of the Seventh Day Adventists. This is a Christian religion whose main idea is the comming of Jesus Chirst for the second time and observing Sabath. Because of events associated with the religion similar to the religion of the Seventh Day Adventists, people assumed that the religion of the Seventh Day Adventists were similar to that of a cult. Also, what increased their reputation of being related to a cult and violence, was their idea and encouraging of scarfices for their religion. Since Lindy Chamberlain followed this religion and was dedicated to it religiously, people assumed that she could be just as violent and sacrifice her baby Azaria into the wilderness. Ironically, the meaning of her baby's name, Azaria, is "sacrificed in the wilder... Analysis of A Cry in the Dark Essay -- A Cry in the Dark Religion Chri Analysis of A Cry in the Dark A Cry in the Dark, based on a true story, is about a mother whose baby is killed during a camping trip along with her husband. The mother, Lindy Chamberlain claims to have seen her baby being carried away by a dingo and then assumes that the dingo is the cause of her baby's death. As she reports this to the police, she is inconsistent with some of the details that she reports along with other factors that stood against her, the police, meda, and even people watching this take place as it caused commotion in the news, accuse her of murdering the child. The mother and the father of the murdered baby are religious and dedicated to the religion of the Seventh Day Adventists. This is a Christian religion whose main idea is the comming of Jesus Chirst for the second time and observing Sabath. Because of events associated with the religion similar to the religion of the Seventh Day Adventists, people assumed that the religion of the Seventh Day Adventists were similar to that of a cult. Also, what increased their reputation of being related to a cult and violence, was their idea and encouraging of scarfices for their religion. Since Lindy Chamberlain followed this religion and was dedicated to it religiously, people assumed that she could be just as violent and sacrifice her baby Azaria into the wilderness. Ironically, the meaning of her baby's name, Azaria, is "sacrificed in the wilder...

Telecommunication Essay -- Technology Computer Networks Essays

Telecommunication 1. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Computer and telephone networks inflict a gigantic impact on today's society. From letting you call John in Calgary to letting you make a withdraw at your friendly ATM machine they control the flow of information. But today's complicated and expensive networks did not start out big and complicated but rather as a wire and two terminals back in 1844. From these simple networks to the communication giants of today we will look at the evolution of the network and the basis on which it functions. 2. The Beginnings 2.1. Dot Dot Dot Dash Dash Dash Dot Dot Dot   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The network is defined as a system of lines or structures that cross. In telecommunications this is a connection of peripherals together so that they can exchange information. The first such exchange of information was on May 24, 1844 when Samuel Morse sent the famous message "What hath God wrought" from the US Capitol in Washington D.C. across a 37 mile wire to Baltimore using the telegraph. The telegraph is basically an electromagnet connected to a battery via a switch. When the switch is down the current flows from the battery through the key, down the wire, and into the sounder at the other end of the line. By itself the telegraph could express only two states, on or off. This limitation was eliminated by the fact that it was the duration of the connection that determined the dot and dash from each other being short and long respectively. From these combinations of dots and dashes the Morse code was formed. The code included all the letters of the English alphabet, all the numbers and several punctuation marks. A variation to the telegraph was a receiving module that Morse had invented. The module consisted of a mechanically operated pencil and a roll of paper. When a message was received the pencil would draw the corresponding dashes and dots on the paper to be deciphered later. Many inventors including Alexander Bell and Thomas Edison sought to revolutionize the telegraph. Edison devised a deciphering machine. This machine when receiving Morse code would print letters corresponding to the Morse code on a roll of paper hence eliminating the need for decoding the code. 2.2. Mr. Watson, Come Here!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first successful telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. He along with Elisha Gray fought against t... ... they use different addressing protocols, only routers may be used. During these times MANs (Metropolitan Area Networks) are in use and development today. These use routers that are connected preferably via a fiber optic cable, to create one large network. 5.2. Pluto Calling Earth!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Any networks larger than 1000m typically rely on telephone digital lines for data transfer. These networks are called Circuit Switched Digital Networks . Circuit Switched Digital Networks utilize a switching matrix at the central office of a telephone company that connects local calls to long distance services. The Telephone companies now offer dial up circuits with signaling rates of 56, 64, and 384 kilobits per second as well as 1.544 megabits per second. Another type of LAN to LAN connections are packet switching networks. These are services that a network router calls up on a digital line. They consist of a group of packet switches that are connected via intraswitch trunks (usually fiber optic) that relay addressed packets of information between them. Once the packet reaches the destination packet switch, it sends it via another digital connection to the receiving router. Telecommunication Essay -- Technology Computer Networks Essays Telecommunication 1. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Computer and telephone networks inflict a gigantic impact on today's society. From letting you call John in Calgary to letting you make a withdraw at your friendly ATM machine they control the flow of information. But today's complicated and expensive networks did not start out big and complicated but rather as a wire and two terminals back in 1844. From these simple networks to the communication giants of today we will look at the evolution of the network and the basis on which it functions. 2. The Beginnings 2.1. Dot Dot Dot Dash Dash Dash Dot Dot Dot   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The network is defined as a system of lines or structures that cross. In telecommunications this is a connection of peripherals together so that they can exchange information. The first such exchange of information was on May 24, 1844 when Samuel Morse sent the famous message "What hath God wrought" from the US Capitol in Washington D.C. across a 37 mile wire to Baltimore using the telegraph. The telegraph is basically an electromagnet connected to a battery via a switch. When the switch is down the current flows from the battery through the key, down the wire, and into the sounder at the other end of the line. By itself the telegraph could express only two states, on or off. This limitation was eliminated by the fact that it was the duration of the connection that determined the dot and dash from each other being short and long respectively. From these combinations of dots and dashes the Morse code was formed. The code included all the letters of the English alphabet, all the numbers and several punctuation marks. A variation to the telegraph was a receiving module that Morse had invented. The module consisted of a mechanically operated pencil and a roll of paper. When a message was received the pencil would draw the corresponding dashes and dots on the paper to be deciphered later. Many inventors including Alexander Bell and Thomas Edison sought to revolutionize the telegraph. Edison devised a deciphering machine. This machine when receiving Morse code would print letters corresponding to the Morse code on a roll of paper hence eliminating the need for decoding the code. 2.2. Mr. Watson, Come Here!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first successful telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. He along with Elisha Gray fought against t... ... they use different addressing protocols, only routers may be used. During these times MANs (Metropolitan Area Networks) are in use and development today. These use routers that are connected preferably via a fiber optic cable, to create one large network. 5.2. Pluto Calling Earth!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Any networks larger than 1000m typically rely on telephone digital lines for data transfer. These networks are called Circuit Switched Digital Networks . Circuit Switched Digital Networks utilize a switching matrix at the central office of a telephone company that connects local calls to long distance services. The Telephone companies now offer dial up circuits with signaling rates of 56, 64, and 384 kilobits per second as well as 1.544 megabits per second. Another type of LAN to LAN connections are packet switching networks. These are services that a network router calls up on a digital line. They consist of a group of packet switches that are connected via intraswitch trunks (usually fiber optic) that relay addressed packets of information between them. Once the packet reaches the destination packet switch, it sends it via another digital connection to the receiving router.

