Kate Chopin Analytical Essay †the Story of an Hour Essay

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin is a short yet complex story, describing Mrs Mallard’s feelings. It focuses on the unfolding emotional state of Mrs Mallard after the news of her husbands death, and has overflowing symbolism and imagery. It is an impressive literary piece that touches the readers’ feelings and mind and allows the reader to have a connection to Mrs Mallard’s emotional process. Although the story is short, it is complete with each word carrying deep sense and meaning. It is written in the 19th century, a time that had highly restrictive gender roles that forbade women to live as they saw fit. Mrs Mallard experiences something not everyone during this time has the luck to have; the happiness of freedom that the reader only understands at the end of the story. The author unfolds Mrs Mallards feelings in three stages; firstly moving quickly to grief, then to a sense of newfound freedom, and finally to despair over the loss of that freedom. To create the story, Chopin uses an abundance of literary elements, including imagery, personification, and similes, and also makes use of the social expectations of her time. In the beginning of the story the reader is told that Mrs Mallard suffers from a heart condition, and news of her husband’s death is brought to her â€Å"as gently as possible† (158). Mrs Mallard’s sister, Josephine, and her husbands friend Richards break the news, believing Mrs Mallard would be upset and that the news could make her condition worsen. During the 19th century, most women when in Mrs Mallard’s situation would wait until they were in private before breaking their composure. Mrs Mallard however, â€Å"wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment† (158). The reader expects Mrs Mallard to be upset at the news of her husbands death, and worries that with her heart trouble the sad news may worsen her condition. However, her reaction to the news is just the first emotional response to the news, without deep comprehension of what has happened and how it will change her life. Chopin shows us how Mrs Mallard, little by little, comes to realise it and what helps her to understand it. After composing herself Mrs Mallard goes to her room and â€Å"there stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair. Read Also:  Analytic Rubric for Essay Writing Into this she sank† (158). Reading this readers realise something turns the story to a more positive and reassuring way. How does Chopin create this effect? Chopin uses imagery and creates the comfortable setting so that the reader can become more in tune with Mrs Mallards situation and feelings. By allowing thereader to see two things â€Å"a comfortable, roomy armchair† which symbolises security and comfort in spite of Mr Mallards death, and â€Å"the open window† that symbolises a connection to the world and life continuing. In the fifth paragraph Chopin emphasises the feelings of comfort and security even more, and creates more details and fresh elements for the new and positive turn in the story. The reader is told that Mrs Mallard, through the window, can see â€Å"tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life,† (158) and that â€Å"the delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street bellow a peddler was crying his wares. † (158). These parts, also an example of imagery by setting the scene outside of the house, show the reader that Mrs Mallard is reconnecting with the world. Sitting in that armchair she starts to hear sounds and smell scents that she didn’t before; things we take for granted and only appreciate when we’re happy. Did she really not notice these everyday occurrences until after her husband’s death? In the next paragraph Chopin gives us more details of these changes, emphasizing it but not telling the reader why she didn’t notice until now. Careful readers, however, understand the deep sense of the words about the â€Å"patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other† (158). These words aren’t there just to take up space. They are details that make the reader feel the growth of Mrs Mallard’s excitement and let us understand that the blue sky is a symbol of the freedom and future life for Mrs Mallard. In paragraph eight, Chopin begins to use personification as well as imagery. Mrs Mallard â€Å"young, with a fair, calm face† (158) is sitting in the armchair with a â€Å"dull stare in her eyes† (158) which â€Å"indicated of intelligent thought† (158). Reading this, the reader can form an idea of what Mrs Mallard looks like, and we understand that there’s something going on in Mrs Mallards head, something changing everything in her mind. Mrs Mallard is still struggling to figure it out but â€Å"she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching towards her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air†. From this we understand that she is beginning to realise it, and her soul is beginning to fill with happiness of freedom, which is in all the sounds, smells and things she sees. For one moment, however, she is somewhat afraid of feeling happy about her freedom and â€Å"she was striving to beat it back with her will† (159). This shows that Mrs Mallard is a â€Å"product† of her time, and is striving to feel what is socially accepted. She realizes that society would determine her thoughts of freedom inappropriate, but she can’t stop herself from feeling that way. However, â€Å"she knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death† (159), but it’s just a reaction, one that society expects her to have, and one that many have when dealing with the death of someone they know. Chopin makes it quite clear that Mr Mallard loved Mrs Mallard, â€Å"the face that had never looked save with love upon her† (159). Mrs Mallards own feelings are also described, and it’s clear that she doesn’t share her husbands feelings â€Å"she loved him – sometimes. Often she did not† (159). This kind of direct and simple language is used to describe things that Mrs Mallard isn’t emotional about, thus the language would indicate, as much as the actual words do, that Mrs Mallard didn’t have strong feelings for her husband. After all, what can compare to â€Å"a long procession of years that would belong to her absolutely† (159). This is where Chopin finally gives a reason as to why Mrs Mallard feels this way about her husbands death. â€Å"There would be no one to live for her during these coming years: she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose† (159). This shows the reader a picture of Mrs Mallards family life. She was unhappy with her husband because she couldn’t have her own opinion and she couldn’t show her own will to do something, which is why she is happy to be free of her marriage. Back in the 19th century, society would not accept a divorced woman, but it would accept widows. Mrs Mallard is estatic, realising that she was now free from her husband, and still has a place in society. â€Å"Free, body and soul free! † (159). Reading these words the reader shares with Mrs Mallard her feelings, excitement and hopes. At this point the readers have fixated mostly on Mrs Mallard and the sudden reintroduction of Josephine, brings the reader back to reality. Josephine, kneeling outside the door, now looks ridiculous to the reader as she implores Mrs Mallard with her words of â€Å"open the door – you will make yourself ill† (159). Because Mrs. Mallard, who is a woman, who had numerous years under her husband’s will, finally gets an absolutely freedom, a miraculous freedom, which she even didn’t hope to get the day before, but her sister is far from understanding it, and is in fact worrying that her sister is grief stricken. Mrs Mallard eventually gives in to her sisters worried begging, and expecting â€Å"spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own† (159), leaves the room â€Å"a goddess of Victory† (159). Here Chopin uses a simile to describe how calm and happy Mrs Mallard is now, free of all the negatives of her marriage. This point, at first look, seems to be the highest culminating moment of the whole story. And this is where Chopin’s creativity truly comes into play. Chopin prepared the main culmination right at the end, in the three final paragraphs. Mrs Mallards husband opens â€Å"the front door with a latchkey† (160). He enters â€Å"a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his gripsack and umbrella† (160). He is carrying it â€Å"composedly†, because although his name is on the list of those who died, he is unaware of the train accident reported at the beginning of the story. Adding to the irony is â€Å"Josephine’s piercing cry† and â€Å"Richards’ quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife† (160). It is said that Mrs Mallard dies â€Å"of a joy that kills† (160). These words carry the complete opposite meaning than they read. The reader understands that the doctors are wrong, thinking that she dies from happiness of seeing her husband alive. Rather, the reader feels that she dies from total disappointment of the loss of the freedom she so recently gained and experienced, even just for an hour. This hour, spent in a comfortable armchair in front of an open window, made her feel happy and free, and made her understand the sense of her being, and it was the only real hour of her life. In The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin used many subtle literary elements to create depth in her story. By using imagery she allows the reader to get a sense of the characters surroundings while adding to the story. In using similes Chopin can express the characters feelings in different ways, instead of just telling the reader how Mrs Mallard feels. With her use of personification, Chopin allows the reader to better understand what Mrs Mallard looked like, while keeping her physique vague and without going into too much detail. By creating a sudden and a strong ironic twist at the end, Chopin allows the story to contradict itself in ways the reader wouldn’t expect. In the beginning, the readers are worried that Mrs Mallard’s heart condition will worsen at the news of her husbands death, but in the end it’s disappointment of the fact that he doesn’t actually die that causes her heart to fail. The main theme of the story, longing for freedom and how it felt to finally feel free, is expressed in a  way that is both entertaining and allowed the reader to feel connected to the character. By having Mrs Mallard die of a â€Å"heart disease†, it symbolises that Mrs Mallard felt of marriage as a â€Å"disease† and that it was constraining. The main point of the story is that freedom is a prize possession in Mrs Mallards life and that to loose it again so quickly after gaining it is more than she can bare. Bibliography: Charters, Ann â€Å"The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction, Seventh Edition (2009 MLA Update)†, Boston, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007.

Advantage and Disadvantage of Technology: a Mind-Blowing Development Essay

The schools we described above, one in Oklahoma and two in Ohio, are unknown to most Americans. And as innovations, they barely make a ripple in the vast sea that is the nation’s public school system. But they are harbingers of things to come. Like so many other novelties that surround us these days, from iPods to YouTube to Wikipedia, they are expressions of a profound social force—the revolution in information technology—that while still in process, is fast generating one of the most important transformations in all of human history. Because we are all enmeshed in this revolution every day, most of us are naturally inclined to take it for granted as a normal part of our lives, and to have a difficult time appreciating the enormity of its longer-term implications. But the fact is, it is radically changing our world. The information revolution has globalized the international economy, made communication and social networking—among anyone, anywhere—virtually instantaneous and costless, put vast storehouses of information and research within reach of everyone on the planet, dramatically boosted the prospects of cooperation and collective action, internationalized the cultures of previously insulated nations, and in countless other ways transformed the fundamentals of human society. The new schools in Oklahoma and Ohio are an integral part of all this. They are among the first stirrings of a revolution in how children can learn and be educated. The possibilities are exciting—and astounding. Even today, with educational technology in its earliest stages: Curricula can be customized to meet the learning styles and life situations of individual students, giving them productive alternatives to the boring standardization of traditional schooling. Education can be freed from geographic constraint: students and teachers do not have to meet in a building within a school within a district, but can be anywhere, doing their work at any time. Students can have more interaction with their teachers and with one another, including teachers and students who may be thousands of miles away or from different nations or cultures. Parents can readily be included in the communications loop and involved more actively in the education of their kids. Teachers can be freed from their tradition-bound classroom roles, employed in more differentiated and productive ways, and offered new career paths. Sophisticated data systems can put the spotlight on performance, make progress (or the lack of it) transparent to all concerned, and sharpen accountability. Schools can be operated at lower cost, relying more on technology (which is relatively cheap) and less on labor (which is relatively expensive). These advantages only begin to describe the educational promise of technology, and it is guaranteed to continue generating innovations at a breathtaking pace in the years ahead. The great power of technology is that no one really knows what it will produce or make possible in the future. Who would have thought, not so long ago, that such a thing as the Internet could even exist? Or that any child could use a laptop computer to gain access to massive compendiums of information on virtually any topic of interest? These are mind-blowing developments. Although the advance of educational technology is still in its early stages, there can be little doubt that the information revolution has the capacity to revolutionize education. It could hardly be otherwise. Information and knowledge are absolutely fundamental to what education is all about—to what it means, in fact, for people to become educated—and it would be impossible for the information revolution to unfold and not have transformative implications for how children can be educated and how schools and teachers can more productively do their jobs. But to say that technology is hugely beneficial and that it has the capacity to revolutionize American education does not mean that this revolution is actually going to happen.

