General Prologue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

General Prologue - Essay Example Thus Chaucer gets acquainted with different representatives of middle-class social layer. All of them are on their way to Canterbury to pray at a shrine of Saint Thomas Becket (Schwartz). Step by step Chaucer depicts main characters of his Tales. We can see a merchant, a clerk, a knight, a monk, a wife of Bath and other heroes. Chaucer tells about every character in the order, which is appropriate to the social status of heroes. I’d like to pay attention to the Wife of Bath, Alyson. She is an embodiment of an authoritative spouse. This woman has been married five times and tells pilgrims about her tumultuous marriages. She provides bright descriptions of herself comparing herself with a ‘humble loaf of bread’ (Schwartz). In order to justify her numerous marriages Alyson refers to Solomon’s and Abraham’s wives. Five husbands of Alison were different kinds of men, but the most lovable for her was her fifth husband, Jankyn. Their relationships were complicated though they lived together till Jankyn’s death. The Wife of Bath’ tale is a long part of general prologue. In such a way Chaucer makes fun of selfish and egoistical traits of human character. We can see that the author underlines this negative trait as a core of human troubles and turmoil. The authors finishes the general prologue stating that he has â€Å"tyme and space† to narrate his tales. His no tes explain to us that the tales were written some time after the events happened the author is just sharing with us what he remembers about these events and at the same time he shares his personal opinion and attitude towards what he is narrating. Canterbury Tales mean much for the reader. Unlike many other famous literary masterpieces, these Tales disclose the reality of human’s life and can be considered useful for young readers who want to know more about the world around. Canterbury Tales also give very interesting information about the epoch

Gender Differences Essay Example for Free

Gender Differences Essay In the excerpt from the book, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, author John Gray discusses the stark differences between men and women. He states that the personality traits between men and women are so dissimilar, that each sex might as well have originated from the planets, Mars and Venus, respectively. He explains that men value power and achievement, and they choose certain occupations and offer others solutions to their problems based on these values. Comparatively, women believe communication and relationships are more important, and they desire empathy when they interact with others. He details that these different character traits often cause confusion and communication barriers between men and women. Gray’s excerpt explains his unique definition of male and female personalities; however, it is a broad assumption to say that all men and women behave in a certain way solely based on their gender. The stereotypes that Gray specifically utilizes in his excerpt oversimplify the complex interactions between men and women instead of showing their differing emotional responses based on particular situations. The two emotional responses that Gray does not compare are stress and anger. The male and female reactions to these emotions offer the best example of the differences between the sexes. More often than not, men and women respond to stress in different ways. Women tend to externalize their feelings when they deal with stressful situations. They often confide in their significant other, friends, and family as an outlet for the stress in their life. Typically, once a woman has effectively deliberated and discussed her feelings and issues regarding stress, she often feels better about the stressful situation. In her book, You Just Don’t Understand, expert Deborah Tannen similarly explains that women use complaining as a way to feel close to others. She calls this way of conversing â€Å"troubles talk. † She says, â€Å"For women, talking about troubles is the essence of connection. I tell you my troubles, you tell me your troubles, and we’re close. † (61). A perfect example of this can be seen with my interactions with my close friend, Lindsey. She will frequently need to call me and vent about her relationship woes. She uses our conversations to help talk through her stressful situations and will ultimately feel better following our calls. I will tend to use conversations with my mother or sister to vent about my stress, as well. Conversely, men often internalize their emotional responses to stress. Men tend to reserve their emotions internally and use various non-stressful activities as distractions to occupy themselves, such as watching sports or playing video games. A prime example of the male response to stress can be seen when my boyfriend is stressed from work. When he comes home after a stressful day, he will play video games for hours to help relieve his stress. After playing these games, he will feel much better. When I recognize that he is stressed, I usually ask him if he would like to discuss his situations; he usually responds by saying that he is fine and he just needs some time alone. I have also noticed a similar response to stress in other men such as my coworkers, fellow students, and my brothers and father. This unique male response to stress demonstrates the difference from the female stress response. Another emotional situation in which men and women have a tendency to respond differently is anger. Although each person reacts to anger in their own way, men and women will generally react to anger in a different manner. Women, including myself, will often react to anger by isolating themselves from the initial anger trigger and think through their emotional response prior to any actions. Simply put, think first, and act later. For example, my mother’s response to anger follows the aforementioned format. Her initial response involves removing herself from the anger stimulus where she can better collect herself. After assessing the situation which generated my mother’s anger response, she will respond in a more conservative and appropriate manner. Conversely, men have a propensity to react to anger in a much different way. When in an emotional situation that causes anger, men are more inclined to violence and can be quick to react by demonstrating their anger in a more physical manner. They often act this way because they are trying to prove they are â€Å"manly† or â€Å"powerful†. Gray explains that, â€Å"[men] are always doing things to prove themselves and to develop their power and skills† (695). A great example of this common male response can be seen with my brother, Sam. When angered, Sam tends to react like most males when experiencing anger. His initial reaction to anger typically is demonstrated by a violent motion by hitting an object. This is usually followed by a more thoughtful and collected response after the initial outburst. These reactions to anger demonstrate the differing emotional responses between men and women which can be seen throughout society on a frequent basis. Despite the differing reactions to stress and anger mentioned above, men and women can also respond in a similar manner. Since no two individuals are the same, it is important to understand that the aforementioned examples are not the only reactions that men and women can portray. Stress and anger are natural human emotions that are experienced almost daily. It is also important to understand that human emotions and communication are much more complex than the examples that Gray provides. This complexity is due to unique personalities and differing interactive situations. No two responses even with the same individual will ever be the same. However, understanding the different ways men and women may communicate and react to certain emotions will provide a better understanding of the opposite sex. This understanding will help bridge the communication gap between men and women and improve our knowledge of the complexities of human emotion.

Essay on the Ibos Sacred Relationship in Chinua Achebes Things Fall A

The Ibo's Sacred Relationship in Things Fall Apart The Ibo people had a very sacred relationship with their landscape. Their entire existence depended on their environment and nature was sacred to them. This is unlike the English who came to the lower Niger with imperialistic goals of "civilizing" these "primitive" people. The Europeans were more technologically advanced, but in this progression they lost touch with nature and the spiritual connection with this significant aspect of the world. The Ibo on the other hand personified nature and turned to deities as well as ancestral spirits for guidance in their survival against unexplainable and often uncontrollable forces. When hardships arise they attempt to appease their gods and their spirits through sacrifice and ritual. Nature is a major theme of the religion of the Ibo and spirituality is very closely associated with the earth. Nature was also consulted in times of conflict between tribesmen. When Uzowulu was accused of beating his wife excessively her family took the case to the egwugwu, or the spirits of the nine sons, of the original father of the clan, which gave rise to the nine villages in the clan. These spirits were in reality men in the tribe wearing masks, but all of the villagers put their faith in the idea that these bodies are in fact occupied by spirits of ancestors who will offer advise in a time of hardship. With the commencement of the hearing of Uzowulu before these masked spirits he touches the ground as a sign of submission to the higher powers. While Uzowulu will only listen to the decision of the egwugwu because they are beyond any mortal, he overlooks the fact that these decision-makers are really his fellow villagers. This fai... ...landscape in which these people live. To kill a royal python is such an unfathomable crime, that there is not even a punishment prescribed for the act, and when the convert kills the python the people do not even think that it could have possible been done intentionally. This reveals the significance of nature as sacred. All aspects of the landscape were made sacred because these people greatly depended on nature for survival and many aspects were inexplicable, so they were given supernatural explanations to aid in an otherwise unattainable resolution. This people were greatly misunderstood by colonialists who sought to "civilize" them and attempted to thrust Christianity upon an uninterested audience to aid in the control and "pacification" of a people that apparently already had a worthy explanation and understanding of the world in which they lived.

Psmp Unit 1 – Reading Report – Federalism

Purpose: To inform the reader by outliningthe dialogue that took place at the ASSA/IPAA Federalism Rountable in May, 2007. Wanna summarises discussions on the: -historical trajectory and present characteristics of Australian federalism; -perceived shortcomings and challenges surrounding ourcurrent system of government; -relevance of federalism both from an increasingly globalised national perspective and within a nation of small population and relative cultural homogeny; and -various suggestions from those present to bring aboutreform. 77) Argument/Findings The Paper articulates the collective findings of those present at the Roundtable. Wanna makes comment on some main themes that emanated e. g. whilst considerable faith was placed in a clearer demarcation of governmental roles and responsibilities to address federalism’s perceived current ‘malaise’, Wanna notes there was nothing put forward to firmly support this assumption and consequentlyquestions the true wor th of articulating and clarifying roles and responsibilities.The Paper highlightsthe Roundtable’s observationthat numerous federal nationshave tended towards centralisation in recent times, coupled with declines in regional and localised identity; it predicted a gravitation of national issues to the Commonwealth level and a shift of regional and service delivery issues towards State governments over the next 20 years.There was consensus that greater trust, ‘strategic pragmatism’ and improved intergovernmental relations were needed to reform federalism and provide enhanced policy outcomes for the Australian community. (149) Evidence The Paper provides a firsthand summary of discussion, findings and suggestions from a Roundtable of politicians, senior state and federal public servants, and academics, supported by background information papers from credible sources. (32) Observations The Paper is a record of a collective discussion, notan argumentative essay. The do es not, nor does it purport to be, a balanced view of federalism in a broader or historical sense. -Roundtables by their very nature are high level and do not allow for drilling down to the finer details of an issue; this is worth bearing in mind when considering the article as some of the context may have been overlooked in relation to the finer points made by participants. The Paperhighlights that federalism has by necessity proven to be a much more flexible and dynamic governance structure than waslikely envisaged at its inception;it could be argued that federalism’s seeming robustness and changeability is entirely appropriate to what is now a highly changeable local, national and globalised community, despite looking markedly different to what it may have first looked like at federation. -It is submitted that the need for greater levels of trust between levels of government to make federalism work is potentially made more challenging by the dynamic of our two-party system of government. 185) Other relevant or related readings 1. Keddie, J. N and R. F. I. Smith. 2009, ‘Leading from Below: How Sub-National Governments Influence Policy Agendas. ’Australian Journal of Public Administration, No. 68 Vol. 1, pp. 67-82. Rather than outlining a perceived malaise and decrease in the relevance of the States in our federal system, Keddie& Smith argue that States have a responsibility to ensure they remain integral tobroader policy and decision-making agendas. (45) 2. Hollander, R. And H. Patapan. 2007, ‘Pragmatic Federalism: Australian Federalism from Hawke to Howard. ’ Australian Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 6 No. 3 pp. 280-297 The Hollander & Patapan article provides broader historical analysis that seeks to explain fundamental aspects of our system of federalism and conclusions on why the trend of centralisation has occurred. (30) 3. Parkin, A. 2003, ‘The States, Federalism and Political Science: A Fifty-Year Apprais al. ’ Australian Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 62 No. 2, June, pp. 101-112 The Parkin Paper provides broader analysis of the state of federalism than both the Wanna and Hollander & Patapan articles, providing a fifty year appraisal of Australian governance from the States’ perspective. (32)

