Investigation of UK Supermarkets

Introduction A supermarket is a large self service retail outlet that deals with the sale of groceries. However, this definition is just a general overview. This is for the reason that modern supermarkets include a huge ultramodern building that provides packaging services to their shoppers. Currently, supermarkets are not only restricted to selling groceries. Many large supermarkets also sell other products, such as, electronics, clothing, and furniture. A more advanced version of supermarkets is the hypermarkets.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Investigation of UK Supermarkets specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are so many supermarkets in the United Kingdom today. Their emergence and rapid growth was experienced during the period between the First World War and the Second World War. There are many factors that influenced their growth in the United Kingdom’s supermarkets. These factors include the fa vourable legislature and a preference of consumers that acted in favour of their growth. The legislatures have passed through a series of adjustments to respond to the consumer needs. One of the main aims of these regulations was to support the growth of larger self-service retail outlets while at the same time ensuring that the small retail counter-service stores retain their role in the newly structured retail market. However, these legislatures have not been quite effective in some of their policies for the reason that despite their enforcement, the growth of large self-service retail stores has continued to strangle the smaller retail outlets from the retail market. T hus, Britain’s high streets have continued to be dominated with large faceless retail stores making the small retail stores to diminish in the market. It is quiet correct to say that the UK supermarkets have continued to dominate the grocery market and are very powerful in the way that they run their busines ses, and the number of local convenience stores has also continued to decline. The Retail Landscape Of 1955 The modern debates about the retail outlets are mainly influenced by the past retail landscape. The recent research done by the ‘Clone Town Britain Survey’ has been able to reveal that during the 1950s, the retail spaces were filled with a prosperous complex of independent small retail outlets such as butchers, food chains, greengrocers, stationery shops, and news paper agents. Currently, these spaces have been taken up by large supermarket retailers that are rapidly killing the small shops (Maxwell Slater 2004). In the late twentieth century there has been a rigorous retail change in British cities. This change includes the transformation from British high streets that had independent shops together with those shops owned by multiple co-operative retail organizations into the contemporary British high streets that have ultra modern superstores. It was during the late twentieth century that the counter-service groceries began to seriously compete with the modern self service retail outlets currently known as supermarkets.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the available records, supermarkets were heralded by multiple chains owned by co-operative retail organizations. The economic implications of the co-operative retailing modelling were that it led to the growth of the business thereby causing its expansion in the retail landscape. In the period between the first and the second world wars, the companies that had multiple grocery shops experienced a booming business due to the increased purchasing power of the employed citizens. The increased presence of cheap food also contributed to the booming business experienced by the multiple chains during this period. One thing worth noting is that the small shops owned by independ ent retailers in the mid twentieth century were not necessarily synonymous with the size as described. This is because some of the retailers had large shops that would, sometimes, be the most significant store in a particular locality. The idea of the supermarkets experienced its rapid assimilation in the United States of America during the early twentieth century. However, when it was introduced in Britain, it came less rapidly with the first supermarket being operated by the co-operative movement as a self service food experiment. This was during the period when the Second World War was just ending (that was during the mid 1940s). Very few grocers emulated the trend thereby contributing to the slow process of the growth of self service outlets. It is therefore estimated that in the year 1947, there were a mere 10 supermarkets in the whole of the United Kingdom. There are many reasons why the growth of self service stores was slow in Britain. Notable among them was the amount of re sources needed to convert counter-service outlets into self-service retail outlets. A lot of building materials and human resource in the construction industry was required. It should be noted that both of these requirements were short in supply. For that reason, very few companies were able to afford to convert their stores. The second reason was because the shops were limited by their sizes. Some of the shops were so small thereby could not be converted into larger supermarkets. The only option the retail owners were left with was to begin building from the scratch. Otherwise, their conversion would only result into small scale self-service stores, not big enough to be called supermarkets. There were some large-scale multiple stores that had embraced this change but due to doubts, they did not expect successful results. Many studies had been done and the most notable conclusion of the analysis was that since the majority of Britons had been accustomed to small scale counter-servic e, it would not be feasible to imagine them wondering along the aisles of the self service stores in search for goods.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Investigation of UK Supermarkets specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was until the mid twentieth century that the self-service stores gained momentum in growth. The main effects of this rapid growth were positively imparting. Many supermarkets developed as a result of these factors coupled with the government’s promotion of self-service retail stores. In addition, some elements of the retail grocery counter-service stores were also keen in developing self-service stores. As a result, Britain managed to open a total of fifty supermarkets by the year 1950. The trends continued and by the year 1961 the number of supermarkets had risen to 572. Reports indicate that in the year 1969, there were already 3,400 supermarkets in the whole of Britain. Legal Framework and Economic Structures That Have Enabled the Domination of Supermarkets in the United Kingdom The legal framework in the United Kingdom is one that allows free market capitalism. Thus, the U.K. supermarkets are free to follow the principles of supply and demand. This means that they do provide the goods that the customers want while at the same time free to set the prices of the same goods. This liberty is provided for by the UK’s legal framework and hence it is legitimate for them to lay down prices as per their requirements. Hence, they also have bargaining power whereby they can pay their suppliers according to what they want. The level playing field brought about by the legal framework of the United Kingdom also ensures that there is healthy competition. However, the discrepancies caused by this legal framework have not been supportive enough to the small businesses. Small retailers have therefore been squeezed by the larger self-service businesses thereby causing them to have less for them to buy since they have weaker purchasing power. This mechanism works in such a way that the supermarkets enter into a contract with major suppliers in which their agreements bind the suppliers not to supply anyone else with the goods. The effect of this legal framework also affects the small shops in such a way that the preference of most consumers in buying many goods under one roof reduces the viability of the small shops. The Role of Large Growing Supermarkets to Consumers Policy makers have been involved in enacting legislation that aim at tightening regulations of supermarket retailing. This has been capacitated through competition legislation coupled with town planning. The rapid growth of large supermarkets has been viewed in a different perception by the communities. There has been a lot of debate on the effects of the rapid growth of large supermarkets. Many people have perceived this growth as a factor that has led to the decay of major business stree ts in the cities. Many investigations have been launched to look into the issue of building large out-of-town supermarkets and their contribution to the decay of high streets. A good example of such investigations is the 2005 study done by the ‘Clone Town Britain Survey’ (Hamlett et al Not Dated).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The report of this study criticized contemporary British retail industry on many issues. The bone of contention is that the modern UK retail outlets have dominated Britain’s high streets in many towns. The effect of the domination is that the faceless chains have led to the reduction in the amount of choices available to consumers. The effects of reduction in small retail shops and the increase in large supermarkets were also analyzed by ‘The High Street Britain 2015† report. The report that was done by the House of Commons Select Committee argued that the extinction of the small shops by the growth of large supermarket chains will adversely affect consumer choice. This will happen if the government doesn’t take necessary measures to avert the process. The act of enacting necessary legislature to regulate and bring a state of equilibrium between growing supermarket chains and diminishing small retail outlets is therefore left in the hands of policy makers. This situation holds because the retail business in Britain has passed through tremendous changes from counter service-shops to large retail outlets that allow for self service. It is worth noting that consumers in Britain have been rapidly embracing self service methods of shopping over the past 20 years. The issue of consumer choice also form the central pivot on which the contemporary debates hinge. Consumer choice is perceived as a moving force to a healthy competition and also it indicates the basic civil rights. It is thus perceived that the diminishing of the small retail outlets will have a catastrophic impact on the aspect of consumer choice in the future. A careful analysis indicates that the party that will be affected negatively is the consumer. To exemplify this, there will be limited brands to chose from, limited choice of available items, limited choice of places to shop, increased prices of available products and a reduction in the quality and availability of custome r care services. According to ‘The High Street Britain 2015’ survey, the consumers are unlikely to benefit from a competitive market in the future. This is because the current competition is not stable and therefore may not be sustained in the long run. Similar researches have also highlighted the importance of consumption in relation to social aspects (Hamlett et al Not Dated). It is thus imperative for policy makers to consider exploring the benefit of the history of self-service retail stores to post war Britain. Benefits of Modern Technological Input in Supermarkets to Consumers Modern technologies have been employed in supermarkets to improve efficiency and quality of services. One of the most notable is a loyalty card. This is a card made of plastic or paper issued by particular organizations, be it business or social organizations or otherwise, to identify the holder as having a legitimacy of membership to a loyalty program. It is usually similar to a debit card or a credit card although this is only on the physical visualization. Its name varies from country to country. Loyalty cards are employed by consumers as a show of their identification (as loyal clients) in a given supermarket; this will assure the shopper of a discount on the existing purchase or an incentive of points that can be used to pay for goods in the future after accumulating to specified levels. The other benefit of loyalty cards is that it assures the customers that they will get great services of high quality. This is because the business organization knows that the loyal customers holding the loyalty cards will give them good business. Customers receive discounts from the products they purchase and can also purchase the goods by redeeming the points (Dahlen, Lange Smith 2010). Protection of Consumers by the Law The competitive free market allows for the consumer to respond to a disappointing purchase by switching to another supplier. In such an environment, the law do es not have a role to play. Currently, most contracts protect the consumer expectation arising through bargaining process (Howells and Weatherill 2005). The law gives a provision that acts to ensure that consumer preference is securely enforced. In the United Kingdom, the law that seeks to protect consumers usually operates beyond the realm of obligations agreed between the producer and consumer. The individual consumer’s legal rights offer a more first hand protection of their demands than the more indirect and greatly oblique sanction of commercial failure caused by withdrawal of custom. Failure to conform to the contract between the consumer and the retailer will result in legal liability. This protects the consumer and sharpens the message to the producer about the need to use resources in an efficient manner. In addition, there is also the private law that gives the consumer autonomy to act in the belief that they hold rights protected by law that can be asserted without the need to rely on an intermediary. The current market practice relies on the assumption that private economic relations involve the possibility of receiving some kind of support from the government. The support is believed to come in form of provision for enforcement of private law rights. It should be noted that the consumer/supplier relationship under the current private law assimilates more than a simple agreement. Both the courts and the parliament have extended the legal implications of the consumer/supplier relationships, and over the last twenty years this trend has been promoted and underpinned by legislative activity in the country (Howells and Weatherill 2005). Ways of Improving Competition between Supermarkets There are a number of ways that can be used to improve competition in the supermarket grocery stores. Many methods relate to the mechanics of inflow and outflow of products sold in these grocery stores. Among the methods includes the maintenance of optimal produc t availability. Recent studies have indicated that 8.2 percent of a grocery retailer’s items are out of stock on a typical afternoon. Frequent stock outs and restricted variety of products are among the major factors that cause consumer dissatisfaction among supermarket shoppers (Matsa 2009). Therefore, supermarkets should enhance product availability so that healthy competition is ensured. This will also enhance the consumer’s future shopping behaviour. The structure of retail competition is correlated with the quality of supermarkets. Stores that face healthy competition usually have higher rates of stock outs than other stores. It is worth noting that an increase in prices of commodity increases the quality and availability of products on supermarket shelves. This is because the increased prices act as an incentive to improve on the quality and quantity as well. Other methods of competition include developing new products, improving existing products, changing their prices, developing new packaging and design, improving customer service and building up a new reputation (Seliet 2000). Supermarkets ought to be responsive to personal needs, customer attitudes, tastes and preferences, economic conditions, the climate, supplier attitudes, the prevailing legislature, fashion and technology. These factors will aid in the development of new products thus bringing into the market an unrestricted variety of products. Thus, a healthy competition will be enhanced. Customer services should also be improved such that retail outlets ensure that the customer is satisfied with their products. Changing the prices of commodities can make a retail outlet win a massive share of the market by attracting more customers which results in making of more profits thereby competing with rival businesses (Seliet 2000). Conclusion In conclusion, supermarkets in the United Kingdom rapidly developed during the period between the two wars. This is because the idea of large sel f-service retail stores developed less rapidly in the United Kingdom than in the United States. It was only until the 1950s that the smaller counter service stores found themselves competing with the larger self service stores. The government of Britain recognized the importance of supermarkets in economic development and thus, began to enact legislature in support of their growth. Although these laws have been moderated in favour of the consumers, the self-service retail outlets and the small scale retail services, the small scale retail outlets have continued to diminish from the British markets especially along Britain’s high streets. Reference List Dahlen, M., Lange, F., Smith, T., 2010. Marketing Communications: A Brand Narrative Approach. West Sussex, John Wiley Sons Ltd. Hamlett, J. et al., Not Dated. Regulating UK Supermarkets: An Oral-History Perspective. [Online] Available at:  http://www.historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/regulating-uk-supermarkets-an-or al-history-perspective . Howells, G., Weatherill, S., 2005. Consumer Protection Law. Ed. 2. Burlington, USA, Ashgate Publishing Company. Matsa, D., 2009. Competition and Product Quality in the Supermarket Industry. Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management. Maxwell, S., Slater, R., 2004. Food Policy: Old and New. Oxford United Kingdom, Blackwell Publishing. Seliet, H., 2000. Foundation Business. Oxford, Heinemann Education Publishers. This report on Investigation of UK Supermarkets was written and submitted by user Maxton Alexander to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Views of Swami Vivekananda in the Field of Education. Essays

