Respective societies Essay

How do the writers of Jane Eyre and Of Mice and Men show Crooks and Jane to be outsiders in their respective societies? Howard Jenkins 11R How do the writers of Jane Eyre and Of Mice and Men show Crooks and Jane to be outsiders in their respective societies? In the novels Jane Eyre and Of Mice and Men both novels are protesting about social injustices. These injustices lead to many of the characters being outsiders or they are outsiders because they don’t fit into accepted conventions. People are outsiders due to injustices and their differences. One of the techniques that both Charlotte Bronte and John Steinbeck use to show both Jane and Crooks as outsiders is by making them ranked lower socially compared to those around them. In Jane Eyre Jane is ranked lower than her Aunt and cousins as they are middle-class and she is someone from the lower class living in their house. This creates the impression on the reader that she is an outsider in their middle-class world very effectively. She is looked down on by her Aunt and cousins as if she does not deserve the respect that a servant would get as at least a servant works for their food and room. This attitude has been conveyed to the servants and Miss Abbott notes, â€Å"She is worse than a servant for she does nothing for her keep. † This technique works very effectively to show that Jane is an outsider. In Of Mice and Men Steinbeck uses a similar technique to portray Crooks as an outsider. Because Crooks is black he is seen as inferior to most of the men on the ranch due to the racist views at the time the book was written. As with Jane in Jane Eyre this portrays Crooks as an outsider on the ranch as he is not accepted by most of the other men. Crooks is only too aware of their attitudes and he tells Lennie, â€Å"They think I stink. † The language in the novels also helps to portray the characters of Jane and Crooks as outsiders. In Jane Eyre the story is narrated in the first person narrative. This engages the reader’s sympathy. The narration causes the reader to trust her as she is not liked by everyone and Jane quite openly admits this. Also the surroundings in Jane Eyre show Gateshead to be a miserable place for Jane. The rooms are places that, for Jane, are filled with cold and dread, even in the nursery where you would expect her to feel happy and play with toys is a miserable place. Jane cannot touch the doll’s house furniture, â€Å"for the tiny chairs and mirrors were Georgiana’s property,† This sort of writing shows the reader how hard a life Jane lives at Gateshead and how she is seen by those she lives with. She is not permitted to touch things that belong to those who are a higher social class than her and she is not even happy in the child’s nursery. By demonising the Reed family, Bronte ensures our sympathy for Jane. The harshness of the weather in the novel reinforces the harshness of Jane’s life with the Reeds. The weather is always cold with a winter wind and rain making any outdoor exercise and an escape from the walls of Gateshead quite impossible. Jane looks through the glass of the windows at the grounds â€Å"where all was still and petrified under the influence of a hard frost. † The harshness and cold of the weather reflect Jane’s lack of love at Gateshead. However Bronte allows Bessie to show her affection and Jane says, â€Å"even for me life had its gleams of sunshine† Bronte also uses symbolism elsewhere in the novel. For example the window separates known from unknown, inside from outside. The world outside the window offers Jane more happiness. It is apparent that Charlotte Bronte manipulated her use of language so that the setting and elements in this novel appear as objective reflections for the inner life. Steinbeck does not use symbolism as extensively as Bronte, but the bare, isolated harness room represents his alienation on the ranch. There are many similarities between the characters and situations of Jane Eyre and Crooks. Both of the characters are seeking independence. Jane shows this by always speaking her mind rebelliously and in doing so angering those around her, â€Å"If she were a nice, pretty child one might compassionate her forlornness but one really cannot care for such a little toad as that. † Similarly, Crooks keeps a defensive distance from the others and is described as a â€Å"proud aloof man. † This creates compassion for the characters by the reader. Another similarity between the characters is that they are both seeking for companionship. Jane is excluded form the Reeds and is unloved, but she does not enjoy this isolation, â€Å"If others don’t love me I would rather die than live. † Crooks is also lonely as he is excluded from the other men on the ranch because he is black, but he too feels that loneliness is destructive, â€Å"Books ain’t no good. A guy needs someone to be near him. † When Lennie is taliking about the ranch in Of Mice and Men Crooks is quick to offer his services on the new ranch hoping for some companionship, â€Å"If you guys would want a hand to work for nothing just his keep why I’d come and lend a hand. † Another similarity between the two characters is that they are both bullied by those around them. Jane is bullied by her cousins, especially John Reed, â€Å"He bullied and punished me, not two or three time in the week, nor once or twice in the day but continually. † Crooks has been bullied by other men on the ranch because he is black and different to them, but he is destroyed by Curley’s wife’s cruel taunts and threats and he withdraws into himself, â€Å"Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego – nothing to arouse either like or dislike. † Both Jane and Crooks are physically isolated from the rest of those around them. Jane is banished by Mrs Reed to the kitchen and Crooks is excluded from the other men’s activities. Jane says, â€Å"From every enjoyment I was, of course, excluded† And Crooks tells Lennie, â€Å"They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. † Jane and crooks are very proud individuals. Jane tells her aunt that the Reed children, â€Å"are not fit to associate with me† and Crooks was a, â€Å"Proud, aloof man† Both writers make their characters more appealing by presenting them as feisty and courageous at times. A common attribute that both Steinbeck and Bronte use to portray Jane and Crooks as outsiders in the novel is that both characters read to escape from their own miserable, lonely existences. Jane says, â€Å"I soon possessed myself a volume, taking care that it should be one stored with pictures,† and, â€Å"With Bewick on my knee I was happy. † Crooks too withdraws into a world of books, â€Å"And he had books too a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905. † Books are the only things that these characters can communicate with and again their love of literature endears them to us. Overall the authors of Jane Eyre and Of Mice and Men use many similar techniques to make the characters Jane and Crooks appear as outsiders in the novels. The authorial purpose is obvious, the writers have sympathy with the underdog and through their characters they challenge the reader to question their consciences.

American Reconstruction: a Revolution or a Failure?

American Reconstruction: A Revolution or a Failure? Historians Eric Foner and C. Vann Woodward, provide a Tyson Vs Ali fight in the debate over whether the American Reconstruction period was in fact a revolution or a failure. Each provides an in-depth analysis supporting his argument. Foner takes the approach that the Reconstruction was a Revolution, explaining, that â€Å"Reconstruction allowed scope for a remarkable political and social mobilization of black, community, opening doors of opportunity that could never again be completely closed. Woodward takes a much more pessimistic approach arguing, â€Å"The other (failure) is the ruins of Reconstruction, the North’s failure to solve the problem of the black peoples place in American life. â€Å" Foner’s argument is based on the immediate political and civil rights that the freedmen were given after the emancipation through the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, and how the mindset of the south was altered forever. N ew adjustments such as the Homestead Act of 1862 and many other social and political changes were grounds to label the Reconstruction Era a revolution.Foner believed although nearly every authority and right that the freedmen were given were eventually taken back after the Reconstruction finally ended in 1867, the mindset and the drastic changes that took place would stay with America throughout its history, and therefore was revolutionary. Woodward’s pessimistic response to America’s optimistic take on the Reconstruction being revolutionary was based on the idea that in the long run what actually was accomplished was not very influential.With the exception of the amendments that were established after the Civil War, the hope of the freedmen sharing equality with the whites was taken away after the Reconstruction, and therefore was a total failure. The South’s resistance against the freedmen gaining any sort of political or social power was stronger than the wil l of the North to help bring equality to the South and according to Woodward, denies Reconstruction being a failure because they were to headstrong to admit defeat. When looking back at the Reconstruction and asking whether or not it was evolutionary, one must consider the affect it had on the country once the period ended. The answer is, the Reconstruction had had little to no influence on society once it had come to a halt after the election of President Hayes in 1867, and therefore cannot be considered a revolution. When talking about a revolution, what is being considered is a drastic change in culture, politics, and social structure, and the Reconstruction does meet those requirements. Looking into what occurred during the Reconstruction, the only true accomplishments that won out were those that came from the resistance of the South.When Foner makes his attempt to sway the reader’s minds into following his argument that the Reconstruction was revolutionary, he fails to point out any substantial examples of the freedmen overcoming the resistance of the South without the help of the government. For example the Homestead Act of 1862 was enforced by the government to make available land to freedmen which belonged to former land owners, (many of which were former slave owners) however when the Homestead Act was put in place, only one-tenth of the land was distributed to new land owners.Other examples such as sharecropping were also non-substantial as it triggered a new labor system which consisted of land owners advertising work to immigrants and hiring them to work for low wages and rations of bacon and cornmeal, which was a similar the experiments in the West Indies with the â€Å"coolies. â€Å" How is forcing the freedmen and their families on the streets and living in poverty in anyway revolutionary? It was only until the government stepped in and put and end of what Foner called a, â€Å"New modification of the slave trade† that the free dmen even had an opportunity to work for wages on plantations.One can argue that this was a change in how the labor system worked, but can something so minute be considered revolutionary? Once the government refuted one attempt at resistance from the South, another emerged. In 1865 the Black Codes were established in all different states throughout the South. These codes limited what the black man was able to do for a living and gave no opportunity to own land, making the situation for freedmen similar to what it was before the emancipation.Other forms of resistance, such as the radical group Ku Klux Clan brought terror and destruction to the South. Radical Reconstruction groups did not match the will of the resistance and therefore Reconstruction did little good for the former slaves. Every attempt to make the former slaves equals to whites was not accomplished because the Resistance in the South would not allow it. Woodward says, â€Å"The failure of Reconstruction is to be expla ined by the lack of revolutionary measures. If the attempt of Reconstruction was more radical, there could possibly be an argument that it was revolutionary, but the truth is the counter-revolution was stronger than the actual revolution. People were scared for their lives, terror and anger filled the streets, and the South was not a safe environment for the freedmen and their families. In conclusion, the only real gain that the freedmen received during the Reconstruction were the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments that were added to the Constitution following the end of the Civil War.All other gains were taken back with the election of President Haynes in 1867, after he made a deal to end Reconstruction in the South if elected president. Now compare what was accomplished to the other revolutions in History, the American Revolution, which separated the United States from British authorities and the French Revolution, where the people physically overthrew their government and established a democracy. Those were drastic shifts in society that defined what a revolution is.The idea that Reconstructions was a revolution would be the side that says the government establishing three laws was a revolution. This is a very weak argument, especially when the amendments that were passed were not accepted by the majority of the South and therefore not practiced due to the radical’s response of violence and terror. Revolutions are drastic changes that affect the country forever, and the Reconstruction simply did not meet the requirements to even be considered a revolution. Bibliography : 1.Eric Foner, â€Å"The Politics of Freedom in Nothing but Freedom: Emancipation and its Legacy† (Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press) 2. C. Vann Woodward. â€Å"Reconstruction: A Counterfactual Playback† (Oxford: Oxford University Press 1989) John Recchia Prof. Van Gosse U. S History II 9/20/10 ———————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ [ 1 ]. Foner, â€Å"The Politics of Freedom†, 10 [ 2 ]. Foner, â€Å"The Politics of Freedom†, 10-11 [ 3 ]. Woodwars, â€Å"Reconstruction: A Counterfactual Playback†, 29 [ 4 ]. Foner, â€Å"The Politics of Freedom†, 11-12

