ANTI-GLOBALIZATION MOVEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

ANTI-GLOBALIZATION MOVEMENT - Essay Example Participants of anti-globalization crusade oppose to what they view as huge, multi-national firms having unfettered political power, applied via trade agreements as well as decontrolled financial markets. Precisely, multinationals are blamed of pursuing to capitalize on profit to the detriment of work standards and safety conditions, labor hiring as well as compensation standards, legitimacy, sovereignty and independence of national statutory. Many counter-globalization activists necessitate practices of worldwide integration that provide better democratic representation, fair trade, human rights advancement as well as sustainable development. The 1999 WTO convention in Seattle, United States, that was to unveil fresh visionary trade negotiations, was surpassed by controversial and massive street protests that marked the second wave of the anti-globalization crusade. Many of arguments followers of anti-globalization make encompass market failures. Market failures are also known as multinationals, mainly since the magnitude of these firms has permitted them to subvert and circumvent guidelines made in earlier centuries. Though there were indeed conglomerates before the contemporary era of globalization, the people who study international business would contend their power and reach have not ever been grander than today. In the last 2 eras, a worldwide consuming frenzy has consolidated much of content production (for instance, movies and music) to the influences of very few huge companies. The content consolidation itself is not comparatively harmless, that is why Barber Benjamin (1995) is hasty to indicate that with no content, hardware producers (the creators of radios and televisions) nor content supply systems (satellite and cable firms) have a valuable product.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A remarkable instance of this may be v iewed in the novel ‘Sirius’ radio and ‘XM Radio’ systems. Though still bound to content, their systems necessitate proprietary hardware (as well as a monthly payment) for right to use (Barber 1995). Therefore, the standardized ‘radio’, a commodity that has is astonishingly inexpensive to produce (as well as to procurement), is supplanted by trademarked technology that because of latest legislation is illicit to evade or swap engineer within the U.S.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Market failures are a reasonably more argumentative issue amid the numerous authors, as every one of them draws a line amid ‘fierce competitor’ as well as ‘monopolist’ rather contrarily. The antitrust lawsuits against Microsoft within Europe and the US validate this perfectly. Many of the writers writing about this issue do settle that there exists a position where rivalry culminates and market control begins; in addition, they al so settle that on that fact governments have to take control to restrain the immoderations of corporations that become very powerful. Most of these writers also emphasize that the evolution of multinational establishments has rendered domestic economies â€Å"no longer manageable†. Others, nevertheless, oppose the national administrations are still capable of controlling corporations in their frontiers if the political self-control exists. Market Creep    The biggest problem that most of followers venturing a place within the anti-globalization movement have is the notion that Democracy ‘the one individual, one vote’ is being supplanted by something that is more market-driven ‘one dollar, one (Barber 1995).

“Archetypes for a Contemporary Audience” Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Archetypes for a Contemporary Audience† Essay Myths are an important cultural aspect that were, and are to this day, used commonly to help teach morals and life lessons. Strength, courage, and fortitude are just a few characteristics addressed in mythology. The archetypal layout of an exemplary story is composed of the Twelve Stages. The Twelve Stages of a hero’s journey are the steps every person must take in order to prove one’s self as a hero. Mythical heroes such as Theseus, Sigurd, and Beowulf clearly demonstrate the archetypal qualities of a hero. A typical hero is seen as a morally just individual, with a noticeably ethical intent. An archetypal quality of a hero is moral goodness. The hero is always opposing evil and wrong-doing, while attempting his best to halt it. The hero is selfless always willing to give his life in place of another. A villain, or monster, is the opposed force of the hero, whose intent is solely based around a malicious and self-centered motive. The shadow-self of a character is often portrayed as the villain, or monster, but it has a much greater importance. The shadow-self illustrates the two extremes of a personality. Since the shadow-self is the complete opposite of a character, the good and bad qualities of that character are shown, the shadow self of a character can have both good and bad aspects. When someone is able to control the good aspects of both characters, the individual is able to grow and learn from themselves. The shadow-self is often used in literature, because it is seen as the perfect challenge for the protagonist. An example in literature would be Beowulf and Grendel. Beowulf is a great hero driven by good morals and intentions, while Grendel is a soulless monster living only to cause pain and death. Another example would be Sigurd and Regin. Sigurd is somewhat naive and physically strong, Regin, being the opposite, is extremely intelligent and persuasive, but not physically robust. Monsters are often confused with the shadow-self, but the monster can share similar qualities, values, and goals with the protagonist. Most monsters are shown as creatures, or people, who are not bound by the conforming laws set in place for the average person. In many cases with monsters in literature, there is a figurative veil drawn over them; shrouding them in mystery and uncertainty. These aspects draw people’s fascination by providing the reader with a form of escapism. Thus, allowing the reader to break away from the dull, constant, day-to-day routine of  their lives, and discover a new unfamiliar world. By providing this new reality for the reader the monster’s role in the narrative is greatly enhanced. When combining heroic qualities with villainous attributes, a perfect balance is formed. Most literature contains some manner of conflict between heroes and villains. Without conflict, the story would have no distinguishable design or purpose. Without the purpose or design the story would ramble aimlessly, until a much desired conclusion is reached. This leads back into the balance between hero and villain, because the existence of a hero or villain depends greatly upon the existence of the other. The reason for this is simple, because there is no need for a hero if there is no villain, and the same applies to a villain, who has no hero to rise up against. The voyage and quest of a hero is often riddled with hardship and treachery: Then an old harrower of the dark happened to find the hoard open, the burning one who hunts out barrows, the slick-skinned dragon, threatening the night sky with streamers of fire. People on the farms are in dread of him. He is driven to hunt out hoards under ground, to guard heathen gold†¦ When the dragon awoke, trouble flared again. He rippled down the rock, writhing with anger when he saw the footprints of the prowler who had stolen too close to his dreaming head. So may a man not marked by fate easily escape exile and woe by the grace of God. (Heaney-155) This quote from Beowulf shows that quest for treasure is always challenging. The road to the treasure is filled with tests and confrontations that are put in place to challenge the hero’s skills and knowledge. When the location of the treasure is finally reached, there is always a final obstacle blocking the way of the treasure. A common example of this is a dragon in its lair, sleeping soundly, guarding its treasure from unwanted thieves. Beowulf’s final fight with the dragon is an obvious example. In the story, â€Å"Theseus and the Ariadne Thread† Theseus uses a thread given to him by Ariadne. â€Å"As may be imagined, he made no difficulty about that, and she gave him the clue she had got from Daedalus, a ball of thread which he was to fasten at one end to the inside of the door and unwind as he went on. This he did and, certain that he could retrace his steps whenever he chose, he walked boldly into the maze, looking for the Minotaur.†(â€Å"Theseus† 776) The thread was used to help Theseus remember where he had already been,  and to lead him back to his original starting position, and keep him from getting lost in the maze. A valuable lesson can be learned from this thread, as it symbolizes connection to a person, place, or thing that brings us back to reality, when we are in need of direction. The slaying of the dragon is seen as the overcoming of an obstacle: After what seemed minutes, he thought, I must risk it now. With that he straightened his knees and drove the sword upward with all his force. It tore up through the cloak, through the loose earth, and on with the force of his arm until it buried itself to the hilt. A great cry came from the monster. (Who Are You Quoting Here?) Being able to overcome an obstacle is important, because it allows the person to undergo change and growth. As a contemporary audience we are able to read this, and be able to apply the knowledge gained from reading, in our own lives. The heroic epic poem Beowulf is a remarkable example of archetypes in a story. Beowulf is centered on a Scandinavian hero who is both strong and cunning. Beowulf is the classic hero everyone envisions when they think of a hero. Grendel, Beowulf’s shadow-self, is an obvious archetypal villain. Beowulf’s many quests represent the typical hunt for treasure. Beowulf’s final adventure, which would lead to his death, was by far the most archetypal of all of his endeavors, completing the last few stages of the Hero’s Journey. The poem Beowulf has a lot of psychological depth contained within the story. In preparation for the battle with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf must sink to the bottom of a lake, to get to the underwater lair. Beowulf must sink for hours to get to the bottom, and in doing so, this event displays that Beowulf’s mental strength is just as robust as his physical strength. Once Beowulf reached Grendel’s mother’s lair, Hrunting, a sword that had never failed in battle, was broken when it attempted to pierce the monster’s skin. Beowulf was quick to disarm the sword and reequip with a giant’s  sword, which happened to be conveniently placed in the lair. The significance of this in the story demonstrates the idea that un-useful things should be quickly discarded, as they are only weighing you down. Letting go of things that only slow you down, or hold you back from your true potential, will free you to move forward in your lifes quest. Once an obstacle, or hindrance, in your life is gone, you are able to look for another alternative or way out. The last important archetypal piece in Beowulf is Beowulf’s final fight with the dragon. This fulfills two of the 12 stages: The Resurrection and the Return with the Elixir. When Beowulf defeats the dragon, but is also killed in the process, the resurrection is displayed when Beowulf comes to release his death. When Beowulf realizes his death is upon him he reminisces about his old heroic deeds, and comprehends the valor of his actions. The twelfth stage is exemplified when Wiglaf, the only one of Beowulf’s men who didn’t desert him, retrieves some of the treasure, won by Beowulf, and shows Beowulf the spoils. Finally, when Wiglaf returns to the people and tells them of Beowulf’s death, along with a prediction of the upcoming days, the people fully realize what their leader has done for them, and they feel sorrow and remorse. The works of literature Beowulf, â€Å"Sigurd the Dragon Slayer†, and â€Å"Theseus† still maintain relevance in today’s society. The heroic qualities of these heroes are still admired and sought after by the people of today. Reading these stories will provide the reader with a greater knowledge of how our society bases its morals. The morals of any society are based on the archetype of whom ever that society deems to be the ultimate â€Å"good† example. The age old battle between good and evil is still being fought out in everyday life, and each one of us is a character in the drama of human history. We all need heroes, because we all feel the threat of evil, or villains, in our lives.

