Textile industry and water pollution in China Essay

Textile industry and water pollution in China - Essay Example In recent times, China has risen to be among the world’s most powerful economies as the country intensely relies on textile industries as a way of assured sustenance. However, this aspect of economic growth has had a downside effect on the environment in which it has experienced intense degradation. Many analysts argue that the Chinese environment has suffered because the Chinese government has failed to create policies that regulate the Chinese environment. In addition, the lack of public awareness on the environmental challenges in China has also hindered any attempts by China in creating a proper balance between economic growth and environmental management (Wencong, 2012). Presentation of the problem As the current global statistics China, has at least fifty thousand textile industries making the country to be ‘the factory world’ (Ecotextiles, 2012). These textile industries are the prime victims of water pollution that has the forced the government to intervene as a way of protecting the Chinese environment. As at now, there is no strict legislation that holds Chinese textile companies viable for environmental degradation. This has influenced an increase in awareness of textile companies taking responsibility for the waste water from their industries. According to surveys, the chemical by products used in the production of textiles encompasses intense amounts of contaminated substances that have detrimental effect on human and the environment at large. This aspect poses a danger to the global community as the harmful substances find their way to the environment through the water used in washing these textiles by those that purchase these fabrics. The depiction here is that toxic chemicals find their way to water sources from the point of production to the last point of the chain that is at the point of consumption. Further, research has also unearthed that man made toxic chemicals used in the production of textiles have an effect on human health as the skins tends to absorb these harmful particles (Gang, 2009). Over time, various environmentalists have adopted campaigns that have the intention of influencing principal textile brands to less harmful substances in their production because of the effects that these substances present. Some of the textile manufacturers that have agreed to this campaign include Adidas, Marks and Spencer, Puma, Nike just to name a few. In this regard, environmentalists have initiated campaigns aimed at re-evaluating the legislation surrounding environment protection and support the natural ecosystem. In essence, the Chinese textile industry generates at least three billion tons of wastewater as compared to wastewate r generated by other economic propellants in China (Menon, 2010). In addition, China recorded at least six thousand environmental violation instances from Chinese textile factories as per the Water Pollution map of China database. The Waste Pollution Map body has the responsibility of consolidating data essential for launching legal action against textile industries that secrete both solid and liquid waste to water

The Role of Culture in English Language Teaching Essay Example for Free

The Role of Culture in English Language Teaching Essay English Language is traditionally viewed as a code made up of words and a series of rules that connect them together. Language learning here, involves only vocabulary learning, and the rules for constructing ‘proper’ sentences. In most schools in Meghalaya, grammar is being taught at a very early age and students are expected to understand complex idiomatic phrases at the secondary level. Linguistic terminologies, rules of grammar, complex vocabulary, proverbs and their meanings have to be learnt by heart for them to overcome their board examinations. Such a situation only confuses the learners at a very early age and demotivates them from learning any further than what they have to write in their examinations. This narrow understanding of language sees it as a body of knowledge which is fixed and finite and does not explore the complexities involved in using language for communication. When language is seen as ‘open, dynamic, energetic, constantly evolving and personal’ (Shohamy, 2007:5) it acknowledges the rich complexities of communication. Language is no longer a thing to be studied but rather, a way of seeing, understanding and communicating about the world and each language user will use his language differently to do this. Such an expanded view will make the educational process more engaging. The communicative approach to teaching emphasizes elements of communication, including negotiation of meaning, expression, and interpretation (Brown 2000). Speaking is not the only skill that communicative language teaching focuses on but also involves reading, writing, grammar, and culture (Lee VanPatten, 2003). Brown (2007) also adds that students in such classrooms need to use the target language in a meaningful context. The purpose of Communicative language teaching is to improve the learners’ knowledge of the second language, as well as how to use it appropriately in a given context (Li Song, 2007). Learners acquire the second language through interaction with others rather than rote memorization and grammar rule learning. Language is first and foremost a tool for purposeful communication and this involves learning the vocabulary and the rules of how to use them in various cultural contexts. Hence, language does not imply a body of knowledge to be learnt but a social practice in which to participate (Kramsch, 1994). It is something that people do in their daily lives, something that they use to express, create and interpret meanings and to establish and maintain social and inter-personal relationships. Learners can no longer be seen as passive recipients of knowledge, but rather, active participants in a dynamic, complex, personal communication system. Language learning should involve them talking analytically about language, exploring and discovering the ways in which it works in order to create and convey meanings. On the surface, culture can be seen as a body of knowledge that we have about a particular society. These may include cultural artefacts, tools, institutions, rituals, dress, food etc. On a deeper level, culture is a framework in which people live their lives and communicate shared meanings with each other. Creating and interpreting meaning always happens within this cultural framework wherein both cultures simultaneously influence the learners’ understanding. Learning to communicate in English involves an awareness of the ways in which culture inter-relates with language whenever it is used. Many scholars today believe that culture and language are inseparable and culture learning must be an integral part of language learning. According to Kramsch (1993) there are three ways how language and culture are bound together. Firstly, language expresses cultural reality (people express ideas, facts and reflect their attitudes through words). Secondly, language embodies cultural reality (it helps people give meaning and understand their own experiences). And thirdly, language symbolizes cultural reality (it serves as a social identity for people). Learning a second language necessarily involves comparison with the learners’ first language, but the latter is generally perceived as causing ‘interference’ in the learning of the target language. So, students are taught to imitate, practice drills, and create speaking habits without addressing the larger complexities of language learning. In the language classroom, learners do not only learn about a culture but they try to understand themselves in relation to that culture. This process entails the transformational engagement of the learner in the act of learning. Students bring with them their own conceptions, misconceptions, experiences, feelings and understanding to the classroom, and as they interact with another culture, their views will continue to change and shape their learning as well as their identity. The diverse cultural understandings and experiences of the students are highly influential and therefore need to be taken into account. There are many approaches to teaching culture in language learning. Saluveer (2004) has divided them into two broad categories: Those that focus only on the culture of the target language (mono-cultural approach) and those that are based on comparing the learners’ own and the other culture (comparative approach). Risager (1998) describes four approaches to teaching of culture, namely, the intercultural approach, the multicultural approach, the trans-cultural approach, and the foreign-cultural approach. Of these, the intercultural approach seem most appropriate for a study on Khasi-dominated classrooms as it draws upon the idea that culture is best learned through comparison of the target and the learners’ own culture. Though the main focus is on the target culture, the intercultural approach emphasizes the connections between the two cultures, thereby developing the learners’ intercultural and communicative competences, and enabling them to act as mediators betwe en the two cultures. Saluveer (2004) points out two categories of foreign language textbooks used in English language classrooms: Global textbooks which cover issues which appeal to people from different cultural backgrounds and include topics that can be set anywhere; and Locally produced textbooks which include materials which are consistent with the requirements of the national curriculum and such books usually foster learners’ awareness of both their own cultural identity and the target culture. Analysis of the current English textbooks being used by schools would prove to be very useful for the study. According to the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005 the goals for a second language curriculum are attainment of basic proficiency and the development of language into an instrument for abstract thought and knowledge acquisition through literacy. It believes that children learn much better in holistic situations that make sense rather than a linear and additive way that often has no meaning. Rich and comprehensible input is necessary for acquisition of the different skills of language. The NCF (2005) encourages a multi-lingual approach to schooling right from the beginning of a child’s education. It states that the success of â€Å"English medium† schools shows that language is learnt when it is not being taught as a language but rather, through exposure in a meaningful context. It is also of the opinion that input-rich communicational environments are essential for effective language learning. This includes learner chosen texts, parallel books and materials in more than one language, multi-media, â€Å"authentic materials† and so on. It states that a variety of materials should be available to provide an input-rich curriculum which focuses on meaning. The textbooks of Meghalaya have been recently revised as per the directives of the NCF 2005 wherein the focus is on developing an activity-based communicative approach towards teaching and learning. They have tried to incorporate culturally authentic materials which are relevant to the immediate environment of the child. The NCF 2005 has suggested the use of locally available resources such as folklore, storytelling, community singing and theatre. Listening should also be enriched with music such as folk, classical and popular compositions. Today, there is a unanimous agreement amongst scholars that teachers should integrate language and culture into their classrooms and they should not perceive them as two separate entities. Language is seen as part of culture and culture a part of language, which is why they cannot be separated and should be taught together. (Brown , 2007) Hence, we need to better our understanding of learners, recognize differences in their social and cultural worlds – their experiences, motivations and aspirations, and incorporate this diversity into our teaching and learning. When students communicate in such a classroom, they become both participants and observers of ideas, expressions, feelings and experiences, thereby engendering a greater awareness of themselves in relation to others. Research Problem Students of Shillong vary widely in terms of language use in their homes and communities depending on their socio-economic backgrounds. A major challenge faced by teachers today is enabling economically-disadvantaged tribal students to communicate effectively in English at the school level. The ones who are privileged enough to attend expensive multicultural English medium schools communicate exceptionally well compared to the under-privileged majority of students. The word-knowledge before they come to school also varies accordingly and greatly influences how they perform in the later levels of school. If there is a significant gap in the vocabulary at the primary level, it will widen as the student progresses. Such students become poor readers and consequently, they read less, thereby learning fewer new words. They usually do not develop fluency even in the later stages of education, either in speaking or writing. On the other hand, students with good vocabulary generally read more, thereby learning more words and improving their reading skills (Stanovich, 1986). This downward spiral is especially true with students from rural areas. They are hardly exposed to any English text except those which are essential in school and there is no opportunity for them to converse in English. Similarly, urban English-medium schools which are predominantly mono-lingual harbour secondary level students who generally avoid using English, except in situations when they have to. An inferiority complex coupled with intense peer pressure usually seals their mouths shut whenever an English-speaking situation emerges. To further complicate the situation, students from rural areas usually migrate to such schools at the elementary and secondary level. A study into the real or actual classroom situations and the effectiveness of ELT methods and approaches used in such schools would give a clearer understanding of the problems that are hindering the acquisition and learning of English. English language teachers have to cater to the context of the target students and since the problems of underprivileged Khasi children are similar to some extent, a clear understanding of the teaching-learning relationship between them can be achieved. Hence, language learning should build on the students’ prior knowledge, conceptions and misconceptions through an interactive and communicative process. Utilizing culturally â€Å"authentic† materials that students are already familiar with will encourage discussion and meaning making in the classroom. Audio-visual aids and other multimedia materials which are relevant to the immediate environment of the students have great potential for motivating the students to participate more actively in the language learning process. The current methods, strategies, and evaluation of teaching English do not give importance to integrating the students’ culture into language learning. The researcher believes that investigating the selection of textbooks, assessing the textbooks themselves, the teachers’ use of culturally relevant materials, and their creation of a learner-centered classroom environment for social interactive learning is a worthwhile enterprise not only for pedagogical purposes but also for insights into second language learning for monolingual classrooms in general. Area of Study The study focuses mainly at the elementary level. It will select 8 schools; four government schools and four private schools within the semi-urban areas of Shillong. The schools selected will be the schools following the MBOSE syllabus. Aims and Objective The main goal of the present study is to find out if integration of culturally relevant material into the teaching and learning of English as a second language would help promote communication skills in semi-urban English medium schools. The main objectives of the research are: †¢ The textbooks: A description of the textbooks in terms of its aim, content, approach and design will be presented in the study. †¢ If there is integration of culturally relevant materials in the textbooks, the study will examine how integration is being carried out: I. in actual classroom situation. II. in the audio-visual aids or tools available in actual classroom situation. †¢ The study will also examine the evaluation and assessment tools commonly practiced in the schools. †¢ The study will also provide a brief description of the teacher training programmes. †¢ Since the study focuses mainly on integration of local cultural materials to promote communicative skills, it will also document available materials to be incorporated appropriately at the elementary level. †¢ Tools and techniques incorporating culturally relevant materials to test development of communication skills for children at the elementary level. Methodology Both primary and secondary resources will be adopted in the study. For collection of Primary data, the study will incorporate the following methods: 1. The participant–observation method. This method will be used to examine the teaching practices, audio-visual aids, common language assessment strategies adopted in actual classroom situation. 2. The questionnaire method: This method will be used for analyzing the textbooks, and teacher training programmes. 3. The interview method: Interview schedule will be adopted for a study of teacher’s and student’s background. 4. Tools and techniques incorporating local and culturally relevant materials for testing communication skills. For secondary data, the study will try to collect materials from educational institutions, such as teacher training institutes, University libraries, and the State and National institute of school education. Fieldwork for the study will be carried out in the 8 selected schools located within the semi-urban areas of the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. Tentative Chapterisation 1. Introduction 2. Contemporary methods of English language teaching 3. Methodology 4. Data Analysis and Presentation of Materials 5. Summary and Future Projections of the Study

