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Dispersal and Regrouping of Migrant Communities Essay

Dispersal and Regrouping of Migrant Communities - Essay Example Diasporas are only gatherings that vagrants structure based on a common c...

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Should the Electoral College still be in place Essay

Should the Electoral College still be in place - Essay Example This particular thesis would look back through history for examples where the electoral system on current values have failed to provide a decision based on the unanimous most popular votes achieved and hence appoint office a candidate who significantly does not hold the peoples ideology in running the country. Lastly we would succumb to the fact that prior to twentieth century the electoral system of electing the president was made by people who were the pioneers of their time and society while keeping in mind the common educational awareness in a single voter and how this method would cancel dysfunctional voting which may not be in the best interest of the United States. For matters concerning the voting system upheld by the Electoral College, there have been, for the past two centuries, excessive debates that primarily highlight the loop holes associated with this form of presidential selection. Firstly before jumping in to the jargon of as to why the Electoral College of president ial elections deems a misfit in current society we would on first note take up to the fact that what practically is the Electoral system of voting that we all so often refer to. On theoretical counts the Electoral College system of voting to claim a new head of the state is a method in which electors from every state cast their votes on potential candidates that seek to become the next president so as such the electors hold the key of who becomes the new subsequent head of the state. ... The votes casted by the American citizens is only associated with the electors of their own state hence even though votes pertaining to a hundred percent favoring either the democrats or the republicans could only and fundamentally suffice for their own states electoral representatives(Glennon; Whittaker et al). The number of electoral reps that every state acquires is a directly proportional figure to the amount of people or residents residing in it and therefore the number of electoral reps in each state varies from one another. For instance Minnesota as being a relatively bigger state than Columbia has seven more electoral votes and hence stands to a 10 to 3 ratio in comparison. The total number of electoral votes situated is five hundred and thirty eight and hence to potentially win an election a candidate must receive more than or equal to two hundred and seventy uncontested votes and effectively claim a winning spot. The voting system in every state apart from Maine and Nebrask a has a winner take all methodology on casting electoral votes as such if in any state the democratic or republic party get the majority votes then automatically the other residing votes which may not be in favor of the winning party would also be effectively transferred to the votes of the winning electoral reps. This particular policy has a major drawback concerning the fact that even though a candidate may win the most popular vote of the country it may eventually lose at the mercy of the Electoral college system. Again for instance the nominee from the democratic or republic party gets electoral votes from the majority of states but loses to small margins in larger ones like California, New

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Corporate Income Taxes - Client Letter Research Paper

Corporate Income Taxes - Client Letter - Research Paper Example Equity financing on the other is when a company issues shares of the company’s stock and receives money in return. Depending on the capital raised through equity, the company may relinquish about 25% to 75% of the business. The advantage of using debt to finance capital expenditure is that you will not give up control of your business. The lender who is usually a bank or lending institutions does not have any right to manage or oversee how things are run in the business. By simple means, your only obligation will be to repay the loan in regard to the agreed terms. Additionally, interest paid on the loan is tax deductible thus it could be savings in term of tax when the business is still small (Hovakimian, Opler, & Titman, 2001). There is some predictability with debt as the corporation knows exactly how much it owes. The disadvantage for this form of capital formation is that the money has to be paid within a fixed period regardless of the business success. Relying too much on debt may prove to be strenuous if the business cash flows do not balance. Potential investors may also run away as a huge debt is termed as a high risk. Loans are not just expensive, the lender might also ask for collateral which includes the business assets or personal guarantee which will put you on the hook in case the payment defaults. Equity financing on the other hand does not have to be repaid. The risks and liabilities of the company are shared between the ownership and the investors that come on board. Since no debt is being repaid, cash flows generated can be used to reinvest back into the company and promote further growth or may be to diversify to other areas of interest. Having a low debt equity ration is advantageous as it puts the company on a better position to acquire loans in future (Klein, O’Brien, & Peters, 2002). Equity investment may sound good but it also means that the corporation has to give up