Traffic jam Essay

Men have stepped on the moon. Now they are going from one place to another within few hours. World fastest car is able to sprint 252mph, but the citizens of Dhaka (sometimes) cannot reach few miles to Gulistan from Mohakhali or any other place to our destination place within hours. You must go out from your house before two or three hours to reach destination which is only 20 or 30 minutes required. Who is responsible for this? Traffic jam is that magician. Traffic jam has become a great monster in our modern life. Traffic congestion is not only affecting our business but the education sector as well. Students cannot do other tasks such as photocopying or collecting notes before attending class in the morning because a lot of time gets wasted on traffic congestions. It wastes lot of working hours of students as well as teachers. In many occasions, students and teachers fail to attend classes in due time. And it is more painful when students fail to reach exam halls and fails just due to a social problem. Now just think everyday how much national time is wasting, how much economical activities are losing, for the traffic congestion problem. This assignment is focusing current situation of traffic congestion problem in Dhaka city. What is Traffic jam? A traffic jam is a long line of vehicles that cannot move forward because there is too much traffic, or because the road is blocked by something. Over the last few years the traffic congestion problem of Dhaka City has visibly been deteriorating steadily. Limited resources, invested for the development of transport facilities, such as infrastructure and vehicles, coupled with the rapid rise in transport demand, existence of old transport and also huge number of non-motorized vehicles on roads, lack of application of adequate and proper traffic management schemes are producing severe transport problems in almost all the traffic route in Dhaka. Citizens constantly complain about the intolerable problems of traffic jam. Background Bangladesh is a populous country & Dhaka, as the capital of Bangladesh, has to accommodate a large share of this population. There are 18 Special Planning Zones (SPZ) in the Dhaka Metropolitan Area, where population has already crossed 11 million. Every year population is increase at the rate of  7 percent in Dhaka. Dhaka Metropolitan Area is expected to become one of the largest cities within the early next century. Everyday lots of people move to Dhaka for the purpose of earning money. Day by day the number is increasing and most part of Dhaka is badly affected by the population growth. Traffic jam has turned daily trips into nightmares to the people of Dhaka. The business community inevitably suffers for the constant waste of its most precious resource of time. Other commuters of being stuck in traffic jam for hours an end, while residents breathe in a lot more lead and almost 10 percent of its population seeks medical treatment each year for air pollution (Faulty vehicles, old vehicles, especially diesel run vehicles, and dust from roads contribute to air pollution) related respiratory illness. The number of automobiles has been increasing in Dhaka city at the rate of at least 10 percent annually, which has been contributing to air pollution on the one hand and traffic congestion on the other. At rush hour, a distance of three to four kilometers can take about an hour to reach. Destinations like Gulisthan, Motijheel, Old Dhaka, Maghbazar, Malibagh, Gulshan, and Dhanmondi are nightmares for commuters from any point in the city. Especially frustrating are the points Hotel Sonargaon crossing, the road in front of the Prime Minister’s office, Maghbazar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Khilghaon, Rampura, Elephant Road, Science Laboratory, Green Road, Jatrabari, Sayedabad, Mohakhali and old parts of the city mainly at Dholaikhal, Postagola, Bangshal, and Chowkbazar. People miss important appointments; are late for work, children and old people fall sick, not to mention the painful site that most of us choose to ignore – a blaring ambulance stuck in the middle of a traffic jam t rying desperately to find a way. The heat released from the engines, especially the private cars that use air conditioners, increase the overall temperature of the city. Continued exposure to pollution from the streets during traffic jams, will have grave consequences in the future health of these people. The economy, meanwhile, is losing out in millions because of traffic jams. Government officials’ estimate a loss of around tk15000 crore annually because of traffic jams. Transport System of Dhaka The transportation system of Dhaka is predominantly road based where non-motorized transport mainly rickshaw has a substantial share. Dhaka  Metropolitan has heterogeneous traffic flows. Rickshaws are the dominating mode of public transport. Trips made by public transport especially buses are very low. A substantial part of total traffic is non-motorized vehicles which enhance serve congestion especially in road intersections. The contribution of Bangladesh Railways (BR) to urban public transport is very small. We listen about big plans of elevated express ways, underground metro rails etc., but in reality it is hard to believe that these plans can ever be materialized by this poor nation having massive corruption in all sectors, from judiciary to education. The 20 year Strategic Transport Plan (STP) includes 17400 square km of water and surface ways in Dhaka and neighboring Narayanganj, Narshingdi, Munshiganj, Gazipur and Manikganj districts. Metro train services, elevated motorwa ys, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), construction of roads connecting the east of the capital to the west, flyovers, footbridges, new roads, and repair of damaged thoroughfares are the main features of the plan. Under the plan, the government will construct and reconstruct 330 km of roads and highways including 50 new roads, flyovers, elevated expressways, metro (underground railway), circular waterways, bus rapid transit, rapid mass transit, bus-route rationalization, traffic system development and safe environment. The Major factor behind traffic Jam There are many reasons behind traffic jam in Bangladesh. Among them some major factors are as follows: 1. Around 60 percent of the city roads are encroached by hawkers, and dumping of construction materials. 30 types of motorized and non-motorized vehicles are plying on the same street, causing haphazard traffic jams. 2. Undisciplined traffic signal in the road and also faulty traffic signaling systems. Traffic police have to maintain the signaling system. Sometimes they maintain the signal manually, which may create more congestion problem. 3. Unplanned growth of Dhaka, Dhaka centric development of the country, the lack of east-west connecting roads, unplanned construction inside the city, and increased number of private transports has the contributory factors to traffic congestion. 4. Indiscipline attitude among the road user, driver don’t comply with traffic rules. 5. No knowledge about traffic rules which encourage people to violating the rules. 6. Outside the mall and right beside the road,  occupation of tea-stalls and shops make difficult for pedestrians to use the pathway. 7. Enforcement of rules by dishonest persons (traffic police) who are busy in collection of illegal money from traffic rules violators. 8. Dhaka City has very inadequate road networks. For a standard city, where the minimum road requirement is 25% to 30%, Dhaka has only 7.5% road of its total area. 9. Illegal parking is another reason for traffic jam. Cars, trucks and other vehicles are parked almost everywhere. 10. Some traffic police officers are busy for extracting money for the illegal parking and violation of signal by stopping the vehicle in the middle of the road. 11. Inadequate manpower and narrow road spaces and overtaking tendency of drivers create pro-longed traffic congestions and intensify sufferings of commuters keeping people motionless as well as creating suffocating condition in the streets 12. There are bus terminals not authorized by the traffic department and the bus drivers do not go by traffic rules. Also buses stop randomly to pick up and drop passengers. 13. Each day around 80 trains enter and exit the city, which causes six hours halt of traffic in total through each level crossing. Such types of level crossing create intolerable congestion at Magbazar, Mohakhali, Staff road, Karwan Bazar and other places. 14. VIP protocol maintaining is another reason for frequent traffic jams in the streets 15. Divider problem in the city’s different important roads also causes congestion. 16. On the same road the uncoordinated road digging by Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), Dhaka Electric Supply Authority (DESA), Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB), Titas Gas and other utility service providers without any integration together make reasons for further road congestion. 17. In any roundabout in Dhaka the plying CNG, rickshaw, bus, etc form multiple lines. They do this to grab a tiny space out of sheer desperation. 18. Most of time, we see that during jam traffic police just let one side go for like 5 minutes or more which increase the jam more. They should manage it more professionally. 19. With mass transport not allowed through BUET and DU it creates excessive pressure on the adjoining roads. 20. Illegal occupation of roads by small traders and vendors is one of the causes of traffic jam in the town. No one is aware about it. Bus drivers are mostly responsible for traffic jam. They even don’t care about the traffic rules and signals, which may create the congestion. 21. Now a days the  number of buses increases day by day. And the local buses are run very faster. They don’t maintain the rules of the street. They just drive and occurring heavy traffic jam. 22. The numbers of old transportation are still in Dhaka city. Those are illegal. They don’t have their fitness. But they are still running in the Dhaka city. 23. More than seven hundred thousand rickshaws ply the city road, but only seventy five thousand have legal number. This huge number of rickshaws is creating traffic congestion. From time to time attempts are made to reduce the number, but the initiative usually produces no results. 24. Most foot-over bridges and underpasses remain unutilized by the pedestrians reasoning dark and dodgy atmosphere inside as billboards block view from outside. Unhygienic passageways, steep stairs and pathway encroached by hawkers make it difficult to move on the bridge and that’s why they don’t want to use the foot-over bridge. 25. Many compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling stations and petrol pumps are located near to the intersections that disturb or block the streets when large queues of vehicles break into the road. Although there is rule to set up refueling stations having vacant spaces to accommodate thirty vehicles to wait inside the compound, it has been overlooked. 26. A lot of the plush shopping malls in the city have resulting illegal road occupation by vehicles. Between Panthapath and Sonargaon intersection the traffic jam at anytime of the day is horrible because of the city’s biggest shopping mall constructed in the area. 27. Some people don’t want to use the parking space, too many people are habituated and love to park them on the street so that can resulting traffic congestion. 28. The fines for traffic violations are too meager to raise fear to the violators. The following remedial measures can be adopted for eliminating the traffic congestion problem in Dhaka city. Here three types of remedial is discussed – Short term suggestions 1. All offices should start at 7.30 AM and all education institutes should start at 8 AM, Banking should start at 9 AM and all can be end within just 2.30 PM, 4.30 PM & 4 PM. 2. Water transport should be established like other developed countries surrounding Dhaka city. By that WASA don’t need to block the street. 3. Population control must be implementing as very strictly like china, if we cannot control over the population then we cannot  give the place to our next generation. From now, from today we should not take more than one child. 4. Pedestrian facilities should be increase. Cycle path should be provide 5. Political interface must be avoid 6. There should be a whole â€Å"park† to educate on traffic system for the residents and children especially since one of the main reasons for road accidents and drivers not following rules is because of the abundance of fake licenses 7. Through lane system different sort of vehicle will run in different lane. If any driver breaks the rule he has to face some legal consequences like jail and financial penalty. 8. The government has divided Dhaka into seven zones with shops and businesses in each to observe a different weekly holiday, which may resolve some pressure of traffic. 9. People are habituated and thus love using the shortest way by crossing over the street. Now, that it poses risk for the vehicles and create unnecessary traffic block let apart risking the pedestrians’ lives, are not their concern. Create awareness to the people to use the foot over bridge, and zebra crossing to passing the road. Also make the passageway clear and hygienic to motivate people to use the foot-over bridge and underpasses. 10. Rickshaw and other non-motorized vehicle strictly banned from the street. 11. The rules for CNG refueling station have to be strictly maintained. Those are overlooked the rule are not able to do business. Midterm suggestion 1. CNG conversion for all types of personal cars (Private cars, light motor vehicles etc.) will need to be forbidden. This is to reduce traffic congestion on the streets of Dhaka city. In Bangladesh the price of CNG is comparatively cheap as a consequence many private vehicles were in the streets. In the year 2009 the number of registered vehicles was 5lac and 27,000 among these 2lac are private vehicles. 2. To reduce air pollution and traffic congestion in Dhaka city, the use of private motor vehicles must be abridged. 3. The number of rickshaw pullers is vast. Almost there are no roads or street or lane for them. So, DMP need to make an extra lane for keep the road free from traffic jam. 4. Installing of CCTV sets to monitor traffic movement. 5. Free the footpaths from illegal occupation of hawkers and bus counters. 6. Private vehicles with less than four or five passengers would not be allowed to ply the city streets. 7. From now the capital city of Dhaka should be blocked or fixed for limited persons as who can maintain living status of education, rules-regulations, civic sense, morality, regular tax payer and good service contributor etc. 8. The highway bus, truck enter and travel the city between 11pm to 6am. Other than it is banned to travel in city highway. 9. BRTC have to create lots of bus stoppage in the street but in a planned way, basically those place where so crowded. Without those stoppage any bus are not allow to stop. And also stoppage should be outside from the street, otherwise buses occupying road spaces which may block the traffic flow. 10. Traffic management system has to be stronger enough. Every driver should have to follow the traffic system. DMP have to create some steps by those citizens and drivers are able to make some knowledge about the traffic system. If the people are well known about the signal system than it will stop them to violating the traffic system. 11. In front of every shopping mall an extra road need to construct as a stoppage. Long term suggestion 1. Government can shift all wholesale markets, government administrative offices, Dhaka central jail, all industries, tanneries, to outside of Dhaka city. Industrializations should be based on upozilla; it should not depend on metropolitan cities. Then rural areas will grow up step by step. 2. Every school has to own the transport for the student – especially at the primary level. There are around 400 private & government schools in the capital. BRTC has already launched bus service for school going students to ease off traffic jam in the capital. 3. All import-export connected offices should go to near port areas of Chittagong or Mongla, or in on the way to any port where they can send the goods easily for shipment. There is no need that those offices are to be Dhaka based. 4. DHAKA city’s public transport service may have improved somewhat over the past year with the introduction of new Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) buses on major routes but it is not yet to be good enough to be of ‘capital quality’. 5. All main roads should be one way. All type car parking must band in all roads. 6. Stopping of buses in middle of roads should be band except bus stops. All  type stands of buses trucks, taxies, CNGs etc should band in the roads. 7. Flyovers are constructed at important intersections to reduce traffic congestion. Expressways should be introduced for passengers to cover long distances over busy routes, like from Gabtoli to Motijheel, Gulistan to Airport directly without any stoppage. 8. The city’s lone dependency on surface transportation system should be diversified to monorail, metro rail, and elevated expressways. Like other developed countries in the world we also have to build the underway monorail, which minimize the traffic congestion. 9. There are lots of vehicles are travel in Dhaka but the parking place is very few. So, to minimize the traffic congestion government have to Increase Street parking facilities. 10. In Dhaka there are lots of school, college, and university, some of which were construct in front of main street, some of which were residential area and also some were in commercial area. Those have to build in some specific area, not to build in the residential or commercial area or in front of the street. Conclusion While very little can be done to change the larger picture now, there are a number of smaller factors which aggravate the traffic situation in the city. Mega city Dhaka would get better result through traffic management, physical restriction on car use, parking control, bus priority and provision for cyclists and pedestrians. While relocating some of these establishments may not be feasible any longer, especially since the university campuses have become an integral part of city life, which the authorities in these institutions could allow a better flow of traffic during extreme traffic scenarios and the government should develop alternate roads and flyover along these places to smoothen the flow of traffic. Road building is a supply side measure taken on the basis of time saving but added that over the last decade, there has been a change of emphasis because of the notion that supply generates its own demand. The BRTA have to stop registration of small cars for a certain time and increase gas price have been shelved on the ground of socio-economic and political impact. Most of the cases, if any decision taken has gone against a certain quarter was either withdrawn or halted in the middle of implementation. The BRTA is yet to be strict on issuing new driving license and those of drivers driving with illegal vehicles. It has not done any improvement in its training module for both  new and semi skilled old drivers keeping mind of the time. But the drivers are the forces responsible for killing more than 3000 people every year and deteriorating the traffic jam situation occupying the maximum road capacity. The minister admitted the government’s failure in controlling the traffic situation in Dhaka. My point is failure or success comes after taking an action. But the government did not take any action at all to solve the problem.