Planning for a Business Start Up

Planning for a Business Start Up Would it be feasible to open an electrical goods store in Thame? Thame is in Oxon (Oxfordshire). Abstract This report examines the business case for a start up business in Thame, Oxfordshire. The business in question is that of an electrical retailer, and the possibilities for both a small, independent enterprise and a large chain multiple are considered here. The report first considers the contemporary economic and retail environment, and then the relevant facts about Thame itself. It then looks at the possible market segmentation associated with the business, and considers some projected cashflow and expenditure models. In conclusion, the report does not foresee any guarantees of success for such a venture in the present climate, although it may be possible to accrue small margins through diversifying the business into e.commerce. Conversely, it may be that forthcoming large scale ventures have better prospects. 1. Introduction. This report examines the business case for starting a new venture in the form of an electrical retailer in Thame, Oxfordshire. It does so with due regard for the contemporary economic and retailing environment, as well as the relative prospects of a small, independent business as against a larger, diversified one. As Groom speculates, ‘A recession can be a smart time to launch a business or innovate, if you can find the money to invest. Competitors are struggling to cut costs and you can look forward to the upturn.’ (1). Liquidity in terms of start up costs, inventory, stock and rents is a key factor for consumer facing businesses, who cannot confidently predict their actual margins in the current climate. As will be discussed below, there are likely to be significant developments in UK electrical retailing sector over the next few years: not even the established multiple chains are assured of retaining their current margins. The one area which may offer smaller players a significant opportunity is e.commerce. As Hooley et al. point out, ‘A significant feature of the Internet is the shift in power away from manufacturers and retailers towards customers. While the period to the middle of the twentieth century saw power concentrated in the hands of manufacturers and suppliersthe customer now typically initiates an information search, whereas in the past the manufacturer or the retailer initiated and controlled this.’ (2) 2. A worthwhile business opportunity? The local/national competition. In the absence of detailed and focused market research data, the business case must be projected from the available circumstantial evidence. We will begin this discussion by looking at the market conditions for electrical goods and UK retailing in general. Both the British Retail Consortium and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors reported worsening trade figures in November 2008, with non-discretionary purchases, i.e. food and drink, the only categories not to be depressed. (3) A recent Bank of England survey reported that Banks are imposing tougher lending standards on loans and credit cards, although interest rate cuts may encourage households to spend money freed off by heaper mortgage repayments. As one analyst observes, ‘Non-food retail sales are driven by real wage growth, credit availability and housing wealth. Since real incomes, after inflation, have been falling for about two years, consumers have dipped into savings, and used remortgaging and credit cards to maintain spending. Things are now reversing.’ (4) A depressed housing market will further impact upon electrical retailing through a lower demand for appliances. The major multiple and discount electrical store chains are suffering from poor sales and margins at present, due to the following factors†¦ Depressed housing markets have resulted in lower sales of refrigerators, washing machines and other white goods. A price war between television manufacturers has depressed profit margins on these goods by 1 per cent in the second half of 2008. Sales of flat-screen TV’s have slowed to the level of white goods. Margins have been further reduced in pre-Christmas price cutting, with rival chains holding sales to reduce stock levels. (5) In specific company terms, this means that Comet’s like for like sales are down 11.6 per cent from 2007, and Kesa, its Anglo-French owned parent company, has suffered a first half loss. Its shares recently suffered an 11.9 pence fall to 142.5 pence, and it is planning to cut costs through redundancies in its UK stores. DSG International, Comet’s closest competitor, has recently scrapped its dividend on the same basis. (6) As a background to this, large format outlets in retail park developments have been contracting, with Comet and Curry’s planning to rationalise their chains. Meanwhile, Tesco and Asda are expanding their non-discretionary and homewares businesses, and Argos is reportedly expanding. DSG have also opened a 60,000 square foot outlet near Birmingham, under the Currys megastore brand. In the long term, there may be competition from completely new entrants, such as Carphone Warehoue, which is currently opening US electrical stores in partnership with Best Buy. ( 7) The Best Buy/Carphone partnership has already projected 200 large consumer electrical stores in Europe by 2013, with 100 of these in the UK. They will be going head to head with Curry’s, Comet and PC World, and projecting sales of  £6.2 billion by 2013. ( 8) This is based on anticipated margins of 5.6 per cent, whereas current incumbents such as Currys and Comet trade on typical margins of 1 per cent. It is planned to achieve this more favourable margin by adopting a ‘know your customer’ approach: as Charles Dunstone puts it, ‘If you go to a lot of electrical stores now, they just keep the rain off the stock, no one there does anything, they don’t display it nicely, if you ask a question they just read the label back to you.’ (9). 3. The Local and Regional Trading Context. Thame is in a relatively affluent area. A detached house in the town is currently valued at an average of  £383,799, with the entry level flat or maisonette costing an average of  £167,994. (10) Council tax is likely to rise in 2009, with a Band ‘D’ tax payer facing an increase of  £3.05. (11) . The area is already well provided with electrical retail outlets. Curry’s has ten stores within a twenty five mile radius of Thame, including three in Reading, two in High Wycombe and two in Aylesbury. There are five Comet electrical stores within the same area : Aylesbury, Oxford (Cowley), Oxford, High Wycombe, and Reading, the closest of which is 8.7 miles away. Tesco and Asda, which both sell household electricals, have stores within an 8 mile radius of Thame: Tesco’s Princes Risborough store is 7.65 miles away, whilst Asda’s Wheatley outlet is only 6.05 miles. DIY outlets such as BQ, who also sell some electrical appliances, also have stores in the area. Thame is listed as having two independent electrical retailers: Thame Audio, of Swan Walk, and Domesco Ltd, in Thame High Street. No trading figures are available for the latter, but in 2008 Thame Audio publicly reported a drop in turnover to  £100,000. (12 ) The local credit situation for new or small enterprises is not encouraging. The proprietor of Thames AV, the independent television and hi-fi store, has recently complained of having his business overdraft interest rate doubled to 8 per cent, with the bank (Barclays) unwilling to extend further credit. (13) This is redolent of the wider national situation: The Federation of Small Businesses indicates that ‘†¦Our members are being refused loans and threatened with overdraft withdrawals unless they agree to new, hiked-up rates. The banks have had their bail-out. They should not pass their problems on to loyal . . . customers.’ (14 ) There are support organisations for new enterprise in the region, including the Oxford Trust, and Oxford Innovation. (15) It must also be borne in mind that the balance of the regulatory framework is unlikely to be tipped towards small retailers in the near future. As one of their Trade Organisation representatives has commented, ‘Having received the recommendations of a detailed and extensive inquiry there is no justification for the government not driving forward the †¦remedy put forward by the†¦competition authorities.’ (16) However, the response from the Office of Fair Trading has so far been unequivocal: ‘It is not for the competition authorities to deny any players in a market opportunities for organic growth†¦out of a perceived need and ability to meet consumer demand.’ (17). In other words, there will be no regulatory leveling of the playing field to encourage or assist small businesses. 4. Market entry prospects and Cash flow Forecast. Deacons and Freely point out that ‘converting an idea into a business opportunity is the key element of the process of business creation†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, simultaneously indicating that a number of elements need to converge: ‘The economic environment has to be conducive, the culture must be appropriate for risk-taking and the nascent entrepreneur must have the confidence to take an idea suggested by opportunities through to fulfilment.’ (18) Whilst not all of these factors are currently present, it is proposed here that small retailers can still take advantage of the untapped capacity in eCommerce. As Hooley et al point out, this market is not homogenous, consisting of highly differentiated segments, i.e. ‘†¦Explorers – highly optimistic and innovative; Pioneers – the innovative but cautious: Skeptics – who need to have the benefits of technology proved to them: Paranoids – those who are insecure about the technology; and Laggar ds – those who will resist the technology†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. (19). In a survey of small retailers, over half said that they were already augmenting their footfall business with trading on the web. All of those who had done so considered the initial outlay had been well invested, and considered that they had already recouped their investment. Whilst none agreed with the idea that the web might eventually supplant their high street business, they all foresaw it playing an increasing role in their margins even those who had not yet started trading on the web. (Appendix 3). Cashflow Forecast. Individuals will not enter the sphere of business start ups on a level playing field, as financial institutions are applying increasingly stringent lending criteria. As Deakins and Freel point out, ‘The importance of human capital tends to be reinforced by external financial institutions, since research has shown that bank managers rate previous experience as an important factor in lending to new-venture entrepreneurs.’ (20) The margins cited above, i.e. those of between 1 and 5 per cent as accepted in the trading of the large electrical multiples, illustrate how difficult it is going to be for a small scale enterprise to expand or even survive in close proximity to them. The cashflow forecast prepared for this study is based on a reasonably well capitalized start up, with only a  £24,000 loan required, and this deferred until the second year of trading, i.e. no repayments due in the first twelve months. It also assumes the trader has personal liquidity of  £500 a month from their existing assets, which they are prepared to commit to the business. The business has a target monthly income of between  £8,000 and  £10,000, seasonally adjusted: taking into account all other income, this would accrue a grand total of  £134.000. (See Appendix 1). Assuming an annual stock inventory of  £96,000, the other major outgoing will be Rent and rates, which are currently high in both the high street and out of town sites, despite vacant lots and falling demand. This will amount to  £14,400 including business rates, and there will also be a  £4,000 start up cost for interactive website design. With nothing factored in for contingencies, a total expected expenditure of  £125,120 is perhaps a little optimistic, and the predicted profit of  £8880 may be reduced to a break even situation. This is not regarded as a bad result in the first year’s trading for an independent retailer. (Appendix 2). 