British policies that have taken place since the end of the Second World War

In this essay I am going to be looking at British policies that have taken place since the end of the Second World War. The government have used a mixture of private and public welfare up until today; I am going to be looking into what ideologies influence the policies that have been put into place. Also throughout the essay I will explain how ideologies and policies have an effect on certain social groups in society. The term ideology is the ideas and beliefs of an individual or a group about how the world should be. There are lots of different political ideologies; the main two I will be looking into are Liberalism and social reformism. However both of these ideologies overlap with Marxist and conservative views which I will look at broadly. The first ideology I am going to look at is Social reformism also known as social democracy. This emerged from the late 1800’s and was set up from the trade unions and non conformist churches such as Methodist in Britain. This ideology has very strong values in helping and supporting people who are worse off than their selves. They believe that the government has a duty to look after the worse off in society, and they try to do this through the welfare state. They believe that democratic change is the way forward to succeeding in society, this usually means voting will be used to determine what changes are made. Social reformism believes that the government should interfere with the running of society and that the large industries should all is state owned. Another one of their ideas is for everyone to have equal opportunities, also a part of this is the belief that if you have a big income that you should be taxed according to this. Read also Analyze the Ways in Which British Imperial Policies This means that the rich will be getting taxed more than the poor which will mean the money will be put into the state to help the worse off, to help everyone become more equal and have equal chances in life. The second ideology I am going to look at is Liberalism which is the philosophy of john Locke, Adam smith and John Stuart Mill. This ideology mainly started in the 1600’s as a movement against the power of the monarchy however became more dominant in the 1800’s. The Liberalists stand for freedom and protection of people’s rights and equality between everyone. Liberalists believe that the government should have none or very little involvement with the running of society. This includes limiting the state owned businesses and government powers over industries. From a economics point of view Liberalism believes that we should have a free market and free enterprise over the world. They encourage free trade so much in order to move forward towards being a more successful capitalist society. Liberalism does not want the state involved in the economy ect, as they believe it works best without any political input from the government. However as the liberalists believe in the protection of human rights they accept input in policing, courts, and the military as these are provided to protect individuals. The next ideology I’m going to look briefly at is Marxism also known as socialism. Marxism was first introduced by Karl Marx who believed in having a classless society in the 1600’s. Marxists believed that there were two main groups who were relevant in making the economic system worked. He called them the Bourgeoisie who are the owners of industry, and the proletariat who are the working class.Ap World History Units 1-3 Study Guide The Marxist idea is that the owners of industry exploit the working class to make as much profit out of them as possible. The Marxists notice this and have a view that a revolution should take place which would let the working class rise against the ruling class. Marxists believed that the state should be fully involved in society such as owning industries, and have control over health care, housing and a good welfare system to ensure everyone has equal opportunities at having a good life and a good standard of living. The last ideology that was mainly used was conservatism which emerged at the time of the French revolution 1789. Conservatism has a very traditional approach and believes in maintaining the status quo or having very little slow change. This ideology believes that the class system in our society works. They believe that having an upper class, middle class and working class is a functional way to live. They believe that we should be able to help the poor but not too much that they get dependent on societies input into helping them. In 1939 was the beginning of World War 2, where Britain took place in one of the toughest wars known to history. The war affected everyone in the country as individuals, businesses and families. Neville Chamberlain was the Prime minister of Britain at the beginning of World War 2, however in 1940 Chamberlain decided to resign and Winston Churchill became Prime Minister. Post war governments throughout 1945-1975 steered the economy and all the political parties to continue and to further support the welfare state. This time is also known as the kaynesian and Beveridgian period. William Beveridge was a social reformist who was asked to carry out a a report which was released in 1942. He believed that the government should pay to provide basic welfare, and take responsibility for helping the unemployed and people in poverty. In his report he said that the government should be able to tackle the â€Å"5 evil giants† Which are Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness. The Beveridge report is such an important part of history because the Beveridge report helped produce the welfare state. Kaynes was an economist which argued that in times of recessions the government should invest into the economic system to help create jobs for people. This would be a good idea because as people now have jobs they will then be able to pay their money slowly back into the economy. However when the economy is booming the government should be able to have the power to be able to slow down the economy by introducing more taxes, this is so people don’t demand more goods as this may lead to inflation. Around the time just after the war there were a lot of social reformist approaches. Firstly The National Health Service Act (1948) was introduced. This act was established to give people a right to a free health service and free medical treatment for everyone. However when this Act was first mentioned GP’s were not fond of the idea and didn’t want to join. However this Act has affected many people throughout Britain For years such as Working Class Families. This Act has given them the opportunity to have free health care where as they may not have been able to afford medical treatment before which means we as a country are saving more lives through the NHS. The next Act i am going to look at is the National Insurance Act (1946). At this stage when the Act was first introduced everyone had to pay into it (employer, employee, and the government) which entitles you to sick pay and a pension. The next Act was the Children’s Act (1948), this gave the government responsibilities for looking after children in Britain and having the main power for the Childs Protection . Throughout 1946-1948 housing Acts were also introduced to help people get a better living standard. Between 1950-1975 we currently had nationalised industries. This meant that the government owned most of the large industries such as Coal, gas and electric. Within this time period the government also decided to get rid of the Grammar schools which meant also scrapping the 11+ exam and introduce comprehensive schools, which was also a social reformist idea. However they did decide not to abolish private schools which meant this also had a sense of a conservative approach. This is because keeping the private schools is only keeping the class difference the same of if anything making the gap larger. In the late 1970’s family income support was introduced. This policy was pretty much the same as working tax credits however this meant that your income was supplemented to a good living standard. This was introduced to try and not let people get into the poverty cycle, people went through a means testing processes which the government believed was done very fairly and reached out to help a lot more people who were struggling or maybe not entitled to the original benefit. From 1979-1997 lots of changes were being made to society when the conservatives where in power. Margret Thatcher a conservative, re introduced a Liberalist approach into society. Even though Thatcher stood for the conservative party she introduced a lot of Liberalist ideas into the policies between 1979 and 1997. This idea of a new liberalist approach was known as The New Right. Thatcher believed that the state was being used too much and was too involved in people’s lives. This era is known as the welfare break up, as Margret Thatcher was very Anti welfare state and in favour for lowering the income tax. Thatcher decided to start De nationalising industries because she believed they were inefficient and there were way too many people employed. The railway, coal, BT and parts of the NHS were a few industries which where effected who were put into the hands of the private sector rather than the government meaning a lot of people loosing their jobs which is also a Liberalist approach. At this time the conservatives also tried to cut the welfare benefits; however did not successes with this due to the government worrying about riots because unemployment was at its highest at 4million which would leave a lot of people fending for them selves. However slight changes were made to the welfare system where they cut 16-18 year olds being able to get welfare benefits. This was because they wanted too push teenagers to go and get a job or go into education, this is where the government intruded the youth training system to help young people. In 1997 Labour won the election by a landslide victory making Tony Blaire MP. In the 1980’s before Labour were elected socialists argued with social reformists within the labour party. This made some of the MP’s leave the labour party who chose to create a social democrat party, which has now formed into the Liberal democrat party. He also decided to change the name to ‘New Labour’ as apposed to ‘Old Labour’ as they had removed some of their socialist ideology. They came up with an idea of a ‘third way approach’, this meant that they were able to take bits of ideologies and put them together to win votes. One example of this is labour not changing some of the privatisation of the NHS which would win over voters from more of a conservative background. Through 1997-2010 there were lots of policies introduced by the Labour government. Some of the policies took a very Liberalist approach and some took a Social reformism approach. I am firstly going to look at the policies which were introduced by social reformism under Labour government. The first Policy i am going to look at is the National Minimum wage. This was introduced so that people were able to only sell their labour for a good standard amount of money. This is also to helps people (especially working class) not to fall into poverty as they will be guaranteed a ‘liveable’ wage. The minimum wage has changed since it was first brought in, as the minimum wage now stands at ?6. 08 for workers over the age of 21. Also to be re introduced was Working family tax credits, which Labour increased the amount of money people where able to get to supplement their income which reached out to working class families to help them have a better standard of living. The government were also very fond of trying to tackle child poverty. They did this by injecting money in to schools in low income areas to help the children get a better education in that area, and also supplying children with after school clubs and breakfast clubs to help families struggling financially. Another major policy brought in by Labour is Job seekers allowance. This was introduced to help people get back into work and to support them financially whilst doing so. Most of these policies introduced by social reformism under Labour government are there to help families with low income living in low income areas. Labour also had policies which were introduced by Liberalism. Firstly Labour continued to slowly de nationalise industries and introduce agencies to run the government department. Therefore this Liberalist view is mostly advantaging the Upper/middle class. This is because if Labour are still privatising parts of the welfare state for example social care the working class are going to be unable to pay for these services due to low income. Gordon Brown was elected for Labour in 2007 where Britain fell into a economical crisis. He then went to nationalise the banks which meant the government had to buy shares or all parts of the banks to ensure they didn’t go under, which is a socialist idea. In 2010 the Coalition government came into power which consisted of the Liberal democrats and Conservatives. There aims for Britain are to be able to reduce government spending by cutting back on the welfare, education and local government services which is based on Liberalist Ideology. Up to the present day to day Britain is still struggling to get back on its feet after the recession however things are improving.