Leadership Theories and Roles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership Theories and Roles - Essay Example Clearly, all true leaders have a high degree of intelligence, a great IQ, and above all, an outstanding level of technical skills (Early, 2005). This has caused the difference in the output of leaders within the same locality. However, for leaders to understand their full potential of intelligence they must also consider other people’s strengths and personal skills in an organization. Revival of concept in leadership has further explained different types of leadership theories. For example, there are those known as great man theories. They give assumption that, the capacity and length of leadership is inherent. It ascribes leadership as in-born but not made. Such explanation tend to picture leadership as heroic or mythic and those people destined to lead arise to leadership roles when needed or in due time. Giving into account, analysts use the term great man because there was a time when leadership was primarily a masculine quality, precisely in military leadership. As far as Richard Branson leadership is concerned, he depicts great man theory traits throughout his leadership. In his Virgin group, there are other great leaders but he surpasses them because he is a great man and above all, he was born a leader. Other potential theories that analysts use to define a leader are trait theories. ... Even though there are no articles explaining Branson’s line of decency, it is not arguable whether his ability to lead is inherent. Cognitively, in his organizational work, he addresses his ability to lead through interacting with all his employees, listening to their views and subsequently noting them in his notebook that he has at all times. With his ability to lead, he was able to form, manage, and lead the Virgin group that has more than two hundred companies. In addition, there is the contingency theory that focuses on variables that relate to the environment that help identify and choose the type and style of leadership that can best suit a particular situation. This theory explains that there is no leadership style is best in all environments or situations (Mclntosh, & University, 2007). However, it develops criteria that shows success depends on several variables such as leadership style, skills, and qualities of followers and aspects of the environment. In view of gre at leadership portrayed by Branson, I on the other hand would incorporate a different form of stages that would render his leadership best of all times. There is forming which is the first phase of leadership stages, then storming, norming and finally performing while in development of group model. These stages help in facing and tackling challenges, finding solutions and planning work as well as delivering results. Moreover, analysts have found it worth noting an arena that proposes the way leaders choose the most appropriate course of action based on situational variables surrounding a certain environment. In so doing, they termed this theory characterized by such actions as situational theory. With the evaluation of other

Discuss how Market-Led Strategies can Help Business to Drive Growth Essay

Discuss how Market-Led Strategies can Help Business to Drive Growth and Sustain Competitive Advantage - Essay Example Every business company is constituted by the large number of departments pertaining to marketing, finance, operations, human resources and the like. Again the business company in order to exist in the region or stated market need to operate based on some clear-cut objectives. The objectives of the business in total are required to match the objectives of the different departments or business units operating in the particular company. Thus the different business units are departments are required to operate and work out their policies in such a manner as to help in meeting the objectives of the concern as a whole. Hence if the business leader of the company focuses on devising strategies that would help in gaining a larger market share and profitability growth the work of the production, finance, marketing and operation departments needs to be streamlined in such direction also. Thereby it is found that effective orientation of the business policies of each of the several departments or business units would help the company to achieve its stated objectives (Graham, H., 2008, p8). Use of Market Led Strategy in Different Businesses Market United States Market Harrah’s Entertainment is a United States based company operating in the Casino Game sector. The company is found to operate on a business strategy that focuses on the changing demands of the consumers in the market. Harrah’s Entertainment that operates based on a set of 26 casinos spread around 13 states is found to take resort of a customer loyalty program help gain the advantage of a niche consumer base. A through market research was conducted by the company to help gain information about potential consumer needs in order to design the loyalty program accordingly. The business through the devising of its customer loyalty program gained the potential of both business growth and profitability where only around 26 percent of the consumers contributed to 82 percent of its total business revenues (Cravens, D.W. and Piercy, H.F., 2006, p.133). European Market In regards to the European market the case of Toyota can be traced where the company during the 1990s was facing heavy downturn owing to its sedentary and dull image. The company focused on its competitor, Volkswagen decided of

Article Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Presentation - Article Example Delving into influence borne by the dollar deficit with respect to the nation’s trade adjustment we see that there exist three main pillars: Invoicing international transactions, High US distribution cost and Market share concerns of foreign export (Goldberg and Dillon, 5) A consolidated view on the invoicing aspect clearly reveals that the import invoiced in dollars s just as the export, hence a dollar deficit acts as a saw that cuts both sides. Furthermore, the dollar deficit in a way results to high marketing and distribution costs that are subsequently relayed to consumers in form of high prices on goods. Consequently, a low trade exchange is experienced between the US and here trade partners and most devastating is that there arises an unparallel trade system for example due to the dollar deficit European goods Marketed to the US on a Euro basis upper hand. Therefore, the power of controlling the profit margins is subsequently lost and is vested on the trading currency of the European nation- the result is abnormally high prices of goods (Dillon,

Emmanuel gallery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Emmanuel gallery - Essay Example The featured artwork for this review has the title Raze the Roof #1, and is a wall-hung collage composed of latex rubber, wood, acrylic, human hair and white cotton cloth. The artwork is two-dimensional, and has thin strips of wood placed side-by-side and attached to a large piece of cotton fabric with the use of acrylic. The fabric is shaped in such a way that it seems to be hanging or dangling from somewhere. There is also the use of hair strands as well as making the wooden strips seem like these were peeled off and re-attached to the fabric. By adding creases and folds to the cloth, this makes the artwork seem natural. The artist is known to create artworks that evoke different senses that seem primal. By working on textures instead of just creating easy-to-understand images, Page’s artworks bring a sense of awe and stirring of emotions. The different components of the artworks are arranged in such a way that the forms are seen as harmonious. The artwork featured in this review is arranged in a different way, and that it gives off a vibe of being stripped out of all out shells, as well as showing a sense of freedom due to leaving off pretentiousness. Also, the feeling of nakedness and being vulnerable is evoked, especially upon seeing the parts with hair strands, almost like raw skin. For me, the artwork resonates with the artist’s aim to show that humans can be as basic as nature, using only the skin and bones as the point of contact. I like artworks such as this, which is able to convey emotions even without making an obvious visual image of a person.

