Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Interpretation of Advertisements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Interpretation of Advertisements - Essay Example The emotion it best represents is joy as every person in the picture is smiling and looks happy. The ad shows one person playing with a recognizable Nintendo controller, enjoying himself, while he is closely surrounded by men and women who are also actively participating in his fun appearing to be cheering or congratulating his efforts. It shows a youthful exuberance as every person appears young and animated. Though it lacks text and instead of a narrative, as O'Barr stated "music, motion, color, and other features are sometimes used in an attempt to evoke attitudes and feelings in consumers rather than to tell specific stories" (p. 10); in this instance the ad uses motion and proximity of the people to evoke a sense of togetherness and a party like atmosphere as they all appear to be friendly with each other or maybe even a family. The ad is effective in demonstrating the interactive nature of the Nintendo Wii Console. It challenges the dominant ideas of most consumers by showing an alternative depiction of what videogames represent (O'Barr). Instead of the traditional expectation of what playing videogames involves as a typical depiction would be one or two people on a couch focusing intently with minimal body movement.

Monday, October 28, 2019

“Things Fall Apart” as well as West Africa and Sundiata (Sunjata) Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Things Fall Apart† as well as West Africa and Sundiata (Sunjata) Essay In this essay I will be talking about the book â€Å"Things Fall Apart†, as well as West Africa and Sundiata (Sunjata).   I will look at the unique personal relationships among the people in West Africa, and how this affected the economy and trade, especially following the infiltration of the Europeans in 1450.   In analyzing the book â€Å"Things Fall Apart† I will further look at a fictional, but poignantly portrayed, story of life and death and drama in West Africa in the late nineteenth century.    I will discuss the role of women in the book, the role of religion, and the decision-making process. The book â€Å"Things Fall Apart† was published in 1958 and written by Chinua Achebe as a college work.   Mr. Achebe was actually born in, and grew up in, a village in Nigeria.   However, the book was set in the 1890s, so the story in the book was not written as any kind of a memory of Mr. Achebe.   The book is both entertaining and informative about tribal relations in West Africa. There is a unique relationship between the people of the tropical rainforest, the savannah (sudan), the Sahara Desert, and the Mediterranean coast of Africa in the period down to 1450 CE.   The savannah in West Africa is a climate and vegetation zone with grass and some trees.   In the savannah horses could survive.   This caused the people in the savannah to form empires. In the rain forests horses could not survive.   Across the Sahara Desert, trade was conducted by the use of caravans.   A caravan was a source of trade across the desert.   It took place mostly between Arabs and West Africans.   Caravans were initially comprised of donkeys, but later came to be made up of camels.   Finally, the people on the coast traded with the Europeans the things that were brought from the interior of Africa, as well as things found along the coast.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Certain patters of trade and cultural influence existed in these areas during this time period.   After 1450 when Europeans settled along the Western coast of Africa, more Africans moved to that area.   Slaves and gold were big moneymakers in the coastal villages.    The people in the book â€Å"Things Fall Apart† lived in the coastal rain forest.   Gold was mostly mined along the â€Å"Gold Coast†, and along the coast Africans would also help the European slave trade.   They would go into the interior of Africa and bring other Africans out to be sold into slavery.   Some coastal Africans were thus able to become rich from the pay they received from the Europeans.   Many Africans died in the process of being transported within Africa, and many also died during the boat transport after they left Africa. Although the role of women in â€Å"Things Fall Apart† is limited and mostly submissive, there is a certain power of women in the book.   When Chielo decreed the death of Ikemefuna she may have had a female motive for it.   Normally she is a widow and a very ordinary woman. However, as the Priestess and the oracle she can say what happens to other people and their lives.   By forcing the death of the boy, using claims that she had the gift of prophecy from the gods, she was able to gain control over the life of a child.   In her normal life as a woman she did not have this much control.   However, using her role as the oracle she was able to elevate her position in society above what her gender would normally allow her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Additionally, women exerted certain limited police and judicial powers over the market place.   The incident of the escaped cow is a good example of this.   When the cow escaped in Chapter 12 the women preparing for the bridal feast quickly push the loose cow back home and away from the neighboring farmers crops (Achebe).   Their quick intervention, coupled with the cow’s owner immediately paying the find for the cow being in another farmer’s crops, led to a fast dissipation of any potential conflict entering the joyful feast.   The women were able to use their womanly ways to avert attention from the fact that the cow was eating another person’s crops, in order that the bridal feast could happily continue. Religion is very important in community decisions in Umuofia.   The gods in Umuofia made many decisions.   Actually, people dressed up as gods or speaking on behalf of the gods made the decisions.   A religion based on multiple gods, such as that in Umuofia, is called polytheism.   Animism is another religion common in Africa.   Animism is a religion whereby people worship and revere animals. In Umuofia there were also decisions made by people speaking simply as people.   An example of this is the assemblies of male warriors.   Various people speaking as people, in numerous capacities, have made decisions in West Africa, throughout history.   A chieftain in West Africa is .   A king in West Africa is important because the kings of Western Europe rules in Africa when they colonized West African nations and when West Africans were forced into slavery. Sometimes tribes also had kings.   An emperor in West Africa is another kind of ruler within the tribal culture.   The people of Igbo in â€Å"Things Fall Apart† did not have any Emperor or king, however.   They generally dispensed justice internally, with a system of democracy among the men in the tribe.   Additionally, the Igbo people had a high sense of social mobility and were not predestined into a certain class. (Classic Note On Things Fall Apart) There are reasons for the two types of decisions making processes.   When people are speaking as gods they are deferring to the decisions of the gods to actually make their own decisions.   For example, when the oracle makes decisions she is probably allowing her own bias to influence what she believes the gods are telling her.   When the British commissioner is speaking, he is speaking as a person for himself because he does not want to be seen as deferring judgment to anyone else.   He wants the credit for all of his judgments. In contrast, when people are speaking as people they take credit, as well as blame, for what it is that they are saying.   They do not try to shift their opinions onto anyone else.   Instead, they stand up and say what it is that they believe.   The new Christian converts and the missionaries in â€Å"Things Fall Apart† were speaking on behalf of themselves and their own beliefs when they spoke.   They did not claim to have the gift of prophesy and speak on behalf of gods.   Neither did the British commissioner when he dispensed justice; when the British commissioner dispensed justice he spoke as a person speaking as a person, not as a person speaking for a god. In conclusion, the tribal people in West Africa were vastly affected by the infiltration of Europeans beginning in 1450.   Trade had historically been done by caravan on donkeys between Arabs and West Africans, but caravans later changed to be comprised more of trade on horses.   After 1450 Europeans were also actively involved in trade in West Africa, mostly of Gold, along the Gold Coast, and of slaves.   The slave trade made many Africans rich, and many Africans initially brought other Africans out of the interior of Africa out to be sold into slavery. Religion was also affected by the colonization of West Africa by the Europeans; Europeans brought Christianity to West Africa in a way that it had not been brought before by just missionaries.   Additionally, justice changed dramatically when Europeans arrived.   Europeans brought their own justice and their own white men to administer it.   In general, â€Å"Things Fall Apart† showed all of these aspects of West African society in the later nineteenth century.   And, importantly, â€Å"Things Fall Apart† served to realistically remind readers that the people in West Africa were intelligent tribal people who were hurtfully affected by British rule. REFERENCES Classic Note On Things Fall Apart. GradeSaver. 28 May. 2005  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/things/about.html. Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: DoubleDay Company, Incorporated,   1994.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Contrasting Feelings in Perraults Cinderella and Grimms Aschenputtle

Charles Perrault's "Cinderella" and Wilhelm and Jacob Grimms' "Aschenputtel" both feature a mistreated, yet kind heroine who, despite overwhelming obstacles, attends a ball and marries a prince. However, the similarities between these two versions of the fairy tale end here. While Perrault's version emphasizes the moral and materialistic concerns of his middle-class audience, Grimms' focus is on the harsh realities of life associated with the peasant culture. Perrault immediately connects with the materialistic values of his middle-class audience as he describes in detail the pampered lifestyle of Cinderella's step-sisters who "lay in rooms with inlaid floors upon beds of the newest fashion" (Classics, 17). Once invited to the ball, the step-sisters contemplate what they will wear. One decides on her "red velvet suit with French trimmings", while the other chooses to accentuate her look with a "diamond stomacher" (Classics, 18). While Perrault describes in detail the pampered lifestyle of this bourgeoisie family, he says much less about the appearance of the misfortunate Cinderella. While Cinderella's clothing is of little interest to Perrault's audience, her "rare goodness and sweetness of temper" (Classics, 17) are esteemed values desired by all the middle-class. When called upon to arrange the hair of her unkind step-sisters for the ball, we are told that "anyone but Cinderella would have dressed their hair awry, but she was good-natured, and arranged it perfectly well" (Classics, 18). After arriving at the ball with the help of a fairy godmother, and winning the affection of the desirable prince, Cinderella "sat down with her sisters showing them a thousand civilities"(Classics, 20). Her rare goodness ... ...igeons pluck out her step-sisters' eyes to repay them for all the evil they brought upon her. Although the heroines in "Aschenputtle" and "Cinderella" both manage to attend the ball and marry the prince despite mistreatment and unreasonable demands, the two versions of the popular fairy tale leave the reader with contrasting feelings. These contrasts can be understood when considering the writers' audiences. The violence and references to nature found in "Aschenputtle" are commonplace in the peasant culture of which the Grimms were fascinated, while the focus on the pampered lifestyle of the bourgeoisie family, and the kindness of Cinderella are aspects Perrault's middle-class audience desires. REFERENCE Griffith, John W and Charles H. Frey. The Custom Edition of Classics of Children's Literature: Fourth Edition. New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, 1996.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Emma by Jane Austen :: essays research papers

