Saturday, August 31, 2019

Maths Research and budgeting

Starr full time earning $17. 50/hrs working 40 hours a week with a net Income of $32, 841. I need to buy a car wealth my price range to make sure I can get to work on time. Starr is approximately km away from home so driving to and from work will approximately be km a day. Working 5 days a week in total I will be traveling km.I choose a 2014 Mediumistic Mirage Sport LA that costs $9,990 because it is fuel efficient, runs well, parts are easy to find and reasonably cheap, I eve Mediumistic and the look of this particular car, I have friends that own this car and they say It Is the most reliable car they have ever owned, It Is small but has lots of room with a massive boot space which is 235 liters (plenty of room for the shopping it is easier to park into tight spots and has the power of a sports vehicle.The car has a USB port inbuilt to the stereo, Bluetooth for hands free phone calls, CD player, MPH/ AX compatible, ABS, cup holders, power windows, 5 star UNCAP rating and 6 airbags o r added safety. It comes with 5 years warranty or 130,000 kilometers and 5 years road side assistance. This mirage is a 5 speed manual hatch back, 5 doors, and 5 starter car. It's a front wheel drive with a 3 cylinder 1. AL petrol engine, the rims are steel and tire size is 195/65 ROR and diameter being xx, it is silver in color.The approximate cost of running this vehicle will be $69 per smokes. At current petrol prices it will cost around $51 to fill the tank at 35 liters. Driving to and from work at bout skims per week will cost around $14 in fuel, adding in weekend driving at about skims for Saturday and Sunday it should only cost me $21 a week in fuel. Registration for this vehicle for 12 months will cost about $1200 with green slip being $578, pink slip $35 and registration approximately $530. Comprehensive Insurance will cost $64. 0 per month going through Budget Direct as the insurer. Maintaining this car with a full service every smokes for 12 months will cost $750 if taken to a mechanic but If you know what you're doing when servicing a car you can buy the arts and do the service yourself at a much lower price. The cost of running this car per year will cost $3,816 without any unexpected repairs or failures. My other expenses Include rent being $70 per week, food costing around $50 per week, entertainment $100, savings account $50, and miscellaneous $50.I have learnt that this type of car is relevant for my situation as it is, very affordable, economic and efficient. It comes with the 5 year warranty so if anything went wrong in the first 5 years it's not a cost that I would have to deal with. It has low carbon emissions, which makes it better for the environment and knowing that I have the 5 year road side assistance for the next 5 years gives me piece of mind that I will not be stranded and late for work.This assignment has taught me that shopping around Is an Important factor as you need to consider reliability, affordability and economics not jus t looks. You can find bargains out there and it can take time but if you make the right purchase you will never regret spending your entire savings on a brand new car as I ill have it for a longer period of time and is reasonably cheap to maintain.I did enjoy this assignment as I learnt about budgeting, how to research what car would be right for my Immediate and future needs, efficiency, fuel consumption and carbon the following: cardioids. Com. AU Redbook. Com. AU gummier. Com. AU mutinous. Com. AU arms. News. Gob. AU grisliness's. Com. AU facilitator. Com. AU compartmented. Com. AU Below are pictures of the Mediumistic Mirage I have chosen to purchase.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Analysis of Act 1 Scene 7 from Shakespeare’s Macbeth Essay

This extract is from act one scene seven. This is when Macbeth gives his soliloquy on stage, right after Duncan arrives and is invited into their house by Lady Macbeth. The setting is still in Macbeth’s castle at Inverness. He is confused as to whether to kill Duncan or not. This scene is mainly about Macbeth giving his soliloquy where he shows his dilemma on whether he should kill Duncan or not. His wife Lady Macbeth accuses Macbeth of being a coward and that she herself would want to kill Duncan or at least pass on her evil ideas to Macbeth. Macbeth feels very emotional about killing Duncan as he feels that they are kinsmen and that Duncan has high regard for Macbeth. He is also doubtful that they might be caught in the process and that they will be in a worse off situation. Lady Macbeth brainwashes him and at last gets him to listen to her. There is a main theme in this scene that is that whether Macbeth should kill or not kill his king Duncan, who also happened to be his guest. Macbeth’s conscience comes over him and he feels that he should not commit this horrendous deed while his wife teases him about his weakness and cowardice. This is when Macbeth decides once in for all that he will kill Duncan as Macbeth has nothing to argue with Lady Macbeth so he listens to her. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship is very strong. Macbeth is a very weak and cowardice man when compared to his wife as she is outgoing and is very strong. Macbeth is a brave and strong warrior but his emotions and his conscience make him very weak and frail. This causes him to have doubts on whether he should kill his king or not. There is a lot of imagery in this scene of the play. First there is all the dark imagery which portrays the evil in the book. There is also Macbeth’s ambition which is portrayed as a horse in the statement â€Å"Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself†. There is also some child imagery in the line â€Å"And pity, like a naked newborn babe†. There is once again the reversal of values in the last line â€Å"False face must hide what the false heart doth know†. The dramatic effect in this scene is very high as in most of the other  scenes. There is a heightened suspense of whether Macbeth will choose to kill Duncan or not. The audience is made to believe that Macbeth will not kill Duncan, but Lady Macbeth brainwashes Macbeth towards the end and he decides to kill Duncan and take the throne. This scene should be enacted on a very dark and gloomy setting where there is a lot of echo. This gives the audience the effect of evil in the set. If this scene is performed well the audience will be struck by the seriousness and the suspense of the scene. This scene is very important in the whole play as this scene shows the faithfulness of Macbeth towards Duncan. This scene also shows the good side of Macbeth. The audience is shown that Lady Macbeth was one of the main motives behind pushing Macbeth towards murdering Duncan.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Brigance Testing - Inventory of Early Development Coursework

Brigance Testing - Inventory of Early Development - Coursework Example This essay stresses that the assessment normed on the early childhood inventory for children aged between zero to seven years. This includes majorly children attending Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and First Grade. The assessment focuses on the general knowledge of these children in the eleven particular areas of assessment, which lead to the determination of the learning progress of child. The test focuses on children at their early stages of learning in order to create a suitable learning environment for them in the future by setting the right track from as early as Pre-Kindergarten. At this early stage, a child gets to know his or her weaknesses and strengths, and then starts improving on them instead of letting the problem lie for some years into the middle school, for instance, before commencing work on it. This paper makes a conclusion that this assessment is also adaptable to children with limitations, such as those with communication and language limitations. The test enables teachers to identify the particular areas in their limitations that make it difficult for them to undertake a proper learning experience. The schools in question focus clearly on the administration of a Bringance Test to the children during admission in order to determine their weak and strong areas, as well as come up with the right strategies to improve and maintain their performance in order to enhance their learning experience. This test enables children to improve their learning progress from an early stage

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Impact of leadership on the functioning of an organization Assignment

Impact of leadership on the functioning of an organization - Assignment Example Impact of leadership on the functioning of an organization The term leadership simply means the method of influencing a group of people & guiding them towards the accomplishment of a common objective. Presently it is required to discuss the impact of leadership on the functioning of an organization where I have worked. Generally the organizations get highly benefitted by the implementation of proper leadership approaches as it effects in improved quality of the goods & services produced by the organization. The organization where I used to work had a business of Herbal Products. The company mainly dealt with ointments for joint pains & muscle aches, syrups for immunity building, moisturizer & body-oil for soft & supple skin & many such products for the day-to-day use by the consumers. The organization followed a combination of centralized & decentralized structure. The various departments worked on a decentralized manner where there was no specialization & everyone knew the task of the other person. Job Rotation was being practiced on a regular basis. However at the end of the month, all the departments were accountable to present their whole month’s report to the top management. The overall functioning of the organization was based on the framework of situational leadership style. This style is based on the attitude of people towards the work delegated to them & their response towards the act of being led by a leader. (Clark, n.d.). The concept of situational leadership is depen dent on the key elements of relationship behavior & task behavior. The relationship behavior refers to the amount of emotional & social support provided by the leader. It indicates the communication flow between the leader & his followers. Task behavior refers to the direction & guidance provided by the leader. It is highly work- centered & focuses on the efficient accomplishment of the objectives. In the situational style of leadership, four basic situations have been identified by the leadership experts that are based on task behavior on one axis & relationship behavior on the other axis of the graph. The following illustration exhibits the diagram of a situational leadership framework- The four styles as shown in the diagram are- Style 1 (S1 or Directing): High task/low relationship This leader is considered to be very strict who only focuses on the accomplishment of the task & maintains very low level of relationship with the followers. Style 2 (S2 or Coaching): High task/high r elationship This leader is highly committed towards the task as well as towards maintaining a healthy relationship with the employees. Style 3 (S3 or Supporting): High relationship/low task This leader puts more emphasis on dealing with the followers & maintaining better relations with them. Style 4 (S4 or Delegating): Low relationship/low task This leader puts lesser stress on both the task & relationship behavior. These styles represent the leadership approach that entirely depends on the situation faced by the organization. In case of the organization where I

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Big Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Big Society - Essay Example The Big Society program is pertinent to England’s domestic policy alone. However, these policy areas are passed on to the governments of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales. The beginning The idea of Big Society, initiated in the Conservative manifesto was depicted in rather glowing terms by The Times in these words as an "an impressive attempt (The Times, 2010). To counsel the British Government on the proposed program, David Cameron employed Nat Wei, a founder-member of the well-known Teach First charity. The program envisages the establishment of a Big Society Bank and introduction of a national citizen service (Wiggins, 2010). The main characteristics of the same are as follows: More power to the communities (devolution). Transferring power from the central to the local government. Encouraging individuals to take an active part in their respective communities (volunteerism). Support to co-ops, charities, mutuals as well as social enterprises. Publish pertinent government data (transparent government). Measures to implement the program In 2011, major banks in the U.K. consented to provide ?200million as funds to the Big Society Bank (Giotis, 2011), apart from the funds to be utilized from those bank accounts that are lying dormant (Prince, 2010). It is reported that the British government has plans to release ?78billion in charitable assets to big society and accord up to 25 per cent of public service contracts to the voluntary as well as the private sector (Wintour, 2011). Discussions on the program Positive According to Simon Parker, who is the Director of New Local Government Network what is new about Big Society is that it spells out the extent of change required and it is a whole system shift (Parker, 2011).Ben Rogers of the Financial Times opined that the most remarkable factor about Cameron's address delivered at the Conservative Party Conference was on his notion, the Big Society. The speech signified that many of the political tribulations that confronts Mr. Cameron can be dealt with only if citizens are willing to play their part. According to the right wing newspaper The Spectator, it was Cameron’s hope to minimize fiscal shortfalls by dipping into bank accounts lying dormant and it is a bright idea in theory (Blackburn, 2010). Benedict Brogan in The Telegraph’s wrote that people expect their would-be leaders, to have vision and the PM offers a really big one, of a society re-erected from the ground up (Brogan, 2010). Negative To Labor MP, Ed Miliband, the Conservatives were "cynically attempting to dignify its cuts agenda, by dressing up the withdrawal of support with the language of reinvigorating civic society"(Watt, 2010). The Liverpool City Council of late pulled out of a pilot scheme, stating that the government’s current spending cuts is undermining the very future of volunteer groups. A former executive director of Community Service Volunteers, Dame Elisabeth Hoodless has expressed the s ame opinion. According to a recent independent audit report Cameron’s "big society" scheme is in danger of getting derailed by cruel cuts to grassroots voluntary organizations. It is also threatened by a breakdown in trust amid the very people that the administration is supposed to deliver its promising vision. The ?3.3 billion cut in government spending earmarked for the voluntary sector for three forthcoming years is said to be a body blow to the whole project (Butler, 2012). To this criticism Cameron counters by

