Why are Geographers interested in Marston Vale?

Marston Vale lies upon the Oxford clay, between Bedford and Milton Keynes in UK. The soils in this area are very fertile. Because the majority of English houses are built in bricks, and the location of Marston Vale is also near London, many brickwork industries were set in this area over last hundred years. Most of the clay extracted here is sent to London to build houses. Today, the extraction of clay and the brick making is still busy, and the Stewartby brickwork industry is one of the biggest industries formed in Marston Vale. Millions of tonnes of clay are extracted from the clay pit everyday, then the clays are transported by conveyor belt to the brickwork, where the clays are drained, moulded and then fired in kilns to make the red bricks that are used to build houses. After all the clay that is valuable to mine has been extracted, huge holes are left on the ground. The topsoil has been removed from the ground during clay extraction, and so no plants will be able to grow in such areas. The area turn to worse if there is rain, the whole area will turn muddy and dirty. A chain of pits stretches along the A421 from Bedford to the M1 near Milton Keynes. This was one of the worst areas of rural derelict land and damaged Ecosystem. The noise, pollution, traffic and bad view that has been produced by the extraction pit and brick making factory affect local residents badly. What can be done to improve the situation? In 1989, 12 National Community Forest project were launched. These Forest will cover 470,000 hectares , which take over 3.6% of all land area in England and Wales, nearly equal to half the total land area used by the National Parks. The Community Forests is a national programme of improving the environment, which affects half of the people in England. Improving the countryside around towns and cities by planting woodland is the main aim of the Community Forests, especially in the areas of the derelict land. This will improve the environment and benefits the local people. In theory, the land must be made to contribute the local communities, e.g.: Creating jobs, Creating farmlands, Creating an attractive environment, Creating a variety of different landscapes, Creating sports facilities, Creating settlements. The Marston Vale Community Forests. Marston Community forests is one of12 National community forests projects which introduced in 1989. The Marston vale community forests cover a total area which more than 150kmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. About 25,000 people are living inside the forest area, about 145,000 people are living on the edge of the area, most of them are in Bedford and Kempston, about 500,000 people are living within 20 minutes' drive. (These figures are from GeoActive) In order to succeed in this project, local people should put efforts in planning, planting and looking after the woods that are planted. The past experience has shown us that most environmental management, which involved local people, are more likely to succeed. Local people are encouraged by the Forest team to grow their own seeds in Marston Vale Community Forest project. The results of that are small woodland have begun to grow in their villages. Forest team also need to encourage landowners to allow their land to be planted with trees and organise seed collection and planting days. (This information is from GeoActive.) From this act, we know that the Marston Vale Community Forest project does not just involve the restoration of the clay extraction pits, but also allows local people to get in. It encourages people to plant trees, to protect the woodland created, to take a part in the development of the forest. The most important thing is people will love what they have planted, in order to love the whole nature. The restoration of the clay extraction pits in Maston Vale community Forest. There are three possible ways to restore the clay extraction pit: 1) The main restoration for the clay extraction pits is by changing them to an artificial forest. The way of doing so is to spread 3-4 metres of topsoil over the top. Then trees may be able to be planted in. The local people are involved in the development of the Marston Vale community forest. The plan is for local people to plant 100 ha of woodland each year and 5 Km of hedgerow each year. Farmers can apply for grants from the Forestry Commission for planting woodland. 2) The huge hole left on the ground can also be turned into an artificial lake by pouring water into the pit, or just leave them until the rain season comes. Separate clay extraction holes may be joined together by digging out the soil between them. The Stewarby Lake is an example of this restoration. 3) There's also another restoration, which is making it into a landfill site. I personally think this is a fantastic restoration, because this is also a waste solution. Million tonnes of waste can be buried in the clay extraction every day. This solved the crisis of waste in London. After the waste is filled in, plants can also be planted on top. After a long time, a chemical reaction will be happen when the waste decays and the methane gas is produced in this process. We went to an L-field landfill site, which is run by Shanks company; more information on landfill site will be in the back. *Questions On my coursework. 1) How brickwork, clay extraction and landfill sites effects local people ‘s life 2) What's local people's knowledge on Marston Vale Community Forest Project? 3) How successful is the Marston Vale community forest project? Both in attempting to solve the problems of pits left on ground after the clay extraction, and to create the better environment for local people. These are three questions that I set through my coursework. The answers for these questions will be in the end of my coursework in details. For first data collecting, the school organised a day fieldtrip to the Marston Vale area. On the day of the fieldtrip, we visited the following places: *Community forest centre, the artificial forest that has been restored from pits. *Stewartby lake, an artificial lake in the forest, also a different landscape created from clay extraction pit. *The Quest pit, one of the present clay extractions pits run by Hanson Company. *Wootton village for the questionnaire, to ask a few questions on how the brickwork and the landfill site affects local residents. *Randalls Farm, to do some water tests on the Elstow Brook River located there. *Landfill, to see what is the landfill site is like. Issues in the Maston Vale to look at. A Geographer will particularly look at the environmental issues in this area, such as how clay extraction damages the area's Ecosystem, how this affects local people, and what can be done to solve the problems, and finally are these attempts successful or not, and what can be improved? To answer all these doubts, I will first introduce the area to the readers, give them the exact location of the Marston Vale area and what transportation is available to get there. To let readers understand more about my coursework, especially on the day we went to the Marston Vale. I'll explain clearly what we've done on the fieldtrip; where we did them; why we did them; and what are the data can tell us.

Should Downloading Music Be Illegal.

Response to text- Why You Should Pay For Music by John Sheldrick Dear John, I read your article and I have some comments about it I would like to acknowledge about it: Firstly when you mention that you advocate a culture in which people actually want to spend money on music, but I actually think we should advocate a culture where everybody listens to music and not just the ones who have a computer and and a bank account, I believe that music should be a right and not a privilege and everybody should want to willingly listen to music.Then you argue that people value music but they don’t value it in the sense that they will willingly fork over $1 for a song, I have more than 2 thousand songs in my library, that is equal to 2 thousand dollars and I really don't have that extra money to spend and people usually don't like to spend their money on things they can get for free. I would much rather use that money to buy something else and if we had to pay for every single song we woul d like to listen to our music library would be much smaller and we could not enjoy music as much as we enjoy it when we have a large variety of it.For the consumer, music is not a product or a service. They pay for physical copies of music such as CD's, they pay for music sheets or for subscriptions to music services, but they don't pay for a song by itself. After that you state that artists now have no money to keep recording music and have to go on tours to get the money. I do agree that some artist that are not yet discovered should get support from their fans so they could keep recording music, but aren't musicians supposed to be doing music because its their passion?They are not supposed to go into the business because they want money and fame even though I don't see the artist at the top of the charts starving to death. Music is about passion and the ones who are recording music are supposed to want to bring their music to all kinds of people so they can enjoy it and the music ian is supposed to be satisfied with that and not be crushed because they are not the cover of a magazine. I also think that tours are a great thing, why listen to a record when you can go out and the real human behind the voice live and enjoy it more closely.It's clear that everybody thinks music should be free, because it's going to sell everywhere else. Why should the music industry care whether the money comes from a tour with $100 in profits or the exact same amount is brought in from CD purchases? In the end, it doesn't matter, money is still coming in and can be used to record more music. Then you talk about how music labels are closing because the lack of money they are getting but I actually think that record labels are trying to turn music into gold, music recording labels are getting a large cut of the artists money and are overcharging.The artist who are not yet discovered cant record a good album because the labels are asking for absurd quantities of money which the art ist cant pay, so the label closes and the vicious circle starts again elsewhere. I think labels should spend more time developing the artists because they would have a stake in them that extended beyond their recorded music. There is no possible way anyone could seriously work in music and be looking for money and a the same time state that they truly care about the musicians.In conclusion I think that we do need to support our artists, but that could be done a million ways other than paying an overpriced dollar for a song. With the internet now how can we be surprised when people now expect to get their music online for free? The internet file sharing and the advantages we now have in technology I see no way to make the clock turned back and force people to start paying again. So the business has to get creative and evolve away from the sale of recorded music and start receiving money in other ways.

Tanah Lot in Report Text

Tanah Lot Tanah Lot is one of tourist objects in Bali where the visitors can see sunset. Tanah Lot located in Beraban, Tabanan Regency. Tanah Lot as famous as Bedugul. There are two shrines above a big stone. One of them is in above the big stone and the other one located in precipice of the stone similiar with Uluwatu shrine. Tanah Lot’s shrine is a part of Dang Kahyangan shrine. There are a place of sacrifice some Gods who keep the sea. In the north of Tanah Lot, there is a mountain side. This mountain side is correlating the shrine and land. The form of this mountain side is curve as a bridge. Tanah Lot is famous with its beautiful sunset. Usually, people can see a sunset at 05. 00 p. m. Not only domestic tourits who came in this tourist object, but most of foreign tourists also came in Tanah Lot to see a beautiful sunset. There are so many art shops and restaurants around Tanah Lot. The visitors can come to this shop and buy some souvenir from there. The location of Tanah Lot is not far from Kuta. It jus needs about 30 up to 40 minutes by using a car. Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park is one of tourist ojects in Bali. It located in Unggasan Jimbaran Bali which famous with its statue, GWK statue. This statue is imagine a Wisnu God which is riding a vehicle named Garuda in its altitude 12 m. This statue is created by a famous sculptor in Bali named I Nyoman Nuarta. Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park located in 146 metres in its length from the land and 263 metres in its altitude from the sea. This statue is projected to make a bonding effect a sight in 20 km in order to it can be seen from Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua and Tanah Lot. Statue of Garuda Wisnu Kencana is a symbol of the savety environment and the world. This statue is made from steel and copper of 4000 ton in its weight. It has 75 metres in its altitude and 60 metres in its width. If this statue has finished in its built, it will become the biggest statue in this world because it is bigger than Liberty statue.

International strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International strategy - Essay Example International companies have now implemented an international strategy that can enable them to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in the global competitive markets. The core competence requires companies to build portfolios of business around shared technical or operating competencies, as well as, develop effective management processes that can enable them to enhance their core competencies. The world economy is highly interconnected; thus it is vital to implement a cooperative strategy that can enable companies to compete favorably while in an attempt to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in the competitive business world. Therefore, cooperative strategy can play considerable roles in elevating the social-economic conditions for the neighboring communities and their members. For the past decades, cooperative enterprises have successfully operated in the international markets but the ever changing technology has demanded companies to employ effective cooperative strateg y, which can enable them to achieve a competitive advantage in the global competitive market. Sustainable Competitive Advantage One of the toughest and yet most challenging aspects for most multinational companies is the issues of sustainable competitive advantage. Many multinational companies have the fervor for their innovative products and even publicize that they have no market rivalry for their products. Sustainable competition means being the leader in the market for a longer term. To market products in the global market is not sustainable; thus competitive should be taken broadly to include alternative ways that can enable human resource to solve effectively the problem of rivalry. The advantage should be measured and considerable; thus many companies lead with fuzzy terms such as lower cost of products, improved usability and many others. Therefore, the indicator of sustainable competitive advantage can be viewed through focusing varied aspects such as real intellectual prop erty, dynamic product line, dramatic cost improvements, strong focus on customers and products differentiation, as well as proven organizational team with inside relationships. Ways of Achieving Sustainable Competitive Advantage Companies operating their business in the global markets need to compete with each in various ways in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage in the ever increasing competitive markets. Technology is rapidly increasing and this has prompted many companies to utilize Internet and other electronic marketing aspects in order to reach many customers globally. Many of companies employing e-marketing have failed to achieve their demanding needs because of poor implementation of marketing strategy. Therefore, to achieve sustainable competitive advantage, companies should compete with each other and this is through employing effective global strategy that can enable them to achieve sustainable advantage. Many companies have become disheartened with sale s in the global market place; thus the new marketing strategies should be found as the old one becomes saturated. Companies should customize products for the demands of new markets and also determine the consumption behaviors or consumption trend of customers in the global market. The research study indicates that well managed companies have moved from emphasizing on product customizing to providing international standardized products, which are innovative, reliable, low priced and highly functional

The Conspirator Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Conspirator - Essay Example This paper discusses the conspirators involved in this plot in general and the role of Mary Suratt in particular. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. He was the first president in American history who faced assassination. Lincoln was assassinated at a time when American civil war was in its closing periods. At the time of assassination, Lincoln was watching a play at Fords Theatre in Washington, along with his wife. The major conspirator of Lincoln’s assassination was a stage actor called John Wilkes Booth. He has planned this murder in company of Lewis Paine, George Atzerodt, David Herold, and Mary Surratt. Actually, the conspirators planned to murder the secretary of state and the vice president along with Lincoln. Pain and Herold had assigned the duty of killing the secretary of states while George Atzerodt had the duty of killing the vice president. However, they succeeded in murdering Lincoln alone even though Paine shot the secretary of state. The major objective of this mass murder attempt was to destabilize the American government which took serious actions to end civil war and also to end racial discrimination. All the conspirators were arrested even though Booth suffered serious injury while attempting to escape and later died in the police custody. All the other four conspirators were hanged. Mary Suratt was an American boarding house owner who was accused for participating in Lincoln’s murder conspiracy. She was hanged and became the first woman in American history to suffer execution Mary Suratt’s involvement in the conspiracy was unbelievable to the people who know her. She was highly religious in nature and was not at all a woman of aggressive nature or intend. She was simple and behaved politely with others. However, her involvement in this conspiracy was proved beyond doubt

The Skylark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Skylark - Essay Example This poem is studied and interpreted a number of times for analysis. Although an atheist himself, the Skylark is quite remarkable for its hints of a supreme being, although a bit indirectly only. He was also a fierce idealist who refused to compromise. He led an unconventional bohemian lifestyle representative of most people who are very creative. He traveled a lot and moved his residence several times, depending on his whims. Shelley’s â€Å"To a Skylark† is considered one of the greatest poems during the romantic English period. In this poem, Shelley used the poem to transform a reader’s consciousness by use of metaphor and simile to a great extent. The language used conveys the message which is at once active and urgent as expressed in the bird’s upwards flight (Shelley xlii). In the first few stanzas of the poem, the poet addressed the lark for the extreme noise it is making, efforts to distract potential predators because it nests on the ground and is therefore very vulnerable. Its noise is actually designed to distract predators from its nest and it continues to sing even while it is mostly unseen. Shelley compares it similarly to the human spirit that is unseen too. The purpose of the similes used by Shelley is to enhance the reader’s appreciation of the seemingly simple joys of a skylark. Shelley himself believed that poetry is essentially just a series of metaphors which utilize language’s vitality to demonstrate something abstract into something more concrete (ibid.). â€Å"To a Skylark† actually addresses a number of recurrent but important human themes such as joy, inspiration, idealism and aspirations which are largely intangibles but real nonetheless for all of us. The way to appreciate the poem’s merits is to fully realize that a poem is vitally metaphoric in nature. It is now up to the reader to use his imagination and creative thoughts to capture what the poet is trying to convey. All of these literary

Problem Students Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problem Students - Essay Example Initially, I had to accommodate and modify my teaching methods and techniques as per the requirements of these children (Fisher, 2005). As a professional educator, it was my core responsibility to communicate with them in the best possible manner and listen to what they are saying. Despite following all the basic rules and procedures that must be followed while dealing with special education children, I encountered a serious problem (Olson, et al., 2008; Brown et al., 2008). Although the strategy that I adopted was quite effective and included all the basic requirements for special education, there was a lack of the communication plan with children with listening discrepancies. Since this was my first experience in the field of special education, therefore, I faced difficulty communicating with these children (Fisher, 2005). Although I made plans for everything else, I did not realize that these children need more attention and enhanced techniques of communication. However, with the help of my colleagues, I was able to learn various techniques to communicate with these children. I also took help of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) (Vickerman, 2007; Olson et al., 2008). The two months teaching experience in the field of special education taught me great lessons. It gave me patience and helped me realize the problems of special children in detail. I paid extra attention to such children and even arranged extra / special classes for these children on a weekly basis (Olson et al., 2008).

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 5

Management - Essay Example Figure 1 shows how this disruptive model works. The focus of this paper is to ascertain the secrets of success in sustaining long-term performance and growth; in essence, how to become an innovator. In MGT class, we have asserted that it is no simple matter for a firm to be a long-term innovator and that accomplishing this requires capable performance in corporate strategy, culture, architecture, leadership and decision making (taken from topic question). During the process of researching this paper, the realization I came to is that sustainable growth comes from many different factors but they are all under one subheading: This one heading encompasses the myriad of topics that were and still are discussed in MGT. These areas also contain the seeds of creating sustainable growth and innovation in companies. I will discuss how these areas manifested in various companies for their betterment or their detriment. My position is that I agree with Christensen and Raynor in that disruptive sustainable growth, while not yet fully experienced by any company to date (except possibly for Microsoft), is within the realm of possibility. Sustainable growth and innovation is a product of one seamless thread of business concept and application from top to bottom. How this thread is severed can come from many different areas, one of the most important being from the management team level. Executives are charged with the task of creating profit in various business and product lines within their companies. How does a manager allocate his time and resources to do this? For me, the concept of disruptive growth is a Rosetta stone in this topic. To me, it holds within it the essence of growth and success along with chaos theory. These two concepts create a complexly rich look at how managers can conceptualize and manage their businesses without forcing control onto their businesses. Chaos theory ‘deals with unpredictable complex systems’ (â€Å"What is Chaos

International and Comparative Human Resource Management Essay - 5

International and Comparative Human Resource Management - Essay Example The rapid technological advancement has greatly influenced the change observed in the business environment. Organisations’ processes are constantly being re-engineered and delocalised because work can now be carried out both at home and in the office. The re-engineering process has reduced middle management levels as today’s lower level managers are faced with more work and decision making activities. The work processes have been restructured to comply with the existing technology in the business environment, fragmentation against departments has been reduced in an attempt to fasten decision making process and accomplishment of tasks, the quality and speed of strategy execution has been improved, employees are empowered and information flows swiftly within the organisation (Thakur 2001, p. 311). For instance Joel Salatin owner of the Polyface Farm in Virginia has adopted sustainable agricultural operations such as use of green technology to maintain the quality of his l and and animals. He is also able to meet the sophisticated demands of consumers that desire to use green technology products which are deemed to be safe as they cause less harm to the environment and their health. The business environment has been changed to a business of data by ‘formatting’ the workplace. Today workers manipulate data related to the products they are producing instead of the working materials. The communication technology has acquired a multiplier phase enabling all players in the business environment to get the same information simultaneously and thus react or act on it at the same time

