Analysis Of Sweatshops - 769 Words

Sweatshops. The image the word provokes isn’t a pleasant one. A factory where people work long hours for only a small amount of money isn’t something we like to think about. The article published by The New York Times in 2009 entitled â€Å"Where Sweatshops Are a Dream† however, proposes a different view of these grueling working conditions. The article seeks to transform the view of most Americans from disgust to support for so called sweatshops. When the article was first published in 2009, the Obama administration was considering labor standards, something the author Nicholas Kristof believes is detrimental to undeveloped countries. As he argues, â€Å"Sweatshops are only a symptom of poverty†¦ and banning them closes off one route out of†¦show more content†¦These standards prevent sweatshops from opening in places like Africa, where labor is cheap, and instead companies move to more developed countries where capital is cheaper in order t o cut down on costs. He believes the solution to better standards of living in poor countries is â€Å"to promote manufacturing there. One of the best things America could do for Africa would be to†¦ encourage African imports† (Kristof). Kristof’s article makes many valid points and claims, but many of his points are unsubstantiated. His evidence is entirely personal examples with a bit of logic sprinkled in. He doesn’t use any statistics or figures to back up his claims. As a result, his article and the examples he uses only apply to undeveloped countries and don’t get at the heart of the issue. He addresses many concerns people have about sweatshops and working conditions, but he only briefly glosses over the effects of labor standards and why they are so detrimental. The topic Kristof seems to dance around without actually touching on is the importance of letting the free market work without restricting the market with labor standards. The heart of the issue is that labor standards in any country hurt people, not just labor standards in undeveloped countries. In the article from the Mises Institute entitled â€Å"Even the Feds Admit Minimum Wages Cause Unemployment† Nicholas Freiling says â€Å"minimum wage doesn’t help the lowerShow MoreRelatedCritical Analysis of The Electronic Sweatshop by Barbara Garson2545 Words   |  11 PagesCritical Analysis of The Electronic Sweatshop by Barbara Garson *No Works Cited Summary In her introduction, Barbara Garson gives the reader an idea of her personal work experience as a clerk with automation. One can see that Garson is a strong critique of automation. In order to convey how automation is affecting our society the author begins by analyzing and studying various jobs from the bottom on up (i.e. starting with the most unskilled labor). Chapter one examines the various occupationsRead MoreSweatshops And The Related Ethical Issues About It Essay1749 Words   |  7 Pagesassignment is going to mainly discuss the existing of sweatshops and the related ethical issues about it. Ethical theory will be applied in the study about the topic and personal reflection is also going to displayed in the assignment. An understanding of it may be not interesting but can be helpful to do research or run firms or organizations related in the future. Firstly, the assignment will introduces the background of sweatshops and anti-sweatshop movements as the opposite of it. Then, the ethicalRead MoreSweatshops Essay1364 Words   |  6 Pagesquestionable morality of sweatshops has become a highly contested ethical issue. Some argue that sweatshops offer more opportunities for poor workers, and are thus good. Others view inhumane working conditions and exploitation in these factories as prohibitive of good moral practice. In this paper, I will show that sweatshops cannot be immoral using the theory of prices in competitive markets and workers’ decisions to work in sweatshops. By the end of the paper, I will conclude that sweatshops are moral institutionsRead MoreWhere Sweatshops Are a Dream917 Words   |  4 PagesRhetorical Analysis â€Å"Where Sweatshops Are A Dream† In his New York Times opinion column, â€Å"Where Sweatshops Are a Dream†, writer Nicholas D. Kristof uses his experience living in East Asia to argue his positive outlook on sweatshops. Kristof wants to persuade his audience, Obama and his team, along with others who are for â€Å"labor standards†, that the best way to help people in poor countries is to promote manufacturing there, not campaign against them. He uses Phnom Penh as an example to show whyRead MoreSweatshop1017 Words   |  5 PagesSweatshop is Conflicts With the Moral Standards PMP 400 Quan Zhang ( Lyla) Royal Roads University Elvira Perrella March 9, 2015 Sweatshop is Conflicts With the Moral Standards Green, B., Norton, S. (2011). Reading. In. W, Anne M. Laura ( Eds.), Essay essentials with readings (pp. 336- 341). Toronto, ON: Nelson Education Ltd. In the article, before the research, like many people, the author’s attitude was old, but after the research, the author’s attitude changedRead MoreReconstructing Zwolinksi s Argument About Sweatshop Labor Essay1710 Words   |  7 Pagesargument about sweatshop labor Zwolinksi thought that regarding of the autonomy the workers of sweatshop are inclined to the seemingly unfair conditions of MNEs was not that bad if we could find that at least this was a kind of autonomous self-expression. The workers choices are also good to return stroke to the third parties such as governments or consumer boycott groups. The workers have a moral right to call for MNEs to voluntarily improve working conditions. Well, the sweatshop workers have noRead MoreSweatshops Case Study1419 Words   |  6 Pagesitself for years involved in a massive scandal due to their use of sweatshops. The harsh backlash towards the immorality of using sweatshops has lead to Nike’s image being tainted; nevertheless, consumers continue to fill up retail Nike stores. With this in mind, I will explain as to why consumers continue to purchase Nike products, and to accomplish the task at hand; I shall firstly, provide a brief context into Nike’s use of sweatshops, secondly def ine exploitation and the ways corporations can exploitRead MoreSweatshops : Sweatshops And Sweatshops1152 Words   |  5 PagesManufacturing factories with low wage, long working hours and poor conditions that violate human rights are called sweatshops. Since sweatshops violate human rights, they are unethical. Knowing this fact, should companies stop laboring in developing countries? The answer is no. In short, sweatshops are necessity parts of supply chain that fulfill demands and job supplies. Nonetheless, because sweatshops play vital role on offering jobs and inexpensive fashion products, those companies should take responsibilitiesRead MoreChapter 2: Literature Review. 2.1 Introduction. This Chapter1447 Words   |  6 Pagesconcerning sweatshop labour practices in apparel and footwear industry in developing countries and its impact. Also, the steps taken by apparel and footwear company is discussed in general. Emphasis is also laid on brand equity of a company. Further Nike is taken as an example showing the allegations faced by the company as it is the company majorly highlighted for its sweatshop allegations. The approach taken by Nike to overcome its allegations is discussed in the section ‘findings and analysis’. 2.2Read MoreNike Sweatshops Case Study1402 Words   |  6 Pagesfound itself in various scandals due to their use of sweatshops. The harsh backlash towards the immorality of using sweatshops has led to Nike’s image being tainted; nevertheless, consumers continue to shop in Nike stores. With this in mind, I will explain why consumers continue to purchase Nike products. To accomplish the task at hand; I shall, define exploitation and demonstrate why corporations exploit workers, provide context into Nike sweatshops, and explain why some continue to support Nike. In

Mulan Sexism Analysis - 1393 Words

Mulan Is Sexist Disney movies feature female characters in a variety of roles, from a damsel in distress needing a man’s help to a woman who becomes her own hero. Mulan is one Disney character who has a seemingly feminist role. The movie features an unordinary girl who is meant to bring honor to her family by being the perfect woman for a man to marry. However, that’s not who she truly is. When her father gets summoned to serve in the military, Mulan poses as a man and takes his place. She trains diligently and becomes an impressive soldier who eventually saves China from the Hans, almost single-handedly. In the end, she becomes a national hero, brings honor to her family, and starts a romance with the soldier who trained her. However,†¦show more content†¦Mulan’s father snaps and shouts at her to know her place; her place being a girl who has no right to an opinion on the decisions of men, the gender that holds the power. Regardless of her family not ac cepting who she is as an atypical female and not allowing her to have an opinion simply because of her sex, she still decides to take her father’s place in the military. Mulan’s father treated her with sexist disrespect, yet Mulan chose to risk her life to save him. While this isn’t wrong, and it shows that Mulan cares about her family and is strong enough to not always listen to men, it is tolerance of the sexist treatment she has faced. It is an example of how women excuse the sexism from their dads, boyfriends, brothers, or other men in their lives because even though the men don’t support feminism, they love that particular woman. Not only does Mulan tolerate sexism from the people she loves, but she tolerates it from near-strangers as well. Once Mulan is in the army, she is trained by Li Shang, and she becomes the best soldier, obviously out-doing all of the men. When they eventually face the Hans, Mulan creates an avalanche that saves her and the ot her soldiers. Shortly after, Li Shang finds out she is a woman, and he and his men abandon her. One man even expects her to die for the dishonor sheShow MoreRelatedPower Struggle In Literature1339 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Ponies† by Kij Johnson, and â€Å"Honor to Us All† from Disney’s Mulan. Marxism (the theory that is used to look at conflicts and imbalances of power in literature/societies) and Feminism (the study/advocacy of equality for men and women rights) can be used to implement this quote into fiction. An examination of these three stories reveals that sexism causes power struggles in societies. Each story shows a power struggle because of sexism through expectations of women and men through a society, whichRead MoreDoes Mulan Overthrow Oppressive Gender Norms?1308 Words   |  6 PagesPhilosophy Final Paper Does Mulan overthrow oppressive gender norms? In 1990, a novel was written by philosopher Judith Butler titled Gender Trouble. The importance of this novel was evident as it was a very controversial yet interesting analysis of the way we humans look at the topic of gender and sex. She explains throughout the book that our gender norms have been created by our ancestors and society. To many, crossing this boundary set by society is very deviant. Eight years after GenderRead MoreMovie Analysis : Mulan 2008 Words   |  9 Pages28 April 2017 Film Analysis-Mulan Little girls everywhere spend their childhoods watching the princesses portrayed in Disney movies, dreaming about the day they too will meet their prince charming. They see how Sleeping Beauty is woken up by a prince, Cinderella marries a prince, Sleeping Beauty turns a beast into a prince, and countless other instances of a girl just like them meeting their perfect man. Disney is infamous for their outdated illustration of gender roles. Mulan is one of the firstRead MoreAnalysis Of Disney s And Fat Phobic Appearance Personality Correlation2223 Words   |  9 Pagesaesthetic, reduced to Etsy stores full of ‘stylish’ dreamcatchers and spirit animal simplification. Among the other stories Disney has produced, Mulan also remains one of the most identifiable ones since it is the only pre-2001 Disney movie that stars an East Asian, Chinese lead and provides a message of self-identity and coming-of-age. The Disney-produced movie Mulan follows the story of a girl who enlists in the army in her elderly father’s place, defending her country and her own character all the whileRead MorePower Struggle In Literature1279 Words   |  6 Pageswomen rights) can be used to implement this quote into certain works of fiction to show struggles and imbalances of power. An examination of â€Å"Honors to us All† by Disney, â€Å"Ponies† by Kij Johnson and â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† by Roald Dahl reveals that sexism causes power struggles in societies. Expectations of a certain sex leading to imbalances of education play a large role in causing struggles through â€Å"Honor to Us All† and â€Å"Ponies†. Throughout each story, women have their ability to make choicesRead MoreEssay about Disney and Discrimination1430 Words   |  6 Pagespatriarchal human being is praised.†(In search of sandbox dreams: Examining the decision-making of Disney’s female and male animated heroes) What about the rest of society? Are other cultures not represented through Disney? With the exception of Disney’s Mulan and Aladdin, there truly is a lack or diversity. This is with concern to Disney movies. It is certainly not true when it comes to Disney theme parks. Employment at Disney is underlined by the core existence of diversity. Even on one of Disney’s employmentRead MoreChronicles The Author s Journey Through America s Princess Culture With Her Young Daughter, Daisy1665 Words   |  7 Pagesexamine American Girl dolls, the â€Å"tween† market, Miley Cyrus, social media, beauty pageants, and of course, Barbie, all in the united effort to best understand the decisions she is making for her daughter. potential body issues, poor self-esteem, ramped sexism, and gender essentialist impositions, The â€Å"princess phase† is first up for debate as Orenstein discusses the concept with fellow mothers at her daughter’s school. Each of the mothers justify the princess epidemic in a different way, one stating

