Top Choices of Evaluative Argument Essay Topics

Top Choices of Evaluative Argument Essay Topics In order to demonstrate that your claim is accurate, you may have to construct your argument in steps. Additionally, you know where to search for reliable info. You don't need to forget any critical details! You may also do some studying to discover more about the points to discuss as a way to present a logical and compelling review. Characteristics of Evaluative Argument Essay Topics When you are requested to select a great topic for your argument, start with something you're familiarized with. You hope to find the portions of their argument. Whether there are lots of arguments to address, the ideal plan is to concentrate right on the conclusion you would like to dispute, and concentrate on showing it's false or questionable. Quite simply, an ethical argument tries to demonstrate that a particular issue is either morally right or wrong. Likewise, in other evaluation argument topics, you've got to collect thoughts and angles and brainstorm to come across the true status. In choosing your topic, it's frequently a good idea to start out with a subject which you already have some familiarity with. Select a topic you'd like to write about. If you think that your topic is liable to be judged harshly just due to its subject matter, try out a different one. Reading samples of response papers is also an additional way by which you can easily learn how to compose a reaction paper to documentary. Isolation, nevertheless, is what Jack should compose his new novel, and at precisely the same time, he'll work as the hotel's keeper. At the conclusion of these list, you will discover links to a variety of argumentative paragraphs and essays. Free range parenting because you can see, there are a fantastic number of useful, informative and intriguing topics to write about and evaluate. As a result of this, as you conclude you r essay, you can feel reservations about the content which you have produced. The evaluation essay is intended to demonstrate the general quality of a specific object, service, product, and place. In your essay, you should devote a minumum of one paragraph to every criterion. Your thesis will be quite straightforward. A general thesis also needs to be offered. Writing about a topic that you recognize about is also valuable. Last word of advice is to seek advice from your teacher before the last decision about the subject selection for argumentative essays. The very first step in writing an evaluation essay is making the thesis. It is a great way to size up a particular object or idea. In that instance, you may want to assume the presence of God in your opening paragraph rather than spending several pages providing an argument for the presence of God. This essay is likely to end up being 300 to 600 words, so in the event you pick solid examples and make certain you're very clear in your explanations of things, it won't really hard to reach. From that point, your task for a writer would be to demonstrate that the action which you're claiming is ethical improves human well-being. Top Evaluative Argument Essay Topics Secrets Since there are lots of objects and phenomena we can assess, an evaluation essay can be written on a selection of topics. To work, thus, the essay will begin by identifying the central premises and assumptions. There's no argumentative methodology. Stasis theory is understood to be a rhetorical procedure to learn the point of issue in a debate. Don't forget that if writing an evaluation essay, you don't need to express a firm opinion and stick with it, yet to generate a balanced assessment presenting different facets. If you've got less than at least three criteria, you will not have the capacity to evaluate your object completely. In an evaluation essay, you will want to choose certain criteria to utilize in your evaluation, and you'll need specific proof to support your statements. If you go too wide, you might have to deal with lots of feasible criteria and supporting evidence, not to mention it will be more challenging to generate an evaluation. What You Need to Do About Evaluative Argument Essay Topics The very first portion of making this kind of argument is usually establishing that we have a tendency to care about and sympathize with different humans. Also, you'll locate a brief sample for you to know what type of result you ought to receive. While evaluation essays are simple to write, as you're simply requir ed to evaluate a product, service, entity, event or something different, there is a single big trap to be on the lookout for creating your piece overly opinionated. Let's take climate change by way of example and whether it's solely due to human mistreatment of Earth.

Measures used to Control enslaved africans Essay - 659 Words

Measures used to control enslaved Africans Colonial assemblies and individual planters used and instituted many methods that ensured that the slave population was subdued and subservient. Such methods included: Economic Control a) There was severe limitation on free time for the enslaved as free time was equated to loss of production time on the estate. As a result, a structure of economic dependence was created whereby enslaved Africans relied on the planter for their food, shelter and clothing. b) Severe restriction was placed on the ability of the enslaved Africans to carve an economic livelihood, for instance, growing provision crops to be sold in the market. Psychological and Ideological Control a) A concerted attempt was made†¦show more content†¦Slavery had already existed legally in Spain before the Spaniards arrived in the New World. Slavery in Spain was, however, less severe; to the Spanish colonies they were to be regarded as persons and not property. They also had other rights such as they should not be overworked, starved or unlawfully punished by their masters. They also had the right to buy their freedom, to marry, to provision grounds and to appeal to the court against illegal treatment. As well, masters were obliged to provide the basic amenities for his slaves. French Laws French laws that governed how slaves should be treated were called Code Noir (Black Code) and these were drawn up in France. The articles in the code ordered baptism and Christian principles. Enslaved Africans could marry with their masters consent. Planters were to provide food and clothing for slaves and to provide care for the elderly and disabled. Enslaved peoples could appeal to legal offices known as procureur-gà ©nà ©ral (attorney general) to complain against ill-treatment and neglect but, at the same time, the code stated that the slaves could be punished by means of flogging, branding, mutilation and execution for theft, assault and attempts to escape. British Laws The English colonies had no legal English code. Laws were made by masters in their post as members of the legislative of each individual colony. The British Parliament, therefore, had no control over the laws passed in the colonies. Slaves were seenShow MoreRelatedThe, My Eyes Have Seen By Alice Dunbar Nelson Essay1622 Words   |  7 Pagescontributed to the formation of the United States. Ever since slaves arrived in the Chesapeake in the early seventeenth century, slaves resisted their enslavement just as anyone else would, in order to claim some measure of freedom against an institution that defined people as property. African Americans resisted slavery in many different forms in order to secure customary rights that dictated work routines, the speed of work, rations distributed, and other basic liberties granted to white AmericansRead More`` 12 Years A Slave `` And The Fight For Freedom Essay1239 Words   |  5 Pagesdistinctly shaped the lives of both enslaved, and free, Afr ican Americans. This institution tore apart lives, killed countless, and wrongly enslaved an entire race of people for something out of their control.. The academy award winning film 12 Years a Slave tells the tragic tale of Solomon Northup, a free African American, and his horrific journey while kidnapped into slavery. This film portrays both the struggle and the act of resisting authority that many African Americans of this time participatedRead MoreFreedom, Stability And Human Rights980 Words   |  4 PagesWhen Africans were taken from their motherland they lost their families, their sense of connection to traditions, their freedom, stability and their human rights. Through the Middle Passage they learned to rely on the others around them. Through this common bond they grew close and put aside differences their tribes may once have had. Due to the fact the captured people were young in age, healthy, vibrant and able to procreate; their future owners would use all of these featu res against them. MoreoverRead MoreThe African Of African Diaspora1733 Words   |  7 PagesThe story of the world is indeed, considered the study of African Diaspora. The term diaspora is commonly known to mean a settling of scattered colonies of people from their home country to another place. The study of African Diaspora represents a growth industry. Slavery has been a common theme throughout history. To conquer the oppression and adversity usually set into place for those whom are forced to leave their homeland, resiliency is essential. Humanity has molded and shaped the progress ofRead MoreUnderstanding Slaves During The 20th Century1239 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom slavers; an economic commodity. Long before European slavers arrived on the West African coast line, Africans had traded with Europeans through middle traders in North Africa. The practice of slavery was common as well but in a different form. Most enslaved people were serving punishment of crimes or captured in battle. There were cases in which slaves could work to buy their freedom, and children from enslaved people were not automatically slaves later on. This type of slavery was a norm, andRead MoreSlavery And The Slave Labor Essay1410 Words   |  6 Pagesindentured servants to save and purchase the land. As a result, the population grew in order for southern farmers to meet their labor needs. By 1750 there were over 235,000 enslaved Africans in America. About 85% lived in the Southern region. Enslaved Africans made up about 40% percent of the South’s population. The first arrivals of Africans in America were treated similarly to the indentured servants in Europe. Black servants were treated very differ ently from the white servants. By 1740 the slavery systemRead MoreOlaudah Equiano, A British Slave, And Frederick Douglass And Harriet Jacobs, American Slaves Essay1737 Words   |  7 Pagesinstitutions. The life of Olaudah Equiano, a slave sent primarily to Britain and its colonies, in contrast with the lives of American slaves, defines this clear difference. While enslaved, Equiano was taught how to read and write, and was baptized as a Christian. These events marked the bridging of the wide gap between African slaves and their European slave owners, as slaves in Britain participated in aspects of society traditionally associated with Europeans. Equiano’s â€Å"apprehensions and alarms...amongRead MoreHistorical Period Of The Bacon s Rebellion1662 Words   |  7 Pages Do to this system, whites and blacks struggles to survive against a common enemy the social system that legalized terror against the blacks and whites bondsmen, primarily the blacks. However , not all bla cks brought to the country were not all enslaved; but many were treated as indentured servants and given the jobs of plantation farmers such as tobacco and cotton farming. With the demand to increase greatly for both land and labor. The demand for land was met by invading and conquering largerRead MoreThe Laws And Customs Of The South After The Period Of Reconstruction864 Words   |  4 Pagesmurders of African Americans throughout the south as well as projecting white supremacy by terrorizing opposing. At the end of Reconstruction, the KKK and White Leagues (opposition to the Union Leagues, made up of southern whites and members of the KKK) helped elect the Democratic party to power through repressive measures on the black citizens in the south. This era of states rights began with the help of terrorist groups who worked to deny the right to vote to black citizens. The KKK also used terrorRead MoreAfrican Americans And The Justice System1090 Words   |  5 Pageslegal to discriminate against African Americans(Alexander). The justice system in America was set up to protect citizens while upholding social control and deterring crime. But the poor guidance within the system has caused racial disparities to pers ist at every level of the U.S. criminal justice system. All across the country, African Americans receive racial discrimination in the justice system ranging from bias drug arrests, police brutality, to incarceration. African Americans are shown to likely

Davantages and Disadvantages of Living Abroad free essay sample

I think that living abroad has a lot of advantages, because sometimes living in other country is better than living in our native country. When person is abroad he has more chance to find well-paid job, he could learn some foreign language and he will make new friends. However, when we go to foreign country we must take some risks as the traffic of people, financial problems. Also, our family and friends will be missed us. Today very few people could find well-paid and good job and they prefer to work as cleaners, baby sitters, drivers, builders or some other profession in foreign country. They are ready to work not very good profession, but they know that they will have enough money to live happier. The collapse of Bulgarian economics has led to unemployment, living in poverty, low salaries and a bad quality of education and standard of life. That is why so many young people leave our country, but they choose their good future far from the native country than to live poor here. We will write a custom essay sample on Davantages and Disadvantages of Living Abroad or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Also, living abroad is a good reason to learn a new language. Today everybody needs languages to prosper in his career and the best way he to learn it is to live in place, where everyone speaks this language. It is a good opportunity to learn more about the culture of this country, its traditions, people, who live there and so on. However, a lot of people are victims of traffic of people or some other trouble. That is why it is risky to go to foreign country alone. Also, while you are there you may have some financial problems or you may not find some job at all and it will be very hard for you. A lot of people, who have already gone there, return, because they miss their family, friends, lovely activities. When you are in some unfamiliar country alone and you achieve hardly, it is easier for you to turn back to your family. Living in foreign country has lots of advantages and disadvantages, but I think that when you are in other country, you will feel better than here, because there will be more people to value your abilities.