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Environment Of Kamat Hotels

Environment Of Kamat Hotels Kamat hotels are a new chain of luxury business hotel in India promoted by KHIL (kamat hotel India ltd). Kamat hotel began as a single landmark namely VITS Mumbai, located near Mumbai international airport, but is now recognized all over the India as the symbol of true Indian hospitality. KHIL is a pan-India network of hotels that offers business and leisure travelers a hotel designed for the modern nomad. The hotel promises a whole new experience of tranquility and total wellness proposal. Called the jiva spa, it is a unique concept, based on a mixture of heritage, wisdom and the Indian philosophy of wellness and well being. All hotels built with similar infrastructure are four star hotels which consist of 200 rooms and aims to give prospective customers, a total experience of hospitality. Each hotel has a six banquet halls, a conference hall and fitness clubs complete with sauna and steam bath are open in the lobby area. KHIL is well known for being environmental friendly. It has won many awards like environmental champion, global ecotel, regional direct tourism award and pata (pacific Asia travel association awards), hotel and catering international management associations (HCIMA) best environmental policy 2000, India chapter environmental award for 2001 on the hotel excellence category. In 2009, VITS achieved excellent profitability based on the trend of rising demand for suitable accommodation in the city of Mumbai. Based on its early success, KHIL has expanded heavily in India, opening new branches in more states like Ahmadabad, Aurangabad, Baroda, Gujarat, Hubli, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Nasik, Pune, Sholapur, Surat and it is expected to add twenty more branches in the next five years. With the rapid expansion of Indian economy, budget and mid market hotel segments are fast expanding as more business people travel and look for short pleasant stays. The group also introduced tours and travels in 2010 and was engaged in marketing of destination and package tours. KHIL along with its flagship hotel, VITS are well positioned to meet the increase in travel activities and is set to benefit fully of this market expansion. The restaurants, known for their top quality food, attract high number of middle class families for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However limited capacity of its butchery and bakery cause delays in periods of high customer turnout and often leads to customer complaints KHIL group employees are gentle, skillful, and knowledgeable and are given certificates of honesty which keeps them motivated and loyal. But Management at VITS has been very poor at embracing Technology to help them in their daily task or for the benefit of their customers. There is no Wi-Fi installed on the premises, and internet connections are slow. Management have not upgraded their software but have stuck to their PMS i.e. (property management system) while their competitors are already using Opera or Fidelo, softwares which are faster in performance and standards. Using the stakeholder model, this paper will assess the strengths and weaknesses of VITS and then analyses its external environments using Porters 5 forces model and PESTEL. This will give us a proper indication of the hotels position and will conclude by coming up with workable proposals for VITS. 2.0 Analysis of the internal environment 2.1 Stakeholder model 2.1 Stakeholder An individual, group or business with a keen interest may be positive or negative in an organization success are known as stakeholder. They are concerned with an organization to deliver an intend result and also to meet its financial objectives generally stakeholders are of two types they are internal within the organization and external outside the organization. Stakeholders are shareholders, employee, suppliers, customer, financial institution, government and society. A stakeholder is usually stands to gain or lose depending on the decision taken or policies implemented. 2.1.1 Importance of stakeholder Stakeholders are very important persons who in fact control the organization and the success of the organization lies in their hands. The participation of stakeholders in an organization is from the beginning of the organization. Stakeholder analysis is a technique which is generally used by an organization to identify the importance of key people, groups of people or stakeholders which influence the success of an organization. It is an important process because if we find the needs and interest of stakeholder than it become easier for an organization to achieve its goals. This can be done by an individual or by a team. The analysis helps us to determine the influence and power that each stakeholder has. If we know the most powerful stakeholder than it is easy for an organization to gain support in order to gain success. We can implement stakeholder to an organization in three steps they are {1} identifying the stakeholders, {2} prioritizing the stakeholder and {3} understanding impo rtant stakeholder opinion and interest. 2.1.2 Shareholders KHIL hotels formally reports to their shareholders twice a year when it releases its results. This comes amidst great media and specialized press speculation as KHIL is known to be a star performer. Shareholders have over the past 5 years, constantly been rewarded with dividends to the tune of 21% per annum after tax every single year. They generally hold meetings with their shareholders and stakeholders to keep them informed about the progress of business and future plans for the group. 2.1.3 Employees KHIL hotels places great importance on communication about its business and performance to their employees. They follow a program of effective staff training to understand the purpose and goals of hotel management strategies and deliver on the organizations sustainability objectives. 2.1.4 Suppliers KHIL supports local suppliers and promotes responsible business practice. Given the strength of their bargaining power they can source produce at a very competitive price which helps them on profitability. Supporting local suppliers wherever they are also helps them to build good relations with the community whom they support. Suppliers are very supportive of KHIL and have been working with them ever since they started business. KHIL welcomes feedback from their suppliers which helps them to better understand how they are performing against their peers and they get a clearer picture of risk. 2.1.5 Customers KHIL has mastered guest relationship through constant interaction and feedback from them. They offer top quality service which is known and appreciated by customers. This is what has built the KHIL brand as they are known for the unique experience they offer customers. KHIL charges them a slightly premium price but which customers do not complain about as they feel pampered. Customer feedback lies at the center of their strategy. Customers recommend the hotel to their friends and word of mouth spreads. Feedback and adaptation to customer requirements have kept them ahead of competition and rising up to end increasing guest demands. They have mastered the art of proactively engaging with their guests to understand and anticipate their requirements. 2.1.6 Financial institution KHIL works and is supported by the biggest and the best financial institutions like the State Bank of India, Baroda Bank, ICICI, and private investment funds. Gathering funds for expansion and development is not a problem because of the support as KHIL has always lived up to expectations of financial institutions and has never defaulted. 2.1.7 Government KHIL relies on both central and local government provisions. Statutory and regulatory sanctions of authorities are required for approval of restaurant and bar licenses. As such it is in its best interest to stay within the legal provisions. Both central and local governments are very supportive of KHILs investments as it creates wealth, jobs and supports to local communities. KHIL is a major benefactor of governments incentive schemes and low interest investment funds and this helps to expansion. KHIL does not fail on taxes, levies, duties, company or municipal taxes. KHIL has provided for Rs 1, 63,17,4381/ for the current financial year for different taxes and no dues are pending. 2.1.8 Society KHIL, since the very beginning is a major supporter of social development. This is a reason why communities welcome its developments. The group supports sustainable livelihood as an underlying principle of their social initiatives. In order to improve the quality of life of villagers who live around the hotel KHIL helps them by providing solar lighting, health, hygiene and nutritional support for children and women, drinking water facilities and educational support. They provide hotel related artisan jobs for them like making candles, dusters, staff snacks and stationery. 3.0 Analysis of the specific external environment I will use Porters five forces to analyze KHILs specific external environment. 3.1 Barriers of entry Barriers of entry in the hotel industry are very high as lots of investment goes into initial infrastructure and getting initial customer support. Credit facilities to tour operators and other agents supplying customers result in cash flow issues which very often cannot be supported by new entrants as they rely heavily on loans. 3.2 Availability and substitutes The substitutes exist when the alternative product with lower price and better performance for the same product. Likewise the Kohinoor provides the spa at the low cost compared to KHIL which reduces the potential sales volumes of KHIL. There are a lot of price variation between KHIL and the Kohinoor hotel service, which leads customers to feel that KHIL is at times over priced. The Kohinoor have various rates and tariffs, a good brand image and the hotel chain currently operating different services like spa, boatels, resorts, city center and heritage hotels. 3.3 Bargaining power of suppliers The suppliers consist of all the sources of input that are needed to provide a goods and services. KHIL has good supplier support but is at a disadvantage against competition as it has a tendency of buying because of the long standing friendship they have with suppliers who supported them initially. Very often this plays against price and quality. Furthermore large quantity items are tendered and bought on price which often plays against quality. 3.4 Bargaining power of customers The hotel industry is a very competitive one and having invested in its fixed assets, hotels want to recoup their investment as quickly as possible. They are ready to offer discounts the whole year to attract and keep customers therefore reducing margins. Availability of substitutes such as the Kohinoor improves the bargaining power of customers and they can put even more pressure on margins and volumes. 3.5 Competitive rivalry KHIL has several good challengers like the Kohinoor, Continental and the Mirador who are competing in similar market with similar offerings. The Kohinoor has 200 rooms, excellent conference facilities, multi cuisine restaurants, bars, health clubs, and 24 hours coffee shop, doctor on call, is situated in the main business area of Mumbai and is close to the international airport. These facilities are similar to KHILs and reason why they are strong challengers. This has the overall effect of reducing both revenue and profitability. 4.0 Pestle analysis Pestle analysis is the useful tool to understand the clear picture of the environment in which the organization lies and to find the opportunities and threats that lies in the environment they can be express as the Political, economic, socio cultural, technological, environmental, and legal factors affect an organizations external environment which in turn affects an organization by offering it either opportunities to progress or threats to regress. it is also used as a generic orientation tool to find out about the organization or the product is in the context of what happening inside as well as outside of the organization. 4.1 Political environment One of the political environments for the organization was the times of India (it is a well known newspaper) by Rachna sigh, Jaipur in a bid to attract the international tourists is gearing up with a host of new properties across the different segments. Some of the industries like hotel and tourisms are the backbone of any competitive world. But government charges a huge tax from the hotels which are stars or are in the luxury category these organizations has an impact with the government or the political changes that occurs. If the government takes even a small steps if affect the hotel industries. Its getting huge incentives and the state governments are supporting them in their development. But now Indian hotels are planning to expand in the economic crunch time. The terror attack on the city (Mumbai) renowed hotels like the taj hotel and the oberios had brought into concerns and facing the hoteliers with a drop in foreign travelers to India i.e. the terror attack is one of the threat for hotel industries. 4.2 Legal factor In recent years, government has brought significant changes to the legal framework to facilitate investment and doing business. Several incentive schemes have been introduced to increase investments. Laws that directly impact on the hotel industry are the Hotel development incentive bill, tax holidays of up to 2 years to new investors in the hotel sector, fairer health and safety laws and less stringent employment laws that were acting as limitations to investment. This has led to a lot of development as investors have easy access to funds and are supported by incentives. These new business friendly frameworks have largely helped groups like KHIL to invest further and adopt expansion strategies. 4.3 Economical environment The India economy hardly suffered from the international financial crisis. This is because the Indian system rests on a controlled and sound financial system in the country. The economic environment includes GDP, interest rates, inflation and exchange rates, economic growth, taxation amongst others and it determines disposable income. While larger number of tourists will flock to India for its beauty, history and heritage, Mumbai the financial capital will keep bringing in business people from around the world therefore offering an incessant flow of customers to hotels like the KHIL group to prosper. 4.4 Social environment Changes in social trends also have an impact on the demand for a firms products and offer. Organizations have to respond by constantly adopting their products to new customer trends and demand. This is what KHIL has constantly been doing especially with its unique feedback system. Feedback from customers has also explains why KHIL has more single room than double rooms. 4.5 Technological environment Indian is one of the most advanced technological nations of the world and businesses are well aware of progress in the field of technology and its enduring impact on processes and the reduction of costs. KHIL has not taken technology on board though most major customized products are valuable. 4.6 Environmental factors The growing desire to protect the environment is having a great impact on many industries such as travel industries. Environment protection creates business opportunities and KHIL is well ahead of competitors in this field. To respect local legislation, all hotels of the group are built after an environmental impact assessment and this creates harmony with the community. 5.0 Swot analysis Swot analysis is the most important tool for audit and analysis of the overall strategic position of business and its environment. Basically it is the foundation for evaluating the strength, weakness, probable/likely opportunity and threats from the external environment. It also views the positive as well as negative factors inside and outside of the organization which affect its success. So these are the four factors applying to the property to know about the property in details the strength, weakness, opportunities as well as the threats of the KHIL hotels. 5.1 Strengths Strength is the qualities which helps an organization to achieve its goals. Generally strength are beneficial aspects of the organization which includes human competence, process capabilities, financial resources, product and service, customer goodwill and brand loyalty. Strength of KHIL Competitively priced for value they offer Situated near the international airport and few kilometers away from the domestic airport Is a very convenient alternative for layover guests are those whose flights have been cancelled or delayed Has preferred partner status with airlines Affordable luxury venue for SMEs for their Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions Highly perceived as a environmental friendly hotel Recognized name for fine cuisine and value for money accommodation Loyal, honest and per formant employees Appeals to local middle class families looking for a night out 5.2 Weakness Weakness is a limitation, or the defect in an organization that will keep it away from achieving its goals. The weakness are of different kind like huge debt, high employee turnover, complex decision making process, narrow product range and large wastage of raw materials. Weakness oh KHIL Situated off the road it may see significant impact on FIT guests (free individual traveler) Fails to handle larger crowds and sister hotel Orchid is no substitute Business centre is to small and no WI-FI zone yet Trailing on technology on its processes and still using Whitney rack system Swimming pool located next to the restaurant plays against privacy 5.3 Opportunities An opportunity is a kind of favorable situation in a firm environment. It is usually a trend or an overlooked need that increase demand for a product or service and allows the organization to enhance its position. Opportunities for KHIL Upcoming cricket world cup jointly organized in India, Bangla Desh, Sri lanka will attract guests Event can be used to showcase of value offered to enhance reputation Bus service or the special cabs for the fans to the stadium in and around the world cup venues Targeting opening in new or developing business hubs like Bangalore 5.4 Threats It is an unfavorable situation which may occur in an organization environment and which may harm the business or its strategy. They are uncontrollable when the threat comes, the stability and survival can be stake. Threats for KHIL Security especially in the wake of terrorist attacks Competitor response from Kohinoor, Continental and Mirador 6.0 Conclusion As each and every organization has strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats the kamat hotel also have these factors but they can find out by doing the swot analysis to the organization to its internal and external factor so that one can obtain it and can control the system in a practical way. It can work according to its objectives by allowing an easy way to attain its profit growth. 7.0 Proposal The KHIL hotels should plan and perform their work to achieve their goals and the information and explanation that are considered are necessary to work on them that they need to improve a lot like increasing the rooms in the hotel because of its they are facing the problems when there is an event in India most of the foreigners visit to India because of lack of rooms its losing its business so if it works on it then it will achieve a great success. These are needed to upgrade to an improved integrated management system as it would help reduce the amount of paper work. It would also reduce the work of night auditor and reception staff as they would not have to verify every bill every time guests checkout.

Friday, October 25, 2019

veitnam war :: essays research papers

THE VIETNAM WAR Do you know why the Viet Nam war started, or when it really began? Well, it may surprise you to know that the war actually began shortly after the end of World War II. When WWII ended many countries had taken control of smaller countries in Asia. Vietnam was controlled by the French, but after WWII Vietnam wanted it’s independence. France did not want to give up it’s colonies because they needed the extra income to help rebuild it’s country after WWII. A man named Ho Chi Minh, who declared their independence from the French after the end of WWII, led Vietnam. His resistance force was first called the Viet – Minh, which stood for the Vietnam Independence League (DRV). Ho Chi Minh formed a government called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, although he was a true communist. Vietnam became divided into North and South Vietnam, with the French controlling South Vietnam and the DRV the North. As the French moved into North Vietnam fighting br oke out and the French became involved in a new kind of war. The General in charge of the DRV, a man named Giap used â€Å"guerrilla warfare† to defeat the French. In this type of war the General used small groups of men to kill or wound French soldiers and then run away into the jungle before the French could use a large army to fight back. This fighting lasted for years and the people in France did not like having French soldiers killed again as in WWII. By 1954 the French knew that they could not win a war against the DVR. They were defeated in a big battle at Dien Bien Phu and quickly left Vietnam. After this defeat a meeting was held in Geneva Switzerland and Vietnam was divided into North and South Vietnam along the 17th parallel of latitude. This was supposed to last two years and then the people of Vietnam would vote on whether to reunite the country and what kind of government all the people wanted. Well suddenly Dominos decide to help decide Vietnams fate. Yes, that ’s right, you know the game of Dominos. Well I’m sure many of you have seen or maybe even tried the trick of standing Dominos up and making all of them fall over. The United States thought of the countries in Southeast Asia as Dominos. They thought that if Vietnam became a Communist country all countries in the region would soon also become Communist’s.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

