Works of Dickens Essay Example for Free

Works of Dickens Essay Compare the roles of institutions in A Kestrel for a Knave and the works of Dickens  Dickens and Hines use writing techniques to portray their institutions as impoverished and brutal places. Dickens is especially good at this. He can bring places to life with similes and metaphors. Dickens and Hines have added a fiery, tyrannical character in the shape of Mr Gradgrind, who every one fears and Mr Gryce. Both of whom are headmasters.  At the beginning of Hard Times Dickens disguises his characters by not giving them names, he does this to draw the reader into the novel. The Speaker and the schoolmaster, and the third grown person present  Both of the novels, although written 100 years apart show very little change in the schooling the children received. The authors show their institutions as plain and bare. Dickens even goes, as far as to say that the school room in Hard Times is a vault, not letting anyone in or out. monotonous vault of a schoolroom  Dickens likes to use repetition of words. Especially Facts and emphasis. He does this to show the squareness of Mr Gradgrind. Dickens does this to illustrate how he wants every thing to be regimented and perfect. Gradgrind had the premonition that all the children he schooled were only good for factory fodder. Hines has the same thought but did not put it so blatantly in his writing; this is because he does not want to sound so right wing. The two books are set in industrial towns. Hines does not name his town but it is in Northern England. Dickens named his town Coketown, because this is a major part of the smelting of iron, extremely important in the Victorian age and the industrial revolution, because without it none of the steps forward would have been made to modernise products and industries.  Both authors show that the children in their books have no prospects. They leave school only knowing enough to get them into a factory or coal mine.  Hines has injected a positive influence into A Kestrel for a Knave in the shape of Mr Farthing, Billys Teacher. Mr Farthing is a kind and gentle man a far cry from the harsh environment in which Billy lives. There is a profound lack of anything worth living for in Hard Times. This is because all of the children in the school in Hard Times are just going to end there lifes in a pit or factory, again this is because society in those days looked upon the working class as workers so this is were they where destined to be.  Hines and Dickens use the same writing techniques to gain full effect on the reader. For example they both use similes and metaphor. Institutions of the time consisted of workhouses, factories and schools. The workhouses, horrible places to live and work. Often run by money hungry fat cats, purely for the profit. They did not care how the children should be treated. These places were often very regimented, dull and laborious (as in the table scene in Oliver Twist, where Oliver Twist and colleges sat at two long tables eating the same food at the same pace.) There was also a lack of equality. In the factories people were paid next to nothing for very hard, dangerous work. It was not uncommon for a worker to lose a finger or even a whole hand because the machinery was not safety guarded. The schools were run like business. Sometimes the head teachers had deals with factories to send there school leavers to their factories or down their mines. Dickens describes Coketown with metaphors of animals this is I think to show that the inhabitants of Coketown were only animals, this also adds to the primitive nature of the town. Coke town is primitive because everybody fights for the best jobs and positions in the town. Also the way that Dickens describes the buildings as animals makes this scene primitive. Mr Gradgrind believes heavily in Utilitarianism. This concept originally the brainchild of Jeremy Bentham is made a mockery of by Dickens in Hard Times, with his ironic quotes and lines.  Dickens and Hines both use institutions in their novels to illustrate the poverty of the industrial town. The reader is able to sympathise with the characters in these novels through the ways that the two authors write.

Plato on Gender: An analysis

Plato on Gender: An analysis Plato on Gender Platonic advocacy of female public engagement as articulated in Republic V challenges an organizational ethos by which the activities, movement, and behavior of women were severely restricted. Indeed the role of women in Plato’s political philosophy is arguably at odds, not only with the negative and oppressive depiction of women in Athenian philosophical thought at large, but also with the broader Platonic corpus which seems to speak to the natural inferiority of females. Plato advances the radical argument that insofar as the body and soul are distinct, women and men may serve coequally in the guardianship of the state. That is, assuming that the nature of a person is independent of his/her body, and to such an extent as each individual should be assigned work suited to his nature, both sexes will be capable of performing all the functions needed by the city, including philosophy, despite the innate and inevitable inferiority of women (Okin, 1979). Yet however progressive hi s embrace of women in terms of their capacity to assume political, ethical, and intellectual responsibilities alongside men; the evidence suggests that Plato did not stand for a liberationist philosophy that elevates women to the moral status of men. Only by examining the proposals of Republic V with an eye toward the overriding aims and structure of the ideal society do Plato’s apparent contradictions in his views toward women become apparent. While his views on women were no doubt revolutionary for the day, the degree to which Plato was motivated by an egalitarian ethic remains an open question. We must remember that Plato was a product of a society locked into a rigid patrimonial order in which the confinement of respectable women was de rigeur and where upper class women were valued primarily as instruments of reproduction and legitimacy (Pomeroy, 1975). The Athenian woman of citizen class was secluded within the parental home until she became a ward of the matrimonial household, where she was expected to exercise her maternal responsibilities, especially the breeding of sons. She was likewise controlled and deprived with respect to her sexuality, without the compensation of any participation in life outside the domestic sphere (Okin, 1979). Socialization with men at any level, even within the confines of the home, was not consistent with her service to the household and commitment to chastity, frugality, and silence (P omeroy, 1975). In conceptual terms, meanwhile, emotionalism and lack of self-control were seen as products of female nature; reserving bravery, norms of reason, and objectivity for men within the intellectual and institutional structure (Just, 1989). Thus to the extent