Modernity/Post-modernity: has is brought more harm than good on institutions like the family?

According to Marshall Berman, modernity is a mode of vital experience of space and time, of the self and others, of life's possibilities and perils-that is shared by men and women all over the world today. To be modern, he suggests is to find ourselves in an environment that promises us adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation of ourselves and the world-and, at the same time, that threatens to destroy everything we have, everything we know, everything we are. Modern environments and experiences cut across all boundaries of geography and ethnicity, of class and nationality, of religion and ideology: in this sense, modernity can be said to unite all mankind. But it is a paradoxical unity, a unity of disunity: it pours us all into a maelstrom of perpetual disintegration and renewal, of struggle and contradiction, of ambiguity and anguish. To be modern is to be part of a universe in which, as Marx said, â€Å"all that is solid melts into air.† ( Marshall Berman, www†¦) Modern life has been characterised with great discoveries in the physical sciences, changing our images of the universe and our place in it; the industrialization of production, which transforms scientific knowledge into technology, creates new human environments and destroys old ones, generates new forms of corporate power and class struggle; (Marshall Berman, www†¦) According to Giddens, modernity refers to modes of social life or organisation which emerged in Europe from about the 17th century onwards. It is an era distinguished by discontinuities which separate modern social institution from traditional order. The characteristics of this era are; – the pace of change- rapid change in modernity i.e. technology – the scope of change – particular institutional forms (e.g. capitalism, nation state and the differences in the nature of institutions between modern and traditional ones. According to Giddens, the modes of life have moved us away from all traditional types of social order. This is because they have served to establish forms of social interconnection and they have come to alter some of the most intimate and personal features of our day-to-day existence, (reading). As we can gather, modernity is about change from traditional ways to modern ways of doing things. In this discussion, I discuss the impact of modernity on institutions most especially the family. Has modernity brought more harm than good? Traditionally as most of us believe, life at the very beginning evolved very much around Christianity and belief in God. This shaped people's lifestyles, ways of living and thus the society. Christianity and the belief in God is the tradition that has been abandoned as a result of modernity, as put by Kirk Thomas, â€Å"†¦the tradition which promised to become fruitful some 350 years ago proposed that the best hope for authentic human flourishing would come through diligent attention being given to two sources of truth; the word and the world of God. Human beings would understand their true destiny and be able to enjoy it to the full only as they read and lived on the basis of two books; the bible as both the record of both God's action within and the interpretation of the whole reality and nature as a source of human nourishment and pleasure, (K.T, www†¦). This tradition Kirk continues was ‘sabotaged from within and distorted from without'- from within, the tradition was vandalised by a ‘will to power' due to conflict between forces of the reformation and the counter reformation and from without, the tradition was deformed by the ‘will to independence', (K, Thomas). As time progressed, the word was not seen as the only source of knowledge or truth. Slowly there was the realisation that reasoning could occur without having to depend on faith- thus there was the development of scientific knowledge in the attempt by humans to separate truth from falsehood, reason from unreason and fact from fiction. This was seen as the way to examine causes of human problems and analyse them. As a result, human's dreams of the future dominated their imaginations- the dream of a society of social harmony free from oppression and ignorance. By contrasting such a bright future and the past- the dark ages to be overcome, it seemed development was irreversible, there was no turning back, (Catrell). Human's desire for reason made it become the sole action in society, then it became an autonomous power which carried other oppressive powers within its bosom- capitalism, colonialism, technology and state bureaucracy- this was the birth ob modernity. The book of the word was shut and the world became more important. Transition is ongoing, humans are striving to achieve more and more. What are the effects of this on modern society, institutions and the individual? Modern era exacerbates the changes triggered by the industrial revolution that mainly affect economic life, culture and the family. Postmodern life is characterised according to Peter Berg as; a) suffering from time- famine- this is because the requirements of capitalism are too demanding and occur at other spheres of life, i.e. leisure, spiritual life and the family b) because the other spheres of life become less important to man, he becomes hyper- individualistic where individual self- fulfilment is the life long quest and priority. Family therefore becomes less important than it was before ‘modernisation. As a result, it becomes more single headed as unwed parenthood becomes normal, where as during the pre- modern era, family was very crucial to people's livelihoods as they depended highly on each other. The community was much more important than the individual. People held close bonds in the beliefs they shared and the norms that they were careful not to break. Modernity therefore has been a complex cultural and social movement that has/is changing the shape of the society today. Let us look closely at the effects of modernity on the family. There is the dissolving of the nuclear family showing that people are not as highly dependent on each other as they were before modernisation. Today is mostly every man for himself, looking after mainly his immediate family because of the high demands the society has on the individual, the push it has for making the individual strive to better himself at all cost. Today there is an increase in the use of birth control and abortion. In the past, a young woman that fell pregnant had to be hidden from the society or chased from her home because she was seen as such a disgrace, but nonetheless, people, valued life so much that abortion even in the most difficult circumstances was not an option. Today in modern times, it is legal. Could it be because modernity has resulted into us putting such little value on children and family than our ancestors? The move from tradition to scientific has given a licence to man to play God. For example, there is the issue of cloning and an increasingly permissive attitude towards euthanasia. Whether these are ‘harms or good' brought by modernity, one has to decide. Modernity has provided us with a lot of choices that our ancestors didn't have. As put by Marshall Berman, â€Å"the promised land into which we have crossed flowing with rapid technological progress and endless consumer goods seems like a splendid world indeed- but is there an underside to the bewildering options before us? Does too much choice become unhealthy? Does choice ever become dangerous'. Our fundamental identities as men and women he writes are matters of choice and construction. He states that in our age, we have moved from fate or destiny to choice. Simply put, we have choices to make where our ancestors did not. We choose our education, our profession, our spouses and our places to live. ‘Modernity has made us turn our children into acquisitions. Modern technology has made a reality what the pre modern mind could only imagine as an utter oxymoron: planned parenthood and genetic engineering will soon manufacture for us the blonde- haired, blue- eyed designer child that we order. Modernity has seduced us into exploiting the institution of work and family to fuel the appetites of the self, but that appetite is impossible to satisfy'. The question therefore is, is it good or bad that the individual is slowly and rapidly achieving the perfection he strives for? He has so many alternatives than did our ancestors. It is clear that the family is one of the institutions that has been greatly affected my modernity. According to Gordon Anderson, in the modern era, four behavioural factors undermine the traditional family; * the distinction between primary and secondary groups- the former is the small intimate, effective group exemplified by the family and dominant in the pre- industrial society- the latter is the large scale, depersonalised, rational organisation illustrated by the modern corporation and modern state. Modernisation is essentially the progressive rationalisation of society and the gradual eclipse of primary by secondary relationships. Modern societies he states are planned economies. Bourgeois, capitalism and socialism are dominated by secondary groups and relations and in these case the family is less important. Family in modern times is characterised with low birth rates, high rate of divorce and abortion and weak family institution. * In the bourgeois society, family is also undermined because there is a drive to move private issues over to the realm of the public policy- that is deviant behaviour, personal relationships, family life and other areas of life that were private become objects of state concerns and involvement. * Anderson states that the weakening of the family in modern society stems from the growth of individualism- rather than group- centeredness * As a result of medical technology, demographic trends and the materialistic value of the system of modern society, sexual behaviour becomes less of a procreation activity and more of a recreation. For example, single women or gay people may choose to have children even without the attachment of marriage. Sex has become like taking a cup of coffee. Children today can start having sex as early as 12 years old whereas in pre modern times, courtship was the only thing to do before couples got married, ( Anderson) The causes of family change in postmodern era Technology and the economy- The family is changing because of the electronic transformation of the post modern era where information and misinformation are transmitted with increasing speed to increasing numbers of people thus also changing the nature of human communication. There is no need for families to stay together when they can easily communicate in a short time via emails telephone etc. Giddens also saw this in his characterisation of modernity under what he called the separation of time and space. He stresses on the difference between space and place. Place he says, refers to the physical setting of social activity as situated geographically and that unlike pre-modern societies where place and space coincide, the advent of modernity he suggests tears space away from place by fostering relations between absent others. In other words, modernity compresses everything; communication as a result is fast in reaching those people that one is not living with. Giddens also talks about time and space under the characteristic of modernity called, disembedding- this he says is the lifting out of social relations from local contents of interaction and their restructuring across indefinite spans of time and space. This he states occurs in two ways, through the creation of symbolic tokens and the development of expert systems. By symbolic tokens he means, the media interchange which can be passed around without regard to those that handle them. Expert systems, he states are systems of technical accomplishments or professional expertise that recognise large areas of test material and social environments in which we live today. All these only show us that the family will keep on changing due to modernity because the individual has other ways of getting by, i.e. through the use of symbolic tokens such as money, or through putting trust in expert systems. Another cause of family change is demographic, for example the decline in population of some countries I.e., Japan, Germany, Italy, etc. Even those countries that are over populated are also trying to reduce population by changing the structure of the family. Another cause in family change. In the realm of values the following transformations occur, these are; > The cultural and ideological elite of the postmodern world from old-fashioned economic politics to new identity politics. Social movements pursue psychological and cultural objectives such as gay pride and politically correct language. Feminism's goals increasingly combine economic equality and cultural equality > The search for self-fulfilment now assumes the forms of new age religious, environments and communal movements. All these transformations in society have resulted into changes in the family. Another cause is the reversal of home life and priorities. Due to the fact that in this era people are ‘time bind'- demands of work and parenting clash- the home becomes the arena for stress and work haven to which parents escape to socialise with friends and colleagues. As we can see, work which was once historically a survival necessity is turned into a good. In agricultural societies, work occurs at home on the farm, industrialisation and the rise of the factory pulls work out of the home thus causing a physical separation between home/family life and work/economic life, ( Anderson). Feminism in this era has also made the modern woman to see a job as not something to put up with, but something desired, a mark of liberation, a source of identity, meaning and self -esteem. Staying at home with babies and diapers is viewed as torture and oppression. Does this show the victory of corporate capitalism which seems to have taken over the working class and has triumphed finally over the family, the home and the private sphere? What are the consequences for the individual and society? When reality changes, humans have no choice but to redefine it, i.e. when the original concept family declines, other concepts are formed, i.e. families of gay parents and single parents redefine the family. The issue of whether or not changes of the family are good or bad is debatable. On one hand, one may say, pre industrial families in fact suffered from more severe pathologies that does modern evolving family including domestic violence, child abuse and marital rape- the patriarchy family was not kind to all its members, on the other hand to day, there is a lot of emphasis on individual freedom of choice. Consequences for children- less primary socialisation in the home as there is a lot of single parenting in the modern era and there is also a high emphasis on the importance of work and the increase in day care. Mothers also suffer as divorce causes them a decline in income and bad physical and mental health. What are the consequences of these for the society? The rise of mass society- where a society is polarised between a mass of atomised and alienated individuals on the one hand and an overbearing state on the other. In mass societies individuals pay allegiance to themselves and to their nation- nothing in between The rise of the nanny state- with high divorce rates, single parenthood and childlessness and increased freedom of choice, a substitute father emerges- the nanny. Decline of civility- Kirk suggests that the absence of effective socialisation agents will produce a stunted self, thus leading to a decline in civility because he states that the quality of an individual self depends on his/her socialization. The result of an increase in dysfunctional families is an increase in children with criminal activities and hobbies. Dysfunctional families he says produce stunted selves because they fail to do their job, (Kirk Thomas) Modernity and post modernity have brought a lot of changes to the family and the society as a whole. The major causes of family decline are deeply rooted in major social, cultural, economic and technological trends that have been underway for several centuries. However, whether the changes brought forward are positive or negative is up to the individual to decide.

