Analysis Of Hillbilly Elegy - 1023 Words

The authors brings a new perspective on the ability of surviving poverty and overcoming the odds. He illustrates society’s views on people who are from the Appalachia mountain area throughout the book. By reviling his accounts and struggles, he opens the eyes of the readers who view these individuals as lazy, inbreed, rednecks, buy giving them a glimpse of his life struggles. The book, Hillbilly Elegy was a simple story of a poverty-stricken boy who grew up surrounded by negativity. The author took notice of all the people, events, failures, and his surroundings and use these to help mold him into who he is today. He would use the mentorship and observation of his grandmother and later his grandfather, who would, started as a salvage†¦show more content†¦This tendency might make for psychological resilience, but it also makes it hard for Appalachians to look at themselves honestly† (Vance, 2016). This reference can be true with many of today’s youth who are stuck in poverty. These particular youth tend to look at issues from a different perspective. They do not want to stress on factors, which they little or no control of the situation. In their mind, they tend to block out and ignore problematic issue, which come their way. They hope the issues of drugs, alcohol, domestic violence, and poverty will eventually handle themselves and go away. The fact is they never go away, and the only way out of this cycle is education, a strong mind, and ultimately removal from the environment, which they grew up in. I know this cycle, and I have lived it. I know what it is to grow up like the author, because I can relate with him almost 100%. I know if it was not for the Army, I could have ended up just like everyone I know back in my hometown. It is hard to stay away from all the negative influences around an individual, but it is even harder not to repeat what was seen as a healthy relationship between a man a and a woman. This is where a strong mind is needed. An individual needs to take in all negative accounts and pledge to themselves not to let those same traits manifest in them, or they might also find themselves in anShow MoreRelatedHillbilly Elegy Analysis938 Words   |  4 Pagesglorify the good and ignore the bad in ourselves.† (20) J.D. Vance introduces his readers to a world which many didn’t know existed, the world of white working class people, known as hillbillies, living in Rust Belt towns. Vance gives an inside look by telling stories of his life that are common circumstances in the hillbilly society. But as he says in the quote above, humans, no matter their race, background, or hometown, have a tendency to stretch the truth. Often we avoid putting ourselves or thoseRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Hillbilly Elegy Essay1776 Words   |  8 Pagespoorest white American which describes themselves as hillbillies as they reside in the eastern Kentucky. In his personal analysis of c ulture in crisis of hillbillies, J.D. Vance tries to explain, in his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, what goes on in the lives of people as the economy goes south in a culture that is culturally deceptive, family deceptive, and in a community, whose doctrine of loyalty is heavily guarded. Like every poor Scot-Irish hillbilly in his community, Vance came from being poor, likeRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Hillbilly Elegy1029 Words   |  5 PagesLiterary Analysis The memoir Hillbilly Elegy, written by J.D. Vance, is the remarkable story of a young man’s challenges of growing up in poverty. The book focuses on the difficulties that come along with living in Appalachia, and the family issues that go on as well. Living in poverty introduced Vance to a world filled with toxicity and violence. This unhealthy environment caused Vance to develop a conflict within himself, making him struggle with his self-identity. In Hillbilly Elegy, Vance usesRead MoreAnalysis Of Hillbilly Elegy1050 Words   |  5 PagesHillbilly Elegy Final Discussion The final reading of Hillbilly Elegy starts with J.D applying to law school. This was J.D’s goal, and I was so happy that he was about to achieve this. I found it interesting that J.D did not apply to Stanford Law School because to be admitted, you need a letter of recommendation from the dean from your undergraduate school. Vance did not apply because he didn’t know the dean from Ohio State. I think this says a great deal about how Vance views outsiders. I feelRead MoreAnalysis Of Hillbilly Elegy1430 Words   |  6 PagesSince the first page of Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, perseverance is prevalent. No matter what comes J.D. Vance’s way he always works through it. There are many ways people respond to the adversity in life, and there are many ways people respond each distinct time. Perseverance has been key in my life, not just J.D. Vance’s; I would argue every person in this world as well. Whether it be in the military, like Vance, school, sports, or a job, there is no hiding from adverse situations. J.D. VanceRead MoreHillbilly Elegy Analysis2115 Words   |  9 PagesThe book Hillbilly Elegy, A Memoir of A Family And Culture In Crisis written by J.D Vance is not like anything I have ever seen or read about. Vance begins his book by introducing the most important people around him, his family. Mamaw, Papaw and his sister Lindsey were his biggest support system and in many cases, his safe haven. In Middletown, Ohio where Vance spent the majority of his childhood was described as a town that didn’t have much money nor opportunity. What I learned from Vance was thatRead MoreHillbilly Elegy Analysis1175 Words   |  5 PagesI think the book â€Å"Hillbilly Elegy† is more sociological because they explained what people in Hillbilly Elegy go through. For example, â€Å"Jackson taught me that â€Å"hill people† and â€Å"poor people† usually meant the same thing. At Mamaw Blanton’s, we’d eat scrambled eggs, ham, fried potatoes, and biscuits for breakfast; fried bologna sandwiches for lunch; and soup and cornbread for dinner.† And hillbillies do not like or wear earrings. They explain how society is in Hilly Billy Elegy and how they hold themRead MoreHillbilly Elegy Analysis1240 Words   |  5 PagesWhen Mamaw and Papaw were teenagers back in 1947, they got married and it was the beginning of a long and adventurous marriage. In the first seven chapters of Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, Mamaw and Papaw have a very unique relationship. Mamaw and Papaw are somewhat abusive towards each other due to Papaw’s drinking problem. Not only Mamaw and Papaw’s relationship suffers because of their behavior, their family as well is very dysfunctional because of Mamaw and Papaw’s relationship. Many violentRead MoreAnalysis Of Hillbilly Elegy By Jd Vance1600 Words   |  7 Pagessought after by professionals all over the world. Developing these three skills can be a difficult process, however when all three are present in a person, that person can become a valuable asset for any company or business. In JD Vance’s memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, we see how he develops these important traits throughout his life. Through his struggles and victories, we the reader learn that no matter the situation you are placed in, you can succeed if you develop 3 important skills- those being persistenceRead MoreAnalysis Of Evicted By Matthew Desmond, And Hillbilly Elegy1370 Words   |  6 Pagesby Matthew Desmond, and Hillbilly Elegy, by J.D Vance, these problems were brought to the forefront in their own unique way. Evicted focused on the lower class level of urban poverty in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The people that were highlighted in this book were struggling to make ends mee t every month, and keep food on the table. Many of the families that we read about were evicted countless times, and struggled to stay out of local homeless shelters. Hillbilly Elegy focused more on the struggles

