Ned Kelly Essay

Ned Kelly Kelly was twelve when his father died, and he was subsequently required to leave school to take on the new position as head of the family. Shortly after this, the Kellys moved to Glenrowan. As a teenager, Ned became involved in petty crimes, regularly targeting the wealthy landowners. The story goes that Ned Kelly was influenced to become a bushranger. His family was not particularly liked by the law, and so when he was persecuted by a few of the policemen, he reacted and decided to become an outlaw. He figured that if he was going to be charged for something, he would give them a real reason. Kelly became a protege to another bushranger, Harry Power who was a notorious bushranger of Victoria, originally transported to Van Diemen’s Land in 1841 for stealing shoes. Upon his release, he continued his life of crime, which landed him in Pentridge Gaol. He became a bushranger when he escaped from Pentridge in 1869. At first he worked solo, but decided after while that he would like an accomplice. A friend of his named Jack Lloyd had a nephew, Ned Kelly, just 15 years old and already embittered by frequent run-ins with the police. Lloyd recommended the young Ned Kelly to Harry Power. Power became a mentor to Ned Kelly, taking him on as an apprentice in 1870, and teaching him the finer points of bush ranging. Ned Kelly gradually progressed to crimes of increasing seriousness and violence, including bank robbery and murder, soon becoming a hunted man. A lot of people think of Ned Kelly as a cold blooded killer and a criminal. Ned was in trouble from a young age, he robbed banks and the ones he killed, and he stole horses and ran away from the police. His family were thought to be wild and reckless and where ever Ned went he took hostages. He got his friends into his mess, got Joe Byrne to kill one of his best friends, Aaron and he had a deadly accurate shot with a revolver or rifle. He was someone to be afraid of. But then again†¦ Through it all, Ned emerges as a incredibly courageous individual , as he did from the mist at Glenrowan, dressed in his famous suit of armour, for his extraordinary last stand. A  special 60 minutes episode showed that 91% of those who voted believed that Ned wasn’t given a fair trial. Others think he has a victim of a vicious system. In his very brief life he became an Australian legend. Ned only killed in self defence, when he was 9 he risked his life to save a boy from drowning, he had to become the father of the family at a young age. He was punished for things he didn’t do and was victimized by the police. He gave to the poor and he would do anything for the ones he loved. His last wish was for the police to let his Mum go, since she was in jail for something she didn’t do. Ned was self-educated and very loyal to his friends, family and supporters and had a good sense of humour. His mocking courage never deserted him and to be as game as Ned Kelly is to have the ultimate bravery. He was and still is a hero. I think he was hero but it’s up to you to choose what you think. Make sure you read all the facts before you judge him. Just like the saying don’t judge a book by its cover! It is not true that Ned Kelly only killed in self-defence. He was a cold-blooded killer who willingly murdered policemen and others who betrayed him (this is hardly self-defence). He most certainly planned to murder most of the policemen travelling to Glenrowan by train, by causing the train’s derailment.

Explore Shakespeare’s Use of Soliloquy in ‘Othello’ Essay

Elizabethan and Jacobean dramatists used his theatrical convention to evoke the inwardness of their characters, a soliloquy provides the audience with accurate access to the character’s innermost thoughts and we learn more about a character than could ever be gathered from the action of the play alone. In ‘Othello’, both the hero and the villain speak in soliloquy. Iago, the villain, speaks his soliloquies first (Othello’s occur towards the end of the play), drawing the audience in as he outlines his intentions and ideas. The soliloquies give us access to the feelings and motivations of both hero and villain, which heightens the intensity of the drama. They are also a source of a great deal of dramatic irony which increases the dramatic tension for the audience. In ‘Othello’, the use of soliloquies is crucial as the play is based on deceit and they allow us to know the motive of characters, especially Iago, and we see the characters in their tr ue light as they use language and images which are typical of them. Iago illustrates the issue of deception through his soliloquies; they are useful as they show Iago’s true feelings. Iago’s character is presented to us through his soliloquies, illustrating motives which he uses to justify his actions, making the soliloquies instruments to show the audience what makes Iago tick. Language is the source of Iago’s power and his soliloquies reinforce this. Iago’s soliloquy in Act1 Sc.3 is where he starts to formulate his plan to get back at Othello. When he is alone, he reveals his true motives. First he mocks Roderigo – â€Å"Thus do I ever make my fool my purse:† making the audience aware of the fact that he is only using Roderigo. He is toying with Roderigo for ‘my own sport and profit’. He suspects Othello of cuckolding him and he wants revenge. Iago knows that Othello trusts him well, and the fact that he says that he will use this against him shows just how devious Iago is – † He holds me well: The better shall my purpose work on him.† Othello holds Iago in very high regard and it is Iago’s use of this that leads Othello to murder his wife. Iago is determined to drive out Cassio and  take his place, he considers how he could do this and decides to use Othello’s trusting nature to try to persuade him that Cassio is too friendly with Desdemona. Iago’s soliloquy suggest that the manipulation of Roderigo and Othello in the first act is leading up to a more serious deception as his web will ensnare Desdemona and Cassio too. The soliloquy shows his ability to improvise quickly, at the start, he is musing over a possible plan, and a few lines later he has the outline of a subtle plan which will bring about his revenge. It is appropriate that Iago uses words which associate him with a devilish image – â€Å"Hell and Night Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light.† Without the soliloquy, the audience would not know of Iago’s plan, or the extent to which he is capable of manipulating people. The soliloquy clearly shows Iago’s evil nature and his use of devilish imagery reinforces this. Another of Iago’s soliloquies in Act2 Sc.3 is also useful in showing us Shakespeare’s use of soliloquies. At the beginning of the speech, Iago reflects on how no one can accuse him of being the villain when he offers such good, helpful advice. We can see that he manipulates a lot of the characters and knows that he is acting. We see Iago’s true maliciousness in this speech as he intends to use Desdemona’s good nature to â€Å"enmesh them all†; he wants to destroy an innocent with whom he has no quarrel so that he can carry out his revenge. The speech shows Iago’s delight in his own cunning and acting abilities, revelling in the fact that he has the power to turn Desdemona’s â€Å"virtue into pitch†. As is typical throughout the play, Iago shows that he has nothing but contempt for honesty and innocence and he looks forward to corrupting them, associating honesty with foolishness. Iago’s loyalty is only to himself, and he even plans to use his wife in his scheme. The imagery Iago uses is again crude and materialistic, he will persuade Othello that Desdemona pleads for Cassio for her â€Å"body’s lust†, and without her knowing it, her conviction in Cassio and her pleas for him to be forgiven by Othello only serve to â€Å"undo her credit with the Moor†. Iago’s  language in his soliloquies emphasises his deception, as with Othello and Cassio, he is generally polite and guarded. The soliloquy serves to provide the audience with another view into his evil mind that he cannot express in dialogue with other characters as he is trying to manipulate them and needs them to think of him as honest and trustworthy. Othello’s language is a contrast to Iago’s, he is seen as the most romantic of Shakespeare’s heroes, his speeches often emphasise this difference as he uses poetic lines and images. However, this language sees a significant change as Iago poisons Othello’s mind, and his speeches soon take on similar traits of Iago, using devilish language and hellish imagery. Although Othello’s soliloquy in Act5 Sc.1 shows a change from the chaotic mind he showed in Scene 4; his anger has passed to an infinite sorrow, and he speaks more like the Othello we saw at the beginning of the play. Othello’s speech reveals a number of things about Othello that we would not otherwise know. Othello sees himself as acting as a martyr and for justice as he suggests that his purpose is to prevent Desdemona from committing further sins of adultery. His repetition of â€Å"It is the cause†, plus the fact that he will not say what the cause actually is, implies that Ot hello finds it hard to take Desdemona’s life and be separated from her. Othello does not want to spill Desdemona’s blood; some critics suggest that this is because he wants to avoid leaving any marks of murder so he can feel blameless. Other critics see it as Othello’s desire to leave Desdemona looking perfect – â€Å"Yet I’ll not shed her blood, Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster:† It is as if Othello wants to see Desdemona as she does usually, with no marks of murder on here. Throughout the rest of the speech, Othello uses complex imagery; he speaks of a rose being plucked and then withering, he then says – â€Å"Be thus when thou art dead and I will kill thee, And love thee after.† This suggests determination, but also pain and reluctance, Othello has to use symbols, Desdemona as a rose, by doing this, he avoids confronting the deed directly and distances himself from Desdemona as a person so that be might be more able to carry out the murder. The opposition (the play is heavily based on opposites and opposition) in Othello is clearly shown in his lines about weeping and sorrow – â€Å"But they are cruel tears: this sorrow’s heavenly – It strikes where it doth love.† Othello implies that sorrow is â€Å"heavenly†, which is the opposite to what sorrow should be, this emphasises that Othello is acting out of love, as a martyr of love. Without the soliloquy, the audience might not have been able to know what Othello was thinking as he justifies his action in killing Desdemona. It portrays Othello as his usual calm self while he does not speak passionately and seems in control of what he is saying, the images and language he uses are opposed and shows that he is emotionally torn. From this, we can see that Shakespeare uses soliloquies to put forward what the dialogue between characters cannot; we see the characters true emotions and motives when they speak in soliloquy and this is implied when they use language and imagery which is typical to them. Iago’s soliloquies show his true nature, he highlights what his scheming has accomplished and indicates his future plans and actions. The audience has a chance to view his characters and what he thinks of the other players. Othello’s soliloquies come later on in the play when we can see the changes in Othello as he is poisoned by Iago. They serve to portray Othello’s nature to us and emphasise the beauty of his language.

