Mordern East Asia Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mordern East Asia - Term Paper Example y (economy), and Minds (idea and intellect).   Lampton starts with the reference to the Chinese history well back to 500 BC discussing briefly about the Sun Tzo, then, Chairman Mao and Deng Xiaoping up to the present day.   China has emerged but this is unlike the Soviet Union and Japan, just being a military power and economic giant respectively; Soviet Union was not an economic power, and Japan is not at all a military giant on the other hand.   This is a modern China with globalization, urbanization, and marketization making China the stronger from both parameters, the coercive and economic; in fact, there is also the third parameter being the nonphysical what he calls "ideational power."   According to Lampton the credit for  Chinas coercive power goes to  Chairman Mao, for  it monetary power it goes to Deng Xiaoping, and for todays financial and  idea power it belongs to the current leaders.   About Coercive power, China is explored in comparison with its relationships with the neighbors and the U.S.; Chinese military capabilities are increasing systematically and effectively.   â€Å"The PRC was annually adding between 75 to 120 short-range ballistic missiles (300 to 600 kilometers in range) to  its existing  inventory† (Lampton 50). There is a mutual stronger and growing U.S.-China relationship; and China wants to do all together for the goodness of world problems.   â€Å"China has sufficient nuclear weapons to hold approximately 15-20 million U.S. citizens  at risk† (Lampton 52). This might of China does not mean just arms and weapons; it reflects the concept of Peoples Liberation Army to be the military modernization of the forces along with the development of space capabilities â€Å"that by 2010 aims to establish an earth observation system† (Lampton 56). About Financial or Economic power of China it is an obvious case that this power has increased as a buyer, importer, and investor  in addition to  its old image of being only a powerhouse of selling

Informal Objective Summaries Ethics, the Cold War, Vietnam Essay

Informal Objective Summaries Ethics, the Cold War, Vietnam - Essay Example He asserts that Christians should pray and have faith and hope of winning. He goes further to explain that this is because we are the cause of war. He claims that it is the hatred in our own selves that makes us to fight. We fight because our hatred is so big that we cannot note, but see the little hatred in others. We use others as scapegoats and invest all our evil in them and, therefore, think that once we fight these scapegoats we will be liberated. However, deep in the article, Morton gets into the social cultural perspective and condemns the society for its failures in protecting those who had good intentions for the society. He says that the society instead criticizes them for their failures in some cases blaming them for the happenings. He says the power of God can be the solution since as much as we do not trust in one another we all trust in Gods being and we should not condemn but love all carefully (Merton, 1962). Roy Arundhat argues from social/ cultural perspective. â⠂¬Å"Drinking wine and preaching water†, a phrase commonly used to refer to hypocritical acts, is what Arundhat Roy indirectly meant by saying girls are boys and boys are girls in reference to America particularly the war with Iraq and the Taliban terrorists. This is particularly because before the war, the then American president said America was a peaceful country that had its own fundamental values and could not accept evil, violence, and murderers. Roy’s argument here is that, if for real America rejected violence, war, and evil they should have not gone to wars in the first place for war is an act of all. He goes further to list the other twenty nations that America has been involved in war with since world war two to emphasize this. Roy pinpoints some of the reasons why he opposes the war by fast saying that acts of terrorism should be condemned including the September 11th bombing. However, he notes that the methods used to respond (attacking the Taliban) in Iraq and hurting thousands of innocent people including women and children was not right. Roy point out that this has adversely affected the world’s economic status beginning with the instability of many countries economy because of the oil from the middle east which was affected by the war (Iraq) (Arundhat, 2001). Model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal or one who has been declared so (Saint) by canonization are the simple definitions or what we think of once we hear a person be referred to as a Saint. A peacemaker can be compared to a saint. He should be compared to a saint because of taking the risk to ensure that people live in harmony. Peacemaking is not an easy act and sometimes one has to create peace by ignoring what a war can do to him or her. In this context, we can use the example of Thomas Merton who gave an example of those who have good intentions for the society, but if they fail, they are condemned. Therefore, a peacemaker takes the risk de spite knowing the risks in case of failure and stands in to see a good course for the society. Secondly, a peacemaker should be compared to a saint since every war is different or special in its own right and brings different challenges that must be overcome by a peacemaker. This is a role that can be played by a few people because of the risks and dangers involved in it. Therefore, one who stands in as a peacemaker does something extra ordinary (has no equal) or special,