Marketing for Zappos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing for Zappos - Essay Example Consequently, the kind of packaging used should be appealing to the customers especially in their appearance (Stolze, 91). Zappos should also consider the economic and social factors that relate to the environment and the reactions of the targeted consumer groups. A study should be conducted to determine price regulations depending on seasons. Zappos should also analyze the competitive environment and determine the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors. As a result, it should take advantage of their competitor’s weaknesses by overcoming their strengths. Any potential future competition should also be analyzed to ensure none or few threats in the market and the continuous improvement of sales at all times. Zappos must ensure that it offers a wide variety of products in addition to the products offered. The products include electronics and their accessories, clothing and shoes. The business should venture majorly on long-term opportunities that ensure continuous flow of income that is mandatory for business continuity. On the other hand, certain short term investments are that are highly profitable should be considered. This depends on the seasons that they are highly demanded and when they are on recession. Products that have long shelf life should be stocked in lesser quantities especially in the low seasons. Consequently, their quantities can be increased in high seasons. This calls for market research to determine such seasons (Hoover, 67). External sources of funds must be considered to ensure that the company is cushioned incase of an emergency. Statistical quality control must be conducted during product expansion to realize what to accept or ignore including the measures to take to protect the company. A number of actions should be initiated once the risks associated with the product expansion are analyzed. This should be followed by business expansion and protection efforts. Zappos must ensure to carry out more research on target

Linguistic Commentary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Linguistic Commentary - Essay Example As Professor Christopher John Poutain (2005) explains it, there can be three types of linguistic acceptable variations: "Acceptability may vary with a number of factors, including place (DIATOPIC variation), social group (DIASTRATIC variation) or time (DIACHRONIC variation)." In the present case, we have a diastratic variation as the boss represents a social group a lot different from the workers' group. We can see that their Spanish is quite different even though they seem to understand each other very well. As we know, the concept of linguistic competence means in pragmatic terms that there is no register better than others as long as communication is established among them. In this fragment we can note a great difference between the boss' Spanish and the workers' Spanish. Spanish is a language of constant changes as Professor John M. Lipski (n. d.) stated in one of his papers: "Spanish -a language spoken on every continent- is the product not only of its Peninsular heritage and of internal evolution, but also of a variety of language contacts, with indigenous languages, languages of forced immigration (the slave trade), and of voluntary immigration." The present fragment is a good example of the many changes that Spanish has experienced along the years. Another distinctive feature of this fragment is the vocalization and th... The boss also uses some of this broken Spanish words when he changes his register. An interesting feature is the pejorative language used by the administrator: "rotos de michica" (l. 7), "fuerino sinvergenza" (l. 17), "sinvergenzas" (l. 18). As he is mad, he uses this kind of language as a way of getting even on the workers. On the other hand, the use of colons speeds up the narrative in lines 25, 26 and 27. The narrator is omniscient. It is narrated in the third person singular. The register of the narrator's speech is standard Spanish. In lines 20 and 21 the narration is very agile: "como un mvil punto obscuro que alejndose se empequeeca". It is also very graphic as we can see the little dot getting smaller with the precise wording of the narrator. This fragment has two distinct parts: one narrative part and one dialogues part. The narration is very concise and explanatory as it gives interesting details of the motives behind the dialogues. It is also very descriptive, especially when it says in lines 12-14 the following: "hablaba ahora a Segundo, que entontecido por su mirada roja de ira, con movimiento de pndulo mova acompasadamente el cuerpo." In these lines we can see the use of a very appropriate metaphor: "pendulum's movement", when referring to the oscillating movement of Segundo's body. The narrator also makes emphasis on the wrath of the administrator. He says that his "glance was red by the wrath" (l. 13), and this image is very graphic and quite appropriate to describe the mood of the boss. But it is relevant to note that there is a change in the color of his glance due to the same wrath. In line 13 it is red,

Overview on coral reef re-plantation in X-Sea port area Essay

Overview on coral reef re-plantation in X-Sea port area - Essay Example In many parts of the world, the coral population has undergone a massive reduction due to various human factors. The health of the coral reefs has been steadily declining over the past few decades. Environmental pollution and rampant destructive fishing practices damage the delicate corals. Nutrients seeping into the sea from agricultural areas cause the algae in the sea to increase in volume. This causes smothering of the corals and leads to decrease in size of coral reefs. Quite recently, the decrease in the coral populations has been attributed to a dozen or more deceases that attack corals. Many of these diseases were unknown until recently. Coral reefs have also been affected by bleaching. Bleaching is the discoloration or loss of symbiotic zooxanthellae. In 1979 and 1980, several incidents of coral bleaching occurred at reefs around Okinawa, Easter Island, northeast Australia, and the Caribbean Sea. Outbreaks of bleaching also occurred in 1982 and 1983, including reefs off east Africa, Indonesia, and the west coast of Central and South America, and from 1986 to 1988 in areas such as Taiwan, Hawaii, Fiji, Mayotte Island, and the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef. The most extensive bleaching episode ever documented occurred in 1998 and affected reefs in the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Caribbean Sea. In some areas 100 percent of the corals were bleached and more than 70 percent of the corals died. (Smith 2003) Taking the rapidly declining coral population and the vulnerability of corals various measure are being taken in many countries to prevent further damage to the corals. Some of these steps include strict vigilance on fishing practices, artificial plantation of corals etc. Methods of coral community rehabilitation included coral transplantation and translocation, reattachment of coral fragments, providing artificial substrata, coral cultivation, prevention measures, and mitigation of damaged coral reefs. (Yeemin No

Mise-En-Scene Essay Example for Free

Mise-En-Scene Essay Forrest Gump For over a century now, individuals have been flocking to witness the magic of motion pictures. It is a world made possible by a director and a dream. Unbeknownst to many, the making of a motion picture is a tedious event, involving scripts, takes, re-takes, and an abundance of post-production editing. Many people sit and enjoy a movie without realizing the complexities and the amount of individuals involved in creating the film. These individuals create the landscapes and backboards for us, the ultimate image also known as the mise-en-scene. My favorite film of all time is Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump will go down in history as one of the greatest films ever made. This film was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards, and took home six of them. This is in part because of the phenomenal cast and crew members involved in the production of this film; individuals such as the director, cinematographer, and art director, to the actors, sound people, and most importantly the editor, who pulled everything together and created the final cut. All of these plus additional elements such as sound, style, societal impact, genre, and film criticism make the film such a masterpiece. In this paper I will go into detail about these elements and as to why they add character and zest to the overall success of the film. Forrest Gump is a film that draws out every emotion that is available to the viewer; at times it draws empathy, as well as sympathy and sadness because of the real-life elements that are a part of the plot. The film is also loaded with irony and many opportunities to laugh at the naivety of the main character, Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump is a story about an â€Å"Unusual man doing unusual things† (Groom, 1996, pg. v). As a result of how fantastic the film was, and how great the crew and cast were, Forrest Gump was nominated for thirteen Oscars at the Academy; which is a highly prestigious honor. Almost all elements of this film were up to be recognized. The list of elements that won an Oscar: best actor, best director, best effects (visual effects), best film editing, best picture, and best writing. However, the list goes on even further when me ntioning the additional ones that were nominated but did not win. This would include: best supporting actor, best art direction-set decoration, best cinematography, best effects (sound effects), best make-up, best music, and best sound (Dirks, 2010). Every one of these elements is crucial to the popularity and overall success of this film. What I plan to take notice of first is the director, Robert Zemeckis. Robert has led a successful career of directing many blockbuster hit movies. Movies such as the Back to the Future trilogy, Cast Away, Contact, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, just to name a few. It is no wonder why Robert is such a successful and well-known name in Hollywood. Robert is a director that continually makes great films that have recurring actors, Tom Hanks being one of these actors. The style of storyline that Robert chose to use in this film is mostly in chronological order; however, the story is narrated by Forrest in the future, so the story also has moments of incongruous editing. The text states that incongruous editing is when a film jumps around in time (Goodykontz Jacobs, 2011). You see ’future’ Forrest is telling the story of his life to numerous people who are sitting next to him at the bus stop. The story that he tells is in chronological order, basically catching up to where he is at that moment, at the bus stop. I highly enjoyed this approach that the director used; the story would continually flip back to ‘future’ Forrest as the movie went on. I believe that the movie would have been dull, had it not been from the perspective of Forrest in the future. Excitement is added by the way that he remembers the events in his life, and how even today he is still excited about them. This movie was adapted from the book of the same name, written by Warren Groom and the screenplay was written by Eric Roth. Although much of the story was changed, between the book and the film, it still remains based on the book. This is a story of a man who is highly naive, some would say slightly mentally challenged, who travels the world and is involved with many political events that occurred from the 1960’s to 1990’s. He faces hardships and overcomes adversity. In the final scenes devastating news is given to Forrest; the conclusion in this movie really pulls the whole movie together and makes it very satisfying. The exposition of this movie is right out the box with this film. It starts with a feather floating high in the shy aimlessly, drifting down towards the ground. At first the audience thinks nothing of it, however, as we later on see, this feather floating and landing on the ground in front of a dingy, worn pair of running shoes, is a symbol of the story. It is a symbol of the life of Forrest Gump, a man who drifts everywhere and becomes a part of many cultural events. We then come to realize that Forrest is a little slow and does not perceive the world as the majority of people do; with this we find a lot of verbal irony on Forrest’s behalf. The set-up is that Forrest is pushed away by his peers except a little girl named Jenny. Forrest is the protagonist in this film and his friend Jenny is the antagonist. Goodykoontz and Jacobs describe a protagonist as the main character in a movie; they also describe the antagonist as the character in conflict with the main character (Goodykontz Jacobs, 2011). Forrest is highly conservative, and Jenny is an outright liberal. As the story goes on, Jenny becomes more and more rebellious towards society’s standards. The confrontation is that Forrest is forever seeking to save Jenny, and to get her to conform to the way of life that he lives. However, Jenny is highly rebellious and wants to live the unhealthy lifestyle that she lives. Jenny was abused as a child and she lives very domineering to the men in her life, and since Forrest is good, she pushes him away, because all she knows is destruction. The conclusion brings everything to a head. This is where Forrest goes to Jenny’s house where she lays on him that she has a son and it is his. This is where it gets all fuzzy, emotionally, because we find out that finally Jenny is settling down and accepting Forrest and his conservative ways. However, in the final moments of the film the story turns sad and Jenny dies of an unknown illness; which leaves Forrest to care for his son that he previously knew nothing about. The main character in this movie, Forrest, is played by Tom Hanks, who is a career veteran of great movies; he is a wild card actor because he is able to play various types of roles (Goodykontz Jacobs, 2011). There are a couple of secondary actors, Jenny, played by Robin White; Lieutenant Dan Taylor, played by Gary Sinise; and Benjamin Buford â€Å"Bubba† Blue, played by Mykelti Williamson; all of these actors would be classified as character actors, because they have been in other various films, but were always secondary characters (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011). Sally Field is also in this film as Forrest’s mother, but the audience does not see too much of her. Tom Hanks won an Oscar for his grand performance in Forrest Gump. He also won many other prestigious awards such as a Screen Actors Guild award, a Golden Globe, a Kansas City Film Critics award, and an American Comedy award. Robin White and Gary Sinise were nominated for a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award, but neither won. The cinematographer in this film is a man by the name of Don Burgess. Don was also the cinematographer in other Robert Zemeckis films, such as Contact, Cast Away, and The Polar Express (the latter two films had Tom Hanks in them). The cinematographer in a film is the one who directs the camera and chooses what kind of shot will take place, whether it be a long shot, a close-up, or somewhere in between. They also control the lighting and determine what will be best for each particular scene. The cinematographer designs the mise-en-scene. In the beginning we see a medium shot of a feather floating in the wind; the feather then lands on the ground which the cinematographer uses an extreme close-up of the feather and Forrest’s sneakers. Following this the camera zooms out and moves up to display Forrest sitting on a bus stop bench, next to a woman, as he is commenting about her shoes. This series of events and different shots really adds to the zest of the film. Right off we can hear Forrest’s manner of speaking, in addition to the way that he perceives the world. Another scene that I would like to point out is when Forrest is in Vietnam, and he finds Bubba shot. In this scene the cinematographer uses a lot of close-up shots of Forrest and Bubba. I believe this is to hype up the dramatics of the situation. However, a few moments later Forrest picks up Bubba and runs with him out of the jungle. In this scene the cinematographer uses an extreme long shot; the scene lasts a full 25 seconds, which is a long time for a shot in a movie (Goodykontz Jacobs, 2011). In this scene, Forrest and Bubba start from far away as they exit the jungle, it continues to progress until finally they run past the camera. This is a very important scene in the film where Bubba eventually dies. The cinematographer did an excellent job of capturing the planes overhead bombing, while Forrest is trying to save his friend. This scene is very meaningful. The editor of this film is Arthur Schmidt. An editor is the person who pieces all the appropriate shots into the final cut, basically rearranging the story into a plot (Goodykontz Jacob, 2011). Arthur Schmidt won an Academy Award for his stupendous work in this film. There was a ton of post-production done on this film. There was a scene where Forrest meets, President John F. Kennedy, the visual effects team along with the editor made this scene possible; since John F. Kennedy is currently diceased. Another scene takes place where Forrest is running rom some boys because they are chasing him down. In this scene Forrest is wearing leg braces, but there is a moment when Forrest begins breaking out of the braces, while he is running. The editor slows this scene down and closes in on Forrest’s legs, in order to emphasize him breaking out of the bondage that the braces caused. This is a pivotal scene, it is the prelude to the rest of the movie where Forrest is constantly on the move; his legs are a way for him to escape. In addition, this scene is full of direct cuts and jump cuts. A jump cut is when there is an obvious jump in the action during a transition, and a direct cut is when one shot instantly takes over for another shot (Goodykontz Jacobs, 2011). The various elements that the editor used were simply fantastic; it is no wonder why he won an Oscar for this film. There are many moments in this film where all types of sound are utilized, specifically sound effects and music. Each of these effects boosts the emotional value of scenes. There is a scene where Forrest is getting on the school bus for the first time. He is having trouble finding a seat because all of the students are denying him there seat. All of a sudden he hears the voice of a little girl saying, â€Å"you can sit hear†. During this scene, sentimental music plays in the background, simply adding emotional value to what Tom Hanks is saying. Forrest says to the woman on the bench next to him, as he is narrating the scene, that he finds it, â€Å"amazing what a young man recollects,† how he doesn’t, remember many of his ‘firsts’, but he cannot forget the first time he heard Jenny’s voice, he says that, â€Å"she was like an angel† (Finerman, Tisch, Newirth, 1994). In addition to the music, every sound other than dialogue was a sound effect that was added post-production. This film was also recognized for its phenomenal soundtrack. In some movies songs are intentionally written for that particular movie, but in Forrest Gump these are previously existing songs that the director thought would fit the tone or mood of the particular scene(s) (Goodykontz Jacobs, 2011). It is the soundtrack of the 60’s, filled with political songs such as â€Å"For What it’s Worth,† by Buffalo Springfield, and â€Å"Fortunate Son,† by Creedance Clearwater Revival. It also contained songs suitable for the action that was taking place, like â€Å"Sloop John B,† by The Beach Boys, while Forrest is in Vietnam. The song mentions the lyrics, â€Å"This is the worst trip I’ve ever been on,† and, â€Å"I feel so broke up, I wanna go home, let me go home,† these lyrics seem highly fitting for the scenario that the troops were in. The soundtrack won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. In our text it quotes that, â€Å"even though we go to films to be entertained†¦movies are something more than that†¦they are also historical documents that help us see—and perhaps more fully understand—the world in which they are made† (Goodykontz Jacobs, 2011). Forrest Gump touched on a lot cultural events and stigmas. First off is that Forrest is disabled and still was able to do more than most people who are not disabled do in their life. In addition, Forrest saw all people as equal, no matter what skin color they had. He also gave money to Bubba’s family, even though Bubba had died before Forrest created the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Forrest gave Bubba’s half of the profits to Bubba’s remaining family. Bubba gave Forrest the idea and Forrest was paying due to his lost friend, through his family. This is something that he definitely did not have to do. He stands for anyone who has ever felt inadequate. Forrest Gump will go down in the history books as one of the greatest films ever made. This is because a huge number of cast and crew made this possible, from the director, cinematographer, and art director, to the actors, sound people, and most importantly the editor, who pulled everything together and created the final cut. Additional elements should be recognized as well for the overall success of the film, such as sound, style, societal impact, genre, and film criticism. A lot of hard work, time and effort go into making a movie, and unfortunately not a lot of the public are aware of this. However, once they learn a few things and realize the distinct meaning behind a slow-motion shot or the color of a characters costume, they take a more appreciative look as to what they are viewing. The mise-en-scene makes all the difference; it is what makes or breaks any movie.

