Evaluate the ways in which ideas were communicated to the audience Essay

Our central concepts and ideas for this piece were: Search for answers, desperation, fall of economy and society, fight for survival, obligatory ignorance. We wanted to communicate that in a downfall of the economy society will collapse; society needs money to survive, to be precise the human race needs things. Through this idea we wanted to show that once the financial system was taken away it came to down to survival of the fittest, people adapting to survive and breaking the taboo in order to do so. We also wanted to communicate that the protagonist was following his basic instincts to discover and learn, driven on a journey catalysed by the loss of his partner. As well as showing that there are often no answers, no matter how much effort and toil you are put through, we decided on showing how people can deal with what happens when they aren’t provided with what they want to know, that some people jump and take themselves out of the situation rather than having the weight of ignorance on their shoulders. Most of the members of the group were aware of these messages, but we made sure that every single one of us portrayed them through our performances to the best of our abilities so they could be carried across to the audience, even if they didn’t recognise them straight away. A few of these messages certainly did carry across but not to the extent we would have hoped. A lot of the younger members of the audience didn’t follow the plot completely, even after an explanation of the story. The older members also admitted that it was quite difficult to digest, and that it might have needed a second viewing to reiterate the plot and distinguish the deeper messages. A couple of them said, however, that the messages seemed to sink in and play on their mind over the next week and, when thinking of the amount of content we had actually performed in 45 minutes, realised how much we had put into it and how innovative it was. During our humorous scenes the audience were extremely engaged, laughing for long periods of time to at the certain bits of action or speech, this was exactly how we wanted and expected the to react. At the beginning they seemed to be quite agitated and were picking up the pictures that had been dropped from the catwalk above, this was again expected. At the rape scene they were very uncomfortable we could tell by the amount of tension left in the room, shuffling during the scene and the uncomfortable silence after the scene, we expected this kind of response, however we didn’t think it would be so extreme. I felt that we successfully conveyed the ideas of piece to the best of abilities but some members of the audience seemed to have received the messages we were trying to put across more than others. This was noticeable when talking to them afterwards as a lot of the audience; especially younger members found the plot difficult to follow. This meant that their brains were more intent on figuring out the plot that they missed key sections that were conveying these messages. The content was clearer to our teachers as they’d had the benefit of seeing the performance numerous times, this allowed them to digest the plot and, upon watching the play again, deconstruct and understand the meanings. I think we could have communicated the meaning clearer to the audience by either simplifying the plot or creating a more consistent and distinct narrative device. Our narrative device that appeared most often was the voice of the company, I think that exploring this character into more detail and having it recite pieces of text that suggest a story line more often would have made it clearer to the audience about the journey. We didn’t do this because we thought that the plot was more interesting without using a narrator thus leaving the audience in suspense and creating an unpredictability to the piece. The performance taught me that to create and present a great piece of drama you need perseverance, a good group dynamic, that discussing ideas relentlessly without taking action doesn’t get you anywhere, that you shouldn’t be afraid to tell a member of the group that an idea isn’t good enough, it’s better to come out with a great piece of drama after a fall out than have some mediocre. Also every scene has to stand alone before it can start to hold together as an entire piece. Our ideas surrounding obligatory ignorance were less obvious than some of our others but none the less proved effective in our performance we know this as they provided an under pinning to the plot that was hinted at but never directly addressed this helped to create a consistency throughout the piece that was obvious to the audience. Other, more directly tackled ideas, such as searching for answers, desperation, fight for survival, the fall of the economy and the fall of society. Idea/Theme How we attempted to communicate this to an audience How effective or communication was Fall of economy and society: This idea provides the starting point and is the catalyst for the plot. We have included this theme to explore a hypothetical world in which the economy collapse causing the downfall of civilisation and how it would be dealt with. We communicated this by beginning the piece with an ’emergency service announcement’ that pronounced that the economy had collapsed we had a 3 minute monologue from a member of the group speaking over air raid sirens and standing in front of flashing police lights. This was extremely effective as it was a clear concise obvious representation of an epidemic, the audience responded to it very well and said, after we talked to them that they got this bit. Searching for answers: This idea is the catalyst for the protagonist’s journey, this would mean that his tragic flaw would be ‘a need for answers’ as this ultimately leads him to his death. We included this idea so that the protagonist had a purpose to go on this journey that is, basically, the plot. This is communicated through the plot by sending the protagonist on this journey that is filled with multiple characters and dangers, yet he still goes on through multiple challenges just to find a way to understand, this is also represented in his confrontation with the bosses, persistently asking them question and insisting they tell him. This also carried over very well, they knew what he was doing why he was going, the only thing that confused them was if the protagonist knew about what happened to his partner as the photos we used with the words ‘eliminated’ on them weren’t visible to numerous members of the audience. Obligatory ignorance: This idea basically surrounds the idea that the protagonist will always, knowingly, be left in the dark about the events surrounding the loss of his partner, which also relates to the rest of the characters who are introduced in plot. We did this to convey that the people who the protagonist meets are people who have dealt with this forced lack of answers in different ways and that the characters in each scene will always be completely opposite to ones in a previous or following scene. We attempted to communicate this by confusing the audience, we showered them with pictures to intrigue them and want to find out answers like the protagonist. We wanted make it infuriating so that when the protagonist was denied the information he wanted from the Wise man and the bosses they would be equally as distraught. Audience members were definitely infuriated about the lack of answers that were given, which is exactly what we wanted. This made sure that they would be thinking about the play after they’d left and, hopefully, relate it to the current day. Fight for survival: This idea is providing an obstacle for the protagonist to face, making the plot interesting. We included this theme also to explore the primitive nature in which the human race would have to revert to in order to survive without the security of something that no longer exists. This is communicated through the challenges the protagonist face i. e. the prostitute scene, the war scene and the memory scene. In the latter the last person to speak reveals the dog eat dog world and kills herself for recessing to her primal instincts. This was definitely clear, talking to the audience afterwards a member said ‘That [world] as a bit rough wasn’t it? ‘ so it carried well.

Horror Film and Halloween Essay

Halloween is the one time of year when it okay to dress up as anything you want to be and it’s also when you can be celebrating all things horror and dead. Halloween started out as the celebration of the dead but has now grown into a wonderful time of costumes and decoration of scary fictional creatures. Dressing up as a scary character or a character you adore is one of the many perks of Halloween. Going to costume parties with friends and celebrating Halloween together. Watching horror movies and television specials about Halloween is exciting and it feels like more the holiday mood. Halloween is a celebration of the horror genre, dressing up and enjoying this holiday with people. Costumes are very important when it comes to celebrating Halloween. Children enjoy going out on Halloween and trick-or-treating with their costumes to celebrate (Halloween). For an older and mature get together some adults enjoy going to costume parties with their peers. In the olden days it was typical for costumes to be scary but nowadays people tend to dress up as their favourite pop star or a favourite character from a movie. Costumes are enjoyed by many people to be something scary or someone they admire. Going to a party or throwing a party is always expected to done during Halloween. This holiday celebration is enjoyed by everyone in certain countries. Many people attend a Halloween party to enjoy the costume their friends are wearing. The snacks and drinks are shaped and decorated as creepy creatures for the effects of Halloween. Even the music is themed to make the effects to feel realistic. People are attracted to Halloween and going to parties and enjoying it with friends is one of the many perks of this holiday. Enjoying the Halloween and getting into the spirit of this holiday makes it more enjoyable. The Halloween episode of a favourite T.V. shows really adds effects to the enjoyment of the season. This celebration is mostly about the mood of being scared and watching a lot of horror movies. The media has a huge influence on Halloween from movies, television specials and even themed music. Halloween is celebrated widely in certain countries. Halloween is a wonderful and exciting celebration made up by traditions and is enjoyed in certain countries. People enjoy dressing up as a favourite fictional character or someone real like a favourite role model. Going to parties and enjoying your costumes and celebrating this holiday with your friends. Most media like T.V shows will often make special episode for Halloween. People are attracted to Halloween because it is a unique Holiday that celebrates the dead.

Analytical essay of Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” Essay

Blindness can manifest itself in many ways. Arguably the most detrimental form of this condition may be the figurative blindness of ones own situations and ignorance towards the feelings of others. In Raymond Carver’s short story â€Å"Cathedral,† the narrator’s emotional and psychological blindness is immediately apparent. The many issues faced by the narrator as well as the turn-around experienced at the culmination of the tale are the main ideas for the theme of this story; and these ideas aid the narrator in eventually succumbing to character transformation by simply regarding the literal blind man in a positive light. The narrators statement at the very beginning of the story explains his own lack of knowledge concerning physical blindness. His lack of knowledge relating to the visitors disability is undeniable, yet he makes it very clear that he is aware of this ignorance, stating that he wasnt enthusiastic about his visit. He was no one I knew. And his being blind bothered me. My idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeing-eye dogs. A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to.† (90) These statements sum up his entire attitude about Robert (the houseguest) and other blind people in general at the onset of the story, giving the narrator an instant feeling of exactly who the narrator and even what he may turn out to be. While there are many undertones concerning other things about which he is unaware, the specific topic of character awareness is the main thought of the storys plot, ultimat ely developing into a solid theme. The introduction of the story explains the relationship between narrators wife and the blind man, detailing how it evolved to its present status. It is here the reader may see other examples of the figurative blindness from which the narrator suffers because of his knowledge of the relationship between the two, which seem to stem from his own troubled relationship with his wife. His wife gives him an ultimatum for acceptance of the blind man, stating that if her husband loves her, he would do this for me. If you dont love me, okay. (92) Throughout the story the narrator exudes jealousy toward the relationship his wife and the blind man share. Insecurity gives way to a troubled relationship with his wife. The narrator revaluates his suspicious  ideas regarding the troubled relationship; and his ultimate personal transformation gives way to the foreshadowing of a profound epiphany surrounding the entire story. Drug and alcohol usage throughout the entire story significantly adds to another blindness of which the subject is oblivious. Once Robert arrives, he is immediately introduced to social drinking, especially when he is questioned for his choice of drink. The narrator quickly supports this inquiry by further explaining that he and his wife carry a little of everything. It’s one of our pastimes.† (94) From this point on in the plot, drug and alcohol usage is described. The final enlightenment experienced by the narrator is a direct result of the mindset brought upon by his marijuana usage. In fact, many of his described problems may be attributed to his drinking and drug use. The effects of these habits are shown very well as the narrator and Robert converse directly after smoking a marijuana cigarette: â€Å"I reached for my glass. But it was empty. I tried to remember what I could remember.† (98) This exact portion of the dialogue accurately describes that of someo ne who is under the influence of a foreign substance. Once presented, the negative effects of drug usage on the characters are obvious throughout the story. The story climaxes after the wife falls asleep and the two men are finally allowed to converse with each other. It is at this time when the narrator finally gets to see the attitude and thoughts of the blind man, leading directly to his own personal transformation. When Robert asks whether or not the narrator is religious, his ambiguous response â€Å"I guess I dont believe in it. In anything. Sometimes its hard. You know what I’m saying?† (99) leads the reader (and Robert, as well) to see that this man is in need of something which means more than physical blindness. The reader becomes aware that this blind man feels it necessary to help the narrator both mentally and emotionally, bringing justice and understanding to a man filled with petty ideals. Once Robert has fulfilled this deed, the narrator begins to understand that certain positions of his are, and always has been, wrong, leading to an ultimate revelation towards change. Many among society today have a minute understanding of what it is to truly see, that this initiative  is more than physical viewing and bases itself mainly on emotional understanding, for instance, figuratively seeing what is inside other people, what they feel and how they think. Conclusively, the final drawing of the Cathedral truly helps the reader understand the meaning of achievement through working together. The two men hold hands while drawing the Cathedral, which inevitably is the basis for the story being told. If not for this truly life-changing experience, this narrator would simply have continued on his close-minded lifestyle never learning about or accepting other people as they are. The last few sentences of this story paint a beautiful picture of someone coming to the realization that being blind is not an affliction that is limited solely to the body. A person can be blind to the feelings of others and the problems that can affect our everyday life, yet through interaction and tolerance an individual can find both themselves and an awareness for people around them. Work Cited Carver, Raymond. Cathedral Literature and its writers. 4th ed. Ed. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins,2007. 91-113