Explain the nature of different professional relationships in health and social care free essay sample

Explain the nature of different professional relationships in health and social care. Within health and social care there are many types of professionals who work to increase service users health and well – being. The different types of professionals working with a service user may vary depending on the illness. Professionals who work along side the health and social services include GP, Nurse, CPN, Health visitor, Physiatrist, Occupational Therapists etc. (Nhscareers. nhs. uk, 2014) As I am in placement at an organisation that supports service users and their carers to build a better future, the professionals I see working together would be a social worker and a family worker. Although, within the staff members there are also support workers or project workers, these are not professional roles but at times they worked alongside the professionals as they may have a stronger relationship with service users than some of the health care professionals. Below is an example of the workers within my placement and the relationships they held with one and other. (Positive-futures. net, 2014) Below are some examples of roles and responsibilities of professionals: A Social worker is able to provide information and advice about the services which are available for service users. Work along with other professionals in a multi- disciplinary team to make an assessment of a persons situation, i. e. are they able to return home from hospital. Social workers liase with other agencies to help a person deal with their problems, i. e. benefits office, housing executive to ensure the service users receive the benefits they can. They organise care plans and take all the health needs into consideration not just focusing on one aspect of their ill health. May use counselling skills to help service users whom are suffering from depression, bereavement or not coping, this may lead to the social worker making further referrals for the service user. (Nhs. uk, 2014) If an individual has any pain or problems the first person they make an appointment with is their local GP. The GP will access their needs to see the current problems and if they need to be referred onto further services for example Physiatrists for mental health. Most people develop a trusting relationship with their GP as the GP is their first point of contact re physical or mental health problems. GP’s are responsible for running the practice, planning providing treatment commissioning health care from other health professionals. GP’s diagnosis serious illness monitor chronic diseases (long term illnesses. ) (Nhs. uk, 2014) Professionals work together to encourage the health care of service users. Professionals’ working together is called Multi – disciplinary team work. Multidisciplinary teams are groups of professionals from diverse disciplines who come together to provide comprehensive assessment and consultation in cases. While their primary purpose is typically to help team members resolve difficult cases, teams may fulfill a variety of additional functions. They can promote coordination between agencies; provide a checks and balances mechanism to ensure that the interests and rights of all concerned parties are addressed; and identify service gaps and breakdowns in coordination or communication between agencies or individuals. They also enhance the professional skills and knowledge of individual team members by providing a forum for learning more about the strategies, resources, and approaches used by various disciplines. Working in partnership includes many things such as joint working, common learning, multi – agency working, team work, collaborative practice and inter-professional working. All of these put together help us have an idea of what ‘partnership’ is and how working together to achieve joint up services is important as it will increase the quality of care provided to service users. Working in partnership is vital in health and social care. All professionals from hospitals, organisations etc can bring together their skills and its also an opportunity for workers to gain new skills and learn new things, share information, achieving continuity of care, coordination of planning services and Coordination in delivering resources for professionals to apply for the benefit of the service user. (Publicengagement. ac. uk, 2014) Frontline employee’s are best placed to understand the needs of patients, and have the skills and knowledge to develop innovative services to meet those needs. We need to devolve power in the NHS so that frontline staff has a greater say in how services are delivered and resources are allocated. Each of the health care professionals holds a level of power according to their profession. 3. 2 Evaluate personal effectiveness in promoting and supporting the rights of the individual Rights  are legal, social, or ethical  principles  of  freedom  or  entitlement. Rights are the fundamental  normative  rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to legal systems, social convention, or ethical theory. Within health and social care settings, many principles of support are used such as respecting individuality, rights, choice, privacy, independence, dignity, respect and partnership, equal opportunities; respecting diversity, different cultures and values. All of these principles are to ensure employee’s working with service users promote and respect individuals’ rights. (Legislation. gov. uk, 2014) Whilst on placement, I have to ensure I support the rights of service users. From my own learning in collage I understood that within health and social care environments legislation is in place to protect and respect service users’ rights and choices. Legislation includes Safeguarding, Human Rights Act 1998 and the Health and Safety at Work Order. Before I went on placement I had to get an Access NI police check to ensure I was legible to work with vulnerable adults. Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults Policy is developed from the Regional Adult Protection Policy and Procedural Guidance. The national legislation was introduced in September 2006 by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. As my placement is an organisation helping individuals who care for adults with learning disabilities and helping their children, this legislation was very important to me. When I was discussing the Vulnerable Adults Policy with the manager, she mentioned to me the main principles which had been set by the DHSSPSNI to ensure full protection of service users. The principles underpin the regional procedural guidance these include: privacy be treated with respect and dignity lead an independent life and be enabled to do so be able to choose how to lead their lives the protection of the law have their rights upheld regardless of ethnic origin, gender, sexuality, impairment or disability, age and religious or cultural background Have the opportunity to ful? l personal aspirations and realise potential in all aspects of daily life. (Dhsspsni. gov. uk, 2014) The Human Rights Act states all the rights which individuals are entitle to in life. This includes Human Rights considerations, particularly in relation to Article 2 â€Å"the Right to Life†, Article 3 â€Å"Freedom from Torture† (including humiliating and degrading treatment), and Article 8 â€Å"Right to Family Life† (one that sustains the individual). As I was already aware of legislation in place before starting my placement I knew I had to ensure I read policies and procedures as each health and social care environment may differ. While on placement I promote the rights of service users by empowerment, trusting relationships, respecting choice and privacy. Using empowerment means I am able to provide service users with information, advice, ability, authority or power required to perform a task or achieve an aim. Empowerment enables people to take responsibility for themselves and helps them to make decisions about their own lives. For example a service user who has just taking a stroke should be encouraged to make decisions for themselves, e. g. how do they feel about returning to their own home to continue care from there? I think empowerment is very important as service users should always be involved (Public Person Involvement.) As I was in placement in an organisation that helps adults and children with learning disabilities, activities occurred each day. The organisation, Positive Futures, has different projects within the one organisation. I have a great opportunity as I work with the Adult service, which is working with adults with learning disabilities and also their carers but I also work with the other project which is childr en with learning disabilities. This showed me that the members placed trust in me as I was able to support and work alongside carers, adults and children. Each week within placement, I would pick up a carer from the adult services and take them out for the day; this meant they speak to me about how they feel and what is happening in their lives. Some carers talk me threw their children’s care plans and daily reviews about their needs, diagnoses and targets in wish they hope to meet in the future. I feel very honored and I ensure to tell the service users this is your personal and private life you do not need to speak or show me anything if you do not wish to. (Equalityhumanrights. com, 2014) Thought I find it difficult at times as dilemmas come up, mainly when doing activities with the children, and I am unsure what to do. In many activities project workers and I would help service users if they needed it. If someone looked like they were struggling and I offered help and they said no, then I feel like I am knocking back their confidence. Within health and social care we view service users according to the medical model or social model. These views may shape our opinions. The medical model is a model by which illness or disability is the result of a physical condition, is intrinsic to the individual, may reduce the individuals’ quality of life and causes clear disadvantages to the individual. As a result, curing or managing illness or disability revolves around identifying the illness and understanding it and learning to control and alter its course. For example a disabled person is disabled because their physical make up is not what is regarded as normal in society. Everyone should normally have 2 arms, 2 legs etc. When a person is not seen as having the  normal physical makeup then they are medically disabled. Doctors tend to favor this model. While on placement, I do not judge people by looking at them through this perspective of the medical and social model. I think the medical model takes away the chance to promote individuals choices as it is very strict and this model only views the illness and how it affects the person it does not con sider a holistic approach to health. Where as the social model describes health as a person is disabled because society does not meet their physical needs appropriately. It is society’s lack of ramps, lifts, etc which disables a person in a wheelchair. (Scope. org. uk, 2014) 3. 3 Discuss ways to resolve issues encountered in professional relationships. Working within health and social care environments, it is all professionals who work with service users and along side each other. Multidisciplinary teams are teams with many professions or in some cases organisations who work with each other to provide the best care. Teams consist of staff from several different professional backgrounds that have different areas of expertise. These teams are able to respond to clients who require the help of more than one kind of professional. Multidisciplinary teams are often discussed in the same context as joint working, interagency work and partnership working. Multidisciplinary teams have evolved at varying speeds in different parts over the past 30 years or so in response to imperatives of central government. Disability services were among the first professions to adopt teams of workers from different professions. (Drinkwater, 2008) Having supervision in place for all staff members is vital within health and social settings. Supervision is a more experienced practitioner who supervisors the colleague. A supervisor will provide a professional relationship to have consulted support and give them advice on their professional work and the areas in which there is room for improvement in order to enhance all effectiveness. They will provide a safe, ethical and professional environment to find more dynamic, positive ways to approach work. Working under supervision means that a counsellor uses the services of another counsellor to review their work with clients, their professional development, and often their personal development as well. The supervisor acts not as a boss, but as a consultant. The supervision relationship is confidential and based on mutual responsibility, a clear contract and a spirit of inquiry and curiosity. BACP (2008) (Rcn. org. uk, 2014) Within my placement supervision for all Project and Support workers occurs every 4-6 weeks, each staff member would have supervision with the manger, within these they may discuss weak points, achieved goals within the few weeks, if any problems have been occurring within them and service users. Another way of resolving issues may be for staff members who maybe haven’t had as much experience in the sector or with different illness, to look up or read more about the types of illness they may be working with wither it could be physical or mental health etc. This gives staff members more of a knowledge of symptoms or reactions which may occur if people are not administering their medications. Also at staff meetings, this gives staff the opportunity to speak up about issues which have been arising lately and find ways to over come them.

