Why have some financial intermediaries retained a mutual structure Essay

Why have some financial intermediaries retained a mutual structure while others have converted to investorowned companies (500words) - Essay Example Knowledge and understanding of how others conduct business is an incredible advantage toward the understanding of global management accountancy situations. For example, where the deal is always the single most important consideration to Americans, the details and the way those details are ironed out would be more important for Europeans and Asians. This is where cultures clash in the board room. Something many who are experienced in global management accountancy would state unequivocally. (Brett, 2003) In the context of investor owned companies, it can be stated that in the eyes of many from the northern states in the US this is the preferred method for management accountancy and enforcing a series of set standards toward labor and economics in the world. A businessperson's largest asset would have to be the support gained by his or her employees or employers depending upon the infrastructure in the company. The south would have a different viewpoint, in that centralization tends to favor one body in place of more than that. Understanding global economics from a managerial perspective requires an understanding primarily of accountancy and economics. Secondly, we must understand how our accountancy and economics associates in a global landscape and finally, how cultures and accountancy coincide or clash depending upon the situation.

Destination Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Destination Marketing - Essay Example Definition of Destination Marketing The term ‘destination marketing’ can be defined as one of the innovative strategies in order to get an edge over other competitive destinations. It can be revealed that marketing the destination of the tourist should tend to complement with the strategic objectives of the stakeholders as well as the sustainability of the local resources. It is worth mentioning that the destinations need to develop innovative strategies and make their products distinct from those of their competitors by conducting research so that they can make and display the unique value. Destinations can as well expand partnership with various public as well as private sectors at various levels of the destination management so that they can stimulate the delivery mechanism quite promptly and effectively. It can further be argued that with the advancement of technology such as web-based promotional measures, the competition becomes more pronounced by enhancing visibil ity, reducing the cost as well as increasing the local co-operation. Therefore, tourism marketing can be envisioned as one of the important steps in the direction of ensuring optimisation of the impacts that tourism has and in the achievement of the stakeholder’s strategic objectives. It is worth mentioning that the destination marketing must be formed in connection to the western business model in order to lookout for the greater interest of the destinations and the stakeholders who are directly or indirectly associated with the task of promotion and development of the destinations (Swain, n.d.). The destination marketing can be considered as being an essential part of mounting as well as increasing the popularity of the particular location. It has been apparent that several times the tourist planners pay more attention towards the development of the tourism while focusing less on retaining and preserving the attributes attracting the travellers towards the destinations. Mor eover, the tourism destinations are quite difficult ‘products’ to market which makes use of huge number of the stakeholders. The other thing which is worth mentioning in this regards is that the destination manager has less control over the brand image. The level of complexity as well as diversity has been well known by the tourism planners which make the brand development a difficult and cumbersome task for the national, local and regional tourism organisations. The destination marketing involves attention of the tourist-related organisations towards the destinations. The stakeholders face challenges in developing a coherent theme for the destination brands. Due to the cut throat competition, the key to the success of business is building and maintenance of the brand values. There has been a shift of brand management from peripheral marketing concern to the core business strategy (Ana, 2004). Development History of Destination Marketing The history of destination marke ting can be traced back to nineteenth century in the USA. It was the time when meetings and conventions were attracted. The formal commencement of the US

Structure of the judiciary power

Structure of the judiciary power Introduction Every society in the human history confronted the question of how disputes should be resolved. Independence of the judiciary is the principle that the judiciary should be politically insulated from the legislative and the executive power. Courts should not be influenced by the other branches of government. Different nations deal with the idea of judicial independence through different means of judicial selection. An independent judicial branch is one of the main guarantees of democratic system of government and it ensures the rule of law so that it is free from outside influences and judges can render cases only due to the law and facts. The importance of the independent judicial system in England were established in the beginning of 11th century, when William The Conqueror come to throne in 1066 and had started settling new laws in the whole England (today is known as Common Law) and also had fixed by The doctrine of the separation of powers. Whereas, In Kazakhstan legal system the Judicial power as the legal category is rather new. On 30th August 1995 on the basis of the Declaration of Independence the Constitution of The Republic of Kazakhstan had been accepted and it covered the initial principles and appointments of independence of judges (The Constitution of The Republic of Kazakhstan, 1995). Firstly, I would like to return to the past of the UK to observe the formation way of the power structure, which we have today. The ideas based on a modern principle of division of the authorities, for the first time was expressed by Aristotle, in his fourth book named, Politician. He formulated the idea of separating the power in the state on three parts: legislative, official, judicial; each of the authorities should be represented by the separate body. The further development of the theory of division of the authorities is bound to John Lock and Charles Louis Montesquieu, who have carried out the most thorough working out of this principle. Later on, by the end of 18th and the beginning 19th century, the principle of division of the authorities was recognised in many states. Next paragraph separately exposes the origin ways of each power branch in the UK. The Parliament The British Parliament is one of the oldest parliaments in the world. It is often named foremother, but in my opinion it would be more exactly to call it forefather of all parliament systems in the world, and it continues to function throughout the whole political history of the country since the second half of 13th century. Formation and development of The British Parliament occurred during XII and XV centuries. Considerable value of this long process traditionally was attracted by a crown of the higher nobility to the decision of the state, affairs monarchy going back to its origin. Meetings of the Kings vassals, from the middle of XII century, became an obligatory part of the state life and they were the historical beginning of the class representations. The ancestor of legislative system of England was the Curia Regis (the council of tenants-in-chief) it was created by William The Conqueror, who brought to England the feudal system from his native Normandy after the Norman conquest in 1066, and was granting land to his most important military supporters, further the supporters were granting that land to their own supporters thereby creating feudal hierarchy of England. Eventually this council has developed into the Parliament of England, and now includes the head of the state (monarch), chamber of lords (historically chamber of the nobility and the higher clergy) and the House of Commons (historically chamber of commoners). The Monarch and Government Formation of strong English government begun in the beginning of 12th century when English people were victims of intestine wars and feudal anarchy. This severe historical experience had definitively convinced English people that nothing but the strong central power and the wide state organisation can serve for them against those harms. Reducer of the reeled English state order was Henry II Plantagenet (years of board 1154-1189). During Henrys reformatory activities people against feudal lords joined him and it can be said that absolute monarchy formation in England begun with him. The restrictions of the monarchs power began being introduced in the beginning of the 13th century, when the English nobility forced King John to recognize the certain document named, Magna Carta. The constitutional monarchy in that way we see it today, has developed and has become stronger in 18th and 19th centuries when function to administer the affairs of the state has passed to the Cabinet which were appointed from elective parliament. The Cabinet has arisen before the bourgeois revolution of 17th century on the basis of secret council, as the narrow board helping the king to quickly solve the important problems of the government. At first this body completely depended on the monarchy. Further, by the end of 18th century and the beginning of 19th century, it was ceased to be a subsidiary organ of the Royal management and should lean against Parliament support. As the result by that time it started being recognised that the Cabinet should have the majority of voices in Parliament and the head of it should be the Prime minister. The Legislative If the legislative and executive powers are assigned on the exactly higher state body then the judicial power is much more difficult. It is assigned to set of judicial bodies from the local Supreme. Each judicial body is independent and it has own place in the system, resolving concrete affairs absolutely independently. The todays judicial power of England has arises from 1178, when Henry II appointed five members of his personal household to hear all the complaints of the realm and to do right, however the role of the Lord Chancellor was still formal and judgements were a prerogative of the King. Such situation had been existing till Glorious Revolution, the acceptance of the Bill of Rights in 1689 and the Act of Settlement in 1701. After those changes the power of the monarch was essentially limited and courts received independence and leadership of the law. The doctrine traditionally demands separate of powers, that the state system of the power must be divided into three branches and each branch is not only supplemented by two others, but also could be balance. As I said above, the judicial power became independent from executive, legislative and Royal powers when The Bill of Rights 1689 was introduced. According to the Bill the monarch was deprived to a duty to support and supervise judicial system, and the right of the Queen was only to dismiss judges on ministerial council. However, until recent time the principle of separate of powers in the Great Britain was not completely observed. So that the Lord Chancellor being the head of the judicial power in the Great Britain simultaneously was the member of the Cabinet and a member of Lords chambers. Moreover, the Lord Chancellor was appointed to the post by the Queen on representation of the Prime Minister. In July 2003, Tony Blairs government tried to make radical changes to a judicial branch of the power and declared plans to cancel a post of the Lord Chancellor to abolish the system of Law Lords and to replace it with separate Supreme Court. These plans caused considerable contradictions, and finally, Prime Minister decided to change, instead of cancelling an ancient role of the Lord Chancellor. Reform of the role of the Lord Chancellor has started the process of separating his various duties making clear distinction between the government, Parliament and the judicial power. Kazakhstan 16 December 1991, the Parliament of the on the Republic declared the independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic Kazakhstan was formed. During the period 1991-1995, the political system and Constitutional legislation of the Republic were formed. The first Constitution of sovereign Kazakhstan was adopted in January 1993. Being to some extent a compromise between the old and new political systems, reflecting attempts to introduce into the post-Soviet context a western democratic model, this Constitution initially contained some contradiction which occasionally took the form of unnatural opposition and resistance of power. As a result of the Referendum held on 30 August 1995, a new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan was adopted, eliminating the shortcomings of the former constitution. The new Constitution established a Presidential Republic, and solved rationally the problem of divided responsibilities among different branches of power, while also welcoming changes to the market system. According to Article 3 of the Constitution states that the state power in the Republic of Kazakhstan is unified and executed on the basis of the Constitution and laws in accordance with the principle of its division into the legislative, executive and judicial branches and a system of checks and balances that governs their interaction. The legislative branch comprises Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (the Senate and the Majilis). The executive branch comprises the Cabinet of Ministers, state committees, others central and local executive bodies of the Republic. The judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court and Constitutional Council and local courts (regional, district and others). The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the head of state, its highest official determining the main directions of the domestic and foreign policy of the state and representing Kazakhstan within the country and in international relations. He shall ensure by his arbitration concerted functioning of all branches of state power and responsibility of the institutions of power before the people. (Art. 40 of the Constitution). The President is elected every seven years on the basis of universal suffrage. One and the same person may not be elected the President of the Republic more than two times in a row. Nursultan Nazarbaev has been the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan since 1 December 1991. Parliament The highest representative body of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the bicameral Parliament. According to the Presidents Decree having force of Constitutional Law  «On elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan » (1995) the parliament will consist of two chambers the Senate and the Majilis and work on professional base. Parliament at a joint session of the Chambers: introduces amendments and makes additions to the Constitution; adopts constitutional laws, approves the republican budget, the reports of the Government, and the Accounts Committee about its implementation, and introduces changes into the budget; conducts a second round of discussion and voting on the laws or articles of the law; hears the report of the Prime Minister on the Governments program and approves or rejects the program and annual messages of the Constitutional Council of the Republic on the state of the constitutional legality in the Republic or reports on the activity of the commissions; decides issues of war and peace; adopts a decision concerning the use of the Armed Forces of the Republic to fulfill international obligations in support of peace and security at the proposal of the President of the Republic; puts forward an initiative calling for an all-nation referendum; exercises other powers assigned to Parliament by the Constitution. The Government The Government is appointed by the President and accountable to the Parliament. It implements the executive power in Kazakhstan, heads the system of executive bodies and exercise supervision of their activity. Judicial Authority Justice in the Republic of Kazakhstan is exercised only by the court. The judicial system in the Republic consists of the Supreme Court Republic of Kazakhstan, the highest judicial body, and regional, district, town, and city courts. (Art.75) The Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be the highest judicial body for civil, criminal and other cases which are under the courts of general jurisdiction; exercises the supervision over their activities in the forms of juridical procedure stipulated by law, and provide interpretation on the issues of judicial practice. The chairman of the Supreme Court is the judge and is appointed to the post by the President with the consent of the Senate of Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Independence of the judicial power in Kazakhstan completely based on the Constitution and the Constitutional Law named, About courts and the status of judges, and the guarantor of the constitution is the President. However, the theory of division of the authorities does not assume creation of the Chinese wall between various branches of the power. That is also impossible, as their interaction and interdependence are the questions of uniform institutes and the government shall be necessarily differentiated from its branches, generating an interlacing of some elements. The general meaning of the modern legal doctrine are the connection of ideas of unity and division of the authorities, their interactions and system of controls and counterbalances. Such understandings are reflected in the newest constitutions. The most distinctive expression is the point 4 of article 3 of the Constitution of Republic Kazakhstan of 1995 which says: the Government in Republic Kazakhstan is uniform, is carried out on the basis of the Constitution and laws according to a principle of its division into legislative, executive and judicial branches and their interactions among themselves with use of system of controls and counterbalances. Basically the Kazakhstans and English models of the judicial power are very difficult to compare moreover they are based on various legal foundations. English system of the Right is based on judicial precedent and actually courts of England create laws. In Kazakhstan the system is based on the code system of the right, such as the constitution, the constitutional laws, codes etc., and the Kazakhstan courts in contrast to English courts do not have the legislative initiative. It is believed that the judicial power is the weakest branch and it does not lean against wish of voters as the legislature, has no power for compulsion as the Executive. The force of the judicial power is in respect from the civilised society to the right and court. Here again we can see considerable distinctions. In that number, and in relations of other branches of the power both judicial in England and Kazakhstan. The execution institute of court decisions in England is so accurate also punishment for default so serious, that the practical excludes concept  «default of the decision of court » and communication with what, the authority of the judicial power is indisputable. Since independence Kazakhstan has undertaken huge efforts for a raising of courts authority, however corruption and a principle of the telephone right create for this purpose very big obstacles. Also I would like to stop in detail on the status English of judges put in English statutes. According to this statutes judge are appointed for life. In Kazakhstan the similar norm of the law does not exist. And although the legal judge is appointed to the post and dismissed by the President of Republic, the nonflexible system of estimations of activity of the judges allow to the chairman of courts easily release the judges who was not undesirable to him.

