Analysis of Arthur Young’s Travels in France

DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT, HISTORY AND JUSTICE CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY ANALYSIS OF ARTHUR YOUNG’S TRAVELS IN FRANCE BY DANIELLE KING Submitted to Professor Ocana in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Western Civilization 112 November 3, 2010 Arthur Young was born on September 11, 1741 in Bradfield, a village in Suffolk, England. After he dropped out of school and acquired a job in a mercantile house, for which he was not suited for, Young began his writing career at the age of seventeen. He was much more inclined to write than work in a more commercial capacity as he later became a great English agriculture writer.Although Young was such a fantastic agriculture writer he is most known for his social and political writings. Young was not very successful with the land from the start; however, after inheriting the land around his home after the death of his mother and through a series of failed farming attempts elsewhere in England, he began to learn quite a lot about agricul ture. From this point Young began to write several books and journals about agriculture in and around England and his popularity grew tremendously. After having made quite a name for himself in the world of agriculture, Young began to travel outside of England.Young first went to Ireland in 1776 and published his findings there four years later with Tour in Ireland. Young’s most popular excursion was to France, which he first visited in 1787. Young explored the country in great detail learning a good deal from the people and the land. Young meticulously documented the condition of the soil and other agricultural data as well as his opinions as to the political and social reasons for Frances’ agricultural failure. This information was published in 1792 split into two volumes titled Travels in France.The reason this work was so important then and still important today is because Young gives a remarkable account of the social, economic, and political problems and struggle s leading up to and just after the beginning of the French Revolution. During the section of Travels in France that discussed his thoughts on the French Revolution, Young was enraged by much of what he saw. The issues that seemed to frustrate Young the most were unequal taxes, harsh penal codes, and a lack of justice in the court system. The first major dilemma Young discusses is a system of unequal taxes.He begins by giving the reader an understanding of how the kingdom was organized. Young says that the kingdom was broken into generalities with an intendant appointed to govern them. The generalities were broken down further into elections which were governed by â€Å"sub-de-legue†; this position was appointed by the intendant. Needless to say, the intendant held a vast amount of power particularly with regards to taxation. According to Young these intendants could â€Å"exempt, change, add, or diminish† taxes on a whim. (Young) With this type of control it is easy to see why befriending the intendant might be advantageous.It was known that the friends and family, even very distant relatives could benefit financially from a connection to the intendant. Naturally people without this connection were very upset as, since taxes still had to be paid to the kingdom, they were the ones to shoulder this financial burden. There were exemptions allowed for the intendants, sub-de-legues, nobility, clergy, and the friends and family of these people. The poor of the kingdom felt as though the people with the most economic resources were exempted from paying taxes because they were fortunate enough to have those resources.The second issue Young uncovers while traveling in Frances is the kingdoms’ unequal and unfairly harsh penal code. Young uses, as an example, the laws for salt smugglers. Taken from his Travels in France were eight extremely strict regulations covering the offenders accused of smuggling salt. The first law mentioned says that if five or more armed salt smugglers are gathered together in Provence they will be fined and spend nine years in jail. If these same people were anywhere else in the kingdom they would be put to death.The next law says that if less than five but more than one armed smugglers are gathered together they get a second chance. The first time they are caught meeting, they will be fined and sentenced to three years in jail. The second time they will be killed. The third rule discusses unarmed smugglers that have some sort of transportation to move the salt. This could be in the way of animals and or carts while traveling on land or a boat if the smuggler is on the water. At this point the punishments become slightly less severe with the first offence being only the fine of the previous law without the time in jail.However, if that fine is not paid then the same three years time will be served. With this law as well, the smuggler would have a second chance although the second offence carried a muc h stiffer penalty. In most of the kingdom a heaver fine was required as well as nine years jail time. In Provence, a smuggler could expect to go to jail for five years without the fine. In Dauphine, however, the second offence would take away a smuggler’s freedom for the rest of his life. The next law covers unarmed smugglers without transportation.This is the least severe of the punishments for males having only a small fine for the first offence. If the smuggler does not have the money to pay the fine they are flogged and branded. The second time they are caught is not much worse with a fine and six years jail time. The fifth law sets the punishments for women; it is very interesting that are given three chances and not given jail time for either offence. The first time they are sentenced with a very small fine and the second time a slightly larger fine. The husband is responsible for the fine. The third time they are flogged and permanently put out of the kingdom.The next law says that the child smugglers are treated the same as the women with both parents held liable for the fine. After the common people of the kingdom, the nobles are mentioned. If nobles are caught, their titles and estates are taken away from them. No fine or jail time is necessary for the same crime that common people could be put to death for. The last law in this excerpt discusses what Young thinks is the salt or revenue employee that smuggles on the side. This person would be sentenced to death. If this employee steals or transports the stolen salt they would be hung.This is the only law listed that describes a particular kind of death showing how important they felt this crime was. The final major issue Arthur Young found with the French during his journey through the kingdom was with the lack of justice in the court system. In his words the justice that was administered was â€Å"partial†, â€Å"venal†, and â€Å"infamous†. (Young) He goes on to say that after conversing with numerous men in several different areas around France all of them felt as if the legal system needed serious reform, as equal justice under the law was completely impossible due to widespread corruption.Young found that as two parties stood before the judge the winner of the dispute would be whichever party could bribe the judge more. Shockingly, this bribe did not always have to be monetary; it could also be the â€Å"beauty of a handsome wife† (Young) The only way justice would be served was if two conditions were both meet; neither party could have any connection to the judge (or anyone else in power) and neither party could have something of value to offer the judge, be it money, land, or women.If either of these conditions was not met, the party that knew the judge or had the available resources would be victorious. Furthermore, the judges had the authority to originate decrees. Not surprisingly, they did this without the permission of the King. As it turns out, these â€Å"parliaments† had configured a judicial system where they made the laws and then turned around and punished people for breaking these laws. Young had uncovered what he described as â€Å"a horrible system of tyranny†.Young’s main points of unbalanced taxes, unforgiving penal codes, and the deceitful legal system help to bring into focus his feelings of why the French were doomed for a revolution. He does a wonderful job of really capturing the feeling of the typical Frenchmen at the time. Although he arrived in the kingdom to evaluate the conditions of the soil and other aspects of the farming environment, he seemed to leave with a thorough understanding of French society in the late 1780’s. The only bias shown in the piece might be in that Young only makes note of the thoughts, fears, and complaints of the working class citizens.From the reading, it is difficult to get a sense of how the people in power felt about day-to-day lif e. Because of this one-sided account, any reader would automatically find themselves cheering for the â€Å"little people† and suppressing a growing detestation for persons of authority. The principle value of Arthur Young’s Travels in France is that the people of this day and age studying the French Revolution have an excellent report of some of the events leading up to it. Young goes deeper into the major concerns of the day than the average textbook can.The reader truly gets the opportunity to feel the pain of the local townspeople. Textbooks try to hit the highlights of history, which sticks mainly to important kings and key politicians, where in pieces like Young’s, readers get to understand the plight of the average Joe. Bibliography Stead, David. Arthur Young. EH. Net Encyclopedia 2003. http://eh. net /encyclopedia/article/stead. young Young, Arthur. Arthur Young’s Travels in France During the Years 1787, 1788, 1789. London: George Bell and Sons, 1 909.