Leadership Programmes In Higher Education Research Paper

Leadership Programmes In Higher Education - Research Paper Example s One needs to take into account the level of academic preparation of the first generation students, the characteristics of their family members, their adjustment and expectations of their higher education, and the clash between their home culture and college culture while dealing with their higher education problems. As pointed out by Forest & Kinser, the â€Å"first generation students are more likely than other college students to delay their enrolment in college, and therefore, once they are enrolled, they are older than traditional students† (Forest & Kinser 262). Similarly, most of the first-generation students belong to low-income families and there are many who engage in longer work more hours than non-first-generation students to support the family. Many of these learners have dependants and therefore they need to fulfill their familial and financial obligations along with their higher studies. In the same way, majority of the first generation students suffer from lac k of self-confidence and poor self esteem as they consider themselves as academically backward to their peers. As such, they fail to adapt themselves to the college academic environment and lack of support, motivation and guidance from the part of their friends, family members and relatives pose another great obstacle to their higher education. Similarly, most of them undergo anxieties, fears and frustrations and are haunted by their past experiences. London, in this regard, purport that the first-generation students confront not only the anxieties, isolation and conflict, dislocations, and difficulties of any college student but they also experience ‘substantial cultural as well as social and academic transitions’ (London 168). All these characteristics highlight the continued need to offer... This paper stresses that attainment of academic success turns to be unattainable for them in the absence of all these promotions. As we have already discussed first generation students face a number of obstacles during their academic course which shows the necessity of support programs. The students who are the beneficiaries of these programs attain mental readiness which is the most important requirement for a student to concentrate on his studies in order to achieve academic success. Majority of the first generation students make use of these opportunities and only a minute percentage among them fail to continue their studies or to achieve better academic results. This report makes a conclusion that since the large majority is benefited it is essential to continue the support programs and funding as it immensely assists the first generation students to succeed in life crossing the all the barriers ahead. Faculties need to pay more attention to the problems of first generation freshmen prior to the needs of ideal students who have family support and financial stability. The author talks that the increasing demand for the grant every year shows the success of the program in attracting the first generation freshmen to colleges for higher education. Institutions could conduct programs in order to make them aware of the grants provided by different foundations and direct their students to be the beneficiaries of these support programs. Teachers can identify the first generation students and their particular problems easily and could recommend solutions to overcome their difficulties, as they interact closely with the students.

FAS 202Discussion 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

FAS 202Discussion 7 - Essay Example Renaissance architecture was first practiced in Florence in Italy by Filippo Brunellesch (Dickerson, 2013). This underlying apportion of my introduction in regard to paper analysis. I chose Baroque artwork is closely related to the baroque cultural movement with the Absolutism. Absolutism is normally a renowned Counter Reformation and the underlying Catholic Revival. Moreover, it possesses vital era ideas of empire, iconography and compositions movement that took place in the eighteenth century, and characterized by massive performance that is rich in deep color and corresponding deep light coupled with the dark shadows. These features are mainly utilized to depict the duration prior to the event. The second piece of Renaissance era in regard to architecture by Filippo Brunellesch occurred in 15th century extending to early 17th century in Europe. It mainly defines the conscious revival and advancement of particular elements pertaining to ancient Greek and Roman and the corresponding material culture. Moreover, it also depicts the transition from Gothic architecture that was mainly succeeded by the Baroque architecture Renaissance architecture (Dickerson, 2013). The artwork also employ Classical art of the Roman and Greek art, which depicts modern style such as painting, scripture and architecture after the development of

Rusting Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Rusting Process - Essay Example This is due to the need of replacing corroded metal tools and structures to preserve functionality and safety (Roberge; Lancashire). The rusting process is a complex reaction involving various stages upon the contribution of different compounds and production of derivatives. Rusting is an electrochemical process that occurs in the presence of water or moisture and source of electrolyte. This process cannot proceed to any considerable extent if any of the said requirements is not present. When the metal is in the air, there should be more than 50% relative humidity while above 80% relative humidity results to severe rusting of bare metal (Lancashire 3). Above are the conditions that are conducive to corrosion of metals but the reason behind why metals or any other substance corrode in the first place need to be answered. Corrosion is an opportunity for metals to deteriorate. Metals like most substances need to undergo this process to be able to combine electrochemically with other substances in order to form new compounds. Many environmental conditions provide this opportunity and places with high moisture or relative humidity is one of these conditions, called rusting, although corrosion occurs when metal come into contact with various chemicals such as acids, bases, ammonia gas and other vapors and substances (Roberge). A model (Figure 1) illustrates the chemical process that occurs during rusting. The first stage of the process is called anodic reaction. During this stage, the metal dissolves by generating electrons as shown in the upper portion of the model. The second stage is called cathodic reaction, during which the electrons that were produced in the first stage are then consumed. These two stages of the rusting process can occur adjacently or far apart (Roberge). Figure 1. A schematic representation of the rusting process showing the generation and consumption of electrons (from Corrosion Doctors). There are six chemical reactions that occur during the rusting process. First is the oxidation of the iron (Fe) which has come into contact with moisture or water droplet. The second chemical reaction involves the formation of water from the absorption by dissolved oxygen of the electrons produced from the first reaction. The third chemical reaction includes the generation of hydrogen gas through the consumption of electrons by hydrogen ions. The fourth chemical reaction is the production of the insoluble iron or rust through the reaction of hyrdroxide ions with ferric ions. Another reaction involves the production of rust from the combination of hydrogen ions and oxygen with iron ions. And another chemical process includes the formation of rust through the formation of iron hydroxides with the interaction between hydroxide irons with iron ions (Tarr). The first chemical reaction is illustrated by the following process (Fig. 2). This chemical reaction occurs when water moisture comes into contact with a metal surface. The solid iron or Fe(s) oxidizes in the presence of water to produce aqueous iron or Fe2+(aq), producing two free electrons (Baldragon Academy). Figure 2. Oxidation of iron. The second reaction is the formation of water through consumption of electrons by hydrogen ions and dissolved oxygen as shown by Figure 3. Four electrons (e) are absorbed by four hydrogen

Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Marketing - Assignment Example To achieve the consistent theme the magazine uses pictures and names of different products that are on offer. In addition, the magazine highlights the location of different properties, customer service that are offered and the working hours of the company. The consistent features of the magazine are elements that are intended to give more information to the customers about the quality of the products and their benefits to the customers. This includes pictures of the actual item, fine details about the products such as type, model, and performance. Other consistent features of the magazine include terms of sale such as prices of different products, buying procedures and after sales service. The leading title of the article has a direct relationship with the ad. â€Å"Automobile Magazine launches new Ipad application† (Diehlman web). This title is directly related to the advertisements of the magazine. The magazine displays a wide range of exclusive products for its customers to choose. The title of the article is intended at capturing the interest of customers who are willing to either own motor vehicles or upgrade their current cars with the classy products offered by Suzuki. The competitive environment of the magazine is its unique display of different classy motor vehicles. In collaboration with the Apple Company, the magazine has launched an Ipad application for its customers. The ad is intended for first time car owners particularly those who are looking for classy and sophisticated models of automobiles. The ad also targets people who are conscious of technology. With the abilities of modern devices such as Ipads and Ipad, car owners can have different abi lities on their cars. The ad is also targeting those who are willing to upgrade their current automobiles for the available classy cars that are on display. Finally, the ad is targeting people who like been

Qualitative research and quantitative research Essay

Qualitative research and quantitative research - Essay Example dentifies a subjective approach and applies strategies such as â€Å"case studies, personal experience, life story, interview, and observation† among other techniques (Neergaard and Ulhoi, 2007, p. 5). Quantitative research however defines a scientific approach to measurement and evaluation of relationships between variables. It involves a systematic and predetermined approach that develops hypothesis from background information on a topic of interest, collects data, and analyses data for evaluating the set hypothesis (Nykiel, 2007). Quantitative research is more valid than qualitative research and difference in characteristics of the two research methods support this. Level of objectivity of quantitative research than qualitative research methods establish higher-level validity on quantitative research than on qualitative research because qualitative research is subjective and therefore susceptible to bias from researchers and research participants. This is contrary to the scope of quantitative research whose data and data analysis methods are, significantly, independent of researchers and research participants’ influence. Quantitative research designs, such as experimental and quasi-experimental designs, also ensure accuracy of collected data towards validity. The deductive approach of quantitative research as compared to qualitative research’s inductive approach also supports higher-level validity in quantitative research (Hays and Singh,

Its 7 questions about political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Its 7 questions about political science - Essay Example First, policies of the government must reflect the wishes that the people have. Other conditions state that leaders in government must be elected, and elections need to be free and fair. Fourth, people must take part in any political process. Fifth, the available information must be of high-quality. Finally, the majority must rule. Political equality relates to the concept that every individual carries an equal weight in voting as well as other political decision-making. Greenberg et al. argue that this principle is crucial in an ideal democratic society since democracy is a means of making key decisions. Political liberty is the third component of democracy. It relates to the fundamental freedoms crucial to the expression and formation of the popular will as well as its transformation into policy. The necessities of political liberty include freedoms of religion and conscience, of the press, of speech, and of association and assembly. Greenberg at al. argue that the fundamental principles of democracy cannot exist if the mentioned liberties lack (12). In the â€Å"Democracy for the Few†, Dr. Parenti describes how the society is majorly divided into two sections; the working class and the owning class. He goes ahead to explain the individuals under the owning class, where he described them as well-to-do people and in most cases are wealthy and live in the profits of their businesses. In this class, he recognized individuals who owns large amount of shareholders from bigger corporation as well as the small scale and struggling business owners. He compared the small and the giant business owners as squirrels and elephants to enable him provide a better perspective of who can bully their ways in the market and society set up. Parenti also mentioned working class, and he was able to describe them as those individuals who were able to live and depend on salaries, wages, and pensions. He