Comm Reflective Essay Free Essays

string(64) " the local market might be taken over by the foreign investors\." Section 1 My Learning Journey†¦ in COMM101: Principles of Responsible Commerce Initially, before I learn this course, I have always thought that a â€Å"responsible commerce† is only important to balance the economic cycle. In my initial essay regarding â€Å"responsible commerce†, I mentioned about child labor being one of the biggest issue of irresponsible commerce, I thought the reason of it being such a big issue was because it would affect the whole economical cycle. And I did not realize that responsible commerce would involve different kinds of principles of ethics and elements in business, Through this subject I have learned that ethical principles and standards in business define acceptable conduct in businesses which underpin how management makes decisions. We will write a custom essay sample on Comm Reflective Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Business ethics reflects the philosophy of business, one of whose aims is to determine the fundamental purposes of a company. However, behaving ethically is not quite the same thing as behaving lawfully, because ethics are about what is right and what is wrong; while law is about what is lawful and what is unlawful. What is unethical does not mean it is unlawful, for example, if a driver sees a car crash while he was driving, ethically, he should have stopped his car to see if there is any help that he could provide to the victim, but, still, it does not violate the law if he does not stop to help. It is the same in business. It would be ethical to take up partial responsibility to take care of the unfortunate after earning so much profit from the people; but not taking up the responsibility does not cause them to violate the law either. Another thing that I have learned about ethics is that there are different principles to define what is right or wrong. I would consider myself as a utilitarian because I have always thought that whether a matter is right or wrong depends on its consequence. If a person tells a lie, so that he would not hurt somebody’s feelings, he is ethically right. However, Kant’s theory is in contrast with utilitarianism. Kant’s theory judges a matter regardless of whether the consequence is good or bad, the action, for instance, lying is wrong, and then it is ethically wrong. In the commercial world, Kant’s theory gives organizations firm rules to follow in moral decision-makings. To Kantians, â€Å"morality must be based on the categorical imperative because morality is such that you are commanded by it, and is such that you cannot opt out of it or claim that it does not apply to you. † (California State University) Corporations use Kant’s categorical imperatives to command unconditionally on what is right for their employees to do and what is wrong to do. Kant’s theory had also taught me â€Å"humanity as an end, never as merely a means†, which means a person has his own inner worth and shall not be used by anyone for his or her benefits. (Shaw et. al. , 2009) But in my opinion, this principle is fairly difficult to obey because, in reality, everyone is using each other as a means to benefit himself in order to survive. For example, at a private college, a lecturer is hired to teach students who have paid tuition fees to the college. The college is using the lecturer as a means to generate income. On the other hand, lecturer is also using the college as a means to generate income for himself when he receives salary after teaching the students. This example has taught me that the application of ethical theories is not constant and evolves from time to time. Like corporate responsibilities, they, too, evolve from time to time. In 1962, Milton Friedman argued that ‘there is only one responsibility of business, which is to use its resources and engage in profitable activities as long as it stays within the rules of the game’. He emphasized that when a business is increasing profits, it is being socially responsible and it is believed to be an â€Å"invisible hand† to create more employment opportunities, new goods and services for customers, profits for shareholders, and economic growth. Nonetheless, according to Friedman, business managers who maximize profits are also acting moral responsibility because they have an obligation as employees to serve their employers bona fide in the best interest of the company. However, in 2010, a professor at Melbourne Business School, Doctor Geoff Lewis, claimed that Friedman’s view was outdated because the argument was set in the mid-nineties to preach against socialism. Lewis argued that in the twenty-first century, where most economy has been capitalized, it is not enough for a business to be solely responsible for increasing its profits. Lewis says that ‘forty years ago social responsibility may have been seen as an act of, as Friedman described it, â€Å"hypocritical window dressing† – but in today’s world we think in terms of sustainability and of business playing a central role in our market-driven society’. In addition, Niall FitzGerald (2010) also opposes with Friedman’s statement where being socially responsible is against the company’s best interest as it imposes costs on the shareholders, because being socially responsible does not conflict the profitability of a business. A major part of the commercial world today has already been capitalized so that corporations could enjoy free competition with each other, while consumers would have better choices of products. I believe that is what every one of us would think of. However, through learning COMM101, I have realized that capitalism is good, but a market shall not be over capitalized. Capitalism centered upon individual self-interest and competitiveness. (Shaw et. al. , 2009) Competition without regulations in the marketplace would lead to alienation of the weaker competitors in the market and, hence, breeds oligopolies in the market. This would not be a good thing to happen in the poorer countries, where the local corporations may not be as strong as the foreign ones, and would most probably be isolated by the consumers, while the local market might be taken over by the foreign investors. You read "Comm Reflective Essay" in category "Essay examples" In order to protect these local corporations, this is when the government should regulate the market by adding certain principles of socialism to encourage co-cooperativeness between foreign and local corporations. Another topic that I have learned in this course is globalization. Globalization has been promoted all around the world. Usually, globalization is seen as an irresistible and benign force for delivering economic prosperity to people throughout the world, the rich foreign investors and traders and people in poor countries. However, it is also blamed as a source of all contemporary ills. International Labour Organisation) I have always thought that globalization only affects individuals in the commercial world. However, the phenomenon of globalization brings an impact to the world not only in economics but also the culture and social welfare of the countries. At many times, people like me tend to be more concerned about the economic and political impacts of the globalization and overlooked its impact on cultural and social welfare. Some feel globalization entails a deterioration of moral standards; a decline of religious scruples; a cultural breakdown. Kilgour, 2000) No doubt what concerns us the most is the â€Å"cultural homogenization† that globalization could generate, challenging our community and our unique identity, culture and traditions. Some even feel that globalization will turn people into spiritless robots. (Kilgour, 2000) But the fact is spiritual activities and experiences are deeply personal, it is difficult to see how globalization would influence them one way or another. (Kilgour, 2000) Overall, my journey of learning this subject has been quite fruitful. It has helped me to learn the world better. I have also learned about what kind of ethics principles to use in order to regulate one’s morality in the commercial world, and it has helped me to develop a better mindset. Section 2 Case Study Lara Stone’s Calvin Klein Jeans ad banned in Australia for being ‘Suggestive of Violence and Rape’ During this semester, while I was doing my assignment for another course, I have come across this case that had attracted negative media attention. This case is about a Calvin Klein Jeans advertising campaign for its Fall 2010 Collection, starring supermodel–Lara Stone, posing with three male models in the controversial image. Not only the image was being criticized that it was demeaning to women, the advertising campaign had been banned in Australia after the country’s Advertising Standards Bureau decided that it was ‘suggestive of violence and rape’. (Abraham, 2010) Advertising is an important social phenomenon. Not only has it stimulated consumption, economic activity models, life-styles and a certain value orientation; Advertising acts as a mean for companies to achieve business objectives to sell goods or services. It provides a medium to deliver information to consumers, in a way that would maximize the effectiveness of the message. Once the advertising message has been delivered to the consumers, it is up to the individuals to interpret the message, based upon previous experiences and pre-existing beliefs that differ vastly between cultures. Nonetheless, advertising also mirrors the society, because elements in effective advertisements combine with the individual cultures and societies. (Next Step Marketing, 2012) The Calvin Klein Jeans case caught my attention because of its abuse of the element of sexuality in their ad campaign which caused objections from the audience. Tom Reichert, professor and head of the department of advertising and public relations in the UGA Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication claimed that advertisers use sex to promote the products because it can be very effective, because it attracts attention and people are hard wired to notice sexually relevant information. (Sorrow, 2012) Reichert said this upward trend in erotic ads is a reflection of society. Today, it takes more explicitness to grab our attention and arouse us than before. Back in the early 1900s, exposed arms and ankles of female models generated the same level of arousal as partially nude models do today. Sorrow, 2012) In Kant’s theory, using women, as sex objects in advertisements to directly appeal to person’s emotional core, the advertisement taps into the primal desire of human beings to have children. It bypasses the moral constraints, which the society has ingrained into its members, mirrored as one of Kant’s categorical imp eratives, that prohibits using people, in this case women, as a means to achieve an end. It is these two internal opposing forces that trouble people when they are confronted with such advertisement. In reality, the women in such advertisements are most probably treated fairly and not exploited, but the internal battle between our basic instincts and moral intuitions do not consider this. We struggle with the primal sexual desire, against our moral intuitions that we should treat women as human beings with equality of rights rather than viewing them as objects to satisfy some internal, primal lust. In the Calvin Klein Jeans advertisement, it is represented by the four men having the power to sexually manipulate the woman; while it is not true in reality. In society, this would represent a regression in the form of moral degradation if women are not treated with equality and are unfairly taken advantage of. The concept of the Calvin Klein Jeans advertising campaign have also gone against the Rawl’s Justice of Fairness, in which women, who were unfairly treated in the past, be given more compensation in society now. The act of portraying women as sex objects is an uncivilized act, and it harkens back to a time where social liberties and rights were not as developed as they are today. Nonetheless, the use of sex in advertising can also negatively affect children. It was discovered that children watch more than thirteen-hundred hours of television annually, which resulted in exposure to more than twenty-thousand of commercials. † When advertisers use sex in their ads as a technique to increase sales, it can become misleading to children that sex is associated with products, while sexual activities can be exposed to public, instead of sex with love, which is a very personal matter that should be kept behind the door. The use of sexuality may indirectly cause to increase sexual activity among the young, which would lead to more unwanted pregnancies, more STDs and more children with self-esteem issues over body images. (Centrella, et. Al. ) References 1. Abraham, Mail Online, Lara Stone’s Calvin Klein Jeans ad banned in Australia for being ‘suggestive of violence and rape’ (2010), ;http://www. dailymail. co. uk/femail/article-1322815/Lara-Stone-Calvin-Klein-Jeans-ad-banned-Australia-suggestive-rape. html? printingPage=true;, viewed 20 September 2012 2. California State University, Kantian Ethics lt;http://www. csus. edu/indiv/g/gaskilld/ethics/Kantian%20Ethics. htm; , viewed 27 October 2012 3. Centralla et al. , Are governments doing enough to prevent the global expansion of the sex industry? ;http://www. feministezine. com/feminist/international/Globalization-Sex-and-Profits. html; viewed 26 October 2012 4. FitzGerald KBE and Cormack, The Role of Business: An Agenda for Action (2010) ;http://www. hks. harvard. edu/m-rcbg/CSRI/publications/report_12_CGI%20Role%20of%20Business%20in%20Society%20Report%20FINAL%2010-03-06. df; viewed 20 September 2012 5. Kilgour, Spiritual and Ethical Impacts of Globalisation (2000), ;http://www. david-kilgour. com/secstate/spiritglobe. htm; viewed 23 October 2012 6. Lewis, The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Profits (2010) ;http://www. mbs. edu/go/centres-of-excellence/2010-debate/asia-pacific-centre-for-leadership-for-social-impact/news-and-links/net-impact/the-social-responsibility-of-business-is-to-increase-profits; viewed 20 September 2012 7. Next Step Marketing, Does Advertising shape society, or merely mirror societal trends? http://www. nextstepmarketing. com. au/articles/advertising/does-advertising-shape-or-mirror-society/ viewed 20 October 2012 8. Shaw, et al. , Moral Issues in Business, 1st Edition (Cengage Learning Australia Pty Ltd, 2009) 9. Sorrow, Magazine trends study finds increase in advertisements using sex (2012) ;http://news. uga. edu/releases/article/magazine-trends-study-finds-increase-in-advertisements-using-sex/; viewed 28 October 2012 How to cite Comm Reflective Essay, Essay examples

