Theories of Social Inequality

Karl Marx's theory to explain social inequality is based on the unequal division of resources between two groups: bourgeoisie and the proletariat, or the wealthy/ business owners and the laborers. According to Marx, the bourgeoisie have the monetary power to gain economical resources, as they own the businesses where the proletariat must work to gain money to survive. The bourgeoisie maintains this position by paying the proletariat Just enough to provide for his or her basic needs of survival. Marx states that the bourgeoisie create the social rules, cultural values and orms, and the proletariat goes along with it.This idea is the basis for what Marx calls, â€Å"false consciousness,† which is the idea that the† system† is working and there is no reason to change it because the proletariat hopes that one day he will become the bourgeoisie; this false hope is what keeps social inequality in a perpetual cycle. Marx believed that social inequality can be resolved thr ough the abolishment of capitalism altogether. He suggested that this could be made possible if the proletariat would stand up and revolt, and rise up against capitalism by refusing to ork and sell their very valuable labor, which the bourgeoisie needs in order to survive.Marx did not see social inequality as inevitable, unlike Max Weber. The basis for Weber's theory can be found in Karl Marx's theory, but takes it a step further and breaks the social structure up even more. According to Max Weber's theory behind social inequality, there are three major components that play into creating an unequal division in society: social class, status in society, and political parties. Each group directly relates to one another, although they are not all the same thing. Weber contends that social classes are divided because of certain lifestyles or opportunities that are given toa person.If a person is born into a wealthy family, he or she is automatically provided with a lifestyle that will pr opel him or her into success through money and/or properties, which inevitably creates an opportunity for power. This demonstrates how money and power clearly shapes classes. Classes do not always make up communities though. Communities are shaped by social status, which is one thing that Weber is clear about. Social status is defined by the pportunity for a wealthy lifestyle. The main difference between status and class is that of the value system within each of the groups.Through a lifestyle that one lives, ideals and values are developed, which creates one's political stance. Political parties are a direct reflection of the pattern that creates class and social status. They are all intermingled: class determines social status, which shapes ideals within a political party. Weber makes a strong argument that social stratification is inevitable or â€Å"guaranteed† because lifestyles (which you are born into) create status groups and nce those are established, over a period o f time, the people accept them as status quo.Once a standard of life is set, it is rarely moved. Karl Marx' theory behind social inequality is most compelling. It explains that social inequality, which is detrimental to so many, can be resolved. His theory gives hope for resolution and even offers a plan of action to do so, yet there have been little done by those who feel like they are oppressed by the unjust division ot resources to rise up and change the system which oppresses them. Marx' theory is timeless and continues to speak to those issues which are seen in todays society.

Pirates: Piracy and Golden Age

Josh Davis FYE 102 Paper 1 9/28/2012 Golden Age Pirates vs. Modern Day Pirates Piracy has been around before the time of the pyramids. Once merchant ship began to deliver goods to other countries, others realized the financial gain that could be made by stealing those goods and selling them themselves. Pirates have ruled the seas at different times. Once Europeans settled in the American colonies, pirates plundered towns along the coast and attacked almost every ship they came in contact with. During the 18th century, wars gave rise to privateering; a legal form of piracy.But, after the War of 1812, this was no longer tolerated. Government put an end to most piracy but, today there are still pirates. By comparing the pirates of the Golden Age with the pirates we have today, we can gain knowledge of how piracy has evolved and changed. Execution was and still is an honored method of dealing with pirates. Merchant ships have always found themselves victim to pirates. In November 1998, p irates hijacked a ship off the Chinese coast. Its name was the Cheung Son. After binding and gagging all the crew members, the pirates killed them and threw their bodies overboard.This ship and its cargo were never seen again. Police eventually discovered pictures of pirates celebrating onboard the Cheung Son. They arrested all thirty-eight pirates. A court found all guilty. Thirteen were sentenced to death, one to life in prison, and the rest were sentenced to twelve years. During the Golden Age, many pirates were hung or executed in some way. After Captain William Kid was hung, his body was tarred and placed in an iron cage. The government put it on display as a warning to other pirates. Likewise, another pirate, named Edward Teach, had his decapitated head put on display as a warning also.Punishment was and is a rarity for pirates. Often, pirates escape with their â€Å"treasure†. Golden Age pirates and Modern day pirates share three requirements to flourish. Both need a p lace to sail where the rewards are substantial. During the Golden Age, the only way to transport goods was by ship. This gave pirates access to an unlimited amount of goods and treasures. Today, small high-speed vessels can easily catch up to larger vessels. The plunder is equally rewarding, but easier to convert into cash. Both generations of pirates need hunting grounds where the risk of detection is small.Golden Age pirates patrolled near Africa, the American and European coast, and as far north as the Caribbean. Today’s pirates thrive off the coasts of Africa and South China. Finally, they both need a safe haven. Port Royal offered a safe place for Golden Age pirates to stay. Many of Indonesia’s islands provide a safe haven for today’s pirates. Weaponry and Technology are very different today than three hundred years ago. Swords and muskets were the weapons of choice for Golden Age pirates. Today, pirates wield automatic rifles and modern communication techn ology.Past pirates used wooden ships with large crews and used cannons to defend their ships. Today’s pirates used small fast boats with small crews. Golden Age pirates attacked any ship that crossed their path, â€Å"crime of opportunity†. Today’s pirates plan their attacks and select victims before they even leave shore. â€Å"The truth is that modern piracy is a violent, bloody, ruthless practice†¦ made the more fearsome by the knowledge on the part of the victims that they are on their own and absolutely defenseless and that no help is waiting round the corner† Captain Jayant Abhyankar, Deputy Director of the International Maritime Bureau 1999.This statement still held true during the Golden Age. Efforts to end piracy began during ancient times. This Island of Rhodes was the first to include piracy in their maritime laws. In the Golden Age almost every nation had established maritime laws. Sir Charles Hedges, a judge of the British Admiralty Cour t during the late 1600’s, says â€Å"pirates are thieves who seize a ship and/or its cargo through violent means upon the sea†. Despite many legal attempts to stop piracy an international definition of piracy did not exist till 1958.Article 15, 1958 Geneva Convention of the High Seas and Article 101, 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea defines piracy as â€Å"a violent seizure on the high seas of a private ship or the illegal detainment of persons property aboard said ship for the purpose of private gain, nor can a government commit an act of piracy†. Piracy in the Golden Age devastated the trade economy. Hundreds of ships carrying numerous amounts of goods were plundered. Today, piracy hardly dents the two trillion dollar a year shipping industry. In 1997 losses amounted to â€Å"$. 32 for every $10,000† J.Gottschalk. This leaves little financial incentive for companies to deal with the problem. Violence was and is still very common amongst pirates. No one knows for sure show many people were murdered by Golden Age Pirates but, its number was staggering. Modern day pirates have left a dent themselves. During a five year period the UN High Commissioner said that an estimated 2,283 women were raped and 592 people were kidnaped. This was in Vietnamese alone. In 2000 there were 182 ships that were attacked. Almost half were in the South China Seas according to the Worldwide Maritime Piracy.Captain Abhyankar wrote in An overview of Piracy Problems; â€Å"A total of 202 incidents were reported in 1998. The majority of these attacks were violent. At least 79 persons have been killed and 35 injured during piracy†. Clearly piracy is still a problem. Piracy is as much of a problem today as it was years ago. Pirates of the golden age and pirates of today are more similar than not, but, they do have differences. We have seen that pirates need three common requirements to thrive and their differences in weapons and technology.Piracy has been around for too long and needs to end. Work Cited Abidi, Shahkar. â€Å"Piracy puts trade in choppy waters,† DNA 12 April 2012 Baldwin, James. â€Å"Dodging Pirates in Southeast Asia,† SailNet, 1 March 2002 â€Å"Drop in Piracy Incidents,† Portsworld. com Malaysia, 25 July 2005 Ellis, Eric. â€Å"Singapore’s New Straits: Piracy on the High Seas is on the Rise in Southeast Asia,† Fortune International (Asia Edition), 148:6 (29 September 2003), p. 24 www. cindyvallar. com. â€Å"Pirates and Privateers the History of Maritime Piracy†, 2006

Connectivism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Connectivism - Essay Example It is not with the human beings by birth or we cannot call knowledge as an innate part of human beings. The learning theories of behaviourism, constructivism and cognitivism regard knowledge as acquirable and identify various ways with the help of which, a person is able to learn in this world. According to the learning theory of behaviourism, the knowledge that a person keeps or attains by means of experience or rationality can be assessed by means of change of behaviour (Gredler, 2005). When a person attains knowledge, his/her behaviour changes with the acquisition of knowledge. The behaviourism philosophy can be defined as a philosophy that deals with the transformation of behaviour as an indication of learning (Vaill, 1996). Therefore, in behaviourism learning theory deals with the transformation of behaviour of an individual as a sign of his/her learning. Learning theory of behaviourism regards learning as wholly external. Constructivism is also based on the philosophy of constructivism. According to the learning theory of constructivism, knowledge comes to a person with the help of his/her past experience (Gredler, 2005). A person is able to learn on the basis of his/her past experiences in terms of knowledge acquisition. Knowledge is acquired by means of comprehension of experiences that a person goes through in his/her life time. According to the constructivism theory of learning, learning is something based on internal input of a human being (Gredler, 2005). As far as congnitivism is concerned, according to the learning theory of cognitivism, a person is able to get knowledge similarly as the computer does. An input is required, there is some memory where the knowledge is stored on temporary bases and then this knowledge is coded for future employment. Cognitivism also categorizes knowledge as an external element (Vaill, 1996). These theories