5. Conclusion. Current retail trading conditions are, arguably, not auspicious for any scale of enterprise. However, they are particularly hazardous for the small retailer, and especially one which is relying on any element of credit. There is no guarantee that the latter will be available at all, or that the terms agreed for it will remain unchanged: as has been discussed above, if they do change, it is likely to be in favour of the bank, rather than the other way round. As Deakins and Freel point out, ‘For obvious reasons, little research has been done on new business ventures that subsequently fail, but it is commonly asserted that one of the main reasons for the reported high failure rates of such new ventures is under-capitalization.’ (21). With forthcoming large scale businesses such as Carphone concentrating on creating customer value through service, small businesses will no longer be able to claim any discernible advantage in that respect, unless they can apply to new areas of retailing such as e.commerce. On the positive side, small businesses may derive some advantage from official nervousness about their role in the overall economy. Chancellor Alistair Darling has augmented the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme, and widened the availability of Insurance from the Export Credits Guarantee Department. Stephen Alambritis, who is the head of parliamentary affairs for the Federation of Small Businesses, has indicated that ‘†¦Something’s happened somewhere [in government] that recognises that the real economy is small businesses, and if they don’t get the money and †¦the credit, then we’ll be in a recession.’ (22). With over 13 million people in the UK working in the small business sector, much depends on their sustainability. (23) However, the precise amount of support which might be available to any individual enterprise, such as the one under discussion here, cannot be anticipated. It must also be considered tha t any such support may be ephemeral in nature, and be reflected in higher taxes and lower business allowances when the fiscal books have to be balanced. Overall, the factors uncovered by this report indicate that this is not an appropriate time to open a small independent electrical retail business in Thame. Conversely, it may a propitious time for the kind of audacious, service orientated superstore mooted by Carphone Warehouse. As Blumentritt observes, ‘†¦Because defenders value efficiency and stability in their technology, structure, and organizational routines, they are sensitized to problems associated with innovation (e.g., high cost, risk of failure, threat to the established order)†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (24) If this is true of the existing electrical multiples, Thame may be a promising site for such a venture. Footnotes 1.) Groom, B., ‘A Great Time for New Businesses?’, Financial Times, 18.11.08, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b8fc9ccc-b510-11dd-b780-0000779fd18c.html [viewed 21.12.08] 2.) Hooley, G., Saunders, J., and Piercy, N., (2004), Marketing Strategy and Competitive Position, 3rd Edition, Financial Times/Prentice Hall, p.515. 3.) Cohen, N., ‘Plunge in UK retail sales and home deals’, Financial Times, 11 Nov 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/71a9f746-af7c-11dd-a4bf-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] 4.) Unattributed, ‘UK retail’, Financial Times, 7th Oct 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1/d898f024-9447-11dd-953e-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] 5. ) O’Connor, S., ‘The pain in Spain spreads to Kesa’s electrical goods’, Financial Times, 17th December 2008 INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b2777ac0-cbdb-11dd-ba02-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] 6.) Urry, M., ‘Kesa plunges on Comet warning’, Financial Times, 10 Sept 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ae1807ca-7f18-11dd-a3da-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] 7.) Thomas, D., and Rigby, E., ‘Wind of change blows through retail parks’, Financial Times, 17 Oct 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c93c46ae-9c7a-11dd-a42e-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] 8.) Rigby, E., and Parker, A., ‘Best Buy and Carphone detail Europe venture’, Financial Times, 15 Oct 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e2da7750-9a51-11dd-bfe2-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] 9. ) Rigby, E., and Parker, A., ‘Carphone upbeat over ambitious new venture’, Financial Times, 15 Oct 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fc98369a-9ae8-11dd-a653-000077b07658.html [22.12.08] 10.) Proviser, Thame House Prices, INTERNET, available at http://www.proviser.com/regional/towns/thame/ [viewed 22.12.08] 11.) ThameNews.Net, ‘Council Tax rise likely for 2009’, INTERNET, available at http://www.thamenews.net/readmore.asp?Content_ID=3972 [viewed 22.12.08] 12.) Guthrie, J., ‘Store owner ‘disgusted’ with bank’, Financial Times, 24 Oct 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d30ec254-a163-11dd-82fd-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] 13.) Ibid. 14.) ibid. 15.) O’Connor, S., ‘The pain in Spain spreads to Kesa’s electrical goods’, Financial Times, 17th Dec 2008 INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b2777ac0-cbdb-11dd-ba02-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] 16.) Unattributed, ‘ACS Calls for Political Action’, Association of Convenience Stores Website, INTERNET, available at http://www.acs.org.uk/en/Press_Office/details/index.cfm/obj_id/7082D32C-933E-4313-9CC47A5603AD2C50 [viewed 28.10.08] 17. ) Office of Fair Trading, (2005), Supermarkets: The code of practice and other competition issues. Conclusions. August, OFT807, HMSO, London, p.9. 18.) Deakins, D., and Freel, M., (2006), Entrepreneurship and Small Firms, McGraw Hill, London, p.228). 19.) Hooley, G., Saunders, J., and Piercy, N., (2004), Marketing Strategy and Competitive Position, 3rd Edition, Financial Times/Prentice Hall. p.493 20.) Deakins and Freel, op.cit., p.226. 21.) Ibid. p.229. 22.) Eaglesham, J., ‘Brown sharpens focus on small businesses’, Financial Times, Published 12.10.08, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7566b7c8-9877-11dd-ace3-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] 23.) Wright, W., ‘Dear Chancellor:  £1 billion Small Business Survival Fund’, Federation of Small Businesses Website, INTERNET, available at http://www.fsb.org.uk/frontpage/assets/fsbadvert.pdf [viewed 21.11.08] 24.) Blumentritt, T., and Danis, W.M., ‘Business Strategy Types and Innovative Practices’, Journal of Managerial Issues, Vol. 18, 2006. INTERNET, available at http://www.questia.com/read/5016256465?title=Business%20Strategy%20Types%20and%20Innovative%20Practices [viewed 24.12.08] Bibliography Blumentritt, T., and Danis, W.M., ‘Business Strategy Types and Innovative Practices’, Journal of Managerial Issues, Vol. 18, 2006. INTERNET, available at http://www.questia.com/read/5016256465?title=Business%20Strategy%20Types%20and%20Innovative%20Practices [viewed 24.12.08] Cohen, N., ‘Plunge in UK retail sales and home deals’, Financial Times, 11 Nov 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/71a9f746-af7c-11dd-a4bf-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] Competition Commission, (2008), Market investigation into the supply of groceries in the UK, HMSO London. Deakins, D., and Freel, M., (2006), Entrepreneurship and Small Firms, McGraw Hill, London. Eaglesham, J., ‘Brown sharpens focus on small businesses’, Financial Times, Published 12.10.08, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7566b7c8-9877-11dd-ace3-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] Epstein, M.J., (2004), Implementing E.Commerce Strategies: A Guide to Corporate Success after the Dot.Com Bust, Praeger, Westport Ct. Gilbert, X., and Strebel, P., (1988), ‘Developing Competitive Advantage’, in Quinn, J.B., Mintzberg, H., and James, R., (eds), The Strategy Process, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs NJ, pp.82-93. Groom, B., ‘A Great Time for New Businesses?’, Financial Times, 18.11.08, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b8fc9ccc-b510-11dd-b780-0000779fd18c.html [viewed 21.11.08] Guthrie, J., ‘Store owner ‘disgusted’ with bank’, Financial Times, 24 Oct 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d30ec254-a163-11dd-82fd-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] Hooley, G., Saunders, J., and Piercy, N., (2004), Marketing Strategy and Competitive Position, 3rd Edition, Financial Times/Prentice Hall. Marsh, P., ‘SQW and Oxford Innovation combine their expertise’, Financial Times, 22nd June 2006, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2bcb2e9e-018b-11db-af16-0000779e2340.html [viewed 22.12.08] Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B., and Lampel, J., (1998), Strategy Safari: The Complete Guide Through the Wilds of Strategic Management, Prentice Hall, London O’Connor, S., ‘The pain in Spain spreads to Kesa’s electrical goods’, Financial Times, 17th Dec 2008 INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b2777ac0-cbdb-11dd-ba02-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] Office of Fair Trading, (2005), Supermarkets: The code of practice and other competition issues. Conclusions. August, OFT807, HMSO, London. Proviser, Thame House Prices, INTERNET, available at http://www.proviser.com/regional/towns/thame/ [viewed 22.12.08] Rigby, E., and Parker, A., ‘Best Buy and Carphone detail Europe venture’, Financial Times, 15 Oct 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e2da7750-9a51-11dd-bfe2-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] Rigby, E., and Parker, A., ‘Carphone upbeat over ambitious new venture’, Financial Times, 15 Oct 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fc98369a-9ae8-11dd-a653-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] Stroud, D., (1998), Internet Strategies: A Corporate Guide to Exploiting the Internet Macmillan, Basingstoke. ThameNews.Net, ‘Council Tax rise likely for 2009’, INTERNET, available at http://www.thamenews.net/readmore.asp?Content_ID=3972 [viewed 22.12.08] Thomas, D., and Rigby, E., ‘Wind of change blows through retail parks’, Financial Times, 17 Oct 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c93c46ae-9c7a-11dd-a42e-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] Urry, M., ‘Kesa plunges on Comet warning’, Financial Times, 10 Sept 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ae1807ca-7f18-11dd-a3da-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] Unattributed, ‘ACS Calls for Political Action’, Association of Convenience Stores Website, INTERNET, available at http://www.acs.org.uk/en/Press_Office/details/index.cfm/obj_id/7082D32C-933E-4313-9CC47A5603AD2C50 [viewed 28.10.08] Unattributed, ‘UK retail’, Financial Times, 7th Oct 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1/d898f024-9447-11dd-953e-000077b07658.html [viewed 22.12.08] Wright, W., ‘Dear Chancellor:  £1 billion Small Business Survival Fund’, Federation of Small Businesses Website, INTERNET, available at http://www.fsb.org.uk/frontpage/assets/fsbadvert.pdf [viewed 21.11.08] Appendices. Appendix One. Cashflow forecast, Income.  ­Appendix Two Cashflow Forecast: Expenditure. Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total Stock 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 96,000 Accounting 500 500 1,000 Advertising 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 3,600 Bank Charges 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25