Retail Industry AR and VR Technologies †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Retail Industry AR and VR Technologies. Answer: Overview of Startup and Retail Industry: The startup organization will be an online retail platform catering to clothing and makeup products to the customers. It will target the professionals who dont get time to go to the store on real time basis and yet want to try the clothing and makeup looks before placing an order. This can be augmented by using the current technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR). Australia is expanding into a stable retail industry with the influx of various international retail brands making an entry due to the countrys geographical presence near to Asia, increasing demand of the consumers, and viable economic conditions (Nikki Baird, 2017). Retail media arent progressive currently and yet have iterative impact on the innovation. Fundamentally it is changing the view how shoppers draw in with retailer. Before it affects the technology, retailers must know the impact of using retail media network on their business (Roy Morgan Research, 2016). Existing technology analysis and trends: The Australian retail industry is behind the curve and is using smart phones or the sales technologies only. The AR and VR technologies have not been in use as customer-centric and are mostly being used for marketing purposes only (Roy Morgan Research, 2016). AR and VR: VR connects with consumer by creating simulated world using technologies like handset or electronic hardware.For example, a protective cap with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors. In comparison, AR covers virtual components onto this present reality as observed through a cell phone or tablet (Nikki Baird, 2017). Unlike VR, AR does not depress the perspective of ones environment, rather, "increases" this present reality with pictures, content, video, illustrations, and so on. This feature advances AR to wide-scale, especially in retail. Additionally, while VR has totally astounded media outlets; AR has discovered a reliable balance in the retail business. Organizations can give a level of association between their items and customers by submerging them in a totally new condition with usage of AR(Dan McKone, Robert Haslehurst, and Maria Steingoltz, 2016). Problem Statement and Benefits of AR and VR: The start-up needs to provide a walk-in retail experience to target customers with their online platform from the comfort of customers home. VRand ARhave mostly been used as marketing tools offering individuals chance to change how they shop. One client may attempt on shirt without travelling to the store. The applications utilizing innovation focus on the client comfort providing customized client counter (Dan McKone, Robert Haslehurst, and Maria Steingoltz, 2016). The effective joining of VR and AR into retail models will incredibly change the way retailers are considering stores without boundaries. Recommendation Conclusion The patterns that will most influence the business' future;Autonomous Retail Service Robot (ARSR) technology can progress and heighten in-store facility and training. Customers can have a look on robots 3D scanner by showing an item, they actual want (Euromonitor International, 2016). The retail condition is as unique today as it has ever been. Rivalry is increasing and moving to new fields, and customers are quickly advancing their way to deal with buy choices. An opportunity to act is presently. Retailers that do will be the champs when the following part of retailing history is composed (Dan McKone, Robert Haslehurst, and Maria Steingoltz, 2016). References Nikki Baird (2017). In Retail, AR is for shoppers and VR is for Business, Forbes [online]. Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nikkibaird/2017/04/26/in-retail-ar-is-for-shoppers-and-vr-is-for-business/ [Accessed 7 August 2017] Euromonitor International (2016). Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in Retail-Fad or Future. Available from: https://www.euromonitor.com/virtual-reality-and-augmented-reality-in-retail-fad-or-future-/report [Accessed 7 August 2017] Dan McKone, Robert Haslehurst, and Maria Steingoltz (2016). Virtual and Augmented Reality will reshape Retail. Harvard Business Review. Available from: https://hbr.org/2016/09/virtual-and-augmented-reality-will-reshape-retail [Accessed 7 August 2017] Roy Morgan Research 2016. Australian Retail Industry leaders are behind the curve on technology adoption. Article No. 7056. Available from: https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7056-technology-adoption-among-retail-industry-decision-makers-june-2016-201611181225 [Accessed 7 August 2017]

Lickity Inc. Company analysis

Background Lickity Inc. is one of the foods producing companies in Malaysia dealing with supply of variety cakes. The company was founded in the year 1990 and operated a number of franchised stores within Kuala Lumpur. The stores were strategically located near major tourist shopping market segments in Kuala Lumpur. Lickity attracted a number of investors in the 1990s who desired to acquire franchise store with the company since the brand dominated food market (Wood et al 26).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Lickity Inc. Company analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Description of the Company The company’s supply chain management ensured incorporation of limited product line for the purposes of reducing unnecessary wastes during manufacturing and marketing processes. Their product cakes were recognized for high quality ingredients sold at affordable proportions depending on consumer need. The cake s were full of cream and served all social classes and considered fit for all occasions including birthday parties. Lickity’s product portfolio comprised of twenty variety cakes including portable three-slice-cake served and eaten instantly since the pack contained required cutlery. Traditional moon cake was prepared specially for patrons who preferred enjoying in store eating within various shopping centres. The company experienced financial problems owing to increased rates in operational activities. Such expenses included rent payments across all stores as well as increase in cost of raw materials and other resources required due to high level of taxes (Wood et al 26). Lickity did not apply modernized system within their international market communication mix. They relied on traditional means of using retailers as the only means through which they reach customers. They heavily depended on distributions through franchised stores to generate revenue. Another problem was on t he composition of labour force where even students were considered for employment. Such strategy was used for the purposes of reducing cost of production. The company did not invest much in training and development of its staff and therefore experienced poor management strategies within the food and beverage market. Due to lowered costs of production and quality products, their brand was well positioned in the market attracting multitude of customers. However, the profit levels decreased since the year 2000, this was due to stagnation experienced within various segments of the supply chain (Wood et al 26).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Their products were based on unique qualities such as distinctive taste and shape of which sufficiently attracted customers. However, the stated objectives and mission statement are capable of driving any company when applied and implem ented appropriately. This should have enabled Lickity revive company’s marketing strategies based on global brand management within the segments it had experienced worst performances (Wood et al 26). Review of main ingredients should have been done on a monthly basis, the same to use of modern equipment and application of computerized technology in monitoring of supply chain. This should have been preceded by careful evaluation on market size, consumer behaviour towards food products within the different international market segments (Wood et al 26). Problem Lickity’s popularity before financial woos of 2000 was based on excellent services and prime quality products. The company benefited from market monopoly where its dominance was felt in most market segments (Wood et al). There were no competent competitors from the initial stages of operation hence Lickity enjoyed supplying customers with products at will. There was lack of properly organized sales and marketing te am with profound strategies capable of capturing significant customer base within Malaysian market. Global market had adopted the use of internet in dispatching products, most consumers found it easier to place orders via company’s websites. However, Lickity still relied on their manual system of delivery which experienced drastic fall on customers (Wood et al 26). Lickity was associated with poor management style especially on resources within supply chain stores. The results could be noticed on the drastic drop on sales over the last ten years since the year 2000. Effects of economic downturn further added to the company’s financial woo. Marketing team did not recognize the importance of company’s brand name within the market. Customers usually purchase products based on brand position within the market, brands within the food industry associated with healthy products appear more attractive to consumers since health is a priority. Lack of thorough inspection b y the management on franchises is also considered as great contributor towards Lickity’s financial problems (Wood et al 26).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Lickity Inc. Company analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At the same time adjustments on consumer tastes was not easy owing to different consumer preferences towards their health. This calls for the need for robust management team capable of making profitable adjustments within the core strategies. Inexperienced labour force is at times the mother of adversity within such companies (Pride et al). Competition was stiff within the food and beverage industry with such aggressive moves and strategies applied by competitors such as Maxims and queens. This was attributable to the nature of healthy products they offer consumers compared to Lickity. Consumers became health conscious hence preferred light low-fatty cakes as well as fruit cakes. This led to mass exodus of customers from in-store purchase of cakes. The operations from franchise stores recorded low sales leading to hefty overheads which contributed towards the company’s instability. Most consumers preferred making their purchases on-line hence worked with sophisticated companies. Reduction in the purchase of birthday party cakes was attributed to the fact that most customers organized such events in fast food restaurants. The competitors operated on strategic marketing where they target working class within the upper-market since most of them were usually loyal to the brand. Growth of other coffee-houses alongside baked products such as Starbucks uses branded products creating easy recognition and at the same time reward loyal customers (Starbucks Corporation 1). Level of hygiene matters since consumers’ value quality despite the kind of pricing mechanism used (Johlke and Dale 265-277). Problem Analysis Majority of the problems discussed could be at tributed to poor management principles and use of unqualified workforce. There was great competition from within food industry and international market. There was possibility of lack of workable strategies owing to lack of serious management team (Johlke and Dale 265-277). Lickity experienced its first financial drawback in the year 2000 leading to reduction of stock price to below $10 per share. The other problem was based on consumer health concerns; the products had high carbohydrate content considered harmful to health hence making consumers avoid Lickity cakes. Such incidences of closure affected the company’s profitability negatively (Johlke and Dale 265-277). Financial support can be obtained through varied activities including from financial institutions. There is opportunity for the company to generate more through on-premise sales. Lickity can also utilize fees and royalties from the Franchises, arguably organization of the supply chain determines to a greater exten t level of success attained by business companies (Johlke and Dale 265-277).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Alternative Solutions One of the possible solutions to Lickity is to consider forming partnership with other modernized company’s for the purposes of technology improvement. This should be accompanied by incorporating ways on product modification for the purposes of satisfying current consumer needs and tastes. At the same time Lickity requires recruitment of professionals with the ability of predicting and analysing market trends (Johlke and Dale 265). Use of internet in advertising should be considered by the company since majority of the clients use internet and social sites for communication based on purchases and deliveries (Johlke and Dale 265-277). There is profound need to work out on the company’s business models with change of strategy on working within recommended market segments which would enable positive experiences despite expected market uncertainties. Extensive training of marketing professionals is required especially within the international market. Diversification of product portfolio should be considered since consumers prefer to purchase from one-stop shop. Pricing techniques used by the company requires change since they deal with both domestic and international clients, such pricing as geographical pricing techniques should be used in this case. Nature of product’s quality, pricing and marketing strategies should vary depending on the demands of the market supplied with the products. Service marketing plays a vital role in making or breaking an organisation (Johlke and Dale 265-277). Excellent services tend to be remembered for all the good reasons which leave customers with a sense of delight, hence they remain loyal. On the other hand, a poor experience always leaves a bitter feeling which deters customers. Therefore satisfaction, value and quality are essential for a successful marketing service venture (Services Marketing). Works Cited Johlke, Mark Dale, Duhan. â€Å"Testing Competing Models of Sales Force Com munication.† Journal of Personal Selling Sales Management, 21 (2000): 265-277. Pride, Rundle-Thiele, Waller, Elliot Palandino, Ferrell. Marketing. Milton:John Wiley, 2007 Starbucks Corporation 2009, Company Profile: Reproduced in Business Source  Premier EBSCOhost. 18 Nov 2012. https://www.starbucks.com/ Services Marketing. 2010. Web. Wood et al. Management Problem Solving Frameworks- Tools Techniques. Sydney, McGraw-Hill, 2009. p 26. 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Theory of Personality Development essays