Love in the Male Dominated Society of the 1800s in Hawthornes Rappaccinis Daughter :: Rappaccinis Daughter Essays

Love in the Male Dominated Society of the 1800's in Hawthorne's Rappaccini's Daughter "Rappaccini's Daughter" is a strange tale, kind of an early pseudo-scientific short story, that focuses on the life of Beatrice and her bizarre nature. The result of a twisted experiment, she must find happiness within the walls of a garden her father has created for her. Although her life depends on a fatal poison, she defines her soul as "God's creation, and craves love as its daily food" (2131). This paradox creates a powerful story as the mortal Giovanni falls in love with the deadly Beatrice. Insane love and harsh words end the story with the climactic suicide of a heartbroken girl. I saw this situation as being analogous to women's rights at the time. "Rappaccini's Daughter" was published in 1844, women couldn't vote in the USA until around 1920. This story was written in a time when women were generally victimized by the society they lived in. Rappaccini purposely introduces his only daughter to a poison filled, solitary life in the name of love. As he "spends his life in achieving a picture" (2131) Rappaccini forgets about the "miserable doom" (2132) he has inflicted upon his beloved daughter. This parallels the inflicted miseries women of the nineteenth century endured such as arranged marriages as well as many other paternalistic conditions placed in the name of love or safety. "Rappaccini's Daughter" was written two years after Hawthorne's marriage and during the same year of his first daughter's birth. The strange idea's brought forth in "Rappaccini's Daughter" are more easily seen when his position is put into perspective. As a father he knew that his daughter would be subject to the very restrictions he so skillfully illustrates in "Rappaccini's" as well as in "The Scarlet Letter". Could these stories be the imaginative musings of a frustrated father? Perhaps they were due to his own feelings after becoming a new groom. In either case both stories have a dominating theme of the oppression of women's sexuality, Beatrice's poison being that of society. Harsh consequences befall Rappaccini when he tries to control things he truly cannot, such as love and life. Would the same happen to Hawthorne is sought to exert as much control? The character of Rappaccini exemplifies perfectly the views held towards women in the

Ancient Greek Marital and Gender Roles

Ancient Greek Marital and Gender Roles *Note: All claims are assumptions based off of textual clues and are not to be understood as fact but to be recognized as potential truths. The roles of men and women in Ancient Greek civilization can never be fully understood since no one alive today existed during their era. That being said, analysis of texts written by Ancient Greek authors provides us with insight into how their culture viewed both genders. It is through these texts that scholars can identify customary actions of single and married couples.Questions such as: should women save themselves for marriage, Are men the providers, And were women expected to be subservient in a patriarchal society can all be answered through textual understanding. As we prepare to dive into ancient texts and learn about the Greek culture of old, one must understand the importance of utilizing multiple authors. Without calling upon a variety of texts, a credible and thorough theory on how Ancient Gree k individuals acted cannot be erected.For the purposes of this analysis the authors Euripides, Aeschylus, and Homer will be employed with the prospect of further understanding Ancient Greek gender and marital roles. Taking into account the differences among these texts in authorship and date, we will burden three main tasks: identify what makes a good husband and good wife, discern if and why one role receives more attention than the other, and conclude what ancient Greek social norms may have been from the way these texts depict marital relationships. Euripides’, Hippolytus, provides a sturdy backbone for understanding how Ancient Greek civilization viewed gender roles.Before reading a text it is important not to have a narrow scope. This means that one should not only focus on the perceived main character, but rather consider how every character may depict an aspect of the then current culture. Despite being titled Hippolytus, it is crucial not to only concentrate on the ch aracter Hippolytus. In fact, there may be just as much if not more to be learned from Phaedra. Phaedra, being the stepmother of Hippolytus, supplies a situation where her actions toward Hippolytus can be used in understanding the expected actions of married females toward single males. After Phaedra earns that her nurse has disclosed the sensitive information about her romantic feelings for Hippolytus to him and that he has rejected her she takes her own life out of shame. However, she leaves a note for her husband – Hippolytus’ father – Theseus, claiming that his son has raped her. This action reveals that perhaps it was not uncommon for women to take their lives after being sexually violated. With that in mind, it may be inferred that sexual purity was expected of women, that once a woman has been tainted by a male who was not her partner she loses her respect, honor, and desirability.In addition, Theseus’ reaction allows us to see even further into gen der relationships and societal norms. Theseus takes the offensive against Hippolytus, cursing him and subsequently causing his death. Nevertheless, instead of coming to the hasty conclusion that Theseus is emotionally volatile and lacking the ability to understand, it is pertinent that one stops and asks: â€Å"Why may he have acted this way? † For where most mistakes are made in textual analysis is through hasty generalizations based on current era norms.Indeed, in todays world Theseus’ reaction would lead to his imprisonment and mandatory meetings with a psychiatrist but this was not always so. In Ancient Greece honor was critical and helped in determining social status. Euripides lived during the end of the Persian Wars and much like the notorious Spartans, the Athenians considered honor for themselves and their family to be of the utmost importance. With this in mind we will take another look at Theseus’ reaction and how it provides insight into Ancient Gree k culture.It is possible that Theseus reaction would have been of the norm during his time. It was most likely seen as dishonorable to commit suicide as well as to lie; therefore, Theseus would not dare question the claims made by his wife. Theseus was trying to protect his honor as well as that of his family by taking action against he who had supposedly raped his wife. Society may have expected him to avenge Phaedra’s death. This shows that a married couple was a strong unit, that each must have trust in each other; it was not their duty to question the word of their partner.Bearing everything in mind it can be deduced that a good husband is one who protects his family and a good wife one who is loyal, even if it means taking their own life. Nevertheless, the male gender role stresses honor over family. Moreover, when honor and family conflict, family loses – hence the death of Hippolytus. Euripides portrayal of Hippolytus assists in depicting how men were expected t o act in society. Hippolytus serves as a paradigm for a man who does not meet the standards of the societal norm. We are able to identify that Hippolytus is not a normal Athenian male because the goddess Aphrodite punishes him for his actions.He is a boy who has not yet become a man; he shows that it was not acceptable for males in Ancient society to resist maturity. His wish to remain abstinent, or more so his lack of sexual desire is common among the youth but not a matured male. Aphrodite is used to receiving praise and worship from the male population and because Hippolytus does not worship her – but instead the virgin goddess Artemis – she chooses to punish him. His punishment allows us to infer that all men were required to seek out a woman when they reached the age of maturity.Those who did not most likely brought shame to themselves and their family. Moreover, it can be seen through the emphasis on family, and sexual desire that procreation was not so much a ch oice as it is today but an obligation and duty of each and every able-bodied male. Ultimately, Euripides’ Hippolytus sheds a lot of light on social norms regarding gender roles. During the time period in Ancient Greece while Euripides was alive – estimated between 484 – 407 B. C. E. (Before Current Era) – the prevalence of honor was paramount, effecting the actions and choices made by both males and females.It was the duty of the male to protect and maintain honor for his family by taking action against those who threaten or harm the fortitude of his family. But first it is his societal obligation to wed a woman and create a family. On the other hand women are important members of society, their word bears weight in discussion and decision, it is their duty to love and protect their family as well as to maintain honor for themselves by being loyal companions even if it means taking their own life. Although the assumptions made off of textual clues in Hipp olytus appear valid, it is still important to consider other ancient texts.The Odyssey by Homer is another text that provides clues toward how Ancient Greek civilization regarded gender and marital roles. There appears to be an undisputable amount of evidence supporting that there was a double standard between men and women on how they should act toward the opposite sex. Odysseus engages in sexual activities with a large amount of women on his journey home to Ithaca. Whereas despite not having not seen her husband for twenty years Penelope remains loyal even though she has a crowd of suitors desiring her bed.Odysseus’ behavior leads to the belief that it was acceptable for Greek males to cheat on their wives. However, there is not enough evidence that supports that his behavior was acceptable. Additionally his circumstances were not of the norm so it is unfair to say that Odysseus’ behavior corresponded with that of the average Greek male. The important part of Odysseu s and Penelope’s relationship that does speak to the social norms of society is the devotion held toward one another. Penelope’s decision to remain loyal to her husband even after twenty years of absence says a lot about Greek women.It can be inferred that marriage was a huge deal and loyalty an even bigger one. If Penelope had chosen another suitor before knowing if Odysseus was dead or not then she could have potentially brought dishonor to herself and her family. The importance of loyalty and marriage is stressed by Penelope’s actions. Additionally, she shows that to be a good wife is to be a committed wife. In comparison, although Odysseus is not loyal like Penelope, he shows that it is the duty of a husband to make it home to his wife and to always put family first.The fact that Odysseus wants more than anything to return home and see his wife – so badly that he even gives up his potential life with Calypso – supports that commitment to oneâ⠂¬â„¢s family is the most important duty of a Greek male. When Odysseus does return home and finds that suitors have overrun his house he takes action and eliminates all of them. Although it may be argued that a couple of the suitors were genuine, decent people and should not have been killed, his decision to kill all of them attests to the duties of a good husband.The suitors entering his home without verification of his death was a strike at his honor. It is from his decision to eliminate all of the suitors that we can learn about how Ancient Greek society viewed the male gender role. Men were expected to be strong and to protect the honor of their home, to enter discussion over who was the most in the wrong displayed weakness. In order for a man to reclaim his good name he must do away with any and all threats. This notion toward the expectations for Ancient Greek male gender roles is further supported by the actions of Odysseus’ son Telemachus.Telemachus had never met his father but still decided to set out on an expedition to find him. The fact that Telemachus had never met Odysseus when he decided to risk his life to find him validates the importance of family. Clearly common ethics in Ancient Greek civilization endorsed family over everything. A son was expected to fight for his family no matter how close his relationship with the rest of his family may be. Normal male gender roles were to maintain honor and protect one’s family.Homer’s The Odyssey and Euripides Hippolytus both share common characteristics in their insight into Ancient Greek marital and social gender roles. The overwhelming aspect of both texts that appears to be the focal point of Ancient Greek culture is family commitment. All clues point toward both marital roles to be to preserve and protect the honor of one’s family as well as the importance of having one. The assumption can be made that in order to be a good wife she must be loyal and honest, whereas to be a good husband he must also be devoted, putting his loved ones before himself and honor above all else.There does not appear to be one gender that receives more attention, supporting that both genders played a vital role in ancient culture. In contrast with the previous two texts, Aeschylus’ Oresteia: Agamemnon offers a different approach in addressing Ancient Greek cultural norms relating to marital and gender roles. While Agamemnon is gone for ten years at the Trojan war his wife Clytemnestra conspires against him with her lover Aegisthus. To be fair, Agamemnon had sacrificed their daughter in order to have the wind be on his side.Before we continue let us analyze how this depicts Ancient Greek marital roles. The relationship between Agamemnon and Clytemnestra is incredibly strained after he sacrifices their daughter Iphigenia. However, if emotions are withheld it can be seen that perhaps Agamemnon’s marital and gender role supported his decision. As was seen wit h the death of Hippolytus, stemming from Theseus’ duty to uphold his principles, it can be inferred that the requirement for a male to preserve his honor comes before family.Although taking a different approach, Oresteia: Agamemnon, has the same main principles regarding marital roles. Except this text allows us to see what happens when roles compete. As the story progresses more insight is provided into how marital roles are affected when one takes precedence over another. When Agamemnon returns home he brings with him a new woman, Cassandra. After arguing with his wife about not wanting to display excess hubris by walking on the purple carpet their time together becomes very strained. Shortly after his return Clytemnestra murders Agamemnon and Cassandra.Her catharsis is complete after committing these murders and uses the sacrifice of Iphigenia as justification for her actions. Both the love affair of Clytemnestra with Aegisthus and Agamemnon with Cassandra hint that perhap s there were a little bit more public scandalous acts that took place in Ancient Greece than the other two texts let on. We have learned that in order to be a good wife she must protect her family and be loyal to her husband. The text written by Aeschylus explicitly proves that when a wife must choose between loyalty to her husband and protection of her family she will choose her family.Regardless of the obvious differences between this text and the two priors they all three present Ancient Greek gender and marital roles to be comprised of the same basic principles. That being said, all three illuminate a new characteristic. After analyzing all the texts it can be assumed that Greek culture revolved around family, loyalty, and honor. A good wife is a woman who puts her family first and remains loyal to her husband no matter what the circumstances. Likewise a good husband defends the honor of himself whilst remaining devoted to his family.Nonetheless, after further analysis it can be argued that social norms for marital roles did not always go hand in hand with what a â€Å"good† husband or wife should do. This is because certain roles are emphasized more than others. When a wife chooses her children over her husband or a man defends his honor at the consequence of his family he or she can no long fit into the paradigm for a â€Å"good† husband or wife. In another text written by Euripides, Medea, the view into the past is much different than that of Hippolytus or any of the other texts.That being said, it is crucial to analyze the new perspective in order to formulate an educated theory on what Ancient Greek marital roles used to be. Jason and Medea are married with children when Jason chooses to suddenly leave to marry the daughter of the king of Corinth. Euripides is insinuating that in some instances male gender roles overpower their marital roles. As a Greek man it is his duty to gain honor and status as well as to create a family. However, a s a Greek husband it is his duty to be devoted to his family and to never leave them.From this text we can infer that the desire of a man to achieve honor and status can lead some men to abandon their families. The prospect of one day being king is too much for Jason, he leaves and forgoes his marital roles. His choice to relieve himself of his duties as a husband infers that not all men in Ancient Greece were morally sound, taking a very loose interpretation of the word â€Å"honor. † Additionally, Medea involves herself in some actions that go against what would be considered socially preferable. Medea is distraught and angry after Jason abandons her and the children.She takes action by plotting to hurt Jason the way that he hurt her. Medea gives Jason’s new wife a poisoned robe that burns her flesh off and murders her own two children in hopes to harm Jason. By murdering both Jason’s wife and her children she is exhibiting revenge with the only intention of b enefiting herself. This act infers that there were many citizens of Ancient Greece who did not regard the normal social roles. Unlike Agamemnon who sacrificed his daughter to fulfill one of his societal roles, Medea acts completely outside of the norm by murdering her children in cold blood.Euripides may potentially be trying to express that there are always going to be individuals that act radically opposite to what is at the time considered normal. A distinction that must be recognized is that between gender roles and marital roles with the understanding that they sometimes overlap. It seems as if more attention is placed on gender roles than marital roles. For instance, Odysseus chooses to cheat on his wife, Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter, Clytemnestra murders her husband, and Jason deserts his family.After analyzing all of the texts we can finally make an educated decision on what marital and gender roles were like in Ancient Greece. It appears that Ancient Greek society had determined roles for both men and women and they were meant to be adamantly revered. A good husband was considered to be a man who was devoted to his family and defended the honor of himself and his home. He recognized that there is no honor in hurting loved ones, no matter what the outcome. Additionally, a good wife was a woman who was completely loyal to her husband and her family, protecting them by whatever means necessary.However, thorough analysis reveals that there were often times people who went against what would be deemed â€Å"good† because they made a choice when roles conflicted that ensued a consequence for a loved one to bear. And finally there were those who went against the grain completely. Overall, Ancient Greek social norms involved family at the center and devotion from every member to each other. The reason there is such a strong emphasis placed on understanding, documenting, and analyzing history is because it is through historical analysis that schola rs can infer as to how modern-day culture came to be.It is through investigation of historical texts and other mediums of recording history that allows us to track the progression of people and their roles in society. In the current era people are still learning more about how past societies operated and what led to their development. From Homer to Hemmingway there is always more that can be learned through textual analysis, whether it be a historical primary source or not. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Struck, Peter T. â€Å"ClSt 200 – Greek Tragedy. † ClSt 200 – Greek Tragedy. N. p. , 2000. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. .