Effects of Discrimination Essay Example

Effects of Discrimination Paper The potential effects of discrimination Describe the potential effects of discrimination Effects include isolation, possible exclusion, situations where self-esteem and confidence can be damaged. Forms of discrimination are gender, age, disability, sexuality, race, culture, religion ,poverty, education, personal features and English Is not first language. Discrimination against any child regardless of their needs can make them feel isolated and different to other children. Very often children with special needs have a very difficult time trying to fit in with other children especially if they are in a busy school. All children can be mean to one another and not mean to. They should be helped to understand that everyone is different and how this is good. Explain to other children â€Å"we are alike but different. † There are four areas of potential for the effect discrimination has †¢ Physical- Signs of poor health may manifest. self harming, attempting suicide, cutting, etc. Bullying might become physical and other types of abuse this is more likely in older children. †¢ Emotional Emotional signs are a little more harder to see as some children put on a front to avoid having to admit they are being discriminated against, old children may exclude themselves from the group being quiet and emotionally fragile. Social lack of friends, social exclusion, older children not having no one to talk to about interests or plans for now and the future. Being treated as though someone doesnt belong left out and not involved in tasks/games. Could lead to more emotional harm, physical harm, intellectual harm, etc. †¢ Intellectual Not wanting to learn, withdrawing from places of learning, avoiding school/ missing classes . Not wanting to be around others We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of Discrimination specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of Discrimination specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of Discrimination specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Examples of discriminatory practices Essays

Examples of discriminatory practices Essays Examples of discriminatory practices Paper Examples of discriminatory practices Paper Infringement of rights: Infringing a service users rights means treating them in an unfair, unequal or legal way. These could be physical, for example restraining a patient for no logical reason; Financial, for example not informing them that they are entitled to disability benefits or other government benefits; psychological, for example making them feel like they are worthless or not as valued as other service users. It is the care workers’ responsibility to ensure servo=ice users do not have their rights infringed. The various types of abuse: Abuse is when someone is taken advantage of in a negative way. It can be overt or covert, and there are various types of abuse. For example it can be physical, for example punching, kicking, restraining someone unnecessarily, or handling people roughly when helping them with bathing, moving or using the toilet; sexual, for example doing things to a person without their consent; psychological, for example humiliating someone or harassing them; financial, for example stealing their money or possessions, or putting pressure on someone to give you money. Those most at risk from danger and harm are children, individuals with mental health problems, individuals with learning disabilities or physical disabilities, the elderly etc., as these kinds of people can be less powerful and easily influenced. Care workers can protect individuals from danger and harm by raising awareness of possible abuse or problems, monitoring who they have contact with, physically or written (e.g. who phones them, who they write to, who cares for them etc.), by training staff so they know what procedures to follow when they feel someone’s safety might be at risk etc. Bullying: bullying a type of behavior by an individual / group that is repeated on a regular basis over an extended period of time aimed at another person or group of people. Bullying within the health and social care sector may be very damaging to the patient. It may result in the person having low self-esteem and confidence levels, they may feel very angry and powerless at the same time, they may also be worried to talk to the carer as they may feel disempowered and belittled. Prejudice: Prejudice is a negative pre-conceived belief, opinion or feeling towards a certain group of people that is based on unreasonable judgements. For example if there was a group of elderly residents in a care home, and they didnt talk to one of the members because they were homosexual and the residents believed this was wrong, if member of a class was Asian, and all the children refused to play with him because of this, this would be prejudice. Stereotyping and labelling: A stereotype is a belief about how all the people from certain groups of backgrounds behave or feel. Labelling is when someone gets labelled, either positively or negatively. For example if someone gets labelled as ‘lazy’ working for someone, then they might not get offered jobs and opportunities which could help them excel in their career. Covert and overt abuse of power: Covert: covert means that something is hidden, in the case of power, it would mean that someone is concealing their abuse of power from the public/other service users/other care workers. Covert abuse of power can happen in any setting. Overt: overt means that is it out in the open or known by everyone. Overt abuse of power means that someone is abusing their power in front of other service users/care workers and isn’t trying to hide it. This can also happen in any setting. For example, the manager of a care home making all the staff clean her office and tidy up after her every day would be an overt abuse of power. A covert abuse of power would be if the manager didnt supply the residents with all of the complimentary things (free pyjamas, free snacks etc.) because she wanted to keep them all for herself in her office.

Oft, Often, and Oftentimes

Oft, Often, and Oftentimes Oft, Often, and Oftentimes Oft, Often, and Oftentimes By Mark Nichol What is the difference between often and oftentimes, and is oft a word? The short answers are that there is no difference, and yes. These three adverbs all stem from the Old English (and Middle English) term oft, meaning â€Å"frequently.† The longer variants developed in the 1300s. Just as often is an extended alteration of oft (likely invented to ease the transition to a word beginning with a vowel), oftentimes derived from ofttimes. That last word is all but unknown in Modern English, and even oft is rare but survives in a saying from William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, â€Å"The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones.† It is also used in combination with verbs in constructions such as oft-praised and oft-told. Often and oftentimes are interchangeable, but the more archaic-sounding latter word is less economical and has an obsolete taint equivalent to that of the superfluous -st ending in words such as amidst and amongst or the extraneous first syllable of upon. (Interestingly, against differs from its cousins amidst and amongst in that the truncated form again is not a variation but a word with a distinct meaning.) The antonym seldom, meaning â€Å"rarely,† which also comes from Old English, originally had a compound -times form as well (though it was hyphenated), and seldhweanne (â€Å"seldwhen†) and seldsiene (â€Å"seldseen†) were part of the word-hoard, though only the latter word evolved into a later form (seldom-seen). (The variant seld-shown appeared in Shakespeare.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Is Irony? (With Examples)Do you "orient" yourself, or "orientate" yourself?5 Tips to Understand Hyphenated Words

The Core Benefits of Converse Chucks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Core Benefits of Converse Chucks - Essay Example When being produced in the USA, Converse, a company based in the USA, could observe quality control better. The second risk is a loss of control over the Converse product to a certain extent. For example, Indian products might not have the same appearance as an original American product. The first benefit would be the globalization of the product. Instead of selling a product to only Americans, the Converse brand can sell worldwide. The second benefit would be cheaper production in India. Â  marketed its products in approximately 110 countries outside of the United States through subsidiaries, branch offices, independent distributors, and licensees. Non-U.S. sales accounted for 31% of total net sales in 2000. (CVEO Corp.) Â  4. Identify 5 sources of brand equity for Converse and Chuck Taylor AllStars? Basketball shoes are one source of brand equity for Chuck Taylor AllStars. The history of Chuck Taylor AllStars is another source of brand equity. The affordability of Converse is a source of brand equity. The retro/rebel image of Converse is a source of brand equity. Finally, the durability of the brand name is brand equity. Even though Converse went through bankruptcy, the name is known worldwide and in almost every American home. Â  5. Research the current position of Converse in the marketplace. Has it changed strategy since the case was written? If so, how? If not, why do you think they haven’t? Support your answer with an explanation and a source from online research. I believe that the strategy since this case was written is being brought to fruition. Under Nike’s leadership, Converse is growing and thriving.

Management Information systems - Case study Essay

Management Information systems - Case study - Essay Example Additionally, the Maintenix system is available on the Web as well as easy to utilize and could be established for working and operational stations all through the world. In addition, it lessens cyclic tasks and protracted imperfect or missing data and information by permitting engineering, maintenance and finance divisions to simply share corporate data and information. Moreover, wireless technology based arrangement makes Maintenix information system more efficient like equipment, aviation technicians and parts are for all time on the move. Matintenix offered very effective system arrangement that is accessible on the Web and simple in managing all the stations all through the business domains, regarding operational and functional competence. In addition, software Matintenix minimizes repetitive jobs and missing time tracking or imperfect information by permitting engineering, maintenance and finance divisions to simply share data and information across the globe. Maintenix softwar e employs a contemporary and up-to-date architecture and offers superior potential like that function-based computerized workflow, Web browser interface, electronic database signatures, additional adapters and facility for portable wireless devices.