Forms of Business Organization Essay

The study of business organization is a study of complexity: as each business is different, each form of business organization is also unique. From a local hot-dog vendor to a trucking company, from a restaurant to a multinational, each business has different legal, moral and ethical concerns, and there is no â€Å"one-size-fits-all† approach to determine how a business should best be organized. Take the first two businesses, the hot-dog vendor and the trucking company, as an example: assume that each business is operated by a single individual. While one may argue that the proper form of organization for each would be a sole proprietorship, that would not be the case: the hot-dog vendor could clearly be operated as a sole proprietorship, but not the trucking company. Because of the nature of the trucking business, limiting the liability of the principals is vital: thus, the best form of organization for the trucking company would most likely be an LLC (limited liability company). There are six main forms of business organization, and each has very distinct advantages and disadvantages: some work best for small enterprises, some are better when outside vendors are involved, some are more suitable for larger companies†¦ indeed, there are many variables to consider when determining the organization of a business. Sole Proprietorship The most common form of business organization is called a sole proprietorship. The most common way to organize a business, Entrepreneur.com describes it thusly: The sole proprietorship is a popular business form due to its simplicity, ease of setup, and nominal cost. It is the easiest form of business to setup: again, according to Entrepreneur, a sole proprietor need only register his or her name and secure local licenses, and the sole proprietor is ready for business. As the business is not incorporated, all assets and liabilities relating to this form of business are under the control of the individual who started the business; thus, the business owner assumes full liability in the event of a legal judgment. In addition, as there is no legal protection for the business (it being indistinct from the owner), it is entirely possible for a sole proprietor to see their business liquidated as the result of a lawsuit. The owner has complete control of this form of business: no control has to be granted to anyone else. An advantage to this is that they retain all profits: nothing has to be shared with anyone else, and their return on investment is 100%. Income taxes are easy to calculate: a sole proprietor need only declare their business income on their individual tax form. Because of this, there is no real additional workload or burden to the owner unless they choose to do business under a name other than their own, in which case they would be required to register their business name with the particular jurisdiction they reside in. The location of the business only matters if an individual wants to avoid a particular jurisdiction’s individual income taxes (corporate taxes are not filed for this form of business): for instance, some states do not charge income tax. No separate legal entities have to be formed if the business changes location: the business is connected to the individual and the business exists as long as the individual chooses to operate it. This form of business has a limited longevity: according to Entrepreneur, sole proprietorships rarely survive the death or incapacity of their owners and so do not retain value. They generally dissolve upon the death of the principal and so cannot be passed on to heirs or others. General Partnership According to the Small Business Administration, a general partnership is a business owned by two or more people, with the business partners equally sharing the responsibilities of the business. Like a sole proprietorship, the individual owners of the business assume unlimited liability: it is possible for the business owners to be liquidated due to a legal judgment or the failure of the business. Additionally, because the actions of one of the partners are binding on all the others, the entire partnership can prosper or suffer due to the actions of a single member (The Free Dictionary). Also like a sole proprietorship, a general partnership is, as Quick MBA puts it, a â€Å"?†¦tax reporting entity, not a tax paying entity.†? In other words, the partnership is only a method of business organization; it is not a legal entity for tax purposes, and the individual business owners assume tax liability separately. The longevity of a partnership is potentially greater than a sole proprietorship: for example, since there are one or more other partners, the death of one member does not mean the end of the business since their share can be passed along to heirs. Control in a general partnership is shared equally: since there is no one owner, all decisions (and their effects) are shared equally. Profits are divided among the partners: while the liabilities are shared, the profits can sometimes be divided unequally upon agreement. This can affect return on investment: since it is possible to invest in a partnership without being an active member, it is possible to lose money on an investment if the active principals make decisions that affect the business negatively. As with a sole proprietorship, location is not a real concern with a general partnership: since the principals, not the business, are the ones responsible for the tax liability, the decision on where to locate has little to do with corporate tax liability. Like a sole proprietorship, the only real regulatory burden is if the general partnership chooses to do business under a name under their own: the name would have to be registered. Limited Partnership A limited partnership is similar to a general partnership. Quick MBA describes a limited partnership as a partnership with two or more partners, with one or more general and limited partners. The biggest difference is that a limited partner does not assume unlimited liability: their liability is limited to the amount of their investment. Also, since general partners are held wholly liable, they are often LLC’s (limited liability corporations) rather than individuals. Like a general partnership, income and income taxes are generally divided among the principals, but a limited partnership has to meet certain criteria to enjoy this right: otherwise it is taxed as a corporation. The rules of continuity in this sort of organization are different from those of a general partnership. The continuity of the organization is assured: while a general partnership generally must dissolve if a partner leaves, shares of a limited partnership can be created and can be transferred, bought or sold, though principals in the organization have the right to first bid (Quick MBA). Control of a limited partnership rests in the hands of the general partners: because they have management control, they do not have to grant control to anyone else in the organization: in fact, limited partners lose their status if they take a managing role in the business. Like the general partnership, the profits are shared between the partners: because limited partners are investors in the company, they often receive a greater share of the profits because of their financial contribution. Location concerns as the same as in a general partnership. Concerns of convenience or burden are also the same unless the partnership acts as a corporation, in which case corporate regulations must be followed. C-corporation According to Wikipedia, C-corporations are corporations that are taxed separately from their owners. In the United States, corporations are considered â€Å"people† for tax and liability purposes: in this form of business organization, C-corps are individual â€Å"persons† considered separate from shareholders and directors (Expertlaw.com). Because of this, the liability of the shareholders (note that in a corporation, shareholders are the owners of the organization) is limited: shareholders are protected from assuming the burdens of the corporation if it is unable to meet its obligations. Income taxes for the c-corp are calculated at the corporate tax rate: sometimes this rate is lower than the income tax rate of the shareholder’s, but oftentimes it proves to be much higher. Dividends are subject to the capital gains tax of 15%, then subject to the income tax rate of the shareholder; thus, the profits have been taxed twice. The longevity of this form of organization is perpetual: because the company is owned by shareholders, even if the owner leaves the company can continue to exist (The Company Corporation). Control of a C-Corp rests in the hands of shareholders: the owner has control only so far as their share of the company allows. Shareholders generally elect a board of directors to act on their behalf. As with control of the company, profits belong to the owner only in proportion to the amount of stock in the company they possess. Compared to the forms of organization discussed previously, location has a great deal to do with how and where a C-Corp does business. Phrases such as â€Å"Nevada corporation† or â€Å"Delaware corporation† have entered popular usage: they refer to corporations incorporated in these states solely due to their business-friendly incorporation laws (i.e. easy incorporation, no need to elect a board or issue stock, etc). Because corporations are regulated by the states, often times businesses will be incorporated in a state other than the one they do business in. This form of business organization comes with more of a burden on the business owner than the previous three: the states and the federal government heavily regulate corporations, these forms of business are more expensive to establish, and the paperwork burden is much greater. S-Corporation S- and C-corps are very similar, but there are some differences. Like a C-corporation, shareholders are not individually liable for business debts and resopnsibilities (BizFilings). Also, the are similar when it comes to the longevity, profit retention, and location requirements of an S- or C-corporation. The two biggest differences involve the control of the company and the income tax burden. In a C-corp, an unlimited number of shareholders are allowed, and they can be domestic or foreign nationals; however, a S-corp only allows 100 shareholders, and they must be US nationals. When it comes to income taxes, C-corps file as a corporation and corporate taxes are paid; however, an S-corp is a â€Å"pass-through†, meaning that taxes on earnings are filed and paid by the individual shareholders. Limited Liability Company A limited liability company, according to Wikipedia, is a form of organization that combines the features of a partnership with those of a corporation. Like a corporation, liability is limited: the personal assets of business owners are generally shielded from those of the company. Income taxes are treated differently from the other forms of organization: an LLC can elect how it wants to be treated for tax purposes. LLC’s are, like partnerships and sole proprietorships, pass-through entities: taxes are generally not calculated on the firm as a whole, but on the earnings reported on the individual tax returns of the principals. The continuity of the organization depends on how it is organized: if it is organized as a partnership, the longevity is assured. The principals of the company have control of the company: if one person alone is in charge, the LLC can operate as a sole proprietorship for control purposes. Profits are divided among the individual owners: a single owner retains control of all profits, but partners divide the proceeds. The location of an LLC can be important: for instance, in Washington D.C., LLC’s are not allowed to pass-through income for tax purposes, and some states assess levies for the privilege of operating as an LLC (Wikipedia). Compared to corporations, LLC’s have only a minor paperwork burden: though some states regulate them more than others, there is often little more to do aside from filing the standard sole proprietorship/partnership paperwork. Different companies call for different forms of organization: what may work for the sole owner of a shop may not be successful for a large organization. Oftentimes the greater paperwork or regulatory burden imposed on corporations is offset by the advantages of incorporation; sometimes an LLC or partnership may work better. Before deciding on the form of business organization, a prospective business owner will do well to perform a thoughtful analysis to determine which approach will suit their business model. References Internal Revenue Service. Sole Proprietorships. [->0][->1]. Accessed October 9, 2012. Enterpreneur. The Basics of Sole Proprietorships. [->2]. Accessed October 9, 2012. Small Business Administration. Partnerships. [->3]. Accessed October 6, 2012. Quick MBA. The General Partnership.