World Literature: Touch in Pedro Paramo and Dom Casmurro

In novels as sensual as Pedro Paramo and Dom Casmurro, it is not surprising that the authors employ a variety of literary techniques and imagery. Amongst them, not as prominent as the sense of hearing but still salient, is the sense of touch. I will examine how narrators in Dom Casmurro and Pedro Paramo use the sense of touch to reveal their inner motivations and feelings about a situation or character. Touch can symbolize relationships. When two characters touch shoulders in Pedro Paramo, for example, this seems to show siblinghood.Juan and Abundio walk â€Å"side by side, so close [their] shoulders [are] nearly touching† (5). Juan and Abundio turn out to be half brothers. They share a father and are nearly brothers, just as their shoulders nearly touch, but their different mothers create both a genetic and physical gap between them. Later in the story, Donis’s sister â€Å"[goes] to stand beside him, leaning against his shoulder† (53). Their shoulders do not me rely touch, which would confirm that they are siblings; she leans against Donis, suggesting their relationship extends beyond a familial one.Although this has already been strongly implied, Donis’s sister leans against Donis before asking Juan whether he truly understands the relationship between her and Donis. Rulfo has already revealed that they are incestuous, but the action coupled with her question shows that neither the reader nor Juan realizes fully the nature of this relationship. Like Rulfo, Machado de Assis uses one way of touching, in his case, men brushing against Capitu’s arms, in different situations. This results in different repercussions. Capitu’s shapely arms draw attention whenever she and Bento attend balls.However, during the first night they are merely admired and when other men touch her it seems incidental, innocuous: â€Å"however much they might touch other frock coats† (183). Bento mentions this touch fleetingly. His focus is on Capitu’s arms, not male attention. On the second night, the men are crasser, going from admiring to staring, â€Å"almost begging for them, and brushed their black sleeves against them† (183). Bento lingers more on the males’ touching and less on Capitu’s arms, like he is more concerned about the attention his wife is garnering than the object of the attention.The details he notes also speak of his uneasiness. Whereas during the first night, the men wear gentlemanly frock coats, the second night they are dressed in black, which can symbolize evilness. As a matter of fact, detail is used in both Dom Casmurro and Pedro Paramo by the narrators to reveal their feelings about other characters. When either narrator describes the touching at length, or notices even the smallest aspects of it, he shows how important this touch is to him. As young Pedro Paramo and Susana San Juan fly kites together, Pedro urges, â€Å"‘Help me, Susana. ’ And soft ha nds would tighten on [his]† (12).The fact that Pedro notes Susana’s hands are soft suggests that he harbours a liking for her, for to notice her soft hands, he would need to pay more attention to her hands than the string he is letting out or the kite he is flying. This action is also indicative of their relationship. Susana is Pedro’s lifelong love, and though she enjoys his company and likes him, it is only as a friend. Thus, while she is simply happy to fly kites with him and tightens her hands around his only to help him let out more string, Pedro takes note of how she acts around him and treasures her harmless actions.They appear much more meaningful to him than to her. Machado de Assis uses details in very similar circumstances. As Bento combs Capitu’s hair, â€Å"[his] fingers [brush] her neck, or her back with its cotton dress: it [is] a delicious sensation† (64). He does not simply concentrate on the task at hand, he takes pleasure in accid ental touches, no matter how minor, just like Pedro. While this can show the reader his sexual inexperience, as he has not seemed to have had a romantic encounter previously and thus enjoys a seemingly chaste activity, it also shows his affection for Capitu.If Bento was combing the hair of another girl, he may not notice such minor details. The contact may also not feel as delicious. He also touches Capitu although it is not necessary to do so. Even if this is accidental, he does not make a move to shy away from it, suggesting that he wants to touch Capitu and likes her in a more-than-platonic fashion. The fact that he brushes her hair is also significant. Hair is considered a symbol of femininity, especially long hair. Combing her hair could put Bento in a position of power.In fact, in the chapter after he combs her hair, Bento â€Å"[utters] these proud words: ‘I am a man! ’† (67). Hair is important when looking at their history, as well. When Bento thinks abou t his and Capitu’s past, he remembers how she â€Å"ran her hand through [his] hair, saying she thought it was very beautiful† (24). However, he never reciprocated. By touching him so, and through other gestures such as counting his fingers, Capitu demonstrates her affection for him and shows that she is aware of her fondness.Bento remains oblivious, though, as shown by his lack of response. After he realizes that he too feels warmly about Capitu, he asks to brush her hair, proving both to himself and Capitu that he is finally aware of his feelings. In Dom Casmurro, touch can reveal character traits. Ezequiel is shown to be a warm and affectionate boy: â€Å"Ezequiel hugged [Bento’s] knees, stood up on the tips of his toes, as if to climb up and give [Bento] his usual kiss† (229). He is comfortable with touching his father, and does so regularly to illustrate his love.This can be contrasted with Jose Dias who, even when everyone else is hugging and kissin g Bento farewell, remains â€Å"composed and grave† (98) and does not touch Bento at all. Jose Dias is not cold, but occasionally his respect and charm seem debatably genuine. Moments such as when he does not hug Bento farewell add on to this idea. In Pedro Paramo, Juan Preciado does not touch the residents of Comala when he arrives. He cannot; they are ghosts while he is still alive. Donis’s sister touching his shoulder is the first time touch occurs in Juan’s Comala. She is also the first living person he encounters.Although there is some disagreement over whether Juan actually died when â€Å"[his] soul turned to ice† (59), the fact that Dorotea is dead and lying in his arms, touching him, suggests that if he can touch the dead, then he is dead also. Moments of change are expressed through touch as well. After Bento sees that Capitu carved ‘Bento and ‘Capitolina’ into the wall, their hands â€Å"[took] hold of each other, clasping e ach other, melting into one another† (28). Whereas previously mutual touching was done in childish jest, and Bento was oblivious to Capitu’s attraction to him, now they touch each other with the ntention of holding hands like lovers. â€Å"Melting into one another† (28) can also show how they are thinking as one – they both feel the same way toward each other. When Donis leaves, Juan wakes up beside Donis’s sister. The majority of the tactile imagery thus far has been brief and subtle, but here Juan can â€Å"feel the woman’s naked legs against [his] knee, and her breath upon [his] face† (55). After being unable to touch the ghosts, Juan is all of a sudden pressed against a woman, a gesture that stands out from previous paragraphs due to its straight-forwardness.For Juan, it appears that the physical contact is like having to take care of the woman; neither pleasant nor unpleasant, simply thrust-upon and unexpected. Unlike in Dom Casmu rro, even feelings about environment can be revealed through touch in Pedro Paramo. As Juan approaches Comala, he observes that he and Abundio â€Å"[have] left the hot wind behind and [are] sinking into pure, airless heat. The stillness [seems] to be waiting for something† (5). While this airless heat adds on to the atmosphere, it also shows Juan’s state of mind.The surroundings in this scene mirror Juan’s mood, showing that he is waiting for something too. He may not expect to find his father, but he is coming with Comala with expectations, and the closer he gets to the town, the closer he is to finding out the truth. The sense of touch is an important tool in both Pedro Paramo and Dom Casmurro. It can reveal aspects of character personality, relationships and inner thoughts and motivations. This symbolism, coupled with the other literary techniques Machado de Assis and Rulfo employ, helps create the vivid alternate reality of the novels. Word count: 1470 word s

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Disintermediation and Reintermediation of the Travel Agents Essay