Pioneer Square Observation Report Essay Example for Free

Pioneer Square Observation Report Essay In Pioneer square there are many places to sit and observe the people whom pass by, but perhaps one of the most interesting places to go is the food court inside the pioneer square mall. I found that the best time to observe all the micro cultures was at lunch time, when people take a break from their busy lives to come and enjoy a lunch from a variety of choices. The environment is one of the other things that I was able to notice right away, not only the setting but also how the environment affects the people at the food court, and the one thing that stood out the most while I observing the food court was the authority within the court. One of the first things I was set out to find while doing the observation in the food court of the Pioneer Square mall was to find the micro cultures. I was able to observe three major micro cultures. There were people who passed by in a hurry, it seemed like they had somewhere to be. They seemed to go by so fast with a phone in their ear, or in their hands to even notice the other people surrounding them. The second micro culture I was able study was the people ordering from various places in the food court. The most common thing I noticed within this micro culture was the way they each stood still for a while as if they were weighing their options of all the food choices they had, then once they ordered their food would sit; whether it was in the lower part or on the stage of the food court, and after that they all seemed to do the same thing. They talked among themselves, and when done they cleaned their space and left. The last and the most obvious micro culture within the food court were the employees working in their little space of a restaurant. Within this micro culture the people seemed very quiet as the food court was empty but as lunch time came around and people started to appear, they seemed to cheer up. When people started coming around the food court into their restaurant, they interacted with the people in a very enthusiastic way, and some would start a conversation or offer free samples all in order to pull people into their restaurant. I was also able to notice that the environment had a lot to do with the actions of people. The environment in the food court was the first thing that stood out as I entered. The environment was serene and very unique from most food courts. They were playing jazz music in the background, which to me made it seem like it kept the food court peaceful and enjoyable. While I was sitting there I was able to notice that the food court was designed to complement the calmness of the environment with its hanging lights, wooden chairs, and what seemed like black granite tables, with a large fountain running in the middle of the food court, where many people eating liked to stare at its beauty. The fountain was something incapable of missing. Another thing that was hard to miss in the food court while eating, was the authority with the mall cops who were passing by every now and then. Surprisingly I was able to find was that they were very friendly to everyone, and in return the public was very respectful and friendly back. I believe that the respect and friendliness that comes from the public comes mainly because of the fact that the mall cops have power, and they have the authority to take you out of the mall, so the public obeys by their rules. To do this observation at its fullest I had to put my ethnocentrism away and be very open minded about the observations I was to do. Doing this was what made it possible for me to get all these observations of the micro cultures, environment, and the authority within a food court at Pioneer Square mall.