Heinz †Beech Nut Merger :: Business Mergers Acquisitions M&A M+A

Heinz – Beech Nut Merger The word â€Å"merger† is very common term that everyone in America has to deal with in some aspect of life. Banks, oil companies, car manufacturers, computer makers†¦the list goes on for ever, and the mergers of these companies have a direct effect on our daily life. For decades the US government and the court systems have tried to regulate how mergers can and cannot happen and why. The reason(s) as to why a merger is allowed or not has varied over the years, but one major concept has remained the same: too many mergers within a particular market can reduce competition and create a monopoly (or a near monopoly condition). Merging firms often state that a merger could help them reduce costs and to develop better products. They claim this would clearly be a benefit to the consumers of their product(s). The 1960’s and 70’s were considered the earlier era of merger law by economists. During this time frame he courts and governments were more concerned with the NON-economic aspects of mergers: reducing market concentration, protecting small business, consumers rights†¦etc. Since 1979 those concerns have faded and the court system is now more concerned with economic concerns. The difference between right and wrong has been blurred recently, which allows judges to consider ALL factors in a case (economic and non), and be flexible when looking at specific cases. The merger guidelines were revised in 1997 to allow efficiencies to be used as a defense. Clearly, efficiencies are a key part of the defense, and are looked at very closely by the courts, especially in cases with a high market concentration. The Merger Guidelines state: â€Å"Efficiencies almost never justify a merger to monopoly or near monopoly.† (Kwoka and White, 2004) Posner and Bork said that the antitrust laws and economic efficiency helped only the consumers, not the firms. They encouraged the courts to look at efficiencies in antitrust analysis generally. They claimed that an efficiency defense could possibly make investigating a merger intractable in litigation. The term â€Å"intractable† as defined by Wikipedia are â€Å"problems that are solvable in theory, but cannot be solved in practice†. This means that what Posner and Bork are saying is that while in the litigation stage of a trial, the efficiency defense could theoretically come up with a solution that appears and sounds good, but in real life business situations (practice) would not work. Heinz – Beech Nut Merger :: Business Mergers Acquisitions M&A M+A Heinz – Beech Nut Merger The word â€Å"merger† is very common term that everyone in America has to deal with in some aspect of life. Banks, oil companies, car manufacturers, computer makers†¦the list goes on for ever, and the mergers of these companies have a direct effect on our daily life. For decades the US government and the court systems have tried to regulate how mergers can and cannot happen and why. The reason(s) as to why a merger is allowed or not has varied over the years, but one major concept has remained the same: too many mergers within a particular market can reduce competition and create a monopoly (or a near monopoly condition). Merging firms often state that a merger could help them reduce costs and to develop better products. They claim this would clearly be a benefit to the consumers of their product(s). The 1960’s and 70’s were considered the earlier era of merger law by economists. During this time frame he courts and governments were more concerned with the NON-economic aspects of mergers: reducing market concentration, protecting small business, consumers rights†¦etc. Since 1979 those concerns have faded and the court system is now more concerned with economic concerns. The difference between right and wrong has been blurred recently, which allows judges to consider ALL factors in a case (economic and non), and be flexible when looking at specific cases. The merger guidelines were revised in 1997 to allow efficiencies to be used as a defense. Clearly, efficiencies are a key part of the defense, and are looked at very closely by the courts, especially in cases with a high market concentration. The Merger Guidelines state: â€Å"Efficiencies almost never justify a merger to monopoly or near monopoly.† (Kwoka and White, 2004) Posner and Bork said that the antitrust laws and economic efficiency helped only the consumers, not the firms. They encouraged the courts to look at efficiencies in antitrust analysis generally. They claimed that an efficiency defense could possibly make investigating a merger intractable in litigation. The term â€Å"intractable† as defined by Wikipedia are â€Å"problems that are solvable in theory, but cannot be solved in practice†. This means that what Posner and Bork are saying is that while in the litigation stage of a trial, the efficiency defense could theoretically come up with a solution that appears and sounds good, but in real life business situations (practice) would not work.

American Political Theory

The Jacksonian Period is usually associated with Andrew Jackson. Basically Jackson followed in what Thomas Jefferson already started. The Jacksonian era valued the rights of common man. The democracy in this particular era endorsed the power of the executive branch as well as that of the president’s. It also allowed a broad range of public involvement in the government. Thus during these times different rights were respected such as women’s rights, economic rights for factories and the like.Thus, the Jacksonian era showed more concern on common man and thus they did not see them merely as a tool or as a means towards some ends as can be seen nowadays. Nowadays the same kind of values and beliefs are slowly dissolving. Usually the Bush government treats their subjects simply as means to achieve his goals. He is more concerned on profits rather than on man himself. This is basically present on the act on immigration that he supports, the S.1348 wherein he gives false hope s to immigrants and giving prime importance to profit rather than on the immigrants themselves. Another aspect which could be found is the 5-4 vote pattern. During the election the pattern five is to four is very dominant. There are still 175,000 ballots that were not yet counted and still they already proclaimed Bush as the winner. 5 associates of the US Supreme Court interfered with the manual count in Florida.These five are Justices Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas, O'Connor, and Kennedy. These five conservatives are also responsible for some violations of human rights such as banning of abortion even though the mother’s and the fetus life are in danger, rejecting appeals from prisoners and the like. Thus in this regard we could see how very undemocratic our government had become as compared from the Jacksonian era. The decisions on votes and other rights are no longer decided by the common people.Those in power are very manipulative taking their own interests first more than tha t of the public’s. Liberty and equality is basically no longer on the people’s hands rather it was on the hands of the select few. Thus dealing with terms like liberty and equality are rather difficult especially if they fall on deaf ears as could be seen on the 5-4 voting patterns. (Toobin). References: Doherty, Kieran. Andrew Jackson : America's 7th President. New York: Children's Press, 2003. Toobin, Jeffrey. â€Å"Five to Four. † The New Yorker 2007.

Kenya DBQ Essay

Colonialism occurs when one nation takes control of another. And that is exactly what happened when the British arrived in Africa. The people of Africa had no idea that the British was taking and had taken their land. But, with that being said the British are who had help develop Kenya by bringing them some of their viewpoints from Great Britain. These viewpoints did a number of things to the people Africa. They changed the way they were politically, economically, and even culturally (religiously). The culture or religion of Africa was a very diverse. They all had their own beliefs and myths about how the creation of everything came to be such as the Abaluyia creation story, where it says that god created man so that the sun would have someone to shine on (Doc 7). The British did not really understand this, given the majority of them were either Protestant or Catholic. They couldn’t comprehend the idea of believing in witchcraft or witch doctors, or how each tribe had a concep t of a â€Å"Supreme Being† (Doc 6). But, as more years went by the number of people believing in indigenous beliefs went down. 38% of the people in Kenya were Protestant and 28% of people became Catholic, while from the original 80% of people who followed indigenous beliefs, only 8% of the people stuck to those beliefs (Doc 8). The economical impact that the British had on Africa was one of the few things that actually benefited them. The education of Africans was provided, even though it was not compulsory, with 3,442 schools (Doc 10). In total, there were 395,000 students that attended these schools (doc 10). And within 50 years there was a substantial amount of growth in both Railroad and Road networks throughout Kenya (Doc 11). The cause for the majority of economically growth came from all the raw materials and cash crops that were being sold and produced for Britain. Politically, there were differences amongst both the people of Kenya and the people of Great Britain. When the British came and announced that the people of Africa now had a new king to serve under and that their land was his, the people were confused (Doc 3). The people could not understand how this foreign king was now their king and how the land that was passed down from their fathers’ father, now belonged to this stranger of a king (Doc 3). Most Africans learned to except the fact that they were now part of a colonial state, no  mat ter how much they despised it (Doc 4). There was even some Kenyan headsman/chief who assisted the British legislative council that who ruled Kenya. After the First World War though, Kenya started to become harder to rule and control, and soon by the time World War II ended the control the British had was gone. The colonization of Kenya is what made Kenya what it is today. And with the help of the British they were able to make the people of Kenya more civilized and developed. The British had altered their perception on how things should be, on how they should be. And their viewpoints gave them insight and had changed the way that they had been, politically, economically, and culturally.

