History of Brazil Essay

It is a matter of fact that Brazil is a country of contrasts. One can easily observe that the development of this nation is incredibly uneven. Taking into consideration their past experience, the Brazilians are seeing some very good times as a nation. Certainly, they have overcrowding problems. However, each country has its own difficulties and tries to overcome them. Thus, the diversity of this country and its amazing history has brought a â€Å"mixing bowl† of culture preparing a bright future for Brazil. It is widely known that four major groups make up the Brazilian population. They are the Portuguese, who colonized Brazil in the 16th century; Africans brought to the country as slaves; various European, Middle Eastern, and Asian immigrant peoples who have settled in Brazil since the mid-19th century; and indigenous people of Guarani and Tupi language. (Skidmore, 131) Brazil is the only Latin American nation that takes its language and culture mainly from Portugal. Intermarriage between indigenous people or slaves and the Portuguese was a common phenomenon. Despite the fact that the major European ethnic culture of Brazil was once Portuguese, waves of immigration have greatly contributed to a diverse ethnic and cultural heritage. Admiral Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed Brazilian territory for Portugal in 1500. The early explorers brought back a wood with them that produced a red dye, pau-brasil. This is where the land received its original name. Portugal began colonization in 1532 and made the area a royal colony in 1549. During the Napoleonic Wars, fearing the advancing French armies, King Joao VI left the country in 1808 and set up his court in Rio de Janeiro. He was brought home later in 1820 by a revolution, leaving his son as regent. When Portugal wanted to reduce Brazil to colonial status again, the prince declared Brazil’s independence on Sept. 7, 1822. Thus, he became Dom Pedro I, emperor of Brazil. Harassed by his Parliament, Pedro I resigned in 1831 in favor of his five-year-old son who became emperor Dom Pedro II in 1840. Emperor Pedro II ruled to 1889 when a federal republic was established as a result of a coup d’etat organized by Deodoro da Fonseca, marshal of the army. A year earlier, while Dom Pedro II was in Europe, the Regent Princess Isabel had abolished Slavery. Abreu, 311) Dom Pedro II was a popular monarch. Yet discontent grew up and, in 1889, he had to resign because of a military revolt. Although a republic was proclaimed at that time, Brazil was ruled by military dictatorships until a revolt allowed returning gradually to stability under civilian presidents. From 1889 to 1930, the government was a const itutional democracy. The presidency was alternating between the dominant states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. This period ended with a coup d’etat that placed a civilian, Getulio Vargas, in the presidency. He remained as a dictator until 1945. From 1945 to 1961, presidents of Brazil became Eurico Dutra, Vargas, Juscelino Kubitschek, and Janio Quadros. When Quadros abdicated in 1961, he was succeeded by Vice President Joao Goulart. (Abreu, 329) Goulart’s years in office were marked by high inflation, total economic failure, and the increasing influence of radical political parties. The armed forces alarmed by these developments organized a coup d’etat on March 31, 1964. The coup leaders chose Humberto Castello Branco a president, followed by Arthur da Costa e Silva (1967-69), Emilio Garrastazu Medici (1968-74), and then Ernesto Geisel (1974-79). All of them were senior army officers. Geisel began a liberalization that was carried further by his successor, General Joao Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo (1979-85). In the last of a long series of military coups, General Joao Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo became president in 1979. He pledged a return to democracy in 1985. Figueiredo not only allowed the return of politicians exiled or banned from political activity during the 1960s and 1970s, yet also permitted them to run for state and federal offices in 1982. (Alden, 284) However, at the same time, the Electoral College consisting of all members of Congress and also six delegates chosen from each state continued its activities of choosing the president. The election of Tancredo Neves on January 15, 1985, the first civilian president since 1964, brought a nationwide wave of optimism and activity. He was elected from the opposition Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB). (Alden, 287) However, when Neves died on April 21, Vice President Sarney became president. The latter was widely distrusted because he had previously been a devoted member of the military regime’s political party. Collor de Mello won the election of late 1989 with 53% of the vote in the first direct presidential election in his 29 years. (Abreu, 378) Mello promised to lower the persistent hyperinflation by following the path of free-market economics. Having faced impeachment by Congress because of a corruption scandal in December 1992, Mello finally resigned. Vice President Itamar Franco took his place and assumed the presidency. Fernando Cardoso, a former finance minister, won the presidency in the October 1994 election having 54% of the vote. He took office on January 1, 1995. (Skidmore, 232) Cardoso has organized the disposal of bad government-owned monopolies in the electrical power, telecommunication, port, railway, mining, and banking industries. His timely proposals to Congress included constitutional amendments in order to open the Brazilian economy to greater foreign participation and to implement such sweeping reforms as social security, government administration, and taxation so as to reduce excessive public sector spending and considerably improve government efficiency. Alden, 298) During his short time in the office, Cardoso’s economic wisdom has made a measurable progress in overcoming Brazil’s poverty level. It is remarkable to observe how the Brazilian government makes certain efforts in order to address basic needs of its people such as education, distribution of meals, health care, and the promotion of children’s rights. Co-signed by the President of Brazil and 24 state governors, the â€Å"Pact for the Children† is intended to fully implement the constitutional and legal obligations providing for protection of children and adolescents. Several federal agencies supervise the execution of government programs for children and adolescents aimed to give Brazilian youth opportunities for a better life, shelter, education, and love. Thus, if not forgetting about the past mistakes and taking care of its nation, the Brazilians will surely come to the brightest future.

Listing and Speaking

Skill Development: Fear of public speaking http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=a56v2PSUQy8&feature=related Proactive = controlling a situation by making things happen or by preparing for possible future problems Myth = an idea or story that is believed by many people but that is not true Come across = to make a particular impression Overwhelming = something that is so confusing or difficult Optimal = best or most effectiveProfound = major, significant Intimate = having a very close relationship Overcompensating = trying to make up for something that is lacking or bad by doing too much of something else Rehearse = to say or do (something) several times in order to practice Backfire = to have the opposite result of what was desired or expected Interpretation: Keys to Successful Interpreting: Consecutive Interpretation Note-taking http://www. youtube. om/watch? v=ddRk2pvzsVQ Rambling = lengthy Incomprehensible = beyond your understanding Furiously = rapidly Decipher = make sense of Scribb le = scrawl = jot down Groping around = searching blindly or uncertainly Consign = transfer Delegate = a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference Encapsulate = summarizeHindrance = obstacle Politics: Palestine http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=qANkb5hUUfo Resolution = decision |Contend = argue | |Confrontation = conflict |Negotiate = discuss | |Implicit = hidden |Accountability = responsibility | |Partition = separation |Demolish = destroy | |envisage = imagine |Get away with = escape | |Territory = area |To be held accountable = held responsible | |Disputed = undecided |swirling = twisting | Linguistics: Language acquisition http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=pmsQJfyVrr0&feature=related instinctively = intuitively |species = basic category of biological classification | |isolate = separate |defect = a shortcoming, fault, or imperfection | |multitude = large number |mutation = change or alteration | |cognitive = mental |disorder = a disturbanc e in physical or mental health or functions | |breakthrough = sudden discovery |version = a particular form or variant of something | Technology India Launches World's CheapestTablet Computer for 50$ http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=oQXQVuaJ43o;feature=related sneak peek = an opportunity to see something before it is officially available gadget = small device or machine with a particular purpose port = in computers: a data connection in a computer to which a peripheral device or a transmission line from a remote terminal can be attached. HD= high definition = a system which produces very good quality television images in greater detail than ordinary systemsDebate: How to Change http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=zSb5BmIfNhI maverick |unconventional person | |entrepreneur |capitalist | |leap |jump | |rash |reckless | |enhance |improve | |attribute |quality | |philanthropy |charity | Religion and Culture convert |change | |committed |devoted | |preach |give a sermon | |polish |improve | |by the stack |a great deal | |unequivocally |clearly | |manuscript |document | |authentic |true – original |salvation |saving | |embrace |accept | Positive Psychology How to be Happy: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=ilry-1-ucnA;feature=related pursue = continue elusive = hard to find fugitive = difficult to get evolutionary = gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form ingrained = very difficult to change propensity = a strong natural tendency to do something mechanism = a process or system that is used to produce a particular result o endure = to continue going through something unpleasant sustain = to provide what is needed for (something or someone) to exist hedonic treadmill = the tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness genetic set point = baseline habituating = make or become accustomed or used to something. hard wired = functions that are innate and unlearned in living s ystems lottery savoring = enjoying mindfulness = being aware of fruition = realization virtues = good and moral behavior analogy = a comparison of two things sensation = a particular feeling or effect that your body experiences cultivate = to improve or develop

Chariots of Fire

Chariots of Fire Throughout the world today, people are determined by a persistent feeling of weakness in many areas of life. Financial problems, misconduct, pollution, and other problems appear like they are out of control. In the workplace, employees often complain about being viewed as unimportant and unessential. In marriages, family units and even friendships, falling-out is a common circumstance. It is apparent that there are oppressive forces that manipulate us.While some filmmakers offer the public entertainment as remedies to this dissatisfaction, others reinforce the sense that individual worth is being assaulted from several areas. Chariots of Fire is a film that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. Two very different approaches to religion and sport are at the heart of this movie. The film is based on the true story of two British sprinters in the 1924 Paris Olympics; one Christian and one Jewish. Neither runner is out for personal or national glory. These two men are competing for the same reason; a matter of a higher calling but in very different ways.For Harold Abrahams, a proud English Jew from a well-to-do family, running is a weapon against anti-Semitism; a way of validating his worth, and by extension his Jewishness, to his Anglo society and to himself. There is something to be said for this approach: After shattering a long-standing speed barrier at Cambridge’s Trinity College, the master says â€Å"Perhaps they’re the chosen people after all. † In a way, he is right. As an athlete, Abrahams is driven by rebellious anger and shame endangered by the legacy of anti-Semitic prejudice that has gone hand in hand with the Jew’s divine determination.For Eric Liddell, a devout Scot with missionary aspirations, running is something he can do to give glory to God, the same way the grass glorifies him by growing and the sun by shining. In one part of the movie, Liddell tries explaining the value of runn ing to his sister, who doesn’t see the value of it at all by saying â€Å"I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure. † The difference between their motivations is highlighted in a number of ways.Each runner’s commitment goes well beyond whatever obligation either feels to the expectations of their society. Where Abrahams’ commitment leads him to dispense himself from unwritten rules about amateur athletes not receiving professional coaching, Liddell brings his own additional unwritten rules to participation. For Abrahams, the chief crisis he faces is whether he can win after losing a race to Liddell and for Liddell; the crisis is whether he can even qualify when en route to the Olympics discovers the qualifying heat for his event is on the â€Å"Sabbath. While Abrahams must swallow his pride and find the courage to run in the Olympics, Liddell must swallow his hopes and find the courage not to run. Chariots of Fire is an aesthetically well realized work of art. The authentic drama deals directly with issues such as athletic competition, the nature of winning and losing and the central place of beliefs in sports. It touches sensitively and strongly on the longing for perfection, the search for meaning and the struggle for acceptance.

