Mirza Ghalib’s Prose Essay

One of the most influential luminaries of the Subcontinent literature, Mirza Asad Ullah Khan, continues to win the hearts of the posterity with his evergreen literary works. His is renowned for his poetic endeavors in Urdu and Persian language with thousands of high quality verses to his credit. He bagged a major chunk of fame through his rich philosophical verses which often eclipse his status as a prolific prose-writer. Many notable writers proclaim that Ghalib could have garnered the same magnitude of fame only on the basis of his amazing prose. He gave a new and refreshing facet to the genre of prose-writing and thereby, is often referred to as â€Å"the father of prose-writing† in the realm of Urdu literature. He is the most written about of all the poets of Urdu literature , so much so that the study of his works has surprisingly been converted into a branch of exhaustive Urdu literature named â€Å"Ghalibiyaat†. Ghalib truly excelled in the domain of letter and journal writing (especially letter-writing which he started in 1857), endowing the style a novel characteristic. Before Ghalib ventured into literature, the prose literature included only a few theological and fictional books unnecessarily encumbered with heavy Persian and Arabic words. Ghalib divorced this highly artificial style in vogue, and hospitably welcomed his peculiar austere writing style. He effortlessly wrote two significant Urdu collections of letters; Urdu-e-Muallah (The Royal Urdu) and Ud-i-Hindi (The Indian Amber), laying a solid foundation of easy, popular and yet literary Urdu. He added another prominent feather to his literary cap through his narrative of historical accounts penned into impressive journal/diary format. This format includes Dastanboo (Pellet of Perfume) and Mihr-e-Nim Roz (Midday Sun), both in Persian language. His idiosyncrasy became so popular that even the most popular writers including Maulana Hali and Sir Sayed Ahmed Khan embraced his unpretentious style and carried forth the valuable legacy. Through analysis it becomes clear that there cannot be encountered any essential difference between the style that Ghalib adopted, and the style which is prevalent in today’s era which demands simplicity as well, rather than the complex and incomprehensible literature, embodying the heavy dose of flowery vocabulary and low content value. Ghalib was a gifted and an erudite writer with no dearth of creativity; introducing the new style being the biggest example of his treasure of creative skills. His letters project a clear, uncomplicated, natural and fascinating style, characterized with unimaginable flow, rhythm and spontaneity in his language. He adopted a conversational manner in his letters, giving the impression that he is conducting a conversation with a friend who is ostensibly sitting in front of him, discussing the everyday matters face-to-face. Such open and frank style even assists a reader to bond and gel with writer’s flow of thought. His words are impregnated with loud and fearless expressions of his innermost feelings, and at the same time reflect Ghalib’s highly developed taste and knowledge, owing to his aristocratic lineage. He expresses them openly and frankly, and at the same time he expects the correspondent to reciprocate the same intensity of emotions and frankness. Apart from being simplified linguistically, the letters are quite informal, progressing from the rhyming sentences and flattering epithets/long salutations, which were the characteristic features of the letters written by the educated Muslims, to simple salutations. Indebted to non-ornamental language, the commencement of a letter just by addressing the name of the recipient showed the transition in the long held tradition. Being celebrated for intense, intelligible poetry does not lessen Ghalib’s exceptional talent in wit and humor. A pioneer of informal writing, Ghalib’s recipes never lacked the spice of satire and comedy. His letters are rife in delighting humor and sharp wit, elucidating and highlighting Ghalib’s jolly, candid and loving nature. He even smiled at the gloomiest moments because the severe jolts of life had made him learn to smile in order to strengthen himself in the face of even the most terrible scenarios so as to mitigate the bitter and painful pangs of the agonizing life. For instance, when the 3rd wife of one of his friends died, Ghalib remarked: â€Å"Allah Allah, there are some among us who have been freed from this prison three times and I have for the past 50 years this rope around my neck; neither this rope breaks nor it takes my life. Another such example of his light-heartedness can be seen in one of his letters to Saif-ul-Haq, in which Ghalib candidly and cleverly talks his friend out of sending the predictable gift of mangoes, a fruit, of which he was awfully fond of, but was also flooded with, by his friends and companions. â€Å"I cannot think of anything which I can ask you to send me from Surat. What is there to be had which cannot be had here. I like mangoes no doubt, very much, not less than grapes, but how can they reach here safely from Surat and Bombay. The Malda mangoes are known here as Pewandi and Vilayati. They are fine indeed and they would be finer still at Surat, but it seems you would be going out of the way to send them from there to Delhi. The expense of sending mangoes worth a rupee would amount to about Rs. 4 by the parcel post and even then perhaps 10 out of 100 will get here in a sound condition. Please give up the idea of sending me any. Delicious mangoes of various kinds can be had here in plenty. The Nawab of Rampur often sends presents of fine mangoes from his own garden. While I am writing I have just received two baskets of mangoes from a friend at Bareily. They have been opened in my presence but all except 83 out of 200 sent to me have become rotten. † Ghalib’s inexhaustible fund of humor not only eased his sorrows, but also pacified bereavement of the others. Ghalib himself said: â€Å"I want to write the lines that whoever reads those should enjoy it. † Similarly, his journals are also the epitome of simplicity and the natural flow of language characterized by the starkness of his sadness and the reflection of a bleeding heart. Thematically, Ghalib’s letters are really pivotal and significant as they give a thorough insight into his exceedingly sensitive personality and thought patterns. Ghalib started penning letters to his friends around the tumultuous and chaotic period of Indian Mutiny 1857. This period not only marked profound change in Subcontinent’s history, but also in Ghalib’s life. Ghalib’s beloved city crumbled to the ground, turning into rubbles and waste as a result of aggressive fight between the British and the Indian rebels. It drowned Delhi into the blood of not only the common Indians, but also in the blood of many of Ghalib’s friends. A lot of his friends migrated from crimson-coated Delhi to seek refuge in other parts of the Indian Subcontinent. This left Ghalib in a lot of pain because he could not bear this agonizing disunion as he used to cherish his camaraderie. He once in one of his letters told a friend: â€Å"From hundreds of miles talk with the tongue of pen and enjoy the joy of meeting when you are separated. † To give vent to his gregarious urges, he took a step to compose letters so that he could keep in touch with his comrades, thereby writing 5 to 6 letters a day. His letters mostly written to friends can also be seen as a testimony of his true regard for the pure relationship of friendship and his dependence on this means of communication. Being a writer he was definitely a man of words and therefore, craved to have an outlet of the immense sea of expression that he possessed especially lovingly freed among people that he loved and owning to his affable nature there were many regardless of them being his contemporaries and supposed competition. These feelings can be found in the following extract from a letter to one of his closest friends Tafta: pg 51 â€Å"Well sir would you continue to be cross or would you make peace with me? If you cannot get reconciled to me you should at least tell me the reason of your being cross. In my solitude I live chiefly on letters from friends. When I get a letter from a friend I take it to be a visit from him. There is not a day on which I do not receive several letters from various directions. In fact on some days the postman brings my letters more than once, a few in the morning and a few in the evening. This keeps me busy as well as amused and I easily pass my day in enjoying their perusal and in having the pleasure of writing replies to them. † Through his letters, he communicated well his sentiments regarding the War of Independence 1857, and the decline of the Mughal Empire, including the excruciating effect it rendered on him and his friend’s lives. In his graphic letters, Ghalib presented the horrid picture of how Delhi was converting into a desert due to the scarcity of water, and also how the ruling Indian elite was coming to a dismal end which he so consciously belonged to and boosted off. He gives a picturesque account of the gory annihilation with a deep streak of gloom in it: â€Å"An ocean of blood churns around me – Alas! Were these all! The future will show what remains for me to see! † In addition to this, he shared with his friends the other happenings that manoeuvered his life through the travails of life(Thus, the letters become autobiographical in nature). He also conversed about the mannerism and the propriety observed at that point in time in Delhi. He himself belonged to the royal family of Seljuks, and invariably followed the decorum rampant at that time. A lot of his letters provide the testimony and several allusions to his nobility, the pride he took in it and his high self-respect as he proudly led a resplendent life of a royal person though he always was out of money and depended on the patronage of the royal court and the generosity of his friends. Moreover, Ghalib took great pride in his literary works, and in a letter to his friend and contemporary Majruh, he conscientiously acknowledged his role as the reformer of Urdu writing by introducing a much needed and ground breaking change that was openly adopted by his contemporaries so as to popularize Urdu prose. An extract of it is as following: â€Å"All the wealth of Delhi in gold and pearls and jewellery has flowed into the Punjab as a result of the loot that followed the Mutiny, but this style of writing was my peculiar property. This wealth has been looted by the cruel hands of a man from Panipat who resides in the Ansari’s quarter. However I bear him no grudge for this loot. May God bless him. † This small passage alone holds an array of cultural, historical and autobiographical dimensions. The exquisite letters also bring into light the poet’s unstable monetary conditions as only his poetry could qualify as his ‘property’ for he never even had a house to his name. Needless to say that a talent like Ghalib’s must be rightfully considered as a treasure, but the orphan despite being the owner of such a priceless possession survived owing to his friends’ favors or royal rewards. In the following extract from a letter written to his friend and fellow poet Saif-ul-Haq Sayyah, Ghalib discloses a dependable source of income: â€Å"For 12 years the late Nawab Yusaf Ali Khan of Rampur used to send his verses to me and to send a draft for Rs. 100 every month, but never asked me for a receipt for this money. He used to enclose the draft in his letter and he used occasionally to send a lump sum of Rs. 200 or 250 as a present. During the disturbed period following the mutiny my income from the fort (that us the Red Fort of Delhi) had vanished and the pension from the British government had been stopped. It was through the kindness of the Nawab of Rampur, who continued sending the fixed salary every month and other sums in addition, that I and my dependents managed to live in those days. The present Nawab, his successor, may God preserve him long, continues to send me my monthly salary as usual, though I do not know whether the occasional gifts would continue or not. † This letter shows his unfavorable dependence on others’ generosity and appreciation of literature. However, in the particular era, the royals and the aristocracy deemed all arts to be an asset to the heritage of their nation and did not hesitate in investing in it physically, mentally or financially. Kings, princes, nobles, common men delved into poetry, and it was socially compulsory for men of respectable parentage to show their talent in verses so as to affirm the capability of their cultured and refined minds. Therefore, literary men from all walks of life esteemed Ghalib to be a patron of literature and made him the receiver of many deserved rewards. Unfortunately, the officials and courtesans of that time could be easily regarded as an early manifestation of the corrupt worm that is so dominatingly residing in the insatiable bulging bellies of the clerks and officials of our 21st century government. Ghalib as well became a victim of an absolutely unjust scheme of the devious courtiers which he aptly pens in a letter to his good friend Tafta of which an extract is given below: â€Å"You have reminded me of a very old story, which has revived a sore spot in my heart. A Qasida was submitted through Munshi Husain to Roshan-ud-Daula and through the latter to Nawab Naseer-ud-Din Haider of Lucknow. The Nawab ordered Rs. 5000 to be sent to me on the very day when the Qasida reached him. Muhammad Husain, the middle man, never informed me of the order. The late Muzaffar-ud-Daula came to Delhi from Lucknow sometime after this and told me about it, but he asked me not to tell Muhammad Husain that he had given me this information. I wrote to Sheikh Imam Baksh Nasikh to enquire what had been the fate of my Qasida. He wrote back in reply that a reward of Rs. 5000 had been given by the ruler of Lucknow, but Roshan-ud-Daula himself kept Rs. 3000 out of the sum and gave Rs. 000 to Muhammad Husain telling him to send Ghalib any sum that he liked out of Rs. 2000. Nasikh enquired from me whether Muhammad Husain had sent anything out of the sum to me. I replied that I had not received even five rupees out of the whole sum of Rs5000. Nasikh on hearing this wrote to me again that I should write him a letter stating that I did not know whether any reward for my Qasida had been given by the king and he promised that he would manage to place the letter before the king and to get the person who had taken my money to disgorge it. I wrote a letter to the above effect as desired and posted it; but on the 3rd after the dispatch of the letter I heard a report in Delhi that Naseer-ud-Din Haider was dead. You can see for yourself what I could do and what could be done by Nasikh after this misfortune. † Through Ghalib’s letter, the modern generation is facilitated to learn about the long sowed seed of corruption and injustice and also the mistreatment and exploitation of artists. Although the financial situation of writers, poets and other creative upholders has improved through the progressive times but even now they are not given their due share especially in the East. Similarly in another letter of his to Mir Mahdi Majruh, Ghalib reveals his priority to be his work and not the sales or the profits acquired from his work of art. This shows Ghalib’s respect for his creativity and his unmatchable dignity. As acknowledged before by critics he was â€Å"too much of a poet to think like a business man† which also depicts the older generations’ simplicity and sensitive ego. The passage goes as: â€Å"You tell me that there are many people desirious of purchasing the book and that I should let you know the price. I am not a broker, a bookseller or the manager of a press. The owner of the Ahmadi press, where it has been published, is Muhammad Husain Khan. Its manager is Mirza Ammun Khan, the press is at shahdara. The owner lives at Delhi in Kucha Rai Man. The price of the book is -/6/-, postage extra. You may give this information to intending purchasers, who may send for any number of copies they may like by post. They may remit the price either in cash or in postage stamps to the above address. You and I have nothing to do with the matter. Owning to his self-confidence and self-assurance, Ghalib did not indulge in building facades and rightfully took the responsibility of a much needed literary reformer. Through his auto- biographical letters, many of the decadent literary traditions of the past times are revealed to us. For example, in those days authors and poets had the habit of sending their works and books to their fellow esteemed colleagues to write eulogistic notes on them as a guarantee of the writer’s brilliance and talent regardless of its actual existence which in Urdu is known as â€Å"Taqriz†. The friends asked of the favor used to be under an unspoken oath of flooding their notes with excessively high praises and ostentatious bouquets of compliments, deserving or undeserving, which tainted the credibility of the author himself and the notes were cleverly ignored by the clever audience as a blank page of any book. Ghalib put a stop to this hollow practice and became moderate in offering praises due to which many of his friends felt mistreated at the hands of the usually generous Ghalib. Tafta, also once complained of the unkindness with which he was met when he received a meager gratification for one of his books which is illustrated in the following extract: â€Å"I cannot give up my principles. I do not know that style of Indian writers of Persian in which they begin to praise one like professional bhats. Look at my qasidas you will find that the proportions of poetical flights on general subjects of a literary nature is much larger in them than the verses devoted to the eulogy of the person praised. The same principle I follow in my prose. Look at the Taqriz I wrote on the book of Nawab Mustafa Khan and see how small the space devoted in it, to his praise is. See again the preface I wrote for the Diwan of Mirza Rahim-ud-Din Haya or look at the Taqriz I wrote at the instance of Mr. John Jacob on his edition of the Diwan-i-Hafiz. There is only one verse in praise of him and the rest of the writing, in prose, is on other interesting topics. I assure you if I had written a preface to a collection of poems of a prince I would not have given him more space than I have given to the praise of your work. If you knew this peculiarity of mine, you would have regarded the praise that I have bestowed on your work as enough. † Similarly being one of the most celebrated and prominent writers of those times and also of the times ahead, Ghalib was a recipient of many books and works of his colleagues and reverent pupils for corrections, criticism, improvements and advice, a common practice in the era in question. It was commonplace for men of education to indulge in literary writings regardless of their parentage. Therefore, more room for criticism and professional help was made. Masters also, openly accepted this tedious and monetarily fruitless challenge so as to increase the number of their subservient pupils, a matter of pride and popularity in those days and also to encourage and invest in literary taste which in the 18th century was a testimony of refined culture. Ghalib in order to help his colleagues and pupils ran in extra mile by not only correcting their mistakes but by also writing helpful but lengthy additional notes so as to ensure improvement and fulfill his responsibility. An example of this is the following extract from a letter to Tafta in which Ghalib dutifully criticizes his sent work: â€Å"Well done. What a nice Qaida you have written? The continuity of sense and the simplicity of words are praise-worthy. One of your lines coincides with a line of a verse from Shaukat of Bukhara that is chak gardidamo az jaib badaman raftam. I think you may well be proud of your thought having reached the same height as that of Shaukat in this line, but the line preceding this in your poem does not come up to the corresponding line of Shaukat.