Views of Swami Vivekananda in the Field of Education. Essays Views of Swami Vivekananda in the Field of Education. Essay Views of Swami Vivekananda in the Field of Education. Essay Swami Vivekananda realizes that mankind is passing through a crisis. The tremendous emphasis on the scientific and mechanical ways of life is fast reducing man to the status of a machine. Moral and religious values are being undermined. The fundamental principles of civilization are being ignored. Conflicts of ideals, manners and habits are pervading the atmosphere. Disregard for everything old is the fashion of the day. Vivekananda seeks the solutions of all these social and global evils through education. With this end in view, he feels the dire need of awakening man to his spiritual self wherein, he thinks, lies the very purpose of education. Swami Vivekananda (1863 – 1902), a great thinker and reformer of India, embraces education, which for him signifies ‘man-making’, as the very mission of his life. In this writing, which purports to expound and analyze Vivekananda’s views on education, an endeavor has been made to focus on the basic theme of his philosophy, viz. the spiritual unity of the universe. Whether it concerns the goal or aim of education, or its method of approach or its component parts, all his thoughts, we shall observe, stem from this dormant theme of his philosophy which has its moorings in Vedanta. A sculptor has a clear idea about what he wants to shape out of the marble block; similarly, a painter knows what he is going to paint. Vivekananda points out that the defect of the present-day education is that it has no definite goal to pursue. A teacher, he says, has no clear idea about the goal of his teaching. Swamiji attempts to establish, through his words and deeds, that the end of all education is man making. He prepares the scheme of this man-making education in the light of his over-all philosophy of Vedanta. According to Vedanta, the essence of man lies in his soul, which he possesses in addition to his body and mind. In true with this philosophy, Swamiji defines education as ‘the manifestation of the perfection already in man. ’ The aim of education is to manifest in our lives the perfection, which is the very nature of our inner self. This perfection is the realization of the infinite power which resides in everything and every-where-existence, consciousness and bliss (satchidananda). After understanding the essential nature of this perfection, we should identify it with our inner self. For achieving this, one will have to eliminate one’s ego, ignorance and all other false identification, which stand in the way. Meditation, fortified by moral purity and passion for truth, helps man to leave behind the body, the senses, the ego and all other non-self elements, which are perishable. He thus realizes his immortal divine self, which is of the nature of infinite existence, infinite knowledge and infinite bliss. At this stage, man becomes aware of his self as identical with all other selves of the universe, i. e. different selves as manifestations of the same self. We have to remember that basis of Swamiji’s philosophy is Adwaita which preaches unity in diversity. Therefore, man making for him means a harmonious development of the body, mind and soul. Hence education, in Vivekananda’s sense, enables one to comprehend one’s self within as the self everywhere. The essential unity of the entire universe is realized through education. Accordingly, man making for Swamiji stands for rousing mans to the awareness of his true self. However, education thus signified does not point towards the development of the soul in isolation from body and mind. He often quotes the Upanishad dictum ‘nayamatma balahinena labhyah’; i. e. the self cannot be realized by the physically weak. In his scheme of education, Swamiji lays great stress on physical health because a sound mind resides in a sound body. According to Swamiji, the mind of the students has to be controlled and trained through meditation, concentration and practice of ethical purity. All success in any line of work, he emphasizes, is the result of the power of concentration. However, along with physical culture, he harps on the need of paying special attention to the culture of the mind. By way of illustration, he mentions that the chemist in the laboratory concentrates all the powers of his mind and brings them into one focus-the elements to be analyzed-and finds out their secrets. Concentration, which necessarily implies detachment from other things, constitutes a part of Brahmacharya, which is one of the guiding mottos of his scheme of education. Brahmacharya, in a nutshell, stands for the practice of self-control for securing harmony of the impulses. To quote him: ‘Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there undigested, all your life. ’ By his philosophy of education, Swamiji thus brings it home that education is not a mere accumulation of information but a comprehensive training for life. Education for him means that process by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, and intellect is sharpened, as a result of which one can stand on one’s own feet. Having analyzed the goal or objective of education, the next question that naturally arises is about the method of imparting education. According to him, knowledge is inherent in every man’s soul. Here again, we note the Vedantic foundation of Swamiji’s theory. To drive his point home, he refers to the growth of a plant. Just as in the case of a plant, one cannot do anything more than supplying it with water, air and manure while it grows from within its own nature, so is the case with a human child. What we mean when we say that a man ‘knows’ is only what he ‘discovers’ by taking the cover off his own soul. Consequently, he draws our attention to the fact that the task of the teacher is only to help the child to manifest its knowledge by removing the obstacles in its way. In his words: ‘Thus Vedanta says that within man is all knowledge even in a boy it is so and it requires only an awakening and that much is the work of a teacher. ’ Vivekananda’s method of education resembles the heuristic method of the modern educationists. In this system, the teacher invokes the spirit of inquiry in the pupil who is supposed to find out things for himself under the bias-free guidance of the teacher. Swamiji lays a lot of emphasis on the environment at home and school for the proper growth of the child. The parents as well as the teachers should inspire the child by the way they live their lives. Swamiji recommends the old institution of gurukula (living with the preceptor) and similar systems for the purpose. In such systems, the students can have the ideal character of the teacher constantly before them, which serves as the role model to follow. Although Swamiji is of the opinion that mother tongue is the right medium for social or mass education, he prescribes the learning of English and Sanskrit also. While English is necessary for mastering Western science and technology, Sanskrit leads one into the depths of our vast store of classics. The implication is that if language does not remain the privilege of a small class of people, social unity will march forward unhampered. According to Swamiji, the culture values of the country should form an integral part of the curriculum of education. Vivekananda, in his scheme of education, meticulously includes all those studies, which are necessary for the all-around development of the body, mind and soul of the individual. These studies can be brought under the broad heads of physical culture, aesthetics, classics, language, religion, science and technology. The culture of India has its roots in her spiritual values. The time-tested values are to be imbibed in the thoughts and lives of the students through the study of the classics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Gita, Vedas and Upanishads. This will keep the perennial flow of our spiritual values into the world culture. Education, according to Swamiji, remains incomplete without the teaching of aesthetics or fine arts. He cites Japan as an example of how the combination of art and utility can make a nation great. He reminds us time and again that religion does not consist in dogmas or creeds or any set of rituals. However, by religion, he does not mean any particular kind of it but its essential character, which is the realization of the divinity already in man. Swamiji reiterates that religion is the innermost core of education. All impulses, thoughts and actions which lead one towards this goal are naturally ennobling and harmonizing, and are ethical and moral in the truest sense. It is in this context that Swamiji’s idea of religion, as the basis of education should be understood. We note that in his interpretation, religion and education share the identity of purpose. Swamiji believes that if education with its religious core can invigorate man’s faith in his divine nature and the infinite potentialities of the human soul, it is sure to help man become strong, yet tolerant and sympathetic. It will also help man to extend his love and good will beyond the communal, national and racial barriers. Vivekananda, in his plan for the regeneration of India, repeatedly presses the need for the eradication of poverty, unemployment and ignorance. Hence in Swamiji’s view, for the development of a balanced nation, we have to combine the dynamism and scientific attitude of the West with the spirituality of our country. The entire educational program should be so planned that it equips the youth to contribute to the material progress of the country as well as to maintaining the supreme worth of India’s spiritual heritage. He observes that although men and women are equally competent in academic matters, yet women have a special aptitude and competence for studies relating to home and family. Hence he recommends the introduction of subjects like sewing, nursing, domestic science, culinary art, etc which were not parts of education at his time. Another important aspect of Swamiji’s scheme of education is women’s education. He realizes that it if the women of our country get the right type of education, then they will be able to solve their own problems in their own way. The main objective of his scheme of female education is to make them strong, fear-less, and conscious of their chastity and dignity. To refer to his own words: â€Å"Traveling through many cities of Europe and observing in them the comforts and education of even the poor people, there was brought to my mind the state of our own poor people and I used to shed tears. When made the difference? â€Å"Education† was the answer I got. † The exposition and analysis of Vivekananda’s scheme of education brings to light its constructive, practical and comprehensive character. He realizes that it is only through education that the uplift of masses is possible. He strives to harmonize the traditional values of India with the new values brought through the progress of science and technology. He states it emphatically that if society is to be reformed, education has to reach everyone-high and low, because individuals are the very constituents of society. The sense of dignity rises in man when he becomes conscious of his inner spirit, and that is the very purpose of education. It is in the transformation of man through moral and spiritual education that he finds the solution for all social evils. Founding education on the firm ground of our own philosophy and culture, he shows the best of remedies for today’s social and global illness. Through his scheme of education, he tries to materialize the moral and spiritual welfare and upliftment of humanity, irrespective of caste, creed, nationality or time. However, Swami Vivekananda’s scheme of education, through which he wanted to build up a strong nation that will lead the world towards peace and harmony, is still a far cry. It is high time that we give serious thought to his philosophy of education and remembers his call to every-body-‘Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached. ’ PRASUN KANJILAL.

