Emile Durkheim Essay

Emile Durkheim was a French sociologist who is considered to be the founding father of sociology. His contributions were in sociology, Anthropology and religions studies. He published and lectured sociological studies in topics like education, crime, religion, suicide and division of labor. Durkheim was born in Pascoag province of Lorraine, formerly in Germany but presently in France, in 1859, April 15. His family line was of rabbi but he rebelled against this title while still a kid. Much of his work was to show that religions bases were from social issues and not a divine issue. Though he rebelled against his family rabbi tradition, his relationship to the family and the Jewish community was still intact. Most of his collaborators and students were drawn from the Jewish community and was even confirmed under the Jewish traditions at the age of thirteen. He followed the regular system in the secular school and at the same time studied Hebrew, Talmud and Old Testament. He at one time acquired some numinous skills in Catholicism from his female teacher who was a catholic herself. However, soon after, he developed some doubts in religion and withdrew his involvement in it. In the college d’Epinal, he was a precocious scholar and this earned him some prizes and honors. This motivated him towards his ambition and transferred to Lycee Louis-le-Grand, a French high school in Paris. Later in 1879, he joined Ecole Normale Superieure a training institution for French scholars. In the ground, he met some major scholars marking French intellectual life. These were; Henri Bergsona a vitalism philosopher, Jean Jaures a social leader, Rauh, Golot and Blondel all philophers and Peirre Janet a psychologist. His interest is a scientific view to society earned him some opposition towards Ecole Normale academic system. It contained no social science which was Durkheim interest. Instead, humanistic studies dominated the academic system. He rebelled against a course that privileged reading of Latin prose and Greek verse and felt recent scientific discoveries and philosophical doctrines should have been the privileged. He was for a solid and structured learning rather than elegant dabbling system which was even rewarded. In 1882 he finished 2nd last in his graduation class. Despite his rebel nature, he had some good friends like Jean Jaures – a socialist leader. He was known to be intelligent, dedicated, a good moral and scientific instructor. (Caser 143) After spending a year in Germany studying sociology, he returned to Bordeaux where a teacher’s training school had just been started. There, he taught social sciences and pedagogy. He was credited for introducing social sciences in the French curriculum. However, his argument that social science could easily explain morality and religion was criticized. Thereafter in 1890s, it became Durkheim’s period of his significant contribution. In 1893, he published his doctoral dissertation â€Å"The Division of labor in Society†, which was a study of how social order was maintained in differing societies. 1895 published â€Å"Rules of the sociological method† manifesting on sociology definition and how it is supposed to be done. One the same year, 1895, he founded Department of Sociology at the University of Bordeaux. In 1898 he published his increasing students and collaborators works in â€Å"LAnnes Sociologuque† a journal he had founded. In 1897, he published â€Å"Suicide† a study providing examples of what the sociological monograph might look. He used quantitative methods in criminology to explore the different crime rates among Protestants and Catholics. He found the strong social control among catholic reduced suicide rates. In 1902, Durkheim was the permanent chair of education and sociology. In the same year 1912, he published his major work â€Å"The elementary forms of Religious life† During the world war which was characterized by propaganda, Durkheim dropped his position on politics which was patriotic rather than internationalism. His former students had died in the war including his own son. This caused Durkheim mental blows. He had lost his son and his rational secular life had been affected by the war. In 1917, he suffered a stroke from emotional strains and exhaustion, recovered months later and resumed to work but later on the same year died. Emile Durkheim was laid to rest in Paris. (Emile Durkheim) His theories and ideas mainly focused social structural assertions of human social tribulations. He covered the social facts, division of labor, education, crime, punishment law and suicide. In social facts, Durkheim felt that the society is much more than what it meant. He incorporated issue like ethnic and religion background. His priority was not on what influences individuals behaviors or acts but in social facts. His argument about social facts is that its existence is more objective and greater than individual’s actions and who makes a society. He argued that only if people in a society were oriented to a common symbolic representation sets, to a common assumption about the environment, could moral unity prevail. Without them any society irrespective of its modernity or primitive nature would degenerate and decay. (Coser 144) In religion, his views are that it is a pervasive aspect in social structure. It is more human oriented aimed at uniting communities. He looks at it effect on an individual and the way they behave, how it can divide a community and its role in the society. Durkheim defines religion as a cultural system of commonly shared beliefs and rituals that provides a sense of ultimate meaning and purpose by creating an idea of reality based on super natural powers (Giddens 534) In division of labor, he argues that despite it aim for material and intellectual development in the society; it has a moral factor more important in that it enhances social unity among people. He argues that people have something in common. This is what binds them together along traditional lines for they are more or less the same. The highly complex division of labor in modern communities was influenced by ‘organic’ solidarity. Specialization and social roles tie individuals to one another. He argues law is a major symbol in the social unity. Punishments acts in it are meant to sustain the unity. Law is not meant to punish but restrain the existing unity. Durkheim called the breaking of social norms state of anomic. (Calhoun 47) He tried to argue suicide by comparing its rates among the Protestants and Catholics. There was less suicide cases in catholic than in protestant. According to him this was as a result of catholic strict norms. His work has influence control theory of sociology. His view on punishment is that it is important in the society setting. He argues social solidarity can only be maintained through punishment. To avoid law breakers who in turn threaten the social unity in a society, punishments act as a threat. However, he calls for a relevant punishment amount claiming it threatens immorality. On crime, he feels it is useful as it leads to reform. It is a response to a pressing social tension and therefore flushes out the pressing issue off the society. (Parsons 32) As a teacher, he had interest in education. He felt it is an important entity in the social structure as it strengthens social cohesion, maintains social roles and maintains division of labor. Emile Durkheim has over the years influenced sociology scholar. In most cases, they have based their studies in his arguments. In most education curriculum, his sociology initiative has been incorporated. His arguments in almost all the areas in social structure have influenced the modern society. Major education institutes offers courses on sociology all over the world. The study of criminology has based its findings in Emile’s ideas. His sociological theories and ideas have been used to explain the causes of crimes in a society. Policy and law makers have used Durkheim’s ideas in making the law. Courts too in their making of judgments they have based it on his ideas. For example cases of suicide and crimes. His findings have been very significant in trying to understand terrorism and terrorism acts. In the modern society, this has been a major threat to the international unity. Religion has been known to be the root cause of such terrorism acts. The 9/11 us terrorism act was by Islamic extremists. The social control in Islamic does not restrict this and therefore it may not look more of a crime to them. Religion has influenced the society greatly, from politics, rituals and practices. On the religion set social norms, members have behaved and acted according to them. Civil wars in most of the word nations are as a result of social norms conflict among different societies. Most of the crimes against humanities have been important in that it has influenced reforms as per Durkheim ideas. Many societies have learnt from past experiences and have significantly reformed to be stronger and united. However, some societies have released social tensions through criminal activities like wars and the end result have been improved unity. This justifies Durkheim’s idea on crime that it is important in reformation. The United Nation body is significant in the world’s unity. The social norms outlined in its organization have a great influence in controlling the world’s societies in their actions. Exploitation is now reduced and independence has prevailed. On the other hand, the larger community i. e. the world is now much more united. Division of labor which is an evident entity in the modern society is more than just sharing responsibilities and roles. It is very significant in social unity. The coming together of specialists from different background has enhanced interaction and understanding among a larger population. In the labor firms, acts that govern a company have been made by their respective policy makers and are significant in the social unity and in role sharing. Durkeim’s scientific views on the society, his contributions and influences are very visible in the modern society.Therefore, he deserves acknowledgment as the founding father of sociology. Work cited: Coser, . Emile Durkheim the Person: sociology at hewett 1977. Retrieved on Friday, October 17, 2008 from http://www. hewett. norfolk. sch. uk/curric/soc/durkheim/durkper. htm Emile Durkheim Site: Emile Durkheim biography: mosaic Retrieved on Friday, October 17, 2008 from http://www. emiledurkheim. net/ Giddens, A& Griffiths, S . Religion in the modern society: Polity, 2006. 138- 148 Parsons, T. et al . Theories of Society, New York: Free Press, 2006, 33-48 Calhoun, et al: Classical Sociological Theory . Blackwell Publishing, 2007. 45-66

