Analysis Of The Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood

Freewill and determinism have been a controversial philosophical problem for thousands of years, it is taken into question on whether human beings have an ability to control over their decisions in life or being constrained by the pre-deterministic future, beyond their understanding. The problem began in Ancient Greek and still rumble among modern philosophers and psychologists, but surprisingly, a writer - Margaret Atwood has successfully described if not answer the issue of independence and passivity in The Handmaid’s Tale. A dystopian novel set in the post-apocalyptic America now so-called Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian government. With the critically low reproduction rates due to biological warfare, the Handmaids are allocated to†¦show more content†¦Even this is as usual, now. We lived, as usual, by ignoring. Ignoring isn t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it.†(56) Offred actively defines her passivity, ignoring the fact that the America that she used to know had changed dramatically. She normalizes every event around her like the fact that watching people being hanged on the wall are just daily sightseeing, she avoids the uncomfortable truth of Gilead, intentionally refuse to revolt against the dictatorship regime. Interestingly, there is a quote on ignorance that I d like to share â€Å"Being ignorant is like being dead, you don’t know that you are dead, only people around you suffer.† Additionally, in chapter 13, Offred was sitting in the bath, visualizing her body while naked †I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation, or an implement for the accomplishment of my will . . . Now the flesh arranges itself differently. I’m a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am and glows red within its translucent wrapping.†( 91) She changed her opinion of her only property-her body from a devic e, her womb as a â€Å" national resource† to a â€Å"central object† ,†glows red† like the sun which surrounded by planets. She glorifies herself because of her ability to bear a child. As well as denying the truth, interpret handmaids as a pivotal class in the society, not oppressed women whose womb areShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Margaret Atwood s The Handmaids Tale 1405 Words   |  6 Pageshave witnessed the corruption of governments before even if we didn’t even realize it. From communism to democracy, world wars to civil wars, genocides to religious upraises, government involvement has always been silently exalted. In Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaids Tale’, we see the fear of the Gileadian society caused by a rà ©gime government who practices its inhumane beliefs through everyday life in Gilead. The uses of military corruption, fear, and oppression are things that describe the everydayRead MoreAnalysis Of Margaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale1825 Words   |  8 PagesIn Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, we meet Offred, or so they call her, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, a futuristic dystopian society. Gilead tarnished traditional values and replaced them with shear corruption after the rebels killed the President as well as most of Congress, took over the government, and decided to throw out the constitution. Instead the society relies on the bible to justify its barbaric rules, limitations and practices. In a totalitarian society of decreasing birthRead MoreAnalysis Of Margaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale847 Words   |  4 Pagesincessant restrictions are for their own good. No restrictions are more stringent than those bestowed on the women, and more specifically, the handmaids. Although, Gilead claims to be built on a principal set of values, its principles are ignored and challenged to ensure everything runs smoothly in the eyes of Gilead’s patriarchy. In Marg aret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, the Republic of Gilead, a corrupt government adamant on supporting a better way of life for females, undermines their very own beliefsRead MoreAnalysis Of Margaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale843 Words   |  4 PagesUnorthodox Characters â€Å"I feel thankful to her. She has died that I may live. I will mourn later† (Atwood 286). Many sacrifices and hard decisions are made by unorthodox people to keep what they believe in alive. There would be no rebellions and no change without these nonconforming people. Offred, the main character and a Handmaiden, would have faced eminent death in her strictly orthodox world had it not been for the rebelliousness of those who died before her wanting change. The Republic ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Margaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale Essay1623 Words   |  7 Pagesthe id, ego, and superego. When examined using this theory, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian novel about a patriarchal totalitarian government that has replaced the United States of America, is particularly interesting. The story’s protagonist and narrator is a woman referred to as Offred, who lives in the fairly new Republic of Gilead which has taken the place of the United States. She is what is known as a Handmaid; alarmingly low reproductive rates led to young women whomRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Atwood And Sylvia Plath s The Handmaid s Tale, And Moira Of Margaret Atwood1905 Words   |  8 Pagesis in this despondent frame of mind, the woman of Sylvia Plath’s poem, Edge, and Moira of Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaids Tale, find themselves accepting their condemnation as their destiny. Both Margaret Atwood and Sylvia Plath use their works as emotional outlets to express the hopeless disposition one comes to embrace having reached the point of exhaustion. Together, Moira from The Handmaid’s Tale and the â€Å"perfected woman† from Edge exemplify the quality of life or lack thereof, one isRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1249 Words   |   5 PagesDystopian Research Essay: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood In the words of Erika Gottlieb With control of the past comes domination of the future. A dystopia reflects and discusses major tendencies in contemporary society. The Handmaid s Tale is a dystopian novel written by Margaret Atwood in 1985. The novel follows its protagonist Offred as she lives in a society focused on physical and spiritual oppression of the female identity. Within The Handmaid s Tale it is evident that through the explorationRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale, By Margaret Atwood1629 Words   |  7 Pages Atwood s novel, The Handmaid s Tale depicts a not too futuristic society of Gilead, a society that overthrows the U.S. Government and institutes a totalitarian regime that seems to persecute women specifically. Told from the main character s point of view, Offred, explains the Gilead regime and its patriarchal views on some women, known as the handmaids, to a purely procreational function. The story is set the present tense in Gilead but frequently shifts to flashbacks in her time at the RedRead MoreMargaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale931 Words   |  4 Pagesthe concept of gender becoming a multi- layered shifting hypothesis to which society is adapting. Since the 19th-century, philosophers and theorists have continued to scrutinize gender beyond biological and social interpretation. Margaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale captures the limitations and social implications forced upon a set gender based on societal expectations. Gender is a social construct that limits the individua l to the restrictions and traditions of a society, or if it’s an individuallyRead MoreThe Reconstruction Of Power By Margaret Atwood943 Words   |  4 PagesHaley Hollimon LTC Bozeman EN 102, L19 3 February 2015 The Reconstruction of Power Throughout The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood utilizes various elements of fiction to develop and question the concept of power and control in the patriarchal society of Gilead. Offred, the main Handmaid, is the instrument of which Atwood delivers her message about corruption and power. Offred’s vague diction, unreliable characterization, and erratic tone illustrate the distress of this transitional society (Abcarian

Police Subculture Deviance Enters Into Law Enforcement

Kappeler, Sluder, Alpert (1998) explain that through the police subculture deviance enters into law enforcement. The police character that is developed can be attributed to several paradigms such as psychological, sociological, and anthropological. The individual personalities of an officer and the authoritarian personality, characterized by cynicism, aggression, and conservatism, is that the psychological paradigm analyzes (p. 85). The socialization process which officers experience when they go through the academy, training, and field experience, contrast that dispositional model of the police personality, and this is the focus of the sociological paradigm. When officers internalize these norms and values that are learned, this professionalization occurs. The occupational culture of policing and the -beliefs, attitudes, and values that make up the subculture is seen as the anthropological paradigm or the culturalization perspective (Kappeler, Sluder, Alpert, 1998, p. 87-88). Kappeler, Sluder, and Alpert (2009) discussed a series of opportunity and organizational aspects of policing that contribute to deviance. These aspects are identified as legitimizing police deviance through the authority of law, public perception, isolating police/citizen encounters, and limiting and subverting police supervision (p.61). The police enjoy a legal authority and operational justification to operate in a way that would be seen as criminal behavior if any normal citizen would engage inShow MoreRelatedPolice Subculture Deviance Enters Into Law Enforcement Essay1561 Words   |  7 PagesKappeler, Sluder, Alpert (1998) explain that through the police subculture deviance enters into law enforcement. The police character that is developed can be attributed to several paradigms such as psychological, sociological, and anthropological. The individual personalities of an officer and the authoritarian personality, characterized by cynicism, aggression, and conservatism, is th at the psychological paradigm analyzes (p. 85). The socialization process which officers experience when theyRead More A General Theory of Crime Essay2067 Words   |  9 Pagessome behaviors and not on others. There are known inaccuracies in the labeling process, much crime go undetected and some crimes are not reported to police. Crimes that go undetected and unreported obviously are not included in the overall statistics at the same time making it difficult to perform accurate studies due to the dark figures. Law enforcement agencies at times, may omit/neglect to record something as a crime, or inaccurately report something as a crime when it is not. Criminologists referRead MoreEssay A General Theory of Crime2134 Words   |  9 Pagesbehaviors and not on others. There are known inaccuracies in the labeling process, much crime go undetected and some crimes are not reported to police. Crimes that go undetected and unreported obviously are not included in the overall statistics at the same time making it difficult to perform accurate studies due to the dark figures. Law enforcement agencies at times, may omit/neglect to record something as a crime, or inaccurately report something as a crime when it is not. Criminologists referRead MoreTracing Theoretical Approaches to Crime and Social Control: from Functionalism to Postmodernism16559 Words   |  67 Pagesindividual. Individual beliefs surrounding crime are not produced at primary levels; instead, they are produced through mechanisms of the powerful within the public realm of a capitalist structure. These mechanisms of power (i.e. the media and police workshops) are beneficial to the institutional structures within capitalistic society because they create a force whereby individuals have a sense of fear instilled in them, forcing them to become reliant on the system or institutional structureRead MoreWhat Are the Major Issues That Cause Inner City Youth to Join Gangs and Become Delinquent? Discuss Whether the New Labour Government’s Policies Have Been Effective in Solving These Issues?8138 Words   |  33 Pagesdelinquents, as a means to steer troubled youth away from the risk of joining real dangerous gangs. (Metro Newspaper 23.05.07) 1.2 CONTEXT: Gangs: The problem It is undeniable that there is a rising culture of youth crime. According to a metropolitan police report discussed on the BBC News online, gangs are responsible for more than a fifth of youth crime in London. (BBC News Online 2007). Clare Sharp et al 2004 in the home office’s ‘Delinquent youth groups and offending behaviour: findings from theRead MoreThe Social Impact of Drug Abuse24406 Words   |  98 Pagesdisguise and diversion of drug shipments and the vast numbers of shipments of small quantities of drugs decrease the yield of enforcement for each unit of intervention effort. The third stage of possible intervention is at the time of consumption. Here, a particularly vulnerable point is when drugs pass from dealers to consumers. This stage is often a target of law enforcement, especially if a strategy of buy and bust is followed. Recently, emphasis has been placed on drug demand, mostly in publicRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesOrganizational Behavior? 3 The Importance of Interpersonal Skills 4 What Managers Do 5 Management Functions 6 †¢ Management Roles 6 †¢ Management Skills 8 †¢ Effective versus Successful Managerial Activities 8 †¢ A Review of the Manager’s Job 9 Enter Organizational Behavior 10 Complementing Intuition with Systematic Study 11 Disciplines That Contribute to the OB Field 13 Psychology 14 †¢ Social Psychology 14 †¢ Sociology 14 †¢ Anthropology 14 There Are Few Absolutes in OB 14 Challenges and Opportunities