Rodney Kings verdict and riots Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rodney Kings verdict and riots - Essay Example Rodney’s situation resulted in a look into police cover-ups and brutality. The witness of the riot by the world was a clear protest of racial equality and resulted in the current situation of advancement in racial equality in many parts of the world. The situation and verdict opened the understanding of everyone as being important and of value rather than wasteful and require respect and justice (Rucker & Upton, 2007). This resulted in reduced issues of excessive force being used in the American policing which was real in the past. In the year 2008 documentary, it was evident that black parents had with their sons have been how to react when stopped by police. This type of conversation has become a national conversation that still exists in the United States. The key change in police system that has transpired includes police hires and community relationships with regard to police department concerning riots. Rodney King’s verdict and riot elevated discussions on juries ’ racial composition and trial locations. Despite not being the first time in considering such a discussion, the case resulted as a benchmark for best practices teaching for both jury selection and a police department. The aspect of racism also goes beyond just black and white conversation to multi-cultural communities, nationalities and economic challenges and tension. This aspect still remains a hindrance in the attainment of civil rights in many areas of administration and social setting within the American community currently.

Contemporary Art Form Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contemporary Art Form - Research Paper Example The paper "Contemporary Art Form Paper" discovers the Contemporary Art. There is overwhelming consensus among the general populations of the world that the American invasion of Iraq in 2003 and its continued occupation of the country under dire civil turmoil, is both unwarranted and immoral. This is testified by the massive public demonstrations (in the United States and the rest of the world) that was witnessed as soon as war plans were announced in early 2003. The violation felt by the general public is such that the protests continues to this day, which is most visible in the blogosphere and alternative media commentary. In this backdrop, some creative artists in the United States and elsewhere have tried to employ various art forms to register their protest. The recently inaugurated play by Karen Malpede, titled Prophecy takes the audience into the heart of the Iraq war. It explores the complex web of links between various sections of civil society when a region is militarily int ervened. Starring such stalwart actors as Kathleen Chalfant, Andre de Shields and George Bartenieff, the play brings out the far-reaching consequence of any war and underscores the chaos and disruption that attends it. If not directly being didactic about wars of all sorts, the play subtly implies the futility of war. Indeed, the anti-war message from the theatre community has been so resonant in the last decade that a thematic anthology was published recently. â€Å"Acts of War: Iraq and Afghanistan in Seven Plays†,

Diabetes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Diabetes - Essay Example Diabetes is a medical disease in which the human body can either not produce or not properly utilize the hormone called Insulin. Insulin itself is a naturally produced hormone which helps the body in converting sugars, starch and other food stuff into useful energy which is needed for the activities of daily life. While we know a lot about the effects of the disease, the cause of the ailment continues to be an unsolved mystery. However, both genetic and environmental influences have been noted to bring up the onset of diabetes and these include factors including obesity and a sedate lifestyle. The Diabetes UK (2008) organization also confirms the information provided by the ADA and gives further information regarding diabetes. According to the UK based charity, Diabetes is a condition where the the amount of sugar i.e. glucose in the blood is elevated abnormally since the body cannot use it properly. The glucose comes from the digestive system when starchy foods such as bread, rice, potatoes, chapatis, and plantain are consumed. High contents of glucose can also come from sugar or other sweet foods. The liver also produces glucose naturally within the body. Insulin is vital for life and it produced by the pancreas to help the glucose to enter the body cells where it can be used as fuel. Essentially, there are two types of diabetes known as Type 1 and Type 2. Of all the individuals affected by Diabetes, Type 1 is the less common type since it sets in when the body is completely unable to produce any insulin whatsoever. For those who are affected, this type of diabetes commonly appears before the person is forty.   Type 2 diabetes is more common and less easier to detect as well since in this situation, the body can still produce some insulin, but not enough for the cells to perform their function ideally. Type 2 diabetes can also set in when the insulin that is produced is not working correctly which is known as insulin resistance in the body. In many

Being an Effective Instructional Designer Essay - 4

Being an Effective Instructional Designer - Essay Example Competency in the field of instructional design depends on the ability to provide effective implementation of instructional products and programs. It is considered as an important competency. According to Richey Fields, Instructional designer need to use evaluation data as a guide for revision of products and programs. It is important for them to ensure that their products are programs are updated as and when needed. They also should ensure that the instructional products and programs are revised and changed according to changing policies and the need of the time. (10 Qualities of the Ideal Instructional Designer) There are various things that an effective instructional designer needs to consider. According to Covey, an instructional designer needs to be pro-active. Pro-activity is considered as the ability to adapt to changing situations through one’s own choices. It’s about solving solutions instead of waiting for others to solve the problems. Instructional designers should be proactive especially when in the business field. They need to be pro-active and observe business trends and build health relations. They need to be proactive and make sure that instead of waiting for clients to come down with requests, they should keep up with their business well enough to anticipate their needs. The next most important part of an instructional designer’s job is emphasis on performance analysis. It is considered as the single most important competency for success in this field. Thus conducting first-rate performance analysis is a very important aspect of this field. In a lot of cases, managers will be pressurized to take a shortcut to direct action. However this strategy should be discouraged and an action should follow an analysis. Thus the lesson here is to ensure that the customers are given what they need instead of what the instructional designer perceives that they need. Instructional designers need to ensure that they have the end mapped in t heir mind before they begin. Thus it is important for instructional designers to pursue clear-cut rules and understand the business goals that need to be accomplished. They should know what exactly do the clients expect in the end? Where does the organization stand today and how far have they reached? The objectives and development work should follow the mission set before them. As mentioned in the aforementioned paragraphs, it is important to do performance analysis by instructional designers. It is even more important to do this performance analysis creatively for them. It is often observed that the model for performance analysis used by writers tends to be very simple and does not highlight the complexity associated with human performance problems. The point of emphasis here is that one should think out of outbox. One should think in terms of the the competencies that the client needs to possess for the instructional design to be used successfully? Should the routine performance appraisals and job descriptions be followed or should other means of feedback be pursued? One should be willing to pursue why? (William J. Rothwell, 2008) The next point of emphasis for instructional design field is the need to educate managers about performance analysis.  

Field Trip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Field Trip - Essay Example The centre featured a large screen used for presentation and educative film of space exploration. The Sketch Foundation Gallery captivated our attention and it occurred to me that it would best serve as a point of reference to our field trip. At the gallery, several space satellites were on display and among the ones that would capture attention of any visitor was the communication satellite. The scientist tour guide made us to understand that these space satellites vary in sizes depending on the main purpose of the use. The enormous size of the satellites was triggering many questions amongst us. The approximate weight of these satellites is six to eight tones of metal like the size of a small school bus. Apart from the size and physical appearances, the various parts of the space satellite were intriguing. The major parts included massive rocket propulsion system and its fuel tanks to move the satellite into space, antennas, and large transceivers for radio communication (Miller, 55). In addition, the large solar panels for converting solar energy in space to electricity together with the batteries to store the energy was also an amazing combination of energy sustaining system in space. The most important system of communication was the on-board computer processor that served as the â€Å"brain† of the satellite. The computer also served as a storage device for information and reception of instruction (Miller, 56). All these parts proved just how amazing the scientific ventures and explorat ion may go in the space exploration. Despite the size of these satellites’ and all their parts, the question on my mind was how these satellites managed to stay in space and move around the earth without falling back to earth. Our visitors tour guide who was also a scientist at the center gave us a comprehensive presentation of how the space satellite orbits the earth. The presentation began with an explanation of how