Carrying a Heavy Load

Carrying a Heavy Load The word carry means to hold, contain, or support something and to take that something you are holding or supporting to another place. In many cases when people talk about carrying things they speak about physically carrying an object with some amount of weight from one place to another. Many times however people carry things with them throughout life that have no physical weight, weighing themselves down with the â€Å"heavy† burdens that life brings.Both Wideman and Obrien’s short stories exemplify a common theme of persevering through struggles and relieving oneself of the weight of life’s struggles. The soldiers in O’Brien’s short story â€Å"The Things They Carried† carry heavy physical loads necessary for them to survive out in war, but they also carry heavy emotional loads which will be with them for the rest of their lives if they are unable to let them go. Some things the men carry are universal, like a compress in case of fatal injuries and a two-pound poncho that can be used as a raincoat, groundsheet, or tent.Most of the men are common, low-ranking soldiers and carry a standard M-16 assault rifle and several magazines of ammunition. Several men carry grenade launchers. All men carry the figurative weight of memory and the literal weight of one another. They carry Vietnam itself, in the heavy weather and the dusty soil. The things they carry are also determined by their rank or specialty. Each mans physical burden consisted of weapons, cigarettes, C rations, and packets of Kool-Aid, and the more intangible things, such as fear and silent awe, that weigh these soldiers down.As leader, for example, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries the maps, the compasses, and the responsibility for his men’s lives. The medic, Rat Kiley, carries morphine, malaria tablets, and supplies for serious wounds, and the responsibility to save lives. The things they carry depend on several factors, including th e men’s priorities and their constitutions. Because the machine gunner Henry Dobbins is exceptionally large, for example, he carries extra rations; because he is superstitious, he carries his girlfriend’s pantyhose around his neck.Nervous Ted Lavender carries marijuana and tranquilizers to calm himself down, and the religious Kiowa carries an illustrated New Testament, a gift from his father. With the amount of space that the author gives to enumerating the weight of these objects, one might assume that these objects are what are really important to these soldiers, but in reality it is the incalculable weight of their burdens that truly weigh them down. The â€Å"things† of the title that O’Brien’s characters carry are both literal and figurative.While they all carry heavy physical loads, they also all carry heavy emotional loads, composed of grief, terror, love, and longing. Each man’s physical burden underscores his emotional burden. Henry Dobbins, for example, carries his girlfriend’s pantyhose and, with them, the longing for love and comfort. Similarly, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, of the Alpha Company, carries various reminders of his love for Martha, a girl from his college in New Jersey. Cross carries her letters in his backpack and her good-luck pebble in his mouth.He carries her photographs, including one of her playing volleyball, but closer to his heart still are his memories. Lavender, one of the soldiers in the story, gets shot on his way back from going to the bathroom. That night the soldiers sit in the darkness discussing the short span between life and death in an attempt to make sense of the situation. The morning after Lavender’s death, in the steady rain, Cross crouches in his foxhole and burns Martha’s letters and two photographs.By burning the physical reminders of Martha Cross believes that he will be able to forget about his past with her, and stop fantasizing about their future. O’Brien wrote â€Å"Besides, the letters were in his head. And even now, without photographs, Lieutenant Cross could see Martha playing volleyball in her white gym shorts and yellow T-shirt. He could see her moving in the rain. † Even without the pictures and the letters he was still carrying Martha. These emotional burdens are the heaviest because they are intangibles and therefore cannot be disposed of.Physical burdens are no more than that; if necessary they can be discarded. Emotional burdens, on the other hand, must be endured. O’Brien, speaking of cowardice in particular, says, â€Å"in many respects this was the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down. † The soldiers know there is no easy way to rid themselves of their fears because of their abstract nature, but they dream escapist dreams of flying away in a plane and â€Å"falling higher and higher,† free of weight.Jimmy Cross tries to rid himself of intangible burdens by di sposing of tangible ones that, to him, represent intangible qualities. He does this by burning his letters from Martha. He knows, though, that this simple act cannot rid him of his memories. â€Å"He realized it was only a gesture†¦ Besides, the letters were in his head. † His love for Martha is also represented by the small pebble, which she gave him, but the easily disposable pebble, which weighs merely an ounce, represents a much heavier emotional burden that he cannot rid himself of.Though in Wideman’s short story â€Å"Newborn Thrown in Trash and Dies† a tiny baby is cast down a rubbish chute with no tools to survive, no physical load except for her own weight, she carries a heavy emotional load and reflects on what her life might have been had she lived on each floor of the tenement building where her 19-year-old mother lives. In the first paragraph of the story Wideman quickly expresses the theme of carrying burdens. Wideman writes, â€Å"Your life rolled into a ball so dense, so super heavy it would drag the universe down to hell if this tiny tiny lump of whatever didn’t dissipate as quickly as its formed.Quicker. The weight of it is what you recall some infinitesimal fraction of when you stumble and crawl through your worst days on earth. † Here the newborn speaks about burdens and mishaps that come about in life. She explains to the reader that she will not be able to receive much of a life but that people would have nothing to live for if they did not forget about the struggles and problems that were flashed before their eyes before they were born into this world. The rest of the short story tells a complete play-by-play of the flash of life she had before she was brought into the world.Each floor represents another stage or point in her short life. The floors of this story disguise the days of life, and the newborn that will have no chance to experience them explains the days of life perfectly in these words; â€Å"I believe all floors are not equally interesting. Less reason to notice some then others. Equality would become boring, predictable. Though we may slight some and rattle on about others, that does not change the fact that each floor exists and the life on it is real, whether we pause to notice or not. †People cannot have a good day everyday or everyday would become boring and predictable. In many instances of life people are put into situations such as the war that the soldiers in â€Å"The Things They Carried†, that they have no control over, and that they could not even begin to explain to people for the mere fact that the situation that they are in no one should ever have to think about let alone experience. On the other end of the spectrum good days and good experiences are most often remembered and reminisced about for the rest of peoples lives, which they should be.The thing that people don’t realize is that very often people carry around the burden s of their pasts and the bad days that they have had which make the rest of their lives less enjoyable. After the war, the psychological burdens the men carried during the war will continue to define them. Those who survive will carry guilt, grief, and confusion, although the heavy backpack filled with tools to survive will be gone. In both stories the characters carried emotional burdens, the soldiers carried fear and hope as well as the newborn baby.The soldiers hoped to see another day, and were scared that the opportunity might not come. They had lived lives before the war and feared that they might never get the opportunity to live happily with their loved ones again so they carried belongings of their loved ones physically trying to keep their loved ones close and not forgotten. The same holds true with the newborn girl. She never gets the opportunity to experience her family, or to even establish a connection with anyone before she dies. Still she fantasizes about what it mig ht have been like, what might have happen.The emotional burdens of fear of death seem to be unbearable for the soldiers mainly because they know that they are losing the opportunity of life. The newborn however doesn’t seem bitter about dying, she feels sympathy for the mother who put her in the trash and accepts her life as being â€Å"how it is,† as she doesn’t know any better. All in all the characters of both the stories carry their emotional loads till death, or until they go back home which even then the psychological affects of the war will still haunt them until they learn to let them go.So as the newborn surrenders to her death she lets go of her emotional burdens floor by floor never looking back, so to should the soldiers realize that their days are numbered and tomorrow is never promised so just as Wideman wrote at the end of his second paragraphs about how people try to forget the flash of their life that occurs before they are born people should al so try to forget the bad days and the burdens of life as they happen and, â€Å"live your life as if it hasn’t happened before, as if the tape has not been punched full of holes, the die cast. †

Corporate Governance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

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Modern culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

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Oil and Gas Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

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History of architecture - Essay Example The plans did not contain all the elements in the actual buildings, which were requisite of the architectural drawings. The separation between technology and architecture was achieved by the gross structure and physical plants of the sectional drawings. This implies that architecture focused on the structure of a construction while technology handled the rest of the physical plant. The modern practice combines all the technological and structural requirements of buildings by including every aspect in the plans (Banham 14). I think ancient architectural designs were just concentrated on the complete finishing of buildings. This gave the engineers the freedom to add new concepts pertaining to the preference of the home owners. The article indicates that some of the olden features of a building were not included in the plans, but revealed the skills of the builders. This implies that the principles guiding modernists did not apply then and this was risky to the welfare of the home owners. It is evident that the article highlights the milestones that architectural works have surpassed to give modern designs and inspirations (Banham 16). The article also gives examples of ancient architects who inspired designs and plans that contributed to the developments in the