Observation of the Toddler Environment Essay

Upon entering the toddler environment, the first thing that I noticed was the classroom atmosphere, which was calm and yet full of educational opportunities for a variety of students. The shelves and materials were organized in sequential order, the shelves were exposed so that materials were easily accessed. If the parents came into the classroom they would be able to see every material their child may be working with. The shelves were also not cluttered but materials were spread out so they could be seen and accessed easily by the toddler. The morning program started with a circle time where the children were asked by the teacher to greet each other, they sang the welcome song and then talked about the weather. I noticed that the children were encouraged to speak during this time and to sit on a cushion, every child participated in the song. In the area of self-direction, I observed that some of the older children were quite independent when it came to choosing their own work. One child in particular who I believe is the oldest one in the class worked on all of her activities very carefully and quietly, and would sometimes â€Å"experiment† with the material while remaining careful and respectful of the material. Another child was painting and she decided to put her hands inside the cup, and once stirred the colored water with the paint brush to see what would to happen. This type of experimentation showed her natural curiosity. A few of the very young ones were quite â€Å"busy† and would often walk through the classroom talking or touching other children’s work, while the others are just observing their friends doing the activities. I also noticed that some children would get upset easily when others touched their materials, while the others would allow their peers to work with them. The older children tended to want to help their younger peers with their work; some of them would go talk to or check on their younger friends to see if they were okay,  or just simply ask them if they would like to work together. Most of the students were drawn to Practical Life materials, Sensorial materials, and Nature table at the time I observed. I didn’t see a lot of interaction with the Language and Number work during my observation. During the course of the morning the children had group snack time where they were encouraged to eat their snack by themselves and to tidy up their plates and cups when they were finished. They then washed their hands and started to dress to go outside. A lot of focus was directed towards independence and some children were able to put their shoes on by themselves and then wanted to help younger children to put on coats and shoes. Outdoor recess was largely unstructured playtime; the teachers blew bubbles and threw balls for the children and encouraged them to play with each other. The teachers worked calmly and quietly within the classroom environment and they were allowing the children to choose their own activities. The head teacher acted mainly as a facilitator and when she was showing a material she was not interrupted by the other teachers or any children. She was doing individual presentations with hand gestures and non-verbally. She used the 3 period lesson and also took the child to the shelf to choose the activity and then back to the shelf to show them were to place it upon finishing. She worked with a child while the assistant teachers were helping supervise the classroom or were â€Å"directing† some of the children to find activities. On one occasion, one of the children was working on an activity and a younger child took away some of his materials. The first child became very upset and started screaming so the assistant teacher approached him and calmly told him use his words to say â€Å"No, Thank you† to the other child. Second child returned the materials and the assistant teacher asked him if he would like to choose one of his favourite activities on one of the shelves from the Practical Life. This approach seemed to satisfy both of the students involved and was solved within a reasonable amount of time. Regarding the physical environment, I observed that all the materials are scaled to the toddler children’s size and their abilities, allowing them to explore and be engaged with any activity of their choice, thus encouraging them to work freely and independently. This encouragement of independence  created by an accessible environment helped the students with their independence and confident behaviour. I observed that the children were very enthusiastic about the materials and I felt they were appealing and attractive. I very much enjoyed observing in the Montessori Toddler environment and seeing the certain behaviours that are unique to toddlers and other behaviours that are similar to the younger Casa students I have worked with in the past. Some of the things I enjoyed observing were the interactions between older and younger students and the developmental differences that they exhibited when they were moving around the classroom environment and making their work choices. It was very interesting to observe the teachers interactions with the children and the dynamic in the classroom. The room was not silent but seemed a social environment and children appeared very happy.

Learn how to write a perfect paper

Learn how to write a perfect paper Little Known Ways to Write a Perfect Paper There may not really be such a thing as the â€Å"perfect paper,† but if you can write one and get an â€Å"A,† that is pretty darn close. Most professors do not give â€Å"A’s,† unless a paper is truly superior, especially when compared to the others that have been submitted. Most students, including you, know the process for writing paper assignments – choosing a topic, coming up with a thesis (the point you are making), doing the research, making an outline, writing the rough draft, getting all of the citations in, revising, and writing the final draft. All of these steps are absolutely necessary if your paper is to have sound structure and read well. The other really important part of producing an â€Å"A† paper is the ability to write well – to use proper sentence structure, grammar and punctuation, as well as style and vocabulary that is appropriate for your academic level. Now, here are some things you may not have thought of that will improve the chances for an â€Å"A,† and chances are teacher or professor ever gave you these â€Å"specific† pointers. Talk to your professor about your topic. Chances are, you will have a content field from you can choose options for writing a paper. And chances are, your professor has given a range of pages, perhaps 8-10. Once you have decided on your topic, email your professor, or better, stop by during his/her office hours and get his/her thoughts on your chosen topic. If that topic is too broad or too narrow, s/he will tell you so and perhaps make suggestions for refining it further. You have accomplished two things here: 1) your professor is a bit flattered that you have come to seek advice, and 2) you have refined your topic to meet his/her length requirements. You have also saved yourself the grief that can come from choosing a topic that is too broad and having too much written on it, or, worse, choosing one that is too narrow and not being able to find enough resources to meet the minimum page length. Don’t choose your thesis until you have completed your research. You may already have one in mind, and that is fine, but once you have finished the research, one of two things may have happened: 1) you may find a thesis that works better for the topic and/or 2) you may have changed your perspective on your original thoughts and now have a much better thesis with which to work. Don’t forget, you get a thesis by asking very specific questions: Why is this topic even important? If there are differing opinions, which ones do I find most valid and with which one do I agree most Which theses are other authors using on the topic, and will one of them work as a thesis for me? Sometimes re-wording the thesis of a respected authority on a subject, as long as you agree with it, works really well. Organizing your research into sub-topics can be a laborious, because you have to match stuff from several authors on each sub-topic. The traditional method has always been to use note cards and to use a different notecard from each author for each sub-topic addressed (and to be certain that the information for in-text citations is on that card).   You then compose your outline from the stacks of cards you have collated. Here are two other approaches that some students find more helpful: Once you have finished the research, sit back and think about the major points that most or all of the authors made. These then become your sub-topics. What you can then do is this: Put each sub-topic into a separate Word document, and then go through your notes, topic by topic and insert the information you intend to use with the citation information with it into each of the related Word documents. Print those out, and use those instead of an outline. If you have read one piece of research in which sub-topics have been extremely well organized and include all of the sub-topics you actually want to include, then by all means, model your sub-topics after those of that author. You do not have to â€Å"re-invent a wheel† that someone else has already invented! No professor will ever suggest that you do this, but it is a great option, as long as you do not plagiarize. Paper writing requires good command of the English language and the ability to translate information, concepts and thoughts into scholarly writing. If you have difficulty with this, you have several options: Go to your campus writing lab and get some help. This is a feasible solution if you have the time and if someone is available to really help you with paragraph and sentence structure, as well as grammar. You can write your rough draft and take it in for editing and polishing. Write your rough draft and find a friend who is a really good writer. S/he may have time to review and edit for you. Consider using a custom writing paper service that is able to provide all levels of help, from editing and proofreading your rough draft to actually producing an original, custom paper for you. There is no huge mystique about writing a great paper. It takes commitment and hard work. Using a few of these tips, however, may â€Å"ease your pain† somewhat.

