Mangerial Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mangerial Economics - Assignment Example Since sports is an inelastic product, the increase of price for the sports package from $10 to $25 did not have an effect on the quantity demanded. As noted by Gelles and Mitchell (260), although it increases the MC, the fixed costs remain the same. When we have zero fixed costs, the marginal cost is constant. When StarHub raised the price of the sports package from $7 to $15, the MC remained the same since all cable TV providers pay the content providers a royalty based on the number of subscribers of the content. The increase in content resulted in more subscribers subscribing to the service thus an increase to 504, 000 as at December 2007. Considering that sports is an inelastic product, an increase in price is unlikely to cause a substantial change in the quantity of demand. Therefore, the change that was relevant to StarHub’s pricing of cable television services was the increase of sports package from $10 to $15 since the marginal cost was low. The thematic basic packages need to be reduced from $32.95 to $ 22.95 monthly. The price of the sports package need not to be doubled but increased from $7 to $12 so to reduce the marginal costs. Furthermore, the basic packages need to be increased annually by $3. Lastly, being an inelastic product, the sports package need to be increased from $10 to $30 to cater for the initial costs and operational costs. According to Gilles and Mitchell (261), a firm does charge a price that is beyond the marginal

Discuss the Types of Unemployment and the Benefits of Controlling It In the UK Essay Example for Free

Discuss the Types of Unemployment and the Benefits of Controlling It In the UK Essay Unemployment is the number of people out of work who are actively seeking employment at the current wage rates. To be actively seeking work you must be of working age: 16-64 for males and 16-59 for females and not economically inactive. That means you cannot be in full time education, be on a training scheme, have retired early or be raising children at home. To measure unemployment in the UK the government uses two methods to quantify the rate. The first is the Labour Force Survey, in a monthly survey of a sample of households representing the entire population. The surveys are based on the activities of each person of working age in the households, within a one week period. A person who did any work during that week for pay or profit, worked 15 hours or more as an unpaid worker in a family business, or had a job from which he or she was temporarily absent, is counted as employed. A person who was not working but was looking for work or was on a temporary lay-off and available to take a job is counted as unemployed. The second is the claimant count, where the governments collect figures on the number of people claiming unemployment benefits from the DSS. This second method often gives lower values as they is likely to be many people who do not except the benefits, purely on principal or because they do not need the extra cash. There are five main types of unemployment which all affect the economy in different ways. These are cyclical or demand deficient unemployment, frictional unemployment, seasonal unemployment and structural unemployment. The first of these, cyclical or demand deficient unemployment is based around what will happen to demand in a recession. When the economy goes into a recession there is a rise in unemployment as there is insufficient demand within the economy. This is really only a short term cause to unemployment, because when in recession the economy is in disequilibrium. However macroeconomic forces will work to restore the economy to its long run equilibrium, however in the short run there will be unemployment. In a recession the demand curve will shift left to D2. With the wage rate remaining constant at W in the short term there will be unemployment of GE created. In response macroeconomic forces will cause one of two changes. Either the economy will move out of recession, causing the demand curve to shift right and back to the equilibrium point of W , E. Else if the economy stays in recession the forces will cause the wage rate to drop to Y and cause the number of workers employed to rise to F. However as the economy moves out of recession the demand curve will shift right, causing the economy to move back towards its equilibrium at W , E. The second types of unemployment, frictional unemployment is the term used to define workers who have recently lost a job and are in short term unemployment until they find further employment. There is always turnover of labour in a free market, so frictional unemployment is not regarded as a major problem. Seasonal unemployment is when workers work within an industry that only requires them to be employed at certain times of the year. For example in the tourist industry workers tend to work in the summer, but are then laid off in autumn months before taking up their jobs again the next spring. There is very little that can be done to prevent seasonal unemployment in a market where the demand for labour varies throughout the year. Structural unemployment is when the demand for labour is less than the supply in an individual labour market. There are three main examples of this. Regional unemployment, where different areas of the country have different rates of unemployment and because of a lack of factor mobility, labour is not able to freely move between regions and balance unemployment. Sectoral unemployment is when workers from one industry are unable to adapt to a different industry, therefore not being able to follow the changes in demand. Finally if technological unemployment, where technology advances and replaces manual labour, therefore without retraining workers would not have the skills to operate these machines and therefore would not be suitable for the demand of labour. Controlling the rate of unemployment in the UK is going to be a key element in the performance of the UK economy. The rate of unemployment is directly related to real GDP. So in both the short run and the long run if the economy is to grow then unemployment most be controlled. The rate of unemployment will also determine the kind of policy the government will have in place to boost the economy, although this is also based on the type of government in power. The current labour government are Keynesian economists and believe that in the long run there may be mass unemployment. They also use fiscal policy, which is a demand side policy. So their economic goals will depend a lot on the long term unemployment levels that are predicted. If the government are predicting a period of sustained unemployment they are likely to be aiming at lowering inflation. Whereas if they predict full employment they can aim for increased GDP. Because of the shape of the long run aggregate supply curve, both these goals can be achieved without altering any other elements of the economy. To lower inflation the demand function would need to be shifted left. This could be achieved by an increase in the National Insurance contributions of workers. This would cause more of peoples income being taken in taxation leaving them with less money to spend on goods and services, which would cause a decrease in the total demand in the economy. To help increase economic growth the total demand in the economy would need to be increased. This would need a shift left in the demand function, which could be caused by a fall in interest rates. This would cause more people to borrow money and less to save, leaving more money in the economy which will increase the demand for goods and services. If unemployment can be kept low then the costs of unemployment are minimised as well. Not only do the government have to spend less on unemployment benefits but also have less trouble with crime and vandalism, which will also save them valuable money. Also everyone will have more money to spend, not only the previous unemployed, but also previous taxpayers as the government will require less money from them. This will increase total money in the economy and cause the aggregate demand to shift right, which will cause the growth of the economy to increase. So sustainable unemployment is good for the economy as it enables the government to set goals and work towards them around the long term predictions for unemployment rates. This is only an option if unemployment is kept in a boundary. Else if it is too fluctuated then it is hard to judge what the government will need to do from one day to the next. However controlling unemployment may not always be a good thing. For example because unemployment is directly related to economic growth, if you are controlling unemployment then you are also controlling economic growth. This will not be a good thing as the economy is at its most efficient when economic growth is climbing at a rate constant to the economy, not controlled by the government.

Applying Theory To Practice Problem Nursing Essay

Applying Theory To Practice Problem Nursing Essay This paper focuses on use of Betty Neuman systems Model in practice using a case study. The model focuses to finding a solution for a patient is none compliance with his care at home after being discharged. This case is a case that involves a patent who is discharged from hospital after treatment for a cognitive heart failure. The patient none compliance involves the continuing with the habit of smoking. This habit results chest pains which are because of the smoking habits. This model is selected for the practice to reflect the congruency that exists between the practitioners values and the assumptions of the model. The Neuman model perceived clients as being in a state of dynamic equilibrium with the environment. The environment is also considered a perceptual field that surrounds each person. Neumann has focused on the stress factors and the reaction of each person to the condition that bring about the stress. She brought forth the conviction that stress factors comprise the environment. The further argued that the disequilibrium in the body system that is caused the stress as a tension. This tension act as the stimuli, which has the potential of causing the illness to the individual that, is suffering from the stress. The environment is subdivided into two components that include the internal and external factor. The internal factors comprises of the forces that occur within an individual or intrapersonal stress factor. In our case, the example is smoking which the patient is involved in after being discharged. The external environment consists of interpersonal stress factors that result from interaction with other individuals. This is in terms of changes in the roles that can bring about stress to an individual. The physiological issues in patient perspective involve things like the ability to see, hear, and have mobility. There other things like the ability to breath, sleeping, feeling, eating, speaking, and the vital signs. This variable focuses on the physiological well being of the patient. By ensuring, that all this things are in appropriate in the patient the health can be guaranteed the way for them. The psychological variables involve the non-verbal behavior, attitudes, coping pattern, and response to stress. These things focus on the psychological status of the patient. Therefore, by ensuring that the patient psychological status is appropriate one can be able to facilitate the things that ensure the well-being of the patient is considered. There are various expectations in this variable that are recognized through evaluation of the patients behaviors and the way the patient handle stress. The social variable reflects much on the individuals values and culture. This is by exploring the social and cultural functions of the individual. This can be mainly approached in terms of the way this functionality influences the life of the individual. There are certain cultural believes that affect the life of a given individual negatively in terms of undergoing the medication. This is by getting involved in things that affect their well-being after the discharge form hospital. The other dimension is the developmental variable, which focuses on the process of life in an individual. This is in terms of the factors that are related to the present situation and they have an influence on the situation. The developmental dimensions in the human life make them to move from one stage in life to the other as time goes by. Therefore, the main objective of this variable is to determine how this change of development is affecting the particular patient in the problem. The other variable, which is considered significant in the life of a patient, is the spiritual variable. This focuses on the aspect of spirituality on a continuum from entire awareness of an individual. The patient may also be in a condition of denial to a consciously developed high level of spiritual understanding. There is a lot of usefulness to understand the spiritual well being of the patient since it can also contribute to the provision of quality health care services that will be beneficial to them. There is a way that a client perceives a stressor. In our case, the patient is concern about the fact that he had experienced the chest pain. This problem interfered with the way he undertook his daily activities before he was hospitalized. The patient can even find it hard to do all he wanted to do. This experience with a health problem is difficult to describe how he is planning to deal with other situation. His expectations are to carry on with his daily routine after being discharged from the hospital and recovering. It would be definitely be a source of stress if he does not manage to accomplish what he intend to after the experience with the illness. There is also a way in which a nurse perceives the stressors which is different from the perspective of the patient. The perception is through assessment of the patient by the nurse concerning the problem he is experiencing. According to the nurse perspective, the patient is not able to alter the way of living after the hospitalization. This becomes the reason why the patient is still suffering from the chest pains. It is evident that is the patient is continuing with the initial habit of smoking he is still bound to continue experiencing the pains in the chest. This is despite the fact that the individual have never coped with the same problem in the past. Therefore, the nurse perceives the stressor as being the behaviors that the patient gets involved in after the discharge from the hospital. There are short-term goals that the nurses focus on achieving in order for them to ensure that the patient has received quality health care. One of these goals is for the patient to stop suffering from this chest pains. The other goal is to make the patient to learn to live in a way that will facilitate his recovery. The next goal is to facilitate the increase of the tolerance of the patient to his daily activity. There are also some long-term goals that the nurses are focused on achieving in terms of treating the patient. These long-term goals entail the creation of an optimal degree of harmony and balanced between his external and internal environment. This is in terms seizing smoking habit, attaining the deal weight and development of a lifestyle which commensurate with a satisfying and fulfilling retirement. The nurses are also bound to prevent the invasion of stressors by providing the resources that strengthen the patients system and coping with positive functioning. This is though motivating the patient and using stress as a positive intervention strategy. The nurses can also engage in mobilizing the patients internal and external resources focusing on the achieving stability. They can also seek to maintain the stability through educating and reorienting the patients system as required. Conclusively, this model is considered to provide a reliable guide of different levels of nursing education. The models have managed to incorporate all the significant variables that enable the patient to improve in their conditions. The model lastly focuses on the way the patient can be encouraged to be involved in a good lifestyle. Â   Â   Â   Â  