Story About My Life

My name is Fajita Streaks. I was born and raised in the beautiful city of monkeys called â€Å"Loopier†, which located in Thailand and was part of the Asia. I was born on October 19, 1993. 1 am a senior at Palatability High School. I am a good student with a 3. 6 grade point average. I am so proud to say that I am a hard working and dedicated student. Eve always put my best In everything that l. Eve done academically. I am not the type of person who gets put up to a big challenge and backs down.When I look at this picture of myself, I realize how much I've grown and hanged, not only physically, but also mentally as a person In the last couple of years. I'm thinking about enrolling In Faculty of Liberal Arts at Clang-Mall university which Is my best university ever. It has a good reputation with very qualified Instructors. And I'm sure that If I were a Clang-Mall University student, It will prepare me to make It appoint to become a flight attendant. I believe a great amount of effort, patience, and practice to Clang-Mall university and myself can get what I want to be. The surface I think I am like most young and modern Tall women: I take school seriously, I have dreams and goals for the future that I am determined to make happen, and I don't expect anyone to do the hard work for me. But there is only one thing that I can tell you who I am and how different I am. I am not kind of person who giving up everything easily. I spend most of my time with lots of book. If I want something badly, I'll will do everything to get it. I can say that Some people have a natural ability to do anything and master it, So do l.I have proven that I am a good worker by putting my effort into everything I do and excel in my daily routine. In order to be a good student you must not let opportunities slip by. I plan to make my college education a well rounded and broadening one that hopefully will allow me to explore both my academic and liberal arts interests so that wherever t he future takes me I will have a solid foundation upon which to build my dream career. At last, I hope I am right for your Faculty of Liberal Arts and your university.

Homework Essay

Chapter 5 1. Describe how we measure the clinical performance of an HCO as a whole? For example, can you aggregate good performance in cardiology and poor performance in obstetrics, and say â€Å"overall, performance is average†? It depends on how measurement is being done. If a scorecard is used, yes the performance could be aggregated. However, the book mentions moving the departments off the scorecard that do not need improvements and focusing on the departments that aren’t doing well or need improvement in certain areas. Scorecards are beneficial in showing overall performance but can also be evaluated to see which departments are not meeting or exceeding the benchmark. If measurement was on a department basis and one was not doing well, that department would need to focus on the developmental areas in order to say that performance is good. â€Å"Overall† means an average or an overview. It’s not specific to one department but an average of all. One could fail a nd others exceed in which â€Å"overall performance† would be â€Å"average.† Chapter 6 1. Describe how an institution can ensure that its medical staff plan is realistic? List the specific steps you think would be important, and which would make a reassuring checklist when presented to physicians and to the governing board. An institution needs to measure input and output to effectively staff the facility. Input can be measured by patient arrivals and appointment requests (request for care). Output can be measured by patients treated, cost per case, quality and access. The physician organization also assists in providing excellent care by recruiting and retaining physicians necessary to provide this care. Physician supply should remain open to leave and come as the community demand raises and lowers. However, it is more effective to be strategic in planning the staffing needs. Too big leaves physicians underworked. Too small leaves physicians ­Ã‚ ­ overworked. A medical staff plan should be implemented to protect physicians  against new competitors. 2. Medical staff leadership: Why should medical staff leadership be appointed by and accountable to the governing board, as opposed to being selected entirely by the medical staff or by the executive? To avoid tax situations, the board must remain nonphysicians (pg 205). Also the board must vote for what is in the best interest of the community. If there were several physicians on the board or the medical staff or executive appointed this, it would be considered a conflict of interest because it’d be harder for the medical staff to do what’s in the best interest of the community rather than what’s in the best interest of the physicians. 3. What is the goal of communication with physicians? How is that goal attained in large organizations? The intent of the communication network is to identify potential conflicts in advance, analyze and understand them (pg 205). PITs, surveys and organizational guidelines and processes are implemented to help resolve these issues. Bylaws are also set and used to describe rights and obligations of each party. They are also used to encourage negotiations and conflict resolution (pg 206).

