Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Economics - Assignment Example Marginal revenue and Average revenue are constant and equal to price. The optimal level of output is given by Q* where, average variable cost, AVC is minimum. Thus for the competitive firm, the maximising profit condition is AR=P=MR=MC. b) The term monopoly means single to sell and the person who sells is called a monopolist. Monopolists are called â€Å"price setter† and there is restriction to entry of innumerable firms in the market. The monopoly market is a one seller market and many buyers. Indian Railways example of monopoly. The main objective of a monopolist firm is to maximize its profit. The monopolist’s profit maximization point is illustrated in the Figure 2: Here in short run, SRMC is the short run marginal cost and SRAC is short run average cost curves respectively. The monopoly equates MR=MC to find the optimal output Qm. at price Pm. In case of the cost conditions, if price (P) is less that the average cost, then the firm is experiencing loss and will shut down. In case of Long run equilibrium, monopolist requires LRMC=SRMC=MR and P≠¥LRAC. d) Monopolistic competition falls between the two extreme economies of Perfect competition and Monopoly. The main characteristics of the monopolistic market is price differentiation , non-price competition as the products are differentiated among themselves, large number of firms in the market and freedom of entry and exit and freedom of the consumers. The monopolistic market faces a serious problem of decrease in the market revenue through price differentiation. The major problem in the monopolistic competition is the introduction of product heterogeneity which makes difficult for the consumers to differentiate among competitive groups. Under monopolistic market is not clear to draw line. 3. A Price Discriminating Monopolist is better than a pure monopolist. Price Discrimination especially of third degree is always desirable from a social welfare point of view as it results in more

Starbucks Corporation and Brand Loyalty Essay Example for Free

Starbucks Corporation and Brand Loyalty Essay In today’s highly competitive business markets, a consumer’s loyalty to a brand often adds reassurance to the company’s stable and lasting position in the marketing world. As the new year continues to unravel, brands must maintain strong marketing strategies in order to keep their current buyers interested as well as capture the eye of new buyers. Brand loyalty after all, is the consumer’s conscious and unconscious decision, expressed through intention or behavior, to repurchase products from a brand continually. It occurs when the consumer perceives that the brand offers the right product features, image, or level of quality at the right price. One of the industry’s most successful companies, with over 19,000 stores worldwide, is Starbucks Corporation. Through the use of various marketing tactics, Starbucks has established itself as the largest coffeehouse company in world with a continuously expanding flock of loyal consumers each year. Pricing: As the leader of the coffee market, Starbucks Corporation is known for setting its prices on a simple idea: providing high value products at a moderate cost. When consumers are drawn to a product they find worthy of their money, they often are willing to pay any cost to attain the item. For Starbucks’ loyal consumers, quality is key. To maintain its brand loyal consumer base, Starbucks ensures their buyers quality coffee to justify its costs. Differentiation: Starbucks spends a large sum of time and energy annually to differentiate itself from its competitors. When one steps foot into one of the coffeehouses’ many locations, he or she will immediately be exposed to the music played in the shop as well as the types of products the shop sells, from bags of freshly ground coffee to jazz CDs. Starbucks also tries to stay up-to-date on the latest technology, often times being the first to introduce the newest advancements to its customers. Through new approaches such as location-based promotions and mobile payments, Starbucks uses various techniques to set itself apart from other coffeehouses in the hopes of attracting brand loyal consumers. Customer Service/Satisfaction: Starbucks has always been strongly devoted to providing its customers with quality service. To ensure this goal is achieved, the company aims to hire motivated and committed employees. Each individual hired by the brand is employee trained for all classes of employees, including part-time workers. Starbucks relies on its baristas and other frontline staff to provide customers with the best â€Å"Starbucks Experience†. My Starbucks Rewards Card: Another tactic Starbucks has used to reel in brand loyal consumers is the introduction of the â€Å"My Starbucks Rewards Card† in 2009. The free, no-contract rewards system allows customers to accumulate stars for each purchase they make at a Starbucks shop. Each star collected is put towards the three level reward system, qualifying card owners for free drinks on birthdays and other benefits. Similar to a reloadable gift card, card users can check there can easily assess and manage their card balances online. The My Starbucks Rewards Card is the perfect way to attract and keep brand loyal Starbucks consumers since customers have the incentive of earning rewards for simply buying products from their favorite coffeehouse. Starbucks’ Social Media Strategy: In addition to operating fan accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, Starbucks also owns its own version of a social networking site called, MyStarbucksIdea. com, where customers are asked to contribute their ideas on anything related to Starbucks. The site allows to users to see what others are suggesting, vote on ideas and check the results. MyStarbucksIdea. com is a brilliant and important aspect of Starbucks social media strategy. Users who are part of this network feel that they have some role in the decision making process of the company and it makes them feel a part of it. Starbucks employees also play role in the company’s social media strategy by participating in the blog entitled, â€Å"Ideas In Action†. This blog is written by various Starbucks employees and discusses how the brand is incorporating the ideas submitted by users on MyStarbucksIdea. com. The blog keeps customers in the company loop by keeping them informed regarding what is happening with their ideas. This strategy helps to increase the loyalty of consumers to the brand as well as showing potential customers, â€Å"Hey, we care about what YOU have to say†. Free Samples: On Tuesday, January 12, 2012, Starbucks Coffee released a new roast of its famous coffee, the â€Å"Blonde Roast†. To help introduce customers to its new lighter roast product, the company offered free samples of its brews during a 3-hour event each day, for two days. The research from tasting event called the, â€Å"Find the Roast You Love Most†, showed that more than 54 million U. S. coffee drinker said they prefer the lighter-roast coffee. Customers who came for the sampling were also given free samples of the light roast to brew at home and a $1 off coupon off a pound of any Starbucks coffee. By offered free samples of their new product to the public, Starbucks was able to draw forth brand loyal consumers as well as other coffee lovers. Today, Starbucks Corporation is one of the most successful and admired companies in the world. Since the company opened its first coffee shop in Seattle, Washington in 1971, it has expanded into a billon-dollar international brand. From its tasty beverages and treats to its specialty, whole-bean coffee blends, Starbucks has developed strong strategic methods that have led the coffeehouse to success, winning over the hearts of many coffee indulgers. Through strategies of pricing, differentiation, providing quality customer service, introducing a rewards program, social media networking, and free samples, Starbucks has been able to acquire thousands of brand loyal consumers each year.

The Raising Of Children :: essays research papers

The raising of the children in Wuthering Heights seemed to be mostly done by the nannies. In fact, the story is mainly told from the perspective of Nelly Dean, the housekeeper of Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights. Upper-class parents delegated the entire care of their children to a nurse or a "nanny". The nanny and the children occupied a separate wing or floor of the house. Ideally, the wing or floor had a day nursery, one or more night nurseries for children of different ages, bedrooms for older children and their governess, and a schoolroom or older children's sitting room. The fully staffed nursery had additional nurserymaids, a schoolroom maid, a laundress, and sometimes a cook. The reason children were separated from adults was that they were to be sheltered from adult life and given a structured routine and also to hvae their characters trained. The adults were freed for their own pleasures and responsibilities, and for the London season and foreign travel which were expected parts of aristocratic life. The full-fledged nanny was a professional and she had full charge of the children and their upbringing. Mothers recognized their own deficiencies and deferred to the nanny's training and experience. Children spent mostly all of their time with the nanny. Her bed was in the night nursery where they slept. The parents paid little attention to the everyday happenings as in seen in Wuthering Heights. Catherine and Francis depended on Nelly's care of the children all throughout Wuthering Heights. When the kids were about eight, their lessons began to occupy most of their time. Boys went to boarding school and girls became primarily responsible to the governess. Despite a nanny's absolute authority, children were still called "miss" or "master" when

home improvement :: essays research papers

Home Improvement   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To construct a sitcom, like Home Improvement, there are certain media concepts that the show must take into consideration before building a set, and script. The medium that is chosen determines the format of the text, money limits construction, and the audience limits construction, as well as the lifestyles, and values of the audience. The writers of the show have to determine what dialogue is used in the script, for example the language and word choice that is used. The script also includes choosing a plot, setting, character’s, and narrator’s. To add to this list, the show could not be made possible without a recording environment, such as cameras, a studio to work in, lighting, sound effects, props, costumes, equipment for colouring, and fonts for messages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The audience has a lot to do with the success of the show. The writers for Home Improvement have to look at the show as a audience member would. If it does not run smoothly and does not show an environment that the audience may not find interesting, can affect the popularity of the show.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Home Improvement is about, a five member normal family that is faced everyday problems, involving either the children or the adults. Tim Taylor, (played by Tim Allen) is a clumsy, hilarious man, who is in love with tools, hosts a television show called â€Å"Tool Time,† while â€Å"raising three hormonally - charged boys into responsible adults,† Brad, ( Zacery Ty Bryan ) and Randy, ( Jonathan Taylor Thomas ) who are always chasing the girls, and Mark ( Taran Noah Smith ) as quoted from an ABC PRIMETIME article, along with the help of his understanding wife Jill (played by Patricia Richardson .) Jill and Tim seem to have a healthy relationship between the two of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Meanwhile, Wilson, the Taylor’s unusual neighbour, serves as a teacher or a guide for Tim, or anyone else who has a problem. Wilson is always there when Tim needs to talk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Al Borlan, ( Richard Karn ) is Tim’s best friend, and also his co-worker on the television show â€Å"Tool Time.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heidi, is the â€Å"Tool Time Girl† who always introduces Tim Taylor for the show â€Å"Tool Time.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every episode the audience expects a on-going scenario, for example Tim always getting hurt or Al always to be joked upon, these are the parts of the show, that the views keep wanting to come back to watch.