Wages Protection Act for Economic Geography- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theWages Protection Act for Economic Geography. Answer: The Wages Protection Act 1983 which has been formulated on 1983 actually came into effect on 1 February 1984 (Simmons Stringer, 2014). The Act was formulated with an intention to provide appropriate protection to the employees in relation to their wages. Therefore, it is noteworthy to mention here that from the very beginning the Wages Protection Act 1983 has prohibited deduction of any kind from wages of an employee. It is worth noting that the Wages Protection Act 1983 has been developed in order to set out the provisions regarding the payment of wages. The Wages Protection Act 1983 has been constructed in order to cover certain areas which govern the wages of employees including the payment of bonus, overtime and other special payments. In other words, it can be stated that the Wages Protection Act 1983 has been enacted in New Zealand for the purpose of addressing the earnings of employees in relation to their employment. The Act from the very beginning has been addressing issues related to employees deductions from wages. The Act has been articulated for the purpose of recovering overpayments on the part of the employers in certain cases. The Act also addresses to the payments in cases where an employee is absent so that the employees could effectively recover the wages (Stringer et al., 2014). In this regard, it is worth mentioning that the Act has been formulated so that the employers could not control the way the expenditure of the employees. References: Simmons, G., Stringer, C. (2014). New Zealand? s fisheries management system: Forced labour an ignored or overlooked dimension?.Marine Policy,50, 74-80. Stringer, C., Simmons, G., Coulston, D., Whittaker, D. H. (2014). Not in New Zealands waters, surely? Linking labour issues to GPNs.Journal of Economic Geography,14(4), 739-758.

Forms of EMH The Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH)

Question: Explain the meaning and forms of EMH. Explain the logic behind EMH. Present the evidence that researchers offer for and against each form of EMH. Explain how an asset price bubble can be rational, i.e. consistent with EMH. Evaluate the housing and mortgage-backed security price bubbles that brought on the recent financial crisis and concluded on whether they were rational or irrational. The essay has been written clearly and concisely and not exceeded the word limit. Answer: Introduction In financial economics, many studies have been carried out on efficient market hypothesis (EMH) and this interest has been triggered by various reasons. According to Fama(1970), EMH refers to an investment hypothesis which postulates that it is hard to make abnormal profits due to stock market efficiency. In this case, an efficient stock market enables the prevailing stock prices to factor in and incorporate entire relevant information within a short period. EMH is divided into three types notably; weak-form, semi-strong form as well as strong form EMH. This classification is dependent on the extent and speed at which the stock prices incorporate any new information that intrudes the market. Based on the literature, the risk-weighted return is greater in markets that are inefficient in comparison to efficient markets (Sewell, 2012). For this reason, the studies undertaken on stock market efficiency tend to be significant for both individuals as well as institutional investors. Additionally, strong knowledge of market efficiency is vital among corporate managers as their decisions influence the market value of their firms. Lastly, the EMH is often treated as a supposition in many financial models. The studies conducted on EMH have given rise to numerous contradicting arguments among the scholars. In this regard, this essay presents the arguments for and arguments against the EMH. To substantiate the claims, the essay provides corresponding evidence to the arguments. Then, the essay expounds on the effect of the recent financial crisis on EMH and winding up with a summary of the discussions. Arguments for and against and Evidence of EMH Short-term momentum which involves under reaction to any information intruding the market The initial empirical studies anchoring the viewpoint of randomness in share prices focused on determinants of short-run serial correlations exhibited by consecutive stock price movements. Overall, this study operated on the premise that the stock market lacks memory. This implied that the previous stock behaviour is irrelevant in determining its future behaviour as noted by Cootner (1964). In another research, Lo and MacKinlay (1999) established that short-run serial correlations were non-zero. More so, the presence of unnecessarily many fluctuations towards similar direction drew them to deny the fact that share prices exhibit random walk behaviour. Perhaps, this proved that there was momentum in short-run share prices. Furthermore, the scholars Lo, Mamaysky and Wang (2000) employed advanced nonparametric statistical methods which detect patterns. Also, they used a number of stock price signals which demonstrated that the stocks prices experience predictive ability to a certain extent. Additionally, many economists as well as psychologists with a bias in behavioural finance believe that short-run momentum adheres to psychological feedback mechanisms. This means that people often observe a stock price increasing and become attracted to the stock market in a manner that describes a bandwagon effect. In this connection, Shiller (2015) attributed the coming to lime light of the United States stock market in the course of 1990s to psychological influence. As a consequence, the U.S stock market experienced irrational exuberance. Further, the behaviourists argued that the short-run momentum was caused by the behaviour of investors failing to react to the information intruding the market accordingly. If for any reason, the complete effect of crucial news announcement can be tapped within some time, then the stock prices can demonstrate a positive serial correlation. Nevertheless, many factors interplay to offer contradicting implications on whether it holds that the share prices do not follow a random walk. To start with, since the stock market does not display a perfect example of a random walk, it is crucial to strike the difference between statistical as well as economic significance. Markedly, the statistical variables that influence the momentum are negligible which, in other words, imply that cannot allow investors to make abnormal profits. Any individual incurring transaction costs are less probably to institute a trading strategy while relying on the momentum obtained in these researches which will stand out against a buy-and-hold approach. On this note, Camerer et al. (2011) proposed that momentum investors rarely benefit from abnormal profits. On the contrary, some of these investors gained lesser profits in comparison to buy-and-hold investors at the time of candid, positive momentum established through statistical techniques. This is due to the presence of transaction costs which optimises any level of momentum that is available. In a similar fashion, Abraham (2014) found out that standard strategies are not lucrative due to trading costs associated with their implementation. Secondly, as a behavioural theory on bandwagon effects as well as under reaction to the latest information may appear sufficiently reasonable, the proof that such impacts happen in a systematic manner in the equity market is inadequate. For instance, Fama (1998) investigated the significant collection of empirical studies on events studies which tailored towards establishing whether equity prices behave efficiently to new announcements in the market. In this case, the events encompassed announcements on return surprises, share splits, activities on dividends, mergers, latest exchange listings as well as IPO or initial public offerings. Fama found out that clear under reaction to new information is as obvious as an overreaction. Also, he established that post event consistency of abnormal returns occurred in the same manner as post event reversals. Furthermore, Fama indicated that the majority of return inconsistencies occurred only in situations where specific models are used. Howeve r, these findings tend to diminish when a variety of models for anticipated normal earnings are employed to incorporate risks. This occurs in tandem with the use of distinct statistical approaches are employed. For instance, research that offers identical weights on post announcement earnings of various stocks can give rise to varying findings from research that allocates weights to the stocks based on their intrinsic value. Long-Run Return Reversals As discussed in the short-run, the returns are determined using a number of days and the common argument countering market efficiency entails the occurrence of positive serial correlation. However, various studies have proved that there is negative serial correlation within an extended period. At some point, this is referred to as return reversals. For instance, Fama and French (1988) established that twenty-five to forty percent of the changes in long-term earnings can be projected on the basis of negative correlation with previous earnings. Likewise, Poterba and Summers (1988) confirmed that there is a significant mean reversion exhibited by stock market returns in the long-run. A number of researchers have claimed that this projection is caused by the behaviour of the share prices to overreact. In this connection, DeBondt and Thaler (1985) contended that investors are influenced by optimism as well as pessimism which make prices diverge systematically from their basic values and afterward exhibit mean reversion. These scholars attributed this overreaction to previous events is in tandem with the hypothesis of behavioural decision suggested by Camerer et al., (2011). This theory states that investors are intrinsically overconfident in their efforts to project future share prices. These results add weight to investment methods that subscribe to contrarian strategy. Contrarian strategy involves purchasing of stocks that have seemed unattractive over a long period and shying off from stocks that are characterized by long-term run-ups. Although there is significant evidence to substantiate negative long-run relationship in the stock earnings, the results indicated by mean reversion has proved to differ across various researches. In particular, this correlation has shown a different degree of strengths from one period to the other. Notably, the strongest empirical is manifested in times like the Great Depression. This period gives rise to stock patterns that do not give a definitive generalization. Furthermore, these mean reversals, in general, may demonstrate a behaviour that tallys with market efficiency. The rationale for this is that they are partially engendered by interest rate volatility as well as the interest rate behaviour to return reverse. Because of the condition that stock return has to increase or decrease to increase its competition with earning from the bonds, it is likely that there will be fluctuations in the interest rate accordingly. In the instances where interest rate adjusts back to the mean within certain duration, this changing pattern will give rise to return reversals such that the pattern corresponds to the efficient market operation. Furthermore, it may be difficult to generate profits when single stocks show return reversal behaviour. Fluck et al.(1997) modelled a strategy that involved buying of stocks within thirteen-year duration in the course of the 1980s as well as early 1990s which experienced poor earnings over the previous 3-5 years. These scholars established that equity with extremely low returns within the 3-5 years duration displayed greater earnings in the subsequent periods. On the other hand, the shares characterized by high earnings within the previous 3-5 years demonstrated lower earnings in the subsequent periods. Therefore, it was concluded that there is extremely strong statistical proof of mean returns. Nevertheless, the scholars also established that earnings in the subsequent period were indifferent to both groups. For this reason, the scholars were unable to prove that contrarian strategy would give rise to higher-than-average returns. Therefore, it can be concluded that although strong s tatistical pattern associated with mean returns was manifested, no indication was available that confirm that market inefficiency would empower investors to realise abnormal earnings. Impact of 2007-2008 Financial Crisis on EMH The recent fall in economic performance, as well as turmoil experienced in the financial market coined as the global financial crisis, was condemned for the failure of the financial markets between 2007 and 2008 internationally(Milner, 2009). In this regard, the concept of EMH has been employed by many scholars to explain the effect of the financial crisis. Indeed, the financial crisis paved the way for fresh scrutiny as well as a critique on the EMH. Notably, market strategists such as Grantham asserted absolutely that the efficient market hypothesis accounted for the financial crisis in that the trust in the EMH made corporate leaders to acute underestimation of the consequences of occurrence of asset bubbles (Nocera, 2009) .This is evidenced by the words of Roger Lowenstein(Fox, 2016). In the meeting organised by International Organisation of Securities Commissions, the debate on EMH was among the key agenda. In the meeting, Martin Wolf- the premier Financial Times staff- rejected the fact that EMH is not related to the real operation of the market. In the same meeting, McCulley- the MD of PIMCO presented a subtle view that EMH had not failed, though had a lot of errors in its application as it ignored the human nature (Stevenson, 2009). In addition, Posner Richard deviated from the EMH and exerted more weight on Keynesian economics. In his criticism, he contradicted some prevailing perspectives by maintaining that the decision to liberate the financial sector had exceeded the limits through exaggerating the pliability of laissez-faire capitalism (Cassidy, 2010). Despite the criticisms, the effect of financial crisis on EMH was grounded on two major conceptions. To start with, the perspective that competition puts in force a relation between revenues as well as costs. This implies that, in a scenario of abnormal profits, new entry lowers the costs. Secondly, there is a perspective of treating fluctuations in asset prices as determined by the information flow in the equity market. When these two perspectives are used jointly, the EMH results as noted by Ball (2009). This basic conception offers more insights on a startling projection on financial market response to any information that is freely made public. In competitive equilibrium situations, the returns derived from the use of information released to the public ought to commensurate with the cost incurred in using it. However, in reality, public information is priceless which implies that it is freely found. As consequence, the returns associated with such information ought to be equated to zero (Kim, Shamsuddin and Lim, 2011). Therefore, no one can earn abnormal profits from such information that has been factored in the prices. During the financial crisis, it was established that the assumption of efficient market was relaxed (Ball, 2009). This implied that the market prices did not reflect all the information that was available on the market. As such, there was an asset bubble which was characterised by increasing and falling of stock prices by huge differences than usual. At this point, some prudent investors benefited from the opportunity that was presented by the market. At the same time, a number of investors recorded significant losses. Conclusion From the essay, it is apparent that there is diversified and contradicting opinion about the validity of the efficient market hypothesis. In the essay, if the stock price demonstrated random walk behaviour, the equity market was regarded as of Weak-form market efficiency. On the other hand, if the stock prices indicated that it does not follow random walk behaviour then it was regarded as inefficient. This meant that the previous stock data can be used to predict future prices. On this note, some studies found out that the stock prices exhibit random walk behaviour. In particular, this studies include Cootner (1964), Lo and MacKinlay (1999) and Fama(1998). Conversely, Lo, Mamaysky and Wang (2000) established that there is some degree of predictability in the stock market. The EMH acknowledges the fact that it is difficult for any investor to make supernormal profit in an efficiently operating stock market. Furthermore, the global financial crisis was associated with the EMH. However, it has been argued that it is incorrect to assume that EMH caused the market bubbles. Instead, the essay has clarified that the occurrence of the financial crisis is pegged on overreliance on the belief of EMH. During this time, some the prevailing assumption of EMH did not hold which resulted in the famous global financial crisis. References Abraham, S. M. (2014) Testing International Momentum Strategies between Chinese and Australian Financial Markets,International Journal of Financial Research,5(1), p.1. Ball, R. (2009) The global financial crisis and the efficient market hypothesis: What have we learned?,Journal of Applied Corporate Finance,21(4),pp. 8-16. Camerer, C. F. Loewenstein, G. and Rabin, M. (Eds.). (2011)Advances in behavioral economics. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Cassidy, J. (2010) After the Blowup - The New Yorker. [Online] The New Yorker. Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/01/11/after-the-blowup [Accessed 24 Jun. 2016]. Cootner, P. H. (1964) The random character of stock market prices. Cambridge, Mass: MIT press De Bondt, W. F. and Thaler, R. H. (1995) Financial decision-making in markets and firms: A behavioral perspective,Handbooks in operations research and management science,9, pp.385-410. Fama, E. F. (1998) Market efficiency, long-term returns, and behavioral finance, Journal of financial economics,49(3),pp.283-306. Fama, E. F. and French, K. R. (1988) Permanent and temporary components of stock prices,The Journal of Political Economy, pp.246-273. Fluck, Z. Malkiel, B. G. and Quandt, R. E. (1997) The predictability of stock returns: A cross-sectional simulation,Review of Economics and Statistics,79(2), pp.176-183. Fox, J. (2016) Book Review: 'The Myth of the Rational Market' by Justin Fox. [Online] Washingtonpost.com. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/05/AR2009060502053.html [Accessed 24 Jun. 2016]. Kim, J. H. Shamsuddin, A. and Lim, K. P. (2011) Stock return predictability and the adaptive markets hypothesis: Evidence from century-long US data,Journal of Empirical Finance,18(5), pp.868-879. Lo, A. W. and MacKinlay, A. C. (2002) A non-random walk down Wall Street. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Lo, A. W., Mamaysky, H., Wang, J. (2000). Foundations of technical analysis: Computational algorithms, statistical inference, and empirical implementation.The journal of finance,55(4), 1705-1770. Milner, B. (2009) Sun finally sets on notion that markets are rational. [Online] The Globe and Mail. Available at: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/investment-ideas/features/taking-stock/sun-finally-sets-on-notion-that-markets-are-rational/article1206213/ [Accessed 24 Jun. 2016]. Nocera, J. (2009) Poking Holes in a Theory on Markets. [Online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/06/business/06nocera.html?scp=1sq=efficient%20marketst=cse_r=0 [Accessed 24 Jun. 2016]. Poterba, J. M. and Summers, L. H. (1988) Mean reversion in stock prices: Evidence and implications, Journal of financial economics,22(1), pp. 27-59. Sewell, M. (2012) The efficient market hypothesis: Empirical evidence, International Journal of Statistics and Probability,1(2), p.164. Shiller, R. J. (2015)Irrational exuberance. Princeton: Princeton university press. Stevenson, T. (2009) Investors are finally seeing the nonsense in the efficient market theory. [Online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/tom-stevenson/5562355/Investors-are-finally-seeing-the-nonsense-in-the-efficient-m