Relationship with Parents as Presented in Foer’s Book Essay

A child’s relationship with his or her parents is a sensitive and moving concept as well as an interesting one to be presented in a contemporary book. This is especially if such idea is being discussed in a point of view of a nine-year-old main character. Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2005 book titled â€Å"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close† is an example of how a very young yet notably intelligent boy named Oskar Schell was able to effectively tell or portray his relationships with his parents, as well as his grandparents. The relationships between Oskar and his parents, as well as with that of his paternal grandparents, are compared with something which can only be imagined and invented. This is because with the extra-ordinary personality of Oskar, his character actually just played up on a lot of scenarios and possibilities that enabled him to establish his relationships with his immediate family and create a connection that only he was able to recognize. It was actually through the uniqueness of Oskar’s persona that allowed Foer to depict the implications of several serious issues such as the World War II firebombing of Dresden and 9/11 terrorist attack. In effect, Oskar’s relationships with his parents and paternal grandparents has proven Foer’s ability to effectively depict that war, terrorism, the future and love are concepts which are loud and close. However, it was likewise Oskar’s family links which determined that there are also things in the book or even realities of life that are seem to be silent and far away such as human relationship. The main character of the Foer’s novel is a nine-year-old boy named Oskar Schell. He is characterized in the books as a discoverer, jewelry designer, a young entomologist, protagonist, music enthusiast, good writer, archaeologist, artist, explorer, actor in a Hamlet production, sometimes a vegetarian, and collector of rare items, but definitely an unreliable narrator. Through these attributes, Oskar manifests the loudness and closeness of life realities such as war, coercion, and love. Eventually, he realizes how quiet and distant his relationship with his parents and grandparents is. Foer unveiled the story of Oskar with the death of Oskar’s father who was among the many Americans who died when the twin towers were attacked in the morning of September 11, 2001. This is the point where Oskar exerts efforts to trace the sense of his father’s death. Instead, however, his journey leads him to recognize and eventually accept what kind of relationship he has with his parents and paternal grandparents. Notwithstanding the efforts made by Oskar in order to establish his relationship with his parents and grandparents, he ends up understanding his sincere fondness towards his family as the mystery behind their relationships is uncovered, and ultimately searching for their love or affection (Foer, 2005). Foer’s utilization of magical realism, the book’s literary genre, as presented in a form of photographs in the book, exposed that Oskar was apparently too late in realizing how he long for the love or affection of his father who was taken away from him so early and made their relationship short-lived. Moreover, Oskar’s incomparable personality has also paved the way for an unassuming and clear presentation of how he relates with his mother whom he criticized for not mourning the death of her husband because of her new-found love. Foer, through the perspective of a nine-year-old boy, was also able to connect past event such as the Dresden bombing with Oskar’s longing of his grandparents whom he was not able to see; he was only able to get to know them through their letters which were written way before he was born. Such literary styles of Foer and ironic scenarios involving Oskar’s life provided the readers with a glimpse of how a father values his son. As portrayed in the three generations of the Schell family, Foer disclosed the long-desired but belated connection among the three men—a relationship that is coincidentally loud, yet silent and close, yet far away (Foer, 2005). Such contradicting metaphors are also evident with how the author presented the relationships between Oskar and the women in his life—his mother and grandmother. The child in Oskar was apparently obvious in times when he displayed some sort of jealousy with the new man in his mother’s life as well as bitterness with his grandmother’s absence. In particular, the book showed that Oskar endured the emotions of hatred and mental confusion apparently due to his mother’s new-found man. He expresses such feelings by hurting himself until he got bruises. This indication, however, only exposed more the kind of relationship that Oskar had with his mother and grandmother. It turned out to be a relationship similar to his father and grandfather; it was characterized with the boy’s intense desire of their affections and centered on his profound longing for their love. Foer emphasized how Oskar, despite his hardships, valued life and his relationships with his family as he echoed the boy’s feelings and said that â€Å"†¦ life made sense. Even the bad things made sense. They were necessary to make you possible. Alas. Your songs. My parents’ lives made sense† (Foer, 2005, p. 232). It was unfortunate to note, however, that the realization of an equally utmost relationship, which Oskar’s parents and grandparents actually wanted, was not achieved. Hence, the boy was left with his unique antics and loneliness (Foer, 2005). Meanwhile, the novel did not only result in giving praise to Foer. Rather, the story unlocks the mysteries in Oskar’s journey as well through which a clearer representation of the impacts of life realities is provided. The book suggests that there a lot of substances as there are emotions in this world. However, the realization and benefit of enjoying life instead of succumbing to absurdity is actually not impossible if only one would open his or her heart to the eventualities of love which will eventually challenge one’s worries and loss. The book makes Oskar as an adorable yet intriguing character because he exudes both naivete and sophistication and one can be truly affected by his fate. Although the novel discusses real issues like war and terrorism, it embraces other life’s dramas which are led by the portrayal of Oskar as a tough character trapped inside the body of a boy. Furthermore, it is worthy to note that amidst darkness in Oskar’s life, he was able to see light. This, in effect, can lead the readers to recover humanity which is human’s link with one another especially during times when human quality is apparently abandoned. In the end, Foer’s book shows the balance between wit and disaster, devastation and innovation, living and dying, and, most definitely, between showing the loudness and closeness of life realities.

Conceptions of crime Essay

Conceptions of crime are distorted by exposure to media coverage. Discuss. This cours from coursework. inf coga ga† . â€Å"r se† . ga . â€Å"ga† . â€Å"w or†. ga . † † . ga . â€Å"k inga foga † . ga . â€Å"! The media constitutes a major part of modern society and plays a large role in our lives. It is the prime source of information and entertainment, and moreover acts as a strong influence on public belief and opinion. The media is highly influential in coae ae† . â€Å"r se† . ae . â€Å"ae† . â€Å"w or†. ae . † † . ae . â€Å"k inae foae † . ae . â€Å". shaping our views upon the world in which we live. When it comes to crime, coae ae† .†r se† . ae . â€Å"ae† . â€Å"w or†. ae . † † . ae . â€Å"k inae foae † . ae . â€Å". however, do the reports shown by the media present an accurate picture of the true This cours from coursework. inf events? The more horrific the report, the more likely it is to capture the attention of the public, which obviously secures plenty of profit for media barons. Is our increasing reliance on an institution that relies on sensationalism to create profit unwise, as this could well mean that the facts they report lack truth? The media reinforces social myths by selective reporting, and thus presents a distorted view ofreality. This could be leading to an increasingly misconstrued public view of certain crimes. The media is a very powerful influence on the way in which we behave and how we view the world, therefore it is important that it shows a realistic picture of what is taking place in our society, otherwise we will gain a false perception of aspects such as crime. Is the media really portraying crime as it truly is, or is it selectively reporting the most colourful events in order to secure audiences and therefore profit? It is important to understand that there are many crimes that are completely ignored by the media, as they are not seen as ? newsworthy?. Usually only those that will capture public attention are mentioned. This means that the crimes that fill our screens and pages are usually violent or shocking in nature. From a functionalist perspective this can serve a positive function, as the deviant behaviour makes ordinary people feel safe in the knowledge that they are morally better than the criminal, and reporting of crimes and subsequent punishments can also serve as a deterrent to others and a good method of reinforcing the social order. However, there is also a certain degree of bias present in all reporting that stems from the integrated norms and moral background of the journalist involved. It is almost impossible to be completely objective when reporting, and most journalists will slant their stories to appeal to the widest possible audience. This is theorized in the hegemonic model, and works on the basis that the majority of journalists are likely to be white, male and middle-class and will therefore bring with them to their stories their own similar set of norms and values, be this unconsciously or otherwise. The editors will also carry out a selection process on the stories before they hit the public view; therefore it is highly unlikely that any crime report reaches the news in an unbiased state.? Journalists also tend to use a set of stereotypes, which serve to easily identify ? types? of people and reduce complexities of character to a series of ? bad guys? and ? good guys?. These can lead the public to make quick judgments, which may not be based on true fact.? The media? s presentation of stereotypical images can change the public opinion on certain groups in society, and may create a false picture of them that may be harmful. The groups most often portrayed as criminal are the less privileged and minority groups such as those from ethnic minorities. Because our lives are so deeply influenced by the media we begin to see the portrayal of these groups as a reality, and this may cause crimes committed by other groups or individuals (such as corporate crime in the middle class) to be overlooked or seen as less serious.? In addition, the police can make use of the media to help maintain social order by choosing what to tell reporters, as many news stories use police accounts as a major source for their information. A good example of the media distorting aspects of crime is shown with the reporting of women involved in criminal activity. The common media portrayal of women is more passive and much less inclined to commit crime, and when they do it is seen as less violent or shocking in nature, or as influenced by a stronger male personality, for example Myra Hindley was commonly said to have been under the influence of Ian Brady when the horrific Moors murders were committed. Media coverage usually concentrates on the most violent and shocking aspects of crime. This can often be far from the truth, and puts the public in fear when in reality there is a tiny chance of them falling victim. Listening to the news, it appears that the country is riddled with serial killers and rapists however official crime statistics would show that this is not the case. Reporting like this can lead to mass panic and fear across the country, and this aspect was investigated further by Stanley Cohen in his book ? Folk Devils and Moral Panics? where he studied the 1960s mods and rockers conflicts. The media? s handling of the fights between the rivals groups made it sound as if Brighton was full of riots and was a very dangerous place, when in reality this was a false picture of events. However, these stories grabbed the headlines, and as a result appealed to a large audience and gained lots of attention with the public. At the moment there is lots of media coverage about murders in Cornwall, and about the girl who was kidnapped and murdered on Dartmoor. The way these are reported makes people fearful that there is a serial killer on the loose, when in reality there is probably little chance of this happening to them and they should be more concerned with the more common but less ? colourful? crimes that threaten society, most of which would be much more obvious if the public were able to look at official crime statistics. This viewpoint fits in well with the idea of the media as a manipulative entity that is ideologically biased and therefore bases its selection of news on this fundamental bias. This manipulation theory is Marxist in origin and works on the idea that the public are passive and absorb the information that the media presents them with without question, and that the media consist of the ruling class who use media channels to perpetuate their views and opinions in society. Official statistics paint an interesting picture of the true nature of crime levels in society. It is a fact that crime rates have actually remained stable over the last year, after experiencing a period of decline. This challenges the constant media message that crime is everywhere and on the increase. When people were interviewed about crime rates many of them believed that crime was well on the increase, as result of a ? heightened degree of press coverage which particularly focused on a claimed rise in crime.? (Jon Simmons in the Home Office Report 2002).? It is a well-known fact that the media tend to emphasise aspects and types of crime that are violent or shocking, such as murder and rape, which affects the general population by creating huge worry about occurrences of violent crime when it is a statistical fact that one is over four times more likely to fall victim to burglary. Another form of media that can, and often does, present distorted representations of crime are television shows such as The Bill, Merseybeat or reality shows such as Crimewatch. For example Crimewatch focuses on catching criminals who have carried out violent crime and places little or no emphasis on occurrences of burglary or more ? normal? crimes, even though this type of crime is much more frequent. The Bill shows many incidents of violent crime, however also tends to show other less ? newsworthy? forms of crime such as theft which is a more realistic approach. coac ac† . â€Å"r se† . ac . â€Å"ac† . â€Å"w or†. ac . † † . ac .†k inac foac † . ac . â€Å". There are a number of media influence models that attempt to explain the extent and nature of media influence. The manipulation theory presented earlier is one of these theories; however there are others that attempt to explain the media? s effect on society in different ways. The pluralist model argues that the public are not passive receptors but active participants with the ability to choose and form their own opinions from the vast variety of information presented by the media, whether about crime or about other social issues. The media only serve to reinforce the existing values that people possess. Tversky and Kahneman suggest that the easier it is to recall or imagine an event, the more likely we are to see it as risky or as frequent in occurrence (Tversky and Kahneman cit. 1994: 303). Therefore if this is correct then constant media coverage of violent crimes could lead us to believe that such crimes are the ones most likely to affect us. Mass media reporting can also serve as a substitute for direct experience, however research into this supports the pluralist model by showing that people are usually active consumers and interpreters rather than passive recipients. The issue at hand seems to be the growing difference between the way the public perceive crime and the reality as shown by official statistics. For some reason, society has a far greater fear of murder and other violent crime than is justified by the actual number of occurrence, when in reality there is far greater likelihood of incidences of burglary or car crime. So where do these fears stem from? The answer appears to be that they come from the way in which the media report crimes and how they select the most newsworthy aspects so that more papers will get sold and so viewing figures will increase. In conclusion it is an unavoidable fact that our society is so immersed in the media that its influence is hard to get away from. To a large extent, media does form our social world, however it is also true that people are active interpreters of information, and are able to utilize their own opinions on events and stories shown by the media. We are only taking in what the media offer to us not the real truth about what is happening. It is very easy for our conceptions of crime to be distorted by the way that the media portray it, as the only information we are receiving on the events is that which comes from the media. However if people really are actively interpreting and thinking about the true nature of crime levels, while attempting to broaden their horizons of information, then they will be more aware of the reality of the situation and our conceptions will be far less influenced by media constructed images and opinions. Bibliography Maguire, M, R. Reiner and R. Morgan. 2002 The Oxford Handbook Of Criminology New York: Oxford University Press Haralambos, M. 2000? Themes and Perspectives in Sociology? 4th edition Cohen, S and Young, J. 1973? The Manufacture Of News: Deviance, Social Problems and the Mass Media, London: Constable and Co Ltd.