Euthanasia Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Euthanasia - Term Paper Example Burgess (2005) explained the conditions that enable natural selection: 1) Genetic variation must be present to propel evolution, where the root is â€Å"random mutation† that pertains to the DNA making copying errors during cell division; 2) Nonrandom selection of genetic changes happen because of the adaptive needs of surviving in the environment; and 3) Organisms have mechanisms that pass these changes from one generation to the next through a â€Å"self-copying DNA molecule† (p.5). Hence, the basic foundation of evolution is genetic diversity. Euthanasia can be studied from an evolutionary perspective, in that it can either support or oppose it, depending on whose thinking and principles are involved (Stewart-Williams, 2010, p.269). The evolutionary perspective can provide justifications for it, or rejection of its fundamental proponents’ assumptions and arguments (Persaud, 2007, p.340). When searching keywords in â€Å"euthanasia,† â€Å"evolution*,â €  and â€Å"anthropology,† in EBSCO database and Google, however, it becomes apparent that not many studies focus on examining euthanasia from an evolutionary perspective. ... The writer of the paper has heard of friends and distant family members, whose elderly or very sick relatives called for euthanasia. None of them admitted, however, of approving such requests, because they thought that euthanasia is inhumane and against their personal and religious beliefs. They did not think that it was right to take another person’s life, no matter how much that person wanted it. They assert that life is sacred and that even suffering is not enough reason to support euthanasia. The writer wants to further understand the evolution of these beliefs using relevant articles, especially tracing back euthanasia practices in ancient times. Thus, the main rationale of conducting the study is to respond to the literature gap and to further study a personal concern regarding the evolution of beliefs in and practices of euthanasia. Preliminary Review of Literature Euthanasia generally refers to the taking of someone’s life after the express request of the latter , with the main purpose of ending suffering and pain. Today, there are two kinds of euthanasia, which has its variations: active and passive euthanasia. Passive euthanasia refers to removing the life support of a person, and allowing nature to take its course for the dying patient. Some examples are removing respirators or stopping medicine provision. Active euthanasia, on the contrary, consists of direct action, usually through a doctor. Several examples are administering lethal injection or giving medicine that can hasten death. Some forms of active euthanasia may involve relatives of the patient who approve of euthanasia because the latter is no longer conscious for a long time and may have no hope of being awake again. Active euthanasia may

Rastafari Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Rastafari - Essay Example The leaders of Rastafari came up with doctrines of the religion, which include despising the whites, reading the Bible, growing dreadlocks, and smoking cannabis. The followers of the religion interpret the Bible in an afro-centric way; because they believe that the white people altered the meaning of the readings in the text. Bob Marley, a reggae singer, is one of the followers of the movement. Tim argues that Bob’s songs contain the doctrines of Rastafarians (Hall 6). Hall believes that the movement is a way of life because it lacks organization like other religions. The author is an evangelist in Australia, and he researches about religious movements in the world. The article is relevant to my research because it explains the origin of the movement and its principles. The author states the founders of the movement, and he also gives an example of Bob Marley as a Rastafarian. The author has failed to give an example of principle that Marley spreads through his reggae songs (H all 8). The author also fails to give details of how Haile Selassie 1 and Garvey succeeded in creating the movement, even after claiming that they died as a result of their struggle to save Africans from slavery. This means that the article is not wholly reliable. Murrell, Nathaniel. â€Å"Jamaica: The Rastafarian movement.† Global exchange, n.d 2011. Web. 18 Oct 2013. (http://www.globalexchange.org/country/jamaica/rasta) The article states the meanings of symbols of the Rastafari movement, and he explains how the doctrines of the association have spread to the whole world. Nathaniel argues that the word Ras means Christ; while Rastafari refers to Haile Selassie, the founder of the movement (Murrell 4). Rastafarians claim that Haile Selassie is their Christ who died physically, but lives in their souls. The believers argue that Christ shall come back to save them from the world, and he shall take them to Ethiopia. The followers argue that Ethiopia is the land that Christ prom ised them, and they refer to it as Mount Zion. The author argues that the movement has spread from Jamaica to the United States in cities such as New York, and the Great Britain (Murrell 8). Nathaniel, however, believes that the movement is more of a culture or political association rather than a religion. This argument is similar to that of Tim Hall, and it indicates that numerous researches have been conducted to determine the classification of Rastafarian movement. Nathaniel is an associate professor in the University of Carolina. The professor teaches philosophy and religion, and he has written several books in these topics. Murrell’s research specializes in the Caribbean and world religions. The article will help the research to explaining the real meaning of terms used by the Rastafarians. The author has analyzed how the movement spread to countries such as America and Britain, and he also explains the origin of the Rastafarian doctrines. The author has failed to descri be the spread of the movement in details, but his work is reliable because his arguments are similar to those of Tim Hall, and they are more detailed. Barnett, Michael. "The Many Faces of Rasta: Doctrinal Diversity within the Rastafari Movement." Caribbean Quarterly 51.2 (2005): 67-112.print. The article summarizes details of members of the Rastafari

Business environment and strategic planning Essay

Business environment and strategic planning - Essay Example Various factors which are specific to the industries in which firms operate such as - economies of scale, product differentiation, degree of concentration of various firms in that industry as well as barriers to market entry; significantly affect their performance (Hoskisson et al., 2008). This paper aims to discuss the impact of reclassification of a firm’s industry sector, on the industry, and the factors affecting its strategic management. It also includes an analysis of the company’s value chain; five forces analysis of the industry it operates in; core competencies and key issues the five forces framework. The leading construction firm – Carillion Plc., UK is selected for the purpose of this study. Carillion Plc., is one of UK’s leading support services companies, with a substantial portfolio of Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects and extensive construction capabilities. It has its business operations in various countries including the UK, Middle East, Canada, North Africa as well as the Caribbean, employing about fifty thousand people worldwide, and annual revenues worth more than  £5bn. It operates in various market sectors such as – defence, education, health, building, facilities management and services, roads, rail, civil engineering and utilities services etc. (Carillion, 2010a). Its key business strategy is to aim for sustainable growth in the support services and PPP projects; create, develop and market bespoke integrated solutions to its customers in the areas of project finance, design and construction as well as maintenance and lifetime asset management solutions. It also aims to maintain a strong and selective construction capability for long-term support service customers. As a part of this strategy the company has undergone significant changes over the years, primarily in the industry sector to which it belongs. Carillion has been reclassified as a

Communicating a Strategic Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communicating a Strategic Plan - Research Paper Example Since there are several functional areas that need to be synchronized for cohesive functioning as per the updated strategic plan, communication across entire organization becomes extremely important and necessary. Usually, a strategic plan needs to be updated and communicated from the top person of the organization such as Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer of the company to bring entire organization in a single common platform so that each functional area clearly understands how and in what way to proceed for the overall goal achievements. It is extremely important that all departments and sections of the organization perform and function in a most cohesive and synchronized way and that is possible only when the top person of the organization keeps on not only updating the strategic plan but also communicating to them its importance and likely impact on the

What is Great about Studying in the UK Assignment

What is Great about Studying in the UK - Assignment Example A research was conducted in the maintenance of the project. The feedback results aided in the project analysis. The topic under research was; â€Å"What is great about studying in the UK in general?† A leaflet was designed with an intention of convincing students from other countries to come to the UK to learn for a degree. Superiority and efficiency of the pamphlet were possible by the use of surveys, published brochures containing similar data and questionnaires. Four locations were the centre of attention, mainly the student benefit in terms of culture and study atmosphere. Sixteen random students were selected and given identical evaluation sheets to complete in regard to completion of the survey. The random students were also given each a sample of the pamphlet created so as to give accurate information. The evaluation sheet was anonymous; students’ names, sex, and age were not included. Overall experience in regard to the brochure blueprint was enquired. Ten quest ions were provided with each of which was rated as per the evaluation scale created. The rating scale was as follows: excellent (4), good (3), fair (2) and poor (1). There was a comment tab after each question. Two additional questions were at the end of the evaluation scale, founded on the improvement of the brochure (Stake, 1996). Comments from the evaluation sheets revealed information on the brochure created. According to an average analysis of the rating sheet, most students love the idea of studying in the UK. Information from the evaluation sheets created revealed that improvement measures for the brochure created included the following: more picture addition, add links to campus websites, admission criteria, and more information on courses available. More than 100,000 international students reside in London as it is the initially preferred city of choice. These students hail from more than 200 diverse homelands.Manchester is the subsequent favored city in the United Kingdom. The third city of choice in Birmingham while the fourth preferred city is Huddersfield. These cities consist of universities which offer quality education with well trained and dedicated staff members, affordable education as preferred to other countries, and a welcoming diverse environment.