Riordan’s Manufacturing Strategy

The Ordain Manufacturing Company utilizes the level strategy for their manufacturing and production planning. The process begins with the raw materials that are received by the receiving team who ensure all necessary materials are accounted for and this team moves the raw materials to the factory. The receiving supervisor then compares shipping documents against scheduled incoming orders for processing. These orders are then received by the inventory clerk and this person enters the information related to the raw materials receipts into the inventory system.The level strategy is beneficial for Ordain because they are able to maintain a stable workforce at all times, working at a constant output rate. This strategy offers a schedule that keeps the finished product moving at the same rate throughout the production cycle. Ordain can continuously produce their products equal to the average demand of the goods. In addition, employees benefit from this strategy because they are guaranteed stable work hours and the costs of potentially decreased customer service levels and Increased Inventory costs, (Jacobs, F. R. & Chase, R. , 2011). Forecasting Technique and ProcessThe quantitative forecasting technique Is the most practical for Ordain Manufacturing to utilize to determine the future sales for their electric fans. Quantitative forecasting Is a statistical technique for making projections using data and prior experiences to predict those future sales based on past trends. (Observationally. Com, 2014). Radian's China plant prepares Its own forecast of electric fan sales that take place throughout the world. Their make-TCL;-order stock process forecasts Its demand for the fans based on the average sales In the previous three years and anticipate the same for upcoming years.

Claude Debussy

Claude Debussy: The Father of Impressionism Claude Debussy was among one of the most popular twentieth century composers of his time. He is known for his famous â€Å"Clair De Lune† and â€Å"La Mer†. This impacted the 20th century music genre with his difficult impressionist technique. He was among the few to be influenced by symbolist poets and impressionist painters, which resulted in true originality. He was the founder of Musical Impressionism, and impacted numerous composers such as Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky, Bela Bartok, Alban Berg, Anton Webern, Pierre’ Boulez. On August 22nd 1862, Claude-Anchille Debussy was born.He was born in Saint-Germain-en Laye, France. His father owned a shop where he sold china and his mother was a seamstress. He began to take piano lessons when they moved to Paris at age seven with an older Italian violinist named Certutti. His aunt kindly paid for them. His talent started to become noticeable, that in 1872 he entered the Pa ris Conservatoire and studied there for eleven years. While he was there he studied Composition, Music theory and history, Harmony, piano as well as organ and solfege. He started to favor dissonance and intervals that were not favored during this time.He was a brilliant pianist and a exceptional sight reader. Starting in the summer of 1880, he accompanied Pytor IllyichTchaikovsky where they traveled throughout Europe. He became the winner of the Prix de Rome in 1884 with his composition L’enfant prodigue. He then received a scholarship to Academie des Beaux-Arts which they provided a four year residence at the Villa Medici at the French Academy in Rome to further his studies into 1887. He composed four pieces that year that were sent to the academy. He then became interested with the Wagnerian Opera, which had a lasting impact on his work.He later died in 1918 of cancer. â€Å"I am trying to do ‘something different' in a way reality, what the imbeciles call ‘impr essionism' is a term which is as poorly used as possible, particularly by art critics. â€Å"(Debussy) Debussy was the father of impressionism. Impressionism was an early twentieth style of musical composition, which involved flourishing harmonies, clever rhythms and unusual wavering tones. It originated in France where Debussy was born and lived. It was about an atmosphere about music more than the emotion that is expected from music or a story like program music.It was all about shaping new sound effects. These effects included long atypical chords, fast moving sounds when it came to piano dynamics, bitonality, and developing interesting timbres of an instrument specific articulation. Impressionism was mainly focused on Dynamics and Instrumentation. It was created to draw impressions not to necessarily to draw a clear picture. It was designed to create a mood or an atmosphere. The use of Harmony was a big part of Impressionism. An example of Debussy’s work would be â€Å" L’isle Joyeuse† which was influenced by the painting by Jean Watteau.It has no harmonic purpose and sometimes the melody is everywhere, which means there is no steady beat. The piece, in a way does what it wants without following any rules. This was a major part of Impressionism. An example of Claude Debussy’s work that shows the style of Impressionism is â€Å"La Clair De Lune†. It was composed in 1888 and is the third movement of the â€Å"Suite Bergamasque†. â€Å"The choice of compound triple meter for this movement shows the contrast to the dance movements and helps allow Debussy freedom to articulate the music differently.In addition, Clair de Lune is compositionally, the most adventurous piece of the suite. The positioning within the suite is important; it is the suite’s third movement, and is the lyrical climax of the suite. The use of structure and proportion within the movement is significant; Most important of all, they show ways in which the forms are used to project the music’s dramatic and expressive qualities with maximum precision†(Howat 1). It’s original name was â€Å"Promenade Sentimentale†. It was not published until 1905. It was inspired by Paul Verlaine's poems and was influenced by Verlaine's earliest collections.The name means moon-shine or moon light and is the name of one of Verlain's poems. Another example of Debussy’s work of Impressionism is â€Å"La Mer†. Debussy composed it in 1903 and it was completed in 1905. He then premiered it that same year with The Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Debussy’s influence came from the painter J. M. W. Turner. They both had intertwining interests with the sea. With the rich melodic lines, to the rhythmic regularity, and the use of harmonic progressions helped create the sound of the waves Debussy was looking for. â€Å"We must agree,† Debussy writes, â€Å"that the beauty of a work of art will lways rem ain a mystery, in other words, we can never be absolutely sure how it is made†(Trezise 102). In my opinion, these were his best works because of how irregular his melodies are and how he harmonizes in each piece. His use of harmonies creates an atonal sound so that the chords do not sound nice or match together. He creates this â€Å"dream like† sequence that takes you off into another world. It is almost like you are sleeping, and dreaming at the same time in both pieces. In â€Å"La Clair De Lune†, it is more like a dream sequence that gives you the harmonies that are irregular.It also has no specific melody so it could possibly have no end. Both pieces are great examples of Impressionism and Debussy really knew how to make it happen. Claude Debussy was the father of Impressionism and truly changed the way someone can analyze music. He created a new movement in music that inspired other twentieth century composers to follow in his footsteps. With his pentatonic scale, and his use of atonality, Debussy shaped what was the era of new music. Without his interest in creating new things, today we would not have the fluence from him on impressionism.

Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Renaissance - Essay Example The Renaissance is generally accepted to have begun in the fourteenth century in the small and prosperous states of Italy namely, Florence, Sienna and Venice (1). Some historians have questioned both the starting date and the starting place of the Renaissance, crediting the period under the Carolingian rulers Charlemagne and Louis the Pious starting from 800 AD. Such a contention comes from the perspective that if a reawakening in culture and intellectual from the dark period of European history is the criterion for the renaissance, the renaissance started in 800 AD, under the Carolingian rulers. Such a claim is associated with the achievements of the Carolingian rulers. These rulers brought peace and security throughout most of Western Europe, which was in turmoil since the demise of the Roman Empire in the fifth century, when Alaric sacked Rome in 401 AD. There was deliberate effort on the part of these rulers to bring back some of the lost cultural and economic greatness lost with the Roman Empire. Charlemagne utilized the assistance of the intellectual Alcuin to set up a school system. Working with Benedict of Aniane, Louis the Pious made Benedictine monasticism a force of progress and civilization in Western Europe. The consequence of this combine of political and intellectual power was rise in culture and learning not experienced since the Roman Empire. However, the counter argument is that these changes were essentially within the clergy and lacked a wide range of social movements as evinced by the renaissance that started in Italy. (2). There is also some support for the view of Charles Homer Haskins in his book The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century that Europe starting from in the eleventh century. This period saw a vibrant, expanding, and tolerant society that offers comparison to the renaissance in the fourteenth century in Italy. (2). However this contention is not accepted

Business application of mathematics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business application of mathematics - Essay Example A simple formula is then derived to select the best five funds from each sector. For low risk investors, the 1st, 3rd and 5th year cumulative performance to the last quarter columns and fund size were used as metrics to decide the best 5 funds from each sector. Basic financial theory states that outsized returns can be generated only by taking risks, so although a fund may exhibit excellent returns, an investor should incorporate risk into the analysis to determine the risk-adjusted performance of the fund and how it compares to other investments. There are several metrics to use when analysing funds, one can decide to use kurtosis, skewness, standard deviation, mean, minimum and maximum functions, value at risk or any other metric or any combination of these metrics. Combining many of these metrics in the analysis of funds is an intensive way of getting the best funds. The metrics used to analyse the funds sometimes give different funds as the best. Most people however use fund size and 1st, 3rd and 5th yearly cumulative values to easily select the best funds. Skewness is a measure of the asymmetry of data in this case, the returns. Positive skewness means mean>median>mode. Negative skewness indicates the probability of a very high risk even if the probability is low. Kurtosis measures the level of flatness of a distribution. Negative kurtosis, indicates a lower probability of results around the mean, and lower probability of extreme values. A positive kurtosis indicates a higher probability of results near the mean, but also a higher probability of extreme values.   The idea of thought behind this criterion is that the yearly cumulative performance to the last quarter is a vital metric that indicates fund performance in the market. Another important metric that investors look at is fund size. Among the yearly cumulative performance columns, a fund that will

There is a bleak relationship between liberalism and colonialism Essay

There is a bleak relationship between liberalism and colonialism - Essay Example Colonialism leads to atrocities where liberalism is absent. Elkins acknowledges that British colonialism in Kenya did not give natives right and access to amenities (Elkins 2011: 7374). The system of governance used constituted torture and violence to ensure that Kenyans obeyed the system. Additionally, the use of military agents to deal with Mau Mau insurgents used thepower that denied Kenya access to freedom. The military government received support from the high officials in the colonial government. The illegal use of force to rule Kenya confirms that liberalism cannot thrive where colonialism is practiced. Elkins reveals that the five complainants required hard evidence for them to win the case. One of the documents that were used includes Hanslope Disclosure, and it was used to document cases of violence and detention. The practice of colonialism during British Empire in Kenya led to deaths at least 1,000 Mau Mau suspects through hanging. Bringing colonial warlords to justice gr ants the former colonies a sense of self-actualization. However, the warlords out up a fight and destroy any evidence that can ascertain that they committed atrocities that disrespected human rights. One of the common processes that are used to seek reconciliation between colonialism and liberalism is restorative justice. Elkins argues that liberalism comes through the process of restorative justice (Elkins 2011: 736). Mau Mau suspects and sympathizers were detained amidst massive public support and protests.

Bureaucracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Bureaucracy - Essay Example The characteristics of the work in bureaucracies may be defined as being impersonal, rule based, goal oriented and promotion of officials only on the base of merit and performance. The concept of bureaucracy goes down to a rich history coming from the Chinese and the Industrial Revolution. Despite the various changes that exist in the power and government forms throughout, the one word that has not lost its power and is still holding the authority to exercise power is ‘bureaucracy’. Even before the term came up officially, many countries followed the concept as it literally means to ‘rule by office’. The Confucianism has a certain philosophical element in the authority of the bureaucracy, as it adds to the early facets of the Chinese culture and social structure (Jacoby 53). In a more modern sequence, there was much from the bureaucracies that we saw in the social culture. The local labour problems had started to be solved by the unions as individual locals. Since the locals themselves lacked confidence and strength to negotiate with the corporations held nationally, the locals were compelled to affiliate nationally and in effect formed a parallel bureaucratic structure. The structure sooner became an entity of its own right as the voice of individual locals was diminished and taken over by the national body. Today, the bureaucracy is perceived as most closely associated with the government, and even lobbyists against excessive government red tape. Social scientists also argue that private bureaucratic development had been developed before the government. Traditionally there were hierarchies of offices defining their different areas of responsibility which was considered as a criterion for a bureaucracy. Another key component for the bureaucracy was to regulate and service other’s property rather than one’s own. With the coming of the Industrial Revolution, the concept of bureaucracy changed. The development took place and with a keen

Internal Resistance of a Battery Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Internal Resistance of a Battery - Lab Report Example The rheostat’s resistance is then varied a number of times, taking the current and voltage readings for each turn. The equation V = ÃŽ µ - Ir, is then used to determine the internal resistance of the battery, where V is the recorded total voltage drop across the battery, ÃŽ µ, the electromotive force or the total voltage put out by the battery, I the current flowing through the circuit and r the required internal resistance of the household battery. ÃŽ µ, V, and I, are measured and then the equation V = ÃŽ µ – Ir used to determine r which is then compared to accepted values. A possible limitation to this experiment that may lead to inaccurate results is the resistance of the connecting wires that is never taken to account. A new 9-volt battery was obtained and the voltage it could put out measured and recorded. Next, the slide on the rheostat was put to the extreme right—its maximum level--and its resistance measured and recorded. The circuit was then connected as shown in figure two below, keeping the switch open and taping its base to the table for stability (Internal Resistance of a Battery, p 2). The high current (20A) input of the ammeter was used, setting it up to the appropriate scale. Everything was now set for measurement taking. In quick moves, the switch was closed, both the voltage and current readings recorded and then the switch opened immediately. A few seconds were then to pass before the next measurements were taken (Internal Resistance of a Battery, p 2). The rheostat was the disconnected and its resistance decreased by sliding it a few centimetres to the left. This resistance was then measured and recorded. The circuit was then reconnected and the above procedure of taking measurements repeated. Next, the rheostat was disconnected and moved a few more centimetres to the left. As in the previous steps, the resistance was measured and recorded, the circuit reconnected and the current and voltage measurements repeated as

'In company reporting, the measurement of the amount of impairment of Essay

'In company reporting, the measurement of the amount of impairment of many types of assets is so subjective as to be meaningless - Essay Example For that financial activity, they are totally free to judge, determine and allocate their impairment estimation. The International Financial Reporting Standards, which are commonly known as IFRS, are unable to provide any guidance for the purpose of having an authorised and agreed way of judging and assigning the level of fixed assets impairment. After determining and issuing the International Accounting Standards number 36, in short IAS 36, the management of IFRS has become satisfied that they have successfully played and performed their job in the most positive way. Unfortunately, this level of contribution from the management of IFRS has only increased the use of subjectivity for the purpose of determining and assigning impairment for fixed assets. A huge amount of possible implications cannot be avoided. Many companies use this type of freedom to determine and allocate that level of impairment that may only support the interests of management at the cost of real owners-the shareh olders. By determining the level of impairment for different types of assets, many companies become successful in engineering the type of financial statements that they want to show and declare in the public. Multiple impacts can be appeared on the financial statements. For example, for the statement of comprehensive income, the impact of impairment would be that it would show less net profit than it could have shown in case of no loss of impairment. Furthermore, this would directly and negatively show its effects on dividends of the company as well. Due to the occurrence of the impairment loss, the company is required to reduce the amount of profit. Consequently, less amount of dividend would be announced and given to the shareholders of the company. The shareholders could have given more dividends if the company had not shown the occurrence of the impairment loss. Additionally, if the amount of impairment is substantial and material, then undoubtedly, this would negatively impact on the valuation of the business of the company; aggregately, company may experience a reduced level of confidence by shareholders, individual and institutional investors as well. In the same context, the announcement of material impairment could impact on a share price of the company. And this impact would show its presence by forcing the share price to reduce its current level of price to the level of reduced amount. All in all, the use of subjectivity for the purpose of determining a particular amount of impairment has put a considerable amount of impact on the financial statements, share price, reduced amount of dividends, tax saving, and other short term and long term impacts. International Accounting Standard 36: Impairment of assets The main and fundamental aim of this standard is to ensure that the long term fixed assets are carried and incorporated into the financial statements at no more than their recoverable amount. Before going to further understand and analyse the conc ept and application of impairment, it is highly important to define and understand the meaning of assets which come directly under the ambit of impairment loss. International Accounting Standards Board has defined the concept of asset as â€Å" an asset of an entity is (a) cash held by the entity; (b) a present right of the entity to cash; or

American legal system Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American legal system - Coursework Example The main justification for capital punishment in the United States is the concept of future dangerousness. Also referred to as incapacitation, this validation for penalty is founded on the danger that a criminal will probably pose to the society in the future. The need by the state to guard its citizens from the danger that the criminal poses to society is the rationale for punishing someone based on their dangerousness. This means that the state decides to incapacitate a criminal in order to make certain that the offender does not commit another criminal act (Berry, n.d). Judicial ambitions on the side of a prosecutor and personal interests may shape the outcome of a capital case. This is because once on the bench, judges in most of the states are put through elections, frequently partisan, where their verdicts in capital cases can be, and frequently are, used in efforts to overthrow them. A judge may unfairly convict an offender to the death penalty not because the offender deserve s it but merely because he fears loosing his position. Moreover, upgrades to superior courts need political sponsorship and in some cases, electoral backing that is shaped by compelling proof that the judge is â€Å"tough on crime† as he or she handles capital cases. ... This is one of the reasons why the penalty should be abolished. Still focusing on the point of personal interests and selfish gains, most judges decide capital cases in a way that they will be safe. For instance, where the victim is of the same race with the juror, wherein most jurors are often predominately white, the juror will most probably vote for death penalty for the offender. Presumably, this decision of the jury is partly based on the likelihood of the defendant posing a threat to the juror, his family or his friends. This is a very personal move for the jury based not on justice but rather on selfish gains and personal protection. Evidence also suggest that these jurors are always conscious of this analysis whereby they constantly consider the race of the defendant and of the victim to decide the capital case (Berry, n.d). According to Petrie & Coverdill (2010), death sentences are more expected when the victim is female, when there is an associated offense, when several vi ctims are involved and when the victim is a stranger to the offender. Additionally, analyses suggest that several victim and crime attributes shape the decision of capital cases. These include higher victim age, sexual harassments, victims who were police officers, kidnappings, young victims, and the existence of codefendants. These and many other attributes shape the verdict of capital cases thus not adhering to the set laws and fairness. Due to this, the death penalty should be done away with since there is no sincerity in deciding the cases. As stated earlier, future dangerousness of the offender is the main justification as foundation for death penalty. However, the unquestionable