In Which Ways Does Harper Lee Use Outsiders In To Kill A Mockingbird Essays

In Which Ways Does Harper Lee Use Outsiders In To Kill A Mockingbird Essays In Which Ways Does Harper Lee Use Outsiders In To Kill A Mockingbird Paper In Which Ways Does Harper Lee Use Outsiders In To Kill A Mockingbird Paper Essay Topic: Literature The Outsiders To Kill a Mockingbird The Novel To Kill A Mockingbird was written by Harper Lee; one of the younger generation of writers. She was born in 1926 in a town called Monroeville, Alabama. As she grew up she joined a university and began writing her book based on her own background experience. Harper Lee set it in a town called Maycomb; a quiet village just like the one she lived in. Although this place did not exist Harper Lee used her knowledge from her town to create this novel. She based the characters on people in Monroeville and used Scout to narrate the book. Scout was made to be very much like Harper Lee because they both are similar ages and have a similar background making it easier for her to tell the story. Its easier to tell the story because she can describe how prejudice, intolerance, injustice, and courage was built up in her time and reflect it onto Scout. At this time in the American South there was a lot of civil rights made by the people because of the War in 1861-5 making black peoples rights minimal. Although the War took place 70 years before the period in which the book is set its still strong in their mind and making their beliefs very moral. The black people in America in the period when the book was set were very outcast and looked upon very differently from white people. The black people came to America because of the slave trade and were divided into the Southern states because of the issue of slavery. As time passed the Northerners became very unwilling to overlook what they felt to be the evil of slavery in the South. Southerners justified their practise by arguing that the black race was naturally inferior. They told the Africans that they were very lucky to be American Slaves because of the Christianity and civilisation introduced to them. The slave system suffered from brutality and the Southerners thought of them as children who were very ignorant. Because of this the white people thought upon themselves as superior beings and gave a very disliking attitude towards the black people, which has been observed in the book. In To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee uses outsiders to make a social comment about what society wants and what society rejects. Without outsiders in this novel there wouldnt be such an in-depth, intriguing, characteristic, real life novel. In this book outsiders work well because they can make us intrigued and because theyre not insiders people rarely know much about them. Myths and rumours are made up about them, which can change as they are passed down from people giving a sense of mystery about them because no one knows them well enough to tell the truth. In the book there are lots of characters that we want to find out about which keeps us reading on. Outsiders create different emotions for people in Macomb. For the kids, they have their wild imaginations they create monster like people just because it keeps them entertained and excited. The adults tend to have a sense of disgust for them. Through the outsiders we can really see what the characters in Maycomb are like. They help us see what theyre like by acting in their selfish and racist ways and show us how, in this period of time, black people are thought upon because of their alternative lifestyles. One of the outsiders in To Kill A Mockingbird is used a lot in the beginning of the book because of Scouts imagination making her obsessed with someone she hasnt even met. This character is called Arthur Radley (better known as Boo) and he is one of the main characters of the book. Although throughout the beginning of the book we dont really get to see what hes really like, we can build up a picture based on the people of Maycomb and what their beliefs are of him. Boo Radley served as a mystery at the beginning of the story. A man only known to Scout as some kind of monster from the tales gathered by the town gossips over the years. When Scout first found a gift in the tree Jem said Dont you know youre not supposed to even touch the trees over there? Youll get killed if you do. Scouts fictional life, built upon made up stories, served her, Dill and Jem a game to act out. It was not until the story progressed that we see that Boo isnt the strange man that Maycomb folks make him out to be. Near the end of the book we find out that hes a very caring, gentle, calm and maybe even mentally challenged man. But unfortunately for him the townspeople consider him an individual who should be locked up in a mental institution, or a homicidal maniac. Boo Radley was in his house for a very long time, but when he came out, he came out as a man who deserved a lot more credit and respect then anyone had wanted to give him. He deserves credit because of his kind gestures which are made really discreet such as leaving them gifts in the hollow hole in the trunk of the old tree between their houses, and by covering Scout with a blanket when Miss. Maudies house was on fire. In To Kill A Mockingbird another use of outsiders is the Ewell family. The Ewells live in a tiny house near a dump, surrounded by woodland, on the outskirts of Maycomb. The varmints had a lean time of it, the Ewells gave the dump a thorough gleaning every day, and the fruits of their industry made the plot of ground around the cabin look like the playhouse of an insane child, Nobody was quite sure how many children were on the place, showing their lifestyle to be so corrupt that nobody really wanted to go to the dump to see who or what was there. They are made outsiders because no one in Maycomb likes grubby, smelly and poor people. The Ewells are a big family with only a drunk as a father and a big sister to look after them. The father is called Bob and the daughter is called Mayella and they are a very important part of the book. As the book nears the end we see the trial of Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping Mayella. This is a totally different part of the book as it shows the very serious side of Maycomb. Mayella, 19, has accused Tom Robinson of raping her in her home. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed. Tom is a black man who lives in a nigger-nest near to their house. In this scene Harper Lee manages to involve most of the citizens of Maycomb because they appear at the trial. This is the scene were we can find out how outcast and lonely Mayella is. This trial is seen to be her plead for help, showing us the bitterness she has rather than accusing her father, who we know raped her, but by accusing Tom. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird Boo Radley and The Ewells are both outsiders but have been given that status in very different way. Boo is a very sad character that keeps to himself and hides from the public eye. The townspeople of Maycomb caused him to become an outsider because of his lifestyles which did not revolve around the towns stereotypes. Boo Radley was a made an outsider because he made it seem to the towns people he didnt want anything to do with Maycomb. He did this by staying in his house all the time. From the book we can build up the idea that maybe he stays in his house because he was locked up by his parents or that maybe he had a lot of anger that he needed to be kept away. As a result of this the people of Maycomb ended up wanting nothing to do with him. Before Boo was made an outsider he used to be accepted in the town because; he lived in the right place, had a good reputation from his family, but ruined it when he attacked his father. Boo stayed in his house for a very long time and only appeared occasionally in the book when helping Scout. What the people of Maycomb believe about Boo is a very different idea to what he is actually like. Unlike Boo, The Ewells have never been insiders and they didnt bring it on themselves. They have always been looked upon as dirty and horrible people because of their reputations they have built up. They built up these reputations because they lived pretty much outside Maycomb, they live in a dump, their father is a drunk, they have no money and they way they act towards Maycomb folks. Just like the black people of Maycomb the Ewells will always be outsiders. Harper Lee uses outsiders in To Kill A Mockingbird to make a social comment. She constructs them to show the contrast and differences between black and white people in her time and how society rejects and how society accepts. She manages to use them well in her novel by getting the message across about moral issues. She shows us the different people and how their own personalities, beliefs and politics, lead to them being made into outsiders.

The Merchant of Venice Essay

The Merchant of Venice Essay In the play The Merchant of Venice, Shylock, a money lender, has the right to take a pound of flesh from Antonio, a Merchant. Shylock was abused and not given the same rights as Christians, who thought themselves as far superior to the Jews, Shylock’s religion. Antonio had agreed to the bond which he and Shylock made, which entitled that if Antonio was not able to repay the 3 000 ducats by a certain day, then Shylock would cut off the pound of flesh. Antonio could not repay Shylock the money so Shylock, by law, must take the pound of flesh. Shylock should be able to take the pound of flesh from Antonio because Antonio agreed to the bond, knowing whole heartedly the full agreements and arrangements of the deal. The bond stated that if Antonio did not repay the 3 thousand ducats by a certain day, then Shylock shall be able to cut off a pound of Antonio’s flesh from whichever part of his body that Shylock pleased. Now Antonio, as it would seem, only agreed to this remarkable deal because he believed that his ships would return before the day of payment, bringing many times the value of the money owed. So basically, Antonio was very foolish to accept this contract. A deal is a deal and when both parties know the full arrangements, the consequences must follow. It’s the same as a contract. If not for Portia, this case would never have gone to court, which it did not deserve to because it was a fair bond between two honest, hard working citizens. Shylock was intent on gaining revenge for the insults and abuse he had been given by Antonio. Wouldn’t you feel the same way as Shylock if you had been cursed at, called an unbeliever of your sacred religion, spat on and overall treated as if you were not equal, as if you didn’t belong in the same area or deserve the same credit for hard work?. This is the abuse Shylock had to take from the Christians, people who thought they were far superior than the Jews. All of this is the reason that Shylock arranged the bond, as if to prove a point to the whole Christian society that Jews had power too and are also human beings. As Shylock said to Salerio, â€Å"If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? And if you wrong us, do we not revenge?† (3.1.57). The last question in particular, â€Å"If you wrong us, do we not revenge?†, sums up the one thing Shylock was after, revenge. Revenge is a normal emotion that every human feels and this is what Shylock wanted. Throughout the play, the audience, is asked to take an ugly view on Shylock from what Antonio and the other characters had said. We are also asked to have sympathy for him and display empathy by understanding the position he has been put in. An example of this is in a speech made by Shylock in a conversation with Salerio, when he exclaimed â€Å"I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, senses, dimensions, affections and passions? â€Å" (3.1.53). Here, Shylock is talking about how Jews and Christians are equal and that they are the same people, but just believe in different religions. We sympathise for him and understand where he is coming from, imagining being in a similar circumstance. We tend to forget that, on top of all this, Shylock’s daughter, Jessica, has just run off with her partner Lorenzo, a Christian himself. Now not only did Jessica take off with half of Shylock’s wealth, she insulted him by running away with a Christian after knowi ng what her father had been put through by the Christian community. Once again we empathise for Shylock. This shows the character and determination of the man who, despite all these problems, still pursues his case against Antonio just so he can prove a point and be treated fairly. Not just for himself, but for the whole Jewish society. Take a moment and put yourself in Shylock’s shoes. Think about what you would do and how you would feel after you had worked extremely hard and still had to put up with insults and abuse just because of your religious belief and adding to all this, your only daughter abandons you. Your reaction, of course,is to seek revenge on the people who caused you this grief. Which is exactly what Shylock was doing. During the court scene, Bassanio offered Shylock the 3 000 ducats repaid as many times over as he wished. Shylock, rightly so, declined this offer as if he had agreed and received the money, it would have been another sign to the Christians that they were better than the Jews and that they could control what the Jews did. But the brave Shylock stood up to them, he wasn’t after more money, he was just trying to demonstrate a point. If a Christian harms a Jew, he will get a small punishment, but on the other hand if a Jew harms a Christian, he will be condemned to death. The Christians, of course, saw no wrong with this ridiculous belief because, as they viewed it, they were a cut above the rest. So as long as the Christians felt this way, the Jews would have to go on suffering. Until Shylock thought enough was enough and he got an opportunity to chase justice by following through with the bond. Shylock has the right to take the pound of flesh off Antonio because he has been abused, insulted, spat on, discriminated and treated like a dog by the whole Christian society and in particular the Merchant, Antonio. Shylock made the bond with Antonio, where they both agreed on the arrangements and consequences of the deal, to try to prove a point to the Christians and to get just revenge. Given these circumstances, Shylock has the right to take the pound of flesh off Antonio. You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on The Merchant of Venice topics at our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with custom papers written by highly qualified academic writers. High quality and no plagiarism guarantee! Get professional essay writing help at an affordable cost.