Summarizing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Summarizing - Essay Example Religious constitutions are important to these leaders because they act as their guidance. They view themselves as leaders chosen by God. Monarchy could relate its way of leadership to the supreme authority. The leadership is hereditary and remains within the family. The family members are the top organ of the country. These two types of monarchy still exist but differ in their structure. The Arabs drew a common definition to balance this Monarchies. A situation like this could use the word ‘Malik’ to balance. People say; king and Malik is both equal, and they are both important (Gause 96). Arabs have evidence on their royal titles. A person could trace the background of the title by studying the evidence, example, studying the coins (Gause 95). In ancient Arab, people did not like the Kings. Arabs did not want any form of central government. Liqah is the word used to describe people who abide by every rule of the king. Islam draws their hate of kings from the bible. They give the example of the monarchy of Israel, in the book of Hebrews. The case is not the same for all Kings. The Quran depicts David and Solomon as good kings. The only difference of determining which kingdom is good is when one contrasts kingdoms with caliph and caliphate (Gause 79). Malik depicted military leaders. Their authority was secular, where religion had no place (Gause 90). The rule had no laws from the ruler, but rather use of personal thoughts. King, as a title, was improved in terms of imperialism. After improvements, the name king improves and becomes sultan or Persian. Pedishabs self-declare themselves as emperors. They make their own rights and rules. Examples of padishans are the sultan of Turkey and Shah of Persia. The considers them great (Gause 95). Kings were coordinators of the Padishans. The title of king became so small and less influential in Muslim countries. Foreign leaders in the country were kings. Harun al-Rashid was a

Hitlers actions while he was ruler of the Third Reich Essay Example for Free

Hitlers actions while he was ruler of the Third Reich Essay Introduction There are two schools of thought on Hitlers actions while he was ruler of the Third Reich. One says he has a blueprint of all his intended achievements1 which is based upon Mein Kampf, his autobiography written in the 1920s while the other believes that Hitler did not have any concrete plans which he followed diligently. The latter argued that he rode on opportunities and was propelled into power by circumstances rather than his own abilities. The basis of this essay is to find out which school offers a more convincing argument. Due to the wide aspects of the information and views on Hitler, the scope of discussion would be limited to Hitlers foreign policies, the various interpretations by different historians and my own analysis. One point to note is that although A.J.P. Taylor does not fall into either of the schools, his views seems slanted towards structuralist theory which would also be discussed. Anschluss To determine whether Hitler had a plan or was just waiting to cash in on opportunities, we must look at his foreign policies implemented and his autobiography, Mein Kampf, which he wrote in 19252 while serving his prison sentence. Mein Kampf could be used as a benchmark in finding out whether Hitler was following a laid-out plan. This is because Hitler had claimed so often that all his plans and goals were actually written in Mein Kampf. In Mein Kampf, Anschluss was described as the first stage in Hitlers foreign policy plans, which, with the benefit of hindsight, is true. In a speech on 30 January 1941 in Berlin, Hitler had spoken implicitly of how his intention of abolishing the Treaty of Versailles had been declared or recorded so often that it was impossible for people to not know of his programme of expansionism until 1933, or 1935 or 1937.3 Hitler had also written in Mein Kampf that he wanted to extend the frontiers of Germany to include all Germans, regardless of where they came from.4 Prior to Anschluss, Hitler had been trying to improve his relations with Italy as the latter had interfered in Austrias affairs in 1934 due to concerns about her own territorial integrity5 and. Hitler knew the importance of Italy and tried to improve relations with her. He hoped in this way, Austria would be isolated without Italy defending her. It could thus be argued that Hitler was planning for Anschluss through diplomatic pr eparations. However, Anschluss also represented Hitlers opportunism. Notes written from Goebbelss diary revealed that Hitler had kept his watchful eyes on opportunities for German expansion,6 suggesting that Hitler was always waiting for opportunities to expand German territory, an argument put across by Kershaw. In fact, it was Goering who pressed Hitler to take actions.7 Kershaw argued Goering was pushing the pace for Anschluss, perhaps for economic interests over Austria. Hitler was waiting for a crisis in Austria which would provide the excuse for German intervention and not invasion.8 This arrived on 9th March 1938, when Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a plebiscite on the independence of Austria. Hitler seized this opportunity to intervene in Austrian affairs and pressed Schuschnigg to resign. The National Socialist Arthur Seyss-Inquart took over the chancellorship and formed a new government. With Austrian National Socialists in power in Austria, troops of the German Wehrmacht and the SS crossed the German-Austrian border unopposed on the morning of 12th March 1938. The proclamation of Anschluss into the Third Reich was announced the following day. Taylor argued this was a last minute decision and the belief that Hitlers seizure of Austria was a deliberate plot was a myth. He argued that the crisis was one provoked by Schusschnigg and not Hitler. Kershaw also suggested the view that the decision for annexation of Austria came only after the military invasion. The German military lacked preparations when they marched from the frontier to Vienna. The fact that 70% of their vehicles broke down9 indicated clearly there was neither military preparation nor any back-up plan. Had Hitler made any plans initially, such a situation would not have occurred. Hitlers address to the masses on the balcony of Linz town hall showed that he did not have any intentions to annex Austria.10 Kershaw suggested that the decision to annex Austria might have come from the delirious reception Hitler received at Linz. The Anschluss thus represented Hitlers opportunism where the decision to annex Austria came at the last minute. Although Hitler might have intentions to annex Austria into the German Reich long ago, it was not one of the maturing of carefully thought out plans. Thus I would find it appropriate to agree with the structuralist argue that Hitler was indeed an opportunist. Anschluss came at a point when Hitler least expected it he was smart enough to seize to seize the opportunity. Czechoslovakia Bullock had argued that following the annexation of Austria, the annexation of Czechoslovakia would be the second necessary step in the development of [Hitlers] programme for securing Germanys future11, the second objective that was discussed during the Hossbach Conference on 5th November 1937 which outlined Hitlers view of the future. It was agreed that Austria and Czechoslovakia should be taken simultaneously.12 However, this did not occur accordingly as planned. Anschluss with Austria had instead, improved Germanys strategic position in central Europe13, to allow Hitler to take over Czechoslovakia should an opportunity arise. He might have thought of using Austria to encircle the Czechs and act as a satellite in the conflicts to come14, which in some ways indicated his programme in achieving Lebensraum for Germany. Taylor argued that the conclusion which drawn from the Hossbach Conference showed that Hitler did not really have any concrete plans as to what he wanted. He might have been taking a gamble as usual, hoping that by some chance, he would be successful in achieving aims in his foreign policies. In a situation similar in Austria, I do agree with Taylor that the crisis over Czechoslovakia was presented to Hitler rather than him creating it. Hitler merely took advantage of the situation. According to Kershaw, it was the fatal calculation made by Schuschnigg that gave Hitler the chance he long awaited. Hitler seemed to be least interested in what was the next step he should undertake after the Munich conference. Evidence showing Hitler spending time at the Berghof drawing dream plans for the rebuilding of Linz15 revealed perhaps he was waiting to take over Czechoslovakia through another internal crisis. This opportunity arrived in March 1939 when President of Czechoslovakia Hacha dismissed Tiso the Slovak Premier from office and subsequently declared martial law in Slovakia. The latter then appealed to Hitler for help, who was taken by surprise by the turn of events. He was leaving for Vienna to celebrate the anniversary of Anschluss. Even Alan Bullock agreed, as he puts it, that it was not long before Hitler was able to seize the opportunity that he waited for16, showing that Hitler was relying on opportunities. Protests by the British and French ambassadors against Germanys occupation was countered by the argument that Hitler had acted only at the request of the Czech President, just as the occupation of Austria had been undertaken only in response to the telegram sent by Seyss-Inquart.17 Hitler had spent no more than three days in the process of take-over lasted no more than three days and he was back in Vienna on the 18th. Both fate and opportunity had worked in favour of Hitler once again in allowing him to complete his aims. Conclusion: The Hossbach memorandum was supposed to reveal Hitlers plans and provide a summary of Hitlers foreign policy in 1937-38. Although it indicated that Hitler had some plans in his mind, it was not very specific. Through the examination of the above examples, it would be appropriate to conclude that Hitler was an opportunist. Although much of Mein Kampf was put into action, there was doubt as to whether he was following some form of agenda or programme. Although ideas were laid out in Mein Kampf, it did not mean that they would be implemented inevitably. There was no timescale stated as to when they would be implemented too. In the words of A.J.P. Taylor, I agree that Hitler exploited events far more than he followed precise coherent plans18. Alan Bullock also believes that be it planning or spontaneity, Hitler had only one programme: the gain of power19. Thus the structuralist school which stated that Hitler did not have any concrete plans to which he diligently adhered to seems more appropriate. Most of the time, Hitler was simply waiting for opportunities which he could take to achieve his aims. Notes 1 Stephen J. Lee, Aims of Hitlers Foreign Policy in European Dictatorships 1918-1945, (Great Britain, Routledge, Taylor Francis Group, 2000, 2nd edition), p.217 2 A.J.P. Taylor, Hitler: A Traditional German Statesman, in Hitler and Nazi Germany, ed.Robert G.L. Waite( United States of America, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc, 1966), p. 94 3 Alan Bullock, The Counterfeit Peace, 1933-7 in Hitler: A Study in Tyranny, (Great Britain, Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1973), p. 315. 4 Ibid. p. 315 5 Gerhard L. Weinberg, German-Italian Relations and the Anschluss in The Foreign Policy of Hitlers Germany: Starting World War II, 1937-1939, (United States of America, The University of Chicago Press Chicago and London, 1980), pp.261-262 6 Ian Kershaw, Ceaseless Radicalization in Hitler 1936-1945:Nemesis, (United States of America, W.W. Norton Company, 2000), p.44 7 Ibid. p. 67 8 Ibid. p.67 9 Taylor, Hitler: A Traditional German Statesman, p.99 10 Kershaw, The Drive for Expansion, p.79 11 Bullock, From Vienna to Prague, 1938-9, p. 439 12 Taylor, Hitler: A Traditional German Statesman, p.96 13 Jackson J. Spielvogel, Hitlers War in Hitler and Nazi Germany A History, (United States of America, Prentice Hall, 2001), p. 206 14 K. Hildebrand, German Foreign Policy: from Revisionism to Expansionism in The Third Reich, (Great Britain, George Allen Unwin, 1984), p.30 15 Ibid. p.101 16 Bullock, From Vienna to Prague, 1938-9, p. 480 17 Ibid, p. 485 18 A.J.P. Taylor, Second Thoughts in The Origins of the Second World War, (Great Britain, Hamish Hamilton, 1965), p.X 19 Lee, Aims of Hitlers Foreign Policy, p. 218 Bibliography Bullock, Alan, Hitler: A Study in Tyranny, (Great Britain, Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1973) Hildebrand, K., The Third Reich,(Great Britain, George Allen Unwin, 1984) Kershaw, Ian, Hitler 1936-1945:Nemesis, (United States of America, W.W. Norton Company, 2000) Lee, Stephen J., European Dictatorships:1918-1945, (Great Britain, Routledge, Taylor Francis Group, 2000, 2nd edition) Taylor, A.J.P., Hitler and Nazi Germany, ed.Robert G.L. Waite( United States of America, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc, 1966) Taylor, A.J.P. ,The Origins of the Second World War, (Great Britain, Hamish Hamilton, 1965) Spielvogel, Jackson J. , Hitler and Nazi Germany A History, (United States of America, Prentice Hall, 2001) Weinberg, Gerhard L., The Foreign Policy of Hitlers Germany: Starting World War II, 1937-1939, (United States of America, The University of Chicago Press Chicago and London, 1980)