that women were devoid of moral agency and self-possession, they were subject to the authority and guardianship of men, effectively disqualifying them from the ruling class as a condition of â€Å"natural† dependency. The recurrent theme in the literature is of female subordination and loss of autonomy as a result of excessive physical indulgence: â€Å"women are in bondage to their physical appetites as much as those who are legally bound† (Just, 1989, p. 186). A woman, as such, is unable to subordinate her appetites, desires, and emotions to reason (i.e. higher-order valuations) in pursuit of virtue. A man however, presuming the opportune socio-economic conditions, is free, and hence is arguably considerably less, if at all, inclined to fall victim to akratic action. By this reasoning, men maintain the ability to act in accordance with their decisive better judgments, while women are seen in connection to and dependent upon their appetitive urges (Politics, 1260a2-12). Hesiod’s Theogony, for example, likens the woman to a gluttonous and sexually licentious â€Å"stomach† inflicted on the man to consume the fruits of his labor and weaken his resolve to self-govern, which, as a free man, he is presumed capable of (Just, 1989, p. 164). Aristotle confirms; noting in the Politics that, â€Å"the woman has [a deliberative faculty], but [that] it is without authority† (Politics, 1260a12-14). Correspondingly, he submits that â€Å"to a woman, silence brings refinement – whereas this does not apply to a man† (Politics, 1260a30-31). Hence, as Just comments, â€Å"the opposition between those innately possessed of self-control, and those who lack it . . . ideologically r enders women’s subordinated place within the social structure of the polis a ‘natural’ one† (Just, 1989, p. 166). Against this backdrop, it seems unrealistic to believe that Plato was immune to the influences of the historical and cultural standards that underscore his dialogues. In fact, in the Timaeus, Plato himself explains the inferiority of women in terms of devolution from an original creation consisting of men. Those able to master their passions and live virtuously on Earth are granted passage back to the stars from which they came; cowardly and unrighteous men are reborn as women to account for their failures. â€Å"All male-born humans who lived lives of cowardice or injustice were reborn in the second generation as women† (Timaeus, 90e7-8). Indeed victory of the rational over the irrational was the means by which a debased soul may return to â€Å"his original condition of excellence,† and avoid further degeneration into an animal form appropriate to the evil nature which he had acquired (Timaeus, 42b1-d2).Plato continues to explain that, ultimately, procreation results from the union of the â€Å"woman’s desire and the man’s love;† an explanation that speaks to appetitive/reason distinction discussed above (Timaeus, 91d1). Thus Plato builds a hierarchy of goodness and rationality in which woman is positioned midway between man and beast, a sentiment echoed in the Laws (Okin 1979). The dialogue of Republic V, however, suggests that while human beings can differ in many ways, certain attributes have no bearing on the assignment of different functions to different persons in accordance with their natures. For example, whereas a man with a full head of hair is known to be a good cobbler, the bald man is not necessarily incapable of practicing the same profession (Republic V, 454c1-6). There seems, therefore, to be no reason to consider the difference between the sexes in terms of procreative function relevant to whether they should play equal roles in the guardianship of the state (Okin, 1979). Plato thereby manages to reconcile the dialectical opposition between the belief that different natures ought to accord with different pursuits, and the suggestion that the same pursuits be open to both sexes in spite of female inferiority. Thus although he asserts that women are generally less capable than men, especially in physical strength, he maintains that individual members of both sexes are capable of concurrently performing all the city’s functions, including rule and defense (Okin, 1979). The collective good therefore seems to demand that individual pursuits and education be in keeping with the merits of each, irrespective of sex. That â€Å"women bear . . . and men beget,† Plato reasons, is not tantamount to proof that women ought to be denied the ‘guardian-rearing’ education provided to their male peers (Republic V, 454d5-12). Accordingly, Plato maintains that the guardians of his state, along with their (collective) wives, ought to enjoy the same pursuits. Just as a â€Å"male and female doctor have souls of the same nature,† so to would Plato’s purported male and female guardians (Republic V, 454c10-d1). Plato does, however, prescribe a lighter share of defensive duties to women, in keeping with their relative physical weakness and consistent with their assumed level of strength (Republic V, 455d7-e2). Thus although Plato expands the range of activities open to women, the notion (articulated in the Timaeus) that the female form embodies a wicked soul certainly calls into question Plato’s embrace of the egalitarian ideal as such. To be sure, Plato grounds his emancipation of women in the metaphysical assertion that the body and soul are distinct, such that the body becomes an obstacle to the ambitions and potential of the soul. If a male soul can reside in a female body and vice versa, it follows that a female with a philosophical nature may aspire to re-enter life as a man to the extent that she severs her attachment and dependence on the body in favor of philosophy (Bar On, 1994). In effect, since the desired quality of one’s soul may be incongruous with one’s sexual identity, Plato implies that manliness is not necessarily a function of the body. If â€Å"female† refers to someone connected to the world on a bodily level, and â€Å"male,† to a p erson elevated to a philosophical plane (Bar On, 1994), then anyone of a suitable nature can be considered male as a matter of statecraft. In this vein, Okin argues that Plato shared his fellow Athenians’ contempt for women, suggesting the emancipation of female guardians was a necessary byproduct of the dismantling of the family: â€Å"The most important consequence of Plato’s transformation of the guardian class into a single family is the radical implication it has for the role of women† (Okin, 1979, p. 37). Sensing the antagonism between the state and the family, Plato seeks to disengage the guardians from all connections and motive which may undermine their dedication to the state, thereby extending the primary ties of kinship throughout the ruling class (Okin, 1979, p. 37). Thus Rousseau points to a causal link between the abolition of the family and the granting of equal opportunities to women, such that â€Å"having dispensed with the individual family in his system of government, and not knowing any