Communication in business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication in business - Essay Example Miller (2011) establishes a number of prominent communication barriers. They include physical, system, and attitude barriers. In terms of physical barriers, such divisions are because of actual physical divisions between co-workers or departments; these include workplace cubicles or other such divisions (Miller, 2011). The physical barriers usually occur due to the nature of environment, for example, if staff is located in different buildings or sites – than it is difficult for them to communicate with each other. Similarly, if the management fails to introduce new technology – than it can also cause physical barriers (Miller, 2011). The distractions like poor lighting, background noises, too cold or hot environment can also cause interference in effective communication (Dailey, 2011). Systems barriers are those that are built into the fabric of the organization, preventing employees from clearly understanding who they should communicate concerns, insights, or issues wi th. This barrier usually occurs when there is a problem in the system or structure of an organization. System barriers include inappropriate information systems, lack of training, supervision and duties (Dailey, 2011). Finally, attitude barriers constitute a broad range of personality and cultural differences preventing effective communication (Smith, 2010). ... Within these communication barriers there are a number of further concerns. One such issue is the understanding that much communication is occurring ‘off the grid’. This creates a situation where lower-tier employees are often times left out of important organizational discussions. Guerro (2010) argues that organizations such as Apple Inc. have leveraged such secrecy to great success. Other organizations have additionally created a paternal structure where profits and stability are not shared with employees until the last possible instance (Guerro, 2010). While this approach has the benefit of greater institutional control and strategy, it is clear that a more open organizational culture could be achieved through the establishment of greater personal responsibility. Strati (1999) argues that organizations should establish structures that allow the employees to greater knowledge of business operations contingent on their level of organizational commitment and subordinatio n. Achieving this approach necessitates a fluid and dynamic organizational structure (Strati, 1999). There are a number of elements that could aid the new UK centre of operations communicate more effectively across its UK operations internationally. One important means of encouraging more effective communication is through the establishment of social bonds that go beyond those directly associated with workplace context. Dawn (2010) argues that this can be established through social outings and physical dimensions that encourage a degree of socialization. Dawn (2010) also assets that such practices are applicable to intercultural communication. Still, it is necessary to pay special attention to cultural difference (Dawn, 2010). Taylor and Hanson

Contemporary Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contemporary Literature - Essay Example Thus, the decline of the family can be seen to have come from the financial redistribution of wealth. In an examination of the two novels, â€Å"Trainspotting† and â€Å"Brick Lane†, the results of these changes in culture can be observed and compared. In â€Å"Trainspotting†, the youth culture can be observed at its worst, filled with the consequences of drug use and defined by the lack of connectivity that the characters have experienced within their community. Without the imposition of responsibility within a community, the young will find ways to rebel and act out against the unknown future. In â€Å"Brick Lane†, the consequences of a future that is defined for a woman becomes the central discussion. In contrast to the indulgences of the freedoms of individualism, this novel emphasizes the obedience to family that creates a designed future. In looking at these two extremes, an understanding of the decline of the family can be framed within the context of the observations made by the authors of these novels. Cause of the Decline in the Family Since World War II, the definition of the family went through a rapid incline in exalting its nature through the 1950s with a slow deterioration since that time, lamenting the concepts that were developed in that period. During World War II, families went through a period of emotional trauma with the war both pulling them apart and forcing them to cling together in order to survive the threats that the nation faced. However, in the aftermath of war, the generations began to divide, the youth not connecting to the experiences of their elders. When examined from two different aspects of literary content, the concept of the family has been torn by a development of an elitist youth grouping that now continues to define popular culture as each generation rises to meet a consumerist power that has been put into their hands. During the 1950s, a divide was experienced between the youth of the generat ion and their elders, incited by the economic changes that took place during that time. A consumerist culture developed through a redistribution of income that favoured the youth with more disposable income. With the rise of individualized transportation, the independence of the young began to change and the reactions of those in their teens and twenties to those of an older age began to exhibit a less dependent nature.1 Industrialization allowed for the separation of generations as the young can leave the family to find work rather than continue within a familial community. Individualism created differences in parenting styles, leading to less connectivity to both the smaller community of the family and the greater community. As the individual began to become more important than the community, the way in which children have been reared has dramatically changed. With the changes that were initiated by the shifts in Western culture where work is concerned, an unknown future for each next generation was created. Rather than continuing forward the traditions of survival of their parents, children are now faced with the challenge of seeking out their own path, somewhat negating the experiences of their parents for the design of their life’s work in favour of a design they must create themselves.2 Where the meaning of life was far more simple in villages where the sons and

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example for Free

Consumer Behaviour Essay Since its inception in 1837, Tiffany has been renowned for its rare luxury goods, especially its magnificent diamond jewellery and its diamond engagement rings. Tiffany and Co. markets itself as an arbitrator of sophistication and elegance. (The Tiffany Story, Tiffany and Co. 2012) New product – iPhone case Tiffany has always met its customers’ needs and wants; even above and beyond expectations. It prides itself on â€Å"innovation, creativity and brand recognition†. (Tiffany and Co. 012) Due to the ever increasing popularity and success of the Apple iPhone, it is target marketing a younger, more affluent Generation X and subsequently offering its customers an exclusive and prestigious iPhone  cover – fully encrusted with its magnificent diamond jewels. This top of the range and unique phone cover is aimed and position to also satisfy its high-end clientele and upper-class elite market. Through market segmentation and consumer behaviour, this phone cover will embrace sophistication and value that is instilled in each and every Tiffany product and its brand. Target Market Tiffany’s iPhone cover will appeal to the high-end spectrum and social class of society which is predominately the prosperous and affluent; however it is priced reasonably so that it is affordable to the average female. The majority of its target customers will range from 16 and 35, with iPhones who are socially-savvy and like to be perceived as classy and elegant. Most of its consumers will be living in the affluent inner-city suburbs and earn above average medium income. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, this evel of physiological needs is concerned with the ego which may include the need for self-acceptance, self-esteem, success and independence. Externally, this directed ego needs include the want for prestige, reputation, status and recognition from others. This presumed desire to â€Å"show off† one’s achievements, success or simply this iPhone cover accessory is highlighted by the need for this exclusive phone cover. Hence, the motivation for this accessory is to satisfy a need for status, or more specifically the need to feel empowered, classy and prestige. (Schiffman, L. , OCass, A. Paladino, A. , DAlessandro, S. and Bednall, D. , 2011) 2. Issues Facing Consumers in Adopting this New Product or Service urgence Two positive consumer issues: Sociocultural factor (Facilitators) According to Castells (cited in Jiang 2012), the iPhone has become a culture surrounding young people’s adoption and consumption. The iPhone has become a symbol of high class and social status in young people’s lifestyles. In addition, Abrahamson and Rosen kopf (cited in Delre, Jager amp; Janssen 2007) conducted a study regarding sociocultural factor related to consumer behaviour. The results found that innovation focused on calculated models that look into the patterns of innovation through social networks. The result revealed that young people are easier to be influenced by sociocultural factors. Furthermore, Berg, MA (2011) conducted a research about the behaviours of teenagers, and the use of information and communication technologies outside school. Research found that teenagers tend to use social media network such as Facebook and MySpace, more then other social activities. Moreover, teenagers have the lack of satisfaction regarding their online life and the importance given to the anonymous online-communication predicts a higher disclosure on the Internet. The promotional strategy of some companies could be change, due to the changes of sociocultural of teenagers. Ansari, Koenigsberg and Stahl (2011, p713-728) also indicates the rapid growth of online social networks has brought many changes of promotion in the marketing field in studying the structure and function of social networks. Attitudes (Facilitators) A major issue facing consumers is the effect of attitudes from a group of people. Smith, De Vries, Tan and Prislin (cited in Timmor amp;Katz-Navon 2008, p. 250) claims that in this market each person belongs either to a group of people that has adopted the new products/services, or to a group of individuals that has not adopted it. In other words, an individual belongs to a group of people is called ingroup, while the others belongs to other subgroup is called outgroup. The size of each group always changes as individuals move from one subgroup to other subgroup. Asch, Deutsch, Gerard, Kruglanski, Webster, Bond and Smith (cited in Timmor amp;Katz-Navon 2008, p. 250) indicated that most subgroups always influence the attitudes and behaviours of each other through group norms, social pressure  and minority dissent. When exposed to most of the influence, some people are likely to experience substantial conformance pressure that causes it to focus on the majori ty position. This induces compliance behaviour. Moreover, Parascandola, Hurd and Augustson conducted a survey which collected information on a huge range of consumer attitudes related to technology, style, and trends. To address the differences in basic descriptive information on product use, the research assessed the level of awareness and use for several brands, they analysed interest in relation to basic demographic variables, such as smoking status, gender, and health status, and in relation to consumer attitudes related to technology and product experimentation. The research found that most people are more likely to rely on their own feeling, then their cognitive and conative factor. Two negative consumer issues: Belief (Barriers) Snyder (1974) indicated that consumers with a low need for distinctiveness and a low need for assimilation were just as likely to adopt the product even as the perceived group size increased. The term self-monitoring refers to the extent to which individuals regulate their behaviours based on external events such as the reactions of other people or based on internal factors such as their own beliefs. Consumers with a low need for distinctiveness and a low need for assimilation may be low self-monitors are indifferent to the external influence of others. Another factor facing consumers is belief about ethnocentrism. Durvasula, and Lichtenstein (1991) examined the impact of Consumer Ethnocentrism (CE) on â€Å"beliefs† about products from different countries. Nielsen and Spence (cited in Durvasula, and Lichtenstein 1991) provide an exception, but their study only assessed the impact of CE on the ownership of cars. In summary, relatively little is known about the impact of ethnocentrism on purchase behaviour. For the intention of this research, and similar to Shimp and Sharma (1987, p. 280), Shoham and Maja (2003) define consumer ethnocentrism as â€Å"a belief held by consumers about the appropriateness, indeed morality, of purchasing foreign-made products. † Tiffany amp; Co. , as an American brand in Australia, could lead to cultural misinterpretation. They may think Australian brand it better than others. Consequently, when we develop a new problem we also have to consider the lack of knowledge from consumers will also cause them a negative belief. Decision Making (Barriers) According to Truong’s academic journal: â€Å"Personal aspirations and the consumption of luxury goods†, it purports that with closely competitive markets, pricing for the iPhone cover in this luxury market and such that the wealth tend to consume goods in order to parade their â€Å"wealth and gain social status. † However, the ‘Veblen Effect’ came to pronounce that the willingness to pay a price for functionally equivalent product is perceived to be more prestigious (Bagwell. amp;. Bernheim. 996)   This inclination to pay more may serve to generate considerably more status for the users than any direct utility (Mason 2001) and subsequently a â€Å"price premium may paradoxically have negative effects on consumer’s decision-making processes† This is further enforced by Numair, AS, Malik, F, Waqas, Q, Navaveed, A 2011, which declares that â€Å"Consumers are comfortable with high price of luxury goods as lo ng as it fulfils the desire of building social status as a justification against those who cannot pay for these products (Mason, 1981). Therefore, if the luxurious product cannot fulfil the desire to gain social status, it becomes a decision making barrier for the consumer. 3. Consumer Response to these Issues In this section, I am going to interview 4 people from our target market proposed ed in part 1 in order to obtain their reaction and opinion to the consumer issues I have identified in part 2. The profiles of the interviewees are below, and the actual transcript in the interview will be shown (See Appendix A – transcript of the interview) Profile of interviewing respondents I have interviewed 4 interviewees, who are our target market regarding my consumer issues.