The role of education in a juveniles life Essay

The role of education in a juveniles life - Essay Example The years of schooling are extremely vital in an individual life, since they c an make or break the kind of person he turns out to be. Education passes on virtues like leading a disciplines mode of life, being sensitive to the others' emotions, respecting fellow humans and also leading an honest and worthy life. Today, children are being diverted and exposed to hazardous knowledge from numerous sources. This has resulted in the rise in the number of juvenile delinquency cases. Children are being lead astray due to the high penetration of crime into the society and the influence it has on young impressionable minds. This has paved way to increasing crime rates in the age group of below 18. It is here, that one needs to sit back and contemplate on the ways and means to curb this rising delinquency rate. One of the best ways t o exert a crease on such occurrences, is through education, Education helps refine children and their thinking processes. Since they can be moulded easily and brought into a certain fold, imparting education to juveniles is necessary. By doing so, delinquency rates can experience a dip, while also facilitating the rehabilitation of juveniles who have been led on to the wrong path. This paper attempts to explore the Role played by Education, in the process of rectifying a nd rehabilitating the lives of Juveniles. ANALYSIS ROLE OF SCHOOL EDUCATION Schools play a very important role in providing a perspective to children. For instance, if a child is brought up in an atmosphere where he is put down and looked down upon by his peers, he becomes excessively negative in his perspective. Low self-esteem and the illusion that one is not cared for, creeps in and this often propels the student towards self-destruction. Schools play a three-fold effect on the lives of children. They influence a child in various facets of his growth and comprehension. Firstly, schools establish the Process of Learning, in the lives of student. This learning need not be limited to the learning of varied subjects. It extends beyond. For instance, learning about oneself is the foremost step toward knowledge and wisdom and school education sows the seeds towards the attainment of this wisdom. School education helps a child understand the world, learn to adapt to demands of situations and to acquire not only subject matter, but also soft skills, like working in a team, acquiring leadership qualities, etc. This is the most evident impact that school education has, in the process of moulding and making the life of a child. The second influence that school education creates, on the life of young minds, is that of establishing set behavioural patterns. Following school rules and regulations is the primary step in curbing the influence of external forces of distraction. When a child is given the absolute freedom to do as he pleases, the child often does not know what ahs to

International Politics - advising John Deere on recent drought in Essay

International Politics - advising John Deere on recent drought in Brazil - Essay Example cy response to drought, the Brazilian government highly prioritizes the availability and distribution of clean drinking water to save the lives of the people living in affected communities more than the need to supply water for agricultural activities (Osava). As an end result, the profitability of the businesses related to agricultural products suffers most. A large number of agricultural farmers in Brazil purchase their agricultural equipments from the world’s biggest manufacturer of farming machineries known as Deere & Company. (John Deere) As part of Deere’s marketing strategy, the company extends a credit loan to as much as 17 countries worldwide including the medium- and large-scale agricultural businesses in Brazil (John Deere Credit). Since majority of the agricultural business in Brazil are seriously experiencing financial difficulty to pay their credit loan to John Deere Credit, several marketing and non-marketing strategy will be provided in order to prevent the negative financial impact of the phenomena in Brazil over the business performance of John Deere. Drought can exist in any country temporarily. Considering the demand for corn and soybean will always be present, it is highly expected that the business performance of agricultural companies in Brazil will normalize as soon as the period of drought ends. In times of a global natural phenomenon such as the existence of drought, it is advisable on the part of John Deere Credit management to extend the loan payment to affected agricultural companies in Brazil. This can be done by extending the number of payment years depending on the length of forecasted drought period and the time frame wherein the Brazilian farmers will be able to plant and harvest crops including a grace period of at least one year to allow these businesses to recover from the financial loss caused by the uncontrollable environmental factor. Considering the proposed strategy, John Deere Credit could maintain a good business

Paper assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paper assignment - Essay Example The first thing that I have learnt is that secrets can take a number of forms and they can have different meanings for different people under diverse conditions. Some secrets may serve the purpose of arousing laughter, whereas others may prove to be a source of sadness. No matter what the meanings, it should be kept in mind that secrets are a reflection of the inner conditions of humans and their privacy should be respected at all costs. Also important to note is the fact that secrets can have far reaching consequences on the lives of people and it is for this reason that secrets should be kept and not shared with others; except in a way that ensures privacy of others. I also learnt that memories are an essential part of human lives. The idea of sharing with people the pictures of their lost cameras equates to providing them access to the memories of their past. Although it apparently looks strange that people are willing to get back their old photos, yet it becomes easily understandable if one realizes the willingness of humans to sustain connections with their pasts. We live in our present and intend to sustain a connection with the past while willing to reveal quickly which is hidden in our future. There are various things in life that are more precious in reality than they are ordinarily considered. An example is the voice of people who leave a message when the intended person is not available to talk to. Warren’s assertion that having a recording of someone voice is like keeping that person’s spirit alive is quite interesting. A person’s voice is a reflection of his/her personality and by keeping a recording of a person’s voice, it is possible to revive the memories when the person is no more with us. This has a striking resemblance to the notion of bringing a person back to life. From the above discussion, it can be concluded that the various intangibles of

Race and education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Race and education - Essay Example For example if I don’t accept treatment from an Indian or Asian doctor based only on the fact that his/her skin colour is not of my liking then I’m committing racial sin. But when this same thing starts happening at an institutional level, then it’s a big problem. Sadly enough, it is prevalent. In old movies of the time of the Second World War, Hitler’s Germany, one can see (or read about them) there were shops and public eating places that had sign boards reading ‘No Jews Allowed’, a classic example of institutional discrimination. The difference between racism on an individual basis and by an institution lies in the formation of policies. Usually the institutional racism is in a documented form. Countries can (and have) denied visas or asked for very high taxes from specific nationalities if they want to migrate. The segregation is not limited to visas only, when the difference between the rich and the poor is observed it is more likely to occur that whites (in many countries including England the US) usually have higher income level than coloured people. Racism has its dark deep roots in British social science (Billing, 1979). Over there across the ocean in King County US, 29.1% African Americans and 19.2% people of Latin origin are living below the poverty line compared to only 7.9% of people living under the poverty line from white households (Solid Ground, n.d.). An interesting study suggests the colonization of African and Asian people that began in the 15th century has more to do with the race of the people than people think. When Europeans met with Africans and Asian for the first time, they saw these different groups of people that had different cultures, they started to believe that Races in human species do exist and that Whites are superior to all of them (Clark, 2007). Institutional racism happens both overtly and covertly, there are many form that happen in the world without

Second Assignment PS 321 Introduction to Political Economy

Second PS 321 Introduction to Political Economy - Assignment Example In political science, it simply implies the level of actors at which a researcher will aggregate the data. In any study, the choice of actors or the unit of analysis has a bearing on the final generalization that is given by a study. In this perspective, the emergence of fallacies on the conclusion of a study will be as a result of not properly identifying the unit of analysis. In a study about the geopolitics of a country, for instance, the focus of the research could be trade relations. The selection of the actors in this study due to the interest and ideas about the actor could lead to a level of complications like cross referencing or fallacies (Babbie 2013). This article examines the possible set of units that relate to a research question about the geopolitics of China and its international partners in trade. Specifically, the units of analysis that relate to the research are discussed in details. It also observes the relevance of the units of analysis that will be selected for the investigation on the topic. Depending on the research question and the motivation of the researcher, the development of the appropriate actors or even the units of analysis could be difficult or just impossible. In this case, the use of cross-referencing is used to create a correlation of the available information to the unit of analysis that has been selected. The difficulty in obtaining the data about the unit of study may also lead to the absence of this ambiguity which seldom happens, the choice of the unit of study is simplified. Problems like the ecological fallacy that results from using data that is meant for a group to make generalization is avoided. In the case of geopolitical analysis of China and the trade relations, the major unit of analysis is the country which is China. This choice is provoked by the fact that much of the data that will be collected on the topic for purposes of analysis will have to do

Happiness. Pursuit of Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Happiness. Pursuit of Happiness - Essay Example Therefore, I argue that happiness is the central core of living, which depends entirely on cultivation of virtues. Playing the mean is the way of cultivating virtues that includes moral virtues for the attainment of individual happiness. Playing the mean is the virtue between two extreme excesses and deficiency. For instance, exercising the act of justice in getting too little or getting too much. Therefore, human beings make choices depending on the circumstances that surround them by choosing on one option and neglecting the other. In most cases, the option that people choose will give them peace of mind or happiness. Human beings like other animals are adapted to a particular state of struggle for life and the mere lack or absence of effort or energy from life eliminates an important ingredient of happiness. Therefore, the hardship or difficulties of life may frustrate us. As such, we should realize and learn to appreciate the challenges that life presents. Without life difficulti es, we would be bored and probably be unhappy. However, Russell asserts that human beings should try their best to overcome these difficulties since failure to overcome them will lead to unhappiness. In my own opinion, I think that every person in society would like to have a good life. ... self not separate person from those against him† (McMahon 999) Pursuit of Happiness Russell describes happy people as those without inner division or feelings against the society. They should be attached to themselves and the world too in order to gain happiness. Desires can at times be a nuisance and can easily drive one to trouble especially in cases where there exist two impulses. For instance, the initial desire can push one to purchase beautiful things but on the other hand, the second impulse that one should not buy them but if one follows the first impulse of desire, she or he is likely to go broke. However, the desire based on one’s basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing are more reasonable and should be dealt with without a second thought (McMahon 998). Desire to some extent can be negative or positive depending on the situation or one’s background. For example, there is no harm for one from a successful background to desire a car as it will assis t in operating his or her daily activities. However, for one from a poor background it can be troublesome as this brings an uncomfortable feeling to the surrounding population such as being jealous but to the owner the car brings fulfilment and enjoyment. According to Lama, self-satisfaction alone does not determine the negativity or positivity of a desire or an activity. All the non-virtuous actions committed by people may appear to be a feeling of satisfaction at the time of action but that cannot justify the actions (McMahon 993). Therefore, the ultimate consequence of the action is the determinant of the positivity or negativity of the action. How to Obtain Happiness There are two ways of obtaining inner fulfilment and that is happiness. One way is by acquiring anything that one needs and desires for

Girls do better than boys at school but the situation changed in Essay

Girls do better than boys at school but the situation changed in career patterns of females today - Essay Example In today’s world women contribute as much as men in the workplace with their ability, motivation and intelligence. They have proved themselves with their capabilities, knowledge, skills and competence. With an equal talent bank, positive wisdom and personality today’s women are in the forefront of globalization. As we can see 35% of US lawyers are women, 5% are partners in law firms. 9% of judges, 10% of company directors, 10% of top police officers in UK are women. (Melanie Nolan. Questia Journal Article). From the educational institutions to the media, to the government services, feminism decides the issues, sets the policies, and intimidates rising opponents into forced silence. In the beginning of the new millennium, female employment continues to be on the increase and there are now nearly 11.5 million working women in France compared with 6.5 million in 1960. And this is not peculiar to France alone the same phenomenon can be found all over Europe. The feminization of the workforce is progressively on the raise, whilst male employment is static or on the decline. Unemployment basically is determined by women’s working conditions and terms of employment. Women are no longer a "reserve". The traditional outlook about women being homemakers must therefore suggest legitimizing every kind of inequality. Unemployment being rampant in today’s world this has in no way affected women’s determination to stay on the job market. The term ‘equality’ has evolved continuously to refer to equity, discrimination, etc. all of which refer to the present situation of men and women. Despite women’s success at all levels, there is still a lot of gender segregation due to which women with equal qualification and experience find it more difficult to get a suitable job in a specified field. This is however changing gradually

Did the case of Horsham kill the case of Boland Essay

Did the case of Horsham kill the case of Boland - Essay Example The essay "Did the case of Horsham kill the case of Boland?" analyzes two cases about proprietary deviation and the connection between them. The case of Boland is concerned with the violation of wife’s unregistered right of possession of her matrimonial home in which her spouse had an equal share but had his name alone shown as the registered proprietor of the property in the land register. The husband had mortgaged the property to Williams & Glyns’s Bank without his wife’s knowledge even though they were living together in the same house. The mortgagee bank also did not care to verify with his wife if she had any interest before lending her husband against the mortgage of the said property. The question was whether the wife had an overriding interest by virtue of section 70 (1) (g) Registration Act 1925.since the appellant had sought to distinguish the â€Å"word actual occupation† as mentioned in the said section from her real status. The House of Lords ruled that actual occupation had only its literal meaning of physical presence and as long as she was physically present in the matrimonial home with all the rights of an occupied. Hence the wife had an overriding interest even though it could be argued that hers was the equitable interest as a minor interest entitled her interest only in the proceeds of a sale. The mortgagee bank failed to verify the factual position at their peril. Thus an equitable mortgagee does not get priority over an equitable interest of which he is deemed to have constructive notice.

