Lehman Brothers Ethical Reasoning

Describe the situation at Lehman Brothers from an ethics perspective. What’s your opinion of what happened there? The ethical issue here was that Lehman’s executives exploited loopholes in the accounting standards to manipulate their balance sheet in order to mislead the investing public. Using â€Å"Repo 105†, Lehman was able to clear huge amount unprofitable assets off its balance sheet instead of selling at loss. Evidence pointed out that the chief executive, Richard Ruld, knew about the use of it but faked ignorance in defence.Even the auditors from Ernst and Young knew about the use of the suspicious Repo 105 but chose to keep quiet. I believe that the prime motivation behind the act was to retain investors’ confidence by preventing a plummet in stock price. Hence, the implication was that Lehman was projecting a false image of its strong financial position, meaning that its stock price was overvalued. Through falsified accounting reports, investors w ere tricked into believing that their investments were safe, incurring huge losses when Lehman defaulted. Investors lost faith.The consequences were devastating as it created a systemic crisis of confidence in the banking industry as all other banks froze lending to reduce their exposure of Lehman’s undesirable Repo 105. Lehman’s employees suffered too as they lost their jobs overnight. Could anything be done differently at Lehman Brothers to prevent what happened? Explain. After extensive research, it was apparent that a written â€Å"Code of Ethics† was present at Lehman Brothers. However, for an ethics code to be effective, the tone at the top executives needs to be set right so that the entire organisation can feel connected to the firm’s ethical values and beliefs.The obvious failure we witness in Lehman’s case was that the top management, led by Ruld (CEO) and Erin Callan (CFO), were guilty of unethical negligence and wrongdoing. Therefore, i t is vital for the Shareholders to screen through their selection of the Board of Directors extremely stringently to ensure the appointment of the right leaders. As the top management was already corrupted, the Ethics Programs at Lehman had limited use in ensuring the upholding of the Ethics Code, as these top executives can wield their axe down on any whistleblowers that puts their power in jeopardy.This was the exactly what happened at Lehman, when whistleblower Matthew Lee, was axed. Therefore, Lehman needs to ensure that ethical leaders are at helm for this control mechanism to work, so that the Ethics Code can be reinforced through compliance-based ethics programmes to serve as deterrence. Simultaneously, integrity-based ethics programmes must come into play to instill and influence an individual responsibility for upholding ethical behaviour, with compliance continuously playing the role of monitoring, to prevent any future reoccurrences.On top of this, Lehman could have adopt ed the Moral Rights Approach to base their decision on whether their behaviour was ethical or unethical. Using this approach, they would not have committed fraudulent accounting, as it violates the fundamental rights that investors deserve from the use of their accounting report – which is to provide a faithful and accurate representation of the company for investors to evaluate investing decisions. Another preventive approach is the Fairness or Justice Approach to assist Lehman in weighing their ethical decision.The top executives’ decisions impact many groups of stakeholders, and the fraudulent acts only brought about harm to all stakeholders involved, as could be seen from the negative repercussions of the bank’s default – shareholders losing money, employees losing jobs, other banks’ losses due to lending to Lehman, public’s loss of confidence and stock markets crashing. If they did go about reporting their losses honestly, perhaps their stock price and profitability will fall, but at least the negative impacts would be localised within the firm, instead of triggering a banking shockwave.After all the public uproar over Enron and then the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to protect shareholders, why do you think we still continue to see these types of situation? Is it unreasonable to expect that businesses can and should act ethically? Analysing from the concept of Organisational Code of Ethics, it can be easily deduced that ethical failures from organisations usually stems from the individual ethics component. Unlike societal ethics and professional ethics which are based on established social norm and a certain set of standards, individual ethics is the only component that is not conformed to a certain enchmark. Every individual’s ethics differ from one another as it is shaped from the influence of their upbringing. While honesty can be one’s core value, it can also be the most neglected value of a nother. As seen from the case studies of Lehman and WorldCom, personal interest and greed of the top executives to remain in power motivated them to trample on ethics, resulting in their obstructionist approach. Managers must first understand that ethical decision making is dynamic and every element must be carefully weighed to prevent unethical issues.In applying the five ethical notions, it can be argued in Lehman’s case that manipulation brings about apparent utilitarianism for everyone (higher stock price for shareholders, more bonuses for employees, stronger creditors’ faith and higher management’s bonuses) in the short run. However, it is not justified for the stakeholders to be denied their fundamental rights of having accurate information of the bank, nor is it fair and justifiable that it brings about harm for all stakeholders in the long run when it went bust. It is very reasonable to expect businesses to act ethically.This could possibly be achieved t hrough a two pronged approach. The first, which aims to resolve unethical issues in the long run, requires the need for a stronger emphasis on education. Simple as it may sound, but the lack of ethical education is extremely glaring. In this profit driven world, where money speaks louder than anything else, there seems to be a shift towards higher reward and recognition for profits rather than ethical behaviour. Education serves as the most effective and fundamental way to resolve and prevent unethical issues altogether as it tackles the root of the problem to instill the right mindset.The second, perhaps shorter term measure, deals with governance. To prevent the evil temptation of dishonesty, there needs to be much harsher consequences and deterrence, such that temptation will vanish upon thought of the possible sentences that potential manipulators will face. Currently, the punishments of fines and jail terms are simply not severe enough to deter off such seduction of greed. With a softer but more effective measure through education to correct mentalities in the long run, and a harsher deterrence factor in the short term, ethical behaviour can be definitely be achieved.

The Medusa and the Snail Mistakes

It is undeniable that mistakes are a bsic fundamental of life. Whether or not that is a good or bad thing, is much harder to determine. In a passage from The Medusa and the Snail, biologist Lewis Thomas discusses mistakes and how they affect our life. In the second paragraph, Thomas claims that we, as humans, learn by â€Å"trial and error†. Although at first though this is seemingly true, but when it comes down to it, just how accurate is this saying? Some people make a mistake, learn from it, and move on. They will remember the consequences, and strive to never be in the same predicament again.Others, however, continuously make the same mistake. For example, generally, a person who does drugs once will repeatedly do it again and again. If this were not true, addicts would not exist. Instead of identifying this behavior as a problem, they simply look over it as if it is not a bad thing at all. Thomas says, â€Å"What is needed, for progress to be made, is the move based on t he error. † Most discoveries are made by accident. Productive mistakes are everywhere: science, medicine, history, and so on.For example, a pharmaceutical company developed Viagra as a heart medication, and it was to their surprise that the drug effectively benefited those suffering from erectile dysfunction. Accidents like this happen everyday, and sometimes, they can have a positive outcome. While some parts of Thomas' claims are true, others are difficult to agree with. Although some people do use their past mistakes to learn and grow as a person, not all are this wise. It is hard to make such a hasty generalization such as all people learn by â€Å"trial and error†, and expect it to be accurate.

Neoliberal Transition in Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Neoliberal Transition in Latin America - Essay Example Economic integration between countries will be examined to see if any neo-liberalism is taking place within the regions of Latin American countries. Discussion includes analysis of manufacturing products and those based on renewable resources mainly in relation to regional development in Chile and the growth of non-traditional exports and labor markets. The paper first examines the origins and thought processes of neo-liberalism. Neo-liberalism maintains people act according to self-interest and that markets yield the most efficient outcome by free trade balances within liberalized capital markets with minimal government intervention in the economy. Karl Marx developed the theory that under capitalism, technical and distributional changes tend to follow specific patterns of evolution. This course of changes coalesces the expansion of output, capital, and employment. (Other mitigating factors include the rise of labor productivity, the real wage, and the capital-to-labor ratio.) Further in the evolution lies difficulty to sustain the progress of labor productivity without resorting to increased amounts of capital investment. The decline of the profit rate creates the conditions for large crises resulting in recessions and unemployment. (These movements and tendencies occur at declining rates of variation (Dumenil & Levy, 2004). Marxist economics is deeply rooted in many Latin countries  and enjoy a strong historical foundation; however, â€Å"with the rise of the Cold War and the increasing United States’ hostility toward  anything remotely progressive, the left in Latin America was first, mildly, and then severely repressed. The list of casualties includes The Arbenz regime in Guatemala; Goulart in Brazil; Allende in Chile and democracy in Uruguay and Argentina† (Noble & Weinstein, 2005).   

