How is Elizabeth Bennet Presented & How Does she Change in the Novel ? Essay

Elizabeth Bennet is second eldest daughter of the Bennet sisters. Although the novel doesn’t have a specific narrator she is used more than any other character as a centre of consciousness, meaning she is the main focus of the reader’s interest. In the novel she is a heroine, however she does make a few mistakes and doesn’t have the characteristics of one. We can tell from how Mr. Bennet’s speaks of Lizzy that she is his favourite daughter, â€Å"I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy† and when Mrs. Bennet says he will not do such a thing, that she is less good looking than Jane and not half as good-humoured as Lydia, he replies â€Å"They have none of them much to recommend them†¦ they are all silly and ignorant, like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.† She has many witty and tantalizing conversations, where she likes to drop in her strong and independent views. When Jane is ill at Netherfield, Lizzy goes to visit her, with Jane in bed, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, Lizzy and the Bingley sisters are talking, Darcy and Bingley listing what makes up an ‘accomplished woman’ Elizabeth declares that she â€Å"never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, as you describe, united,† implying that Darcy is far too demanding. Most of the interactions between Darcy and Elizabeth take the forms of banter or agrument, with Lizzy’s words making Darcy’s admiration towards her stronger, once he moves past his initial prejudice. She is a very playful and spirited women who enjoys to laugh at people, including herself. We are told after Darcy refuses to dance with her that, â€Å"she told the story with great spirit among her friends; for she had a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous.† As I said before this is the humour that attracts Darcy. It is not only her wit that Darcy admires, for when she remarks â€Å"Mr. Darcy is all politeness† as a way of avoiding to dance with him, we can she is also hitting back at his rudeness with this sarcastic comment. Elizabeth is one of the most active and strong characters in the novel. â€Å"Elizabeth continued her walk alone †¦ springing over puddles with impatient activity and finding herself at last within view of the house, with weary ankles, dirty stockings and a face glowing with the warmth of exercise.† She walks into the huge house of Netherfield not worrying about what she looks like or what others think of her. Miss Bingley is shocked at her dirty petticoat whereas Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley find this vigour attractive. Chapter 36 is an essential passage as it marks the turnaround in Elizabeth’s opinion. From Elizabeth’s first aquaintance with Darcy she thought him to be a proud and disagreeable, especially when he repiled to Bingley’s comment of how Elizabeth is just as pretty as Jane with â€Å"She (Lizzy) is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me†. She could never figure out why he was such good friends with Bingley as theyare the complete opersite. Although, Darcy’s ignorance and pride doesn’t change Lizzy eventually comes to see his kindness and his nobility through his actions towards his sister, towards her sisters (Jane and Lydia) as well as the way he comes to not only love her, but to respect her and see her as an equal as well. This is helped majorly by the letter she re-reads a few times until she fully understands what she thought she had sussed out, realizing that she has much less able to understand the natures of people around her than she thought, especially being prejudice towards Darcy and in favor of Wickham. As well as misreading Darcy and Wickham she also recognizes that when Darcy described her family, she at first thought it as rude but then remembers how embarressed she was by her mother, Mrs. Bennet boasting so incredible loud about Mr. Bingley and Jane that Mr. Darcy could over hear and with her sister playing too long on the piano. She understands how wrong she has been and is very humiliated, â€Å"She grew absolutely ashamed of herself †¦ How despicably have I acted †¦ till this moment I never knew my self’’

Effects of Television as Mass Media on Children of 10 Years Essay

Introduction Mass media is a collective term that refers to all the media technologies whose sole intention is reaching a vast audience through mass communication. There are two major categories of mass media, which are, broadcast media and print media. Transmission of information by broadcast media is via electronic means while transmission of information by print media is via physical means. Broadcast media comprise of radio, film, CDs, television, and many more. Print media comprise of magazines, newspapers, newsletters, leaflets, books, pamphlets and brochures. â€Å"Effect† is a term that refers to something produced by a cause. It can also be referred to as a consequence. This research paper seeks to investigate both positive and negative effects of mass media on children. Possible solutions to address or mitigate the negative effects of mass media will also be highlighted. Differential Effects of Mass Media on Children The mass media, particularly, broadcast media, significantly affects childhood development in that, it provides information-seeking and modeling opportunities outside school and family. It has been estimated that the average American child watches more than 20, 000 television commercials annually. According to statistical data collected in the year 2000, children aged between the ages of two and five spent 40 hours watching television on a weekly basis. Those between six to eleven years spent 50 to 60 hours weekly watching television. These findings clearly show that mass media plays an essential life in shaping a child’s beliefs, behaviors and attitudes (Bento, 2004). Among the key manifestation of the negative effects that media has on children is their declining lifestyle quality and changing mental set up. Instead of investing their time in studying, reading good books, engaging in social activities, and exercising, children choose to spend their evenings watching movies or glued to the television sets. With increasing technological advancement, the Internet can easily be accessed, even by small children. This exposes such children to things that they do not necessarily need to know and may not understand. The reading culture is gradually fading and substituted by mass media. This poses a negative effect on school performance as well as learning problems. Children are increasingly reporting low academic grades and problems in learning due to overindulgence in mass media (Matthew & Jesse, 2008) Food advertising in broadcast media such as televisions has been linked to rising cases of childhood obesity. There is a strong relationship between an increase in non-nutritious food advertising and childhood obesity. It is extremely hard for children below the age of six to differentiate between advertising and programming. Those below the age of eight do not comprehend the fact that the main intention of advertising is to persuade the audience to purchase a given product. Therefore, non-nutritious or junk food advertising directed to children may turn out to be exploitative. A single commercial exposure can go a long way in influencing product references among children. Additionally, the remarkable ability of children to remember the content from various advertisements increases their likelihood to indulge in unhealthy eating habits such as over-consumption of unhealthy fast foods, which results to heightened rates of childhood obesity (Munni & Ram, 2010). Body image problems and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa are also directly linked to mass media. This is especially the case with teenage girls. The mass media ads portray models with unrealistic images. More often than not, the models appear to have extremely thin waists and figures that are unattainable. In the attempt to look like the models seen in televisions, teenage girls may starve themselves and even develop unhealthy eating habits such as binging. This results to development of eating disorder. Mass media tends to dictate various aspects including the ideal image or the definition of beauty. Children blindly imitate the glamour models portrayed in mass media without being careful enough to differentiate between wrong and right. Several young girls have developed self-esteem issues due to failure to match up to the image and beauty standards dictated by the media (Page & Evra, 2004). A negative effect of mass media that is worth noting is with respect to sexuality. Mass media may prompt children to engage in sexual activities at an early age. Research has indicated that children are exposed to approximately 14, 000 sexual references annually in televisions. Out of these references, only 150 of them address issues of abstinence, sexual responsibility, or contraception (Preiss, 2007). This implies that sex is portrayed as a fun activity, which prompts children to have an urge to try it out. Overexposure to sexual content in videos, games and television programming is strongly linked to increasing rates of teen pregnancies. A similar case applies to substance abuse, which is highly depicted in movies that children watch. Out of curiosity, such children begin trying out different illegal drugs and substances seen in media sources. Positive Social Effects of Mass Media Despite the mentioned negative effects, there are a number of positive social effects of mass media on children. Mass media plays a major role in enhancing positive child development. For instance, various educational programs aired in televisions may serve to increase children’s knowledge and understanding of various life aspects. Positive role models portrayed in the mass media can also serve as a positive social developmental tool for children and young adults. Qualitative research studies have shown that one way in which televisions enhance development in children is portraying positive role models of collaboration and development as a responsible manner of acting (Preiss, 2007). It is therefore evident that televisions can serve as a means learning of positive reinforcement in children. Mass media has also played a major role in enhancing socialization among children. With advanced technology, children can easily access the internet, which is a major socialization tool. The internet serves as an effective means of communication among individuals regardless of their geographical locations. The internet can also serve as a good source of knowledge on various aspects. By using search engines such as Google, children can increase their knowledge and understanding of various subjects learnt in school. The internet provides a vast range of information on various topics and fields of study. Therefore, it is an excellent research tool that can be utilized positively by students (Munni, 2010). Mass media programs can serve as a means of minimizing the effects of stereotyping among children. These programs often portray cast members from different ethnic and racial backgrounds. Hence, children learn to appreciate cultural diversity from a tender age. Mass media therefore serves a means of increasing the preparedness of children for adolescence. Constructive utilization of mass media can play a significant role in helping children and young adults to learn socially appropriate means if solving conflicts, knowing their rights and protection from harm. Mass media can also serve as a tool for promoting health lifestyles and eating habits in children (Page, 2004). Possible Solutions Parental control is one of the possible solutions to preventing the negative influence of mass media on children. Parents should take charge of the content that is accessible to their kids. They should prevent their kid from watching programs aimed at promoting violence, substance abuse as well as those containing sexually explicit content. One workable way is switching off the television or changing channels during certain programming and adverts that are meant to exploit children. Parents should help their children understand the difference that exists between actual reality and fantasy world. This is especially with respect to images and beauty expectations dictated by the mass media. Parents should let their children know the essence of loving oneself and appreciating oneself. This is a good step toward helping such kids to build on their self-esteem and confidence (Debra, 2003). Practitioners should conduct research and provide relevant empirical evidence showing the impact that mass media has on increasing the rate of childhood obesity. Laying emphasis on this subject will shed light on different kinds of advertising and try to limit those that encourage consumption of unhealthy foods. In addition to practitioners, researchers also have an important role to play. There is the need for conducting further research on the negative consequences of mass media and how to combat them. Research should also focus on ways of promoting the positive contribution of mass media to a child’s social development (Bento, 2004). Rather than letting children invest most of their time watching television and other media platforms, schools should encourage children to do assignments or further study during their free time. They should also be encouraged to take part in co-curricular activities such as games. The entertainment industry should be careful of the content that it portrays to the audience. With the help of the government, it would be possible to censure some of the programming and advertisements that pose negative effects on children. Rather than just focusing on persuasion and the profits that would be generated from products, the advertising industry should play the role of promoting adverts that lead to constructive developments. The adverts promoted should result to healthy lifestyles in children (Berulava, 2010). It is therefore evident that different stakeholders including parents, school, the government and even the entertainment industry, have a fundamental role to play in preventing the negative effects that media poses on children. The government and policy makers should work toward implementation of policies that put restrictions and control to the time specific content should be aired in broadcast media sources such as televisions. A good suggestion is for programs that contain violence or sexual content to be aired late at night when children are already asleep (Kirsh, 2006). Conclusion Childhood development is significantly affected by mass media. With advanced technology, children are continually exposed to thousands of television commercials and even sexual references. Some of the negative effects of mass media include poor performance, early onset of sex, substance abuse, and violence. Mass media may also have positive effects such as increasing knowledge and enhancing positive social development in children. Parents, government, advertising industry, practitioners, researchers, and the entertainment industry have a major role to play in prevention and management of the effects of mass media on children. References Bento, J. (2004) Meditating the negative effects of mass media on children. Seattle: Antioch University Publishers Berulava, M. N. (2010) The Nation is in Danger. Russian Education and Society, 52(3), 30-36 Debra, M. (2003) Questioning the media and reclaiming our sacred space. Paths of Learning, 15, 24 Fink, G. (2010) Stress of War, Conflict and Disaster. California: Elsevier Publications Kirsh, S. (2006) Children, adolescents, and media violence. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc Matthew, G., & Jesse, S. (2008) Preschool television viewing and adolescent test scores: historical evidence from the Coleman study. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 123(1), 279-323 Munni, R., & Ram, K. (2010) Effect of electronic media on children. Indian Pediatrics, 47(7), 561-568 Page, J., & Evra, V. (2004) Television and child development. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Preiss, R. (2007) Mass media effects research; advances through meta-analysis. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