Credit Card Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Credit Card Security - Research Paper Example is known as the Fraud Protection Guarantee, wherein the card holder is free from any fraudulent charges whether the credit card is used on the internet or not. It promotes maximum security because of its secure encryption technology that keeps the cardholders information strictly confidential (americanexpress.com, n. p.). For secure and safe online shopping, MasterCard has its MasterCard Secure Code; it works as having a personal code only known to the cardholder. Visa on the other hand, is also cooking up its own scheme of credit card security measure. counterfeit credit card, which makes up 37 percent of credit card frauds. Criminals who make fake credit cards employ the latest technology to "skim information" that are embedded on the magnetic stripes of the credit card and pass security measures, like holograms ("Credit Card Fraud Statistics and Facts," n. p.). In other words, using credit card online makes you susceptible to all kinds of credit card fraud. One interesting question is how criminals get a hold of your information. Although the most common perception is that credit card info is intercepted once the card is used online. That is an interesting theory, but experts explain that e-commerce has created an environment where anonymity is practiced; meaning cards are being used even without identifiers (Faughnan, n. p.). This could be the one problem that big credit card companies try to address with the code systems of their new security measure program. Another way of stealing a cardholders information is using a particular online business as a front to get credit card info. One common and enticing site is pornography site. Such is designed as a legitimate business, thus can easily asked for a persons credit card information once that person is interested in one of the sites services. This is what is identified as selling information because these are vendors and purchasers that only deal with information and need no physical a ddress for

Healthy Eating in a Technologically Advanced World Research Paper - 4

Healthy Eating in a Technologically Advanced World - Research Paper Example Michael Polland, a protagonist to this theory, presents a series of facts to support this notion. According to Polland, nutrition ideologies are as a result of two basic assumptions. The first assumption is that the key to understanding food is based on the nutrient. Over the years, scientists have conducted a series of research in order to identify the types of nutritious foods that people should consume. However, this assumption is unexamined and ensures that the individuals in the society are dependent on scientists and other experts to inform them about the types of food they should eat. The second assumption supports the notion that the purpose of eating is to maintain and promote bodily health. Polland observes that this assumption is not shared by all cultures and presents a ‘French-paradox’ where the fact that a population that eats all sorts of unhealthy nutrients is in many ways healthier than the American society (Nytimes.com). Polland also states that scienti sts have been unable to discern the qualitative distinctions between foods. Inevitably, selected foods such as beef and chicken became mere delivery systems for varying quantities of fats, proteins and other nutrients (Nytimes.com). Nutrition ideologies benefit manufacturers and not consumers. Since the 1982 National Academy report based on nutrition, the food industry set about re-engineering a plethora of food products so that they contain more nutrients as per the recommendation of the government and the scientific community. Contrarily, the typical real food is unable to compete under the rules of nutritionism.  Ã‚  

To what extent can The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) be described Essay

To what extent can The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) be described as a feminist text - Essay Example Additionally, she was drug abused and a lonely woman being suffering the miseries of her life through the hands of his own people. However, she has been shown as a strong woman who takes revenge along with justifying his stance. The storyline is quite captivating in every regard making readers and viewers to enjoy every bit of it (Larsson, 2011). Though, a number of critiques have stated that the movie revolves around the subject of feminist where huge focus has been on highlighting the position and power of women in the society against the men (Newman, 2011). Additionally, with a strong plot, the movie also questions the deeds of men in the society and crimes committed by them in the form of rapes and murders. Being a string gender, the acts of men in the society and especially in the settings of Sweden have been closely analysed through the lenses of feminist approach. On the other hand, the movie supporters stated that the mainly because of the female protagonist, there have been talks about the film being a feminist text but in reality, it touches social issues that need to be understood from women’s’ perspectives (Bourke, 2007). Based on this, the discussion will revolve around analysing the fact to what extent the movie can be described as a feminist text along with discussing about the crime, sexuality, and gender in Sweden in a critical manner. The movie has some serious drama, sexual explicit, physical abuses, rapes, murders, and crime scenes that can be alluring and saddening but showcasing the reality to an extent prevailing in the backdrop of a country like Sweden. The movie shows that the publisher of the Millennium Magazine loses a case involving allegations that were published by him about the billionaire financier Wennerstrom. He was sentenced to three months of imprisonment. The female protagonist in the form of Lisbeth Slander was hired by Vanger, the patriarch of

Research paper "New Zealand" Examintation of its business

"New Zealand" Examintation of its business practices - Research Paper Example In the country, the normal business hours are from 8.30 am to 5pm from Monday to Friday. For some businesses, they open on Saturday but not on Sunday and the normal business hours are usually from 9am to 12.30 pm. When intending to meet any business associate, individuals are advised to make an appointment in advance and business meetings are expected to start just after a few minutes of a small talk (Collins, Roper, & Lawrence, 2010). Trust in the business world in New Zealand is considered as a very important factor. Thus, individuals are encouraged to cultivate and build trusting relationships. If an individual’s indicates to a colleague some reasons not to trust them, then it becomes very difficult to rebuild the trust back. Business transaction’s, presentations and negotiations needs to be clear and on the point without a lot of flowery languages, as such practices are frowned upon. Often business negotiations are expected to take time without rush or the application of unnecessary pressure to force the deal through in order to make a sale in an effort of retaining the customer and convincing them appropriately in the right manner (Campbell-Allen, Houston, & Mann, 2008). According to Collins et al., (2010) the New Zealand business community does not allow haggling. In this regards when doing business, it is important not to start with high prices expecting to bargain downwards. Rather business p ersons need to start with realistic figures that provide the customer the required value for their money or they will opt for other alternative options. The accepted language for doing business is English, and very few organizations, and companies will use another language unless the particular language is specifically required for a delegates meeting or an event. When doing business in the country, first impressions are considered important. Therefore, when

Analysing engineering product Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysing engineering product - Essay Example omotive components division is the largest of the three business areas which employs 60% of the workforce and most of its business comes from its overseas divisions. The case study focuses on this business area of the company. The automotive components division is also first tier supplier to multinational final producers of automobiles and 49% of its sale comes from Europe and mostly from Germany, France and Spain where 69% of its overseas workforce is employed. In the recent years, looking at the demands of its customers, the company has standardised the production lines and its working practices in all its sites worldwide. The main reasons being that though the cars sold in different countries may vary slightly, they are nevertheless produced in similar manner thereby necessitating the need for same specifications for the components of the cars in different countries. The company has been persuaded to standardize because most of its clients are multinationals who have their business spread through out the world. internalization; MNEs are the vehicle through which production has become international and factors of production such as management, labor and technology have become mobile internationally† (Stopford and Strange 1991).Multinational companies have the advantage of operating their business in different countries throughout the world with the same standard and efficiency. Hence they mostly prefer those companies as their suppliers which can provide product or services that have same specifications worldwide and can be freely used by any or all of their globally located operations. Engineering Product Company has thus managed to gain multinational customers by standardising processes in their production lines in different countries. The restructuring, integrated and streamlined the administration and production lines of its various sites across the globe. All the previously broadly decentralised plants have now been brought under a common code of

Is Total Quality Management Enough For Competitive Advantage Research Paper - 2

Is Total Quality Management Enough For Competitive Advantage - Research Paper Example And TQM is one of the responses developed. However, currently, there are some concerns regarding its viability. As such, this paper intends to address the question Is Total Quality Management enough for competitive advantage? In lieu of this, the aims of this paper are to provide ample literature that will reinforce and attest to the positive aspects of TQM and at the same time explain its ramifications in the business context. And more importantly, to gain insight regarding TQM and competitive advantage. In order to achieve these aims, in this research, historical or library research has been undertaken together with a qualitative interview of actual practitioners of TQM. In the library research undertaken, numerous secondary data that are made available and are deemed significant in attaining a clearer and better understanding of TQM and its positive aspects are utilised for the literature review. Together with the literature review, primary research has also been undertaken to get first-hand information regarding TQM from the scholars and actual practitioners of the field. The collection of primary data is significant as it pertains to the actual experience of people who are actually adapting and using TQM in their respective companies. Through the research study, it has been found out that TQM is undeniably advantageous to corporations or organisations that employ it. Several advantages have been found out in the course of the research. A significant finding is a hesitance among the interviewed practitioners of TQM when asked whether TQM is enough to attain competitive advantage. It can be claimed that the aims of this paper have been achieved and that the limitations posed by this paper open new avenues for further research. Globalisation is a contemporary phenomenon known only within the last fifty years (Soros, 2002).

Should the UK government restore the 50% additional rate of income tax Essay

Should the UK government restore the 50% additional rate of income tax - Essay Example Great Britain (2010) noted that an income tax of 20% is automatically charged on savings interest while those who are married and one of the spouses was born before 6 April 1935 are able to claim a Married Couple’s Allowance hence reducing the tax bill. The UK government is fair because those who are blind are able to claim the Blind Person’s Allowance. This paper is going to give opinions on if the UK government should restore the 50% additional rate of income tax. First, the paper will provide an explanation of the recent history of the additional rate of the income tax and then discuss arguments in favor of and against the restored rate of 50%. Great Britain (2010) noted that in 2009, Alistair Darling the then Chancellor announced that there would be tax increases in order to contribute over six billion pounds by the year 2012. The reason behind this was ensure that the economic future of the country was secured and to provide assistance for citizens when they require it most. The changes incorporated an increase in the indirect taxes rates for instance duties on alcohol and road fuel for that current year, variations in income tax from the month of April 2010 that included a new 50% rate on all incomes above 150,000 pounds. Great Britain (2010) stated that the new additional 50% rate brought about many feedbacks about the Budget, as individuals viewed it as a valuable change in the Labor government’s approach to taxing those who are wealthy in the society. There were many debates among citizens wondering if the changes would enable the government to get as much as they had anticipated. For instance, 1.3 billion pou nds in November 2010 rose to 3.05 billion pounds in December 2011. Great Britain (2010) noted that UK consisted of 31.3 million-taxpayer population but according to the revenue and customs estimate, only 236,000 citizens were entitled to pay the 50% rate in November 2010. Great Britain (2010) noted that the Liberal Democrat

Id, Ego and Super-Ego As it relates to “The Lord of the Flies” Essay Example for Free

Id, Ego and Super-Ego As it relates to â€Å"The Lord of the Flies† Essay Many people have different types of personalities. The characters from the story The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, have 3 different parts of personality of the brain. According to Freud these are the three parts Id, Ego and the Super-Ego. Freud’s personality theory really shows in The Lord of the Flies. In the story Jack would be described as the Id. According to Sigmund Freud, Id is the part of your personality you are born with that you have to control. These aspects of personality are entirely unconscious and make you have a bad behavior if you don’t get what you desire, want or need. Jack had a problem following the rules and controlling his behavior about working together to get rescued with the other kids. He killed people, not caring about the consequences. He felt like he could do anything he wanted, Id people don’t care about following rules; that’s the last thing they care about. On the other hand, Super-ego is very different from Id. People who are ruled by Super-Ego follow the rules and even make them. They sense what’s right and wrong. In The Lord of the Flies the Super-Ego was Piggy. He would take everything very seriously when it would come time to make plans. For example he said, â€Å"How can you expect to be rescued if you don’t put first things first and act proper?† (p 45). It shows us how much he wants order in the group and for everybody to act maturely. Super-Ego also operates in accordance with social conformity and appropriateness. The super-ego, its role of moral authoritarian, is the opposite of the Id. The other main character from the Lord of the Flies was Ralph. He’s the one known as the leader. He cared, showed kindness and also was very  intelligent. The personality represented by Ralph is the Ego. The role of the Ego is to sift through what is real and what isn’t. They make decisions by their thoughts, theyfollow what makes sense to them and how they relate it to the world we live in. Ralph demonstrates common sense and reality, which is one of the things Ego has. Ralph was very realistic about being rescued when everybody was saying that nobody would find them. He also wanted to have fun; an example of how the Ego balances the Id and Super-Ego is showed Ralph is figuring out what to do, â€Å"†¦This is what I thought. We want to have fun. And we want to be rescued.† (p 37). William Golding really shows us how human nature could be. He illustrates how truly destructive humans can be. Golding makes very good use of characters in The Lord of the Flies, he shows both good and evil through each of the characters. He saw how destructive humans can be, and how normal people transform from a civilized human being into a savage in a quick second. The ending tells us that people don’t really imagine what other people can do. The military officer made a joke that it was ironic of what’s happening on the island, â€Å"We saw your smoke. What you been doing? Having a war or something?† (p 201). It’s ironic how the military officer said something that was exactly what was happening†¦he would have never thought some little kids would do something like that. The Lord of the Flies is a picture of the society in which we live today. It is a novel, which explains some of the issues like violence and many other things that are happening in the world. It is much easier to side with evil but very challenging to support humans and what we know is right. Society keeps everybody civilized and we need rules and principles to live by.The Id, Ego and Super-Ego are why we are different from each other, it explains why we think and behave differently. Freud knew all parts of personality must exist together in balance for a person or a society to stay healthy, live happily and safely.

