Wednesday, July 31, 2019

History, strength of provisional government Essay

How far was the provisional government responsible for its own downfall? During the brief period of rule by The Provisional Government, Russia was troubled by several domestic issues that the provisional Government failed to sufficiently deal with when eventually led to their down fall in 1917. Their failure to fulfil the needs of the peasants, which was a big domestic issue, was a factor that led to their loss of support and in addition their failure to suppress the opposition led to their downfall. The instantaneous cause for their collapse was the fierce take over from the Bolsheviks led by Lenin. However the main factors that led to their downfall was their decision to continue in the war because it has worsened the issues that The Provisional Government failed to tackle which then led to loss of support from the bulk of the population and more importantly the army which they relied upon to defend The Provisional Government such as the July Days. In addition their decision to delay the elections gave the Bolsheviks a chance to take power. As a result, Lenin and the Bolsheviks were able to increase their support rapidly and take over so therefore The Provisional Government can be largely held responsible for their own downfall. Russia’s continuation in the war after the abdication of the tsar was the main reason for the down fall of The Provisional Government because it increased the issues that Russia faced already which worsened their respect and support as it was their decision to do so. As a result of this, they lost support of the army because they were losing in the war as they lost territory, soldiers and unprepared to go to battle. This decreased the soldier’s moral which eventually led to the breakdown of military discipline. This eventually led to radical parties having an increase of support because they were against the continuation of the war such as the Bolsheviks because they promised to end Russia’s involvement in the war. In addition, the continuation of the war meant that the issue of food shortages caused unrest amongst the population towards The Provisional Government. The Provisional Government also had little control over the countryside and also lacked the ability to impose their authority in its outside cities and towns. As a result the peasants took action which therefore undermined The  Provisional Governments authority. Many peasants took land from landowner’s whilst some engaged in violence. The Provisional Government was losing its authority in parts of Russia. The main reason for the lack of control was because The provisional Government lacked in legitimacy and due to this the public turned away and went to more radical parties such as the Bolsheviks. The peasants turned to the Bolsheviks because in the April Thesis, Lenin promised to address the land issue which The Provisional Government failed to do. And due to his, The Provisional Government support decreased and Bolsheviks support increased. The authority of The Provisional Government significantly weakened in June when they launched an attack on the Austro-Hungarian army. This was a utter failure and led to the breakdown of the Russian army. The soldiers leaving the front lines met and formed an Anti-Government rally in which they demanded all political power should be handed to the soviets. Furthermore other troops formed a Provisional Revolutionary Committee to campaign against the government. In addition only the government can be blamed for the events of the â€Å"July Days† because it was them who’s idea it was of the June offensive and therefore as a result, the July Days. By August 1917 Russia seemed on the verge of chaos because peasants were seizing land, industrial production was failing and soldiers were rebelling. Although the Provisional Government had survived, the demonstrations of the July Days brought a fatal blow to the position of The Provisional Government. Kornilov had feared a â€Å"coup d’à ©tat† and released imprisoned Bolsheviks and armed them to help the government. This was a blow as Bolsheviks membership increased and now they were given weapons, they did not give them back. The Kornilov Affair made the Bolsheviks look like the â€Å"defenders of Petrograd† so their numbers increased. As a result of The Provisional Government continuing in the war, opposition towards them grew. They also failed to suppress the opposition which led to opposition (Bolshevik) increase support. The Provisional Government also failed to meet the demands of the public so therefore making them turn to more extreme parties. The Bolsheviks were the biggest threat to the government because of their popularity, aims, guidance and methods. Overall, although The provisional Government had face many problems, it was the Bolsheviks that caused the eventual downfall of the government. It is not wholly The Provisional Governments fault for their own downfall because some of the problems they had inherited and as soon as they came into power they were already un-liked despite them playing a major part in it. The country side was already in chaos so that was not their fault and the April Thesis, Lenin’s speech, they could not be held responsible for that either. On the other hand, The Kornilov Affair, The June Offensive and the domestic issues were their fault as they did not address the issue leading to the radicalisation of the public. The Provisional Government did have a huge part to play in their own downfall because of their decision t continue in the war which enhanced/intensified the present issues.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Equirements for the Corporate Computing Function Essay

From Table 3. 1, speculate why the fifth point, â€Å"Meet information requirements of management†, is in the CIO’s list of nine (9) points: Meeting information requirements of management is a key focus for many organizations. Companies are constantly looking for ways to improve how they manage information. Information is essential for any decision making process and day-to-day operation. Therefore, it is important that information is managed and disseminated properly throughout the organization. Management use information to establish policy and strategic planning. It is extremely important that organizations meet their information requirements of management. Ian Linton (2013) suggests that managers need rapid access to information to solve strategic, financial, marketing, and operational issues. Therefore, it is paramount that organizations evaluate their informational needs of management. The operating environment of today’s organizations demands timely, efficient and effective management of information to make informed and up to date decisions. Consequently, requires readily accessible information at their disposal in order to be effective managers. If an organization is to be successful, it must be an excellent steward of data. On the other hand, technology is constantly on the rise. As it produces higher efficiency, access, and integrity with improved ways to organize and manage information. At the same time, the IT staff maintains the responsibility of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the organization’s intellectual property. To meet these needs, organizations must increase their awareness of the available criteria for evaluation of management informational needs. Information is power and must be managed properly. Organizations need to consider the latest relevant technological advancements for their business to stay competitive and gain competitive advantage (Nichelson, 2013). Managers are critical elements of an organization; thereby, demanding quality, accuracy, and efficiency to move their business forward. The decision making process is greatly influenced by the relevance and quality of the information available to its management. Imagine only three (3) points are to be rolled out in the first phase. Evaluate each point to determine the most important three (3) for the initial rollout phase: Although, all are key points. After ample consideration, the initial rollout phase should consist of the following: 1) Provide computing capability to all organizational units that legitimately require it. 2) Meet information requirements of management. 3) Provide computing services in a reliable, professional, and technically competent manner. I believe the three (3) points chosen are high valued and critical to the organization. All departments must have readily accessible information to perform their jobs to be productive. By means of distributed computing of low cost servers, workstations, and personal computers will provide the widespread use of small computers to provide highly individualistic service to all departments. At the same time, allow users to establish and maintain autonomy in their day-to-day operations while improving departmental productivity (Stallings, 2009). In this instance, deploying inexpensive systems make it possible for organizations to disperse their computing capabilities. Thus, no longer relying on centralized infrastructure to provide services. Obviously, it make sense as a first measure to acquire information from all departments, thus meeting the requirements for the corporate computing function and the information needs of management. Recommend one (1) additional point the CIO should include in order to ensure the topic of security is addressed in the mission statement. Explain your rationale for the inclusion: Information security enabled by technology must include the means of lowering the impact of intentional and unintentional errors entering the system and to prevent unauthorized internally or externally accessing the system ? actions to reduce risk data validation, pre-numbered forms, and reviews for duplications. It is crucial that the mission plan include the provision of a disaster recovery and business continuity plan. On the other hand, there is much more intrusion activity today than ever before. Obviously, there is an increased concern for attacks through companies’ network in an effort to either commit malice or affect the integrity of an organization’s most valuable resource. Therefore, it is important that companies do not get complacent in their IT infrastructure security. The fact of the matter, there is no perfect system; however, it behooves organizations to protect their information by way of reducing threats and vulnerabilities. Moreover, Whitman and Mattord (2010) said it best, â€Å"because of businesses and technology have become more fluid, the concept of computer security has been replaced by the concept of information security. Companies must realize the importance of information security and are allocating separate budget and human resources for it. It has matured into a separate business enabler function in many organizations. Organizations now face myriad regulatory requirements and the need to manage risk and information theft. Therefore, it is important for organizations to staff people with specific skills so that information assets are safe and the continued integrity of information is assured (Whitman & Mattord, 2010). Finally, many businesses today are not adequately prepared for an interruption of services. Therefore, it becomes necessary to establish both business disaster recovery and continuity plans to protect the organizations from complete devastation. According to Whitman & Mattord (2010), â€Å"the mission statement is the follow- up to the vision statement. If the vision statement states where we want to go, the mission statement describes how we want to get there. References Linton, I. (2013). The Role of Management Information Systems in Decision Making. Retrieved from http://yourbusiness. azcentral. com/role-management-information-systems-decision-making-1826. html Nichelson, B. J. , Ph. D. (2013). Keeping Up With Technology. Retrieved from http://entrepreneurs. about. com/cs/beyondstartup/a/keepinguptech. htm Stallings, W. (2009). Business Data Communications, Sixth Edition (Custom Edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Whitman, M. E. , & Mattord, H. J. (2010). Management of Information Security (3rd ed. ). Boston: Course Technology-Cengage.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Ways to Promote a Sustainable Living

Ways to promote a sustainable living What is sustainable living? Sustainable living is to live in way to those values and respects the natural systems and species that co-exist on this earth by reducing the usage of Earth’s natural resources. A sustainable society can protect the future generations without the depletion of our Earth’s natural resources and coexistence with the flora and fauna. Sustainable design and sustainable developments are the main factors to sustainable living. First of all, we should educate the younger ones about the importance of living sustainably. The government can enforce a new curriculum to the school whereby the students will be educated and examined on the understanding of sustainable living. Moreover educational internships can be offered by nonprofit organization or government so that our young and bright generation can contribute to sustainable development and sustainable design. Secondly, we could also encourage the citizens to conserve water, electricity, petrol, reduction the emission of greenhouse gas at home. For example, after washing the rice, the water could be used to water the plants. Moreover, use the dish washer and washing machine whenever possible as it can save water. Citizens should car pool more often or finding alternative ways of transport such as bus, light rail transit, bicycle or monorail as it will be able to reduce the usage of petrol and the emission of carbon dioxide into the environment. Furthermore, people are encouraged to fix solar power on their rooftop as it uses the sunlight which is a renewable resource to generate electricity for the entire household. Thirdly, changing the way we eat also helps to promote a sustainable living. This is because the industrial meat production also involves high environmental costs such as soil erosion, land degradation and depletion of natural resources. Reducing the meat consumption by eating more vegetables will be able to reduce the environmentally industrial meat production. Beside this, urban gardening and organic farming should be introduce and promoted to all the citizens as it does need to use tremendous applications of nitrogen fertilizer to grow plants. Growing more plants at the backyard of your house will also encourage the citizens to eat more organic plants instead of meat. Finally, nonprofit organization can host and sponsors special events throughout the year, with festival, conferences and community gathering. For example we have campaigns such as Go Green which encourages people to use recyclable bags instead of using plastic bags, Earth Day whereby for a certain period of time we will switch of the usage electricity of the whole house. Moreover, nonprofit organization should provide resource center with information about the events in the area that promote sustainable living. Knowledge is power and enables the consumer to make wiser choices and to re-create their life and achieve sustainable living without losing comfort and joy. The earth needs a change, the world is hurting because of over usage and because of unwise decisions of humanity.

