China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation Essay

The net profit figure of RMB 19,011 reported under PRC GAAP was increased to RMB 21,593 under IFRS. The increase of RMB 2,582 under IFRS was due to the following reasons: Dep. and disposal of oil and gas properties RMB3,044 Acquisition of subsidiaries 443 Capitalization of general borrowing costs 389 Gain from issuance of shares by subsidiary 136 Gain from debt restructuring 82 Revaluation of land use rights 18 4,112 Unrecognized losses of subsidiaries (182) Pre-operating expenditures (169) Effect on taxation (1,179)(1,530) 2,582 The net profit figure of RMB 21,593 reported under IFRS was increased to RMB 25,577 under U.S. GAAP. The increase of RMB 3,984 under U.S. GAAP was due to the following reasons: Dep. of revalued PPE RMB 3,998 Disposal of PPE 1,316 Capitalized interest on invest.in associates 141 Reversal of deficits on revaluation of PPE 86 Foreign exchange gains and losses76 Reversal of impairment of long-lived assets 47 Exchange of assets23 Capitalization of PPE12 5,699 Deferred tax effect of U.S. GAAP adjustments (1,715) 3,984 2.The differences for CPCC between PRC GAAP and IFRS, and between IFRS and U.S. GAAP are given in the case. As mentioned in the case, treatments of the following items under PRC GAAP and IFRS are different: Depreciation and disposal of oil and gas properties Capitalization of general borrowing costs Acquisition of subsidiaries Gains from issuance of shares by a subsidiary Gains from debt restructuring Revaluation of land use rights Unrecognized losses of subsidiaries Pre-operating expenditures Impairment loses on long-lived assets Government grants (Refer pp.5-72 – 5-75 in the textbook) Treatments of depreciation and disposal of oil and gas properties seem to have a significant impact on reported profit. As mentioned in the case, treatments of the following items under IFRS and U.S. GAAP are different: Foreign exchange gains and losses Capitalization and revaluation of property, plant and equipment Exchange of assets Impairment of long-lived assets Capitalization of interest on investment in associates Goodwill amortization Companies included in consolidation Related party transactions (Refer pp.5-77 – 5-82) Treatments of depreciation of revalued property, plant and equipment, and disposal of property, plant and equipmentseem to have a significant impact on reported profit 3.U.K. readers of the financial statements may not find them very useful, as the information is not reconciled to the U.K. GAAP. There are differences between U.K. GAAP and IFRS, and between U.K. GAAP and U.S. GAAP. With the adoption of IFRS in the EU, this may not be a major problem anymore. However, UK companies use IFRS as adopted by the EU which in some cases differs from the IFRS issued by the IASB. 4.U.S. readers should find the information useful. However, it would be better for them if the information was reconciled directly from PRC GAAP to U.S. GAAP. 5.When a company is listed on a foreign stock exchange, it is always useful to explain the differences, if any, between accounting standards used in  preparing financial statements, and those that are stipulated by the listing requirements. The need for such explanation is reduced if the two sets of standards are comparable. However, differences can still exist due to different interpretations of the requirements. Therefore, the approach taken by CPCC can be recommended to other companies.

Rothschilds Fiddle

Jackson Weeks Harold English 101 1-31-13 Chekhov’s Use of Futliarnost to Develop Yakov and the Importance of Morals in â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle† Futliarnost, a Russian literature theme which is often present in Anton Chekhov’s short stories, is when a character is encased in a situation and can not escape. In â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle†, Yakov is entrapped in an almost trance like state, that is brought about by loss and remorse in his life. â€Å"Is Yakov ever released from this state, through Marfa’s death, or any other instance and does Chekhov intend for the reader to see one single moral in this story? Chekhov uses irony and ambiguity to develop Yakov â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle† into a deeper character as well. Chekhov uses one particular irony which is central to this short story. Yakov is evidently depressed for much if not all of his life, as he is always worrying about his income and his wasted opportunities in l ife. But ironically he is arguably more depressed and miserable after he realizes how meaningless his whole life has been. It is at this point when he is finally more alive than he has ever been, but because he is looking back on his life he wants to die more than ever.Yakov â€Å"reflected that death would be nothing but a benefit; he would not have to eat or drink, or pay taxes or offend people, and, as a man lies in his grave not for one year but for hundreds and thousands, if one reckoned it up the gain would be enormous. A man's life meant loss: death meant gain. † With this realization it can be said that Yakov only becomes more depressed. This is sad to see because as a reader we finally see someone that finally has much about life figured out, but it is in his last moments, and he is more miserable than ever.Chekhov Weeks 2 uses this passage to help develop the sense of futliarnost even more than it already is. Yakov was already trapped in a state of depression, knowi ngly or not, and when he finally realizes this at the end of his life he only becomes more depressed. The change that comes about because of this further misery is negative, as Yakov finally realizes many, if not all, of his faults in life yet he is at a point in his life where he can no longer change his ways enough to make up for all of his past mistakes.This is the point in which a moral can be deduced. Perhaps a moral of live life so that you have no regrets would be appropriate. But we must ask ourselves if Chekhov meant for a moral to be brought away from â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle†. Based on the writing style it is safe to assume that a moral is applicable. Chekhov gives â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle† folk like qualities which suggest there is a moral. Although this moral is very cliched, it certainly applies to Yakov. It is not saying live life with no regrets, rather live life so that you will have no regrets.If Yakov had treated Marfa better and not yelled at her and not caused her pain he likely would not have been as miserable in the end as he was. But it is also worth noting that some of the most beautiful music came about because of one mans suffering, and made many other lives better. Chekhov is intentionally ambiguous here, as he likely does not mean to only teach one lesson through this story. There are many lessons that can be taken away, and this is one of the beautiful things about Chekhov’s writings, especially â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle†.Etymologically, the word ‘ambiguity’ means being able to push something from both ends [ambo-ago] and also, figuratively, to think about something in two different and even irreconcilable ways (Pazzagli 1505). Chekhov has many ambiguities in his writings in order to leave much interpretation up to the reader. The reader must decide whether to accept both meanings of a statement or choose between the two. Based on which approach a reader uses, the Wee ks 3 same passage can have completely different meanings. One example of this ambiguity comes when Marfa dies.Chekhov writes that her face turned â€Å"rosy with fever, unusually bright and joyful-looking† In this excerpt Chekhov states that Marfa is sick, and also that she was joyful. Perhaps she was just rosy from the fever, or more likely just relieved that she was finally going to be released from her dreary life of being frightened by Yakov, mistreated, and not appreciated. Even though Marfa only has a small presence in the text, she is a great tool for Chekhov. She is used to bring up Yakov’s past. Marfa says â€Å"Do you remember fifty years ago God gave us a little baby with flaxen hair?We used always to be sitting by the river then, singing songs . . . under the willows,† and laughing bitterly, she added: â€Å"The baby girl died. † Yakov did not remember his baby from years ago. Yakov had shut out most of his past, and only thought of profit and losses. However when Yakov later goes and sits beneath the tree and finally remembers their child, the reader is not ever sure as to whether he actually remembers the child, or if it is just a figment of his imagination. Another ambiguity is when Yakov leaves the cemetary after Marfa’s burial it is said that he didn’t feel well.However it is never clarified if he is physically ill, or emotionally ill. If Yakov is only emotionally ill and ends up dying from this it would indicate that Yakov is much more deeply connected to Marfa than has previously been shown. This would perpetuate the theme of loss, because if he was extremely close to his wife, then her loss is only that much more painful to him. Loss is surely the main recurring theme throughout â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle†. Yakov in the beginning is complaining about lost profits, and lost work time, which in hindsight seem petty, compared to the loss of his wife, and the loss of the memory of his child .After Yakov’s epiphany it is apparent that he has felt remorse over the loss of the wrong things. If he had not been so interested in money he might have spent more time with his wife, and treated better, and he would Weeks 4 have perhaps had a better relationship with her. Chekhov is said to be the father of the stream of conscious writing style, which follows a character’s thoughts. With Yakov this becomes particularly interesting after the death of Marfa because we see just how miserable his life becomes.We see Yakov sitting on the riverbank, beneath the tree just thinking back on his missed opportunities and his lost and forgotten child. Later we see just how sorrowful Yakov has become, when he is just sitting in his doorway playing his fiddle, producing mournful tunes. The stream of consciousness writing style also puts emphasis on the change that takes place in Yakov. The reader sees how Yakov transforms from miserable because of his own losses, to miserable bec ause of the loss of others. Yakov follows the pattern that many of Chekhov’s characters set before him, by bringing attention to Russia’s changing landscape.One thing that Chekhov shows subtly in most of his works was his appreciation of Russia’s natural environment (Quinault 33). Chekhov voiced his sadness at the destruction of ancient hardwood forests in his short story, â€Å"Rothschild's Fiddle† (1894) and, more prominently, in his major plays. (Quinalt 33). In â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle† Chekhov writes â€Å"On the other bank, where now there was the water meadow, in those days there stood a big birchwood, and yonder on the bare hillside that could be seen on the horizon an old, old pine forest used to be a bluish patch in the distance.Big boats used to sail on the river. But now it was all smooth and unruffled, and on the other bank there stood now only one birch-tree, youthful and slender like a young lady. † Even though this is only a small part of â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle† it shows some of Chekhov’s interests outside of literature. Perhaps Yakov realizes the loss of this forest and this is just one more loss to go along with all of the other losses that have happened throughout the story. Yakov is in a depressed state throughout the story, both before Marfa’s death and after. Weeks 5Even though her death was the big event of the story and what made Yakov realize how miserable his life had been, it still was not enough to release him from the feeling of misery he was trapped in. It was just enough for him to realize how miserable his life had been before and send him deeper into depression because he realized he had lost Marfa, who was the one thing in his life he truly should have cared about. The significance of drawing this conclusion is that we see Chekhov following his usual pattern of a character being entrapped for the whole story, and still not escaping.One ambiguity t hat the reader is left with is that of whether a moral can should be deduced. Since Yakov produced some of the most beautiful and sad music. Even though Yakov was in such a miserable state his whole life, his music was beautiful and brightened other lives, It can be argued that no moral was meant to be drawn from â€Å"Rothschild’s Fiddle†. Perhaps one could go on to research Chekhov as a writer and see if he typically consciously included some style of moral in his stories. Weeks 6 Works Cited Pazzagali, Adolfo. â€Å"Ambiguity. † International Journal of Psychoanalysis . 3. 6 (2012): 1505-1508. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. Quinalt, Roland. â€Å"Chekhov and Conservation. † History Today. 60. 2 (2010): 32-34. Web. Chekhov, Anton. â€Å"The Literature Network. † Rothschild's Fiddle. N. p. , 10 Mar 2005. Web. 4 Feb 2013. Note: I still do not have Microsoft Word and I attempted to indent my long quotes 10 spaces on GoogleDocs but I was not able to without inde nting the whole paragraph that the quote was contained in. This is why I left quotations around my quotes.. If you must take off for this I understand, but if you could be a little lenient that would be great!