Criminal Justice Practitioners Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal Justice Practitioners - Assignment Example Identified situations warranted the use of undercover officers, but not in the way applied by those deployed. Actions by the three strange undercover in the third example are crude and without any element of sophistication. It is easy to label actions by the officers as the crudest of the attempts. If they did so in the presence of people, it would be easy to spot them or even confuse them for thugs. It is easy to consider actions by the undercover police in the given examples espionage. The process involves betrayal and deception. It also defines sordid business considering that it involves people pretending to be friends. The greatest allure emanates from the mystery, the quick rush of covert operations, the playing-acting aspects, as well as the fearful, delicious in nature of catching out.Work by the undercover was anathema. It is difficult to call the actions attractive to virtuous people. The police officer in the first example for instance, provoked crime. He carried out research without warrants that could legalize the entire process. Furthermore, his actions appeared thuggish because there was nothing with probable cause. The officer applied a flimsy excuse to stop the suspect after setting a trap for him where he set an empty moneybag lost in the lumberyard in a visible position.The officer was provoking crime after failing to snap up the suspect after theft in the lum beryard. Undercover officers have much secretive power in their hands, but susceptible to misuse. The last example confirms the transition of virtuous people to becoming viscous. It is another reason that undercover officers cannot be virtuous.The officers resort to crude methods after the community extortionist beat all the techniques within the police and judicial systems.The officers used the services of their three other colleagues, not known to the community, to brutally beat the extortionist. After the ordeal underwent by the

Risk Management in Brewin Dolphin Holdings Plc Essay

Risk Management in Brewin Dolphin Holdings Plc - Essay Example The object of analysis for the purpose of this assignment is Brewin Dolphin Holding PLC (BDH), a company that offers investment services to its client. The industry in which the company operates is the financial services. Brewin Dolphin Holding offers private investment advice to its richly diverse customers. The company operates in the following markets: England, Wales and the Channel Islands, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Bell Lawrie, Wise Speke in the North of England, and Hill Osborne in the East Midlands. This shows the extent of local market coverage by the Brewin Dolphin plc. BDH operates several subsidiaries which are wholly owned. The subsidiaries include Brewin Nominees Limited, North Castle Street (Nominee) Limited, and Brewin Dolphin Limited (that manages investments). In the recent past, the company formulated and implemented a new strategy that boosted the transformation rate of the services offered and increased the overall growth rate. The company operations are divided into two segments such as the investment management and corporate advisory and broking. Under the investment management segment, the following are the investment management advisory services provided by the company: pensions (including self-invested Pension plans), inheritance tax relief, ISAs and other tax-efficient investments, and international investment portfolios. Under the Corporate advisory and broking segment, the following activities are undertaken: market research, trading and sales services, and activities involving merger and acquisitions, debt advisory services among others. There is an increase in the demand for personal financial management advisory services. Thus, there is an anticipation of future growth in the market. The driving force behind the increase in demand is the increasing rate at which the society strives to become financially independent. In the United Kingdom alone, two million individuals were estimated to own liquid assets in excess of  £ 100,000 by the end of the year 2012. By that time, only  £ 548 billion of the funds were under the management of wealth management companies in the UK. Out of the eleven wealth management companies, Brewin Dolphin managed 15% of the total funds, giving a market share of 15%.

Stakeholders and their role in(selected organisation) Essay

Stakeholders and their role in(selected organisation) - Essay Example Tesco is highly performance driven company and this is reflected in their outstanding financial performance with a reported growth of over 15% growth in its revenue reaching  £ 34 billion in year 2005 and a widely publicised operating profit of  £ 2 billion. Organisations differ in their key aims and this can be noted by contrasting the key aims of Tesco Plc. with another organisation. Hilton Group Plc is a widely diversified UK based multinational. Its operations include Hilton & Scandic Hotels, LivingWell Fitness Centers and the Landbrokes & Vernon betting & gaming operations. In contrast to Tesco Plc., the Hilton Group Plc. is a widely diversified operation with several core operations instead of the single core operation of Tesco, which is retailing. Hilton Group Plc.’s key aims are split across its three core business areas and includes: Comparing the two company’s key aims, it can be seen that depending on different industry conditions as well as company structures and operations, their key objectives will vary. If the industry outlook is bright and offer high potential for growth as in the case of retailing, then the firm may have key aims of aggressive expansion and market share increasing. However if market outlook is dull with sluggish growth conditions as in the current case of hotel and leisure industry, then key aim will be to consolidate and sustain while divesting some of the unprofitable operations. In conducting its operations, companies cater to the needs of many stakeholder groups. An organisation’s Stakeholders are persons, groups or institutions with an interest on the company’s operations and are affected by its operations. These key stakeholders include company, suppliers, competitors, marketing intermediaries and the Publics (Armstrong & Kotler 2000). The company comprises of its shareholders, employees as well as the top management. Objectives of these stakeholders

Forms of business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Forms of business - Essay Example There are no consultations involved in the decision making process. Moreover, tax preparation process is very easy since the business is not taxed separately and the tax rates are lowest of the business structures. According to Pride, Hughes & Kapoor (2012), owners of the business are always free to mix business or personal assets. Unfortunately, sole proprietorship involves unlimited personal liability since there is no legal separation between the owner and the business. The owner of a business can be held responsible for the debts and obligations of the business and the risk extends to any liability incurred by employee actions. Raising capital for sole proprietor is always not easy because stock in the business cannot be sold and the investors cannot invest in them. Additionally, sole proprietorship seldom survive the death or disability of the owners Partnership Partnership involves relationship between two or more people coming together on a trade and every person contributes m oney, property, labor, or skills. It is also worth noting that every partner shares in the profits and losses and as much as it is strongly recommended, it is regarded very risky to operate without. There are three types of partnership arrangements including general partnerships, limited partnerships, and joint ventures. General partnership requires that profits, liability and management issues are equally divided amongst the partners and incase of unequal distribution, the proportion set is documented in the partnership agreement (Pride, Hughes & Kapoor, 2012). On the other hand the limited partnership enables partners to have limited liability d input as far as management decisions are concerned and the limits are based on each partner’s investment portion. Finally, the joint venture work almost like the general partnership but is always active for a short period or may be for a single project. Partners include their individual share of income or loss on their personal tax returns and their taxes generally are annual return of income, employment tax, and estimated tax. Partnership involves shared financial commitment due to the advantage of pooling resources to obtain capital and this may help in securing credit. Furthermore, partnership involves complementary skills derived from the partners’ strengths, resources, and expertise. Partnership may also attract highly motivated and qualified employees due to incentives such as offering opportunity to employees to become members. However, joint and individual liability acts as a disadvantage where partners are liable for their own actions and for business, debts, and decisions made by other partners and the personal assets for partners may be used to satisfy the partnership debts. Decision making process may also not be easy exposing partners to disagreements amongst partners. Corporation Corporation is a complex form of business and is an independent legal entity that is owned by shareholders and is held legally liable for the actions and debts of the business. Incorporating corporations is very costly due to the administration fees, complex tax and the legal requirements making it suitable for established and large companies. According to Pride, Hughes & Ka

Remaining Competetive Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Remaining Competetive - Research Paper Example This requires a critical evaluation of the existing factors and how firm can actually improve them to achieve its cost reduction objectives. Further, it is also critical to consider whether the firm can improve upon its efforts of innovation and become more creative in designing its basic products and delivering them through successful marketing initiatives. Effectively delivering mass customization is also another consideration. (Lihra, Buehlmann, & Beauregard, 2008) In order to remain competitive within this industry, it is important to remain innovative and creative. Since the industry thrives upon how quickly and effectively a firm can actually develop consumer friendly designs therefore are important. Firm can easily compete in this industry because it has a dedicate team of designers which deliver excellent designs. In order to make them more innovative, it is important to impart more knowledge and training to the designers. Further, the firm access to technology which can help it to reduce the cost and improve its total output level. One of the key primary factors is the fact that the firm has been considered as one of the premium suppliers of the furniture in the market. Being featured in top magazines provides it one of the strongest brand images in the market and market acceptability at the global level. Further, it is also important to note that the firm has high quality designers which can continue to provide innovative products in the market. Effective presence in local communities as well as label of premium brand is two important things which are positive factors for the firm. Though the market may be shrinking and dependent on other factors however, the firm’s own position in the market which provides it an edge over others in the market. Community involvement is also the main factor which can improve the overall corporate social responsibility image of

