French Revolutin DBQ

The French Revolution of 1789 caused many changes in the social, political, and economical world of France. The French Revolution sparked the beginning for many new reforms in France that were previously unavailable to the 3rd estate. The things that led up to the French revolution were all caused from within the social, political, and economic world of France. The Social causes for the French Revolution were varied. One such problem was the well being of the 3rd estate.According to Travels in France by Arthur Young the conditions of the 3rd estate were terrible as people could not purchase bread due to the high prices and the ragged conditions of the children (Document #1). Because of these factors the people were forced to fight each other for a piece of bread alone. Another problem was the middle class’ knowledge of the Enlightenment. According to The French Revolution historian Albert Mathiez, the middle class’ knowledge of the Enlightenment made them start the revo lution rather than the unintelligent working class (Document #3).The social world of France was a front for the revolution to begin because of the people who were mistreated by the government. The political reasons for the Revolution were also varied. One such reason was the signing of the Declaration of Independence. According to Lord Acton, the spark supplied by the signing of the Declaration of Independence was the cause of the French Revolution (Document #5).Another reason was the 3rd estates demands of the monarchy. Some of their demands were to lower the taxes assigned to them, have definite meeting times, and take votes by head (Document #3). The political state of France did not fare well in preventing the revolution. Finally the Economic reasons for the revolution were less varied than the others but just as important. One economical reason for the revolution was the unfair taxes to the 3rd estate.A chart of the tax and land ownership percentage in the 1700’s clearly shows how much more the 3rd estate was being taxed than the 1st or 2nd estate (Document #2). The economical causes for the revolution most likely set off the 3rd estate when their request for a tax change was denied. In conclusion the French Revolution was a result of the three different worlds of Frances system: Economy, Social, and Politics. The changes caused by the Revolution paved way for modern France and spelled out a new era for France.

One Should Never Judge a Person by External Appearances Essay

I certainly agree with the above statement. â€Å"Never judge a book by its cover.† The word â€Å"book† also refers to person. External appearances can trick us. If you only look at a person by his outlook, you will never find and have a true friend because the most important is inner beauty or character. Person who has fierce face, frightening appearances looks like a rascal may be a friendly and kind person. He probably has reason to act like that. It may be caused of family problems, a bad memories or something that won’t even pops up in our mind. Don’t ever be afraid to say â€Å"hi† or just give a smile. It will impact something good. Usually, person like that doesn’t want to greet others first. He may be a nice person. In the other hand, a ‘good-looking’ person may be a bad one. We won’t realize that he has an evil plan to prick behind us because his outlook covers everything. They may look friendly outside but depraved inside. Silent doesn’t always mean golden. He may think or even plan something bad when he’s in silent. He may hide his anger deep inside and covers it so that nobody will know. But, he can’t keep it for the rest of his life. Sometimes, he must be angry and usually it will be more frightening than people in common. So, at the end, by this essay, I just want to say that outer beauty isn’t the most important, but inner beauty is. An outlook hide what’s inside. But, it doesn’t mean a ‘good-looking’ person is always bad. A good friend is he who always be there for us although we don’t see them.

Finance accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Finance accounting - Essay Example Some of the bodies include; financial accounting standards board (FASB), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Public Companies Oversight Board (PCOB), International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and Association Chartered Certified Accountants among other governing bodies globally. Financial regulations have been common phenomena in the current world. For example in the recent Euro crisis the countries involved had to take measures to ensure that their financial systems are not curtailed. Policies were reviewed at this time to ensure currency stability in the market. Another instance which has seen financial reviewing is in the US during the 2008 financial panic. The country finance department reviewed its policies to ensure that the government did not transcend into a state of jeopardy. Although policies are continuously reviewed they must fall within the stipulations of internationally accepted principles. The whole sequence of formulation is governed by the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAPS); failure to comply with these rules will lead to confusion in the sector. This paper tries to analyze the financial implications of Ryanair plc. Ryanair is an international company with huge market base; it operates low cost passenger airlines which ply the routes between UK, Europe continent and the Moroccan airspaces. Besides the company is listed on a stock exchange in the country, with a huge base of shareholders the company needs to frequently assess its financial statements to convey the right message to the shareholders and stay within the law. It is the financial obligations of the companies which on most occasions oblige management to address or review the financial statements of the company. Shareholders and the authorities will on most occasions want reports on the operations of the company. In

Anti Trust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anti Trust - Essay Example United States of America and State of Michigan V. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan On October 18, 2010, the Attorney General of US and state of Michigan brought civil anti-trust charges against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (Blue Cross). Blue Cross is one of the biggest independent licensees of the Blue Shield Association (Robinson, 2003, p.102). Blue Cross is a non-profit organization that administers and provides health care reimbursements to over 4 million members in Michigan. It was alleged in the charges that Blue Cross used most favoured nation (MFN) clause in contracts with its member hospitals to enforce monopolistic advantages. The Attorney General defended that such MFN status will hurt competition by Reducing capability other health insurers’ to compete with Blue Cross The clause will also help Blue Cross to raises prices beyond fair value It will create an entry barrier for new entrants MFN status of Blue Cross will raise the health insurance prices in Michi gan Hence, from the above summary of charges of anti-trust against Blue Cross by FTC it can be said that Blue Cross’ MFN status with the hospitals of Michigan are likely to influence anti-competitive effects in the market (Tonn, 2011, pp.1-4). Anti-Trust in Health Care The purpose of anti-trust acts is to encourage a free market place which have competitive environment. These laws are aimed to protect public interest and restrict monopoly practices that adversely affect public in society. The main purpose of such anti-trust law is to encourage best possible allocation of scarce resources and services to public at lowest prices (Ladenburg, 2007, pp.33-35). The federal anti-trust law is based on the following three acts that prohibit all restrictive trade practices and conspiracies in contacts or agreements: The Sherman Act – Under Section 1 of the act, the rule applies to all agreements which may include restrictive trade practices, monopoly practices and boycott of oth er firms, conspiracy to fix price, separate market territories, harm competition and use of coercive tactics. The Federal trade Commission Act – Under Section 5 of the act, the law applies to all types of actions that use unfair advantages and methods of competition. The Clayton Act – Under Section 7 of the act, it prohibits any such merger and acquisition that has the potential to create a monopoly in the market or substantially reduce in the market. Recommendations to Management From the above discussion regarding the anti-trust act against Blue Cross and lessons learned, it can be said that Blue Cross obviously had the market power to its advantage via MFN clause in contract which will further influence sale of health insurance products and services in Michigan. Making such a contract is discouraged by FTC under the anti-trust act in health care organizations. This is because, from the charges and rebuttals charged by the Attorney General on Blue Cross, it is clear that contracts including ‘MFN’ (Most Favoured Nation) status will fall under the purview of the act because of its very nature to of creating anti-competitive environment. In addition, it is also important to note that the senior management must ensure contract or agreement regarding the

U.S. Navy WWII Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

U.S. Navy WWII - Essay Example against the American Navy after their failure at the Battle of Coral Sea.1 Nimitz already knew that the Japanese were planning to capture Midway Island as a way of extending their control of the Pacific. Yamamoto, the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet believed that his troop could gain control of the Pacific only after an all-out naval battle with the American. In his plan, America would suffer defeat thereby making Japan free to conquer. Similarly, Yamamoto believed that Nimitz would not escape any major naval battle with the Japanese but the US Commander-in-Chief was not ready to evade any naval battle within the Pacific region. Yamamoto had planned on luring some of the American naval forces away from his main battlefield.2 Besides, he ensured that four of the eight Japanese aircraft carriers would be in the vicinity. Notably, the Japanese fleet consisted of some of the biggest battleships in the world known as Yamato the smaller battleships as well as other numero us cruisers and destroyers. Unfortunately, Yamamoto’s plan had two major defects. First, he believed in the supremacy of his battleship. This made him fail to realize that aircraft carriers could give a massive blow to them while at a far distance. Hence, Yamamoto believed that the aircraft carrier was the supporting machine in the battleship and not the other way round. Also, his battleships were much slower than all other warships that he initially had, and this caused the entire fleet to move at a pace that could only suit the slower battleships. The second defect was that the Americans knew the course of Yamamoto’s plan. Therefore, Admirals Spruance and Fletcher prepared their ships for an attack.3 As a result, Yamamoto’s plan of luring the American forces away from the main battlefield was not going to work. On June 2, Fletcher and Spruance took control of two task forces. Notably, Yamamoto had no idea that his fleet was sailing toward a large enemy force and his plans to