The American government Its Principles Term Paper

The American government Its Principles - Term Paper Example The government of the United States is today still rooted in these five key principles of government. For instance, citizens of California are practicing popular sovereignty through endeavoring to recall Governor Davis (Ross 52). A debate over limited governance has arisen as the federal regime fights for more freedom to probe the personal lives of alleged terrorists (Ross 52). Bills are being proposed on a daily basis in Congress, which the President has veto power to ensure that federalism, checks and balances, as well as the separation of powers are incorporated in every facet of the Unites States government. The government is separated into three branches that are all governed by this principle. The three branches are the Legislative branch, the Executive branch, as well as the Judiciary branch. The American Constitution itself it governed by these principles, which also works in vice versa. This means that the American Constitution and these principles govern each other. This pa per will discuss the major principles of the American government, such as the rule of law and democracy, among others, and provide and analysis of the pros and cons of the issue making use of sources on both sides. Consent of the governed refers to a phrase of the U.S. Declaration of Independence (Lansford 97). Consent of the governed is synonymous with a political concept where the United States’ government moral right or legitimacy to apply state power is only legal and acceptable when founded on the society or people over which that political power is executed. The concept of consent, in the United States, was always compared to the divine right of rulers and has always been invoked against the authenticity of colonialism. Thinking in a similar way to that of English philosopher John Locke, consent of the governed dictates a nation be established upon the consent of equal and free citizens is a country of happiness

Critical Issue Paper Four Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Critical Issue Paper Four - Essay Example The Second World War proved to be a period of technological breakthrough according to Weinberg. In his book â€Å"A world at Arms: A Global History of World War II,† he related that technological improvements such as radio direction finders and sonar, along with the breaking of the Germans Enigma Code, improved the Allies defenses against their Axis counterparts. He goes on to say that the Germans were able to design new types of submarines, which were faster and could stay submerged longer, however said submarines â€Å"did not become operational before the end of the war.†3 1 Terry Boardman. â€Å"What Was the 20th Century?† A lecture delivered on 17th March 2000 in Stourbridge, England. http://www.monju.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/20th%cent.htm (accessed September 9, 2008), p.1. In relation to the above statements, historian writer Richard Overy in his book â€Å"Why the Allies Won† also made references that the last World War of the 20th century (WWII), showed that American technology and ingenuity combined with correct and better tactics won the war for the Allied forces despite the fact that the Axis nations had the backing of German engineering ingenuity. Overy reasons out that the Allies whose military capacity in the beginning was inferior compared to the Axis forces, integrated technology and logistics with moral force. He detailed facts that the nations which comprise the Allied Grand Coalition succeeded in World War II because they knew that it â€Å"was a life-and-death struggle for fundamental values.†4 Values that are needed in order to establish a better society. Moreover, Keegan in his timeless masterpiece â€Å"The Battle for History: Re-Fighting World War II† says that the Second World War, which was generally acclaimed as a â€Å"wonderful† period in history, should be examined closely because there is nothing wonderful

Cleopatra Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Cleopatra - Research Paper Example This essay describes Cleopatra, who came into power in a period when there was much tension in the Egyptian Empire, owing to the inclusion of Rome within its territory. Thus, her reign was a very difficult period and consisted of many ups and downs. She had to face internal pressure from Egypt owing to the fact that a woman ruler was not very much welcome in her period and people were still unprepared to be ruled by a female empress. Furthermore, there were external pressures from Rome as well. But Cleopatra was a woman who utilized her charms and her brilliance to overcome this pressure and faced all the challenges. She used her looks and her brilliance to engage with two important men of that period, which included Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. She could not face defeat and when she lost all hope of remaining in power, she chose to kill herself rather than live a life of defeat. Her life and her rule are still remembered and are significant in the history of the world. Even after centuries, the empire of Cleopatra is remembered because of the wealth that it had gathered in those times. Cleopatra was a charismatic leader who worked towards her country in order to conquer many territories. Her love affair with Antony was so pure that the examples of it are still given in our century. She chose to make deals rather than spill the blood of her soldiers and it is through these conditions that she was able to grasp a wide territory. Her charisma can be clearly witnessed in forming a deal with both Caesar and Antony.

Marketing Spotlight of Sony Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Spotlight of Sony - Essay Example The first key factor of Sony’s success has been their capability to build new products and new markets. They applied commendable innovation in their product development strategies thus creating entirely new kind of products like fully transistorized radio, audio cassette recorders & television, Walkman, entertainment laptops (Vaio) & Playstation which also resulted in entirely new markets.This is quite evident from their positioning strategy of Sony Vaio Laptops which are marketed primarily as a style icon with enhanced graphics & multimedia capabilities. The Vaio laptops are positioned more for people using laptops as a style icon and for entertainment thus making them widely popular among students, women and top executives. [www.sonystyle.com] The third key success factor of Sony is their innovative marketing practices. They possess in-depth understanding of the buying behaviour, choices & passion of their consumers such that they are able to design their advertisements refl ecting the choice, emotions & passion of their consumers thus pushing the Sony brand deep into their mindsets. A greater part of their success is accredited to their brand building capability. The fourth key success factor of Sony is that they do not conduct open ended marketing campaigns. They carry out measurement of effectiveness of each campaign and then carry out enhancements as necessary. The fifth success factor of Sony is their concept of SONY WORLD showrooms where all the products of Sony are displayed prominently and adequate stocks are maintained to meet the demands.

Gender,love Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Gender,love - Essay Example She believes that one day they will meet and celebrate together as a family. Odysseus enjoys a luxurious life with Calypso (Mitchell, Adrian & Homer 43). However, he admits that his wife cannot be compared to Calypso that is why he plans for a homecoming. Although he encounters different challenges in his homecoming, he is focused to arrive at his home. He is confident in all his undertakings and the thirsts for glory. The focus he has in attaining his goal clearly portrays the meaning of love. Additionally, the place of women in relation to gender is clearly portrayed in Odyssey. Telemachus after his father’s departure takes over his father’s estate and protects his mother. Although he is young, he is given a task to undertake simply because he is a man. Additionally, after his father’s departure, different suitors come in to take the position of Odysseus (Russel& Peter 63). His wife is not allowed to lead and express her opinion. Instead, the people prefer the young man, although he is not old enough to take up the leadership position. Consequently,when Odysseus disappears, she gets pressure from suitors who want her to remarry. However, Penelope does not lose faith in her husband. Despite all the requests she gets from the suitors she upholds her position. Her reactions portray that she loved her husband. She spends nights weeping in her bed. However, as a result, of the pressure from the public, she responds to the suitors by giving them a challenge. Her unyielding love for Odysseus makes her believe that they will soon be back together (Kolker& Robert 45). She says that she will remarry after certain conditions are fulfilled. Subsequently, Penelope gives a challenge which she knows that her husband is the only person who can win it. She does this to appease the members of the community. However, she knows what she wants in life, and her decision is final in the matter. Although members of the society thing that they

The Half Brothers Essay Example for Free

The Half Brothers Essay The two short stories The Half Brothers and News of the Engagement differ in terms of tone and emotional feeling between a mother and son and the authors portray this in different ways, however they both use the theme of widows and marriage. News of the Engagement differs from The Half Brothers in many ways. The author in News of the Engagement uses a completely different tone to the other short story. Its tone is slightly humorous and self-mocking. The mother states, Thats Mrs Dawsons new servant, but she neednt think Im going to lend her my best, because Im not. I shouldnt if I were you I supported her. This shows a short of kind and loving bond between the mother and son, at the same time with a sense of happiness about them. There is also a sense of intimacy and shared experience between them. The relationship between the mother and son in News of the Engagement is also very open and nothing is kept from each other. The son discusses, She knew all my friends by name. This shows that they never kept anything from each other. However it also shows that the mother was protective, as she knew of everybody that her son mixed with, inferring that as a mother she felt it was important that she protected her son. The relationship between the mother and son from the outside seems perfect and faultless. However it really is not like that. Even though the mother and son think that they know everything about each other they really do not. The son notes, I was all that my mother had. This shows that the son felt that all his mother had was him and that she had no other feeling for anybody else, but really she did. He did not believe that she would be able to love somebody ever again, because of what she had been through in the past, but he forgot that she was also a human who could have feelings for other people as well. It shows that he is self-centred and unconcerned with his mothers feelings. The son declares, I liked Mr Nixon, but I was not too well pleased by this information, for I wanted to talk confidentially to my mother. This is a great example of the son being completely self-centred. The thought that his mum may have had something to tell him important did not even cross his mind. The love between the mother and son is very clear in News of the Engagement. The son states, I said nothing about my own engagement that night. I had never thought of my mother as a woman with a future. I had never realised that she was desirable, and that a man might desire her and that her lonely existence in that house was not all that she had the right to demand from life. This shows that even though the son is selfish and self-centred and did not believe, up until now, that his mother had a life to live, he still does not mention anything about his engagement. This is because he would rather let his mother be the woman of the moment, instead of him spoiling it with his news. This shows the great love he has for his mother. The tone of The Half Brothers is completely different to the one of News of the Engagement. It is very sad, regretful, remorseful and confessional. The little sister dies very early in the story, which basically sets the tone for the rest of the story. The relationship between the mother and the son was one of true love. The son does not really know his mother, because she died so early in his life but it is clear that there is a very loving feeling between them. We know that the love between the son and the mother is so great, because he gives up his life so that he can see her. This also shows the strong bond between the mother and son and their his willingness to do anything in his power to see his mother. One night Gregorys half brother does not return from an errand of his fathers and Gregory goes out onto the moors to find him. He does so and gives up his own life in order to save his half brother. All this was done out of love for his mother and brother. Gregory was thought to be the idiot in his family and his mother was the only person who loved him. This is something that brought him and his mother even closer, because he was not liked by anybody else apart from his mother and Adam the shepherd, however Adam the shepherd was not someone he could turn to in a serious crisis. When his mother died his love grew even more towards his mother. Overall I feel that the two short stories have some similarities in the way the author writes about the theme of mothers and sons, but there are also many differences between them both. In News of the Engagement the author portrays the theme of mother and sons with a slight sense of humour and in The Half Brothers the author portrays the theme of mothers and sons on a sad and more serious note. The tones of the two stories are also very different, because News of the Engagement has a lighthearted tone, whereas The Half Brothers has a sombre melancholy and remorseful tone. They both show the tremendous love between the mothers and sons, which is something that can be recognised between nearly every mother and son. In both of the short stories the mothers are widows and get married again. However in News of the Engagement the mother marries a man out of free will and in The Half Brothers the mother is forced into marriage, because of her poor financial situation. This would have affected the sons in different ways. The son in News of the Engagement was brought up by his mother and the son in The Half Brothers was brought up by his father. Overall the two short stories do deal with the theme of mothers and sons, but mainly in very different ways.