On Virtue and Happiness, by John Stuart Mill

On Virtue and Happiness, by John Stuart Mill English philosopher and social reformer John Stuart Mill was one of the major intellectual figures of the 19th century and a founding member of the Utilitarian Society. In the following excerpt from his long philosophical essay Utilitarianism, Mill relies on strategies of classification and division to defend the utilitarian doctrine that happiness is the sole end of human action. On Virtue and Happiness by John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) The utilitarian doctrine is, that happiness is desirable, and the only thing desirable, as an end; all other things being only desirable as means to that end. What ought to be required of this doctrine,what conditions is it requisite that the doctrine should fulfill, to make good its claim to be believed? The only proof capable of being given that an object is visible, is that people actually see it. The only proof that a sound is audible, is that people hear it; and so of the other sources of our experience. In like manner, I apprehend, the sole evidence it is possible to produce that anything is desirable, is that people do actually desire it. If the end which the utilitarian doctrine proposes to itself were not, in theory and in practice, acknowledged to be an end, nothing could ever convince any person that it was so. No reason can be given why the general happiness is desirable, except that each person, so far as he believes it to be attainable, desires his own happiness. This, however, being a fact, we have not only all the proof which the case admits of, but all which it is possible to require, that happiness is a good, that each persons happiness is a good to that person, and the general happiness, therefore, a good to the aggregate of all persons. Happiness has made out its t itle as one of the ends of conduct, and consequently one of the criteria of morality. But it has not, by this alone, proved itself to be the sole criterion. To do that, it would seem, by the same rule, necessary to show, not only that people desire happiness, but that they never desire anything else. Now it is palpable that they do desire things which, in common language, are decidedly distinguished from happiness. They desire, for example, virtue, and the absence of vice, no less really than pleasure and the absence of pain. The desire of virtue is not as universal, but it is as authentic a fact, as the desire of happiness. And hence the opponents of the utilitarian standard deem that they have a right to infer that there are other ends of human action besides happiness, and that happiness is not the standard of approbation and disapprobation. But does the utilitarian doctrine deny that people desire virtue, or maintain that virtue is not a thing to be desired? The very reverse. It maintains not only that virtue is to be desired, but that it is to be desired disinterestedly, for itself. Whatever may be the opinion of utilitarian moralists as to the original conditions by which virtue is made virtue, however they may believe (as they do) that actions and dispositions are only virtuous because they promote another end than virtue, yet this being granted, and it having been decided, from considerations of this description, what is virtuous, they not only place virtue at the very head of the things which are good as means to the ultimate end, but they also recognize as a psychological fact the possibility of its being, to the individual, a good in itself, without looking to any end beyond it; and hold, that the mind is not in a right state, not in a state conformable to Utility, not in the state most conducive to the general h appiness, unless it does love virtue in this manner- as a thing desirable in itself, even although, in the individual instance, it should not produce those other desirable consequences which it tends to produce, and on account of which it is held to be virtue. This opinion is not, in the smallest degree, a departure from the Happiness principle. The ingredients of happiness are very various, and each of them is desirable in itself, and not merely when considered as swelling an aggregate. The principle of utility does not mean that any given pleasure, as music, for instance, or any given exemption from pain, as for example health, is to be looked upon as means to a collective something termed happiness, and to be desired on that account. They are desired and desirable in and for themselves; besides being means, they are a part of the end. Virtue, according to the utilitarian doctrine, is not naturally and originally part of the end, but it is capable of becoming so; and in those who love it disinterestedly it has become so, and is desired and cherished, not as a means to happiness, but as a part of their happiness. Concluded on page two Continued from page oneTo illustrate this farther, we may remember that virtue is not the only thing, originally a means, and which if it were not a means to anything else, would be and remain indifferent, but which by association with what it is a means to, comes to be desired for itself, and that too with the utmost intensity. What, for example, shall we say of the love of money? There is nothing originally more desirable about money than about any heap of glittering pebbles. Its worth is solely that of the things which it will buy; the desires for other things than itself, which it is a means of gratifying. Yet the love of money is not only one of the strongest moving forces of human life, but money is, in many cases, desired in and for itself; the desire to possess it is often stronger than the desire to use it, and goes on increasing when all the desires which point to ends beyond it, to be compassed by it, are falling off. It may, then, be said truly, that money is desired not for the sake of an end, but as part of the end. From being a means to happiness, it has come to be itself a principal ingredient of the individuals conception of happiness. The same may be said of the majority of the great objects of human life:power, for example, or fame; except that to each of these there is a certain amount of immediate pleasure annexed, which has at least the semblance of being naturally inherent in them- a thing which cannot be said of money. Still, however, the strongest natural attraction, both of power and of fame, is the immense aid they give to the attainment of our other wishes; and it is the strong association thus generated between them and all our objects of desire, which gives to the direct desire of them the intensity it often assumes, so as in some characters to surpass in strength all other desires. In these cases the means have become a part of the end, and a more important part of it than any of the things which they are means to. What was once desired as an instrument for the attainment of ha ppiness, has come to be desired for its own sake. In being desired for its own sake it is, however, desired as part of happiness. The person is made, or thinks he would be made, happy by its mere possession; and is made unhappy by failure to obtain it. The desire of it is not a different thing from the desire of happiness, any more than the love of music, or the desire of health. They are included in happiness. They are some of the elements of which the desire of happiness is made up. Happiness is not an abstract idea, but a concrete whole; and these are some of its parts. And the utilitarian standard sanctions and approves their being so. Life would be a poor thing, very ill provided with sources of happiness, if there were not this provision of nature, by which things originally indifferent, but conducive to, or otherwise associated with, the satisfaction of our primitive desires, become in themselves sources of pleasure more valuable than the primitive pleasures, both in permanency, in the space of human existence that they are capable of covering, and even in intensity. Virtue, according to the utilitarian conception, is a good of this description. There was no original desire of it, or motive to it, save its conduciveness to pleasure, and especially to protection from pain. But through the association thus formed, it may be felt a good in itself, and desired as such with as great intensity as any other good; and with this difference between it and the love of money, of power, or of fame- that all of these may, and often do, render the individual noxious to the other members of the society to which he belongs, whereas there is nothing which makes him so much a blessing to them as the cultivation of the disinterested love of virtue. And consequently, the utilitarian standard, while it tolerates and approves those other acquired desires, up to the point beyond which they would be more injurious to the general happiness than promotive of it, enjoins and requires the cultivation of the love of virtue up to the greatest strength possible, as being above all things important to the general happiness. It results from the preceding considerations, that there is in reality nothing desired except happiness. Whatever is desired otherwise than as a means to some end beyond itself, and ultimately to happiness, is desired as itself a part of happiness, and is not desired for itself until it has become so. Those who desire virtue for its own sake, desire it either because the consciousness of it is a pleasure, or because the consciousness of being without it is a pain, or for both reasons united; as in truth the pleasure and pain seldom exist separately, but almost always together- the same person feeling pleasure in the degree of virtue attained, and pain in not having attained more. If one of these gave him no pleasure, and the other no pain, he would not love or desire virtue, or would desire it only for the other benefits which it might produce to himself or to persons whom he cared for. We have now, then, an answer to the question, of what sort of proof the principle of utility is susceptible. If the opinion which I have now stated is psychologically true- if human nature is so constituted as to desire nothing which is not either a part of happiness or a means of happiness, we can have no other proof, and we require no other, that these are the only things desirable. If so, happiness is the sole end of human action, and the promotion of it the test by which to judge of all human conduct; from whence it necessarily follows that it must be the criterion of morality, since a part is included in the whole. (1863)

Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman (cited) Essay Example for Free