Artificial Intelligence in Business Applications

Artificial Intelligence in Business Applications Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Business functions that can/cannot be automated INTRODUCTION Computer systems today are a part of almost all businesses; this is because they provide us, along with the added use of the Internet, with a variety of means that made business operations easier, productivity higher, and communication processes faster. Computers and the programs (or the software applications that are installed on them) along with the robotic systems do a great amount of the tasks that were previously performed by the employees and/or workers themselves. This transformation, towards an automated work environment, saved businesses a lot of unwanted expenses, a lot of time, and caused profits to increase steadily. Computers substituted, in different business structures, classical machines and tools, such as the calculator, the fax, the telephone, the photocopier and many more. The automation of different business functions led many organisations and companies to a higher level in what concerns production and management. But the point that should be understood is that even though many processes and functions related to businesses and organisations have been automated, there are still many aspects that are not, or that cannot be, automated for a wide range of reasons. BUSINESS FUNCTIONS The main objective of any business is to achieve success. To be able to reach success, an organisation needs to have an effective structure because any entity depends exclusively on two factors which are management and use of information. An efficient use of information systems can allow an easier and faster access to data that are essential for the workflow and for the quality of that work and, therefore, can assist the management in performing its duties in the best possible manner and in making the right decisions at the right times. In order to achieve such objectives, specific business functions should be established and specific tasks should be performed. Every k ind of business and every organisation, depending on the nature of their operations, the products or services that are provided by them, their geographic location, and depending on the management and production schools that they relate to, have different business functions, but there are certain generic functions that apply to all kinds of businesses all over the world. These functions are usually general management, information management, operations management, marketing, finance and accounting, and human resources. Lan and Unhelkar (2005) identify the various generic business functions by stating that they are the function of Management and Administration which is the department whose tasks are to â€Å"corporate resources, corporate image, quality in all aspects, industrial relations, stakeholders relations, productivity, [and] promotion,† the function of Human Resources that should deal with â€Å"job analysis, position classification, employee training, employee select ion, employee auditing and promotion† in addition to other related tasks, the function of Finance and Accounts that is responsible for â€Å"the capital operations required by the entire enterprise activities†¦ the funds required by management, administration, sales, marketing, human resources, [and] purchasing,† the function of Purchase and Procurement, the function of Sales and Marketing, and the function of Customer Care or Customer Support.

MGT499 MOD 4 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MGT499 MOD 4 SLP - Essay Example This strategic plan include the induction of most innovative products backed by solid research of its research facilities, maintaining diversity of portfolio, cost effective and low cost medicine and achieving efficiency and effectiveness through its human and material resources. (Novartis, 2011). The Cost Leadership component of Porter’s competitive strategies is the most important but difficult objective to be achieved especially, in pharmaceutical industry where quality compromise is not an option at all. The only way out to achieve competitively lower prices of products is through savings on procurements, cost effective production and advantageous use of supply chain. To ensure cost leadership the company has improved its internal processes to save production cost in order to provide relief to the consumer. ICIS, trusted market intelligence for the global chemical and energy industries states the cost effective procedures of the Novartis in these words, â€Å"Operational efficiency initiatives have made progress to improve speed, flexibility and productivity while freeing up resources. On this basis, it has launched a companywide project â€Å"Forward† to provide annual cost savings of approximately $1.6bn in 2009 and 2010.† (ICIS, n.d.). The differentiation is mainly achieved through wide range research and diversified portfolio. Research and diversification complements each other to ensure differentiation. The company wide research facilities have contributed a long way into achieves uniqueness in its products. Afinitor, a potential breakthrough for advanced kidney cancer, the vaccine Menveo for protection against four meningococcal meningitis serogroups and Extavia (interferon beta-1b) for patients with certain forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) are few examples of thoroughly researched innovative products of Novartis to ensure a level of differentiation with its competitors. (ICIS, n.d.). The diversification of portfolio is an way

Course Project Part 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Course Project Part 2 - Coursework Example These two ground are enough to take up this project. Depreciation is a non cash expense and it is also tax deductible. The depreciation is first reduced from the operating income to get earnings before interest and taxes. The amount of depreciation deducted is then added back in the cash flow statements to get the operating cash flows. We know that the net present value is determined by the cash flows expected from the project therefore; this non cash expense eventually increases the cash flows of the project. Ultimately, the net present value of the cash flows will increase which is beneficial for the company. In addition to the above, a company which opts for straight line depreciation method will have equal positive cash flows every year. For example: Depreciation of $100,000 per year, with an income tax of 35%, saves $35,000 of taxes each year and that amount is accounted as a positive cash flow. This amount is also known as the depreciation tax shield. Sunk Cost is a sum of money which has already been spent and it is not recoverable. It is essential to understand because many people feel intuitively that if an investment is made then it is essential to get a return on it. This will lead to rejection of one course of action which favors the other one to actually generate smaller cash flows. One needs to understand that sunk costs are irrelevant to financial decisions. Opportunity cost is a profit that is forgone by not investing in a particular opportunity. This is particularly true when there are mutually exclusive projects and you have to choose the best out of two good projects. The profit forgone from not choosing the other project is your opportunity cost (Shim & Siegel, 2008). Erosion is the slow but sure redirection of funds from profitable sections or projects within a business to new project and areas. It is considered to be an investment in the long, money flowing in new

A Diamond Personality Paper Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Diamond Personality Paper - Case Study Example This paper will determine the possible characteristics or qualities of an entrepreneur who seeks to achieve his goal. Factors that Contributed to Rodriguez’s Success The success of Oscar Rodriguez, an entrepreneur who ventured on selling diamonds online as middleman between buyer and supplier lies on several qualities he have: perseverance, attention to details, a will to maintain his own income-streaming business, and a discipline to keep things in perspective. This mean that Rodriguez may feel and experience failure and disappointments but he persevered and determined to continue and find ways to address the obstacles such as the unwillingness of suppliers to provide him with diamonds, the discouragement of one supplier about online selling of such a precious commodity, the lack of big capital, and failure in retailing. Perseverance, determination, and the drive to go after something are some of the most elusive characteristics among the majority of people. These characteris tics are similar and will be discussed on this portion as one. When an entrepreneur is determined to pursue success in his venture, he is not easily daunted by setbacks or failures but instead learn from them. Many individuals may feel they are losers when negative experiences happen. However, the determined entrepreneur like Rodriguez will not mull on his failure or loss but instead move on and find other possibilities (Marquez, 2007) linked or not linked with his current venture. There are a lot of challenges in every business venture (Fenton and Inglis, 2007) and these never seem to cease. The business environment is fraught with problems and issues including but not limited to capital investment, partnerships, supplier and employee relations, public and social responsibility, image, while keeping the business afloat, and many others (Ghosh, 2008). By adopting means and ways to address perceived and experienced business challenges, the business organization will be able to minimi ze risks and loses, but not exactly eliminate them. All these are experienced by Rodriguez. But acceptance of the inevitable challenges comes with the venture. Success in a business enterprise does not always mean being at the right place at the right time. It did not take a single shot for Rodriguez to experience success. First, his retail shop closed. Then, the supplier or dealer he approached did not believe in his proposal. His determination to proceed and succeed made the difference. Rodriguez Score on the Big Five Dimensions of Personality I believe that Rodriguez’ highest score on the Big Five dimension of personality is on conscientiousness. He pursued his business plan tenaciously and in complementing order with the other dimensions of personality including openness to experience, extraversion and agreeableness. He was determined to continue the business he started, only on another platform instead of the retail high-street or mortar one. He went online instead and s ought the opportunities available for him. Conscientiousness is defined as the tendency to be self-disciplined and acting on self-imposed duty with the aim to achieve something. This is also seen with leadership abilities as conscientiousness also shows a person who work as planned. Rodriguez may at times act on impulse but upon analysis of possibilities for a venture, he sought which should be done and the course of his business venture. He hired the right persons, connected with the willing dealer-suppliers, and pursued possibilities for his venture. Rodriguez showed an openness to experience when he dabbled on jewelry despite his lack of knowledge on it and upon the