Physicochemical Profile of Synthesized Ferulate Esters

Physicochemical Profile of Synthesized Ferulate Esters PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SYNTHESIZED FERULATE ESTERS INTRODUCTION Today, there are ongoing attempts to use ferulic acid derivatives in several different areas of food (Manore et al. 2011), cosmetic (Di Domenico et al., 2009) and pharmaceutical (Shanthakumar et al., 2012; Suzuki et al., 2007) products due to their effective antioxidant properties by trapping and stabilizing radical species (Ergun et al., 2011). Transesterification with lipophilic molecules allows a better transportation of the compounds in different medium (Scapagnini et al., 2004) whereas selection of olive oil may improve the medicinal and cosmetic values (Viola Viola, 2009) of the synthesized products. Considering the promising results, this study was designed to delineate the profile for the synthesized ferulate esters. Mandloi et al. (2004) proposed that one of the most important stages to accomplish in the development of a new compound is the adequate physicochemical characterization, in order to determine the quality and help to describe the present conditions. Therefore, the physicochemical properties of synthesized ferulate esters were studied in term of sun protection factor (SPF) value, peroxide value, saponification value and iodine value. MATERIALS AND METHODS Materials Solvents and chemicals (ethanol, chloroform, potassium iodide, acetic acid, sodium thiosulfate, starch, potassium hydroxide, phenolphthalein, hydrochloric acid, Wij’s solution) were purchased from Merck, Germany. SPF Value The procedure has been previously described by Dutra et al. (2004). 1.0 g of sample was weighed, transferred to a 100 mL volumetric flask, diluted to volume with ethanol, followed by ultrasonication for 5 min and then filtered through cotton, rejecting the ten first mL. A 5.0 mL aliquot was transferred to 50 mL volumetric flask and diluted to volume with ethanol. Then a 5.0 mL aliquot was transferred to a 25 mL volumetric flask and the volume completed with ethanol. The absorption spectra of sample in solution were obtained by using UV/Vis spectrometer (Perkin Elmer, Lambda 750) in the range of 290 to 450 nm using 1 cm quartz cell, and ethanol as blank. The absorption data were obtained in the range of 290 to 320, every 5 nm, and 3 determinations were made at each point, followed by the application of Mansur equation: SPF spectrophotometric value =CF x ∑ EE x I x Abs (Equation 4) Where,CF = correction factor (=10) EE = erythemal effect spectrum I = solar intensity spectrum Abs = absorbance of the sample The values of EE x I are constants and showed in Appendix D. Peroxide Value About 5.0 g of sample was weighed into a 250 mL conical flask. 10 mL of chloroform was added and swirled to dissolve the sample. The mixture was then mixed with 15 mL acetic acid and 1 mL potassium iodide solution. The mixture was further leaved for 5 minutes in a dark place. Then, 30 mL of distilled water was added followed by 1 mL of starch indicator. The solution was titrated with 0. 05 N of sodium thiosulfate until the blue color disappeared. The peroxide value is given by: Peroxide value =[(S – B) x N x 1000] / W (Equation 5) Where,S = volume of titrant (mL) for sample (ferulate esters) B = volume of titrant (mL) for blank N = normality of sodium thiosulfate solution (mmol/mL) 1000 = conversion of units (g/kg) W = sample (ferulate esters) mass (g) Saponification Value 2.0 g of sample was weighed into a 250 mL conical flask. About 25 mL of ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution was added. The mixture was then refluxed for 60 min. 1 mL of phenolphthalein solution was added and the mixture was titrated with the 0.5 N of hydrochloric acid until the pink color of the indicator just disappeared. The saponification value is given by: Saponification value =[(B – S) x N x 56.1] / W (Equation 6) Where,B = volume of titrant (mL) for blank S = volume of titrant (mL) for sample (ferulate esters) N = normality of hydrochloric acid (mmol/mL) 56.1 = molecular weight of potassium hydroxide (g/mol) W = sample (ferulate esters) mass (g) Iodine Value The sample for about 2.0 g was weighed into a 500 mL stoppered flask and 10 mL of chloroform was added. After that, 25 mL of Wij’s solution was pipetted into the flask, stoppered, and swirled to well-mix the mixture. The flask was then stored in the dark place for 30 minutes at room temperature and after that, 20 mL of potassium iodide (KI) was added followed with the addition of 100 mL freshly boiled and cooled distilled water. Then, the mixture was titrated with 0.1 N sodium thiosulphate solutions (Na2S2O3) until the yellow colour almost disappeared. 1-2 mL of starch indicator was then added and the titration was continued until the blue colour just disappeared. A blank determination was carried out under the same condition. The iodine value is given by: Iodine value = [(B – S) x N x 126.9] / W (Equation 7) Where,B = volume of titrant (mL) for blank S = volume of titrant (mL) for sample (ferulate esters) N = normality of sodium thiosulphate (mmol/mL) 126.9 = molecular weight of iodine (g/mol) W = sample (ferulate esters) mass (g) RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS SPF Value Level of sun protection on the skin has traditionally been estimated using the sun protection factor (SPF). Sunscreen products with high SPF value may provide more adequate protection against the sun (Latha et al., 2013). Gregoris et al. (2011) claimed that sunscreen products are classified in conformity with their SPF values as it follows: from 2 to less than 12 are defined as minimal sun protection products, from 12 to under 30 is moderate sun protection products while sunscreens with SPF values of 30 or above are defined as high sun protection products. UV-Vis spectroscopy has been reported as a simple, rapid, and economic method in determining SPF values in many cosmetic formulations. This in vitro method is very useful as a screening test during product development before proceeding to the in vivo tests. In general, the method can be divided into two types: method that involve the measurement of absorption/transmission of UV radiation through sunscreen product films in quartz plates or biomembranes and method in which the absorption characteristics of the sunscreen agents are determined based on spectrophotometric analysis of dilute solutions (Kaur and Saraf, 2010; Dutra et al., 2004). Khazaeli and Mehrabani (2008) have successfully applied this technique through dilute solutions in determining SPF values of sixteen plants dissolved in methanol; Dracocephalum moldavica and Viola tricolor are found to have SPF values higher than 20 and suggested to be used in future topical sunscreens. Several nonvolatile and volatile herbal oils also being evaluated for their SPF values, where olive oil and coconut oil were revealed to have the best SPF values of 8 for nonvolatile herbal oil. On the other hand, peppermint oil and tulsi oil showed better SPF values of 7 than other volatile herbal oils which can be a potential candidate of perfumes during the formulation of sunscreens (Kaur and Saraf, 2010). Peroxide value There are several methods for evaluation of antioxidative action of a sample (Becker et al., 2004). The present method was used for the assessment of early oxidative changes in the ester through formation of primary oxidation products (peroxides and hydroperoxides). Peroxide value is defined as the milliequivalents (mEq) of peroxide per kilogram of sample. It is a redox titrimetric determination. High quality of products will have a peroxide value of zero. Peroxide values >20 correspond to very poor quality which normally would have significant off flavours (Nielsen, 2003). Saponification Value Since the fatty acids are attached to the glycerol backbone with ester bonds, the saponification value reflects the number of ester bonds per gram sample. It is simply defined as the number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide required to saponify 1 g of ester. Therefore, the saponification value is an important measurement to indicate the mean molecular weight of the sample’s triacylglycerols (Wrolstad et al., 2005). Iodine Value The iodine value of an ester is used to measure the degree of unsaturation. The test measures the reaction of the double bonds with halogen, in this case iodine. Ekop et al. (2007) has reported that the higher the degree of unsaturation, the higher the iodine value. It expresses the concentration of the unsaturated fatty acids, together with the extent to which they are unsaturated, in a single number, and therefore was a simple and very useful quality number parameter. The properties of ferulate esters in term of SPF value, peroxide value, saponification value and iodine value are displayed in Table 6.1. Table 6.1:Â  Properties of ferulate esters No Test Unit 1 SPF value 16.0131 2 Peroxide value 17.52 3 Saponification value 191.3 4 Iodine value 88.02 CONCLUSION Physicochemical profile of synthesized ferulate esters was well examined where medium SPF value and peroxide value were attained. This indicates the products synthesized have a good antioxidant value for further used.