An Analysis of Religious Influences in the Poetry Essay

During an era in literature when propriety and sensitivities were valuable elements considered both by writer and audience, and spirituality was defined by a specific, almost stringent, set of rules, the arrival of young poet Algernon Charles Swinburne produced a reaction most were ill-prepared to give. For compared to his illustrious contemporaries, Swinburne subscribed to a style and ideology meant to negate all aspects of convention and expand, albeit unwillingly, tolerance for taboo concepts and words. Defiance and aggression, as well as liberty, sexuality, and immorality, were the main themes behind the astonishing lyricism and poetic prowess of Swinburne. This also echoed in the technical form of his work, with his unapologetic and irreverent use of his own brand of alliteration and rhythm. The poet was unabashedly pagan in his sensibilities, and fervently explored areas deemed unsuitable for exposition in polite Victorian society. Blasphemy was a typical description of Swinburne’s literary efforts, yet the uncompromising wit and satire present in them made for unavoidable reading, almost enjoyable in a morbid sense—which was literally one of the most prevalent tones in Swinburne’s works. Therefore, the attempt to find the influence of religion or spirituality in the poetry of such an iconoclast may seem futile; however, the fact that Swinburne consciously marked his territory along these sacrilegious lines may be tantamount to his actual recognition of the concepts he purposely tried to negate. There are no references or appeal to obedience and faith in his literature—common virtues required of any religious discussion—but his lifetime work’s concentration on the opposite end may have marked him as an excellent study of spiritual affirmation. II. The Life and Work of Algernon Charles Swinburne The controversial poet and critic was born in Grosvenor Place, London, on April 5, 1837, to Admiral John Swinburne, making him one of the small number of poets to boast of an aristocratic background. While a student at Eton and Oxford, Swinburne began establishing his literary philosophy through his studies of the poetry of Shelley, and alternately engrossed himself in standard ideologies of academic scholars, including political radicalism and atheism. His time at Oxford afforded him various introductions that would eventually figure prominently in his life and career—names such as Burne-Jones, Morris, and Rossetti. Often at the verge of being expelled from the storied institution, Swinburne’s penchant for atheism and capacity for biting sarcasm still received the attention sought, both from admirers and detractors. Consistent with his affinity for the concepts of physical pleasure and pain, morbidity, and excess, Swinburne lived a life of almost total addiction to alcohol that resulted in never-ending bouts of collapse and seizures. As his health deteriorated, his lawyer Theodore Watts-Dunton found it necessary to persuade Swinburne to make a complete lifestyle change, to which the poet agreed by taking up residence in Watts-Dunton’s estate. Perhaps due to his irreverent and unhealthy way of life, Swinburne finally succumbed to influenza in 1909.

Matilda1 essays

Matilda1 essays The book that I have read is called Matilda. Its about a young girl named Matilda. She is very gifted, her parents dont really care about what she does. Matilda has special powers, she can move things with her eye. Mrs. Trenchbol is the principle of the school she attends. She tortures every kid. Nobody likes Mrs. Trenchbol. Matildas teacher Miss. Honey loves Matilda. Miss. Honey told Matilda how Mrs. Trenchbol is her aunt, and took over her life. Miss. Honeys father died when she was a little girl. Her father left her everything he had own, but Mrs. Trenchbol scared her away. She told Miss. Honey never to return. Mrs. Trenchbol lives in Miss. Honeys house, while Miss. Honey lives in a cottage. Matilda felt very bad for her, she wanted to help Miss. Honey in some way. Matilda knew the only way she could make Mrs. Trenchbol leave, is by using her powers. Matilda crept in Mrs. Trenchbols house with her power she made everything in her house move to different directions. Mrs. Trenchobol was very scared, she didnt know what to do. The next day, when Mrs. Trenchbol got to school. She went to Miss. Honeys call to teach them a lesson. Matilda started to use her powers again, she got a chalk to write Leave My daughter alone! Mrs. Trenchbol just ran out of the classroom to her car and never came back. Miss. Honey was so happy. Matilda knew she did the right thing. Matildas family was going to move out of town. Matilda didnt want to go. Miss. Honey wanted to adopt Matilda. Her parents were okay with it, her parents didnt really care what Matilda ever did, as long as she was happy. Miss. Honey adopted Matilda, and her parents had left town. Miss. Honey loved Matilda very much, they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. ...

Contrast of Modern Othello to Shakesperian Othello Essay Example

Contrast of Modern Othello to Shakesperian Othello Essay Example Contrast of Modern Othello to Shakesperian Othello Paper Contrast of Modern Othello to Shakesperian Othello Paper are now making the beasts with two backs† which allows the audience to refer to him as a devil character by directly associating Othello with animalistic qualities. Creating the imagery of Othello acquiring beast like qualities alludes to the prospect of his character enabling such savage qualities as the extremities of abduction and rape. The animalistic qualities are metaphorical for his race by means of a savage Moor. References to animals is evident throughout the play not only when referring to Othello himself, this represents a sense of the laws of nature rather than the laws of society which primarily govern the characters in the play. As the audience is properly introduced to the Moore, the image becomes clear in Othello’s nature of speech that he does not inherit any of the stereotypical characteristics of evil qualities depicted by Iago. In act 1 scene 3 through the use of figurative language the Duke declares quietly to Barbantio â€Å"Your son-in-law is far more fair than black†, this metaphor symbolises the way in which Othello inherits qualities of a white man’s honesty by the dramatic contrast between colours. This is an ironic representation of forshadowing as in the end of the play Othello becomes savage and monstrous as he is consumed by jealousy which contradicts the essence of his fair qualities. Later in the play when Othello starts to undermine Desdemona and his relationship by means of the manipulation tactics of Iago, he draws direct attention to his race â€Å"haply for I am black, and have not those soft parts of conversation that chambers have; or for I am declined into the vale of years – yet that’s not much – she’s gone† This is the first circumstance in which Othello himself has brought direct negative attention to his race, which demonstrates his lacking of confidence in which he so happily acquired at the beginning of the play. Comparing Shakespeare’s Othello to Jeoffery Sax’s film Othello it is obvious the importance of race is far less significant in Elizabethan times, which suggests race has become more of an issue in contemporary times. In Jeoffery Sax’s film Othello the significance of race plays a much more significant role as it seems to create tension within every situation throughout the film. This importance of race is so strong throughout the film and this is evident in the opening silouqy where a close up of a dark male hand is resting over a light female hand. This contrast between the pigments of skin types introduces the recurring theme of inequality within race in modern day society and the role the dark male hand plays within the relationship. Following the opening sililougy the audience is confronted with fast, handheld and diagetic shots of race riots. These shots are highly a contrasted juxtaposition with upper class white society in which the shots are slower and smoother. This suggests further inequality but through creating an image of the black race acting out in the negative sense as savage and uncontrollable. This is similar to the audiences first introduction to the Moore, in which Rodrigo and Iago are referring to him as savage and monstrous. The consistent presence of water within the film acts a recurring symbol or motif in which it represents the yin and yang, meaning opposites as black and white as water is the opposite to fire. This further suggests the consistent battle between black and white men and women in modern society. This relates to values and representations of race from both parties. If I could find any of them with their brains as big as their dicks† suggests the derogatory stereotypical views of black men from a white mans point of view. It symbolises the power of intellect in which the white men claim to have successfully achieved. This statement is highly ironic for during this time in the film John Othello is the only police officer who is using his ‘brain’ and attending to the issues of the street riots in which no other police officer has taken any initiative in resolving. This contradicts this statement through the actions of John Othello being a black police officer. As this statement is announced during a conversation in involving Jago it is interesting as later on in the film Jago declares to John â€Å"You cleaver big black bustard† which is suggesting John as gaining intellect or having a bigger ‘brain’ and therefore being of higher significance and importance. Following this Jago uses direct speech to the audience in which he displays a neurotic fit in which he describes John as a â€Å"patronising ape† the use of animalistic representation is portrayed similar to that of Shakespeare’s version in which it associates John’s race with the actions and qualities of animals through this extended metaphor. John Othello’s approach to the inequality between black and white men and women is suggested from a far less powerful stance in which he suggests his lack of power through his past desire to be white â€Å"Your people brought my people here to work as slaves†¦.. I wanted to be like you, wanted to be white†, this suggests his reclining stance in his pride of his race as he is slowly being extracted of his power. The direct accusation suggests the change in his character to primarily fit the stereotypical characteristics of a black man. This is similar to Shakespeare’s Othello in the evidence of jealousy turning Othello into the savage Moore he so longingly resented. The themes of race and women are strongly displayed in both accounts which suggest the inability of change over time between such different societies; however there are situations which within these themes that suggest a change in attitudes through the extent and position in which these themes are portrayed. The difference in the significance of race from Shakespearian times to modern times reflects the changes in society and how individuals relate to one another through appearance versus reality. The changes in attitudes to women have also changed significantly through the acceptance of women as human beings, enabling them to run their own lives and make their own decisions, the power for women in modern day society has developed so evidently. These as well as the similarities in times are magnificently demonstrated in both accounts.