Business planning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business planning - Research Paper Example Customization includes making the new jewelry with desired sizes, color, and design. We would also be able to accommodate the customer selected designs or drawn with mutually agreeable way. Opportunity and Strategy- The following are the available opportunities for the proposed business: the increasing consumer preference toward classic designs; the regional growth in suppliers will benefit the company; the existence of the creation of a new product through customization; the increased number of technology users; and the increased demand in locally-made and reliable products. The company would wish to exploit the above-mentioned opportunities using the following strategies: first, by providing uniquely made jewelry through combinations and customization. Second, by establishing an online portal, for the potential customers, where they can choose, modify, mix and match and upload their preferred designs. The company wants to make sure that those who do not have time during normal trading hours can use this portal which will be of mutual benefit. The target market and projections- We would like to consider factors that influence buyer’s behavior as the basis for selecting the target market rather than segregation criteria based on age or gender. The business would like to concentrate on the buyer’s purchasing decision in order to establish marketing factors such as the customer preference and the range of jewelry they use. Sara’s Jewelry: it maters Inc. wants deliver their product for the middle class (Targets the middle class). The value we want is affordable, durable and long lasting custom-made products. The business aims at satisfying the local demand of unique jewelry through local production. Sara’s Jewelry: it maters Inc. would like to serve their customers by creating a need rather than targeting at any problem. The customer value proposition can be defined as the ‘value’ which will make them feel satisfied and make them loyal

Magnesium alloys - AK80 and ZK60 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Magnesium alloys - AK80 and ZK60 - Essay Example Magnesium alloys like Mg ZK60 and Mg AK80 have occupied the essential demands for automotive Mg parts. Car structural parts are essentially produced from energy absorption materials with reasonable elongation, high yield strength and most importantly high impact energy. A type of alloys called Wrought Mg alloys have the potential to serve these needs better then the die cast Mg alloys. 1 more benefit of using alloys is â€Å"The use of Wrought Mg parts in vehicles will cause weight saving up to an average of 30% compared to Aluminum and 70% compared to steel. Magnesium alloys are in demand now days for the properties like low density, high melting and boiling point, high specific strength, good electromagnetic shielding characteristics, excellent castability and machinability. Magnesium AZ80 Structure Magnesium ZK60 Structure Types of Alloys Magnesium alloys are divided mainly in 2 types. First type is Cast Alloys. Magnesium casting  proof stress  is mainly 75-200  MPa,  ten sile strength is between  135-285  MPa and elongation 2-10%. Common  density  is 1800  kg/m3  and  Young's modulus  is 42 GPa. Some of the most popular and common alloys are AZ63, AZ81, AZ91, ZK51, ZK61, Elektron 21. Second is Wrought Alloys. Magnesium wrought alloy proof stress mainly coincides between 160 and 240  MPa, tensile strength is 180-440  MPa and elongation remains 7-40%. ... Like (A= aluminum, Z= Zinc, M= Manganese, S= Silicon) and remaining the two digits after the letters indicates towards the percent composition respectively. For an example – If the given alloy is AZ63, we can predict that the two elements, Aluminum and Zink are present in the alloy and the percent composition of both the metals is 6% and 3% respectively. Specification Physical properties of Alloys Magnesium and its alloys mainly have silvery and white shades. As discussed above, Magnesium is the lightest structural metal present. So the alloys of magnesium are used to build structures like automobiles and massive buildings. As magnesium being reactive in nature, the alloy of magnesium is used for the building purposes. Magnesium and its alloys can be fabricated very easily. Pieces of Magnesium’s alloys can be welded, molded, cut and shaped according to requirement. Magnesium is the 6th most found element in nature, consisting of 2.1% of the earth’s crust. Common density of Magnesium alloys is 1800 Kg/m3. Relative Intensity of Magnesium Chemical properties of Alloys: - Magnesium is present in 2nd group and 3rd period of the periodic table, having atomic no as 12. Its average atomic mass is 24.035 gm. The boiling point of magnesium in standard conditions is 1090 degree Celsius or 1994 degree Fahrenheit. Magnesium is one of the most reactive metals present in the periodic table that is why; generally magnesium is not present in Free State on the earth. This is 1 of the need to form the alloys. The alloys of Magnesium like AZ80 and ZK60 have high melting and boiling points as compared to Magnesium. Alloys have higher stable condition and can be kept freely in the atmosphere. Uses of the given alloys Variety of the stock for subsequent working

Plato and More Definitive Understanding of Art and Philosophy Essay

Plato and More Definitive Understanding of Art and Philosophy - Essay Example Plato and More Definitive Understanding of Art and Philosophy Naturally, the first level of argument which can be discussed with regards to how Plato defines virtue. As one might expect, many pages are indeed entire pages of Plato’s work have been concentric on defining virtue in the means through which it can be maximized within our world. However, with that being said, it must be understood that virtue within the specific delineation of what defines art and how it should be represented to the populace is ultimately a subjective understanding. In such a way, by promoting the belief that art should be exhibited if it entails possibilities of fostering virtue and promoting the goodness of the person in something that cannot be defined by a single understanding and should not be presented as the benchmark by which art should be manifested. By providing something of a tangential analysis, the author can point to the fact that Nazi German fostered what they understood to be a virtuous society that fosters the goodness of the stakeholder that they deemed fit to be included within such a definition. Moreover, the totalitarianism of the third Reich was not only visited upon the way in which political ideology, philosophy, and indeed art itself was presented. It does not take a great deal of historical analysis to point to the fact that the third right was heavily involved in the promoting its own version of what art and artistry should entail.

Criminal Profiling Essay Example for Free

Criminal Profiling Essay Criminal profiling involves analyzing the scene of a crime and then use the information gathered from the analysis to determine correctly the identity of a perpetrator. This method of identifying perpetrators is very useful though it does not assist an investigator in getting the name of the perpetrator it helps narrow down and thus makes it easier to identify a criminal. (Dennis, 2006) Some of the pertinent issues that criminal profiling helps in bringing out include but not limited to the sex of the perpetrator, the background of a person in terms of ethnic community, age and personality. This profile is then used to single out a criminal among several people who appear to match with some of the features identified in the profile. One may wonder just how does criminal profiling work? Normally experts examine the manner in which a particular crime is committed. This is commonly referred to as the method of operations. Usually the experts will take the identity of the victims and then examine what the suspected criminals have in common especially in terms of the likely weapon that was used to commit the particular crime in question. The other issue that the experts look at is the brutality or hostility that was used during the commission of the crime in question by the perpetrator. Existence of torture or any form of hostility is yet another trait that experts look for when using the criminal profiling method. One student in an American University during a lecture asked her professor why he believed that the criminal profiling method actually works in identifying a perpetrator in a criminal act. The professor gave a precise answer and stated that thorough research has been carried out over the years and there have been conducted some interviews even with convicts who have helped prove the workability of this method. There are two main ways that are used to come up a criminal profile. One of the methods is one that is commonly used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation known as criminal scene analysis. This method involves a number of steps which include profiling inputs. This basically involves gathering evidence in terms of anything that was found in the scene of the crime. The second step usually is to put the evidence together and try to see if there is any common aspect in the crimes committed by the suspects. Crime assessment and investigation follows and it is after that some apprehensions can be made based on the investigations. The second method is the behavioral evidence analysis. This method was developed by Brent Turvey who argued that when a crime is being investigated there are a lot of discrepancies that rise from all the gatherings that are made by the investigative team. The first step is forensic analysis which involves analyzing physical evidenced gathered which may involve taking photographs and videos of the crime scene and having interviews with some of the victims of the crime who may be alive. Victimology is the nest step and involves creating a profile for a victim which in turn helps identify the criminal responsible. The third step is examining keenly the features and characteristics of the scene of crime as this is said to give a leading clue on who the suspect could be. The last step is combining the first three steps discussed and it is this combination that helps the investigators come up with a criminal profile. According to Turvey a crime ought to be analyzed in four main steps to ensure that the information gathered by the investigative team does not bear any discrepancies. Criminal profiling has in several instances been criticized as a source that lacks credibility on the basis that it is based on speculations. However experts state that according to research that has been conducted for several years now, criminal profiling has a considerably high level of credibility. Profiling involves a number of phases. The initial phase in every criminal profiling is known as antecedent which involves attempting to figure out the plan or the fantasy that the perpetrator of a crime had prior to the commitment of the crime. Basically this phase of criminal profiling involves an attempt to unearth the motive behind the commission of a crime by the perpetrator. The second phase is known as method and manner and involves examining the target group that the perpetrator was aiming at in the crime committed and more so the manner in which or better still the method used to commit the crime in question. Brent, 2002) The third phase in criminal profiling is known as body disposal and is common in murder cases. This is where experts attempt to examine where the scene of crime is the same with the place where the body was dumped or whether the crime was committed at a particular place and then the body dumped in yet another place thus introducing the concept of multiple. (Davis, 2007) Post offense behavior is the final or the last phase in criminal profiling and it is quite tricky. Post offense behavior involves investigating behavior of criminals especially after commission of crimes. Normally some criminals try to hide their identity by pretending to be part of the investigating team. Experts must therefore use their expert knowledge to single out criminals who pretend to be assisting in the investigation process yet they are the suspects. Having examined in great depths what criminal profiling is all about, it may be of paramount importance to address the issue of whether criminal profiling has managed to shape up chance. Basically by making this analysis we are able to know whether criminal; profiling does any play any vital role in helping to identify criminals in a given crime in question. In simpler terms using criminal profiling as a method of identifying criminals what are the chances of identifying the suspect responsible in the criminal act at hand. In the beginning of the twentieth century, criminal law took a new twist with criminal profiling slowly shaping chance. Majorly what changed during the twentieth century was the inference in terms of probability. During this century actuarial methods changed. One thing to note that it is not the risk analysis and actuarial thinking that actually changed but the inferences in terms of probability. The actuarial methods got more refined so that using the criminal profiling method one can be sure that the identity of a particular perpetrator is correct. In conclusion therefore it is correct to state that over the year and more so after the twentieth century, criminal profiling is slowly gaining acceptance as reliable method of correctly identifying perpetrators of crimes. This is because it has been studied and proved that it shapes chance so that the probability of a person to be the suspect of a crime in question having been pointed out by the criminal profiling method is very high.