Bio-cosmetics in the 20th Century: The Response to the Revolution

In this rapidly-changing environment, one has to keep phase with the developments in the patterns of consumer purchasing behavior, currently of varying degrees and categories, especially if one is in the field of marketing.The tastes and preferences of the consumers, which we also aptly call as the market demand, is what fuels marketing.   The capacity of a company or a firm to determine early-on the demand of the market of responsibility is of an advantage.   At the same time, meeting this specific demand will complete the formula to success; otherwise, the extensive marketing research will all be put to waste.Change is everything especially when the universe entered the stage of globalization, where markets across regions face issues of product customization or adaptations according to the needs of the target segments.   Exploring further unto this topic will be the main core of this paper which will particularly tackle the status and the progress made by the Bio-cosmetics in dustry in the 20th century, and how the market has reacted or is reacting to it.The subject of discussion will delve into the evolution of this trade or field of commerce and what has been the efforts conducted by the involved companies in strengthening their core competencies for survival and competitiveness.As previously mentioned, the behavior of the target market will be analyzed thoroughly in this paper by demonstrating the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the factors at play.   In so doing, it is aimed that the stability of the bio-cosmetics industry be determined and that the prospects for future possible ventures be identified.   This consumer behavior study will enable the marketers to garner feedback on this side of the cosmetics industry and leverage on the potential of the business, vis-à  -vis the key market segments with strong demand for the bio-cosmetics line of products and services.Theory and Practices of NegotiationDefinitionWhen you hear the word nego tiation, what comes first to mind?   Negotiation is almost always an everyday transaction being dealt with by each and every one of us.   Indeed, how often do you negotiate – often, seldom, or never?Everything in life is negotiated, under all conditions, at all times: from asking your parents to bring you to the shopping malls to take out the morning garbage to driving in the express lane in rush-hour traffic, from determining what time to schedule an appointment with a client to deciding which tv show to watch with your family—to some extent, every facet of life is linked with one’s using of negotiation.Negotiation occurs â€Å"whenever people exchange ideas with the intention of changing relationships or whenever they confer for agreement.†Ã‚   Another definition expanding slightly the above meaning of negotiation is to note that â€Å"negotiation is conducted neither to widen nor to breach the relationship, but to form a new or different configura tion.†Ã‚  Ã‚   In short, most of us are constantly involved in negotiations to one degree or another for a good part of any given day. Negotiation should be considered as a positive way of structuring the communication process.It is usually more than helpful in one’s work environment and in closing deals with new clients or prospects.   Win-win negotiation skills are assets to a company especially if you will be in-charge of marketing new and pioneer products to the market.Effective negotiation helps you to resolve situations where what you want conflicts with what someone else wants. The aim of win-win negotiation is to find a solution that is acceptable to both parties, and leaves both parties feeling that they've won, in some way, after the event.Preparing for a successful negotiation†¦Depending on the scale of the disagreement, some preparation may be appropriate for conducting a successful negotiation.   For small disagreements, excessive preparation can b e counter-productive because it takes time that is better used elsewhere. It can also be seen as manipulative because, just as it strengthens your position, it can weaken the other person’s.However, if you need to resolve a major disagreement, and then make sure you prepare thoroughly. Using our free worksheet, think through the following points before you start negotiating:Goals: what do you want to get out of the negotiation? What do you think the other person wants?Trades: What do you and the other person have that you can trade? What do you each have that the other wants? What are you each comfortable giving away?Alternatives: if you don’t reach agreement with the other person, what alternatives do you have? Are these good or bad? How much does it matter if you do not reach agreement? Does failure to reach an agreement cut you out of future opportunities? And what alternatives might the other person have?Relationships: what is the history of the relationship? Could or should this history impact the negotiation? Will there be any hidden issues that may influence the negotiation? How will you handle these?Expected outcomes: what outcome will people be expecting from this negotiation? What has the outcome been in the past, and what precedents have been set?The consequences: what are the consequences for you of winning or losing this negotiation? What are the consequences for the other person?Power: who has what power in the relationship? Who controls resources? Who stands to lose the most if agreement isn’t reached? What power does the other person have to deliver what you hope for?Possible solutions: based on all of the considerations, what possible compromises might there be?Negotiating successfully†¦The negotiation itself is a careful exploration of your position and the other person’s position, with the goal of finding a mutually acceptable compromise that gives you both as much of what you want as possible. People's posit ions are rarely as fundamentally opposed as they may initially appear – the other person may have very different goals from the ones you expect!In an ideal situation, you will find that the other person wants what you are prepared to trade, and that you are prepared to give what the other person wants. If this is not the case and one person must give way, then it is fair for this person to try to negotiate some form of compensation for doing so – the scale of this compensation will often depend on the many of the factors we discussed above. Ultimately, both sides should feel comfortable with the final solution if the agreement is to be considered win-win. Only consider win-lose negotiation if you don't need to have an ongoing relationship with the other party as, having lost, they are unlikely to want to work with you again. Equally, you should expect that if they need to fulfill some part of a deal in which you have â€Å"won,† they may be uncooperative and legalistic about the way they do this.Facets of NegotiationNegotiation is a peaceable procedure for reconciling, and/or compromising known differences. It is the antithesis of force and violence. A negotiation will be fruitful or completely meaningless, depending upon the existence of two essential elements. There are other less important elements, but two are absolutely essential – Good faith and flexibility.   Both must be present on both sides of the table—one without the other on either side is a fatal defect.Good faith and flexibility cover many facets. By good faith is meant an honest desire to reach agreement on the differences which exist through com promise and a realization that the agreement thus reached should be fair and reasonable for both sides, if the agreement is to endure.   A negotiation must not be viewed as an adversary proceeding, such as a case in court, where one party wins and the other loses. The existence or non-existence of good faith is sometimes difficult to determine with assurance, but there will come a time when a good negotiator will be able to tell if this essential element is missing.   The second essential element of flexibility is the heart of a negotiation. In every negotiation it must be assumed—unless you are dealing with juveniles—that your opposite numbers will always table maximum positions first. Equally important, it must be assumed—unless you are dealing with fools—that your opposite numbers have not disclosed their minimum positions in any manner. The challenge to the able negotiator, therefore, is to start with the tabled maximum positions and by skillfully using all of the tools in his kit, reach the essence or basic minimum positions upon which an agreement can and should be concluded.If a negotiator is unable to obtain any concessions whatsoever from the tabled positions, then either the element of flexibility is missing or the negotiator is inept, in which event you find yourself with no negotiation at all. As in the case of good faith, it may be difficult and time consuming to convince yourself that what you are facing is a set of non-negotiable demands, but here again a good negotiator will see the handwriting on the wall and eventually realize just the situation he is in.   The crucial and delicate decision to be made by the negotiator is—are his opponents still negotiating for advantage or is their position truly flexible, as it appears to be?Thus, it is somewhat naà ¯ve to take the position that you will not negotiate on known differences until the other side has given assurances, satisfactory to you, and prior to the negotiations, that the negotiable positions are such that an agreement can be reached. If the negotiator eventually concludes that these essential elements do not exist, he must proceed to make the record clear for all to see and suspend the so-called negotiations, in a manner which unmistakably places the onus on the non-negotiating party.Processes of NegotiationIn simplest terms, negotiation is a discussion between two or more disputants who are trying to work out a solution to their problem.   Negotiations typically take place because the parties wish to create something new that neither could do on his or her own, or to resolve a problem or dispute between them.   The parties acknowledge that there is some conflict of interest between them and think they can use some form of influence to get a better deal, rather than simply taking what the other side will voluntarily give them.