Successfully Navigating the Turbulent Skies of a Large-Scale Erp

Bombardier is the world’s only manufacturer of both planes and trains, it is present in more then 60 countries and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Both Bombardier Aerospace & Bombardier transportation employ over 70 000 and posted a revenue of over 18. 3 billion in the fiscal year ended December 31,2011. The case presents the implementation of an ERP system in Bombardier, along with all the major changes the corporation undertook for a successful transition. In the analysis I will address the challenges faced by Bombardier, the challenges associated with the integration of the large system & its benefits.I will also address how the project team managed and communicated it’s vision amongst the firm and how the new roles were defined, communicated & understood. The analysis will focus up to and including the implementation of the system. As the company grew over the years, Bombardier’s strategy of growth by acquisition turned the firm into a â€Å"textbook s ilo organization†. This created problems as systems did not communicate with each other effectively. This inefficiency generated additional costs because the firm had to maintain all the different systems.Another problem, related to the operation of the aerospace division, was the low visibility of inventory and lack of integration between the old computer systems. This caused process delays, low inventory turns & price inconsistency from suppliers. The Bombardier Manufacturing System (BMS) , the group of information technology applications that had been supporting Bombardier Aerospace’s manufacturing activities, had not evolved to cope with the fast changes. The BMS capabilities had become limited. We can assume that Bombardier was not a fully integrated company at that time because there was a clear lack of coordination and unity.An example would be how employees would create numerous stand-alone databases throughout the company on operations specific to their functio n without realizing the negative effect it causes to the rest of the organization such as data errors or omissions. But Bombardier Aerospace was working on becoming an integrated Company, as the Vice-President of Operations and Project Sponsor was aware of the challenges and created a Vision: â€Å"One Company†: To align the operations of its acquired companies by implementing common roles and responsibilities.To meet this enormous challenge, a Enterprise Resource planning (ERP) system was first implemented at Bombardier Aerospace. The first attempt in 2000 was a costly failure. The implementation of this technology without the corresponding organizational changes was the main reason of its failure. The factors that contributed to its breakdown are identified as : Focusing the implementation on inappropriate business processes, an outdated company vision, a weak sponsorship model, insufficient involvement of internal employees and having too many third-party consultants emplo yed on the project.In October 2001, Bombardier Manufacturing Information System (BMIS) was created by the Senior Project Manager to establish a new integrated manufacturing system. BMIS was the first project launched with a vision of an integrated organization. Once completed it would support 9,500 users over seven sites and the main benefit of the system’s integration is the cost savings of over $1. 171 billion and a one time reduction in material inventory of $219 million. To Create & implement such a system, a blue print of the operation was created.An integration team was formed; There role was to identify integration points where a process crossed functional boundaries, and independently resolve integration points that could potentially cause disagreement. The functional council took high –level decisions regarding the design of the projects. The BMIS team requested that the plants provide them with experienced employees for the design phase. Some problems that th e BMIS project manager was concerned about is that there was a lack of strong business employees, although empowered to make decisions and complete the design had to constantly go back to the business in order to validate.Another problem was the documentation that was requested by the BMIS team were not provided. As a result, the Design phase ran over schedule by several months. Bombardier Aerospace decided to go with a progressive implementation of the system. BMIS would be implemented one plant at a time starting with there newest facility, the Mirabel Plant. The Critical success factor for the project was the â€Å" Vanilla† approach to system design: It was important that the first roll-out or implementation of the system at the Mirabel plant to be a controlled one.Bombardier limited the scope of the first roll-out one section at a time and trained the rest of the shop accordingly. This approach would siege the system to one part of the plant and identify lessons for subs equent roll-outs. The Restructuring of the procurement function plays an important role in realizing the vision of the BMIS. As was stated earlier, one of the problems the firm faced was the low visibility of inventory. By improving the visibility, you can reduce inventory levels that would improve liquidity and reduce cycle time.It was decided mid-project to restructure the procurement function, it was undertaken in parallel with the implementation of the BMIS and was called the Material Resource Planning Technology. The main idea for procurement was to minimize the total acquisition cost and overall procurement costs by concentrating on a centralized and strategic sourcing of inventory. This big change would require the training of new employees and have them ready to use the new system.Data Management was also a parallel project, it can be divided in 2 activities: 1. Data Cleansing: identified as a major risk of the project. 2. Data Preparation: Extraction, mapping, staging and c onsolidation of data. Before going live it was important to prepare the users in utilizing the new system. Due to the pressure of staying on schedule, training were delivered to users in a short period of time which wasn’t effective because transmitting such a large amount of information in a sort period resulted in a negative effect.

One Easy Way To Deepen Any Emotional Moment - Freewrite Store

One Easy Way To Deepen Any Emotional Moment - Freewrite Store As storytellers, we become very aware of certain buzzwords as they tend to be threaded into most writing articles, workshops, and how-to books. Show don’t tell, tension, conflict, backstory†¦these are all important concepts that come up again and again because they don’t belong in one box labelled â€Å"Plot† or â€Å"Character.† Of these buzzwords, one stands above the rest: emotion. Emotion is the powerful current that flows through every part of our story, from the plot and characters to the setting, pacing, theme†¦and beyond. It touches everything, giving all layers of our story a deeper meaning, and most importantly of all, it connects readers to our characters via empathy. If we can’t create that empathy link where readers feel emotionally invested in what’s happening, the book will close and the reader will move on. So learning how to write emotion well is probably our top job as writers. The key to empathy is really very simple: draw from the real world in a way that creates an instant (and powerful) sense of emotional recognition. In other words, write about things that are true to life and important to readers. Things they themselves have experienced and felt. In this way, we can encourage â€Å"shared experiences† where the reader isn’t just following along, but actively engaging to the point where they feel something deep and meaningful themselves. There are many ways to sharpen the emotional impact of a scene. Here’s one that is often overlooked. Emotions In Conflict If there’s one thing we know about the real world, it is that life is never simple, and this trickles right down to our basic emotions. Life would be so much easier if we could always define exactly what we feel in every moment, and be able to act on these emotions. The thing is, often we can’t because we are feeling several things at once, and of these, some are in conflict. Let’s look at a familiar scenario for writers: You’ve worked like crazy to hone your craft. You’ve read novels by the bookcase, put hundreds of hours in front of the keyboard, taken workshops, joined critique groups, studied and queried, and finally†¦you’ve sold your first book! All the hard work and the heartache along the way was worth it: a contract, an advance, a release date. Huzzah! You should feel ecstatic at attaining your goal, right? Yeah†¦no.    Instead, you feel a mixture of joy, pride, vindication, worry, doubt, and fear. Why? Because while your passion and dedication paid off, now you’re faced with what’s next: a contract means expectations, responsibilities, and deadlines. What if you blow the edits? What if the book fails to sell well? What if you screw up the follow-up book your publisher also contracted?Suddenly this crowning achievement also becomes a trip into the deepest reaches of your insecurity as you question whether you’re ready for the stress and pressure of the task ahead.   Conflicting emotions are part of our every day, making them part of the reader’s every day, too. During any emotional moment, we feel a range of things. And yet often in fiction, the emotional experience we deliver is one-note, a single emotion. We describe the character as being happy though body language, internal sensations, dialogue, and POV thoughts. Or, if we provide an emotional range, it is a complementary one, where we show a character happy and grateful and peaceful all rolled into one. Emotional experiences are usually complex, and contain both positive and negative elements. A character buying their first car is probably almost jittery-excited to drive it off the lot so they can cruise by their friend’s house and show it off. But if we dig deeper, maybe instead of going full-out, pedal to the floor, they’re driving a bit more cautiously. Why? Because getting into an accident isn’t an option. They extended themselves all the way to buy this car and can’t afford to replace it. In fact, maybe the euphoric rush of this new radical ride dims a little as they start to worry about how to afford the payments. The character doesn’t always get along with his boss, and while he gripes about work (what twenty-something doesn’t?) now maybe he has a bit of newfound gratitude toward his employer. The character realizes he’s lucky to have the job, and maybe he should put in more effort to make sure he keeps it.   Like this situation, emotions affect thought and action.When conflicting emotions are involved, it creates a mesmerizing push-and pull effect that readers latch onto because they know exactly what it’s like to feel opposing things and the dilemmas that sometimes result. Your Turn! The next time you sit down to write the emotional progression of a scene, challenge yourself to include some of the other emotions bubbling beneath the surface. Showing a few hints of conflicting behavior (such as wanting to let ‘er rip to see what a new car is capable of but driving sensibly instead) can be a natural gateway allowing you to introduce opposing emotions to readers. Angela Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of five bestselling books including, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression. Her popular guides are available in six languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site Writers Helping Writers, as well as One Stop for Writers, an innovative online library filled with tools and resources to help writers elevate their storytelling. She would love you to visit sometime, and registration is always free.

