Religion and Social Change - 1217 Words

â€Å"Religion can be both a conservative force and an initiator of social change†. To what extent to sociological arguments/evidence support this view. There is great debate concerning the role of religion in society, and whereas some claim that religion acts as a conservative force (that is, it inhibits change), others argue that religion is a major contributor to social change. As would be expected, many sociologists have took the middle ground, and argue that religion can act as both as conservative force, and an initiator of change. The view that religion acts as a conservative force stems from the structuralist theories of Functionalism and Marxism. Both see religion as facilitating the existence of society in its current form,†¦show more content†¦Perhaps the most influential sociologist that advocates the view that religion can cause changes in society is Max Weber, whose book, â€Å"The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism† examines how Protestantism played a role in changing society into a capitalist state. He proposes that the beliefs of ascetic Calvinist Protestantism created a work ethic which was conducive to the development of capitalism. Calvinists held a belief in â€Å"predestination†, that is, God allocates your place in either heaven or hell before you are born. This created a psychological problem for Calvinists, as they could not be sure as to whether they were amongst the â€Å"elect†. To solve this problem, they developed a set of values that embodied har d work, thrift and the accumulation of wealth, as surely God would not let the ungodly to prosper. These values naturally lend themselves to the â€Å"spirit of capitalism†, and Weber claims that this is why Capitalism first developed in Northern Europe, where Calvinism was most prominent. There have been many criticisms of Weber’s work however. Many claim that he misinterpreted Calvinism, and in fact, ascetic Protestants are against greed and the pursuit of money for its own sake. Many also argue that Weber misplaced causality, and many countries whereShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Social Change in Religion748 Words   |  3 PagesThe Social Change in Religion Religion has two meanings in sociology, the inclusive definition also known, as the functional definition is the most general and refers to following a set of rules or rituals. This could include football and vegetarianism, as well as more traditional religions such as Christianity and Judaism. The exclusive definition, also known as the substantive, requires a belief in a god or similar higher being. This is the definition I will beRead MoreEssay on religion and social change1102 Words   |  5 Pages Religion on social change This essay is to assess the contribution of religion as a cause of social change and what it has cause throughout the years, some say that religion acts as a conservative force, other say it is a major contributor of social change and some like to take the middle ground on this topic. Religion to sociologist can be seen in two types of ways which is either a conservative force (keeping thing the way they are) or a force for change. Those who see it as a conservativeRead MoreReligion, Acceptance, And Social Change1209 Words   |  5 Pages Throughout time, the views of homosexuality throughout a country can change. Whether its religion, acceptance, laws, or social change, the views will evolve. Greece serves as an example of a country that was once accepting of homosexuality, but is slowly progressing to not be as accepting. In Ancient Greece, homosexual relationships occurred regularly between an older man, and a younger child. As stated on pbs.org,† Traditionally these relationships involved an older man and a youth and lasted untilRead MoreThe Relationship Between Religion And Social Change1814 Words   |  8 Pagesstudy of religion has produced a range of interdisciplinary perspectives because of the sheer diversity of religious beliefs and practices, which have evolved with human history. Sociologists have theorised, to what extent religious practices and beliefs have been socially constructed, and, how these religious constructions shape other institutions and discourses throughout society and their impac t on modernity. This essay focuses on the relationship between religion and social change as proposedRead MoreThe Relationship Between Religion and Social Change Essay1126 Words   |  5 PagesThe Relationship Between Religion and Social Change In this essay I will analyze and evaluate the relationship between religion and social change in several ways. I will look at the work of various sociologists and their findings and norm’s etc. One simple argument is that in technologically underdeveloped societies religion arises as a means of explaining the unexplained. Religion, in such societies, is organized into ceremonies that involve strict hierarchicalRead MoreReligion May Encourage Rather Than Inhibit Social Change Essay examples697 Words   |  3 PagesReligion May Encourage Rather Than Inhibit Social Change There are many arguments for and against the notion of religion encouraging change in society. In his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Max Weber examines the possible relationship between the rise in Calvinism, a denomination of Protestantism, and the growth of industrialisation (or capitalism). He says that the guidelines laid down by this religion state a man must have a calling inRead MoreUsing material from Item A and elsewhere assess the contribution of religion to social change (18 marks)1000 Words   |  4 PagesReligion can be powerful under the right certain circumstances for social change. However it can be argued that religion can be a conservative force. Weber argues that religious beliefs contributed to major social change- specifically the emergence of modern capitalism in Northern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. Modern capitalism differs from capitalism as it is based on systematic, efficient and a rational pursuit of profit and profit for its own sake rather than consumption. Weber callsRead MoreReligion as a Conservative Force Essay1132 Words   |  5 PagesReligion as a Conservative Force ‘Conservative forces’ in this context can be defined as forces, which protect the existing social order, and radical forces being the opposite of conservative forces are those, which promote change. ‘’ Religion is essentially a conservative force in society and if that is true than it would also be true that religion can also play a part in social change.’ To evaluate whether religion is a conservative force or a forceRead MoreEssay Webers Approach to Religion and Sociology1706 Words   |  7 PagesApproach to Religion and Sociology Webers general approach to sociology is known as verstehen sociology; that human action is directed by meaning and that action can only be understood by appreciating the world-view of the social actor concerned. Since religion is an important component of the social actors world-view, religious beliefs can direct social action, Read MoreKarl Marx And Max Weber1332 Words   |  6 Pagesfascinated by religion science as they talked about different religion in depth that exist on earth and various perspectives of well known people on the study of religion. I chose Karl Marx and Max Weber for my paper assignment. Two sociologists and philosophers have discussed their views on religion and its impact on society. Most of the Sociologist of that time wrote about the role of religion in society, Karl Marx and Max Weber observations are particularly relevant for our course. Religion is one of

The Lord of the Flies Journal Entry Chapter 2 Free Essays

Entry II: Day 1 Today’s events have left me thinking a bit. After we got back from exploring the island, Ralph assembled another meeting to spread our new discoveries. We realized everyone would not stop talking at once, so Ralph decided that whoever holds the conch has the right to talk and can only be interrupted by Ralph himself. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lord of the Flies Journal Entry Chapter 2 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Great idea at first, until that fat, useless oaf Piggy took it. He wouldn’t stop worrying and whining about getting rescued. Ralph said it himself, his dad’s a navy commander and will probably have us rescued in a few days. I don’t understand why he doesn’t have faith in Ralph like the others. After a while, Ralph brought up the great idea of making a fire in order to signal the rescuers we would be on the island. I knew there was little time to waste just sitting around, so I led the group into the forest to gather firewood. Upon gathering wood, I was the one who came up with the idea of using Fatty’s specs as burning glasses. Still, I had never imagined that keeping a fire burning would be so hard! Later, I humbly offered the choir to maintain the fire in shifts. Everything went well until that swine Piggy decided to speak out again. He kept repeating himself about how building a fire was a bad choice, even though he didn’t contribute squat to anything to begin with. Still, bigger problems arose to overshadow his stupidity. The fire we thought had been put out actually spread and began burning down a chunk of the forest. To top it off, we are now missing a little shrimp with a mulberry-colored scar on his face. I remember him as the one who wouldn’t stop scaring others by talking about the â€Å"beasties in the forest†. Stupid kids always getting themselves into trouble. As the leader of the hunters, I will definitely find him. How to cite The Lord of the Flies Journal Entry Chapter 2, Papers