Emma by Jane Austen Setting Emma took place in small town called Highbury in 18th century England. During the time period set in the novel, there was a definite social rank, or hierarchy. Almost all of the scenes in the book take place in or around the estates of the characters. Their property mostly determined their social status. This setting has significance to the storyline, because of the social rank. Emma, who is constantly trying to play matchmaker, tries to convince her friend Harriet to marry someone of a higher class than her current love, a farmer. The characters are very aware of their status, and can be discriminating towards people of a lower class, such as the farmer. The book was most likely set in this place and time in order to include the conflicts of a hierarchal society. Character Analysis Emma Woodhouse: Emma is the main character of the novel. She is a beautiful, smart, and wealthy 21-year-old woman. Because of her admired qualities, Emma is a little conceited. She is the daughter of Henry Woodhouse. Since her mother has died, Emma has taken the role of taking care of her father, who is old and often sick. Because she feels she is obligated to stay by his side, Emma decides not to marry. Emma believes that she is a good matchmaker, and tries to put together several couples throughout the novel. Emma believes that social classes are very important and refuses to see anyone cross over to marry someone lesser than themselves In chapter 8-page 52, Emma is talking about Harriet’s situation with the farmer with Mr. Knightley. She says, â€Å"Mr. Martin is a very respectable young man, but I cannot admit him to be Harriet’s equal. As the novel progresses, Emma becomes more mature, and realizes how silly she had been in the past. In the end, she finally stops matchmaking others and marries Mr. Knightley, who was perfect for her all along. Mr. Knightley: Mr. Knightley is another main character of the novel. He is quite a bit older than Emma, at 38. He is also Emma’s brother in law. He often visits the Hartfield estate to play cards. He is a little protective of Emma, and often gives her advice to change her prying ways. Mr. Knightley, although high in status, does not fully believe in the hierarchal customs of Highbury. He thinks that people’s actions and feelings are better judges of themselves than their title or property. Emma by Jane Austen :: essays research papers Emma by Jane Austen Setting Emma took place in small town called Highbury in 18th century England. During the time period set in the novel, there was a definite social rank, or hierarchy. Almost all of the scenes in the book take place in or around the estates of the characters. Their property mostly determined their social status. This setting has significance to the storyline, because of the social rank. Emma, who is constantly trying to play matchmaker, tries to convince her friend Harriet to marry someone of a higher class than her current love, a farmer. The characters are very aware of their status, and can be discriminating towards people of a lower class, such as the farmer. The book was most likely set in this place and time in order to include the conflicts of a hierarchal society. Character Analysis Emma Woodhouse: Emma is the main character of the novel. She is a beautiful, smart, and wealthy 21-year-old woman. Because of her admired qualities, Emma is a little conceited. She is the daughter of Henry Woodhouse. Since her mother has died, Emma has taken the role of taking care of her father, who is old and often sick. Because she feels she is obligated to stay by his side, Emma decides not to marry. Emma believes that she is a good matchmaker, and tries to put together several couples throughout the novel. Emma believes that social classes are very important and refuses to see anyone cross over to marry someone lesser than themselves In chapter 8-page 52, Emma is talking about Harriet’s situation with the farmer with Mr. Knightley. She says, â€Å"Mr. Martin is a very respectable young man, but I cannot admit him to be Harriet’s equal. As the novel progresses, Emma becomes more mature, and realizes how silly she had been in the past. In the end, she finally stops matchmaking others and marries Mr. Knightley, who was perfect for her all along. Mr. Knightley: Mr. Knightley is another main character of the novel. He is quite a bit older than Emma, at 38. He is also Emma’s brother in law. He often visits the Hartfield estate to play cards. He is a little protective of Emma, and often gives her advice to change her prying ways. Mr. Knightley, although high in status, does not fully believe in the hierarchal customs of Highbury. He thinks that people’s actions and feelings are better judges of themselves than their title or property.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The economist Keynes

The author should address the use of labor laws to increase productivity and rebuild family bonds as our previous economy. The labor laws must reflect the new changes in our New Economy in order for traditional workers and corporations to flourish. Increased productivity can reduce the workloads of all workers once our economy reaches a successful standpoint in comparison to our forefathers. Economists call this movement a revolution, but many workers are still experiencing a mind numbing career due to the long hours placed on their positions within corporations.The total mindsets of corporations replacing the â€Å"family† aspect are visible in today’s new society as well; for instance, new technologies are replacing workers and outsourcing has reduced costs. These affiliations with other corporations have become a society within their own rights – IT firms and real estate industries. The economist Keynes understands that the work being put into the economy now will reduce the problems and fix the way our society functions today.Families have been disrupted due to the increased work weeks, single-family homes, and outsourcing in which some employees have relocated into foreign countries. Our economy may reach full potential if the government enforces vacation days as a requirement for all companies. This will give workers time to recuperate from the hard work they have placed into their jobs during the week. In a way, this is a very clever argument because there is a possibility that worker will increase their productivity after a slight rest.Civil activities can be attended to as they were before, more money will flow through the economy, and the technologies can alter or require workers to return to school for higher education. Our New Economy demands a high-performance individual with working knowledge of the latest technologies; higher education requirements are signaling an improved economy too. National awareness of the advanced tech nology may make labor laws suitable for high-performance workers as well as traditional workers.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on Stephen King

Stephen Edwin King is one of today’s most popular and best selling writers. King combines the elements of psychological thrillers, science fiction, the paranormal, and detective themes into his stories.1 In addition to these themes, King sticks to using great and vivid detail that is set in a realistic everyday place.2 Stephen King who is mainly known for his novels, has broadened his horizons to different types of writings such as movie scripts, nonfiction, autobiographies, children’s books, and short stories. While Stephen King might be best known for his novels The Stand and It, some of his best work that has been published are his short stories such as â€Å"The Body† and â€Å"Quitters Inc†.3 King’s works are so powerful because he uses his experience and observations from his everyday life and places them into his unique stories. Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine, on September 21, 1947, at the Maine General Hospital.4 Stephen, his mother Nellie, and his adopted brother David were left to fend for themselves when Stephen’s father Donald, a Merchant Marine captain, left one day, to go the store to buy a pack of cigarettes, and never returned.5 His fathers leaving had a big indirect impact on King’s life. Stephen King recalls how his family life was altered: â€Å"After my father took off, my mother, struggled, and then landed on her feet.† My brother and I didn’t see a great deal of her over the next nine years. She worked a succession of continuous low paying jobs.†6 Stephen’s first outlooks on life were influenced by his older brother and what he figured out on his own. While young Stephen and his family moved around the North Eastern and Central United States. When he was seven years old, they moved to Stratford, Connecticut.7 Here is where King got his first exposure to horror. One evening he lis... Free Essays on Stephen King Free Essays on Stephen King Stephen Edwin King is one of today’s most popular and best selling writers. King combines the elements of psychological thrillers, science fiction, the paranormal, and detective themes into his stories.1 In addition to these themes, King sticks to using great and vivid detail that is set in a realistic everyday place.2 Stephen King who is mainly known for his novels, has broadened his horizons to different types of writings such as movie scripts, nonfiction, autobiographies, children’s books, and short stories. While Stephen King might be best known for his novels The Stand and It, some of his best work that has been published are his short stories such as â€Å"The Body† and â€Å"Quitters Inc†.3 King’s works are so powerful because he uses his experience and observations from his everyday life and places them into his unique stories. Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine, on September 21, 1947, at the Maine General Hospital.4 Stephen, his mother Nellie, and his adopted brother David were left to fend for themselves when Stephen’s father Donald, a Merchant Marine captain, left one day, to go the store to buy a pack of cigarettes, and never returned.5 His fathers leaving had a big indirect impact on King’s life. Stephen King recalls how his family life was altered: â€Å"After my father took off, my mother, struggled, and then landed on her feet.† My brother and I didn’t see a great deal of her over the next nine years. She worked a succession of continuous low paying jobs.†6 Stephen’s first outlooks on life were influenced by his older brother and what he figured out on his own. While young Stephen and his family moved around the North Eastern and Central United States. When he was seven years old, they moved to Stratford, Connecticut.7 Here is where King got his first exposure to horror. One evening he lis...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Juan Rulfo essays