Role of Shanghai

Role of Shanghai Introduction Shanghai is found on the western shore of the pacific sea and at the innermost part of the north-south shoreline of china. Shanghai is on the western side borders of jiangsu and zhejiang. The country’s land area covers more than 6000 square kilometers while the water mass covers more than 100 square kilometers. It is believed that the shanghai chongming island area covers around 1050 square kilometrs and said to be the third largest island in china.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Shanghai specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first Fig shows the map of shanghai while Fig two shows where shanghai is located in china Fig:1 Fig:2 Shanghai as the leading town in china, is believed to be one of the foremost socioeconomic centers. The country is said to have been performancing a principal task in the nations change and opening movement, including industrial advancement, science and technology transformation. In the beginning of 1990, the innermost administration decided to speed up the expansion of shanghai into a world trade and industry, economic and trade center and to encourage financially viable expansion of the entire yangtze river region where the town is situated. The town has attained an astonishing financially viable expansion from that time. All these have made the city be the most important interface between china and the rest of the world. The below pictures shows some activities of shanghaiAdvertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Industrial Studies in shanghai shanghai sciences yangtze river playes a great role in the history and current status of china. Through the help of the yangtze river, the ancient people gained a lot of experience. This came up as a result of the continued flood that kept flooding at the river. The flood gave up them the experience on how to fight the flood and a nationwide characterstics showing a well-built will of never giving up. After the continued issues like wars and famine in the ancient history, yangtze river currently changed raising up peoples filled with hope and energy. This gave the importance of yangtze river in the shanghai country. The below picture shows the yangzte river what makes shanghai the modern china city is the new technologies. This has been enabled by the fast growth of education resulted by the high test scores gotten by the students. The high score in shanghai is said to have been caused by a number of reasons. First, the public schools in shanghai knows how how to utilize the hours of the day which gives them enough time of studying which is unlike the other countries. some issues like continuos watching of televisions and working while under the age of 16 is prohibited by the chinese law which creates enough time of education which is rarely considered in many countries.Advertis ing We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Shanghai specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The picture below shows a condusive environment and students studying in shanghai A big sum of salary given to the teachers in shanghai unlike the other countries gives them the morale as well as motivation while teaching the students . it is also clear that every teacher in shanghai should be have all the certificates required by the government so as to qualify being a teacher which is also unlike to the other countries. since shanghai is said to have the quality school scheme, many students here get entrance to the most selected collegies and universities in the world. All these have enabled the growth of education to great heights in shanghai. (Kaplan) Conclusion Shanghai is well known for its growth since it is said to have all the potential that is required to meet its target. Shanghai won the battle of success through education. Educat ion boosted a lot this country in terms of economy and growth. It is through the tactics they had attained that enabled the country have high education. For instance, shanghai was strict in studying and they cared the teachers in terms of pay. These among others ensured a gradual growth of shanghai in terms of economy and education. Kaplan, Robert. Shanghai Express. June,2010. Web. January,14,2011. http://shangaiexpress.blogspot.com/2010/05/geography-of-chinese-power-robert-d.html

Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage Debate

Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage Debate Free Online Research Papers Gay pride! It is a statement that brings forth a very touchy argument in politics today. Of the many current issues in American politics today, one that seems to stay at the top of the list is the issue of same-sex marriage. Should same-sex marriages be legalized in the United States? Some say no, because it goes against tradition, religion, and much more, while others, gays and straights alike, believe yes, because it will bring equality to all. The answer to this question, however, if this country were to follow the ideals of those who walked before, should be â€Å"no.† It seems that as time goes on, however, Americans tend to drift farther and farther away from the ideals and morals that were held by its forefathers. Same-sex marriage should not be made legal because of what it stands for sin an immorality, goes against the Christian religion and the traditional marriage, and may lead to the acceptance of a lifestyle that is not culturally normal. The first British colonists who settled in America were Protestants and Puritans who were searching for religious freedom from the Church of England. It should be no surprise then, that the United States Constitution was put in place to protect this religious freedom. If the Constitution was set in place to protect all religions, why then would America try to pass a law that goes against at least one religion: Christianity? In the Christian religion, homosexuality is viewed as evil and sinful. The Bible says in I Corinthians 6:9-10, â€Å"Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (The Bible, 1st Corinthians 6:9-10).† This nation is supposed to be â€Å"One nation, under God† but yet it seems some are fighting for a cause that goes completely against God and the Christian religion. The legalization of same-sex marriage will cause homosexuals to go further into the sinful lifestyle in which they already participate in. It will give gays an â€Å"incentive for them to remain trapped in a lie† (Rios par. 8). America must treat homosexuals with love and compassion in order to help them to overcome the gripping temptations of homosexuality. â€Å"Treat others as you wish to be treated.† This is the â€Å"golden rule† in which American children are taught in schools and churches. This pertains to the treatment of homosexuals as well. Without love and compassion, homosexuals will be unwilling to change their sinful ways. In the Declaration of Independence, it is stated that all people are created equal and have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In other words, everyone is free to live their life as they choose and desire, including homosexuals, however, â€Å"by insisting that the law create a counterfeit version of marriage, [homosexuals] are looking to use government power to force [their lifestyle] on everyone† (Rios par. 9). The media is one of the leading tools in the fight for the legalization of same-sex marriage. Dr. Mark Hartman states in his sermon, The Truth about Homosexuality, â€Å"The media has become obsessed with pushing the homosexual lifestyle to the front and center of our culture.† Television shows and movies are starting to contain homosexuality more and more. And, â€Å"In every case, the homosexual is depicted in a positive light, and anyone who disagrees with that lifestyle is depicted in a negative light† (Hartman 1). An example of this is the television show, Will and Grace. In this series, a gay man and a straight woman live together in perfect harmony. It portrays Will as a normal American citizen with a high-end job (lawyer). The only catch is that he is gay. America is able to sympathize and accept his lifestyle because he’s funny and charming. As far as Americans are concerned, he is just another human being. Media propaganda is being used as an effective tool to brainwash the public in sympathizing with and accepting homosexuality. The media is using a tactic of normality; the more America sees this â€Å"acceptable† view of homosexuality, the easier it is to accept it. This propaganda technique is being used so effectively with one sided figures that Americans fail to see the dark side of this lifestyle because it is practically nonexistent in the mainstream of media. Americans are not shown the gross, immoral sexual lives homosexuals actually live. We do not see the many diseases that transmitted by participation in such a lifestyle. Diseases such as AIDS, Herpes, Hepatitis, and many, many more are very common in the gay community. In 2004, an estimated 415,193 people were living with AIDS in the United States. Of that number, 77% were male and of that percentage, 58% were men who had sex with other men (Noble 1). Although mainstream media portrays homosexuals as all being talented, creative, smart, cute, sweet, and funny, this is not how all actually are. Not all gays dress and act as they are portrayed on television. In fact, gays are pretty, ugly, smart, unintelligent, well dressed, ill dressed, nice, rude, funny, unfunny, and hold jobs from high-end executives to auto shop mechanics. They are just like every other American in most aspects except for their sexual preference. Some homosexuals have kept their homosexuality hidden so well, not even their family and friends are aware of it. Another factor in the wide acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle is the mistaken belief that sexual orientation is determined at birth. In other words, people are born either homosexual or heterosexual, it is not a choice. Researchers said that they had found a gene pattern linked to male homosexuality in July of 1993. Principle Researcher, Dean Hamer, a homosexual himself as well as a homosexual political activist, stated, â€Å"This study shows that sexual orientation is powerfully influenced by inherited genes. This is the strongest evidence to date that there is an important genetic component to sexual orientation† (Hartman 3). Hamer’s article was given to the media who immediately provided quick and widespread coverage. Three years later, in 1996, Hamer’s co-author stated that Hamer â€Å"had selectively reported his data in ways that changed the conclusions of the study.† And later it was â€Å"admitted that no genetic link to homosexuality has been found after all† (Hartman 4). Many people have not heard this new news, however, because it was not as widely covered by the media as was the original statement that people are born homosexual. Gays wish to have legal same-sex marriage for more reasons than just having the intangible benefits of enjoying the official title and the social privilege. There are many legal privileges and tangible benefits that come with marriage which gays are unable to receive due to the Defense of Marriage Act, which was passed in 1996 (Wolfson 4). In this act, â€Å"the government catalogued more than 1,049 ways in which married people are accorded special status under law†¦that makes more than 1,049 ways in which lesbian and gay couples are ripped off† (Wolfson 4). In other words, without a marriage license, same-sex couples are denied many of the benefits that normal couples take for granted. Benefits such as: social security, retirement, health care, and child custody. â€Å"A surviving civil union partner can be denied about $10,000 a year in federal Social Security benefits† (Sauer 9). Next to the benefits derived from marriage, gays wish to gain the public titl e of marriage for personal reasons as well. Marriage†¦is a social statement, describing and defining one’s relationships and place in society. It is also a personal statement of commitment that receives public support and†¦has spiritual†¦ and familial significance (Wolfson 4). Gays want legal marriage in order to make their love public. Marriage is the way straight people talk of love and family (Wolfson 4). Gays want marriage for the same reason that straight people want to get married: for love and for commitment. The legalization of gay marriage can harm the traditional version of marriage. Same-sex marriage will cheapen the real thing by causing marriage itself to lose support in the law and culture (Rios par. 2). Marriage has already been weakened by the legalization of divorce. Marriage has been historically defined as a contractual unit binding a couple in a lifelong relationship of love, service, and devotion (Kohm 82). If same-sex marriages are made legal, the ethical views toward homosexuality will be weakened even further. It will cancel the traditional view of marriage as being a binding union between two people in which â€Å"each must be of a different sex from the other, one male and one female† (Kohm 83). Same-sex marriage will also destroy the normal family settings by creating motherless and fatherless households. â€Å"Studies have shown that children raised in married households have the best chance for health and happiness† (Rios par. 6). By legalizing same-sex marriage, America will unwillingly teach future generations that sexual immorality and impurity is acceptable and normal. By legalizing same-sex marriages, children will be taught, in schools, that homosexuality is normal and healthy, and may be placed in homosexual households (Rios par. 5). Society defines for its young what is normal and what is not (Gallagher 18). If children see same-sex couples, they will view that as a normal and acceptable lifestyle of relationships. Marriage is the â€Å"social and legal prominence [which] informs young lovers about the end toward which they aspire, the outward meaning of their most urgent, personal impulses† (Gallagher 19). It is almost as if Americans are becoming too lazy or scared to stick up for their beliefs so instead they are simply accepting the immorality so that they can just go on with their daily lives. It seems that America has taken on the new belief system of, â€Å"if it makes them happy and does not directly affect me, it is ok and I will vote in favor of it.† On the flipside, however, it seems that Americans may be getting off of their couches in order to make their opinions heard. In 2000, 61% of Californians voted against same-sex marriage (Rios par. 10) and recent polls have shown that â€Å"Americans are beginning to wake up and realize that what they thought was a campaign of tolerance toward homosexuals is, in reality, a concerted effort to force them through government, media and corporate power to celebrate homosexuality† (Rios par. 11). When asked if same-sex marriage should be made legal in the United States 61% adults under the age of 30 said yes and 35% s aid no; among adults 65 and older, 18% said yes and 73% said no (Hertzberg par. 6). This shows how Americans really feel about the issue of same-sex marriage: for the most part they disagree. It seems that America may be realizing that the legalization of same-sex marriage is not the answer. The reasons against the legalization of same-sex marriage far outweigh the reasons for it. The legalization of same-sex marriage may bring equality to the homosexual division in a country that has always been more kind to the heterosexual front, but it will forever change the morals and ideals that this country has fought to protect. It does seem, however, that this argument may be coming to a decisive end. Hopefully, America is coming to its senses to put a stop to this argument, and to say â€Å"no† to the legalization of same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriages can not be made legal because it stands for immorality and sin, will lead to the destruction of the traditional institution of marriage, goes against the Christian religion, and will cause the American society to overtime accept the immorality of homosexuality as normal and just. Bible, New International Version, The. 1973. Colorado Springs, CO: International Bible Society, 1984. International Bible Society. 2005. 17 Oct 2005. . Gallagher, Maggie. Normal Marriage: Two Views. Marriage and Same-Sex Unions: A Debate. By Lynn D. Wardle, et al. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003. 13-21. NetLibrary. 2005. OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. 14 Oct 2005 . Hartman, Mark. The Truth About Homosexuality. Sugar Creek Baptist Church. Worship Center, Sugar Land, TX. 30 June 2005. Hertzberg, Hendrick. Comment: Wedding Blitz. New Yorker 15 Mar 2004: 80.4: 61-62. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Blinn College. 23 Oct 2005 . Kohm, Lynne Marie. Marriage by Design. Marriage and Same-Sex Unions: A Debate. By Lynn D. Wardle, et al. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003. 81-85. NetLibrary. 2005. OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. 14 Oct 2005 . Noble, Rob. United States HIV AIDS Statistics Summary. AVERT.org. 23 Nov. 2005. AVERT. 26 Nov. 2005 . Rios, Sandy. How Does Gay Marriage Hurt the Traditional Thing? Lets Count the Ways. Hispanic Mar 2004: 17.3: 70. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Blinn College. 23 Oct 2005 . Sauer, Rachel. MarriedBut Not. Palm Beach Post 7 Mar 2004: 1D+. SIRS Researcher. Proquest. Blinn College. 23 Oct 2005 . Wolfson, Evan. All Together Now. Marriage and Same-Sex Unions: A Debate. By Lynn D. Wardle, et al. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003. 3-5. NetLibrary. 2005. OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. 14 Oct 2005 . Research Papers on Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage DebateComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeCapital PunishmentQuebec and CanadaHip-Hop is ArtBringing Democracy to AfricaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Pontecaster Car Rally case report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Pontecaster Car Rally case report - Essay Example The advice that could be given to Pontecaster depends on its rights or responsibilities in the contract. But before the obligation could arise from the contract, there is a need to establish whether there is a contract. A contract exists when the following elements occur: offer and acceptance, consideration, certainty of agreement and intention to create legal relations (University of London, 2007). If such a contract does exist between the parties, it could now be asked whether the rights of Pontecaster are being protected. On the other hand, Pontecaster may have responsibilities to be done under the contract which may make it at fault. As far as the issue on whether there is a contract between the parties on the basis of the presence or absence of offer and acceptance, consideration , certainty of agreement and intention of create legal relations, this paper submits that they parties are presumed to have a contract because the question presupposes the existence of such contract. As far as its rights under the contract (which is presumed to exist based on the question), it becomes an issue whether it can it ask â€Å"Grubs up† to pay for breach of contract. The case facts provide that there was confusion as to actual date of the sports event but it was also provided that Pontecaster had already contracted â€Å"Grubs up† (Emphasis supplied). The fact that there was contract already, â€Å"Grubs up† must have been ready to meet the obligations including the day when the car rally event would have been held. As far as its responsibilities in the contract is concerned, Pontercaster may be held liable for its failure to conduct the event in its earlier designated time, if there is any, as per its contract with â€Å"Grubs up†. On the other hand, in the absence of the of a definite dates of the event that was agreed upon, such may indicate lack of intention to be bound for which â€Å"Grubs up† may not be liable.

Thomas Edison Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Thomas Edison - Research Paper Example Edison obtained the majority of his educational materials from The Cooper Union, which specialized in supplying higher education materials and instruction for students. Through his education, Edison became interested in various branches of science, which played a role in his later career as an experimenter and inventor. Growing up, Edison held a variety of odd jobs to increase his income. While living in Michigan, he made a modest salary by selling candy and newspapers on the trains that ran through his city. He also sold vegetables to help his family with their expenses. Edison’s first stable job came after he saved a little boy from being hit by a runaway train. The station agent, J.U. MacKenzie, who was also the father of the little boy, was so appreciative of Edison’s actions that he trained Edison to be a telegraph operator. Edison spent many years in this position. When he was nineteen, he moved to Kentucky where he received a boost in his career by being given a job with the Associated Press news wire. During his career on the news wire, Edison made sure that he always received the night shift so that he would be able to work, read, and experiment. However, on one particular night, Edison’s attention on his experimenting ended up costing him his job when a lead-acid battery he was playing with spilled sulfuric acid onto the floor, which then leaked through the floorboards and spilled onto the desk of his boss below. Edison was immediately fired upon arriving at work the following morning. However, despite losing his job, one good thing came from Edison’s time as a telegraph operator. While working, he met Franklin Pope, another telegrapher and an inventor himself. Pope allowed Edison to work out of the basement of his home, which allowed Edison the space he needed for his first two inventions, a stock ticker and the electric vote recorder that was officially patented on June 1, 1869 (Pretzer, 1989). When Edison was twenty-four , he married Mary Stilwell. He met her while she was working at one of his shops. Together they had three children, Marion, Thomas Jr., and William. Mary died thirteen years later from a brain tumor; two years later, Edison married again, this time to Mina Miller, who was almost half of Edison’s age and the daughter of a famous inventor. They also had three children, including Charles and Theodore, both of whom went on to follow in their father’s footsteps as inventors. Mina outlived her husband, dying in 1947 from natural causes. Thomas Edison became most known for his numerous inventions, obtaining over one thousand patents in the United States during his lifetime, as well as many patents in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. As previously mentioned, among Edison’s first inventions were a stock ticker and an electric vote recorder. He also invented numerous telegraph machines and improved on telegraph machines that had already been invented, such as inve nting the quadruplex telegraph, which made it possible to transmit four messages at once. He also invented the electric pen, which was a device used for copying. However, regardless of these first useful inventions, Edison first became known for his invention of the phonograph in 1877, which is the first record player. Even though the phonograph had very poor sound quality and could only be used a few times, the public was taken back by this surprising, wonderful invention, giving Edison the nickname of the Wizard of Menlo Park. Edison spent a few years perfecting his original phonograph,