Monday, August 26, 2019

Consumer behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Consumer behaviour - Essay Example The recent and contemporary marketing concept brings into limelight the piece of information that with the fulfillment of the needs and wants of the target market or the customers, the organization is more likely to accomplish and achieve their goals and objectives. Furthermore, with the contentment of the customers in a more effective and persuasive manner than that of the competitors, the enterprise would get an edge over their competitors (Hoyer & Macinnis, pp. 16-20, 2009). One of the important elements of marketing that facilitates the organization in acquainting and understanding the buying patterns of the products and services of the customers. Many of the important questions that includes when, why, how and where people have a tendency to buy a particular product or service come under the analysis and examination in consumer behavior. Furthermore, the study of consumer behavior will assist the businesses and organizations not only to attract new customers, but will also support in retaining the old and current customers that will eventually lead the organization to survive and sustain in the distant future. (Silk &  Harvard Business School, pp. 47-53, 2006). In addition, the study of consumer behavior also helps and endeavors to comprehend and identify the factors on which the decisions of the customers depend and rely on made either on individual basis or in groups. Therefore, it is considerably an imperative and vital feature of marketing manage ment segment. According to the definition, consumer behavior is â€Å"The totality of consumers’ decision with respect to the acquisition, consumption, and disposition of goods, services, activities, experiences, people, and ideas by (human)decision-making units (over time)† (Hoyer &  Macinnis, pp.3, 2009) Data resulting from the demography such as age, gender, income, education, behavioral temperament are they key distinctive and distinguishing characteristics used in the research of consumer behavior. Moreover, how the families, friends, reference groups, culture, and community play a dominant and persuasive role are also the principal and prime attributes in the studies and evaluations of consumer behavior. As the study of the buying pattern of the customers is a multifaceted and complex process where numerous aspects influence and affects the pattern, therefore, huge amount of money and a lot of time comes under spending and consumption by the enterprises and the ir marketing departments (East &  Wright & Vanhuele, pp. 3-10, 2008). Thus, this practice comes under performance in order to identify and distinguish the causes of the decisions on which the consumers make their purchasing of a particular product or service. Interests, actions and behaviors, like and dislikes, perceptions, beliefs, and communication and dealing with

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The oil and gas industry in China Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The oil and gas industry in China - Case Study Example China’s plight may have been averted. China government should have executed efficient corporate governance and guarantee that the oil and gas industry recognized it as a strategy for the government’s accountability to improve the legal, institutional and regular framework. Consequently, the corporations would ensure their operational performance and attract international capital in order to stabilize the domestic industry. This would have enabled the industry to keep up with the increased domestic demand and continue exporting of oil and gas. The Chinese government should have implemented the privatization of the oil and gas industry in order to encourage healthy competition. This would result in superior mining production of oil and gas enough for domestic use and export. From this case, we learn the pertinence of an efficient corporate governance model for companies in business. We also learn that a company’s success in both local and international business ope rations is largely attributed to international standards of corporate governance. We learn that businesses should be free of political interference to ensure success. Therefore, the separation of ownership and control of the main players of the oil and gas industry ensures companies are run with minimal influence from local party committees.As a business professional in 2012, it is vital to read this because the case study demonstrates to me a practical scenario of the effects on both the internal and external environments to a business.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Hyperconsumerism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Hyperconsumerism - Essay Example The basic theory of consumption in economics stresses that human beings consumes a commodity because it provides some utility or satisfaction to the consumer. For example, the hunger of a man is satisfied by the food he eats; the man who is shivering in the cold gains utility from a blanket; someone who feels thirsty satisfies that thirst by drinking water. Utility theory argues that, as more a commodity is consumed, less extra satisfaction is derived from consuming one additional unit of that commodity. Therefore, when the desire for one commodity is fulfilled, one feels the desire to have some other commodities. For example, economists say that the basic three needs are food, clothing, and shelter. Once these requirements are fulfilled, the next important areas are health and education. If these further needs are fulfilled, then the person will wish to expand his set of consumed goods, moving further beyond necessities towards luxuries. From these basic patterns, the behavior called consumerism emerges.. The present era is often termed the age of the consumerist society. All over the globe, we find the expansion of consumer goods industries ranging from fast-marketed consumer foods to durable consumer goods, and from daily household commodities to luxurious items.. In many countries there is a rapid expansion of consumer markets. ... The companies use different devices to make people interested. Hence, all over the world we can find an accelerating trend of consumerism, which is often termed hyper-consumerism. This trend results in the unquenchable desire to have more and more goods for one's own use or pleasure. In this paper, we are not much concerned about the definition of hyper-consumerism, nor are we interested in discussing the emergence of consumerism in general. The main theme discussed here is the answer to the question: 'Does hyper-consumerism increases the happiness of consumers, or it is a factor which increases unhappiness'. The history of consumerism has been described effectively by Sassatelli (2007) in his book Consumer Culture: History Theory and Politics. The book is a good synchronization of history and sociology. It is a historical review of how consumerism emerged from mercantilism to modern capitalism through the path of the neoclassical economic theories. The nature and growth of consumer culture are well explained in this book. The role of the neoclassical school of economics, the essence of which is the free operation of markets to promote a well-functioning market-oriented system, is explained. This book provides the history of the consumer-oriented culture all over the world. The roles of economic theories and social and economic institutions are well addressed. The focus is on the combination of historic, institutional, political, social, and economic factors which transformed mercantilism into modern capitalism. The existing cultures of societies have also played a crucial role in promoting the modern type of consumerist society. Moreover, the role of political factors which underlie the emergence of modern materialism is evident from the

Write a book review on any book dealing with Islam as a religion Essay

Write a book review on any book dealing with Islam as a religion - Essay Example But Abu Bakar controlled the Muslims with his wisdom. He ruled for two years and was succeeded by Omar. A man of rules, Omar played an important role in Muslim’s revival and also many areas were conquered in his era. His era shows the great development within Muslim world, not only as they conquered different parts of Middle East and Africa, but also he solved many conflicts within Muslim world. He established few basic practices. He remained as a Caliph for almost a decade and during this time, Islam spread worldwide and he conquered large are of land as well. Hence, his era could be called the unforgettable era of Muslims. He established the first public treasury and also financial administration for the first time. Umar succeded by Usman, the third Muslim Caliph, ruled for almost twelve years. Islam spread worldwide during his era. He arranged the Koran in an order and spread it all over with the same order. The Koran that is read by Muslim today is the same version. He was murdered by few young men, as anarchy among Muslims started at that time. He was succeeded by Ali, Shia Muslims consider him as their spiritual leader. Ali was famous for his bravery, his rule is still remembered as the one which kept Muslims united. But after all these Caliphs, Muslims never get united again. After telling about the four Caliphs, writer stated about Ummayad Caliphs. It was established in 661 and last for a century. Damascus was the capital of Islamic World which got wider till that. It includes a great part of Asia and some part of Europe as well. Ummayad era is remembered as a golden era. Islamic conquests continued during this time, including Asia and Europe, the main parts conquered at that time were Central Asia, Spain, France and Indian subcontinent. Not only they did well in Defense side but also they did great at founding and organizing the basic social and legal institutions of the

Friday, August 23, 2019

Venue Management for Events. The Emirates Stadium Essay

Venue Management for Events. The Emirates Stadium - Essay Example This tier can carry a total of 2, 222 spectators in total. The box prices start at ?65,000 per year inclusive of V.A.T. and caters for all the home league games and any other played at the Emirates stadium. The Emirates Stadium (Picture courtesy of Arsenal.com) The Diamond Club is the next tier and represents the most exclusive area in the stadium. This is a place that hosts only invited guests and the ticket prices are ?25,000 in advance plus an additional ?25,000 a year. The high demand for tickets in London coupled with the fact that the people living in London are relatively wealthy implies that the ticket sales from the premium seating and the corporate boxes are very high (Chung, & Hwang, 2010). The picture measures 105 by 68 meters with a total grass area of 113 by 76 meters running from north to south. The players’ tunnel and the dugouts are placed on the western side of the pitch just below the main television camera. The away fans are placed in the south- eastern cor ner of the lower tier. The configuration of the away fans can however be expanded from the current 1,500 seats to about 4,500 depending on the demand. This extension has been provided for by the lower and the upper tiers. This stadium has enough space for the travelling fans as required by the Football Association (FA). An aerial view of the Emirates Stadium (Picture courtesy of Arsenal.com) The upper tier has been contoured in order to leave some open space in the ground corners and the roof is equally inward canted. These features are meant to facilitate the flow of air and sunlight to the pitch. These are very vital elements because both players and fans need a good supply of both light and fresh air. The... The paper tells that Emirates Stadium also inbuilt conference holes that accommodates various events like music shows, wedding ceremonies and big meetings. The stadium also well structured roofs that provide shade and shelter to the fans with the centre part left open to allow penetration of sunlight into the pitch. The environment surrounding the stadium is well ventilated as depicted by the contoured walls to provide goods circulation of air. The regions surrounding the stadium are highly secured with security inspection starting at the railway stations before journeying towards the pitch. Entrance of fans is high controlled as the technology system at the gates only allows individuals with smartcards to get access of the stadium during matches. The interior of the Emirates Stadium is highly beautified with green coloured grasses on the pitch and conspicuous red colours dominating the stadium. In addition, the stadium is installed with high tech cameras and big television screens t hat offer exemplary view for distant fans within the stadium. The stadium also has inbuilt catering section and food shop that provide easy meal to fans at very affordable prices. Accessing the stadium is somehow very easy as can be evidenced by good network of roads and railway lines just passing near the stadium. In order to ensure further security, parking is never allowed around or near the stadium and vehicles is usually parked at residential streets that are meters away from the stadium thereby compelling fans to walk for few minutes to the stadium.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The Simple Gift and Drifters Essay Example for Free