How to Write a 500 Word Essay Tips Tricks - Bestessay4u

Have you just stepped in writing another 500-word essay for one of your college classes? From â€Å"very simple and enjoyable† to â€Å"the disastrous Armageddon,† different students perceive this assignment differently, but all of them realize it is essential to earn a good grade by the end of the term. It will impact the overall grade-point average (GPA). In this post, we will discuss a recommended outline for the 500 word essays, their purposes, possible topics to cover, and some useful writing hints that can help you write your paper. What is 500 Word Essay? Brief Definition A 500-word essay is a common format academic task that college students should handle. The main idea is to cover a specific topic or reply to the particular question addressed in the prompt. Sometimes, students have to pick a topic on their own. Students who mastered a subject and developed a personal opinion on it will not find it very challenging, but, sill, it is important to keep in mind the basics. A 500-word essay can be one of the following: Definition (identify and interpret a term) Narrative (tell a story) Reflection (describe an episode form your life) Expository (explain a topic in details) Compare contrast (find differences and similarities between subjects) Cause effect (list the reasons and consequences of something) Argumentative (present your position regarding some topic) Persuasive (convince someone in something) Select the type of essay carefully as each has different goals. Tips on How to Write a Good 500 Word Essay What is beautiful in writing is that every writer has a personal style. You should decide on the voice before writing a paper. Would it sound formal or funny? How do you plan to persuade people? It all depends on the goals of your writing that are predetermined by the type of essay you choose. If you have to inform, make it just an informative essay, but insist on your idea and try to prove it if you deal with persuasive writing. A 500-essay should be double-spaced so that it will take something around 2 pages long. It should not exceed 50 words as the main idea is to check how you can cover topics concisely and clearly. Pick Times New Roman and Calibri in a 12th font size. One more success factor is a topic that you choose. In most cases, tutors do not assign a specific one, so do your best to select the best ideas for your writing. Brainstorm with your group mates using the internet or your college library. If you find enough sources related to the specific topic, feel passionate for observing it in-depth, and get the approval of your tutor, start writing a paper on this subject.   How to Start a 500 Word Essay: 10 Great Topics to Choose from So, it all starts from the topic selection. Students often make mistakes by picking the topics that lack related information. You should make sure you can collect enough materials to use in your work before approving the topic. Also, you should be competent in the field and passionate about the specific subject. Here are some examples of excellent 500-word essay topics from various categories: How to depict true love in a fairy tale? Does marriage destroy feelings? Living with mental disabilities. How to earn good profits with the help of the world wide web? The effectiveness of knowledge assessment tests in high schools. The meaning of â€Å"all-round † Issues that unemployed people may face. How can young start-ups overcome obstacles during the first operating year? Is space exploration worth huge expenses? Zoos have to be banned around the world. You may pick one of the offered ideas or come up with an original title for your work. The next significant thing to take care about while composing a 500-word essay is its outline. Guide on How to Structure a 500 Word Essay Now, we should talk about the proper 500 word essay structure. Put down a general skeleton of what you believe is worth including in your essay. Keep your outline open so that you can add new points and ideas at any time. Do not start writing until you’re ready with your structure plan. You’ll see how your thoughts will become more coherent and clear. On the whole, an outline serves as an action plan, preventing you from getting lost in the woods of academic writing. That is why you should develop one even if your teacher does not require it. A paper should have an intro with a hook and thesis statement, body paragraphs with claims and supporting evidence, and conclusion with restated thesis statement, summary, and solutions (final answer). Below, we will discuss every section in more details. 500 Word Essay Introduction Paragraph to Catch an Eye In the opening paragraph of your essay, you should describe the topic of your paper. State what you plan to discuss and why it might be useful. Provide background information (for example, the origins of the problem). Discuss which points you will talk about in the body of your project. The first paragraph is your narrative door, so try to make it eye-catching and appealing. Move to the body part once ready with your intro. 500 Word Essay Body to Prove Your Point The primary and largest part of an academic project is its body. Fully describe and develop so-called claims, which are the topic sentences of each body paragraph. Base the text of your body on a solid ground enriching it with citations, facts, examples, and other evidence obtained from the external sources such as books, magazines, journals, scholarly articles, etc. Involve transitions at the beginning of every paragraph and at the end to show how the paragraphs of your body are related to each other. Make sure to have a clear concluding sentence for each section. After that, work on your conclusion. 500 Word Essay Conclusion to Leave a Long-Long-Lasting Impression It is the final section of your essay. A writer should sound the most critically in some respects. Your claims must bloom into a thesis statement, a position that turns into public material. The conclusion should motivate your audience to keep on studying the question. First, restate the thesis statement. Then, share a summary of the topic sentences from your body. Offer meaningful solutions and some forecasts for future studies (optional). You may end with a rhetorical question to leave the readers intrigued. So, is there something else to add? Need Help with Urgent Assignment? We Know Where to Find It Once you are done with writing your paper, let your draft rest aside. Then, check grammar, syntax, and spelling or leave the process of editing to the professional team of writers and essay editors. We are ready to offer such services! Our writing service can either write a 500-word essay from scratch or offer essay proofreading editing to make sure your own work corresponds to the highest standards of academic writing place an order now!