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman (cited) Essay Marriage (796) , Death (671) , Arthur Miller (560) , Sales (458) , Death of a Salesman (121) , Willy Loman (98) , Henrik Ibsen (84) , A Doll's House (53) , Krogstad (43) , Nora Helmer (19) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints Willy and Nora: Tragic Heroes or Home-wreckers? No one has a perfect life. Despite what Aaron Spelling and his friends in the media might project to society today, no one’s life is perfect. Everyone has conflicts that they must face sooner or later. The ways in which people deal with these conflicts can be just as varied as the people themselves. Some procrastinate and ignore their problems as long as they can, while others attack problems to get them out of the way as soon as possible. The Lowman and Helmer families have a number of problems that they deal with in different ways, which proves their similarities and differences. Both Willy Loman, the protagonist of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and Nora Helmer, protagonist of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House experience an epiphany where they realize that they were not the person the thought they were: while Willy’s catharsis brings about his death, Nora’s brings her to a new life; hers. Both character’s flaws bring about their departure from their respective families as well. They are both overly concerned with the appearances they and their families present to society: as a result they both project false images to others. From their appearance, both seem to be involved in stable marriages and appear to be going places. Willy’s job as a traveling salesman seems stable (although we never know what it is he sells) when he tells his family that he â€Å"knocked ’em cold in Providence, slaughtered ’em in Boston† (Miller 1228). It is not until Willy’s wife, Linda tells us that he â€Å"drives 700 miles and when he gets there, no one knows him any more, no one welcomes him† (Miller 1241). If that’s not enough to convince readers of his failure on the job, the fact that he gets fired after working for the same company for 36 years cements his incompetency in the business world to readers. While Nora does not work in the business world, (few woman, if any did over 120 years ago) her failure to take care of her responsibilities becomes quite evident as well. When the play opens and Nora enters with a Christmas tree and presents for the children, she gives off the impression of a good mother trying hard to prepare a great Christmas for her family. Upon further analysis we see that Nora’s duties, in general, are restricted to caring for the children, doing housework, and working on her needlepoint. Nora cannot complete these duties even with the full-time help of Anne Marie, a housekeeper who cleans up after Nora just as much as the children. When Nora and Kristine are having a discussion towards  the start of the play, Nora informs her friend that, â€Å"I’m so happy and relieved [with my marriage]. I must say its lovely to have plenty of money and not have to worry. Isn’t it?† (Ibsen 1119). The rosy picture she painted of her family and marriage are in stark contrast to the â€Å"stranger of a man† (Ibsen 1168) she refers to her husband as. We realize that she had not been living her life at all; rath er the life that her husband wanted her to live. While both Willy and Nora succeed in giving of the appearance of being competent, efficient and helpful family members who contribute to the well being of their respective families, they prove otherwise as the plays progress. While the two plays take place nearly 100 years apart, are set on different continents and each have completely different family members, both engage in lies and deceit that hurt their families; after which each protagonist leaves their family. Not only does Willy lie about his performance on the job, he lies about his â€Å"faulty car† as well. He tells his family that the Studebaker keeps malfunctioning when in reality we find out through Linda that he has been deliberately trying to kill himself. The biggest way in which Loman deceives his family is by cheating on his wife while away for work in Boston. When his eldest son discovers his father’s unfaithfulness, he loses all trust for his father, and Biff’s life pretty much goes downhill from there. Willy Loman’s lies, deceit, unfaithfulness have resulted in huge problems for his family. Nora also starts trouble in her household through lies and deceit. Nora’s crime of forgery is not even a crime in her mind; she does not realize that the law does not take into account people’s motivations behind their actions. While she knows that Krogstad has been associated with shady law practices, she does not realize that his crime was on the same level, if not less illegal than the one that she has committed. When Tourvald opens the letter and finds out about her crime, he goes ballistic, and cannot believe that his own wife could be capable of such a crime. This is ultimately the reason / situation that helps Nora realize that she must leave her family in order to begin to live her own life. But Nora even lies about the little things in life such as the eating of macaroons (Ibsen 1126). Her husband forbade her from eating them on account that they will rot her teeth, and when she is seen eating them in her house, she says that they are a gift from Kristine, which is a lie. Both Willy and Nora’s lies and deceitfulness frustrate their families to the  point where each protagonist much leave their family; although Willy’s departure is his death, Nora’s is the start of her real life. Both main characters also use an escape mechanism to leave reality when they realize that their lives are on the wrong path. When Loman starts to realize that his pride and joy in life, Bi ff, â€Å"is a lazy bum† (Miller 1218) he begins to talk to himself (Miller 1221). These mental lapses bring Loman to a happier place and time, when his kids were young and innocent and he thought that the best part of his life lay still ahead. This acts almost as a defense mechanism against the pains of reality for Willy. In the final scene, after Biff tells his father that he is â€Å"a dime a dozen† and that the Loman name really doesn’t mean much, Willy engages in the ultimate escape mechanism; suicide. Although it may appear on the surface to be a selfish and coldhearted move to spite his family, he actually did it so that his family may live a better life with money he thinks they will receive from his life insurance policy. When faced with the harsh pains of reality, Nora also uses defense / escape mechanisms to ignore the problems at hand first, then to conquer them in the end. She believes that she has done nothing wrong, and that if what she has done is illegal, that her good intentions will nullify the illegality of her forgery. When Krogstad informs her otherwise, tells her the possible repercussions of her act, and ultimately gives her an ultimatum, this is her first touch of reality outside of the doll’s house that she lives in. To cope with the harshness outside of t his doll’s house, she immediately retreats back inside and attempts to distract herself with Christmas decorations (Ibsen 1133). She uses the tree and presents to distract her from her problems, and tells the nursemaid Anne Marie that she’s too busy to play with her kids who want to see her because she must try to distance her mind from the subject at hand. Here she is only making the problem worse by not dealing with it. When she finally realizes that her â€Å"main duty [is] to [her]self† (Ibsen 1166), and that she has been living life according to what her father and husband have wanted rather than what she has wanted, Nora’s epiphany is complete. She knows that the only possible solution that can work for her is to leave right away. Willy and Nora both escape their problems first by drifting away with mental distractions, then when they fully realize their problems, they both must physically leave their families. For Willy this means death, for Nora, the  start of (a new) life. Willy and Nora share a fatal flaw: they try to make others happy before making themselves happy. All that Willy ever wanted in life was to be â€Å"well-liked† and for his sons to follow in his footsteps. Their lives focused too much on fulfilling others rather than themselves, and in the end this flaw led to their departure from each of their respective families. When Charley asks Willie â€Å"when the hell are you ever going to grow up?† and Biff declares that â€Å"we never told the truth in this house for 10 minutes† (Miller 1280) we realize that Willy will never grow up and that he must leave his family because he will never grow up and that nearly his whole life has been a farce. Similarly, when Nora tells her husband that the only way he (and her) can only change if Tourvald has â€Å"his doll taken away† (Ibsen 1168) we realize that Nora’s life too has been a farce and that she must leave in order to begin her own life. We will write a custom sample essay on Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman (cited) specifically for you We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Writing Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing Assignment 1 - Essay Example This is because terrorists are not strange to use, but live and reside with us within our homes and neighborhoods. In addition, the people who harbor these terrorists are the ones that receive the first blow in case these terrorists attack. Therefore, this program targets at encouraging the general public to partner with the police and other security agencies by reporting any suspicious characters within their community, resident, or towns to the security agency. The program dubbed â€Å"If You See Something, See something,† is a program from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) geared to raise public awareness on the indicators of terrorism and any other terrorism-related crime, as well as emphasizing the importance of reporting any suspicious activities to the appropriate state and local law enforcement authorities. This program is in line with the mission of the DHS, which is to protect the country against any terrorism attack following the 9/11 terror attack on American soil (Kumamoto 45). Therefore, the DHS is best suited to undertake this program by enlightening the public about all terror related crimes or activities in an effort to bring the public into the prevention program of terrorism within the United States. This is because it is not possible for the state policing agencies to be at all places in the country at all the time. As such, public knowledge and public awareness on terrorism enables Americans to take part a ctively in the efforts of the DHS to maintain security within the country. This is a new program launched by the DHS to prevent terrorism within the country by putting every responsible citizen on high alert over the presence of a terror threat within his community or neighborhood to protect the country. This program is very effective in solving terrorism as it enables the general public to identify and play an imperative role in the prevention terrorism, which we all have to accept that it is a big headache to the

Critically evaluate the difficulties of assessing malingering in Essay

Critically evaluate the difficulties of assessing malingering in anxiety disorders - Essay Example In view of the basic assumptions that are made about the honesty of self reporting by the patient, the detection of mild forms of malingering becomes difficult. Forensic and other tests have been developed to detect malingering, especially in the case of those individuals whose competency to stand trial for criminal convictions is being tested. Malingering has been defined by the American Psychiatric Association as the â€Å"intentional production of false or grossly exaggerated physical or psychological symptoms† in the pursuit for â€Å"external incentives† (APA, 1994, p 63). Some of these incentives may be escaping criminal conviction, receiving financial compensation or in order to gain access to drugs or medication. In some cases, individuals may exhibit symptoms of malingering solely for the purpose of receiving sympathy and care through being cast in a patient’s role, and in particular may be a component of psychiatric conditions such as anxiety or personality disorders. (APA, 1994:648). Malingering is generally encountered in the case of those individuals for conditions that may be easily faked such as pain or anxiety and is most prevalent in male dominated environments such as the military or in correctional facilities and veteran hospitals. Malingering poses a challenge in health care because it affects the delivery of health care to patients who may genuinely need it by diverting treatment and medical resources to those who are not really ill and by wasting the time and energy of staff members thereby resulting in burnout among nurses and medical personnel.(Resnick, 1998). Malingering on the pretext of anxiety disorder is particularly prevalent among school children. It shows up in the form of refusal to attend school. Evans (2000) conducted a study on malingering in school refusals due to purported anxiety disorders and found that

IHRM(international human resource management) Essay

IHRM(international human resource management) - Essay Example The following sections will deliberate on Volvo’s strategies of maintaining competitive advantage in the Curitiba market. Resources and capabilities that Volvo can obtain from Curitiba It is apparent that for any organisation to develop and maintain competitive advantage, just like Aaker and McLoughlin 2007 stipulated, some concepts of working towards attaining organisation’s goals should be articulated upon. Curitiba, being a region of congested traffic, has been a potential market for Volvo. This is arguably true because, as contingency theory stipulates, the environment in which an organisation operates involves articulation of factors such as size and technology among many other factors (Hooley, Piercy and Nicoulaud 2008). In this regard, it is evident that Volvo has strategized on gaining competitive advantage in the Curitiba market. The fact that Curitiba is traffic congested makes it a strategic market for Curitiba to operate in. in essence, Volvo specialises on providing the buses for public transport. Analytically, this is in line with strategically operating in an environment that can provide market for its automobiles. Basically, the primary goal of any organisation is to enter into a market that has demand for its products, thus offering an opportunity to make profits (Martin 2013). Nevertheless, it is indispensable of the management of organisations to apply principles of leadership and management in order to make the right decisions when entering new markets. In another dimension, Volvo must have considered the issue of corporate social responsibility. In any metropolitan area, organisations should focus on applying both economic and corporate social responsibilities in order to be successful. For example, before entering into the Curitiba market, Volvo was aware of the need to formulate a strategy that would bring growth in this region. For example, in the process of providing buses for public transport, Volvo has simultaneously cre ated jobs for many residents in the city. The CSR issues involve bringing in social and responsibility factors into action (Piercy 2009). When people get jobs through Volvo’s involvement in the public transport, their lives get uplifted, thus bringing the overall growth of the city. In addition, Volvo has been able to create its own organisational culture, through which its competitive advantage has been developed and maintained in Curitiba. Volvo’s organisational culture has been a reflection of its vision statement. However, organisation’s culture is developed strategically by its leaders and managers. It is the reflection of what the leaders and managers believes in and work towards realising their goals (Ranchhod and Gurau 2007). In order for Volvo to have managed to capture the Curitiba market, it is apparent that the management has developed a culture that keeps the company growing and surviving in a highly competitive market. For this to happen, the leade rship of the organisation should be well conversant with how to both manage the workforce and focus on customer satisfaction. Studies have document that forms that empowers their employees through various employees wellness and reward programs tend to have a smooth organisational culture development. Therefore, the human resource department must have a grasp of how it can motivate its employees in order to deliver top results. In regard to Volvo’s case, its workforce could be termed as proficient

Compare and contrast two companies that have adopted differing Essay

Compare and contrast two companies that have adopted differing approaches to generating and implementing innovation. Consider su - Essay Example The need for innovation has been necessitated by the recognition by companies that efficiency and world-class operational performance are important in the creation of a competitive advantage in today’s challenging global market. Innovation is highly dependent on the corporate culture, the people involved in innovating in the business or the company and must be under a proper management, and a program for improvement at all times (Herzog, 2011, p. 91). As businesses and companies have recognized the fact that structured innovation and management is important, they make efforts to get the most from their people, customers and partners in the achievement of their business goals. Improving innovation mostly starts with strategy that must address culture, processes and technology that works in the most reliable and affordable way. Innovation framework includes best practices and solutions that must have techniques that improve innovation and its management. Innovation approaches by organisations Different companies adopt different approaches to innovation and this determines their success and the overall nature of the goods they introduce to the market. It is the ability of an organisation to develop wining ideas that provides the momentum for growth and expansion in the current competitive market. Thus, every company is unique based on its own understanding of innovation and the framework its employs in motivating internal innovation and discoveries. In this paper, the innovation frameworks that have been adopted by two key computer companies in the United States will be analysed in this paper. In this analysis, the different approaches to innovation adopted by the two companies and how each affected the performance of the each company will be discussed. Innovative approaches differ depending on an organisation and their ultimate organisation structure and culture. Some organisations integrate innovation as a strategic organisational policy that is implement ed from the top management level to the lowest employees within the organisation. In such setups, innovation is not left to a few people within the organisation but is the responsibility of all the employees at different levels in the company (Kolah, 2003). There are four fundamental components of innovation include co-operation amongst all stakeholders in the business or company, ideation that means the conception and application of ideas, and execution and creation of value for the products of the business. Collaboration is simply teamwork that makes it essential to getting things done and involves the three basic concepts of relationships, processes and outcomes that may result into successes in the development of the business in line with its objectives and missions. Ideation on the other hand is based on fresh new ideas that are important in helping the business or the organization stand out amongst its peers. Implementation involves the organizations engaging the best human re source to help in putting the ideas and make them move forward. Value creation is important in that the ideas implemented must aim at creating value to those concerned with the business or in simple terms create business value. It is the incremental improvements to the products that exist or the creation of new