Ha Long Essay Example for Free

Ha Long Essay A customer buys products based on their look and the quality inside . This is an example of how tourists choose their tourist destination and I have a wonderful destination that everyone should come once time in their life Ha Long . Ha Long is one of seven nature wonders of the world. Visiting Ha Long bay, you can experience the diversity of natural views, from sandy beaches to thousand year old rocky mountains. Why should you choose Ha Long bay to visit ? The word Ha Long in Vietnamese means the dragon descends into the sea and he legend says that the island of Ha Long was created by a great dragon who lived in the mountain, it sounds very interesting. First, I will let you know about the wonderful scenery. When you come to Ha Long, you can just describe as a wow , from great father mountain to thousand year old caves, from sandy beach to diving to discover the sea . Ha Long bay will lead you from one surprise to another. Beside that, Ha Long has had a particularly significant position because of its location o​n the important communication and trade route between China, Japan and Thailand , so you can see the great combination of culture of four countries. What will you do when you come to Ha Long bay ? As I said, Ha Long is a great combination of scenary and culture , so there are so many trips that take you to experience the beauty and culture of Ha Long . You will visit Ha Long on a cruise , which is called cruise tour that will lead you visit all places in Ha Long , it looks like you are mixing with the natural , beauty of sea , mountains and caves .Come to Ha Long bay, you will have agreat opportunity to get experience about life on water , which means people live all their life on water , we call that fishing village on the sea. you can also enjoy the fresh seafood, from shrimp, fish, jelly fish to many kinds of seafood that you have never eaten and if you want to cook for yourself , you can do it . Especially , you can try a famous dish of Ha Long jelly fish noodle . I promise that Ha Long bay is a value trip that you should try , the friendly traditional of people in Ha Long , the wonderful lanscape. Imagine you are walking up in the beautiful sunshine amid the rock, islets and caves and see  the view of Ha Long bay on the top of the mountain will give you a bird-eye view on the bay. I promise that no place in the world has the wonderful view like Ha Long bay. The experience from one to another will lead you to many surprises, the culture, the landscape, cuisine of Ha Long bay . Do not procrastinate , come to Ha Long and enjoy a wonderful gift of nature.