The Importance of Being Oscar Wilde Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Being Oscar Wilde Essay Among the writers of the late nineteenth century in Britain, none perhaps has surpassed the reputation and press accorded to the inimitable Oscar Wilde. With controversies plaguing most aspects of his life—from his writing to his personal life—Wilde has eventually become an icon of his generation, resonating with readers far and wide, many celebrating his unique voice and alternative thinking. The man as a poet, playwright, and fiction writer used his wit and intelligence as well as a sharp way with words to create masterpieces that have ultimately become part of the literary canon. Two of these, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray, are some of the most studied in literary scholarship worldwide, and are practically responsible for catapulting Wilde into iconic status. However, much of the persona of the famed writer included his unconventional sexuality, as well as the infamous period of his incarceration; but, as it normally happens to exceptional talent, the work was able to fight through the dirt and shine on its own merits, earning the admiration of readers throughout the centuries. II. A Wilde History Oscar Wilde was born in October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland, to wealthy parents, a writer and a surgeon. Aside from spending most of his childhood in the company of the equally rich, including summers in fashionable homes, Wilde eventually began his education in Greek literature classics. During his time as a college student, he found his affinity for Aestheticism, which centered on the concept of using life to create art. This manifested in Wilde’s countenance and choice of clothing and lifestyle, constantly deferring to art-related symbols and feminine representations rather than masculine endeavors like sports. Wilde also did a substantial amount of writing during this time and completed his course with honors; however, his controversial image appeared to have started as many of his fellow students professed a great dislike for his unconventional attitude and manner of expression. Because masculinity—part and parcel of Victorian patriarchy—excluded any association with flamboyance in feminine terms, many critics openly attacked Wilde’s lifestyle and writing. The writer’s apparent homosexuality was largely focused upon, and some even referred to him as a negative influence on the youth. Though Oscar Wilde married a woman, Constance Lloyd, with whom he had two sons, his sexual preference and activities were always called into question. Because of his observed relationships with several men, including Lord Alfred Douglas, Wilde became the subject of ridicule and offense; his affair with Douglas, due to the man’s political family, was eventually the reason behind his much-publicized trial and imprisonment. Oscar Wilde passed in 1900, and was buried in Paris where he retreated after being freed from jail. He chose to never return to his native Ireland or to Britain (Merriman, pars 1-10). III. The Picture of Dorian Gray This 1891 novel, which started as a short story published in a magazine, is the only realized work of its genre by Wilde. Largely considered fashionable for its time owing to its gothic horror theme, The Picture of Dorian Gray embodies much of the qualities associated with Wilde himself—art as the center of life, beauty, and homosexuality—and thus was received during its launch with the kind of controversy identified with Wilde all his life. The mind-gripping story revolves around a young, extremely handsome man named Dorian Gray, and the painting of his likeness created by an artist named Basil Hallward. Apparently, the artist was greatly enamored by Dorian’s beauty, which urged him to paint the portrait. However, due to Dorian’s acquaintance with the concept of hedonism and the sole pursuit of beauty, he makes a wish for the painting to take on his physical aging while Dorian’s actual body remained young and beautiful. But for each of Dorian’s sins, changes would take place in the painting—which ultimately mirrored his soul—and make it more grotesque at every turn. His growing fear of seeing his own portrait age led him to affirm his love for beauty even more, and his rejection of everything he deemed unqualified made its mark in every occurrence. In the end, Dorian accuses and kills Basil for bringing this all upon him and attempts to correct all his perceived ills in the hopes of having the portrait return to its normal state. This did not happen, as Dorian was unable to feel guilt or remorse; thus he tried to destroy the painting, which only caused his own aging and death. The portrait, however, returned to its unblemished condition. The dual themes of aestheticism, or the celebration of art and beauty, and homosexuality are present in the novel, both being embodied by Dorian Gray himself. His narcissistic view of beauty and self rendered him at an unending state of discontent, though, and subjects all those who come near him to his exacting ways. These were all part of Oscar Wilde’s personal ideology—the decision to make life an art, constantly seeking for beauty and perfection—which he carried out consistently. However, the novel was considered immoral and ‘dirty’ by the critics of the time, due to the themes projected in the text. IV. The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde’s hugely popular work is undoubtedly a satire about Victorian society’s rules and regulations, of expectations and etiquette, of hypocrisy and fakeness. It was originally staged in 1895 in London. The famous three-act play is a comedy that revolved around the deception and resulting confusion regarding the use of the name Ernest, which was appropriated by a young man at varying occasions alternating with his real name. Consequently, he meets people who know him through different names, and even falls for a lady who would only marry someone named Ernest. In the maddening turn of events, wherein accusations regarding truthfulness and honesty are made, it is discovered that his name is indeed Ernest, and thus the play ends with all romantic couples satisfied and in love. Clearly, through the mode of comedy, Wilde intended to poke fun at the straitlaced community that frowned upon any deviation from the kind of convention they themselves set. What makes it even more humorous and tongue-in-cheek is the fact that this same society, behind closed doors, defies its own rules while maintaining a consistent and steady front, because of the complications arising from the numerous social obligations necessary to be observed. The trivial and petty arguments coming from the simple use of a name is representative of the superficiality of societal obligation, exemplified by the character Gwendolen’s refusal to marry anyone not named Ernest. While received positively by critics, the exploration of homosexuality in the text was unavoidable, considering Wilde’s reputation. Some claimed that the name ‘Ernest’ subtly referred to being homosexual, and this was somehow confirmed by references to earlier poems by other writers that used this kind of logic, as in John Nicholson’s poem â€Å"Of Boy’s Names†. Nevertheless, other critics and even the actors who had worked on the play denied the claim, and explicitly stated how there was no reference or implication of homosexuality in the piece. V. Other Works and Controversies Oscar Wilde was a prolific writer, churning out exceptional works in the form of poetry, short stories, as well as numerous other plays. He also professed his brand of politics, as evidenced by the impressive collection of articles he published under the titles of â€Å"The Decay of Lying†, â€Å"The Soul of Man Under Socialism†, and â€Å"De Profundis†; all three contained concepts that heralded Wilde’s affinity for aestheticism and socialism. Sadly, Wilde’s public persona was better known for the controversial trial that marred his career, and largely implicated him as an example of immorality arising from homosexual behavior and influence. Gross indecency was the actual crime for which he was being accused, and the event, which was drawn out for a several years, caused Wilde to permanently leave Britain (â€Å"FireBlade Coffeehouse: Oscar Wilde†). VI. Conclusion The intelligence and uniqueness of Oscar Wilde are the qualities that made him the great writer he was, and his conscious deviation from tradition and convention assured the public of works that were always fresh and insightful. However, as with lives tainted by controversy, Wilde could only push his efforts to a degree; he could only leave his literary legacies to a future society. And that he did, with his literature accorded the respect and recognition they deserve—albeit after his death. Wilde was clearly ahead of his time, and his principles on art and beauty would be embraced by many other writers and artists of later generations. Works Cited â€Å"FireBlade Coffeehouse: Oscar Wilde†. Negative Space. 28 June 2009 http://www. hoboes. com/html/FireBlade/Wilde/. Merriman, C. D. â€Å"Oscar Wilde†. 2008. Jalic Inc. 28 June 2009 http://www. online-literature. com/wilde/. Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest. Courier Dover Publications, 1990. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Macmillan, 1999.

Why Does Gender Pay Inequality Persist?