1. INTRODUCTION Nowadays, the travel distribution channel is very complex and characterized by the presence of many different kind of intermediaries which operate in a very competitive market. Since the beginning of the travel industry, intermediaries have always played an important role for the development of tourism products and services. Indeed, intermediaries have the ability to organize and aggregate a large amount of data into one price. Moreover, they have a fundamental role for counseling and delivering a personalized service according to the specific need of customers (Kracht and Wang, 2009). Before the advent and further development of communication technology, the market was dominated by the large suppliers such as airlines, hotel chains and resorts. Travel agents were the conventional intermediaries which were independent from each other and represented a portion of the dominant players in a non-competitive market (Gharavi and Sor, 2005). Later on, with the high spread of ICT and the need of cutting costs the position of the travel agents has been threatened. New kind of middlemen emerged adding additional layers of intermediation, disintermediating certain players by bypassing the traditional intermediaries (Buhalis and Law, 2008). Technology has also allowed suppliers to directly communicate with consumers who have seen their choices enormously increased. This has increased the competition and the complexity of the market and has raised an important issue for the presence in the market of traditional travel agents. The aim of this paper is to investigate how disintermediation and re-intermediation have affected the way travel agents operate and whether there is still a place and a prospective of growth for travel agents in the market. 2. DISINTERMEDIATION AND RE-INTERMEDIATION OF THE TRAVEL AGENTS In the last twenty years several changes occurred in the tourism distributional channel. Every component of the chain value has been affected and particularly travel agents. Traditional travel agencies are being threatened not only by integrated tour operators, which control their own distribution channels, but also by the expansion of alternative distribution channels such as the Internet, Teletext, call centers, and even travel TV channels. This process is called disintermediation (Kracht and Wang, 2009). According to Bennett and Buhalis (2003) disintermediation is the process of eliminating intermediaries within the distribution channel driven by electronic means that enable consumers to access and transact directly with suppliers and destinations†. Before 1993, the traditional tourism system consisted of consumers, traditional retail travel agents, corporate travel agents, tour operators, GDS’s and suppliers. The 1993 was the year of the first commercial usage of int ernet. After that year many changes occurred and many more players enter into the market thanks to the reduction of barrier entry costs. However, the starting point of disintermediation was in the 1960s, when the American airline lunch the first GDS allowing consumers to buy tickets directly from the airline company (Kracht and Wang, 2009). Travel agents’ main source of revenue at the time was commissions paid to them by the airlines on tickets sold by them on the airlines’ behalf. Pressures to reduce costs in an increasingly competitive industry caused airline companies to look for ways to reduce their payments to travel agents. Initially, airline companies progressively reduced the amount of commission paid to travel agents while, at the same time, they opened up new channels and expanded existing channels to reach travelers directly. Airline companies encouraged travelers to book direct channel by various means with a very successful results. For instance, easyJet, a successful British low-cost carrier, in 2002 was already selling 90% of its seats through its own site (The Economist, 2002). After the public debut of the web, suppliers began establishing web sites to connect directly with customers, thereby beginning the disintermediation of traditional retail travel agents(McCubbrey, 1999; cited by Krac ht and Wang, 2009). For example, Hotels  also created their own websites to reach their customer. Establishing a direct relationship with clients allows suppliers to put in place various price polices and loyalty schemes. Suppliers believe they no longer need an intermediary to sell their products. They discover the internet to be a powerful and cheap distribution channel, and not just an online brochure (The Economist, 2002). Indeed, using information technology to develop supply chain relationships can reduce costs and bring higher quality of travel products into the market. Internet, perhaps, has been the most powerful means of disintermediation and it has radically changed the travel industry, adding more layers of intermediation and more players (Kracht, 2009) The travel industry, in fact, is undoubtedly one of the most interesting sector in terms of the possibilities offered by the internet. Internet travel reservations have increased dramatically in the last years with more and more users confi dent with the technology, and it represents the fastest growing segment of electronic commerce (Bernstein and Awe,1999; cited by Anckar, 2003). The success of internet in this respect, is perhaps due to the nature of the tourism product, which is a little more than an information product, easy to convey through the web (UNCTAD, 2000; cited by Anckar, 2003). However, as stated by Palmer and McCole (1999; cited by Bennett and Lai, 2005) â€Å"the internet does not change the principal role of intermediaries who exist to simplify buyers’ choice processes†. Indeed, even though internet allowed suppliers and consumers to communicate directly bypassing the travel agents, there were some important issues related to the internet. According to Bloch et al. (1996, cited by Wynne 2000), when potential tourists try to book directly with suppliers on the internet, they face a wide range of problems. For example, they require to know in which website to look. It takes at lot of time considering different options and prices. Often, it is not possible to book online. Thereby, the necessity of one stop-shopping, aggregation of information and comparison of price led to the formation of new e-mediaries or cybermediaries. Disintermediation indeed, push back to re-intermediation with new players coming into the markets and existing ones which re-intermediate themselves by reinventing their business. Re-intermediation has been defined by Bennet and Buhahs (2003) as â€Å"the utilization of ICT and internet tools for the development of either new intermediaries or new methods for existing intermediaries that  enable them to re-engineer the tourism distribution channel†. Re-intermediation is evident through the development of new electronic intermediaries such as Expedia, Yahoo Travel, lastminute.com and Travelocity which are based only online. Based on the premise that intermediaries exist because they provide value added services, these e-mediaries have the potential to pass economies of scale directly to the consumer, offering reduced fares as well as the convenience of making reservations 24/7 (Lai, 2005). As a result of both disintermediation and re-intermediation travel agents have been reduced in numbers and have to face a very competitive market. In fact, from one side they are threaten by the disintermediation put in place by the suppliers, and from one other by online reservation and therefore, by the e-mediaries or cybermediaries. The latter, in particular, with no established high-street presence, threaten established retailers by changing the distribution channel for consumer products. Reservations made online are probably the most important danger that traditional intermediaries like travel agents have to face. Figures show an increase of online bookings over the years both in Europe and United States but also in other markets (http://www.emarketer.com). According to Cheung and Lam (2009), to secure their position in the marketplace, and avoid disintermediation, travel agents must be able to acquire the new technology and be able to compete into the new channels as electronic -able intermediaries, without losing their advantage in the conventional market. To minimize the risk of disintermediation, travel agents need to reduce their dependence into simple transaction and increase revenues by focusing on more complex activities, like counseling and personalization of the service. 3. TRAVEL AGENCIES RESPONSES TO A CHALLENGING MARKET Despite the severe competition, and the possibility for booking online, many customers still prefer to purchase from travel agents. TTI chairman, Tony Allen stated that there would always be people who â€Å"didn’t trust the internet† and wanted face-to-face advice (Taylor, The Guardian, 2003). Indeed, travel agents have still many cards to play and can benefit from several advantages in the marketplace: * They are situated wherecustomers come, in shopping centers and in high streets; * Aggregation of the offer from various suppliers into one package; * They can offer a personalized service; * Human relationship; * Travel agents can offer an advisory service, and assist the customers in making a decision before processing with transactions; * Less time spent by the customers to buy a travel product. It can also be argued, that not all the effects of the disintermediation and re-intermediation have had a negative effect on travel agents. Gharavi and Sor (2005) have suggested, in fact, that because of internet and other forms of disintermediation, the bonds between the small travel agents and the dominant large suppliers like the airline companies, hotel chains and resorts owners, was finally broken. As a result of that, many independent travel agents, which continue to based their business on conventional methods such as commissions from suppliers, were pushed out of the market. However, many others entrepreneurs were stimulated to reinvent their business. Travel agents were allowed to deal with a variety of suppliers and organize into cooperative. Moreover, others entrepreneurs developed fran chises or merged, in order to have more bargaining power against competitors. Therefore they fight back the disintermediation and re-intermediate themselves. Organizing into franchising or into other forms of collaboration has allow several advantages to travel agents. First of all, it leads to gain more bargaining power which make more convenient for travel agents to dealing with suppliers. Second of all, it helps travel agents to focus only on the front office activities, while the centre office is in charge of the administrative procedures and of the marketing activities, such as brand building and advertising. Another reason, why this kind of collaborations are successful is that they can allow a better training of human resources and lead to better prospects for income. A great example of travel agency organized into franchising is definitely Harvey World Travel with over 170 stores in Australia and more than 70 in the UK which offer to its branches a very sophisticate software to create a very personalized package for customers (Harris and Duckworth, 2005). In order to fight disintermediation many travel agents differentiate themsel ves and/or focus on niche markets. They try to offer something different that clients could not find online. EuroTravel is a great and successful example of how a small independent travel agent can compete in the market. This company was able to leverage technology effectively in order to specialize and fight back against disintermediation. It specializes in sales to only the European destination, but has used the internet as its primary communication channel in order to acquire customers from a broader geographic area. This strategy seems to have paid off. In fact, in 2004, sales were  £ 6.5 m and in 2008 they reached more the  £8.5 m (Haris and Duckworth, 2005). Similarly, Thomas Cook is another successful experience. By being the first travel agent in the UK, Thomas Cook can count on a very long history and tradition. Over the years it has experienced many changes in order to adapt to a competitive market. In 2007, it merged with the competitor MyTravel, and nowadays Thomas Cook is the UK’s largest retai l travel network. It aims to dominate both, conventional and innovative channel (Williamson A., 2001). Thomas Cook has indeed, a very strong position online and continues to open new branches every year. Therefore, Thomas Cook demonstrates not only how a travel agent can fight disintermediation, but also how to grow and prosper in the marketplace. CONCLUSION Upon the introduction of Internet technology, travel industry has been strongly affected by electronic commerce that contributed the most to the disintermediation of the channel. This is true in particular for travel agents. It is clear that disintermediation and re-intermediation exist in the travel sector. In the intermediate phase, traditional travel agencies dominate the market. However, as new EC-only travel agencies emerge in the market and build up their competitive abilities, traditional travel agencies lost over 50% market shares (Cheung and Lam, 2009). As a result of that many travel agencies merged or organized themselves into some form of collaboration such as franchising. In order to survive in this competitive travel market, agents need to reposition themselves as travel consultants, but also must be more technologically oriented. They must focus on consulting and niche markets. As suggested by the Economist (2002), travel  agents future will be based on helping custo mers to buy what they want, rather than selling what is left unsold by suppliers. They now must look out for consumers’ best interest by using IT resources to help them find the best product. Indeed, it is necessary an integration of conventional business with the new opportunities offered by the web, in order to add value for the client. That is probably one of the most difficult challenge that travel agents have to face. ICT must seen as an opportunity more than as a threat which allows travel agent to reach more customers, get more information and therefore, adding more value for the latter. The ability to use new technology will also make possible for travel agents to compete with the e-mediaries. Porter (1999, cited by Anckar, 2003) claimed that the internet is going to be the death of a lot of intermediaries. However, if this prevision may be true for certain intermediaries, at the moment and perhaps in the long run, it appears not to be valid for travel agents. REFERENCES Anckar, B. (2003) â€Å"Consumer Intentions in Terms of Electronic Travel Distribution†. E-service Journal, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 68-86 Anckar, B. (2006) Reassessment of the Efficacy of Self-booking in Travel. 39th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Available at: http://www.virtual-community.org/images/e/ef/250760132b.pdf Bennet, M. and Kevin Lai C. W. (2005) The impact of the internet on travel agencies in Taiwan. Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2005, pp. 8-23. Bennett, M. and Buhalis, D. (2003) The Future for Internet Travel Distribution: the travel agent perspective, Insights, English Tourism Council, January 2003, pp. D.25-30. Available at: http://www.buhalis.com/buhalis/page/publications.htm Bray (2006) â€Å"The struggle over travel distribution,† Financial Times (15 May 2006) Buhalis, D. and Licata, M. C. (2001) The future eTourism intermediaries. Tourism Management, (2002) 207–220. Available at: www.elsevier.com Cheung, R. a nd Lam, P. (2006) How Travel Agency Survive in e-Business World? Communications of the IBIMA, Volume 10, 2009 ISSN: 1943-7765. Available at: http://www.ibimapublishing.com/journals/CIBIMA/volume10/v10n11.pdf Chircu, A. M. and Robert Kauffman, J. (1998) Strategies for internet middlemen in the intermediation / disintermediation / reintemediation cycle. The International Journal of Electronic Commerce and Business Media, 9, 2, 1999, pp. 109-117 Doherty, N. and Ellis- Chadwick, F. (2010) Internet retailing: the past, the present and the future. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management Vol. 38 No. 11/12, pp. 943-965. Available at: www.emeraldinsight.com/0959-0552.htm eMarketer Inc (2005) â€Å"Travel Agencies Online Report†. http://www.emarketer.com Gharavi, H. and Sor, R. (2005) Population ecology, institutionalism and the internet, Travel agencies evolving into middlemen. Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 19 No. 2, 2006 pp. 104-118. Available at: www.emeraldinsight.com/0953-4814.htm Harris, L. and Duckworth, K. (2005) Travel agents future. Published online in Wiley InterScience. Available at: www.interscience.wiley.com Hoontrakul, P. and Sahadev, S. (2006) Application of data mining techniques in the on-line travel industry, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, (2008), Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 60-76. Available at: www.emeraldinsight.com/0263-4503.htm Huang, H. H. et al. (2006) Exploring Customer Satisfaction, Trust and Destination Loyalty in Tourism. The Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, Vol. 10 Knight J. (2003) Can they fix it?, The Guardian. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2003/oct/05/observerescapesection1?INTCMP=SRCH Kracht, J. (2009) Examining the Tourism Distribution Channel: Evolution and Transformation. Pre print of paper, Emaral group Publishing. PDF document available at: http://www.hospitality.ucf.edu/faculty/raywang/documents/HFT7715/Technology%20strategy/Examing%20the%20Tourism%20Distribution%20Channel.pdf Kracht, J. and Wang, Y. (2009) Examining the tourism distribution channel: evolution and transformation. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Ma nagement, Vol. 22 No. 5, 2010, pp. 736-757. Available at: www.emeraldinsight.com/0959-6119.htm Law, L. and Lau, W. (2004) A Study of the Perceptions of Hong Kong Hotel Managers on the Potential Disintermediation of Travel Agencies. The Haworth Press. Available at: http://www.haworthpress.com/web/JTTM Law, R. and Lau, W. (2004) A Study of the Perceptions of Hong Kong Hotel Managers on the Potential Disintermediation of Travel Agencies. The Haworth Press. Available at: http://www.haworthpress.com/web/JTTM Law, R., Leung, K., and Wong, R. (2004) â€Å"The Impact of the Internet on Travel Agencies.† International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, pp. 100–107 Lawton , L. J. and Weaver, B. D. (2007) Travel Agency Threats and Opportunities: The Perspective of Successful Owners. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 10:68–92, 2009 McCubbrey, D. J. and Taylor, R. G. (2005). Disintermediation and Reintermediation in the U.S. Air Travel Distribution Industry. Communications of the Association for Information Systems , Volume 15, pp.464-477 Rosenbloom, B, (2007) Wholesaler’s Role in the Marketing Channel: Disintermediation vs. Reintermediation, Int. Rev. of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, Vol. 17, No. 4, 327 – 339. Rosenbluth International. http://www.Rosenbluth.com/ Rowley, J. (2002) Synergy and strategy in e-business. Marketing intelligence & planning. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregisters Taylor R. (2003) Writing on the wall for travel agents, The Guardian (12 April 2003). Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2003/apr/12/travelnews.guardiansaturdaytravelsection1?INTCMP=SRC The Economist (2002) â€Å"Fit for DIY; Travel Agents,† (1 June 2000). Available at: http://www.economist.com/node/1159511?story_id=E1_TTVJVTT Travel Industry Association of America. www.tia.org Williamson A. (2001) The Golden Age of Travel (Thomas Cook), ISBN: 1900341336 Wynne, C. (2000) the impact of internet on the distribution value channel. International Marketng Review, Vol. 18, N. 4, pp. 420- 431. Available at: http://www.emerald-library.com ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Global Reservation System used as a single point of access for reserving airline seats, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel related items by travel agents, online reservation sites, and large corporations (www.businessdictionary.com) [ 2 ]. Travel Technology initiative: www.tti.org