The Impact of Technology Essay example -- Technology Technological Pap

The Impact of Technology With all of the new technology forcing itself into our lives, many of us can't help but get sucked into the excitement. So as we struggle to figure out where the future is heading, we ask ourselves is it good or bad? In my opinion, it's a little bit of both. Everything we do uses technology. The computer that I typed this on is one of them. On page 28 in the textbook, there is a short story on how much we use computers daily. Our watches, ATMs, cars, TV’s, and Radio's all use computers to work. Imagine our lives without it. It would be tough, right? People have grown so used to the advantages of technology, life without it would be difficult for most of us. Cell phones are a very popular technology. People can be seen every day talking or carrying around a cellular phone. In larger cities they're seen almost everywhere. They can be used for business and personal use, and they are a important thing to have when in an emergency. Technology changes every day making our society more and more advanced. A February 17, 2004 article from the Detroit Free Press talks about a new watch that does more than tell time. According to the article, you can customize the data your watch will receive and display. Plus you can set the watch to receive MSN instant messages, display your calendar appointments (if you have Outlook 2000 mail software), receive local, national and international weather data, and show news and custom stock information. The MSN Direct network uses FM radio band to transmit information to anywhere that can receive its radio reception. The watch receives its data from the FM signals and displays it on the watch. The watch is called the "Smart Watch" and is made by Fossil. The watch is r... ...be Delphi's XM Roady. Designed only for your vehicle it works through your tape player like the SKYFi model. The Raody costs about $119. I'm sure XM Satellite radio will become extremely popular. The idea of no commercials and more than 100 channels can suck just about anyone in. But how long will it be before commercials take over that too? Who knows, maybe commercials will have their own channel before too long. XM Satellite radios sound like a great idea and a great buy, but I think I'll be waiting until they get a little cheaper. For the most part I believe the future is heading in a good direction, with a lot more convenience for everyone. However, we need to be aware of the problems that can occur if we rely solely on technology. If there is a power outage, or you have an "opportunity," you won't be able to rely on computers or technology to help you.

Psychoanalytic Perspectives of the Oedipus Mythology Essay

Patricide and incest form the thesis and message that Sophocles began with the creation of Oedipus the King. In the plays that followed, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone, Sophocles expounded upon what would become one of the most profound archetypes in psychoanalysis. To best interpret the Oedipus trilogy, a look will be taken into the construction of the plays themselves, followed by an interpretation of the plays’ parallels and the inception of the Oedipus Complex based upon a psychoanalytic perspective. To begin with, Sophocles wrote what became known as the Oedipus trilogy over a period of more than forty years which indicates the profound immersion that he plainly had in the Oedipus saga. Each play is a self-contained chronicle representing his dramatic theme of redemption from the sin of patricide and incest, and yet, the arch between the three Theban plays highlights the message that Sophocles refused to relieve himself from, and which consumed nearly his entire life. While this may seem of little importance to reading the Oedipus trilogy itself, Sophocles did not write them in the order represented in nearly every anthology. As David Grene notes, â€Å"as far as the legend is concerned, the story runs in sequence: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone† (p. i). Their order of conception, instead, went: Antigone, Oedipus the King, and then Oedipus at Colonus (p. i), which presents a few inaccuracies within the story itself (mainly with the character and actions of Creon, Jocasta’s brother). From this birth order, â€Å"the series, therefore, cannot have formed a [true or literal] trilogy†¦beyond the fact that each of the three plays deals with the situation in the Oedipodean family history, there is no unity of theme or treatment between them† (Watling). Moreover, â€Å"except for the obvious links of fact connecting them, each constitutes a fresh approach to a distinct and self-contained problem† (13). Roughly, this means that while most anthologies present the three Theban plays in a chronological order for the character Oedipus, the fact remains that each could be read without knowledge of the others and the same theme and message would be received—which, based upon Sophocles’ life-long obsession with the story, must have been his justification for the story that kept evolving. The reasoning behind the order and placement of the plays within anthologies is sound, however, because, while the stories may be self-contained, the arch of Oedipus is the link that literally turns the plays into a trilogy. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus, as prophecy had predicted, kills his father, King Laius, and marries his mother, Queen Jocasta, bearing at least four children in the process who, in the play Antigone, are revealed as Antigone, Ismene, Eteocles, and Polyneices. After learning of his horrible actions, Oedipus exiles himself as he had proclaimed would be the fate of the brute capable of murdering King Laius, and subsequently blinds himself in the hopes of finding redemption for his unforgivable sins. While Oedipus at Colonus is the second play in the anthologies, it is the literal ending for Oedipus. He is taken to the city of Colonus by his loving daughters, Antigone and Ismene, because, as he had learned from the oracle in Oedipus the King, he was meant to find his final resting place there. Moments before his end, Oedipus realizes that his sins of patricide and incest weren’t truly sinful because he committed the acts out of ignorance alone, and it is in this moment, and despite everything he has faced in his quest for redemption that Zeus absolves Oedipus of his sins and he passes, with peace, into the afterlife. In Antigone, Oedipus is little more than a plot reference to get the play started. His only mention is in the opening lines and is that, following his self-imposed exile from the city of Thebes in Oedipus the King, Oedipus had made a prediction that his sons would be arrogant enough to fight over his throne and kill each other. Thus the play begins with the deaths of Eteocles and Polyneices. The play itself follows the actions of Antigone and her husband Creon, who is the cause for much speculation from most scholars due to his not-so advanced age. As the timeline goes, Creon is Jocasta’s brother and would have been Oedipus’ senior by many years or, at the very least, would have been as old as Oedipus himself. As Antigone is Oedipus’ daughter, and Creon is said to be â€Å"a vigorous middle-aged father of a youthful son† (Watling, 13), scholars debate as to the accuracy of Sophocles’ character creation and question as to his motives in retelling the story in as many forms as he did, with an outstanding flaw. Creon’s deviation notwithstanding, it is the minor and insignificant role of Oedipus in the play Antigone that marks the main reason that most anthologies place Antigone last in the order of the Oedipus mythology, even though the timeline would, as Sophocles thought in writing them, place Oedipus at Colonus last, due to the play’s depiction of the last days of Oedipus’ life. This, in itself, is significant in understanding the psychological aspects of the Oedipus trilogy. Now, while readers will never know the true meaning behind the order of the Oedipus mythology, the fact remains that Sophocles wrote within an archetype and character arch with the intentions of presenting his dramatic theme—and it took three tries to get it out as he desired. What he created, however, demonstrates a truth about the self-discovery of the individual and the path to redemption that marks a significant aspect of the growth of the human being. To best define this journey, a psychoanalytic perspective will now be taken into Sophocles’ main theme and message. From an analysis of his work, Sophocles â€Å"shares [a] concern with finding truth in a world of appearances and is influenced, even if indirectly, by the new theories about language: the problem of the relation of words to reality, and the power of words to deceive, to win unjust causes, and to confuse moral issues† (Segal, 7). More, the plays are â€Å"almost certainly a response to events of [his] period. An unexpected, supernatural-seeming disaster suddenly sweeps away brilliant hopes; confidence in human reason and calculation is shattered, and greatness swiftly turns into misery† (9). Sophocles saw the rise and fall of powerful nations, and it makes sense that he would take what he had seen and created his rendition of events that had transpired in a literary form that he could show the world. And it is from this basis that scholars have debated over the purpose and parallels behind the two main cities present within the plays of Sophocles. Often, the city of Athens is compared to a man’s relationship with himself, whereas the city of Thebes represents the conflict between man and his father. Indeed, â€Å"the figure of Oedipus [is] a distillation of Athens at the height of its power, energy, daring, intellectual curiosity, and confidence in human reason† (Segal, 11). As the historical context of the city of Athens was surely an influence in Sophocles’ making of the Oedipus trilogy, a direct parallel from the destruction of Athens to the destruction of Oedipus the powerful leader can be drawn. More, â€Å"it is even possible that Oedipus’ search for who he really is reflects something of a communal identity crisis in a city that had undergone a massive transformation in a short time and had refashioned itself from a rather quiet, traditional aristocracy and tyranny in the sixth century into a radical, intellectualized democracy and a powerful empire† (Segal, 11). This parallel, of Oedipus to the grand city of Athens, does much to lend weight to Sophocles’ theme of destiny and the gods marking a path for man. For, as Athens rose in power, so too, it fell because it committed sins and transgressions to great to find redemption from along the way. As for the city of Thebes, there lies a direct correlation to Sigmund Freud’s theory of conflict between man and his father which represents a direct parallel to Oedipus’ exile from the city of his king-making. Freud suggested that â€Å"the play fascinates us so much†¦not because it dramatizes ‘the contrast between destiny and human will,’ but because ‘there must be something which makes a voice within us ready to recognize the compelling force of destiny’† (Segal, 59). From this theory, Freud defined that the â€Å"‘destiny’ is the universal necessity to which all of us (or at least all males) are subject—namely, the wishes that remain from our buried animal nature to kill the father and possess the mother† (59). And it is this destiny upon which Sophocles created his foundation and archetype. As a basis for his theory, Freud determined that the oracle was a direct parallel to the subconscious mind, citing that â€Å"this disguising of Oedipus’ unconscious desires in the form of an oracle from the gods not only lets the unconscious become visible but also accounts for the feeling of guilt that we have about these unconscious desires, even though we are not guilty of any crime† (Segal 59-60). Even more, Freud speculated that â€Å"Oedipus’ eagerness to punish himself, with no attempt at self-defense, corresponds to the inner conviction of guilt that stems from these unconscious desires† (60). Because Oedipus immediately set out to punish himself and find redemption for his actions, despite the fact that he did them in ignorance, then, suggests that in his subconscious, Oedipus did indeed have desires to kill his father and physically and sexually possess his mother. For, as Freud theorized, in his actions following his revelation, Oedipus confessed his own guilt. If, perhaps, Oedipus had sought to defend himself on the basis that he didn’t know his father and certainly had no affections for his mother, having grown up the adoptive son of another, the theme may then have been interpreted differently. However, as Freud was so certain, there is much to be said about the actions of Oedipus in correlation to the guilt he felt. The subconscious mind had a profound impact on Oedipus, even though he knew nothing of the birth parents he was prophesized to destroy. For Freud, the archetypal constructs of the Oedipus mythology was so absolute that he dubbed it the â€Å"‘Oedipus Complex’†¦[which] denotes each person’s attitudes and behavior in his or her most intimate family relationships, especially to mother and father†¦[and, to mature into a normal adult, the child] must somehow come to terms with the residue of repressed infantile hatred and desire for his or her parents† (Segal, 60). The Oedipus Complex, in modern psychology, is applied to the study of actions in relation to the subconscious desires that exist in every child. Even more, Freud’s theory has become common in the vernacular of psychology to the extent that scholars use the term, perhaps, without even grasping the full meaning behind the cleverly, yet aptly, named psychosis. The Oedipus Complex is based upon two main ideals: that of the matriarchal relationship to the child and the patriarchal relationship. The two are separated by this relationship and define the growth and development of the child. Moreover, â€Å"matriarchal culture is characterized by the emphasis on ties of blood, ties to the soil and the passive acceptance of all natural phenomena†¦[while a] patriarchal society in contrast is characterized by respect for man-made law, by the predominance of rational thought and by the effort to change natural phenomena by man† (Armens, viii). To better define the difference, â€Å"in the matriarchal concept all men are equal since they are all the children of mothers and each one a child of Mother Earth. A mother loves her children all alike and without (limiting) conditions†¦the aim of life is the happiness of man and there is nothing more important or dignified than human existence and life† (viii). In this, to draw a parallel back to Oedipus, the child has (whether he realizes or understands it) a desire to be with the woman who created him because of her earth-mother nature. The desire of every man is to be with a woman who understands everything and will love unconditionally—and that figure, from the start of life, happens to be the mother. However, â€Å"the patriarchal system, on the other hand, recognizes obedience to authority as its main virtue. The principle of equality is replaced by a hierarchical order in society and state, ruled by an authority just as the family is dominated by the father† (Armens, viii). It is because of this very concept that boys contain within them (whether known to the conscious mind or not) the desire to overthrow their father and become the leader of the hierarchy. More, men, by their very nature, contain the desire to become like their fathers, to achieve the power that they may possess, to be the biggest, strongest, fastest titan in the industry. With a full understanding of the Oedipus Complex, a final parallel can be drawn to the path of self-discovery that Oedipus’ entire life is consumed with. As Sophocles had directed, Oedipus â€Å"dramatizes the lonely path of self-discovery† (Segal, 13). And it is in this path that the true nature of Oedipus is revealed. For, the path that he must take is a perilous expedition, not only through the ascent of age, but in the self discovery that every man must achieve to live a fulfilling and successful life. However, it is on this path that Oedipus also meets the very destiny that his parents had hoped to terminate with their preemptive strike. In this, Oedipus is the â€Å"paradoxical combination of knowledge, power, and weakness† (13). He is strong as a king and husband, yet, when he learns the truth of his actions, he crumbles into a despair so deep that it consumes his entire life—and it isn’t a short one. Unequivocally, Sophocles began his thesis with the creation of Oedipus the King and introduced what would become one of the most profound archetypes in psychoanalysis. Throughout the trilogy, the archetypes that Sophocles presents â€Å"[become] a profound meditation on the questions of guilt and responsibility, the order (or disorder) of our world, and the nature of man† (Segal, 12). More, â€Å"the play stands with the Book of Job, Hamlet, and King Lear as one of Western literature’s most searching examinations of the problem of suffering† (12). In looking at the events that transpired throughout the three Theban plays, Sophocles’ main theme that, in any life, destiny and fate will create a man’s destiny; more, the gods have the divine right to tamper with a man’s destiny in the hopes that he will, one day, find redemption from his sins, is rendered by the Oedipus arch throughout the plays. Overall, the three Theban plays, Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone, form the trilogy that founded the most profound archetype in literature and psychoanalysis. Sophocles created the character of Oedipus to highlight his theme of self-discovery and the path to redemption, making it clear that Oedipus, despite his ignorance, would repent until his final moments for his unforgivable sins. However, it is in those final moments that Oedipus finds true absolution and redemption for the subconscious guilt that placed the fantasy of patricide and incest into his desires. And, based upon a psychoanalytic perspective, the theory behind the Oedipus Complex renders the message and main theme of Sophocles’ Oedipus mythology. Works Cited. Armens, Sven. Archetypes of the Family in Literature. Seattle: University of Washington, 1966. Grene, David and Richmond Lattimore, Trns. The Complete Greek Tragedies, Vol II, Sophocles. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1959. Segal, Charles. Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993. Watling, E. F. , Trns. The Theban Plays. Maryland: Penguin Books, 1947.