Texting While Driving Essay Example for Free

Texting While Driving Essay Texting while driving is one of the most common causes of accidents on roads. This is because texting while driving results in physical, visual and cognitive distraction. It greatly increases the amount of time a driver spends not looking at the road. It is a very serious distraction that can cost you your life or the lives of other people. According to recent research by Queensland’s RACQ, using a mobile phone in general can relay reaction time as much as having a blood alcohol content of 0. 08% which is well over the legal limit of 0.05% in Australia. It reduces your reaction time by 35%, even when using hands-free, so texting is obviously going to be even worse because you are effectively driving blind for however long you look at your phone. In fact, every second you spend texting, you double your chances of being in a crash, so why take the chance? If you are ever driving a car and are about to send a text message or use your phone, think about how important it really is. Is it really worth risking your life to tell someone â€Å"lunch was nice† or â€Å"I’ll be home soon†? Is it worth leaving a child fatherless and asking questions like â€Å"Mum, who will look after me if you go to heaven like dad?† as was the case for 5 year-old Harry Stortz after his Dad Jason was killed by an under-age, unlicensed texting driver? Harry will never get to see his Dad again just so someone could make arrangements to pick a girl up and go to his mate’s house. This is just one horrible example of the vast number of deaths caused by texting while driving. We are all disgusted by drink driving, and for good reason, and using a mobile while driving has been proven in many studies to be just as bad, if not worse. Despite this, around 40% of drivers between 18-24 routinely admit to sending or reading texts while driving. This shows that there is an urgent need for greater fines and punishments for drivers who use their mobiles while driving. Texting while driving is one of the most common causes of accidents on roads. This is because texting while driving results in physical, visual and cognitive distraction. It greatly increases the amount of time a driver  spends not looking at the road. It is a very serious distraction that can cost you your life or the lives of other people. According to recent research by Queensland’s RACQ, using a mobile phone in general can relay reaction time as much as having a blood alcohol content of 0.08% which is well over the legal limit of 0.05% in Australia. It reduces your reaction time by 35%, even when using hands-free, so texting is obviously going to be even worse because you are effectively driving blind for however long you look at your phone. In fact, every second you spend texting, you double your chances of being in a crash, so why take the chance? If you are ever driving a car and are about to send a text message or use your phone, think about how important it really is. Is it really worth risking your life to tell someone â€Å"lunch was nice† or â€Å"I’ll be home soon†? Is it worth leaving a child fatherless and asking questions like â€Å"Mum, who will look after me if you go to heaven like dad?† as was the case for 5 year-old Harry Stortz after his Dad Jason was killed by an under-age, unlicensed texting driver? Harry will never get to see his Dad again just so someone could make arrangements to pick a girl up and go to his mate’s house. This is just one horrible example of the vast number of deaths caused by texting while driving. We are all disgusted by drink driving, and for good reason, and using a mobile while driving has been proven in many studies to be just as bad, if not worse. Despite this, around 40% of drivers between 18-24 routinely admit to sending or reading texts while driving. This shows that there is an urgent need for greater fines and punishments for drivers who use their mobiles while driving. Texting while driving is one of the most common causes of accidents on roads. This is because texting while driving results in physical, visual and cognitive distraction. It greatly increases the amount of time a driver spends not looking at the road. It is a very serious distraction that can cost you your life or the lives of other people. According to recent research by Queensland’s RACQ, using a mobile phone in general can relay reaction time as much as having a blood alcohol content of  0.08% which is well over the legal limit of 0.05% in Australia. It reduces your reaction time by 35%, even when using hands-free, so texting is obviously going to be even worse because you are effectively driving blind for however long you look at your phone. In fact, every second you spend texting, you double your chances of being in a crash, so why take the chance? If you are ever driving a car and are about to send a text message or use your phone, think about how important it really is. Is it really worth risking your life to tell someone â€Å"lunch was nice† or â€Å"I’ll be home soon†? Is it worth leaving a child fatherless and asking questions like â€Å"Mum, who will look after me if you go to heaven like dad?† as was the case for 5 year-old Harry Stortz after his Dad Jason was killed by an under-age, unlicensed texting driver? Harry will never get to see his Dad again just so someone could make arrangements to pick a girl up and go to his mate’s house. This is just one horrible example of the vast number of deaths caused by texting while driving. We are all disgusted by drink driving, and for good reason, and using a mobile while driving has been proven in many studies to be just as bad, if not worse. Despite this, around 40% of drivers between 18-24 routinely admit to sending or reading texts while driving. This shows that there is an urgent need for greater fines and punishments for drivers who use their mobiles while driving. Texting while driving is one of the most common causes of accidents on roads. This is because texting while driving results in physical, visual and cognitive distraction. It greatly increases the amount of time a driver spends not looking at the road. It is a very serious distraction that can cost you your life or the lives of other people. According to recent research by Queensland’s RACQ, using a mobile phone in general can relay reaction time as much as having a blood alcohol content of 0.08% which is well over the legal limit of 0.05% in Australia. It reduces your reaction time by 35%, even when using hands-free, so texting is obviously going to be even worse because you are effectively driving blind for however long you look at your phone. In fact, every second you spend texting, you double your chances of being in a crash, so why take the chance? If you are ever driving a car and are about to send a text message or use your phone, think about how important it really is. Is it really worth risking your life to tell someone â€Å"lunch was nice† or â€Å"I’ll be home soon†? Is it worth leaving a child fatherless and asking questions like â€Å"Mum, who will look after me if you go to heaven like dad?† as was the case for 5 year-old Harry Stortz after his Dad Jason was killed by an under-age, unlicensed texting driver? Harry will never get to see his Dad again just so someone could make arrangements to pick a girl up and go to his mate’s house. This is just one horrible example of the vast number of deaths caused by texting while driving. We are all disgusted by drink driving, and for good reason, and using a mobile while driving has been proven in many studies to be just as bad, if not worse. Despite this, around 40% of drivers between 18-24 routinely admit to sending or reading texts while driving. This shows that there is an urgent need for greater fines and punishments for drivers who use their mobiles while driving. Texting while driving is one of the most common causes of accidents on roads. This is because texting while driving results in physical, visual and cognitive distraction. It greatly increases the amount of time a driver spends not looking at the road. It is a very serious distraction that can cost you your life or the lives of other people. According to recent research by Queensland’s RACQ, using a mobile phone in general can relay reaction time as much as having a blood alcohol content of 0.08% which is well over the legal limit of 0.05% in Australia. It reduces your reaction time by 35%, even when using hands-free, so texting is obviously going to be even worse because you are effectively driving blind for however long you look at your phone. In fact, every second you spend texting, you double your chances of being in a crash, so why take the chance? If you are ever driving a car and are about to send a text message or use your phone, think about how important it really is. Is it really worth risking your life to tell someone â€Å"lunch was nice† or â€Å"I’ll be home soon†? Is it worth leaving a child fatherless and asking questions like â€Å"Mum, who  will look after me if you go to heaven like dad?† as was the case for 5 year-old Harry Stortz after his Dad Jason was killed by an under-age, unlicensed texting driver? Harry will never get to see his Dad again just so someone could make arrangements to pick a girl up and go to his mate’s house. This is just one horrible example of the vast number of deaths caused by texting while driving. We are all disgusted by drink driving, and for good reason, and using a mobile while driving has been proven in many studies to be just as bad, if not worse. Despite this, around 40% of drivers between 18-24 routinely admit to sending or reading texts while driving. This shows that there is an urgent need for greater fines and punishments for drivers who use their mobiles while driving.