Capital Punishment Is Always Wrong, Do You Agree?

Capital Punishment is always wrong, do you agree? A Christian would agree as they believe all life is sacred and only god can choose when your life ends, he will punish you in hell for your sins and it is not the place of the government to decide whether you are killed or not. This is because in the bible it says â€Å"Do not kill† which is one of the Ten Commandments which are not to be disobeyed, they also believe in forgiveness and love which are the fundamentals of their religion therefore criminals should be forgiven and given a chance to change.A Buddhist would agree because they believe in the sanctity of life. This is because they believe in karma – that you will accumulate bad karma for the bad things you do in your life and will pay for them in your next life and so therefore we should leave people to be punished in their next life and not kill them because all life is sacred and if we kill them we will accumulate bad karma.A Muslim would disagree because they believe that punishment is needed to protect the welfare of society and serve justice to the victims family, they believe that if you take a life then you should die because you have taken away something sacred and sinned, this is because in the Qur’an it says â€Å"take not life, which God hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law† which permits the death penalty if it is to bring about justice.Another Christian would disagree because they believe that god has appointed the king/queen who has then appointed the government to serve justice on his behalf, this means that they can punish people in the means they feel appropriate and in the bible there are examples where people were killed for their sins so therefore it must be alright to kill people in today’s society.This is because in the bible it says â€Å"show no pity, life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot† which shows that we should have no mercy and shoul d give the same punishment as the crime done for example if someone kills then they should be killed. I disagree as I believe sometimes it could be right because some criminals never reform and in killing them we would be preventing them from killing again and possibly deterring other criminals as they would be afraid of the punishment they would receive.

Recommendation of Ambercrombie & Fitch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Recommendation of Ambercrombie & Fitch - Essay Example Due to the experience, the company will have a benchmark of success for what is achievable. CEO from outside will bring a new perspective and cutting-edge approach. It has been proven through research that outside CEOs with new ideas spend more resources on research and development, and their decisions shows commitment to innovation. Outside talent is necessary so as to breathe fresh life into the firm (Blumberg, et al. 2013). By going outside for a new CEO, the company will send a strong message to its entire workforce and the board that the company recognizes the importance of change, and is ready to invest in its future. A new CEO with new ideas isn’t burdened by the past and is able quickly make a big impact to the company. Hiring a new CEO from outside is what the company requires so as to reach the desired growth. Companies’ changes are ever constant in recent times, as accelerating technology, economic volatility, and globalization are indicators that times for business as usual are long gone. As a result, a lot of companies have been compelled to innovate, pivot, or rethink their strategies entirely. Ambercrombie & Fitch can also go the same route by changing its cultures. Leaders have discovered that in some situations, these steps are challenging and some are even impossible to perform without altering the culture that is associated with the company. A different strategy may call upon the change of the entire culture mind-set of the organization; ‘the way we do things around here’. It is necessary for the leadership of the company to own and be engaged in the process. Only through ownership and engagement can the leadership ensure that Ambercrombie & Fitch is fully aligned and there is the right organizational structure in place, a system that is relevant, the correct management practices, and the required talent in place so as to grow in the desired direction. The

Why men exercise more than women Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why men exercise more than women - Research Paper Example Further, boys tend to experiment a lot. They like emulating their parents, teachers, and other people surrounding them. The boys get themselves into trouble most of the time in school because they are more active than girls who play verbal games in smaller groups (News Staff, 2009). However, Parents experience more rough play with boys than girls during childhood. Parents have been experiencing more problems controlling boys than girls because of their active nature and experimentation. Boys form larger groups than girls and engage in active sports unlike girls who are interested in verbal and passive games. During puberty, boys tend to be more active than girls in that they exercise more often and vigorously than girls. In addition, men engage in activities that are more masculine. At this age, boys tend to explore and adventure for in activities such as camping, mountain climbing, bicycle racing, hunting, and playing football in larger groups. Consequently, single men are more acti ve than single women; most single men exercise more than single women who most of the times engage in passive leisure activities like going out with friends, gossiping, watching television, and chatting on social media. Single men exercise vigorously in the gym and even outside the gym. Married men exercise more than women, and they are more vigorous during their exercise. At this stage, men really exercise and they are less active than women. However, Parents experience more rough play with boys.

H&M and their Blue Ocean and Red Ocean Strategy Essay

H&M and their Blue Ocean and Red Ocean Strategy - Essay Example This paper talks about a brief history of the company H&M and the strategies that it has used and is using that have contributed majorly to their growth and expansion. The paper focuses on two very different strategies, the Blue Ocean Strategy and the Red Ocean Strategy and their characteristics. It attempts to answer whether H&M really used the Blue Ocean Strategy or were they only able to utilize strategies in the Red Ocean. Anyone who is fashion-forward and fashion-conscious would certainly recognize the brand name H&M. Popular for selling and creating trendy pieces at an affordable price, it is no wonder that a lot of people choose to buy from the retail store. Created by Erling Persson in the year 1947, the company H&M had its roots back in Sweden as a fashion retail store that sold only women’s clothing. His first store was named Hennes, the Swedish equivalent of â€Å"hers†. Twenty one years later, the name was changed to â€Å"Hennes and Mauritz† after Persson purchased a hunting store located in Stockholm named Mauritz Widforss. The hunting store sold not only supplies for hunting, but men’s wear as well. It was only then that the store catered to both men and women’s fashion. Over the years, H&M continued to expand and opened numerous stores all over Europe. Their clothing line expanded to cater to men, women, teens, and children. H&M opened their stores in several countries such as USA, Canada, Dubai, Kuwait, Hongkong, China, and Japan. The fashion label will also open stores in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and South Korea by 2010. The company line also offers online shopping limited to countries in Europe namely Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Holland, Norway, Sweden, and Swedish Finland. In the past, the H&M also featured one-time collections made by popular, well- known designers such as Karl Lagerfeld back in 2004 and Stella McCartney in the year 2005, and Viktor & Rolf in

Personal Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Personal Narrative - Essay Example That is when I decided to take the journey towards fitness so that I could lose weight and transform myself. The family supported me in the changes I made in my diet that included swapping the foods that were too fatty for lower-fat options, reducing the sizes of the portions and taking regular family walks. I enrolled in a program that was ran through a website that organized camps for big people as well as offering resources and tips. This was an inspiration to me and I met other people who were dealing with the same problem. Meeting with other people who were having the same problem greatly assisted in my efforts to change my lifestyle and become healthier. There has been an increase in the rate of obesity particularly in children and I make sure that I encourage other people who may be in the same situation that I was in to embrace more healthy living for their own sake. The statistics are overwhelming since approximately one in every three children between the ages of ten and seventeen living in the US is considered overweight or obese and Georgia is second after Mississippi in the country as far as obesity in children is concerned (Johansen 25). Living an inactive combined with a relative ease of access to fast food has been the main cause of obesity for the population. People, especially children spend most of their time watching television and on their computers and phones and very little time exercising. The path towards renewed health is the conviction to make the change and believing that it can be done. The person deciding to change his or her lifestyle must be determined to do it since if one is forced to do it, there is a high chance that when the person will find himself alone, he will fall along the wayside. After being determined that you can take the steps towards healthier living, one will need to take single small steps at a time. It greatly helps to begin by taking water in place of soft drinks and soda and trying things