Read Roman Republic and Brutus Essay

Read Roman Republic and Brutus Essay Read: Roman Republic and Brutus Essay Yes. Brutus clearly wishes the best for Rome, and kills Caesar out of "civic responsibility," understanding that if no one stops him, he'll become tyrant of Rome and the Republic will be over. He's the only one acting out of that conviction; most other characters in the play don not act honorably and are interested in how Caesar's death will benefit themselves. Posted by enotechris on January 2, 2009. Flag Post Message enotechris Reply to Post 3 robertwilliam Teacher College - Sophomore Educator, Debater, Expert, Dickens, The Bard Great question - and there isn't a right answer. Antony clearly doesn't think so when he juxtaposes Brutus' actions with his ideals in the funeral speech in which he - with increasing levels of irony - describes Brutus and the conspirators as an honorable man. Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through; See what a rent the envious Casca made; Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd; And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away, Mark how the blood of Caesar follow'd it... The huge gulf between Brutus' ideals and his actions is where the problem lies. In his soliloquy he outlines that he has no "personal cause" to attack Caesar, but only the "general: he would be crowned". Yet we've seen Brutus be persuaded by Cassius, who plays absolutely on Brutus' own self-important sense of honour, and even compares Brutus with Caesar, asking "why should that name be sounded more than yours?". Is Brutus only drawn into the conspiracy ("general cause") out of self-regard and arrogance - "a personal cause"? Perhaps. And, when you compare Brutus' imperative that the conspiracy rises against Caesar's spirit, in which there "is no blood", with the blood that pours out after the assassination itself, you have to conclude that Brutus is somewhat painfully idealistic. Personally, I don't think he's honorable, but a cynical portrayal of how a self-regarding liberal can bring about absolute disaster. But whichever way you go, he's a political disaster. Posted by robertwilliam on January 2, 2009. Flag Post Message robertwilliam Reply to Post 4 afi80fl Teacher High School - 10th Grade Assistant Educator Yes, absolutely, Brutus was most definitely an honorable man. Think about his initial resistance to Cassius' advances: he asks what sort of dangerous path he is being led down. Brutus

Free Essays on Trends In Familial Social Status Of Japanese Women And Potential Causes

NEW TRENDS IN FAMILIAL AND SOCIAL STATUS OF JAPANESE WOMEN AND POTENTIAL CAUSES. Japan is experiencing a major change of gender roles as women enter the workforce in record numbers. The result is the rise of financially independent Japanese women who have careers, financial independence and personal freedom. Having experienced independence, women are less interested in the responsibilities of a wife and mother, which would include not only running the household but also caring for aging parents. Concurrent economic, demographic, and social trends have quietly created dramatically different lives for Japanese women, as they live longer, marry later, have fewer children, and spend longer periods of their lives alone or at least without a husband. Technology and longer lives free women to consider expanded options, with new choices , possibilities, and problems. The changes in women’s life cycles also stimulate changes in the roles they choose and are required to take in society, with important ramifications for family life, education, and the world of work. Japanese women have valid reasons to prepare themselves for long lives with a greater degree of independence, whether by necessity or choice. (1) In result to Japanese women experiencing independence many have chosen to postpone marriage or just not get married at all, many Japanese women feel that getting married will mean giving up their freedom and independence . Because delaying marriage usually results in fewer children, the birthrate in Japan is steadily declining well below the rate required to sustain Japan’s current population and is the lowest rate in the world. At the same time, the Japanese have the longest life expectancy in the world, The result is a rapidly aging population that soon will begin to shrink unless these trends are reversed. (2) There are women who do want to become a mother and wife, but the cost of having to resign from... Free Essays on Trends In Familial Social Status Of Japanese Women And Potential Causes Free Essays on Trends In Familial Social Status Of Japanese Women And Potential Causes NEW TRENDS IN FAMILIAL AND SOCIAL STATUS OF JAPANESE WOMEN AND POTENTIAL CAUSES. Japan is experiencing a major change of gender roles as women enter the workforce in record numbers. The result is the rise of financially independent Japanese women who have careers, financial independence and personal freedom. Having experienced independence, women are less interested in the responsibilities of a wife and mother, which would include not only running the household but also caring for aging parents. Concurrent economic, demographic, and social trends have quietly created dramatically different lives for Japanese women, as they live longer, marry later, have fewer children, and spend longer periods of their lives alone or at least without a husband. Technology and longer lives free women to consider expanded options, with new choices , possibilities, and problems. The changes in women’s life cycles also stimulate changes in the roles they choose and are required to take in society, with important ramifications for family life, education, and the world of work. Japanese women have valid reasons to prepare themselves for long lives with a greater degree of independence, whether by necessity or choice. (1) In result to Japanese women experiencing independence many have chosen to postpone marriage or just not get married at all, many Japanese women feel that getting married will mean giving up their freedom and independence . Because delaying marriage usually results in fewer children, the birthrate in Japan is steadily declining well below the rate required to sustain Japan’s current population and is the lowest rate in the world. At the same time, the Japanese have the longest life expectancy in the world, The result is a rapidly aging population that soon will begin to shrink unless these trends are reversed. (2) There are women who do want to become a mother and wife, but the cost of having to resign from...