Commercial Position of UK Banks Free-Samplesâ€Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Analysis the Commercial Position of UK Banks in the UK and Global Market. Answer: Introduction UK banks have become a major player in economic growth within the UK and the globe. The banking sector has grown to accommodate all customers which would result in a strong economy. The UK banking industry has contributed to employment opportunities, increased personal banking services, and a source of government revenue. This report gives an overview of the position of the banking industry within the UK and global market using PESTEL and SWOT frameworks. The analysis gives the influence of the industry on the markets and how it has adapted to the changing global needs. Background of the banking sector The banking sector has existed for centuries, playing a significant role in changing the economic environment both within the UK and the globe. It has generated employment opportunities for the population, revenue for the government, and banking services to the society. The banking industry that started in the 17th century provide the local English community with banking services, and during the industrial revolution in 18th century, many banks were established in London due to increased international trade activities (Bennett, and Kottasz 2012). Banking industry were private enterprises during this era, and during the 19th century, the government took control over the industry as the need for control and regulation grew hence the formulation of the Bank Charter Act. Major improvements had been made to the sector including the accounts and the record keeping systems. The technology advancement led to a revolution in the banking sector: ATM and credit card services were established. T he sector has expanded over the year to include insurance, investments, and stock exchange. The banks have become a major contributor to economic growth in different markets globally. PESTEL analysis This framework analyzes factors that affect the banking industry considering both internal factors and the external factors. For the sector to operate normally, it has to navigate through these factors and provide expected services to the customers (Chalabi 2014). PESTEL is an acronym that stands for different environments that banking industry has work in political factors, economic factors, social factors, technological factors, economic factors and legal factors. Political factors These are factors that originate from the government that may include political stability, policies, and regulations. Stability in government gives the banking sector a favorable environment to operate. The pressure facing banks in the UK currently is Brexit and the uncertainty of Scotland being part of the UK in the future. Brexit has affected the normal operations of the sector due to the changes in relations with partners within the region. The uncertainty of the future relations with countries in Europe is likely to affect the operations of the UK banks in Europe and around the globe. The major financial crisis has been as a result of political interference through regulations that undermine operations of the banks. As a result of the interferences, it is a responsibility of managements in the industry to formulate strategies that would aid in compliance with the regulations established. Economic factors The sector is under pressure to offer quality services while the management is only in the hands of a few. Many customers are increasingly using the online platform to access the banking services hence the expansion of bank branches is becoming expensive and difficult. The Lloyds Bank, for example, has faced major setbacks in attempts to sell its branches because of sophistication in technology and increased expenses (David 2005). Barclays banks have branches in many countries, and in 2009, its credit rating dropped which affected its services. Banks have grown and have become an important part of different sectors within the UK and around the globe. The scale at which banks occupy the market is large therefore customers expect them to be crisis-free. Social factors Banks are becoming part of social influencers in the society by meeting their needs. To achieve sustainable growth, the banks have to transform the lives of the society members to the expected current living standards. This can be achieved by providing job opportunities for the society members, and as of 2014, 7% of employees within the UK worked in the banking industry. UK banks have been established in various countries and have become contributors to job opportunities and transformation of societies (El-Manstrly, Paton, Veloutsou, and Moutinho 2011). The presence of UK banks in third world countries has contributed to economic growth and improvement of living standards of the citizens. London has been a leader in the financial industry, but with Brexit, it faces the uncertainty of holding on to the position as neutral cities are rising to challenge it. Some of these cities include Glasgow, Manchester, and Edinburg. Technological factors From the time of banking services inception, technology has become a change agent that drives the dynamics of the industry. The technological advancement has significantly improved banking services across the globe. The ease of access to services has become a positive attribute to technology, but it also comes with setbacks to the industry. Increased online access of services has increased vulnerability to attacks from hackers who take personal bank information to steal money from personal bank accounts. Environmental factors This refers to completion among banks in the market both regionally and globally. There are fewer banks in the UK which result in an increased competition to occupy the market. The UK Bank has faced stiff competition from other world leading banks who want to occupy the leading global space for the industry. Financial crisis has influenced how banks operate and strategies they have formulated to aid in recovery. Legal factors The Bank Act was enacted by the government to make banks safe and strong to continuously provide services as expected by the customers. The reform act regulates banking culture and change is structures. The UK government introduced a bank account switching service that allows people to switch banks at any time. The introduction of the service is a competition agent between the banks. The government introduced Independent Commission aimed at reviewing the industry and giving suggestions on adjustments or changes that could be mad to the industry. The financial service Act that was established in 2013 regulates banking services and formulates changes that could improve the industry. SWOT analysis Strengths Banks have been part of the society from centuries ago which makes it an integral part of human race. This is an industrial and to an extent an organizational strength as they determine the financial course of societies and is a major influence on the economic growth. This role is unlikely to be replaced by any industry or any other form of service. Economic growth has been realized through the banking industry. Through banking services, sustainable growth in a country can be realized through creating an environment that allows growth. The industry is a key player involved in fostering financial stability, international trade, and reduce poverty levels in the society. Banks reduce effects of calamities by reclaiming and rebuilding destroyed properties. Banks are central to economic restoration and fostering reconstruction of human lives. Regardless of the cause of calamities, bank has always been part of restoration teams. With new technologies, banks have adopted their efficient use to make it easier for people to access services. Banks have also influenced how businesses operate by providing services that support more investments consequently growing these businesses. Weaknesses The lack of coordination between banks has to lead to major financial crisis. The difference in the value of currencies has challenged the operation of UK banks in other countries (Figueira, Nellis, and Parker 2007). The banking industry is an integral part of any sector. Therefore, it can influence the activities of these sectors in case of any change in the industry. The banks operate in areas where infrastructures are fully developed therefore they are not operational in areas that are underdeveloped. In many African countries, UK banks are only located in major cities. This reduces the penetration of banking markets in developing countries where many of the banks have tried to commit to helping in the development activities. Opportunities UK Banks have an opportunity to expand to different markets globally. Many potential customers could benefit from the presence of the banks in their regions. The demographic shifts in different regions provide markets for these banks as many young people across the world are getting more financial educational hence the need for banking systems. The rise in private banking services has been facilitated by favorable conditions provided by the company. The customers have become beneficiaries of the change due to competition between the private and public sector which results in quality services. Threats The recession is a major threat that banks may face which lead to economic crises and almost total collapse in financial systems. This could adversely affect businesses and affect domestic lives of the societies. Small banks have been affected by the use of weak systems which have threatened their stability. Competition between banks and non-banking financial institutions has affected the operations of banks as both industries are competing for the same customer segments. The table below shows the major banks in the UK and their values Bank Market Value(Billion) Assets(Billion) HSBC 122.2 1736 RBS 49.9 2508 TSB 44.5 1195 Barclays 38.3 2320 Threats facing UK internal business functions Mobile banking risks The use of mobile phones for banking purposes is on the rise, and most traditional regulations do not adjust to this communication tool. According to Researchandmarkets.com (2014), the use of mobile phones creates vulnerability to attacks as personal information can be compromised through an exposed protected interface. The use of mobile phones is on the rise globally, which has increased innovation to cater for banking systems. With limited regulations in the market. The internet of things risks the security of connected devices and privacy of individuals. In this era, most of the home appliances could be connected to a single server that controls them. The intranet created could be compromised by hackers to collect data from unsuspecting users. Many banks create their interconnectivity that allows transfer of information and eases their retrieval. This risk is one of the newest because the technology was created without considering potential risks it might pose to the individuals or institutions. Response to change From the time the UK experienced the credit crunch, financial institutions have tightened the operations within the sector. Public funds were used to save the banking sector from collapsing which angered many people. New systems have since been introduced that seek to make management take responsibility for their actions. Changes introduced to the sector include imposed regulations on the pay and bonuses given to staff. This was a result of the public outcry following the pay the staffs were entitled to, which formed part of the factors that led almost collapse of financial institutions (Wall 2014). Regulations have been put in place, and banks have to comply with them. Regulation on compensation requires bank employees to access it only if deemed worthy. The UK government has established some regulatory policies that include the financial services act replacing the Tripartite. The Act is responsible for consumer protection by supervising individual banks through financial assistance from the Treasury (Treanor 2010). The Act regulates financial systems within the UK through watchdog committees. The committee is responsible for supervising financial institutions by checking their safety and soundness of operations. Technology has affected how banks operate as customers are increasingly becoming tech savvy. Banks have adapted to the changes by having innovations that could be applied to the sector. Companies like Google and Apple have utilized their platforms to expand their services which have prompted the banks to change their approach to consumer strategies. This has resulted in a development of online pay activities. According to Gov.uk (2013), the emergence of the bitcoin has impacted banking dynamics, and many banks are considering the same application into their businesses. This ecosystem is being integrated into banking systems which are likely to broaden the services that banks offer. References Bennett, R, and Kottasz, R, 2012, Public attitudes towards the UK banking industry following the global financial crisis.International Journal of Bank Marketing, 30(2), pp.128--147. Chalabi, M 2014,UK banks: how powerful are they? London publishers. David, F, 2005,Strategic management. 1st ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. El-Manstrly, D Paton, R Veloutsou, C and Moutinho, L 2011, An empirical investigation of the relative effect of trust and switching costs on service loyalty in the UK retail banking industry.Journal of Financial Services Marketing, 16(2), pp.101--110. Figueira, C Nellis, J and Parker, D 2007, Challenges facing the Polish banking industry: A comparative study with UK banks.Managing Global Transitions, 5(1), pp.25--44. PwC, 2014,What now for the UK banking industry? Implementing the Independent Commission on Banking recommendations. Pearson Researchandmarkets.com, 2014,UK Retail Banking Sector: Industry Profile - Research and Markets. Researchandmarkets.com, (2014).UK Retail Banking Sector: Industry Profile - Research and Markets. Gov.uk, 2013,Creating stronger and safer banks - Policy - GOV.UK. London Press Treanor, J 2010,Political prying biggest risk facing banks, say bankers. London Press Wall, M 2014, Start-ups challenge big banks' technology. London Press

South Korea Essays (1378 words) - , Term Papers

South Korea South Korea is officially known as Taehan Min'guk (Republic of Korea). This country is in northeastern Asia and occupies the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. South Korea is bounded on the north by North Korea; on the east by the East Sea (Sea of Japan); on the south bye the Korea Strait, which also separates it from Japan; and on the west by the Yellow Sea. It has a total area of 38,328 square miles, including many offshore islands in the south and west, and the largest is Cheju. The state of South Korea was established in 1948 succeeding the post-World War II distribution of the penisula between the occupying forces of the United States in the south and the Union of Soviet Republics (USSR) in the north. The capital of South Korea is Seoul which is also the largest city. The current version of the South Korean flag was adopted in 1984, but the basic design has been used since the country's founding is 1948. The Buddhist yin-yang symbol represents the unity of opposites, and the white background represents purity. The black markings symbolize three cycles, with opposites in each cycle opposing one another(reading clockwise from the upper left): summer, autumn, winter, spring, south, west, north, east, sky, moon, earth, and sun. South Korea is mainly a rugged, mountainous terrain. The principal range is the T'aebaek-sanmaek, which extends in a north-south direction parallel to the eastern coast. The country's highest peak, located on the island of Cheju, is Halla-san. Plains constitute less than one-fifth the total area and are mostly in the west along the coast the coastal plains in the east and south are very narrow. South Korea has a highly indented coastline characterized by high tidal ranges, the country's tow longest rivers, the Naktong and Han, rise in the T'aebaek-sanmaek, one flowing south to the Korea Strait and the other northwest to the Yellow sea. Other major rivers include the Kom, Yengsan, and Tongjin. South Korea has a continental climate, with cold, dry winters and hot, rainy summers. In Seoul the average January temperature range is 16 to 30 degrees F, and the average July temperature range is 70 to 84 degrees F. Winter temperatures are higher along the southern coast and considerably lower in the mountainous interior. The average precipitation in Seoul is 49in and in Pusan 54in. Rainfall is mostly in the summer months (June to September). The southern coast is subject to late summer typhoons that bring strong winds and heavy rains. Mixed deciduous and coniferous forests cover about three-quarters of the land, but have been lessened of use as fuel. Predominate species include pine, maple, elm, poplar, fir and aspen. Bamboo, laurel, and evergreen oak are found in the southern coastal areas. Large mammals, such as tigers, leopards, bears, and lynx, used to be common throughout the Korean Peninsula, but these animals have virtually disappeared form South Korea due to deforestation and poaching. The population of South Korea (1997 estimate) is 45,948,811. The country's population density of 1199 people per sq. mi. is one of the highest in the world. The majority of the population lives in the southern and western coastal areas. South Korea like North Korea is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world. Aside from a resident foreign population of about 55,000 , mostly Chinese, the country has no racial or linguistic minorities. Because of the mixed racial character of the present-day Korean population, it is believed that the ancestors of the Koreans included immigrants from the northern part of the Asian mainland. The national language, Korean, is believed by some scholars to be a member of the Altaic language family. It is similar to Japanese in grammar, but it contains many borrowed Chinese words. Korean is written in a phonetic script known as Han'gol from the colonial period and most educated Koreans can read English, which is taught in all secondary schools. In 1995 nearly one-half of the people in South Korea did not claim a religion. Buddhism claimed more adherents than any other religion in South Korea. Confucianism, which is more a moral philosophy than a religion, is a more prominent element in Korean life than its somewhat small number of adherents would recommend. Christian missionaries were first permitted in Korea in 1882 and by 1995 the Christian population skyrocketed to 11.8 million, three quarters of them were Protestants. Other important influences include Ch'endogyo, a religion founded in the mid-19th century that fuses elements of Confucianism and Daoism. Primary education is free for all