Why Does Gender Pay Inequality Persist? With the increasing trend of the remarkably importance of the gender pay equality during the past few decades, organisations and many commentators have been paying particular attention to the relative trends, legislations, news, economy and global labour market as a whole to address the persistence of the gender pay inequality occurred nowadays. Pay equity is defined as a particular strategy for reducing or eliminating the wage gap between or among groups such as women and men, or various ethnic groups (Thomas 2006). It was mentioned in the CONSAD Research Corporations paper (2009) that there have been significant increase for women to participate in the labour force, to acquire higher education level and to make substantial real earnings. For instance, Lander ONeill (1991) indicated that Australian women participation rate in the labour force has doubled since 1947. Moreover, it was showed in the Education Internationals report (2010) that the average female graduation rate in high er education in OECD countries is 16 percent more than the male graduation rate. Yet the challenge is that women have been earning less than men all through the developed countries around the world even they are well educated and actively participate in the workforce (Hatt1997). Taking an example in Australia, women earn approximately 80 percent of mens wages (Lander ONeill 1991). The persistence of the gender pay gap is puzzling although the gender pay equity ratio has been steadily rising and a wide range of legislations such as Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action were implemented to address the issue (Smith 2009; Lander ONeill 1991). This paper will briefly demonstrate the historical overview with respect to the topic. It will proceed to identify the comprehensive reasons for the existence of gender pay inequality. It will then illustrate the advantages of having pay equality worldwide. Last but not least, the paper will recommend some of the strategies which or ganisations can best address the challenge by utilising appropriate non-discriminatory workplace practices and policies. Historical Overview The ancient time of keeping women staying and working at home while men were responsible for earning a living had passed after the World War II (Amaram 2010). The participation rate of women joining the labour force has greatly boosted due to the establishment of some legislation to remove obstacles of womens employment and to allow women working in certain kinds of work such as metal industry (ODonnell Hall 1988). The booming economy and labour shortage triggered the fact that women were encouraged to replace men, who were resisting in the war, in the labour market (ODonnell Hall 1988). Campaigns were also formed by many womens organisations to fight for the equal pay between men and women (ODonnell Hall 1988). Some supporters advocate the theory of comparable worth that there should be equal pay for jobs entailing similar skill, effort, responsibility and work conditions, and that this parity should occur regardless of respective job market values (Grider Toombs 1993). However, even there were legislation, theories and womens organisations to protect women from getting unequal pay; the gender wage gap has been existed for many years. To explain this gap, there are a couple of complex reasons which directly and indirectly result in the gender differences in pay. Occupational Segregation One of the primary reasons for the gender pay differences is due to occupational segregation. Men and women are not evenly allocated in all occupational categories. Women tend to be distributed in low-paying industries or occupations which directly affect their average earnings (Smith 2009; Hatt 1997; McAuley 1981; Mumford 1989; Lander ONeill 1991; Education International 2010; Curlew Weber 2010). It was pointed out that women were mainly employed in community services, the wholesale and retail trade, clerical work and catering; whereas men were generally employed in mining, electricity, gas and water, manufacturing as well as construction industries where men are more likely to receive well above average pay (ODonnell Hall 1988; Hatt 1997). The consequence of setting women apart in certain occupations with low-status and low-paid partially results in the gender pay gap. Vertical Segregation Rather than constraining women in particular occupations or industries, vertical segregation occurs in both public and private sectors when women are located in lower positions and men are placed in more senior positions such as executive or managerial roles (Mumford 1989). Women are given very few opportunities to engage in promotion to higher positions, and therefore women are constrained their mobility upwards to the organisational hierarchy and they are under-represented at senior positions in all occupations (Hatt 1997). This phenomenon is closely related to the glass ceiling effects for women that refer to those artificial barriers based on attitudinal or organisational bias that prevent qualified individuals from advancing upward in their organisation into management-level positions (U.S. Department of Labour 1991). Hence, vertical segregation is another factor that leads to the gender pay gap. Family Responsibility As a result of the family obligation to give birth as well as take care of the children and elders at home, there has been a greater percentage for women to participate in more flexible part-time and casual employments than men who tend to have full-time employments (Smith 2009; CONSAD Research Corp 2009; Curlew Weber 2010; Amaram 2010). It was indicated in Amaram (2010)s study that pregnancy leading to the absence of women is 36 percent more than men and married men are more likely to work longer hours to make up the loss of the earnings for the family. Undoubtedly, it was claimed by many reporters that part-time employment pays relatively less than full-time employment, thus the unbalanced participation in part-time works causes women to be classified in lower level of income groups without adequate chances for skill advancement and promotion opportunities (Education International 2010 Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia 2009). Womens Tendency of Education and Work Choices and Patterns The educational paths that men and women decide for their majors in higher education or universities are different, indirectly affect the real earnings between men and women in the workforce (Amaram 2010). Amaram (2010) showed in his paper that men generally prefer sciences as their majors whilst women prefer humanities and education. The assumption is that men and women are likely to choose their desired majors at colleges or universities that can reflect what they are going to choose for their careers in the future, which leads to the conclusion by Hartmann (2004) that the pay of the male-nominated occupations tends to be higher than female-nominated occupations. One of the explanations can be attributed that women tend to choose a safer work environment such as being a secretary, teacher or receptionist and they are willing to accept less-paid jobs (Education International 2010 Farrell 2005). In addition, based on the GAOs report (2003) showing that women normally work fewer hour s and take more breaks away from work than men, women are therefore less work experience and human capital at work that brings about the consequence of earning less income. Historical and Social Stereotypes of Under-Valuating Womens Work and Skills Based on the historical overview mentioned in the first section, up until the Second World War, women were supposed to stay at home for cleaning and bringing up the children while men were taking the main role to be the breadwinner for the whole family (Amaram 2010; Elias Purcell 1988). According to Press (2006), companies advertised for job vacancies in the newspapers listed separately for men and women, as well as womens pay was greatly lower than men. In no doubt, the historical factors generated the hypothesis that womens works are semi-skilled and unskilled (Smith 2009). This hypothesis was supported by Lander ONeill (1991) and Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (2009) that womens skills and works are always under-valuated and unrecognised, which causes the social stereotypes on the perception of females capability to work in certain occupational categories. In other words, women may earn less than men as a result of their skills and works were devaluated by the commu nity and organisations based on the social stereotypes. Direct Gender Discrimination There are many theorists agreed that direct gender discrimination partly account for the gender wage gap (Curlew Weber 2010; Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia 2009; Hatt 1997 McAuley 1981). It happens when women and men are treated unequally facing the same job requirements with the same educational level and work experience (Education International 2010). Although it is unlawful to discriminate women from being recruited in male-nominated occupations in most of the developed countries, gender discrimination indeed moderately initiates the gender pay differences. It was even reported that gender discrimination and bias comprise half of the gender pay gap (Lander ONeill 1991). Consequently, no matter the organisational and societal sex discrimination is intentional or unintentional, it is clear that gender bias is an essential element of the persistence of wage gap between men and women. Other Reasons Apart from the major factors brought up previously, there are other reasons which should account for the wage gap as well in terms of the problem of the merit-type payment systems, union affiliation, and womens value on non-wage benefits such as health insurance. Firstly, it is important to understand the rise of the individual contracts together with the meaning of less collective bargaining like the decline of trade unions at workplaces (Bamber, Lansbury Wailey 2004). Also, merit-type payment including merit increments and merit bonuses is the most popular individual performance pay plans that are widely used in the USA and many other Western countries today (Shields, 2007). One of the disadvantages of the merit-type payment systems is that it lacks of transparency of the pay structure, hence, it is always up to the managements discretion of any individual performance and pay where there are probably the existence of discriminatory components (Grider Toombs 1993). Secondly, it wa s claimed that the formation of a trade union will bring a wage rate of 17.6 percent up for union members (Hatt 1997, Amaram 2010). With the significant rising trend of women participating in part-time and casual employments stated earlier, it is less possible for women to become union members that they comparatively earn less than men who normally work as full-time employees and are union members. Lastly, research was also done by the CONSAD Research Corporation (2009) that there is a greater probability that women may relatively value more on non-wage benefits and other employee benefits such as childcare, health insurance and advisory services when comparing to men. Accordingly, women may value other aspects of benefits other than wage that may cause the gender wage differences. Advantages of the Existence of Gender Pay Equality Despite the limitations acknowledged which block the way to gender pay equality, there are a series of advantages for individuals, families, organisations and economy as a whole provided that gender pay equity exists. Pay equality increases the empowerment of women and reduces the chances of womens experience to harassment, violence and exploitation at work (Cornish 2008). Additionally, it brings positive effects to the well-being and wealth of the families as a result of the increased income, which ultimately improves the situation of poverty, economy and social justice (Lander ONeill 1991; Education International 2010 Curlew Weber 2010). For the organisations, staff morale and productivity will be increased and absenteeism will be decreased if gender pay equity exists in the workplace because employees feel fairness among others (Curlew Weber 2010). Thus, organisations should proactively take actions to address the problem of the persistence of gender pay inequality in order to benefit itself, employees, community and other stakeholders involved. Organisational Strategies for Tackling the Challenge Although governments intervention of implementing fair pay legislations among male and female employees is indispensable, as Smith (2009) claimed that the legislative reform alone is not enough. Strategic non-discriminatory workplace practices and policies should be carefully planned, designed, implemented and monitored at the organisational level in order to build positive images to the public without violating any relative discriminatory issues, as well as maximise the benefits of balancing the gender pay differences. Therefore, human resource management teams play major roles in making every single decision to align with the organisational strategies. First of all, it is recommended to use objective, systematic and consistent process of job evaluation systems to deal with gender-based inequities in pay (Lander ONeill 1991). De Corte (1993) suggested a model-based approach to job evaluation to calculate the probability to gender bias related to pay at work. Secondly, male and fema le recruiters should be involved in the recruitment and selection stages so that female candidates will not be excluded in a discriminatory way. Thirdly, training and development should be regularly provided to all employees with the intention that women are given chances to promotion in a higher hierarchical level in the organisations. Fourthly, mentoring programs with professional consultants or management should be offered to female employees, who have competent knowledge and capabilities, to encourage them participating in senior positions (Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency 2010). Fifthly, flexible workplace arrangements such as home-based assignments as well as childcare services should also be available to allow female employees having work-life balance (ODonnell Hall 1988). Lastly, organisations should conduct a gender pay audit annually, which provides detailed information regarding the gender pay structure and figures of the whole organisation and the per centage of female employees being promoted to the senior positions (Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency 2010). The strategies proposed above are only few subtle pieces of a complex jigsaw puzzle; beyond doubt organisations should proactively look for other approaches to address the problem of gender pay inequality. Conclusion The condition of gender pay inequality has been steadily improved in the last few decades. However, in reality it does persist due to an array of complex reasons in terms of occupational and vertical segregation, parenthood, womens propensity of education and occupation choices and patterns, historical stereotypes and under-valuation of womens skills and work, direct gender discrimination, the setback of the merit-type payment systems, union affiliation, and different values on wage and non-wage employee benefits between men and women. These factors illustrated are merely the key causes and further research should be done to elaborate the thorough formation of the wage gap. It is clear that the pursuit of gender pay equality brings individuals, families, organisations, community and economy positive effects. Consequently, organisations should better equip themselves and contribute to the attainment of eliminating the gender wage gap. Systematic and appropriate non-discriminatory work place practices and policies should be well implemented to encourage fairness among male and female employees in pay and promotion according to their knowledge, skills and competencies. On account of the increased staff morale and happiness at work, organisations can also build a healthy and positive public image that in turn increasing the organisational attractiveness and competitive advantages in the labour market. In conjunction with the practical support by government, community and unions, it is believed further reduction of the gender wage gap is feasible.

Skin Deep :: Self Image Beauty Essays

Skin Deep We drove all the way down to New Jersey. We usually reserve NY/NJ trips for Korean grocery shopping and long weekends. It was a perfectly nice March day out—brisk, but sunny, with just enough warmth for a light jacket. This was my dad’s idea. I was pretty against the whole thing, but I decided to give it a try; it wouldn’t hurt to try, would it? Ever since I was young I have had scars on my face from a severe case of chicken pox. The doctors worried that my face would be scarred much worse than it is. They gave my parents two options—sand my skin down to create smooth skin which could potentially cause worse scars and redness in cold temperatures, or do nothing and hope that the scars would disappear over time. My parents, hoping for the best, went with the latter choice. And some 18 years later, my father questioned this decision. Dr. Grace Kim got her bachelor of science in biology from MIT in 1995. My father found her office advertisement in the Korean community newspaper. She shared her office in Inglewood, NJ with two other doctors whose degrees from prestigious universities hung like graffiti on the walls. The office was softly lit and had a sort of Zen themed feel to it with bamboo shoots, rocks, stone tables, all classily done. The magazines spread across the rock table tops were plastered with skinny young Korean girls with perfect chins and tiny frames. I could sound out the words on the cover: â€Å"ooh-manz sen-suh† or â€Å"Women’s Sense.† The door opened and my name was called. My scars never really bothered me. I can remember the few instances when someone had noticed them and asked about them. But having someone specifically appointed to sit, stare, examine, and evaluate what â€Å"your biggest problem areas are† is not the highest rung on the self-esteem ladder. There are some days I don’t even notice my scars; then again, there are days they seem to pop off my face eclipsing my otherwise clear complexion. Dr. Kim’s remedy for my scars was to cut the â€Å"more noticeable ones† using a very precise eyelet cut, stitch, then after healed, use laser technology to smooth the scarring from the stitches. Each eyelet cut would cost $200 and â€Å"with my condition† could cost over $2000. But before any services could be rendered, her exclusive line of skin emulsifying products must be used 6 weeks prior to surgery.