Beatles memorabilia essays

Beatles memorabilia essays No rock n roll group had more influence on a generation and the world as did The Beatles. They single handedly changed the period known as the Sixties and their influence is still being felt today. Music, culture, lifestyles, hairstyles, clothing styles and attitudes all changed because of this remarkable band that emerged out of Liverpool England in the early 1960s. The Beatles were George Harrison, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney as pictured above. The Beatles themselves were greatly influenced by the early rock n roll stars from America such as Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent and others. During the bands infancy they spent a considerable amount of time listening and copying the styles of these great 1950s rock n roll heroes. Its fair to say that the music style adopted by the Beatles has in roots in 1950s American rock n roll. The Beatles dawned on the music scene in the very early 1960s and by 1963 had established themselves as the premiere rock n roll band in all of England. Frenzied crowds greeted the Beatles wherever they appeared throughout all of England. Beatlemania was born. The America music scene had all but ignored what was transpiring in England. But by January 1964, after the release of the Beatles second album in England, America could not longer resist the onslaught of these four loveable guys with mop-top haircuts. They stormed onto the American music scene in February 1964 with their historic performances in Washington DC, Carnegie Hall and Shea Stadium. Their music, coupled with their first class humor and personalities, firmly established them as the rock n roll kings for an entire generation. Their popularity, both yesterday and today, still remains unequaled by any other rock n roll artist. The memorabilia licensed by The Beatles is vast and seemingly...

Finance accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Finance accounting - Essay Example Some of the bodies include; financial accounting standards board (FASB), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Public Companies Oversight Board (PCOB), International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and Association Chartered Certified Accountants among other governing bodies globally. Financial regulations have been common phenomena in the current world. For example in the recent Euro crisis the countries involved had to take measures to ensure that their financial systems are not curtailed. Policies were reviewed at this time to ensure currency stability in the market. Another instance which has seen financial reviewing is in the US during the 2008 financial panic. The country finance department reviewed its policies to ensure that the government did not transcend into a state of jeopardy. Although policies are continuously reviewed they must fall within the stipulations of internationally accepted principles. The whole sequence of formulation is governed by the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAPS); failure to comply with these rules will lead to confusion in the sector. This paper tries to analyze the financial implications of Ryanair plc. Ryanair is an international company with huge market base; it operates low cost passenger airlines which ply the routes between UK, Europe continent and the Moroccan airspaces. Besides the company is listed on a stock exchange in the country, with a huge base of shareholders the company needs to frequently assess its financial statements to convey the right message to the shareholders and stay within the law. It is the financial obligations of the companies which on most occasions oblige management to address or review the financial statements of the company. Shareholders and the authorities will on most occasions want reports on the operations of the company. In

Virginia Tech Tragedy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Virginia Tech Tragedy - Case Study Example Cho Seung-Hui had been previously investigated for hostile behavior, but any action was private and was not disclosed due to confidentiality issues ("Killer's Manifesto"). The University was faulted for a slow and inadequate response and the state was criticized for failing to deal with the shooter's mental health problems. Politicians, educators and editorialists lost no time in commenting on the tragedy, but they arrived at radically different conclusions when it came to addressing many of the basic questions arising from an act of this nature. Among them were the following: Why did University officials allow the killing to continue without evacuating the campus Why did the state not take action and force Cho Seung-Hui to seek treatment for his mental disorders How did the suspect obtain high-powered weapons with a history of mental health issues In this review of the initial reactions to the shootings at Virginia Tech, I intend to examine how those three questions were answered, while at the same time indicating my own critical response to the conclusions that they were based on. The killings could have been prevented by a quicker University response, mandatory mental health treatment, and stricter gun control. The formal investigation into the shootings criticized the University for failing to act in a prompt and proper manner. Timothy Kaine, the governor of Virginia, commented, "It was very clear in the immediate aftermath [of the first shootings] that the community should have been notified that the perpetrator or perpetrators were still at large" (qtd. in Tran). The initial students were killed shortly after 7:00 AM, but a lockdown did not occur and students were not warned of the potential danger until 9:26 AM (Tran). The deadlier second wave of killings took place approximately 20 minutes later. The two and a half hour delay in warning students was unacceptable and the e-mail notification should have occurred immediately. An early warning and word of mouth may have been able to identify and prevent the additional killings at 9:45 AM. Locking down the campus may have stopped the killer from entering the classrooms and dormitories. The report into the killings said, "During Cho's junior year at Virginia Tech, numerous incidents occurred that were clear warnings of mental instability" (Tran). Administrators and students are culturally conditioned to respect privacy and students are reluctant to "turn in bad actors to adult authority" (Henninger). In the wake of the shootings there has been a call for reforming the mental health laws. University officials are considering forced removal of hostile students and lawmakers are considering the suspension of students' privacy rights (Bower). With his extensive history of trouble, Cho only received sporadic counseling and infrequent medication to treat his disorder. It is a sensitive issue to force a person to seek mental health treatment when there is only the potential for violence. Our cultural tradition values freedom and privacy. These values will sometimes limit the action that a state or educational institution can take against someone they suspect may be of danger to themselves or others. According to a report on CNN, "Virginia law disqualifies a person from buying firearms only if they have

Cross cultural management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10500 words

Cross cultural management - Essay Example TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 4 2. Literature Review 6 2.1. Background research on Leadership 6 2.2. Background Research on Cross Cultural Management 9 2.3. Theory of Hofstede 15 3. Leadership in Egypt 19 3.1. Current Situation 19 3.2. Challenges 20 3.3. Impacts 22 3.4. Implications for Managers in Global Management 25 4. Findings 26 5. Discussion 29 6. Conclusion & Recommendations 32 7. References 34 1. Introduction Leaders are not born, they are made. The most common myth about leadership is the converse of the previous statement, which indeed is creating waves of many more misconceptions amongst those aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs around the world. There was a time when only few men and women dared to question, rebel against odds, voice for the weak and talk for the helpless. But today there is a need for each one of us to dare, rebel, voice and talk, but like leaders and not losers. Andrew Carnegie’s thought provoking statement is worth a note here which states â €Å"No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it†. ... If we see the current trends of leadership, there are various personalities who have quoted many inspirational words about leadership and for the future leaders as well. We see Jeff Barnes quoting â€Å"There are no boundaries anymore.† This means the businesses and organizations are looking out for globalization and make their mark all over the world. In the last 10 years the world has seen a fast changes in the business world. When there was economic downturn started in December 2007, many of the interviewees had the thought that it is somewhat different than what was happened 10 years ago. According to Roland Smith’s saying this new environment is regarded as a perpetual whitewater. The Chief Executive Officers (CEO’s) of all the big and renowned organizations have backed the saying of Roland Smith and they were not sure as to how to tackle this changing environment as the equipments are were not available that time. In Egypt the most remarkable monument or st ructure is the Pyramid. If you notice Pyramid, you can see that the tip of it is painted with gold. The reason for that is to get connected with the sun. The Pyramids have always challenged the modern science to build something since the technology and skill sets of the manpower have been advanced with time. Today it has been more than a year since the reign of Dictator Mubarak is ended. Now it is high time for the country to look ahead and reform its social, political and most importantly economic stature. Today the country is in need of a leader who can coach and inspire the nation, which will help in mobilizing the country towards growth and prosperity. The well-known examples of this type of

Solar Thermal Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Solar Thermal Energy - Essay Example The first component of a solar thermal system is the solar collector. This is usually installed on the rooftop. It represents the major component of the system. It is made up of specially coated tubing that absorbs the solar radiation and converts it into heat. There is a need to minimize thermal losses. This need is addressed by embedding the tubing in a heat-insulated container that is equipped with a transparent cover. Inside this tubing, a heat transfer fluid flows inside and circulates between the collector and the hot water tank. This water is normally a mixture of water and an anti-freeze that is ecologically safe. The key part of the solar collector is the absorber, which comprises of several narrow metal strips. Typically, absorbers are made of aluminum or copper. These are good conductors of heat. These absorbers are often black so as to enable a high degree of light absorption. In order to reduce the loss of heat energy through heat emission, efficient absorbers have selective surface coating which enables the conversion a substantial amount of solar radiation into heat. This also reduces heat emission. The degree of absorption that can be provided by usual coatings is about 90% (Solar-is-Future.com 1). Selective coatings can also be applied using galvanizing, and such coatings include black nickel, black chrome, and aluminum oxide with nickel. As such, there are different types of solar collectors which include flat-plate collectors, parabolic collectors, and evacuated-tube collectors.