The Roaring Twenties Essays

The Roaring Twenties Essays The Roaring Twenties Essay The Roaring Twenties Essay The Lost Generation in the Roaring Twenties The process of change can often be difficult and tumultuous. This is particularly true of monumental changes in generational trends. In looking at the young people of the sasss, for example, we see a lost generation, which, despite breaking free from the strict moral codes of previous generations, had yet to find their own course to fulfillment and happiness. Responding to the hypocrisy of their parents, and greatly assisted by the invention of the automobile, the young people of the asss sought good times through the pursuit of physical beauty, sex, and material wealth. Although these pursuits provided an element of freedom that had not existed previously, they ultimately led to disillusionment and, in some cases, destruction. This aspect of the asss experience is expressed very well in the film The Great Gatsby, based on the book of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In this film presentation, a strong critique of American society is offered in the sense that the pursuit of wealth and success is not glorified as it usually is in popular culture. Rather, it is depicted as something dangerous and destructive. As Allen (2000) points out, the asss dinettes a revolution in morals and manners. In particular, young women began to realize a level of freedom that had not existed previously. In terms of dress, skirts were raised and outfits became more revealing. Also, young women began to smoke and drink at a rate not seen previously. In terms of morals, sexual contact became more frequent at younger ages. Petting parties were extremely popular. This entire process was signified in the popularity of the automobile. On more than one level, the automobile typified the prevailing trends of the asss. First of all, the automobile anger ten social Ana sexual landscape Day provoking a location winner young people could spend time together away from home. Secondly, the worship of the automobile represented a new focus on material and wealth and possessions as a post-war ideal. These fundamental developments are represented in The Great Gatsby. The main character and narrator of the story is Nick Caraway. Immediately upon his arrival in New York from Chicago, Nick falls in with a group of people that typify the new outlook of the sasss. In the couple of Tom and Daisy Buchanan, for example, we e the classic upscale young couple of the decade. Daisy exemplifies the moral and aesthetic status of women in the asss. She projects the classic asss look: slight of frame, even boyish, with short hair and a light, airy quality. Like many women of her generation, Daisy likes to drink with her husband and is not afraid to be upfront and frank in conversation. Tom, meanwhile, typifies the young wealthy asss male: self- centered, rude, and boisterous. Together, Tom and Daisy personify many of the themes, which Allen (2000) associates with the sasss. Indeed, as Allen (2000)1 as written, the woman of the Post-war generation said to man, You are tired and disillusioned, you do not want the cares of a family or the companionship of mature wisdom, you want exciting play, you want the thrills of sex without their fruition, and I will give them to you. And to herself she added, But I will be free. This is the type of agreement that seems to lie beneath the marriage of Tom and Daisy. They live a fast, exciting , life, more concerned with thrills than with stability or lasting love. And when Daisy feels compelled to indulge in an affair with Gatsby, she does so freely and with title concern. Tom, for his part, has a mistress of his own. The emphasis of their union is on speed, excitement, and mutual freedom. The consequences, as we soon find out, are disillusionment and destruction. Above all else, the film addresses the issue of materialism that was so powerful in America in the sasss. As Collect (1953) has written, the sasss were a period of mass consumption in America. Whereas previous eras had been dedicated to the process of production, with people saving their money and reinvesting it in new business enterprises, America in the sasss was dedicated to buying things and pending freely. Thus, a shift was made from production to consumption and it had a great impact on various levels of society. This key trend of the asss is a driving force behind the story told in the film. By pursuing and achieving great wealth, Jay Gatsby gains many possessions and throws expensive parties. In this sense, he is reflective of the consumer culture of the asss. Eventually, like the other characters in the novel, however, Gatsby finds that the consumer culture only leaves him feeling empty. For all of his wealth, he is unable to buy the only thing that can really bring him peppiness: the love of Daisy Buchanan. In the character of Gatsby, we see the personification of idealism and pursuit of the American Dream. Gatsby compilation of material wealth, he hoped, would help to find happiness in life. Through it all, however, Gatsby lacked the one thing he needed most: the love of Daisy Buchanan. In this element of his character, we see the disillusionment and emptiness, which comes from the pursuit of material wealth at all costs. 2 The point here seems to be that the pursuit of possessions in life will always leave you wanting more, one way or another, and therefore it does not provide road to happiness. Gatsby death at the end of the novel only adds the element of escutcheon as a consequence AT Nils worldly pursuits. In ten Declining, never, Gatsby character seems to represent the great promise of the American Dream. In the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it was written that Gatsby came out onto his lawn and looked up at the sky to determine what share was his of the local heavens. This demonstrates Gatsby capacity to dream, his glorious expectations, and his optimistic belief that he can achieve his dreams. This basically represents the reface appearance of the American Dream, the part that drove many Americans in the sasss and has continued to do so ever since. In the course of his courtship of Daisy Buchanan, however, Gatsby gradually comes to see the other side of the American Dream. At one point, Fitzgerald writes of how Gatsby was so in love with Daisy that his possessions only seemed to have any meaning based on her response to them. At times, his focus on Daisy actually gives Nick the impression that the possessions no longer felt real to Gatsby. This shows how the theme of consumerism shapes and defines the life of Gatsby both in the kook and the movie. For all the possessions he has gained, these possessions have no meaning if they do not enable him to win the approval and love of Daisy. Alike many in the sasss, Gatsby has been misled by consumerism. He has pursued material things as if these things will provide happiness. In the presence of Daisy, however, all the things he owns no longer seem real at all. This demonstrates the false promise of consumerism. As events unfold in the film, we see an ongoing criticism of the materialism of this time period. Towards the end the story, Toms sisters is run over by Daisy as she drives Gatsby yellow roadster. As Allen(2000) indicates, the automobile was a key factor of the asss, a major symbol of the prosperity and emerging modernism of the era. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Gatsby car should play a role in the plotting of the story. When the womans husband comes looking for revenge, he originally encounters Tom. Fearing for his life, Tom tells the man that Gatsby is the guilty party. Thus, the man kills Gatsby. The symbolic role of the yellow roadster in this ending is significant. The car symbolizes tribalism and the woman who is run over, Myrtle, is a superficial woman who was only attracted to Tom in the first place for his wealthy status. In having her get run over by the car, the film advances the theme that the pursuit of materialism destroys. The same theme applies in the case of Gatsby. Tom and Daisy, meanwhile, continue with their empty and superficial marriage. All together, the film shows a group of characters who are lonely, empty, and mutually destructive largely because of their dedication to the false ideals of consumerism and the American Dream. As Callahan (1996) has written, F. Scott Fitzgerald was no stranger to the dissipation of values and the pursuit of sensation in the Jazz Age of the sasss (374). At the start of the sasss, Fitzgerald himself stated that, America was going on the greatest, gaudiest spree in history and there was going to be plenty to tell about it. Indeed, virtually every character in the film, with the exception of Nick Caraway, is touched in some negative way by the American ideals of commercialism and greed. Thus, the story offers an implicit criticism of American life. The main characters are people who have been blinded by the American Dream. In some cases, such as Tom and Daisy, this blindness leads to loneliness and emptiness. In other cases, such as Myrtle and Gatsby, materialist pursuits lead not only to disillusionment and suffering out to sell-escutcheon as well. From tens perspective, ten Tall version AT Autographs great novel seems to make the statement that the modern consumerism that emerged in the sasss should not be viewed as a road to happiness. Indeed, building from F. Scott Fitzgerald great book, the film version of The Great Gatsby presents a moral about the effects of materialism in the sasss. As Allen (2000) put it, the people of the sasss could not endure a life without values, and the only values they had been trained to understand were being undermined. Everything seemed meaningless and unimportant. This is exactly the fate of characters like Tom, Daisy, Myrtle, and Gatsby. With the values of past generations no longer relevant, and a new set of values not yet in place, the young people of the asss found themselves sleepwalking through a decade of sex and materialism which ultimately left them empty and disillusioned. This is the overriding theme expressed in the film erosion of The Great Gatsby.