About Seppuku and Samurai Ritual Suicide

About Seppuku and Samurai Ritual Suicide Seppuku, also known less formally as harakiri, is a form of ritual suicide that was practiced by the samurai and daimyo of Japan.  It usually involved cutting the abdomen open with a short sword, which was believed to immediately  release the samurais spirit to the afterlife. In many cases, a friend or servant would serve as a second, and would ritually decapitate the samurai to provide release from the terrible pain of the abdominal cuts. The second needed to be very skillful with his sword to achieve the perfect decapitation, known as  kaishaku, or embraced head. The trick was to leave a small flap of skin attached at the front of the neck so that the head would fall forward and look like it was being cradled by the dead samurais arms. Seppukus Purpose Samurai committed seppuku for a number of reasons, in accordance with bushido, the samurai code of conduct. Motivations could include personal shame due to cowardice in battle, shame over a dishonest act, or loss of sponsorship from a daimyo. Often times samurai who were defeated but not killed in battle would be allowed to commit suicide in order to regain their honor. Seppuku was an important act not only for the reputation of the samurai himself but also for his entire familys honor and standing in society. Sometimes, particularly during the Tokugawa shogunate, seppuku was used as a judicial punishment. Daimyo could order their samurai to commit suicide for real or perceived infractions. Likewise, the shogun could demand that a daimyo commits seppuku. It was considered far less shameful to commit seppuku than to be executed, the typical fate of convicts from further down the social hierarchy. The most common form of seppuku was simply a single horizontal cut. Once the cut was made, the second would decapitate the suicide. A more painful version, called  jumonji giri, involved both a horizontal and vertical cut. The performer of jumonji giri then waited stoically to bleed to death, rather than being dispatched by a second. It is one of the most excruciatingly painful ways to die. Location for the Ritual Battlefield seppukus were usually quick affairs; the dishonored or defeated samurai would simply use his short sword or dagger to disembowel himself, and then a second (kaishakunin) would decapitate him. Famous samurai who committed battlefield seppuku included Minamoto no Yoshitsune during the Genpei War  (died 1189); Oda Nobunaga  (1582) at the end of the Sengoku Period; and possibly Saigo Takamori, also known as the Last Samurai  (1877). Planned seppukus, on the other hand, were elaborate rituals. This might be either a judicial punishment or the samurais own choice.  The samurai ate a last meal, bathed, dressed carefully, and seated himself on his death cloth. There, he wrote a death poem. Finally, he would open the top of his kimono, pick up the dagger, and stab himself in the abdomen.  Sometimes, but not always, a second would finish the job with a sword. Interestingly, ritual seppukus were usually performed in front of spectators, who witnessed the samurais last moments. Among the samurai who performed ceremonial seppuku were General Akashi Gidayu during the Sengoku (1582) and forty-six of the 47 Ronin in 1703. A particularly horrifying example from the twentieth century was the suicide of Admiral Takijiro Onishi at the end of World War II. He was the mastermind behind the  kamikaze  attacks on Allied ships. To express his guilt over sending some 4,000 young Japanese men to their deaths, Onishi committed seppuku without a second. It took him more than 15 hours to bleed to death. Not for Men Only Seppuku was by no means a solely male phenomenon. Women of the samurai class often committed seppuku if their husbands died in battle or were forced to kill themselves. They also might kill themselves if their castle was besieged and ready to fall, so as to avoid being raped. To prevent an unseemly posture after death, women would first bind their legs together with a silk cloth. Some cut their abdomens as male samurai did, while others would use a blade to slit the jugular veins in their necks instead. At the end of the Boshin War, the Saigo family alone saw twenty-two women commit seppuku rather than surrendering. The word seppuku comes from the words setsu, meaning to cut, and fuku meaning abdomen.

MICROECONOMIC THEORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MICROECONOMIC THEORY - Essay Example 1-12). On the other hand, consumers will purchase expensive products whenever their income goes up and less expensive products when the income reduces. It is apparent that consumers normally make various choices with an aim of maximizing benefits they receive in return for the money they spend and the theory posits that consumers spend only the money they have without accounting for saved money as this writing explains. Dean (2009, p. 25-42) explains that the level of satisfaction that a consumer obtains from purchasing various products is based on utility function whose arguments affect consumer’s overall satisfaction level. There are trade-offs faced by the consumers while making consumption decisions and these can be explained with utility function. Diminishing marginal utility describes consumer’s preferences in a very significant way making some economic analysis to take it as a basic starting point. According to Levin & Milgrom (2004, pp. 5-15), consumer theory il lustrates that a consumer prefers a group of products packaged together called bundle and that a consumer would prefer a bundle and disregard the brand. The theory explains that consumers would rather base their purchase decision on the number of products in the bundle or the size of the bundle but not the product’s brand. Sassatelli (2007, pp. ... n bundle, if consumers decide to give up on one good, they would add more of another substitute as a way of maintaining their level of utility (Sassatelli 2007, pp. 57-60). Consumers normally substitute products for others even if the two goods are not the same and this describes most people’s preferences. Slope of an indifference curve shows the maximum number of units of a particular good a consumer is willing to substitute to acquire one unit of the other thus providing an economic way of understanding what the indifference curve really show. It is also worth noting that the slope of an indifference curve depends on the consumption bundle considered. The slope of an indifference curve represents the marginal rate of substitution between two products (Sirgy 1982, pp. 287-300). Summary of Simon Herbert Article Simon attempts to explain the link between psychology and economics by resting on a notion of economics as a science and a discipline (Simon 1959, pp. 253-260). He expl ains that economics as a science can be used in describing and predicting the behavior of various kinds of consumers and entrepreneurs. His research endeavor intended to understand the processes that participate in human decision making although despite his effort to investigate the issue he did not have a huge impact in the decision making (Zalega 2012, pp. 77-99). He rejected the assumption of perfect rationality made in the mainstream economics and he further emphasized the limitations of the cognitive processes. Simon (1959, pp. 255-265) points out that economics is widely preoccupied by normative economics while descriptive macroeconomics offers the scientific base for policy prescription. He explains how the theory of consumer demand was derived from indifference curve and considering of

Art History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Art History - Research Paper Example What world did they see in the early 1860s, when Impressionism stormed into their lives as the wind of change? Social disruptions at the end of the 18th century, revolutions in France and America, transformed the very essence of Western culture, which cannot but affect the role of art in a rapidly changing society. Accustomed to some social orders from the ruling dynasties or the church, artists suddenly found that all the customers left them. The nobility and clergy experienced serious financial and social troubles. The era of capitalism came, which changed the art rules and priorities totally. Gradually established republics and democratic powers witnessed the growth of the middle class and this growth caused the development of the new art market. Unfortunately, entrepreneurs and traders usually lacked hereditary culture and education, without which it was impossible to understand the diversity of allegories or skillful mastery, which charmed the aristocracy. Without any aristocratic upbringing and education, the middle-class representatives, who suddenly became the art consumers, had to rely on the opinion of professionals - newspaper critics and official experts. The artistic academies, the watchers of the classical canons, became the central arbiters in the issue of artistic preferences. So, it’s not a paradox that some young and talented artists rebelled against the conformity and dominance of the formal academism in art. The major strongholds of the academicism at that time were state patronized exhibitions of contemporary art – the Salons. Participation in the Salon was the only chance to attract attention of the press and customers. The Salon was a unique opportunity to acquire a customer, to build a career in art. Auguste Renoir, in his letter to his dealer Durand-Ruel, criticizes status quo: â€Å"In Paris there are scarcely fifteen people who capable of liking a painter who doesn’t show at

Nature vs. nurture debate within the context of the biopsychosocial Essay

Nature vs. nurture debate within the context of the biopsychosocial approach using a pretend cloning scenario - Essay Example ’s life story is important in knowing to its full extent the story of how the illness started and how the social and psychological domains affect the patient. It integrates the social interactions of individuals mentally, physically and emotionally in conceptualizing decease and illness. It has also been presented that the infliction and gravity of pain depends on sub-aspects such as gender, race, ethnic origin and tradition (Frankel et.al., 2003). The biopsychosocial aspects are the factors which shape an individual, it provides an individual experience and knowledge. Because of this, an individual who was born and lived during the 1950’s will have different characteristics if that individual was born and lived during the 1970’s. This is because that individual would have a different environment due to change and development, and most experiences will be different from one point or the other. These are the reasons why in a biopsychosocial point of view, parents and nor child will not prosper (Levine, 2009). The issue of cloning is closely connected to the debate of nature versus nurture in terms of how the cloned organism lives. Scientists speculate that cloned organisms will have more or less the same characteristics as its parents (Levine, 2009). This is because the genes and DNA structure of the cloned individual have the same structure as the parent of the clone. This is the nature aspect of the issue. On the other hand, it is also important to look into the nurture aspect which defines the environmental and social influences that impacts the life of the cloned individual. Yes, the cloned individual may have the same physical and biological attributes as the parent clone, but it may not have the same reaction to the present conditions wherein it will live because of the learning experience it will encounter. Although it has the same physical attributes as the parent clone, it may react differently to the situations around it because of the how it will