Reaction paper of Ideoligy explore in venezuela Essay

Reaction paper of Ideoligy explore in venezuela - Essay Example Given its huge oil resources Venezuela should ideally command a lot of respect internationally as a economically stable state. This however doesn’t seem to be true with the larger percentage of it’s population living below the poverty line. At the time president Chavez took over the rains around 70% of the population was below the poverty line. It was expected and hoped that this condition would change. This however did not happen largely due to the ideologies adopted by the government. The gap between the rich and the poor is just too big considering the massive capabilities that the country has. The very thing that should generate prosperity seems to be driving the disparity. Oil should be good for any given country but when combined with corruption which is rampant in the country then the effects can be catastrophic as they are in this country. The oil industry is controlled by the rich and affluent political class. This class is well known for the greed with which they want to line their pockets with more wealth. They rarely consider the poor. The oil industry is very labour intensive which contributes for the high unemployment rates. Another factor that fuels this state is the fact that the country for the most part is dependent on imports which has never made it easy for any economy. Add to this the fact that every citizen is always trying to enrich themselves. Hoarding of these imported goods is rampart driving inflation in the country high (Dunaway 55). The high prices cause the government to try and rectify this and the most popular way for them is to make more money fuelling inflation. This inflation seems the poorer even poorer. One would argue that the best way to cure this would for a total overhaul the ideologies prevalent in the political class. Them being the main stakeholders in both the economy and the social level they are the ones who would drive any change in the country, ideological or otherwise. They need to

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Human Resource Management - Essay Example The main argument is that the framework for a diverse workplace is contingent on the successful development of these three categories. The article indicates that the motivating and controlling factor for diversity in the workforce is the headquarters. In this way there is the recommendation to begin planning diversity at this stage and then extend it to subsidiary organizations. Diversity variables are also noted as an important notion in that they consider the changing nature of diversity based on region. The author indicates that multicultural teams are effective as the multiplicity of perspectives creates opportunities for increased innovation. To a large part the article downplays reasons against diversity, although there are a few instances. For instance, while multicultural teams may be good for innovation, it is also possible that the divergence of viewpoints and backgrounds causes increased troubles for collaboration. Ultimately I found this article insightful in the way that it attempted to establish a framework for implementing diversity in the workforce. Still, I believe that the article lacks the detail that is needed to truly enact change, as there will be different challenges for different labor environments. Linda Gravett’s article ‘Diversity Efforts Can Support Business Imperatives’ considers diversity in terms of diverse business operations. For instance, there is the indication that businesses that are able to expand into international markets receive a greater competitive advantage. The author also makes the point that for organizations to increasingly survive they must consider diversity as a strong part of their missions and values. This vision of diversity refers to establishing a workforce with diverse talents and skills. Gravett later relays a story about working in Japan. During this period she was tasked with conducting a training program for her organization. The students were Japanese and refrained

Economic Concept and Its Implications in Our Life Research Paper

Economic Concept and Its Implications in Our Life - Research Paper Example Economics is useful in each and every aspect of life. Economics mainly deals with choice and decision making. Understanding of economics concepts is helpful for our lives and existence in today’s world and to understand the functions of the business world. Here we will discuss the economic concept and its implications in our life. The law of demand defines that when the price of product rises and every other thing remains constant then the quantity demand of the product will fall. It means when the price rises then the quantity demanded declines. Every other remains constant is known as â€Å"Ceteris Paribus† assumption. It means that wealth; income, population, preferences and price of other goods are constant and remain the same. Shifts in Demand or change in demand happens at the time when any one of the components of demand changes other than the price. It can also be said as a shift in demand occurs when the situation is not ceteris paribus. The Law of Supply defin es that when the price of the product rises and every other thing is constant (Ceteris Paribas situation) then the quantity of product supplied will also increase. It means that when the price of the product is increasing then the quantity of supply of the product is also increasing. Shifts in Supply or changes in supply happen when any one of the components of the supply changes other than the price. It means when ceteris paribus doesn’t occur. The concept of demand and supply is also applicable to our daily life. For example- Rice is the staple food in most of the Asian countries.