Juan Rulfo essays Juan Rulfo was born in Apulco, a small village in the province of Jalisco (Mexico), the 16th of May in 1917. His family was prosperous and owned extensive land in the region. In the late 1920s, however, his life was deeply affected by the Cristero revolt (1926-1929), a series of religious uprisings in Western Mexico by members of the Roman Catholic Church against the Mexican federal government, led by President Plutarco Elias Calles; and the governments secularization measures. The conflicts exposed Rulfo to the horrors of war and destroyed his familys wealth. Rulfos mother died of a heart attack. His father was murdered. After his parents died during the revolt, he was sent to an orphanage in Guadalajara. Though much of his childhood was filled with tragedy and sorrow he would later become one of the major novelists and short-story writers of his time. Rulfos career as a writer began in 1945 with the publication of his short stories in the literary review Pan. This first collection of short stories was later to be known as El llano en llamas (1953). Another book, a novel Pedro Paramo followed soon after (1955). Unlike many of his more prolific contemporaries, Rulfos reputation is based on just two literary works. His writing became important to the genre of magic realism, a discipline that incorporated techniques such as interior monologue, flash backs, the voice of the dead, and a stream-consciousness style of writing. Rulfos literary works have a connection with his personal life. He spent most of his childhood in the town San Gabriel, which later became the setting for his novel Pedro Paramo and many of his stories, and where he attended elementary school (Juan Rulfo-Pagina Oficial). The novel Pedro Paramo originated from a story about a trip Rulfo took concerning the personal significance of deruralization in Mexico; this journey was to a town from his own rural past.(I...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

About McLaughlin v. State of Florida in 1964

About McLaughlin v. State of Florida in 1964 Background: An interracial black-white couple, identified only as McLaughlin in the ruling, was prohibited from marrying under Florida law. Like same-sex couples prohibited from marrying today, they chose to live together anywayand were convicted under Florida Statute 798.05, which reads: Any negro man and white woman, or any white man and negro woman, who are not married to each other, who shall habitually live in and occupy in the nighttime the same room shall each be punished by imprisonment not exceeding twelve months, or by fine not exceeding five hundred dollars. Fast Facts: McLaughlin v. Florida Case Argued: Oct. 13-14, 1964Decision Issued: Dec. 7, 1964Petitioner: McLaughlinRespondent: State of FloridaKey Question: Can an interracial couple be subjected to race-contingent fornication charges?Majority Decision: White, Warren, Black, Clark, Brennan, Goldberg, Harlan, Stewart, DouglasDissenting: NoneRuling: The Supreme Court ruled that the Florida criminal statute that prohibits an unmarried interracial couple from habitually living in and occupying the same room in the night-time denies the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, and is thus unconstitutional. The Central Question: Can an interracial couple be subjected to race-contingent fornication charges? Relevant Constitutional Text: The Fourteenth Amendment, which reads in part: No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. The Courts Ruling: In a unanimous 9-0 ruling, the Court struck down 798.05 on grounds that it violates the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court also potentially opened the door to full legalization of interracial marriage by remarking that the 1883 Pace v. Alabama represents a limited view of the Equal Protection Clause which has not withstood analysis in the subsequent decisions of this Court. Justice Harlans Concurrence: Justice Marshall Harlan concurred with the unanimous ruling but expressed some frustration with the fact that Floridas blatantly discriminatory law banning interracial marriage was not directly addressed. Justice Stewarts Concurrence: Justice Potter Stewart, joined by Justice William O. Douglas, joined in the 9-0 ruling but expressed firm disagreement in principle with its implicit statement that racially discriminatory laws might be constitutional under certain circumstances if they serve some overriding statutory purpose. I think it is simply not possible, Justice Stewart wrote, for a state law to be valid under our Constitution which makes the criminality of an act depend upon the race of the actor. Aftermath: The case put an end to laws banning interracial relationships as a whole, but not to laws banning interracial marriage. That would come three years later in the landmark Loving v. Virginia (1967) case.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Iron ladies of liberia Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Iron ladies of liberia - Term Paper Example One of the questions that needs an answer from this movie is: Are women more democratic than men in politics? Or are women capable of making differences in politics with regard to good governance and democracy? This movie illustrates how women play an important role in politics and how they can transform the political landscape and playfield. The following discussion is an outline how the movie irons ladies of Liberia portrays women to have very important and strong stuns with regard to democracy and good governance and fair politics. The film is produced in the Liberia’s contexts and is about the political landscape that the nation has made after a long struggle with the civil war which took fourteen years. After the fourteen years of war, the new president is elected, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf after a hotly contested presidential election. Sirleaf is however backed by the overwhelming support especially from the women in Liberia. As the first elected woman head of state in Afric a, she appoints other women to the powerful ministries of finance, head of police, ministry of commerce and ministry of justice. However, Johnson and other women leaders are faced with the challenges of not only bringing peace to the nation but also improving the economy that was suffering from debts amounting to over three billion dollars. Iron Ladies of Liberia therefore provides an insight of the leadership of the president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and other extraordinary women as they strive to restore order in the nation that had been devastated. Liberia had suffered from two civil wars that took over two decades and hence the nation is trying to cope up with the economical challenges as they strive to restore political order in the nation. Daniel Junge, the director of this film has presented the first term of Sirleaf in the government in which Junge presents the leadership of Sirleaf and other women as very challenging. Even though Iron ladies of Liberia does not go into finer d etails of whet that new president faces, but it outlines certain challenges that are a threat to the nations peace and has to be acted upon with immediate action. There is also fear that the nation might go back to violence and hence restoring public confidence in the new governance after the devastating war in Charles Taylor’s regime is important. Among some of the challenges facing Taylor are the high rates of unemployment that is standing at ninety percent. Ellen and the other iron ladies are experiencing hard times in which there are huge numbers of youth walking along the streets. There is chaos and disorder in the streets due to unemployment that has resulted into the increase in crimes, theft and robbery along the streets; hence an increase in the level of insecurity in the nation. It is also important to note that the film reflects the divided army which is also a threat to the national peace and security that has begun to take place in the nation. Other problems incl udes corruption, how to manipulate the political elite that are still clinging onto power due to their riches and hence influence on the economy. As a result, there are huge disparities in the incomes of the individuals. This has seen the poor earning less than a dollar in a day while the rich, owning the greater percentage of the national economic resources continue to rule the nation economically. Ellen Johnson also takes leadership of the nation a time when the nation living standards is very low. There exist no sewerage

Friday, October 18, 2019

Corporate Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate Finance - Essay Example These are part of the benefits of registering a business as a limited liability entity. In addition to the company being an individual entity from the owners, a limited liability company offers the owners of equity capital to practice risk aversion skills. Owners of equity are not the managers of their organizations. Instead, they delegate this function to other people who they believe are capable of perfectly handling these duties. This way, the owners of equity reduce the likely of a risk of loss happening. Some investors start a business in an industry which they have little knowledge of. However, by making use of experts in that industry, they significantly reduce their risk of loss. Hired managers undertake their duties with a lot of caution, avoiding causing losses to the organization. Separation of ownership and control is a virtual necessity for the successful financing of large corporations since it leads to high performance which subsequently attracts more investors and inc reases confidence among creditors. If an organization is managed by separate persons other than the owners, due care and diligence is accorded to the organization by the management. They exhibit high levels of accountability in delivering of their duties and services towards the organization. With the knowledge that they are held accountable for any in eventualities that may arise from misrepresentation, they show care in their activities. This leads to high performance standards, which attracts more investors and shareholders in to the organization. 2. The tendency of debt ratios varies tremendously across the individual firms. However, debt ratios tend to stabilize within individual firms over a long period of time supports the pecking order model. Pecking order states that as the cost of financing increases, so does asymmetric information. Every organization gets its financing from three sources, which include internal funds, debt and equity financing. Companies therefore have to prioritize their sources of financing. Initially, organizations put into consideration their internal sources of funds. If internal funds cannot adequately meet the organization’s obligations the management considers the use of debt (Baker & Martin, 2011). However, in case this too does not help, the company might consider raising equity as measure of ‘last resort.’ Therefore, internal financing is used first, when it fails the company considers the debt, and when this does not work out, the company raises equity. This theory holds that business will conform to a hierarchy of financing resources and prefer the use of internal financing when it is available. Debt on the other hand is preferred over raising equity in case of debt financing. The extent which a company goes to in financing its operations and the type of fund chosen, the management is sure that the company will in future be in a position to repay. Mostly, internal financing is inadequate. In deciding the most appropriate form of funding between equity and debt, the organization opts for debt financing. There are two types of debt financing available, that is the short term and the long term financing. It is due to the use of debt financing that debt ratios tremendously vary across firms but tend to be stable within individual firms over long periods of time as companies repay their debts. 3. To improve a company’s profitability or popularity, many companies are either involved in hostile takeovers, mergers or

Cultural concerns in healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cultural concerns in healthcare - Essay Example Cultural competence in nursing can be defined as the ability of a nurse to meet the requirements and wishes of all kinds of patients regardless of the color of their skin, religious conviction, or even language. In this presentation, we will focus on Asian Americans and Islam in relation to cultural concerns to healthcare. Culture plays a significant role in healthcare today. Different cultures have diverse viewpoints or ideas on the reasons behind each and every disease or medical condition. In addition, different cultures have their own ideas in regard to management and curing of particular diseases, and have their own healers or traditional doctors. Therefore, all strategies aimed at eradication and treatment of diseases within the society ought to countenance with cultural beliefs. To understand cultural concerns in healthcare, let us focus our attention on a specific cultural practice and belief relating to the Asian Americans. An assertion by Yoo, Le and Oda (2012) elucidate Asian Americans cultural beliefs on the origins of illnesses. They posit that "An individual illness may have a spiritual explanation whereby an individual was being punished for his sins or possessed by an evil spirit, an imbalance of hot and cold caused by not enough off one kind of food or the other, a weakness of the will, an imbalance of the vital energy, or a magical explanation, such as an evil eye" (p. 271). According to Dayer-Berenson (2011), Muslims require their women to cover their bodies completely except the face and hands. In healthcare therefore, this practice ought to be respected. Since some forms of medical examinations have to be done in hospital attire, the hospital staff should avail hospital attires that covers their bodies completely in accordance with their religion. However, some hospitals allow Muslim women to retain their own attires in cases where the hospital is unable to avail an