An major event in my life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

An major event in my life - Essay Example There are some occurrences in my life that I cannot afford to forget. When I memorize these happenings, I sometimes have mixed feelings of happiness and sadness. One of those remembering days was five years ago in Mid-autumn carnival. It was an enthusiastic and pleasuring experience that my classmates and I had together. It happened in the duration of military training, virtually a week given that we had gone to the high school. As we were virtually novel students who came from diverse cultures and backgrounds in Shandong, we had not made a number of allies by that moment. The feeling of being lonely engulfed as. It is common knowledge that Mid-autumn is a get together day for families to assemble and be grateful for the full moon. The place was very far and we could not make it in time. The majority of everything is that we did not have to break for the day. Luckily, the entire class including the teacher jointly exhausted such a special day. We purchased a number of things comprising of sweets, fruits, fruit drinks and moon cakes. Then we discovered a turf we could assemble in a circular manner and make the best out of the event. When the sky darkened, we mutually had the snacks and commenced on playing games. We not only sang but also danced. I perceived the most intriguing thing as making fun of one another. We even went to the extent of joking with the instructor who found no problem with that. At that juncture, we just exhausted the extraordinary day like an entire family. In concluding, we had a prayer and the teacher documented all that transpired by use of a mobile phone. Subsequent to this, we concluded our endeavor and went back to our places of sleep. That entire night made an incredible impression in the whole of my existence. I felt the warmth and enthusiasm just like my own place of residence. Moreover, I stopped thinking about the grief of not being with my family. It was a

Nationals infrastructure accident Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nationals infrastructure accident - Essay Example This paper aims at highlighting the various actions that are necessary for the U.S. government to consider in order to mitigate occurrence of similar events in future. For those who watched the media news about the New Orleans landfall made by the Hurricane Katrina in the year 2005, highly remember how water flooded over the numerous levees, which were built to prevent an occurrence of such accidents as well as protecting the city. Several factors contributed to the failure of New Orleans levees ranging from poor engineering designs to the storm’s sheer ferocity (Reilly, 2009). All these factors were into consideration during the reconstruction of the levee after the wake of the Hurricane Katrina. The other low-lying cities in America learned a lot from the failure of New Orleans levees and considered such factors when making evaluation on their preparedness prevent occurrence of such storms. New Orleans is an American city that is located in a unique site, because it is completely below the sea level. Residents of this city cope with the surroundings of large water bodies such as Lake Pontchartrain, Mississippi River, and Mexico Gulf with array of levees designed to prevent flooding water from entering the city (United States, 2006). When conditions caused the breakage of the constructed levees during the Hurricane Katrina in the year 2005, the effect was highly harming and flooding water pooled out covering the entire city. With the initial 24 hours after the storm started, 28 levees had already failed. The total number of failed or broken levees increased to over 55 within the first week. The U.S. USACE (United States Army Corps of Engineers), the core constructor of the levees issued out a public explanation on why the levees failed after several days. According USACE’s account, the design of the levees was only to protect the city from Category Three storms, and the Hurricane

Public health policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public health policy - Essay Example Insufficient sleep, untimely eating and excessive use of sugar-contained drinks and alcohols trigger obesity. Similarly, junk food and soft drinks, which are highly rich in sugar, are also increasing the number of obese persons in the United Kingdom. Boseley (2014) points out that more than 70 per cent of adults are either overweight or obese in England. In other words, the overweight are those who are more prone and vulnerable to obesity if they continue with the same style of eating habit and living style. Cancer, diabetes and heart diseases are the main potentials effects of obesity (Boseley, 2014a). Boseley (2014a) further explains that the causes of cancer, which include obesity, alcohol abuse and sugar intake, will increase the cancer cases which could reach 25 million a year over the period of next 20 years as warned by the World Health Organisation. Moreover, the cases of diabetes and heart diseases will also increase as many adults do not give much consideration to their health and related issues as well. Aggregately, their rise will put more burden on the United Kingdom’s health index and health expenditure as more and more patients will register their case and take essential medical care and treatment from the primary health care units and other health venues. Obesity and weight gain are closely linked with psychological ill health (Ternouth et al., 2009). Healthy body and mind are highly essential for performing routine personal, social and professional activities and these activities are only effectively performed if mind properly regulates the supply of energy and other food requirements of different body parts and at the same time maintains psychological balance by avoiding any disorder. However, recent food eating habits and modern lifestyle prompt obesity and weight gain which create problems for mind and also severely affect the psychological balance. This graph clearly demonstrates the growing level of obese

Generational contrast & comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Generational contrast & comparison - Essay Example Two consecutive generations, known as the Baby Boomers and Generation X, clearly fit this model. They are well defined by society, culture, economics, and history. Society retains the qualities of one generation to the next as traditions and social norms are passed from parent to child, but there are also new and striking differences. In the case of the Baby Boomers and generation X, the differences are fueled by history, socialization, and the exposure to a rapidly changing world. This research will be conducted to determine where the differences are between the Baby Boomer generation and the age group known as generation X. More importantly, it will critically assess why there is a difference and evaluate the forces that created their different values and social interactions. The research is an important method to gain a deeper insight into our society and its mechanisms of enculturation. In addition, it has a commercial value to marketing departments, product developers, managers, or political campaigns who wish to exploit the underlying differences between generations. Understanding how different age groups interact with each other is critical to developing modern management strategies. It is interesting to note that this research is being conducted during a national political campaign where the three major candidates are from different generations. John McCain was born during the depression and Hillary Clinton is a Baby Boomer. Though Barak Obama technica lly fits into the Baby Boomer demographic, he was born in 1961 and as such exhibits many of the traits and characteristics associated with Generation X. They are an ideal group that can be used for comparisons and contrasting viewpoints on public policy. There is no one firm definition for either a Baby Boomer or a member of Generation X and birth dates and ages vary by as much as seven years (Wallace, 2006, p.150). Almost all the previous research agrees that the first Baby Boomer was born in 1946. However, generations do not fit neat and tidy boundaries and there is some variance as to when one ends and the other begins. For the purposes of this study, a Baby Boomer is anyone born between January 1, 1946 and December 31, 1964 (Smith, 2005, p.440). A member of Generation X has a birth date of January 1, 1965 and December 31, 1980 (Smith, 2005, p.440). This places the age of a Baby Boomer at approximately 44 to 62 years old, while a member of Generation X is approximately 28 to 43 years of age. In addition, the age of the generation at the time that the previous research was conducted becomes important. Age and maturity also influences people as well as their identification with a generation. The research will be conducted through the analysis of previous research and studies on this topic. It will be organized as follows: 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Scope and Purpose 3.0 Literature Review 4.0 Discussion 5.0 Recommendations and Conclusion 3.0 Literature Review Both the Baby Boom generation and Generation X have been extensively described and characterized in the popular media. For the sake of marketing and sales, advertisers have sought to drawn clear distinctions between the groups. Schaie (2007) states that, "Baby boomers are hedonistic; they are self-centered; they are spendthrifts; they are altruistic; they strive to self-actualize" (p.131). These characterizations are

Cars without drivers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cars without drivers - Essay Example The development of autonomous cars began in the 1920’s with the first autonomous car being launched in 1984 BY Carnegie Mellon University. Since then, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and other companies have developed prototypes of the vehicle. The technological rush for computerised objects has led to the rapid evolution of the automobile industry. In 2013, autonomous cars were driven in a traffic jam with normal cars and the states of Nevada, California, Michigan and Florida have made legislations allowing the autonomous cars. Other countries such as Germany, France and UK are also taking steps to embrace this technological advancement The main catalyst for the development of autonomous cars is the exponential rise in road accidents that are mainly caused by human carelessness and errors. As a result, the UK government has invested over 8 million pounds to enhance research and development of these driverless cars to cause a revolution in transportation. According to Mitchell (2015), electric shuttles with no steering wheels will be launched in the summer in Greenwich, UK. Also, The Google Company is the world leader in autonomous cars research since 2010 and already tested its autonomous cars and revealed its findings to the public. However, the developers of these cars have been unable to prepare the cars for unforeseeable circumstances such as flooded roads and other rare incidences, making the cars not as safe. The Google developing team stated that they will need to record these situations as they arise and make precautions for them. Google is hopeful that in the next five years, the driverless cars will be much safer than human drivers and will be the new mode transportation for people. Various modifications such as WI-FI connections are expected to be added. The V2V (Vehicle-to-vehicle) WI-FI radios would enable cars to warn each other of any situations that could be dangerous. The chief executive of Peleton Technology, Mr Josh Switkes states

How smoking affect relationships in work or in home positivley r Essay

How smoking affect relationships in work or in home positivley r negatively - Essay Example This involves all sorts of activities including smoking. This is true whether only one person smokes or both do† (Relationships and Smoking). The above fact is true in the case of relationships of the smoker with his friends and co-workers at workplace. Smokers like the company of smokers and non-smokers don’t like the company of smokers. Non-smoking female often like to have the company of non-smoking males and they select non-smokers for their dating activities. On the other hand smoking females may not have such preferences. At workplaces also the smokers like to work with smokers whereas nonsmokers always try to avoid the company of smokers. The smoke produced by the smokers is spreading all over around the smokers which forces even the nonsmokers to breathe such malicious air. Nobody wants to put their health in jeopardy because of other’s activities. In short, smoking affects the relationships negatively, in family workplace and in society as