Quantitative Marketing. Data Driven Marketing Term Paper

Quantitative Marketing. Data Driven Marketing - Term Paper Example Part ii One of the main concern that arises from this study is the fact that the sample is quite small considerate the size of the market that is being investigated. Given that the service bend sold is a product that can be sold to all people across the United States, taking a sample of only one thousand people may not have provided a reliable sample to represent the whole population that that is the target market. The other issue that arises from the survey is that it was not targeted at a particular market segment. In this regard, the results are not entirely reliable because some of the respondents may not have answered the questions with openness. To be more effective, the survey should have tried to narrow done to a specific segment of the market. This should have been done by identifying which segment of the market, depending on gender, age, or social class that the subscription would be most relevant to. This, combined with a bigger survey sample would have given a more reliab le result. Such a survey can be very subjective if the sample is not big enough and if the sample is not chosen correctly. This is specialized product and therefore doing a shopping mall survey is not the best way to get the relevant information regarding the market for the product because the sample was most likely contaminated by questioning the wrong cohort of respondents. The other issue with the study is that the demonstration that was given to the respondents was not enough and this could mean that they did not have enough time to process the product and make an informed decision. By this virtue, there is a high possibility that most of the customers answered the questions based on gut feeling. For instance, because they did not have enough time to understand the products, they were only concerned about the cost as opposed to understanding the products and then judging the cost based in value the product it is giving them compared to the cost. Phase II Given the elasticity of demand as shown, it would be better to decrease the price of the subscription to increase the rates of subscription. This would mean that the company would need to lower the rates of subscription to the lowest rate possible to increase the revenues through increased subscriptions. There is one special thing about the said product. Since this product is a content product which means that it will be affected by the Metcalfe law of networks which indicates that the usability or relevance of a network increases with the number of network users. For instance, in this case, the more the number of network users, the more useful the network will be and the more it will be able to attract even more subscribers thus increasing the revenues. As the number of subscribers increase, the company will be able to reduce the subscription rates and still make enough profits. The above recommendation is subject to whether or not the demand will continue to be elastic to the maximum or the elasticity of the demand will stop at certain point. If the demand is not as elastic as it is thought to be, it may mean that the recommendation will not be right and that a better pricing strategy would need to be looked at. At the same time, it is important to note that the there will be other factors that may arise as time goes by. For instance, if a similar product comes into the market, the competition will bring new challenges to the market. In this kind of a scenario, it

Community Participation in Building the Science Curriculum for Thesis Proposal

Community Participation in Building the Science Curriculum for Intermediate School - Thesis Proposal Example This essay stresses that intermediate level, also called the middle school level, is where pupils are taught more on what they learnt while in the lower school level. Here, both the teachers and the students communally work together so that the goals and objectives of the level are achieved easily, with all students satisfactorily attaining their desired grades, teachers feeling the positive impact of their contribution. This paper makes a conclusion that different teachers take different units in this level; therefore, the students get the opportunity to be exposed different learning and teaching strategies since each teacher has their own way of doing things. Students are expected to attain higher grades in all subjects: mathematics, languages, social studies, arts, and sciences. Physical education is essential where students are expected to improve their on their flexibility, learn how to coordinated body parts with some activities and the necessity of such activities to the body organs like the heart and lungs as well as its positive impact in reducing the chances of some health implications. Much of these physical activities are related to science courses where students put into practice their theory knowledge. Participation in individual and group projects, active involvement in science clubs and science congress as well as visiting science related stations and demonstration fields are some of the main activities teachers expose their students to at this level.

Golden Fleece Hotel , case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Golden Fleece Hotel , case study - Essay Example This report contains multitude of examples, through scholarly and pragmatic articles, researches and surveys that prove the point that information systems and internet applications in today’s world are all the tools you need to succeed in a business if you have proven yourself in the skill you excel at, or the business you work in. This business report can serve as a persuasive read for the owners of the Golden Fleece Hotel, who will benefit greatly with the installation of information systems to improve efficiency and effectiveness of their strategy. Having the state of the art information system can help them gain on the competitive front as well. Business operations in the hotel management business can make or break the business. Branding and maintaining quality is the way to move forward (Ralph, 2008). This consultancy is being provided by the IM consultants who are an Information Systems Consultancy firm. They provide information systems solutions to business all over the world. Methodology: This report incorporates a lot of secondary information. Secondary information is the data collection from the researches that have already been conducted and articles that have already been written. ... All references have been cited towards the end of the report. Academic sources and journals have been used where necessary to validate the theoretical framework of hotel management. Real life examples have also been employed that further validate the recommendations made towards the end of the report. Golden Fleece Hotel: The Golden Fleece boasts of a rich history; it is relatively new in the hospitality industry and has made its mark through the exceptional service they provide their customers. Since its inception in 1999, it has been moving upwards and seeing success; however, times changed as the hotel entered its 8th year of operation. A number of factors can be attributed to this change. According to research it has been proved that organizations can plan all they want; if they are unable to act according to the changes that take place in the external environment, their strategy will not work. The strategic plan should keep in mind the forecast of changes that may take place in consumer preferences, economical conditions, political environment etc. Therefore, environmental analysis serves as the key to making the right decisions. The management of Golden Fleece was not able to predict that changing nature of business and technology and has suffered duly because of it (Ralph, 2008). According to Silver, information systems are implemented to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the work processes in an organization. There are many types of systems that can be utilized, according to the decision making and information needs of the organization. When it comes to hospitality management the biggest need for the hour is to assimilate

Community Participation in Building the Science Curriculum for Thesis Proposal

Community Participation in Building the Science Curriculum for Intermediate School - Thesis Proposal Example This essay stresses that intermediate level, also called the middle school level, is where pupils are taught more on what they learnt while in the lower school level. Here, both the teachers and the students communally work together so that the goals and objectives of the level are achieved easily, with all students satisfactorily attaining their desired grades, teachers feeling the positive impact of their contribution. This paper makes a conclusion that different teachers take different units in this level; therefore, the students get the opportunity to be exposed different learning and teaching strategies since each teacher has their own way of doing things. Students are expected to attain higher grades in all subjects: mathematics, languages, social studies, arts, and sciences. Physical education is essential where students are expected to improve their on their flexibility, learn how to coordinated body parts with some activities and the necessity of such activities to the body organs like the heart and lungs as well as its positive impact in reducing the chances of some health implications. Much of these physical activities are related to science courses where students put into practice their theory knowledge. Participation in individual and group projects, active involvement in science clubs and science congress as well as visiting science related stations and demonstration fields are some of the main activities teachers expose their students to at this level.

Musclar Sclerosis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Musclar Sclerosis - Research Paper Example According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of the United States of America, there are 250,000 people in the country who suffer from this disease. Furthermore, it points out that the total number of people with this condition may be the double of this figure owing to the fact that many people do not chose to consult their physicians and misdiagnose their own condition (Rosner et al 2008 p7). The disease is considered to have a greater predisposition towards females and the ratio of the affected females to affected males is 2:1. The disease does not present in the early ages of life and nor are there any presenting cases after the fifth decade of life. Individuals are mainly affected between these age groups (Robbins et al 2005 p 1382; Mitchell et al 2007 p 887). Multiple sclerosis is not a congenital disease and it is a condition which affects a person later in life and is acquired. It is considered to be caused by an autoimmune mechanism. But definitive causes for this dise ase have still not been identified. It has been highlighted that the condition may also be stimulated and caused by external environmental factors. The condition is not infective and hence does not spread from one individual to another. Studies in the United States and England have highlighted interesting aspects of the disease and it has been seen that this pathological condition mainly affects the upper classes and it is more common in countries with proper hygienic measures. It has been seen that in the developing nations where the hygiene is low, the disease is not prevalent and it is hypothesized that these populations tend to acquire an immune mechanism against this disease. Furthermore, it has also been presented that the pathology is more prevalent in areas with lower temperatures (Robbins et al 2005 p 1382; Rosner et al 2008 p 8; Ganong 2005 p51). The disease has been suggested to be an autoimmune response of the body against the myelin sheath. This reaction of the body is considered to have a genetic link as well. This has been highlighted due to the fact that there is 15 times increased vulnerability of developing the condition if â€Å"first degree relatives† suffer from the disease. If one twin suffers from the disease, the other twin also has a high susceptibility of developing the condition (Robbins et al 2005). Multiple sclerosis follows a clinical course where attacks of the symptoms appear between intervals of weeks or months or years. These symptoms may even subside for extended periods of time and the patient retains normal functioning but they have a tendency to recur as well. With increasing time, the symptoms tend to subside but there may be long lasting damage to neurological function (Robbins et al 2005 p 1382). The disease presents with many symptoms which include optic neuritis and retrobulbar neuritis. The patient may complain of visual disturbances. The involvement of the brainstem tends to result in ataxia, nystagmus and in ternuclear opthalmoplegia. The spinal cord is also involved and the demyelination of the nerve fibers in the spinal cord results in problems of the motor and sensory conduction in the arms and the legs. The functioning of the urinary bladder is also affected and it loses its normal working. The patient may also present with an injury of the spinal cord which would not be painful. The patient may