The Cocoa Industrys Effects on Ivory Coasts Economy

The Cocoa Industrys Effects on Ivory Coasts Economy Chocolate is a sweet delicacy that is associated with joy, comfort and delight. However most consumers do not consider the origins of chocolate and the process it has gone through before it is purchased and eaten. Chocolate is a highly consumed treat in Canada and the United-States, and it is one of my personal favorite sweets, yet there are many worrisome issues that happen throughout chocolates production. The cocoa bean, chocolates main ingredient, must be grown in tropical climates and it is therefore grown in several countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. West Africa is the largest exporting region of cocoa beans, with the Ivory Coast as its principle provider, supplying 40% of the worlds cocoa reserves and it comprising one-third of the countries economic revenue (Isern, 2006). The Ivory Coasts economy is therefore extremely dependant on cocoa bean buyers who in turn rely on the consumption of chocolate in North America and Europe. This has not only led to numerous econom ic problems, including an unbalanced economy and high debts, but also several social problems, such as child labour. It is imperative to understand the conditions that have led to this social injustice, because Sub-Saharan Africa has the leading rate of child labour worldwide, and the Ivory Coast is a key contributor to this problem. (Kielland and Nkamleu, 2005). For my research, I will examine how the Ivory Coast has become dependent on cocoa exportations and the role transnational corporations have played throughout this process, resulting in them having increasing amounts of power in the cocoa industry. I will also examine the effects of these changes on the Ivory Coasts economy and on the labour force. My working thesis is as follows: Due to the liberalization of trade policies, the Ivory Coasts economy has become reliant on cocoa exportations. As a result, transnational cocoa buyers have obtained power over social conditions within the country, leading to the unethical practice of child labour. To fully expand on this thesis, I will firstly explain the conditions that led to the implementation of structural adjustment programs (SAPs) by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in the Ivory Coast. I will secondly examine the consequences of the SAPs on their economy and the increasing centralized power that transnational buyers have obtained. Thirdly, I will examine the effects this has had on child labour and finally the initiatives the Ivory Coasts government and the global community have taken to eradicate child labour. The Historical Context of Liberalization Ever since the Ivory Coast has become independent from France, its economy has been seriously dependant on primary commodities, particularly cocoa (Ahoua 1993). The cocoa industry was regulated by a public organization established by the Ivorian government called the Caisse de Stabilization (Caistab), that offered subsidies, controlled exports in order to protect the Ivorian cocoa market (Losch 2001). However, regardless of the Caistab, the Ivory Coast did not have the economic capacity or stability to deal with the effects of the oil crisis in the 1970s, which resulted in a global drop in cocoa prices. (ibid). The fluctuations of cocoa prices already impacted the countries inner stability and prosperity, causing the beginning of several long-lasting economic issues. Along with the Caistab, the Ivorian government was equally providing funding for infrastructures, such as transportation and energy, and the development of a nationally owned cocoa transforming industry, called SIFCA (Ah oua 1993). All this led to increased lending from banks, amounting to the formation of enormous debts. From 1987 to 1989, the Ivory Coast actively attempted to exert power on the globally dropping cocoa prices by withdrawing from the markets and stopping all exportations. (Losch 2001) However, the Ivory Coasts government was incapable of sustaining such a protest due to their economys dependence on cocoa profits, forcing them to recommence exportations after two months (ibid). This had little effect prices, since corporations had enough stored cocoa to sustain the protest, however it had disastrous effects on the Ivorian economy, pushing their already indebted economy into a crisis (ibid). All these issues created the conditions leading to the liberalization of the Ivory Coasts economy. To amend their problems, the Ivory Coast needed to receive loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB). To receive these loans, countries needed to implement Structural Adjustment Programs, fulfilling the stipulations dictated to them by these international organizations. Some conditions included the dismantling of the Caistab, a further drop in the prices of Ivorian cocoa, a cutback in government subsidies given to cocoa farmers, a reduction of tariffs on imports and lesser taxation on industries (Ahoua, 1993). These reforms were suppose to allow the country receive funding from transnational corporations, allowing them to repay their debt. Pardoning the countrys debt was not a considered option by the IMF or WB (ibid). Moreover, social reforms were promised, to ameliorate education and health care, however this was to be effectuated without receiving additional funding and by promoting privatization, which rendered no real improvements (ibid). The Increasing Power of Transnational Corporations All these adjustments were meant to decrease government spending in the cocoa industry and encourage privatization resulting in the development of the country. However, the profits coming from these initiatives were used to further develop the cocoa industry, and not other sectors of the country, increasing the countries cocoa dependency (Isern 2006). Initially, cocoa farmers had control over the markets since there were several buyers competing for their beans, however the centralization of cocoa producer and manufacturers rapidly turned the industry into a buyer-driven market (Folds 2001). Three main cocoa bean buyers have subsequently emerged out of this process: Barry Callebaut, Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) (Folds 2002). This oligopoly forces farmers compliance with the conditions demanded by the transnational buyers, otherwise famers are incapable of selling their cocoa beans. The Ivory Coasts cocoa bean processor SIFCA was also bought by Cargill, rendering their gov ernments attempts to influence the processing industry ineffective (Losch 2001). To make matters worse, the global demand for cocoa is far inferior to the supply provided by the Ivory Coast and competing countries, such as Ghana and Indonesia (ibid). This is detrimental because the Ivory Coast is obligate to produce the best quality cocoa for the lowest price possible to attract the investment from the limited number of corporations, resulting in a further drop of the global cocoa (Losch, 2001). Due to this, farmers are often forced to resort to child labour to overcome these constraints. Another dimension that limits the power farmers have in the market is the two-tiered nature of the cocoa industry. Folds (2002) distinguishes them into grinders, who transform cocoa beans into butter, powder or liquor, and branders, who then transform the cocoa into finished products. This division can create confusion when trying to designate whose responsibility it is to ensure the use of ethical labour practices (Isern, 2006). For example, in 2005, Nestlà ©, ADM and Cargill were sued by the International Labour Rights Fund (ILRF) for buying chocolate from farmers using child labour. Nestlà © denied its involvement by stating that it has no direct cocoa procurement in Ivory Coast, since the company directly buys transformed beans from ADM or Cargill (Orr, 2006). Additionally, ADM and Cargill buy their beans from middlemen, and not immediately from the cocoa farmers, giving them the opportunity to once again pass off the blame (Parenti, 2008). As a result, consumers are increasing ly disconnected from the process and conditions laborers are subjected to in chocolates production. However, certain initiatives have derived from trade liberalization that have helped empower farmers and strive for better labour conditions. There is a growing consumer demand for products created under ethical conditions, creating special markets that can have positive effects in countries (FLO 2005). For example, the Fair Trade movement has aimed to eliminate child labour in the cocoa industry and allows consumer to demonstrate their support for this cause by buying products under these labels. (ICCO 2006). Specifically, the Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO) has set standards to determine what is considered Fair Trade cocoa, and has certified compliant companies and countries, giving consumers the information needed to make responsible purchases (FLO 2005). The Max Havelaar Foundation has also contributed to this cause by providing fair wages to small-scale farmers, and supporting fair trade cocoa. (ICCO 2006). Nevertheless, Fair Trade cocoa has remained unpopular, representin g 0.1 % of the market (ICCO 2006). Furthermore, Fair Trade cocoa is not commonly produced in the Ivory Coast, rendering zero sales in 2004 (FLO 2005). Although these organizations have been created through consumer demand for them, they have been unsuccessful in producing sustainable change in the Ivory Coast. This demonstrates the need for different initiatives coming from within the countries, as well as global initiatives to reduce child labour. The Consequences on Child Labour Several initiatives have been established to eradicate child labour in the Ivory Coast and the cocoa industry. In fact, the Ivorian government has officially prohibited children under the age of 18 from working, and has signed the Harkin-Engel protocol to fully abolish child labour from cocoa farms (Parenti, 2008). The International Labour Organization and transnational corporations, such as Nestle and ADM, also voluntarily signed this protocol to abolish the worst form of child labour (Isern, 2006). Prohibited activities include wielding a machete, spraying pesticides and heavy lifting, since they are deemed as harmful forms of labour (Parenti, 2008). However, even with these attempts, little improvements have been made and issues of blame and responsibility have been created. Does the Ivorian governments failed initiatives warrant an increase in activities by international organizations and transnational corporations within their country? Or is this an infringement upon the Ivory C oasts sovereignty? The global community answer to this is that transnational corporations should be held responsible. For example, in the newspaper article Slave Chocolate, protestors in San Francisco expressed their disproval of Nestlà ©s labour practices, determining that it is undoubtedly Nestlà ©s responsibility (Orr, 2006). A solution to ensure the responsibility of transnational corporations, originally proposed by The Harkin-Engel protocol, was to implement a child labour label on chocolate products, in order to easily inform consumers about the labour conditions involved throughout their production. (Parenti, 2008) Although this seemed like a good initiative to reduce child labour, it could instead have harmful effect on the poorest farmers and likewise the Ivorian economy. Consumers would discriminate against chocolate produced with child labour, further punishing the poorest farmers who necessitate its use (Isern 2006). This would ultimately worsen the problem and increase the rates of child labour. This demonstrates that policies will essentially need to target trade laws and try to establish a more just free market. On the other hand, it can also be argued that child labour in the Ivory Coast is not entirely a product of the economic dependency on cocoa exportations. In Kiellands (2006) study, she remarks that most forms of child labour were in fact seen as a socialization method; giving families the opportunity to teach their children the proper methods of farming cocoa. She also remarks that community involvement is a more prevalent value in the Ivorian culture, and therefore child labour is often seen as the childs contribution to society. However, there are also many dangers with child labour such as trafficking, abuse and harmful labour practices. Additionally, children who worked on cocoa farms were less likely to attend school than those who did not farm cocoa (Kielland 2006). She suggested that more a more effective implementation of governmental policies would be necessary to prevent child labour by, for example, providing social services and ensuring that adult wages were sufficiently high, thus making child labour unnecessary (ibid). A stricter implementation of government policies surrounding school attendance could also help eradicate child labour. Conclusion To conclude, transnational corporations have obtained increasing amounts of power in the cocoa industry and the Ivory Coast because of trade liberalization and the centralization of the cocoa processing industry. This has had several consequences, such as an increased economic dependence on cocoa exports and higher rates of child labour within the country. Although the Ivory Coasts government and international organizations have attempted several initiatives to reduce child labour, none have been successful in creating sustainable change. Therefore, it becomes important to try new initiatives that confront the issues of the free market, because there is a direct correlation between child labour and the liberalization of cocoa trade. Furthermore, it is important to understand the surrounding complexities involving child labour, for example the different power relationships that come into play, in trying to effectively abolish it. More research is necessary to find a solution that will allow the Ivory Coasts economy to develop without negatively impacting human rights.

Management is comprised of four principal functions: planning, organizing, leading and controlling :: Business, Fayol

Nowadays, management has become an important part of the society. The role of management is to assist the organisation to make the best use of its resource to achieve its goal. Base on the aim of management, one of the theorists Henri Fayol proposed the four necessary management functions: planning, organisation, leading, controlling are the tools managers use to achieve these goals. (Jones 2006) This essay is going to describe and discuss these functions. The first function of management is planning. Planning is a process that managers use to identify and involve goal setting and decide the best way to achieve the goal.(Bartol 2007) Planning connect the gap between where we do, where we intend to go. It predict the possible things to happen which would not otherwise happen (MSG 2012). There are several steps to the planning process, which are determine the goals of the organisation, evaluate the current position, consider possible future conditions, identify possible alternative actions and choose the best. Planning is the criteria thinking through goals and making decision to achieve the goal of the organisation’s objective, which requires a systematic way. Also objectives focus the managers how to achieve the final result as managers have to predict anything will happen, avoid the problem and fight back to competitors. An example of planning, which is the President Canon Inc Tsuneji Uchida and lead Canon Company become the n o.1 in the global business (Canon.Inc 2011). Tsuneji Uchida has to understand what is the company objective and goal. First, make decision to protect the position and the aim of canon, improve the operation more diversity. Second, he creates the new design of camera and new technology, he plan to do these things to maximise profit. In order to achieve the goals of the organisation, managers have to set goals and developed a workable plan to complete the goals. Organising is one of the processes to organise people, activities and other resource in a logical way (Davidson 2009). Through the organising function, managers need to analyse how activities and resources are to be grouped and carry out plans successfully (Bartol 2007). A manager have to understand their ability to manage the lower level employee which is the most valuable of the company as they are the key of output and implement in the planning. Then manager will coordinate the jobs between authority and responsibility that is to define the role position of them (MSG 2012).