Sexual response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sexual response - Essay Example There are also changes in the scrotum and testes, with the testes increasing in size and the scrotum elevating, coming closer to the body. The skin may become flushed, men may experience heightened sensitivity in parts of their body, like the nipples. Some increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension.Phase 2 of the Male Sexual Response – PlateauWith continued sexual stimulation this phase represents the time between the initial arousal and excitement, up until orgasm. For many men the plateau phase is very short, but this is the phase that men can extend as a way of controlling premature ejaculation. Physical changes during this phase may include:An increase in the size of the head of the penis, and the head may also change color, becoming purplish.;The Cowper’s gland secretes fluid, often referred to as pre-cum , which comes out of the tip of the penis.;The testes move further in towards the body, and increase in size;There may be a sex flush, muscle tens ion, increase in heart rate and rising blood pressure.Phase 3 of the Male Sexual Response – Orgasm Masters and Johnson further divided the orgasmic phase for men into two separate stages. In the first stage:Contractions in the vas deferens, seminal vesicles, and the prostate causes seminal fluid (â€Å"come† or ejaculate) to collect in a pool at the base of the penis, in the urethra. This collection is usually felt as a â€Å"tickling† type sensation. In the second stage of the orgasmic phase.... Here is what Masters and Johnson found to happen during the four phases of the sexual response cycle for men. Phase 1 of the Male Sexual Response - Excitement In response to sexual stimuli (whether psychological in the form of sexual thoughts or fantasies, or physical in the form of physical stimulation) the process of vasocongestion occurs, where more blood flows into the penis than is flowing out, and the result will usually be that a man will get an erection. How long this takes, and what the erection feels like will differ from man to man, and for the same man over time. Physical changes may include: There are also changes in the scrotum and testes, with the testes increasing in size and the scrotum elevating, coming closer to the body. The skin may become flushed, men may experience heightened sensitivity in parts of their body, like the nipples. Some increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension. Phase 2 of the Male Sexual Response - Plateau With continued sexual stimulation this phase represents the time between the initial arousal and excitement, up until orgasm. For many men the plateau phase is very short, but this is the phase that men can extend as a way of controlling premature ejaculation. Physical changes during this phase may include:An increase in the size of the head of the penis, and the head may also change color, becoming purplish.;The Cowper's gland secretes fluid, often referred to as pre-cum , which comes out of the tip of the penis.;The testes move further in towards the body, and increase in size;There may be a sex flush, muscle tension, increase in heart rate and rising blood pressure. Phase 3 of the Male Sexual Response - Orgasm Masters and Johnson further divided the orgasmic phase

New Born Screening Act Essay Example for Free

New Born Screening Act Essay

Assess the significance of Judith Butlers work

Assess the significance of Judith Butlers work The modern meaning of the word 'gender' emerged in the 1970s. Its original purpose was to draw a line between biological sex and how particular thoughts and behaviours could be defined as either 'feminine' or 'masculine' (Pilcher Whelehan, 2004). The reason for using the word 'gender' was to raise awareness of the exaggeration of biological differences between men and women. The popularity of this meaning for the word 'gender' resulted from the efforts of second wave feminism in the 1970s. This essay examines how second wave feminism attempted to construct a 'grand narrative' of women's oppression. It then examines Judith Butler's contribution to post-modern feminist theory through her performative theory of gender and how this fits into post-modern feminist debates. A product of second wave feminism, which began around 1970, was the attempt to place women within a 'grand narrative' history of their oppression. One of the seminal writers on this narrative was Simone de Beauvoir. Her work in describing how women had become 'the other' in her book The Second Sex (de Beauvoir, 1961) laid the foundations for what was to come in the second wave of feminism (Gamble, 2002). De Beauvoir argues that the way in which men think about women is only in relation to their fantasies, that they have no substance of their own. Unfortunately, for de Beauvoir, women have come to accept men's fantasies of womanhood as constituting their own conception of themselves. For de Beauvoir, it was for women to conceive of themselves in their own terms, to take back the power themselves. A criticism of de Beauvoir's approach was that it tended to blame women for their current condition (Gamble, 2002). The second wave feminists of the 1970s, however, such as Millet (1970), pointed to patriarchy as the root cause of women's oppression. It is patriarchy, so Millet argued, that has become a political institution, and from this flows all the other forms of women's oppression. Firestone (1970) also took a strong line against patriarchy, equating women's oppression to a caste or class system. Ideological support for patriarchy, in Firestone's view, has come from institutions such as the family, marriage along with romantic love. These ideas are referred to as constructing a 'grand narrative', a way of charting the history and development of particular ideas, in this case women's oppression (MacNay, 1997). One of the problems that much feminist thought has come up against in trying to provide a 'grand narrative' of women's oppression is that it is difficult to effectively give all women a common identity (Whelehan, 1995). If the very idea of gender flows from cultural origins, then it is only natural to conclude that gender has different meanings in different cultural contexts. How then can a common identity be posited? Other critics such as Richards (1982), examining second wave feminism from a liberal perspective, have seen it as a movement that has failed. Richards sees many of the feminist approaches as being extreme and unattractive, and not focussing, as she sees it, on rational debate. She criticises feminists for utilising 'eccentric' arguments which do not conform to the normative expectations of philosophical debate. Further, she criticises feminism for ignoring the obvious differences between men and women such as women's ability to have children and thereby presenting an unrealistic picture of utopian gender relations. Another vibrant stream of criticism against second wave feminism has been that it assumes that what is required is a reversal in the relative positions of men and women. In other words, if women can take the position of men in society then their oppression will finally be undone (Brooks, 1997). Instead, however, post-modernist forms of feminism have tended to criticise the placing of women and men in oppositional categories. Post-modernist writers, such as Judith Butler, Brooks argues, help the feminist debate move on from the grand narrative to the focussing on deconstruction and identity (Brooks, 1997). Judith Butler's work as a social theorist has been extremely influential. Some of the major themes of her work include important contributions to queer theory and her criticism of the way in which gender has been constructed (Clough, 2000). Her breakthrough work was Gender Trouble which strongly criticised existing feminist theory on gender such as the work of Firestone and Millet. Butler (1990) points out that feminist approaches have tended to emphasise the difference between gender and sex. In these perspectives sex is seen as a biological fact, while gender is a cultural construction. The problem for Butler is that this split has gone too far, such that it is not possible to analyse how the sexed body is constituted (Salih Butler, 2004). Rather than splitting gender and sex, then, Butler's work has actually collapsed one into the other (Fraser, 2002). Sandford (1999) explains that this is achieved by showing that gender actually produces sex. Butler (1990) asks whether it is possible to talk about the 'masculine' attributes of a man and then talk about their 'feminine' attributes and still be able to ascribe sensible meaning to the word 'gender'. Butler (1990) argues that when the idea of 'woman' and 'man' are dispensed with, it is more difficult to see how these gendered attributes can still be viable. Butler (1990) states that gender cannot necessarily be referred to in terms of these attributes, or as a noun, a thing of itself, but rather as a verb. In this sense Butler considers gender to be performative, to be an act which constitutes itself rather than flowing from some other source. The criticism aimed by Butler (1990) at feminist theory is precisely that it has argued there must be a source for actions. This means that gender cannot be 'performed' of itself; it must be performed by something. Butler (1990) provides an example in the relationship between sexual desire and gender. Freud's explanation that attraction comes from biological sex is considered by Butler. She argues that sexual attraction, rather than coming from sex, is a process that is learned over time, that is a performance we work on, not something flowing directly from biological sex. The political implications of this argument are vital, especially for homosexuality. Kirsch (2001) argues that some people in the queer movement have accepted the primacy of biology. This idea is related to essentialism which relies on factors such as the 'gay gene' to explain homosexuality. In contrast to this view, a constructionist approach concentrates on the ways in which society encourages certain types of behaviour through social norms. 'Men' and 'women', within Butler's theory, are no longer essentialist universal categories but rather free-floating categories which are socially produced. The norms to which Butler is referring are those which see the body as being directly related to the types of sexual desire and practices that are associated with it (Salih Butler, 2004). Sexual desires and practices which do not fit within this matrix are 'not allowed'. In order to understand how sexed bodies are produced, Butler uses Lacan's reading of Freud (Salih Butler, 2004). Lacan argues that it is through fantasy that the sexed body is created. Salih (2002) points out that it is Butler's use of Freud that is one of her most important achievements. Here, she analyses Freud's idea of the Oedipus complex. This is where the child is forced to give up its desire for its parents by the incest taboo. Butler reinterprets this by arguing that the child desires the parent of the same sex, but finds that this is taboo. Sex and gender identities are then formed from this taboo. Butler argues that everyone's gender identity is formed from this homosexual ta boo. Butler refers to the formation of gender identity in terms of melancholic identification (Salih, 2002). The place where this identification can be seen, according to Butler, is on the body in the form of gender and sex identities. While Butler's theory of performativity along with her work in post-modern feminist theory has been extremely influential, it has also provoked a fair degree of criticism. Benhabib (1995) has argued that the death of the subject, which is at the heart of Butler's thesis, leads to an incoherent picture. Benhabib (1995) points out that it is difficult to believe there is nothing behind the mask of gender, that agency appears completely absent. In a parallel argument to Benhabib, Kirsch (2001) makes the point that this negation of the subject has negative consequences for ideas of identity and collective action. A sense of collectivity, in particular, is often seen by those 'coming out' as providing support. In Butler's theory, however, there is only the focus on the individual. To Kirsch (2001) it seems that Butler's theory tends to reduce the ability of the wider community to provide support to the individual. A more generalised criticism of modern feminism, however it is labelled, is that there is a sense in which it is an exclusive club. Butler's ideas relating to the performativity of gender are only available to a certain restricted group in society: white, middle-class, intellectual (Whelehan, 1995). Each feminist sub-movement implicitly creates its own lists of what can be done, and what cannot. Women, therefore, can find it difficult to label themselves as feminists as there are now many apparent bars to entry and negative associations with it (Whelehan, 1995). Perhaps in this sense second wave feminism, as enunciated by Firestone and Millet, provided a vision with which it was easier to associate. In contrast, post-modern perspectives, a category in which Butler's work has been put, provide a much more complex and illusory analysis of gender; even, as some critics would have it, making it harder for those attempting to live outside society's norms. It has been argued that theories such as those put forward by Butler have lead to the need for a new type of feminism (Pilcher Whelehan, 2004). This is precisely because postmodernist thought has rejected the 'grand narratives' associated with second wave feminism. As a result, women may find it difficult to claim the identity 'woman' as its nature is so contested in postmodernist thought (Pilcher Whelehan, 2004). This is part of the problem that so-called 'post-feminism' has attempted to address. This leads to an attempt to answer the question: What gender am I? Viewed through the influence of Butler's theories, it is increasingly difficult to provide a clear answer. The two answers that are most 'natural', male or female suddenly become obsolete expressions which appear devoid of their previous meaning. With the 'subject' apparently removed from the equation, it is difficult to lay claim to any particular gender. Certainly Butler's theory does not imply that both men and women can travel without hindrance across the boundaries of gender, far from it. Naturally society's norms still apply and even transgressions are carried out in relation to the norms themselves. Ultimately, though, the question comes back to the problem of agency. If it is up to me to choose my gender, as I wish, then who is doing the choosing? When Butler even rejects the idea of there being an actor at all, all meaning fades from the question What gender am I? In conclusion, the second wave of feminism brought a grand narrative view of the history of women's oppression. It pointed to oppression as a political institution enforced through social mechanisms such as the family, marriage and economics. Critics of this approach, however, questioned whether it was possible to set women up in direct opposition to men. Judith Butler responded to the second wave view by collapsing the ideas of gender and sex into each other. Gender, she argues, is performed, and so the subject in feminist thought, was apparently destroyed. But, argued critics of Butler, these notions of gender appear to restrict the political power of feminism, to leave it toothless, without its subject. Attempting to answer the question What gender am I? when viewed in the light of Butler's theory, leads to a sense of confusion. I could be both, I could be either, I could be neither. Is this freedom, or is it just too free-form? References Benhabib, S. (1995). Subjectivity, historiography, and politics: Reflections on the feminism/postmodernism exchange. In: S. Benhabib, J. Butler, D. Cornell, N. Fraser (Eds.). Feminist contentions: A philosophical exchange. New York: Routledge. Brooks, A. (1997). Postfeminisms: Feminism, cultural theory, and cultural forms. Oxford: Routledge. Butler, J. (1990). Gender Trouble: Gender and the Subversion of Identity. Oxford: Routledge. Clough, P. T. (2000) Judith Butler. In: G. Ritzer (Ed.). The Blackwell Companion to Major Social Theorists. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Beauvoir, S. (1961). The Second Sex. Translated by HM Parshley. New York: Bantam. Firestone, S. (1970). The dialectic of sex: The case for feminist revolution. New York: William Morrow and Company. Fraser, M. (2002). What is the matter of feminist criticism? Economy and Society, 31(4), 606-625. Gamble, S. (2002). The Routledge companion to feminism and postfeminism. Oxford: Routledge. Kirsch, M. (2001). Queer theory and social change. London: Routledge. MacNay, L. (1997). Foucault and feminism: power, gender and the self. London: Polity Press. Millet, K. (1970). Sexual politics. London: Ballantine. Pilcher, J., Whelehan, I. (2004) Key concepts in gender studies. London: Sage. Richards, J. (1982). The sceptical feminist: a philosophical enquiry. London: Penguin. Salih, S. (2002). Routledge critical thinkers: Judith Butler. Oxford: Routledge. Salih, S., Butler, J. (2004). The Judith Butler reader. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Sandford, S. (1999) Contingent ontologies: sex, gender and â€Å"woman† in Simone de Beauvoir and Judith Butler. Radical Philosophy 97, 18–29. Whelehan, I. (1995). Modern feminist thought: from the second wave to post-feminism. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Walt Whitman :: essays research papers