The Minister and his Gem Essay Example for Free

The Minister and his Gem Essay The father-daughter relationship has typically represented one of the strongest bonds of humanity. Generally, this familial bond is so strong that it can outlast even the most daunting of obstacles. However, sometimes strange circumstances can affect this relationship. Such is the case of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and his daughter Pearl in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter. Even though Dimmesdale refuses to acknowledge Pearl as his daughter, the pair is emotionally bound nonetheless. The first moment of bonding occurs as Hester is forced to stand on the scaffold and endure the public humiliation of bearing a child out of wedlock. Ironically, it is Dimmesdale to whom â€Å"the responsibility of this woman’s soul lies†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hawthorne, 1991, p. 66). After all, she is there because of him. When Pearl hears her father’s voices, she is immediately attracted to its sound. As Dimmesdale attempts to evoke a confession from her mother, the infant Pearl â€Å"directed it’s hitherto vacant gaze towards Mr. Dimmesdale, with a half-pleased, half-plaintive murmer† (p. 67). This movement indicates the instinctive recognition of the infant for her father. Dimmesdale clearly recognizes it, and this moment marks the beginning of his descent into guilt. His refusal seems to prompt the infant to â€Å"pierce the air with its wailings and screams† (p. 68) as she appears to react sadly or angrily to this denial. The second defining moment occurs years later. Dimmesdale must intervene to make sure that Pearl is not taken from Hester. Hester has implored him to do so, adding that it is his responsibility in more ways than one: â€Å"†¦thou knowest me better than these men can! Speak for me! † (p. 98) Understanding her undertones, Dimmesdale complies. After he has convinced the Governor that Pearl should remain with Hester, Pearl shows to him and uncharacteristic touch of tenderness. She â€Å"stole softly towards him, and, taking his hand in the grasp of her own, laid her cheek against it,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which prompted him to lay ‘his hand on the child’s head† and then â€Å"kissed her brow† (pp. 99-100). Even Hester is amazed at the display of affection from her daughter, prompting her to ask â€Å"Is that my Pearl? † (p. 100). She is unused to this tenderness from her child, and in this unusual display, it becomes apparent to the reader that both Pearl and Dimmesdale are feeling more than the mere relationship between a minister and a parishioner. Later yet, Dimmesdale and his Pearl bring their relationship to words albeit under the cover of night. As he is silently atoning for his sin upon the scaffold, he invites Hester and Pearl to join him. Holding her hand, Dimmesdale is overcome with at â€Å"strange joy† (Hawthorne, 1991, p. 125). However, he is not yet able to agree to her demand to publicly acknowledge their relationship the next day at noon. Although Pearl is asking him to appear with them as a family, his guilt forces him to refuse. Even though she is too young to understand his denial then, when Pearl is seven, she is old enough to understand Dimmesdale’s refusals. At their forest meeting, her petulant and obstinate behavior underscores the hurt she feels because of this. She wipes off his kiss after he once again refuses to â€Å"†¦go back with us, hand in hand, we three together, into the town† (p. 166). As is usually the case, the mother must comfort the child by reminding her that one day â€Å"We shall have a home and a fireside of our own; and thou shalt sit upon his knee; and he will teach thee many things, and love thee dearly† (p. 66). However, as if not believing her mother, Pearl refuses to admit her love for him at this point. It appears that Pearl is waiting for Dimmesdale to admit to everyone that she is his daughter. Their relationship is finally made public, as he calls her to him during the holiday parade, and she â€Å"†¦flew to him, and clasp her arms around his knees† (Hawthorne, 1991, p. 193). He finally is able to speak to his daughter as every father should. He says, â€Å"dear little Pearl, wilt thou kiss me now? † (p. 196). Of course she complies, overjoyed at the admission of her father. The beautiful scene is played out as â€Å"her tears fell upon her father’s cheeks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 196). Unfortunately, the physical bonding occurs too late; Dimmesdale perishes, leaving Hester and Pearl to continue alone. Even if the physical bond is denied, an emotional bond will always exist between a father and a daughter. As Dimmesdale and Pearl demonstrate in The Scarlet Letter, this relationship is ultimately undeniable by either party. By refusing to acknowledge this bond, Pearl and Dimmesdale are not able to continue their relationship.

Hospice Programs Essay -- Papers

Hospice Programs Hospice Programs; A Dignified Death In the Middle Ages, hospice was a place where sick or weary travelers would stay while a long journey. Today hospice services are available to people who can no longer benefit from curative treatments. As the health care environment is changing at pace that few could have predicted, hospice is very much part of that change (Stair, 1998). For many years our society and the media has placed an image of death in our heads, of a painful experience, one that is feared by everyone. Although death can be emotionally draining, also can be an uplifting experience. Providing comfort and love and the assurance that life will continue, is truly the biggest gift. Hospices are designated to provide sensitive support for people in the final phase of terminal illness. ). The typical hospice patient has a life expectancy of six months or less. Hospice care works to help the patient and family members to carry on an alter, pain-free life to manage other symptoms so that their last days may be spent with dignity and quality at home or in a home-like setting (http:/www.cmcric.org/homecare.html, 2000) Hospice should be viewed as specialty and is focused on palliative care principles. Medical care is geared towards symptoms management, not curative treatment (Homecare and Hospices Resources, 2000). It is focus on living rather than dying, and a way to make the end of life as comfortable and meaningful as possible. The purpose of hospice is not to limit what health care is available to the patient, but enhance their life by controlling symptoms and providing support for everyone involved. Hospice programs offer patients different levels of care and professional services that include; Nursin... ...ir families. This program helps many patients to be alert, comfortable, and most important free of pain as they live their final days in a familiar place surrounded by people they know and love. Therefore, giving them a dignified death. References Stair, J. (1998). Understanding the Challenges for Hospice: Fundamental for the Future. Oncology Issues [Online]. 13(2): pages 22-25. *http://ehostweb6.Epnet.com: (2000, October 13). Home Health Care Hospice Services. *http://www.cmcric.org/homecare.html. (2000, October 13) National Hospice Organization. Operations Manual. (1999). [Online]. *http://oncology.mescape.com (2000, October 13). Byrock, I. (1995) The Changing Face of Hospice [Online] 14, pages 7-11. *http://oncology.medscape.com (2000, October 13) Homecare and Hospice Resources (2000). [Online]. http://herald-journal.com (2000, October 14).

Thailand and Hong Kong Religious Differences

Compare the religion in Thai and Hong Kong Introduction Religion is a way to review the cultural system of a country, it relates humanity to spirituality. Hong Kong and Thailand have a distinct history background, which interpret the big difference in daily cultural practices. This essay aims to provide a brief introduction of the religion in Thailand and Hong Kong and compares their differences and similarities. It will start from the history background and general information to the details of religious activities. General In Hong Kong, people are protected by the Basic Law, they have the religious freedom.There is a wide variety of religious groups such as Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam and so on. With 150 years of rule as a separate British colony, although most Hong Kong people are ethnically Chinese, Hong Kong has a unique local identity. Elements of traditional Chinese culture combining western in? uences have shaped Hong Kong as a city with mixed culture. Apart from th e Chinese and British cultural in? uences, Hong Kong is a free trade port with people from different countries staying there which have a large variety of religion beliefs and ways of thought.According to a Gullup poll in 2010, 64% of Hong Kong residents are either agnostic or indifferent towards religion. Buddhism and Taoism are the major religious with more than 1 million Buddhists and about 1 million Taoists. The second large religious group is Christianity, it has been in Hong Kong since 1841. There are about 843,000 Christians in Hong Kong, most of them are Protestant or Roman Catholic. Temples and churches are omnipresent and ubiquitous on the streets, few of them have been there for more than 700 years ago.Although Hong Kong is literally no religion background, there are some public holidays related to religious festivals such as Christmas, Easter and Buddha’s Birthday. Adherents hold special celebration or ceremonies on these occasions. Those major religious bodies ha ve established schools, hospitals and provides social welfare facilities. Theomania is rare in Hong Kong, religion con? ict has never occurred so far. In Thailand, Buddhism has long been it national religion, about 95% of Thais are Buddhists of the Theravada tradition. In fact, there is no of? ial state religion in the Thai constitution, people are guaranteed to have religious freedom. However, Buddhism has spread widely in Thailand since 3rd century BC, it led the Buddha’s teachings becoming very famous. There is no of? cial state religion in the Thai constitution, which guarantees religious freedom for all Thai citizens, though the king is required by law to be Buddhist. According to the last census (2000) 94. 6% of Thais are Buddhists of the Theravada tradition. Muslims are the second largest religious group in Thailand at 4. 6%.There are more than 600 temples in the HKSAR. [5] The history of some of these temples can be traced back to more than 700 years ago, while some o thers have been built in recent years. Notable temples include the Wong Tai Sin Temple located in the Wong Tai Sin District in Kowloon. This popular temple is dedicated to the Taoist deity, Wong Tai Sin. Besides that, the Chi Lin Nunnery in Diamond Hill is a group of temple structures in the Tang Dynasty's architectural style. It is now open to the public following the completion of its redevelopment in 2000.