Gustave Gefroys portrait Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gustave Gefroys portrait - Essay Example His repressed activity is transferred to the complicated articulation of his books, the instruments of his profession. Indeed the arrangement of the books behind him, projecting and receding, tilted differently from shelf to shelf and ending in the open volumes below, seems more human than the man, reminding us of a long twisted body in classic counterpoise, like Michelangelo's Slave in the Louvre, a work that Czanne admired and drew. The paintings give an impression that the figure in the image is coming out of the image, as though the sunrays are falling on the hats or window, as though there is so much delight in the life of the one portrayed, as though some thing special is hidden in them. The freshness and the openness make us feel divine for a moment and we feel are we in the heaven where there is nothing but joy. One must have an artistic heart to understand the art. The paintings give a fleeting look of spontaneity and freshness in the developing the art. The image relies upon the art of impressionism when observed directly the work confines the ephemeral effects of light and color. The techniques developed by Renoir in the oil painting are highly skilled could only be noticed when the paint surface is closely examined and noticed. He imitated other artists like Renoir, with small parallel strokes of brush. It is also observed that he was fairly capable enough of painting landscapes but failed experimenting with them. His paintings were not only great but also pretty and whose work seems always to have been done in paradisiacal temperatures Reference Joseph Rishel. (n.d.). Masterpieces of Impressionism and Post- Impressionism: The Annenberg Collection. Retrieved 9 April 2007, from,

Principles of Finance 1 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Principles of Finance 1 - Term Paper Example The risk and return of the proposed investment project requires a study of the project’s cash flows. To analyze the profitability of the investment project, one method that may be done is to make use of the net present value (NPV) method. NPV is the difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows. A positive NPV means that the project is acceptable while a negative NPV means that the project is not profitable. Once a decision has been reached to undergo the project, the next step is to determine the sources of financing and establish the appropriate financing mix. Here lies the decision on whether to use debt or equity to maximize the value of the investment. Also, the source of financing should match the nature of the asset being financed. If a decision is made to finance the project through debt, it must also be determined whether it will be a long-term debt or a short-term debt. Long-term debt can be a term loan with a bank or a b ond issuance. A bond is like a loan because it is also a debt instrument. It is issued for a period of more than a year with the purpose of raising capital for borrowing. Its difference from a term loan is that it is generally offered to the public rather than to a single lender or a small group of lenders.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION - Essay Example addition, it encompasses federal, state and local governments with the role of organizing programs, initiatives, policies and day to day running of the agencies effectively for viability of the environment. Woodrow Wilson laid a strong foundation in the study of public administration by providing insight into the history, challenges and adoption of public administration. His legendary work in the field of public administration influenced and triggered other authors such as Frank Goodnow and Leonard White to expand on his ideas. Together the three authors explicitly. The past and current trends show that public administration, politics, and law are highly interlinked, and this can impact negatively or positively on the functions of public administration depending on the level of involvement. This is shown by the analysis of three authors’ works opinions on public administration, which brings out the interrelationship. This essay also analyses the case study: Hurricane Katrina: A man made crisis? in relation to the authors opinions and effective execution of public administration policies. The term administration can be defined in a way that the administration is all about managing the things and work in any office, business or in any company. According to Woodrow Wilson, Administration is the study of the process of executing the public affairs. It means that how the government executes, operates and exercises its duties and tasks. Thus, administration plays an obvious role in the government (Wilson, 1887, p. 198). Thanks to Wilson, students of government found an avenue to the insight of public administration as one f the working parts of the government machine. In the early time, administration was not much needed because at that time, the functions, the jobs, and the roles of the government were much simple. In other words, the situation was stable, and there was flexibility about the public finance and the government finance statistics. This implies that