Strategic management analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic management analysis - Essay Example The Paper will also suggest several recommendations that will be deemed as helpful in improving the Coffee house’s operations within the United States market. A Brief History of Starbucks. Starbucks is an American global corporation that specializes in selling coffee in its various coffee houses situated all over the world. Its main base of operations is currently at Seattle, Washington. The first Starbucks coffee shop opened its doors in the Seattle Springs area of Washington in 1971 and the company has grown to become the largest coffee house company in the world. It boasts of having about 19,972 stores which are spread out in 60 countries across the globe. Most of the company’s branches are currently located in the United States with an approximately 12,937 branches. ... Starbucks has also expanded its current investments into the entertainment industry and through its Starbucks Entertainment division as well as its hear Music brand, it also markets films, books and music. Most of the company’s product offerings are found to be not only seasonal but also specifically tailored particularly to satisfy the requirements of customers in the locality that the branch is located. Some of its branded products such as coffee and ice cream are sold in grocery stores all over the United States (Starbucks 2012). The United States Coffee House Market The Coffee Shop business and the entire coffee industry have had a significant boom over the recent years. This is especially so in the case of the specialty coffees offered by the industry. The market for these coffees has registered significant growth that has been spurred by the growing trend of the consumers becoming increasingly educated about the industry’s espresso-based drinks as well as how they are made (Starbucks 2012). According to research data conducted by First Research, the United States is host to about 20,000 coffee shop businesses whose total combined revenue has been estimated to stand at $10 billion as of 2011. More than 50% of these sales have been seen to be generated by the country’s top 50 coffee shop operators. Most of the county’s coffee shop operators have increasingly been spreading their business into the international market with Starbucks reporting to having set up shop in over 5,500 licensed locations outside the United States in 2010 (Green and Keegan 2012). The average gross margin for a single coffee shop in the country is

Marketing Across Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing Across Cultures - Essay Example The company has grown to become a major player in the industry and has been recognized for the excellence in its overall products as well as service. Here this report aims at developing a plan for the company to introduce a new product into the well established markets of Canada. The report will provide a detailed marketing plan for the introduction of the new product into the markets. Before moving into the explanation, a brief overview of the marketing audits has been discussed. Marketing Audits: Before moving into the actual marketing plan, it is crucial to gain a clear idea on the main elements of the marketing plan. These are as explained below. Main Elements of Market Planning: Description of the Markets: A very important aspect of every market plan is the basics like the demographics of the target market. Every strong marketing plan requires having a set of descriptions like age, sex, profession, income level and so on (Rudelius, 2008). Competitors: Learning and understanding the competition of any business is a must to have a strong marketing plan. ... These help the company gain an upper hand in the markets and also help in improving the overall Marketing Budget: Budgeting is also an essential element of all marketing budgets as it allows a controlled spending on advertising, promotions, and all factors including the advertisements and promotions (Peter & Donnelly, 2002). Pricing Strategy: Another essential element of a marketing plan is the pricing strategy to be adopted by the company (Kotler & Keller, Marketing Management, 2008). It is important to include aspects like the price lining, material costs, overhead costs and so on to ensure correct pricing of the products or services. Marketing Plan: I. Statement of the Marketing Goal: The main of the marketing plan here is to introduce a new product into the already stable Canadian market. Here the aim is to introduce the Pizza McPuff. This is a new product and has not been introduced into the Canadian markets. The product is only available in India currently. In order to do so th e following marketing plan report has been devised. II. Marketing Objectives for the Project The marketing objective of the project is to develop brand awareness, and also to build the awareness of the new product being offered by the company. Here the main objective is to ensure that the target markets of the company are aware of the new product and are also aware of the new quality of the new product being offered. III. Initial Research: McDonalds needs to conduct a detailed analysis of the kind of market that the company is dealing with and needs to gain a clear idea of the market place as well as the needs of the customers. Secondly, it is best to draw up a strategy that is customer driven and which helps make the customers feel fully understood (Gronroos, 1994). The next

Strategic management analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic management analysis - Essay Example The Paper will also suggest several recommendations that will be deemed as helpful in improving the Coffee house’s operations within the United States market. A Brief History of Starbucks. Starbucks is an American global corporation that specializes in selling coffee in its various coffee houses situated all over the world. Its main base of operations is currently at Seattle, Washington. The first Starbucks coffee shop opened its doors in the Seattle Springs area of Washington in 1971 and the company has grown to become the largest coffee house company in the world. It boasts of having about 19,972 stores which are spread out in 60 countries across the globe. Most of the company’s branches are currently located in the United States with an approximately 12,937 branches. ... Starbucks has also expanded its current investments into the entertainment industry and through its Starbucks Entertainment division as well as its hear Music brand, it also markets films, books and music. Most of the company’s product offerings are found to be not only seasonal but also specifically tailored particularly to satisfy the requirements of customers in the locality that the branch is located. Some of its branded products such as coffee and ice cream are sold in grocery stores all over the United States (Starbucks 2012). The United States Coffee House Market The Coffee Shop business and the entire coffee industry have had a significant boom over the recent years. This is especially so in the case of the specialty coffees offered by the industry. The market for these coffees has registered significant growth that has been spurred by the growing trend of the consumers becoming increasingly educated about the industry’s espresso-based drinks as well as how they are made (Starbucks 2012). According to research data conducted by First Research, the United States is host to about 20,000 coffee shop businesses whose total combined revenue has been estimated to stand at $10 billion as of 2011. More than 50% of these sales have been seen to be generated by the country’s top 50 coffee shop operators. Most of the county’s coffee shop operators have increasingly been spreading their business into the international market with Starbucks reporting to having set up shop in over 5,500 licensed locations outside the United States in 2010 (Green and Keegan 2012). The average gross margin for a single coffee shop in the country is

Early Civilizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 70

Early Civilizations - Essay Example The discovery of the Armana letters, a group of more than one thousand letters in the capital of the Egyptian empire, Akhenaten had great significance in the study of the early Egyptian civilization. The letters written by the Egyptian pharaohs were addressed to the leaders of the Hittite state while others were from the Hittites to the Egyptians thereby providing adequate evidence that despite the rudimentary form of life in the period, the two had effective modes of communication and had often interacted diplomatically. The letters proved that indeed, the earlier civilizations had effective archiving technologies capable of protecting their important documents for generations. Additionally, the discovery of the letters corroborated the existence of the arts at that time. It was artistic for the people to make inscriptions on stone tablets thereby serving as their letters and an effective mode of communication. Egypt, Syria, Babylon and  also Hittite were among the earliest empires and kingdoms in the world. While the first three had direct archeological evidence to prove their existence, the Hittite kingdom was discovered much later owing to the fact that they latter disintegrated into smaller Neo-Hittite states following a number of inversions of their kingdom. However, their discovery resulted from the discovery of the cuneiform texts around their capital in Hati. The Lords of the Hattusha were the rulers of the Hittite empire. They made important decisions concerning war and imposed taxes on their people. The Hittites had horses and created chariots which aided their military transportation. The Hittite won a number of battles especially under the leadership of the Suppiluliuma. The people innovatively made their chariots to resemble the Egyptian chariots only that they were smaller and therefore capable of moving faster than the Egyptian chariots, which besides their huge sizes had d ecorations most of which burdened their horses thereby slowing them down. The truce implied that each side accepted the terms negotiated for peace. However, the letters and cuneiform texts proved that both sides claimed victory; a political moved aimed at uniting the people of the different kingdoms under their respective leaderships.   