Women Discrimination in Shakespeares Taming of th Essays

Women Discrimination in Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew A Critical Analysis Carl John C. Tanseco Prof. Buhay Hernandez AB Theatre Arts 4-1 Shakespearean Theatre In the Play Taming of the Shrew, there are lot of sexist and feminism remarks that comes into effect from the beginning to the end of the play. Kate, the main character of the story the one all of the sexist remarks and actions are directed towards. This very reason is why feminist criticism comes into effect many times throughout the book. sexism (description) Many times throughout this play, language is used to show how women are inferior to men. From the beginning of the story, Petruccio wanted to dominate the play by two dominating personalities. Bianca and Kate are two sisters who are the main focus of the suitors' interest in the play. There are several important parts of the story that will show sexism in the story. Petruccio and Lurencio finally win Bianca and Kate over, but it takes "taming" and money to get them. The fact that women had to be tamed and paid for showed that women are just object that are bought and not loved. In the play Lucentio says, "tis a wonder, by your leave, she will be tamed so" the fact that women had to be tamed, is sexist and discriminated against women. The main character, Bianca was bet on by many men to win her heart over, this kind of picking your spouse is very degrading to women and discriminating. This is like buying object for a convenient purpose, it is like buying and showing them that love was not involved in their marital process. In the play Shakespeare describe the payment of the wives when Hortensio says "Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please". This is stating that if the money he offers to marry her is enough to her father to approve their marriage. Marriage cannot be bought, women are priceless. And it is so degrading and it classifies women based on how much they are worth rather than how great their personality and how loving they are. Another example is women taking commands to his husband. One example is when Katerine was "tamed" when she starts agreeing with her husband and laughing when he wants her to, treating her like puppet. She began to show submission to her husband because of the helplessness of her situation, there are times that Katerine said something and then Petruccio strongly disagreed with her statement, and she quickly changed her mind back .

How useful are the terms realism and abstraction in acco essays

How useful are the terms realism and abstraction in acco essays In order to examine this question the words realism and abstraction must be defined. How useful are the terms of realism and abstraction? Realism a word which is used meaning fidelity to life, but more usefully confined to the 19th century movement in painting, a word that is also used in conjunction with the reaction against Romanticism (Read,1994, p299). Abstraction a term often used for not representing things pictorially it is also art that does not imitate or directly represents external reality, non-figurative art or not representational though ultimately derived form reality (Read, 1994, p7). The two pieces of works to be looked at are: Stenographic Figure c.1942 and Full Fathom five c. 1947 both are good examples of the rapid changes in Pollocks work. By the mid 1940s Jackson Pollock was painting in a completely abstract manner, and the drip and splash style for which he is best known emerged with some abruptness in 1947. Instead of using the traditional easel he put his canvas to the floor or the wall and poured and dripped his paint from a can; instead of using brushes he worked with sticks, trowels or knives, sometimes to add more texture to his painting he would mix sand, broken glass or other foreign matter into the paint. The term realism is particularly helpfully in determining the nature of Pollocks work. We see his reaction to romanticism he combines the oppositions of figure/non-figure and vertical/horizontal. He accomplishes this through the use of indistinct figuration on top of the linear web of the all-over drip paintings. Pollock's use of the opposition of figuration/non-figuration is defined by Krauss and Fried (although their interpretations differ in content). The second opposition that of the vertical/horizontal emerges upon close examination of the canvas and the materials used. Although the use of planar opposition hearkens back to Mondrian. ...

Independent and Dependent Variables Which Is Which

Independent and Dependent Variables Which Is Which SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Independent and dependent variables areimportant for both math and science. If you don't understand what these two variables are and how they differ, you'll struggle to analyze an experiment or plot equations. Fortunately, we make learning these concepts easy! In this guide, webreak down what independent and dependent variables are, give examples of the variables in actual experiments, explain how to properly graph them, provide a quiz to test your skills, and discuss the one other important variable you need to know. What Is an Independent Variable? What Is a Dependent Variable? A variable is something you’re trying to measure. It can be practically anything, such as objects, amounts of time, feelings, events, or ideas. If you’re studying how people feel about different television shows, the variables in that experiment are television shows and feelings. If you’re studying how different types of fertilizer affect how tall plants grow, the variables are type of fertilizer and plant height. There are two key variables in every experiment: the independent variable and the dependent variable. Independent variable:What the scientist changes or what changes on its own. Dependent variable:What is being studied/measured. The independent variable (sometimes known as the manipulated variable) is the variable whose change isn’t affected by any other variable in the experiment. Either the scientist has to change the independent variable herself or it changes on its own; nothing else in the experiment affects or changes it. Two examples of common independent variables are age and time. There’s nothing you or anything else can do to speed up or slow down time or increase or decrease age. They’re independent of everything else. The dependent variable (sometimes known as the responding variable) is what is being studied and measured in the experiment. It’s what changes as a result of the changes to the independent variable. An example of a dependent variable is how tall you are at different ages. The dependent variable (height) depends on the independent variable (age). An easy way to think of independent and dependent variables is, when you’re conducting an experiment, the independent variable is what you change, and the dependent variable is what changes because of that. You can also think of the independent variable as the cause and the dependent variable as the effect. It can be a lot easier to understand the differences between these two variables with examples, so let’s look at some sample experiments below. Examples of Independent and Dependent Variables in Experiments Below are overviews of three experiments, each with their independent and dependent variables identified. Experiment 1: You want to figure out which brand of microwave popcorn pops the most kernels so you can get the most value for your money. You test different brands of popcorn to see which bag pops the most popcorn kernels. Independent Variable: Brand of popcorn bag (It’s the independent variable because you are actually deciding the popcorn bag brands) Dependent Variable: Number of kernels popped (This is the dependent variable because it's what you measure for each popcorn brand) Experiment 2: You want to see which type of fertilizer helps plants grow fastest, so you add a different brand of fertilizer to each plant and see how tall they grow. Independent Variable: Type of fertilizer given to the plant Dependent Variable: Plant height Experiment 3: You’re interested in how rising sea temperatures impact algae life, so you design an experiment that measures the number of algae in a sample of water taken from a specific ocean site under varying temperatures. Independent Variable: Ocean temperature Dependent Variable: The number of algae in the sample For each of the independent variables above, it’s clear that they can’t be changed by other variables in the experiment. You have to be the one to change the popcorn and fertilizer brands in Experiments 1 and 2, and the ocean temperature in Experiment 3 cannot be significantly changed by other factors. Changes to each of these independent variables cause the dependent variables to change in the experiments. Where Do You Put Independent and Dependent Variables on Graphs? Independent and dependent variables always go on the same places in a graph. This makes it easy for you to quickly see which variable is independent and which is dependent when looking at a graph or chart. The independent variable always goes on the x-axis, or the horizontal axis. The dependent variable goes on the y-axis, or vertical axis. Here’s an example: As you can see, this is a graph showing how the number of hours a student studies affects the score she got on an exam. From the graph, it looks like studying up to six hours helped her raise her score, but as she studied more than that her score dropped slightly. The amount of time studied is the independent variable, because it’s what she changed, so it’s on the x-axis.The score she got on the exam is the dependent variable, because it’s what changed as a result of the independent variable, and it’s on the y-axis. It’s common to put the units in parentheses next to the axis titles, which this graph does. There are different ways to title a graph, but a common way is â€Å"[Independent Variable] vs. [Dependent Variable]† like this graph. Using a standard title like that also makes it easy for others to see what your independent and dependent variables are. Are There Other Important Variables to Know? Independent and dependent variables are the two most important variables to know and understand when conducting or studying an experiment, but there is one other type of variable that you should be aware of: constant variables. Constant variables (also known as â€Å"constants†) are simple to understand: they’re what stay the same during the experiment. Most experiments usually only have one independent variable and one dependent variable, but they will all have multiple constant variables. For example, in Experiment 2 above, some of the constant variables would be the type of plant being grown, the amount of fertilizer each plant is given, the amount of water each plant is given, when each plant is given fertilizer and water, the amount of sunlight the plants receive, the size of the container each plant is grown in, and more. The scientist is changing the type of fertilizer each plant gets which in turn changes how much each plant grows, but every other part of the experiment stays the same. In experiments, you have to test one independent variable at a time in order to accurately understand how it impacts the dependent variable. Constant variables are important because they ensure that the dependent variable is changing because, and only because, of the independent variable so you can accurately measure the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. If you didn’t have any constant variables, you wouldn’t be able to tell if the independent variable was what was really affecting the dependent variable. For example, in the example above, if there were no constants and you used different amounts of water, different types of plants, different amounts of fertilizer and put the plants in windows that got different amounts of sun, you wouldn’t be able to say how fertilizer type affected plant growth because there would be so many other factors potentially affecting how the plants grew. 3 Experiments to Help You Understand Independent and Dependent Variables If you're still having a hard time understanding the relationship between independent and dependent variable, it might help to see them in action. Here are three experiments you can try at home. Experiment 1: Plant Growth Rates One simple way to explore independent and dependent variables is to construct a biology experiment with seeds. Try growing some sunflowers and see how different factors affect their growth. For example, say you have ten sunflower seedlings, and you decide to give each a different amount of water each day to see if that affects their growth.The independent variable here would be the amount of water you give the plants, and the dependent variable is how tall the sunflowers grow. Experiment 2: Chemical Reactions Explore a wide range of chemical reactions with this chemistry kit. It includes 100+ ideas for experiments- pick one that interests you andanalyze what the different variables are in the experiment! Experiment 3: Simple Machines Build and test a range of simple and complex machines with this K'nex kit. How does increasing a vehicle's mass affect its velocity? Can you lift more with a fixed or movable pulley? Remember, the independent variable is what you control/change, and the dependent variable is what changes because of that. Quiz: Test Your Variable Knowledge Can you identify the independent and dependent variables for each of the four scenarios below? The answers are at the bottom of the guide for you to check your work. Scenario 1:You buy your dog multiple brands of food to see which one is her favorite. Scenario 2:Your friends invite you to a party, and you decide to attend, but you're worried that staying out too long will affecthow well you do on your geometry test tomorrow morning. Scenario 3:Your dentist appointment will take 30 minutes from start to finish, but that doesn't include waiting in the lounge before you're called in. The total amount of time you spend in the dentist's office is the amount of time you wait before your appointment, plus the 30 minutes of the actual appointment Scenario 4:You regularly babysit your little cousin who always throws a tantrum when he's asked to eat his vegetables. Over the course of the week, you ask him to eat vegetables four times. Summary: Independent vs Dependent Variable Knowing the independent variable definition and dependent variable definition is key to understanding how experiments work. The independent variable is what you change, and the dependent variable is what changes as a result of that. You can also think of the independent variable as the cause and the dependent variable as the effect. When graphing these variables, the independent variable should go on the x-axis (the horizontal axis), and the dependent variable goes on the y-axis (vertical axis). Constant variables are also important to understand. They are what stay the same throughout the experiment so you can accurately measure the impact of the independent variable on the dependent variable. What's Next? Independent and dependent variables are commonly taught in high school science classes. Read our guide to learn which science classes high school students should be taking. Scoring well on standardized tests is an important part of having a strong college application. Check out our guides on the best study tips for the SAT and ACT. Interested in science? Science Olympiad is a great extracurricular to include on your college applications, and it can help you win big scholarships. Check out our complete guide to winning Science Olympiad competitions. Quiz Answers 1: Independent: dog food brands Dependent: how much you dog eats 2: Independent:how long you spend at the party Dependent:your exam score 3: Independent:Amount of time you spend waiting Dependent:Total time you're at the dentist (the 30 minutes of appointment time is the constant) 4: Independent:Number of times your cousin is asked to eat vegetables Dependent:number of tantrums Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Individual report on a given case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual report on a given case study - Essay Example Disneyland Paris targeted a market that focused on generating images, experiences, and products to customers that highlighted fun, service, and imagination. Its intended to offer a place where visitors could escape the concerns of the actual world through the magic of the mythical fairy tale and characters of the Disney family The Walt Disney Company has struggled to remain faithful to its commitment to producing unmatched experiences of entertainment. The company is built on a rich legacy of quality content that is creative and exceptional telling of stories since its founding in the year 1923. Disneyland was the most expensive single project of construction in Europe’s history and it remains the largest and most ambitious development of its type in the history of Europe (Sehlinger, 2010). It has a single exception of the channel that connects England and France. It took five years to be completed, costing more than 2.79 billion euros. It opened in 1992. Disneyland is a collection of adventures and shows drawn from Disney cartoons and films. However, according to Sehlinger (2010), Disneyland Paris has faced numerous challenges before its inception. One of them was seducing the government of France. A mob of protestors pelted Michael Eisner, the Disney chief executive with farm products from Brie, the day that the stock in Euro Disney was first offered on the Paris stock. Brie was one of the regions next to the future resort site. Moreover, young French communists shouted and heckled. Even citizens who were less radical expressed dismay on the Marne-la-Vallee beet farmers forced displacement. Disneyland Paris was aiming for a market that focused on generating images, experiences and products to customers that highlighted fun, service and imagination. It intended to offer a place where visitors could escape the concerns of the actual world through the magic of the mythical fairy tale and characters of the Disney family. Disneyland Paris