Europium Facts - Element Atomic Number 63

Europium Facts - Element Atomic Number 63 Europium is a hard, silver-colored metal that readily oxidizes in air. It is element atomic number 63, with the symbol Eu. EuropiumBasic Facts Atomic Number: 63 Symbol: Eu Atomic Weight: 151.9655 Discovery: Boisbaudran 1890; Eugene-Antole Demarcay 1901 (France) Electron Configuration: [Xe] 4f7 6s2 Element Classification: Rare Earth (Lanthanide) Word Origin: Named for the continent of Europe. Europium Physical Data Density (g/cc): 5.243 Melting Point (K): 1095 Boiling Point (K): 1870 Appearance: soft, silvery-white metal Atomic Radius (pm): 199 Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 28.9 Covalent Radius (pm): 185 Ionic Radius: 95 (3e) 109 (2e) Specific Heat (20Â °C J/g mol): 0.176 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 176 Pauling Negativity Number: 0.0 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 546.9 Oxidation States: 3, 2 Lattice Structure: Body-Centered Cubic Lattice Constant (Ã…): 4.610 References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952), CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (18th Ed.) Chemistry Facts Return to the Periodic Table

Poverty and students achievement Research Proposal

Poverty and students achievement - Research Proposal Example Problem to be investigated A. Purpose of the study (including assumptions) The purpose for this study is to study the poverty achievement gap, which affects children from poor backgrounds. Through a variety of researches that have been conducted in this area, it has been established that children who are brought up in poverty are likely to perform poorer in their academic work than their peers from privileged households. Besides, this study will investigate different strategies and policies that can be implemented to alleviate this problem. B. Justification of the study The educational achievement by students is highly dependent on the state’s and districts’ educational policies as well as the available resources, which facilitate classroom instructions, among many other tasks (Shields, 1991). The educational stakeholders should support the efforts for offering essential facilities and assistance in order to ensure that all students, including those from poor family bac kgrounds, achieve their educational goals. Allington (1991) maintains that federal, state, and district policies ought to be cautiously premeditated with the purpose of outlining the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of a variety of policies in finishing the poverty achievement gap. C. Research question, hypotheses, and propositions Research questions 1. ... 2. If proper mechanisms are put up and all the education stakeholders come on board, the impact of poverty on education can be addressed, to a great extent. 3. There are exists alternative strategies and opportunities for alleviating the damaging impacts of poverty on education. D. Definition of terms Poverty – this is the lack of adequate financial resources to cater for basic needs and services such as education, food, water, shelter, and lighting among other amenities. Education – this is numeracy, literacy, and basic understanding of science and an individual’s environment as attained in pre primary, primary, secondary and tertiary levels of learning. Impacts – this is the consequences of a particular state of affairs and in this case poverty. E. Brief overview of study Poverty has varying impacts on various sectors of development, one such sector is the educating sector. Relative or absolute poverty leads to low enrollment, low retention, high dropout and illiteracy rates since the poor cannot afford the high costs associated with education. Stakeholders in this sector are partly to blame because of inaccessibility, poor quality and high costs associated with education at all levels. A successful education program must be accessible, affordable and of standard quality to all citizens especially the poor. This study will investigate the manner in which this societal problem can be resolved. II. Background and review of related literature A: Theoretical framework The link between poverty and education can be explained through Developmental Systems Theories (DST) (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). These theories are associated with ecological theory and expounds on the linkages between different levels ranging from

Raymond Carver, Cathedral Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Raymond Carver, Cathedral - Essay Example Indeed â€Å"blindness and sight† is embedded within both the structure and the content of the story. The author essentially propounds that, though blessed with eyesight; the crust of individualism does not let modern man see what lies beneath the surface or appearance. Indeed Carver’s narrator is one of those commoners who never want to go through the stress to interpret mindfully what they are attached to. Ingenue Simplicity in the story’s Plot Indeed the plot of Carver’s story is ironically simple. It is endowed with a great fluidity of expression that enables the readers to read the story palatably. Apparently it details a homely dialogue between a narrator and his guest Richard, a blind man who is paying visit to Richard’s house. Like any other homely conversation the story’s plot also continues having no apparent predestined goal. But elements like the blind guest’s success in bonding a relationship, in opposition the narratorâ⠂¬â„¢s failure, etc make this apparent simplicity ironical and provoke Carver’s readers to delve deep in what lies beneath the surface level of the story. Regarding the ironical simplicity of the story, Carol Simpson Stern says that like other stories of Carver, the Cathedral’s plot is â€Å"about people who work mindlessly, drink, have broken marriages, and take in life, not directly, but through an immersion in mediated images† (1). Indeed the ‘blindness’ of the narrator has been used as an irony in the structure of the whole story. The narrator relates the story in his own way that provides the readers with the opportunities to look into the communicational incapability in his character. Analysis of Major characters All the two major characters of the â€Å"Cathedral† are those who do not stand alone in the society; rather they are submerged in the society and fraught with all the characteristics of a modern man. In the story, the unnamed narrator, the only developing character, is self-doubting, introvert, and self-absorbed. At the beginning of the story, he lacks communication skills. But as the story progresses, he, breaking his comfort zone of â€Å"nonchalant detachment†, gradually learns to decode the unfathomable meaning of the blind man’s long-lasting relationship with his wife and eventually forges a true connection with him. One of the stories’ themes is to unearth and uphold the root cause of modern man’s failure to forge a successful relationship and to perceive what lies beneath the materialistic existence, coming out the crust of individualism induced by materialism. This theme has prudently been applied in the literary relationship that exists among the three characters of the blind man, Robert and Robert’s wife who are the characters in focus. These three characters uphold the three themes of religion, public relations and composition. The author cautiously and sensi bly engages these characters to explicate and, at the same time, explain the theme. Internal and External Conflicts in the Story In the story the narrator is in conflict with his blind guest Richard. He is quite annoyed at the blind man’s visit and a bit jealous of his relation (Richard’

Importance of Swot Analysis Essay Example for Free

Importance of Swot Analysis Essay Why is the process of conducting an internal and external analysis on a regular basis important for any size company? The process of an internal and external analysis on a regular basis is important for any size company because it allows the company to know where it stands at the moment and determines the development and forecasts of those factors that will influence the organizational success. This is also known as environmental scanning where the external and the internal environments are scanned for information like ongoing trends patterns, occasions and changes going around and the effect it has to both these environments. External analysis: These analyses are performed outside the firm and depend on the following factors: a, MACRO: technological, demographic/economic, political/legal and social/cultural, national and global environment b. MICRO: competitors, suppliers, customers, publics, channels etc. Internal Analysis: This analysis is performed within the firm that includes the employees, management and the shareholders, resources, organisational structure etc. SWOT Analysis  The most common way of analyzing this external and internal environment is by performing the SWOT analysis. SWOT is an acronym used that describes Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats that are strategic elements for a firm. A SWOT analysis should not only result in the identification of a corporation’s core competencies, but also in the identification of opportunities that the firm is not currently able to take advantage of due to a lack of appropriate resources. (Wheelen, Hunger pg 107) The External analysis comprises of the Opportunities and Threats that the company needs to identify or focus on for its profitability and development of defensive actions. * Opportunities: This analyzes the area where the firm can identify its opportunities so as to have a competitive advantage over its competitors. Once identified, the firm has to work on them to make it one of its strengths. Its main aim is to find an area where they need to develop to be profitable. * Threats: These are the threats that the firm faces from outside the firm and can be from any of the external sources. The firm has to be prepared to tackle these threats by developing strategic decisions when required so that it does not affect their profitability or sales. The Internal analysis focuses on the internal environment of the organisation and analyzes the Strengths and Weaknesses of the company. * Strengths: These are the core competencies of the firm that provides them the advantage of achieving their goals. These should be aligned in meeting the customer requirements because at the end of the day, it is the customer whom they serve. Therefore, it should be customer focussed and market oriented. * Weaknesses: These refer to the firm’s limitations in fulfilling their strategic decisions or failure to implement them. It has to be analyzed from the customer’s point of view so as to get a clear idea. These steps need to analyze the firm’s resources and the capabilities to meet their goals and identify events and trends that might impact the strategic plans and decisions of the company.

Buddhism: The 4 noble truths Essay -- Buddhist Buddha essays research

Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths Siddharta Gautama was twenty-nine years old when he abandoned his family to search for a means to bring to an end his and other’s suffering after studying meditation for many years. At age thirty-five, Siddharta Gautama sat down under the shade of a fig tree to meditate and he determined to meditate until he reached enlightenment. After seven weeks he received the Great Enlightenment which he referred to as the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path. Henceforth he became known as the Buddha. In The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, Thich Nhat Hanh provides a citation from the Buddha, which gives insight into the cure of our distress. â€Å"I teach only suffering and the transformation of suffering† (Thich Nhat Hanh 3). When we recognize and acknowledge our own suffering, the Buddha, which is present in everyone, will look at it, discover what has brought it about, and prescribe a course of action that can transform it into peace, joy, and liberation. Suffering is the means the Buddha used to liberate himself, and it is also the means by which we can become free. The teachings of the Buddha revolve around this central tenant known as the "Four Noble Truths". The Four Noble Truths represent the basis of the Buddha's teaching and form the central foundation of Buddhism. Historically, Lord Buddha preached on these topics during his first public commentary following his enlightenment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The First Noble Truth states that "Life is Dukkha." Dukkha, in English â€Å"suffering", exists, even that this is the natural and universal state of beings. To live, one must suffer because it is an inevitable part of life, which one cannot avoid. All beings must endure physical suffering as well as enduring psychological suffering the form of many human emotions. Human beings are subject to impermanence and uncertainty which very often, causes us to associate with things that are unpleasant and disassociate with things that are pleasant. This may seem a bit cynical and may suggest to many individuals that Buddhism is a dismal, fatalistic religion yet it just implies we must accept the good with the bad. Buddha’s first noble truth is a statement that can obviously not be denied. In The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, the author provides insight into the truth of suffering. â€Å"To succeed in the practice, we must stop trying to prove that everything i... ...aintain ourselves clearly on all planes of existence. 8. Right Concentration, samyak samahdi, by establishing and maintaining our focus of appearance, manifestation and being through appropriate concentration, usually named as meditation, dhyana, we are grounded in our unfolding actuality. This is the threshold of Nirvana, to develop the eye of wisdom. Anyone and everyone can achieve the highest goal in Buddhism. All one need to do is to make an honest effort to follow the Noble Eightfold Path. It is said that those who have reached enlightenment, like Buddha Shakyamuni and his disciples took much work to attain that state of mind; it was not accidental. The Buddha and his disciples were once ordinary people, afflicted by the impurities of the mind, desire, ill-will and ignorance. It was through contacting the Dharma and purifying their words, thoughts and deeds. These individuals developed their minds and acquired wisdom so they became exalted beings able to teach and help others to realize the truth. If one applies themselves to the teachings of the Buddha, attainment of the ultimate goal of Buddhism, the goal of liberation, the everlasting bliss of Nirvana can be achieved.