Onlive vs. Traditional Education Essays

Onlive vs. Traditional Education Essays Onlive vs. Traditional Education Essay Onlive vs. Traditional Education Essay Compare and Contrast: Online Vs. Traditional Education LaKrisha Lawson ENG 121 Instructor Peter Kunze November 19, 2010 Compare and Contrast: Online Vs. Traditional Education Whether I’m going to school online are going to school in a traditional setting; the main objective is to obtain a degree. The internet has brought us a new way of obtaining a degree that is convenient for many people in the world today. Many might argue whether online or traditional education is more acceptable in today’s world. With technology growing the way it is many Americans go to work and school in the comfort of their home, while others commute to work and school. Regardless if you are enrolled at a traditional college or with a university online there are some similarities and differences, it mainly depends on the individual and what suits that person needs. I’m going to discuss online education first. â€Å"Adult students are more likely to succeed in online education than a traditional college student because adult students have more maturity and responsibility. A lot of older adults have full time jobs or families and look at college as an education only not a social life† (Online Learning vs. The Traditional College, 2006). One of the benefits of online education is that it provides flexibility especially for the working adult with families; Because of the flexibility you don’t have to rush to work to make it to class on time. You have the flexibility to decide when to schedule school work, but you will still have a deadline. The flexibility can save money as well; you save on gas because you do not have to commute back and forth to school. Another way of saving money is not paying someone to watch your children while you attend school. One last note on flexibility is, your school work can be accessed at any time where there is a computer with internet. â€Å"Students who take classes online have not shown any sign of retaining less information than in class students. In fact, now nearly all traditional chools offer some kind of online option in their curriculum and have found it to be a very productive teaching medium. A 2006 study by the Sloan Consortium discovered that around 62% of chief education advisors thought online education helped students learn as good or better than traditional learning† (Education for Less Online, 2007). The disadvantages of online education are the lack of face to face interaction; this could be great for some and not so great for others. If you are a student that requires the face to face interaction from your instructors then online learning could be difficult for you. If you are looking to transfer credits to another institution to further your education, research is needed to make sure that you will get full credit. Lastly is being computer literate and always having access to a computer. Not being computer literate and not having access to a computer with the internet could put a strain on your online education. I’m going to talk about the traditional way of learning second. Traditional college students are between the ages of 18-21 and benefit from the social atmosphere that a normal college campus provides. For young students, college means newfound freedom because they can live on campus or with friends away from parents† (Online Learning vs. The Traditional College, 2006). In a traditional classroom you have to follow a schedule, and have to be in class on that schedule day; if you miss class the n you will miss that day’s lesson. Some traditional schools will offer night classes for students that work during the day. One of the benefits of traditional schools is the face to face interaction; you can have a question answered right away versus waiting 24 to 48 hours for a respond. Some students prefer the face to face interaction over emails because of misunderstanding; the student can leave the classroom making sure that he or she understands. If you are looking to have a college experience then traditional education may fit you better. Some would rather get their education the traditional way while others prefer the online learning. Regardless how you receive your education what matters the most is that you get your education. Deciding what school to attend can be a lot, but now having to decide whether to go the traditional route or the online learning route depends on the individual student; and what route fits them better. The bottom line is no matter how you received your education the outcome will still be the same. References New York University (2006). Online learning vs. the traditional college. Retrieved from http://nyu. edu/classes/ Fldcu. org (2007). Education for less. Retrieved from http://fldcu. org/online-traditional/

Critically discuss how childhood and youth research builds on a series Essay

Critically discuss how childhood and youth research builds on a series of values, beliefs and images about children and young people. Suggested approach - Essay Example The aim of participation is to ensure good outcomes for children and young people themselves, community and organization. The involvement of children and young people is likely to be important to them if they can identify that their views have a consideration and have made a difference. Effective participation means that the involvement of young people and children leads to change (Bucknall 2014). Researches that involve children and young people bring up ethical concerns that involve: Researchers need to respect the developing nature of young people and children to be involved in deciding whether to participate in research. Their level of maturity has an effect on whether his/her consent is important or enough to authorize participation (Cooper 2014). iii. Young people who are developing- They are able to understand some relevant information, but they remain vulnerable. There must be consent of these young people which may not be sufficient to authorize research. Research on children and young people reveal make things concerning this group of people. Scientists, scholars and researchers have carried out investigations on young people and came up with various conclusions. Investigating the sexual behaviors of the young people is a very interesting adventure. There is a common belief that young people are very active sexually. In their adolescence stage of life, young people normally experience various biological changes that may confuse them. Irrespective of geographical location, children and young people experience biological changes that affect their physical appearance. The question in the mind of researchers is whether a person’s environment affects their sexual behaviors. In order to solve this question, research must be done. Young people who live in urban places are exposed to many things in life. The urban environment tends to provoke the young people to

A Contemporary Artist From The Art 21 PBS Web Site Assignment

A Contemporary Artist From The Art 21 PBS Web Site - Assignment Example The essay "A Contemporary Artist From The Art 21 PBS Web Site" discovers the Contemporary Artist in Art 21. The episodes produced in each season have different types of theme like spirituality, identity, power, and humor among others. Some of the contemporary artists featured include Sally Mann, Kerry James, and Mel Chin among others. The first season of Art21 was premiered in 2001 its seasons being produced in every two years and has been able to spread in more than fifty countries. In this context we will cover season six which is the current one in 2012 in which Ai Weiwei was interviewed. He is known to be an outspoken activist of human rights and in this episode he was featured in the theme of change. His art included photographs, sculptures and also public artworks which were about politics. . Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist born on 18th May 1957 in Beijing, China. He is one of the founders of Avant-garde art in 1978 to which the group disbanded in 1983 (Ai, 2011). He lived in United States, New York from 1981 to 1993 and studied at Parsons School of Design and also at the Art Student League of New York. He later returned to China and published three books on the new generation of artists. Ai Weiwei received a doctorate from the University of Ghent, Belgium from the faculty of Politics and Social science in 2010.He was arrested in 2011 and detained for three months without any official charges filed against him. He has received many awards which include Skowhegan medal in 2011.

Film Evaluation Reports Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Film Evaluation Reports - Movie Review Example While there is a tendency to see such films as lesser forms of film, they can and should be appreciated for the way in which they show how cultures can take a lighter view of themselves and of their mythologies. Films that use silliness as a basis for their entertainment are often making light of aspects of society in order to shed a light on how serious human beings sometimes take themselves. Woochi (2009) is first set 500 years in the past, a story of mythologies and human politics creating a set up for the events that will take place in the present. The film begins with a story of goblins who steal an item called the Pipe of the Prophecy, the piece having powers that should not get into the wrong hands. The flute is used by the one god to keep the others, each representing the lunar calendar year. Three demi-gods are trying involved in trying to keep the flute from the goblins, or demons, but when they fail, they ask the help of the Taoist Wizards who are able to retrieved the flu te. However, the Master wizard’s apprentice, who is a bit self important and has a huge pride problem, is accused of a murder and he takes the flute and sets himself into a painted manuscript to hide. When it is discovered that both he and the flute are in the manuscript, one of the wizards, Hwadom, goes into the manuscript, only to realize that once he is near the flute, he himself is one of the demons. This is a secret to those demons who take human form. They forget that they are demons until they are near the flute. Through a series of coincidences, the flute is torn into three pieces, thus preventing Hwadom from getting the flute and putting it back together. In modern day Seoul, the goblins start once again causing mischief and the three demigods decide to set Woochi free in order to stop the problem. The goblins, disguised as humans, are outside of any current means to stop them, so setting Woochi, who has some of the same knowledge of the Taoist wizards from 500 years previous, seems the best way to handle the problem. They convince Woochi to help them, and all of them being in modern day Korea leads to a great deal of humor based upon the conflict of how people of another time would deal with modern day life. 2.) What does the film reveal about the personality and interests of the filmmaker? What does the film reveal about the attitude of the filmmaker toward his subject? Explain fully. The film engages myth in order to set up its conflicts and to find ways in which to express human hopes and fears through personifications. The nature of the lunar calendar creatures is to personify specific aspects of the dark side of humanity, thus discussing the human existence through this type of literary study. In creating supernatural elements, the real world is reflected in such a way as to create a sectional discussion of different emotional parts of being human. Mythology often isolates aspects of human existence so that those elements can be explored through a less complex examination. This is often the case with humor as well. Humor allows for a piece of literature to more closely examine a part of human life by isolating a part of it and looking at it from various, unusual perspectives. In this film, the concepts of drinking, bumbling, and sexuality are looked at from the perspective of outsiders looking in, as the time variance creates an ‘alien’ atmosphere for the main characters. Using aspects of