Concert Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concert Report - Essay Example My accompanying friend, Chris, gets a wristband verifying that he is older than 21. Near the stage where Athletes helpers are setting up the stage with all of their instruments and power chords, a group of police officers nearby are regulating many college students to make sure they have their IDs for alcoholic beverages and to prevent any theft of sales merchandise at the concert. After we pass the security guards, we head up the ramps to our section of seats. As we are walking, I notice many different people that are present at this concert. Most people look like they are between their teen years and their late twenties. Walking along the hallway, the population seems like there are only few groups of people, but as I enter into the stadium for the first time, there seems to be hundreds upon hundreds of people. I look around the entire arena in awe as we climb the stairs to our seats. Suddenly, the lights turn off, spotlights flash, and a loud applause arises from Athletes fans right near the stage. A wall of sound comes closer and closer, thundering up towards the front. Some band mates come out from backstage, and the whole crowd stands up, yelling, screaming, and hollering. All of the cheers seem almost deafening. I start screaming at the top of my lungs, jumping up and down, with a huge smile on my face. Although the main concert is geared towards Athlete, another alternative music group that is attempting to make it big in the music industry starts the night off with a few punk rock songs. Although their style and energy is strong, they did get a few boos from the audience because they sounded and looked like outsiders compared to the famous Athlete band. Athletes band members emphasize that their lyrics reflect openness and honesty about themselves and real life experiences. Along with the lyrics, they say their songs are about enjoying

Research paper on biography of FLORES A FORBES Essay

Research paper on biography of FLORES A FORBES - Essay Example Trying to determine that language and that character ahead of time is a hazardous venture. No one in 1959 foresaw the turmoil of the 60s, especially the rebellion of the young. Assassinations can rob a nation of its leaders, unexpected wars can desiccate the vitality of a race, and the unaccountable gift of leadership can create hope where despair existed. Many of the major trends, visible and subterranean, that will shape mans life in the future are present today. "Ask not what your country can do for you," said John F. Kennedy in his inaugural speech as President. "Ask what you can do for your country." The words uttered for the century. The classically balanced cadences, the summons to duty and patriotism sound incredibly nostalgic to ears grown used to a decade of shouts of raw passion, cacophonous protest and violence. The bright promise that began the 60s turned to confusion and near despair as the decade ended. President Kennedys version of U.S. manifest destiny seemed to be followed by what Psychiatrist Frederick Hacker calls "a rendezvous with manifest absurdity." The absurdity was evident in the contrasting trends of the decade. It was an era of phenomenal prosperity, and of the discovery of poverty, hunger and social injustice at home. Rebelling against the liberal timetable, the angry black and the harassed white, the G.I. in Viet Nam and the protester at home would scarcely recognize the decade as romantic. Knowingly, or unknowingly, the period has become overregulated, over systematized, over industrialized, spontaneity was lost; instead, there was uninhibited release of emotions. To a large extent, the essence of Forbes’ memoir can be summarized through a beautiful sonnet written by Claude McKay during the early period of the 20th century; well before the eventualities; detailed in the book, have occurred. The memoir, on a serious note is a look back at the turmoil of the 60s

Personal Ethics Statement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Ethics Statement - Assignment Example The paper "Personal Ethics Statement" examines Personal Ethics Statement. I believe that all patients must be treated with the highest standards of health care, and that they are entitled to the highest quality of medical services. I believe that all health care professionals must not, in any case, do harm to a patient, or do things that may be against their best interest. I believe that all health care professionals must respect the privacy of their patients, and that they must always be able to maintain confidentiality on all information regarding their patients. I believe that prevention is better than cure, and that all medical professionals must be able to focus on preventive medicine. I believe that all health care professionals must be able to contribute to the development of knowledge regarding their profession, and use it for the overall development of medicine and the provision of health care. One of the main references that I used in my personal ethics statement is The Mod ern Version of the Hippocratic Oath, as written by Louis Lasagna. As known by any health professionals, the Hippocratic Oath is one of the oldest medical documents in history, and is also one of the major ethical guides that are used by medical professionals (especially physicians) up to the present Personally, I still view the Hippocratic Oath as an important ethical guide for all medical professionals because it outlines one of the main purposes of medicine: to treat patients according to their best interests.

Universities and how they are funded PowerPoint Presentation

Universities and how they are funded - PowerPoint Presentation Example The same applies to several Master’s programmes for EU-EEA, Swiss and Finnish students. Erasmus Mundus programmes attract fees for non-EU students, but eligible to Erasmus Mundus Scholarship by application. In general European Union students have the same rights in another EU State. Thus, European Union citizens are involuntarily entitled to education in other European Union’s member states: therefore should not be paying more tuition fees and they must always be able to access a residence permit. Despite European Union financial crisis, its government has managed to present multi annual financial framework for 2014 to 2020 to its Education system that proposes to increase education and training funds by 70%. This is equivalent to 17 billion Euros to support cooperation between institutions, transnational learning mobility, implementation of education policies in the Member States and modernization of education. Alzheimer Europe, 2009, August 21, â€Å"The four main approaches,† Retrieved July 5, 2012, from Alzheimer Europe: http://www.alzheimer-europe.org/Research/Understanding-dementia-research/Types-of-research/The-four-main-approachesAtwater, M., Freeman, B., Butler, B. & Draper-Morris, J. (2010). A case study of science teacher candidates’ understandings and actions related to the culturally responsive teaching of ‘Other’ students. International Journal of Environmental & Science Education , 5 (3),

Real Estate Foreclosures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Real Estate Foreclosures - Essay Example Through foreclosure process, banks or creditors can reclaim the possessions of owner if he/she is unable to fulfill the contract of mortgage loan. As the financial crisis has occurred in the USA, the numbers of foreclosures have increased. Several banks such as Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, and Ally among others had announced foreclosures against the homeowners who failed to repay the loan amount. Real Estate Foreclosures and the Financial Crisis The unreasonable strategies of financial institutions in the USA had allowed many people to purchase houses which they could not manage to pay for. It was unwise for people to think that house prices will only increase and as a result people started to take loans and purchase property from them in the prediction that the cost will increase in future, which will make it easy for them to repay the amount. When the bubble burst, the house price began to decrease considerably and several home owners were trapped unexpectedly to pay for the l oan amount. As people understood that they will lose more money by selling their property compared to the loan amount, they foreclosed. The increasing rate of foreclosure had freaked several banks as well as hedge funds that had already converted the loan amounts to securities and comprehended large amount of losses (Edmonds, â€Å"What's The No. 1 Reason for Foreclosure?†). According to Mortgage Banker Association (MBA) above 900,000 households had foreclosed in the year 2008 which was 71% more compared to 2007. It was recoded as highest foreclosure rate over 36 years in the US economy. The main reason for foreclosure was the attitude of people of maintaining lifestyle beyond their affordability. The subprime loans frequently arrive with low preliminary interest rates and thus people with less affordability are the key receivers of it (Edmonds, â€Å"What's The No. 1 Reason for Foreclosure?†). Causes of Foreclosures The unconscious purchasers of loans are liable for f oreclosure crisis in the USA. In order to benefit from the large loan values, people had chosen several dishonest paths such as fabricating their income, and increasing the values of pledged properties. The lenders had also avoided taking necessary actions against such conducts and made this happen. Generally, people are not very aware about financial details with respect to planning their own revenues. They were simply attracted by the smartly influencing media and thus often fall for overwhelming mortgage culture. The leaders and politicians were more engaged with spending more amounts compared to tax revenue. The high expenditure had resulted in deficit of budget. In order to deal with the deficit, government had produced more currency which brought inflation and the value of Dollar fell significantly. As a result, the prices of essential goods increased and ordinary people became incapable to cope up with the higher inflation rate. The expense for mortgage amount increased due t o fluctuating interest rate and foreclosure was the end result of it. Several unethical decisions to deal with the deficit of budget such as borrowing money from overseas countries and spending excess money on war had degraded the economy of the USA (Vidmar, â€Å"Seven Ways Foreclosures Impact Communities†