Social science methods - entertainment location Essay

Social science methods - entertainment location - Essay Example These matches were actually scheduled to take place in India itself, but because of the ongoing election process in India it has been relocated to South Africa. All the teams participating in these matches are from India though all the teams must have a compulsory 4 overseas players apart from the Indian players. So South Africans were fortunate enough to watch all world cricket superstars in action at South Africa along with their players also. The South African people's behaviour towards these matches was indifferent at times. I have seen in one of the matches in which the South African fast bowler, probably one of the fastest in the world today Dale Steyn, who is playing for Royal Challengers, Bangalore, hit for a six by former Australian player Mathew Hayden who is playing for Chennai Super Kings. Most of the South African spectators cheered for Hayden rather than Steyn on that occasion. On another occasion when Steyn uprooted the stumps of Hayden, they stood up and clapped for a long period in appreciation of his performances. We can call it as a sporting gesture from the spectators, but really wondered me is that the same thing did not happened when earlier this year the Australians toured South Africa for some test matches. I think the 20-20 cricket match has changed the people's attitude drastically.

Case Study Essay Example for Free

Case Study Essay We have a couple in their mid forties. Christopher works in the media and earns $135,000 p. a. before SGC and salary sacrifices an extra $10,000 p. a. His wife Anne works in IT and earns $145,000 p. a. before SGC and also salary sacrifices an extra $10,000 p. a. Next month Anne is to receive a bonus of $15,000 which she is planning to contribute to super as a concessional contribution. They bought their home 2 years ago with a mortgage of $1,250,000. The home is now worth ,450,000. The mortgage is a standard principle and interest loan over 25 years and costs them $7,491 per month. They have four children: a 19 year old, a 16 year old, a 14 year old and a 10 year old. The three youngest go to a private school costing $60,000 p. a. There are 4 terms in the year and the fees are due at the beginning of each term. A new term commences next month. The 19 year old is apprenticed to a local restaurant and is training as a chef. He earns $16,500 p. a. before SGC and works an average of 120 hours per month and goes to college. Christopher and Anne have their own Self Managed Superfund. Christopher has $175,000 in the fund and it is invested in cash. Anne has $180,000 in the fund and it is invested in a listed debenture issued by XYZ Ltd, a large property development company. Over the years Christopher and Anne have tried to diversify and have the following investments: 3 years ago they used a margin loan of $135,000 to purchase 90,000 $2 shares in a newly listed mining company. Unfortunately in the last day or so the shares have fallen in value and are now only worth $1. 0 each. The mining company does not pay a dividend. 4 years ago they purchased, as joint tenants, an apartment/unit for $450,000 by way of a Line of Credit for $450,000 at 5. 45% p. a. The unit is managed by an agent and they receive $500 per week as rent. The agent has told them it is now worth $585,000. When Christopher’s father died 4 years ago Christopher inherited $35,000 which he used to purchase a listed debenture. The debenture pays 6. 5% p. a. on a quarterly basis and matures in exactly 12 months time. The current market for the debenture is 5. 75%. They have a joint savings account with $5,000 for emergencies. He has a savings account for $7,000. They have 3 personal loans: Payout of $29,196 9. 00% p. a. 4 years to maturity. No early termination fee. Payout of $11,902 8. 25% p. a. 2 years to maturity. No early termination fee. Payout of $6,705 8. 65% p. a. 1 year to maturity. $550 early termination fee. Their credit card has an outstanding amount of $35,560 with a maximum of $40,000 and they make the minimum payment of 3. %. They are concerned that although they feel they should be doing better the credit card keeps getting worse each month and that schools fees are due for next term and they do not know where the money will come from. Anne’s mother has asked Anne to be executor of her will. The mother has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and has been told that towards the end she will not be able to communicate. Both David and Jennifer have wills they executed prior to their marriage. Neither has been married before.

El Cid Essay -- essays research papers

An Overview of the Life of a Spanish National Hero   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, known best as El Cid, is revered as a great national hero of Spain. The name El Cid comes from the Arabic ‘El Seid’ meaning the Lord. Known to his admiring countrymen as ‘campeador’, or champion, he was a Spanish warrior whom later legend made into a hero and the symbol of chivalry and virtue. El Cid was born in Vivar near Burgos in 1043. His father, Diego Lainez, was a member of the minor nobility, called the ‘infanzones’ of Castile. El Cid was also directly connected on his mother’s side to royalty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  History paints two pictures of Rodrigo Diaz. He was an unprincipled adventurer, who battled against both Christians and Moors. And on the other hand, he was also a symbol of romance, legend, and ballad. He is shown as the tender, loving husband and father, the loyal, courageous soldier, and an ever-present inspiration to Spanish patriotism. He stands out as the central figure of the long struggle of Christian Spain against the Muslim threats.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fernando I, known as Fernando The Great, died in 1065, and at his death Fernando divided his lands among his three sons: Sancho, Alfonso, and Garcia, and his two daughters: Elvira and Urraca. He also asked them to promise him they would respect his wishes and abide by the divisions. But Sancho, who received the Kingdom of Castile, being the eldest, thought he should have inh...