Biology Questions Essay

Q: Summarize the steps of the scientific method. Describe an experiment of your choice, which demonstrates the basic considerations that must be taken in the design of a good, manipulative experiment. Now that you know some details of how scientists solve problems, how might you apply that knowledge to your daily life? A: The scientific method is one of the most if not the most important method that scientists use to learn about the earth. The goal is to apply the scientific method to determine a cause and effect relationship. The scientific method is made up of five detailed steps, these steps are: I. Make an observation A scientist sees something that he cannot explain, but is very interested and would like to explain the phenomenon. II. Ask Questions After the observation is seen, the scientist comes up with a group of questions such as who, what, where, why, and how. These questions significantly help the scientist narrow down the effects of the phenomenon. III. Develop a Hypothesis A hypothesis is a proposition set forth as an explanation for the occurrence of some specified group of phenomena, either asserted merely as a provisional conjecture to guide investigation or accepted as highly probable in the light of established facts. This hypothesis must have the ability to be either true, or false. IV. Make Predictions If the hypothesis is correct, scientists will make a prediction on how they think the experiment will end. This helps them have a starting point if the hypothesis is correct. V. Test the Predictions Experimental tests may lead to the confirmation of the prediction, or to the corruption of a prediction. If the hypothesis is not correct, the scientific method requires that the hypothesis must be modified. The prediction must agree with the experiment to believe that it is a valid description of nature. A great experiment that demonstrates the basic considerations that must be taken in the design of a good, manipulative experiment is Galileo’s leaning tower of Pisa experiment. Galileo had two balls of different masses, one heavy, and one light, and dropped them at the same time off of the leaning tower of Pisa. Galileo used the scientific method to make and prediction that their time of descent was independent of their mass. He found out that the objects fell at the same acceleration, proving hid hypothesis to be true, and also proving Aristotle’s theory of gravity to be false. I will apply the scientific method to my daily life in many ways. When I see an interesting observation that I do not know of, I will now create a mini hypothesis that applies to the observation. I will then ask some questions as in what is it? Or how does it do that? Etc. I will then either research the task at hand, or create my own demonstration on the phenomenon. If my hypothesis does not agree with the conclusion, I will re apply a new hypothesis and begin again. I enjoy learning new information and think this will be very amusing. Q: Describe the difference between anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism. Tell which of these positions your views of the environment most closely approximate. Why? A: Anthropocentrism is the tendency that human beings regarding themselves as the most significant entities in the universe. While Biocentrism is an ethical point of view that extends value to non-human species. Ecocentrism is used to regard a nature-centered system of values, as opposed to human and non-human centered. The position that I deem approximate to my view would be the Ecocentrism system of values. The reason I chose Ecocentrism is because in my opinion, a nature-centered sustem of values is very safe and rewarding. Too many people are human-centered and only care about themselves in this world. The Anthropocentrism people are destroying our environment on this planet by not caring about preserving this earth. If we are all nature-centered and do our best everyday to help preserve this earth, we can all change the world together and keep the air clean, the ground picked up, and the streets worry free for our future generation.

Heavily Christian Essay

She creates a reputation for herself right at the beginning that you learn later in the play she has had most of her life. She seems unwilling to let anything spoil her reputation; it is quite astounding how she manages to keep this up all the way through the production until act 4 scene 5 where Petruchio’s scheme to tame Kate begins to work. Up until then everyone has seen Kate as a ‘Wicked Witch’ but not of the wrinkly kind. Just a Curst froward woman who cannot hold a conversation without making some nasty remark. All the way through the play various people say what they think of her. Hortensio refers to her as a ‘Devil’ and Tranio – â€Å"Stark Mad Wrench. † From this it is clear to see she is not really a well liked person. To make it seem worse her sister, Bianca, is what seems to be the most perfect woman ever. She started off with 3 suitors Gremio, Hortensio and Luchentio: Who thought she was fair, virtuous, beautiful and modest. It seems impossible that any woman can be so perfect. However in Elizabethan times it was expected that women were to behave like that. Behaving like a sweet innocent girl is what made Bianca seem so attractive, Idyllic Elizabethan young woman. There are many references in the play to suggest that Bianca is what every man wants. Gremio refers to her as â€Å"Sweeter than perfume itself. † Which is just another thing to add to her list of perfections. Once suitors had been chosen, in this case it was Luchentio and Bianca, Katherina and Petruchio, they were married soon after. Katherina and Petruchio were married within a week of knowing each other. Form what the play is putting across; it appears that once women are married they belong to their husbands. They do as they say and agree with everything. As it is said in the marriage vows â€Å"Love, Honour, and Obey. † This is demonstrated really well by Katherina in the final speech after she has been tamed by Petruchio’s schemes. If I were the directed of this play for the final speech I would have Kate walking around near Bianca and the Widow and looking at them, with them looking uneasy. Kate would also look at Petruchio admirably in the areas on the speech where she is referring to him. There is some irony in Kate’s speech. For example where she says â€Å"A wife can be Froward, Peevish, Sullen and Sour. † These are all the things that Kate used to be. To me her speech sounds sincere. It seemed like she is trying to apologise, as well as trying to get her own back on her sister Bianca and everyone who has called her a Shrew over the years. Her reputation that we had found out about in the beginning of the play has changed. However I think that some people don’t believe that she has changed. In this speech she is proving to everyone that.