Management Case Study Essay

I.CURRENT SITUATION A.Past Corporate Performance Indexes i.Marvel Enterprise Incorporated Marvel Enterprises, Inc. is an industry-leading firm whose core business is character-based entertainment. Marvel’s foundation and success is built on their proprietary library of over 4,700 characters featured in a variety of media for nearly seventy years (1939-2004). Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing agreements, and publishing of comic books through the division of Marvel Comics. ii.How it was formally organized: First Management Marvel had its first taste of corporate culture when founder Martin Goodman sold the publishing outfit that began life as Timely Comics to Perfect Film and Chemical– a company known for film processing and mail order drug sales in 1968. Perfect grouped Marvel under the Magazine Management brand. 1972 saw Stan Lee stepping in for Goodman as publisher, while parent company Perfect rebranded itself as Cadence Corporation the following year. The wonky Magazine Management Co. now officially became known as Marvel Comics Group. iii.New World Pictures purchased Governance of Cadence Industries for Marvel Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. (Marvel or MEG), the parent company of Marvel Comics and Marvel Productions, was put up for sale as part of the liquidation of its then parent corporation, Cadence Industries. Marvel was sold to New World Pictures. Cadence Industries, formerly Perfect Film & Chemical Corporation, was an American conglomerate owned by Martin â€Å"Marty† S. Ackerman. In 1989, Ronald Perelman’s MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings group of companies bought Marvel Entertainment Group from New World for $82.5 million, not including Marvel Productions, which was folded into New World’s TV and movie business. â€Å"It is a mini-Disney in terms of intellectual property,† said Perelman. â€Å"Disney’s got much more highly recognized characters and softer characters, whereas our characters are termed action heroes. But at Marvel we are now in the business of the creation and marketing of characters. iv.Going Public, Bankruptcy and Acquisition: Perelman’s Governance Marvel made an initial public offer of 40% of the stock in July 1991, giving $40 million from the proceeds to Andrews Group, Marvel’s then direct parent corporation within MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings. Marvel purchased the trading card company Fleer within a year of going public. In April 1993, Marvel acquired 46% of ToyBiz, for the rights to make Marvel toys.] The Andrews Group named Avi Arad of ToyBiz as the president and CEO of the Marvel Films division and of New World Family Filmworks, Inc., a New World Entertainment subsidiary. New World later became a fellow subsidiary of the Andrews Group. In 1993 and 1994, Marvel’s holding companies — Marvel Holdings, Inc. and Marvel Parent Holdings, Inc. — were formed between Andrews Group and MEG and issued over half a billion dollars in bonds under the direction of Perelman, secured by Marvel’s rising stock, which was passed up in dividends to Perlman’s group of companies. Marvel continued acquisitions with Panini, an Italian sticker-maker, in August 1994, and SkyBox International in April 1995. Under the governance of Perelman, Marvel also purchased Heroes World Distribution, a regional distributor to comic-book shops. Marvel’s attempt to distribute its products directly led to a decrease in sales and aggravated the losses which Marvel suffered when the comic book bubble popped.While licensing revenue reached $50 million in 1995, MEG laid off 275 employees on January 4, 1996. Perelman offered to have the Andrews Group purchase additional shares with an issue for $350 million in November 19 96, which would have required ToyBiz to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Marvel. Meanwhile, Carl Icahn began buying Marvel’s bonds at 20% of their value and moved to block Perelman’s plan. The Marvel group of companies  filed for bankruptcy on December 27, 1996, but the note holders, led by Icahn, blocked this. v.Marvel as Disney Subsidiary On August 31, 2009, The Walt Disney Company announced a deal to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4.24 billion, with Marvel shareholders to receive $30 and about 0.745 Disney shares for each share of Marvel they own. The voting occurred on December 31, 2009 and the merger was approved. The acquisition of Marvel was finalized hours after the shareholder vote, therefore giving Disney full ownership of Marvel Entertainment. The company was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange under its ticker symbol (MVL), due to the closing of the deal. On June 2, 2010 Marvel announced that it promoted Joe Quesada to Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment. In June 2010, Marvel set up a television division headed by Jeph Loeb as executive vice president. Three months later, Smith & Tinker licensed from Marvel the character rights for a superhero digital collectible game for Facebook and Apple’s mobile platform. On October 1, 2010, Marvel moved its offices to a 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) suite at 135 W. 50th Street, New York City, New York, under a nine-year sublease contract. Stan Lee Media’s lawsuit against Marvel was dismissed again in February 2011. In July 2011, a U.S. District Court judge ruled that Marvel characters co-created by Jack Kirby would remain the property of Marvel. In March 2013, Feld Entertainment agreed with Marvel to produce a Marvel Character based live arena show. Marvel was also launching a new pop culture and lifestyle web show, â€Å"Earth’s Mightiest Show†. Current Mission Marvel Enterprises Inc. aims to successfully meet the needs of its customers by continuing to design, develop, market and distribute character superheroes that made the Company’s name famous. It also aims at offering its customers fresh and different characters all the time. Not only that, but Marvel’s goal was also to secure the â€Å"best-in-class† licensing partners in all categories of its divisions in business. Current Objectives 1.To determine if Marvel can still increase the growth in their profit at a higher level. 2.To widen the range of their licensing activities. 3.To continue to maintain control over the quality of the product, from design to final engineering and execution. 4.To determine if Marvel could continue to capitalize on a limited set of prominent characters, most notably Spiderman or could decide to shift focus to a larger set of lesser- known characters that might have the potential of becoming blockbuster characters but were largely unknown to the wider public. 5.To determine if Marvel could venture beyond its current business model and take on more capital-intensive but also profitable activities. Current Strategies Marvel was acquired by Toy Biz and was named as Marvel Enterprises Inc. In line with the change of its name was the total change in its management. The start was a difficult one. Marvel’s new strategy was first aimed at monetizing the content library via licensing characters for use with media products (such as toys, apparel, collectibles, and food). Managing the library of characters to foster long-term value was the second key focus of Marvel’s new management. Retaining some form of control over the creative process- to ensure the quality of the content that featured Marvel characters was the third main strategic dimension. Marvel’s management team hired well-known artists and writers to lead its creative efforts in the publishing division, including popular writers from the film and television industry, and had started to sign exclusive contracts with key creative talent. Current Policies Some of the policies implemented by Marvel Enterprises Inc. to its management are: 1.Excluding its â€Å"Spider- Man† character from the deal with TBW (Hong Kong based independent Company) in creating the product design, marketing  and sales because Spider-Man has a separate deal with Sony Pictures. 2.Maintaining an incredible performance for its Toy division because competition was so intense at this industry. 3.Maintaining a wide channel of distribution of its products. 4.Pursuing a diversified base of studio partners, both to ensure their commitment to each project and to mitigate risks regarding Marvel’s motion picture division. 5.Widening the range of its licensing activities for its characters. 6.Investing in profitable investment-related activities. 7.Strictly implementing rules and regulations in its management. 8.Maintaining an effective internal control over its management. II.Corporate Governance A.Board of Directors i.Directors Marvel’s Board of Directors has three classes of directors with staggered three-year terms. Sid Ganis and James F. Halpin were elected at the 2008 annual meeting as Class I directors to serve a three-year term. Morton E. Handel, F. Peter Cuneo and Isaac Perlmutter were elected at the 2007 annual meeting as Class III directors to serve a three-year term. Richard L. Solar was elected, along with Avi Arad, who later resigned, at the 2006 annual meeting of stockholders as a Class II director to serve a three-year term. The Board of Directors elected James W. Breyer to replace Mr. Arad in June 2006, and Mr. Breyer is serving out the remainder of Mr. Arad’s term. In July 2007, the Board of Directors increased the size of the Board by one Board seat and elected Laurence N. Charney to serve as a Class II director until this annual meeting. Each of Mr. Solar, Mr. Breyer and Mr. Charney has been nominated for election to a new three-year term at this annual meeting. ii.Other Directors James W. Breyer (Class II), 47, has been a Marvel director since June 2006. Mr. Breyer has served as a partner of the Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm, Accel Partners, since 1995. Laurence N. Charney (Class II), 61, has been a Marvel director since July 2007. Mr. Charney retired from his position as a Partner of Ernst & Young LLP in 2007, having served that firm for over thirty-five years and engagement acceptance across all service lines. Mr. Charney served previously at Ernst & Young as an audit partner and was Marvel’s audit partner for its 1999 through 2003 audits. Mr. Charney is a senior advisor to Plainfield Asset Management LLC, a hedge fund based in Greenwich, CT that specializes in special and distressed situations. Richard L. Solar (Class II), 69, has been a Marvel director since December 2002. Since February 2003, Mr. Solar has been a management consultant and investor. From June 2002 to February 2003, Mr. Solar acted as a consultant for Gerber Childrenswear, Inc., a marketer of popular-priced licensed apparel sold under the Gerber name, as well as under licenses from Baby Looney Tunes, Wilson, Converse and Coca-Cola. iii.Directors Who’s Terms Are Continuing For each member of the Board of Directors whose term of office as a director continues after the annual meeting, set forth below is the director’s name, age as of March 9, 2009, principal occupation for at least the last five years, selected biographical information and period of service as a director. Sid Ganis (Class I), 69, has been a Marvel director since October 1999. Mr. Ganis is the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization that awards the Oscars. Mr. Ganis has been President of Out of the Blue†¦Entertainment, a company that he founded, since September  1996. Out of the Blue†¦Entertainment is a provider of motion pictures, television and musical entertainment for Sony Pictures Entertainment and others. From January 1991 until September 1996, Mr. Ganis held various executive positions with Sony Pictures Entertainment, including Vice Chairman of Columbia Pictures and President of Worldwide Marketing for Columbia/TriStar Motion Picture Companies. James F. Halpin (Class I), 58, has been a Marvel director since March 1995. Mr. Halpin retired in March 2000 as President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of CompUSA Inc., a retailer of computer hardware, software, accessories and related products, with which he had been employed since May 1993. Mr. Halpin was a director of Life Time Fitness, Inc. from February 2005 until August 2008. F. Peter Cuneo (Class III), 64, was Marvel’s President and Chief Executive Officer from July 1999 through December 2002 and served as the part-time Special Advisor to Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer from January 2003 through December 2004. Mr. Cuneo has been a Marvel director since July 1999, and since June 2003 he has served as a non-executive Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Cuneo is a senior advisor to Plainfield Asset Management LLC, a hedge fund based in Greenwich, CT that specializes in special and distressed situations. Mr. Cuneo is a also director of Iconix Brands, Inc. Morton E. Handel (Class III), 73, has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Marvel since October 1998 and was first appointed as a director in June 1997. Mr. Handel served as a director of Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc. from June 2005 until November 2008 and as a director of Linens ‘N Things, Inc from 2000 until February 2006. Mr. Handel is also a Life Regent of the University of Hartford and is active on the boards of not-for-profit organizations in the Hartford, CT area. Isaac Perlmutter (Class III), 66, has been Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer since January 1, 2005. Mr. Perlmutter has served as a senior executive of Marvel Characters B.V. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc. that owns and licenses Marvel’s intellectual property library) and its predecessor-in-interest Marvel Characters, Inc. since January 2007 and has been employed by Marvel as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors since November 2001. Mr. Perlmutter has been a Marvel director since April 1993 and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors until March 1995. B.Management i.Board Meetings and Committees The Board of Directors held at least 10 meetings annually. Each incumbent director attended, during the year, at least 75% of the aggregate number of Board of Directors meetings and applicable committee meetings held during the period in which he served as a director. The Board of Directors’ committees include the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Film Slate Committee and Strategic Planning Committee. ii.Corporate Governance Committee The Corporate Governance Committee’s function is (i) to identify individuals qualified to become members of the Board of Directors; (ii) to recommend individuals for selection by the Board of Directors as nominees for election as directors at the next annual meeting of stockholders; and (iii) to develop and recommend to the Board of Directors a set of Corporate Governance Guidelines and the modification of those guidelines from time to time. The Corporate Governance Committee is comprised of Messrs. Halpin (chairman) and Ganis. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met three times annually. The Board of Directors has determined that each of Messrs, Halpin and Ganis is â€Å"independent† iii.Audit Committee The Audit Committee’s function is (i) to directly appoint, retain, compensate, evaluate and, where appropriate, terminate Marvel’s independent  registered public accounting firm; (ii) to assist the Board in its oversight of: the integrity of Marvel’s financial statements, Marvel’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, and the performance of Marvel’s internal audit function and the independent registered public accounting firm; and (iii) to prepare the report required to be included in Marvel’s annual proxy statement, which follows. The Audit Committee is ultimately responsible for pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by its independent registered public accounting firm including the compensation to be paid for those services. The Audit Committee has established a policy regarding pre-approval of audit and non-audit services, and has delegated its authority to pre-approve audit and non-audit services to its chairman, who reports any such pre-approvals to the Audit Committee at its next meeting. In accordance with the Audit Committee’s pre-approval policy, the Audit Committee does not engage its independent registered public accounting firm to perform non-audit services that are precluded by law or regulation or any services that would impair the firm’s independence. iv.Compensation Committee Our chief executive officer is invited to attend meetings of the Compensation Committee and to offer recommendations on compensation of other executives or directors, but he does not vote in the committee’s final determinations, and decisions concerning his own compensation are made in his absence. The Compensation Committee has the authority to retain compensation consultants to assist it in making its decisions. During 2008, the members of Marvel’s Compensation Committee were Messrs. Halpin and Ganis. Neither of those individuals was an officer or employee of Marvel, or of any of its subsidiaries, during 2008 or formerly, nor did either of them have any relationship requiring disclosure in â€Å"Transactions with Related Persons, Promoters and Certain Control Persons,† below. None of our executive officers served in 2008 on the compensation committee of any  other company that had an executive officer serving as a Marvel director. None of our executive officers served in 2008 as a director of any other company that had an executive officer serving on our Compensation Committee. . v.Executive Officers Below are the positions held with Marvel, and selected biographical information for our executive officers, other than Mr. Perlmutter, whose information is found under â€Å"About Our Directors,† above. 1.Alan Fine , 58, has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Marvel Characters B.V. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc. that owns and licenses Marvel’s intellectual property library) and its predecessor-in-interest Marvel Characters, Inc. since May 2007. Mr. Fine also has served as Chief Executive Officer of Marvel’s publishing division since September 2004. Mr. Fine served as Chief Executive Officer of Marvel’s toy division from August 2001 until that division was closed in early 2008. 2.David Maisel , 46, has served as Executive Vice President, Office of the Chief Executive since September 2006 and became Chairman of Marvel Studios in March 2007. From September 2005 until September 2006, Mr. Maisel served as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and from September 2005 until March 2007, Mr. Maisel served as Vice Chairman of Marvel Studios. From January 2004 to September 2005, Mr. Maisel served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Marvel Studios. From October 2001 to November 2003, Mr. Maisel headed Corporate Strategy and Business Development for Endeavor Agency, a Hollywood literary and talent agency. 3.Simon Philips , 40, has served as President, Worldwide Consumer Products since October 2008 and as CEO of Marvel Animation since January 2008. Mr. Philips served as President, Marvel International from November 2006 to October 2008. From November 2003 to November 2006, Mr. Philips served as the Managing Director of 4Kids Entertainment International. Mr. Philips served as chief executive officer of LDI, a licensing and merchandising company, from 1996 to 2003. 4.John Turitzin , 53, has served as Executive Vice President, Office of the Chief Executive since September 2006. From February 2006 until September 2006, Mr. Turitzin served as Marvel’s Chief Administrative Officer. Mr. Turitzin has also served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel since February 2004. 5.Kenneth P. West , 50, has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since June 2002. vi.Code of Ethics Marvel has adopted a code of ethics applicable to its principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller and persons performing similar functions. We have also adopted a code of business conduct and ethics which is applicable to all employees and directors. III. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT: OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS A.Social Environment Economic/Demographic Forces Entertainment industry is targeting segmented groups that have been long ignored including ethic cultures, language, religion and women and in case by case basis adult’s only products. Technological/Physical Forces Entertainment is available in variety of ways including online, cell phone, and on-demand video. Sales in traditional entertainment merchandise has dropped. Social/Cultural Forces Entertainment has reached out to the community conscious in educating it on events and beliefs in the community. Political/Legal Forces Entertainment outlets are facing parental lawsuits to prevent particular products from being place and/or sold in a market or setting. Producers must  keep vigilant on product content in order to deal with either self regulated or government regulation in order to guarantee an investment return. The threat of piracy and illegal licensing is at stake in the entertainment industry. The entertainment industry lobbies to protect copyrighted product. B.Task Environment Competitors The entertainment industry no matter how fragmented it appears much of what is produced. In terms of entertainment is held closely by three US based media conglomerates, Disney, Viacom, and Time Warner. These conglomerates direct the entertainment market and the direction of the media. The Licensing segment competes with a diverse range of entities that own intellectual property rights in characters. These include DC Comics (a subsidiary of Time Warner, Inc.), The Walt Disney Company, NBC Universal, Inc. (a subsidiary of General Electric Company), DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. and other entertainment-related entities. Many of these competitors have greater financial and other resources than we do. The Publishing segment competes with numerous publishers in the United States. Some of the Publishing segment’s competitors, such as DC Comics, are part of integrated entertainment companies and may have greater financial and other resources than we do. The Publishing segment also faces competition from other entertainment media, such as movies and video games. The Toy segment competes with many larger toy companies in the design and development of new toys, in the procurement of licenses and for adequate retail shelf space for its products. The larger toy companies include Hasbro, Mattel Inc., and Jakks Pacific, Inc. Many of these competitors have greater financial and other resources than the Company. The toy industry’s highly competitive environment continues to place cost pressures on manufacturers and distributors. Discretionary spending among potential toy consumers is limited and the toy industry competes for those dollars along with the makers of computers and video games. The Film Production segment competes with other film producers, including major studios such as Twentieth Century Fox and Sony Pictures (which also produce films licensed by our Licensing segment). Many of these producers are part of integrated ente rtainment  companies and have greater financial and other resources Threat of New Entrants There is always the possibility of new entrants in the entertainment industry. Producers and/or manufacturers may create a product to carve out a particular market or segment niche. The industry has a history of employees banding together to create a new product to compete in the already in the full field, but getting a local or national distribution is challenging smaller entertainment providers team with already established distribution unit have an excellent chance of breaking ground into the market. Threat of Substitute Products The threat of any type substitute in the entertainment industry is high. Most often than not, the threat comes in time of gift giving season when marketing dollars are spent more to sway people from one product to the other. This time of the year is also filled with hopes of new products entering the market to capture a hungry audience. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers are creating new outlets for the entertainment industry through technological advances. The winner for battle technological supremacy will lie solely on which technological outlet has the most partners. Bargaining Power of Buyers Consumers have the ability to patronize or not to patronize an entertainment outlet. However, the limited ownership prevents consumers from believing they will never deal with a company they have been dissatisfied with in the past. IV. INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT: STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES A.Corporate Structure Marvel is a multidivisional company that has three segments which are highly integrated and vertically differentiated. ï‚ §Licensing – The Licensing segment earns revenues from selling rights to movies, television production companies, video game publishers, and merchandise manufacturers to use its  character properties. The licensing business concentrates on a few large licensees, and attempts to manage and re-segment opportunities with its characters, creating â€Å"classic† editions, â€Å"youth† editions, and â€Å"movie† editions to take advantage of every revenue opportunity. ï‚ §Publication – The Publishing segment produces, markets, and sells comic books. This business publishes comic books and novels about the company’s characters, and licenses characters from other sources and turns them into graphic novels. ï‚ §Toys – The Toys segment collects royalties and service fees from Hasbro. The company has an exclusive to y merchandising agreement with Hasbro (HAS) until December 31, 2011, that began in 2007. Prior to this, most revenues in the Toy segment were made from toys produced by Marvel. ï‚ §Movie Production – The movie production arm of the company was set up to independently produce films and grow revenues. The new Films segment produces films featuring Marvel’s characters like Iron Man. B.Corporate Culture Honesty and integrity are the key organizational values of Marvel. The company gives importance in maintaining company reputation as well as fairness and awareness even with competitors. Marvel considers its almost 5000 character library as 5000 assets. The company looks forward to become even larger with the Disney merger. The company shares many shared values and maintains a constant renewing process. Marvel provides its people with Corporate Governance Guidelines, Corporate Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and Code of Ethics for CEO and Senior Financial Officers. These provides them with a brief description of their obligations and offer guidance concerning how to conduct their business in a manner consistent with their high ethical value. C.Corporate Resources 1.Marketing 2.Finance 3.Research and Development 4.Operations and Logistics 5.Human Resources 6.Information Systems