Virtue as Habit Essay -- Aristotle Kant Moral Psychology Papers

Virtue as Habit The aim of this essay is to examine the following question. Does it make a difference in moral psychology whether one adopts Aristotle's ordinary or Immanuel Kant's revisionist definition of virtue as a moral habit? Suppose it is objected, at the outset, that these definitions cannot be critically compared because their moral theories are, respectively, aposteriori and apriori, and so incommensurable. Two points of commensurability and grounds for comparative evaluation are two basic problems that any theory in moral psychology must address. They are moral ignorance (I don't know what I ought to do) and weakness (I don't do what I know I ought to do).(1) In the Nicomachean Ethics (hereafter Ethics), Aristotle maintains that the virtues are formed by repetition as are other habits (see book II, chapters 1-5). "[I]t is by doing just acts that a just man is produced, and by doing temperate acts the temperate man," he explains, and without this kind of habit formation "no one would have even the prospect of being good" (1105b9-12). Further, the "mark" of a good "legislator" and "constitution" is that they: "Make the citizens good by forming habits in them" (1103b4). And in his investigation of the virtue justice, he takes as his "starting point" the ordinary meanings of a "just and an "unjust" man: the latter is "lawless," "grasping," and "unfair"; the former is "law-abiding" and "fair" (V:1129a30-34). In short, Aristotle's intention is to clarify the ordinary meaning of virtue as habit. In the Metaphysical Principles of Virtue (hereafter Virtue), Kant clearly rejects any concept of moral habit-formation by repetition. He writes: Skill (habitus) is a faculty of action and a subjective perfection of ch... ...ichard McKeon. New York: Random House, 1941. —— Poetics. The Basic Works of Aristotle. trans. Ingram Bywater. ed. and introd. Richard McKeon. New York: Random House, 1941. —— Politics. The Basic Works of Aristotle. trans. Benjamin Jowett. ed. and introd. Richard McKeon. New York: Random House, 1941. Kant, Immanuel. The Critique of Practical Reason. trans. Lewis White Beck. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co., 1983 —— Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals. Ethical Philosophy. trans. James W. Ellington. introd. Warner A. Wick. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co., 1983. —— The Metaphysical Principles of Virtue. Ethical Philosophy. trans. James W. Ellington. introd. Warner A. Wick. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co., 1983. Plato. Republic. The Dialogues of Plato. vol. I. trans Benjamin Jowett. introd. Raphael Demos. New York: Random House, 1937.

The 19th Century Virtuoso

A virtuoso is a musician who is technically skilled on an instrument. Virtuosic musicians are known to be specialized in their instrument, perform in front of large audiences, and show off to their audiences. They typically travel far and wide with the intent of dazzling audiences all over the world with their extended techniques on an instrument. Fast notes and special effects can be heard in virtuosic music. The goal of all virtuosos is to achieve fame and fortune.Performing in front of upper-class audiences and the fact that virtuosic performers composed their own music typically helped them achieve this goal. Fans of virtuosic musicians valued the excitement in watching their spectacular performances, whereas those who were not fans had negative connotations of these kinds of musicians and believed that their music sounded empty. The height of the virtuoso began in the nineteenth-century with musicians such as Niccolo Paganini and Franz Liszt. Franz Liszt perfected the idea of th e ideal nineteenth-century virtuoso performer.As a virtuosic pianist essay writer law, he used his learned technicality and grandiose way of performing to amaze audiences with his professionalism on the piano. His exciting performances started a grand uproar that lead to the rise of an intense fan frenzy known as Lisztomania during the mid-nineteenth-century custom essay writing service. One of Liszt’s most famous pieces, La campanella, gained an abundant amount of attention by his crazed fans. His collaboration of fast notes and specialized dynamics makes up the foundation of the virtuosity within this piece.The piece is quite long and Liszt’s performance of the piece is not easy to imitate, making it very unique and extraordinary. He also incorporates his incomparable expertise into the virtuosic piece by showing off his ability to sustain playing lengthy techniques and special effects on the piano. Liszt is known to be very expressive and lively when he plays the pi ano. Edward Lodewijk â€Å"Eddie† Van Halen is the only modern day musician that comes to mind when it comes to one who fits the description of a virtuoso. Van Halen is a Dutch instrumentalist widely known for his exemplary skills on the guitar.He began his career as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and one of the founders of the band Van Halen. With the use of his hands and an electric guitar, the Dutch-American musician completely redefined the tapping technique and gave it an original and legendary style. The guitarist gained a tremendous recognition for his technical skills when Rolling Stone magazine listed him as number 8 out of the 100 Greatest Guitarists back in 2011. Eddie Van Halen is undeniably one of the most influential rock musicians of the 20th century.Eddie Van Halen’s name took the spotlight when he took a turn for the better and became original. The start of his band’s career consisted of solely playing covers to rock songs by other bands. Afte r realizing that doing so was not bringing the band any success, Eddie Van Halen decided to take his guitar playing to another level and developed a talent of his own. He reinvented the tapping technique. Tapping is an old technique on the guitar that initially incorporated the use of one’s left hand and a pick to repeatedly pick at the neck of the guitar.Van Halen revolutionized tapping when he introduced his exceptional â€Å"finger-tapping† to rock music. He added the use of his right hand into tapping in order to reach higher notes. As he continually improved the tapping technique, Van Halen invented extra styles and skills to show off his learned technicality on the guitar. Eddie Van Halen’s musical training began at a very young age with the classical piano. Since introduced to the guitar, he has remained frequently practicing his skills and techniques on the preferred instrument.He went on to expanding his talents by writing songs for the band he co-found ed. Once his band, Van Halen, was signed to Warner Bros. Records, he was able to travel to far places to perform on stages outside of those in small town clubs. For the past 35 years, the famous guitarist has impressed large audiences with his revolutionary two-handed techniques and styles on the stringed instrument. Like most nineteenth-century virtuosos, Van Halen’s highly accomplished and distinguished technical ability greatly displays his virtuosic musicianship.Virtuosic musicians of the nineteenth-century performed classical music, whereas Eddie Van Halen performed rock music. Rock music is a heavy form of popular music intended to appeal to the many. The romantic and easy-listening forms of classical music do not appeal to everyone. Van Halen’s form of music is usually performed on outdoor stages and is not as formal as performances of classical music. Classical music is performed in indoor concert halls and its audiences normally consist of well-mannered and ca lm people, unlike those of modern rock concerts.Eddie Van Halen’s virtuosity is best represented in his famous guitar solo played for Michael Jackson’s hit song â€Å"Beat It. † The collaboration of these two artists was unheard of at first, but once the song caught the attention of worldwide audiences, it was easy to see that Van Halen had outdone himself. His elongated finger-tapping phrases and tapping harmonics on the electric guitar during that unforgettable solo earned him his fame in popular music. Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo for â€Å"Beat It† is undoubtedly one of the greatest rock solos of all time. http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=JfyI5VkyPVU