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Climate Change Cause and Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Climate Change Cause and Effect - Essay Example â€Å"We have a false belief that we have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy environment† (Schroeder, 2007). The earth’s natural abilities to filter out damaging elements such as CO2 and the less prevalent harmful gasses such as methane, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are being overwhelmed. The collective rainforests of the world act as a climatic sponge to store a great deal of the world’s rainwater. Trees in the rainforest recycle water drawn from the forest ground. This filtered water, combined with the moisture that evaporates from the leaves, is released back into the atmosphere to fall as rain elsewhere. If not for this enormous system, rivers, lakes and land masses would dry-up, thus loss of rainforest equals increasing droughts of increasing proportions. Disease, starvation and famine on a worldwide scale will be deforestation’s direct result. If immediate action is not taken to reverse the present trend of defore station, the immense Amazon rainforest will soon become a desert region not unlike the Sahara in Africa. Once this process is underway, the effects are irreversible. Studies have determined that the Amazon rainforest, even in its current state, could not withstand three years of drought conditions without beginning the irrevocable path to becoming the Amazon desert. This result, in and of itself, is tragic enough but the repercussions to the rest of the world would be as catastrophic. â€Å"Scientists say that this would spread drought into the northern hemisphere, including Britain, and could massively accelerate global warming with incalculable consequences, spinning out of control, a process that might end in the... This essay outlines the importance of coordinated global effort of the world countries towards solving the problem of climate change through adopting appropriate legislation. The economic consequence of doing nothing is far greater than solving the problem through legislation. New industries that supply solar, nuclear, wind and battery power will replace any jobs lost by the old pollution producing industries and likely produce more. The economy will be enhanced by pursuing alternate energy sources rather than destroyed. The earth’s natural abilities to filter out damaging elements such as CO2 and the less prevalent harmful gasses such as methane, chlorofluorocarbons and nitrous oxide are being overwhelmed. The collective rainforests of the world act as a climatic sponge to store a great deal of the world’s rainwater. Trees in the rainforest recycle water drawn from the forest ground. This filtered water, combined with the moisture that evaporates from the leaves, is released back into the atmosphere to fall as rain elsewhere. If not for this enormous system, rivers, lakes and land masses would dry-up, thus loss of rainforest equals increasing droughts of increasing proportions. Studies in the UK have found that warming could increase rainfall by more than 20 percent during winter by the 2080’s and decrease it by the same amount during summer months in the southern half of that country. This would cause severe droughts in some regions but areas such as East Anglia could very well be under water altogether.

Bank analysis paper-Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bank analysis paper-Economics - Essay Example The second part is done in order to get an idea about the safety and soundness of Citibank Las Vegas branch from a depositor’s perspective. There are a number of ways to examine the profitability of a bank; for example, for measuring the after-tax rates of return, ROA (the return on assets) and ROC (the return on capital), are extensively utilized for testing the performance of banks. The analysts and regulators of the bank use these measures in order to assess the performance of other players in the industry as well as to forecast trends in market structure. This helps them to gather data to predict bank failures and mergers, and also to come up with a strategy that serves the interests of their bank well. Return on assets (ROA) of a firm is an indicator of how profitable the firm is relative to its total assets, and is calculated by dividing the net income of the firm by its total assets. ROA gives us an idea about how efficient the management of the firm is at generating earnings by using its assets. A higher ROA percentage is considered better as this means that the same level of investment is yielding more earnings for the firm. Citibank’s net income in the year 2009 was $107,923,000,000, and its total assets were worth $1,161,361,000,000. This results in a ROA of 9.3% for the year 2009 which is considerably higher than the ROA recorded in 2008 (74,767Mn/1,227,040Mn = 6.1%). This suggests that there has been a rise in Citibank’s ability to earn with lesser amounts of input i.e. the profitability of Citibank has increased. Return on Capital (ROC), on the other hand, is a measure of how efficiently a firm uses the money that has being invested in its processes. It is being measured by the division of net income and the total capital. ROC should always be greater than the rate at which the firm borrows money. This is to ensure that an

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Climate Change Cause and Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Climate Change Cause and Effect - Essay Example â€Å"We have a false belief that we have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy environment† (Schroeder, 2007). The earth’s natural abilities to filter out damaging elements such as CO2 and the less prevalent harmful gasses such as methane, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are being overwhelmed. The collective rainforests of the world act as a climatic sponge to store a great deal of the world’s rainwater. Trees in the rainforest recycle water drawn from the forest ground. This filtered water, combined with the moisture that evaporates from the leaves, is released back into the atmosphere to fall as rain elsewhere. If not for this enormous system, rivers, lakes and land masses would dry-up, thus loss of rainforest equals increasing droughts of increasing proportions. Disease, starvation and famine on a worldwide scale will be deforestation’s direct result. If immediate action is not taken to reverse the present trend of defore station, the immense Amazon rainforest will soon become a desert region not unlike the Sahara in Africa. Once this process is underway, the effects are irreversible. Studies have determined that the Amazon rainforest, even in its current state, could not withstand three years of drought conditions without beginning the irrevocable path to becoming the Amazon desert. This result, in and of itself, is tragic enough but the repercussions to the rest of the world would be as catastrophic. â€Å"Scientists say that this would spread drought into the northern hemisphere, including Britain, and could massively accelerate global warming with incalculable consequences, spinning out of control, a process that might end in the... This essay outlines the importance of coordinated global effort of the world countries towards solving the problem of climate change through adopting appropriate legislation. The economic consequence of doing nothing is far greater than solving the problem through legislation. New industries that supply solar, nuclear, wind and battery power will replace any jobs lost by the old pollution producing industries and likely produce more. The economy will be enhanced by pursuing alternate energy sources rather than destroyed. The earth’s natural abilities to filter out damaging elements such as CO2 and the less prevalent harmful gasses such as methane, chlorofluorocarbons and nitrous oxide are being overwhelmed. The collective rainforests of the world act as a climatic sponge to store a great deal of the world’s rainwater. Trees in the rainforest recycle water drawn from the forest ground. This filtered water, combined with the moisture that evaporates from the leaves, is released back into the atmosphere to fall as rain elsewhere. If not for this enormous system, rivers, lakes and land masses would dry-up, thus loss of rainforest equals increasing droughts of increasing proportions. Studies in the UK have found that warming could increase rainfall by more than 20 percent during winter by the 2080’s and decrease it by the same amount during summer months in the southern half of that country. This would cause severe droughts in some regions but areas such as East Anglia could very well be under water altogether.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Rawlsian Civil Disobedience Speech or Presentation

Rawlsian Civil Disobedience - Speech or Presentation Example However, this kind of struggle is not the kind of struggle swamped with blood and precious life. It is the kind of resistance to injustice employing non-violent means, the kind of struggle wherein civil disobedience takes center stage. After all, I've always believed that violence breeds violence and that pure goals can never justify impure or violent actions. After World War 1, I began the Indian campaign for home rule and as a strong advocate of Satyagraha - "truth and firmness" -- I launched the movement ofnon-violent resistance to Great Britain. My protest against the Rowlatt Acts led to the slaughter of Indians at Amritsar by British soldiers; and in 1920, when the British government failed to make amends, I declared an organized campaign of non-cooperation. With this campaign, my fellow Indians in public office walked out from their jobs, government agencies were boycotted and Indian children were withdrawn from government schools. As a consequence, all throughout India, streets were blocked with crouching Indians who declined to rise even when beaten by police. True to expectations, I was again arrested. Economic independence for India, involving the absolute boycott of British goods, was an outcome of my Swaraj movement.