Animals should be used for scientific research Essay

Animals should be used for scientific research - Essay Example According to Botting and Morrison, even history proves the usefulness of animals in medical research as the scientist Louis Pasteur himself used chickens to study cholera, and rabbits and guinea pigs to study anthrax. Through his study using animals, he was able to develop not only an idea on the nature of the disease but also on immunization. Moreover, the development of vaccines and antibiotics that saved millions of lives made use of animals in laboratory testing, such as the use of rabbits and mice in the development of the Hemophilus influenza vaccine that saved hundreds of children annually from death or severe brain damage. Indeed, animal research has saved millions of lives. Secondly, animals are used for research in order to further improve animal production, and in the process to gain insights on human health. According to information from the Rutgers School, animals are being studied for the prevention of tumors in animals, for the prevention of cancers, blood clotting, he art disease and infection, for the successful development of clones, for the control of reproduction, and for the improvement of the well-being of many animals like horses. At the same time, animal research can help medical professionals gain insight on the nature of tumor formation in human cancers (â€Å"Research†). Therefore, without this procedure, there is no direction for research on human cancer. Without prior research using animals, preventive measures for humans would not be formulated and possible medical treatment would not be realized. However, many non-government groups oppose the use of animals for scientific research. The members of these groups usually fight for animal rights and for the prevention of cruelty to animals. However, governments like that of the United Kingdom assure the public that the use of animals for research is â€Å"carefully regulated† (â€Å"Research and testing using animals†). Moreover, according to the American Associatio n for Laboratory Animal Science, there is strict control of the use of animals in laboratory testing and research. This is based on laws like the Animal Welfare Act of the United States. These laws help monitor animals and make sure that pain in any way is alleviated if not eliminated. Furthermore, caging and feeding of these animals are properly monitored and carefully ensured (â€Å"Animal Research FAQ†). Moreover, those who conduct animal research have been issued licenses, and only those with a license would be able to properly monitor the safety of these animals and would be able to alleviate the pain that they are supposed to suffer (â€Å"Understanding Animal Procedures†). Nevertheless, those who fight for animal rights are actually relentless especially when it comes to the use of marmosets for the development of the cure for Parkinson’s disease (McKie). What animal rights advocates are protesting is the deliberate injection of Parkinson’s disease into these marmosets. However, most of these animal rights advocates basically are uninformed regarding the procedures and potential benefits of such experiments, and that they do not realize that the pain experienced by these marmosets is monitored and alleviated by medical experts. Besides, the benefits of finding a cure for Parkinson’ disease are far greater considering that hundreds of thousands of people in the United Kingdom and an even larger figure in the United States can be spared from suffering in case the

Paradoxically, although modernity appeared to be a threat to Essay

Paradoxically, although modernity appeared to be a threat to Christianity, it had been nurtured, in significant part, by Christ - Essay Example Modernity mainly believes in what it sees and in the current living style only. It is for this reason that modernity is greatly affected by factors such as fashion trends, money, and status. On the other hand, Christianity believes that there is something more to staying alive and surviving in the world (Asad, 2003, 18). Therefore, clearly it appears modernity may be a threat to Christianity (Augustine, Pusey & William, 2011, 32). However, despite these threats caused by modernity, it has been found that it is actually Christianity that has fuelled modernity into place. Through a large number of factors, Christianity has significantly nurtured modernity and caused it to develop in the society. Although modernity has brought about poor moral values that were not there in the traditional world, most of these traits mainly arise from Christianity in a broad sense. In addition, the way in which Christian beliefs are changing with time, they may give rise to modernity (Augustine, Pusey & William, 2011, 33). This is because; modernity is not an original lifestyle. It a living style that has grown from what was originally in the world. Since Christianity has been in place for a longer period than modernity, then it can be argued that modernity picked its traits from Christian ways of life. Modernity tries to ape what was original and thus, the human beings themselves shape it. The fuelling of modernity by Christianity can be clearly observed from the politics practiced in the world today (Berglund, Bruce & Brian, 2010, 11). For a number of years, Christianity had no part to play in politics. Politics have been referred to as a ‘dirty game’ and thus, Christianity believes that leadership only comes from God. This way, Christians would believe that God would choose His own rightful leaders and thus, they would not actively participate in the politics. This subject has been thought as bringing modernity into the world. This is because; with Christianity not participating in the political arena, politics were left in the hands of non-Christians. Consequently, politics were practiced without considering or taking into account, the Christian values written in the Bible or initially practised by the people (Brown, John & Kim, 2008, 15). There being no opposition, modernity took its course and directed the political field. Leaders would come up with modern ways of meeting their objectives and solving any challenges that they faced. In addition, conflict resolution was no longer conducted using the religious laws in the Bible. Instead, modern arms used to fight the enemy were built up and murder was no longer considered a sin. Indeed Christianity can be said to have fuelled modernity into place. This is because; had Christians taken part in the political environment, politics could have been conducted in the right manner without using modern ways of gaining power. In addition, failure of Christian involvement, also led to increased corruptio n among the people (Carter, 2000, 84). Political leaders were now eager to find ways of doing things in a fast and easy way. It is in this way that modernity found its way into the world economy since; major inventions were being made to ease the way of life. Christianity was also not effective in teaching the people the right way of life (Kung, 1980, 74). While people know that they should

In finance, risk is best judged in a portfolio context. Is this true Essay - 2

In finance, risk is best judged in a portfolio context. Is this true Why - Essay Example 87). This uncertainty about future value of the assets makes it dangerous for the investors to put all their resources in a single investment opportunity no matter how lucrative it may seem to be. Therefore, it is preferable to spread resources in a collection of stocks as a precaution against total loss of investment due to unpredictable loss. Investors set their investment goals of maximizing their earnings and stabilizing their income from increase in value of their assets between the time of making investment and future period when they anticipate their portfolio to mature (Enrica 2012, p.123). However, the market is full of challenges that investors cannot predict at the time they are making investment. These challenges threaten to thwart investors’ objectives if increasing the value of their assets. Therefore, investors should be cautious in order to avoid losing all of their resources. Some of the risks the investors face in the market include: Liquidity risk, a type of risk that occurs in the event that assets can neither be sold nor bought faster enough to realize the perceived profit or to avert the anticipated decline in its market value (Connor, Goldberg and Robert 2010, p. 187). This scenario may occur when there are no potential buyers for such assets in the market at the current value to enable the owner to make a gain from sale of the assets. Credit risk: this is the risk due to the fact that most of the borrowers may fail to clear their debts in time as the lender had anticipated (Engle 2009, p. 81). Borrowers are required to repay the amount borrowed and some interest within specific period. However, in most cases borrowers fail to meet their targets hence resulting to the decrease in lenders’ earnings as a result of bad debts and expenses incurred when collecting the debts. Foreign investment risk: this is the risk due to the changes in market conditions across different countries that cause the decline in value of transaction i n relation to another country (Sharpe 2007, 104). For example, different currencies have different exchange value across the globe. Similarly, different countries have adopted different accounting procedures in relation to depreciation of assets, stock valuation and so on (Cochrane 2009, p. 323). Therefore, depending on the approach used in the countries involved, international investors will obtain different earning from equivalent value of resources invested. Market risk: This is the probability that the value of the asset portfolio may reduce in value as a result of various aspects affecting demand and supply of that asset (Sharpe 2007, p.111). For example, the nature of market will result to either increase or decrease in value at which the assets are traded in the market. This is whereby the increase in supply of trade commodities results in the decrease of value of those commodities while the decrease in supply followed by the increase in purchasers’ demand will result in the increase in significance for those commodities (Constantinides, Harris, & Stulz 2003, p.301). Operational risk: Different companies or businesses perform better than others though in the same industry due to a number of factors (Connor, Goldberg and Robert 2010, p. 192). For example, some personnel are more

Answer the questions base on a company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Answer the questions base on a company - Essay Example The evolution of strategic management can be better understood through real time systems and positioning systems. These are the basic strategic management tools used by the earlier companies. The strategic management process is the one which requires a basic conversation for turning goals and visions into act. It demands corporate culture which is intensive and adaptive. Lastly, the sense of corporate mission should be strong and should reach every corner of the organization, thus, it is touted as the destination. Answer b Ford has recently implemented various strategic management activities. Example 1 A clearly defined corporate mission statement is the first sign of the good and effective strategic firm. Though the corporate mission statement of the organization is extremely short, it is clearly explained through various sub-headings. Example 2 The company went for a lean management strategy in 2006. Ford started cutting costs, improving designs and increasing their efficiency leve ls to increase their overall brand appeal. In order to cover increasing pension costs and maintain the cash flow, the company introduced strategic operations into its management (Khan and Pillania 1510-1520). New and advanced machines took over and production increased dramatically. Example 3 Workforce diversity is another strategic management activity implemented by the firm. In terms of dealers, suppliers and employees, the organization has maintained diversity and inter-cultural infusion. This shows the adaptability of the organization and its commitment as well as ability to keep up with the pace (Alexander and Doherty 15-19). Answer c The mission statement of Ford is â€Å"One team, one plan and one goal† (â€Å"Mission and Vision†). One team represents the workforce of the car manufacturing brand. The company works together as a global and lean enterprise for leadership in automobiles as well as satisfaction of its employees, dealers, customers, suppliers, invest ors, council/union and communication. It is under a single plan that the company aims for aggressive restructuring in order to operate in a profitable manner and take control of the current demands. With one goal in mind, the organization expects to deliver growth which is profitable for all. The overall goal for the year 2014 is to create worldwide profitable growth. The company aims to cash on the changing business environment in the countries as well as markets where the company has established. Ford will be inventing research and development in order to find out the likes and changing perceptions of its target consumers. Accordingly, the company will be establishing strategies and tactics. The objective of the company for the year 2014 is to produce first class vehicles and establish itself as one of the finest and most preferred car making company across the globe (â€Å"Our Strategy†). 2. On corporate governance Corporate governance is a system created with the objectiv e of controlling and directing corporations around the globe. Answer a Three traditional roles of board of directors are: Providing continuity for the firm through setting up legal or corporate existence and representing the point of view of the organization to every interested and involved entity in the external environment. These include customers, investors, suppliers, governments, employees and communities. In order