Identity Formation and the Development of National Interest

Identity Formation and the Development of National Interest Constructivism Ideas, Identity and Foreign Policy In the analysis of international politics, the process of identity formation and how national interests are conceived should represent central issues, as they are inextricably linked to a states foreign policy. The importance of identities results from the fact that they perform two vital functions: expressing to the self and others who the self is, as well as expressing to the self who others are. Due to the first function, having a certain identity determines an associated set of preferences regarding the choices of action in various circumstances and when different actors are involved. That is why a states identity generates its interests and subsequent behaviour towards fellow members and situations related to the international system. The second function implies that a state perceives others according to the identities it attributes to them, while simultaneously reproducing its own identity through social interaction and practice (Tajfel, 1981:255). These notions have been conce ptualised and emphasised in IR theory by constructivist scholars, who argue that global politics originates not only in the international system but also in an international society. Constructivists stress the constitutive effects of ideas and norms that set the parameters within which identities and interests are formulated (Brown and Ainley, 2003:49). When studying inter-state relations, it has become essential to analyse how ideas are created, how they evolve and influence states perceptions and response to their situation. In order to achieve such an objective, constructivism plays a key role by promoting the tenet that the manner in which the material world shapes and is shaped by human action and interaction depends on dynamic normative and epistemic interpretations of the material world (Adler, 1997:322). From this perspective, constructivist frameworks show that even the most enduring institutions are based on collective understandings. Their important contribution to the st udy of IR lies mainly in emphasising the ontological reality of intersubjective knowledge, along with its epistemological and methodological implications. That is why constructivism argues international relations consist primarily of social facts, which have acquired such a status due to human agreement. They represent reified structures that were conceived ex nihilo by human consciousness, subsequently being diffused and consolidated until they were taken for granted (Adler, 1997:322-323). Constructivist scholars also believe that actors attach meanings to and cognitively frame the material world as well as their experiences. So collective understandings or the distribution of knowledge offer the reasons why certain elements are as they are, as well as the indications as to how actors should deploy their material capabilities (Wendt, 1992:397). One might deduce from the previous statement that the context of collective meanings structures the preferences and behaviour of political actors, which would suggest that constructivism features deterministic tendencies. On the contrary, its theoretical premises have a much more nuanced nature and the constructivist position within the agency-structure debate asserts that the two elements are mutually constitutive. Constructivism argues that meaningful conduct is possible only within an intersubjective social context, since agents develop relations with and understandings of others via ideas, norms and practices. In their absence, actions like the exercise of power would be devoid of meaning because ideas and norms have constitutive effects on identity, specifying the features that will enable others to recognise that identity and respond to it accordingly (Jepperson, Wendt and Katzenstein, 1996:54). In this process, agents exert their influence by consciously perpetuating and repro ducing the social context through their prolonged actions and practices. A significant point to remember is that structure becomes meaningless without some intersubjective set of ideas and norms, so neither anarchy nor the distribution of capabilities alone can socialise states to a particular conduct (Dessler, 1989:459-460). Until now the discussion of constructivism has mentioned several times the notions of constitutive effects or being mutually constitutive, but without describing more elaborately what they entail. The relation of constitution must be differentiated from that of causality, as constitutive theories enquire about the conditions which instantiate a phenomenon, rendering it possible. In this respect, Robert Cummins employs the concept of property theories because they have a different objective from causal explanations: to account for the properties of things by reference to the structures in virtue of which they exist (Cummins, 1983). Another key aspect of constitutive theorising refers to the fact that the counterfactual claim of necessity is conceptual or logical, not causal or natural (Wendt, 1998:106). For instance, the conditions constituting a phenomenon define what the latter is, which conveys a relationship of identity not causal determination. These two components are inextricab ly linked, so that when the conditions come into being, the phenomenon comes into being with them. By contrast, causal explanations rest on two different assumptions: the factors causing an event exist independently from their outcome and are also temporally prior to it. If one applies these theoretical assumptions to the context of ideas, several implications become immediately apparent. The significant role that ideas play in international relations is fully acknowledged only when we recognise their constitutive effects (Wendt, 1999:87). The relationship of constitution derives from the fact that ideas create political outcomes by shaping their properties, meanings, perceptions or interpretations. These are in turn dependent on their ideational source, they exist only in virtue of those ideas terrorism cannot be conceived apart from a national security discourse that defines it. The national security discourse is in turn inextricably linked to constructing a notion of terrorism, since without it the concept would be meaningless. When analysing foreign policy, dominant schools of thought in IR theory usually ignore ideas and identity or regard them as intervening variables at best, helping to account for outcomes which surpass the explanatory abilities of traditional materialist factors like power and interests. The approach in question is problematic as it does not encompass fully the ideational impact ideas in fact create materialist causes. The bottom line of what becomes most contested in the materialist-idealist debate is the relative contribution of brute material forces to power and interest explanations as opposed to ideas (Wendt, 1999:94). At this point it might be useful to consider briefly the traditional view of materialism which originates in Marxism. The classical Marxist dichotomy portrays the material base as the mode of production, while culture, ideology and other ideational factors belong to a non-material superstructure. Wendt believes the same principles can be extended and applied to re alism; after all, modes of destruction are as basic as modes of production (Wendt, 1999:94). Both instances contain a crucial issue, namely that ideational factors become completely separated from economic and military considerations. Here D.V. Porpora noted a conceptual contradiction, considering the fact that Marxism defines the modes of production not only via forces, but also via relations of production. Relations represent ideational phenomena embodied by institutions that ultimately refer to shared norms (Porpora, 1993:214). The obvious implication points to the fact that the material base of Marxism is actually infused with ideas and norms, which also reveals their constitutive role concerning materialism generally To further reinforce such an argument, it is necessary to challenge the conventional materialist view of interests by acknowledging their nature interests are actually cognitions or ideas. This perspective has been promoted by two distinct fields of knowledge and their associated scholars: cultural anthropology and philosophy. Drawing on cognitive psychology, the anthropologist R.G. DAndrade (1992:28) sees interests, desires or motivations as schemas (frames, representations, ideas), which reflect knowledge structures that make possible the identification of objects and events. A significant aspect to remember is that schemas are not given by human nature. DAndrade (1992:31) admits that some interests can be rooted in biological drives which alludes to their material nature, but biology fails to explain most of the goals human beings seem capable of pursuing and these are learned through socialisation. In this sense, the anthropologist offers the example of an interest for achievem ent: it implies a social standard about what counts as a legitimate aspiration and the individuals desiring to achieve have internalised that standard as a cognitive schema (DAndrade, 1992:35). A very similar opinion has been advanced by R.B.K. Howe who draws on philosophy to articulate a cognitive theory of interest or desire. He too acknowledges that biological mechanisms influence interests, yet even very primitive desires are mostly directionless and depend on beliefs or ideas about what is desirable to render them meaningful (Howe, 1994). That is why ideas play a key role in defining and directing material needs; one perceives a goal as valuable, which in turn determines ones interest in accomplishing it. These perceptions are learned sometimes by interacting with nature which resonates with materialist factors, but mostly they are learned through socialisation to culture an inherently idealist phenomenon (Howe, 1994). Consequently, having reached similar conclusions starting from different premises, scholars in cultural anthropology and philosophy identify the cognitive basis of interests, or that ideas and not material drives create interests to a great extent. In foreign policy analysis, the concept of national interest has been accorded considerably more explanatory ability compared to other variables, particularly due to the influence of the classical realist and neorealist frameworks. However, is its nature inherently materialist and objective as the realist school of thought would have one believe? Or does it rather represent the product and construct of different interpretation processes, in which case ideas and identity become essential? The neorealist approach to international relations rests on the assumptions that the distribution of material capability in the states system can be objectively assessed and that threats to national interests can be accurately recognised. Such a perspective largely ignores that threats are not self-evident and the national interest, when confronted with a problematic situation, becomes a matter of interpretation (Weldes, 1996:279), hence the significant influence of ideas and identity. Moreover, cons tructivism convincingly challenges the objective and materialist view of realism concerning national interests, reintroducing the crucial role of ideas and identity. It does so by promoting the tenet that people act towards objects, including other actors, on the basis of the meanings that the objects have for them (Wendt, 1992:396-397). Wendts work has had a fundamental contribution in reconceptualising the national interest as the product of intersubjective processes of meaning creation. Nevertheless, consistent with the neorealist tradition, he regards states through the black box metaphor, their internal processes being irrelevant to the construction of state identities and interests. Wendt (1992:401) argues that the meanings which states attach to phenomena and subsequently their interests and identities are shaped via inter-state interaction. This does reflect an important facet of identity formation, but also neglects the historical and political contexts in which national in terests are deeply embedded, because the interpretations defining state interests cannot be restricted to the meanings and ideas generated by inter-state interaction. After all, any state is inextricably linked to the domestic actors that take decisions in its name. These agents do internalise the norms characterising the international environment, yet they also approach politics with an already formed appreciation of the world, the international system and the position of their state within it (Weldes, 1996:280). The national actors ideas and interpretation of all these issues stem partly from domestic political and cultural contexts. As Antonio Gramsci (1971:112) noted, civil society is the sphere in which the struggle to define the categories of common sense takes place. After revealing interests as expressions of ideas, one might advance the counterargument that such a conceptualisation applies only to individuals, becoming irrelevant in the case of states and the international system. The latter brings forward another essential point of this paper, which argues that states articulate a constructed collective identity that influences what they perceive their interests to be. It is best shown when taking into account the example of foreign policy, a domain in which various actors make decisions according to their ideas and perceptions of the national interest. Following the collapse of the communist regime, Romania and its political leaders were faced with the opportunity to choose the appropriate future course for the emerging democracy. Their decision was to actively pursue a transformation for the new state, seeking to create a collective identity with the West. But before proceeding with the empirical discussion, it has become imperative to defin e and conceptualise one of its central notions identity. This context particularly deals with state identity because it represents the most relevant instance for analysing foreign policy. In the philosophical sense, identity can be defined as whatever makes an entity what it is, although such a definition is too broad to render the concept meaningful. That is why, for analytical purposes and conceptual utility, identity will be understood using a two-faceted definition. On the one hand, it can be regarded as a property of intentional actors that generates motivational and behavioural dispositions (Wendt, 1999:224). On the other hand, identity cannot be conceived without recognising that which is like, other and simultaneously like and other, or without an understanding of the self which comes from this recognition (Norton cited by Campbell, 1992: 78-79). Both facets of the definition suggest that identity contains at base a subjective or unit-level quality rooted in an actors self- understandings. Their meaning will often depend on whether others represent that actor in the same way, a feature which configures the inter-subjective quality of identity (Wendt, 1999:225). Even a simple example can illustrate the point in a more enlightening manner: Helen might think she is a lecturer but if that belief is not shared by her colleagues and students, then her identity will not operate in their interaction. In other words, both internal and external structures constitute an identity and it takes form under two types of ideas: those held by the Self and those held by the Other. The character of this internal-external relationship varies, which leads to the existence of several kinds of identity, rather than one unitary phenomenon susceptible to a general definition. Building on the work of James Fearon (1999), a typology that features several kinds of identity will be presented here, all inextricably linked and feeding into each other: personal and social, type, role, corporate and collective. First, personal identity is constituted by the self-organising, homeostatic structures that make actors distinct entities (Greenwood, 1994). These structures have a material base represented by the human body, as well as a social component. The latter points to a set of attributes, beliefs, desires, or principles of action that a person thinks distinguish her in socially relevant ways and that (a) the person takes a special pride in; (b) the person takes no special pride in, but which so orient her behavior that she would be at a loss about how to act and what to do without them; or (c) the person feels she could not change even if she wanted to (Fearon, 1999:25). What differentiates the personal identity of intentional actors from that of other entities is a consciousness and memory of Self as a separate locus of thought and activity (Wendt, 1999:225). It cannot be denied that people constitute distinct entities in virtue of biology, but without consciousness and memory a sense of I they are not agents. This aspect resonates even more in the case of a state, since its people must have a common narrative of themselves as a corporate actor. Therefore, the state itself might be considered a group Self capable of group-level recognition (Wilson and Sober, 1994:602). In the former, an identity is just a social category, a group of people designated by a label (or labels) that is commonly used either by the people designated, others, or both. This is the sense employed when we refer to American, French, Muslim, father, homosexual, (p.10) National identities, like American or Russian, are examples of type identities. There are almost no contexts in which it would make sense to speak of the the role of an American, except in a theatre play where role means part. Other social categories that are almost wholly type identities include party a_liation (e.g., Democrat or Republican), sexual identity (heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, etc.), and ethnic identity. Some identities or social categories involve both role and type. For example, mother is a role, but nonetheless we expect certain beliefs, attitudes, values, preferences, moral virtues, and so on, to be characteristic of people performing the role of mother (understandings that may change through time.) On the other hand, some role identities, which mainly but not exclusively comprise occupational categories, have few if any type features associated with them (for example, toll booth collector). Lastly, collective identity brings the Self-Other relationship to another stage and its logical conclusion identification. The latter represents a cognitive process in which the distinction between the two becomes blurred and sometimes even transcended, namely Self is categorised as Other. Identification tends to be issue specific and always involves extending the boundaries of the Self to include the Other. In this respect, collective identity uses both role and type ones and at the same time goes beyond their limits. It builds on role identities since both depend on the mechanism of incorporating the Other into the Self, which generates a socially constituted Me. The essential difference refers to their contrasting objectives: role identities use the mechanism to enable the Self and Other to play distinct roles, whereas a collective identity aims to merge the two entities into a single one. In the case of type identities, the situation is slightly more complicated. Collective iden tity builds on them as both require shared characteristics, but not all type identities are collective because not all involve the identification process Especially over the past decade, the discipline of IR has experienced what Yosef Lapid and Friedrich Kratochwil (1996) called the return of culture and identity in IR theory. The 1950s and 1960s had brought for IR scholars an intense preoccupation with the role of national identities, particularly in the context of early EU integration studies by Karl Deutsch and Ernst Haas. Unfortunately, later on the concept became once again marginalised in favour of more objective and scientific approaches like neorealism and rational choice. The recent return of identity does not necessarily imply that the current use of the term may be considered equivalent to that of the 1950s-1960s. Rather, since the late 1980s, a new strand of theory regarding identity has emerged and slowly developed, which rejects essentialist notions while emphasising the constructed nature of social and political identities (see for example McSweeney, 1999; Albert et al., 2001). One of the works that is most often cited when discussing the relationship between state identity and foreign policy is that of David Campbell. In his 1992 book Writing security, he challenges the traditional narrative of asking how foreign policy serves the national interest and instead examines how the practice of foreign policy helps write and rewrite state identity. According to Campbell Danger is not an objective condition. It is not a thing which exists independently of those to whom it may become a threat (Campbell 1992: 1). As danger is an effect of interpretation (Ibid: 2), nothing is more or less dangerous than something else, except when interpreted as such. In terms of the non-essentialistic character of danger, the objectification and externalization of danger need to be understood as an effect of political practices rather than the condition of their possibility. As danger is never objective, Campbells argument continues, neither is the identity which it is said to threaten. Rather, the contours of this identity are subject to constant (re)writing, and foreign policy is an integral part of the discourses of danger which serve to discipline the state. Campbells theory a declared challenge to conventional approaches which assume a settled nature of identity is thus that state identity can be understood as the outcome of practices assoc iated with a discourse of danger. We speak about the foreign policy of the state x or state y, thereby indicating that the state is prior to the policy, but Campbells creative insights come to challenge such a position. He explains that national states are paradoxical entities which do not possess prediscursive stable identities (Ibid: 11). As states are always in the process of becoming, for a state to end its practices of representation would be to expose its lack of prediscursive foundations'(Ibid: 11). Ironically, the inability of the state project of security to succeed is the guarantor of the states continued success as an impelling identity. The constant articulation of danger through foreign policy is thus not a threat to a states identity or existence: it is its condition of possibility'( Ibid: 12). Building on such theoretical understanding, this paper offers an account of the processes through which Romanian state identity and its insecurities are produced, reproduced, and potentially transformed.