They Say, I Say Homework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

They Say, I Say Homework - Assignment Example A critical and intellectual thinker deduces consequences and makes useful information from what is available. A critical thinker engaging in debates and conversations cannot be confused by what others are saying, but will instead lead to a cooperative reasoning and strengthen the argument (Graff & Birkenstein 3). It involves coming into terms with the views presented. Even though one is at peace with what is presented, fresh ideas or evidence are necessary. The new ideas makes one a valuable contributor in the conversation (Graff & Birkenstein 7). A Combination of both agree and disagree makes the participants in an argument go beyond just responding for the sake of doing it. They do so with detailed evidence and reasons (Graff & Birkenstein 9). By saying â€Å"entering a conversation†, the authors refer to joining an ongoing conversation. They explain one does it by first listening and internalizing the ongoing discussion before making a contribution. What one needs to pay close attention to are the views of the other participants. What they say forms the basis of any views to be made (Graff & Birkenstein 3). The conversation they are talking about is academic writing, for example, argumentative essay

Case study of Upton Ltd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study of Upton Ltd - Essay Example This is a situation where the interests of the family members are more likely to conflict with the interests of the business such as adherence to the objectives, plans and goals of the company. In this regard, it can be predicted that if there is significant conflict of interest within the company a programmed decision of closure of the restaurant or part of its business units can be made. Samantha who is the manager of the toy department is engaged with her studies which mean that she does not have adequate time to play her role within the Toy department which serves significant activities and processes within the restaurant. This means that the productivity of the Toy department will deteriorate as a result of poor management or absentee manager. This can be used to predict the closure of this department within a programmed decision framework. Furthermore disagreement between Samantha and Albert, her uncle, reveals that there is poor communication within the management team which i s as a result of age differences and opinion of managers on the best strategy of conducting business activities. It is argued that when the management team is unable to come into a consensus over decisions because of divergent views and interests, failure in effective decision making is likely to result (Simons 34). Therefore failure in decision making which represents an important function of the management team leads to programmed decision for closure of the restaurant. From the Upton Ltd case, it is notable that the promotion of employees to the top management positions is rarely based on qualifications. This is illustrated by the fact that Claude who was a chef was promoted directly into the manager position in the restaurant. The management team of a company must be equipped with adequate skills, knowledge and competencies which are required for effective management. Failure of a manager to exhibit these skills means that his or her managerial roles will not be effective and as a result translating into business failure (Gorry and Morton 27). In this regard therefore the lack of qualifications among some managers within Upton Ltd can be argued to be a reflection of a predictable business failure and as a result reaching a programmed decision for the closure of the restaurant. Lack of the stock control system within Upton Ltd demonstrates a looming failure in the business processes of the restaurant which can be used to make a programmed decision for closure is nothing is done soon to solve the problem. This problem within the restaurant is further revealed by the fact that storage of stock is largely inadequate and ineffective. In addition, it is notable from the case study that the equipment that is used within the restaurant is old and rarely maintained. Inappropriate equipment within a business entity is said to be the main cause of business process inefficiency which would lead to possible discontinuity of business processes (Gorry and Morton 31). It is therefore reflective from the case study that the restaurant faces a risk of losing business continuity which makes a programmed decision for closure a reality in the Upton Ltd case. Customer service is inefficient within the restaurant as reflected by the fact th

Solar Thermal Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Solar Thermal Energy - Essay Example The first component of a solar thermal system is the solar collector. This is usually installed on the rooftop. It represents the major component of the system. It is made up of specially coated tubing that absorbs the solar radiation and converts it into heat. There is a need to minimize thermal losses. This need is addressed by embedding the tubing in a heat-insulated container that is equipped with a transparent cover. Inside this tubing, a heat transfer fluid flows inside and circulates between the collector and the hot water tank. This water is normally a mixture of water and an anti-freeze that is ecologically safe. The key part of the solar collector is the absorber, which comprises of several narrow metal strips. Typically, absorbers are made of aluminum or copper. These are good conductors of heat. These absorbers are often black so as to enable a high degree of light absorption. In order to reduce the loss of heat energy through heat emission, efficient absorbers have selective surface coating which enables the conversion a substantial amount of solar radiation into heat. This also reduces heat emission. The degree of absorption that can be provided by usual coatings is about 90% (Solar-is-Future.com 1). Selective coatings can also be applied using galvanizing, and such coatings include black nickel, black chrome, and aluminum oxide with nickel. As such, there are different types of solar collectors which include flat-plate collectors, parabolic collectors, and evacuated-tube collectors.

Case study of Upton Ltd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study of Upton Ltd - Essay Example This is a situation where the interests of the family members are more likely to conflict with the interests of the business such as adherence to the objectives, plans and goals of the company. In this regard, it can be predicted that if there is significant conflict of interest within the company a programmed decision of closure of the restaurant or part of its business units can be made. Samantha who is the manager of the toy department is engaged with her studies which mean that she does not have adequate time to play her role within the Toy department which serves significant activities and processes within the restaurant. This means that the productivity of the Toy department will deteriorate as a result of poor management or absentee manager. This can be used to predict the closure of this department within a programmed decision framework. Furthermore disagreement between Samantha and Albert, her uncle, reveals that there is poor communication within the management team which i s as a result of age differences and opinion of managers on the best strategy of conducting business activities. It is argued that when the management team is unable to come into a consensus over decisions because of divergent views and interests, failure in effective decision making is likely to result (Simons 34). Therefore failure in decision making which represents an important function of the management team leads to programmed decision for closure of the restaurant. From the Upton Ltd case, it is notable that the promotion of employees to the top management positions is rarely based on qualifications. This is illustrated by the fact that Claude who was a chef was promoted directly into the manager position in the restaurant. The management team of a company must be equipped with adequate skills, knowledge and competencies which are required for effective management. Failure of a manager to exhibit these skills means that his or her managerial roles will not be effective and as a result translating into business failure (Gorry and Morton 27). In this regard therefore the lack of qualifications among some managers within Upton Ltd can be argued to be a reflection of a predictable business failure and as a result reaching a programmed decision for the closure of the restaurant. Lack of the stock control system within Upton Ltd demonstrates a looming failure in the business processes of the restaurant which can be used to make a programmed decision for closure is nothing is done soon to solve the problem. This problem within the restaurant is further revealed by the fact that storage of stock is largely inadequate and ineffective. In addition, it is notable from the case study that the equipment that is used within the restaurant is old and rarely maintained. Inappropriate equipment within a business entity is said to be the main cause of business process inefficiency which would lead to possible discontinuity of business processes (Gorry and Morton 31). It is therefore reflective from the case study that the restaurant faces a risk of losing business continuity which makes a programmed decision for closure a reality in the Upton Ltd case. Customer service is inefficient within the restaurant as reflected by the fact th