Presented in Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

Presented in Romeo and Juliet Essay During the Play of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare portrays a very strong relationship between Juliet and her father, Lord Capulet. His initial attitude shows him as a caring, protective father who wants what is best for his daughter. This caring manner continues until Scene 5 of Act 3, in which Juliet defies her father, who wishes for her to marry the County Paris. This scene acts as a turning point in the play; Lord Capulet is now shown as a malevolent father who has his own intentions for his daughters future. However, when Juliet returns apologetically to her father, and agrees to marry Paris, he once again returns to being the loving and caring father we initially identified. Lord Capulets initial attitude to his daughter was generally kind and compassionate. He calls her his hopeful lady of my earth which implies that he expects her to do well for herself. We see him as a typical father late in the 16th Century. It was commonplace for fathers to be in charge of who their daughter married, and Lord Capulet decided that Paris, a handsome, wealthy kinsman to the prince, would be able to provide for his daughters future.  Lord Capulet is very protective over Juliet, he does not think she is ripe to be a bride because she is yet a stranger to the world and hath not seen the change of fourteen years. This prominently reminds us of both Lord Capulets protectiveness, and the ongoing theme of youth and age throughout the play. The point at which Lord Capulet ceases from acting behind the caring faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade come in Scene 5 of Act 3 in the play. Juliet refuses to marry Paris when her mother tells her that they have arranged her marriage. Juliet, who is secretly already married to Romeo, cannot go ahead with the marriage to Paris, and she tells her mother that she is not ready to be married so soon after Tybalts death. Although upset, her mother does not overreact to this situation, and it is only when her father enters that the situation becomes overwhelming. He shouts at her, is unpleasant towards her, and threatens to disown her if she does not do as he says. Lady Capulet is then drawn into more of a quarrelsome situation with her daughter, her line Fie, fie! what, are you mad? could be interpreted either as directed towards her husband or Juliet. It would seem that it was towards her husband as later in the scene she says to Lord Capulet You are too hot, which indicates that he is becoming too aggressive and malicious to his own daughter. This would suggest that Lord Capulet has a very influential personality, and he is able to get other people to do what he wants them to because of his authority, and their fear of what he will say if they, like Juliet did, refuse to co-operate.  Lord Capulets view of a daughter is that they are almost like property, who should be married to a handsome and wealthy gentleman when they are old enough to take on this responsibility. It was usual for this to happen, and so was not treated with the same scepticism as today. In one of Paris meetings with Lord Capulet he tells him that younger than she are happy mothers made. This implies that girls who are younger than Juliet are not only already married, but mothers as well. Even when her own mother asks her about marriage, she says it is an honour I dream not of, suggesting she does not feel ready for marriage, even when her mother reminds us that younger than you are already made mothers. Generally, Lord Capulet does care for his daughter, but does not respect her wishes and opinions as we would expect in todays modern society. Capulets anger at Juliets defiance was the first point when we saw another side to him. He returns to being the gentle father only when Juliet comes to apologise to him. She tells him she has been at confession and has come to accept the offer of marriage from Paris. Her father then becomes the agreeable jovial character we first knew. His angry personality is only evident if things are not going in according with his plans, or Juliet is disobedient to him; he is almost like a spoilt child who does not like it when he does not get what he wants. When Juliet appears to be dead in Scene 5 of Act 4, Capulet seems to be devastated. He states that death lies on her like an untimely frost which to all the other people on stage is accepted as a genuine comment from a grieving father. Alternatively, this could have been interpreted as another selfish comment; the use of the word untimely emphasising the inconvenience of it to his plans. Capulet is once again being slightly selfish, he feels as though he has lost a daughter, rather than his daughter has lost her life, and he is worrying about how it will affect him instead of grieving for her. At the end of the play when Friar Lawrence Tells everyone the truth about the events through the play, I think Lord Capulet realises how narrow-minded he has been. He recognises that he has not treated his daughter with the respect she needed, and is aware that she had to marry Romeo secretly because he would never have agreed to it.  It is this recognition of the error of his ways that leaves the audience feeling that Lord Capulet is a good father. He acts upon what he has learnt straight away by calling Lord Montague his brother, and asking him to give me thy hand to help them reach a better understanding. Behind Lord Capulets capricious faade, we see a father who cares for his daughter, but does not always know how to show it. His unpredictable nature was due to this, and it is not until the end of the play when the true Lord Capulet is revealed. He shows remorse towards the death of his daughter and Romeo also, and looks towards the Montagues to help each other in grieving for their children by settling the dispute between the families.  Overall, Capulet is a good father to Juliet, but his influential position makes him feel under constant pressure to do what is right; both for his daughter and his image to the rest of the Capulets.