The Purpose Of Theory In International Relations Philosophy Essay

The Purpose Of Theory In International Relations Philosophy Essay International Relations (IR) theory aims to provide a conceptual framework upon which international relations can be analyzed. Ole Holsti describes international relations theories act as a pair of colored sunglasses, allowing the wearer to see only the salient events relevant to the theory. An adherent of realism may completely disregard an event that a constructivist might pounce upon as crucial, and vice versa. Robert Coxs ideas on the purpose of theory in International Relations, is not a search to find the truth but it is a tool to understand the world as it is, and to change it through the power of critique. According to Robert Cox, theory has two purposes: one of them is the problem-solving purpose that is synchronic which deals with the givens and tries to manage the smooth functioning of the system. The other kind of theory is the critical theory, and the purpose is to become aware of the situations not chosen by one, and to establish an emancipatory perspective. Once looked from the Coxian lens, it is clear that the discipline of international relations were from the very beginning loyal to this kind of purpose in theorizing, i.e., the smooth working of the system. As Robert Cox articulates, Theory is always for someone and for some purpose; this statement reflects the context in which the theory is being analyzed. Robert Cox says in one of his interview, What I meant is that there is no theory for itself; theory is always for someone, for some purpose. There is no neutral theory concerning human affairs, no theory of universal validity. Theory derives from practice and experience, and experience is related to time and place. Theory is a part of history. It addresses the problematic of the world of its time and place. An inquirer has to aim to place himself above the historical circumstances in which a theory is propounded. Cox has analyzed various theories and he critiques the earlier theories for their absolutism. He presents three challenges to previously established theories of IR.   Firstly, he appreciates the holistic intent behind both neorealism and world systems theory but warns against drawing conclusions which may detract from true formulation of a holistic approach.   Secondly, the state and social forces ought to be considered jointly in order to understand the route created by historical processes.   Finally, he argues for an empirical-historical methodology that accommodates and explains change more effectively than neorealists historical positivism. All theories derive from a perspective which determines their purpose.   By that Cox means all theories are colored by the time, place, and culture which produced them.   Cox identifies two strains of theorizing, the first, problem-solving theory, employs the existing theoretical framework and political conditions in order to isolate and address issues.   Conversely, critical theory is reflective, rejecting the false premise of a fixed social and political order, which Cox asserts is a convenience of method that constitutes an ideological bias in favor of the status quo.   If the purpose of political and social inquiry is indeed to effect change, critical theory is best suited towards that mandate, as a guide to strategic action cognizant of the history and ideology which inevitably impacts theory.   Problem-solving theory restricts the theorist into (perhaps inadvertently) perpetuating the status quo.   That being said, Cox acknowledges (in accordance with his belief tha t theory belongs to its historical climate) that there can be a time and place for problem-solving theory. Problem solving takes the world as it is and focuses on correcting certain dysfunctions, certain specific problems. Critical theory is concerned with how the world, that is all the conditions that problem solving theory takes as the given framework, may be changing. Because problem solving theory has to take the basic existing power relationships as given, it will be biased towards perpetuating those relationships, thus tending to make the existing order hegemonic. What critical theory does is question these very structural conditions that are tacit assumptions for problem-solving theory, to ask whom and which purposes such theory serves. It looks at the facts that problem-solving theory presents from the inside, that is, as they are experienced by actors in a context which also consists of power relations. Critical theory thus historicizes world orders by uncovering the purposes problem solving theories within such an order serve to uphold. By uncovering the contingency of an existing world order, one can then proceed to think about different world orders. It is more marginal than problem solving theory since it does not comfortably provide policy recommendations to those in power. The strength of problem-solving theory relies in its ability to fix limits or parameters to a problem area, and to reduce the statement of a particular problem to a limited number of variables which are amenable to rather close and clear examination. The ceteris paribus assumption, the assumption that other things can be ignored, upon which problem-solving theorizing relies, makes it possible to derive a statement of laws and regularities which appear of general applicability. Critical theory is critical in the sense that it stands apart from the prevailing order, and asks how that world came about. It does not just accept it: a world that exists has been made, and in the context of a weakening historical structure it can be made anew. Critical theory, unlike problem-solving theory, does not take institutions and social power relations for granted, but calls them into question by concerning itself with their origins, and whether and how they might be in process of changing. It is directed towards an appraisal of the very framework for action, the historical structure, which the problem-solving theory accepts as its parameters. Critical theory is a theory of history, in the sense that it is not just concerned about the politics of the past, but the continuing process of historical change. Problem-solving theory is not historical, it is a-historical, in the sense that it in effect posits a continuing present; it posits the continuity of the institutions of p ower relations which constitute the rules of the game which are assumed to be stable. The strength of the one is the weakness of the other: problem-solving theory can achieve great precision, when narrowing the scope of inquiry and presuming stability of the rules of the game, but in so doing, it can become an ideology supportive of the status quo. Critical theory sacrifices the precision that is possible with a circumscribed set of variables in order to comprehend a wider range of factors in comprehensive historical change. Cox believes that Critical theory does not propound remedies or make predictions about the emerging shape of things; world order for example. It attempts rather, by analysis of forces and trends, to discern possible futures and to point to the conflicts and contradictions in the existing world order that could move things towards one or other of the possible futures. In that sense it can be a guide for political choice and action. Cox sums up the salient features the purpose of the Critical Theory as follows: 1.  Action is never absolutely free but takes place within a framework for action with constitutes its problematic 2.  Not only action but also theory is shaped by the problematic 3.  The framework for action changes over time and a principal goal of critical theory is to understand these changes 4.  The framework has the form of an historical structure 5.  The framework is to be viewed from the bottom or from the outside in terms of the conflicts which arise within it and open the possibility of its transformation Having outlined his theoretical perspective, Cox explicates the role of historical structure in the formation of world orders, paying particular attention to hegemony. a structure is defined by its potentials in the form of material capabilities (technological, organizational, and natural resources) and ideas (historically conditioned intersubjective meanings and conflicting collective images of social order) institutionalization, which reflects and entrenches the power relations evident when particular institutions arose, is linked to the Gramscian concept of hegemony. In a hegemonic structure, the dominant interests secure power by co-opting the weak as they express their leadership in terms of universal or general interests these processes are not static; rather, they are limited totalities of a particular time and space which contain the dialectic possibility of change; that is, social forces, forms of state, and world orders can all be represented as a series of dominant and eme rgent rival structures = Social forces, hegemony, and imperialism interact as states mediate global and local social forces, establishing the political economy perspective in which power emerges from social forces and ideas, institutions and material capabilities are assessed on these three levels Cox then discusses the internationalization of the state as fragments of states evolved to become the primary units of interaction in developed states this represents the ascendancy of state ministries as independent actors, while in the periphery the power rests with international organizations. International production is engendering a global class structure which co-exists with national class structures, led by the transnational managerial class. Workers have also been fragmented into non-established and established, working respectively in international and national production, creating problems for social cohesion. Future world order prospects are presented in three hypothetical situations based on configurations of social forces with varying implications for the state system. Firstly, there is the possibility of a new hegemony based on internationalized production, suggesting a continued primacy of international capital and interests in both the core and the periphery. Conversely, a non-hegemonic world structure of conflicting power centers may emerge if neo-mercantilism rises in the core, creating a climate of cooperation with a particular core state for each periphery country. Finally, Cox does not rule out the possibility of a counter-hegemony based in the periphery, resulting in the termination of the core-periphery relationship which is entirely contingent on increased development in the periphery. Coxs strength lies primarily in his thorough assessment of historical examples without downplaying the role of history as neorealists do with their picking historical facts out of a quarry approach. Moreover, his re-orientation and reframing of international relations theory as a normative, emancipatory exercise establishes the discipline as a source of progress, rather than a cottage industry justifying the status quo. Critical theory emphasizes the political aspect of political science, reminding students and observers that each theorist (or diplomat) must contend with their own personal and cultural prejudices as human observers of politics cannot divorce themselves from their subject matter. Ultimately, critical theorys value rests with its reflexivity and hope for progress. Let us take an example to understand the applicability of this statement in real life scenario. Let us look at Climate change as a scenario and apply the statement and the theory relevance. With the example of climate change, the question is not to choose between problem-solving or critical theory. Problem solving theory is practical and necessary since it tells us how to proceed given certain conditions (for instance, the consequences to be expected from carbon generated from certain forms of behavior in terms of damage to the biosphere). Critical theory broadens the scope of inquiry by analyzing the forces favoring or opposing changing patterns of behavior. In the example of climate change, problem-solving theory asks how to support the big and ever increasing world population by industrial means yet with a kind of energy that is not going to pollute the planet. It requires a lot of innovative thought, has to mobilize huge reluctant and conservative social forces within a slow moving established order with vested interests in the political and industrial complex surrounding existing energy sources. Problem-solving theory gives opportunity to innovate and explore new forms of energy. Critical theory would take one step further and envisage a world order focused not just on humanity but on the whole of life, taking into account the web of relations in which humanity is only part in our world. Humans have to come to terms what it means to be part of the biosphere, and not just the dominant feature. In fact, it is a big problem of Western religion and modernist enlightenment thinking alike that nature is seen to be created in service of humans in the first, and is a force to be dominated in the second. Both Western religion and modernism have analytically disembedded humans from nature, turning nature into something to be dominated or an abstracted factor of production. To rethink this, to make humans part of nature, implies seeing humans as an entity with a responsibility vis-à  -vis the bigger world of which they are a part. Conclusion One has to question about the intent, the goal and the purposes of those who construct theories in specific historical situations. Broadly speaking, for any theory, there are two possible purposes to serve. One is for guiding the solving of problems posed within the particular context, the existing structure or the status quo. This leads to a problem-solving form of theory, which takes the existing context as given and seeks to make it work better. The other which is called critical theory is more reflective on the processes of change of historical structures, upon the transformation or challenges arising within the complex of forces constituting the existing historical structure, the existing common sense of reality. Critical thinking then contemplates the possibility of an alternative. We need to know the context in which theory is produced and used; and we need to know whether the aim of the user is to maintain the existing social order or to change it? Ever since, Coxs work has inspired critical students of IR and International Political Economy to think beyond the boundaries of conventional theorizing and to investigate the premises that underpin and link international politics and academic reflection on it. Recognized by many as one of the worlds most important thinkers in both IR and IPE, Cox assembles impressive and complex thinking stemming from history, philosophy, and geopolitics, to illuminate how politics can never be separated from economics, how theory is always linked to practice, and how material relations and ideas are inextricably intertwined to co-produce world orders.

The Role of Teiresias in Sophocles Oedipus Rex Essay -- Oedipus the K

The Role of Teiresias in Sophocles'Oedipus Rex (the King) Teiresias uses his psychic abilities to foreshadow the anguish and destruction that Oedipus will encounter after he learns the truths of his life. Teiresias is also responsible for further developing the theme of blindness by using his own physical blindness to reveal to Oedipus his mental blindness. Lastly, Teiresias is ultimately responsible for imposing dramatic irony because of his great knowledge of the truth of Oedipus. In the play, Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, the minor character of Teiresias is responsible for foreshadowing Oedipus’ fate, developing the theme of blindness, and also illustrating dramatic irony. In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the character of Teiresias is developed in such a way that he utilizes many dramatic devices in order to reveal information and move the play along. As a fortuneteller, Teiresias is able to see the fate and destruction of Oedipus’ life. Teiresias uses his great ability to reveal to the reader the downfalls in Oedipus’ life that will soon occur because of his quest to know his fate. The character of Teiresias demonstrates the use of foreshadowing in order for the reader to be aware of Oedipus’ fate. You can not see the wretchedness of your life, Nor in whose house you live, no, nor with whom. Where are your father and mother? Can you tell me? You do not even know the blind wrongs that you have done them, on earth and in the world below. But the double lash of your parents’ curse will whip you out of this land some day, with only night upon your precious eyes. Your cries then—where will they not be heard (Sophocles, 403-410)? This passage foreshadows the destruction and misery that will be a part of Oedipus’ life... ... Bowra, C. M. â€Å"Sophocles’ Use of Mythology.† In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997. Segal, Charles. Oedipus Rex: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993. â€Å"Sophocles† In Literature of the Western World, edited by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. NewYork: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1984. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. New York: Penguin Books, 1992. Professors Comments: When quoting, the final punctuation should come after the parentheses not inside the quote. â€Å"I say that you live in shame with those most dear to you. You can not see the evil† (Sophocles, 353-354). You have a strong thesis statement and you thoroughly discuss your thesis points within your paper. Your first two paragraphs should be made into one paragraph for a better introduction.

Creation of the World :: essays research papers

Creation of the World In the beginning there was only chaos. Then out of the void appeared Erebus, the unknowable place where death dwells, and Night All else was empty, silent, endless, darkness. Then somehow Love was born bringing a start of order. From Love came Light and Day. Once there was Light and Day, Gaea, the earth appeared.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then Erebus slept with Night, who gave birth to Aether, the heavenly light, and to Day the earthly light. Then Night alone produced Doom, Fate, Death, Sleep, Dreams, Nemesis, and others that come to man out of darkness. Meanwhile Gaea alone gave birth to Uranus, the heavens. Uranus became Gaea's mate covering her on all sides. Together they produced the three Cyclopes, the three Hecatoncheires, and twelve Titans. However, Uranus was a bad father and husband. He hated the Hecatoncheires. He imprisoned them by pushing them into the hidden places of the earth, Gaea's womb. This angered Gaea and she plotted against Uranus. She made a flint sickle and tried to get her children to attack Uranus. All were too afraid except, the youngest Titan, Cronus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gaea and Cronus set up an ambush of Uranus as he lay with Gaea at night. Cronus grabbed his father and castrated him, with the stone sickle, throwing the severed genitals into the ocean. The fate of Uranus is not clear. He either died, withdrew from the earth, or exiled himself to Italy. As he departed he promised that Cronus and the Titans would be punished. From his spilt blood came the Giants, the Ash Tree Nymphs, and the Erinyes. From the sea foam where his genitals fell came Aphrodite.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cronus became the next ruler. He imprisoned the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires in Tartarus. He married his sister Rhea, under his rule the Titans had many offspring. He ruled for many ages. However, Gaea and Uranus both had prophesied that he would be overthrown by a son. To avoid this Cronus swallowed each of his children as they were born. Rhea was angry at the treatment of the children and plotted against Cronus. When it came time to give birth to her sixth child, Rhea hid herself, then she left the child to be raised by nymphs. To conceal her act she wrapped a stone in swaddling cloths and passed it off as the baby to Cronus, who swallowed it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This child was Zeus.