Aerodynamic shape optimization for morphing multi-element airfoil Dissertation - 1

Aerodynamic shape optimization for morphing multi-element airfoil based on CFD by using adjoint method algorithm - Dissertation Example The multidisciplinary optimization of the aircraft structure is undertaken during the preliminary design phase itself. Thus the final objective of the aerodynamic design is, to arrive at the best aerodynamic configuration that gives the best operational performance given the constrains, irrespective of the method chosen to achieve this. One of the important techniques of design is by using the techniques of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The CFD based design approaches are normally classified into three different methods namely – inverse surface models, inverse field model and numerical optimization models. When the design variables goes over 1,00,000 the conventional methods would soon approach its limits. The numerical models have been widely accepted in the design process and have clearly established their advantages over the conventional design process.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

The Political Role of Veterans Healthcare Term Paper

The Political Role of Veterans Healthcare - Term Paper Example From this research it is clear that the Health Care Industry of the United States of America is generally composed of different legal entities. The facilities that make up the said industry are largely owned and operate by the members of the private sector whereas health care insurance have always been provided by the government. The efficiency of the American health care system, however, has always been doubted. Various calls for health care reforms have been made in view of the allegations that the health care industry is nothing but a money making scam where large insurance firms and health institutions participate in. The following problems are usually apparent with respect to the health care industry of the United States: (1) medical bankruptcy, (2) premature deaths among those who are un- and under-insured, and lastly, (3) the wasteful flows of funds that maximize the profits of insurance companies. Longman, the author of the book entitled â€Å"Best care anywhere: why VA heal th care is better than yours† cited the reforms taken in the Veterans Health Care Industry. Longman argues that the reforms in the entire American Health Care Industry must emulate the model in the Veterans Health Care Administration in view of the capacity of the latter to significantly improve and properly cater to the medical needs of the veterans. Aside from Longman, there are other scholars who have also focused on the comparison between Veterans Health Administration and other systems of care in the country. In sum, all of these studies have pointed out that the Veterans Health Administration delivers health care more efficiently as compared with the other health care systems in the United States of America (Kerr, et al., 2003; Petersen, et al., 2003; Rosenthal, et al., 2003). In this sense, these authors have highlighted the need for the health care policy makers in the United States of America to reform the other systems of health care in the country by focusing on the improvements to the Veterans Health Administration as a Model. On the other hand, however, this study focuses on the current issues that affect the Veterans Health Care Industry. Arguably, the policies concerning the Veterans Health Administration have likewise been significantly affected by the political processes concerning them. In this sense, this paper focuses on the following issues: (1) the role of political process on health care delivery, (2) the role of the demanders and suppliers of health policies, (3) how the political process affect cost of health care, human resources and various health care facilities, (4) the involvement of various levels of government in the political process and its effects on health care delivery, (5) involvement of interests groups and organizations in addressing the issues to sway modifications to policy/formation of policy, (6) strategies and recommendations and lastly, (7) the future of initiatives in health care delivery. The Role of the Po litical Process on Health Care Delivery Before going through the analysis of the different issues that currently affect the Veterans Health Administration, this section first focuses on the role of the different political processes on health care delivery. As a general rule, it was claimed that investments in health care are often employed for various political reasons rather than focusing on its benefits for the citizens. Evidently, health reform in various parts of the world, whether in developed or developing countries, is a highly political process (Benoit, 2003). In fact, other researchers even highlight the tendency for politicians to put healthcare reform at the center of their campaigns during electoral seasons. Apparently, health care reforms, as essential part of the political processes most especially with respect to campaigns focus on the following (1) the efforts as regards building better health care facil

Saturday, July 27, 2019

The relation between Estate Taxation and Equitable Crowth Research Proposal

The relation between Estate Taxation and Equitable Crowth - Research Proposal Example The changing structure of the federal estate tax has significant impact on the state estate tax revenue as well as the economic growth within the United States of America. The reverting of the federal estate tax to the pre-2001 structure is likely to have serious impacts on the economic growth of the United States of America. Estate tax within USA is understood on the basis of administrative simplicity and compliance costs, revenue sufficiency, economic efficiency, and equity. These elements are the epicenters in analyzing the impact of estate tax on economic growth within the USA. Estate tax has significant impact on the economy based on savings and capital investments. The higher the estate tax, the less the savings and capital investments thus affecting economic growth. Lower estate tax rates encourage more investments whilst reducing the revenue that the federal or state government obtains from the estate taxation, thus leading to significant impacts on economic growth within the USA. Nonetheless, in order to understand the impact of estate tax rates on economic growth, there is a need for extensive and detailed research. In order to carry out a more detailed and in-depth research, the following provides background and hypothesis to be used as well as the literature review. Literature review is used in this paper to provide deeper understanding, validity, and reliability of the research. In addition, the research contains methodology that provides an overview of the procedure employed in ensuring that adequate research is conducted, enough data is collected, and an efficient and effective data analysis. The research analyzed the data using STATA statistical tool. The finding and data analysis section provide a deeper and in-depth understanding of the topic based on the collected data. The paper winds up with discussions, conclusions, and recommendations. Background and Hypothesis As Americans decide between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in this fall’s presidential election they choose between two men with divergent ideas about estate taxation. Right now, estate taxation policy puts a 35 percent tax rate after a $5 million exemption, a rate it has been at since 2010. It was that year that a loophole in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (the â€Å"Bush tax cuts† in political parlance) caused the complete elimination of the estate tax. In the preceding decade, there was a 45 percent tax rate with a $3.5 million exemption. President Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress support reverting current rates to 2009 levels. Mr. Romney, the Republican challenger, favors completely eliminating the estate tax. If no action is taken before the end of this year, a policy even more draconian than Mr. Obama’s will kick in. Under the â€Å"default† plan, the rate would be 55 percent and the exemption $1 million. Figure 1 Estate tax 1997-2013 (projected) Year Estate Tax Exemption Top Estate Tax Rate 1997 $600,000 55% 1998 $625,000 55% 1999 $650,000 55% 2000 $675,000 55% 2001 $675,000 55% 2002 $1,000,000 50% 2003 $1,000,000 49% 2004 $1,500,000 48% 2005 $1,500,000 47% 2006 $2,000,000 46% 2007 $2,000,000 45% 2008 $2,000,000 45% 2009 $3,500,000 45% 2010 $0 0% 2011 $5,000,000 35% 2012 $5,000,000 35% 2013 $1,000,000 55% This author hypothesizes that estate taxation rates –

Friday, July 26, 2019

Significance of moral virtues and moral principles Essay

Significance of moral virtues and moral principles - Essay Example The focus of moral principles on behavior is the major difference between principles and virtues. Moral principles designed for medical professionals are a standard for how practitioners should act and what they should do regarding treatment and in relationships with their patients. Moral virtues, in contrast, are the beliefs that a medical professional holds regarding the kind of person they should be. Moral principles are a starting point for ethical behavior, and, while far from being exhaustive, can help teach the relevant proper moral behavior. Appropriate behavior arises from the intersection of moral virtues and moral principles, and the correlation between the principles and the virtues is how those principles are able to teach those moral behaviors. Moral virtues and principles are generally the beliefs and actions supported by the general population. However, community support is not enough to designate a behavior, virtue, or belief as â€Å"moral†. Moral virtues req uire the background support of moral reason. If a principle is to be considered moral, it must teach morally valuable behavioral traits. Community morals must be backed by reasons as to why they are moral. This can cause a dilemma if the general beliefs of a community do not agree with a practitioner's personally held belief. For example, if a particular community's legal system does not allow abortions but a medical professional feels that one is morally indicated for a particular patient, he or she may be held to be immoral by principle but moral in virtue. Simply because an action fails to meet the community morality does not make such an action universally immoral. This specific example is of course controversial and does not attempt to make a statement on the morality of abortions, but simply to make a point about the difference between community standards and an individual's beliefs. Moral dilemmas can also arise from too-strict adherence to standards that have been built from moral principles. Moral principles are a guideline and a starting point for standards, but they cannot and should not be applied universally. A good example of over-applied standards affecting moral virtue is the principle of impartiality. Most medical standards and codes of ethics hold impartiality to be the correct course of behavior; these codes hold that a medical practitioner should treat all of his or her patients the same and to keep a professional distance with all patients. However, in practice, maintaining this distance is not always practical or even desirable, especially for long-term care. A principle of impartiality in a situation where such a distance is not ethical can cause a dilemma for the practitioner, as he or she must then decide whether to obey personal moral virtues or professional moral principles. The previous example is a sample of how the gap between practical ethics and theoretical ethics, of which principles are a type, can lead to dilemmas in medical practice. Principles should only be used as a starting point for developing standards of behavior. These principles need additional data and information in order to cover the true ethics implications of a situation in treatment, and they need flexibility enough to deal with the changing reality of medical treatment. As stated above, no principle can possibly cover every treatment scenario. The resultant dilemmas can be dealt with