Hire purchase contracts and Lease in business and how they work Essay

Hire purchase contracts and Lease in business and how they work - Essay Example The intention of this study is an Accounting Standard as a principle that explains the accounting structure, utilizing it as the conceptual foundation for its work. The major role of this Statement is to offer conceptual input into the ASB's job on the growth and review of accounting standards. The study consists of various procedures regarding the â€Å"SSAP 21† (SSAP 21 Accounting for Leases and Hire Purchase Contracts 1997) and its recent amendment. The aim of financial reports is to offer information on the subject of the reporting entity’s fiscal performance and monetary position which is helpful to a large range of users for evaluating the stewardship of the entity’s organization and forming economic decisions. â€Å"Financial statements need to reflect the effects of transactions and other events on the reporting entity’s financial performance and financial position. This involves a high degree of classification and aggregation. Order is imposed on this process by specifying and defining the classes of items—the elements—that encapsulate the key aspects of the effects of those transactions and other events†. An operating lease is a lease that is not a â€Å"finance lease†. Expenses under an operating lease are taken to the statement of comprehensive income on a straight-line basis more than the lease term, unless an additional methodical basis is more suitable. â€Å"SSAP 21; paragraph 17 defines a finance lease as ‘...a lease that transfers substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of an asset to the lease’. SSAP 21 also defines an operating lease as simply ‘...a lease other than finance lease’†... 8). Findings: The way in which leases are currently differentiated and accounted for; in accordance with SSAP 21 Accounting for hire purchase and lease agreements are dealt with in the provisions offered in SSAP 21 ‘accounting for hire purchase and leases contracts’ and IAS 17 leases. In some examples, a number of lease dealings can form division of a complex contract or which include provisions, options and assurances which could drop within the scope of FRS 5 ‘reporting the matter of dealings’. It must be noted , that where such a lease drops under the range of FRS 5 and SSAP 21, the standards containing more particular provision will be relevant. Operating and Finance Leases An operating lease is a lease that is not a â€Å"finance lease† (Finance Lease 2005). Expenses under an operating lease are taken to the statement of comprehensive income on a straight-line basis more than the lease term, unless an additional methodical basis is more suitable. â€Å"SSAP 21; paragraph 17 defines a finance lease as ‘...a lease that transfers substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of an asset to the lease’. SSAP 21 also defines an operating lease as simply ‘...a lease other than finance lease’† (Financial Reporting 2011, para. 4). Whether or not a lease passes substantially all the rewards and risks of possession, it will usually be clear in the lease conditions. IAS 17 specifies the direction as to when substantially all the rewards and risks of possession are passed to the lessee: The â€Å"lease transfers† (Gupta 2010) possession to the lessee at the finish of the lease term. The lease tells about a good deal purchase choice at the finish of the lease term. The lease term is for the main division of the asset’s

Astronomy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Astronomy - Essay Example Global warming due to climate change is recognized by many individuals, but big business, politicians, and deniers have caused serious doubt among some. The five following current articles reviewed show the perception of today’s world about the climate change occurring. â€Å"Climate change may trigger earthquakes and volcanoes† is an article about the link between volcanoes and earthquakes and climate change. Even slight climate changes can cause responses of the earth’s crust. â€Å"Evidence of a link between climate and the rumblings of the crust has been around for years, but only now is it becoming clear just how sensitive rock can be to the air, ice and water aboveâ€Å" (Fisher). With the warming of the earth, the sensitive crust is erupting more than other. This article showed how new technology is proving the link between earthquakes and volcanoes due to global warming. It also presents the idea the whole world is already being affected by global warming, not just the Artic regions. Global warming affects the whole Earth. â€Å"Scientists: Pace of Climate Change Exceeds Estimates† is article reviewing the expectations of world scientists about global warming and the rapid climate change. Scientists are now finding out their original estimates of climate change and global warming. At first the predictions were bad, but more recently the predictions have become worse. Scientists had not planned on the earth’s reaction to climate change worsening the affects of the global warming. The cycle of warming and worsening has already begun. Scientists have found: The permafrost holds 1 trillion tons of carbon, and as much as 10 percent of that could be released this century, Field said. Along with carbon dioxide melting permafrost releases methane, which is 25 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. In â€Å"Address threat of climate change† a passionate plea for the world to take action to stop climate change is asserted. Since

Civilizations Compare and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Civilizations Compare and Contrast - Essay Example The Egyptian civilization and the Holy Roman Empire had different political systems. The Holy Roman Empire was a feudal monarchy ruled by an emperor. The first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was Frankish King Charlemagne, who was crowned by Pope Leo III in the year (800 Whaley, 35). The popes had a great role in divine sanctioning of the rules imposed by the emperors as well as the coronation of the emperors. The emperor was elected by the seven leading princes, three ecclesiastical electors, three archbishops and four lay electors. The position of the emperor was exclusively for the males. The empire was divided into principalities where the rulers exercised many sovereign functions. The principalities had their parliamentary bodies that represented the estates of the territory. The role of the princes was tax collection, administration of justice and minting coins. The princes were also responsible for the material and spiritual salvation of their subjects. In the early years of the empire, too much power was bestowed in the princes and the clergy. The parliament of the empire, Empirical Diet consisted of leading princes, seven electors, dukes, counts, bishops and abbots. The role of the Empirical Diet was to resolve conflicts and negotiate between the emperor and the estates (Whaley, 47). The empire was governed by a constitution known as The Golden Bull. The ruling decisions in the Holy Roman Empire were initially influenced by the Roman Catholic, and the emergence of the Protestants led to conflicts that resulted to wars. The Schmalkaldic War of 1546-1547 between Charles V and Protestant princes led to the disintegration of the territories in the empire. The war was resolved by the Religious Peace of Augsburg before the Thirty Year’s War in 1618-1648 broke. The latter war led to greater political and religious division in the empire. The empire was dissolved in the aftermath

Medico Legal Aspects and the Radiographers Scope of Practice Essay - 1

Medico Legal Aspects and the Radiographers Scope of Practice - Essay Example The council’s conduct and competence committee provide a verdict on practices that contravene HCPC’s set standards (HCPC, 2015). Incorporating the law into the field of medical practices gives an insight into the power of the law. The force of the legislation is perhaps the reason for ethical and professionalism in medical practices. The very laws originate ethical concerns and the expectations that the public places on civil servants. This work examines a court case involving physicians and a patient, where the failure of a doctor to stick to the professional requirements caused harm to the patient. The work depicts the judicial proceedings about health matters and elaborates on the right procedures for handling issues at workplaces. The legislation, in this case, relates to the examination of the various health policies, which this work also explains. Based on court proceedings, the radiographer failed to perform an X-ray on the patient. The radiographer worked for the Hertfordshire Hospital University Trust, where he was to give instructions to practicing students. The medical practitioner was supposed to be a role model to the pupils in the Radiography Course. The competence that radiographers exhibit the result from the periods of training they undergo. Power can carry out the actions of an occupation to the expected levels during the time for which you work (The University of Exeter, 2015). Training makes the people concerned to be both fits for the purpose and the fit for practice. The scope of professional practice requires that radiographers work using the safest and the most efficient techniques for the patients (Scope of Professional Practice, 2015). The patient in this case scenario was weak, something that the radiographer, Mr. Porter knew. He was instructed to fetch the patient from another ward and realized his inability to walk by himself. He opted to give the patient a wheelchair, which is  the best action for those who cannot walk (Long, Frank & Enhrlich, 2012).

Does the homecoming of Chinese students who completed higher education Dissertation

Does the homecoming of Chinese students who completed higher education abroad have an effect on the employability of the Chinese - Dissertation Example The present economic crisis that affected the western countries worse also contributed in the change of the trend in recent period. Contents Page 1. Introduction 3-6 1.2 Research Points 7 1.3 Aims and Objectives 8-9 2. Theoretical Framework Literature Review 10-19 3. Hypotheses 19 4. Empirical Research Literature Review 20-28 5. Methodology 29-32 6. Findings 33-41 7. Conclusion 42-43 Appendix Bibliography 1. INTRODUCTION With increased globalization international trade across countries, have increased increasing business opportunities and investments and contracting boundaries between nations across the world. However, it has also resulted in stiff competition among the business organizations and hence created barriers for the entrance of new potential business firms. Despite these drawbacks, globalization has brought about huge improvements in the sector of information, technology, and communication and with the advancements in the Internet connections people are being able to gathe r information on any field and for any country of the world. Thus with increased globalization the Chinese students are also being increasingly aware of the educational and employment opportunities in the developed countries of the world mainly the European and the American countries. ... China remains a leading civilization outstanding the other countries in arts, science, culture etc for the recent years. The single party controlled political state experienced a market-oriented approach of development after 1978 and since then output and the pace of the country’s development quadrupled. The living standards of many families experienced a drastic improvement as the country is increasing its reach and participation in international organizations. The phenomenal economic growth of the country and its increasing contribution to the world’s aggregate trade is making it famous in the international community. In the year, 2010 China has been the largest exporter in the world trade. The double-digit growth rate of the economy in the last 10 years has made it the second largest in terms of the Gross Domestic Product of the country just after the United States of America. The country went ahead of Japan in the year 2001 with its economic development. The economi c downturn of 2009 for the first time reduced the demand for the country’s exports in many years but the country again hold back the economy rebounding quickly with a GDP growth rate of 10% in 2010 exceeding all countries (The world fact book, 2010). After the establishment of the Republic of China, the communist party of the country and the central government decided to send the students and the scholars of the country to different socialist states of the world like Soviet Union. The main aim was to bring home knowledge from the foreign countries that would in turn help to develop the country in terms of science, technology, and managerial skills to compete with the western countries. Thus, policies and regulations were made to support the scholars going abroad and encourage