Anthrolpology - Illegal Immigration and the Mexican people (research Essay

Anthrolpology - Illegal Immigration and the Mexican people (research paper) - Essay Example Many have, however, attempted to deny access to housing, schools, medical treatment and social programs to non-citizens. Some argue that U.S. laws apply to all within its borders, legally or not such as the Fifth Amendment right to due process of law. The laws certainly apply to all when they are broken. The federal government, to no one’s surprise, has been no help. For example, the Bush administration has long supported some form of amnesty which has enraged those that are opposed to illegal aliens living, working or going to school in the U.S. On the other hand, the administration also endorses the PATRIOT Act which denies constitutionally guaranteed rights to all people and further punishes immigrants in the effort to win the ‘war on terror.’ The ‘right’ answer escapes the government and many others as well because of the issue’s many complexities. This discussion will examine the immigration debate from a legal, economic and social view. It will present the administration’s answer to the problem along with an opposing opinion. It will also speak to laws germane to the debate including a brief review of the PATRIOT Act, the Fifth Amendment regarding due process and the Fourteenth Amendment which relates to automatic citizenship by birth. The fundamental reason for the flood of immigration from Latin America, specifically Mexico, is the disintegration of the Mexican economy predominantly resulting from free-trade strategies employed by the North American Free Trade Agreement and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The rampant corruption within the Mexican government has also contributed significantly to the collapse of the Mexican economy. â€Å"Due to IMF policies regarding Mexico, its economic output dropped 33 percent in the past two decades† (Small, 2005). During this period, its foreign debt rose 359

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Human Resource Management - Essay Example The main argument is that the framework for a diverse workplace is contingent on the successful development of these three categories. The article indicates that the motivating and controlling factor for diversity in the workforce is the headquarters. In this way there is the recommendation to begin planning diversity at this stage and then extend it to subsidiary organizations. Diversity variables are also noted as an important notion in that they consider the changing nature of diversity based on region. The author indicates that multicultural teams are effective as the multiplicity of perspectives creates opportunities for increased innovation. To a large part the article downplays reasons against diversity, although there are a few instances. For instance, while multicultural teams may be good for innovation, it is also possible that the divergence of viewpoints and backgrounds causes increased troubles for collaboration. Ultimately I found this article insightful in the way that it attempted to establish a framework for implementing diversity in the workforce. Still, I believe that the article lacks the detail that is needed to truly enact change, as there will be different challenges for different labor environments. Linda Gravett’s article ‘Diversity Efforts Can Support Business Imperatives’ considers diversity in terms of diverse business operations. For instance, there is the indication that businesses that are able to expand into international markets receive a greater competitive advantage. The author also makes the point that for organizations to increasingly survive they must consider diversity as a strong part of their missions and values. This vision of diversity refers to establishing a workforce with diverse talents and skills. Gravett later relays a story about working in Japan. During this period she was tasked with conducting a training program for her organization. The students were Japanese and refrained

Anthrolpology - Illegal Immigration and the Mexican people (research Essay

Anthrolpology - Illegal Immigration and the Mexican people (research paper) - Essay Example Many have, however, attempted to deny access to housing, schools, medical treatment and social programs to non-citizens. Some argue that U.S. laws apply to all within its borders, legally or not such as the Fifth Amendment right to due process of law. The laws certainly apply to all when they are broken. The federal government, to no one’s surprise, has been no help. For example, the Bush administration has long supported some form of amnesty which has enraged those that are opposed to illegal aliens living, working or going to school in the U.S. On the other hand, the administration also endorses the PATRIOT Act which denies constitutionally guaranteed rights to all people and further punishes immigrants in the effort to win the ‘war on terror.’ The ‘right’ answer escapes the government and many others as well because of the issue’s many complexities. This discussion will examine the immigration debate from a legal, economic and social view. It will present the administration’s answer to the problem along with an opposing opinion. It will also speak to laws germane to the debate including a brief review of the PATRIOT Act, the Fifth Amendment regarding due process and the Fourteenth Amendment which relates to automatic citizenship by birth. The fundamental reason for the flood of immigration from Latin America, specifically Mexico, is the disintegration of the Mexican economy predominantly resulting from free-trade strategies employed by the North American Free Trade Agreement and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The rampant corruption within the Mexican government has also contributed significantly to the collapse of the Mexican economy. â€Å"Due to IMF policies regarding Mexico, its economic output dropped 33 percent in the past two decades† (Small, 2005). During this period, its foreign debt rose 359