Benchmarking Microarchitecture Using Software Research Paper

Benchmarking Microarchitecture Using Software - Research Paper Example 327). These are defined by many parameters such as the instructions set, the instruction encoding and the rules for using these instructions. Some of the rules are mnemonics addressing modes and functionality. The details at this level are invisible to the user. This is known as abstraction. The implementation of MIPS is borne on the platform of Reduced Instruction Set Computers (RISC). Validation and Verification Validation in system design is concerned with the confirmation that the goals set are the right ones. This is to enable the proper implementation of the project. Validation is usually done during several different stages of development. It is essential at each level because it ensures that the preceding level is valid before proceeding to the next one. Validation is achieved in different ways. In the micro architecture, use of test inputs and checking on the result is the most common way of validation and verifying the system. So, before the development of the I/O functions , an algorithm is used to test various features if the microsystem. The benchmark program checks for the validity of many features of the micro architecture and verifies some of the features (Patterson, p. 47). Some of these features of the microsystem are illustrated below. The benchmark program used generates a quadratic residue from the integer inputs used by the algorithm. This program checks for functionality of different features mostly in computation. This is because it is the most important feature of the design. The instruction that will be fed into the system will need to be computed consistently. This makes the feature the basis of the design. This computation results in the output of the residue problem used. The program can be altered by using different quadratic residue problems to check for consistency in the system. This is also good for checking the range of values that the program can accept as input and compute without crashing. This is vital because then the desi gners can tell whether the system can accept the range of inputs specified in the requirements. They can also check whether it will need reprogramming. During this kind of testing, sometimes, wrong inputs are put to check how the system will react to them. The system should be able to handle wrong inputs without devastating consequences that will lead to system failure. The users are likely to enter wrong inputs from time to time and their handling should be factored in the design. The use of an 8-bit feedback register shows that the system has functionality for feedback. Feedback is described as the process where the system uses the output generated from a process as input for the same or a similar process. This is common in scenarios where complex computations are performed. These computations require the output of a process to be used as input. If this value has not been generated correctly, the system is likely to encounter an error. This is another feature, which is checked by the system. The application of this feedback is handled using a register. There are several other methods used for feedback systems such as logic circuits, but they are all used interchangeably. The program also has an increment functionality. This functionality is used to increase the value in the counter. The counter has many uses in the system, but is mostly utilized in checking the number of times a program performs a certain function. The increment functions increase the value

Mans Impact on the Environment Essay Example for Free

Mans Impact on the Environment Essay Pollution is the presence or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects. It is created mostly by human actions, but can also be a result of natural disasters. Pollution has a detrimental effect on every living organism in the environment, making it increasingly unsustainable for living organisms in the environment. to sustain life. Pollution harms the Earth’s environment and its inhabitants in many ways. The three main types of pollution are: Land Pollution, Air Pollution and Water Pollution. Read more: Bad Effects of Various Festivals on the Environment Land Pollution Land pollution is the degradation of Earths land surfaces often caused by human activities (industrial, commercial, domestic and agricultural) and their misuse of land resources. Land pollution is caused by the following:- †¢Chemical and nuclear plants †¢Industrial factories †¢Oil refineries †¢Human sewage †¢Oil †¢Mining †¢Littering †¢Overcrowded landfills †¢Deforestation †¢Construction debris †¢Non – biodegradable waste †¢Insecticides and Herbicides Chemical and Nuclear Plants Chemical and nuclear power plants produce waste materials. Some end up in landfills and other less safe storage facilities. Some leak, causing contamination of soil for hundreds of years before it is safe to grow crops on them again. Non – Biodegradable Waste Examples of these include: Mercury and Led. Harmful substances accumulate on the land and in turn become detrimental to the health of organisms not only on land, but animals in the air and in water. Insecticides and Biodegradable Most commonly used in the Agriculture Industry. These artificial methods of ridding plants and animals of pests and insects accumulate in organisms through the food chain which sometimes causes a death in the top consumers which further results in a destruction of the food chains and mutations.