Global Issues in Astronautics Essay Example for Free

Global Issues in Astronautics Essay The Mars Exploration Rovers were two programs launched by NASA to Mars for the primary reason of finding water on the planet. Twin robots were launched on June 10 and July 7 for this purpose which landed on January 24 and 25. These robots were sent to the opposite poles where past records of liquid water were apparent. The robots contained Cameras, Spectrometers, Rock Abrasion Tools and Imagers and collected panoramic images of promising sites on the surface of Mars much like the way a human would through the arms, elbows and wrist. A total distance of more than 1 kilometer was travelled each day making the project a success from NASA’s point of view. (NASA, Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Summary, 2007) On the other hand, Mars Pathfinder Missions were a part of NASA’s Discovery Program to explore Mars. This was one of the first launches to Mars and its objectives were to analyze the atmosphere, climate and geological surroundings on the red planet. Even though its objective has been achieved, the Pathfinders Mission is used as a technology testing ground for future space programs like the Mars Exploration Rovers. The rover was launched on December 4, 1996 and contained experiment related tools including cameras and spectrometers. (NASA, Mars Pathfinder, 2007) One of the most important discoveries has been on finding the silica on the ground which means that water was indeed used to form the planet. The high-silica soil found surprisingly had led the scientists to believe that water was involved like it is on Earth. (Chandler, 2007) Q2: International Space station: What was the main incident that halted the construction of ISS? And as of today, when is NASA planning to complete the ISS? In your opinion, what problems NASA might be facing in doing that? The incident due to which the assembly of the International Space Station was halted was the disintegration of the NASA’s Columbia space program on February 1, 2003 during its reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. Being a combined project by America, Russia, Japan, Brazil etc. , there were many costs involved as well as agreements to be made. After the disaster, the ISS assembly was delayed by another 5 years. (Lindroos Wade, 2007) NASA along with other space companies of the world has set a target of completion of the assembly of the ISS by 2010 to 2011 if no further mishaps occur. In the completion of the project several problems have delayed the completion. High cost of maintenance, repairs and adding modules is one of the biggest factors as American Taxpayers money is involved along with funding from other companies of the world. Due to the multination agreement of the project, contracts have to be made, funding to be added thus causing further delays. Changing political structure make it additionally difficult to either carry this mission based on public demand or remove it in light of huge cost already spent on it. The last problem as discussed before was the inevitable space disasters taking place that have grounded space programs or to the least delayed the operations. (Lindroos Wade, 2007) Works Cited 1. Chandler, D. L. (2007). Mars rovers disability leads to major water discovery. Retrieved May 19, 2008, from NewScientist. com news service: http://space.newscientist. com/channel/space-tech/mars-rovers/dn11914-mars-rovers-disability-leads-to-major-water-discovery. html 2. Lindroos, M. , Wade, M. (2007). International Space Station. Retrieved May 19, 2008, from Astronautix: http://www. astronautix. com/craft/intation. htm 3. NASA. (2007). Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Summary. Retrieved May 19, 2008, from NASA: http://marsrovers. nasa. gov/overview/ 4. NASA. (2007). Mars Pathfinder. Retrieved May 19, 2008, from NASA: http://mars. jpl. nasa. gov/missions/past/pathfinder. html