Reading Comprehension Essay Example for Free

Reading Comprehension Essay Reading comprehension is a valuable and necessary tool in the learning process. It allows the reader to expand his vocabulary, understand the text he is reading, and use various strategies as he might need them in order to improve learning. It is necessary because it shapes the readers understanding of ideas and words. It assists his ability to make sense of ideas and concepts. It can even affect various parts of public life, such as the political arena. In assessing the readers state of reading comprehension, there are three levels: literal, interpretive, and applied. If the reader is not satisfied with his own level of reading comprehension, all is not lost. There are means by which to improve it. These include growing ones vocabulary, utilizing multiple senses, and changing ones reading speed. All of these tools serve to advance the learning process. In order for one to understand the value reading comprehension possesses, one must first understand what it is. Reading comprehension is â€Å"the process of understanding or making meaning when reading† (Elish-Piper, 2010). The reader can use what he knows to get a grasp of the material he is reading. For example, a large vocabulary—understanding the meanings of many words—can help someone understand a wide variety of texts. The text can usually be placed into a specific category. For example, a novel about an unsolved crime would be in the category of a mystery. The reader can then place the text into a proper context. For the purposes of our mystery novel, it could be for the readers own enjoyment, or perhaps an assignment for a college course. Elish-Piper asserts that â€Å"when the reader is able to connect these three key components,† it is much easier for that person to comprehend what he is reading. If the reader needs to, he can use strategies to help comprehend the text better. Elish-Piper also gives ideas for those strategies. With our mystery novel example, the reader could identify the â€Å"basic elements† of the story, which are present with any novel. These include plot, setting, and the main characters. Putting ones self in the position of characters in the text could also help. Asking questions periodically is also a positive way of self-checking for knowledge and comprehension of the text. One might ask why this comprehension is so important. The very definition of reading comprehension serves to help answer that question. If the reader does not understand what he is reading, he probably is not gaining anything from it. It would be tantamount to staring at a book written in a foreign language. Learning does not happen by osmosis; it happens through understanding. It also allows us to make sense of ideas and concepts. The wider the variety of texts one has read and comprehended, the more knowledge that person has gained. A person with increased knowledge, therefore, understands more ideas and concepts than he did before. This can impact a wide variety of areas. It can even effect areas of public policy. Politicians pass laws, and these laws are (obviously) comprised of words. In order for these leaders to understand how their legislation will affect their intended group, they have to understand what they are writing and reading. Beyond this, policy itself is sometimes designed to shape the practice of education—and thus reading comprehension itself. Over the past years, policy makers have utilized â€Å"assessment data† in the various field of education, including reading comprehension, for â€Å"education purposes† (Moskowitz Stephens, 2004). In supplement to policy makers, educators have their own views on reading comprehension. There are three levels of reading comprehension (Gambrell, Morrow, Pressley, 2007). The first level is â€Å"literal. † Literal reading comprehension is the understanding of the base of what is in the text. It is the most basic level and includes items that are generally not left up to interpretation. These can include names, dates, places, and the like. The second level of reading comprehension is â€Å"interpretive. † This type of reading comprehension is not concerned so much with what is actually present, but rather, what one can gather. Reading between the lines and drawing from the readers own knowledge, and answering subjective questions, helps. Finally, the third and most advanced level of reading comprehension is â€Å"applied. † Bluntly, this level allows the reader to utilize what is present in the text, make sense of it using context clues, and then using the knowledge gained to learn and understand concepts and ideas outside the scope of the text at hand. Perhaps the reader is not satisfied with his level of reading comprehension. All is not lost; there are means to improve. The most obvious way to improve reading comprehension is to grow ones vocabulary. It is never too late to learn new words. However, there is more that one can do than the obvious. Using multiple senses is an out-of-the-box way to understand new material. Combining visual and auditory senses is a helpful way to increase comprehension (Woolley, 2010). The reader can use his imagination to set the scene in the text and then read the text aloud or listen to an audio book. Making an outline of the crucial points of the text and then reading that aloud is another way to reiterate key points. Moreover, reading slowly with a purpose as opposed to reading for speed is another way to be sure the reader understands details (Newkirk, 2010). â€Å"Slowing down,† â€Å"memorizing,† and â€Å"savoring passages† are steps in this beneficial process. No matter ones level of education, reading comprehension is an invaluable tool for success in life. Once a reader understands what reading comprehension is, he can assess his level of comprehension, and then take one or more of a large number of steps to increase his ability. This, in turn, will help him be able to make sense of the world around him, and thus, put himself in a better position to succeed with whatever he does. References Elish-Piper, L. (2010). Understanding reading comprehension: Information and ideas for parents about reading comprehension. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 38 (3). 49-52. Gambrell, L. B. , Morrow, L. M. , Pressley, M. (2007). Best practices in literacy instruction. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Moskowitz, J. H. Stephens, M. (2004). Comparing learning outcomes: International assessments and education policy. London: RoutledgeFalmer. Newkirk, T. (2010, March). The case for slow reading. Educational Leadership, 67 (6). 6. Woolley, G. (2010, June). Developing reading comprehension: Combining visual and verbal cognitive processes. Australian Journal of Language Literacy, 33 (2). 108-125.