Multipurpose Legumes Classification Study

Multipurpose Legumes Classification Study Participatory evaluation of multipurpose legumes in integrated crop-livestock production systems in selected districts of Ethiopia and Kenya: Farmer’s preferences and decision making Chala Merera Erge (Assistant Professor) PhD Proposal Abstract In developing countries, the agricultural sector plays a central role in the economic and social life of the nation and is a cornerstone of the economy. Crop and livestock production is mainly influenced by low soil fertility and by low quality and quantity of feed resources, respectively. Multipurpose legumes are known to perform multiple functions like grain legumes provide food, feed and facilitate soil nutrient management; herbaceous and tree legumes can restore soil fertility and prevent land degradation while improving crop and livestock productivity on a more sustainable basis. Therefore, the adoption of such multipurpose legumes, which enhance agricultural productivity while conserving the natural resource base, might be instrumental for achieving income, food security and for reversing land degradation. The integration of legumes to cereal-based systems could provide services such as high quantity and quality fodder production, soil erosion prevention and soil fertility rest oration. In Ethiopia and Kenya, realizing the underexploited potential of multi-purpose legumes towards improved livelihoods and a better environment in crop-livestock systems has significant contribution to improve food and nutrition security, reduce poverty, and enhance the production environment of smallholder farmers and rural populations. Therefore, the objectives of this project are to develop a classification of legume types like food legumes, tree legumes, forage legumes, cover legumes through literature review, consultation with key informants and farm-level surveys; assess and identify contribution of each type of multipurpose legumes to farm family objectives (provision of food, forage, soil nitrogen, fuel and others) through farm-level surveys; understand farmer perceptions of legumes and their functions through focus group discussions (participatory rural appraisal/PRA tool) at community level and assess how different farmer typology demands alters the optimal choice of legume types through simple modelling approaches. INTRODUCTION Ethiopia has total human population of 96.5 million in 2014 (CSA, 2014). If Ethiopia follows its current rate of growth (3.02%), its population will double in the next 20 years and cross 300 million by 2050 (World Population Prospects: the 2012 Revision). The agricultural sector plays a central role in the economic and social life of the nation and is a cornerstone of the economy (Alemayehu, 2008) and it accounts for 48.76% to GDP (World Fact Book, 2015). The contribution of livestock to the total GDP is limited because of many factors. One the major factor is the scarcity of feed resources both in quantity and quality (Alemayehu Mengistu, 2008). In Ethiopia highlands, crop and livestock production is mainly influenced by low soil fertility and by low quality and quantity of feed resources, respectively (Kruseman et al. 2002; Tangka et al. 2002). Feed shortages both in quality and quantity can be attributed to factors. On the other hand, escalating prices, access and price uncertainty, and unavailability at the crucial moment limit the use of inorganic fertilizers in improving soil fertility (Lakew et al., 2000; Ahmed et al., 2003). In developing countries, the use of forage legumes integrated with food crops and livestock is often advocated to minimise external inputs as well as to improve the productivity and sustainability of crop-livestock production (Humphreys 1994; Peters and Lascano, 2003). Over the past two decades several forages have been tested in different ecological zones, and considerable efforts have been made to test the adaptability of different species of pasture and forage crops under varying agro-ecological conditions. As a result, quite a number of useful forages have been selected for different zones. Improved pasture and forages have been grown and used in government ranches, state farms, farmers’ demonstration plots and dairy and fattening areas. Forage. Production of forage seed by contracting smallholders has shown potential as a way of improving seed supply (Alemayehu Mengistu, 2002; 2006). Menale (2011) reported that declining soil fertility and increasing soil erosion continue to limit crop yields in the Ethiopian highlands while poor quality and quantity of feed limit livestock production. Adoption of forage legumes has been proposed as a strategy that can help alleviate these problems. However, despite their proposed potential in dealing with these challenges, adoption of forage legumes by smallholder farmers is still limited. The adoption rate for improved forage crops has been very low and less sustainable. The area occupied by improved forage crops is insignificant and little contribution to the annual feed budget (Alemayehu Mengistu, 2002). Multipurpose legumes are known to perform multiple functions like grain legumes provide food, feed and facilitate soil nutrient management; herbaceous and tree legumes can restore soil fertility and prevent land degradation while improving crop and livestock productivity on a more sustainable basis. Therefore, the adoption of such multipurpose legumes, which enhance agricultural productivity while conserving the natural resource base, might be instrumental for achieving income, food security and for reversing land degradation. The integration of legumes to cereal-based systems could provide services such as high quantity and quality fodder production, soil erosion prevention and soil fertility restoration. Enhanced availability of livestock feed can reduce degradation of grazing lands. The demand for forage and the opportunities for diffusion of forage technology might be high where livestock response to improved feed technology and profitability from livestock enterprise is high. Mu ltipurpose legumes research throughout the developing world have shown the benefits of different kinds of legumes (Khalili et al., 1994; Humphreys 1994; Omiti 1995; Umunna et al., 1995; Peters et al., 2001; Mpairwe et al., 2003). Cultivation of forage is not widely adopted and commercial feed production is not developed (Alemayehu Mengistu, 2006; 2008) If farmers have to adopt a technology, they must be able to clearly see the benefits. Sometimes beneficial technologies are not adopted because the benefits cannot be clearly demonstrated or are long term. The major benefits of forage legumes include higher DM yields (Alemayehu Mengistu, 2008; Shehu and Akinola 1995;Mwangi 1999), biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) (Thomas and Sumberg 1995;Mwangi 1999), improved soil fertility and better animal performance due to the improved N supply in the diet (Alemayehu Mengistu, 2002; 2006 and Kariuki et al., 1998a). In developing countries, despite these multiple benefits of legumes, the adoption of legumes especially for feed and soil management is very poor (Saka et al., 1994; Thomas and Sumberg, 1995; Zewdu et al., 2000; Ahmed et al., 2003). Despite these and many other attempts to introduce shrubby and herbaceous legumes on smallholder farms, adoption has been low (Paterson et al., 1996a). Several attempts have been made to introduce herbaceous legumes on smallholder farms in Central Kenya (Wandera, 1995). The key challenges in forage development are as follows: First, forage has a low adoption rate in Ethiopia (Duncan, 2009). Second, apart from forage innovation, limits in institutional structures have also hindered forage innovation (Hall et al., 2007). Third, there is scarcity in the quantity and quality of animal fodder (Tadesse, 1998 and Yeshitila, 2008). Lastly, the rise in fodder price and inefficacy in the feed market is another set of problems (Gebremedhin et al., 2009). There is very good opportunity to produce best adapted improved multipurpose legumes to improve the crop – livestock productivity in Ethiopia and Kenya. To address the problem of inadequate food, feed and soil fertility, the need for improved multipurpose legumes multiplication and distribution are paramount. In Ethiopia and Kenya, realizing the underexploited potential of multi-purpose legumes towards improved livelihoods and a better environment in crop-livestock systems has significant contribution to improve food and nutrition security, reduce poverty, and enhance the production environment of smallholder farmers and rural populations through facilitation of the smart integration and use of multi-purpose legumes, providing food, protein, feed, fuel, and/or organic matter in crop-livestock systems. It has also a vital purpose to provide knowledge and tools to farmers and development partners facilitating farmers to make rational decisions for enhancing short and long-term contributions of multi-purpose legumes to farmer livelihoods including aspects of legume production, input supply systems, and markets. The objectives of this project are: To develop a classification of legume types like food legumes, tree legumes, forage legumes, cover legumes through literature review, consultation with key informants and farm-level surveys. To assess and identify contribution of each type of multipurpose legumes to farm family objectives (provision of food, forage, soil nitrogen, fuel and others) through farm-level surveys in Kenya and Ethiopia To understand farmer perceptions of legumes and their functions through focus group discussions (participatory rural appraisal/PRA tool) at community level. To assess how different farmer typology demands alters the optimal choice of legume types through simple modelling approaches. Material and methods The participatory evaluation of the multipurpose legumes will be conducted in different agro-ecology of the crop-livestock production systems of the project sites of Ethiopia and Kenya. The project members of the farmers will be purposively identified and oriented about the objectives of the project. Multi-stage, purposive or random sampling methods will be utilized during data collection through surveys, individual interview, consultation with key informants and focus group discussions using participatory rural appraisal/PRA tool based on the type of the data to be collected. Multipurpose legume types like food legumes, tree legumes, forage legumes, cover legumes will be identified and classified through detail literature review, consultation with key informants and farm-level surveys by using semi structured questionnaire. The contribution of each type of multipurpose legumes to farm family objectives (provision of food, forage, soil nitrogen, fuel and others) will be assessed and identified through detail farm-level surveys in Kenya and Ethiopia. Farmer perceptions of legumes and their functions will be understood through focus group discussions (participatory rural appraisal/PRA tool) at community level. The way different farmer typology demands alters the optimal choice of legume types will be assessed through simple modelling approaches in Kenya and Ethiopia. Respective stakeholders, through farmers group visit, field days, study tours and workshops will be conducted during monitoring and evaluation of the project at different phases. Finally, all data will be analyzed by using the appropriate statistical latest version of SPSS or STATA. The results will be communicated to the beneficiaries through publications, reports, workshops, formal and informal meetings. Work Plan Estimated Budget break dawn References Ahmed M.A.M, S. Ehui, and Y. Assefa. 2003. â€Å"Dairy development in Ethiopia.† Paper presented at the In Went, IFPRI, NEPAD, CTA conference â€Å"Successes in African Agriculture†, Pretoria, South Africa, December 1-3. Alemayehu Mengistu. 2006. Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profiles ETHIOPIA, FAO Alemayehu Mengistu. 2008. Feed resource base of Ethiopia: Status, Limitations, and Opportunities for integrated Development. Pp 24-32. Alemayehu, M. 2001. Forage and Seed Production. MoA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Alemayehu, M. 2002. Forage Production in Ethiopia: A case study with implications for livestock production. Ethiopian Society of Animal Production (ESAP), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Humphreys, L.R. 1994. Tropical Forages: Their role in sustainable agriculture. Australia: The University of Queens land. Kariuki J.N., Boer H., Tamminga S., Gitau G.K., Gachuiri C.K. and Muia J.M. 1998a. Rumen degradation and intestinal digestion of protein in Napier grass and other Kenyan forages.Animal Feed Science and Technology(in press). Khalili, H., P. Varvikko, and S. Crosse. 1994. â€Å"The effects of forage type and level of Concentrate Supplementation on food intake, diet apparent digestibility and milk production of Crossbred Cows (Bos taurus Ãâ€" Bos indicus).† Animal Production 54: 183-189. Kruseman, G., R, G. Ruben, and G. Tesfay. 2002. Diversity and Development Domains in the Ethiopian Highlands. IFPRI-WUR project Policies for Sustainable Land Management in the Ethiopian Highlands. Working Paper 2002-04. Lakew D., M. Kassie, S. Benin, and J. Pender. 2000. Land degradation and strategies for Menale Kassie. 2011. Economic and Environmental Benefits of Forage Legume-Cereal Intercropping in the Mixed Farming System: A Case Study in West Gojam, Ethiopia. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: EDRI Mwangi D.M. 1999.Integration of herbaceous legumes into Napier grass fodder systems in Central Kenya: constraints and potential.PhD thesis, University of London, London, UK. Paterson R.T., Kiruiro E. and Arimi H.K. 1996a.The use of Calliandra calothyrsus for milk production.NARP (National Agro-forestry Research Project), Embu, Kenya. Peters, M., and E.C. Lascano. 2003. â€Å"Forage technology adoption: linking on-station research with participatory methods.† Tropical Grasslands 37: 197-203. Saka A.R., Haque I., Said A.N., Lupwayi N.Z. and El-Wakeel A. 1994.Forage legumes in crop–livestock systems of sub-Saharan Africa.Environmental Sciences Working Document 24. ILCA (International Livestock Centre for Africa), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 82 pp. Shehu Y. and Akinola J.O. 1995. The productivity of pure and mixed grass-legume pastures in the northern Guinea savanna zone of Nigeria.Tropical Grasslands29:115–121. Tangka F.K., R.D. Emerson, and M.A. Jabbar. 2002. Food security effects of intensified dairying—Evidence from the Ethiopian highlands. Socio-economic and Policy Research Working Paper 44. Nairobi, Kenya: International Livestock Research Institute. Thomas, D., and E.J. Sumberg. 1995. â€Å"A review of the evaluation and use of tropical forage legumes in Sub-Saharan Africa.† Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 54: 151-163. Umunna, N.N., P.O. Osuji, H. Khalili, I.V. Nsahlai, and S. Crosse. 1995. â€Å"Comparative Feeding Value of Forage from Two Cereal Legume-based Cropping Systems for Beef Production from Crossbred (Bos taurus Ãâ€" Bos indicus) Steers and Subsequent performance of Underfed and Realimented Steers.† Animal Science 61: 35-42. Wandera J.L. 1995.Pasture/Fodder Research Program. National Agricultural Research Centre, KARI (Kenya Agricultural Research Institute), Kitale, Kenya. World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency 2015: Ethiopia Economy 2015 Yeshitila Admassu. 2008. Assessment of livestock feed resources utilization in alaba woreda, southern Ethiopia, Haramaya University, m.sc. Thesis