The Half brothers Essay Example for Free

The Half brothers Essay He doesnt understand how someone could leave another person to die, and to him, the fact they were in a war, where people are killed, doesnt make a difference. I suppose that if a person has not experienced the feelings of what its like to be in a war, to lose someone you dearly love, then there will never be able to totally understanding as to how someone could do something so sad. I also believe that during the 1930s and the 1940s, people had a different way of life. The fact that Mrs Rutter lost her husband in the war made her feel as though the jerry plane crashing was a blessing, and it is obvious she has no regrets. We see how Sandra has an insight at why Mrs. Rutter felt she had nothing to be sorry for in acting this way. The setting of The Half-Brothers shows a sense of loneliness and most of the story takes place on the harsh and lonely Fells. There was also the lack of relatives and friends at the funeral of her daughter. In the text it says that the people who did go were Neighbours my aunt, and one far off cousin, Who were all the friends they could muster It shows that she doesnt even have hope of having anyone to be close to. She has her sister, but they are of very different personalities. Even though Aunt Fanny was a kind, warm hearted creature, who thought more of her sisters welfare than she did of her own Helen felt they couldnt talk to each other and because of this, could not share her feelings of sadness with anyone. This feeling that the main character no longer has anyone to understand them is strong in both of the stories. Later in the story Helen gives birth to a baby boy who she called Gregory. And he became her life. She seemed after that to think of nothing but her new little baby. Helen used her obsession as a way out of thinking about the bad things that were happening to her. Because she had felt so lonely, she found her new child the only thing to make living worthwhile. Her sister was really worried about her still, as she knew that with no money they would surely be unable to survive, so Aunt Fanny stayed, but she knew that something would still have to be done. Thats when William Preston, who was afterwards my father, came in, Helen married William Preston because he said that he would make sure that her child was looked after, the child that was Helens sole reason for being. He basically bought her into marriage, and it is obvious that Helen only married him because of her financial situation. This means that it was clear from the beginning of the marriage that William Preston wanted Helen because of her good looks, and Helen needed him more because she had no money. This made it very easy for him to rule over her. This saddens the reader, as Helen is so weak that she feels that all she has to live for is her only child. Helen falls pregnant again, and was unsure about having another child, as she loved Gregory so much. She guards him with her life, and because of this, she gives birth early due to an argument about Gregory being bad, as she made excuses for his behaviour. William Preston knows that Helen does not love him the way he wishes she would, and he feels jealous by all her love for her sons. He blames everything on Gregory, and when Helen dies due to the early birth, that too is his fault. He is not treated the same as he is only seen to William as a stepson. Almost as though he is nothing but an inconvenience. The ending of the story made me feel sad by what happened. The tension in the darkness out there is that of fear, of shock, but in half brothers it comes across in sadness of the tragic events that happened in the story and the unfortunate fate of Gregory. The Half-Brothers is a very detached story, as the narrator does not seem to have any sort of connection with the people he is talking about, even though he is the second son, he bears no name throughout the whole story. The narrator in The Darkness Out There I would say is Sandra. I think this because right at the very end of the story, it is Sandra who does what seems to be a conclusion, and this brings out her maturity. At the beginning she is annoyed by something so small as who she has to work with, but the events that happen show her how everything is not always as it appears. At the end, it is not only Kerry who has grown, but herself too. My Own Personal Views: I found the story Half-Brothers more informative and its structure appealed to me more because I found it more interesting. However I found the contrast between darkness and light in the story by Penelope Lively rather fascinating. The twist and turns of the short story were very cleverly put together to form a roller coaster of a read. When I was reading the beginning of the story about sunshine and flowers I started to think about the title and how it seemed very strange in connection to what I was reading. The reader could quite easily become stuck into what at first seems like some kind of fairytale, only to be suddenly hit by a somewhat shocking ending which is totally unexpected. Half-Brothers has a rather steady flow. I do not mean by this that there is no tension because that certainly is not the case. The tale has a very tragic structure all the way through, and all throughout reading this story, as a reader, I felt generally saddened almost as though it were a true story.

Neo Realism Of Pather Panchali Film Studies Essay

Neo Realism Of Pather Panchali Film Studies Essay The Bengali feature film Pather Panchali or Song of The Road in English was directed by Satyajit Ray and released in 1955. It was considered a landmark in the field of Indian as well as world cinema. Although it was director Rays debut effort it went on to win critical and popular acclaim from all around the world. The path breaking movie was also instrumental in winning the Best Human Document award at the Cannes Film Festival of 1956. Satyajit Ray had his first truck with neo-realism as far back as 1949, when Jean Renoir the famous director from France came to Calcutta to make the film The River. The neo-realistic influence that is apparent in most of his movies came from this association with the famed movie maker as also from the neo-realistic propensities of the then prevailing Italian cinema (Ruberto. L, Wilson. E Kristi. M 2007). Ray happened to take the famous director to various potential locations in the Bengal countryside. Later he went to London on official business. During the short time he was in London, Ray saw myriads of movies and seeing the film Bicycle Thieves made so profound an impression on him that he decided to be a movie maker, then and there (Robinson, 2003). Pather Panchali is considered to be neo-realist in its implications. The main reason for describing the movie as neo-realistic was the fact that it was filmed not long after the II World War when neo-realism held sway in most of Europe. What made the critics tack the label of neo-realism to Rays movie? Ray chose mostly natural locations while shooting Pather Panchali. He wanted the backdrop of each shot to speak for itself. Also, he totally refrained from the artificially exaggerated practices and gestures of the popular cinema prevailing in India. The movie is said to have amply demonstrated some affiliations with the traditions narration, representation as well as musical address prevailing in earlier times in an effort to articulate in an Indian identity of the day following independence (Vasudevan, 2000). In an attempt to dissociate himself and his creations from the commercial movies emanating from Bollywood, Satyajit Ray stated, The differences appear to emerge from evaluating the status of the narrative form through which the real would be articulated, through what means of representation, styles of acting, aesthetic strategies the real would be invoked. Here the popular compendium studio shooting, melodramatic, externalized forms for the representation of character psychol ogy, non- or intermittently continuous forms of cutting, diversionary story lines, performance sequences was not acceptable within the emergent artistic canon, for they undermined plausibility and a desirable regime of verisimilitude (Ray, 1976). Pather Panchali possessed all the essential characteristics of neo-realism as proposed by the great Italian movie maker Zabattini. The neo-realistic theory lays down the dictum that the filmmaker should not ever impose his own individual interpretation on the movie that he is making and should always remain a passive observer of the reality that he happens to be creating. It does not matter whether he is depicting misery or prosperity, the movie maker should always uphold the utmost objectivity, by subordinating logic to action at all times. Although, even the staunchest of the neo-realists were utterly unable to attain such total objectivity for the simple reason that the subjective element always had a tendency to creep into any artistic creation, they never stopped from trying to achieve it. The same thing holds true for Satyajit Ray when he made his debut film Pather Panchali. In fact Ray was virtually unable to keep the subjective element out of his movie. But he never made comments on his actions, characters or situations. He never pitches hints at his audience and never tells them just what to think and feel. At the same time he was not at all apprehensive about taking the appropriate stances. This is because he was predisposed not to his characters but to the drama of life itself. He had his own ways to suffuse life on to the screen in order to impart a shimmer of hope to all his characters. Pather Panchali and Bollywood movies : A contrast Bollywood movies are a far cry from the realism and objectivity of Rays movies When comparing and contrasting a Satyajit Ray movie to any Bollywood movie, there is nothing much to compare but there is a lot to contrast. The only factor a movie like Pather Panchali has in common with a Bollywood movie is that both are shot in India and is about life in India. The similarity ends there. While Rays movies are predominantly realistic, there is nothing even remotely realistic about Bollywood films. To make matters worse, Satyajit Rays art films received their due recognition from the cognoscenti and welcomed with open hands within the ambit of world cinema. Evidently, Rays movies were in stark contrast to the populist fare dished out to the masses. This further discouraged any scholarly discussion of Bollywood movies within cinematic and media study circles. Madhava Prasad (2003) a film scholar wonders about the significance of the term Bollywood (2003). It might be that being imitative Bollywood cinema needs to be rechristened to emphasize this derivativeness. In another context, Gokulsingh et al states that whereas Hollywood filmmakers strove to conceal the constructed nature of their work so that the realistic narrative was wholly dominant, Indian filmmakers made no attempt to conceal the fact that what was shown on the screen was a creation, an illusion, a fiction. Genre While movies like Pather Panchali comes under the genre of art cinema or parallel cinema, Bollywood movies come under the genre of Masala meaning a mixture of hot spices. The main characteristic of the Masala genre is the song and dance sequences, a critical factor in defining the particular genre. But audiences that invest social realism into cinema find it difficult to accept the genre as they are extraneous constructions of the real (Dudrah, 2002). It might be interesting to note that the term Bollywood does not signify Indian cinema as a whole but is confined to those movies emanating from Mumbai, the erstwhile Bombay (Corliss, 1996). Budget Any film begins with a budget which in turn necessitates financial backing. Another factor that delineates Pather Panchali and Bollywood movies is the matter of budgeting. Pather Panchali was shot with the meager budget of $3000 while Bollywood spends incredible amounts to make musical extravaganzas. Even a single dance scene from a Bollywood movie costs tens of thousands of dollars. Satyajit Ray could not afford even what to a Bollywood producer is an insignificant sum. The government of Rays home state contributed the lions share of the production costs of Pather Panchali. This never happens with Bollywood films. Film distributors around India are standing ready to advance princely amounts of cash to a masala movie emanating from Bolllywood. Monroe Wheeler, the then head of the prestigious Museum of Modern Art was greatly impressed with high levels of quality prevalent in Pather Panchali although what he saw at the time of his visit to Calcutta in 1954 was an incomplete footage. La ter Wheeler asked John Huston, the American movie director who was on a visit to Calcutta to look into the progress Rays debut movie. At Hustons favorable feedback, the Museum of Modern Art provided Ray with additional funds. Still three years had elapsed before the movie went into post-production (Mehta, 1998). Screenplay The screenplay for Pather Panchali was based on the Bengali novel of the same title by the popular novelist Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay. The novel was about the simple lives of people inhabiting the Bengal countryside of the period. Such a theme is generally anathema to Bollywood directors. Again, the scripts of Bollywood movies tend to be involved, complicated and resemble the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that somehow come together at the very end. In contrast Pather Panchali did not have even a whole script (Robinson, 2003) as it was solely based on Rays notes and drawings. His theme was simple enough with seemingly random sequences of trivial as well as significant sequences pieced together, a practice that is foreign to the mindset of Bollywood movie directors. Rather than dishing out a fare to assist the moviegoers to escape from the harsh realities of life even it is for a few hours as is the case with Bollywood movies, Ray wanted the script à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to retain some of the ra mbling quality of the novel because that in itself contained a clue to the feel of authenticity: life in a poor Bengali village does ramble (Ray, 1976). Quite unlike a Satyajit Ray movie, a bollywood film is replete with a plot that is extremely melodramatic in its connotations. Most of such movies follow a regular formula with ingredients that is often mindblogging to a serious movie goer. Such formulae is replete with love triangles, family ties, irate parents, corrupt politicians, conniving villains, kidnappers, golden hearted prostitutes, siblings long lost, sudden reversals of fortune, impossible coincidences and what not. Musical score The musical score consisting of Pather Panchali was prepared by the sitar maestro Ravi Shankar who at that time was at the initial stage of his musical development (Lavezzoli 2006). The background score, in the best tradition of Indian classical music, was something that was truly plaintive and exhilarating (Hoberman, 1995). A sound track that was based on the ragas of classical music and did not contain any songs to portray dance sequences was singularly at variance with the inane capers of Bollywood and something that was happening for the first time in the annals of Indian cinema. A Bollywood movie is an epitome of mediocrity with nothing to relate it with life as lived in India. The main emphasis is on musicals consisting of catchy tunes and words accompanied by a series of song-and-dance sequences. Even the theatricl trailers made to promote a movie have their emphasis on song and dance scenes The standard of a movie is based on mainly on the quality of the songs it features. In fact one major factor of movie promotion with Indian commercial movies in general is to release the songs that a movie contains far ahead of its release. A Satyajit Ray movie appeals to the filmgoer for the aesethetic sense it imparts. To see Pather Panchali was to have what MSN Carta defined as a cerebral experience (MSN Encarta).To understand such films the audience should have a sound notion of what a true movie should be as also expect them to be of a high standard. But it is not at all so in the case of Bollywood movies. Plagiarism in Bollywood Movies Bollywood script writers and music composers have a tendency to plagiarize from western sources and from Bengali and Malayalam movies of India which are of a comparatively high standard. Plot lines, ideas, tunes as well as riffs are fair game for Bollywood (Ayres Oldenburg, 2005). In the past Bollywood could get away with impunity as the movies were largely unknown to non-Indian viewers with the result that none had the faintest notion that ones materials was beeing plagiarized (Dudrah, 2002). Well known Bollywood Director Vikram Bhatt put it succinctly when he remarked Financially, I would be more secure knowing that a particular piece of work has already done well at the box office. Copying is endemic everywhere in India. Our TV shows are adaptations of American programmes. We want their films, their cars, their planes, their diet cokes and also their attitude. The American way of life is creeping into our culture. and also If you hide the source, youre a genius. Theres no such th ing as originality in the creative sphere. However some copyright violations were indeed resulted in litigation. For instance the Bollywood movies Zinda in 2005 and Partner in 2007 were taken to court for having plagiarized from the Hollywood movies Oldboy and Hitch respectively. Accolades Another point to note is that Rays films remains an important part of world cinema and he has received more accolade than any other Indian moviemaker. Noted critic Basil Wright made this comment after viewing Pather Panchali for the first time: I have never forgotten the private projection room at the British Film Institute during which I experienced the shock of recognition and excitement when, unexpectedly, one is suddenly exposed to a new and incontrovertible work of art (Chapman, 2003). For instance the noted film critic Constantine Santas opined that Ray developed a distinctive style of film-making (Santas, 2002). Moti Gokulsing and Wimal Dissanayake stated that the basis of Rays works is comprised of strong humanism and visual lyricism (Gokulsing Dissanayake, 2004). Roy had the singular honor of establishing himself as an auteur of cinema with his very first movie (Santas 2002). In contrast no Bollywood film has ever won an international award, won any critical claim or even special mention from anywhere in the world except in those pulp magazines singing paeans to the movie moguls of Bollywood and their mediocre creations; this in spite of the fact that Bollywood churns out more movies per annum than any other country in the world. Although Bollywood movies are immensely popular with India and Indians living abroad, many South Asians eye them with derision labeling them as maudlin and unrealistic. To quote Edward Johnsons aside as he was commenting on the film posters of Bollywood movies, Indian cinema has a reputation in the West founded more on myth than reality. Art directors such as Satyajit Ray are given fulsome praise whilst the majority of commercial cinema receives nothing but ridicule and the entire industry is pilloried as specious drossà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Johnson, 1987:2). Even scholarship in India which, at times, was dismissive of popular films as Technicolor fantasies catering to the masses. To them Bollywood movies were characterized by dance and music, melodramatic content, lavish production procedures and over emphasis on spectacles and stars. And this is why Bollywood films have attained box-office success and raving audiences within India as also globally and not because of aesthetic excellence or on any grounds of merit. . The evolution of Bollywood Cinema with its constant interruptions of dance and song sequences is cited as a critical feature distinguishing it from other cinemas (Gopalan 2002); it is often also cited as an impediment to serious cinema as well Bollywood apologists complain that their movies are evaluated in the glum shadow of European cinematic forms, epistemologies and aesthetics and that in the confines of these rubrics Bollywood movies become poor imitations of art, exhibiting a total lack of realism of any sort and so remain shallow spectacles of fanatastic settings and music. Conclusion In the latter half of the 20th century filmmakers as well as screen writers of a serious mien became frustrated with the then prevailing musical movies. They wanted to reverse this trend and take the Indian movie to a higher and saner realm. They wanted to develop an altogether new genre of movies that portrayed reality from an aesthetic perspective (Roy, 2008) and not mediocre escapist fare. The pioneering efforts of Satyajit Roy gave birth to a number of highly aesthetic and unforgettable movies from avant garde directors like Mrinal Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shyam Benegal and Girish Kasaravalli. And while it lasted no good thing lasts for long it was a real relief from the artifice universally distributed from the gaudy sets of Bollywood.