Essay on Lust and Love in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 and Campion’s There

Lust and Love in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 and Campion’s There is a Garden in Her Face  Ã‚     Ã‚   When a comparison is made between There is a Garden in Her Face by Thomas Campion and Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare, the difference between lustful adoration and true love becomes evident. Both poems involve descriptions of a beloved lady seen through the eyes of the speaker, but the speaker in Campion's poem discusses the woman's beautiful perfections, while the speaker in Shakespeare's poem shows that it is the woman's faults which make her beautiful. In There is a Garden in Her Face, the subject of the speaker's affection is idolized beyond reality and is placed so high upon a pedestal that she is virtually unattainable. Campion uses metaphors and similes to compare the lady to the splendors of nature. Roses and cherries are repeatedly used to describe various parts of the lady, like her rosy cheeks and luscious lips. Her teeth are said to be made "[o]f orient pearl a double row" (line 8). The white of the pearl, the lilies and the snow build the image of a woman of purity and virtue. This notion of the lady as a divine creature is further emphasized by the many references to heaven. Her face is seen as "[a] heavenly paradise"(3), her eyes are "like angels"(13), and her lips are called "sacred cherries"(17). They are a forbidden fruit, similar to those of the garden of Eden, that no one may touch or even look at "[t]ill 'Cherry ripe!' themselves do cry" (5). The lady is viewed to be unapproachable unless she gives her permission to be approached. She seems cold and unfeeling when her brows are described as "bended bows" (14) ready to kill with "piercing frowns"(15), so it is likely that she does not give her permission easi... ...uty which is impossible for any woman or man to match. Campion's poem reflects this impossible ideal that society inflicts on us. This woman in There is a Garden in Her Face could never really live up to the image that the speaker has created of her. The image is false, and so is his love because he is only focusing on her outward appearance. The speaker in Shakespeare's sonnet clearly is not in love with his mistress' looks. Everything about her is contrary to society's standards, but he understands the absurdity of these standards and rejects them. There is more to his mistress than meets the eye, and that is why he truly loves her.   Works Cited Abrams, M.H., ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: Norton, 1993. Campion, Thomas. "There is a Garden in Her Face." Abrams 1044. Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 130." Abrams 820.       Essay on Lust and Love in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 and Campion’s There Lust and Love in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 and Campion’s There is a Garden in Her Face  Ã‚     Ã‚   When a comparison is made between There is a Garden in Her Face by Thomas Campion and Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare, the difference between lustful adoration and true love becomes evident. Both poems involve descriptions of a beloved lady seen through the eyes of the speaker, but the speaker in Campion's poem discusses the woman's beautiful perfections, while the speaker in Shakespeare's poem shows that it is the woman's faults which make her beautiful. In There is a Garden in Her Face, the subject of the speaker's affection is idolized beyond reality and is placed so high upon a pedestal that she is virtually unattainable. Campion uses metaphors and similes to compare the lady to the splendors of nature. Roses and cherries are repeatedly used to describe various parts of the lady, like her rosy cheeks and luscious lips. Her teeth are said to be made "[o]f orient pearl a double row" (line 8). The white of the pearl, the lilies and the snow build the image of a woman of purity and virtue. This notion of the lady as a divine creature is further emphasized by the many references to heaven. Her face is seen as "[a] heavenly paradise"(3), her eyes are "like angels"(13), and her lips are called "sacred cherries"(17). They are a forbidden fruit, similar to those of the garden of Eden, that no one may touch or even look at "[t]ill 'Cherry ripe!' themselves do cry" (5). The lady is viewed to be unapproachable unless she gives her permission to be approached. She seems cold and unfeeling when her brows are described as "bended bows" (14) ready to kill with "piercing frowns"(15), so it is likely that she does not give her permission easi... ...uty which is impossible for any woman or man to match. Campion's poem reflects this impossible ideal that society inflicts on us. This woman in There is a Garden in Her Face could never really live up to the image that the speaker has created of her. The image is false, and so is his love because he is only focusing on her outward appearance. The speaker in Shakespeare's sonnet clearly is not in love with his mistress' looks. Everything about her is contrary to society's standards, but he understands the absurdity of these standards and rejects them. There is more to his mistress than meets the eye, and that is why he truly loves her.   Works Cited Abrams, M.H., ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: Norton, 1993. Campion, Thomas. "There is a Garden in Her Face." Abrams 1044. Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 130." Abrams 820.      