African religion and christianity Essay

Although Africa was not a plain or bear continent, Africans had their way of life, structure of government, religion, economic activities, education,systems of marriage and development plans for their societies, nevertheless the British brought their systems which conflicted with Africans established way of life, this was because the British, as many other European powers were economically depressed and Africa appeared to be the only way out.The British wanted to pass the three C’s; Commerce, that is to make money through acquisition of free labour form Africans, raw materials for their industries as industrial revolution back in Britain was rapidly taking place, market for their surplus production; Christianity to save Africans as alluded in the Gospel of Saint Mark 16 versus 5 Go ye to the entire world, baptizing all men in the name of Jesus.†Explorers such as David Livingstone, Vasco Da Gama, Portuguese Diego Cam and Arabs with Muslim faith had missionary zeal. The la st C is for Civilization, they wanted to civilize Africans in terms of education, culture and many other aspects I will bring out later in this essay. RELIGION Black`s Law Definition of religion; This is man`s relation to Divinity, reverence, worship, obedience, and submission to mandates and precepts of supernatural or superior beings. In a broad sense, it includes all forms of belief in the existence of superior beings exercising power over human beings by volition, imposing rules of conduct with future rewards and punishments. AFRICAN RELIGION Awolalu defines African religion as â€Å"†¦largely written in the people’s myth and folktales, in their songs and dances, in their liturgies and shrines and in their proverbs and pithy sayings. It is a religion whose historical founder is neither known nor worshipped; it is a religion that has no zeal for the membership drive, yet it offers persistent fascination for Africans, young and old.† The African traditional religion was not homogeneous as the communities had different ethnic background thus the religious practices such rituals varied one community to the other. It is worth noting that it was oral, not scripted or written and was passed from one generation to the other by word of mouth as I earlier alluded in the Awolalu definition of religion. Within their organized societal structures, Africans believed in supernatural beings together with ancestral spirits.The ancestral spirits were believed to link the living societal members to the gods. We all agree that one cannot talk about African religion without African values as they are intertwined and inseparable. African religion was embedded in moral values or codes or standards which were believed to originate from God through the ancestral spirits, these values when followed or observed one would be rewarded with maybe good harvest from their cultivation of land or increased number of a flock of cattle. When these values have violated the culprits were reprimanded, for instance, adultery was highly condemned therefore in case a member engaged in it he or she could be punished by God through the ancestral spirit. This punishment could be through the infliction of sickness to the culprit or barrenness. The concept of values is a vital point as one talks of the African religion. African religion is drawn from the African values. The African religion had some institutions which presided over religious functions, these institutions were believed to communicate directly to ancestral spirits (living dead) who in turn would communicate to the gods and grievances of the living societal members would be heard. In the Kenyan context, these institutions include Orkoyot of the Nandi, Oloibon of the Maasai, Seers, Diviners, and Rainmakers depending on the ethnic communities which they came from. These institutions apart from the veneration of the ancestors, they blessed warrior before going for war, advised the political leaders, offered sacrifice to god and conducted rituals for the culprits who violated moral values in the community. The gods had some specific names for instance, in Kenyan context, we had Enkai for the Maasai, Encore for the Abagusii, Mulungu for Akamba, Asis the Nandi, Ngai for the Agikuyu and Nyasaye for the Luo. There were specific worship places which were regarded as holy, this places included shrines, mountaintops some special trees such as mugumo, hills, and some caves. The diversity of the names given to gods and places of worship, show the lack of uniformity in the African Religion. This concludes that Africans were of different ethnic background and had their own religion, gods, and religion as a community. CHRISTIANITY This is a religion based on the life, teachings, and practices of the person of Jesus Christ. The origin of Christianity is drawn from a character, believed to be the Son of God. It is a religion more about the relationship between one and Jesus rather religious practices. A Christian, as the name suggests is a follower of Christ. The origin of Jesus of extra-ordinary or Supernatural happening as it is believed He was conceived by the power of Holy Spirit and born of a Virgin. This small description ascertains the definition of religion as I had earlier defined it. Christianity is practiced through reading the Bible and attendance of services for the Protestants and Mass for the Catholics. The religion is scripted or written in the Bible which is the reference for all who ascribe to Christianity. It contains all the rules guidelines, commands that Christians should observe their entire life. These guidelines govern human relationship to one another and their relationship to their God.there no diverse Christians as all of them draw their beliefs from Jesus Christ through reading and exercising their beliefs from the Bible.Christianity is a homogeneous religion or rather uniform. There are institutions such Priests, Bishops and Catholic Fathers who lead other Christians in worship. These people undergo theology training for them to undertake their duties. There are specific places of worship where Christians congregate. These places are Churches or Chapels. THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES. They mainly to spread Christianity and Commerce†¦Dr. David Livingstone, I go back to Africa to make an open pass for Christianity and Commerce.† The first encounter is dated from the 15th Century. The Portuguese Christianity introduction to Africans in the East African Coast. This, however, had very little success. By 19th Century Christian missionaries arrived in East Africa they included: 1.The Holy Ghost Fathers 2.The Church Missionary Society 3.The Methodist Fathers 4.The Mill Hill Fathers THE ENCOUNTER I) Source/origin of Religion The Africans believed that their religion was sourced from god, who they believed long before their ancestors’ existence. The British Missionaries conflict with Africans by telling them about the existence of a God who had a son and lived among us many years ago. The religion of British was written (Bible) thus one had to have the ability to read and write in order to understand it, whereas that of African was passed from generation to generation by oral tradition. There is an introduction of a new system of identifying the origin of religion which conflicts with the African system. II) Places of worship The Africans revered in special caves, Mountaintops, hills, Forests, Special trees (mugumo) and shrines. The British tell Africans that they should worship God places called Churches. This encounter shows that there is a bit of clashing as the African places were very clearly defined and preserved by the community members. The British also seized African land to construct churches or chapels, Africans, as a result, became very hostile as they had distinct worship places which occurred naturally. They believed that their land was for cultivation and a gift from their gods. III) The Practices of Religion The Africans practiced their religion by reverence to their ancestors, offering human and animal sacrifices and invoking the ancestral spirits. They offered sacrifices in order to get favors in terms of harvest. The African worship was communal that is, all community members used to convene to pray for rain and ask for the wellness of the community. The British religion had an aspect of confession of one`s sins before worship, repentance, and forgiveness of sin are granted. This aspect of forgiveness of sins lacks in the traditional African religion, one had to be punished for wrongdoing. British missionary religion brings out an aspect of offerings in terms of money and tithe which is ten percent of one`s total earnings. IV) Religious leaders In African religion, worship was led by Diviners, Rainmakers, and Seers who were considered righteous. The work of religious leaders was taught through apprecentiship and was hereditary from specific clans in the community. There were certain clans from whom diviners would descend. They were highly respected in the community. The British Christian religious leaders attend school to be trained mainly on theology. They study formalities of worship and nature of God. Any member of Christian family can become a religious leader although there are some myths which say one has to be ‘called’ by God. The Christian leader has to have the ability to read and write so as to pass the scriptures to his congregation. V) Uniformity of Religion As I handled earlier in this essay, the African traditional religion was diverse from one ethnic community to the other due to the linguistic differences, migration patterns and origin. Christianity is introduced as a homogeneous religion as the author of it is Jesus Christ, a common ancestry and reference point for all Christians. The diversity of worship is dismantled by the British introduction of this even religion. As I have pointed above there are distinct differences between Traditional African Religion and the British Christianity and how both systems fought to outdo the other. The African religion had deep roots in the society as it was passed orally through stories, myths, riddles and proverbs which were very appealing to the audience. These deep roots were however uprooted as change is inevitable in every circumstance. As an old adage, ‘one man’s meat is another man’s poison.’ The British struck the Africans struck back but were easily overpowered, and gave in. The British were gradually using religion as a tool to pass several other systems to the Africans. Education which traditionally was based on oral tradition was easily eliminated as most Africans wanted to quench their thirst for knowledge, for those who resisted religion soon began to embrace this Whiteman’s way of worship.

Free Essays on The History Of The Jaguar

What is the history of the jaguar? The Jaguar story is one of â€Å"rags to riches†. It was for 50 years, the story of one man who created one of the world’s greatest automotive names, a company renowned for style, performance and quality. A young man by the name of William Lyons started a small company called Swallow Sidecars, which originated in the northern seaside town of Blackpool. Here, as a young motorcycle enthusiast, he met William Walmsley, who was building sidecars for motorcycles. The stylish sidecars caught the attention of young Lyons. He felt that there was great potential if the activity could be organized along business lines and the production increased to make the operation viable.After several years the restless Lyons saw a better opportunity for his Swallow Sidecar Company. The company did special bodywork for a car called the Austin Seven, and in 1927 created a most stylish, two-seater for the little car. Soon, Swallow bodies followed for larger companies like Morris Cowley and Fiat. Lyons was not content with just building bodies for other car companies. In 1931 he came out with his own line of SS cars, the SS I and the SS II coupes. These cars caused a great sensation at the London Motor show. The body was sleek and low to the ground, and they were a good value for the price.In 1935, William Lyons needed a unique name for his cars. He did not select Jaguar at first. Sunbeam Motor Co. was for sale and he made arrangements for the company to be bought and a new line of vehicles called Sunbeams were to be produced. Fortunately for us, the Rootes brothers, a rival car company, stole the name. Lyons advertising agency then provided a list of animal names suggesting a new image for the cars. Jaguar was selected and the name has stuck with them ever since.... Free Essays on The History Of The Jaguar Free Essays on The History Of The Jaguar What is the history of the jaguar? The Jaguar story is one of â€Å"rags to riches†. It was for 50 years, the story of one man who created one of the world’s greatest automotive names, a company renowned for style, performance and quality. A young man by the name of William Lyons started a small company called Swallow Sidecars, which originated in the northern seaside town of Blackpool. Here, as a young motorcycle enthusiast, he met William Walmsley, who was building sidecars for motorcycles. The stylish sidecars caught the attention of young Lyons. He felt that there was great potential if the activity could be organized along business lines and the production increased to make the operation viable.After several years the restless Lyons saw a better opportunity for his Swallow Sidecar Company. The company did special bodywork for a car called the Austin Seven, and in 1927 created a most stylish, two-seater for the little car. Soon, Swallow bodies followed for larger companies like Morris Cowley and Fiat. Lyons was not content with just building bodies for other car companies. In 1931 he came out with his own line of SS cars, the SS I and the SS II coupes. These cars caused a great sensation at the London Motor show. The body was sleek and low to the ground, and they were a good value for the price.In 1935, William Lyons needed a unique name for his cars. He did not select Jaguar at first. Sunbeam Motor Co. was for sale and he made arrangements for the company to be bought and a new line of vehicles called Sunbeams were to be produced. Fortunately for us, the Rootes brothers, a rival car company, stole the name. Lyons advertising agency then provided a list of animal names suggesting a new image for the cars. Jaguar was selected and the name has stuck with them ever since....

Analytical Essay Kiss and Tell by John Sam Jones Essays

Analytical Essay Kiss and Tell by John Sam Jones Essays Analytical Essay Kiss and Tell by John Sam Jones Essay Analytical Essay Kiss and Tell by John Sam Jones Essay Essay Topic: Analytical â€Å"Kiss and tell† is a story written by author John Sam Jones. The story is set in Wales on a school. The story revolves around a boy and his thoughts about the opposite gender. The story is the omniscient type of narrator. This analysis focuses on characterization as well as on how to fit in. The main character in the story is Seimon. He is a fourteen-year-old boy from Wales. Throughout the whole story, the focus is on Seimon and his addiction to his teacher Mr. Roberts. As from the very beginning of the story, the narrator tells about the girls and boys in Seimon’s class. Some of the girls in Seimon’s class seemed much older – and a bit scary1. Somebody acted like they had already outgrown their peers – Jane Jones who had got breasts that where the Promised Land of boy’s dirty talk, almost always had love bites on her neck, and Shan Jenkins boasted about going to the nightclub Llandudno at the weekends with her boyfriend, who was a management trainee with one of the new, cheap German supermarkets.2 It seemed like all Seimon’s classmates had grown up both physically and mentally. Seimon felt that puberty had not reached him yet. Sometimes he imagined himself smaller-than-small so that the others would not notice him.3When the boy s he hung around with, seemed not to want to see him, he considered if he was insignificant. He hated that word because it made him think of being lonely and isolated. Siemon is a fragile person who is very easy to affect. Seimon felt like he did not fit in anywhere, so he started daydreaming about his teacher Mr. Roberts, his favourite teacher that he hoped would be reading to the class – one of the poems they were studying in a literature project, or perhaps he would be explaining something about the vagaries of Welsh grammar.4 Mr. Roberts was from Cardiff and got the job in Wales. He knew that he had got the job because of his strengths in German and French, but the problem was that he