The History of Walmart Essay Example for Free

The History of Walmart Essay Since Sam Walton opened his first store in 1962, Walmart has grown into a global retailer with more than 4,000 store in the United States and more than 6,000 internationally. Walmart is comprised of three business segments, Walmart US, Walmart International and Sam’s Club. Walmart Global eCommerce works across all three segments. Walmart’s mission statement â€Å"We save people money so they can live better†, is not indicative of where its strategic focus areas are, but it does sound good for the average customer who has a limited budget. This mission statement leads directly into Walmart Global eCommerce goals which include combining online, social innovations with physical stores to give consumers â€Å"anywhere, anytime shopping experience† in addition to its organizational sustainability goal of creating zero waste, using only sustainable energy and selling products that sustain the environment which is important to all of Walmart’s segments including eCommerce. Walmart’s overall objective is to deliver shareholder value by increasing earnings per share, returns and maintaining strong stable returns on investment. According to Walmart CEO, Mike Duke, Walmart’s strategic focus areas are: †¢Making sure the company has the best retail talent at every level of the organization by recruiting, developing and retaining the best associates; †¢Delivering on the productivity loop that enables Walmart to operate for less so the company can drive prices even lower for its customers †¢Being even more disciplined about operating expenses and capital spending; †¢Investing to serve more customers globally and accelerating the vision of anytime, anywhere access by bringing together best-in-class online, mobile and social capabilities and our more than 10,700 stores; and †¢Benefiting our communities and having a world class compliance organization. Walmart has been a giant of the traditional brick and mortar retailers, having topped the Fortune 500 list on more than one occasion. Walmart is moving from a traditional brick and mortar discount retailer to a click and mortar discount retailer as it tries to capture the growing electronic retailing (etailing) opportunities. According to CNN Money, Walmart plans to become an online juggernaut, but its online business numbers have been disappointing. According to Business Insider, Walmart Global eCommerce has come up with a plan to do eCommerce right by using the following strategies: †¢Walmart began recruiting top Silicon Valley talent and acquiring start-ups last year. †¢Walmart is investing in the social gifting market. †¢The retailer got a better search engine. †¢Walmart is trying to lead the charge in same-day shipping. †¢Walmart is investing like crazy in its mobile app. While Walmart’s strategies have lead them to overall very good profitability in the past, their eCommerce is struggling against Amazon, an eCommerce giant, and other traditional retailers who are moving to capture customers that are turning to online purchases. Walmart appears to be moving in the right direction with its mobile application, with Smartphone sales having outpaced personal computer sales in 2011. Walmart Global eCommerce will need review and tailor its value chains in order to comprehensively differentiate itself from other click and mortar businesses. As 2014 approaches Walmart will face several issues/problems which include: Customers who can access competitor prices online when shopping in Walmart; and finding ways to successfully break into the e-tailing market which is a primarily untapped, rapidly growing market. The SWOT analysis will look at Walmart Global eCommerce as it attempts to move definitely into eCommerce while supporting all Walmart’s traditional brick and mortar businesses. Since Walmart Global eCommerce is responsible for all online and mobile innovation, this SWOT analysis will include issues pertaining to all of Walmart, but will pay particular attention to the eCommerce aspect. Stakeholder Analysis Walmart Stakeholders include the stockholders, executives, employees, suppliers, customers, non-profit groups, non-governmental organization, the communities that Walmart serves, online retailers, brick and mortar retailers, labour unions, and the government (politicians). These stakeholders can be divided into two separate groups: market and non-market stakeholders. Market stakeholder are those who have an economic stake in what and how the company does, whereas non-market stakeholders have a non-economic or political stake. Market Stakeholders Walmart shareholders are a market stakeholder who want a return on their investment in Walmart. Between 2009 and 2013 more than 60 billion dollars was returned to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. Walmart executives, like shareholders, have an economic stake in what Walmart, since many receive stock options. Although employees may purchase stock options, they are a market stakeholder given that they rely on Walmart for their income. Many of Walmart’s suppliers rely heavily on Walmart as a buyer of their goods, since Walmart is the largest retailer in the US and is growing internationally as well. Customers rely on Walmart to provide â€Å"Every Day Low Prices† which will only continue if Walmart performs well. Non-profit organizations have an economic stake in Walmart as many of these organizations rely on funding provided by the Walmart Foundation (for example the Fighting Hunger Together program). Communities that are served by Walmart are also an important stakeholder: these communities rely on Walmart to employ its citizens and provides goods for purchase at â€Å"Every Day Low Prices†. Online/brick and mortar retailers have a unique stake in how well Walmart does given the potential of Walmart impacting their sales Non-Market Stakeholders Labour Unions play an enormous political role in Walmart. Walmart has been criticized in the news on more than one occasion with regards to fighting with labour unions in their stores and/or mistreating union members. Small retailers and/or labour unions may petition their government politicians to prevent Walmart from moving into their district. Governance Walmart is governed by three basic beliefs that support a business integrity which include: Service to customers; Respect for the individual; and Striving for excellence. Walmart strives to be honest by telling the truth and keeping their word, be fair by using their business influence appropriately and creating an open environment for raising questions and concerns, be objective by making decisions based on Walmart’s interests, rather than personal interests, and by avoiding even the appearance of impropriety. Walmart has a Global Ethics Office which is responsible for promoting Walmart’s culture of integrity. This includes developing and upholding their policies for ethical behavior for all their stakeholders everywhere they operate. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Walmart believes that it has an obligation to lead when it comes to CSR. Walmart is committed to using renewable energy, demonstrated by ensuring 21 percent of its electricity globally comes from renewable energy. Walmart created the Walmart Foundation which is responsible for many of Walmart’s CSR projects. The Walmart Foundation has a program in place to empower women around the world through training and career opportunities. The Walmart Foundation also gives money to support local organizations throughout the world. Value Chain Analysis – Walmart The Figure can of Walmart’s Value Chain Analysis can be found at Annex A. Human Resources (HR) Walmart’s HR practices are based on communication which is clear, concise and relates Walmart’s principles, high expectations and ethics. Walmart provides a comprehensive Health and Well-Being program. There is room to grow from a store associate to manager. These benefits come at a cost, which Walmart has tried to decrease by ensuring more employees are part-time and, therefore, not entitled to the benefits. Technology Technology integration is one of the primary focuses of Walmart, having played a vital role in its success. Walmart was one of the first retailers to use bar codes. Walmart also employs a Point of Sales (POS) system which is used to guide re-stocking. Walmart’s IT systems have been built to integrate prices, costs and sales in order to lower overall cost and increase profit across the world. Technology has permitted Walmart to ensure an effective and efficient supply chain that it leverages to provide products at low prices that it promises to customers. Walmart Global eCommerce is aggressively growing its technology infrastructure to become a leader in eCommerce. Infrastructure Real Estate Walmart makes a concerted effort to opens its stores and warehouses in ideal locations support its â€Å"hub and spoke† arrangement which support its brick and mortar stores. These stores and warehouses are supporting Walmart Global eCommerce, since this infrastructure had not been previously built to support it. Procurement Walmart deals direct with manufacturers to leverage its buying power to obtain the best price possible. Under scrutiny in the past, Walmart has moved quickly to have its suppliers’ manufacturing, subcontracting and packaging facilities follow standards which are outlined in its Standards for Suppliers. These standards include Compliance with Laws, Voluntary Labour (Slave, child, underage, forced, bonded, or indentured labour will not be tolerated. ), Labour Hours, Compensation, Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining, Health and Safety, Dormitories and Canteen, Environment, Gifts and Entertainment, Conflicts of Interest, Anti-Corruption, and Financial Integrity. Walmart has put in place a Supply Chain Capacity Building program (SCCB). The SCCB program components vary from half-day group training sessions to several months of one-on-one engagement with suppliers and factories. Walmart also ensures that the employees of its suppliers have the ability to report violations. All reports are directed to Walmart’s Global Ethics Office, where they are referred for investigation and corrective action if required. Primary Activities Inbound and Outbound Logistics These have been included together from an eCommerce perspective. Walmart has an enhanced inbound and outbound logistics system, although this has been problematic for Walmart Global eCommerce, it is working on resolving this issue so it can leverage Walmart’s brick and mortar capabilities. Walmart has adopted the concepts of distribution centers and â€Å"hub and spoke† arrangements. It is this â€Å"hub and spoke† arrangement which permits stores to effectively keep inventory levels in check while reducing transportation costs in addition to cross-docking. Walmart is always searching for ways to do things cheaper, faster which has more reliable logistics systems by implementing methods such as cross docking systems. Walmart operates their own logistics system, however Walmart Global eCommerce had to use third party warehouses in order to expedite its business. Walmart is remedying the situation by building warehouses to accommodate its eCommerce business. These practices will not only help Walmart reduce expenses, but also give it more control and flexibility. Operations Based on Walmart’s Mission statement, Walmart’s goal is to offer a wide range of products at low prices so people can live better. It carries nationally branded products, its own Great Value brand and other private label products tailored to local demand. Walmart has continuously expanded the brands it offers to meet various customer needs which include popular upscale brands such as Apple, and Sony. Walmart’s operational structure has decentralized store management which permits store managers to make decisions relating to product range and pricing. Marketing and Sales Walmart’s â€Å"Every Day Low Prices† provides appeal to its customers, because it permits customers to know that they can buy products at the lowest price all the time. Once criticized for its ethical sourcing and environmental sustainability, Walmart’s annual report affirms dedication and commitment to ethical sourcing and environmental sustainability. Customer Service Walmart tries to focus on providing customers with the best experience whether they are in store or online. In store, a Walmart associate greets each customer as they arrive, however this type of customer service has not always worked in the past. Walmart strives to have a customer oriented workforce who are motivated and believe in Walmart’s culture. Walmart could not successfully integrate into Germany, since Walmart’s American overtly friendly culture could not be successfully integrated with Germany’s very reserved culture. Summary It is impossible to look at Walmart Global eCommerce without looking at Walmart, since Walmart Global eCommerce leads all online and mobile