The Simple Gift and Drifters Essay An individual’s experience of belonging is invariably affected by their previous encounters with their environment and the people with whom they interact. This is clearly presented within the texts analysed. In the novel â€Å"The Simple Gift† by Steven Herrick the author successfully demonstrates the power of past experiences to both limit and enrich an individual’s sense of belonging to both their surroundings and influential people. Similarly in the poem â€Å"Drifters†, Bruce Dawe conveys the idea of constant change preventing people connecting and belong to a community or place. Steven Herrick demonstrates that a single event in our past can greatly affect they way in which we interact and perceive our environment†¦link†¦ This is clearly focused upon through the anecdote of Old Bill’s daughter’s death. Through the emotive visual imagery and use of ellipses I was there for hours mad with rage and pain and God knows that tree fell †¦Ã¢â‚¬  the author insightfully shows that grief and heartbreak can destroy a persons affinity with well known surroundings†¦link†¦ Herrick suggests, that with the perception of change of an individual’s environment through a physical transformation, their mental state may have a corresponding change. This is further reinforced through repetition in the metaphor â€Å"Fell and I fell with her and I’ve been falling ever since†. Symbolising Old Bill’s increasing disenchantment with the world as the passing of time since ‘the fall’, accumulating with the revelation of Old Bill’s current lifestyle. Through this notion Herrick intelligently reflects upon how one moment in life can destroy one’s sense of belonging to previous role†¦link†¦ The power of the past is also shown by Herrick in the chapter â€Å"A project†. The author intelligently develops a tone of hopefulness through the repetition of â€Å"promise† in â€Å" I promised her we’d go and I promised her we’d swim together†. The composer cleverly harnesses this to suggest the imminent completion of â€Å"Jessie’s trip† and the corresponding need of Old Bill to reconnect with the world in which he lives †¦link†¦ this notion is further depicted through the use of metaphor within â€Å"Jessie’s trip to the ocean† The composer effectively reinforces Old Bill’s wish to reintegrate himself and belong to a community by revisiting the past through the fulfillment of the trip planned between himself and his daughter†¦link†¦this clearly presents the idea of past experiences affecting not only the individuals ability to disconnect to a lifestyle but also reconnect to an extent. Divergent to the ideas presented by Herrick in The Simple Gift, Bruce Dawe suggests constant changing can affect an individual’s sense of belonging due to the inability to connect as a result of the short period of time afforded to them to create bonds. This is shown through the use of visual imagery and onomatopoeia â€Å"and when the loaded ute bumps down the drive past the blackberry canes with their last shrivelled fruit† conveying the idea of the hardships which can be caused by the inability to connect to people and place. The symbolism of the â€Å"bump† displays the difficult journey anticipated by the narrator due to previous failed attempts to develop a sense of belonging to her home. Further emphasized through the morbid visual imagery of the shriveled fruit intimating the lack of time spent preventing her from belonging and symbolizing the end of her connections to another community. Furthermore Dawe harnesses stanza structure and dialogue to illustrate this notion of the need for time to establish connections to an environment. The epetition of â€Å"and† at the beginning of multiple lines in the first stanza and â€Å"she† in the second stanza further emphasizes the idea of a perpetual cycle of negativity and sense of disconnectedness to her surrounding because of the frequent moving of home. Extending upon this concept is the use of the dialogue â€Å"Make a wish, Tom, make a wish. †. The composer shows the woman’s wish to gain a permanent residency to which she can create a sense of belonging. This connotation of hope additionally reinforces the concept of constant change preventing the establishment of belonging to a place.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Rules Of The Sociological Method Response Philosophy Essay

The Rules Of The Sociological Method Response Philosophy Essay Over time the study and application of social sciences have become to be viewed differently in comparison to those in the realm of natural sciences. By definition and practise Social sciences rely more on subjective details and inference than do those of the natural sciences which rely on empirical data to derive conclusions. Emile Durkheim sought to establish rules and practises for the methods used to discover new information utilized by the social sciences. With his publication of the book, The Rules of the Sociological Method, Durkheims theory of the social fact was revealed and presented as a practical and workable model for utilization within the discipline of the study of social behaviour. Durkheim goes on within his writings to break down his theory and to outline the different rules. Seemingly the most vital section establishes the Rules for the Constitution of Social Types. Social Types is a significant concept and the section that defines it is most important, this is due to the clarity in which brings it to his thesis and because it aids in relating the theory of social facts to particular societies and species. It is for these reasons that one can clearly see the concept and refinement of social types is the most vital piece to Emile Durkheims theory of social facts. Durkheims theory on Social Facts is based upon the thesis that there is a category of facts which present very special characteristics: they consist of manners of acting, thinking and feeling external to the individual. Which are invested with a coercive power by virtue of which they exercise control over him. This definition shows that Durkheim is focusing on sociology and the main forms of socialization; acting, thinking and feeling and how they control an individual. Along with this definition Durkheim continues to refine his outline that a social fact is a thing that stems from an idea not an idea from a thing.(page 60). From this frame of reference Durkheim further explores the social fact and the many other variables that make up its sum. Durkheim identifies that social facts are divided into two separate groups: normal and pathological. Normal social facts are attributes or characteristics that are found in most if not all of a population, while pathological social facts are found within a limited number of the population and are sometimes only experienced for a brief period of time. With this clarity one can begin to see the importance of social types and its relation to Durkheims thesis as you cannot categorize something as normal or pathological until you are fully aware of its social type. Simply, this is due to the fact that you will not know how common or uncommon a particular social fact may be to a population until it has been identified and categorized. The importance of social types however begins to be more clearly portrayed when analyzing the rules for the constitution of social types. Durkheim implies that human beings are not all the same and suggests many different groups of species exist amongst us. He does his best to distinguish himself from the historian and philosopher who both view society in much different ways. The historian looks at every event and occurrence within society in sequence to that particular time as unique and will not be repeated. On the other hand is the philosopher, who views humans as different groups who are governed by laws and justice. These laws aid in taking humans through the many stages of growth and evolution into more complex and modern societies. Sociology takes a much different view and approach than these two disciplines. Durkheim believes that cities are made up of many different types of species with the inference that many of these species are similar in several ways. Durkheim theorizes that these differences arise within each particular species and calls them social facts affording each a classification accordingly to the particular species. In my frame of reference and after having been exposed to Durkheims concepts I find myself supporting Durkheims views as practical and realistic of the three, in accordance to how society is really made up. The historian sees no relation in anything while the philosopher believes that laws applied to certain societies are what dictate how that society will progress, sociology seems to be a medium to these two schools of thought. Conceptually this shows that social types can be seen in many different ways of thinking and is not limited to sociology or any discipline for that matter. Durkheim uses these social types to apply social facts with this aiding in expl aining how and why certain things occur socially. Durkheim correlates social fact with a very heavy reliance on social types. While Durkheim does an excellent job in outlining and creating his theory regarding social facts, he does encounter some problems. One issue he identifies and discusses is not how many different species there may be, but what exactly is the best way to go about classifying them. Durkheim states, We shall begin by classifying societies according to the degree of organisation they manifest, taking as a base the perfectly simple society or the single-segment society. Within these classes different varieties will be distinguished, according to whether a complete coalescence of the initial segments takes place. Durkheim describes the idea of classifying different societies by their organisation as a whole. Ultimately, categorizing the seemingly more advanced societies as superior in comparison to others that do not appear to be as advanced. There may be some critique given to this idea, that Durkheim may believe a society has little going on while quite the opposite is actually taking place. The term simple is used to describe these lower societies, which one may interpret this classification as labelling this group as primitive. One could say that the difference in language, culture and practice creates a barrier and the automatic classification of simple is wrong. Still I must digress; one can see the importance that this classification has to Durkheims theory. The fact that dependencies exist within these societies makes it so that modern societies must rely on resources and labour that are more complex in comparison to the more simple societies who must also rely on resources and labour fitted to suit their needs. The impact that the social type has can be seen clearly as the theory of the social fact is defined and explained. It is needed to describe and categorize the many different species of people so that the social facts of that particular society may be analyzed and discovered. If it were not for social types, the classification of normal and pathological would cease to exist. This would ultimately make it impossible to accurately identify and outline social facts for specific populations. The social type proves that it is a large division within the theory of the social fact. It is this factor that ultimately ties the different thoughts and ideas together. This is why, for me, I view the concept and utilization of social type as the most vital piece to Emile Durkheims theory of social facts.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Importance of Social Interaction in Childcare Environment

Importance of Social Interaction in Childcare Environment The childcare centre I am attached is well organised with wide pathways. They can move freely from one place to another. In this way, this provides opportunities for the children to interact with their peers with the sufficient places. Along the corridors, there are no obstacles blocking their way and is danger free. Toys, books and stationaries are placed in lower cupboards whereby the children are able to reach for them so they feel independent and competent so they will less likely to disturb their friends. The classrooms have quite a number of low shelves and dividers to divide the spaces out for different kinds of activities carried out by the teachers. In the dramatic play corner, there are insufficient materials for the children to play. Therefore, there will always have friction to argue who should play which toys. In order to prevent such things from happening again, the school should ensure there are enough toys provided in the dramatic corner to allow the children to play in a purposeful manner. They should also limit the number of children going in to dramatic play corner to ensure that the toys in there are sufficient for the allowed number of children. This would then discourage negative behaviour in the children where they have to fight over for the toys. Children participating in cooperative activities are less likely to behave aggressively and more cooperative even during unstructured times. The classrooms mark the boundaries clearly by placing mats around the floor, this allows children to be able to focus and concentrate more on the activities that they are engaged. When the children are having some quiet activities like reading and writing, they should be located away from classrooms where children are more likely to be more active and noisy. In this way, they can concentrate better in their activities. Social context is a framework that shows us what kinds of attitudes and behaviours are expected, accepted and valued in a setting. Sense of community consists of cohesiveness, friendliness and cooperation. Children participating in cooperative activities in class are less likely to behave aggressively and be more cooperative even during unstructured times. (Kaiser, B. Raminsky, J. S. (2010) Cooperative activities purpose is that all the children will benefit and they success as a whole class. For example, the teacher can plan do outdoor activities like passing around the hoola hoops. All the children need to form a circle and holding each other hand. A hoola hoop is placed at the arms of two children. The challenging part of this game is that the children cannot let go of each other hand when passing the hoop around the circle. As teachers, we have to be their role model. It is important that we speak to the children nicely instead of shouting. Therefore, this would help to build a positive social climate, hence children will less likely to show challenging behaviours. We must be a good role model for the children as they would tend to follow what we do, thus we have to be cautious of our own body language and actions that we do in class. This is to instill core values in them and also to create positive social climate. We have to be caring towards the children and try to become their friends. This will make the children close to us as they start to believe and trust in us. Having more group works than individual work, this would encourage the children to have more interaction with other classmates. Children need to make friends so that they will not show challenging behaviours. We only teach when the children are calm down. This is because they would not be able to listen to us when they are not calm. During the class-running this is what I observed. The theme for that day was on garden. During art and craft lesson, the children were given a piece of paper of vegetable salad each. They were instructed to do colouring, cutting and pasting. They are independent enough to do this activity by themselves. Next, they had their science lesson. The teacher used National Geographic Young Explorer magazine to teach them. The magazine was about tomatoes. The children had their tasting session whereby the teacher would prepare some tomatoes for them to taste. After the tasting session, they write their reflection about the experience of eating tomatoes on their journal. In their journal, they wrote about â€Å"How was the texture?†, â€Å"How did it taste?†, â€Å"Did you like eating it?† and draw your tomato plant. I find that the tasting session is very successful. The teacher made sure that the children were not rowdy during the lesson. The tasting session made the lesson very interesting and fun. Children were able to learn and play at the same time. Another successful was teaching using National Geographic Young Explorer magazine. Children could absorb a lot of information at young age. They were exposed to different things and this will help them greatly in the future. The classroom rules are raise hand to speak, talk softly, clean up eating area after meal time and put things back to their original place. I think this is successful in somewhere, but it is also unsuccessful too. It is unsuccessful because young children do not talk softly in class. They tend to talk a bit louder and during lesson, they just talked whenever they want. They would not raise up their hands to speak. However, it is successful because they were taught to put things in the correct place at young age, thus this would let them know that no one will help them to clear things up after used. They were also required to tidy up the eating area after their meal time. This became their habit to do it. In small group, there are a lot of movement and talking among the children. They would be very engaged in the activities. This enhanced their motivation and having more involvement in learning. They will also be energized and motivated to complete the task. Group discussion can help to increase interaction with different races. Children should respect each other races and religion and not being racist against them. The teacher in the childcare entre that I was attached planned creative arts. The teacher cut different shapes of the potatoes, then she divided the class into small groups. In each group, there must be different races and genders. The children chose the different shapes of potatoes and dipped into the different colours of paints onto their paper. The children was very enthusiasms towards this activity. Through this activities, the children can learn through play. Through group discussion, they can develop greater communication skill with their peers as they can voice out their ideas across to their classmates. Children contribute to one another’s learning by helping, supporting, encouraging, motivating and praising each other’s work. For example, when the teacher is busy teaching one child who has difficulties in their work, she is unable to attend to another child who also has problem with the assignment. Therefore, she can ask the other children who have finish their work to help the child. In large group discussion, all the children gather together in front for the same activities. This gives the children to recognize their classmates. Whole group times for young children include such activities as dramatic play, outdoor play and brainstorming. In the childcare centre that I am attached to, the classroom has a dramatic play corner to role playing. They have different types of themes like bakery shop and doctor’s clinic. The children take turns to play the different roles. These activities encourage social interaction with peers.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Combray Section of Marcel Prousts Swanns Way Essay -- Swanns Wa