longer what to do with women, [Plato] finds himself forced to turn them into men† (Ok in, 1979, pp. 37-8). Indeed the need for unity within the ruling class – which eliminated private property and the wifehood, and minimized the role of maternity – is critical to the involvement of women in the administration of the city. â€Å"If for the female guardians the relationship to particular men, children and households has ceased to be crucial, there seems to be no alternative for Plato but to consider women as persons in their own right† (Okin, 1979, p. 38). Thus the utilitarian ethic by which Plato’s seeks communal â€Å"happiness† (eudaimonia) is not built on modern notions of liberty, justice, or equality of the sexes. Plato appeals to the efficiency, harmony, and moral goodness on which his politics rest – the oppression of women notwithstanding. â€Å"Excellence, not liberty, is his goal, and he rejects liberty as the enemy of excellence† (Vlastos, 1994, p. 22). The discharge of women from the confines of their traditional domestic role – absent a suitable outlet for the excesses of female nature – would constitute a threat to civil accord, leaving Plato no choice but to rethink the matter of woman’s role and her potential abilities (Okin, 1979). Allen, who explains Plato’s acceptance of women in the context of a political agenda that does not tolerate any manner of civil discord, and which thereby aims to eliminate potential sources of disorder in the city, also shares this in terpretation (Okin, 1979). Arguably then, Plato intends to foster harmony and unity of purpose by resolving the problem of selfishness and contentious interests through the elimination of private property. Thus where property, inheritance, and marriage are reintroduced – as prescribed in the Laws of Plato’s second best city – the proprietary status of women renders immaterial Plato’s frustration with the â€Å"irrational† maintenance of rigid sex roles (Okin, 1979). â€Å"Given these basic features of the social structure of the city, it is not surprising that Plato, in spite of general pronouncements to the contrary, is not able to treat or use women as the equals of his male citizens† (Okin, 1979, p. 46). Further, and of importance if one is to fairly evaluate Plato’s concern for all women, though Republic V validates the notion that female talents may extend to other crafts under the rubric of maximum efficiency, it proffers nothin g toward applying this notion to any but those fortunate enough to be of aristocratic decent.Hence, even if we were to absolve Plato of his (perhaps more subtlety) biased inferences observed in conjunction with his emancipation of the female-elite, a comprehensive feminist portrayal of the great philosopher demands that one reconcile his violently opposed views on feminine potential as a function of class. What emerges is a Platonic distinction between similarities in the potential range of men’s and women’s talents and similarities in ability, with the related distinction between equality of opportunity and equality of outcome. Whereas â€Å"women share by nature in every way of life just as men do,† there exists no pursuit of mankind in which the male sex maintains not the gifts and qualities to a higher degree than the female, save for absurd examples of household production (Republic V, 455c4-d7). This distinction helps to explain why Plato defines male guardians as the â€Å"best of the citizens† and the female guardians as less-than, i.e. the â€Å"best of the women† only (Republic V, 456e1-5). By extension, Plato asserts that the female-guardians – despite their having been educated in tandem with the males – will serve as assistants (i.e. ‘secondary companions’ of sorts) to their male compatriots (Republic V, 471c2-d 4). His description of the optimal brigade arrangement, whereby the guardians would be â€Å"less likely to desert each other†¦if their woman joined their campaigns†¦.positioned in the rear to frighten the enemy, and in case their help should ever be needed† indubitably indicates this much, while further implying that men harbor greater capability and potential in warfare than do women (Republic V, 471d1-4). Therefore, in constant reference to the â€Å"wives† of the guardians, and by defining female guardianship in terms of its value to men, Plato betrays the cultural predispositions embedded in language throughout his work. Unsurprisingly, the notion that ‘a woman can do what her fellow man does, but is nonetheless incapable of doing it as well,’ lies at the heart of feminist objections to Platonic thought. Some suggest that Plato’s apparent hostility toward women can be explained by appeal to an elitist contempt for a corrupt and inefficient social order under which women fail to meet their potential. Vlatos, for example, adopts a minimalist and conservative conception of personal rights that intends to reconcile the equality Plato provides for women with the philosopher’s negative portrayal of women elsewhere (Vlastos, 1994). On Vlastos’ account, if Plato’s policies reflect a belief that â€Å"equality in the rights of persons shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex† – a claim that bears contrary to the norms governing the status of Athenian women at the time – then Plato is aptly characterized as a feminist (Vlastos, 1994, p. 12). On attempting to reconcile the emancipation of the female-elite in Republic V with the reproachful remarks targeted at women – as evidenced throughout the broader Platonic corpus – Vlastos suggests that the â€Å"‘womanish’ traits [Plato] denigrates are those of the great mass of women, not of those brilliant exceptions from whom the guardians would be recruited; and, moreover, they are the traits common to women now [i.e. Plato’s time], under conditions [then] prevailing which [did not] foster the development of energetic minds and resolute characters† (Vlastos, 1994, p. 18). Arguably, Vlastos’ explanation does not merely ‘explain away’ Plato’s irreverent tone toward women; a tone persistent throughout his works and, notably, targeted at the general female body. Ultimately, Vlastos’ approach fails to satisfy those who subscribe to a liberationist ethic that values women’s preferences and needs for thei r own sake (Annas, 1976). On this account, Pomeroy calls attention to contempt for women throughout the Platonic texts, either expressed directly, or implied through images and metaphors; and points to a proprietary canon that positioned women as property, prizes, and slaves under the custodial care of men (Pomeroy, 1975). Moreover, noting that Plato’s liberation of women resides within a metaphysical framework in which a woman’s opportunity to pursue â€Å"knowledge of the good† depends on the intrinsic value of the soul, Annas poses a consistent hostility toward women throughout Plato’s dialogues. Accordingly, she argues against the feminist thesis; namely pointing to the facts that Plato does not reject inequality between the genders as such, nor