Thursday, July 25, 2019

The history and development of freehold property title in english Essay

The history and development of freehold property title in english system - Essay Example There were three aspects of feudalism such as personal, property, monarchial control. Under this system, the kings had rights but also had to perform responsibilities under feudalistic societal norms Over time, it was seen that the monarch was responsible for giving fiefs to knights for military services rendered to him. The king was also responsible for the upkeep of land since he had only parted with possession and not ownership which still vested with the Crown. Thus it could be seen that in the 10th century, the kings exercised tremendous control and patronage over land, and granted its use as payment for military services rendered by his knights and military personnel. For the first time in English history, William claimed eventual control of virtually all the land in England and asserted the right to dispose of it as he deemed necessary. Henceforth, all land was owned by the King. At the initial stages, King William appropriated the lands of all English lords who were killed during war and fiefed them to his Norman soldiers and supporters. These initial approbations led to revolts, which resulted in more seizures which moved along unabated for five years after Battle of Hastings. Even after he managed to quell rebellions, William the Conqueror continued to exercise their domain and supremacy of Normans over the country. His influences was so extensive that if the event an England landlord died without any children, the King or his barons, could choose a heir for the dead man’s properties and successor from Normandy. He exercised control over properties by encouraging marriages to Normans, which resulted in the ultimate takeover of English aristocracy by Normans. The system enunciated by William has impacted even modern day property holdings in England. The land belongs to the Crown and no individual or private holdings may be enforceable. Even

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Personal Masters Learning and Development Portfolio Essay

Personal Masters Learning and Development Portfolio - Essay Example Moreover, there is also a reflection on the prerequisites of achieving my goals in Mastership, in terms of both attitudes and skills. Another section presents a response to the tutor’s assessment or feedback, including what I would do differently and key improvement areas. A final section is a reflective statement about what I have learned from my attendance at Cornwall residential and how it contributed to my development. Strategic Rationale, Masters Objectivity and Self Analysis The question as to whether or not one must pursue a Master’s Degree is an issue that almost every graduate face. At times, even one who has experienced working in a certain company begins to question himself with respect to whether or not he or she must pursue a Master’s Degree. I have decided to pursue Masters Degree after my work experience in the Middle East Specialized Cables Company for six years. A number of processes were involved with respect to my decision. First, I went throug h a decision making process in order to ascertain my need for a master’s degree. I also consulted my family, most especially my wife with respect to my decision to pursue post-graduate studies. ... Simply put, I believed that pursuing a maser’s degree will open a new horizon for me. I expect it to change my limited thoughts toward open end of ideas. I would like to learn more and gain professional skills to be able to progress along my chosen career path. I would also like to obtain a work in a leading position so that I can make a good contribution in the area of business management, especially once I return to my home country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Before deciding to pursue my master’s degree, I came across a number of articles on the World Wide Web which emphasized the need for a master’s degree. Pheifer’s (2009) article entitled â€Å"Why Pursue a Masters Degree† mentioned that interest in pursuing a master’s degree is relatively increasing. This is because the acquisition thereof enables people to achieve something more which would likewise result to the accomplishment of their goals. Of course, a number of sacrifices come a long with the decision to pursue a Master’s degree – such as experiencing a major impact in one’s family ties, work and social life. Nevertheless, Pheifer (2009) elaborates that enrolling in a graduate school has a lot of merits. Aside from Pheifer’s (2009) article, I also came across ones which have been written by Faranda (n.d.) and Allison (2002). All these articles have shown me three important advantages that one may receive from pursuing a master’s degree. In sum, these advantages are as follows: (1) knowledge and perspective, (2) options and advancement and (3) societal development. In relation to knowledge and perspective, the authors previously mentioned pointed out that pursuing an advanced degree expands

Compliance and Coding Management 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Compliance and Coding Management 1 - Assignment Example The current staff of the hospital includes: coders in the HIM department for coding inpatient services; a front office employee phone answering, helping the person who walks in without having an appointment, retrieving and filing the records of the health departments of hospitals; the CFO who does various jobs which includes organizing budgets, organizing accounts, evaluating operational outcomes, and making income tax returns; nursing staff; hospital charge master coordinator who is just enjoying the position and get the information of hospital through phone call while staying at home. Basis of clinical database in hospital is produced by the coded data. Several departments of the clinics and hospitals use the abstracted information that is gathered for every patient. For instance, for clinical analysis, improvement in services of the hospital as well as usage of the provided services the department of quality management uses such information daily. A database produced by gathering of financial and clinical data is called a decision support system. Such systems render important data regarding the business of hospital in both financial and clinical conditions. For instance, information could be collected in order to compare the actual money spent and the hospital service charges cost. This information is further utilized by the financial for forecasting and budgeting. Persons with insurance contracts could use this financial and clinical data to discuss contract’s payment. Therefore, the use of codes for decision support provides helpful information regarding the business of the organization in both financial and clinical. This coding process can provide help to the coders that are in the department of health information management (HIM) and enables them to do their jobs with the essential information for exact coding. In the give scenario there are only threes, therefore the manager of the HIM department

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete - Essay Example Two-point load test was used to examine the bending moment of the bars while the cubes were subjected to compression tests for estimating their compressive strength. The flexural strength was also quantified. The effects observed on the steel fiber and steel bar reinforced beams and cubes were compared with those of beams and cubes made with plain concrete. The observations and comparisons are discussed. Introduction High durability and strength are an important prerequisite for concrete structures as they are continuously exposed to various forces, both static and dynamic (Elavenil & Knight 2007). Therefore, considerable research in recent years has focused on enhancing these properties in concrete. The use of fibers for reinforcement in concrete has been shown to improve its behavior. Reinforcement with fibers improves the toughness of concrete under any kind of loading as the fibers increase the strain experienced at peak load and enhance energy absorption (Van Chanh 2005). While several fibers such as glass, steel, cellulous and synthetic fibers are used for concrete reinforcement, the effects of reinforcement using steel fibers is explicitly discussed here. Special emphasis is given to the mechanical properties and performance of SFRC as compared to plain concrete. ... Hence, a large amount of energy has to be absorbed before there is complete separation of the concrete post-cracking. The material properties of any fiber reinforced concrete will vary with the dosage of the fiber, the geometry of the fiber and the different combinations of fibers used (Ross n.d.). Aims and Objectives The aim of this investigation is to examine the effects of steel fiber reinforcement on the mechanical properties of concrete. For this purpose, both steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) and plain concrete have been compared. The beams and cubes examined in this experiment are made of: 1. Steel fiber HE (Hooked End) reinforced concrete at a ratio of 20 kg/m3 2. Steel fiber HE reinforced concrete at a ratio of 40 kg/m3 3. Steel fiber XR reinforced concrete at a ratio of 20 kg/m3 4. Steel fiber XR reinforced concrete at a ratio of 40 kg/m3 5. Plain concrete 6. Normally reinforced concrete with two 6mm diameter bars 7. Normally reinforced concrete with four 6mm diameter bars As the main aim of this study is to compare the performance of SFRC and plain concrete, it can be subdivided into the following objectives for ease of study: Studying the flexural strength of both SFRC and plain concrete beams Studying the compressive strength of both SFRC and plain concrete cubes Comparing the flexural and bending failures The performance of the different beams and cubes made with SFRC is also compared based on the distribution of fiber in the concrete, and based on the shape of the fiber, i.e. HE and XR. Literature Review Influence of Fibers on Mechanical Properties of SFRC There are different types of steel fibers sold under various commercial names. Based on their manufacturing process, they are divided into