The Combray Section of Marcel Proust's Swann's Way      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The "Combray" section of Marcel Proust's Swann's Way is an extended meditation on an idyllic past. The book begins, though, not with recollections of Combray, but with a description of the narrator's half-asleep state, a state of consciousness where he does not know where, or even who, he is. The expanded memories of his past, then, seem an attempt to establish a stable sense of self, a sense that continually eludes him. In this exploration, which constitutes the entirety of the "Combray" section, we find the narrator, a young man with literary aspirations, struggling to understand the characters of his childhood in a way that captures their contradictions, only to find that each person seems more like a spectrum of singular, varying selves than a single delimited identity.    When we encounter the narrator addressing the problems faced by the artist, he notes that "the ingenuity of the first novelist" lay in the realization that a simplification of characters that corresponds to the "suppression" of "'real' people" inevitably makes novels stronger, more effective in conjuring a sympathetic response from a sensitive reader. "A 'real' person," he begins, profoundly as we may sympathize with him, is in a great measure perceptible only through our senses, that is to say, he remains opaque, offers a dead weight which our sensibilities have not the strength to lift. If some misfortune comes to him, it is only in one small section of the complete idea we have of him that we are capable of feeling any emotion; indeed it is only in one small section of the complete idea he has of himself that he is capable of feeling any emotion either. (83) ... ... key to inner life. As everyone is guarded, influenced by the conditions that surround them, the social conditions, it seems that only when alone may they be truthful.    But instead of confirming this, instead of giving us insight into the "core" essence of his characters, the "truth" that all their masks conceal, Proust confounds us by making the confessions imparted in solitude as constructed as any others. In fact, perhaps the only distinguishing factor, is that in solitude, his characters are free to feel and admit guilt, something they would be reluctant to admit in public. But even in private, their lives are organized as a sort of public confession, as they struggle to maintain the illusion of a stable self.    Work Cited Proust, Marcel. Swann's Way. Trans. C. K. Scott Moncrieff and Terence Kilmartin. NY: Random House, 1981.   

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay -- Robert Louis Stev

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde We see much of the story through Mr Utterson’s eyes. He leads the reader through the tale. But to begin with, he seems a surprising character for Stevenson to choose. Only when we know the book better do we realise how appropriate he is. The book ‘‘The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’’ is a horror story written by Robert Louis Stevenson and was publishes in 1886. The title which the author gave this book makes the book sound more like a mystery story than a horror. The title also makes it sound as if Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde are two separate people. The character ‘‘Mr Utterson’’ plays a big part in the story. He leads the reader through the story although he is not the narrator. In the opening words of the story it says that Mr Utterson is a lawyer. In the opening paragraph Mr Utterson is described as ‘‘a man of rugged countenance, that was never lightened by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backwards in sentiment; lean, long dusty, dreary, and yet somehow loveable. This shows that Mr Utterson has two sides to him just like Dr Jekyll has. On one hand it says he is boring and cold but on another hand it says that he is a good friend and he is loveable. Mr Utterson is completely described in one paragraph. I believe that the whole story is about having a good and a bad side to them. I think that Robert Louis Stevenson name’s Mr Utterson as he did because Utterson sounds like utmost meaning extreme depth. It says that when Mr Utterson is at ‘‘friendly meetings and the wine is to his taste, something eminently human beaconed from his eye’’. This shows he has a taste for good wines yet in another sentence in the book it says ‘‘He was au... ... prostitute. This just shows what society was like back then. The book ‘‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’’ was one of the first ever real horror books to be published. When Robert Louis Stevenson was young his mother was often ill and his nanny used to tell him horror stories at a young age. This turned Stevenson bad and got him drinking and getting prostitutes. This is partly were his book came from. The book obviously had an affect on the people because after the book was published the Ripper murder’s started to appear. People said that ‘‘The book was coming to life’’. I feel I have shown that Mr Utterson is a main and important part of the story ‘‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’’ and that he is man of trust. I also think I have shown what society was like in Victorian times. I think that without Mr Utterson in the book it would not have worked as well as it did.

Essay on Honor in Richard II -- Richard II Richard III Essays

The Importance of Honor in Richard II  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tension-charged exchange between Bolingbroke and Mowbray in the first scenes of Richard II provides exciting action for the audience, and gives a glimpse into trial by combat and the importance of honor in Shakespeare's plays. Trial by combat, or a judicial duel was a traditional way to settle disputes in England and Europe for many generations. People dueled to defend their own honor, and to prove personal claims against the honor of others. Honor. Honor is the accumulation of virtuous deeds that instills a respect in others and in you. Possessing, seeking, and defending the elusive trait of honor are crucial elements of Richard II. The concept of honor has different meanings to individual members of a modern audience, just as it did to an Elizabethan audience. What is honorable? What makes someone honorable? Aristotle thought: there is no true honor in the world but that which commeth from vertue. Vertue seeks no greater or ampler theater to shew her selfe in, then her owne conscience. The higher the Sunne is the lesse shadow it makes, and the greater a mans vertue is the lesse glorie it seekes. (qtd. in Council 28)    So, by Aristotle's rationale, those people who seek honor are in fact not honorable because they are deliberately seeking honor, which is a vice. Council sums Aristotle's argument very well, "virtue consists in action; the reward of that action is honor; to pursue more honor than virtuous action warrants or to pursue honor for its own sake is a vice" (19). Honor is also eloquently described by Rabelais's definition of honor to the Thelemites, "because men that are free, well-born, and well-bred, and conversant in honest companies, have natu... ...mon. New York: W W Norton, 1994. 12. Seldon, John. Table-Talk. [1689]. Ed. Edward Arber. London: Alex, Murray & Son, 1868. 13. Shakespeare, W. "The Tragedy of King Richard the Second." The Complete 14. Signet Classic Shakespeare. Toronto: Harcourt Brace Johanovich, Publishers, 1972.    You may wish to begin your essay with the quotes below:    Bolingbroke: My body shall make good upon this earth, Or my divine soul answer it in heaven. Thou art a traitor and a miscreant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Richard II, 1.1.37-39)    Mowbray: I take it up; and by that sword I swear, Which gently laid my knighthood on my shoulder, I'll answer thee in any fair degree Or chivalrous design of knightly trial; And when I mount, alive may I not light, If I be traitor or unjustly fight.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Richard II, 1.1.78-83)   

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Porter’s generic strategies Essay