Developing a Motivational Plan Essay Example for Free

Developing a Motivational Plan Essay A motivation plan for any school is extremely important for the success of any educational program. Students who are not motivated will not learn and in turn wont succeed. Many components should be included in a motivational plan so that all the needs of students are met and each student has goals that are attainable and can be reached. According to Hersey (2008), Goals should be set high enough that a person has to stretch to reach them but low enough that they can be attained. Goal setting, rewards, both tangible and non-tangible, and a sense of belonging are motivational components that should be included in a motivational plan. The first part of a motivational plan that I would feel essential for my school would be goal setting. At the current school that I work at, I feel like this is a missing part of our motivational plan and it greatly affects our students. Without goals, the students dont know what they are working towards, this creates confusion and a detachment from the meaning of education. Although some students may set personal goals, I feel like its important for there to be group goals so that the students can work together to achieve them and be more motivated. Goals should be set high, but not so high that students cant achieve them. Goals that are too high would do the opposite of motivate, it would create despair and students would give up eventually because they would know that their effort is not worthwhile. Setting goals that are attainable will motivate students and will give students the confidence that they need to continue their efforts in reaching additional goals. If students know that they can reach a goal, something that is attainable and reachable, theyll be more motivated to try so that they can have that feeling of accomplishment. Another important aspect of goal setting is that the goals are changed and updated frequently so that students constantly have something to work for. Once a student achieves a particular goal, the motivation will be gone unless they have something else to work towards, something else to motivate them. Hersey (2008) also supports this idea by stating, Once the child becomes proficient in attaining a particular goal, it becomes appropriate for the parent to provide an opportunity for the child to identify and set new goals. So, its my plan to work with the students to create attainable goals frequently so that students have constant motivation and something that they can always work towards. I believe that goal setting is a major component of any motivation plan and this will be the main focus behind mine. I feel that its extremely important that students have goals and something to work towards, otherwise there will be no motivation behind their actions. The second component of my motivation plan will be tangible and intangible rewards. Students will work towards something and be more motivated if they receive something in return. This is similar to why anyone get a job. They work hard and complete actions in order to receive the tangible reward of money and the intangible reward of accomplishment. Students are going to be more motivated and work harder if they will get something in return for their hard work, whether its intangible like a feeling, or tangible, like good grades or rewards. It is no surprise, then, that to improve academic achievement of middle school students, successful programs incorporate the social contexts for both intrinsic motivation and internalized extrinsic motivation (Wilson Corpus, 2001). Although studies have shown that extrinsic rewards are only beneficial short term and can be detrimental in long term situations, (Corpus Wilson, 2001), I believe that every now and then a tangible reward is needed and can result is a positive outcome and increased motivation. An example of this is a current motivational strategy that we use at my current school regarding awards for good grades, citizenship, and good attendance. Students get awards every semester for achieving milestones in these categories and I believe that it does increase student motivation. If a student is close to the end of the semester and has a B+ in one class, they will are motivated to raise that one grade in order to get the highest award presented to them in front of their parents, teachers, and students, since we do the award ceremony during the school day. I have personally seen the motivation that is created by these awards and I plan to include this in my motivational plan as well. Intangible awards can also be very successful in creating motivation and are more beneficial long term although short term effects may not be as common as with the tangible rewards. Students respond to intrinsic rewards like praise, self assurance, and accomplishment. There are, however, many intangible rewards, such as praise or power, that are just as important and effective for use as incentives when endeavoring to evoke a particular behavior (Hersey, 2008). To incorporate this into my plan I would like to see more praise for good behavior, as well as giving students more choices in the classroom. By giving students choices, they will feel more empowered by their choice and feel more accomplished when they achieve it, resulting in increase motivation. Finally, I would like to see a good sense of community and belonging in my school community. According to Glasser (1985), the five basic needs common to all people are the need for belonging, power, fun, freedom, and survival. With a sense of belonging, students will have more ownership over their behavior and will be more motivated to succeed. Its been my experience that students that are out-casts arent motivated to succeed because they have no reason to, no one to share their success with. The opposite would happen if students feel like they belong and have someone to share their motivation and success with. Overall, more than one component is important to any successful motivational plan. My plan will focus on goal setting, rewards, and a sense of belonging or community within my school. With these factors I hope that my students will be motivated to learn and become better students and people. Its my belief that although many factor are essential to a motivation plan, its crucial that goals are set so that students have something to work towards. Without a goal to work towards, students wont feel like they have a reason to be motivated. These are the components that will be included in my motivational plan for my future school.

Different strategies Essay Example for Free

Different strategies Essay Using guidelines on viewing, interpreting, and evaluating visual imagery, examine a visual image for its meaning. Develop a written analysis and evaluation of the image. The image viewed is that of a building plan of the library. The image contains lines and boxes and labels of the different sections of the building. The image is presented as a whole and viewing it as separate sections would likely destroy the meaning of the image. The image also communicates to the viewer the whole structure of the building and one viewing it can identify his/her spatial location in the building. The image is able to tell the viewer that the building is large, has several entrances and exits, it also tells one the nearest comfort room, librarian’s desk and where a specific book, journal or material is located. Generally, the image is simple and straightforward and is able to communicate to the viewer important information about the library. Explore how different texts require different reading strategies. Select a novel chapter, a textbook chapter, a magazine article and a web page, and engage each text and take appropriate notes. Then, reflect on how the different texts call for similar and different strategies. Taking notes when reading a chapter from a novel is difficult to do, it’s that we have been trained to read a novel as a complete story, and the notes I had were incomplete and did not really tell me what the story is about, it was just a set of conversations I found interesting. Reading a textbook chapter is different because it contains a lot of information and the text is arranged to focus on one topic, hence my notes were many and upon reading it, it was actually a summary of the textbook chapter. A magazine article calls for light reading, and unless one is really looking for specific information, nothing is there for me to take notes. Most of the information in magazine articles is commonsense and opinionated and one is moved to argue against the article or agree with it. Reading a web page is similar to the magazine article, however, one notices that the message is incomplete or there are more articles related to it that taking notes is impossible but one web page leads to another. Reread one of your recent essays. How does the writing show that you thoroughly understood your subject, met the needs of your audience, and achieved your writing purpose? I believe that my essay was able to communicate that I had a good understanding of my topic because the thesis statement was focused and enabled the reader to identify the direction of the essay. Moreover, the essay provided a brief but information-rich discussion of the topic and its background. Then it proceeded to present my arguments and it was backed by existing information from reliable sources. I also was able to provide an alternative argument so that the reader would be given the opportunity to agree or disagree with my arguments. I then finished it with a short summary and conclusion and an invitation to the reader to engage in the same. Review the wording of a recent writing assignment. What are the key words, restrictions, and options? What does the description tell you about the purpose, audience, form, and assessment of the writing? What strategies from this chapter would you use to get started? A recent writing assignment I completed was the personal essay about the most influential person in my life. The key words for the assignment were influential person, inspiration and learning. Since it was a personal essay the only restrictions was that names should not be used, although one could identify the relationship of the person to the writer. The option given was that in the event that one could not identify a person, then it could be a personal experience. The writing assignment implied that it was going to be a personal essay that the use of first person is allowed and that it was casual and emotional and the purpose is to share with readers a very personal part of my life. I would be able to use the brainstorming exercise, as well as the dialogue writing and how to convey emotions in what we write.