International Market Strategy Of Nike

International Market Strategy Of Nike Nike is a global company based in United States which employed more than 30000 people across the globe. This paper will talk about Nikes global presence and how Nike has achieved success in past years. We will discuss some facts and figures. This essay will employ literature review to support the evidences in case of dynamic capabilities of Nike and its competitive abilities. Nike is currently facing competition with Reebok and Adidas therefore it should take remain with its strategy of consistency so that the customers will not be puzzled and should take advantage of its brand name. Nike has been involved in never stopping controversies due to sweat shops but due to its preventable actions it gained publicity and today Nike is a stable brand name all over the world. Introduction: This essay will critically evaluate Nikes current international strategy and help to identify Nikes current strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats. This essay will also consider the political, legal and cultural issues which Nike can face while implementing any strategies in international markets. This strategy will also consider the threats of entering into a new market and supply of sufficient funds and labour in terms of applying the strategy. Taking any strategy into consideration will also involve an impact analysis and risk, therefore, any potential consequences and levels of risk involved and how to overcome those risks will be covered in the next section. Another section will talk about the never ending controversies which Nike has been facing due to its manufacturing factories in low labour countries. What strategies Nike is applying to overcome this situation and some recommendation for Nike. Finally, the essay will analyse the competition in the selected market, strategy adapted by the competitors and how Nike uses its brand power strategies to anticipate such threats. Nike- A Truly Global Company: Nike is the world market leader in athletic shoes and apparel and operates in more than 200 countries. Europe, Asia, North and Latin America are the main markets in which Nike sells its products, which makes it a truly global organisation. According to Mintel, 20%of the U.S. athletic market is controlled by Nike. The main products of Nike include footwear, sports equipment, men and women clothing and accessories. Nike is established in 1972 by former university of Oregon star Phil Knight which is now one of the richest people in America. Instead of manufacturing Nike designs and markets its products, while contracting for their manufacture from 600 factories scattered all around the globe, that employ around 650,000 people. (L. Hill, 2009) Nike has seen many ups and downs in the market and understands the value co-creation with customers. Nike has customers around the globe and it remains informed and connected with its customers which gives Nike a new source of value. Nike understands the use of involving customers into the business and therefore offers internet sites where customers can share their interactions and experiences, can give their suggestions. Nike can build trust and relationships with Nike community, can learn directly from customers and provide customers what they want which enhances the brand. Qualitative and Quantitative Performance Measures: Let us consider the overall financial performance of Nike across the globe. For the year ended 30/11/2008, revenues rose 11% to $10.02B. Net income rose 4% to $1234.8B (www.nikebiz.com). These financial figures are reflection of great success of Nike in global market as these are taken after assuming the price rise in U.S. and all the changes in the currency exchange rates have taken into consideration. As, it is clear from the figures provided, the revenues have increased tremendously in the year 2008, implies a higher sale of footwear in all the international markets which is obviously a good point to note, because in the period of recession where all the economies are going down, an increase of 11% cannot be neglected. Improved hedge rates year after year leads to higher gross margin which are reflected in the net income which has increased by 4%. (www.forbes.com) Table 1: Financial data Sales Profits Market Value Employees Assets $ 13.2 Billion $ 1.1 Billion $23 Billion 250000 $8.6 Billion Table 1 above gives the insights of financial structure of Nike plc, as it is clear from the figures in table 1 that Nike is strong in financial terms due to which it can increase its business globally. Company has enough capital to implement any international market strategy for example advertising in international markets, providing better services to customers, invest in the new planning etc. Table 2 below indicates that the company is moderately efficient in doing the business. The current ratio of -3 implies that company has sufficient liquid capital to enforce new marketing strategies and extending its business. Invest in promotional activities will also be a good idea. A gearing ratio of barely 2% suggests that company has spare debt capacity which is another benefit because Nike can apply for a loan if it will be needed, however the current condition of the company is adequately equipped in financial and capital viewpoint. Net profit margin of 8.1% suggests that Nike is competent in converting sales to profit margin. Table 2: Ratios On the next page: Net P/E ROA ROE Current Div/Yield Earning/Share Gearing Profit Ratio Margin ($) 8.1% 18.1 14.3 23.2 -3 1.3 4.4 0.2 Growth rate of Nike is indicated in the table 3 below which shows constant steady sales over the past years. A growth rate of 15% in one year and 7% over the last 7 years suggests that Nike is a big player in the market and is constantly playing at the same position. Its sales are increasing day by day due to the market strategy it applies, and the popularity it gained by sponsoring celebrity such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Just Do It the marketing phrase of Nike is buzz in the town and its swoosh logo gives it that different identity. Table 3: Growth Rates 1 Year 7 Years Dividend % 37% 9.03% Revenue % 15% 7% Earnings per share % 26.8% 17.5% Dynamic Capabilities of Nike Plant and equipment are the assets whose performance can be measured but Noto (2007) argued that brand name, reputation, particular technology and corporate culture with accumulated consumer information are some of the intangible assets which cannot be measured but are invaluable for a firms competitive advantage. Moller et al. (2002) supported the argument and said that a tightly coordinated supply and channel net are the prerequisite to establish a position in the field and keen demand of the customer reflects the strong brands example of both are Nike and Dell. The most effective way to manage and upgrade existing capabilities and resources and to convert the key weakness into strengths is- to outsource. Noto (2007) said that most of the automobile companies have become increasingly selective to choose the activities to perform internally. He also explained that in the athletic shoes and clothing Nike has contracted out many functions such as manufacturing and logistics which Noto argued as a clever step to negate the impact of key weaknesses. Nike undertakes marketing, product design and overall system integration itself but outsourced the other units to be economical. Moller et al. (2002) suggest that Nike with other big companies such as Benetton, Dell and IKEA has a well specified supplier and distribution system which made them efficient in terms of rapid growth opportunity, time compression, production and access to a wider customer base. Eisenhardt et al. (2000) suggests that for the long term competitive advantage Nike could also use dynamic capabilities to enhance existing resource configuration. Anti-globalisation Campaigns against Nike For all of the successes Nike has gained, it has repeatedly accused due to lots of issues for more than a decade. Many a times Nike stores have been targeted by anti globalisation protestors. News organisations such as CBS and several non government organisations such as Global Exchange based in San Francisco criticised the working conditions in foreign factories that supply Nike. According to Gelder (2006), in the race of globalisation, Nike, Coca-Cola and McDonalds are some of the brands which have become the representative of the massive power of large corporations for the anti globalisation movement. A brand is perceived differently in different culture or markets so it could be very catchy for an organisation to build a global brand. An organisation should be aware about the external environments in which it functions and should be very sensitive about its internal culture. It is very unreasonable to say that one strategy will fit globally because the rules and regulations and circumstances are different in different countries (Moore, 2003). And to position a brand competently in a different country needs a great skill to understand all the circumstances. A new but forthcoming field of research in international market strategy can be represented by low-income markets. Most companies are unaware of the potential of these markets and therefore these markets remain unexplored. To better understand customer needs and market characteristics it is very important to develop established ties and alliances with traditional and non-traditional partners in that economy. (Hill, 2009) Although Nike is a U.S. established company but all of its manufacturing is done in low wage countries like Vietnam. Nike is accused of manufacturing its shoes under the sweatshop condition in Asian countries which make a large hue and cry among the media. CBS 48 hours news report that these sweatshops are conducting their activities in unpleasant and unhealthy conditions. Young workers are paid low wages to work long hours and are exposed continuously to toxic substances in factories which can lead to serious health impairment. A foundation financed by labour unions and low-wage countries in 1996 said that Air Jordans popular range of Nike sneakers were made by 11 year olds who are working for 14 cents per hour in Indonesia. A newsletter published by Global exchange argued that most of the shoes of Nike are manufactured in countries like China and Indonesia which has governments that forbid independent unions and set the minimum wages so low that does not provide basic necessity of one person. Douglas and Wind (1987) suggested that a careful analysis of the forces driving towards globalisation and the obstacles to this approach will help the company to assess where the most attractive opportunities and the companys differential advantage in exploiting these, appear to lie based on the strengths and weaknesses. Keeping that in mind, Nike has answered all these questions time to time with new strategies and cleared all the issues and moved efficiently to correct them. Nike has handled the negative publicity over the sweatshops very expeditiously. Nike came in front and took this social responsibility to make a code of conduct to improve the working condition and to improve the conditions of workers and it has amended it time to time. It was advantageous for Nike as well as it remains in the news and gave the publicity to Nike in a way. As Levitt (1983) said a global producers patronage expands exponentially, when he offers his low cost internationally. Levitt suggested that customers with local preferences are also attracted towards the lesser prices offered by global producers. So, it can be said that the strategy of standardisation does not only responds to the worldwide homogenised markets but also expands markets with aggressive lower pricing. Therefore, to establish good public relations Nike took some more steps. It commissioned Ernst Young, an independent organisation to audit its subcontractors overseas factories (Rourke, 2000). When four Indonesian subcontractors are refused to abide by the companys standard for wage levels and working condition, Nike terminated its relationship with them. Stout (1997) argued that this made a positive image of Nike in media and enhanced its public image in Asian countries. Later, Nike adopted a standard according to which a person with 17 years of age or more can work and workers have to prove their age by submitting 3 documents certifying their age (Lee, 2000). Hill (2009) suggests when a company expand itself globally it also consider its consumers benefits, consumers must be served with high quality and low priced products. Some consumers however, prefer those products which caused less harm to others or which are produced in their own country and this is called ethical factor. Consumers can get the best combination of price, quality and ethical factors if provided by relevant information. And Nike consumers get all the benefits from paying low wages to Asian workers. Levitt (1983) suggested that low price regardless of feature preferences and heavy promotion regardless of price, always attracts and influence customers. Macro- Environmental factors Now, PESTLE framework will help us to analyse the macro- environmental factors affecting Nikes international marketing strategies and its business performance. Firstly, the government action certainly will have a great influence. Being a sportswear industry Nike is highly labour intensive and majority of manufacturing is held in low wage countries. As Nike is operating in 4 different continents, the government legislations will be different for different countries. Nike should strictly follow the rules such as minimum wage and child labour; it will make Nike a more socially responsible organisation. A great impact on market strategy will be done by environmental factors. So, Nike should consider in which market to sell, how to reduce pollution and ensure fair terms of trade which are observed by suppliers. A key to implement international strategy could be the demographics and socio-cultural influences. In 2000, in the western economies a great issue of ageing affected the buyers choice as it could lead to change the demand from sportswear to comfort wear shoes. Now-a-days, growing health awareness will result in the demand of sports and fitness commodities (Moore, 2003). Another factor affecting marketing strategy could be the technology, which is improving everyday and never predictable. For marketing and selling Nike is already using Internet web mode, any future marketing strategy should consider telecommunications and information technology advancements as they can go on twitter, face book as these websites are mostly accessed by youngsters which could be the fan of Nike. Finally, if Nike wants to think about some acquisitions or merger, it should take into account the investigation by Competition Commission which could block its activities taking into consideration the government policies. Because as Duguid (2005) suggests that such kind of business acquisition will be against interest of consumers and can lead to monopoly. Nike should not forget suppliers of raw materials like rubber, leather and cotton etc. because shortage of supply can play a big role in setting the pricing policies and applying the market strategies. Nike should establish good relations with suppliers because they can affect business strategies. As Nike operates its business globally, any strategy can have different implication on different culture so it should consider the adaptability, feasibility and suitability by the local people of that country. Competition and Recommendation: Nike faces direct competition from Umbro, Reebok, Puma, and Adidas, which are in a way, the rivals of Nike because they sell the same products and target the same customer groups. The current acquisition of Reebok by Adidas makes this competition more intense. The deal creates a much bigger Adidas a company of $12 billion against $14 billion of Nike. (Carr, 2005) However, both the brands Adidas and Reebok are very different in their culture; Reebok is more lifestyle brand than Adidas. Obviously, this deal will increase the amount of money spent on advertising from both the companies. But, in the past years, Nike succeeded because it didnt confuse its customers and even after acquisitions with skateboard it support its own brand and expand its parent reach without confusing customers. Karpin and Voola (2008) believe that consistency is the key aspect of brand management in the international context. Burghausen and Fan (2002) also supported him by arguing that consistency should not lead to complacency, and management should only make changes when a relevant opportunity is identified. Nike has the ability to influence a DIBC (Dynamic International Branding Capability) to shape the market opportunities around the brand. DIBC is the ability to manage the international branding process as a dynamic capability. So Nike should follow this strategy in future and try to remain dominant over its rivals through the marketing strategy. Nike has always come up with some innovative ideas. The differentiation strategy of Nike is quite competitive so Nike should ensure any international marketing strategy it applies should enhance its superior brand name. Implementation of brand differentiation strategy is allowed by Nikes brand name which is a tangible but important factor to ensure future success and maintain its current leadership and market share. Differentiation is one of the bases which allow Nike to gain competitive advantage. In general, Nike has used all the marketing campaigns possible in the past but it should consider the availability of resources in the different country. As Douglas and Wind (1987) suggested that one standardised strategy may be hampered due do the differences in the marketing infrastructure from one country to another. These may for example include differences in the availability and reach of various promotional media, in the availability of certain distribution channels, or retail institutions or in the existence and efficiency of the communication and transportation network. Such factors therefore may require considerable adaptation of strategy of local market conditions. The type of media available as well as their reach and effectiveness differ from country to country. For instance TV advertising, while a major medium in US, Japan and Australia, is not permitted in Scandinavian countries. Where TV advertising is permitted it may reach only a limited number of households, due to limited ownership of TVs as for example in South Africa, Nigeria or Indonesia. Similarly, in countries with high level of illiteracy the effectiveness of print media is severely limited. (Douglas and Wind, 1987) According to Levitt (1983), through supplying global markets Nike could achieve considerable economies of scale in production and marketing. He suggested that for high quality of products most of the people around the world are ready to compromise their preferences in product features, functions and design. Conclusion: Finally, Nike is a traditional product centric organisation but product was the end point of the consumer experience in past but, today it is the starting point. So, Nike should adopt a strategy to build customer relationship on a scale and scope as never before.