Introduction Porter’s generic strategies of cost leadership, differentiation and focus can be (and often are) adopted by competitors in any given industry and can be provably successful in 21st century business. According to Porter: Effectively implementing any of these generic strategies usually requires total commitment and supporting organizational arrangements that are diluted if there is more than one primary target. . . . [These] generic strategies are approaches to outperforming competitors in the industry. Porter (1980: 35). Furthermore, Porter argues that â€Å"the firm failing to develop its strategy in at least one of the directions–a firm struck in the middle–is in an extremely poor position† and is doomed to essentially low profitability. Porter (1980: 41). In cost leadership situation an organization sets out to be the low-cost producer in its industry. It caters for many industry segments. If an organization can achieve and sustain overall cost leadership then it will achieve superior performance. Cost leadership can be obtained by focusing on key accounts, reaping economies of scale, controlling costs† (Sultan Kermally; 2003, 66-67). Main Body In order to achieve an proper competitive positioning and above average performance, Porter has proposed the following strategies which are termed as generic strategies: Cost leadership A differentiation strategy Focus strategy Cost leadership (attaining the lowest cost position) is clearly not within every firm’s ability to strive toward and attain. In fact, not more than one or two firms in any industry can give value arising predominately from cost-effective operations. By far the majority of firms succeed through the implementation of one of the other two strategies. Even in the case of supposed commodities, companies strive to raise other dimensions of value given to consumers rather than seeking just to compete on a cost basis. Mobil and Exxon are amongst the petroleum firms that attempt to position their gasoline as being superior in quality (anti-clog, non-freeze, etc.), additionally to which their service stations stock an increasing array of convenience items. Mercedes Benz focuses on the prestige and image-conscious end of the automobile market, while Toyota’s manufacturing efficiency gives it a cost and quality facilitator which is reinforced by its marketing wizardry. Combinations of these strategies are also probable, as when instant oil change (focus) specialists look to establish a low-cost position due to the high volume of business generated by a sensible response to customer’s minor automobile service needs. The cost leadership strategy frequently requires a `lean’ culture and is usually perceived as `unattractive’ with the constant focus on cost management and efficiency. A leaning to be production or operations led therefore emerges. This produces a concentration on standardization of products, components as well as processes with the minimization of variations/derivatives. A fine balance needs to be attained between maintaining a contracted range of products/services and meeting the varying needs of diverse customer groups. It is these tensions between either giving a differentiated approach to match customer require and gain competitive advantage, or pursuing cost leadership to gain profit margin and value advantage, that frequently leads in practice to a mixed approach. This means that the advantages of neither competitive position are attained. This being `stuck in the middle’ yields no competitive advantage and corrodes the position of the business unit. Differentiation would involve an organization in providing something unique to its target customers. The uniqueness can be related to products, the way it delivers its goods and services, the way it markets its products or anything that shapes a customer’s perception in relation to differentiation. This could be the way products and services are branded or designed and the customers perceive such offerings as unique† (Sultan Kermally; 2003, 66-67). The differentiation strategy is often the most `attractive’ in that it gives the opportunity for a more resourceful approach to the market. For this reason the organization tends to be marketing led. It is fundamental in these business units that the cost/benefit analysis of any new type of differentiation is thoroughly evaluated. In addition, sensitivity analysis should be used to look at the capability of the associated cost base at different levels of sales performance and in diverse market conditions. The primary challenge with differentiation is one of competitor replication, where the benefit is temporary and, once replicated, becomes an increase in the industry/market cost base for all competitors. This growing migration of the cost base can over time destroy an attractive market segment. According to Grant (1991): â€Å"Differentiation is different from segmentation. Differentiation is concerned with how the firm competes — in what ways the firm can proffer uniqueness to its customers. Such exclusivity might relate to consistency (McDonalds), dependability (Federal Express), status (American Express), quality (Marks & Spencer), and innovation (Sony). Segmentation, in terms of market segment choices is concerned with where the firm competes in terms of consumer groups, localities and product types†. Whereas segmentation is a feature of market structure, differentiation is a strategic choice by a firm. A segmented market is one that can be partitioned according to the characteristics of customers and their demand. Differentiation is concerned with a firm’s positioning within a market or a segment in relation to the product, service and image characteristics that influence customer choice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Sultan Kermally; 2003, 66-67). Michael Porter also has addressed the issues of competitive advantage in relation to the nations. In his book ‘The Competitive Advantage of Nations’ (1990), Porter’s view has an impact in relation to global competition and consequently global marketing. He puts forward a view that national conditions influence a firm’s competitive advantage in globally competing industries. Then comes focus strategy that â€Å"involves an organization being selective in terms of the segments it wants to serve and focusing on these segments to the exclusion of other segments. The focus strategy can either be cost focus or differentiation focus. If an organization does not choose generic strategies it wants to focus on then as Porter puts it, it will be ‘stuck in the middle’. The extent to which a generic strategy can be sustainable will depend on competitors’ behavior and action. The organization constantly has to be a step ahead of its competitors† (Sultan Kermally; 2003, 66-67). Porter’s generic strategies are based on the competitive methods and possibility of the organization, both of which compromise its strategy. His recommendations have perceptive appeal. Unfortunately, Porter does not cite any contributing literature in the development of his typology. It is also unfortunate that Porter’s deductively derived typology was not convoyed by an attempt to validate its contents empirically. However, separate research efforts have been directed at subjecting Porter’s conceptualized typology to empirical verification. One of the first empirical tests of Porter’s hypothesis was conducted by Dess and Davis, who examined 22 firms in the paint and related products industry (Dess and Davis, 1984). A total of 78 executives from these firms completed questionnaires by representing the importance of 21 competitive variables (Woo and Cool, 1983). The resulting correlation matrix of this distinctiveness was subjected to factor analysis to isolate the competitive dimensions linked with Porter’s three generic strategies. The principal factor solutions hold three elements that were matched against Porter’s generic strategies. A panel of seven academicians was then surveyed to establish the importance of each competitive means for each of the generic strategies. Overall, general agreement was attained between the panel’s definition of cost leadership and differentiation and that resultant via the factor analysis. However, disagreement existed over the panel’s idea of focus strategy and that which was labeled through the beginning. So as to differentiate firms according to discrete patterns of strategic behavior, Dess and Davis entered the factor scores of each firm into a group algorithm. Performance data (return on assets and annual sales growth) were provided for 15 of these firms. The authors observed four separate clusters, of which three were hold as pursuing distinct generic strategies (cost leadership, differentiation, or focus). They labeled the fourth cluster â€Å"stuck in the middle.† Return on assets for both the cost leadership and differentiation strategies were considerably higher than that generated by the â€Å"stuck in the middle† strategy, lending some support to Porter’s argument that generic strategies produce superior performance. However, the focus cluster was also shown to have the lowest profitability, signifying that Dess and Davis’s results were not conclusive. The authors also raised questions concerning interpretation of factor scores, given concerns they had with the constancy of factor loading in the sample set. The study is also limited in that it implicated only one industry. In a separate study, White examined 69 business units from 12 different businesses from the Profit Impact of Marketing Strategies (PIMS) data base in order to determine the â€Å"proper† organizational requirements approved for Porter’s three generic strategies (White, 1986). A differentiation strategy was operationalized by high relative cost and price, whereas a cost leadership strategy was distinct by low relative price and cost. The organizational â€Å"context† of the business unit was operationalized along three dimensions: autonomy, frequency of reports/reviews, and functional coordination. Performance was determined according to return on investment (ROI), real sales growth, relative market share, and cash flow from investment. By statistically comparing different organizational characteristics, White was capable to demonstrate that businesses within a common strategy class had similar organizational contexts within the overall corporation. For businesses that followed a cost leadership strategy, higher ROIs were linked with low autonomy and more frequent reviews and measures of performance. For businesses following differentiation strategies, higher ROIs were linked with an opposite set of interorganizational characteristics. These results were reliable with Porter’s contention (Porter, 1980). However, when White employed other measures of performance (for instance, real sales growth), the previously mentioned relationships did not always hold. In addition, the combination strategy of both low cost and differentiation produced the highest overall ROI results and higher real growth consequences than a simple pure cost strategy. This suggests that, differing to Porter’s hypothesis, some successful businesses follow a combination of two or more â€Å"generic† strategies concurrently. Another study based on testing Porter’s hypothesis was performed by Woo and Cool. The primary aim of this study was to contrast the performance of Porter’s differentiation and cost leadership strategies with non-generic strategies. The study concentrated on domestic manufacturing businesses over the period from 1976 to 1979 and used the PIMS data base. Woo and Cool chose relative price and cost as representative of the major dimensions that reflect Porter’s differentiation as well as cost leadership strategies. Performance was represented by four factors: return on investment, real sales growth, relative market share, and cash flow to investment. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedure was performed that designated mixed results for the generic strategies. According to Woo and Cool, â€Å"In all cases, non-generic strategies as a group seem to achieve as well as the generic strategies.† (Woo and Cool, 1983, 17). These results seem to corroborate those findings of White. In addition, the use of discriminant analysis recognized differences in the functional components of Porter’s two generic strategies and revealed that (1) differentiation strategy was recognized with higher product quality and product R&D and (2) cost leadership was linked with lower discretionary spending and a heavy emphasis on forward integration. In all, Woo and Cool’s conclusions challenged two aspects of Porter’s hypothesis, namely, that generic strategies produce superior performance and that the useful components of particular generic strategies are static and deductively particular The generic strategies make the postulation that the company intends to persist in a concentration mode, that is, limit its horizons to a single product/service or attain a predominant portion of its sales in one industry. Few large or medium size firms confine their product horizons. Characteristically it is small businesses that start with such a focus. With success and growth usually comes a desire to reduce dependence on any one product/market. Diversified firms have more established sales and earnings. Risk reduction unquestionably helps improve shareholder value. Most firms have historically been uncomfortable about â€Å"sticking to their knitting† lest they knit a sweater that’s no longer in style or that someone else can make at half the price (perhaps with a machine they’ve just invented). The unwillingness to place all one’s eggs in one basket is quite comprehensible since it could result in binding the company’s future to just one product, a product that might be rendered obsolete or alternated by alternate products. Also, competitors could prove to be more competent at value formation by identifying the desired components of value more accurately or delivering them more efficiently. Continuous value enhancement in a single product area is positively laudable, but prudence dictates that other stakeholders’ needs (shareholders, employees, creditors, and suppliers, for instance) also be taken into thought. Diversification is an important strategy in assuring that the needs of a diversity of stakeholders are given careful enough attention to merit their strong support. Moreover, expanding the product as well as market scope of the firm widens its range of customers, providing even more opportunities for delivering value in completely novel ways. Diversification has, of late, come under fire for being the reason of many firms’ declining ability to compete with domestic and foreign rivals. It is, however, conglomerate diversification that distracts a firm from its work of value. When a firm has numerous product and service offerings, few of which have any association to each other, the objective becomes to exploit shareholder value (stock price and/or dividend). Commitment to a product line or to its customers is noticeably absent at the corporate level. Conglomerates not simply keep their eggs in different baskets, they often forget where their baskets are! On the other hand, concentrically diversified firms–General Electric, Matsushita, Procter and Gamble, IBM, and Honda, to name a few–seek new product or market opportunities with a view to ongoing their prior success in value creation. IBM, for instance, has excelled at providing engineering, installation, maintenance and other types of services to customers. This source of value has been deliberately developed and maximized regardless of whether the product is a mainframe computer, a microcomputer or peripheral equipment. Procter and Gamble, whether in consumer non-durables or in its more recent food/pharmaceutical ventures has, certainly, always been known for its clear conceptualization and faultless construction of value? However, its capability to unerringly communicate the value inhabiting in its products–through timely and well-planned distribution, superb promotion, and rapid assimilation of customer comments-is what enables P & G to exploit value in its erstwhile as well as new product areas. Thus, Porter three generic strategies are alternative, workable approaches to dealing with the competitive forces.†Ã‚   However, the uniqueness of Porter’s cost, differentiation, and focus strategies has been empirically supported by Dess and Davis, White, and Woo and Cool. These same researchers have also suggested that various combinations of these strategy taxa (cost, differentiation, focus) often result in superior performance. Here, the central matter is focused on the proper level of abstraction in conceptualizing generic strategies. As such, cost, differentiation, and focus (or their derivatives) have been equally viewed as representative of lower levels of concept and as such are more appropriately measured as strategy â€Å"types† or â€Å"strategic factors† that in combination make up the taxa or composite strategies. Conclusion Porter’s generic strategies can be linked directly to the competitive positioning strategy. Product specialization, high-quality offerings, and product innovation are all derivatives of Porter’s differentiation strategy; the combination strategy type recognized in this study relates to Porter’s cost and differentiation strategies. Porter also suggests four strategic alternatives in global industries: broad line global competition, global focus, national focus, and protected niche. These broad patterns resemble aspects of the internationalization dimension. For instance, the domestic strategy type identified in this study is closely linked to Porter’s national focus strategy. Porter also does not mention either exporting or mixed international strategy types. Porter has yet to differentiate fully his conceptualization of global strategy in terms of internationalization and competitive positioning. Indeed, his own perspectives of global strategy seem to have matured with time, perhaps as a consequence of mounting criticism leveled against his cost/differentiation generic strategies. To Porter, the essence of a global strategy can be captured through strategic focus. Yet by defining global industries throughout international parameters, it becomes imperative to determine both whether and how member businesses are in fact competing internationally. Later Porter expands his earlier conceptualization of global strategy by defining it as â€Å"one in which a firm seeks to gain competitive advantage from its international presence through either concentrating configuration, coordination among dispersed activities, or both.† (Porter 1986a: 20) With this definition, global strategy is no longer portrayed as just a function of the one-dimensional geographic experience captured by strategic focus. Rather, it is reflected in the essence of internationalization captured in this study. Porter has always faced a complex challenge subordinating his own four–largely internationalization–strategy types to his leading generic strategies. Indeed, by identifying global strategies through predominantly internationalization, Porter is seen implicitly supporting an agreeing strategic emphasis on both competitive positioning and internationalization. For instance, a broad-line global competitor will compete either on the basis of low cost or differentiation. Thus, cost and differentiation are dimensions of a global strategy, and the same a global strategy is rooted in cost or differentiation advantages. Work Cited Dess G., and Davis P. ( 1984). â€Å"Porter’s (1980) generic strategies as determinants of strategic groups’ membership and organizational performance†. Academy of Management Journal, 27, 467-488. Grant, R.M. (1991). The Resource-based Theory of Competitive Advantage: Implications for Strategy Formulation. California Management Review, Spring, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 114-135. Kim, Eonsoo, Dae-il Nam and J.L. Stimpert (2004) ‘The Applicability of Porters GenericStrategies in the Digital Age: Assumptions, Conjectures, and Suggestions’ Journal of Management, 30:5, 569–589 Millar, D. (1992), ‘The Generic Strategy Trap’, Journal of Business Strategy, 13, 37–41. Parnell, John A. (2006) ‘Generic strategies after two decades: a reconceptualization of competitive strategy’, Management Decision, 44:8, 1139–1154 Parnell, John A. and Lewis Hershey ‘The strategy-performance relationship revisited: the blessing and curse of the combination strategy’, International Journal of Commerceand Management, 15:1, 17–33. Porter M. ( 1986a). â€Å"Changing patterns of international competition†. California Management Review, 28, 9-40. Porter M. E. ( 1980). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. New York: Free Press. Sultan Kermally; Gurus on Marketing Thorogood, 2003 White R. ( 1986). â€Å"Generic Business Strategies, organizational context and performance: An empirical investigation†. Strategic Management Journal, 7, 217-231. Woo C., and Cool K. ( 1983). Porter’s (1980) generic competitive strategies: A test of performance and functional strategy attributes. Working paper, Purdue University.