Didion Essays

Didion Essays Didion Paper Didion Paper Joan Doing On Keeping a Notebook In On Keeping a Notebook, Doing writes about the Importance In keeping a notebook to record events and personal feelings. She makes It vital to write In the moment that these events, thoughts, and feelings occur. Although, the point Sins to be accurate or persuasive but rather personal to reflect and reveal what she discovers about herself In the process while still applying rhetorical devices of ethos, pathos, and logos In her essay. Her notebook Includes personal experiences written erratically, versus to writing In a diary dally. Some of the entries Jotted down have little to no significance to her life and this format enforces the effects to writing In a notebook the same way any average person would. Some of these stories are questionable to her and are used to make a point of how writing in a notebook isnt about finding a meaning but keeping in touch with yourself in the end. Dingos writing structure is informal to the way its written with random stories ND using casual language that is easy to understand as if she were speaking to the reader. This makes for the persuasive method of ethos that enables the reader to trust her writings to make a point in using the notebook usefully and efficiently. She asks the reader questions throughout the essay that makes the reader think about how a notebook comes in handy. Why did I write it down? In order to remember, of course, but exactly what was it I wanted to remember? How much of it actually happened? Did any of it? Why do I keep a notebook at all? It is easy to deceive oneself on all those scores. (76). As she continues to keep the reader questioning, she successfully resumes authority over the reader when she adds in another personal entry. Doing does not make against any argument, but comes to avoid it as she successfully attempts to inform the reader that Sometimes even the maker has difficulty with the meaning,(79) while bringing in playful sarcasm to her explanations, . Yet there it is in my notebook, labeled FACT. 79) causing the reader to respect her point of view. Overall, what she tries to get across to the reader Isnt to record, analyze, or conclude but to keep bits of mindful thoughts. Doing By lexicons In On Keeping a Notebook, Doing writes about the importance in keeping a notebook to record events and personal feelings. She makes it vital to write in the moment that these events, thoughts, and feelings occur. Although, the point is nt to discovers about herself in the process while still applying rhetorical devices of ethos, ethos, and logos in her essay. Her notebook includes personal experiences written erratically, versus to writing in a diary daily. Some of the entries Jotted down have little to no significance to her life and this format enforces the effects to writing in a notebook the same way any average person would. Some of these stories are explanations, Yet there it is in my notebook, labeled FACT. (79) causing the reader to respect her point of view.

USS Hornet (CV-12) in World War II

USS Hornet (CV-12) in World War II USS Hornet (CV-12) - Overview: Nation: United States Type: Aircraft Carrier Shipyard: Newport News Shipbuilding Company Laid Down: August 3. 1942 Launched: August 30, 1943 Commissioned: November 29, 1943 Fate: Museum Ship USS Hornet (CV-12) - Specifications: Displacement: 27,100 tons Length: 872 ft. Beam: 147 ft., 6 in. Draft: 28 ft., 5 in. Propulsion: 8 Ãâ€" boilers, 4 Ãâ€" Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 4 Ãâ€" shafts Speed: 33 knots Range: 20,000 nautical miles at 15 knots Complement: 2,600 men USS Hornet (CV-12) - Armament: 4 Ãâ€" twin 5 inch 38 caliber guns4 Ãâ€" single 5 inch 38 caliber guns8 Ãâ€" quadruple 40 mm 56 caliber guns46 Ãâ€" single 20 mm 78 caliber guns Aircraft 90-100 aircraft USS Hornet (CV-12) - Design Construction: Designed in the 1920s and early 1930s, the US Navys Lexington- and Yorktown-class aircraft carriers were built to conform to the restrictions set forth by the Washington Naval Treaty. This pact placed restrictions on the tonnage of different types of warships as well as capped each signatorys overall tonnage. These types of limitations were affirmed through the 1930 London Naval Treaty. As global tensions increased, Japan and Italy left the agreement in 1936. With the collapse of the treaty system, the US Navy began conceiving a design for a new, larger class of aircraft carrier and one which drew from the lessons learned from the Yorktown-class. The resulting design was wider and longer as well as included a deck-edge elevator system. This had been used earlier on USS Wasp. In addition to carrying a larger air group, the new design possessed a greatly increased anti-aircraft armament. Designated the Essex-class, the lead ship, USS Essex (CV-9), was laid down in April 1941. This was followed by several additional carriers including USS Kearsarge (CV-12) which was laid down on August 3, 1942 as World War II raged. Taking shape at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, the ships name honored the steam sloop USS which defeated CSS Alabama during the Civil War. With the loss of USS Hornet (CV-8) at the Battle of Santa Cruz in October 1942, the name of the new carrier was changed to USS Hornet (CV-12) to honor its predecessor. On August 30, 1943, Hornet slid down the ways with Annie Knox, wife of Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, serving as sponsor. Eager to have the new carrier available for combat operations, the US Navy pushed its completion and the ship was commissioned on November 29 with Captain Miles R. Browning in command. USS Hornet (CV-8) - Early Operations: Departing Norfolk, Hornet proceeded to Bermuda for a shakedown cruise and to commence training. Returning to port, the new carrier then made preparations to depart for the Pacific. Sailing on February 14, 1944, it received orders to join Vice Admiral Marc Mitschers Fast Carrier Task Force at Majuro Atoll. Arriving in the Marshall Islands on March 20, Hornet then moved south to provide support for General Douglas MacArthurs operations along the northern coast of New Guinea. With the completion of this mission, Hornet mounted raids against the Caroline Islands before preparing for the invasion of the Marianas. Reaching the islands on June 11, the carriers aircraft took part in attacks on Tinian and Saipan before turning their attention to Guam and Rota. USS Hornet (CV-8) - Philippine Sea Leyte Gulf: After strikes to the north on Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima, Hornet returned to the Marianas on June 18. The next day, Mitschers carriers prepared to engage the Japanese in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. On June 19, Hornets planes attacked airfields in the Marianas with the goal of eliminating as many land-based aircraft as possible before the Japanese fleet arrived. Successful, American carrier-based aircraft later destroyed several waves of enemy aircraft in what became known as the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. American strikes the next day succeeded in sinking the carrier Hiyo. Operating from Eniwetok, Hornet spent the remainder of the summer mounting raids on the Marianas, Bonins, and Palaus while also attacking Formosa and Okinawa. In October, Hornet provided direct support for the landings on Leyte in the Philippines before becoming embroiled in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. On October 25, the carriers aircraft provided support for elements of Vice Admiral Thomas Kinkaids Seventh Fleet when they came under attack off Samar. Striking the Japanese Center Force, the American aircraft hastened its withdrawal. Over the next two months, Hornet remained in the area supporting Allied operations in the Philippines. With the beginning of 1945, the carrier moved to attack Formosa, Indochina, and the Pescadores before conducting photo reconnaissance around Okinawa. Sailing from Ulithi on February 10, Hornet took part in strikes against Tokyo before turning south to support the invasion of Iwo Jima. USS Hornet (CV-8) - Later War: In late March, Hornet moved to provide cover for the invasion of Okinawa on April 1. Six days later, its aircraft aided in defeating Japanese Operation Ten-Go and sinking the battleship Yamato. For the next two months, Hornet alternated between conducting strikes against Japan and providing support for Allied force on Okinawa. Caught in a typhoon on June 4-5, the carrier saw approximately 25 feet of its forward flight deck collapse. Withdrawn from combat, Hornet returned to San Francisco for repairs. Completed on September 13, shortly after the wars end, the carrier returned to service as part of Operation Magic Carpet. Cruising to the Marianas and Hawaii, Hornet helped return American servicemen to the United States. Finishing this duty, it arrived at San Francisco on February 9, 1946 and was decommissioned the following year on January 15. USS Hornet (CV-8) - Later Service Vietnam: Placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Hornet remained inactive until 1951 when it moved to the New York Naval Shipyard for an SCB-27A modernization and conversion into an attack aircraft carrier. Re-commissioned on September 11, 1953, the carrier trained in the Caribbean before departing for the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean. Moving east, Hornet aided in the search for survivors from a Cathay Pacific DC-4 which was downed by Chinese aircraft near Hainan. Returning to San Francisco in December 1954, it remained on the West Coast training until assigned to the 7th Fleet in May 1955. Arriving in the Far East, Hornet aided in evacuating anti-communist Vietnamese from the northern part of the country before commencing routine operations off Japan and the Philippines. Steaming to Puget Sound in January 1956, the carrier entered the yard for a SCB-125 modernization which included the installation of an angled flight deck and a hurricane bow. Emerging a year later, Hornet returned to the 7th Fleet and made multiple deployments to the Far East. In January 1956, the carrier was selected for conversion to an anti-submarine warfare support carrier. Returning to Puget Sound that August, Hornet spent four months undergoing alterations for this new role. Resuming operations with the 7th Fleet in 1959, the carrier conducted routine missions in the Far East until the beginning of the Vietnam War in 1965. The next four years saw Hornet make three deployments to the waters off Vietnam in support of operations ashore. During this period, the carrier also became involved in recovery missions for NASA. In 1966, Hornet recovered AS-202, an unmanned Apollo Command Module before being designated the primary recovery ship for Apollo 11 three years later. On July 24, 1969, helicopters from Hornet recovered Apollo 11 and its crew after the first successful moon landing. Brought aboard, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins were housed in a quarantine unit and visited by President Richard M. Nixon. On November 24, Hornet performed a similar mission when it recovered Apollo 12 and its crew near American Samoa. Returning to Long Beach, CA on December 4, the carrier was selected for deactivation the following month. Decommissioned on June 26, 1970, Hornet moved into reserve at Puget Sound. Later brought to Alameda, CA, the ship opened as a museum October 17, 1998. Selected Sources DANFS: USS Hornet (CV-12)USS Hornet MuseumNavSource: USS Hornet (CV-12)

T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land - Essay Example Attractive to current readers insofar as it resists coherence, the poem has lately been interpreted as a critique of literary and sexual proprieties. It lacks "respect for tradition, " is fascinated with "mutation, degradation, and fragmentation, " split between a longing for "'improper' sexual desires" and a wish to be "rid" of them. (Charles W. Pollard, 2003, pp 90-110). In a curious twist of literary history, recent critics of The Waste Land have returned to the questions that concerned its initial readers, before its elevation to the status of a classic. Troubled by its disorderliness and its debasement of literary value, Eliot inserts beautiful quotations into ugly contexts, and that his poem is a considerable affront against aesthetic sensibilities. Trying to recapture this sense of The Waste Land's offensiveness, critics at the end of the century stress its chaotic structure, its multiple voices, and its internal conflicts, which render it an unfinalized, open text. In so doing, however, they continue to beat a dead horse.