Major Factors For The Low Profitability Commerce Essay

Major Factors For The Low Profitability Commerce Essay To understand the indispensable elements that contributed as major factors for the low profitability in the computer industry, the group had to apply Porters five forces orientation. The main reasons for a low average profitability in the computer market even though there exists high level of output and innovation especially during the last ten years can be attributed to these factors: Primary, as a weak strategic choice, Stiff Competition (which ultimately led to price competition) was war of attrition between these companies, and of course as a result of this some money was left on the table and average profitability was low. Secondly, product differentiation among the industries was very weak and complementary products that would have made a difference were not as such available. Thirdly, as it can be seen from the business chain, the suppliers had monopoly power over the manufacturers. Fourth, threat of the substitutes was very high since there was no brand loyalty on the part of customers. So, as a result these forces were able to put an undeniable pressure on the computer industry and led to a low average profitability. 2) Why has Dell been so successful despite the low average profitability in the PC industry? In 1998 the computer industry shared or had the same kind of business strategy. This is more obvious when one sees the similarity in distribution channels. What made Dell distinctive from the competitors was their application of the Blue Ocean strategy. Dell focused on direct orders from customers, offering customer tailored products and meanwhile developed new marketing and distribution strategy. This resulted in low product variable cost and 8% increase in operating profit in comparison with usage of standard distribution channels. Dell segmented their customers in two main groups relationship and transaction buyers. This increased the capability of better understanding and responding more efficiently to customer needs. This raised customer satisfaction level and created loyal customers, which affected positively the companys profitability. The decision to take orders directly from the internet web page, designed especially through a new CRM model, made it possible for Dell to provide innovative service and products to all customer segments. A crucial key to Dells success was the decision to proceed with production only after an order was received. In the same time focusing on limited number of suppliers and maintaining close relationship with them, allowed Dell to separate delivery of different components of production, thus reducing shipping time and decreasing operating cost by keeping stock at minimum level. Dells successes resulted from implementing an effective and profitable corporate strategy by focusing heavily on direct customers and suppliers. 3) Prior to the recent (1997à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 1998) actions by the competitors to match Dell, how big was Dells competitive advantage? The personal computer industry has been one of the most competitive industries in the world. It is typically characterized by rapid innovations, low costs, and in most cases, the demand for updated processing systems has kept this industry very attractive. The only way companies can be profitable under this set framework was to be operationally efficient. In the 1990s, the growth of the World Wide Web led to an increased demand for PC and thus consequently led to a decline in prices because of its highly competitive nature. Dells efficiency in 1997-1998 came from two key success factors: First, they sell directly to their customers so their distribution channels are simple and cheap (eliminating all middlemen costs, no dealership markup). Second, they adapted the Direct Model, where they only do build-to-order, which kept inventories low. Low inventories mean that, when the competing companies drop the price of its processors, Dell did not have accumulated old expensive processors. It was able to reduce the prices on its computers faster than its competitors can, because the components that made up those computers are the latest and cheapest. Dell clearly distinguished its customers segments and as part of its strategy, it targeted the corporate customers (relationship buyers) who were volume buyers. As a result, the transactions costs/per PC sale were substantially lower compared to its competitors. In summary, Dells strategy was characterized by: Build-to-order and direct-to-customer relationships; Focus on specific market segments; Low cost distribution; Manufacturing and strong supplier relationships; Minimum inventory; Service and repair through telephone and third parties. Exhibit 1 shows that Dell as compared with the competitors had a low gross margin. (See annex) Exhibit 2 shows that Dells net profit margin is the same as the market average. We can conclude that the fixed costs for Dell was much lower than for the competitors, which gave Dell an opportunity to cut prices unlike its competitors. (See annex) Exhibit 3 shows that the company has a relatively low inventory turnover which gives the company a competitive advantage in the fiercely growing market by minimizing losses. (See annex) 4) How effective have competitors been in responding to the challenge posed by dells advantage? IBM IBM was the first PC maker to recognize Dells competitive advantage in direct sales distribution. In early 1990s it launched a series of initiatives to improve the coordination with resellers and distributors called Joint Manufacturing Program that was followed by Integration and Assembly program and Enhanced Integration and Assembly Programs. IBM started to ship heavily configured PCs to resellers and distributors who completed the configuration of the machine for the end users. In 1995 IBM launched Authorized Assembly Program shipping lightly configured computers (Model 0s) to downstream partners who would complete the assembly with the missing components and ship to customers. The AAP program helped IBM to rapidly deliver customized PCs without holding large amounts of inventory. In 1998 IBM launched its web site where business customers would refer to authorized resellers and individual customers could purchase standardized PCs directly from IBM. Compaq In 1994 Compaq was the worlds largest manufacturer of PCs. Compaqs initial strategy was to distribute the PCs to customers primarily through retail stores. The company launched several unsuccessful initiatives to sell directly to customers (online catalogue in 1993 and toll free telephone in 1996) which soon had to be shut down because of channel conflicts. From 1995, Compaq launched new initiatives to reduce the inventory by optimizing its production system and introducing Optimized Distribution Model. This eventually reduced the inventory to 25 days. Starting from 1998 Compaq launched Direct Plus Program selling PCs directly to customers via internet and telephone. Direct Plus came with additional services such as support service, software modules and leasing programs. HP HP sold PCs mainly through distributors and resellers and retail channels. HP was reluctant to sell PCs directly to customers and although in 1997 it started to accept orders on its web site, the PCs were delivered to the customers through resellers. In 1998 HP extended the scope of HP Shopping Village web service that allowed the consumers to purchase PCs directly from the web site, however like IBM business customers were referred to resellers. Gateway Gateways business model was very similar to Dells, the company took orders from the customers, build the PCs and shipped them directly to the customers. Initially the strategy was very successful but over time Gateways competitive advantage declined despite a series of initiatives. In 1998 the company lost its corporate customer segment and refocused on small businesses. Despite the efforts the competitors made to match Dells success, none of them were particularly successful. 5) What should each of Dells major rivals (IBM, Compaq, HP, Gateway) do now? As a short term solution, competitors (IBM, Compaq, HP and Gateway) before focusing on their core competence and increase their market margin they have to imitate Dells competitive advantages for some time. But in the long run competitors should; Pursue sustainable increase in efficiency of the production processes to decrease the operating costs: analyze and revise current supply chain, outsourcing certain tasks to the other geographical location in order to benefit from the lower labor cost and also try to find new market place as a comparative and competitive advantage. A special attention should be given to premium customers (large companies) through direct sales and sales-force, because these clients make big and repetitive orders, and for the rest of the segments sales can be conducted through Internet or phone. Direct sales help avoid leaving margins in pocket of resellers and distributors. And most importantly, they should focus on their specialization. Company Key Market segments Key Distribution channels Business Dell Large Business Direct distribution 86.6% Assembly (only) Gateway Home and small business Direct distribution 90.43% Production HP Small and middle business 32.6%; Individuals 28% Distributors 75%, Resellers, 23% Production Compaq Small and middle business; Individuals Distributors 66.6%, Resellers, 24.6% Production IBM Large Business; Small and Medium Business Distributors 69.6%, Resellers, 18.4% Production Annex Exhibit 1 Exhibit 2 Exhibit 3

Brave New World - Fears Of The Future :: essays research papers

Art is like a fractured mirror that reflects the society in which it was created. This reflection is a mosaic of images constructed by the artist’s own perceptions which in turn are determined by the values and attitudes, especially the fears and insecurities in his or her own contemporary society. The responder also has to acknowledge his or her own door of perception, as this would affect their interpretation of the art. This is especially evident in texts like Brave New World which are designed specifically as probes into the aspects of society that the writer desires to explore. Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World during the late ‘20s and early ‘30s; in the middle of the Great Depression and at the eve of the Second World War. World War One was still fresh in everyone’s memories and so was the Bolshevik revolution of Russia, which threatened to spread throughout Europe and the world. On the other side of the Atlantic the †New World† was unde rgoing a revitalisation of industry with Henry Ford and other leading capitalists implementing the concept of mass production and attempting to create the ideal consumer society. There was also a form of cultural renaissance in the central European countries where the avaunt-garde was embraced rigorously in art and architecture. And in science, especially in the biological field, great breakthroughs, the likes of which the world hadn’t witnessed since the days of Newton were being accomplished. In short it was a period of great social change and instability. Such instability eventually leads to fears and insecurities, most of which tend revolve around the future of society and the future of the individual. For the rich upper class the primary fear was Bolshevism. They feared it so much so that Fascists and Nazis were tolerated, even encouraged, all for the purpose of crushing Bolshevism. Although the World State from Brave New World does not resemble Lenin’s Bolshevik state, it does however have strong parallelisms with Mussolini’s fascist Italy and shares an uncanny resemblance to the future Germany under Hitler. Even more profoundly and more importantly it’s resemblance of Stalin’s totalitarian Russia is undeniable. From the characteristics of the World State in his novel, it seems that Huxley, unlike his noble compatriots, was not fearful of Bolshevism. However unlike the socialist intellectuals of his time, Huxley had a realistic, bleak vision of the future of Bolshevism.

you know you live in la when :: essays research papers

You're driving on the 101 and see a clear cut definition of where the smog begins and ends You go to a karaoke bar and battle with seven year old divas-in-training who are trying to steal your thunder You're sitting in traffic for at least an hour at any given part of the day You go to the beach and see that real lifeguards actually do look like the lifeguards from Baywatch You see purple and gold and the word "Threepeat" on every corner You begin to "lie" to your friends about where you are (i.e. "Yeah I'm like 20 minutes away") - when you know that it'll take you at least an hour to get there). You eat a different ethnic food for every meal You look around at the nice cars around you during traffic, thinking it'll be your favorite Laker or WB star. You make a conscious choice to watch Jay Leno over David Letterman You mourned for Tupac and not for Biggie You know it's best not to be on the 405 at 4:05 pm. Getting anywhere from point A to point B, no matter what the distance, takes about "twenty minutes". You know what neighborhood someone lives in by the degree of damage incurred during the riots. You've inadvertently learned Spanish. You've got to bring the cat/plants in when it drops to 55 degrees. In the "winter", you can go to the beach and ski at Big Bear on the same day. You've bumped into a celebrity at El Pollo Loco. You know what "sigalert", "PCH", and "the five" mean. Your pizza delivery guy is also on contract with Warner Bros. If your destination is more than 5 minutes away on foot, you're definitely driving. You have a gym membership because it's mandatory. Your TV show is interrupted by a police chase. You can't fall asleep without the lull of a helicopter flying overhead. When tourists ask where they can get souvenirs, you direct them to Venice Beach. You know someone named Freedom, Rainbow, Persephone or Destiny. You've trespassed through private property to get to the "Hollywood" sign. You've partied in Tijuana at least once. You know Hollywood has a "lake". You don't stop at a STOP sign, you do a California Roll. You've lost your car in the Century City Shopping Center parking lot. You've ever bought oranges, flowers, cherries or peanuts on a freeway off-ramp. You think that Venice is a beach. You drive next to a Rolls Royce and don't notice. You've started crossing a street and returned to the curb when the DON'T WALK sign started flashing. you know you live in la when :: essays research papers You're driving on the 101 and see a clear cut definition of where the smog begins and ends You go to a karaoke bar and battle with seven year old divas-in-training who are trying to steal your thunder You're sitting in traffic for at least an hour at any given part of the day You go to the beach and see that real lifeguards actually do look like the lifeguards from Baywatch You see purple and gold and the word "Threepeat" on every corner You begin to "lie" to your friends about where you are (i.e. "Yeah I'm like 20 minutes away") - when you know that it'll take you at least an hour to get there). You eat a different ethnic food for every meal You look around at the nice cars around you during traffic, thinking it'll be your favorite Laker or WB star. You make a conscious choice to watch Jay Leno over David Letterman You mourned for Tupac and not for Biggie You know it's best not to be on the 405 at 4:05 pm. Getting anywhere from point A to point B, no matter what the distance, takes about "twenty minutes". You know what neighborhood someone lives in by the degree of damage incurred during the riots. You've inadvertently learned Spanish. You've got to bring the cat/plants in when it drops to 55 degrees. In the "winter", you can go to the beach and ski at Big Bear on the same day. You've bumped into a celebrity at El Pollo Loco. You know what "sigalert", "PCH", and "the five" mean. Your pizza delivery guy is also on contract with Warner Bros. If your destination is more than 5 minutes away on foot, you're definitely driving. You have a gym membership because it's mandatory. Your TV show is interrupted by a police chase. You can't fall asleep without the lull of a helicopter flying overhead. When tourists ask where they can get souvenirs, you direct them to Venice Beach. You know someone named Freedom, Rainbow, Persephone or Destiny. You've trespassed through private property to get to the "Hollywood" sign. You've partied in Tijuana at least once. You know Hollywood has a "lake". You don't stop at a STOP sign, you do a California Roll. You've lost your car in the Century City Shopping Center parking lot. You've ever bought oranges, flowers, cherries or peanuts on a freeway off-ramp. You think that Venice is a beach. You drive next to a Rolls Royce and don't notice. You've started crossing a street and returned to the curb when the DON'T WALK sign started flashing.