Friday, August 16, 2019

To Kill or Not to Kill

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: TO KILL OR NOT TO KILL Student: Dave Cameron Professor: Robert Ashley Class: CAN271FA Law & The Citizen The first record of capital punishment in Canada is that of Peter Cartcel, a sailor who murdered Abraham Goodsides, a sailor from another ship, in 1749. Peter Cartcel was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. Capital punishment was first implemented in Canada in 1749 when it was under British rule as a British colony. The death penalty was not abolished in Canada until 1976.The last instance of Capital punishment was an execution that took place at Toronto’s Don Jail on December 11, 1962. Arthur Lucas, a man convicted of killing an FBI informant and Ronald Turpin, a petty thief who shot a policeman while fleeing a restaurant robbery, were the last two individuals to be hung in Canada. Over the course of the two centuries that Capital punishment was in use in Canada, 710 individuals were executed. Canada should not re-instate the death penalty for any offences due to the fact that the legal system is still not an exact science and many innocent individuals continue to be wrongfully accused of crimes.There are many disadvantages to Capital punishment and reinstating it would be an egregious error on our nation’s part and we would be taking a step backwards in terms of our civility and humanity. If Canada reinstates the death penalty, there is a possibility that many individuals will be executed for crimes they did not commit. While there are no known cases of wrongful executions in Canada, between the years of 1879 and 1960, 438 death sentences were commuted as a result of newfound evidence etc. Had those 438 death sentences not been commuted, it is possible that 438 innocent Canadian citizens would have been put to death.Despite the fact that there is no evidence of wrongful executions in Canada, there have been many cases of individuals who have been exonerated of their crimes years after they were execute d in other nations. One infamous case of wrongful execution occurred in the United States. Claude Jones, a United States citizen, was executed in the year 2000 for murdering liquor storeowner Allen Hilzendager in 1989. In 2007, a DNA test revealed that the strand of hair that was used by the prosecution to convict Claude Jones was actually a strand of hair belonging to the victim, proving Claude Jones’ innocence.Similar to Claude Jones’ proven innocence years after his execution, there have been many wrongful executions in other nations throughout the world. In the United Kingdom, Timothy Evans was found guilty of murdering his wife and daughter in 1950. The serial killer John Christie in fact committed the murders. The police coerced Timothy Evans into a false confession. The police also did not do a proper search of John Christie’s property and failed to find other human remains. Timothy Evans was granted a royal pardon in 1966, however an innocent life had be en needlessly taken.Capital punishment was abolished in the United Kingdom partly because of Timothy Evans wrongful execution. If Capital punishment did not exist in these nations, the lives of many innocent men and women would have been spared. Therefore, Capital punishment should not be reinstated in Canada because it is not worth the possibility that innocent Canadians will be put to death for crimes they did not commit. If an individual is wrongfully accused for a crime, incarcerated for life and are exonerated, they can be released and resume their former life. However, a wrongful execution cannot be undone or taken back, it is permanent.It has been proven throughout the history of modern of law, particularly throughout the history of English common law, which is the basis of the Canadian legal system in every province in Canada except for Quebec, a province where they practice Civil law, that 50% of eyewitness testimony is false. Eyewitness testimony is the most influential de ciding factor for a Jury during trial and 95-100% of crimes that carry Capital punishment are trails with a Jury. Therefore, there is a very high risk that innocent individuals will be put in jail and sentenced to Capital punishment based on a Jury swayed by false eyewitness testimony.Capital punishment has been used by nearly all nations throughout the world at one point in history. The use of Capital punishment as part of the justice system began with recorded history and it has made many changes and advances over the millennia that it has been in use. To its credit, there have been many movements towards more humane forms of execution, especially throughout the last century. Prisoners are no longer being boiled to death, crucified or impaled, however execution as a form of punishment is still seen as a gruesome act by many countries, including Canada.The more humane forms of execution that have been invented and implemented in modern jails include the electric chair, the gas cham ber and lethal injection. These forms of â€Å"humane† execution are used in the United States where Capital punishment is legal. Many societies with Capital punishment ascribe to the Biblical Old Testament form of law, the idea of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, where a person who has harmed another should be similarly harmed in retribution. However, if you take an eye for an eye every time someone is wronged, the whole world will go blind.Another disadvantage to Capital punishment is that one of the purposes of jails in modern society is to rehabilitate inmates. Jails do not only exist to protect society from criminals that can harm the innocent, they also have the intention of rehabilitating inmates so that they can rejoin society as healthy, functioning members who can contribute in a meaningful way. There are many different types of rehabilitation programs established in Canadian prisons. One important rehabilitation program gives inmates access to educational services that they did not receive prior to their incarceration for various socio-economic reasons.These educational services allow inmates, who are often lacking basic education, to become literate, receive their General Education Development diploma, participate in vocational education programs, earn College diplomas and earn University degrees. One of the leading causes of crime is poverty, which is often caused by a cycle of illiteracy and a lack of education. Inmates should be given a chance to be educated while serving their sentence so that they can be rehabilitated into society, rather than being executed. When Capital punishment is in place in a nation, no societal progress can be made.Thousands of lives are taken and no change is made, the cycle of crime continues. Another leading cause of crime is drug and alcohol abuse. Many individuals resort to crime to support their expensive drug and alcohol habits and the majority have not received drug treatment prior to their inc arceration. Another important rehabilitation program in Canadian prisons is the drug treatment program. Studies have shown that inmates who are required to participate in drug rehabilitation programs combined with therapy show positive results. The purpose of jails is to not only punish criminals, but to rehabilitate them into society.Inmates need to be given a chance to receive the rehabilitation they need, such as drug and alcohol treatment and an education before their lives are taken away. The solution to crime in our society is not Capital punishment. It is finding the source and the root of the crime, such as poverty, lack of education and drug and alcohol abuse and solving these problems and rehabilitating these individuals. Once inmates are successfully rehabilitated the level of crime will greatly diminish and no lives need to be taken in the form of Capital punishment.There are numerous disadvantages to reinstating Capital punishment in Canada, however one of the advantage s to Capital punishment is it costs less money to execute a prisoner than to house them for life. In Canada, rather than receiving the death penalty for crimes such as murder, individuals receive 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole for the duration of those 25 years. It is possible that these individuals will remain in prison for the rest of their lives. If the crime is particularly heinous, the prisoner is designated a dangerous offender.This makes the possibility of parole much more difficult to obtain. Prisoners can also be designated long-term offenders. This is less serious than being designated a dangerous offender, however it is still difficult to receive parole. The designation of dangerous offender and long-term offender are made after individuals are convicted. The prisoners only given these designations once they have received a fair trail. Prisoners such as long-term offenders and dangerous offenders who remain in jail for 25 or more years cost Canadian tax payers and the Government an enormous amount of money.One advantage to Capital punishment is it’s financial benefit to the nations that implement it. The annual cost of housing an inmate in Canada can range between $52,000 to $250,000 a year depending on level of security of the facility in which the inmate is being held. Multiply that figure by the 25 years an inmate serves when sentenced to life in prison instead of receiving Capital punishment and the housing of an inmate for life in Canada ranges from $1,300,000 to $6,250,000. It is Canadian taxpayers who pay for the housing of inmates through the Government.However, the financial benefit of killing individuals instead of housing them for life is not worth potentially killing the innocent. There are many advantages and disadvantages to Capital punishment, however it should not be reinstated in Canada. The disadvantages far outweigh the advantages and it is simply not worth the possibility of potentially killing innoce nt individuals just to save the taxpayers and the Government money. Works Cited List Jobb, Dean. Bluenose Justice: True Tales of Mischief, Mayhem and Murder. â€Å"First Blood. † (Hantsport, N. S. : Lancelot Press, 1996), pages: 135-40.Napolitano, Angelina. Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. University of Toronto. 2011. http://www. biographi. ca/index-e. html. Web. 9 Jul. 2012. American Psychological Association. â€Å"Inmate Drug Abuse Treatment Slows Prison’s Revolving Door. † American Psychological Association. 2004. http://www. apa. org/research/action/aftercare. aspx. Web. 10 Jul. 2012. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. â€Å"Doing The Crime And Doing The Time. † Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2012. http://www. cbc. ca/canadavotes 2006/realitycheck/crimetime. html. Web. 10 Jul. 2012. Center on Wrongful Convictions. Claude Jones. † Northwestern University School of Law. 2006. http://www. law. northwestern. edu/cwc/issues/wrongfulexecu tions/ txjonescsummary. html. Web. 9 Jul. 2012. Correctional Service Canada. â€Å"Staff Development and the Formation of Curriculum in Prison Education. † Correctional Service Canada. 2012. http://www. csc-scc. gc. ca/text/pblct/forum/e031/e031l-eng. shtml. Web. 10 Jul. 2012. Crime Museum. â€Å"Wrongful Execution. † National Museum of Crime and Punishment. 2008. http://www. crimemuseum. org/library/execution/wrongfulExecution. html. Web. 9 Jul. 2012. Michael Bromby.Glasgow Caledonian University. â€Å"An Examination of Criminal Jury Directions in Relation to Eyewitness Identification in Commonwealth Jurisdictions. † Glasgow Caledonian University. http://gcal. academia. edu/Michael Bromby/Papers/9952/An_Examination_of_Criminal_Jury_Directions_in_Relation_to_Eyewitness_Identification_in_Commonwealth_Jurisdictions. Web. 10 Jul. 2012. Steven Duke. Yale Law School. â€Å"Eyewitness Testimony Doesn’t Make It True. † Yale Law School. 2006. http://www. l aw. yale. edu/news/2727. htm. Web. 10 Jul. 2012. ——————————————– [ 1 ].Dean Jobb, â€Å"First Blood,† in Bluenose Justice: True Tales of Mischief, Mayhem and Murder (Hantsport, N. S. : Lancelot Press, 1996), pages: 135-40. [ 2 ]. Dean Jobb, â€Å"First Blood,† in Bluenose Justice: True Tales of Mischief, Mayhem and Murder (Hantsport, N. S. : Lancelot Press, 1996), pages: 135-40. [ 3 ]. Angelina Napolitano. Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. http://www. biographi. ca/index-e. html. Date of access, July 9, 2012. [ 4 ]. Angelina Napolitano. Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online: http://www. biographi. ca/index-e. html. Date of access, July 9, 2012. [ 5 ].Angelina Napolitano. Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online: http://www. biographi. ca/index-e. html. Date of access, July 9, 2012. [ 6 ]. Angelina Napolitano. Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online: http://w ww. biographi. ca/index-e. html. Date of access, July 9, 2012. [ 7 ]. Angelina Napolitano. Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online: http://www. biographi. ca/index-e. html. Date of access, July 9, 2012. [ 8 ]. Claude Jones, Center on Wrongful Convictions. http://www. law. northwestern. edu/cwc/issues/wrongfulexecutions/txjonescsummary. html. Date of access, July 9, 2012. 9 ]. Claude Jones, Center on Wrongful Convictions. http://www. law. northwestern. edu/cwc/issues/wrongfulexecutions/txjonescsummary. html. Date of access, July 9, 2012. [ 10 ]. Crime Museum. http://www. crimemuseum. org/library/execution/wrongfulExecution. html. Date of access, July 9, 2012. [ 11 ]. Crime Museum. http://www. crimemuseum. org/library/execution/wrongfulExecution. html. Date of access, July 9, 2012. [ 12 ]. Crime Museum. http://www. crimemuseum. org/library/execution/wrongfulExecution. html. Date of access, July 9, 2012. [ 13 ]. Crime Museum.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Of Mice and Men Coursework Rough Essay