Social and Feminist Influences of Austen and Shakespeare

Social and Feminist Influences of Austen and Shakespeare By Khalil Jetha Introduction Feminist thought is a movement truly indicative of a dynamic society. When manifested in literature, it signifies the breaking of old traditions, and the manner in which feminism is presented reflects the attitude of the writer and society to the aforementioned changes. In the case of William Shakespeare (1564-1616), presenting empowered females was of marked significance as the Elizabethan era marked the strongest female monarchy England had ever seen. However, upon closer inspection it can be inferred that Shakespeare had an innate disregard for female authority, reflected by examining the characters Desdemona (from â€Å"Othello†), Kate (from â€Å"The Taming of the Shrew†), and Rosalind (from â€Å"As You Like It†). The prevailing approach in Shakespeare’s time was one of trepidation for the â€Å"wild† woman, or a female who did not conform to social expectations. The so-called â€Å"feminist† characters merely served to lend form and di mension to male characters and patriarchal themes. In contrast, later authors such as Jane Austen (1775-1817) used empowered characters such as Elizabeth Bennet (from Pride and Prejudice), Elinor Dashwood (from Sense and Sensibility), and Catherine Morland (from Northanger Abbey) to present feasible realities within the context of the society in which Austen lived. Working her characters into the framework of her era, Austen used women not as a means but as her end. Unlike Shakespeare’s characters, whose wiles and individuality served as gimmicks to promote patriarchy, Austen’s characters showed women who existed independently of male-dominated societies. Through careful dissection and comparison of texts, Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello†, â€Å"The Taming of the Shrew† (TOS), and â€Å"As You Like It† (AYLI), exemplify females whose independence and unorthodox qualities are eventually extinguished by overbearing male figures. Desdemona, Kate, and Rosalind are all radically different characters encompassing various aspects of the female psyche. Desdemona represents a rebellious daughter and sexually insatiable wife whose wiles cannot be controlled by men, a characteristic which drives her husband insane. Kate, â€Å"the shrew†, is the empowered woman who succumbs to the power of society, forgoing her independence to become a wife, in the process experiencing a â€Å"miraculous† metamorphosis instigated by her husband’s subjugation. Rosalind is unique among the three, an omniscient whose altruist nature cedes dominance to her alter ego, Ganymede. A more accurate description of the term â€Å"feminist† applies to Austen, whose characters do not serve to alter or develop male characters. While successfully writing novels whose plots and characters fit in 18th century England, Austen manages to show a different side of women, a side that is adversely affected by the character weaknesses of men. Her novels Northanger Abbey (NA), Pride and Prejudice (PP), and Sense and Sensibility (SS) present females whose pensive minds help them maneuver through the tumultuous and impractical societies in which they find themselves living. NA’s Catherine Morland, PP’s Elizabeth Bennet, and SS’ Elinor Dashwood are subtly different; however, the three female characters share their firm morals and unwavering integrity in common. Catherine Morland finds herself growing up in a world of first glances and vagaries, the sharp-witted Elizabeth Bennet spites the English bourgeois for their pride, finding that she herself has p rejudice to overcome. SS’ Elinor Dashwood finds that throughout her life she cannot rely solely on men though society wills her to do so; all three women overcome tribulation to grow into worldly individuals, unlike Shakespeare’s who either compromise their personality or lives in the course of their respective texts. Shakespeare’s Characters and Works Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† is notable among Shakespeare’s tragedies because it presents a unique setting and character establishment. The namesake and protagonist, a Moor (a Muslim of African descent), transcends racial and religious boundaries to enter and lead the elite of Venice. The relationships between Othello and other Venetians communicates Shakespeare’s disdain for society, manifested in the villain Iago. From a feminist standpoint, however, the most prevalent victim of tragic circumstance is not the Moor of Venice, but rather the woman he marries. Desdemona is the classic martyr for feminist ideals, encumbered both as a woman struggling to pursue a life with the one she loves of another race and as a woman living in a man’s world, struggling to defend her marital fidelity and personal integrity. As a feminist martyr, she is â€Å"helplessly passive,† can â€Å"do nothing,† unable to â€Å"retaliate even in speech† be cause â€Å"her nature is infinitely sweet and her love absolute† (Bloom 1987, p. 80). When Othello accuses her of compromising her fidelity, she is insulted and maintains her integrity by refusing to even answer such allegations. Viewed by the reader, this action is one of pride and confidence. However, when she counters Othello, slightly mocking his insecurities by inquiring â€Å"[what he] could ask [her], that [she] should deny/Or stand so mammering on,† he perceives it as her attempts at masking her own desires to seek sexual satisfaction outside the bonds of matrimony (Act III, Scene iii, lines 69-71). Desdemona is constantly struggling with her environment. On the one hand, she fits into society as a married young woman. On the other, she presents a threat to the stability of patriarchal society. By marrying outside her race and religion, Desdemona defies custom by posing the scandal of miscegenated offspring. Confronted by her father, Desdemona vehemently rejects his concerns and contentions, favoring Othello despite the fact that she perceives â€Å"a divided duty†; Desdemona rationally argues in favor of Othello, professing that she should show Othello the same preference her â€Å"mother show’d/To [Brabantio]† (Act I, Scene iii, lines 178-188). In her argument that presupposes her assertiveness, Desdemona reveals social boundaries a woman faces: first she is bound by allegiance to her father, then she grows to devote her life to her husband. From a gender issues standpoint, her identity as a sexually charged, erratic newlywed earns her little more than violent encounters with Othello and her eventual murder. Her charged sexual nature â€Å"catalyze Othello’s sexual anxieties† through not fault of her own, as Iago manipulates Othello’s marital instability to begin with (Bloom 1987, p. 81). Ultimately, it is Othello’s indecision, his inability to â€Å"voice his suspicions directly† that further fuel his insanity and manipulation at Iago’s hands; Desdemona pays the ultimate price for her loyalties, both in marriage and to herself (Bloom 1987, p. 88). Throughout the play, Desdemona, like the other female characters of the play, never requires validation or reassurance of her value as a person. Othello represents the need for public respect, a reason why Iago’s suggestions of Desdemona’s infidelity drives him insane. Desdemona is further degraded as Othello gives Iago m ore credit than he does his own wife. In all his deceptions, â€Å"Iago’s feigned love gives him power which Desdemona’s genuine love cannot counteract†; Shakespeare shows his audience that female character is surpassed in importance even by spurious male camaraderie (Bloom 1987, p. 91). A victim of male circumstance, Desdemona is tragically caught between the Iago’s insecurities as a soldier surpassed by an outsider and Othello’s insecurities as an outsider seeking social acceptance. Othello’s marriage to Desdemona objectifies her; Iago spites Othello for marrying Desdemona as it completes what Iago perceives as Fate’s transgression against his station in life. Othello, in turn, is never sated, as his marriage to Desdemona should have consolidated his â€Å"power† as a man; instead, he resents Desdemona’s confidence and the power that even a suggestion of her infidelity asserts over him. The feminist criticism of the in stitution of love revolves around love’s existence as a means of control; when Othello’s male autonomy is compromised and he begins to speculate on his nature as secondary to his wife’s sexual power, he goes insane, ironically smothering her to death using the same sheets used during the night of their marriage’s consummation. Desdemona’s erstwhile functional marriage serves as the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back, as Othello â€Å"finds the scorn due the cuckold almost as difficult to bear as the loss of Desdemona† (Bloom 1987, p. 90). Shakespeare’s presentation of Desdemona as a pawn in Iago’s manipulation can be presented as his disdain with society’s misogyny. However, Desdemona’s portrayal as the helpless victim serves to further discredit female strength. While the tragic death of Othello surpasses Desdemona’s in literary importance, Desdemona becomes more tragic a character than her estranged husband. She has done nothing to earn the contempt of her husband, whose murderous intent and eventual suicide serve as the only means of self-validation. She has become an object in Othello’s â€Å"self-sacrifice†, nothing more than another factor in Shakespearean tragedy. In his portrayal of Desdemona, Shakespeare may have been able to present a feminist case for the station of women in society and their abuses at the hands of men. But Othello is not made the villain: Iago is the person portrayed as destroying a life, not in Desdemona’s passing but in Othello’s fall from grace. Desdemona, though a possible case for the argument of feminist characters in Elizabethan theatre, is ultimately too passive to be a feasible feminist. Had she asserted herself and called Othello’s insecurity, her husband’ s pride may have been compromised, but it would serve as a means for him to identify the primary culprits at hand. That Desdemona confronted her father and not her own husband plays the feminist argument into doubt; marriage, not self-sufficiency, was Desdemona’s final goal. She sought neither to validate herself nor her sense of self-worth, but rather chose a life of devotion to the Moor she loved. In essence, she presented herself as a victim from the very beginning. Unlike other Shakespeare plays, TOS can be taken both in its historical context and simultaneously be applied to the modern social constrictions women face. In its historical context, the play presents a comical obstacle standing between a man and the object of his affection. In a more contemporary setting, however, TOS is a story of one man’s conquest over a woman’s social and emotional independence and the domestication of a free spirit. The aforementioned setting makes sport out of breaking Kate’s will and reveals a theoretical rebuttal of radical feminism. As TOS unfolds, the audience sees Kate as a social pariah, unfit for society as she spurns the institution of marriage and the idea of love. An independent, sharp-tongued woman, she is demonized by the local male population who sees her as a barricade preventing courtship of the demure, younger, more favorable Bianca. It is not completely dismissible a notion that Shakespeare wrote TOS with the intent of exposing the farce of certain types of marriage. Shakespeare may have juxtaposed the stubborn, resilient, and often violent Kate with the desirable Bianca to show the duplicity of social marriages. In his article entitled â€Å"The Taming of the Shrew Mocks the World Mercantile Marriage†, Gareth Lloyd Evans describes the world of TOS as â€Å"mercantile to the end,† showing how â€Å"even at the conclusion of its biggest transaction (the marriage of Bianca), the gambling element remains† (Marvel 2000, p. 69). In the end, Kate becomes docile to the will of Petruch io, leaving Bianca flabbergasted at her sister’s change of heart. Kate’s radical change from self-avowed hater of all things love and marriage hence becomes the locus of the question of her nature as a feminist character: was Shakespeare’s portrayal of Kate as a virulent misanthrope a comic device or a social message? If Shakespeare intended to use Kate in the same manner with which he employed the character of Desdemona in Othello (that is, as a means to the plot’s end), then TOS takes on an entirely new direction. Using Kate as a comic device makes female independence the object of scorn and ridicule, and Shakespeare’s tone toward feminist issues would be dismissive and, condescension not withstanding, misogynist. As the object of a social statement, Kate would become a testament to the futilities of female cynicism and rejection of society. Examining Kate’s transition lends credibility to the said stance. If Shakespeare was a feminist writer, creating Kate’s character with the purpose of communicating a message to society at large, the â€Å"shrew† being tamed would be Petruchio. Instead, â€Å"Petruchio’s taming of Kate† is an act of instilling humility in â€Å"a spoiled, egotistical, well-fed, rich girl† and forcing her to accept â€Å"a will other than her own† (Marvel 2000, p. 147). The feminist standpoint would rather be one of prevailing contempt for Petruchio, a self-avowed social climber whose desire to marry Kate stems from expansion of his family’s wealth. Like Desdemona, Kate’s independence and strength as a female character are stifled by marriage; unlike Desdemona, Kate’s marriage to the ruffian Petruchio is one with ulterior motive. Kate’s wedding is â€Å"a travesty and a sacrilege,† marred by Petruchio’s intoxicat ion and unruly garb (Marvel 2000, p. 152). Almost indicative of Petruchio’s goal of â€Å"taming the shrew,† he further suppresses Kate by kissing her at the â€Å"‘will’ of ‘I will not’† (Marvel 2000, p. 152). Ironically, the kiss represents more than the overbearing will of an intoxicated groom. The significance of pacifying Kate’s ill will with a kiss is utterly symbolic of her contentions toward TOS’ opening. Standing at the altar, her final cry is one against a life of pacification and subjugation under the supremacy of a husband. The actual â€Å"taming† does not begin until after marriage, a further explanation of Kate’s disdain. What is more intriguing about Kate’s â€Å"taming† is the means in which she is subdued. Following her outrage at the spectacle of the wedding, Petruchio denies Kate food, insisting that it is for her own good. Later, he denies her access to the ornate clothing provided by the tailor. Before leaving for their return to Padua, Kate implores her husband that they make haste, as they are late. Petruchio sputters that he will not go, and that she is reading the time incorrectly; Petruchio condescendingly states that whenever they leave it will be at â€Å"what o’clock [he says] it is† (Act IV, Scene iii, line 189). The means denied Kate in her â€Å"taming† are food, clothing, and free will. Kate begins to rely on her husband for survival, warmth, and freedom of motion. Essentially, Petruchio becomes not only her husband but also her guardian, leaving Kate with the independence of a small child. It is almost as if he is brainwashing her, torturing her b y keeping her hungry, clothed in what way he sees fit, restricting her motion and even forcing her sense of time under the fetters of his will. Shakespeare’s only message here is not simply the futility of female emancipation, but the repercussions of atypical female action. Kate is portrayed as earning her fate through her belligerence and the days she spent terrorizing society with her outbursts and sporadic violence. The more a woman strays from the path society sets out for her, the harsher the â€Å"punishment† in an inescapable future marriage. The only negating aspect to the misogyny of Shakespearean assertion is Kate’s nature. Though stubborn, Kate is â€Å"intelligent, too†; in her apparent surrender to her husband’s mad will, Kate realizes â€Å"she can take the wind completely out of his sails, deprive his weapon of its power, even turn it against him—tame him in