Report On The Airasia Tourism Essay

Report On The Airasia Tourism Essay 1.0 Executive summary The current situation of Air market is not steady and could satisfy needs of customers, more and more negative news appear to show depression of AirAsia. AirAsia is a Malaysian-based company which owns airlines in Asia with low cost and provide 400 flight lines over 25 countries, the AirAsia was first founded in 1993 and operated in 1998 (Sen Ng, 2008). With almost 20-year history, AirAsia could be regarded as the most successful company in Asia. Brief analysis of AirAsia will be given in the report and further information will be provided to further support assistance for readers to know about AirAsia. 2.0 Introduction The air market is struggling at present, more competitors are involved in the battle and the competence seems intense than ever before, higher price of energy and lower price of flights drive most of airplane companies loss profit and reduce revenue (Kernchen, 2007). Airline market in Europe, America especially in Asia is developing in opposite direction, with effects of financial crisis, less customers go out to travel by plane; economy is also influenced by crisis which drives less businessmen go aboard to invest by plane (Shaw, 2011). The airline companies around world are all affected by crisis, decrease the revenue. At the same time, the speed of development of technology is beyond imagination of people, most airline companies purchase new planes from countries expert in measuring planes such as America, China and Russia, which increase cost and make more difficult to balance finance. The objective of the report is to supply information of AirAsia for readers and assist them to better understand the factors affecting AirAsia in the future, potential threats AirAsia will face with. The report will state an analysis of AirAsia with PESTEL method, from various aspects to show the key external factors affect the development of AirAsia. Then the second part will discuss how the Market Liberalization in the Asia-Pacific assisted AirAsia growth in the region. The third part of report will implement data to show a SWOT analysis of AirAsia and Porters five forces to further supply information of AirAsia. With SWOT analysis and Porters five forces, potential challenges will be given which AirAsia will face in the future. Finally a conclusion will be referred to. 3.0 External factors affect AirAsia Many factors will affect the development of an industry, which could easily divided into external and internal factors. To drive organizations progress better in the changeable world, to analyze and know what potential factors will affect organizations is essential. Eternal factors are easy to handle and organizations could prepare in advance before problems appear, especially for countries in Asia, most countries are at developing groups, external factors such as politics, economy or climates will affect organizations development in long-term (Kohama, 2003). Airline industry is easy affected by those external factors, so the following content will give a PESTEL analysis to help readers know what will affect AirAsia. 3.1 PESTEL analysis PESTEL analysis is used by managers as one of the most essential frameworks to study the external factors that affect development of organizations, PESTEL stands for Political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal ( William Green, 1997). The following content will focus on situation in Asia in the view of PESTEL analysis. Political factors: Asia is a mixed region compared with other areas, there are various countries with different government systems, besides, Asia has a long history, however, most Asian seem to have the similar cultural backgrounds, the policies each country hold are totally different, and the independence movements are continues recently ( Zhang, 2003). AirAsia owns many subsidiaries in many Asian countries, since cold war, with intense relationship between China and Japan, Taiwan, continues conflict between South Korea and North Korea, the flights of AirAsia are affected by these political factors, the relationships among Asian countries are difficult to fortell and the politics in each country seem unsteady ( Yahuda,2005). Economic factors: The economic growth in Asia increased faster since 1945, especially China and Japan, with independent and away from wars, these two countries develop beyond imagination. However, influenced by financial crisis, most Asian countries are struggling economic depression, the inflation rate raise, exchange rates change daily (Adams, 2006). All these unsteady factors drive less export and less people spend money on tourism which directly affects the revenue of AirAsia. The profit decline with less customers and less export for AirAsia. Social factors: In Asia, tourism is not thought about as usual as Europeans, which means, under the effects of cultural background, Asians spend less money on tourism. However, Asians are sensitive to change of price, especially when they desire to go out by plane, lower price will attract them, AirAsia holds the advantages of lower price. With more branches set up in Asian countries, AirAsia will appeal more Asian customers. The population in Asia increase fast, changeable population in Asia drive more young people change locations to live, China and India, these two biggest countries in Asia means change of demand for AirAsia (Sanderson Tan, 1995) Technological factors: Technology plays important role in the airline industry especially for AirAsia which implement the low cost carriers. With more and more experts appearance in Asia, competitors in the field of airline are able to invent new things to reduce cost to win in the battle, if AirAsia wants win finally, the key is to invite more professional experts to join them. Innovation of competitors affects revenue of AirAsia, too. New airplanes with high technology would appeal to customers to change purchasing habits. Environmental factors: Climate is a key factor which influences the revenue of AirAsia, however, natural factors are not planned or changed by human beings. Most of Asia countries realize the importance of protection for environment, with globalization and development of technology, the pollution raise and the living surroundings are damaged. Now, the slogan of energy saving and emission reduction is popular in China, governments request most organizations use clear energy to produce, especially for airline companies, lower cost but less pollutions to environment, fuel or gas must conform to law of countries. Legal factors: Taxation requested for customers will be increase by most countries, which will affect the revenue of AirAsia. Facing more taxation for tickets, customers will feel uncomfortable and ask to reduce the price of tickets. Tariff will change according to current economic situation of the world, especially for Asian countries who export goods with lower cost to compete with domestic industry. Environmental protection regulations will change to request AirAsia to use clear fuel or gas which increase cost and reduce revenue. Laws of export and import will also affect AirAsia, all these depend on policies of Asian countries and economy of the world. 3.2 SWOT analysis After stating key external factors which will affect the revenue of AirAsia, the company also needs tools to analyze under these factors, what the development in the future, the SWOT analysis pursues an integrated strategic position by providing internal information to conclude the strengths, weakness and external information of opportunities and threats ( Bohm, 2009). The SWOT analysis of AirAsia can be seen below: Figure 1: Strengths: Low cost compared with other competitors, the core value of AirAsia is low cost in Asia. Effective management, correct strategic positions, target customers. Simple models implemented in AirAsia, exploring for long time to find out suitable developing models. Secure time and high quality of service attract more customers. Expansion with more than five countries in Asia, multi-skilled employees in company means efficient workforce. Continues innovation, experts teams to invent new type of airplanes. Various airlines for customers, proving more choices for customers. Weakness: Lower cost means lower salary for employees, could not appeal skilled employees. Government regulation and policies often change towards airports, higher taxation for customers and tariff for export and import. More needs of customers, higher compensation asked by passengers increase cost of the company. New entrants in this field, more intense competition in Asia. Increasing price of gas and fuel, less profit for AirAsia. Brand is vital for market, airplanes only with service worse than competitors who ask for higher price. Opportunities: Airlines from Asia to other countries should be provided. Different model but still keep the principle of lower cost carriers. Increase quality of customer service and try to set up a full-service with low fare. Aggressive competition will drive air market prospers for new routes. Higher price of fuel will push competitors out of air industry. Threats: Full service increase cost of AirAsia. Entrants of air industry with lower cost. Accident, change of climate and disaster will influence confidence of consumers. Close relationship among each system in AirAis will limit development of company. Higher salary asked by skilled employees, increasing cost of labor. Government regulations and intense relationship among specific countries, unsteady politics in Asia. (Lim, 2012) 3.3 Porters Five Forces Porters five forces are used by managers to predict potential threats from competitors which will provide a model for managers to better understand the industry (Roy, 2011). After stating PESTEL and SWOT analysis of AirAsia, further information related with competitors will be provided in the following part. The diagram of Porters five forces could better help readers to know more about potential threats for AirAsia. Figure 2 ¼Ã… ¡ Rivalry Strong competitors from China and Singapore with the similar motto everyone can afford the air ticket as AirAsia. Examples such as Spring Airlines in China and Value Air, Tiger Airways in Singapore are strong competitors for AirAsia. Substitutes In the field of air industry, the substitutes are not essential threats for AirAsia. Cars and trains are main substitutes, however, trains are chosen by passages only in China and India, with lower price and safe condition, not affected by change of climate, trains are influence air industry. Cars can be regarded as threats for AirAsia in limited conditions, only for customers who like driving and do not care time. Threats of new entrants Asian air market is a huge market with potential for most companies, not only for Asian air companies, new entrants from Europe and America also involve in intense competition with AirAsia. New entrants will change the supply and demand, affecting AirAsia market share. New airplanes and special service will attract loyal customers from AirAsia to new entrants. Bargaining power of buyers. Consumers have more choices facing large numbers of air companies; they will request higher quality of service and be strict with the take off time and arrival time. They will compare prices of competitors with AirAsia, complaining lower price of other airlines to reduce revenue of AirAsia. Bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers concentrated, fuel or gas suppliers are mainly in East Asia, and the price of fuel and gas are changing without any bargaining of air companies. Fewer suppliers for fuel and aircrafts mean higher price they could ask for. The growth of AirAsia depends on many factors; the report has stated key external factors which will influence revenue of AirAsia, internal factors of strengths and weakness of AirAsia. 4.0 Conclusion In conclusion, the report has stated three analysis of AirAsia in order to supply enough information for readers to understand the strategic positions and models the company implement. With PESTEL analysis, key external factors influencing AirAsia are mentioning and SWOT analysis to provide AirAsia strengths and weakness, AirAsia should keep the core value and supply better service with low cost carriers in long term. Porters five forces analysis also shows potential threats for AirAsia should notice in the future, with new entrants and existing competitors, AirAsia should change management strategy and appeal to more skilled staff.