Cross-Cultural Differences Essay Example for Free

Cross-Cultural Differences Essay A central core in any cultural are its values. Values are independent standards where it is determined the differences of right and wrong, good and bad objectives. There are usually some shared values among all cultures; the contrast is the account of different perceptions between different cultures. Asian values have shown to be inter-related in that they view the individual belonging to a larger group or extended family with an expected well being of the group as a whole. To contrast this against American values of the self is that there is a personal expected importance of well being on the individual, emphasizing independence and self-initiative. Education seems to share a common aspect but there are some differential ideals between American and Asian values. Within the Asian culture their family core interactions being the fuel to move them through their individual life practices uses parenting as a fundamental aspect in pushing their children to work harder in their education; even overachieve. However, Americans might consider Asian parents to be overly dominating; there is an in-turn on exceptive goal that parent support their children as they can. Americans do see education as a key to social mobility and economic opportunity. Asians use education as a movement though family structures more profitable than the use of societal roles. Asian values can also be seen with strong dictation for their consideration of others; with benevolence and obligation that must be present to enforce relationships. Asian societies have a history to be hierarchical, in contrast to the American culture where there is a form of equality to an extent between teacher and student, peer to peer, and family members among themselves. The hierarchical relationships in Asian culture involve a lot of obligation that could be seen as domination with the expectation of responsibility and benevolence in return. Example being children in Asian culture obligated to follow guidelines set by their parents in a strict fashion at the expense of their own independence yet their parents with the returning expectation to raise support and educate them far in excess of what might be sought by American family standards. Reference: Asian-American educational achievements: A phenomenon in search of an explanation. Sue, Stanley; Okazaki, Sumie American Psychologist, Vol 45(8), Aug 1990, 913-920. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.45.8.913 Fuligni, A. J., Tseng, V. and Lam, M. (1999), Attitudes toward Family Obligations among American Adolescents with Asian, Latin American, and European Backgrounds. Child Development.

Process of law Essay Example for Free

Process of law Essay According to the law, no person is to be deprived of life or liberty without the due process of the law.   Due process in this sense does not only refer to the adherence to certain procedural rules such as the Miranda Rights or the presentation of a warrant of arrest.   Due process is basically a two-fold rule because it involves substantial and procedural aspects.   As discussed, procedural due process is not enough.   There must also be substantial due process which is used to justify the deprivation of life or liberty. This rule is applicable not only in criminal or civil proceedings in front of the Courts of Justice.   As has been held in the cases of Goss vs. Lopez (419 U.S. 565) and Wisconsin v. Constantineau (400 U.S. 433) (1971), the due process of law applies equally to administrative proceedings.   As so eloquently stated in the case of Wisconsin v. Constantineau (400 U.S. 433) (1971), [T]he right to be heard before being condemned to suffer grievous loss of any kind, even though it may not involve the stigma and hardships of a criminal conviction, is a principle basic to our society.  (Wisconsin v. Constantineau 400 U.S. 433). For a clearer understanding, this principle will be applied to criminal case and then compared to the administrative process.   In certain criminal cases, the problem with regard to due process may lie in the fact that while the procedural due process aspect may have been satisfied by making a valid arrest, the substantial aspect may be left wanting due to the lack of any evidence, circumstantial or direct, that can be used as the grounds for making of such an arrest. In administrative cases, due process is also applied, especially when it deals with a â€Å"grievous loss.†Ã‚   This is applied to disciplinary cases that involve the loss of certain rights and privileges.   In fact, in certain cases, due process has been said to apply to any situation wherein there is a diminution of legally provided benefits.   As seen in the case of Goss vs. Lopez (419 U.S. 565), which involved the suspension of a student for ten (10) days without any hearing, the Supreme Court ruled that this was unconstitutional for being a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.   The Supreme Court declared that though it was a school hearing, such was considered as an administrative hearing that warranted the application of the due process clause. In another case, Wisconsin v. Constantineau 400 U.S. 433 the Supreme Court ruled on the issue the posting of notices on the sale of intoxicating liquors and the authority of the police chief to authorize such an act.   The Supreme Court in this case also decided that due process required that hearing and notice was needed before such a regulation was to be imposed.   Due process means that the law hears before it condemns.   It was therefore required that procedure be strictly followed to allow people to protect their honor and reputation. When the forefathers drafted the constitution, they had in mind a fine balance between the rights of individuals and the public good.   It was recognized even during that time that there are certain things that are necessary in order that the greater good for the public can be protected.   By unduly restricting the power of officers of the law to uphold the law, the efficacy of such laws may be hampered and the rights of the public may not be sufficiently protected.   In order for the rights of the public to be duly protected, it is necessary therefore that due process be observed.   As mentioned, the law that the forefathers envisioned is one that hears before it condemns. Given the power that the government is provided, there is a necessity of placing certain restrictions.   This may come in the form of the bill of rights or the due process clause as contained in the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.   It does not matter whether it is a criminal case or an administrative case, the important thing is that once the issue involves a deprivation of rights and privileges that a person has been entitled to due process must be strictly observed.   Cases Cited: Goss vs. Lopez (419 U.S. 565) Wisconsin v. Constantineau (400 U.S. 433)

Advertising strategies of the fashion accessories

Advertising strategies of the fashion accessories 1. Working Title The advertising strategies of the fashion accessories retailer Accessorize and Claire for the UK market. 2. Introduction According to Levitts points, the needs and desires of consumers around the world are becoming ever more homogenized. Consequently, consumers around the world would become quite alike and can be satisfied with similar products (Muller, 1996). Hence, they can be persuaded by similar advertising message. Moreover, it also can be argued that consistent brand images can enormously influence consumers. Also, every target market is unique and consumers do vary, thus adopting the same advertising strategy will not be appropriate for all market segments. Traditionally, advertising was considered as an afterthought, used primarily to promote companies name to the consumer (Burnett, 1993). No matter how innovative a designers new collection might be, how the collection is positioned for the new season, or how successful a new innovative fabric or material will be, none of these targets are achievable without consumer awareness. For this purpose advertising is used to quickly and succinctly deliver these messages to specific target group around the world (Burnett, 1993). 2.1 Justification Advertising is the most important means for developing a brand (Mooij, 1997). Advertising has been conventionally regarded as one element of promotional mix, differentiated from other marketing communication elements such as public relation, personal selling, corporate communication, sales promotion, etc. (Hackley, 2005). Advertising can be defined through many perspectives such as from consumer perspective, businesses perspective, social perspective and in general. But a definition serving all these perspectives can be defined as non personal communication of marketing related information to a target market, usually paid for by the advertiser and delivered through mass media in order to reach the specific objective of the sponsor (Burnett, 1993). Advertising has also traditionally been the principle method of communicating a brand image, thus communication plays an important role in advertising (Jackson and Shaw, 2009). Marketing departments of companies need to use advertising strategies and communication methods to benefit the company.   Communications is at the heart of good marketing strategies providing an interface between firms and its publics. Strategic communications is also referred as a recipe; ingredients must be added at the right time and in right quantities to gain comparative advantage (Blythe, 2003). In order to achieve these, the understanding of advertising and what it can and cannot accomplish is a necessity for the marketers (Burnett, 1993). Even with such benefits the role of advertising has not satisfied everyone related to it. Advertising has faced criticisms in the way it is used by companies to achieve their targets. Few of these criticisms are advertising persuades people to buy against their will, artificially differentiate products and creates brand loyalty, prevents new firms to enter the market and enables advertisers to raise prices in comparison to those of un advertised products. However, these criticisms about advertising are the causes of one another for example; consumer loyalty can pose a threat to new brands entering the market (Tellis, 1998). 3. Aim Analyzing advertising strategies used by fashion accessories retailers and their impact on sales. 4. Objectives To discuss how different advertising strategies can have an effect on consumer decisions to purchase. Analyze and comparing the advertising strategies used by fashion accessory retailers with a focus on Accessorize and Claire. To discuss the effect of the advertising strategies used by Accessorize and Claire on the consumer. 5. Literature review For the purpose of this project literature review will focus on three main categories which will reflect the aims and objectives. Advertising, consumer behavior and effects of advertising strategies on consumers will be discussed while maintaining the main focus on the chosen companies Claire and accessorize. Over the years, many brands have faced the problem of conveying their message to consumers even with the availability of different communication elements such as public relations, personal selling, word of mouth, advertising etc (Jackson and Shaw, 2009). In recent years, businesses has wildly used advertising, as being costly it serves the purpose of sending message to a mass in shortest time (Wu, 2001). The delivery of the message not only serves the needs of designers, retailers, but also plays an important role for the recipients of the message. The primary goal of fashion advertising is to bring prominence to a particular company and to increase its profits (Diamond and Diamond, 1996). Advertising can be classified in three ways which is by audience, by advertiser and by intention (product and institutional).   Audience is the most obvious way of advertising as it examines the audience intended for the purpose of advertising (Burnet, 1993). Advertiser is referred in terms of who is advertising. A retailer does not get affected by what brand consumer buy as long as they buy it in their store (Burnet, 1993). Intentional advertising is further sub classified into product advertising and institutional advertising. Product advertising aim to inform or to stimulate the market where as institutional advertising creates a positive attitude towards the seller. Product advertising can provide quick response or stimulate demand over a longer period. Institutional advertising aims to establish a high level of goodwill rather than selling a particular good or service. According to vignali (2009), the purpose of advertising is to inform, persuade and remind. Advertising is also observed according to the media by which it is used to send message to the consumers. The media used for the purposes of advertising are press (magazines, daily papers), TV, Radio, external advertising, direct mail and the internet. Advertising in magazines have been regarded as one of the most effective methods, because it can be finally tuned to the target market of the magazine. In specific magazine, fashion brand/ retailers advertising can match their target market with the magazine target market effectively and inexpensively (Lea-Greenwood, 2002) e.g. accessorize have been targeting their customers especially through magazines. Generally advertising is assumed to have the potential to shape consumers beliefs and behaviors. Researchers have demonstrated that hierarchical effects of advertising have impacts on purchase intention (Mitchell and Olson, 1981). Consumer attitudes toward advertisements and their attitudes toward brands may shape their purchase intentions (see De Pelsmacker and Van Den Bergh, 1996; Mackenzie et al., 1986; Mitchell and Olson, 1981; Percy and Rossiter, 1992; Shimp, 1981). Advertisers reliance upon the use of sexual imagery and text to attract consumer attention is increasingly common in todays saturated media culture (LaTour and Henthorne, 1994; Reichert, 2007; Reichert and Carpenter, 2004; Severn et al., 1990; Streitmatter, 2004). This approach to advertising in which sexually explicit messages are purposefully invoked to challenge social mores is an example of provocative or â€Å"shock† advertising and its not surprising that many of the studies examining the impact of sexual content in advertisements upon consumer behavior have focused upon apparel as a product category (Andersson et al., 2004; De Pelsmacker and Van Den Bergh, 1996; Ve ´zina and Paul, 1997) (e.g., Grazer and Keesling, 1995; LaTour and Henthorne, 1994; Severn et al., 1990; Ve ´zina and Paul, 1997). Although Bailey and Hall (1992, p. 15) have identified shock advertising as â€Å"one of the most effective† approaches to selling commodities in the contemporary marketplace, empirical evidence about the efficacy of sex appeal as an approach to promoting consumer goods. Advertisements featuring lower levels of sexual intensity may fail to attract consumers attention, whereas those featuring higher levels of sexual int ensity may distract the consumer from focusing upon the product being promoted (Alexander and Judd, 1978). Fashion opinion leaders have been recognised as important to the spread of new clothing fashions for a long time. Sometimes consumers become especially interested in and preoccupied with clothing and fashion so that their interest, experience, and knowledge and are then referred as opinion leaders for others (Goldsmith, 2000). The tendency of consumers to pursue dissimilarity from others in the marketplace via product and brand acquisition and usage for the enhancement of the individuals self and social image is referred to as consumer need for uniqueness or CNFU (Tian et al., 2001). Consumer need for uniqueness is a multidimensional construct consisting of three factors which are Creative choice counterconformity, Unpopular choice counterconformity and Avoidance of similarity. The advertising industry is held responsible for creating fashion norms such as â€Å"tweens†, and marketers exploit the tendency of children to look forward to growing up, choosing slightly older children as role models (Linn, 2004). Accessories have been proven to be the most resilient sector of fashion retailing in recession with growth of 3.2% in 2009 and have added nearly  £0.5bn to sales value between 2005 and 2009 (Verdict, 2009). The accessories sector of fashion has always been woman dominant and accounts nearly for 73% of all accessories expenditure. Within the last decade, clothing specialists have used accessories as a vehicle for growth and discovered accessories to be a necessity for fashion followers. Accessorize remain leading specialist despite facing tough competition from clothing specialists, Accessorize has managed to hold on to a share of 7.4% in 2009 (Verdict, 2009).