Pat Barkers Regeneration Essay -- Pat Barker Regeneration Essays

Pat Barker's Regeneration Pat Barker's Regeneration focuses on the troubled soldiers' mental status during World War One. Barker introduces the feelings soldiers had about the war and military's involvement with the war effort. While Regeneration mainly looks at the male perspective, Barker includes a small but important female presence. While Second Lieutenant Billy Prior breaks away from Craiglockhart War Hospital for an evening, he finds women at a cafe in the Edinburgh district (Barker 86). He comes to the understanding that the women are munitions workers. Women's involvement in war work in Regeneration shows the potential growth in women's independence, but at the expense of restrictions placed on men while they were on the front lines of battle. Munition-ettes during World War One took the places of their husbands, fathers, and brothers in order for the men to take up positions in the armed services (Braybon 45). Women working in munitions factories were mainly of the lower class; yet, roughly 9 percent of women working in the factories came from the middle to upper classes (Robb 45). Munition-ettes held responsibilities for making and filling shells and cartridges along with other basic cleaning duties, driving, and intense labor ("Twentieth Century"). They acquired some engineering skills that helped them in producing various weapons ("Twentieth Century"). Munition-ettes took the deployed soldiers' places in the factories as a way to show their patriotism as well as to earn a better living than in domestic jobs. Munition-ettes suffered the flaws in the system of gender bias when looking at equal pay: "many [women] left low-skill, low-wage jobs, especially in domestic service, for better paying skilled labor in ... ...atriots or strictly worked to increase their economic status, all these women were a testimonial to the home front effort as well as the effort to further their independence. Works Cited Barker, Pat. Regeneration. New York: Plume, 1993. Braybon, Gail. Women Workers in the First World War. Totowa, New Jersey: Barnes & Noble Books, 1981. Robb, George. British Culture and the First World War. New York: Palgrave, 2002. â€Å"Twentieth Century: Military The First World War 1914-18.† Dartford Town Archive. 13 April 2003 <http://www.dartfordarchive.org.uk/20th_century/military_ww1.shtml>. Home | By Category | By Page Number | Assignment Last update: 30 April 2003 Site Editor: Karin E. Westman, Assistant Professor of English, Kansas State University Contact Site Editor Karin Westman's Homepage | Department of English | Kansas State University