does he suggest, in any way, that he genuinely cares for the desires of women, as women (Annas, 1976). Clearly, the broader Platonic corpus fails to transcend the gender stereotypes and sexist notions that circumscribe its time. However, in so much as Plato gives voice to a class of citizens that remained mute for ages – barred by the values of a rigid societal construct – some may deem Plato a revolutionary proponent of female-actualization. While his overall presentation may offend modern feminist sensibilities, Plato’s policies are attuned to the potential of females in the face of a disparaging cultural opposition. And, although the evidence suggests that Plato does not consider women as the moral equals of men – by any measure – he nonetheless deserves credit for being among the first to promote the equality of women in meaningful aspects of social status and function. References Annas, Julia. (1976). Plato’s â€Å"Republic† and Feminism. Philosophy, 51, 307-321. Aristotle. (1995). Aristotle Politics: Books I And II. (Trevor Saunders, Trans.). New York: Oxford University Press. (Original work written 350 B.C.E.). Bar On, B. (1994). Engendering Origins: Critical Feminist Readings in Plato and Aristotle. New York: State University of New York Press. Just, R. (1989). Women in Athenian Law and Life. New York: Routledge Press. Okin, S. (1979). Women in Western Political Thought. Princeton: Princeton University Press Plato. (1997). Complete Works: The Republic. (J.M. Cooper D. L. Hutchinson, Eds.). Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Plato. (1997). Complete Works: Timaeus. (J.M. Cooper D. L. Hutchinson, Eds.). Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Pomeroy, S. (1975). Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity. New York: Random House, Inc. Vlastos, Gregory. (1994). Was Plato a Feminist? In Nancy Tuana (Ed.), Feminist Interpretations of Plato (pp. 11-23). University Park, PA: Penn State Press. Walmart: Everyday Low Prices Strategy Walmart: Everyday Low Prices Strategy Wal-Mart is the worlds largest retailer stores emerged in Arkansas, USA since 1962 by Sam Walton with his belief that the future of retailing lay in discounting, focusing on value drivers: price and service, convenience and a wide rage of product all in one store. The successfully of implementation is to adapt innovative practice selling the brand with slogan Every Day Low Prices (EDLP) mixed with other philosophies into its pricing. In early days, One of the key strategy was concerned on small town locations: open discount stores in small town and spread out its stores and filling un-served gaps avoiding from competition radar. As, Wal-Mart saturated its market and effectively barred new competition. With the prospect of low price policy, Wal-Mart is relentless cost control. Non-stop of reducing of their price parallel with cost control. Including of being the partnership with suppliers, they claimed that it helped the suppliers improve inventory management and efficiency as win-win partnership. Another core competence is logistic management. Wal-Mart very early demonstrated commitment to technology in the industry. Being the earliest to adopt satellite technology connection the chain to one big network. Moreover, Wal-Mart has been seeking for the continuing development by adoption RFID in the system. In term of service, Wal-Mart understands the art of motivating its employees from all level to perform their best. For instant, under the ten-foot rule, any member of staff within ten feet of a customer must offer them assistance. Its labor relations are exceptional. Workers are not plain employees but associates, eligible for a share of the profits and stock options in the company. This has created a famously loyal and highly competitive workforce. Now, Wal-Mart is facing a change to their business in China. Over the past few years Chinas retail industry and its distribution and logistical infrastructure have opened up significantly with decreased government regulation. For Wal-Mart this will mean a large change in its business strategy and it will now look to profitably expand with Chinas booming economy. In order to set a new strategy Wal-Mart will need to identify what issues it will face in the short and long term. One such issue is the fact that the business model used in America will not directly transplant to China. For example, in the U.S., Wal-Mart places stores in small towns to gain a competitive advantage. China, on the other hand, will not support such a structure. In China, the economic growth has been concentrated exclusively in coastal regions supporting urbanites. The U.S. business model also uses Wal-Marts distribution, logistics, and IT networks to gain economies of scale and competitive advantages. China does not have the infrastructure for Wal-Mart to gain the same scale economies and advantages. Instead, Wal-Mart China will need to find alternative ways to turn core competencies into competitive advantages. Other issues Wal-Mart China faces are differences in consumer preferences habits between American and Chinese consumers, increasing competition among foreign and domestic firms, and overcoming local protectionism obstacles. SWOT Analysis of Wal-Mart (S)trengths Wal-Mart is a powerful retail brand. It has a reputation for value for money, convenience and a wide range of products all in one store. The company has a core competence involving its use of information technology to support its international logistics system. Wal-Mart has a lot of suppliers, since the company claimed that it had always treated its supplier as partners and also helps suppliers improve inventory management and efficiency. Wal-Mart has a competitive strategy. For example everyday low prices (EDLP) or Always Low prices, this helped to drive the concept of EDLP and drew a million customers to its door. (W)eakness The biggest obstacle Wal-Mart faced in Mainland China was lack of an information-technology network with suppliers making the purchase and distribution difficult. (O)pportunities To take over, merge with, or form strategic alliances with other global retailers, focusing on specific markets such as Europe or the Greater China Region.   The stores are currently only trade in a relatively small number of countries. Therefore there are tremendous opportunities for future business in expanding consumer markets.   New locations and store types offer Wal-Mart opportunities to exploit market development. They diversified from large super centres, to local and mall-based sites.   