his own humor† (Marvel 2000, p. 52). By entertaining his strange whims, Kate can turn the tides against Petruchio, calling his bluff, so to speak. After all, Petruchio’s madness is forced, as he is trying to irk his wife and break her composure. As the entertaining, submitting wife, Kate also tames Petruchio; she conceivably leaves him no reason to be as erratic as the wife whose will he set out to break. In this sense, Kate is Petruchio’s equal, and in their social obscurity, they are made acceptable through the bonds of marriage. On the surface, Rosalind is socially acceptable, like most of Shakespeare’s characters. She is almost altruistic, exuding transcendent knowledge about life and love. She chastises Silvius for his devotion to Phoebe, yet swoons for Orlando and does not grow embittered at the prospect of love in the manner TOS’ Kate does. As one of the more engaging characters of the play, Rosalind, like â€Å"Othello’s† Desdemona, goes against her uncle’s wishes in the pursuit of her love, in this case manifested by Orlando. Unlike Desdemona, however, Rosalind is more congenial, coaxing her uncle by imploring his forgiveness. Rosalind testifies to Duke Frederick that if she offended him in her affections for Orlando, it was â€Å"[never] so much as in a thought unborn† (Act I, Scene iii, lines 49-50). As a lady and a daughter, Rosalind is the ideal woman to show society. She is polite, reserved, and wise beyond her years. Her personality, however, shifts to a point unparalleled by other Shakespearean characters. Rosalind’s power as a possible feminist character is best exemplified in her interactions while cross-dressed as Ganymede (â€Å"Ganymed†). After she assumes the identity of the male Ganymede, Rosalind’s character unfolds as one who is both enticing and mysterious, alluring to the romantic, erotic, and homoerotic aspects of theatre. She begins to take a more aggressive stance in her interaction with Orlando, preventing him from kissing her despite her desire, insisting that he should â€Å"speak first† (Act IV, Scene i, lines 69-74). As mentioned previously, men were exclusive actors as women were not permitted entry into the world of Elizabethan theatre. Homoeroticism was naturally an unavoidable subtext to any Shakespearean play. The choice of the Greek mythological figure of Ganymede is indicative of Shakespearean homoeroticism. In Greek myth, Ganymede was a shepherd boy with whom Zeus (Jove) fell in love. Rosalind on an Elizabethan stage would therefore be a male actor cross-dressed as a woman, who in the play cross-dresses as a homosexual man beguiling and perhaps slightly manipulating the unsuspecting Orlando. When taken into this context, â€Å"As You Like It† reveals new depth and content. Michael Shapiro delves into cross-gender devices in his book Gender in Play on the Shakespearean Stage: Boy Heroines Female Pages. Rosalind adopts â€Å"three separate and distinct layers of identity—Rosalind, [Ganymede], and ‘Rosalind’† (Shapiro 1994, p. 119). The sole purpose behind her schizophrenic metamorphosis is her love for Orlando, a man she has barely met. The first Rosalind is the vibrant character attracted to Orlando. Ganymede serves as a mentor to Orlando, a giver of advice; in her assumption of Ganymede’s identity, Rosalind alters her own nature as a woman living in a patriarchy as she takes the role of a mentor, giving â€Å"man-to-man advice to Orlando on the behavior of wives† (Shapiro 1994, p. 124). This ascension to egalitarian status with Orlando is reflective of the first feminist objective: to attain total social equality with men. The third Rosalind is the one who acts according to the advice she gives Orlando as Ganymede, and incidentally is the most intriguing of the three identities. As Ganymede, Rosalind has a control over Orlando’s emotions and thoughts. She can influence him whichever way she so pleases by suggesting, as a man, how Orlando ought to behave or react to women as wives. As the third Rosalind, she can indirectly affect Orlando by either corroborating through her actions any advice she gave as Ganymede, or further discredit Ganymede by acting opposite. Rosalind ultimately has the choice of how she wants Orlando to accept her. Rosalind can covet Orlando’s trust and affections as a man, and in doing so mold him to her liking so that she may later win him over as a woman. Ganymede’s presence as a trusted friend of Orlando is significant as it is perhaps the only way Rosalind can enjoy equality. This aspect of her cross-dressing is wholly non-feminist in its nature. From a rad ical feminist standpoint, there should be no gender labels, in which case Rosalind has failed to identify herself as such as she is forced to become a man. From a liberal feminist standpoint, gender labels can exist and differences should be respected. In the liberal feminist mindset, Rosalind has failed to gain equality as she is only given credibility as a man; the nature of the advice Orlando seeks regarding the nature of women as wives can only be trusted as coming from a man. Equally plausible is that Rosalind is forced to act the way she does to get what she wants. Rosalind may have taken the initiative to achieve her goals no matter the cost of identity. Furthermore, her male identity had the potential to liberate her female identities; as Ganymede, Rosalind had the power to dictate to Orlando the manner in which women should be approached. Shakespeare had the opportunity to relay a message through his cross-dressing female hero, but failed to endeavor to such communication. Though working within the limits of his society, Shakespeare did not address issues through Rosalind’s characters in the manner Austen does with her female protagonists. While heavy-handed techniques are not necessary, Shakespeare only flirted with the notion of empowered females as it augmented the situational comedy in AYLI. Shakespeare’s characters cannot be accurately described as feminists, even with respect to the social norms they challenge in his works. The Webster Dictionary defines feminism as â€Å"the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.† Though her marriage to Othello was one of controversy, it was one that tested the boundaries of race and religion-relations. Miscegenation, not misogyny, was addressed in their relationship. Desdemona was perpetually a victim whose life rested solely in the hands of her insane husband. For Desdemona to be a feminist or even have feminist characteristics, she would have picked up a sword and joined Othello in the military. The Venice in which she lived only economically endowed her with a dowry, which would then be paid upon marriage. From a social standpoint, Desdemona may have been able to petition her fellow Venetians for help when she suspected Othello’s violent tendencies. However, she chose to leave her destiny in the hands of her husband, no matter the outcome. Kate, though constantly haranguing the general public for the institution of love, does not take her stance for feminist reasons. The traditional feminist attack on the institution of marriage focuses on marriage as forcing certain roles on women (motherhood and subjugation under a husband in particular). There is no indication that Kate took any of these stances; more plausible is that she is embittered by the fact that society forces marriage and not why it is forced. Rosalind is perhaps the strongest character of the three in question. That she is assertive has little to do with her identity as a feminist character. While there is little doubt that she is a hero and one of the foci of AYLI, and still less speculation on the strength of her character, she still does not actively seek political or economic equality. There is no mention of her stance on women in society. The most feminist aspect of Rosalind is her ability to transcend gender. In cross-dressing, she reflects new treatment by Orlando. Though not more positive or negative than her treatment when Orlando acknowledged Rosalind as a woman, as Ganymede, Rosalind shows that Orlando approaches her with similar respect. Rosalind’s sexual empowerment does deify her to a certain degree; it is as if she has the power to evoke feelings in men that would erstwhile not exist. With the exception of TOS’ Kate, Shakespearean females are usually composed individuals who contribute to the development of a plot or male character. However, all three Shakespearean characters can be described as heroes to a degree. Carol Pearson defines a hero in her book The Female Hero in American and British Literature as one who â€Å"departs from convention and thereby either implicitly or explicitly challenges the myths that define the status quo† (Pearson 1981, p. 16). Desdemona, though sexually more forward than other Shakespearean women, is at home in her surroundings. She is a born Venetian of high stature, and though she keeps her relationship with Othello secret, she has no conflicting interests in Venice. Her marriage to an outsider challenges the â€Å"myth† of requisite same-race marriage. Othello, on the other hand, is a man of different race and religion, struggling to make a name for himself in a new land. He is not nearly as self-assured as Desdemona, his physical differences weighing on his conscience and costing him peace of mind. Where Desdemona has made peace to accept her own death (she requests the wedding sheets be placed on the bed), Othello is never composed to the measure Desdemona exudes. In short, Desdemona acts as foil to Othello in every way; their union is one that naturally causes friction, without which Iago would never be able to manipulate the situation. Kate and Petruchio are very unique among Shakespearean couples; though Petruchio is hardly a hero by the Shakespearean norm of gallantry, he is the man who â€Å"tames the shrew.† However unorthodox a hero, Petruchio is the perfect match for Kate in his gruffness, his unkempt demeanor, and his social shortcomings. The two have only their resilient personalities in common; Kate is more polished and presentable than her wily husband, but the two both have a natural contempt for life that can only be quelled by their marriage. Their relationship is one of servant and master, the power balance shifting constantly. Though Kate detested the pandering of her past suitors, her attraction for Petruchio budded because he was precisely the opposite of what society (and her father) wanted for her. To keep her interest piqued, Petruchio naturally appealed to Kate and had to maintain a certain air about himself. Following their marriage, Kate became subservient, accepting Petruchio’s odd tendencies and orders to pacify him (he never would have expected a docile Kate, and receiving one shifted manipulation back into Kate’s hands). Though their personalities are strong, society’s favor puts the advantage in to Petruchio’s hands as in addition to a wife he also gained financial means. Kate is merely a means to an end for Petruchio, whereas Petruchio is the only means for Kate to attain what society expects of her. Rosalind and Orlando are another anomaly, though in the end, Rosalind exists more for Orlando than vice versa. Cross-dressing aside, Rosalind’s sweet temperament and witty rapport make her the ideal mate. Orlando, with the exception of his privileged birth and notable wrestling skills, is rather normal in every respect. Rosalind exists only to marry Orlando, and while her transsexual tendencies are a force with which to be reckoned, her antics merely delay what an inevitable relationship and existence. Her previously mentioned teasing was a perfect metaphor for a life whose direction she could not control. Shakespeare as a Feminist Whether in tragedies or comedies, Shakespeare’s female characters vary greatly in their nature and the social mold they fit. Given the Elizabethan era in which Shakespeare lived, most of his more wily and energetic female characters went against the grain of society. However, most all of Shakespeare’s more powerful female characters occurred in comedies, begging the question of whether or not they could be taken seriously as characters that could exist outside the realms of stage narrative. That these strong female characters exist only in comedies does not question any aspect of society. In keeping with his comedies’ humorous undertones, Shakespeare may very well have made his female characters strong because their existence would be laughable. After all, Elizabethan stage actors were all male; women were never allowed in theatre. Furthermore, the tendencies of comedic so-called â€Å"feminist† characters are to either succumb to society’s restrain ts, or to be smothered by overpowering male dominance. The women of Shakespeare’s plays are usually the ones who change, often when they become married. Katherina, for example, succumbs to marriage, settling for Petruchio, a drunkard whose ostentatious personality and strong sense of deviance outweighs her own rejections of conformity and domestication. Her resilience goes unrewarded, and she once again becomes a subservient figure in the archetypal patriarchy of the time. A large reason behind female suppression in Shakespearean plays was also public acceptance. No patron, male or female, would return to Shakespeare’s productions if the prevailing themes were the emancipation of women. Female assertion was a taboo, a reason why it was so popular in comedies. The greatest aspect of comedies is the aversion of tragedy; negative happenstances that reach fruition are tragedies, and the same happenstances that are avoided are comedies. As the defining characteristic of a c omedy, the resolution of a problem is mirrored in the pacification of said comedy’s female rogues. The strength of women in Shakespeare’s plays, therefore, is a literary tool used to build up the glory and triumph of men and the patriarchies in which they exist. What cannot be dismissed, however, is the context in which Shakespeare wrote the plays. Speculation of his historical surroundings denote Shakespeare’s tendency to pander to leadership, in this case, England’s greatest female monarch, Elizabeth I. Though society was largely patriarchal, the monarchy led by queen who did not marry. It is not completely unlikely that Shakespeare pandered to the female monarch, emulating her reluctance to wed in his â€Å"The Taming of the Shrew.† Queen Elizabeth, after all, did not marry, nor would she fit into society’s mold of the typical woman. Shakespeare’s characters were daring for the time, as they also broke the mold of Elizabethan women. Unlike Queen Elizabeth, however, the strong female characters of Shakespeare’s plays were exemplified by their ability to manipulate, control, and overpower men. In many ways, the strength of women served as a means to make women antagonists. For example, Desdemonaâ₠¬â„¢s power existed to drive Othello mad with her unchecked sexuality. She exhibited a power over men, one that would not be contained or controlled by men. Though Iago manipulated the characters of â€Å"Othello†, it was extreme jealousy that drove the play’s namesake mad, causing him to kill himself and the woman he could not control. The message conveyed in Othello could be construed to be a foreboding one to women in society and the men that dominated them: losing control of women and compromising male dominance leads to tragic consequences. Shakespeare’s Rosalind was unique, different from Desdemona and Katherina in her omniscience and enlightened state. Though the complexity of her emotions and thoughts is unrivaled in â€Å"As You Like It,† she takes on a darker side, one of manipulation and social subversion. Though laudable, her social deviance still leaves the play wanting for a male counterpart to complement her. She cannot criticize the respective stations of men and women for too long without succumbing to love’s fetters herself. It is as though Shakespeare is communicating the futility of female nonconformity. Shakespeare’s penultimate message in comedic female characters is one of concession. Though women are welcome to mock and society and live outside its bounds, they all must eventually â€Å"grow† into wives and docile domesticates