innovations across all Walmart segments. Although doing well financially, several business news agencies have noted that Walmart is stumbling in eCommerce market as it attempts to adapt its click and mortar business strategies to its eCommerce. It appears that Walmart is attempting to take on Amazon, the king of online businesses, in eCommerce. This means that Walmart. com, started in 2000, is playing catch up, and it is only in the last few years that Walmart has invested heavily in its eCommerce. Walmart Global eCommerce is run as a distinct business, with its own headquarters, CEO and buyers who buy items specifically for its website. Although Walmart is known as pioneering the supply chain, it has not been overly successfully in imitating Amazon’s supply chain management. Walmart has tried to leverage the same supply chain as its retail stores in addition to third party warehouses, which has resulted in additional costs for delivery. Amazon’s supply chain, which uses robotic assistants to help fill orders along with warehouses that are dedicated to filling orders, has permitted Amazon to rule eCommerce with ability to deliver products to home for less. One strategy that Walmart is investing in are lockers which were initially introduced by Bufferbox. Walmart is not alone in adapting this strategy; Amazon is also using this in order to get orders into the hands of its customers more quickly, however Walmart will be able to leverage the over 10,000 stores globally to place lockers which are close to customers. In order to understand Walmart, it is important to look at its review its Value Chain in Annex A, in conjunction with Porter’s Five Forces Analysis in Annex B, PESTEL Analysis in Annex C, SWOT Analysis in Annex D and TOWS in Annex E. Recommendation It is recommended that Walmart Global eCommerce continue on its current path of @Walmartlabs developing new technology which will enhance a customer’s online experience Walmart and Walmart Global eCommerce to be sensitive to the culture of different countries as it expands globally, and the challenges that comes with each country it moves into. It is also recommended that Walmart Global eCommerce continue to leverage Walmart’s strong brand image while continuing to add differentiated products at â€Å"Every Day Low Prices†. It is further recommended that Walmart Global eCommerce continue to lead all online and mobile innovation for Walmart to ensure that no one segment will fall behind. It is essential that Walmart address HR issues that have the potential to impact its bottom line ? Walmart Value Chain Analysis ? Porter’s Five Forces Analysis PESTEL Analysis Political factors: Walmart is currently operates in 27 countries under 69 different banners. Walmart must follow government rules and regulations in each of its host countries. Political conditions that Walmart faces in its host countries include political instability, economic conditions, currency regulations, legal and regulation constraints, tax systems, etc. Economic factors: Economic condition within host countries has the potential to dramatically impact Walmart. Walmart has faced high inflation rates and currency devaluations. In US and Canada, Walmart is dealing with the challenge of higher fuel and energy costs, inflation, high levels of unemployment, excessively high consumer debt, and high tax rates. The global economic slowdown has hit many companies including Walmart. Social factors: Walmart’s international operations must operate according to local culture of its host countries. As the world becomes more conscious of child labour, unsafe working conditions. Consumers are demanding that companies be cognizant of where and how their products are produced. This has been made very evident after recent fire/building collapses in the garment industry. Technological factors: Technology has an enormous impact on many businesses, Walmart included. Walmart must continue to invest in Research Development activities, and automation if it wishes to remain competitive Walmart has recently invested heavily in its eCommerce, so it can compete with the likes of Amazon Ecological factors: Previously criticized for its company’s view on sustainable resources Walmart is moving to become more sustainable. In 2008, Walmart de Mexico opened Plaza Ecologica Ciudad Jardin, located in former Neza 1 dump, in the municipality of Netzahualcoyotl, State of Mexico. The mall has state-of-the-art technology to save energy and water. Legal factors: Walmart Global Compliance Action Steps. Walmart is an international company, therefore it is addressing 14 compliance subject matters in every market. Every country also has compliance subject matters that are specific to it, but the following 14 areas are common everywhere Walmart does business: anti-corruption, food safety, anti-money laundering, antitrust, pharmacy, labor employment, environment, privacy, consumer protection, licenses permits, health safety, trade, product safety, and ethical sourcing. ? SWOT Analysis StrengthsWeaknesses †¢Enormous scale of operations which permits it to leverage its buying power. Operates internationally in 27 countries †¢ Strong brand image †¢Supply chain with integrated technology (inbound and outbound logistics) which enables it to operate effectively and efficiently (i. e. cross docking). In addition Walmart is working closely with its suppliers to maintain an enhanced global standard †¢Walmart Global E-Business leads all online and mobile innovation †¢Provides a diversified range of products and services including high end brands (Apple, Sony, etc) †¢Customer loyalty †¢Strong financial performance even during the global recession †¢Its people – a very strong culture and values that are shared among associates at all levels. A focused human resource management and development strategy which provides benefits. Walmart invests time and money in training its employees †¢Walmart is a market leader with regards to cost leadership which permits to offer products at much lower prices †¢Walmart has changed its store format to include four formats: Supercenters, Discount stores, Neighborhood Markets and Express stores which has allowed Walmart in addition to eCommerce. These smaller format stores have allowed Walmart to penetrate urban centers which it did not have a presence†¢High employee turnover †¢Walmart Global E-Business has not been able to effectively leverage Walmart’s brick and Mortar supply chain †¢Price sensitive customers †¢Unlike shopping in a brick and mortar store, customers must wait to receive their goods, goods can be expensive to ship to customers †¢Security and fraud are common for eCommerce which makes some customers reluctant to use credit cards online †¢Customers still prefer to look at items in a store before purchasing †¢As a global retailer, Walmart has the potential to be weaker in some areas due to its huge span of control †¢It is not focused in one specific area, therefore it is not as focused as some its competitors †¢Although growing internationally, Walmart is very reliant on its US Segment †¢Reputation Negative Publicity (labour related lawsuits). Although Walmart has worked hard to change its reputation on environment sustainability, diversity, labour relations, and its ethical sourcing, but it has been slow to turn around in the media †¢Walmart is lagging behind its competitors in eCommerce †¢Walmart US culture cannot be easily impos ed on other countries. †¢Walmart USA must be careful that its current expansion plans do not begin to cannibalize sales †¢Walmart is trailing its eCommerce competitors ? OpportunitiesThreats †¢Walmart has been slowly moved into developing economies including Mexico, South Africa and Brazil in addition to China, and India. It is expected that customers in these countries will move from manufacturing most of Walmart’s goods to purchasing them. This will permit Walmart’s income to grow as it enters more of these companies both through brick and mortar and eCommerce. †¢@WalmartLabs team has been busy delivering the next generation of commerce combining online, mobile and stores to let customers shop when, where and how they want. †¢@WalmartLabs is expanding their team to continue creating best-in-class eCommerce technologies †¢Walmart Global eCommerce is aggressively growing its technology infrastructure in order to be a leader in eCommerce †¢Social media sites provide free or low-cost promotions †¢Walmart is investing in the social gifting market †¢Walmart is working closely with apple to create a mobile application which will make a customer’s checkout experience much easier†¢Walmart has moved from having full time employees to having many part time employees to get around providing benefits to full time employees †¢There is a big push to increase the minimum wage and benefits available to part time and full time workers †¢Low barriers to entry are a constant threat in eCommerce. Anyone can have an eCommerce business. People can sell items via Facebook or eBay without the need to have their own websites †¢Social media sites provide free or low-cost promotions †¢All eCommerce merchants are competing with Amazon and its successful shipping program. Amazon is the Goliath of eCommerce †¢Walmart offers many of the same products that its competitors do †¢High fuel, currency fluctuations and inflation costs †¢Global recession †¢Cultural barriers TOWS Analysis External Opportunities †¢Walmart has been slowly moved into developing economies including Mexico, South Africa and Brazil in addition to China, and India. It is expected that customers in these countries will move from manufacturing most of Walmart’s goods to purchasing them †¢ECommerce is growing exponentiallyExternal Threats †¢Cultural barriers †¢Same day shipping †¢There is a big push to increase the minimum wage and benefits available to part time and full time workers †¢Security and fraud are common for eCommerce which makes some customers reluctant to use credit cards online Strengths/Opportunities †¢Throughout the economic slowdown disposable income was reduced. Walmart was able to gain/retain customer’s loyalty by offering products at affordable prices †¢As online shopping has grown more prevalent, Walmart has allowed customers to order online using the most current technology †¢Walmart is working to create an application to find appropriate gifts for friends using information found on their social media pages †¢Walmart Global eCommerce must develop software which will prevent fraud and provide online security for customers which will enhance customers online experienceWeakness/Opportunities †¢Customers can look at items in a retail store before purchasing then either purchase in store or via smartphone while in the store †¢All eCommerce merchants are competing with Amazon and its successful shipping program. Walmart retail stores permit customers to order online and pick up in stores reducing shipping costs †¢Security and fraud are common for eCommerce which makes some customers reluctant to use credit cards online @Walmartlabs can develop software to minimize the chances of security and fraud †¢Walmart Global E-Business has not been able to effectively leverage Walmart’s brick and Mortar supply chain. Walmart Global eCommerce must build a supply chain which is comparable to Walmart or find a means to leverage Walmart’s supply chain †¢Walmart US culture cannot be easily imposed on other countries. Walmart should hire local specialists to advise Walmart as it expands into new countries Internal Strengths †¢Walmart Global E-Business leads all online and mobile innovation for Walmart †¢Strong brand image †¢Strong financial performance even during the global recession †¢Customer loyalty and low prices †¢Walmart is investing in the social gifting market †¢@Walmartlabs is developing technology to improve customers online experience †¢Walmart has an enhanced supply chain Internal Weaknesses †¢Walmart is lagging behind its competitors in eCommerce †¢Walmart global eCommerce does not necessarily offer the same products that its retails stores do †¢As a global retailer, Walmart has the potential to be weaker in some areas due to its huge span of control †¢Walmart US culture cannot be easily imposed on other countriesStrengths/Threats †¢Although Walmart has a strong brand image, it faces competition from its rivals. Walmart can avoid this by selling differentiated products at low prices †¢Customers prefer to receive their purchased good quickly. Walmart Global eCommerce can leverage Walmart retail store convenient locations to allow customers to pick up their orders quickly Weaknesses/Threats †¢Walmart has had problems adapting its culture as it enters foreign markets, failing to adapt its culture to match foreign markets could be disastrous †¢As a global retailer, Walmart has the potential to be weaker in some areas due to its huge span of control. Walmart has divided its business into three separate segments. Walmart Global eCommerce works across all three segments