Analysis of Hamlet’s Morality Essay

Hamlet is one of the greatest dramatic characters created. Throughout the play, we acknowledge the complexity of his persona. Even without Shakespeare providing an elaborated description of Hamlet’s characteristics, we instantly perceive him as contradictory. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet is presented to us as a cautious and courteous man; however, due to the negative circumstances he has to face, we see how his moral character becomes reckless and uncivil. Shakespeare uses antithesis, allusion, and irony, to show the â€Å"demoralization† of Hamlet’s character. Throughout the play, Hamlet is overwhelmed by a feeling of revenge but hesitates in the murder of Claudius due to his fear of making the wrong decision. Hamlet is held back by his consideration of religious morals and beliefs. This is clearly shown right after Hamlet stages the play. †Claudius â€Å"rises† in guilty startlement at The Mousetrap’s revelations† (Essays on Values in Literature). After this point, Hamlet is fairly certain that Claudius is guilty, and comes across Claudius in the chapel. Hamlet is given the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius, but he decides that he doesn’t want to kill him while he is praying. Hamlet feels that if he murdered him during prayer, he would dishonor his father by sending Claudius to heaven. Instead, Hamlet wants to kill him while he is doing something horrific, ensuring Claudius goes to hell, where Hamlet feels he deserves to go. Hamlet says: Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; and now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven, and so am I revenged. That would be scann’d: A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven. †¦No. Up sword, and know thou a more horrid hent. (3.3.77-83, 93) A very significant component to Hamlet’s loss of morality is his decision to act insanity. It is a major risk he is willing to take in order to accomplish his father’s request. Hamlet realizes this is the only way he will be able to investigate his father’s death without being perceived as a threat. However, for this plan to work he has to unchain a group of new personality traits that contribute to the deterioration of his morality. Hamlet puts into practice his new role with Ophelia, whom along with her father, believes his madness is a result of his rejection of her. This display takes Ophelia’s father Polonius to Claudius, and together they set a plan to spy on Hamlet, using Ophelia as the lure. Nevertheless, Hamlet is a clever man, and rapidly finds out what is happening. This is a devastating point in Hamlet’s life as he comes to the conclusion that he has lost everything he once loved. The terrible realization that his last source of hope is now lost takes Hamlet to a new stage. The last sense of respect he had towards the people around him is now gone. Hamlet starts to exceed his rely on his â€Å"madness† to tell the truth about his thoughts. First to Polonius: Slanders, sir: for the satirical rogue says here that old men have grey beards, that their faces are wrinkled, their eyes purging thick amber and plum-tree gum and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams: all which, sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down, for yourself, sir, should be old as I am, if like a crab you could go backward.(2.2.214-222) And later to Ophelia and his mother: O God, your only jig-maker. What should a man do but be merry? for, look you, how cheerfully my mother looks, and my father died within these two hours.(3.2.130-135) Hamlet exhibits a new change in attitude after he returns from his uncompleted trip to England. He starts to feel a consuming anger against Claudius for his father’s death. He recognizes that his indecisiveness has been preventing him from action. Hamlet makes it clear that he wants to end his indecisiveness when he claims, â€Å"O, from this time forth/ my thoughts be bloody ore be nothing worth† (4.4.68-69) With this proclamation, Hamlet shows his deep desire to focus on the death of his uncle. This change makes Hamlet able to seek full revenge for his father’s death no matter the consequences. Hamlet is then completely transformed into a man that acts out of pure revenge. This is clearly demonstrated when Hamlet thinks Claudius is spying on him again and kills Polonius by accident. At this moment, it is evident that this is not the same cautious man we met before. Eventually, Hamlet’s new characteristics lead him to the achievement of his main and primary goal. In this play, â€Å"the moral component is there in Hamlet’s thinking† (Corruption in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, 70). His use of reason was his only tie to morality, and once this connection was broken, so was his moral character. However, Shakespeare plays with the idea of â€Å"what circumstances might justify an individual taking the law into his own hands† (Corruption in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, 69); leaving us with the question of whether Hamlet had lost his morality, or he was the only moral man in an immoral world. The complexity and contradictions expressed in this play and in Hamlet’s character make this work exceptional. Works Cited Grace, Tiffany. â€Å"Hamlet, reconciliation, and the just state.† Renascence: Essays on Values in Literature 58.2 (2005) Johnson, Vernon Elso. Corruption in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992. Print.

Bacterial Transformation Lab Report Essay

Backround: The plasmid pGLO contains an antibiotic-resistance gene, ampR, and the GFP gene is regulated by the control region of the ara operon. Ampicillin is an antibiotic that kills E. coli, so if E. coli, so if E. coli cells contain the ampicillin-resistance gene, the cells can survive exposure to ampicillin since the ampicillin-resistance gene encodes an enzyme that inactivates the antibiotic. Thus, transformed E. coli cells containing ampicillin-resistance plasmids can easily be selected simply growing the bacteria in the presence of ampicillin-only the transformed cells survive. The ara control region regulates GFP expression by the addition of arabinose, so the GFP gene can be turned on and off by including or omitting arabinose from the culture medium. Purpose: The purpose of this lab was to understand bacterial transformation, how it occurs, and to make DNA glow. Hypothesis: If the transformed E. coli is mixed with the ampicillin resistance gene, it will be able to grow in the ampicillin plates, but the non-transformed E.coli will not. Materials: Two microcentrifuge tubes 500 uL of ice cold 0.05 CaCl2 E. coli bacteria A sterile plastic loop A sterile P-20 micropipette 10 uL of pAMP solution A timer Ice A water bath 500 uL of Luria broth A spreading rod Four plates Incubator Procedure: Day before lab 1. Streak E. coli host cells for isolation. 2. Prepare six source plates. Day of lab 1. Get two microcentrifuge tubes, which should each contain 200 uL of cold CaCl2 solution. Label one tube with your initials and a (+) and the other tube with your initials and a (-). 2. Transfer 2-4 large colonies using a sterile plastic loop to each microcentrifuge tube and completely resuspend. Do not transfer any agar. Put the tip of the loop into the CaCl2 solution and spin until there is not any cells on the loop. 3. Close each of the tubes and put them in ice. 4. Ask your teacher to use a P-20 micropipette to add pGLO DNA to your transformation mix. 5. Add pGLO DNA to the (+) labeled microcentrifuge tube. 6. Incubate both microcentrifuge tubes on ice for fifteen minutes. 7. Take both tubes out of ice and immediately place in incubator at 42Ù ¥C for 90 seconds. 8. After place both tubes back in the ice for two minutes. 9. Add 200uL Luria Recovery Broth to both microcentrifuge tubes. 10. Let both the tubes rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. 11. During the 10 minutes, get the LB agar and LB+AMP agar plates ready. Mark your plates with the transformation tube mixture to use (+ or -), the lab group names, and the date on the top of the dishes. 12. Add 100ul of the pGLO transformation cell mixture to the center of the agar surface of the corresponding LB agar and LB+AMP plates. 13. Use a sterile plastic loop to distribute the cell suspension evenly on the plate by â€Å"skating† the loop back and forth across the LB agar plate several times. 14. Use the same loop and technique to spread the same cell suspension (+) on the LB+AMP agar plates. Dispose of the sterile loop in a beaker of germicide. 15. Repeat the procedure by spreading the (-) transformation cell mixture to each of the (-) labeled LB and LB+AMP plates. Be sure to use a fresh plastic loop for the ‘None’ transformation mix. 16. Stack your group’s set of plates on top of one another and tape them together. The plates should be left upright position to allow the cell suspension to be absorbed by the agar. 17. Place the plates in an inverted position (agar side on top) in a 37Ù ¥C bacterial incubation oven for overnight incubation (15-20 hrs.). Day after lab 1. Lower the lighting in the room and use a long wave U.V. light to visualize the transformed cells that will glow due to the expression of the green or blue fluorescent proteins. Data: LB+ (Positive Control) LB- (Positive Control) LB/AMP+ (Experimental) LB/AMP- (Experimental) Bacterial Growth lawn lawn 3 colonies No growth Conclusions: The bacteria treated with the pAMP solution developed a resistance to ampicillin and were able to grow on the ampicillin plate. Those that were not treated with the pAMP were not able to grow on this medium. The plates with no ampicillin served as a control to show how the bacteria would look  in normal conditions. Transformation is never fully effective, Only cells that are competent enough are able to take up the foreign DNA. Therefore, the ampicillin+ plates showed less growth that the control plate. Questions: 1. Record your observations about the color and growth (number of colonies) of bacteria on the Petri plates. If you have so much bacterial growth that you can’t count individual colonies, this is referred to as â€Å"lawn.† LB+ (Positive Control) LB- (Positive Control) LB/AMP+ (Experimental) LB/AMP- (Experimental) Bacterial Growth lawn lawn 3 colonies no growth 2. Calculate the transformation efficiency of your transformation experiments. Transformation efficiency refers to the number of cells transformed per microgram (ug) of DNA. The transformation efficiency of my transformation experiments is 0.0125 cells transformed per microgram (ug) of DNA.

Lydia Dustin Was Accused in the Salem Witch Trials

Lydia Dustin Was Accused in the Salem Witch Trials Lydia Dustin died in prison and is best known for being accused as a witch in the Salem witch trials of 1692. Dates: 1626? - March 10, 1693Also known as: Lidia Dastin Family, Background Not much is known of her other than connections to others also accused in the Salem witch trials. Mother of Sarah Dustin and Mary Colson, grandmother of Elizabeth Colson. More About Lydia Dustin Lydia, a resident of Reading (Redding), Massachusetts, was arrested on April 30 on the same day as George Burroughs, Susannah Martin, Dorcas Hoar, Sarah Morey, and Philip English. Lydia Dustin was examined on May 2 by magistrates Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne, on the same day that Sarah Morey, Susannah Martin, and Dorcas Hoar were examined. She was then sent to Bostons jail. Lydias unmarried daughter Sarah Dustin was the next in the family accused and arrested, followed by Lydias granddaughter, Elizabeth Colson, who eluded capture until after the third warrant was issued (sources differ on whether she was ever captured). Then Lydias daughter Mary Colson (Elizabeth Colsons mother), was also accused; she was examined but not indicted. Both Lydia and Sarah were found not guilty by the Superior Court of Judicature, Court of Assize and General Gaol Delivery in January or February 1693, after the initial trials had been suspended when criticized for their use of spectral evidence. However, they could not be released until they paid jail fees. Lydia Dustin died still in jail on March 10, 1693. She is thus usually included on lists of those who died as part of the Salem witchcraft accusations and trials.