Its Time to End Poverty in America Essay -- Break the Cycle of Povert

For those who live an impoverished life, it is difficult to participate in society. They are left behind in our cultural movement because they lack the necessities to be on an equal level with the rest of society. Because the poor cannot get their basic needs for life, they cannot improve their well-being; therefore, our society as a whole cannot efficiently move in new directions. As Jo Goodwill Parker states in "What is Poverty," she does not have luxuries. Luxuries of the impoverished are what we would consider our basic needs such as food, water, transportation and shelter. Simply getting adequate food is difficult, but not the main problem for the poor. As Parker states, her children "do not suffer from hunger, [her] seventy-eights dollars keeps [them] alive, but they do suffer from malnutrition" (63). The poor also suffer from a lack of clean water. Their water is often dirty and can not be heated to clean it or to clean anything else properly because of their lack of funds for gas and electricity. Parker must wash the dishes she has "in cold water and no soap ... hot water is a luxury. [She] does not have luxuries" (61). The money for the soap that she cannot afford must be saved for her baby's diapers, and she can not afford to use it for anything else. The poor can not afford soap, nor can they afford transportation, whether it is a car or publi c transportation. Those who are not lucky enough to live in an area with public transportation must find other means to get around. As Parker says, she must find a way to pay her neighbor "one way or another" for the rides to the health clinic (63). For those of us who have easy access to transportation, it is hard to imagine living without a vehicle in our family a... ...ng, then our nation will soon run into the problem that countries like Angola have, where the rich are rich but the poor are barely alive and there is no in between. If our efforts to advance ourselves in science and other areas cannot be put to use to improve the well-being of everyone living on our country and make a difference, then we need to change them. Poverty is a problem throughout the nation, and we must do something to correct it. The United States government and its citizens must focus its efforts to prevent and stop poverty in order to keep it from being a wide spread epidemic. Works Cited Awalt, Chistopher L. "Brother, Don't Spare a Dime" Dubuclet and Polster 66-68. Dubuclet, Mallory, and Kristen Polster, eds. The Mercury Reader. Dallas: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2004. Parker, Jo Goodwin. "What is Poverty?" Dubuclet and Polster 60-64.

Johnny Got his Gun :: Essays Papers

Johnny Got his Gun When I first started reading Johnny Got His Gun, by Dalton Trumbo, I thought it would be more direct in its description of World War I. However, the entire novel takes place in one American soldier’s hospital bed. His name is Joe. He no arms, legs, or face, and he is deaf. Rendered this way after an explosive shell hit him, he has no way to communicate with the world. Joe dreams throughout the novel, mostly about his memories, and because of this, a great deal of the book is disjointed and contains a dreamlike quality. Through his dreams, I learned about Joe’s life before the war. I learned he lost his father fairly young, and about his boyhood romances. Joe worked at the railroad, and at a bakery. Before he left for the war, he had a girlfriend named Kareen who I believe he wanted to marry. When Joe is awake, he at first is unaware of his injuries. He realizes he is deaf, but he goes through several stages of denial and acceptance for his physical features. He thinks his face is only swathed in bandages, not gone. He thinks the doctors are injecting drugs into the heel of his hand, not the stub that was his arm. Only when Joe realizes he’s missing his arms and legs and face, does he realize the full extent of his situation. Joe doesn’t even know where he is, though he speculates that he could be in England, France, or possibly America. Joe knows that if his arms and legs didn’t make it through the shell blast that nearly killed him, his dog tags certainly didn’t. He knows he’ll never see his sister or mother, or Kareen, his girlfriend, again. He’ll never even know where he is. Joe learns to tell time by how often the nurses come. He first figures out when dawn is by the warming of the sun’s rays on his skin. He then keeps count of how often the day and night nurses come between two dawns. When Joe finally gets it right (it takes several tries) he feels as though he’s regained some sort of connection with the rest of the world. After five years, Joe is given a medal of honor for his efforts and losses in the war.

Comparing Dreams in Of Mice and Men and A Raisin in the Sun :: comparison compare contrast essays

Of Mice and Men and A Raisin in the Sun   Dreams Make What Life Is    In the novels Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and the novel Out of the dust by Karen Hesse, dreams are viewed in different perspectives. John Stenbeck is telling you to strive for your goals and to work towards them because your dreams can get deferred and destroyed. When the opinion of Hansberry is implying that dreams can come true if you try hard, even if you're going through tough times. Karen Hesse is reiterating that you should not let anything interfere with accomplishing your goals.    Dreams deferred usually end up being diminished from existence. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck the characters dreams, which are put on, hold all get destroyed. Lennie's dream was to live on the land in which he owned and to tend the rabbits (pg.14). He finally was almost about to achieve his dream in a month but after working in a ranch for a few days he killed Curly's wife by accident (pg.94) so he dies and also loses all his dreams so his dreams are pessimistic. Also with Lennie's dream being destroyed also George's dream was which was also to live on a ranch so (pg.7). This happens because he can't make his dream reality without Lennie showing pessimistic out view on dreams. Dreams only can bring you so far it all depends on what your destiny is. This is because even though Lennie and George's dreams were crushed even though they tried there hardest to reach them also Candy, Crooks and Curly's wife dreams were ruined too.    Candy didn't have anything so he wanted grow old on the ranch with George and Lennie (pg59-60) but then Lennie kills Curly's Wife and his dream dies (pg.94). Candy's dreams end in a pessimistic outlook because all he wanted got destroyed leaving him with nothing. Crooks dream was to be respected and not looked at for his color and wanted to live on the ranch with Curly Lennie and George (pg.64). Even though he wanted this he noticed by what Curly's wife said to him that his dream will never be achieved, so he changes his mind (pg.