Theory of Personality Development essays Describe and evaluate Freuds theory of personality development Sigmund Freud was without doubt one of the most controversial psychologists of the twentieth century. His theories of psychoanalysis-personality structure, dynamics, psychosexual development, mechanism, and psychotherapy technique were really accepted at the time. However he did have his critics. Not only opposing psychologists doubted his theories but also some of his own followers. Within this essay we shall look at certain theories that Freud had and also look at some of the opposing ideas from his critics. According to Freud the mind or personality included the ID, EGO and SUPEREGO, and mans behaviour relies on a balance of these structures. The id contains those basic instincts which require satisfaction, known as the pleasure principle. For example, a baby wants something and will cry until he gets it; this basic instinct is with us from birth. The superego is essentially the persons conscience. This is made up of values and ideals that are taught from the world about, in the first instance the parents. Superego develops in response to parental rewards and punishments. The ego differentiates between the basic instincts of the id and the reality of the real world, also known as the reality principle. All objects of consciousness abide in the ego; the superego is an unconscious screening mechanism which seeks to limit the blind pleasure seeking drives of the id by imposing restrictive rules. What must be remembered is that this model is only a theoretical model rather than a descript ion of an observable object; it only serves as a frame of reference to explain the link between experiences of early childhood and the mature adult personality. The ego is frequently in conflict with the id. The id wants gratification; the superego strives for what is morally right. The ego acts as arbitrator in this conflict and will try to find a compromise. A key idea ...

Accounts Sba Essay Example for Free

Accounts Sba Essay ? The aim of my project is for me to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the financial sector of the business world. To draw up the financial records for the year 2009 for Jen’s Supermarket and to comment on the entity’s performance using appropriate tools of Analysis Description and Overview Jen’s Supermarket is a developed and simulated entity owned by Jenevonne Kirton, who is the sole proprietor. Jen’s Supermarket is a developed supermarket which sells a variety of food items and miscellaneous goods, serving most of the island in its convenient location. The supermarket employ fifteen staff along with Ms. The capital at beginning was 202800 while at end it was 208165 which showed an increase by 5365 at the end of the month. Suggestions/Recommendations Current Ratio It is recommended that Jen’s Supermarket 1. Uses the excess money to expand the business by opening another supermarket. 2. Introduce new product to the business and purchase new equipment. Gross Profit It is suggested that Jen’s Supermarket should 1. Source cheaper suppliers to facilitate the demand of goods so profitability would be greater at the end of the month. 2. Offer new promotions every week and offer the customers raffles at a chance to win prizes at the end of the year. These are given to help Jen’s Supermarket increase gross profit and sales. Conclusion It is clear that Jen’s Supermarket keeps adequate records for the business to demonstrate the profitability over the financial period for the month. It could however, increase the current ratio and gross profit by incorporating the suggestions/recommendations outlined. Nevertheless Jen’s Supermarket made a good net profit for the month of December in 2009. Overall based on the performance of the business Jen’s Supermarket was able to make a profit of 6365 despite the low sales of 104 850. Accounts Sba. (2018, Nov 13).

Management Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Management Principles - Essay Example This report identifies the advantages and disadvantages of the lifetime employment model and offers lessons for today’s managers who are still considering using this lifetime employment system. When employees are given lifetime employment guarantees, the business must consider its responsibilities in terms of the law. Gibson and Piscitelli (1997) offer that business leaders must be careful about certain statements which are made which can be interpreted by employees to mean that their jobs will always be secure. In one large, multi-national business environment, a business manager, in passing workplace discussion, told his employee that â€Å"we will retire together†. This statement was made in an environment where no such lifetime employment guarantees were part of the business model, however the employee was able to convince the legal system that a lifetime employment contract was implied, thus imposing significant consequences for the business. Even though this was not a business where lifetime employment was being offered to employees, it tends to illustrate the importance of considering the legal responsibilities of these agreements. Repa and Stewart (1999) offer that the largest legal risk is when employees begin to perceive that contracts exist between themselves and the business entity, thus the creation of an implied contract becomes grounds for legal disputes. In a business where lifetime employment is part of the business model, companies must consider the risks of these types of agreements as employees have considerable legal resources available in the event that employees perceive breaches of these contracts, whether implied or based on written employee contracts. The business must also consider that, when offering lifetime employment guarantees, the current marketplace or economic conditions will not always, in the future, be favourable

USA Corporations Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

USA Corporations Law - Case Study Example In dealing with this case, the court will be applying the review of the Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act of 1998 (Pillegi, 2007). The court will be more concerned on the breach of the fiduciary duty of disclosure. The court is likely to rule against the Barnes family (Marciano v. Nakash). The loan that the Ewing family made to the Ewing Corporation was valid and enforceable. The duty of disclosure requires that the directors disclose all the details that pertain to the transaction that is been carried out (Alexander, 2008). The disclosure is made to the board of directors and to the shareholders. Since the Ewing family did full disclosure of the material facts that involved the loan, including the terms of the loan and the deed of trust, it will be hard for the Barnes to prove that the fiduciary duty was breached (Pillegi, 2007). Furthermore, the shareholders approved the loan. This is despite the fact that the voting was done along family lines. It is beyond doubt that the voting of the directors and the shareholders was done in good faith. The burden of proof will be different for both parties of the dispute. The Barnes is required to prove that the Ewing directors breached the fiduciary duty in approving that loan. ... Despite this knowledge, the Ewing directors went ahead and approved the loan to the company (Greenberg & Kagan, 2009). On the other hand, the Ewing directors will be required to prove to the court that their action was based on good intentions to the company. This will be easy to prove since there is already prove that the company tried to obtain funding from external sources without any success. They will have to prove to the court that they did not try to take advantage of the financial troubles of the company to benefit themselves. The Ewing directors will also be required to prove to the courts that they were honest with their dealings with Ewing Oil Inc. this honesty will have to be proved by the fact that they did disclose the material details surrounding the transaction to the shareholders (Dunn et al, 2009). The shareholders went ahead and approved the loan, albeit along family lines. But the court will not be interested on the background of the shareholders. The important thing was that they did approve the loan. There is no proof that the shareholders were misinformed on anything or misled. The Ewing directors will also have to prove that they did not omit anything that was importance when they were doing the disclosure. The omission, if proved that it did exist, will show that the Ewing directors were acting on bad faith. The omission that they might have made was for example the one pertaining to the period within which they were supposed to foreclose on their loan. If the omission is proved to have influenced the direction that the shareholders took in voting, the Barnes family would have achieved the fete of proving that a fiduciary duty was breached. b. The