Tesco Case Analysis Essay Example for Free

Tesco Case Analysis Essay The rise of Tesco, from a mediocre supermarket company into an outstanding, world-class, multi-faceted organization, has been a remarkable one. Since 1929, when Jack Cohen opened the 1st Tesco store, the company has seen tremendous growth and success. Customer centric approach, which has been adopted by the company since its very inception, along with strategic vision and innovation under the leadership of CEO Terry Leahy has been some of the underlying factors of Tesco’s sustained success. Leahy was the architect of the idea â€Å"The Tesco Way†, which included the company’s core values, principals and goals among other things and which aimed to establish Tesco as a â€Å"Value retailer†. Right from the concept of store formats to the investment in information technology to the diversification of products and services, Leahy emphasized on innovation in all aspects of business. The Tesco Clubcard, which was first launched in 1995 to analyze consumer purchase data and target appropriate promotional offers, increased customer loyalty by leaps and bounds. Tesco created different formats of stores to cater to the different segments and different needs of its customers. Tesco’s strategy to gain international presence through expansion has been one of the cornerstones of their success. The company expanded in countries of Eastern European and in emerging economies of Asia and in all these countries it aimed for market leadership ahead of profitability and based their strategy into such distinct elements which led to sustained growth. Being flexible and unique to each market, acting local, maintaining focus, using multiple formats, developing capabilities and building brands were some of the strategies used to form a long lasting relationship with customers. The fact that Tesco strategically added new products and services in its portfolio worked to its advantage. In addition to its popular in store food and beverage selection, Tesco diversified into financial services, telecommunication services and travel services. The launch of Tesco’s online grocery store made the company, Britain’s largest online store. So to summarize strategic vision, innovation and lasting customer relationship has helped Tesco to become the most dominant UK retailer and the third largest retailer in the world. Tesco had all the technical know-how, expertise and experience needed to succeed in US retail market. The strategy the company adopted while expanding in international markets is very much applicable to the US retail market as well. Tesco’s policies of acting local and catering to local customers and cultures along with leveraging the brand value of the company to attract customers are of prime importance if it has to succeed in US. Tesco’s decision to enter the U.S. market as Fresh and Easy was very feasible and based on sound theory, research, and projections. However, the company’s expectations did not translate into similar performance. Based on prior research, the company had identified a geographic niche market in California, Arizona, and Nevada where there was no dominant player. Tesco had even sent employees to live with 50 families and conducted 200 focus groups at one of the company’s facilities. Despite prior unsuccessful attempts by other British companies to enter the U.S. market, Tesco presented a compelling case regarding its ability to penetrate the U.S. market in California, Arizona and Nevada. Overall, Tesco did not enjoy the success it had anticipated because it did not account for cultural and perceptual differences between the U.S and Europe. Although Fresh and Easy was right to include a higher percentage of produce in its stores, many other strategies found in Exhibit 12 from the case, likely prevented additional sales and growth. For example, presenting a merchandise mix comprised largely of store-label brands combined with an everyday low pricing strategy likely caused American consumers to perceive Fresh and Easy as lower in quality and overall value. The consumer could go to a competitor and purchase a more familiar name brand on-sale from a larger selection of items. Other strategies for which success did not translate from the U.K. to the U.S. were the overnight inventory stocking plan and the carrying of fewer items than traditional grocery stores. As seen in Exhibit 12 from the case, typical American consumers make fewer visits to the grocery store per year than do their counterparts in the U.K and Europe. If an item is out-of-stock one day, the American consumer is much more likely to visit a competitor than come back the next morning as is customary in the U.K. Fresh and Easy’s value proposition was the sale of fresh, healthy food that the majority of people could afford and catering to an â€Å"increasing consumer interest in wellness, in health-conscious food choices and a continuing trend towards on-the-go consumption.† Also of value was the feel of a â€Å"neighborhood market† where customer service was superior and employees genuinely enjoyed their work. These elements are very appealing to consumers in Arizona, Nevada, and especially California, where healthy, green living is a growing trend and the average commute time spent in a car is much greater than in other parts of the country. The move to open stores in the United States was a promising plan on paper. Tesco also had the financial resources to build a successful operation in their new target market. Their actual performance, however, either fell below the expected performance or was of negative value in almost every metric (Exhibit 1). The main areas in which Tesco’s financial performance were evaluated were number of new stores opened, revenue, and profitability. The number of Fresh and Easy stores opened in the US was 145 at the end of 2010. The expectation was to open 200 stores by February 2009. Fresh and Easy had only generated $30 million in targeted sales versus the expected $100 million in the spring of 2008. In the year 2008, Fresh and Easy had a loss of  £62 million and it yielded a profit margin of -308%. Even though the profit margin increased the following years, 2009 and 2010, it was still a negative profit margin. The cause of Fresh and Easy’s poor financial performance had to do with a slow growth of the operation. An operation is only able to grow from the sales that it generates, especially in the introductory phase. The only way that Fresh and Easy would be able to meet its objective of opening 200 new stores by February 2009 would be to have almost all stores in the existing operation be profitable. This was not the case as profit margin was -308% in 2008. Fresh and Easy also faced high fixed costs by maintaining their distribution center, which has the capacity to service 500 stores. This resulted in excess capacity. The cause of their poor sales numbers was the fact that they were pricing too low. The average Fresh and Easy customer spends only $15 per visit versus $41 for the customer of an average supermarket. To be profitable, Fresh and Easy stores need to get at least three times the volume of an average supermarket. Both of these factors were drivers for Fresh and Easy’s negative profit margin in all three years of its operation in the United States. We have identified some of the causes that Tesco could control regarding its financial performance. They began their operation, however, in the midst of an economic recession. There is no doubt that any economic recession would decrease overall demand. Food items, however, are a necessity regardless of the economic state of the nation. Tesco should have been more proactive during these times by expanding store locations and being more accessible to consumers. The lease costs and new store construction tend to be lower during these periods of economic hardship. More Fresh and Easy locations would result in increased accessibility and ultimately more sales. Their low prices during times of economic hardship would drive more customers into Fresh and Easy locations as they would stray away from their pricier existing supermarket and perceived quality becomes slightly less of an issue. Tesco has a great product line with the Fresh Easy chain opening in the US. This chain caters to the healthy food trend emerging in the US and is in direct competition to Whole Foods, the more expensive alternative. Perception is reality. To the consumer, Fresh Easy has not lived up to its name. Tesco should make the stores â€Å"greener† so that the look of the stores’ interior matches the brand image. Consumers who purchase healthy organic food want to feel like they are shopping in an environmentally conscious store. In addition, Fresh Easy offers a limited assortment of goods that are unfamiliar with US consumers. In exhibit 12 from the case, data shows that consumers visit Fresh Easy stores less frequently than its competitors. This is because competitors have weekly sales on familiar brands that US consumers want. Fresh Easy should stock familiar brands to get US consumers in the door. Once the consumer is in the Fresh Easy store, free samples and direct price comparison with well-known US brands should give Fresh Easy brands an advantage.