Institutions of Globalisation Essay Example for Free

Institutions of Globalisation Essay Firstly, the Institutions of Globalisation must be reformed. Unintentionally, globalisation has come to be governed by several key institutions. Best known are the World Trade Organisation, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. If globalisation is to work for everyone, these institutions must be reformed. They must be made to look after all of the worlds countries, not just those they represent. Secondly, there must be an ending to northern double standards. Developed countries preach free trade, but often fail to practice it. Recently, France, one of the key members in the Doha talks, stubbornly refused to open up its markets and allow in Agricultural imports particularly the cheaply produced goods from the Third World. Generally, the EU taxes Third World exports and dumps its subsidised products in developing country markets, destroying local livelihood. When new WTO rules are drawn up, they usually reflect the balance of power within the organisation, therefore benefiting the richer countries. Certain kinds of subsidies are often permitted in the North but banned in the South. Rich countries must help poor countries by promoting economic growth that is equitable and environmentally sustainable; they must help developing countries build effective government systems and promote health and education for their people; and must use new technology to share skills and knowledge with developing countries. Rich countries can work with developing countries to put in place policies that will attract private financial flows and minimise the risk of capital flight. They can fight to strengthen the global financial system, encourage international co-operation on investment, competition and tax that promotes the interests of developing countries, support an open and rules-based international trading system, and work to promote equitable trade rules and an effective voice for developing countries. A vital step is to support continuing reductions in barriers to trade, both in developed and developing countries, and work to improve the capacity of developing countries to take advantage of new trade opportunities. By strengthening developing countries capacity to participate in international negotiations, lesser-developed and emerging economies will have the chance to reap the full benefits of globalisation. Unfair trade sanctions were one of the drivers for the establishment of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), now known as the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Debt relief would be a major factor which could reduce marginalisation. Poor countries are currently paying million of dollars back to rich countries millions which they cannot afford. Debt relief can take the form of cancellation, rescheduling, refinancing or re-organisation of debt. The Debt Initiative for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries is a well-known current example. Through Jubilee 2000, many non-government organisations (NGOs) from around the world campaigned for one-off cancellation of the unpayable debts of the worlds poorest countries by the end of 2000. There are particular responsibilities placed on developed countries. It would be pointless to pour millions of pounds worth of trade and aid into poor countries only to then impose trade sanctions and unfair subsidies. All policies, of developing countries, developed countries, international institutions and society, must be consistent with a commitment to sustainable development and reducing poverty. Poor countries need to be given the chance to be heard. Open and effective global institutions are needed where they can fight for their interests on a more equal level. The UK government is committed to help eliminate world poverty, and to co-operate with other governments and international institutions as part of a broader international effort. Three years ago the government published its first White Paper on International Development Targets3, which focused on the reduction of abject poverty4 in the world. The targets, which include a reduction by 50% in the number of people living in extreme poverty by 2015, and progress towards gender equality and empowerment of women by 20055, are supported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the EU, and the OECD, as well as many heads of states. Although the targets are challenging, leaders believe that if the correct national and international policies are implemented, the targets will be achieved. It is pointed out, however, that progress is dependent on national governments in all countries strengthening commitment to reduce poverty to ensure that all countries benefit and that some are not missed out. The UK government believes that the benefits of globalisation for poor countries substantially outweigh the costs, especially in the longer term. The rapid integration of the global economy, combined with advances in technology, is creating unprecedented global prosperity, which has helped to life millions out of poverty. With the correct policies put into place, many millions more stand to benefit in the years ahead. CONCLUSION We have seen that poor countries that are able to increase their participation in the global economy have higher growth rates, faster poverty reduction, and more rapid increases in education. It is vital that poor countries are able to integrate into the world economy in ways that reduce, not increase, inequality and poverty. Reform of global institutions have a key part to play in this. However, the first and perhaps most important step for globalisation to benefit all in the future is for rich countries to open their protected markets to the poor, which should help to reduce world poverty and inequality. Poor countries with around 3 billion people have broken into the global market for manufactured goods and services. Whereas 20 years ago most exports from developing countries were primary commodities, now manufactured goods and services dominate. This successful integration has generally supported poverty reduction. Examples can be found in China, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam. The new globalisers have experienced large-scale poverty reduction; during the 1990s the number of their people who were poor declined by 120 million. Integration would not have been feasible without a wide range of domestic reforms covering governance, the investment climate, and social service provision. But it also required international action, which provided access to foreign markets, technology and aid. One of the most disturbing global trends of the past 2 decades is that countries with around 2 billion people are in danger of becoming marginal to the world economy. Incomes in these countries have been falling, poverty has been rising, and they participate less in trade today than they did 20 years ago. It is easy to see that globalisation is not a force that can be ignored. It is all around us, in every aspect of our lives. Within countries, globalisation has not, on average, affected inequality. The rapid growth in the new globalisers can be a political opportunity for redistribution policies that favour the poor. Promoting education, particularly for poor people, is equalising, improves health standards and enhances the productivity growth that is the main engine of poverty reduction. There will, however, without a doubt, be winners and losers in each society. Good social protection policies can be a key factor in helping people prosper in this more dynamic environment. It appears that the solution to the problems, that especially countries such as China and Africa seem to be facing, is not the halting of the globalisation process, but the opposite. The expansion of free trade to include the developing countries in Africa and China and elsewhere It appears that these countries are not poor because of globalisation, but in large part because this globalisation has passed them by. The road ahead seems not to lie in the reduction, or remodelling of globalisation but the expansion thereof, and expansion to include the areas in the world which globalisation has so far been passing by. The 49 least developed countries account for nearly 11% of the worlds population, but only 0. 4% of the worlds exports and that small percentage has been falling. Wage levels differ between countries according to the levels of education and productivity. The experience in countries like Korea is that as countries develop, their wage levels rise and the focus of their industry shifts from labour intensive to more capital and knowledge intensive industries. Globalisation creates unprecedented new opportunities and risks. If the poorest countries can be drawn into the global economy and get increasing access to modern knowledge and technology, it could lead to a rapid reduction in global poverty as well as bringing new trade and investment opportunities for all. But if this is not done, the poorest countries will become more marginalised, and suffering and division will grow. In order to make globalisation work for the poor we need not just strong and vibrant private sectors, but also effective governments and strong and reformed international institutions. Governments and institutions need to work collectively to tackle the problems of conflict and corruption, boost investment in education and health, spread the benefits of technology and research, strengthen the international financial system, reduce barriers to trade, tackle environmental problems and make development assistance more effective. It is clear that openness is a necessary but not sufficient condition for prosperity. No developed country is closed. The poor countries that have been most successful in closing the gap are those which have opened up their economies to world markets in order to build strong export sectors and attract inward investment. However, the majority believes that the future of Globalisation is bright. Even September was a remarkable positive month, especially in the US. The country has recently signed new agreements with Jordan and Vietnam; and negotiations to bring China into the World Trade Organisation look close to a deal. The new trade rounds at Doha promise to deliver liberalisation of agricultural markets, allowing less developed countries the chance to gain a share of these markets and profit accordingly. A breakthrough at Doha just as the world economy appears to be entering its worst slowdown in a generation could be a hugely symbolic victory for those proposing further trade liberalisation. Globalisation in the future is inevitable. However, it is agreed on all accounts that in order for it to benefit as many people as possible, changes must be made. Those institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank, as well as individual governments, must all make vital changes in order to better prospects for everyone in the future. To conclude, global economic integration has supported poverty reduction and should not be reversed. But the world economy could be and should be much more inclusive. The growth of global markets must not continue to bypass 2 billion people. The rich countries can do a lot, both through aid and trade policies, to help the currently marginalised countries onto the path of integration that has already proved to effective for the new globalisers. BIBLIOGRAPHY CAFOD Briefing  www.globalisationguide.org