Organized Crime: Theory and Characteristics

Organized Crime: Theory and Characteristics Statistically, most crimes committed in major American cities are crimes of passion, convenience, or opportunity committed by individual perpetrators; these can be classed as street crime or disorganized crime (Ryan and George, 1997). Disorganized crimes are difficult to predict and, often, difficult to solve. Because they cut across racial, class, and gender lines, disorganized crimes have fascinated historians, and there are several studies that attempt to find rational explanations for patterns in crime rates. How would you describe or define organized crime? Since the 1920s, organized crime has fascinated, horrified, and been a continuous concern for citizens and law enforcement officials in the United States (Lupsha, 1996). The public perception of organized crime has been shaped by the large volume of movies, television shows, and books that have distorted the public image of organized crime and misled the response to it. First and foremost, the first thing or picture that comes into the mind when organized crime is mentioned, is John Gotti, Al Capone and Paul Castellano, these individuals are some of the well known as members of the organized crime. Many people argue that this named individuals who have previously served jail sentence could serve as perpetrators of organized crime. So, the question is, what is the actually the right definition of organized crime? Organized crime can be defined as a group of individual who have structured plans and their objective is to get money by or through committing illegal activities. Individuals who are connected with organized crime meet their financial needs through violence, corrupt officials, and extortion. These individuals end up affecting people from as close as their neighbor hoods and as far away as other countries. The personal perception of this author is that organized crime is the organization of several participating parties who share a common goal; generally, focused on monetary gain or control of power. How does your perception compare to the definitions in the readings? In reading chapter 1 of Organized Crime, I have realized that one definition can not completely define the concept of organized crime. According to the text organized crime can be defined as two or more persons conspiring together on a continuing and secretive basis with the aim of committing one or more serious crimes in order to obtain, directly or indirectly, a financial or other material benefit. My perception of organized crime and book assessment of organized crime is not that far apart. Conceptually, the term organized crime has been used to differentiate a specific manner of criminality from forms of personal and property crimes typically committed by individuals working alone (such as residential burglaries, mugging, automobile theft, vandalism, crimes of passion, and so on). Public perception of organized crime has largely been shaped by the media and the entertainment industry (Lupsha, 1996). As in entertainment industry, organized crime has become synonymous with such criminal genres as the Italian Mafia, outlaw motorcycle gangs, Chinese Triads, the Japanese yakuza, Colombian cocaine cartels, and the Russian mafyia. While a defining characteristic of these dominant organized crime genres has been a shared ethnicity, organized criminality is present among a wide range of ethnic groups and nationalities. Moreover, in recent years, it has become apparent that race or ethnicity is no longer the most important criterion of who participates in a particular organized crime conspiracy. Not only has there been evidence of cooperation among many of these dominant genres, but there are also thousands of other individual criminal entrepreneurs who work together, on an ad hoc or ongoing basis, in pursuit of illegal revenues, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, or language. The term organized crime has also been used to refer to certain illegal activities that are typically carried out by criminal organizations, such as drug trafficking, extortion, labor racketeering, smuggling, corruption, and money laundering. However, organized crime should not be strictly defined by the type of illegal activities carried out by criminal organizations and networks, for many of these criminal activities can also be conducted by individuals working alone. Instead, organized crime can best be characterized by how illegal activities are carried out. Some of the defining characteristics of organized criminality are summarized below. What characteristics do you think are associated with organized criminal behavior? The difficulty in clearly defining the concept of organized crime