Amelie - Intercultural Film Review Essay Example for Free

Amelie Intercultural Film Review Essay Amelie is a French movie about a young twenty something girl who’s world opened up to her when her mother dies and she is allowed to venture out. After a health misdiagnoses at a young child Amelie is stranded in her home away from all people and relationships until her mother passes away and she finds herself free. She becomes a waitress and decides to help all the people around her until one day she herself finds love. This film shows a French cultural pattern where the people are open minded, whimsical, unique, and quirky. The main character Amelie, wants to get the most out of her life. She takes the viewer on a path through a series of subplots where she is trying to help people that surround her find happiness and joy. Paris and the people of France are shown in a whimsical and fairytale environment. All the while, Amelie, is removed from all human contact which makes for an interesting film if one is attempting to view this film through the lens of interpersonal communication. All the communicating in the movie is done through the use of metaphors, scheme, plots, tricks, and the like. It’s interesting because Amelie doesn’t directly communicate with people even though she is not anti-social. She is very social and likes to help people but she does so almost exclusively nonverbally. One exception to this is when Amelie helps a blind man to cross a busy street and, opposite to her normally silent nonverbal character, she proceeds to very quickly describe everything that she sees and everything that is happening to the blind man in exceptional detail. This is done as an act of kindness for someone who can’t see and not as a form of actual or real communication. All real communication in this movie, is done in a childlike fashion of cat and mouse. It feels almost like interpersonal communication in this movie is a game that is not to be taken seriously. When Amelie finds a boy that she is romantically interested in, she finds herself needing to communicate with him only from a distance. Amelie once again plays one of her games in order to conceal her identity. Nino, the object of Amelie’s affection, is a boy who collects old photos from an old photo booth. The use of pictures in this movie is overwhelming and must have some reason behind it. Itâ€℠¢s almost as if the characters are communicating through the pictures rather than with words. Even when Amelie was quickly describing the surrounding to the blind man she was helping across the street, it was as if she was creating a picture in his mind so he could connect with her. Perhaps Amelie can only  communicate through imagery like metaphors and photographs because she spent her entire childhood alone with only her parents because they thought she was too ill to be around others. I have mixed feelings about this film because I can appreciate a good romantic comedy and I understand the feeling the director was trying to create but I’m not a fan of the fanciful fairytale romances which I think this movie falls into. I would have preferred a movie with a real underlining tone and I could do without all the whimsy. Amelie felt like a child in a woman’s body, not unlike 13 going on 30 ¸ and for me the doe eyed cutesy character began to wear on me and I found myself more annoyed than anything by the end. The setting is Paris, but not the real Paris but rat her a fantasy version of Paris not unlike a dream or the Paris you can see in old movies. The story itself felt very Disney-like in that the mother dies in the beginning which is the impetuous to the main character being forced unprepared onto the world, the main character then helps many sub-characters out along the way to finding her true love. Very Disney indeed. I’m certain that I would not recommend this movie to my friends or my family, but maybe it would have a place in a cultural communications classroom. I think the only problem I would have with it is that it doesn’t portray an actual or real culture, and only portrays a fantasy like culture. The lead character is able to form relationships and make the audience care about her without having to say much at all, which can have some value when it comes to the study of nonverbal communication. Also, there might be a value to getting a feel for the French culture from this film, because even though I didn’t love the story or the film-making, there was something about the ‘sound’ in the film. The dialogue did draw me into the French culture which was interesting because I don’t speak any French. Even though I struggle to pinpoint the feeling or atmosphere of the film, I do think that something was captured even if it was just the Disney version of Paris and French Culture.