My thoughts and ideas Essay

Firstly I would like to congratulate you on your excellent audition for the part of Juliet. As time is limited and due to our individual work commitments, we are unable to meet up before rehearsals begin. Therefore, as the stage director I thought it maybe helpful to discuss some of my thoughts and ideas for the play and give you some background information that will be useful in helping you prepare for the part of Juliet. Shakespeares’s Romeo and Juliet was written during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I although it is unknown exactly when it was set. During this time people were taught that there was a divine way of doing things and that God has instituted a church and ordained a monarchy so that the people could be ruled over in a proper way. Despite the country being ruled by a powerful woman, women had very little freedom socially, economically or legally. At the time of this play marriages were comparably different to today’s idea of marriage. Firstly the common age for girls to be married was fourteen and they had little or no say in the choice of husbands who were often chosen by families. Husbands were often chosen for their status in society so they could be rich and powerful allies to a family. Within families the father ruled over the wife and children just as the monarch did over the state. Religion played an important part in everyday life and children were taught about their duty to God and attendance at Church services was compulsory. Services were carried out by licensed clergy. This meant that the authorities were able to keep checks on citizens and monitor conformity. Julia, at this point a brief overview of the play maybe useful to you. Essentially it is about two chief families in Verona, the rich and noble Capulets and the Montagues. An old feud between the two families had grown in deep hatred that affected not only the family members but also anyone associated with each household, including the staff. Chance meeting often led to brawls and bloodshed disturbing the quietness of the streets of Verona. Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet. The play is a tragedy and the main theme is love and hatred. The first two scenes in Act 1 set the scene for the play and are mainly about the males and establishes the violence between the two families. Your first appearance as Juliet in this production is in Act 1 scene III. This scene is very important as we meet the main female character and two others: Lady Capulet who has a rather formal and distant relationship with her daughter and the nurse who is Juliet’s carer. We learn that Juliet is nearly fourteen years old in the play. In Act I Scene III Lady Capulet asks the nurse to summon Juliet then Lady Capulet asks the nurse to leave her and Juliet alone as they â€Å"must talk in secret† but then immediately asks her to â€Å"come back† as she has known Juliet from a young age. This demonstrates the nurse’s closeness to Juliet and the Capulet family. It also establishes her importance in the play. I would like you to portray Juliet as the young, polite and quiet girl she appears to be at this point although as we know her character changes after she meets Romeo. In Act 1 scene III Juliet is respectful and polite to her mother in a formal way. This is clearly demonstrated when Juliet replies to Lady Capulet after being summoned, â€Å"Madam, I am here, what is your will? † You should speak these words in a quiet soft voice and you could make direct eye contact with Lady Capulet before looking away towards the Nurse so the audience sense Juliet’s respectful but shy nature. Lady Capulet appears to want to stick to convention and asks Juliet to agree to look at a possible husband during the feast that night at the Capulet’s home. Lady Capulet reminds Juliet that she was the same age as Juliet when she gave birth to her. â€Å"By my count I was your mother much upon these years† and that girls younger than Juliet were â€Å"already mothers. † The nurse is present throughout this conversation and establishes her importance in the play. She cares for Juliet as she almost replaced the nurse’s own daughter who had died. At this point the nurse starts to tell stories about Juliet as a baby. Juliet is embarrassed particularly when she recalls how she got her to stop breastfeeding. There are some sexual implications in the nurse’s speech here and you need to show the shock and embarrassment that the naive Juliet will feel. We know that she has cared for Juliet since she was a baby as she talks about her childhood. You need to portray Juliet’s embarrassment about her childhood stories. The Nurse explains that it would be an â€Å"honour† to see her married. You may be taken by surprise at the abrupt way the question of marriage is asked by Lady Capulet. â€Å"Speak briefly can you like of Paris’ love? † You will need to convey that although Juliet’s in awe of Lady Capulet she seeks parental approval. So even though Juliet has not met Paris before and does not know whether she can love him she agrees to look at him during the festivities that night. After a quick glance at the nurse again I want you to pause slightly before replying to Lady Capulet in a soft, formal manner, â€Å"I’ll look to like, if looking like move But no more deep will I endart mine eye Than your consent gives strength to make it fly† This shows Juliet’s willingness to do as her mother says. The audience should sense your anxiety in anticipation of Lady Capulet’s response and then the relief you feel, when as you finish your sentence, Lady Capulet smiles with approval at your response. In Juliet’s reply there is some mirroring of language between her and Lady Capulet, words such as â€Å"look† and â€Å"like. † This adds to the idea that at this point Juliet is willing and keen to get approval from her mother. As Lady Capulet and the nurse leave you can show further relief as you relax the animated posture and drop your shoulders. After a few seconds you could portray a sense of excitement and anticipation of the dinner. The lights fade as you jauntily exit the stage. The next scene that Juliet appears in is Act 1 Scene V. In this scene Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time. Romeo spots Juliet while standing to the side during the dancing at the banquet. He immediately falls in love with her. Romeo is so struck by Juliet’s beauty he is inspired to speak a monologue in tribute. He uses light and dark imagery to stress her beauty. He says it seemed to him that she could â€Å"teach torches to burn bright† and â€Å"she hangs upon the cheek of night as a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear†. Shakespeare continues this theme of light and dark imagery by using metaphors such as â€Å"snowy dove trooping with crows† to demonstrate how Juliet shines above the other ladies there. Though Romeo is awestruck by your perfection you are unaware that you are being watched so you continue to dance in the background however your movements must be light, graceful but spirited to convey your youthful innocence. Shakespeare uses metaphors to create a positive image about Juliet’s beauty. Romeo also describes Juliet’s beauty as â€Å"To rich for use, for earth to dear! † This is one of the many references to the theme of wealth in the play. This scene will be challenging for any actress as you are on the stage all the time. Eventually Romeo finds Juliet and touches her hand. At this point I want you to look at his hand and then slowly wonder your gaze up to make eye contact with Romeo. This is an electrifying point in the play and as such the audience need to be made to actually feel the sudden love at first sight. You and Romeo speak in a sonnet form to one another. Your tone is soft and flirtatious yet clear and precise. This makes the verse more noticeably poetic and allows the audience to believe in your love. At this point you are at the centre of the audience’s attention but you need to be totally focussed onto Romeo’s face. You need to make the audience believe they are almost intruding into your emotions and feelings. They need to sense the strength of your love. This is a very significant part in the production as Romeo and Juliet do not know each others status but the audience do. The audience will realise that it will be impossible for Romeo and Juliet to be together despite their passionate love for each other. This is known as dramatic irony as the audience knows something that the characters do not. Around you the festivities will be continuing with the other actors, dining and dancing. You and Romeo are totally engrossed in each other so much so that you do not notice that Tybalt has recognised Romeo as a Montague and is forced to restrain himself by Capulet not to cause a brawl in the middle of the festivities. Romeo eventually gets to kiss Juliet â€Å"Let lips do what hands do† that is join together. The poetry in lines 92-109 is between Romeo and Juliet. They share the same images and thoughts and their words flow together giving us the idea that they complete each other. The content of the sonnet has a religious theme and is an example of how religion is related to love. It uses imagery of saints and pilgrims. Romeo takes Juliet’s hand in the gentlest manner calling it a â€Å"shrine†. The use of religious words and references shows that Romeo sees Juliet as a blessing. The imagery for the audience needs to be that if Romeo is a pilgrim then Juliet is a saint and his love is holy devotion. Juliet tells Romeo that they should not kiss but she does not really mean this in fact she says â€Å"The have my lips the sin that they have took. † You need to show the contradiction in what you are saying and your body language should support this. Move your face closer to Romeo’s face as if inviting him to kiss her again. The couple are engaged in this loving exchange when Juliet is called away to her mother. You need to show reluctance in having to leave Romeo to respond to your mother’s call. Then hurry away after a little hesitance showing your desire for Romeo. The nurse tells Romeo that Juliet is a Capulet and he realises he has fallen in love with someone from the enemy but this does not lessen his feelings towards Juliet. Juliet also begs her nurse to find out who Romeo is. â€Å"Go ask his name- if he be married My grave is like to be my wedding-bed† The nurse returns and informs her that he is Montague. Juliet is taken back that she has fallen in love with someone that she has been brought up to hate. You need to react to this in a stunned manner moving onto momentary despair and confusion. â€Å"My only love sprung from my only hate. † Juliet appears to be thinking out loud. She realises that she must love her enemy even though family considerations should induce her to hate Romeo. The audience needs to sense your predicament leaving the audience wondering what she will do. By the end of the scene the audience will understand that Juliet is a stronger character than she appears to be in Act 1 Scene III. She is willing to break with tradition to be with Romeo. Juliet’s behaviour is changing, she is showing signs of defiance and her tone is more assertive. As the stage director I am attempting to send a message that despite this tragedy, love triumphs over hate. I want the audience to have warmth for Juliet as she dies for love and sense the needless tragedy that has occurred. I hope the information in this letter will help to you prepare for the production. I’m looking forward to working with you in rehearsals. Feel free to contact me if I can be of any further assistance.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela - Former President of South Africa