Toyota Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toyota - Term Paper Example The accelerator issue gradually turned to be one of the engineering defects with the vehicle’s software that caused the poor response of the pedals. It was not a simple issue for defective floor mats (Spaller, Willms, O’Connor & Daniels, 2014). Further, the controversy developed from Toyota amounted to delays in public response and action from Toyota following the accident. In most cases, the matter was downplayed by public informing and news releases from Toyota’s management. The absence of urgency from Toyota’s part was an illustration of poor handling and management of previously unseen risks resulting from poor planning. There are various ethical issues feeding into from the accelerator recall. In recent years, Toyota gathered a reputation for safe and reliable vehicles. The defective pedals raised concerns, and Toyota sought to surpass and grow General Motors as a global performer in the automobile company. The desire to advance growth called for an expansion of manufacturing plants from home country, Japan (Spaller, Willms, O’Connor & Daniels, 2014). This resulted in the expansion of the capacities of supply. Toyota continues to pride itself on â€Å"genchigenbutsu† and â€Å"kaizen† principles that translated to â€Å"continuous improvement† as well as â€Å"inspecting problems from the source†. Toyota’s reputation and culture for excellence coupled with cultures of hesitance to take up the responsibility in the rise of accidents. Establishing a warning label such as â€Å"Accelerator may stick, apply caution† on its vehicles would be negligent on Toyota’s part as the users of the automobiles were put at fatality risks in defective vehicles. Caution does not involve adequate cover conditions up of deaths by user within the automobile industry. The firm appeared hesitant to broach ethical issues on its advertising. During the period, Toyota’s advertising

IHRM(international human resource management) Essay

IHRM(international human resource management) - Essay Example The following sections will deliberate on Volvo’s strategies of maintaining competitive advantage in the Curitiba market. Resources and capabilities that Volvo can obtain from Curitiba It is apparent that for any organisation to develop and maintain competitive advantage, just like Aaker and McLoughlin 2007 stipulated, some concepts of working towards attaining organisation’s goals should be articulated upon. Curitiba, being a region of congested traffic, has been a potential market for Volvo. This is arguably true because, as contingency theory stipulates, the environment in which an organisation operates involves articulation of factors such as size and technology among many other factors (Hooley, Piercy and Nicoulaud 2008). In this regard, it is evident that Volvo has strategized on gaining competitive advantage in the Curitiba market. The fact that Curitiba is traffic congested makes it a strategic market for Curitiba to operate in. in essence, Volvo specialises on providing the buses for public transport. Analytically, this is in line with strategically operating in an environment that can provide market for its automobiles. Basically, the primary goal of any organisation is to enter into a market that has demand for its products, thus offering an opportunity to make profits (Martin 2013). Nevertheless, it is indispensable of the management of organisations to apply principles of leadership and management in order to make the right decisions when entering new markets. In another dimension, Volvo must have considered the issue of corporate social responsibility. In any metropolitan area, organisations should focus on applying both economic and corporate social responsibilities in order to be successful. For example, before entering into the Curitiba market, Volvo was aware of the need to formulate a strategy that would bring growth in this region. For example, in the process of providing buses for public transport, Volvo has simultaneously cre ated jobs for many residents in the city. The CSR issues involve bringing in social and responsibility factors into action (Piercy 2009). When people get jobs through Volvo’s involvement in the public transport, their lives get uplifted, thus bringing the overall growth of the city. In addition, Volvo has been able to create its own organisational culture, through which its competitive advantage has been developed and maintained in Curitiba. Volvo’s organisational culture has been a reflection of its vision statement. However, organisation’s culture is developed strategically by its leaders and managers. It is the reflection of what the leaders and managers believes in and work towards realising their goals (Ranchhod and Gurau 2007). In order for Volvo to have managed to capture the Curitiba market, it is apparent that the management has developed a culture that keeps the company growing and surviving in a highly competitive market. For this to happen, the leade rship of the organisation should be well conversant with how to both manage the workforce and focus on customer satisfaction. Studies have document that forms that empowers their employees through various employees wellness and reward programs tend to have a smooth organisational culture development. Therefore, the human resource department must have a grasp of how it can motivate its employees in order to deliver top results. In regard to Volvo’s case, its workforce could be termed as proficient

Toyota Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toyota - Term Paper Example The accelerator issue gradually turned to be one of the engineering defects with the vehicle’s software that caused the poor response of the pedals. It was not a simple issue for defective floor mats (Spaller, Willms, O’Connor & Daniels, 2014). Further, the controversy developed from Toyota amounted to delays in public response and action from Toyota following the accident. In most cases, the matter was downplayed by public informing and news releases from Toyota’s management. The absence of urgency from Toyota’s part was an illustration of poor handling and management of previously unseen risks resulting from poor planning. There are various ethical issues feeding into from the accelerator recall. In recent years, Toyota gathered a reputation for safe and reliable vehicles. The defective pedals raised concerns, and Toyota sought to surpass and grow General Motors as a global performer in the automobile company. The desire to advance growth called for an expansion of manufacturing plants from home country, Japan (Spaller, Willms, O’Connor & Daniels, 2014). This resulted in the expansion of the capacities of supply. Toyota continues to pride itself on â€Å"genchigenbutsu† and â€Å"kaizen† principles that translated to â€Å"continuous improvement† as well as â€Å"inspecting problems from the source†. Toyota’s reputation and culture for excellence coupled with cultures of hesitance to take up the responsibility in the rise of accidents. Establishing a warning label such as â€Å"Accelerator may stick, apply caution† on its vehicles would be negligent on Toyota’s part as the users of the automobiles were put at fatality risks in defective vehicles. Caution does not involve adequate cover conditions up of deaths by user within the automobile industry. The firm appeared hesitant to broach ethical issues on its advertising. During the period, Toyota’s advertising

Problem Statement Essay Example for Free

Problem Statement Essay Does audit rotation at diverse levels (accomplice level versus firm level) in distinctive settings (compulsory versus intentional) connected with improved audit quality. Taking into account our audit of the writing, it is a long way from indisputable whether mandatory audit firm or audit partner rotation can enhance audit quality, nor is it clear whether deliberate audit firm or partner revolution can substitute for obligatory audit rotation. Mandatory rotation may upgrade audit quality focused around the suspicion that turn brings a crisp viewpoint. Not with standing, mandatory rotation may be less compelling if the recently turned reviewers need sufficient learning of the customer. The loss of customer particular learning could possibly impede the viability and nature of the review. Intentional turn practices can be powerful in keeping up audit quality if an audit company business sector and financial impetuses for creating or keeping up a great notoriety surpass its monetary investments from submitting to the requests of particular customers. Generally, it is hazy whether the obligatory rotation of auditors is a powerful answer for upgrade audit quality. The degree to which intentional and obligatory auditor turns at diverse levels can substitute for one another in keeping up audit quality is thusly an observational inquiry. The above discourse prompts the accompanying examination question. Audit rotation at diverse levels (accomplice level versus firm level) and in diverse settings (compulsory versus willful) connected with higher audit quality in less created locales than in decently created locales. There is a developing writing that analyzes how institutional components influence audit quality crosswise over nations (Francis et al., 2003; Khurana and Raman, 2004; Choi and Wong, 2007; Francis furthermore Wang, 2008). Establishments shift a ton crosswise over China (e.g., Wang et al., 2008), which gives us with a chance to test whether institutional and market improvement elements, for example, the lawful environment and speculator insurance influence audit quality. Leeway of directing between provincial studies inside one nation is that we can catch the impact of foundations on audit quality free from pollution because of nation contrasts in bookkeeping and inspecting models, 14 assessment, and liquidation laws. As former writing (e.g., Francis et al., 2003; Khurana and Raman, 2004;Francis and Wang, 2008) recommends, auditors  may be more touchy to the expense of customer distorting and are more inclined to keep up audit quality as institutional administrations get to be stronger. In districts with well (less) created markets, the examiners may be all the more (less) prone to be worried about the potential impact of trading off audit quality on their legitimate risk and market notoriety. In this manner, there is less incremental interest for compulsory auditor rotation in well created areas. Conversely, mandatory audit rotation may be more vital in less created areas, which need business motivators or oversights to keep auditors determined and free. Consequently, we audit whether the impact of required or willful auditors rotation on audit quality is more claimed in less created areas than in decently created locales. This prompts our second research question. The relationship between customer particular information and audit quality. The inverse and clashing forecasts and discoveries in earlier studies on to the connection between audit tenure and audit quality may be attributable to the disappointment to together inspect directing elements, for example, auditors specialization, charges reliance, and auditor’s motivators (Doyle and Ge, 2007; Daugherty et al.,2012).therefore, the accompanying areas concentrate on recognizing the critical variables that may direct the relationship between audit rotation and audit quality. The relationship between mandatory auditor rotation and client-specific knowedge. Contentions for broadened auditor–client relations rest essentially on a mastery contention. Past exploration has reliably shown that auditor experience has a positive impact on audit quality (Dougherty et al., 2012). Case in point, Brazel et al. (2010) find that customer particular learning, an intermediary for auditor experience, builds auditors capacity to discover misrepresentation markers. On a related note, a few studies (e.g., Lenox, 1999) contend that non-audit activities performed by the audit firms has a tendency to prompt expanding the auditors experience and learning of the customers operations and environment, and thus expand the capacity to discover error in the budgetary explanations.Therefore,providing non-audit ativities to the customer can have a positive instead of a negative effect on audit quality.therefore,  required audit firm or audit partner rotations, specifically when there are no compelling information exchange techniques, may prompt the loss of both express and inferred client-specific knowledge, and thus to decreased audit quality. Audit quality be contrarily influenced when a lead partner who has picked up this particular information of the customer is supplanted. Auditor ndependence is the foundation of the auditing profession. Auditor independence alludes to the likelihood that auditors will report the error in money related explanations (Colbert and Murray, 1998) and the capacity of auditors to oppose weight from a client (Goldman and Barlev, 1974). Along these lines, auditors who have a high level of independence will have a high likelihood of distinguishing and reporting lapses or budgetary misquotes, and henceforth will have the capacity to focus the genuine status of the reviewed firm, i.e. make an excellent review (Deangelo, 1981; Colbert and Murray, 1998). One of the discussed components that influence auditor independence is auditor tenure. It is contended that more drawn out relationship between audit partner and their clients can make individual connections that make it more troublesome for the auditor to act independently of the inclination of the client (Deangelo, 1981). This is further disturbed by the dread of auditors of losing a relentless stream of future audit incomes, specifically from vital client who pay the auditor huge audit expenses. Likewise, this may lead auditors to agree to the clients requests (Lim and Tan, 2010). Therefore, compulsory accomplice turn mitigates the closeness of the relationship between audit partner and their client, and improves the auditors capacity to oppose weight from administration. The consequences of this stream of exploration (e.g., Hattifield et al., 2011) propose that there is a positive relationship between audit firm/or audit partner rotation and the extent of proposed audit adjustment. Simnett and Carey (2006) likewise discover a negative relationship between auditor independence and the probability of issuing a going concern assessment as an intermediary of audit quality.hence it might be contended that auditor turn can improve auditor independence and hence expand the likelihood of distinguishing and reporting budgetary misquote