Assessment of Grandmother’s Character in ” a Good Man Is Hard to Find”

An Assessment of the Grandmother from â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† by Flannery O’Connor The grandmother who remains unnamed all throughout in the story is the protagonist and the central character of Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man is hard to Find, a tragic story of a family who decided to go on vacation but got killed randomly on the road by a criminal on the loose named â€Å"The Misfit†. She is endowed with a joyful spirit, a passion in life in spite of her age. She is a non-stereotypical woman whose old fashion clothing and beliefs contradict her strong, manipulative mind, an opposite trait of a passive and complacent woman in her time. The Grandmother is a smart woman who knows how to assert herself by trying to use all the available resources around her and manipulating them by appealing to their morality. From this information we say that the grandmother is a round and dynamic character as her character changes from being a manipulative mother to her son Bailey, to a quirky, playful grandmother who ignite her grandchildren’s imagination by her stories, and finally, to a humble human being who experiences â€Å"awakening† and acceptance of defeat in her moral battle and failed manipulation scheme with The Misfit. Right from the beginning of the story, we are introduced to a powerful trait of the grandmother—her strong and manipulative character. She did not want to go to Florida, as her son Bailey has planned for the family. Instead she wanted to go to Tennessee to visit her old friends and â€Å"she was seizing at every chance to change Bailey’s mind† (356). She would use everything around her to complete her scheme and set things her way. She picks up a newspaper and shows him the news about a criminal on the loose from the Federal Penitentiary who is headed towards Florida, and attacks his conscience and morals by saying, †I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that a loose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscience if I did† (356). When her first attempt gets no response, she uses her grandchildren and hopes to convince Bailey’s mind this time by saying that the â€Å"children need to see the other parts of the world and be broad† (356). Finally, when she realizes defeat, the grandmother is the first one all set to go the next morning, an indication of the dynamism and flexibility of her character. This same manipulative character is so important in the development of the plot that it will set fire and conflict of the story. The grandmother persuades her son Bailey to make a detour and let the family see an old house off road. When Bailey says no, she again uses her grandchildren by telling them lies about the secret panel in the house where the old family that used to stay in that house hid their silver. The grandmother knows she ignites the children’s imagination and senses winning this time. This sends the children to a frantic tantrum and ultimately changes Bailey’s mind. The detour causes them an accident and their encounter with The Misfit. In her encounter with The Misfit, still high with power over her ability to changer her son’s mind, she does the same tactic to The Misfit, and hopes not to get killed by persuading The Misfit to change his ways. She evangelizes on his morality and flatters him by constantly telling him he is a good man and that he comes from a nice people (364). Her desperation is overwhelming as she desperately tries to reach out with The Misfit by calling him â€Å"one of her children† and touching him on his shoulders. This desperate action brings her to her death in the hands of The Misfit. Apparently, her manipulative scheme does not work with The Misfit, instead gets him more irritated and angry as he states, â€Å"She would have been a good woman†¦if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life† (368). Another indication of the grandmother’s unique personality is her clothing and style. The author presents her to us as being a prim and proper lady dressed in a navy blue suit with a matching navy blue sailor hat and white cotton gloves. What makes her clothing and style peculiar and interesting is its inappropriateness to the humid condition of her surroundings. The grandmother seems unmindful about it instead she focuses on her aristocratic and old-fashion views in life. She states, â€Å"In case of accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady† (357). Instead of viewing the grandmother as hypocrite and superficial, we could look at her as a lost spirit in a lost time frame and space. Her old-fashioned clothing, ways and thinking indicate her imprisonment and nostalgia for the old days. This is shown through her constant recalling of the past, her yearning to reconnect with her old friends in Tennessee, and her nostalgia with the old house in the hill. These are important indications of a suppressed spirit trapped in the pain and joys of unresolved past. Tragically, this constant yearning of the past will take her and her family to doom and death. Compared to the other characters in the story, the grandmother’s character is the most dynamic and vibrant just like how her choice of clothing stands out. Her son, Bailey, is a cold-hearted and self-absorbed individual whose character is just as boring as his yellow parrot shirt. He consciously defies his mother’s control and hates her sunny disposition,† The children’s mother put a dime in the machine and played ‘The Tennessee Waltz’, and the grandmother said that tune always made her want to dance. She asked Bailey if he would like to dance but he only glared at her†. Bailey’s wife on the other hand, is a passive character whose only obsession is to hold her baby day and night. To illustrate it more graphically, â€Å"the grandmother is a giant red rose in the midst of weathered weeds in a field†. It becomes more vibrant in her encounter with the antagonist of the story, The Misfit. The grandmother’s and The Misfit’s characters are both strong and contrast with each other and it is reflected in their opposing choice of clothing and differing views on morality. Reading between them is like watching the Battle of Endor in Star Wars-Return of the Jedi where the â€Å"good†Ã¢â‚¬â€Luke Skywalker battles with the â€Å"evil†Ã¢â‚¬â€Darth Vader. The encounter brings us to a hopeful anticipation whether the good will prevail evil and hopes that the grandmother will persuade The Misfit to spare her life and change his ways. But to no avail. The grandmother will be shot three times on her chest. The death of the grandmother in the hands of The Misfit will evoke us differing reactions. At first instance, we may feel vindictive for the grandmother, and that she only got what she deserved as payback for her selfishness and manipulative character. At the same time, we are also saddened of the evil’s triumph over goodness, a brush of reality that at times or most of the time, â€Å"guns are still mightier than words or even religion†. The story concludes with a life lesson that a man’s character and morality are so embedded in the individual that it cannot be changed overnight nor by the mere mention of God or religion. It has to be noted though that when the grandmother dies, the author describes her as â€Å"half sat and half lay in a puddle of blood with her legs crossed under her like a child’s and her face smiling up at the cloudless sky (368), as if full of peace and divine grace. This demonstrates O’Connor’s conviction on salvation through religion that everyone has the chance to be saved no matter how deceitful the individual’s actions may have been in the past. All throughout the story, our relationship with the grandmother fluctuates from hatred to love, anger to sadness. We love her for her playfulness, her sunny disposition, and nostalgia for the past, yet we hate her for resembling with our own grandmothers or mothers who never shut up at our homes and who seem to know everything in the world constantly asserting their power and dominance over us. This ability to evoke an ambivalent feeling and familiarity with reality is what makes this story worth reading all over again. References: O’ Connor, F. (1955). A Good Man Is Hard to Find. In G. Giola, & J. Kennedy (Ed. ), Backpack Literature (pp. 355-368). USA: Pearson