Walt Whitman Walt Whitman was born in a rural village on Long Island N.Y. on May, 31 1819. He went to school to five to six years, although he received most of his education from the literature he read. His first jobs consisted of being a printer and a school teacher. At the age of 27 he became editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, dismissed two years later because he had radically liberal views. In the early 1850’s he went back home to build houses with his father. Emerson believed Whitman wrote for the complete person, one that is willing to listen to one self. Whittier, however, judged Whitman’s work as â€Å"loose, lurid, and impious†. In 1855 the First edition of â€Å"Leaves of Grass†, this was classified as â€Å"poetry of barbarism† because it was radical, talking about things like sexuality, and it used exotic and vulgar language. His songs were songs not only of occupations but of sex and the body. He sand of masturbation, the sexual organism and the sexual act; he was one of the first poets to write of the â€Å"body electric,† of female eroticism, homosexuality love, and the anguish of repressed desire.(text book page 2846) He continued to revise this piece in the years 1856 and 1860. By the completion of â€Å"Leaves of Grass† it had 9 editions with more than 400 poems. In 1865 after working as a nurse in the Civil War he wrote â€Å"Drum-Taps†, he gathered in this into the fourth edition of â€Å"Leaves of Grass†. At 54 he suffered paralytic stroke and 19 years later he Died 19 years later in New Jersey. Whitman Became known in America as â€Å"Great Gray Poet†. Whitman gained more influence on America after his death. He was a modern man because he created his own rhythms using free verse. Leaves of grass was probably his most instrumental writing consisting of over 400 poems and would eventually become the most popular book of poetry ever written. Whitman's style was romantic and sensitive at a time when the US Civil War raged across the land with all its brutality and suffering. He greatly loved America, nonetheless, volunteering to tend the wounded in Washington, D.C., and writing a popular tribute to Abraham Lincoln, "O. Captain! My Captain!" A favorite of presidents ever since, Whitman wrote poetry praising America and touting the virtues of democracy. He made a trip to Camden New Jersey a few days before his mother’s death and stayed there for the remainder of his own life.

The Role of Consciousness in To Kill a Mockingbird :: Literary Analysis, Critical Analysis

When an old tired town does not have any good economic sources you might think that a parent won’t care about his or her children. In the novel â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† Atticus is the father of Jem and Scout. Atticus is like middle class in his society and is as one parent he is a good father unlike the Ewells father. The Finches are a loving family and sharing because the father teaches them different things about life he tells them how a gentleman and a lady would act and should say. Also theirs other people in the novel that also help Jem and Scout understand about life and what it leads to. One thing about learning conscience is that everything in life is not a joke. Atticus has thought Jem and Scout a lot of things in life. Atticus hasn’t been a bad father he is like a mom and dad in one. He also tries not to be so hard on his kids because their children and sometimes don’t know what they’re doing. Jem and Scout also have Calpurnia to take care of them and teach them something’s. But the Ewells are different from the Finches family. The Ewells are a poor and lonely family that nobody really is friendly with. Bob Ewells was a father of 8 kids and he was not that nice he dranked a lot and didn’t have respect for no one. Calpurnia had thought Scout some lessons in life to, Scout once had invited one of her classmate she got in a fight with to eat at her house. Scout had insult the boy because of the way he ate and Calpurnia told her â€Å"Theres some folks who don’t eat like us, but you aint called to contradiet ‘em at the table when they don’t. That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear† (24). Calpurnia was trying to tell Scout not to judge the boy because they all had different lives. Scout also had Aunt Alexandra to teach her about life because she was also like a mother to Scout. Aunt Alexandra acts a little more like a high rich standard she talks about how to act and pick her friends.

Environmental Crisis :: essays research papers

Environmental Crisis "We Have An Environmental Crisis Because We Have A People Crisis - A Crisis of Population Growth, of Wasteful Consumption of Resources, and A Crisis of Apathy and Inaction." An environmental crisis is an emergency concerned with the place in which every human lives - the environment. A people crisis is an emergency with the community that inhabits the world environment. A crisis of population growth is a turning point where the environment can no longer sustain the amounts of people which it contains. A crisis of apathy and inaction is one where the human race cannot be motivated to solve the problems with the environment that they themselves have created. The claim that we have an environmental crisis because we have a people crisis is valid because our environmental problems have largely resulted from population growth, which has lead to apathy and inaction with regard to the wasteful consumption of resources. Examples are the desertification of the Sahel in Africa, the one child policy in China and the mis-management of our oceans. The Sahel is a strip of land that extends for more than 6000 kilometres across the southern edge of the Sahara desert. It stretches from Senegal and Mauritania in the west to Ethiopia and Somalia in the east. These nations are among the world's poorest. The area is one of social and biophysical crisis because of the way the population are forced to live; they are destroying the productivity of the land. The alarming rate of population growth and ever increasing pressure on the land have initiated an expansion of desert-like conditions into the Sahel - a process called desertification. Traditionally, the people of the drier, northern Sahel followed a nomadic lifestyle, constantly moving their herds of cattle, sheep and goats over large areas in the search for suitable grazing land. These movements prevented overgrazing and lessened the likelihood of land degradation. With increasing human numbers, the increased intensity of land use, and the harvesting of trees and scrub for fuel wood threaten to overwhelm the region's fragile environment and result in permanent ecological damage and declining standard of living. During the 20th century 3.9 billion people have been added to the world's population. This is an increase of 244%. Rapid growth occurred because of the improvement of living conditions, reduced child mortality rates and increased life expectancy. The population of undeveloped nations will continue to grow in the foreseeable future because at present 45% of the population is under 15 years of age. In the North the population growth is slowing down because children are considered an expense. In Italy, Germany and Austria, the growth rate is