Comparing George Orwell’s 1984 and Our World Today Essay -- airstrip on

George Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984, set in Airstrip One, originally named Great Britain, is a fictional story that describes a time where England is overruled by English Socialism. The story’s point of view is through the main character, Winston Smith, who is an intelligent member of the middle class. The audience is walked through the later stages of his life, where his intellectual thought is most prominent. Throughout the book, Winston goes through everyday life, as well as visits many places that are described in great detail. Every place he goes has varying effects on him and other individuals surrounding him. The place that has them most effect on Winston is his home in the Victory Mansions, which ironically, are just apartments. This particular space affects how he walks, talks, and even thinks. Fortunately, in comparison to our world today, we don’t have to be as precautious about our every move. In Winston’s home, there is a â€Å"telescreen†, which is actually in every resident’s home. This device is embedded with a surveillance camera that watches every move made, and can hear every sound made. This is how â€Å"Big Brother† (BB) is always watching, and if someone does something that BB doesn’t approve of, they have the ability to arrest and completely erase their existence. Winston has to be careful in his own home and can’t make any sudden movements that may attract negative attention. Therefore Winston is very delicate in his movements just so he can avoid any trouble. In a particular scene, all the citizens had to participate in morning exercises, while the instructor watched from the screen. All of a sudden, â€Å"Smith! 6079 Smith W! Yes, you! Bend lower please! You can do better than that. You’re not trying. Lowe... ...hough we have the freedom of speech, we should still be wary of how we say or write things to avoid any unnecessary trouble. In conclusion, Winston’s home made him a very cautious and careful person, who felt the need to sneak to do anything. This is a very scary feeling to have in one’s own home, because a home is normally where someone has the right to relax, sit back, and enjoy their freedom. In Winston’s situation, it is the complete opposite circumstance; he is nervous, peace less, and has feelings of entrapment, except for the little area that provides him with some form of liberation. Luckily this isn’t the circumstance for our society and hopefully it will never be the circumstance. We gratefully have been granted amendments that give us many rights to live and thrive freely amongst the world. Works Cited http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Orwell/1984

Kingdoms of medieval civilization

The fall of Rome and the rise of Germanic kingdoms marked the end of ancient times and the beginning of the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages, the center of European culture shifted from the lands around the Mediterranean Sea to regions that had barely been touched by Greco-Roman civilization. A new civilization, medieval civilization, took shape during the early Middle ages (A.D. 500-1050). There were few strong rulers or governments in this period, and a political system grew up in which power was divided among many local lords (Perry, 1988,). By the fifth century, Germanic peoples had established kingdoms in Italy, Spain, Gaul, and England. These lands formerly belong to Rome (Crofton, 1994, 254).   At its height, the Roman Empire had been a world of cities with a rich culture. By the end of the Empire, many towns were abandoned as people fled to country estates. The center of political, social, and economic life shifted from city to countryside. Since the Germanic invaders were rural people, they did not try to revive the old cultural centers or build new ones of their own.   The decline of Roman rule left the western and central Europe disorganized. A new medieval style of government appeared in the kingdom of the Franks. A Germanic people, the Franks had migrated westward from their homeland in the valley of the Rhine River. As Rome’s border defenses weakened in the fourth and fifth centuries, Frankish tribes settled in Roman territory. About 481 a Frankish ruler named Clovis united the various Frankish tribes and conquered the Romans and other Germans in northern Gaul. In 768, Charlemagne became king of the Franks. Charlemagne was an extraordinary figure in medieval history. Charlemagne expanded his kingdom by conquering the Lombard kingdom in Italy and taking part of northern Spain from the Muslims. He added Bavaria (in what is now Germany) to his kingdom and after terrible wars forced the Germanic Saxons to submit to his rule and convert to Christianity. Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of Rome in 800 which indicated that the Roman idea of strong centralized government had not died. Charlemagne’s empire did not, however, have Roman law or political organization. Moreover, it had no great cities that could serve as centers of trade and learning. What Charlemagne did however, was to blend Germanic, Christian and Roman elements that came to characterize the civilization of the Middle Ages (Perry, 1988, 141-143). The kingdom of Charlemagne break apart after his death and divided Europe which was then   threatened with invasions from the Viking raiders ( Vikings are the ancestors of the Swedes, Norwegians and Danes of today) from the north ,   the Magyars from Central Asia , and the Muslims. The terrible invasions went on until early in the tenth century and had terrible consequences for Western Europe. Like the earlier Germanic invasions, they weakened central authority, disrupted trade, hurt agriculture, and left settlements and monasteries in ruins. Few kingdoms had the capacity to protect its own people so that people no longer look to a central ruler for security. They turned instead to local lords who had their own armies. As a result, western Europe had entered an age in which lords, not kings, held political power. In fact, kings at that that time were regarded only as chief feudal lord. Living in age of warfare and disorder, lords sought allies among their fellow nobles. The basis for these alliances was the lords’ land. In exchange for military assistance and other services, one lord granted land called a fief to another noble. The system of relationships that grew out of this granting of fiefs was called feudalism. It became the main political arrangement in Europe after the breakup of Charlemagne’s empire in the ninth century. In some ways, feudalism grew out of the traditions of the Germanic tribes. Feudal law included many elements of Germanic law and feudal attitudes reflected Germanic respect for the warrior (Perry, 1988,144-145 ). Because they lived in violent times feudal lords built homes designed to serve as fortresses .The first castle was built in the ninth century at the time of the Viking raids.   These castles were encircled by massive walls and strong guard towers.   Sometimes, feudal lords would fight against each other for supremacy (Crofton, 1994, 265). It is obvious therefore, that because of the disorder of territories brought about by the fall of Roman Empire, the Germanic kingdoms flourished,   which combined the Germanic, Roman and Christian elements that characterized the western kingdoms of the medieval civilization. And as invasions plaqued the west from all quarters, small self-protecting feudal kingdoms governed by nobles or lords was established. References Crofton, Ian (e d). (1994). The Guinness Compact Encyclopedia. London: Guinness Publishing Limited Perry, Marvin. (1988). A World in History. New York: Houghton-Mifflin, Inc.         