European Union’s Democratic Deficit: A Critical Assessment

European Union’s Democratic Deficit: A Critical Assessment Introduction The European Union is in a middle of a crisis. The worst part of its economic crisis has passed but it still faces even more severe issue: a trust crisis. People do not feel represented by the European Union and have turned their support towards populist and radical movements. What is the basis of this crisis? Some authors incline to say it is the EU’s democratic deficit. Thus, since there is a wide gap between what EU citizens want from their politicians and how the EU bureaucrats and institutions act. This leads to a situation where the public’s opinion and desires are not taking into account by the body that should represent them[1]. Yet, first we need to analyse in detail what a democratic deficit means to then address this problem. Democratic deficit is a tricky issue as it does not have a widely accepted definition between politics and law scholars. Depending on the author and its background, the term can be used with different connotations and meanings; hence, the results of the analysis tend to depend on the notion of democratic deficit the author uses[2]. Therefore, first, we shall develop our own democratic deficit conceptual approximation. Then, we will be able to lead a critical assessment on representation and participatory actual problems of the European Union. Afterwards, we will have all the tools necessary to address in detail if there is a true democratic deficit problem in the European Union and to propose some possible alternatives to solve it. The European Union and Democratic Deficit If a hyperbole is permitted, democratic deficit may have as many meanings as authors have discussed it. It is not an easy issue to address or to encompass in a single-simple definition. First of all, especially because, even though we can agree on some basis for democracy, in wide terms it is an ambiguous subject. So, what an author considers a democratic deficit will be highly influenced by what he considers to be a democracy. One of the first scholars to use this term was British David Marquand. He used it to define the democratic legitimacy faintness of –then- European Community. He suggested direct elections for representatives before the European Parliament. When this was adopted, the issue around European Community democratic legitimacy arose even further, as for the European Parliament represented the voice of the European Community citizens but the Community was not ready to give more powers to the Parliament, causing more tension. After the approval of the Maastricht treaty, the problem grew. Two pillars were added to the Union (common Foreign and Security Policy and Home Affairs), and in none of them the Parliament had any control[3]. Other authors propose the democratic deficit problem in the terms of a backwards Hume’s is/ought as they consider there is a discrepancy between is and ought/ should in the European Union[4] institutions and democracy as the transfer of substantial amounts of political decision-making towards the supranational level on non-elected institutions has diminished the democratic influence and the basic control the citizens have on their political institutions. It is obvious that at the first stages of the European Community it was reasonable and necessary to keep citizens away from decision-making as it was initially designed to be an economic community and not a political institution[5], but its goals mutated in time. The Community passed from a purely economic institution to a political one. As it was a community formed by democratic countries, one could expect that the supranational body they formed would also have democratic and participatory channels. Nonetheless, European Union turned into a bureaucratic and political giant that has slowly diminished the national entities and directly-elected supranational bodies -European Parliament- and passed it to its hands. Yet, other approaches[6] suggest that, even though the democratic deficit issue is real, it has to be attributed to the Union’s member states, rather than the Union itself. Integration between European states was responding to a series of already-existing democratic legitimacy issues within the states. They argue that the Union is not democratic enough because the member states have not been able to democratise their integration. The issue of the lack of democracy within European Union institutions is not considered as the cause of the problem, but the natural consequence of the democratic deficit of European Union members. This perspective must be necessarily rebuked. Even with their flaws, most of the European Union members have developed and stable democracies. If an institution poses itself as the supranational ruler of a continent and its legitimate representative, it must follow the same form of government that those national units it intends to rule, which is democracy. Where could European Union legitimacy come if not from its citizens? The Union’s decisions directly impact its citizens, as much as a national government decision, or even more. It also breaks citizens’ capacity to rely on the regular channels of influence –voting- to ensure they are being listened and to participate in political process[7]. The lack of democracy of the Union and is tightness to evolve and accept citizens demands only causes further disgust and loss of legitimacy. European Union is a sui generis institution, as it is not a state but it represents them and takes decisions in their name, therefore it should be held accountable for its decisions in direct elections. One cannot fail to notice that there is a deep democratic deficit in the European Union from the turnout in its elections. Ever since legislative powers were transferred to the Council of Ministers of the European Union from the national governments, the setup of the European Union shifted from that of an economic block to that of a political one. The lack of democracy in the Union has been evident in the voter turnout. From the first vote in 1979, the turnout has been going lower and lower with the 2014 election having a disappointing turnout of 42.54%. Compared to the individual member nations where the average voter turnout is 68%, this is a sign that the members of the European Parliament have noted something wrong with the setup and are thus silently revolting. This has led to the debate as to what ought to be done to get the Union back on track. While one side states that reforms are enough to make the Union serve its needs, others think the European Union should be simply debunked. The fact that the European Union has a lot of benefits for its member states and the world in general, however, means that its abolishment is not the best solution. To get the best solution for the case, therefore, requires an in-depth analysis of how the Union works and where it is failing. The Origin of the Democratic Deficit of the European Union Looking at the origins of the European Union, it is easy to make the conclusion that it was primarily meant to be purely economic and the introduction of the political aspects only complicated issues. The Treaty of Paris in 1951 saw to the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) which was meant to provide a trading bloc for coal and steel in Europe as suggested by its name. In 1957, the Treaty of Rome saw to the establishment of the European Economic Community (EEC). The EEC’s original members were known as the European Communities. In 1993, the Maastricht Treaty would see to the establishment of the European Union. With the European Union came the introduction of European citizenship. The latest of the treaties in this regard is the 2009 Treaty of Lisbon. While a lot has changed in the structure and function of the European Union to the present moment, some of the problems that plague the Union are the same.   The Manifesto for the Young European Federalists by Richard Corbett first raised the issue of the lack of democracy in the European Union in 1977 where the term democratic deficit was first used. David Marquand would later use the term in reference to the workings of the European Economic Community. The coining of the term primarily focused on the European Parliament, which was previously referred to as the European Assembly, and why it had a deficit of democracy. The primary argument behind this assertion is that the Parliament was made up of members who had not been directly elected by the citizens of the European Union. As such, the European Union was not serving the needs of its citizens but those of a few people. Effectively, the European Union is thus not democratic enough given that it does not meet the definition of a democracy where there is a government for the majority. The fact that the majority is not represented through free and fair elections of the members of the European Parliament is one point to the fact that there is a deficiency of democracy in the Union. The European Constitution The European Union prides itself in democratic legitimacy through various aspects of the constitution. The first of these aspects is the European Parliament. The Parliament is subject to the electorates of the member states. The other organs are the Council of the European Union also called the Council of Ministers, and the European Council made up of the heads of national governments of the member states. The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union appoint the European Commission members. This system of making decisions is supposed to give the European Union democratic legitimacy in the same way the US House of Representatives and the US Senate give democratic legitimacy to the United States. Decisions are thus to be reached by both bodies agreeing, and a third organ in this case the European Commission. The intended democratic legitimacy has, however, not been entirely attained by the European Union. The construction of the Union itself has occasioned what the German Constitutional Court called a structural democratic deficit in the Union. This court established that the process of making decisions for the European Union was primarily those of an international organisation rather than those of a government. The difference is that, as an international organisation, the European Union based its democracy on the equality of the member nations rather than the citizens of these countries. It is thus difficult to reconcile the needs of the citizens and those of the member nations of the European Union provided its operation as an international organisation rather than a government. Similarly, the British Electoral Reform Society filed a report in 2014 to the same issue of the EU constitution having a structure which focused on the needs of the member states rather than the citizens. The r eport stated that, while the European Union has focused on upholding the principles of democratic engagement, accountability and representativeness, there is the need to focus on the needs of the minority in any democracy. The European Union, being mostly made up of minorities, thus needs to have a focus on serving the needs of the citizens rather than those of the member governments[8]. Democratic Deficit and the European Commission One of the main structures put in place by the European Union in support of democracy is the European Commission. First, there has been criticism concerning the legitimacy of the European Commission and its role in the initiation of legislation in the European Union. However, this criticism does not have the backing of facts as similar bodies within national governments have yielded similarly poor results. However, its position as a body that legitimises the European Union and its take on democracy has failed by a large extent. The main weakness with such a body, as also noted in the case of the United States government, is that the regulations may be so detailed that the member states have little freedom in making their decisions on legislation[9]. While the issue of a democratic deficit was noted as far back as the 1970s when the idea of a united Europe was still in development, democratic legitimacy has always been an issue the Union has been dealing with ever since. When the Treaty of Lisbon was put in place, its primary aim was to provide room for better democracy in the region. The Treaty of Lisbon required that the President of the European Commission ought to take account of the results of the European Union parliamentary elections. This simply means that the President of the European Commission should be nominated by the   most dominant group in the parliament. This step effectively makes the European Union a political body rather than the economic one meant for the over watch of the economic activities of Europe. In fact, the European Union, owing to this kind of structure, has become partly a federation and also an international organisation[10]. The President of the European Commission would thus be partly elected and partly appointed. This position gives the president less power than is needed to win the confidence of the population, and too much power to earn the trust of the governments of the member nations. The resulting model is one where little democracy is accorded to the citizens of the European Union and their governments as well. The European Parliament and Democratic Deficit When the European Parliament was set up, a lot of people were ready to voice its weaknesses in seeing to the implementation of legislation. However, political scientists would come to the rescue of this organ by stating that, first, the European Parliament is different from the parliaments of single countries due to various factors such as the lack of a divide between the government and the opposition, the presence of a divide between the executive and the legislature, the presence of political parties that are decentralised, bipartisan voting, and the roles of the various committees. For this reason, the European Parliament has been compared to the US House of Representatives but with the advantage of not having a governing body over it like the latter house. The fact that the majorities in the European Parliament have to be built each time while depending on negotiations, persuasions, and explanations ought to make it better in function than the US House of Representatives. This is true given that the lack of interference between the executive and the legislature has made the European Commission and the European Parliament more effective. For instance, the member states of the European Union have less than 15% of their legislative initiatives becoming the law. This is largely due to the lack of support from the executive. The executive bodies, on the other hand, rarely require the input of the legislature in the same nations to pass amendments. The role of the European Parliament is the propositioned amendments to the existing laws. The success rate of these amendments is as high as 80% with the lowest levels recorded (mostly for the hotly contested topics) is at 30%. To an extent, however, the structure of the European Parliament allows for a level of lack of accountability and weakness when it is compared to parliaments with an overwatch body like the case of the US House of Representatives. Voter Turnout in European Elections and the Impact on Democratic Deficit With any democracy, the legitimacy of the leaders in power heavily relies upon the turnout of the voters during elections. The European Parliament has had some of the lowest levels of elections voter turnout hence the reduction in its democratic legitimacy. This is based on the fact that the turnout of the European Parliament elections has been declining consistently since its formation. However, the President of the European Union, Pat Cox, said that the 1999 European Parliament elections and a far much better turnout than the presidential elections in the United States. Compared, the voter turnout for the presidential elections in the United States in 1996 was 49%. However, the voter turnout in the European Parliament elections for 1999 was at 49.51 percent. For both types of elections, this turnout was among the very lowest. While both are at their lowest, it is difficult to use this as an excuse for the lack of democracy in the European Union. As a matter of fact, the case of the United States is very different from that of the European Union and the reasons for the low voter turnouts. For the European Union, the people have an option of whether to belong to the Union or not. And the way they can show their willingness to belong or not belong to the Union is through participating (or not participating) in its activities such as elections. The social aspect of the European Union, that of being accepted or rejected by the people, has been observed in the way the people have turned out in low numbers at each European Parliament vote[11]. The massive lack of knowledge for the common citizen of the European Union has led to the lack of participation by the voters. On the other hand, the United States electorate can have a low voter turnout for many other reasons none (or very little) of which is being against the union that is the United States. As it is, the European Union is not a very effective and efficient democracy given that its workings are not in line even with the developing democracies of the world. First, it is torn between being a government, and an international organisation. Secondly, the citizens, having seen that the democracy of the Union does not work (and it is too complex to understand), are increasingly ceasing to buy into the idea of the European Union being there to improve their lives through fostering democracy. Democratic Deficit and the Council of the European Union Another organ of the European Union is the Council of the European Union. This Council is also part of the efforts of the union to foster democracy among the member states. Its primary role is acting as the voice of the member governments of the EU while adopting the laws European Union and coordinating the polices of the union as well. Depending on the policies of the union, the government ministers of the members states are the members or the Council of the European Union. The presidency of the Council is held on a rotating basis (among the states) with each president holding the office for 6 months only. The Council carries out voting on legislation and discussions with both exercises being held in public. The decisions are based on a qualified majority whereby at least 55% of the countries (which is about 65% of the total population of the European Union) are required. In blocking a decision, 4 nations are needed (being the equivalent of 35% of the European Union population). For issues that are of an administrative and procedural nature require a simple majority while a unanimous vote is needed for the very sensitive topics such as taxation and foreign policy. While the structure of the Council of the European Union seems to read democracy all through it, the same weaknesses that plague the European Parliament plague it hence it is just another example of democratic deficit in the EU. For one, own-initiative reports from either the European Parliament or the Council of the European Union do not have legal consequences as such to the member states. Also, both bodies cannot play major roles in the amendment and repealing of legislation that is already in place. Lastly, and most importantly, the bodies do not address the needs of the citizens of the member nations. Looking at the structure of the European Union, it is easy to conclude that the reason it has not met the needs of the citizens is because there is too much bureaucracy between the top organs of the Union and the common citizens for the member states. The organs are too separated from the citizens in that the decision made take a very long route to reach the citizen. The representatives also have to make decisions which serve the needs of the Union and those of their respective countries; an issue which often introduces a conflict of interest. What the European Union has Done to Better Democratic Legitimacy All the concerns expressed here about the democratic legitimacy of the European Union have been expressed before by various persons and bodies and they have been heard by the people at the helm of the Union. For this reason, the Union has put in place various changes to the constitution with the focus being on doing away with the noted weaknesses in the laws and constitution of the Union in general. Among the changes made include the introduction of the Maastricht Treaty. This was a landmark treaty which is credited with the introduction of citizenship of the European Union. This citizenship would grant EU citizens voting rights to the European Parliament in each of their countries. Even municipal elections of the European Union were also included in the treaty. The treaty would also introduce co-decision procedure in which the European Parliament was given powers that gave it an equal footing to the Council of the European Union in making legislative decisions[12]. These steps would make the European Parliament much more functional and powerful but not powerful enough to overcome the issues of being a purely democratic entity.   The other change made to the constitution of the European Union is the Treaty of Lisbon. Becoming effective from the 1st of December 2009, the treaty saw to better representation of the EU citizens both directly in the European Parliament and indirectly through the Council of the European Union. This was meant to foster democracy and representation. The treaty would also see to the implementation and acceptance of the co-decision procedure as the primary procedure for the legislative dealings of the Union. The Treaty of Lisbon is also credited with tremendously increasing the powers of the European Parliament by a large extent[13]. One of the main areas in which the Treaty of Lisbon helped focus on the EU citizens was in giving the citizens the right to make petitions to the European Parliament concerning any matters of material effect[14]. This increased the powers of the citizen and their levels of participating in the making of decisions. Further on, the treaty would ensure th at Council of the European Union meetings which discussed public matters are made public for all to see. In this way, the citizens can better understand the debates and the workings of the European Union. The Treaty of Lisbon also receives credit for improving on the role played by the national parliaments of the member nations in putting in place the laws and legislations of the Union[15]. Lastly, the Treaty of Lisbon is credited with giving the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union full legal effect. This meant that various steps taken by the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and the European Parliament would have full legal effect in areas where they apply[16]. Conclusion The workings of the European Union in seeking democracy have been so far ineffective on various levels as observed above. While there is intention from the leaders of the European Union to remedy these weaknesses in the workings of the Union, the fundamental reason why there have been low levels of success when it comes to attaining democracy for all citizens is its structure. It aims to operate like a government yet at its basic form it is an amalgamation of governments. Each of these governments have different needs, goals, histories and fundamental principles. The rest is that the leaders of each country first take care of their countries’ needs before those of the European Union. Also, its structure makes it difficult to make laws that will lead to better governance as each piece of legislation needs to have the needs of the many member states at heart. With time, it can be hoped that better legislation will be enabled for all the democracy to be attained. References Avbelj, M. 2005. Can the New European Constitution Remedy the EU Democratic Deficit?. EUMAP.org Campbell, M (2012) The Democratic Deficit of the European Union. Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union, p. 25. Castro, C. (2015). Assessing the Democratic Deficit in the EU: towards a Participatory Approach. RIPS, 14 (1), p. 63. Craig, P; Grainne De; P. P. Craig (2007). Chapter 11 Human rights in the EU. EU Law: Text, Cases and Materials (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 379. Dilek, K. (2011). The Problem of â€Å"Democratic Deficit† in the European Union. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1 (5) p. 244. Electoral Reform Society — Close the Gap — Tackling Europes democratic deficit. European Parliament: Relations with National Parliaments. Innerarity, D (2015). The Inter-Democratic Deficit of the European Union: The Governance of Europes Economic, Political and Legal Transformation. Pp. 173-174. Kelemen, R. (2012). The Rules of Federalism: Institutions and Regulatory Politics in the EU and Beyond. Harvard University Press. pp. 21–22. Milev, M. (2004) A ‘Democratic Deficit’ in the European Union? Master Thesis, I.H.E.I. p. 10. Schà ¼tze, R (2012). European Constitutional Law. Cambridge University Press. p. 99. [1] Castro, C. (2015). Assessing the Democratic Deficit in the EU: towards a Participatory Approach. RIPS, 14 (1), p. 63. [2] Milev, M. (2004) A ‘Democratic Deficit’ in the European Union? Master Thesis, I.H.E.I. p. 10 [3] Milev (2004), pp. 11-12. [4] Dilek, K. (2011). The Problem of â€Å"Democratic Deficit† in the European Union. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1 (5) p. 244 [5] Castro, C. (2005), p. 66. [6] Innerarity, D (2015). The Inter-Democratic Deficit of the European Union: The Governance of Europes Economic, Political and Legal Transformation. Pp. 173-174 [7] Campbell, M (2012) The Democratic Deficit of the European Union. Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union, p. 25. [8] Electoral Reform Society — Close the Gap — Tackling Europes democratic deficit. [9] Kelemen, R. (2012). The Rules of Federalism: Institutions and Regulatory Politics in the EU and Beyond. Harvard University Press. pp. 21–22. [10] Charlemagne. 2013. A democratic nightmare: Seeking to confront the rise of Eurosceptics and fill the democratic deficit. The Economist. [11] Avbelj, M. 2005. Can the New European Constitution Remedy the EU Democratic Deficit?. EUMAP.org [12] Schà ¼tze, R (2012). European Constitutional Law. Cambridge University Press. pp. 31–32. [13] Schà ¼tze, R (2012). European Constitutional Law. Cambridge University Press. pp. 43–44 [14] Schà ¼tze, R (2012). European Constitutional Law. Cambridge University Press. p. 99. [15] European Parliament: Relations with National Parliaments. [16] Craig, P; Grainne De Burca; P. P. Craig (2007). Chapter 11 Human rights in the EU. EU Law: Text, Cases and Materials (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 379.