Monday, July 22, 2019

A Report on Tsings Friction Essay Example for Free

A Report on Tsings Friction Essay Anna Lowenhaupt Tsings book Friction: An Ethnography of Global Connection begins with a rough overview of the global patterns and schemes in communication through a critical exploration of the more general premise of global connections present everywhere. As the author claims that the book is not a history of philosophy but rather an ethnography of global connection (Tsing, 2004, p. 1), there appears a strong concern for the presumably existing ties between the minor and major aspects of the society. As Thomas Yarrow notes, the books main concern is to capture the dynamic through which different kinds of knowledge and culture come into contact with one another (Yarrow, 2006, p. 291) which is a logical and obvious contention behind the book. The first part of Tsings book delves into the concept of prosperity by looking into the various sides of capitalism and an exploration of its causes and effects from a larger perspective. As the first part lays down the vital notions needed to better understand the foundations and contemporary manifestations of capitalism, it also raises several issues revolving around the intricate connections around the world. It opens up the entry point upon which the author will weave continuously the discussion surrounding the global environment of politics that surround the rest of Indonesia as well as the local communities residing in the country. Considering the fact that Indonesias population grew significantly from 1980 to 2001to a little less than 50% (Indonesia: Environmental Issues, 2004), the book makes it clear that the rise in the population has conversely resulted to a sharp imbalance in the environment. The book makes it a point that capitalism has also shared a huge role in this imbalance, heightened in no small way by the population boom in the past as well as in the present times. As Tsing notes, proliferation, too, is a key principle of capitalist expansion (Tsing, 2004, p. 27) which brings the idea that the population expansion with the combination of capitalist expansion are evidences of proliferation. And this proliferation in turn creates the environment of frontiers which are not just edges but particular kinds of edges where the expansive nature of extraction comes into its own (Tsing, 2004, p. 27). In essence, the opening parts of the book, including the first chapter, are primarily divided into two sections. While the first section deals with the concept of frontier and the resources which comprise it founded on the ethnographic observations during the middle parts of the 1990s, the second section deals with aftermath of the crisis during 1997 when frontier-making spiraled out of control (Tsing, 2004, p. 28). The second chapter of the book delves into the concept of Natural Universals in the global context. For establishing the connection between God and Nature, the book inevitably draws the parallels between universality of a supreme being which is God and the universality of nature through the environment. While the chapter probes into the universality of capital-N Nature which is the awe-inspiring, lawlike systematicity of the cosmos of and of life on earth (Tsing, 2004, p. 88), the book also inevitably draws the essential link between Nature and the rest of the world. Further, the second chapter attempts to establish the presumption that through the realization of an existing generality among things can one begin to act on the idea of thinking globally. That is, the realization of the commonality among the various elements and entities in the world through their predominant generalities helps us overcome the barriers that hinder us from thinking on a large scale and attain the end of global connections. Tsing firmly makes this point by stating that as long as facts are apples and oranges, one cannot generalize across them; one must first see them as fruit to make general claims (Tsing, 2004, p. 89). This makes the book even more mind rousing as it nears its middle part. While it exposes certain critical observations such as the inability or failure of individuals to realize the common general thread which holds people together as one, the book in turn brings into consciousness the probable ways in which to achieve the challenge of realizing the more general claims. The book also observes that generalization is where small details support great visions and the universal is discovered in particularities (Tsing, 2004, p. 89). This presupposes the notion that generalization to the universal requires a large space of compatibility among disparate particular facts and observations (Tsing, 2004, p. 89). It also translates into the idea that tentative and contingent collaborations among incongruent seekers of knowledge as well as their incongruent forms of knowledge can create compatible facts and observations from incongruent ones (Tsing, 2004, p. 89). These observations discussed in the book brings us face to face with the core of what the author is presupposing: the idea that mere generalizations are just as they are without getting hold of the particulars that comprise them. And these particularities, when tied altogether, comprise the larger whole where the rest of Nature and of the world operate as a single entity. Further, the book reminds us that cultural analysis thrives on the description of specificity since it is the best method upon which we are able to acquire a critical distance from the common-sense platitudes and everyday assumptions of our lives and the powerful ideologies that keep us in their thrall (Tsing, 2004, p. 122). It reaffirms the claim that missing the knowledge about the particulars disarms one with the capacity to approach and comprehend the more obvious reality behind our common-sense understanding of the world. The section of the book entitled Nature Loving further concretizes and reinforces the belief that the various interactions involving various types of knowledge and culture are solid approaches in studying universal claims. Taking the rainforests of Indonesia as a concrete illustration, the book reiterates the belief that people have always been in contact with nature. One example to this is the fact that there are nature lovers who are devoted to outdoor activities such as camping, mountain climbing, rafting, and scuba diving (Tsing, 2004, p. 122) and that these people only comprise a small portion of the larger population whose daily lives involve contact with Nature such as those people living in Indonesia. In essence, the book also attempts to bring into light the observation that Nature and the cultural processes have been commonly attributed with various disjunctions and differences as well as with the heterogeneous factors which intertwine along the way. The book reveals these things as part of what people commonly refer to as globalization. The book further concretizes this observation in the chapter A History of Weediness where the author explores the interdependence of species by reflecting on the beasts and flowers, not just as symbols and resources, but as co-residents and collaborators (Tsing, 2004, p. 172). It entails the belief that there should be respect with the way in which people treat the environment. There appears to be a hint of the presumption that the patterns upon which the societies have changed over time have also led to the significant alteration in Nature. The book penetrates deep into the analysis by juxtaposing the observations of the poet Kristiandi Tanumihardja into the observations of people from the scientific community to the masses of the society. In particular, the cornerstone of these observations from the book relates the idea that nature has its own way of communication which is evidently unique in its own mysterious ways. While the book discusses the human attempts to unveil the mysteries behind the way Nature communicates not only by the scientific community but also by the world of literature, it also hopes that even with such limited understanding the attempts might bring us closer to knowing how to live in a multispecies world (Tsing, 2004, p. 172). The last chapter of the book entitled Freedom begins with the idea that travel changes the way we imagine our home places (Tsing, 2004, p. 213). This brings the reader to the presumption that there ought to be movement in order to arrive at a better and more fulfilling comprehension and appreciation of ones own environment. Only through such movement can there be a broader understanding of the global connections existing. And these movements can be further juxtaposed with the various social movements and upheavals in the past, including the social movements not only confined within the community of civilians but also with the environment. In The Forest of Collaborations which is the last chapter of the book, the author expounds on the subject of the types of collaborations where political gains and compromises can be assessed through constant attention to these kinds of collaborations and their effects (Tsing, 2004, p. 268). It sums up the general contention of the book in studying global interconnections and the many particularities involved in comprising the larger whole. With a special emphasis on the environmental status of Indonesia, the book reports facts about the predominant themes in analyzing the ethnography of global connections as well as the discoveries in previous years and contemporary times which establish what one can perceive as the indicators of globalization. References Indonesia: Environmental Issues. (2004). Retrieved November 2, 2007, from http://www. eia. doe. gov/emeu/cabs/indoe. html Tsing, A. L. (2004). Friction: An Ethnography of Global Connection. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Yarrow, T. (2006). Book Review: riction: An Ethnography of Global Connection By Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing. Political and Legal Anthropology Review, 29(2), 291-296.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Analysis of Profitability Ratios

Analysis of Profitability Ratios If a company shows good profitability then the shareholders can expect good profit distribution on their investment. For this purpose we should also examine the dividend payment history of the company in order to make a reliable estimate of profit distribution. So far as the Spectrum Manufacturing Company [SMC] is concerned, its profitability is decreasing. The reasons of the decrease in profitability are: Decrease in sales Increase in interest expenses Increase in the amount of depreciation [may not be a concern, since it is non cash expense. Further increase the depreciation will ultimately decrease tax liability] The disadvantages of using above ratios are that these ratios may not provide an accurate estimate of the company profitability if used individually. The ratios calculated above should be used with other techniques in order to get more accurate and reliable estimate of the company financial position. The above ratios also ignore the impact of items which may result in low profitability but may increase share holders wealth maximization. For example, depreciation charged and interest expenses paid will ultimately decrease the tax liability of the company resulting in more profits available for distribution. The are many methods to calculate the leveraging of the company some considers long term debt while others considers both long term and short term debt of the company so this ratio should be calculated as per the requirements. The ratio of ROCE ignores the impact of risk taken by the company. We may use RROCE [Risk Adjusted Return on Capital Employed] in order to get a more reliable estimate. The following additional techniques and tools can be used for the analysis of SMC: Cash Flow Analysis [Liquidity Ratios] Peer Group Comparison Inventory turn over ratio Average collection period Price earning ratio Taxation structure of the countries where the company wants to enter Exchange rate risk. The Board of Directors are the agent of shareholders (Principal). It is the responsibility of the BOD to act in the best interest of shareholders. But there are chances that the BOD may not act in the interest of shareholders due to some potential conflict of interest. The conflict of interest may arise due to difference in goals and objectives of BOD and shareholders. However different techniques can be used to reduce the chances of conflict of interest such as profit participation, performance based remuneration etc. The dividend policy is related with the profit distribution of the company. The investor would like to invest in a company which has a good dividend policy. The dividend policy is normally affected by the stage of business and future expansion plans. The dividend policy is important due to the following reasons: The dividend policy plays an important role in attracting the investors High dividends may result in higher share price of the company [market capitalization] Distribution of dividend in the form of cash shows good liquidity position of the company. The debt financing is normally encouraged due to the fact that the interest expenses are deductable for taxation purposes while the dividend paid to share holders is not considered as an expense for taxation purposes. Three main sources of financing: Debt Financing from financial institutions Subscription money from shareholders Subordinated debt form sponsors Government Grants

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Situation Analysis for Revive! UK