Jane Eyre is a typical novel of its time. Discuss. Essay -- English Li

Jane Eyre is a typical novel of its time. Discuss. Discuss this quotation, paying particular attention to the social, cultural and historical context within which it was published. There are a large number of elements in the novel 'Jane Eyre' that are very typical of the way of life in the mid 19th century, and also of other novels at that time. Through the novel Charlotte Bronte puts across exactly the factors which were characteristic of the late 18th and 19th century: class and status – both of women and of poor people; public health and illnesses at the time; religion, as well as the gothic elements which were particularly common in 18th/19th century books. Outside even of the actual story, we see evidence historically of the status of women during the 18th and 19th century through the fact that because Charlotte Bronte was a woman, to get her novel published – regardless of its quality - she was forced to use a male pseudonym, Currer Bell. This is a classic demonstration of how women at the time were seen as inferior to men and the sexist views that restricted them in the mid 19th century. The second example of typicality in the novel is the "Red Room"; Charlotte Bronte uses the room to incorporate into the novel the gothic elements which were popular culturally at that time. Bronte puts the room across as a gothic, sinister omen through Jane's fear of it and the association she makes with it and her uncle's death. Further gothic elements are seen later in the novel through Bertha Mason. Jane's arrival at Lowood introduces the reader to the appalling public health conditions which were customary to Bronte during her lifetime. It's likely that the death of Jane's close friend, Helen Burns i... ... similar to Bronte’s experiences which were characteristic of the time she was alive – public health and illness in the 19th century; social incongruence and status; the importance of religion and the position of the poorer class and of women. What, however, is most definitely not typical of the mid 19th century, is the radical feminism which is expressed through ‘Jane Eyre’. Jane’s belief in herself as an equal individual is arguably the impetus of the questioning of class, status and male superiority that followed the mid 19th century. Subsequent to ‘Jane Eyre’, the late 19th and 20th century saw the disintegration of social segregation. The absolutely unique themes of the novel, in particular the extreme feminism and strength of a woman’s mind confirm that there are aspects of ‘Jane Eyre’ that are most definitely not typical of the time it was written.

Garden Design for the Blind :: Architecture Design Essays

Garden Design for the Blind It is a commonly known fact that the removal of one sense sharpens and enhances the perception of the others. We as humans are very centered on sight, and we tend to give less weight to our other senses when it comes to perceiving the world around us. For the most part, our environment tends to consist of designs made for us to experience visually. We do recognize sound as important, but when we are not actively listening to music or speech, sound tends to fade into the background. While we don’t really notice it’s there, sound serves to give us many clues about our surroundings. Our sense of touch is also important in many ways. We can use it actively, feeling many aspects of the world around us; a simple touch can read the temperature, surface texture, and hardness, among other things, of an object in our surroundings. We also possess a sense of kinesthesia, which involves cues from our muscles that give us information about the way our bodies are moving through space. An important component of this system is our balance system in our middle ear. This lets us know when we are or are not in a vertical position. Our leg muscles can tell us the conditions of the surface upon which we are walking and how far we have traveled. Easily the most overlooked sense is the sense of smell. Most of us rarely think about it, but studies have shown that of all the external stimuli that affect the way we do things, odor might be the biggest influence on our behavior. Scent is a major component of memory, especially of pleasant memories. A whiff of a particular smell, perhaps lavender, might bring back memories of weekends at Grandma’s house, where the linen closet was scented with lavender sachets. Studies have linked changes in emotion and even basic instincts to our sense of smell. The French have a restaurant called â€Å"dans le noir?† (or â€Å"in the dark?†) in which seeing people get an experience that is almost like being blind. They are guided to a table by waiters, some blind and some sighted; they eat their entire meal in the complete darkness. The principle behind this is that in the absence of sight, all the other senses are heightened.

Act One Scene One of Educating Rita Essay -- Educating Rita Plays Will

Act One Scene One of Educating Rita Read Act 1, Scene 1 and explain whether you think it is an effective way to start the play. Comment on: How Russell introduces the characters and themes. How he makes the scene dramatic and entertaining. Russell uses an effective way to start the play. It is effective because we find out that Frank is alcohol dependent and he is lazy by not getting the door fixed. Russell faces many problems when trying to introduce his play such as showing Franks alcohol dependency, Rita striving for a change, showing relationships between Frank and Rita, Frank and Julia and Rita and Denny. A telephone call tells us that Frank has a partner. The telephone tells us that Frank and Julia do not get on very well. The advantage of a telephone call is that it tells us that Frank has a partner in an easy way. At the start of the play we see Frank looking for alcohol behind books of the self. Russell making Frank look for alcohol behind books shows to us that he is an alcoholic and also telling his partner Julia that he is going to the pub afterwards. Russell would have found it hard found it difficult to show that Frank and Rita are from to different social backgrounds and setting the scene is a problem that was also faced by Russell as well. When Frank is looking for alcohol behind books he can not remember where he had hidden the bottle of whiskey which indicates that he might have been drinking before. â€Å"Where the hell†¦? Eliot?† When he remembers where he has hidden the whiskey he is very happy. â€Å"Jubilantly.† This visual clue shows the extent of Frank’s alcoholism. Franks â€Å"pours himself a large slug into the mug.† People drink in small glasses because it is very strong. When... ...on the door. You wanna get it fixed!† This tells us that Rita says anything that she wants to or what is on her mind without thinking about it. Rita asks Frank why he took the job to work for the Open University. Rita also asks him if he needed more money. Asking Frank if he is doing it for more money is very rude. Russell makes the scene entertaining and dramatic by making the scene humorous. Rita tries to show that she is intelligent by â€Å"going to the bookcase,† this shows that she is interested in books, literature and want to learn. Rita picks up a book called Howards Ends by E.M.Forster. She read the title of the book and makes a joke about it: â€Å"its sound filthy.† Willy Russell makes it an effective way to start the play. He introduced the characters quickly and effectively. We find out what the characters are exactly like straight away.

Compare Blanche and Amanda Essay

In today’s socioeconomic world, there is no room for slacking off or failure. People are seen as individuals who earn their social status and there is much pressure to succeed. In the plays, â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† and â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† both written by Tennessee Williams, there are two main characters who are not capable of living in the present and have a difficult time facing reality. Amanda Wingfield, the mother from â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† and Blanche Dubois, Stella’s sister in â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† have many similar characteristics and life styles that are discovers throughout each play. In the article â€Å"Tennessee Williams and the Predicament of Women† written by Louise Blackwell both of these women are defined as â€Å"Women who have learned to be maladjusted through adjustment to abnormal family relationships and who strive to break through their bondage in order to find a mate†. Each woman played an important role, affecting everyone they came encounter with, starting with the earlier years when they women were â€Å"southern belles†. In order for these two characters to deal with the complications in their lives they resort to living in their own fantasy worlds of deception and lies. Amanda Wingfield is the mother of Tom and Laura, a middle-aged southern belle whose husband has abandoned her and their children several years earlier. Amanda spends her time reminiscing about the past and nagging her children. She is completely dependent on her son Tom for finical support and holds him fully responsible for her daughter Laura’s future. Amanda is obsessed with her past as she constantly reminds Tom and Laura of â€Å"One Sunday afternoon in the Blue Mountain__ your mother received__ seventeen!__gentlemen callers!†(1050). The reader cannot even be sure if this actually happened or if this is an over exaggerated story that she made up. However, it is clear that despite its possible falsity, Amanda has come to believe it. Amanda also refuses to acknowledge that her daughter Laura is cripples and refers to her handicap as â€Å"a little defect-hardly noticeable† (1056). Only for brief moments does she ever admit that her daughter is crippled and then she resorts back into her world of denial and delusion. Amanda is constantly worrying about Laura’s future and pushing Tom to find a man for Laura. When Tom finally finds a caller for Laura,  Amanda blows the meeting out of proportion and believes that this man will marry her daughter after their first meeting. The night when the young man comes to meet Laura, Amanda wears the same gown she wore on the day that she met her husband. This makes her realize that she chose the wrong man, a man who left her and her children to struggle through life while he went and chased his dreams. Amanda chooses to live in a fantasy world of dreamy recollections not accepting the present reality of her life. Blanche Dubois the main character in the play â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† is a hypersensitive, neurasthenic, faded southern belle who moves from her home town after a rough patch, to live with her younger sister Stella and Stella’s husband Stanley. A main element in finding out who Blanche really is, is discovering the real reason for her move to New Orleans to live with her sister. After the death of her husband, every aspect of her life slowly started to fall apart and left her with a huge void to fill. She admitted to this, at one point in the story, â€Å"that after the death of Allen (her husband) intimacies was the only thing that seemed to be able to fill her empty heart†. Blanche thought that having sexual relations with men would somehow fill the void in her heart. This type of behavior got Blanche into trouble in her hometown. While teaching high school English, Blanche had an affair with a seventeen-year-old student. This destroyed her career and ruined her reputation forcing her to relocate to New Orleans with Stella. From the first moment Blanche steps into her sister’s home one can sense exactly what Blanche is, or at least what she chooses to be. In appearance, she is a glamorous, ladylike aristocrat, who is perhaps slightly nervous. She parades about the house as if she is a regal figure, wearing elegant gowns and delicate jewelry. However, this is merely a facade, Blanche is broke and homeless. Although Blanche was once a kind, normal, sweet girl, her very being has deteriorated. Now, all that’s left is what she struggles desperately to maintain on the outside. It is obvious, even as Blanche desperately attempts to imitate a respectable lady, that there is something terribly wrong with her. She even admits it while speaking with Stella, â€Å"I want to be near you, got to be with somebody, I can’t be alone! Because – as you must have noticed – I’m – not very well†. Amanda and Blanche are similar in the ways they conduct themselves and how they rely on other people to fill voids in their lives. Both women escape reality by living in illusionary worlds and by reminiscing about the past. They rely heavily on men and are desperate to get one. Blanche and Amanda drive everyone crazy causing their own families to slowly drift away from them. While these characters stay the same, the rest of the world around them is continually changing. This explains the twos repeated failures in life. The major characters in these plays are so warped and their lives so distorted and perverted by fantasies that each is left with only broken fragments of what might have been. Their failure to recognize what is happening in their lives, explains how they are unstable people who cannot fend for themselves.