Opportunities exist for Wal-Mart to continue with its current strategy of large, super centres. (T)hreats Very high competition in china market, especially the local brand. The Buying behavior of Chinese consumers, Chinese consumers always compare the different of the price before they make a purchase. Regulatory restrictions, in china the constraints on a foreign retailers operation directly limited the regional expansion of Wal-Mart stores and the efficient use of distribution centers. Local protectionism, it is serious problem faced by many multinational firms trying to expand operations through china. The Infrastructural Deficiency, Wal-Mart distribution system depended on transportation, but china transportation were no well connected and were serious fragmented. Case Questions: Why is Wal-Mart successful in the US? What are Wal-Marts competitive advantages and its sources? Wal-Mart has the critical strategy such as Every Day Low Prices (EDLP) to capture demand of consumers and brand reputation and trust of customers make Wal-Mart become outstanding firm. Two key developments made the success possible: Distribution: Wal-Mart set up highly automated distribution centres, cutting down on delivery time and costs. Inventory flow: The companys computerized inventory systems gave managers real-time information on their stocks, speeding up the re-ordering of goods. The competitive advantages of Wal-Mart are technology, being the earliest to adopt satellite technology connection the chain to one big network. Besides, Wal-Mart has been seeking for the continuing development by adoption RFID in the system. Using the inventory management over the competitors and a lot of suppliers that deal with Wal-Mart. Also, the main successful of Wal-Mart is cost-control. Wal-Mart can control and avoid unnecessary cost very well, therefore Wal-Mart can offers a low price than competitors to consumers as a result of economic of scale. 2. Should Wal-Mart replicate its domestic model in its original form in China? Why? Can it build the same competitive advantage in China through its successful domestic model? Wal-Mart should not use the same strategy form in china. Because it is different in culture , environment, legal and politics. The original might be success in US but the characteristic of Chinese people is totally differently from USs people. It is hard to build the competitive as the same as in United state because due to local supplier, distribution or supply chain is not the same as in USA. Also, Wal-Mart might lack of technology in china, so I think the original model might not work in china 3. Provide suggestions on potential strategies that Wal-Mart China should consider in going forward. Creating Guanxi Conducting marketing expansion research: a critical role in global success. It permits the company to take into account different environments, attitude and market conditions and hence to minimize risks. To get information for possible business expansion To monitor the political climate To review various ways of market To evaluate the business partners Alternatives Wal-Mart has many options when determining what strategy to set going forward in Chinas newly deregulated market.    One such option is to accept defeat.    Wal-Mart has attempted to transplant its American business model in other countries such as Germany, South Korea, and Japan and realized huge failures.    Japan is consistently a loss making operation for Wal-Mart, and Wal-Mart has already completely retreated from Germany and South Korea due to its inability to.. http://walmartstores.com/AboutUs/297.aspx http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/325922.stm

The Positive Effects of Media Violence Essay -- Media Violence, 2014

A school shooting has just taken place. As I write this, the newscaster wonders if there is any connection between this and other school shootings, whether through method or motive. There will likely be a discussion on one of the myriad talk shows later, the ubiquitous scrolling headline at the bottom reading something along the lines of â€Å"Shooters Played Violent Video Games† or â€Å"Teen Killers Watched Action Movies.† And why not? Violence in the media has received an ample amount of attention in the past few years. The prevailing opinion seems to be that the effects of violent television programming and video games on children is harmful, damaging, and possibly influencing violent acts in turn. Yet children have long been drawn to violent fantasy scenarios, whether it be Beowulf or Gunsmoke or Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. There is a magnetic pull for children toward these types of stories and there has been since the dawn of time. Children like the shooters i n Helsinki are an aberration, the sociological equivalent of a defective gene. Far from creating generation after generation of serial killers and gang bangers, violent stories can be and usually are beneficial to the young people that they target.   My own development would be sorely lacking without such tales. In my youth I was an awkward, overweight child with no social skills. In this vacuum of social input, I was instantly drawn to comic books. Spider-Man was by far my favorite. There was an appeal there in reading about the hero beating up his villains, and I admired this fictional character so much that I took to heart his credo: "With great power comes great responsibility." The violence that drew me in and thrilled me also inspired me.   Later, as a still awkward teenager, I fell in love with martial arts films. Again, the violence and action drew me in. In the fantastic athleticism of Bruce Lee, Yuen Biao, and Jackie Chan, I also discovered a sense of right and wrong, of honor and nobility. There was a moral code in these films imparted through the characters, not much different from the moral codes extant in Medieval tales of knights slaying dragons or in the stories of Wild West lawmen. Lacking a father figure in my own life, these characters (who were no doubt strong and in control of their lives) gave me something to aspire to, some sense of what a grown man should be and how he should i... ...y purposeless. Comic books and fantasy films offer a way for these children to escape such stresses, if only for a small period of time. The heroes of such stories usually pummel their foes into complacency, and this can offer a feeling of empowerment to outcast youth, even if only vicariously, that they tend to not experience in their lives. For every bully that has ever picked on them, or every verbal abuse that they've received, they are able through such media to gain some measure of confidence back. Like most issues, violence in the media is a complicated and gray issue. But put aside the knee-jerk reaction that incidents like Columbine and Helsinki engender, and it's easy to see how every child needs to slay a dragon, even if it’s just a virtual one.   Works Cited Sipes, Richard G. "War, Sports and Aggression: An Empirical Test of Two Rival Theories." American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 75, No. 1. (Feb., 1973), pp. 64-86. Lorenz, K. (1963)  On Aggression. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, reprinted in 2012. Block, Jerald J, MD. "Lessons From Columbine: Virtual and Real Rage." American Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, Vol. 28, Issue 2. (Feb., 2007), pp. 3-25.