comes from the ambiguity of the term organized. For example, how organized does a criminal outfit need to be to be considered an agent of organized crime? Most people who have studied the phenomenon agree that, at the very least, an organized-crime group has to maintain a clear hierarchy among its members and function according to a set of enforceable rules and regulations. A city gang, therefore, which temporarily groups a few youths involved in illegal activities, does not constitute organized crime. Common behaviors among organized crime groups have been within a global magnitude. These organizations have engaged in enterprises, which include various criminal acts. They specialize in money laundering, drug trafficking, blackmail, gambling, extortion, political corruption, and loan-sharking. It seems if these individuals are permitted to silence witnesses, murder, and blackmail; extort, etc., law enforcement will con stantly have difficulty in apprehending said persons or any kind of conviction regarding their actions and-or behavior (Lyman and Potter, 2007). The primary goal of organized crime is economic profit. Organized crime does not traditionally espouse and fight for a particular political ideology. Thus, terrorist organizations like Hamas and al-Qaeda are not usually considered organized-crime groups, even if they are well organized and engage in illegal activities. organized-crime groups may acquire political power to ensure prosperity for their members, but they do not generally perceive political power as a goal in itself. organized-crime groups have a limited, highly specialized membership and are characterized by a carefully thought-out division of labor. As in any legal business enterprise, every member knows his or her place in the organization and will undertake specific duties on a regular basis. Unlike legal businesses, however, organized crime shows a willingness to resort to violence and bribery to achieve its goals. The continued existence of an organized-crime group does not rely on specific individuals. In other words, in this kind of a group, everybody is replaceable. Even if the leader of the outfit dies or goes to jail, the organization is designed to promptly find somebody to take over. Organized crime, therefore, is characterized by permanency, as much as by its economic priorities, lack of political ideology, hierarchy, and specialization.

Eng Comparison Essay :: essays papers

Eng Comparison Essay Innocence, happiness, success, and optimism, are all characteristics of human kind. A cure for cancer is superior to the elimination of physical abuse and suicidal death’s. A result to have all people treated equally appreciated and loved. Is it a possible gesture? It may not happen in our lifetime, but if powerful and caring individuals join forces, it is possible to draw conclusions. To live the dreams and allusions each identity performs and has a reality to people and society. Within the three novels, Ellen Foster, A Virtuous Woman, and A Cure for Dreams, all written by the author Kaye Gibbons, each character from different novels struggles to face reality and find the correct path that will lead them to the right direction in life. While coping with the endless pain, Ellen, Jack, and Betty have only hope to lead them into the direction they encounter to approach. A fate in their lives can change forever. In addition, keep their â€Å"depressing days† only a me mory so that they will become successful. All characters are determined to overcome their obstacles and misery through hope, courage, and inspiration. Throughout Kaye Gibbon’s novels, each unified character portrays a resemblance to overcome their obstacles through hope. In Gibbon’s first novel, Ellen Foster the main character, Ellen a young child struggles to survive and live a normal childhood. Making matters worse, Ellen’s father was a drunken alcoholic who physically abuses her mother and sexually harasses his own daughter. As a result, Ellen’s mother commits suicide and her father dies from over dosage. As her, own parents abandon their precious child; Ellen was alone in search of a new home and family. As hope motivates Ellen to seek forward and find her new home she begins to believe what an ideal family would be like, â€Å"I had not figured out how to go about getting one for the most part, but I had a feeling it could be got†. Similar in Ellen’s case, in Gibbon’s second novel A Virtuous Woman, Jack is in search to regain himself after a heartbreak loss to his wife Ruby who died several months prior from lung cancer. Jack is an old farmer and relied heavily towards Ruby. He is now left on his own, he acknowledges that only hope may lead him back on his tracks and leave all the crucial memories behind.