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Eastern vs. Western Architecture essays

Eastern vs. Western Architecture essays Architecture has many unique characteristics as compared to the vast body of styles of art. Architecture must be functional and contend with difficult engineering challenges as well as an artistic statement. Even within the boundaries of architecture, it is obvious that the styles approached in creating the magnificent buildings seen in everyday life vary greatly. Difference in style is obvious when comparing the works of the Ancient Greek culture and those of the Islands of Japan. Both cultures have contributed greatly to the science and art of architecture, each in their own unique styles. The two contrast greatly, yet have some artistic similarities making each impressive according to yesterdays, and todays standards. The characteristics in architecture developed by the Greeks are considered among the greatest achievements in Western Society. The Greek style of architecture combines both simplicity and grandeur to create magnificent structures that are world renowned and have continuously influenced the latter day architecture of Western Society. There are many characteristics in the architecture of Greek temples that separate the Greek era from of the Japanese Shinto shrines. To fully comprehend Greek temple architecture, one must understand the basis of the Greek state of mind. Ancient Greek culture thought very highly of man. Greek philosophers believed that nature to served mankind and that man was second only to humanistic Greek gods. The Greeks built temples as monuments to the deities and were designed in attempt to conquer nature much like the gods; last for an eternity. An excellent example of a Greek temple is the Parthenon located on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. The Parthen on was built to honor the goddess Athena. The Parthenon is a regular but articulate building; although it is a stoa it is perceived more or less as a sculpture or monument rather than a place of shelter. Because the Greek culture was...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Video game Essay Example

Video game Essay Example Video game Essay Video game Essay In this century, the mass media have come to rival with parents, school, and religion as the most influential institution in individuals lives. There has always been contemplation on whether media is the spark that ignites violence in individuals. Depictions of violence often glamorize vicious behavior. They offend the society and feel less able to respond to others in a sensitive, caring way. This essay will analyze the effects of violent media on the minds of individuals. While it focuses on media vastly, other contributing factors like emotional processing factors or exposure to violence might be reasons too. The Bobo doll experiment was conducted using children as samples and to see how they respond to the behavior they see (Bandura, A. , Ross, D. amp; Ross, S. A. , 1961) The subjects were 36 boys and 36 girls enrolled in the Stanford University Nursery School, with a mean age of 52 months. Subjects were divided into eight experimental groups of six subjects each and a control group consisting of 24 subjects. The idea of this experiment is to observe the behavior of the individual after watching an adult model act aggressively towards a Bobo doll. There are different variations of the experiment. The most notable experiment measured the individuals behavior after seeing the model get rewarded, punished or experience no consequence for beating up the Bobo doll. It was seen that male subjects, for example, exhibited more physical (t  = 2. 07,  p  lt; . 05) and verbal imitative aggression (t  = 2. 51,  p  lt; . 05), more non-imitative aggression (t  = 3. 5,  p  lt; . 025), and engaged in significantly more aggressive gun play (t  = 2. 12,  p  lt; . 05) following exposure to the aggressive male model than the female subjects. According to Bandura and Ross (1961) prediction that exposure of subjects to aggressive models increases the probability of aggressive behavior is clearly confirmed as the individuals imitate the models behavior by showing physical and verbal aggr ession. The researcher concludes that when violent media is observed or watch children tend to act the same way. It is widely believed by many researchers that exposure to violent media causes desensitization towards violence, making violence seems alright and in turn increasing their aggression. The analysis of Carnagey, Anderson and Bushman(2007) examine, how media not only influences violence but a fresh insight towards the desensitization to real life violence. The participants were 257 college students (124 men and 133 women) who received extra course credit in exchange for their voluntary participation. All participants were tested individually and were told that the purpose of the study was to evaluate different types of media. After consent procedures were completed, 5  min baseline HR (Heart rate) and GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) measurements were taken, using finger electrodes placed on the three middle fingers of the non-dominant hand. After 5  min, the experimenter removed the electrodes. Participants played a randomly assigned violent or nonviolent video game for 20  min. Next, participants watched a 10-min videotape of real violence in four contexts: courtroom outbursts, police confrontations, shootings, and prison fights. In one scene, for example, two prisoners repeatedly stab another prisoner. HR and GSR were monitored continuously while they watched the real-life violence. The results demonstrate that playing a violent video game, even for just 20  min, can cause people to become less physiologically aroused by real violence. Participants randomly assigned to play a violent video game had relatively lower HR and GSR while watching actual footage of people being beaten, stabbed, and shot than did those randomly assigned to play a nonviolent video game. With recent developments, the process of mind mapping also known as Stroop tests( Kalnin et al, 2010) have helped identify the relationship between brain activation and history of media violence exposure in adolescents. 22 controls and 22 adolescents with a past of aggressive behavior completed an emotional Stroop task during an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). The foremost images pointed out that controls with a past of low media violence exposure exhibited more activity in the inferior frontal gyrus and rostral anterior cingulated. On the other hand, in the individuals that had past of aggressive behavior demonstrated less activation in the right Amygdala, compared with those with low media violence exposure. It safe to assess that media violence may affect individuals in different ways depending on the presence of aggressive traits but will still affect an individual (Kalnin et al, 2010). While violence is not new to the human race, it is an increasing problem in modern society. With greater access to firearms and explosives, the scope and efficiency of violent behavior has had serious consequences. Today 99% of homes have televisions. According to Pediatrics(2001), of all animated feature films produced in the United States between 1937 and 1999, 100% portrayed violence, and the amount of violence with intent to injure has increased through the years. On average, children ages 6-11 spend 42 hours a week in front of a TV- watching television, DVDs, DVR and videos, and using a game console. Kids ages 12-16 spend about 32 hours a week in front of the TV. The vast majority of this viewing (97%) is of live TV ( Med, n. d). Televised violence and the presence of television in American households have increased steadily over the years, resulting in violent behavior. Like there are two sides to a coin there are also other factors that induce violence, according to Ferguson, Miguel amp; Hartled (2009) who claim that while others claim a positive relationship between both violence and the media, they believe so otherwise. Violence has become a serious public health problem with children and adolescents suffering greater victimization than any other age group (Finkelhor amp; DziubaLeatherman, 1994). Media to a certain degree is a causation factor of violence, but there are other factors as well. One such factor discussed in the journal is â€Å"emotional susceptibility†. It is defined as the tendency to experience feelings of discomfort, helplessness, inadequacy and vulnerability according to Caprara (1985, cited in Bushman, B. J, amp; Green, G. R). Studies have agreed- and disagreed – the verdicts of whether or not exposure to violent media indeed induces violence. All these findings are done in order to arrive at a simple conclusion while taking account the exposure, the length of exposure and other factors surrounding the individual. These studies have their banes and their boons, and when looked at all together one’s advantage covers up another’s disadvantage like in all situations. In conclusion, it can be ascertained that if violent media is not the main factor, it is still an important constituent in deciding violence. References Bandura, A. , Ross, D. amp; Ross, S. A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575-82. Retrieved from http://psychclassics. yorku. ca/Bandura/bobo. htm

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Word Choice Cell vs. Sell - Proofeds Writing Tips Blog

Word Choice Cell vs. Sell Word Choice: Cell vs. Sell The letter â€Å"C† is a sneaky one. Sometimes, for example, it sounds just like the letter â€Å"S.† And this makes it easy to mix up words like â€Å"cell† and â€Å"sell,† which sound identical but have completely different meanings. How, then, do you avoid errors when using these terms? Let us explain. Cell (A Bounded Area) The noun â€Å"cell† has a few uses, but all of them describe a bounded area or a unit within a larger whole. One common example of this is referring to a small room as a â€Å"cell†, such as in a prison or convent: The old prison cell was cold and cramped. In biology, meanwhile, all living things are made up of â€Å"cells.† These are considered the basic structural units of life, from the blood cells and brain cells in our own bodies to tiny single-celled organisms. Blood cells. Possibly not an actual photograph. We also use the word â€Å"cell† to refer to a group within a larger organization, such as a â€Å"terrorist cell.† Sell (Exchange for Money) â€Å"Sell† is a verb. Its main meaning is â€Å"exchange a product or service for money†: Our business plan is to sell clown car insurance. This term can also be used more figuratively to mean â€Å"persuade someone†: The CEO needs to sell her idea to the shareholders. In this sentence, â€Å"sell† doesn’t mean that money is changing hands. It simply implies that the CEO wants to convince the shareholders to accept her plan. Cell or Sell? While these words sound the same, they are used in completely different ways. The most important thing is that â€Å"cell† is a noun and â€Å"sell† is a verb. Consequently, if you need a noun that describes a small room or compartment, the correct word will be â€Å"cell.† But if you need a verb that describes the action of exchanging something for money, the correct word will be â€Å"sell.† Remember: Cell = A bounded area, a small room, or a unit within a larger whole Sell = Exchange a product or service for money