Reducing Drug Trafficking in The United States Essay -- Illicit Drugs

The drug problem in the U.S. and around the world is an important issue and seems to be a difficult problem to tackle across the board. The inflow of drugs has become one of the largest growths in transnational crime operations; illicit drug use in the United States makes it very difficult for nation states police and customs forces to get a handle on the issues. War on drugs, drug trafficking has long been an issue for the United States. There has been a proclamation of â€Å"war on drugs† for the past 44 years. Drug trafficking and drug abuse has long been a frustrating feature of United States and other country around the world. The United Nations Office of Drug Control and Crime Prevention points out that the fight against drug trafficking and drug abuse has met with some successes in recent years to restrain the trade that affect community as a whole (World Drug Report, 2010). The U.S. need to increase security at the borders and that will help eliminate the drugs brought into the country. I believe when you put a plan in place that is well develop it will help eliminate the number of illegal immigrants that traveling back and forth into the United States who want to drug trafficking in our country. We need better security checks at the border that will help eliminate the drugs that brought into our country. In 1972, Mexican President Luis Echeverrà ­a met with President Nixon and, along with several government agencies, developed The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). There has been much effort to fight the war on drugs such as: increase in law enforcement, allowing federal officials to access military intelligence, and training and much more including campaigns. A recent national drug survey, released last October, shows... ...roQuest Newsstand. (Document Palmer, S. A. , 2006-11-01 "The Incidence of Illicit Drug Use in Canada 1977-2004" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology (ASC), Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA Online . 2009-05-24 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p125275_index.html Ruby, M. (1993, December 12). Should drugs be legalized? . U.S. News & World Report., http://www.usnews.com/usnews/opinion/articles/931220/archive_016323.htm Lorraine Mazerolle, David Soole, Sacha Rombouts Drug Law Enforcement: A Review of the Evaluation Literature Police Quarterly, June 2007; vol. 10, 2: pp. 115-153. http://online.sagepub.com/ World Drug Report, 2010, published by the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, New York, 2010, p. 2. http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/WDR-2010.html

the trounle with sweatshops :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The controversial issue of sweatshops is one often over looked by The United States. In the Social Issues Encyclopedia, entry # 167, Matt Zwolinski tackles the issues of sweatshops. In this article Matt raises a question I have not been able to get out of my head since I have begun researching this topic, â€Å" are companies who contract with sweatshops doing anything wrong?† this article goes on to argue that the people who work in the sweatshops willingly choose to work there, despite the poor environment. Many people in third world countries depend on the sweatshops to earn what they can to have any hopes of surviving. If the sweatshops were to shut down many people would lose their jobs, and therefore have no source of income. This may lead people to steal and prostitution as well. this article is suggesting that sweatshops will better the economy by giving people a better job than what they may have had. Due to this the companies contracting with swe atshops are not acting wrong in any way. This was a deductive article it had a lot of good examples to show how sweatshops are beneficial to third world countries. Radly Balko seemed to have the same view point as Matt Zwolinski. Many people believe the richer countries should not support the sweatshops Balko believes if people stopped buying products made in sweatshops the companies will have to shut down and relocate, firing all of the present workers. Rasing the fact that again the worker will have no source of income, the workers need the sweatshop to survive. Balko also uses the argument that the workers willingly work in the current environments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of the arguments against sweatshops raised by Americans is the they take jobs away from the American people. In the job force it is becoming harder to find an open position any where. Instead of keeping the factories here the companies are shipped over seas, causing millions of job opportunities for Americans to be lost. Some arguments raised by the United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) are the poor working conditions, low wages, long hours, and children in the factories. The damp, dark, and cold environment can depress the workers even more than they may be, causing rates in suicide to increase. Low wages is another concern USAS have. The workers barley get enough money to survive.