England. World Civilization Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

England. World Civilization Class - Essay Example Children suffered as the societies lived in very deplorable conditions. Formal settlements were rare as many people engaged in farming and could not maintain very descent and clean surrounding as it is possible today. There was poor planning of settlements, poor road infrastructure, poor sanitation, and poor and dangerous working conditions. Generally, civilization of the world passed through difficult moments and this is clearly evident through learning history of England. Modern History Sourcebook: Friederich Engels: Industrial Manchester, 1844 This article is the work of Paul Halsal who made reference to work of Friendrich Engels to communicate the realities and experiences of industrial revolution and world civilization. The article appears to target residents of Manchester City in London and Europeans in general and intends to inform them about the need to protect and preserve their surroundings. The story of Friederich Engels indicates that the condition of the city was notorio us and very unfit for human survival1. The city characterized with poor settlement planning that left very narrow paths that two people could not pass through at the same time. 2The story of Friedrich describe how some could easy miss the right direction and instead make countless rounds within the courts before finding the right way, â€Å"He who turns to the left here from the main street, Long Millgate, is lost; he wanders from one court to another.†3 The article uncovers the true reality of health risks that the inhabitants of Manchester were vulnerable to. The article sadly describes the nature of the open pit dumpsites and contaminated, smelly and dirty rivers that made it hard for any visitor to the region have easy breath of air. From the general description of the ancient Manchester city, this article seems to pass very crucial information concerning the need to preserve the environment considering the efforts and time it took to make Manchester city what it is today . In so doing, the article appears to persuade and convince the audience who are particularly resident of Manchester city to work hard to protect serenity of the city. Unlike today that it is easy and enjoyable to live in Manchester city, it was initially very difficult and problematic to live in the city. The move by Halsal to select this article with such mysterious reality about the past of Manchester City seems to be one to persuade residents of the city and Europe in general to work hard and value the kind of infrastructure they currently enjoy4. The article gives the audience substantial reason to fight towards protection of the environment and appreciate the work and struggle of their forefathers who seemingly worked hard to change the condition. The article also appears to discredit widespread believe that European countries and England in particular never succumbed or experienced poverty. As demonstrated by Friedrich in his article, situating in England and Manchester in pa rticular that was by then the richest city of the country had very bad road infrastructure that were generally impassable. Housing facilities were unbearable and environment was very unhealthy and unfit for human survival. Modern History Sourcebook: Women Miners in the English Coal Pits The author of the article develops his communication about the past by referring to the Parliamentary papers of 1842 Great Britain Parliament. This article describes a very sad but truth situation about the history of world’s civilization. The article concentrates and appears to be very compassionate about the suffering of women and children in the coalmines in England. 5It was through the suffering that the members of the society could earn living and place food on their

Foresight of Hong Kong logistics development Essay

Foresight of Hong Kong logistics development - Essay Example With the seventh largest stock exchange, Hong Kong enjoys large market capitalization. The growth in the economy of Hong Kong has been as a result of foresight in logistic development. The high population density plus its position in mainland China has forced the government of Hong Kong to plan and develop effective logistic to drive economic growth. Logistics in Hong Kong responsible for growth include, a good transportation network, development of a free economy, low taxation, good government policies and a good communication network. Hong Kong is situated at the heart of mainland Asia. Located at the Southern doorstep of China, it is within a 5 hour flight period from most of the other Asian countries, thus having access to about half of the population of the world (Li, 2007). The location of Hong Kong has also led it to act as the gateway for trade to and from southern China. The location has granted Hong Kong access to the Pearl River Delta, where over 31% of the Mainland’s export products are manufactured (LOGSCOUNCIL, 2013). Its location also allows Hong Kong to access a large supply of labor from neighboring areas. The region has an abundant supply of both skilled and unskilled laborers that facilitate business growth, both local and international. Hong Kong instituted CEPA (Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement) which lets local and foreign-owned corporations within Hong Kong to access the various opportunities that the fast growing Chinese market offers. This partnership also allows service providers to take advantage of the fastest growing service market in terms of logistics, transport sales agency, freight forwarding and road and maritime transport, and set up businesses in the Mainland (GovHK, 2013). The trend setting agreement also allows businesses in Hong Kong to expand on the mainland and strengthen the role of Hong Kong as the leading gateway for

Cultural Traits Of The Ancient Greeks English Literature Essay

Cultural Traits Of The Ancient Greeks English Literature Essay Cultural traits can be identified as attributes of a specific civilization in relation to their geography and time period that the civilization existed. The ancient Greek civilization is one of several that we have studied whos cultural traits can be identified as Greek and some that were partly adopted. Many of these cultural traits are evident in works of art that survived the collapse of the Greek civilization. Like many other ancient civilizations, their cultural traits can be identified through literary works. Cultural traits from the ancient Greeks can be found today in our current society. In the next three paragraphs I will discuss some of the ancient Greek cultural traits, how they are displayed in their literature and how some of these are still evident in present day society. The ancient Greek civilization, in my opinion, is one of the most interesting civilizations in history. It was during this time period that we take notice of new and important ways of thinking displayed by an ancient culture, in this case, the Greeks. The ancient Greeks were the first civilization to start stressing the importance of intelligence and having a natural understanding of the world around them. This particular trait is due mostly in part to the Sophists, more commonly known as the professors of the ancient world. The Sophists greatly encouraged being intelligent and asking questions in search of the truth. They believed the truth was relative to each individual situation and that there are no single truths. This trait is an important change that was beneficial for all societies preceding the Greeks even though it created trouble for them during this time period. As the common folk began to ask questions and improve their intelligence, the political organizations and the G reek government had their hands full trying to keep the masses at bay. This trait would eventually contribute to the fall of the ancient Greek empire. The Greeks were a very anthropocentric culture believing man was the center of everything. They demonstrate this through their religion, which was partly adopted by the earlier Mycenaeans, and the gods they believed in. Even though they worshipped the gods, to them they were only referees and man was essentially the master of his own destiny. The society was dominated by the male gender by not lending any power and very little rights to the women. However, this is not unusual among ancient civilizations. The ancient Greeks also valued morals and tried to keep them at a high standard. This trait was also very important to the advancement of this and later societies by trying to maintain ones family and hold it together using good morals. Two literary works that demonstrate the ancient Greeks cultural traits are Sophocles Oedipus the King and Aristophanes Lysistrata. Sophocles makes this evident at the very beginning of Oedipus the King when Oedipus talks to the commoners who are kneeling at an altar praying. He asks them why they dont come and voice their concerns to him instead of the Gods. Oedipus believes he could do more than the Gods to help them and the city of Thebes. This is exemplary of the ancient Greek anthropocentric view. The importance of holding a family together is also demonstrated by Oedipus. When he receives the prophecy stating he would kill his father and marry his mother, he leaves the city of Corinth. It would be morally wrong for this prophecy to come true and that is why Oedipus disappears to Thebes. Going against wise council from Jocasta, Oedipus goes in search for the truth and discovers that in doing so he had fulfilled his prophecy and had ashamed his family. This embarrassment leads to the suicide of Jocasta and the blindness of Oedipus who at this point has completely self-destructed. In this story, Sophocles is saying, stay morally true to your family or lose everything you once loved. Accepting wise council from the ones closest to you displays much intelligence. Aristophanes displays these same traits in Lysistrata. In this story, Lysistrata demonstrates a keen intellect by devising the plan that eventually brings peace to Greece. This takes great insight into what is actually causing the problem and coming up with a clever solution. Aristophanes also demonstrates how the Greeks were a very patriarchal society. He does this when the women in the story talk about their normal duties around the home and in society, which wasnt much more than household slaves. Lysistrata also makes an example of how good morals keep a family together. Aristophanes does so when the women talk about how they never see their husbands and it makes them sad. Lysistrata and the other G reek woman make it known to the men how important the family is by taking away what they enjoy the most, in this case its sex. These same traits are the foundation of todays society. Thats the only reason Im taking this class. It is important to get an education. It increases my ability to make good decisions in life and find a good job. This will in turn make my life easier and give me the ability to spend more time doing the things that I love. Finding a mate in this world can be tough. Intelligence just happens to be one of the two most sought after qualities by a woman. To me, this is just a few of the many examples of how intelligence plays a role in everything that I do. Morals are also essential to have in todays society. That point has been stressed to me since the very beginning of my life. Without morals it would be very hard to make friends or keep a good reputation among co-workers at just about any job one could think of. It seems that good morals have been on decline in recent years. As the divorce rate increases it seems that the crime rate has increased at almost the same pace. Research has s hown that 90% of divorces are caused by finances. This could all be alleviated by getting an education to help make ones income more stable. Society has in my opinion made leaps and bounds in the treatment of women. Womens rights have come a long way in the last 50 years by gaining higher average wages and the right to vote. Most dont realize that women, logistically, were the reason America played a major role in ending World War II. I dont think that todays society has the same anthropocentric view of the world that ancient Greeks did. However, I do believe that a certain amount of anthropocentrism is inherent in human nature. Even with religion playing a major role in todays society, I still observe men and women walking around believing that they ultimately have the final say on what happens in their environment. This doesnt mean people believe they are the center of the universe. It just means that we help ourselves before we help our environment. This in turn may eventually lead to the demise of the human race because we need our environment to survive In conclusion, I have identified several traits that were possessed by the ancient Greek culture and how these traits were evident in their literary works. It is important to understand how ancient civilizations worked so that we can learn from their mistakes. This will help people in todays society progress as a whole. If we hadnt learned from our past, we wouldnt have but a small portion of the technology and artistic culture that we have today. I think that people as a whole really want the best for other people. By understanding other cultures, ancient or present, we can better understand who we are and where we are headed.