Pronouncing X in Spanish

Pronouncing 'X' in Spanish You may have noticed that the Spanish x is sometimes pronounced like the English x, but sometimes like the English s. If so, you might be wondering: Are there rules about when it is pronounced as an x  and when its pronounced as an s? ‘X’ Between Vowels Due to regional variations, there arent any rules that hold true throughout the Spanish-speaking world. In general, however, when between vowels (as in exactamente) the Spanish x is pronounced like the English ks sound but softer or less explosive. ‘X’ Before Another Consonant When it comes before another consonant (as in expedicià ³n), it has the s sound in some regions/countries but the soft ks sound in others. In some areas, the letters pronunciation before a consonant varies from word to word. The only way to know for sure is to listen to someone speaking with the regional accent you wish to emulate. Words Beginning with ‘X’ When a word begins with x (there arent many such words, and most are English cognates), it is usually given the s sound, not the z sound of English. Thus a word like xenofobia sounds the same as if it were spelled senofobia. ‘X’ in Mexican Place Names In some Mexican place names, indeed in the name of Mà ©xico itself, the x is pronounced the same as the Spanish letter j  (or the english h). Oaxaca, for example, sounds like Wa-HA-ka. ‘X’ with a ‘Sh’ Sound Making matters more confusing is that in a few words of Catalan, Basque or indigenous American origin the x is pronounced like the English sh. This is especially common in southern Mexican and Central American place names. The No. 2 city of Guatemala, for example, is Xela, pronounced something like SHEL-lah.

Value Innovation at AMD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Value Innovation at AMD - Essay Example As of today, 99% of computers operate using 32-bits. As technology improves and software applications become more demanding there will be a transition to 64 bits. The K8 processor was a complete revamp of the x86 architecture for 64-bit processing, giving AMD a leadership position. Industry acceptance of the AMD64 standard has forced Intel to enter into an agreement with AMD to use the AMD64 standard on their own 64-bit based EMT64 processors. In their essay â€Å"Strategy, Value Innovation and the Knowledge Economy† Kim and Mauborgne characterize value innovators as ‘those who make their competition irrelevant by providing buyers with a quantum leap in value’. This description fits perfectly with AMD’s strategy for the K8. Until the release of the K7, AMD was a company that focused ‘on matching or beating’ Intel. They chose a ‘distinctive cost’ position and innovation was considered exogenous with cost and product performance trad eoffs. The new economics theory, which heralds the arrival of the knowledge economy, claims that ‘innovations are no longer exogenous and can be created with the ideas and knowledge within a system’. Again, a perfect match to AMD’s strategy of first giving the NexGen team their own building to develop the K6 and subsequently roping in a ‘world-class-enterprise-level processor design team’ for the K8. Admitted that Intel’s stumbles with their processor design and production yield have given AMD an opportunity window.

Critically evaluate the effectiveness of performance appraisal as a Essay

Critically evaluate the effectiveness of performance appraisal as a means of identifying and meeting employee development needs - Essay Example Performance appraisal therefore is very evident especially in total quality management. Quality is of higher significance especially in industries where there is a need to come up with competitive advantage. In the case of car manufacturing industry for instance, quality assurance is of high interest because the output or product offerings should be enough to convey customer’s trust and loyalty. Thus, an organisation belonging to this industry must be able to come up with performance appraisal among its employee to constantly check quality and organisational performance. This evaluation is centered to an individual’s performance and potential development (Singh et al., 2008). It is clear that employee performance appraisal is one of the bases in which the company has corresponding idea on how to determine employees’ given compensation and other privileges. However, despite the presence of performance appraisal in almost every company or organisation, there still a need to evaluate if it actually helps identify and meet employee’s development needs. Performance appraisal defined Evaluation is very important especially in the corporate world because it is a way in which corporate performance is known at a specific significance. The case of evaluating employee performance is a complex task depending on the nature of business operation. Employee is naturally under evaluation and it may be monthly, quarterly or annually depending on the organisation. The evaluation is said to be formal because it determines an employee’s career in the organisation. This evaluation is known as the performance appraisal and it actually helps the company decides of one’s career opportunity (Randhawa, 2007). It is a form of assessment in which an employee’s strengths and weaknesses are identified and observed for the purpose of enhancing, improving or commending performance for potential development (Landy and Conte, 2009; Aswathappa, 200 5). Performance appraisal is very complex because it involves specific standard that if not properly understood, it would result to a certain level of confusion and unnecessary feedbacks (Sandler and Keefe, 2003). Thus, it is important that employees must be able to understand what performance appraisal is all about and what it is for (Landy and Conte, 2009). The role of performance management Managers have important role to play when it comes to performance management process. One of the most and obvious role of performance management is to create a business environment that supports development and effective coaching for individual performance (London, 2003; Podger, 2009). With performance management, there is a considerable feedback that can become the basis of evaluation and control. The case of Investors in People is a good example because it is about business improvement and it tries to coach organisations to achieve their full potential. They target to help businesses improve their performance by knowing their priorities. There are many priorities that an organisation should focus. The Investors in People accredited organisations have significant priorities which include managing change, increasing efficiency, maximising profitability, increasing sales, improving productivity and strategic leadership. All of these priorities are eventually integrated with understanding the essential potential of company and its employees. Citing the case of AA Security Ltd, quality

Describe a picture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Describe a picture - Essay Example In particular, the use of red, black and dark blue serves to show how urban lifestyles leave individuals feeling secluded. The juxtaposition of dark and light hues gives the illusion of cramped spaces - both in geographic terms and as a metaphor for the state of mind of a city-dweller. We can also see in the painting how a cityscape is illustrated through the use of straight lines, sharp edges and angles. They could be interpreted as representing the rigid racial and class divisions that prevail in modern societies. They also stand for the harshness and monotony of contemporary livelihoods. It is instructive to look at the artist’s broader interests to better comprehend the painting. To note, Scarlett has had an active interest in art forms other than painting. These include jewelry designing and deco designing as well. As a result, his understanding of sense of space as a three-dimensional construct is unique. This is amply brought to bear in the Bird’s Eye

Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Project - Essay Example However there is a steep slope in the graph and this can be due to the change in the level of production within the two years. Although very few of the points are on the line, they move towards the same direction. The final graph represents the total cost versus the machine hours. The machine hours that are used in production fluctuate over the years but they move in the same direction. Some points are scattered far away from the line and this can be due to factors that might not have a significant impact and did not affect the long term trend of the graph. The behavior of the cost of the rent is that it increases over the years and will push up the costs of production in the years to come, although it remains constant throughout the year. According to relevant range the fixed costs of production will not change as output changes. This applies to the rent as it does not fluctuate with the total output. The least squares method is used to determine the best fit of a particular curve that is represented in a graph. This is the curve that has the least number of the squared deviations from a particular data set that has been given. There are various advantages of using the least squares method. This method increases the accuracy and speed of calculations that involve a large number of digits. It is used when there are a large number of values, ranging up to a thousand and presents a simulation that brings out the most feasible approach (Rawlings & Pantula, 2010). This is more practical in a real world scenario given that such calculations are usually full of errors and the least squares method presents the best approximate solution. The distribution curves in the method are applicable in determining the put or call option prices that are realistic in the market place. Therefore inaccurate estimates can be proportionally represented. Any slight deviation that may arise from this metho d

A Model for a State Surveillance and Militarization Essay

A Model for a State Surveillance and Militarization - Essay Example While this sounds to be very appealing for an effective and efficient state and government, this brings about the concern of the state as being totalitarian in nature. To maintain order in society, the government must keep close monitoring of its citizens and create a strong-armed force and police to defend that social order. The view of this form of state and society is very familiar to the totalitarian form government. State surveillance and a highly militarized state are, after all, distinct characteristics of nation or country under totalitarianism. The question that could be asked right now is whether Plato would support state surveillance and militarism based on his writings and ideas found in his work the Republic. Does this mean that Plato's ideal system of government curtails certain rights of citizens to maintain order and justice? Discussion of this matter will be discussed further in this paper with a few real-world examples of totalitarian states as references. At the same time, such examples will be analyzed and placed into context with Plato's idea of his Republic. With the ever-growing threat of terrorism, both internationally and locally homegrown, and the possibilities of uprisings or revolutions, it is not a surprise that many governments of the certain nations around the world have created their own state security agencies or organizations and highly strengthened military. There are various reasons as to why such state groups were set up by different national governments. Contemporary times and recent history shows that many governments have been very concerned and active when it comes to counter-insurgency and counter-revolutionary activities. It can also be considered that governments develop such organizations to prevent terrorist or revolutionary from even having the chance to form up.  

Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Project - Essay Example However there is a steep slope in the graph and this can be due to the change in the level of production within the two years. Although very few of the points are on the line, they move towards the same direction. The final graph represents the total cost versus the machine hours. The machine hours that are used in production fluctuate over the years but they move in the same direction. Some points are scattered far away from the line and this can be due to factors that might not have a significant impact and did not affect the long term trend of the graph. The behavior of the cost of the rent is that it increases over the years and will push up the costs of production in the years to come, although it remains constant throughout the year. According to relevant range the fixed costs of production will not change as output changes. This applies to the rent as it does not fluctuate with the total output. The least squares method is used to determine the best fit of a particular curve that is represented in a graph. This is the curve that has the least number of the squared deviations from a particular data set that has been given. There are various advantages of using the least squares method. This method increases the accuracy and speed of calculations that involve a large number of digits. It is used when there are a large number of values, ranging up to a thousand and presents a simulation that brings out the most feasible approach (Rawlings & Pantula, 2010). This is more practical in a real world scenario given that such calculations are usually full of errors and the least squares method presents the best approximate solution. The distribution curves in the method are applicable in determining the put or call option prices that are realistic in the market place. Therefore inaccurate estimates can be proportionally represented. Any slight deviation that may arise from this metho d

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Accounting - Essay Example However, a name change could potentially alert customers and suppliers to new ownership and increased vitality and momentum at the company. In particular, the well-known name (Pinessi) has its own marketing benefits. But are these benefits really worth change the name? This seems unlikely thus great benefits will still be realised by retaining MCS Mining Supplies name and launching a new but limited marketing campaign alerting the industry to the new joint venture between well-known players in domestic mining. MCS Mining Supplies leads the mining supplies industry in Australia. We produce drill products that suit a wide range of customers, from high volume, low cost orders to unique, custom drill apparatus. MCS is staffed by highly skilled designers, machinists and technicians who produce drill custom pieces order, ahead of deadline and bulk orders with consistency and reliability. We maintain manufacturing plants at two sites in Western Australia, Perth and Kalgoorlie, and in Mount Macarthur in Queensland. MCS supplies 40% of the domestic market while we are expanding into the rapidly developing East Asian market, building our brand which is recognized for quality, capacity and reliability. We aim to grow our construction industry market share both at home and abroad. Both our Korean chapter and new projects in China serve the Chinese market, which is the largest in the world. We are also expanding our product line and developing related products specifically for the oil industry. At MCS we pride ourselves on maintaining our core vision of service and stability while quickly leveraging new technologies and opportunities. China’s phenomenal economic growth has been among the worlds’ biggest success stories since the reforms of Deng Xiou Ping in the 1980’s. Just a few years earlier, China was in the throes of Mao’s cultural revolution, which decimated entire industries, halted

The Lorax Essay Example for Free

The Lorax Essay â€Å"The Once-ler perceived a market opportunity, displayed extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit and proceeded to create an industry of Thneed manufacturing. His story exemplifies laissez faire economics and the potential of free market enterprise and what’s truly possible if government â€Å"stays out† of markets with needless regulations. So what went wrong? † In order to understand exactly the story of The Lorax as an allegory of economic principles you must understand in terms of different philosophy foundations, scarcity, uncertainty, interdependencies, and the duel nature of rights. Philosophy foundations are all based on making a choice in any given situation. In the story The Lorax by Dr. Seuss the two main characters, the Once-ler and the Lorax, had conflicting philosophical perspectives. The Lorax’s prevailing philosophical perspective is utilitarianism where the belief is â€Å"the greatest good for the greatest number. † That is, in order to seek a greater social good once must chose the course of action that results in the maximum amount of overall good, not only for one’s own good, but also for the good of others. More in depth analysis of this perspective shows that â€Å"morally appropriate behavior will not harm others, but instead increase happiness or ‘utility’† (Driver, History). The Lorax spoke up against the Once-ler only when he believed the Once-ler was shrinking the happiness that the Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, the Humming-Fish and himself, were experiencing in the environment around them from the Once-ler’s production of the Thneeds. The prevailing philosophical perspective of the Once-ler is egoism, that is, maximize one’s self-interest. In the story the Once-ler had been searching his entire life for trees such as the Truffula Trees to make something like the Thneeds that create business and money, which were all that he needs. The Once-ler didn’t care about the crummies in the tummies of the Brown Bar-ba-loots, or pollution that filled the air and the ponds that forced the Swomee-Swans and Humming-Fish out. The only thing he cared about was making the factory and wagons bigger to meet the capacity of Thneeds he wanted to ship out to make more money. In the story the Once-ler, the Lorax, the Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, and the Humming-Fish are all put in a situation known as Pareto Optimality. This â€Å"exists when economic resources and output have been allocated in such a way that no one can be made better off without sacrificing the well-being of at least one person† (Wisdom, V Pareto). In a situation like this it is hard for the perspectives, like that of the Once-ler and the Lorax, to have a positive outcome. If their perspectives had been different, say like ‘the golden rule’ or ‘do no harm’ perspectives, things have a much better potential to come out more ideal for everyone. As discussed in class, both of these philosophical perspectives believe in withholding harm to one’s self and to others. If these were the perspectives taken by the Once-ler and the Lorax, both would be happy, in addition to the Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, and the Humming-Fish, but given the Pareto Optimality environment it is almost impossible to make everyone involved happy, instead there needs to be a more costs-benefits perspective taken where things are weighed out and people pick as a whole what the best usage of resources should be to maximize the outcome for everyone. The basic economic problem that arises because people have unlimited wants but resources are limited† (Investopedia). In the story scarcity affects the choices and the outcomes realized. The Once-ler held the power of control and chose to use his power over the Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, and the Humming-Fish to ignore their requests and use whatever he wanted to make the Thneeds, creating a scarcity among resources. The Brown Bar-ba-loots made the decision to leave town after the Once-ler created a scarcity of Truffula Trees which caused a shortage in Truffula Fruit, the main food that that ate. The problem with scarcity is that if it isn’t monitored then the resources will eventually run out. The Once-ler didn’t realize the scarcity he was creating among the clean air, Truffula Trees, and pond water by continuously using all of these resources without replenishing them. The outcomes of the choices he made left him with no demand, no money, and no resources to continue on with his business. Uncertainty is very hard to manage. You can’t assign a probability, value or outcome to something that is unknown. In the story the source of uncertainty is the biological nature of production. When you make poor decisions they are bound to have outcomes with issues of uncertainty. The Once-ler only saw the opportunities the Thneeds gave him incrementally; he didn’t look at the big picture of things. He failed to acknowledge every situation he faced with the Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, and the Humming-Fish, thinking they were all part of the standard operating procedures in business, causing each of the potential risks faced to create a much larger ap of uncertainty. By the end of the story the Once-ler poor decisions inefficiently used all of his resources up, forced everyone out of the town, and left him with the inability to manage these unintended outcomes of uncertainty. The interdependencies that are central to the story are asset specificity and high exclusion costs. Asset specificity is the aspect or feature of an asset that makes it useful for one or more specific purpos e and therefore cannot easily be sold off. The Truffula Trees, the ponds, and the air are all goods with specific uses to each individual with the potential to be held hostage by the Once-ler, the Lorax, the Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, or the Humming Fish. In order for high asset specificity to occur there should have been some type of contract created between the parties to prevent one single party from taking advantage of the resources to achieve some opportunity. To avoid the potential of an asset holding situation, a buyer-seller relationship could have been created between the Once-ler and the the Lorax/Brown Bar-ba-loots/Swomee-Swans/Humming Fish. If this had occurred in the story the Lorax, the Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, and the Humming Fish wouldn’t have been forced to leave and the environment would have lasted. High exclusion cost goods are what determines the provisions of the good; if the good exists for one user it is costly to exclude others. The Truffula Trees, the air, and the ponds are all considered high exclusion cost goods. The Lorax, the Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, and the Humming Fish had the token right to exclude the Once-ler from using these goods unless he contributes to the production or maintenance of the goods, but they didn’t. This gave the Once-ler the ability to use the Truffula Trees, the air, and the ponds as he saw fit, that is to make the Thneeds, without contributing anything back. The Once-ler is a clear cut case of what is known as a free-rider; a major problem associated with high exclusion cost goods. Before the Once-ler comes to town, the property rights of the Truffula Trees, the air, and the ponds lie with Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, and the Humming Fish; everyone respects the usage of one another and no actions need to be taken to enforce those rights. When the Once-ler comes to town the usage of the Truffula Trees, the air, and the ponds comes into dispute. The Once-ler has the right to use Truffula Trees, the air, and the onds 24/7. The non-rights duties lie with the Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, and the Humming Fish; they must respect and tolerate the Once-ler. The Lorax has the obligation to enforce those rights. If different endowments of property rights occurred, such as an ordinance that limited the Once-ler’s usage of the Truffula Trees, the air, and the ponds, the Truffula Trees, the air, and the ponds wouldn’t have been overused and the Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, and the Humming Fish wouldn’t have been forced to leave town.