Foreign Direct Investment (Fdi)

Foreign Direct Investment (Fdi)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Investment done by a foreign individual or company in productive capability of another country is what is meant by foreign investment. It is the movement of capital from the national border in such a way tat it grants the investor the total authority over the acquired asset. FDI generally transfers both physical capital and intangible assets such as technology among nations. As per standard growth theories, the major factors driving economic growth are capital accumulation and technological innovation. Foreign direct investment plays a major role in the economic development of the host nation. It acts as a launching pad to the economic, social, infrastructural, technological developments of many host countries. This is an age of globalised world economy and foreign direct investment is the major driving force behind the interdependence of national economies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  FDI has a major role in taking the economy of the host country far ahead. The economically developing as well as the underdeveloped countries are dependent on the economically developed countries for financial assistance which would help them to achieve some financial stability. For the last twenty years any form of foreign direct investment has gained in a lot of capital knowledge and technological resources into the economy of a country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Foreign direct investment is an essential and unavoidable part of national developmental plans. There are many positive aspects for FDI for which it is welcomed by all nations globally. It has become an integral tool for triggering economic growth for nations all over. FDI is well versed in utilizing human resource in the most effective way as a result of which high productivity is obtained. Foreign direct investment has gained popularity worldwide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though most of the FDI flows is mainly based in the developed nations, it is very much crucial for developing countries as well (refer figure 1). As per the figure between 1990-2000 the aggregate wealth of the developing nations nearly became four times and its total trade volume shot over five folds, FDI flowing into the developing countries grew to18 times. Because of private direct investments, the involvement of developing countries in the global production network increased considerably.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Foreign direct investment made drastic changes in the economy of the host country. The infrastructure of the host country increased considerably. Technological development was also made possible. The living standard of the common people of the host country also improved due to foreign direct investment. FDI turned as a boon to the host country as the growth and development made by it was splendid as it not only improved the economic conditions of the nation, it also could improve the social conditions. Again the health sector of the host country could also develop because of foreign direct investment. Types of FDI:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Foreign direct investment can be classified into two types. They are Greenfield investment and Mergers and Acquisition. Greenfield investment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Direct investment by a foreign company or individual in new venture or expanding by constructing new facilities in the existing territories in the host country is known as green field investment. This type of FDI is done in developing countries like India where multinational companies build new organizations. Foreign companies even hire employees from the host countries there by creating job opportunities. Developing nations gives captivating offers like tax-breaks, subsidies and incentives to the foreign companies in order to attract them. Losing corporate tax is negligible when compared to advantages to FDI.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Benefits of Greenfield investment are several. In sourcing is done there by increasing employment opportunities .Also employees are paid more than those working in domestic firms. Foreign countries invest in Research and development as a result of which the technology of the host country increases .Knowledge is imparted to the disadvantaged sections also. They go on expanding business by putting in more capital investments. Nations human capital gets utilized there by boosting up economy. Mergers and Acquisition:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is a primary type of foreign direct investment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mergers and Acquisitions take place when transfer of existing assets from a local firm to foreign firm is done. There are no long term benefits to the local economy. When control over assets and operations are transferred from host to foreign company, cross border acquisition takes place. When assets and operations from different nations are made to a single new legal entity, cross border merger takes place. Forbidden Territories:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Foreign direct investment is not allowed in all sectors. In India it is restricted to certain areas such as Arms and ammunition, Atomic Energy, Railway Transport, Coal and lignite, mining of iron, manganese, chromium, gypsum, sulfur, gold, diamonds, copper, zinc etc. Certain other sectors may be restricted in other countries for FDI. Policies to promote economic development   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Several studies have been conducted regarding foreign direct investment and economic development. The results obtained from the studies were rather conflicting and not reliable. Some studies proved that the economic development in the host countries were only momentary. Certain studies show that there is no such effect. The linkage between the development and FBI is found confusing and the results differ for each country. Some studies find that there are benefits. As a consequence of foreign investment employees enjoyed greater salary that those working in the domestic field. Some did not study this benefit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Policies which I would recommend a host country government to adopt towards foreign investors in order to promote economic development are as follows.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Foreign investments are really an integral part of economic development of a host nation, particularly economically developing and economically under developed nations. So a host government should attract foreign direct investors to the country if they believe the project would bring positive outputs. For that the host government has to give interesting incentives, subsidies, tax cuts etc. There is large competition among nations to bring foreign investors home so that their country could develop in all terms. The host government has to prove the foreign investors correct too in order to bring more investments in the particular field and also as a result of which they make their mind to invest in other sectors also. The host country authorities can give training to both workers and managers; technological training so that foreign investors get attracted as there is supply of human resources. By adopting these methods if that particular investor succeeds, that succ ess will prompt another investor to the host country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Spillover benefits do exist, but not globally. Mainly those benefits are enjoyed by economically developing and under developed host nations. Every host country differs in its economy, human resource, technological advancements, educational quality, competition and its policies towards foreign direct investment (FDI).