Big Trouble in Little China

Big Trouble in Little China (BTLC) addresses stereotypes and aids assimilation by portraying Asian Americans as true Americans; condemning stereotypical actions; undermining untrue stereotypes; and reinforcing certain stereotypes as countertypes. BTLC encourages assimilation of Asian Americans into American society by portraying them as true Americans – they speak proper English, and Wang showed loyalty to America, as he gave a toast to â€Å"America’s colors†¦ that never run dry †.This contrasts with films which portray Asian Americans as different and unable to adapt to American society. For example, Mr Yunioshi, who speaks accented English in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). Hence, BTLC aids acceptance and assimilation of Asian Americans by showing how they have changed their behavior and lifestyles so they are like true Americans. The film also reflects assimilation by showing that Asian Americans are being treated like true Americans.This is seen f rom the strong friendship between Burton and Wang. Burton is willing to risk his life to help Wang rescue his fiance. Burton also said that despite their racial differences, he and Wang were just old friends and Californians. Burton does not see Wang as an Asian, but as a fellow American and a good friend. Another example is the interracial romance between Eddie and Margo. Due to the stereotype that Asians are of lower position than Caucasians, interracial romances usually do not have a good ending in films.For example, in The Forbidden City (1918), the Asian female lead was killed after the Emperor knew she had a child with a Caucasian, to warn people that interracial romances are strictly condemned . But nobody found the interracial relationship between Eddie and Margo surprising or strange. They were seen as a normal male and female, not an Asian male and Caucasian female. The interracial friendship and romance convey to viewers that racial differences can be erased and Asian Ame ricans are really true Americans.

Agriculture importance Essay

Those of us who preach the gospel of agriculture with evangelical zeal find the text compelling and convincing. We are regularly possessed by the spirit only to look around and see out colleagues, in other sectors, in country management, or even our senior management doubting, yawning or subtly edging towards the door. We face the implicit query, â€Å"If agriculture can do such great things, why have they not yet happened? †1 The past decade has been one of agro-pessimism. The promises that agricultural development seem to hold did not materialise. This pessimism seemed to coincide with pessimism about Sub-Saharan Africa. Especially for Sub-Saharan Africa the hope was that economic development would be brought about by agricultural development. After the success of the green revolution in Asia, the hope was that a similar agricultural miracle would transform African economies. But this hope never materialised, agricultural productivity did not increase much in SSA (figure 1), and worse, the negative effects of the green revolution in Asia became more apparent, such as pesticide overuse and subsequent pollution. Also in Asia the yield increases tapered off. The sceptics put forward several arguments why agriculture is no longer an engine of growth2. For instance, the liberalisation of the 1990s and greater openness to trade has lead to a reduction in the economic potential of the rural sector: cheap imported Chinese plastic buckets out compete the locally produced pottery. On the other hand, it does mean cheaper (imported) supplies. With rapid global technical change and increasingly integrated markets, prices fall faster than yields rise. So, rural incomes fall despite increased productivity if they are net producers3. The integration of rural with urban areas means that healthy young people move out of agriculture, head to town, leaving behind the old, the sick and the dependent. It is often also the men who move to urban areas, leaving women in charge of the farm. This has resulted in the increased sophistication of agricultural markets (and value chains) which excludes traditional smallholders, who are poorly equipped to meet the demanding product specifications and timeliness of delivery required by expanding supermarkets. The natural resource base on which agriculture depends is poor and deteriorating. Productivity growth is therefore increasingly more difficult to achieve. Finally, multiplier effects occur when a change in spending causes a disproportionate change in aggregate demand. Thus an increase in spending produces an increase in national income and consumption greater than the initial amount spent. But as GDP rises and the share of agriculture typically decreases, the question is how important these multiplier effects are, especially when significant levels of poverty remain in rural areas, which is the case in middleincome countries4. The disappointment with agriculture led many donor organisations to turn away from agriculture, looking instead to areas that would increase the well-being of poor people, such as health and education. Those organisations that still focused on agriculture, such as the CGIAR, were put under pressure to focus more on reducing poverty, besides increasing agricultural productivity. However, since the beginning of the new century, there seems to be a renewed interest in agriculture. A review of major policy documents5, including the well-publicised Sachs report and the Kofi Annan report, show that agriculture is back on the agenda again. The most influential report, however, has been the World Development Report 2008 of the World Bank6. This report argues that growth in the agricultural sector 1 contributes proportionally more to poverty reduction than growth in any other economic sector and that therefore alone, the focus should be on the agricultural sector when achieving to reach MDG 1. A reassessment of the role of agriculture in development seems to be required. This policy paper addresses several timely though complex questions: †¢ First, how can or does agriculture contribute to economic development, and in particular how does it relate to poverty? †¢ Second, the agricultural sector has changed considerably in the past decades: what are the main drivers of this change? †¢ Third, what is the relationship between economic or agricultural growth and pro-poor development? †¢ Fourth, how does agriculture relate to other sectors in the economy? †¢ Fifth, who is included and who is excluded in agricultural development, specifically focusing on small farms? †¢ And finally, if agricultural development is indeed important to economic development, then why, despite all the efforts and investments, has this not led to more successes? 2. Agriculture and economic growth This section presents a number of factual observations describing how the agricultural sector changed in terms of productivity, contribution to economic growth, and indicating the relevance of the agricultural sector for poverty alleviation in different regions. Background: some facts In the discussion of the role of agriculture in economic development, a leading question is how agriculture contributes to economic growth, and especially to pro-poor growth. There seems to be a paradox in the role of agriculture in economic development. The share of agriculture contributing to GDP is declining over the years (see figure 1). At the same time, the productivity of for instance cereal yields has been increasing (see figure 2). It seems that as agriculture becomes more successful, its importance declines in the overall economy. Of course, other sectors in the economy can be even more successful, such as the Asian Tigers.