Analysis of the Demographics in Europe

Analysis of the Demographics in Europe The Demographic Sector in Europe This dissertation will present a historical overview of European population trends before examining in greater detail specific causes and effects of certain demographic changes. In particular, demographic changes which occurred in the UK between 1950 and 1990 and the economic consequences associated with reforms in Eastern Europe will be examined with a view to assessing the possible welfare implications. Environmental stress is increasing, due to both â€Å"unsustainable consumption and production patterns† (including high resource consumption in wealthy countries and among better-off groups in all countries) and demographic factors such as rapid population growth, population distribution and migration. 1.1 Historical Overview In a European context, the population was never more than 100,000. This represented a far lower carrying capacity than gorillas, as humans were carnivores (Emceed and Jones, 1978). Human population began to spread as the Ice Age started to retreat (25,000 10,000 B.C.). Migrations took place into the Ar tic Circle, across the Bering Straits, and also to Australia via Indonesian archipelago. The human population in 10,000 BC was probably double what it was in 100,000 BC (earliest appearance of homo sapiens) – standing at approximately 4 million. The increase had been achieved by increasing range and opening up new territories -not by new food technologies. Population density was thus traditionally low. This was to change with the switch from traditional food (hunter)gatherer to food production (Old Stone Age paleolithic 30,000 BC -to New Stone Age neolithic 6,000 BC) and as a consequence, population density increased from 0.1 km2 to 1 per km2. In the period from 1000BC 400 BC the world’s population doubled from10m to 20m. Greece’s population however, tripled to 3m. Greece’population growth meant that they were able to forge a new civilisation and become the dominant force. Malthusian claims that uncontrolled population growth can potentially lead to population decline as result of increased competition for resources, war, famine and poverty,were somewhat realized through the Asia Minor conquest and an eventual decline in the Greek population to approximately 2million by 1 AD. The population of Italy was the next major European country to experience major growth. By 300 BC the population of Italy numbered 4million people. By 1 AD this had risen to 7 million whilst the total European population was only 31 million. By 200 AD the Roman Empire had 46 million subjects including approximately 78% of this total in Europe. This peak declined to 26 million in total during the following400 years. This obviously leads to the question whether or not economic/ political / military development is a precursor to, or consequence of population development. In Greece the malthusian limits were reached which resulted in out-migration / foreign conquests. Consequently the population of Greece fell between 300 B.C. and A.D. 1, to 2 million .Population density also fell four-fold.   From the 8th century onwards there was a new increase in population,leading to a population level of approximately 36 million by 1000 A.D.,which compares to peak figures from the classical period. Population then continued to increase rapidly for nearly 300 years. By and large,increases were in the north and west, but there were also increases from the east (e.g. Portugal). The population in these regions were,however, relatively low to begin with. The continued population increase was brought to an abrupt halt in 1347 by bubonic plague -Black Death. Increases in mortality and reductions in nutrition had tremendous impact on the world’s population. Between a quarter and third of the population were to perish during this period. There was however, eventually a general recovery and by 1500 the world population was nearing 80 million, increasing to 100 million by 1600. Despite Religious wars, plague and economic upheaval which changed the political scene during the 17th Century, population rose to around 120million by 1700. Economic factors were vital in assuring continued population growth and were symbolized by better technology, sea route sand growing towns. The period 1750 – 1845 was marked by one of major growth.  During this period the population level rose from 140 million in 1750 to 250 million in 1845. Mortality changed definitively resulting in growth being assured unless and until fertility fell. The modernisation and urbanisation cycle had begun with famine and plague seemingly belonging to the past, although there was an extreme exception Ireland. Despite this, Europe’s population reached 450million by 1914. Population in the 20th Century was to be ravaged by both war (WWI and WWII) and mass emigration to the USA, Canada and Latin America. 2. Main demographic trends in the UK post WWII Between 1951 and 1981, the total population of the UK increased from50.4million to 55.9million. The total number of births rose steadily from c.800,000 in 1950 to a peak of over one million (1,015,000) in1964. This was the so-called â€Å"baby boom† of the 1950s and early 1960s. In 1964 the crude birth rate of the UK stood at an all time high of18.8 per 1000. In 1963 the oral contraceptive pill first became available to women, and in 1968 the Abortion Act legalised abortion in certain circumstances. The combination of these two factors, especially the former, initiated a down-turn in birth rate which continued for 13 years until 1977 when the number of live births was 657,000 to give ac rude birth rate of 11.8 per 1000. For two years, 1976 and 1977, the number of births was actually less than the number of deaths and the country briefly experienced a natural decrease of population .Subsequently, during the 1980s, the number of births rose to about700,000 per year to give a crude birth rate of about 13 per 1000. This slight up-turn in birth rate has been explained as a result of couples postponing the start of a family. Between 1965 and 1985 the average age of mothers having their first child increased from 21 to 27 years of age. Mortality in the UK since 1950 has been subject to far less fluctuation than fertility during the same period. The total number of deaths in the UK each year since 1950 has been between 600,000 and 700,000. Crude death rates during a period of 40 years have stubbornly remained within the range of 11 to 13 per 1000. This is significantly higher than the crude mortality rate of most other countries of North West Europe. The causes of death have shown little change over the period with diseases of the circulatory system and cancer firmly established as the main killing diseases and jointly accounting for over 70% of all deaths by the 1980s. The failure of the UK to reduce its mortality rate during the second half of the 20th century has been attributed to various factors; namely, declining standards of health care, the maintenance sofa large stock of obsolete slum housing, high unemployment rates and high levels of poverty and deprivation. In the late-1980s, infant mortality rates, probably the most sensitive indicator of the quality of the social and physical environment for human life, actually rose in many parts of the country. Detailed statistics for the numbers of migrants entering and leaving the UK only extend back as far as 1964. Comprehensive statistics for the numbers of immigrants and emigrants are not available for the period of the 1950s and early-1960s when large numbers of West Indian sand Asians entered the UK. Post-1964 statistics reveal considerable short-term fluctuations in the numbers of both immigrants and emigrants. However, with the exception of just one or two years, the net migration balance is a negative one; that is to say, in most years more people leave than enter the UK. Despite the popular myths about the flood of immigrants entering the UK, the reality is that the UK Lisa net â€Å"exporter† of population in most years. Since the early 1960s,the numbers entering the UK have been checked and reduced by succession of Immigration Acts (1962, 1968, 1972 etc) designed to make the conditions of entry more demanding and settlement in the UK more difficult. The long-term trend for immigration and emigration appear to be related to â€Å"push† factors in the source areas rather than â€Å"pull†factors in the destination area. Thus, peaks of immigration appear to be related to particular overseas events. For example, the expulsion of Asians from Uganda by President Am in in 1972 corresponds with a minor peak in the flow of immigrants into the UK. Conversely, the rising tide of unemployment in the UK during the early-1980s corresponds with as harp up-turn in the numbers leaving the country between 1981 and 1985. One of the most obvious demographic changes in post-war Britain has been its transformation into a multi-racial and multi-cultural society.rior to 1991, the UK Census did not include questions on race and ethnicity, so that it was impossible to obtain precise information about the size and distribution of minority groups. However,â€Å"place-of-birth† statistics derived from the census show that by 1981about six percent of the UK population was â€Å"overseas-born†. The total percentage of overseas-born population is not large, but it is very unevenly distributed. Racial and ethnic minorities tend to cluster in the inner city districts of particular towns and cities. Discrimination in the fields of housing and employment produced tensions and unrest which finally erupted in urban riots in 1981 and again in 1985. 3. Post-war political economy The year 1989 heralded a great change within Eastern Europe, as revolutions throughout the region swept away the communist governments,marking an end to conditions of political, economic and social repression. The major impetus in precipitating change was the desire for freedom on the part of the masses. Allied to this demand for social freedom was a general will for improved standards of living conditions,with the belief of the majority being that this could be achieved through the reorganisation of society along the lines of western-style free market economies. There was certainly a need for substantial economic reform within Eastern Europe in terms of â€Å"freeing up† the market economy and the need for some type of transformation strategy. However, a great deal of debate is concerned not with the actual need for transformation, but with the actual method of transformation. One can best define the argument in terms of the proponents of a gradualist approach to transformation. There are a number of economists who favour a radical approach to transformation, arguing the necessity for speed,comprehensiveness and simultaneity of change, who have been accused by other economists of stressing an over reliance on the market, and of failing to fully understand the nature of market economies. To explore the debate fully it is necessary for one to consider the claims of those economists that are in favour or the radical approach to transformation. â€Å"Both economic logic and the political situation argue for a rapid and comprehensive process of transformation† (Lipton and Sacs, 1990). This quote is from two of the main advocates of the radical approach. They emphasise the speed and comprehensiveness of change within Eastern Europe, believing that there should be a seamless web of transition.The first stage, they claim, should be achieving a macroeconomic stability: â€Å"structural reforms cannot be put in place without a working price system; a working price system cannot be put into place without ending excess demand and creating a convertible currency; and a credit squeeze and tight macroeconomic policy cannot be sustained unless prices are realistic, so that there is a rational basis for deciding which firms should be allowed to close.† Thus as crucial to their arguments for a comprehensive reform process is the need for real structural adjustment, and for this macroeconomic shock to be accompanied by a num ber of associated measures such as selling off state assets, freeing up the private sector, establishing procedures for bankruptcy, the preparation of a social security net and widespread tax reforms. Advocates of shock therapy transformation use a number of political reasons for their emphasis upon rapidity. Perhaps the most important of the political reasons is that the new governments would be best able to carry out strong measures at the outset of their office, and thus deny opponents the chance to subvert the process of change and retain some of the irrationalities of the old style regime. A further argument in favour of the shock therapy transformation is that there is a view of the market as being an institutional package, that it is an integrated and â€Å"organic† whole, the elements of which cannot be introduced one Bata time and in a gradual fashion. Thus certain economists have argued that the only way for the market system to function is if all of it score institutions are introduced simultaneously, with the core institutions being a legal infrastructure, private property, free markets and prices, competition, and macroeconomic policy instruments. However, the shock therapy approach to economic transformation has benignities by a number of economists. Although by common consensus is a definite necessity for change the shock therapy approach presents us with a number of difficulties. Perhaps the greatest problem concerns the nature of markets, for there is little knowledge of how tactually establish a market system. The situation in Eastern Europe is most certainly unique, for never before have there been attempts to establish a market economies from the wreckage of the communist system,since historically the development of free markets went hand in hand with the process of industrialisation. â€Å"Post – communist countries,however, do have a more or less developed industrial infrastructure,social services and political expectations to be governed in some sort of western democratic fashion. In short, our knowledge does not extend to the conditions under which Soviet type economies have to be reformed† (Pick el, 1 992). Andreas Pick el identified a number of criticisms of the shock therapy. The emphasis placed upon comprehensive change stresses the need for the creation of a â€Å"critical minimum mass of market institutions† necessary for the function of the market economy. Picketer that at best we have only sketchy knowledge of what thisâ€Å"critical minimum mass† is, and that claims as to the necessity for comprehensive change ignore the complex realities of the situation.Take for example, what Perry in his list of measures with respect to the creation of â€Å"free markets with free prices: there must be free entry into the market and free exit from it. This mans that there are no barriers to entering market transactions, that workers and manager scan be fired, and that unprofitable firms go bankrupt. There is not as ingle existing market economy that fulfils this requirement† (Pick el,1992). Therefore how can we hope to ascertain what is necessary for the wholesale importa tion of the market economy. The justification for speed on the part of the shock therapists owe sits origins to a conception of two clearly defined and opposite systems, those of socialism and capitalism. Speed is necessary in the transformation because plan and market institutions are said to be incompatible, that the new system will work badly or not at all as lon gas it contains too many elements of the old system. Pick el argues that this is merely another way of invoking the â€Å"critical mass† argument again. â€Å"Granted that the quick establishment of essential institutions crucial for the success of reforms, at which point is it possible to slow this down in order to reduce, for example, some of the social costs of transformation, or to consider alternative options† (Pick el,1992). As with the â€Å"critical mass† argument we