Situation Analysis for Revive! UK SITUATION ANALYSIS Situation analysis is the first step on a marketing communication plan. It is necessary step for a company to recognize the key markets issues and understand communication drivers (Fill, 2009). The goal of current assessment is Revive! Company to follow the above glidepath and in the end of the situation analysis there should be key issues that will drive the campaign objectives and communication plan of the company. 1.1 Organisational Analysis Revive! UK operates in the automotive repair sector since 2004 but its history goes back to 1994 as a franchise of Colourworks. The central offices of the company are located is in Rugby with 58 UK franchisees and 135 technicians in total. Their main services include Small and Medium Area Repair Technique such as: Bumper scuffs or scrapes Alloy wheels damage Paint or bodywork scratches Blending repairs to wheel arches Vandal scratches Cosmetic repairs Minor paint repair to trim Body panels Besides providing the above services, Revive! UK is strongly focused on franchising sales as a key mean of growth and market expansion. This fact is also supported from their decision to poach one of the top industry experts on franchising as a franchise director. In the franchise sales sector Revive! UK offers to the clients: Training Branding Minimum personal investment  £10,000 Accreditation systems The company had a 20% increase in sales on year with over 45% of all franchisees running multi van businesses (Revive! Auto innovations (UK) Ltd Bfa, 2017). Their cash in hand was increased from 2014 and according to companys latest financial data for 2015 their Net Work was increased 39,35% from 2014. Revive! UK performs in business to business environment and at the same time directly with the general public. They work closely with dealership groups, fleet and insurance companies and one example of their partners is National Tyres and Autocare (Revive! Auto innovations (UK) Ltd Bfa, 2017, Endole.co.uk, 2017). Key issues: Main focus of the company in franchising sales Very good latest financial data (Their cash in hand was increased from 2014 and according to companys latest financial data for 2015 their Net Work was increased 39,35% from 2014). Possible action: from marketing aspect the company should make more visible their actions in order to be easier approachable for the costumers. During this assignment it was very hard and à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ²ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± to find details for the company. It is vital for their franchising sales to give as more details as possible to the costumer to make their first step, to make a call into the company. Communication strategy The main communication strategy of the company is based on three basics elements: the convenience, the quality and the low cost of their services. There is no specific campaign for franchise sales besides the information on the website or the public relations stories on websites for the franchising industry. The first impression of a potential costumer with the company comes through the companys website. In order to convince a customer to go through the whole website, get informed about the services and make contact with the company, the website should be visually appealing, should give a general customer relationship management, personalisation and privacy (Mà ¶ller, Brezing, and Unz, 2012; Solutions, 2012). In case of Revive! UK it is found that the website is appealing, well designed, professional and easy to use. It has relevant service information and a standalone section dedicated to public relation stories, while communication contacts are easy to spot on main page. Franchisi ng is also easy to spot with most relevant information. Revive! UK has also a Facebook page with 2,442 followers and they have posts 2-3 times a week. The reviews from clients on the Facebook page are positive. There is no interaction among the company and the Facebook page visitors-followers. It is important to mention that besides Facebook page, the company does not have any other social media tool. Also, according to the companys website, Revive! UK does social responsibility actions for charity organization and community support which are not communicated through other channels beside their website and Facebook page. Another factor that was detected through this assignment is the poor optimization that the company has done for search engines. During the search for the company on Google with different words like: care repair UK, SMART repair services, minor car damage reaper UK, the position of Revive! UK website was not among the first results of the research (appentises a,..). In order to be noticed, the company should improve SEO as a digital marketing practice which will focuses on optimizing the website to increase the number of visitors the site receives from search engines. Key issue: Low Search Engine optimization Many activities with social impact but without being well communicated No interactive social media Possible Action: The company need to examine again the keywords and contents that they are using for the SEO. They should find the correct keywords to connect with words that clients use. But this is not the only solution. Because in some cases according to Ledford (2008) having optimized the correct keywords it is not enough. Factors such as advertising campaigns and update frequencies also affect SEO (Ledford, 2008, pg 14). So, a better strategy on the search engine optimization, without forgetting the optimization for mobile users The company should promote through different channels their social activities. For example, the latest action that they organized Andrew Jordan Goes Calendar Girls for Charity was only promoted from their website. Searching for articles or stories on Google there were no result for this action. In this case, a better PR strategy on this sector of the company would increase their communication strategy. The only social media that the company is using is Facebook. The use of Facebook, although, is limited on posting only news for the company. There is no feedback on the clients comments, even the fact that the comments are good. First of all, as many social media channels the company uses there is a good possibility to increase the SEO. The use of social media should give the opportunity to the company to communicate with its clients. A contest for a free service which would be only through social media, asking followers their opinion for something new that company did, engaging the franchisors in the social media game, these could be some steps to be more involved with their clients/followers/visitors etc. 1.2 Market Analysis 1.2.1 PEST Analysis for Revive! Company PEST analysis is a managerial tool used to analyze and measure market potentials and stands for political, Economic, Social and Technological issues. Political Potential changes on the franchise regulations because of Brexit. EU competition rules will continue to apply to franchising post-Brexit although the Commission will have reduced powers, and block exemption measures at UK level will be needed. (International Franchise Association, 2016) Potential increase in taxes. According to the Bank of England taxes are expected to increase in the following years (Inman, 2017). First of all this means that will affect Revive! UK services and products. With potential increase in taxes Revive! UK will have to increase their prices. That probably will make them to lose one of the current advantages that they have; which is cheap prices. As for the customers a potential increase in taxes will reduce their buying power. Potential risks on franchising outside UK. Due to a potential Brexit. It is unclear which will be the legislature of EU and company should re-examine it is franchise strategy (International Franchise Association, 2016). Import/Export tax duties applied for leaving common market. Changes on agreements would mean potential increase custom duties that will lead to more expensive row material, paint tooling, machines etc import. Export goods might lose pricing competitive advantage and become more expensive to EU market (Whos Who Legal, 2017). Economic Decrease of car sales on 2016. According to articles there are possibilities of a decrease on car sailings. This means that costumers will try to keep their old cars and fixing them if it is necessary (Sharpe, 2016). Worries for new trade deals with EU because of Brexit. According to articles because of Brexit Uk will give up full access to the single market along EU. In a soft Brexit trading would be on a tarrif-free basis (Sharpe, 2016; Bennett, 2016). These factors may make the company more cautious on investments or franchising outside UK. Potential interest rate increase (Moneywise, 2013). Increase of GDP and average salary for 2016(Statistics, 2017) Current improve export rate due to currency exchange Euro VS GP These facts show that costumers will have a good average of salary and this means that they will be more elastic on spending. According to the above information, because of the ongoing Brexit situation, franchising in another European country at this moment would be a risk for the company. The only countries that Revive! UK can approach are Ireland and Scotland. Since they already have tried to franchise in these countries years before without succeeding, probably now with the knowledge and the expertise they have would be easier. Social Current low unemployment rate with uncertain future projection (Statistics, 2017). There is a decrease of the number of the unemployment in the last 2 years (Appendixes). Need for vehicles and repairs expected to have a growth trend. Customer perception trend swift from car being a status symbol to fuel efficiency and low emissions. Customer buying pattern expected to change to short term investing into repairing existing cars for as long as possible before switching to new eco friendly vehicles. New legislation for low fuel cell cars, eco- friendly cars, paint and waste disposal. This factor should make the company examine the products that use in order to be eco- friendly. Technological Catch up changing technology on new cars that will be battery cars etc. This factor means that the company should gain knowledge and skills in new products for these new cars. Improvements in technology for client services. New technology in order to improve client services. Since the companys advantage is the direct answer to the client there should be some improvements from technological aspect. There should be more use of social media and more interactive relation with the costumers. 1.3 Competitor analysis General information Services History Franchise Investment location Clients Minimum investment Support for the franchisees Perfect Detail Smart Repair Mobile minor damage Paint Vinyl Windscreen Bodywork alloy wheels Online shop 150 years Yes UK General public Main dealers Brands (McLaren, Jaguar and Rover) Retailers groups  £10,000 Training Equipment selection Van installation Branding Website and social media support Chips away Brand Leader Automotive paint repair system Car body repairs Bumper scuffs Paintwork scratches Minor dents kerbed alloy wheels 23 years Yes Over 220 units UK General public Main dealers Retailers groups  £15,000 Branding Training Ongoing support Exclusive territory National advertising Expansion opportunities Dentwizart/ Flying colors services Smart repairs Cosmetic damage Scratches Scrapes Bumper scuffs Vandal damage and chips away Yes UK, Europe, North America General public Main dealers Retailers groups  £22,950 Personalised website Training Credit control management services Exclusive geographic territories Low frontend fees SprintFinish Scratches Bumper Scuffs Damaged Interior Trim Damaged Alloy Wheels Repairs to: tears holes cigarette burn in seats and carpets 20 years Yes UK General public Main dealers Retailers groups Charges on different services (more details on appendix 12) Ongoing training defined territory branding UK Final touch Car paint work Smart repairs 24 years New Zealand 4 years in UK Yes UK, Ireland, Europe  £29,995 Exclusive geographic territories Training Machinery, paint, supplies and stock items Marketing material Business and accounting reviews Car Medic SMART repairs Alloy wheel refurbishment Car interior repairs Car seat repairs Car upholstery and car interior plastics 20 years / New in franchising No data Comprehensive Skills, HS and Commercial Training Quality Branded Tools Consumables. Competitive Package including all you need to run your own business Low franchise management fees Key points: Relatively with the most of their competitors Revive! UK has less main services (no inside repairs, no online shop etc.). As most of their competitors the company is operating in England ΆºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ à Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ ÃŽÂ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± ÃŽÂ ±Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ à Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ÃŽÂ ¸ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒÅ½Ã‚ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ ÃŽÂ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± ÃŽÂ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ franchise According to google search some of the competitors have better SEO strategy (appendix.) Relatively young company with low market and reputation in comparison to their main competitors. 1.4 Consumer Analysis Revive! UK company started their economic activity as a company that provides smart car repair services. Their customers are general public, dealership groups, fleet and insurance companies (Revive! Auto innovations (UK) Ltd Bfa, 2017). Clients in the general public group, according to the data and information that have been collected for this coursework, could be people from 17 years old to 25 years old that are more possible to have small damages in their cars and costumers from 45 to 60 that are also prone to small damages. These consumers in the ACORN classification may be from the category- Financially Stretched 38: Semi-skilled workers in traditional neighborhoods and from the category Comfortable Communities 25: larger family homes, multi-ethnic areas but also from the category 15 younger professional in smaller flats (ACORN/CACI, 2013). Another category that possibly buy Revive! UK services belong to the category 49: Young families in low cost private flats. (Appentixà ¢Ã¢ ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦) The gender that is more interested in the products and the services are male. Also, according to a Mintel research from 2015 shows that 31% of adults drive a car under 3 years old and a 50% of the drivers have cars over 3 years up to 10 years old (Mintel, 2015). This research may reinforce the fact that costumers use smart repair car services. For the franchise sales the costumers are from different categories. According to statistics on business start-ups the characteristics of majority of entrepreneurs are white males in their forties. Specifically: 25% of employer owners are between 35 to 44 years old, 31% are 45 to 54 years old 26% are 55 to 64 years old 29.4% of owner managers tend to be A Level or equivalent 21.8% followed by a degree or equivalent 11% has no educational qualifications. Two-thirds of entrepreneurs had no prior experience of owning or managing a business, Half of active entrepreneurs have previously worked in the sector they start a business in. (Startup Team, 2004) In agreement with the above information the costumers on the franchising sales of the company may be in the type 28: Owner occupied terraces, average income (ACORN/CACI, 2013). In this category there are people with income around or above national average, moreover their educational status are in national average and finally in a combination of characteristics such as average age and savings it is shown that this category are in the middle of the average age (ACORN/CACI, 2013), (Appendix ..) 1.5 SWOT Analysis/ Key issues Strengths Revive! Operating nationwide with 58 franchisees with 135 vans Increase of cash in hand and bank in 2014 to 2015 Increase on current Liabilities 2014 to 2015 Increase of total assets Recognized and specialist employees 20% increase in sales on year with over 45% of all franchisees running multi van business Achieved Internationally recognized Investors in people status Investment in systems and technology to reduce franchise admin time and improve Updated website B2B and B2C services Mainly focused in franchise Weaknesses Decrease on Net Worth Potential loss of sales in customers that require other features (tyre ..) Mainly focused in franchise The company operate only in England Relatively young company with low market and reputation No interactive social media Many activities with social impact but without being well communicated Low Search Engine optimization Not enough promotion Revive! UK has less main services (no inside repairs, no online shop etc.). Opportunities Decrease of car sales on 2016 (Sharpe, 2016) Increase of GDP and average salary for 2016 Current improve export rate due to currency exchange Euro VS GP Unknown agreements among UK and EU for franchising sector exporting of goods due to currency Euro vs GP Change on customer buying pattern into being more in repairing their cars than buying new ones Threats Potential changes on the franchise regulations because of Brexit (Mark, 2013) Potential interest rate increase (Moneywise, 2013) Unknown agreements among UK and EU for franchising sector importing of goods: Changes on agreements would mean potential increase custom duties that will lead to more expensive row material, paint tooling, machines etc. Potential increase in taxes (Inman, 2017) Low unemployment rate with uncertain future projection (Statistics, 2017b ). 1.6 Key Issues From the above SWOT analysis the key issues that should the company consider in a new communication campaign are: Recognized and specialist employees Achieved internationally recognized Investors in people status Investment in systems and technology to reduce franchise admin time and improve Mainly focused in franchise Only in England No interactive social media Many activities with social impact but without being well communicated Low Search Engine optimization Not enough promotion 2. MARKETING COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES Make your Smart move with Revive Reflecting on the above key issues, the companys next communication campaign should be focused on: Raising awareness to specific target group in order to increase their publicity through online marketing tools such as website and social media. Making franchise sales in another market beside England. Since the company in the past have tried to distribute their franchise product in the N. Ireland and Scotland market and there were no results (based on the information that we gathered for this assignment) it is time to make efforts again but only in one of the two countries. It is suggested here Scotland. The campaigns name would be the same but other distribution channels. To get involved in a new market, the communication and marketing steps should be more focused. The main marketing communication objectives of the campaign are: 1. Increase awareness with 20% among adults 25-35 years old, of category 2 Rising Prosperty: 2.15 younger professional in smaller flats (ACORN/ CACI, 2013) in the area of West Midlands for Make your smart move with Revive! campaign starting from March 2017 September 2017. 2. Increase awareness with 10% among adults 30 to 45 years old, of category 2 Rising Prosperty: 2.18 career driven young families (ACORN/CACI, 2013) in the area of Edinburgh for Make your Smart move with Revive! campaign starting from March 2017 September 2017. APPENDICES REFERENCES Fill, Chris. Marketing communications: Interactivity, Communities and Content Chris Fill, 5th edn. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Westwood, John. How to Write a Marketing Plan, edited by John Westwood, Kogan Page, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/coventry/detail.action?docID=1135738. Jobber, D. and Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012) Principles and practice of Marketin+. 7th edn. London: McGraw Hill Higher Education. Halik, J. (2012). The application of PEST analysis based on EBRD and IBRD methodology. Central European Business Review, 1(3), 14-21. Thomas, H. (2007). An analysis of the environment and competitive dynamics of management education. Journal of Management Development, 26(1), 9-21. Whos Who Legal, 2017 What does Brexit mean for Franchisors around the world? the latest legal features, research and legal profiles whos who legal. Available at: http://whoswholegal.com/news/features/article/33494/what-does-brexit-mean-franchisors-around-world/ (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Inman, P. (2017) UK tax burden will soar to highest level for 30 years, warns IFS. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/07/ifs-warns-steep-cuts-tax-rises-40bn-black-hole-uk (Accessed: 14 February 2017). Copyright (2016) International How does Brexit impact international Franchisors with franchisees in the EU? Available at: http://www.franchise.org/how-does-brexit-impact-international-franchisors-with-franchisees-in-the-eu (Accessed: 14 February 2017). Shoosmiths (2017) What does Brexit mean for UK franchising? part one. Available at: http://www.shoosmiths.co.uk/client-resources/legal-updates/what-does-brexit-mean-for-uk-franchising-part-one-12369.aspx (Accessed: 14 February 2017) Goodchild, R. (2017) Does your vehicle have minor damage? Dont worry we can repair it! Available at: https://revive-uk.com/ (Accessed: 14 February 2017). Revive! Auto innovations (UK) Ltd Bfa (2017) Available at: https://www.thebfa.org/members/revive-auto-innovations-uk-ltd (Accessed: 14 February 2017). Endole.co.uk, 2017 Revive! Auto innovations (UK) limited company information. Available at: https://www.endole.co.uk/company/05115063/revive-auto-innovations-uk-limited (Accessed: 14 February 2017) Sharpe, T. (2016) Misfiring UK car market could see 9% decline in 2017. Available at: http://www.am-online.com/news/market-insight/2016/10/07/misfiring-uk-automotive-retail-market-could-see-9-decline-in-2017 (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Bennett, J. (2016) Hard Brexit will leave UK car industry hanging by a thread. Available at: http://www.am-online.com/news/market-insight/2016/10/11/hard-brexit-will-leave-uk-car-industry-hanging-by-a-thread (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Moneywise (2013) When will UK interest rates rise? Available at: http://www.moneywise.co.uk/news/2017-01-23/when-will-uk-interest-rates-rise (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Statistics, O.F.N. (2017) Gross domestic product, preliminary estimate: Oct to Dec 2016. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/bulletins/grossdomesticproductpreliminaryestimate/octtodec2016 (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Statistics, O.F.N. (2017) Unemployment rate (aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted). Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/unemployment/timeseries/mgsx/lms (Accessed: 15 February 2017). ACORN/ CACI 2013 Available at: http://acorn.caci.co.uk/data/#t38_p1 (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Sharpe, T. (2016) Misfiring UK car market could see 9% decline in 2017. Available at: http://www.am-online.com/news/market-insight/2016/10/07/misfiring-uk-automotive-retail-market-could-see-9-decline-in-2017 (Accessed: 15 February 2017). Mà ¶ller, B., Brezing, C. and Unz, D. (2012) What should a corporate website look like? The influence of Gestalt principles and visualisation in website design on the degree of acceptance and recommendation, Behaviour Information Technology, 31(7), pp. 739-751. doi: 10.1080/0144929x.2011.642893. Solutions, S.W. (2012) Articles. Available at: https://www.spritzweb.com/resources/good-website-characteristics.html (Accessed: 18 February 2017). Ledford, Jerri L.. SEO: Search Engine Optimization Bible, edited by Jerri L. Ledford, Wiley, 2008. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/coventry/detail.action?docID=331516. StartUp Team, (2004) The average entrepreneur | page 2 of 2 | startups.Co.Uk: Starting a business advice and business ideas. Available at: http://startups.co.uk/the-average-entrepreneur/2/ (Accessed: 18 February 2017).

Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - The Emotional States of Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Custom Written Essays - The Emotional States of Hamlet Hamlet went through various emotional states because of different unfortunate circumstances that confronted him. Yet Hamlet never went so far over "the edge" so as to not come back from reality, yet for reasons psychological, he procrastinated actions that he should have taken, until it was too late. I will first discuss Hamlet, the origins for his queer behavior and if it twas feigned or not. In the first act we see that Hamlet is a sort of idealistic man coming back to the world from university in Wittenburg. Coleridge described Hamlet in this point of the play as a "Renaissance" man, who has never really come in contact with the dark side of humanity. In the very beginning of Act 1 scene i the guards dialog reflect that "there is something rotten in the state of Denmark". It is full of corruption, deceit, passion, ruthlessness, and ambition that Hamlet is not used to (Lidz, 71). His mind temporarily can not handle his situation because, as I will mention later, his mother is at the center of it. He has to try to find meaning, direction and a stable identity in the midst of all the evil about him (Lidz, 73). We clearly see that Hamlet is quite upset by his mother's quite hasty marriage to is uncle, and this causes some deep seeded emotional problems for Hamlet. I can not talk about Hamlet's emotional state without also going into the fact that Hamlet already suspects the King of killing his father, before the ghost tells him so (Leavenwoth, 34). First I will go elaborate on how Hamlet, at certain times, was clearly not feigning insanity, but that insanity only lasted for brief periods of time because of the emotional blows that Hamlet undergoes. I and many literary folk believe that Hamlet suffered from a Oedipus complex. Freud described this as a desire for a young boy to kill his father and become sexually involved with his mother. Now that Hamlet's father is eliminated, he believes that he will now be the number one person receiving affection from his mother, Queen Gertrude (Lidz, 48). This is the principal reason of why even though Hamlet should have grown out of the Oedipal, it gets reawakened (Lidz, 48). But, to Hamlet's great disappointment his mother has remarried and he will not be the number one person to receive his mother's affection and his superego is greatly damaged (Leavenworth, 95). He feels like his mother has betrayed him in, by marrying, and to boot that she married with