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela - Former President of South Africa Date of birth: 18 July 1918, Mvezo, Transkei.Date of death: 5 December 2013, Houghton, Johannesburg, South Africa Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on 18 July 1918 in the small village of Mvezo, on the Mbashe River, district of Umtata in Transkei, South Africa. His Father named him Rolihlahla, which means pulling the branch of the tree, or more colloquially troublemaker. The name Nelson was not given until his first day at school. Nelson Mandelas father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, was the chief by blood and custom of Mvezo, a position confirmed by the paramount chief of the Thembu, Jongintaba Dalindyebo. Although the family is descended from Thembu royalty (one of Mandelas ancestors was paramount chief in the 18th century) the line had passed down to Mandela through lesser Houses, rather than through a line of potential succession. The clan name of Madiba, which is often used as a form of address for Mandela, comes from the ancestral chief. Until the advent of European domination in the region, chieftaincy of the Thembu (and other tribes of the Xhosa nation) was by patrimonial decent, with the first son of the major wife (known as the Great House) becoming automatic heir, and the first son of the second wife (the highest of the lessor wives, also known as the Right Hand House) being relegated to creating a minor chiefdom. The sons of the third wife (known as the Left Hand House) were destined to become advisors to the chief. Nelson Mandela was the son of the third wife, Noqaphi Nosekeni, and could have otherwise expected to become a royal advisor. He was one of thirteen children, and had three elder brothers all of whom were of higher rank. Mandelas mother was a Methodist, and Nelson followed in her footsteps, attending a Methodist missionary school. When Nelson Mandelas father died in 1930, the paramount chief, Jongintaba Dalindyebo, became his guardian. In 1934, a year during which he attended three month initiation school (during which he was circumcised), Mandela matriculated from Clarkebury Missionary school. Four years later he graduated from Healdtown, a strict Methodist college, and left to pursue higher education at the University of Fort Hare (South Africas first university college for Black Africans). It was here he first met his lifelong friend and associate Oliver Tambo. Both Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo were expelled from Fort Hare in 1940 for political activism. Briefly returning to Transkei, Mandela discovered that his guardian had arranged a marriage for him. He fled towards Johannesburg, where he obtained work as a night-watchman on a gold mine. Nelson Mandela moved into a house in Alexandra, a Black suburb of Johannesburg, with his mother. Here he met Walter Sisulu and Walters fiancà ©e Albertina. Mandela started working as a clerk in a law firm, studying in the evening through a correspondence course with the University of South Africa (now UNISA) to complete his first degree. He was awarded his Bachelors degree in 1941, and in 1942 he was articled to another firm of attorneys and started upon a law degree at the University of Witwatersrand. Here he worked with a study partner, Seretse Khama, who would later become the first president of an independent Botswana. In 1944 Nelson Mandela married Evelyn Mase, a cousin of Walter Sisulu. He also began his political career in earnest, joining the African National Congress, ANC. Finding the existing leadership of the ANC to be a dying order of pseudo-liberalism and conservatism, of appeasement and compromise., Mandela, along with Tambo, Sisulu, and a few others formed the African National Congress Youth League, ANCYL. In 1947 Mandela was elected as secretary of the ANCYL, and became a member of the Transvaal ANC executive. By 1948 Nelson Mandela had failed to pass the exams required for his LLB law degree, and he decided instead to settle for the qualifying exam which would allow him to practice as an attorney. When DF Malans Herenigde Nationale Party (HNP, Re-united National Party) won the 1948 election, Mandela, Tambo, and Sisulu acted. The existing ANC president was pushed out of office and someone more amenable to the ideals of the ANCYL was brought in as a replacement. Walter Sisulu proposed a programme of action, which was subsequently adopted by the ANC. Mandela was made president of the Youth League in 1951. Nelson Mandela opened his law office in 1952, and a few months later teamed up with Tambo to create the first Black legal practice in South Africa. It was difficult for both Mandela and Tambo to find time for both their legal practice and their political aspirations. That year Mandela became president of the Transvaal ANC, but was banned under the Suppression of Communism Act – he was prohibited from holding office within the ANC, banned from attending ANY meetings, and restricted to the district around Johannesburg. Fearing for the future of the ANC, Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo initiated the M-plan (M for Mandela). The ANC would be broken down into cells so that it could continue to operate, if necessary, underground. Under the banning order, Mandela was restricted from attending meeting, but he drove down to Kliptown in June 1955 to be part of the Congress of the People; and by keeping to the shadows and the periphery of the crowd, Mandela watched as the Freedom Charter was adopted by all the groups involved. His increasing involvement in the anti-Apartheid struggle, however, caused problems for his marriage and in December that year Evelyn left him, citing irreconcilable differences. On 5 December 1956, in response to the adoption of the Freedom Charter at the Congress of the People, the Apartheid government in South Africa arrested a total 156 people, including Chief Albert Luthuli (president of the ANC) and Nelson Mandela. This was almost the entire executive of the African National Congress (ANC), Congress of Democrats, South African Indian Congress, Coloured Peoples Congress, and the South African Congress of Trade Unions (collectively known as the Congress Alliance). They were charged with high treason and a countrywide conspiracy to use violence to overthrow the present government and replace it with a communist state. The punishment for high treason was death. The Treason Trial dragged on, until Mandela and his 29 remaining co-accused were finally acquitted in March 1961. During the Treason Trial Nelson Mandela met and married his second wife, Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela. The 1955 Congress of the People and its moderate stance against the policies of the Apartheid government eventually led to the younger, more radical members of the ANC to break away: the Pan Africanist Congress, PAC, was formed in 1959 under the leadership of Robert Sobukwe. The ANC and PAC became instant rivals, especially in the townships. This rivalry came to a head when the PAC rushed ahead of ANC plans to hold mass protests against the pass laws. On 21 March 1960 at least 180 black Africans were injured and 69 killed when the South African police opened fire on approximately demonstrators at Sharpeville. Both the ANC and PAC responded in 1961 by setting up military wings. Nelson Mandela, in what was a radical departure from ANC policy, was instrumental in creating the ANC group: Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation, MK), and Mandela became the MKs first commander. Both the ANC and PAC were banned by the South African government under the Unlawful Organisations Act in 1961. The MK, and the PACs Poqo, responded by commencing with campaigns of sabotage. In 1962 Nelson Mandela was smuggled out of South Africa. He first attended and addressed the conference of African nationalist leaders, the Pan-African Freedom Movement, in Addis Ababa. From there he went to Algeria to undergo guerrilla training, and then flew to London to catch up with Oliver Tambo (and also to meet members of the British parliamentary opposition). On his return to South Africa, Mandela was arrested and sentenced to five years for incitement and illegally leaving the country. On 11 July 1963 a raid was undertaken on Lilieslief farm in Rivonia, near Johannesburg, which was being used by the MK as headquarters. The remaining leadership of the MK was arrested. Nelson Mandela was included at trial with those arrested at Lilieslief and charged with over 200 counts of sabotage, preparing for guerrilla warfare in SA, and for preparing an armed invasion of SA. Mandela was one of five (out of the ten defendants) at the Rivonia Trail to be given life sentences and sent to Robben Island. Two more were released, and the remaining three escaped custody and were smuggled out of the country. At the end of his four hour statement to the court Nelson Mandela stated: During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die. These words are said to sum up the guiding principles by which he worked for liberation of South Africa. In 1976 Nelson Mandela was approached with an offer by Jimmy Kruger, the Minister for Police serving under President BJ Vorster, to renounce the struggle and settle in the Transkei. Mandela refused. By 1982 international pressure against the South African government to release Nelson Mandela and his compatriots was growing. The then South African president, PW Botha, arranged for Mandela and Sisulu to be transferred back to the mainland to Pollsmoor Prison, near Cape Town. In August 1985, approximately a month after the South African government declares a state of emergency, Mandela was taken to hospital for an enlarged prostate gland. On his return to Pollsmoor he was placed in solitary confinement (having a whole section of the jail to himself). In 1986 Nelson Mandela was taken to see the Minister of Justice, Kobie Coetzee, who requested once again that he renounce violence in order to win his freedom. Despite refusing, restrictions on Mandela were somewhat lifted: he was allowed visits from his family, and was even driven around Cape Town by the prison warder. In May 1988 Mandela was diagnosed with tuberculosis and moved to Tygerberg hospital for treatment. On release from hospital he was moved to secure quarters at Victor Verster Prison near Paarl. By 1989 things were looking bleak for the Apartheid regime: PW Botha had a stroke, and shortly after entertaining Mandela at the Tuynhuys, the presidential residence in Cape Town, he resigned. FW de Klerk was appointed as his successor. Mandela met with De Klerk in December 1989, and the following year at the opening of parliament (2 February) De Klerk announced the unbanning of all political parties and the release of political prisoners (except those guilty of violent crimes). On 11 February 1990 Nelson Mandela was finally released. By 1991 the Convention for a Democratic South Africa, CODESA, was set up to negotiate constitutional change in South Africa. Both Mandela and De Klerk were key figures in the negotiations, and their efforts were jointly awarded in December 1993 with the Nobel Peace Prize. When South Africas first multi-racial elections were held in April 1994, the ANC won a 62% majority. (Mandela revealed later that he was worried that it would achieve the 67% majority that would allow it to re-write the constitution.) A Government of National Unity, GNU, was formed – based on an idea proffered by Joe Slovo, the GNU could last for up to five years as a new constitution was drawn up. It was hoped that this would allay the fears of South Africas whites population suddenly faced with majority Black rule. On 10 May 1994 Nelson Mandela made his inaugural presidential speech from the Union Building, Pretoria: We have at last, achieved our political emancipation. we pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender, and other discrimination. Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another... Let freedom reign. God Bless Africa! Shortly after he published his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. In 1997 Nelson Mandela stepped down as leader of the ANC in favour of Thabo Mbeki, and in 1999 he relinquished the post of president. Despite claims to have retired, Mandela continues to have a busy life. He was divorced from Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in 1996, the same year that the press realised he was having a relationship with Graà §a Machel, the widow of Mozambiques former president. After heavy prompting by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela and Graà §a Machel were married on his eightieth birthday, 18 July 1998. This article first went live on 15 August 2004.