Mad Shadows and the Scarlet Letter

In the novel Mad Shadows by Marie-Claire Blais and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, isolation was used as a major theme to sculpt and reveal the characters true identity. The behaviour of each central character towards isolation crafted their fates. The Scarlet Letter portrays the psychological effects of alienation on the characters. Mad shadows illustrates an unprincipled world where beauty is skin only deep and love is measured by material possessions. The main character in The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, committed adultery with the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester was outcast by the puritan community that deemed her a presence of evil. Hester refused to reveal the other adulterer. In doing so, Arthur Dimmesdales quietly suffered until he finally completed penance. Roger Chillingsworth whom Hester was lawfully wed to, swore to reveal her lover thus poisoning his soul with revenge. Hester wore a scarlet letter A_ _as punishment, estranging her from her community. This was to remind her and everyone of her sinful deed. She had no communication with the rest of the world either than her trips to receive and deliver embroidery orders. Hester lived in a cottage remote from the sphere of society. The dark forest provided Hester with private surroundings in which she may search for truth and escape the glare of her community, although dejected. The consequence of her pure and innate impulse had to be taken on with humiliation in exile. Arthur Dimmesdale imposed desolation upon himself. Dimmesdale was incapable and reluctant to openly make public his sin. He therefore continued to be troubled by his own shame and as a result felt inner isolation from the community. His secret also forbade him from being with Hester and his daughter, separating him from his family. Dimmesdale saw himself as an immoral person. He reprimanded himself with neglect and hunger. When Dimmesdale finally frees himself from guilt and shame by confessing to the public, he yields to illness and dies. Roger Chillingworth undergoes a masked and vague form of estrangement and seclusion. He is physically divorced from Hester and feared by the townspeople, who believed that he was evil. Chillingworth, obsessed with seeking Hester’s secret lover, became mentally detached from himself. He gradually loses his self to the devil. Impiety causes Chillingworth to ultimately withdraw from his prior self. He lived secluded in a world which he believed only holds bitterness and anger. The central characters in The Scarlet Letter manipulated and contributed to the theme of isolation through their personalities. They were secluded from one another, themselves and their community. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth endured differtent types of alienation and isolation and to various degrees. Hester is segregated from society. Dimmesdale felt alone due to the secrecy of his sin. Chillingworth surrendered himself to evil and gradually withers away. Mad Shadows focuses on a family that live in a corrupt perception of true beauty and love. Louise, who only valued material possessions and outer beauty, disregarded her unsightly daughter while pampering her handsome son. Her shallowness planted a jealous seed in Isabelle-Marie preventing her from experiencing happiness. Patrice on the other hand lived in superficiality and never had a deeper meaning to life or himself. These characters are isolated from nature and each other consequently preventing true happiness. Isabelle-Marie was the unsightly daughter of Louise. Her appearance deemed her unworthy of her mother’s love and affection. Isabelle-Marie was assigned to work in the farms preoccupying her time and preventing her from socializing. She was separated from the family because of the way she looked. Patrice couldn’t sympathize with his sister due to his idiocy. Her mother’s mistreatment spawned hatred for herself. Isabelle-Marie was wrapped in jealousy preventing her from loving her brother. Insecurities inspired her to lie to her husband ultimately losing him in the end. She had a daughter, like her she was ugly and her lack of love and acceptance for herself prevented her for genuinely loving her child. After she took revenge on her unloving mother Isabelle-Marie was still unfulfilled, everything was gone except for her, soon after she took her life. Patrice was treated like a baby by his mother. His beauty was her possession and was the only thing she loved of him. Patrice never knew anybody but Louise. He felt no real love from his family and was never understood. His mother spoke for him, acted on his behalf, and thought for him. Patrice was detached from his true self for he did not need to ponder anything outside of his mother and his beauty. When Patrice’s face was disfigured he lost his mother’s love and was left in an asylum. Unable to cope with his loneliness he eventually escaped the asylum to go back to his mother, only to find the remains of his life burned. His upbringing kept his soul and purpose empty. Ultimately Patrice lived in a hollow shell. Louise was an empty and excessive doll. Her concerns were only of her trim body and Patrice’s beauty, which she saw as her own beauty. External beauty made her self-absorbed not allowing her to naturally love Isabelle-Marie. Her marriage to Lanz served as a union of two faded and shallow lovers. Lanz only saw Louise for her beauty and riches. Her demanding husband forced Louise to give less of herself to her son, driving a wedge between them. Louise’s incapability to naturally lover her children kept herself detached from them. In the end she died alone amongst her possessions. The family lived in an immoral world. Isabelle-Marie destroyed her life and family due to her self-loathing. She was not able to completely lover her daughter for she was her mirror. Patrice lived in a world without living. When everything he knew was in ruins, he found his soul and peace in the lake. Louise only loving material possession condemned her children lives. The main characters segregation from each other didn’t let them escape the feeling of loneliness in their present lives. Marie-Claire Blais and Nathaniel Hawthorne depicted the characters inner feelings of suffering and hurt through relentless loneliness and seclusion. Both authors used two different forms of estrangement, isolation and alienation. The central characters in both novels experience different settings of isolation, which they developed with their personalities. The Scarlet Letter emphasized the suffering of the characters in psychological aspect. Mad Shadows_ _focused on the shallowness of the heart. The main characters in both novels undergo a variety of changes which eventually sealed their fates. *Mad Shadows and The* Scarlet Letter Theme of isolation Agnes Palaganas April 8, 2010 ENG18Y1- James Meade Reference: Blais,Marie-Claire. Mad Shadows. This New Canadian Library:2008 Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Penguin Books:2003

E-Commerce Marketplace

BUSINESS Retail consumer E-commerce continues to grow up at double-digit rates. The online demographics of shoppers continue to broaden. Online website continues to reinforce profitability by refining their business models and leveraging the capabilities of the Internet. The first wave of E-Commerce transformed the business world of books, music, and air travel. In the second wave, eight new industries are facing a similar transformation: telephones, movies, television, jewelry, real estate, hotels, bill payments, and software. The breadth of E-Commerce offerings grow ups, especially each and every one in travel, information clearinghouses, entertainment, retail apparel, appliances, and home furnishings. Each and every one business and entrepreneurs continue to flood into the E-Commerce marketplace, often riding on the infrastructure craft by industry giants such as Amazon, eBay, and Overture. Brand extension each and every one the way through the Internet grow ups as large firms such as Sears, J.C. Penney, L.L. Bean, and Wal-Mart pursue integrated, multi –channel bricks-and-clicks strategies. B2Bsupply chain transactions and collaborative commerce continue to reinforce and grow up beyond the $1.5trillion mark. TECHNOLOGY: Wireless Internet connections (Wi-Fi, Max, and 3Gtelephone) grew up rapidly. Podcasting takes off as a new media format for distribution of radio and user-generated commentary. The Internet broadband foundation becomes stronger in households and businesses. Bandwidth prices of telecommunications companies re-capitalize their debts. RSS (Real Simple Syndication) grow ups to become a mayor new form of user- controlled information distribution that rivals e-mail in some applications. Computing and networking component prices continue to fall dramatically. New Internet-based models of computing such as. NET and Web services expand B2B opportunities. SECIETYSelf-publishing (user-generated content) and syndication in the form of blogs, wikis and social network grow up to form an entirely new self-publishing forum. Newspapers and other conventional, customary & traditional media adopt online, interactive models. Conflicts over copyright management and control grow up in significance. Over half the Internet user population (about 80 million adults) joins a social group on the Internet. Taxation of Internet sales becomes more widespread and accepted by large online merchants. Controversy over content regulation and controls amplify and rises. Surveillance of Internet communications grows ups in s significance. Concerns over commercial and governmental privacy invasion grow up. Internet fraud and abuse occurrences amplify and rise. First Amendment rights of free speech and association on the Internet are challenged. Spam grows ups despite new laws and promised technology fixes. Invasion of personal privacy on the Web expands as marketers discover and locate new ways to track users. BUSINESS APPLICATION OF E-COMMERCE Typical business organizations (or parts within a business organization) design, produce, market, deliver and support its product (s)/service(s).Each of these activities adds cost and value to the product/service that is eventually distributed to the customer. The value-chain consists of a series of activities designed to satisfy a business need by adding value (or cost) in each phase of the process. In addition to these primary activities that result in a final product/service, supporting activities in this process also should be included:Managing company infrastructure Managing human resources Obtaining various inputs for each primary activityDeveloping technology to keep the business competitive. For instance, in a furniture manufacturing company, the company buys wood (raw materials) from a logging company and then converts the wood into chair (finished product); chairs are shipped to retailers, distributors, or customers. The company markets and services these chairs products. Those are the primary activities (value-chain) that adds value and result in a final product/service for the company. Value-chain analysis may highlight the opportunity for the company to manufacture products directly. This means, for furniture manufacturer, it may enter in the logging business directly or through partnership with others. he value chain may continue after delivering chairs to the furniture store. The store, by offering other products/services and mixing and matching this product with other products, may add additional value to the chair. The Internet can increase the speed and accuracy of communications between suppliers, distributors, and customers. Furthermore, the Internet's low cost allows companies of any size to be able to take advantage of value-chain integration. E-commerce may improve value chain by identifying new opportunities for cost reduction. For instance, using e-mail to notify customers instead of using regular mail helps for reducing cost. Selling to distant customers using the company web site may allow revenue improvement or generation. These sales may not have been materialized otherwise or selling digital products such as songs or computer software or distributing software through the web. Offering online customer service or new sales channel identification helps for product/service improvement.Dell Computer generates a large portion of its revenue through the Web by eliminating the middleman. Cisco systems sell much of its networking hardware and software over the Web, improving revenue and reducing cost. United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express use the Internet to track packages that result in enhanced customer service.History of EcommerceOne of the most popular activities on the Web is shopping. It has much allure in it — you can shop at your leisure, anytime, and in your pajamas. Literally anyone can have their pages built to display their specific goods and services.History of ecommerce dates back to the invention of the very old notion of â€Å"sell and buy†, electricity, cables, computers, modems, and the Internet. Ecommerce became possible in 1991 when the Internet was opened to commercial use. Since that date thousands of businesses have taken up residence at web sites.At first, the term ecommerce meant the process of execution of commercial transactions electronically with the help of the leading technologies such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) which gave an opportunity for users to exchange business information and do electronic transactions. The ability to use these technologies appeared in the late 1970s and allowed business companies and organizations to send commercial documentation electronically.Although the Internet began to advance in popularity among the general public in 1994, it took approximately four years to develop the security protocols (for example, HTTP) and DSL which allowed rapid access and a persistent connection to the Internet. In 2000 a great number of business companies in the United States and Western Europe represented their services in the World Wide Web. At this time the meaning of the word ecommerce was changed. People began to define the term ecommerce as the process of purchasing of available goods and services over the Internet using secure connections and electronic payment services. Although the dot-com collapse in 2000 led to unfortunate results and many of ecommerce companies disappeared, the â€Å"brick and mortar† retailers recognized the advantages of electronic commerce and began to add such capabilities to their web sites (e.g., after the online grocery store Webvan came to ruin, two supermarket chains, Albertsons and Safeway, began to use ecommerce to enable their customers to buy groceries online). By the end of 2001, the largest form of ecommerce, Business-to-Business (B2B) model, had around $700 billion in transactions.According to all available data, ecommerce sales continued to grow in the next few years and, by the end of 2007, ecommerce sales accounted for 3.4 percent of total sales. Ecommerce has a great deal of advantages over â€Å"brick and mortar† stores and mail order catalogs. Consumers can easily search through a large database of products and services. They can see actual prices, build an order over several days and email it as a â€Å"wish list† hoping that someone will pay for their selected goods. Customers can compare prices with a click of the mouse and buy the selected product at best prices.Online vendors, in their turn, also get distinct advantages. The web and its search engines provide a way to be found by customers without expensive advertising campaign. Even small online shops can reach global markets. Web technology also allows to track customer preferences and to deliver individually-tailored marketing.History of ecommerce is unthinkable without Amazon and E-bay which were among the first Internet companies to allow electronic transactions. Thanks to their founders we now have a handsome ecommerce sector and enjoy the buying and selling advantages of the Internet. Currently there are 5 largest and most famous worldwide Internet retailers: Amazon, Dell, Staples, Office Depot and Hewlett Packard. According to statistics, the most popular categories of products sold in the World Wide Web are music, books, computers, office supplies and other consumer electronics. Amazon.com, Inc. is one of the most famous ecommerce companies and is located in Seattle, Washington (USA). It was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos and was one of the first American ecommerce companies to sell products over the Internet. After the dot-com collapse Amazon lost its position as a successful business model, however, in 2003 the company made its first annual profit which was the first step to the further development. At the outset Amazon.com was considered as an online bookstore, but in time it extended a variety of goods by adding electronics, software, DVDs, video games, music CDs, MP3s, apparel, footwear, health products, etc. The original name of the company was Cadabra.com, but shortly after it become popular in the Internet Bezos decided to rename his business â€Å"Amazon† after the world's most voluminous river. In 1999 Jeff Bezos was entitled as the Person of the Year by Time Magazine in recognition of the company's success. Although the company's main headquarters is located in the USA, WA, Amazon has set up separate websites in other economically developed countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and China. The company supports and operates retail web sites for many famous businesses, including Marks ; Spencer, Lacoste, the NBA, Bebe Stores, Target, etc.Amazon is one of the first ecommerce businesses to establish an affiliate marketing program, and nowadays the company gets about 40% of its sales from affiliates and third party sellers who list and sell goods on the web site. In 2008 Amazon penetrated into the cinema and is currently sponsoring the film â€Å"The Stolen Child† with 20th Century Fox.According to the research conducted in 2008, the domain Amazon.com attracted about 615 million customers every year. The most popular feature of the web site is the review system, i.e. the ability for visitors to submit their reviews and rate any product on a rating scale from one to five stars. Amazon.com is also well-known for its clear and user-friendly advanced search facility which enables visitors to search for keywords in the full text of many books in the database.One more company which has contributed much to the process of ecommerce development is Dell Inc., an American company located in Texas, which stands third in computer sales within the industry behind Hewlett-Packard and Acer. Launched in 1994 as a static page, Dell.com has made rapid strides, and by the end of 1997 was the first company to record a million dollars in online sales. The company's unique strategy of selling goods over the World Wide Web with no retail outlets and no middlemen has been admired by a lot of customers and imitated by a great number of ecommerce businesses. The key factor of Dell's success is that Dell.com enables customers to choose and to control, i.e. visitors can browse the site and assemble PCs piece by piece choosing each single component based on their budget and requirements. According to statistics, approximately half of the company's profit comes from the web site. In 2007, Fortune magazine ranked Dell as the 34th-largest company in the Fortune 500 list and 8th on its annual Top 20 list of the most successful and admired companies in the USA in recognition of the company's business model.History of ecommerce is a history of a new, virtual world which is evolving according to the customer advantage. It is a world which we are all building together brick by brick, laying a secure foundation for the future generations.