Confucianism (Analects) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Confucianism (Analects) - Essay Example The practices vary and the divergence of understanding increase (Jacobs, 2012). Confucianism named after the founder Confucius aimed at uniting the people of China. It got adopted as a rule to bring together the people of china. The exams set on Confucianism took only 24 to 72 hours and any male could sit for the exam. It existed from 600 to 1900 era. Under Confucianism, the humanists control the affair of the country and thus the lack of performance by the government becomes lack of performance of the Confucianism. Confucianism has helped revive businesses eventually leading to the evolution of several achievements and thus the need for its revival (Branigan, 2009). However, the idea to revive Confucianism has not gone quite well with some of the citizens in China and thus many of the Chinese have opted resisting the religion. The Christians do not see this form of religion as Godly. As such, many have decided to resist it no matter what it can offer. The various teachings of Confucianism adopted by the Chinese people reflect on superstitions because they believe in a sculpture carving in the museum with no significant importance. Thus, the Christians have opted resisting its revival in the country (Confucius & Slingerland, 2006). Lunyu explains the relationship that exist when people come together and live as one. The morale and desire to embrace the virtues of the society should make one feel comfortable and part of the family (Jones, 1996). The devotion one has towards the service of ensuring unity determines those whoncan act as good family mamebers and those who cannot. If one can keep the virtues of their leaders, when in their presence, and when not in their presence, that means the person can turn out as a good family member. The commitment exhibited by Confucianism members give equal the commitment by anyone serving the state. This means solidarity must persist forever whether during

Relevance of Palliative Care Training in Nursing Practice Literature review

Relevance of Palliative Care Training in Nursing Practice - Literature review Example Palliative care has generally been linked with end-of-life care of cancer patients, but considering its effectiveness in reducing the suffering of patients and their family the concept has now been extended to include non-cancer population as well. "Dying patients need to be assured that their destiny lies in the hands of well trained, multi-disciplinary, professional team because often the death is no longer capable of caring for themselves and their rights." (Gronemeyer, et al 2005, p.1). Hence, effective implementation of palliative care will be possible only through adequate training and grooming of health care providers. Since nurses interact most with patients and act as intermediaries between other health care providers and patients and their family members it is imperative that addressing the training needs of nurses is crucial for the success of palliative care program. As such, an attempt has been made to analyze select articles related to experimental models of palliative care and training strategies relevant to nursing practice. University of Wollongong Library's electronic resources was searched for locating relevant articles. Though Google scholar has larger volumes of articles, considering the fact that Proquest database covers specific nursing-related peer-reviewed journal articles, the search was limited to Proquest database only. The basic search question used was 'Palliative care', which retrieved 7982 articles from Proquest. A further search of the database for 'medical sciences-Nursing and allied health sources' shortlisted number of articles to 130. When the results were limited to full-text documents of scholarly journals 23 articles have been retrieved. Five articles with different area of coverage, such as (1) Nurses' perceptions around providing palliative care for long-term care residents with dementia; (2) Providing pediatric palliative care through a pediatric supportive care team; (3) Using high-fidelity simulation to educate nursing students about end-of-life care; (4) Enhancing meaning i n palliative care practice: A meaning-centred intervention to promote job satisfaction; and (5) Spiritual development of nursing students: Developing competence to provide spiritual care to patients at the end of life. Since large volumes of research articles (303,000) have been retrieved from Google Scholar using the catchphrase 'Palliative care' and only 5 articles have to be selected for the literature review it has been decided to search Proquest database and cover palliative care experiences in two challenging areas, such as pediatrics and geriatrics (dementia), and three articles covering innovative training approaches; Nurses' perceptions around providing palliative care for long-term care residents with dementia. The study conducted by Kaasalainen et al (2007) explores nurses' perceptions around providing palliative care for long-term care (LTC) residents with dementia, using a qualitative descriptive design. The inspiration for this study was the unprecedented increase in a ged care population with cognitive impairment and identification of 'many barriers to optimal palliative care in LTC homes' in Canada. Dementia is a progressively degenerating physical condition leading to gradual loss of cognitive abilities.

College is worth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

College is worth - Essay Example In addition to that, these protagonist claim that college graduates have got advanced interpersonal skills, have children who are healthier, live longer and have even proved their capacity to accomplish key milestones (Richard, 2012). On the other hand individuals against college contend the fact that debt arising out of college loans is very high and therefore hinders graduates from starting early savings for their retirement, getting married and purchasing a house. They further argue that several successful people never finished their college education and that several jobs particularly trades jobs, necessarily do not need college degrees (Bennett, 2013). Those are not only the underlying issues though. Thus the presence of highly successful individuals who dropped out of college such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and most recently Mark Zuckerberg weighs heavily on young individuals’ decisions on whether or not to attend college education. Similarly some experts make arguments that going to college have literally become less about studying actual skills and more about basically paying to get a degree. Meanwhile the debate about college education is quite controversial and is on many forums of the American Society and expected to go on in foreseeable

Financial Management and Risk Analysis Assignment

Financial Management and Risk Analysis - Assignment Example The new automated assembly line will be requiring the purchase of five new robots, each costing $32,000 and associated gripping devices costing a total of 65,000. Roller tracking and new assembly fixtures will also be needed adding up to a cost of 15,000. The new assembly cells will be manned by three cell programmers/operators who will be paid 20,000 each. The finance department estimates that installing the automated system will generate an annual cost savings of 5,000 due to the reduction in reduction in scrap and rework. After five years, the robots can be sold each with market value of 1000. This report will analyse the possibility of investment in the new assembly line by utilizing financial management tools. The first section will look at the annual expected cash inflows and outflows. The next will be an analysis of the investment through the use of capital budgeting tools like payback period, return on investment, net present value, discounted payback period, internal rate of return, and sensitivity analysis. Recognizing that numbers don't tell all, this report also goes beyond quantitative analysis by also looking at the quantitative issues which should be considered by the firm. Table 1 shows the expected annual cash flow that our business organization hopes to incur in the installation of the automated assembly line. ... The first to fourth years are forecasted to generate cash inflows of 93,000 annually which reflects the cost savings from rework and scrap and the elimination of the cost incurred in hiring fitters offsetting the salaries of the computer technician. During the fifth year, the company will be incurring the same costs and benefits together with the expected salvage value of the robots. Table 1. Forecasted Cash Flow III. Payback Period The payback method is one of the most popular tools in conducting capital budgeting decision. The payback period tells the company the length of time required to recoup the original investment through investment cash flows. This is essentially the time when the company breaks even-the initial capital outlay is equal to the cash flows. Considering that the business organization invests in a project which generates the same level of cash flow annually, the payback period is computed as the follows: Payback = Initial Investment Annual Cash Flow (equation 1) However, if the investment generates unequal annual cash flows, then the individual annual cash flows are subtracted from the initial investment until a difference of zero is reached (Lightfoot 2003). The year when cash flow equals investment is the payback period. Other things being equal, the investment with a low payback period is chosen as it implies less risk for the company. Table 2. Payback Period Table 2 shows how the pay back period for the proposed automated assembly line. As the investment yields unequal cash flow for the five-year period, this report simply subtracted the yearly cash inflow to the total amount of the investment. The cash outlay for

Individual reflection and personal development plan Essay

Individual reflection and personal development plan - Essay Example In the New Year resolution, I sat down reflecting over my life I clearly came up with various goals which I have planned to achieve in different phases. Some of the key goals I need to achieve in my school and a professional life include getting a high score in my exams, becoming the best graduate in finance and accounting department, acquiring recommendation letter by the end of the semester and finally getting a job with one of the leading government developmental project. I decided to set these specific goals because they will be easier to achieve than vague ended goals (Lyons, 2010). I have realized that being focused on a path gives someone a logical set of actions to follow. So each and every accomplishment leads me one step closer to the final goal Getting a high score on my exams: since I joined this college, I have been strictly adhering to my reading time table and managing my time well. This has enabled me to score high marks in my first and second year. As I start my third year in this college, I plan to attend more group discussion as this will help me in carrying out my course projects (Smith,Rawling & Jones,2007).This will essentially help me to score high marks in my final exams. As a result, I will  achieve one of my key goals. Attaining a letter of recommendation: Concerning the letter of recommendation, I have contacted the department of finance and accounting through  accounting lecturer, who is also my mentor. The department has assured me that by the end of the semester, they will  issue recommendation letters to all third year students. So there is a high hope that by the end of the semester I will  acquire my recommendation letter, which will assist me in my attempt to securing a job. Being the best graduate in school of accounting and finance: earlier in the first year, I realized that to be the best graduate in any department does

Pan-indian Confederation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pan-indian Confederation - Essay Example military forces seems to be favouring the U.S sides anyways. When Tecumseh set out to convince other tribes to join him, the challenge before him was not just creating an army, but arousing among the tribal people the sense of unity that might have led them to victory. Before convincing the tribes to fight for the sake of their identity and existence, he had to settle the inter-tribal conflicts and ideological differences among his own people and bind them together with a strong unifying force. Tecumseh’s efforts were showing results to quite an extent until Tenskwatava’s negligence towards his brother’s strategies led them nowhere. Amidst, all this while he was away in the south spreading a doctrine of political and military unification, his younger brother’s excitation ruined everything. Tecumseh’s army was thrashed by Harrison’s men. The British who supported the tribes had their own vested interests of acquiring colonial wealth, they joined in more for their own motives and less in support of the Indians.They fled as soon as the U.S. Army came into action. During the American Revolution U.S. had developed such a standard of political and military strengths that it was naive of Tecumseh’s one-man army challenging them without planning an effective winning strategy. This is another reason why the U.S. army found no difficulties in suppressing the upheaval. unity, arms, forces and above all the lack of spirit among the people itself can be accused of defeat. Tecumseh’s speeches motivated the people, his oration influenced people from vast stretches in Canada to Mexico but ultimately it was the call from within among the tribes that might have made a difference and lacking this spirit the ball was never in Tecumseh’s

Financial Management and Risk Analysis Assignment

Financial Management and Risk Analysis - Assignment Example The new automated assembly line will be requiring the purchase of five new robots, each costing $32,000 and associated gripping devices costing a total of 65,000. Roller tracking and new assembly fixtures will also be needed adding up to a cost of 15,000. The new assembly cells will be manned by three cell programmers/operators who will be paid 20,000 each. The finance department estimates that installing the automated system will generate an annual cost savings of 5,000 due to the reduction in reduction in scrap and rework. After five years, the robots can be sold each with market value of 1000. This report will analyse the possibility of investment in the new assembly line by utilizing financial management tools. The first section will look at the annual expected cash inflows and outflows. The next will be an analysis of the investment through the use of capital budgeting tools like payback period, return on investment, net present value, discounted payback period, internal rate of return, and sensitivity analysis. Recognizing that numbers don't tell all, this report also goes beyond quantitative analysis by also looking at the quantitative issues which should be considered by the firm. Table 1 shows the expected annual cash flow that our business organization hopes to incur in the installation of the automated assembly line. ... The first to fourth years are forecasted to generate cash inflows of 93,000 annually which reflects the cost savings from rework and scrap and the elimination of the cost incurred in hiring fitters offsetting the salaries of the computer technician. During the fifth year, the company will be incurring the same costs and benefits together with the expected salvage value of the robots. Table 1. Forecasted Cash Flow III. Payback Period The payback method is one of the most popular tools in conducting capital budgeting decision. The payback period tells the company the length of time required to recoup the original investment through investment cash flows. This is essentially the time when the company breaks even-the initial capital outlay is equal to the cash flows. Considering that the business organization invests in a project which generates the same level of cash flow annually, the payback period is computed as the follows: Payback = Initial Investment Annual Cash Flow (equation 1) However, if the investment generates unequal annual cash flows, then the individual annual cash flows are subtracted from the initial investment until a difference of zero is reached (Lightfoot 2003). The year when cash flow equals investment is the payback period. Other things being equal, the investment with a low payback period is chosen as it implies less risk for the company. Table 2. Payback Period Table 2 shows how the pay back period for the proposed automated assembly line. As the investment yields unequal cash flow for the five-year period, this report simply subtracted the yearly cash inflow to the total amount of the investment. The cash outlay for