A Triumphant Indifference :: Essays Papers

A Triumphant Indifference 1 Gene Giraudoux, the French playwright wrote â€Å"If two people who love each other let a single instant wedge itself between them, it grows—it becomes a month, a year, a century; it becomes too late.† [Source?] Based on the introduction of the author F[Z]ora Hurston, it is possible this story Sweat [Titles] is about the lives of real people in the South. The story focuses on one type of relationship that can exist between husbands and wives. The men can be abusive and the women will try to survive by working from their homes from dawn to dusk to make ends meet. The theme of this story is survival in the face of (or in spite of) adversity. [New paragraph] The main character’s key to survival is her triumphant indifference to her husband's aggression. 2 [No paragraph] From the beginning of the marriage Delia learned to live with adversity. [Topic sentence appears to be from a plot summary.] She comes to realize Sykes is not a person she can count on for a home, support and income. His cruel sense of humor is manifested in the scenes where he places the whip on Delia’s shoulder leading her to believe it is a snake, a creature that fills her with terror. He demonstrates his carefree and careless nature, [no ,] by spending money that Delia earns to court another woman. 3 African American women have a history of being church going, God fearing individuals who are content to work hard for a living. To survive they learn to be well organized and efficient with time and money. The opinions of the townspeople lead a person to question what Delia was like before she got married and became indifferent to Sykes jealousy and resentful attitude toward her working for white folk. Sweat and religion are her keys to survival. 4 Why does Delia remain passive through all the turmoil in her life? She knows that physically she is no match for Sykes. She thwarts his attempts to draw her into confrontations by remaining indifferent to his abuse. It states in the beginning of the story that she gave up on love when Sykes started cheating on her. Without love Delia needs to focus her energy on other things to make her life worthwhile.

Black and White by Thomas Essay -- Black White Race Racial Thomas Essa

Black and White by Thomas â€Å"Who am I?† (Thomas 415). Many ask themselves this relevant question in times of self-doubt or ambivalence. Leona Thomas asks this question in her essay entitled, â€Å"Black and White.† As the child of a black father and a white mother, Thomas finds herself in a racial dilemma. Society punishes Thomas for being â€Å"mixed.† Through the use of the literary techniques of pathos, logos, and inductive reasoning, Thomas effectively persuades the reader that society should look beyond one’s mixture. She shows that racial orientation should not determine how a person is perceived by society, and that the people in society should stop being racist to one another. Thomas uses pathos in order to demonstrate the difficulties she had to endure while growing up as an interracial child. She goes in depth concerning the treatment she received from both racial spectrums. Thomas presents her first example of unfair treatment from a black person’s perspective by stating how whites reacted when they found out her true identity beyond her physical appearance. She states, â€Å"I have had friends never speak to me again, parents forbid their children to play with me, job offers suddenly evaporate†¦when people found out my father is black† (416). Thomas distinctly uses these examples mainly because they are synonymous with the racial boundaries that blacks endure in an everyday American society. Furthermore, these examples grab the emotions of the reader, especially if the reader is black. To further the influence of pathos in the essay, Thomas changes her direction by focusing on how the black community did not accept her, knowin g of her mixture. She provides her second example of society’s ignorance by explaining her... ...rticulars) in order to achieve her conclusion (the general). From the examples of the sororities to those of the racial mentality of society, Thomas is able to devise a conclusion which states, â€Å"Racism and hatred only divide people; it is time to start building bridges and stop destroying one another† (418). Certainly, Thomas successfully and effectively gets her points across by using an abundance of examples and evidence. â€Å"Who am I?† (415). This is the question Leona Thomas asks in her essay entitled â€Å"Black and White.† Through the use of pathos, logos, and inductive reasoning Thomas is able to come to a consensus that â€Å"I am black and white, both races, both cultures, and both heritages† (418). For Thomas, there is some form of closure as to where she belongs racially and culturally, but many others still lie in ambivalence concerning their race and culture. Black and White by Thomas Essay -- Black White Race Racial Thomas Essa Black and White by Thomas â€Å"Who am I?† (Thomas 415). Many ask themselves this relevant question in times of self-doubt or ambivalence. Leona Thomas asks this question in her essay entitled, â€Å"Black and White.† As the child of a black father and a white mother, Thomas finds herself in a racial dilemma. Society punishes Thomas for being â€Å"mixed.† Through the use of the literary techniques of pathos, logos, and inductive reasoning, Thomas effectively persuades the reader that society should look beyond one’s mixture. She shows that racial orientation should not determine how a person is perceived by society, and that the people in society should stop being racist to one another. Thomas uses pathos in order to demonstrate the difficulties she had to endure while growing up as an interracial child. She goes in depth concerning the treatment she received from both racial spectrums. Thomas presents her first example of unfair treatment from a black person’s perspective by stating how whites reacted when they found out her true identity beyond her physical appearance. She states, â€Å"I have had friends never speak to me again, parents forbid their children to play with me, job offers suddenly evaporate†¦when people found out my father is black† (416). Thomas distinctly uses these examples mainly because they are synonymous with the racial boundaries that blacks endure in an everyday American society. Furthermore, these examples grab the emotions of the reader, especially if the reader is black. To further the influence of pathos in the essay, Thomas changes her direction by focusing on how the black community did not accept her, knowin g of her mixture. She provides her second example of society’s ignorance by explaining her... ...rticulars) in order to achieve her conclusion (the general). From the examples of the sororities to those of the racial mentality of society, Thomas is able to devise a conclusion which states, â€Å"Racism and hatred only divide people; it is time to start building bridges and stop destroying one another† (418). Certainly, Thomas successfully and effectively gets her points across by using an abundance of examples and evidence. â€Å"Who am I?† (415). This is the question Leona Thomas asks in her essay entitled â€Å"Black and White.† Through the use of pathos, logos, and inductive reasoning Thomas is able to come to a consensus that â€Å"I am black and white, both races, both cultures, and both heritages† (418). For Thomas, there is some form of closure as to where she belongs racially and culturally, but many others still lie in ambivalence concerning their race and culture.

picasso :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pablo Picasso , known as one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century . I shall explore the evolution of a young Pablo Ruiz Picasso to the experienced genius that had shaped the way we see art today . From his Blue and Rose periods through the birth of Cubism , to the struggles of the experimental thirties . As we go to the death of a proud father .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Picasso was born in Malaga on the 25th of October 1881 . The only children of the family were Pablo and his younger sister . As you know Spaniards take the name of one’s father and of one’s mother . The name Ruiz was his father’s . His mother’s was Picasso . His birth name is Pablo Ruiz Picasso . Since its such a long name its a pain to sign so he shortened it . On Pablo’s earlier canvases he signed Pablo Ruiz but later changed his name to who we know of now , Pablo Picasso . Picasso is of Italian origin and the Picasso were silversmiths . Physically Pablo resembles his mother , small and robust with a vigorous body , dark-skinned , straight not very fine black hair . Picasso used to always say that his father was like an English-man . His father , Josà © Ruiz Blasco was tall and had reddish hair and an English way of carrying himself .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a child Picasso was making drawings , not the drawings of a child would have but one a painter would have painted . When he was fifteen years old he would make oil portraits of his younger sister . He painted like a born painter . Then at age nineteen Picasso was off to Paris . Two months later he went back to Barcelona sold some paintings . Picasso settled in Madrid and starts the magazine â€Å" Arte Joven â€Å" with the writer Francisco de Assis Saler. Soon after Picasso goes back to Barcelona and then back to Paris again . Picasso had friends but none of where painters , no they were all writers .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1902 Picasso returned to Spain and painting in his Blue period . Being in away from Spain for a while he forgot how colorless it is . The colors of Spain are white , black , silver and gold yet it was still beautiful . Span in a sense is not like other southern countries ,