Electrocute

Electrocute Electrocute Electrocute By Maeve Maddox The verb electrocute was coined in the late nineteenth century on the model of execute in the sense of â€Å"to inflict capital punishment upon.† Unlike execute, which has a legitimate Latin etymology, electrocute is a portmanteau word. H. W. Fowler (A Dictionary of Modern English Usage) held it in disdain: This word does not claim classical paternity; if it did, it would indeed be a barbarism. It is merely a portmanteau word formed by telescoping electro- and execution, and, as it is established, protest is idle.† Fowler was writing about forty-five years after Buffalo, New York dentist Alfred P. Southwick invented the electric chair in 1881 as a more humane method than hanging. The first person to be executed by electrocution was William Kemmler (1860-1890). The newness of the word is apparent in the two earliest OED citations, dated 1889 and 1890: He wants to be ‘electrocuted’ The gentlemanshould be ‘electrocuted’ By 1903, the word was in use without enclosing quotation marks. The OED includes a second definition of electrocute as â€Å"to give an electric shock to† and includes this citation from an Australian source: I was electrocuted. I can still smell the flesh burning. American usage, however, does not allow for the survival of an electrocuted person. Merriam-Webster offers two definitions: 1. to put to death as a legal punishment by causing a fatally large electric current to pass through the body. 2. to kill by electric shock. The following examples from the Web illustrate nonstandard (US) usage: I was trying to unplug my cell phone charger and got my fingers too close to the bottom. They touched the prongs and I got electrocuted! I electrocuted myself three times trying to unplug my laptop charger. Teenage friends electrocuted trying to take selfie on top of  train (The girls were severely injured, but, as they survived, they were not electrocuted.) Paul Brians (Common Errors in English Usage) summarizes US usage this way: To electrocute is to kill using electricity. If you live to tell the tale, you’ve been shocked, but not electrocuted. For the same reason, the phrase â€Å"electrocuted to death† is a redundancy. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?Between vs. In BetweenA "Diploma" is not a "Degree"

Breast Cancer Treatments Lumpectomy vs. Mastectomy Essay

Breast Cancer Treatments Lumpectomy vs. Mastectomy - Essay Example Consequently, both are the main choices of patients and physicians in treating the disease. Both procedures are also found to have equal survival rates. However, with the increasing awareness of women afflicted with breast cancer on the impact of surgery on their psychological state related to loss of their breast, more and more women are resorting to a less invasive treatment which is lumpectomy and adjuvant therapies. Added to this is the notion that mastectomy is over used. Lumpectomy is a surgical removal of the breast lump including some normal tissues. Although, lumpectomy and adjuvant therapies are preferred methods of treatment for most women with breast cancer, their use is bombarded with several controversies. Body One distinct issue with lumpectomy includes the inadequate outcome data to the extent of its use and efficacy. Clinical trials included insufficient size to establish a convincing result of its application. Although, there had been multiple randomized trials of l umpectomy in patients with or without radiation, it was found out that the survival rates are based solely on unpublished analysis. In addition, participants in several studies were over treated producing a bias result. This was revealed in the study by Cumming (n.d) where he added that using a meta- analysis pose a risk on grounds that methods might be a concern. Cumming also found out that in the case of ductal carcinoma alone, data is limited to show importance of lumpectomy and other treatments following it. Consensus among pathologists on pathologic staging is also a question because there is no recommendation as to the exact stage lumpectomy is effective. It was further revealed that studies on radiation therapy after lumpectomy had no uniform techniques in using different radiotherapy agent such as iridium, electron beam, and cesium needle brachytherapy. Added to the above problem is controversy surrounding the falsified claim that lumpectomy with adjuvant therapy was as effe ctive as mastectomy. The lead investigators are found to commit misconduct with the result of their study of not providing the correct result of their study. Although, lumpectomy has been found to be effective with the early stages of cancer, its credibility was damaged because of the controversy which ruined the trust not only of patients but the public in general towards lumpectomy and adjuvant therapies. This shows that not only the lack of data on the efficacy of lumpectomy combined with adjuvant therapies is a problem but is accompanied with several other problems. Interestingly though, the study published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute ( 2004) reported that there is a significant decrease in the recurrence in the number of patients who went through lumpectomy with radiotherapy however not in lumpectomy alone. There is also no survival advantage even with the addition of radiotherapy. Similar with the study of Cumming, the JNCI reported that information from curren t and previous studies are found to be deficient in attesting that lumpectomy in combination with adjuvant therapy is more promising. Whether lumpectomy is a choice of the patient or the physician, cost is also an issue for the choice of therapy among women with breast cancer. Lumpectomy with radiation therapy is more costly than mastectomy. Munoz and company (1986) found out in their

Seminar Paper of BOOTS (now Alliance Boots) Case Study

Seminar Paper of BOOTS (now Alliance Boots) - Case Study Example The concept of merger immediately took notice because of the inevitable benefits provided by the strategy. Most mergers have expanded their operations and surpassed the achievements that the observers have predicted. Primarily, Alliance Boots is wholesaler and retailer of pharmaceutical goods. The company controls a wide chain of pharmacy spread all across Europe. At present, the company maintains 17% of its total target market (BBC News, 2005). Moreover, Alliance Boots is the largest pharmaceutical wholesaler in UK covering 40% of the market. Its wholesaling and retailing activities are undertaken by subsidiary UniChem. With its vast operations, the company employs approximately 100,000 workers in more that 3,000 retail stores in which 2,700 have pharmacies. In addition, the firm has established 380 retail depots to boost its operations. This has made Alliance Boots one of the largest retailers in terms of retail space (Alliance Boots, 2006). Boots Group Prior to the merger, Boots is bannered by Boots the Chemist, which was regarded as a dominant retail pharmacy operating in UK. Most of the company's outlets are situated in high streets and in highly urbanised areas. From a traditional pharmacist, the company has expanded its business portfolio and ventured to photo processing, opticians, and selling of home appliances. The increasing pressure caused by competition has limited the chances of Boots to improve its performance. It was evident that the company illustrated signs of stagnation and such weak showing eventually created the drawing board that led to the inevitable merger with Alliance UniChem. Alliance UniChem In terms of operational scope, UniChem was bigger and its more established reputation has enabled the firm to occupy markets in Europe. Its major aim is to deliver healthcare service and improve the health situation in most of the locations. The business primarily thrives on retailing and wholesaling pharmaceutical products. UniChem has been relying on its core strategies built on the aspects of expansion, innovation and performance enhancement. Aside from these concepts, the company valued the satisfaction of the customers and other stakeholders. The Merger Because of Boots' financial conditions, it was speculated by financial analysts that the merger with Alliance UniChem is already at work. It was surprisingly announced in October 2005 that the merger was officially created. Part of the announcement was the financial considerations made by both parties. Both companies were valued at 7 billion British Pounds and a split of 50.2 and 49.8 were divided among Boots and Alliance respectively. Basically, the merger was undertaken with the expected intervention of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). It was reported that 96 stores were sold to comply with the requirements of OFT. In truth, the merger was pictured as a takeover by Boots, which acquire the whole share capital of Alliance UniChem. This was manifested through the issuance 1,332 Boots Group PLC shares for each Alliance UniChem shares held. After this process, the merging firms adopted the name of Alliance Boots PLC. This was done, accordingly, to reduce the time and paper works needed because of the merger. Most important, both firms remained intact only under the supervision of the parent company (OFT, 2001). Objectives Essentially, the purpose of the merger is to combine a supplier in Alliance UniChem and a customer in Boots. The strategy was

Challenges facing advocacy in nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Challenges facing advocacy in nursing - Essay Example Reluctance is also a factor to nursing advocacy; nurses are in most cases reluctant to become politically involved. They have failed to attain a strong legislative voice. Legislators and policy have been seen to be more willing to deal with nurses as a group rather than as individuals; thus supporting and joining professional organizations. In addition nurse’s professional organizations generally espouse standards of care that are higher than those required by the law thus voluntary controls are often forerunners of legal controls as explained by Marquis & Huston (2008 P.89) . They should let the media know when their portrayals of nurses are inaccurate or in other words insulting. Negative picture portrayed of the Nursing profession; the nurses should fight and ensure they bring out a positive picture of their profession to others rather than just a misinterpretation. Advocacy in nursing wont succeed if a negative side of them is out their in the public, they should speak positively. Lack of media coverage is also a factor to advocacy in nursing; Nurses represent a majority number of healthcare professionals and yet they only account for a smaller portion of the quotations in health coverage by news media. Constello et al (2010 P.240) argues that, lack of appreciation from the public is of the challenges facing Nurses advocacy. There are many virtues and qualities that most nurses hold. These include clinical expertise and sharp assessment skills but in return, they do not get full appreciation from the public. Hudak et al (2008 P.130) attributes quality compensation Patient safety as posing challenge to nursing advocacy; enlightening and educating nurses about what to expect and how to cope with changes imposed by sources as Medicare thus they can learn how to advocate themselves as professionals so that a crisis can be avoided and meet the needs of aging population. Readmission of patients is also a challenge faced by nurses as they try to advocate.