Comparison of Tsar and Communist Rule

Comparison of Tsar and Communist Rule Tsarist rule in the years 1856 to 1917 and Communist rule to the death of Lenin and the death of Stalin both depended on high degrees of central power and control by the state. The similarities between the two forms of government were therefore much greater than were the differences. How far do you agree with this judgement? Both Imperial and Soviet Russia have a long and well documented history of autocratic rule. However, Russian autocracy in its various forms has been far from consistent in either its organisation or outlook. It is this inconsistency in structure and policy which has given rise to differing schools of thought. On the one hand is the view that the fleeting and unfulfilled promises of both the liberalist-socialist February Revolution and Bolshevik October Revolution of 1917 witnessed nothing other than a transition from one form of despotism to another. On the other hand lies the theory that the Revolutions of 1917 caused the destruction of the Russian feudal system, empowering the masses to invest their authority in a democratically elected central representative form of government, at least in appearance if not in essence. In order to examine the two forms of government and their attributes, this essay uses a comparative approach in its discussion of the absolute monarchism of Tsars A lexander II, Alexander III and Nicholas II, and to the proletarian dictatorships of Vladimir Lenin and Josef Stalin. It will introduce the organisational structure of the monarchical and republican forms of government, and present a snapshot of Russian society in both cases. It will then analyse the similarities and differences of state control over various facets of society, and summarise these arguments in a logical conclusion. At the time of the accession to power of Tsar Alexander II in 1855, the Russian Empire was a hereditary absolute monarchy ruled by the Romanov dynasty. The Tsar promulgated and enforced laws personally, albeit acting on the counsel of trusted advisers. The Tsar also controlled the official state religion of Orthodox Christianity through the Holy Synod. Through his personally appointed counsellors, the Tsar wielded absolute power over most national institutions, including the military, the judiciary and the press. Subjects of the empire were segregated into different social classes on various rungs of the feudal ladder, from the nobility down through the clergy, merchants, cossacks and peasants. The majority of peasants were classed as serfs common labourers bound to the land, with no political representation. Imperial Russia had a proportionately larger population than its European counterparts of Great Power status, and the majority of its peasant population eked out a meagre exist ence below the poverty line. The Russian economy was based on a primitive form of agriculture, and as such economic growth was sluggish, lagging way behind the rapidly industrialising West, with which Russia was unable to compete financially. State intervention in industry tended to be more frequent than elsewhere in Europe, though in certain sectors it developed with private initiative, often foreign capital. In any case, due to the late onset of industrialisation, Russia remained largely agricultural until well into the twentieth century. Certain aspects of state control were relinquished in the latter half of the nineteenth century, particularly during the reforms of the 1850s and 1860s, in the areas of government, education and the judiciary. In 1861 Alexander II announced the emancipation of around 20 million serfs. Local commissions controlled by the landowning gentry gave rise to emancipation by giving land and certain privileges to the serfs, though stopping short of freedom per se. Very few former serfs moved outside their village commune, and they were required to make redemption payments to the government over a period of almost fifty years. Landowners were compensated in the form of government bonds. Local government was reformed shortly afterwards in 1864, whereby the European part of Russia was reorganised into different regions and districts in a devolution exercise. Local government became fully responsible for health, education and transport, signifying a move away from centralised power. In the same year, judicial reforms took place in most urban centres. The major change was the introduction of juries into the courtroom. The judiciary functioned fairly well, though the government lacked the financial clout to enforce the measures, meaning that local peasant justice remained relatively unaffected, with little interference from the central government. State control remained fairly strong in the military, marked by the government’s desire to effect the transition from a large standing army to a reserve army, made possible through the training of the newly emancipated serfs. In other areas, the State bank was founded in 1866, all school officials remained nominally subordinate to the Ministry of Education, and censorship laws were relaxed in the 1860s. Soviet Russia presents a more modern, if not altogether different, concept of state control. In February 1917, a Provisional Government of liberal socialists ousted the autocracy with the intention of establishing a democratic form of government in a war-ravaged society. At the same time, the radical Bolsheviks representing the working classes called for nationwide socialist revolution, and eventually seized power from the Provisional Government in November of the same year. Only after a long and bloody fratricidal war did the Bolsheviks consolidate power and establish a one-party Communist state, which officially came into being in December 1922. The Soviet government initially attempted to centralise the economy through Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP). Threatening encirclement from capitalist powers, Lenin stressed the importance of rapid industrialisation through direct state control, as dictated by Marxist doctrine. However, these efforts did not come to fruition, and some private enterprise was permitted to coexist with the heavily nationalised industrial sector. Yet following Stalin’s accession to power in 1928, the state assumed control of all existing businesses and initiated intensive programmes of industrialisation in the form of three pre-War five-year plans. In agriculture, the state seized peasants’ property to establish collective farms. The plan proved hugely unpopular and caused much hardship. Millions of common labourers starved to death or were murdered during periods of forced collectivisation. Social unrest continued well into the 1930s as Stalin embarked on a purge of his own party. This gave rise to a campaign of terror not dissimilar to that witnessed in Revolutionary France, leading to the imprisonment and/or execution of anyone who was suspected of being an opponent of the Communist regime. Literally millions of citizens were expunged from all sections of society. However, there were certain advantages of this rigorous state control. Stalin’s industrialisation programme required that workers be adequately educated. This led to an increase in the number of schools. More importantly, for the first time women were given equal status in education and employment as men, marking an improvement in household income and family life. Universal access to health care gradually became readily available, increasing the standard of living and life expectancy. Engineers, architects and medical personnel were sent abroad to learn new technologies, and exchange programmes enabled foreign input into the expanding Soviet knowledge base. The outbreak of the Second World War served only to intensify the Stalinist system of state control. Forced labour rapidly accelerated Soviet industrial output, allowing the USSR to outstrip Nazi Germany’s initial advance, while conscription swelled the ranks of the Red Army, enabling the military to push back the eastward thrust of the German army in the winter of 1941-42. The post-War era saw no reduction in this trend as the Soviet government sought to rebuild the infrastructure decimated by war and roll out its policy of extreme levels of state control over the countries of Eastern Europe placed in its sphere of influence in the post-War settlement. It was not until the death of Stalin in 1953 and the accession to power of Nikita Khrushchev that repressive controls over government and society were eased. So how do the two forms of pre-Revolutionary monarchical and post-Revolutionary republican autocracy compare? Let us first examine the political ideologies on which the two forms of state centrism were founded. The initially obvious assessment is that they were almost as far apart on the political spectrum as is possible, from the ultra-conservative monarchical despotism of Imperial Russia to the extreme left-wing one-party Communism of the Soviet Union. The monarchical despotism of the Tsars was concentrated in the person of the Emperor alone. He functioned as both Head of State and Head of Government, and was responsible for all branches of government. The serf majority of the population had no political rights or representation, and only the most fortunate amongst the nobility and intelligentsia had sufficient status to make their views heard. Admittedly, given the vast expanse of Russia and its poor transport and communication links under the Tsars, logistics would always dictate that imperial power was unlikely to filter down to every citizen from the Baltic to the Pacific. However, individual liberties remained severely restricted, if not non-existent. On the other hand, Soviet Russia was a proletarian dictatorship in pursuit of the ideal of world revolution. The Bolshevik effort in the civil war was founded on the belief that only a coherent and secretive organisation could overthrow the government. Following the revolution, this belief was transposed to the machinery of government, in that only this kind of organisation could resist foreign and domestic enemies. According to Marxist-Leninist doctrine, this revolutionary esprit could only be achieved through the efforts of a Communist party which assumes the role of revolutionary vanguard, achieving its aims through a disciplined organisation known as democratic centralism, where party officials discuss proposals but do not question decisions once they have been made. Similarly, the electorate were simply expected to approve of the laws enacted and policies pursued by the party they had voted into power. Any form of dissent, either expressed or implied, was punished in the most se vere manner. Let us now turn to the practicalities of state control. As noted previously, levels of state control in Imperial Russia witnessed a marked decline throughout the second half of the nineteenth century. Admittedly, continued state control and supervision, heavy financial obligations, and communal regulation of peasant affairs made life in the countryside seem not entirely different from that prior to the emancipation. The gentry still filled high posts in the army and bureaucracy and occupied a dominant position in the new institutions created by the reforms; and government officials viewed independent actions on the part of Russian society with much the same suspicion and distrust that they had previously. However, the reforms made a genuine difference, in the sense that the granting of personal liberty to the peasants freed them from total dependence on the landowning gentry, and it encouraged social mobility. The educated minority of the lower classes of society were able to engage in education and banking. This new direction in government policy gave Russian life new dimensions and possibilities of social and economic development. Either way, this revolution from above certainly marked a watershed in Russian history, and fuelled the embryonic Revolutionary movement in its build-up to the events of 1917. A measure of the success of the reforms is that the government survived them unscathed, unlike those of Gorbachev in the 1980s. The immediate post-Revolutionary period witnessed conditions which were not dissimilar. Lenin’s Communist government faced the immediate challenges of severe economic recession and working class hostility. Alienated by the brutalities of civil war and famine, peasants, urban workers and many soldiers demanded the creation of a more democratic socialist government. The Politburo were unwilling to compromise, maintaining a one-party state and demanding total discipline and unity within the party. Economically, however, direct methods of mobilisation were abandoned, allowing a revival of private trade on a small scale. These changes paved the way for the NEP, which in turn led to an increase in agricultural and industrial production. Critics of the NEP complained that flourishing markets in agricultural produce benefited a revived class of rural entrepreneurs as opposed to the urban proletariat. They insisted that the government find the resources to invest in industrial growth t o counter this trend. Unable to secure these resources, the government became increasingly unpopular amongst the peasantry, who still made up over 80 per cent of the population. Following Lenin’s death and Stalin’s consolidation of power, the government dealt with this crisis by experimenting with the direct, coercive mobilisation of resources from the countryside. This collectivisation marked the end of market relations in the countryside, meaning the government could determine what happened to rural produce and where the profits were invested. By 1934 the government had successfully taken control of the huge human and material resources of the countryside. The collectivisation of these resources were subsequently diverted to the towns in Stalin’s intense programme of industrialisation. Only a hugely powerful centralised state was capable of such a programme, and it is no accident that it was managed by a highly coercive and autocratic state system. Building on a long tradition of Russian autocracy, Stalin created a modernised autocracy in which his authority grew to the point where he no longer depended on the party, but established a unique system of personal rule. The atmosphere of crisis created by collectivisation and party purges generated a crucible of paranoia which strengthened the leadership by making any form of opposition look like treachery. However, despite this severity, the Communist government enjoyed much popular support, and many ordinary citizens accepted the patriotic promises of Stalinist propaganda. In conclusion, it would appear that while the ideologies on which Imperial and Soviet Russia were founded lay at opposite ends of the political spectrum, the machinery of government operated in much the same way in both cases. It is difficult to assess which form of government was more autocratic, and it would be unwise to assume that the political currents at the beginning of the period in question form a valid basis for comparison with those at the end. However, it is safe to assert that the two forms of autocracy were as intense as they were efficiently managed. There were certainly huge differences in the ultimate aims and objectives of the two forms of government. While Imperial Russia strove to secure the succession of the Romanov dynasty through maintaining the hereditary monarchy, Soviet Russia sought to achieve world revolution in pursuit of the Communist ideal. However, the similarities in the intensity of state control appear more striking than these ideological difference s. While the concentration of government dominance appeared greater under Communism, especially during the Stalinist era, the state in both cases to all intents and purposes retained almost full control over agriculture, industry, the military, education and the judiciary. In this respect, the similarities seem to be greater than the differences. It is not without a certain sense of irony that such state control was nominally approved by the electorate in Soviet Russia, in spite of the hardships it often caused. Bibliography David Christian, Imperial Soviet Russia – Power, Privilege the Challenge of Modernity (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1997) Terence Emmons, The Russian Landed Gentry and the Peasant Emancipation of 1861 (Cambridge: CUP, 1967) J. N. Westwood, Endurance and Endeavour, Russian History 1812-1992 (London: OUP, 1973) Edward C. Thaden, Russia Since 1801: The Making of a New Society (New York: Wiley, 1971) US Library of Congress, Federal Research Division Country Studies Series (Russia), http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html

Where Im Calling From Essay -- Where Im Calling From Essays

Where I'm Calling From   Ã‚   Sickness is a part of life, and sometimes a gateway to death. There are many different kinds of sickness- some that strike hard and fast, and others that are slow, painful, and consuming. Alcoholism is a sickness of the latter variety. It slowly takes over a victim's life, ripping away loved ones while ravaging the victim's body from head to toe- beginning with the mind. The healing process is all that can rescue one from sickness- it is the only way to stray from its path and avoid death. In Raymond Carver's, "Where I'm Calling From," the narrator's attempted recovery from years of alcoholism is documented in detail. The story specifically focuses on the damage that alcoholism does to relationships, and how recovering from that damage can be the most difficult part of the healing process.    The narrator begins the story in Frank Martin's drying-out facility. He is a drunk, and has checked into the home for the second time. At the beginning of the story, some of the physical dysfunctions associated with the disease are revealed, and they range from shakes and tremors to seizures. This part of the story is used by Carver to display the physical problems that result from withdrawal from alcohol. It is clear that these problems are significant, but overcoming them doesn't compare to the task of repairing the bonds with family members and friends that have been destroyed. In this story, the healing process is quite unique for the characters in that it involves a large group of men, all suffering from the same illness, pulling together and supporting each other through the pain- almost like a modern day leper colony. They are separated from their family and friends, and are ... ...e call to his wife. "She'll ask me where I'm calling from, and I'll have to tell her...There's no way to make a joke out of this" (Carver 296). That is what it all comes back to. He will have to tell her that he is still trying to get well, and he must hope that she'll wait for him. His disease is what cost him his marriage, and there is no way he can bring himself to joke or lie about it. He realizes that it is all his fault. The narrator's disease is unique in that his physical addiction will never be cured, but he still has hope of finding happiness and love by refusing to drink. And, if he is to survive, it will be his need for both love and happiness that must control him, and steer him clear of the path of sickness.    Works Cited Carver, Raymond. "Where I'm Calling From." Where I'm Calling From. New York: Random House, Inc., 1989. 278-296.