MGT506 - Strategic Leadership, Mod 4 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGT506 - Strategic Leadership, Mod 4 SLP - Essay Example Among the leadership styles employed may include; task oriented, relationship oriented, dictatorship, and transactional, transformational, charismatic, participative and bureaucratic style of leadership (Lussier & Achua, 2010). This study will focus on both task and relationship styles of leadership. Below is a survey results indicating task Verses Relationship leadership style of leadership Questions Never†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Always 1. Tells group members what they are supposed to do. 2. Sets standards for performance of the group. 3. Makes suggestion about how to solve the problem. 4. Makes his or her perspective clear to others 5. Develop a plan of actions for the group. 6. Defines roles responsibility for each member 7. Clarifies his or her own role within the group 8. Provides a plan for how the work is to be done 9. Provides criteria for what is expected of the group 10. Encourage group members to do high-quality work. 1 2 3 5 1 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 1 3 4 5 1 2 4 5 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 Total score for â€Å"A† orientation 4+2+1+2+3+1+1+5+2+3=26 =26 Scores Questions Never†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Always 11. Act friendly with members of the group. 12. Helps others feel comfortable the group. 13. Responds favorably to responses made by others. 14. Treats others fairly. 15. Behaves in a predictable manner towards group members. 16. Communicates effectively with group members. 17. Shows concern for well-being of others. 18. Shows flexibility in making decisions. 19. Disclose thoughts and feelings to group members. 20. Helps group members to get a long. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 5 1 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 5 1 2 3 5 1 2 4 5 1 2 3 4 Total score for â€Å"B† orientation 5+4+5+4+2+5+4+4+3+5= = 41 Scores A =  Task  Orientation Scores: 26 B =  Relationship  Orientation Scores: 41 Scale 45-50  Ã‚  Ã‚  Very high range 40-44  High range 35-39 moderately high range 30-34 moderately low range 25 -29  Low range 10-24  Very low range Analysis Based on the above survey, the scores indicates that task oriented leadership stand at 26 score while relationship oriented leadership style stands at 41 score. This indicates that the scores for relationship oriented style were within a scale of 40-44 (high range) while on the other hand, the scores for task oriented leadership lies within a scale of 25-29 (low range). This means that the leaders of this organization utilized relationship focus type of leadership. Where, leaders help members of the organization to understand their roles by providing them with necessary support as well as organizing how task will be executed (Daft & Lane, 2008). This means that this type of leadership not only encourages integration but also collaboration among team members (Daft & Lane, 2008). Therefore, the above results will be utilized by the leaders of this organization to strike a balance between task and relationship in order to become more ef ficient and effective in their future leadership. This is because both task and relationship oriented leadership styles complement each other (Goethals, Sorenson & Burns, 2004). For example, employees feel motivated to execute organization goals when treated with care and concern (Goethals, Sorenson & Burns, 2004). This may further leads to an increase in productivity and efficiency within an organization (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison, 2003). Therefore, leaders should focus on relationship oriented type of leadership

Inflation and Monetary Policy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Inflation and Monetary Policy - Term Paper Example The only time the US policymakers assume to think about the foreign exchange value of the dollar is if the dollar moves in acute fashion: if it avalanche as it did in the 1960s and 1970s (Mayer, p. 62, Truman Tally Books) or, for example, if the top amount of the dollar led Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker to apathy the awry arresting that he was accepting from the M1 ambition in aboriginal 1985. The aforementioned attitude is axiomatic in the Fed's attrition to inflation targeting. There is an evolving accord that central banks care to ballast monetary policy with advancing inflation targets. Absolute inflation targets have been a lot of advantageous in countries that accept already accomplished some amount of value stability. Whether advised or accidental, the advantage of absolute inflation targeting seems to be that the accessible comes to accept that the ambition is a long run aim. Inflation targeting helps to access believability about continued run objectives. Outside the US, threats to believability are reflected a lot of acutely in the foreign exchange markets (Taylor, 2000). This paper discusses inflation and monetary policies in the United States of America as the main topic. The paper also three more subtopics, namely Monetary Policy and Foreign Exchange Policy, The Expectations Channel and Inflation and Interest Rate and Inflation Inflation and Monetary Policy Student Enter the Name and Code Number University/College/High School Name of the Professor 11th November, 2009 Main Topic Inflation and Monetary Policy Conventionally, monetary authorities are anxious with the control of inflation in about all economies- developed and developing alike. However, the attributes of inflation is altered for developing and developed economies. For accessible and arising economies, area assets are yet not absolutely utilized, and abounding application does not exist, inflation cannot be a abiding phenomenon, if it is advised deftly. On the contrary, an attack to barrier the annoyance of inflation may collapse bread-and-butter advance and as an aftereffect bread-and-butter development may take a back seat. Moreover, if the abridgement is aperture up and amalgam with the apple economy, inflation may get alien as well. In this sense, a multidimensional access of the monetary action is added relevant Economists and monetary action makers accede that the abiding ambition of the monetary action have to chronicle to abiding inflation, and this can be accomplished through acclimation the money supply (Stock, p.102,Washington DC). The implications of monetary action on advance of output, unemployment or absorption ante is about nil in the long-term, although in the concise these may be affected. This is added in case of developed economies area abounding application already exists and the absolute advance amount is absolutely abutting to the abeyant advance rate. However, in a developing abridgement like India, an access in money accumulation and adjustment through monetary action assuredly leads to college bread-and-butter growth, abridgement in unemployment and successful control of inflation. This is because a lot of abeyant for advance still exists in such an abridgement with affluence of assets that are

Operation Management asignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operation Management asignment - Essay Example In formulating and implementing the organisation’s strategy, the operations management takes the organisation through the main strategic levels (Slack 2003, p23). The managers of these departments ensure the strategies are formulated through three different levels. These are the corporate level, the business unit level, and the departmental level. In the corporate level, the operations management plays a role in selecting the businesses that the organisation has to compete. Additionally, in this level, the operations managers often develop and coordinate the growth of business by ensuring the organisation has achieved its overall goals (Robinson 2012, p 56). In the Business Unit Level, the operations management department works independently in coordination of operating units that sustains the competitive advantage of the organisation’s goods and services. It is in this level that the operation managers implement the changes in demand and technologies. They bring on board the strategies that accommodate them (Mahadevan 2010, p 45). The operations management plays a vital role in the departmental level. In this level, the operations managers deal with strategic issues that relate to value chain and business activities. Additionally, in this level, the members of the operations department coordinate the resources that are important for the operations of the business. In any business, managers are aware strategies are important in maintaining the competitiveness and survival of a business. Such situations demand the top leadership of any business to strengthen their operations management section. Consider the Citizens Advice Bureau in England; it is a successful advice corporation, which pursues profits through a range of operations. The company has ten core business segments. For the growth of the business, the corporation must manage its portfolio of businesses. The operations manager

Abortion and Religious Aspects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Abortion and Religious Aspects - Essay Example However, the main question is what leads to most of the women in committing abortion. Some of the religious leaders claim that American politics plays a major role in enhancing a great number of women to commit abortion. For example, Mary Meehan claims in a journal published last year that many liberals in America support abortion for political gains (Meehan 1). Meehan illustrates that the liberals claim that women ought to have the right to abort at their will in order to have equality especially in employment (Meehan 16). Apart from politics, religious organizations, for example, the Catholics claim that abortion is a result of poverty, poor health care and unemployment (Cahill 189). Cahill also mentions that these factors also tend to be a major hindrance when the organizations try to curb the act of abortion in the country. However, even after the arguments that occur relating to abortion, religious organizations stand on their main objective that everyone has a right to live (Gardoski 54). Abortion tends to be one of the central aspects of the discussion that emerges especially during the election period. This is because some people support the act by pointing out various reasons while others oppose. However, religious organizations have clearly come out to demonstrate their side on this issue and they totally oppose the act. The main issue that everyone including the government should consider is figuring out the main reasons that lead to abortion in order to curb the activity.

The Difference Between Negative and Postive Peer Pressure Essay Example for Free

The Difference Between Negative and Postive Peer Pressure Essay Peer pressure is not bad thing. We all are influenced by our peers, both negatively and positively. It helps define who we are and how we feel about subjects in our lives. It is how we chose to react to peer pressure that defines who we are as an individual. Are we a leader or a follower? Both types of people are needed to make the world go around. A healthy part of every childs development is involvement with their peers. This is especially true during adolescence as teenagers develop a sense of independence from their parents. by Bruce A. Epstein, M.D, in The Importance of Peer Pressure! As our children grow our influence on certain subjects diminishes and the influence of peers gains ground. The trick here is to control who the peers are. If your child is hanging out with a group of teens that is into sports, and then he meets someone who is into drugs, his opinion of the teen that is into drugs is going to be Hes stupid! Why? Mostly, because that is the opinion of the teens who are the closest to him. The problem is that the reverse is also true. The difference between negative and positive peer pressure is the outcome. The reverse of the situation above is negative peer pressure. The situation itself is positive peer pressure. Or is it? What if your teen really doesnt like sports, but pushes himself to do it to please his friends or to be accepted? Therefore, he probably doesnt do too well at it, and gets only jabs at his self esteem from the very friends he is trying so hard to impress. That is another form of negative peer pressure. Peer pressure is a normal aspect in our teens lives, as well as our own. As a parent, we need to pick and choose our battles. For example, just because we dont like the current teen fashion does not mean that we have to fight it. When everyone at school is wearing jeans that are five times too big for them, and your teen wants to also, you can cut him some slack. But, if everyone is wearing these jeans down around their knees, you have a battle.