Project Plutarch :: Short Stories Science Essays

Project Plutarch The chronometer superimposed over the edge of Floyd Garcia's vision displayed the year 28, A.D. This was the farthest projection yet, by nearly a thousand years, and at this temporal distance the computers were having trouble keeping up with the uncertainty calculations. This made the scene quite nauseating as Floyd adjusted the Virtual reality goggles and wiped the sweat from the place where the cushioned rim was held firmly against his cheeks by the tight elastic headband. Maybe the queasiness also had something to do with anticipation. In any case he was glad he had logged over a thousand hours on the terminal, the jerkiness of the nearer destinations in time acting as a sort physical training for the rigors of further projection. At this temporal distance the probability calculations involved with past projection were taxing even the giant hive of supercomputers which man once thought would have help to map out the cosmos, projection forward in distance rather than backwards in time. Arguably the first project, a NASA brainchild, had experienced a lot more enthusiasm in scientific circles. The new project, being independently run by a small team of four up and coming visionaries and funded by the University of San Juan, received a more cynical welcome. True, if mankind could use mathematical computer algorithms to construct probable models of past events, which would glean the truth from the uncertainties of the process of history, the implications would be staggering. But legitimate scientists weren't biting. Most of them claimed it was because the idea of extrapolating past events with probability mathematics didn' t offer any accuracy, or hope of verification. Floyd had conceded this point from the start. The simulation wouldn' t provide exact details, Floyd had maintained, but was convinced that for major events of global significance with a variety of well-documented viewpoints to test the projection against, the simulation would be good enough. Floyd reached out with his meat arms and legs to make sure he was still well balanced and firmly strapped into his chair. The scene that now presented itself in front of the public grounds in Jerusalem was giving him the combination of motion sickness and vertigo that he had jokingly coined to be "past shock." Of course, it had nothing to do with the past really but rather the way in which the simulation was forced to operate.

Love One Another :: essays research papers

Love One Another Well, I sure hope I was not the only one who caught the main message of today's gospel. If you accidently missed the gospel, the main message from Jesus was that he commanded us to "love one another." I gave the message some thought thinking of "how can I love everybody?" How could I love my enemies? How can I love someone when they already have a lover? How can I love someone that I do not know? It is all these "how's." So how can I love my enemy? After giving it more thought, I found a little solution. It might not be the best solution, but it will suit my needs. If this enemy offends me, I tell the enemy with my heart that I truly did not appreciate that comment. What does that relate to love your enemy? I was trying to show my love to my enemy by expressing my feelings. What about how can I love someone when they already have a lover? We can still love someone and still be friends or maybe even best friends. There is nothing wrong in being friendly with someone that already has a lover. Well, what about how can I love someone that I do not know? An easy solution is to get to know society. Just do not have doubt and end up using assumption. Be critical, be open, ask questions, and get to know how peers. Okay, but what if I am a shy person? There is wrong being shy. Everybody is shy of something, but shyness can always be reverse. I used to be shy of something, but then I gave it some thought when I was thinking when life was getting boring. I thought that if I were more open and sought friendship, my

Indus Valley Civilization

Identify and analyze the criteria necessary for a community of people to be characterized as a civilization by comparing and contrasting how well the societies of the Indus River Valley and the Huanghe (Shang Dynasty) River Valley meet the criteria. Use the Persian  charts to guide your comparative analysis of these similarities and differences. The term civilization refers to a complex human society, in which people live in groups of settled dwellings. Growth and decline of civilizations depended on several traits such as complex government, religion, and religious rituals, presence of writing and record keeping, advanced science and technology, advanced artistic and intellectual skills, city planning and monumental buildings, division of social classes, and specialization of labor. The Huanghe River Valley (China) could be characterized as a civilization. This early civilization had one monarch (Shang) that regulated irrigation. They praised the god like kings of early civilizations starting with P’anku. Haunghe River Valley formed an alphabet based on ideographic symbols. The use of writing allowed them to record part fact and part fiction knowledge of early kings. Artistically, the Chinese emphasized delicate designs. Shang ruled and constructed some impressive tombs and palaces. The Indus River Valley shared many characteristics of a civilization. This civilization had political ideas and religious views combined with Indo-European migrants. The Indus River Valley developed their own alphabet (Harappan), which was never deciphered. Indians pride became an important part of their main identity. Overall, the Huanghe and Indus River Valley had qualities that could characterize them as civilizations. Even though there were differences, it was still considered a complex human society in which people lived in groups of settled dwellings.

Organizational structure paper

Tyson Foods, Inc. Organizational Structure Paper Gloria Sample MGT 230 1 1/07/2013 Dr. William Manduca This organizational structure paper for Tyson Foods, Inc. will show how Tyson Foods Company Is structures and organized. It will also show the comparison and contrast within its work place and company as a whole. It will focus somewhat on how marketing, finance, human resources, and operation department influence and determine the organizational structure for the company.Lastly, it will talk about how the organization design; such as products and customer base and services help etermine the company's needs across the globe and in other countries that are located In the world. Tyson Food Company challenges Its business, allowing It to have the advantage of becoming a multi business like none other. Tyson Food Company controls the market price for chicken and the overall integrated production. The production of chicken for Tyson Food accounts for 35% of all their production segments. Tyson Foods accounts for 20 % of all chicken production in the United States.Because chicken is the most efficient feed animal in conversion to meat protein, It Is dominating as the primary meat protein source. Tyson Food utilizes full, vertical integration through an entire seven stage of production, from inception to slaughter, and operates feed mills to produce the chicken ration. Tyson Food has an advantage of operating in vertically Integrated business, dominating the regional area of the united States. Having the opportunity of working with Tyson Foods for eighteen years, gave me the opportunity to see firsthand how the company operated on a daily bases from the corporate offce down.Tyson Foods had a way of doing thing by the book and at the same time showing love and respect in every aspect of he company whether it is management or floor employees. Tyson Foods had rules and regulation that everyone had to follow and abide by. The organizational structure there was followed th rough on a daily basis. If you had a problem with something, you did not go over someone's head and get the problem fixed, you followed chain of command. If you could not get the problem solved through chain of command, then you take the next step. I liked working at Tyson Foods because they were all about the business and getting the Job done.At the same time they cared about the employees as a whole. Everyone there worked with a spirit of excellent and enthusiasm. It was so well organized. People did not have a problem getting off work or taking leave if they had accumulated it. Going to the doctor was never a problem for the employees If It was legit. Vacation was never a problem either If you had the leave. We Just had to make sure that someone was covering our position facility. This was a plus for the many employees that the employed. Tyson Food is on the Fortune 500 as the second largest food manufacturing corporation.Tyson Foods Company produces and packages a large selectio n of beef, poultry, and pork roducts that provide convenience to their customers. These products are then sold to food retailers throughout the Unites States and 90 countries around the world. While Tyson Foods produce and package food that ties into making a profit, they also take large strides to insure nit customers of its quality of the products the sale. Tyson Foods has a program called the Food Wise Program that educates its customers on how to prepare their food properly, and establishes labeling and tracking systems.Tyson Foods extends itself through humanitarian efforts to help with hunger and disaster relief. I can remember when Hurricane Katrina came through; everyone was in a panic and uproar. The management teams of Tyson Foods quickly put their heads together and began to execute the disaster program design to help people in need. There was no electricity and no-one knew when the power was going to be restored. Tyson management team called different departments in to h elp with the disaster relief, whether it was giving out bags of ice or fixing plates for the hungry. Everyone worked together as a whole and the Job was a success.Tyson Foods wants to develop a more strategic overall approach to hunger relief that would engage takeholders and people that have stocks on a more meaningful level including the team members, community leaders and elected officials, retail and food service customers, and a large number of organizations and individuals involved in hunger reliefs nationwide. Together they created three primary goals focusing on approach, communication, and involvement towards hunger relief. Tyson Foods did a survey tracking and analyzing media coverage and exposure, assessing team member involvement, and by comparing actual results with initial goals.Tyson Foods has onated over 50 million pounds of products to help those in need around the world. Tyson promotes environmental stewardship by implementing an environmental system to all of its domestic processing plants, encouraging natural farming techniques. Tyson's customers are the lifeblood of their organization and their success. Customer satisfaction is its primary goal and profits are the secondary goal. Tyson Foods aim to deliver great value in their products and services to maintain a competitive position. Tyson Foods found this to be the most important factor contributing to their customers' overall satisfaction.Tyson Foods implementation of structure and organization is very important to the company's development and success. It takes a company that operates responsibly and operates according to core values and cultures to take the company to the next level. Tyson Foods dwells daily on their core values and morals. Tyson has a lot of resources to broaden a production footprint and continues to be on top at all times. One of the quickest ways Tyson was transformed into the mega company that it is that the managers simplified the strategy kept a simple organized structure. Tyson sticks by the old saying, â€Å"communication is the key.