International Business: Volkswagen Essay

The foundation of Volkswagen dates back to the Third Reich. For the opening of the international automobile show in Berlin 1934, Adolf Hitler demanded the development of a car which should be priced at a maximum price of 1000 Reichsmark and thus remain affordable for the average citizen. This car should be named ‘Car of the people’ (Volkswagen) and offer space for a family of four members. The first model was designed by Ferdinand Porsche in 1934 and in May 1937, the â€Å"Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH† (a company for the preparation of the German Volkswagen Ltd.) was established in Berlin (Volkswagen AG 2013). One year later, the company changed its name into â€Å"Volkswagenwerk Gmbh†: The beginning of today’s popular German car manufacturer. Over the last decades, Volkswagen turned from being the owner of a single production plant in Wolfsburg into Europe’s largest automobile producer and the third largest of the world with a yearly turnover of about â‚ ¬ 192,676 million. The company sells, directs and produces twelve automobile brands all over world. 550,000 employees work together to produce 37,700 cars per day which can be purchased in 153 countries (Volkswagen Company 2013). The following report focuses on the automotive division, excluding the financial services division and other subsidiaries. 1a) The design of a multinational enterprise’s (MNE) strategy is primordially determined by the institutions and the prevailing culture of its home country. Volkswagen’s (VW) economic origin is found in central Germany, a town called Wolfsburg, where one of its largest production sites is still in place. Often described as Europe’s economic engine (Iwulska et. al 2013), Germany possesses a culture favoring individualism and refusing power distance (Hofstede 2013, appendix 1.1.). With a score of 67 on Hofstede’s individualism scale, Germany joins those Northern European countries prioritizing self-actualization, which often leads German workers to pioneer the motto of â€Å"live in order to work†. In this context, the work itself constitutes an important source of self-esteem in the German culture. This mentality strongly ties in with a pronounced masculinity, prioritizing career progression and material rewards as well as approving a sharp differentiation in gender roles (Peng & Meyer, p.75).At the same time, the exchange between the average worker and their supervisor is marked by mutual constructive feedback and participation (Peng & Mayer, p.75), as expressed in low power distance scores. However, one can observe the strong concern for structured situations which describes a core element of the German culture (Vector Study 2012). Typical for a country scoring high on the uncertainty avoidance scale, Germany favors a bank-based financial system where risk reduction portrays a priority (Tadesse et al. 2005, p.4). In contrast, Germany scores particularly low on the long-term orientation scale, as expressed in its great appreciation for respecting traditions as well as establishing the truth (Hofstede 2013, appendix 1.1.). Another determinant of designing a successful strategy displays the global connectedness of the country, namely the degree of information exchange, human resources and trade with other economies of the world. With the second highest overall connectedness index, Germany meets the expectations of one of the world’s largest exporting economies. Such strength in export is promoted by the achieved European Integration (EU) which remains the most globally connected region of the world (Ghemawat 2012). As opposed to the modest sustainable rally of the overall global connectedness index in those years following the financial crisis (Ghemawat 2013), Germany managed to further approach its peak value of 2007 whilst consolidating its economic position in Europe as seen by its presence in Europe’s top 10 countries in all four pillars of the index (Ghemawat et al. 2012, appendix 1.2.). Given Germany’s increased trade with other European countries, its merchandise trade score in the breadth dimension is more inward-oriented. Contrary to this, Germany shows a strong tendency for outward trade flows of both merchandise trade as well as services in the breadth dimension. In this context, Germany’s focus on manufacturing becomes evident with reference to higher scores obtained for both inward and outward merchandise trade than for its equivalents in services. Overall, Germany displays an example of rising depth in its global exchange with other economies whilst continuing to sharpen its global profile as expressed in an increasing score in the breadth dimension. b) Volkswagen can be described as a truly home-region oriented company, given that the largest proportion of sales revenues is created in Europe (table 1). However, it nearly achieved to attain 20% of its sales revenues in another region, namely South America, pointing towards Volkswagen’s objectives of further expanding globally (Volkswagen AG 2013). Region| Europe| North America| Asia-Pacific| South America| Total| Sales revenues(mio)| 28.191| 6.554| 4.392| 7.429| 46.565| Percentage sales(sales revenues/Total sales revenues)| 60.541%| 14.075 %| 9.431%| 15.954 %| 100%| Table 1: Sales revenues by region (Interim Report 2013) 2a) One of VW’s most important ownership advantages at the upstream end portrays its standardization in production practices, namely in terms of MQB and MLB (Taylor 2012). These production systems allow for building different models from using the same components whilst increasing the productive efficiency and reducing the throughput time across all its international business units (Buiga 2012). In this context, the transfer of its standardized production practices across its business units globally is supplemented by VW’s ability to do so â€Å"without the customer noticing† (Taylor 2012). This ability is, however, strongly promoted by its second remarkable ownership advantage at the downstream end, namely VW’s internationally recognized and maintained brand identity. Generally, Volkswagen is perceived by customers as a carmaker offering high both quality and longevity with cars such as the beetle succeeding over decades (Haig 2011). Consequently, its brand identity displays the source of its global competitive advantage, given that consumers associate it with the aforementioned advantages (Taylor 2012), contributing to its continuously increasing brand value (Interbrand 2012). Given its innovations in the light of fostering sustainability and the resulting recognition of being ranked fourth among Interbrand’s Best Global Green Brands, Volkswagen’s brand identity is destined to improve further; most likely to be presented through the continuation of its brand value growth (Interbrand 2012). b) The Uppsala model by Jan Johansen and Jan-Erik suggests â€Å"that internationalization is a dynamic process of learning in which firms take decisions over their next step based on what they know at that time†(Peng & Mayer 2011). Experiencing new markets and cultures reduces the liability of outsidership and influences the firm’s ability to perceive risks and to recognize opportunities. The stage model is similar to the Uppsala model because both models imply that a step-by-step process is necessary to reduce market uncertainty whereby the stage model does not focus on the experimental learning process, but on the increase in degree of commitments. If firms, for example, first make use of licensing, afterwards founding a joint venture and finally owning subsidiaries, then they are able to reduce cultural and institutional distance. After China started to open some of their trade borders to take part of the international trade, VW signed a contract in 1985 to establish a joint venture â€Å"Volkswagen Shanghai Automotive Company Ltd.† was the first joint venture in the Chinese automobile market. With an equal share of 50% for the German and Chinese shareholders, VW is and will not be able to fully own a subsidiary. To ensure the market leader position, VW founded a second joint venture in 1991 whereby the German shareholders only have 40% of the shares (Volkswagen AG 2013). However, in April 2002 the Shanghai-VW joint venture extended the contract until 2030 which shows that VW puts great value on effectively occupying the position of China’s largest foreign car marketer (Feng 2007). VW’s entrance into the Chinese market supports the stage model more than the Uppsala model because the incremental steps are recognizable; founding the first joint venture in Shanghai, then another one in Changc hun and finally extending the contracts. 3a) The automotive industry is known to be one of the most globalized industries due to companies organizing its production in a global value chain (Sturgeon et al. 2008). As Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest automotive companies, its thousands of suppliers are located across the globe. Even though VW’s headquarters are located in Germany, only 26% of their cars were produced in its home country. The company operates with more than 100 foreign affiliates in South America, Eastern and European countries, South Africa and Asia (Chiappini 2011). In most factories, different motor vehicle models are produced, whereas in others, automotive products and components are assembled. Considering the number of factories outside its home region, VW’s degree of offshoring is very high . As the suppliers make a substantial contribution to the company’s success, reliable partnerships need to be present. This leads VW to establish a cooperative relationship with a number of long-term oriented suppliers to increase its focus on the quality of each component. Furthermore, VW’s focus on quality, technology, and innovation, leads it to select its suppliers on cost to quality basis. Additionally, VW selects only the suppliers which implement production-related environmental and social standards according to global minimum standards (Volkswagen AG 2006). b) The advantages of VW’s international sourcing strategies are stable relationships with its suppliers which allow for a high integration in the production processes. By choosing reliable and trustworthy suppliers, VW gains a competitive advantage in ensuring the high quality of assembled components. As the focus lies on the product’s quality, sourced inputs cannot always be purchased at the lowest price. In order to provide all production facilities with the necessary supplies, VW is dependent on a large number of suppliers which increases the risk of deficient components. VW tries to counteract this risk by implementing a selective admission process for its suppliers. Its offshoring strategy enables the company to exploit lower production costs in emerging countries. At the same time, by setting up production facilities in different countries, import restrictions can also be avoided. In order to become the world’s leading car manufacturer by 2018, VW must enhance its collaboration and integration with its suppliers in the long term to strengthen its competitive advantage. 4a) Ghana is currently one of the most favorable emerging markets in West Africa with a GDP growth rate of 14.4 % and a FDI inflow of US$3 billion per year (World Bank 2013). It is one of the most secure countries in terms of corruption and furthermore, the supported change in institutional frameworks by the World Bank and the IMF simplifies business practices (Gyetuah 2009). Moreover, the geographical location offers many opportunities to serve the complete west coast by shipping and to reduce transaction costs. Volkswagen already has plants in South Africa, which recently gained a membership of the BRICs, but the company’s responsiveness to market changes in the northern countries is poor because of the distance. Besides, Ghana offers a unique opportunity set for businesses. It has many natural resources for example cocoa, gold, silver, industrial diamonds, manganese, bauxite, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, timber, salt, limestone and oil (The Central Intelligence Agency 2013). Ghana has become the magnet of many European and especially Chinese companies, particularly in the oil industry which shares ties to the automotive industry. Currently, only Toyota Ltd. has a plant in Ghana and consequently competition is relatively low which facilitates the gathering of a significant market share (List of companies 2013). However, Ghana is weakened by â€Å"the increasing flow of drugs through West African States [that] is beginning to undermine the state, through weakening its institutions, its local communities, and its social fabric† and since the production of oil and gas not only businesses but also terrorism is attracted which create a certain risk for many companies (Aning 2008). Figure 1: Emerging Markets (http://emergingmarkets.ey.com/worldmap/ghana/) b) Volkswagen should focus on the hub in Ghana by founding a majority joint venture with a local company. This strategy lowers the liability of outsidership while accelerating the comprehension of the culture and economy to prevent threats of piracy. Volkswagen can consequently share costs and risks with its local partner, thus limiting the financial risk of investment. Furthermore, a fusion with a local company creates a dynamic network which is vital for the distribution to other countries and is politically preferred. The strategy of a joint venture in an emerging economy is more profitable and secure than in a developed market where formal and informal institutions are important and an inherent part of the legal framework and culture. While entering developed markets is more profitable when taking direct actions, making use of the ownership advantages and critical success factors, entering an emerging mark et stresses cultural sensitivity and caution. 5a) Recently Volkswagen entered the Mexican emerging market by finishing a new plant in January 2013. This was primarily done due to aid their strategic objective to increase sales in the United States. The demand for passenger cars in the US is forecasted to be 7 million units. Moreover, in 2011 the automobile â€Å"production increased by 12.5% to 2.64 million units† and a growth of 8 – 9 % per year are expected until 2016 (Bouman 2012). With the favorable geographic location of Mexico and its 12 FTA with 43 countries, NAFTA Volkswagen has a great opportunity to expand sales (Grant Thornton 2012). Another strategic objective is to strengthen its market position in North America which is an essential component of the Volkswagen Group’s global growth strategy (Volkswagen AG 2013). Apparently, North America has 17,167,000 cars of which 4.9 % are vehicles of Volkswagen (Volkswagen AG 2013). To fulfill its strategic objective with a high cost reduction it was necess ary to enter the Mexican market. b) VW regards FDI as one of its preferred entry modes. With the intention of penetrating both local and neighboring markets, VW has set up manufacturing plants in India aiming at establishing an â€Å"export base to the around regions† (Wen 2007, p. 51) in addition to its recent announcements of increasing the density of its production facilities network in Mexico (FDITracker 2013). Aside from FDI, Volkswagen has entered foreign markets through those modes considered less risky: strategic alliances and joint ventures. Throughout the portfolio of countries in which VW operates, it has formed strategic alliances with firms such as Daewoo Motor Sales Co for marketing purposes in South Korea. Additionally, VW entered several joint ventures and thus achieved the penetration of markets in both developing (e.g. Angola) and developed (e.g. U.S.) economies (Wen 2007, p. 52-53). In this context, the formation of joint ventures displays VW’s prior mode of entry for the Chinese market and could not have been substituted by any other of the aforementioned entry modes. Given the legal obligation by Chinese authorities, VW entered two joint ventures in the 1990’s which have been extended ever since whilst continuously pursuing FDI by investing in both existing and new production facilities (Schrott 2012). In the case of China, these joint ventures displayed not only VW’s single -legally possible- entry mode for one of the world’s largest car markets, but also a source of production resources, as well as both knowledge and network relations for the Chinese automotive market (Schrott 2012). c) As far as VW’s multinational strategy is concerned, one can clearly identify its global approach, characterized by its standardization practices throughout the primary process and the bureaucratic operation that envelops its subsidiaries. Figure 2: VW’s multionational corporate structure (Pà ¶tsch 2011) In this context, VW has recently implemented the standardization of its IT infrastructure across unit and country boundaries, in addition to the cost-efficient MQB (see 2a) production system in place (Microsoft 2012). Such measures clearly indicate the identification of VW’s global standardization strategy given that it holds centers of excellence in each of its sales regions (see figure 2.). Nevertheless, VW still lacks the diffusion of knowledge and innovation across country boundaries and among subsidiaries in the same region, as a result of the centralization of R&D in its home country (Schmid et al.). Consequently, VW does not follow a transnational strategy which would include this aforementioned diffusion, but remains strategically centralized (Mà ¶ller 2005), particularly in considering itself as â€Å"the innovative car maker from Wolfsburg [..]where [its] home lies† (Volkswagen 2013). 6a) As one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers, VW sets high standards in both, social and environmental concerns and it was therefore not easy to find significant dilemma situations. Nevertheless, in many emerging countries, VW was confronted by the social issue of rising pressure to engage in behavior, which is considered strongly unethical in the Western World (Deutsche Presse Agentur 2005). Figure 3: Worldwide Governance Indicators (http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/mc_chart.asp#) Engaging in corruption and bribery is common in countries with weak control systems and can give firms large advantages. With the high degree of power that comes along with the size of an influential company like VW, it is also harder to keep control over all business entities. Over the last decades, VW had to face several allegations of bribery and corruption. In 2005, information about a bribery scandal in India involving the former HR chief at VW’s Czech unit, Skoda, became public. The firm reacted immediately by submitting the case to court (NDR 2013). Besides, VW also faces the environmental dilemma of increasing sustainability while keeping costs to a minimum. Furthermore, VW is pressured by several environmental organizations, particularly Greenpeace, who accused VW of not making sufficient progress on fuel efficiency. Over the past five years, VW reduced the carbon emissions of its latest models by 13% and introduced a range of new car models with cleaner engine technologies, thereby acting in accordance to the latest criteria (Handelsblatt 2012). In 2013, VW also agreed to reduce the CO2 emission standards of its newly produced cars to an average of 95g/km by 2020 and subsequently finally reached an agreement with Greenpeace. * b) As a large MNE, VW has a number of stakeholders that need to be satisfied. Since its stakeholders are highly interrelated, the firm has to focus on strategic actions that are in accordance with all its stakeholders. * * * Figure 4: Stakeholder Dialogue (Volkswagen 2013) * * Even though the social dilemma of corruption can occur all over the world, it is prevalently perceived in emerging countries. The issue is therefore of global relevance and especially harmful to the company and its employees. Uncovering corruption is of utter importance for VW and in order to satisfy all stakeholders, the firm has implemented a specific system which enables employees and business partners to fight corruption (Volkswagen AG 2013). A globally standardized strategy in this issue is explicitly important since any form of fraud is unacceptable in VW’s home country. Volkswagen is therefore trying to counteract any mode of corruption, as the publication of such affairs involves highly undesirable consequences for the future. * The increased need of sustainable processes and environmental awareness is also a global issue. Even though sustainability does not have the same significance in every culture, VW sets high standards for all the production facilities as well as its suppliers worldwide. By implementing the same norms for all employees, suppliers and other parties involved, VW wants to ensure the same quality and standards that it is known for in its home region. In order to maintain the credibility concerning sustainability and CSR, a globally standardized strategy is highly appropriate. c) Both, VW and Unilever have remarkable similarity in allocating considerable value to social responsibility and sustainability. Unilever’s approach is very similar to that of VW as both companies have similar corporate governance manuals and strongly encourage ethical behavior. While Unilever actively tries to reduce its impact on the environment by trying to halve its carbon footprint by 2020, VW set the goal of reducing the CO2 emission of its new-car fleet by 30% until 2015. Furthermore, both companies sacrifice retained earnings to invest in the improvement of sustainability and social responsibility in order to maintain a good public image. Moral philosophies and environmentally sound behavior are highly prioritized and both firms refrain from behavior that can be considered unethical in the host countries, for instance by implementing strict regulations for their suppliers. Improving corporate social responsibility policies, as well as developing more efficient processes, is favored from the viewpoint of the corporation and the society at large, so both firms’ approaches can be supported. Aning, K 2008, ‘From ‘voluntary’ to a ‘binding’ process: towards the securitisation of small arms’, Journal of Contemporary African Studies, vol. 26, no. 2, pp.169-181 viewed 12 May 2013, . Bouman, S 2012, Mexico: Business opportunities in the automotive industry, draft, 14 August, Agentschap NL, viewed 12 May 2013, . Buiga, Dr A 2012, â€Å"Investigating the Role of MQB Platform in Volkswagen Group’s Strategy and Automobile industryâ€Å", International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences September 2012, vol. 2 no.9, pp.391-398, viewed 2 May 2013, retrieved from . Chiappini, R 2011,