Human Resources Training :: Human Resources Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The bottom line for any company is how efficient the workforce is at producing a quality product. Any company which desires to stay ahead of its competition will engage in training and team building efforts for their employees. However, is it really effective? What if the employees do not perceive the training in a positive manner? In their case study, Employee perceptions and their influence on training effectiveness, Amalia Santos and Mark Stuart examine these questions and more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The basic research question at hand was: Overall, what are the employee’s attitudes and perceptions toward the training they were being asked to obtain? Secondly, are the workers able to take the training which they have received and utilize that knowledge in the workplace?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Santos and Stuart state that most of the human resource literature seems to point at the fact that training is the most significant factor in obtaining behavioral and cultural change. They cite Keep, E. (1989). 'Corporate training: the vital component?' in New Perspectives on Human Resource Management as showing that training was able to bring about a deeper commitment by workers toward a project as well as bring out certain talents or abilities that may not have been utilized or noticed before(Santos, Stuart, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The researcher’s; hypothesis was that the evaluation methods would make a difference in matching the type of training to the employee’s needs and that when this was done the employee’s attitude toward the training would be a positive one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of the research participants were employees who worked in the core financial services business. Upper management were included as well as those in the branches, on the line, and the head office. Names were selected randomly from a computer’s system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the larger variables in this case study was the motivation of the employee himself. One of the larger complaints that Santos and Stuart point out, is that companies are spending large amounts of money on training but have no way to determine whether a certain type of training is being effective or not. The dependent variables were those employees whose interest level was known to be high. These people wanted the training and were highly motivated to attend.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This case study took place in 1999 for the span of four months in a financial services organization called FinanceCo(Santos, Stuart, 2003). This company had a good reputation for implementing good people management processes and they had the reputation for being quite invested in the idea of ongoing and regular training for all of their employees.

NT Model :: essays research papers fc

When Windows NT was developed the designers ensured that security features were built in unlike when for example when MS Dos was developed. By default NT has a minimum-security standard as developers assumed that the average user would not want a highly secured operating system. As a result, administrators must configure or ‘harden’ the security levels to meet the users requirements. There are three levels : 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Minimum – no/few security features are used, however the spreading of viruses should still be taken into consideration 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Standard – most machines store some sort of sensitive information, which is where the use of log-ons, passwords etc apply 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  High-level - used when highly sensitive data is involved, where there is a risk of theft etc Authentication an important area of security in relation to access controls, both to the system itself and to particular applications. NT allows the creation of accounts, which can be assembled into separate sections of e.g. users and administration. Both are set with separate privileges depending on the User ID and the password the user enters. The permission controls are based on security Ids found in a security access token which determines the users privileges. However in highly secured systems fingerprints can be used for authentication. Also, the built – in Guest account can restrict entry for casual users. As well as tracking the users access controls, NT also manages the applications access controls by using a subject. These can be divided into two classes, a simple subject and a server subject. With regards to the simple subject, depending on the users access token, it will be allocated a security context. While the server subject is implemented as a protected server which uses the security context of the client when acting on behalf of the client. There are two file systems available for NT, these include the FAT (File Allocation Table) system and the NTFS. However, the FAT system provides very little security as it was developed primarily with DOS in mind. In contrast NTFS was created specifically for Windows NT. It is fast, allows longer file names and is backward compatible with DOS programs. In order to facilitate the integrity of data at the hardware level, NT has a ‘built-in fault tolerance’. NTFS creates fault-tolerant disk subsystems in different ways. One of which is called disk mirroring, whereby two partitions are required on two different disks, both using a single hard disk controller.

American Aid Policy

The United States is the leading developed nation in foreign aid that considers both the interest of its own citizens and industries and those of beneficiary countries. Billions of people all over the world have benefited and appreciated the role of United States in both foreign and food aid. This research paper looks deeply into the overall effectiveness of US foreign aid policy, the need to effect any changes in policy framework or continue to handle affairs in their current form and finally examine the need to increase or decrease the amount in foreign aid.Aid and Millennium Development Goals The achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in third world countries and specifically the African continent cannot be realized when foreign aid to these nations is not fully availed. Human development has been ignored by international donor community notably the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, instead putting more focus on biased economic parameters. Poverty levels in these nations thus cannot be eradicated. Africa alone needs a total of 72 billion dollars in foreign aid per year to achieve its Millennium Development Goals by 2015.This is meager fraction in comparison to the $ 362 billion in subsidiaries developed countries paid to its home based agricultural sectors in 2006. Commitment by developed countries to increase amounts in foreign aid to 0. 7% of their national income has not been realized (Marr, Gunatilaka & Killick, 1998). United States has faired poorly in its rating with only 0. 16% and appears at the bottom of the list. Eradicating poverty and improving human life demand increase in foreign aid to developing nations and failure to honor these commitments means that the present status in terms of poverty levels will remain for a long time.Effectiveness of Foreign Aid The close relationship that exists between foreign aid effectiveness and conditions attached to it has always been a thorny issue. Important development agendas such as the balancing of existing relationship between recipient and donor, considering first support to priorities sectors by the government, deter cases of aid programmes duplications and providing means for undertaking transparency assessment on aid performance are factors that must be put into consideration to ensure aid effectiveness.Furthermore, donor support harmonization in aid programmes that undertake development projects in more than one country demands mutual accountability. Direct budget subsidy contributed by donor countries which still stands at 5% of aid given to developing nations should be viewed by the recipient countries as domestic; hence, implemented vividly on development agendas rather than being accountable to the donors.Though this may be the best way of implementing aid as it create an opportunity for strong economic principles and political willingness to avoid bureaucracy, donors do not yet willing to adopt this model because of their institutionalized channel o f aid flow which do onto conform with the developing countries political structures. In essence, increased direct budget support by donors and good government structure of the recipient countries will increase aid effectiveness (Guillaumont & Chauvet, 2001)Need For Change in Aid Policy Critics have always advocated for foreign aid policy reforms. While United States foreign programme has noted high levels of success, it cannot be without a list of problems. The original aim of American aid policy was to generate and improve its economic sub-sectors such as the shipping industry, dump surpluses and promote trade. A clear example is the food aid policy in which food aid is no longer about providing a meal for the hungry but takes care of a multitude of objectives.A half of every dollar spent on food aid goes into the related costs such as processing and shipping. This reveals that policy changes must be put in place to make food aid perform to its fullest. This is because the current food aid policy strives to accomplish very many objectives, most of which are obsolete. It takes a very long time to transport food from a farmer to its final destination and at times this period takes up to five months. Such delay in delivery leads to added costs such as insurance and crew wages.Furthermore delay is the delivery in food aid cost lives in disaster situations. Money should be used to purchase food closer to their destination and reduce costs of transportation. A drastic shift must be made towards of food aid procuring, with purchase in the beneficiary nation and in the United States. Purchasing goods in countries closer to the beneficiary nations would strengthen agricultural market in these nations (Hansen & Tarp, 2000). The main objective here is local procurement of goods, not aid with conditions.America must move away from tied aid to make its foreign aid policy effective. The global economic crisis has led to questions about the general effectiveness of foreign aid. Questions as to how aid can be sustained continuously in times of economic recessions must be answered to achieve high performance. At the moment, American legislation demands that 50% of aid commodities must be processed and packed at home before shipment. Furthermore, 75% of food aid is managed by the USAID and 50% is under the management of US department of agriculture (Guillaumont & Chauvet, 2001).These commodities must be shipped in vessels flying US flags. Such conditions must be constantly reviewed to do away with long procedures of aid handling and delivery. While there are efforts to reform the aid policy, it is expected to take time before full effectiveness is achieved. The 1961 Foreign Assistance Act and the Farm Bill under President George Bush are some efforts to restructure United States foreign aid policy. An examination into different types of foreign aid reveals a complex scenario on how effective its overall objectives are.The reconstruction of countries reel ing from effects of war such as Iraq and Afghanistan are always controversial in nature. Given the overlap in time due to security related issues, it is almost impossible to accurately determine how much and to what level of effectiveness these aid constitute (Dalgaard & Hansen, 2007). Another area that requires total change is the technical cooperation. This is poorly defined due to its ambiguity and thus hard to measure. They are always under criticism due to the huge amounts involved but often not properly accounted for.Technical cooperation always means transfer of skills and knowledge from the donor country to the beneficiary country but always become controversial when they involve military aid assistance such as generous packages to Israel and Egypt. The so-called aid for national interest always attracts huge aid packages than moral areas such as poverty and disease alleviation. Pakistan is a major recipient of United States aid due to its influence and geographical location with Afghanistan and receives this foreign aid to maintain stability and peace in the region. America must do away with some aid conditionality.The imbalance in aid contracts creates conditions which translate into donor demands for change in social, political and economic affairs (Burns, 1984). One of the most absurd conditions from the western donors is the system of state control over all sectors of the economy. The demand for democratic states and good governance, free and fair elections, constitute to some of these conditions. Considering achievement of these conditions a yardstick to receiving foreign aid undermines its role and objects and thus makes it a political tool to control affairs of other countries.Reforms must be made on how aid is channeled to the beneficiary countries. Multilateral aid is always channeled through World Bank and other regional development banks while bilateral aid is paid direct to the beneficiary countries (Miyashita, 2003). Multilateral aid has so far recorded greater success than bilateral aid since it is not selective and undertakes its programmes on neutral basis. These aids are in the form of grants that ensure maximum utilization for the set objectives. Reforming policies in these sectors to ensure maximum transparency and reduce levels of political interference would definitely improve its performance.Conclusion Bilateral aid must not be used to hood-wink political leaders. It is obvious that some developing countries whose economic performances are poor depend mainly on foreign aid to support their programmes. Application of selective strategies and tough conditions driven by greed to control the smaller nations will eventually render the foreign aid ineffective. The way to go in improving the performance is forging a close alliance with the beneficiaries and improving levels of transparency (Toye, Harrigan & Mosley, 1995).The handling of foreign food must take into consideration the overall improvement of agricultu re and provision of close markets for agricultural markets to regions close to the beneficiary country. Foreign aid must therefore seek to improve the level of human development. References: Burns, W. J. , (1984), Economic Aid and American Policy towards Egypt. Sunny Press Dalgaard, C. J. & Hansen, H. , (2007), On Aid, Growth and Good Policies, The Journal of Development Studies, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 37(6), 17-41. Guillaumont, P. & Chauvet, L., (2001), Aid and Performance: A Reassessment, The Journal of Development Studies, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 37(6), pages 66-92 Hansen, H. & Tarp, F. , (2000), Aid effectiveness disputed, Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. , vol. 12(3), pages 375-398. Marr, A. , Gunatilaka, R. & Killick, T. , (1998), Aid and the Political Economy of policy change, Routledge. Miyashita, A. (2003), Limits to Power: Asymmetric dependence and Japanese foreign aid policy, Lexington Books. Toye, J. F. Y, Harrigan, J. J. & Mosley, P. (1995), Aid and power; The World Bank and Policy–Based Lending, Routledge.