Renewable Energy in the UK: Government Role

Renewable Energy in the UK: Government Role UK Renewable Energy: Electricity Generation and the governments role in driving CO2 reductions. Business Management EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This dissertation will mainly concentrate on UKs efforts to increase renewables contribution to electricity generation in the UK, which are part of a broader range of government strategies to reduce CO2 to meet global concerns and international obligations. It will also examine the forces driving the development of renewable energy market in the UK, as well as the overview of the governments role in driving CO2 reductions. The governments strategy on renewables includes several different elements, each attacking the problem from a different angle: mandatory regulation, information and education, technology RD support, and establishment of market-based mechanisms. The main findings presented will be based mainly on the literature review, expert opinions and future forecasts. A review of recent literature on this topic highlights the risk of failure due to failure of coordination among the many initiatives and government bodies involved, and the dangers of insufficient data in measuring progress. Also, they reveal the practical limitations of reliance on renewable to fulfill future electricity generation needs. The first part of the main analysis will provide an overview of the renewable energy market in the UK; it will include a summary of the current renewable energy policy and the main instruments which act as a driving forces for the development of renewables in the UK, as well as electricity market overview; second part would specifically concentrate on evaluation of whether the policies and targets set by government are efficient and achievable, the conclusion will summarize the findings and elaborate on future prospects for the renewable energy market in the UK. The available data indicates that the UK is already falling behind on its original plans for the uptake of renewable. However, government policy suggests growing awareness of the limitations of most renewables; and a consequent shift in focus away from renewables towards easier ‘bigger solutions such as nuclear power and carbon sequestration for coal-fired power stations. CHAPTER 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION A sustainable energy future is possible, but only if we act urgently and decisively to promote, develop and deploy a full mix of energy technologies We have the means, now we need the will†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Claude Mandil, International Energy Agency (IEA) In the 21st century, there has been a significant increase in energy demand due to factors such as population growth and changes in our lifestyle. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) today 86.5 % of total worldwide energy consumption is generated from fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil and coal; which are said to be non-renewable, and are the main cause for increase in green house gases and carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2007, rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are the primary cause of global warming since 1950, and are expected to rise due to ongoing burning of fossil fuels and land-use change. As the worlds fossil fuels continue to diminish at an alarming rate, and global energy demand is forecasted to increase by 60% over the next 25 years (G8 Summit, 2005), alternative forms of energy must be developed that are economically cost effective, environmentally friendly, and easily harness ed. The development of renewable energy sources as a solution to these problems is expected to play a major role in the future energy supply and has developed a considerable interest within national government policies, environmental groups and the private sector. The term ‘renewable energy can be defined as â€Å"energy that is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly† (Energy Statistics, 2004). The renewable energy sources are also covered by Europes climate change and energy policy. In March 2007, the European Council set a target of 20 percent of the total EU energy consumption to be generated from renewables by 2020. The policy also commits the EU Member States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020 and by 30 percent globally (The EC White Paper, 2007 (BERR)). According to BERR renewable energy is an integral part of the UK Governments longer-term aim of reducing CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050. The Government has set targets of reducing CO2 emissions by 20% by 2010 and 10% of electricity supply from renewable energy by 2010 (Digest of UK Energy Statistics, 2007). This raises the main questions addressed in this dissertation: Can the UK expect to meet and exceed the existing targets? What measure will be required to realize this potential and to encourage further investment in renewables? Despite the fact that renewables are seen by many policy-makers as a solution for improving energy security and saving the environment, there is still some uncertainty whether renewables could compete with conventional energy sources. Supportive policies and heavy investments are still needed to promote further development and deployment of renewables in energy markets. The establishment of new renewable energy technologies and their efficiency will depend on the costs and effectiveness. As a result, in order to promote renewable energy technology into the market there is a strong need to identify and analyse the policies which have a direct effect on technology and market development. 1.2 Renewable energy in the UK The United Kingdom is one of the worlds most globalized countries with the second largest economy in Europe and a population of 60 million. The UK currently contributes about 2 percent to global emissions, which, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, were estimated to be 38 billion tones carbon dioxide in 2004. UK energy industries are the main contributors to UK greenhouse gas emissions; according to statistics CO2 accounted for about 85 per cent of the UKs greenhouse gas emissions in 2006. In order to reduce emissions, the 2007 UK Energy White Paper sets out an objective to cut the UKs carbon emissions by 60% by 2050, with real progress by 2020. One way of achieving those targets would be by generating our energy from sources that produce very low or zero levels of greenhouse gases such as renewable energy sources. Renewable energy is â€Å"an integral part of the Governments strategy for reducing carbon emissions as renewable energy resources produce very li ttle carbon or other greenhouse gases†. (Commission, 2006) In 2006, about 75 percent of UK electricity was generated from fossil fuels, about 19 percent from nuclear power, and the remaining 4 percent from other renewables (Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), 2007). The UK has one of the most suitable markets for the development of renewable sources of energy due to its geographic location; especially in wind, wave and tidal energy. However, the UK is also rich in fossil fuels and until the climate change issue became evident the successive governments have neglected renewable energy as an alternative source of our main energy supply. The UK Government initially started to show support for development of renewable energy sources in 1990, when renewables became a part of the so-called non-fossil fuel obligation (NFFO), originally set up to protect nuclear power. The issue of climate change and high levels of greenhouse gases has given a new drive to the development of renewable energy in the UK. As part of the Climate Change Programme, in June 2000 the UK government replaced NFFO by the Renewables Obligation (RO) in England and Wales with the main aims to encourage further the development of the UK renewable energy industry and to achieve a 10 percent share of renewables in electricity generation by 2010 (Environmental Policy Integration). Overall the renewable energy contribution is increasing. Total electricity generation from renewables in 2006 amounted to 18,133 GWh, an increase of 1,263 GWh (+7 ½ per cent) on 2005. The main contributors to this substantial increase were 1,072 GWh from onshore wind (+43 per cent), 248 GWh (+62 per cent) from offshore wind 134 GWh (+3 per cent) from landfill gas and 119 GWh (+12 per cent) from municipal solid waste combustion (UK Electricity Statistics,2007). One of the other main drivers for the development of alternative energy sources in the UK aside from climate change issues is the security of energy supply. The UK continues to heavily rely on the diminishing sources of fossil fuels, such as coal, gas and oil, which are increasingly sourced in geopolitically unreliable areas, such as Venezuela, Nigeria and Russia. According to the UK Energy Statistics 12 percent of the UKs gas supply came from gas imports (Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), 2007). Therefore further development of alternative energy sources in the UK will reduce the amount of imported fossil fuels, as well as have a key role in resolving the climate change issue. In order to maintain the UKs energy supply and to achieve the carbon dioxide targets set in the Kyoto Protocol under which the UK has committed itself to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 percent by 2012 (Sustainable Development Indicators in Your Pocket, 2007), as well as longer term goal set out in Energy White Paper to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60 percent by 2050, it is vital to sustain further development of energy sources that produce low or zero levels of greenhouse gases, such as renewable energy. Figure 1, shows the Kyoto target and CO2 emissions, 1990 to 2012. Figure 1: Defra, BERR, â€Å"Sustainable Development Indicators in Your Pocket†, 2007 The Governments policies together with the White Paper made proposals to help increase the sources of renewable energy in the UK. The initial proposals set out in the Energy White Paper 2007, concentrate on three main areas: Electricity generation, by strengthening and modifying the Renewables Obligation, by reforming the planning system and by removing barriers to the growth of decentralised electricity generation; heat, by publishing a Biomass Strategy which identifies opportunities for increasing the use of renewables in energy production and by announcing further work to develop a more strategic approach to heat; and Transport, by requiring through The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Programme (RTFO) that an increasing proportion of our transport fuel should come from renewable sources. (Energy White Paper , 2007) According to the recent study undertaken by the Poyry Energy (Oxford) LTD, by 2020, renewable energy supply is expected to account for around 12 percent of EU total energy demand, where 59 percent of this volume will come from electricity generation, 32 percent from renewable heat and 9 percent from transport (Compliance costs for meeting the 20% renewable energy target in 2020., 2008) This paper will mainly concentrate on electricity generation through renewable energy sources, as consistency of electricity supply is fundamental to a robust UK economy, and renewables appear to be a suitable solution to improve security of electricity supply in the UK. The UK Government has set a target in order to promote the generation of electricity from renewable sources, by 2010, 10% of UK electricity should come from renewable sources (BERR, UK). The costs of electricity production from renewable energy sources presented in the figure below demonstrate that generation costs depend on the resource conditions in different countries or regions, particularly the EU Member States (Compliance costs for meeting the 20% renewable energy target in 2020, 2008). Therefore, in order to establish and sustain the competitiveness of renewable energy sources it is essential to analyse whether renewable energy technologies can compete with conventional sources. Figure 2: Electricity generation cost of renewable energy technologies (EU Commission 2005: 24, Support of electricity from RE sources). To support the new energy strategy there was a significant development to the UK Renewables Policy, the government has established key elements such as Renewables Obligation, which is driving force for the investment and consumer interest in renewables and it does so by obliging electricity suppliers to source a certain percentage of electricity from renewable sources. It has also launched strategies which allow UK to identify its main strengths and to develop world-leading capabilities in renewable energy sector. The main drivers of UK Renewable Energy Policy include: Renewable Obligation (RO) The RO is the main support scheme for renewable electricity projects in the UK. It places an obligation on UK suppliers of electricity to source an increasing proportion of their electricity from renewable sources. Suppliers are required to produce evidence of their compliance with this obligation to the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). Evidence can be via certificates, referred to as Renewable Obligations Certificates (Renewable Obligation, 2008). UK renewable electricity has increased considerably since the introduction of RO. In 2006 electricity supplied from RO eligible sources stood at around 4% of the UKs total electricity, up from 1.8% in 2002 (Energy White Paper , 2007). Climate Change Levy (CCL) Exemption The Climate Change Levy (CCL) is â€Å"an environmental tax levied on the supply of certain taxable commodities, for example electricity, gas and coal, and charged by energy suppliers to final business consumers. Domestic, and most charitable, consumers do not pay CCL (Microgeneration and the Climate Change Levy, 2007). In order to support further development of renewables and to encourage consumers to use environmentally friendly sources of energy, renewable electricity supplied to non-domestic consumers is exempt from CCL. Research Development Programme The Government has constantly introduced programmes for renewable energy sources to remove obstacles which stood in the way of the development of renewables by furthering research and gathering information as well as assist industrial activities in the UK. Such programmes support the Renewable Obligation and the exempt renewable from Climate Change Levy. The programmes will also require cooperation with in the industry between the government and environmental organisations to maintain a steady approach to the growth of the renewable energy sources in the market. The programmes also set out plans to address the key issues together, with the concentration divided between technology development as well as non-technological issues, such as raising finance and obtaining planning permission. Each technology is set to be tested though several stages, which include assessment, RD, demonstration and market entry, full-scale industrialization and competition (Challenges Ahead for UK Renewable Energy Program, 2007). Strategies for individual technology programmes also include this operation at the different stages of technology development. An exit strategy will also contribute to the competitiveness of the industry without creating a subsidy. Green trading can play a major part in electricity generation strategy to move to a system of renewables which operates strictly in the commercial market. The Government will carry out several actions together with the industry in order to encourage the development of renewable technologies in the UK, such actions include technological and environmental assessment in addition to resource assessment ;demonstration; the industrialisation of the market; removing legal and administrative obstacles; dealing with planning and development control issues; promoting research and marketing and education. The set priorities for the development of renewable technologies depend on their cost effectiveness and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that can be reduced on different timescales. The priorities for the development of the renewable energy sources are set in time scales and include: Near Term includes most competitive renewable technologies in the UK. (Geothermal (heating and cooling),waste and some biomass residues, landfill gas, onshore wind, hydro, passive solar) Medium Term (by the year 2010) includes renewables that show maximum contribution by 2010, as well as assist to achieve the target of 10 percent.