An Ethnography of Hunters Essay -- Learning to Hunt

Everyone kills, and everyone eats. Not everyone eats what they kill, but these remain two of the most intimate forms of communing with our environment, whether we recognize them as such, or not. Almost 40 000 Americans are killed each year as the result of homicidal, accidental, and suicidal uses of guns; in all, Americans wielding guns intimidate, wound, and kill hundreds of thousands every year. These were the kinds of ideas impressed upon me as I grew up in my urban home: Guns were beasts, as were knives, arrows, spears, indeed anything could become a weapon if held in a particular way. We sprayed each other with the hose instead of water guns, and spent many long hours as a family "communing with nature" through long walks on the nature trails in southern California; we had a little garden from which we harvested potatoes, carrots, and lettuce, but we never harvested the rabbits hopping through, or the squirrels, or the groundhogs. It didn't occur to me until high school, however , that I didn't know where the meat I was eating came from. This bothered me. I became vegetarian. No more cows in the rain forest! I said. No more chickens in long cramped houses, moving along conveyor belts where heads went flying, feathers electrically shocked off, fire burned off the hairs, to be tossed into a super-wrap machine, ready for the Wal-Mart grocery bin. Hunting, too, was equally cruel to animals in my mind. I tried to ignore the arguments that hunting helped control deer populations, and that killing for food was, ultimately, part of human nature to be honored, much less tolerated. I got a chance to broaden my perspective last year, and I harvested my first hen out at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, during a May Term ornitholog... ...or hunting season. I am curious to know more: Will there be more female hunters in the future? My impression is that there is more hunting done for sport now than there is for necessary protein harvest, but will there be a movement in the other direction? Will the deer population survive while the hunters try to make up their minds? I hope that this ethnography may serve as a model of forming connections within our own close communities; that we may work towards preserving this interwoven web of culture through respect and interest in our environments. I haven't been hunting. I haven't yet sought out the opportunity. I have, however, given up vegitarianism for lent. Notes 1. poundage refers to the number of pounds it requires to draw the string back from the bow 2. Hedge apple also known as Osage Orange, common in old fence-rows in the greater Goshen area

Symbols and Symbolism in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Symbo

Thesis Statement and Outline Thesis Statement: Nathaniel Hawthorne used symbolism to bring meaning into his book "The Scarlet Letter." I. Symbolism A. Definition B. Style II. Symbolism in characters A. Hester B. Dimmesdale C. Chillingworth D. Pearl III. Symbolism in objects A. The scarlet letter B. The scaffold C. The forest D. The brook IV. Symbolic relations between characters and objects A. Characters and the scarlet letter B. Characters and the scaffold C. Pearl and the forest Nathaniel Hawthorne used symbolism to bring meaning into his book "The Scarlet Letter." Generally speaking, a symbol is something that is used to stand for something else. In literature, it is most often a concrete object which is used to represent something more abstract and broader in scope and meaning. Symbols can range from the most obvious substitution of one thing for another to creations as massive, complex, and perplexing as Melville's white whale in Moby Dick ( Dibble, p. 77 ). In The Scarlet Letter the symbols and the ingredients of the story come together "in a seamless unity in which each manifestation of the letter illuminates an aspect of the characters' or the community's evolving experience ( Brodhead, p. 159 ) . In Hawthorne's use of symbols in The Scarlet Letter, we observe the author making one of his most distinctive and significant contributions to the growth of American fiction. Indeed this novel is usually regarded as the first symbolic novel to be published in the United States ( Dibble, p. 77 ) . Hawthorne attempts to spread a revelation into imagined characters and scenes, to transfer the realization of the symbols into a warmth that will animate the entire... ...troit, Gale Research Inc., 1993, p. 194 Martin, Terence, Twayne's United States Authors Series Nathaniel Hawthorne, New York, Twayne Publishers, 1965, pp. 114, 115, 119, 127 Matthiessen, F.O., "The Scarlet Letter," Critics on Hawthorne, Readings in Literary Criticism: 16, Coral Gables, University of Miami Press, 1972, pp. 82, 85 Matthiessen, F.O., Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Scarlet Letter, Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Halls Inc., 1968, p. 57 Waggoner, Hyatt H., "Nathanial Hawthorne," Six American Novelists of the Nineteenth Century, Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, 1969, pp. 47, 69, 73, 85 Waggoner, Hyatt H., "The Scarlet Letter," Hawthorne, Cambridge, The Belknap Press, 1963, pp. 126, 127, 139, 143 SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote on The Scarlet Letter.† SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2003. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.  

ASsignment in Science

Epiglottis It's a flap that covers the opening to your lungs while you're swallowing so you don't inhale food. . Coughing When you cough you are either releasing mucous or germs or some other Irritant In the lungs. E. Incomplete rings of Trachea Prevent the trachea and bronchioles from collapsing and closing up. F. Fat and protein film lining the Inner wall of the alveoli Surfactant In the alveoli causes them to effectively stay open during the whole respiration/breathing process.When there is lack of surfactant the alveoli can collapse on themselves causing less surface area for gas exchange, hence causing breathing difficulties/shortness of breath due to the decreased ability for oxygen exchange. G. Pleura& lymph between he two layers They play a critical role In immunological responses in both local and systemic diseases. It is positioned to respond to inflammatory changes in the lung permanency. The pleura functions not only as a mechanical barrier, but also as an Immunological a nd metabolically responsive membrane that is Involved in maintaining a dynamic homeostasis in the pleural space. . Rib cage The rib cage are a set of bones radiating from the Thoracic region of the vertebral column (not to be confused with the vertebral cord which is located inside the vertebral column). These bones are the ribs and sternum (or breast bone). They form a cage like structure around the very delicate organs such as the heart and the lungs. Not only do they protect these organs, but they also support them, keeping them In place. Without the rib cage, your organs would all fall out of place. 2014 Grade and Section: Aphrodite Instructor: Mr. Eugene Vernal 1 OFF 2.How does the internal respiration differ from the external respiration? External respiration is the exchange of gases between the alveoli and lung capillaries. Oxygen diffuses from the alveoli into the blood, while carbon dioxide moves from the blood in the alveoli. Internal respiration, in contrast, is the excha nge of gases in body tissues 3. What is a Third Hand Smoke? Third hand smoke is generally considered to be residual nicotine and other chemicals left on a variety of indoor surfaces by tobacco smoke. 4.What are some of the diseases caused by smoking? Cardiovascular Diseases- the main cause of death due to smoking. Hardening of the arteries is a process that develops over years, when cholesterol and other fats deposit in the arteries, leaving them narrow, blocked or rigid. When the arteries narrow (atherosclerosis), blood clots are likely to form. Cancer- Smokers are more keel to get cancer than non-smokers. This is particularly true of lung cancer, throat cancer and mouth cancer, which hardly ever affect non-smokers.Lung Diseases- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COOP) is a collective term for a group of conditions that block airflow and make breathing more difficult. 5. Explain the mechanisms of breathing in human. Mechanisms of breathing inspiration When you breathe in: inte rcessor muscles between the ribs contract, pulling the chest walls up and teethe diaphragm muscle below the lungs contracts and flattens, increasing the size of the chest the lungs increase in size, so the pressure inside hem falls. This causes air to rush in through the nose or mouth.Mechanisms of breathing expiration When you breathe out: Intercessor muscles between the ribs relax so that the chest walls move in and down. The diaphragm muscle below the lungs relaxes and bulges up, reducing the size of the chest. The lungs decrease in size, so the pressure inside increases and air is pushed up the trachea and out through the nose or mouth. 2014 Grade and Section: 9-Aphrodite 6. Why are lungs considered as both respiratory as well as excretory organs? Lungs are the main organ of the respiratory system where gas exchange takes place. F something. . Name 2 Respiratory Diseases. How can they be prevented, detected and treated Names of the Respiratory Diseases How can they Prevented How can they Detected (What are the symptoms) How can they be Treated a. Lung Cancer -Don't smoke. -Stop smoking -Avoid second hand smoke Test -Avoid carcinogens at work -Eat a diet full of fruits and vegetables. -a cough that doesn't go away after two or three weeks. -a long-standing cough that gets worse. -persistent chest infections. -coughing up blood. -an ache or pain when breathing or coughing. -persistent breathlessness. 1 .Non small cell lung cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or a combination of these, depending on the stage when the cancer is diagnosed. Some people with advanced lung cancer may have biological therapy. There is information below about the treatment of non-small cell cancer by stage. B. Asthma -Learn about your asthma and ways to control it. – Use medicines as your doctor prescribes. -Get regular check-ups for your asthma. Asthma symptoms, which include coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness, are common in an asthma attack. -Medicines -Follow an Asthma Action Plan -Record Your Symptoms