African Americans in American Films Essay Example for Free

African Americans in American Films Essay Following the violent racism prevalent at the beginning of the turn of the twentieth century, African American cultural elites, struggling to articulate a positive identity for the black, developed a middle-class ideology of racial uplift. Insisting that they were truly the representative of the races potential, black elites espoused an ethos of service and self-help to the black masses and distinguished themselves from the black majority as the agents of civilization; hence they referred to it as the uplifting the race. A central assumption of racial uplift ideology was that African Americans moral progress and material would diminish the white racism.                  The ‘uplift’ of the black community referred to the struggle of African Americans living in the 19th and early 20th century to forge and maintain positive identity in the U.S. society that reduced their existence to that singularly alienating phrase â€Å"the Negro problem.† This is very demining and that’s why they had to fight. What historians refer to as racial uplift ideology describes a prominent response of black middle-class spokespersons, leaders and activists to the crisis marked by the assault on the political and civil rights of African Americans primarily in the united states’ South from roughly the 1880s to 1914. A generation earlier, the end of slavery and emancipation had fueled African Americans’ optimistic pursuit of education, economic independence and full citizenship, all crucial markers of freedom.                  Advocates of African American political and civil rights fought a lonely and tough struggle with few allies in a national climate of anti-black racism. White southern politicians and elite opinion leaders defended white supremacy and proclaimed the mental, moral and physical depravity and inferiority of blacks from the pulpit, press and university. The consensus was that blacks were unfit for citizenship of the U.S., and that neo- slavery, or the plantation slavery of menial labor and sharecropping, was the natural state of black people and that is where they belong. Guided by southern apologists for lynching, many whites, regardless of education or income, viewed the aspirations of black men and women through the warped lens of crude racial and sexual stereotypes that accused all blacks of immorality and criminality.                   Given the occurrence of such frightening representations of shades of black, Africa America management and community spokespersons, a growing, but portion of the whole Africa America population, were under constant pressure to defend the picture and honor of dark men and ladies. Black management in the North were much freer to engage in governmental demonstration and condemn national oppression in stronger conditions than those management in the southern part of, where governmental outspokenness could outcome in lynching or permanent exile. Obviously, then, dark management differed on strategies for dealing with â€Å"the Negro issue.† So-called â€Å"radicals† endorsed demonstration and frustration against lynching and disfranchisement, challenging complete citizenship rights; traditional management recommended accommodation, self-help, and the desire of property-ownership. The issue of what type to train and learning was best suited for s hades of black was a super rod of argument. Some management, in the southern part of the U.S., preferred commercial knowledge, which highlighted manual training for farming and skilled jobs. Other dark management reinforced college for Africa Individuals, to ensure the development of a management and professional category. With opportunities for knowledge of any type restricted by the white-colored South’s anger, and with the preference of northern white-controlled philanthropy for commercial knowledge, what were basically complementary forms to train and learning became a source of intense issue.                  Despite these governmental variations, dark management generally countered anti-black generalizations by focusing category variations among shades of black, and their essential role as competition management. From their perspective, to â€Å"uplift the race† featuring their function as elites to change the character and manage the behavior of the dark community. Against persistent statements of dark immorality and pathology, knowledgeable shades of black battled a battle over the representation of their people, a strategy with uncertain effects and results. They knew as themselves as a â€Å"better class† of shades of black, and required identification of their respectability, and blessed position as providers of European improvement and society. But in doing so, they brought in a state policies of internal category department (See also panel 53 in Edward Lawrence’s The Migration of the Negro.) that often seemed to internalize popular thoughts of dark social depravity and backwardness even as they desired to battle racial discrimination. In other words, this method of opposing racial discrimination tacitly echoed popular ideas of category and sex structure. Their view that community improvement for shades of black was preferably calculated in patriarchal conditions of male-headed families and homes created stress between knowledgeable men and ladies. Such objectives of women deference to men authority and management were challenged by many knowledgeable dark females, such as Old Julia Cooper and the anti-lynching capitalist and reporter, Ida B. Bore holes.                   This version of national uplift philosophy as an anti-racist argument employed by knowledgeable shades of black is best understood as a complicated, varied and sometimes defective reaction to a situation in which the range of governmental options for Africa America management was restricted by the aggressive and persistent racial discrimination of the post-Reconstruction U. S. Declares. By reinforcing their respectability through the moralistic over stated claims of â€Å"uplifting the competition,† and suggesting the ethical guidance of the dark community, Africa America middle-class management and spokespersons were marginalizing the idea of uplift in its more democratic and inclusive sense of combined community progression and requirements for equivalent privileges. Many dark spokespersons desired to resolve this tension between personal and team position by insisting that personal success helped the whole competition. However, many Africa Amer ica men and ladies considered the over stated claims of uplift as a call to community support. They introduced values of self-help and support to the team in building educational, reformist community gospel chapels, social and fraternal organizations, settlement houses, magazines, trade labor unions, and other community institutions whose beneficial community impact surpassed the ideological limitations of uplift.                     In the last decade, movie students have focused an increasing amount of crucial attention on Oscar Micheauxs 1920 silent movie Within Our Gateways as an essential Africa America reaction to D. W. Griffiths infamously improper movie, The Beginning of a Country (1915). Oscar Micheauxs milestone movie offered a rebuttal to Griffiths interpretation of dark assault and crime with a story of the injustices faced by Africa Individuals in a improper community. While Griffiths movie symbolizes dark men attacks on white-colored women cleanliness, Micheauxs movie sets the historical record straight with its interpretation of the attempted sexual attack of a dark woman by a white-colored man. But the national reversals in the plot of the movie are not the only difficulties that Within Our Gateways presents to Griffiths movie.                      Within Our Gateways also surfaces The Beginning of a Country in the state policies of its appearance, specifically in its very different use of similar modifying. Griffiths movie uses crosscutting to existing a very simple resistance between white-colored virtue and dark villainy; in contrast, Micheauxs movie uses a complicated modifying pattern to existing a larger community vision of many different, competing governmental roles within both white-colored and Africa America community. The complicated design of Micheauxs modifying is efficient in making up a viewer who is more politically crucial than the viewer constructed by the traditional The show biz industry design of Griffiths movie. Series in Micheauxs movie crosscut among five or six different locations and twice as many characters; consequently, Micheauxs movie requirements an engaged and innovative viewer to identify inconsistent and contrary community and governmental statements about the power structure of competition relations in the U. s. Declares.                     The Negro Knight is a 1944 documented created by the U. s. Declares Military during World War II.[1] The movie was created by Honest Capra as a follow up to his successful movie series Why We Fight. The army used this movie as a means of propaganda to persuade Africa Individuals to solicit in the army and battle in the war. A lot of people regarded the movie very highly, some going as far to say that The Negro Knight was one of the finest factors that ever happened to America.[2] Due to both high reviews and great cinematography, The Negro Knight proved to be a large movie that affected army members and citizens of all competitions.                  The Negro Knight affected later Africa America movies and its viewers in different ways. The movie performed a considerable part in changing the types of roles that Africa Individuals received in following movies. For example, instead of showing shades of black only as slaves or sub servants, this movie showed Africa Individuals as lawyers, artists, athletes, and other valued careers. In different movies during this time frame, Africa Individuals were often represented as comical figures. However, after The Negro Knight, Africa Individuals performed more decent and popular roles in movies.                     Furthermore, people came to realize how essential and significant a tool, movies were for telecommuting saves gas. Messages within movies, if indicated the correct way, could influence viewers greatly. The message within The Negro Knight hard the notion and offered visual proof those national equal rights was a validated idea and should be approved. Africa Individuals around the country were very pleased with this movie.                         In both movies, the meaning of uplift was extremely competitive even among those who shared it is designed. Ultimately, top level ideas of the philosophy retreated from more democratic thoughts of uplift as community progression, leaving a heritage that becomes smaller the Americans’ ideas of privileges, citizenship, and community justice. One of the significant limits of national uplift philosophy was that the attempt to restore the picture of dark people through category differences trafficked in statements of national and sex structure. The appeal implied in national uplift philosophy for the identification of dark elites’ capacity for citizenship had overshadowed post-emancipation justifications by shades of black and white wines that posited inalienable privileges as the foundation for dark men citizenship, financial privileges, equivalent protection, and team power.                  The dark top level made uplift the foundation for a racial top level identification declaring Negro improvement through category stratification as competition improvement, which required an associated idea of bourgeois certification for bigger roles in the movie industry, among other factors. Elites basically approved the conditions of the debate, recognizing that some are more deserving than others are. Instead of competition, though, they suggested that it was acculturation and display of western culture and knowledge. References Capra, F., Moss, C., United States., United States. (1994).  The Negro soldier. Hollywood, CA: Craven Home Video. Hitchcock, A., Macgowan, K., Swerling, J., Steinbeck, J., Bankhead, T., Bendix, W. Slezak, W. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Inc. (2005).  Lifeboat. Beverly Hills, Calif: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Micheaux, O. (1994).  The conquest: The story of a Negro pioneer. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Micheaux, O., Thomas, P. A., Cram, B., Bowser, P., Taylor, C., Johnson, B., Northern Light Productions. PBS Video. (1994).  Midnight ramble: Oscar Micheaux and the story of race movies. Alexandria, VA: PBS Video. Source document