Brain Structures and Functions Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Brain Structures and Functions Worksheet Essay Provide a brief description for each of the following functions: 1. Basal ganglia The basal ganglia is part of the corpus striatum and is in the cerebral hemispheres. It is made up of the substantia nigra and subthalamic nucleas and controls cognition, movement coordination and voluntary movement. 2. Corpus collosum The corpus collosum is made up of nerve fibers and separates the cerebrum into a right hemisphere and a left hemisphere. This part of the brain connects the right and left sides and also controls the communication between the two sides. It controls eye movement, tactile localization and keeps a balance between arousal and attention. 3. Temporal lobe The temporal lobe is part of the cerebral cortex. It controls how we perceive and understand sounds as well as our memory, speech and our emotional responses. 4. Occipital lobe The occipital lobe is part of the cerebral cortex. It controls how we perceive what we see and how we recognize colors. 5. Frontal lobe The frontal lobe is part of the cerebral cortex. It’s the part of the brain that we use for problem-solving, decision-making, and planning. 6. Cerebrum The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and it’s the most developed area in the brain. This part of the brain controls body functions, which includes muscle movement, sensory impulses and touch sensation. The cerebrum also controls organization, planning, intelligence level, personality as well as the way we think, process and understand language. 7. Spinal cord The spinal cord is made up of nerve fibers and runs from the brain to the spine. The spinal cord sends the signals that go to and from the brain and the rest of the body. 8. Cerebellum The cerebellum is made up of both white matter and of thin gray matter that is folded and layered on the outside of the cerebellum. It includes neurons that we use to process data and controls our coordination, balance, and equilibrium. 9. Medulla The medulla is part of the hindbrain. Its functions are that it controls the functions of our nervous system such as digestion, breathing, sneezing and swallowing. The medulla also sends the nerve signals between the spinal cord and the brain. 10. Pons The pons is the part of the hindbrain that connects the cerebral cortex and the medulla oblongata. This is the part of the brain that controls arousal, sleep, and our nervous system functions. It also sends the sensory signals to and from the cerebellum and cerebrum. 11. Hippocampus The hippocampus is part of the limbic system. It is shaped like a horseshoe and controls our navigation and our body orientation, our emotional responses and how we process new memories. It is also where our memories are stored. 12. Amygdala The Amygdala is a composed of nuclei and is located in the temporal lobe. The amygdala controls memory, arousal, emotional responses, hormonal secretions, and how our nervous system responds to fear. 13. Pituitary gland The pituitary gland is divided into three sections: a posterior lobe, an intermediate lobe, and an anterior lobe. The pituitary gland produces growth hormones. It regulates endocrine function and hormone production and stores the hormones made by the hypothalamus. 14. Hypothalamus The hypothalamus is part of the limbic system. It controls our autonomic, endocrine and motor functions. It also controls homeostasis, regulates our intake of food and water and regulates our sleep-wake cycle. 15. Thalamus The thalamus is located underneath the cerebral cortex. The thalamus controls our motor movements and our sleep and wake states. It also sends sensory signals to the cerebral cortex and receives all of the visual, somatosensory, and auditory sensory signals.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Scope of Religion in Australia

Scope of Religion in Australia Diversity in Australia Australia is home to increased religious diversity and religious pluralism. Its current religious landscape is shaped through the dramatic effect of immigration, the movements to and from religions or denominations, the exploration of new religious movements and the acknowledgement of no religion. These many reasons have created an increase and decrease of many religious traditions, as well as ethnic and cultural diversity in Australia. Post war immigration is directly linked to the emergence of Australia’s new wave of migration. This helped greatly in reshaping Australia’s religious connections with many religions and denominations in terms of ethnic diversity. Many religions existed elsewhere in the world but only appeared in Australia as migration and refugee patterns changed. When Indigenous Australians were counted in Census forms in 1960, a vast majority were Christian whilst some still had a desire to integrate Aboriginal spirituality and customs into Christian expression. Migrants whom entered after World War 1 were simply those who chose to assimilate and not change the British-European culture. This was because the ‘White Australia Policy’ was in place and it was racially prejudice, religiously intolerant and only accepted whites. However, by World War 2 Australia had to ‘Populate or Perish’, thus they were desperate to increase population for national security reaso ns and economic growth. This ultimately led to a huge population increase, as Australia accepted over 3 million migrants who had arrived from over 60 countries. With Christianity dominating the 19th century, a large majority of the migrants were from South-East Asia, the Middle East and Pacific nations. This however, had not significantly introduced a wide range of religious traditions until the White Australia Policy was abolished. The removal was a sign of recognition and acceptability of religious diversity, this beginning was a door to expanded immigration and rapid growth of religions. From the 2006 Census data on Religions in Australia, there was a changing pattern of religious adherence happening. Buddhism is one the fastest growing religions, making 0.5% of the population in 1986 and 2.1% in 2006. They mainly come from Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, Japan and China. Islam is also one of the few religions that are growing at a fast rate, after Christianity and Buddhism, with 1.7%. Most Muslims come from Lebanon, Turkey, Indonesia, Iran and Iraq. Hinduism grew by 0.6% since 1986, making 0.7% of the population and most coming from India and Fiji. Based on today’s numbers and the past decades, Christianity and most of its denominations are still dominating Australia, despite the large percentages of decline in total. A steady rate with the Orthodox Christian tradition had significant numbers in affiliates of Orthodox churches, growing through the Greek, Cyprus and Eastern European migrations. The Roman Catholics have increased to 27% and the Pro testant Christians have gradually dropped to 35%, however the Catholics do outnumber the largest single Protestant group, the Anglicans by 8%. Most Protestants switch denominations to a high degree and a National Church Life survey showed that 29% of respondents had switched denominations in the past 5 years and the majority to Pentecostals, which grew by 16%. Today in Australia, all religions or denominations within them are ethnically and culturally diverse. Anglicans no longer represent the British and Buddhists are not only Chinese and Vietnamese; Christianity clearly exemplifies this idea of diversity. Christianity and its many denominations have followers of different ethnicity and nationalities, which may all believe in the same God but might carry out their practices or way of life differently depending on their culture. Migration, religious conversion and denominational switching are the few forces that shape the Australian religious landscape today. The huge expansion in Australian population has caused increases and decreases in some groups. But most importantly the reasons for these changing patterns are because of the rapid growth of New Age religions and many conversions within religion. New Age religions are a free-flowing spiritual movement with a network of believers and practitioners that have their own similar beliefs and practices that they extend onto a formal religion. Its teachings became popular during the 1970s in response to the failure of Christianity and secular humanism, in providing spiritual and ethical guidance. New Age religions can be referred to as para-religous, as they work alongside a religious tradition sharing their features, developing something new that is merely an extension of what is already introduced. However, they do contrast with many religions such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism in terms of ideas and practices. Rather than the idea of salvation and redemption by God, they focus and pla ce greater emphasis on â€Å"individual fulfilment, perfection of higher states of consciousness†. For example, many Australians or non-Australians voluntarily choose to become a follower of Buddhism or New Age religions that follows its beliefs and practices, because of the attraction to achieving a sense of inner peace. Buddhism isn’t a faith nor a religion but more of a psychology or philosophy of moral code, that doesn’t preach a god or any dogma. â€Å"Buddhism is in large measure an ‘atheistic’ system. We liberate ourselves only through detachment from the world. The fullness of such a detachment is not union with God, but what is called nirvana, a state of perfect indifference with regard to the world. The idea of mixing meditation, aromatherapy, yoga or psychology as a way to escape such limits. The New Age seeks to consume and cross-over traditions such as Buddhism as resources for personal experience and thus Buddhism is a huge influence of New Age attitudes and understandings. This also shows why Buddhism and New Age religions are high on pop ularity and rapidly increasing. People who choose to explore New Age or alternate spiritualities may feel uncomfortable within their own and they haven’t got that spiritual connection and special relationship with God and the religion. There is no doubt people are still seeking for answers to the age-old questions that have not been answered in the religion tradition they are part of, thus seeking for answers in new places. As for those who choose to take up New Age spiritualities, their reasons for conversions to or from may be to search for personal fulfillment, finding that the method of transcendental mediation might be able to heal and raise people. To seek ethical guidelines, by believing that the inner body, mind and soul has the great potential to guide them through life and obstacles. It is them, themselves that they should trust and rely on to become a stronger, better and healthier person. These are the main reasons for religious conversions and to seek for new religious expressions and spirituali ty. It was not until 1933 that the Australian census form clearly stated that the religion question was optional. In 1947, 10.9% of Australians did not state their religion and this remained pretty constant until 1971 when the instructions of ‘if no religion, write none’ was introduced. In the census, 6.7% declared themselves as having no religion and agnostics, atheists, humanists and rationalists consisted within this category. In the 2001 Australian census, 15.5% declared themselves as having no religion whilst 11.7% had not stated it, and within those 15.5%, 17565 were agnostics and 24466 were atheists. The huge increase was due to several personal reasons. People had stated themselves of ‘non-religion’ because they feel there is no need to identify one’s private religion to the government. By not answering the question, it does not mean in any way one’s rejection to religious traditions. How religious one feels is also another impact on these statistical figures. People may be spiritual or have such connections yet they don’t feel they particularly belong to a certain group and for others who are exploring other traditions may find it difficult to classify their religion as well. Other reasons for the growth of ‘no religion’ was because many people no longer accepted an inherited religious identification without a question being asked and answering ‘no religion’ had begun to be more socially acceptable. Materialism also had an effect, as it meant that many had very little interest in religion at all thus most probably ticked the obvious box of simplest words. Through these statistical figures in the Census, it is very hard to define Australia’s religious landscape, but merely what Australians see themselves as. A vast majority, who have defined themselves as belonging to a certain faith, may say they are Christians yet may have completely no religious profession or practice at all. This then expands on the idea of religiosity, where we tend to question how religious or how often should believers do their practices to be considered as a follower. For example, would those whom go to church on Easter Sunday and Christmas be considered less of a Catholic, compared to those whom go every Sunday for mass as well as the important events? Nonetheless, the religious scope in Australia continues to be dynamic and expansive. It has given Australia a richer variety of beliefs and values that may give us a broader understanding of many other cultures, religions and their way of practice. â€Å"It has given people the chance to become the measures of faith able to exercise their right of choice in being part of a religious community because they want to and not that they are†. Today, Australia stands as a multicultural multifaith society having a huge ethnic, cultural and religious diversity, promoting harmony and unity. Bibliography Living Religion textbook Macquarie studies of religion guide http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/5977/newage.html http://www.religioustolerance.org/newage.htm

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Nature of Religious Language Essay -- Languag