Death of a Salesman Analysis Essay

To Linda’s considerable chagrin and bewilderment, Willy’s family, Charley, and Bernard are the only mourners who attend Willy’s funeral. She wonders where all his supposed business friends are and how he could have killed himself when they were so close to paying off all of their bills. Biff recalls that Willy seemed happier working on the house than he did as a salesman. He states that Willy had all the wrong dreams and that he didn’t know who he was in the way that Biff now knows who he is. Charley replies that a salesman has to dream or he is lost, and he explains the salesman’s undaunted optimism in the face of certain defeat as a function of his irrepressible dreams of selling himself. Happy becomes increasingly angry at Biff’s observations. He resolves to stay in the city and carry out his father’s dream by becoming a top businessman, convinced he can still â€Å"beat this racket.† Linda requests some privacy. She reports to Willy that she made the last payment on the house. She apologizes for her inability to cry, since it seems as if Willy is just â€Å"on another trip.† She begins to sob, repeating, â€Å"We’re free. . . .† Biff helps her up and all exit. The flute music is heard and the high-rise apartments surrounding the Loman house come into focus. Analysis Charley’s speech about the nature of the salesman’s dreams is one of the most memorable passages in the play. His words serve as a kind of respectful eulogy that removes blame from Willy as an individual by explaining the grueling expectations and absurd demands of his profession. The odd, anachronistic, spiritual formality of his remarks (â€Å"Nobody dast blame this man†) echo the religious quality of Willy’s quest to sell himself. One can argue that, to a certain extent, Willy Loman is the postwar American equivalent of the medieval crusader, battling desperately for the survival of his own besieged faith. Charley solemnly observes that a salesman’s life is a constant upward struggle to sell himself—he supports his dreams on the ephemeral power of his own image, on â€Å"a smile and a shoeshine.† He suggests that the salesman’s condition is an aggravated enlargement of a discreet facet of the general human condition. Just as Willy is blind to the totality of the American Dream, concentrating on the aspects related to material success, so is the salesman, in general, lacking, blinded to the total human experience by his conflation of the professional and the personal. Like Charley says, â€Å"No man only needs a little salary†Ã¢â‚¬â€no man can sustain himself on money and materiality without an emotional or spiritual life to provide meaning. When the salesman’s advertising self-image fails to inspire smiles from customers, he is â€Å"finished† psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. According to Charley, â€Å"a salesman is got to dream.† The curious and lyrical slang substitution of â€Å"is† for â€Å"has† indicates a destined necessity for the salesman—not only must the salesman follow the imperative of his dreams during his life, but Miller suggests that he is literally begotten with the sole purpose of dreaming. In many ways, Willy has done everything that the myth of the American Dream outlines as the key path to success. He acquired a home and the range of modern appliances. He raised a family and journeyed forth into the business world full of hope and ambition. Nevertheless, Willy has failed to receive the fruits that the American Dream promises. His primary problem is that he continues to believe in the myth rather than restructuring his conception of his life and his identity to meet more realistic standards. The values that the myth espouses are not designed to assuage human insecurities and doubts; rather, the myth unrealistically ignores the existence of such weaknesses. Willy bought the sales pitch that America uses to advertise itself, and the price of his faith is death. Linda’s initial feeling that Willy is just â€Å"on another trip† suggests that Willy’s hope for Biff to succeed with the insurance money will not be fulfilled. To an extent, Linda’s comparison debases Willy’s death, stripping it of any possibility of the dignity that Willy imagined. It seems inevitable that the trip toward meaningful death that Willy now takes will end just as fruitlessly as the trip from which he has just returned as the play opens. Indeed, the recurrence of the haunting flute music, symbolic of Willy’s futile pursuit of the American Dream, and the final visual imprint of the overwhelming apartment buildings reinforce the fact that Willy dies as deluded as he lived.

Philosophy Reflection Essay

This was my first major introduction into the study of philosophy, and I can honestly say that it has had a major impact on my belief system. Many of my views have been changed and my overall view on life is much different than it was five months ago. To me, the two most interesting works were the Tao and The Mind’s I. The Tao describes a really interesting way of life. Of all the philosophies we’ve read, it is the simplest and most beautiful. Instead of scanning for hidden meanings and analyzing all parts of life, Laozi just tells us to live life. Do no more than you have to do, but do everything you have to do. He tells us not to worry about death and just live life. I honestly think very simple and peaceful way of living can bring us much more happiness than we have now in our current society. However, the only way it can be implemented is if everyone follows the Tao, and that is nearly impossible in our current society. We should honestly try to live simpler lives and see the beauty of everyday things. The other work that really impacted me was The Mind’s I. I’m not sure if it qualifies as a single work, but there were several important themes that really interested me and changed some of my views. The section that really interested me the most was the section describing intelligent machines and animals, and their relationship to humans. I had always considered humans superior to animals due to their intelligence and ability to communicate. I never thought too much about the idea of intelligent animals and even machines and their relationship to humans. An intelligent machine or animal that can communicate definitely would be on the same evolutionary level as humans, and thus there could be no way to justify creating an intelligent robotic servant or helper without harkening back to the ideology that prompted slavery. Also, destruction of this machine or animal would be equivalent to murder. However, I still so no moral objection to creating an intelligent robot, as long as we give it its own freedom, just as we would to one of our children. Its may be considered playing God, but if we are his greatest creations, we should have the right to test our limits. Only through a recreation of consciousness done and understood by us can we begin to understand our own consciousness as well as ourselves. I had never really thought about technology in this way and never seriously questioned the origin of my consciousness, so the Mind’s I really forced me to think about life in a different way. Throughout the term, I not only changed and reconsidered many of my views; I discovered things that I subconsciously believed without really thinking about it. My beliefs not only changed, I discovered beliefs that I never knew I had. Some of these views surfaced when reading certain works like The Mysterious Stranger and Nietzsche. Although these two works didn’t change my deep-set views that much, it was interesting to see my instinctual beliefs get challenged. I discovered I was a pretty moderate thinker, but these readings caused many of my views on life to change. However, I still disagreed with many of the views expressed in class discussions with certain works, like the Tao. But then I realized that the Tao is designed to have different meanings to everyone who reads it so they could find their own way of life and thus doesn’t lend itself well to class discussions. I saw that the way philosophy has evolved over the years mirrors the way society has changed throughout history. The older philosophies that we’ve read, like the Tao and Plato’ work, seem to try to tell us how to live our lives to get the most happiness and satisfaction out of it, and how to find the way or see the light. The more modern philosophies seem to disregard the idea of a true path and tell us how to live in the best way, but they don’t guarantee happiness from it. The most interesting pieces for me were a mix of the modern and older philosophies, like Nietzsche and Socrates’ Apology (I guess because he lived in a ancient but modern society). Even though they were completely different and I completely disagreed with one of them, they were much more compelling to me. One important thing that I learned is that I hate reading about something that I agree on, I dislike having my views â€Å"proven†?by another writer and rather read new ideas and opinions. From all the texts read and discussions we’ve had this year, it’s hard to highlight just three things that I learned. One of the most stimulating texts to me was The Circular Ruins. Especially when read right after Is God a Taoist, this simple story made me reconsider all my beliefs on existence and God. Just like the main character was, we are kept in the dark about our condition, where we came from and how we exist. We claim an all-mighty God as our creator, and call ourselves superior beings in his image. However, whose to say that we are not just insignificant nothings, created by another being of no importance. Would that make us less real and important? From this story I learned to stop attaching importance and purpose to everything I do. Maybe there is a reason we don’t know where we come from; perhaps we don’t want to know. Another important lesson came from Reservation Blues. The main characters all had to deal with finding a cultural identity while trying to escape the trap of the white man. The only ones who made it out were the ones who had a strong cultural identity. They knew themselves and identified with their past before they attempted to escape the reservation. Victor and Junior either tried to ignore their past or couldn’t come to terms with their heritage. They tried to escape before they were ready, and couldn’t cope with the failure. The book’s point, despite the suicide and Victor’s destruction, was amazingly positive, it showed that if you come to terms with your past and yourself you can overcome any obstacle set against you, but you must have this understanding or you will destroy yourself. From The Razor’s Edge I learned a lot about the purpose of life from each of the vastly different characters. At first, it seems like the point of the story is that there is a difference between what we want and what makes us happy and fulfilled. Suzanne, Gray and Elliot all got what they wanted yet all seem to live unhappy, unfulfilled lives. Further inspection showed that they all are living the life that they fully wanted and expected to live, and they are perfectly content. Isabel wanted both Larry and high society type of life, and thus is disappointed with her life because she couldn’t have both. Larry didn’t know what he wanted out of life, so he took basically a timeout from the real world, went into seclusion and discovered what he wanted out of life. Now he, knowing full well what he wants, is the most satisfied of all the characters. The lesson to be learned is that happiness is completely relative, and thus you cannot call anyone a failure unless he considers himself one. Also, it’s all right to take some time out of the real world and relax, take a step back and see what you really want to do next. In the end, this class really has changed my views on the best kind of life. I still believe that you need to live the type of life that will make you the happiest and most satisfied, but I don’t think that most people know what type of life that is. If you don’t have a passion, don’t force yourself into any profession. Explore the world and find something that really interests you otherwise you will get forced into a miserable life that you hate. If you have a passion, you have to follow it. You have to come in terms with who you are; understand and remember your past and childhood. We have to examine our lives to discover what we really want, then try to find it. We must simplify our actions, and we have to stop overanalyzing other’s actions and words. We have to lose our ego and sense of shame, and stop caring what people think of you. This is the simplest way to live and live happily, without having to adjust your actions to fit what other people expect from you. We have to stop fearing death and keep on living life in the happiest possible way. This will be the happiest, simplest and best life for everyone.