Literature Review What Is Corporate Social Responsibility Management Essay

Literature Review What Is Corporate Social Responsibility Management Essay CSR  is the concept in which companies consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment in all aspects of their operations.  This obligation is seen to extend beyond the statutory obligation to comply with legislation and sees companies voluntarily taking further steps to improve the quality of life for employees and their families, as well as for the local community and society at large. According to Eric Orts of the University of Pennsylvania, Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gained more interest in the past decades but it dates back to the 1930s. Just before World War II, German industrialist Walter Rathenau claimed that business corporations had become very large and that they had grown to be a significant part of the society. According to Rathenau, even though fundamentally a corporations intent is the pursuit of private interests and profits for owners of the company, they are increasingly bearing the marks of an undertaking and, to an increasing degree, have been serving the public interest (Kessler, 1930). Further, philosophers John Dewey and James H. Tufts, in their book ethics (1908), raised the concept that it is not sufficient to view companies as purely economic machines and that companies should be involved in public duty as well. Then 65 years later Davis in 1973 stated that, Corporate Social Responsibility of the firm is the firms consideratio ns of, and response to, issues beyond the narrow economic, technical, and legal requirements of the firm to accomplish social and environmental benefits along with the traditional economic gains which the firm seeks. In 2004, Sir Stephen Timms, U.K. Minister for CSR, Royal Institute for International Affairs suggested that Economic progress through a fair and open world trading system is essential to tackle poverty and ensure a safer more secure world for everyone now and for future generations. The challenges remain of ensuring that the benefits of that progress reach all sectors in all countries and are not at the expense of the environment. According to Hamann, 2006 the restructuring of the role of business in the quest of sustainable development has been an objective since the mid1990s. He also stated that businesses had to respond to this changing societal expectation by increasingly redefining and justifying their involvement in developmental issues in terms of corporate social responsibility. Regardless of whether one accepts or rejects CSR premise, the idea of CSR presupposes that businesses have obligations towards the society that go beyond profit-making to include helping to solve social and ecological problems. In the November of 2007, the Irish President Mary McAleese used the occasion of her address to the Annual Dinner of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland to air some questions about the nature of corporate social responsibility in Ireland. She said corporate responsibility is about mainstreaming the best social and environmental practice right through the length and breadth of business operations. It is difficult to see how it can be described as anything other than good news for society. In June of 2007, an online survey was published in the magazine Accountancy Ireland and in the words of one of the respondent from the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ireland the Corporate social responsibility is simply about giving a damn, or to quote another statement by one of the members CSR means ensuring that through the activities of the company, society in its broadest sense is treated with the respect that you as an individual would expect to be treated. In the words of Ludescher and Mahsud, 2010, corporate social responsibility (CSR) refers to any activity that promotes the welfare of any stakeholder of a business corporation. Sometimes CSR refers to philanthropic programs targeting communities or employees. Other times it refers to commitments to promote the welfare of suppliers. It also refers to a variety of activities designed to enhance environmental stewardship or environmental sustainability. More generally, it refers to the vague intention to better society or corporate citizenship. When used very loosely, the term can be conflated with general ethical practices with regard to customers, investors, or any other stakeholder. In short, the term has a variety of meanings and applications. As it is used today, it can be applied to every business in all industries. According to Responsible Business Guide, 2010 at its core CSR is equal to a responsible business. It states that good business have always been about being socially responsible. Like quality, integrity, honest dealing and long term trust balanced by stewardship of resources, fair profits and public accountability. The guide also clearly mentions that a business must certainly fulfill basic social responsibilities in any case and for which charity cannot be used as a substitute. Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop states, There is no more powerful institution in society than business and the business of business should not be about money, it should be about responsibility. It should be about public good and not private greed (Responsible Business Guide, 2010). Also, Stephen Frost, CSR Asia said that the lesson is simple: if companies dont pay enough attention to what people say about them or act quickly, then there is a real chance that information can be potentially harmful. The China State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, believes that the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an idea that enterprises can and should take responsibility for their impacts on society and environment as they pursue profits. The concept has been variously defined, and is also used interchangeably with terms such as corporate citizenship, business in society and business and sustainable development. Each has a slightly different flavor and history. Fulfilling social responsibility requires central enterprises to be human-oriented, stick to scientific development, and be responsible to stakeholders and environment, so as to achieve the harmony between enterprises growth, society and environment. The Draft ISO26000 guidelines define CSR as, The responsibility of a company for the impacts of its decisions and activities on society and the environment, through transparent and ethical behavior that contributes to the sustainable development, health and the welfare of society; takes into account the expectations of stakeholders; is in compliance with applicable law; is consistent with international norms of behavior; and is integrated throughout the company. Also, according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Corporate Social Responsibility means, The continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development, while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large. Well, CSR is no silver bullet for social change. The author states that collaborative action and partnership with the voluntary, community and public sectors are needed to see signi ¬Ã‚ cant and sustainable change. Expectations of CSR should, however, be realistic yet ambitious. (Staples, 2004) Different authors and agencies have different takes on explaining the meaning of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in their own words. Their basic stand is the same difference visible is that they keep adding new views to it. 1.2 Evolution of CSR In the last 15 years or so the idea of CSR has become an integral part of any business organization. In this period through consolidation and specialization had emerged the three waves of CSR, which are different but coinciding. The first wave began in the beginning of 1990s called the compliance wave. During this time international agencies promoted a number of CSR reporting standards to assure the consumers that the supply chain of various branded products was clean. This wave on the world wide basis started a drive for certification for quality and a third party verification of factory claims about labour standards, social and environmental performance. A number of verifiable corporate social responsibility standards evolved during this wave. The second wave began in the mid-1990s and it was termed as the triple bottom line wave. During this wave all the attention was focused on organizations way of running the business in relation to the environmental, social and financial impact on the society. This wave influenced organizations to come up with a number of articles convincing the businessmen that triple bottom line was a fruitful investment that would pay back through an enhanced marketing image and cost savings. This idea of the TPL being helpful gave birth to an entire industry which prepared the organizations for TBL. This wave made the companies conscious of their image and made them take up projects which were pro-environment and pro-society. The concept of triple bottom line successfully developed the phenomenon that CSR is a driver of any business and described various ways of measuring the impact of the business on both the environment and the society. This wave overlapped the first wave for about five years. The third wave emerged in the mid-2000s and it was termed as the responsible competitiveness wave. Organizations entered this wave with an understanding that in any way CSR does not state that the business should lose out on its profits and the responsible behaviour of an organization can yield concrete rewards. In other words any business that was following responsible practices, the market would systematically and comprehensively reward that business. On the other hand any organization was punished if they showed any kind of disregard to the social and environmental expectations. In Pakistan an industry wide research was conducted in the year 2004 and in almost all the cases it was evident that financial performance of businesses increased with increase in social performance. Responsibly competitive markets presume a society that is both aware of its rights as consumers and carefully uses its purchasing power to regulate corporate behaviour. The wave uses powerful communication too ls and the media of the information age to react quickly to the professed corporate behaviour, good or bad. Evidence indicates that organizations who impose their image as a responsible business would gain an advantage of altering societys expectations from them. (Responsible Business Guide: A Toolkit for Winning Companies, 2010) 1.3 Who does CSR? With industrialization, the impacts of business on society and the environment assumed an entirely new dimension. The corporate paternalists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries used some of their wealth to support philanthropic ventures. By the 1920s discussions about the social responsibilities of business had evolved into what we can recognize as the beginnings of the modern CSR movement. In 1929, the Dean of Harvard Business School, Wallace B. Donham, commented within an address delivered at Northwestern University: Business started long centuries before the dawn of history, but business as we now know it is new new in its broadening scope, new in its social significance. Business has not learned how to handle these changes, nor does it recognize the magnitude of its responsibilities for the future of civilization. http://www.brass.cf.ac.uk/uploads/History_L3.pdf Historians of corporate social responsibility generally agree that the concept emerged in the 1930s and 1940s. It became formalized in 1953 with the publication of Social Responsibilities of the Businessman, a book by Howard Bowen. (Dick Jones Communications, 2010) CSR has now found its way in almost every country. The difference visible is the magnitude on which it is followed and used to ones benefit. CSR was religiously followed by developed countries like United Kingdom and United States of America; they are two the developed countries where it is quite popular and now it is steadily growing in a large number of developing countries. CSR reporting is being followed by not only big multinational companies but also SMEs. The number of companies reporting on CSR has been increasing at a fair pace. In practice, much of the business activity that has so far been labeled CSR has been driven by the concerns of investors, companies, campaign groups and consumers based in the worlds richest countries such as United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Germany among others. National CSR agendas in middle and low-income countries have been less visible internationally, and have often not been labeled CSR. The result has been CSR practices that are largely framed in rich countries, then internationalized and transferred to other businesses and social settings through international trade, investment, and development assistance. The strategic challenge for governments at national and local levels is how best to shape an agenda that has been largely market-driven and responsive to concerns of rich country stakeholders. Over the past five years or so, governments, companies and NGOs in many middle-and-low-income countries have accelerated a process of adaptation of the dev eloped-country-driven CSR agenda through greater direct engagement. CSR movements and initiatives have emerged in countries such as China, India, South Africa, the Philippines and Brazil, among others. (CSR and Developing Countries, 2007) Moving on from countries that follow CSR to companies that follow CSR, Europes top 100 companies have significantly increased the level of ethical reporting in their annual statements. In 1992 only 12 percent of Europes top firms included a statement of ethical policy in their annual reports, compared with 80 percent in 2003. Also, 96 percent of UK companies say that environmental and social transparency is as important as transparency in economic and businesses issues; non-financial reporting is still widely seen as a PR or marketing tool. (Financial Management, 2003) In 2005, 360 different CSR-related shareholder resolutions were filed on issues ranging from labor conditions to global warming. Government regulation increasingly mandates social responsibility reporting. These pressures clearly demonstrate the extent to which external stakeholders are seeking to hold companies accountable for social issues and highlight the potentially large financial risks for any firm whose conduct is deemed unacceptable. Of the 250 largest multinational corporations in the world, 64% published CSR reports in 2005, either within their annual report or, for most, in separate sustainability reports supporting a new cottage industry of report writers. (Porter Kramer, 2006) According to a recent KPMG study (2005), CSR reporting has changed from purely environmental to concentrating on sustainability and has now become mainstream practice among the top 250 companies of the Fortune 500. In addition to CSR reporting, more than 1000 corporations in Europe and the US have developed or signed codes of conduct governing their social, environmental and ethical practices, and more than 2000 corporations now report on these practices. (Money Schepers, 2007) It also matters a lot for the global economy to what extent small businesses decide to engage in CSR activities. Although it is much more complex to identify, investigate and communicate CSR in the small business, the author believes this area deserves more attention due to its potential impact on the global economy. The grand impact of small businesses CSR engagement on state and civil society has been severely underestimated by researchers and policy-makers. SMEs are motivated, challenged and engaged in CSR issues in many very different ways compared with large  ¬Ã‚ rms. However, the author states that more research is needed to understand in detail the conditions and strategies for SMEs to adopt CSR practices. Research shows that an improved understanding of current CSR practices in SMEs has the potential of stimulating a high impact for the global economy and society as well as for the SMEs themselves. Beyond multinational companies, which pioneered in this  ¬Ã‚ eld with conspicuous efforts, SMEs are developing new tools and approaches to manage social and environmental issues within the scope of their strategic and competitive activities. (Morsing Perrini, 2009) 1.4 Why is it done? In the 21st century marketplace the organizations are becoming more conscious of their overall image and how the world looks at them. The organizations are conscious of human rights and of being economically, socially and environmentally active and responsible. The organizations are being pressurized from different directions to follow ethical practices in business an example being the Companies Act 2006 enshrining in law the concept of enlightened shareholder value, a form of corporate social responsibility, in place of a directors traditional common law duty of loyalty. Researchers have found a strong correlation between social performance and financial performance of a business and it can be proved by stating that now days consumers are well aware of the companies who are socially and environmentally more responsible, especially in the developed countries consumers are placing more importance on the social responsibility of firms. However, the scale and nature of the benefits of c orporate social responsibility (CSR) go beyond the financial ones and can include benefits such as improved perceptions of the company, proactive management of risk, building loyalty-based customers on account of distinctive ethical values etc. Concerns about corporate social responsibility have grown significantly during the last two decades. Not only has the issue become commonplace in the business press and among business and political leaders but a body of academic literature has also emerged around it. Nevertheless, little theoretical attention has been paid to understanding why or why not corporations act in socially responsible ways. (Campbell, 2007) Governments, activists, and the media have become adept at holding companies to account for the social consequences of their activities. Myriad organizations rank companies on the performance of their corporate social responsibility (CSR), and, despite sometimes questionable methodologies, these rankings attract considerable publicity. As a result, CSR has emerged as an inescapable priority for business leaders in every country. Many companies awoke to it only after being surprised by public responses to issues they had not previously thought were part of their business responsibilities. Nike, for example, faced an extensive consumer boycott after the New York Times and other media outlets reported abusive labor practices at some of its Indonesian suppliers in the early 1990s. Shell Oils decision to sink the Brent Spar, an obsolete oil rig, in the North Sea led to Greenpeace protests in 1995 and to international headlines. Pharmaceutical companies discovered that they were expected t o respond to the AIDS pandemic in Africa even though it was far removed from their primary product lines and markets. Fast-food and packaged food companies are now being held responsible for obesity and poor nutrition. Activist organizations of all kinds, both on the right and the left, have grown much more aggressive and effective in bringing public pressure to bear on corporations. Activists may target the most visible or successful companies merely to draw attention to an issue, even if those corporations actually have had little impact on the problem at hand. Nestlà ©, for example, the worlds largest purveyor of bottled water, has become a major target in the global debate about access to fresh water, despite the fact that Nestlà ©s bottled water sales consume just 0.0008% of the worlds fresh water supply. The inefficiency of agricultural irrigation, which uses 70% of the worlds supply annually, is a far more pressing issue, but it offers no equally convenient multinational co rporation to target. Debates about CSR have moved all the way into corporate boardrooms. In 2005, 360 different CSR-related shareholder resolutions were filed on issues ranging from labor conditions to global warming. Government regulation increasingly mandates social responsibility reporting. Pending legislation in the UK, for example, would require every publicly listed company to disclose ethical, social, and environmental risks in its annual report. These pressures clearly demonstrate the extent to which external stakeholders are seeking to hold companies accountable for social issues and highlight the potentially large financial risks for any firm whose conduct is deemed unacceptable. (Porter Kramer, 2006) According to G.K. Kanji and P.K. Chopra (2010), there are various factors responsible for the steep rise in the number of corporations adopting CSR. First, consumers across the globe are becoming more and more aware of the environmental and social implications of their purchases and hence they take these issues into consideration when making their decisions. Second, globalization has given rise to new challenges for corporations in terms of government regulations, tariffs, varying standards, ethical issues, environmental restrictions, labor exploitation, and so on. These issues can be very costly for corporations, and hence corporations have to use socially responsible policies. There are several possible explanations for this increased attention in the UK to CSR issues. There are three speci ¬Ã‚ c ones: a general increase in concerns about ethics in British society; heightened awareness of risk and risk management; and the growth in media exposure concerning CSR. Aguilera et al., (2006) According to Dawkins Ngunjiri, 2008 evidence suggests that consumers and other stakeholders prefer companies that embrace social responsibility there for; reporting social and environmental impacts along with financial results has become routine practice for companies. Unlike highly regulated financial reporting, corporate social responsibility reporting (CSRR) is generally left to the companies discretion. As a result, companies have adopted varying forms of reporting such as triple bottom line or conformed to the standards of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as the Global Reporting Initiative or Social Accountability International. There is an emerging stream of research examining how companies use CSRR to highlight their commitment to corporate social responsibility. To date, the research on CSRR has been focused primarily on Europe and the United States, but the emerging market economies that can quickly become corporate social responsibility (CSR) flashpoints are garne ring increased attention from researchers as well. Not only is it important for companies to engage in favorable CSR but also that they report those activities. KPMG published an International Survey of Corporate Sustainability Reporting to document the extent of company involvement in this practice. Clearly, company disclosures can lead to favorable perceptions of corporate governance, and investors use this information to make decisions. Outside of regulatory considerations, companies engage in CSRR for three primary reasons: (a) to maintain and enhance perceptions of legitimacy, (b) to manage the perceptions of key stakeholders, and (c) as a reflection of their corporate values. Legitimacy is a generalized perception that the actions of an entity are desirable, proper, or appropriate within some socially constructed system of norms, values, and beliefs. Consequently stakeholders, consumers, local communities, and NGOs can influence corporate behavior by arguing that a given practice does not conform to societal expectations or lacks legitimacy. Disclosures about CSR are one way that companies demonstrate their legitimacy to stakeholders. For instance, found that companies increased their environmental disclosures when their legitimacy was questioned due to environmental mishaps. According to Timothy M. Devinney (2009), there is an ongoing debate on the idea that what are the real costs and benefits of CSR reporting and this is due to the fact that very little evidence is available on this topic, for those with a narrow conception of CSR, the corporation has little, if any, obligation to the society other than the creation of economic rents that can accrue to the stakeholders with recognized rights to those rents. For those with an expansive view of CSR, the corporation should serve as an instrument of public policy by other means. For those seeking a compromise, CSR is something in between these two extremes. Although it is still contested whether corporations have social responsibilities beyond their wealth-generating function, there exists today increasing internal and external pressures on business organizations to fulfill broader social goals. The author further states that because business organizations are embedded in different national systems they experience divergent degrees of internal and external pressures to engage in social responsibility initiatives. The author further states that Orlitzky, Schmidt, and Rynes in 2003 provided a breakthrough in the CSR literature with meta-analytic evidence showing a significant positive effect of corporate social/environmental performance on corporate financial performance, and Mackey, and Barney in 2005 theorize with a supply and demand model that investing in socially responsible initiatives will maximize the market value of the firm. These studies should bring some closure on the long-running debate about whether it is in an organization s financial best interest to engage in CSR. Therefore, an important new line of inquiry within this field is no longer whether CSR works but, rather, what catalyzes organizations to engage in increasingly robust CSR initiatives and consequently impart social change. Aguilera et al., (2007) One persistent feature of debates about CSR is a deep skepticism about the intentions of companies. There is a recurrent suggestion that CSR activity is just window-dressing aimed at distracting attention from the real problems. The author asked this question to a number of the board directors working in various organizations and they all rejected this criticism. They claimed to be sincere in their desire to ensure that their companies behave responsibly in addressing the major social and environmental impacts associated with their business activities. (Mackenzie, 2007) There is an ongoing debate on the idea that do companies really report their activities to make a difference by presenting the various changes they make in the name of CSR or is it just a calculated effort to improve their image. It is very difficult to come to a conclusion on this debate as both in favor and against the above mentioned point have some strong arguments that they put forward. 1.5 Legitimacy and Stakeholder Theory in the case of CSR Legitimacy theory posits that organizations continually seek to ensure that they operate within the bounds and norms of their respective societies. These bounds and norms are not fixed, but change across time, thereby requiring the organization to be responsive. In a sense, there is a social contract between the organization and those affected by the organizations operations. The organization is expected to comply with the terms of this contract, and these expressed or implied terms are not static. An event study incorporating legitimacy theory was conducted by Patten (1992). Patten focused upon the change in the extent of environmental disclosures made by North American oil companies, other than Exxon Oil Company, both before and after the Exxon Valdez incident in Alaska in 1989. He argued that if the Alaskan oil spill resulted in a threat to legitimacy of the petroleum industry, and not just to Exxon, then legitimacy theory would suggest that companies operating within that industry would respond by increasing the amount of environmental disclosures in their annual reports. Pattens results indicate that there were increased environmental disclosures by the petroleum companies for the post-1989 period, consistent with a legitimation perspective. This disclosure reaction took place across the industry, even though the incident itself was primarily related to one oil company. Deegan and Gordon (1996) reviewed annual report corporate environmental disclosures made by Australian companies across the years from 1980 to 1991. They investigated the objectivity of corporate environmental disclosure practices and trends in environmental disclosures across time. They also sought to determine if environmental disclosures are related to concerns held by environmental groups about particular industries environmental performance. The results derived by their study confirm, among other findings, that; (1) increases in corporate environmental disclosures across time are positively associated with increases in the levels of environmental group membership; (2) Australian corporate environmental disclosures are overwhelmingly self-laudatory: and (3) there is a positive correlation between the environmental sensitivity of the industry to which the corporation belongs and the level of corporate environmental disclosure. Deegan and Gordon argue that the levels of corporate e nvironmental disclosures are associated with the legitimation process, whereby companies seek to attain the status of legitimacy. (Deegan Brown, 1998) Banks with a higher visibility among consumers seem to exhibit greater concern to improve the  corporate  image through  social  responsibility  information disclosure.  Results thus suggest that legitimacy  theory  may be an explanation of  social  responsibility  disclosure by Portuguese banks.   (Branco Rodrigues, 2006) Stakeholder theory is a theory of organizational management and ethics. Indeed all theories of strategic management have some moral content, though it is often implicit. This is not to say that all such theories are moral, as opposed to immoral. Moral content in this case means that the subject matter of the theories are inherently moral topics (i.e., they are not amoral). Stakeholder theory is distinct because it addresses morals and values explicitly as a central feature of managing organizations. The ends of cooperative activity and the means of achieving these ends are critically examined in stakeholder theory in a way that they are not in many theories of strategic management. Stakeholder theory is conceived in terms that are explicitly and unabashedly moral. Managing for stakeholders involves attention to more than simply maximizing shareholder wealth. Attention to the interests and well-being of those who can assist or hinder the achievement of the organizations objectives is the central admonition of the theory. (Phillips et al., 2003) The social responsibility of business has become a major issue in recent years and the reporting of such activity is becoming more prevalent. Companies are attuning to the benefits of being seen as socially responsibly and many industries are jumping on the bandwagon of reporting CSR and using different media to communicate their activities in this arena to their stakeholders. Companies are attuning to the benefits of being seen as socially responsibly and many industries are jumping on the bandwagon of reporting CSR and using different media to communicate their activities in this arena to their stakeholders. The article considers the content of one type of such communications, the annual report,