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Pop Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pop Art - Essay Example Self-referentiality is the situation where a comic inclines to refer to itself in a given manner. Self referentiality is the basis of recursion. This comic makes use of self-referentiality for humor in a way that makes the comic so funny. Without humor, the comic would be unexciting to read. The author uses Clyde in an extreme way to illustrate the humor. Each time Clyde sings ‘sock it to me’, he endures a misfortune, although solemn to him, the events are hilarious to the audience. The fact that Clyde does not sing the words ‘sock it to me’ but still endures a misfortune is too hysterical. At some point, he gives on people who try to sing his song. He even utters â€Å"Gorblimey! It does not matter who sings it. It’s my song!† The extra-diegetic gaze incorporates a comic presentation that engages the audience in a situation of Persepolis. The author has used extra-diegetic gaze in this comic issue to create an emotional connection with the aud ience in an effort to deliver a message with more impact. The hearse owner runs towards Josie and Alex as they are busy chatting and asks them to help him retrieve his hearse that has been stolen. In Josie part three, Sock feels sorry for Clyde when he finds him hit and lying on the floor. The audience, in the drawn style of the emotional aspect tends to get engaged in a more detached way. Dan DeCarlo gives a more realistic experience in the exchange between Clyde and the other characters. Dan DeCarlo also uses the extra-diegetic style to supplement the impact in the scenes.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Virtue In Ancient Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Virtue In Ancient Philosophy - Essay Example For example, human beings acquire virtue obeying the law and living to the expectation of societal norms and values. Human beings admire acquired virtues over natural virtues depending on the circumstances they find themselves in. For example, some people practices sobriety to live well with others, with the same objective, they teach their children good principles. 2. What, for Plato, are the virtues of wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice? Do you agree with Plato that those people with wisdom (derived from knowledge of the idea of good) should rule society? If so, then must we give up democracy? If not, then how can democracy possibly work well? Plato depicted wisdom as understanding, justice brought harmony, and courage is nonphysical, temperance as moderation. These three virtues according to Plato aim at bringing happiness to individuals and societies. Therefore, he advocated for use of persuasion rather than coercion. Only leaders with wisdom should rule society because the y are in a better position to know their subjects and understand their tribulations. Democracy may perpetuate corruption, which may lead to unhappiness because the chosen leaders may not have better knowledge of our problems and us. 3. How does Aristotle distinguish between moral and intellectual virtues? What are the two kinds of intellectual virtue? How does the mean play a role in making choices that help the cultivation of moral virtues? According to Aristotle, there are two kinds of virtue: moral and intellectual virtue. Moral virtues are not innate according to Aristotle but they are acquired. For instance, an individual becomes trustworthy by acting truthfully. Examples of moral virtues are humility, truthfulness, moderation, and generosity. On the other hand, intellectual virtues are those personality traits that are required for correct thinking and desired action. He classified intellectual virtues as productive such as craft knowledge, theoretical such as wisdom and mind and lastly practical such as practical prudence. Happiness is the central core of living, which depends entirely on cultivation of virtues. According to Aristotle, playing the mean is the way of cultivating virtues that includes moral virtues for the attainment of individual happiness. Playing the mean is the virtue between two extreme excesses and deficiency. For instance, exercising the act of justice in getting too little or getting too much. Therefore, human beings make choices depending on the circumstances that surround them by choosing on one option and neglecting the other. 4. What is Aristotle’s practical syllogism? Do you ever make moral decisions in a way that would seem to conform to the practical syllogism? If so, what would be some examples? If not, how do you arrive at moral decisions? Practical syllogism is a way of reasoning in syllogistic manner, the summary of which is a certain action. Sometimes I make moral decisions that conformed practical syllogism in that I choose to care for my friends and I do not remain indifferent towards their mistakes. Part B 1. Explain the author's (Holmes) conception of the natural law tradition. (p.84-85) According to Holmes, natural law has external existence and objectives. It follows the nature of world and man in that as human beings we have the right to defend what we

UN and UNOMIR in Rewanda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

UN and UNOMIR in Rewanda - Essay Example Moreover, the machinations of war are extremely complex and what constitutes excessive force in one situation differs from another. The spectrum is so broad that therein also lays the problem of having a definitive framework for the crime of aggression, further compounded by the broad discretion of Article 39 of the Charter, enabling the UN to take necessary measures to restore international peace and security. In turn this has become central as a justification for UN peace building initiatives post armed conflict (Pritchard, 2001). Furthermore, the complex nature of conflict and changing nature of warfare within the cotemporary international framework has raised questions as to which organ of the UN is most suitable for the process of restructuring post conflict (Zervaki, 2008). This also raises the issues of legitimacy of their presence in such territories, the implications of such operations for management of conflicts around the globe and military occupation. In the post Cold War international framework, there was an increasing amount of recommendations for the UN to become involved in peacekeeping, which has fuelled debate as to the legitimacy of their presence and efficacy of such peacekeeping measures. A prime example is the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), which was intended to help enforce the Arusha Accords of 4 August 1993 and in turn facilitate the peace process between the Hutus and the Tutsis. However, the UNAMIR is well documented as having failed in its mission to maintain and restore peace in Rwanda. The UN and UNAMIR failure in Rwandan has perpetuated the debate regarding the legitimate boundaries and efficacy of the UN’s role in post conflict situations. With regard to the failure in Rwanda, this is exemplified by the controversial firsthand account of General Romeo Dallaire’s â€Å"Shake Hands with the Devil† (2003), which provides a graphic

Regionality Writing Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Regionality Writing Portfolio - Essay Example Influence slave trade produced on the African continent is immense, for nearly 400 years of slave trade deprived Africa of around 12.5 million of labor force. Buying slaves – previously captured people of other ethnic groups and tribes – from coastal kingdoms, Americans and Europeans halted development of the entire West Africa through affecting local husbandry, agriculture and handicraft (Rowntree et al., 2014). Moreover, collaboration and grafting leaders of coastal kingdoms, the traders instigated conflict between different African nations and eventually caused wars. In the internal wars, Africa hardly had any wealth accumulation and lost around 100 million of labor force, for many able-bodied people died. At the same time, establishment and strengthening of economic and political entities was heavily impeded by the fact that many African communities had to hide from the slave traders through relocation of their settlements and thus were more interested in survival t han in development of countries or increase of economic might. In general, Atlantic slave trade that thrived until the 19th century facilitated the flow of labor force from Africa’s interior to the expanding territories of the New World, which were in need of more workers. As a result, many African regions were left underdeveloped and rather poor due to lack of labor force and – owing to efforts of their future colonizers – absence of efficient centralized states. This made Africa vulnerable to further colonization by European state.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Acquisition Strategy Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Acquisition Strategy Analysis - Essay Example This paper will mention two organizations that are under a different industry operation but make use of acquisition strategies in order to make their positions stronger in today’s competitive business world (Chan, 2003). Advantage presented by a merger or acquisition to either two or even more organizations is an option of strategic positions that are attractive for the ability to achieve operating economies, thus strengthening the effects of the organization’s competitiveness and competencies, resulting to new avenues that allow more innovative market opportunities. An acquisition can be referred to as a combination between two or even more organizations or companies whereby, one of them thoroughly buys and assumes all the operations or processes of the other one. These strategies, if properly researched and handled, can result to generation of an enormous amount of profit to the organization; however, not every single company that makes use of mergers or acquisitions can be termed as successful. Most companies are yet to meet their goals or expectations as a result of acquisitions performance. In fact, a handful of the organizations have epically failed (Gamble & Thompson, 2011). ... Sixteen years ago after its publicity, its market capitalization was approximately 120 billion dollars, which is vastly larger than that of Xerox, Apple, and Dell combined. Cisco has managed to sail through whereas several because of its expertise in professionalizing processes which most firms occasionally embark on when they need them or when they are greedy to make more profits. The Airspace former CEO once said that most of the companies he had interacted with rarely use acquisition strategies and in fact, integration is their job at night. He went ahead to say that, unlike the others, Cisco consists of individuals whose initiative is to strategize both during the day and night. Acquisition therefore, to him, is the company’s core function (Gamble, 2011). According to experts, Cisco is a highly successful company in terms of identification of new technologies in the market and taking calculated corporate risks mainly in markets that are new. However, the main point to note is that the firm’s acquisition and merger operation strength lies elsewhere. The firm noticed that technology acquisition cannot only lie on technology but the people as well. Hooper, the CEO, said that the firm’s most strategic and useful asset is the people. The people in this case mean the firm’s expertise. He says that once the firm loses product managers and technologists who may have created, say, a router to a link after an acquisition, then it may be said to have lost an immense deal of products which might have only existed in the heads of those employees. The core nucleus to the firm’s acquisition machine may be said to be its development group. It comprises of 40 individuals securely tucked to a cubicle firm that is

The Snow Storm Lawsuit Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Snow Storm Lawsuit - Research Paper Example In the given case study, because of heavy snow storm, many hospital staffs who were working for a no-profit community hospital providing patient care called out from work on the 3-11 and 11-7 shifts which resulted in damages including loss of life to patients due to lack of nursing staff available during that period. The families of these patients sued the hospital on behalf of their deceased relatives. This paper briefly analyses legal, ethical, professional and business considerations involved in this case. The first legal consideration involved in this case is that the hospital management failed to provide necessary protection to the patients admitted in the hospital. It is the duty of the hospital management to ensure adequate medical care to all the patients admitted in the hospital at any cost. By calling out the nursing staff, the management sacrificed the interests of the patients. The hospital should have taken adequate precautionary measures to counter the problems associated with snow storm as snow storm was not a new thing to them. The patients who were not able to move out of hospital left unnoticed in the hospital till the snow storm ends which is definitely illegal. The hospital management played with the lives of patients and definitely they were guilty of neglecting the interests of the patients. The second legal consideration in this case is that whether the hospital staff could be forced to work in such drastic conditions. Life is precious to all whether it belongs to the patients or to the hospital staffs. Under such circumstances, can the hospital authorities pressurise the hospital staff to work? The third legal consideration in this case is that one patient lost his life because of incorrect medication. Only one nurse was agreed to work during this disaster period and she should have heavy workload during this period because of lack of other medical staffs available at that time in that hospital. It is quiet possible that she might have