Ludwig Wittgenstein once believed that language's function was to name objects and the meaning of language was found in the objects for which it stands. He later rejected this and centred on how language works and is used, believing that problems of religious language come from misunderstanding its usage. Wittgenstein was no longer concerned with the truth or falsity of language but the way it is used and the functions that it performs, as he said 'Don't ask for the meaning ask for the use.' Wittgenstein recognised that language is equivocal as words have many different meanings, such as the word 'pen' whose meaning changes in different contexts. He saw language as a game, which like all games had its own set of rules. Different contexts or 'forms of life' are like different language games with their own self contained rules. Those not involved in a particular language game effectively become 'non-players' and so the language holds no meaning for them, however, this does not give the non-believer the right to dismiss religious language as meaningless. Wittgenstein used the example of 'soul' to illustrate the problems of trying to use words in the wrong language 'game'. He felt that the problems stemming from the word 'soul' are caused because people try to see it as a physical object. Such problems would disappear if people realised that the 'physical object game' didn't apply in this case. It was argued that language is a social product, therefore individuals could not have their own private language as one could not be certain that language was being used correctly. Wittgenstein therefore rejected Descartes ... ... Religious believers are also involved in other language games because they are involved in other aspects of life. This means that religious language is not totally isolated and there will be some common ground with other 'language games'. This may suggest that the non-believer may be able to understand religious language and decide if it holds any meaning for them. It is also argued that if anything, non-believers may be able to understand religious language better than a believer, as they can be more objective about it. It seems that Wittgenstein was mistaken as seeing religious language only being intelligible in the context of religious belief. Many religious statements entail a truth which is not dependent upon context, but statements such as 'Jesus died to bring salvation' are though of as true for everyone.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

industrial revolution :: essays research papers

The impact that The Industrial Revolution had on Europe and England was big, it practically changed the economy for years. There were many individuals that had a big impact and there are many acts, rights, and processes devised to produced the most making for the higher classes. Most of the individuals that are involved had invented something that would change a certain company. This whole industrial revolution started small. In fact, it started out with tiny little village entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs were tiny company’s that would make hand made stuff and sell this profit that is produced. This soon led to more money, which led to more employees, which also led to more entrepreneurs, and it spread ideas. This got people really thinking. One man named Robert Owen a young utopian socialist of Britain who became the manager of his own cotton mill at the age of nineteen. He then developed community farming and had the town of New Lanmark, Scotland living and working for him. He provided proper housing, basic education, and an inexpensive company store for the workers. In fact, he made a very good deal with his employees, that benefited them and he still made a good profit from it. He forbid young children to work in his mills, and he decreased hours and increased wages. One of this man’s supporter’s is Charles Fourier He favored ideal comm unities and that all work should be shared and that the higher class would benefit of the joint labor according to the needs of the lower class. This man boosted the economy tremendously, because he spread his idea of community farming and farmers and entrepreneurs were beginning to use it more often and they were making good profit. However, some entrepreneurship leaders got to greedy and wanted more money so they made deals that basically only benefited them and they built self-centered industries. These deals included lowering the age of working ability, which led to less education, which led to lower wages. The working conditions were horrible and if you lost an arm or any sort of limb they were fired and another child was hired in replace of them. Men like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles joined together in 1848 to produce the Communist Manifesto. This was a pamphlet that was intended for the workers.