A Review Of Valentino Marketing Essay

A Review Of Valentino Marketing Essay In a time when enterprises are fighting to survive and the market is uncertainty and instability for any company, we see the exponential interest towards luxury products and services, but this interest is not only about profitability and brand awareness; it is about structuring â€Å"Valentino† products and services offered within the spectrum of luxury. Today companies rely on traditional marketing models such as the 7Ps model but, as will be seen, these are argued to be insufficient for luxury products and especially inaccessible luxury products and services. Hence I propose other marketing models which take into account the identity and position of luxury products in general and the hypothetic position of Valentino in the Indian market. This includes an exposition of ideas, tangibles or intangibles and a complete understanding where the luxury product is offering and the important role Valentino SpA plays in the status of luxury. The intent of this document is to promote Valentino as a classical example of luxury fashion rather than explain the fashion industry specific. 2. BACKGROUND For over forty years Valentino Garavani, known to all simply as Valentino, has been one of the most prominent names in fashion, creating some of the worlds most elegant eveningwear and classic designs. Since Valentino released his first line in 1959, Garavani Valentino has made a significant impact on the fashion industry. In the 60s Valentino open his first boutique in Paris, introduced his signature ‘Red Valentino and launched its now famous ‘V label. In 1970 he launched his first ready-to-wear line, with boutiques following in Rome and N.Y. In 1986 he won the highest decoration possible in Italy, the Calvaliere di Gran Croce. In 1991, Valentino celebrated his â€Å"Thirty years of fashion† accompanied by famous celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor. In 1998, Valentino and his business partner Giancarlo Giammeti sold their fashion empire for  £211 million. In summer of 2008 Valentino shown his last collection and celebrated his 45th anniversary. He is a true fashion icon of the 20th century and has helped shape the image of men and women of the 21st century. Currently Valentinos new creative directors are Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. Valentino also is one of the most popular brands in the Valentino Fashion Group S.p.A (VFG). The VFG S.p.A plays a vital role in the world of fashion and luxury, with a rich and well-diversified portfolio of products which includes clothing, accessories, and footwear for men and women. In the world of fashion and luxury, few players have gained the international fame the VFG S.p.A has achieved. It offers an array of complementary brands characterized by a consolidated global presence, excellent brand awareness, and strong product recognition as: * Valentino, featuring the prestigious brands Valentino (Couture and ready-to-wear) which products rates are between 24.180 Rs. and 558.000 Rs. , Valentino Garavani (Bags, shoes and accessories) which products rates are between 9.920 Rs. and 347.200 Rs. , Valentino Roma (ready-to-wear) which products rates are between and Red Valentino (ready-to-wear) which products rates are between 6.076Rs and 40.920 Rs . * Licensed brands MCS Marlboro Classics and M Missoni, in addition to its own brands Lebole, Oxon, and Portrait. Until 23 December 2009 there was three business units, which even included Hugo Boss which was relinquished on that date and therefore no longer a part of the consolidated group. Moreover VFG S.p.A owns 45% of US brand Proenza Schouler . The VFG S.p.A operates in over 110 countries, with more than 1,600 single-brand boutiques and 433 directly-managed shops. The Groups consolidated revenue for the 2008 financial year is approximately 2.206,9 million. More than 13.081 employees work in directly controlled companies and branches spread across 28 countries. Over the years, VFG focus has changed. The group now approaches the industry with a fashion-driven focus. It is more interested in offering proposals charged with irresistible value and original designs unlike any other company in the industry to integrate an extensive variety of products and trademarks by converging consumer unique and satisfaction. VFG serves steadily focusing on demands of an unwaveringly evolving cosmopolite consumer. VFG pretends to be the fashion worlds protagonist in the fashion and luxury sectors ensuring the highest quality standards in all market segments its serve pursuing excellence and innovation. 3. PESTLE: ANALYSIS STANDS FOR VALENTINO. OLITICAL: With the end of quota regime on January 1 of 2005, the prospects for Indian fashion industry look upbeat. Terror acts may affect trade negatively. CONOMICAL: Due to the India economy growth, consumer confidence is high and people like to spend on luxury items. Higher increased of mortgages may affect consumers disposable incomes. India has among lowest labor costs in the world. OCIAL: Indian older women (35+) tend to wear more conservative than younger. Indian women may see Valentino as something to be worn on special occasion. Valentino will offer distinction and exclusivity. ECHNOLOGICAL: The growth who lives younger lifestyles presents a further opportunity to manufacturers technological. Growing popularity of social networking encourages companies advertise and sale on line. The strength of India fashion industry rests on strong raw material availability and on the large number of skilled human resources. NVIRONMENTAL: The EPA, considers many textile (polyester) manufacturing facilities to be hazardous waste generators. USDA considers cotton has a significant environment footprint because the use of pesticides. EGAL: Inspectors have found clothes manufactured from some countries (included India) which widespread health risks and fraud from luxury brands. Possible changes in the marketing strategies. Manufactured process and product quality law could affect. 4. SWOT ANALYSIS: VALENTINO STRATEGIC PLANING METHOD. TRENGTHS: VFG S.p.A. has strong luxury brand recognition worldwide. Celebrities endorse Valentino on the Red carpet events and weddings. Product price is competing with its competitors. Existing consumers target group. Products available on-line (www.store.valentino.com) EAKNESS: No strong/massive campaigns. Prices are higher than other brands present already in India. Prices follow the same rates worldwide. PPOTUNITIES: Introduce a limited edition line for clothing perfumes. Raise Brand awareness across the Indian consumer market. Get collaboration with celebrities for limited edition collections. Serve as a sponsor in prestigious events (Miss Universe). HREATS: Indian population is not so aware about Valentino. Competitors as Dior or Louis Vuitton are already positioned in India. Indian luxury fashion designers are getting international recognition. Global economic downturn. 5. ANSOFF S MATRIX: VALENTINO GROWTH STRATEGY. 6. MARKETING MIX PRODUCT: Valentino offers to consumers unique, original designs unlike any other company in the industry (because of the brand history) which includes luxury brands as Valentino Garavani (womens foot wear, bags, small fur items, accessories) and Red Valentino (luxury womens wear), in addition perfumes and eyewear. PRICE: Valentino Garavani: 9.920 Rs. 86.800 Rs. Red Valentino: 6.076 Rs. 40.920 Rs. Perfumes: 2.480 Rs. 5.490 Rs. Eyewear: 11.780 Rs. 18.290 Rs. Valentino is target to exclusive women; prices are high but are value for quality, luxury, and exclusivity. PLACE: Valentino as a luxury fashion brand must be located in Indias luxury shopping destination DLF Emporio Mall in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. PROMOTION: Valentino must be placed its ads in renamed fashion magazines like Vogue. In coordination with Valentinos press director organize fashion shows and events to create awareness. PROCESS: Valentino is focus on the demands of an unwaveringly evolving cosmopolite consumer hence Valentino should come up with customer service centre, Valentino Boutique, Valentino VIP list. All these facts made with excellence and innovation will develop a loyal relation between the customer and the brand. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE: Having Valentino Boutique at the strategic location and associating itself with Bollywood actors and movies and sponsoring high class events will insurance the top publicity possible. PEOPLE: From assistants to directors constitute the image of the brand. Hence establish an on-going dialogue between passion, experience, and knowledge will be a must to develop loyal relations. 7. PORTERS 5 FORCES: VALENTINO INDUSTRY ANALYSIS AND BUSINESS STRATEGY. 8. CONCLUSION This Marketing Audit is about how Valentino as brand has the potential to lead the luxury industry in India. The analytical tools used in this document have been developed to ensure that Valentino stays ‘in front of the pack in case that it has to battle with the areas of mass and intermediate luxury. This document is hoped that the reader will now have a clearer picture of what Valentino and luxury is and how difficult and important it is to manage a luxury enterprise and its brand.

Comparing the Cultural and Social Critiques of Notes from Underground a

Cultural and Social Critiques of Notes from Underground and Invisible Man It is understanding oneself and the power structures of society that helps one gain authenticity, and ultimately†¦.. power. Notes from Underground and Invisible Man offer a wide variety of social critiques. While some critiques are explicit within the plot, others are implicit in statements of characters and the relations between two or more characters. Many of the ideas of social critique in Notes from Underground have direct parallels or antitheses in Invisible Man. Most--if not all--of the critiques transcend the time, location, and historical context in which they occur. The greatest value that the critiques in the two texts have to offer is that they deal with the unalterable human condition. Notes from Underground and Invisible Man offer a variety social critiques, most prominently in nationalism and cultural pride, an exclusive community versus an inclusive community, and the power structures within society. Nationalism is one of the main targets of the critique in Notes from Underground. The underground man's highly self-centered personality has a direct parallel in the ideas he has about his country. He says, "We, in Russia, have no fools; that is well known. That is what distinguishes us from foreign lands" (Dostoevsky 40). Such nationalistic propaganda was intended for all Russians to consider and evaluate. At the time the novel was written, Western civilization seemed to be extending its influence everywhere. As Dr. Lutomski pointed out in lecture, this caused many to adopt an isolationist philosophy, believing that the only way a country can be pure to its own citizens is to cut itself off from the outside world. Dostoevsky is presenti... ...s within a society must be able to channel that diversity into a feeling of unity that makes all of the individuals in all of the cultures feel like they belong to the indivisible whole. When one has found an entire group of people to identify with, one can transcend to a new level of self-understanding. And it is understanding oneself and the power structures of society that helps one gain authenticity, and ultimately power. Works Cited Bakhtin, Mikhail. Problems of Dostoevsky's Poetics. Ed. and trans. Caryl Emerson. Introd. by Wayne C. Booth. Theory and History of Literature. Minneapolis: U. of Minnesota Pr., 1984. Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. (Library Ed.). New York: Random House, Inc. 1994 Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from Underground: A New Translation, Backgrounds and Sources, Responses, Criticism. Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 1989.