Anne Robert Jaques Turgot and His Relevance to the French Revolution :: essays research papers fc

Introduction Anne Robert Jaques Turgot, baron l' Aulne, was born in Paris on May 10, 1727 to a noble French family of Normandy. Following in the footsteps of his ancestors, who had furnished the state with numerous public officials, Turgot would achieve public renown as Intendent of Limoges and later as Controller General of all France. Although Turgot ended his public career in unfortunate circumstances, being dismissed by Louis XVI for ineffectiveness, his political theories became a major influence in the remaining years of the Old Regime. The depth of Turgot’s economic thought was not recognized at the time because it largely went against what the ruling aristocracy wanted to hear. His clairvoyance is much more fully noted in light of the last two centuries. Furthermore, Turgot was one of the King’s last controller-generals before the French Revolution ended the monarchy. When his political and economic ideals are considered against this backdrop their importance as well as thei r contradictory nature become apparent. Turgot's main contribution to economic theory is his Reflections on the Formation and Distribution of Riches. Apart from this short but highly systematic account of the nature of economic development, Turgot's other relevant writings are sparse and far from cohesive. Since this paper will consider his economics with regard to his political thought, only Turgot’s theories on the nature of government influence, free trade, and taxes will be examined. Furthermore, an explanation of Turgot’s theory on administration will be provided. In gaining an understanding of Turgot’s political and economic thought a powerful example of the problems that manifested themselves in the revolution is provided. Turgot was the model of an enlightened, reform-minded administrator and this may be glimpsed in the liberality of his economic ideas. However, while he certainly advised reforms in administration, they were simply intended so that the King could more effectively centralize pol itical power. Laissez-Faire and Free Trade: As a young man Turgot was very close to Claude Marie Vincent, the Marquis de Gournay. Vincent was not only a friend but also Turgot's mentor in economics and administration. It is in tribute to Vincent that after his death Turgot developed his ideas on laissez-faire government in a paper called, the "Elegy to Gournay" (1759). Within this paper Turgot condemns the foolishness of mercantilist regulation of industry while expounding the benefits of free domestic and foreign trade following from the presence of free exchange. In a detailed analysis of the market process, Turgot writes that self-interest is the prime mover in the market process and that in a free market the individual interest must always coincide with the general interest.

Swagg

Sydney Kpundeh Professor Couch Introduction to Philosophy 1101 February 23, 2013 Artificial Intelligence The year is 2013 and technology dominates our day and age. Our society is turning to one that requires some sort of technology to survive. One may argue that a lot of people have cell phones or know how to use one. That can range from a ten year old child, to an eighty-five year old grandmother. One may also argue that most households have either a television or computer or even both in most cases.The use of technology in people’s lives is growing and therefore the demand for technological products. Children are addicted to playing games on their PlayStation or texting their buddies and their parents are busy sending emails and checking stocks on their iPads’. With this steady growth in usage of technology in people’s lives, the demand for these machines is also growing. Competitors selling these machines compete to make their products better than the rest of the sellers, constantly keeping them updated and in tune with what people would want to see in these machines and what they need from them.For example, let us look at â€Å"SIRI,† which is software developed by the company Apple. It is an intelligent personal assistant which is used in Apple products. Siri is given a woman’s voice and uses it to answer questions, make recommendations, and perform actions by delegating requests to a set of Web services. Most machines in this generation are equipped with this personal assistant ability or something very similar. This new recent development in machines has stirred a very interesting debate amongst philosophers.That debate is whether or not machines have the ability to think. Alan Turning, who was a computer scientist, wrote a 950 page paper in the 1950s, about a way to test whether machines can actually think. It became known as the Turning Test for Thinking Machines. In his paper Turning also outlines some objections peo ple had to machine intelligence. Christopher Evans was also a computer scientist and he also wrote a paper entitled, â€Å"Can Machines think† in which he summarizes Turnings objections, comments on them, and also gives his own opinion on the subject. In this paper, I will ocus on two of his objections to the thesis that machines can think that Evans considers and replies to, and I will explain my side on those issues. The first objection is the Theological objection—â€Å"Man is a creation of God, and has been given a soul and the power of conscious thought. Machines are not spiritual beings, have no soul and thus must be incapable of thought† (Evans 221). This argument objects to the thesis that machines can think. Evans leans on what Turning already pointed out in his paper, that this objection puts an unwarranted restriction on God. Why shouldn’t he give machines souls and allow them to think if he wanted to? † (Evans 221). Evan replies by sayin g that this is irrefutable. If we define thinking as something that only man can do and something that only God has the power to grant, then machines cannot think because God created man with the ability to think. Man created machines but since man does not have the same powers as God, they are not able to give these machines the ability to think. Therefore machines cannot think. I am a strong believer in God and I believe he created all living creatures on this earth, along with humans and the ground we inhabit.Everything else that we see now in the world is a byproduct of those 3 things and therefore not a creation by God. That means that they do not have the same functions as the things created by God. Thought is one of those functions. A building was created by man and nobody would argue that a building has the ability to even speak yet alone think. Machines, like computers, iPods, iPhones, PlayStations, etc. , were all created by Man. Therefore just like a building, there shoul d not even be a debate about whether or not they have the ability to think.Just like how building designs have become more sophisticated, machines have also had significant advances from when they were first created. However all of these new developments are additions by humans and they have nothing to do with the primary functions of the building or machine. Buildings are still made to keep things in and keep things out. Machines are made for entertainment and to help our lives as humans run smoother. Nothing has changed. I agree strongly with Evans on this point which rejects the idea that machines can think, and believe he makes a good argument.The second objection is the Unpredictability objection- â€Å"Computers are created by humans according to a set of rules and operate according to carefully scripted programs which themselves are sets of rules. So if you wanted to, you could work out exactly what a computer was going to do at any particular time† (Evans 223). That b eing said, computers therefore are totally predictable. Humans however, are unpredictable and do not operate according to a set of rules. Therefore because humans are unpredictable, they are capable of error, which cannot be said about the predictable machines.The fact that machines are incapable of error and every one of their moves are predictable means that they do not have the ability to think. Evans replies by rejecting this thought. He says that machines nowadays are more complex and dynamic that they can surprise us and make mistakes. Although they are programmed in most of their actions, some still have the ability to re-program themselves and therefore can be unpredictable. Consequently, Evans argues that in this aspect machines have the ability to think. I disagree with Evans on this reply because I do not think he makes a strong argument.I will use the Siri example mentioned earlier to help support my position. Siri was programmed by Apple and all of Siri’s functio ns and response have been thought out and tested, and therefore predictable. However, it is impossible to predict everything that Siri says. Siri can surprise people because its response, even though they are predicted, caters to the user’s personality, interest, and likes. Siri saves and takes a note of every action you perform on your phone, or Apple product. If you constantly search for close McDonalds in the area and then ask Siri for example, what do I feel like eating today? It is highly probable that Siri is going to respond McDonalds. That does not mean Siri is thinking. It just means that is was programmed to study your search habits and interests. Siri could also say Wendy’s, because it knows you like fast food and Wendy’s has the same type of food as McDonalds, but it knows you always eat McDonald’s and could use something different to eat. That again does not mean that Siri is thinking, it just means it is programmed to sort through your likes and habits, and decided to suggest something which was not what ost people would have predicted. This is just another reason why I believe machines cannot think. This debate is a very intriguing one. Previous generations probably would turn in their graves if they actually knew that we were spending time and money debating and researching the thought of machines having the ability to think. However now the time being the 21st century and with all the technology advances that comes with living in this age, it is a very plausible debate.The thesis and the common belief now is that these new machines, from phones to cars, think on their own but like Evans, I disagree with this argument. Although there can be valid cases for machines thinking on their own, and Evans even agrees with the norm on some occasions, there still is not enough evidence today to turn that claim into a fact. Evans makes very strong cases for why they still cannot think, cases that I have commented on above and s tated my view, but in the end it goes down to the fundamental definition of the word â€Å"think†.Webster’s dictionary defines the word think as –â€Å"have a particular opinion, belief, or idea about someone or something: â€Å"she thought that nothing would be the same again. † Based on that definition alone machines cannot have their own opinions or beliefs about something. A car cannot, for example, not feel like driving today so it refuses to start. Therefore machines cannot think and they will never gain the ability to think because you cannot give someone or something an opinion.