The Angers of the Rich :: Character Analysis, Buchanan

Paul Krugman discusses topics including anger, wealth, self-pity, and self-righteousness in his article, â€Å"The Angry Rich.† All of these characteristics are reflected in the character Tom Buchanan, from The Great Gatsby. Tom, who depicts himself as an imperious man, puts himself above everyone just because he has money. In The Great Gatsby, money rules the society from where you live, whom you’re friends with, and even the way people look at you. Tom and Daisy both think of themselves as exclusive compared to everyone else and put themselves above the rules. Tom has a mistress, Myrtle, she isn’t the most appealing woman, but it is enough to fuel the fire of Tom’s ego. The Great Gatsby illustrates Tom getting irritated and angry while driving to the city as a result of noticing the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby, and no one informing him of it: â€Å"Did you see that?† †¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"You think I’m pretty dumb, don’t you?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ He paused. The immediate contingency overtook him, pulled him back from the edge of the theoretical abyss† (121). Tom is starting to catch on that Daisy might be cheating on him with Gatsby, but he has no right to be upset; he is doing the same thing with Myrtle! Tom’s realization also supports his beliefs in rules not applying to him because he is higher than everyone else. Jordan Baker, one of Daisy’s friends, sums up Tom’s feelings toward Gatsby in one statement: â€Å"Listen, Tom. If you’re such a snob, why did you invite him to lunch?† demanded Jordan crossly† (122). If Tom has â€Å"made a small investigation of this fellow† (122); and concludes that he doesn’t like him, then why does he invite him places and attend his party? Before Nick goes to dinner with the Buchanans, he fills us in on Tom’s privileged life: â€Å"Her husband†¦a national figure in a way, one of those men who reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterward savors of anti-climax. His family were enormously wealthy† (Fitzgerald 6). This passage illustrates Tom’s trouble-free access to masses of money. With this money comes power and obviously this power has made Tom feel like he is at liberty to anything. Paul Krugman also states this in his article: â€Å"And among the undeniably rich, a belligerent sense of entitlement has taken hold† Another one of Tom’s amazing traits is having self-pity.