David Copperfield Analysis

David Copperfield Analysis Introduction to the background, Charles Dickens and his work- David Copperfield Charles Dickens, the most popular writer of the Victorian age, was born near Portsmouth, England, in 1812 and he died in Kent in 1870. When his father was thrown into debtors prison, young Charles was taken out of school and forced to work in a shoe-polish factory, which may help explain the presence of so many abandoned and victimized children in his novels. As a young man, he worked as a reporter before starting his career as a fictional writer in 1833. In his novels, short stories and essays, Dickens combined hilarious comedy with a scathing criticism of the inhuman features of Victorian industrial society. Many of his novels Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, etc., have been made into first-rate TV and film versions. David Copperfield is the story of the narrators life from early childhood to adulthood. In it, David describes all the obstacles he had to overcome in order to acquire peace of mind and economic stability. Review of the literature David Copperfield Plots The story begins with the widowed Clara Copperfield awaiting the birth of her first child. She receives a surprise visit from her husbands aunt, Betsey Trotwood, who insists the child will be a girl, and should be named after her. The child is, in fact, a boy, and she leaves, greatly disappointed. The boy who is born is David Copperfield, the protagonist. His early years are happy, as he lives with his mother and her housekeeper Peggotty, but when Clara falls in love with Edward Murdstone, Davids life takes a turn for the worse. When David is sent off with Peggotty to Yarmouth to spend a few weeks with her brother, he meets Emily, his first love, and her cousin Ham, both of whom are under Mr. Peggottys care. When he returns, he finds that his mother has married Murdstone. Murdstone is a harsh, cruel man who beats David and browbeats Clara into submission with the help of his sister Jane. After David resists Murdstones harsh treatment, he is sent off to Salem House, a miserable school under the oversight of Mr. Creakle, a brutal and incompetent master. There he meets Steerforth and Traddles the first a hero to the youthful David, though completely unworthy of his admiration, and the second a kindly and cheerful boy who will become a lifelong friend. After a semester at Salem House, David receives word that his mother and her newborn son had died, and he returns home. It is obvious that the Murdstones want nothing to do with him. Peggotty is fired as housekeeper, and she marries the coach-driver Barkis and moves back to Yarmouth. David, meanwhile, is sent to work in a factory in London at the age of ten. He hates his job and feels that the men and boys around him are beneath him, though he gains some consolation from the Micawber family, with whom he lodges. Micawber is an incompetent optimist, totally incapable of handling money, but constantly certain that something will turn up. When the Micawbers leave London, David runs away from the factory and walks across the country to Dover, seeking shelter from his eccentric great aunt Betsey Trotwood. She takes him in and adopts him, refusing the claim that the Murdstones stake to him, and he lives happily with her and her feeble-minded friend Mr. Dick. She then sends him to Canterbury to the school of Dr. Strong, a capable and kindly instructor. While in Canterbury, he lodges with Mr. Wickfield, who is Betseys lawyer, and meets his daughter Agnes, who becomes his dearest friend. He also encounters Wickfields clerk, the simpering and hypocritical Uriah Heep, who h ides behind a mask of humility. Potential trouble looms on the horizon as we observe that Wickfield drinks too much, and that Dr. Strongs very young wife Annie may be too fond of her cousin Jack Maldon. When David completes school, he again encounters Steerforth. The two of them visit Yarmouth, where David introduces Steerforth to his friends the Peggottys. By this time, Ham and Emily are engaged, but Steerforth notices the lovely Emily. He acts in a friendly manner toward the Peggottys and becomes popular among the townsfolk, but inwardly despises them as his inferiors. When David returns to London, he pursues a career as a law clerk, and becomes reacquainted with his old friend Traddles, who is now studying to become a lawyer. David accepts employment a Spenlow and Jorkins, and soon falls in love with Spenlows daughter, the lovely but weak Dora. He courts her secretly, but when he declares his intentions, Spenlow denies his permission. Shortly thereafter, Spenlow dies and Dora is given into the care of her elderly maiden aunts. Meanwhile, David hears that Barkis is dying and returns to Yarmouth. While he is there, Barkis dies, but the greater tragedy is that Emily, despite being engaged to Ham, has run away with Steerforth to become a lady. Daniel Peggotty vows to spend the rest of his life, if necessary, to find her. When David calls on Mrs. Steerforth, she insists that she will never allow her son to marry Emily, and will disown him if he tries. To her way of thinking, the whole thing is Emilys fault for seeking to rise above her status in societ y. Her companion, Rosa Dartle, who has long been in love with Steerforth, flies into a jealous rage. David, no longer able to work at Spenlow and Jorkins, takes a job as secretary to Dr. Strong, while Micawber has become a clerk at Wickfield and Heep (Uriah has insinuated himself into the business by blackmailing Wickfield, and has been named a partner). David soon marries Dora. Though they love each other dearly, it soon becomes obvious that she is totally helpless as a homemaker, and is intellectually unsuited to her husband. David, meanwhile, becomes a newspaper reporter, writing about the debates in Parliament, and ultimately a famous novelist. Meanwhile, Steerforth has cast Emily aside and tried to give her to his manservant Littimer. Emily runs away and finds her way to London, where she encounters Martha Endell, a fallen woman whom she had helped many years before. Martha tips off David and Mr. Peggotty, and Emily is reunited with her foster father, who plans to take her to Australia, where her shame is unknown. With the help of Micawber, Traddles, Betsey, Mr. Dick, and David, Uriahs perfidy is exposed and his attempt to marry Agnes is prevented. In gratitude, Betsey offers to finance a trip to Australia for the Micawbers, who decide to emigrate along with Daniel Peggotty, Emily, Daniels boarder Mrs. Gummidge, and Martha Endell. Betsey also regains her home in Dover, which was thought to have been lost through the machinations of Heep. Ultimately, both Heep and Littimer wind up in jail because of fraud and theft, respectively. Following a miscarriage, Dora dies. Meanwhile, Ham is killed in a terrible storm off the Yarmouth shore; ironically, the man he dies trying to save is Steerforth, who is also killed. Peggotty, now left alone, becomes the housekeeper for Betsey, while David travels abroad for three years to assuage his grief. When he returns, he inquires about Agnes, and his aunt leads him to believe she has an attachment. David is convinced that he has ruined any chance he had of gaining Agnes love by treating her like a sister for all these years and seeking her advice when courting the objects of his many romantic attachments. When questioning Agnes about herattachment, it soon becomes obvious that he is the object of it. The two profess their love and soon marry, living happily ever after. main characters David Copperfield The protagonist of the novel, Davids father dies before his birth, and his mother follows when he is still quite young. He is treated badly by his stepfather Mr. Murdstone and her sister. They send him to work in a factory at the age of ten. He later runs away to live with his great-aunt, from whence he goes to school, becomes a law clerk, then a court reporter, and finally a famous novelist. Among the many loves of his life, he marries Dora Spenlow, who dies a few years later, then Agnes Wickfield. Clara Copperfield Davids mother, a kind but weak-willed woman who is dominated by her second husband and dies shortly after the birth of her second child. Clara Peggotty The Copperfields housekeeper, she is unfailingly kind and loyal to David. She marries Barkis, lives for a while in Yarmouth, and later becomes Betsey Trotwoods housekeeper after Barkis dies. Edward Murdstone Clara Copperfields second husband, he is cruel and harsh to both David and his mother. He beats David after he resists his harsh treatment, sends him off to a pitiful school, then makes him work in a factory. Jane Murdstone Edwards sister, she assists her brother in completely breaking the will of Clara Copperfield. She later becomes the hired companion of Dora Spenlow. Mr. Barkis A kind cart-driver who transports David on many of his childhood journeys, he uses David to communicate his marriage proposal to Peggotty, who finally accepts him. Daniel Peggotty Peggottys brother, he is fisherman in Yarmouth. He is a widower who adopts his niece Emily and his nephew Ham after their parents die, and takes Mrs. Gummidge, a widow, into his home. He gives up everything to search for Emily after she goes astray, and, after he finds her, immigrates to Australia with her and Mrs. Gummidge. Emily Peggotty Little Emily, a beautiful young girl, is Davids first love. Because of her desire to rise above her station in life and become a lady, she runs off with Steerforth instead of going through with her planned marriage to her cousin Ham. After years of disgrace living abroad, she returns to London, where her uncle finds her and takes her off to Australia. Ham Peggotty Daniels nephew and Emilys cousin, he is a fine, simple young man who wants nothing more than to marry Emily and live the life of the sea. When Emily runs off with Steerforth, he recklessly throws himself into every rescue party that is required at Yarmouth, and finally dies in a horrendous storm. Ironically, the man he swims out to save is Steerforth, who also dies in the tempest. Martha Endell A young Yarmouth woman who has fallen into immorality, she is treated kindly by Emily, and plays a key role in helping Daniel to find Emily after her own fall. She, too, emigrates to Australia, where she later marries. themes David Copperfield, probably because it is partly autobiographical, was Dickens own favorite among