Chemalite, Inc (B)

Problem Set #2: Chemalite Case 1. Record the effects of Chemalite’s 1991 events on the BSE worksheet Cash Flow type (O, I, F) Event Cash A/R 375,000 F P1 (7,500) I P2 P3 (62,500) I (75,000) O P4 230,000 Inventory Patent Cap. Exp. PPE 125,000 7,500 62,500 125,000 7,500 62,500 Notes Pay Paid in Capital RE 500,000 RE Explanation 75,000 75,000 – 500,000 – Balance Sheet O O O O O O I F – T1 T2 T3 T4 T5. 1 T5. 2 T6 T7. 1 T7. 2 O1 O2 O3 O4 O5 Total 23,750) 685,000 69,500 (175,000) (22,500) (350,000) (80,000) (150,000) 50,000 (50,750) (23,750) R&D Expense 754,500 Revenue 175,000 (22,500) Adv. Expense 350,000 (80,000) Admin Expenses 150,000 50,000 (50,000) F (545,000) (25,000) (10,625) O (750) (545,000) (25,000) (10,625) 500,000 Interest Expense Inv. Adjustment Amort. Expense Depr. Expense 113,000 69,500 55,000 100,000 7,500 201,875 – 46,875 Balance Sheet 15. 515 Fall 2003 Session 1 Problem Set #2: Chemalite Case 3. Balance Sheet (6/31/91): Assets Cash Accounts Receivable Inventories Total Current Assets Property, Plant, & Equipment Other (Capitalized Start-up Expenses) Patent Total Assets Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Common Stock Retained earnings Total Liabilities and SE 230,000 75,000 305,000 62,500 7,500 125,000 500,000 500,000 500,000 15. 515 Fall 2003 Session 1 Problem Set #2: Chemalite Case 3. Income Statement (For 6 months June 30, 1991): Revenue Costs and Expenses Advertising Administration Manufacturing costs Raw materials R Interest Depreciation Amortization of patent – Net Income – 15. 515 Fall 2003 Session 1 Problem Set #2: Chemalite Case 3. Direct Statement of Cash Flows (6 months ended June 30, 1991): Cash provided (used) by operating activities Received from customers Paid for inventory Paid for advertising Paid for manufacturing costs Paid for administration Paid for interest Paid for R expenses Cash provided (used) by investing activities Start-up expenses Purchase of PP (75,000) (75,000) (7,500) (62,500) (70,000) Cash provided (used) by financing activities Cash from stock issuance 75,000 375,000 Increase (decrease) in cash balance Beginning cash balance Ending cash balance 230,000 230,000 15. 515 Fall 2003 Session 1 Problem Set #2: Chemalite Case 3. Balance Sheet (December 31, 1991): Assets Cash Accounts Receivable Inventories Total Current Assets Property, Plant, & Equipment Other (Capitalized Start-up Expenses) Patent Total Assets Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Common Stock Retained earnings Total Liabilities and SE 113,000 69,500 55,000 237,500 201,875 7,500 100,000 546,875 00,000 46,875 546,875 15. 515 Fall 2003 Session 1 Problem Set #2: Chemalite Case 3. Income Statement (Six months ended December 31, 1991): Revenue Costs and Expenses Advertising Administration Manufacturing costs Raw materials R&D Interest Depreciation Amortization of patent 754,500 22,500 80,000 350,000 195,000 23,750 750 10,625 25,000 707,625 Net Income 46,875 15. 515 Fall 20 03 Session 1 Problem Set #2: Chemalite Case 3. Direct Statement of Cash Flows (For 6 months ended Dec. 1, 1991): Cash provided (used) by operating activities Received from customers Paid for inventory Paid for advertising Paid for manufacturing costs Paid for administration Paid for interest Paid for R&D expenses Cash provided (used) by investing activities Start-up expenses Purchase of PP&E 685,000 (175,000) (22,500) (350,000) (80,000) (750) (23,750) 33,000 (150,000) (150,000) Cash provided (used) by financing activities Cash from stock issuance – Increase (decrease) in cash balance Beginning cash balance Ending cash balance (117,000) 230,000 113,000 15. 515 Fall 2003 Session 1

Classical Conditioning and Pros and Cons of Punishment Essay

Classical conditioning is a form of behavioral learning and was first introduced when Ivan Pavlov came upon a study when he was studying the psychology of digestion in dogs. He noticed that the dogs would not just begin salivating when the meat powder was introduced, but also when the person responsible for feeding would enter the room or heard there footsteps. Classical conditioning is when two stimuli are presented in close succession repeatedly, until the response given to one becomes associated with the other. An example of this was when Pavlov introduced the bell right before he brought the dogs food that is unconditioned stimulus, it would cause an automatic reaction or unconditioned response. The bell would be the conditioned stimulus or neutral stimulus. When paired together, the unconditional stimulus and the conditional stimulus would cause conditioned response. There are many ways to apply classical conditioning to everyday life. Here I will show you how it can be used in teaching your dog to sit. When my son was small he wanted a dog and I would always watch him play with his dog call Casper. I would watch my son try to put Casper in the front of his 2 seat car and try to strap him down but Casper will always try to bit him. I had too but a muzzle over Casper’s mouth so he wouldn’t bit my son. Then my son will ride around the compound and pretended Casper was his best friend or sometimes his baby brother. After checking myself, I realize I was punishing and innocent dog was brutal and violent action which was not really necessary. I decided to teach Casper some tricks so I bought a clicker to start Casper on his training course. The first trick we thought our dog was to sit. From then on, every time my son tell the dog to sit I would click the clicker twice. Soon as Casper sat I would give him a treat, a small piece of beef treat. We would practice this over and over until eventually all I had to do was make two click of the clicker and Casper would sit. Casper after a while would stare at me waiting on the treat. In this situation, the click of the clicker is the neutral stimulus which by itself meant nothing to the dog. However, when the neutral stimulus comes to be paired with something, the beef treat, it caused the dog to react and in this case to sit. The treat is the unconditioned stimulus and the reaction is unconditioned because no prior learning was required. However, when we  paired the click of the clicker with the beef treat it then triggers a reaction in the dog to sit. This now changes the neutral stimulus, the click, into a conditioned stimulus and since Casper now sits at the click it also changes the reaction into a conditioned response. After learning this my son used the same procedure only this time one click was used to teach the dog to come. Now my son doesn’t have to strap Casper in the seat anymore. My son just have to sit in his car and Casper will run after the car and jump into it at sit for himself. Conclusion it is through Pavlov’s discovery of classical conditioning that one can rationalize how a person acquires involuntary reactions to a particular stimu lus. Animals as well as humans can be taught to react to certain activities in a particular way. Just as my scenario of teaching my dog to sit with a clicker. As this paper proves by my own scenario of teaching my dog to sit that classical conditioning is still used today in our everyday lives. To teach a dog the meaning of the click, a treat is given immediately after clicking. Once the dog learns the positive effects of the clicking sound, the clicker itself acts as a conditioned reinforcement. Now Casper seem to run after my son without even hearing the click of the clicker but just a mare rolling on the wheels of his little car. As I have learned about the pros and cons of punishment in my own person training of my dog it don’t have to be always brutal when teaching but rather enhancing what a dog already know with operant condition. Sometimes if we use too much force it my turn a dog into and aggressive and dangerous animal or the dog might become more obedient to its master.

New Idea for an Old Brand Essay

As a way to freshen up the traditional brand and to gain more exposure, the granddaughter of the Margaux family wanted to begin mass marketing a new wine brand. The idea would be to use different grapes in order to be more accessible to the younger generation. The target price range would be â‚ ¬20-â‚ ¬25 per bottle (Dessain, 2011). There are a large number of young wine drinkers who cannot afford the high prices of the current Gran Vin brand and are therefore not being attracted to the Chateau de Margaux vineyards. If these consumers were introduced to an affordable brand of wine from the Margaux estate, then they may be more likely to recognize and trust the brand. That way, when they are looking for a more expensive wine, they will first go to their label of Grand Vin from the Chateau de Margaux collection. General Concerns: Some of the issues with this suggestion are: maintaining the exclusivity of the original brand, ensuring that consumers still feel motivated to pay the higher price point, and they will also now need a distributor, marketing team, and an ability to focus on more than one brand of wine. In this particular case, the Margaux business has a close-tie who is very familiar with the distributorship and marketing of wine, and therefore this is a solution to one of the issues; however there are several of the other issues that remain very pertinent concerns, as we will discuss later on.

First let’s define externality Essay

As an example of the above definition: Pollution from a factory can affect the health of nearby residents – negative The same factory can provide jobs to nearby residents – positive Negative externality is two part: production and consumption. I will be using both these externalities in my following discussion on pollution. Companies pollute on three different platforms: air, water and land. Air pollution is caused by: †¢Factories †¢Power plants †¢Vehicles †¢Solvents †¢Domestic/industrial chemicals †¢Military †¢Natural causes – volcano, wildfires (ref: aboutairpollution.co.za) Water pollution is caused by: †¢Urbanization oLand disturbed from construction oChemical pollution from mines, industries, etc oInadequate sewage and treatment †¢Deforestation †¢Damming of rivers †¢Destruction of wetlands (ref: www.randwater.co.za) Land pollution is caused by: †¢Domestic, nuclear wastes and industrial wastes, †¢deforestation †¢human sewage †¢mining and other factories †¢increased mechanization †¢ Sewage discharged into rivers instead of being treated properly †¢ Sanitary/hazardous landfill seepage †¢ Cemeteries †¢Scrap yards (waste oil and chemical drainage) (ref: www.wikianswers.com) You will note from the above that pollution is a hot topic and one of the most commonly used to define negative externality. The above causes of pollution serve as a grim reminder of the visible and mostly invisible effect on the consumers. And it certainly is not calculated into the economy. The costs and benefits of pollution can be calculated by economists but this will not reduce its impact, merely factor into the cost of production of goods. What will impact on the economy is the demand for pollution free living and the purchasing decision that will allow this. The following few examples come from my own ‘green’ list: †¢Diesel instead of petrol †¢Switching of unnecessary electricity sources †¢Organic foods within my budget †¢No smoking †¢Living in a ‘leafy’ suburb A lot of South Africans (and world) citizens are making conscious buying decisions to reduce the effects of global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer. The costs of living ‘green’ is higher than average and the economy will see the impact of this as consumers demand ‘cleaner’ living conditions. How can governments help reduce or eliminate negative externality? †¢Increase taxes on domestic pollutants such as cigarettes, solvents, etc †¢Pollution tax for industries †¢Pollution limits on emissions †¢Focus on residential and business zoning and the effect on the surrounding environment †¢New commercial/residential buildings must include ‘green’ technology and utilities †¢Providing separate bins for proper product recycling – domestic, commercial and industrial †¢The abolishment of ‘shanty towns’ for proper housing (source Ref: www.factsanddetails.com, www.statssa.gov.za, www.thinkquest.org, Economics: Global and South African Perspectives, Michael Parkin )