have little way of determining how quickly or for how long should the process be continued with pace. The necessity for simultaneity, as emphasized by the proponents of the shock approach, is criticised by Pickle as revealing problems with the radicals’ conception of economics as â€Å"systems†. Pick el mentions’s statement that â€Å"the need for simultaneous action on the institutional front arises from the holistic nature of systems, their essentially integrated order†. Pick el then attacks this stance,claiming that the â€Å"market system† only exists in textbooks, that there are as many institutional configurations as there are actually existing market economies. Essentially, claims as to the necessary institution sand processes are somewhat speculative, for when one considers today’market economies one can see that there have been numerous stages of growth, development and mutation. Virtually none of the modern market economies have developed along the lines of simultaneous establishment of core institutions as prescribed by the shock therapist theorists,suggesting it is indeed possible for transition to the market to be accomplished in disjointed and incoherent ways. It is most certainly possible for one to claim that economists who emphasise the speed, immediacy, and comprehensiveness of reforms in Eastern Europe, both overestimate the properties of the market and misunderstand the nature of market economies. It is important for one to bear in mind that the major difficulty that exists in the attempts to undergo the radical transition process as prescribed by the shock therapists is that the â€Å"wholesale institutional transformation produces range of unintended consequences that will undermine the realisation of the original goal† (Pick el, 1992). To this end Pick el uses the example of East Germany in order to illustrate the â€Å"ideal empirical test case for the strengths and weaknesses of the radical strategy. Pick el begins by claiming that the two treaties between the FRG and the GDR, on monetary, economic and social union and on unification, created what proponents of the shock therapy deem essential – â€Å"the speedy creation of what are considered to be the essential practical and economic institutions and the rules of capitalist democracy† (Picked,1992). Pick el claims that the radical shock therapy approach in East Germany created a number of unforeseen consequences which possessed implications for the future development of the country. The first of these consequences was the collapse of the state sector, resulting in massive unemployment and serious problems in the existing private sector, something which is still affecting Germany’s economy. The second consequence was that the restitution of pre-communist property rights and titles, which produced hundreds of thousands of claims and created an uncertain atmosphere for investors. The third unforeseen consequence was that there was an uninterrupted migration of workers from east to west and the fourth was the so cio-psychological and political disembowelment of large sectors of the East German population, that is, the colonisation or creation of a de facto group of second class citizens. The argument here is that the radical strategy in Germany failed in crucial respects. Rather than create the conditions necessary for sustained economic development, the radical approach led to the occurrence of a number of unforeseen circumstances that led to the collapse of the East German economy, creating lasting structural damage. Pick el claims that since the radical shock theory approach was attempted under rather favourable conditions in East Germany it generates a significant amount of concern for other countries where the conditions are not so favourable. 4. Sustainable development Population growth and distribution have significant roles to play in the sustainability of the worlds vast resources. Not only the number of people, but also the lifestyle, consumption patterns, and regions people inhabit and use directly affect the environment. The relationship between population growth and environmental degradation may appear to be rather straightforward. More people demand more resources and generate more waste. Clearly one of the challenges of growing population is that the mere presence of so many people sharing limited number of resources strains the environment. But when looking at the impact of human activities, the situation is more complicated due to the wide variety of government policies, technologies, and consumption patterns worldwide. The link between population growth and the environment is found somewhere between the view that population growth is solely responsible for all environmental ills and the view that more people means the development of new technologies to overcome any environmental problems. Most environmentalists agree that population growth is only one of several interacting factors that place pressure on the environment.High levels of consumption and industrialization, inequality in wealth and land distribution, inappropriate government policies, poverty, and inefficient technologies all contribute to environmental decline. Infarct, population may not be a root cause in environmental decline, but rather just one factor among many that exacerbate or multiply the negative effects of other social, economic, and political factors. Bio diversity is a term applied to describe the complexity of life. It is generally measured at three levels: the variety of species; the genetic diversity found within members of the same species (what makes you different from your neighbour); and the diversity of the ecosystems within which species live. These three levels are intimately connected. Genetic diversity is essential to the prosperity of the species, giving it the resources to adapt. And the number of species within an ecosystem is closely tied to the health and size of the ecosystem://www.ourplanet.com/aaas/pages/bio01.html # (Rosen,1999). However it is defined, bio diversity is the stuff of life. However far we may be removed from wild bio diversity in our daily lives, it remains the source of our food and most of our medicines. In addition,15 percent of our energy is derived from burning plant materials. Evening the United States, wild species contribute around 4.5 percent of GDP(De Leo and Levin, 1997). Some of our uses are direct. Billions of people still harvest wild orbush food around the world. Between a fifth and a half of all food consumed by the poor in the developing world is gathered rather than cultivated, while at global level we obtain 16 percent of our animal protein from sea fish caught in the wild. The World Health Organization(WHO) estimates that more than 60 percent of the worlds population relies on traditional plant medicines for day-to-day primary healthcare ( Bali ck and Cox, 1996), and 3 000 plant species are used in birth control alone (My ers, 1979). The primary cause of this loss is not hunting or overexploitation,though these play a part, but loss of natural habitat. Habitat loss is generally greatest where population density is highest. A study nobodies data from 102 countries found that in the most densely populated 51 countries (averaging 168 people per square kilo meter), 5.1percent of bird species and 3.7 percent of plant species were threatened. In the 51 less densely populated countries (averaging 22people per square kilo meter), the proportions of threatened species were only half as high at 2.7 percent and 1.8 percent respectively(UNFPA, 1997). 5. Political and socioeconomic geography of Europe The Second World War was a catastrophe in terms of the huge loss of life and indeed by this very fact it can bee seen as an important watershed in the development of Europe. The economic and social development of Europe was severely dislocated and fractured .Industrialisation trends were re orientated to serve the demands of the war machine. Most areas of Europe by the close of the war were facing the same problem, that of reconstruction. The war created the conditions which were conducive for the progressive restructuring of social institutions. The experience of war seemed to demonstrate that central governments could control economic development and most European nations introduced some form of economic planning in the postwar period. The working classes began to have a representative with the emergence of legitimate parties participating in the political process. There was a shift in governmental policy to welfare state policies with post-war Europe recognizing the need to integrate the working classes into political life. There were several factors contributing to the restructuring of Europe and these are important when examining any increase in the welfare of Europe’s population since the Second World War. At the end of the war Europe was divided into the capitalist West and the communist East.This resulted in differential economic and social growth as well as obvious differences in political ideology. The capitalist West benefited from substantial America Aid under the Marshal Plan. Rapid industrial development was favoured in Europe to counter the perceived threat from the East, but also important was the fact that America emerged from the war with expanded industries which were also more efficient and therefore they needed trading partners and investment opportunities. The Soviet Union however, were not as fortunate and suffered heavily from the destruction inflicted upon its people,agriculture and industry, all of which needed to be recreated. The war provided for opportunities of peacetime recovery and prosperity. It had forced and even closer union of science and technology and in the new world it seemed that all problems could be solved through the development and application of new technologies .Damaged production could be replaced by new equipment, raising efficiency and stimulating capital goods industries. The war itself had provided the impetus behind scientific and technological development,which would prove to be the key behind future European development. The great hardships of the 1930’s encouraged the view that national governments had a responsibility to protect and enhance the quality of life through improved systems of social security, health care and education. And it was improvements in these areas of welfare that the population of Europe has, more or less, been a benefactor. Birth rate shave declined in most European countries, whilst in Northwest Europe it was close to, or even below, the replacement levels by the early 1980s.Marriage rates also declined following a relative peak after the war.The lowest levels are again in Northwest Europe, particularly Sweden,whilst Eastern Europe displays the highest inutility rates. The cause for declining birth rates is complex. Women’s rates have changed, there has been increased urbanisation leading to a reduced need for farm labour, increased opportunities for higher education, declining influence of the Church. Of great significance in explaining a decrease in birth rates, and itself an indicator of social welfare, is the infant mortality rate. Infant mortality has been significantly reduced since the second world war. In france in 1950, the infant mortality rate was 52 per 1000 deaths before the age of 1 year old. By 1970 this had been reduced to 18 per 100. Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands all had the lowest rates whilst Romania, Portugal and Yugoslavia suffered from the highest rates of infant mortality. In Europe, life expectancy is at its highest levels in history, with the average life expectancy being 75 years for someone in Western Europe and 72 in Eastern Europe. Death rates have decreased in virtually every European country since the Second World War due to improvements in medicine and medical care, sanitation, health provisions and technology. Demographic changes led to increasing proportions of the young and old dominating population structures. The welfare state had to respond accordingly with more emphasis having to be placed upon areas such as housing, education, child support,retirement and pensions. With increasing prosperity after the war,Europeans standard of living significantly improved and this move toward modernity employed classical demographic features involved in the process of modernisation. Several Western European countries experienced decolonisation and reparation of their expatriates and natives of former colonial areas.In Algeria 600,000 people â€Å"returned† to France in 1962 following independence. The boom of the 1960s resulted in some countries needing to attract migrant labour. Indian, North Africans, Spanish, Portuguese,Italians, Yugoslavs, Greeks and Turks all poured into the Northern and Western urban and industrial centres of Europe. Migrant workers were more numerate in the Low countries and exceptionally high in Switzerland, where, in 1974, 37 per cent of the workforce were foreigners. In 1982 there were 4.2 million foreigners working in France every 10th worker in France was non-French. In Germany there were 4.6 million non-Germans, of which Turkish, Italian and Yugoslav workers were the most dominant. These immigrant workers constitute a form of sub-proletariat, taking the jobs natives did’t want to do. They were(and are) often badly tre ated and denied political rights. They usually find themselves in ghettos, and in times of economic downturn find themselves the targets of racial abuse. Urbanisation was a major feature of postwar European society and was in essence a continuation of a nineteenth century trend. By 1975 most Europeans lived in cities – one-third of the Greek population lived in Athens. City growth was primarily the result of rural to urban migration, with such incentives as higher wages, better housing,attractive employment, educational opportunities and more access to recreation and entertainment. Urbanisation, particularly if it is coupled with high levels of immigrants can soon lead to overcrowded housing and poor sanitation. With huge increases in car ownership and the amount of automobiles on the road together with the location of industries in, or on the periphery of, cities, some major urban and industrial centres of Europe have become unpleasant areas in which to live. The subsidised housing which were created for the working classes under the social security provisions of the welfare state were often poor quality and consisted of high-rise buildings located in peripheral areas of the city. The HLM in France and estates on the north-side of Dublin, such as the Allah and Bally are examples of this type of housing. It is evident in such areas that the great disparities in income or certain social disadvantages were not dealt with despite some improvements in health-care, family allowances, education and other social services. Severe social problems face  people caught in the poverty cycle in these areas and, consequently, with such levels of despair, the rates for drug abuse, crime and deviancy are relatively high. The decline of the agricultural sector of the economy and the loss of farm populations was another major feature of post-war Europe. This transition was to be expected as the workforce moved toward an industrially-based economy and later increasingly dominated by the tertiary sector. In 1950 80 per cent of the workforce in Bulgaria was engaged in agriculture. By 1980 this figure had declined to 20 percent. This trend can be seen in several other countries, for example46% of the population in Eire were engaged in agriculture in 1949 but had reduced to 20% of the population by 1979. Spain exhibited a similar trend with 52% of the population engaged in agriculture in 1940 but by1979 this had been reduced to 20% of the population. This trend had the greatest impact on peripheral European countries industrialising after the Second World War. Technological innovations had made agriculture more intensive and mechanised. This initiated mass migration to urban areas, and also was to result in increasin