Introduction. ‘Of Mice and Men’ is written by John Steinbeck, published in 1937. The novel is set in the 1930s during the great depression in California. The two prominent characters, George and Lennie are farm workers who have a dream of one-day owning their own ranch. They find work in a ranch near Soledad, after escaping from Weed because of George’s incident. They are met by different characters on the farm that all have a dream. Lots of farm workers would share the dream of all one day owning some land of their own. This dream became very popular and was named the ‘American Dream.’ Its people came from every country and background with the one belief that America would bring them wealth and happiness. For very many others, America offered escape from poverty and starvation. It was a new country, an undiscovered one. In Europe land had always been the key to money and status. Only in America could the poor of Europe hope to own their own land. The country became more and more heavily populated as the word got around of gold mines, and new homes and villages developed creating communities. At its simplest the American Dream was the popular idea that America was a country that allowed men and women to make a clean start. Like all dreams the reality did not always match the dream. However the destruction of the Indians, the American civil war and the creation of city slums were all growing pains of a great country. Yet the dream survived. That is this dream survived until the late 1920s. By then there was no more land to be claimed and America had built up its own rules and laws. This marked the start of the great depression. Farming was badly effected, as over farming had caused huge areas of land to just dry up. This was the creation of the famous ‘dust bowl.’ Poor crops meant that many of the farmers were unable to pay back the debts they had taken out in the first place to buy the land. This meant that the way of life of men such as George, Lennie and slim was coming to an end when ‘of mice and men’ was written. All the events above occurred during the writing of the novel and perhaps suggests that the story is about the end of the American Dream, the social changes and the new reality of living a full American life. The Setting. The book opens with a description of the country around the Salinas river, south of Soledad in California. When describing this landscape Steinbeck uses a very wide variety of different colours and animal descriptions in only the first short paragraph. He has a very powerful descriptive style. ‘Lower leaf junctures,’ that are green, then he notes that the deer’s tracks are ‘split wedge.’ This description is used when the author used direct speech. As the two characters give us information about what they think and their personalities by how they talk. This landscape is the appropriate backdrop to the introduction of the two characters George and Lennie because it shows a typical background for migrant workers. Who would travel great distances, either walking, using cheap bus services, hitch hiking or traveling by train. We know that this particular novel strictly focuses on the life of these men from a few short quotes on the first couple of pages. â €˜The path beaten hard by boys.’ This line suggests that George and Lennie are following in the footsteps of hundreds of other men. The path had been used to walk to and from work many times which symbolizes the employment and unemployment of men. Walking the road and trying to achieve the all ‘American Dream’ by making a fortune and living the high life. ‘ The tree worn smooth by men,’ this shows how often migrant workers had collapsed and sat on that log suggesting how tired and utterly exhausted the men were after traveling miles and miles. This proves determination that those men had, to actually make something of their lives. ‘Ash pile made by many fires.’ This conveys the notion of starving men who had set up camp in that area. By lighting fires that kept them warm and fed. The fact that so many fires had been lit before just proves the amount of people who had been in that baron area. George and Lennie’s previous job in Weed was probably something to do with farming as they were itinerant farmers. They are drifters who move from ranch to ranch. This means that they are very skilled in various aspects of farm work and labour. The only security these men live on is the hope of more or new work. ‘Murray and Ready’s’ was like an employment agency which was set up as a result of President Roosevelt’s new deal which directed migrant workers into agricultural work. From this place George and Lennie had both collected ‘work cards’ which secured their working position and acted as evidence and identity. They had no permanent home and solely relied on the rough farm accommodation. They carried all their belongings around in a bindle of clothing and cooking utensils which were made portable by wrapping blankets aroun d the outside. When migrant workers arrive at their work place after traveling and sleeping rough. They often find they have to stay in very simple, poor accommodation. The conditions in which the migrant workers lived were primitive. Bunkhouse walls were whitewashed, the floor unpainted. There were eight bunks in the bunkhouse, which showed that there was a lack of privacy for the men. Even their few personal belongings were on public display â€Å"†¦over each bunk there was nailed an apple-box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The only places for the men to sit were boxes. George saw that the conditions were also unhygienic when he found a can in his apple-box which said â€Å"†¦positively kills lice, roaches and other scourges†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Even the stable buck, who is not permitted to sleep with the other men in the bunkhouse and has his own room, also has to live in primitive and unhygienic conditions. For example â€Å"†¦a manure pile under the window†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . One characteristic that the migrant workers share is that they all long for a better life. Loneliness. Loneliness is a very key part of the migrant workers life. They have no time for meaningful friendships or long relationships. Little trust is shared and the men work solely for themselves. Many of the characters are lonely and this motivates them to look for an alternative way of life. This is one of the reasons why there are drifters; they are continually searching often not knowing what they are looking for. Characters are also lonely because of something within themselves, something which seems to make their loneliness inevitable. Different characters seek comfort and solace in different things. For Candy it is his dog, for George and Lennie it’s each other, for Crooks it’s his pride and his skill at pitching horseshoes. In the novel George and Lennie find themselves a ‘Few miles of Soledad.’ This is a real place in California and its name, which is Spanish can mean loneliness or lonely place. George describes himself and Lennie as the sort of people wh o ‘are the loneliness guys in the world.’ Although the boss of the ranch thinks that George exploits Lennie, all the ranch workers come to see that the reason for their relationship is mutual loneliness. Candy’s relationship with his dog is much like the relationship between George and Lennie. Candy has a parental role towards his dog, just as George has a parental role towards Lennie. Lennie can be compared with the dog in the sense that he listens, but does not talk; this provides comfort for those who talk to him about their feelings. ‘He ain’t no good to you Candy. An’ he ain’t no good to himself. Why’n’t you shoot him Candy?’ Carlson is unsentimental about Candy’s dog as he can see no further practical use for it. Although his suggestion is perhaps reasonable, he seems oblivious to the strong bond between Candy and his pet. Lennie turns to petting animals for comfort. He means no harm to the creatures and sees them as on a similar level to himself. Lennie is unaware of the feelings of the pups as he heavily touches and plays with them, this causes the ranch workers to become concerned. ‘Well you ain’t bein’ kind to him..’ With these words Carlson is ironically ‘sentencing’ Lennie who will later suffer the same fate as the dog. Carlson assumes that Candy can soon get another pet, just as at the end of the novel he seems to assume that George can easily get another friend. From this we can see that Carlson, like some of the other characters does not appreciate the bonds that occur. Candy and his dog are obviously very alike to George and Lennie, even to the way the dog follows Candy around in the same way as Lennie follows George. Just as Candy feels tied down by his relationship with his dog, so George feels trapped by his sense of responsibility for Lennie. Curley’s wife is one of the loneliest characters in the novel; she has no identity, she is seen as an object, a possession of Curley’s. Curley’s wife is seen as a flirtatious ‘tart’ by the other ranch-hands, true, Curley’s wife does flirt, she is very conscious of the effect this has on men, but she is not a tart. She wants attention and by gaining that attention, she act the way people think. ‘She had full rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red.’ She likes to dress up and wear a lot of make up, to attract the men. The men on the other hand do not flirt with her, as they are afraid of what Curly might do. This leads to the loneliness of many characters. Although the men think it is wrong of her to flaunt herself sexually and give everyone the ‘eye’, the men all visit a ########## for sexual gratification and momentary companionship. Those like George and Whit contradict themselves when they talk about Curley’s wife as being ‘jail-bait’. ‘She’s gonna make a mess. They’s gonna be a bad mess about her. She’s a jail-bait all set on a trigger,’ George senses danger coming his way, but he chooses to ignore it, as he needs the money. During the 1930s, women were seen as possessions of their husbands who were to stay at home. George’s view of women, seem to be very basic and biased, he sees them as instruments to relieve physical urges. All the ranch-hands one evening go off to ‘Susie’s place.’ This Brothel is a place were the men can enjoy the company of women and sexual pleasure. As the men have no need for a relationship it means they can still have fun without all the strings attached to love and friendship. ‘She never talks dirty, neither. Got five girls there.’ George does not express the need for any female companionship mainly because he is too busy keeping Lennie out of trouble. All these things link up to suggest clues behind the real reasons as to why the ranch workers are so lonely. They try to shy away from commitment and responsibility. Violence. The lives of the men in the novel is filled with unnecessary violence. The boss is a good example of this in the way he treats the men and permits fighting. Curley is another good example with all his completely irrational aggressiveness. Carlson is another character who seems to thrive on violence either when he is arguing with others or when he is erring them on. The guns’ easy availability causes inevitable trouble throughout the book. From the text it is simple to separate the more frustrated characters who resort to uncivilized behavior from those who are not quite so uptight. In a world of such mistrust it is not hard to see why violence is a constant issue. When George and Lennie first enter the bunkhouse they discover how bad the accommodation is. Suspecting his bed contains vermin George inspects it cautiously. As he does so Candy chatters on about the boss. We learn that he vents his anger on the black stable hand, provides the men with whisky and allows a fight betw een the stable buck and ‘Smitty,’ one of the Skinners. The boss could be worse: Candy insists he’s ‘a pretty nice fella’ and, after all, he keeps two of the cripples on payroll. The atmosphere of later violence has the potential to create trouble for Lennie. Finally friction builds up between Curley and Lennie. ‘Let the big guy talk.’ This harsh confrontation is caused by Lennie’s attempts to obey George’s instructions to say nothing. Curley’s presence is not good for Lennie and George’s safety. This is emphasized by Candy’s comments ‘he’s alla time picking scraps with big guys.’ Since Lennie is a giant man it seemed certain that a violent assault would come from Curley. As Candy explains, Curley is a small man and feels that he cannot loose this kind of situation. This seems very dangerous as Lennie ‘don’t know no rules’ when it come to fighting. It is typical that Curley should pick on Lennie for his display of violence. In picki ng on the large but apparently harmless man, Curley demonstrates his own cowardice. There is an irony in the fact that it is Lennie’s happy thoughts about the farm which leave a smile on his face, which is misinterpreted by Curley. Despite his size Lennie has two distinct disadvantages, he will not act unless told to do so by George and he is terrified by aggression. Because of this he does not make any attempt to defend himself. Curley is a vicious fighter and is out to inflict damage on Lennie. Animal imagery is used towards Lennie as he stands like a ‘bear’ with ‘paws’ covering his face but Curley is the ‘dirty little rat.’ Lennie’s strength and grip crushes Curley’s hand . This is not aggression but more of a reflex action, it is a defensive move. Carlson is not a cowboy, but does possess a handgun. There is a conversation about Carlson’s gun in the bunkhouse this lets George know where it is kept. The sensitive slim points out that when Candy’s dog is killed there will need to be a decent burial so a shovel would be needed. This compares the shooting of the dog with the shooting of Lennie later on. John Steinbeck emphasizes the long wait at this period in time in the novel by using sounds like ‘shuffle,’ ‘rippled,’ and ‘gnawing,’ which contrast the eventual ‘shot.’ After Lennie is accused of killing Curley’s wife the ranch workers all go searching for the criminal. The prospect of a manhunt and the opportunity to use his luger excites Carlson, who seems to want to solve all his problems with his gun. His keenness to use his luger on Lennie reminds us of his former enthusiasm to use it on Candy’s dog. The hunt for Lennie continues and the consequences for Lennie are that as George has just been saying that there ‘Ain’t gonna be no more trouble. Nobody gonna hurt nor steal from ’em.’ These things would have been the rewards they were hoping from their dream farm. There is heavy irony in Lennie’s urgings to George to ‘do it now.’ Earlier on in the novel Candy said that he ‘ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog.’ This is probably the main reason as to why George decides that he should be the one to shoot Lennie, but he may also be protecting him from the treatment he would receive at Curley’s hands if he were to find him first. Prejudice. In Of Mice And Men there are several different levels of prejudice shown, all contributing to the failure of the American dream. The main types of prejudice shown in this novel are racial, sexual and age related. Racism is very prominent. There is much racial prejudice shown in Of Mice And Men towards Crooks the black crippled stable buck. Crooks is more permanent than the other ranch hands and has his own room off the stables with many more possessions than them. This room is made out to be a privilege and also because it means he is nearer to the horses but in fact it is really because the other ranch hands do not want him in the bunk house with them. As a result of this prejudice Crooks has become bitter and very lonely. When Lennie comes to pet the puppies, not even realizing that Crooks’ room is ‘out of bounds’, Crooks instantly becomes defensive â€Å"I ain’t wanted in the bunk room and you ain’t wanted in my room† but Lennie is childish and is completely without prejudice † Why ain’t you wanted† he asks. Crooks replies to this ,†Cause I’m black, they play cards in there but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well I tell you, all of you stink to me† This line showing that Crooks desperately wants to join in, be accepted, but because of his colour he can’t and so he feels the only way he can make himself feel better is to cut himself off further, it is a vicious circle. When Crooks realizes that Lennie means no harm he invites him to † Come on in and set a while† Lennie begins to talk about George and his dream, it makes Crooks remember his childhood which he looks on as a kind of paradise. â€Å"The white kids come to play at our place, an’ sometimes I went to play with them and some of them were pretty nice. My ol’ man didn’t like that. I never knew till long later why he didn’t like that. But I know now†. Crooks’ didn’t experience racism in his childhood, making his current situation even worse. Crooks is fascinated by the strength of the friendship of Lennie and George, especially how close they are. Crooks said, â€Å"Well, s’pose, jus’ s’pose he don’t come back. What’ll you do then?† Crooks asks these questions because he does not have any friends, and wouldn’t know how losing them unexpectedly would feel. He was curious and envious, about the friendship of Lennie and George, noticing that Lennie is retarded, he takes advantage of this situation to â€Å"torture† him mentally, to make him feel better and ease the pain of having other reject him â€Å"Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure at his torture† he also does this to ease his jealousy towards the friendship Lennie has, but that he, Crooks, will probably never have. He wants the people to feel the way that he does, completely alone. Crooks goes on to talk about his loneliness † ‘A guy needs somebody-to be near him’ He whined:â€⠄¢ A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you’ he cried ‘I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick'† Crooks is looking for sympathy, he is so incredibly lonely even to the point to saying that loneliness can make you ill. Curley’s wife is shown a lot of sexism over the course of the novel. Living on a ranch where the large majority of the people are male she is very lonely. George says â€Å"Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain’t no place for a girl† Perhaps to prove the fact she is insignificant, she is always referred to as ‘Curley’s wife’, never given a name. She experiences sexual prejudice in that none of the ranch hands will talk to her. This is partly because she can make up things about those she dislikes who will subsequently get ‘the can’ and also because she is a ‘looloo’ who flirts alots. â€Å"She got the eye goin’ all the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the stable buck they eye. I don’t know what the hell she wants† says Whit. The ranch hands don’t trust her or understand her. George says â€Å"Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain’t no place for a girl, specially like her† An old lover told her that she â€Å"coulda went with the shows, not jus one neither† He promised her that he would write â€Å"Soon’s he got back to Hollywood† but he never did and so she married Curley. Because of this she’s upset and feels she’s been deprived by life. In fact she doesn’t even like Curley â€Å"He ain’t a nice fella†. Because she has nothing to do but sit at home she goes out on the ranch under the reason of looking for Curley. Some of the sexism she experiences is her fault, she scares the ranch hands with her womanly actions but she isn’t really a tart, she just craves attention which she doesn’t get from Curley. Ignored by both the ranch workers and Curley she has ended up very lonely, the one thing she most wanted to escape. Throughout the novel there is a small protest for the weak. Steinbeck sees an opportunity to emphasise on how strong men had more authority over weaker or disabled onees. Candy, the old swamper is prejudiced against because of his age and his disability. Because of his hand he is unable to do a lot of the jobs that the other ranch hands do making him instantly an outsider. Also because he thinks that he is old he puts himself in a state of mind which handicaps him far more than his missing hand ever will. His life echoes that of his dog, he was once â€Å"the best damn sheep-dog I ever seen† but now is next to useless, Candy’s life has gone somewhat the same way. The novel shows the amount of predjudice at the time of the 1930s. At the time of the novel blacks in America had no rights, they were seen as nobodies. Because of this prejudice many of them, like Crooks â€Å"retired into the terrible protective dignity of the negro†. Women also had very few rights. There are many different levels of prejudice shown in Of Mice And Men. Through these prejudices the characters such as Crooks and Curley’s wife have become lonely but they are in hopeless position which they can do nothing about. Dreams. Many ranch workers would share George and Lennie’s dream of a small farm. Such a dream would allow men such as George to be their own master, to make a decent living from their own hard work. This dream forms part of the much larger phenomenon known as the American dream. The American Dream has its roots from when American first became populated. Many of the characters in the novel have dreams, in the sense that they have hopes or ambitions. These dreams are often kept secret to begin with. George is displeased when he discovers that Lennie and Candy have told Crooks about their secret ‘dream farm.’ George always talks wistfully about his mental picture of the farm. He sits ‘entranced with his own picture.’ Georges dream like description slows down the pace of the novel and provides a period of almost calm before all of Lennie’s destruction. George’s life and Lennie’s would be more closely related to nature on his dream farm as he says, ‘when we put in a crop, why we’d be there to take the crop up’, so the cycle of nature would be complete. Since George and Lennie’s ambition in life is much like all those around him he believes it to be pretty impossible to come true. But suddenly George realizes that what had been until a certain point a distant dream was then a real possibility. ‘S’pose I went in with you guys.’ Candy’s involvement and contribution made the dream make more sense. It offers George and Lennie the prospect of companionship and self-living. The characters dream is a sharp contrast to that of their current surroundings. Crooks is rather scornful of the dream as Lennie explains it to him ‘you’re nuts’, he says. Crooks compares human hopes with religious belief and says that the search for ‘a little piece of land’ is like the search for heaven. His comments create tension as Candy, George’s and Lennie’s dream seems so close to them. Crooks thinks that the chances of them successfully achieving their dream farm are remote. Few ha ve achieved it before. Despite Crooks negativity he seems drawn into the same dream of a better life and of companionship. During the discussion with the ranch workers his attitude changed from sheer disbelieve to almost excitement. Unlike most of the characters in contrast, Curley’s wife seems almost desperate to tell Lennie about her dreams. It is ironic that she confides in someone who appears to have no interest or little understanding of what she is saying. Curley’s wife reveals her own dreams of a better life. Her dream is parallel to that of Candy, Crooks and George. Curley’s wife seems to be starstuck to have taken all the flattering comments she received from the men she met. She finds her dream in the glittery world of show business, the cinema and glossy magazines. This is a sharp contrast to that of the three men. Her interest in the world of cinema and film stars suggest that her dress sense is there to make her stand out from all the other ‘ordinary’ girls. Eventually though in one way or another all the peoples dreams die out because of Lennie. Candy, George and Lennie’s dream is destroyed because of Curley’s wife. Lennie sinned and the heaven of the small farm became a dream again. George realizes that his own prospects are now no better than those other ranch workers, with their limited ambitions of cheap sex and gambling. Georges vision is an example of the second kind of unhappy vision. When he sees his future aimlessly drifting.’ I’ll take my fifty bucks an’ I’ll stay in some lousy cat house. Or I’ll set in some pool-room till ever’body goes home.’ Lennie’s dream is shattered. He starts to have visions after killing Curley’s wife. The appearance of a giant rabbit is to do with Lennie’s fear for the future. The rabbit is a symbol of a time of peace in quite and natural surroundings. Lennie tells himself that his dream has been destroyed by what he has done. Steinbeck again creates a sort of parallel not only between the shooting of Candy’s dog and of Lennie, but also between the emotions which motivate the killings. George ends up by killing Lennie, Lennie has killed Curley’s wife, and Carlson killed Candy’s dog. All killers are motivated by passion. Many of the workers have dreams of one kind or a another, and sometimes they share the same dream. Generally though the characters have one choices of an almost realistic dream. This is the dream that includes companionship, honesty and love or the ‘dream farm.’ Which represents the ambition and the possibility of escape from the workers loneliness and poverty. These factors eventually stimulated the violent deaths and therefore the abrupt ending of dreams.