Effect of extracurricular activities on the gpa

An example of this would be a varsity player who has training in the afternoon till evening, then goes home with the notion that he still has to do an immense amount of paper work due the following morning. Furthermore, Roland, a professional writer, graduate of B. S. En may also pull his grades down if he becomes too engrossed [Emphasis mine] with other activities. This all boils down to the fact that poor time management will be the main downfall of an individual's academic performance. At this point, the question to ask is what's in it for one's character formation? Well, the experts have some points on this matter. First, McNealy summarizes that these activities actually are conducive to facilitate effective communication [Emphasis mine] (Francisco) because an individual is put in a situation wherein interaction is a just.To illustrate this point, there is no such thing as a theatre actor who cannot communicate with his fellow actors, much more to the audience. He cannot be calle d one if he does not exemplify this trait. Second, confidence [Emphasis mine] is also attained through the process of the venture (Francisco) Nominal 3 for the same reason that one is put in this situation wherein bravery must be exercised with the help of this so called confidence. Again to compare it with an actor, one must be able to deliver his lines with absolutely no evidence of fear while he is carrying the weight of a performance.These two points presented are further strengthened by † [a] 2001 survey of more than 50,000 high school students in Minnesota published in March 2003 issue of the Journal of School Health found that those who participated in extracurricular activities had higher [Emphasis mine] levels of social, emotional, and healthy behavior than students who did not participate (Francisco). † Altogether these findings indicate that confidence and communication skills, two of the many, are integral to building one's character through extracurricular a ctivities as backed up by the prior evidence that are found inFranciscans research. On the other hand, there are also a few drawbacks or cons when it comes to character formation when one considers other miscellaneous influences. One would be the parents' influence wherein they'd force an individual to learn this certain activity but that task isn't to his liking, thus, all the more he is stressed [Emphasis mine] out (Roland). According to Frederick's, another drawback would be the unavoidable internal influences that one may encounter such as malicious authorities and peers who will force him to do harmful vices and delinquent actions (Francisco).What's more is that the people who are participating in the extracurricular activity may actually be the one bringing themselves down for neglect of their other obligations like family, friends, etc. Without a doubt it would be disastrous if they were to treat their extra undertakings as their own vices. Finally, these findings would certa inly be mainly dependent in the kind of educational context one is in. In conclusion, after all the facts have been presented, it all depends on an individual's choice whether or not he chooses to Join and bestow upon himself the benefits and pay a price or stay free with little or no improvement.

Research proposal (add payment) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research proposal (add payment) - Assignment Example The main benefits of this topic and research is that it allows the managers of the 21st centaury understand how to motivate their employees based on the various theories that have been developed in the past. The main aim of this research is to use the knowledge gained from the past theories and to provide a clearer view to managers to help them be able to incorporate these theories into the current time in the corporate world. The research will also contain recommendations based on the various theories however will be a newer approach to fit into the current corporate world. Managing people at work is an essential element of any business. Human Resources Management is a specialised function by itself and requires to be managed with special care and attention. Employees are an asset to any company. Human resource management deals with managing these assets. Human resource management deals with ensuring that all the needs of employees are met and that the company receives the best from the employees. It is very important for the business to ensure that the employees that have been recruited are able to perform the duties both effectively and efficiently. The key ideas for managing people revolve around Psychology, Sociology, Unitarism, Pluralism, Contingency theory and Ethics (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004). There are a number of different strands of thoughts in the field of motivation of employees. There have been several scholars who have developed a number of theories about the optimum ways to manage people at work. The dissertation will include the theories of many that will be discussed further. The management theories to a great extent provide a clear ground work of this provides a steady base for this study. This is majorly because it is essential to understand the theories of management before moving into the motivational theories. Management theories are in a number if ways the first and most essential elements of business which every

According to the requirement and i am living in the Santa Barbara Assignment

According to the requirement and i am living in the Santa Barbara - Assignment Example The aesthetic value of the three triangles remains unclear among artists and art lovers. It is necessary to analyze Bento’s background and his experiences in analyzing the aesthetic value of this sculpture. This is because life experiences and childhood background has profound influence on an artist’s work. The three triangles has some cultural values that Bento follows. He uses iron and steel to manufacture this sculpture. Bento’s background influences his work. His use of iron signifies his connection to his roots in southern Ohio (Ratcliff, Carter, Collette, Jolei & Fletcher 156). In addition to using art to connect with his roots, this sculpture signifies a breakthrough from mainstream artists especially kinetics artists. Most kinetic artists used aluminum, wood or lacquer in their sculptures. The three triangles sculpture highlights Bento’s innovation. In the development of art, it signifies the end of kinetics art and the beginning of a new artistic style. The three triangles sculpture signifies the importance of constructivism in Bento’s career (Ratcliff, Carter, Collette, Jolei & Fletcher 186). One of the major differences with other mainstream artists was Bento’s belief in creativity. This sculpture is quintessential of constructivism as a style of art. Bento painted the three triangles sculpture red like the Steel Watercolor sculpture in Cologne Germany. The red painting of this sculpture is in tandem with Santa Barbara college color highlighting Bento’s ability to blend his art with the surrounding environment. The three triangles sculpture cultural impact is on the use of three-dimensional figures in art. The sculpture contains three triangles. Prior to this sculpture, artists hardly used three-dimensional figures in their artworks. Ratcliff, Carter, Collette, Jolei & Fletcher (225) argues that this sculpture, therefore, exemplifies the use of three-dimensional figures such as triangles,

Myplate assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Myplate assignment - Essay Example The areas of unhealthy foods that were revealed in this research are not surprising to me. I have always had a weakness for some types of food, and this exercise helped to confirm that. The first part of my diet that I examined in this exercise was the amount of grains I take in. The suggestion from Myplate said I should eat about 7 oz. of grain each day. The footnote said that I should try to make at least half of these grains whole grains. I did meet my target total of 7 oz. of grain each day for the two days that I tracked my diet. I eat rice with almost every meal other than breakfast. Other sources of grain were pita wraps and a baguette. The only problem that I had with getting enough grains was the whole grain aspect of the recommendation. I dislike while grain rice and a good French baguette is never made with whole grain flour. As a result, I learned that I get enough grain, but it is not whole grain. The second group of food I needed to analyze is my vegetable intake. Again, I learned that I eat plenty of vegetables. I eat vegetables raw in salads and stir-fried every day. I needed to eat three cups of vegetables each day but found that I am exceeding this total for the two days by two full cups. I was raised eating mostly vegetables and rice, so I guess this habit has just stayed with me. My favorite vegetables are snow peas and broccoli, both of which I learned are very healthy. I next analyzed my fruit intake and found that I was deficient in this area. I do not really have any fresh fruits that I enjoy eating. The texture of the fruit in my mouth is not pleasant. I do occasionally drink fruit juice if it is fresh, but that is not always available this time of the year. I was deficient one cup of fruit. I should have two each day but I only had three cups for the two day total. Finally, I needed to look at my fats and protein foods. This is

Emergent Strategy and Changing Capabilities in Video Games Industry Essay

Emergent Strategy and Changing Capabilities in Video Games Industry - Essay Example Since this is a broad topic, a holistic qualitative method of study was chosen. A case study regarding Sony’s emergent strategies was undertaken, following the examples provided by the review. The research uses a structured grounded approach to the study. A structured grounded theory is a research approach that allows the hypothesis to emerge from exploring a case study. The data collection was based on secondary documentary evidence, supported by Yin (2003). In case of study research, data collection, analysis, and dissemination occur cooperatively in order to explore a descriptive case study. The research finds that Sony is able to understand when the business world is unpredictable and Sony is able to organize itself to respond to market pressures through its brand identity. However, Sony does not have adequate strength to move knowledge inside the organization to consumers or to build relationships with customers based on information, such as in the release statements of n ew products. Sony is able to evolve, however, its continued and rigid focus on the PlayStation line does not offer a flexible approach, particularly in seeking out new sources of revenue and innovation. New theories in strategic management consider a back to basics approach (Grant 2007). The video game industry is one of the most volatile and high growth industries in the modern technology era (Williams 2002). However, the industry is controlled by three main competitors: Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony (Williams 2002). With the recent launch of the PS3, Sony has suffered unexpected profit losses from low purchases in both the console and the game software development. Thus, it becomes important to examine if customer satisfaction affects the marketing strategies employed. Many firms do not focus on customer satisfaction as a method of increasing back to basics profitability and instead focus on other methods of generating money. This includes mergers and acquisitions (Anderson and Mittal 2003). Yet not all blame can be laid upon the consumer.