The Importance of Class Status in British Society as Depicted in Britis

The Importance of Class Status in British Society as Depicted in British Sitcoms Focusing on British sitcoms as a genre of study, one can see many different levels in the structure of British society. Of particular interest is the classification of the characters into their social classes. In Porridge, Fletcher is seen as a working class convict who is confined to his place in society. However, within his incarceration a hierarchy among his "colleagues" is also apparent. Satisfied with his place at the top of this power structure, Fletcher continually maneuvers himself to improve his life without the ability to leave his social stratum. In contrast to Fletcher’s contentment is the character of Harold in Steptoe and Son. As a rag and bone man, Harold occupies one of the least respected jobs and, therefore, one of the lowest social statuses in society. Irritation with his rank propels Harold into trying to "better" his life; however, he is unsuccessful. Because Harold’s ability to improve himself is dependent on intelligence, which he defines as upwar d mobility on the social ladder, his ignorance prevents him from ever leaving his classified status. By comparing the situations of Fletcher and Harold, we will examine the question of why Fletcher is able to make small advances (even though the cyclical cycle of sitcoms does not allow for permanent change), while Harold is denied any advancement. Fletcher and his viewers easily accept his place as a convict because background information suggests that porridge life, or prison life, is normal for Fletcher. His character’s main role and source of humor are his continually successful attempts to undermine the authorities and receive the best treatment possible. In the episode enti... ...se he cannot disrupt society any more than he already has, while an upward movement by Harold may reveal a sign of weakness in the class distinctions of the viewers. In addition to viewers from a higher class looking down upon Harold, one must also consider that those within his class may disapprove of his attempt to change positions in society. Therefore, when analyzing a situation comedy and considering a character’s attempt to shift from one social class to another, one must recognize the unfair restrictions placed on the characters, and the implications that movement may have for the viewers. Works Cited Storry, Mike and Peter Childs eds. British Cultural Identities. New York: Routedge, 1997. "A Day Out" Porridge. British Broadcasting Company. BBC. 26 September 1974. "A Star is Born." Steptoe and Son. British Broadcasting Company. BBC. 28 February 1972.