Portrayal of Arabs and Muslims in Hollywood

Portrayal of Arabs and Muslims in Hollywood Zeinab Kobeissi Over the years, pre and post 9/11, many people have noticed that Hollywood tends to dehumanize Arabs and Muslims. In most western movies, Arab and Muslim characters are subjected to racial and ethnic stereotyping and have continued to be the center of vilification for the entertainment industry in the states. The mass media has depicted Arab and Muslim stereotypes in a number of ways within the American culture and the west in general. Through the society’s media, literature, theatre, and many other creative outlets, stereotyping of Arabs and Muslims is manifested continuously. Such representations have been negative for the most part, whether they were based on historical facts or on works of fiction. They have also had very negative repercussions on Arabs and Muslims who live in the west especially as a reaction to current events and when it came to daily interactions. Generally, Arabs and Muslims exist as one-dimensional characters in Hollywood cinematic works and appear almost sub-human. They are typically always a danger or a threat, ignorant, violent, and most importantly obsessed with kidnapping or killing as many Westerners as possible as they supposedly view them as the enemy. Edward Said notably coined the term â€Å"Orientalism† to express the cultural habit of converting those from eastern cultures into the â€Å"Other†. The notion of Orientalism presents exotic characters that are created from a Western political and social biased perspective in order to provoke a powerful reaction against the eastern culture while at the same time confirming western values. Basically, the hero westerner defeats the nameless evil villain from the east and the western audience in turn feels good about itself. In Reel Bad Arabs, Shaheen states that televisions image of the Arab is omnipresent [and] is becoming a part of American folklore. He also says that Arabs have consistently appeared in American popular culture as billionaires, bombers, and belly dancers† which are known as the 3 B’s for the role of a typical Arab character in a Hollywood movie. What most seem to be forgetting though is the fact that â€Å"Muslim† is no more synonymous with â€Å"Arab† than â€Å"Christian† is with â€Å"American†. In Hollywood movies, Arabs are equivalent to Muslims, though Arabs actually comprise only 12 percent of the Islamic world population. Islam followers or supporters live on every continent and the Muslim majority is not present in the Middle East, rather in the Asia-Pacific region in countries like India, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In fact, the latter has the largest population of Muslims and is a constitutional republic. It is not very surprising, however, that Hollywood makes Arabs and Muslims synonymous, appearing in such a manner as one. Hollywood is simply reinforcing the concept of Orientalism when it comes to Muslims. Edward Said explains how the image of Muslims in the eyes of orientalists was not any different from anti-Semitic views by saying that, â€Å"Not accidently, I indicate that Orientalism and modern anti-Semitism have common roots†¦ The transference of a popular anti-Semitic animus from a Jewish to an Arab target was made smoothly, since the figure was essentially the same.† Basically, what Hollywood now does is use a newer and more effective technique to warp the image of Islam; how Muslims are described in Hollywood is similar to how the Jews were portrayed in Nazi-inspired movies. It is crucial however, to mention that there have actually been some movies after 9/11 that portray Muslims quite fairly; such as The 13th Warrior. Unfortunately though, the negative image is usually more influential than the positive one as it feeds people’s fears. According to a survey done by the Pew Forum in 2009, 35 percent of Americans believe that Islam promotes violence more than the rest of the other religions. Moreover, according to a poll done by Time Magazine, 62 percent of Americans do not personally know a Muslim American. This means that most Americans form their concept of Islam from what the mass media offers them, and this is extremely problematic. Hollywood must give out an image that gives attention to what unites the people of this world, focusing on the positives and the universal humanistic qualities that bring people together instead of dividing them. The 13th Warrior is one of the very few Hollywood movies that portray Arabs and Muslims realistically. The Arabs in this movie are portrayed in a way that they appear to be multi-dimensional just as any westerner would be in a Hollywood production. The Arab here is not only depicted as a regular human being but even more so as an actual hero. Even Jack Shaheen deems it as one of the best depictions of Arabs in film; it has a balanced and progressive image of Arabs. The main character, Ahmad ibn-Fadlan Ibn-Fadlan is an Arab, who is at the same time the narrator describing his exploits with the Vikings. He tells his experience with them looking back as an outsider. The life of these Vikings is seen from the perspective of a character who appears to be a learned member of a civilized society, serving as an observer and the viewers’ window to a foreign culture from foreign eyes. Through him, we see and react to traditions that neither we nor him are familiar with, and this makes t he viewer discover more about him as well as those he is talking about. The way he adapts to their cultural ways and even adopts some of their social patterns as well adds more layers to his character, and this encourages respect and tolerance for other religions and races. Neither the Arabs nor the Vikings seem to be radical or fanatic and no faith is criticized or put down. In The 13th Warrior, from the point of view of the Arab â€Å"other†, we see characters from two distinct cultures and backgrounds learning from each other and growing from the experience. The main character and protagonist in this Hollywood movie is actually a likable Arab who realistically tells the tale of his encounter with a strange culture and convincingly demonstrates his attempts to connect with this odd and bizarre world that he has stepped into. In turn, the Vikings treat him kindly and put aside his differences instead of distrusting him for them. They even come to a point where they refer to him as â€Å"little brother†. The Arab is portrayed as rational and intelligent vs. impulsive and primitive. Ibn-Fadlan quietly learned the Vikings’ tongue by immersing himself into their conversations during their nights next to the bonfire and carefully dissecting their language. He learns to understand it and speak it by merely listening to them talk and repeating the sounds in his mind, a task that would probably be impossible in real life. This helps his character appear as an educated man who is clever enough to accomplish incredible tasks quite quickly, which earned the respect of the Vikings. Another act of intelligence by Ibn-Fadlan is when he deciphers what the oracle had told him and his fellow warriors when they went to see her. The men wanted to ask about the whereabouts of some men who had attacked them earlier, but the woman was quite mad and could not speak very coherently. When no one was able to understand what she was hinting at, Ibn-Fadlan was able to put the clues together and finally tell the warriors where the men who had once attacked them lived. Not to mention that the Arab was the only one who was able to provide a token from the enemy for the oracle to derive energy from. â€Å"Drawing sounds†, which referred to the writing of letters and words, was something the Vikings knew only the Arab was capable of doing amongst them. A fellow warrior found Ibn-Fadlan drawing these sounds into the sand with a stick and wondrously questioned him about it. Ibn-Fadlan explained to him how he could also speak them back – read them – and showed him how it could be done. Even though the Viking still did not quite grasp this notion, he recognized Ibn-Fadlan’s spectacular ability to comprehend such a novel and complex idea and eventually learned from him, as Ibn-Fadlan did from the Vikings. Even though Ibn-Fadlan is Arab and Muslim, there is no direct assumption that just because he is Arab he is also a Muslim. The emphasis of his identity remains on the fact that he is an Arab and that is where the focus lies. We discover he is Muslim when he tries to explain to the Viking that there is only one God, and that Mohammed is his prophet, which is an actual prayer in Islam. Also, we see him praying on the prayer mat only once in the entire movie, which helps in showing that Muslims are not necessarily praying and saying â€Å"Allahu Akbar† all the time as they do in most other Hollywood productions. We are used to seeing the intolerant and angry Arab who cannot accept other cultures and religions other than his own. In this film the Arab surprisingly shows tolerance to the others’ religion and cultural practices unlike a stereotypical Arab, as depicted by Hollywood, who is always at war with the West and their ways. When Ibn-Fadlan gets injured in battle, a Viking woman attempts to heal his wounds by applying cow urine. When he learns what she is putting on his cuts he reacts quite disgustingly and asks her for clean water instead. After explaining how this is better for the wound to heal properly, he complies and puts his recovery in her unusual methods. You would never imagine an Arab falling in love with a Western woman and actually having a respectful and polite interaction as Hollywood almost always portrays the Arab man to be abusive and oppressive to women. Ibn-Fadlan falls in love with a Viking woman and they share a mutual admiration to one another; neither looks at the other as an â€Å"other† but rather as true equals. Unlike the usual Arab depiction of them mistreating women, here the Arab treats the Western woman with utter appreciation and affection. He even makes love to her outside of wedlock, that night after the big battle where they find themselves unable to resist their attraction to one another, which is also not allowed in Islam. Ibn-Fadlan finds himself trying out new things and not resisting exposing himself to alien traditions. The Arab is usually never adaptive or social in Hollywood films, but more closed off and unwilling to interact with the outside world. Ibn-Fadlan breaks this stereotype and engages in a give and take relationship with the Vikings where he accepts that he can learn a few things from their culture just as they could from him. One of these examples is when he attempts, for the first time, to taste an alcoholic beverage which a Muslim cannot have. Religiously at the time, the fermentation of grapes and of wheat were forbidden in Islam, so when the Viking offers Ibn-Fadlan a drink after battle, he politely rejects. However, when the Viking explains to him that this was actually made of honey, Ibn-Fadlan dares to take a sip from the Viking’s horn. At the beginning, Ibn-Fadlan is given a sword by the Vikings as this is what he would be using in battle. Arabs back then were used to fighting with lighter and much thinner swords, which meant there was no way the Arab was able to strategically fight and win with a sword that weighs almost twice or three times the one he usually uses. He adapts to certain fighting styles by observing the Vikings fight and learns to use new armory, such as the wooden shield used for protection which he is also not accustomed to. At the same time though, while learning that he would be a much better fighter and far more useful as a warrior, he decides to stick to the same old kind of sword he is used to and goes to the blacksmith asking for one according to his own specifications. Through this, the Vikings see the advantage of a lighter and therefore faster sword and are impressed with his wit. He successfully shows the Vikings that although his sword is lighter, although his horse is smaller (which h e was ridiculed for), he can be far more effective. Despite the fact both Arabs and Vikings are portrayed fairly and as both having equal negatives as well as positives, the Vikings are portrayed as somewhat more barbaric than the Arabs. Ironically, the way Arabs are portrayed as primitive in Hollywood movies is how the Vikings are portrayed in this movie, to some degree. They appear to be aggressive and impulsive, lacking hygiene, and not all that clever, while the Arab is the epitome of self-control, decency, and wit. Generally, neither is depicted as evil or bad; they are both righteous and pious warriors as shown by this film, but the underlying qualities of culture and traditions that are present for each are shown in different lights. The Vikings, in the beginning, are made out to look like complete fools and dirty slobs who possess limited intellectual skills. They share a bowel of water to remove snot from their noses and rinse their mouth with which they pass around for everyone to use. They also cast a few of bones to predic t future events that might take place. However the Arab appears to be very clean and even shows disgust to their unhygienic ways (it is not shocking how he was unable to adapt to this specific cleansing method). The usual poor misrepresentation of Arabs and Muslims that dominates Hollywood movies is what seems to be pushing movies such as The 13th Warrior into the background. The twisted depiction of Arabs and Muslims is a representative image of how they truly are; it is a myth and does not fully reflect reality. A certain connotation is masquerading as a denotation and it became so literal that people started believing it as fact. There exists this dominant meaning or understanding of Islam or Arab-ness, which is not fixed or inherent, rather created based on a complex of social interaction among the two parties or sides. The interplay between the different cultures created this iconic image and a certain decision was made when it was chosen to be represented in this manner; it was agreed upon in a particular context to portray this value and this culturally imposed meaning. One thing is for sure: Hollywood’s determination on reacting to the same political and social spurs for years and even decades now is pretty consistent. No group of peoples provide more ground for Hollywood’s degenerating stereotyping than Arabs and Muslims, and it seems that this is probably not going to change any time soon. As the world’s leading cinematic industry, the Arab stereotype has a greater negative impact on audiences today than it did decades ago. Nowadays, Hollywood’s films are created, developed, and disseminated world-wide, reaching viewers globally. The international success of a movie has become the decider of its popularity; it is not just domestic and local approval that deems a movie a hit anymore. Also, Arab images not only affect international audiences, but international movie makers as well in this case. Arabs and Muslims have given the world quite a lot throughout the years, from architecture to mathematics, but how much of it has found its way onto the movie screens? They have grown tired of seeing rudimentary and inaccurate depictions of themselves that are causing them to be extremely misrepresented to others on this planet. In fact, what does Hollywood think the 1.6 billion Muslims around the world are thinking when they see movies that they are depicted so unjustly in? Hollywood realizes that it has a key role to play in shaping public opinion (domestically and internationally) but only time will tell whether it ever decides to deliver a realistic and just viewpoint on the Muslim world, the Arab world, and their peoples. The most effective films are the ones that remind us that the essence of our collective human experience shows us at our best, free of nationality, ethnicity, politics or religion. But before a movie can ever deliver that, it must be completely and utterly with out stereotype to say the least, Muslim, Arab or otherwise.