Assignment IKEA Case Study Essay

IKEA is a Swedish-owned global business founded in 1943. The business generates annual revenues of 27 billion euros and employs 139,000 people in 298 stores and 26 countries. The values and design philosophy of the founder continue to underpin the brand. These values might be summed up as frugal, democratic, environmentally aware, and design oriented. IKEA has become synonymous with Swedish lifestyle. The stores are virtually identical across the globe and sell a range of globally sourced flat-packed furniture products as well as a range of related furnishings for the home—the stores offer customers a Swedish experience by incorporating restaurants and a variety of customer services intended to simplify the shopping process (e.g., childcare). What is interesting about IKEA is that customers have become a significant part of the value creating process—customers play a key role in terms of logistics and in production. By performing the assembly of the flat-packed furniture, customers complete the final stages in the production process. In terms of logistics, the customer â€Å"moves† goods from warehouse-style storage through the checkout, and then transports the goods home. The trade-off for the consumer is lower prices and immediate gratification—furniture is typically sold using just in time (JIT) inventory management, which means that once a customer has placed an order, the furniture then goes into production and is delivered to the customer’s home some 3–4 months later. IKEA’s senior management has in the past pursued an aggressive expansion policy, but management is currently changing direction, adopting a slower rate of expansion and investing in existing stores. The company plans to increase sales by 10% a year to 2020, thereby doubling annual sales revenues. Management is concerned about how expansion in the BRIC countries, particularly India and China, is pursued. There are fears about preserving the company’s culture in these huge markets (Milne, 2013). Sources: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/this-is-ikea/company-information/index.html Milne, R. (2013, September 1). Ikea signals slower expansion. Financial Times. What do you think? What would you do? What problems do you foresee and how will this impact IKEA’s Swedish concept? Please recommend a marketing solution that will help IKEA achieve growth in either India or China based on your understanding of the place P and how delivering the value is evolving. Please use the case study guidelines below to perform a brief analysis, identify the problem, suggest alternative solutions, and make recommendations for the implementation of the solution that you believe is the best fit. Case Study Guidelines 1. Analysis of the Current Situation—The proper context must be established for the case analysis. Please provide a SWOT analysis in a SWOT box. Research: Identify the key environmental factors such as industry trends, level of competitiveness, customer perceptions, legal considerations, and evolving technology at the outset of the analysis. Summarize the key aspects of the internal environment of the firm in terms of strengths and weaknesses and the external environment in terms of opportunities and threats to the firm in your SWOT box. 2. The Target Market—Identify your target market: Who is your target customer? In terms of demographics and lifestyle, what aspects of consumer behavior provide insights into this group of customers? 3. The Problem—Identification of key problem(s). It is easy to identify symptoms of problems while failing to identify the real problems. For example, declining sales may be identified as a problem, when the decline is only symptomatic of more complex problems that are harder to observe. Make a  clear distinction between what is identified as the problem and the symptoms of the problems. 4. Alternative Solutions—Identify and evaluate alternatives. Develop reasonable alternatives and evaluate them in terms of feasibility, projected costs advantages, disadvantages, and potential short-term and long-term consequences. 5. Recommended Course of Action—Select a course of action and provide the appropriate strategies and tactics to accomplish the chosen course. Justify your choice in terms of your analysis. As most practitioners know, charting a course of action can be a difficult job, but implementation is the true challenge. Produce a workable action plan that would have a reasonable probability of success in the implementation phase. Develop a minimum of five slides to present the findings of your analysis. Some additional research is expected. The IKEA website is highly informative. Use APA format and include an additional slide with your sources. Assume that your analysis will be presented to the IKEA senior management team and that your job depends on it!

Where is God When it Hurts?

In this book Yancey is out to find out the root and any likely rationale to pain. He refers to pain as a gift that everybody rejects. However, he views pain as an alarm system that God has provided to us to help us keep to our senses. He discusses pain in term of physical, emotional and spiritual pain and assists us to comprehend why we suffer and how to deal with our own pain and that of others. He does this by answering five important questions as discussed below; Why is there such a thing as pain? Pain is not a later addition, God initiated it soon after Adam and Eve rebelled against Him. Yet, God did not make a mistake by introducing pain as it serves an important role in our body and spiritual health. Pain is crucial to a normal life as without pain our live would be laden with danger and devoid of many basic pleasures. Pain is a vital element of our most fulfilling experiences. Pain and pleasure are entangled as they work closely and are almost inseparable. Hence, despite being unpleasant, pain has some good and useful purposes. Pain and sufferings are there to teach us a lesson when God is displeased with our actions. God uses circumstances to warn and punish us in cases of wrongdoings (Yancey, 2003). Is pain a message from God? Pain and suffering are God’s means of waking up our senses when we have done something wrong. We should not view pain as a punishment but rather as a wake-up call for us to revive our purpose in life. Yancey tells us that when we see problems coming our way we should reexamine our action to see whether they conform to God’s requirements. God uses pain to convey the message that we are doing something the wrong way and to show us thus we need to adjust our course of action. How people respond to suffering? Most of the times, people question God when faced with pain and suffering by asking hard questions that men have always asked for thousands of years. As we encounter pain, we are confronted with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Majority of the people feel desperate and unable or ill-prepared to deal or handle the situation. However, we should find strength in Jesus. He gives us the grace we need to counter pain and suffering. How can we cope with pain? It is not easy to go through pain even for the greatest human beings. Anyone can break under pressure as Job did. However, we have a perfect example of Jesus Christ who successfully went through pain. Yancey is quick to point out that Jesus Christ is the only head of the church or Congregation that appeared on earth and experienced suffering as we do. We are encouraged by the fact that Jesus understands what we are going through and He knows that we can prevail over pain. Also, when we reflect at how Jesus suffered on the cross, it gives us the courage and power to bear the pain we are suffering. Jesus also left us the church in order we may help each other during times of pain (Yancey, 1996). How Does Faith help? Having faith in Christ is very important when it comes to suffering and pain. For example incase we are sick, we can be healed if only we trust that God is capable of healing us. Faith can make us move a mountain which means we can conquer any kind of pain if we exercise faith in Jesus Christ. So, incase of pain we only need to gather enough faith and this will give us the power to move on. Faith is as a critical quality we must manifest if we are to face the problems ahead of us. We should allow our faith to grow deeper through prayers and bible readings to enable us to face up pain and distress (Gaines, 2007). Personal Application Caregiver need to learn to listen, care and love their patients. Most caregiver no longer show any care for their patients. Pain and agony sometimes lead to discouragement and these people need someone to talk to and who can listen to them. Listening is one form of caring to such individuals. Listening to those in pain can lead to curing of emotional pain. The course of healing is involves a humble and challenging task of generating and presenting a friendly environment where those in pain can reflect on their pain and distress without fear and create in them the confidence that makes them search for new ways to solve their problems. The listener acts as a reflecting mirror to the sufferer. This allows the person to spot his or her feelings which mean that he/she is able to understand her/his problem better and he/she is in a position to starts the process of solving the problem. The patients have many piled up emotions which need to be expressed and listened to by a caring and humble person. Those in pain cannot hear the listener unless the listener first listens to all their pain (Chapman, 2006). We have always asked ourselves, where is God when it hurts? But I think the most appropriate question is where the church is when it hurts? The church must understand its followers and know those who are under pain and to comfort those who are affected. The church should be there for them for example visiting them in hospitals, sharing with them consoling scriptures from the bible and even most importantly listening to them. We need to praise God not only for the good things He does to us but also during hard times. We only seem to praise God in times of joys and happiness but blame him in cases of problems some of which maybe of our own creation.

AIDS Medicine

In a world where everything seems to have an equivalent price, doing some treatment to alleviate the sufferings from AIDS becomes only a dream for most victims. Because of the high costs of medical instruments and medications for the treatment of the disease, not all people are getting the most appropriate resolution for their health problems. In light of technological advancements in the field of health care, too many people are still on the verge of suffering because of the impact of commercialism to the industry lead by the capitalists’ point of view. The argument presented by President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa was the most significant intuition if the world population would really want to arrive at a solution for the problem induced by AIDS. No one else in the world knows better than Mbeki about the sufferings of his countrymen, not because of AIDS but because of a more dreaded situational problem-the cost of the AIDS treatment. Seriously enough, medical products for the treatment of the said disease are very steep for an ordinary person to avail. It is sometimes very ironic that with the availability of the modernized science, there are still very wide gaps which reflect the kind of living different people has. The scope of the problem about AIDS becomes very little compared to the scope of the problems induced by monopolized character of the capitalists. Giving more reasonable prices for AIDS medicines can always be maintained as long as the capitalist sectors will cooperate. Unfortunately, the world is not used to playing at its chances especially when it comes to money. People can sacrifice their ethical and moral responsibility just for the sake of saving even the tiniest penny for profit. Because of such scenario, it was a good opportunity that Mbeki greatly encouraged the international community to stand by what is considered to be of greater ethical goal-to deliver the right medical product and services at costs affordable to the general public. In his deliberations about the process, he was able to signify how each little steps of reform can arrive at a significant resolution. He was very clear on his opinion that making the medicines available at much cheaper prices will bring the worth of scientific knowledge to better perspectives. In such a case, his outlined procedures can be a very effective tool to combat the monopolistic attitude of the investing world. First, it was a very good suggestion to encourage the greater population to step up a call for a cheaper price for all medical products for AIDS. This will at least give a consensus that capitalists are no longer reliable sectors in the aspect of world economic order. Second, Mbeki’s suggestion to let government’s fund or at least subsidize the expenses for research and development is one very good approach to allocate the international capital for an appropriate cause. Thirdly, his call for international unity about setting a particular organized department is one big positive idea. This way, nations will be able to effectively monitor whatever the current market trends will be in terms of medical pricing. Moreover, each of the world states will gain access to a wide number of alternatives to acquire cheaper medicines for their respective populations. Human knowledge is a wonderful gift that should only be used for the betterment of all people concerned. But with high prices of medications for AIDS, this ethical notion may just be compromised especially if people under the poverty line would not be able to avail cheaper medicine products for the disease.