Electronic Surveillance Invasion Of Privacy Philosophy Essay

Electronic Surveillance Invasion Of Privacy Philosophy Essay Electronic surveillance has become part of our everyday life for quite some time by now. When we make a call to most service companies or organizations, we almost always hear the computer voice: Forreason, this phone call is monitored. When we go to work, turn on the computer, it says on the screen: your activity is monitored. Everywhere we look, we found surveillance cameras, on the street, in the mall, at school We found them in the United States as well as most of the other countries in the whole world. Over ABC news, one day I heard about the humming bird the US military was developing to help the troops in the field. It is remote controlled, looks and flies like a humming bird, with a camera on it. Ive never been too worried about the privacy issue until I see this little bird flying around. Its so small, it has the ability to go basically everywhere. If its used in the military, who can say its never going to be used by general public? If everybody can buy one, is it possible for somebody to buy one as a toy and fly it around the park? Or how about a kid flying it around the apartment building or the neighborhood? Will we need to get rid of all the windows of our houses to have some privacy? The news keep reporting a lot of cases in which the criminals were caught because of the use of electronic surveillance. Whenever this happens, most people might think its really a good thing. It is definitely good if video cameras only catch bad guys, but thats never going to be possible, it either catchs everything or nothing at all. Watching the crimes being committed on a video would sure brings definite evidences the same as hearing the criminals talk about their crimes on the phone. In court, electronic surveillance has been very successful. But as communications advance, the surveillance techniques has became more and more intrusive to privacy. One has to agree that electronic surveillance does play an important role in criminal investigation in this information era, but we also cant deny the fact that its very intrusive and its even becoming more and more intrusive because of the advancing technology. Ethical dilemma Now, weve reached a ethical dilemma here. First of all, electronic surveillance is helpful in law enforcement. Definitely no doubt at all. In fact, law enforcement agents requests lots and lots of information from all sorts of organizations, from wiretaps, surveillance cameras, to cell phone locations and e-mails. The most familiar one we all know is whenever there is car stolen, robbery broken in, or anything, surveillance cameras films are pulled out to the light to identify criminals. Some of the things we might not know as much: in 2006 alone, AOL received about one thousand request from the law enforcement on a monthly basis; in 2009, the website Face book received more than ten request daily; some cell phone companies even have websites, so the police can use the data from it freely. Overall, thousands of electronic surveillance are ordered every year by the law enforcement. Or we might even say, for solving almost every crime, there is some type of electronic surveillance used . On the other hand, privacy concern is getting more and more of an issue. When the very early type of surveillance was used, like wiretaps, they are only conducted on people who are suspected of some sort of crime, not on regular legitimately behaved citizens. But after surveillance cameras came into play, everything, everybody is monitored, legitimate or not, guilty or not, people are all watched all the time in work place, on the street or most public places. Luckily, we still have our privacy left in our own home if we want. But if later on, the little humming bird come into life, we might as well lose that, by then, there would be barely any privacy left if any at all. Then what shall we do as a society? Should we keep current surveillance, or even add lots more to make the world a safer place to live? Or should we get rid of all the surveillance, and all the advance technology and go back to what we had during the very early days? Or do we want to use the surveillance and at the same time protect privacy as much as possible? How do we approach that? Analyzing by the use of ethical theories Kant First of all, lets see what Kant would say about this situation. Kants Categorical Imperative (First Formula) says: to act only from the moral rules that you can at the same time will to be universal moral laws. We might put the moral rule this way: it is okay for the law enforcement to use electronic surveillance. Now, in order to evaluate this morale rule, we try to put it into a universal rule. Law enforcement can use electronic surveillance whenever they want. Since surveillance works very well, if the court accepts any evidence from electronic surveillance, and law enforcement is allowed to put surveillance over anybody at any place any time, we might find surveillance cameras everywhere, maybe even in our bedrooms or bathrooms. Thus, by then, people would have no expect about privacy anymore. Under such circumstances, people who want to conduct criminal activities wont be doing it under public light, or anywhere that electronic surveillance can reach, they might be doing it in underground tunnels or under the water, or they might invent some type of shield or clothes such that the cameras wont go through, or whatever way thats possible. Of course they wont be using phone calls, or e-mails or any other electronic communication methods. They might be using pigeons or bugs or whatever works to send messages. So, by then, all the surveillance we have wont be useful any more, thus the idea that surveillance will help fight crimes, catch criminals wont be true any more. So we conclude it would reach contradictory when we try to universal the rule. Then, Kants Second Formulation of Categorical Imperative points out it is wrong for one person to use another person. When the law enforcement use wiretap on a suspect, Kant would probably say its okay. But for the cases of surveillance cameras and other surveillance which targets all the people in general, the law enforcement are using the legitimate people trying to find out who the criminals are. Those people who are lawful citizens should not be treated as means to an end. So it is wrong for law enforcement to watch over everybody trying to find the bad guys. Act Utilitarian Act utilitarian uses the Principle of Utility to just moral issues, it believes an action is right if it increases the total happiness of all the affected parties, and an action is wrong if it decreases the total happiness of the affected parties. Lets say law enforcement is using surveillance cameras in neighborhood parks in order to detect possible criminal activities. Now, lets try to determine all the affected parties and the change of their happiness. First of all, the camera is there to watch over the park, so the police department dont need as many patrols out there, that would save them some money. Also, cameras are on twenty-four hours a day, and it shows absolute evidence, people can watch it, replay it, it most likely will even work better than if a patrol is there in person. The camera might help to keep the criminals away, make it a better neighborhood to live in, thus everybody in the neighborhood will benefit. On the other hand, people who lives around the park, maybe going there quite a few times a day, and dont feel like being watched all the time, so they might chose not to go to the park at all. Especially, people who live right by the park might worry the cameras could possibly see what theyre doing in thei r house, that might cause them great discomfort. They might even move away from the park to free themselves. In this case we need to decide which side weights more, if there is barely anybody living around the park, and there are a lot of criminal activities going on over there, utilitarianism might say its better to have some surveillance cameras there. But for the places where many people live around with very rarely any criminal activities happen, it might not be such a good idea to put surveillance cameras there. The only problems here is, most likely, where there are more people, there are more crimes happening. Rational people would agree not much crimes are happening deep in the forest. So the issue becomes, the places where surveillance cameras are most in need are places where there are more people, but at the same time, thats the place where we would appreciate not having the cameras. Rule Utilitarian Rule utilitarianism holds that we should use those moral rules which, if followed by everyone, will lead to the greatest increase in total happiness. Now lets look at the same universal moral rule as we used for Kant: Law enforcement can use electronic surveillance whenever they want. If law enforcement can use whatever surveillance they want and it holds up in court, they would not hesitate to use it, since that would make them break into the criminal cases way easier. Thus we might came upon such scenario: everybody is required to wear a cap with a camera on it, or a pair of earrings with tiny cameras on the bottom, so the law enforcement can watch over all our activities, thus nothing will go hidden, no criminal activities will go without being find out. Then we will be living in an absolute transparent world. How about if the technology advance so much, people might invent something that could tell if people are thinking evil, if such detection chip is planted in everyones head, then, surely, there wouldnt be any crimes happening at all. If there is no crimes on the world, all the legitimate citizens would definitely benefit. Also, if there is no crimes, we probably dont even need the entire justice branch of the country, or any attorneys, or weapons or such, thats going to be a great big save. If there is no crime, everybody will have lot less to worry about everyday, it should be way easier for people to stay happy. The first negative consequence of such an universal adoption of electronic surveillance is that its going to cost the taxpayers a lot of money to have all the cameras installed, all the special software or device designed and produced to put into use. Also, a lot of law enforcement personals would be needed to monitor all these many people in the country. Whats the ratio of law enforcement to citizen? One to five? Ten? Thats a question. The most harmful consequence of massive electronic surveillance would be the unhappiness caused to people by having very little privacy. Were born to love freedom, nobody love to be watched all the time. If people are not happy living in this country, theyll go somewhere else where freedom and privacy is valued more. Thus, US as a nation, will be downgraded, less and less people will want to come and work here, our own best elites will definitely seek opportunities elsewhere, the whole country and everyone inside would be worse off. In conclusion, the possible harm caused by adopting the universal moral rule seems to exceed the possible benefits. So the rule utilitarianism would probably say using electronic surveillance for law enforcement is wrong. Social Contract Theory Social contract theory states that it is morally right for one person to act according to a moral rule that is accepted by rational people because of the mutual benefits of adopting such a rule, given others follow the rules as well. To apply social contract theory, we identify the rational agents and their rights. The morality of the action of the law enforcement depends on whether the privacy rights of the people is violated. Most of us would agree having privacy is one way the society gives to rational adults on the account that they will be responsible for whatever they do. We dont give much privacy to babies or toddlers, because mostly they dont know what they are doing, and they need somebody to watch over them, also we generally dont hold them responsible for what they do. We as adults, take care of them, and are responsible for their behaviors. If were being watched over like babies, would that imply we dont know what were doing, and need some supervision all the time? If thats the case, how can the law enforcement know what they are doing, on what ground can they have the right and ability to watch our the rest of the world? Should they themselves be watched over at the same time? On the other hand, if were treated like babies, we shouldnt be responsible for what we do. Some might argue we dont have rights to privacy the same way as we have right to life and to our own property. But we mostly would agree, giving people some privacy have many benefits. Privacy gives people the opportunity to do what they please, to be themselves, to grow in their own unique way. Generally speaking, people expect privacy when they are in their private places, such as bedrooms; people expect certain things to be private such as how much money they have in the bank; or what they said to their girlfriend or boyfriend or such. Privacy is valued in our society, a rational people would agree, having some privacy is good to everybody because nobody wants to live under a camera and have other people watch how many times they went to bathrooms or even how many scars are over their bodies. In conclusion, according to social contract theory, it is wrong for law enforcement to use electronic surveillance because it violates the privacy of the general public. Consequences if electronic surveillance is not allowed Now, look at the other side of the issue. What would happen if electronic surveillance is not allowed at all? Of course we would have our privacy back, people will be living a happier life being able to do what they please without being watched. But what about law enforcement? Will we be able to capture any criminals? Were better off than our ancestors in many ways, such as, we have better clothes, better food, better education and so on. But the world is also getting more and more dangerous, all the newest technology, the advance in education also made it possible for some criminals to do huge damage to the society. If electronic surveillance arent allowed in court, will we be able to catch those people and put them in jail? The chances might be very low. If criminals figure out the law enforcement cant reach them, most likely theyll do a lot more damage, if people know they cant be caught for the bad things they do, most likely theyll keep doing it, and other people who use to be legitimate person might even find out stealing from other people is way easier than working hard to gain something, if lots of other people are doing it, why cant they? Computers are used by almost everybody here in US, people conduct crimes on co mputers, some might sell illegal things on the web, some might sent viruses to destroy other peoples computer, all sorts of bad things could happen, thus it is becoming increasing important that the law enforcement can stay on top of the technology and keep the criminal activities under control. If there are all legitimate people on the world, then we sure dont need any surveillance, we can have all our privacy. But thats not the case, then, some type of surveillance will be needed to watch over those who are trying to damage the society. Decision and Implementation From the point of view of Kant, act utilitarianism, rule utilitarianism, and social contract theory, we have all concluded it is wrong for the law enforcement to use electronic surveillance for law enforcement. But on the other hand, because of the advancing in technology and education, criminals these days are becoming very good at covering what they do, so surveillance is needed in lots of ways to protect the general public from the harm the criminals might cause, and it is important for law enforcement to have some electronic surveillance, so they can effectively catch those criminals and give the punish they deserve, thus people will be living in a much more safer environment. Now we realize we all want as much privacy as possible, but we also want to live in a safe place where criminals are punished for the bad things they do, thus electronic surveillance becomes something we dont like, but we got to have some. That happens a lot in life, suppose somebody might dont like vegetables at all, but because of the benefits vegetable brings, they have to eat some, since they all want to live a healthy and long life. But at the same time, they might be able to find all sorts of ways to make the vegetables tastier to their desire, so they will more likely want to eat it, even possibly enjoy eating it. Now how should we implement such theory on electronic surveillance? How can we use it in such a way that brings more beneficiary than damage? Congress has already passed many laws relating to protecting peoples privacy, such as the Video Privacy Protection Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and so on, but the technology is advancing so rapidly, which makes it hard for the congress to react and come up with new law regarding new issues. So, first of all, we will need a group of elites who possess the newest technology in the legislative group, so they will be able to come up with supportive laws as fast as needed. This way the gap between new technology and the laws will be luckily filled up. On the other hand, its a good idea to use every possible way to actively promote virtues in people in the country, higher education is one way to pursue this, high education will bring people up to some level of understanding about how the society function as a whole, how is it important that everybody in the whole nation, whole world need to work together to make the universe a better place to live in. Other than that, good economy, good living condition, good relationship between family members and relatives and friends, all those together will give people a sense of belonging, make people happier and such that not as many people will be thinking about committing crimes, which then leads to less surveillance needed, so in return well all have more privacy. Also, another very important part is how can we make sure our law enforcement personals are well trained about how important it is to stick to their code of professional ethics, such that people can trust them not to misuse priva te information, and there should be strict laws to regulate when such things does happen. If legitimate person can trust law enforcement to only use their information for specific reasons, they would be more willing to provide such information and give away some of their privacy.