Child Rearing in the Us and Colombia Essay

Early care-giving is a major factor for a child to feel secure to explore the world around them (Carbonell, Alzate, Bustamente & Quiceno , 2002). How different is this early care-giving between two cultures such as the United States and Colombia? This is a look at the differences and similiaries of raising girls, both born in 1988, in Colombia and the United States. Both girls were raised in nuclear families, with one older sibling, close enough in age to be a major part of each girl’s daily life. One was raised in Colombia, although she moved to the United States at the age of eleven, while the other was raised completely in the United States. Both parents of each girl were interviewed as well as the girl herself. The basic stepping stones, the times that parents love to videotape, the â€Å"baby’s first† moments all seem to happen relatively similarly in both girls. Self-reported by Paulina, was that she walked around the age of ten months. Similarly, Jane walked at the age of ten months. Both were somewhat delayed in speech, enough so to be taken to doctors. In each case, the parents were told that the child would speak if the family stopped following the non-verbal directions from the child. Paulina’s first words were â€Å"eso,† Spanish for â€Å"that,† and â€Å"Ma. † Jane’s first word was â€Å"Ah-yah† which was meant to be â€Å"Alex,† her brother’s name. Paulina stood alone at the age of eight months (personal communication with subject), as did Jane (personal communication with subject). Punishment is something all parents must figure out. Hispanics tend to mollify children and be more lenient (Figueroa-Moseley, Ramey, Keltner & Lanzi, 2006). Hispanic parents tend to try to calm their child rather than work towards developmental goals, which tend to be more valued in the United States. Neither girl was punished in the form of â€Å"grounding,† but both were warned with simple looks from their parents, such as glaring and both girls were yelled at as well. Corporal punishment was used for each girl as well. Paulina was â€Å"smacked,† and Jane was occasionally spanked. Jane would be sent to her room or made to sit in a chair as in a â€Å"Time Out,† however Paulina never experienced a â€Å"Time Out† and recollects that such a thing was not common in Colombia. Both girls were raised to speak their mind, and not wait to be spoken to, as long as what was said was respectful. Questions were welcomed by both families, but the girls were expected to know the time and place in which to ask questions. Each girl was also allowed to pick out her own clothes, which has been shown to be good for children, as children see it is important for them to make some of their own decisions, and identify with the choices (Ardila-Rey, Killen, 2001). Paulina’s mother tried to teach her what matched, but eventually gave up trying when it, although Colombian mothers tend to worry about the outward appearance of their children (Carbonell et al, 2002). When asked what Jane would choose to wear, Jane’s mother replied, â€Å"Anything that didn’t match,† although she, too, tried to teach her daughter matching. No major restrictions were set upon either girl, except to be respectful. Respect was emphasized in both situations. As respect was emphasized from child to adult, so was it shown from adult to child. Both children were kept informed of what was happening in the family. Children were expected to be a part of dinner conversation and were allowed to participate in the adults’ lives. Also, both children were given reasoning behind decisions and had things explained? â€Å"because I said so† was used only when the situation would be later explained, and the consequences of an action were described rather than a mere â€Å"don’t do it. † Chores were a part of each girl’s life as well. Both were expected to do what was asked of them to help around the house– dusting, vacuuming, clearing the table, etc. Jane was expected to help with dinner, which included getting food from the refrigerator, carrying things to the table, loading the dishwasher, setting the table, and occasionally stirring. Jane was given an allowance of approximately five dollars a week, but this was never in exchange for doing her chores. Paulina, too, was not paid for doing her chores. She states, â€Å"I was part of the family and therefore I was expected to work in the house without any sort of reward (personal communication, April 10, 2007). † Colombia tends to be a collective society that looks to the benefit of the group, rather than the individual (Pilgrim, Reuda-Riedle, 2002), which applies to this situation in that Paulina was expected to help keep the house in order, without ? payment’ because it was for the greater good of the family, being part of the group is an important aspects of a collective culture. Family relationships and interdependence? a common bond between family members, working together for the benefit of the family? tend to be much more emphasized in Hispanic cultures (Carbonell et al, 2002). A major part of any culture is food and dining, and children are a part of that. Children often lose some of their appetite between ages two and six, and because parents worry, bad food habits are put into place. Sugary foods are offered if a child finishes a meal, and many foods have vitamins and nutrients added. However iron, zinc, and calcium are seen to be deficient because juices and sodas are replacing milk, and cereals and processed foods replace fresh fruits and vegetables (Berger, 2006). It is also hard to maintain good eating habits during this age, because children often need meals to be â€Å"just right. † Children have very determined ideas for what should be eaten, how it should be eaten, and the entire situation surrounding the meal. Often times the food â€Å"required† is not healthy food, but rather sugary or similar to fast-food, like chicken nuggets or French fries. Paulina ate dinner together with her family every night, generally at eight o’clock, as is customary in Colombia. Her mother did most of the cooking, and after dinner, either her mom would not clean up, or her mother would, but with the help of her daughters, while her father did other household things. On weekends, most meals were eaten together. Breakfast was generally around ten o’clock in the morning and lunch was around three o’clock in the afternoon. Very few times, her father would cook, although he cooks more now that they live in the United States. Food was as healthy and fresh as possible. Snacks were fresh fruits, and there were never packaged foods in the house. Jane would eat dinner with her family as well, often around seven o’clock in the evening, when her father came home. She would eat breakfast and lunch with her brother until this was no longer possible because of school. Jane’s mother did most of the cooking, and the children were expected to help. Snacks were often dry cereal like Cheerios, apples, crackers, or cheese. Paulina started learning numbers and how to read and write at the age of four, when she went to preschool. The debate of how children should be taught to read can be broken into two sides; phonetics and whole language (Berger, 2006). Phonetics looks at each sound of each letter, while whole language, encouraged by Piaget, says that concentrating on the goal of fluency and communication is more important than individual words (Berger, 2006). Jane also attended a preschool at the age of four, but it was not as much structured, formal schooling. Both were taken to a part-day day-care or nursery school for the opportunity to socialize with other children. While at nursery school, Paulina was mostly made to play with toys. Jane attended a Co-op nursery school at a Unitarian Universalist church. In a Co-op nursery school parents take turns coming into the school to help supervise stations and participate in the nursery school experience. Stations were set up, such as a Reading Corner, Snacks, and a daily feature, such as tracing bodies on large sheets of paper or crafts. Co-op nursery schools are not typical in the United States, but Jane’s parents thought it was important to be involved with their children when possible and for their children to have the socialization experience. Both were read to everyday. Jane was read to a two to three times a day, for about fifteen minutes each time, but also had labels, signs, and anything printed read to her during everyday life. Jane was occasionally, but not often spoken to in â€Å"Baby Talk,† while Paulina was never spoken to in â€Å"Baby Talk,† as her parents thought speaking to her regularly would help her learn to understand. Both parents acknowledge that their children were not raised in a way that is typical to their individual cultures, and that is evident looking at the two girls in adolescence and early adulthood. Both girls realize that because their parents were stricter when they were young, that as the girls grew older; their parents didn’t need to be as strict. Each girl knew what was expected of her and was therefore given more freedom as she matured. Many times this appeared to friends as though the girl could do what she pleased, although this was not the case. The girls knew the limits of what they could do without being told. Both sets of parents relied more on their trust in their daughter than blatantly telling her what she could or could not do. Obviously, there are some differences and some similarities between raising children in Colombia versus the United States. Developmentally, the children seem to be similar, and most of the parenting is more alike than different. References Ardila-Rey, A. & Killen, M. (2001). Middle class Colombian children’s evaluations of personal, moral, and social-conventional interactions in the classroom. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 25 (3), 246-255 Berger, K. (2006). The Developing Person: Through Childhood and Adolescence (7th ed. ). New York: Worth Publishers. Figueroa, C. , Ramey, C. , Keltner, B. , & Lanzi, R. (2006). Variations in Latino Parenting Practices and Their Effects on Child Cognitive Developmental Outcomes. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 28, 102-114. Pilgram, C. & Rueda-Riedle, A. (2002). The importance of social context in cross-cultural comparisions: First graders in Colombia and the United States. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 163 (3), 283- 296. Posada, G. , Jacobs, A. , Richmond, M. , Carbonell, O. , Alzate, G. , Bustamante, M. , & Quiceno, J. (2002). Maternal Caregiving and Infant Security in Two Cultures. Developmental Psychology, 38 (1), 67-78.