Homework Should Be Banned Essay

Homework has been given to students because teachers believe it helps them remember what they learn at school, and helps them learn the material better. â€Å"Homework is super helpful in learning and processing the material learned in class.† Said no kid ever. Too much homework is not helpful, and can be unhealthy. Excessive amounts of time spent on homework can take away from kids social lives, family time, and sports or other activities. Homework should be outlawed. Critically acclaimed author Tami Ansary says, that since 1981, the amount of homework given to sixth graders has increased by more than fifty percent. In 1957, the Russians launched Sputnik into outer space. The new competition made schools try to increase the difficulty of the curriculum. With harder classes came more homework. Homework takes away from time that kids could be spending with their families. Rather than spending time bonding and building strong family relationships, parents and children argue over homework. Time is taken away from important elements of daily life. This time is particularly precious in families with two working parents whose time with their children is limited. This time could be better spent going out to dinner, or doing other activities that most families are not able to do because the kids have too much homework. My opposition might say that lots of homework prepares them for the â€Å"real world† and lots of homework helps them learn the material better. When difficult work assignments are given frequently, it causes students to lose interest in the subject. Negative results can also occur when someone is not able to finish his homework. Usually they will resort to copying homework, having others do their assignments, or cheating on tests. Bad habits like these are likely to follow them through their lives. With no consequences to these actions students will almost always take the easy way out when it comes to homework. The use of homework is effective when used by the rule†¦

Media Ethics Case Study

Media Ethics Case Study The author of the case study discusses a popular television series Beavis and Butthead. In particular, the writer examines the possible influence of this behavior of children and adolescents. For instance, one can mention that this show has affected the language of many Americans because it gave rise many new words that can be viewed as obscene or at least very vulgar.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Media Ethics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Secondly, the creators of this cartoon have often been accused of promoting deviant behavior among adolescents. For example, media reporters have found connection between this television series and the dangerous actions of some underage viewers such as Aaron Messner who set his family’s trailer on fire. It is believed that his behavior is directly influenced by this animation series. Moreover, reporters believe that there are other violent incidents that can also be at tributed to Beavis and Butthead. This is why the cartoon was criticized by the press. Currently, this show continues to be aired on MTV; however, it is no longer broadcast at 7 p. m. Moreover, MTV is obliged to warn viewers that the behavior of Beavis and Butthead should not be emulated in any way. Overall, this case raises several ethical questions that are related to the education of children as well as the role of media in the modern society. The most important issue is the responsibility of the mass media and those people who work in this area. Certainly, it is not possible to prove that Beavis and Butthead should be blamed for every form of misconduct among children or adolescents. However, this show may promote deviancy and it can make dangerous behavior more acceptable. Thus, one has to determine whether the activities of mass media should be regulated in any way. The second issue that can be even more important is the responsibility of parents who often accuse mass media of corrupting their children, but very often they do not do anything to minimize the negative influence of such cartoons as Beavis and Butthead. For instance, Aaron Messner could be watching MTV alone and one can reasonably ask why parents did not ask what he had been watching. There are other questions that can be strongly connected to the case. One of them is the role that media and art play in the modern community. Very often, films, cartoons and video clips are aimed at highlighting the negative aspects of the society, but the creators can unwillingly glorify violence, especially when viewers cannot see the irony that of the film-makers.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finally, some attention should be paid to the role of government that should be more concerned with moral and intellectual education of the new generation. These are the main issues that one can i dentify in this case study. The issues mentioned in the case study called for some actions. First of all, one can that mass media companies were declared to be responsible for the misbehavior of children or teenagers. Therefore, these organizations had to address these issues. As it has been said before, MTV changed the time when the controversial cartoon was aired. Moreover, this organization issued a disclaimer according to which Beavis and Butthead had to be viewed only as a parody, and the main characters should not be regarded as role models. Overall, one can say that MTV took this decision in order to avoid public criticism, but they did not fully acknowledge the link between violence and the cartoon Beavis and Butthead. This approach to the moral education of children has several limitations. In particular, little attention is paid to the role of parents who are responsible for the education of children. Certainly, it is possible to move Beavis and Butthead from 7.00 p.m. to 11 p.m. but it does not mean that children will not be able to view the show. They can easily watch this cartoon on the Internet. So, the negative effects of this show cannot be reduced if parents do not take any action. One can overlook the role of teachers who must raise parents’ awareness about the influence of television or Internet on underage people. This is why it is not permissible to blame only mass media. It is possible to offer several recommendations to people who have to deal with the problems described in the case. First of all, teachers should inform parents about the consequences of watching television series like Beavis and Butthead or South Park. These shows are parodies of the contemporary society, but they will be misinterpreted by underage people. Finally, parents should monitor what their children watch and learn more about these programs, films, or television series. In some cases, parents may limit their children’s access to television or Intern et and explain why some of the television series are not appropriate at a certain age.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Media Ethics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It seems that such a solution is quite ethical. Again, it is necessary to stress the point that one should not accuse television or Internet for every problem that modern society faces.

History of Gamelan Indonesian Music and Dance

History of Gamelan Indonesian Music and Dance Across Indonesia, but particularly on the islands of Java and Bali, gamelan is the most popular form of traditional music. A gamelan ensemble consists of a variety of metal percussion instruments, usually made of bronze or brass, including xylophones, drums, and gongs. It may also feature bamboo flutes, wooden stringed instruments, and vocalists, but the focus is on the percussion. The name gamelan comes from gamel, a Javanese word for a type of hammer used by a blacksmith. Gamelan instruments are often made of metal, and many are played with hammer-shaped mallets, as well. Although metal instruments are expensive to make, compared with those of wood or bamboo, they will not mold or deteriorate in Indonesias hot, steamy climate. Scholars suggest that this may be one of the reasons that gamelan developed, with its signature metallic sound. Where and when was gamelan invented? How has it changed over the centuries? Origins of Gamelan Gamelan seems to have developed early in the history of what is now Indonesia. Unfortunately, however, we have very few good sources of information from the early period. Certainly, gamelan seems to have been a feature of court life during the 8th to 11th centuries, among the Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms of Java, Sumatra, and Bali. For example, the great Buddhist monument of Borobudur, in central Java, includes a bas-relief depiction of a gamelan ensemble from the time of the Srivijaya Empire, c. 6th-13th centuries CE. The musicians play stringed instruments, metal drums, and flutes. Of course, we do not have any record of what the music these musicians were playing sounded like, sadly. Classical Era Gamelan During the 12th to 15th centuries, the Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms began to leave more complete records of their doings, including their music. Literature from this era mentions the gamelan ensemble as an important element of court life, and further relief carvings on various temples support the importance of metal percussion music during this period. Indeed, members of the royal family and their courtiers were all expected to learn how to play gamelan and were judged on their musical accomplishments as much as their wisdom, bravery, or physical appearance. The Majapahit Empire (1293-1597) even had a government office in charge of supervising the performing arts, including gamelan. The arts office oversaw the construction of musical instruments, as well as scheduling performances at the court. During this period, inscriptions and bas-reliefs from Bali show that the same types of musical ensembles and instruments were prevalent there as in Java; this is not surprising since both islands were under the control of the Majapahit emperors. During the Majapahit era, the gong made its appearance in Indonesian gamelan. Likely imported from China, this instrument joined other foreign additions such as stitched-skin drums from India and bowed strings from Arabia in some types of gamelan ensembles. The gong has been the longest-lasting and most influential of these imports. Music and the Introduction of Islam During the 15th century, the people of Java and many other Indonesian islands gradually converted to Islam, under the influence of Muslim traders from the Arabian peninsula and south Asia. Fortunately for gamelan, the most influential strain of Islam in Indonesia was Sufism, a mystical branch that values music as one of the pathways to experiencing the divine. Had a more legalistic brand of Islam been introduced, it might have resulted in the extinction of gamelan in Java and Sumatra. Bali, the other major center of gamelan, remained predominantly Hindu. This religious schism weakened the cultural ties between Bali and Java, although trade continued between the islands throughout the 15th to 17th centuries. As a result, the islands developed different forms of gamelan. Balinese gamelan began to emphasize virtuosity and quick tempos, a trend later encouraged by Dutch colonists. In keeping with Sufi teachings, Javas gamelan tended to be slower in tempo and more meditative or trance-like. European Incursions In the mid-1400s, the first European explorers reached Indonesia, intent on elbowing their way into the rich Indian Ocean spice and silk trade. The first to arrive were the Portuguese, who started out with small-scale coastal raids and piracy but managed to capture the key straits at Malacca in 1512. The Portuguese, along with the Arab, African, and Indian slaves they brought with them, introduced a new variety of music into Indonesia. Known as kroncong, this new style combined gamelan-like intricate and interlocking musical patterns with western instrumentation, such as the ukulele, cello, guitar, and violin. Dutch Colonization and Gamelan In 1602, a new European power made its way into Indonesia. The powerful Dutch East India Company ousted the Portuguese and began to centralize power over the spice trade. This regime would last until 1800 when the Dutch crown took over directly. Dutch colonial officials left only a few good descriptions of gamelan performances. Rijklof van Goens, for example, noted that the king of Mataram, Amangkurat I (r. 1646-1677), had an orchestra of between thirty and fifty instruments, primarily gongs. The orchestra played on Mondays and Saturdays when the king entered the court for a type of tournament. van Goens describes a dance troupe, as well, of between five and nineteen maidens, who danced for the king to the gamelan music. Gamelan in Post-Independence Indonesia Indonesia became fully independent of the Netherlands in 1949. The new leaders had the unenviable task of creating a nation-state out of a collection of different islands, cultures, religions, and ethnic groups. The Sukarno regime established publicly-funded gamelan schools during the 1950s and 1960s, in order to encourage and sustain this music as one of the national art forms of Indonesia. Some Indonesians objected to this elevation of a musical style associated primarily with Java and Bali as a national art form; in a multiethnic, multicultural country, of course, there are no universal cultural properties. Today, gamelan is an important feature of shadow puppet shows, dances, rituals, and other performances in Indonesia. Although stand-alone gamelan concerts are unusual, the music may also be heard frequently on the radio. Most Indonesians today have embraced this ancient musical form as their national sound. Sources: Bali and Beyond: A History of Gamelan.Gamelan: Venerable Lake of Honey, University of MichiganJavanese Gamelan: A History of Gamelan MusicSpiller, Henry. Gamelan: The Traditional Sounds of Indonesia, Volume 1, ABC-CLIO, 2004.Sumarsam. Gamelan: Cultural Interaction and Musical Development in Central Java, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995.

Marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Marketing plan - Essay Example It comprises of a careful mix or composition of all the ingredients that help cure hangovers. The company has its headquarters located in the United States of America. The management comprises of five individuals with employees being fifteen in number. Our mission is to give our customers a sensational feeling that connects fun to the real world without jeopardizing any other operations. Since our existence, we have cherished and valued the sober state of individuals as being the most productive state and we seek to maintain that feeling and effect even after wild parties in the most convenient and enjoyable way. The idea is to generate interesting content easily spread on the canvas because of their interest. The consumer must obviously be the main actor of this content in which it participates since it is a new product Second, it is to create content only interesting but also related to business objective. It must also be consistent with the brand image and value of Hang Down Ultimate Drink. Finally, it must meet the expectations of consumers of the beverage. As we have already noted above, social networks are the ideal place to foster dialogue with consumers. This not helps to enhance the words of the consumers but also to collect valuable information about expectations, desires, disappointments consumer. Generate conversations is also the perfect way to â€Å"humanize† the brand and its values The economic situation of the world depends on the American dollar and how it trades in the market determines the revenue rates that the company receives. Moreover, the existence of an economically sound environment boosts and promotes trade in various parts where the company has set various outlets. The law has a high influence over the operation of the company. It is responsible for ensuring that a healthy competitive business environment

The Business Of the Art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Business Of the Art - Research Paper Example This essay focuses on several things that make Martial Arts a viable business option. One is the fact that it does not go out of style. After years of existence, Martial Arts did not only persist, it has evolved and has allowed the development of even more Martial Arts. This has happened despite the lack of a definitive international body that will push for the growth of the sports. Hollywood exposure is also helping the art in getting more attention from the mainstream market. As more and more fighting techniques are developed, Hollywood is learning how to use different disciplines in a single movie. This produces greater interest on the sport. It is not enough that awareness about the discipline increases, it is more important that awareness among the right people about the art increases. Martial arts practitioners in movies are always projected to be the tough guys. This attracts people who are interested in learning how to fight. Fighting techniques are used for survival and mili tary combat and not for anything else. It is stated by the researcher that there may be a need for different martial arts organization to come together to come up with a universal plan on how to promote the sport. Once the marketing strategy is cleared out, it would be easier for gym owners to make business sense out of martial arts. The mere fact that martial arts remain a billion dollar industry despite the lack of international marketing strategy proves and shows the potential that the sport has.

Analysis of the Movie Exorcist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of the Movie Exorcist - Essay Example The documentary-like and gritty feel of the film also gives an added realistic mood and that might signify the reality of everyday life. Damien Karras is the main character who is both a psychiatrist and a priest. He is depicted as a torn man with doubts that are wiped away once he confronts the Devil. The scene where he visits Regan and records her growling voice while speaking to each other in Latin is probably the only humorously peculiar scene in the entire movie The trend towards more graphic violence in movies parallels the transition of the general viewing audience to a higher shock level. The audience is shocked by physical harm for instance fist fights or slapping, movie monsters like demon Pazuzu, urination scenes and vomit, gratuitous blood scenes. These scenes are supported with green projectile vomit, spinning heads, shaking beds and gross makeup. The movie is full of graphic domestic violence, documentary film violence (executions and accidents) and the desecration of the Virgin Mary. Expansive landscapes of death and demons walking like horrible spiders add the impression of the Beyond. From the emergence of the Hammer horrors on films have shocked the audience further by the fact that evil is so often allowed to triumph at the end of more recent films is as much connected with this change in the tolerance threshold as with the incidence of a darker, more pessimistic outlook on life. Sound effects play an important role in heating up the atmosphere of constant horror.  For instance, the slingshot sound effect and shadows create the impression of something terrible and unknown.

Order in the World vs. Savagery Essay Example for Free

Order in the World vs. Savagery Essay Choose a theme and explain how that theme influences the system of rules and order the boys establish when they arrive on the island, and what happens when the rules disintegrate. Order in the World vs. Savagery Among Men In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the characters demonstrate what can happen when the fear of the unknown sets in. Giving up the familiarity of authoritative figures and domesticated surroundings can put some people, especially adolescents and children, into a state of shock. If this state of shock does not set in immediately, it is inevitable to set in with time. This novel, filled with allegorical references, is a prime example of how the cultures and values set up by people and evolving over time can be ruined by crisis, creating our main theme of Order in the World VS. Savagery Among Men. The novel starts out with our main characters, the school boys, who have been marooned on a completely deserted island. Being that these are mere children, it doesn’t take too long before everyone starts to realize that not only do they no longer have the structure of adult supervision, but they must also learn to fend for themselves. Conflicting human instincts begin to arise, and we all know that without structure in our world, instincts can be a terribly scary addition to this chaotic mix. It is quite interesting to see that even given their crisis of a situation, one of the boys still clings to his former civilized lifestyle. He still has the urge inside of him to work toward order and their pre-existing domesticated, cushy lives. Living in our sheltered world for such a very long period of time, in this case his whole life has created a barrier between him and reality. Given that he is just a boy, this is not unusual but rather expected of him. On the other hand, we have the majority of the boys, who have resorted to their primordial instincts. They start off with a sort of structure: the conch shell. This is their only form of order in their new life, a symbolic sign of civility which they have brought with them from their old lives. This was, at first, a sense of security. The conch was once used to summon everyone together as a group after their plane crash. However after Jack the leader was chosen to run the group, he became relentless, spouting demands left and right, expecting his group to agree at every whim or else. Ralph, one of the other main characters, opposed the barbaric ideas proposed by Jack, and created his own group. When Jack hears of this disruption to his overruling, he makes sure to convince everyone that they need to be on his team and that he can help them more than wimpy Ralph will be able to. When his teachings are unleashed, Roger rolls a giant boulder onto Piggy, which also crushes their conch shell. I believe that this is a symbol of the disintegration of all civility among the boys. As these rules continue to diminish, the representation of our theme becomes more and more clear. For example, Simon encounters the beast that frightens all of the boys to no end, only to find that the beast does not exist; it is imaginary. The beast, we find, is simply a symbol which lies inside of each and every person because it represents human primitive instincts. When Simon went to alert the rest of the group about the beast, the boys with their newfound savage ways of living attacked Simon immediately without any hesitation whatsoever. The boys tore his body limb from limb until there was no life left. This part of the novel is an extremely important part of the theme because the behavior of the boys is what brought this â€Å"beast† to life! In conclusion, as you are able to see, our theme of order and reason in the world versus savagery and impulse influences the system of rules (or lack thereof) throughout the entire novel. In the beginning, many clung tight to their lives of order, while the remainder of others decided right away that because there was no supervision, they needed to have a leader as soon as possible. Toward the end of our novel, as their rules began to dismantle and leadership turned to a god complex dictatorship, we are still able to see the influential theme in the story line as savagery among men takes over all order when the killing begins.

The Aurora Borealis Essay -- physics space

The Aurora Borealis is made when storms on the the sun form solar winds, or large streams of charged particles streaming toward the earth.These streams could have upward of ten million megawatts of electrical power. That is enough power to light up Los Angeles. It generally takes about three days for these streams of particles to reach the earth's upper atmosphere, or ionosphere. When these charged particles hit the earth's atmosphere, they excite the atoms contained in the atmosphere. These excited atoms have a higher energy state that usual and so want to get back to a more normal energy state. The excited atoms give off excess energy in the form of heat, or the case of the Aurora Borealis, light. The trillions of excited atoms give off enough light so that we can see the light from where we live on the ground, 43-200 miles above us. The Aurora Borealis is most often seen in a striking green color, but it also occasionally shows off its many colors ranging from red to pink, blue to purple, dark to light. The reason that the aurora is seen in so many colors is that our atmosphere is made up of many different compounds like Oxygen and Nitrogen. When the charged particles that come from the sun hit the atoms and molecules of the Earth's atmosphere, they excite those atoms, giving off light. Different atoms give off different colors of the spectrum when they are excited. A familiar example is the Neon lights that we see on many business signs in our modern world. The Neon lights contain the gas Neon. These lights have electricity run through them to excite the Neon gas. When the Neon is excited, it gives off a brilliant red-orange color. The Neon lights are the same idea as the aurora, only on a lot smaller scale. Different ga... ... as a story from Scotland, tell of battles in the sky with showers of red blood. A story from the Northern Hebrides attributes the aurora to supernatural beings called Blue Men. During an active display of the aurora the Blue Men are called the Merry Dancers also known as na fir chlis (Gaelic for quick, nimble men). When the aurora moves rapidly, there is believed to be a battle going on between clans. The red light was attributed the the blood spilled during these battles. In Norse mythology, there is reference to Bifrost, or a bridge to the sky built by the Gods. This bridges was said to be on fire to keep the Giants out. In Medieval art, the aurora was dipicted as candles in the sky. In Greenland, it was said that the aurora represented the dead playing with the head of a walrus. No matter what the tale, they are all interesting and are worthy of reading.