Categories of drivers Essay Example for Free

Categories of drivers Essay Since the start of road transportation, there have been drivers of the varied kind. The modes of transportation changed from horses or horse driven carts to cars but these set of drivers have always remained since then. Drivers of automobiles can be categorized into three categories teenage drivers, old drivers which mainly comprises of senior citizens and drunk or substance abusive drivers. The safety on the road of a person is basically depended on the kind of driving one does. A person’s skill to drive depends upon a certain set of factors due which he gets categorized. Teenage drivers who use automobiles are mostly adrenalin driven and have a habit of being impatient on roads. Teenagers with attitude problems can indulge in major road mishaps and can cause severe damage to themselves along with the innocent car drivers on the road. A teenager cultivates his driving skills by looking at his parents or guardians and later on the pressure of his per group plays a massive factor in driving. It has been estimated about sixty five percent of passengers have had fatal injuries due to the reckless driving of an immature teenager. The habit of risk taking or trying to create impressions on their peer groups more often than not result in deadly crashes. If apart from impulsive behavior, a teenager also does any kind of alcoholic or drug abuse, then the combination of impulsive behavior with substance abuse not only makes them dangerous on the road, but also they risk of having the worst kind of crashes possible on road. As we age our reflexes and our ability to make life saving maneuvers also go down. This is a problem with all the old aged drivers in the world. These old drivers in their experience have a perfect mentality to drive safe, but because of ageing lots of occurrences physically take place like loss of good vision, or their loss of their ability for quick response time. These drivers won’t commit mistakes on purpose and would have a thinking of driving at lower speeds with an intention of attaining maximum safety. How much ever these drivers have good intentions, any physical bustle can cause them to crash anytime which sometimes makes a risky commodity on the road. The worst kind of a driver however is a driver who abuses alcohol or any substance and then drives a set of wheels. These are the kind of drivers who irrespective of their age which can comprise from being a teenager to being a senior citizen have the ability to kill and get killed depending on the amount of alcohol or drug they have consumed. These drivers knowing that they are not in right condition risk everyone’s life around and are equivalent of a deadly weapon on the road, as it become highly unpredictable about when they would crash and cost someone their lives. The following evidence will show the risk taken by these drivers and the amount of crashes that can take place because of their carelessness: ‘Nearly half a million people are injured in alcohol-related crashes each year. More than 15,786 of them die. That’s one death every 33 minutes. In 2000 in Kansas, 2,469 people were injured in alcohol-related crashes. That’s more than six persons injured each day’ (Courtesy: Kansas Department of Transportation, â€Å"Types of drivers†. Retrieved on November 24, 2008 from http://www. ksdot. org/burTrafficSaf/sns/Presentation/types. asp) It can only be understood that a safe and a good driver should always maintain patience while driving, as a small move from any of the three categories discussed above can cause them their lives for no fault of their own. Reference: 1) Kansas Department of Transportation, â€Å"Types of drivers†. http://www. ksdot. org/burTrafficSaf/sns/Presentation/types. asp Categories of drivers. (2016, Sep 04).

Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Biology - Essay Example A large meteorite could weigh several tons and hit the ground at a speed of some 40,000 kilometers per hour. The impact of this could be much higher and worse than the power of 1000 Hiroshima bombs. A crater could be formed where it falls and the material in the crater can get heated and become slung in the atmosphere. The impact could be so heavy that this could in turn fall with a great force several miles away and explode as if a volcanic eruption has taken place. The shock waves can flatten trees and buildings if it falls on land and it could result in tsunami or floods if it falls on the sea. The dust created due to this impact could block the sun light for several years and this would lead to mass destruction. Plants could die due to lack of sunlight and animals due to lack of food. The diversity of life would be adversely affected with this impact. Agriculture would be badly hit as all major food crops, including corn, wheat, and soybeans, depend on the introduction of new strains. Medicines are made from substances derived from plants, animals, or microorganisms for instance penicillin for antibiotics comes from the pencillium fungi. The planet earth has a wealth of natural resources and the economy itself is dependent on these resources. Sunlight is vitally important because its absence could have a direct affect on food, clothing, and medicines. Trees and plants return oxygen to the air through photosynthesis; bacteria break down organic material, building, and fertilizing the soil. Thousands of natural products are used by the industry to give us everyday goods. The seaweed is used in plastics, polishes, paints, deodorants, detergents, dyes, fire-extinguishing foams, lubricants, meat preservatives, and chicken feed, to name a few. Certain species support the entire ecosystem. If these species were to disappear under the impact of the meteor, it could affect human life, the heredity, and its

Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Research - Essay Example With all of the important steps the research is designed and done accordingly to fetch the ultimate outcome. Introduction: Market forecasting is an important factor to be analyzed by the marketing team of the organization. For any decision the marketing research is very important. Starting from the customer satisfaction to the new product development and new branding strategies; the marketing research is important in all the aspects of marketing. This paper has different chapters dedicated to the thorough study of the marketing research. The importance of the marketing research in the decision making process, the different methodologies and data collection techniques are discussed thoroughly in this particular paper. The aim of this study is to understand the importance of the marketing research in the field of marketing decision making processes and forecasting. The Importance of the marketing research: The marketing research is the specific marketing function which is conducted to get the ultimate support for taking the marketing decisions (Wrenn, Stevens and Loudon, 2006). According to the American Marketing Association the marketing is defined as â€Å"the function which links the consumers, customer, and public to the marketer through information† (Wrenn, Stevens and Loudon, 2006). The marketing research is possible with the specified data, and it is done for some specific reason. It is a very expensive marketing affair. However, the best marketing research does not promise to produce the best marketing decision always. The marketing research specifies the important information to be needed to analyze the situation within and outside the organization. Without the marketing research no product development is possible. The proper marketing research tells the organization what are required to meet the expectations from the market. This is an essential function within the marketing department to simplify the future decision towards the development. Mark eting research is the ultimate option to understand the internal strength of the organizations and also the expected performance from the external environment. This is the quantitative analysis which would fetch the ultimate solutions to the specified problems. The mathematical and the statistical approaches help the marketing research to have the measurable characteristics. Role of marketing research in decision making: One of the main role of the marketing research is to simplify the decision making process in an efficient way. However, the complete marketing research plays two major role in the whole marketing system, and they are; 1. They are the part of the marketing intelligence feedback function, and 2. It provides the ultimate quantitative data to the decision makers to take decision accordingly towards future advancement. The segmentation research and the new product research are the most lucrative field in the marketing for the opportunist marketing managers (McDaniel and Gates, 1998). From customer satisfaction to the brand extension, every step is taken carefully with the suitable marketing research programs by most of the organizations. Satisfying customers is the main motive of most of the organizations in the recent business environment. And, to work according to

Answer sheet Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Answer sheet - Assignment Example 27). There is a large pool of unemployment in the market. A contributing factor is the low wages. Reich believes that with correct remuneration, better economy and society are not a farfetched idea. Labor is readily available in the market, but the poor wages discourage workers to apply for the job. People are even trading their jobs for a lesser paying job that matches their remuneration (Reich, pg.35). Stop bankers from creating risky huge bets with the money of other people. If they have to, then they should second the bet with a good proportion of their own capital. They should also be hindered from creating cash off their balances through trade derivatives. In addition, put a requirement they receive their remuneration in warrants, or stock that cannot be can be cashed in no less than 3 years. Place precautionary measures in place preventing a bank from being too big for a fail; Combining the casino with the basic utility made bankers richer and subjected us to risks we had not asked for. If separating investment from commercial banking is not adequate in keeping all banks in check. Anti-trust laws are used to break them up. Pluck out the three major interest conflicts: credit-rating agencies, institutional investors, and regional feds. The same companies having their issues rated should not pay the agencies. Those who use their ratings should be the ones paying them. Institutional investors, for example, a mutual and pension funds should not receive investment advice from the banks that gain from their investment. Presidents elected by regional bankers should head the regional feds. The major say should come from non-bankers, and the senate should have to confirm regional presidents (Reich, pg. 38). One lie states that the rich tax cuts tickle down all the way to everyone else, but taxing the rich highly leads to slow job growth and hurts the

Determination the structure of BPSL1549 Lab Report

Determination the structure of BPSL1549 - Lab Report Example Also, detecting and controlling the bacterium is difficult since it can survive outside host organisms (Buetow, et al., 2001). As connoted, the disease Melioidosis is caused by a protein found in the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei. The protein is dubbed BPSL1549. This protein makes the bacterial to be very lethal. The disease Melioidosis is manifest in two modes of pathogenesis. The acute phase that is characterized but high mortality rates and the latent phase (Buetow, et al., 2001). In the latent phase, there is self-secretion of the bacteria in the infected host and only affects the infected host in form of a disease when the individual immune system is compromised such as during other infections, during organ transplant and during old age. Latent phase has been found to have a long life span that can go up to fifty years (Wongtrakoongate, et al., 2007). There is no detailed documentation describing the pathogenesis of the bacteria. Despite this, the genome of then bacteria has been sequenced and as a result, large and small chromosomes have been identified. By sequence similarity, its genes have been found to be similar to various other organisms. The similarity has shown that the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei is closely related to the bacteria B., pseudomallei, which is not pathogenic. Therefore, in depth analysis of the genes has to be done to facilitate a comparative analysis of the genes of these two bacteria to found out the function of the genes. One of the gene that is analysed in this experiment is BPSL1549 (Cruz, et al., 2011). This experiment’s major objective is to determine the protein structure of the gene BPSL1549 using the protein crystallography method of Seleno – methionine multi - wavelength anomalous dispersion. The results will be compared against a database containing known structure of genes