Friday, July 19, 2019

Analysis of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis

Analysis of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson In an attempt to consider the duality tale, one narrative inevitably finds its way to the top of the heap as the supreme archetype: Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Immense disagreement permeates the pages of literary criticism relevant to the meaning of the story. Yet, for all of the wrangling focused on the psychology, morality, spirituality, and sociality of the story, it has remained, since 1886, a novella that according to the Reverend W. J. Dawson, gives Stevenson â€Å"a place apart, and high above all contemporaries, as an interpreter of the deepest things of the soul† (qtd. in Abbey 318). Not content to merely comment on the age of Victoria—i.e., the world about him—Stevenson has used the vehicle of Jekyll and Hyde to comment on the world within him, and within each of us, depicting the efforts of a scientist who separates the natures of good and evil, seen as â€Å"polar twins †¦ continuously struggling† (Jekyll and Hyde 78) within the psyche of each of us for supremacy. The author did so, perhaps, as a response to the physical conditions that had plagued him for the majority of his life, and with the concept of the world’s view of his state in mind. Stevenson lived his life contending with the limitations of his physical frame, living his adolescent days as a â€Å"rather sickly child† (Edens121) and in his adult years persistently confronted by the symptoms of tuberculosis, including â€Å"hemorrhages from the lungs† (Nabakov 179). Stevenson’s birthplace is Edinburgh, Scotland. He was the child of Margaret Balfour and Thomas Stevenson. Born on November 13, 1850, this product of a minister’s daughter and a c... ...r this submission to the Times of London to actually be the work of Robert Louis Stevenson. This would be along the lines of the intellectual dishonesty perpetrated by the senator from Delaware, Joseph Biden, who, about a decade ago, was found out to be a plagiarist. Evidence pointing to a deception on the part of Stevenson is not known, but the thought of such a thing occurring is intriguing, because, were this to be the case, the author would be shown to have behaved in a Hydian manner, disguising his identity for the sake of profit. [3] The popular notion of linking schizophrenia and a split personality is in error. The schizophrenic is an agoraphobic who takes his/her neurosis to an extreme and develops modes of behavior that serve as coping mechanisms. These behaviors are often erroneously grouped, by those observing them, to form separate personalities.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Fairtale Essay