his novels. Whereas he usually concentrates on a specific social problem, which becomes his main theme, here the theme is personal. In David Copperfield he attempted to come to terms with the trials and humiliations of his childhood and youth, writing as a man who had overcome his humble beginnings and become the most successful novelist of his time. Davids life does not directly reflect Dickens life, but important incidents that had left a lasting impression on him are reproduced with little alteration. Dickens was taken from school at the age of 12 when his father was committed to the debtors prison, and put to work in a relatives factory, like David (p.20). Shortly afterwards, when his father received a legacy that set him free, this also allowed the boy to resume his education. Dickens pictures his father in David Copperfield as the eternally optimistic, improvident Mr. Micawber, but he told his biographer, Forster, that he had never forgotten the humiliation of working in the factory, or forgiven his mother, who thought he should go on working. In the novel, the angelic mother of Davids early childhood is replaced by the harsh, cold Miss Murdstone. The second main theme of the novel is that goodness has nothing to do with social position, and social position is too often equated with wealth. Here again, Dickens personal experience was relevant. As a poor young shorthand writer, he had fallen in love with the daughter of a banker, whose father sent her abroad to keep her out of Dickens way, as Mr Spenlow plans to do with Dora. Spenlows attitude towards David changes when Davids aunt loses her money. When he says I thought you were a gentleman he implies that being a gentleman is a matter of money, not of being a gentle man, as David is. This tendency to equate money and social position with virtue corrupts characters judgment and behaviors. The proud rich boy, Steerforth, could have been a good man but has been spoilt by an indulgent mother. Consequently, he looks down on poor fishermen, ignoring their human qualities, and takes advantage of Emily (ruins her in the language of the time) but will not marry her. In contrast, Ham, the humble fisherman who loved Emily, dies trying to save him. At the other end of the social scale, envy of others social position leads Uriah Heep, who always emphasizes that he is humble, to cheat Mr Wickfield and dream of marrying Agnes. David himself is not corrupted. From the beginning, he judges everyone on their merits, refusing to accept that people are inferior because they are poor. 3. Definition a semi-biographical novel A semi-autobiographical novel is loosely based on the experiences of the authors own life. A semi-autobiographical novel may be written to protect the privacy of the authors family, friends, and loved ones; to achieve emotional distance from the subject; or for artistic reasons, such as simplification of plot lines, themes, and other details. Charles Dickens and David Copperfield A lot of critics think of David Copperfield as Dickenss autobiographical novel. To read David Copperfield is to understand Dickens, which will further deepen the understanding of Dickenss other works. David Copperfield is regarded by many as the authors masterpiece. Dickens began to write David Copperfield in l849. David Copperfield was thus produced under such constructed and well planned writing, which, added special dramatic affect to the stories. Autobiographical elements in David Copperfield include Dickens experience working in a factory as a child, reflections on his fathers influence in his life (Micawber is largely based on Dickens father), his work as a newspaper reporter writing on the debates in Parliament, his development as a novelist (the book is written in the first person by a writer looking back on his formative years), and his experiences in matters of the heart. Near the end of his career, Dickens admitted that, of all the children he had produced, he loved David Copperfield the most. 4.1 similar life experiences between David and Dickens David Copperfield is presented more formally as a semi-autobiography, beginning with the protagonists birth. Like Dickens, David was born on a Friday, Because of illness. Little Dickens could not take part in boys game. He liked to read books while other boys were playing outside ¼Ã… ½Dickens always read books in his fathers library ¼Ã… ½In his novel, 1ittle David also liked to read books in Davids fathers library. Dickens worked as a child labor pasting labels onto bottles. David had the same experience after his mother was dead. In Dickenss career, he had to be first a law clerk, then a reporter and finally a successful novelist. In the book of David Copperfield David had carried the same career, even the same order. Davids complex character allows for contradiction and development over the course of the novel ¼Ã… ½David also displays great tenderness, as in the moment he realize his love for Agnes for the first time. David, especially, as a young man in love, could be foolis h and romantic. This is very same to Dickens himself. As he grew up, he developed a more mature point of view and searched for a love who will challenge him and help his grow ¼Ã… ½David fully matured as an adult when he expressed the sentiment that he valued Agness calm tranquility over all else in his life. Any sense of self-importance is immediately deflated however by the digressively self-deprecating humor of the opening (which recalls Tristram Shandy at times) and by the narrators desire for his life to speak for itself (which recalls chapter one of Roderick Random). Throughout this novel we sense Dickenss delight in experimenting with what was for him a new narrative method, and in the opening chapter he demonstrates that working within established literary conventions he can produce a more effective mingling of humor and pathos than any of his predecessors. The first touch of pathos is when David shifting briefly forward in time recalls the indefinable compassion he felt for his fathers grave in the churchyard when our little parlor was warm and bright with fire and candle, and the doors of our house were almost cruelly, it seemed to me sometimes bolted and locked against it. This is typical of the novel in that the narrator recalls the ingenuousness of his younger self with a gentle irony that only serves to highlight the sensitivity of the child. In chapter two this effect is reinforced by the often startling immediacy of the present tense (also adopted in four subsequent retrospective chapters). Here Dickens reveals the radical otherness of the childs perception of the world (in the added alertness of certain senses and different awareness of the emotional and physical proportions of things); the anxieties that accompany that perspective (David is even afraid that Mr Chillip must feel unhappy about a church tablet saying that physicians were in vain, and the underlying buoyancy of youth that reduces the duration of any painful thoughts (almost Immediately afterwards he thinks what a good place the pulpit would be to play in). Dickens is particularly subtle in his mingling and contrasting of the points of view of the youthful protagonist and mature narrator. 4.2 Similar flirtatious disposition between David Copperfield and Charles Dickens 4.2.1 David Copperfields Flirtatious Disposition David Copperfield, articled to the proctors office of Spenlow and Jorkins in London, fell in love with Mr. Francis Spenlows only daughter Dora at first sight, and got engaged to her. He wrote to Agnes, the lawyer Mr. Wickfields only daughter and Davids adopted sister in Canterbury (Ch. 39), informing her that Dora was such a darling and was very blest; but he, while writing so, remembered Agness clear calm eyes and gentle face (Ch. 34). He, it may be considered, is neither devoted to Dora nor single-minded in his affections. When David suddenly learned that that his great-aunt Miss Betsy Trotwood, who was his guardian, was ruined, he told Dora that he was a beggar, asking her if her heart was still his. Oh, yes, its all yours, cried Dora, though in a childish way (Ch. 37). She, it could be said, was simple-hearted, generous and gentle. Mr. Spenlow, when told by David of his engagement with Dora, would never accept it; but he was to die soon. David visited Agnes and told her of his troubles, kissing her hand, which she had given him looking up with such a Heavenly face! After discussing their worries, David said, Much more than sister! and Agnes parted by the name of Brother (Ch. 39). David and Agnes, it could be considered, trust each other affectionately. How would Dora feel, we wonder, if she looked on this sight? Dora, introduced by David to Agnes, found her too clever and was afraid of her. She asked David, what relation is Agnes to you? No blood-relation, but we were brought up together, like brother and sister, replied he. Dora said, I wonder why you ever fell in love with me? (Ch. 42). Dora, surely, did know of his flirtatious disposition and she could have left him forever, but she did not. As for David, he himself chose and married Dora, who was a Fairy, a Sylph (Ch. 26), not Agnes, who had a very placid and sweet expression and was her widower fathers little housekeeper (Ch. 15). Soon David often quarreled with Dora over trifles. He said, Dora, my darling! No, I am not your darling. Because you must be sorry that you married me, or else you wouldnt reason with me! returned she. Dora, it is clear, was seeing a shadow of Agnes behind him. However, after such altercations, Dora reflectively told him she would be a wonderful housekeeper, polishing the tablets, pointing the pencil, buying an immense account-book, etc., though the figures would not add up. Now David was beginning to be known as a writer, and his child-wife, as she asked him to call her, was trying to be good (Ch. 44). It might be considered that at this moment David should have said, Dora, my darling, I love you cordially and am very happy; even if you are not good at housekeeping and figures, you should not mind it at all because you are earnestly endeavoring to be good; as you know, I too am a boyish husband as to years (Ch. 44). David, without saying such things, tried to form Doras mind, but in vain, remembering the contented days with Agnes (Ch. 48), he even considered that his own heart was undisciplined when it first loved Dora, and that there could be no disparity in marriage, like unsuitability of mind