Have Political Parties Declined In Democracies Politics Essay

Have Political Parties Declined In Democracies Politics Essay In questioning whether the role of parties has declined in todays consolidated democracies, I will first give a brief explanation of what political parties are and their role in democratic states. Then I will see what the main roles of the parties in politics are, and examine whether their role has declined in recent years. In recent years, it appears that the role of political parties in the politics of consolidated democracies have decreased drastically. Many argue the reason behind this decline is primarily the change in the roles of the parties. Hague and Harrop argue that the question for the twenty-first century is whether we are witnessing a crisis of parties or merely a change in their role. It is important to emphasise that the parties have not declined in the sense that they have ceased to be important in government, but they have changed, and today perform rather different functions or perform traditional functions in a different manner. Political parties have been deemed necessary since the early societal grouping of man. Men would find a pattern of the state that would subsume societal conflict and which would allow the rule of law to function and apply it to their state. Thus, one could say that political systems deal with conflicts and the political institutions they create. Giovanni Sartori defines a political party as any political group identified by an official label that presents at elections, and is capable of placing through elections candidates for public offices. Unlike interest groups, serious parties aim to obtain the keys to government. It is true that political parties are needed and cannot be replaced by civil society or by any other organized structure created to give representation to citizens because political parties have formed the cornerstone of democratic society and serve a function like no other institution. Hence, in a modern society, democracy cannot function without political parties. The active support and collaboration of strong, inclusive political parties in partnership with a vibrant civil society is fast gaining acceptance as the correctly balanced equation to achieve a more transparent and participatory system of government. In strengthening democratic institutions in consolidated democracies, it is not a matter of having to choose between building a strong civil society or strengthening political parties and political institutions such as parliaments. The real challenge lies in balancing support for democratic institutions and organizations that are more accountable and inclusive, while at the same time continuing to foster and nurture the development of a broadly based and active civil society. Hague and Harrop question whether parties are facing a crisis and whether they are declining into weak, decentralized organizations. Amongst other reasons, they argue that major parties no longer offer radically different visions of the good society, and electors party loyalties are weakening as tradition social divisions decay. Furthermore, they state that party members are older than the average person and are becoming less active; and party membership is falling and will continue to do so as older members leave the electorate. Young people are more likely to join single-issue groups than parties, and parties have become charity cases, relying for funding on state handouts. Moreover, the trust in parties is lower than for other political institutions, and is declining. On the other hand, Crotty argues that the demands of society have changed, and parties change to meet them. Too often, models of what parties ought to be like are drawn from the narrow experience of Western Europe in the twentieth century. Today, it is unrealistic to expect the rebirth of mass membership parties with their millions of working-class members and their supporting pillars of trade unions. In an era of mass media and electronic communication, such an organisational format is gone for good. In its stead, comes the new format of parties found in the consolidated democracies: lean and flexible, with communication from leaders trough the broadcast media and the internet. Rather than relying on outdated notions of a permanent army of members, new-format parties mobilize volunteers for specific, short-term tasks, such as election campaigns. The form of parties will continue to evolve but their purpose of giving direction to government continues unchanged. According to Hague and Harrop, political parties are said to perform four main functions: The ruling parties offer direction to government, thus performing the vital task of steering the ship of state; Parties function as agents of political recruitment, and serve as the major mechanism for preparing and recruiting candidates for the legislature and executive; Parties serve as devices of interest aggregation, filtering a multitude of specific demands into more manageable packages of proposals. Parties select, reduce and combine policies; and To a declining extent, political parties also serve as a brand for their supporters and voters, giving people a lens through which to interpret and participate in a complicated political world. The decline in the role of political parties has been identified mainly in terms of a constant erosion of the functions listed above. In what is already a highly fragmented political system, the decline of these functions has very often led to inefficient government and the wearing away of the legitimacy of institutions. 1-The parties crate the link between parliament and the government because the party which gets an overall majority in parliament and controls it then forms the government. The parties also provide for the scrutiny and control of the government since the party which does not win the election and becomes the Opposition then has the job of constantly attacking and criticizing the government and exposing its failings to the public as well as putting forward alternative ideas of its own. However, in recent years amid all the furore over the decline of traditional parties, not a single third party has emerged with even the semblance of electoral strength. Third-party candidates have sometimes done well, but they represent more of a protest vote than some discernible social movement. Weaker party identification is producing a more inconsistent electorate prone to sudden shifts in loyalty, to vote splitting and to voting for individual candidates or issues rather than according to traditi onal party ties. Only a minimal percentage of the adult population are active participants in party organizations. Generally, over the past few years these activists have become more candidate- and issue-oriented, one of their main motivations being to promote a particular candidate or to support just one special issue. Critics argue that these trends have weakened party organization and coherence even further. 2- Parties are the main way in which democratic leaders are recruited and fed into the political system. Parties provide us with the personnel who govern that state. There has been a dramatic decline in the membership of both of the major parties people (especially young people) appear to be less willing to get actively involved in party organisations at grass roots level. Parties are said to provide the most important way in which people become involved in politics. This can be done on a number of levels. By joining a party people become involved and may even get elected. However, established political parties have experienced a declining membership that is ageing. Young people are hesitating to join or become associated with political parties. At the same time, support has risen for independent candidates, and interest parties. There has been a dramatic decline in party membership between the 1960s and the 1990s. In Scandinavia, Sundberg argues, since the 1970s and the 1980s, mem bership decline has set in at an unprecedented rate. Denmark is a particularly extreme case, with membership falling from one in every five people in the 1960s to one in twenty by the 1990s. By voting for a party, people are able to express their political opinion and help choose the government. It is parties which give people the choice at elections between alternative views and policies. The parties also provide the voters with a choice in elections by presenting programmes and taking stands on issues parties allow the voters to choose between rival policy packages. Parties produce policies or ideas which they hope will win them power so these ideas have to appeal to a large enough section of the electorate. The parties have to produce policies on a whole range of issues covering all aspects of politics if they are to be taken seriously as a potential government. This gives the voters a genuine choice of alternative packages to choose from. 3- Policy formulation is another role of the parties since they come up with the policy proposals which the voters can choose and then put those policies into action if they win the election. Hence, parties initiate the policies / ideas which then govern the nation in a wide variety of areas e.g. foreign policy, environment, health, education etc. In recent years, the parties have become less attached to ideas and are more willing to shape their beliefs and policies to respond to public opinion rather than leading people to follow them, and it can also be argued that parties now also deliberately keep their ideas and policies very vague and refuse to go into detail because this might antagonize voters and also open them to attack about the details. Nowadays, the number of programmatic parties has decreased, and they are in turn becoming catch all parties. Programmatic parties tend to have definite and fixed set of ideas and beliefs which they firmly believe in and which they can apply in all circumstances. However, parties have now become pragmatic that is they are willing to change ideas to suit changing circumstances. While the former were more interested in transforming society to bring it in line with their ideas over a long period of time, while the catch-all parties policies are designed to win the next elections and to deal only with current and short term issues. The programmatic parties aim to bring the people around to their way of thinking and to agree with their principles, while the latter seek to find out what the people want and then fit their ideas and policies to match so that they can gain popularity and elect candidates. Catch-all parties tend to change their policies on a regular basis to match changing circ umstances and public opinion, while the programmatic parties tend to stick to long held policies and not change them. 4- Representation is one of the main functions of political parties in a democracy. They are to serve the interests of their people as party representatives, and they are also supposed to represent the nation as a whole. Through representation, parties help to link the government to the people because they attempt to match their policies to public opinion as much as possible and then if they win the election they can carry out those policies hence, translating what the public wants into action. However, recently it has been argued that the parties are not representing those who elect them properly because many MPs are elected by a minority of their constituents, for instance, in Britain, the first past the post system means that MPs do not have to be chosen by a majority of the voters in their area. E.g. some Scottish seats the MP were elected with only 1/3 of the vote. Furthermore, the government itself can be elected to rule with minority of the vote.

Measure for Measure Essay: The Virtuous Isabella -- Measure for Measur

The Virtuous Isabella in Measure for Measure      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Measure for Measure is not a celebration of family values, the play points towards both the political virtuosity, which sustains the comic, and the humbler self-knowledge that preserves the integrity of the virtuoso. Human virtue can only be chosen in freedom, but we need not deny ourselves the opportunity of ensuring that this choice is not stifled by the subtly related powers of abstract intellectualism and carnal necessity    Isabella in Measure for Measure personifies innocent virtue. Isabella offers an example of the highest possible character; since she will not sacrifice her own honor or her brother's in order to save her brother's life.   She holds strong convictions as far as her morals are concerned, and considers her own soul and salvation. Pure; intelligent; beautiful, her outer beauty a reflection of her inner purity; loving, hers is an untested virtue that withstands the ultimate trial as shown in her appeal for mercy towards Angelo whom she believes to have ordered the execution of her brother. This action overcomes the questions aroused about her character when she is unwilling to sacrifice her virtue to save her brother's life. To finally allay all doubt as to how Isabella is "measured," the Duke's proposal at the end of the play stands as proof she has passed the test.    Isabella understands her chastity in a way that is largely similar to Angelo's austere virtue. We first meet her at the convent where she is about to become a nun, pleading for stricter restraint and discipline in an order already notorious for its austerity. Once she has taken her final vows, she will no longer be able to hold normal conversation with men:      "If yo... ...to plague and punish us."      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare's Isabella is portrayed as an upright young woman who remains true to her ideals. In human relationships ideals can be found out of line when in opposition to another's ideals, but this does not lessen Isabella's virtuous character in the least.      Works Cited and Consulted: Knight, G. Wilson. The Wheel of Fire: Essays in Interpretation of Shakespeare's Sombre Tragedies. London: Oxford UP, 1930. Leech, Clifford. "The 'Meaning' of Measure for Measure." Shakespeare Survey 3 1950 Rossiter, A. P. Angel with Horns and Other Shakespeare Lectures. Ed. Graham Storey. London: Longmans, Green, 1961. Shakespeare, William. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Ed. Alfred Harbage. 1969. Baltimore: Penguin, 1971. http://www.online-literature.com/view.php/measure/4?term=isabella      

Human Creativity and Spirit :: History Essays

Human Creativity and Spirit ABSTRACT: Values provide evidence of spirit in human life. Spirit is a creative mental force for realizing values, a force which shows signs of a superindividual growth and decline, a life of its own. This paper documents the historic rise and decline of several waves of human creativity. I also consider possible factors that would account for the rise and fall: the presence of new material, social encouragement and/or patronage, temperamental egotism on the part of creators, the attraction of pioneering talent, or a collective or superindividual spirit. Evidence for the life and character of spirit is furnished by the historical rise and fall of waves of human creativity. Examples of such waves are classical music, the Italian Renaissance, the German Renaissance, Greek philosophy, Christianity, modern science. The concept of spirit is meaningful. Our experience of value requires it. What are the sources of value? What gives them their authority? Reason, social conditioning, biological drives based on natural selection have all been proposed as sources. There is a great deal of truth in these proposals. However, reflection convinces us that none of these sources is alone sufficient, and even the three working together are not enough to account for all the values that motivate us. We shall support this conviction by argument in due course. Spirit is a hypothesis, as yet in early stages of definition, which provides a ground for otherwise unaccountable value phenomena. What is spirit? Negatively defined, spirit is a susceptibility to values that motivate us through our minds but need no rational foundation, outstrip and overpower socialization, and have no findable relation to species survival. Positively defined, spirit is a creative mental force for realizing values, a force which lives in us as individuals and which shows signs of a super-individual growth and decline, a life of its own. In this paper I search for the nature of spirit and its values in a wide-optic synthesis of waves of creation. As this synoptic view must range over many specialties, it is bound to raise doubts and objections in the minds of specialists. One cannot be a specialist in all the fields I shall discuss; as the same time, someone must take an overall view. Nothing is more obvious than that unrelieved specialization leads to loss of coordination and direction; the community of scholars is replaced by a collection of quarrelsome property owners. I ask specialists to take my communication as something to focus and correct, and I hope it will serve them as a stimulus to panoptic thinking.