Ethics and Values and 2g Scam

Ethics and Value Management Project Report Table of Content 1. Abstract 1. 1 Introduction 2. Ethical Issues 3. Ethical Dilemma’s 3. 1. Dilemma faced by A. Raja 3. 1. 1. Role of A. Raja 3. 1. 2. Ethical Theories 3. 1. 3. Cost and Benefit analysis 3. 1. 4. Recommendation for resolving the Dilemma 3. 2. Dilemma faced by Corporates 3. 2. 1. Role of Corporates 3. 2. 2 Ethical Theories 3. 2. 3. Cost and Benefit analysis 3. 2. 4. Recommendation for resolving the Dilemma 3. 3. Dilemma faced by Government 3. 3. 1. Role of Government 3. 3. 2. Ethical Theories 3. 3. 3. Cost and Benefit analysis . 3. 4. Recommendation for resolving the Dilemma 3. 4 Dilemma faced by Media 3. 4. 1. Role of Media 3. 4. 2. Ethical Theories 3. 4. 3. Recommendation for resolving the Dilemma 4. Recommendations for avoiding recurrence of the issue 4. 1 Plan to avoid recurrence of such a scam 5. References 5. 1. Websites 5. 2. Books 1. Abstract 1. 1. Introduction: The  2G  spectrum  scam  involved politici ans and government officials in India illegally undercharging  mobile telephony  companies for  frequency allocation  licenses, which they would then use to create  2G  subscriptions for  cell phones.The shortfall between the money collected and the money that the law mandated to be collected is estimated to be  176,645  Crore  (US$32. 15 billion), as valued by the  Comptroller and Auditor General of India  based on  3G and BWA spectrum auction  prices in 2010. However, the exact loss is disputed. The Supreme Court declared allotment of spectrum as â€Å"unconstitutional and arbitrary† and quashed all the 122 licenses issued in 2008 during tenure of  A. Raja(then  minister for communications & IT) the main official accused in the 2G scam case.In 2011,  Time  magazine listed the scam at number two on their â€Å"Top 10 Abuses of Power† list. 2. Ethical Issues With the outbreak of the 2G spectrum scam, the following ethical issues on t he part of the Government, Regulatory bodies, media and industry came into the forefront. * Spirit of collective responsibility not conserved: An ethics of co-responsibility is required and can only be implemented through mechanisms well beyond the legal system. In the 2G scam, almost all of the entire media and nation has put the name of Mr A.Raja as the responsible person for the corruption but the actual decision of telecom policy was passed through the cabinet. * Too much power in hands of very few: This is what actually happened in case of 2G scam. The entire decision making power rested in the hands of selected bureaucrats. * Middle men used for access to those in power: Middlemen were used to by company officials and other illicit channels to reach the ministers. People in power were lured by money. Those who did not bend to the power of money were either transferred or were threatened. Neutrality of media questionable: In the  2G Spectrum Scam  Case, instead of providing valuable insights, the media is trying to become the judiciary. The media has targeted easy scapegoats, revolving their stories around a selected few because even they know that it is difficult for them to target certain big names like the Tatas, Ambanis and Ruias. * Personal greed puts business ethics at stake:  Raja was the mastermind of this whole scam and his personal greed made him do all the corrupt things. The 2 fundamentals of business i. e. air dealing and transparency was completely kept aside to enjoy the false fruits. * Wrong use of power leads to a great turmoil:  Raja being the Telecom minister, tried to influence the senior officials of DOT by all means. Those who didn’t get influenced were either transferred or removed from their posts. 3. Ethical Dilemma’s 3. 1. Dilemma Faced By A. Raja: Mr A. Raja was in a dilemma whether he should disclose the name of every main conspirator of the plot, or should he wait for his fellow mates having a reputed pos ition in the government and corporate world to help him get out . 1. 1. Role of A. Raja A Raja has received  3,000  crore  (US$546 million)  as bribe for bringing forward the cut-off date for applications for spectrum from the initial 1 October 2007 to 25 September 2007. At the time of taking decision he might have got influenced of the dilemma related to it but money made him blind and despite of knowing the risk associated and at the stake of his personal values, he took the decision of performing the 2G Scam. There was also a clear conflict of interest among promoters, shareholders and other stakeholders of company.The conflict of public shareholders and stakeholders put them in very interesting position. There was also a dilemma when the case uncovered which was more or less can be termed as the prisoners dilemma as should he tell the names of all the person associated or only few because it was a very high end case consisting of many renowned politicians and bureaucrats 3. 1. 2. Ethical Theories: Depending on the dilemma faced by different people in this case there are different ethical theories that can be applied.Mainly we can apply 2 theories: * Utilitarianism: Utilitarianism is a theory in normative ethics holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes utility, specifically defined as maximizing happiness and reducing suffering. In this theory person compares the benefits with its cost and take decision accordingly. * Hedonism: It is a school of thought that argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure (pleasure minus pain).Ethical hedonism is the idea that all people have the right to do everything in their power to achieve the greatest amount of pleasure possible to them. It is also the idea that every person's pleasure should far surpass their amount of pain. 3. 1. 3. Cost ; Benefit Analysis: Going by the theory of utility, A. Raja might have done the benefit cost analysis as follows: Benefits Loss | | A. Raja will be getting lots of money | A. Raja can be caught, but the chances are very less because in India politicians are never caught | With money there will be power.Moreover he will be a friend of big corporate personalities. | Shareholders will get affected with this decision| The huge benefit of under-pricing or unfair subsidiary was given to the mobile telephone services| The person who is not a shareholder or customer of any mobile telephony company has sold his share in spectrum on cheap prices and lost his money which would have been spent for the development of his nation| The subsidy was given to all industry majors, who regularly lobby against the subsidy to basic human need like food, water, education and shelter. When call rates were high, there would be an exclusion of masses from this information revolution. This is a simple math not a magic formula to fool all stakeholders| The huge benefit of under-pricing or unfair subsidiary was given to the mobile telephone services| | So, he might have found that he can easily escape by doing this scam and chosen to give away the licence at cheaper rate. Going by the Hedonism theory the pleasure that power and money will bring to him will be much more than that of pain so he thought of choosing the wrong path of earning money. . 1. 4. Recommendation for resolving the Dilemma: The 2G Spectrum scam is at the final stage. Now as all the politicians, Bureaucrats, Major Telecom company officials have been exposed. But if would have followed the following simple tests or models they would have definitely selected the ethically right path and avoided the consequences that followed. * Peter Drucker’s Model: â€Å"Above all, do no harm†. Peter Drucker wanted to convey to any individual that if any of his/her decisions harms any other person then that decision is unethical. Raja had thought of this philosophy then he would have avoided his action s and maintained transparency in allocating 2G spectrum. * The government officials would have brought the issue in front of the judicial system if they followed this simple principle. Corporate executives would have refused help from A. Raja as profit making is ethical but profiteering is not * Warren Buffet’s first page of the4 Newspaper’s Test: If all the people imagined the newspaper headlines that were published all throughout 2010, 2011 and 2012, they probably would have not done what they did.Some examples are included below: 1. Court issues notice to CBI on A. Raja's 2G spectrum scam plea 2. Why did not PM act on A. Raja: SC 3. A. Raja informed Manmohan Singh about change in policy: Siddharth Behura 3. 2. Dilemma Faced By Corporates: The basic dilemma faced by the Corporates was whether to abide by the law of the country and obtain the licenses they were capable of obtaining in an ethical manner or whether to unethically obtain licenses in order to increase cus tomer base and earn instant profits.On account of Utilarianism, benefits they achieved were that they were able to attain the shares at much lower cost and thereby incurring huge profits and it also thus provided them with an competitive edge over their competitors as they were able to outrun them that too in such short duration. Also if they did not buy these licences some other companies will buy and attain profits so without considering the harmful repercussions they went on with buying with the licences. 3. 2. 1. Role of Corporates: India found itself in the centre of such protests in 2010-2011 over the scam in 2G spectrum allocation to telecom companies.The 2G scam went a long way to show how the Indian economy, one of the fastest growing in the world, is dominated by a small set of tightly connected power players. Industry observers felt that if not checked soon, the deep-rooted problem of crony capitalism in the country could adversely affect India’s growth and develop ment. They wondered how the accountability could be fixed and the unholy nexus broken. The distributive justice states that equal people should be treated equally. There is nothing wrong in, corporate making profits but it should not be at the cost of other people.When the corporates involve in a scam like this, the tax payers are burdened which is not fair. Ultimately it is the tax payer, who pays for each Scam. Corporate as a part, of the society has got some social responsibility which means, they have every right for making profit but not profiteering by harming the society. Their rights should not harm the interest of the common man. The corporates by involving in the scam are not only cheating the common man but its own people like its shareholders. Transparency in the long run pays of great results.Here being ethical should not only an instrumental value to the corporates, but should be an intrinsic value. Business ethics plays a very important role. th legal frame work may n ot be always be ethical but here observing the legal standards provides an important ethical dimension. The business values like transparency, fairness and justice are universal. Observing these values as an intrinsic value would benefit the business in the long run. When business is ethically strong, it will have the same impact on its employees. When employees are ethically strong, consumer satisfaction will be high and so the business has to sustain. Corporations involved were: Allianz Infra, Aircel, Dishnet wireless, loop mobile, Reliance communications, S Tel, Swan telecom, Tata Tele Services, Unitech Group, Videocon Telecommunications Limited, Vodafone Essar, Virgin Mobile India. * Corporate Personalities involved were: Anil Ambani (Reliance Group-ADAG), Ratan Tata, Shahid Balwa (DB Reality and Etisalat DB Telecom), Vinod Goenka (Dinamix Group), Venugopal Dhoot (Videocon Group), and Prashant Ruia (Essar Group). 3. 2. 2. Ethical Theories: * Utilitarianism: Going by this theory, the corporates involved Utilitarianism i. e. aximising their profits, specifically defined as maximizing happiness and reducing suffering. For them what is good is that which produces pleasure, happiness, contentment or welfare and what is right is that which maximizes one or more of these things. Utilitarian’s call the method for maximizing good the principle of utility and they use the term optimific to describe the achievement of this maximization. The Corporates on their part in order to maximise their profits instantly and in an easy manner went on 2G scandal, without considering the ramifications. 3. 2. 3. Cost and Benefit Analysis: Swan Telecom paid Rs. , 537 crore for 2G licences in 13 circles, they soon sold 45 per cent equity in this company to Etisalat for Rs. 4,200 crore. Unitech obtained licences in 22 circles for Rs. 1,658 crore and then sold 60 per cent equity in the company to Telenor for Rs. 6,100 crore. Thereby, providing them with instant benefits. 3. 2. 4 . Recommendation for Resolving the Dilemma: * Peter Drucker’s model: â€Å"Thou shalt not steal† and â€Å"Primum Non Nocere. † Which in English means, above all (or first) do no harm. According to Peter Drucker wanted to convey that an individual’s decision is unethical if it harms any other person’s.Thus, abiding by the Peter Drucker model to resolve this ethical dilemma involved the corporate personalities involved should have rejected the proposal offered by A. Raja as achieving profit is fairly ethical but what turned out in this case was ‘profiteering’ which is unethical. 3. 3 Dilemma faced by the Government: In this context ethical dilemma was on the part of the government after the case got uncovered as it involved many politicians, bureaucrats, & ministers so either to put charge on all of them showing the vulnerable state of the nation or to allege a single minister for the same. 3. 3. 1. Role of Government:The list had many well known ministers like Dayanidhi Maran(Union cabinet minister for textiles), P. Chidambaram(Union cabinet ministers for home affairs), Andimuthu Raja (Union cabinet minister for communication & information technology), Kanimozhi Aravindhan (Member of Rajya Sabha) and also many renowned bureaucrats like Siddharhta Behura, Pradip Baijal, R K Chandolia. 