OPEC CARTEL Essay Example for Free

OPEC CARTEL Essay â€Å"OPEC As a CARTEL† There are two kinds of extreme market structure and they are perfect competition and imperfect competition. In a perfectly competitive market there are many numbers of sellers and many numbers of buyers selling and buying homogeneous products, therefore there is very little impact of a single buyer or seller changing the price of his/her product. In an imperfect competitive market there are few sellers and these sellers have some control over the prices and output of the product. Here, in this kind of market the whole market is affected by an individual changing his/her product price. In USA most of the industries fall between these two extreme market structures. But in this essay we’ll talk about oligopoly. It is imperfect competitive market state therefore here there are few no. of sellers. Oligopoly covers many kinds of industrial behaviours and structures because of its broad nature. Oligopoly is a market condition where few numbers of sellers (oligopolists) come together and form a market or an industry. An oligopoly may have 2 firms or 20 firms, selling and producing differentiated or undifferentiated products and services. There are few participants in this market structure therefore each participant is aware about the activities of other participants. The decisions are influenced by one another. As this market is operated by few firms, the price of the product and the quantity of production is fixed by the firms itself keeping in mind their self-interest and self-respect. Sellers (oligopolists) are acting and cooperating like a monopolist – producing a small amount of quantity of goods and selling these goods at a price higher than the marginal cost. These are some of the powerful incentives at work which hinder a group of firms from maintaining the monopoly outcome. An oligopoly is operated under imperfect competition; they follow a kinked  demand curve which shows that inelasticity below the market price and elasticity above the market price, offering differentiated services and products they have strong barriers to entry. Kinked demand curve is downward sloping curve. There is a discontinuity at the bend – the â€Å"kink†. Due to this there is a discontinuity in the marginal revenue curve. The demand above the kink is relatively elastic, therefore all other firms’ prices remains unchanged and demand curve after the kink the demand will be inelastic, therefore all the firms will have similar price cut, eventually leading to a price war. The best way to overcome this problem is to produce at the point E that is the equilibrium point and, coincidently the kink point. There are many industries in oligopoly conditions are automobile, cigarette, malt beverages (beer), small arms ammunition, oil and petroleum, etc. There are many kinds of oligopolies, a number of different oligopoly models have been structured. But we are going to further discuss about the structure of CARTEL. But before that if u examine all oligopoly models have a similar thing i.e. ‘The behaviour of any given oligopolistic firm depends on the behaviour of other firms in the industry comprising oligopoly’. According to the traditional economic theory the producer who is at the stage of profit maximizing and also has some market power (either due to oligopoly or monopolistic competition) would have set marginal cost equal to marginal revenue i.e. MC=MR. A cartel is an organisation of independent firms coming together, to control and limit the production and increase and decrease of price and profit. Cartels can be formed in an informal or formal manner with the agreement of every member. Cartels usually occur in an oligopolistic industry. The main aim of cartel is to increase individual profits by reducing competition. There are two kinds of cartels: Private cartels and Public cartels. In a public cartel there is involvement of government and such cartels are legally formed. Private cartels are formed by few industries and are subject to legal liability under antitrust laws now found in every country of the world. Private cartels have to often face competition laws. Private cartels are recognized and fragmented by the competition policy by most of the countries in the world. But finding out cartels and further proving them is very difficult because firms are not so careless to put such agreements on papers. Antitrust authorities have found that in last 200 years price increase achieved by cartels is almost 25%. There was a 28% price hike in private international cartels (cartels formed by one or more nations). Domestic cartels where at 18%, less than 10% domestic cartels failed to raise the market price. This study was possible after several economic studies and legal decisions. There are some differences in public and private cartels. It is said that public cartels are less harmful than private cartels because they are operated in the presence of government private cartels are more effective and, hence, possibly harmful, though there is no proof to prove this right. Government has all the authorities to establish and enforce the rules relating to prices, output and other such matters; this is in the case of public cartels. Examples of public cartels are export cartels and shipping conferences. There are also depression cartels permitted in some countries this type of cartel helps in stabilising the required price and production. For example, in Japan such type of cartel is allowed in steel, aluminium smelting, ship building and various chemical industries. In United States during the time of great depression of 1930, in industries such as coal mining and oil production public cartels were allowed by United States and they also remained after the World War-II. Germany’s economy was also affected by these cartels during the inter–war period. There were international cartels formed between governments of some nations by signing an agreement it was called as international commodity agreement which covered products such as coffee, sugar, tin, and oil (OPEC). Private Cartels are having huge different than public cartels, an agreement is signed on terms and conditions that provide mutual advantages, these terms and conditions should not be detected by outside parties. Private cartels are responsible for violating the antitrust Laws. Game theory means studying the oligopolistic behaviour of a series of strategic actions of a firm and reaction of the rival firm. According to this theory cartels are unstable, due to the behaviour of members of a cartel is like the behaviour of a player who has a dominant strategy in a game. If a member does not abide by the rules in the agreement that member will make more profit than by following the agreement. The situation would be worse if all the partners break the agreement. Cartels do not sustain for a long run because members have cheating incentives. A Cartel can exist for only 5 to 10 years this was found by deep study of cartel. If the members intend to cheat on the agreement in order to earn short term profit so that they could cover the long term losses this depends on the situation if they have short term profits through break down of cartel than they’ll possibly break it down. How difficult it would be for a firm to, find out that other firms are following the agreement or not. If the other firms are not following than they are cheating and therefore the cartel becomes unstable. There are few ways to keep watch on a cartel: 1) Number of firms in the industry, 2) Characteristics of the products sold by the firms, 3) Production cost of each member, 4) Behaviour of demand, and 5) frequency of sales and their characteristics. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was initially created with efforts of 5 countries and then later on joined by 9 other countries. It is an intergovernmental organization which was formed by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, on September 10 – 14, 1960, in Baghdad. These five founding members were later on joined by nine other members: Qatar (1961), Indonesia (1962-2009), Libya (1962), United Arab Emirate (1967), Algeria (1969), Nigeria (1971), Ecuador (1973), Angola (2007), Gabon (1975-1994). Ecuador suspended its membership from December 1992 – October 2007. Initially headquarter of OPEC was in Geneva, Switzerland, and after 5 years it was moved to Vienna, Austria, on September 1, 1965. OPEC was found with some objectives. The objective of OPEC is to manage and unify petroleum polices among member countries and thereby secure the stability in the prices for petroleum producers. It was necessary that flow  is maintained in supplying petroleum at an economical rate, to the consuming countries, provided that the members investing in this industry get a fair return of capital. They also have a unique strategy that is allotting the production quota to a member country. This system helps in maintaining and stabilizing the price to a certain level. Developing its collective vision with some objectives and creating its secretariat, in Geneva and then in 1965, in Vienna, OPEC adopted a ‘Declaratory Statement of Petroleum Policy in Member countries’ in 1968. This policy stated that it is absolute right of the member nations to have a permanent rule over their natural resources and use them in order to increase the rate of national development. During 1970s OPEC became an international importance in the world market of petroleum and crude oil, it had a full control over the pricing. During this period there was a steep price rise in petroleum products. In 1980s the prices began to fall down as people started shifting from petroleum products. OPEC’s market share fell heavily to the third of the early rise. At this time member countries had to bare a heavy loss, but soon they regained their position with a little price hike almost half the early rise. OPEC started recovering its market share slowly. During the period of 1990s OPEC had a fall in prices same as it had in 1980s, but it had a solid recovery this time. During this period the prices were stable at some extent than in 1970s and 1980s. One of the member nation left OPEC and one suspended its membership. In 21st century OPEC had an innovative plan which helped in stabilising the prices of petroleum products in early years. The prices began to rise from 2004 and still it’s rising. During this decade one member activated its membership and another member suspended it. OPEC has not proved to be a successful cartel because it was unable to control the prices of petroleum products. Though OPEC had few members and that helped in reducing the conflicts. It was easy for the members to monitor one another’s activities and thereby adhering to the agreement. It was also easy to coordinate the price policy and the output policy according the agreement. It is simpler to form a cartel with few members. OPEC as a cartel is working effectively because 3/4th of its oil reserve is regulated by four countries they are: Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran. There is only one threat to OPEC as a cartel, and that is increased production by  non-members. In the short run the price elasticity of demand for oil is quite low, according to this statement if enough production restrictions are implied than it will give a price hike this is a favourable environment for a cartel. Following this in 1973 OPEC contributed to two third of the total oil production of the world. Today if we compare the prices of crude oil than they are much higher than the early stages. To survive for such long period of 50 years OPEC had to face many challenges to fulfil its objective. The first challenge in front of OPEC is how to overcome the problem of supply of crude oil in all the countries keeping in mind the interest of the member countries of OPEC. Initially OPEC used to supply its crude oil to all type of countries like developing countries, under developed countries and developed countries but later on it was not able to fulfil the demand as it kept on increasing. Therefore, OPEC decided to first fulfil the demand of those countries with greater need and who provided with a fair deal and then look forward to those countries that had less demand for crude oil and offered a cheap deal. This decision was taken keeping in mind its own profit. The second challenge for OPEC is the NON-OPEC countries i.e. countries which are not members of OPEC. If these countries started production at high rate then these countries would take the major market share of OPEC and that was not good for member countries. NON-OPEC countries had no restrictions in production and pricing of crude oil. These NON-OPEC countries would take the short run profits because they can vary their prices. The third problem faced by OPEC is that United Nations (UN) was constantly pressuring OPEC in order to stop the wastage of gas which is emitted in high amount due to the usage of old technology. Technological issue is the fourth challenge for OPEC because they used old technology and to install new one it would take time and the market demand would not be fulfilled. Updating the technology was a big issue. The fifth issue was about maintaining large reserves of crude oil in order to sustain the sudden shift in demand. The sixth that is the last challenge is in the form of question that how OPEC can overcome the financial problems occurring during the production of oil because producing oil needs heavy capital investment? There is a big risk taking and uncertainties involved in this process and these uncertainties can be overcome with the help of proper  planning. If OPEC is unable to fulfil the challenge than there, is a fear of losing the whole market share against the NON-OPEC countries. Analysis of OPEC’s behaviour can be done through certain aspects. First, relying on a structural model is better than relying on the estimation approach. According to the analysis done in first step, in last 25 years all the theoretical models constructed for OPEC should be taken and then they should be properly tested. After this we compare and contrast it with equilibrium model of dynamic oligopoly. In the second step we consider organization as a whole and not considering the supply functions of individual countries. By doing this we would be able to estimate the collusiveness of OPEC. This helps us in identifying the switching periods between collusive and non-cooperative behaviour. OPEC has its own collusive behaviour and in many cases there was break down and price war between member countries. Price of crude oil depends on the demand and supply of it. There can be different variations maybe low or high, in price of crude oil, due to the imbalance in demand and supply – maybe little demand and more supply or more demand and little supply. The price of crude oil will be high if demand is more and supply is less and price will be low if supply is more and demand is less. Sometimes the prices fall down due to the non-cooperative act of members of OPEC or due to going against the agreement and cheating. Sometimes the reason for high price of crude oil may be other factors like taxation, governments of the countries of the world, natural disasters, etc. Factors like transportation, climate, capital, machinery, cost of production, etc. affect the prices of crude oil. As other cartels, OPEC also tries to raise the prices of crude oil by reducing the quantity of production of crude oil. When the price raises each member of cartel wants to increase the production by going against the agreement, so that they can get large amount of profit. OPEC member countries frequently agree to the reduction of production but then they cheat on the agreement. During the period of 1973-1985 OPEC was successful in maintaining the high-prices of crude oil, with the help of cooperation of  member countries. The price of crude oil per barrel rose steeply from $3 per barrel in 1972 to $11 per barrel in 1974 and then to $35 in 1981. After that there was absence in maintaining cooperation between member countries due to the argument on the topic of increasing production. Due to this the prices of barrel fell down by $13 per barrel in 1986. In this case OPEC has failed to work effectively because it was lacking in coordination and cooperation between member countries and this resulted in the instability of price of crude oil. According to the study there are approximately 1.5 trillion barrels of oil reserve in world. Out of which 81.33% i.e. 1193 billion barrels, is with the member countries of OPEC. In 2010, OPEC member countries produced 29.2 million barrels per day of crude oil that is about 41.8% of the world total output; this has increased to 69.7 million barrels per day. According to OPEC they have sufficient crude oil reserves that can last for 112 years. According to OPEC’s World Energy Model (OWEM) the demand for crude oil in 2006 was 84.7 million barrels per day. Due to the continuous growth in world’s economy the demand for crude oil in 2015 will rise to 96.1 million barrels per day, 102.2 million barrels per day in 2020 and 113.3 million barrels per day in 2030. OPEC as a cartel was unsuccessful to a certain extent and successful to a certain extent. There was high variation observed in prices of crude oil due to the instability of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Lack of cooperation and coordination amongst the members of OPEC was seen because each individual member was tempted to earn high amount of profits and therefore he/she would cheat with the agreement. There was one thing observed that, when the price of crude oil rise than the members of OPEC intend to go against the agreement and they try to increase their production in order to earn short-run high profits. During any crisis in the world OPEC was not able to keep itself steady. There were some technological related issues with the members of OPEC. They used the old machinery to produce the crude oil and to overcome that they started updating their machineries, but during this period they were unable to handle the market demand for crude oil and therefore t hey failed to provide it to other  countries which resulted in price hike. If innovation is carried out properly than the cost of production will reduce to certain point and this will react in high rise in demand in international market, which will directly affect the profits of members of OPEC. In conclusion I would like to say that OPEC is a best form of oligopoly and both suit to each other because of the continuous development of OPEC as a cartel. In past 50 years OPEC has faced many heavy tasks; it failed to fulfil some tasks but still tried to recover the losses. OPEC has the largest oil reserve in the world. Amongst the NON-OPEC countries main competitor of OPEC is U.S.A because it has one of the largest reserves of crude oil. If we see in today’s market than OPEC as a cartel has a higher market share and it is the longest and largest living oil producing organization. OPEC is one of the longest survived cartels in the world. REFRENCE 1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartel 2) http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/about_us/24.htm 3) http://www.scribd.com/doc/55875469/Oligopoly-OPEC 4) http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/press_room/179.htm 5) Principles of Microeconomics (Indian edition) 4th edition, by N. Gregory Mankiw, published by Cengage learning India Pvt. Ltd., 356-357 6) Principles of Economics 8th edition, by Karl E. Case and Ray C. Fair, published by Dorling Kindersley India Pvt. Ltd., 310-311