Advertising to Youth

In the ever expanding world of consumerism and advertising, companies are constantly looking for new ways to sell their products to youth by making their commercials and campaigns more memorable than the competition; thus having to reinvent themselves. The youth generation has become the prime target because they have more spending power than ever before; because of more disposabel income, and increased avenues at their disposal in which to spend their money. Therefore companies spend an enormous amount of money on advertisement to ensure popularity and early brand loyalty.In the last decade, these superbrands are looking towards new and outrageous ways to capture young audiences, although these campaigns are appealing, how effective are they? This essay is meant to demonstrate how companies are reinventing themselves, whether their efforts are effective, and what possible implications these actions may have on youth during their teenage years, when they may be the most impressionabl e. As mentioned earlier, youth are incredibly important to the international market, in â€Å"The Advertising Age†, Jeff Jensen mentions that in todays youth market â€Å"Selling out is not only accepted, it’s considered hip† (Klein, pg. 5) Corporate sponsorships have become a regular occurrence, as a conglomerates advertise during large sport events, concerts and or even host entire contests . This provides for a perfect channel of penetration to a large amount of youth as they are usually key observers of these types of events. An example of this would be the how McDonald’s was a sponser of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. Throughout the two week duration of the games, McDonald’s sponsorship was seen everywhere, which was ironic considering that most food offered at McDonald’s is high in fat and cholesterol.Regardless of the facts, the company promoted themselves as a product of healthy active living by having athletes endorse their pro ducts. An earlier campaign featured pop icon Justin Timberlake collaborating with the Golden Arches, and creating the slogan and jingle â€Å"Im Lovin It†, which later furthered his own music career. The use of music to attract attention to a product has become a new advertising trend among numerous companies because it allows the organization to appear in tune with youth culture by using familiar songs, or artists to identify with the brand.A revolutionary effort made by automobile manufacturers such as Audi, Ford, Honda, and BMW has changed brand image by creating brand loyalty among â€Å"a whole new generation† and â€Å"chasing young buyers. † (Halliday, 16) In the case of Audi, they sponsored David Bowie’s concert, and asked fans to collaborate two of his hit songs for their next campaign; the winner would win a brand new Audi TT coupe. â€Å"The target for the contest [was] skewe[ed] to 20-something consumers, younger than Audi's traditional audie nce in their late 30s to early 50s† (Halliday, 16) As for BMW, their angle for targeting youth aged 15-30 years old was similarly clever.They sponsored young go-cart drivers by providing them with scholarships to race for BMW Formula USA professionally, not only helping build the winners careers, but have their new target audience identify with the drivers and therefore, the brand. In the past, luxury vehicles such as BMW and Audi were mostly marketed towards baby boomers, but marketers are starting to realize the market value of advertising to youth approaching an age when they start deciding what car they should identify with. This creates brand loyalty at an early age, that will hopefully generate sales for the companies later on.The above are all examples of how to secure brand loyalty among youth at an early age. Although the campaigns are ingenious marketing strategies, the repercussions may be serious. In the case of McDonald’s, there are some serious ethical iss ues centered around the fact that a restaurant that sells junk food is promoting itself as an alternative to a healthy lifestyle. Although they do offer â€Å"healthier† choices on their menu, their campaign during the Olympics featured the slogan â€Å"you don’t have to be an athlete to eat like one† featuring athletes like Patrick Chan eating a burger.These types of commercials tend to be misleading to young viewers to believe that athletes actually eat fast food. Even viewers that are aware McDonald’s is not a healthy choice might be more likely to purchase from the restaurant because of the constant advertising, and incentives such as official Olympic paraphernalia. The effect of the campaign was very successful, as McDonald’s generated a sales profit of 4. 8 percent worldwide higher than last February, with a predicted increased of 4 percent. In retrospect, luxury automobile makers advertising to youth may be a seemingly harmless alternative t o gaining future customers.But on closer inspection, the problem may lie deeper. By luxury models creating brand loyalty so early one, it gives the impression that any person can own an Audi or BMW, when in fact that is not the case. Many people will never be able to afford this type of vehicle, but by instilling a desire so early on, may cause some to live beyond their means, meaning going into debt to own an Audi, and have a false sense of accomplishment. On the other hand, a teen may desire these cars, and dedicate themselves to working hard so that one day they be able to afford one.There is no way to tell whether this will have a positive or negative effect of the consumer, as the campaign is only a start to the reinvention of two brands that have for many decades been deemed as appropriate for middle-aged adults. During the era of Old Hollywood, product placement was a small part of the movie making business, as corporate products were secondary to the script and story line. I n today’s conglomerate controlled society, advertisement becomes the main form of funding for a motion picture, thus in some cases controlling the whole integrity of the film.On television, certain shows are created around the product itself, and cleverly manipulated through repetition to instigate desire in the product. The prominence of this type of product placement is clearly visible in television and movie programming that is targeted at youth. An example is â€Å"America’s Next Top Model,† the corporate sponsor of the show is Cover Girl Cosmetics. The whole show is built around using the products, advertising them in the photo shoot campaigns, and again repeating the brand at the end during the elimination ceremony.The brand describes itself as youthful and fresh, the perfect brand for young girls. The models in the reality show all strive to win $100,000 contract with Cover Girl. Needless to say, this has been an incredibly well executed advertising campa ign, and it is endorsed by supermodel Tyra Banks, and is viewed by millions of young girls around the world. Last year Cover Girl’s revenue was US 79. 03 billion dollars. Even if only a smart per cent of young women buy the cosmetics because of the show, it is still a fantastic investment in advertising for the company.Many movies are following in the same trend by shamelessly centering their scripts around product placement, in some cases making it the focus of the entire movie. One extreme example in the satire comedy â€Å"Talladega Nights† starring Will Farrel. The film focuses around the advertisement of Nascar, Wonderbread, Old Spice, Perrier, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Applebees to name a few. The viewer is so overwhelmed by the amount of corporate sponsors, that they may fail to recognize that there is no true story line.This movie is meant for a young audience as it is filled with outrageously inappropriate and immature humor that ironically identi fies the fact that the movie is filled with product placement. This is a brilliant way to advertise numerous products because the movie does not deny the fact, which makes it almost acceptable to the audience because of the recognition of the fact. Shortly after the movie aired, Wonderbread started a new savvy campaign of their own, introducing a new whole wheat version of their bread that catered to children.There is no doubt that Wonderbread became the face of â€Å"Talladega Nights† and thus unforgettable. In the fight for youth audiences, companies are now spending millions of dollars on market research in the mission of finding out what is â€Å"trendy† and â€Å"cool. † In her article Niomi Klein identifies a different approach to researching the youth generation. â€Å"Cool Hunters: The legal stalkers of youth culture† (Klein, pg. 72) are used to investigate teenagers by large corporations into order to stay current within their advertising and pro ducts. Armed with their change agents and cool hunters, the superbrands become the perennial teenage followers, trailing the scent of cool wherever it led† (Klein, pg. 73) that brings reinvention to a whole new level. These marketers usually focus towards the ghettos of large cities, where subcultures start because of lack of money; these youth are forced to use their creativity to standout and build a self image against the status quo. Corporations such as Nike recognize trends in these communities, and use it towards the advent of a new campaign and line of clothing or shoes.The irony is that this trend is catered to suburban youth fabricated to look like the youth from the ghettos because â€Å"very often the most exciting outfits are from the poorest people. † (Klein, pg. 73) Wherever there is a new trend emerging, the superbrands will find some way to materialize it for their own profit. This creates a problem of originality as â€Å"no space has been left unbrand ed. † (Klein, 73) Youth may find it difficult to create an outstanding and alternative image for themselves that does not represent mass consumerism.There is also some ethical problems with this marketing trend as this could be seen as a new form of pirating ideas, and the compromising of privacy of the youth targeted in the ghettos. The trend of hip hop influence has spread to other companies such as Reebok, Tommy Hilfiger and even Levi’s as they use celebrity endorsements like 50 Cent, Puff Daddy and Jay-Z to further sell their reinvented brand images. In another effort to stand out and make a commercial unforgettable, some companies are going to extreme measures to create edgier content that abandons the use of musical inspired content, and uses shocking images in its place.One such company is Airwalk shoes which used body dismemberment and overflowing toilets as humor to create an â€Å"uncensored voice of the counterculture. † (Jensen, pg. 31) This campaign came into light after the success of dirty humor movies such as â€Å"There’s Something About Mary† and â€Å"Monty Python†. The first commercial hows an Airwalk consumer being chased by an angry motorist; and ends up losses some limbs in the process. After the ordeal is over, the loyal customer finds one of his dismemebered legs in order to get his Airwalk shoe back.The second commercial titled â€Å"Titanic† illustrated a young man sitting on the toilet which starts to overflow, and he does everything to keep his Airwalk shoes from getting wet. The approach of the outrageous was aimed to be more â€Å"viral†, by using the shocking images to gain more media placement among ESPN, MTV, and Much Music. The spokesperson for Airwalk was quoted saying â€Å"It won't be enough to just carpet-bomb consumers with your brand name [†¦ ] a brand better be compelling enough that consumers covet it. † (Jensen, pg. 1) The campaign was aimed towards a niche target audience of teenaged skateboarders that would appreciate the dirty humor, as they were thought to be as fearless and out-going as were the new 4 million dollar advertisements. Although they probably appealed to many young people, it most likely offended other viewers with the gut-wrenching content. This interesting approach could either work in favor of the company or against it; but by using such explicit humor may prove to be very limiting, as it may only appeal to a small audience, not generating as many sales.In the end, the campaign proved to be too extreme for MTV which asked the company to tone down the dismemberment approach. After reviewing just a few modes of advertisement towards youth, the question of how this effects them during their reflective years, leading into adulthood. In a review of cognitive studies done on youth ages 11-16 years old â€Å"had still not acquired an understanding of persuasive intent on a par with adult levels† (Nairn & Fine , pg. 449-450) Thus these children were not able to identify clearly that companies were advertising to them in order to sell a product.This makes it very dangerous because teenagers may start forming habits of consumption before they are able to identify them completely leading to the onset of the mass consumerism attitude. Children around the aged of 12 â€Å"do not show the expected increase in resistance to advertising† (Nairn & Fine, pg. 450), making them an easy target for brand loyalty and preference for corporations. Consequently, a child shown a movie clip introducing a brand would be more likely to choose that brand after seeing it; this was concluded by a study done by Auty and Lewis in the Psychology of Marketing.In light of this information, the ethical issues surrounding advertising to children and youth should be taken under great consideration. By possibly limiting the amount of commercials during youth programming would have a positive effect of limiting the effects of mass consumer culture. But in contrast, much of the programming aired for youth is sponsored by large corporations, and if commercials are cut down, so is the funding. Not only may advertising effect the future consumer practices of youth, but it also may effect their morals and values.Seeing crude material such as the Airwalk commercials may have some influence in their tolerance for such humor, and may make it acceptable in their eyes. Images of sexually explicit content may also have the same repercussions towards behavior as well as self image. In shows like â€Å"America’s Next Top Model†, the girls are portrayed as perfect because they are thin; youth may aspire to such ideals which may cause a negative self image towards themselves and others. Advertising is a powerful tool for many corporations, and they will constantly looking for new and exciting ways to capture the attention of youth.There numerous methods that make advertising almost inescapable. Every area of the environment becomes a commodity as advertising can be found on the floors and ceilings of buses, internet sites, and even in washrooms stalls. But what the youth of today have is more information at their disposal that they can use to combat large corporations, and be able to identify what these companies are doing. They can use this information to generate their own income by using sites like YouTube, or use what they know against the corporations to ban advertising to young children.