3. 3. 2. Ethical Theories: * Utilitarianism: Going by the this theory, it states that actions and policies should be evaluated on the basis of the benefits and costs they produce for everyone in society and also referred to as consequentialism.It holds that morally right course of action in any situation is the one that, when compared to all other possible actions will produce the greatest balance of benefits over costs for everyone affected. * Hedonism: A school of thought that argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure (pleasure minus pain). In this context goi ng by the above mentioned theory in order to maximize the net profits its better on the part of government not to disclose anything and spare from the pain that can incur f they do so. 3. 3. 3. Cost and Benefit Analysis: In the context of 2G scam the cost and benefit analysis can be done as follows: * Cost: The major threat was the impact on stock market and investment in India. The mobile phone market is the world’s fastest growing making it a must-invest market for any major global operator but after looking at the corruption level and the people involved they might not willing to come over and invest. Moreover it will also shatter the trust factor of the citizens and they will not have any faith in the government. Benefit: Disclosure of all the names involved in the scam will lead to a situation of distrust. In a globalized world such a situation will negatively affect the Indian corporate scenario and may even jeopardize the economy as a whole. Going by the above mentione d theory it was certainly better on their part to go for benefits and not to disclose any names. 3. 3. 4. Recommendation for resolving the Dilemma: To resolve the dilemma’s 3 steps can be followed, they are: * Step 1: Analyze the consequences Assuming that the resolution to the ethical dilemma is to be found within the confines of law.Ethical dilemma that arise should be resolved at least within the bare minimum of law and legal framework as otherwise it will lead to a sort of mafia business. One has to look at the consequences that would follow one’s proposed actions. And when one has several options to choose from, there will be an array of consequences connected with each of such options, both positive and negative. Before one acts, answers to the following questions will help find the type of action that can be contemplated; 1. Who are the beneficiaries of your action? . Who are likely to be harmed by your action? 3. What is the nature of the ‘benefitsâ€℠¢ and ‘harms’? (the answer to this question is important because some benefits may be more valuable than others. Letting one enjoy good health is better than letting one enjoy something which gives trivial pleasure. Likewise, some ‘harms’ are less harmful than others. ) 4. How long or how fleetingly are these benefits and harms likely to exist? * Step 2: Analyze the actions Once option is identified, concentration should be on the actions.Find out how the proposed actions measure against moral principles such as ‘honesty, fairness, equality, respect for the dignity and rights of others, and recognition of the vulnerability of people who are weak, etc. ’ Then there are questions of basic decency and general ethical principles and conflicts between principles and the rights of different people involved in the process of choice of the options that have to be considered and answered in one’s mind. After considering all these possible factors in the various options, it is sensible to choose the one which is the least problematic.Step 3: Make a decision After considering all factors that lead to various options, choose an option and analyze it carefully and then take a rational decision. 3. 4. Dilemma faced by Media: It is media’s duty to show the truth to the public, moreover it also considered as a trustworthy source which helps in creating awareness regarding the actual happenings in the world. The Media persons accused faced the ethical dilemma of whether to diligently follow the duties of a journalist and uncover the real truth or be loyal to their friends. 3. 4. 1. Role of mediaThe 2G spectrum scam, which has snowballed into a major controversy involving Indian politicians and businessmen, became hotter for journalists to handle when it allegedly involved two of their senior members. Media sources such as OPEN and Outlook reported that two senior journalists Barkha Dutt (group editor of NDTV) and Vir Sanghvi (editorial director of Hindustan Times) knew that corporate lobbyist Nira Radia was influencing the decisions of appointment of telecom minister. Radia wanted A Raja to be made telecom minister. The two magazines made public the telephone conversations between Nira Radia, Barkha Dutt & Vir Sanghvi.Radia's phones were being tapped by the Income Tax Department. Critics allege that Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi knew about nexus between government and the media industry but still they supported this corrupt activity and suppressed news reporting the discovery of the corrupt practice. In November 2010, OPEN magazine carried a story which reported transcripts of some of the telephone conversations of Nira Radia (a political lobbyist) with senior journalists, politicians, and corporate houses, many of whom have denied the allegations.The Central Bureau of Investigation has announced that they have 5,851 recordings of phone conversations by Radia, some of which outline Radia's attempts to br oker deals in relation to the 2G spectrum sale. The tapes appear to demonstrate how Radia attempted to use some media persons to influence the decision to appoint A. Raja as telecom minister. Vir Sanghvi, editorial director of Indian national daily Hindustan Times and India’s television news channel NDTV’s group editor Barkha Dutt are apparently featured in the transcripts.They are heard promising to fix things for Radia, who is known to be close to the sacked minister A Raja, and her clients besides her political cronies. While Sanghvi allegedly took notes from Radia on what he could point out in his weekly Sunday column of Hindustan Times even as Radia asked him to write against Reliance Group's Anil Ambani and the high court decision on the gas pricing issue. Barkha Dutt had allegedly assured Radia of getting ruling Congress party’s general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad to talk to the supremo of his party’s chief ally in the government M.Karunanidhi to fi x portfolios for the ally according to wishes of Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi. One thing to be noticed in this case was, initially the news gained prominence following sustained pressure on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook against an attempted blackout orchestrated by many prominent Indian TV channels and newspaper. Initially, only handful of newspaper like Deccan Herald and The Indian Express wrote about the tapes. Some newspaper like HT Media, mint and NDTV told that the authenticity of these transcripts cannot be ascertained.Not Touching Corporate Biggies: Now media is deliberately trying to highlight a few names like those of Shahid Balwa, A Raja, Kanimozhi, Sanjay Chandra, Karim Morani, and Vinod Goenka while not touching corporate biggies such as Tatas and Ambanis. It is quite clear that in this 2G spectrum case, only a few are conspired to be indicted in the case while others are clearly kept out. Instead of providing valuable insights, the media is try ing to become the judiciary.The media has targetted easy scapegoats, revolving their stories around a selected few because even they know that it is difficult for them to target certain big names like the Tatas, Ambanis and Ruias. It is a well-known fact that the trial for 2G Spectrum case is going on, and nobody can be proved guilty unless and until it is proved in court, but, without taking it into account, our media has started blaming people and highlighting a only few names without mentioning the rest of the suspects. 3. 4. 2. Ethical Theories: Utilitarianism: If we apply utility theory on media then cost in hiding the facts was that people will not trust the media if they come to know that facts were hidden from them but the benefits were that they will not spoil their relations with big politicians and corporate biggies. So benefits were more than the cost, as it is said that common man has very short memory and you can cheat them. But as pressure started building from opposi te party and moreover opposite party had their friends in the media, the names of big politicians came into picture.But then also media maintain its silence on corporate biggies. 3. 4. 3. Recommendation for resolving the Dilemma: Laura Nash’s model: Following the 12 questions that Laura Nash has raised in her model would have stopped media from taking the first step. Some of the 12 questions that would have helped the accused persons to clear their thought processes are: * How would you define the problem, if you stood on the other side of the fence? * To whom and with what are your loyalties? What are your intensions in making this decision? * How does these intentions compare with the likely results? * Whom could your actions injure? 4. Recommendations for avoiding Recurrence of the Issue Modern scams are victimless in that the victims are not obvious. The victims of these crimes are the taxpayers and citizens of the country to whom this money and assets belong. The only pe rmanent way for us to stop scams is to work on both prevention and deterrence. 4. 1. Plan to avoid recurrence of such a scam 1.Increase disclosure requirements by the government on all contracts and concessions involving public money or assets. 2. Improve the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight on government and executive by making parliamentary committees stronger as well as more transparent to the public. 3. It should be ensured that the Criminal Penal code has amendments to deal with and enable rapid prosecution of white collar crimes and scams. Judiciary should be independent and free of any external influence. It should be capable of taking strong action against the corrupt politicians.While severe punishment is given to a poor village officer when he takes a bribe of Rs10, politicians who cheat the public and earn crores are many a time let free by the court of law. 4. There is a requirement of complete overhaul and changes in our criminal justice system that is still des igned around petty crime and criminals. There is a need for new and stronger laws for dealing with sophisticated financial crimes of the day. One such example is removing the Section 311 that requires prior sanction from the government to prosecute its officers. 5.Media played a very important role in forming an opinion among the citizens therefore there should be effective parliamentary oversight of the government and such oversights be transparent and available to media and citizens. 6. The government must have outside legal and advisory help while negotiating contracts and not rely only on bureaucrats. There should be a creation of a new cadre of independent regulators, backed by parliamentary statutes that oversee most of these sectors. 7. For example, bureaucrats must be chosen as regulators only in exceptional cases of high integrity and capability.Such Independent Regulators must also have oversight on them to ensure that there is no regulatory capture. 8. Ensure that governm ent policy is always about the public and not about private and personal interests. 9. Legislation must be initiated to regulate lobbyists and business chambers, to prevent advocacy changing to corruption and to protect against policy capture instead of policy advocacy. 10. Ensure government policies are not always bombastic rhetoric and full of loopholes for exploitation. This will minimize administrative/political discretion. 1. Another way to stop corruption is to avoid the coalition form of governance. A single party must be allowed to rule the country independently without seeking the support of innumerous minor parties. In the 2G spectrum case, the accused, A. Raja is a representative of DMK which is supporting the congress. In such a situation, an able and efficient prime minister like Manmohan Singh could not take action but had to inadvertently support him as otherwise DMK would have withdrawn their support and thus follows an utter rout for the congress.Lastly and most imp ortantly both media and the general public must create awareness that the government is a trustee of public money and assets and the people are the real owners. If trustees violate the trust, people should not sleep, but must react. A permanent solution, thus, to such scams and corruption is alert citizen and conscientious media. 5. References 5. 1. WEBSITES * http://aishmghrana. wordpress. com/2012/09/01/conflict-of-interests-among-stakeholders-in-2g-allocations/ * http://www. icmrindia. org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Ethics/Indian%202G%20Spectrum%20ScamExce2. tm#Can%20Accountability * http://www. isidelhi. org. in/hrnews/HR_THEMATIC_ISSUES/Corruption/Corruption-2011. pdf * http://www. scribd. com/doc/71816181/2g-scam-project * http://www. processexcellencenetwork. com/process-improvement-case-studies/columns/drucker-on-business-ethics/ * http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Radia_tapes_controversy * http://www. slideshare. net/amyberi/2g-spectrum-scam-casestudy * http://realityche ck. wordpress. com/2010/12/03/wheres-our-story-media-on-2g-spectrum-scam-shyness-or-something-more/ 5. 2. BOOKS * Business Ethics: An Indian Perspective by A. C. Fernando