Goals and objectives of Power Supermarkets

Goals and objectives of Power Supermarkets Introduction Prior to 1997, Pennys often shared sites with Power Supermarkets, also at the time an ABF subsidiary; however this practice ceased after the sale of PSL to Tesco in 1997. ABF decided to maintain control of Primark rather than sell it on also, despite the fact that it is the only non-food part of the operation. In July 2005 Primark/Associated British Foods purchased the 120 branch Littlewoods retail chain for  £409 million. Some of the stores, variously reported as 30 or 50, will be converted into branches of Primark, but the majorities are expected to be sold on to other retailers. The Littlewoods catalogue business has been retained by the Barclay brothers and will continue to operate under the Littlewoods brand. The company employs over 10,000 people, and own several brands, including: Atmosphere womans wear Cedar wood State casual menswear Denim Company casual menswear Butler Webb formal menswear early days baby/childrens wear Rebel boys wear Secret Possessions lingerie Young Dimension childrens wear The company is known for tending towards the budget end of the market, in contrast with many other clothing retailers which have gone up market. Analyze the goals and objectives using the mission statement as the basis. Mission Statement: To give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same thing as rich people. Aims and Objectives: Long term objectives: To always be the first choice of customers To make sure that customers stick with primark and should not opt any other store that is competitor of primark The business within the organization will always be customer centric. The remain the leader of the market all the way To train all the employees up to international standards and let them aware of customer relationship management. To train the employees for managerial levels. Encourage, drive and support initiatives, innovation and creativity, capitalizing on opportunities to support operational goals and strategies. To achieve international standards all along Drive and support ISO standards throughout the Organization Foster an open and positive team environment to receive and disseminate direction, ideas and changes to all store levels and appropriate business partners. Specific objectives To provide cheap products Control shrink, expenses, and payroll. Ensure sales floor is adequately stocked, signed, and merchandised to brand presentation. Continually evaluate and react to performance issues while proactively hiring, developing and retaining the stores team in a timely manner. Analyze and measure business trends; develop and implement plans to maximize sales and meet or exceed goals and objectives. Innovations Keep the environment within the organization conflict free. Never ever compromise on rules and regulations. provide best possible services To keep the environment clean ant tidy so that customers doesnt get any messy view. Provide high quality, fashion basics at value for money prices. To achieve an organizational goals and objectives every organization, firm or company have some short and long term strategies to achieve their goals and objective to maximize their wealth or profits. Same like other organizations, since 1991 Objectivity has been developing several systems for Primark using different technologies. Recently a sophisticated Purchase Order and Purchase Order Matching system has been developed as well as a web based Stock replenishment system. Objectivity also maintains and supports all Primarks software applications and databases on a 247 basis. This includes Unify, Microsoft, Oracle and Java technologies. Computerized customs clearance, dedicated warehousing and distribution services facilitate stores in their control of stocks to support sales. Computerized up to the minute sales and stock information, by size and color is available to management at any time. Primark thrives in a culture that recognizes human resourcefulness and energy as the driver, rather than the systems that support it. Selecting, customizing and implementing a plan can be a complex process. These are some steps of the process including: Review the employers controlled group and/or affiliated service group situation. Design a plan tailored to the needs of the owners, employees and the business itself. If the plan is already in existence, they review the existing plan provisions and recommend changes to fully meet the employers goals and objectives. Prepare plan documents as required by the IRS. Prepare the request for an IRS determination letter, if applicable. Prepare the Summary Plan Description required to be distributed to plan participants. Prepare customized enrollment and administrative materials. Conduct employee meetings to communicate the provisions of the plan. Defined Contribution Plan Record keeping and Administration We perform the following services in order to provide for smooth and efficient plan operation: Calculate employee eligibility and plan entry. Maintain participant vested percentage records. Process each payroll, allocating contributions and loan payments according to the participants investment elections. Process fund transfers in accordance with participant elections. Determine eligibility for allocation of employer contributions and forfeitures. Allocate employer and employee contributions. Allocate plan earnings. Allocate forfeitures, if applicable. Distribution processing: Calculation of distribution amount, preparation of required distribution notices. Loan processing: Set up of loan accounts, preparation of promissory note and amortization schedule and tracking loan repayments. Hardship withdrawal processing: Determination of hardship distribution amount and preparation of application forms. Reconcile trust accounts. Prepare customized participant statements. Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses, taking into consideration all the environmental factors. Strengths: The Primark products are in good quality as compare to their competitors, thats why customers prefer their products than any other stores products. Primark has many outlets which are easily accessible to their customer which we can easily find in every high street and town centre. Primark has valuable brand among their customer thats the reason that every outlet is full of crowd of customers. Primark products are affordable to their customer while their competitors are expensive their products for example the majority product of Primark under  £10 which are very low price which attract the customers for buying. They are very good in management and keep properly recruited staffs which help in satisfying their customers. Primark has modern fully equipped information systems which are help full in managing the organizations, which is help full in increasing their productivity profit and preventing any loss for organization. Primark has diversified in different products which cover the needs of kids, mans, womens and youngster, thats why we see every type of products for every customers. In my opinion the shop Primark is an absolute gift to all those students and people who are strapped for cash and need something new to brighten up their wardrobe! Primark is a large shop in many shopping malls in towns across the country which sells fashionable and reasonable quality clothes for a bargain price. These days clothes are more expensive than a few years ago, meaning children and students buying clothes can get far less for what they spend, but alas there is a saviour, Primark came along selling the same type of clothes as Top shop, Miss Selfridge, and accessories as Accessorize for a tenth of the price. Weaknesses: Although Primark has low prices but opinion of many customers is not trust trustworthy because their are thinking if we buy in low price than products will be not durable. Their stores products are not properly set for their customers so there are the main problems with Primark. Untidy, messy, crowded, and hot and generally a very tiresome, hot and bothered shopping experience but lets not over look their redeeming features. The customers services in most cases fail to help their customers in providing their choice, size and color so their fore most customers are not happy and dissatisfy their customers from the organizations, which make bed image among their customers, and directly impact the selling of organization. They layout Primarks products are not properly managed which create bed impact on the customers, so their fore the organizations should properly manage the products in specific sections which should help in finding the products for the customers. Primark outlets have no car park area which cause difficulty for the customers which losing so many customers because of their no proper car parking area, as majority their competitors have their own car parking area. In Primarks customers services are very few while customers in crowed thats why you see long and long queues, which are very big problem for their customers, while their competitors properly manage their customers, and you never see long queue there. Recommend a strategic model for the organization. Justify the choice of the model Strategic Model: Strategic plan for a strategic Model provides a roadmap for success and the framework for clear communication of what is important and what is not important for an organization progression/succession e.g. Primark.Without one your organization is at risk of underperforming or even failure. Strategic planning is a key leadership instrument and process for deciding what the company should do. It begins with by defining organizational aims and purposes, followed by formulating the means to achieve those purposes. Most importantly, it provides direction for implementation of operational and tactical planning. Strategic planning models in business can simulate situations requiring risk reduction or training inputs. It can also be a tool for developing a consensus among the executive body. It can guide managers into decisions and actions that have a consistent, rational affect on the organization in a way that satisfies top management. Thousands of organizations rangingin size from Fortune 500 companiesto small early stage businesses are using the Strategic Planning to reachnew levels of success. It is widely recognized as one of the best templates for writing a strategic plan will help you to: Gaina competitive advantage. Takea practical, yet thoroughapproach to strategic planning. Reduce the amountof time needed to develop your plan. Analyze your current situation from both an internal and external vantage point. Establisha well defined vision for thefuture of your organization. Develop clear andactionablegoals, objectives, strategies and tactics. Create an implementation planthatinstillsaccountability for results and follow-through. Definepriorities and bring morefocus to what is important. Increase accountability. Improve productivity. Write an easy to understand and easy toexecute plan. Achieve alignment with overall goals throughout your organization. Build a comprehensive road map for success. This type of strategic Model planning providesa complete, yeteasy to followstrategic planning template that is proven to get results. The Strategic Planning Workbookexplains and illustrates thestrategic planning process including development and implementation of the plan.Itincludeseverything you need tocreate a comprehensive strategic plan that will produce desired results. Strategic planning doesnt have to be complicated or difficult. Easily develop your plan and reduce the amount of time needed to complete anexcellentroadmap for success with the help of this popular planning template. These and other important elements: How toconductinternal and external analyses and what should be included in each. Ways to craft relevant and motivating mission, vision and purpose statements. The difference between strategies and tactics and how to draft them. How goals and objectives for your organization are effectively created along with tips for ensuring that they are achievement-oriented. Why a detailed action plan is critical to a plans success and how to develop one. A complete understanding of the entire strategic planning process including examples and complete explanations of each step. An easy step-by-step process for completing your plan. The Strategic Planning bookwas written asa collaborative effort by several strategic planningprofessionals who have significant experience in facilitating, writing, and executing strategic plans. The authors have taken great care toavoid overwhelming the reader withunnecessary information while presenting a practical, real world approach to strategic planning. Strategic Model Planning is very necessary For: Executivesand managersinterested in leading theircompanies to new levels of success. Entrepreneurs looking for ways to write plans that get noticed by investors. Small business owners needing aguideto profitable growth. Non-profitorganizationsinterested in developing a sound strategic plan. Anyonewho doesntwant to spend thetime or moneyon seminars and consultants. Planning team facilitators who need a standard planningmanual for each member of the team. Anyone needing a straightforward, step-by-step guide for creating a winning strategic plan. In response to the growing need for an efficient and effective process to develop competency models that can be easily integrated into employee selection and development programs, the industrial/organizational psychologists and the technologists of Bigby, Havis Associates developed ASSESS Strategic Success Modeling (SSM). SSM is a software-aided process designed to define the competencies important for success in a given job. If a model has not been developed or the current model is out-of-date and needs revising, a new or revised model can be developed quickly and easily using the Strategic Success Model building process. ASSESS Strategic Success Modeling is a process by which an organization, with the facilitation of an SSM consultant, can easily develop a for a position or group of positions, or can update an existing, outdated model. Model building is initiated with a card-sort process that is facilitated with competency cards and sorting pads for participants. The overall process is facilitated with computer software that which is easily downloaded from the ASSESS website. If a model has been previously developed and is current, no formal SSM process is required. The SSM consultant, with input from Human Resources or key managers, can map the existing model directly to ASSESS using a combination of the SSM software and the ASSESS website. Developing an effective competency model requires an analysis of the critical components of a job or set of jobs in relation to the goals of the organization. For a competency model to be useful and accepted within the organization there must be: Alignment with the business strategy Involvement of key stakeholders Content that is straightforward and clear Integration into HR practices Communication of the model Continued refinement as the work environment changes. Top-Level Top-level managers, or top managers, are also called senior management or executives. These individuals are at the top one or two levels in an organization, and hold titles such as: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operational Officer (COO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chairperson of the Board, President, Vice president, Corporate head. Top managers in most organizations have a great deal of managerial experience and have moved up through the ranks of management within the company or in another firm. An exception to this is a top manager who is also an entrepreneur; such an individual may start a small company and manage it until it grows enough to support several levels of management. Many top managers possess an advanced degree, such as a Masters in Business Administration, but such a degree is not required. Middle Level Middle-level managers, or middle managers, are those in the levels below top managers. Middle managers job titles include: General manager, Plant manager, Regional manager, and Divisional manager. Middle-level managers are responsible for carrying out the goals set by top management. They do so by setting goals for their departments and other business units. Middle managers can motivate and assist first-line managers to achieve business objectives. Middle managers may also communicate upward, by offering suggestions and feedback to top managers. Because middle managers are more involved in the day-to-day workings of a company, they may provide valuable information to top managers to help improve the organizations bottom line. Low Level Low level managers are those in the levels below the top and middle managers. Low-level managers are responsible for all carrying out the goals set by top and middle management. They do so by setting goals for their departments and other business units. And the low level management do all work which pass the middle level management of the organization. The report is focused on the following aspects of Primark: Example: According to Primark policies and strategies while competing with other competitors in the UK market, they have some long term strategies in which they focus on these factors very seriously: Vital Statistics: Retail footage, number of stores, location types and formats, new store openings, financial performance, latest company developments. Competitive Position: Brand positioning and uniqueness of offer, store environments, profile of target customers, product segment authority, pricing strategies, marketing activities, service levels, benchmarking against key competitors. Future Developments: Location strategy and new format development, company weaknesses and potential threats. Employees Incentives: Primark focus very seriously to provide incentives to their employees including their wages, medical facilities and special leave facilities as well. Customers Special Offers: Primark always offers cheaper and very competitive prices offers on their different products according to their demands for every class Customer. Which is very best policy of Primark while competing with other competitors? Identify the key performance indicators to measure the performance and hence the information requirements. All Primark have been equipped with proper CCTV and security guards to ensure not losing any single items of the organization. Beside that electronic sensor are made that can help in preventing any products and items. Primark has got proper trainee staffs which increases the performances for organizations and makes better profit in achieving there specific targets. Primark composed of many different products, and each products are comprises of cheap processes with better quality, so thats they attract more customers as compared to other business organizations. Primark are monitoring by head of departments, which is facilitating the core value for the organization. By offering the better qualities with cheaper prices, it gets more profits every year as compared other organization like Tesco Sainsbury ect. Primark is using specific tools for advertisement which helps to increase the productivities for the Primark, which helps in archiving objectives smoothly. Primark has own strong brands which also source for the organizations performance and productivities. Now days many of the branches of Primarks are situated in every town and high street in UK, so that every customers can gets easily accessible required products. Low prices and best qualitys also helping in performances of the Primark. Primarks staffs are very cooperative and friendless to the customers, so thats they can attract more customers and hence affecting the efficiency of their business very easily. After establishing the information requirements and discuss strategic information systems which would give a competitive edge to this organization. You may also include information systems that enhance the Customer Relations Management. The importance of effective customer relationships as a key to customer value and hence shareholder value is widely emphasized. In order to enhance these relationships, the application of IT to marketing through customer relationship management (CRM) software, e-commerce and other initiatives is growing rapidly. This study examines the factors that influence the successful deployment of CRM applications, with particular emphasis on those factors which are distinct from other areas of application. Using the analytic induction method, success factors were derived from five in-depth case studies. Resulting factors underemphasized in previous literature include: the need for project approval procedures which allow for uncertainty; the need to leverage models of best practice; the importance of prototyping new processes, not just IT; and the need to manage for the delivery of the intended benefits, rather than just implementing the original specification An efficient SAP CRM solution implementation significantly improves efficiency of operations and drives down operating costs and this system also helps to enhance customer relationship management. We can understand that system very clearly in detail as : The Client A large company engaged in providing integrated mail and document management solutions. The Challenge The client planned to integrate various business processes across the organization in order to improve their agility and deliver shareholder and customer value through faster and more efficient operations. The client objectives were to: Implement a single ERP system for an integrated approach to maintain accurate and complete customer data and transaction information Integrate all order-to-cash and leasing functions to streamline operations and reduce costs Data conversion from legacy system into SAP including interfacing and reconciliation between the SAP and Siebel systems Provide accurate and timely information for better decision making Manage customer relationships more strategically making it easier for customers to do business with them Drive down operating costs by 5% resulting in annualized savings Reduce the level of complexity, effort and time required to maintain and run all their systems Reduce time taken for accepting orders by 75%. The Solution The client decided to implement SAP CRM software for all their Customer Relationship Management activities. After understanding the business requirements and the aggressive implementation time frames, Patni suggested an on-site / offshore model for this project. Patni was responsible for: Creating specifications to integrate processes across applications and business units Introducing standards and procedures based on Six-sigma methodologies Improving system performance using efficient coding and design techniques Developing innovative methods to meet user requirements and in-house software for custom reports and interfaces Development of a real-time interface with Dun and Bradstreet and in-house Database using SAP CRM like BDT (Business Data Toolset) and BADI Business Application Development Interface) to validate customer information The Benefits The SAP CRM database was a centralized source of customer information for all business units. Some of the benefits were as follows: Reduced operating costs by 5%. Eliminated over 2 million duplicate and obsolete records during implementation which resulted in reduction of incorrect mailed invoices, equipment shipments and pick ups. Consolidated and reduced the approx 200,000 Customer Account Numbers to less than half that number during implementation. This reduced the compensation adjustments. Standardized customer creation and maintenance processes across business units reduced the consolidation efforts required for business information reports. Introduced new processes and creation of knowledge repository helped the client move to a process oriented approach. Increased the accuracy of information thus reducing billing errors and resulting fines. Discuss the ethical and social issues associated with usage of IS/IT in the organization. Ethical strategy: Primark has been working within its supply chains for several years prior to making its commitment public by joining the Ethical Trading Initiative (E.T.I.) www.ethicaltrade.org in May 2006. Primark defined its Ethical Trade Strategy in 2006. In 2008 they have entered the second phase of its implementation. Implementation of phase 2 will ensure that factories making 80% of all purchases are assessed. 135,120 workers employed in these units have had their working conditions assessed, and improved where necessary. Audits are conducted by Primarks own regional based Ethical Trade Managers and third party specialist auditors. 38% of our initial audits to date have been unannounced, and the rest take place within a pre agreed window. After the initial audit their Ethical Trade specialists work with the suppliers to support them through remediation. Training is offered to suppliers and their makers on particular issues and best practice, at regular intervals. Follow-up audits are conducted after three months from the initial audit. Primark has to report on its activity annually to the Ethical Trading Initiative and they have had encouraging feedback on their latest annual report. They share many of their suppliers with their competitors on the high street. All workers making these goods will be paid the same weekly wage. All new suppliers are risk assessed prior to supplying their initial orders to Primark. Primark recognizes that shared learning and collaboration is one of the most successful ways to achieve sustained positive progression with its suppliers factories. Primark participate in the ETI- supported National Home worker Group in India and are one of the founder members of the Wages Group. CODE OF CONDUCT Employment is freely chosen Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected Working conditions are safe and hygienic Child labour shall not be used Living wages are paid Working hours are not excessive No discrimination is practiced Regular employment is provided No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed Social Strategy Many companies have dabbled in social technologies, ranging from blogs to profiles on social networking sites. But almost all of these efforts are one-off technology deployments, instead of being part of a master plan on how to engage customers and employees on a strategic level. This session will lay out a framework, which Forrester calls the POST method that helps companies understand how to leverage social technologies. POST is an acronym for People, Objectives, Strategy, Technology and is the order in which companies need to build their social strategy. People: You have to understand how your target customer uses social technologies today and in the future. Objectives: Given how your customers use technologies, what business objectives can you realistically meet with social technologies. We believe there are five objectives companies can meet better and faster. Listening Talking Energizing Supporting, and Embracing. Strategy: After identifying your business objective, what is your strategy on how you are going to achieve it A deep understanding of which Web 2.0 technologies and approaches work for which objectives is essential. Technology: Once the other steps are done, then, and only then, should companies focus on which technologies to use. All too often, we have companies asking us which blogging software should we use when the question should be why we should have a blog at all knowing your objectives will make winnowing and selecting the right technology vendors a much easier process. References: http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/primark/history.html 11/10/2008 11:30pm http://www.ethicalprimark.com/ethical.html 12/10/2008 10:00pm http://www.ethicalprimark.com/?gclid=CJiSi7-7yJYCFRpUEAodaGtoxg 12/10/2008 11:00pm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primark#Child_labour 13/10/2008 7:25pm http://www.managementhelp.org/aboutfml/what-it-is.htm 24/10/2008 8:20pm http://www.patni.com/resource-center/collateral/crm/CS-SAP_CRM_Solution.html 28/10/2008 9:13pm http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Log-Mar/Management-Levels.html 01/11/2008 11:50pm http://en.oreilly.com/webexsf2008/public/schedule/dtail/2277 http://www.mybusinessbooks.com/our_books.cfm?action=detailstart=1prod=4 02/11/2008 9:25am

Importance of Dr. Kevorkian case for Medical Ethics :: Medical Ethics Assisted Suicide Essays

Importance of Dr. Kevorkian case for Medical Ethics The Dr. Kevorkian case is important for medical ethics, because it brings up the issues of physician-assisted suicide and physician-assisted death. Physician-assisted suicide is where the doctor is assisting the patient in suicide, but the patient actually performs the act. Physician-assisted death, also known as euthanasia, is when the doctor does the act to bring about the patient’s death based on the patient’s request. This brings up the limitations of beneficence. Does a doctor have the right to end a patient’s life to relieve their suffering? We can use the principle of double effect to analyze this case. There are four criteria for an act to be ethical according to the principle of double effect (Garrett et al., 2001): 1) â€Å"The action itself must good or morally indifferent. 2) The person must intend only the good effect and not the bad effect. 3) The bad effect cannot be the means to the good effect. 4) There must be a proportionality between the good and bad effects† Killing or assisting in suicide is not a morally indifferent act. Dr. Kevorkian says, â€Å"My intent was only to relieve their suffering, an act that inevitably killed the person.† He justified his acts, because most of his patients had Lou Gehrig’s Disease and could not feed or care for themselves (Murphy, 1999). Although only the good effect was intended, the bad effect (death) was the means to the good effect. The proportionality between the good and bad effect must be analyzed for each specific case. Dr. Kevorkian’s acts violated at least two of the principles of double effect, so they are not ethically justified. Importance of Dr. Kevorkian case for Professional Standards A profession involves the following elements (Garrett et al., 2001): 1) â€Å"a dedication to a particular way-of-life, supportive of a particular expertise 2) a deep involvement in activities important to the function of society