How to Learn a Foreign Language Essay

There are three steps that can help people to learn a foreign language. First, you should learn some history and origin of the language. That is the first and most important step because it can increase your interest in studying the language. For instance, if you plan to study Chinese, you should know about some history such as that Chinese developed from the pictograph. That can help you to understand some words like the sign that describes the word human in Chinese is basically two lines shaped like a person’s legs. In other words, you can learn some history and origin of the language to get more interest in it. Then, you should learn some rudimentary knowledge of the language. That can help you laying a strong foundation of the language. To do this, you should study grammar, vocabulary, and some basic skills of the language. In order that, you can buy some books that can teach some basic knowledge of the language. Also, you can take some language classes at school to improve your language proficiency. Therefore, if you use some ways to study and consolidate your rudimentary knowledge of the language, you can learn advanced knowledge of the language more easily. Eventually, you should learn some advanced knowledge of the language. This can help you more easily communicate with others and read books. In other words, if you have some advanced knowledge of the language and speak very well, you cannot are lost in a different place where locals speak the language. To do this, you can join some community what their members study or use the language. Also, you can try reading some books, listening to music, and watching movies to achieve that. In addition, you should use the language frequently, such as by speaking with another person, because that can help you to keep an improvement and avoid forgetting. In short, if you don’t want to go to a different â€Å"planet,† you should learn a foreign language by these three steps. Of course, studying is a lengthy process so that you should keep interest and keep going. All in all, you can use these three steps to become a more knowledgeable person who can use another language.

Is Hamlet Really Insane... Do I think Hamlet Is Insane Essay

Is Hamlet Really Insane... Do I think Hamlet Is Insane - Essay Example However, he is not mad at all. Hamlet is quite a rational character but he is unable to fight with his circumstances that are all against him. Hamlet, after listening to his father’s ghost’s information about his murder and Claudius’s conspiracy against him tries to sort out the issue and avenge Claudius for his crime. He delays in taking action considering the moral issues involving the whole plan due to which, he overly speculates over the whole situation. It is due to his overly speculative nature that everyone in the court doubts about his mental state. For Hamlet, all the situations that have occurred to him have caused him to hate the world around him as he says, Hamlet thinks that his mother has committed an incestuous act by marrying Claudius soon after his father’s death. Not only has she deprived Hamlet with her motherly love but also snatched the right of being a king after his father’s death. She was unable to understand the melancholy of Hamlet at his father’s death and at her hurried marriage. He goes into a depressed state considering his inability to solve the problems of his life. Even Hamlet is unable to take revenge against Claudius in a timely manner due to which, he is considered as a mad character. He delays in taking action against Claudius, his father’s murderer and his this act dragged him into a more depressed and melancholic state. Hamlet is also a moral character because in killing Claudius, he thinks moralistically and is unable to kill him when he gets a chance when Claudius is praying. Hamlet has seven soliloquies in the play that confirm to the fact that he is not mad at all. His words have profound meanings in them and his exploratory mind is quite evident from his soliloquies. The consideration of Hamlet as an insane character is quite wrong as he is quite perfect in his mental approach and it is

Strategic Managment of Galactic Furniture Company Term Paper

Strategic Managment of Galactic Furniture Company - Term Paper Example It emphasizes co-ordination or congruence among the various HRM practices like HR planning, recruitment, selection, training, development, compensation, retention, evaluation and promotion of personnel within the organization to achieve strategic goals (Schuler & Jackson, 1987; Chew and Chang, 1999). Strategic HRM is viewed as 'strategic' as it involves the managerial personnel of the organization and regards. People are the single most important asset of the organization (Poole & Jenkins, 1990). It is proactive in its approach to people. It emphasizes on teamwork, flexibility, employee involvement and organizational commitment (Beaumont, 1993). Many organizations do not assess the short term or long-term implications of their HR policies and practices, which Ulrich (1997 a) emphasizes according to him, " In the 21st century, HR roles are that of the strategic partner, administrative expert, employee champion, and change agent". One of the major responsibilities of HR is to prepare i tself for change and to prepare for as many of these challenges as possible in order to exploit them for competitive advantage. The HR policies and practices should be flexible in nature in order to adapt to these situations. Further, the key to sustained competitive advantage is building and sustaining core competencies within the organization and maintaining flexibility in order to react quickly to the changing global market place. In turn, the incredible advances in technology and the primary role of HRM should be able to felicitate this process.   Management of Change & flexibility:- Schuler (1992) argues that HR activities can be the unifying force in helping an organization to master strategic change. Price (1997) started that effective change requires sure-footed, considerate people manager who can take employees through the process with minimum anxiety and maximum enthusiasm. It requires the recognition that the people of the organization should not be Pawns of strategy but active participants in change.  

Why teachers salary should increase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why teachers salary should increase - Essay Example While education takes up most of the childhood and teenage years, it benefits the whole adult life of a person. While education could really, and actually, happen anywhere, formal education within school settings is what really provides an individual with ammunition later on in life. One cannot disregard the significance of education in life. In fact, in today’s world, an individual is disregarded if without education. Education is not only there to increase one’s knowledge, but also to shape one’s character. It develops the rational aspect of a human being. Now, when one talks about education, one cannot help but think about teachers. This is because education is a teacher-driven industry. Without teachers, education will not be possible (Vedder 17-8). The important status of the teaching profession is the main reason why teachers’ salary should be increased. A higher salary for teachers would mean that existing teachers would feel more inspired as they g o about their daily teaching routine (Mishel and Roy 69). It could also mean that the teaching industry will be more able to attract the best and the brightest minds (Cunningham and Sperry 38). It will also mean that more potential teachers will be inclined to give the career more consideration, which could decrease teaching shortage (Vedder 7). More Inspiration for Teachers Work is all about motivation. While many people will say that a career is based on what one wants to do, at the end of the day, one would hope that what one wants to do is also something that would put food on the table, roof over the heads, and clothes on the back. In addition, it is not asking too much to include a reliable car to make lives easier, along with extra funds to indulge into leisure moments occasionally. It is true that several teachers are able to afford all these things without problems, but one cannot really claim that these things are acquired without many problems (Mishel and Roy 71-2). The t eaching profession should be able to offer such a salary that could at least ensure noble teachers that they could provide education to individuals without enduring a profession that will make them sacrifice some of their personal needs and wants. It is a well-accepted fact that motivated workers are more productive in their jobs. While this is not to say that money is the only source of motivation, removing the barrier of money issues would certainly help a lot in alleviating the situation of people involved in such â€Å"thankless† jobs (Mishel and Roy 75-6). Attracting the Best and the Brightest Minds Everyone has heard a story somewhere of a teacher who has left the profession to enter the corporate world, and the biggest reason stated has always been better paychecks. This is especially true among highly effective and intelligent teachers in the industry. It is understandable that people who have a big potential to really make it big in the better-paying corporate world would be enticed to switch professions. This is coupled by the additional attraction that corporate jobs could be less stressful, where one does not have to take the work back home. If teachers feel that their efforts are being recognized in the paychecks, there would be lesser chances of job switch. Furthermore, it could lessen, if not remove, the connotation that teaching is a thankless career. To do so could attract more brilliant students into the teaching industry (Cunningham and Sperry 38-9). This is not to say, though, that only average people are attracted to get into teaching. However, one cannot disregard the possibility that many highly effective and brilliant individuals who want to get into teaching would settle for better-paying jobs instead, even though they want to teach (Cunningham and S