Essay --

Educational Diagnosis Predisposing factors. Pregnant women are usually motivated to seek and continue healthy habits. Although it has been seen that they usually decrease their alcohol consumption right after they become aware of their condition, young women between the their teenage and young adult years have more predisposition to have experienced binge drinking before pregnancy and this makes them more likely to engage in this habit even after they have recognized that they are pregnant.. (Tsai, Floyd, & Bertrand, 2007; Floyd , Decoufle , & Hungeford, 1999; Tough, Tofflemire, Clarke, & Newbum-Cook, 2006) Enabling factors. Health care workers face particular barriers similar to those observed during screening, this is having a truthful report, women with alcohol dependence might underreport their prenatal consumption of alcohol, due to several reasons, that can include fear of retaliation, different believes that small amounts are not harmful to the fetus, embarrassment or even denial of their condition.35 Many studies have shown positive results in the decrease of alcohol consumption after implementation of brief interventions and/ or motivational interviewing with pregnant women. (Handmaker & Wilbourne, 2001) Reinforsing factors. O’ Connor and Whaley’s study observed that women that receive brief interventions are five times more likely to report abstinence after a brief intervention and women who were heavy drinkers have better outcomes with their babies after delivery. (O’Connor & Whaley, 2007) Although these interventions have demonstrated benefits in the new born, long-term abstinence requires extensive case management and pharmacological intervention, the use of brief interventions during pregnancy can translate in to ch... ...ging in support group activities such as physical activities, counseling, motivational speech. The educational information will be supported with appropriate educational materials, prenatal care supplies, and a health record card. All materials will be provided to each clinic/center. Health and nutrition education classes take place twice monthly. Organized and scheduled daily activities will help the participants to engage to participate in positive and nurturing environment. The participant will receive a diploma of completion in a celebratory ceremony at the end of the 12 weeks. The program includes CHW’s home visits to follow up on alcohol cessation and medication compliance, advocacy with community leaders, local authorities and media. Hypothesis: The proposed program will demonstrate to be effective in the cessation of alcohol consumption in pregnant women.

Video Games in Education Essay -- Gaming Video Games Essays Papers

Video Games in Education Since the Early 70’s video games have been giving a bad name. Parents state that video games rot the minds of children and are influencing them do be violent. These accusations are far from the truth. In my research I found that there are many positive effects of gaming. Some of these effects are increased skills, creativity, general knowledge, and also help those in need. Parents can also take proper precautions and look into a game before buying it to see if it meets the criteria discussed in this paper. Video games challenge the player and expand his ability to react fast with very little lag time. With years of practice the player becomes quicker and more accurate with the movements. Thus hand and eye coordination is better, the player sees something on the screen and has to physically react to it. Not only is hand and eye coordination improved but so is manual dexterity (Taking Children Seriously). For example Madden 2004 is a football game, which requires fast reactions. If the player does not have the quick reaction skills develop then the other team will most likely sack him. The player needs to realize he has a limited time to throw the ball and most get the pass off quickly, he needs to scan the field, look for a possible escape route, and watch for the defense closing in. Another type of game, which improves hand and eye coordination, is shooting games. Although these games, such as Time Crisis 2, are being criticized for its violent content, these games force the pl ayer to quickly scan the screen for criminals to shoot before they are shot. The police force uses similar methods to train their officers to raise reaction speed when they are out on the streets. Related to h... ...the ideas that are taught in schools. Games also need to intermix instruction with demonstration. This is a big difference from the basic way of learning in school, which is memorize and regurgitate. Demonstrating shows the student what it looks like and they retain the content longer. Video games have been an influence part of our society since the early 70’s. The bad named that they are given is false, the only reason they have this bad name is because kids like games, so anything that is fun is bad for you. If a child loved playing chess he or she would be rewarded but it to is a game. Video games can help the learning process and should be incorporated in to the school system. If a child loved playing chess he or she would be rewarded but it to is a game. Video games can help the learning process and should be incorporated in to the school system.