So Rich, So Poor by Peter Edelman Essay -- poverty, income redistributi

While it has proven to be difficult to end poverty in America, Peter Edelman is optimistic. In his book So Rich, So Poor Edelman makes a call to action. There are four prominent ideas that underpin Edelman’s reasoning throughout the book: (1) More people must understand why poverty is still so prevalent in America; (2) extreme poverty must be taken into consideration as a shocking 6 million Americans’ sole income was food stamps in 2011. This fact alone creates a sense of urgency that drives Edelman; (3) increasing income inequality should be treated as a moral issue; and (4) bold political action will be required if substantive progress will be made in alleviating poverty. Unfortunately, despite President Roosevelt’s New Deal and President Johnson’s Great Society, an increasing number of Americans reportedly experience poverty in their lifetime. Since the Clinton eras poverty-low of 11.3 percent of the population, there has been a sizable increase in the number of Americans living in poverty. By 2010, 15.1 percent of Americans lived below the poverty line (25). In a country that prides itself on the American dream that hard work will open the door to upward social mobility, these data are discouraging. Edelman argues from the beginning of his book that three major factors have influenced current trends: (1) changes in the American economy, specifically outsourcing of jobs, (2) the increase in the single-parent households, and (3) race and gender issues (xvii). Central themes that Edelman describes at length are the purported failure of the economy to help those most in need and the negative effects of the increase in the number of single- parent households (32). While I agree with Edelman that these factors have influenced curren... ...erational, deep poverty. While there are a number of policy measures that may be made to reduce the number of people in poverty or near-poverty, quality education that is equitably accessible to all students regardless of their zip code may be the best point of entry to break the cycle. Edelman does recommend that high quality public schools should be â€Å"part of an overall urban and antipoverty strategy rather than siloed off† as a separate issue. I think, however, that Edelman’s argument would be strengthened scores by increasing his focus on education policy and reform as a tool to fight poverty as opposed to calling for augmented income redistribution, especially as education founds many of his principle arguments as I have described above. Works Cited Edelman, P. (2012). So rich, so poor: Why it’s so hard to end poverty in America. New York, NY: The New Press.

A Biography of Nelson Mandela :: Nelson Mandela Biography

A Biography of Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is judged to be one of the greatest political leaders of modern times. Among his many accomplishments are the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize for his dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa and establishing democracy there and becoming the president of South Africa in 1994 following their first multiracial elections. Nelson was born as the foster son of a Thembu chief in Umtata (now the province of Eastern Cape) and raised in a traditional tribal culture within the grips of apartheid, a powerful system of black oppression that existed in South Africa. After years as a poor student and law clerk in Johannesburg, he assumed an important role in the African National Congress (ANC), a civil rights group. He also helped form the ANC Youth League in the 1950's. He was accused of treason in 1956 but was acquitted in 1961. From 1960-1962 Mandela led the NAC's para military wing known as Umkhonto we Sizwe which translate to "Spear of the Nation." He was arrested in August of 1962, sentenced to five years in prison and while incarcerated was again convicted of sabotage and treason and was sentenced to life imprisonment in june, 1964 at the famous Rivonia Trial. During his twenty-seven years in prison, Nelson Mandela became a symbol of resistance to the white-dominated country of South Africa throughout the world. After complex negotiation, Mandela was finally released from prison by President F.W. deKlerk in February, 1990, after lifting the long ban on the ANC. Mandela's release from prison marked the beginning of the end of apartheid in South Africa when he once again became the head of the ANC. He began the process to from a new constitution in South Africa which would allow political power to the black majority. Finally in 1991 the South African government repealed the laws that had upheld apartheid. In May, 1994 Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first black president after the country's first multiracial elections were held. His goal was to provide for economic and social growth for the black majority that had been oppressed for so long by the system of apartheid.

Carib Studies Ia

Acknowledgement Nobly, the researcher would like to bestow gratitude to all who has helped me in the completion of this Internal Assessment. Gratitude and appreciation to, God most of all, because without him there's is no ability to complete something. He helped to guide the researcher and helped her put away her indolence and complete her study effectively. The youngest sister of the researcher deserves appreciation because she helped the researcher in getting references and gathering the essential for this project. Much love to you, Lisan.To all those such as my peers and respondents to my questionnaire, Merci. Hope to submissively return the favour one day. Introduction Locale: Urban Parish: St. Ann School Code: 06063 Gender: Female School Organization: Whole Day Size: Class III Attendance Rate: 92% Capacity: 1000 Enrolment: 950 Number of Teachers: 41 Pupil/Teacher Ratio: 24:1 Owned by: Anglican Church Socio-Economic Context St. Hilda’s Diocesan High School for girls was e stablished by the Anglican Church in 1906 as a small day school run by the Deaconesses.In 1917, it was named The Diocesan High School for Girls and moved to its present site in 1922. It was given the present name in 1927. St. Hilda’s is located in Browns Town, St. Ann. It is a medium sized boarding school with approximately 950 students, and it has a capacity of 1000. With 41 teachers, the student teacher ratio is 24:1. The school’s average daily attendance is 92 per cent. Students are from mixed socio economic backgrounds drawn from all over the island and include a few who are not Jamaicans. Many parents are unemployed but some are professionals. Some work in the hotel industry, some are farmers.The school motto: Res Severa Verum Gaudium (Hard work brings true joy) is a source of inspiration for staff and students alike and summarizes the school’s general attitude towards its endeavours and accomplishments. St. Hilda’s High school gets valuable support from business and community organizations in the forms of donations and scholarships. Its high academic standard is complemented by a rich cultural heritage which is showcased in its annual Eisteddfod. In 2010, the school was placed fourth in the ‘All Together Sing’ choir competition and came first in Bob Marley’s Song Arrangement Competition.For the latter, the school received a replica of the icon’s guitar. Intervention programmes like ‘Young women of Change’ give support to students with emotional and social needs. Statement of problem What is the extent of racism at St. Hilda’s Diocesan High, Brown’s Town? Aims and objectives Racism is vastly evident at this institution. The completion of this IA will therefore determine: The extent of racism at the institution The influence of racism at the institution The consequences of racism at the institution Literature review Racism is the ideologies of social processes which discrimin ate against people based solely on the basis of their belonging to different ethnicity. It should be noted that some sociologists such as Parsons, think that people are primarily socialized to be racist. The influencing factors of racism are: parents, siblings, peers, schools, governmental officials, religion, mass media and many others’ (Solomos, 1993, Haralambos and Holborn, 2004). ‘Racial disadvantages are a result of the differences in cultural characteristics that do not coincide with the norms and values of the upper class’ (Smith, N. D adopted from Mustapha, 2009). for integration in the creolization process to take place multi- culturalism and plurality of cultures must be first accepted in order to reduce racial stigmatization (Braithwaite, adopted from Mustapha, 2009). ‘Similarly, functionalists aim for a cultural consensus for a consequential balanced and functional society’ (Kirby,1997 adopted from Haralambas and Holborn, 2004). Marx, how ever, views racism as a belief system used to legitimize the exploitation of the lower class citizens by the upper class. ‘ Some sociologists even believe that if capitalism had not developed then racial prejudice, in question, would not exist’ (Kirby et. l 1997; Cox, 1970, Haralambos and Holborn, 2004). ‘Interactionists believes that racial conflict was a result of the deficiency in communication about the variation in the self-conceptualization. In society, race and ethnicity are viewed as variable because they are often being discussed’ (Lal, 1998; Kirby, 1997, Haralambos and Holborn, 2004). ‘Racism was used to validate slavery during colonialism’ (Roleff, 1991). ‘In the 19th century, indentured workers were bought to Trinidad to supplant the Africans on the plantations and there was an immediate awareness of the ethnic differences.Hence, social stratification in the plantation society was based on the differences in the race in societ y. Therefore, race is one of the fundamental factors behind class division in society. ’ (Brereton, 1979 adopted from Reddock and Barrow, 2001). ‘The term race was first used in the 15th century but only grew in importance with the relation to the development of liberalism bought a sense of identity to people, which was intended to bring further improvement of society, along with equality’ (Golberg, Haralambos and Holborn, 2004). Whites in society being superior encouraged racism and racist beliefs in society and the racism led to the limitations in the social life chances of proletariats’ (Golberg, Haralambos and Holborn) ‘Segregation and discrimination in society are also the results of racism’ (Haralambos and Holborn, 20004). ‘Policies can be formulated to enclose equal opportunities and cultural integration such as the Race and Relations Acts’ (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004). ‘The Creolization Thesis proposes the governme nts can promote cultural assimilation and integration in order to have syncretism.A variety of the cultural traits blended together to form a new culture that is satisfactory for all members of society’ (Braithwaite, 1971, Mustapha, 2009). Research Design The term research design may be defined as the scientific data collected. It is from research that theories are derived. Quantitative data was the selected research data since it is general, objective and value free. The statistics of the data gathered can be easily quantified and is used to support the findings of research. Questionnaires were used because they are used for obtaining particular instruments for data collection.The data gathered from the questionnaires would be easily quantified and displayed in various figures and diagrams. The study is based on the degree of the existence of racism at St. Hilda’s Diocesan High. To effectively complete this project, the study was done during the period of November 20t h to November 30, 2012. In order to attain data randomly, the sample population was selected by process. Two out of the fifty questionnaires presented were separately distributed to students from each grade level and class with permission from the school principal and form teachers. SampleA sample may be defined as a portion of a large population and it is often used to represent the large population. For this study, random sampling was used. So two out of fifty questionnaires were to distributed 2 students from each class from each grade level, who willingly participated in the study. This would be considered systematic random sampling. It is considered as such because the subject units were chosen in a logical order. The method of sampling is practical because it is time effective when selecting the same from a large population. Data Collection InstrumentQuestionnaires were used to collect data. The use of questionnaires was both cost effective and time effective. The use of quest ionnaires assured the maintenance of increased objectivity and the accuracy in the study. The data gathered from the questionnaires can be easily quantified. Questionnaire Gender male female How old are you? To what ethnicity do you belong? African Chinese American Mixed Do you know what racism is? If yes, explain. Do you think racism exists at St. Hilda’s Diocesan High? Please explain the reason for your answer. How prevalent is racism at St.Hilda’s Diocesan High? Great extent not a great extent non-existent Does racism at school affect you? If yes, in what way. Would you consider yourself racist? Would you consider any of your friends as racists? Explain answers for both number 7 and 8. Have you ever been involved in any racist activity? Please account for your answer. Have you ever been a victim of racism? If so, how: Persons provoke you about your ethnicity and religion persons ignore your existence and humanity persons demean your ancestry and heritage other. Plea se specify. Does anyone at your school instigate racism?If so, who: academic staff peers principal ancillary staff Do you think racism has a negative impact on students? If yes, in what way: causing students to fail academically because of low self-esteem and confidence emotionally scarring students, especially the younger ones, for life If other, specify. What are some of the methods that could be used to eliminate or reduce racism at St. Hilda’s? How do you think the school on a whole can benefit from the reduction or elimination of racism? Presentation of Findings Figure 1: Students affected and not affected by racism Figure 2: Been vs. haven’t been victims of racism.Figure 3: ways students were victims of racism Figure 4: racism is instigated/ not instigated Figure 5: Does racism has or doesn’t have a negative impact on students? Analysis and Discussion of Findings As seen in figure 1, 10% isn’t affected by racism while 90% is. This shows that general ly, a large percentage of students are affected by racism at St. Hilda’s Diocesan High. The concept behind this question was to ascertain whether multi- culturalism and plurality of cultures are accepted, in order to reduce racial stigmatization as Braithwaite claimed it must in order for integration and prober flow of communication.Without proper communication students’ learning and interpretation of certain matters will be affected. Figure 2 shows the percentage of students who have been victims of racism at St. Hilda’s Diocesan High. The diagram is based on information received from the related question from the questionnaire. The diagram shows that 80% have been and 20% haven’t. figure 3, displays the percentage and different ways in which students are victimized by racism. Its displays that 10% persons demean their ancestry and heritage, 40%, persons provoke them about their ethnicity and religion and 50%, persons ignore their existence and humanity. Figure 4, 5% said no racism isn’t instigated, while a mighty 95% said it is. When asked how and by who, a large number of students stated that it is instigated by the principal in the way she treats certain students because of either their grades or their light coloured skin. One student notably wrote that she thought about becoming a racist so many times because of the way the principal treated her different from all other students. She notably stated that she is of Chinese ethnicity and is academically well of as she is a prefect at the school. She states that ometimes she thinks she is better than other students academically and when it comes to beauty because of how Mrs Johnson, her principal idolizes her. Also certain things that Mrs Johnson would say instilled some kind of racial feelings inside her. This indeed proves that racism is instigated and goes back to: ‘Racism was used to validate slavery during colonialism’ (Roleff, 1991). ‘In the 19th cent ury, indentured workers were bought to Trinidad to supplant the Africans on the plantations and there was an immediate awareness of the ethnic differences.Hence, social stratification in the plantation society was based on the differences in the race in society. Therefore, race is one of the fundamental factors behind class division in society. ’ (Brereton, 1979 adopted from Reddock and Barrow, 2001). This could cause class division yes because this student might think so highly of herself that she will be-little others as it were in slavery days. Also, racism was instigated by planters to cause division and immediate distinction between owner and slaves.Maybe this is the similar to what Mrs Johnson is doing, separating brighter and prettier students from the rest so the less intelligent or less beautiful one will feel inferior as the slaves did to the whites. All this adds to what is seen in Figure 5. There are 8o% of students who are affected negatively by racism and 20% wh ich aren’t. this incorporates Brerton’s prospective on racial and ethnic discrimination, racism between slaves from other ethnic groups based on stratification. Also with regards to Figure 3, Marx perspective that racism is a belief system used to legitimize the exploitation of the lower class can be applied.Students who say they are affected by racism are those who are may belong to different social classes in social hierarchy or may belong to different ethnic groups than those who are not affected. Certain students who are affected may also be considered less academically accomplished to those who are not. Racism has negative effects on students as shown in Figure 5. This according to Lal, is that interactionists believe that racial conflicts were a result of the deficiency in communication about the variation in self- conceptualization. ConclusionIn conclusion, racism impacts negatively on the lives of the young ladies of St. Hilda’s Diocesan High. Racism neg atively affects school interaction, and behaviour of these young ladies. However, as Braithwaite indicates, through formulation of policies, the Government can promote cultural assimilation and integration in order to have syncretism. A variety of cultural traits blended together to form a new culture that is satisfactory for all students of the St. Hilda’s Diocesan High School. Bibliography Barrow C and Reddock R, (Eds. ), 2001Caribbean Sociology: Introductory Recordings. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers Ltd. Haralambos, M and Holborn, M (Eds. ) 2004 Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. London: Harper Collins Publishers Ltd. Mustapha, N (Eds) 2009. Sociology for Caribbean Students. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers Ltd. Kerwin, C and Jackson, I, 1996. Sociology for Caribbean Students, Volume 1. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers Ltd. Table of Contents Topic Page Acknowledgement Introduction Statement of problem Literature review Research design Sample Data collection instrument Pre sentation of findingsAnalysis and discussion of findings Recommendations Limitations Conclusion Bibliography bRecommendations The researcher would recommend: The government implement some non- racist movement within all schools The government go about implementing ways to encourage students in schools and fire any employee at the school who encourages racism The school’s chairman visit the school more often and see just what is going on there, ask the students their opinions on the matter discussed and go about making changes Students appeal to authorities who might help them on the matterLimitations Within the completion of this project the researcher didn’t have any limitations. All resources were at hand especially at home. The researcher should proudly say that she put these resources to good use. This project was well organized and put together because of this. He researcher hopes all readers and the examiner feels the same.