Biological Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Biological - Essay Example Policy makers as well as the public deserve to get adequate information on the scientific justifications behind the work of scientists, and also the moral justifications for their work, particularly in the cases that it raises moral questions (Smith, 2009). This paper will present a case against the use of nonhuman animals in biomedical research, with reference to pertinent ethical and scientific arguments. There is not a time, in the past, when a very honest and open debate regarding the scientific experimentation that uses animals was more important. A discourse about the use of animals in scientific experimentations is highly called for, taking into account that there are many moral, ethical and social dilemmas surrounding the use of animals in scientific experimentation (Conn and Parker, 2008). Through this paper, the author will present the case against the use of nonhuman animals in biomedical experimentation, with the aim of informing the public about the issues that need to be explored before the practice is legalized or allowed to continue. The criticisms leveled against the use of nonhuman animals in biomedical research are grounded on a variety of ethical and scientific arguments. Some of the criticisms presented against the use of nonhuman animals in biomedical research range from those questioning the validity of the scientific research to the advancement of human medical practices, to those questioning the ethical nature of such research. The first argument against the administration of biomedical research using animals is that the use of animals has remained debatable, with regards to whether it is ethically permissible and allowable (Rollin, 2006). This argument is supported by the moral philosophers that have presented moral/ethical issues that cannot dismissed without a good reason. It is important to take into account that the moral boundaries defining relations are dynamic,

Research and development of media projects. topic about feminism Essay

Research and development of media projects. topic about feminism - Essay Example They were searching for ace ladies without against men with a stance on post-feminism (Litosseliti. 2014, p. 11). The use of term post-feminism appeared in 1980s describing the backlash against second-wave feminism and now it has become a label for a wide range of theories that are critically examining the previous feminist discourses and challenges of second-wave feminism. The media has played a vital role in post feminism as according to Patricia Bradley the movement of feminism was highly packed with the mass media. Feminism believe that the media had presented the women in a manner that was only limited to the cleaner, housekeeper, domestic servant and the sex object to serve the men’s sexual needs. However the medias role also promoted the positive role so that the female could be able to show her abilities in other sectors of life. In the 1960s the female was limited to playing only one role as getting married in her early age of 20 and started her family life being turned into a woman maintaining & keeping house up, taking care the kids of her man and providing the services to her man. Her devotion was limited to her home and she could not be able to expect a lot from her life. Females were legally subjected to her husband via â€Å"head of the family† and there was no right a woman had in terms of property or other legal rights from her husband’s property. The 38% women were limited to the jobs of teaching, nursing or secretary only. In 1960 the percentage of female doctors were 6%, lawyers 3% and the engineers were less than 1%. (Litosseliti. 2014, p. 8). Post-feminism is known as a response against the contradictions that were seen and unlucky deficiencies of the second-wave feminism. It however, speaks to the accomplishment of feminism in the achievements of its objective. The term was utilized generally to represent a contrast with predominating

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Reflection - Essay Example erg’s comments on sexuality and oppression are very insightful, it appears as though she can take any gesture, action, or viewpoint and show how it is literally or symbolically oppressing women. One of the most bizarre analyses that she proposes comes from the section of her chapter that touches on a man holding open the door for a women. She mentions that this is viewed positively and negatively by our culture, but that symbolically it holds completely negative meanings. Rothenberg compares this act to a slave performing for the master, and in turn, argues that it is mocking the woman’s position in society because the woman is always the one taking care of the man. Most men are not holding open a door for a lady to mock, abuse, or belittle her. This is an act out of respect that is meant to honor the presence of the woman and make sure that she knows that the man cares about her. A poll could be taken by every man in America and none of them would say that they have held open a door for a lady to intentionally oppress them or mock their existence. Rothenberg also makes reference that a woman, no matter how she dresses, behaves, or is sexually active or non-active sh e is perceived as wanting sex and, therefore, wanting to be raped. This is an absurd notion that anyone with a useful brain can understand that no person desires to be raped; and therefore, no person should believe that the woman would want to be raped regardless of any stereotypical behavior that she may or may not perform. While the author mentions many examples similar to rape and holding the door, she does provide a very strong analysis of multiple social factors all equally restricting women in her bird cage metaphor. If we look closely at just one wire on the cage, or an individual social factor, we cannot comprehend how it is being restrictive or oppressing the victim. On the other hand, if we take a few steps back and analyze all of the wires together, or all of the social factors

There are a number of problems associated with the rise of English as Essay

There are a number of problems associated with the rise of English as a world language - Essay Example Different factors work together in attaining such a privileged position. Research personals have pointed out various reasons that help to attain the position. In this regard David Crystal has the opinion that the military power is crucial. He rightly comments: â€Å"a language becomes an international language for one chief reason: the political power of its people- especially their military power† (Burns & Coffin 2001, p. 30). The international economy plays a vital role in determining the future of the English language. Due to globalization the patterns of trade is undergoing drastic changes and new working practices emerge powerfully. For example screen based labour is getting wider acceptance nowadays and it affects the use of the English language in composite ways. At present one can observe a perceptible increase in the number of persons learning and using the English language but a close examination will prove that the long term growth of English is comparatively lesser than its former status. The 20th century witnessed many scientific, economic, and cultural developments and in fact it boosted the relevance of English as well. But it cannot be expected that it will last long as there is a trend of wider mixed language use in the recent years. Mainly four sectors can be identified where English may loose its dominance. Say for the audio- visual market, computer based communication, the associated pro cesses in economic globalization and foreign language training in developing countries where the regional trade may use other language of economic importance. For hundreds of years the English language has been dominated over the mono lingual speakers but now it is expected to have a bilingual future. Language professionals have the opinion that an increasing proportion of the world’s population will be fluent speakers of more than one language in the coming years. It really will affect the dominance of English over the world population. Social value shifts also affect the language of English in a negative way. The actions of governments, institutions and individuals have helped the promotion of English in the recent years. But it was guided by the logic of economic rationalism. Now there is a great change in the public opinion that quality of life is as important as the income. These type values shifts will question the ethical issues associated with the dominance of a world language like English and cause a reassessment of its impact on other cultures (Graddol 1997). The advantages of a world language like English are several. For example in business it can be very important as a medium as the business personals working together may vary of their nationalities. There a common language has got such a great relevance and it decides the effects of their dealings. But at the same time it has got certain demerits or disadvantages as well. First of all the existence of a global language will make an elite monolingual linguistic class and they will have a dismissive and complacent attitude towards other languages. Moreover the accessibility of a common language will make the people lazy of learning other languages. They will be reluctant to utilize such an opportunity though they get a chance. Some times the global language can cause the disappearance for a minority language and it may belittle the necessity of such languages. Above all the practice of a sin gle language can be a threat to social harmony and mutual understanding. This has got historical evidence. The American civil war, the Spanish civil war, Vietnam War former Yugoslavia and contemporary Northern Ireland are