Policy development Essay

In layman’s terms, policy may be defined as a deliberate plan of action that is used to guide decisions and thereby achieve rational outcomes. There is a fallacy that policies only apply to governments. Policies may also apply to private sector organizations, groups and individuals. Difference between policy and law To a great extent, laws are used for compelling or prohibiting behaviors. Conversely, policies are used to guide actions so that the desired action may be achieved. There various types of policies. These include public, fiscal and urban policies. Consequently, policies may then be understood as the political, management and administrative mechanisms arranged to reach certain explicit goals. Involvement Various individuals and groups in society try to shape up policy by way of advocacy, education and the mobilization of interest groups. The aim of doing so is to sway the policy makers to make decisions that will be in their favor. It is all about interest at the end of the day. If particular groups in society feel it is in their interest that certain policies be made in their favor, they try as much to advocate for them by way of lobbying. According to Cohen, De la Vega & Watson, in advocacy, certain groups or individuals in society take it upon themselves to educate the public and also the policy makers about the nature of the problems, the kind of legislation required to deal with the said problems including the funding required to provide the necessary services and/or conduct research (2001). In my community located in a small town in Pennsylvania, the major issue of concern is access to clean water. Water is life so the saying goes. However, in my small community, more and more people are finding it considerably hard to access reliable and safe water. Most of the local streams where the majority of the people obtain their water from are becoming openly polluted (Clean Water Action, N. d. ). This makes the water an issue of serious concern. As an individual member of our local community organization, known as, Water is Life, involvement is usually in the following policy areas. The reason I am involved in the policy is, unless the issue is addressed sooner rather than later, it may turn disastrous. There is no life without water. Lobbying The aim is to influence our representatives to institute meaningful change (Richan, 2006). The local town council which is an arm of the government needs to make sure that clean water is availed. The mayor’s election pledge was that clean water will be provided to the residents of the community as soon as he got into office. It has been six months and the taps are still dry. Consequently, I have established that the most effective lobby methods to use so as to reach the locals are letter writing, phone calls and meetings. This way the residents stay informed on the activities that the organization is involved in. However, the use of e-mails has proved to be much faster and convenient. With the growth of information and communication technology, members of the community have access to the internet (Grassroots lobbying techniques, N. d). However, it is not only the resident of the community who have been receiving the letters, emails and phone calls but also the mayor and Governor Rendell. Advocacy Cohen, De la Vega & Watson, define advocacy as the quest of influencing outcomes that in one way or another have an effect on people’s lives (2001). Advocacy is an integral part in policy and resource allocation decision. Advocacy is necessary if the adoption of the Buffer 100 policy is to become a reality and also if the protection of the streams and provision of clean water is to be realized. Through advocacy, the community organization Water is Life, has been able to give a voice to the residents of the community. More over, it has helped to mobilize them towards a common goal. Community mobilization The single most important resource that a community may use to influence policy is the people. When the people get together, they are better able to provide solutions to their most immediate problems. As part of the mobilization efforts, I am involved in handling out of pamphlets and organizing village meetings (Handbook, N. d). However, it is important to note that all these endeavors may not be successful without some kind of education. The locals have to be clearly informed on why their participation is important. Accordingly, the community organization (Water is Life), which may be regarded to an interest group pushing for the needs of the community and the policy implementers (the town council, the Office of the Mayor and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) may be referred to as the main actors. They are the main players in this policy issue. The individuals who have mostly been affected by the policy are the residents of the community. These actors are involved in different parts of the policy development process, right from the identification of the problem all through to the evaluations stage. Issue of concern There are many people in the community who are facing the possibility of not being able to access safe water. The residents should unite and support the implementation of the Buffer 100 policy which will protect the Pennsylvania streams from pollution (Clean water Action (N. d. ). Clean water has many uses. For drinking, cooking, washing and cleaning. There is as strain on the availability of safe water because the population has increased while water sources have remained constant while some have been destroyed. It is hard to imagine what the situation will be like in a few years time with population growth. There will be more demand for clean drinking water though the supply will be next to none. While the community was able to support a smaller population in the early 1980’s comfortable with the water resource given by Mother Nature, it has become considerably hard to continue with the trend. Human activity (pollution), the clearing of forests and other water catchments areas plus the effects of global warming are all to blame (Real Estate Futurist, 2009). The Clean Water Act is the chief federal law in the United States used to govern water pollution (Ryan, 2004). The clean water issue is contained within the broader realm of environmental policies. To a great extent, the formulation of water policy heavily relies on input from numerous parties/actors; from individuals, groups, communities and policy implementers. Their main duty is to avail critical information and expertise necessary for the understanding and addressing of water provision concerns. Extent to which the issue affects a larger number of people It has already been established that clean water is an absolute necessity. Without clean water, the existence of life becomes precarious. According to United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on climate change, a massive 2 billion people will not have access to clean drinking water by the year 2050. What is even more shocking is that the number may rise to 3. 2 billion people by the year 2080 (Associated Press, 2008). For evidence and proof that indeed water has become a scarce resource one only needs to open the newspapers and /or watch news for pictures of dry barren lands and animal carcasses under the scorching sun in such parts of the world as Africa. In the US, some regions are at the limit of their fresh water supplies. One major region that is experiencing water shortage is California. It is expected that between the year 2000 and 2015, the population will have doubled up. Think of the resulting stress on the provision of clean water. The lack of water has far reaching consequences. There will be less food production. Think of the West part of America which relies on irrigation to sustain agriculture (Real Estate Futurist, 2009)? Less food production will then mean that food will become more expensive. In the US, the people who may be most affected by the lack of safe water are the very young and the old. Thus, these include children of school going age and the old people most of who live in retirement homes. More over, people from marginalized communities for instance, the Latin Americans and immigrants from other countries may be affected. In terms of gender, women may be most affected as they are the ones who are mostly charged with the duties of looking for water. More over, they perform most of the activities where water is primal such as cooking and cleaning. Nevertheless, people who are in the lower end of the income bracket will also be more affected. Think of the people in manual/temporary labor who earn less than one dollar a day. In the event of water shortage, they will not have any money to spare for the purchase of water. They may then result to using contaminated water which is a health hazard. There is need for the adoption of better policies that will guarantee better access to safe water regardless of race or social class. Conclusion Policies are deliberate plan of actions used to not only guide decision but also to achieve a logical and rational outcome in particular issues and activities. Some of today’s policy issues are to be found in the environmental, health and education sectors. The availability and provision of safe water is a serious local and global issue in the environmental realm. Individuals and groups alike are involved in advocacy and lobbying as a way of influencing actors involved in policy development and implementation such as government representatives to act accordingly. The aim is to voice the concern of the people most affected by the issues; local communities. Unless, the water issue is addressed now there will be worse things to worry about in future. References. Clean water Action (N. d. ). Retrieved March 20, 2009 from http://www.cleanwateraction. org/ Clean Water. (2009). Real Estate Futurist. Retrieved March 20, 2009 from http://www. realestatefuturist. com/re-environmentwater. asp Cohen, D. , De la Vega, R. & Watson, G. (2001). Advocacy for social justice. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press Inc. Experts warn of severe water shortages by 2080. (2008). Associated Press. Retrieved March 20, 2009 from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/27781117/l Gerston, L. (1997). Public policy making: Process and principle. New York: M. E. Sharpe. Grass root lobbying techniques. (N. d. ). Retrieved March 20 2009 from http://fsalc. com/root. html Handbook: Non-formal adult education facilitators. (N. d. ). Retrieved March 20, 2009 http://www2. unescobkk. org/elib/publications/nonformal/M1. pdf Richan, W. (2006). Lobbying for social change. New York: Routledge. Ryan, M. (2004). The Clean Water Act handbook. Chicago: American Bar Association. Smith, B. (2003). Public policy and public participation: Engaging citizens and community in the development of public policy. Health Canada. Retrieved March 20, 2009 from http://www. phac-aspc. gc. ca/canada/regions/atlantic/pdf/pub_policy_partic_e. pdf

Netflix Business Risks Essay

For a low monthly price Netflix allows their customers not only to streamline videos on their mobile devices and computers but also choose from a wide variety of DVD’s. This allows for the consumer to watch as much which is beneficial for someone that has a busy schedule and would like to go back and catch up where they left off. As with every business there are risks associated with the everyday operations and I will go into detail as to what the risks are that Netflix has encountered. Business Risk I was a Netflix customer back in 2010 and I was pleased with the low monthly rate associated with a Netflix membership. This option was wonderful with a houseful of children that had different likes in what they watched everyone was pleased. As I carefully monitored my monthly bank statements the low price was at a constant rate up until the middle of July 2011. My monthly fee of $8.50 went up to $16.00 which nearly doubled. More than doubled. I made the honest mistake of not taking into consideration the economic downturn and what risks were associated with such a good deal. As the saying goes, if it is too good to be true it must be. With a household of 7 I had to outweigh the pros and cons of paying an additional $8.00 a month. While comparing the previous membership price along with the new membership price there was no return on the company’s part. I was still able to view movies via streaming online as well as DVD’s in the mail. So why did the the price jump? Pogue (2011) states, â€Å"This, as you can imagine, is not a popular decision. This isn’t a cost-of-living increase. This isn’t inflation. It’s a 60 percent overnight price increase — that gives you nothing new in return.† Not only was I the only irate customer. Netflix felt this chain of reaction across the globe, the consequence of a 60% price increased caused Netflix to lose 800,000 customers in their third quarter. Operational Risks Netflix’s Chief Executive Office Reed Hastings made the decision in splitting Netflix into two separate companies. One of the companies will be specifically for streaming movies on demand and the other company will be called Qwikster specifically for the DVD business. Blodget (2011) states, â€Å"And we can also certainly understand why, from the company’s perspective, it makes sense to split the DVD and streaming businesses into two separate companies: They’re different businesses, with different cost structures and different delivery, marketing, licensing, and management challenges, and they will be easier to run better if they’re managed separately.† Split in Two. It only makes sense to create two companies that would help them focus on their main objective. Since Qwikster will be for the dvd section library they have to take into consideration the costs of shipping out a dvd, the quantity of inventory in the warehouse as well as inventory turnov er. Online streaming does not the same costs associated since the consumer is just a click away from watching at their convenience. Consumers are sometimes forced in choosing the DVD’s because as I have experienced myself some of the older and newer versions of movies are not available to stream online. For example, Willow was an all-time favorite of mine during my childhood, while checking the streaming library I came across the movie but once I had clicked on the title it showed it was only available via DVD. I have a very bad habit in returning the Netflix dvd given there are no additional shipping costs associated with the dvd, but the downfall for Netflix is that there is one less dvd out in the world and the inventory won’t be replenished until I return this movie. Financial Risk Netflix domestic online streaming has a committed amount of customers while domestic dvd are hit the worst. Netflix membership plans include $8.00 a month for unlimited streaming, for an additional $8.00 more a month customers can add unlimited DVD’s, and if the consumer is interested in Blu-ray disks then they would add an additional $2.00 on top of dvd price bringing it up to $10.00 for Blu-ray’s. Hurley (2012) states, â€Å"Nevertheless, gross, operating, and net income margins have been sliding steadily and substantially for several years. Moreover, Netflix continues to rely on subscriptions to its DVD’s-by-mail service to prop up net income. Although management officially altered corporate strategy to place emphasis  on streaming services rather than DVD-by-mail services and there are more than twice as many streaming subscriptions as by-mail subscriptions.† Strong Force. In December 2012 it was announced that both Disney (DIS) and Netflix (NFLX) announced a deal that would allow Disney shows and movies to be available to only Netflix’s subscribers. The result of this announcement resulted in Netflix stock rise to 15%. This is great news for consumers like me who is a Disney fanatic, now I will have a reason to stay with Netflix so that I can watch Disney movies with an unlimited amount of time. Conclusion When the price increase occurred back in 2011, I did cancel my membership because I was still feeling the economic downturn in my household. I would rather use that $18.00 towards filling up my gas tank rather than watch TV, in my eyes needs are more important than wants in my household. In mid-2012 I had a career change that resulted in a higher income. I now had a little extra play money to apply to a want that I once had and since Netflix allowed my children to be satisfied and allowed for some quiet time on my end, I went ahead and renewed my subscription. Being on Netflix for a few months I can say that I was extremely stoked when the announcement of Disney and Netflix working together. References Blodget, H. (2011). With all respect to Reed Hastings, the Netflix-Qwikster split bad for customers. Retrieved from http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/respect-reed-hastings-netflix-qwikster-split-bad-customers-160148340.html Hurley, D. (2012). Could Netflix bounce in 2013? Retrieved from http://www.wealthlift.com/blog/netflix-bounce-2013/ Pogue, D. (2011). Why Netflix raised its prices. Retrieved from http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/14/why-netflix-raised-its-prices/