The Bus Network essays

The Bus Network essays The world revolves around technology. Everywhere we go we are affected either directly or indirectly by technology. In fact, almost everything that surrounds us is a product of technology. Cell phones, beepers, television, radio; these are just a few basic examples of technological advancement in our human history. Of the many remarkable achievements of technology, there is one that stands out on all of them: Computers. Computers started out as very complex machines to use and can only perform limited tasks for the user. However, as time passed by, computers evolved as very useful machines and, moreover, became user-friendlier. Still, man did not stop there. For mans need of sharing information, they found a way of setting up computer networks. A network can be defined as an interconnection of two or more communicating entities, or simply, a computer system that links two or more computers. Networks can either be a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), or an Enterprise Network. A LAN is a data communications network in which the computers are close to each other, usually in the same office or building. LAN typically includes a collection of computers and peripherals; each computer and shared peripheral is an individual node on the network. A WAN is a communications network that extends over a long distance. WAN uses devices such as telepho ne networks, satellite dishes, or radio waves to span a larger geographic area than can be covered by a LAN. A MAN is a data network intended to serve an area the size of a large city. An Enterprise Network can either be a LAN, WAN, or MAN, however, an Enterprise Network is restricted to one organization. Now that we know the kinds of computer networks, have we ever wondered how these networks are connected to one another? Are these computers just plugged-in together by some kind of wire and then they ...

America Has Seen A Great Amount Of Social Change During The Past Few D

America Has Seen A Great Amount Of Social Change During The Past Few D Essay ecades. From they way we eat to the way we treat our criminals to the safety of our children at school, things have definitely changed. The rash of recent school shootings is a sure sign of the breakdown in parenting and a lack of family values being taught to our children. The highly processed foods that we are eating have led to a nation, which is severely overweight and ill. The Criminal Justice system in this country is a joke; it has been shown to be biased against minorities and the poor. A guilty rich man is known as a free man, while a poor murderer is destined for years on death row. In the Kip Kinkel article we are given a view of Kips life as told by his friends and classmates. A symbolic interactionist would say that this violence is caused by a break down in the childs social structures, organizations, and culture. The main social structure to decline is that of the family. Twenty to thirty years ago the family was much stronger. There were less single parent homes and the divorce rate was lower. Since these changes have taken place, families have demised and some children have become unruly. A Structural functionalist would say that the fast food we eat serves two purposes. The first purpose, which is the manifest function, is food which is served almost as fast as it is ordered. This would be a good function of fast food, since it has been labeled fast food. The second function, or latent function of fast food, is the battle of the bulge, which many Americans are fighting due to their dependency on fast, over processed food. The food industry is interrelated with corporate America and also with poor Americans. Corporate America generally gives its workers thirty minutes to an hour to eat lunch. To get out get a bite to eat and get back to work in this time; one needs to go to a fast food restaurant. In these same restaurants you will find workers who are paid very little and who do not have many benefits if any, since only the managers are full time employees. The criminal justice system is a hot bed for conflict theorist. Conflict theory is based on the idea that all society has inequality, and theses inequalities lead to societal strain. Minorities and the poor are disproportionately imprisoned in this country. The rich are able to afford competent defense attorneys, while the poor are given low paid public defenders. These defenders are usually friends of the judges and wish for the cases to be rushed through the system. The inequalities in education, housing, and wages have led some to resort to crime. We all aspire to obtain the American Dream. But due to the class system the rich are getting very rich, while the poor are wallowing in an even worse state. It does not feel good knowing that the legal lynching of minorities and foreigners still take place today. By acquitting police of murder because they were afraid of a man and his wallet, we send a message to the country saying it is okay to kill a Black man as long as you feel unsafe. While, on the other end of the spectrum a Black man defending himself from a police officer is sent to death row for his murder. Being a Black man in this country I think a bout the social changes which affect me on a day to day basis. I am a conflict theorist to the core. Without equality we will continue to live in a broken nation. The countrys dependency on fast food also needs to change and it needs to do so just as fast as they produce the food. Many Americans have put on extra pounds because of eating fast foods and processed foods. READ: A History of Theatrical Illumination EssayThe social fabric of our nation has undergone a radical change. Some changes such, as the Internet and communication tools are good. While, the changes I have discussed in this paper are definitely not good.

The theme of the story The Curse by Andre Dubus Essay

The theme of the story The Curse by Andre Dubus - Essay Example Mitchell Hayes is a forty-nine year old bartender who unexpectedly confronts an unfortunate event one evening right before closing. He is the stepfather of a teenage boy and girl. Five men arrive on motorcycles and order beers. Mitchell believes that they used drugs. Now one young woman comes to the bar to buy cigarettes and asks Mitchell for change. All of a sudden the bikers attack the woman and rape her brutally on the floor. Mitchell takes no action until the brutes leave the scene. He now approaches the woman and tries to comfort her. He now calls the police and his manager Bob. Mitchell is familiar with the police officer Smitty, for they were classmates in high school. Mitchell confesses that he could have done something to stop the crime. However, Smitty says that if he had intervened, he too would have been attacked by the thugs. Mitchell arrives home with a guilty mind. He tells his wife Susan what happened at the bar, and shares his thoughts with her. Susan also tells him that he has acted wisely by not responding to the criminals all by himself. However, their words do not pacify his soul as he believes that his nonresponsive was a sin. Mitchell is affected by guilty conscience despite his friend’s suggestion that intervention was the duty of police. He is â€Å"fatigue beyond relieving by rest, by sleep† after the incident (Dubus). The writer throws light on the rotten cultural facet of the US society and invites his readers to ponder the ethical parameters they have set. Mitchell represents the common man having tender feelings and compassion to his fellow creatures, but who at the same time is constrained by external pressures. The rapists symbolize male chauvinism and discrimination that are prevalent in every sphere of social life in the United States. Realism is the main feature of Dubus’ story. He deploys third person narration for the major part of the story with intent to give more

Sale of goods and agency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sale of goods and agency - Essay Example In the given case, Kangaroo Developments entered into a contract of sale with Libby’s wines on 20th January. The delivery of 200 bottles of Queensland Plonk was to be on 1st February by Libby’s wines on the premises of Kangaroo Developments. Libby’s wine had 700 bottles in their stock from which 200 bottles had to be separated to be delivered to Kangaroo Developments. The 200 bottles, while not separated, were general goods. In order to become ascertained goods, they had to be separated. The agreement was made on 20th January but the transfer of property had not yet been made. According to Sale of Goods Act, 1979, S.18 (Rule 2), â€Å"Where there is a contract for the sale of specific goods and the seller is bound to do something to the goods for the purpose of putting them into a deliverable state, the property does not pass until the thing is done and the buyer has notice that it has been done.† According to the given facts, Libby’s wines had sepa rated 200 bottles on 20th January and marked them to be delivered to Kangaroo Developments. There is no information in the given facts whether Kangaroo Developments had the knowledge that 200 bottles had been separated; hence ascertained. The manager put the bottles back after two hours of their separation. By the 1st of February, Libby’s wine had been liquidated. Assuming that Kangaroo Developments had no knowledge of the separation of 200 bottles, it would mean that the goods were never ascertained. Therefore, no transfer of property had taken place and the risk in them remained with Libby’s wines. In this case, since Kangaroo Developments had already paid the price of bottles to Libby’s wines, they would be entitled to recover the price. They would not be entitled to recovery of 200 bottles since the title was never shifted. On the other hand, if Kangaroo Developments had the knowledge that the goods were separated to be delivered to them, the goods would hav e been said to have ascertained and the transfer of property would have deemed to be made. In this case, Kangaroo Developments would have been able to recover the bottles if the courts were convinced that despite the liquidation of Libby’s wines, the delivery of 200 bottles was possible. It is because the title of the bottles and the risk in them had been transferred when they were separated. If the liquidation of Libby’s wines had made the delivery impossible, then Kangaroo Developments would only have been able to recover the price. In Underwood Ltd v Burgh Castle Brick and Cement Syndicate, the plaintiffs made an agreement to sell a horizontal tandem condensing engine to the defendants. The engine had to be dismantled. After it was dismantled but before it could be delivered, the bed plate of the engine was broken accidently. The defendants refused to accept the engine. The plaintiffs sued. It was held that the defendants were entitled to reject the engine because t he engine was not ascertained as the defendants did not have the knowledge about that fact. Therefore, the title was not transferred. Therefore, by the application of S.18 of Sale of Goods Act, 1979 and Underwood Ltd v Burgh Castle Brick and Cement Syndicate, Kangaroo Development would only be able to recover the price if they did not have the knowledge of 200 bottles being separated. The property in goods and the risk in them would remain with Libby’s wines. Against William and Sons According to the given facts, Kangaroo Developments contracted to purchase 500 branded coffee mugs from William and Sons. Each mug was required to be printed with Kangaroo Development’s logo. In this case, the subject matter is future goods. According to S.18 of Sale of Goods Act, 1979, the property in goods would transfer to Kangaroo Developments when the printing of logos is done and they have the notice of it. Here, again, the transfer of property hinges on the affirmation of the fact w hether Kangaroo