Job Involvement On Employee Satisfaction Health And Social Care Essay

This instance survey examines the relationship between occupation engagement and employee satisfaction with specific mention to medical physicians working at learning infirmaries of Riphah International University. Data was collected from 127 medical physicians. The consequences indicate that occupation engagement has a important impact of medical physicians working at learning infirmaries of Riphah International University. Schemes and recommendations are besides discussed. Field of Research: Human Resource ManagementIntroductionThe Hippocratic Oath requires that â€Å" physician shall continue the criterions of professionalism, be honest in all professional interaction and strive to describe doctors lacking in character or competency or prosecuting in fraud or misrepresentation, to allow entities † . Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh ( 2005 ) , states that professional work comprises of exercising of cognition, accomplishments and discretional judgements. These properties are developed through committedness of professionals to their professions, to their peculiar domain of work and the promotion of organic structure of cognition. Medical profession is regarded as one of the noblest professions in the universe. It is merely natural that professional organic structures every bit good as the general public expect the medical practicians to show the highest criterions of professionalism. They are besides expected to adhere to these high criterions even in the face of such hardship as unfavourable occupation environment, hapless conditions and low earning degrees. In order to prolong the trust of the people, the medical professionals must turn out their committedness to competency, unity, morality and selflessness. The best manner to beef up their professionalism is to use these properties in their day-to-day patterns ( O ‘ Neil, 2002 ) . However, the major alterations in demographic forms, composing of the employment sector, increasing consumerism coupled with worsening moral criterions are progressively exerting force per unit area on professionalism. The medical profession is no exclusion. In the current epoch of information exposure and rapid globalisation, no state can put its professionals, be they of any subject, in quarantine. The medical profession in Pakistan is besides being affected by the international tendencies, both positively and negatively. The degree of occupation satisfaction among physicians, particularly immature physicians, appears to be worsening, as they are frequently found kicking about their inappropriate on the job conditions, deficiency of calling development chances, unequal compensation and thorough working hours etc. The people, nevertheless, by and large remain apathetic to these factors and go on to believe that the physicians must demo and follow with model criterions of professionalism, simply on the footing of their occupation engagement and committedness. The profession is perceived to be a service to the ailing humanity and its members are required to lift above personal involvements while executing their responsibilities. Though a figure of surveies have been done to mensurate the extent of and the subscribers to occupation satisfaction among medical practicians, this survey intends to look into and mensurate the impact of occupation engagement on the degree of occupation satisfaction. In order to happen the direct impact of occupation engagement, no other subscribers to occupation satisfaction have been included in the survey. The survey is based on the informations collected from the medical physicians functioning at the learning infirmaries of Riphah International University ( RIU ) , Islamabad viz. Pakistan Railway Hospital ( PRH ) , Rawalpindi, Islamic International Medical Complex ( IIMC ) , Islamabad and Islamic International Dental Complex ( IIDC ) Islamabad. The sample is a blend of physicians of assorted subjects like medical specialty, surgery and dental medicine.Problem StatementRIU is actively prosecuting the policy of bettering the health care substructure and criterions of patient attention services at its instruction infirmaries. The quality of the physicians and their professionalism at the occupation, is one of the major contributory factor for accomplishing the targeted high criterions. The professionalism of physicians mostly stems from the overall occupation environment in general and their degree of occupation satisfaction in peculiar. It is by and large believed that occupation engage ment has a positive correlativity with occupation satisfaction. In position of the RIU ‘s mission, to advance and pattern Islamic moralss and values in all domains of its activities, the physicians functioning at its instruction infirmaries are expected to demo greater committedness to the profession and derive satisfaction from dedication to and engagement with their occupation. However, no scientific survey has been done to mensurate this peculiar facet at any of the RIU ‘s instruction infirmaries to day of the month.Research QuestionDoes occupation engagement impact the degree of occupation satisfaction of the medical physicians functioning at the learning infirmaries of RIU? If so, what extent of this impact and what is the nature of this impact, positive or negative?Scope of the survey:The survey would be transverse sectional, primary informations based. All the physicians, from House Officers to Consultants/ Professors of all the three instruction infirmaries will be included in the survey.Survey Variables:The job statement intends to prove the impact of occupation engagement ( independent variable ) on occupation satisfaction ( dependent variable ) . Therefore, the survey would be directed towards mensurating the causal result between these two variables. Job engagement is defined as â€Å" the grade of psychological designation an employee has with his/her function in the workplace † ( Kannungo, 1982 ; Robinowitz and Hall, 1977 ) . Job satisfaction is defined as â€Å" an employee ‘s satisfaction with the feelings of success achieved from the occupation, the enjoyment of executing the responsibilities of the occupation and the degree of liberty associated with the occupation. ( Yilmaz, 2002 )Literature reappraisalThe construct of occupation engagement was foremost introduced by Lodahl and Kejiner ( 1965 ) . They related the occupation engagement to the psychological designation of an person with the work or importance of work in the person ‘s self image. It has a direct correlativity with occupation satisfaction and besides influences the work public presentation, sense of accomplishment and unexplained absenteeism. ( Robinowittz and Hall, 1977 ) . However, there is a important difference in the degree and extent of occupation engagement in different types of work ( Tang, 2000 ) Job satisfaction is one of the most researched constructs. It is regarded as cardinal to work and organisational psychological science. It serves as a go-between for making relationship between working conditions, on the one manus, and individual/organizational result on the other. ( Dormann and Zapf, 2001 ) It is by and large believed that physicians are progressively demoing dissatisfaction with their occupations. A cross sectional survey carried out in the USA, in 1986 and 1997, found a worsening tendency in the satisfaction degree among general internists and household practicians of Massachusetts ( Murray. et Al. 2001 ) . Other surveies besides indicate that a stress degree of physicians has dramatically increased during the last twosome of decennaries. Though the physicians have achieved noticeable success in footings of calling and fundss, they frequently remain over worked and stressed. Consequently, the defeat, choler and restlessness are taking many of them to lose sight of their calling ends and personal aspirations. Another survey concludes that the work load, unsuitable working hours and deficiency of inducements are the major subscribers to the dissatisfaction of public wellness attention doctors in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ( Kalantan, et.al. 1999 ) . A survey, based on the informations acquired at the learning infirmary of Bahawalpur, concluded that â€Å" Most of the physicians in all ranks and with different makings were found non satisfied with their occupations due to miss of proper service construction and low wages † ( Ghazali et al, 2000 ) . There are besides other studies of worsening calling satisfaction due to worsening professional liberty ( Toedtm, 2001 ) .A survey conducted among Korean doctors besides concluded that overall occupation satisfaction of doctors was highly low ( Lee et al, 2008 ) . In order to understand the kineticss of occupation engagement and occupation satisfaction, the underlying contributing factors need to be looked at before determining the impact of one on the other. Previous surveies have found that factors like income, relationships, liberty, pattern environment and the market environment are of import spheres that influence physician satisfaction ( Mello et al, 2004 ) . Job engagement is the manner a individual looks at his occupation as a relationship with the working environment and the occupation itself. How occupation involvement generates feelings of disaffection of intent, disaffection in the organisation or feeling of separation between life and occupation as perceived by an employee. This creates co-relation between occupation engagement and work disaffection ( Rabinowitz and Hall, 1981 ) . Hellriegel and Slocum ( 2004 ) have argued that since satisfaction is a determiner of the work experience, it follows that high degrees of occupation dissatisfaction are indexs of deeper organisational jobs. Job dissatisfaction is strongly linked to absenteeism, turnover, and physical and mental wellness jobs. It can be safely concluded that occupation satisfaction has a strong relationship with organisational committedness. The workers who are attracted by the occupation and organisation turn out to be most motivated. This is because their organisational committedness and occupation engagement is of a really high degree. They identify with and care about their occupations. Dissatisfaction among the medical professional is non a recent phenomenon. Excessive work burden, demand on clip and bureaucratic working environment had been the traditional thorns taking to low degree of occupation satisfaction among the physicians ( Lee et al.,2008 ) . More countries of dissatisfaction have been identified by the recent surveies which relate to decreased professional liberty over clinical determinations and decreased clip per patient. ( Murray et al. , 2001 ) . Measuring the degree of occupation satisfaction among the medical professional strictly on the footing of occupation engagement may supply a new dimension to the findings of the old surveies. The occupation engagement of the medical practicians, in this survey, is being looked at from the point of position of committedness to the profession due to its aristocracy and service to the humanity instead than due to the factors traditionally identified with this construct. MethodSampleThe survey covered all the physicians from House Officers to Consultants/Professors functioning in the three instruction infirmaries ( PRH, IIMC, IIDC ) of RIU ( module members non involved in clinical pattern are excluded ) .MeasureThe instrument, in the signifier of a questionnaire, used for probe has been adopted as follows Job engagement was measured by 9 points taken from occupation involvement graduated table of J.K.White and R.A.Ruh ( 1973 ) . Each point was measured on a five point Linkert graduated table where value of 1 corresponded to â€Å" Strongly Disagree † and value of 5 corresponded to â€Å" Strongly Agree † . Mean of the tonss obtained on each of the 9 points was calculated to bring forth a individual mark for occupation engagement. Job satisfaction was measured by 19 points taken from Cammann, Fichman and Klesh ( 1979 ) . Each point was measured on five point Linkert graduated table where value of 1 corresponded to â€Å" Strongly Disagree † and value of 5 corresponded to â€Å" Strongly Agree † . The tonss obtained on each of the 19 points were converted into mean to bring forth individual mark for occupation satisfaction. The concluding version of this questionnaire consisted of 28 inquiries utilizing five point Linkert Scale and six demographic facets.ProcedureDatas were collected, on site, over a period of 10 yearss from the pre determined sample. Purpose of the survey and the questionnaires were discussed with the decision makers of the infirmaries. One officer at every infirmary, punctually briefed about the assorted facets of the questionnaire, was nominated to personally administer and subsequently roll up the questionnaires from the respondent. A sum of 140 questionnaires were distributed among the physicians at three infirmaries of which 127 completed questionnaires were received back. Therefore, the respondents represent 90.71 % of the selected population which is a reasonably high degree of response. ( Note: Non response from a few is chiefly attributed to the physicians being on leave during the period of probe )ConsequencesTable 01: Correlation MatrixAJob SatisfactionEmployee Involvement0.43** **p a†°Ã‚ ¤ 0.01, n =127Table 02: Arrested developments AnalysisIndependent VariableBetat-valueP-valueJob Involvement 0.43 5.43 0.000 Ns =127 R Square = 0.19 ; Adjusted R Square = 0.18 ; F =29.48 ; Significance F = .000 ; Dependent Variable = Job SatisfactionFINDINGS & A ; DISCUSSIONThe correlativity analysis indicate a important relationship of 0.43** ( **p & lt ; 0.01 ) . Thus it supports hypothesis of survey that the physicians ‘ occupation satisfaction at learning infirmaries of RIU depends to good extent upon their occupation engagement. The arrested development analysis indicate that merely 19 % discrepancy in the dependant variable is explained by the independent variable. This low value indicates that there are other variables which contribute towards occupation satisfaction of physicians working at learning infirmaries of RIU. The value and T values besides show a important value which proves the hypothesis of current survey. The consequences of this survey are consistent with consequences obtained in survey conducted by Huselid & A ; Becker ( 1998 ) The concerned directors and physicians at these infirmaries were asked to show their sentiment about importance of occupation engagement at their work topographic point. After elaborate treatment the ground for this important relationship is due to the fact that these infirmaries are established with a mission to pattern ethical values, focused more on a service for community instead than fiscal additions. The physicians who join these infirmaries largely come with a mission aligned with organisational aims. Hence, apart from other factors, occupation engagement is one of the key factors which make them satisfied with their occupation. The survey contributes towards explicating importance of employee engagement in occupation satisfaction. The findings besides suggested that direction might be able to increase the degree of satisfaction with increasing the interactions with physicians in staff meetings. Doctors could be interviewed to find their perceptual experiences of direction ‘s ability to turn to these issues. Most of the Pakistani organisations do non recognize the importance of occupation engagement which as per the present survey is one of the cardinal contributing factors towards occupation satisfaction.DecisionThe primary aim of this research was to analyze the impact of occupation engagement on the degree of occupation satisfaction of physicians functioning at the learning infirmaries of RIU. This survey has through empirical observation demonstrated that occupation engagement has a positive relationship with the degree of occupation satisfaction among the selected sample of physicians. Therefore, RIU may see following the policies which may further higher degrees of occupation engagement. This may besides be an effectual scheme to increase the degree of occupation engagement among the physicians and, in return, harvest the benefits of the higher efficiency and greater patient satisfaction. More investing in conditions that are contributing to increasing the occupation engagement would accomplish higher degree of occupation satisfaction, finally taking to increased patient satisfaction and organisational growing.Restrictions of the StudyIt is of import to observe that this survey is based on preset population comprising of the physicians functioning at the three learning infirmaries of RIU. As these infirmaries are being managed by the same authorization i.e. RIU, the physicians are working under the same policies and, more or less, in the similar working environment. This may restrict the generalizability of the findings to other scenes and population. Thus, farther research should try to retroflex and widen these findings to different samples in different organisational scene.

Reason People Change Jobs

If we are compare the labor flexibility of the current generation and 20 years ago. We can see marked differences. Today, people tend to change jobs several within a short period of time in the past. In fact, in some areas they move to another company within a year. I firmly believe that people should change their jobs according to their needs. Several reasons have been identified for this phenomenon. First, the most important reason that motivates a person a change in their field of work is the rapid change of technology. Industries There are those who prefer to work in the latest version of the software, either an accountant or human resource person. Because for their own benefit, need to keep pace with technology. For example, a clinical center and Leon Medical Center have the medical history of their patients fully computerized, no longer use paper folders. As a result, people tempted by jobs offering high wages and employment begin to change according to demand. Therefore, technological progress plays a key role in the employees of the temptation to change its current line of work. Another reason is the urgent need to change their work environment. This is a human tendency that tempts workers to seek something different instead of just one job all his life. Many employees get so bored of your current job field; you do not mind changing jobs, even with a lower salary. For example, there are accountants and IT specialists who are tired of the daily routine of work and sit for about 8 hours, that's when they try to prove work more moved, as vendors or bartenders. For this reason, they tend to attract to jobs that are more animated, as events manager, nightclub and radio jockeys, fashion and wildlife photographer and many more. Therefore, people move to different profiles to bring a change in your routine lifestyle. A third reason that we should not leave out is to seek a wage increase. Find a wage increase is one reason why many people are looking for a job change, no matter even have to move out of town. When people have to deal with accounts payable, that's when you propose to seek a better salary. Even the search for better wages, leads many people to return to study for professional help. Even more in that people tend to lead a socially active life. In a nutshell, changing jobs and field of work is a positive move. Not only it helps in monetary terms but sometimes it provides mental satisfaction to an employee