How to write a good CV

If you need to find a good job, you need to have a good CV. Despite the fact that there is a lot of information circulating, many CV's arriving the consulting companies are wrongly done. Depending on the applicant's professional experience and age, the CV can have between one or two pages. For the recently graduated applicants with less than 5 years of working experience, it is recommended that the CV is no longer than 1 page. If applying for top jobs, like managers, it can be two pages long, but no more than that. It should always be written in computer, in an A4 page, and using only one type of font or, at most, two (one for the text and one for titles). It is not advisable to use colours and it should be printed in a white, smooth page. A good CV is divided in clearly identified parts, and the information must be placed following an order. First, personal data or information should be written, taking into account that it should be as short as possible and specifying information directly. It's always good to write as many contact ways as possible: telephone, cell phone, e-mail, etc. The age can be replaced by the date of birth and the CUIL number must not be missing. If the person is applying for a job that requires availability to travel or to settle in the exterior, he should add the passport number or the driving's licence number. Second, the applicant must write the information related to the academic formation. This should be no longer than one fourth of the page and it should be written in reverse order: from the latest to the oldest. Primary school studies are not relevant and high school studies are written only when the attended school is well-known or bilingual. If the university studies are complete, the type of degree received is written (engineer, doctor, lawyer, etc.), the university attended and the year of graduation. If the career average is higher than 8, or the degree was obtained at a public institution, or if you received a medal of honour, you can add that information too. When the university studies are not finished, you have to write the name of the career, the institution and the year. If you are still studying, you must add the percentage passed up to the day of sending the CV. The third part of the CV shows the professional experience, which is the most important section of a CV. The professional experience is written starting by the most recent job and going backwards. To the left of the page you must write the name of the company you have worked for; if that company is not well-known you should write in a few words what does the company do. In the same line you should write the date you entered the company and when you left it. Below this line the applicant should write the name of the job and include in categories like â€Å"administration† or â€Å"sales†. Then you should write what tasks you had to in that position. The first line can be used to describe how many people or the budget you had to do that job. Then you should write your â€Å"achievements and responsibilities† in that position. Unless the advertisement asks to write references, these should not be included. In fourth place, you must write the languages you can handle. Unless you are sending the CV to another country, the mother language should not be included. You should always write which languages you can handle, if you can read it, write it or talk; and your level of it. The last part of the CV displays the computer skills, grouped by their type; for example, the Office programs or the management programs. You should write the name of the program and if your level of it is basic, intermediate or advanced. A CV is never signed and it should never include the expected salary, because that is always written in the application letter. It is also a good idea, though not crucial, to include a photograph, which is generally in the top, right corner of the page.

Transcript of Spoken Interaction with a Critical Commentary Essay

Transcript of Spoken Interaction with a Critical Commentary - Essay Example It helps researchers to determine a child’s sound abilities. Most natural discourse involves an adult and a child. The linguistic feature of the transcript below is phonology awareness, which involves analysis of sound patterns to come up with meanings. Many children learn to produce sounds, but cannot relate the sounds to the meanings of words. Other children are able to merge sounds to formulate words. The informant is a three-year-old girl. The dialogue took place on a farm in the countryside. The adult and the child were having a conversation about what they saw as in the farm. The adult is a distant relative of the child. They talked about the animals, plants and fruits, which they saw. Children listen to various sounds to learn their languages. They learn to differentiate various sounds, and to divide the speech into meaningful units to enable them to come up with words and sentences. Children also have to learn to extract a word from a speech sequence, and to understand the meaning of the word. They also learn to distinguish different sounds to understand the meanings of words with the same sounds. Some children may learn the meaning of words, but are unable to produce the correct sounds in their speech. Phonological awareness is the capability to concentrate on the elements of sound in speech. It also involves manipulation of sound elements such as syllables and phonemes. The awareness may include matching, fusion and study of spoken words. Child phonology describes the phenomena in children’s language. The descriptions of these aspects and developmental patterns are not sufficient to come up with a proposition of attainment of phonology. There are two dim ensions of phonological awareness; the first deals with the magnitude of the sound unit, while the second looks into the nature of manipulation of sound units. The second dimension also involves a child’

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Research - Essay Example Over time, the organization’s idea has evolved from just the acquisition of skills to developing of cognitive processes accompanying the acquisition of the required skills. It is has been proposed that workplace learning should involve a process of reasoned learning that is projected towards the prerequisite outcomes for both the individual employees and the organization (Bratton 2008, 16). These outcomes should steer a sustained development for both these parties, within the present and the foreseeable future context of organizational goals and the career development of the individual employees. The performance capacity of the organization has been recognized to depend almost entirely on the learning capability of the workforce. Increased extent of the globalization of the workforce is characterized by innovative approaches to learning so that the barriers often imposed from outside the business world can be overcome (Ashton and Johnny 2002, 16). The emphasis placed on individual employees’ improvement linking it to an organization’s strategic direction has helped in the understanding of workplace learning. This is through administering the relationships existing between organizational and the individuals’ capabilities. The intention for this is to make learning to be integrated into the everyday work practices of the employees, and for the work to become a viable source for learning new practices and methods. The diversity which exists in the current work environment includes the organizational cultures, work practices, organizational policies and the various human resource systems. The diversity has been known to influence workplace learning for individuals, groups and the organization at large (Ashton and Johnny 2002, 24). The most important reason for the provision of learning and development in an organization is to enable the employees to Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1 Research - Essay Example In this respect, it is quite essential to reassess all the data collection sources, which the researcher wants to incorporate in his research work. There are several different types of data collection sources which are directed to reveal different type of information related with the research context. I have used primary and secondary data collection mythologies in the research. For using such methods, it is quite crucial for me to reveal merits and demerits of different types of data sources and align them with his objectives of the research so that the work related to the current research can be performed and conducted in the most efficient and effective manner. The presented paper is aimed to reveal the importance and effectiveness of different research methods taken into account for the purpose of undertaking a competent research work on the topic, i.e. ‘the risk management strategy of HSBC and Barclays’. This research topic is selected for the research work as it is a comprehensive research topic, which contains some crucial and effective insights into risk management theories and practices undertaken by different business organizations. However, the span of this research topic is so comprehensive that different types of data collection sources seem to be in need. ... These two methods are relevant Internet sources and review of 'hard copy' books and journals. In addition to this, with the help of measure of reviewing 'hard copy' books and journals, an intensive library research has been conducted, in which different books and journal articles available in the library in hard copy have been reviewed. These both methods have been used for the purpose of extracting some secondary type of information. A secondary type of information can be said to be the information which has already been gathered and collected and used by previous scholars in their research work. A brief discussion regarding these two different data collection methods and their usability and applicability are presented as below: Critical Analysis of Secondary Sources for Data Collection The first and foremost method undertaken by me for collecting data regarding operational policies of both banks is Internet. In this method, the website of both banks, their annual reports and other online available sources have been taken into account for the purpose of collecting information regarding differences and similarities between risk management strategies of both banks. This method used in the research work has been proved quite helpful for retrieving the desired information. Internet is a vast source of information through which different types of information can be retrieved without investing significant amount of time and efforts. This research work based on the usage of Internet sources was quite efficient as the research problem can be resolved by retrieving some of internal information related with bank’s policies and operations. The internet search has been done for this purpose as this is the place where interviews

The Sonnet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Sonnet - Essay Example . A line of poetry that repeatedly uses an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable is called an iambic line. (Harrison, 68) The basic form of traditional Italian sonnets was different from the English or Shakespearean sonnet. â€Å"The Italian sonnet has two parts: an eight-line stanza called an octave and a six-line stanza called a sestet.† (Elizabeth and Hamilton, 263) However, its British originators introduced other elements related to human lives as well, and this required the traditional form of the sonnet to evolve accordingly. Consequently, the form of the sonnet changed to interweave multiple themes, for instance, in Sonnet 18, the principal themes are: beauty, life, death and eternity; while each theme is dealt in distinct quartos in a different way. This Sonnet like other Shakespearean sonnets has 14 lines in iambic pentameter, which are divided into three quatrains, followed by a couplet. The different parts of Sonnet 18 cater to different stages of the development and transition of thought or the central idea of the poem. In the first quarto of Sonnet 18, the poet introduces an object of comparison ‘summer’s day’ with his beloved’s beauty and analyzes different perspectives of this comparison. The use of comparatives like ‘more lovely and more temperate’ (2) and superlatives like ‘too short’ (4) enhance the comparison between the beauty of the poet’s beloved and the summer’s day. Hence, a summer’s day acts as a stimulant for the poet that becomes so inspired by its beauty that he deems it fit to be compared with his beloved’s beauty. However, once he begins to compare their beauties, he realizes that his beloved exalts in so many ways. The idea continues to develop in the second quarto where the emphasis switches from beauty to glory of a summer’s day. According to the poet, some days might be brighter than others,

Case study on Zara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Case study on Zara - Essay Example 67). Political Factors While considering the political aspect, apparel companies should have various interactions with the governments to understand the government policies for the intercession in the legal and economic aspects to aid the decision making process. Government bodies, especially those belonging to the emerging economises like India and China have welcomed foreign invest with open arms. However, there are different restrictions in various nations that need to be considered before making market entry. Add to that the trade policies in different countries may need certain adjustments on the part of the companies. E.g. China has a currency policy that results in imports to be higher than the market price. Economic Factors At present the northern American and the EU nations are looking to comeback from the shock-waves of the economic down-turn. Downward economic trend may have transformed regular clothing purchases into luxury purchases or ‘splurge’ as due to th e downturn there might have been a dip in the disposable incomes. Also the rise in the rates of personal saving may have had a negative impact on the consumer demand. However, the recent global growth went up to 3.6 percent in the 1st quarter of 2012. This likely to supplement the expansion strategy of the apparel companies as majority of the apparel companies are looking to enter emerging economies like India and China (Henry, 2008, p. 89). Social Factors As mentioned before due to the downward economic trend consumers are looking to spend more on education, leisure, travel, healthcare, electronics, etc and relatively less on clothing. Also the consumers have become a lot more environment conscious and look to do business with... Zara is one of the leading global fast-fashion brands. The organization has implemented both cost leadership and differentiation strategy as their business level strategy. They have effectively implemented vertical integration strategy in their supply chain network. Though Zara is one of the renowned and popular global brands, the organization may face several difficulties through their centralized manufacturing strategy. Their business model is cost-effective and they have set up business goals and objectives effectively basis on the model. It is feasible that the execution of determined strategies have bought success for Zara. Finally, it can be said the Zara should look to expand their business and adopt decentralize manufacturing process in the developing BRICK countries. Zara quickly develops the new feature and designs as the organization has the fast development option from the concept to point of sales. On an average, it takes 6 weeks. The positioning of Zara clearly address that it is not a luxurious fashion brand but the organization used to target the price sensitive people with the help of fashionable designs of clothes in reasonable price level. They have always differentiated their product line by the relentless introduction of latest and new designed clothes in less quantity at rapid speed and the affordable price level of the products is the evidence of the large scale customization necessity of the target audience.