Forces analyses of Sainsbury

Forces analyses of Sainsbury J Sainsbury plc is a leading UK food retailer with interests in financial services. It consists of Sainsburys Supermarkets, Sainsburys Local, Bells Stores, Jacksons Stores and JB Beaumont, Sainsburys Online and Sainsburys Bank. The decision to diversify into convenience stores is discussed further within a Porters 5 forces analysis. Their objective is to serve customers well and thereby provide shareholders with good, sustainable financial returns. They aim to ensure all colleagues have opportunities to develop their abilities and are rewarded for their contribution to the success of the business. The companys policy is to work with all of our suppliers fairly, recognising the mutual benefit of satisfying customers needs; a concept which is considered in the Porters 5 forces analysis. They also aim to fulfill responsibilities to the communities and environments in which they operate (Sainsburys, 2008) a point which is discussed within a PESTEL analysis. Sainsburys serves 16 million customers each week in 455 supermarkets and 301 convenience stores across the country. The company employs 148,000 colleagues committed to delivering Great Food at Fair Prices. Yet more examples that can be included as a strengths in a SWOT analysis. Sainsburys sells  £6bn of British food every year, an obvious strength in a SWOT analysis. The company works closely with smaller-scale suppliers to expand local sourcing wherever possible, and has a network of over 3,500 local suppliers. In May 2006, Sainsburys launched Supply Something New, an innovative scheme to make it easier for small and medium-sized suppliers to gain access to Sainsburys and make locally produced food available to more customers (Annual Report 2007). This could be argued to be an important element in a PESTEL analysis. PESTEL analysis PESTEL analysis Political Factors Increasing globalization, presents a challenge as well as an opportunity to Sainsburys. The challenge will be to compete against unknown forces and to source the best quality/financially viable products from world over. Sainsburys can enter the markets of emerging companies through joint ventures or partnerships to explore these new markets, although it does not have any plans on the horizon to do so. The ongoing investigation of price fixing amongst the big four retailers within the UK can have some negative impact to the industry in general and Sainsburys in particular, as it is at the forefront of this allegation(Rigby 2008). Although Sainsburys is very well established among consumers, these allegations can lead to a negative public image as the consumers might feel cheated. In the UK, the Government is to decrease the rate of corporation tax from 30% to 28%, which will save big companies like Sainsburys significant sums of money (HM Treasury 2008). PESTEL analysis Economic factors The rapidly increasing global food crisis has increased food prices all over the world, which will result in rising purchasing costs for Sainsburys (economist.com 2008 [online]). This will have an impact on the margins of the organisation and might lead to passing over the cost to consumers by increasing prices of most things in the supermarket. Furthermore, rising fuel costs will have implications right throughout the supply chain of Sainsburys leading to an overall situation of increasing prices. The credit crunch can have a two way impact on Sainsburys as it also runs a financial services company with HBOS (Annual Report 2007). The credit crunch might decrease the purchasing power of consumers and though they will still buy the essentials they may be more cautious. They may also spend less on luxury items, something that has a greater profit margin for Sainsburys. As far the Sainsbury bank is concerned, the credit crunch directly affects its ability to provide credit especially as it is not an established name in the financial services industry. Stiff competition within every segment of the retail sector has lead to retailers giving a lot of incentives to the consumers (Annual Report 2007). This will affect Sainsburys as the prices have to be driven down most of the time. PESTEL analysis Social factors Nowadays there seems to be more emphasis on fresh, easy style cooking. This serves an opportunity for Sainsburys to encourage new recipes and unfussy eating. There has been a huge emphasis by the government to promote healthy eating (eatwell.gov.uk 2008 [online]), primarily due to the increasing level of obesity within the UK (department of health 2008 [online]). This has lead to many consumers to shift towards healthier food. This presents an opportunity to Sainsburys to stock up with more healthy food or create healthier foods at a cheaper price than other manufacturers so as to benefit from this new trend. PESTEL analysis Technological The Internet phenomenon seems to be ever growing within western countries. It is predicted that by 2011 online retail sales in Europe will have reached Eur263bn, with British shoppers accounting for more than a third of all revenue. The Internet accounts for 8% of global advertising spend and is growing rapidly (The Economist, 2007). If used cleverly, Sainsburys can leverage the internet to its advantage. Competitors like Tesco use their own online delivery model successfully. However, specialist delivery companies like Ocado (working in partnership with Waitrose) provide an alternative for the outsourcing of non-core work. One of the downsides of supermarket shopping is the queuing system customers often find themselves in at the checkout. Self checkout machines, employed by Asda and Tesco, can help solve this problem, especially for customers who have to queue up for very few items. Furthermore, self checkout machines could help in Sainsburys opening stores for 24 hours which might help boost sales. Although not yet popular, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) technology can be used for significant benefits to the supply chain of Sainsburys. If adopted, this technology will lead to less inventory for the supermarket firms leading to a leaner, more profitable organisation (directions magazine 2008 [online]). PESTEL analysis Environmental factors A lot of emphasis western companies has been on the role of big companies in reducing carbon footprint and increasing energy efficiency (Bream 2008). This is just not a backburner issue anymore and every firm will have to prove they are reducing their impact on the environment, meaning Sainsburys will have to invest more on green issues. Other important ethical issues, like sale of organic food and the ethical treatment of animals, clearly effect Sainsburys on various levels. The growing importance of such issues means that they will have to cater to those consumers as well as to consumers governed by price. This is a sensitive issue as they will have to balance their public stand on environment without losing consumers due to the increase in prices. PESTEL analysis Legal factors With ever stringent laws on food and drinks, Sainsburys will have to follow more and more packaging and labeling policies to deal with these, which will be an additional financial burden on the company. Due to its interests in financial services, there is ever more legal scrutiny in the operations of Sainsbury bank which means there is more responsibility regarding legal compliance and other risk measures. Porters 5 forces analysis Porters 5 forces analysis Competitive rivalry The retail market is extremely competitive with a very crowded market. Now, more and more companies are trying to get into non food sectors (Rigby and Killgren 2008) further intensifying the competition. Sainsburys has a market share of 14.9% in 2007, steadily increasing since its restructuring programme that started in 2004 (Annual Report 2007). This is a positive trend but it lags well behind the runaway market leader Tesco, showing that there is considerable distance to cover. Tesco, Asda, and Morrisons are the other three big supermarket chains in the UK retail sector. All of them have a different competitive advantage over their competitors. Sainsburys reach in the convenience stores makes it have a larger customer reach. Banks and building societies compete with Sainsbury bank but it is not a core business for Sainsburys. Porters 5 forces analysis Barriers for entry Barriers to entry are extremely high in the food retail market due to a number of factors. Firstly, organised retail is amongst the most sophisticated sectors within the UK and needs a lot of investment, along with significant brand development, which takes years to establish (Doyle 2002). Secondly, retail is also at an advanced stage within the UK and most of the western world, which means there is little scope for new entrants to establish themselves. Local knowledge is extremely crucial within the food retail sector, something that is difficult for foreign firms to replicate. This is corroborated by the presence of few global supermarkets within UK. Porters 5 forces analysis Threats of Substitutes The threat of substitutes in the food retail industry is a low one simply because consumers view it as a necessity, especially in the developed world and increasingly in the emerging markets. The retail market is always trying to converge and assimilate new innovations with respect to food products or alternative businesses, to make shopping an extremely pleasurable experience. This makes them extremely difficult to substitute The only major threat of substitute is an internal industry threat whereby one supermarket can lap up the business of other supermarkets. Porters 5 forces analysis Buyer power Buyer power is high in this industry simply due to the presence of so many competitors selling the same products. It is only differentiated in price and consumer loyalty and increasingly on green credentials. Moreover, the switching costs are low for consumers. As the economy goes further towards recession (ODoherty 2008) consumers needs are likely to be given more weight, increasing their power considerably. Porters 5 forces analysis Supplier power Supplier power is usually more complicated as it is difficult to categorise it. It is safe to call it a mutually dependent relationship as suppliers are in itself huge companies, like PG, Unilever, Cadbury etc. with huge brand appeal. It can be argued that if supermarkets do not sell their products consumers will shift loyalties, making suppliers very powerful. However, if the products of big companies do not reach supermarkets, their sales volumes will be affected hugely. The relationship might change depending on the situation of the big branded supplier, for example, when sales of Cadburys dairy milk increased through the successful Gorilla ad campaign (Wiggins and Urry 2007). Supplier power of smaller suppliers will not be considerable because of their sales volumes on dependence on these supermarkets. SWOT analysis SWOT Strengths Sainsburys has had thirteen straight quarters of growth showing real turnaround in its business (Rigby and Braithwaite 2008). Even for 2007 it has shown an increase of 7% in turnover and a huge 450% increase in profit after tax (Annual Report 2007). It has an extremely experienced leadership team with Justin King, its Chief Executive receiving great praise for his work in Sainsburys (timesonline.co.uk 2008 [online]). Sainsburys seems to be very well placed on green and environmental issues due to its various recent initiatives, like buying fair-trade bananas (economist.com 2008 [online]). Furthermore its help in closing down gangmaster (Taylor 2008) has had a positive effect on the public in general. It has a positive consumer brand and its liked by both green activists and consumers. It is one supermarket chain that has a clear celebrity endorsing products, leading to increased sales. With Jamie Oliver, it has been simple for Sainsburys to see uplifts in sales of specific ingredients that have been featured in ad campaigns. Apparently the supermarket had to order nine tons the equivalent of two years supply of nutmeg to meet demand when it appeared in one of Olivers hundred-plus ads (Dickinson 2008). SWOT Weakness The takeover bid by the Qataris Private equity firm last year (Arnold and Politi 2008) can have some implications as people are gravitating towards British companies and the prospect of Sainsburys being governed by a foreign firm can lead to consumers switching loyalties. Unlike Tescos expansion plan (economist.com [online] 2008), Sainsburys is not present in markets other than the UK. This can lead to trouble especially if there is some problem within food retailing in the UK or if there needs to be a source of extra growth. SWOT Opportunities Sainsburys alternative business presents a great opportunity for future growth. Its investments in property (Killgren 2008b) and a goal of  £40 million profit through its bank seem like a good strategy to pursue Online sales are a great opportunity as well, since online margins are higher and investments are not huge. SWOT Threats There needs to be continuous heavy investment in environmental and green issues without immediate benefits. The problem lies in maintaining a balance e.g. Bio-fuel is an important tool to curb global emissions and its use affects Sainsburys supply chain directly, so Sainsburys should support it. However, a spurt in bio-fuels has made corn dearer (independent.co.uk [online] 2008) affecting its prices within the UK and making Sainsburys consumers bear the brunt. Sainsburys operations are subject to a broad spectrum of regulatory requirements particularly in relation to planning, competition and environmental issues, employment, pensions and tax laws and in terms of regulations over the groups products and services. Conclusion Through this piece it can be seen through the various analyses; Porters 5 Forces, PESTEL and SWOT, that Sainsburys is an iconic British food brand, well loved by its consumers. It had been suffering but since 2004 its image, and importantly profits, have improved tremendously. However, it is not insulated to many outside risks like recession and rising material costs as highlighted in the PESTEL analysis. Although it has shown steady growth it is important for Sainsburys to go the next level by challenging Tesco, a competitor identified in the Porters 5 forces analysis, either by thinking of international expansion or on price. This in conjunction with its increasing property portfolio and alternate businesses should help in continuing the strong growth path, as well as tiding over threats (SWOT) in its external environment. References Arnold, M., and Politi, J. (2007). Rockier route to buy-out success, Financial Times, London, 7 November. Bream, R. (2008). Use less power to cut emissions, Financial Times, London, 18 April. Department of Health (2008). http:// www. dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthimprovement/Obesity/DH_078098 [Online]. [Accessed 6th May 2008]. Dickinson, H. (2008). http:// www. kpmg.co.uk/industries/cm/r/ht.cfm#ii [Online]. [Accessed 5th May 2008]. Directions magazines (2007). http:// www. directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=629trv=1 [Online]. [Accessed 7th May 2008]. Doyle, P. (2002). Marketing Management and Strategy 3d ed., Pearson Education. Economist (2008). http:// www. economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9358986 [Online]. [Accessed 6th May 2008]. Economist (2008). http:// www. economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10491144 [Online]. [Accessed 6th May 2008]. Food Standards Agency (2008). http ://www. eatwell.gov.uk/ [Online]. [Accessed 3rd May 2008]. Hawkes, J. (2008). http:// business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article3827752.ece [Online]. [Accessed 5th May 2008]. HM Treasury (2008). Budget 2008. Stability and opportunity: building a strong, sustainable future. 12 March 2008. www. hm-treasury.gov.uk [Online]. [Accessed 7th May 2008]. J Sainsbury plc (2007). Annual Report 2007. http:// www. j-sainsbury.co.uk/ar07/downloads/Sainsbury_Review_2007.pdf [Online]. [Accessed 7th May 2008]. Killgren, L. (2007). Sainsbury launches property venture, Financial Times, London, 14 November. ODoherty, J. (2008). Carrefour confident of meeting sales target, Financial Times, London, 10 January. Randerson, J. (2008). http:// www. guardian.co.uk/science/2008/mar/07/scienceofclimatechange.food [Online]. [Accessed 8th May 2008]. Rigby, E, and Killgren, L. (2008). Sainsbury buys back sites to fuel non-food growth, Financial Times, London, 27 March. Rigby, E. (2008). Sainsbury attacks scandal of price inquiry, Financial Times, London, 3 May. Rigby, E., and Braithwaite, T. (2008). Sainsbury offers relief for retailers, Financial Times, London, 10 January. Taylor, A. (2008). J Sainsbury helps close gangmaster, Financial Times, London, 17 April. The Economist (2007). The world in figures: industries. The world in 2008. p124 -126. Vallely, P. (2008). http:// www. independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/the-other-global-crisis-rush-to-biofuels-is-dri ving-up-price-of-food-808138.html [Online]. [Accessed 1st May 2008]. Wiggins, J., and Urry, M. (2007). Cadbury benefits from gorilla tactics, Financial Times, London, 11 December.