Tomco-Hll Merger

Mumbai: Tata Chemicals, a Tata group company, and Hindustan Lever’s (HLL) Hind Lever Chemicals (HLCL) are merging together to form what would be the second-largest fertiliser company in India. This is the third time that the Tatas and HLL are coming together and this time it is in the fertilisers and chemicals businesses. Previously the two came together in the Hindustan Lever-Tomco deal in 1993 and Lakme-Lever in 1998. The Tatas hold 30 per cent and financial institutions hold 26 per cent stakes in Tata Chemicals.HLL holds 50-per cent stake in HLCL and the institutional holding is at over 9 per cent as on 31 December 2002. The boards of the two companies are meeting separately on 24 January 2003 to ratify the merger and the share-swap ratio. Sources close to the deal reveal that the valuation of Tata Chemicals is much higher than HLCL’s, hence the latter’s shareholders will be issued shares of the Tata group company. Analysts estimate the share-swap ratio will b e in the range of 2. 5 to 3:1 — that is, 2. 5 to three shares of Tata Chemicals for every share of HLCL held.The analysts say the merger between the two companies makes good business sense given its complementary qualities. The Rs 1,516-crore Tata Chemicals manufactures soda ash, salt and fertiliser. Its fertiliser production primarily comprises urea. The Rs 1,285-crore HLCL’s fertiliser business covers di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) complex NPK fertilisers and single super phosphate (SSP). With this merger Tata Chemicals will be present in all fertiliser product categories such as urea-ammonia, NPK and DAP and will also assume a leadership position in soda ash, salt and fine chemicals.Post-merger, Tata Chemicals will have an estimated turnover of about Rs 2,750 crore, profits of over Rs 170 crore and reserves of over Rs 1,600 crore. Sources say HLL, which holds a 50-per cent stake in HLCL, will see its holding dip to under 10 per cent while that of the Tatas in Tata Chem icals may go down to around 20 per cent from their present holding of around 30 per cent. HLL is also likely to keep some representation on the Tata Chemicals board to ensure a continued arrangement for sourcing the chemical STTP, a key ingredient for its detergents business.HLCL produces 80 per cent of India’s STTP output, of which HLL consumes 90 per cent. At present in India there are only two players in STPP, which makes it likely that the business of manufacture of the bulk chemical can turn into a cartel. Therefore, outsourcing the ingredient is not advisable. Moreover, the Haldia facility of HLCL is well integrated with STPP, DAP and sulphuric acid, among others. STPP also goes into DAP, fertiliser and soda ash, which will fit well into Tata Chemical’s business plan.HLL’s move in moving out of the chemicals and fertiliser business is in line with its corporate strategy to exit from its non-core activities, and in the past few years the company has been lo oking for a buyer for this business. Also HLL will move out of a non-core business at a time when its power-brand strategy is at a critical trajectory of growth. Some analysts feel that its important for HLL to retain a presence in the fertiliser business as HLCL’s fertiliser network provides a good backbone for its large-scale operations in the rural areas. HLL gets about 50 per cent of its revenues from the rural markets.Others say that in the long run it does not make good business sense for HLL to continue with its fertiliser business, which has achieved 100-per cent capacity expansion, and for which there is need for consolidation. In the era of size and scale, it makes sense to merge HLCL with a company that can provide the needed focus and thrust. Financially, both HLCL and Tata Chemicals are cash-rich. However, an unclear government policy on fertilisers, over-capacity in the soda-ash market and increasing competition in the branded salt market has led Tata Chemicals to look at future avenues of growth.This merger will give Tata Chemicals a borrowing power of Rs 300-400 crore at a crucial time when National Fertilisers (NFL) is coming up for divestment. Tata Chemicals, understood to have put in an expression of interest for two state-owned fertiliser companies, NFL and Madras Fertilisers, was said to be in talks with a number of fertiliser companies for a suitable ally. Talks of a possible merger with Tata group company Rallis India was put off after the latter severed the marketing arrangement with Tata Chemicals. There were also talks of a possible tie-up with an AV Birla group company, Indo Gulf Fertiliser, to jointly bid for NFL.Reacting to the merger announcement, the Tata Chemicals scrip jumped 9. 81 per cent to close at Rs 66. 60 on the Bombay Stock Exchange on 22 January 2003, while the HLCL scrip closed at Rs 187, up Rs 17 over its previous day’s close. The Rs 1,433-crore Tata Chemicals posted profits of Rs 126 crore last year an d had reserves of Rs 1,370 crore. The debt-free HLCL, on the other hand, posted a profit of Rs 47 crore on a turnover of Rs 1,284 crore the previous year. Moreover, Tata Chemicals reported an increase of 8. 3 per cent in net profit to Rs 47 crore n the second quarter ended September 2002, and a 13-per cent increase in sales to Rs 439 crore. Urea, which contributes 45. 9 per cent to the company’s total revenues, is under government control and a lack of clarity in the fertiliser policy has been a contributing factor to the ambiguity. HLCL reported a 47-per cent rise in net profit to Rs 7. 40 crore in the second quarter ended September 2002, mainly due to higher topline growth and a sharp reduction in interest expenses. Total sales during the quarter rose by 11 per cent to Rs 300. 59 crore

Ideas And Issues In “The Visit” And “A Chronicle Of A Death Foretold” Essay