Information Technology On Nursing Practices Health And Social Care Essay

Information Technology On Nursing Practices Health And Social Care Essay Methodology -Survey based instrument was used to gather the responses from the nurses working in leading hospitals having more 300 beds in Tiruchirappalli district. 70 respondents participated in this survey. Findings Chi-square test revealed that demographic characteristics of nurses and usage of information technology are independent The results of factor analysis demonstrated that softwares, data bases, file tranfer and input devices are significant in explaining confidence level among nurses and factors like computer access, perception about information technology, connectivity, and shortage of computers are significant in creating barriers in usage of information technolgy. The extent to which nurses access and use information technology and the purposes for which nurses use information technolgy are also highlighted. Limitations- This study is limited to only hospitals and the results. The results may not be applicable to other business organizations. Keywords Information Technology, Nursing, Hospital INTRODUCTION The impact of information technology on nursing has been a subject of discourse and dissertation for the latter half of the 20 (th) centuries and the early part of the 21(st). That this burgeoning technology has impacted the way nurses nurse can be without doubt. Whether this technology has and will have a negative or positive outcome on nursing practice is where the debate centres. This study was undertaken with an objective of analysing the debate that surrounds the issues of the impact of Information Technology (IT) on nursing practice. The study is also intended mainly to findout the extent and use of information technology on nursing practices. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Toofany, Swaleh (2006) examined the attitude of nurses to the use of information technology (IT) in health care in Great Britain. A system is being developed by the Department of Health that will allow nurses to retrieve the health records of patients from core computer storage. A nurse does not consider themselves as having central roles in IT management. Many commentators believe that technophobia among nurses continues despite the increasing need for them to employ IT in health care Porter-OGrady, Tim (1999) had undertaken a study on Technology Demands Quick-change Nursing Roles. The study mainly focused on how nursing managers must face the emerging technological changes in health care and what is the impact of technology on nursing care and role of the manager in relation to the changes. Simpson, Roy L (2006) in their study, focused on the significance of information technology (IT) to nursing. It is said that a new way of practicing evidence-based nursing will rely on IT. The mindset about the importance of IT is said to be the most challenging hindrance to IT ubiquity. The elements that are necessary to IT ubiquity in nursing are products, learning, access and need. Rollins, Gina (2007) reported on the growing number of nurses in the U.S. who are leaving hospitals to enter the clinical informatics field as electronic health records proliferate. A recent survey by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society found the top three job responsibilities for nurse informatics include systems implementation, systems development and liaison or communicator. Simpson, Roy L.(2002) in their study on The virtual reality revolution: technology changes nursing education discussed the benefits of virtual technology for the improvement of nursing education. The author also focussed on background on limited opportunities for nursing students to practice their skills; Advantages of using virtual reality technologies in improving the clinical skills of nursing students are also highlighted. Information on several nursing simulation tools were also presented in this study. Simpson, Roy L (2007) presents an analysis of how increasing the number of informatics-trained nurses can help in the continual growth of demand for nurses in the U.S. A paradigm of the supply-side economics was provided to compare the positive effect of stimulating supply than demand. The healthcare industry has reached the world of information technology (IT) so that nurses should then learn the language that it speaks, which is informatics. The author contends that the amount of effort, time and money can be saved if informatics-trained nurses are indeed pursued as a focus of development in the industry. Wallis, Alison (2007) in his study on Clinical data standards and nursing describes the benefits of information and communications technology programmes, often referred to as electronic health (e-health), to nurses in Great Britain. Among its contributions to patient care include its ability to offer ways of sharing patient information and the access it provides clinical data for benchmarking and audit. The benefits of data standards accrue to nurses at all levels, whether they work in direct patient care, in unit management or at health board level. Brommeyer, Mark (2005) explains the concept of e-health healthcare technology. The authoer also highlighted the advantages of adopting e-health; Information and communication technologies being used in most hospitals are also studied and Implications of using the technology are clearly furnished in his study. Hudson, Kathleen (2007), in his study Innovations in cardiac nursing and technology deals with several areas in which emerging technologies in cardiac nursing are most promising. The three options that exist for heart failure patients include destination therapy, bridge to transplant and bridge to recovery. A cost-effective risk predictor is the Electrocardiogram T-wave analysis using microvolt T-wave alternans. Cardiac performance can be reliably assessed by non-invasive ambulatory impedance cardiography. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The present study is undertaken to find out the following. To identify the extent to which nurse have access to and use information technology and information management systems. To identify the purposes for which nurses use information techonolgy and information mangement systems. To find the association between the demographic profile and the work related activities with using computer To identify the variables and their grouping into factors that influence level of confidence in the use of the following systems like input devices, software packages, data storages, and file transfer. To understand the barriers that prevents nurses from benefitng from information technology and information management system. 3.1 The Sampling Design A private hospital was chosen for conducting this study. The study has taken into account the various aspects of information technology and its impact on nursing practices. A sample of 70 nurses has been chosen from the populaton of 147 nurses working in same hospital using simple random sampling method. The tabulated description of demographic details of sample is presented in Table 1. Table 1. Frequency Distribution of sample demographics S.no Variables Number Frequency (%) 1 Gender Female 70 100 2 Age Below 30 55 79 30-40 15 21 3 Designation Staff Nurse 42 60 ANM 25 36 Surgical technician 2 3 Anesthesia technician 1 1 4 Shift timing Continuous shift worker 54 77 Day shift worker 7 10 Evening shift worker 4 6 Night shift worker 1 1 Morning and Evening shift worker 3 4 Evening and night shift worker 1 1 5 Qualifications Diploma 46 66 UG 12 17 PG 2 3 Other 10 14 6 Department General ward 43 61 Annexe ward 7 10 Operation Theatre 7 10 Dialysis Unit 4 6 ICU 9 13 3.2 Data Collection The data was collected from the nurses of the selected hospital through a questionaire which has 11 parts, namely; Demographic characteristics and background of IT Access and Use of computers Use of Information Technology Access to Internet and Intranet Knowledge of current Health I.T initiatives Job requirement for I.T Training and Education about Information technology Barriers to use of computers Technical support Management attitudes and support Security 3.3 Measurement Scale The questionaire consisted of a series of statements, where the nurses were requested to provide answers in the form of agreement or disagreement and good or poor and rarely or frequently and confident or not confident to express their perceptions towards information technology. A Likert scale was used. DATA ANALYSIS 4.1 Chi Square Analysis 4.1.1 Chi- Square Test of Significance (Age and Work related activities at Home computer) H0: There is no significant relation between age and Work related activities at Home computer. H1: There is significant relation between age and Work related activities at Home computer. 4.1.2 Chi- Square Test of Significance (Designation and Work related activities at Home computer) H0: There is no significant relation between designation and Work related activities at Home computer. H1: There is significant relation between designation and Work related activities at Home computer. 4.1.3 Chi- Square Test of Significance (Shift timings and Work related activities at Home computer) H0: There is no significant relation between shift timings and Work related activities at Home computer. H1: There is significant relation between shift timings and Work related activities at Home computer. 4.1.4 Chi- Square Test of Significance (Qualifications and Work related activities at Home computer) H0: There is no significant relation between qualifications and Work related activities at Home computer. H1: There is significant relation between qualifications and Work related activities at Home computer. 4.1.5 Chi- Square Test of Significance (Department and Work related activities at Home computer) H0: There is no significant relation between department and Work related activities at Home computer. H1: There is significant relation between department and Work related activities at Home computer. The values of chi-square statistics obtained from chi-squre distribution table for all 5 combinations are 14.07, 32.67, 49.80, 32.67 and 41.337 in that order and the calculated chi-square statistics values are 12.853, 25.408, 36.97, 26.34 and 34.14 in that order which lies in the acceptance region. Thus, the null hypothesis can not be rejected .So, it can be concluded that demomograhpic characteristcs of nurses are independent with regard to work related activities at home computer on the basis of statistical evidence at 5 % level of significance. Results of chi-square are presented in Table 3. Table 3: Results of Chi-squre Analysis S.no Variables Chi-square statistic 1 Age and Work related activities at Home computer. 12.853 2 Designation and Work related activities at Home computer. 25.408 3 Shift timings and Work related activities at Home computer. 36.97 4 Qualifications and Work related activities at Home computer. 26.34 5 Department and Work related activities at Home computer. 34.14 4.2 Factor Analysis 4.2.1 Key dimension: Level of confidence in using computers Data validity for factor analysis was calculated using KMO Measure of sampling adequacy. The minimum acceptable level is 0.5. Since calculated Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (0.859 ) is greater than 0.5, so it is appropriate to do factor analysis. Hence Bartletts test of sphericity value is 1144.756, it is also a kind of chi-square and it is significant. The results of Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and Bartletts test of sphericity are shown in table 5. Table 5: KMO and Bartletts Test Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. .859 BartlettsTestof Sphericity Approx. Chi-Square 1144.756 Df 153.000 Sig. .000 Table 6: Total Variance Explained Component Initial Eigen values Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative % 1 9.288 51.599 51.599 9.288 51.599 51.599 2 1.926 10.698 62.298 1.926 10.698 62.298 3 1.468 8.154 70.452 1.468 8.154 70.452 4 1.254 6.965 77.416 1.254 6.965 77.416 5 .869 4.830 82.246 6 .728 4.044 86.290 7 .476 2.642 88.933 8 .353 1.960 90.893 9 .334 1.853 92.746 10 .264 1.465 94.211 11 .237 1.319 95.530 12 .225 1.250 96.780 13 .148 .820 97.600 14 .140 .778 98.379 15 .107 .596 98.975 16 .087 .481 99.455 17 .055 .308 99.763 18 .043 .237 100.000 The Principal Component Analysis was used for extraction method. The Table 6 reveals that 4 factors have been extracted out of 18 variables that exceed the Eigen value of one. The variables less than the Eigen value of one are not considered during extraction method. Table 7: Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings Total % of Variance Cumulative % 6.626 36.812 36.812 2.707 15.038 51.850 2.660 14.777 66.627 1.942 10.790 77.416 The Table 7 shows that Factor 1, factor 2, factor 3 and factor 4 explain a variation of 36.812%, 15.038%, 14.777%, 10.790% respectively and together show the variance of 77.416%. Table 8: Rotated Component Matrix Component 1 2 3 4 Apple Mac OS .888 .125 .204 .106 SPSS .853 .212 .245 -.014 Reference tools .836 .199 .291 -.072 Spreadsheet .811 .219 .152 .065 Evidence based practice resources .810 .116 .399 -.020 Data projector .773 .226 .271 -.056 USB .766 .113 .446 .030 Presentation .684 .376 -.042 .272 Touchscreeen .645 .282 .131 .212 Wi ndows OS .590 .232 .150 .355 Email .294 .868 .223 -.018 Intranet .149 .842 .267 .030 Internet .497 .741 .052 -.112 Data base .195 .260 .882 .085 Cd/DVD ROM .399 .338 .754 .079 Word processing .352 .039 .700 .157 Keyboard .048 .045 .067 .920 Mouse .066 -.108 .118 .880 Table 9: Naming of Factors Factor 1 Software Packages Factor 2 File Transfer Factor 3 Data Storage Factor 4 Input devices Apple Mac OS Email Data base Keyboard SPSS Intranet CD/DVD ROM Mouse Reference tools Internet Word processing Spreadsheet Evidence based practice resources Data projector USB Presentation Touchscreeen Windows OS It is infered that factor 1 consists of ten variables of which Apple Mac OS , SPSS and Reference tools are found to be significant with a variation of 36.812%. Factor 2 consists of three variables of which email and intrant are significant with a variation of 15.038%. Factor 3 consists of three a variable of which database is significant with a variation of 14.777%. Factor 4 consists of two variables of which key board is significant with a variation of 10.790 %. Based on the results of factor loading (table 8), the factors are named which is given in table 9. 4.2.2 Key Dimension: Barriers to access of computers Data validity for factor analysis was calculated using KMO Measure of sampling adequacy. The minimum acceptable level is 0.5. Since calculated Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (0.685) is greater than 0.5, so it is appropriate to do factor analysis. Hence Bartletts test of sphericity value is 592.529, it is also a kind of chi-square and it is significant. The results of Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and Bartletts test of sphericity are shown in table 10. Table 10: KMO and Bartletts Test Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. .685 Bartletts Test of Sphericity Approx. Chi-Square 592.529 Df 153.000 Sig. .000 Table 11: Total Variance Explained Component Initial Eigenvalues Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative % 1 6.105 33.916 33.916 6.105 33.916 33.916 2 1.759 9.774 43.689 1.759 9.774 43.689 3 1.581 8.785 52.475 1.581 8.785 52.475 4 1.517 8.430 60.905 1.517 8.430 60.905 5 1.150 6.390 67.294 1.150 6.390 67.294 6 .982 5.455 72.750 7 .828 4.599 77.348 8 .736 4.092 81.440 9 .642 3.568 85.008 10 .528 2.931 87.939 11 .458 2.544 90.482 12 .403 2.241 92.723 13 .327 1.815 94.538 14 .284 1.579 96.117 15 .246 1.365 97.482 16 .208 1.157 98.640 17 .158 .876 99.516 18 .087 .484 100.000 Table 11 reveals that 5 factors have been extracted out of 18 variables that exceed the Eigen value of one.The variables less than the Eigen value of one are not considered during extraction method. Table 12: Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings Total % of Variance Cumulative % 3.715 20.641 20.641 3.282 18.235 38.876 2.084 11.578 50.454 1.822 10.121 60.575 1.210 6.720 67.294 The table 12 shows that factor 1, factor 2, factor 3 and factor 4 explain a variation of 20.641%, 18.235%, 11.578%, 10.121% and 6.720% respectively and together show the variance of 67.274%. Table 13: Rotated Component Matrix Component 1 2 3 4 5 Too many work demands .727 .023 .177 .150 .310 Confidence in use .726 .305 -.077 .074 -.285 IT knowledge .712 .086 -.087 .053 .063 Response time of computer .678 .191 .359 -.014 .141 Working in computer does not fit my work demand .675 .091 .491 .082 .137 Lack of IT support .622 .471 .019 .086 -.053 Attitudes of IT Department .368 .802 .051 .118 -.106 Discouragement by others .059 .758 .065 .102 .054 Patient and others are resentful of me at the computer -.074 .692 -.131 .030 .361 Concerns about health and safety .274 .678 .232 .016 -.088 Lack of encouragement by mgmt .380 .537 .267 .080 .267 Age -.057 -.049 .852 .040 .088 Senior staff take priority .322 .511 .600 .068 -.054 Not having Interest in using computer .466 .248 .530 .029 -.020 Location of computer I use .242 -.096 -.195 .813 .235 Unreliable connections -.136 .268 .316 .787 .091 Log on is too long .230 .212 .082 .670 -.465 Not enough computers .182 .139 .097 .092 .687 Factor 1 Computer Access Factor 2 Perception Factor 3 Usage of Computer Factor 4 Connectivity Factor 5 Not having enough computers Too many work demands Attitudes of IT Department Age Location of computer I use Not enough computers Confidence in use Discouragement by others Senior staff take priority Unreliable connections IT knowledge Patient and others are resentful of me at the computer Not having Interest in using computer Log on is too long Response time of computer Concerns about health and safety Working in computer does not fit my work demand Lack of encouragement by mgmt Lack of IT support Table 14: Naming of Factors It is also infered that Factor 1 consists of six variables of which variables like too much demand of work and confidence in used are found to be significant with a variation of 20.641%. Factor 2 consists of five variables of which variable namely Attitudes of IT deparment is significant with a variation of 18.235 %. Factor 3 consists of three variables of which variable namely age is significant with a variation of 11.578%. Factor 4 consists of three variables of which location of computers is significant with a variation of 10.121%. Factor 5 consists of one variable of which not enough computers is significant with a variation of 6.720 %. Based on the results of factor loading (Table 13), the factors are named which is given in table 14. CONCLUSIONS The conclusions derived in empirical analysis are summaried below. Most of the nurses are aware of Information Technology Practices prevailing in their workplace. There is a common consensus that Information Technology reduces the errors in handling the Patient/client data. Nurses use information technology for the purposes like professonal development, clinical care, patient care, administration, research and communication. Regarding the extent of access, majority of nurses disagree that they avoid using computers at their work. They have also realized the importance of using computers in their work. It is also found that use of information technology enables nurses in reducing errors in patient data and also helps in reducing duplication. There is also common agreemnt on the fact that Information technolgy made their job easier. Since the nurses are able to realize the importance of Information technolgy for their employer, they prefer that training on Information technology has to be provided to them by face-to-face. Many nurses didnt have their personal email id at their workplace and they are not financialy rewarded for the usage of Information technology. There is a lack of confidence in using of systems like Patient/client monitoring ,Diagnostic result access ,Financial management,Staff Management,Delivery and On-line professional journals etc., The demographic characteristics of nurses have a significant impact on the work related activities at their home. Factors like software packages, file transfer, data storage and input devices are significant in explaining the confidence level of nurses regarding the usage of computers. Factors like computer access, perception about Information technology, usage of computers, connectively, shortages of computers are significant in explaining the barriers to access of computers. Based on the findings, few suggestions have been made by researcher which is summarized below: This study should be made every year to evaluate the new practices that can bring in changes in the hospital. The hospital administrators should provide rewarding system for Using of IT in work. The hospitals should also try to remove the barriers for improving the computer access among nurses. The nurses may also be permitted to access the Internet and Intranet in their work place. The management should provide them the training on the basis of the knowledge of current health initiatives It is concluded that the latest development in the IT greatly influences the day today activities of the nurses. So the Hospital Management should take necessary steps to take initiatives for the nurses to access the technology. LIMITATIONS AND FUTHER RESEARCH The results obtained in this study could be subject to some limitations as mentioned below: The study is limited to a particlar hospital in a district. Since it is a service sector it was found to be difficult in meeting the respondents. The findings are based on the responses of 70 moderate sample sizes of nurses. Some avenues for further research are as follows: A further study may be undertaken on factors that influences Information technolgy adoption among nurses and The impact of information technolgy on patient safety A study regarding how information management addressess the nursing issues may also be focussed.