Ocean’s Eleven †Film analysis Essay

The blockbuster film Ocean’s Eleven, released in 2001, was the first film of a trilogy of heist films directed by Steven Soderbergh. This big budget crime-thriller remake of the 1960’s Rat Pack favourite conveys the intricately thrilling plot where Daniel Ocean leads a rag-tag group of con artists and ex-cons for the monumental heist of 3 major Las Vegas Casinos. This sequence is significant because it sets up the diegesis of the film and also gives us an insight into the character of the protagonist. Also, structurally, the set up of the heist is crucial to setting up the audience’s high expectations and apprehensions of how something of this scale can be achieved smoothly. Daniel Ocean, played by A-list star George Clooney, is being interviewed by the parole board at a small New Jersey State prison. Immediately after being released, Ocean heads straight for Atlantic City and then Las Vegas to begin recruiting old acquaintances for his grandest heist yet. The genre feature of assembling the heist team members, each with a specific skill, is an extremely important one as it functions to make the audience anticipate what role each will play and how, exactly, their skills will come into play later. Through this sequence, it is made clear to us that Daniel Ocean is a leader and a natural, experienced criminal whose goals and ambitions are not affected by prison. To put this film and its heist theme into context, we must take into consideration the significance of using a casino in Las Vegas as the target of the heist. Las Vegas, also known as sin city, is the entertainment and gambling capital of the world, where fortunes are made and lost. Las Vegas connotes certain values and attitudes. Heist genre films have to make the thieves charismatic and almost heroic, therefore, the object or institution being robbed must be seen as evil in some personal or social way. A casino in Las Vegas is a symbol of mass corporate greed, capitalism on a lurid scale, and a place where the odds are stacked in the casino’s favour. The stakes are so high when it comes to robbing a casino that, Daniel Ocean and his 10 associates are not only gambling their chances of going to prison, they are gambling with their lives. We know that this is the case with this film because we can see Daniel Ocean unthreatened and unaffected by prison life. MISE EN SCENE During the interview in the prison, The Mise en scene lends meaning to the fact that it isn’t a nice place to be, where conformity reigns, and individuality is quashed. The dark mise en scene, with the walls painted grey, as a prison is, creates an institutionalized atmosphere. The empty benches behind the character indicate the character’s loneliness in prison. There is also a barred window in the background, representing the outside world and something that can be seen but not experienced as well as the fan that isn’t on, further emphasising the lifeless atmosphere of the prison. Figure placement is effectively thought out to show Ocean in the centre, as the main character, and one side of him lit, from outside light, the other in darkness from inside the prison, introducing the classic narrative structural opposition of good versus evil, and showing Oceans two sides in the framing and lighting. The low-key back lighting creates a halo effect and prevents the audience from recognising him, creating instant mystery and suggesting he is doing something wrong or secretive, characteristic of the genre. Through Costume, Hair, and make-up, we see that Daniel Ocean, unshaven and slouched, is wearing a dark beige jumpsuit with a white undershirt, which represent his repression and captivity. Although Ocean is presented as a criminal, his slicked back hair, articulated speech and star image make him appealing. Clooney is usually seen as playing the hero in films, a trait common in studio films such as this, so the audience will expect the same of him in this film, although he is being portrayed, not as a law-abiding citizen or law enforcer, but as a felon. As Ocean leaves the prison, we see natural light coming from outside of the prison, with Ocean, facing away from us, silhouetted. This light is there to represent freedom, and escape from the confining walls of prison; Ocean’s silhouette raises yet more enigmas. Figure placement puts the â€Å"North Jersey State Prison† prison behind Ocean as he walks out, setting the location and also symbolizing Ocean leaving the prison and life of confinement behind. In the next location, a casino in Atlantic City, we have a big contrast in mise en scene, which conveys to us Daniel Ocean’s character in a non-confined setting. As this destination is the first place that Ocean visits after leaving prison, it suggests that it plays a significant role in the narrative. In the background, chandeliers can be seen, along with potted plants, and a burgundy and gold colour scheme, symbolizing wealth and desire. Ocean himself is now cleanly shaven, stylishly suited and can now be seen as much more of an individual, with the high-key lighting showing all of his facial expressions. All of the mise-en-scene shows the audience how this new setting is much more welcoming, the colours used give the setting a sense that Ocean feels at home and the artificial light brightens up the entire shot. The setting is made clear to the audience and the large budget of the film is made evident by the use of props such as the slot machines, roulette tables and the uniformed croupiers. These uniforms are also significant because the croupiers are wearing nametags, giving them an identity, which further contrasts the prison life where the prisoners in uniforms have no identity. Cinematography and EditingArguably the most critically acclaimed aspect of Ocean’s Eleven is the exceptional cinematography and editing. Stephen Soderbergh’s creative influence as an auteur is seen through cinematography and editing and it is known to be effective in conveying the plot with or without dialogue. The shots in this sequence are typically quite long durations of shot because they allow for the setting and context to sink in. The establishing shot is medium close-up shot on the character, who is positioned in the centre of the shot. This long duration of shot allows the audience to take in Daniel Ocean’s character in detail, illustrating his importance. A fast cut to a close up shot reveals the character to be Hollywood star George Clooney, fixed and focused onto his face, allowing for a more personal connection with the character, and also allowing individuality.  This close up also reveals his eyes, which help gain the audience’s trust, emphasizing his importance even further. The bobbing camera movement suggests the point of view from another character, the parole interviewer. A point of view shot through jail cell bars and slow tracking shots of Ocean leaving the prison suggests that other criminals look up to Ocean as an icon. A close up shot of Daniel’s ocean’s hand holding a wedding band conveys the importance of the ring, and hence, the importance of his ex wife. This impression is confirmed when the camera slowly pans up to Ocean’s face, revealing his longing expression. A close up tracking shot from behind Ocean is used as he exits through the prison gates to emphasise his importance and his role as a leader. In Atlantic City, a shallow focus shot of Ocean rising up in an escalator, filmed from a low-level camera angle, indicates Daniel Ocean’s rise from a boring repressed lifestyle to the pretentious planning of an epic heist. The shallow focus allows for more emphasis on Ocean. Once Ocean is seated at a blackjack table, there are several shot-reverse-shots of Ocean and the croupier, which doesn’t break the 180-degree rule, and also allows for dialogue. This helps to establish narrative. A point of view shot, from Ocean’s perspective, shows another croupier talking to somebody, showing that something had caught his eye. This suggests one of the characters in this shot, plays a role of importance in the future narrative. The female croupier walks out of the frame and is replaced by the man from the previous shot. This raises enigma as to why she has left, and satisfies the audience’s expectations of one of the previous characters being of some significance. The camera then zooms in closer to Frank’, whose name is established from the dialogue. This zoom suggests that this conversation between him and Ocean is that of a more secret nature, between those two, and the audience. Both characters seem to have their eyes at the same height  in an eye-line match, suggesting friendship and equality, but also raising an enigma between the two characters, as to how they are friends. SoundDiegetic and non-diegetic sound are used to collaboratively to augment the sequence in several ways. Off screen, metallic diegetic sounds can be heard, like large, heavy doors, or keys, and voices can be heard, but not distinctly. This off screen sound raises an enigma as to what the source of these noises are, cueing their significance to the plot as associated with confinement and prison, setting up the threat of prison for the thieves later on in the film. Off screen diegetic dialogue can be heard from a well educated, seemingly law abiding character, interviewing our character, who we find out to be Danny Ocean, tying in with the title, and giving more reason to the fact that he is the protagonist in this film. This interviewer acts as a contrast between law-abiding citizens, and the stereotypes that are commonly found in prison, representing the good, in this film. When the interviewer asks Ocean â€Å"What do you think you would do if released?† he does not respond, but a cut to a close up of his face and a non-diegetic baseline insinuates that he indeed plans to break the law again. We don’t need any script to suggest this as the mischievous, jazzy non diegetic sound and the close up of Ocean’s facial expression tell the audience all they need to know. The non-diegetic sound thickens with more instruments as Daniel Ocean leaves the solitary prison life and enters the lively casino. Combined with the diegetic sound of the casino machines and the gambling crowds, this sound build up represents Daniel Ocean gathering together ideas and the gang members for the heist, slowly coming back to life. The non-diegetic sound is of a funky jazz genre, reflecting Ocean’s optimistic attitude as well as giving a sense of mischief and complexity. Critical Reception Ocean’s Eleven, with it’s A-list cast and artistic director, was considered to be a success at the box office and with critics. The film received a rating of 80 percent at Rotten Tomatoes. People magazine called the film â€Å"pure fun from start to finish,† and included it in its end-of-year Best of Screen list. With its 85 million dollar budget, Oceans Eleven grossed over 183 million US dollars in the US alone and over 260 Million dollars overseas, making it an extremely commercially successful film. Bibliography: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240772/