The Future of Cybersecurity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Future of Cybersecurity - Essay Example As we have seen $14 billion has been invested by the U.S federal government to empower its security sector (Amoroso & Amoroso, 2007). This research aims to answer some of the important questions that are associated with cyber security. In this scenario, this paper attempts to answer the questions such as what changes need to occur in the cyber security industry of the future and why. And is cyber security becoming more important to national security than the security of kinetic weaponry? The outburst of Cyber Assault The countries which are currently attacking United States include China and Russia. In fact, the chances of cyber security attacks have increased to a huge extent from these two nations because of their original revival in the global economy. The United States has been accusing both China and Russia of current attacks that the United States has been experiencing. The current technological advancement has greatly influenced several nations which have mainly exposed China, United States, UK and Bangladesh. It is quite expected that physical defense associated with countries particularly talking about USA will be affected which mainly with cyber terrors. Threats for controlling systems can be associated from various resources especially antagonistic governments, terrorist associations (staysafeonline.org, 2013). Additionally, for ensuring confidentiality and privacy in the informatics, it is exceedingly recommended that there should be a national level association to demeanor the in vogue studies and prepare reports on issues in the works at the crossroads of cyber attacks and privacy, society level suggested boards that would help speak to these issues from local or community perspectives. In addition, there is also a risk that even the restricted public cyber attacks that have been modeled after the ethics committees to take in hand the explicit situations concerning health data and privacy should be working in order to preserve the restrictions rel ated to the field of cyber security. In this scenario, some of the major suggestions regarding implementation of security measures to deal with these cyber attacks include adopting the restricted, well defined, well practiced and fruitful public security requirements, including a focused assessment of security attentiveness for all public systems, and contemplation for split funding of the work compulsory to achieve ample security. It is an admitted fact that securing the rights of the people and retaining their due confidence is the responsibility taken up by the government and this has been very intensely regulated by institutions (govtrack.us, 2012). President Obama perception on Cyber Attacks A Cyber security executive orders were issued by the president of the U.S.A, Barack Obama, drew the attention by proposing policies that could defend the country from the current torment of cyber attacks

Liquid Level Detection by Using Optical Sensors in Riyadh Wastewater Dissertation

Liquid Level Detection by Using Optical Sensors in Riyadh Wastewater Treatment Station - Dissertation Example C Damping coefficient ODEs Second order linear r Root of equation Acknowledgment I would like to thank my supervisor Professor Gui Tian strongly for being supportive and an excellent guidance throughout the duration of this work. My thanks must also go to Professor Matthew Armstrong for his advice regarding the control part of this project on. I would like to thank yassir Ali Bouraee for helping me in the fluid system control. List of contents Abstract......................................................................................... 1 List of Symbols and Acronyms...................................................... 3 Acknowledgements.............................................................................. 4 List of contents..................................................................................... 5 Chapter 1:Background 7 1.1 Introduction 1.2.1 What are wastewater treatment stations ....................... 9 1,2.2 What are the wastewater sources 1.2.3 What are the wastewater release gases Chapter 2: literature review 10 2.1 Introduction 2.2 The principle of liquid level detection and importance 2.3 Point liquid level detections techniques................................. 13 2.3.1 Magnetic and Mechanical float level sensors 2.3.2 Pneumatic level sensors 2.3.3 Conductive level... The main aim of this project is to find the proper liquid level sensors between these two sensors for working in Riyadh wastewater treatment station. By the end of the project, one of the main reason which causes a problem to the ultrasonic level sensors at Riyadh station came up which is a high temperature or temperatures Variety. According to Monitoring weather center in Riyadh, the average temperature at the summer time between 40-55 degree in the day time and the moisture in Riyadh is very low. Therefore the ultrasonic sensor might get affected by the Variety of temperatures or high temperature. As result of low moisture and high temperatures, I think the proper sensor for Riyadh wastewater station is the optical infrared sensors. In part of characteristics consideration for both sensors to select the suitable one for wastewater environment, the accuracy of the optical sensor for detecting the distance between the sensor and the liquid level is noticed even though the variations of surrounding temperature and sunlight intensity. The sensor was affected by dirt and misroute. The ultrasonic sensor is able to detect the distance even though the variations in moisture content, dirt and surrounding sunlight intensity. And, the sensor was severely affected by the difference of the surrounding temperature. Finally, both sensors can be used as distance detection sensor in the wastewater treatment field,† if a careful consideration is given to the characteristics of both sensors with improvement on problems pointed out in this study†.

9-4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

9-4 - Essay Example The most interesting thing I learned about Spain is the increased immigration rate. Government literally did nothing to restrict the immigration. But after 9/11 Spanish government is thinking in terms of restricting the immigration. â€Å"Up to the 1960s Spain had a highly traditional class structure that was dominated by agricultural workers: generally peasant farmers in the north and landless farm labourers in the south† (MSN Encarta) but, since 1960s agriculture has exhausted and the industrial development has started. Upper middle class has grown considerably during this period. Most of the women in the family remain as house wife till 1970. But the industrial revolution has affected their life also. Most of the educated women started to work and the family life concepts were changed since then. Spanish families have much more contact with their neighbours compared to other western countries. Spanish people normally eat lots of fish and meat. They usually take food 5 times a day. The country has a very long border with lots of fishing-harbours where you can buy fresh fish. (Eating habits in Spain) â€Å"The Spanish are formal by culture and the handshake is still the customary form of greeting but a kiss on both cheeks is normal reserved to those known well. When invited into a private home a small gift (but not flowers), is always is always appreciated. Flowers are reserved for very special occasions† (Spain-Barcelona-Entertainment) â€Å"In 2007, Spain imported goods valued at $370.1 billion and exported goods valued at $239.4 billion. (MSN Encarta) With the increased rate of import compared to export resulted in significant trade deficit. Motor vehicles, basic metals, fruits and vegetables are the major exported items. Agriculture is one of the significant contributors to the Spanish economy. In the 17th century, Spain’s painters and image makers would bring forth a golden age of art.  Religious imagery was a uniquely Spanish folk art form. Spain has

Women Power and Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Women Power and Politics - Essay Example It occurs not because they are less active, but because their presence in parliament or in judiciary is minor. Society of today does not think of politics as men's place, however, the treatment of woman-politician and man-politician is still not the same. European countries are supporting involvement of women in politics because citizens of these states believe that a woman is more caring and thoughtful about her nation and treats all people as her children. As Amy Sowder has noted, Ireland, Latvia, Finland, Philippines and other countries have voted for a female president, while the Americans would never do the same choice. Why Does it mean that American citizens do not trust women and do not believe in their ability to lead the country to the further prosperity It has been noted at the first lecture that women use practical gender difference as the major concepts. I agree, because the American society is used to assumption that women are supposed to be subordinated by men and for this reason there is no place for them in politics. Amy Sowder used the words of Marie Young, Escambia Country commissioner, who said that men really believe that politics is their place, but because they cannot prevent women from political involvement they act as if men are just letting women to do it. Even though the article is written purely from feminine side, the point that women are able to push for change through teachers and parents is interesting and is reasonable. This quote is directly related to the concept of gender GAP - when people vote on the basis of gender. Women tend to express greater concern for social services and are more affected than man in this issue. Therefore, women are more community oriented while men are more power oriented. For this reason there should be a balance between women and men representation in politics. The author of the article "Women in Sudan" is focused on the representation of women in politics in Islamic countries. It is well-known that women from Islamic countries are lacking most of the rights granted to women in the rest of the world. However, the author notes that today the Islamic society has much changed: women present a strong exterior, possess toughness of mind and spirit. It to look at Sudanese women, it can be boldly said they females in Sudan are in much better position than in other more developed countries. For example, the quota system was developed under which women are guaranteed the seats in federal and state legislature. 25 percent of all federal seats are granted to women. The community understands that women can be effective in politics and change the life of citizens to better. The author expressed his opinion in the final two sentences: "It is very clear that there claims by newspapers such as 'The Times' that women's rights are in their "infancy" simply do not reflect the reality of the position, status and activities of women in Sudan. The fact is that within the Arab and Islamic world Sudan has led the way with regard to women's social, political and economic rights." I agree with this claim, but I wonder why the Islamic world were women were always in minor position has realized the benefits of women's participation in politics while United States has not I do think that women in politics are feministic issue because both men and women have equal abilities to think, to lead and to

Analysis of Private Prisons Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of Private Prisons - Research Paper Example These and many other factors cause an increase in the number of illegalities, increased crime rates and thereby overcrowding of prisons. With the increase in the number of offenders, there is a need to substitute government (public) prisons, hence, the need for private prisons (Shefer & Liebling, 2008). The second factor that led to the increase in privatization of prisons is capitalism. Previously, prisons were a form of social cleansing as it was a way of getting rid of extreme deviants regarded as a threat to social tranquility. However, capitalism saw the change of this view; people regard prisons as a business entity and, therefore, a means to make a living (Shefer & Liebling, 2008). Evidence shows that the government, through respective states, aggressively bids for the incarceration of offenders in private prisons. The reasons remain similar to the onset of privatization of prisons. The government wants to reduce overcrowding in prisons and cut the costs of running the penal j ustice system. The government also argues that hiring private contractors is cheaper than training state employees so as to make them proficient (Shefer & Liebling, 2008). ...The companies that run private prisons amass wealth and build political ties. With these powers, the companies influence politicians and other political entities to pass policies that support higher rates of incarceration. Secondly, these prisons somewhat handpick their inmates (Shefer & Liebling, 2008). This allows them to engage low-cost offenders while the backlog of high maintenance offenders goes back to the public sector. High maintenance can include patients suffering from costly diseases such as diabetes or those incapable of labor due to a disability (Reisig & Pratt, 2004). The privatization of prisons has a negative effect not only on the inmates but also society. Nurge (2004) reports that at the onset of privatization of prisons, there was a cordial relationship between the prison guards and the pris oners. The management of the prisons was also better or matched the standards of public prisons. However, in recent times, new statistics show that private prisons are facing the same negative issues as public ones. This is in regard to prisoners’ relationship with the guards and the adequacy of prison facilities (Shefer & Liebling, 2008). There are several possible explanations for this situation. Some researchers claim that previously, the prison guards in private prisons were free of the penal system corruption. With time, however, they got assimilated and developed the survival for the fittest technique common in public prisons. The guards now mistreat the inmates and engage in other forms of corruption detrimental to the safety of the inmates.