The Level of Effectiveness of Crisis Management Team in Dealing

I. INTRODUCTION The Manila hostage crisis, officially known as the Rizal Park hostage-taking incident, occurred when a dismissed Philippine National Police officer took over a tourist bus in Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines on August 23, 2010. Disgruntled former senior inspector Rolando Mendoza of the Manila Police District (MPD) hijacked a tourist bus carrying 25 people (20 tourists and a tour guide from Hong Kong, and four Filipinos) in an attempt to get his job back.He said that he had been summarily and unfairly dismissed, and that all he wanted was a fair hearing and the opportunity to defend himself. Negotiations broke down dramatically about ten hours into the stand-off, when the police arrested Mendoza's brother and thus incited him to open fire. As the shooting began, the bus driver managed to escape, and was shown on television saying â€Å"Everyone is dead† before being whisked away by policemen. Mendoza and eight of the hostages were killed and a number of others in jured.The MPD's failed rescue attempt and gun-battle with the hijacker, which took around 90 minutes, were watched by millions on live television and the internet. The Philippine and Hong Kong governments conducted separate investigations into the incident. Both inquiries judged that the victims had been unlawfully killed, and identified the Philippine officials' poor handling of the incident as the cause of the eight hostages' deaths. The assault mounted by the MPD, and the resulting shoot-out, have been widely criticized by pundits as â€Å"bungled† and â€Å"incompetent†, and the Hong Kong Government has

Marketing Evaluation Essay

Recommend the position in the market. â€Å"Research undertaken by the Tourism Satellite Accounting (TSA) predicts that demand for travel and tourism in India will by an appreciable 8.1 per cent p.a. in the coming decade making it the third fastest growing travel destination in the world† (Bharwani & Mathews, Risk Identification and analysis in the hospitality industry, 2012). India has emerged as an ideal location to embark on a global expansion in the hospitality industry. According to Line and Runyan, in the hospitality segment there have been countless studies that argue that customer service has a direct correlation to employee job satisfaction and productivity, the same is said in the international arena for hospitality (Line & Runyan, 2012, p. 478). As with many of the international hospitality emergent, customer and employee interaction defines the profitability and sustainability of the company. World travelers look for impeccable service with all of the attributes of a bed and breakfast (Olsen, Chathoth, & Sharma, 2001). According to Bhawarni and Butts, â€Å"guests actively seek superior quality, customized yet consistent hospitality experiences which integrate a subtle culture specific novelty with a certain acceptable level of service and product quality† (Bharwani & Butt, Challenges for the global hospitality industry: an HR perspective, 2012, p. 155). This sets the standards high for employees and management. In accordance with the standards of the international hospitality brands, Bollman is recommended to pursue a luxury branding for their entry into India. This will entail in depth training and qualification standards. Conduct a market evaluation by researching what companies in the relevant market are providing to employees from a total compensation perspective. Currently India does not have minimum wage set by the government, although this is expected to change in the near future, it does present a challenge for companies wishing to expand into the area. Due to the changes in the international travelers and hospitality consumers into the region India has a shortage of trained and efficient employees. The area is also being impacted due to the aging population, which shrinks the current labor force. This means that the training costs and employee turnover rate is a significant factor in the India market. According to Bharwani and Butt, competitors of this region have begun to put set company policies for minimum wage standards. International companies have implemented  competitive pay standards, incentive and benefit programs, productive and safe work environments, and the ability to advance within the company (Bharwani & Butt, Challenges for the global hospitality industry: an HR perspective, 2012, p. 158). Training has also been a key determinant in the success and customer satisfaction with international hospitality companies. The ability of the employees to deliver a luxury and home-like experience to the consumer is the foundation for s uccess in the international arena. References Bharwani, S., & Butt, N. (2012). Challenges for the global hospitality industry: an HR perspective. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 4(2), 150-162. Bharwani, S., & Mathews, D. (2012). Risk Identification and analysis in the hospitality industry. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 4(5), 420-427. Jauhari, V., & Rishi, M. (2012). Challenges faced by the hospitality industry in India: an introduction. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 4(2), 110-117. Line, N. D., & Runyan, R. C. (2012). Hospitality marketing research: Recent trends and future directions. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31, 477-488. Olsen, M. D., Chathoth, P., & Sharma, A. (2001, April-September). Forces Driving Change in the Hospitality Industry in India. Journal of Services Research, 1(1), 3-21.a

Argentina Economy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Argentina Economy - Research Paper Example GDP Per Capita Source: (tradingeconomics.com; Argentina GDP Per Capita; Retrieved: 2nd April 2012) Analyzing the ten years, we clearly see that the overall trend of per capita GDP has been rising. The per capita GDP has approximately doubled in the last ten years from $6300 to around $10,800 in 2011. We do see that the economic slow down had an effect on Argentina since its growth stagnated between 2009-2010 but has risen considerably since. The overall outlook for 2012 is also very positive. Inflation Rate: Source: (tradingeconomics.com; Argentina Inflation Rate; Retrieved: 2nd April 2012) Argentina has always been ridden with high inflation issues. Specially at the start of the millenium the CPI figures were sky high around 40% .The dramatic decrease in CPI was because of devaluation of its currency. Since then various measures have been underway to keep the inflation rate in and around 10%. Although some unofficial figures state that inflation is twice as much, around 25%. The inf lation issue continues to be a main concern for the country and measures are to be taken with repect to this to ensure any further growth in the country. UnEmployment Rate: Source: ( tradingeconomics.com; Argentina Unemployement Rate; Retrieved: 2nd April 2012) The overall umployement figures for Argentina have been impressive. Unemployement was very high in 2002 around 21%. Since then, there has been a steady decline in unemployement rate to around 7% in 2012. The unemployement numbers have decreased which certainly is a positive sign for the country which is because of the growing demand for argentinian products and growing local demand. With growing domestic as well as international demand the country is creating jobs for its citizens and the figures may get better in 2012. Source: (Indexmundi.com; Argentina Poverty Rate; Retrieved: 2nd April 2012) The poverty rate for Argentina has declined since 2003 from a staggering 48% to around 12% in 2010. The decrease in employment has la rgely been due to the strenghtening economy and higher opportunities for growth in manufacturing and agriculture.Argentina has now a very high Human Development Index and is now in an upper middle income economy in the world. The poverty rate does seem to be getting higher and measures need to be taken to address this issue.Population being below the poverty line was estimated at around 10% in the CIA factbook, however the figure is still alarming. Democracy Index and Level Of Corruption: A research study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit compiled a list of 167 democracies around the world to identify their level of democrarcy based on a number of factors most notably; political participation,civil liberties,and functioning of the government. In this survey Argentina was placed at number 51 of the 167 countries with an index of 6.84 which translated to flawed democracy. 10 being the highest, full democracy and 0 being authoritarion regimes. ( (Kekic) The country has democ ratically elected governement although there are some flaws in the system that have made its democracy level go down a bit. The transparency International conducted a study to identify corrupt and non corrupt nations by providing an index

American imperialism the subversion of latin american sovereignty Research Paper

American imperialism the subversion of latin american sovereignty (OPEN VEINS OF LATIN AMERICA BY EDUARDO GALEANO) - Research Paper Example Imperialist regime is where the central state authority is weak together with the open state territoriality while the global regime is where the central state authority is strong together with the open state territoriality. American imperialism tools include- political power, economic power, military power and cultural diffusion. Example of the economic power via Galeano is where he credits Machado’s dictatorship in 1924 to the economic domination that the USA had over Cuba. In 1920 prices of sugar in Cuba had dropped from 22cents per pound to as low as 4cents. Sugar producers were bankrupt with sugar prices fluctuating based on the prices in the America market. America gave Cuba $50 million with the first American ambassador- General Crowder. America also gave Cuba fair trade concessions on a condition that in turn America gets to export their products into the country. The United States gains in trading with Cuba, yet still trades with other states. Nevertheless, Cuba is economically forced to trade mostly with the United States. In short, America imperialism is the compulsion exerted by USA via economic, cultural, military or political power that conquers other countries’ sovereignty into acting in manners they would have not acted otherwise. It is a situation where a country forgoes its own interests at the expense of serving the American interests. The cruise of this paper is to talk about the American imperialism more particularly touching on the tool of political power in Bolivia enhanced by international institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF. The international power of the USA in the 20th century has grounds on its political strength. In 1900, when the united states of American did not have much of an army, it was promising got viewed as power forthcoming great power. By 1920, the United States had displaced the United Kingdom during the First World War making them, the supreme financial power

Thinking design from the outside in Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Thinking design from the outside in - Essay Example al attention or techniques that might have added value to the finished result; or perhaps points to the value in terms of discovering or inventing new techniques for further study. Knowledge of the degree of expertise involved in the making of the object also lends a degree of value to the finished product. However, the design must also be understood from within its museum context. This includes consideration of whether the museum is working to highlight a particular characteristic or illustrate a noteworthy period in history or design. To more fully understand what is meant by socio-cultural, economic, technological and museum contexts, this paper will closely examine a decanter created by William Burges in 1865-66 that is currently on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. In terms of its socio-cultural context, this decanter captures the opulence and elaborate detail of the later Victorian period in which a great deal of the artwork designed represented a return to some of the more ornate Gothic styles of the past. Although speaking of architectural elements, Brett Ketter’s definition of the Victorian Gothic is equally applicable to this piece: â€Å"The characteristic feature of Victorian Gothic is its polychromy, in which materials of different colors and textures are used to create decorative bands †¦ different materials are used as well† (2001). In its use of several varieties of metals and glassware to present differing colors and textures as well as the use of gemstones and other materials to provide decorative elements, this decanter certainly typifies this definition sufficiently to reflect this culture. Further, the illustrative details of the piece, including the Greek and Roman coins and Roman font-style used in the engr aving throughout the piece denote the deep connection to England’s past. â€Å"Burges looked to the arts of China, Assyria, ancient Greece and Rome, and medieval Europe as inspiration for the design† (Eatwell, 1997, p.