Bullying: Types, Effects and Government Initiatives

Bullying: Types, Effects and Government Initiatives Abstract The UK Government defines bullying as; Repetitive, wilful or persistent behaviour intended to cause harm, although one off incidents can in some cases also be defined as bullying; internationally harmful behaviour, carried out by an individual or a group and an imbalance of power leaving the person being bullied feeling defenceless. Bullying is emotionally or physically harmful behaviour and includes; name calling, taunting, mocking, making offensive comments, kicking, hitting, pushing, taking belongings, inappropriate text messaging and emailing, sending offensive or degrading images by phone or via the internet, gossiping, excluding people from groups and spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours. (HOC 2007, Frederickson et al 2008). Contents (Jump to) Introduction Chapter 1: The Types and Effects of Bullying Chapter 2: Educational Provision within Secondary Schools Chapter 3: Government Initiatives and the Education of Children who are being bullied Conclusion References Introduction This dissertation is going to investigate the links between education and bullying within secondary schools. Chapter One will give an overview of what bullying is and why is such a serious issue within secondary education, the chapter will then focus on the different types of bullying that happens within schools and what effects bullying has on both the person who is doing the bullying and their victims. It will include statistics concerning how many children/young person who have reported getting bullied, as well as the types of bullying these children have had to deal with. The remainder of the chapter will focus on the bully or bullies experiences before their started bullying another child/young person, paying particular attention to their educational experiences and disadvantages, but also taking into account any additional contributing risk factors which can affect a childs/ young persons behaviour and their education. These risk factors include risk around the childs/young per sons family, along with wider risks associated with poverty and deprivation. Risk factors such as peer pressure, jealously and being bullied themselves, which relate to education more directly, will be discussed in more details. The following chapters discuss the educational provision available to those children/young people who are being bullied and also those who doing the bullying, analysing the types of bullying the effects of bullying and also the types of provision and factors related to the reasons of why bullying happens. Chapter Two focuses on the educational provisions for the children who have been bullied, but Chapter Three addresses issues around reintegration and wider Government policy. Both chapters critically analyse current provision, whereas the conclusion will draw this analysis together and consider the extent to which the current system can be seen to be working in the interests of all concerned. Chapter One: The Types and Effects of Bullying The UK Government defines bullying as; Repetitive, wilful or persistent behaviour intended to cause harm, although one off incidents can in some cases also be defined as bullying; internationally harmful behaviour, carried out by an individual or a group and an imbalance of power leaving the person being bullied feeling defenceless. Bullying is emotionally or physically harmful behaviour and includes; name calling, taunting, mocking, making offensive comments, kicking, hitting, pushing, taking belongings, inappropriate text messaging and emailing, sending offensive or degrading images by phone or via the internet, gossiping, excluding people from groups and spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours. (HOC 2007:7-8, Frederickson et al 2008:176-177). Bullying takes many forms. It can be physical bullying, this is when a child is being pushed, beaten or thumped by bare hands. It can involve a weapon and threats. Bullying can also be verbal and emotional, racial or sexual. Elliott (1997a:2) it would seem that boys are more likely to be physical in bullying, while girls tend to be cruel verbally. Research by Olweus (1993:19) indicates that girls are more often exposed to harassment such as slandering, the spreading of rumours and exclusion from the group rather than physical attacks. Olweus (1993) continues it must be emphasised that these gender differences are general and that is some schools, girls are also expose to physical bullying. In more recent times there have been cases in the UK in which girls have violently and aggressively attacked other girls. An example of this was fourteen year old girl was cornered in the playground by a gang of ten boys and girls. She was stripped to the waist and had to beg on her knees to get he r clothes back. She was pushed, punched and had her hair pulled. Tell and youll get worse was the parting words from one of the girls. The victim did not tell until they did it again and took photographs. When her mother confronted the school, she was told it was only horseplay. The victim, who attempted suicide after the latest incident, was transferred to another school in which she is now thriving. (Elliott 1997b:1), this incident had a more positive ending, which is not always the case. There have also been deaths caused by bullying within schools, mainly in secondary schools. An example of this was in 2000 a 15 year old school girl committed suicide after being bombarded with anonymous calls on her mobile phone, the inquest into her found that she was being bullied through her mobile phone Mobile Phone Bullying/Cyber Bullying (The Independent, 2000). The incidence of girls being violent does seem to be increasing and is a trend that must be viewed with concern, as female bulli es, especially in groups or gangs are getting just as violent if not more violent then male bullies. Studies show that bullying takes place in every type of school. Studies on bullying within schools date back to the 1980s, were the first UK nationwide survey was conducted by Kidscape from 1984 to 1986 with 4000 children aged 5 to 16. The survey revealed that 68 per cent of the children had been bullied at least once; 38 per cent had been bullied as least twice or had experienced a particularly bad incident; 5 per cent of the children felt it had affected their lives to the point that they had tried suicide, had run away, refused to go to school or been chronically ill (Elliott and Kilpatrick 1996). Subsequent studies have found very similar results. Researchers at Exeter University questioned 5500 children aged 13 and found that 26 per cent of boys and 34 per cent of girls had been afraid of bullies sometime in their lives (Balding 1996). Bullying calls to ChildLine are growing at a rapid rate, ChildLine (2006) counselled 37,032 children about bullying between 1st April 2005 to 31s t March 2006. A further 4018 called ChildLine for other reasons but went on to talk about bullying. Every Month ChildLine counsels more than 3,000 young people about bullying, that is a quarter (23%) of all calls to the services. One area of growing concern is homophobic bullying. (ChildLine 2006). Bullying is not only a UK problem, it happens throughout the world. Olweus (1993:19) has been researching the problem of bullying in Norway since 1973; he estimated that one in seven pupils in Norwegian schools has been involved in bully/victim problems (Olweus 1993). Similar findings in other countries indicate that if adults are willing to listen and investigate, children will tell them that bullying is one of the major problems children face during their school years. There are different forms of bullying behaviour that has been identified, such as indirect and direct, as involving individuals or groups, verbal and physical. It is generally agreed that the most common form of bullying is verbal abuse is and name calling, followed by various forms of physical bullying. Within this type of behaviour/bullying, there are some important differences, based on age, gender, sexuality and ethnicity. The main types of bullying within school, especially within secondary schools, these are physical school bullying, emotional/verbal school bullying, electronic bullying or Cyber bullying and sexual/homophobic bullying. Physical bullying is when an individual bully or a group of bullies physical harm their victim, examples of this type of bullying are punching, shoving and slapping, and this can also be direct bullying. Emotional/Verbal school bullying is when a bully or bullies use poor and offensive language. Examples of emotional bullying includes the spreading of bad rumours about their victims, keeping their victims out of a group, teasing the victim in means ways and cussing them, getting other people/bullies to gang up on the victims, name calling, harassment, provocation, tormenting, whispering to another/others in front of the victim, walking in groups around school and keeping secrets away from a so called friend(s). Electronic bullying or cyber bullying is when bullying happens online or electronically. It occurs when the bully or bullies bully their victims through the internet, mobile phones or other electronic means and devices. Examples of this type of bullying are sending mean spirited text messages, emails and instant messages, posting inappropriate pictures, messages about their victims in blogs, on websites or social networking sites and using someone elses user name to spread rumours or lies about their victims. Sexual bullying/homophobic bullying is any of the above bullying behaviour, which is based on a victims sexuality or gender. It is when sexuality or gender is used as a weapon by boys or girls towards their victims, although it is more commonly directed at girls. This type of bullying can be carried out to the victims face, behind their back or through the use of technology (cyber bullying). However, it is also argued that sexist bullying or harassment in school is frequently dismissed as inoffensive or legitimised as part of the normal process of gender socialisation, and that it is a form of abuse engaged in by male teachers and male pupils alike (Stainton Rogers 1991). Furthermore, sexual harassment, of a physical as well as verbal kind, has been described as part of the hidden curriculum of many co educational schools (Drouet 1993). Indeed, Duncan (1999:128) presents a complex scenario in relation to what he terms gender abuse in schools. In deconstructs bullying as a manifestation of gender conflict in the pursuit of a desired sexual identity'. He concludes that both girls and boys can adopt a variety of active and passive roles in relation to bullying, but that sexualised nature of much gender abuse serves to remind girls that power is gendered. The threat of rape was identified as a potential sanction against girls who do not conform to male expectations: rape may be (comparatively) rare but physical and sexual assault are not and the lower range of conflictual sexualised gender practices keeps that threat alive on a daily basis. Some school girls have identified sexual assault and even rape within their understanding (and possibly experience) of bullying. Duncan (1999:128). The pervasive nature of homophobic abuse in schools has been widely commented upon, whether the intended target is known to be gay, or not. There is evidence to suggest that homophobic abuse serves to police gender identities, and establish norms of sexual behaviour and gender identity (Mac An Ghaill, 1989:273 286, Douglas et al, 1997) Rivers (1996:19) argues that a significant feature of homophobic bullying is the severity of the abuse. In a retrospective study of gay men and lesbians experience of bullying, one gay man reported having been raped by a teacher, others reported having their clothes set alight, and being burnt with cigarettes while being held down. One lesbian reported having been raped by a male pupil, and another of having been dragged around the playing field by her hair. Other types of bullying are gender bullying which could be linked directly to sexual and homophobic bullying and another type of bullying that is increasing is racist bullying or racial harassment, number of studies on the relationship between bullying and racism. However there appears to be some ambivalence concerning the conceptualisation of racist bullying. Tizard et al (1988:2), for example, report that name calling relating to physical appearance, personal hygiene and race represented the three most frequent forms of teasing reported among 7 year olds. Loach and Bloor (1995:18 20) and Siann (1994:123 134) argue that bullying can function as a cover for racism. A report by the Commission for Racial Equality (1988), describes various case studies of what is defined as racial harassment in schools. Regardless of the terminology used, Gillborn (1993) argues that racism in schools reflects a wider and racially structured society, and consequently, racist abuse carries extra weight . In terms of prevalence, Kelly and Cohns (1988) survey of first (year 7s) and Fourth Year (year 10s) pupils in school in Manchester found that two thirds of pupils said that they had been bullied. Racist name calling was recorded as the third most common form of bullying. In recent survey of Black and ethnic minority pupil in mainly white schools, 26% said that they had experienced racially abusive name calling during the previous week, while at school, or while travelling to and from school (Cline et al 2002:1). However, it is common with many surveys on bullying, that it is likely that racist bullying or harassment is under reported. There is some debate in the literature concerning both the value and validity of identifying typical victim or bully characteristics. Stainton Roger (1991) for example, argues that any child can be a bully or a victim, and that neither denotes an individual psychopathology: bullying is a reflective practice. Bullying creates victims, victims create bullies. On the other hand, Sharp et al (2002:139) claim that some children are more likely to fall into a bully role or victim role, and that is how children learn to manage aggression and assertion in interpersonal skills represents a key contributory factor. Olweus (1993:19) described bullies as physically stronger and victims as having characteristics that differed from the norm, for example in appearance sporting or academic ability. Boulton and Underwood (1992: 73 87) also found that children who perceived themselves to be different in some way, felt more vulnerable to bullying. Olweus (1984:58) found that approximately 20 per cent of bullies were also victims, and that they represented a particularly disturbed group. Others have claimed that some children fall neither into the victim nor bully category and that they therefore provide a useful normative contrast with which to analyses bullying and victim behaviour (Schwartz 1993 and Glover et al 1998). The effects that bullying has on both the bully and especially the victim can be life changing, in a negative way and have severe consequences not just short term, bullying can also have a long term effect on the victims. The effects of bullying have been said to be very serious, it has been reported that around ten children in the UK kill themselves each year because their lives have been made so miserable by being subjected to bullying (NSPCC 2009). There are many effects of bullying, these are include feeling depressed and sad most of the time, having sleeping problems such as insomnia or having nightmares, not wanting to go to school, not eating or over eating, suffering from stomach aches and headaches, feel less confident and also lose their self confidence and stop believing in themselves, feel unhappy and miserable which will result