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Acquisition Strategy Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Acquisition Strategy Analysis - Essay Example This paper will mention two organizations that are under a different industry operation but make use of acquisition strategies in order to make their positions stronger in today’s competitive business world (Chan, 2003). Advantage presented by a merger or acquisition to either two or even more organizations is an option of strategic positions that are attractive for the ability to achieve operating economies, thus strengthening the effects of the organization’s competitiveness and competencies, resulting to new avenues that allow more innovative market opportunities. An acquisition can be referred to as a combination between two or even more organizations or companies whereby, one of them thoroughly buys and assumes all the operations or processes of the other one. These strategies, if properly researched and handled, can result to generation of an enormous amount of profit to the organization; however, not every single company that makes use of mergers or acquisitions can be termed as successful. Most companies are yet to meet their goals or expectations as a result of acquisitions performance. In fact, a handful of the organizations have epically failed (Gamble & Thompson, 2011). ... Sixteen years ago after its publicity, its market capitalization was approximately 120 billion dollars, which is vastly larger than that of Xerox, Apple, and Dell combined. Cisco has managed to sail through whereas several because of its expertise in professionalizing processes which most firms occasionally embark on when they need them or when they are greedy to make more profits. The Airspace former CEO once said that most of the companies he had interacted with rarely use acquisition strategies and in fact, integration is their job at night. He went ahead to say that, unlike the others, Cisco consists of individuals whose initiative is to strategize both during the day and night. Acquisition therefore, to him, is the company’s core function (Gamble, 2011). According to experts, Cisco is a highly successful company in terms of identification of new technologies in the market and taking calculated corporate risks mainly in markets that are new. However, the main point to note is that the firm’s acquisition and merger operation strength lies elsewhere. The firm noticed that technology acquisition cannot only lie on technology but the people as well. Hooper, the CEO, said that the firm’s most strategic and useful asset is the people. The people in this case mean the firm’s expertise. He says that once the firm loses product managers and technologists who may have created, say, a router to a link after an acquisition, then it may be said to have lost an immense deal of products which might have only existed in the heads of those employees. The core nucleus to the firm’s acquisition machine may be said to be its development group. It comprises of 40 individuals securely tucked to a cubicle firm that is

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Ap European History Chapter Essay Example for Free