Francisco Goya and the Second of May, 1808 Essay

Francisco Goya and the Second of May, 1808 - Essay Example As the crowd began to resist the attempts to disperse it, there resulted a fierce skirmish between the two sides which provided the theme of the portrait. Thus, the popular uprising in Madrid between the second and third of May 1808 provided the themes of two of the most important paintings by Goya. On the second of May 1808, the French soldiers caught isolated on the streets of Madrid were murdered by the outraged populace and Goya captured this violent engagement in his famous The Second of May 1808. "This event became the opening shot of the war of independence, celebrated ever after the Dos de Mayo. Goya worked for topographical accuracy to stress the connection between the historic occasion and the geographical and symbolic center of the city Goya makes the spectator feel like an eyewitness to the brutal killing, emphasizing the unplanned, spontaneous character of the uprising to set the stage for the picture of the systematic representation that follows in The Third of May 1808 ." (Boime, 296) Therefore, The Second of May 1808 has a great significance as it portrays an important historical event in an effective way and an in-depth analysis of the piece including color, line, shape, space, balance, symmetry, proportion, light, depth, texture, focal point, scale, rhythm, iconography, subject matter, patron, intended setting, etc suggests how this work of art fits into the career of the artist as well as the historical facts. Francisco de Goya's (1746-1828) The Second of May 1808 has been regarded as a major work of art dealing with the uprisings of the 1808 in Madrid and it provides a clear picture of the whole incidents that took place on this historically important day. Significantly, this work of art which has a historical relevance fits into the career of Francisco de Goya who always stressed the realistic at the cost of the idealistic or classic elements in painting. Thus, the oil on canvas, 266 x 345 cm, The Second of May 1808, at the Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain has been comprehended as one of the most fundamental contributions by the painter to the world of art. In fact, Goya's painting provides an important version of the historical event and the work fits to the career of the painter. "Goya's painting emphasizes the anonymity of the condemned, and even the capriciousness of their selection. He depicts them in terror and disarray, confusion and despondency, constructing an image of ordinary pe ople dying without heroism and without knowing why they have been signaled out for obliteration. Yet, Goya's un-idealized and un-heroic 'heroes' are novel characterizations in the history of art and have meaning only in relationship to the particular conditions of the Napoleonic years." (Boime, 297-8) Therefore, the painting by Goya has a great relevance in depicting a historical event in a very convincing way and it fits rightly into the career of the painter.Francisco de Goya's oil painting The Second of May 1808, oil on canvas, 266 x 345 cm, has been accredited as an important version of a historical event and the artist finds new means of expression in the production of this picture. The work makes use of the technique of oil on canvas and an in-depth analysis of the piece confirms that it is effectively created by the painter to

An innovative Leadership Development Programme (LPD) Coursework

An innovative Leadership Development Programme (LPD) - Coursework Example This was in line with the innovation to be practical and simple to grow into how leaders operated the business. The leadership in all the branches of GE has been included in the program. The leaders have learned how to transfer the opportunities and leadership ideas into initiatives that produce results. The launch of the new program focused on global growth in all the branches across the world. This required an assessment on what has been worked on and what is needed for improvement to achieve the expected results. LIG success had relevance and value that surpassed GE. Innovating can be taught to leaders and teams in organizations to achieve the expected outcome. For example, PwC US also launched a Genesis Park which is a development program that is unique and intensive. The program is designed to create business leaders of tomorrow. The programs help employees to integrate what they learn and how they operate in the daily activities. Govindarajan (2011) contends, â€Å"Most organizations achieve the expected outcomes by use of the new programs by developing innovations that include; keeping intact teams as one for development; leverage actionable programs; sharing best practices; create a common language; secure leadership support; and conduct extensive follow up†. Keeping intact teams as one for development; innovation requires teams to work together. This task seems easy but, it is one that differentiates many innovation programs. The leadership development programs at times fail to drive the real change expected as the leadership or managers do not go together in the course of the learning process. The effect of bringing the entire team together is significant. This helps the teams to build consensus more easily and quickly. In addition, the process fosters a greater commitment in applying the changes for the operations of the organization. Leverage actionable innovative leadership development programs;

Legal Aspect of Transsexuals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Legal Aspect of Transsexuals - Essay Example At the turn of the century where egalitarian mentality provoked social change and global recognition geared towards the recognition of transsexual rights saw the greater acceptance in the concept of sexual orientation. Sexual change that was deemed unacceptable and unthinkable is now legally accepted. It is understood that in the human rights activist cry for equality, a collective recognition is acceptable for all and not merely censored on a few singular groups. The potential for random discrimination in relation to their legitimate acceptance although currently under legal protection of laws has still raised compelling questions that can never be dismissed. We cannot deny that there are still the so-called moral activists in adherence to old conservative theories who utter a different lament against these sexual minorities. There is an even greater chance that the social change may take its toll and be delegated to the far recesses of one's imagination unless the laws that protec t the identity of transsexuals are recognized and properly implemented particularly in the society and their legal rights upheld where common complaints of gender inequality are often heard. With the passing of certain laws that govern sexual discrimination acts, the seemingly simple question on the legal recognition of transsexuals in terms of thei... When the European Convention on Human Rights recognized individuals other than the traditional gender classification of male and female, a ground breaking law was heralded. In the field of sexual orientation the protection of transsexual rights of gay and lesbian under Article 8 of the European Convention has been interpreted "to extend to an adult's right to participate in private, consensual homosexual activity". In Cossey v U.K.1, lodged with the Commission was Miss Cossey's complaint of the fact that under English law she cannot claim full recognition of her changed status and in particular is unable to enter into a valid marriage with a man. The applicant challenged the government to change her birth certificate to reflect her new gender and the basis of denial dwell on the substantial administrative burdens imposed on the birth certificates. Whilst the government desires to keep the accuracy of its records, the Government argued to maintain the privacy except on the "position o f third parties (e.g. life insurance companies) in that they would be deprived of information which they had a legitimate interest to receive". As a matter of interest, insurers have the legitimate interest in knowing the actual gender reassignment surgery. The Insurance laws has its ways and means of protecting that interest and the insured party's obligation lie mostly by providing material facts and empowering the insurer to nullify the contract if it appears that the insured has withheld such vital information.Nobody would imagine protecting insurers by insisting that everyone enters all medical treatment in a public register and besides it will take up

Financial vs Managerial Accounting PART II Assignment

Financial vs Managerial Accounting PART II - Assignment Example tlook to carry out such things as acquisitions, which bring financial gains, they seem to focus more on financial accounting than managerial accounting. Most certainly, when such a situation continues, companies cannot make the most out of their accounting. This is because it is important to synchronize the internal principles with the external ones. Again, it is when there is effective internal usage of information that there can be adequate balance on external output in the form of financial accounting (Zimmerman, 2014). I find the idea that you differentiate financial accounting from managerial accounting very useful and insightful. This is because it is only under such situations that the companies can know how to appropriately apportion its resources to handle the internal and external usage of accounting information (Zimmerman, 2014). Again, it is when the company has a clear understanding of the difference between its financial and managerial accounting outcomes that the right strategies can be put in place to cater for each of these variables. However, I feel you underestimated the importance of managerial accounting when you stressed that inaccurate accounting is only disastrous with financial accounting. This is because where there is inaccurate managerial accounting companies are likely to make a lot of mistakes that could go a long way to affect financial accounting. An example of this situation can be given with my company when out of inaccurate managerial accounting, the company took a f inancial decision to go into a merger, only for the process to go through and land the company in huge financial

Protecting Intellectual Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Protecting Intellectual Property - Essay Example Copyright gives an owner the exclusive right to the use of his property and it also means that if the protected property is to be used in any form or manner, it would first be necessary to obtain permission from the owner of the copyright. In order to obtain protection for intellectual property, it is necessary to register the property with the appropriate Copyright or patent and trademarks office. In this way, through the acquisition of an Intellectual property right, the owner of the IPR gains the right to the economic exploitation of the product or service, which is in effect, the reward for the IPR holder’s creativity or innovation. The IRP holder may also designate these rights to others and use the third party for the exploitation of the copyright, by way of licenses for specified periods. The copyright system imposes â€Å"ordinary and reasonable† limitations on the creative process, ensuring that the owner of the copyright on a creative work may continue to enjoy that right for a reasonable period of time. (Lessing 2002:613). But on the other side of the coin is the argument that certain products are in the â€Å"public† domain and therefore accessible in the public realm, which may be distinguished from private ownership (Hartley 2002). Generally, a copyright expires after a specific period, before it falls into the public domain, but with the continuous extensions granted to copyright protection, certain creative works are never falling into the public domain and things are shaping up such that very little is left in the world today that is truly original and has not been copyrighted in one form or another. This can be a strong deterrent for the original creator of an innovative work, since he will be unable to compose or create something for which every part is original and never done before. The original purpose of copyright was to grant to the creator of the original work, the protection for his innovation as well as his time and