Culture Theory and Popular Culture Essay

The study of culture has, over the last few years, been quite dramatically transformed as questions of modernity and post-modernity have replaced the more familiar concepts of ideology and hegemony which, from the mid-1970s until the mid-1980s, anchored cultural analysis firmly within the neo-Marxist field mapped out by Althusser and Gramsci. Modernity and post-modernity have also moved far beyond the academic fields of media or cultural studies. Hardly one branch of the arts, humanities or social sciences has remained untouched by the debates which have accompanied their presence. They have also found their way into the ‘quality’ press and on to TV, and of course they have entered the art school studios informing and giving shape to the way in which art practitioners including architects, painters and film-makers define and execute their work. Good or bad, to be welcomed or reviled, these terms have corresponded to some sea-change in the way in which cultural intellectuals and practitioners experience and seek to understand the world in the late 1980s and into the 1990s. Storey claimed that â€Å"postmodernism has disturbed many of the old certainties surrounding questions of cultural value. † This work will consider the issues of postmodernism versus modernism mostly from the perspective of the critics of postmodernism with reference to ‘good’ and ‘bad’ taste. Post-modern cultural movements first emerged in the 1960s in painting, architecture, and literary criticism. Pop art challenged modernist art by experimenting with new cultural forms and contents that embraced everyday life, radical eclecticism, subcultures, mass media, and consumerism. Sociologist Daniel Bell was one of the first to take up the challenge of postmodernism. In The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism (1976) he identified a moral crisis in Western society bound up with the decline of Puritan bourgeois culture and the ascendence of a post-modern culture that he described in terms of an aesthetic relativism and a hedonistic individualism. Yet the most formidable critic of postmodernism and defender of modernity has been German philosopher and heir to the Frankfurt School tradition of critical theory — Jurgen Habermas. There are two problems with postmodernism. The first problem comes into focus around the meaning of the term fragmentation. This is a word which, through over-usage in recent cultural debates, has become shorn of meaning. Post-modernity has been associated by Fredric Jameson (1984) with the emergence of a broken, fractured shadow of a ‘man’. The tinny shallowness of mass culture is, he argues, directly reflected in the schizophrenic subject of contemporary mass consciousness. Against Jameson, Stuart Hall (1981) has recently said that it is just this decentring of consciousness which allows him, as a black person, to emerge, divided, yes, but now fully foregrounded on the post-modern stage. ‘So one of the fascinating things about this discussion is to find myself centred at last. Now that, in the postmodern age, you all feel so dispersed I become centred. What I’ve thought of as dispersed and fragmented comes, paradoxically, to be the representative modern condition! This is coming home with a vengeance’ (34). These are, then, two perspectives on the problem of postmodern fragmentation. There is Jameson, who looks back nostalgically to the notion of unity or totality and who sees in this a kind of prerequisite for radical politics, a goal to be striven for. And there is Hall, who sees in fragmentation something more reflective of the ongoing and historical condition of subaltern groups. Jameson’s unified ‘man’ could be taken to be a preFreudian, Enlightenment subject, and thus be discredited by those who have paid attention to Lacan’s notion of the fragmented subject. But the endorsement of post-modern fragmentation is equally not without its own problems. Have ‘we’ become more fragmented than before? Can we specifically name a time and a place for the moment of fragmentation? Is fragmentation the ‘other’ of ‘humanity’? Or is the representation of fragmentation coincidental with political empowerment and liberation? Christopher Norris (1990) has argued that post-modernity (and postmodern fragmentation) stands at the end of the long line of intellectual inquiry which starts with Saussure, works its way through post-structuralism and Lacanian psychoanalysis and ends with Baudrillard. In Norris’s terms fragmentation is to be understood as marking an absolute and irreparable break with the unified subject, a break which is now writ large in culture. Present-day fragmented subjectivity is captured and expressed in post-modern cultural forms, a kind of superficial pick-and-mix of styles. According to Jameson, however, unfragmented subjectivity, by contrast, produced great works of uncluttered ‘heroic’ modernism. There is a degree of slippage in the connections being made here. The problem lies, at least partly, in the imprecise use of the word ‘fragmentation’. There is a vacillation between the ‘high’ psychoanalytical use of Lacan and a much looser notion, one which seems to sum up unsatisfactory aspects of contemporary cultural experience. Modernists, however, also felt confused and fragmented. Fragmentation, as a kind of ‘structure of feeling’, is by no means the sole property of those living under the shadow of the post-modern condition. Bewilderment, anxiety, panic: such expressions can be attributed to any historical moment as it is transposed into cultural and artistic expression over the last a hundred and fifty years. The category of fragmentation seems to have become either too technical to be of general use (i. e. in Lacan’s work) or too vague to mean anything more than torn apart. The second question which might be asked of neo-Marxist critics of postmodernity, concerns determination, and the return to a form of economic reductionism in cultural theory. Fredric Jameson argues that postmodernism is the cultural logic of capital, but his argument, as Paul Hirst writing about trends in both New Times and post-modern writing, has suggested, ‘slips from a rigid causal determinism into casual metaphor’ (45). Jameson, going back to Mandel’s Late Capitalism, has argued that the kinds of cultural phenomena which might be described as post-modern form part of the logic of advanced or late capitalism. This does away, at a sweep, with the difficult issue of explaining the precise nature of the social and ideological relationships which mediate between the economy and the sphere of culture and it simultaneously restores a rather old-fashioned notion of determination to that place it had occupied prior to Althusser’s ‘relative autonomy’ and his idea of determination ‘in the last instance’ (67). Quoting Lyotard, Harvey (1989) takes up the notion of the temporary contract as the hallmark of post-modern social relations. What he sees prevailing in production, in the guise of new forms of work, he also sees prevailing in emotional life and in culture, in the temporary contract of love and sexuality. Like Jameson he decries this state and looks forward to something more robust and more reliable, something from which a less fractured sense of self and community might emerge. He views postmodern culture disparagingly, as aesthetic rather than ethical, reflecting an avoidance of politics rather than a rising to the challenge of a politics posed by new or changing conditions of production. Despite their sweeping rejection of post-modern writing, both Jameson and Harvey take advantage of the conceptual and methodological breadth found in these theories to circumvent (or short-circuit) the key problems which have arisen in cultural studies in the attempt to specify and under-stand the social relations which connect culture to the conditions of its production. Their conceptual leap into a critique of postmodernism allows these writers to avoid confronting more directly the place of Marxism in cultural studies from the late 1980s into the 1990s, a moment at which Marxism cannot be seen in terms other than those of eclipse or decline. Postmodernism exists, therefore, as something of a convenient bete noire. It allows for the evasion of the logic of cultural studies, if we take that logic to be the problematizing of the relations between culture and the economy and between culture and politics, in an age where the field of culture appears to be increasingly expansive and where both politics and economics might even be seen, at one level, as being conducted in and through culture. Structuralism has replaced old orthodoxies with new ones. This is apparent in its rereading of texts highly placed within an already existing literary or aesthetic hierarchy. Elsewhere it constructs a new hierarchy, with Hollywood classics at the top, followed by selected advertising images, and girls’ and women’s magazines rounding it off. Other forms of representation, particularly music and dance, are missing altogether. Andreas Huyssen in his 1984 introduction to postmodernism draws attention to this ‘high’ structuralist preference for the works of high modernism, especially the writing of James Joyce or Mallarme. ‘There is no doubt that centre stage in critical theory is held by the classical modernists: Flaubert†¦in Barthes†¦Mallarme and Artaud in Derrida, Magritte†¦ in Foucault†¦Joyce and Artaud in Kristeva†¦and so on ad infinitum’ (Huyssen, 1984:39). He argues that this reproduces unhelpfully the old distinction between the high arts and the ‘low’, less serious, popular arts. He goes on to comment: ‘Pop in the broadest sense was the context in which a notion of the post-modern first took shape†¦and the most significant trends within postmodernism have challenged modernism’s relentless hostility to mass culture. High theory was simply not equipped to deal with multilayered pop. Nor did it ever show much enthusiasm about this set of forms, perhaps because pop has never signified within one discrete discourse, but instead combines images with performance, music with film or video, and pin-ups with the magazine form itself’ (Huyssen, 1984:16). In recent article, where Hebdige (1988) engages directly with the question of postmodernism, he disavows the playful elements in Subculture†¦and, more manifestly, in the new fashion and style magazines. In contrast with what he sees now as an excess of style, a celebration of artifice and a strong cultural preference for pastiche, Hebdige seeks out the reassuringly real. He suggests that the slick joky tone of postmodernism, especially that found on the pages of The Face, represents a disengagement with the real, and an evasion of social responsibility. He therefore insists on a return to the world of hunger, exploitation and oppression and with it a resurrection of unfragmented, recognizable subjectivity. He fleetingly engages with an important characteristic of the post-modern condition, that is, the death of subjectivity and the emergence, in its place, of widespread social schizophrenia. Hebdige seems to be saying that if this rupturing of identity is what postmodernism is about, then he would rather turn his back on it. The position of Clement Greenberg in his 1980 lecture entitled The Notion of the â€Å"Post-Modern† could be summarized in the following terms: modernism in painting has been, since its inception with Manet and the impressionists, a heroic struggle against the encroachment of bad taste or kitsch in the domain of art; postmodernism is only the latest name under which commercial bad taste, masquerading as sophisticated â€Å"advancedness,† challenges the integrity of art. Any deviation from modernism, then, involves a betrayal or corruption of aesthetic standards. Seen from this vantage point, the â€Å"post-modern† cannot be much more than a renewed â€Å"urge to relax,† particularly pervasive after the advent of pop art, with its deleterious effects on the art world. This type of argument (modernism’s self-conscious mission, to exorcise bad taste from the domain of high art, is today as urgent as it ever was) appears in a variety of forms and shapes in the writings of the defenders of modernist purity against the infiltrations of commercialism and fashion. This realized art, however, is not in a harmonious universal style as Mondrian was envisaging. It consists mostly in forms of art considered banal, sentimental, and in bad taste by most in the Fine Art artworld. Further, because so many people have no interest in Fine Art, it is often thought that visual art has somehow lost its relevance and potency. People ask what the point of art is, and whether it is worthwhile spending public money on art. When people think of art, they think of Fine Art, and the influence of Fine Art seems to be in decline. However, although Fine Art seems to be in decline as a cultural force, visual art has more power in culture now than it ever had. Visual art is not all Fine Art. There is a diversity of kinds of art in contemporary culture. Besides Fine Art, there is also Popular Art, Design Art, and advertising. What Fine Art does for us is just a small part of the total cultural value we get from art. As traditional culture recedes from memory, and technology changes our lifestyles, people look for new values and lifestyles. These new values and lifestyles are carried by the art broadcast over the mass media and on the products we buy. The mass-media arts define our heroes and tell us about the good. Advertisements define pleasure and lifestyle. With mass-market goods we dress our bodies and houses in art, thus using art to define who we are. These contemporary visual arts play a large part in shaping our values, fantasies, and lifestyles. However, conventional art histories tend not to treat the other powerful visual arts of our own time beyond Fine Art, namely, Popular Art, Design Art, and advertising. Advertising is not considered â€Å"art† because it is not functionless beyond being aesthetic. Also, the advertising does not typically show personal expressive creativity. So, the Design Arts are typically considered mere decoration. Popular Art is thought of as in bad taste, banal, sentimental, and so not worthy of consideration either. Since art histories are only looking at â€Å"good† art, they tend not to consider these other arts. Standing as they most often do within the Fine Art art world, art historians use the ideology and sense of artistic value of Fine Art to evaluate all art. From the perspective of the contemporary art world, Popular Art is thought of as a kind of Fine Art; that is, bad Fine Art or Fine Art in bad taste. It seems hackneyed and banal to the Fine Art art world. From their perspective, popular taste is bad taste. For example, Osvaldo Yero, an artist who emerged in the 1990s, has based his work on the technique and poetics of the plaster figures. These figures, mostly decorations, but also religious images, were perhaps considered the last gasp of bad taste. They constituted the epitome of â€Å"uncultivated† appropriation of icons from the â€Å"high† culture as well as from mass culture, done in a poor and artificial material par excellence, worked clumsily in a semi-industrial technique and polychromed with pretentious attempts at elegance. They symbolized the triumph of â€Å"vulgarity, † the failure of the â€Å"aesthetic education of the masses† proposed by socialism. By the 1920s business and advertising agencies had realized that putting style and color choices into the products they made increased consumption. Through the use of advertising and by designing stylistic variety into their products, manufacturers elevated things into the category of fashion goods that had before just been utility goods, like towels, bedding, and bathroom fixtures. Previously these items did not have any style component, but now designers added decoration to their functional design. This meant that now consumers could choose products not just for function, but also for style. People could now have pink sheets, green toilets, and blue phones. There is a tension in design style between aesthetic formalist styles like the international style, and design styles that are figurative. Those favoring figurative design tend to think of products as coming in a great variety and designed to appeal to the various tastes of consumers. Here the style of the products are not dictated by function, but by market pressures. This is a further development of design for sales. This gave rise to what is known as niche marketing, where the styling is targeted to a smaller, more specific group than mass marketing is. Thus, they shun the idea of a unified worldwide machine aesthetic. For example, a razor can be pink with flowers on it to target it to female users, and black with blue accent lines to target it to male users. The razor is the same, but the razor is packaged with different styling to sell the product to different markets. In designing for niche markets, the styling reflects the class, age group, profession, and aspirations of the target group. This goes hand in hand with advertising, and requires a great deal of research to discover what these values are and what styling motifs succeed in communicating them. The exemplary text or the single, richly coded image gives way to the textual thickness and the visual density of everyday life, as though the slow, even languid ‘look’ of the semiologist is, by the 1980s, out of tempo with the times. The field of postmodernism certainly expresses a frustration, not merely with this seemingly languid pace, but with its increasing inability to make tangible connections between the general conditions of life today and the practice of cultural analysis. Structuralism has also replaced old orthodoxies with new ones. This is apparent in its rereading of texts highly placed within an already existing literary or aesthetic hierarchy. Elsewhere it constructs a new hierarchy, with Hollywood classics at the top, followed by selected advertising images, and girls’ and women’s magazines rounding it off. Other forms of representation, particularly music and dance, are missing altogether. Huyssen argues that â€Å"Pop in the broadest sense was the context in which a notion of the post-modern first took shape, and the most significant trends within postmodernism have challenged modernism’s relentless hostility to mass culture. High theory was simply not equipped to deal with multilayered pop. † References Bell, Daniel. (1976). The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism. New York: Basic Books. C. Norris, ‘Lost in the funhouse: Baudrillard and the politics of postmodernism’, in R. Boyne and A. Rattansi (eds) Postmodernism and Society, London, Macmillan, 1990. Hall, Stuart, Connell, Ian and Curti, Lidia (1981). ‘The â€Å"unity† of current affairs television’, in T. Bennett et al. (eds) Popular Television and Film, London: BFI. Harvey, David (1989). The Condition of Postmodernity, Oxford: Blackwell. Hebdige, Dick (1979). Subculture: The Meaning of Style, London: Routledge. Huyssen, A. (1984). ‘Mapping the postmodern’, New German Critique 33. Jameson, Fredric (1984). ‘Postmodernism, or the cultural logic of late capitalism’, New Left Review 146.