The start of the play Essay Example for Free

The start of the play Essay Priestley uses Inspector Goole as a tool for uncovering truths in the household and un-cover the vulnerabilities of the Birling family. He also highlights the different approaches to responsibility within the household (older and younger generation) and could well represent the voice and the opinion of Priestley himself. When the inspector arrives at the Birling household he is described as making an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness. This is important because the massiveness and solidity implies that there is no getting round purposefulness of his enquiries. The stage directions also describe him as looking hard at the person before actually speaking. The hardness of his stare links in with the harder light and the sheer harshness is enough to break through the cozy sense of security that the Birlings had before the arrival of the inspector. As well as being used to highlight conflicting views, stage directions are also used to create general presences about people. For example, a stage direction used for the inspector is for when he knocks on the door. The stage direction could describe the inspector just knocking on the door but instead we hear the sharp ring of a door bell. This implies that the inspector will be harsh and concise. Also that he is quite clever and it will be difficult to get around him and his enquiries as he is sharp. The inspector builds relationships with individual characters through the play, and they become more defined and easier to read as the play goes on. His relationship with Birling is mainly one of argument. Birlings views conflict the most with the inspector. The inspector does not agree with Birlings capitalist views as he doesnt like the way that the capitalist ideas look out for oneself. But the Inspector believes in the community and that everyone should work together for a common cause as it would be easier. Birling really hates the idea and describes it as being all mixed up like bees in a hive. The Inspectors relationship with Sheila is also important as it shows that not all of the family is in tune with Birling and quite on the contrary some are on the side of the Inspector. Sheilas new-age opinions and views are much the same as the Inspectors and create a team of sorts (with the addition of Eric) to dispute the facts with the others. Sorry I just cant help but think about this girl Sheila says which confirms her views because as she is distressed by the death of this girl, it shows that she cares about this stranger who she doesnt even know, and this would sit well with the community based, socialist views. Sheila and Gerald are also used by Priestley to start the familys downfall. They are the first relationship to break apart and they set a tone for everyone else to follow. They symbolize the secrecy and mistrust in the household as a whole. except all last summernever came near me. This quote throws up the possibility that maybe all isnt quite as it seems in the Birling family. Its the first real time that the audience may get an inkling as to what the Birlings may really be like and I think thats why Priestley includes it in the play. If Sheila and Gerald who are in love and preparing to be married you would assume that they must be very close. But if they are to separate then I think that its a sign that all the other relationships and family links will also go the same way. Sheila and Gerald start the revelation of truth, and once they have put it into motion, it is very hard to stop, and hence the other members of the household suffer the same fate as Sheila and Gerald. Priestley also uses Sheila and Gerald in the play to indicate divisions within the Birling household. Priestley uses the two characters to highlight the lack of trust between the family. The lack of distrust can be found in many instances such as when Sheila say so you be careful almost warning Gerald, as she seems to not believe his stories about what he was actually doing the summer when Gerald never came near her. This lack of trust is definitely a factor for downfall, and also is representative of the rest of the family and that there are lots of secrets hidden from everyone else that could cause havoc. Of course they eventually do as we know from act two and three where they all get blown into the open. As mentioned before, throughout act one Priestley creates tension between the views of the two generations. All this could easily become a very big factor towards the households downfall because if the family cannot function properly as a team, then there will be a distinct lack of unity. And we know (through dramatic irony) that in the rough times ahead, unity is one of the most important things to have. An example of tension between the older and younger generation comes at the dinner table when Eric says Yes, I know-but still- and his father, Birling replies Just let me finish Eric. This demonstrates Birlings tendency to dismiss any ideas or concepts which are foreign to him. A consequence of this is that after a while the younger generation may start to feel that they are being oppressed by their lack of a voice or opinion. Furthermore, with the household having only one point of view, Birlings, which we know through dramatic irony to be constantly wrong when he says people say wars inevitable fiddlesticks! and ignore pessimistic talk youll be marrying at a good time we can clearly see that the household is headed for downfall. Eric is described at the start of the play as half shy, half assertive and this is because of the way that Birling treats him. His constant dismissal of Erics opinions, and his refusal to start acknowledging him as a young adult and not as a child, pushes him away. When the inspector arrives at the house, Erics views which are not even considered by his father because they do not agree with his own are suddenly seen to be normal, and not an anomaly or misfit. Eric therefore sides with the inspector and also Sheila, on whom the inspectors views have had much the same effect. Their conflicting views are demonstrated often in act one, like when the inspector is questioning Birling about the way that Eva Smith was discharged from his mill. In response, Birling declaims that the girls that he pulls off the side of the street to work in his factory are just resources that he exploits as much as he can by paying them the lowest wages he possibly can. Sheila replies in an almost disgusted voice that theyre not resources to be exploited, theyre people. This shows that Birlings individualistic views which focus on almost nothing but self gain appall Sheila and she thinks his views wrong. This drives a wedge down Sheila and Birlings relationship and therefore emphasizes the lack of unity between the family as a whole. J.B. Priestly uses symbols to great effect in Act 1, for example when right at the start of the play when the family is seated at the dinner table. Towards the end of the night Birling and Gerald take a cigar and a cigarette. I feel that the smoke from them symbolizes a hazy vision, and a lack of being able to see what is about to come. Whilst they are both smoking, they are also drinking port and whisky. Both of the drinks are from a decanter, and if you look through a decanter, what you see on the other side is never what it really looks like in real life. Therefore, I think that the alcohol (and even the glassware that the alcohol is poured from) further symbolizes Birling and Geralds lack of foresight. Another symbol used is the lighting in the room. At the start of the play the lighting should be pink and intimate this represents the Birlings feelings of security in their home, even if it is a false sense of security. This false sense of security is underlined when the inspector arrives and the stage directions proclaim that it (the light) should be brighter and harder. This new brighter, harder light represents the light of truth which is set to expose the Birlings and what they have all done. So to conclude, I think that Priestley lays the foundations for an inevitable downfall right from the off. Priestleys use of Birling is the biggest contributor to the downfall of the household in my opinion as with such a fool at the head of the household something is bound to go wrong. The lack of unity is also another enormous factor, and tension between the household before the inspector even arrives is also another important factor but I think that the foundations are definitely laid in the first few pages of the script. There is a sense of downfall right from the beginning and in my opinion, Priestley makes it more of a case of when and how it will happen, rather than whether it actually will.