Spending Time with Friends/Spending Time with Family

Can you imagine your life without your family or your friends? Well, whether you agree or disagree, human beings instinctively tend to socialize with others. However, who would you spend more time with, is it your family or your friends? As we know we can’t live without either our families or our friends because they represent a huge part of our lives. In this essay we will compare and contrast between spending time with family and spending time with friends in terms of attitude, places and discussions. No one can deny that attitudes differ between spending time with family and spending time with friends. When we spend time with our families we tend to be intimate, gentle and responsible. Even our behavior is appropriate and our acts are limited. For instance, when we go out with our family to a movie or to a dinner, we won't be able to act foolish and we will be restrained from doing exciting stuff; as our actions will be judged by our family members. But when we hang out with our friends we feel less intimate, more crazy, and liberated , also our behavior becomes frizzy and we act our ages or even younger . For example, with our friends we can tell funny jokes to each other, knowing that none of them will be insulted or degraded because friends tend not to take things seriously. So that’s how our attitude differs. The places we hang out with family and friends are also different. The places where you head to with your family are calm, and not crowded, such as beaches, parks, family restaurants and family resorts. The places that we go to with our family to spend some quality time together. On the other hand the places where we go to with our friends are more crowded and full of life like; movie theatres, shopping malls and night clubs. With friends we go to places that allow us to have fun and enjoy our time as much as possible. That's how the places that we go with our family and friends are different. Another difference is that the topics that you discuss with our family and the ones that we discuss with our friends are dissimilar. For instance, with your family you talk about what happened with you when you were in a particular place on a particular day. Also, you discuss more mature topics that benefit you like; how to manage time, which university to apply for, how to invest your pocket money and open an account in the bank so that you can use it in emergencies, how to solve complicated problems and many other things that are beneficial for you. By contrast, with your friends you discuss topics that you have common interest in, such as; fashion, movies, study, work, simple problems and other things that may be immature and non beneficial for you. And that’s how the discussions contrast among family and friends. Finally, our attitude differs from being with our families than being with our friends similarly with the places that we visit or the topics that we discuss. However, it’s the undeniable fact that we can never live without our families or our friends.

Persepolis

In the current international community, the issue of human rights had been one of the main issues that are faced by the different countries in the world. Topics such as the inhumane treatment towards women and children mostly in the Middle Eastern Countries and Islamic communities around the world are the problems that are still in being debated by my leaders today. Although many feminist say that there is inequality and inhumanity in the treatment of women in the Middle East, in reality, women are really torn between deciding to obey their culture or practice their right as a woman. In the past, Persian women are given the equal rights with men. These women have their own properties and are able to retain these even after their marriage. Most of them are given the right to their own freedom and are acknowledged as the most important people in the society given their ability to bear a child and such. In an article written by Massoume Price, he stated that based on historical facts â€Å"†¦the widowed wife inherited from the deceased even if she did not have children. A woman could not act as a witness in the drawing up of contracts, but she could act as a contracting party and have her own seal† (Price, n. . ). Women had the same power as men but as the years progress, female rights in Iran have lessened which led to repression and gender inequality. In the book Persepolis discusses such dilemma of a 9 year old child living in Iran during the Iran and Iraq war. The author of the book is Marjane Satrapi who actually is the lead character in the whole s tory and narrates her experiences as a child until now as an Iranian woman. The book is a graphic novel which looks like a comic strip. The book is filled with black and white drawings (The Creole Cat, 1) which I personally think as unique and cool. It is not like a typical book which is filled with words and serious topics that will turn out to be a boring book in the end. Although the book does not present is self as a serious and a complicated book to read, the issues raised in the book has became one of the most controversial concern in Iran and in various countries in the world. (Revolution, n. p. ) The graphic novel narrates the life of Marjane Satrapi who was then living in a chaotic world of politics in Iran. Her family is connected to the political branches of the government which makes her more exposed to the lifestyle of politics in Iran. Her family was communists who generally do not agree with the system of the Islamic Fundamentalists and its actions. Her family usually hosts under ground parties which was a form of rebellion in the government. These parties were not allowed by the government because they are believed to be a western practice which opposes the belief of the fundamentalists. Therefore heavy punishments could be held to them if they are caught participating in these activities. As Marjane lived in a family that was against the Islamic Fundamentalists, she also created measures that imitated the actions of her family. She got interested in punk and heavy metal music and often bought Nike shoes in the black market. Due to the bold actions of the young Marjane, her family decided that she must live in a different country to prevent her from being arrested by officials, â€Å"It would have been better to just go† (Eberstadt cited in Satrapi n. p. ). During her high school life, she was sent to Vienna Austria however, she felt like she was isolated and typically hated the people around her. She believes that Westerners do not put any value to the freedom that they have. After a few months of her stay in Austria she had a relationship with a young man. She became passionately in love with him but after a while, she discovered that he was cheating on her. Due to this, she had clinical depression and almost died of bronchitis. She went home to Iran with a broken heart (Revolution, n. p. ). By the time that she was in college, she went back to Iran. She was hopeful that changes in the society would be present because the war had already ended however; the problem in Iran seemed to have a much bigger issue to solve. Petty issues such as small differences in religion, and group executions due to political conflicts had been a source of bigger complications in the society which lead to a much chaotic Iran. The conflict made the lives of the people much more difficult most especially to the women living in the country. Iran had a much more conservative law which made life for Marjane much more complicated. Freedom of wearing make-up was prohibited. Marjane was almost caught wearing cosmetics but in the end, she got out of the situation for accusing the police for staring wrongly at her body. In addition she married her boyfriend just to avoid the police scrutiny. In the end, Marjane Satrapi separated with her husband after their three years of marriage. Other events happened and finally her parents decided that she must leave the country in order to prevent her from being arrested by the police. Marjane agreed to the plan of her parents however, after her departure from Iran her grandmother died. In the whole story, the role of women was one of the strongest and most evident participation. In some articles that critiqued the book has stated that the graphic novel is about feminism and women empowerment in the Middle East. The book highlights the role and responsibilities of women in a conservative and Islamic community such that of Tehran, Iran. When the Islamic Fundamentalist party one the most obvious changes that the women had to do was to change the way they dress. Women need to cover their hair in order to not entice the men. In the conservative belief of the Islam religion, women must not show of a body part because it might lead to something sinful for the part of the men. The veil became a mandatory outfit of every woman whether they may be young or old (Creole Cat, 1). Make-ups are also not allowed by the Islamic Fundamentalists for they believe that it is a Western belief and thus is should not be put on by any woman. In the story Marjane was almost arrested by the police but she was able to make an alibi. In addition, women in many ways had created actions in order to prevent men from being caught by the police while going against the action of the government. A scene in the graphic novel where in the police stopped their car for inspection. The police officer inspected her father and suspected that Marjane’s father had drunk wine. Upon inspection, the mother tried to negotiate with the officers pleading that her father just became surprised with the inspection. In the continuing scene, the grandmother excused herself through justifying that she has diabetes. She was understood by one of the officers and through this, the grandmother and Marjane were able to go up their apartment and sneak in. They were able to throw away the wines that they have kept in their apartment. Females in Iran were able to somehow cover up for the men because of their characteristic of being compassionate and patient with negotiations with other people. Marjane’s mother is specifically patient and calm during situations like these. She gives support to her husband but is more composed. Although she wanted to have justice and equality amongst everyone in Iran she does not act as violently as others would do. (Satrapi 107-110) The role of the maid in the story was also an important part of the novel. Although it is given small attention, the scene of the story is proclaiming that there is social construct of limiting oneself from interacting with other people due to the social class. A maid is not a high paying job compared to other jobs available. Maids are also seen as low class citizens and must not go out of their social class. They must not marry higher class people such as the middle class and the elites. It would be immoral and improper because in the Iranian society, any individual must not go out of their social class, like Marjane’s father said â€Å"In this country you must stay within your own social class† (Eberstadt cited in Satrapi n. p. ). Due to this belief and social construct, the interaction of the society becomes limited which creates in equality. However, Marjane stated a line in which makes the readers realize that there must not be boundaries with the relations of people â€Å"We were not in the same social class but at least we were in the same bed†( Eberstadt cited in Satrapi n. p. ). Her line expressed states that everyone is equal with one another, in terms of loving another person. The situation of the maid, demonstrated that class difference is one of the main issues faced by Iran. The main character, Marjane illustrates a child that was born in a family that wanted to have a just world. Just like her parents, she also employs her own belief system which led to many troubles which were narrated in the book. Her boldness and strong belief present a modern Iranian woman that wants to get out of her shell to explore other realities. Marjane advocates the openness to other new experiences such that of the western culture. As a young girl, she immediately had a different sense of desire for freedom and equality. When she was in her younger years, she was already out spoken about her ideas and her dreams. She wanted to become a prophet which is not really a dream for most the girls of her age. Her teacher even called her parents because she got disturbed by the idea the Marjane wanted to be a prophet. Her dream of becoming a prophet evidently makes her represent the female population that wanted freedom and equality from the Islamic Fundamentalists belief. Although Marjane was being bold and was acting against the principle of her belief, she still believed in a higher and stronger being which was shown in her graphic novel. Though, women were repressed and were forced to the will of the fundamentalists, Marjane’s role became an important in the book to show that she was a woman that pursued what she believed is right even though she was held back by the society. She did chase her dream in making the lives of women and other Iranians free from all the difficulties that she had in her past life. Marjane’s life became a symbol of courage and change for many women in the Iranian society. In conclusion, women in the book all have their own roles. The elderly women in the book such as the mother and the grandmother of Marjane played the role of protecting their families through peaceful means. As much as possible, these elders are fighting for what they believe is right however, they do not do the extremes unlike Marjane. They move with grace and caution to make sure that their family is well protected and at peace. The maid’s role in the story is being a woman less powerful than the normal one due to her status in the society. Being a woman and being poor held her back to the lower part of the social system. The Iranian conservative society does not allow a lower class female to marry or be in a relationship with a male who is in the higher social status or vise versa. On the other hand, Marjane’s role in novel changed the perspective of many of the characters. Her rebellion made gave her a little freedom which was needed by most of the women during her time. Marjane showed her strength and courage in battling the norms of her society to prove that women should be given more freedom than their culture allows.