The Internet :: Internet Web Cyberspace

The Internet In 1973, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) initiated a research program to investigate techniques and technologies for interlinking packet networks of various kinds. The objective was to develop communication protocols which would allow networked computers to communicate transparently across multiple, linked packet networks. This was called the Internetting project and the system of networks which emerged from the research was known as the "Internet." The system of protocols which was developed over the course of this research effort became known as the TCP/IP Protocol Suite, after the two initial protocols developed: Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP). (I got my information for the history of the internet at www.isoc.org In 1986, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) initiated the development of the NSFNET which, today, provides a major backbone communication service for the Internet. With its 45 megabit per second facilitie s, the NSFNET carries on the order of 12 billion packets per month between the networks it links. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Energy contributed additional backbone facilities in the form of the NSINET and ESNET respectively. In Europe, major international backbones such as NORDUNET and others provide connectivity to over one hundred thousand computers on a large number of networks. Commercial network providers in the U.S. and Europe are beginning to offer Internet backbone and access support on a competitive basis to any interested parties. One positive issue about the internet is that it is so much easier to buy or even sell things like on eBay. If you find something that you want to sell you don’t have to put it in the news paper you can put it on the web where you would have a much better chance of selling it. My resource for this is www.ebay.com Another positive thing is if you need to talk to somebody on the phone that is another state and you don’t want to pay long distance billing and if they got the internet you can just get onto a chatroom and talk for free. My resource for this is www.msn.com. Plus another positive issue about the internet is you can meet new people. I know a girl who met a guy on the internet and they have been dating now for over 2 years and plan to get married. Some bad issues about the internet is that if you do happen to meet a person online you never really know who they are unless you meet them in person because the internet can only allow you to talk to them: it can’t let you meet them.