Ap European History Chapter Essay The chief minister to King Henry VIII, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and Sir Thomas More, Wolsey’s successor, guided the opposition to Protestantism. The king earned the title â€Å"Defender of the Faith† by protecting the 7 sacraments against Luther’s attacks. Thomas More wrote Response to Luther in 1523. The King’s Affair The King’s marriage kick started the English Reformation. Catherine Aragon would not produce a male heir for King Henry VIII, only Mary, and Henry wanted a divorce. Catherine had first been the wife of Henry’s brother, Arthur, but he died, so Henry inherited Catherine. They were married in 1509 with a special dispensation from Pope Julius II himself. By the time of his divorce conflict, Henry was in love with Anne Boleyn, one of Catherine’s ladies-in-waiting. He wanted to wed Anne instead of Catherine. However, he could not get a divorce because Pope Clement VII was a prisoner of Charles V. Cardinal Wolsey, who was in charge of securing and annulment, was dismissed in shame when he failed to do so. Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Cromwell, both of whom harbored Lutheran sympathies then became Henry’s most trusted advisors. They wanted to create an English church of which the King would be the head. This allowed Henry to annul his own marriage. The â€Å"Reformation Parliament† In 1529, Parliament convened for a seven-year session. It was called the â€Å"Reformation Parliament†. During this period, it passed legislation that placed reins on the clergy. In 1531, the Convocation recognized that the King was the head of the Church. The Parliament published grievances against the Church, ranging from indifference to the laity to too many religious holidays. Parliament also passed Submission of the Clergy which brought canon law under royal control, and the clergy into royal jurisdiction. In 1533, Henry wed Boleyn and Parliament made the king the highest court of appeal for citizens. Also in 1533, Cranmer led the Convocation to annul Henry’s marriage to Catherine. In 1534, Parliament ended all payments by the laity and clergy to Rome and gave Henry power over ecclesiastical appointments. The Act of Succession made Anne Boleyn’s children legitimate. The Act of Supremacy made Henry the only head in earth of the Church of England. When Thomas More and John Fischer refused to recognize the Act of Succession and the Act of Supremacy, Henry had them executed to prove a point. In 1536 and 1538, Parliament dissolved England’s monasteries and nunneries. Wives of Henry VIII In 1536, Anne Boleyn was executed for treason and adultery, and her daughter Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. Jane Seymour died in 1537, after giving birth to Edward. On the advice of Cromwell, he wed Anne of Cleves. The marriage was annulled by Parliament and Cromwell was executed. Catherine Howard, the fifth wife, was killed for adultery in 1542. Catherine Parr lived. The King’s Religious Conservatism Henry remained decidedly conservative in his religious beliefs. With the Ten Articles of 1536, he made mild confessions to Protestant tenets and maintained Catholic Doctrine. He forbade the clergy to marry or have concubines. Henry wrote the Six Articles of 1539 to strike at Protestant views. They reaffirmed transubstantiation, denied the Eucharistic cup to the laity, declared celibate vows inviolable, provided for private masses, and ordered the continuation of oral confession. Although William Tyndale’s translation was mandated in Parishes, England had to wait till Henry’s death until it could declare itself a Protestant country. The Protestant Reformation under Edward VI Edward was ten when his father died. During this reign, England fully enacted the Protestant Reformation. Edward VI and Somerset responded directly to John Calvin. During Somerset’s regency, Henry’s Six Articles and laws against heresy were fully repealed. Clerical marriage and communion with cup were sanctioned. In 1547, places where endowed masses had traditionally been said for the dead were dissolved. Images and altars were removed from churches in 1550. After Charles V’s victory over the German princes in 1547, German Protestant leaders fled to England for refuge. These people helped to guide the Reformation in England. The Second Act of Uniformity imposed a revised Book of Common Prayer on all churches. Thomas Cranmer’s 42 article confession of faith set forth moderate Protestant doctrine. It taught justification by faith and the supremacy of the Holy Scripture, denied transubstantiation, and recognized only two of the seven sacraments. All of the changes were short-lived however. In 1553, Mary I took Edward’s throne after his death and proceeded to revert back to Catholic doctrine and practice with a single-mindedness rivaling only that of her father’s. It was not until Anne Boleyn’s daughter’s reign that lasting religious settlement was worked out in England. Catholic Reform and the Counter-Reformation The Protestant Reformation was not a surprise. There were internal criticisms and ideas of reform within the Church already even before the Counter-Reformation in reaction to Protestant success. Sources of Catholic Reform Popes preferred â€Å"Men are to be changed by, not to change, religion. † – Superior General of the Hermits of Saint Augustine, instead of changing laws and institutions of the Church. Although the Church denounced it, there were still orders that pushed for reform: Theatines (1524) – Groomed the devout and reform minded leaders at the higher levels of the Church hierarchy. One of the cofounders of this order was Bishop Gian Pietro Carafa, who became Pope Paul IV. Capuchins (Recognized in 1528) – Sought to return to the ascetic and charitable ideals of Saint Francis and became popular among ordinary folks, who were their audience. Somaschi (mid-1520s) and Barnabites (1530) – Directed their efforts at repairing the moral, spiritual, and physical damage done to people in war-torn areas of Italy. For Women: Ursulines (1535) – Established convents in Italy and France for the religious education of girls from all social classes and became very influential. Oratorians (Recognized in 1575) – An elite group of secular clerics who devoted themselves to the promotion of religious literature and church music – One member was Giovanni Perluigi da Palestrina (1526 – 1594). In addition to these lay and clerical movements, Spanish mystics Saint Teresa of Avila (1515 – 1582) and Saint John of the Cross (1542 – 1591) popularized the mystical piety of medieval monasticism. Ignatius of Loyola and the Jesuits The most successful reform group of the Counter-Reformation was the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits (Recognized by the church in 1540, began in 1530s). It grew so much that people went on missions to convert other who lived in Asia, the Americas and even Africa. The founder of Jesuits, Ignatius of Loyola, was a hero. His legs were injured during a battle with the French. He swore to become a religious person if he were to survive his injuries. While injured, he had a revelation, and after his recuperation, he began to preach about his revelations. He wrote Spiritual Exercises. He declared that people could shape their own behaviors through self-discipline and practice. In Jesuits eyes, Protestant dissenters were considered as disobedient of the Church authority, and by religious innovation. However, Ignatius of Loyola taught that people should submit to the authority of the Church and spiritual direction. The Council of Trent (1545 – 1563) The success of the Reformation and the insistence of Charles V caused Pope Paul to call for a general council of the church to reassert church doctrine. Caspar Contarini headed the council: he was a leading liberal theologian. However, even Contarini seemed blunt in his report by saying that the simony and the fiscal practices of the Roman Curia were the loss of Church esteem. The report was so critical that Paul IV could not suppress its distribution. Protestants printed and reprinted it to assert control over even the Papacy. The Council of Trent itself met in the following time periods: 1545 – 1547, 1551 – 1552, and 1562 – 1563, a period that spanned the careers of three popes. The laity was not permitted to share in the council’s decisions. The Council’s most important decisions were concerning the internal church discipline. It curtailed the sales of Church offices and other Church goods. Those who resided in Rome instead of the dioceses were forced to move their appointed seats of power. Trent oversaw that bishops could effectively enforce religious discipline and that bishops were subjected to rules that required them to be visible in regular preaching and conduct regular visitations. Parish priests were also to neatly dress, be better educated, strictly celibate, and active among parishioners. A seminary was also constructed in each diocese. The Council of Trent reaffirmed the following: Traditional Scholastic Education of the Clergy The role of good works in salvation The authority of tradition The seven sacraments Transubstantiation The withholding of the Eucharistic cup from the laity Clerical celibacy The reality of purgatory The veneration of saints, relics and sacred images The granting of letters of indulgences The Church solved medieval Scholastic quarrels in favor of the ideologies of Thomas Aquinas, who asserted his authority in the Church. Thereafter, the church offered its strongest resistance to groups like the Jansenists, who strongly endorsed the medieval Augustinian tradition, a source of alternative Catholic, as well as many Protestant, doctrines. Rulers were initially afraid that their lands were beginning to be taken over by papal authority, until the pope reassured them that the orders were by his decree only. The Social Significance of the Reformation in Western Europe Lutheran, Zwinglian, and Calvinists often worked within the framework of reigning political power. This is because the founders themselves believed that they were not on Earth to change the political power, but only to reform religion. They remained highly sensitive to what was politically and socially possible in their age. Some scholars and historians believe that they encouraged acceptance of the sociopolitical status quo of their time. The Revolution in Religious Practices and Institutions The Reformation may have been politically conservative, but by the end of the 16th century, it had brought about radical changes in traditional religious practices and institutions in those lands where it succeeded. Religion in Fifteenth-Century Life Six to eight percent of the population in cities that later turned Protestant was the clergy and the religious, and they exercised political as well as spiritual power. They legislated, taxed, tried cases in special church courts, and they enforced their laws with threats of excommunication. The Church calendar regulated daily life. About one third of the year was given over to some kind of religious observance or celebration. There were frequent period of fasting. Monasteries, especially nunneries, were extremely prominent and influential institutions. The children of society’s most wealthy and powerful citizens resided there. On the streets, friars begged for alms from passerby. In Church, the mass and liturgy were read in Latin. Images of saints were regularly displayed, and on certain holidays their relics were paraded about and venerated. Local religious shrines enjoyed booming business. Pilgrims gathered there for either cures for illnesses, diversion, or even entertainment. Several times during the year, special preachers would come to sell indulgences. Many clergy walked the streets with concubines, even though there were banned from marriage. They only had to pay a small penitent to the Church for toleration. People everywhere could be heard complaining about the clergy’s exemption from taxation and from the civil criminal code. They also grumbled about having to support church offices whose occupants actually lived and worked elsewhere. Townspeople thought that education should be more secular. Religion in Sixteenth-Century Life Although few changes to social and political institutions were clear, the Reformation had firmly taken root in these cities. Overall numbers of the clergy decreased by about two thirds and the number of religious holidays fell by around one third. Places of religious seclusion were almost gone; the remaining ones were transformed into places for the sick and poor or places for education. Churches, which also had been reduced in number by about one third, conducted worship in the vernacular. The laity observed no obligatory fasts. Indulgence preachers no longer appeared. Local shrines were closed down. People venerating saints, relics and images were subject to fines and punishment. Copies or even excerpts of Luther’s translation of the New Testament were common in every household, and even the clergy began to meditate on them. The clergy were allowed to marry, and most did. They paid taxes and were punished in civil courts. Domestic moral life was regulated by committees of about equal numbers of laity and clergy: secular magistrates had the last word in these. Whereas ? of Europe could be considered Protestant in the 16th Century, only about one-fifth was Protestant in the mid-17th Century. The Reformation and Education A great cultural achievement was the Reformation’s implementation of many of the educational reforms of humanism in the Protestant schools and universities. Protestant reformers shared with humanists a common opposition to scholasticism and a belief in unity of wisdom, eloquence, and action. The humanist program of studies was an appropriate tool for the elaboration of Protestant doctrine, which remained ascendant in the Counter-Reformation. The Catholic counter-reformers acknowledged the close connections between the Reformation and the humanism. Ignatius of Loyola observed that new learning was embraced by the Protestants. In his Spiritual Exercises, he said that when the Bible was read directly, it be read under the authority of: Thomas Aquinas, Peter Lombard, and Bonaventure. These people had the clearest understanding, and should guide the study of the Scriptures. In August 1518, Philip Melanchthon (1497 – 1560), arrived at the University of Wittenburg, first implemented the curricular reforms on the humanist model. In his inaugural address, On Improving the Studies of the Young, he presented himself as a defender of the classical studies against â€Å"barbarians who practice barbarous arts†. Melanchthon urged the study of history, poetry and other humanist disciplines. Together, Luther and Melanchthon restructured the University of Wittenburg’s curriculum. Commentaries on Lombard’s Sentences were dropped, as was canon law. Straightforward historical study replaced the old Scholastic lectures on Aristotle. Students read from primary sources, not trusted commentators. New chairs of Greek and Hebrew were created. Luther and Melanchthon also pressed for universal compulsory education so that both boys and girls could get educated in the vernacular. In Geneva, John Calvin and Theodore Beza created the Genevan Academy, which later became the University of Geneva. It was created primarily for Calvinist Ministers, and pursued ideals similar to those set forth by Luther and Melanchthon. Because of the spread of Protestantism from this Academy, a working knowledge of Greek and Hebrew became commonplace in educated circles in the 16th and 17th Centuries. Some people believed that Protestantism was taking over humanism. Erasmus thought that the Reformation was a threat to the liberal arts and good learning. Sebastian Franck pointed out that there were parallels between Luther and Zwingli’s debates and the debate over the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin. In spite of these clashes, Humanist culture was indebted to the Reformation. Protestant endorsement of the humanist program remained significant to Humanism even after the Reformation. Protestant schools consolidated and preserved humanist culture for the modern world. In these Protestant schools, the studia humanitatis took hold. The Reformation and the Changing Role of Women Protestant reformers took a positive stand on clerical marriage and opposed monasticism and celibacy. They opposed the popular anti-woman and anti-marriage literature of the Medieval Period. They praised woman in her own right, but especially in her role as a housewife and mother. Although marriage laws gave women greater security, they were still subjects to their husbands. Protestant arguments for marriage included relief of sexual frustration and as a remedy for fornication. Many reformers acknowledged the power of women and could not imagine a world without them. Luther himself wrote that â€Å"Men cannot do without women. † John Calvin stated at the death of his wife that â€Å"I have been bereaved of the best companion of my life. † Such tributes were used to overcome the Catholic Church’s belief that marriage may distract the clergy. Protestants also stressed as no religious movement before them had, the sacredness of marriage and the family life. This attitude created a more respectful relationship between husband and wife and family. The Protestants also believed that women had equal rights to divorce and remarry in good conscience. The reformers were more willing to permit divorce and remarriage on grounds of adultery and abandonment than were the secular magistrates. These magistrates thought that liberal divorce laws would lead to social reform. Women in nunneries wrote that their overseeing by men was just as abusive as their married life. Women in higher classes found a religious component to their greater freedom in life. They believed that the cloister provided an interesting and independent way of life that their secular lives could not provide. Protestants encouraged the education of girls in the vernacular because they wanted women to become pious housewives. Through their education, women found that they were equal to men in the eyes of God. Education also gave women a role as independent authors of the Reformation. These advances were important in the steps toward the emancipation of women completely. Family Life in Early Modern Europe Changes in the timing and the duration of marriage, in family size, and in infant and child care suggest that family life was under a variety of social and economic pressures in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Reformation was a factor in these changes, but not the only or even the major one. Families have certain force and logic of their own, regardless of where they are and when they are. Differences in people lay in the ways different cultures and religions infuse family life with values and influence the behavior of family members. Later Marriages Between 1500 and 1800, men and women in Western Europe and England married at later ages. Men tended to in their mid to late-twenties and women in their mid-twenties. The Church sanctioned previously that the age for legal marriage was 14 for men and 12 for women. This might have occurred among the royalty and nobility. After the Reformation, the church required both parental agreement and public vows before a marriage could be recognized as legal. Late marriage in the West reflected the difficulty of being independent for the bachelor period. The difficulty arose because of the population growth during the 15th and 16th centuries (population was recovered from the Black Death). Larger families meant more heirs and a greater division of resources. In German and Scandinavian countries, inheritance would be divided among all male children. People were taking longer to prepare themselves for marriage than before. One in five women never married, and 15% were unmarried widows. A later marriage meant one of shorter duration. Women who bore children for the first time at later ages had a higher mortality than those who bore children at earlier ages. Because of this delayed marriage system, there was increased premarital fornication, and in turn, many illegitimate children were produced. Arranged Marriages Many marriages were arranged in the sense that parents would meet the parents of the spouse before conducting the ceremony. By the fifteenth century, it was not uncommon for bride and groom to have previously known each other, or even have had a previous relationship. Emotional feeling for one another was respected by the parents. Parents did not force marriages, and children could say â€Å"No†. A forced marriage was invalid and unwanted marriages would not last. Family Size The average husband and wife had eight children, and ? of them died by their teens, one third by the age of five. Families lived with their in-laws, servants, laborers and boarders. This was a nuclear family. Birth Control Ever since the beginning of mankind, there have been attempts to control child birth. The church’s banning of male withdrawal before ejaculation is a sign that it had been attempted before. Thomas Aquinas believed that the natural end of coitus was the creation of a child. Wet Nursing The church allied itself with physicians on the matter of condemning women who hired wet nurses. The practice however, was popular among high-class women. Children who were wet nursed usually had a higher mortality rate. To husband’s, a nursing wife was a reluctant lover. Many women prolonged nursing in order to delay a pregnancy. However, noblemen did not like this because they needed a male heir. This jeopardized the patrimony, and they supported wet nursing. Loving Families? Between the ages of eight and thirteen, children were sent out to apprenticeships, schools, or into employment. Widowers and widows married again within a few months of their spouses’ deaths, and marriage with great difference between age limited affection. Literary Imagination in Transition Alongside the political and cultural changes brought about by the new religious systems of the Reformation, medieval outlooks and values continued into the 17th century. However, the literary figures of the post-Reformation period had elements of both old and new styles. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra: Rejection of Idealism Spanish literature of the 16th and 17th centuries reflects the peculiar religious and political history of Spain in this period. Traditional Catholicism was a major part of Spanish life. Since the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, the church received the support of reigning political power. The power of the church and the Inquisition did not allow for Protestantism to gain room in Spain. The piety of rulers also influenced Spanish rulers. The third influence was the preoccupation with medieval chivalric virtues, in particular, questions of honor and loyalty. Spanish literature remained more Catholic and medieval than that of England and France, where two Protestant movements occurred. Lope de Vega and Pedro Calderon, two of the period’s greatest writers, became priests. Cervantes only had a little bit of formal education. He educated himself by wide reading in popular literature and immersion in the â€Å"School of Life. † In prison, in 1603, he began to write Don Quixote. The first part of Don Quixote appeared in 1605. This work was written to satirize the chivalric romances then popular in Spain. Cervantes presents Don Quixote as an unstable middle class man. By reading too many chivalric romances, he believed he was an aspiring knight who had to prove himself through brave deeds. Don Quixote’s foil – Sancho Panza, a clever, worldly peasant who serves as Quixote’s squire – watches with bemused skepticism as his lord battles with a windmill, which he mistakes for a dragon. At the end, Quixote comes to his senses after a well-meaning friend defeats him â€Å"in battle† as a â€Å"knight†. Quixote returns to his village as a defeated man to die a brokenhearted old man’s death. Throughout the novel, Cervantes juxtaposes the realism of Panza with the religious idealism of Quixote. The reader however, perceives that Cervantes loved both characters equally. William Shakespeare: Dramatist of the Age