in enjoying life less. The longer the victim is subjected to bullying will probably in turn become a bully themselves, it will take longer for th e victim to recover from it and may continue to destroy the self confidence of the victim, leading to possible suicide. In 1999 Kidscape conducted the first ever retrospective survey of adults to discover if bullying at school affected those who had been bullied in later life. The survey showed that being badly bullied as a child had a dramatic, negative, knock on effect throughout life. The extensive survey of over 1000 adults, showed that bullying affects not only your self esteem as an adult, but your ability to make friends, succeed in education, and in work and social relationships. Nearly half (46 per cent) of those who were bullied at secondary school contemplated suicide compared with only 7 per cent of those who were not bullied. The majority of the adults reported feeling angry and bitter now about the bullying they suffered at school as children. Most received no help at the time to stop the bullying and telling either made the bullying worse or had no effect. Of the 1044 adults who took part in the survey 828 were bullied at school and 216 were not and of those bullied 70 per cent were w omen and 30 per cent were men and of those who were not bullied, 49 per cent were women and 51 per cent were men (Kidscape 1999:1). However, problems may occur if the school fails to recognise and resolve bullying within school, whereby a child may become at risk of truanting and disengagement from education, which could then lead to the risk of self harming and possible suicide. Should a child not experience an educational experience supportive of building resilience against bullying, then those exposed to bullying can turn to someone before it is too late. The following chapter aims to discuss the educational provision available for children who are victims to bullies and the consequences of those who do the bullying. It focuses purely on those children who get bullied in secondary schools. Chapter 2: Educational Provision within Secondary Schools This chapter aims to discuss the educational provisions available for those children who have been bullied and are still getting bullied. It focuses first on the provisions available for children who have been bullied throughout secondary schools, before examining the experiences of those who are living through bullying and also those who are the bullies. The importance of education as a preventative measure against bullying will be discussed along with how education is delivered to those children who are suffering at the hands of bullies. The Government has made tackling bullying in schools a key priority and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has made it clear that no form of bullying should be tolerated. Bullying in schools should be taken very seriously, as it is not a normal part of growing up and it can and will ruin lives. It is compulsory for schools to have measures in place to encourage good behaviour and respect for others on the part of pupils, and to prevent all forms of bullying. The DCSF supports schools in designing their anti bullying policies and their strategies to tackle bullying, by providing comprehensive, practical guidance documents. Regional advisers with expertise in the field of bullying are also on hand to help schools implement the guidance and draw on best practices. Teachers can help to reduce bullying both by the way they teach and by what they teach. In terms of approaches to teaching, although it may seem obvious, it may be helpful to consider teaching approaches along a spectrum with, at one extreme approach which actively promote bullying and at the other ones which specifically seek to prevent bullying. An example of actively promoting bullying is whenever a teacher deliberately humiliates a pupil, then the teacher is quite simply engaging in bullying. It really does not matter to the pupil whether the intention is merely to exert control or gain personal gratification. It would be pleasant to assume that this kind of teacher bullying was something that only happened in the past. Unfortunately most secondary school pupils, at least, will tell you that in their school there are one or two teachers who regularly use intimidation, sarcasm, belittling or harassment towards pupils, and that most teachers, on occasions, will resort to this kind of behaviour (Lawson 1994), showing the pupils that it is acceptable to bully others. The contrast from actively promote bullying is bullying preventive teaching. This is an approach to teaching which is alert to and aware of the condition which makes some pupils vulnerable and avoids endorsing these. This is about treating all pupils with a level of respect and avoiding making jokes at the expense of the weakest. It is about not contributing to a pupils vulnerability, about not setting up victims. It is also about acting as a good role model, as somebody who does no misuse the power they have. More proactively bullying preventive teaching is about publicly acknowledging that bullying is not acceptable, putting it specifically on the agenda within the secondary school and in the classroom, and creating opportunities which will help staff and pupils to develop strategies to counteract bullying. Overall what is needed is to change the way that pupils behave towards each other. To do this the pupils themselves must want to change and they need strategies and they must know how to change. The 1996 Education Act placed responsibility on head teachers for discipline and behaviour in schools, and in 1994 the Department for Education encouraged head teachers, in consultations with their governing bodies, staff and parents, to develop whole school behaviour policies and approaches which are clearly understood by pupils, parents and the school staff. The guidance recommended that schools should also have an anti bullying policy; School staff must act and importantly be seen to act firmly against bullying whenever and wherever it appears. School behaviour policies and the associated rules of conduct should, therefore, make specific reference to bullying. Governing bodies should regularly review their schools policy in bullying. School prospectuses and other documents issued to parents and pupils should make it clear that bullying will not be tolerated. Prospectuses should also explain arrangements through which pupils troubled by bullying can draw their concerns to the att ention of staff in the confidence that these will be carefully investigated and, if substantiated, taken seriously and acted upon. Individual members of staff must be alert to signs of bullying and act promptly and firmly against it. Failure to report incident may be interpreted as condoning the behaviour (Elliott 1997c:118). In more recent times, when a secondary school uses SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning), if used effectively it contributes to the work secondary schools are doing to reduce bullying. When a school implements SEAL effectively across the whole school it establishes strong foundations to its work to prevent bullying. At the core of SEAL are the social and emotional skills, which are all important because high levels of these skills create social climate that does not tolerate bullying behaviour (DCSF 2007) The partnership between ChildLine and Schools is a recent initiative, called CHIPS which was established by ChildLine aiming to work directly in schools, youth clubs and other settings with children and young people across the UK. In 2007/2008 CHIPS worked with more than 66,000 children and young people across more than 700 primary schools and secondary schools and almost 100 special schools and youth groups, to endorse the view that children and young people can help each other, can play a part in making changes to improve their own lives, and have a right to be listened to and respected. CHIPS provides a range of services from awareness raising assemblies, workshops dealing with bullying issues, to setting up peer support schemes, that encourage children and young people to support each other (NSPCC 2008), all of those services are done within the schools. There are many implications when it comes to initiatives and provision, the first is less attention appears to have been paid to childrens support needs during periods of transition, for example between primary school and secondary school. Children often fear bullying at points of transition in their lives, or at particular turning points, for example, during the move from primary to secondary school. Children in their last year of primary school may be seen as the leaders of their school. Primary schools are generally smaller, both in the fabric of the building and in the size of the school population. Secondary schools are, by contrast, frequently viewed as fearfully large places, where newcomers represent the lowest rung of a long ladder. Children who change schools as a result of moving home may also feel vulnerable to bullying. It would therefore seem useful for more research to be conducted on the support needs of children as they learn the ropes of their new environment. Another implication is making sure that all schools have an anti bullying policy within school and that it is used effectively and at all staff knows how to use it. Some of these studies were prompted by the concerns raised by parents and pupils that anti bullying policies and strategies were having a limited effect). The evidence shows that adopting an anti bullying policy is not enough; policies need to be effectively implemented and sustained over the long term (Glover et al, 1998). Parents and teachers is another implication as they are not seen to be working together or not working together as much as they should. It is every childs democratic right to attend school in safely. As education is one of the very few compulsory activities that parents and the government impose onto children, it involves all adults, in whatever capacity, to ensure that this is possible. Parent and teachers, being the most closely involved have the most valuable role to play. Parents are often extremely anxious to have a bully situation speedily resolved and so will offer the highest level of commitment. Their level of distress can often be reduced by inviting them to become actively involved in any plan as feelings of helplessness may be increasing their concern (Besag 1992:155). It may be easier for the victim to confide in a teacher rather than in their parents who are often bewildered by the childs reluctance to discuss the matter and refusal of their offers of help. The situatio n in such cases remains shrouded in mystery, and parents rely heavily on teacher to support the child and communicate with them appropriately. Another implication is when a parent does not feel that the school of their bullied child has not dealt with the bullying in an effective way and stopped it, and they withdraw their child from the school where the child is getting bullied and either moving them to another school or even educating the child at home, this may have a negative effect on the victim, as if they attended a new school, they would have to make new friend and there in not certainty that they will not get bullied at the new school, it will also have an effect on the childs education because they may possible be at different stages in the curriculum at the new school compared to the school that they were previously at. If the parents of the bullied child decide to educate their child at home, they would have to sort out materials and resources themselves, and this could take time and money. Parents should be warned that if they decide to educate their child at home, they have opted out of the state education sys tem and should not expect any assistance in educating their child from the LEA (Local Education Authority). Under the Education Act 1996, parents have a legal duty to ensure that their child receives an efficient full time education suitable to the childs age, ability and aptitude, whether this be at school or otherwise in some kind of education. (Elliott 1997d:124). Chapter 3: Government Initiatives and the Education of Children who are being bullied The barriers to education both before and after the point at which a child is bullied set out above can be institutionally specific, but it is also clear that some barriers and some of the problems of provision difficulties around reintegration are dependent on government policies and the wider educational system. This chapter will analyse the effectiveness of Government policies, initiatives and how these influence educational systems and may both increase educational involvement or attainment and reduce bullying. However, because of the plethora of local initiatives the chapter will focus on the larger scale initiatives, which aim to tackle the main problems (as set out and evidenced in previous chapters), therefore the primary discussion will focus on how the current Government has tackled the issues as mentioned above since they came into power in 1997. For almost two decades, bullying in schools has attracted the interest and concern of governments and policy makers. In the late 1980s a public enquiry was launched into unruly behaviour in schools, the result of this enquiry was the Elton Report (1989). The Report highlighted the issue of bullying, and suggested that a positive school ethos provides the essential factor in facilitating academic success and positive pupil relations. A positive school ethos has, however, proven a difficult concept to define or quantify. Instead, research has tended to focus on the relative merits of different approaches or interventions designed to reduce or prevent bullying (Mackinnon et al 1995:43). In the 1990s an extensive research funded by the DfEE, indicated that bullying was far more prevalent in some schools than others, and that the reasons for this pattern could not always be attributed to single cause (such as social deprivation, or geographical location). Some schools were also shown to be more effective than others at introducing and sustaining anti bullying work. Despite these complexities, the research provided much needed evidence on what had up till now remained a largely hidden phenomenon, and provided the basis for the governments first major attempt to provide schools with evidence based research on effective anti bullying strategies (DfE 1994, DfEE 2000). Almost a decade later, bullying continues to represent an important issue for public policy, not least because of the links between bullying, academic underachievement and mental health problems Guidance issued to teacher and school governors highlights their duty to prevent all forms of bullying: the emotional distress caused by bullying in whatever form be it racial, or as a result of a childs appearance, behaviour or special educational needs, or related to sexual orientation, can prejudice school achievement, lead to lateness or truancy, and in extreme cases, end with suicide, low report rates should not themselves be taken as proof that bullying is not occurring' (DFEE, 1999:24- 25). The National Healthy School Standard (DfEE 1999) also recommended the development of anti bullying initiatives as part of a whole school approach to raising educational standards, improving the health of children and young people, and reducing social exclusion. The DfES has also recently announced that, as part of the governments national behaviour and attendance strategy, guidance and training will be offered to all secondary schools on tackling bullying from September 2003. However, while the whole school approach might be interpreted as echoing the notion of a school ethos, in other respects the issue of bullying appears to be beset by a numb