U.S. National Debt Essays -- Argumentative Economics Economy Papers

U.S. National Debt The U.S. national debt has reached an alarming proportion. As it steadily increases, it's effect may not be felt now, but it will be in the future. Paul Gregory and Roy ruffin, in their book entitled Economics, linked deficits with inflation in the long run (251). Demand-side inflation of this type fails to increase the GDP, but instead just increases prices. Continuous increases in prices do not benefit the country or future generations. Also entitlements, such as Social Secriuty and Medicaid, now engulf a large percent of the deficit. Figures from the article "The Entitlement Quaqmire" (http://www.europa.com/~blugene/deficit/entitlements.html) concluded that Social Secruity was the largest portion of the entitlements, which total to around one-half of the budget. While the older generations now benefit from this debt by paying lower taxes and receiving these entitlements, the younger generations will have to bare the burden of the debt run-up by these exha!ustive expenditures without recieving any benefit from them. With a future of inflation and indebtedness from which no benefit for the payee was received, demonstrates the debt will have an effect on the economy and not for the better. Some may argue that the Keynsian approach of increasing the AD by running a deficit is necessary. A liberal Democrat, Joe Schwartz in his editorial(http://comemac4.bsd. uchicago.edu/DSALit/DL/DL954#1) expre...

How Frederick Douglass Changed History Essay -- slavery,emancipation pr

There are numerous individuals throughout the past that had the chance to leave a stain in the fabric of history. But, small amounts that stood up and represented slavery in the United States. The immoral selling of beings to becoming a slave is recognized as slavery. Slavery had a huge role in the United States history, getting down in the 1600’s and was abolished in the 1800’s. African-American slaves were maliciously being walked on, as if they were carcasses, for a hundreds of years. Although, slaves were prevented from being educated, one particular astonishing African-American fellow was able to change overpass this situation. Frederick Douglass changed the United States for the better. Douglass was born on the seventh of February 1817, in Tuckahoe, Maryland. He was the son of an African- American slave named Harriet Bailey. Though slaves were unable to be educated, Douglass had a huge thirst for learning. He became a self-taught slave child, with a little assistance from his owner. Douglass had gained important knowledge (was now literate), which made him realize that there were many other opportunities to increase his education. After several abortive attempts to run-away in 1836, he then succeeded to escape. Once reaching New Bedford, Massachusetts he assumed the name Douglass (his birth name was Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey). After many years of his educations in England, he was able to buy his freedom before returning to the United States. Douglass later rose through determination, wisdom, and eloquence to shape the American nation. He became an abolitionist, human rights and women's rights activist, public speaker, writer, journalist, publisher, and s ocial reformer. One way Douglass was able to change Amer... ...ower (whites) to take action against slavery. Douglass did not only stand up for slaves but also for women’s rights, helped lay the groundwork of women’s suffrage. If Douglass was unable to escape slaver, many civil rights could have been delayed. Works Cited Clark, Charles S. "Feminism's Future." CQ Researcher 28 Feb. 1997: 169-92. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. "Digital History." Digital History. College of Education, 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. "DOUGLASS, Frederick." (n.d.): Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Lederle, Cheryl. "Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln: The Writer and Abolitionist Remembers the President in Library of Congress Primary Sources." Teaching with the Library of Congress. Library of Congress, 7 Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. "Underground Railroad." (n.d.): Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

Introduction of My Proposed System Essay

The rapid advancement of computers in our society has made our daily workloads easier and more accurate. With its vast development, we need to set ourselves in its change and go with its flow. It had changed the views of many people to shift or after their way of doing their task from a manual system to a more detailed computerized system. Computer makes communication easier and faster. Getting connected to different kinds of people around the web it’s not difficult anymore. Technology had innovated our industry to move progressive and competent to our society, it introduced different ways to improved life. Such an instance is the improved computation and processing of data for our daily use. Computer technology is controlling the growth of our society in terms of information systems because the role of computer is the center of the modern main technology. Computer is a programmable electronic device that performs prescribed operations on data like calculations and sorting of files at high speed. The development of the modern day computer was the result of advances in technologies and man’s need to quantify. Papyrus helped early man to record language and numbers. The abacus was one of the first counting machines. Some of the earlier mechanical counting machines lacked the technology to make the design work. Technology influences the people positively or negatively depending on how people used technology in their daily lives. You can tell that it changes the views of users of information and it changes the world we live in, technically it had made our industry systematic and revolutionized. See more: how to start an essay Information Technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications. Furthermore, technology had changed continuously like how people communicate, transport products in the industry and live in daily basis. Technology is considered almost as an absolute necessity for growth and development it has a very big role in many aspects of our lives, the answers of mankind’s circumstances. Technology leads to the improvement of our lives and it make things easier. Computer systems can make our daily workloads to more accurate and easier. The basic advantages of a computerized saving deposit system are efficiency and speed. In a manual system, clients deposit their cash in saving account book and record to official receipt then recorded to Cash Receipt Book and manually posted in subsidiary ledgers. While in withdrawing, client sign up a withdrawal slip then recorded to voucher and posted in subsidiary ledgers and lastly, the cashier an cash the withdrawn savings.

Explain the Differences Between Pangloss’s Philosophy Essay

Pangloss’s philosophy of life is that all is for the best in the â€Å"best of all possible worlds. † This optimistic philosophy actually is the key element of Voltaire’s satire. Pangloss’s philosophy is against the ideas of the Enlightenment period. Pangloss believes that a powerful God had created the world and that, therefore, the world must be perfect. When creatures of the world, see something as wrong or evil, it is because they do not understand the ultimate good that will come out of it. Voltaire satirically shows the reader that Pangloss is not a believable character. Voltaire illustrates this by showing us that he keeps his optimistic thought even when he is imprisoned. Pangloss ignores any evidence that contradicts his initial opinion. He also uses illogical arguments to support his beliefs. Pangloss’s philosophy tries to impose a passive attitude toward all that is wrong in the world. If the world is the best one possible, then there is no reason to make any effort to change things. Martin is more believable than Pangloss, not because he is more sophisticated, but because he is smarter and more likely to draw conclusions with which we can identify. Martin had been robbed by his wife and beaten by his son and deserted by his daughter and also lived financial setbacks, and therefore he’s a pessimist whereas Pangloss is an optimist. He uses his experiences to judge the world whereas Pangloss was merely using a theory. As a result, Martin is more insightful than Pangloss to foresee events that will happen. Even though Martin’s philosophy is more believable than Pangloss’s, he’s still not good at predicting how some people will behave because his philosophy is coming from extreme pessimism. Therefore it might not be wrong to say that Voltaire is trying to prove that we need flexible thought in our lives based on real evidence. Both philosophers will ultimately fail because there’s no room for exceptions in their beliefs. Candide starts his journey with the influence of Pangloss’s belief of â€Å"best of all possible worlds†. Pangloss and Candide, suffer and witness a wide variety of horrors and tragedies together. During these tragedies, Pangloss’s s philosophy proves to be useless and even destructive at the end, because it prevents them from making realistic judgments. For example while Jacques was drowning, Pangloss doesn’t let Candide save him by saying that the bay of Lisbon had been formed for this Anabaptist to drown in. Also when Candide was buried under the rubble of the Lisbon earthquake, he asked for oil and wine because he was dying, but Pangloss ignored him and still tried to reason with the causes of the earthquake. At the end Candide rejects his philosophy of optimism and as he and his servant Cacambo travel and go through more horrors, Candide starts believing a pessimistic view of life. When Candide meets Martin, they set sail together and Martin is just the opposite of Pangloss. He does not believe that everything is for the best in this world. Even though Candide tries to oppose Martin by talking about free will but it does not solve the problem of presence of evil in the world. In general, Martin’s arguments seem more reasonable than Pangloss’s ideas. But, like Pangloss, Martin believes so firmly in his own view of the world that he is not flexible and usually dismisses real evidence that contradicts his philosophy. When Candide cannot find Cunegonde, Martin shows the bad influence of his pessimism. Instead of attempting to comfort his friend, Martin uses Candide’s distress to further confirm his own world-view. Just like Pangloss’s optimism, Martin’s pessimism also keeps him from taking initiative to improve the world.