Market and Competitor Analysis of Hotel Industry

Market and Competitor Analysis of Hotel Industry Market Analysis: Industry and Competition EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Businesses fail to define satisfaction in the same way that customers do. Customer relationship satisfaction is measured by repeat business and recommendation of the store to others (Thompson 2004, p. 104). While customers can agree to these behaviours only â€Å"60% of customers who named a business they were loyal to, said they would also shop at the competition† (Donogh 2000, p. 1). How consumers perceive a company or product depends upon varying factors different for each individual (Whelan 2004). It is part of the job of the e-marketing analyst to disseminate how their client will gain market share and competitive advantage through marketing schemes. With regard to the tourism industry and creating customer relations, it is important to remain unique and as individual as every customer. How does one do this with limited time and funding? Customization of a web site is key to advantage but also creating a unique experience on the web site and at the destination is part of niche marketing and a main cornerstone to any tactic. GENERAL OVERVIEW It is of utmost importance to carry out an analysis of the industry per business operations and define the competition. As part of this presentation, a market analyst should keep in mind different models in which to decipher the current state of the market and where to gauge an organisation’s advantage. For the purpose of this presentation and understanding the tourism industry, four models chosen for this analysis are: (1) SWOT analysis, (2) PESTEL analysis, (3) Michael Porters Five Forces and (4) Boston Matrix. By comparing and contrasting the Althorn web site with the competition of other stately English homes, one can better assess the marketing plan and continue to make appropriate changes. The web sites chosen for review with Althopr.com are as follows: (1) Balmoralcastle.com and (2) Muscottmillfarm.co.uk. MARKET INDUSTRY ANALYSIS: SWOT Analysis The Historic Monument Travel Industry Strengths and Weaknesses are considered internal factors while Opportunities and Threats are external to company (‘SWOT Analysis’ 2005). It is important to note the analysis using this tool is very subjective in nature. When it comes to niche travel, England’s stately homes, castles and historic monuments fall into a very distinctive category that surprisingly appeals to many travellers’ sense of history. What makes the online presence special is being about to capture history while maintaining a certain level of current events, even celebrity about staying somewhere unique. (S)trengths: Places like Althorp and Balmoral have the essence of royalty engrained into the image and experience. These places have been witness to infamous times in history and famous people as well. (W)eaknesses: Historical travel destinations may also have an air of affluence about them, which could limit their target audience potential. This feeling of being beyond reproach may send mixed signals to the common man. (O)pportunities: Because places like Althorp and Balmoral are well known to the public because of their relationships to royalty, this propels them into the spotlight more than other less known sites like Muscott Mill. These places like Balmoral have history but also many opportunities that a smaller place cannot take advantage of. Places like Balmoral and Althorp also have a following where product sales with branding becomes key to continued image and public awareness. This allows them more interaction and further investment into different ways to capture the audience such as private rentals and entertainment events like golf and concerts. (T)hreats: Consumers may be afraid to travel because of the war in Iraq and threats of terrorism, increased security being time consuming. Also times are tight for a lot of people due to increasing energy costs and lack increased spending power. Many people have chosen to stay home or vacation close to home. Places like Althorp need focus on local tourism. ALTHORP.COM: CURRENT AND POTENTIAL MARKETS PESTEL Analysis This strategy analysis takes into account external forces, which may have influence on the organisations success (‘PESTEL Analysis’ 2005). (P)olitical: The political force that may influence Althorp is its relationships with the surrounding local community. Many do not want to see their ‘neighbourhood’ tarnished or changed by the tourist traffic or see Althorp take advantage of their royal status. Environmental: This is a very trendy topic, the notion of ‘going green’ but needless to say something to consider adopting as part of the new image tactic. Also Althorp should consider the fuel demands of travellers and maybe run a promotion with a local hotel or petrol station. (S)ocial: Social forces at work externally could be a fear of flying or travel. Also in times of trouble, people band together, become closer within their communities. Althorp should consider looking closer to home and cultivating a relationship with locals. They should use the Internet as a tool to focus globally. (T)echnological: Obviously the web site is classy and reflects the overall image of Althorp as a stately home with beautiful grounds. The web site should using appropriate e-tools to continue consumer interaction. These e-tools vary from pod casting to blogging but also create a more intimate interaction with the public, which also reflects another image of Althorp being a special place for Princess Dianna. Continued evolution of the web site can bring a feeling of closeness to the site it lacks currently. This may involve further investment to update software and hire a Web master or graphic designer. (E)cological forces at work for Althorp include once again the price of fuel or energy source and its prolonged use at the site, the affect it has on the environment. Has Althorp considered what affect it may have on the global warming? It would environmentally sound for the company to research ways to conserve and protect the environment maybe through a conservation project in conjunction with another site. (L)egal forces or changes in the laws that govern travel are constantly in issue. Also Althorp must keep in mind a lot of times people are not culturally aware of differing laws that apply when travelling. It is important that not only the house watch for the risk legal issues cause but also look out for its employees giving the correct information to customers. THE COMPETITION: BALMORAL AND MUSCOTT MILL FARM BALMORALCASTLE.COM PORTER’S FIVE FORCES Customer Bargaining Power High Today’s Internet savvy consumer is educated when it comes to their travel plans. This gives the consumer power over places like Balmoral to match their need for a web site that will understand their intelligence. They know what they want and at what price they want it. They may chose a different destination if they don’t like the web site. Threat of Substitute Products and Services – Emerging This is where diversification of services at Balmoral becomes important and an asset. The future of these places depends on presentation of different formats and product specialty to keep the customer’s attention. These niche locations like Balmorals will meet consumer demand of specific needs. Supplier Bargaining PowerMedium The bargaining power of Balmoral is relatively medium because of the nature of the product. Balmoral must remain at above industry standard while maintaining the sense of class found and that level of services. Threat of New Entrants – Emerging New entries into the market, one would think should be low because of the designation of this being a niche destination as historical but the truth is places like Balmoral must compete outside their niche for capture of customers. They compete with theme parks and adventure vacations of the like. Many tourists because the information from the Internet is so vast are looking for something beyond the regular vacation. The Overall Level of Rivalry – Moderate There is a perception that the more densely populated the area becomes the higher the competition with the company struggling for market participation. This is an incorrect assumption because most of niche travel locations are operating online mainly suppliers to manufacturers or to the public. This results in less advertising and an environment where the competitive spirit is unvoiced. MUSCOTTMILLFARM.CO.UK Boston Matrix Analysis There are four areas that divide the matrix so that a place like Muscott Mill Farm can be differentiated from other stately English homes or working historic monuments. The place falls into one of these areas. The four areas are as follows: (1) Stars, (2) Cash Cows, (3) Question Marks and (4) Dogs (‘Boston Matrix’ 2005). Stars are tourist sites like Balmoral or Althorp that have a strong presence in the market and they are able to keep up, even be ahead of the competition. Balmoral, while stoically regal also maintains a global image because of it being the Queen’s summer residence. Cash Cows are smaller places of interest like Muscott Mill that are not in the spotlight and may be hidden from the average tourist’s mind (‘Boston Matrix’ 2005). Many smaller historical sites are becoming cash cows because of operating cost increases but also the aftermath of 9/11 remains. People are not as eager to travel and the price of airfare keeps people closer to home. Muscott Mill would be better off focusing on local markets for shorter weekend holidays. Question Marks are companies that have potential to make money if they are run properly (‘Boston Matrix’ 2005). A good example of a Question Mark in the industry would be smaller BB type places but not at the level of Musc ott Mill. They are constantly facing challenges with their operations management and particularly labour disputes. Dogs are companies that are just terrible, have no potential and should be out of business but continue to struggle (‘Boston Matrix’ 2005). Euro Disney is the prominent example. It has never lived up to the hype. Muscott Mill Farm remains at the bottom of the chain of advantage because it is not well known by the public as a destination. Its web site is quaint at best and not at all interactive but yet one can see the purpose it serves to at least introduction someone to its existence. EVALUATION OF MARKETING COMMUNICATION AND CRM A company’s marketing and recognition begins with its name. Because the business of tourism is greatly service oriented, it is of utmost importance that the company’s name has integrity. With time, as the organisation further establishes itself, the two will become interchangeable. The organisation has a reputation to uphold where market share remains wide-open and competitive advantage strong. Recently the house’s name and intellectual property in the forms of trademarks and brand has been at the forefront, in constant view thanks to e-business. John M.T. Balmer surmises that much of the problem with establishing a marketing framework for organisations is built on the concept that the notion of identity is vague to the corporation and therefore the consumer. Defining identity and therefore CRM becomes a challenge now especially as business practices change and shift to encompass all areas of focus and strategy. Balmer’s (2001) research writes of, â€Å"identity was a pressing issue for many institutions and that the question of identity, or of what the organisation is or stands for, cuts across and unifies many different organisational goals and concerns† (p. 250). Hence the confusion and challenge of figuring out exactly what identity is for a particular organisation because it is different for each. CONCLUSION The purpose of this presentation was to demonstrate different market strategy models that allow one to analyse not only the particular industry but also the competition. The niche travel destination market has its strengths and weaknesses but also these are areas that Althorp can use to make its marketing scheme better. The competition for the United Kingdom is vast but Althorp has many elements on its side as a special location for travellers. The main focus of any marketing scheme should be to know how to capture the mindset of the individual to reach a higher state of competitive advantage and this begins and ends with conveying the correct brand image. REFERENCES Allen, G 1999, Introduction to Marketing, Mountain View College, Mountain View, California. ‘Althorp’, Althorp.com, viewed 5 Aug. 2008, http://www.althorp.com.> Balmer, J M T, Fukukawa, K Gray E R 2001, The Nature and Management of Ethical Corporate Identity: Discussion Paper on Corporate Identity, Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics, Bradford School of Management, England. Balmer, J M T 2001, ‘Corporate identity, corporate branding and corporate marketing seeing through the fog’, European Journal of Marketing vol. 35, 3/4, p. 248-291. ‘Balmoral Castle’, Balmoralcastle.com, viewed 7 Aug. 2008, http://www.balmoralcastle.com.>. ‘Boston Matrix or Boston Consulting Group Box BCG Box’, viewed 5 Aug. 2008, http://www.tutor2u.net/busines/strategy/bcg_box.htm.>. Donogh, J 2008, ‘Customer Loyalty—From the Customer’s Perspective’, viewed 3 Aug. 2008 www.refresher.com/!loyalty2.html>. Kotler P, 1999, Kotler on Marketing, Free Press, New York. ‘PESTEL Analysis’, viewed 5 Aug. 2008, http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCESitemid=1074451452> Peters, T 2003, ‘Helping Small Firms Put the ‘e’ in Trade’, International Trade Forum,  1 July. Pitturo, M 1999, ‘Get into the e-Commerce Without Betting the Store’, Journal of  Accountancy, 1 May. Porter, M E 1999, Strategy and the Internet, Harvard University Press, Cambridge. Porter, M E 1985, Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. The Free Press, New York. ‘SWOT Analysis’, viewed 5 Aug 2008, http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/swot/.>. Thompson, H 2004, What They Want: Ten Myths About Your Customers, Prentice-Hall, Clifford Falls, New Jersey, p. 103-112. Whelan, D 2004, ‘Build It and They Will Come’, Forbes, 27 Dec 2004. APPENDICES APPENDIX A SAMPLE POSSIBLE QUESTIONNAIRE 1. How do you rate Althorp’s web site overall ease of use? (1=very easy; 5=very difficult) 2. Having Althorp’s picture of the web sites you visited (1: strongly agree; 5=strongly disagree; 6=no opinion) a. Reflects how you think about the web. b. Gives you more confidence in exploring the web. c. Slows down the computer too much. d. Helps you feel more adventurous. e. Lets you know where you are in the web. f. Takes too much time to use. g. Helps you move around in the web. h. Makes me feel like I’m travelling throughout the web. i. Takes up too much space on the screen. j. Makes web organisation clearer. 3. Please rate how you think Althorp would be for the following functions (very useful, useful, not useful, don’t  know): a. Pure Entertainment (games, chat, humor) b. Personal uses (hobbies, health, recipes, travel) c. Business (buy and sell, product info, banking) d. Academic (exchange data and results, communicate with colleagues, grad info). 4. I feel that looking for information on the World Wide Web using Althorp.com is: (Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly disagree, Don’t Know): Easy; entertaining; confusing; complicated; intimidating; hard; boring; straightforward; simple; frustrating.