Air Asia Strategic Management Recommendations Essay

Introduction An analysis of the External Environment would be done so as to facilitate a direct comparison between the generic elements where AirAsia has been founded in. The report then would delve into an internal analysis whereby the Porter’s 5 Forces would reiterate the direct forces that would affect the Airline Industry and subsequently, AirAsia itself. The capabilities and core competencies of the firm would be explained in greater detail towards the latter part of the report before a series of analysis would be done to segregate the more influential ones from the rest. A series of strategies would be then recommended for AirAsia to undertake so as to continue building brand awareness and brand equity throughout the world as a low-cost carrier. 1.0 EXTERNAL ANALYSIS 1.1 Industry Identification AirAsia belongs to the airline industry. Competition in the airline industry is very intense and is growing rapidly together with the increase in demand for budget fares across Asia. The different airlines are making use of several strategies to compete with one another in the airline industry and it is crucial for airline companies to identify their competitive advantages so as to be able to achieve profits and brand equity globally. 1.2 External Environment Analysis Political/Legal: Political factors such as changes in regulation and the global trend toward privatisation of government-owned or government-regulated firms have had implications on the general environment. Furthermore, taking budget flights out of Malaysia can be quite a challenge. Many governments have been instrumental in dabbling in the success of airline companies in Asia. Most airline companies in Asia have had full or substantial state ownership as well as management and control. A prime example in Malaysia would be Malaysian Airlines System (MAS). Such companies are often well-subsidized by their governments and do not face much competition. Instead of being profit-oriented, they are more focused on fulfilling national objectives. As such, privatization and de-regulation have paved the way for new routes and airport deals via the use of open skies agreements between countries and permission of entry of private airlines (Dellit 2002) As such, they would give new airlines that are low-cost carriers such as AirAsia, Jetstar and Tiger Airways chances to access domestic routes and tapping into market share of the airline industry. However, in light of globalization, the airline industry has also been hit by threats such as terrorism, accidents, attacks and disasters. A drop in customer confidence in a particular airline company would be detrimental to a company’s profits as well, hence a low cost carrier would be subjected to factors such as aviation restrictions, consumer preferences and geographical infrastructure of Asia (Steverman 2009). To combat such uncertainties, a budget airline company would have to be meticulous in selecting favourable routes in it’s day to day operations so as to avoid any form of possible negative impacts. (Dellit 2002) Economic: Despite standard of living observed to be improving globally, there exist variations within and between countries. Economic downturns in the recent years have cost companies to lose profits in the industry. However, this proved to be an opportunity for budget airlines. The result of the recent global economic downturn which led to a worldwide stock market plunge also caused aircraft leasing costs to be reduced by 40%, and this led to an environment that had lesser competition in the airline industry. This then enabled many budget airlines to lease their aircraft at a cheaper rate, which resulted in cheaper ticket prices for their customers (AirAsia 2009). However, the possible impact of fluctuating oil prices in the economy would take a toll on operation costs when fuel prices appreciate (Milmo 2011). Revenue and profitability of the company as a whole would fall if fuel prices become too high. As such economic factors are not within airline companies’ control and are unavoidable, the opportunities would outweigh the disadvantages, presenting further opportunities for them to continue in its expansion across Asia. During economic downturns, there would be an expected demand for affordable low airfares amongst budget-conscious buyers, especially for travellers who are travelling on leisure (Ernst & Young 2012). Social-Cultural: The changing societal attitudes and cultures such as growing environmental awareness has implications on the emphasis placed on corporate social responsibility. Furthermore, in order to stay globally competitive, firms now have to consider placing more resources into sustaining competitive advantage with being environmental friendly at the same time. Rapid economic growth has also paved the way for a growing middle class within Asia’s large population, especially so in Malaysia (Ernst & Young 2012). Together with the constant and gradual increase in trade and tourism activities within Asia, the demand for travel has also increased. People are now keener on exploring places far away from home and are willing to fork out money for such experiences. In doing so, the idea of low cost airfares that would allow them to save more to spend at holiday destinations is appealing to them (Ernst & Young 2012). The attractiveness of budget airlines lie primarily with their low-ticket prices and hence would present itself as a major opportunity to budget airlines. For an airline to differentiate itself from its competitors, it has to be able to have value-added services apart from low fares to distinguish itself and outstand the rest. This works out to be a competitive advantage, which may present itself as an important factor for airline companies to have so as to succeed as a low cost carrier (DestinAsia 2012). Technological: By utilizing information technology to aid companies in e-transactions and e-commerce activities, the traditional ticketing and travel agent systems were soon replaced by e-ticketing and internet booking systems (Mouawad 2010). This meant that alongside with globalization, even the process of booking tickets have gone through a massive restructuring. Airlines are now able to save the cost of issuing physical tickets and can now do away with large and expensive booking systems as well as tour agency commissions (PRLOG 2010). However, an airline must ensure that it is not over-reliant on the Internet systems as if it is not handled properly, the risk of system destruction and database overload can affect online sales heftily. The technological aspect of the airline business would pose to be a threat if systems are not properly backed up and maintained on a regular basis (Mouawad 2010). Environmental: Global warming has become an increasing issue facing businesses all around the world as there has been increasing number of evidence of rising dangers from the ongoing buildup of human-related harmful greenhouse gases. Global emissions of carbon dioxide experienced a sharp increase peaking in 2010, hence having a greater impact on how most businesses are carried out (The New York Times 2012). Considering the fact that airplanes contribute to a large proportion of about 13% of transport-derived carbon dioxide emissions, is a cause for concern for the airline business (Whitelegg 2000). 1.3 The Industry Environment In order to analyse the attractiveness of the airline industry, Porter’s five forces framework can be employed. This evaluation is crucial to determining the Air Asia’s best strategy later in the report. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: In the airline industry, the suppliers are namely aircraft suppliers and airline employees such as the flight crew and pilots. Depending on the switching costs that are associated with changing airplanes, the bargaining power of the aircraft suppliers will vary. The bargaining power of suppliers is higher when purchasing new airplanes while it is smaller for second-hand airplanes. Labour unions specifically the pilots’ and mechanics’ unions have high bargaining power as their skills are hard to replace. In addition, there has been an observed trend whereby successful union strikes in the airline industry have led to negative abnormal returns (Finance Department Faculty Publications University of Nebraska Lincoln 1991). Furthermore, wage rates accounts for a larger proportion of costs in the airline industries as compared to other industries (Lehn 2000). Bargaining Power of Buyers: The main buyers in the airline industry are passengers consisting of Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) and small business travellers. As the majority of airline customers are unable to organize and coordinate, their bargaining power is low. Furthermore, with the need for organizations to negotiate well in advance and that discounts are dependent on airline expected demand, offers, and decisions forecasts and not so much on buyers, the corporate bargaining power stays low. Besides catering for passenger travel, there is also the cargo transportation whereby bargaining power is increasing with it being one of the key drivers of revenue in the airline industry. Threat of New Entrants: Although there is deregulation and liberalization in the airline industry, there are still high operating costs and upfront costs that may deter entrants such as high fuel operating costs and purchasing price of airplanes (Mint 2012). However the trend of deregulation and liberalization in the airline industry has enabled for new entrants in the industry to enter easily despite the high costs associated with start-up and operating (Moorman 1993). Also, considering that there has been an increase in demand for low-budget air travel coupled with the deregulation, there is increased competition as a result. Hence, the threat of new entrants is moderately high despite the high barriers to entry. Rivalry amongst Existing Firms: As seen from the case, there was a rapid emergence of low cost carriers across Asia as well as the neighbouring regions in a fierce competition to succeed alongside established airlines (Lawton & Doh 2008). Hence, the rivalry amongst firms is observed to be very intense. In the Asia region, other competitors that dominate the airline industry include Scoot, Jetstar, Tiger Airways and in Malaysia itself, Malaysian Airlines (Wassener 2012). Firms can differentiate themselves based on factors such as differentiation and cost leadership. Hence, the choice of providing better service or choosing to lower prices on a further and continual basis are examples of strategies that firms have employed to differentiate themselves from their fellow competitiors. This further reiterates that price competition makes rivalry amongst existing firms very high. Threat of Substitutes: The threat of substitutes for the airline industry is medium as apart from transportation methods such as rail, ship and buses, there is no direct substitute for freight services. This is due to the geographical location of the Asian region in comparison to the United States and the United Kingdom that makes it time consuming to make use of other means of transport (Lawton & Doh 2008). Hence, ferrying customers via air would reiterate that the threat of substitutes for alternative modes of transport is fairly low. However, there are many other substitutes within the airline industry for alternative low budget airlines that offer the same services with no frills and at a low cost for customers (Sreenivasan 2010). In the case of a low-cost leadership strategy that has been adopted by the industry leaders such as AirAsia, other airlines would follow suit in lowering costs to entice their competitors’ customers. Is the Airline Industry Attractive? Investors may find that the airline industry is a slightly volatile investment, however if the airline has a good establishment in the market, and is cost effective and profit generating, this will highly improve industry attractiveness. 1.4 The Competitive Environment There is a current trend of customers who favour low cost airline hence there is an increasingly number of airlines that are offering the same sort of services and products as AirAsia. This led to stiff competition in the airline industry. AirAsia’s direct competitor in this case would be other budget airlines such as Tiger Airways and Jetstar Asia (Sreenivasan 2010). This can be seen by their target market of customers being similar to their competitors across all of these firms and the strategies adopted are often identical to each other (Sreenivasan 2010). As AirAsia is deemed as the lowest cost airline in the world as of 2007, it sustained first-mover advantage, which stemmed from moving directly into undertaking a low-cost leadership initiative (Mahtani 2012). It was only after it happened that that other budget airlines begin to break into the market with replicated strategies. 1.5 Opportunities and Threats Opportunities Stimulated Market Growth: By having a plane ticket cost less than a bus ticket, bus passengers will probably want to switch to air travel. As a result, the demand will increase significantly. This same kind of market stimulation occurred when Ryanair , an Irish low cost airline, was launched. Liberalization of Geographic Markets: Full liberalization of the Asian market would open doors to AirAsia helping them expand their routes. Malaysia’s underdeveloped aviation market: Even though Malaysia’s geography may encourage air travel, a survey held in 2001 showed only 6% of the population was doing so. Therefore, it shows good opportunity for them to promote air travel in their home country. Introduction of Biofuels: Following other airlines initiatives, it is an environmentally-friendly alternative to reduce carbon emissions. Market of Potential Travelers in Indonesia, China and India: Indonesia which is located close to Malaysia has a population of 235 million. These are potential travelers specially with the joint venture already in place. India and China combined have 2.5 billion people. These sizeable markets create a potential to add new routes to and within those countries. Further Expansion into Cargo Tansportation: An agreement with a cargo company was made in 2007 and as stated by AirAsia, it to section of their ancillary income, considerably contributing to the company’s bottom line. Perhaps AirAsia can reach other deals with other cargo companies. Oakland airport: The airport is located on the west coast of the United States and may serve as an entry route into the American market. Passengers would be able to get a connecting flight to many other destinations within the US from there. Threats Firstly, a number of budget airlines would enter the market and become a threat as well existing ones who may become more competitive. At the moment there 50 budget airlines in South, East and Southeast Asia. Secondly, AirAsia may lack bilateral agreements with some counties thus deterring the optimal free flow of passengers. On the other hand, competition in the tourism industry might entice countries to open up their borders. Thirdly, important players from other regions may be willing to join the market posing a threat to AirAsia. Richard Brandson from Virgin Blue, for example, is interested in making investments in a low cost airline in Asia. Lastly, an increase in the cost of fuel may limit the company’s expansion plans as well as compromising the low cost fares brand position they hold. 2.0 INTERNAL ANALYSIS 2.1 The Firm’s Resources: Tangible and Intangible Tangible: AirAsia’s fuel efficient airbus 320 helps to maintain its low-fares brand position and at the same time being environmental friendly. Financially with the company’s IPO, there is capital available for further expansions. In addition, with the company’s hardware costs locked in coupled with the availability through the very strong surge orders that followed, AirAsia’s cost competitiveness and capacity are improved. Intangible: AirAsia has gained great favour with the Malaysian government and this enabled for easier business negotiations and relations in the country. Tony Fernandes, who had started AirAsia, is a valuable asset to the company considering his strong marketing and operational abilities. In addition, Fernandes hired leading low-cost airline experts to restructure the company’s business model and has acquired more valuable assets onboard as such. With AirAsia’s established presence through sponsorship of sports teams such as Manchester United and market leadership in the Malaysian domestic market, they have an advantage over competitors with their brand recognition. The company’s strong relationship with cargo management company, Leisure Cargo, is another intangible resource. Lastly, the airline’s low start-up operating benefit and internet booking and ticketless travel allow for the lowest possible costs structure and low distribution costs respectively. 