Beatles & Rolling Stones

The Sixties had been defined by the events of the decade namely the Space Program, the war in Vietnam, the movement against it and the youth counterculture behind the movement also collectively categorized under sex, drugs and rock & roll. Of all the musical bands that emerged during the sixties, the Beatles was the most dominant. They became the precursors of the British invasion of America.Quickly following on their heels was the Rolling Stones. David Leaf, in his book about the Beach Boys, remarked that the decade called The Sixties actually started only in 1964 when the Beatles arrived in America.It ended, however, in 1969 during the Rolling Stones free concert in Altamont, California when an African-American man was killed by a member of Hell’s Angels as Mick Jagger sang â€Å"Under my Thumb† (cited in Curtis, 111-112). American music still held sway over popular music even in Britain. Most bands were playing cover music or renditions of existing American songs. Th e Beatles were no different. However, what set them apart was that they were also writing their own songs. This was highly unusual at that time.In the United States, this was not an entirely new thing as Bob Dylan had already begun to introduce the power of the lyrics, but it was the Beatles that made rock and roll accessible to the masses and made it popular yet still retain its sense of anti-establishment that appealed to the youth. Their music exuded a sense of fun. Their instinct in releasing the catchy song I Want to Hold Your Hand as their debut record to the American market proved to be correct. The Americans were still reeling from the depression wrought by the assassination of the President John F.Kennedy and the song brought back the smiles. Their song’s melody had a way of attaching itself to your psyche. While you may forget what the rest of the lyrics are, the chorus simply stays. They used this same formula with their follow up single She Loves You and one can s imply not sing yeah, yeah, yeah in their head. This effect came to be known as â€Å"Beatlemania. † Their film A Hard Day’s Night is now often referred to as the very first music video. The mania is evident from the statistics. In February 1964, â€Å"I Want To Hold Your Hand† became the first Beatles record to top the U.S. singles charts. In the same month, the group's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on CBS attracted the largest ever television audience of more than 73 million or 60 per cent of all U. S. viewers. By the end of March, they held the top five positions in the singles charts (and also had six of the top ten singles in Canada). Their first coast-to-coast U. S. tour, in August and September, saw them â€Å"perform before more people than any other artists in the history of American pop music–including Elvis Presley† (Rayl and Gunther 3).The Wall Street Journal estimated that by the end of the year Americans would spend more than $50 million on sales of Beatle-related merchandise (McCabe and Schonfeld 66) (cited in Inglis, 93). The John Lennon-Paul McCartney collaboration proved to be unbeatable. One made up for what the other lacked. Their producer, George Martin, likewise had a hand in the reinvention of the pop rock sound with creative approaches to recording. They were among the first to incorporate various sounds such as‘Classical' musicians onto ‘pop' records, (in one case, a whole orchestra), and incorporated studio accidents such as feedback, twisted tapes, and random lyrics into their songs to create a new kind of music which put a premium on creativity†¦The Beatles set a standard of excellence in the writing and recording of British popular music which legions of pop idols have been striving to emulate ever since. They made pop music artistically respectable (Karwowski, 281). The Rolling Stones broke into the music scene with the help of Beatlemania and their first manager, Andrew Loog Oldham.Their music influence was primarily the blues especially that of Muddy Waters whom they honored with their choice of band name but Oldham saw them instead as the antithesis to the Beatles. They were going to sell music and sex. Oldham saw that that a need for an alternative sound was forthcoming and he needed to position his band just right. Still maintaining that they were a blues outfit, Mick Jagger was said to have made a remark in 1962, â€Å"I hope they don't think we're a rock and roll outfit† (Curtis, 209).Today, they have emerged as the world’s greatest rock and roll band. Ironically, the Rolling Stones first hit recording was a composition by Lennon and McCartney, I Wanna be Your Man which was released as a single on November 1, 1963 while it was made a part of an album by the Beatles which was released on November 23, 1963. Regardless, the style was markedly different. The Beatles played what the British called Beat Music, and the Rolling Stones were blues-based. As the Beatles were spreading Beatlemania in America, the Rolling Stones were going to number one in England.It was not long, however, that at the suggestion of Oldham, the Rolling Stones were writing their own songs and were able to establish their credentials with ‘Satisfaction' and ‘Jumping Jack Flash'. As the Beatles evolved to become studio recording artists, the Rolling Stones were live acts performing in marathon tours singing their own songs as well as covers of other people’s songs. According to Curtis, â€Å"‘Satisfaction’ is the first anthem of the sixties. This song defined the mid-sixties just as ‘Blowin' in the Wind’ defined the early sixties, and ‘Light My Fire’ defined the late sixties† (212).The Rolling Stones music added with Mick’s onstage performance which exuded overt sexuality, Keith’s rock solid guitar riff and Brian who could play any instrument given to him, they were a challenge to the establishment. It was their offstage behavior that sealed their reputation and appeal to the more radical proponents of the youth counterculture though they reject responsibility. As it was, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards had the ignominious record of being the first rock stars to be arrested on drug charges (Curtis 208-209).Dave Aguilar of the Watchband had a better explanation of the appeal of the rock bands especially over the women, â€Å"I'm convinced that just before practice sessions, 60s rock bands secreted pheromones detectable from outer space by the underage female species of Homo Erectus† (cited in Kauppila, 2005). By 1967, the war in Vietnam was intensifying and the hippie population was increasing. They were beads and flowers, smoked marijuana and â€Å"dropped acid. † The counterculture was clamoring for hard rock. In response, psychedelic music was produced.This was music that one cannot sing along or dance to. â€Å"It was loud and electronically distrotted, and often laced with mystic messages† (McWilliams & Miller, 70-71). Both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones profited from the popularity of this new sound. The Rolling Stones went head on with the Beatles with the release of ‘Their Satanic Majesties Request’ which was a pun on the British passport which contained the phrase Her Britannic Majesty Requests. It was a concept album that was an obvious response to the Beatles Sgt.Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club concept album. While the Beatles album was immensely successful, the Rolling Stones’ Majesties was a watershed in their career. The album was criticized for lacking â€Å"the irony and the gutsy, hard-driving rock that the Stones do well† while the Beatles was praised in using â€Å"ambience noise to create the fiction of a performance setting. The contrast between their styles was evident as well, â€Å"As opposed to the Beatles' cheerfulness in a music hall, the S tones offer decadence in a cabaret† (Curtis, 214-215).The music of the Beatles had transcended boundaries between classes and age groups more because of the beat and without regard to the veiled and dual messages contained in the lyrics, while the music of the Rolling Stones were more associated to the cultural subversion of the youth of the Sixties. Their style was more confrontational and more sensory-related and was thus used as a barrier against the rules of the adults. A criticism against them was that they represented the darker side of the age of love and freedom. Simon Frith pointed out that rock would eventually lead to violence because†¦rock can't just be consumed, but must be responded to like any other form of art-its tensions and contradictions engaged and reinterpreted into the listeners' experience. Such engagement is intellectual and moral, the results are enriching and can be disturbing†¦ The rock audience is not seen as a passive mass, consuming rec ords like cornflakes but as an active community making music into a symbol of solidarity and an inspiration for action (Whiteley, 87). With songs entitled ‘Jumpin' Jack Flash’, ‘Brown Sugar,’ ‘Midnight Rambler’ and ‘Sympathy for the Devi’, Frith was definitely referring to music of the Rolling Stones.Mick countered with a comment of his own. I don't understand the connection between music and violence. I just know that I get very aroused by music, but that it doesn't arouse me violently. I never went to a rock ‘n' roll show and wanted to smash windows or beat anybody up afterwards. I feel more sexual than actually physically violent (cited in Whiteley, 88). The incident at the Altamont concert in 1969 was unfortunate. While the violence was clearly motivated by deep-seated bigotry, it was attributed to rock music due to association by context.

Cathy Come Home Text Analysis

Cathy Come Home English text analysis †¢ What was the purpose of the text and who was the target audience? The purpose of the text is to inform the reader about what the film is about. It uses words like ‘documentary’, ‘social issues drama’, ‘docudrama’. In the first line of the text it impresses upon the readers the importance this film played in changing the social-economic viewpoint of the viewers. â€Å"First broadcast by the BBC in 1966, it was a pivotal in the launch of the housing charity Shelter, and instrumental in changing the law regarding homelessness. The target audience for the text would be adults, with a certain level of education and social/ political awareness possibly someone of middle class background as Jon Fortgang uses mostly sophisticated language such as polemical and inexorable. The sentence structure is quite long and complex as well. †¢ Comment on the writer’s style and language technique. The langua ge used by Jon Fortgang is mostly formal and the sentence structure and paragraphs are quite long and sophisticated. There are some parts of the text that is informal such as â€Å"rough and ready documentary†, â€Å"With baby on the way, money is tight. This is done so as to relate to his readers. The first two sentences and the last three sentences of the review are emboldened to emphasis importance of the text, he also uses positive adjectives such as powerful and pivotal. He also lets his readers know that the film is â€Å"One of the most important British works ever, and is then reinforced again in the second to last paragraph of review and relates and how the issues covered in the film can be related to what is happening today. List at least 3 facts given in the review. – First broadcast in 1966, it was pivotal in the launch of the housing charity Shelter and instrumental in changing the law regarding homelessness. – Directed by Loach before he made the transition from TV to cinema. – It is written by Jeremy Sanford and is acted by Carol White and Ray Brooks. †¢ Identify at least 3 opinions given and comment on the language used. – â€Å"A milestone in British film making and still one of Loach’s most direct and watchable works. Issues and characters are carefully balanced, Sandford’s writing is credible and intelligent and the intervening decades has done nothing to lessen the films impact. † – â€Å"If a film is measured by its impact on the real world then ‘Cathy Come Home’ surely ranks as the among the most important British works ever. † – â€Å"Seen by a quarter of all Britons at the time of its broadcast, this is a powerful but also easily digestible social issues drama and perhaps the saddest aspect of the film is its clear and continued relevance. † The language used in these opinions are all positive adjectives impressing upon the reader just how powerful and influential this film was at the time of its screening. Although some of it cannot be proven fact such as â€Å"Seen by a quarter of all Britons at the time of its broadcast. † This would be impossible for him to know about unless he had actual statistics that told him the viewing figures for that time. Summarisation of ‘Cathy Come Home’ in 100 words Directed by Ken Loach, ‘Cathy Come Home’ is a powerful docudrama dealing with a young family’s descent into homelessness. The story follows a young couple Cathy (Carol White) and Reg (Ray Brooks) who decide to set up home together. Cathy soon falls pregnant with their first child and money soon becomes a problem. Unfortunately Reg has an accident costing him his job. It is this catalyst which causes the family to lose their home. Moving from one place to another they struggle to survive. With tensions rising between the couple, the family is forced to split up, possibly for good.