Nature and Nurture Influences Essay Example for Free

Nature and Nurture Influences Essay We were asked to write a paper on Nature and Nurture influences on a child development. There has been a debate for years about this topic. Some phycologist believe that it is just nature that you are born with the genes from you parents to make you the way you are through evolution. Then there are those that it is just the nurturing we receive as babies or even in the womb through our child hood. That both Nature and Nurture go together in some way. The difference between Nature and Nurture will be described and the relationship between the two. I will explain the biological, environmental, societal, and cultural influences on child development in relation to nature versus nurture. This debate has gone one since 1970’s, when some studies showed the social behaviors of primates like chimpanzees and gorillas that this was humans closest relatives genetically speaking (Garcà ­a, J. 2014). The increased social significance of gay and lesbian rights in recent years has sparked interest among some researchers as to the causes of homosexuality. Supporters of gay rights claim that homosexuality is natural and innate, while many opponents of gay rights often claim that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice (Garcà ­a, J. 2014). These are big debatable topics that they say is all nature. I disagree I am a Christian and go by the bible not scientist sorry that’s my belief. Whether you are gay or believe we come from monkeys that’s fine. I believe it is a choice you choose to be the way you are it’s your life style that’s fine. We are nurtures from the time we are conceived parents talk to their babies will in the womb. The fetus does respond to noise we say the ABC’s to them when they are born we hold them feed them. When our children get older or fall as a child we kiss their wounds to make them feel better. We teach them to ride bikes some grasp it faster than others we  encourage our children to do their best in everything they do. I have four children they are all different the pregnancies was different. My pregnancies with my sons I was not sick with either. First child sleep great hardly sick. The second pregnancy my son was sick for the first year had colic ear infe ctions was rough. The pregnancies with my girls I was sick had acid reflux in the beginning of the third pregnancy fourth was a girl acid reflux during my whole pregnancy. They both had it in the beginning as well, but my youngest daughter still have attacks of acid reflux. Not everything is genetic we get our looks from our parents some are great musicians, but their child doesn’t follow their footsteps and can play any instrument. I peck a piano my daughter taught herself other children do not know how to play. Factor, in the study of development, nature refers to the inherited (genetic) characteristics and tendencies that influence development. Nurture affects children’s development through multiple channels: physically through nutrition, activity, and stress; intellectually through informal experiences and formal instruction; and socially through adult role models and peer relationships. In contrast, abilities in traditional school subject areas (e.g., reading, geography) and advanced artistic and physical skills (e.g., playing the piano, playing competitive soccer) rest heavily on instruction and practice (Gardner, Torff, Hatch, 1996; Olson, 1994; R. Watson, 1996). So in conclusion you will always have those that will say we still come from monkeys and those are the facts. I still do not believe that never will. Then there will be those that say that its nature that we are the way we are. I believe that nature is apart , but mostly nurture started in the beginning of life’s creation from the seed to the implantation thru adult hood. References http://www.education.com/reference/article/nature-nurture/ http://www.howcast.com/videos/513307-nature-vs-nurture-child-development Garcà ­a, J. (2014). Nature versus nurture debate. Research Starter Topics, http://video.about.com/genealogy/What-Is-Nature-VsNurture-.htm

Married Life Both Before And After History Essay

Married Life Both Before And After History Essay Class certainly played a part in marriage in the 16th century, as romantic love was not seen as a good reason for marriage. The higher up the class scale a person was the more likely they were to have an arranged marriage. Marriage was considered rather important as it enhanced your standing in society, especially for the male as he would become a person of consequence and would gain the role of master of the house. Conscious of the responsibilities a husband assumed on marriage, parents of daughters favoured a man of means and maturity.  [1]   Arranged marriages were frowned upon by the church but nevertheless many arranged marriages took place with the newlyweds often being in their early teens and marrying through pressure with some women felt forced into marriage by their circumstances, unwilling to remain a burden on their family.  [2]   However the lower class tended to marry somebody they had spent a great deal of time with as they tended to socialise in groups, the lower class often married at an older age due to the need to save up and acquire some land to set up home. Marriage in 16th Century Britain was very different to the marriages of todays world, as Stone pointed out marriage among the property-owning classes in sixteenth-century England was a collective decision of family and kin, not an individual one.  [3]   This shows that class was an important part of marriage with rich families often arranging marriages for their children from a very young age as It was more common for the wealthier families to arrange marriages as it was a serious and complicated matter but, as Stephanie Coontz put it, If love could grow out of it, that was wonderful .  [4]   Poorer people could marry later and had more choice. Civil and ecclesiastical law enabled marriage at an early age 12 for a girl and 14 for a boy. Bottom of Form Top of Form The legal requirements for a marriage before the Marriage act of 1753 was a simple process of promising to do so in the presence of a witness furthered by the physical consummating of the relationship. Such informal marriages were not approved by the church who wanted all couples to marry in church before a minister, after the public announcement of the intention to marry had been carried out for three weeks, this is also known as the reading of the banns but resorting to irregular marriage was evident in the sixteenth century.  [5]   This form of engagement was much stricter than those of today as such a promise was seen, as equivalent to a marriage and it would not be a rare occurrence for the brides to be carrying child. Most 17th century marriages were arranged weddings with consent being an important issue as love was not seen as a strong platform for marriage but was viewed as a foundation as this would mean the couple were both compatible and comfortable with one another. The brides family would often pay a sum of money known as a dowry to the groom to pay for the maintenance of the women who in return was promised her dower which was a percentage of the brides estate that the wife would be entitled to on his death. However, love did begin to be used for marriage with the enlightenment train of thought and the belief that the pursuit of happiness was the meaning of life. Marriage through love was now beginning to be considered more important than material goods. The Industrial Revolution would further consolidate this view as the middle class increased tenfold and young bachelors could afford to pay for their own wedding, parental approval and arrangement for marriage were no longer as important or needed. The Marriage Act 1753 or An Act for the Better Preventing of Clandestine Marriage to give it its full title gained Royal Assent in 1754 and came into force on March 25th of that year. It was the first statutory legislation to require a ceremony of marriage in England and Wales and revolutionized the way marriages performed. Consent to marry for anybody under the age of 21 was made law but a limit on age was not introduced. The wedding would also have to take place and be celebrated in church with an entry, signed by all parties, being placed in the parish records. It can be argued that the law was a response to the upper classes agitation at manner in which young heir were trapped in an indissoluble marriage and would lose their money. Furthermore, the Act made it a legal requirement for the reading of the banns to be carried out for three successive weeks prior to the wedding taking place if the parties wishing to marry did not have a license to do so. Marriages by under 21s were acceptable on licence if they had gained the parental consent they needed. However, marriages done so by the reading of the banns were valid unless the parent of the youngest had forbidden the banns. The Act was highly successful in its stated aim of putting a stop to clandestine marriages By the 18th Century, couples were increasingly given the freedom to choose their own partner and many relationships began being based on personal preference and attraction rather than by the parents orders. Top of Form By the 19th Century British women carried the expectation o becoming pregnant, however due to life expectancy being greater for girls than that of the boys, coupled with the number of males serving in the armed force resulted in a shortage of suitable spouses. English law became based on the principle that the male would earn the money whilst the females stayed at home and kept the house. The few women that did work saw her wages passed directly to their husbands under the 1882 Married Property Act. Womens rights had not really been affected by the Marriage Act with females from upper class families being the only ones who had access to education, albeit in subjects viewed as necessary skills for women, such as embroidery This lack of education was seen as unbeneficial by women as it did not develop the women in any way other than menial tasks. In her book, A vindication of the rights of women, Mary Wollstonecraft, claimed that through education would come emancipation and that women had a right to be educated due to it being she who is primarily responsible for the education of the young. Furthermore, Mary Wollstonecraft stated that educating the women the same, as men would strengthen marriage, as the couple would have some topic to share and talk about and that a stable marriage is a partnership between a husband and a wife a marriage is a social contract between two individuals Wollstonecraft goes on to argue that educating women will strengthen the marriage relationship. Her concept of marriage underlies this argument. A woman thus needs to have equal knowledge and sense, to maintain the partnership. A stable marriage also provides for the proper education of children.  [6]   It was impossible for a woman to be granted a divorce even if the male had committed adultery, as the ideal was that upper and middle class women were dependant on a male figure, father, and husband. Men were given the right to divorce if their woman had been adulterous under the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857, women, however could not divorce their husband if he committed adultery. If a divorce was granted the ownership of the children was passed to the father who had the power to banish the mother from the children if he so desired. Divorce became a less and less taboo subject due to the religious reformation and the way in which society began to question the validity of the church and God. Notwithstanding the ardour of religious reformers in Europe, the established church was brought into question during the reign of Henry VIII and in turn, Protestantism prevailed with the new church taking precedent. The role of the family became an important issue for theorists, none more so than Lawrence Stone, who, in 1977, put forward his theory the three stages of movement within the family. Stone claims that a power shift in the attitudes towards marriage could be seen through the early modern period, with affective individualism replacing the cold patriarchal traits. Stones three movements can be summarised as: The open lineage family 1450 1630. The attitude towards relatives would have been formal to a point of almost been cynical and callous. Upper class couples were distant to each other and as a result, their (often-arranged) marriage was akin to a business relationship. The immediate family were held in the same regard as the lineage members. Restricted patriarchal nuclear family 1550 1700. The importance of kinship was replaced with a growing importance been placed on the immediate relatives. This coincided with The Reformation criticising arranged marriages and the coldness within them, along with stressing the importance of a close nit family. Closed domesticated nuclear family 1640 1800. Love becomes priority with patriarchy in fast decline. Children were shown great affection and seen as a gift rather than a burden. Marriage for love became the norm and replaced the economic reasons to marry. The rise of the romantic novel allowed sex and passion to be legitimate in marriage and not just a tool for reproduction. Romantic love was the reason for marriage, not business. Stone did face criticism though, perhaps, none more so than at the hands of Alan Macfarlane who claimed that Stones thesis was flawed as it had overlapping periods, which gave no consideration to the fact it created conflicting evidence. Stone was also criticised for using evidence associated with the Roman Catholics and using them to strengthen his argument about the Reformation, for example claiming sex was a mere tool for procreation. Stones argument that people were discouraged from marriage and emotional attachment due to the high mortality rate is flawed, given that the mortality rates had sustained a high rate in the early eighteenth century, a time that Stone claims affection and love was growing and taking over as the main reason for marriage Finally, manuscripts and other medieval sources (Chaucer) did not back up, nor consolidate his argument that marriage was a loveless union with a lack of affection for the spouses. With romantic novels booming it was clear that people had an understanding and appreciation of love.