Acct Mid-Term Solutions Essay

Examination I I will select five of the following questions for the mid-term exam. You should be able to answer all of them. You may work together in study groups and analyze and answer the questions. Obviously, the exam will be an individual effort. 1Accounting and Control The controller of a small private college is complaining about the amount of work she is required to do at the beginning of each month. The president of the university requires the controller to submit a monthly report by the fifth day of the following month. The monthly report contains pages of financial data from operations. The controller was heard saying, â€Å"Why does the president need all this information? He probably doesn’t read half of the report. He’s an old English professor and probably doesn’t know the difference between a cost and a revenue.† Required: a. What is the probable role of the monthly report? Ans: The monthly report is the report card for the University’s internal accounting system, these monthly reports are a formal part of the University’s information system, that provides data and knowledge for decision making (pg.2 of text). These reports are part of a system of controls, these controls force the organization to account for their monthly transactions and the president needs to know this so that he can defend and reconcile the position of his company. These reports are useful to the president so that he can manage the in-and-outflow of resources that keep the University’s board members and employees interests aligned. For the president, the role of these monthly reports are to provide information for necessary planning and decision making and to also help motivate and monitor people within the university (pg. 3 of text). b. What is the controller’s responsibility with respect to a president who doesn’t know much accounting? Ans: It is the controller’s responsibility to ensure the President understands what the reports say/symbolize and based upon those results, make suggestions on decisions. Their responsibilities involve assuring the reports are accurate, meet accounting standards by following accounting principles and procedures, and having a strong fiducial understanding of the business so that the numbers in his report tell a story about the University’s position in the market and the current state of its operational drivers (pg.10&11 of text). 2Cost, Volume, Profit Analysis Leslie Mittelberg is considering the wholesaling of a leather handbag from Kenya. She must travel to Kenya to check on quality and transportation. The trip will cost $3000. The cost of the handbag is $10 and shipping to the United States can occur through the postal system for $2 per handbag or through a freight company which will ship a container that can hold up to a 1000 handbags at a cost of $1000. The freight company will charge $1000 even if less than 1000 handbags are shipped. Leslie will try to sell the handbags to retailers for $20. Assume there are no other costs and benefits. Required: a. What is the break-even point if shipping is through the postal system? Ans: Break Even Point = Total Fixed Costs / (Unit Price – Unit Variable Costs) BEP = $3000 / ($20 – $12)= 375 handbags b. How many units must be sold if Leslie uses the freight company and she wants to have a profit of $1000? Ans: Total Revenue – Total Costs= Profit TR-TC=1000: $20x-($3000+$1000+$10x) =$1000 $10x=$5000; x=500 handbags. c. At what output level would the two shipping methods yield the same profit? Ans: Ï€=TR-TC; Freight: Ï€=$10x-$4000; Postal: Ï€=$8x-$3000 ( Two equations same unknown, set equal: 10x-4000=8x-3000( 2x=1000 ( x=500 handbags d. Suppose a large discount store asks to buy an additional 1000 handbags beyond normal sales. Which shipping method should be used and what is the minimum sales price Leslie should consider in selling those 1000 handbags? Ans: At a 1000 handbags, freight shipping should be used because the UVC to ship a bag would be $1 as opposed to $2 through postal. The minimum price of the bag should cover Leslies VC just to break even, VC=10(1000)+1000=$11,000/1000bags = $11.00. 3Asset Replacement The Baltic Company is considering the purchase of a new machine tool to replace an obsolete one. The machine being used for the operation has a tax-basis book value of $80,000, with an annual depreciation expense of $8,000. It has a resale value today of $40,000, is in good working order, and will last, physically, for at least 10 more years. The proposed machine will perform the operation so much more efficiently and Baltic engineers estimate that labor, material, and other direct costs of the operation will be reduced $60,000 a year if it is installed. The proposed machine costs $240,000 delivered and installed, and its economic life is estimated at 10 years, with zero salvage value. The company expects to earn 14 percent on its investment after taxes (14 percent is the firm’s cost of capital). The tax rate is 40 percent, and the firm uses straight-line depreciation. Any gain or loss on the sale of the machine at retirement is subject to tax at 40 percent. Should Baltic buy the new machine? 4Transfer Prices The Alpha Division of the Carlson Company manufactures product X at a variable cost of $40 per unit. Alpha Division’s fixed costs, which are sunk, are $20 per unit. The market price of X is $70 per unit. Beta Division of Carlson Company uses product X to make Y. The variable costs to convert X to Y are $20 per unit and the fixed costs, which are sunk, are $10 per unit. The product Y sells for $80 per unit. Required: a. What transfer price of X causes divisional managers to make decentralized decisions that maximize Carlson Company’s profit if each division is treated as a profit center? Ans: The minimum price Alpha can accept is $40+$20** = $40. The maximum Beta can pay is $80-$20-$10** or $60. **To have â€Å"sunken fixed costs† a firm would have to be operating in the short-run, the sunken fixed costs are unrecoverable and are already paid, these costs shouldn’t be considered when determining whether or not to shut down. The transfer price must be set in such a way as to induce the two parties to make the transfer. In essence, the transfer price must give incentives to the Alpha Division to want to make the transfer and give incentives to the Beta Division to buy (b/c they’re both profit centers, decentralized decision makers). In other words, the following two constraints must be satisfied: Alpha:TP > $40 (variable cost) Beta DivisionTP < $60 (selling price ($80) – variable costs to complete ($20)) where: TP = transfer price ( $40