Tystiolaeth Cyflawniad/Performance evidence record Essay

SYLWER Gall eich asesydd ofyn cwestiynau llafar yn berthynas i’r gweithgaredd hon. Sicrhau eu bod yn cael eu cofnodi yn y bocs priodol. Bydd rhaid i’r person sydd wedi ardystio/arsylwi arwyddo y dudalen olaf NB Your assessor may wish to ask you some questions relating to this activity. Ensure they are either recorded in the performance evidence or on a â€Å"Questioning record. The person who observed/witnessed your activity must sign and date the last page. Dyddiad y gweithgaredd Date of activity Uned Unit CD LO Tystiolaeth y perfformiad Performance evidence Good staff are the key point to a successful business. They need to be the right person for the right role. A poor staff member can cost time and money and can in turn bring a lack of confidence in the Company by the authorities which use our services. IT is therefore imperative that the recruitment criteria to followed and adhered to. We have a recruitment and selection policy ( see evidence 1) We have to cover all aspects in the legislation needed for the health and social care industry. These include: Asylum and Immigration Act 1996. Data Protection Act 1998. Care Standards Act 2000. Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. Health and Social Care Act 2008. Equality Act 2010. We also have to cover Regulations in Health and Social Care, these include: Health and Social Care Act 2008. Employment Equality Regulation (religion or belief and Sexual orientation) 2003. Employment Equality Regulation (age) 2006. Part time Workers Regulation 2000. There may be times when criminal convictions or cautions are disclosed on an application form or at interview stage. Some of these convictions or cautions may require us as a company to seek specialist help to discover the full story of the offence. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 allows some convictions to be ignored after a certain rehabilitation period. The reasoning behind this is so that the person holding the conviction will not have a lifelong ‘scar’ on their record if it has been a minor offence in their past. Once the rehabilitation period is spent and no other convictions are made, in certain instances the person may not need to disclose the conviction, if for example applying for a job. In adults the normal  rehabilitation is 5 years for non- custodial sentences, 7 years for custodial sentences up to 6 months and 10 years for custodial sentences over 6 months and up to 2  ½ years Any custodial sentence over 2  ½ can never be spent.. The period for young offenders is normally half that of an adult. Jobs in the care sector are exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and all applicants must under- go and pass an enhanced DBS (disclosure and barring service)previously known as CRB (criminal records bureau) Huntley and Carr, Soham murders 2002. Ian Hunley had slipped through the net on his CRB as police had entered his name incorrectly and the wrong date of birth. Even with many previous allegations against children, none had resulted in any conviction, but the school were aware of his past history but still employed him. Home Secretary David Blunkett stated he would start an investigation into the ‘vetting system’ In this case police have declared they should have checked identity input was correct and that all previous allegations which were held on file should have been further investigated. Serious case review of Carefirst 24 based in Surry. Domiciliary care company were employing illegal immigrants. Police and local council did emergency planning to remove clients from Carefirst 24 and place with other agencies. When Carefirst 24 offices were raided several self- funding clients were found, these too were placed with other agencies. Unfortunately Mrs Foster had been over looked and was left with no care for almost 9 days, her care package was 4 calls daily. When she was finally found by a district nurse and admitted to hospital she was in a very poor state of health. She consequently died. During the enquiry it was found that there had been no multi agency communication i.e. gps visiting but unable to gain access due to not knowing key safe number, then not following up the appointment. The recommendations in domiciliary based care are to: Involve service user in their care plan and assessment, this should be done with face to face contact. Legible, dated and signed attendance logs should be kept for each visit. Quality control procedures to be in place to detect any service deficiencies immediately. The manager, supervisors and care  staff should show a full commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all service users in their care at all times. No matter how large or small a company is, it is important to supply an up to date detailed job description to all employees, describing job requirements, reporting to higher post routine and expected performance standards. It is advisable to have two interviewers on the panel. A pre prepared list of questions should be asked to each interviewee and a scale of answers which should be given. I need to ask questions such as, Do you have any problems with giving personal care? Do you have access to a reliable car, due to accessing some service user’s homes? I also have to gain knowledge into their flexibility to working hours, their knowledge of both Welsh and English communication. I also wish to discover if the applicant has any previous experience or training qualifications. During interview I can also learn about their personality, team player abilities, emotional stability, confidence and their future goals. A lot can be learnt about the interviewees in their body language, are they confident/nervous relaxed/up tight, easy going/strict, good communicator or reluctant to engage in general conversation. Part of the interview includes double checking their application form with them, so that their answers are fully understood. This gives me the opportunity to make sure no needed information is missing, such as breaks in employment or residences. The latter will be needed for the DBS process. I also ask if they know of any reason why we should not be able to gain a reference from any of the 3 named referees given, (these referees have to be telephoned to confirm they are the person named and that they have completed the reference form themselves) I also give the interviewee another chance to declare anything which may show up on a DBS. If I feel an applicant is suitable for the role they have applied for, I post out an application successful letter. This states that the offer is made on the receipt of successful references and DBS check. The offer can be withdrawn if these are not clear. Our methods and criteria to recruit new staff are the same at all levels. When an application form is received, it is read by 2 senior members of staff and at this point it is decided if an interview is to be given. If a verbal offer of employment is given, it must also be followed up in writing. Health and Social care roles have a strict vetting system, which is normally safe and reliable. But as already pointed out with the Soham case things can go wrong. I promote honesty and openness at interviews as some convictions can be considered. If a person is recruited who is wrong for the organisation and role this can lead to quick staff turnover and increased costs for the organisation. It could also lower the morale of existing staff due to new employee not ‘fitting in’ with the team by not working well in their role. It is important that any new employee has flexibility and commitment but they also need to have the passion to listen and learn. In the domiciliary care organisations continuous recruitment is ongoing. This is due to continuing expansion and needing trained staff in place before new service users can be taken on. Whilst interviewing it is important for the interviewer to smile and encourage the interviewee to feel relaxed. If an interviewee appears nervous this is not a sign of them being unsuitable for the role. Some individuals generally find interviews a nerve wracking situation but they are relaxed in all other situations. One of the questions I ask is, ‘why have you applied to become a community care assistant with this company’. I find the answer to this question is invaluable. I can discover if the candidate is really interested in the role or that it ‘just a job or the DWP have made them apply for any job just to keep receiving their benefits. We advertise our vacancies through the local job centre and on internet media sites. We also advertise internally for higher positions vacant. These are still subject to an interview with the existing employee, although this is an easier interview as so much is already known about the applicant and their work standards.