Pan-indian Confederation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pan-indian Confederation - Essay Example military forces seems to be favouring the U.S sides anyways. When Tecumseh set out to convince other tribes to join him, the challenge before him was not just creating an army, but arousing among the tribal people the sense of unity that might have led them to victory. Before convincing the tribes to fight for the sake of their identity and existence, he had to settle the inter-tribal conflicts and ideological differences among his own people and bind them together with a strong unifying force. Tecumseh’s efforts were showing results to quite an extent until Tenskwatava’s negligence towards his brother’s strategies led them nowhere. Amidst, all this while he was away in the south spreading a doctrine of political and military unification, his younger brother’s excitation ruined everything. Tecumseh’s army was thrashed by Harrison’s men. The British who supported the tribes had their own vested interests of acquiring colonial wealth, they joined in more for their own motives and less in support of the Indians.They fled as soon as the U.S. Army came into action. During the American Revolution U.S. had developed such a standard of political and military strengths that it was naive of Tecumseh’s one-man army challenging them without planning an effective winning strategy. This is another reason why the U.S. army found no difficulties in suppressing the upheaval. unity, arms, forces and above all the lack of spirit among the people itself can be accused of defeat. Tecumseh’s speeches motivated the people, his oration influenced people from vast stretches in Canada to Mexico but ultimately it was the call from within among the tribes that might have made a difference and lacking this spirit the ball was never in Tecumseh’s

The Efficacy of the Ghanaian Democratic Experiment Essay Example for Free

The Efficacy of the Ghanaian Democratic Experiment Essay The hackneyed, yet apt and succinct, definition of Democracy by Abraham Lincoln as contained in the concluding part of his famous Gettysburg Address as ‘’†¦government of the people, by the people, for the people†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ remains today as the most quoted statement on Democracy. However, a careful examination of our democratic experiment leaves one to wonder if this definition perfectly encapsulates our experience. Our government is, granted, elected by the ordinary people, which bears testimony to the fact that we practise a form of democracy which is ‘’of the people’’. However, I contend that our form of government is not a government whose workings have, wholly, over the years, proven to be in the interest of the people. We are constantly saddled with the unfortunate and despicably capricious abrupt abrogation of government’s contracts shortly after a change from one democratically-elected head of state to another of different political persuasions. Our constitution, under The Directive Principles of State Policy, explicitly, states in Article 35, Clause (7) that, ‘’As far as practicable, a government shall continue and execute projects and programmes commenced by the previous Governments.’’ When a successive Government arbitrarily abrogates a contract, most of the time for political expediency, those who bear the brunt of this ill-advised action have always been the ordinary tax payer. Classic cases in point are the payments of judgment debts by the current and previous Governments, which were shrouded in some amount of secrecy until recent revelations. Governments engage in this reprehensible act in a sophomoric attempt to make their predecessors unpopular. Such a practice does not engender development, which democracy seeks to attain for all. Democracy must result in meaningful development for the populace, otherwise it is of no significance; we do not practise democracy just for the sake of it. It is to afford every single citizen a say in the way the country is governed, and, eventually, respond to their needs. I strongly believe this problem is, partly, caused by the lack of a common national development policy to guide our governments. The deep partisan nature of our politics makes it impossible for government and opposition parties to agree on a common development objectives. Our politics is characterised by the continual applause by Government for doing better than any government of the opposition and the continual representation of Government by the opposition parties for having done nothing. Sadly enough, this happens to be the case in most Western countries,too, and it always raises the question if we cannot adapt our democracy to our peculiar circumstances? For instance, I was surprised to hear that Mitt Romney, the presidential candidate of the Republican Party in the United States of America, who incidentally happened to be the person I was rooting for in last year’s American Presidential Election, imprudently, chose to attack the Obama Administration over the deaths of the US Ambassador to Libya and some American officials who were working at the embassy. I thought that in such a solemn moment, Romney would exercise some political maturity and join President Obama to issue a statement to the friends and family of those who died. But this is how far political opposition can take us! And it is no different from what we, sometimes, witness in our homeland. Political parties in and out of government oppose each other for no tangible reasons. Looking at the development deficits of our nation, it is imperative that we adapt our democracy to be more responsive to the developmental needs of the ordinary people. Another reason that makes me doubt if our democracy is really ‘’for the people’’ is the unfortunate level of participation of the Ghanaian in our democratic experiment. Again, under the aforementioned Directive Principles of State Policy, the Constitution states, inter alia, in Article 35, Clause (6), paragraph (d) that the State shall afford all possible opportunities to the people in decision-making at ever y level in national life and in government. This, to me, sounds pretty laudable in print, but in practice, the story is completely different: The only moment the Ghanaian really takes any decision in our national life is when it is time to elect Members of Parliament and the President. Beyond that time, the Ghanaian becomes merely a passive participant in the governance of the country. We usually hear refrains of ‘’Participatory Democracy’’ in the media being trumpeted by some state institutions, but, unfortunately, our Democracy does not have any real elements to showcase for that. I believe that our Democracy would be more participatory if we create more educated people, who understand the actual essence and imperatives of democratic governance. This, I suspect, would enable the greatest masses of the people to get actively engaged in the entire governance process of the country, and not merely always wait for every four years to queue up to vote. To this end, I fervently pray that Government and all other stakeholders would invest heavily in the education of our people since it is an open secret that true democracy can only thrive on an informed citizenry. And for one to be informed, one needs to have the ability to appreciate the national issues of concern; one must possess the ability of separating useless propaganda from issues which present all sides in an objective manner. This can only be achieved if the citizenry have some appreciable level of education. Another issue that worries me greatly is how our democratic practice is becoming more and more expensive. Most political parties in opposition always promise to have slimmer Government when voted into power, but we all know what happens after they win power. It costs a lot to maintain just one minister of state. Lately, we see more people working at the Presidency, some even without any official designation. It has become common to see lots of Government functionaries who describe themselves as being part of Government Communication Team. All these people are paid with the Tax Payer’s money! It is important that, as a nation, we do something drastic about our size of Government. Let us, however, not for once, delude ourselves into thinking that this problem is peculiar to the executive arm of Government. The most nauseating development, lately, in our national politics is the ritual increase of the number of constituencies by the Electoral Commission almost every four years on the basis of its constitutional mandate given to it by Article 47, clause (5) of our constitution. The foregoing article states clearly that, ‘’The Electoral Commission shall review the division of Ghana into constituencies at intervals of not less than seven years, or within twelve months after the publication of the enumeration figures after the holding of a census of the population of Ghana, whichever is earlier, and may, as a result, alter the constituencies.’’ This constitutional provision is so clear and simple to understand. I am quite worried because the approach of the Commission to this constitutional duty is making it seem as though review of division into constituencies and altering of constituencies automatically mean an increase in their number. Review and alter are not synonymous with increase in any dictionary! When you do your calculations, you can be assured that within the next forty years the country cannot find a place to accommodate our Members of Parliament to conduct Government business if the commission does not stop this practice of increasing the constituencies regularly. Maybe the best way to deal with this problem is to set a ceiling for the number of Members of Parliament in the Constitution since from all indications, the Commission’s understanding of that provision is simply to increase the number of constituencies every eight years. Without doubt, the size of the legislative arm of Government is getting too large, and we must, without any delay, start taking measures to reduce it. Ghanaians deserve quality representation, not quantity. Some Members of Parliament do not make any contribution to parliamentary debates in the chamber of the House, and some, I understand, do not make any meaningful contribution at the committees’ level. The strong brouhaha over the creation of the forty-five new constituencies last year was quite expected. As much as the argument about the unfavourableness of the time, was, sincerely, perfectly in order, the popular belief that a country of twenty-four million is not too huge to warrant more than two hundred legislative representatives is just the point. In the first place, the Commission should not have even created the thirty constituencies in 2004. It is not a matter of legalities; it is a matter of common sense. Anytime any person opposes the creation of the new constituencies, the Commission quickly rebuts that it is its constitutional mandate. Well, the constitution talks of review, not necessarily an increase. Our democratic experiment may be fraught with some difficulties, but my most fervent prayer is that we should never allow any malcontent(s) to truncate this political system. I would hope that we invest in education and strengthening state institutions. These two exercises are critical to deepening democratic culture in our country. I pray that all Ghanaians would get their hands on deck so that we can move forward collectively to truly build a better Ghana.