2.2 Capabilities Identification Use of Information Technology (IT): Making bookings via the internet and having e-transactions for ticketless travels meant that it not only saved customers time but also gave them the convenience of being able to book their travel tickets anywhere and anytime (The Economist 2012). This also helped in reduction of costs when it comes to issuance of tickets and entertaining bookings via the phone or in person. Making use of IT made the overall process fuss-free and easier to handle for the company. Air tickets can also be purchased from designated Automated Teller Machines (ATM) as well as post offices, which showed how far Airasia went in making the purchase of tickets convenient for their patrons. Airasia’s ability to leverage on IT far surpassed its competitors in the field. Transportation Switch: AirAsia also went forth to dominate the domestic market by enticing current and prospective customers to make the switch from road to air transport (Lawton & Doh 2008). This can be seen in low fares that were offered from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, this tactic allowed customers to experience the in-flight comfort of the low cost airlines and boosted publicity for AirAsia (Lawton & Doh 2008). Furthermore, their decision to go into cargo transportation was a significant move in their expansion plans. AirAsia’s Brand Equity: has been rising stealthily throughout the few years that it has established in the airline industry. Having established it’s reputation as the ‘World’s Best Low-Cost Airline’, it has also won many other awards throughout its time in the airline industry (AirAsia 2007). The company’s branding initiatives are deemed to be successful, as they have been continually pushing for aggressive marketing and sustaining their growth organization-wide. (Silverstein 2010) With the airline earning such a reputable name, it has gone into establishing alliances with other airports within and outside it’s geographical region, this further advertises their brand name on a global scale. (Khor et. al 2009) Organizational Structure: The corporate structure of AirAsia is relatively simple and flat as it comprises of few levels of management so as to reduce cost and increase efficiency (AirAsia 2011). The levels of management are streamlined and together with the use of IT, employees are empowered with decision-making skills with only one or two people to report to in the organization structure. Employees are regarded as equals, and inputs are often encouraged regardless of hierarchical positions. Furthermore, as incentives are distributed based on performance of the company, employees are motivated to work harder cohesively. Product development and Innovation: Aircrafts were designed by the company to combat wear and tear as well as costs and reduction of cleaning time. Innovative ideas include setting up their own branded credit card as well as offering corporate travel loyalty points (The Economist 2012). Their aircrafts bear the logo and the name of the company, which makes it a form of advertisement and establishes it’s brand presence in the eyes of the customers (AirAsia 2007). The ‘Fly Thru’ program is an example of an innovative idea developed by the company. It reduces check in time for multiple flights and gives passenger ease of travel from the booking stage to the transit stage, reducing discomfort of having to re-check in at their transit destinations (Periabras 2012). 2.3 Core Competency Analysis From the core competency analysis, it can be deduced that some of the firm’s capabilities outstand others. Brand Equity stands for having a strong brand image and this is deemed to be one of the most sustainable competitive advantage in the long run. Factors such as use of information technology, organizational structure and product development and innovation would also make AirAsia outstand like-minded firms in the airline industry. Whereas transportation switch may be a capability that AirAsia has but it would only sustain the firm on a temporary basis and may be similar to similar capabilities that other companies have. Identifying the more outstanding factors would aid the company in recognizing its sustainable capabilities as the returns would also be higher compared to other factors. 2.4 Value Chain Analysis Primary activities Support activities Firm infrastructure Business strategies; shareholder management; partnership management; relationship building Inbound logistics Monitoring competitors; In-flight catering; flight scheduling Human resource management Pilot and sales force training; in-flight training; career planning; operational training Operations Check-in, baggage handling; bookings; cargo management; coordination of stations and hubs; on-board service; Technological development Computer reservation systems; Flight scheduling system; market research; baggage tracing system Outbound logistics Flight connections; security procedures; baggage systems; commission payments Procurement Monitoring suppliers; branding (online); delivery instruction specification Marketing and sales Advertising and promotion; loyalty card; group sales; online sales; travel agent programs Service Baggage claim service; car and hotel reservation; customer profiling service; customer relationship management 2.5 Weaknesses At the moment AirAsia is disadvantaged in that they have a majority of wide body aircrafts that are not as economical for short haul flights. North American and European low-cost carriers have around 77% narrow-body planes compared to AirAsia’s 29%. In addition, the company is limited in their ability to expand services and volumes due to limited availability of suitable terminals. There needs to be a greater supply of low-cost airlines terminals at national and international airports. These terminals allow low-cost airlines to keep costs down through quick turnaround and taxi times and therefore charging customers cheaper fares. 2.6 SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS  · Lowest cost airline in the world  · Low distribution costs  · Market leader in Malaysia  · Being innovative  · High profit margins – 35%. Amongst highest in the airline industry  · Good brand recognition  · Good management skills WEAKNESSES  · Too many wide body aircrafts instead of narrow body for shorter flights  · Lack of low-cost carriers terminals at national and international airports OPPORTUNITIES  · Stimulated market growth  · Liberalization of geographic markets  · Underdeveloped geographic market in Malaysia  · Use of biofuels; reducing carbon emissions  · Further expansion into cargo transportation  · Large market of potential travelers in Indonesia, China and India  · Oakland airport as a entrance route to the US market THREATS  · Competing budget airlines entering the market  · Lack of bilateral agreement within countries enabling a free flow of passengers  · Important players from other markets willing to join the market  · Increase in fuel cost 3.0 Strategies and Recommendations 3.1 Current Strategies Single Class, Low Fares and No Frills Airasia adopts a single class and no frills service for its airline services. (Airasia 2012) This meant that unlike global airlines, Airasia does not provide meals, entertainment or amenities for its customers. Their sole purpose is charging the customers for the most basic airfreight experience, with the goal of the destination in mind. On the other hand, they do not compromise on customer service as a result of giving reduced cost services. The products offered onboard are also standardized with characteristics that are deemed acceptable to the customers. Establishing ticket prices that are deemed the lowest competitively, Reduced Fixed Costs AirAsia’s strategy is in line with its mission to be the world’s lowest cost airline. (AirAsia 2012) The low cost structure was attributed to the company’s good planning of resources such as fuel consumption and maintenance costs so as to give customers the best yet lowest prices they can offer. (AirAsia 2008) Efficient Distribution System Seats are deemed as single class which means that there is only one class seating and it is not assigned, passengers would seat themselves on a first come first serve basis. This is done so in fairness and to save the hassle of allocating seats on the company’s behalf. (AirAsia 2012) E-ticketing also aids in saving the cost of issuing hardcopy tickets, this makes it convenient for customers and saves costs for AirAsia. (AirAsia 2008) Use of Secondary Airports AirAsia typically operates from secondary airports which mean that they would benefit from lower parking, landing and ground handling fees. Secondary airports are also less busy than main airports with most of them having shorter runways, this in turn reduces fuel consumption during take-off, landing or taxi. Fuel consumption is one of the main expenses that AirAsia has hence this is a beneficial cost saving. (AirAsia 2012) Secondary airports are often closer to urban districts which makes it more appealing to some travellers and hence increases the number of potential customers for the airline. The use of secondary airports help in boosting sales and keeping operating costs low. (AirAsia 2012) Point to Point Network AirAsia adopts a point-to-point network model whereby the flights they embark on are short-haul ones within four-hour radius or less (AirAsia 2008) Their sister airline, AirAsia X would focus more on the longer flight routes, hence the point-to-point network is based on the goal of flying a customer from the origin to the destination. Customer Loyalty Programme – ‘BIG’ AirAsia has implemented a Customer Loyalty Programme named BIG Loyalty Programme which enables for the accumulation of BIG Points and allows for the members to redeem free flights. This programme is also a collaborative approach with other BIG Partners where if customers spend their money at, they are also able to accumulate BIG points. 3.2 Future Strategies Use of E-Commerce AirAsia’s current electronic online booking system expanded to cater to different payment methods like billing and settlement plan (BSP) and computer reservation system (CRS) channels after they realized that sticking to the direct-sales only channel was a self-destructive strategy. This has created an ease of booking for customers. However, to further enhance the organization’s IT capabilities, AirAsia can hire an IT expert team to oversee the electronic commerce systems, improve web design, and include more payment methods as deemed fit. As AirAsia operates in a fast-moving services industry, the IT expert team will then meet up regularly to review the electronic commerce systems, gather the problems that surface, and provide consolidated solutions and recommendations to each problem. In addition, AirAsia has adapted Revenue Management Systems, Inc. (RMS) as their revenue management partner and selected airRM as its revenue management system (Revenue Management Systems, Inc. 2012). This has led to the organization’s ability to analyze historical data and forecast demand in order to create efficiency and hence cost savings (AirAsia 2007). In addition to this already set up system, there could be a collaboration of the IT expert team with the financial and marketing team to determine the most effective way to management inventory and revenue besides just leaving it to the IT expert team. Undoubtedly, there will be risks and barriers that will be faced when implementing these suggested strategies. One of the potential risks of E-Commerce is the fact that it increases the possibility of making wrong decisions and the impact is usually huge and swift (International Symposium on Government in E-Commerce Development 2001). Another barrier could be the culture barrier between the different functional teams (i.e. marketing, financial, IT team) that could possibly cause the collaboration of the teams to be unsuccessful. As a result, this could lead to wastage of resources. In-Flight Advertising Initiatives It is essential for AirAsia to continue building on its brand image and brand equity as it is deemed to be a capability that would not only bring in the revenue but would also establish AirAsia as a niche budget airline across households. This can only be done through further advertising and marketing initiatives. In-flight marketing is an ideal way for AirAsia to reach out to its first-timer flyers and possible returners to continue flying with AirAsia (Kirby 2010). Discounted tickets, package holidays and credit points brought forward from previous travels with AirAsia would entice customers into flying more with AirAsia. This can be done within the aircraft where customers would not be able to leave the premises (Leslie n.d). Such marketing initiatives can be incorporated into mini leaflets or flyers so that customers can explore their future holiday options on board the flight to their current holiday destination. Furthermore, flyers onboard have a receptive mindset which is due to the fact that they are excited about the new destination that they would be heading to therefore advertising to such a target audience would bring forth more responsive results (Leslie n.d). Implementing this initiative would require documents to be printed in precise and bold as well as eye-catching manner that would seize the attention of the flyers on board. It has to be attractive so that customers would enquire about it and not just take a quick glance before chucking it aside. Further reiteration can be done by in-flight staff, which could bring personal marketing into this initiative by offering their knowledge upon request. It is an inexpensive procedure for certain in-flight advertising products and it would require more initiation from interested customers. This method is ideal compared to the more expensive ideas that would require mass media for advertising purposes. In-flight advertising can take the form of magazines, radio, video or catalogs. The downside of running this strategy an in-flight marketing initiative would be the reduced target audience, which stems from having an outreach that is only aircraft wide. Limited availability of flyers on flights that are emptier compared to other flights would make the advertising initiatives redundant. Furthermore, it could incur the irritation of customers who may wish to rest and not have to deal with anything else on the flight. In-flight initiatives such as radio and videos would incur higher costs as compared to paper advertising on catalogs and magazines. Furthermore, if the advertising placement is too intrusive, consumers may in return develop negative attitudes towards AirAsia’s marketing regimes. Use of Biofuels Brazilian airlines as well as American, Canadian, German, French, Australian within many others around the world have started using or have plans on using biofuels (Lane 2012). In Asia, specifically, Thailand and Indonesia announced plans of moving towards aviation biofuels (Lane 2012). AirAsia could join the group: Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG) formed in 2008. It may be an alternative when oil prices will likely continue to rise and it is environmentally friendly, therefore they will be able to increase the number of passengers without increasing carbon emissions (Wassener 2011). Since many airlines have started or plan on switching to this kind of fuel, perhaps supply may not be enough and prices go up with high demand (Wassener 2011). Another risk would be the fact that if you are using edible crops to produce biofuel, food prices may go up. Moreover, in an attempt to increase production getting more land, natural habitats might be destroyed by deforestation (Gao, Skutsch, Masera & Pacheco 2011). Finally, a proportion of the market may be skeptical of flying on aircrafts utilizing aviation biofuels. Aggressive Promotional Campaigns AirAsia can continue creating aggressive promotional campaigns as ‘Malaysia with love’. It will make them standout in the competitive airline market. Due to the fact that social media is so widely used nowadays, social media campaigns and efforts are an excellent idea to increase brand awareness and recognition. Statistics show that 58% of firms who have used social media for over 3 years have reported an increase in sales over that period and 85% of businesses say they have had an increase in market exposure (Forbes 2012). Delta Airlines, for example, has introduced bookings through Facebook perhaps AirAsia can do the same or simple create an innovative campaign (The Independent 2010). Risks to the implementation of social media promotional campaigns is the fact that rival low cost-carriers may decide to copy this strategy allowing them to gain market exposure as well and consequently steal market share if their efforts prove to be more successful. In addition, customers who may have had bad experiences with the company will have the story quickly spread in social media networks, making it more harder for firms to contain negative publicity. References AirAsia 2008, AirAsia wins Airline Strategy Award: Finance Category Real 5 Star carrier gets Real 5 Star honour! Available from: . 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