Friday, October 11, 2019

A Commentary on Isaiah Essay

A Commentary on Isaiah 6 Isaiah 6 is written with a mixture of prose and verse, detailing the calling, or commission, of Isaiah by the Lord God. Much of the verse is written in the style of a vision, detailing message to the people of Judea. The main theme running through Isaiah is the message of salvation, even the name of the prophet means ‘salvation of Yahweh’. The book is first of the ‘major prophets’, so called due to its greater length than the shorter ‘minor prophets’ or ‘twelve prophets’. In the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible and in all other English Bibles, the book follows on from the Song of Solomon or Song of Songs. However in the Hebrew Bible, it is seen after 2 Kings, which A. S. Herbert states is ‘a more natural order since this prophet [Isaiah] was deeply involved in the historical events of his day’ and gave a ‘distinctive interpretation of these events’ (1973:1). The genre of the book is mainly of a prophetic nature, with a mixture of oracles, prophesies and reports of the situation in Judah; however it does deviate from this, most notably in chapter 13, where it takes the form of a supposed psalm. This book is written at a time of great strife for the region of Israel. The region has split into two kingdoms, the Assyrian empire is closing in around them and the death of Jeroboam II of Israel (745 BC) and the death Uzziah of Judah (742) ended a time of peace, security and prosperity for both states. Soon after Jeroboams death, civil war broke out in Israel and in 721 BC the Assyrian armies completely subjugated the kingdom. So, we can see that Isaiah is writing in a time of great conflict and insecurity, which increased throughout his prophetic life, ending in the unavoidable conquering of the small Judean kingdom by the Assyrian empire. It is not easy to trace who Isaiah actually was and when he lived, however the general consensus is that he started his ministry around the death of King Uzziah in 742 BC, where he is thought to be around the age of 20. However, the date of his birth is unknown, along with the date of his death, which is thought to be cc. 680 BC, making the prophet well into his 70’s or 80’s before he stops his ministry. We can justify that he certainly ministered during the reign of four Judean kings, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, as found in Chapter 1 verse1 (Watts 1985:XXV). Clements, however, questions the validity of the first chapter in Isaiah as it seems certain that it has been ‘composed at a relatively late stage in the literary growth of the book’ (Clements 1980:8). It has been speculated that Isaiah may have been related to the royal blood line, most notably Manasseh, who, tradition dictates, martyred Isaiah by sawing him in two (Heb. 11:37). However, this is hardly convincing as many prophets where martyred by Kings and rulers and there is no real evidence to suggest any relationship between Isaiah and Manasseh other than that Isaiah may have still been ministering around the time of Manasseh’s reign. Another problem with dating this book is the question of the authorship. During the time that the books in both the Old and New Testaments were written, it was not uncommon for disciples and students of teachers and prophets to publish works in their tutors name, or to continue a teachers works. Therefore, it is unclear how many authors the book of Isaiah has. Both Watts and Clements maintain the view that Isaiah 40 – 66 are the works of followers of Isaiah during the exile and restoration periods, with Clements stating that the work of J. C. Doederlien in 1775, which argued the above point, has ‘come to be the prevalent consensus of scholarships’ (Clements 1980:2). The text will have been originally written in Hebrew, the oldest surviving copy being part of a collection found in the Qumran Caves, the dead sea scrolls, dating back to around 125 BC. Although there are not many major translation errors, we don’t have the original scroll from over 600 years earlier therefore there could be translation errors from the original to the great Isaiah scroll found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The setting for Isaiah Chapter six is provided by the Jerusalem temple, ‘looking through the entranceway into the main aula of the temple building’ (Clements 1980:71). A problem can be seen in verses nine and ten, the forewarning that the peoples hearts will harden in response to the teachings that Isaiah will put forward. Many, such as Fohrer and Wildberger, believe this to be from a later period of his prophesy, looking backwards in reflection, however in R. Kilian’s Bauteine Biblischer Theologie 1977, it is argued that this small section was written at the same time as the rest of the verse. Verse six can be split up into three parts; the first (verses 1 – 3) being the vision, the second (4 – 7) the cleansing and preparation of Isaiah for prophetic ministry and thirdly (8 – 11) the divine commission. It is thought that verse 12 – 13 are not part of the original, but addition, probably made in the sixth century BC. There is however, a debate over the date of the last verse (verse 13), with the idea of it being from the exilic age, to give hope in this rather somber and threat filled chapter. 6:1, In the year that King Uzziah died: Uzziah is described in the bible as an incredibly able and holy man, favored by God, ‘He did what was right in the sight of the lord’ and ‘as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper’. However, Uzziah insulted the Lord by burning incense at the alter, something that only the Priests could do and so He struck Uzziah down with tzaraat or leprosy, a term that at the time was for several skin diseases and so the precise meaning is uncertain. Because of this, for the last 11 years of Uzziahs reign, his Son Jotham acted as co-regent, then going on to reign for sixteen years after the death of his father. There is speculation that Jotham died a year or so before his father and that Uzziahs grandson, Ahaz took over the co-regency until his death, however, the first version of events seems to have the most universal consensus. I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Uzziah’s death, thought to be around the date 736 BC, would have been seen as the end of a golden age for the Judeans and a time of uncertainty due to the impending invasion of the Assyrians. It is at this time that the Lord reveals himself to Isaiah. This could be seen as God reminding the people that there is one King above all others and that even though their earthly king has died, there is still an eternal King watching over them. It is typical of most visions of God in the bible for Him to be seated, for example Job (26:9) and in revelation, the apostle John sees God sitting on His throne (4:1 – 11). His robe filled the temple: this could be seen as a display of power and might, as kings often wore long, expensive robes made from silks and gilt so show their worth. The fact that the Lords robe fills the temple could be again showing that there is an even mightier King than Uzziah. Seraphs were in attendance above Him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two the covered their feet and with two they flew: the word ‘seraph’ only occurs in Isaiah. While Clements translates the word as ‘burning one’, Herbert seems to feel that the designation of the word ‘seraphim’ only appears in Isaiah, but also in Numbers and Deuteronomy but as ‘serpent’ or ‘snakes’. This, he says, could then lead one to the conclusion that the large bronze serpent in the temple, as described in 2 Kings 18:4, may have stimulated the ‘visionary experience’ (Herbert 1973:58). Many other passages mention Cherubim, and while there is a debate about whether seraphim and cherubim are the same or not, seraphim translates as ‘burning ones’ and in Ezekiel 1:13, cherubim are described as ‘something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright and lightening issued from the fire. The significance of the six wings is most probably due to Exodus 33:20, ‘You cannot see my face; for no man shall see me and live’. Therefore the two wings covering their faces is to shield themselves from the glory of God so as not to incur the same fate as Lots wife when she gazes upon the might of God as He destroys Sodom and Gomorrah. Feet at this time were unclean and normally full of dust and are often used as a metaphor for humbling oneself throughout the bible and so covering their feet could be seen to be them humbling themselves before the lord. And one called to another and said: ‘holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory. ’ The threefold use of the word holy conveys the mystery and unapproachable qualities of the Most Holy. In Hebrew, repetition denote the intensity with which they are speaking, therefore having holy three times conveys to the reader the strength of feeling they have towards the Lord. The pivots on the threshold shook at the voices of those who called: suggests that the majesty and power of the seraphim’s voices shook the building. The translation of the Hebrew meaning pivot is uncertain. Many versions of this passage use hinges on doors or the door posts. Some even translate it as the whole foundations of the building are shaking due to the force of the adoration of God. One might read this verse and interpret it as an example of how much the Lord should be praised. We should aim to praise the Lord so much and with such energy that we shake the earth. It could also be Isaiah’s reaction to the voices that it shook him so violently that it felt as if the whole building shook with him. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts! ’ We are back again to the unworthiness of human kind to gaze upon the Lords splendour, ‘You cannot see my face; for no man shall see me and live. ’ Herbert suggests that I am lost is because ‘Isaiah is reduced to the silence and stillness of death’ (Herbert 1973:59). For Herbert this is due to him being a creature of sin confronted with holy perfection, not just that of a disciple meeting the deity that created him. Unclean lips demonstrates that Isaiah is aware of the sinful nature not only of himself but of his fellow people, something that does not please the Lord and ‘unfitness to use his mouth in the service of God’ (Clements 1980:75). Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the alter with a pair of tongs. This section of the chapter is different to any other calling to minister for God. The prophets in the bible are always seen to endure trials and hardship before they enter Gods favour. Abraham was tasked with the slaughter of his son and perhaps the most well known trail is that of Job who had to undertake a huge ordeal before ‘the Lord gace Job twice ass much as he had before’ (Job 42:10). ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? ’: the us indicates that God is deliberating with the Holy council of seraphs surrounding Him, however it is also clear that Isaiah is meant to ‘overhear’, in a sense, so that he recognizes that only he (Isaiah) can answer that question by giving himself fully to the work of the Lord. The us could also be interpreted as an early mention or idea of the Trinity. The Jewish people are waiting for a messiah come from God and so it could be logical to suggest that until that messiah comes, He is with the Lord and there could already be a notion of the Holy Spirit in the way the breath moves over the water in creation. However it is more likely that God wanted Isaiah to give himself to god freely, giving Isaiah a choice as to whether he will go out and prophesy about the Lord, therefore using the question and the ruse of the Holy council to incite Isaiah to come forward. And I said, ‘Here am I; send me! ’: this response shows that Isaiah had a willingness to go and carry out the work Yahweh had for him. Although it seems like one single task to complete, I don’t think there can be any doubt that Isaiah knew this was him giving his whole life to the service of the Lord. Although up to this point Isaiah does not know what this task is, it can be derived that from the burning coal purging his lips it seems he is called to preach and prophesy to the people about Yahweh and that this cleansing has allowed the word of God to flow through his lips. And He said, ‘Go and say to this people: the reference to this people suggests that there is an element of ‘divine rejection’ (Clements 1980:76). Yahweh no longer sees the chosen people in a favourable light and is sending Isaiah to tell them. ‘Keep listening but do not comprehend’: there is, for Clements, a sense of irony in this section, ‘for the prophet undoubtedly did, very passionately and sincerely, want the people to hear and to understand’ (1980:77). Clements also suggest as Isaiah will have written this account some time after the vision occurred, it could be that he integrated how the message was received into the words that Yahweh spoke to him. However, due to the belief that God is in everything and everything comes from God, Isaiah would have been justified in doing this as he would know that the hardening of the hearts of the people towards his message is because of God. Then I said, ‘How long, O Lord’: throughout the Bible, how long is often the start of a lamentation. This cry out is not just asking how long the suffering will last, but a plea for God to end it quickly. Until cities lie waste without inhabitant is a reference to the devastation that war will bring about when the Assyrian empire seeks to expand further. The land is utterly desolate refers to Judah, where Isaiah ministers, however it may mean the whole of the promised land. Verses 12 – 13 are an addition by and editor, most probably one of the later Isaian disciples around the time of during the exile and restoration periods. Until the Lord sends everyone far away adds to this idea as it must refer to the Assyrian empire sending the Jews to captivity in Babylon. Even if a tenth part remains in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains standing when it is felled. This passage is a complex one with much debate on what the Hebrew originally was and therefore how it should be translated into the Bible of today. The most widely regarded solution would be that the Hebrew bam should in fact be bamah which means ‘high place’. Therefore the noun for stump, which in Hebrew is massebe? would then mean ‘sacred pole’. ‘Thus ‘a sacred pole grows out from its place in a hill-shrine’ (Clement 1980:78) is the new sentence created. However this passage is translated, it is agreed that there is a very real element of threat present. Just as a stump is not left in the ground, but instead a hole drilled in the top and filled with fuel and burned, s o will the Jews suffer, even though they may feel they have suffered enough. The Holy Seed is its stump is almost certainly a later addition, post – exile, in order to give hope to those who were now under the Babylonian captivity. Herbert comments that this sentence is ‘absent from the Septuagint, but the Greek Modified [verse 12] to mean ‘and those who were left on the land were multiplied’, a similarly hopeful note’. (Herbert 1973:60). The addition of this last sentence gives hope as it suggests that even the stump of a felled tree may once again grow, meaning that some will survive and carry on the line of David.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Linguistics and Language Essay

Language Comprehension †¢Language Production †¢Language Acquisition Psycholinguistics is a branch of cognitive science What will be covered in this class? †¢ How do we produce and recognize speech? †¢ How do we perceive words, letters, and sentences? †¢ How do we learn and recall information from texts? †¢ How can we improve texts to make them easier to understand? †¢ How does the brain function to process language? †¢ What are the causes and effects of reading disabilities? Is there language in other species? Central themes in psycholinguistics 1)  What knowledge of language is needed for us to use language? Tacit (implicit) knowledge vs. Explicit knowledge †¢ tacit: knowledge of how to perform something, but not aware of full rules †¢ explicit: knowledge of the processes of mechanisms in performing that thing 2)  What cognitive processes are involved in the ordinary use of language? How do we understand a lecture, read a book, hold a conversation? Cognitive processes: perception, memory, thinking, learning Some definitions of basic components of language: Semantics: The meaning of words and sentences Syntax: The grammatical arrangement of words in a sentence or phrase Phonology: The sound pattern of language Pragmatics: How language is used in a social context Examples from psycholinguistics Parsing garden path sentences The novice accepted the deal before he had a chance to check his finances, which put him in a state of conflict when he realized he had a straight flush. 1) The defendant examined by the lawyer turned out to be unreliable 2) The evidence examined by the lawyer turned out to be unreliable The process of parsing is the process of making decisions The effect of prior knowledge on comprehension The procedure is actually quite simple. First you arrange things into different groups. Of course, one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities, that is the next step; otherwise you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run this may not seem important, but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then one never can tell. After the procedure is completed, one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually they will be used once more, and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is part of life. Bransford & Johnson, 1973 Recall: No context: 2. 8 idea units out of a maximum of 18 Context afterwards: 2. 7 idea units Context before: 5. 8 idea units Child language development How many words do you know? Hint: Dictionary has about: 450,000 entries Test high school graduates: How many words do they know? About 45,000 english words About 60,000 including names and foreign words The average six year old knows about 13,000 words. Learning about 10 words per day since age 1. (One every 90 minutes) How much do we have to teach children to learn language? Do you have to teach a child to walk? Is it the same way of learning a language? My teacher holded the baby rabbits and we patted them I eated my dinner A brief history of psycholinguistics Wilhem Wundt (early 1900s) Interest in mental processes of language production Sentence as the primary unit of language †¢ Speech production is the transformation of complete thought processes into sequentially organized speech segments. Behaviorism (1920s-1950s) †¢ Rejected the focus on mental processes †¢ Measurement based on objective behavior (primarily in lab animals) †¢ How does experience (reward and punishment) shape behavior? B. F. Skinner: Children learn language through shaping (correction of speech errors) Associative chain theory: A sentence consists of a chain of associations between individual words in the sentence What’s wrong with the behaviorist approach? Noam Chomsky (1950s – present) 1) Colorless green ideas sleep furiously 2) Furiously sleep ideas green colorless. 3)  George picked up the baby 4)  George picked the baby up. Almost every sentence uttered is a new combination of words The Poverty of stimulus argument: There is not enough information in the language samples given to children to account for the richnes and complexity of children’s language The pattern of development is not based on parental speech but on  innate  language knowledge Linguistic Diversity vs. Linguistic Universals Linguistic diversity There appears to be a lot of diversity among languages Even within languages there is diversity When are two languages different? We speak the same language if we can understand each other Exceptions: Norwegian and Swedish Cantonese and Mandarin Dialects within languages: The myth of pure language How/why do languages change? Why does there seem to be a â€Å"correct† English? Members of the dominant (most powerful) sub-culture tend to speak one dialect and may punish those who do not Linguistic Chauvinism Belief that one’s own language/dialect is the best of all possible languages Black English Vernacular (BEV) Study by William Labov Interviewed African-American street youth You know, like some people say if you’re good an’ sh*t, your spirit goin’ t’heaven . . . ‘n if you bad, your spirit goin’ to hell. Well, bullsh*t! Your spirit goin’ to hell anyway, good or bad. [Why? ] Why? I’ll tell you why. ‘Cause, you see, doesn’ nobody really know that it’s a God, y’know, ‘cause I mean I have seen black gods, white gods, all color gods, and don’t nobody know it’s really a God. An’ when they be sayin’ if you good, you goin’ t’heaven, tha’s bullsh*t, ‘cause you ain’t goin’ to no heaven, ‘cause it ain’t no heaven for you to go to. †¢ Place holders: â€Å"There† vs. â€Å"It† in the copula Copula: â€Å"Is†, â€Å"Was† optional †¢ Negatives: â€Å"You ain’t goin’ to no heaven† BEV just as linguistically complex as Standard American English We don’t see/understand the complexity in other languages Moral: All languages seem to permit as wide range of expressions as others Linguistic Universals What is in common with all languages? Sentences are built from words based on the same physiological processes †¢ All languages have words †¢ All humans have ways of making sounds. †¢ Languages tend to use a small set of phonemic sounds †¢ Phoneme: The minimal unit of sound that contributes to meaning How many phonemes in a language? English: 40 phonemes †¢ Range: Polynesian 11 to Khoisan 141 Discreteness Messages in human language (e. g. speech sounds) are made up of units of which there is a discrete (limited) number Arbitrariness The relationship between meaningful elements in language and their denotation is independent of any physical resemblance between the two. Words do not have to look or sound like what they describe Openness †¢ New linguistic messages are created freely and easily †¢ Languages are not constrained in a way so that there are a limited number of messages that can be created.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