Employablility skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Employablility skills - Assignment Example I adhere to rules and regulations that are highly stipulated in the interworking of the banking industry, an ostensibly capitalistic system with stringent rules that are not stringently enforced (Beard, 2007, p.74). I was a summer analyst at [Quator capital] last year where I prepared books of accounts, analyzed clients presentations and built financial models for leveraged buyouts and credit reviews. I participated in deal calls as a team member in Financial Institutions Group and gained an understanding of how the needs of a client are best met on time. Presently as the organizing secretary of Brighton College Student Association, I oversee financial transactions for over 100 student organizations and a $600,000 budget, challenges which draw on my attention to details and ability to keep manifold priorities in balance (Teed & Bhattacharya, 2002, p.128). I am enticed by the practice of your firm of bringing together a hierarchy of assorted team members with diverse opportunities that bring in a distinction through creativity in solving problems that emerge in daily operations in the firm, a chance that embraces my best capability in critical thinking (Beard, 2007, p.79). Your investment firm is committed to service projects like mentoring at-risk learners and food serving in the local shelters, an advance that is appealing to me to be given my volunteer experience with our local Big Sisters program. The market global position and the client-centered philosophy of the firm combined with the opportunity to contribute to the community make your firm a thrilling place to build my career (Thorpe & Dulgarian, 2008, p.74). This opportunity will enable me to gain experience in professional industry while undertaking my undergraduate degree as it will grant me with both a competitive edge in the marketplace as well as an opportunity to exper ience the

Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Marketing Plan - Essay Example Taj Mahal restaurant is a place which specializes in original, spicy Indian food made by proficient Indian chefs. The interior of the restaurant and it's atmosphere are discussed in the essay. Firstly, this essay focuses on it's audience. Their main customers would be the large number of New Yorkers who have heard about the Indian food and are looking for a quality place to eat, those couples and families who are bored from the routine food outlets and want something special. Secondly, their strategy will be to use direct advertising with comparatively low cost advertising means. The common advertising means that newspapers, magazines, pamphlets etc. will be utilized. The initial budget issue was explored too. The initial capital required for the business is $1,000,000 which includes the lease of building, the cost of furniture, interior decoration etc, budget statistics in a table was provided in the essay. In the final analysis, the researcher concludes that the restaurant business is very profitable investment when carefully planned. Examples show that such restaurants have a good rate of success which comes up with innovative ideas to meet an existing market need. Indian culture and food had recently gained popularity among western consumers. In scenario this essay explored, Taj Mahal Restaurant have a professionally conceived business plan to attract customers through a unique entertainment package along with quality food. Hence, it is hoped by the researcher that the idea will gain popularity beyond expectations.

Report of app design which is (Mnchester bus times) Essay

Report of app design which is (Mnchester bus times) - Essay Example Manchester bus time’s application has several features, which make it a favorite application for the users. The most distinguished element of the application is the route maps, which will empower all passengers on the various areas the buses, have access. The invention of route maps was to allow people to be well versed with different areas even those who may not know the area or bus network well. For this reason, route maps were a necessary feature on the application. Live information is another notable feature on the application and it entails notifying the passengers on the different undertakings of the buses. Through live information, feature passengers can have access to all the transport information they need without having to download or wait for prior schedules (Travel Manchester, pg 5, 2010). The live information feature will cut across all the modes of transportation- city buses, tram networks, and trains. In addition, the application has the feature of favorite stop s, which shows the transport networks’ regular stops. The Manchester bus time’s application has several usages the major one being provision of journey information to passengers in an accessible way. Before the invention of the application, the only accessible information concerning journeys was that from the operator’s point of view. This means that passengers could not have access to data that was relevant to their needs and had to work with the operators’ data. Since the inception of the application, passengers of public transport can now get journey data regarding different transport networks. Manchester Bus Time application has received enormous support from its users because of its ease of use. Manchester bus time application is a smart phone application, which means that passengers can have right to use all the transport information they require at the touch of a button on their smart

A religious or moral issue Essay Example for Free

A religious or moral issue Essay Analyse and explain the way in which a religious or moral issue of concern to Christians has been dealt with in a television soap opera The moral issue that I have chosen to follow is adultery, which is when a married person has voluntary sexual intercourse with other married or not married people, rather than his or her spouse. The reason I have chosen this moral issue is because it is part of everyday life, many people are doing it and are not taking notice of the hurt and pain they are causing. I have chosen Eastenders for my soap opera, because it is a popular soap and the moral issue adultery is shown, through Natalie and Rickys affair. Christians have a strong view on adultery, they believe that you should keep sexual intercourse for marriage because it makes it part of a religious or spiritual contact and it makes it dependant on a commitment to spend the rest of your life with someone, also Do not commit adultery is one of the ten commandments, so Christians are totally against adultery. The main characters involved were Ricky, Natalie, Pat and Barry. The storyline begins with, Ricky and his son Liam coming back to the square after a few years away. After a few weeks Ricky is starting to settle down and he is renting a flat with Sam Mitchell his ex-wife, Natalie and Ricky are friends at this point. After a while Natalie realizes she still loves Ricky, her first love, and starts meeting up with him secretly and has sexual intercourse with him. Natalie makes up excuses saying that shes working overtime and during her lunch breaks when shes really meeting up with Ricky. One night Pat sees Ricky picking up Natalie from round the corner from their house. The next morning Pat confronts Natalie about what she saw and tells her to end it but Natalie starts crying and says that she still loves Ricky, but Pat tells Natalie about her own love life and that she would be making a big mistake by seeing Ricky. Natalie is still confused and not sure whom she wants to be with. On Rickys birthday Natalie stays home and looks after Jack and Liam, Rickys son. So Barry, Pat and Roy can go to Rickys party soon after they arrive Barry persuades Roy and Pat to go home and baby-sit so Natalie can come to the party. When Natalie arrives she gives Ricky his card and on the back of the envelope Natalie wrote meet me outside the back where she tells him that she is going to leave Barry. Pat and Natalie talk again and Pat shows Natalie the secret tape, which Barry has recorded for Natalies birthday it is a really special tape because Barry says how much he loves her, how important she is to him and how happy she makes him feel, after seeing the video Natalie realises that she is doing wrong and tells Ricky its over. Natalie realises she cant forget Ricky and soon their affair is back on and they plan to move away from the square and start afresh. They plan to leave on Natalies birthday, Natalie doesnt even care about the preparations that Barry made for her birthday party in the Vic. They are ready to head off but Rickys car has broken down so they have to take the car that Barry bought for Natalie. Barry is still in the Vic waiting for the guest of honour to arrive but Janine knows about Ricky and Natalie and tells Barry. Barry runs outside and sees Natalie driving off but he stops them. Natalie then tells Barry shes leaving him, Barry takes her into the Vic and shows her what he has organised for her, Natalie runs off to the toilets Barry runs after her and tries o make her change her mind but her minds already made up. Natalie is ready to leave but then Janine tells Natalie that Ricky slept with Sam, Natalie leaves the square only taking her son with her. Barry is left heartbroken, he then finds out that Pat knew about Ricky and Natalie, Pat and Roy end up having an argument about it, Roy has a heart attack and dies. The issue seen was dealt sensitively because the different characters feelings were expressed, although it was Natalie who was having the affair, you could see that not only was it the innocent partner that was confused but the partner which was committing adultery was even more confused, Natalie wasnt sure who she wanted to be with at some points and was getting very upset over it. Pat tried to help her make the right decision but Natalie didnt care. This soap opera made the moral issue less appealing, I think that it made people think more about what they are doing is totally wrong. The reason it did not make it more appealing is because it showed all the different circumstances people were left in, Natalie ended it with Ricky because he slept with Sam, Barry was left with no son and no wife, the baby was left with no father, Pat was left as the enemy and homeless because Roy dies and leaves the house to Barry, so the issue was shown well balanced because all the main characters feelings and circumstances were shown, many of the characters were feeling hurt. Overall I think this soap opera has shown adultery to be unpleasant because it shows just how many peoples lives are ruined not just the adultery committers, but people who try to help them understand what they are doing is wrong, but are then given the evil for not telling the truthful partner. So this teaches most viewers that adultery is not a good thing. I dont think that soap operas might affect peoples behaviour because mostly they deal with issues to express the circumstances of good and bad. This issue would not cause offence because although it is an issue, which is happening in everyday life it is not based on particular people.