and purpose. His own heart, it can be suspec ted, was even now undisciplined because he would have been attracted by Agness clear calm eyes and gentle face more than by Doras efforts to be good; he can be regarded as flirtatious, not as devoted. Such being the case, he was much happier in the second year, the year that Dora fell ill (Ch. 48). She, with nothing left to wish for, wanted very much to see Agnes, not her two spinster aunts, adding that she always was a silly little thing and too young not merely in years but in experience, and thoughts, and everything, and that she had begun to think herself not fit to be a wife to her very clever husband. She died leaving Agnes a last charge that only Agnes would occupy this vacant place (Chs. 53 and 62). Was Dora silly or not fit to be a wife? By no means! Though she might have been childish and poor at housekeeping and figures, she was blessed with many respectable and lovable virtues; for example, she did not abandon David as a beggar, nor desert him despite her fathers will and Davids suspicious relationship with Agnes. She tried earnestly to be a good wife, accepted Agnes and Davids cleverness without defying them, looked down humbly on herself as silly and immature, and left her husband with Agnes foreseeing her death. How serious, benign, gentle and sympathetic! On the other hand, David, even though very clever, was obviously flirtatious, intolerant, and cold-hearted. He should not have introduced Dora to Agnes; far from it he should have broken off his relation with Agnes in choosing Dora, should have expressed his gratitude to her for her not abandoning him and for her trying to be good, should have been generous to her faults as Dora had been to his. He should have known tha t he had much of the responsibility for her feelings of insecurity when she said, I was too young and you are very clever and I never was (Ch. 53). After Doras death, David set out to travel to Europe, and mourned for [his] child-wife, taken from her blooming world, so young. He tried to be a better man, thinking that he might possibly hope to cancel the mistaken past, and to be so blessed as to marry Agnes (Ch. 58). Whether or not he marries her, it can be said, depends on him, but he would have to humble himself and repent, not merely cancel, the mistaken past or his flirtatious mind. He returned home after three years, and confided to Agnes, I went away, dear Agnes, loving you. I stayed away, loving you. I returned home, loving you. How inconsistent! He had said that he mourned for Dora when going away! As for Agnes, she replied, I have loved you all my life (Ch. 62). How would Dora feel if she lived to hear the conversation? Dora, it may be considered, should have left David when she first met Agnes; it might have been because of Agness covert love for him that Dora was afraid of her! Within a fortnight David married Agnes, after which she confided to him Doras last request and last charge as mentioned above, and they wept together but they would not imagine with what feelings Dora had died; also, David did not utter any words of remorse and repentance for having been unable to make Dora happy (Ch. 62). Ten years after the marriage, they had three children, and David had high income and renown as an eminent author. At this happy home, Dora was not talked of at a ll (Ch. 63). It can be concluded that David was a man of a flirtatious disposition for which reason he lacked complete devotion to Dora. As will be discussed, that very disposition was also Dickenss at that time. 4.2.2 Dickenss Flirtatious Disposition Dickens had been looked upon as a very Joseph in all that regards morality, chastity, and decorum as Reynoldss Weekly News wrote on 13 June 1858 (Letters 8: 745n.). He had been accepted as such a man publicly but was rather flirtatious-minded in his private life; in this section it will be revealed how flirtatious Dickens was. Dickens was a serious Christian-minded man, but naturally he was a man in the sense that there is no man that sinneth not (1 Kings 8: 46; 2 Chron. 6: 36; see also John 8: 37, etc.). He was rather flirtatious; as he said, not so long after his marriage, to his wife Catherine, if either of [us] fell in love with anybody else, [we] were to tell one another (Storey 96), and he did show an archly flirtatious attitude towards congenial girls and women of his acquaintance (Slater, D W 122). Six of the girls and women are taken up below. First, there was Mrs. David Colden, daughter of a banker of New York, wife of a lawyer and philanthropist of New York, and fourteen years Dickenss senior, with whom Dickens became acquainted during his first visit to America in 1842. Dickens was deeply in love with her, and wrote a love-letter to her (Slater, D W 122; Letters 3: 30n., 160, and also 242 and n, 219-20). Second, there was Eleanor Emma Picken, a lithographer and a winner of the Societyof Arts silver Isis medal in 1837, by whom Dickens was attracted. He flirted with her on the pier at Broadstairs on an evening in September 1841: Dickens seemed suddenly to be possessed with the demon of mischief; he threw his arm around me and ran me down the inclined plane to the end of the jetty till we reached the tall post. He put his other arm around this, and exclaimed in theatrical tones that he intended to hold me there till the sad sea waves should submerge usà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.I implored him to let me go, and struggled hard to release myself. (Slater, D W 115) Third, there was Christiana Jane Weller, a beautiful eighteen-year-old concert pianist in Liverpool, for whom Dickens conceived an incredible feeling in 1844 (Slater, D W 88-89; Letters 4: 53n., 55, etc.). Fourth, there was Madame Emile de la Rue, wife of a Swiss banker, resident in Genoa, whose nervous disorder Dickens began to treat with his mesmerism from 23December 1844 with so much fascination as to make Catherine very unhappy. This continued for a period of years afterwards (Schlicke 375; Letters 4: 243 and n, 534n.; Letters 5: 11n.; Letters 7: 224 and n). Fifth, there was Miss Anne Romer, actress and singer. Dickens performed with her, on 20 July 1848, the farce of Used Up, in which Dickens played the bored hero Sir Charles Coldstream, and she played his lover Mary. In Act II, Sir Charles, who is in distress, asks her to say, you love me. She replies, Love you! Then he seizes her in his arms, and kisses her; they marry at the plays end (Thomson 46-49; Letters 5: 362n.). Two days after the play, Dickens wrote a letter to Mrs. Cowden Clarke, member of his Amateur Theatricals: I have no energy whateverI am very miserable. I loathe domestic hearths. I yearn to be a Vagabond (i.e. as Coldstream, disguised as a ploughboy, is called by Farmer Wurzel in Act II). Why cant I marry Mary! [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ] I am deeply miserable A real house like this, is insupportable after that canvass farm wherein I was so happy (i.e. Wurzels farm). What is a humdrum dinner at half past five, with nobody (but John [i.e. CDs servant John Thompson]) to see me eat it, compared with that soup [i.e. the pea-soup that Coldstream is given by Mary in Act II], and the hundreds of pairs of eyes that watched its disappearance! (Letters 5: 374 and n; emphases added) In this quotation there can be read not only Dickenss flirtatious mind but also his loathing for domesticity. In the letter of 13 January 1849 quoted below, he even shows his dislike for Catherine: My Dear Mrs. Clarke. I am afraid that Young Gas [i.e. Dickenss name as manager of the Amateur Theatricals Company in 1848] is forever dimmed, and that the breath of calumny will blow henceforth on his stage management, by reason of his enormous delay in returning you the two pounds non forwarded by Mrs. G. [i.e. Catherine]. The proposed deduction on account of which you sent it, was never made. But had you seen him in Used up, His eye so beaming and so clear, When on his stool he sat to sup, The oxtaillittle Romer near c c you would have forgotten and forgiven all. (Letters 5: 476 and n; emphases added) Sixth, there was Miss Mary Boyle, daughter of Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Courtenay Boyle, second son of the 7th Earl of Cork and Orrery; she was a distant cousin of Mrs. Watsons and a miscellaneous writer and renowned amateur actress, whom Dickens first met at the Watsons Rockingham Castle on 27 November 1849. On the 29th he and Boyle played, as part of the house-party entertainments in the Hall, Sir Peter Teazle and Lady Teazle from Sheridans The School for Scandal, and also acted, from chapter 41 of Nicholas Nickleby, some scenes of the mad neighbours [i.e. Dickenss] throwing a shower of vegetables to Mrs. Nickleby [i.e. Boyle] to display his affection (Letters 5: 662 and n; Boyle 231-32; Ackroyd 606). On November 30 Dickens wrote a letter to Mrs. Watson: Plunged in the deepest gloom, I write these few words to let you know that, just now, when the bell was striking ten, I drank to H.E.R. [i.e., Mary Boyle]! adding a picture of a heart shot through by Cupids arrow (Letters 5: 663). Three days later he sent to Miss Mary Boyle a parody by him of Grays Elegy in a Country Churchyard, inspired by Mary Boyles graces in the Rockingham Castle Amateur Theatricals (Letters 5: 665 and n, 708-09), part of which is as follows: No more the host, as if he dealt at cards, Smiling deals lighted candles all about: No more the Fair (inclusive of the Bards) Persist in blowing all the candles out. ______ No more the Fair prolong the cheerful tread Of dancing feet until the lights low burn: No more the host, when they are gone to bed, Quickly retreats, foreboding their return. (Letters 5: 708) Mary Boyle joined in his theatricals on 15 January 1851 at Rockingham Castle, where she acted Mary, the lover of Sir Charles Coldstream, again played by Dickens in Used Up (Letters 6: 163n., 225 and n, 261n.; Slater, D W 404). Dickens wrote a joking, flirtatious letter, based on the play in which he disguised himself as a ploughman, to her on 25 December 1852: My own darling Mary. [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ] you ant no cause to be jealous for all that I am certain beforehand as I shall a Door her O Mary when you come to read the last chapter of the next number of Bleak House I think my ever dear as you will say as him what we knows on as done a pretty womanly thing as the sex will like and as will make a sweet pin