Invisibility And Blindness African American Novels English Literature Essay

Invisibility And Blindness African American Novels English Literature Essay Blindness and Invisibility are major topic in African American novels published in the 20th century, but often not a physical but rather psychological blindness is meant by this. It is about what the inner eye sees through the physical ones. Blindness in African American novels is often perceived to be ignorance towards black people, but we will find cases where it is the other way round. Ignorance refers to the fact that people refuse to recognize people and to notice their individuality. The two novels to be analyzed are Native Son by Richard Wright and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. In both novels, we find physical as well as psychological blindness. By having a look at these aspects, the thesis that sight and blindness are central topics in the novels can be proven. The paper will analyze both forms of blindness in the novels. In doing so, also physical blindness and eye metaphors will be analyzed. Add Brother Jack The reader encounters Brother Jacks blindness quite late in the novel. On page 381, he Because of the fact that he has only one blind eye, he managed to stay independent. He does not need to rely completely on other peoples eyes as he has one that works. To begin with, one should first have a look at the physical blindness in the two novels. The blind character in Wights work is Mrs. Dalton and in Invisible Man it is Reverend A. Barbee. Both characters can be considered to have a symbolic meaning in the novels. They represent the real blindness and contrast it with people who are able to see with their eyes but obtain psychological blindness. Rev. Barbee is a completely blind person and he tries to hide this by wearing dark glasses during his service. In case somebody did not know he was unable to see, it would be hard to notice it. The Invisible Man and the other people sitting in the audience only notice it because he fell down and lost his glasses (Ellison 113). As a blind person, he has to rely completely on what other people tell him about the world. Because of the fact that he is so dependent on other people, he trusts or rather has to trust other people more. This trust makes him vulnerable. For examples, he believes Bledsoe t o be honest when he tells Barbee that he is going to preach to black college students only. This brings the Reverend in an embarrassing situation, as he talks about the black identity, the integration of the black people and calls the audience daughters and granddaughters, sons and grandsons, of slaves (101). It seems as if Bledsoe only uses Barbee to impress guests and not because Bledsoe likes Barbee and the way he preaches. Due to his inability to see the reality, he flees into his ideal world of religion and feels comfortable under the protection of God. Now the physical blindness of Mrs. Dalton will be analyzed. She is the only character who really is blind and therefore represents the real blindness in the book. As she is not able to see, she depends on other people telling her how the world and its people look like. The fact that she relies on other people telling her how to perceive her surroundings leads to the fact that she gets influenced by them and their prejudices. For example, she is not capable to see that Biggers skin color is different and this is the reason why she should not treat him differently. Nevertheless, she does so because the people in her environment constantly tell her that he is a black, poor guy who needs their support and needs a job to improve his conditions in life. One could argue that she is not only physically, but also psychologically blinded by prejudices because he environment makes her to act like this. In contrast to her husband, she will never be able to see again and to get rid of prejudices. She will always have to rely on other peoples opinions and on their eyes. In case her husband never opens his eyes and starts to see Bigger (and everyone who is like him) as an individual, Mrs. Dalton will always stay in his situation. The next section of the paper is concerned with psychological blindness. In the first part of it, eye metaphors found in Ellisons novel will be analyzed to prove that there are a lot of allusions made to the human eye. The second part of it deals with blindness and invisibility in Native Son. In the following three metaphors that are concerned with the eye are presented. Ellison used these metaphors as a tool to remind the reader that the bock is about sight and blindness. We find a lot of these reminders throughout the whole novel. The first one that can be found in the novel is in the scene of the battle royal. The black men that fight against each other have to wear blindfolds, which make them unable to see their surroundings. The boys fighting in the ring are not only physically blind, but also emotionally. They do not feel how the white people sitting in the outside of the ring are amused by them and how their reactions are. They do not see that they are only used to entertain t hem and that there will be no gold or other rewards waiting for them after the battle. They are blinded what the white people told them and they are also so blinded that they do not wonder about the gold bars being under electric power. In contrast to the black people fighting in the ring, the whites watching them also seem to be blinded, as they are not able to recognize the humanity and individuality of the fighters. Even though the audience and the fighters have very different roles in this scene, there seems to be a similarity between the two groups. They are both blind. Although there is the ring between them, there is blindness on both sides of the ring. The next metaphor I want to refer to can be found in the hospital scene, in which the Invisible Man wakes up after an accident in the paint factory. When he first opens his eyes, he feels very dizzy and describes his first sights as follows: sitting in a cold, white rigid chair and a man was looking at [him] out of a bright th ird eye that glowed from the centre of his forehead (188 Penguin). The narrator is too confused and too dizzy to notice that the third eye he is talking about is a simple stethoscope. After the man has gone out of the room, the narrator still seems to feel the presence of the third eye: the bright eye still burning into [his] (189 Penguin). This symbolizes the importance of the third eye to the Invisible Man because he takes its presence and its impact on him very serious. Nonetheless, the narrator does not know what to do with this experience and does not know what to think of it. He seems very confused. It seems as if the narrator feels to be observed by the third eye. During the scene in which he gets the electric shocks, we can notice a lot of other words that refer to the topic of sight or eyes. On page 190 (penguin), he sees a circle of light and a woman with gold nose glasses. In addition to this, he sees someone that looks at the Invisible Man with eyes behind the thick glas ses blinking as though noticing [him] for the first time (190 penguin). All this refers to the narrators feeling of being watched steadily. The third and last metaphor to be mentioned here is that of the dark sunglasses. When the narrator disguises with some new clothes to flee from Ras the Exhorter, he buys dark sunglasses to hide himself. They are so dark that he cannot see properly. Thus, the sunglasses do not only make him invisible, but also change his own view of the world, as he sees it as this: the streets swarmed in a green vagueness (388 Penguin) and faces were a mysterious blur (389 Penguin). The new sunglasses have two functions in his life: In the first place, they provide him protection, as nobody can recognize him (one woman even thinks he is Rinehart). In the second place, they provide him with blindness, which prevents him from seeing the real world. Another aspect that points to the importance of blindness in Invisible Man is the fact that some names of the characters make allusions to blindness. The reader is consciously or unconsciously aware of them, but it is clear that it contributes to the overall shape of the book. One of these characters is Reverend Homer A. Barbee. His name alludes to blindness, as Homer, a Greek poet, was blind as well. It is believed that the name Homer came from the Greek ho mÄâ€Å" horÃ…Â n, which means the person who does not see. His surname Barbee can be linked to the famous Barbie doll, which was launched on the market a couple of years before the novel was published. The doll represented an ideal world in which little girls flee, similar to Barbees ideal world of religion. Another aspect that might be comparable is the fact that the Barbie doll spread as successful through the world as once Christianity did. In the next chapter I would like to focus on the psychological blindness in Wrights Native Son. Biggers own blindness and the blindness of the people in his environment should be analyzed. Psychological blindness arises a lot of problems in the characters lives. Having a look at Biggers blindness, there are several hints in the novel which propose that is unable to see clearly and thus suffers from a lack of reality. In the very beginning of the novel, the author makes an illusion to physical blindness because Bigger is rubbing his eyes (Wright 7). In a this state, when you have just woken up and cannot see clearly, a person is almost blind and also thinking is not that easy. No matter what Bigger does in the next moment after waking up, this action will be very unconscious or even intuitively, because he cannot see properly nor is he able to think about his behavior. He can only act like an animal and is blind to his environment. A similar scene is that in which Bigger threatens his friend Gus, holding a knife in his hand. Wright describes his eyes as bloodshot (40), which leads to the fact that his sight cannot be clear. A lot of other scenes can be found, in which Biggers sight seems to be disturbed. When he find himself in Marys bedroom, he feels blinded by the hazy blue light (85) and his eyes are out of focus and thus unable to perceive reality in any clear way. In the moment when Mrs. Dalton enters the room, Bigger only perceives her as a white blur (84). Also, Wright mentions that reality of it all slipped from him (222). His loss of reality and his inability to see and think properly could be an explanation for the murders of Mary and Bessie. Bigger could have been to recognize that Mrs. Dalton is already unable to see him and just be silent until she leaves the room. Instead, Bigger killed Mary. He could have easily escaped from the situation. Also, he did not understand in advance that the murder of Bessie can make his whole situation even worse than improving it. His inability to see can be made responsible for the fact that he could not think clearly and was blinded by his surroundings. He is too blind to realize what he is actually doing and what these actions mean. The reader has to understand that in the case of Bigger, real blindness and the psychological one are more connected that expected. Biggers physical blindness leads to his psychological one. Now we are going to have a look at the people in Biggers surrounding, which all refuse to see him as an individual. Mary is the first character to be analyzed in this section. She grew up in rich family, where she never had problems and always got what she wants. She does not know anything about the world outside of her ideal world. This is the reason why she is blind towards everything outside her little world and this makes it impossible for her to understand Bigger. Her unawareness of the world is also displayed in the scene where she wants to see a real place (69), where only Black people are. She always says that she is interested to see how they (the African Americans) live, but in fact she is unable to understand anything because she is so much blinded by her family. Bessie, Biggers girlfriend, brings herself into a blind position as she flees reality by drinking a lot of alcohol. By doing this, she cannot judge anymore what is right and wrong and she also not capable anymore to understand Bigger and to notice his individuality. This is the reason why he feels misunderstood. She also does not recognize that Bigger does not really love her but only uses her for his own pleasure. Biggers mother does not use alcohol, but religion and prayers to flee reality. If there is a problem, she simply praises the Lord. She is unwilling to accept that her innocent son is a murder and only prays to God, thinking that this is the only way somebody could help her son. Thus, she is not only blinded by her religion, but also by the love a mother has for her child. Even after Bigger admitted his crime she does not want to believe it. Jan and Boris May are blinded by their communist views and their goal to convince black people of its benefits. They see in Bigger only a poor boy that never really had a chance in life. In their feelings towards Bigger, there is also a lot of sympathy involved. The same could be said for the Daltons, who feels a lot of sympathy for Bigger and try to give him a chance to improve his life. For the media Bigger represents a monster. They are blinded and driven by their prejudice that black men like to rape white girls and accuse him of this crime, even though there is no real evidence for it. In sum, I can say that not only Mrs. Dalton, but a lot of other characters of Wrights Native Son were blind. They just see the stereotype of a poor American boy and not the personality that hides behind the surface. He turns into somebody that does not exist for his surroundings and thus he is invisible. One could say that the blindness that other characters have towards him leads to the fact that he is invisible. This thesis can also be applied to Ellisons Invisible Man. Although the title already suggests that the main character is invisible, it can also be deduced from its content. The Invisible Man is invisible because the people surrounding him treat him like he was not there; as if he did not exist at all. They do not care about his feelings and do not notice his individuality. For example, the Brotherhood only tries to use him for their own purposes, ignoring his own interests. In conclusion, it can be said that the human ability to see or not to see is a major topic in the two novels, as there can be found a lot of metaphors and allusions towards the characters eyes. One could even say that blindness guides the reader like a red line through the novels. The allusions made by the authors constantly remind the reader of the importance of seeing. The reader has to keep in mind that blindness can be understood in different ways. The most obvious meaning is physical blindness, which is represented by Mrs. Dalton in Native Son, and Rev. Barbee in Invisible Man. Their blindness can be transferred to other character in the novel and make them blind, too. For example, Mrs. Dalton is unable to see Bigger, not only literally, but also metaphorically, as she cannot see his individuality and his character. She is blinded by prejudices. This makes Bigger invisible for her and for many other people who are influenced by these prejudices. The psychological meaning of blin dness can be split up into an internal and external blindness. This means that a character can be blind himself (e.g. as Bigger who loses his sense of reality or Mrs. Dalton, who is really blind) or s/he can become blind or invisible for other people.