Deviance Essay -- essays research papers fc

"Discuss how one of the sociological theories of deviance can be used to explain social phenomena, such as pornography, drug use, suicide and disability." By Vanessa Neil 1 - Introduction 2 - A Brief background to the Interactionist Perspective 3 - More recent developments in the Interactionist Perspective 4 - Using the Interactionist Perspective to explain social phenomena 5 - Conclusion Introduction Deviant behaviour has sadly been a ongoing occurrence in society throughout history, more noticeably in life today. Sociologists have been provoked to study and form theories in order to try and explain why social phenomena such as suicide, prostitution and drug use occur in our society. The Interactionist Perspective, known to many as the Labelling Theory, is interested in social processes and examines deviant behaviour using such methods as social typing. The Interactionists emphasise the role that meanings play in the creation of deviant behaviour and gain a greater understanding of what it means to commit actions that others label as deviant. A Brief background to the Interactionist Perspective In order to discuss how the Interactionist theory can be used to explain deviance, it is necessary to understand the historical development and approach of this theory. The Interactionists firstly believe that there are no behaviours that are intrinsically deviant. Secondly, Deviant actions are simply those which are defined as deviant within a certain culture or setting. Therefore Interactionists focus on social processes by which certain behaviours become known as deviant and the consequences for those who are labelled deviant. (Aggleton, 1987, chpt 4) The Interactionist approach was at its height during the 1960’s and 1970’s, shedding a whole new, fresh perspective on the study of deviance. Here in Australia research on deviance was basically Functionalist and Positivist, Until 1970 when more critical approaches, like the Interactionist perspective began to appear. (Sargent, Nillan & Winter, 1997, pg 387) Interestingly the origins of the Interactionist approach go back as far as 18th century Philosophers, arguing with Positivist’s about how to best explain social behaviour. In 1938, professor, Frank Tannenbaum first observed the actual reactions to certain behaviours, rather than on beha... ...n going in our society due to the ‘stickiness of labels’ and ‘the self-fulfilling prophesy’ in which people grow into further careers of deviance, and the deviant cycle continues. Bibliography Aggleton, P. (1987). Deviance. London: Tavistock Publications Anleu, S.L Roach. (1991). Deviance, Conformity and Control. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire Goode, E. (1990). Deviant Behaviour. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Pontell, H.N. (1999). Social Deviance. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Rubington, E & Weinberg M.S. (1999). Deviance, The Interactionist Perspective. Boston: Allyn & Bacon Sargent, M & Nilan, P & Winter, G. (1997). The new Sociology for Australians. Melbourne: Longman Traub, S.H & Little C.B. (1994). Theories of Deviance. Illinois: F.E Peacock Publishers Additional Reading Cohen, S. (1977). Images of Deviance. England: Penguin Books McGrath, J.H & Scarpitti F.R. (1970). Youth and Drugs, Perspectives on a Social Problem. Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company Wilson, P.R & Braithwaite, J. (1978). Two faces of Deviance. Queensland: University of Queensland Press

Blending Reality and Fantasy in Going After Cacciato Essay -- Going Af

Blending Reality and Fantasy in Going After Cacciato by O'Brien As O'Brien's third novel, Going After Cacciato is one of his most acclaimed works. The book brings to the reader many chilling aspects of war while developing a connection between the reader and the narrator. After many years, Going After Cacciato still dominates over more recent war novels by providing a unique glimpse into the soldiers mind. O'Brien reflects upon his wartime experiences in Vietnam while successfully blending reality and fantasy in an original war story. In the first chapter of the book, the relationship between the story and its title is quickly made. As the character who encites the chase, Cacciato embarks on the seemingly ludicrous journey to Paris. A voyage of eighty six hundred miles on foot is not one to be taken lightly. To get an idea of the distance that Cacciato is planning to transverse, imagine walking across the United States four times bringing only what one can carry. Paul Berlin, to whom Cacciato has divulged his travel plans, and his unit begin on a mission to retrieve Cacciato. Told from Berlin's viewpoint, the story is revealed from the experiences of a person who questions his own purpose in the war. The soldiers are literally walking away from the war as they follow Cacciato through the jungles of Vietnam. Paul's journey with the others is occasionally broken up by sudden lapses into the past. Such unexpected transitions have positive and negative affects on the reader. The latter result is immediate; the quick t opic changes add an element of confusion as to what exactly is happening in the novel. However, the divisions also attribute to increased interest during these flashbacks as they break up the monotony of the mar... ...he war. This war is not one only fought by weapons but is fought inside the soldier's mind. The minds, which O'Brien creates, reveal the convoluted aspects of war. Going After Cacciato succeeds because the story is written to create a link between the reader and the characters in a familiar, yet fictional world. Works Cited 1. "O'Brien, Tim." Current biography Yearbook. 1995 ed. 2. "Tim O'Brien's Homepage, Novelist." 24 April, 1997. <http://www.illyria.com/tobhp.html> (10 May 1997). 3. Chisdes, Jonathan. "Moral Questions In Tim O'Brien's Going After Cacciato: How To Do Right In An Evil Situation." 10 August 1995. http://www.nightmare.com/~jon/cacciato2.html (9 May 1997). 4. Devine, Mary. "Love and War in the Land o' Lakes." MPLS-St. Paul Magazine Oct. 1994: 179. O'Brien, Tim. Going After Cacciato. New York: Dell Publishing, 1978. Blending Reality and Fantasy in Going After Cacciato Essay -- Going Af Blending Reality and Fantasy in Going After Cacciato by O'Brien As O'Brien's third novel, Going After Cacciato is one of his most acclaimed works. The book brings to the reader many chilling aspects of war while developing a connection between the reader and the narrator. After many years, Going After Cacciato still dominates over more recent war novels by providing a unique glimpse into the soldiers mind. O'Brien reflects upon his wartime experiences in Vietnam while successfully blending reality and fantasy in an original war story. In the first chapter of the book, the relationship between the story and its title is quickly made. As the character who encites the chase, Cacciato embarks on the seemingly ludicrous journey to Paris. A voyage of eighty six hundred miles on foot is not one to be taken lightly. To get an idea of the distance that Cacciato is planning to transverse, imagine walking across the United States four times bringing only what one can carry. Paul Berlin, to whom Cacciato has divulged his travel plans, and his unit begin on a mission to retrieve Cacciato. Told from Berlin's viewpoint, the story is revealed from the experiences of a person who questions his own purpose in the war. The soldiers are literally walking away from the war as they follow Cacciato through the jungles of Vietnam. Paul's journey with the others is occasionally broken up by sudden lapses into the past. Such unexpected transitions have positive and negative affects on the reader. The latter result is immediate; the quick t opic changes add an element of confusion as to what exactly is happening in the novel. However, the divisions also attribute to increased interest during these flashbacks as they break up the monotony of the mar... ...he war. This war is not one only fought by weapons but is fought inside the soldier's mind. The minds, which O'Brien creates, reveal the convoluted aspects of war. Going After Cacciato succeeds because the story is written to create a link between the reader and the characters in a familiar, yet fictional world. Works Cited 1. "O'Brien, Tim." Current biography Yearbook. 1995 ed. 2. "Tim O'Brien's Homepage, Novelist." 24 April, 1997. <http://www.illyria.com/tobhp.html> (10 May 1997). 3. Chisdes, Jonathan. "Moral Questions In Tim O'Brien's Going After Cacciato: How To Do Right In An Evil Situation." 10 August 1995. http://www.nightmare.com/~jon/cacciato2.html (9 May 1997). 4. Devine, Mary. "Love and War in the Land o' Lakes." MPLS-St. Paul Magazine Oct. 1994: 179. O'Brien, Tim. Going After Cacciato. New York: Dell Publishing, 1978.