(Some biomass residues, energy crops, offshore wind) Longer Term (after 2010) includes renewable technologies that show longer term potential under the RD programme. (Fuel cells, photovoltaics, wave) Very Long Term (after 2050) includes renewable technologies which at this stage are only worth pursuing through the basic research. (Tidal barrage, hydrogen, ocean thermal currents) (UK Renewable Eneegy Policy , 2007) The Department of Trade and Industry will divide the budget allocated for the development of renewables according to the priorities table set above, particularly between the short, medium and longer term periods. The renewable technologies which are included in short and medium term will benefit from the market simulation under the Renewable Obligation. 1.3 main aim: The mixture of the issues introduced briefly in the first Chapter leads to the overall aim of investigating the governments role in achieving the targets set and through analyzing the market and the economic forecasts concluding whether these targets are achievable. Following chapter will review the existing literature that has investigated UK Renewable Market and Policies, critically evaluated the UK performance in renewables sector and consist of relevant data in order to set out the specific objectives for this study. United Kingdom has one of the most suitable potential markets for the development of renewable energy sources and could act as a leading example for the rest of the world, but the main question remains whether the UK will adopt the right approach to support the new technologies or is it just an ambitious set of targets based on wrong evaluations? CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Global Perspective Today, the rising issue of climate change can be identified as â€Å"the biggest challenge facing humanity† (International Socialist Group, 2006). The UK Prime Minister has said climate change is â€Å"probably, long-term the single most important issue we face as a global community†. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that â€Å"global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions must be reduced at least 70 percent over the next 100 years to stabilize atmospheric CO2 concentrations† Considerable technical change will be needed to maintain growth in economy combined with large CO2 emission reductions at a cost as low as possible (Grubb, 1997), however the timeframe is not clear as many ways lead to certain CO2 stabilization levels which correspond to fixed increasing amounts of CO2 that can be released during the target year. Furthermore, economic arguments were raised favoring deferred emission abatement pathways (Wigley, 1996). There is a possibility that unexpected political objectives may trigger the need of short-term investments in long life capital stock, this leads to high costs due to the early retirement of long life capital stock units. Additionally, there is a high risk of only focusing on short-term emission reduction targets while creating technical change policies in relation to climate change which may result in a framework unable to achieve long-term future targets (Sande ´n, 2005). The increasing concerns of climate change has played one of the key roles in supporting the development of renewable energy sources, which are environmentally friendly and impose low or zero carbon emissions released into the atmosphere. In order to sustain the development of renewables it is essential to meet the stabilization scenario for carbon dioxide reduction and show that they can be competitive in cost with energy from other sources (Houghton, 2004, p.306). Houghton also stated that â€Å"under some circumstances renewable energy sources are already competitive in cost (e.g. local sources of energy), however where there is a direct competition with fossil fuel energy from oil and gas, many renewable energies at present compete only marginally†. Conversely, fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas have limited resources and â€Å"at some time between 2010-2020 the worlds supply of oil and gas will fall below the level required to meet international supply† (Oil and gas running out much faster than expected, 2003). As the result the costs of fossil fuels will increase which will unveil the opportunity for renewable energy sources to compete more easily (Houghton, 2004, p.306). A recent report from the UN environment programme said â€Å"investment in renewables such as wind, solar and biomass jumped 43% last year and may be about to increase by much more substantial amounts†. It also predicted that renewable energy sources could supply approximately a quarter of the worlds electricity by 2030. This fast development of renewable energy sources occurred as a result of rising demand for energy, security of energy supplies and the environmental and the dangers associated with the burning of fossil fuels (Sawin, 2004, p.5). The additional drivers for the rapid expansion of renewables incorporate the political support for renewable energy around the world, dramatic cost reductions and significant technology advances (Sawin, 2004, p.5). However, Karl Mallon in his book â€Å"Renewable Energy Policy and Politics: A Handbook for Decision-Making† has set out several challenges which can affect the development of renewable energy sources. Mallon mentioned that renewable projects usually have a long lifetime (20 years or more), but the investment and the main industrial activity occurs at the beginning. Therefore in order for investors to get a return on their investment, the developers on their end will try to make the projects as long as possible and try to establish capacity as early as possible in the scheme to yield the maximum return time (Mallon, 2007). As a result, generation schemes with targets that run less than 20 years will create a market with increasing activity and a massive industry growth for the first few years, and once a capacity meeting the long term target is in place downturn of activity will take place (Mallon, 2007). Mallon also stated that a â€Å"boom-bust† activity cycle is terr ibly inefficient form of industry development; if targets are used they must be dynamic to provide a constant but steady pull on industry. Another challenge which faces the development of renewables is the governments concentration on the economic side, namely where â€Å"the desire for economic certainty overrides the objectives of industry development or climate mitigation† (Mallon, 2007). Furthermore, according to Mallon, effective climate mitigation will require not less than 50-100 years transition to zero-emissions, therefore the schemes with deadlines ending 2010-2015 will make no contribution to solve in the climate change problem. Such schemes only provide economic certainty and tell investors that this is only a short term engagement rather than a long term, ignoring the fact that the prices of renewables and conventional energy change all the time. Finally, Mallon emphasized on the fact that â€Å"it is important to recognize that renewable energy policy consists not just of a driver but rather comprises a complete framework, ignoring or overlooking parts of that framework will undermine the entire vision†. 2.2 UK Perspective The energy policy of the United Kingdom fully supports targets for carbon dioxide emissions and is committed to achieve mandatory 60 percent cut in the UKs carbon emissions by 2050 (Carbon Abatement Technology for Fossil Fuels, 2005). The current interest in renewable energy in the UK reflects the global view in relation to the shortage of the existing energy sources and the necessity of finding alternative energy supplies to meet the future energy demand. The need for securing energy sources as an alternative to the current energy sources, mainly fossil fuels, lies in the uncertainty of such fuels which is diminishing over the years. This is particularly pertinent to the UK as it is estimated that by 2020 the UK could be importing 90% of its gas (which currently produces 41% of energy consumed) (DTI 2006). Additionally, the rising concerns over global warming and climate change also played a major role in ‘shedding the light on renewable energy sources. By 2050, global energy demand could double as populations rise and developing countries expand their economies (World Energy Organization, 2008). The UK Government started to tackle such concerns in 1999 when it introduces its first strategy â€Å"to help deliver a better quality of life through sustainable development† (Tony Blair, The UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy, March 2005). The Governments 2003 Energy White Paper sets a direction towards achieving low carbon economy, by attempting to resolve the issue on domestic basis first and to influence the major players in the global community to follow the same footsteps. The UK Government has committed itself to cut down greenhouse gas emissions, as mentioned above the government; according to its 2003 Energy White Paper, declared that its mission is to move to a low carbon economy and set out its target that by the year 2050 carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 60 percent in addition to the Kyoto Protocol target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 percent by the year 2012, and the ambitious national goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent below the 1990 levels by the year 2010 (The UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy, 2005). However, the UKs CO2 emissions rose in the period 2002-04 (levels in 2004 showing a 1.5% increase over 2003) (DTI 2005a). These issues are arising at a time when large numbers of the UKs coal and nuclear-fired power stations are also reaching decommissioning age. This presents the UK with an opportunity to re-structure the fuels in its energy mix. According to the British Wind Energy (BWEA) the UK could face some challenges in meeting the renewable energy target of 20 percent by 2020 if it increases the amount of electricity generated under its Renewable Obligation, but puts on hold â€Å"financial penalties for utilities that help fund the program at 2015 levels† (Challenges Ahead for UK Renewable Energy Program, 2007). The BWEA Chief Executive Maria McCaffery has commented on reform proposal: The RO has been highly successful in bringing forward the cheapest renewables: onshore wind, landfill gas and biomass co-firing. The Governments plan to band the RO could allow more technologies to share in this success, particularly offshore wind but this cannot be at the expense of onshore winds current strong growth. Accommodating the more expensive technologies whilst trying to get to a 20% target in 2020 using the same amount of money as a 15% goal is like trying to extract a quart from a pint pot. It just doesnt add up. E ssentially, said BWEA, â€Å"the government is attempting to get a third more renewable power with a mix that includes significant quantities of technologies that are not economic under the current system for the same amount of money† (Challenges Ahead for UK Renewable Energy Program, 2007). John Loughhead, the Executive Director of the  UK Energy Research Centre  (UKERC)  said: Achieving these targets will be challenging, since the UK currently obtains less that 2% of its energy from renewable sources. It is probable that electricity production will have to bear a disproportionate share and initial estimates from the European Commission and others suggest it may need to produce about 40% of all electricity from renewable sources by 2020 if the overall targets are to be met. Additionally, the recent study â€Å"Renewable electricity generation technologies†, January 2008, issued by Institute of Physics (IOP) has outlined further barriers to the development of renewable energy sources. According to the study, one of the main challenges facing the renewables is â€Å"the liberalisation of the UK energy market, the current price of electricity is so low that it is not economically viable to develop and introduce new generating technologies to the market, unless they can be developed at a low cost and can provide electricity predictably at competitive wholesale prices† (Renewable electricity generation technologies, 2008) 2.3 UK Renewable Policy Targets Karl Mannon regards the renewable energy policy as a framework rather a single driver and emphasized that all the parts forming this framework must operate jointly in order for us to achieve the highest benefit of this policy (Mannon, 2007). As to the influence such policies may have on the market, Mannon added that there are unknown factors in these policies which can affect the size of the market, the prices paid for renewable energy or the duration of the scheme. Some of the factors which control the growth of the market include: the level of support, the duration of support eligibility, the duration of support schemes and the quantity of renewables required under the scheme. (Mannon, 2007, p.37) However, Adrian Smith in his report â€Å"Multi-level governance: Towards an analysis of renewable energy governance in the English regions†, December 2006, has identified challenges for governance in promotion of renewable energy systems. Smith, 2006, has outlined that â€Å"governments policy objective of transforming existing energy systems into ones with greater renewable energy content requires coordinated efforts and changes amongst many different actors, institutions and artifacts. Renewable energy systems are complex, and their construction is far from straightforward. It is consequently difficult to direct them into being exclusively through hierarchical government measures like planning† (Smith, 2006). John Sauven, the Executive Director of Greenpeace UK, in his article â€Å"Its rip-off Britain, even when it comes to climate change†, October 2007, has stated that the targets set by Renewable Obligation which were set for electricity suppliers have all been missed and â€Å"the governments own projections show that the final target of just 15 percent in 2015 will also be missed†. Additionally, Dave Toke, in his academic paper, has concluded that â€Å"RO is relatively inflexible in that it effectively sets a single level of payments for all renewable-energy generators, which is relatively generous for onshore wind power, barely sufficient (even with capital grant supplements) for offshore wind power, and not enough for much else. The target of supplying 10% of UK electricity from renewables by 2010 is not likely to be achieved some 7% is a more likely level† (Toke, 2005). Toke, D., also noted that â€Å"the more ambitious the targets are, the more expensive w ill be the incentives (or penalties) needed to ensure compliance with these targets†. The analysis of renewable energy policy carried out by the Carbon Trust, â€Å"Policy Framework for renewables†, July 2006, states that â€Å"overall, the existing renewable energy policy suffers from inefficiencies, resulting in a unit cost of renewable energy to consumers that is higher than necessary given the current technology cost†, as well as â€Å"given the renewable and carbon reduction targets and the 2015 gap, diversity of investment in renewable energy is needed†. The UK policies are not created to determine what a sustainable energy system i