Economic Changes to the Welfare State

Economic Changes to the Welfare State Write a 2000 words essay describing the economic aftermath of the Welfare state in the last century I. Introduction A welfare state is broadly defined as a state in which the government/the public sector undertakes key roles in the production and distribution of economic activities with the objective of protecting and promoting the economic and social well-being of its citizens. A welfare state is essentially a mixed economy type of economic system where the government undertakes a greater proportion of economic activities. This essay describes the economic aftermath of the welfare state in the last century. The essay is organised as follows. Section II focuses on the theoretical foundations of the welfare state, while Section III concentrates on the economic aftermath of the welfare state. Section IV finally concludes the essay. II. Theoretical Foundations of the Welfare State The theoretical foundations described in this essay are from; (a) classical economics, (b) Keynesian economics, (c) Suzumura (1999), (d) Barr (1992), and (e) Heath (2011) Classical economics The classical economists including Adam Smith favoured a minimal role for the public sector. Their preference was for a limited role for the government in the provision of essential public works, the maintenance of law and order, and the defence of the country. They believe that the government’s role is to provide these core activities to provide an enabling environment for the market/private sector to undertake economic activities for economic growth. Keynesian economics Keynesian economics was used to justify an expansion in the economic role of the public sector. Keynesian economics created pressures on the government to stabilise the economy by helping to sustain the disposable income of individuals during cyclical fluctuations. Suzumura (1999) argues that welfare economics plays critical roles in enhancing human well-being and in the design and implementation of welfare state policies. Welfare economics is a normative concept and in general takes account of both efficiency and equity. On equity grounds, society may prefer an inefficient resource allocation for reasons for equity justice and this provides a justification for government intervention in the economy. Suzumura argues that the enlarged concept of welfare economics to incorporate equity justice has also extended the concept of well-being to incorporate/capture the basic considerations as liberty, opportunity and procedural justice and that this widening of the concept of well-being should reflect itself properly in the concept and agenda of the welfare state. Based on this conceptual framework, Suzumura then employs Amartya Sen’s concepts of functions and capabilities as vehicles to examine an individual’s advantages in the welfare s tate. To Suzumura the welfare state consists of one main system of competitive mechanism and three subsystems of (i) the competitive policy subsystem, (ii) the co-ordination policy subsystem, and (iii) the social security subsystem. Suzumura concludes that the task of the welfare economics in the welfare state is to deliberately design the main system and the three subsystems of the welfare state so that the whole system becomes incentive compatible to make it work effectively to maximise the well-being of the individuals in the society in terms of liberty, opportunity and procedural justice. Barr (1992) provides another theoretical foundation of the welfare state. Barr’s thesis and his contribution is on information problems for an efficiency case for various types of state intervention. He identifies two broad types of imperfect information problems leading to market failure in dealing with risks as adverse selection and moral hazard. The insurance industry was the focus of Barr’s analysis. Adverse selection results from asymmetric information between buyers and sellers of insurance, with buyers having more information than sellers and thus making it difficult to establish the ideal price for each individual. These characteristics of adverse selection cause the problems of (i) unstable pooling equilibrium because low risks drop out or because of competitive behaviour by insurers, and (ii) inefficient separating equilibrium, if it exists. Thus, in the face of adverse selection, the market is inefficient, or fails entirely and the state intervenes by making membership compulsory with social insurance as a typical example. Heath (2011) identifies the three normative models as redistributive, communitarian and public economics. The redistributive model describes the redistribution of resources to ensure that the outcomes produced by the market economy are less unequal.. The underlying assumption under the redistributive model is that the market is to maximise efficiency while the state promotes equity through redistribution by allocating initial endowments and adjusting final outcomes. The communitarian model considers the imposition of moral limits on the scope of the market so as to resist the commodification of certain domain of interaction. It is argued under this model that basic human needs should be satisfied through communal provision in which everyone is guaranteed a share rather than through commodification. The public economics model regards the state as correcting market failure, either through regulation, subsidisation and taxation, or the direct provision of goods and services. This model is referred to as the economic model because of the emphasis put on Pareto efficiency and the narrow conception of public goods based on Samuelson’s definition. Under the public economics model, market failure allows for the intervention of the state in economic activities. III. Economic Aftermath of the Welfare State The economic measure of welfare state activities is given by the proportion of public expenditure/spending to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), that is, as a share of GDP. Gwartney, Holcombe and Lawson (1998) argue that even after providing for a generous definition of the concept of core functions to include (i) the protection of persons and property, (ii) expenditures on national security, (iii) expenditure on education, (iv) expenditure on physical infrastructure, and (v) the operational costs of the central bank to maintain a stable monetary regime; the share of the expenditures on core functions for most developed countries did not exceed 15% of GDP up to 1996. Meanwhile as at 1996, the share of government expenditure as a percentage of GDP was above 45% in most developed countries. The authors argue that this higher percentage above the required percentage for the core functions exerted a negative impact on the economy in terms of slower economic growth. Their findings indicate that a 10% increase in government expenditure as a share of GDP results in approximately 1% reduction in GDP growth. The authors assigned the following reasons for this ou tcome; (i) higher taxes/and or additional borrowing to finance government expenditures impose excess burden on the economy, (ii) as government grows, its productivity declines. This is characterised by the following trajectory – expenditure on core functions increases productivity but expenditure exceeding the core functions leads to diminishing returns and more and more expenditure eventually produces negative returns which leads to productivity declines, (iii) the political process accompanying increased public expenditure inhibits the entrepreneurship that drives economic growth through the discovery process. It is argued that as entrepreneurs discover new and improved technologies, better methods of production and opportunities that were previously overlooked, they are able to combine resources into goods and services that create wealth and economic growth, and (iv) the growth in government expenditure was characterised by heavy involvement in redistribution of income and regulatory activities that encouraged individuals to seek personal income via government favours rather than through production in exchange for income. Eventually resources are shifted from wealth creating activities toward the pursuit of wealth transfer which retards economic growth and generate income levels well below the economy’s potential. Tanzi and Schuknecht (1998) argue that from the late 19th century to early 20th century total government expenditure was less than 12% of GDP with expenditure covering the core functions. In the 1920s, the average total expenditure increased to nearly 20% of GDP. In 1937 public spending went up to an average of 23% of GDP resulting from the effects of the Great Depression. Between 1960 and 1980, there was a rapid increase in public spending from around 28% of GDP around 1960 to 43% of GDP in 1980. They further argue that the increased public expenditure/spending reflecting welfare state activities produced the following effects; (i) growing public spending and debt, (ii) rising real interest, (iii) slower growth, (iv) less attractive investment destination by international investors, even under growing globalisation, growing competition and capital mobility, (v) disincentive effects caused by higher taxation, and (vi) large-scale redistributive expenditures with negative impact on gr owth, employment and welfare. The authors’ table 6 (page 83) provides a comparative analysis on the size of government and economic performance as at 1990 between big governments and small governments. Big governments are equated to states with higher government expenditure, that is, with GDP shares exceeding 40% while small governments show government expenditures of less than 40% of GDP. The main findings were based on the following indicators of economic performance; (i) real GDP growth, (ii) Gross fixed capital formation (in percent of GDP), (iii) inflation (1986-1994), (iv) public debt (in percent of GDP), (v) economic freedom indicator, (vi) size of shadow economy (in percent of GDP), (vii) PPP-based per capita GNP (in US$), and (viii) standard deviation of GDP growth. The summary findings were as follows; (a) real GDP growth over a longer period lower in big government countries and that could account for growing unemployment experienced in welfare states with big gove rnments, (b) GDP per capita based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) much higher in countries with small governments, (c) based on the ratio of the standard deviation and the average growth rate (the coefficient of variation), there was no evidence that higher public spending leads to more stable growth (i.e no evidence that welfare states exhibited more stable growth rates). This indicator was to provide evidence on one of the main justifications of Keynesian economics that growing public spending is needed for a stabilisation policy to reduce fluctuations in growth over the business cycle, (d) gross fixed capital formation and inflation did not show much difference across groups of countries (i.e both big and small governments recorded almost the same rates), (e) public debt averages almost 80% of GDP in countries with big governments in 1990 – leading to the payment of considerable risk premiums on public debt obligations (higher real interest rates), (f) economic freedom in countries with big governments worse than countries with small governments, and (g) a strong correlation between spending by governments (and corresponding taxes) and the size of the shadow economy (almost 18% of GDP for big governments compared with 9.4% foe small governments in 1996). The authors recommend that fiscal reforms and lower public spending are needed in many countries with big governments in order to increase economic growth without sacrificing much social and economic well-being. IV. Conclusion In the current globalised world where technology is making major strides, the role of the state should be significantly different from the role played to the end of last century. The economic aftermath of the welfare state in the last century indicates that to increase economic growth, the state should now play a more significant and intelligent regulatory role of providing a level playing field which allows the private sector to expand to areas traditionally undertaken by the state. The role of the state in income redistribution and in providing safety nets is very important but needs reassessment by policymakers. Targeted coverage and not universal coverage is what is needed and with the concept of redistribution narrowly defined to avoid many inefficient policies pursued under the justification of redistributing income. REFERENCES Barr, Nicholas, â€Å"Economic Theory and the Welfare State: A Survey and Interpretation†, Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 30, No. 2 (Jun. 1992); pp 741-803 Gwartney, James, Holcombe, Randell, and Lawson, Robert, â€Å"The Scope of Government and the Wealth of Nations†, Cato Journal Vol. 18, No. 2 (Fall 1998); pp 163-190 Heath, Joseph, â€Å"Three Normative Models of the Welfare State†, Public Reason, 3 (2), 2011; pp 13-43 Suzumura, Kotaro, â€Å"Welfare Economics and the Welfare State†, Review of Population and Social Policy, No. 8, (1999); pp 119-138 Tanzi, Vito and Schuknecht, Ludger, â€Å"Can Small Governments Secure Economic and Social Well-being?† Fraser Institute, 1998 YAW BEDIAKO

The Role of Computer Generated Imagery in the Movie (Film) Industry :: Expository Essays Research Papers

The Role of Computer Generated Imagery in the Film Industry Computer Generated Imagery is the special effects used in motion pictures to create a visual depiction of an illusion that can not be easily created in real life. Directors of major motion pictures have been using these technologies since the early days of the personal computer. Early on, when and special effects were in their beginning stages, it was difficult to make efficient and effective effects that are well accepted by the movie critics and the general public. An evolution of special effects and the introduction of computerized animation brought the standards for movie effects to a higher level. The development of new methods of Computer Generated Imagery for less money and more effective than in the past has allowed even fairly low budget movies to incorporate such technology. Today, movies use CGI to create special effects to replace thousands of extras, stunt people, and puppet like characters, as witnessed in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The evolution of special effects and Computer Generated Imagery technologies has taken the film industry to a whole new level. Computer Generated Imagery began with awkward and dull effects in the early 1980’s. The 1982 film â€Å"Tron† was a desperate attempt from Disney to jump on the CGI bandwagon and start a revolution in film making technologies (imdb.com). Although this film showed an attempt at something that had never been done before in the history of cinematics, it was weird and confusing. This broke the door down for other companies to start up and aid films in creating better and better effects that appealed to a larger market. Although the effects were not good in the early days, the general film going public was astonished by computer generated effects and flocked to the theaters to see these cheesy attempts to use basic technology that did not transfer well to the silver screen. It was not until later films like â€Å"Jurassic Park,† â€Å"Toy Story,† and â€Å"The Lord of the Rings† until CGI became a film making powerhouse and the killer application for hig h budget movies. The evolution of the 1980’s saw the pioneers of the early ages of CGI, but it was not until major revolutions in computer aided film making when the industry took a notice. Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film â€Å"Jurassic Park,† one of the first major motion pictures to use CGI on a large scale, is one of the largest grossing movies of all time (imdb.

Greaest Quality :: essays research papers

Kindness. What is it? Kindness is characterized by the quality or state of being kind. Kindness is a major element of, do on to others as done on to you. Most of God’s gifts come to us as Grace and often it is not necessary for us to ask for these gifts. He has given us the gift of being able to overcome the difficulties that face us. We have much to be thankful for because of God’s kindness to us even from before we were born. Kindness is needed in life because we need to be grateful for what we were given and help others who aren’t stricken with the same abilities, kindness results in a more worth while life, and everyone needs kindness to live. People haven’t always been grateful to God for his gifts. I know I was very grateful when I learned what I was born with, for example, I was born with apnea, a disease stricken in infants that causes their breathing to stop while they are sleeping. That most be the reason at the current point in my life that I enjoy sleeping so well. But God’s love and grace pulled me through and kept me safe through my early childhood. Certain dependability is necessary to practice kindness. Kindness is our way of imitating life’s true meaning. Kindness is always something special. For example. On your way to work you notice an elderly man struggling to cross a busy street. He is surrounded by so many cars, he doesn’t know what to do. He reaches the pedestrian crossing and pushes the button but the cars and trucks keep coming. Being a kind person you take the man by the arm and help him across the avenue. That’s kindness! Your kindness may be the difference between a "good" and a "bad" morning. Look for these opportunities! Some people do not like to be assisted. They feel able-bodied enough to tackle street crossings even though they are elderly.