One of the most well known, well loved and influential genre of literature is the fairy tale. A fairy tale is defined by the Oxford dictionary as â€Å"A children’s story of magical and imaginary beings and lands†. Overtime the concept of fairy tales has changed. Fairy tales are being re-written and re-illustrated constantly, which makes fairy tales appealing to every generation. Fairy tales broaden the imagination of children. They allow us gain an insight into a world of magic and adventure- a world we will never experience but fantasize about. â€Å"Fairy tales are nothing if not realistic: and it is their cynicism that keeps them lively. (Opie, 1980, p. 19) â€Å"A characteristic of the fairy tale, as told today, is that it is unbelievable. Although a fairy tale is seldom a tale about fairy-folk and does not necessarily even feature a fairy, it does contain an enchantment or other supernatural element that is clearly imaginary. † (Opie, 1980 p. 18). The orig in of fairy tales is commonly unknown and more often than not never discovered by the reader. French writers Catherine Bernard, Marie-Jeanne Lheitier, Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy are believed to be â€Å"chiefly responsible for the establishment of the fairytale as a literacy genre in Europe. (Zipes, 2006,p. 13) of the 1960s. However, it was Italian writers Giovan Francesco Straparola and Giambattista Basile who played a major role in the rise of literacy in Europe. â€Å"This is one of the best kept secrets that is well worth unlocking because it reveals just how closely tied the literacy fairy tale as genre is to spread of the civilizing process throughout Europe. †(Zipes, 2006, p. 13) However, it was the influence of Boccaccio’s Decamerone that led to the production of various collections of ‘novelle’ that had an impact on the literacy fairy tale as a short narrative.Straparola was the first to publish his collection â€Å"Le piacevoli notti (1550 and 1553) from the example Boccaccio had set. Straparola was different from previous writers. He was the first European writer â€Å"to adapt many tales from oral tradition, creating approximately fourteen literacy fairy tales in his collection of seventy four novella. † (Zipes, 2006, p. 14) Straparola’s work caused some controversy and at one time one of his collections was banned by the pope in 1791. This was due to themes which Straparola had included in his work.He introduced â€Å"plain earthy language† and â€Å"critical view of power struggles in Italian society†. Basile shared similar views on power and civility. (Zipes, 2006). Even form this early stage, fairy tales have always been connected to power, social class and gender stereotyping. Both Straparola and Basile recognised that Italian principalities were being damaged through family conflicts, the change in commerce and trade and war. They used fairy tale's as a written means of broaching t heir concern over the unexpected change of norms on human behaviour. Although time passes and things change, fairytales have not dated.The classic fairy tales that Basile and Straparola once told are still being told to children today all over the world. Thanks to the origination of the fairytale by Straparola and Basil â€Å"we still rely on its narrative strategy to see how dangerous it is to think that we live in more civilized and better world than the realms of the past. †(Zipes, 2006) For centuries young children have been enthralled by fairy tales. Tales of witches, wizards, princes and princesses, fairy godmothers and villains alike have been influencing how children view the world around them.This appears particularly true in the case of young girls, with whom these stories seem to resonate. However living in a contemporary 22nd century society the question needs to be posed; are these stories, written centuries ago, still providing a relevant and realistic portrayal of female role models to the youth of today? Or are these folktales of ‘prince charming’ and ‘happily ever afters’ corrupting ideals from infancy and setting these young girls up for disappointment? Women today have come along away from their 18th century counterparts.Women have fought for years to be able to vote, work, raise children as a lone parent and run a household. Women have gained their right to respect and independence in a world that is no longer dominated my males. These rights are marked as historic events that women are extremely proud of. However still today, when educating children we use â€Å"fairy tales† as means of communicating, although sometimes indirectly, the role women should play in life. For example, in fairy tales, the concept of beauty is outlined very clearly. Beauty is expressed as a physical necessity.The leading lady in the typical fairy tale is usually described and illustrated as a woman possessing features consi dered physically attractive to males, a thin figure, glowing skin, red lips, symmetrical facial features and well attired. In the classical tale of Sleeping Beauty Aurora has â€Å"red lips as red as the red red rose† fair skin, blue eyes long blonde hair and an impossibly thin figure. This seems to be the universal concept of what beauty is among all the fairy tales that Walt Disney have produced. This image of beauty is in stark contrast to the reality in which we live into today.This depiction of the need for beauty is not the only negative stereotype conveyed in fairy tales. Instead of being able to defend and stick up for themselves, women are forever relying on males to rescue them. Whether it be the ‘handsome prince charming’ or the father figure, a male, nevertheless is always there to save the day and resolve whatever predicament has arisen in order for all involved except the villain to live â€Å"happily ever after†. The act of stereotyping serv es as a short-cut to the way that the majority of the population views our culture.Therefore, though we might not completely agree with the way in which gender roles are represented in these fairy tales, it still serves us well in a sense that we might gain a basic understanding of what it means to be a male and what it means to be a female. Whether personally accepted or rejected, the notion of males being dominant and females being subordinate has been deeply embedded into our culture’s view of the gender roles. The villain is also an interesting stereotype which is evident in all fairy tales.Villains are portrayed as ugly, malicious, jealous characters. They are almost always characterised by being an evil step-mother, wicked queen, a witch or an evil mother in law. The job of the villain in a fairytale is to make life difficult for the leading protagonist. The queen in Basile’s version of Snow White is described as â€Å"a murderous and unnatural, unsexed anomaly who tricks Talia†¦ †(Warner ,1995,p. 220). However, evil they are, they always play a powerful female role in all the fairy tales I have chosen to discuss.To consider whether the portrayals of women in classic fairy tales are genuine role models for young girls, I will be examining and referring to the following books: Cinderella , Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the seven dwarfs, Mulan and Shrek. Certainly by examining classic fairy tales it is obvious that the central female character is continuously presented as being ‘beautiful’. In the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast, the story begins with â€Å"Once upon a time there lived a rich merchant with three pretty daughters.The youngest was the prettiest of the there and she was called beauty. † From the very beginning of the story, emphasis is put on how beautiful Belle is in the fairytale. The fact that the lead character is appreciated for her beauty alon e speaks multitudes about the message the story gives out to its reader and indeed to young girls. â€Å"There is the threatened union of an almost supernaturally beautiful girl with a hideous monster. † (Iona,Peter, 1980,p. 180) The fairytale puts emphasis on how beautiful Belle is and how ugly the beast is.Similarly Sleeping Beauty â€Å"had a beautiful face and she thought beautiful thoughts†, Snow White â€Å"grew into a beautiful woman†, when Cinderella arrived at the ball everyone wondered â€Å"Who is that beautiful girl? † and The Little Mermaid was â€Å"the youngest, and most beautiful, daughter of Mer King. † The initial portrayal of these women is innocent and positive. Any young girl would aspire to possess such favourable qualities and attractiveness. Being beautiful and falling in love with prince charming, then living happily-ever-after, seems to be the most important outcome of these fairy tales.But the question we have to ask ours elves is -are these ‘harmless’ tales instilling false ideas of what life is like for children? One may not think that reading such biased material to a child could possibly have a lasting effect on their perceptions of how one should conform in society, however according to Bettelheim â€Å"A child trusts what the fairy tale tells, because its world view accords with his own† (Bettelheim, 1991, p. 45) The fairytale is so convincing to the child, as the tale matches the child’s thinking, approach and understanding of the world.Bettelheim states â€Å"these fairytales direct the child’s own thinking about his own development, permitting the child to draw his own conclusion†, yet since some classic fairy tales are known to display gender stereotyping, we must ask ourselves, what implication this has on children’s perspectives of specific gender roles in society if the child is drawing his/her own conclusion after reading the fairy tale. F airy tales portray a black and white view of society. Males are frequently portrayed as the head of the family, who are physically and emotionally strong, and whose sphere exists outside of the home.Females are frequently portrayed as dependent, physically and emotionally weak, and belong inside the home. This depiction of the male and female roles sends a very false and blinding message to its audience. On the other hand it can be argued that stereotypes are a part of life/society. The act of stereotyping serves as a short-cut to the way that the majority of the population views our culture. Therefore, though we might not completely agree with the way in which gender roles are represented in these fairy tales, it still gives a basic understanding of what it means to be a male and what it means to be a female.A similar theme seems to run through all the fairy tales I have chosen. All of the female protagonists are punished in some way as a result of their physical fortune. In Snow W hite, the evil queen wants the â€Å"fairest of them all† so a search is sent for Snow White to be killed. Snow White ends up cleaning, tidying and cooking for seven dwarfs in the forest as payment for letting her stay. Similarly in Cinderella, the beautiful Cinderella is made servant to her step mother and step sisters. Cinderella is isolated in the house and ignored by her step sisters and step mother.Sleeping Beauty is cursed from the moment she was born as a result of her beauty. A wicked witch was furious that she wasn’t invited to the baby’s banquet so she put a spell on her to remain asleep for a hundred years. Belle in Beauty and the Beast finds herself in a similar situation; she is one of three sisters and the only one who cleans and cooks as a result of her misfortune. The women all have a variety of traits in common. All of the female characters I have mentioned display admirable qualities.All of the women are kind and gentle but these female charact ers are viewed as being passive and submissive. These women depend on the male characters in the tales to be either saved or to be happy. This sends out an extremely negative stereotype to young readers, presenting that women’s job in life is cook, clean and wait for â€Å"Prince Charming† to come in order to be happy. According to Bettelheim it is child’s life experiences that teach the child the right manner, he goes on to say â€Å"when children are young, it is literature that carries such information best. † (Tartar, 1999, p. 69) If this is the case then children reading heavily stereotyped tales from an early age will impact their manner and possibly the way they view the gender roles. Bettelheim also states that a child’s â€Å"mind is animistic† and children especially young girls are vulnerable to believing that being beautiful and meeting prince charming are key goals and will result in a â€Å"happily ever after. † West (20 04) argues that â€Å"books are such a major influence in the formation of children’s values and attitudes that adults need to monitor nearly every word that children read. (Hunt, 1999, p. 5) If this is the case, should we be reading child fairy tales? It was the feminist movement that brought a closer examination of gender roles in fairytales. In Lissa Paul’s article she argues that â€Å"While children’s literature is predicated on the notion that children are essentially blank or naive and are in need of protection and instruction, then issues of suitability or unsuitability are important. † (Hunt, 1999, p121) This idea seems to be evident in feminist’s attitudes with regards the lead female character in fairy tales.Feminists feel that these women over rely on their beauty and each wait, in some way or another, for their Prince Charming to come rescue them. According to Lissa Paul’s article, while discussing Cinderella, she states that à ¢â‚¬Å"Most of us- women, children and feminist critics, I imagine – don’t want to be seen valuing riches. Or princes for that matter† (Hunt, 1999, p. 112). However many of the fairy tales chosen for the essay have the common theme of a male hero rescuing or saving the female heroine in the story.They solely depend on the prince to come save them in the end. In Cinderella her family feels she is inferior to them and so she serves as a slave in her own home. â€Å"They were very unkind to her and ordered her about from morning until night. † She is too weak to stand up to them and so waits for a prince to come rescue her. Similarly in Sleeping Beauty she sleeps for one hundred years before a prince comes and rescues her, in Beauty and the Beast, Belle finally ends up with a handsome prince â€Å"the beast disappeared and in his place stood a handsome prince†.In Snow White after she ate the poison apple, she lay peacefully in her coffin until a prince fell in love with her and rescued her â€Å"she opened her eyes and on seeing the handsome prince she fell in love with him†. There is evidently a strong portrayal of physical beauty in these fairy tales and these images of the female protagonist gives a very weak and negative display of women’s abilities and aspirations. On the contrary, however, a very interesting aspect is in Beauty and the Beast. Belle demonstrates having a mind of her own compared to her female counterparts whose main focus was to find their handsome prince using their good looks.Belle looks beyond physical appearance and recognises the good man in the Beast â€Å"she has not mistaken a human lover for a monster, like Psyche, or failed to see a good man beneath the surface.. †(Warner, 1995,p. 307) This follows her gradual arousal of both attraction and sexuality for the Beast throughout the course of the fairytale until he unsurprisingly too turns into a handsome prince at the end. â€Å"B eauty’s wooer has the appearance of a monster, and only after Belle has overcome her aversion for his vile shape can the monster be seen to be a handsome prince. (Opie, 1980, p. 180) The notion of being socially stable is put forward to us. Once these women are saved by their ‘Prince Charming’ and fall in love with him, they are rewarded with a luxurious life as a princess and will ultimately ‘live happily ever after’. The Little Mermaid was written by Hans Christen Andersen in 1836 and was released by Walt Disney in 1989. This fairytale was hoped to go against the grain and portray a leading women who wasn’t submissive or passive but strong and independent and good role model of young children.The tale is about a young teenage mermaid, called Ariel, who doesn’t like her life under the sea and is much more fascinated by the human world. Regardless of her father’s warnings she exchanges her voice for legs with the evil witch to sp end three days on land. She must make Prince Eric fall in love with her and kiss her or else she becomes the sea witch’s forever. The witch reassures her â€Å"the graceful form, the modest gait and speaking eyes. With such as these, it will easy to infatuate a vain human male† (Anderson, 1993,p. 8). It is clear from that short summary that the tale still managed to stereotype women. The message being sent out is that if Ariel relies on her beauty alone she will get the Prince to fall in love with her. Trites 1990 said, â€Å"Undoubtedly, feminists’ have criticized Ariel because she seems to have little ambition beyond getting her prince. † (http://charlottesmedia. blogspot. com/) The story of Mulan helped change the perception of women in Fairy tales but still managed to imply a message that women are inferior to men.Mulan is no one’s trophy and to me is the first groundbreaking Disney film to show a woman to be capable of taking the same roles of men. The story is based on a Chinese myth about a woman who saves china from the Huns. She goes to fight in the war instead of her father and displays traits that are stereotyped as only being male. She is a strong and a courageous woman and breaks social boundaries and expectations. However, Mulan is similar to Belle in Beauty and the Beast, as she too isn’t seen as acceptable in society and this idea of gender obligations is evident.Women ‘should’ be a homemaker and a wife, not cleaver and strong. Finally the film Shrek, created in the 22th century and displays beauty in a different way. Beauty is displayed on the inside in this new image of the princess, which I found to be really refreshing. The two leading characters are ogres. The film goes against the classical fairy tale characteristics. Princess Fiona is different from other princesses and does not wait for prince charming to rescue her. She is a dependent woman who is able to stand on her own two feet. She chooses Shrek as a husband and decides to live her own life as an ogre.This is a unique fairytale as Fiona overlooks physical beauty and is not saved by a male, which results in her having a better life. However she still does live her life as a princess. Unfortunately, many women today hold a â€Å"princess attitude†, and aspire to have a princess type of life. This attitude can be seen among some girls and young women. They often believe that marrying well, especially financially, is desirable, so they can easily live the life of a princess. This may very well be an effect caused by the women that are presented to us in these fairy tales since early childhood.Certainly a clear progression can be seen with regards the representation of women between the 17th-18th century fairy tales (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty) and the 19th -22nd century fairy tales (Mulan, Shrek). I do appreciate that the morals and values are changing in regard to fairytales in recent years. As a who le, however, In my opinion I think that the fairy tales discussed portray a negative stereotype to young children and are not good role models. According to Zipes â€Å"We can continue to enjoy this harmless pastime of telling classical fairytales to our children, not realising the possible harm or harmlessness. Zipes, 2006,p. 57) Bibliography Andersen, H. C. Fairy Tales: The Little Mermaid, Bristol, Parragon Book Service Ltd, 1993. Bettelheim, B. The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning And Importance Of Fairy Tales, England, Penguin, 1991. Charlotte’s media blog. available at http://charlottesmedia. blogspot. com/ accessed on 14/4/2012 Hunt, peter. Children’s Literature, An illustrated History, Oxford, University Press,1995. Hunt, Peter. Understanding Children’s Literature, London, Routledge, 1999. Ladybird, Snow White And The 7 Dwarfs, Ladybird Ltd, 2005. Marsoli, L. A.Mulan, NY, Mouse Works, 1998. Opie, Iona ; Peter, The Classic Fairy Tales, USA, Oxford Univers ity Press, 1980. Soanes, Catherine, and  Angus Stevenson. Concise Oxford English dictionary. New York:  Oxford University Press,2012. Southgate, V. Beauty and the Beast, UK, Ladybird Books Ltd, 1988. Southgate, V. Cinderella, UK, Ladybird Books Ltd, 1982. Southgate, V. Sleeping Beauty, UK, Ladybird Books Ltd, 1984. Warner, M. Beast to the Blonde ,London, Vintage. 1995. Zipes, Jack. Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion, New York, Routledge, 2006. Film: Shrek, Disney, 2001.