Voodoo :: Essays Papers

Voodoo It is often presumed that within a slave society everyone has the same deprived status as the "Other" for the colonial masters, but recent studies have begun to examine the power structures within the slave community itself. Herbert Klein, in African Slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean (1986), has pointed out that knowledge was an important granter of status in the slave community. Knowledge of African ways or customs, or even in some cases elite status transferred directly from Africa gave some slaves a leverage in their community in contrast with their official status. The same occurred with many of the male and female Africans who were part-time religious, health and witchcraft specialists, most of whom had a status inside the community completely unrecognised by the master class. The historian John Blassingame, in The Slave Community (1972), has said: Whatever his power, the master was a puny man compared to the supernatural. Often the most powerful and significant individual on the plantation was the conjurer. Voodoo is a syncretic system derived from deeply rooted Africanist beliefs and colonial French Catholicism. African-American religious systems and subcultures can be seen in Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, and other Antillean areas. In the Fon language spoken in Benin, vodun means an invisible force, terrible and mysterious, which can meddle in human affairs at any time. As a reaction to being torn violently from their roots, the slaves tried to resume their cultural and religious traditions. Ancestral spirits, forces called supernatural, were invoked and celebrated in secret, far from the master's eyes, yet in the shadow of the Church, as the worship of saints and the Catholic sacraments served as a screen and a support for African beliefs. The creation of a coherent belief system was extremely important in the development of a feeling of cohesion among the slaves which would provide them with a sense of self and community. The process of syncretization among the African religions helps to explain why those cults found it relatively easy to accept and integrate parts of Christian religious belief and practice into the local cult activity. Initially this integration was purely functional, providing a cover of legitimacy for religions that were severely proscribed. But after a few generations a real syncretism became part of the duality of beliefs of the slaves themselves, who soon found it possible to accommodate both religious systems. The conjurer in African-American culture is frequently referred to as a "two-headed doctor," a person of double wisdom who carries power as a result of his or her initiation into the mysteries of the spirit.

Game Not over, Not Yet

Game Not Over, Not Yet Electronics Art’s (EA) competitive advantage from the perspective of the industrial organization view (I/O) is their choice of industry is very attractive. Todays world consist of many people who spend several hours playing video games. EA is from this aspect is stacking up ok against their competitors but they are also failing in their position. EA’s sales are down from previous years and they also missed the initial social gaming trend of which they are now trying hard to develop a digital platform for many of their popular games.The next perspective is resource-based view (RBV). EA’s resource based view in the past was great until the digital gaming came on board. EA was used to the technology at that time when they were popular for their games such as Madden NFL and Battlefield. It seems they’ve lost their innovative â€Å"touch† now that most games are becoming digital and they were not in position to enter into that digi tal platform and social gaming. EA was known for their resources because they had the human, physical, intangible, structural/cultural, and financial assets to develop produce and deliver to their customers.They seemed to have all the resources needed when they had their competitive advantage but Electronics Arts did not prepare themselves for the changes in the behavior of consumers and retailers or trends which is now causing them to loose their competitive advantage. What they were producing had value but was not rare enough and could be exploited by other companies who were willing to take them on. From the perspective of guerilla view EA’s competitive advantage was definitely temporary.They lacked the ability to change and radically surprise competitors with strategic actions and as a company their focus of analysis both external and internal was failing. EA was not able to continue their before track record of disrupting current situations that would aide in helping the m to maintain their competitive advantage. Yes, EA does exhibits the critical factors for the new business context. They now have a new CEO who is on board and is brining back the discipline needed in order to stay on top.Their new CEO has found out what caused them to give up their â€Å"status† and is implementing it. They are starting back at square one of having designers identify the creative center of a game, understanding their customers by using small focus groups, and sharing best practices and technologies through their intranet library. They are also disciplining the necessary people†¦the next generation and project management. The resource EA appears to have are the human resources, intangible assets, structural/cultural assets, and finances.I feel that the human resources is a unique thing to have because it is hard to acquire people who have the experience, characteristics, knowledge, judgment, wisdom, skills, abilities, and competencies needed to achieve t he company goal. Also although their financial status is not what it used to be they still have enough money to invest and be innovative again. The only ethical and social responsibility issues I can see them dealing with possibly replicating another companies digital platform.The only way to handle that is by coming up with their own and patenting it or even by just expanding their already owned brand names patents and databases. EA has to learn how to be creative again. The only stakeholders EA might have to be concerned with are the groups or individuals who can influence their company’s decisions, which at some point can possibly be their competitors which will directly affect them. References Coulter, M. (2013). Strategic management in action. (6th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, N. J. : Pearson Education, Inc.