Privatizing the Public Sphere Essay -- Industrialization Fragmentation

Privatizing the Public Sphere The privatization and fragmentation of space in post-industrial urban America is a widespread social problem. As society becomes even more globalized as a result of technological advances, the rampant spread of a privatized public realm is ever-increasing. Public space is needed as a center in which to bring people together to share a common place. It is within public spaces that public life unfolds and without public spaces such as parks, streets, and buildings, the mixing of classes will become increasingly uncommon. Society is made up of two sectors: the private and public, and it is essential that both remain separate entities. However, through the use of fear tactics especially the threat of violent crimes, privatized settings are spreading throughout the public sphere. In this analysis, it is my intent to explore the various tactics being used to impede upon the public sphere. In doing so, I will explore the causal factors that contribute to the increased privatization of urban public life. Historically, the city was an all-encompassing entity. At the dawn of industrialization, large masses of people flocked to the city in hopes of a better economic life for themselves and their families. It was within the city limits, particularly closest to the areas of commerce and exchange that people took up residence, worked, and pursued various social activities. The city served the needs of all its citizens. However, as industrialization moved further along, there was a major shift in urban economics. While many businesses flourished, so did wealth and as this increased, society faced an evolving class system. Three notable classes emerged: the lower/working class, the middle class, and the upper/elite class. While these class divisions grew, a large amount of money was being invested in the creation of public venues. Public institutions were designed to bring education, culture, and in many ways, a sense of community to modern city life. A public park or library was a plac e that people of various classes could come together and share space. However, by the end of the Twentieth century and into the Twenty-First, true public space is becoming almost extinct, as is the middle class. Privatized public space has become the new trend across many American cities. There are many interrelated factors that contribut... ...for the poor into the public realm. The decline of a middle class is affecting the structure of society because cities and public venues were once designed to serve the middle class. However, without such a class, cities are now being designed to service an elite class and it is this class that has the power and control over public life. With the widening division between classes, services to the non-elite members of society will continue to diminish. The importance of public space and life is an important aspect of any given society. Without such spaces, society will continue to be dived among class lines. When a certain group of people hold power and it’s all about power and control, there will always be those that are excluded and denied access to the public sphere. As long as imaginary and irrational fears are instilled into the private lives of the public, society will continue to build fortress around its buildings and to use surveillance cameras outside the doors. Public space is a right to all citizens and due to fear of the unknown; it is diminishing right before our eyes. In this day and age, to be an American means to always be under the watchful eye of another. Privatizing the Public Sphere Essay -- Industrialization Fragmentation Privatizing the Public Sphere The privatization and fragmentation of space in post-industrial urban America is a widespread social problem. As society becomes even more globalized as a result of technological advances, the rampant spread of a privatized public realm is ever-increasing. Public space is needed as a center in which to bring people together to share a common place. It is within public spaces that public life unfolds and without public spaces such as parks, streets, and buildings, the mixing of classes will become increasingly uncommon. Society is made up of two sectors: the private and public, and it is essential that both remain separate entities. However, through the use of fear tactics especially the threat of violent crimes, privatized settings are spreading throughout the public sphere. In this analysis, it is my intent to explore the various tactics being used to impede upon the public sphere. In doing so, I will explore the causal factors that contribute to the increased privatization of urban public life. Historically, the city was an all-encompassing entity. At the dawn of industrialization, large masses of people flocked to the city in hopes of a better economic life for themselves and their families. It was within the city limits, particularly closest to the areas of commerce and exchange that people took up residence, worked, and pursued various social activities. The city served the needs of all its citizens. However, as industrialization moved further along, there was a major shift in urban economics. While many businesses flourished, so did wealth and as this increased, society faced an evolving class system. Three notable classes emerged: the lower/working class, the middle class, and the upper/elite class. While these class divisions grew, a large amount of money was being invested in the creation of public venues. Public institutions were designed to bring education, culture, and in many ways, a sense of community to modern city life. A public park or library was a plac e that people of various classes could come together and share space. However, by the end of the Twentieth century and into the Twenty-First, true public space is becoming almost extinct, as is the middle class. Privatized public space has become the new trend across many American cities. There are many interrelated factors that contribut... ...for the poor into the public realm. The decline of a middle class is affecting the structure of society because cities and public venues were once designed to serve the middle class. However, without such a class, cities are now being designed to service an elite class and it is this class that has the power and control over public life. With the widening division between classes, services to the non-elite members of society will continue to diminish. The importance of public space and life is an important aspect of any given society. Without such spaces, society will continue to be dived among class lines. When a certain group of people hold power and it’s all about power and control, there will always be those that are excluded and denied access to the public sphere. As long as imaginary and irrational fears are instilled into the private lives of the public, society will continue to build fortress around its buildings and to use surveillance cameras outside the doors. Public space is a right to all citizens and due to fear of the unknown; it is diminishing right before our eyes. In this day and age, to be an American means to always be under the watchful eye of another.