Free Essays on Social Norm

Mark Twain once said, â€Å"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.† In this statement I found the inspiration for my Social Norm Violation. When most people think of Christmas, elaborate gifts, Santa Claus, and Christmas Trees come to mind. However, is the real meaning of Christmas not the birth of Jesus Christ? Therefore should we not celebrate a birthday instead of greeting card and shopping mall holiday? I spent Thanksgiving break doing my Christmas shopping. I bought everyone a present in celebration of Christ’s birthday. However, instead of wrapping the gifts in the poinsettia-covered red and gold paper or the green and red plaid wrapping paper, I went to the local Wal-Mart and bought brightly colored birthday paper. I then proceeded to wrap each of my eleven gifts in this atrociously tacky garb complete with decorative bows and ribbons and placed them under our precisely decorated and perfectly matching silver, gold and purple (pomegranate as my mother called it) Christmas Tree. The first person to experience my violation was my mother. To begin with, she is very straight and narrow and the epitome of a conventionalist. She already thinks I’m a little too eccentric for my own good and I knew that this project would not coincide with the proper and traditional ways my mother celebrates the holidays. I was sitting on the couch when she walked in the house and laid eyes on my venture. She had this confused look on her face and stared in bewilderment at the packages. Finally she asked, â€Å"Exactly what all did you get Jenn for her birthday?† I couldn’t help but laugh as I explained that those were the Christmas gifts. Her mouth twisted into this grotesque scowl as she exclaimed â€Å"Well that’s it! You’ve dropped your last marble!† My attempt to explain that I was celebrating a birthday instead of the traditional Christmas was cut short as she walked out of the roo... Free Essays on Social Norm Free Essays on Social Norm Mark Twain once said, â€Å"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.† In this statement I found the inspiration for my Social Norm Violation. When most people think of Christmas, elaborate gifts, Santa Claus, and Christmas Trees come to mind. However, is the real meaning of Christmas not the birth of Jesus Christ? Therefore should we not celebrate a birthday instead of greeting card and shopping mall holiday? I spent Thanksgiving break doing my Christmas shopping. I bought everyone a present in celebration of Christ’s birthday. However, instead of wrapping the gifts in the poinsettia-covered red and gold paper or the green and red plaid wrapping paper, I went to the local Wal-Mart and bought brightly colored birthday paper. I then proceeded to wrap each of my eleven gifts in this atrociously tacky garb complete with decorative bows and ribbons and placed them under our precisely decorated and perfectly matching silver, gold and purple (pomegranate as my mother called it) Christmas Tree. The first person to experience my violation was my mother. To begin with, she is very straight and narrow and the epitome of a conventionalist. She already thinks I’m a little too eccentric for my own good and I knew that this project would not coincide with the proper and traditional ways my mother celebrates the holidays. I was sitting on the couch when she walked in the house and laid eyes on my venture. She had this confused look on her face and stared in bewilderment at the packages. Finally she asked, â€Å"Exactly what all did you get Jenn for her birthday?† I couldn’t help but laugh as I explained that those were the Christmas gifts. Her mouth twisted into this grotesque scowl as she exclaimed â€Å"Well that’s it! You’ve dropped your last marble!† My attempt to explain that I was celebrating a birthday instead of the traditional Christmas was cut short as she walked out of the roo...

What characterizes Calicut in the 14th and 15th centuries and how did Essay

What characterizes Calicut in the 14th and 15th centuries and how did it interact with other parts of the world at that time - Essay Example It was open to Europeans by the invasion of Vasco Da Gama in May 1498 that put Kerala on the map of the modern world. The experiences of Da Gama’s voyage to India mentioned in Roteiro characterized Calicut as a city rich in spices, which had a great demand in the East and the West. The valuable natural resources of Calicut are mentioned by Ibn Battuta, a traveler, in his memoir, ‘A Gift to those who contemplate the wonders of cities and the marvels encountered in travel’. Battuta, in his experiences in Calicut, is amused by the quantity of trade carried out by the merchants from the Arab and the China with large number of ships resting at the shore. The Roteiro illustrates why the Portuguese wish direct overseas access to the rich markets of India and beyond. It was mainly because of the numerous duties and profit margin placed on spices. The invasion through sea by Vasco Da Gama was because of the closure of land routes and expected to make more than 600,000 cruz ados per year that the Sultan of Egypt enjoyed. Calicut was a commercial emporium; it was also an important centre of gemstone production. The richness in its resources bought merchants from most of the Islamic world and China which were observed by Ibn Battuta and Ma Huan. The city was largely connected to different parts of the world due its gained recognition as rich in spices and gems (Andrea and Overfield, 8). Apart from its commercial activity, Battuta mentions about the hospitality of Samudri Raja, honor accorded to the agents in charge of the Chinese ships who came for the purpose of trade and whose ships were resting at harbor. It can be understood from the experiences of Battuta, the Chinese invested heavily in commerce with Calicut not only because of its resources but for the kind of protection it received from the King of Calicut. Customer

Default Determination Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Default Determination - Term Paper Example This paper thus is going to handle and talk about the termination by default or default termination to every detail while analyzing everything that it entails, as well as the remedy of default termination in the context of federal procurement in reference to the nature of the course. In termination for default, the government always wants to have the upper hand on the contract hence always trying to make sure that the contract is always to their advantage. So in that case, in order for the government to prevail in the defense of a termination by default, the government must establish that the termination of the contract by default prior to the contract completion date was effective, proper and correct. Since this default termination is such a drastic action, the federal procurement must show how its determination was well grounded and had no hidden motive or agenda, and is supported by solid evidence. Moreover, the agency must show/demonstrate through convincing evidence that there was no reasonable likelihood that the contractor could complete the work in time as agreed. The untimely performance of work which does not affect the critical path does not provide a basis for a default termination. The above said, there are suggestions that it is improper for the government to terminate a contractor for his or her failure to make progress where the contactor had reason to be expected to complete the work to finish the job contracted fro in due time. In such cases the federal procurement must consider all available factors and reasons when they are determining whether to terminate a contractor using the default termination. Moreover, if the totality of the state of affairs shows or indicates the unsupported and arbitrary nature of the decision to terminate for default the law requires conversion of the action to termination for convenience. There are laws put in reference to this type of termination