4 mat review entwistle Essay

In the book, Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity by David N. Entwistle (2010) the reader is first introduced to the conflict of the integration of psychology and Christianity. The thought is that Christianity is based on faith and psychology is based on truth. As a result, it is the idea that Christianity and psychology may be impossible to coexist. â€Å"The integration of psychology and theology is virtually inevitable due to their mutual interest in understanding the ambiguities and mysteries of human behavior and healing human brokenness.† (Entwistle, 2010, p. 51) Essentially, this statement is a summation of the entire reading. Even though Christianity and psychology are at two opposite ends of the spectrum, the two ideas still carry the ability to be integrated with one another and implemented. Entwistle, explains the integration of psychology and Christianity by first providing a historical overview of scientific and theological communities in order to provide a more in depth understanding of the modern process of integrating psychological thought with Christianity. Entwistle states that the term â€Å"integrated† should also be viewed as a noun because he says, â€Å"If Christ lays claim to all of life, then the work of integration becomes not just feasible, but imperative, as we attempt to understand the essence of unity.† (Entwistle, 2010, p. 16) To continue, Entwistle explains that science and faith have always been conflicting ideas because science is contradictory to theological concepts. Entwistle some what agrees with this idea but based off of a person’s previous assumptions or knowledge about psychology and theology. If a psychologist were to recognize their faith bias when operating in their chosen specialty of psychology, then they could use science as a means of evidence or testament to the auspiciousness of Christ (Entwistle, 2010). As the book goes on, Entwistle introduces five different disciplinary relationships, which include enemies, spies, colonialists, neutral parties, and allies (Entwistle, 2010). Enemies can either be secular or Christian but the common factor is that they agree that there can be no coexistence of faith and science within the field of psychology. Spies are members of the Christian faith who happen to have a background in psychology but are only interested  in the â€Å"benefits of their own religious system† (Entwistle, 2010, p. 182). Spies could also include those who wish to explore the effects of faith on an individual. Colonialists use parts of psychology integrated with their own ideals and beliefs. Neutral parties are indifferent to both secular and theological arguments for the integration of psychology. However, neutral parties are able to maintain that indifference by keeping science and Christianity separate (Entwistle, 2010). The allies’ mode is different from neutral parties model because it is against that idea that theology is docile to psychology and that faith is a â€Å"vehicle to express psychological truth and to foster psychological benefits† (Entwistle, 2010, p. 206). The remaining reading is geared towards understanding truth as it relates to the psychological and theological mindset. In order to better understand the integration of psychology and theology and the similarities and differences between the two, Entwistle explains that we can gain a better understanding of human ps yche and consider completing developmental research in order to come up with counseling techniques that will be valuable for future generations. Concrete Response As a young child I remember growing up my parents explained to me that I would have to work hard in order to achieve success. My parents are very successful people with multiple degrees and although I was a stellar student, I wasn’t the least bit interested in school. I would much rather play sports or dance. My mom came to me one day and said, â€Å"I don’t know if you’ll ever be a doctor or lawyer the way we planned but whatever you decide we will be proud.† I was happy and sad at the same time because although she knew that I am intelligent, she didn’t try to press upon me something that her and my father’s plans for my life. However, I didn’t feel like my parents believed that I could become someone great. I must say that my parents have allowed me and continue to allow me to flourish into the person that God designed for me to be. Even though I appreciated my mother for making that clear to me, I still felt as if I had something t o prove to them. I set out to take as many collegiate level classes as possible in high school and even pushed myself to the limit in my undergraduate courses. On top of all of my schoolwork, I pushed myself to commit to extracurricular  activities within my church and school. When I first read Entwistle’s description of the allies’ model, I immediately thought of myself as an ally. Although our goal at the end of the day is to please God, I felt as if I had to please my parents through my education but I would eventually have to follow God’s plan for my life. While I took the time to find myself, I was forgetting about my religion and solely focused on my psychological wellbeing. I definitely had to get to a place where I was able to integrate both my mental health and well being as well as focus on my relationship with Christ. Reflection In the book Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity, the reader is introduced to the understanding and correlation of psychology and theology. The study of psychology is referenced throughout this book many times but one ideal that is not addressed is the answer as to what a Christian should do with the ideals that are presented in this text. As it is well written, this particular text is invaluable to students and professors or those who wish to study the integration of psychology and theology as it relates to academia. On the converse, what about a regular church pastor or missionary who would like to be more well-versed in their counseling strategies or teaching people who to heal and deal with mental health conditions. The book is well written in the fact that any person who is not familiar with psychological or theological terminology can also understand the content of the text. Although the book many questions in relation to the integration of psychology and theol ogy, it is apparent that the author did not mention the definitions of â€Å"nature† versus â€Å"unnatural.† Nature does not exist today because of the fall of man therefore, we as humans today only know the unnatural. This is a part of the reason that we find human beings to be so unnatural in their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Because of sin, there is no more innocence of creation has been destroyed and can only be restored through the blood of Christ. As psychology and theology integrate, humans can be studied in their natural state. Action For a counseling psychologist or anyone who would like to practice professional counseling, one of the most important steps would be to understand the disciplinary models presented in the text. The Christian community may not be knowledgeable how a person would be classified within the five models. The typical Christian would not know whether or not they would be helping or hindering the individual if they were not familiar with the ideals and beliefs that goes along with each particular model. Having a better understanding of each model will allow a psychologist, or even a regular church pastor to understand where they fall within each model and which model will allow them to provide the best care plan for that client. The following step would be to also evaluate scientific models of psychology in order to better understand which model would integrate well with theology and the five disciplinary models. Understanding what each option and/or technique will provide will allow evidence of Christ through science. As a result, disciples will be brought to Christ because then they will believe. Integration of psychology and Christianity (theology) is more than just ideas and techniques, but the integration of the two will provide insight as to how we as humans live our lives before Christ (Entwistle, 2010). References Entwistle, D. N. (2010). Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity: an Introduction to Worldview Issues, Philosophical Foundations, and Models of Integration (2nd ed.). Eugene, OR

How well is neo-functionalism still able to account for the evolution Essay

How well is neo-functionalism still able to account for the evolution of the European Union - Essay Example Studied critically, the EU policies positions Europe as a silent superpower having power that equals or supersedes the one held by US in almost all aspects expect that of deployment of military forces (Moravscik, 2005, p. 349). The European Commission receives preferential treatment and recognition in international secretariats as the powers of the European Parliament continue to increase steadily over years. From 1950s, scholars have described European Union as an institution on an upward growth path and in course of achieving ever closer ties (Moravcsik 2005, 350). He asserts that such thinking is linked to neo-functionalism, forming one of the two main theories considered in analyzing EU integration; neo-functionalism and inter-governmentalism (Moga 2009, 796). Both theories have been criticized, amended although they consist of strong theoretical arguments useful in understanding integration. The theory of neo-functionalism emerged in mid 1950s and is used to explain regional integration where countries do away with barriers to trade to enforce free trade. Neo-functionalism is heavily connected to the strategies used in integration (Rosamond 2000, 10). Jean Monnet, described by various authors as the principal architect of the European integration and a founding father of EU adopted an approach that aimed at bringing integration in similar sectors with an aim of bringing attaining spi llover effects which would further the integration process (Rosamond 2000, 11). The theory was developed by Earns Haas where he reformulated the principles of functionalist and analyzed them in the context of regional organizations. Neo-functionalist views integration as driven by creation of institutions although they were not originally aimed to do this. Neo-functionalism postulates that with the formation central supranational sate, the role of nationalism and national states declines. In addition to positive spill over, the other mechanisms seen as driving integration include technocratic automaticity and change of domestic alliances (Moga 2009, 796). An example of positive spill over is a situation in which a sector such as coal and steel under the governance of a single central institution cause so much pressure to the other associated areas of policy including taxation and wages and influences integration (Wallace 2004, 15). Change in domestic alliance happens when various st ate interest groups, elites and associations transfer their loyalty to supranational institutions and away from national institutions. This is usually fuelled by a realization that supranational institutions offer better paths for achieving the desired goals rather than national institutions (Wallace 2004, 16). This leads to grouping of individuals having pro-European ideas and persuades national leaders to shift their alliance to an integrated region (Wallace 2005, 17). Technocratic automaticity views integration as being boosted by supranational institutions which become stronger than member states. This paper will evaluate how well neo-functionalism can still be used to account for the evolution within the European Union and the discussion will be based on the various developments that have occurred during the past two decades. Inter- govermentalism looks at integration from

Major Trading Partners, Demographics, and System of Governance between Annotated Bibliography

Major Trading Partners, Demographics, and System of Governance between the US and Canada - Annotated Bibliography Example By the end of 2009, the US government had exported about $1.6 trillion worth of goods and services to ten major trading partners of the world. The main exports from the US are capital goods which account for over 49% of the total exports. Industrial supplies account for about 26% while consumer goods account for 15% of the exports. Agricultural products like cereals account for about 9% of the total exports. The major trading nations that purchase goods and services from the US are, in descending order; Canada, Mexico, China and Japan.   Surprisingly, the US has its greatest importer of goods in its closest neighbor, Canada. Apart from Canada, other world top trading partners of the US are China, Mexico, Japan, Germany, UK, South Korea, France, Taiwan, Netherlands, Brazil, Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, and Ireland. Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany are the top suppliers of imports to the US. Canada’s top three trading partners cut across many continents. In North America, US is Canada’s main partner while in Asia and the Far East, China is the major trading partner of Canada. Mexico is the major trading partner of Canada from the South American region. The US is Canada’s major trading partner. It affects Canada through trade, tourism, technology, history, and culture. There are distinguishing factors that have made the US stand out as being the lead actor in Canada’s trade operations. These factors are physical, economic, political and social. From 2005 to 2010, the US has remained as the best trading partner with Canada in terms of exporting goods and services. The United Kingdom and Japan complete the number 2 and number 3 slots. For example, in 20005, the export value of the US in Canada was over 368,000 million dollars. These standards have been maintained over the years. The US also remains as the greatest importer of goods of Canadian origin.

Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Market - Essay Example The mobile phone is an advanced form of the Samsung Galaxy S3. It is also a differentiated product of the rival mobile phone company, Apple. Of late, Samsung has positioned itself to take over the market for manufacture of smart phones. The company has been innovative because they were among the first to manufacture smart phone. A smart phone is a mobile phone that is built on a mobile operating system that has more advanced capability of computing and connectivity as compared to the common feature phone (Tidd, 1997). The phone is made up of very special features that make it different from other smart phones and, thus more preferred by many people. Such features include owner recognition ability, high processing speed; a screen that is only recognizes the owner and finger prints identification ability. Industry and market structure of Samsung Galaxy S4 Samsung operates in the telecommunications sector. This is because the company manufactures gadgets used for communicating, such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets and smart TV’s. Samsung Galaxy S4 itself is used to exchange messages, telephone calls, and emails. This phone in a competitive market because there are other smart phone companies, for example, Apple, Techno, LG, Nokia and Alcatel. However, Samsung has been more innovative thus has gained a competitive advantage over these other companies because it has managed to differentiate its products from other rival products. Samsung Company has warehouses in many locations in the world. The major locations are China, Singapore, Japan and India. The most productive of all these firms is located in China. China has the largest population in the world that supplies cheap labour to the Samsung firm in China. The population is also well equipped with the latest manufacturing technology that ensures materials are not wasted. In addition, China has all the minerals that are required to manufacture the several parts of this phone. All these cheap deals put Sa msung at a competitive advantage. In addition, China enjoys cheap electrical energy from coal and nuclear power. This combination of cheap overheads makes the final product cheap compared to those of the rival companies (Urban, 1980). Samsung Galaxy S4 can also be said to be in a competitive market because it experience competition from other electronic companies that produce communication gadgets. For example, companies that manufacture laptops are in competition because they all access internet and used to achieve other communication purposes (Tidd, 1997). The phone is also in competition with iPhone, iPod and tablet companies, thus it is experiencing true competition. Elasticity of Samsung Galaxy S4 Samsung Galaxy S4 is a special product because its demand rises despite the high price. The smart phone is bought, especially, by those with high disposable incomes. However, it is also bought as a product to show off especially by people who do not have enough disposable income. The product was made with target customer being the well off in society but many have acquired it because of its versatile nature (Urban, 1980). The product, therefore, experiences complete elastic kind of demand. Elastic kind of demand has very little or no effect on, especially price of luxuries such as Samsung galaxy S4. Therefore, the price of the phone remained constant despite competition from Apple, Nokia and LG. Laws of supply and demand have affecting production and pricing of Samsung Galaxy