Plato Essay Essay

1. a) Explain how Plato’s epistemological assumptions shape his metaphysics (Why does he think that there must be Forms? Hint: Plato says (in effect): â€Å"Since knowledge is certain, therefore the objects of knowledge must be unchanging. †). b) Define Plato’s Forms and present the theory of Forms by explaining the â€Å"divided line. † (You can use the visual image, but explain it. ) Plato was extremely devoted in answering the sophists’ skepticism about reason and morality. To do so, he spent more time than any philosopher before him studying knowledge, or epistemology. He realized that to answer the sophists’ skepticism he had to first solve the three main problems that earlier philosophers had left behind; the problems of change, the â€Å"one† and the â€Å"many†, and the problem between appearance and reality. Plato started where Heraclitus, who said that everything is changing, and Parmenides, who said that nothing ever changes, left off. He said that both philosophers were correct in their assumptions, for they were talking about different types of objects. Heraclitus is correct in terms of the sensible realm; it obviously exists, and is a flux that conforms to the â€Å"measures† as he suggested. Parmenides was correct in terms of the intelligible realm. Plato thought that beyond the world of physical objects in space and time is another world that is nonphysical, non-spatial, and non-temporal. He called this the world of ideai, or forms. These forms are nonphysical, non-spatial, non-temporal objects of thought that are more real than anything else. Whenever we are thinking, according to Plato, what we are thinking about is a form. For example, a triangle drawn on the board in class, no matter how perfect and real it may appear is merely a copy of the form of triangle; a plane figure enclosed by three straight lines. It is like a triangle and looking at it helps us think of the real triangle, but it only relates, or â€Å"participates† in Plato’s terms, to its’ true form. This theory applies to the entire sensible realm because everything changes and nothing stays exactly what it is. In the world of forms, however, everything is always what it is and never another thing. Plato believed that because the world of forms is Parmenidean, or eternal and unchanging, it is therefore possible for us to know it. To explain his theory of forms in depth, Plato used the image of the â€Å"divided line†. Take a line and divide it into two unequal parts, one part representing the physical world and one representing the world of forms. Then, subdivide these two parts in the same ratio, creating two sub-parts of the physical world (call them A and B) and two of the world of forms (call them C and D). Plato says let the first, or lowest, section of the physical world (A) stand for images, such as shadows or reflections. Let the second section of the physical world (B) stand for the actual objects that cast these shadows, like trees, humans, or desks. In the world of forms, Plato continues, let the first section (C) stand for the lower forms, or the forms of the objects in section B. The second section in the world of forms, the highest section of all, (D) then stands for the higher forms, or the science of first principles; the knowledge that, if possessed, would prove the basic assumptions of the special sciences. Plato believed that the nearer we are to the base of the divided line (A), the more conditioned our knowledge is. We can move up the line through dialectic, a process of questions and answer that utilizes hypothesis, criticism, and revision to move nearer to unconditioned knowledge. The higher we climb via this dialectic, the more we rid ourselves of conditions and the better we grasp the knowledge of the non-material abstract forms (D). According to Plato, these are the forms that possess the highest and most fundamental kind of reality. 2. a) How does the Form Man explain the existence of the many individual men? b) What is the nature of man and how is the individual man analogous to the state? c) What is virtue or justice in man and in the state? Plato’s theory of Forms led him to many assumptions, one of the most important of which is his view on the form of â€Å"man† and his relation to the state. He understood that no one man has ever been perfect and that each man participates in the form â€Å"man† to different degrees. Individual men are adequate copies of the true form of â€Å"man†. Plato believed that the men who participate in the form more fully are going to more real, and therefore  better, then the men who participate less. This is better explained by his philosophy of the nature of man and his analogous relationship to the state. Plato recognized the nature of man as a psyche, or soul, that was grouped into three main parts. Each of these three parts have motions proper to them that he believed, if harmonized, would lead to eudaimonia, a total well-being. The first, and lowest, part of the soul he called the appetites. The highest part Plato called reason. The third part, between appetite and reason, he called spirit. He saw the state as having three main parts as well, each corresponding to one of the three parts of the human psyche. Every state needs a governing body, whether kings or congress, so this will be the first part. The second is reserved for the essential producing class, which includes merchants, industrial workers, agriculturists, and so on. Third, Plato held that every state needs a group, between the governing and producing classes, to maintain the state against enemies; this is the guardian group. The analogy relates the producing class to appetite in the individual, the governing class to reason, and the guardians to spirit. Plato wasn’t just satisfied with this, he wanted to know the virtues of these classes, in other words, he wanted to know what each could contribute best. Like organs in an organism’s body, Plato believed each part of the soul and state have a particular role to play in the whole; they were not discrete and complete in themselves. He thought that the function of the members of the producing class was to provide themselves and the nonproductive classes with the necessities of life, such as food, shelter, and clothing. He realized that if everybody were to be provided for sufficiently, some of the producers would have to put up with having less than others. They would have to be ready to â€Å"restrict one’s own consumption for the sake of achieving some sort of balance in the state as a whole†, thus their virtue is moderation or as Plato called it, temperance (Jones 169). The guardians, who make up the second class, must be courageous when defending the state against its enemies, thus their virtue is courage. The governors make the highest decisions in the state. They determine war or peace, educational and economic policies, and so on. To make correct decisions they require knowledge; this is their virtue. A state in which each class is performing its function is just state. Only when the rulers are making wise decisions that are executed with courage and loyalty by the guardians, and the rest of the population is exercising some restraint in its pursuit of material well being, will the citizens of the state be happy. Since the state’s three classes exactly correspond to the three parts of the soul, we are able to understand what Plato took to be their respective virtues. Just like in the state, every individual has producing part that keeps them â€Å"alive and active, a rational part that is intended to guide and direct the energy produced by the body, and a spirited part that is intended to help keep the body in order† (Jones 169). Just as the functions of the soul correspond to the state, so do its virtues. A virtuous man is temperate in satisfying his various appetites and lives a life of reason that is supported by his spirited elements. 3. a) Use the allegory of the cave to illustrate Plato’s political views. In doing so, you should b) explain how the theory of forms supports Plato’s favored form of Aristocracy (to begin with, recall the relation between individual men and the Form of man) and c) explain how the theory of Forms grounds his criticism and rejection of democracy (where in â€Å"the cave† are the Athenian democrats?where are they on the divided line? ) As we have seen, Plato uses myths and methods such as the divided line to explain his views on certain things; this is the case, too, with his views on politics. To understand these views we must examine his allegory of the cave. He said to imagine there was men in a dark cave that were chained by their necks and ankles in such a fashion that they could not move their legs or necks and could only see what was in front of them. These men had been in this cave since childhood. Higher up behind them is a fire that is separated from the prisoners by a sort of puppet-show screen. This fire and screen were used by people carrying various artificial objects, such as figures of men, animals, and other materials, to project the shadows of these objects onto the stone in front of the chained men. It was so dark that these prisoners had no clue they were not alone and if they spoke to each other, they assumed they were speaking with the projected images. Plato goes on to say, imagine if one of them were set free and forced up the steep ascent into the sunlight. He would realize that what he experienced in the cave was not as real as what actually existed. Nature and the sun would enlighten this man and therefore he would gain true knowledge of the world as it is. Plato reasoned that these men, the ones who make it out of the cave, are the men who should rule the rest. His politics were based on man being a social animal, with desires, not only for sleeping or drinking, but communicating with his fellow men in the community. Therefore, he thought communal life is good and all other human goods depend on it for any sufficient satisfaction; an individual, who is really part of the larger state, is neither complete nor himself in isolation. If the good life for the individual is possible only by community, then there must be some sort of government to give direction to the numbers of men and women who live and work together. Plato believed that the few who are wise and good should rule the many. As his theory of Forms suggests, all men participate to the form of man to different degrees. He thought that the few men who participate at the highest levels of the form, the most knowledgeable that have exited the cave and been enlightened, are the ones best for ruling, and doing so rationally; the many are lacking in knowledge and virtue. Plato favored an Aristocracy ruled by these knowledgeable philosopher-kings who would impose the temperance on the producers through selective education and controlled propaganda. Each person, in his view, would find their happiness by playing the part in the state that their degree of participation to the form of man best suited them for. Plato therefore criticized democracy because instead of philosopher-kings who have true knowledge, the rulers are chosen on irrelevant grounds. The art of ruling, which he thought to determine what is best, became in democracy the art of appealing to the masses with flattery. Plato believed that in a democracy it is impossible to exit the cave or rise to the highest section of the divided line because it is powered by rhetoric. Rhetoric works at the level of opinion and only invokes belief by emotional mean, rather than operating at the level of knowledge, where analyzing the forms allows us to discover the truth.