Postpartum Depression Essay -- Health Medicine Reseach Papers

Postpartum Depression In 2001, Andrea Yates, a Texas mother, was accused of drowning her five children, (aged seven, five, three, two, and six months) in her bathtub. The idea of a mother drowning all of her children puzzled the nation. Her attorney argued that it was Andrea Yates' untreated postpartum depression, which evolved into postpartum psychosis that caused her horrific actions (1) . He also argued that Andrea Yates suffered from postpartum depression after the birth of her fourth child, and that she attempted suicide twice for this very disorder ((1)). What is postpartum depression, and how can it cause a mother to harm her very own children, altering her behavior towards her children in a negative way? One in ten women experience postpartum depression ((2)), a condition that often goes undiagnosed, and occurs in women after childbirth. A reason for the lack of diagnosis of postpartum depression is a milder, more common form of depression after childbirth, often known as the "baby blues". Th e baby blues occur in mothers three to five days after childbirth ((2)) , and may last for as little as a couple hours to a couple weeks ((4)). These symptoms include * mild sadness * tearfulness * anxiety * irritability, often for no clear reason * fluctuating moods * increased sensitivity * fatigue ((2)) The treatment for the baby blues are frequent naps, a proper diet, and plenty of support from partners, family, and friends ((3)). Generally, the baby blues subside without any sort of serious treatment. However, the baby blues may evolve into postpartum depression. One study discovered a link between postpartum depression and the baby blues: out of the women that were diagnosed with postpartum depres... ...lso drop during childbirth, and thus may be a factor in postpartum depression ((4)). Consequently, ways to prevent another Andrea Yates from going too far is to treat postpartum depression seriously. Because the baby blues are so common, postpartum depression and psychosis are often misdiagnosed as the baby blues, or even more frequently, not diagnosed at all. Thus, postpartum depression must be taken seriously. References 1)Study Works! Online: What is Postpartum Depression? http://www.studyworksonline.com/cda/content/article/0,,NAV4-42_SAR1208,00.shtml 2)Postpartum Depression and Caring for Your Baby http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/home/ppd_baby.html 3) Postpartum Coping: the Blues and Depression http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=HQ01243 4)Frequently Asked Questions about Postpartum Depression http://www.4woman.gov/

Gingivitis Cause and Treatment

Gingivitis: Cause and Treatment Gingivitis is a form of periodontal disease which involves inflammation and infection of the gums. This inflammation and infection lead to destruction of tissues that support the teeth including the gums, the ligaments and the tooth sockets. Causes: Gingivitis does not form overnight. It is one of the long-term effects of plaque deposits due to improper brushing and flossing. Plaque is a sticky material made of bacteria, mucus, and food debris that grows on exposed parts of the teeth. It is a major cause of tooth decay as plaque, when not removed, turns into a hard deposit called tartar. Tartar then becomes trapped at the base of the tooth. Plaque and tartar are capable of irritating the gums and making it inflamed. Bacteria and the toxins they produce cause the gums to become infected, swollen and tender. Tender gums easily bleed. Moreover, injury to the gums due to exceedingly vigorous brushing or flossing of the teeth can also cause gingivitis. Medications and birth control pills and heavy metals such as lead and bismuth can also contribute to the development of gingivitis. Misaligned teeth, rough edges of fillings, and ill-fitting or unclean mouth device such as braces, dentures, bridges, and crowns can irritate the gums and also increase the risk of gingivitis. Along with these, general illness, poor dental hygiene, pregnancy and uncontrolled diabetes raise the risk of developing gingivitis. Gingivitis comes at a varying degree on people from all walks of life. It usually develops during puberty or early adulthood due to hormonal changes and may recur frequently depending on the health of the teeth and gums. Symptoms may include bleeding gums, gums that are tender when touched, bright red or red-purple appearance of gums, mouth sores, shiny appearance of gums and swollen gums. Treatment: If you schedule a check-up with the dentist, he will examine your mouth and teeth and look for soft, swollen, red-purple gums. The gums are usually painless or mildly tender. Once symptoms of gingivitis are found, more often than not, you will end up with a painful surgical gingivitis treatment. But then, dental health complications can be totally avoided with good oral practices. Oral health experts highly recommend proper care of the oral and dental regions with the use of high quality and effective mouth care products such as toothpaste and mouthwash. As the cliche goes, â€Å"prevention is better than cure† as it can truly be difficult to treat gingivitis once it has taken over the dental regions. Gingivitis and gum diseases can be prevented from developing at the onset. Regular daily brushing with the use of botanical toothpaste and finishing it with a botanical mouthwash is a more effective treatment for gingivitis.

Definition of a Football Fan

Definition of a Football Fan 1st draft Football fans are by definition crazy. They behave insanely; they are insane about the past, and they are insanely loyal. If their team gives away something free, the fans rush to the stadium to get the hat or watever. Football fans just plain behave insanely. Baseball fans go similarly nuts when their favorite teams give away some attractive freebie. But football fans are even worse. Football fans freeze themselves in order to watch their favorite game. In addition, football fans decorate their houses with football-related items of every kind.When they go to a game, which they do as often as possible, the true football fans make themselves look ridiculous by decorating themselves in weird team-related ways. At the game, these fans do the â€Å"wave†more than they watch the game. Football fans love to talk about the past. They talk about William â€Å"Refrigerator† Perry’s 1985 Super Bowl touchdown as though it had happened last week. They still get all exicited about 1988’s â€Å"Fog Bowl†. They talk about John Elway’s final game as though it’s today’s news, though it happened in 1999.They think everyone should be as excited as they are about such old stories. Last of all, football fans are insanely loyal to the team of their choice. Football fans never wear their team T-shirts and warm-up jackets everywhere, even to work. Of course, if they have to dress up in business clothes, they can’t do that. Should their beloved team lose three in a row, their fans may begin to criticise their team. They still obsessively watch each game and read all the newspaper stories about it.This intense loyalty makes fans dangerous. To anyone who dares to say to a loyal fan that another team is better, or, God forbid, to anyone wandering near the home cheering section wearing the jacket of the opposite team, physical damage is a real possibility. Incidents of violence in football stadium have increased in recent years and are a matter of growing concern. Football fans really act as if they’er crazy. They behave insanely, they are crazy about the past, and they are too loyal. Final version What is a football fan?The word â€Å"fan† is an abbreviation of â€Å"fanatic†, meaning â€Å"an insane or crazy person†. In the case of football fans, the term is appropriate. They behave insanely, they are insane about the past, and they are insanely loyal. Football fans wear their officail team T-shirts and warm-up jackets to the mall, the supermarket, the classroom, and even—if the yon can get away with it—to work. If the team offers a giveaway item, the fans rush to the stadium to claim the hat or sports bag or water bottle that is being handed out that day.Baseball fans go similarly nuts when their favorite teams give away some attractive freebie. Football farns just plain behave insanely. Even the fact that fans spend the c oldest months of the year huddling on icy mental benches in places like Chicago proves it. In addition, football fans decorate their houses with football-related items of every kind. To them, team bumper stickers belong not only on car bumpers, but also on fireplace mantels and front doors. When they go to a game, which they do as often as possible, they also decorate their bodies.True football fans not only put on their team jackets and grab their pennants but also paint their heads to look like helmets or wear glow-in-the dark cheeseheads. At the game, these fans devote enormous energy to trying to get a â€Å"wave† going. Football fans are insanely fascinated by the past. They talk about William â€Å"Refrigerator† Perry’s 1985 Super Bowl touchdown as though it had happened last week. They describe the â€Å"Fog Bowl† as if dense fog blanketed yesterday’s game, not 1988’s playoff match between the philadelphia Eagles annd the Chicago Bear s.They excitedly discuss John Elway’s final gamebefore retiring. — when he won the 1999 Superbowl and received MVP honors— as if it were current news. And if you can’t mange to get excited about such ancient history, they look at you as though you were the insane one. Last of all, football fans are insanely loyal to the team of their choice, often dangerously so. Should their beloved team lose three in a row, fans may begin to react negatively as a way to hide their broken hearts.They still obbsessively watch each game and spend the entire day afterward reading and listening to the postgame commentary in newspapers, on TV sports segments, and on sports radio. Further, this intense loyaly makes fans dangerous. To anyone who dares to say to a loyal fan that another team has better players or coaches, or, God forbid, to anyone wandering near the home cheering section wearing the jacket of the opposite team, physical damage is a real possibility. Bloody noses , black wyes, and brooken bones are just some of the injuries inflicted on people cheering the wrong team hae fans are around. In 1997, one man suffered a concussion at a game in Philadelphia when Eagles fans beat him up for wearing a jacket with another team’s insignia. From February through August, footbalal fans act like any other human beings. They pay their taxes, take out the garbage, and complain aboput the high cast of living. But when September rolls around, the colors and radios go on, the record books come off the shelves, and the devotion returns. For the true football fan, another season of insanity has begun.