Computer Of My Dream Essay

Computer of my dream First, I need a motherboard because it’s like the backbone of the system, without a good motherboard it won’t be able to support the CPU, the brain of the system, very well. I choose a Pentium 4 motherboard because I want to keep myself up to date and the ASAU brand is a popular one. Then I chose a Pentium 4 CPU for its speed, also because Intel is a well-known brand. I chose an expensive RAM product, made by HP, because I want top notch quality for the RAM as it is very important in a computer. For video card I chose a Voodoo 5500 PCI as it is recommended by many sites. For sound card I will just buy a cheap one because I don’t think it’s going to make a big difference in the sound quality. I am going to buy a hard drive with 60 gigabytes because I like to install a lot of software and download a lot of songs. A big case is needed since I would like to upgrade my computer a lot. The speakers has to be a subwoofer as I like the feel of the bass. I will buy a Sony 27 inches monitor since I don’t want to hurt my eyes and want the best monitor to get the maximum performance from the graphics. Although it is cheap, I like this logitech mouse because it is cordless thus easy to move around. I am buying a Microsoft keyboard since the company is a reliable one, and it is cheap also. I chose this 56x CD ROM because it supports all types of cd formats, including the state-of-the-art Cd-rw. I will add a cd-rw drive to my computer because I like to make music cds, Creative is a reliable brand whose quality is always satisfactory. Plus, it enables me to download the latest digital audio file from the Internet and store them on CDs instead of on my hard drive. Lastly, I will buy a Canon bubble jet color printer. The product might not be as top notch as the other kinds but I just need a average printer since I don’t print things a lot. This is the computer of my dream.