Technology Brings People Together Essay -- Technology Society Essays

Technology Brings People Together It is difficult to escape the influence of technology on modern life. It lurks behind every door: the classroom, home, office, and store. There are many who are resistant to new technology, saying that technology causes harm to society. These claims are often made without the realization that technology also includes important and indispensable parts in their life such as writing and the tools for writing. Writing was one of the first technologies invented. Technology has now become so entrenched in the majority of cultures around the world that it is hard to imagine a life or society without writing. For those that maintain a majority of technology beyond writing is harmful, imagine the difficulty in writing without the help of other technologies, which includes pencils, paper, computers, printing presses, and a number of other technological aids. In my project I attempted to write without the assistance of normal technologies that are often taken for granted. It proved a difficult undertaking. Before beginning to write I had to find something to write on. As I searched my house and yard I realized that technology-free materials are difficult to find. I eventually found a birch log by the fireplace, which was once used by Native Americans for the purpose of writing. After tearing off the bark, and shaking off the dirt I had my â€Å"paper.† The hardest part was still not over; I needed to find a replacement for the normal writing aid of a pencil or pen. I replaced ink with honey and traded a pen for a feather. My next step was the very slow process of streaking honey on the bark to form words. The honey was the same color as the birch and blended in with the wood. To f... ...deas and knowledge. Also, it is essential to understand in order to succeed in school, find information, and qualify for most jobs. New technologies continue to be created. The wisest step is to embrace the new technologies since they are unlikely to go away. Those who have the most knowledge of new technologies are able to accomplish more, and find more options available to them in life. Works Cited Baron, Dennis. â€Å"From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literary Technologies.† Writing Material. Ed. Evelyn Tribble. New York. 2003. 35- 52. Ong, Walter. â€Å"Writing is a Technology that Restructures Thought.† Writing Material. Ed. Evelyn Tribble. New York. 2003. 315-335. Tribble and Trubek. Writing Material. Ed. Evelyn Tribble. New York. 2003. Twain, Mark. â€Å"The First Writing-Machines.† Writing Material. Ed. Evelyn Tribble. New York. 2003. 500-502.

Mankind As A Problem :: essays research papers

The biggest blight on the face of the planet is mankind. The major problems facing the world today can all be traced in one way or another back to the interference of man. The human race has yielded too much power for the past several thousands of years and it is time for a stern, quick change in the world. Mankind has walked with impunity from place to place upon the face of this planet and only in a few instances has it rendered anything other than death or chaos. My purpose with this essay is to illustrate that the human race is almost not worth running. Creatures endowed with such inborn capabilities have sunken to a level below any seen before. While capable of such acts of beauty and wonder, they instead choose to act selfishly and without reason.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The human race is, like every living thing, an animal. However, the human race is unlike any other animal on the face of this planet. The human race is more brutal then other animals. The human race is the only animal that will set out to commit genocide or slaughter its own kind by amounts I can not begin to fathom. The human race has done this many times through it’s past and shows no signs of altering. Nazi Germany almost eliminated the entire Jewish population from Europe, and killed millions before they could be stopped. Communist Russia, under the leadership of Stalin, conducted many tests and experiments on humans that lead to the deaths of millions more for no purpose other than to satisfy one man’s curious side. The human race for centuries, and in some parts of the world still does committed slavery. Brutality of human against human has been a common theme through the years, but if you go club one baby seal you would get the chair. Humans h ave come to accept brutality upon themselves as a fact of life but sit in disgust when it is committed against something else. Part of what makes man so dangerous and problematic is his intelligence level. The human race is the smartest thing on the planet Earth. This has put him on top of the food chain where he can do the most damage to the world as a whole. His intelligence has allowed him to advance technologically throughout history. His advances in technology have come with problems to not only him, but also the world.

The Low-Wage Worker wanting the American Dream

What she truly experienced was someone stepping out of her comfort zone into a life that she was not born onto. Again, though, her main idea was to find a job and be able to survive income for expenses. In reality, those working in a low-wage job are just trying to survive, and hoping by the end of the day they have broke even, even though most don't. In Winter Coat, Terrier Griffith, tells the story of what its like growing up poor and wanting to be different. Griffith states that â€Å"the thing about being poor is that you know what it means to be poor – and there's always someone poorer than you. (Tea 61 ) Griffith talks about what it was like wearing hand me downs, being in the free lunch program, and other classifications,' like standing in the free lunch line, that sometime embarrassed her. Her mother wanted her to have a future different than the one she was raising Griffith in. Because of the pressure from her mom, she realizes that â€Å"without the protection econ omic stability provides, this is no room for failure. She had no room to fail. † (Tea 64) She was raised to take the ‘safe road. Griffith talks about the class of people, especially by what they are wearing, and explains that by comparing the different coats people wear on the train that she rides. She realizes that many people continually deal tit wanting the American Dream everyday. â€Å"What about the American Dream, the theory that with hard work and perseverance people can transcend in the class in to which they are born? Want to believe in it, but I don't. Class is about more than money; its about safety and security, knowing that what you have today, you will have tomorrow.It's about having faith and feeling safe in the knowledge that when my coat gets worn out, there will be other coats. † (Tea 65) No matter what class people are in, I believe everyone is trying to live out their definition of the American Dream. The cost for this hope can be life hanging . In The Just-Add-Water Kennedy's and Barbecue Bread Violence, Polyester, starts off her story focusing on the American Dream. Polyester states, â€Å"Fewer than one percent of Americans break out of the class they are born into. † (Tea 67) She goes on to tell about her parents and their dream of class jumping, and how they devote their lives to it.To her parents, the working class neighborhood, where they lived, was only temporary. Her parents wanted better. Even her grandparents wanted better. It was embedded into each generation that you could move higher up in class, with just the right job, the right education, and the right privileges. Her family struggled with this for years. The only purpose of the â€Å"children† was to become rich. When her father landed a job that provided more money, her parents felt that they had fulfilled their dream, the American Dream. Polyester states: â€Å"Their dream for us hadn't died.Higher education, to my parents, was still a w ay for their children to jump class†¦ No matter how hard they tried to turn us into just-add-water Kennedy's, all fifths posturing failed, and so did college. The bottom line was that were lower class, and there was no way we could be any different. (Tea 73) Though the stories are different, the results are the same. Just as Polyester states, very few Americans break out of the class they are born into, though many want to believe its possible. In Rehearing's journey, she tries to become lower class, but does not succeed.She sets rules and limits, whereas, most lower class don't have rules or limits, only their basic need is to survive. The lower class tries to make it to make it to the next month, with the hope that tomorrow they won't need as much. Their dream is that their children will do better than they did, with the hopes that one day, just maybe class can be jumped, if not by them, then maybe their children. When it comes to the relationships of the lower class, look at the relationship Polyester had with her parents. Her parents tried and pushed hard to come out of the class they were in.They tried to fit in, to be different. It was embedded into them by their parents, that they were not worth anything unless they succeeded. This was their reward. Her parents pushed, both them selves and their children. When her father failed, he ‘couldn't deal with the shame' and later committed suicide, only apologizing to his parents for failing. To him, to succeed was to be rich; to fail was to be poor. After his death, her family went their separate ways. Polyester's family was only ‘together' to become rich, to jump a class. But when life showed them that they couldn't they didn't stay together.I don't think it matters which class you are, if your family falls apart, it was together for the wrong reasons. I look at my own family situation when I read all three of these stories. Grew up in a lower class family. Both parents had to work to make en ds meet. We were not the poorest of the poor, but there were times where we had to rely on the DOD pantry to eat or sign up for help at Christmas just to get presents. L, in no means, thought I would ever stay there. My parents never pushed me to be better then they were, but believe they wanted more for my siblings and me. My parents divorced when I was young and both remarried.I lived with my mom and step dad, where money was tight and I wore hand me downs from my cousin. My dad and his wife had a different life. Though both worked, their kids always had new clothes, and the latest video games. They had a new house, where mine flooded every time it rained. I was on the border of lower and middle class. I went on to Bible College, where I pursued a dream of working in children's ministry. To my father, it was a waste of my time, as I would make no money from it. When was done, I found myself working in a call center, at a low wage job, making just enough to make ends meet.After I w as married I became a nanny, barely making minimum Wage and having to pay my own taxes. Now we had one child. My husband and I struggled for years, as he was laid off from his job and then tried to start his own business. There were many health issues that got ignored because we didn't have health insurance. I tried selling Mary Kay Cosmetics, buying into he notion that ‘I could be rich like her' if followed the dream Mary Kay laid out for us. The ‘dream' ended as a business loss, and costing us more, than I had put into it at the beginning.Reading all three of these accounts had me relating to many of the situations the authors found them selves in. Griffith accounts of being poor and wanting to be different, reminded me of when I was younger and use to tell stories of my parents being a pilot or working for the government, just so I could fit in. Though the story wasn't true, the desire to fit it was deep rooted, and to this day I even find myself wanting to dress icie r, and even more up-class, just so the world won't know I am still lower class. Who is to know that my clothes came from goodwill or a garage sale?Polyester's parents remind me of my own father, who believes that a stay-at- home mom doesn't amount to much, and that a college degree really shows what you are worth. My father wasn't the extreme like Polyester's father, but am continually asked about how much I make, or when I will graduate. I have been promised many things, as long as I finish my degree, because to him, that is all that matters. As for Rehiring, the people she worked with in err low-wage jobs remind me of myself sometimes, I still don't think she could ever truly feel the true emotions of what it is like to be in a low class family.Struggling to make ends meet. Would love to switch places with her and see if she could handle the stress that seems to follow when you are a low-class working family. I have dreamed of living the American Dream. To own a home, have good sc hools for my children to attend, to not worry about how much I spend at the grocery store, or even be concerned when or if the bills will get paid. Want a life where health insurance isn't an issue, and I'm not living paycheck to paycheck. I have to believe its possible to obtain it, to have hope.