equal but different Essay

equal but different Essay equal but different Essay Equal but differenthomosexuality Blasting Gangnam Style and waving pink and blue flags, hundreds of thousands gathered at supreme court these days to protect the foundations of the family they had been told were under threat. However, â€Å"a sharply divided supreme court gave a double-barreled boost to gay and lesbian rights this Wednesday, upholding a California ruling that legalized same sex marriage in the nation’s largest state and striking down a federal law that denied benefits to those already married in 12 states†.[1] â€Å"There were rallies, cheers and applause all around Ohio Wednesday. There was a celebration outside Cleveland City Hall†.[2] Reaction from the community and officials here are being more closely watched as the city prepares to host a big global eventthe Gay Olympicsnext year. It all means Ohio's gay marriage movement is picking up momentum. And the Supreme Court rulings add to that. Frankly speaking, I think homosexuality is a natural phenomenon. We human beings should respect everyone has right to choose whoever they love. From male killer whales that ride the dorsal fin of another male to female bonobos (dwarf chimpanzee) that rub their genitals together, the animal kingdom tolerates all kinds of lifestyles. Homosexuality as an unnatural phenomenon can now be rejected scientifically. â€Å"With more than 1,500 species displaying homosexuality.†[3] The idea, however, is rarely discussed in the scientific community and is often dismissed as unnatural because it doesn't appear to benefit the larger cause of species continuation. "I think to some extent people don't think it's important because we went through all this time period in sociobiology where everything had to be tied to reproduction and reproductive success," said Linda Wolfe, who heads the Department of Anthropology at East Carolina University." If it doesn't have [something to do] with reproduc tion it's not important." However, species continuation may not always be the ultimate goal, as many animals, including humans, engage in sexual activities more than it's necessary for reproduction. But what percentage of the people is actually gay or lesbian? With the debate over same sex marriage again and an emerging fault line in American political life, the answer comes as surprise: a lower number than you might think, and a much lower one than most Americans believe. In surveys conducted in 2002 and 2011, pollsters at Gallup found that members of the American public massively overestimated how many people are gay or lesbian. In 2002, a quarter of those surveyed guessed upwards of a quarter of Americans were gay or lesbian. By 2011, that misperception had only grown, with more than a third of those surveyed now guessing that more than 25 percent of Americans are gay or lesbian. Women and young adults were most likely to provide high estimates, approximating that 30 percent of t he population is gay. Overall, "U.S. adults, on average, estimate that 25 percent of Americans are gay or lesbian," Gallup found. Only 4 percent of all those surveyed in 2011 and about 8 percent of those surveyed in 2002 correctly guessed that fewer than 5 percent of Americans identify as gay or lesbian. Such a misunderstanding of the basic demographics of sexual behavior and identity in America has potentially profound implications for the acceptance of the gay rights. On the one hand, people who overestimate the percent of American gays seem likely to also wildly estimate the impact on social life of same sex marriage. On the other hand, it suggests that a triumph of gay or lesbian movement in the past decades long fight. Of course, gays or lesbians are not the only minority population that has an extensive place in the American imagination. People also â€Å"overestimate the percentage of fellow residents who are foreign born, by more than the factor of two, and the percentage who are in the country illegally, by a factor of six or seven.† according to a 2012 Wall

The Body Shop and the Cosmetics Industry Dissertation

The Body Shop and the Cosmetics Industry - Dissertation Example The Body shop is the second largest cosmetic franchise in the world and founded by the late Dame Anita Roddick. Headquartered in Little Hampton, THE Body Shop is known for its vegetable-based products ranging from Body Butter, Peppermint Foot Lotion, and Hemp (Corporate Report 2009). The Body Shop has emphasized its support for a wide range of issues around the globe. The company is noted for a range of product environmental innovation. For example, rather than using new bottling bottles from the shop, they press on using their own bottles. (Report 2007). 1.1 Problem Statements and Research Questions Although the concept of CSR has gained prominence during the last couple of decades, little research has addressed the concept within The Body Shop. This paper seeks to open another research area by focusing on The Body Shop and cosmetic industry. Thus, this paper addresses three important questions. 1. Why is CSR an increasingly relevant factor within the cosmetics industry 2. How is CSR implemented by The Body Shop to gain competitive advantage in the cosmetics industry However, this is limited to the body shop as focusing on the body shop has a number of advantages. For example it pioneered CSR behaviours in the cosmetic industry. 3. How has The Body Shop's practice of CSR demonstrated a correlation with customer purchasing behaviour Has this been affected by the recent takeover of The Body Shop by L'Oreal 1.2 Objectives and Purpose of Study This research focuses on the cosmetic industry. The purpose of the paper is to address and examine CSR activities in the cosmetic industry focusing on the body shop. The main purpose is to examine why CSR is an increasingly relevant factor within the cosmetic industry. Another objective is to... These issues pose significant challenges for companies as far as their competitive position and long-term performance is concerned. Consequently, it is necessary for companies to design CSR policies that would enable customers and other major stakeholders to perceive them as genuine companies. Such an approach will go a long way to improving the competitive position and long-term performance of the company. Companies must also increase the information that they disclose in their corporate social responsibility reports as this increases the company’s chances of being perceived as a transparent company and thus its chances of performing well in the community. This dissertation through theories and literature explores the concept of CSR and thereby takes a case study approach and analyses the application of CSR in the cosmetics industry and more specifically in ‘The Body Shop’. The Body Shop has made a name for itself in the cosmetics industry by trading the path of honesty and integrity in terms of its CSR policies. In conclusion, despite its noble approach towards CSR and better future environment over the years, it has many rooms for improvement.Here, it is important to note here that, CSR activities have become the values of the body shop, through its belief and emphasis on natural ingredients and environmental activities, the body shop has distinguished itself from other beauty shops in the cosmetic industry. Its emphasis on socially responsible and corporate citizenship has created a competitive edge in the market.

ARIMA modeling Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ARIMA modeling - Assignment Example In other words, the data for modeling the revenues of Costco Company may probably need differentiation through it is not certain that there is need for differentiation. In addition, the fact that the first six lags fall outside the confidence area shows that the data is non-stationary, that is, there is trend in the revenue function of Costco Company. Even though there is a trend (non-stationary data) it does not necessarily mean that the data should be transformed or differentiated. This decision can only be reached if specific lags such as 12, 24, and 36 are verified in respect to their expected values. That is when the decision to differentiate the data to remove seasonality and trend will be arrived at. In as much as the aspects of being non-stationary and having a trend have been removed through AR(1) as depicted in the ACF graph, the data looks much better though with two positive spikes at lag 1 and lag 3,. The lags 1 and 3 shows that the data is still non-stationary and there is trend in the data. There is need to remove the non-stationary and trend aspects of the data for efficient and effective modeling of the problem. The indication is that the data does not have a mean or constant variance. In order to do this, there is need to further differentiate the data by taking the 3rd different of y since this will remove the seasonality in the data. The above graph shows that there are specific lags that lie outside the confidence area. This means that the data is not stationary. It is important to find the ACF for the other differences such as 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th for the purposes of removing aspects of seasonality in the data. These lags exist outsides the confidence level as depicted by the ACF graph. The coefficients are SAR and SMA due to the seasonality present in the data. The p values of both coefficients are below .05. The MS is 466718 for the model.