Terrorism and the Survival of the Species Essay -- September 11 Terror

Terrorism and the Survival of the Species Terrorism is simply a violent form of political communication. The message of September 11, 2001 ran as follows: America, it is time you learned how implacably you are hated. The airplanes used were the terrorist's version of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles aimed at Americas' innocence. That innocence, the terrorists loudly declared, was a luxurious and anachronistic delusion. A year after the attack, one is free to taste the bile of its atrocious ingenuity. It is already trite - but stringently necessary - to emphasize that such a mise en scène would have embarrassed a studio executive's storyboard or a thriller-writer's notebook ("What happened today was not credible," were the words of Tom Clancy, the author of The Sum of All Fears). And yet in broad daylight and full consciousness that outline became established reality: ten dollars worth of box-cutters produced ten million tons of rubble. Several lines of US policy were bankrupted by the events of September 11, 2001 among them national missile defence. Someone realised that the skies of America were already teeming with missiles, each of them primed and cocked. If the architect of this destruction was Os... ... from above will replenish the source of all terror from below: unhealed wounds. This is the familiar cycle so well caught by the matter, and the title, of VS Naipaul's story, Tell Me Who to Kill. Our best destiny, as planetary cohabitants, is the development of what has been called "species consciousness" - something over and above nationalisms, blocs, religions, ethnicities. During this time of incredulous misery, I have been trying to apply such a consciousness, and such a sensibility. Thinking of the victims, the perpetrators, and the near future, I felt species grief, then species shame, then species fear.

Explore the ways in which Collins presents the relationships between men and women in The Moonstone Essay

Explore the ways in which Collins presents the relationships between men and women in The Moonstone. Do male or female characters have more influence in the novel? In this essay I will explore the relationships between male and female characters in the novel ‘The Moonstone’. This essay will evaluate all of the key characters, from the annoyingly religious Miss Clack to the caring and loving Gabriel Betteredge. I will explore the characters personality and decipher whether male or female characters have more influence in the novel. The book is split into eight narratives written by different characters to show what each character is thinking and to give different perspectives as the events unfold. This technique also adds tension as certain secrets are hidden from individuals so not everyone knows the whole truth. Out of the eight narratives only one is written by a woman (Drusilla Clack) whilst all the others are written by male characters. The female characters in the novel are all very atypical, as they stand up for themselves and do not just give way. This was uncommon in the Victorian era as women had few rights and were not expected to be hot tempered. Miss Rachel, a young lady born into a rich family, acts in an unlady-like manner at certain points in the story, especially when she refuses to give information on what she knows about the diamond. Betteredge, one of the characters who knows Rachel Verinder best, said that he could â€Å"Call to mind, in her childhood, more than one occasion when the good little soul took the blame, and suffered the punishment, for some fault committed by a playfellow whom she loved†. This aspect of Rachel’s character and personality is shown many times in the novel, for instance, when she refuses to talk about the diamond for Franklin Blake’s reputation would be shattered if she spoke. This gives the reader the impression that Rachel values her friends and family and she is a women of her word. This adds suspense to the novel and greatly effects the plot as if she had revealed what she knew then Franklin Blake would have been arrested and would not have had a chance of defending himself, resulting in the Moonstone never being found and Godfrey Ablewhite getting away, with no consequences. In the book the majority of the discoveries are made by men, although this is because the female characters already knew the truth; they just hadn’t revealed it. One of the cases of this happening is when Franklin Blake deciphers the code to find Rosanna Spearmen’s chest. This held many secrets which Rosanna had kept silent about for a long time. This effects the outcome of the novel, as since Rosanna kept quite over her love of Franklin Blake, the truth of the moonstone being revealed is delayed, giving time for the events at London to unfold. The reader really gets the impression of Rosannas love of Mr Franklin Blake from this act, of saving his reputation, even though holding these secrets could be argued to be a massive factor of her eventual suicide. Despite this, Franklin never really notices Rosanna Spearman; this is probably due to the fact that in his eyes she is just a housemaid with a lumpy shoulder. Social class is outlined here, with the rich Franklin Blake and the poor Rosanna Spearman. The different social classes were more prominent in Victorian times and Collins also uses class in his other novels such as the woman in white, where Walter Hartright and Laura Fairlie fall in love, but due to Walter’s low social class, they separate. When Rosanna dies, it could be suggested that Ezra Jennings is introduced to replace her, as these two characters are very similar in personality and are both rejected by most members of society. They are also both attracted to Mr Franklin Blake in different ways; Rosanna has an undying love for him, and Ezra asks himself â€Å"What is the secret of the attraction that there is for me in this man?†. Both characters also had rough upbringings, as Rosanna was a thief as a child and Ezra was beaten and was mistreated mercilessly by his family. Ezra Jennings is also addicted to Opium, as â€Å"for ten years past I have suffered from an incurable internal complaint†. His addiction to the drug led to his painful and horrific nights, and Opium also destroyed his nervous system. Wilkie Collins probably introduced Ezra Jennings as a character which he could relate to, as Collins himself was addicted to Opium, which is probably why the drug plays such a significant part in the book. Collins believed he had an imaginary friend named ‘Ghost Wilkie’ and often hallucinated in his sleep. His other novels have opium in them, so his way of relating to his addiction was to put it into his books. Opium plays a significant part in the book, as Ezra uses it in his experiment to discover who took the diamond. The reader feels uncertainty when the book dapples in the secret world of Opium as most readers would not have tried it and therefore do not know how powerful it is and what it can do. Gabriel Betteredge often talks about which side of Mr Franklin Blake’s character is shining through, and believes it to be due to all of Franklin’s foreign training (Betteredge usually relates his strict character to Franklin’s German side, his poeticness to his French side, and his bravery to his English side). This gives Mr Franklin Blake no distinct character. This gives you the impression that Gabriel Betteredge is very stereotypically British, supporting his country and almost believing that the English are superior to others. Godfrey Ablewhite however, has a very different character which is hidden from the public view. He tries to get across the image of a hardworking gentleman who dedicates his life to the many women’s charities he patronizes, when he is actually a man swallowed in debt and trying to rob people of their riches to pay it off. His debt was one of the key reasons why he asked to marry Rachel Verinder, as he thought that he would inherit enough money to pay off the debt; however that did not turn out to be the case. When Rachel asked for the marriage to be cancelled, Godfrey did not try to put up any resistance, as he knew that he would not receive the inheritance he had hoped for. Godfrey also gets engaged to another woman, but the marriage is broken off for similar reasons. At the end of the book, Godfrey is in disguise as a sailor with a dark complexion when he tries to get the Moonstone from the bank. This is symbolism as it outlines the fact that he is leading a double life, and he has a dark complexion as Betteredge and Franklin immediately suspected the Indians of stealing the diamond. Their immediate suspicion of the Indians affects the plot greatly as it means that Godfrey Ablewhite has time to hide the diamond without being suspected, as all eyes were on the Indians. The view the public have of him is different to what he is actually like, and if it had not been for Mr Matthew Bruff, the marriage might not have been called off. Miss Clack often swoons at the sight of Mr Godfrey Ablewhite; this is because she believes he is a hardworking Christian, and refers to him as â€Å"gifted† and â€Å"wonderful†. It is therefore no surprise that she is shocked when she, by chance, hears Godfrey’s proposal to Rachel. It is here that he admits that his, â€Å"Charitable business is an unendurable nuisance† and that if â€Å"I see a Ladies’ committee now, I wish myself at the uttermost ends of the earth†. Miss Clack is highly offended by this, as she is a member of ‘The Mothers Small Clothes Conversion Society’, but she dismisses this out of hand as being a slip of the tongue in the heat of the moment. Miss Clack’s personality is very different to the other female characters in the book, as she is a character of a certain type of hypocrite. She never leaves without her Christian pamphlets and she often tries to spread her faith through these tracts. She may be doing this to turn more people Christian, or she may just be doing this as it is in her sphere of power and it makes her feel as though she has more influence on society. A perfect example of Miss Clack’s character is when she visits Lady Verinder and Rachel, but upon realising that Lady Verinder’s doctor is trying to use medication to treat Lady Verinder instead of praying to god and waiting for him to perform a miracle, she spreads religious books of her choice around the Verinder’s house. She believes that this act did not make her a nuisance, but instead, a â€Å"True Christian†. Miss Clack has a very different opinion of herself compared to what other people think of her. Even the kind and loving Gabriel Betteredge, who has a good word to say about almost everyone, does not take well to Miss Clack. Before handing over the job of narrating to her, he asks the reader to â€Å"Just do me the favour of not believing a word she says, if she speaks of your humble servant†. This shows that she is believed to not be a teller of truths, and Betteredge is pre-warning the reader of what to prepare for. We believe what Betteredge says and not Miss Clack as he has shown himself to be an honourable character, worthy of the readers trust. Our decision to believe him and not Miss Clack is also influenced by other characters, as Franklin Blake often refers to him as â€Å"a dear old friend†, so others characters have respect for him as well. In the story, female characters do not reveal what they know straight away. This adds suspense to the story, as you have to wait a long time for the secret which will put together a new piece of the puzzle. A good example of this is Rosanna’s letter to Mr Franklin Blake, explaining where the chest is hidden, and inside the chest is Rosanna’s narrative which explains events before and after Rachel Verinder’s 18th birthday party leading up to Rosanna’s suicide told through her point of view. The letter’s opening is delayed however, as Limping Lucy refuses to give it to anyone other than Franklin Blake himself. This lets the events at London unfold, and the case of the Moonstone is put on hold for a short period. Limping Lucy is Rosanna Spearman’s only friend, and was understandably angry at Franklin as she believed that he forced Rosanna into suicide. Limping Lucy has a severe limp in her left foot, and this may be one of the reasons why she and Rosanna are so good friends, as they both have physical deformities and are rejected by most members of society. I believe that female characters have more influence on the plot of the novel due to their actions which are gradually revealed to the reader. Superficially, male characters seem to have a larger role in the discovery of the secrets behind the moonstone but this is because they are only just digging in to what the female characters already know. The fact that male characters have almost all of the narrations add to the secrecy of the novel and also reinforces the point of male character seemingly having more influence and control of the plot, when all they are doing is discovering what is beneath the surface of an apparently settled world in the novel.