Best and Brightest Essay Example for Free

Best and Brightest Essay Being at a pivotal point in our lives, middle schoolers especially, are easily influenced. Whether it’s a new fashion trend in your favorite magazine, the album of the latest â€Å"artist to watch†, or your friend’s opinion on how to answer number seven on your math homework, we are always being influenced or influencing someone or something ourselves. Citizen involvement and volunteerism not can only influence you, but also those around you, because I believe it is our civic duty. It is our responsibility to give back to our community, whether you’re leading or following, because as Edith Wharton once said, â€Å"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.† Volunteering starts with one person, a candle in the darkness, and eventually that light spreads until that once very small light, is being reflected in a hundred different ways. I have always been inspired to give back to my community, because my mom taught me volunteering was important at an early age and inspired me to complete community service on my own time. However, some kids don’t have it as easy as I do when it comes to inspiration and willpower to volunteer, so I try my best to preach the importance of volunteerism to my friends and family. Especially to my friends, because I believe most voluntary community service done by students comes from the influence and inspiration of their friends. It is my personal belief that students are more obligated to give back through the â€Å"buddy system†, because lots of students, including me, like to have friend there with them, through the process when trying something new. In order to spread light, there has to be flames, which in lots of cases are friends who volunteer. You can’t light a candle without a match, so you obviously can’t get into volunteerism without a cause or reason for doing so; much less influence someone else to start volunteering. However, when we do find a cause we care about and connect with, we are able to dedicate time from our lives to give back to it. For me it was helping troubled kids in my community. It all started when I was volunteering for KLES EDEP in seventh grade for my student service learning project. Though I enjoyed every second of it and I loved the kids I worked with, I wanted to make a bigger impact by helping troubled kids, who weren’t as lucky to be blessed with an upbringing like mine by becoming a juror for Teen Court. I’ve dedicated many, many Tuesday nights to the Leon County Court House Annex and I have no intention of stopping, as I have aspirations of becoming a Teen Court lawyer sometime next year. I’ve even convinced a couple of my friends to start attending with me. I also tutor elementary school students on weekends and after school, but I soon hope to start tutoring Godby High School students with my church next year. It’s really a wonder that few events here and there could blossom into a great habit that hopefully will become lifelong for me and those who I inspire. It’s amazing that something as small as caring about a cause can influence you to volunteer in your community, which can in turn influence your friends and classmates to make a difference, too. Even if it’s half-jokingly proposing to start volunteering at least once a month! You just have to believe you YOURSELF can, because that is being â€Å"the candle†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and that is what causes â€Å"the reflection†.