Creating an Inviting Classroom Environment Essay

In this fastback, the authors make two major contentions in their introduction to this pamphlet. The first is that how a school looks does affect how everyone who goes there feels about it- and what goes on inside it. Furthermore, the authors assert that, while circumstances usually prohibit teachers from changing the entire school, they can and should make a difference in their own classrooms. In this review I will be addressing these two major premises (Jones 8). I totally agree with the authors that the way a school looks affects people’s perception of the school as well as what goes on in it. Blackford High School is a perfect example to support this theory. BHS is and always has been well maintained and groomed. When I first interviewed for employment here ten years ago, I asked the principal if the school was relatively new I was shocked when he told me that the school was in fact 21 years old. I feel that when people drive by our school they get a good impression of it. Additionally, I am very proud of our facility when I have personal or professional guests at school. (Brown 69). I also agree with the authors that this precept also hold true for individual classrooms Harrison and Bullock gave examples of two contrasting classes to prove that an inviting environment and housekeeping are critical to student achievement/performance. One classroom was cluttered, outdated, and impersonal- an uninviting dump. The other classroom was neat, orderly, yet warm, inviting, comfortable, and user-friendly. I agree with the authors that the second classroom was the ideal and the one that is more conducive to student learning. Furthermore I agree with the reasons to focus on environment that they have identified (psychologically positive, quality lighting, noise, etc. ) However I strongly disagree with them when they contend facility size and age are not factors when creating an environment pleasant classroom. After surveying students, teachers, and parents as to what they thought was important to a classroom environment (furniture, aesthetics, comfort, instructional items, and professional items. ) Finally they made recommendations as how best to use these categorical items to create the ideal classroom. It is these suggestions and the implication that I can incorporate them that I have a problem with. Size IS a factor. My room is crammed with the â€Å"essentials† of school operation. In my room you will find a teacher desk, 33 student desks, one teacher computer station, one small book case which holds my personal professional books as well as paperbacks for students, a raised platform and podium for speech performances, a radio soundboard cart and an additional small table with a boom box for radio classes and one small teacher work table. I don’t have any room. I can stand at the front edge of my desk and touch the first row of student desks (I don’t even have to reach). The students in the back row can turn around and touch the back wall of the room. Much to my dismay, I am not going to be afforded additional space in which to conduct speech and radio classes. Furthermore, I am not going to be given individual classroom temperature controls or a phone. It is a fact that I come to accept. I would LOVE to have, as suggested, tables and desks, a comfort space for reading, student storage space, and any number of the other items they suggested. However, it will not happen at Blackford High School.

Time and Money Management

Time and money management are integral parts of being a college student. With class, homework, and extracurricular activities, many students struggle to find enough time in the day to do everything they need to and still get enough sleep. Also, many college students are unable to manage their money while buying food and other luxuries. After reviewing the articles posted on these topics, some key ideas jumped out to help make me a more effective person. The first topic that was researched was time management.This is very important for a student to be more effective throughout their day and waste less time. Many college students have a tendency to be lethargic throughout the day and then cram their work into the night. After reading the articles on time management, the main tip to help solve this tendency is to plan your day. This will cut down on the dead time you have and will also prevent you from ever getting bored. The tips however were based upon knowing yourself including your tendencies and personality.The first step was to analyze yourself and what your goals are. By determining your goals, a person can decide how strict they want their daily routine to be and how much free time they want to allocate themself. Another tip is to identify possible time-wasters. These will change for each person but is a very helpful hint. If a person knows what their time-wasters are, they can avoid situations where they come up and also escape them easier when they are faced with a time-waster. These time-wasters include procrastination, interruptions, and lack of planning.These are all things that plague me and knowing my potential time-wasters has helped me find places to do my work that will limit my distractions. The second topic that was researched was money management. This is important for college because kids are on their own and cannot depend on their parents to track their money for them. Keeping money management tips in mind will help college students keep mon ey in their bank account and feel safe monetarily. The first tip in the article is to track your spending.This is important because many people lose track of how much they have spent and do not realize it until it is too late. The next step in managing money is getting a plan to budget your money and decide how much money will be allotted for different things. Money should be allotted for food, clothes, and hobbies or relaxing purchases such as a cd or a videogame. Another tip is to limit the use of credit cards when making purchases. Many students get in the habit of using their credit cards losing track of much they have spent.The next tips focus on realizing that you may not be able to purchase everything you want. This is tough for many people and the article suggests that even if you do make a mistake and blow your budget, just make up for it the next week. Looking ahead and saving money for bills or purchases in the future can help with money management a lot as well. The last and one of the most useful tips the article gives is recognizing how you can utilize your roommate in managing your money. You can delegate responsibilities and split expenses with your roommate as much as possible, making college much easier and cheaper.The articles posted on time and money management were very helpful. The best tip I got from the time-management article was â€Å"The 4 D’s of Time Management. † The four D’s include, â€Å"do it†, â€Å"delegate it†, â€Å"dump it†, â€Å"defer it†. Each D applies to a different situation you might encounter while trying to do work and provides a solution for dealing with it. The four D’s are easy to remember and give you basic principles to fall back on when you are faced with a distraction. The best tip I got from money management was to limit how much I use my credit card and to try and use cash more often.Studies show students spend 30% more when using a credit card becau se there is no sense of a limit like there would be if they used cash. All of these tips reminded me of the time I went out to dinner with a girl and when I tried to pay the check with my credit card, my card cancelled because I had spent all of the money in my account without knowing it. This was embarrassing and luckily I had some cash with me to pay but I learned my lesson. Now with the money management tips I have learned, this will not happen again.After reading the money and time management articles, I am more prepared to navigate through college by myself. They each gave easy tips to remember and make you a more effective manager. I would suggest these articles to all of my friends because they were helpful to me and they came from reliable sources. Most articles I came across had similar ideas but there are specific ideas that will stick to me from both articles I chose. For me, knowing my time-wasters and limiting the use of my credit card were the biggest tips I got from e ach article.

Alexander the Great vs. Cyrus the Great

In our past, we have had many leaders. Some were better than others, but what must a leader do to acquire the label â€Å"great†? Of course, one could simply go by the definition of the word and deem the leader â€Å"above average†. Did the great ones of ancient times exceed these standards or were they just above average like a standard dictionary would have us believe. Let us focus on two â€Å"great† leaders of our past by the names of Alexander and Cyrus. Both of these kings were famous for the way they ran their empires but were they both, so called, great? Cyrus the Great was the first king of the Achaemenid Empire. While he was king, he freed 4,000 Jews from Babylon. He also founded a new capital, invented the first postal system, and was mentioned 22 times in the old testament. Not only did he build one of the most powerful empires in ancient times, but he made its glory last by organizing it and expressing his tolerance of different races and religions. Alexander the Great lost his father and became a king at the age of 20. While he was king, he expanded Macedonian territory. He did this through conquest and was never defeated in battle. In fact, he conquered half of what was known in the world at the time. He also founded a city in Egypt and named it â€Å"Alexandria† (after himself, of course) and Wheatley2 discovered trade routes in Asia. But, because of the excellent battle strategies he was known for, he is often called the greatest military leader of all time. These great leaders were very different in the ways that they ran their kingdoms, but they did have some things in common. For one, they both had large and exceptional empires. Also, they were both born princes and became kings of small kingdoms and sought through conquest to enlarge them. But the biggest comparison I found was that it was said Cyrus had an influence on Alexander. In my opinion, Alexander did the most to signify his existence and roles in ancient times. He was an amazing leader and was known to never lose a battle. As another example, he expanded his empire greatly by doing what he was best at. Battle took him and his kingdom far and that’s something people wouldn’t soon forget. When it comes to contribution to the subject of Western Civilization, I do believe that Cyrus takes home the gold. After all, he came before Alexander did. What is a leader without his inspirations? He freed Jewish slaves, created the first postal service, and created the greatest, most-powerful empire in ancient times. If it weren’t for him and his examples, perhaps Alexander wouldn’t have been so infamous for his tactics in ruling his kingdom. I guess the people we call â€Å"great† these days are not as wonderful as they seem. Maybe if people took a look into our past at the real great ones, the leaders in our present would only be average.