Macbeth Act 1 Scene 1 Analysis Essay

A desert place. The setting of ‘Thunder and lightning’ depicts bad weather, which shows the eerie atmosphere and tense mood. The play opens on a note of noise and disorder, foreboding much evil to come. Witches, who seem to enjoy the chaotic weather, appear to hold alien values and preferences compared to normal men and women. The mood is sinister, dangerous and ominous; the immediate appearance of the witches starting from the first scene is used to inform readers of the underlying note of darkness. The witches speak in riddles, and seem to know Macbeth’s secret desires and are seen as mischievous, otherworldly and evil beings. By saying that the ‘battle’s lost and won’, many meanings emerge, such as the ‘battle’ refers to the fight with Cawdor and though Macbeth may have ‘won’ against him, he has ‘lost’ a battle to himself, by afterwards caving into the witches’ tempting words. They seem to refer the dark ‘ere’, which means after, ‘the set of sun’. This hints of their evil natures that seem to relate to their preference of bad weather and dark skies. They decide on the ‘heath’ to meet Macbeth. The rhyming words lead us to think of the ‘heath’, which is a wild and barren place, in relation to Macbeth and his future. This way, we are lead to think that Macbeth’s heart will too, become wild, dry and bare. This is the first meeting between Macbeth and the witches and we can see that they are keen to meet him. We can infer from this fact and what we have learnt about the witches’ that they plan to do him harm. The mention of familiars, ‘Graymalkin’, which is a grey cat and ‘Paddock’ , a toad, continues to inform us of the Witches’ supernatural status, as well as further deepening the theory of ‘evil witches’ as they have chosen to keep strange pets. Back in Shakespeare’s time, people believed that such familiars were actually spirits trapped in the bodies of animals, hence we see the witches as unnatural and demonic in nature. The next riddle, ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through fog and filthy air.’ Once again the seemingly illogical statement keeps the reader wondering. It could be saying that what appears to be good may not be so and that there is a thin line between good, ‘fair’, and evil, ‘foul’. It could also be warning readers of Macbeth and his deceptive personality, as well as not to take appearances and people’s personalities for granted as nothing is what it seems to be. Hence, the recurrent theme throughout this scene is the perversion of moral values and the disruption of all thing good, as well as that nothing is to be trusted as appearances are a form of deception. The witches’ evil is also a dominant theme throughout the scene as their preferences and actions give readers an overwhelming sense of evil and discord. There is an impending sense of disaster from their riddles and the belief that the witches are the embodiments of evil forces and the whole scene prepares the audience for the tragedy to come, as well as giving us a small peak into the future of the play. MACBETH The classroom analysis (generalized) (Previous analysis was June holiday homework) Act1 Scene 2: 9 / 7 /11 A camp. The scene starts with King Duncan himself asking an injured captain to report on the latest revolt. The scene serves a purpose of explaining the political situation in Scotland through the onlooker’s eyes. In other words, though the scene does not go directly into the battle zone itself, it still adequately informs the audience of what is going on both outside and inside of the battlefield. It also introduces some important characters, such as King Duncan, Ross, Angus and gives a few mentions of Macbeth and Banquo. Though not as dark and eerie as the previous scene, this scene uses battle scenes and the imagery of blood and gore to further establish a slightly dangerous, gruesome scene. An underlying note of darkness can also be felt throughout the scene, as the use of subtle hints about Macbeth’s future betrayal keep up a sense of foreboding. The battle is described as ‘two spent swimmers, that do cling together; And choke their art’. This tells us that the battle is very closely fought. No side is given a clear advantage but both sides are determined to keep the other ‘down’ for their own side to survive. The traitor ‘Macdonwald’ is also introduced as the enemy that King Duncan’s men are fighting in this particular battle. ‘And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling, Show’d like a rebel’s whore’, tells us that he at one point had seemed to be winning the battle, considering that ‘fortune’ is on his side. ‘Fortune’ is personified as a prostitute in this scene, giving him favors and such. Shakespeare also refers to ‘fortune’ as a goddess with a distinctly fickle nature that deceives the rebel (Macdonwald) with her smile before abandoning him. Following this predicament, Macbeth displays great courage and determin ation as he fought valiantly, undaunted by ‘fortune’. Because of his bravery and strong will, Macbeth is praised many times throughout the entire Act 1. The very first praise ‘brave Macbeth’, was given to him by the captain, because of his valiance and dauntlessness before Macdonwald. In this scene, Macbeth is constantly shown in a positive light. Multiple praises of him lead to the audience becoming in awe of him, as he appears very impressive. He is also praised as ‘Valor’s minion’. ‘Valor’ being considered as a goddess of valiance and bravery and Macbeth being thought of as a favorite of hers, hence leading to the conclusion that he is a valiant warrior. These praises help to raise suspense throughout the audience as the more in awe and impressed they become, the more they want to meet the glorious hero, Macbeth. However, even though Macbeth is constantly praised throughout this scene, the overwhelming presence of gore and blood show some character flaws in him as well. Macbeth ‘carved out his passage’ throughout the battlefield and ‘unseam’d [Macdonwald] from the nave to the chaps, And fix’d his head upon our battlements’. ‘Carved out’ gives us the image of constant killings, till a passage is carved out through a wall of men. This savage, sickening imagery is made worse when the image of Macbeth ripping open the rebel from his chin to his navel and then hacking off his head. The gruesome, gory image is the work of Macbeth. Hence, because of his savage kills and brutality of the battles, we can infer that he also has a strong, ruthless and slightly cold-hearted side to him. The blood and gore plays a large part in the play, as it is later on associated with Macbeth’s murder of King Duncan and his own eventual death. Here, Macbeth’s kills and the shedding of blood are glorified as it done in support of the King. The irony is that later on, Macbeth’s kills and the shedding of blood will be associated to the killing of the King and many other innocents. This scene is also ironical in the sense that Macbeth’s great achievement of killing the rebel will later be the very way he dies; his head will get chopped off. Hints of the future turn of events continue to appear as the Captain reports of Norway’s immediate attack right after their apparent victory over Macdonwald, ‘whence the sun ‘gins his reflection; Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break, So from that spring whence comfort seem’d to come; Discomfort swells. Mark, king of Scotland, mark’ . The meaning of this warning is that just as good things happen, bad things occur. This statement, though said with no reference to Macbeth, is immediately linked to him. This is due to Duncan’s praises of Macbeth just before the warning was said, ‘O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman’, hence it can be interpreted as a warning that while Macbeth seems to come across to the other characters as a savior and hero, he may actually end up as the source of all discord and enmity. This makes the audience think twice about Macbeth’s both future and current loyalty and starts off one of the major themes in the play: Appearance and illusions VS reality. What seems honest and beneficial may turn out to be the exact opposite. It also warns the audience of Macbeth’s future deceit and duplicity. The battle scene thickens as the Norweyan troops take advantage of their moment of victory to begin a fresh assault on them. Macbeth and Banquo are further praised here for their fearlessness and energy faced with yet another foe. They were said to be as dismayed and afraid as ‘As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion’, in other words, not afraid at all. The use of nature imagery here are compare them to the eagle, king of the sky, and the lion, king of land, implying them to be very noble and prideful in their fight for their king. Later on, when Duncan is murdered, the natural order of things is disrupted and the animals behave strangely. This fact further emphasizes the wrongfulness of murdering a good and lawful King, hence further condemning Macbeth. Ross later reports of betrayal of the Thane of Cawdor, and makes some comparisons with The King of Norway and Macbeth. ‘Confronted him with self-comparisons’, here implies that Macbeth and him were matched in strength and courage. However, as the King of Norway is considered to be treacherous and cunning, the words ‘self-comparisons’ further hint of Macbeth’s future treacherous personality. Ross also praises Macbeth, calling him ‘Bellona’s bridegroom’. Bellona is the roman goddess of war and by calling him her newly-wed husband; it implies that he too is a great warrior. His enjoyment of war and his enthusiasm and zeal over it also achieve the audience’s further questioning; in the case where Macbeth’s loyalty to Duncan is diminished, what will come of his enthusiasm for violence and love of war. Later on Duncan awards Macbeth with the title of ‘Thane of Cawdor’, unknowingly beginning to fulfill the prophecy which would lead him to his own demise. By condemning the current Thane of Cawdor, he blissfully is unaware of the fact that his presenting of the title to Macbeth will lead Macbeth to becoming a treacherous usurper. Duncan final words that close the scene are an ominous echo of the witches’ riddles in the first scene ‘When the battle’s lost and won’. ‘What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won’, makes it such that by becoming thane of Cawdor, Macbeth has entered some sort of curse, as though he wins the characteristics of the previous thane as well as his title but he eventually loses his future and sanity in the process. This shows the clear link between the King’s current actions and the scheme of the witches, which further leads to the fulfillment of the prophecy of the witches, which fuels Macbeth’s savage ambitions. It also makes the audience wonder the outcome of the play, had the King not given him the title. In summary, we can infer from act 1 scene 2 that Macbeth is brave, courageous, valiant, strong-willed, but at the same time hinted to be ruthless and slightly savage. Still, the audience will be mainly in awe of his loyalty and ability to overcome adversity in battle, as well as his apparent image as the embodiment of justice and valor. MACBETH The classroom analysis (generalized) (Previous analysis was June holiday homework) Act1 Scene 3: 9/ 7 /11 A heath. This scene marks the beginning of evil in Macbeth. It depicts his inner thoughts and struggles to keep his ambitious desires for the crown at bay. It is thought to be the ‘temptation scenes’, where Macbeth’s longings are further aroused by the witches’ words, instigating him with the hope of becoming king of Scotland with their prophecy. The 3 main purposes of this scene are 1. Characterization of the witches 2. Contrast in the difference between Macbeth and Banquo’s reactions to the witches’ prophecy. 3. Character of Macbeth is explored in greater detail. (Imaginative nature and high-strung temperament makes him inclined to soliloquy – ‘aside’ thoughts of character onstage, only audience can hear it.) With regards to the plot, the witches’ make the initial movement, through them Macbeth’s ambition crystallizes and his definite resolution to murder Duncan is established. However, bear in mind that Macbeth’s ambition was already present before the witches’ approached. Still, his meeting with them helped his vague aspiration take a definite shape. First and foremost, the scene introduces the witches’ sadistic and cruel nature, showing that they are vindictive, spiteful creatures who want to wreck revenge on the sailor’s wife, by giving out punishment on her husband which is out of proportion to the nature of the offence. Their reason for casting a spell on the sailor and his ship, cursing them to prolonged periods of suffering was simply because his fat wife refused to share her chestnuts with the First Witch. Such extreme measures emphasize the witches’ malicious natures, immediately giving the audience a poor impression of the characters. The animal imagery of a ‘rat’, tells us that they are sneaky, mischievous and harmful, biting a hole into the sailor’s ship. The way they chant ‘I’ll do, I’ll do and I’ll do’ appears to readers as eerie, almost definite manner of speaking. Their chants and ability to control winds further informs us that they are unnatural, almost magical beings. However, the witches though having powers beyond the norm are not completely powerful and are limited in their ability. Though they certainly can control winds, water, chant and attempt to place misguided thoughts in the characters minds, they cannot kill anyone nor can they force someone to bend to their will (as seen from the way they only influence the already ambitious Macbeth and not the honest Banquo). Furthermore, this indicates that Macbeth’s murder of Duncan and usurping was not because of the witches. He has evil thoughts already in himself, the witches only acted as guides, suggesting and tempting him with their words. The roles of the witches from the beginning were only insinuators, to provide suggestions and are not the direct cause for Macbeth’s actions. Hence, we can conclude that Macbeth is responsible for his own evil deeds and that the witches cannot be used to excuse Macbeth from his behavior. Still, the witches’ unyielding, cruel nature is still undeniable as they cause horrors for the people they target. The sailors are subjected to 81 days of wasting away, living like cursed men. Though they cannot completely destroy the ship, they can still cause it to be tossed and churned wildly through the storm. Also, we can tell that their cruelty and vindictive nature is apparent as jubilant is evident in their voices at Macbeth’s approach. From what we have learnt of their natures, we may conclude that they are deigning to work harm on Macbeth. Macbeth continues to link himself to the witches. His mention of ‘so foul and fair a day I have not seen’ reminds us of the ‘fair is foul’ comment that the witches used to close scene 1. It shows a clear connection between Macbeth and the witches’ evil. The ironic repetition is unconsciously echoed by Macbeth, indicating the changing direction of the battle or the weather, however it could also hint of Macbeth becoming further involved with the witches’ evil plot. The witches are also described in detail by Banquo here, seen to be strange looking and ‘withered’ and ‘wild’ in their dressing and features. However, their strange looks help to promote themes like appearance VS reality, as the women though seemingly women, have beards like men. This emphasizes their unnaturalness and status as perversions of nature. Their prophecy is also reviewed in this scene. First, Macbeth will become Thane of Glamis, which is more of a fact, seeing that Macbeth will inherit the title from his father. Next, they claim he will become Thane of Cawdor and then King. The last two are great prophecies; however it is the prophecy of becoming King that provides Macbeth the greatest temptation. It spurs him on for the most of the play, killing in hope to gain and keep the elusive title. Also, the witches are noted to not indicate how to achieve this title, giving only predictions and no suggestions. This further increases Macbeth’s responsibility for the murder of so many innocents. He crafted his own path and used his own means to achieve the titles and hence the murders committed in the process are more of his choice than any witches’ suggestion. Next, Macbeth is furthered introduced and the difference between Macbeth’s and Banquo’s reactions to the witches prophecies is explored. Through Banquo, we can see Macbeth is deeply shocked by the witches’ prophecies. ‘Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear. Things that do sound so fair?’ This suggests that the witches’ revelation was of Macbeth’s innermost thoughts, his dark hidden desire to become King. However, unlike Macbeth, Banquo sees no reason to fear the witches, indicating a strong sense of integrity and justice in him. While Macbeth is ‘rapt’, thinking of the King’s position; Banquo challenges the Witches’; fearing not as he does not have any greedy ambitions and a clear conscience. Hence, to summarize, Macbeth’s deep, dark innermost thoughts being revealed tell us of his ‘guilty’ status, who indeed, did have dark intentions towards King Duncan. Whereas, Banquo’s reactions are that of an honest man, skeptical and mistrustful of the witches as well as wary of his and Macbeth’s prophesized glory. More riddles follow, as the number of paradoxical statements (statement in which it seems self-contradictory, absurd, but in reality it expresses a possible truth) grows. First Witch Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. Second Witch Not so happy, yet much happier. Third Witch Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none: So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo! The words could have many double meanings, for example ‘lesser’ and ‘not so happy’ could be referring to Banquo’s lack of titles and social status; whereas ‘greater’ and ‘much happier’ could refer to Banquo’s clearer conscience, honest character and upholding of morals. However, it is the last line of the riddle which though straightforward to a certain extent, tells us that Banquo will sire a long line of Kings. This is strange, as it makes the audience wonder how Macbeth will become King but have Banquo’s children gain the crown. Macbeth’s power hungry nature is emphasized as the witches leave the scene. He desperately wants to know more. As the witches refuse to direct or properly guide him, Macbeth is eager to learn how to make this prophecy come true. His commanding nature and forceful demand does not affect the witches. Hence we can infer from this that the Witches are mischievous, mysterious beings that do not listen to normal men. However, their elusive nature helps to add to a sense of suspense building up amongst the audience as it increases their fear of the unknown. This scene, especially this part, emphasizes how the Witches bait and lure Macbeth into their plans. The witches vanish suddenly, and are likened to ‘bubbles’ by Banquo, suggesting that just like bubbles the witches are insubstantial, as though they do not really exist and are unnatural occurrences. Furthermore, their disappearances fuel the uncontained hunger in Macbeth for the knowledge to become King. However, Banquo on the other hand is confused and bewildered by the Witches’ sudden appearance and disappearances. He wonders if they had eaten the ‘insane root’ and hence have gone mad. The men try to reconfirm the witches’ prophesies by repeating them to each other. However there is a difference in the tone of which the words are said. Macbeth seems wary and resentful of the fact that Banquo children are supposedly going to gain kingship, rather than his own children. Whereas, Banquo’s mood is light and joking, as he still is disbelieving and doubtful of the witches. The arrival of Ross and Angus interrupts the exchange between the two men. In summary, they inform Macbeth that Duncan is caught between praising Macbeth or expressing his amazement at Macbeth’s courage and skill. He also comments on Macbeth’s lack of fear of the distorted faces of the people he has killed, ‘strange images of death’, and this later becomes an irony as Macbeth will later make even stronger images of death later on, one of which being Duncan. Next, they deliver the message that the King has awarded Macbeth the title of Thane of Cawdor. This decision is Duncan’s undoing, as it was the gaining of this title that persuaded Macbeth to act on the prophecy and kill Duncan. Banquo is shocked by this revelation as he is still full of doubt and mistrust for the witches. On the other hand, Macbeth questions Ross and Angus, unaware of the Thane of Cawdor’s betrayal. The phrase, ‘dress me in borrowed robes’, is used to denote the new status or rank Macbeth has been give. It gives the image of unfitting clothes that do not rightfully belong to him, hence the term ‘borrowed’. This implies that the title is unsuitable for Macbeth and like ‘borrowed robes’ do not befit him. It is then revealed of the previous thane’s betrayal and efforts to destroy the country. The link between the new thane of Cawdor and the previous thane of Cawdor is the knowledge that they both betray the King’s trust, as Macbeth seems to be already in anticipation of his Kingship, ‘the greatest is behind’. Banquo then shares his opinion on the witches and the turn of events to Macbeth. His own thoughts are addressed to both himself and Macbeth, acting as a warning to Macbeth as he senses his excitement. That trusted home Might yet enkindle you unto the crown, Besides the thane of Cawdor. But ’tis strange: And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s In deepest consequence. Cousins, a word, I pray you. His words convey the message that the witches are not to be trusted and that if he believes in their words completely, he might burn with an unholy desire for the crown. He expresses his belief that the witches are agents of evil who tell them but simple truths to betray them in far important matters and are simply baiting them to their demise. Banquo’s remark is penetrating, having described the true nature of the witches in detail. He appears to us as a wary but honest man who holds a great deal of moral wisdom. However, with the use of soliloquy (as previously mentioned, it is when one shares his inner thoughts on stage with the audience but away from other characters), Macbeth expresses his confused and undecided feelings and is debating internally with himself. He is undecided if the prophecy is good or bad, ‘cannot be ill, cannot be good’. This paradoxical statement shows the sheer depth of the confusion in Macbeth as the statements directly contradict one another. This use of antithesis (the direct opposite: or in this case a balanced contrast of ideas), is used to show the conflicting emotions raging in Macbeth and uncertainty on whether he should trust the witches. However it also shows the inclination in Macbeth to evil as though deep down, he knows the implications of the prophecy are sinful actions, he still tries to justify the witches. Macbeth understands that if the prophecy is fulfilled, then one way or another Duncan must die. However, the repulsive thought of murder makes Macbeth’s hair stand on end and the mere thought of cold blooded murder make his heart, usually fixed within his chest, pound so hard it is as if it were pounding against his ribcage (exaggeration). He realizes that if this prophecy is good, he should not yield to the thought of murder, and the fact that it does, unnerves him. His every action is smothered in imagination of the King’s murder and he is so upset by the thought of murder that he quivers with fright. His mind is overwhelmed with such a thought that he is unable to think about anything else. Due to his cruel wishes, his inner stability is threatened and his inner peace lost. The next statement is also seemingly contradictory and paradoxical, ‘nothing is what it is not’, and yet it still tells us that the only thing real to him is what has not happened yet, the murder of Duncan, and the present is blotted out completely. Macbeth demonstrates a vivid but futile imagination and immediate fears do not worry him so much as his worries about the future. While he is lost in thought, Banquo comments on his ‘rapt’ state. Finally, Macbeth decides to wait for the opportunity to come, having decided that though seemingly ‘good’ as the prophecy has led him to the title of thane of Cawdor, the witches tempting of him to commit regicide (murder of monarchy) through dangling the prospect of becoming King before him may also be a ‘ill’ thing. He wishes for matters to be taken out of his hands so that he can become King without having to delve into foul means. Another imagery of clothing is also explored as Banquo comments that on Macbeth’s new titles. New honors come upon him, Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould But with the aid of use. This also provides the image of an unfitting set of clothes, referring to Macbeth’s new titles and honors. The metaphor takes on a role in which Macbeth is not suited or entitled to. Furthermore, Banquo says that the clothes need to be accustomed to, and that it is Macbeth’s thoughts and actions will fit the clothes to him and nothing else. This further emphasizes that what becomes of Macbeth is due to his own thoughts and choices. The scene ends with Macbeth claiming that the other men’s efforts are recognized before making their way towards the king. MACBETH The classroom analysis (generalized) (Previous analysis was June holiday homework) Act1 Scene 4: 24 / 7 /11 Forres. A room in the palace. This scene talks about the execution of the thane of Cawdor, praising of Macbeth and giving of title of crown prince to Malcolm. Imagery in this scene supports the sense of natural order in Duncan’s reign and the imagery of plants is used to describe Duncan’s nurturing of Macbeth and Banquo. In this scene, two things help mark a turning point in this play. 1. Duncan’s proclamation of his son as crown prince This clinches Macbeth’s decision to murder Duncan, as it confirms that Macbeth will never be king through natural causes. Unless Macbeth takes initiative to do something, the Kingship will slip out of his hands forever; hence he decides to murder the king. 1. Duncan’s decision to stay at Inverness Macbeth’s ‘chance’ to murder Duncan was produced due to Duncan’s foolish and fatal decision. The scene begins with the current situation of the previous thane of Cawdor. Cawdor, who had been executed, was reported as showing a ‘deep repentance’ before death. They even go so far to say that his death ‘became him’ and he was at his best right before dying. Duncan then comments that ‘There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face’, referring to Cawdor’s betrayal of Duncan’s complete trust in him. The irony of this situation is that Duncan still does not learn his lesson after this, and still continues to trust those around him, eventually being betrayed by the current Thane of Cawdor (Macbeth) in an almost similar fashion. Macbeth is someone who Duncan will put ‘absolute’ trust in, like the previous thane. However, Duncan appears to be a poor judge of character as he is soon tricked by the thane of Cawdor again. His comment ‘There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face’, basically means there is no technique or skill to see a person’s heart gives the scene a sense of foreboding and prophesy. It helps give rise to the theme of APPEARANCE AND REALITY, as well as injects a sense of dramatic irony as the audience knows he is about to make the same mistake again. As we can see, this line incorporates much dramatic significance, also because after this line is spoken, Macbeth enters. This link can only be seen by the audience and not Duncan; a subtle hint about the future. In this scene, we are able to characterize Duncan. He is a generous, appreciative, noble, naà ¯ve, trusting, gullible, gentle, dignified and benevolent king. He is associated with the natural order of things and even Macbeth recognizes me as a good king whom the subjects love. However he is also a poor judge of character as well as a tactless/thoughtless man. He gives Malcolm the crown before Macbeth, a tactical error which costs him his life. Macbeth would have be likely to feel jealous of Malcolm, not to mention having done so much in the war, he would feel as if his reward of the title ‘thane of Cawdor’ is small and insignificant compared to the crowning of the prince. However we cannot completely blame and ridicule Duncan for trusting Macbeth. Macbeth having had lain down his life for him, has earned Duncan’s trust. However we can still feel the irony as Duncan praises the treacherous Macbeth with words like ‘O worthiest cousin!’ etc. Duncan even says that Macbeth has done so many brave deeds that he has already been put in front of all of them, as if having been ‘elevated high above them all’. He expresses his internal gratitude, claiming that whatever reward is give to him is still not enough to fill the debt he owes to Macbeth. Macbeth replies Duncan claiming that there is no need to thank him as his service and loyalty to Duncan rewards him, and that he is full of love, duty and loyalty towards Duncan the country, him and his children. This provides a sharp contrast to the later soliloquy of scene 4, where Macbeth calls on the powers of darkness to kill the man he has just declared complete allegiance to. The contrast emphasizes Macbeth’s duplicity and double dealing nature. Duncan, as an appreciative and generous King, also does not forget to thank Banquo. The seed and plant imagery, otherwise known as a horticultural image, is used in Duncan’s speech to Banquo, to indicate a natural growth of appreciation for him, which is no less than the appreciation of Macbeth. Banquo’s reply is also less flowery and elaborate compared to Macbeth’s, making a clever conceit (does not mean arrogant, means something like ‘thought’) on Duncan’s embrace, and his desire to hold Duncan to his heart, hence showcasing his loyalty. Banquo continues the natural image of sowing and cultivating crops, then reaping them when ripe. Duncan is portrayed to be the rich soil in which Banquo has been planted and will thrive in. Banquo informs the King in a simple, straightforward manner that if he ‘thrives’ the King will naturally reap benefit from him, as well as that all his power, possessions and status belong to the King. We must take note of the differences between Macbeth’s and Banquo’s replies. MACBETH BANQUO Flowery stilted Elaborate insincere doesn’t seem to come from the heart Straight forward sincere full of humility humble simple Duncan, in his joy, thoughtlessly names his son as the successor but still claims that his son is not the only one to receive such honors as he still loves everyone equally. Macbeth however, is disappointed, troubled and is even a bit angry. He sees Malcolm as an obstacle and is now seriously thinking of treachery. Duncan does not recognize his displeasure. He decides to proceed to Inverness, Macbeth’s home, and the words ‘bind us further to you’, invoke a sense of irony in us. We can see that Duncan will be bound to Macbeth in a way that he has never dreamt of. He has no idea of what Macbeth is going to do to him in his stay in his castle. This will go on, unknown to Duncan but known to the audience, as they know of Macbeth’s evil plans. Macbeth lies to the King, pretending that he is rushing back to deliver the message of Duncan’s soon arrival to his wife, when the truth is he wants to hurry back to plan the murder of Duncan with his wife. He even says that â€Å"rest is labor, if not used for you’. In other words, resting feels more like labor if not done to help his King in any way. Duncan, naà ¯ve and trusting, calls him ‘worthy Cawdor’, not suspecting a thing. With the King’s decisions in mind (crowning of Malcolm and the decision to stay at his castle), Macbeth is now more determined than ever in his evil purpose. The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see He calls on the stars to block out their own light as what he is about to do is bad, terrible, treacherous and evil that he does not want anyone, even himself, to see it being done. He does not want to relive the full horror of his deeds and hence rather not let his eyes see his hands at work. This also tells us that Macbeth recognizes the evil and wrong in his actions and yet he still proceeds to carry out the evil deeds. He coveys this to the audience with the use of soliloquy and hence we understand that Macbeth’s invocation (to call on) to the stars to dim their lights are thoughts which are kept to himself and are only known to him and the audience, emphasizing the fact that these are thoughts running through Macbeth’s mind, unbeknownst to the rest. His words are like an inversion of nature; as if he were to ‘obliterate’ the light from heaven just to fulfill his dark purposes (MURDER DUNCANà ¯). Dramatic irony is continued as Duncan and Banquo proceed to discuss Macbeth’s nobility and courage after he leaves to discuss Duncan’s murder with his wife. They call him ‘a peerless kinsman’, in other words saying that no one is as good as him in terms of goodness and courage. This further emphasizes Duncan’s gullible, trusting and naà ¯ve nature, not suspecting Macbeth’s motives in the slightest. COMPARE AND CONTRAST†¦ In drama, it is more accurate to study the main character in relation to the roles that he/she/it plays and his/hers/its relationship to other characters. Macbeth VS Banquo 1. PARALLEL characters Characters which are very similar to one another Why? 1. both help kings fight the rebels 2. Both are captains 3. Both receive prophecies from the Witches 4. Both commended by the King However, that is where the similarities END. 1. Banquo is used to show CONTRAST with Macbeth Why? Stark contrast between Macbeth and Banquo’s 1. Reactions to the witches’ prophecies Macbeth – fearful, awed, eager to know more Banquo – wary, defiant, confused 1. Reactions to Duncan’s commendations Macbeth – flowery reply, full of insincere sounding praises Banquo – brief, humbling, sincere and self-evasing reply 1. Personality and character Macbeth – ambitious, deceptive, cunning, cruel and ruthless Banquo – full of integrity, honest, valiant, brave, loyal, and cautious 1. Royal line Macbeth promised to be king Banquo promised to be the father of many kings Banquo promised to be greater and happier than Macbeth 1. Attitude towards each other, before and later At first open with each other; later they will be wary and cautious with each other and unwilling to share their thoughts, hiding their intentions from each other. Macbeth VS Witches 1. Witches are supernatural beings with supernatural knowledge Offers go beyond that of ordinary human limits 1. Macbeth is embodiment of ‘man’; Full of apparent ‘valiance’ but actually easily mislead 1. We are rather unclear to witches’ intentions towards Macbeth in ACT 1 Later, Hecate scene indicates that they are supernatural agents of evil and destruction, holding power through surprise magical intentions Appearance VS Reality (theme) 1. Theme of FALSE appearance can thus be understood firstly in terms of conscious deception and hypocrisy 2. DECEPTION can thus be understood, secondly as part of the broader theme of concealment. From the beginning, Macbeth conceals his feelings about becoming King by speaking in ‘aside’ or soliloquy. 3. HYPOCRISY can be seen from Macbeth hypocrite actions, as he claims to be loyal and honorable but in truth; plots to kill his King (commit REGICIDE) Evil VS Fear 1. GOOD and EVIL are moral absolutes: The ethical view that certain actions are absolutely right or wrong, regardless of other contexts such as their consequences or the intentions behind them 1. Macbeth’s murder of Duncan is treated as a crime of the most terrible kind, of which he is deeply fearful from the moment he entertains the thought of it, which has far-reaching consequences. 2. 3. Recurrent images of darkness and night, illness and blood are all used figuratively to suggest moral significance, and to give a CONCRETE image of evil. Explain: REGICIDE, when it is performed of a good, lawful King, is considered EVIL. There is no moral objectivism, especially when the murder carries it out for his/her own benefit. This is emphasized by the many symbols used. 1. However, good and evil is also presented in a paradoxical way†¦ Macbeth expresses the most sensitive moral awareness: he accuses himself of the evil of his murder in the most eloquent terms; and experiences great horror and terror both before and after the deed. This contradicts the idea of good and evil as though Macbeth ‘knows the evil’, he still carries on to perform the ‘evil’, as if it were ‘good’ The choosing of wrong though aware of the right, causes good and evil to seem also like paradoxical ideas. INTO THE PLAY à ¯Ã‚ ¦ Macbeth’s soliloquy: 1. Macbeth speaks the greatest proportion of his lines alone; in a soliloquy or an ‘aside’ 1. Lack of interaction with other characters is very SIGNIFICANT in this kind of drama which usually relies upon dialogue to move the action forward. 2. This solitary speech produces a strong sense of Macbeth’s isolation especially later in the action, where he is virtually speaking alone even though there are many silent servants on stage. 3. This makes Macbeth a very internal character, whose inner life creates a kind of action in mind. His private speeches use vivid and moving images and develop powerful inner experiences at different points in the play. Scottish court: 1. Duncan, Malcolm and Macduff have distinct roles to play 2. However, thanes are apparently generalized in speech and decisions at the start of the play 3. Duncan’s role is that of a gracious but overly trusting and wrongfully murdered King. He relates to his scout with elaborate and formal courteousness 4. After Duncan is murdered, thanes become wary of each other and their surroundings