History Of The Blue Harbour Brand Marketing Essay

History Of The Blue Harbour Brand Marketing Essay In 1884 Michael Marks, a Russian born Polish refugee opened a stall at Leeds Kirkgate market. Since then, Marks and Spencer was born, opening over 300 stores worldwide and also being the UKs largest clothing retailer. In 1999, online shopping was introduced to their website for customers to enjoy in the comfort of their own home. The internet had just started to become known and more and more people were staring to use it, so Marks and Spencer took this opportunity and set this up at the correct time. In 2000, MS brought out their healthy Count on us range, for the healthier people on diets or who were just watching what they ate. Their 1st Simply food stores opened in Surbiton Twickenham in 2001, selling nothing but healthy food, no home furnishing or clothes like the normal stores. They also launched Per Una a brand of clothing specifically targeting the fashion-conscious women. Shortly after in January 2001, Blue Harbour was introduced, a casual wear brand for males. View form and DB07 another brand of clothing was introduced in 2002, View form for sportswear and DB07 for children designed in collaboration with David Beckham. Mission Statement Marks and Spencers mission statement is broken into 3 parts which include: Vision To be the standard against which others are measured Mission To make aspirational quality accessible to all and Values Quality value, service, innovation and trust. This mission statement has been kept up since the start of making it; MS have worked hard to achieve all these factors. Even though there have been ups and downs during the years they have tried hard and have kept to their word. There are many companies which look up to MS and measure themselves against them, helping their company to improve and gain more customers. Marks and Spencers have been known for their quality value, service, innovation and trust to all their customers who as a company they have stuck to very well. They are continuing to attract new customers as well as keeping their old ones, offering them new and improved products all the time. Objectives Every year MS had many objectives which were to be met, they were not really split into long term and short term but just objectives as a whole for each coming year. In 2001, they had many objectives but their main ones were attracting new customers, developing stronger relationships with their suppliers, aim for market leadership and also to restore the heart of MS, stop non-core and profit losing activities and also to keep an effective balance sheet calling these three sectors their fundamental strengths. In 2002, not only did they want to develop stronger relationships with suppliers but also to build on a unique relationship with their customers. They needed to keep rebuilding on their fundamental strengths, continue to regain market leadership with value, quality and also appeal. It was aimed for MS to open their 1st standalone home store in spring 2003, also to improve every aspect of their company, overcome the competition and continue to attract more customers to their stores. Before 2004, the MS fundamental strengths were changed, which included improving the management team, still ensuring the balance sheet was effective and also delivering impactful but low cost improvements. In 2005, MS only wanted to refocus on their core values in their business which is quality, value, service, innovation and trust. Pestel Analysis In this section a PESTEL analysis will take place and will look at the external factors that impact on Mark and Spencers performance. Political According to the Marks and Spencer website there are constraints on out of town shopping has been but in place by the government. This is causing problems for M and S. This is because it is highly expensive for retail stores to be in the centre of large towns and cities with all the business rates and M and S is not selling enough produce to break even with these extra expenses they have to pay for being in the centre. MS is trying to move some of there stores out of the centres but with constraints it is causing problems for them. The UK not having the Euro is working as a disadvantage to MS in relation to there western European store because MS products are too expensive as there are being sold at UK prices. Economical The UK economy and currency is relatively strong compared to other countries so the strength of the pound is working as a disadvantage to Marks and Spencers in the UK and abroad. (www.bitc.org.uk) Current world events have affected global economies, which may result in fluctuations within the industry. This may lead to unpredictable consumer and supplier behaviours. Sociological Market trends are constantly changing and Mark and Spencers have always struggled to keep up with them. For example, Life style changes have made people more aware of their health, which has resulted in higher demand of quality health care related products. People are concerned with value for money. Consumers are concerned with their image, for example; they must have the latest labels. The population in the UK is ageing and with this, more people have a higher disposable income. Technological Internet shopping has lead to international buying opportunities, which means the consumer has an enormous amount of options when it comes to shopping. This means that the competition has also increased, but Marks and Spencers can use it to their advantage to promote new products and help to show that Marks and Spencers is an up to date company. (www.marksandspencers.com) Environmental MS is restricted to where they can build its stores because of the restrictions on Brown field sites and Green field sites. MS can only build on Brown field sites witch restricts them to having to stay in urban areas with competition. Legal The government is constantly redefining trading laws, which enables Marks and Spencers to trade for longer hours, for example; longer shopping hours on a Thursday. Marks and Spencers must follow advertising laws which are put in place to protect the consumer, but also to promote fair competition between companies. SWOT Analysis The Swot analysis looks at a companys strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats which are likely to have an impact on the companys performance. Strengths Marks and Spencers has been running since 1884 and has a good traditional reputation especially with the older generation. Marks and Spencers is also one of the biggest retailers on the high street having stores in most cities and large towns and with thirty other stores across the globe. (www.marksandspencers.com) The brand name is known in nearly every house hold. Marks and Spencers has a diversity of products such as food, underwear, menswear children wear, women wear and furniture. Weaknesses Fashions are constantly changing and Marks and Spencers has an inability to keep up with changes in the retail market. There are also problems with focusing on the right targets markets in terms of products and customers. (www.bitc.org.uk) Many consumers still feel that Mark and Spencers products are old fashioned and out dated compared to competitors. Even though this is some thing that Marks and Spencers is constantly trying to change. Marks and Spencers is now experiencing poor performance across the globe which has resulted in the pull out of foreign operations. Opportunities Marks and Spencers has the opportunity to collaborate with other companies to widen up product range even more. They could also collaborate with designers to help bring new ideas, and help expand on their furniture and beauty products. Threats There is constant competition from competitors such as John Lewis, Debenhams and Next. And especially from younger clothing competitors such as New Look. Ever changing fashions trends which Marks and Spencers struggle to manage is threatening Marks and Spencers performance. Gap analysis and Ratios A gap analysis involves identifying a gap or weakness in a specific company and looking to bridge that gap in order to meet a target objective as to where the company wants to be. The following quote helps to further identify a gap analysis: Gap analysis, consists of defining the present state, the desired or target state and hence the gap between them. In the later stages of problem solving the aim is to look at ways to bridge the gap defined www. Ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk [January 23] An example from Marks and Spencer is there downfall in the womenswear market, which in 2004 fell 0.6% to a 10.4% share of the market. Competition in womenswear has increased dramatically with women demanding style, quality, outstanding value and real choice. In order for Marks and Spencer to reclaim this market share they set out a clear plan, this involved listening to customers better during store visits, focus groups, better use of market data and keeping a closer eye on tracking trends, tracking competitors and also evaluating there own performance. From a purchasing point of view they looked to strengthen there buying teams, giving clearer responsibilities for design, buying and merchandising. The companies buying strategy changed to buy less, more frequently meaning better ranges and fresher lines of stock. It was also vital that Marks and Spencer didnt miss out on key trends like the previously did in 2003 such as with cardigans. In order to further close that gap Marks and Spencer learnt that they have to cater for particular needs and markets. For instance it is estimated that 42 % of womenswear brought is by women under the height of 5ft 3 inches, Marks and Spencer didnt previously cater for these, often producing large, baggy clothing. Now Marks and Spencer have now produced a petite range in 33 of its stores in order to cater for this market. The three ratios that were decided in order to assess Marks and Spencers financial position were the current ratio, gearing ratio and return on capital employed ratio. Firstly the current ratio can be calculated by dividing current assets by current liabilities, this identifies how far a firm can meet its short term liabilities from its current assets without having to raise finance by borrowing, selling fixed assets or issuing more shares. A ratio less than one for a period of time is a cause for concern; Marks and Spencers did have a healthy current ratio until 2003 but in the last couple of years they have dipped below one causing concern, whereas for example a competitive company such as Next has stayed consistent for the last 3-4 years. Secondly the gearing ratio can be calculated by total borrowings x 100 % and then divided by the capital employed. The ratio shows the proportion of capital employed, which is financed by borrowed funds. The relationship between both, ought to be balanced with shareholders funds significantly larger than the long term liabilities in order to have a health gearing ratio. The higher the gearing ratio, the higher the risk to the company is, as high levels of borrowing represent a significant risk to the company. In 2004 Marks and Spencers was sky high, massively bigger than that of competitors Next. The last ratio analysed was the return on capital employed, this can be calculated by Operating profit x 100% and then divided by capital employed. The ratio is an important indicator of how efficiently the business is being managed. As a rule if a company has a low return on capital employed then it is using its resources inefficiently even if the profit margin is high. In the years 2004-2005 both Marks and Spencers and Nets ROCE have been high indicating a healthy return on capital employed. Five force analysis Porters five forces model (below) can be used to help make an analysis of the competitive environment for a company within a certain industry. In this case, it is Marks and Spencer in the food and clothing industry. Source: Adapted from Porter, M, (1998) Competitive strategy, New York, free press QuickMBA, Strategic Management (1999) states that: The strategic business manager seeking to develop an edge over rival firms can use this model to better understand the industry context in which the firm operates. The threat of new entrants There are a variety of major companies in the market such as Next, Debenhams, Sainsburys and Tesco with regards to selling clothing and food products. These are well known companies which are strong in the market so the threat of new entrants is low. A company such as Marks and Spencer (MS) has a strong brand name which therefore creates a barrier to entry for potential new entrants. Companies would probably experience high start up losses in an attempt to try to promote its products in terms of trying to prise loyal customers away from MS. There is the threat however of company take over where one company buys another one out. Examples include Morrisons taking over Safeway and Walmart taking Asda in bids to try and create better companies without having to build many stores around the country. The government is also keen on new businesses starting up in the market to try to discourage a monopoly situation Bargaining power of suppliers MS has over 2000 direct suppliers where 1500 are for clothing and 500 for its food. Marks and Spencers corporate site online (2005) states: 90% of other products are now sourced overseas. Overseas suppliers provide plenty of choice for MS and also cheaper labour. The market that MS is in also makes it easier for the company to bargain with their suppliers because there are many suppliers which provide clothing and food which are relatively undifferentiated so MS can go to another supplier if they feel there are better suppliers to go to as opposed to their current ones. Bargaining power of buyers There are many clothing and food companies to choose from in terms of the consumer so it is the consumers who can dictate the price by demanding quality products at good prices. Clothing and food are not specific items unlike a Ferrari sports car. Food and clothing are readily available to everyone and so therefore it is important for a company like MS to offer quality goods at right prices in order to compete in a very price orientated market. With a Ferrari sports car, it is a very prestigious item and therefore prices are not as important for Ferrari. MS therefore needs to add value to their products such as the Autograph range of clothing launched in 2000 which The threat of substitute products If a product from a different company is cheaper then consumers may switch to that product. If there are low switching costs e.g. substitute products are much cheaper than MS ones then there could be more consumers switching to the cheaper product. For example, a pair of jeans in MS is  £25 but in Primark the jeans are £6. There are many retail stores selling clothes which are competing with MS and therefore could act as substitute products. To counteract the threat of substitutes, MS must concentrate on ensuring absolute product quality and customer service to keep loyal customers. The intensity of rivalry amongst existing competitors There food and (especially) the clothing market has fierce competition and MS must compete with companies such as Next, Debenhams, Tesco and Sainsburys for selling both their food and clothing products. These companies are all trying to obtain the largest market share possible in the retail sector. Conclusion Overall, MS (Marks and Spencer) have established themselves over 120 years as a well known high street name. The mission statement that has been created by MS, highlights that the company aims to be the standard to which other companies look too in terms of retailing. The objectives highlight on continuously improving the company (objectives in 2005 focused on the core values of the business). The SWOT analysis shows that MS is a very well known company although is poor at keeping up with fashion changes and therefore must be wary of changes and regard them as a threat. The five force analysis shows intense competition within the industry with big companies such as Next and Debenhams selling clothes and Tesco and Asda selling clothes and food. MS must be wary of substitute products with stores such as Matalan and Primark offering these products and also MS must recognise that the customer has high buyer power as they have the choice of many retailers at different prices.