Essay Week

At the same time it has to do with the way in which the individual reaches those needs. The action taken to reach the needs, goals, should be according to specific guidelines, thus rules. Those rules are culturally and historically defined. These rules state the actions that are allowed for the individual to take in order to reach his or her goal, but also state the actions that are â€Å"not-done†. For example driving a car can be rational and not rational depending on the way one drives the car. On a certain highway the speed limit Is km/h.If someone drives faster than 100 km/h then he or she will get a speeding ticket. If one drives 100 km/h then the driving Is rational because It Is according to the rules and one drives with the goal of not getting a speeding ticket. If one decides to drive km,'h it is not rational anymore because the driving is not done according to the rules even though one can have a goal of getting to the destination faster. This definition of rational ity is not to be confused with the rational choice theory. Rational choice theory uses a specific and narrower definition of â€Å"rationality† simply to mean that an individual acts as if balancing costs against benefits to arrive at action that maximizes personal advantage. † (â€Å"Rational choice theory,† 2014) This means that according to the rational choice theory an action is rational If It Is the best action. An action Is the best action If one checks all the options one has and then comes to the conclusion that this action gives me the most benefits for the least amounts of costs.For example if one has the choice beet;en going outside in the winter with a coat or without, the benefits of going outside with the coat outweigh that of going outside without the coat. One would in this case choose to go outside with the coat according to the rational choice theory. As I mentioned before rationality consists of goals and rules. Every individual or organization can choose which goals he or she wants to achieve. The rules on the other hand are not something which is exclusively the matter of an individual or single organization.The rules are imposed on Individuals or organizations by the society around them. The society decides what the rules are based on assembling. â€Å"Assembling Is the ongoing retrospective development of plausible Images that rationalize what people are doing. † (College, 2011, p. 63) them. This interpretation differs between different cultures, and even between efferent individuals in one culture. This perceiving and interpreting of the world is an ongoing process, it happens all the time. It is retrospective, meaning that we review the sense that we made of what happened.So we sense what we sensed with new data. It is plausible because it is never perfect, but rather good enough for the things we sense and people that sense it. It is an image because we try to represent the thing that we sense in the form of models, plans or mental maps. Because sneaking is different for different people, the rules that come out of this sneaking is also different. This in turn results in different rationalities, because the rules that are used are different. As suggested in the book there could be different rationalities at play at the same time in an organization.For example the finance department can have as a rationality to be completely honest about the financial state of the organization. At the same time the finance department can have as a rationality to give a positive financial state of an organization. Those two rationalities can in times of financial setbacks collide with each other. Another example can be found with the employees. The first rationality of the employee could e to earn as much money as possible. At the same time the employee can have as a second rationality to work as less as possible.

Appearance Vs Reality Essay

Throughout life we are constantly seeing new perceptions of things and in turn constantly changing our perception of reality. The Key concepts of Appearances and Reality were explored through the use of Paradox, Point of View and Verisimilitude, within the texts The Truman show (Peter Weir) and Relativity (Escher). These concepts were used to effectively portray the key differences, and deeper meanings of Appearance and Reality. The way in which we view an object, situation or concept, greatly affects how we interpret its reality. This concept is explored by using Point of view to change the viewer’s ideas about the True reality of within the Truman show. The whole idea and notion of our reality is based upon what we see, what we grow up with. We learn from a young age what we see isn’t always the truth, and therefore we adapt our reality to what we already know. This is the same for Truman Burbank, a 33 year old average man. He is the unknowingly star of a television show all of his life. Everything he does and says is recorded and televised uninterrupted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Like us Truman has never questioned his life as his point of view has never been given the opportunity to change. That was until a series of incidents occurred that changed his Point of view. A key change in Truman’s point of view is when a series of onset glitches lead him to see a different reality that clashes with what he knows. These events lead him to become erratic and quite demented (Evident by the erratic car trip with Meryl), eventually leading to a point where Truman has Meryl by the throat with a set of dicers and Meryl screams’’ Somebody do something’’. This quote leads Truman to the core belief that there is something wrong with his reality and that he will not stop until he finds out what is real and what is not. This eventually leads him to the point in which he leaves the T. V set and has discovered the through a new point of view his true reality. This is Through the use of Point of view; the audience is able to observe how changing views can lead to a new reality. Reality or the Truth can be very hard to identify from an Appearance. The concept of Verisimilitude is very evident in Escher’s Relativity through the use of conflicting images and vectors to reveal the hidden truth. Escher’s relativity is an image that at first is very perplexing. A series of staircases intertwined in what appear at first to be impossible. The image can actually be viewed in different points of view, each of which changes the intention of what is real, and what is not within the image. E. g. persons are waking up/down a staircase and when the image is rotated, they are now walking upside down and defying gravity. The way, in which we observe it at any angle, an object within the image is wrong. The almost impossible picture, riddled with false appearances has still got reality within it. Using verisimilitude we are able to see that although the image has several false appearances, one of them must be the true reality, otherwise the image could not exist. The problem for the viewer though , is how can we judge one false truth as more real than the other, this means that no matter what our first appearances are always not going to reflect the true nature of the reality around us. The Truman show explores the Paradox of appearance and reality, and how that changes our final point of view towards a situation. In the Truman show we start off with the interviews of the cast, this is our first insight into how the show operates. A key quote which sets a paradox within the film is when Truman’s best friend Marlon says ‘’Nothing you see on this show is fake. It’s merely controlled’’. This is contradictory to the very nature of the show, it’s a show which is meant to have the Truth in it, e. g. (TRUE MAN), he is the reality of the show and yet his reality is a false appearance. How we never question the nature of reality is also explored when Christof the director says ‘’ we accept the reality with which we are presented’’. This is another paradox as we explored before a false reality is also representative of the truth. Truman himself is accepting of the reality he is presented because he initially never had a reason to change his point of view. But through the film the paradoxes of the false reality and the Truth clash, revealing a deeper truth, which is revealed at the end of the film to Truman. The use of a Paradox to reveal a hidden truth between Appearance and reality is effective within the Truman show as it allows the Audience to change their point of view and observe how it is changed in others. The composer Peter Weir (The Truman show) and Escher (Relativity) both used Point of view to change the perceived reality of the persona and the viewer. Paradox and Verisimilitude are both mechanisms for the changes towards a true reality and are used by each composer to explore effectively the differences and similarities of Appearance and Reality.