JFK: Alliance For Progress :: essays research papers

The dawning of the sixties erupted with John F. Kennedy as President, the beginning of an anti-war movement, and the fear of communism. It was a new decade and called for many changes, domestic and foreign. New policies were initiated in the hopes for a better economy and relations with other countries. In 1961, President Kennedy called for the establishment of the Alliance for Progress. The program was aimed towards promoting the social and economic development of Latin America. Kennedy proposed this cooperative program to replace prior failing efforts of the United States to aid Latin America. The intended alliance marked a shift toward a policy of expanded U.S. economic assistance to Latin America in the wake of Fidel Castro’s successful Communist revolution in Cuba. The United States was fearful of a communism spread due to the poverty and social inequities of the Latin American nations. The U.S. felt that the southern continent was ripe for violent radical political upheaval, which would eventually bring forth the spread of communism. The Alliance for Progress program was initially met with open arms by most Latin Americans leaders and immediately boosted U.S. relations throughout the hemisphere.1 The alliance’s charter was signed by all members of the organization except for Cuba at a special meeting at Punta del Este, Uruguay, on August 17, 1961.2 The drafters of the charter emphasized that the twin goals of economic development and social injustice should be pursued simultaneously and that both should be paralleled by efforts to expand political freedom in the hemisphere. One of the most important factors of the program was the promotion of self-help. Under the alliance’s charter, the participating Latin American countries would provide eighty percent of the funding and the remaining twenty would be pledged by external sources, which would be furnished by the United states, other wealthy countries, and a variety of public and private groups. Though created to ensure the improvement of Latin Americ a, there were many dilemmas within the Alliance for Progress. The program was not really an alliance and it did not progress satisfactorily. The wealthy naturally wanted to remain in the position in society and were blind to the fact that it was hastening a Communist takeover. Contributions to the destitute countries of Latin America often found its way into the wallets of the wealthy instead of profiting the poor. The initiator of the Alliance for Progress was the elected 35th president, John F.

How Are Responses To Disasters Shaped By The Bureaucratic Structures Of Humanitarian Institutions?

Accident, be it natural or man made, are common these days. It is not that in human history that disasters never happened but the modern world is a close contact global village and with willingness any country is able to help the other in peril. However, there are several clauses attached to it along with strings that are attached to international politics. As a result, it should be taken into account that any action taken against any incident of disaster follows the path of evaluation and analysis on the parameters of bureaucratic judgments and willingness.It should also be taken into account this bureaucratic evaluation of the incident is subjected to the political scenario in long or in short run. Furthermore, it is also to be considered that all the humanitarian institutions responsible for the deliverance of aid to the disaster stricken area would ultimately be depended on the willingness of the bureaucratic system. The bureaucratic system work strictly on the principals of adva ntages and benefit of the action thus aid becomes relatively more obvious in areas of vested interest than the areas that are not directly linked up with the interest of the bureaucratic scheme. Olsen, 16)It is true that the Western Society has proved to be the most powerful in terms of finance and resource in the modern era and thus it is the call of the Western world that determines the severity of a disaster in a given situation and the amount of aid that should be granted as a relief. It is obvious that the bureaucratic system is the most instrumental part in this entire scenario of politics of aid and thus all the humanitarian institutes are in alignment with this system.The connection between the bureaucratic system and and the humanitarian institutes are also revealed in the local perception of aid or relief during a disaster. If the Tsunami of the Indian Ocean is taken into account it would be clear that in the island of Sri Lanka it was found that such bureaucratic discrimi nation in the parameters of race abd religion was taking place. Here the bureaucratic system was playing in the hands of the government formed by the help of the majority consisting of the population of the Sinhalese language.This bureaucratic system then influenced the humanitarian institutions to offer major part of the relief to the Sinhalese population rather than the Tamil population of the northern parts of the island. (Walker, 5) The example of Sri Lanka and the relief discrimination between the Sinhalese and the Tamil population could be regarded as a classic example of bureaucratic system induced humanitarian misuse or under use of the aid. In conclusion it should be mentioned that there are several examples that point towards proper distribution of aid during the time of disaster by institutions like Salvation Army and the Red Cross.However, the point that should not be missed is that the action taken during a disaster is an emergency and is purely based on humanitarian gr ounds thus the equal and proper distribution of aid and relief should always be one hundred per cent and there should not be any bureaucratic influence to state otherwise. As a human being this is the minimum requirement and the maximum amount of resource should be employed to attain the goal.

A Critical Investigation of Work

A Critical Investigation of Work Overview The many roles and functions that people bears in life impose tough demands that require adequate time allotment, energy, and commitment for successful completion. Specifically, the demands placed on people by work-related roles have not only dramatically changed in modern times, but continues to exert immeasurable pressure on employees to perform for purposes of securing their careers on a long-term basis.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Critical Investigation of Work-Life Conflict on Employee Performance Organizational Productive Capacities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Higgins (n.d.), the demands of the modern economic environment are so much interlinked with employees’ professional and personal lives to a point where it becomes almost impossible to draw a clear line between the two, hence leading to work-life conflict. The above situation is thought to enhance stress levels and health complications among employees, lowering their productive capacities and enhancing turnover and absenteeism. These undesirable outcomes are also thought to impact an organization’s profitability capacities. It is against this backdrop that this particular project aims to investigate the influence of work-life conflict on employee performance and organizational productive capacities. Variable Description According to Cohen et al (2007), â€Å"†¦an independent variable is an input variable, that which causes, in part or total, a particular outcome†¦A dependent variable, on the other hand, is the outcome variable, that which is caused, in total or in part, by the input† (p. 504). Based on this definition, work-life conflict is the independent variable, while dependent variables include employee performance and organizational productive capacities. As such, the present project aims to test the relationship between work-life conflict and two dependent variab les – employee performance and organizational productivity. According to Sekaran (2006), one dependent variable may be used to test the strength of another dependent variable or to map out the chain of interrelationships in cases where the researcher is faced with multiple dependent variables Variable Testing Since this project utilizes a quantitative research design, the influence of the independent variable on the dependent variables will be tested through manipulating the independent variable. Here, comparisons will be made on organizations which have put in place comprehensive work-life balance programs and other organizations that do not implement such programs, hence leading to work-life conflict. When the independent variable is manipulated by comparing the two sets of organizations, the measured outcomes in terms of underlying issues affecting employee performance and organizational productivity will become clear. This type of procedure best suits descriptive studies where the subjects are only measured once (Cohen et al, 2007).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Alternatively, the independent variable can be manipulated by first evaluating the status of employee performance and organizational productivity in an organization that does not implement work-life balance programs. Afterwards, the researcher may attempt to introduce some work-life balance initiatives in an attempt to manipulate the independent variable, which is work-life conflict. A relationship will be confirmed if the dependent variables of employee performance and organizational commitment start to alter, either negatively or positively. According to Sekaran (2006), this procedure usually takes a lot of time, and is therefore preferred when the researcher is interested in longitudinal analysis. Project Hypotheses H1: There exists a positive correlation between emplo yee stress and burnout levels arising from work-related responsibilities and the organization’s ability to remain competitive in a changing and dynamic economic environment H2: Work-life balance programs are positively correlated to enhanced employee productivity, commitment, and image of the organization Literature Review Employees, in spite of their gender, have responsibilities, requirements, and personal lives outside of the workday. However, the volatile and dynamic economic environment coupled with shifting work demands have taken a toll on employees by necessitating them to become more involved in their paid employment than was previously the case (Nadeem Abbas, 2009). The long working hours and high work demands that are characteristic of today’s labor market have not only enhanced work-related stress and burnout levels on the part of employees, but have also made it tremendously difficult for employees to maintain adequate balance between their work responsib ilities and family-related commitments, resulting in work-life conflict. Higgins et al (n.d.) defines work-life conflict â€Å"†¦as a form of inter-role conflict in which work and family demands are mutually incompatible so that meeting demands in one domain makes it difficult to meet demands in the other† (p. 9).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Critical Investigation of Work-Life Conflict on Employee Performance Organizational Productive Capacities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This result in tensions and stress due incompatible expectations, with available evidence pointing to the fact that employees suffer from a myriad of negative psychological, mental, and physical problems due to this form of role conflict and interference. Of particular relevance to this particular project is that work-life conflict occasions a multiplicity of undesirable outcomes which affects employees differently dependin g on the coping strategies that have been put in place. Equally, work-life conflict affects the productive capacities of an organization. According to Kreiner et al (2009), the development of concern about the need to develop policies and frameworks aimed to curtail work-life conflict arises from a recognition that the requirements and needs of non-work responsibilities and commitments have enormously grown in proportion to the needs and demands of non-work roles. Employees and organizations stand to gain immensely if efforts are purposely channeled to eliminate work-life conflict. A major study conducted in 2009 by Corporate Executive Board (CEB) revealed that absence of work-life conflict in work environments make employees to feel more rested, motivated, and energized while discharging their roles, both at work and home (Kisilevitz Bedington, 2009), not mentioning the fact that such an environment is known to enhance employee productivity, proficiency, fulfillment, and commitmen t to the ideals and objectives of the organization. At the organizational level, consecutive studies has linked the absence of work-life conflict to reduced employee absenteeism and turnover, enhanced organization’s image, employee loyalty, and a host of other outcomes that enhances the organization’s opportunities to regain and retain competitive advantage. More importantly, work-life conflict has negative health implications to employees and a costly financial dimension to organizations (Joshi et al, 2002). There is, therefore, a strong case to oblige organizations to come up with proper strategies and frameworks that will curtail or completely eliminate work-life conflict among their workforce. Reference List Cohen, L., Manion, L., Morrison, K.R.B. (2007). Research Methods in Education, 6th Ed. New York, NY: Routledge.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Higgins, C., Duxbury, L., Lyons, S. (n.d.). Reducing work-life conflict: What works? What doesn’t? Web. Joshi, S., Leichne, J., Melanson, K., Pruna, C., Sager, N., Story, C. J., Williams, K. (2002). Work-life balance: A case of social responsibility or corporate advantage. Web. Kisilevitz, M., Bedington, T. (2009). Managing work-life balance programs in a down economy. Benefits Compensation Digest, Vol. 46, Issue 12, p. 30-34. Kreiner, G. E., Hollensbe, E.C., Sheep, M.L. (2009). Balancing boarders and bridges: Negotiating the work-home interface via boundary work tactics. Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 52, Issue 4, p. 704-730. Retrieved from Business Source Premier Database. Nadeem, M.S., Abbas, Q. (2009). The impact of work-life conflict on job satisfaction of employees in Pakistan. International Journal of Business Management, Vol. 4, No. 5. Web. Sekaran, U. (2006). Research methods for business: A skill building approach, 4th Ed. Wiley-India.