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Summary McDonald’s announced last week that calories of all its food will start showing on in-store menu boards. The question is why McDonald’s did this so fast. (DM) Even it is part of President Obama’s health-care law in next two years. (EMP) In this transparency age, Companies that are open and honest get rewarded for it, even if they are not perfect. Those that try to hide negative things will be slammed. (SRB) Nowadays, consumer wants companies which is honest and open, it means the band names are much important than the quality and price of their products.It is important that corporations show the details of their products such as where they made, how to made, what material is used. Customers view the companies being transparency and honest. Regarding to McDonald’s decision making, it show their product details can let their customers consider whether these foods are unhealthy. Customers can choose the foods base on their favorite, calories and the t aste of foods. McDonald’s demonstrate their social responsibility to people and being more popular. As some small companies easier to afford human personality, they were benefit in the court of public opinion.McDonald’s is one of the company haven’t get this concept once; they try to avoid publicity and disclosure. But they try to make public themselves nowadays. Before they implement this policy, they lack of transparency. So, they provoke a lot of online blogs and postings form anti-McDonald’s activists. They publicize McDonald’s good is a main reason why children obese. After they make public their calories, more people reduce to talk about their rumor. According to the article â€Å"McDonald's Enters the Age of Transparency† Posted by: Larry Popelka on September 18, 2012 from Bloomberg Business week.The McDonald’s announced last week that calories of all its food will start showing on in-store menu boards. in this case, it involve three management theories ; concepts. First, in view of the management environment concept, there are a changing of environment which McDonald's need to respond. Consumer wants companies which is honest and open in this transparency age. It is important that corporations show the details of their products such as where they made, how to made, what material is used. Second, is the social responsibility concept. McDonald’s increase their transparency.In order to, they clarify the rumor from public. The rumor include their products is the main reason why most of children have child abuse problem. They append the food label on the food packing. The aims of it is hope the public understand the element of the food. Finally, based on the decision making concept, the anti-McDonald's groups whose publicize its goods is a main reason why children obese is the threats of McDonald's, so they need to respond to it by analyzing options, and making determinations about specific courses of action. By following concept, these are the implications of McDonald's on management aspects.