Many works of contemporary literature discuss ideas and topics which are seen in the world around us today. These themes are either directly demonstrated or implied. Two works as such are â€Å"The Visit† by Friedrich Durrenmatt and â€Å"A Chronicle of a Death Foretold† by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The issues raised in these two books are justice, communication, tradition, and moral values. Tradition is the ongoing obligation to commit to something, which is an act that has existed for many years. More often than not, tradition helps keep a community in one piece, much like laws do. In other cases, tradition obligates people and makes them do things they normally wouldn’t do. In â€Å"A Chronicle of a Death Foretold†, tradition is one of the forces that drives the Vicario twins to kill Santiago Nasar and therefore clean their family’s name. However, the Vicario brothers try to escape tradition. They had a debt which they greatly doubted and criticized. They know what the whole town expects them to do. But on the other side, their everyday life and friendship with Santiago Nasar, their victim, fills them with haste to fulfill tradition and do their pre-said duty. In â€Å"The Visit†, it’s tradition in the first place that brings the much anticipated lady Zachanassian to Guellen. So, in other words, tradition kills Ill as well as Santiago Nasar. Intertwined with the complications of tradition are the moral values behind any clearly human act. The only reason tradition has always been so difficult to adhere to is because of the moral issues behind the acts that tradition is composed of. This is seen in both pieces. In â€Å"A Chronicle of a Death Foretold†, the Vicario brothers are in a state of great misfortune not only because of the shame inflicted upon the Vicario family name but also because of the deed the have to carry out. However they also want their duty to be done. In an attempt to combine both, the twins unsuccessfully try to be caught whilst looking for Santiago Nasar. In other words, they seek someone to stop them by telling the whole town of their intentions. â€Å"†¦ ,in reality it seemed that the Vicario brothers had done nothing right with a view to killing Santiago Nasar immediately and without any public spectacle, but had done much more than could be imagined to have someone stop them from killing him, and they had failed† (p. 56). In â€Å"The Visit†, the town tries to hold its moral values despite the ironic reward the people and state will get if they do not. Later on in the book, even though Guellen has completely lost its morality and plans on doing Maddamme Zachanassian’s bidding and killing Ill, the townspeople will not admit, whatsoever that they have lost their towns values. Moreover, they blame Ill for not having any morality and tell him that if he had any values he would use a gun on himself outright. Ill, however denies the Mayor’s suggestion. â€Å"Mayor: Pity. You’re missing a chance to redeem yourself and be a more or less decent human being. † (p. 81) Tradition and the morality behind it are the two most ancient forms of justice. Today, justice is defined by laws and mainly is democratic and clear. But every person has their own form of justice for things, often acquiring either guilt or praise thereafter; or none of the two. Self-justice is reflexively self-justifying. In â€Å"The Chronicle of a Death Foretold†, the Vicario brothers want Justice. However, their morality, as discussed above, does not allow them to justify their family’s shame by killing Santiago Nasar. For the sake of tradition they kill Santiago anyway. Pablo and Pedro Vicario tell everybody they come across that they will kill Santiago Nasar, hoping to get caught.. That way, they would have done their justice and duty as the brothers of Angela Vicario, the violated girl, by attempting to kill Santiago and not actually slaying him. They do not commit a crime the do not want to commit and which they consider immoral. Also, when Santiago appears to them, the Vicario twins do not face him head on. Instead they give him a chance of escape by remaining of the opposite side of the street and giving him a head-start through their body language. Clara Zachanassian in â€Å"The Visit† loses all of her moralities during her childhood as a prostitute and thus ends up defying the right and wrong of justice. Therefore, she goes ahead and offers money for an assassination. The townspeople of Guellen try to force back their moralities but fail to do so. As a result they take an alternative route to solving their problem. They masquerade the immorality of the crime of murder as justice. What follows is that they kill Ill with their bare hands. For justice and tradition to be enforced, a clear communication line must be drawn. Communication is what leads to the smooth flow of traditions and miscommunication to their collapse of justice. Morality has to do with a person’s ability to communicate to oneself what they truly consider right or wrong; in this case it is contributed to justice and questionable traditions. Pedro and Pablo Vicario’s failure to alert the whole town of Riochacha of their imminent crime is a result of poor communication. They misinterpreted the ability of the townspeople to pass on information and the rate in which the news would diffuse their way to Santiago Nasar or to the police. However they did not take one aspect of tradition into account: â€Å"But most of those who could have done something to prevent the crime and did not consoled themselves with the pretext that affairs of honor are sacred monopolies [according to tradition], giving access only to those who are part of the drama. † (p. 114). So, according to tradition, most people in town could not tell the authorities, nor anyone for that matter, about the Vicario twins and on top of that they could justify themselves by blaming it on the town’s ethics. â€Å"Destiny makes us invisible† (Quote, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1928) The town of Guellen, on the other hand, had a level of communication between them far better than any other. They could communicate through the sub-conscious. It is not exactly stated that the Guelleners had actually decided upon killing Ill, so this could be assumed. They were very well organized and swift in killing Ill, as they were able to put many new products they wanted, more than needed, on account. As is clear, tradition, morality and justice are all connectable aspects which are usually bound together by a means of communication. Situations become elaborate and complications arise. â€Å"The Chronicle of a Death Foretold† and â€Å"The Visit† are two great examples of a situation that results from the combinations of those four issues.