John Lewis' Multi-Channel Marketing Communication Proposal (Summative) Essay

John Lewis' Multi-Channel Marketing Communication Proposal (Summative) - Essay Example The retail shop marketing team understands that only a few customer still prefer dealing with a single channel in purchasing their preferred goods. However, increasing numbers employ multiple channels in their respective buying processes particularly, the ones purchasing about 30% onwards. Moreover, the management understands that with the world increasingly becoming interconnected via the internet and mobile technology, multichannel communication have become inevitabilities in commerce rather than the exception (Blakeman 2014). Therefore, there is a need for John Lewis retail to effectively integrate its existing multichannel marketing communication as this increases the points of contact with the customers. The MMC techniques and strategies further help the retail shop reach marginal customer segments by permitting preferred customers access points. Therefore, for imperativeness of MMC, John Lewis retail shop must satisfactorily work to coordinate both message and data. Such channels as TV, direct mail and mail, radio, advertising print and internet must consistently offer consistent brand experience. Importantly, the John Lewis marketing team must understand the difficulty in developing consistent message when various agencies are contracted for each of the avenues marketing avenues mentioned (Ryan & Jones 2012). The consistent brand must be demonstrated with respect to the customers’ experience through call centers, retail environment, websites and direct sales. The underlying principle behind Jo hn Lewis increasing success is the firm’s integrative multichannel marketing where data and marketing messages that make the customers feel they are dealing with John Lewis and not a different Company at each point. Despite the success noted, John Lewis is still struggling with how to capture young customers through its AW collection. This paper will primarily focus on how the firm can apply the MMC to launch a new

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Themes And Ideologies In The American Society Case Study - 1

Themes And Ideologies In The American Society - Case Study Example In Hollywood, the outlaw hero’s view of civilization is portrayed as a life in marriage with a woman. A woman helps a man to settle down and attain calmness in his life. Only those women that allow their husbands to proceed with their self-determined and adventurous lives are deemed as female outlaw heroes. In terms of characterization, the outlaw hero is seen to be against societal standards and in preference of defining justice at the individual level and not by the society’s collective law. Contrary to this, the official hero is more modernized, civilized, and quaint. In his description, Robert Ray points out that the official hero may be portrayed as a lawyer, teacher, farmer, politician, or family man. In this case, the official hero represents collective action as part of the American belief and the legal processes that replace individual definitions of right or wrong. As such, this is the kind of hero that each parent wants their children to grow up to be one who embraces law in solving life’s injustices. This paper review the description made by Robert Ray concerning how Hollywood portrays the competing values of the official hero and the outlaw hero. The outlaw hero is depicted as childish and having the tendency of tantrums, whims, and emotional decisions that have been derived from the cult of childhood among Americans(Ray, 1985). Ray reviews Fielder’s observation of how American literature tends to uphold the view that an individual that falls short of adulthood is guaranteed innocence and insight. American literature offered privileges to children, and they were not confined by societal rules. Such a notion set in motion the outlawed actions as related to daily affairs. According to Fielder, the developed childhood image has created a new approach to adult life outside the law, yet permissible in society.

Monday, October 7, 2019

It depends what you choose for report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

It depends what you choose for report - Essay Example Walgreens was founded in 1901 and it has established its drug stores in forty seven states. In the Fortunes magazine Most Admired List (2015), Walgreens Company was ranked fifth in the food and drugstores category. The company was also ranked number three among food and drugstores in the Fortune magazine 500 largest U.S based companies (2015) (Fortune magazine). Consequently the magazine also ranked Walgreens number thirty seven overall in terms of revenue. In the fiscal year 2014, Walgreens recorded $ 72217 million in revenues, $ 2450 million in profits, $ 35481 million in total assets, $ 62739 million market value and $ 19454 million in total shareholder equity (Fortune magazine). Consequently, the percentage profit for the fiscal year was 3.4 percent on sales and 6.9 percent on assets. This report gives a deep insight of Walgreens Company and gives a better understanding of the company in relation to its operations, business practices, organizational strategies and growth prospects. Knowledge of Walgreens Company is vital in helping and guiding a prospective employee to make informed decision about whether to work for Walgreens or not. The primary strength that is enabling Walgreens to stays afloat is the fact that it is the market leader. This is attributed to many factors such as increase sale of generic drugs and favorable demographics. One of the major weaknesses that hinder Walgreens from operating optimally in the existence of fierce competition in the drug store industry. Although Walgreens is the current market leader, existing and new drug companies are reducing its market share. Another major weakness is the reduction in foot traffic to Walgreens drug stores. It is imperative for potential employees to carry out an assessment of the company they intend or aspire to work for so as to make informed and better decisions. The following are some of the considered factors: The compelling need for Walgreens to reorganize, reinvent and improve

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Company Law - Capital Dividend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Company Law - Capital Dividend - Essay Example In this regard, directors should be considering the issue of shareholders as well as their interest should also be considered carefully1. Furthermore, apart from framing strategies for the obtainment of greater value, they should also consider how this value is to be distributed among the investors and other stakeholders possessing a certain degree of interests in the company profits. Consequently, while a company intends to generate profits and share it partially among the shareholders, one of the important issues that need to be considered by the directors is whether the distribution of dividends or payments to shareholders are made in accordance to Companies Act practiced within the region2. In recent times, there has been a strict line established in the UK in relation to compliance with legal requirements for distributions. In this regard, directors may find themselves at risk of liability if they grant dividends in breach of the rules; even if the breach tends to be technical o ther than substantive. The laws governing distributions of dividends in the UK are particularly incorporated in the Part 23 of Companies Act 2006. The law is applicable in both the contexts where accounts are prepared according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)3. The Companies Act 2006 makes it mandatory for all the companies to follow the rules and regulations prescribed in the Act owing to which, any sort of non-compliance tends to generate legal actions against the company. With this concern, the paper intends to provide a clear understanding of dividend sharing laws, governing in the context of UK Companies and further makes analysis of issues that need to be considered by both private and public companies in the course of making payments to shareholders. Understanding the Laws Relating To Dividends in UK According to Part 23 of Companies Act 2006, distribution to shareholders means â€Å"every description o f a company assets to its members, whether in cash or otherwise, subject to certain exceptions†4. The key aspects that Companies Act 2006 states affirms any company in the UK to be eligible to make distributions only out of their profits earned. Accordingly, the profits available for the distribution is determined as total accumulated realised profits less total accumulated realised losses5. It is worth mentioning on this ground that not everything documented as profits is realised in certain circumstances, where the accounts are prepared under the standards of IFRS. For instance, a gain on revaluation of companies’ investment property can be documented as profit under the rules prescribed by IFRS; but it cannot be referred as a realised profit6. In addition to this, public companies are required to decipher extra cautious attitude and check that their available net assets, after making distribution, do not fall less than the aggregate called-up share capital as well as reserves which are not assigned for distribution, such as share premium accounts, revaluation reserves and capital redemption reserves. Furthermore, the Act also prescribes those directors of the companies to consider their fiduciary duties prior to