Immigration and education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Immigration and education - Research Paper Example om transportation to unofficial immigrants under 31 years of age; arrived in the United States earlier of age 16; have always been in the country for at least five years of residence; having not been sentenced for any crime, presently in school, having advanced from high school, or functioned in the U.S army. Thus the Obama administration is better to move on with immigration reforms which included: the immigration reform system legalized so as to function more successfully, taking precise response to labor market, thus, enhancing U.S effectiveness. Reinstates the reliability of immigration laws through an implementation system which disheartens managers and workers from their external action of the lawful system, safeguards Americas boundaries, and charges substantial consequences in touch with those who disrupt the guidelines; Proposes a just, caring, and arranged technique to permit numerous of the coarsely millions of migrants presently residing unlawfully in the U.S to receive the legal rights of living in the country. This is worth implementation since the immigrants could aid in increasing the U.S economy as they are very hard working persons, Registration of these immigrants with contextual authorizations would certify that we know who is here and will allow the U.S powers to pay attention to implementation properties on criminal essentials and safety pressures instead of meticulous intimate memberships. The possibility for getting a national policy failure sometimes can be explained by partisan actions. The September 11 outbreaks still a possible immigration reform package in its ways. Before the outbreak, President George W. Bush meeting with Mexican president, Vicente Fox, a number of times discussing about the Latinos becoming the significant individuals of swing voters known for nowadays ,hence calling for consensual immigration reforms. Subsequent to the bomber attacks, nevertheless, immigration implementation turn out to be identical with

Broad Strategy HR Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Broad Strategy HR Management - Essay Example This is what HR Strategy performs. HR Strategy is both beneficial to the organization and the individual because it realizes the capabilities and talents of the employees through a careful analysis of how to maximize and optimize an employee allowing them to be fully efficient. In this manner the organization in question has also a proper control in accomplishing their mission and goals as human resources are the means to reach these. It also can be said then that an organization with sufficient planning has what it takes to deliver quality products and services to consumers or clients (thereby soliciting consistent positive returns and success) rather an organization with a lack of planning. Planning can actually guarantee productivity in this regard. In turn such planning also leads to the individual's success as much as the organization as it realizes and enhances strengths as they remedy weaknesses. Human-resource planning is the first step in effective human-resource management as it involves forecasting the human-resource needs of the organization and planning certain useful and important steps that the organization must take in order to meet those human resource needs that will contribute a high percentage for its overall success as human-resource planning should be connected to the organization's strategic objectives and mission. (Butensky and Harari, 1983) It can be said that human-resource planning is a challenge because the needs of the organization are constantly changing and sometimes do not converge and such challenge can be greater if the recruitment pool is limited or if the people in charge of human-resource management have not been trained to forecast the Technika needs to maintain and achieve success in all areas of concern. (Butensky and Harari, 1983) Recruitment According to Daniel and Metcalf (2001), recruiting is part of the over-all management function of staffing that serves a major role player in ensuring that company strategies will be implemented. Spencer (2004) also emphasized that staffing requires both the process of attracting and selecting prospective personnel's capabilities and competencies with the company position. It is perhaps the most important function because it is the starting point in the whole HR process. Its importance is noted by Drucker (1992) as he said that "every organization is in competition for its most essential resource: qualified, knowledgeable people" (Drucker 1992). Recruitment is defined as the process of discovering, developing, seeking and attracting individuals to fill actual and/or anticipated job vacancies (Sims 2002). It has three general purposes: to fulfill job vacancies; to acquire new skills; and to allow organizational growth. There are several factors which influence recruiting efforts namel y: organizational reputation, attractiveness of the job, cost of recruiting, recruiting goals and recruiting philosophy (Sims 2002). Technika. projects an image to the community and it determines the attractiveness of the company to qualified employees. It may either be a potential barrier or a significant advantage depending on the ability of the HR team to

Magic Realism in One Hundred Years of Solitude

Magic Realism in One Hundred Years of Solitude Magic Realism is a term found by art historian Franz Roh in 1925, to describe a visual arts movement emerging throughout Europe. It is known that a large number of critical terms in literature are borrowed from painting. Magic Realism is one of those terms. The usage of that technique leads the author make the themes and subjects are more imaginary, outlandish and with a fantastic dream like quality. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who is the author of One Hundred Years of Solitude, does not like to be considered a writer of Magic Realism, even it is clear to see Magic Realism technique in his novel, he claims only to be realist without much exaggeration in his work. He states, As the final judgment runs, the source of all creation is reality. In One Hundred Years of Solitude for example, the banana company treats its workers so badly that they all go on strike. They gathered in the main square of the town, where the government has them surrounded by soldiers armed with machine guns. When the crowed refuses to disperse, the order is given to open fire, and three thousand people are killed. Their corpses are, then, put into the trains and sent off to the sea, and the whole incident is officially denied to the point that Jose Arcadio Segundo finds it impossible to persuade anyone that it has taken place. For a European observer, the ability of a government to hide such incidents is indeed unbelievable. However, in Latin America, as well in the most of the third world countries, the situation is still worse than can be imagined. To the eye of European and North American common sense, the career of the Central character in One Hundred Years of Solitude Colonel Aureliano clearly belongs to the realm of magic and fantasy and not of reality. For, in the course of his career he, Organized thirty two armed uprisings and he lost them all, he had seventeen male children by seventeen different women and they were exterminated one after the other in a single night he survived fourteen attempts on his life, seventy three ambushes and a firing squad. He lived through a doze of strychnine in his coffee that was enough to kill a horse. He refused the Order of Merit He rose to be the commander in chief of the revolutionary forces with jurisdiction and command from one border to the other and the man most feared by the government Although he always fought at the head of his men, the only wound that he received was the one he gave himself. He shot himself in the chest with a pistol and the bullet came out through his back wi th out damaging any vital organ. (MÃ ¡rquez, 2003) Early in the novel, a mysterious girls arrives who either cannot or will not speak and whom they call Rebecca. She brings with her the sickness of insomnia of which the most fearsome part, as an Indian woman explains, was not the impossibility of sleeping, for the body did not feel any fatigue at all, but its inexorable evolution towards a more critical manifestation; a loss of memory. Melquiades, a man of letters discovered its remedy but before him, Jose Arcadia has already invented a memory machine in which he has recorded almost fourteen thousand entries. World, in this way, becomes a slave of dictionary as it refuses all possibility of change by overcoming the loss of memory. It is not difficult to count a number of reasons for these apparently incredible details, which Gabriel Garcia Marquez provides in his work, but the most convincing one is, perhaps the obvious mundane purpose of enabling him to avoid censorship. Marquez technique has also been described as a kind of narrative hyperbole which seeks to expand the sensibility with which we perceive the world we live in. In One Hundred Years of Solitude, Marquezs characters are often endowed with a kind of supernatural power. Aureliano can see the future. Remedios The Beauty is taken up into the clouds as a divine being. Melquiades survives death, and stays on earth as a ghost. Ursula chooses not to die and lives for over a hundred years. In One Hundred Years ofnSolitude, if the resolution is strong enough, nothing can overpower it. It is perfectly possible for people to have power over even death. The characters struggle to create and define their own worlds, their fight is against time, history and fate. It could be said that Marquez endowment of his characters with special power is an illustration of our powerlessness against forces which remain outside our control. By crossing the border of normal possibility, Marquez reminds us of the limit ations of our own real lives, but also of the possibility of viewing the world in an entirely different way. Marquezs characters struggle to control, and to create their own world. It is through this act of creation that we can truly escape the forces in life over which we have no control. Marquez suggests that literature is the means by which we can gain understanding of a world-view different from our own, and therefore an understanding of our common humanity. While politics and ideology have the power to de-humanise, literature has the power to remind us of our humanity. Through imagination, and art, we can be elevated from the restrictions we face in day to day life, and we can also be enlightened as to the true potential of our lives, and our own individual power to create and shape our own destinies. Bibliography MÃ ¡rquez, G. G. (2003). PURPLE PATCH: Liberal Paradise . Retrieved from Daily Times: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_3-12-2003_pg3_7

Expression of Desires In Arabic Women’s Novels :: Arab Culture Cultural Essays

Expression of Desires In Arabic Women’s Novels Picking an original and engaging topic that is able to span all five of the very different authors’ novels we examined this semester proved to be a difficult task. Though there are certainly similarities between each book and overlying themes that connect them, ultimately I didn’t want to get tied down into the shifty and unsafe territory of placing novels together solely because one, they are all written by women; or two, they all emerge out of the Arabic world. However, there are certainly broad themes present in all of the novels, and I chose to focus on how women express, or can’t express their desires and wants, and how the ability to do so leads to agency and freedom in one’s own life. A woman’s desires, sexual and otherwise, seems surprisingly suppressed or not allowed in each novel. When it does emerge, it seems that too often one’s own desire is replaced with the need to be desirable for men, and so these women’s wants are placed aside in favor of the male protagonists’ wishes. I want to explore this topic in each novel, taking a look at when a woman is able to express desire, when it must give way and take second place to a man’s wants, and how, ultimately, it seems to free the women who chose to make their own path according to their wants, dreams, and goals. As we finish the semester and conclude our discussions on Arabic women, I think it’s important to note that though at times these women have agency in their lives, quite often, despite different upbringings, social/political/economic status, regions of habitation, and direct contact with Western influence, they are ultimately unable to take total control of their own lives. Obviously there are varying degrees to which this is applicable, and certainly some of the women are stronger than others, but overall, I think a very key message that all of these female authors are sending out is that women’s struggle for freedom and equality is still a battle that is being fought-- all over the world for sure, but certainly in the Middle East. Pillars of Salt, perhaps the novel with the strongest female character, is the one novel where desire is seen and nothing stops Maha from expressing her wants, both sexually and when it concerns her husband, son, and father.