The NFL Strikes of 1982 and 1987 Essay Example for Free

The NFL Strikes of 1982 and 1987 Essay Introduction The National Football League (NFL) strikes of 1982 and 1987 were considered groundbreaking events in the NFL but not because it succeeded in its aims. On the contrary, they can justifiably be called abysmal failures. In its failures, the two events gained notoriety and a place in history as: the shortest season in the history of football; the first time replacements were used in a professional football game; and focused on the issue of free agency among football players. This paper will provide an overview of the actual events and discuss the how it went wrong. Background In order to understand the NFL strikes of 1982 and 1987, it would be important to give a background on the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). The union formed with the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns agreed to join up in 1956 to demand minimum wage and other benefits of NFL players. They were helped in getting the rest of the players of the 28 teams in the NFL sign in by Don Shula (Baltimore Colts), Frank Gifford and Sam Gifford (New York Giants) and Norm Van Brocklin (Los Angeles Rams). (â€Å"National Football League Players Association,† 2007) The NFLPA was not blessed with much influence with the owners of the league, and were pretty much ineffective in pushing their aims and goals through. An attempt to strike prior to the start of the 1956 season did not even get off the ground. Prior to 1982, players operated under a very loose arrangement with team owners; signing bonuses were unheard of and often there were no contracts. The pay scale was far from standard; rookies could be earning more than players of several years standing, unbeknownst to either player. Usually, it was no big deal, until players found out about, usually during shower conversations. (Forbes, 2001) Players also had the most rudimentary of health insurance and training support in terms of finances from the team owners. It was not a given that player uniforms were paid for by the team owners and that they were paid even when injured and unable to play. Because team owners refused to take the calls of the NFLPA for meetings seriously, declining even to show up, the union leaders threatened to file an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, emboldened by the a recent ruling the Supreme Court in which it denied immunity of the NFL from antitrust laws. The union milked this for all it was worth in the ensuing years, succeeding in winning small victories such as pension and health plans. However, it was not until 1968, twelve years after it was first formed that it became recognized as the official labor union of the NFL. Players went on strike duriong training led by the Cleveland Brown’s Bernie Parrish at the instigation of a major labor union, and the team owners retaliated by locking down the training camps. Afyet a brief interval, a compromise was rached the the NFLPA gained its union contract, such as it was (â€Å"National Football League Players Association,† 2007). The contract was one-sided at best, leaving players with very little leverage during subsequent strikes in 1970, 1974 and 1975 and they were plagued by players crossing the picket line, breaking up the solidarity (Staudohar, 1988). III. The strike of ‘82 The impetus for the 1982 strike was a combination of several factors. After the aborted 1974 strike, lawyer Edward Garvey took over a executive director of the NFLPA. Formerly from the firm representing the NFLPA, Garvey was not new to collective bargaining, and he was determined that the players would get the concessions they have been asking for. It was also at this time that the news spread about an agreement with a television station would almost tripled the owners’ television revenues compared to the previous year. Moreover, the United States Football League (USFL) was slated to start in 1983, effectively breaking the monopoly of the NFL and giving football players more bargaining leverage. All these factors led to the declaration of a strike by the NFLPA on September 19, 1982 and it would last 57 days until November 16 of the same year. The union demanded that players get 55% of the gross revenues of the league. (â€Å"National Football League Players Association,† 2007) Despite the solid front displayed by the players, the NFL refused to give in, opting to shave 7 games off the 16-game season, which was the period in which the strike was ongoing. In the meantime, union leaders organized several â€Å"all-star games† but these did not fare well with the fans nor did it generate sufficient interest for television coverage. In the end, with the networks failing to support the players and the NFL standing fast, the strike ended without the players getting their 55%. When the USFL started in 1983, players were able to bargain for better terms or leave the league. (Staudohar, 1988) The 1987 strike In the interim between the 1982 and 1987 strike, developments in the professional sport led to the demands for better pay as well as the right to free agency. The contract between the NFL and the union was set to expire on August 31, 1987. In 1986, the USFL ceased to operate, emboldening the NFL to allow the strike to happen without fear of the players going to the USFL. The NFLPA had also managed to publish the first NFLPA Base Salary Directory, which provided the basis for salary negotiations for players. (Forbes, 2001) The actual strike was again triggered by a television contract, this time increasing the NFL owners’ revenues to $17,000,000. This time, the union negotiators, Jack Donlan and football player Gene Upshaw have had experience in collective bargaining prior to the strike, and worked well with each other. However, the negotiators had bosses, and the there were a lot of dissenting voices. This is not surprising considering that there was one representative from each of the 28 teams, forming them union’s labor policy making team called the Management Council led by executive director Jack Donlan and another six delegates to form the Council Executive Committee. It was Donlan’s responsibility to promote cohesion in the demands of the union as well as ensure that negotiations keep to limits set by the Council members. Some of the union demands were as follows: minimum salaries severance pay right to free agency elimination of artificial turf (Staudohar, 1988) A football player’s professional life is short, less than four years before becoming too injured to continue playing. Therefore, it is logical that they try to get as much money as they are able to during their productive seasons. However, the 1987 strike did not really emphasize this. What was emphasized by the players who were interviewed and in the subsequent negotiations of union leaders was the right to free agency. Free agency is about a professional player’s right to negotiate with any number of teams for the sale of their services once their contract expires provided they had fulfilled some conditions of tenure. There are five categories of free agency: unrestricted (UFA); restricted (RFA); exclusive-rights (EFA); franchise (FFA); and transitional (TFA). In UFA, a player with at least four years under his belt can change teams without restrictions. RFA dictates that a player of at least three years standing can negotiate for his transfer to another team, but his previous team has the right to match the other team’s offer and retain rights to the player if they do so. If the previous team declines to match the offer, the new team will have to give compensation to the previous team in the form of draft picks. EFA players have less than three years with the league and his team will have to make an offer before the NFL deadline or the player becomes a UFA player. A player designated as FFA is a UFA player for whom a new team, if the previous team declines to match the offer, must remit compensation to the previous team. The TFA player receive an offer from the previous team for minimum higher amount based on last salary i.e. 120% of salary and the previous team has seven days to make the offer. If the offer is not made, the player can sign on with the new team which does not need to compensate the previous team. (â€Å"Free agency definitions explanations,† 2004) The strike was announced on September 22, 1987 and almost immediately, things started to go awry. Because Upshaw as one of the union negotiators was not always present during the bargaining for the new contract, NFL officials complained to the National Labor Relations Board that this was a deliberate ploy to justify a strike due to non-progression in the talks, and claimed bad faith. This strengthened the position of the team owners, and they decided to outface the strikers by bringing in replacement players to play in their stead. The season’s games continued as planned. Replacement players, also referred to as â€Å"scabs† are usually former college football players, or those players who got cut during the draft. This was an unprecedented move by the NFL team owners and was considered a â€Å"dirty† trick. (Farsnworth, 2002) However, the public relations of the NFL got busy in representing the NFL as being in the right, and the fact that by the first week of the strike major players crossed the picket line seemed to reinforce this impression. The break in solidarity, and the failure of union leaders to get the team owners to comply with their terms, led to the ending of the strike on October 15, 1987. The same day, the NFLPA filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL team owners, an arena in which they have been more successful before, much more than on the picket line. Eventually, though the 1987 suit was dismissed, another lawsuit filed in 1989 which was more successful and the courts ruled in favor of the players. After going back to negotiations, the team owners agreed to permit free agency with certain conditions based on a player’s tenure on a particular team. (â€Å"National Football League Players Association,† 2007) Discussion The NFL strikes of 1982 and 1987 were interesting because it illustrated how a weak union can do as much damage or even more than no union at all. The NFL owners understood this, which is why they maintained the NFLPA as the official representation of the NFL players even after numerous attempts at strikes and antitrust lawsuits. (Staudohar, 1988) From the beginning, the NFLPA was considered of no account by the team owners, who did not even bother to show up for meetings in the early days. The only recourse that seemed to work was to enlist the help of the judicial system in the form of antitrust lawsuits. The aim of the 1982 strike was primarily to get a piece of the television revenues, and the union leaders believed they were in a position of strength with the USFL soon to provide competition to the NFL. Apparently, they overestimated their strength as the NFL stonewalled them and simply cut the season to nine games until the NFLPA ended the strike. In the end, their desire for higher salaries for the players was realized through the normal course of events and as a result of market forces. There was no real rhyme or reason for the 1982 strike. It was ultimately the players who suffered, who went 57 days without pay or health coverage. Moreover, the failure of the NFLPA to produce results only hurt their prestige and credibility as effective negotiators in the eyes of the team owners as well as the union members. The incredible thing is history repeated itself in 1987. The same kind of circumstances prevailed, perhaps slightly different in details but the same in context, with one important exception. What were the same? The aim was to get a piece of the television revenues. The union leaders thought they were in a position of strength with the recent arbitration decision against baseball team owners who were accused of collusion to control player salaries by halting all signing of free agents filed by the Major League Baseball Players Association. This is even shakier ground than the USFL scenario. At the very least, the USFL was a reasonable proposition because it is based on market forces. The collusion decision against baseball team owners could not reasonably be used against football team owners because free agent signing is so infrequent that collusion would be difficult to prove. The team leaders had nothing to lose in stonewalling the players’ union. As in 1982, the union failed to adequately prepare for the 1987 strike in terms of financial support for the players. Players were once again bereft of their pay and benefits, and the union had no Striker’s funds to dip into for emergencies. It is no wonder that the former solidarity in 1982 melted in the first week of the 1987 strike. The players, at least, had learned the first time around. One important difference is the supposed main aim of the strike: the granting of free agency to players. The tragic thing about this is that as early as 1975, it could have been theirs for the asking with no need to go on a strike at all. At the time of the 1987 strike, the standard in the NFL for player exchange was based on the Rozelle Rule on free agency, named after NFL Commissioner Peter Rozelle. The rule allowed the NFL commissioner to dictate what kind of compensation the new team of a newly-transferred player would have to award the player’s new team. This put acquiring teams at a disadvantage and only four players were traded prior to 1987. The Rozelle Rule was deemed unreasonable restraint under the Sherman Antitrust Act when the Baltimore Colts’ John Mackey filed a complaint   to the Federal courts. This was a golden opportunity for players to become free agents at the end of their contracts because the constraints to trading had been lifted. Incredibly, however, the NFLPA signed away this advantage by signing an agreement with the NFL team owners in 1977 which stipulated compensation payments for signing free agents. This provision was not challenged in the 1982 contract and remained intact. The whole point of the 1987 strike was supposedly to gain the right to free agency which had already been signed away by the union 10 years ago. It is the epitome of irony that even with the strike they failed to regain that which they had foolishly lost themselves. Worse yet, public opinion during the 1987 strike tended to favor the side of the owners, perhaps because the players themselves seemed unhappy about the whole idea themselves. The television stations also signified disapproval by covering the replacement games, which had come to be known as Replacement Sunday, as if they were the regular games. A consequence of the 1987 strike that is still a matter of interest is the use of replacements in the three weeks of the strike. By most accounts from players who were there, no real animosity was directed at the replacement players, or â€Å"scabs† themselves, but it was still considered â€Å"unthinkable† of the team owners to make use of the tactic to undermine the striking players. Some players recall how they were pulled out from construction jobs and stockbroker interviews in â€Å"scavenger hunts† to fill the positions in the 22-player game. For many, it was an opportunity to play professional football that was too good to be missed. Some stayed on even after the strike ended, and in the case of former college football player Tim Burnham, who played left tackle on the Seahawks replacement team, he was invited to train for the summer. For the â€Å"real† players, all rancor ended when the picket line was pulled down (Farsnworth, 2002). Conclusion From a historical perspective, it seems clear that both strikes should not have happened. The pros and cons were not properly evaluated and it appeared that the NFLPA made a habit of going off half-cocked when it came to striking. The tragedy of such miscalculations is that it is the players who suffer, both immediately i.e. loss of income during strikes and in the long term i.e. loss of collective bargaining advantage. Today, football players get impressive salaries and have the right to free agency. They have sign-up bonuses, health benefits and insurance, and all the trappings of fame and glory. Undeniably, some concessions can be directly linked to union efforts on behalf of the players. The strikes of 1982 and 1987, however, were not among the NFLPA’s most shining moments. References Farnsworth, C. (2002, October 4) NFL crossed the line on Replacement Sunday. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved July 8, 2007 from   http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/89817_replace04.shtml Forbes, G. (2001, June 8) ’82 strike changed salary dealings forever. USA Today.   Retrieved July 8, 2007 from http://www.usatoday.com/sports/comment/forbes/2001-06-08-forbes.htm Free agency definitions and explanations (2004, March 1) Detroit Lions. Retrieved July 7, 2007 from   Ã‚  http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=332893 National Football League Players Association. (2007, June 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:16, July 8, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Football_League_Players_Associationoldid=139999742 Staudohar, P. (1988, August) The football strike of 1987: the question of free agency. Monthly Labor Review Online,   vol 111, no. 8. Retrieved July 8, 2007 from http://stats.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1988/08/rpt1full.pdf