Dead White Males Essay Essay

The two opposing ideologies in this play are liberal humanism and post-structuralism. How are they represented? How does the play operate to position the audience to finally prefer one above the other? Dead White Males is a play about a sexually deprived lecturer, Dr Grant Swain, who attempts and almost succeeds in bedding one of his students, Angela Judd, by utilising his position in the university, and by imbuing his views upon his students. Alongside this plot is the conflict between two ideologies, liberal humanism and post-structuralism. Angela, the main character of the play is compelled to make a choice between post-structuralism represented by Dr Swain, and liberal humanism, (Shakespeare), who is constantly opposed and criticised by Swain. By the end of act one it is quite obvious who the villain of this play is. In the opening scene the villain first shows his destructive nature through his unnecessary violence. â€Å"ANGELA How is it that you know so much about us? [SHAKES PEARE is just about to answer when a MAN in his thirties, dressed in fashionable casual clothes appears behind him.] MAN He doesn’t you know. [The MAN pulls out a pistol and shoots SHAKESPEARE dead. ANGELA looks at the MAN, horrified]† (Pp 1) The man in this scene is of course Dr Grant Swain, and his dramatic entrance encourages us to dislike him, because we feel it is wrong to shoot people for no apparent reason. Swain appears to us the villain, due to his unmistakable character, for, aside from his violent episodes, we find that he is interested in only one thing. Sex. He tries to hit on Angela, but she declines his offer. After Melissa accepts his offer of dinner later on, he quickly and conveniently loses interest in Angela making it obvious that he was concerned with only one thing. Another quality we disfavour him for is his over-confidence. From the beginning of the play, when introducing himself and his course, he is â€Å"animated by the intense certainty that he has a supremely important message to communicate and is enormously well equipped to deliver it.† Swain endeavours to shoot Shakespeare several times, and although this is only in Angela’s imagination, we are positioned to agree with Angelaà ¢â‚¬â„¢s attitude towards Swain because she is one of the sympathetic characters. The audience sees Angela as one of the â€Å"good guys†. She is a sympathetic character, and her circumstances as well as her attributes position us to see her as such. Sympathy is evoked for her: 1. Because she seems naive, and readily falls prey to Swain’s way of thinking 2. Because she is a victim of the villain 3. She has been deprived of the nurturing her mother should have provided 4. Because she has suffered through her childhood as a result of her parents’ â€Å"happy marriage† 5. When she is embarrassed in front of Steve Also she defends Col, and takes on the rest of the family. In doing so she becomes a sort of heroine, defending the helpless and upholding the truth, and this positions us to like her character even more. The warring ideologies in this play are represented not only as favourable and unfavourable in this play, but also by certain characters. By establishing who are the â€Å"good guys† and who are the â€Å"bad guys†, the representation of the characters’ respective ideologies are also determined. Post-structuralism is without doubt the unfavourable ideology in this play. This is sim ply because it is expended through the villain of the play. Even though Angela admits that she ‘think(s) there is some truth in what he (Swain) says’ (Pp 80) the fact that Swain subscribes to post-structuralism still conquers, causing post-structuralism to seem as flimsy as its subscriber does. Even when Angela reprimands Shakespeare for his disgraceful casting of women, liberal humanism still holds its approval above post-structuralism, as Shakespeare asks to be wished back to an era of sanity, implying that Angela’s views are insane. Because post-structuralism is the unfavoured ideology, liberal humanism has no other option but to be seen as the favoured one. It’s values and attitudes are mouthed by unobjectionable characters and so are preferred over that of post-structuralism. The play operates by using conventions such as characterisation/casting, tone, dialogue, and conflicts, as well as using our own ideologies to position us to view all the characters and ideologies as we do. When there are conflicts between the characters we instinctively choose sides, as we look for a character to feel for and a character to be disinclined to. This helps to support liberal humanism throughout the play, as in each individual conflict we find that the pitiable characte rs are those that speak the patriarchal type ideologies, whereas the aggressive characters mouth the more modern ideologies. This occurs between Swain and Shakespeare, Col and his daughters, Col and Sarah, and Sarah and Martin. The casting and characterisation of Dead White Males plays a major part in determining who and what are preferred above the others. By having certain  characters approve certain ideologies, it encourages the audience to also approve or disapprove of those ideologies. Swain an objectionable character is so very offensive because of his character. He is power hungry, as well as sex orientated as we see in his reaction to Melissa’s let down. ‘SWAIN You’ve really made and idiot of me, haven’t you? MELISSA Are you saying the marks you gave me weren’t genuine, because if you are – SWAIN Of course there were genuine, but – MELISSA Good marks equals sex. Is that what was going on in your mind? SWAIN No! For God’s sake this was not a case of exploitation. I have grown extremely fond of you! [ANGELA enters. SWAIN makes a great effort to control his anger.’ (Pp 91) By using him to mouth the more passive ideology, the audience becomes less receptive to it. However it is not enough to just have the good guys endorsing the dominant ideology, and the more offensive guys endorsing the bad one, for the audience to accept the prominent ideology. So the good guy (Angela) becomes a victim of the evil post structuralism, and then is shown the light. In the end she succumbs to liberal humanism causing the audience to look upon it favourably. Ironically, the majority of the males in this play are far from the liberal humanist version of the typical dominant male. They are all somewhat spineless to s certain extent and are all victims of their dominant ideology. Swain, being ridiculed for his view, Col being abused by his family for being loyal to a mate, Steve and Martin, both being not very assertive and so are run down by their lack of confidence. The females too are far from their docile liberal humanist stereotype. Sarah is a headstrong feminist, Melissa is ready to give Swain exactly what he deserves and Angela is almost bullies her father a s much as the rest of the females do. In fact the characters although mouthing liberal humanist beliefs (well, some of them) actually conform to post-structuralist stereotyping. However, this juxtaposition of the cast with the plot only reinforces liberal humanist attitudes, suggesting that if the males and females had been playing their respective roles then perhaps the story would not have been so miserable. The play uses our own ideology as well to make us choose one of the plays ideologies above the other. Note that it is very difficult to gain the support for an alternative ideology from an audience when dominant ideology of our society is liberal humanism. The two opposing ideologies in this play are liberal humanism and post-structuralism. Dead White Males operates by  using techniques such as characterisation to position us to prefer one ideology above the other. The main way the play does this is by having an objectionable character, mouth the values and attitudes of post-structuralism, causing us to prefer liberal humanism. In the end I feel there is only a slight preference of one over the other because although Swain is the villain who shoots himself in the foot, much of what he says is historical fact. Bibliography : Dead White Males by David Williamson